[Cre47]

As for guidelines reasons, I've started a thread about our Roads and bridges split out with the public transit and metro. I don't that each road project should have it's own article, as there would be like 20+ such page, although the new interprovincial bridge can have it's own if anyone agrees

Let's see the rundown of roads projects recently built, approved, under consultation or under construction (not include all those from the original TMP)

Kanata/Stittsville

Terry Fox Drive : Extension to Eagleson (2008) and Kanata North completed (2011)
Eagleson Road : Widening through Bridlewood under consultation (unsure of when it will start
Hazeldean Road : Widening between Kanata and Stitsville completed (2012)
Campeau Drive : Under consultation for all current existant segment with possible future extensions to the west
Hwy 417 : Widened from 3 (including OC lane) to 4 lanes in each direction including one carpooling lane from Hwy 416 to the west. Other areas widening possible throughout the city core.
Huntmar Road : Extended to Hazeldean Road (2009)
Hwy 7 : Widening from 2 to 4 lanes underway between Carleton Place and Stittsville/Hwy 417 (completed 2007-2012)
Hope Side Road : Proposed extension from Richmond Road to Hunt Club
March Road: Widening from Morgan's Grant to Klondike (completed 2012), future widening up to Dunrobin Road curve.
Stonehaven Drive: Widening through Bridlewood (was mentionned in 2012 budget - though not done yet)
Carp Road: Proposed widening from the 417 to Hazeldean (unknown date)

Barrhaven/Riverside South

Woodroffe Avenue :Widened from Hunt Club to just south of Strandherd Road (2005-2008)
Fallowfield Road : Widened from Greenbank to Woodroffe, past consultations - proposed widening from Woodroffe to Prince of Wales
Merivale Road : Past consultations - Proposed widening from Slack to at least Fallowfield
Strandherd Road : Widening process completed from Marketplace to Woodroffe (2008), extended to Prince of Wales (2012), future widening to Fallowfield
Greenbank Road : From Berrigan to future developments south of the Jock River under consultation with possible realignment near the Jock River
Prince of Wales Drive : EA study started, future public consultations, no date for completion
Hunt Club Bridge : Bridge rehabilitation some widening
Limebank Road/Riverside Drive : Widened between Hunt Club and Earl Armstrong (2010-2012).
River Road : future widening south of Limebank (according to a Steve Desroches Council Note on the Ottawa South Weekender), likely from Limebank to Earl Armstrong
Earl Armstrong Road :Widening between River Road and Limebank (2012) . Future extension towards Bank Street.
Strandherd - Armstrong Bridge : bridge under construction completion in 2013
Jockvale Road/Longfields Drive : On-going EA assessment for future widening and re-alignment throughout Stonebridge, no date. Longfields Connector completed (2011)
Longfields Drive : Extended to RCMP headquarters (2011)
Cambrian Road : Future interchange at Hwy 416, no dates + widening from 416 and points east according to TMP
Bank Street: Future widening from Leitrim to Rideau Road (unknown date)
Airport Parkway: Proposed Widening from Heron to the Airport (been on and off the TMP)

Orleans/Cumberland

Innes Road : Widened from Orleans Blvd to Trim Road
Mer Bleue Road : Widened from Innes Road to about 500 meters south, proposed until Renaud Road
Belcourt Blvd: New 4-lane road from Innes to Navan Road (unsure of when it will be constructed
Tenth Line Road : Widen from Innes to Brian Coburn (2010-2011)
Brian Coburn: West and east extension to Mer Bleue (eventually to Navan Road) to Trim
Hwy 174 : Portions widening from the 417 eastward between the 417 and Montreal Road, widening project (2 to 4 lanes) approved (province and federal) from Trim to Rockland - funding rejected by the city, though could be reconsidered
Hunt Club-Innes connector: Under construction from Hawthorne to the 417 (2011-2014)
Hunt Club Road : Future interchange at Hwy 417 (2012-2014)

Gatineau

Boul des Allumettieres : Completion of the gap between Saint-Raymond and Lac des Fees (opened in December 2007)
Highway 50 : completion of the gap between Gatineau and Lachute (2012)
Highway 5: Extension to Wakefield (2013)
Montee Paiement : Recent widening project completed from Maloney to La Verendrye
Alonzo Wright Bridge : Future widening project, date of completion not officially known
Interprovincial bridge between Gatineau and Ottawa at an unknown location but the Kettle Island has been the most popular option
Pink Road: Future widening from Le Plateau to Vanier Road (unknown date)
Boulevard Le Plateau: Completed gaps from Vanier to Saint-Raymond (2012)
Boulevard La Verendrye: Completion of gaps from Labrosse to Lorrain (unknown date)

[jeremy_haak]

Hwy 174:Possible widening from the 417 eastward, widening project approved from Trim to Rockland

I like how this rendered. I was trying to figure out what was so silly about that project. :haha:

[BlackRedGold]

Woodroffe Avenue : Recent widening from Hunt Club to Longfields, widening underway until at least Strandherd, perhaps until Cresthaven or Prince of Wales

It's unlikely that Woodroffe will get widened past Strandherd since the plan is to close Woodroffe at Prince of Wales once Strandherd connects to Prince of Wales.

[Cre47]

Here's the city's page about the Prince of Wales EA - there will be consultations/meetings during the next year.

http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/pow_assessment/index_en.html

Here's also the Report template on this project http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2007/05-16/ACS2007-PTE-POL-0029.htm

[waterloowarrior]

Innes-Walkley-Hunt Club Connection Open House 3 Display Boards (http://ottawa.ca/public_consult/innes_walkley/oh_3_a_en.shtml)

http://ottawa.ca/public_consult/innes_walkley/images/boards_3/image12_small.jpg

[Dado]

:previous:

Looks like the roads people are at it again. I can understand the Hunt Club - 417 extension/interchange, since that turn at Hawthorne and Hunt Club is ridiculous. But what is served by Phase 2 that can't be served by the 417 or a combination of Russell and Hawthorne roads once Phase 1 is in place? They don't even connect the northern end to Blair Rd. It also looks like a convenient excuse to close down the CPR RoW and thereby make future LRT heading that way more expensive as well.

[waterloowarrior]

Staff report (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2007/11-21/ACS2007-PTE-POL-0070.htm) on the Innes-Walkley-Hunt Club connector... appendixes don't seem to work as of this posting..

Total cost of the project is $104 million (2007 dollars) - About $15 million/KM

Hope Side Road extension EA Statement of Work (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2007/11-21/ACS2007-PTE-POL-0066.htm)

http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2007/11-21/ACS2007-PTE-POL-0066_files/image002.jpg

[lrt's friend]

Go-ahead from NCC brings bridge closer
MP, councillor tout move for Barrhaven, Riverside South link

Laura Drake
The Ottawa Citizen


Monday, November 19, 2007


The National Capital Commission and Parks Canada have agreed to recycle 2005 esthetic and environmental guidelines for the construction of a bridge between Barrhaven and Riverside South, a move that Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre said could speed up the bridge's completion.

"Effectively, the federal government is giving the city permission to get busy putting together a design without waiting for a lengthy process of developing new bureaucratic guidelines," Mr. Poilievre said yesterday.

Rideau Ward Councillor Glenn Brooks agreed that being able to use the existing guidelines could save the city a lot of time in getting the bridge constructed.

"If we had to go back through and do all the

environmental assessments again and get back to basic design, it would be a year or two years before bridge design could start," he said.

The guidelines for a Strandherd-Armstrong bridge were originally approved by the NCC and Parks Canada as part of plans for a north-south LRT line, but became invalid when the train project was cancelled.

Parks Canada is responsible for the Rideau Canal system, including the section of the Rideau River that the proposed bridge would span; the NCC is responsible for the land around it.

The city now intends for the bridge to accommodate rail cars or buses, as well as four lanes of traffic, which Mr. Poilievre said would have necessitated renegotiating those guidelines.

In a July 17 e-mail to Mr. Poilievre, François Lapointe, the acting vice-president of the NCC, confirms that the commission is OK with the existing guidelines, with a few slight changes to accommodate the waterway's new UNESCO World Heritage Site designation.

The city has pledged to pay for a third of the cost of the bridge, which is estimated to cost $105 million. At the end of October, Mayor Larry O'Brien and city manager Kent Kirkpatrick asked the federal and provincial governments to match the city's contribution.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2007

$105M for a single bridge. Think of that in comparison to what we were getting for 800M. 30km of LRT! I know we need this bridge but it is funny how these projects get pushed through along with numerous other road projects costing hundreds of Millions, while we just spin our tires on transit.

[jeremy_haak]

$105M for a single bridge. Think of that in comparison to what we were getting for 800M. 30km of LRT! I know we need this bridge but it is funny how these projects get pushed through along with numerous other road projects costing hundreds of Millions, while we just spin our tires on transit.

Someone in the public should really bring that up at a council meeting sometime. Why is the city able to bounce along quickly on these road projects, but a transit project just gets stuck in the mud?

[the capital urbanite]

Premier rejects bridge funding

Ken Gray
The Ottawa Citizen

Friday, November 23, 2007

Premier Dalton McGuinty has unequivocally refused provincial funding for the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge because the province believes it is not transit-friendly.
CREDIT: Chris Mikula, The Ottawa Citizen
Premier Dalton McGuinty has unequivocally refused provincial funding for the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge because the province believes it is not transit-friendly.

Money for the giant Strandherd-Armstrong bridge has struck a major roadblock. In fact, it is because the span is a road bridge that the project is in jeopardy.

The province will not release funding, designated for a city's scrapped light-rail project, to build the bridge.

"The $200 million is for public transit and not for a bridge," said Jane Almeida, Premier Dalton McGuinty's spokeswoman. The province does not see the bridge as a public transit project, she added.

The Strandherd-Armstrong project, to join those two roads across the Rideau River in Ottawa's south end, is a huge undertaking. Its $105-million price tag is roughly the same as a bridge across the Ottawa River. That dollar tally is about half the price of building Scotiabank Place, the largest private construction project in eastern Ontario during the 1990s.

The city has tried to entice the premier into funding the bridge by saying that it would handle light rail or buses. That said, municipal plans for light rail are sketchy at best and most any city bridge carries buses. One way or the other, the premier's office isn't biting and its response is unequivocal. The Strandherd bridge isn't getting provincial money, period.

And that's trouble for the project. The city was counting on the three levels of government sharing the cost equally.

So what is this all about? It is Mr. McGuinty reasserting his green credentials while pushing the city into building rail rather than a hodge-podge of road and bus projects. The premier wants a large rail development. He told a Citizen editorial board meeting he wants the city to think big.

Mr. McGuinty's environmental credibility took a beating during the election campaign. In an effort to win votes in the east end, the premier approved expanding Highway 174 to four lanes all the way to Rockland. That increases urban sprawl by making it easier to drive long distances from Ottawa to commute. Accordingly, those cars burn more fuel and contribute to global warming. Furthermore, widening the freeway is ineffective. All those new cars are just going to pile up at the Highway 417-174 split.

You know the project was anti-green because the city and the federal government immediately endorsed it. It is disgusting that light rail in this town is highly controversial while a freeway extension is approved in a few months. At least it gives the east end the same opportunity to be brown as the west end with its freeway extensions on highways 7 and 417. The decision also makes one wonder if the three levels of government are serious about dealing with the environment and, in particular, climate change. If the freeway expansions in Ottawa are examples, our governments just don't care. They want votes, not clean air.

