Category: pedestrians

pedestrians, streetscaping, west wellington3 Comments

Sidewalk Engineering

Westsideaction

I have some tolerance for dilapidated infrastructure in the city. Not everything can be perfect. And I rationalize away some of the puddles at crosswalks as being products of 60 year old roads, old neighborhoods, etc. This makes it doubly disappointing to discover that sometimes newly rebuilt roads and sidewalks are no better. The photo above is at the corner near Billy’s Appliances on Richmond Road, beside Our Lady of the Condos. Yes, it is the final pavement, the catch basins were not unusually blocked (anymore than they are designed to be) … its just that the sidewalk at the corner … Continue reading Sidewalk Engineering

pedestrians, streetscaping, west wellington

Sidewalk Engineering

Westsideaction

I have some tolerance for dilapidated infrastructure in the city. Not everything can be perfect. And I rationalize away some of the puddles at crosswalks as being products of 60 year old roads, old neighborhoods, etc. This makes it doubly disappointing to discover that sometimes newly rebuilt roads and sidewalks are no better. The photo above is at the corner near Billy’s Appliances on Richmond Road, beside Our Lady of the Condos. Yes, it is the final pavement, the catch basins were not unusually blocked (anymore than they are designed to be) … its just that the sidewalk at the corner … Continue reading Sidewalk Engineering

pedestrians, Preston street

S’no banking fun

Westsideaction

One of the less joyous parts of winter is climbing through icy snowbanks on tiny rutted paths. Would you believe this is the main pedestrian entrance from the street to a bank? At this squeeze point, the snow-bound bike rack forms a minor handhold function. And I thought banks were holding my hand, offering me an easy chair … This is the front of the CIBC at Preston & Carling. Their snow plow service plows the front door walk by pushing the snow from the parking lot across the front into pedestrian-blocking heaps at the Preston and Carling public sidewalks. … Continue reading S’no banking fun

Chinatown, little Italy, pedestrians, Plouffe Park, Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping

Somerset Streetscaping – can it get back on the road?

Westsideaction

The first meeting of stakeholders got together on Tuesday evening to discuss the streetscaping project on Somerset Street. The 2010 portion is from Preston to West Wellie. The portion shown above is in the Preston BIA catchment area. The portion beyond the bridge is in Hintonburg (Kitchissipi ward) and the Hintonburg BIA. In 2011 the section from Preston to Booth will be done. That is the area behind the viewer in the above picture. It falls in the Chinatown BIA. Yup, in a territory walkable in barely five minutes, there are two wards, 3 BIAs, 2 community associations, and other stakeholders. A nice streetscaping project might be do-able … Continue reading Somerset Streetscaping – can it get back on the road?

pedestrians

Good news for pedestrians

Westsideaction

Oh my, I do rant and rave sometimes about sidewalks and the indignities the City inflicts on us pedestrians and cyclists. Yet modern society does have its benefits. Consider the horse souvenirs in the photo above. In my father’s day, the kids on Christie Street used these renewable recyclable resources for street hockey. Fortunately, modern city pedestrians seldom experience these equine memorabilia. The photo above was taken at Upper Canada Village. Readers with memories may recall the nice Xmas pictures posted on this blog on the 24th and 25th of December of the village Alight at Night. While my companions … Continue reading Good news for pedestrians

pedestrians, streetscaping

Dipsy Doo for Cars

Westsideaction

All pedestrians complain at the roller coaster sidewalks Ottawa inflicts on pedestrians. No driveway is too small or too seldom used that it can’t have a dip in the sidewalk. I had hoped that with the reconstruction of West Wellington, Somerset, Preston, and other streets with new wider sidewalks that maybe, just maybe, pedestrians could come first. But alas, no, the old patterns reappear even when there is no functional reason. Look at the sidewalk in the picture above. It is set back about 10 feet from the curb, but it still slopes down to a dip. Why can’t a … Continue reading Dipsy Doo for Cars

pedestrians, Primrose

Windsor should be happy

Westsideaction

From time to time we pedestrians find mysterious heaps of salt on the sidewalk. The little Everest shown is on Primrose Street in front of the park. Presumably, a sidwalk plow was re-loaded with salt at that point, and a little spilled over. Oops. I wonder how many street trees are mysteriously dead in the spring, or concrete surfaces pitted from unknown causes … when the spring comes, the evidence of the salt dump cause disappears. Windsor, or the Magdalene Islands, or where-ever it is that our fair city buys its salt from, should be happy at our generous distribution … Continue reading Windsor should be happy

pedestrians

Sidewalks by Design

Westsideaction

Our fair city continues to insist that it is pedestrian friendly. Of course, this friendliness comes second to being very friendly to motorists. At first glance the above photo is so typical of Ottawa surely it is nothing worthwhile noting? But consider the engineering and design effort that goes into designing a road and sidewalk system that consistently delivers a slushy puddle at hundreds of thousands of sidewalk dips all across our city for four or five months of the year. Consider the thought and effort that goes into ensuring pedestrians are directed onto steeply sloping sidewalks at exactly the same geographical … Continue reading Sidewalks by Design

