Pedestrian Bridges

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by McC

I think I would use Avenue Road down to Windsor Park and then follow the River to Billing Bridge, if I was heading that way.

The best way to do it IMO if you are heading further south on Bank Street is Mutchmor Road -> Main Street -> Mcilraith Bridge -> behind Ottawa Hospital Riverside Campus -> Rodney Crescent -> Lamira Street -> Bank Street (or Belanger & Clementine)

A bit convoluted, but it works well.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Lakeofthewood

This one seems to be a logical next step once the Fifth / Clegg bridge is finished. Depending on your exact location in Old Ottawa East (and the pathway connections on the east side of Rideau River), that would actually make Hurdman Station closer than Lees Station (~1.1 km vs ~1.5 km from the intersection of Main / Clegg)

Edit to add that this would make Hurdman LRT station a comparable distance to Lansdowne as the downtown Confederation Line stations (not that I really think there will be many people willing to walk almost 3 km to Lansdowne after taking LRT).

I'm not sure I see the usefulness of a Clegg-Hurdman bridge at least until the Hurdman area is more densely developed.

There is already an alternate route to Hurdman or Lees on the Confederation line from the east end of Clegg:

-North on the switchback ramp up to Greystone (Scholastic Dr)
-follow Scholastic Dr along the river to the end
-Rideau River western pathway from Springhurst Park to the bridge.
-turn left on pathway for Lees station, or turn right and cross the LRT/old Transitway bridge to Hurdman

It's not that much further (distance wise or time wise) if you are biking.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

I do see a lot of merit in the Percy-Craig-Seneca-Data Centre-Sawmill Creek alignment, but I think there is value to have the next ped/cycling bridge continue the east-west axis of 5th and Clegg eastward to the pathways around Hurdman:



Also, with a bridge over the Rideau River @ the Trillium Line to be packaged with Stage 2, I'd like to see a direct connection through Carleton to the Trillium Pathway north of the Rideau Canal. The Carleton locks would serve this purpose in the near-term, but they are very crowded on busy days.



Lots of opportunities for new ped bridges! We'll see what the new TMP has in store...

Cyclists can cross the canal at Hartwell Locks, which is only slightly less direct than what you are suggesting.

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Cyclists can cross the canal at Hartwell Locks, which is only slightly less direct than what you are suggesting.

Yes, but as I noted the Hartwell Locks can get very congested during the summer months and there can be some decent delay to cross. The crossing is also very inconvenient for those with trailers or cargo bikes.

I would see that bridge as a solution to increased crowding at Hartwell Locks in the future. If they could somehow upgrade the crossing at Hartwell Locks itself, that would also be fine.

[OCCheetos]

The Flora footbridge will open to pedestrians and cyclists in the next two weeks.

https://twitter.com/JonathanWilling/status/1141691150782357504?s=19

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by phil235

Doesn't surprise me. I wonder if any cyclist will actually take that route heading south. Riverdale to Bank doesn't come to mind when I think of bike-friendly routes.

This is the fastest way downtown on a relatively off-bank route. I used to live at Heron/Bank and biked downtown every day, and used Petoria Bridge as well.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by phil235

Doesn't surprise me. I wonder if any cyclist will actually take that route heading south. Riverdale to Bank doesn't come to mind when I think of bike-friendly routes.

Bank is to be reconstructed with cycle tracks from Riverside south in the next few years. Billings Bridge itself will continue to be a pinch point unfortunately.

A solution is badly needed to improve the river crossing there, either by widening the bridge or adding parallel cycling bridge(s).

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

The best way to do it IMO if you are heading further south on Bank Street is Mutchmor Road -> Main Street -> Mcilraith Bridge -> behind Ottawa Hospital Riverside Campus -> Rodney Crescent -> Lamira Street -> Bank Street (or Belanger & Clementine)

A bit convoluted, but it works well.

It does, but it would be nice if they put in a proper curb cut where the pathway meets Rodney Cres.

And based on the accident yesterday, some improvements are badly needed at the ramp terminals at the south end of the McIlraith Bridge. There is no guidance or help for cyclists there whatsoever. The lanes end at the end of the bridge and then you're on your own.

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

Bank is to be reconstructed with cycle tracks from Riverside south in the next few years. Billings Bridge itself will continue to be a pinch point unfortunately.

A solution is badly needed to improve the river crossing there, either by widening the bridge or adding parallel cycling bridge(s).

I've thought about adding cycling lanes to Billings Bridge quite a bit... including the feasibility of 3 lane operation with a reversible centre lane to match the parking restrictions north in Old Ottawa South (I've never been able to convince myself it would work - hard to do in that section with not a ton of good spots to start and end the reversible lane).

My preference for fixing the bridge would be something like this bridge (Main Street / Joe Nuxhall Way) in Cincinnati:



You can see the suspended pedestrian walkways on the bridge were added later. I think something like that (done right with a similar look to Billings Bridge) would look very nice alongside the existing bridge. Pedestrians could use the new wide sidewalks on the addition, and cyclists would have sole use of the existing pedestrian area.

