Uncategorized10 Comments

Drilling for STO?

Westsideaction

On the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway just west of the War Museum, the road ascends a long gentle hill up and over the north-south railway track that connects to the Prince of Wales Bridge over the Ottawa River. The bridge is very high, allowing lots of room for an electrified double O-train track to the POW bridge. Soil sampling and core drilling is going on the corners of the bridge. Maybe the bridge is up for replacement at the end of its natural life … but it appears in good repair. I wonder if it has anything to do with the long-lost-in-action … Continue reading Drilling for STO?

cycling in Ottawa, O-Train, sidewalks, streetscaping1 Comment

Somerset bike underpass underway

Westsideaction

Somerset rises up and over the O-Train on a viaduct. A viaduct is rather like a bridge, but it is not hollow underneath; instead two side walls hold up a long berm of dirt with the road on top. The only bridge portions are over the O-Train itself and over a bit of City Centre Avenue. Another viaduct is the portion of the transitway from the O-Train overpass west, over the top of Baysview Avenue, and then descending into the cut that enters Tunney’s Pasture. An underpass is required for the new bicycle path that parallels the east side of the O-Train corridor. A … Continue reading Somerset bike underpass underway

WalkSpace2 Comments

Spacing Ottawa magazine launch

Westsideaction

  Spacing Magazine has a new issue on the bookstands. There is a launch party for it on Tuesday evening at 7pm. I have a teensey tiny little wee article     articlette in this issue. I have to tell you here, since you are likely to skip right over it when you read the mag (and you will buy it won’t you?). Now, for the price of the mag — just a fiver — you can meet the national and Ottawa editors, hear some neat panelists, and meet me in person if you have thus far managed to avoid that dubious pleasure. … Continue reading Spacing Ottawa magazine launch

design, housing policy, infill, intensificatioin

At last, small house infill

Westsideaction

In the Carlington neighborhood there has been a controversial infill (are there any other type??). The first proposal had a too-big house that dwarfed the post-war one-and-half storey homes that comprise most of the area. There was an odd -lot subdivision. Unsympathetic design. Most recently, there was a fuss over damage and removal of a large tree while digging utility lines. But, for all this, or perhaps because of all this, the finished result is lookin’ good. And most excitingly for all those upset about over-sized over-priced infills, this project is ideal for single persons, couples, or small families. The site on Crown Cresc. … Continue reading At last, small house infill

bike path, Bronson, Carling Ave, cycling in Ottawa, downtown, parking, roads, Uncategorized11 Comments

YES ! to municipal bike tax

Westsideaction

So a City Councillor has suggested we tax bicycles, perhaps by levying a license fee. I suspect he pictures in his mind a miniature license plate, similar to the full size plates that a car has, or what bicycles in the 1950’s used to have. Some places use stickers instead of metal plates, but these are hard to read, and certainly cannot be read while an offending cyclist speeds off into the sunset after his or her dasterly deed. I agree with Councillor Monette. The municipality should license bicycles and indeed all vehicles driving in the City. Right now, the City … Continue reading YES ! to municipal bike tax

Uncategorized3 Comments

Elvis Anonymous

Westsideaction

A little while ago I heard a CBC radio program about weird and unusual street names. Apparently there is an Elvis Lives Lane in Ottawa. So I made a point of looking for it when out at MEC. Low and behold, the street sign is stolen. Given the name, that is probably a common occurence, and explains why was not promptly replaced on this sign post. That might be a CCTV camera on the wall to right, I wonder if its focus included the sign post. The sign on the building beyond lines up nicely with the sign post and … Continue reading Elvis Anonymous

