Ottawa Highway Bypass Corridor/Ring Road

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

They build LRT to Moodie and not Kanata! What great planning is this?

The plan was to build it to Bayshore, which made sense. Then they realized that the land they would need to expropriate for the bus loops would be expensive, so extending to Moodie and using NCC land would end up costing about the same and they ended up with more track for little to no additional cost. This will make the Kanata extension (if and when it happens) cheaper.

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

Also during rushhour Leitrim Limebank Woodroffe Greenbank out of Barrhaven and Riverside South is a mess. All but Woodroffe is 2 lane rural roads!

Limebank is also 4 lanes from where it splits off of River Rd to Earl Armstrong Dr. You could add River Rd south of Limebank to that list though.

Originally Posted by zzptichka

They are building LRT to Kanata.

The extension is by no means certain. They have done an EA and the Mayor says he wants it for Stage 3, but it has no funding. The city can’t afford to do it on its own so it will need both provincial and federal money. Not sure if it’s Ford’s top priority and with a federal election coming up, who knows what the new government’s attitude will be.

[lrt's friend]

Not sure if it’s Ford’s top priority and with a federal election coming up, who knows what the new government’s attitude will be.

Ford's main priority seems to be to defeat Justin Trudeau instead of focusing on provincial issues. Ford is obsessing over the carbon tax even though the feds will be giving the money back to taxpayers. It seems to make sense to use this tool to reduce carbon emissions by encouraging people to spend money in lower carbon based parts of the economy.

[ya boy]

what's the point of this forum

[Ottawaresident]

I'm probably too pro-highway, but I'm not anti public transport. Frequencies of 20 mins or more is basically useless.

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

I'm probably too pro-highway, but I'm not anti public transport. Frequencies of 20 mins or more is basically useless.

When I used to live in Metro Vancouver, I used to be pro public transit. Now that I'm in Ontario, my perspective has unfortunately changed and become pro-highway. For a city like Ottawa, though, I think there's still hope to make public transit better. But putting the frequency threshold at 20 minutes? C'mon that's a bit high. For me, any service more frequent than (and excluding) every 25 minutes is good enough.

Anyway back to topic. Here's the thing:
One needs to realize that, when The Queensway was constructed half a century ago, rail transit was still vibrant, so people didn't need to worry about an excessive amount of truck traffic.
That has definitely changed.
IMO a bypass is warranted, at least for trucks. It might even have to be immediately 4-laned and controlled-access, because the last thing anyone wants is a head-on collision with big rigs.

Ps:
(1) Does anyone remember that one accident where a wheel fell off a truck heading west on 417 and hit a van heading east, killing its driver?
(2) I wonder if anyone sits well with the idea of big rigs going through downtown on The Queensway, because I don't.

[daud]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

When I used to live in Metro Vancouver, I used to be pro public transit. Now that I'm in Ontario, my perspective has unfortunately changed and become pro-highway. For a city like Ottawa, though, I think there's still hope to make public transit better. But putting the frequency threshold at 20 minutes? C'mon that's a bit high. For me, any service more frequent than (and excluding) every 25 minutes is good enough.

Anyway back to topic. Here's the thing:
One needs to realize that, when The Queensway was constructed half a century ago, rail transit was still vibrant, so people didn't need to worry about an excessive amount of truck traffic.
That has definitely changed.
IMO a bypass is warranted, at least for trucks. It might even have to be immediately 4-laned and controlled-access, because the last thing anyone wants is a head-on collision with big rigs.

Ps:
(1) Does anyone remember that one accident where a wheel fell off a truck heading west on 417 and hit a van heading east, killing its driver?
(2) I wonder if anyone sits well with the idea of big rigs going through downtown on The Queensway, because I don't.

A year or 2 ago, I outlined some reasoning for a southern bypass using the leitrim corridor connecting 416 and 417.

1. Immediately creates a ring road for the city and alleviates some queensway traffic
2. Would serve as an Airport connector for points east and west
3. Addresses suburb to suburb traffic-linking Barrhaven-Riverside South and Findlay creek to Orleans and Kanata.
4. Serves as a bypass for through traffic not stopping in Ottawa.

Now, imagine if they had put the kettle island bridge in as well, then all truck traffic from Quebec could be routed down the aviation parkway, down 417E (technically south) and to this bypass which would bring them to 416 where they could continue south or west.

So, it would be much more than a "bypass"

[Dengler Avenue]

That’s what I’ve thought the logical routing for an Ottawa bypass would be like too.
If the city, the province and even the federal government are onboard with this, sure.

[Buggys]

Originally Posted by daud

A year or 2 ago, I outlined some reasoning for a southern bypass using the leitrim corridor connecting 416 and 417.

1. Immediately creates a ring road for the city and alleviates some queensway traffic
2. Would serve as an Airport connector for points east and west
3. Addresses suburb to suburb traffic-linking Barrhaven-Riverside South and Findlay creek to Orleans and Kanata.
4. Serves as a bypass for through traffic not stopping in Ottawa.

Now, imagine if they had put the kettle island bridge in as well, then all truck traffic from Quebec could be routed down the aviation parkway, down 417E (technically south) and to this bypass which would bring them to 416 where they could continue south or west.

So, it would be much more than a "bypass"

This is a great map. Just need to add a bridge in the west end that connects with the 416 to complete the ring.