With the Strandherd bridge decision, Mr. McGuinty has an opportunity to draw a line in the sand on the environment. Let's stop building roads and embrace transit. But politicians have been endorsing projects that smack of the 1950s. One wonders how high gas prices will need to escalate before commuters abandon highways 416, 417, 7, and 174.

That the Strandherd project is endorsed by Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre, a Conservative who has been a burr under the Liberal saddle, would add to Mr. McGuinty's strong rejection of the project. Mr. Poilievre has been trying to speed the bridge plan. That has long been a Conservative position. Let's build roads for our voters in the suburbs. It works in the 905 area around Toronto, why not in Ottawa's suburbs?

And Mr. McGuinty owes the Conservatives one. After all, the federal Conservatives set in motion the process that saw the $919-million light-rail project killed. In contrast, the rail plan was heartily endorsed by former Liberal mayor Bob Chiarelli and Mr. McGuinty. Nor is the premier beholden to Mayor Larry O'Brien because he voted against the rail project and contributed to its downfall. Mr. McGuinty's Strandherd decision shows the chickens are coming home to roost.

In all, if this is a sign that the premier is going to support green urban planning in his home town, then his decision on the Strandherd-Armstrong bridge is the right thing to do.

[jeremy_haak]

Nice. I don't know how Dalton McGuinty could be more explicit other than coming right out and telling Ottawa City Council to give him something worthwhile and ambitious. I think the city almost seems too reluctant to ask for money, while the province is practically begging them to give them something to spend money on.

[Cre47]

This bridge will only be done if there is a rapid transit corridor, otherwise forget it.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Nice. I don't know how Dalton McGuinty could be more explicit other than coming right out and telling Ottawa City Council to give him something worthwhile and ambitious. I think the city almost seems too reluctant to ask for money, while the province is practically begging them to give them something to spend money on.

I know! :rolleyes:

Dalton McGuinty has hinted very heavily that if the city was to send forth an ambitious plan, the provincial government would give them money!!! :rolleyes:

I am so sick and tired of this city's lack of vision and cowardice when it comes to spending money and asking for money on worthwhile projects! :hell:

[lrt's friend]

Bridge project to get $35M in federal funds
Strandherd-Armstrong plan crucial part of city's transit needs, councillor says

Jessey Bird
The Ottawa Citizen


Monday, November 26, 2007


The federal government is to announce $35 million in funding today for the controversial Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge.

A spokesman for Nepean-Carleton Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre said Mr. Poilievre will make the announcement this morning on behalf of Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon.

While he wouldn't comment directly, Mr. Poilievre last night said: "All I can confirm is that I'll be announcing some great news for commuters in Riverside South, Barrhaven, Manotick and surrounding communities. It will mean real results for residents who have waited long enough."

The city recently asked the federal and provincial governments to each contribute one-third of the estimated $105-million budget to build a bridge over the Rideau River, connecting Barrhaven and Riverside South.

Councillor "Steve Desroches and I said that if the federal government gives us the money, we'll kiss Stephen Harper right on the lips," said Barrhaven Councilor Jan Harder.

"I guess I'll need to get my lip-gloss out," laughed Mr. Desroches, who represents Gloucester South Nepean.

"This is the missing link in our community," he said. "I hope that this will bring the province to the table and they will recognize that this bridge is a key part of the city's transportation plans."

Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty had rejected the bridge proposal because it was not a part of a more environmentally-friendly public transit project.

"We will not be funding this bridge," Jane Almeida, a spokeswoman for the premier, said earlier this week. "Our priority is transit, and we don't consider this transit. We have $200 million set aside for transit funding in Ottawa."

"My comments still stand," said Ms. Almeida yesterday, "and in terms of any announcement tomorrow -- I can't speculate."

The city plans for the bridge include a section for light rail, or bus lanes, because it was originally going to be built as a part of the city's now-cancelled light-rail transit line.

"It is a mess on both sides of the river," said Ms. Harder, insisting that construction of the bridge is a must, despite the fact that it will not be reserved for public transit.

In Barrhaven, 99 per cent of working people leave the area to go to work, she said.

Between the hours of 3:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m., as many as 4,000 cars pass through Woodroffe Avenue on the way to Barrhaven, she added.

"I am absolutely thrilled that Pierre Poilievre has been able to bring in their share," said Ms. Harder of the federal funding.

"It is the most significant infrastructure project necessary for South Ottawa today."

It was mentioned on CFRA this morning that it is unclear whether this is really an announcement of new money. Possibly, it will be deducted from the $200M designated for transit.

Does this really surprise anybody after Dalton's recent announcement?

Meanwhile, Ottawa taxpayers are in the middle of this political game that has been going on for more than a year.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Jeez, so much for Harper's government being green... :rolleyes:

I flip the bird at Baird and tip my hat to Dalton.



If ONLY someone would get some vision and ask for Federal adn Provincial funding for the new LRT Urbandale line so that we can extend it into Barrhaven AND have the transit lanes on the bridge... :rolleyes:

[Cre47]

It is the most significant infrastructure project necessary for South Ottawa today

Maybe but only and if only there is a rapid transit corridor - I would have like to have the bridge only used for rapid transit just to piss off Pollievre who hasn't done anything good for the city.

I have to give credit McGuinty for trying to put the brakes on the project until rapid transit will be included inside of only having the bridge to promote further suburban sprawl.

[lrt's friend]

I just reflect on the previous article and the cost of the bridge being half of Scotiabank Place.

Are we mad to agree to build this for cars only?

[BlackRedGold]

I have to give credit McGuinty for trying to put the brakes on the project until rapid transit will be included inside of only having the bridge to promote further suburban sprawl.

This bridge isn't going to promote further suburban sprawl since both sides of the bridge are developed. What it will do is ease the strain on the Hunt Club and Manotick bridges. It will allow Riverside South residents to shop at the much closer retail outlets in Barrhaven then the further away stores at South Keys or Merivale Road.

Yes, it will make Riverside South a more desirable location for suburbanites but it's not like it will take potential homeowners away from urban locations. Rather it will draw those people who might choose to buy in the new developments in West Kanata/Stittsville or Orleans which would all be further from the core city.

[lrt's friend]

Well, it is official. The $35M announcement today for the Strandherd Bridge will be deducted from the $200M federal transit funding.

The Conservatives seem a little less green after this announcement.

And the political sparring continues.

Although the Strandherd Bridge is a critical link in the southend, let's do it right and incorporate rapid transit into the bridge, as originally planned. We are now approaching $100 per barrel oil. It is time to think of the future and include transit in all our major new bridge projects.

[bradnixon]

From the Citizen today:


Councillors feel 'used' by bridge funding offer
Council won't accept $35M in federal funds if it comes from $200M for transit system

Mohammed Adam, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The City of Ottawa won't accept federal funding announced this week for the construction of the Strandherd bridge because it will jeopardize future transit plans, some councillors say.

On Monday, Pierre Poilievre, the MP for Nepean-Carleton, announced $35 million in federal funding for the $105-million bridge.

City council had lobbied hard for the money to come from outside the $200 million set aside for the failed north-south rail project. When news of the funding first broke this past weekend, several councillors, including the two area representatives, Steve Desroches and Jan Harder, praised Mr. Poilievre for pulling off a great coup for the city. But when they learned the money will actually come from the $200-million transit fund, some of the councillors accused the Tory MP of misleading them.

"Council has already made a decision that they will not spend any part of the $200 million on that bridge. We can't accept the $35 million for that use," Ms. Harder said yesterday.

"Steve and I feel we were used on this. We really believe we've been hoodwinked. Talk about taking the wind out of our sails."

Mr. Desroches was also disappointed, but said the city and the federal government can still find a way to raise the additional money needed for the bridge, which would span the Rideau River.

"Certainly, I was expecting new money, but I don't want to slam the door on the federal government. I would like a commitment from them that they will top up the money," he said.

Nancy Schepers, the deputy city manager of planning, transit and the environment was also concerned. When she learned the source of the funding, she sent a memo to councillors reminding them of their decision not to use any portion of the $200 million for the bridge.

"Today's announcement by the federal government could constrain the federal funding envelope, and require council to prioritize within the remaining $165 million of funding available for investment," Ms. Schepers wrote.

The Strandherd bridge has become something of a political football in a war between Liberals and Tories over public transit in Ottawa. It was part of the north-south rail that was eventually cancelled after Environment Minister John Baird asked for re-evaluation from a new council.

The provincial Liberals have refused to fund the bridge from their $200-million transit reserve for the city, saying a link for cars doesn't qualify as public transit.

Yesterday, David McGuinty, the federal Liberal environment critic, labelled the $35 million for the bridge "pork-barrel politics." He said it is being done under the direction of Mr. Baird, the regional minister, to boost Mr. Poilievre's re-election bid.

"This is the gang that worked with the mayor to kill the light rail project because they said it needed a value-for-money audit and now they want to raid the kitty and build a bridge for cars," said Mr. McGuinty, whose brother is the Ontario premier.

"This is grandstanding from an MP backed by the minister of the environment -- who should be protecting the environment -- to build a bridge and put more cars on the road to pollute the environment."

Councillor Diane Deans also pointed to the irony of a federal government that helped kill a rail project that included the bridge, now using public transit money to build the link.

"I feel the federal government has been playing politics on this and other funding issues for a long time and I think it is time for Pierre Poilievre and John Baird to stop," she said.

But Mr. Poilievre said city councillors and other politicians are the ones playing politics and picking unnecessary fights when they should be working together. He pointed out that when he made the announcement, Ms. Harder applauded him, but a day later "flip-flopped and picked up a political fight."

Mr. Poilievre said there is no reason to leave the $200 million "in a vault gathering dust" just because the city doesn't have a transit plan. Current priorities must be funded.

"I want to build a bridge, but city politicians are burning bridges," he said.


I live in the south end (on the east side of the river) and I know how important this bridge is. I supported it when it was a transit/road bridge. You can't just take the transit off it and still call it a transit project.

I say put transit on it, or forget it.

BTW: The cost of the actual bridge is about $40M. I think the $105 million cost also includes the extension of Strandherd from Crestway to Price of Wales, and the widening of Earl Armstrong from River Road to Limebank, in addition to the actual bridge and its approaches. There's no way you can call THAT "transit". It's purely a road project, plain and simple.

[jeremy_haak]

:worship: My respect for Jan Harder and Steve Desroches just jumped through the roof. It takes guts to refuse funding that would benefit your constituents.

[Dado]

BTW: The cost of the actual bridge is about $40M. I think the $105 million cost also includes the extension of Strandherd from Crestway to Price of Wales, and the widening of Earl Armstrong from River Road to Limebank, in addition to the actual bridge and its approaches.

$65M for a few kilometres of road building/widening? I don't think so. Where did the $40M number come from?

It's more likely that $40M is for a basic road bridge only, with $105M being the total cost of a road and transit bridge with some architectural interest along with changes to the road network.

[lrt's friend]

Let's invest a little bit of extra money to make the bridge architecturally attractive. Please, no more major bridges that are just slabs of concrete. Bridges are some of a city's most prominent monuments.

[Cre47]

I've forgot to post this, but the Citizen now is looking for the worst intersection in the city

http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/greaterottawa/archive/2007/10/30/ottawa-s-worst-intersection.aspx

I would say any intersections that are a pain for transit buses, bikes and pedestrians.