Uncategorized13 Comments

In praise of urban cycling

Westsideaction

This video link,courtesy of Urbanophile, promotes cycling in Rotterdam, whether by regular bikes, sport bikes, utility bikes, mangos, and for all types of people. Notice particularly the teen boy from the opening scene who delivers the newspapers and eventually is handed the yellow leader’s jersey from the old cyclist. Rotterdam is slightly bigger than Ottawa. Can you ever imagine a similar video of Ottawa? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRksR1jdt3c&feature=player_embedded Continue reading In praise of urban cycling

bike path, condos, cycling in Ottawa, downtown, Laurier Ave13 Comments

Laurier Bike Lane opens

Westsideaction

The Laurier Avenue separated bike lane (SBL) opened today. Mayor Watson was there, Marianne Wilkinson, and former councilor Bedard: There was a reasonable size crowd to see the ribbon cutting and hear the (mercifully short) speeches. There were some protesters too, objecting to the bike lanes. Two cyclists were wearing helmet cams to film what they see: These paramedics patrolled the path, searching in vain for early fatalities or run-over protesters. The bigger risk might be sunburn on the bum cleavage: There were several cycle-mounted police there too. It just might be possible that Laurier Avenue will have faster medical … Continue reading Laurier Bike Lane opens

Albert St, Claridge, condos, DOTT, downtown, Laurier Ave, LRT, Lyon Street, Minto Place, NCC, OLRT, pedestrians, roads, sidewalks, Transit22 Comments

The devil rides Watson’s new LRT route

Westsideaction

Warning: long post. Go pee or get your coffee before you start reading. After so much huffing and puffing, the City has detailed its final LRT route and station locations, and their costs, to Council and the Public. The most noteworthy change has been to move the tunnel from the “cross country” deep alignment under Albert Street, then Queen Street … to one that traverses the downtown always under Queen. I have read the available material from the City justifying the move. It is a very political document, light on the technical stuff. It’s way more PR oriented than the previous reports. … Continue reading The devil rides Watson’s new LRT route

design, roads, streetscaping, Uncategorized4 Comments

Hope for traffic calming

Westsideaction

I came across this example of traffic calming in Port Hope. A residential collector street obviously suffers from excessive speeding traffic. And Port Hope certainly had an abundance of jacked-up pickup trucks and elderly cars with look-at-me “mufflers” (amplifiers?). I suspect cruisin’ the streets is a vehicular  passeggiata for the Hopeful. This long thin traffic island, repeated every block, effectively narrows the available lane space and forces a certain percentage of vehicles to slow down a bit. I was impressed by the intensive landscaping in the medians, which even included trees: Trees were planted both in the island and on both sides … Continue reading Hope for traffic calming

Bayview, Bayview Otrain, Bluesfest, Booth St, NCC, O-Train8 Comments

Preston Extension open (for how long…)

Westsideaction

Recall that last week the Preston extension (running north from Albert to a legal crosswalk over the transitway to NCC paths along the River) was suddenly gated and locked. We still don’t know for sure who did it, but the NCC seems willing to take the hit. Then, the next day the gate was open. I am told that the chain/lock were cut rather than unlocked. On Tuesday evening, the path received heavy use for patrons heading out to Bluesfest, where they could catch The Long Waits and The NeverEnding Lineups. About dusk I headed out to check out the route. Upon first seeing … Continue reading Preston Extension open (for how long…)

bike path, Chinatown, cycling in Ottawa, Empress St, Laurier Ave, parking, Uncategorized4 Comments

Unintended benefits of Laurier SBL

Westsideaction

The Laurier Separated Bike Lane — SBL — opens July 10th. Considerable criticism has been levelled that it goes nowhere from nowhere to nowhere. I guess these critics want a SBL that never starts nor stops…  they just don’t want it at all. At the western end of Laurier, the bike lane stops at Bronson. Considerable volumes of bike traffic will have moved off the route to go north and west or south by time the lane reaches Bronson. But for traffic continuing into Dalhousie, Chinatown, or desiring to go south parallel to Bronson, some new measures have been put into place … Continue reading Unintended benefits of Laurier SBL

