Rideau Street Renewal

[CanadaGoose]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

I still have a problem with the logic of keeping the bridge 4-lanes of car traffic, when the 'before' and 'after' in both directions is cut down to just two lanes. Yes, during rush hour there's 4 lanes on Montreal Road, but most of the time only two lanes are available. Would reducing the bridge to 2 lanes *really* create a pinch point that would shut down traffic?

At locations where left and right turns are needed, expand the traffic lanes. Otherwise why do we need 4 lanes?

It’s only the eastbound lanes getting used to get on Sussex Dr heavily.

I don’t think anyone would care if the westbound lanes between Sussex to Mackenzie Ave was reduced.

But that section needs a complete revision to get rid of the dangerous bike situation, the awful underpass, etc etc.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by CyrusKafaiwu

It’s only the eastbound lanes getting used to get on Sussex Dr heavily.

I don’t think anyone would care if the westbound lanes between Sussex to Mackenzie Ave was reduced.

But that section needs a complete revision to get rid of the dangerous bike situation, the awful underpass, etc etc.

I think the previous comment was referring to Cummings Bridge.

But yes, the Colonel By-Sussex-Rideau-Wellington-Mackenzie intersections could use some work. The Rideau cycle track will now stop a block short of the Mackenzie cycle track, and the NCC has plans for Wellington. It's just a question of what gets done when and in what order.

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by Catenary

I think the previous comment was referring to Cummings Bridge.

But yes, the Colonel By-Sussex-Rideau-Wellington-Mackenzie intersections could use some work. The Rideau cycle track will now stop a block short of the Mackenzie cycle track, and the NCC has plans for Wellington. It's just a question of what gets done when and in what order.

You raise a good point as well. Picture my commute from Montreal Road to Portage: If I'm on my bike, coming west and up the Cummings bridge (after just barely losing my life in the right hand lanes at the top of the bridge where the bike lane ends), I'm probably going to say 'screw it' (or something worse) and continue down hill on Rideau, because the parking lane provides some width for me to continue, and the hill looks nice and enticing (compared to the stop-and-go nature of Sandy Hill residential streets, which is a huge PITA). When I reach King Eddy, I'm likely not going to jaunt around and around, crossing Rideau twice, just to continue westward. There's just no efficiency in it. And efficiency when biking is king. (Same thing happens when I bike towards an intersection where a bike path meets a signalized corner. The City puts up 'walk your bike' signs when the intersection hasn't been designed for cyclists. You think I actually come to a stop, dismount, and friggin walk? F*ck no. lol Neither does anyone else!)

moving on...

Continuing West, after the single block of nice new in-front-of-the-rideau-centre-only bikeway, I find myself in the curb lane ascending Wellington and trying not to get crushed (thankfully, with less STO buses), and perhaps even up on the bumpy granite sidewalk outside of tourist hours. Upon cresting the hill in front of parliament, trying not to get flattened by buses, I find myself again in a protected bike lane for the much-easier downhill and over the bridge, with a fully protected bike lane.

Would it be so hard to just say that every street that crosses the river and/or canal should have east-west bikeway priority?

[phil235]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

You raise a good point as well. Picture my commute from Montreal Road to Portage: If I'm on my bike, coming west and up the Cummings bridge (after just barely losing my life in the right hand lanes at the top of the bridge where the bike lane ends), I'm probably going to say 'screw it' (or something worse) and continue down hill on Rideau, because the parking lane provides some width for me to continue, and the hill looks nice and enticing (compared to the stop-and-go nature of Sandy Hill residential streets, which is a huge PITA). When I reach King Eddy, I'm likely not going to jaunt around and around, crossing Rideau twice, just to continue westward. There's just no efficiency in it. And efficiency when biking is king. (Same thing happens when I bike towards an intersection where a bike path meets a signalized corner. The City puts up 'walk your bike' signs when the intersection hasn't been designed for cyclists. You think I actually come to a stop, dismount, and friggin walk? F*ck no. lol Neither does anyone else!)

moving on...

Continuing West, after the single block of nice new in-front-of-the-rideau-centre-only bikeway, I find myself in the curb lane ascending Wellington and trying not to get crushed (thankfully, with less STO buses), and perhaps even up on the bumpy granite sidewalk outside of tourist hours. Upon cresting the hill in front of parliament, trying not to get flattened by buses, I find myself again in a protected bike lane for the much-easier downhill and over the bridge, with a fully protected bike lane.