DOTT, hintonburg, O-Train, pedestrians

Slippery Slope of Pedestrian Desires

Westsideaction

Pedestrians climb over the significant height of the steel barrier to leave the sidewalk and climb down the slope along Albert Street at Tom Brown arena. At the foot of the slope, they cross the soccer field or parking lots at a diagonal, heading towards West Wellington or Bayview/Bayswater. The worn out slope is quite wide, indicating the volume of pedestrian desire is so large is might be termed pedestrian lust. The “landing zone” on the slope is almost a foot lower than the sidewalk, worn down by all the users. [Notice the curious shaddow of the man – it … Continue reading Slippery Slope of Pedestrian Desires

Bayview, pedestrians, streetscaping

Pedestrian desires ignored

Westsideaction

The City is pretty much finished its reconstruction, streetscaping, and traffic calming work along Bayview Avenue near Scott. The picture above is of the recently sodded field between Tom Brown arena and the Bayview/Scott/Albert intersection. The dividing line between the old field (left) and new sod (centre) is obvious. Notice how pedestrians cut across the field starting right at the end of the steel crash barrier along the road. The barrier effectively discourages many pedestrians from taking even shorter short cuts; as soon as the barrier ends, a few paths appear immediately. There is a city sidewalk, but it goes … Continue reading Pedestrian desires ignored

pedestrians

Driving school children

Westsideaction

Grade school in Orleans with large circular driveway at the front for dropping off the kids. I am astounded when I (occasionally) go to Orleans or the western suburbs and see new primary schools with huge driveways/waiting queues just for parents to drop off their kids. Back when my kid went to St Mary school I was on the PAC. The safety issue of children walking to school came up repeatedly. I thought most concerns totally unreal. I did not realize back then that most of the kids never walked anywhere and had no “common sense” for using sidewalks or … Continue reading Driving school children

pedestrians, Preston street, Primrose

Put my foot in it …

Westsideaction

I have been known to put my foot in it … some may feel I always do. But in this case, it was literally not figuratively. I was walking on the new sidewalk along Preston at Primrose – you know, the one with the missing sections and occasional mountain goat sections where you have to leap over walls, scramble up gravel mounds, etc. I steped into an area of sidewalk that had been filled around a utility hatch. It was a good foot below the finished sidewalk level so I got some good momentum. Alas, the cement there was not … Continue reading Put my foot in it …

downtown, pedestrians, streetscaping

The Broken Promise of Interlock

Westsideaction

When interlock paving first appeared on the Ottawa scene back in the early 1970’s — remember those “trillium”shaped paving blocks?– one of the advantages touted over concrete was that the pavers could be relaid when necessary, individual blocks could be replaced when damaged, without tearing out and throwing away the entire concrete “square” of regular sidewalks. Of course, what we really got was endlessly heaved and uneven interlock sidewalks, often patched with asphalt. Individual stones are not replaced because labor costs are too high and the block shapes discontinued every few years. Sometimes we get mismatched “repairs” using different block shapes. … Continue reading The Broken Promise of Interlock

pedestrians

Typical Mismatch

Westsideaction

This intersection of Torrington at the Driveway is typical of many in the City. The stop line for vehicles is up close to the intersection but the pedestrian walks are set back a few meters, right at the midpoint of a car. In this case as I walked up to the intersection and stepped onto the asphalt to cross a car had to brake sharply as the driver was focussed on the stop line not the crossing walking. It seems more logical to me that the stop line be at the sidewalk – and the sidewalk dip – and after … Continue reading Typical Mismatch

