Are existing Ottawa River bridges really at capacity? We traditionally measure capacity in vehicles carried, and by this measure some bridges are very busy. But if we measure capacity by people carried, the story changes. Typically, in North America, bridges … Continue reading No new bridges til we use the old ones first
The City proposes to expand the services on the north-south Trillium Line. This will involve some additional double tracking and extending the service to Riverside South and to the Airport. As part of this expansion, the City has ordered 7 … Continue reading Trillium Line – big plans, bad rollout
There is a public open house coming up on Feb 4th at the Hintonburg Community Centre about the proposed 3 tower project beside Gladstone OTrain Station (to be built and opened at the same time as the towers). There is, … Continue reading Intensification yes, but just not this one …
The City is planning to expand the OTrain Line 2 (Trillium Line) south as part of light rail, phase 2. Due to the length of the line, and the expense, and that it may have less passenger traffic at the … Continue reading OTrain Line 2, new options
OC Transpo has put up schematics for all the stations. These illustrations are like sandwiches and somewhat difficult for the non-geek to interpret. You can find them all here: http://www.octranspo.com/ready4rail/my_station http://www.octranspo.com/ready4rail/my_station I recommend you not to try to read … Continue reading Wayfinding for the Bayview and Pimisi stations
For the past several years OC Transpo has been reorganizing the city’s bus routes into a more rigorous grid pattern. The grid pattern is in accord with the standard international practice of replacing meandering every-point-to-every-point bus routes common to smaller … Continue reading New Confederation-era bus routes
The City recently announced some more OC Transpo route changes. Most significantly to readers here at WestSideAction, “local” bus services from the west side will no longer travel right through the downtown; nor will east side bus services travel through … Continue reading Short Cuts at OCTranspo
I live on the south side of the street. The houses cast shade on the sidewalk all winter. The sidewalks were built in the “roller coaster” style with “crazy kitchen”-style tilts. The results are known. Always icy. Always slippery. Frequently … Continue reading Walking in winter
OK, so having said some nice things about OC Transpo shelters, it’s back to griping again. Taking the Trillium O-Train Line (aka route Number 2, aka the Green Line) through Carleton U one is struck by the just-OK collection of … Continue reading The rail Stations that didn’t quite make it … and one that will
As west side portions of the Confederation Line advance in construction, more fall landscaping is going in, like these trees planted on the north side of Bayview Station: I vaguely recall that the terms of the NCC lending the rail … Continue reading Confederation Line Forest
When the Ottawa Humane Society left Champagne Avenue there was some sort of contractual agreement they had to offer the land to the city. For parkland. Nothing said the city had to buy it. So they didn’t. And as a … Continue reading City sleeps while mystery bridge decays
Am I paranormal? Do I see opportunities where others (for eg, the City) see nothing? Are the skeptics about government right when they charge it cannot miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity? In the three short weeks since I … Continue reading When Opportunity knocks …
I stopped to read the new fare dispensing machines at the Carling Station, Trillium Line. They have an abundance of fare-acceptance mechanisms. Cash, coins, credit card readers, credit card taps, presto cards, bar-coded transfers… plus surveillance and communication cameras? monitor? … Continue reading Tickets, please
So the city “wants” to extend the Trillium Line south a bit further, almost but not quite to Riverside South suburb. Alas, it can’t afford the cost. Sob. Sob. Let me suggest that it is eminently affordable, the city has … Continue reading Incrementalizing the OTrain
It is a delight to see the new Bayview and Pimisi Stations taken more “user friendly” shape with the erection of steel framework for the passenger facilities. The stations will signal to the wider community that rail transit is coming … Continue reading Colourful effort
Cyclists and pedestrians that use the ever-more-popular Trillium pathway have enjoyed experienced many detours and perambulations over the last two years. Probably most frustrating has been the circuitous routings for those trying to get to or from the Ottawa River … Continue reading Trillium pathway to River to reopen
As a city, we lack much experience integrating medical facilities and transit. The old Civic bus stops are way out on Carling Avenue, definitely not designed for user convenience, and co-located with year-round curbside puddles and offering free salt washes all … Continue reading A new Civic and that Trillium Connection
The story here earlier this week on the the next phase of the Trillium MUP got 1732 views, which indicates to me a keen public interest in expanded cycling and walking infrastructure. ** My colleague Richard Eade has some more … Continue reading More on Trillium MUP, phase 3
Recall that the Confederation Line will extend westward to Lincoln Fields, maybe by 2023. From there, the line will split with one pair of tracks running on to Baseline Station, and the other going to Bayshore. Of necessity, therefore, only every … Continue reading Track splitting on the Phase 2 LRT lines
The new Bayview Station on the Confederation Line will be built up high on the new bridge in the same place as the old transitway bridge. It will have a curbside entry from Albert Street at the east end of … Continue reading Underpass at Bayview Station
Remember those moving staircases in Harry Potter? Some cyclists and pedestrians may be forgiven for feeling they are in a fantasy world when approaching Bayview Station. The pathway was here yesterday … now its gone. It’s over there ! No, it’s … Continue reading New MUP Pattern at Bayview
In addition to a 1871 roundhouse turntable, parts of a 1883 roundhouse have also been uncovered on LeBreton Flats near Bayview Station. The archaeological dig covers some city land where the Trillium OTrain line and Trillium multi-user pathway is located, and … Continue reading 1871 Railway turntable uncovered on LeBreton Flats
The recent story on the first bit of west side of the Trillium line multi user pathway got a lot of interest and email traffic. In case you didn’t see the updates on the story, Ashcroft promises to finish the … Continue reading WEST side Trillium MUP … again
As part of the expansion plans for the Trillium OTrain line, a new station is to be inserted at Gladstone Avenue. Crews showed up this week to bore holes in the ground to identify how much rock and overburden has … Continue reading Gladstone Station preliminaries
The existing Trillium multi user pathway (MUP) on the EAST side of the OTrain tracks has been a hit with the commuting and recreational public. Its popularity grows weekly. Less well known is the planning “win” when the community obliged … Continue reading Bit of new west side Trillium MUP opens
