Uncategorized18 Comments

My lights will be on !

Westsideaction

I received a phone call earlier this week from a reporter doing a story on Earth Day, the sit-in-the-dark hour. She cheerfully wanted my contribution to how I was honouring or observing Earth Day. There followed a most awkward conversation, she could not decide if I was joshing her or was serious. I assure you I am serious. My Christmas lights in the front tree will be on tonight. Electricity is a marvellous blessing, a mark of our civilization. It represents enlightenment, learning, opportunity, advancement. I have no desire to sit freezing in the dark. It bothers me that the save-electricity … Continue reading My lights will be on !

Carling Ave, O-Train, oc Transpo, pedestrians3 Comments

Popular bus stop with no crossing

Westsideaction

A fundamental tenet of a usable bus service is to have stops that are accessible. A glaring exception is the Carling Avenue bus stop near the O-Train. Inconveniently far from any signalized cross over, the traffic department has resisted for a decade putting in ped-activated crossing lights. They have relented now, and agreed to a ped and cyclist activated crossing signal can be installed during the reconstruction of Carling Avenue. Alas, that project has been rescheduled from 2011 to some unspecified future date, so bus users will have to continue to cross without signals. I was unaware of how popular this bus stop … Continue reading Popular bus stop with no crossing

parking, pedestrians, roads, sidewalks41 Comments

Guerilla Parking Enforcement

Westsideaction

  No, these people aren’t Algonquin College students being persecuted for driving to school. These are their parents, married to their autos, and too lazy to park in the merchant’s free parking lot behind the store. Much easier to just park on the sidewalk. Why don’t they stop on the road? Heavens! that would block traffic! That would be a sin! Much better to park on the sidewalk, the pedestrians won’t even know, and if one comes by, there’s lots of room to squeeze by. Mr Red Volvo the Duck Lover, parks 100% on the sidewalk. He does this regularly, while … Continue reading Guerilla Parking Enforcement

Carling Ave, roads10 Comments

Changing the face of Carling Avenue

Westsideaction

For decades — it seems like centuries — passersby have seen the dark brick façade of this building on the north side of Carling between the federal government office complex and the residential neighborhood that runs up to Bronson Avenue: Here’s a closer view (Look! pedestrians!!): The building hasn’t been used for some years, but the NCC took good care of the front yard (facing Carling) planting tulips and there was a green thicket of shrubs. While it the construction fence is a good indicator of impending demolition, the view from the street is largely unchanged. However, the view from … Continue reading Changing the face of Carling Avenue

Uncategorized21 Comments

303 LeBreton apartment infill

Westsideaction

There are currently two fine houses at 301 and 303 LeBreton: Directly across the street is the government office complex for Natural Resources Canada: The owner of the two houses proposes to demolish the homes and replace them with a 29 unit rental apartment building. There will be 15 two-bedroom units; and 14 one-bedroom plus den. The building will be three floors high. The site plan shows that the rear lane truncated to allow for development of the lot (the large vehicle on an angle is the garbage truck picking up the dumpster): The elevation of the building shows as: I am not sure … Continue reading 303 LeBreton apartment infill

Albert St, bikewest, Carling Ave, pedestrians, roads, Scott street, Uncategorized3 Comments

Sidewalk spacing

Westsideaction

This is a post I wrote for Spacing Ottawa earlier this week. I repeat it in case you managed to miss it at that site. It was subsequently picked up on the national spacing network, as our problems with sidewalks are common throughout Canada: Sidewalks are installed by the City as an after thought. They are simply glued to the side of the curb on the assumption that if the road geometry is good for cars, it’s perfect for pedestrians. There is little consideration given to pedestrian origin or desires. And certainly no thought is wasted considering the pedestrian experience when actually using … Continue reading Sidewalk spacing

road diet, roads, traffic volume

Declines in Interprovincial traffic on bridges

Westsideaction

This is a guest post by John Verbaas, continuing on the theme of declining traffic counts even while we build more roads: “Here’s  one that is dear to my heart.  The information is from a graph taken from the Dillon Consulting Study in 2009-2010 done for studying the impact of reducing King Edward from 6 lanes to 4 lanes.   It shows the 10 yr  trend analysis of daytime traffic volumes on all of the Ottawa River Crossing bridges.  The traffic is flat to declining on all of these bridges except the westernmost one (Champlain).   Amazingly somehow the NCC decided in their … Continue reading Declines in Interprovincial traffic on bridges

