Solution Sought to Ottawa South Traffic Problems
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Deadline The deadline date for OSCAR is the tenth of each month. Please make sure that all material for inclusion in OSCAR is received at The Old Fireball, 260 OSCAR Sunny side Avenue, Ottawa K1S 0R7, by the tenth of the month preceeding the Ottawa South Community Association Review month of issue. Volume 17 Number 2 November 1989 Solution sought to Ottawa Hopewell harvesters South traffic problems by Brian Grant and Michel Haddad unless obstacles (deliberate or inad- An inventory of traffic concerns in vertent) on arterial roads are leading Ottawa South has been prepared by drivers to use Ottawa South’s streets the Oswatch Traffic Committee as as escape routes. part of a review of the Ottawa South A wide range of concerns has been Traffic Plan (1980). All traffic con- identified. Residents pointed to inter- cerns identified either in writing or at sections that they considered either a public meeting held September 21 dangerous or unduly congested. have been included in the inventory. Bank and Sunnyside is notorious, but A working committee will now meet concern was also expressed about with city traffic officials to explore Bank and Aylmer, Bank and Bel- ways of updating the existing traffic mont, Bank and Cameron, Grosvenor plan using the problem listed in the and Sunnyside, Leonard and Colonel inventory as the basis for discussion. By, Leonard and Sunnyside, Seneca and Glen, Seneca and Grove, Seneca Potential solutions and Cameron, Riverdale and Potential solutions to problems will Cameron, Riverdale and Belmont, be looked at in the context of the Riverdale and Sunnyside, and Bristol overall traffic flow in the neighbor- and Belmont. Phyllis Holmes’ Grade 1 -2 class spent a busy day in September at hood. Close attention will be given to Bel-Air Gardens, part of the MacSkimming Science Farm, learning about Speeding the impact on surrounding streets of plants and even helping with the harvesting. The following day they Speeding was of concern to residents any proposed changes to traffic con- visited the MacSkimming stall at Byward Market and were able to buy trol mechanisms. All proposed solu- of Aylmer, Bellwood, Belmont, samples of their "harvest." Back in class they cut up vegetables for a tions wijl be presented to residents, Cameron (west of Bank), Echo Drive who will have-an opportunity to com- (Colonel By), Grove, Seneca (between delicious soup, the culmination of their study on good nutrition. ment on the impact changes might Sunnyside and Colonel By), Sunny- have on the neighborhood. Following side (west of Bank), and Willard. this consultation, a final report will Large volumes of traffic were Santa parades to help the kids be prepared and submitted to the city reported on Aylmer, Bellwood, Bel- with recommendations for updating mont, Cameron, Grove, Riverdale, by Rosemary Fitzpatrick busy preparing for the event. Last the official traffic plan. This report Rosedale, Seneca, Sunnyside (west of Excited crowds will gather on year they gained the distinction of will be made available to those resi- Bank) and Willard. The volume of November 18 to welcome Santa Claus being the largest corporate sponsor dents who wish to comment on it traffic was also of concern to resi- back to Ottawa and to participate in for this worthy cause, collecting ap- before it is sent to the city. dents living in the vicinity of Wood- the 19th Annual Help Santa Toy proximately $9,600. They have begun bine Lane and the small lane that Parade, sponsored by the Ottawa 50/50 draws and tickets are now on Guiding principles links the West Coast Video car park Firefighters. sale for a draw for a pen and ink The committee will be guided in its and Willard Avenue. The purpose of the parade is to sketch, donated by artist Tom Quinn, work by two principles. The first is Four of the neighborhood’s five collect toys and cash donations, of old Fire Station #2, which used to that, while all streets in the neighbor- one-way streets (Cameron, Glen, which in turn are given to the Salva- be at Albert and Lyon Street. Also on hood must expect a certain amount of Grove and the short one-way stretch tion Army to distribute to the less November 13, residents of Ottawa traffic, methods of preserving the of Euclid at Bank) reported large fortunate families at Christmas. South and patrons of Patty’s Place older residential character of Ottawa numbers of drivers going the wrong The parade will begin at 11 a.m. are invited to a special Looney Day South should be introduced. Because way, often at high speeds. at Rideau and Cumberland, continue when they may donate their spare of its location and the business west on Rideau, across to Confedera- loonies to