Baseline at Woodroffe and Greenbank
Bank at Walkley
westbound Rideau at King Edward, Sussex and Elgin
eastbound Wellington from the Portage Bridge to Lyon
Hunt Club at Riverside and Prince of Wales
Most of Merivale Road between Clyde and Hunt Club
Most of Montreal Road from Montfort Hospital to Rideau
Knoxdale eastbound at Woodroffe
westbound Richmond at Baseline
And probably several more

[waterloowarrior]

anyone know how Highway 7 construction is looking?

[waterloowarrior]

Longfields Drive Extension
Woodroffe Avenue to Bill Leathem Drive
Notice of Project Commencement

In response to local traffic concerns resulting from the RCMP’s announcement that National Headquarters will be relocating to the South Merivale Business Park, the City of Ottawa has initiated the update to the detailed design for construction of a new access road from Woodroffe Avenue to Bill Leathem Drive. The proposed alignment will be an extension of Longfields Drive and passes through the southern farm sector of the National Capital Commission’s Greenbelt.
This project will involve the construction of:
Two 3.5 metre traffic lanes with shoulders and flat bottom ditches;
Two culverts at Barrhaven Creek and a tributary of Barrhaven Creek; and
Intersection connections at Woodroffe Avenue and Bill Leathem Drive.This project will also update the Schedule ‘B’ Class Environmental Assessment carried out in 2000 and will therefore include the filing of the ESR Update at the end of the project. As the project is located within the NCC’s Greenbelt, a federal environmental screening is also required.
We welcome your comments on the project, as they are an important part of the consultation process. With the exception of personal information, comments will become part of the public record.

[waterloowarrior]

Jockvale Road (Jock River to PoW) EA open house 1 display boards (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/jockvale_en.html)


http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/study_area_en.jpg

[waterloowarrior]

A couple of fairly new highway expansion websites


Highway 7 Twinning - Ashton Road to McNeely Avenue (http://www.highway7expansion.ca/eng/)

http://wwuploads.googlepages.com/highway7.jpg


The tender (https://www.raqsb.mto.gov.on.ca/RAQS_Contractor/RAQSCont.nsf/viewCTFByRegion/B09F65FA7ABDA300852573CB00625464?OpenDocument) for the highway 7 section "From 2.8 km west of County Road 17 Easterly to 12.7 km east of County Road 17 including adjacent Service Roads" is coming up soon



417 - Highway 7 to Eagleson Road (http://highway417expansion.com/eng/home.shtml)


Description of the Undertaking
This Detail Design project involves the expansion of Highway 417 from Eagleson Road westerly to Highway 7, including the rehabilitation and widening of existing structures.
The main components of the project include:
Widening of Highway 417 from Eagleson Road to Palladium Drive to provide 2 additional lanes in each direction (1 lane in each direction will be a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane);
Widening of Highway 417 from Palladium Drive to Highway 7 to provide 1 additional lane in each direction;
Resurfacing/rehabilitation of existing lanes from Eagleson Road to Highway 7;
Rehabilitation of the existing Carp River bridges (eastbound and westbound) and widening to provide 2 additional lanes per direction;
Rehabilitation of the Eagleson Road Bridge and the Huntmar Road Bridge;
Widening of the Carp Road Bridge at the north abutment to create three full lanes on the bridge;
Reconstruction of the E-N/S and N/S-W ramps at the Carp Road interchange;
Construction of an Advanced Traffic Management System from Highway 7 to Highway 416;
Construction of related drainage works (culvert extensions, storm water management ponds etc.), and construction of highway related works (roadside protection);
Highmast illumination and signage improvements;
Removal and replacement of Highway 417 culvert located approximately 200 m west of Eagleson Road.

[Cre47]

Jockvale Road (Jock River to PoW) EA open house 1 display boards (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/jockvale_en.html)


http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/study_area_en.jpg

I hope, they would get rid of that awful curve and slope near the POW intersection

[Cre47]

From today's Sun http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2008/01/20/4783240-sun.html

But the city's future population growth estimates could change those rankings. The number of people who call Ottawa home is expected to increase as much as 30% beyond the current 800,000 residents and with little or no prospect for the addition of new arteries -- or even the expansion of those already in existence -- it's no stretch of the imagination to see the problem become unmanageable.

That's probably one of the most nonsense I've read lately. With little or no prospect of added new arteries? What a list, the 417 (underway with more in the next couple of years), Hwy 7 (underway), Limebank Road (underway), Woodroffe (underway), Strandherd (underway with more in a couple of years), Prince of Wales (in a couple of years), Jockvale (in a couple of years), Eagleson (probably this year), Hazeldean (in one year or so), Greenbank (in a year or so), Terry Fox (the northern extension), Merivale (in a couple of years) and more recently Longfields and eventually RR 174, the list of widening or extension projects is quite astonishing to say the least.

[adam-machiavelli]

That list is miniscule compared to what Sun readers want!

[d_jeffrey]

I'm starting to respect city council more and more, first they refuse to fund the Armstrong bridge, and now the freeway expansion.

Ken Gray . Highway 174: a widened waste
Ken Gray, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, January 25, 2008
The proposed $104-million freeway to Rockland is in jeopardy. That's because the project, announced in Premier Dalton McGuinty's re-election campaign, is very low on Ottawa City Council's agenda.

And while the federal and provincial governments have agreed to fund building a widened stretch of Highway 174 east of Orléans in conjunction with the city, the municipality is responsible for the road, this having been downloaded during the Harris years.

The city commitment is $15 million, and Mayor Larry O'Brien wants to build the freeway (calling it "mandatory"), but Alta Vista Councillor Peter Hume believes council won't support the project.

"I don't think it is in our budget," Mr. Hume said in an interview. "I can think of a lot more pressing projects that we could use $15 million for."

Mr. Hume then produced an excerpt from city budget documents. It reads:

"The provincial government has announced funding support to widen Highway 174 from Trim Road to Rockland. ... Detailed cost estimates will need to be developed through an environmental assessment process required as part of the widening. The project has not been identified in the city's official plan. ... It is also not identified in the transportation master plan as the widening is not needed to serve the city's projected growth over the planning period to 2021."

Mr. Hume is concerned that the project is not part of the city's priorities, but it is being thrust upon it by the senior levels of government.

"I don't remember it being on a committee agenda. I'd be spending the money on public transit instead. I'd be surprised if we funded it. I'd be amazed."

"Support in the east end is lukewarm at best," Mr. Hume said. "It comes top down from government. I'm not sure there are 13 votes for this (the needed majority on council). It's jumping the queue."

Furthermore, Mr. Hume doubts that councillors in a cash-strapped municipality will want to drop their ward priorities for something thrust upon the city by the senior governments. He feels council's priorities must take precedence.

The position of council and staff, if Mr. Hume is reading the political winds correctly, has the makings of a standoff between the city on one side and the senior governments on the other.

Mr. McGuinty wants the freeway project to fulfil an election announcement. However, he is, as a liberal, on the wrong side of the issue. The taxpayer should not be shelling out $104 million for a freeway that will not move traffic faster (it will stall in the Highway 417-174 Split if not before). As well, the freeway will contribute to pollution and urban sprawl by giving commuters the misplaced impression that they can travel quickly downtown from places such as Rockland.

Meanwhile, a statement released by the premier's office this week makes it look as if the freeway (which extends into Glengarry-Prescott-Russell along County Road 17) is still a go, at least at Queen's Park:

"The provincial government is pleased to commit $40 million to the improvement of this important city and regional road. ... We are pleased the federal government is coming to the table and we look forward to our municipal partners joining with us on this important project as well."

As the statement says, the premier is not alone in supporting the freeway. Environment Minister John Baird and Conservative MPs Royal Galipeau and Pierre Lemieux have pledged federal money for the project. That the federal environment minister would say last year that the widened road would cut congestion and pollution is astonishing. Surely he knows you can't build freeways wide enough to cut congestion at rush hour and that there is no solution to the huge volume of traffic moving through the Split. Physics doesn't allow it -- too many cars, too little space. That said, there have always been votes in widened roads.

Modern mass transit would not solve the Split problem, but at least commuters could get downtown quickly. That's what an environment minister in a G8 capital city should be saying.

Perhaps the Rockland freeway is Ottawa's Spadina Expressway controversy. That the province stopped Toronto's Spadina example 37 years ago at the urging of urban critic Jane Jacobs and media guru Marshall McLuhan among others shows just how far behind Ottawa is when it comes to urban planning. People in progressive cities stopped thinking freeways a long time ago.

Even back then, planners and politicians in Toronto knew that freeways were inefficient. In the words of Progressive Conservative premier Bill Davis when he killed the Spadina project: "If we are building a transportation system to serve the automobile, the Spadina Expressway is a good place to start. But if we are building a transportation system to serve people, the Spadina Expressway is a good place to stop." Accordingly, Mr. Davis helped build a subway along the route.

City council had a rough year in 2007 when it came to transportation. But if Mr. Hume is correct about the mood of council on the Rockland freeway, maybe our municipal representatives are starting to get it right. Now if we can just get the premier and the environment minister off the freeway bandwagon, maybe Ottawa can learn the lesson of Spadina, 37 years late.

Increasingly environmentalism is just artifice and fashion. Say one thing, do something else. Widening Highway 174 is a waste of $104 million of your tax money. It is bad business as usual.

[harls]

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=65add2f4-c9e5-487f-a284-bee20cca2160&k=35402



Study looks at bridge locations over Ottawa River

Jake Rupert, Ottawa Citizen

Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The team studying 10 potential future Ottawa River crossing between Gatineau and Ottawa has made some progress, but it will be the end of the year, at the earliest, before preferred locations are chosen.

At a progress update session Tuesday, the team announced that preliminary traffic analysis shows the most used locations for new bridges or tunnels across the Ottawa River would be Kettle Island in the east and Lac Deschenes in the west, if they were constructed today.

They also said they have discounted ferries as crossing option because boats can't handle the expected volume of traffic, and they announced dates for further public consultations.

Ontario, Quebec and the federal governments are currently looking at where new crossings should be.

The locations will be judged on a four-part test. They are looking for the lowest-cost crossings with the most gains to the traffic flow, and the least impact on the natural and human environments in the areas around the locations.

This is the third attempt in 15 years to get agreement on a new Ottawa River crossing that would help the traffic flow in the region and get the area's main trucking route out of downtown Ottawa. The last two attempts failed when governments couldn't agree on locations, cost-sharing and other issues.
After the preferred options are chosen, it will be up to the federal, provincial and municipal governments to commit to the project.

© Ottawa Citizen 2008

[gatt]

give me a real transit system before another bridge please.

[Mille Sabords]

Kettle Island is the only viable choice.

[Rathgrith]

Is the bridge going to be freeway (divided highway) or just a highway?

[harls]

It will likely be a bridge like Champlain, I'm guessing. Something like Macdonald-Cartier would be overkill.

[Mille Sabords]

It will likely be a bridge like Champlain, I'm guessing. Something like Macdonald-Cartier would be overkill.

As long as it can take all the heavy trucking away from King Edward, I don't care if it has 3 lanes or 30. Just get rid of those trucks downtown.

[kwoldtimer]

As long as it can take all the heavy trucking away from King Edward, I don't care if it has 3 lanes or 30. Just get rid of those trucks downtown.

