I Participated in the Active Transportation Session Hosted by Rideau Vanier and Rideau Rockcliffe Because
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APPENDIX B Comments and feedback (from participants) in order they were submitted: I participated in the Active transportation session hosted by Rideau Vanier and Rideau Rockcliffe because: • I joined tonight because I appreciate the improvements we've seen so far and to talk about other pieces we can bring to make cycling safer in Overbrook (Donald, Lola) and to make cycling to other close locations (ex. cycling to trainyards to do errands) • I was hit by a car as a pedestrian crossing the Vanier Parkway at Donald. Driver was turning left and did not look. I’m lucky to be alive and want to make sure pedestrians and cyclists stay safe in this area. • I joined because I live in Overbrook and appreciate the improvements to cycling etc. but I commute via cycling and walking, with my children, to École Mauril Belanger. I have concerns about Safety surrounding École Mauril Belanger (Montgomery street in particular), and routes to arrive there. • I joined because I was hit by a car as a pedestrian crossing the Vanier Parkway at Donald. Driver was turning left and did not look. I’m lucky to be alive and want to make sure pedestrians and cyclists stay safe in this area. • I joined because my family commutes by bike, we need better infrastructure - and also because we need speed limits and impediments on our neighbourhood streets for everyone's safety (kids playing, pedestrians and cyclists). • I joined to see what was being planned. I’m hoping to see something along Marier. Currently in rough shape. Pot holes at the intersection of Beechwood and Marier make the turn a bit dodgy. Also wanted to reiterate that paint on a busy roads does not make a cyclist safe. Physical barriers are the way to go. Thanks for the work on this. • I joined because I bike and walk. We need more bike lanes (finishing the Donald portion) and reducing speed limit will make active transportation safe • I joined tonight because I appreciate the improvements we've seen so far and to talk about other pieces we can bring to make cycling safer in Overbrook (Donald, Lola) and to make cycling to other close locations (ex. cycling to trainyards to do errands) Feedback and comments: • Speeding on Crichton • Simplifying cycling on Sussex near National Gallery • Improving access to cycling lane near American Embassy • Beechwood and Hemlock, in totality, esp. Cycling near Marier, Mackay/Beechwood for pedestrians, dangerous bus stops, conflict with cars in bike lanes • Safer cycling connections on Cummings Bridge • Better bike segregation on Somerset East • Improvements to cycling on McArthur between Olmstead and Vanier • More pedestrian advances/longer signals in general – King Edward/Templeton, York/Dalhousie, Clarence/Dalhousie. Crossing King Edward in general, to protect pedestrians from trucks. • More grade separated bike lanes. • One thing that I havent seen mentioned is those sneaky lights that look like they’re changing but - whoops - not. For example Cummings and Donald. • Somehow the bus stops at Charlevoix were overlooked. • We need separate standards for pothole filling for bikes and active transportation. Too often the patches are almost as uncomfortable as the potholes. • Adding segregated facilities to St Patrick St Bridge as part of renewal • Cycling facilities on Lola between Coventry and Donald • Cycling access to St Laurent LRT station • Cycling in the Byward Market • Collaborating with OCH to create a woonerf on King George • Adding a MUP to connect West Presland St and Vanier Pkwy at east end of Wright St • Partnering with NCC to widen/renew NCC pathways to support the user capacity • • King George Street as a woonerf • Wright Street multi-use pathway • New Active Transportation Plan and capital funding (lower your expectations) • Lighting safety audit at RCGT Park link to Max Keeping Bridge • OCH lands in Overbrook have no sidewalks • Cycling access between Overbrook and the St. Laurent LRT station • Laurent Boulevard transit priority EA • Lola Street cycling – sooner rather than later • Stop sign at George and William is insufficient protect for pedestrians • Northbound vehicle visibility at Montreal and Aviation • Montreal Rd east of St Laurent, lots of conflict between different road users • Access to Montfort Hospital • General maintenance of cycling facilities – standards should be different than those for vehicle lanes • Vanier Pkwy @ Donald – unsafe for pedestrians • Pour décourager la vitesse des voitures et mieux accommoder les piétons, la rue Crichton devrait voir une chaussée moins large et les trottoirs plus larges. Les voitures roulent rapidement, qui est une conséquence des chaussées larges. • That bicycle path on Sussex, around the National Gallery, to McKenzie is too complicated. And the posts that obstruct the entrance to the bicycle lane beside the American Embassy are dangerous for cyclists. • Safe