this event. They will be development along Bank Street, Commercial traffic tion Square, along Queen Street to asked to write their names on a slip Ottawa South will continue to ex- Excessive commercial traffic, includ- Bank Street, and through to of paper to enter a contest for a family perience high traffic levels. ing large trucks and airport taxis, Lansdowne Park. Arrival time in the dinner. The annual pub run will be The committee’s goal is to find was reported on Aylmer, Seneca (be- Glebe will be at around 12 noon. held the night before the parade to ways of reducing the number of tween Sunnyside and Colonel By) Again this year Marty Hodgins, collect money from patrons of other drivers who see the neighborhood as and Sunnyside (both sides of Bank). owner of Patty’s Place on Bank restaurants and bars around the city. a convenient, and often high-speed, Residents living along the number 7 Street, and his many volunteers are The Bytown Fire Brigade lends anti- short-cut alternative to surrounding bus route (Sunnyside, Seneca and que fire trucks for the run and for the traffic congestions. Obviously, some Grove) complained of increased noise The next step is to sift through parade. streets attract more of these drivers since OC Transpo introduced articu- this list of problems in order to iden- The Help Santa Toy Parade has than others and, therefore, are more lated buses to this route. tify possible causes and then meet grown to be one of the most successful vulnerable to misuse and overuse. Finally, concern was expressed city and regional traffic officials to and widely attended parades in the These streets will come under close about congestion, parking and utility explore potential solutions. Anyone City of Ottawa. All fire stations in the scrutiny by the committee. poles on Bank Street and residents in interested in participating in this city will be accepting donations for The second principle is that the Bristol Avenue area expressed next stage of the review is invited to two weeks following the parade. Our obstacles to traffic flow should not be concern about the lack of sidewalks leave his or her name and telephone local station is #10, at Fifth Avenue introduced to neighborhood streets along Bristol. number at the Firehall. and O’Connor in the Glebe. Ottawa South Community Association Annual General Meeting report The Ottawa South Community As- Programme Worker who co-ordinate grade roads, bridges and sewage sys- Ms. Moreland concluded that sociation held it’s Annual General many OSCA programmes. Thanks tems and now those costs have to be “fiscal restraint will be the name of Meeting at the Old Firehall Com- were also extended to the OSCA staff, absorbed by the home-owner. Mr. the game for the upcoming year.” She munity Centre on October 11, 1989. to the office workers, the After Four Harb is presently the co-chairman of reminded those present that, “Even Alderman Lynn Smyth andM.P. Mac staff and the many people who put a municipal infrastructure task force though we are a non-profit organiza- Harb were the guest speakers. Elec- their talents and abilities into the and has been traveling all across the tion with the aim of just breaking tions were held and the OSCA Board various programmes offered by the country listening to the various con- even, we should strive for a strong welcomed some new members and Community Association. cerns of municipal government with financial position. With a strong said goodbye, with regret, to Pat Erb, environment and pollution. Mr. Harb financial position and dedicated Diana Smith and Marim Moreland. Alderman described the environment as “not volunteers OSCA will remain a dis- They have given generously of their Alderman Smyth described her first just a municipal or provincial prob- tinct voice in the community.” time and energy on behalf of the Ot- year in office as “a learning curve that lem,” but a Federal problem as well. tawa South community during their has gone straight up.” She spoke of As far as social problems are con- Secretary’s report time as Board members and will be her involvement with the Ottawa cerned Mr. Harb accused the Federal Donna Walsh gave the secretary’s missed. South community as being “a government of “passing the buck to report for the year. The OSCA Board In his opening remarks David pleasure.” The Ottawa South Com- the municipality” to support those will be looking at the possibility of Webber, president of OSCA described munity Association and individual who are affected by the government some changes to the structure of the the various aspect of the community residents were co-operative, con- shortening the length of time for association. For example, rather than association. He noted that “some cerned and gave of their time, and did U.I.C.