I agree, but suspect it will be ten to fifteen years before anything gets built.

[Acajack]

And Autoroute 50 all the way to its endpoint at Autoroute 15 north of Montreal will certainly be long completed by then. This should already take a bit of pressure and trucks off the King Edward/Rideau route, though it won’t resolve the Ottawa-Gatineau local truck traffic that will still make a new bridge necessary.

The official date for the 50 to be completed is the fall of 2010. Not sure if they’ll make it on time, but they should be pretty close.

[O-Town Hockey]

I hate all this wating around. We've all decided that a bridge will be necessary, there will be a decision made this year as far as an ideal location, then why can't we just start construction next year???? We haven't built a bridge in decades so I'm sure the funding will be seen as deserved by the feds and the provinces.

[lrt's friend]

:previous: I think the federal government should have a Public-Private partnership competition to determine the location of the next bridge. The competition will include 9 different cities. We mustn't make it look like we are playing favourites to Ottawa. :)

[gatt]

it may be a tunnel under the river they said.

[waterloowarrior]

huntmr rd extension open as of feb 6
http://www.buildinghomes.ca/community/forums/showthread.php?t=5346

http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2006/06-28/csedc/ACS2006-PGM-APR-0138_files/image002.jpg

[Cre47]

Not sure if it was in the Kanata Kourier or Stittsville Weekender but Councillor Qadri, another of those pro road-widening and anti-O-Train councillors wants to push ahead with the widening of Hazeldean - the construction starting next year instead of 2011 - because of the opening of the new centers this year.

[waterloowarrior]

Greenbelt road OK'd


Patrick Dare, The Ottawa Citizen

Published: Sunday, April 06, 2008

A little bit of Ottawa's Greenbelt will be sacrificed so that Barrhaven can be directly linked to the South Merivale Business Park, which is the new home of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The National Capital Commission's board of directors approved the extension of Longfields Drive to connect with Bill Leathem Drive in the business park. The NCC says the road will be limited to two lanes, with room for bicycle traffic, so that continued farming can take place in the area. The project will mean the loss of 2.8 hectares of Greenbelt. The city is expected to start building the road in June. When it approved the road, the NCC also noted it is starting a three-year review of its master plan for the Greenbelt.

[clynnog]

Not sure if it was in the Kanata Kourier or Stittsville Weekender but Councillor Qadri, another of those pro road-widening and O-Train councillors wants to push ahead with the widening of Hazeldean - the construction starting next year instead of 2011 - because of the opening of the new centers this year.

Councillor Qadri is pretty gung ho on road widening and keeping Stittsville low density residential. Hazeldean widening was promised as long ago as 2003 as being 'next year'.

[waterloowarrior]

City staff says no to $80M 'gift' to widen Hwy. 174
Jake Rupert
The Ottawa Citizen
Monday, April 14, 2008

OTTAWA - The city's transportation planning staff are recommending the municipality say no to federal and provincial government offers of $40 million each to widen Highway 174 from Trim Road in Orleans to Rockland.
A staff report on the issue says the proposed 22-kilometre freeway isn't needed and will encourage sprawl. It adds that a commuter-rail line could service the area, and the city doesn't have the $15-million share the province wants it to pay.

It recommends the city refuse to even accept a grant of $5 million being offered by the province to do the preliminary studies on the road widening, which would include about seven kilometres inside the city's boundaries.

The recommendation is scheduled to be debated by councillors on the city's transportation committee Wednesday, and the mayor of Clarence-Rockland Richard Lalonde is flabbergasted.

"This is an $80-million gift, and they should be jumping on it," he said. "I can't understand why they won't participate."

In the report, city staff say the municipality should reject the road for a number of reasons. They say the city can't afford it, city plans don't call for a widening of the road until after 2021 at the earliest because there isn't a need, it goes against the goal of creating a more compact city, and that there are many much cheaper ways to make the road safer, if that is a concern.

Furthermore, they say several eastern Ontario municipalities, led by the city, are looking at establishing a commuter-rail system that could run directly from Rockland to the Ottawa Via station where riders could transfer to the city's transit system.

The report says the proposed road would have little value to the city and that the municipality has many other, more important infrastructure projects it can't do already due to a lack of funds. And it lists several other reasons not to build the road.

"A widened freeway in the rural area could also encourage sprawl and out-migration to surrounding municipalities, which is not in line with the city's smart-growth principles," the report says. "(The money) could be put to better use."

These words both stunned and pleased Capital Council Clive Doucet who has been saying in vain for years that governments have to stop building roads and focus on transit. He said this is the first evidence city planners are beginning to understand that the way the municipality has been allowed to grow is not sustainable and if it continues, it will collapse financially and environmentally.

"It sounds like sanity is finally starting to prevail in this city for the first time in two years," Mr. Doucet said. "I've never seen this city contemplate refusing money for a road. This is the first proof that maybe we are moving in the right direction. Maybe."

Cumberland Councillor Rob Jellett whose ward the road would run through supports the city staff position. He said the proposed road would have so little benefit for the city, he cannot support it. He said he'd have no problem with the province doing the study itself, and, if it showed a reasonable plan for a road expansion, he might support it.

But he said no city money should be put to any aspect of the project.

"The demand for this is coming from outside the city, not in the city," he said. "This is just not something we would do."

People in the areas east of Ottawa have been pushing for the road widening for years.

During the last provincial election, the Ontario Liberals announced $40 million for the project, and said it would go ahead if the federal government would contribute $40 million, which it did, the city $15 million and Prescott-Russell County $9 million.

Under the provincial plan, the city was supposed to administer the project.
Mr. Lalonde said 70 per cent of people living in Rockland commute to Ottawa each day to work, and that a wider connection to the city would help economic development in his area. He said that with city support doubtful, his municipality is prepared to take the lead on the project.

He said his government is prepared to take the $5 million provincial study grant, do the work, and then when it's done in a couple years, consult with the city on how to proceed.

Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien met with Mr. Lalonde and other municipal leaders from the area east of Ottawa and provincial and federal representatives to discuss the issue Monday afternoon. Members of his office said he had not taken a position on the issue yet, but would do so after the meeting and consultation with city staff that recommend against the road.

Following the meeting, Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Liberal MPP Jean-Marc Lalonde said he will be pressing for the province to take over the necessary studies for the widening, but if that doesn't work, he's content to have the county take the lead. Members of the county council at the meeting said they are interested in doing so, and the matter will go to a vote at the county level next week.

The MPP also stressed that any study will take into account and suggest fixes for the chronic traffic bottleneck at Highway 417 and city road 174.

Mr. Jellett and other east-end Ottawa councillors were at the meeting. He said the city's position hadn't changed.

"Our position is that this is not needed in the short-term, but if the province or the county wants to do this study we will provide information and cooperate and see what they come up with," he said. "But we aren't prepared to put any more in because we don't think this is needed."



© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

[d_jeffrey]

:previous:

I never understood the 417 widening either, the core is already at capacity, and they are adding lanes?! When people will realise that the water lifecycle concept is flawed, and the grid one is better for urban planning. It still amazes me, too much water uphills, the river will overflow! Well duh! What about our city planners that are following the same thing! It's not because something is in nature that we should follow it.

[jeremy_haak]

:previous:

I never understood the 417 widening either, the core is already at capacity, and they are adding lanes?! When people will realise that the water lifecycle concept is flawed, and the grid one is better for urban planning. It still amazes me, too much water uphills, the river will overflow! Well duh! What about our city planners that are following the same thing! It's not because something is in nature that we should follow it.

Not that I advocate expanding the 417, but Ottawa's commuting pattern is a bit more complicated than people commuting to the core. As I recall, most of the expansion is into Kanata, which is a huge commuting destination and rather inadequately served by transit. My solution would be to fix the transit, ofc.

[d_jeffrey]

Not that I advocate expanding the 417, but Ottawa's commuting pattern is a bit more complicated than people commuting to the core. As I recall, most of the expansion is into Kanata, which is a huge commuting destination and rather inadequately served by transit. My solution would be to fix the transit, ofc.

Well here you go, the Transitway would have been built for that section for the same price.

[c_speed3108]

City staff says no to $80M 'gift' to widen Hwy. 174
Jake Rupert
The Ottawa Citizen
Monday, April 14, 2008

OTTAWA - The city's transportation planning staff are recommending the municipality say no to federal and provincial government offers of $40 million each to widen Highway 174 from Trim Road in Orleans to Rockland.
A staff report on the issue says the proposed 22-kilometre freeway isn't needed and will encourage sprawl. It adds that a commuter-rail line could service the area, and the city doesn't have the $15-million share the province wants it to pay.

.....


© The Ottawa Citizen 2008



Finally some common sense. :yes: My parents live near this highway. I have been on it at rush hour and the traffic flow is fine...moving full steam ahead. If they want to build roads (which I am not advocating in general), there are considerably more worthy locations to add lanes....

[citizen j]

This rejection, like the rejection of that other freeway "gift" -- an exurban ring road -- and the more recent rejection of the "gift" of an LRT-free Strandherd/Armstrong bridge, seems to present a fairly clear, consistent message to both the provincial and the federal governments. That is, please send transit dollars in lieu of roads. Very smart indeed.

[waterloowarrior]

staff report on 17/174 (http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2008/04-16/ACS2008-PTE-PLA-0105.htm)

[Mille Sabords]

As others have said: finally some common sense. I heard the MPP for Perscott-Russell, Jean-Marc Lalonde, on the radio today squawking about how Ottawa was wrong in "punishing Prescott-Russell" and how the freeway was needed to alleviate the horrible traffic, yada yada yada.

Honestly, the response this outburst deserved was:

- people moving to Rockland know there is only a 2-lane highway going to and from there. Nobody told them to move to Rockland.

- sprawl stops here. The province is hypocritical by giving money to a sprawl-creating project like this one on one hand, and having policy statements on land use planning that focus on intensification and transit.

- why should Ottawa even allow the neighbouring county to conduct an EA for a road we don't want, on our territory, to go counter to our planning goals to curb sprawl. Ottawa should get a court injunction to stop such an EA.

- There are already transit services from various points in Prescott-Russell into Ottawa. Instead of spensing money on a freeway, increase frequencies and capacity on that service.

[Rathgrith]

- sprawl stops here. The province is hypocritical by giving money to a sprawl-creating project like this one on one hand, and having policy statements on land use planning that focus on intensification and transit.

- why should Ottawa even allow the neighbouring county to conduct an EA for a road we don't want, on our territory, to go counter to our planning goals to curb sprawl. Ottawa should get a court injunction to stop such an EA.



But who will think of the soccer moms?!!!!!1!!

[c_speed3108]

:worship: :D :cheers:


City council won't participate in any 174 freeway study
Jake Rupert, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The city's transportation committee voted unanimously Wednesday to not participate in preliminary studies for a proposed freeway between Orleans and Rockland.

During the last provincial election, the Ontario Liberals announced $40 million for the project and said it would go ahead if the federal government would contribute $40 million, which they did, the city $15 million and Prescott-Russell County $9 million.

Last month, the province also offered the city a grant of $5 million to do the preliminary studies required, and leaders in municipalities east of Ottawa say they need the road.

But city transportation planning staff found municipality should reject the road for a number of reasons.

They said the city can't afford it, city plans don't call for a widening of the road until after 2021 at the earliest because there isn't a need, it goes against the goal of creating a more compact city, and that there are many much cheaper ways to make the road safer, if that is a concern.