road diet, roads, traffic volume, Uncategorized2 Comments

Traffic counts

Westsideaction

 Here is a city data set on streets and traffic volumes. AADT means average annual daily traffic (ie, daily traffic averaged over a year to account for seasonal and daily fluctuations). If you find a four lane urban road with under 18,000-21,000 aadt then it is a candidate for a road diet. The diet might recover the outside lanes for landscaping and streetscaping, protected parking lanes, bike lanes, or some combination. But maybe it isn’t needed for through traffic. Get out your red pencils! Roadway Classifications & Volumes     Roadway Classification Street Location AADT Survey Date Ward   Local    … Continue reading Traffic counts

road diet, roads, traffic volume1 Comment

Traffic in decline? some examples

Westsideaction

In response to the previous post, a reader JV sent me data showing that some traffic predictions for 2021 (predictions made in 2003 TMP) are wildly too high, and that in fact measured traffic is actually declining on the Main Street and Bank Street bridge screenlines. (Bridges make nice places to count traffic as they are funnels, with limited by-pass options). Nonetheless, these old predictions continue to carry weight in justifying more road expenditures. Hmm. Anecdotal evidence, or some sample points, does not yet make a trend. But I am reminded that when our neighborhood fought the Bronson widening (see www.RescueBronson.ca), suggesting … Continue reading Traffic in decline? some examples

Bronson, Carling Ave, Chinatown, downtown, Laurier Ave, pedestrians, Preston street, sidewalks, Uncategorized4 Comments

More Empty Parking lots and underused streets

Westsideaction

There are turning moments in the urban paradigm whereby all that was “normal” before gets swept away and is replaced by a new version of “normal”. I think we are in the midst of a paradigm shift to a new normal with respect to parking and streets in central cities. We saw this once in the 70’s when the anti-freeway mobilizers successfully beat down the Spadina Expressway in Toronto. This inspired decades of courage to residents of Canadian cities coast to coast to object to road building. It was only a partial victory of course. Freeways were renamed parkways, or arterials. The Hunt … Continue reading More Empty Parking lots and underused streets

Gladstone, kayaking, pedestrians, Preston street, Uncategorized13 Comments

Sidewalk reflections

Westsideaction

Any pedestrian in Ottawa recognizes the scene: melting snow puddles on the sidewalks, roads, and crosswalks. Such puddles are to be expected when the roads are old, breaking up, sagging, worn out.But the pic above is of a main street rebuilt … last year! Why can’t our engineers get it right? Surely it isn’t rocket science to build crosswalks that drain to catch basins? The answer lies in an equally predictable realm. The intersections are not designed for pedestrians, but for motorists. To build that concrete crosswalk one or two inches higher would ensure drainage, but then motorists would feel a … Continue reading Sidewalk reflections

Uncategorized3 Comments

Muammar Gaddafi reads WestSideAction !

Westsideaction

Whilst checking through my spam filters I discovered an email from Muammar Gadaffi who is anxious to leave his African country due to turmoil there but needs my bank account number to transfer a sum out. I get to keep a share of it. Could this be true? Gadaffi reads me? He is interested in Dalhousie neighborhood and wants to maybe buy a condo here? I wonder if he will bring those unusually proportioned “nurses” with him. I wonder if he reads Ken Grey too? Continue reading Muammar Gaddafi reads WestSideAction !

bike path, cycling in Ottawa11 Comments

Watson’s Turtle Bikes

Westsideaction

I ran across this item in the blogsphere (Streetsblog NYC): Deco Bikes Arrives in Miami: Miami Beach will début South Florida’s first bike-share system — Deco Bikes — tomorrow. Transit Miami reports the system will be launched with 500 bikes at 50 stations and later expanded to 1,000 bikes at 100 stations. Each station will hold 12 bikes and occupy two parking spaces.    “With the implementation of sharrows  …, upcoming revised bicycle parking standards, and now the implementation of a city-wide bikeshare program, Miami Beach is making big strides to expand bicycle use around the city,” said Garcia. “If successful, other cities in … Continue reading Watson’s Turtle Bikes

infill6 Comments

Very small lot infill

Westsideaction

I wrote previously about a very small lot infill proposed for Preston/Norman. The lot would be about 33′ x 33′, and the house pretty much the same size. It would be a three storey apartment building. Here is a small lot infill in Toronto. It appears to be about the size of a 2 car garage, about 20′ x 20′. It’s on a very small lot on the back end of a side yard, abutting a service laneway. Two-tone dark colours allows the eye to slip over it easily. The electrical mast on the right needs to be introduced to dark brown paint; I … Continue reading Very small lot infill

infill, Uncategorized3 Comments

Sticker infill

Westsideaction

This infill is from Toronto. At first glance, it is a normal looking mod infill: Gray and wood … pretty normal. Look closer and you can see a lot of basement windows … must be a rentable apartment or at least finished space down there. A bit closer up reveals some other details. The exterior is festooned with lights — each side of the dormers, beside the front windows … There is the curious metal strip over the front door breaking up the horizontal wood line … the curious pattern of wood around the windows, the curious butt joints in the wood … Continue reading Sticker infill

