Roads/Bridges projects/issues

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

That 3rd example you posted is very similar to the design of the Hunt Club & Airport Parkway interchange.

Comparisons to Calgary should be made with caution. One thing about Calgary, and Western Canada in general, is that the distinction between expressways and arterials is a lot more blurry, it's common out west to find roads with the look & feel of an expressway that have the odd traffic light, and to find arterials with the odd grade separated interchange. It would be like if Highway 417 had traffic lights at Bank & Bronson but then Innes had interchanges at Blair & Tenth Line. Whereas here in Ontario the road hierarchy is much stricter.

Couldn't agree more. I moved from Ontario to Calgary (and now back here) and got a Speeding ticket on Crowchild Trail 2 weeks after moving there. It's 3 lanes wide, fully grade separated interchanges, but only 80km/h. The officer didn't like that I was doing 105km/h and I honestly thought it was 100km/h. This road does go from the nice expressway like road to one with traffic lights once it hits U of Calgary. They definitely have 'weirder' roads out there compared to Ontario.

[Cre47]

IMO I think they should reduce the speed limit to 60 or 70 on March Road (another road with its fair share of major crashes) due to the frequent heavy volume and with the many new stores and newer neighborhoods further north. Not saying speed was a factor in the double-fatal crash today, but 80 km/h seems too high for speed limit.

Same thing should be done elsewhere such as on Innes from St-Laurent to the 417 and Richmond from Bayshore to Bells Corners and probably some stretches of Hunt Club and Prince of Wales as well.

[BenTheGreat97]

Originally Posted by Cre47

IMO I think they should reduce the speed limit to 60 or 70 on March Road (another road with its fair share of major crashes) due to the frequent heavy volume and with the many new stores and newer neighborhoods further north. Not saying speed was a factor in the double-fatal crash today, but 80 km/h seems too high for speed limit.

Same thing should be done elsewhere such as on Innes from St-Laurent to the 417 and Richmond from Bayshore to Bells Corners and probably some stretches of Hunt Club and Prince of Wales as well.

I think maybe 70 would be fine. It's weird driving that stretch going around 80-90 in traffic with all the stores and entrances right beside as you whip by. If they do that, they should only do it from Teron Road to Maxwell bridge Road.

Then from Teron Road all the way to Hazeldean, March/Eagleson needs to be kept/raised to 80km/h. 6-lane Eagleson is just too slow at 60km/h and you see that because all the cars go 90km/h anyway. You only see the odd cars actually going the speed limit and that creates a dangerous speed difference which is an important factor in crashes.

[Cre47]

Not sure for Eagleson especially because of the Park and Ride where there is a lot of crossing (and there were some pedestrians fatally struck in the past) and there is some residential closer to Hazeldean. Also the stretch from Campeau heading southward is not the safest for cycling - the lane basically abruptly ends at Campeau and going on the 417 overpass is probably the most dangerous part (probably even more with the interminable construction of the Eagleson overpass as the south lanes splits. I would say keep it at 60 across the 417 to the Park and Ride and maybe (just maybe) increase to 70 from Katimavik to near Hazeldean (Shatner Gate) but not higher. I just hate roads beside neighborhoods and shopping areas having limits over 60. More speed traps should be done there.

[BenTheGreat97]

Originally Posted by Cre47

Not sure for Eagleson especially because of the Park and Ride where there is a lot of crossing (and there were some pedestrians fatally struck in the past) and there is some residential closer to Hazeldean. Also the stretch from Campeau heading southward is not the safest for cycling - the lane basically abruptly ends at Campeau and going on the 417 overpass is probably the most dangerous part (probably even more with the interminable construction of the Eagleson overpass as the south lanes splits. I would say keep it at 60 across the 417 to the Park and Ride and maybe (just maybe) increase to 70 from Katimavik to near Hazeldean (Shatner Gate) but not higher. I just hate roads beside neighborhoods and shopping areas having limits over 60. More speed traps should be done there.

I agree that the bridge and until the park and ride is over the speed limit could be 60. The city just needs to improve bike infrastructure along the bridge and park and ride area. But along Eagleson, the houses do not butt up to the road and there is a fence separating the yards from the road, so it should be no problem raising the limit there. Only when Eagleson passes Hazeldean should the limit remain at 60 because there's a lot more entrances there.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Cre47

IMO I think they should reduce the speed limit to 60 or 70 on March Road (another road with its fair share of major crashes)...

That was a very prescient comment:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...a-intersection

[BenTheGreat97]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

That was a very prescient comment:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...a-intersection

Comment I found on the website:

"You can build any type of road and it won't matter. This is a driver issue not road issue. Idiot driver acting like a fool kills two innocent victims...wasn't the first won't be the last. Sad"

This is the best description.

[eternallyme]

Agreed, 70 km/h makes most sense on March Road, as well as Eagleson at least to Hazeldean.

80 is a bit high given there are numerous entrances and businesses on the road. Generally I find an area with some entrances, some businesses and low pedestrian activity supportive of 70. To go down to 60 I would want to see residential areas or more frequent entrances (such as Hazeldean).

[BenTheGreat97]

Does anyone know when/if work is going to start on the Carp Road widening from 417-Stittsville? I know there was a plan, but I thought it should be started by now.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by BenTheGreat97

Does anyone know when/if work is going to start on the Carp Road widening from 417-Stittsville? I know there was a plan, but I thought it should be started by now.

Open houses have wrapped up... study going to Council this fall for approval
http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/public...3-june-17-2014

[waterloowarrior]

Went through Riverside South and Barrhaven this weekend.... love the bridge, but what's with the highway-like design of the arterials? Cars were going 100-110 on Limebank and 80-90 on Earl Armstrong and Strandherd. Earl Armstrong didn't seem to have a multi-use path and the cyclists I saw were on the sidewalk. Took a trip down Longfields and the speed limit was 70 beside new apartments in the "Town Centre."