[rocketphish]

Flora Footbridge now open, but no love locks, please
City warns it will immediately cut off mementos left by amorous couples

CBC News
Posted: Jun 28, 2019 4:27 PM ET | Last Updated: 6 hours ago



Pedestrians and cyclists in Ottawa can now use the Flora Footbridge to cross the Rideau Canal between the Glebe and Old Ottawa East — but they won't be able to leave behind symbols of their undying love.

The $21-million project began construction in the fall of 2017 and was originally scheduled to open this fall, but work was completed early. The bridge opened Friday afternoon.

The footbridge was named after former Canadian politician Flora MacDonald, the country's first female foreign minister.

You're welcome to profess your love for that special someone on the new span, but the city doesn't want you leaving any mementos behind. Any "love locks" affixed to the bridge's railings will be cut off, the city said Friday.

"Love locks and other chains or padlocks will be removed from the Flora Footbridge," said Alain Gonthier, the city's director of infrastructure services.

Love locks are padlocks affixed to bridges by couples who traditionally then toss the keys into the water below, symbolizing an everlasting bond. Hundreds are fastened to the Corktown Footbridge, which opened between Somerset Street W. and the University of Ottawa in 2006.

However, as some municipalities have learned, the weight of too many locks can actually damage the structure.

The Flora Footbridge will be the second pedestrian bridge to open in Ottawa's central neighbourhoods within a four-year span.

The Adàwe Crossing, which stretches over the Rideau River, opened to pedestrians and cyclists in December 2015. It bridges Somerset Street E. in Sandy Hill and Donald Street in the Vanier/Overbrook neighbourhoods.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ri...ridge-opening-flora-footbridge-1.5194630

[j.graham]

half of the article about love locks...wish they would talk more about the actual bridge

[CityTech]

Love locks are horrible. In some of Europe's older cities like Paris, Rome, Prague etc they've caused permanent damage to historic sites.

Removing isn't enough. People who put them up need to be charged with vandalism.

[J.OT13]

Cities could have a designated spot for "love locks" and uOttawa seems to be a logical spot (though unplanned at the time). It's a nice concept. I agree, if someone is caught placing one on an unauthorized structure, then they should be fined to detract others.

[rocketphish]

Airport Parkway crossing to be renamed Juno Beach Memorial Bridge

Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: November 7, 2019



Five years after it opened, Ottawa’s Airport Parkway Pedestrian Bridge is getting a new name: The Juno Beach Memorial Bridge.

Mayor Jim Watson and Counc. Riley Brockington will join members of the Royal Canadian Legion to officially rename the bridge at a Veterans’ Week ceremony on Friday at 11 a.m.

The name honours the landing beach for Canadian troops on D-Day and complements the similarly military-themed Vimy Memorial Bridge over the Rideau River that links Strandherd Drive and Earl Armstrong Road.

This year marked the 75th anniversary of the June 6, 1944 invasion of Normandy, which led to the end of the War in Europe 11 months later. Some 340 Canadians were killed in the assault on Juno Beach and another 574 wounded.

The $10-million pedestrian bridge opened in December 2014.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...to-be-renamed-juno-beach-memorial-bridge

[Admiral Nelson]

Better than the overly punny Vimy Bridge

[gosouth]

A new Rideau River Pedestrian Bridge will be part of the O-Train South Extension:
https://ottawa.ca/en/planning-developmen...-south-extension-construction-activities

[caveat.doctor]

Some photos of the Harmer Av bridge yesterday - looks pretty much done, just waiting for landscaping.

From the south, at Harmer Av S:



From the north west, on Helena St. You can see the runnels on the steps to make bringing bikes easier:



From the north, on Harmer Av N:



The ramp grade on the north side is much shallower now, which means the ramp not only has to start now almost halfway between Faraday and Iona Sts, it also jogs out into the space along the Queensway wall. It's quite long! It would have made sense to have put a set of stairs at the very end of Harmer Av N as well as Helena St to save people from having to use the ramp - especially with physical distancing being the new normal.

[caveat.doctor]

Harmer Av bridge - open!







My 3 year old spent much of the late afternoon just racing up the ramps, across the bridge and down and back - "this is more fun than the swings [in Fisher Park]!" There were kids all along the bridge jumping and waving at traffic especially big transport trucks, who were happy to join in with their air horns speeding past... it's a real hit! The landscaping was also very well done, and they also provided rust-coloured ("pre-rusted?") steel louvred privacy walls between the bridge and the adjoining residences.

Only bit of constructive criticism would be at the lack of stairs on the north end of the bridge at Harmer Av N - it's a long detour that could have been made more accessible with steps between the street to the first "level" of the ramp, and from there to the bridge itself. Seems to be possible to add in later though. Should be about here:





Otherwise, awesome to have the bridge back in my neighbourhood!

[Kitchissippi]

Next, there really needs to be one of these between Kingsmere Park and Bel-Air as there are no safe Queensway crossings between Maitland and Woodroffe.

[caboose]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

Next, there really needs to be one of these between Kingsmere Park and Bel-Air as there are no safe Queensway crossings between Maitland and Woodroffe.

that's a great idea! if it's more than 1.5km to the next 417 crossover, it deserves a pedestrian crossing!