Guest post by concerned citizens of Dalhousie neighbourhood
When: Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 7:45 a.m.
Where: Bronson and Christie
Event: https://facebook.com/events/769232636017602
Join Bike Ottawa and neighbourhood cyclists on the morning of Thursday, October 9th for a rally to show our support for a safer cycling route on Gladstone Avenue.
Key Messages:
- The City has proposed a new bike path with protected intersections at Gladstone/Rochester and Gladstone/Booth, which address some of the safety concerns along this route
- However, the plan includes a detour from Gladstone Avenue to Gilmour Street, which does not provide cyclists with a protected bike route all the way along this east-west corridor
- Cyclists need a safe way to cross busy Bronson Avenue, and forcing cyclists to ride on Bronson with no protected path is a poor plan
- City Council needs to fund this project
Background: On June 16, 2023, a cyclist was seriously injured at the intersection of Gladstone and Rochester after being hit by a dump truck. This was the same intersection where a cyclist was killed in 2002. Two weeks later, the community rallied to show support for safer cycling infrastructure along Gladstone Avenue, which is a “spine route” in the City of Ottawa’s Transportation Master Plan, and call for the removal of this section of Gladstone as a truck route.
Earlier in 2023, Ottawa City Council approved a suite of Active Transportation Projects, including a “Feasibility study of adding cycling facilities on Gladstone Ave from Percy St to Corso Italia Station, and options to the west. Project to consider converting Percy Street southbound lane to northbound contraflow from Flora St to Gilmour Street.”
In September 2025, the City held an open house to reveal their plans for a bike route on Gladstone and Gilmour from Corso Italia O-Train (Line 2) station to Elgin Street. While a protected route is proposed for Gladstone Avenue between Preston and Arthur streets, Instead of continuing through Centretown on Gladstone, the proposed route snakes up side streets before requiring cyclists to ride 200m on Bronson Avenue to get to Gilmour Street. Aside from a new traffic signal at Bronson and Gilmour, no changes are proposed to Bronson Avenue to protect cyclists while riding on this connection.
No funds have been allocated as part of this feasibility study. Implementation of this project will need funding in the City of Ottawa’s 2026 budget.
Listen to Bike Ottawa’s Cassie Smith talk about this project on CBC’s All in a Day.