National Defence HQ (Carling) | 60 Moodie Drive [former Nortel campus]

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by caveat.doctor

Glad that OC Transpo was receptive to making the change. While still worse than the current service with the 101 & 103 (7 trips/h between 1500-1800, varying from 5-15 min between trips), and slower and less direct for anyone not passing through downtown, I guess it's "Ottawa frequent"

They may well not be the case. Line 1 will be much faster through downtown than the current Transitway.

Google shows that today it takes 49 minutes to Gloucester Centre from Carling Place on route 103. This is assuming there is no traffic and everything remains on schedule.

The same trip on October 10, using the 66 and line 1, takes 55 mins and is likely to be far more reliable since almost the entire trip is via the Transitway and Line 1.

[CityTech]

Its 23 mins from Carling Place to Tunney's Pasture on the 66, and then 23 mins from Tunney's to Blair, so 46 mins + a couple mins for the transfer. So about the same travel time on paper. However I'm willing to bet the 103 is often stuck in traffic which delays the trip. 66 -> O Train won't have that problem.

[caveat.doctor]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

They may well not be the case. Line 1 will be much faster through downtown than the current Transitway.

Google shows that today it takes 49 minutes to Gloucester Centre from Carling Place on route 103. This is assuming there is no traffic and everything remains on schedule.

The same trip on October 10, using the 66 and line 1, takes 55 mins and is likely to be far more reliable since almost the entire trip is via the Transitway and Line 1.

Originally Posted by CityTech

Its 23 mins from Carling Place to Tunney's Pasture on the 66, and then 23 mins from Tunney's to Blair, so 46 mins + a couple mins for the transfer. So about the same travel time on paper. However I'm willing to bet the 103 is often stuck in traffic which delays the trip. 66 -> O Train won't have that problem.

I mentioned it earlier, those who will have easy access to line 1 very well might have more reliable and similar travel times to now. Me and my colleagues who are losing out with the end of the 101/103 are mostly those whose trips won't involve the train at all.

Here's my changes to illustrate: before, 23 min



And after, 39 min, plus a transfer



Of course I also get that I benefit from the train when I make other trips going downtown and east, so I'm looking forward to that. I do see why line 1 can and should replace the vast majority of the crosstown routes. But there are many, like the 101/103, that serve commuters who aren't going all the way crosstown. We need routes like 101/103 to quickly connect areas east-west that are too far south to benefit from the train.

All that said, I concede and appreciate there have been positive changes made to Carling service since the original announcement - the 66 is now running at the time I would be leaving work (originally it was not to become an option 'til about a hour later), so I'm not reliant on other routes that required 2+ transfers. I'm still concerned that because the 66 starts further west in Kanata, it will be subject to delays prior to getting to Carling, whereas the 101/103 started at Carling, so it was fairly reliable at getting underway. This is especially important as I'm now reliant on connecting to the 55, which is infrequent.

Originally Posted by rocketphish

DND to lease parking lots to deal with Carling headquarters parking chaos, parkade planned for later

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: September 12, 2019
...

The first leased parking site, with 392 spaces, will be available Oct. 1. It is located about eight kilometres from the headquarters, said spokesman Maj. Mario Couture. The department is setting up a shuttle bus to transport employees to the campus.
...

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/...-parking-chaos-parkade-planned-for-later

I'd like to see that DND parking shuttle also provide service to/from Moodie so transit users could access the more frequent Rapid routes passing through there.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by caveat.doctor

I'm now reliant on connecting to the 55, which is infrequent.

Based on your location, how about the 53, 80, 86 or 89 to Tunneys and then the 66 from there? Might be a little slower but a more frequent/quicker connection might make up for it?

I'd like to see that DND parking shuttle also provide service to/from Moodie so transit users could access the more frequent Rapid routes passing through there.

100%. This is a no brainer. Especially after Stage 2.

[caveat.doctor]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

Based on your location, how about the 53, 80, 86 or 89 to Tunneys and then the 66 from there? Might be a little slower but a more frequent/quicker connection might make up for it?

Those are all options in the morning and average about 10-15 min more than currently. But it's really the afternoons that I worry about more, they're more time sensitive as I need to get home in time to get my son from daycare.

You can see in the screenshots, currently between 1500-1530 I have 4 options all of which will get me home well before 1600. (That last one is cutting it close, but even with heavy traffic on the Queensway approaching Woodroffe and Maitland it's usually no more than a 5 min delay.)