Furthermore, they say several eastern Ontario municipalities, led by the city, are looking at establishing a commuter-rail system that could run directly from Rockland to the Ottawa Via station where riders could transfer to the city's transit system.

They concluded the proposed road would have little value to the city, the municipality has many other, more important infrastructure projects it can't do already due to a lack of funds, and listed several other reasons not to build the road.




On Wednesday, the committee voted to allow the province or the counties to do the studies on a roughly seven-kilometre section on the 22-kilometre road inside the city's boundaries, but not to participate in any other way.

[waterloowarrior]

Commuters held 'hostage' if road not widened: MPP


Lee Greenberg,
Ottawa Citizen

Published: Thursday, April 17, 2008

TORONTo . An Ottawa-area MPP says the city will be holding commuters from his riding "hostage" if council blocks a project to widen Highway 174.
Jean-Marc Lalonde, MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, is pushing the city to go ahead with the 22-kilometre road expansion project, which would serve commuters from Rockland and other communities east of Orléans. Mr. Lalonde said four-laning the eastern highway, a project first considered more than 20 years ago, is long overdue. He says 70 per cent of the Rockland labour force commutes to Ottawa.

On Wednesday, the city council's transportation committee voted against initiating an environmental assessment on the highway, despite the offer of a $5-million grant from the province to do so.

The move reflects a distaste for the project among city staff, who believe it is too expensive and will promote sprawl.

About seven kilometres of the proposed expansion fall within Ottawa's borders.

Mr. Lalonde, a former mayor of Rockland and an MPP since 1995, said his constituents were upset by the latest development, which appears to put responsibility for the project on smaller municipalities east of Ottawa.

"They're saying, 'No, no, we don't want your traffic, take another road'," he said in an interview. "I would call that (taking them) hostage."

Mr. Lalonde said he believed the project was far from dead, despite the latest development. It was a thought echoed by Premier Dalton McGuinty.

"The decision to expand 174 was made to keep people and goods moving safely and efficiently and to help attract new investments to the Ottawa area," Mr. McGuinty said in a statement issued to the Citizen. "I remain hopeful that the city will partner with us on this project."

The provincial Liberals first issued the funding pledge during the fall election campaign. The $40 million the province offered to contribute was subsequently matched by the federal government. The plan calls on the city to participate to the tune of $15 million, less than its traditional one-third funding share associated with capital projects. Prescott-Russell County is also expected to contribute $9 million.

East-end councillors, such as Rob Jellett, have backed the staff position, questioning the wisdom of widening a highway used by commuters from outside the city.

It is unclear whether Phil McNeely, the MPP for Ottawa-Orléans, agrees with that position. Mr. McNeely did not return several phone calls to his office Thursday. Mr. Lalonde said the two men, who have sat on the same Liberal benches at Queen's Park for four-and-a-half years, have not discussed the project.

"I really don't know what his position is," he said.

Transportation Minister Jim Bradley said he'll be watching that debate closely.

"I'll be very interested in seeing what the City of Ottawa has to say," he said.

"At the end of the day, you need three willing partners and if one of the partners is not willing to proceed, then we have to obviously regroup and see where we go from here," said Municipal Affairs Minister Jim Watson.
Ottawa's full city council is to debate the environmental assessment on Wednesday.

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=a1205b75-2905-4e02-9b06-781aa475c1ec&k=57834

[lrt's friend]

According to a radio report earlier today, it appears that political fallout resulting from the cancellation of the N-S LRT project will continue to delay provincial funding of the Strandherd Bridge. It appears that Ottawa councillors Steve Desrochers and Jan Harder have been lobbying Queen's Park for funding but with no results. It appears that it was suggested that if Ottawa wants this bridge without the previously planned rapid transit component, then the city should fund it themselves using debt financing. Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod will make a motion to fund the project but will almost certainly fail. So, the war between Conservatives and Liberals continues with the city caught in the middle.

[Mille Sabords]

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=a1205b75-2905-4e02-9b06-781aa475c1ec&k=57834

Re. the latest 174 salvo:

McGuinty and Watson, both from Ottawa, should be raked over hot coals for this latest piece of political BS.

Commuters held hostage... gimme a break. Once again, NOBODY TOLD THEM TO MOVE TO ROCKLAND. Their new town came with a 2-lane highway, not a full freeway. You don't like it, that's TMFB. Move closer to a freeway if that's what matters to you.

The City of Ottawa's best plan of attack here should be transit. Use the freeway EA money to boost frequency on CRT lines into Ottawa. THAT will reduce the bottleneck at the split - CRT buses use the Transitway from Blair Station on.

[lrt's friend]

The City of Ottawa's best plan of attack here should be transit. Use the freeway EA money to boost frequency on CRT lines into Ottawa. THAT will reduce the bottleneck at the split - CRT buses use the Transitway from Blair Station on.

Do you really think that any of the money for the 174 twinning will be available for transit? Not likely! This is the city killing a provincial campaign promise. The province is not going to look on this too kindly. Since 2006, we have been going through a period of non-cooperation on jointly funded projects. This does not bode well for future jointly funded projects including LRT until at least some of the key players are out of office.

[c_speed3108]

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=a1205b75-2905-4e02-9b06-781aa475c1ec&k=57834

On the 174. Without debating ideologies regarding sprawl, and transit use, etc...

First off this widening is not required at this point. I am quiet familiar with this highway since my parents live very close to it. It is not experiencing major congestion problems like some areas of the 174 further in and the Queensway.

The second problem is that even if it was experiencing congestion problems we run into a flow-rate problem. If two lanes are really in face required from Rockland, then we are going to need a heck of lot more than 2 lanes hading west from Orleans since Orleans >>>> Rockland.


On provincial politicians, but not the local MP. The local MP suggested to the transport minister that the province upload this highway back to the provincial level (and I believe the city was either in support or at least not violently against). The transport minister said no. Therefore, if the province really wants to widen this highway, they should upload it and do it themselves. City of Ottawa taxes should not go to fund this since it is of virtually no benefit to City of Ottawa residents.

----------------------

As for the argument that residents knew it was a two lane road when they moved there...yes but most roads get widened as the areas grow. Also that same argument would kill just about every single infrastructure project! We all knew we only has a transitway....We all knew we had a congested Albert Street. etc.. etc.. etc...

[Deez]

Somewhat topical:

News Story
Province spending $73M on second phase of Highway 7 expansion
By Peter Kovessy, Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Fri, Apr 18, 2008 10:00 AM EST



An Oakville construction company has won a $73.2 million government contract to widen a stretch of Highway 7 outside Ottawa and build four new bridges.

Bot Construction Ltd. will widen the provincial highway from two to four lanes from Jinkinson Road to Ashton Station Road, add a carpool lot at the Dwyer Hill Road interchange area, add new interchanges at Upper Dwyer Hill Road and Ashton Station Road and construct new service roads on both the north and south side of Highway 7.

The construction firm will also build four new bridges at Dwyer Hill Road, Ashton Station Road, the TransCanada Trail crossing and the North Service Road crossing at Lavallee Creek.

Ontario's highway expansion plan calls for the project to start this year and be completed by 2010.

This is the second of three Highway 7 projects in the province's five-year plan. The third project calls for the highway to be widened from two to four lanes between Carleton Place and Ashton Station Road, starting next year.

More than 17,000 commuters and tourists and 1,200 trucks use Highway 7 daily, according to the province.



Nice value...a 4-lane freeway for about 20,000 AADT? Ridiculous.

[Cre47]

They should blame this on the mass-downloading of provincial highways. If Hwy 17 was not downloaded, it would probably have been already widen considering Rockland is larger then Carleton Place. They should blame Mike Harris for this not the city of Ottawa

[lrt's friend]

Ha! Don't get me going about the downloading of the King's Highway system. Beyond all the obvious reasons, it has also negatively affected visitors to Ontario and no doubt tourism to many smaller towns. No longer can the visitor distinguish between main roads and less important local roads by just looking at a road map. Highway 2 with all its historic significance can no longer be easily found on a map. Many highways were partially downloaded no longer connecting destinations, others were both downloaded and renumbered leading to confusion. Then of course we get highways that connect communities and counties downloaded and an expectation that the individual municipalities must pay for major improvements. If one refuses, the project dies. The Harris government turned back the clock on public roads in this province by 100 years.

[d_jeffrey]

HaThen of course we get highways that connect communities and counties downloaded and an expectation that the individual municipalities must pay for major improvements. If one refuses, the project dies. The Harris government turned back the clock on public roads in this province by 100 years.

Well at least they will now feel the process pain of planning a transit system. :haha:

[jeremy_haak]

Somewhat topical:



Nice value...a 4-lane freeway for about 20,000 AADT? Ridiculous.

You should see the numbers for the 402, 416, and even 417.

http://www.raqsb.mto.gov.onac.ca/techpubs/TrafficVolumes.nsf/tvweb

[waterloowarrior]

Transport minister confirms four-laning to resume next year
By PETER DeWOLF
Weekender Staff
It’s official.

Work on the next phase of the fourlaning of Highway 17 toward Renfrew will begin next year. Ontario’s Transport Minister Jim Bradley has confirmed the 417 bypass around Arnprior will be complete by
2011.

Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski sought clarification from the minister after funding for the project apparently was granted in the 2008 Ontario budget, to everyone’s surprise. The project had not even been on the province’s five-year plan.

The three-year construction phase will begin in 2009 and be completed in the fall of 2011.

“I congratulate those have worked to make this happen,” said Yakabuski.

Some preparatory work will be done this year, as Arnprior’s water and sewer system, particularly along Baskin Drive will need to be relocated and upgraded. The federal government had allotted some money for that several years ago, as had the town; and it is now hoped the province will also chip in.

The disruptions to traffic will be minimal at least during the first year as construction begins on a new bridge over the tracks and the Madawaska River, just north of the existing bridge.

Once it is complete, traffic will be diverted onto the new structure, while the old bridge is rehabilitated and upgraded. When completed, the existing structure will become the eastbound bridge. Baskin will run under the new expressway, but the only access to 417 from the south end of Baskin will be via a new service road. It will take traffic from the airport and Arnprior Aerospace area and bring it out onto the White Lake Road, eliminating the need for traffic bound for Ottawa or Renfrew to drive into the congested Daniel Street and Baskin Drive area near the Arnprior Shopping Centre.

A full cloverleaf, to be constructed at the White Lake Road and Division Street, will run over the new expressway. The Phase I portion of four laning will return to two lanes between Division and Campbell Drive.

While the announced funding will only complete the first phase, both Phase I and Phase II were recommended for funding by the Ministry of Transportation as sequential projects.

Phase II, to include an interchange at Campbell Drive and Scheel Drive, would be routed under the expressway. The second phase would be far less costly because no major bridge building would be required. It would see the bypass four-laned all the way to just west of Scheel Drive. While no funding has been allocated for the second phase, Queen’s Park has indicated the ministry should move ahead with detailed engineering for the second part. It would have another three to four years to announce funding if they decide to continue construction once Phase I is completed.

“We will keep fighting for it,” said Yakabuski. However, he is pleased to see this portion proceed. “This is a tremendously positive move for all of Renfrew County,” he declared.

