Category: Booth St

Albert St, Booth St

Boxing Day

Westsideaction

Familiar pale green utility boxes like this occupy many city boulevards. This one belongs to Rogers. Note the clever use of all-canadian duct tape to hold the box together. Inside the box appear to car-like batteries. Lead? Acid? Looks perfectly safe to me. The box in question is on the left, in the snow. The sidewalk squeezes between the post and the box because … the city widened the road in the early 1980s but declined to relocate the utility pole. The sidewalk used to run unobstructed on the right side of the pole. The resultant squeeze play pinches the … Continue reading Boxing Day

Albert St, Booth St, cycling in Ottawa

They Tried …

Westsideaction

There is a traffic detour around the sewer control station being reconstructed on Booth Street immediately north of Albert. The four lanes are very narrow and the traffic persists in moving too fast. This week, safety no doubt improved immeasurably with the addition of a yellow sign in each direction showing a car beside a bike. Does this mean “no passing” or “share the lane”? In either case, the temp lanes are so narrow no one can pass a cyclist in the same lane. Continue reading They Tried …

Albert St, Booth St, Dalhousie, DOTT, LRT

DOTT plans affect west side residents (xii): Booth Station

Westsideaction

The Booth Street station is location directly under the new elevated Booth Street overpass. The overpass crosses over the station and the aquaduct. The new LRT alignment is a few meters south of the current transitway which is closer to the aquaduct. Most frightening about this drawing is the abundance of car traffic lanes on Booth, the awful manoevering required to get buses from the Booth St bus stop over to the centre lane to turn onto Albert to go uptown, and the generous addition of lanes to Albert Street in both directions. Somehow, a transit project is providing lots … Continue reading DOTT plans affect west side residents (xii): Booth Station

Booth St, Chinatown, Dalhousie

New Residential Building, Booth near Somerset

Westsideaction

Shown is a interim elevation of the new senior’s residence building proposed for the corner of Booth and Eccles Street, just south of Chinatown’s main drag: Somerset Street. It has 42 residences, common facilities, a brick and well-detailed exterior finish. It complements the Somerset West Community Health Centre across the street. It should give a real boost to the appearance of Booth Street and the Dalhousie neighborhood as a whole. Anthony Leaning is the architect. Construction beings in 2010 for completion in 2011. Continue reading New Residential Building, Booth near Somerset

Booth St, Dalhousie, DOTT, LRT

DOTT plans affect west side residents (iii): Albert Street widening planned

Westsideaction

tailback of cars on Booth going to Gatineau, evening rush hour at 3pm tailback of cars extends back to Gladstone, every single vehicle had only one person in it The intersection of Booth / Albert fails for several hours a day. Mostly this is due to our city policies of catering to single occupancy vehicles. Drive them by the thousands,  and we will widen the roads for you! Right now the “tailback” or long queue of vehicles trying to get onto Booth to go to Gatineau extends back to Preston on the west (often blocking that intersection) and back to Empress … Continue reading DOTT plans affect west side residents (iii): Albert Street widening planned

Booth St, infill

Booth Street Infill

Westsideaction

This building is located on Booth Street just north of the Queensway. It has been underway for several years, with long pauses in construction. The exterior walls are made of foam blocks that are stacked up and then filled with poured concrete to be load bearing, insulated both sides. It appears to be three units: a three storey unit facing the side street w/ garage; a three storey unit facing Booth, w/garage; and a stair down to a half-basement unit that runs under both of the upper units. The exterior parging / stucco is almost complete. A bit of roof … Continue reading Booth Street Infill

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

Booth St, condos, Dalhousie2 Comments

New plans on Booth Street

Westsideaction

Shown is the old Desjardins IGA/Loeb Booth Street, located just a few metres south of where Booth crosses Somerset. – The building has been vacant for several years. Attempts to find a new grocer have failed. A government funded study on installing a food coop floundered. The building has a typical industrial facade, but behind the facade I hear there are several old houses joined together. The result is uneven and shifting floors bridging stone foundations. – Thirty years ago Desjardins had the current Loblaws marketing plan in place. There were grocieries, and furniture, a hardware aisle, and upstairs a … Continue reading New plans on Booth Street

