Roads/Bridges projects/issues

[Mulder]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Yes, I agree.

However, in the case of Huntmar, that bridge was designed in the 1970s, by which time it should have clear that the Huntmar Road area would be urbanized within a few decades.

I disagree. Urban planning and policies can only go so far, it's sometimes hard to predict 10 years into the future let alone 30. Especially if you throw in the wildcard of OMB. If the bridge was designed in 1976, and if you look at aerial maps on Geo Ottawa, even the 2014 imagery makes it pretty clear that the new housing development is just taking shape and still not a major pedestrian generator. It's akin to those who move into the Glebe and complained about the stadium.

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

The massive failure of the planners and public of the 1960s and 1970s to see or even care about anything in the future continues to bite us in the ass.

Planning/designing is a learning experience, they likely did the best the could with the knowledge they had at the time. It's shitty, but the way it is. I'm sure 50 years down the road some new planner/engineer is going to be harshly criticizing my work. lol

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

MTO shouldn't be putting sidewalks on rural overpasses.. unless it's apparent the area could/will be urban before the end of life of the bridge. Nowadays with the improved technology & design, that's a hundred years, so they might as well just protect the space on every bridge just in case.

75 years is the usual service life (in Canadian Bridge Code) now a days. Not sure if it was the same 40 years ago. But it'll be 50+ by the time it's going to be replaced. Which seems just right, given some of the development in the area. But as I said, MTO plans with land use policy's from cities, if cities policies are being overruled by a 3rd party and development is happening in areas where planners never intended, how is that anyone's fault?

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Mulder

75 years is the usual service life (in Canadian Bridge Code) now a days.

Wow. I was hyperbolizing when I said 100 years... turns out not by much. It was 50 years in the 1960s/1970s (hence why so many bridges are needing replacement now).

[hwy418]

Originally Posted by eltodesukane

"[It] was never designed with pedestrian or cycle traffic in mind,"

Why? Who design those things? Design 101?

Don't fault the designer - it's the client (i.e. the party that is paying for it) that make these decisions.

[MaxHeadroom]

Can't a cantilevered sidewalk be attached to one side of the overpass? If they can do it on the Alexandra Bridge and hold up buses, holding up a few pedestrians should not be a problem.

[Mulder]

Originally Posted by MaxHeadroom

Can't a cantilevered sidewalk be attached to one side of the overpass? If they can do it on the Alexandra Bridge and hold up buses, holding up a few pedestrians should not be a problem.

Probably, but with no sidewalks on the approaches either you are talking about a whole lot of grading and earthworks.

Let's not forget that the people complaining are talking about walking over to get to the Park N Ride and CTC, both of which have bus routes from those either side of the bridge to get to that destination.

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by Mulder

Probably, but with no sidewalks on the approaches either you are talking about a whole lot of grading and earthworks.

Hence the reason why this is the city's fault too and not just the MTO. Someone needs to remind council.

I would support the addition of sidewalks along all of Huntmar with cantilevered sidewalks over the bridge. The area is growing. We have suburbanites ASKING for the ability to walk, and we're not giving it... what's our problem??? Walking is the best, best for our cities, best for our health.

Originally Posted by Mulder

Let's not forget that the people complaining are talking about walking over to get to the Park N Ride and CTC, both of which have bus routes from those either side of the bridge to get to that destination.

Not very frequent buses. Even if they were, pedestrian mobility is important anyway.

[Capital Shaun]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

I would support the addition of sidewalks along all of Huntmar with cantilevered sidewalks over the bridge. The area is growing. We have suburbanites ASKING for the ability to walk, and we're not giving it... what's our problem??? Walking is the best, best for our cities, best for our health.

Agree 100%!

[Mulder]

Originally Posted by 1overcosc

Hence the reason why this is the city's fault too and not just the MTO. Someone needs to remind council.

I would support the addition of sidewalks along all of Huntmar with cantilevered sidewalks over the bridge. The area is growing. We have suburbanites ASKING for the ability to walk, and we're not giving it... what's our problem??? Walking is the best, best for our cities, best for our health.