Chinatown, City Centre, condos, Elm Street, little Italy, Preston street, Spruce St13 Comments

The Secret West Side

Westsideaction

Everyone knows the traditional main streets: West Wellie, Preston, Chinatown, Bank Street … The very success of these streets ensure they attract popular businesses with enough clientele to afford the rents. But where are the retailers that cannot afford main street? Ottawa lacks many low-value retail spaces, where specialty niche businesses, startups, and some just-plain marginal businesses can locate. Gentrification and the revival of main streets are desirable, but have the effect of squeezing out these small firms. So they slip into little-noticed spots unattractive to mainstream, main street retailers. I previously mentioned the hotbed of nifty niche novelty firms on the west side*. … Continue reading The Secret West Side

Uncategorized4 Comments

Did someone record that?

Westsideaction

  It isn’t enough to carry around a camera. A tape recorder would be useful too. And, while we are at it, a pause button to allow me to get it out and capture what I just heard. Such were my feelings last fall, just before the municipal election, when Planning Committee was discussing the proposed development Soho Champagne. This condo complex will soon be underway by Starwood Mastercraft, at the corner of Champagne and Hickory Street by the O-Train. Neighbours were there to object to the size and height of the proposed condo building. I forget how high the original … Continue reading Did someone record that?

Claridge, condos, pedestrians, Preston street, Primrose, sidewalks, WalkSpace5 Comments

Good neighbours on snowy sidewalks

Westsideaction

Note: this post was originally written for WalkSpace over at www.SpacingOttawa.ca site. I repeat it here just in case you don’t also read Spacing — shame on you! Go subscribe right now! ______________________ Whether or not you enjoy well-plowed winter sidewalks depends on where you live, when you use them, and your neighbours. Sidewalks get a lot of use in the urban bits of the City. Especially where the road is a grid pattern, pedestrians can get from point A to B directly and easily on a route easily understood. The City plows the sidewalks in winter. If you are an early riser … Continue reading Good neighbours on snowy sidewalks

bike path, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, NCC, O-Train2 Comments

Janus the snowplower

Westsideaction

Whilst out walking last week, I noticed an interesting difference in City pathway plowing. From Beech south to Carling, the multi-use path (a MUP, in city jargon; a bike path to the rest of us) gets plowed. Presumably this is because of the O-Train station at Carling: The O-Train path is always gorgeous, lined (for now) with forty year old trees and established green verges bordering the stonedust path. But turn the other way, look north, and Janus does not plow it at all: It is still a city path — oops, MUP. The NCC stoop-and-scoop sign is a leftover from the … Continue reading Janus the snowplower

145 Elm, condos, design, Elm Street, housing policy, infill, intensificatioin11 Comments

Better infills through consultation

Westsideaction

The City has done a review of all the infill housing put up in the last few years in selected central area neighborhoods. Staff went out and photographed every house from the street. I must commend them for actually doing part of the study out in the real world and not from charts and drawings in the back room. It wasn’t that many years ago that the City reprimanded staff for actually going out in the field. It is a practice I would like to see more of (the going out in the city part) by planners. There are been a … Continue reading Better infills through consultation

design, Richmond road, Uncategorized3 Comments

585 Churchill again

Westsideaction

Continued from previous post: This old house has a third floor. Curiously the staircase does not go up from the upstairs hall, but from one of the large bedrooms. This severely impairs the utility of that bedroom in my mind, since the third floor is itself a marvellous room. The third floor was totally flooded with light. Skylights abounded, with gorgeous tree-house-living views. The white-washed ceiling beams kept the volume of space large. The deluxe bathroom fixtures made this attic room seem more like a retreat … except the toilet is totally open to the rest of the room … … Continue reading 585 Churchill again

design, Richmond road, Uncategorized6 Comments

Winston might be comfortable here …

Westsideaction

There was a well-worn house on Churchill. Previous owners subdivided it into apartments. Now, it has been given an “extreme makeover”. The makeover kept and modernized most of the old elements. For example, the main floor walls were left in place rather than “opened up” to a loft style. Typically for such old homes, the antiquated kitchens and baths are scarcely what would be found in decorator mags or HGTV shows today. Kitchen: So who lives there and how did I get in? No one lives there. The house has been staged … selectively furnished with impact-full pieces of furniture and artwork. All … Continue reading Winston might be comfortable here …