Cycling in Ottawa

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

It is sad that some people think that the privilege of car storage (parking) for a few is more important than the potential of encouraging more people to use their bikes through safer cycling facilities.

The statement that "pedestrians are shoppers, cyclists aren't" is pretty downright ignorant. Cyclists turn into pedestrians a lot quicker than drivers can. As with the Copenhagen experience, cyclists actually tend to linger longer in public spaces than people who arrive by car because they are not keeping track of a parking meter.

Having said all that, I don't think Somerset is such a great street to put segregated bike lanes anyway. It really shows how staff in city hall have no clue how to make the concept work. We don't need a "Transitway for bikes" as a cycle-through route for commuters. What we need is a way to access the main destinations downtown (Sparks Street, Parliament Hill, ByWard Market, etc) and interconnect them with the recreational pathways and established on-street bike lanes already leading into the core. It should be first and foremost an easy way to get around downtown that is safe enough for the youngest and oldest cyclist.

My suggestion: remove on-street parking on the north Side of Queen street and put two-way segregated bike lanes along with widened sidewalks to integrate it with Sparks street, making it an adjunct of the pedestrian mall, encouraging sidewalk cafes and retail. On the Bronson end, do a narrow rock cut with a ramp/stairway on the escarpment to Pooley's Bridge connecting with Lebreton Flats, the Ottawa River pathway, as well as the pathways along Scott street and the Aqueduct. On the eastern Elgin end, put a bike signal across to the NAC and connect with the Canal Pathway. Bike lanes could also be carved out along the Plaza bridge in front of old Union Station to Sussex (where they should put bike lanes along its west side) and connect with the other side of the Canal Pathway. Bike lanes on Daly could continue eastward, bypassing busy Rideau street with alternate connections to the Market. What would be really nice is a new ped/bike bridge between Queen and Daly — it could even be a novel footbridge like this or this or something that completely retracts unobtrusively into the slope of the canal side.

I like your ideas Kitchissippi... here's a sort of similar plan... red is new two way lanes, blue existing, yellow is shared use... it would rely on Sussex being done up as a two-way bikeway on the west side of the road (areas provided at intersections for bikes to turn into the market), the new NCC plaza at Rideau Sussex, the Queen bikeway and bike signal you mentioned, and turning a lane of Elgin/Wellington to bikes.... next step after that would be something on Wellington, but that might have to wait until STO buses are gone (?), although there is plenty of space along the sidewalk west of Parliament

[Kitchissippi]

Yes, add a two-way bikeway on Daly all the way to the Rideau River (plus the possibility of the ped/bike bridge across the canal) and that's what I mean.

On the west end of Queen it would look like this:

[Brainbug]

Cool ideas, but I don't understand why bike lanes are that much of a hot topic downtown. It would make it easier to cross the core, but if they are laid out like the current bike lanes (magically ending), I'll just stick to the roads.

I bike through downtown daily and have no problems keeping up with vehicle traffic staying in the centre of the lane. (Bike lanes would be faster, since I would be able to bypass all the cars. Right now it is suicidal to try to split the lanes with the busses on the right)

It is personal opinion, but I don't feel that biking downtown is a leisure activity or for someone who is uncomfortable being on a bike surrounded by vehicles. The city is already very well laid out from East and West in order to bike to a major area and walk the remainder.

From the East there is a bike lane across the Rideau river along Montreal/Rideau, then cross Charlotte to Besserer to the Rideau Centre.
From the West there is a bike lane along the parkway to the Supreme Court/Bank St.

I'm not going to complain if they decide to add the bike lanes, but the city is already very accomodating.

If they'd get rid of the arrogant bikers, I'd actually be much happier. (Angry when you pass them, come to a stop at a red light in front of them, take up the whole vehicle lane in an otherwise open road...)

