Wellington Street Pedestrian Mall

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Can't say I understand how re-opening the road puts the City in a better position to negotiate with the Feds.

What's to 'negotiate'.
1. City re-opens their Wellington Street.
2. Feds take over the street.
3. NCC Closes the street
4. NCC gives the ROW to Gatineau for a tram. Feds pay for the thing.
5. Street reopens again with a tram, bike lanes, and all the fun stuff. In 2080.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

What's to 'negotiate'.
1. City re-opens their Wellington Street.
2. Feds take over the street.
3. NCC Closes the street
4. NCC gives the ROW to Gatineau for a tram. Feds pay for the thing.
5. Street reopens again with a tram, bike lanes, and all the fun stuff. In 2080.

Urban planning fan fiction.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Urban planning fan fiction.

The six-decade timeline is very realistic, though?

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

The six-decade timeline is very realistic, though?

60th anniversary of Lebreton expropriation was last year, and it is still 80% wasteland.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by acottawa

60th anniversary of Lebreton expropriation was last year, and it is still 80% wasteland.

20% not-wasteland is almost progress by NCC standards.

[rocketphish]

Wellington Street — it's time to think beyond the vehicles
The City of Ottawa and the federal government need to see that a street closed to cars should be open to people — a vibrant, sustainable heart of our city.

Toon Dreessen
Published Jan 31, 2023 • Last updated 12 hours ago • 3 minute read

Should Wellington Street be reopened to vehicular traffic, or stay closed? Council will have the final word after a city committee last week voted to remove the barriers that block it. We asked some city thinkers for their take. Today: Ottawa architect Toon Dreessen:

It has been a year since protestors took over Ottawa’s downtown core, rendering streets impassible and fundamentally shifting how we think about public space in our core. Restaurants and small businesses, already hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, are attempting to rebrand the downtown area as SoPa (South of Parliament) and, like residents, gird against possible future protests.

The downtown is no stranger to throngs of people taking over the streets. But unlike the response to a joyous event, like Canada Day or the short-lived visit of La Machine, we need different actions when the intent is less joyous. We need to prepare so our city functions not only as a place for people who live here, but as a place for people to gather, to celebrate, to mourn and, yes, to protest.

We seem to be discussing an apparently urgent need to reopen Wellington Street, currently closed to cars between Bank and Elgin streets, without a broader vision for our city. I believe this street — and more — should remain closed to vehicle traffic.

To begin, public space downtown is precious. There are few public places where one can walk, ride a bike or play in the street without fear of being run over. Riding a bike on Sparks Street is forbidden and our city’s penchant for painted lines instead of proper infrastructure doesn’t help create safe places to get around.

From a security perspective, it is ludicrous that we allow any vehicle to get as close as they do to important government buildings, such as the Supreme Court, the Parliament Buildings or the Prime Minister’s Office, let alone other secure government offices. Similar offices in Washington, London, Paris, Brussels and other capital cities don’t permit unrestricted vehicle access, tour buses or trucks to drive past them daily. While we might have no history of truck bombs or armed insurrection on a scale others have experienced, that isn’t an excuse to pretend it isn’t possible.

That said, we also shouldn’t cordon off our city as if it were under some sort of perpetual security threat. This is Canada, after all, and we have fewer worries than, say, Washington. But between last winter’s truck protest (laden with cans of gasoline) and a brazen (truck-driven) assault at Rideau Hall in 2020, we know we aren’t immune from violent, vehicle-incited protests.

Currently, Wellington Street is barricaded with some uninspired concrete planters, pulled from storage, and stop signs held up with sandbags. We can do a lot better. We need to imagine an accessible, sustainable, public place connecting the east and west ends of downtown with plazas, trees, public washrooms, information kiosks, benches and seating. We need places where residents can wander, play and enjoy the vibrant life of a G7 capital. A place where small businesses can open a coffee shop, bookstore or food cart on a plaza where they know thousands of people will pass by. This is a place to focus public gatherings: to mourn the passing of a head of state, to celebrate a victory, or, yes, to protest our government.

The National Capital Commission has proposed that Wellington be converted to just such a space: treelined and green, it would provide space for a surface tram, linking Gatineau and Ottawa with sustainable transportation that could enhance tourism, communication and economic growth by making the river a connection instead of a barrier.

Ottawa’s council needs to develop a passion for great places, to dream beyond opening a road to cars and trucks and clogging our streets with traffic and exhaust fumes. Together with the federal government, the city needs to see that a street closed to cars is open to people; that it can be a vibrant, sustainable, place in the heart of our city. A vision, a goal and a funded plan are essential to making that happen.

Toon Dreessen is President of Architects DCA in Ottawa.

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/dreessen-wellington-street-its-time-to-think-beyond-the-vehicles

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

From a security perspective, it is ludicrous that we allow any vehicle to get as close as they do to important government buildings, such as the Supreme Court, the Parliament Buildings or the Prime Minister’s Office, let alone other secure government offices. Similar offices in Washington, London, Paris, Brussels and other capital cities don’t permit unrestricted vehicle access, tour buses or trucks to drive past them daily. While we might have no history of truck bombs or armed insurrection on a scale others have experienced, that isn’t an excuse to pretend it isn’t possible.