[Ottawaresident]

I think the Aviation Parkway is fine as it is, it does provide access to Vanier. Nicholas is needed, bypass would be placed more inside the city for more usage as well as an extension to Kanata and the 416 would be connected to Des Allumetieres and the 50 and the Airport Pkwy connected to the 417 VIA Bronson. Also, how do you add images?
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1...35301034504789%2C-75.73647690000001&z=11

[Dengler Avenue]

You can sign up for an account with imgur first, upload your picture there, and share the link here. That’s what I did when I wanted to show other SSP-er’s my proposed 417 routing.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

You can sign up for an account with imgur first, upload your picture there, and share the link here. That’s what I did when I wanted to show other SSP-er’s my proposed 417 routing.

You don’t even need to sign up for an account on imgur. It allows you to upload pictures without one. Having an account allows you to find pictures you previously uploaded more easily though.

[danishh]

Originally Posted by kmcamp

Which one? The original one became hunt club road, downgraded from a freeway plan in the 70s

The last plan i know of was around 2000, and was supposed to run somewhere south of Earl Armstrong if I remember right.

yep - the strandherd-earl Armstrong corridor

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

I think the Aviation Parkway is fine as it is, it does provide access to Vanier. Nicholas is needed, bypass would be placed more inside the city for more usage as well as an extension to Kanata and the 416 would be connected to Des Allumetieres and the 50 and the Airport Pkwy connected to the 417 VIA Bronson. Also, how do you add images?
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1...35301034504789%2C-75.73647690000001&z=11

I don't disagree that a bridge between western Ottawa and Aylmer might be a good thing, but I think it's a secondary priority to a bridge somewhere in the eastern end of the region.

Also, there are less disruptive (to the community) routings through Aylmer than the one you've picked.

[Kitchissippi]

My understanding of the last bypass plan was it was supposed to run roughly parallel with the Barnsdale-Rideau-Thunder Road (formerly 9th Line) corridor, with possibly a tunnel under the Rideau River and sort of beneath Beryl Gaffney Park.

In the 1980s there were two corridors identified, an "Inner Provincial Bypass" which became the Hunt Club route, and an "Outer Provincial Bypass" beyond the Greenbelt. I saw these on planning maps from the old city of Gloucester.

[Dengler Avenue]

I really hope people don’t have to resort to 416S - 401E in order to bypass Downtown Ottawa. Perhaps some major upgrade to the parkway by the river (darn it I keep forgetting it’s name) really will help.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Dengler Avenue

I really hope people don’t have to resort to 416S - 401E in order to bypass Downtown Ottawa. Perhaps some major upgrade to the parkway by the river (darn it I keep forgetting it’s name) really will help.

Define "major upgrade".

[Dengler Avenue]

Replacing the intersection of Island Park Drive with a diamond interchange.

When I was driving my friend to Gatineau on a Friday afternoon last April, I went on the parkway to avoid 417. That spot was such a bottleneck because of left-turn overflow. IMO everything can be left as is, but not this one.

Edit: A 2-lane roundabout might do, actually. The speed limit on Sir John A McDonald Parkway is only 60 kph, not 80 kph, anyway.

The parking lot by the river will then only be accessible from Patricia Avenue North though.

[Ottawaresident]

Yeah, If the Sir John and the Etienne Cartier are upgraded to freeway standards, maybe we won't need the bypass. However, I know that the west end also sorely needs a bridge to Alymer. I didn't have much time so I quickly made a route through Aylmer, possibly following Lucerne onto Des Allumetieres. The Aviation Parkway does provide good connections to Vanier, but If Nicholas and King Edward were upgraded I don't think it would be such a priority, as it would also be disruptive to the Vanier area. I heard about the Hunt Club proposal. Hunt Club is a "at-grade urban expressway" . I think the bypass should also be somewhere where Ottawa could also use. The Queensway is getting busier after all. As far as the Island Park Interchange goes, I'm good for anything that removes the traffic light and does not stop the traffic and narrow the road. Strandherd Earl Armstrong upgrades are sorely needed but it should take a path that doesn't destroy already dull Barrhaven and it's retail corridor. Maybe put it along the railway or the Jockvale River. The bypass plan that Kitchissipi mentioned, not pointed at him/her but it is stupid. I won't help the traffic inside the Ottawa city. Like building a Toronto bypass north of Lake Simcoe. Sorry for this unreadable wall of text.

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Ottawaresident

The bypass plan that Kitchissipi mentioned, not pointed at him/her but it is stupid. I won't help the traffic inside the Ottawa city. Like building a Toronto bypass north of Lake Simcoe.

A bypass by definition would primarily be directed at traffic between Montreal and Northern Ontario/Western Canada without going through the city. The only way it would help traffic inside the city of Ottawa is by removing this volume from the Queensway, and as mentioned earlier in this thread, that volume isn't much of a problem that needs urgent attention.

[Dengler Avenue]

I also wonder if it’s possible to convert the Transitway between Carling Avenue and Highway 417 into a 4-lane extension of the parkway upon completing the LRT extension to Moodie Drive, with the following catch:

The northbound lanes can only be accessed from Queensway eastbound (and the remaining segment of Transitway, of course) and southbound lanes can only access Queensway westbound. In other words, the interchange will only be unidirectional to avoid weaving.

@Kitchissippi: That might change even in the short term though, especially now that the rail tracks between Mattawa and Ottawa have been removed.