Trees6 Comments

Protecting Urban Trees during construction

Westsideaction

My first house was on Booth Street. It was a new townhouse in 1980, built by RJ Nicol. At the curb line was a very large street tree. I selected the my house in part because of the large tree in front. During construction, the approved plans called for its protection by wrapping the trunk in snow fence. The water main trench was cut out to the street a foot or so to one side of the tree. The sewer cut on the other side. Then the gas company came along and when they reached the tree, dug a hole … Continue reading Protecting Urban Trees during construction

Bayview Otrain, bike path, Bluesfest, Booth St, cycling in Ottawa, pedestrians, Preston street16 Comments

Popular bike and ped route “locked shut”

Westsideaction

Several years ago a gate was installed at the north end of Preston, where it crosses NCC land. There is a paved path (actually a derelict bit of the transitway from pre-1980’s) that leads to a legal marked crossing of the current transitway and then out the Ottawa River bike paths. The gate was installed by contractors during water main construction a few years ago. On Monday, it was locked shut. I went out Monday evening to view the scene. I met cyclists coming up from the River, having crossed the transitway, and were then forced to return and recross the transitway to search … Continue reading Popular bike and ped route “locked shut”

bike path, bixi bike, cycling in Ottawa, Laurier Ave, NCC, Ottawa, road diet, traffic volume, Transit4 Comments

Ontario Bike Summit, Day 1

Westsideaction

The Ontario Bike Summit started Monday at the Museum of Nature, and continues on Tuesday. Bug Me, says Watson: What’s a public meeting without politicians to speak? This meeting opened with an abundance of them. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson spoke of the increased volume of cyclists (155,000 in May) and their increased visibility. Speaking of the Laurier Separated Bike Lane (SBL) he made it clear that he understood some cyclists did not like the project, but “they don’t have to use it”. It is designed to offer a safer route for cyclists, to encourage more cycling, and to facilitate tourists who cycle … Continue reading Ontario Bike Summit, Day 1

condos, housing policy, infill, intensificatioin, Nature6 Comments

Champlain (de-)forest realities

Westsideaction

I went on a walking tour Sunday morning in the Champlain Park neighborhood. This west side group of streets runs north of the transitway, from the Mosque at Northwestern to Island Park Drive. The neighborhood began as a cottage area on the floodplain of the River (the railway tracks, now transitway trench, marked the high water mark of the floodplain). Later, small houses were built in the 1940’s followed by some 2-storey homes. My grandparents lived in one on Cowley. The neighborhood had its quirks, including a lack of storm sewers and inconsistent rear yard grading, which led to frequent basement … Continue reading Champlain (de-)forest realities

bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, NCC, parks, Uncategorized, WalkSpace4 Comments

Get Lost

Westsideaction

This post was originally written for Spacing Ottawa, www.spacingottawa.ca, and is reprinted here in case you are so negligent you do not subscribe to that site. You should have read it there! Spacing deals with geography across Canada; Spacing Ottawa deals with geography in Ottawa. WSA, of course, is a smaller focus on the neighborhoods on the  west side of the downtown. But it’s all geography! There is some new content at the bottom of the post. ________________________ As an urban society, we have to shift our focus away from exclusively serving motor vehicles as the norm, and towards serving people, regardless … Continue reading Get Lost

cycling in Ottawa, design, downtown, NCC14 Comments

Indistinguishable crosswalk lures peds to danger

Westsideaction

The picture is taken from the McKenzie-King Bridge, between the canal and Rideau Centre. The unique spiral staircase on the left is now closed, and will be removed. It is, apparently, not fully accessible. It is being sort-of replaced by the straight staircase on the right, adjacent the new Convention Centre. It has an elevator hidden inside a nifty turned-over ice-cream cone metal shroud, so Everyone can go up or down. But look closely at Colonel By Drive. Notice that peds arriving at the bottom of the staircase on the right appear to have a crosswalk. And on the left side, partially obscured by the … Continue reading Indistinguishable crosswalk lures peds to danger