Would it be so hard to just say that every street that crosses the river and/or canal should have east-west bikeway priority?

Point taken about going down Rideau. Personally, I'd probably duck into the slower, safer streets and stick to the bike lane after Cumberland, but no doubt lots of cyclists will take the direct route. That's a concern.

In fairness, Wellington will have a protected lane from Sussex west. The real question is whether they will do something about that single block from Rideau and Sussex to the N-S lane that ends at Mackenzie and Wellington. It seems crazy not to complete that link right away, rather than pouring cyclists into that massive intersection.

[eltodesukane]

Rideau Street 2020 september 12

[kevinbottawa]

The trees are gonna be a nice touch.

[J.OT13]

Thanks for providing regular updates!

Looking forward to the finished product. It will be a huge improvement over the last 30 years of neglect.

[Truenorth00]

What's the timeline to finish this?

[Brannwagon]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

What's the timeline to finish this?

Per the City’s website:

Project timeline

- Construction on Rideau Street from Dalhousie Street to Sussex Drive commenced in April 2020 and the majority of the work is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. Rideau Street will reopen to traffic, transit and cyclists by the end of 2020.
- Construction on William Street will commence in September 2020 and the majority of the work expected to be completed in December 2020.
- Surface course asphalt and minor landscaping work will be performed in spring 2021.

[J.OT13]

From Fleury's Twitter:



https://twitter.com/MathieuFleury/status/1306954327551029249

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by kevinbottawa

The trees are gonna be a nice touch.

They'll be an even nice touch if, unlike most urban trees planted in Ottawa street rebuilds, they aren't murdered by our salt addiction within a year or two.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

They'll be an even nice touch if, unlike most urban trees planted in Ottawa street rebuilds, they aren't murdered by our salt addiction within a year or two.

The vandals will take care of them long before that kills them off.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

They'll be an even nice touch if, unlike most urban trees planted in Ottawa street rebuilds, they aren't murdered by our salt addiction within a year or two.

They seem further away from the street than most trees usually are.

I hope these trees get proper protection cages (not like the flimsy-🞵🞵🞵 🞵🞵🞵🞵 ones on Queen).

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

They seem further away from the street than most trees usually are.

I hope these trees get proper protection cages (not like the flimsy-🞵🞵🞵 🞵🞵🞵🞵 ones on Queen).

The sidewalks get oversalted, too.

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

The sidewalks get oversalted, too.

Especially transit stops...

[zzptichka]

I've got no hope for the trees. They are doomed.
At least until they change their winter maintenance standards.

[Gat-Train]

Why the heck couldn't they have done this renewal project at the same time as building the Confederation Line? They had it all ripped up then.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by Gat-Train

Why the heck couldn't they have done this renewal project at the same time as building the Confederation Line? They had it all ripped up then.

This is the project to clean up after the Confederation Line construction. It was supposed to be done last year, but things got pushed back too far and it got bumped.

[Truenorth00]

Why the heck can't they speed this up? That's my question.

6 months should be plenty. Shouldn't need 8 months.

I'm watching them build a path from to Cyrville Station from Aviation and Ogilvie. Just vegetation to remove and soilwork. They did that over a month ago. And since then they have managed to lay down just 10% of the concrete pavement. Easily go a week without any activity at the site. I don't get this.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Why the heck can't they speed this up? That's my question.

6 months should be plenty. Shouldn't need 8 months.

I'm watching them build a path from to Cyrville Station from Aviation and Ogilvie. Just vegetation to remove and soilwork. They did that over a month ago. And since then they have managed to lay down just 10% of the concrete pavement. Easily go a week without any activity at the site. I don't get this.

I can't speak to Rideau (though it seems like they've done quite a bit since April; remember there was underground work and watermain work completed by RTG as well).

But I see similar slow progress with pathway construction in my neighbourhood as a number of small pathways were dug up and re-built. (I'm talking several weeks to rebuild a 100m pathway). My only explanation for the slow process is the contractor is moving their resources amongst all the various projects they have on the go.