After the changes, all depend on transfers. So while the planner shows arrivals between 1546-1554, with a transfer to a bus that only runs every 15 min, and a routing that is at least 16 min slower overall, that means needing to plan to leave at least 30 min earlier to be absolutely sure I'll be there in time. Which means getting to work 30 min earlier... on buses that are already 10-15 min slower.

Two and a half hours more commuting each week, and earlier starts to the workday - I hope you can see why this is not an improvement.

The simplest solution for us to/from Carling from/to places that aren't connected by train to the south and east would be to extend the 55 to start/end at Carling, just like the 101/103 do now. Even with reduced frequencies to every 15 min from the current 5-15 min, it would keep transit a viable option.

[Richard Eade]

Originally Posted by caveat.doctor

. . .

I'd like to see that DND parking shuttle also provide service to/from Moodie so transit users could access the more frequent Rapid routes passing through there.

So, something like leasing part of the parking lot at Robertson and Moodie, where the Zeller's is closing, then running a shuttle along Moodie. This would also be good for Bell's Corners businesses (assuming the shuttle runs all day long), since it would allow DND employees to get to Bell's Corners easily.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

So, something like leasing part of the parking lot at Robertson and Moodie, where the Zeller's is closing, then running a shuttle along Moodie. This would also be good for Bell's Corners businesses (assuming the shuttle runs all day long), since it would allow DND employees to get to Bell's Corners easily.

I like that idea. There's certainly no shortage of available land in Bells Corners.

[rocketphish]

DND parking fees increase from $35 to $84 a month, another lottery to be held for new parking

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: September 13, 2019

Defence department employees and Canadian Forces personnel will have to put their names in a lottery for the 392 new parking spaces that have been set aside for those working at the new headquarters on Carling Avenue.

In addition the department is increasing monthly parking fees for employees from $35 to $84, according to a message leaked to the Ottawa Citizen.

The new parking spaces are located at 2505 Solandt Rd., in Kanata, approximately eight kilometres away from NDHQ (Carling). The increase in parking fees will offset some of the costs for the new spaces.

The lottery for the Solandt offsite parking spaces will be held on Sept. 23, according to the message sent to employees. Individuals already on a waiting list will be automatically entered into the lottery and as such do not need to re-apply, the message noted.

Shuttles will be provided to move staff from the offsite parking lot to the headquarters campus.

The new Department of National Defence headquarters on Carling Avenue only has parking for about half of the 9,300 employees who will eventually work there.

As a short-term solution, leasing agreements have been negotiated for various parking lots in the vicinity, the DND has confirmed. That is expected to eventually provide up to 1,300 parking spaces.

The longer-term solution would involve the construction of a parkade on the headquarters’ campus that would be able to hold 1,500 vehicles.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/...other-lottery-to-be-held-for-new-parking

[CityTech]

Good, they're increasing fees. A lottery system is ridiculous; if there's more demand than supply, increase the price.

[AuxTown]

Originally Posted by CityTech

Good, they're increasing fees. A lottery system is ridiculous; if there's more demand than supply, increase the price.

I was thinking the same thing. With the number of people working there adn the parking shortage there is not reason to be charging next to nothing to park there. Now if we can only get the LRT out there with some kind of autonomous shuttle from the station to DND that would be perfect.

[DarthVader_1961]

I am not sure I understand the rational for employees having to pay to park at work. Is it simply a cash grab or is there real logic behind it?

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

I am not sure I understand the rational for employees having to pay to park at work. Is it simply a cash grab or is there real logic behind it?

It is the silly belief that this forces people onto transit, even in distant suburban locations.

There is justification for doing this in urban locations where parking is expensive to provide and transit service very good.

I know someone who had to pay for parking in some low density business park on the fringe of Bells Corners where transit service was negligible. No private employer would ever do that.

[CityTech]

I know of a private company on Coventry Road that charges for employee parking.

One issue is Canadian tax law. If an employer takes on costs from providing parking that don't fall under the category of general property maintenance, those costs have to be passed on to employees otherwise the cost is considered taxable income for the employee. So if you are leasing land outside your parcel for parking, that cost must be recovered from employees in the form of parking fees.

[CityTech]

In the case of DND its also supply and demand. Demand exceeds supply, so it makes sense to charge a price and raise it until demand drops below supply and the problem is fixed--aka, how markets work. A lottery system is just asinine.

[TransitZilla]

With the new parking at Solandt, I wonder if they are giving folks from Kanata the option of moving to the new lot?