I take it this guy has never been to Washington, London, Paris, Brussels or other capital cities.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I take it this guy has never been to Washington, London, Paris, Brussels or other capital cities.

He knows what he is saying isn't true but is trying to build a coalition of some of the my F150 or nothing crowd who does worry about terrorism. Parliament is already well protected from vehicular access.

[lrt's friend]

Is this a coherent argument or is this somebody who wants to close down downtown to everybody not arriving on a bike?

I believe this street — and more — should remain closed to vehicle traffic.

There are few public places where one can walk, ride a bike or play in the street without fear of being run over.

We need to imagine an accessible, sustainable, public place connecting the east and west ends of downtown with plazas, trees, public washrooms, information kiosks, benches and seating.

A place where small businesses can open a coffee shop, bookstore or food cart on a plaza where they know thousands of people will pass by.

it would provide space for a surface tram, linking Gatineau and Ottawa

From a security perspective, it is ludicrous that we allow any vehicle to get as close as they do to important government buildings, such as the Supreme Court

This is a place to focus public gatherings: to mourn the passing of a head of state, to celebrate a victory, or, yes, to protest our government.

OK, so I see problems.

First, this person wants not just the existing three blocks closed. He wants to extend this closure further west past the Supreme Court and onto other streets.

He wants a green plaza with seating, coffee shops, bookstores, info kiosks, washrooms, food carts, bicycle tracks, a tramway, and it must be open enough for celebrations and protests. No room for visiting heads of state other than to force motorcades down back streets, which will inevitably be partially closed as well.

Do all these different uses seem feasible for a single street? And we forget that all these buildings that are are threatened by the public, need some sort of access for official purposes, so there needs to be one vehicle lane remaining open.

So, if all these different uses are working together (a secure traffic lane, a two track tramway, a two-way bicycle track, what is left for pedestrians where 'one can walk, to play in the street without fear of being run over'. There seems to be lots of opportunities to be run over with this vision.

This is all a big fantasy.

As I have said, the biggest driver is security and that is acknowledged in this article. If security is such a big concern, we should be keeping the public out, period. Wouldn't that be a dandy improvement for our city? Of course, this is a ludicrous extension of the security argument.

If traffic is such a big threat to security, why are the streets still open past the American Embassy?

[Uhuniau]

Riding a bike on Sparks Street is forbidden

But it isn't?

[OTownandDown]

What if we pave the entire thoroughfare from Bank to Elgin AND everything from Sparks-north to level grade, and keep just one west-bound wellington lane open, in the current northern-most lane, delineated by nice posts or permanent concrete plantings (see: blast barrier). This allows for local traffic only: STO buses, Parliamentary buses, security traffic and deliveries. And the occasional head of state or priministerial motorcade. Demountable posts will allow for quickly re-arranged traffic patterns on special occasions, and permanent blast barriers designed as plants will increase safety for the prime minister.

Heck, Montreal can get away with it, why can't we? (See: Lansdowne, lol)



Then reorganize Bank and Wellington to prioritize Bank-to-Wellington traffic for the rest of us plebes who currently zig-zag to cross downtown.

The remaining area is open for whatever y'all want. Although given the NCC and the federal government's amazing penchant for local small business (Sarcasm), I don't see your lunch carts, coffee carts, bookstores, circus clowns, self-help storefronts, yoga, chiropractors, grocery stores, weed shops or XXX stores opening along wellington anytime soon. It'll be a nice place for tourists to walk across on their way to the hill, and a good excuse for PPS to kick protesting people off of the hill and onto wellington more often.

We will of course, have to run those Gatineau trams *gasp* ON the public area OMG won't somebody think of the children! Was going to post another photo, but there's too many good ones. Just google 'tram in pedestrian area'.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Is this a coherent argument or is this somebody who wants to close down downtown to everybody not arriving on a bike?

I thought LRT is your friend. Ever heard of it?
What about parking garages?
Tens of thousands of people living within a short walk?

I think you should stop pretending like you care how people arrive into downtown. You only care how people drive across it.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

But it isn't?

At one point there were no cycling signs. They are long gone.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

Heck, Montreal can get away with it, why can't we?

Place d'Armes is a small square surrounded by buildings that are accessible to the public (one of which is the top attraction for the city on tripadvisor).

Wellington is surrounded on one side by sealed government buildings and the other side by an iron fence, there is nothing of interest west of the centennial flame.

I have yet to see an example where a street like this was successfully turned into a pedestrian attraction.

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

I thought LRT is your friend. Ever heard of it?
What about parking garages?
Tens of thousands of people living within a short walk?

I think you should stop pretending like you care how people arrive into downtown. You only care how people drive across it.

Hey people mature have kids and move to the suburbs. Can't blame him for being an LRT optimist back in 06 or whenever he signed up. I'm only Ottawa at his point but can't change my name.