The existing traffic lights at the White Lake Road and Baskin Drive along the highway have become a bottleneck for traffic headed into or out of the county. On long weekends, traffic has been at a virtual standstill as far back as Glasgow Station, or well onto the fourlane sections in recent years.

While Yakabuski warned there will be some disruptions in traffic and slowdowns during the construction phase, the end result will be well worth the trouble. He believes the bypass expressway will bring economic benefits to the whole county and thinks it is one of the major obstacles overcome in bringing the expressway all the way to Renfrew in the coming years.

Arnprior Mayor Terry Gibeau welcomed the news during last Monday’s Arnprior council meeting.
peter.dewolf@metroland.com

http://www.runge.net/TempDownload/DownloadFiles/1208890871/rw-080418.pdf

[Rathgrith]

^ Finally. Now I longer need to worry about dying in a head on crash as I drive to Renfrew.

[waterloowarrior]

Cambrian and Greenbank - New Roundabout (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/cambrian/index_en.html)

Nicolas and Waller (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/nicholas/index_en.html)
Nicholas Street from Waller Street Ramp to Daly Avenue
Convert three southbound lanes with a parking lane on the east side to two southbound lanes, one northbound lane with a parking lane on the east side
Construct a transit lay-by at the northeast quadrant of Waller Street Ramp and Nicholas Street

[waterloowarrior]

fyi the city has had a minor update of its public consultation page... much more readable for transportation projects

[harls]

Saw the signs up on Bank street today for the pending road closure (May 22) between Laurier and Somerset.

Bank Street's going to look great once all this streetscaping is finished.

[O-Town Hockey]

:previous:

That is the best news I've heard all day! I may not be moving into my new condo for a little bit (about a year to be exact), but the neighbourhood is gonna be looking great for my arrival. :cheers: A few of the businesses in the recently redone portion of Bank have since (or during) spruced up their storefronts and hopefully this will continue South of Laurier as well. Great news for Centretown!

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

:previous:

That is the best news I've heard all day! I may not be moving into my new condo for a little bit (about a year to be exact), but the neighbourhood is gonna be looking great for my arrival. :cheers: A few of the businesses in the recently redone portion of Bank have since (or during) spruced up their storefronts and hopefully this will continue South of Laurier as well. Great news for Centretown!


Man, and I just moved out to West Wellington Village!! :(

:haha:

Bank and Somerset is gonna look pretty cool in a year. Too bad I'll be far away in North Bay... :(

[waterloowarrior]

http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/291686871964675.php
Decades-old Alta Vista Parkway project still on the table
By Roman Zakaluzny (roman.zakaluzny@transcontinental.ca), Ottawa Business Journal Staff
Wed, May 14, 2008 4:00 PM EST

With last week's closure of Rideau Street after a century-old water main burst, Ottawa residents and business owners were reminded of the fragile state of downtown traffic patterns.

And transportation was on the minds of members of the city's business advisory committee last week, as committee member Bev Millar asked about the status of the proposed Alta Vista Parkway (also known as the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor).

She wondered aloud if the decades-old (in one form or another) proposal was still on the table.

Vivi Chi, a manager in the transportation and infrastructure planning division at city hall, said it was. An environmental assessment for the parkway was completed in 2005, but an appeal sent it back to the provincial Ministry of the Environment.

Meant as a route to address traffic from the city's south to the core, the new highway would start at Walkley and Conroy roads, running north through existing green space in the Alta Vista neighbourhood.

At the Ottawa Hospital, plans have the parkway veering west, across the Rideau River, ending up at Highway 417 near the Nicholas Street exit.

A letter from the ministry came back to the city in January approving the plan, Ms. Chi told the advisory committee.

Steven Stoddard, an engineer and senior project manager at the city, said only a few small changes were suggested by ministry.

"On design, it's going ahead," he said, adding that councillors set aside funds during this year's capital budget process to help pay for a design study on a connection between Riverside Drive and the Ottawa Hospital.

The "hospital link" project is expected to start in 2010, subject to future budget approvals, and will cost some $65 million.

The committee, a 14-member volunteer group established three years ago, also updated themselves on the city's downtown rapid transit plan, its implications, and its omissions.

Ms. Millar said the rapid transit plan addressed problems in the city's downtown core, perhaps to the detriment of Ottawa's rural areas. While members learned why staff determined that a downtown tunnel and a light-rail train system within the Greenbelt is the best solution to Ottawa's traffic woes, some members were more interested in solutions to traffic snarls along Rideau and King Edward streets as well as the seemingly forgotten Alta Vista project.

Ms. Chi explained the city's rationale in pushing for the fourth of four transit options staff initially presented to councillors, after 2006's plan for a north-south LRT was cancelled.

An improved rapid rail transit network would also increase Ottawa's ability to "retain talent," a key concern of many area businesses, particularly the high-tech industry.

That fourth option includes a downtown tunnel and a light-rail train system eventually stretching north-to-south and east-to-west within Ottawa's Greenbelt.

It, she said, had the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of the four, the highest predicted ridership (the city hopes to have more than 30 per cent of commuters taking public transit), as well as the lowest operating costs.

In the end, the committee voted to endorse the fourth rapid transit alternative as the best option.

---

BE ADVISED

Next steps for Ottawa's transportation master plan:

Public consultations wrapped up May 7

Decision by May 28

May to October: Phasing plan, secondary corridors, costs and roads

September to October: Public consultation

November: Tabling of draft master plan

March 2009: Approval of final transportation master plan

To see the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor exhibit list from the City of Ottawa, visit: http://www.ottawa.ca/public_consult/alta_vista/stage_6/exhibit_en.shtml (http://www.ottawa.ca/public_consult/alta_vista/stage_6/exhibit_en.shtml.) (http://www.ottawa.ca/public_consult/alta_vista/stage_6/exhibit_en.shtml.)

[Cre47]

http://www.ottawabusinessjournal.com/291686871964675.php
(http://www.ottawa.ca/public_consult/alta_vista/stage_6/exhibit_en.shtml.)

Quite frankly I would prefer to see two more transit corridors in that segment, no need for another artery there that may help traffic problems in the south but it will further deteriorate the problem downtown. Thumbs down for the Parkway, let's built a new transitway there so to connect with Cumberland Transitway and another link towards Conroy.

[waterloowarrior]

(http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=2d32c6b4-e472-4505-95dd-3505dedb4f4e)Stop the madness of building roads (http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=2d32c6b4-e472-4505-95dd-3505dedb4f4e)
Ken GrayThe Ottawa Citizen
Friday, May 16, 2008

Don't build another road. Don't build one, not one.

You see, we have enough roads. Most times of the day cars can travel around town easily. Trucks can make deliveries. Businesspeople can roam in search of sales.

No, the congestion problem exists for only a couple of hours every day during the morning and evening commutes. At those two times, you could widen the Queensway from Kanata to downtown or the Split to 25 lanes and it wouldn't be able to handle the volume. And if those roads did happen to flow smoothly, an unlikely prospect, freeways just channel thousands of cars into a downtown grid network, designed in the 19th century, running at more than capacity. Freeways just don't work. Long commutes by car are a time-consuming, frustrating, inefficient, hopeless exercise. Don't people have better things to do?

So, you say, if the municipal government doesn't build roads or widen them, how will people get to work? I have confidence that Ottawa residents will find a way to get to the place where they support themselves, that allows them to buy their food and raise their children. Ottawans will get smarter because they won't have a choice.

For example, selecting a location for a home won't simply be an exercise in getting a good price. People will consider if their dwelling lets them get to work quickly and efficiently. Ottawans will look for homes with uncrowded routes to their jobs or perhaps live close enough to walk or bike. Maybe they'll locate near a rapid-transit line. Right now, Ottawa has thousands of commuters driving to urban jobs from the rural city, perhaps even farther.

They will rethink that if the Queensway or other major routes are even more stuffed with cars at rush hour than they are now.

Furthermore, we quite likely don't need to build more roads, even under the rather lax standard of need Ottawa employs now. For one wonders how long streets will continue to be crowded. This summer CIBC World Markets expects gas to hit $1.50 a litre. CIBC is predicting $2.25 a litre by 2012. Montreal has already seen more than $1.30. That means a fill will soon cost about $112 for a 50-litre tank -- the size of the one in a Toyota Corolla.

That gets your attention. No word yet on how much it will take to top up the SUV but CIBC might extend you a loan to cover the charge.

So don't build any more roads.

Because roads contribute to urban sprawl. You can't have subdivisions in far off places without new or widened roads. And roads, expensive as a capital cost, get even pricier when you must repair them, plow them and rebuild them. For roads are just temporary in this freeze-thaw-fry climate.

And underneath those roads are city pipes that contribute to raising your taxes. Don't build the road or the subdivision in the boonies and there's no need to extend the pipes. Or the bus routes. Or the electricity wires above those roads. Want to slow the increase of your property taxes? Don't build any roads.

If you don't widen the roads, fewer people will move to the outskirts, living in tract housing on valuable farmland -- farmland that is becoming more and more precious as food prices increase. Want to save the rural way of life?

Don't build any roads. Not a one.

It's amusing to hear rugged individualists talk about public transit being government subsidized and expensive. Property taxpayers have been subsidizing drivers for more than a century now -- fixing their roads, building freeways, paving pastures and fields so they can enjoy the freedom of the Sunday drive. Jack Kerouac's character, the icon of the open highway, the personified free spirit of the Beat Generation, was really on a government-sponsored vacation in On The Road, save the sex and drugs.

Then, of course, there is the cost to the environment. Ottawa's particulate and ozone levels are similar to the Toronto area despite the fact this Eastern Ontario city is without heavy industry and has considerably fewer people. Our pollution is directly related to car use.

Perhaps Ottawa has begun to realize the folly of roads. City staff and politicians such as Alta Vista Councillor Peter Hume stood up to the federal and provincial governments as they tried to extend the freeway section of Highway 174 to Rockland. The city didn't want to broaden its urban footprint out into the countryside. All Highway 174 would have done is encourage people to move out along its route in search of cheap housing.

But those new cars would have just piled up at the Split, only just a bit farther along. About four decades late, Ottawa has learned the lesson of the great Toronto Spadina Expressway debate.

We must lose our expensive preoccupation with roads. They are environmentally dirty, obsolete, inefficient, they eat up farmland, they're slow, raise your taxes, and they're pricey to build, plow and repair.
Planners should need a very good reason to pave. Better still, don't build another road. Don't build one, not one.

Ken Gray is the city editorial page editor and a Citizen editorial board member. His column runs on Fridays.
E-mail: kgray@thecitizen.canwest.com

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008


right on... the list on the first page of this thread has billions worth in spending that could be spent on more public transit (which would free up road capacity anyways). We need to stop this view that the automobile must be accommodated at all costs... the UK realized this 20 years ago and we still have to in many ways.

[Cre47]

Right on, The 417 widening was a mistake at the start although I would hope that before the Kanata Transitway will be built before will be for transit only and keep the shoulder lane strictly for stalled vehicules. The 3rd lane should be for carpooling lane only. When the buses will run separately, then we can widen the shoulder lane or for transport-trucks only but not for regular traffic.

We can argue about Hwy 7, but maybe dividers would have done the trick ditto for RR 174 and any further twinning of the 17. People just need to be patient behind the precedent motorist. Besides it will save them gas.

[harls]

Saw the signs up on Bank street today for the pending road closure (May 22) between Laurier and Somerset.

Bank Street's going to look great once all this streetscaping is finished.