Also I wonder if DND employees can show up and hop on the shuttle even if they are not parking there- that would essentially be a new transit service from Kanata North to Carling Place.

[rocketphish]

Another 470 parking spots available for staff at DND’s Carling HQ

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: September 18, 2019

The Department of National Defence has added more parking spaces at an offsite location to deal with the ongoing parking issues at its new headquarters on Carling Avenue.

The new Department of National Defence headquarters campus in the west end of Ottawa only has parking for about half of the proposed 9,300 department employees and Canadian military personnel who will eventually work there. DND officials also acknowledge the site is not well served by existing bus routes and it was once labelled by a top department official as a remote location.

The DND recently announced that as of Oct. 1 it would have 392 parking spaces available. Those are located at 2505 Solandt Road in Kanata.

The DND announced Wednesday that another 470 spaces will be made available at 120 Herzberg Road, also in Kanata. These 470 temporary spaces will be available for a period of 12 months, according to the DND.

Parking fees will be increased from $35 to $84 a month.

A lottery will be held on Sept. 23 for the new spaces.

Employees already on a waiting list do not need to apply as they will be automatically entered into the lottery.

The DND will provide shuttle services from the offsite parking lots, being leased from private organizations, to the Carling Avenue headquarters.

That service will be provided between 0600 and 1800 hrs, Monday to Friday. During the periods of 0600-0930 hrs and 1500-1800 hrs, the service will be running every 20-30 minutes. It will then follow a 45-60 minutes schedule for the remainder of the day, excluding a lunch period for the drivers, according to the DND. During peak times, multiple shuttles will be running to ensure minimum lines and wait times.

More details about the schedule for the shuttles will be released at a later date.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/...s-available-for-staff-at-dnds-carling-hq

[rocketphish]

DND rejects plan to allow Carling Ave. staff to park at Connaught Range

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen
Updated: September 23, 2019

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Forces are trying to figure out the major parking problems they have at their new headquarters at the former Nortel Campus on Carling Avenue.

The new Department of National Defence headquarters campus in the west end of Ottawa only has parking for about half of the proposed 9,300 employees who will eventually work there. DND officials also acknowledge the site is not well served by existing bus routes and it was once labelled by a top department official as a remote location.

The department is leasing parking on a short-term basis from private organizations. It is also looking to build a parkade on the campus for 1,500 vehicles.

At one point the department was looking at allowing staff to park at the Connaught Ranges and Primary Training Centre (CRPTC) and then have shuttles move employees to the Carling Avenue headquarters campus. In a response to this newspaper, the DND noted that the option was not pursued for a number of reasons including:

• The timeline for completion was very long due to preparing the site, demolition if required, roadwork, install lighting and final site development. Estimated 1 year to design sites and 1-2 years to build given environmental restrictions. It would have also needed NCC and City approval.
• complexity of work and potential impact on CRPTC ops make it an option that is not preferable;
• marshy conditions would have required significant preparatory work;
• Species At Risk (SAR) concerns;
• potential impact on CRPTC training; and
• safety concerns for pedestrians during busy training periods (cadets/ Reserve etc.).
• Finally, there would have been a requirement to create a traffic light at Rifle Rd & Carling Ave in order to permit left turns to Carling, which would have required additional time to achieve.

But the DND noted that efforts are also underway, in collaboration with OC Transpo, to improve bus routes to the new headquarters and frequency from five main catchment areas around the region. Those include East, South (X2), West and North (Gatineau). “A plan is currently being developed that would facilitate public transport during peak hours from various key hubs across the NCR for DND/CAF personnel, direct to NDHQ(Carling), while OC Transpo collects the data necessary to assess public transportation options to NDHQ(Carling) with a reduced commute time,” the DND noted in an email.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/...ing-ave-staff-to-park-at-connaught-range

[osirisboy]

Stupidest decision was moving dnd there in the first place

[lrt's friend]

What I don't understand is that we never heard of parking issues when this was a private facility. Did they eliminate parking lots when preparing this site for DND?

[HighwayStar]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

What I don't understand is that we never heard of parking issues when this was a private facility. Did they eliminate parking lots when preparing this site for DND?

I asked the same question-ish earlier in this thread.
I worked at Nortel during the Heyday (1995-2005). We lived in 8x8 cubes and all the buildings were packed to the rafters... parking was never an issue at all. I know the labs took up some floor space, but overall it couldn't have been a significant percentage.
The google earth view shows the current parking lots just like I remembered them.
Is DND really cramming double the number of people in there??