[Kitchissippi]

I think a Queen Street Bikeway would actually position Sparks Street Mall as a bikeable destination and possibly liven it up if the businesses cater to the niche. It would end up being quite the hub on Sunday Bike Days and increase the "critical mass" of the pedestrian mall. It would also be an excellent base to set up a bike sharing system with a station at the end of each block:

[Kitchissippi]

A bit OT but connected, one thing that would really make this popular is to turn Sparks Street in to a weekend market venue, much like the Portland Saturday Market (it's on for saturdays and sundays despite the name). I have been to it and it is like having something like Westfest every weekend.

[Dado]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

It is sad that some people think that the privilege of car storage (parking) for a few is more important than the potential of encouraging more people to use their bikes through safer cycling facilities.

The statement that "pedestrians are shoppers, cyclists aren't" is pretty downright ignorant. Cyclists turn into pedestrians a lot quicker than drivers can. As with the Copenhagen experience, cyclists actually tend to linger longer in public spaces than people who arrive by car because they are not keeping track of a parking meter.

Speaking of both Copenhagen and cyclists turning into pedestrians/shoppers, it's the perfect opportunity to cue my favourite pic from Copenhagen Cycle Chic, of an 'Elegant Dismount':


http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2...pril-2010.html
also:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16nine/4485192736/

The caption reads: "Copenhagener in the middle of a frightfully elegant and graceful dismount, bathed in the spring sunshine. Keeping a keen eye on the shop window that attracted her attention."

So take that, Mr. Somerset Village BIA chairman. I don't imagine we'll see anything like this in Ottawa any time soon, though. Unfortunately.

[ikerrin]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Parking trumps cycling lane, BIAs say
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/...138/story.html
Groups say businesses, pedestrians at risk if pilot goes ahead on Somerset, Bank

BY KATE JAIMET, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN JUNE 14, 2010 11:02 PM



The letter, which will be sent today, said a segregated bike lane on Somerset would put the survival of small businesses at risk because of the loss of parking spaces and loading zones on what is already a narrow and crowded street.

“Somerset Street is a busy commercial street filled with many small businesses. Parking is a scarcity as much as a necessity for our merchants and their customers,” the letter states. “Adding a bicycle lane on such a street will only result in increasing conflict among and danger to all road users, not just cyclists.”


.....


Lori Mellor, executive director of the Preston Street BIA, said in an interview that cyclists should be patient and wait until the planned rapid transit tunnel is built through downtown in 2018, which will take bus traffic off Albert Street and free up space for a bike lane. A route on Albert Street is also supported by the Somerset Street Chinatown BIA and by some cyclists, but the city has excluded it for the current pilot project — meant to start either this fall or next spring — because of the heavy bus traffic.

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

Can you say boycott? This really burns me. Especially the Preston Street comment. Maybe we should wait till 2018 for on street bike lanes!?!

I would love to see rotating boycotts of Sommerset businesses. If they think that cars are so important, maybe we should leave them to car customers and see how they live without cyclists and pedestrians.

[adam-machiavelli]

I have an even better idea!

Just park cars all up and down that section of Somerset and keep feeding the meters, thus making it less convenient for people to park nearby, thus making auto users less likely to shop there.

[waterloowarrior]

Vancouver just opened their trial downtown bikeway
http://pricetags.wordpress.com/2010/...ete-not-paint/







http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transpor...d/dunsmuir.htm

[Cre47]

Well it's seems Gatineau is trying to catch up on Ottawa in terms of NIMBYISM

A group of residents in Le Plateau are protesting against a future bike path along the Moore Creek behind Rue de Londres citing vandalism and private life concerns.

Sorry the article is only in the Le Droit

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/a...2_section_POS4

[rakerman]

Just a reminder:

http://ottawa.ca/bikelane

http://ottawa.ca/residents/public_co..._1/oh1_en.html

Send your comments by e-mail before June 21, 2010
colin.simpson@ottawa.ca

(I don't know if this is just for the open house or for the entire consultation.)

[rakerman]

Three articles related to the upcoming fact-finding mission.