The Jockvale Bridge was one lane going south, but the area looks a lot different. I miss the old bridge and the trees close to the road, it seems to have lost some of the character.

Greenbank Road construction is slow, not much has happened since last summer, but things look to be ramping up. It looked like some kind of construction was happening for a by-pass at the tracks.

I've heard that a lot of new Barrhaven traffic has been using River Road, despite the signage encouraging using Limebank and police doing speeding enforcement on River (60 km/hr). Despite the better route, people are choosing the shortest path.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Went through Riverside South and Barrhaven this weekend.... love the bridge, but what's with the highway-like design of the arterials? Cars were going 100-110 on Limebank and 80-90 on Earl Armstrong and Strandherd. Earl Armstrong didn't seem to have a multi-use path and the cyclists I saw were on the sidewalk. Took a trip down Longfields and the speed limit was 70 beside new apartments in the "Town Centre."

The Jockvale Bridge was one lane going south, but the area looks a lot different. I miss the old bridge and the trees close to the road, it seems to have lost some of the character.

Greenbank Road construction is slow, not much has happened since last summer, but things look to be ramping up. It looked like some kind of construction was happening for a by-pass at the tracks.

I've heard that a lot of new Barrhaven traffic has been using River Road, despite the signage encouraging using Limebank and police doing speeding enforcement on River (60 km/hr). Despite the better route, people are choosing the shortest path.

There should be a left-turn restriction from the bridge onto River Road during peak periods, although the left turn lanes make such problematic. Certainly trucks should be restricted from using it.

The highway-like design of Limebank through the Greenbelt seems reasonable due to the setting as a whole (and I would post the speed limit at 90 km/h there anyway). The only downside is that the traffic signals can be quite dangerous at those speeds - a flashing light to prepare to stop should be implemented. In addition, rumble strips should separate the travel and bike lanes.

In Riverside South, the only other option was to really place the houses directly onto Earl Armstrong, otherwise what was built was reality, unless commercial development or multi-family residential was built. How many people want to live on a high-volume arterial anyway?

Agreed, Longfields is poorly posted and set too high for no reason as houses front directly onto it and the controls are mostly roundabouts. I'd have it at 50 km/h as far as Chapman Mills, and 60 km/h south of there and on Jockvale Road.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

I've heard that a lot of new Barrhaven traffic has been using River Road, despite the signage encouraging using Limebank and police doing speeding enforcement on River (60 km/hr). Despite the better route, people are choosing the shortest path.

I drove eastward over the bridge this evening (and a very nice bridge it is), and then needed to head northwards. Of course I turned left onto River Rd! It's the hypotenuse of the triangle AND there are 2 very nicely marked left turn lanes making it very tempting and easy. I would never consider going all the way over to Limebank... way too impractical. It's no wonder lots of other drivers aren't either.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

I drove eastward over the bridge this evening (and a very nice bridge it is), and then needed to head northwards. Of course I turned left onto River Rd! It's the hypotenuse of the triangle AND there are 2 very nicely marked left turn lanes making it very tempting and easy. I would never consider going all the way over to Limebank... way too impractical. It's no wonder lots of other drivers aren't either.

Exactly... Google suggests a two minute and 1.8 KM savings... who wouldn't take that? The problem is that the city spent hundreds of millions building a bridge and widening roads, only for people to use a country road that is now having speeding and traffic problems (and there is no discussion of River Road improvments in the TMP except a widening of Riverside between River/Limebank and Hunt Club)

[MaxHeadroom]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Exactly... Google suggests a two minute and 1.8 KM savings... who wouldn't take that?

There are zero traffic lights on River Rd. The "long way" on Earl Armstrong and Limebank has seven.

The city's pig-headed policy on no municipal freeways or interchanges, and stupid arterials with dozens of signals everywhere is a huge fail, and ultimately what is driving traffic to River Rd.

[eternallyme]

I think Limebank/Earl Armstrong was designed for Riverside South traffic, not for Barrhaven traffic, although the bridge blurs that. River Road cannot easily be widened due to rural development and houses fairly close to the road, and they would likely fight tooth and nail if it is widened (likewise I recommended that Prince of Wales remain 2 lanes).

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

... (likewise I recommended that Prince of Wales remain 2 lanes).

Why would you recommend that? POW should be 4 lanes from Strandherd to Fisher or at least to Hunt Club. In September, leave Barrhaven at about 7:30-8am and take Fallowfield to POW and try driving to either Carleton, Experimental Farm or even Hunt Club. There are no 'good routes' leaving Barrhaven if your destination is not downtown.

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom

There are zero traffic lights on River Rd. The "long way" on Earl Armstrong and Limebank has seven.

There are three, but they are low volume (shopping plaza, pedestrian crossing, and small residential subdivision) and you get by them pretty quickly.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by MountainView

Why would you recommend that? POW should be 4 lanes from Strandherd to Fisher or at least to Hunt Club. In September, leave Barrhaven at about 7:30-8am and take Fallowfield to POW and try driving to either Carleton, Experimental Farm or even Hunt Club. There are no 'good routes' leaving Barrhaven if your destination is not downtown.

Mainly to keep it as a "scenic" route to Barrhaven. If necessary, widen Woodroffe to 6 lanes...

[Cre47]

Recommendation of a roundabout for Mer Bleue/Brian Coburn where (though it was said many years ago) a hospital will be built + widening looks like for almost all of Mer Bleue.

http://app05.ottawa.ca/sirepub/cache...4115905777.PDF