Booth St

Eyesore for sale

Westsideaction

I am all in favour of mixed use neighborhoods. The success of mixed use depends on compatible uses and neighborly spirit. Unfortunately, our neighborhood has several examples of ill-fitting or incompatible land uses. In the past, I have high lighted the blight of Cousin Eddy’s and Chado’s body shops on Booth Street. As a result of complaints by myself and other members of the Dalhousie Community Assoc the clutter of signage was reduced, garbage, old tires etc was picked up. However, the mysteriously absent trees from the side boulevard remain unreplaced. A blog reader (Thank you !) has alerted me … Continue reading Eyesore for sale

Albert St, Bayview, Bluesfest, Booth St, City Hall, Dalhousie, Dows Lake, LeBreton Flats, little Italy, Preston street5 Comments

Festival Externalities

Westsideaction

Every festival has impacts external to the site it operates on. These get managed in different ways. Winterlude and the Tulip Festival have numerous events along the canal, abutting neighborhoods like the Golden Triangle and The Glebe. For both these festivals, shuttle buses run along the canal to get crowds to and from the event sites. This distributes parking impacts over a larger area. It also means the City Hall garage and Lansdowne Park parking lots get used. For Bluesfest, there are no shuttle services, leaving adjacent neighborhoods to suffer from a huge influx of parkers. This is most noticeable … Continue reading Festival Externalities

aquaduct, bike path, Booth St, cycling in Ottawa, LeBreton Flats, NCC, ottawa river

NCC vs City Maintenance Practices

Westsideaction

city aquaduct city aquaduct NCC maintenance The NCC landscaped the area along the bike path behind the new War Museum and east of Booth Street, shown in photo 3. Along the riverside chain link fence the NCC planted rose bushes and other shrubs, then applied mulch. Mulch does not stop all weed growth. The picture shows little piles of weeds and grass pulled out by NCC contractors. They picked them up just after I took the picture. By removing the weeds, the rose bushes will have more chance to grow stronger and bigger and choke out future weeds. And of … Continue reading NCC vs City Maintenance Practices

Booth St, Claridge, condos, LeBreton Flats, little Italy, Preston street

Recession Over ?

Westsideaction

New housing starts is a good leading indicator of economic confidence. Builders must get their product started a year or more before it is to be occupied. _ Three new residential projects have begun in the west side area. The top picture shows the excavation for the second tower of Claridge’s project on LeBreton Flats. If you look closely, you can see the base for the high crane has been installed on the right side of the hole, near Fleet Street which leads to Pooley’s Bridge and the downtown. _ Picture 2 shows the demolition of two older housing units … Continue reading Recession Over ?

Albert St, Booth St, O-Train, pedestrians, Preston street10 Comments

Pedestrian Safety? or Harassment?

Westsideaction

I heard on the CBC radio this morning that the City is starting a pedestrian safety campaign. I went to the City website. Their advice for pedestrian safety: Cross at marked crosswalks or traffic lights, not in the middle of the block or between parked cars.Remove headphones; put away cell phones or other electronic devices when crossing the street. Use your full attention so you’ll be able to see, hear and respond safely to what is happening on the roadway.Make sure drivers see you before you cross.Cross when traffic has come to a complete stop.At a traffic light, cross at … Continue reading Pedestrian Safety? or Harassment?