Could Ottawa get Copenhagenized? - June 20, 2010

NCC boss talks cyclable city - June 19, 2010

NCC suggests push for downtown Ottawa bike lanes could be expanded - June 18, 2010

Does anyone know if Marie Lemay (CEO NCC), Marc Bureau (Gatineau Mayor), and Jacques Legendre (Ottawa councillor) will be tweeting, blogging or otherwise reporting during their trip? It seems like it would be a good opportunity to engage citizens.

[rakerman]

David Reevely asks: What are the great Ottawa bicycling experiences?

Ottawa Citizen - The cols of Ottawa - June 21, 2010

[waterloowarrior]

here's the new separated lane in Vancouver
• Video Link

[rakerman]

Ottawa Citizen reporting on the Velo-city urban cycling summit

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/to...q=cycle+summit

by http://twitter.com/katejaimet

[Dado]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

here's the new separated lane in Vancouver
• Video Link

From about 0:28 with the right-turning truck, I got nervous. That just strikes me as an accident waiting to happen. I'm surprised they didn't put the right-turning traffic onto its own dedicated signal.

Given that this is a one-way street, I wonder why they didn't put this on the other side of the street. It's a lot harder for a motorist to miss seeing a cyclist travelling in the same direction who is just to their immediate left - and they're not potentially screened by cyclists travelling in the opposite direction as well.

[rakerman]

Not particularly meaningful, but at least they're talking about cycling.

Ottawa Citizen - Race is on to create best biking city: O’Brien accepts Gatineau challenge - June 28, 2010

[waterloowarrior]

New city project: Cycling Safety Evaluation Project
Cyclists- We want to hear from you - Complete our online survey

Osgoode Multiuse Pathway update

EW Segregated lane project update

JOINT NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION AND CITY OF OTTAWA CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE - PROPOSED MULTI-USE PATHWAY FACILITIES

[rodionx]

I see Cooper street is back on the menu, at least judging by that map. In the earlier maps, it wasn't in the running. A Cooper / MacLaren pairing could work - both are only a block off Somerset.

MacLaren already works, though, even without a bike lane. Cooper, however, doesn't work so well because of a lack of controlled intersections. If they squeezed or closed off through traffic on parts of Cooper with big fat bulb-outs (and put big bike racks on those bulb outs), and put in some cyclist controlled traffic signals at Kent and Bank, it could be a respectable crosstown route for eastbound bike traffic.

Wait a sec. This plan falls down on the return trip. People are just going to go the wrong way up Cooper on their back from Hartmans. Two way bike lane on Cooper? Two way on MacLaren? Maybe. But it all comes back to Somerset. Any way you slice it, two lanes on Somerset is the logical choice.

[Cre47]

Alta Vista path sparks controversy
Last Updated: Thursday, August 26, 2010 | 8:53 PM ET Comments18Recommend12
CBC News

A 2.2-kilometre walking and cycling path the city is building through green space in Alta Vista has sparked controversy in the neighbourhood.

A heavy roller works on the walking and cycling path in the green space between Conroy Road and Smyth Road. A heavy roller works on the walking and cycling path in the green space between Conroy Road and Smyth Road. (CBC)"I think that's a terrible thing what they did and you know what … we weren't even notified about it," said Hennie Honignan, who walks her dog through the green space between Conroy Road and Smyth Road every day.

Honigan and other critics are concerned about the potential effect the path will have on the raccoons, groundhogs and other wildlife that live in the parkland.

But Coun. Peter Hume said the $250,000 project was too small for a full public consultation, and a sign was put up in the green space in January. Besides, he added, people had always used the space for walking and now the city is adding a cycling path.

"Everything we know about these pathways, they're good for communities, they are good for property values," he said.

Hume said the project should be complete by the end of fall. The city plans to "green up" the path with shrubs and trees next spring.

Cyclist Joel Gibson said a path would be safer because it will help keep his kids off city streets and make it easier for bicycle commuters to get to work.
With files from the CBC's Robyn Miller

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Maybe these folks would have had another opinion should that Conroy to Nicholas connector highway would have being built.