Bayview, Bayview Otrain, LeBreton Flats, O-Train, oc Transpo, pedestrians

Otrain “temporary” station at Bayview

Westsideaction

When the OTrain service began in 2001 it was a “temporary” experiment to see if Ottawan’s would like a train. That the service – derrided as being from nowhere to nowhere – quickly exceeded its longer time ridership projections was a pleasant surprise. Today it carries 50% more riders than the optimistic forecast. Still, being an experiment and all, the stations were designed to be “temporary”. Bayview Station was no exception. The City engineers designed the paved paths with steeply sloping gravel sides. No doubt their text books and tables told them that these would be “stable”. Of course, in … Continue reading Otrain “temporary” station at Bayview

drug issues, pedestrians, Primrose

Knock Knock, Ottawa Police

Westsideaction

While creating the following post on double-tracked pathways in Toronto (punnily entitled: InAction), there came a knock at the front door of my house. Two Ottawa police persons were there, giving competition to the UPS men in short pants category. One officer was hanging off the end of my verandah to peer over my driveway gate, which is 7’6″ high. The cause: my elderly Cdn tire 6speed commuter bike was parked in my driveway, the front door of the house was open (although the glass aluminum door was locked). It seems there is a burglar active in our area, age … Continue reading Knock Knock, Ottawa Police

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

pedestrians, streetscaping

Decapitated

Westsideaction

I came across a row of decapitated parking meters on Lisgar Street on Sunday morning. If you look closely the green arched hood of the unit has been forced up, possibly with a pry tool. The coin mechanism was then lifted out, and the coins removed. The mechanisms can be seen disgarded in the shrubs in the background. – At one time parking meters were located between the pedestrian and the curb line, which helped separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic. Now, all the meters are located on the far side of the sidewalk, forcing the pedestrians to walk on the … Continue reading Decapitated

little Italy, pedestrians, Preston street3 Comments

Why the wider corner ?

Westsideaction

SW corner of Albert/Preston.Note the red line that cuts off the sidewalk. I really do think our city has too many roads, too wide, and despite the claims of being cycle or pedestrian friendly, too much of what gets done is car traffic friendly first and foremost. – I recall working with city staff on a project for Booth Street with the specific mandate to calm traffic and to reduce the volume of traffic on the street. The engineers/planners came back with ideas to widen the intersections, add additional lane space, etc. – Now Preston Street, after 16 years of … Continue reading Why the wider corner ?

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 …

bike path, NCC, pedestrians2 Comments

Alternatives to pathway apartheid,i

Westsideaction

through-cycling path interrupted by car access to parking lottypical pedestrian-only path leaves main path There are a number of things that can be done to existing multipurpose paths (which I normally call bike paths, because that is how I use them) to make them more user friendly.–For example, a Remic Rapids the riverside path is congested with families visiting the ducks, geese, and sculptures, and others accessing erotic pleasures in the remaining shrubbery (I no longer see the city social worker at this site handing out condoms… ).–To deal with the volume of slow moving pedestrian traffic and through-traffic cyclists, … Continue reading Alternatives to pathway apartheid,i

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

Pooley’s Bridge Re-opens

Westsideaction

view from temporary path towards north end of Pooley’s Bridgeview north along the temp path towards Wellington –Pooley’s bridge is an historic stone arch bridge over the aquaduct/tailrace at the foot of Bronson hill. It permits pedestrians and cyclists direct access from the downtown via Commissioner St (that part of “Bronson” that extends downhill north of Albert) to LeBreton Flats. It was renovated and restored a few years ago, for pedestrian and cyclist traffic only, but then was promptly closed when Fleet Street was closed to public access during construction of residences on LeBreton Flats.–I have been part of the … Continue reading Pooley’s Bridge Re-opens

condos, housing policy, pedestrians3 Comments

Is Infill Working?

Westsideaction

Proponents of ‘smart growth’ and higher density cities usually cite as benefits the smaller ecological footprint and lower cost of servicing higher density mixed use urban areas compared to suburban growth. I wonder just how true this is. In my neighborhood, on the west side of the urban core, it is possible to walk to multiple employment centres. Shopping is a bit of stretch to the Rideau Centre, and for groceries, well they do call it a ‘grocery desert’ for a reason. However, Loblaws in Westboro does deliver and with a family of teens that is well worth while (I … Continue reading Is Infill Working?

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?

little Italy, pedestrians, Preston street1 Comment

Little things make a difference

Westsideaction

Greenbelt Taggart Winter … then roadwork. How road reconstruction is handled makes a big difference to motorists and pedestrians too. Last year, on Preston, contractors used crowd control barricades to separate sidewalks from dug-up roads. These barriers, silver colored and looking vaguely like old bedsteads, have side legs that extended a full foot onto the sidewalk, narrowing the already chopped up walking space and rendering passage impossible for strollers, walkers, or wheelchairs. They also frequently toppled/were pushed over into the construction holes. This year on Preston the preferred fencing is the thin high wire fence panel system. Taggart, working on … Continue reading Little things make a difference