No ones at fault. As I've noted, up until 2 years ago it was just farmers fields on the north side, even Aerial imagery from early last year shows housings just starting to be completed. These things don't get designed and built right when someone notices that there is a problem for them.

The second issue is cost, is MTO & the City going to pay upwards of $300,000 to build a cantilever sidewalk so 3 people per day can use it? Only for it to be demolished in 10 years?

[Cre47]

Okay Phase 1 of TMP is almost done, and by this list with the exception of transit projects almost everything planned for during Phase 1 is completed or soon to be completed although of course the Phase 1 of LRT will two years into the Phase 2 of the TMP same goes with the BRT extension to Moodie, although the Cumberland Transit Corridor is nowhere near completion and maybe nowhere near starting. Regarding the roads, I think most are done exception extensions of Hope Side Road as well as Belcourt Blvd and I don't think Goulbourn Forced Road was re-aligned (still in that lousy-widen countryside-like shape) while Chapman Mills ends currently at Longfields unless they meant Strandherd east of Woodroffe (though I think only buses are allowed on Chapman Mills from east of Woodroffe to Strandherd east of Crestway) and not west of Greenbank/Jockvale

http://ottawa.ca/cs/groups/content/@.../cap126411.pdf

[rocketphish]

City increasingly turning to roundabouts -- but not on Carp Rd

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 05:31 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 06:33 PM EDT



Once they were feared. Now they’re hot.

While roundabouts still scare some travellers, City Hall has embraced them as an alternative to traditional traffic lights at intersections.

Coun. Keith Egli, who chairs council’s transportation committee, said Wednesday residents have been moving closer to a wider acceptance of roundabouts.

There are more than 20 roundabouts at city intersections. Another one just opened at Anderson and Renaud roads in the east end.

Politicians are eager to get roundabouts in their communities, but Stittsville Coun. Shad Qadri is being stymied in trying to land two traffic circles on a busy arterial road slated for reconstruction.

Commuters in Stittsville know about the daily slog.

The 2-km stretch of Carp Rd. that connects Stittsville with the Hwy. 417 is the main road to the highway and demand is increasing as the village grows.

The city’s transportation master plan calls for the road to be widened between 2020 and 2025 and an environmental assessment is ready for council approval next Wednesday.

The recommended plan, with an estimated cost of $18 million, widens the road to two vehicle lanes in each direction between the highway and Hazeldean Rd. with multi-use paths on each side.

Instead of using two roundabouts in the stretch, the main intersections will get traffic signals.

Qadri is pushing for roundabouts at Rothbourne Rd. and Kittiwake Dr.

“Carp Rd. would benefit from the continuous movement of traffic at all hours of the day,” Qadri said during a transportation meeting.

It would cost just under $3 million more to install roundabouts instead of traffic lights at the two intersections. The problem? They would put the project over budget.

The roundabouts would eat up more property and design costs would be higher.

The numbers worked against Qadri, who stressed the importance of a wider Carp Rd. but has little choice but to accept the engineering recommendation and not delay the work.

Qadri said there is plenty of support in the community for roundabouts but several residents who live near Carp Rd. prefer signalled intersections.

Rideau-Goulbourn Coun. Scott Moffatt, whose ward surrounds Stittsville on three sides, said he has never seen so many local public consultations on a single project.

“I know it’s not perfect, but certainly it works. It doesn’t make the situation worse,” Moffatt said of the recommended design.

Egli said the city used the “Buckley’s solution” for Carp Rd., referring to the cough syrup with the famous slogan, “It tastes bad. And it works.”

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/09/02/...ut-not-on-carp

[Cre47]

Yet another fatality on Albion Rd in that same stretch south of the Raceway

[Dado]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

City increasingly turning to roundabouts -- but not on Carp Rd

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 05:31 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 02, 2015 06:33 PM EDT



Once they were feared. Now they’re hot.