Booth St, condos, little Italy, streetscaping2 Comments

Booth Street update

Westsideaction

double click to enlarge pictureA few weeks ago, this blog featured Cousin Edy Garage and Chados Auto Body as the ugliest, messiest businesses in the neighborhood. As I went by today, the old tires left on the boulevard are gone, the garbage picked up, and as shown in the picture, several unhappy people removing some of the sign clutter. If they mow the lawn … and the mysteriously disappeared trees replaced … the place will once again be an acceptable neighbor, at least until someone redevelops the lot for condos! Continue reading Booth Street update

aquaduct, Bayview, bike path, Booth St, Claridge, condos, cycling in Ottawa, Fallen Fire Fighters Monument, Fleet Street, LeBreton Flats, NCC, pedestrians, Tailrace

Bikepath to No-where

Westsideaction

The NCC has been landscaping the area north of the Claridge condo building on LeBreton Flats since mid-winter. Earlier posts on this blog showed the winter landscaping and very early spring planting of trees and shrubs. Eventually, the Fallen Firefighters Monument will be constructed on the grassy area. The contractor (same one as is doing Plouffe Park) has now paved the bike path from Wellington Street north along the west side of the tailrace. A side branch cuts off to the west to join Lett Street beside the condo. But the path goes nowhere, as Claridge hasn’t yet landscaped the … Continue reading Bikepath to No-where

Albert St, Bayview, Bayview Otrain, Booth St, DOTT, LeBreton Flats, LRT, O-Train, oc Transpo

Transit tunnel success …

Westsideaction

The City today announced its preferred LRT routes and station configurations. Good news: the major transfer station from buses-on-the-transitway-west will be at Tunney’s Pasture, built on the grassy vacant area north of the current station. Good news: the configuration at Bayview will permit same train access from the (future) southwest transitway / O-Train alignment to the downtown. This means that we can attract larger conventions to the new convention centre downtown as we will have no-transfer-required service direct from the airport to downtown. The configuration at Bayview permits much greater flexibility in train routing. Bad News: the LeBreton Station is … Continue reading Transit tunnel success …

Booth St, condos, garbage, little Italy, Ottawa, Preston street, somerset street2 Comments

Uglification Award

Westsideaction

quality work … looking south on Booth looking north on Booth Chado and his Cousin Eddy run body shops on Booth Street between Somerset and Gladstone. Let me clarify that these are automotive body shops, thus legitimate enterprises. If you double click on photo one, you may notice a row of demised trees along the front of the building. Also evident are abandonned tires and what appears to be the remains of a Subway restuarant bench. Photo 2 shows a tree stump, all that is remaining of a city boulevard tree. There is another one by the Insurance deductible sign. … Continue reading Uglification Award

aquaduct, bike path, Booth St, Claridge, condos, cycling in Ottawa, Fleet Street, kayaking, LeBreton Flats, NCC, Ottawa, pedestrians, Tailrace

Bureaucrats are not Marketeers

Westsideaction

aquaduct east of Booth Beirut Flats When Urbandale or Minto or one of the large reputable developers begins to build out a new suburban neighborhood there is usually some park amenities available with the first phase of the project. Then each year the parkland is further developed as more houses are built. These builders do not say “this is a twenty year buildout, we will do the public landscaping when the construction is all finished…” Developers realize that to entice residents there have to be amenities from day one, with tangible promise of more amenities to come. Contrast that with … Continue reading Bureaucrats are not Marketeers

Booth St, Chinatown, condos, little Italy, Ottawa, Preston street

Shrinking Condos

Westsideaction

original Z6 revised Z6 The Z6 is a condo building to be built at the corner of Balsam and Booth, facing St Anthony’s schoolyard and the yellow brick convent. Photo 1 shows the 5 storey building orignally proposed for the site, having 26 units. The second photo shows the building “downsized” to 17 units, only four floors now, with the rounded cornice line at the front now removed. Construction is to commence 1 May with completed scheduled for spring 2010. Immediately to the left of the Z6 are a series of land parcels owned by Fanto. They applied for rezoning … Continue reading Shrinking Condos

beaver, Booth St, LeBreton Flats, Ottawa

Tree Trimming from the Bottom Up

Westsideaction

Earlier this week I posted some pictures of Mr Beaver’s work on trees near the aquaduct. These trees are on Booth Street, between the CCOC apartment building and Laidlaw CoOp. Obviously not a beaver, but it must have been one hungry rabbit or mouse to do this much damage. I will keep an eye on these trees this spring. Hopefully they will survive. Continue reading Tree Trimming from the Bottom Up