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CPC Parking Lot 2785 Riverside Drive Transportation Rationale Prepared By: NOVATECH Suite 200, 240 Michael Cowpland Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2M 1P6 September 2015 Novatech File: 114093 Ref: R-2015-153 Transportation Rationale 2785 Riverside Drive Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 2 2.0 DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION TARGETS ................................................ 2 2.1 BUILDING C .................................................................................................................. 2 2.2 CANADA POST CAMPUS ................................................................................................ 3 3.0 ENCOURAGING MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION ................................................ 3 3.1 CITY OF OTTAWA INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES ....................................................... 3 3.1.1 Pedestrians ............................................................................................................. 3 3.1.2 Cyclists ................................................................................................................... 4 3.1.3 Transit .................................................................................................................... 4 3.2 CANADA POST CAMPUS FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS ...................................................... 5 3.2.1 Parking Management .............................................................................................. 5 3.2.2 Cycling End-of-Trip Facilities .................................................................................. 5 3.2.3 Transit Incentive Programs ..................................................................................... 7 3.2.4 Canada Post Commuter Challenge......................................................................... 7 3.2.5 Flexible Working Hours and Teleworking ................................................................ 7 3.3 FUTURE REDUCTION IN OFF-SITE PARKING SUPPLY ....................................................... 7 3.4 POTENTIAL TDM INITIATIVES FOR BUILDING C ................................................................ 8 4.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................. 8 Appendices APPENDIX A - SITE PLAN List of Figures Figure 1: Study Area and Site .................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2: OC Transpo Stop and Station Locations ..................................................................... 5 Figure 3: Formal Bicycle Parking ............................................................................................... 6 Figure 4: Informal Bicycle Parking .............................................................................................. 6 Novatech i Transportation Rationale 2785 Riverside Drive 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Canada Post Corporation (CPC) campus located at 2785 Riverside Drive has leasable office space available in Building C (shown in Figure 1) and has proposed to build a surface parking lot to serve potential tenants. The proposed parking lot is part of a strategy to increase the number of employees on-site through a variety of multi-modal transportation options. The following provides the projected transportation modal shares for both Building C and the CPC campus as well as an overview of the facilities and programs to support multi-modal transportation options. Figure 1: Study Area and Site 2.0 DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION TARGETS 2.1 Building C Building C has a gross floor area of approximately 100,000 square feet of office space and the current occupancy level is approximately 10%. This facility has remained largely unoccupied for several years and as a result a strategy was developed to increase the attractiveness of this facility through the provision of a dedicated parking lot which is proposed to be gate-controlled and managed independently of the remaining CPC parking. Novatech Page 2 Transportation Rationale 2785 Riverside Drive Future tenants in Building C are anticipated as early as 2015 with full occupancy of the building achieved over the next five years. In the next year, it is expected that a tenant will occupy 52,000 square feet with proposed work space provided for a total of 262 employees (or approximately 1 employee per 200 square feet). Assuming the same density is maintained as the building becomes fully leased over the five year horizon, Building C is anticipated to employ approximately 500 employees when fully occupied. The proposed parking lot consists of converting a recently demolished building and parking lot immediately west of Building C into a surface parking lot with up to 204 spaces to accommodate future tenants. The site plan for the proposed parking lot is provided in Appendix A. The existing CPC parking lot passes are over-sold at a rate of approximately 12% to account for staff that are not on-site at all times. Based on the projected 500 employees, and assuming parking is over-sold by 12%, the building could accommodate a total of 228 (204 x 1.12) auto drivers; an auto driver mode share of 46%. This auto mode share is slightly lower (fewer drivers) than the City of Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan (2013) target for auto driver trips in the 20- year horizon period. 2.2 Canada Post Campus The 2011 TRANS OD Survey identified an auto driver modal share of 62% for the Confederation Heights area. The City of Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan (2013) projected employment levels over a 20-year planning horizon and identified 51% of the increase to occur within the inner suburbs (including Confederation Heights). CPC is currently reviewing opportunities to increase the number of employees on-site by reducing the space allocated to each work station and leasing out available areas. If the site achieves a density of one employee per 200 square feet (as identified for the future tenant of Building C), the auto driver modal share will be reduced to 47%; similar to the targets identified in the TMP. 3.0 ENCOURAGING MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION The Canada Post Campus is currently well connected to the city-wide pedestrian and cycling networks and served by both rapid transit and local transit routes. The combination of these facilities and services allows employees to make use of a wide variety of transportation choices. The existing and proposed facilities to be implemented by the City of Ottawa as well as the existing measures in place to encourage multi-modal transportation are further described below. 3.1 City of Ottawa Infrastructure and Services 3.1.1 Pedestrians Existing sidewalks are provided along Heron Road, Riverside Drive, and Brookfield Road adjacent to the site. Sidewalks are also provided along one side of all internal roadways within the Canada Post site. A new sidewalk is proposed along the west side of the access road between the north end of the proposed parking lot and Brookfield Road. Novatech Page 3 Transportation Rationale 2785 Riverside Drive 3.1.2 Cyclists The site is well connected to the cycling network in the area. The site is currently connected to the Sawmill Creek Pathway with connections to the on-street bike lanes on Bronson Avenue, the local cycling route along Brookfield Road, and connections further south to the Alta Vista, Hunt Club and Greenboro neighbourhoods. The site is also connected to the Hog’s Back Road pathway with connections to the Rideau Canal Pathway, the Rideau River Pathway, and the on- road cycling lanes along Prince of Wales Drive. As part of the Ottawa Cycling Plan (OCP), the Confederation Heights area was identified as a major employment node and projects were prioritized with the goal of increasing the cycling modal share to this site. Improvements to Brookfield Road were included as part of the OCP as a Phase 1 (2014-2018) project. Heron Road forms part of a Cross-Town Bikeway with proposed improvements to the east identified as a Phase 1 project and connections to the west proposed as part of the Baseline Road Transit Intensive Corridor work. 3.1.3 Transit The CPC campus is well served by transit with access to the O-Train Confederation Station and several local routes. In addition, the future Baseline Transit Intensive Corridor will provide further transit priority to routes travelling along Heron Road. Rapid Transit The O-Train Trillium Line Confederation Station is located immediately east of the Canada Post Campus and approximately 350m from Building C. The O-Train has been recently upgraded with current service operating on a 12min frequency. An asphalt pathway connects the pedestrian network within the site to the O-Train Confederation Station. The Transitway’s Heron Station is located approximately 800m from Building C, with a walking distance of approximately 1km. Heron Station is served by Transitway Routes 97, 98, 99 and 116, express routes to/from the south, as well as several local routes. Local Service Bus stops #1342 and #1569 are located along Heron Road, approximately 350m north of Building C and serve Routes 111 and 118 which both operate on an 8-10min frequency during peak periods. Local routes 87 and 140 travel along Brookfield Road and through the CPC site between Brookfield Road and Heron Road with stops less than 50m from Building C. Stop numbers #0401 and #6901 are located immediately adjacent to Building C on the west side and stop numbers #4128 and #4139 are located immediately