Category: bike path

bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, somerset street, streetscaping

Boring Job

Westsideaction

Whilst walking along Somerset Street just west of the OTrain track, at Breezehill, I came across these gents taking bore-hole samples from the street. Little painted notations every few meters along the street indicate that they will be doing this for weeks. I will nag the Somerset street planners for one bore hole result in particular. It will be the hole bored just a few meters east of the OTrain underpass. Eventually, a segregated bike route (CycloPiste de Preston?)  will be finished along the OTrain corridor, and to be useful it will likely have to pass under Somerset Street. Will it be … Continue reading Boring Job

bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa

CBC Interview on BikeWest

Westsideaction

Last Monday, CBC afternoon show interviewed Eric Darwin about progress BikeWest apparently made at transit committee. You can hear the short interview by clicking here: http://www.ericdarwin.ca/CBC_Interview_2.mp3. The text of the BikeWest proposal (downloadable) can be found at this coordinate: http://www.ericdarwin.ca/BikeWestReport.doc. However, note that I do intend to update this document in the next two weeks to reflect newer information. The report is rather fat, because it has a lot of pictures in it. Continue reading CBC Interview on BikeWest

bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, DOTT

BikeWest motion passes Transit Committee

Westsideaction

Faithful readers of this blog will recall I promote a cycling project called BikeWest. It calls for a off-road bi-directional cycle route parallel to Scott and Albert Street between Westboro and the downtown. The city owns the land all along the streets, on the north side. I am concerned that the DOTT  LRT project could block BikeWest at two key points, Bayview Station and Tunney’s Station. Since transit committee was considering the LRT project, I spoke at the meeting, and asked friendly councillors to present a motion. But I got more than my minimal goal. Transit Committee passed a motion instructed … Continue reading BikeWest motion passes Transit Committee

Bayview, Bayview-Carling CDP, bike path, little Italy

Bayview-Carling CDP Re-Activated !

Westsideaction

Along the OTrain corridor is this hidden gem. After a long struggle by residents and the neighborhood associations (the Dalhousie Community Association and the Hintonburg Community Association), and with much behind-the-scenes pushing by the concerned Councillors Holmes and Leadman, the Bayview-Carling Community Design Plan has been reactivated by the city. The focus of the plan is Bayview Station to Carling Avenue, along the OTrain track, which is currently the subject of a development frenzy by condo and office developers who feel the time is right for the rebirth of this former industrial zone. No doubt some of the “time is … Continue reading Bayview-Carling CDP Re-Activated !

Bayview, bike path, ottawa river

Gates of Lemieux Island re-installed

Westsideaction

The access road to Lemieux Island water plant has been badly torn up for the construction of the high pressure water mains to the Island. Finally, the road is reappearing, although as you can see from a careful examination of the photo the new road is relocated to the left. During the construction, the ornate gates — which look like they belong to Her Highness the GG instead of here — were removed and this shows the eastern side gate and pailings reinstalled. Continue reading Gates of Lemieux Island re-installed

Bayview, bike path, bikewest, DOTT

DOTT plans affect west side residents (xi): BikeWest

Westsideaction

The city cycling plan includes conceptual improvements for cyclists heading west from the core towards Westboro. Councilor Leadman is fighting for improvements to the ill-designed Scott Street mixed-use path and a connection to the downtown. Cycling advocacy groups want better cycling facilities. The BikeWest plan proposes a segregated bi-directional cycling path on the north side of Albert and Scott from the downtown (Bronson Ave) to Westboro. One of the original purposes of the BikeWest plan was to tie into all the construction projects planned along the Albert-Scott corridor. It is important not to construct anything that permanently blocks cycling improvements, … Continue reading DOTT plans affect west side residents (xi): BikeWest

Bayview, Bayview Otrain, bike path, bikewest, City Centre, DOTT, interprovincial transit study, LRT

DOTT plans affect west side residents (vii): Bayview Rapibus Station?