Well, I have to correct myself. I was on Bank street yesterday and it was still open past Laurier. The signs that I saw indicating the street closures were mysteriously gone, too. There's still those "new" signs on the traffic light poles, with garbage bags covering the 'do not turn this way' ones... so maybe things are just delayed? :shrug:

[O-Town Hockey]

An interesting page on the city's website outlining all of the major road and infrastructure projects for this summer and how much they are estimated to cost.

http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/major_projects/infrastructure/index_en.html

I was down on Bank Street today and I noticed a fenced-in area with construction pilons and signs as well as a big pile of gravel at Bank and Cooper streets. I wonder if this is for the work slated to start at Bank and Somerset any day now?

Phase 3 – Reconstruction St. Patrick Street to Rideau Street

Phase 3 involves the reconstruction of King Edward Avenue from St. Patrick Street to Rideau Street, including:

Installation of a new watermain.
Sewer replacement.
Burial of overhead utilities from Boteler to Rideau Street.
Completion of roadway reconstruction.


Well, if phase 3 is about to start, I don't know what happened with the first two phases. I know it caused a ton of traffic jams and the lane alignment is slightly different, but King Edward still looks like crap. It seems to me that they're still working on the completion of phases 1 and 2.

[waterloowarrior]

417 - Eagleson to Highway 7 detailed design PIC
Public Involvement Centre (http://highway417expansion.com/eng/public.shtml)
A Public Involvement Centre is scheduled for June 10, 2008 to provide members of the public with an opportunity to review project documentation, provide input, and discuss the project with members of the project team. A PIC notice containing the location, time and date of the PIC has been published in local newspapers and posted on this web site. Following the PIC, display material will also be posted on this web site.
Notice of Public Involvement Centre (http://highway417expansion.com/eng/pdf/Notice%20of%20PIC.pdf)

[O-Town Hockey]

I guess even with the slight delay in the work at Bank and Somerset, they still claim to be on schedule. We'll see if they actually get everything done before snowfall.

Reconstruction of Bank Street, between Laurier Avenue and Somerset Street, started on the night of May 26. The first week included night-time work only to install new valves and isolate the existing watermains in the intersection of Somerset and Bank Street.

Daytime work started May 31 with the closure of the Somerset Street intersection. The underground work in the intersection is estimated to take approximately 9 calendar days. The Somerset Street intersection should be reopened to traffic by June 9. Once the intersection is reopened to traffic Bank Street, from the north side of Somerset Street to the south side of Laurier Street will be closed to vehicular traffic. Work will then proceed northward from Somerset Street on the underground works within the roadway. Fencing/Barriers will be installed along the curb line to separate the pedestrians from the work zone within the roadway.

Work is proceeding well to date and we are still expecting to have construction completed by mid November 2008.

[waterloowarrior]

Battle to widen Prince of Wales heats up
Councillors set for a showdown as city considers expanding road to serve Barrhaven, Riverside South
Patrick DareOttawa Citizen
Thursday, June 05, 2008

OTTAWA -- It seems an unlikely public project for Ottawa at a time of hyper-concern about traffic congestion, air quality, urban sprawl and the unaffordable car commute.

The City of Ottawa is planning a big road project: widening Prince of Wales Drive for the 10.3-kilometre span between Woodroffe Avenue and Fisher Avenue.

It's a project that would cost big money. The city has already earmarked $15 million just for the property acquisition and design for the project. A smaller project, to widen Limebank Road, cost $44 million.

The two-year, $700,000 environmental assessment for the Prince of Wales project is under way and the road, if approved by council, could be built by 2013.


Councillors representing the city's growing southern communities of Barrhaven and Riverside South say the bigger road is urgently needed. Prince of Wales is backed up for as far as the eye can see during commuting hours.

"It's reached a breaking point. The lineup of cars is getting longer and longer," Steve Desroches, councillor for Gloucester-South Nepean, said Thursday.

"It's long overdue. We have to serve the growth. We need to build the roads."

Mr. Desroches said the Barr-haven area, with a population of about 70,000, is undergoing "explosive growth" and could reach 104,000 by 2031.

Mr. Desroches said the bigger road is needed to get RCMP employees to their new headquarters at Merivale Road and Prince of Wales. And he argues there will be more employment in the airport and South Merivale Business Park areas, for which the road will be useful.

Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder, who lives near Prince of Wales and uses the road to get downtown, says that even with council's push to build transit rather than new roads, most residents drive and these projects are necessary.

"We're in the customer-service business. We'll always be in the road-building business," she said, acknowledging that the Prince of Wales project "will be a mega-million-dollar project."

But there will be opposition.

David Jeanes, of Transport 2000, said he is disappointed that the city seems so intent on building more roads for cars when there may be rail and other public transit solutions to get more people around. He said there's no point in getting more cars up to intersections such as Prince of Wales and Hog's Back, where there is "no capacity" for more vehicles.

"Widening Prince of Wales doesn't seem to make sense," said Mr. Jeanes.


"Unfortunately, the city's policies are: Build what we can, rather than build what we need. They're all short-term decisions. I'm very frustrated."

There will be a fight to get council approval. Council has recently taken a slight turn towards public transit and away from more big roads to suburbia.


The city declined an offer of $80 million from the Ontario and federal governments to build a freeway from Rockland to Orléans, on the grounds that it was too costly and would just fuel more sprawl and road congestion.

Councillors for the city's central wards will have a difficult time supporting a road project that makes it easier for commuters from rural communities, Barrhaven and Riverside South to drive downtown, when downtown is already jammed with cars.

Capital Ward Councillor Clive Doucet says it is nonsensical to widen the road, thus inviting more drivers to use it, only to have it narrow near the downtown, causing great frustration for those drivers.

Some traffic from a widened Prince of Wales could turn east and west on Hunt Club Road, but that road - hugely controversial before it was built - is at its capacity during rush hours. So the next step would be to widen Hunt Club from four to six lanes, another massive and costly project.

Knoxdale-Merivale Councillor Gord Hunter, who has supported many of Ottawa's large road projects in his career, says expanding existing roads in built-up neighbourhoods doesn't always make sense because of the huge costs and major disruptions.

During an open house Thursday night on the Prince of Wales plan, Mr. Hunter said he hasn't made up his mind on the project. He said there's no question of the growing number of residents in Barrhaven, but he said there's little point in such a major construction project if it's just moving the traffic jam a kilometre or two.

Marc Lussier, who lives near Prince of Wales and also attended the open house, said he is concerned about the potential noise and volume of traffic if the road is widened. He said the city should be putting its efforts into more transit to move people along the north-south corridor of the city, rather than taking on such a large road expansion.

"I'm not sure it's money well spent," said Mr. Lussier.

Mr. Doucet said he is confident this project will die in the study stage. "It's a step absolutely in the wrong direction. It's so crazy that it will never happen," said Mr. Doucet. "People are going to wake up."

© Ottawa Citizen 2008

[lrt's friend]

Battle to widen Prince of Wales heats up
Councillors set for a showdown as city considers expanding road to serve Barrhaven, Riverside South
Patrick DareOttawa Citizen
Thursday, June 05, 2008

OTTAWA -- It seems an unlikely public project for Ottawa at a time of hyper-concern about traffic congestion, air quality, urban sprawl and the unaffordable car commute.

The City of Ottawa is planning a big road project: widening Prince of Wales Drive for the 10.3-kilometre span between Woodroffe Avenue and Fisher Avenue.

It's a project that would cost big money. The city has already earmarked $15 million just for the property acquisition and design for the project. A smaller project, to widen Limebank Road, cost $44 million.

The two-year, $700,000 environmental assessment for the Prince of Wales project is under way and the road, if approved by council, could be built by 2013.


Councillors representing the city's growing southern communities of Barrhaven and Riverside South say the bigger road is urgently needed. Prince of Wales is backed up for as far as the eye can see during commuting hours.

"It's reached a breaking point. The lineup of cars is getting longer and longer," Steve Desroches, councillor for Gloucester-South Nepean, said Thursday.

"It's long overdue. We have to serve the growth. We need to build the roads."

Mr. Desroches said the Barr-haven area, with a population of about 70,000, is undergoing "explosive growth" and could reach 104,000 by 2031.

Mr. Desroches said the bigger road is needed to get RCMP employees to their new headquarters at Merivale Road and Prince of Wales. And he argues there will be more employment in the airport and South Merivale Business Park areas, for which the road will be useful.

Barrhaven Councillor Jan Harder, who lives near Prince of Wales and uses the road to get downtown, says that even with council's push to build transit rather than new roads, most residents drive and these projects are necessary.

"We're in the customer-service business. We'll always be in the road-building business," she said, acknowledging that the Prince of Wales project "will be a mega-million-dollar project."

But there will be opposition.

David Jeanes, of Transport 2000, said he is disappointed that the city seems so intent on building more roads for cars when there may be rail and other public transit solutions to get more people around. He said there's no point in getting more cars up to intersections such as Prince of Wales and Hog's Back, where there is "no capacity" for more vehicles.

"Widening Prince of Wales doesn't seem to make sense," said Mr. Jeanes.


"Unfortunately, the city's policies are: Build what we can, rather than build what we need. They're all short-term decisions. I'm very frustrated."

There will be a fight to get council approval. Council has recently taken a slight turn towards public transit and away from more big roads to suburbia.


The city declined an offer of $80 million from the Ontario and federal governments to build a freeway from Rockland to Orléans, on the grounds that it was too costly and would just fuel more sprawl and road congestion.

Councillors for the city's central wards will have a difficult time supporting a road project that makes it easier for commuters from rural communities, Barrhaven and Riverside South to drive downtown, when downtown is already jammed with cars.

Capital Ward Councillor Clive Doucet says it is nonsensical to widen the road, thus inviting more drivers to use it, only to have it narrow near the downtown, causing great frustration for those drivers.

Some traffic from a widened Prince of Wales could turn east and west on Hunt Club Road, but that road - hugely controversial before it was built - is at its capacity during rush hours. So the next step would be to widen Hunt Club from four to six lanes, another massive and costly project.

Knoxdale-Merivale Councillor Gord Hunter, who has supported many of Ottawa's large road projects in his career, says expanding existing roads in built-up neighbourhoods doesn't always make sense because of the huge costs and major disruptions.

During an open house Thursday night on the Prince of Wales plan, Mr. Hunter said he hasn't made up his mind on the project. He said there's no question of the growing number of residents in Barrhaven, but he said there's little point in such a major construction project if it's just moving the traffic jam a kilometre or two.

Marc Lussier, who lives near Prince of Wales and also attended the open house, said he is concerned about the potential noise and volume of traffic if the road is widened. He said the city should be putting its efforts into more transit to move people along the north-south corridor of the city, rather than taking on such a large road expansion.

"I'm not sure it's money well spent," said Mr. Lussier.

Mr. Doucet said he is confident this project will die in the study stage. "It's a step absolutely in the wrong direction. It's so crazy that it will never happen," said Mr. Doucet. "People are going to wake up."

© Ottawa Citizen 2008

And as everybody has pointed out, North-South transit is a low priority, as we are about to embark on the some of the largest road expansions in years. Limebank, Prince of Wales, Hunt Club. And are we going to twin the Hunt Club Road Bridge in order to accomodate 6 lanes of traffic feeding into it? It is only a matter of time before pressure will be building up to construct the Strandherd Bridge without a transit right of way and widen all the roads leading to it, plus Bank Street south, the Airport Parkway and the Alta Vista Parkway. How many hundreds of millions will this all cost? Some of this is yet another cost of not building rapid transit as originally planned and scheduled.