While roundabouts still scare some travellers, City Hall has embraced them as an alternative to traditional traffic lights at intersections.

Coun. Keith Egli, who chairs council’s transportation committee, said Wednesday residents have been moving closer to a wider acceptance of roundabouts.

There are more than 20 roundabouts at city intersections. Another one just opened at Anderson and Renaud roads in the east end.

Politicians are eager to get roundabouts in their communities, but Stittsville Coun. Shad Qadri is being stymied in trying to land two traffic circles on a busy arterial road slated for reconstruction.

Commuters in Stittsville know about the daily slog.

The 2-km stretch of Carp Rd. that connects Stittsville with the Hwy. 417 is the main road to the highway and demand is increasing as the village grows.

The city’s transportation master plan calls for the road to be widened between 2020 and 2025 and an environmental assessment is ready for council approval next Wednesday.

The recommended plan, with an estimated cost of $18 million, widens the road to two vehicle lanes in each direction between the highway and Hazeldean Rd. with multi-use paths on each side.

Instead of using two roundabouts in the stretch, the main intersections will get traffic signals.

Qadri is pushing for roundabouts at Rothbourne Rd. and Kittiwake Dr.

“Carp Rd. would benefit from the continuous movement of traffic at all hours of the day,” Qadri said during a transportation meeting.

It would cost just under $3 million more to install roundabouts instead of traffic lights at the two intersections. The problem? They would put the project over budget.

The roundabouts would eat up more property and design costs would be higher.

The numbers worked against Qadri, who stressed the importance of a wider Carp Rd. but has little choice but to accept the engineering recommendation and not delay the work.

Qadri said there is plenty of support in the community for roundabouts but several residents who live near Carp Rd. prefer signalled intersections.

Rideau-Goulbourn Coun. Scott Moffatt, whose ward surrounds Stittsville on three sides, said he has never seen so many local public consultations on a single project.

“I know it’s not perfect, but certainly it works. It doesn’t make the situation worse,” Moffatt said of the recommended design.

Egli said the city used the “Buckley’s solution” for Carp Rd., referring to the cough syrup with the famous slogan, “It tastes bad. And it works.”

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/09/02/...ut-not-on-carp

If they can't fit a 2-lane roundabout into 30 m of RoW - with corner triangles! - they need to hire some different consultants who can.

[Mulder]

Originally Posted by Dado

If they can't fit a 2-lane roundabout into 30 m of RoW - with corner triangles! - they need to hire some different consultants who can.

Both those intersections pose design challenges. They never said that they can't do it. They posed the question of increased costs.

Property requirements doesn't mean the road it's self has to fit, but the whole design, including the slopes.

[acottawa]

I wonder if they look at the longer term costs (no maintenance of traffic lights, accidents tend to be less severe, etc) or just the initial costs.

[Mulder]

Originally Posted by acottawa

I wonder if they look at the longer term costs (no maintenance of traffic lights, accidents tend to be less severe, etc) or just the initial costs.

Some of the maintenance costs is just general maintenance anyways.

MTO and cities do look at accident rates as well, and using some historical data, experience etc etc. And do apply a value to accidents/collisions predicted or even have past data.

see link for those values

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/phmpmbp/Ref...ted%202012.pdf

[rocketphish]

Taxpayers have nowhere to go on turtle fencing

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 07:01 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 07:11 PM EDT



Taxpayers might get shelled with more costs to protect animals on road projects, such as special turtle fences.

The city closed a call for bids Wednesday to provide an “exclusion fence” for turtles in the widening of March Rd., near Upper Dwyer Hill Rd.

It’s simply to keep the turtles away from the road, specifically Blanding’s turtles.

“The primary threat to Blanding’s turtles is road mortality,” city planner Nick Stow said.

Provincial rules require the city to prevent the threatened species of turtles from wandering onto the road since the section passes through a wetland, Stow said. It’s part of the permitting process.

“The city anticipates that such permits will become a more common requirement of infrastructure projects, due to the substantial amount of habitat for threatened and endangered species in the city,” Stow said.

