bike path, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, somerset street

Cyclopiste de Preston (iii), south of Somerset

Westsideaction

Picture 1 is the view from the Somerset viaduct looking south towards Gladstone and the Queensway. The Otrain track is barely visible in the cut on the right. Most of this land is City owned (a small portion is NCC, but it is not required to make the underpass). At the Somerset end, the right of way is quite wide. It would be relatively straightforward to connect the Somerset bike lane and sidewalk surfaces with the bike route using a slope, although a switchback might be required. A 16′ drop requires 320 feet of ramp, plus some flat spots. To … Continue reading Cyclopiste de Preston (iii), south of Somerset

bike path, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, somerset street

Cyclopiste de Preston (iii), south of Somerset

Westsideaction

Picture 1 is the view from the Somerset viaduct looking south towards Gladstone and the Queensway. The Otrain track is barely visible in the cut on the right. Most of this land is City owned (a small portion is NCC, but it is not required to make the underpass). At the Somerset end, the right of way is quite wide. It would be relatively straightforward to connect the Somerset bike lane and sidewalk surfaces with the bike route using a slope, although a switchback might be required. A 16′ drop requires 320 feet of ramp, plus some flat spots. To … Continue reading Cyclopiste de Preston (iii), south of Somerset

Bayview-Carling CDP, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston

Cyclopiste de Preston (ii)

Westsideaction

 The first photo was taken mid-winter, from the area behind the City Centre warehouse complex; the Otrain track is on the right, going south under Somerset viaduct. This shows there is considerable open space on the east side of the track for a cycle path. A cycling and pedestrian underpass would be straight ahead centre in the photo. The underpass, a precast concrete “box”, would be a few feet above the current track level, and set back from the track far enough to allow for a LRT station on the far side (southside) of Somerset, should one be installed. There are … Continue reading Cyclopiste de Preston (ii)

Bayview-Carling CDP, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston

Cyclopiste de Preston (ii)

Westsideaction

 The first photo was taken mid-winter, from the area behind the City Centre warehouse complex; the Otrain track is on the right, going south under Somerset viaduct. This shows there is considerable open space on the east side of the track for a cycle path. A cycling and pedestrian underpass would be straight ahead centre in the photo. The underpass, a precast concrete “box”, would be a few feet above the current track level, and set back from the track far enough to allow for a LRT station on the far side (southside) of Somerset, should one be installed. There are … Continue reading Cyclopiste de Preston (ii)

Bayview-Carling CDP, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, Dows Lake4 Comments

Cyclopiste de Preston (i): Cycle Path along the Otrain Corridor

Westsideaction

The Carling-Bayview community design plan calls for a bike path along the Otrain corridor. So does the City’s official cycling plan. Parts of the path were built in the early 1960’s when the NCC removed the street-level railway tracks and consolidated them into the new “cut” dug from Carleton U to Bayview, where the Otrain now runs, and the furture southwest LRT lines will run. The path has trees on both sides (moreso on the rail cut side) and a variety of views into back yards and small industries along the Preston side of the path. These walking and cycling … Continue reading Cyclopiste de Preston (i): Cycle Path along the Otrain Corridor

Bayview-Carling CDP, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, Dows Lake

Cyclopiste de Preston (i): Cycle Path along the Otrain Corridor

Westsideaction

The Carling-Bayview community design plan calls for a bike path along the Otrain corridor. So does the City’s official cycling plan. Parts of the path were built in the early 1960’s when the NCC removed the street-level railway tracks and consolidated them into the new “cut” dug from Carleton U to Bayview, where the Otrain now runs, and the furture southwest LRT lines will run. The path has trees on both sides (moreso on the rail cut side) and a variety of views into back yards and small industries along the Preston side of the path. These walking and cycling … Continue reading Cyclopiste de Preston (i): Cycle Path along the Otrain Corridor

Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping, west wellington1 Comment

Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

Westsideaction

After numerous meetings of stakeholders, the City and its consultants (Delcan) have come up with a proposed streetscaping plan for Somerset Street. It is excellent. Readers will recall that the West Wellie reconstruction got as far east as Spadina last year. Starting next month, more of Somerset will be dug up and new sewers and water installed, and then comes the fancy paving, protected parking bays that guarantee on-street parking (instead of rush hour traffic lanes), pedestrian lighting, benches, trees, etc. The section from Spadina east to the start of the viaduct (bridge) at Breezehill will be landscaped like the … Continue reading Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping, west wellington

Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

Westsideaction

After numerous meetings of stakeholders, the City and its consultants (Delcan) have come up with a proposed streetscaping plan for Somerset Street. It is excellent. Readers will recall that the West Wellie reconstruction got as far east as Spadina last year. Starting next month, more of Somerset will be dug up and new sewers and water installed, and then comes the fancy paving, protected parking bays that guarantee on-street parking (instead of rush hour traffic lanes), pedestrian lighting, benches, trees, etc. The section from Spadina east to the start of the viaduct (bridge) at Breezehill will be landscaped like the … Continue reading Somerset Streetscaping Plan Unveiled

green roofs, Minto Place3 Comments

Greenwalled

Westsideaction

For several years now property managers, researchers, and environmentalists have been struggling to develop workable green walls. Most of the ones I have seen pictures of or visited have been of the “ragged” or bushy style, with the vertical plant walls containing a variety of plants densely packed into the vertical frame. The photo above is the new plant wall in Minto Place. You can see the east wall of the Minto Place Hotel through the skylight above. This greenwall is much more formal than any I have seen before. Philodendrium type plants predominate. I could not identify any blooming … Continue reading Greenwalled

green roofs, Minto Place

Greenwalled

Westsideaction

For several years now property managers, researchers, and environmentalists have been struggling to develop workable green walls. Most of the ones I have seen pictures of or visited have been of the “ragged” or bushy style, with the vertical plant walls containing a variety of plants densely packed into the vertical frame. The photo above is the new plant wall in Minto Place. You can see the east wall of the Minto Place Hotel through the skylight above. This greenwall is much more formal than any I have seen before. Philodendrium type plants predominate. I could not identify any blooming … Continue reading Greenwalled