Uncategorized1 Comment

Ottawa needs a T-pass

Westsideaction

In the old model, the City (ie, taxpayer at the Fed, Prov, or municipal level) provided roads at no charge to motorists. The Fed and Prov level recovered some of the money through taxes on gasoline in excess of the general sales tax rate. For non-motorists, there are sidewalks, and Ottawa is very good at having sidewalks  along most major roads, including some rather isolated ones where pedestrians are rare. For transit users, the cost is shared between the user, who pays a per ride or monthly fee, and the taxpayer. A number of municipalities have experimented with no-fare transit, and find … Continue reading Ottawa needs a T-pass

Dalhousie, hintonburg4 Comments

ODSB: recognize reality; deal with it

Westsideaction

There was an earlier post* on the botched attempt by the Ottawa public school board to convert playground space into parking spaces at Devonshire School. Their asphalt blitzkrieg plans were discovered in time to retard the pave-over. There is a meeting this evening at the school at 6pm to discuss new plans. The Board has come up with this plan: The key features shown above include an expanded teacher parking lot achieved by paving over some of the play yard, on the lower right. The spaces are accessed from the public laneway behind the school. [are these spaces legal and conforming to parking standards … Continue reading ODSB: recognize reality; deal with it

Uncategorized6 Comments

Cafe culture does not need a sidewalk

Westsideaction

The scene is disconcerting. Shouldn’t a sidewalk café at least have a sidewalk? But Art-is-in bakery proves otherwise. First, their gritty industrial bay at City Centre becomes a trendy popular breakfast and coffee spot. Tables sprout, light fixtures appear… And now, a minimalist patio appears on the apron to the loading docks. These patrons seemed delighted to sit out, encircled by a row of cars and trucks. If this was a Disney movie, those animated vehicles would be plotting how to steal the baking… The front of the City Centre building is a total heat trap, the curvilinear two-story warehouse bays … Continue reading Cafe culture does not need a sidewalk

Uncategorized4 Comments

Slow in Ottawa

Westsideaction

Whilst cycling along the Britannia bike path near mud lake, I was lucky to overtake this Ottawa resident. She took a moment to rest. I like to think she was comfortable with me guarding her. She was returning to Mud Lake having just laid her eggs in the soft grass-seeded dirt on the south side of the path. Ample scuff marks showed where the nest is. Back to the lake … I wonder just how safe her precious cargo of eggs are. She laid them in the top soil covering a recent City excavation. The soil has been sprinkled with grass … Continue reading Slow in Ottawa

Uncategorized2 Comments

Hollywood, WSA

Westsideaction

Yes folks, the scene is the commodious parking lot in front of the much-maligned City Centre office building on City Centre Drive, which, despite the name, is not exactly downtown. It is, however, home to rare cheap industrial space in oh-so-tidy Ottawa where bureaucrats prefer to view cubicle farms rather than people actually working with their hands. Dateline Hollywood, WSA: time: Saturday morning Action: film crews busy at work around the doors of the building. Did they just need a door shot, or were they relating to the building that houses so many lost causes?   The Trailers of the … Continue reading Hollywood, WSA

Uncategorized

Irony

Westsideaction

Scanning the Citizen online today, I came across a story about a young man debarking a bus and getting hit by a sidewalk cyclist. It is not clear if the problem is the cyclist on the sidewalk or the speed of the cyclist. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Video+Struck+down+sidewalk+cyclist/4966618/story.html What’s also offensive is opening of the video with a commercial inserted by the Citizen. It’s of a speeding car, the joy of the zooming, and comes complete with a floating text that boasts “hands free”. Now, where was I, oh yeah, the offence was related to driving … Continue reading Irony

condos, hintonburg

Noddy builds a condo

Westsideaction

As a kid, I had a few of the original “Noddy” books. I dug them out again when my kiddies were young, and was … surprised … by certain things in them that do not meet parental approval today. The tackiest was the portrayal of “Golliwogs” (black people, black dolls) who were usually the bad guys of the piece. If I recall correctly, my bro got a Golliwog doll action figure for Christmas one year, I got the bendable Popeye figure. In the first book, Noddy Goes to Toyland (or some such similar title) he attempts to build a house out of … Continue reading Noddy builds a condo