biking throughout Beechwood and Hemlock. Currently danger zone around Marier. • Mackay and Beechwood is a confusing and stressful intersection for pedestrians and cyclists and cars • New Active Transportation Plan and capital funding (lower your expectations): At the last BBRN Vanier South/Overbrook meeting staff from transportation planning spoke of how the new Active Transportation Plan (replacing the current Pedestrian Plan and Cycling Plan) will likely only list target projects for the first ten years (not the full length of the plan to 2046). Capital funding for cycling projects for the whole of the City will be quite limited and probably only high priority projects (big impact, filling critical missing links, etc.) would make the cut to be on the list. It would appear there will be a very small likelihood of any such a project in Overbrook making the list. This will be disappointing. If this is so how will the ward councillor continue to support or secure cycling network improvements in Overbrook? • A general need for more sidewalks in residential/dense neighbourhoods • St-Laurent Boulevard transit priority EA: We have seen how the almost complete “Montreal-Blair Road Transit Priority Corridor Planning and Environmental Assessment Study” not only addresses the issue of transit priority put also how cycling and pedestrian activities in those corridors could be improved if the EA recommendations are approved, funded and implemented at some future time. We are aware that a similar study will be undertaken in the relatively near future for isolated (not continuous) transit priority measures along St. Laurent Boulevard. We are not certain of the segment for study (Highway 417 to Hemlock Road?). We also know that given the more narrow ROW width that this EA will in ways be more challenging than the Montreal Road – Blair Road one. We look forward to having this EA done as it will guide redevelopment plans for the use of the existing public ROW, widening ROW takings where required, and how private adjacent lands (generally commercial) will respect or contribute to the cycling and pedestrian improvements planned along their frontages. Will the three councillors involved along these segments of St. Laurent Boulevard impress upon their respective community associations the importance of the upcoming EA and the need to be involved in the process of preparation? • Current draft Official Plan will not require more sidewalks – R4 zones: It was very disappointing to see the policies of the draft Official Plan which do not really take forward any further the policies of where sidewalks should be added to neighbourhoods. It proposes to continue the same old policies of only having or requiring new sidewalks in a limited number of circumstances such as along collectors or arterial roadways, portions of streets leading to rapid transit, schools or parks, etc. Having a R4 zoning, the second highest density zoning category, which allows low-rise apartment buildings like the 34 unit building at 261 and 265 Columbus Avenue, would not qualify as a reason to require a new sidewalk. This is unacceptable. The reverse should happen – where there is R4 zoning a sidewalk must be provided (on one side of the street) unless it can be demonstrated why this should not be so. • OP creates corridors out of Hemlock, Beechwood to direct traffic into the market and across a new Alexandra Bridge. Putting emphasis on St Patrick creates increased risk for biking in the Market. More traffic into market does not seem to align with plans for the Market and Lowertown renewal. • OCH land include R4 zoning and no sidewalks: OCH land holding in Overbrook include a considerable number of properties along streets with R4 zoning. If the City cannot convince or require private developers along R4 zoned streets to, with rare exceptions e.g. it is a collector, provide any new sidewalks, how will it pressure OCH to remedy situations where new sidewalks should be provided, particularly if OCH is going to increase the density of its redeveloped sites? Will OCH and the City of Ottawa cooperate and improve the pedestrian environment of Overbrook by providing more sidewalks? • The new cycling lanes that are being added all seem to be half measures and band-aid solutions. If the City of Ottawa is serious about active transportation it will stop trying to please everybody (aka cars and parking) and implement proper cycling infrastructure and not half measures with the example of what is found on Beechwood avenue. • The curbs leading up to the MUP are terrible and pool sand and water at the entrance and exit points. Although in a different ward, Elgin street is a fine example of half measures which seems to have inspired Rideau Street as well. It's so discouraging to see one half-measure after another. just do it right the first time! We have Montreal as role model. Let's be inspired by their achievements and replicate them here in Ottawa. • The Market area is almost devoid of bicycle lanes.