Wellington Street Pedestrian Mall

[danishh]

wellington between bank and elgin is not used for vehicular property access with the exception of a single federal govt lot (adjacent to the old US embassy). It is bordered exclusively by federal properties. All hill vehicle access is blocked off by security except for ceremonial uses. Actual hill access is via the bank street entrance. Almost all south-side federal buildings are served by north-south crosstreets.

The primary use of wellington in this area is for through-traffic and tour busses. Through traffic can easily be rerouted to queen and albert/slater via bank and elgin. The capacity will be there once the confederation line is open.

Also, there's probably some sort of security benefit.

Just do it.

(here are some rudimentary drawings of what it would look like).

[eternallyme]

It would not be possible until 2018, when the Confederation Line opens, due to buses using Wellington. All downtown buses (including STO) could easily be moved to Albert and Slater with the Transitway and express routes gone, but that requires a connection back to the Portage Bridge from Albert and Slater.

Perhaps, a new connection between Bronson/Commissioner and the Portage Bridge could be built? Such does take away a lot of parkland though.

[Aylmer]

I fear that there isn't enough activity to support a lively pedestrian street. - there are no shops or even much active frontage. I definitely think that Wellington is an unpleasantly fast and barren street for such a central area, but I think we could go a long way in improving the public realm (road diet, cycleway, better canopy, easier crossings, etc.), but I don't think that pedestrianizing Wellington would provide many benefits.

But I'd be curious to hear your motivations.

[silvergate]

When they had that suggestion box for the 2017 year I totally suggested this!

[danishh]

i'd say my motivation is that having cars on this stretch of road serves no purpose and is completely unnecessary.

benefits would include a quick absorption of excess road capacity created downtown from the opening of the confederation line and less traffic on rideau.

[rakerman]

It's part of Confederation Boulevard

http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/confederation-boulevard

"the Capital’s ceremonial and discovery route"

The chance of NCC reimagining it to be used by pedestrians, interrupting the flow of cars, is zero.
The NCC values it as a road for cars so much they put it in gold on their maps.

DSCF0319 by rakerman, on Flickr

[trhgr]

I don't see much benefit in doing this (or personal interest). The road inside of parliament hill is mostly pedestrian (and empty) and it goes through the whole Hill district. And there's a lot of space in front of the parliament.
I don't see what removing trafic would add, and what I would do on a pedestrian Wellington street... I dont even ever go on sparks. And trafic would have to be re-routed to Queen, including several lines of OC Transpo and STO buses.
What would you do on a pedestrian Wellington?

[OTSkyline]

I have to agree that it wouldn't add much and I don't see many benefits. It's not like the place is buzzing with tourists and pedestrians at all times... It would just add to the "dead canyon zone" effect we see in Ottawa. It would probably turn out to be another Sparks St.

"HELLO?! Heello?! hello?! .. " (By the way, that was supposed to be an echo sound, because it's empty and no one is there)

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by danishh

Just do it.

Christ, lord, no.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by rakerman

It's part of Confederation Boulevard

"Confederation Boulevard" is crap.

[J.OT13]

Sorry dannish but that's a terrible idea. To reflect on what others have said, we have our hands full with one dead pedestrian street in the form of Sparks without adding a second that's already pretty dead in terms of pedestrian traffic on the existing sidewalks.

[Catenary]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

It would not be possible until 2018, when the Confederation Line opens, due to buses using Wellington. All downtown buses (including STO) could easily be moved to Albert and Slater with the Transitway and express routes gone, but that requires a connection back to the Portage Bridge from Albert and Slater.

Perhaps, a new connection between Bronson/Commissioner and the Portage Bridge could be built? Such does take away a lot of parkland though.

I like the Bronson/Commissioner idea. If you used it as opportunity to clean up the leftover roads in the area you would probably have just as much parkland if not more.

[Kitchissippi]

It can only work if the government agrees to open up all the ground floor space along Wellington for public use. At the rate they're going, there's no chance of that.

[NOWINYOW]

Originally Posted by danishh

The primary use of wellington in this area is for through-traffic and tour busses. Through traffic can easily be rerouted to queen and albert/slater via bank and elgin. The capacity will be there once the confederation line is open.

Yeah because the pedestrian mall on Sparks street is such a resounding success?

[ortelius]

If it doesn't exist yet, how about creating a thread on streets or areas that could be pedestrianized? It'd be similar to the Architecture for Ottawa thread.
We could even have images of other cities.

[Boxster]

The only time Wellington St. needs to become a pedestrian St. is one day a year...July 1.

What else would you do there the rest of the year?

[silvergate]

Originally Posted by ortelius

If it doesn't exist yet, how about creating a thread on streets or areas that could be pedestrianized? It'd be similar to the Architecture for Ottawa thread.
We could even have images of other cities.

Richmond between golden and churchill pls

[Boxster]

They do close off a portion of Laval St. in downtown Hull during the summer. It sure helps the bars and bistros facing Laval and makes for a great gathering place.

[waterloowarrior]

I think it's an interesting idea and would definitely be worth trying for a summer. Alberta's Legislative Assembly has a large plaza that is quite impressive (there is an arterial road tunneled underneath). I think a plaza would be a great transition between the downtown buildings and the lawn of Parliament.


from http://vaughanhoystudio.com/civic/

[Rob64]

Originally Posted by Boxster

The only time Wellington St. needs to become a pedestrian St. is one day a year...July 1.

What else would you do there the rest of the year?

Marvel at all the ground floor blank walls?

There's absolutely no reason for anybody to walk there.