Claridge, condos, intensificatioin, LeBreton Flats, Richmond road

Archways

Westsideaction

 Ashcroft is proposing a wide two or three storey arch on the north side of its convent development in Westboro. They are proposing an “arched” arch, rather than the very square ones at 200 Lett St (Claridge’s project on LeBreton Flats). The photos above show their north arch. Notice that the road surface and pedestrian walking surface are undifferentiated with so much as a curb or coloured paver. At the midpoint of each Claridge arch is the entrance to the parking garage, so this passageway is sometimes busy with cars. The length of the passageway through the building seems short enough … Continue reading Archways

Claridge, condos, intensificatioin, LeBreton Flats, Richmond road

Archways

Westsideaction

 Ashcroft is proposing a wide two or three storey arch on the north side of its convent development in Westboro. They are proposing an “arched” arch, rather than the very square ones at 200 Lett St (Claridge’s project on LeBreton Flats). The photos above show their north arch. Notice that the road surface and pedestrian walking surface are undifferentiated with so much as a curb or coloured paver. At the midpoint of each Claridge arch is the entrance to the parking garage, so this passageway is sometimes busy with cars. The length of the passageway through the building seems short enough … Continue reading Archways

Preston street, streetscaping1 Comment

Undoing streetscaping

Westsideaction

Millions of your water bill dollars was spent on beautifying Preston street over the last few years. A lot more trees and shrubs will be installed next month to complete the project. Vigilance is required to keep it nice. We have already seen homeowners and property owners eager to pave over landscaped boulevards to make legal or “informal” parking pads. In the case above, the gas company dug up about 6 linear feet of landscaped area along the sidewalk to install a valve. They backfilled with sand but did not replace the mulch. Nor did they bother to replant the … Continue reading Undoing streetscaping

Preston street, streetscaping

Undoing streetscaping

Westsideaction

Millions of your water bill dollars was spent on beautifying Preston street over the last few years. A lot more trees and shrubs will be installed next month to complete the project. Vigilance is required to keep it nice. We have already seen homeowners and property owners eager to pave over landscaped boulevards to make legal or “informal” parking pads. In the case above, the gas company dug up about 6 linear feet of landscaped area along the sidewalk to install a valve. They backfilled with sand but did not replace the mulch. Nor did they bother to replant the … Continue reading Undoing streetscaping

Uncategorized

Aloha Rainbow

Westsideaction

The Hawaiian licence plates all have a rainbow on them. On my first day in Hawaii, I was impressed by their tolerance or the astonishing proliferation of gay drivers. Turns out the rainbow — the unsexual one — is the state symbol because there are multiple rainbows in the sky every afternoon after it showers on the mountaintops and we are on the beach in the sun. On the main drag, this store had large posters for valentines day. Boy-boy. Girl-boy. Girl-girl. America the tolerant. Continue reading Aloha Rainbow

Ottawa

Aloha Rainbow

Westsideaction

The Hawaiian licence plates all have a rainbow on them. On my first day in Hawaii, I was impressed by their tolerance or the astonishing proliferation of gay drivers. Turns out the rainbow — the unsexual one — is the state symbol because there are multiple rainbows in the sky every afternoon after it showers on the mountaintops and we are on the beach in the sun. On the main drag, this store had large posters for valentines day. Boy-boy. Girl-boy. Girl-girl. America the tolerant. Continue reading Aloha Rainbow

Uncategorized5 Comments

Aloha green

Westsideaction

This is a streetlight in a parking lot. It has a wind turbine on the bottom, and a solar panel on the top. The lights appear to be LEDs. It struck me as sort of overkill to have two energy sources (unless the solar electricity was used to turn the turbine to fan the parking lot…). Especially, since the light fixtures were in a parking lot of a state park that closed every day at 6 (darkness comes at 7). What exactly was being illuminated? It struck me as a federal funding project in search of an application. Continue reading Aloha green

Ottawa

Aloha green

Westsideaction

This is a streetlight in a parking lot. It has a wind turbine on the bottom, and a solar panel on the top. The lights appear to be LEDs. It struck me as sort of overkill to have two energy sources (unless the solar electricity was used to turn the turbine to fan the parking lot…). Especially, since the light fixtures were in a parking lot of a state park that closed every day at 6 (darkness comes at 7). What exactly was being illuminated? It struck me as a federal funding project in search of an application. Continue reading Aloha green

Uncategorized3 Comments

Aloha rack and roll

Westsideaction

Every Hawaiian bus had a rack and roll bike rack on the front of it. Oahu, the island Honalulu and Waikiki are on, is all one big city, and city buses go all around the island including one circumnavigation route that takes four hours. As shown, the bike racks carry THREE bikes at a time. Inside the bus, there is an automated announcement system (audible and visual) that announces every stop, complete with landmarks. Consider an Ottawa bus annoucing “Kent Street… Minto Place, Minto Hotel, Constitution Square, Crowne Plaza Hotel, connection to route 12…”. These annoucements were really detailed on … Continue reading Aloha rack and roll