Westsideaction

The City has been evaluating the structural soundness of the historic Prince of Wales Railway Bridge over the Ottawa River to Gatineau. The City bought it a number of years ago for transit. Friends of the OTrain and  LRT transit proponents have long viewed the POW bridge as a great solution for taking transit across the River. The interprovincial transit study offered renewed hopes for extending LRT service from downtown Ottawa to Gatineau over the POW as the first phase of a loop system serving the two downtown employment centres and to alleviate bridge congestion. Alas, logic may be loosing … Continue reading DOTT plans affect west side residents (vii): Bayview Rapibus Station?

Albert St, bike path, bikewest, Booth St, LeBreton Flats, LRT

More on Bike West – part vii

Westsideaction

The story of BikeWest began at the point where the transitway meets Albert-Slater where they split in front of the Good Companions centre just west of Bronson. It began there because the block between the split and Bronson used converted bus lanes which won’t be required once the downtown LRT is built and BRT is suspended. For all points west of the Albert-Slater split, BikeWest does not use any street lanes but is a separate route all the way west to Dominion Avenue using the City-owned right of way on the north side of Albert and Scott Streets. Alternative Route … Continue reading More on Bike West – part vii

bike path, bikewest, LRT, NCC

BikeWest – part vii – westward from Westboro

Westsideaction

The previous posts followed BikeWest from the downtown at Bronson westwards along Albert, past Bayview, then along Scott to Dominion Station. This straight route is the crucial portion of BikeWest. To extend the route further west becomes more complicated, since it would involve other agencies such as the NCC, and depend on LRT routing and timing. The essence of BikeWest from downtown to Westboro was that it is almost entirely along a straight right of way owned by the City where major planning studies and reconstruction projects will be underway for the next decade. Incorporating BikeWest into these plans is … Continue reading BikeWest – part vii – westward from Westboro

Bayview, bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, Scott street

BikeWest – part iv – Scott Street from Bayview to Dominion

Westsideaction

The Scott alignment is much straighter than the riverside path and passes through major residential and employment areas For most of its length along Scott, BikeWest is pretty simple. The two-way paved surface would be set back from Scott Street whenever possible. At major signalized intersections, the bike route might snuggle up to Scott. Signalized intersections at Holland, Island Park, and Lanark would operate as described previously: through east-west traffic on both the road and BikeWest would proceed on green; all left and right turning traffic that might cross BikeWest would go only on green arrows when through traffic movements … Continue reading BikeWest – part iv – Scott Street from Bayview to Dominion

bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa

BikeWest – part vi – some path photos

Westsideaction

Click each photo to enlarge. Photo above shows a raised pedestrian crossing. Vehicle traffic moving across the walk has about a six inch rise, which has to be steep enough to slow traffic down without (excessively) angering motorists. This design effectively gives priority to pedestrians. A similar crossing would be employed for cyclists in the BikeWest project. A segment of bike path directly adjacent the curb of a vehicle road. A number of Ottawa River bike path segments closely parallel the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway, with only a 1 to 3 meter boulevard between the two surfaces. At dusk this … Continue reading BikeWest – part vi – some path photos

Albert St, bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, LeBreton Flats1 Comment

BikeWest – part ii – from Bronson to the transitway

Westsideaction

The current transitway carries buses across LeBreton Flats and links them onto Albert Street (westbound) and Slater Street (eastbound) where Albert-Slater split, in front of the Good Companions Centre, located half way between Bronson and Booth Street. Above: The Albert-Slater split, where the transitway begins/ends, by the Good Companions Centre. Slater, on the right, was originally built expressly for streetcar traffic to access the downtown. Both Albert and Slater have dedicated bus-only lanes from the split right into the downtown core. These lanes will not be required for buses once the Downtown Ottawa Transit Tunnel (DOTT) is constructed and the … Continue reading BikeWest – part ii – from Bronson to the transitway

Albert St, Bayview, bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, Scott street2 Comments

BikeWest – part i – Opportunity Knocks

Westsideaction

The BikeWest project is an idea. An idea about how we can move beyond shared bike lanes. About doing something significant and big to promote cycling to work. An idea for a dedicated, separated-from-cars two way bike road capable of moving thousands of people between neighborhoods and to the downtown. At the same time, an idea that is affordable. Achievable in the medium term. An idea that doesn’t monopolize cycling resources or block other projects. A project that builds up Ottawa rather than dividing it. Ottawa has many cycle paths now, almost all of them provided by the NCC (bless … Continue reading BikeWest – part i – Opportunity Knocks

bike path, NCC, ottawa river

NCC Oversight ?