It is kind of fitting though because the votes simply aren't there to turn this into a pedestrian focused walkable and bikeable city.

I wish we would at least take on the unelected BIAs and remove some parking and close down streets where people would actually agree like Byward market. A permanent move like this would revitalize a lot of real estate and reanimate the area. Nobody uses the east west streets for commuting so there shouldn't be a lot of opposition. If we are afraid of parking we could start by cutting off George York and Clarence at Willams Mall. Leave the parking but remove basically all but residents and those parking and make a fully pedestrianized LRT to Clarence path.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

Tens of thousands of people living within a short walk?

There are not 10s of thousands of people within a short walk. The "central area" is 13,500 but includes people in Lebreton and Lowertown that are not really a "short walk."

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

I thought LRT is your friend. Ever heard of it?
What about parking garages?
Tens of thousands of people living within a short walk?

I think you should stop pretending like you care how people arrive into downtown. You only care how people drive across it.

It would help if LRT was somewhere somewhat near me that got me efficiently downtown and home again without unpredictable transfers. But, we decided that we shouldn't do that.

But, I am not sure what my comment had to do with LRT. I was talking about over the top ideas for Wellington Street, which could not reasonably be implemented. If you would read my posts, you would have noted my recent comment that I would be happy to look at a credible plan for Wellington. Have we seen one from those who make the decisions? No.

I have said that people want to close streets all over downtown without any thought of what the implications are. This article repeats that.

If we make it so difficult to drive downtown, we eliminate the 80% modal share in this city that drives. Note, that I am not talking about myself but the countless people who have no desire to use the Confed Line or to go downtown in its current condition. We are already being very successful in excluding the majority. LRT as presently designed is not going to deliver on the hype, especially as we continue to trash the bus network.

If we want to come downtown, ride a bike or take the Confed Line. The closest stop to my house is 10 km away, and that station is two blocks from the closed section of Wellington Street. Great LRT system!

Yes, I am supposed to be a booster boy, no matter how bad LRT is or how poorly it serves my part of the city.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Place d'Armes is a small square surrounded by buildings that are accessible to the public (one of which is the top attraction for the city on tripadvisor).

Wellington is surrounded on one side by sealed government buildings and the other side by an iron fence, there is nothing of interest west of the centennial flame.

I have yet to see an example where a street like this was successfully turned into a pedestrian attraction.

I actually don’t see a whole lot of difference in the square itself. Yes Place d’Armes has Notre Dame, a big tourist attraction, but then so does Wellington in the Parliament buildings. Other than Notre Dame, there isn’t actually much on Place d’Armes itself - a couple of fully sealed bank buildings on two sides of the square and a couple of old office towers with a restaurant or two and a tiny SAQ in the bottom. Really nothing that couldn’t be replicated on Wellington.

The real difference is that Old Montreal is a tourist draw, but it does show the potential of a square without cafes and restaurants on it. The real draw there is the architecture, the streetscaping and the fountains.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by phil235

I actually don’t see a whole lot of difference in the square itself. Yes Place d’Armes has Notre Dame, a big tourist attraction, but then so does Wellington in the Parliament buildings. Other than Notre Dame, there isn’t actually much on Place d’Armes itself - a couple of fully sealed bank buildings on two sides of the square and a couple of old office towers with a restaurant or two and a tiny SAQ in the bottom. Really nothing that couldn’t be replicated on Wellington.

The real difference is that Old Montreal is a tourist draw, but it does show the potential of a square without cafes and restaurants on it. The real draw there is the architecture, the streetscaping and the fountains.

The buildings are all open to the public, the Bank of Montreal building has a museum as well as an ornate neoclassical branch. The National Bank building has a restaurant inside (or it did anyway). The Aldred building has a SAQ in the ground floor and is an excellent example of art deco.

Also, Place d’Armes is not barricaded or closed to to traffic. Also, in Ottawa we are not talking about a square, we are talking about a street. Also, there already is a small square that used to have a pub facing parliament. The Feds are replacing it with another sealed office complex.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by acottawa

The buildings are all open to the public, the Bank of Montreal building has a museum as well as an ornate neoclassical branch. The National Bank building has a restaurant inside (or it did anyway). The Aldred building has a SAQ in the ground floor and is an excellent example of art deco.

Also, Place d’Armes is not barricaded or closed to to traffic. Also, in Ottawa we are not talking about a square, we are talking about a street. Also, there already is a small square that used to have a pub facing parliament. The Feds are replacing it with another sealed office complex.

Not sure anyone would consider those bank buildings to be particularly welcoming to the public. And none of the things you list are drawing any significant number of people to the square. The architecture and design of the square is the draw.

You do have a point that traffic is still allowed, but it has been slowed and reduced considerably since the rebuild. Maybe that is the compromise - redo Wellington in a way that doesn’t prohibit traffic, but slows it and makes it less attractive as a quick cut through. Use paving stones and add bollards that can close the street for events. Have a national design competition to do it.

There has got to be something between the wide 4-5 lane thoroughfare that exists now and a fully closed street.