I shake my head as we foolishly accomodate cars at infinitum while playing lip service to transit expansion and delay all transit improvements for years in order to build the downtown transit megaproject first.

Doesn't everybody know that all this road expansion makes rapid transit less viable, if it ever does get built.

[harls]

Bank Street is now closed between Laurier and Somerset.. gates are up and they're ripping things up between Somerset and Lisgar right now.

[Rathgrith]

Bank Street is now closed between Laurier and Somerset.. gates are up and they're ripping things up between Somerset and Lisgar right now.

Only Laurier? I thought they were going to the Queensway this summer.

Can anyone take pictures? I`m not in ottawa right now to view it.

[harls]

It's done from Wellington to Laurier already, and now they're doing Laurier to Somerset. I saw a sign that said it's costing $7 million to fix up this stretch and it should be complete by November. They'll probably do the next segment in 2009 - closing too much of Bank at once would likely have the storeowners up in arms, not to mention that Somerset/Bank block was already closed for months last year due to that building collapse..

I'll take pictures eventually, It's what I do.

[harls]

I was in Kanata last week and had a good look at the widening of the 417.. I see that they're putting those huge light standards in the median from Eagleson to the 416. I guess it's safer... they did the same thing a couple of years ago between Blainville and St-Jérôme on highway 15 north of Montreal... makes a huge difference with regards to visiblity, especially in heavy rain or snow.

[waterloowarrior]

417 - Eagleson to Highway 7 detailed design PIC
Public Involvement Centre (http://highway417expansion.com/eng/public.shtml)
A Public Involvement Centre is scheduled for June 10, 2008 to provide members of the public with an opportunity to review project documentation, provide input, and discuss the project with members of the project team. A PIC notice containing the location, time and date of the PIC has been published in local newspapers and posted on this web site. Following the PIC, display material will also be posted on this web site. Notice of Public Involvement Centre (http://highway417expansion.com/eng/pdf/Notice%20of%20PIC.pdf)

the plans are now available online
http://highway417expansion.com/eng/presentations.shtml

[c_speed3108]

Bank-Laurier intersection to close Saturday
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, July 11, 2008

OTTAWA - The city is closing the intersection of Bank Street and Laurier Avenue for more than two weeks starting this Saturday, July 12, at 7 a.m. The intersection is to re-open the evening of Wednesday, July 30.

"The closure is due to the on-going rehabilitation of Bank Street," according to a written statement. The downtown artery is being dug up and its pipes and other services repaired and replaced over several years, with the work moving from the north end at Wellington Street toward an end-point at the Rideau Canal in stages..

[waterloowarrior]

Jockvale Road Open House #3 (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/board3_en.html)

Recommended Plan

http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/board3_en-6.jpg (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/poh3_recommended_plan_en.jpg)
Click image (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/poh3_recommended_plan_en.jpg) to enlarge.
[/URL]
Staging of Recommended Plan

[URL="http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/jockvale_staging.jpg"]http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/board3_en-7.jpg (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/board3_en.html#top)
Click image (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/jockriver_princewales/jockvale_staging.jpg) to enlarge.

Limebank Road Widening (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/limebank/index_en.html) changes
The City of Ottawa has prepared an EA Addendum for a portion of the above study addressing changes to the recommended design for Limebank Road between Balmoral Drive and Leitrim Road. This undertaking included a review and update of the design alternatives development and evaluation process conducted during the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment process for both the widening of Limebank Road from Balmoral Drive to Leitrim Road (including roadway cross-section and horizontal alignment alternatives) as well as for the alignment of the Limebank Road / Leitrim Road intersection. Design changes to the original ESR recommendations include:
A rural roadway cross-section on both the east and west sides of Limebank Road between Balmoral Drive and Leitrim Road.
Minor (approx. 5 m) shift to the roadway horizontal alignment to the west.
Inclusion of a multi-use pathway along the west side of the corridor within National Capital Commission (Greenbelt) land outside the road right-of-way.http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/limebank/index_en-1.jpg

[waterloowarrior]

Road Infrastructure 'Need' 2031
(http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/beyond_2020/tmp/transit/phase3/road_needs_2031_en.html)


http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/beyond_2020/tmp/transit/phase3/road_needs_2031_en-1.jpg (http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/beyond_2020/tmp/transit/phase3/road_needs_2031.pdf)

click map to enlarge

Projected Road/Bridge Costs (2008) Dollars
Phase 1 (2009-2015): $ 680 million
Phase 2 (2016-2022): $ 535 million
Phase 3 (2023-2031): $ 785 million
Total $ 2000 million

Note that this doesn't include MTO projects like 417 East and 417 West widenings....

Recommendations on Key Road Infrastructure Projects

King Edward Avenue
Based solely on traffic analysis and even with the construction of a new Interprovincial crossing in the east, a 6-lane King Edward continues to be required to satisfy existing and future travel demand. This recommendation is subject to further review through the King Edward Avenue Lane Reduction Impact Study that will consider the impact of traffic on surrounding communities
Ottawa Road 174
Widening east of Trim Road is not Recommended

Alta Vista Transportation Corridor
Recommended to be a 4-lane roadway (including 2 high occupancy vehicle/transit lanes) from Nicholas Street to Walkley Road.

Carling Avenue
Widening from Moodie to March Road is not recommended.

Airport Parkway
Recommended to be a 4-lane roadway from Macdonald-Cartier International Airport to Brookfield Road

[harls]

A shot of the mess that is Bank Street - taken by me yesterday..

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2845527221_5121845a3e_b.jpg

[bradnixon]

A shot of the mess that is Bank Street - taken by me yesterday..


I like the upside-down traffic light, with the green at the top.

[jeremy_haak]

With regard to some of the discussion about Riverside, I think the changes the MTO will be making will alleviate the problem somewhat by no longer requiring to lane changes for Nicholas traffic which wishes to continue past Riverside.

The plates:
http://www.417ea-tesr.com/tesr.html

[waterloowarrior]

Airport Parkway widening project is back

Patrick Dare
Ottawa Citizen

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

OTTAWA=A controversial project to twin Ottawa's Airport Parkway, which pitted downtown against suburban residents several years ago is back on the city's agenda.

While officials unveiled the various options for the $4.7-billion public transit plan two weeks ago, they also quietly released the latest plan for $2 billion in major road projects, meant to carry the city to 2031. What the public didn't know was that part of the plan to widen the Airport Parkway, a crucial north-south corridor linking communities south of the airport to Bronson Avenue, is being speeded up.

Instead of being built sometime between 2014 and 2021, the road is scheduled to be widened to four lanes between Brookfield Road and Hunt Club Road in the next few years. The rest of the road, from Hunt Club to the airport, would be widened between 2015 and 2022.

The news has surprised even Councillor Maria McRae, chairwoman of council's transportation committee, who says such a large road project has major implications and needs to be fully debated in public before being approved.

Vivi Chi, the city's manager of transportation and infrastructure planning, says the twinning of the parkway needs to be done to handle the growth of southern neighbourhoods.

She says that while most transportation efforts are being invested in public transit, 70 per cent of trips will still be by private vehicle even after the new transit system is complete, so the road network must be built.

"We get a lot of complaints that there's a lot of congestion," said Ms. Chi. The Airport Parkway project would require an environmental assessment, so it's not likely to start next year.

The ballpark cost for widening the road is $22 million for the section between Brookfield and Hunt Club, then an additional $12 million for the section extending to the airport.

The Airport Parkway project comes as an unpleasant shock to Capital Councillor Clive Doucet, who battled the idea several years ago and thought it was on the shelf.

He and other downtown residents fought the project because so much of the additional car traffic will end up downtown.

"I thought that was off the table for the next 10 to 15 years," said Mr. Doucet.

Mr. Doucet said widening the Airport Parkway is especially unwise because the city has just finished spending $13 million on stormwater ponds, greenspace and pathways in the Sawmill Creek area next to the parkway.

Ms. McRae said she won't make up her mind on whether to support the road project until she has heard from her River Ward residents, many of whom live near the parkway and use the road.

But Ms. McRae said she has a lot of questions for the city's transportation staff about why such a project makes sense. She said doubling the size of the road will dump a lot of additional car traffic into the north end of the city and the whole debate is bound to pit neighbourhood against neighbourhood. She said a bigger road will make it even harder for pedestrians to get across the road to the South Keys shopping centre and transit station. She said noise and speeding are already big problems for residents along the road with just two lanes.

"You're automatically dumping traffic on the north part of the city in the downtown core, with no tunnel, no mechanism to deal with it," said Ms. McRae. "Why would we expand the Airport Parkway if we're not going to have proper transit in that area? I just don't believe that's appropriate. You're giving people no viable alternative to the car." She said that if the city has a chance to expand transit service in the south, that should come ahead of road projects.

The Airport Parkway is part of $680 million worth of road projects in the city's master transportation plan that are to be built between now and 2015. Other projects in the next few years include widening Mer Bleue Road to four lanes, widening Ottawa Road 174 to six lanes, widening Tenth Line Road and Trim Road to four lanes, widening Hazeldean Road to four lanes, widening Carp Road to four lanes, and doing the same with Eagleson Road. Another big project in the next few years is the widening of Riverside Drive to four lanes between Hunt Club Road and Limebank Road. There are also widenings and new roads in Barrhaven.

In total, the city will spend $2 billion on new and widened roads by 2031.

One of the more controversial of the road projects is to widen Prince of Wales Drive between Fisher Avenue and Woodroffe Avenue, a huge project over 10.3 kilometres that is scheduled for sometime between 2016 and 2022.

Ms. McRae said the neighbourhoods are already jammed with traffic that's headed downtown and it would be unwise to build more road capacity along Prince of Wales as a gateway for motorists from Barrhaven and Riverside South.

"I'm not naive enough to believe we're never going to expand another road but I don't think that should be our priority," said Ms. McRae. "You're dealing with record gas prices, a population that is talking about environmental issues being important to them and a generation coming behind us who are going to insist on not doing things like this."

© Ottawa Citizen 2008

[lrt's friend]

We cancel N-S LRT so road widening will have to be moved forward. This is all quite predictable, just like the Alta Vista Parkway returns to our TMP, with at best, some minor transit priority.

[harls]

Last night I caught a blurb on CBC regarding the widening of the 417 from Kanata to Ottawa..there was a transportation engineer trumpeting how great it will be to have 8 lanes instead of 4, how much quicker you'll be able to get downtown, the $75,000 a piece lighting structures increasing safety... etc. Seems like a whole different world compared to the light rail discussions going on.

[lrt's friend]

Last night I caught a blurb on CBC regarding the widening of the 417 from Kanata to Ottawa..there was a transportation engineer trumpeting how great it will be to have 8 lanes instead of 4, how much quicker you'll be able to get downtown, the $75,000 a piece lighting structures increasing safety... etc. Seems like a whole different world compared to the light rail discussions going on.

Hmmm, but we are not widening the highway all the way into downtown. Something tells me that we are just going to move the congestion eastward, where we cannot widen the Queensway any further.

[Aylmer]

I bet that by time the Queensway widening is completed, gas will be at 2$litre.

Life is full of idiots.

:)