Westsideaction

roof deckspiral ramp up in all its majestic ugliness Scene of the crime: Remic Scenic Overlook, along the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway at Tunney’s Pasture, between the parking lot and the river–Object: brutal concrete round structure with spiral ramp up to viewing area on its “roof”. The Guggenheim museum it is not.–Function: cobwebby door to interior. Sound of large pumps or motors working constantly. Probably pumps cool Ottawa River water through heat exchangers to chill the cubicle farms located in high rises immediately to the south (in area called a “Pasture”).–Worth climbing to viewing platform? No, not really. The roofscape … Continue reading NCC Oversight ?

bike path, cycling in Ottawa, Prince of Wales Bridge3 Comments

Memorial on Bike Path

Westsideaction

A small bouquet of plastic lillies and a funeral folder sit behind a small charred spot of grass where the Ottawa River bike path goes under the Prince of Wales railway Bridge. The charred spot looked like maybe a sweetgrass fire yesterday; today it has a votive candle in a holder there. The spot is so peaceful, a steady stream of cyclists, joggers, and pedestrians goes by. The sun shines. Geese swim by. The water looks cool and refreshing. Are we doing something to be remembered by? Cylist Paul Kenneth Dabene was murdered there on July 27, 2009. Continue reading Memorial on Bike Path

bike path, cycling in Ottawa2 Comments

Real Bike Lanes

Westsideaction

I must confess to being a fan of real marked bike lanes, and not at all enamored of the “its an unmarked lane on a wider car lane” policy favored by our fair City. – The above two pictures are on Island Park Drive, which has wide, quite well maintained bike lanes on both sides of the street from Gatineau through to at least Westgate/Hampton Park (you can guess how far I rode on the street…). Throughout the trip, cars stayed off the bike lane and well into their own lane, except for two taxis that drifted all over it. … Continue reading Real Bike Lanes

bike path, cycling in Ottawa, oc Transpo, Westboro Collection

Transitway water bill

Westsideaction

Picture 2 shows water burbling up from the base of this concrete structure. It comes up so fast it creates a 6-8″ high stain on the concrete. The large puddle of crystal clear water (likely from a water main) forms a large puddle then runs down a ditch to a catch basin. The site of the puddle is the northwest corner of the western transitway station at Queensway. It is bloody obvious, and must be apparent to OC Transpo maintenance crews. Yet it appears to have been there for some time as aquatic plants are growing the in the runoff … Continue reading Transitway water bill

bike path, cycling in Ottawa, pedestrians2 Comments

Separate Bike Path InAction

Westsideaction

from left: gravel path, asphalt path, concrete walk note the wide wide curbs on the bike path and jogging path Before we spend lots of money double-tracking bike and pedestrian paths, it is important to know if double tracking is warranted and if it works where tried elsewhere. I am not opposed to double paths, but I want to know that the expenditure would be worth it, both for the paths and compared to alternative uses of the money.– Pictured are two views of the same path in Toronto. Click to enlarge. There are actually three paths here: a concrete … Continue reading Separate Bike Path InAction

aquaduct, bike path, Claridge, condos, cycling in Ottawa, LeBreton Flats, NCC, pedestrians2 Comments

Contrary results …

Westsideaction

NCC path (foreground); City path beyond what will the yellow line do? There must be a law or maxim somewhere that the more planning is done, the more expensive the administration, the worse the results.– A few blogs ago I lamented the apparent mismatch between the NCC section of the bikepath from new Wellington that goes south along the aquaduct behind the new Claridge condo at 200 Lett Street in LeBreton Flats.– I still cannot believe that despite all the planners, all the coordination, the high city taxes … that the City-spec’d path is two feet narrower than the NCC … Continue reading Contrary results …