The study by the National Capital Commission (NCC) of safe crossings across Colonel By Drive and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway to access the Rideau Canal has been completed and the report is now available here on the OSCA website.
The study's conclusions disappointed many of the community associations in the affected areas, including OSCA, because no new pedestrian crossings are being proposed in areas where it is especially dangerous to cross on foot or by bicycle, such as Colonel By between Bronson Avenue and Bank Street in Old Ottawa South, as shown here.
OSCA's comments, presented to the NCC by OSWatch co-chair Brendan McCoy, can be read here. Below is the NCC announcement of the final report.
Editor's Note: The strip of Colonel By Drive between Bronson and Bank has no pedestrian crossings, and many residents say they "take their lives in their hands" attempting to cross to the bicycle path that runs beside the Canal. Shown here are Colonel By facing west at Leonard (left) and facing east at Leonard (right) on the same typical weekday afternoon. The strip, which is approximately 1 Km long, has many curves with poor visibility for oncoming traffic in either direction.
Rideau Canal Corridor Pedestrian Crossing Reports Now Available: by NCC
Following the second workshop held on Thursday October 28, 2010, the final report and the workshop reports are now available here:
- Final Report June 13, 2011 (10MB PDF)
- Appendix 4 Workshop No.2 Report March 11, 2011 (4MB PDF)
Next Steps
- NCC staff will prepare recommendations to management.
- NCC will plan improvements of higher priority individual pedestrian crossing locations, develop cost estimates and prepare recommendations for NCC senior management.
- NCC will prioritize improvements as part of the capital budget 5-year plan update, which occurs annually. The prioritization will consider other initiatives, such as: the Landsdowne Park redevelopment; the planning exercise currently underway with respect to a new pedestrian bridge across the Rideau Canal in the vicinity of Landsdowne Park; and a future sector plan for Commissioner’s Park near Dow’s Lake.
- The NCC's future planning initiatives, including the urban lands master plan preparation, which forms a part of the NCC's "planning framework" and is currently under development, will inform on lower priority crossing locations and broader issues identified by the public during Workshop No. 2.
The National Capital Commission has completed their study of pedestrian crossing along the Rideau Canal and have made the reports available on their website. (See below for instructions for downloading.)
The goal of the study is to identify key crossing points and to develop solutions for use of the area all year long. This includes consideration of its various uses during high traffic winter activities such as Winterlude on the Rideau Canal Skateway or during the summer season on the Capital Pathway Network.
The specific objectives of the study are to:
- Identify potential problem crossing areas
- Collect and analyze data pertaining to the crossings
- Provide options on potential interventions
- Evaluate potential parkway interventions within the appropriate historical, aesthetic and NCC planning context, and make recommendations
The consultation process included a workshop in June 2008 where information pertaining to potential problem crossing areas was gathered. The study then proceeded with the collection and analysis of data, the examination of options on potential interventions and has reached preliminary conclusions on potential interventions.
The follow-up workshop, held October 28, 2010, at which participants from adjacent community associations and user groups were invited:
- Provided a PowerPoint presentation of the work completed to date;
- Answered questions raised and;
- Collected your comments.
Following the workshop, the NCC compiled the information received at the workshop and then completed the study.