Rideau River "MUP" bridge

[Uhuniau]

City documentation:
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/publi.../index_en.html

CBC: Rideau River pedestrian bridge studied
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/stor...ridge-118.html

Eric Darwin: Cycling Bridge over Rideau River
http://westsideaction.wordpress.com/...-rideau-river/

[Uhuniau]

Oh, Ottawa, your capacity for total stupidity never ceases to astound:

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa.../17071106.html

Building a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the Rideau River might not be as easy as initially thought.

Barrhaven councilor Jan Harder said she opposes plans for a crossing joining Overbrook and Sandy Hill.

"I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid on that, for sure," said Harder Friday. "It would be easier and safer to do it at Somerset."

Oh, really Jan Harder?

At Somerset?




YOU MEAN AT THE ONLY LOCATION THAT THE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDED FOR THE CROSSING?

OK, fine, Jan Harder.

Let's not build a pedestrian/cycling bridge connecting joining Overbrook and Sandy Hill. Let's have it your way, and build the damn thing at Somerset instead. You're totally right, it would be easier and cheaper to build it at Somerset, right at the technically preferred location, than to build a bridge connecting Overbrook and Sandy Hill.

[OttawaSteve]

Building a new pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the Rideau River might not be as easy as initially thought.

Barrhaven councilor Jan Harder said she opposes plans for a crossing joining Overbrook and Sandy Hill.

"I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid on that, for sure," said Harder Friday. "It would be easier and safer to do it at Somerset."

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

OK, fine, Jan Harder.

I think an equally plausible explanation here is that the Sun "journalist" has misunderstood something or omitted some key contextual information from the story.

At minimum, regardless of what Jan Harder thinks or has said, the author of the article is guilty of geographical ignorance and logical ineptitute, since the story implies that "a crossing joining Overbrook and Sandy Hill" and "[a crossing] at Somerset" are mutually exclusive alternatives. If the error is in fact Harder's, then the "journalist" surely still has an obligation to point it out.

[lrt's friend]

There was a foot bridge at the Rideau Tennis Club until at least 1941. I have seen pictures of it. Apparently, it was only in place after the spring run off each year since it was a wooden structure that could not withstand winter ice and the spring flooding that was notorious on the Rideau. I wonder why they discontinued it.

I am all in favour of putting up a permanent bridge in that area.

[waterloowarrior]

Open House 3
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/publi...ouse_3_en.html

recommended plan




Preliminary Cost Estimate - $4.92 million

[Richard Eade]

And why, exactly, are there parking lots required at each end of the bridge?

[waterloowarrior]

Originally Posted by Richard Eade

And why, exactly, are there parking lots required at each end of the bridge?

they are existing parking lots for the parks/tennis courts

[Richard Eade]

OK, Thanks. I was worried that people would be driving there just so they could walk across the bridge. Now I see that they drive there already so they can walk their dog, or play tennis for some exercise.

[Uhuniau]

The existence of the No. 5 bus is turning North Vanier, even Brittany Drive, into an extension of the U of O student ghetto. (This is a positive development.)

This bridge will do the same for southern Vanier and Overbrook.

[umbria27]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Open House 3
http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/publi...ouse_3_en.html

recommended plan
[URL="http://www.ottawa.ca/residents/public_consult/rideau_river_crossing/recommended_plan_en.jpg"]

Works for me. I'll take half a dozen please. Deposit the rest at:

Across the Canal:
Fifth & Clegg ( Ottawa East)
Leonard ( Old Ottawa South)

Across the River
Clegg (Ottawa East)
Vincent Massey Park (to Carleton U)
Avenue Rd or Sunnyside (Ottawa South)

[Ottawan]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Works for me. I'll take half a dozen please. Deposit the rest at:

Across the Canal:
Fifth & Clegg ( Ottawa East)
Leonard ( Old Ottawa South)

Across the River
Clegg (Ottawa East)
Vincent Massey Park (to Carleton U)
Avenue Rd or Sunnyside (Ottawa South)

All great suggestions. While we're at it, let's add:

Across the Canal:

Carleton to Arboretum (at the base of Dow's Lake)

Avenue Road to Lansdowne Park per the design competition plan
(Ottawa South)

Main Street to Robert/Delaware (Ottawa East Northern Annex to Golden Triangle)

Across the Rideau River:

Leonard (Ottawa South, continuing your route over the Canal)

Porter Island to Stanley Avenue (Lowertown to New Edinburgh)

Laurier Street East to MacArther (Sandy Hill to Vanier/North Overbrook - this route is key, regardless of the also important bridge this thread is named for to the south, in continuing to create a safe cross-town cycling route)

Robinson Field to North River Road (South Sandy Hill to Overbrook)


Across the Ottawa River:

The Prince of Wales Bridge - just because it is closed to transit doesn't mean that there couldn't be a pathway opened up alongside the track (think of what's been done on the Alexandra Bridge).

Bank Street to Museum of Civilization (there have been increasingly frequent calls for an urban Gondola here, I think this is an excellent idea)

Others:

There are many other areas of the city which would similarly benefit from pedestrian bridges, such as over sunken transportation corridors such as the Transitway and the O-Train. I don't have time to list the all the ideas I have for these at the moment.

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

I believe that there should be a City-wide Pedestrian and Cycling Bridge Strategy & Taskforce. The current ad hoc method of constructing these linkages is insufficient. This would be a group of city employees permanently assigned to the MUP-style bridge project which would be supported by a citizen-led advisory committee. The group would constantly be focusing on four bridges, each in a different stage (corresponding to year) of development:

Stage 1: Identification of location (a broad study which would identify possible ped/cyclist linkage locations, and evaluate how to prioritize which one should be pushed forward to Stage 2 next).

Stage 2: Environmental Assessment & Design

Stage 3: Construction

Stage 4: Follow-up (completing construction per delays, installing public art, evaluating the success of the bridge and whether alterations could be made to it/its approaches to improve its success).

I do not believe this program would be all that expensive at all (1 - 5 million $ a year), especially considering the benefit it renders and comparing the program's value to other transportation alternatives (transit & roads both are more expensive to build and operate/maintain). By increasing connectivity of the city through ped/cyclist bridges we are increasing the city's vibrancy, the number of eyes and feet on the street, its desireability, decreasing commutes, increasing the attractiveness of non-car-oriented transportation, and overall improving the character of Ottawa. These bridges MUST be a priority.

[McC]

Originally Posted by Ottawan

All great suggestions. While we're at it, let's add... These bridges MUST be a priority.

Hear! Hear!


Here! Here!

;-)

[MountainView]

Originally Posted by umbria27

Across the River
Vincent Massey Park (to Carleton U)

In the Carleton University MasterPlan there is already such a proposal for a pedestrian bridge across the river beside the O-train bridge. It would essentially be built to extend Carleton's 'green areas' as the campus expands and builds more buildings and eliminates their current green areas.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by MountainView

In the Carleton University MasterPlan there is already such a proposal for a pedestrian bridge across the river beside the O-train bridge. It would essentially be built to extend Carleton's 'green areas' as the campus expands and builds more buildings and eliminates their current green areas.

The Carleton University pedestrian bridge was to be built as part of the cancelled north-south LRT plan. Of course, some criticized this very bridge. Makes you wonder. Some will complain about anything if it will support their greater agenda. I am all for it but it will likely not be built until we finally electrify the O-Train in 2025 or 2030.

[eltodesukane]

I wish this bridge would be covered (like the Algonquin College overpass on Woodroffe, the Blair Station overpass, the Billings Bridge overpass, ...).