The city didn’t specify a budget for the turtle fencing.

A 2013 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources document on reptile and amphibian exclusion fencing suggests burying a fence 10-20 cm into the ground and, when it comes to turtles, making sure it’s at least 60 cm high.

The suggested methods range from concrete walls to wooden snow fencing.

This week, council’s planning committee approved a new protocol for wildlife protection during construction. The protocol also supports exclusion fences.

Blanding’s turtle is a common turtle species in the Ottawa area. The city has gone to great lengths to protect the turtles, even using radio transmitters to track their movement in the west end.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/09/23/...turtle-fencing

[BenTheGreat97]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Taxpayers have nowhere to go on turtle fencing

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun
First posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 07:01 PM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 23, 2015 07:11 PM EDT



Taxpayers might get shelled with more costs to protect animals on road projects, such as special turtle fences.

The city closed a call for bids Wednesday to provide an “exclusion fence” for turtles in the widening of March Rd., near Upper Dwyer Hill Rd.

It’s simply to keep the turtles away from the road, specifically Blanding’s turtles.

“The primary threat to Blanding’s turtles is road mortality,” city planner Nick Stow said.

Provincial rules require the city to prevent the threatened species of turtles from wandering onto the road since the section passes through a wetland, Stow said. It’s part of the permitting process.

“The city anticipates that such permits will become a more common requirement of infrastructure projects, due to the substantial amount of habitat for threatened and endangered species in the city,” Stow said.

The city didn’t specify a budget for the turtle fencing.

A 2013 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources document on reptile and amphibian exclusion fencing suggests burying a fence 10-20 cm into the ground and, when it comes to turtles, making sure it’s at least 60 cm high.

The suggested methods range from concrete walls to wooden snow fencing.

This week, council’s planning committee approved a new protocol for wildlife protection during construction. The protocol also supports exclusion fences.

Blanding’s turtle is a common turtle species in the Ottawa area. The city has gone to great lengths to protect the turtles, even using radio transmitters to track their movement in the west end.

Twitter: @JonathanWilling

http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/09/23/...turtle-fencing

I find this is a waste of money. This is right in my neck of the woods (2 minute drive from my house) and I go through this intersection every day. There are never turtles here. Yes, there is a swamp but I have never seen a turtle in this area my entire life. The resources could be better spent elsewhere.

[rocketphish]

City seeks to convert all street lights to LED by 2020

Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: September 30, 2015 | Last Updated: September 30, 2015 5:40 PM EDT

Like cities across North America, Ottawa is looking to fully covert all of its street lights to LEDs.

Light-emitting diode technology has been used here before in several pilot projects, including one on Carling Avenue where more than 750 fixtures were converted. The project netted about $72,000 in annual savings based on 2014 rates.

Street lighting accounts for 17 per cent of the electricity used by the city, according to staff report to be discussed next week at the transportation committee meeting. LED technology could reduce that energy use by more than 50 per cent. Since street lighting costs last year were $7.2 million, the city says the potential savings are significant.

Once the conversion is complete, the city hopes to save $4 million per year.

The city is looking to Energy Ottawa, a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa, to find a suitable partner to convert 58,000 street lights and provide future maintenance.

The four-year LED conversion project, estimated at $27.9 million, would begin in June 2016.

Future agreements with Energy Ottawa could see parks and pathway lights, decorative street lights and National Capital Commission-owned street lights also converted someday, the staff report says.

Council will consider the plan at its Oct. 14 meeting.

mpearson@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/mpearson78

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-...to-led-by-2020

[Cre47]

Greenbank construction as of July 2015 from the corner of Greenbank and Strandherd (most recent shot as portions of the Construction zone from late-Summer 2014 as well as May 2015)

https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.27047...7i13312!8i6656

[Kitchissippi]

I regularly paddle beneath the M-C bridge and I noticed they have been adding some metal brackets onto the box girders. Anyone know what they're for? I know the engineers are doing some seismic reinforcements but these almost look like they're supposed to hold something.