Letters

Letters to officials from Bike Ottawa or partner organizations

Bank Street Canal Bridge Rehabilitation

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Written by Christie Cole and Don Grant

In April 2020, after the start of the pandemic, the office of Councillor Shawn Menard purchased a number of large barrel pylons to be placed on the Bank Street Bridge near Lansdowne in order to provide more space for active transportation and physical distancing. This created a safer environment for people walking and rolling, with limited impacts on motor vehicle traffic. It also gave people on bikes the opportunity to actually experience how travel over the Bridge could be much safer.
Around the same time, the City of Ottawa retained the consulting firm WSP to complete the design of repairs to the Bank Street Bridge. Construction of these repairs began in summer 2020, but after the start of the project, the City asked WSP to develop a revised design to improve active transportation facilities. The key change to the new design is that it will include two northbound vehicle lanes and one southbound vehicle lane over the Bridge which will create space for active transportation facilities.
In March 2021, Bike Ottawa attended a meeting organized by the City and provided comments on the new design. In a follow up letter to the City, several key points were made by Bike Ottawa.

Grade Separation
The proposed solution includes a difference in height between the cycle track side and pedestrian walkway side which we see as having pros and cons. It is better to have height separation to encourage the separation of users, but this also places a cyclist at increased risk if an evasive maneuver is needed, for example to avoid a small child or dog jumping into the cycle track. Nevertheless, Bike Ottawa endorses grade separation on the multiuse path (between users) because of the benefits it provides to other users.

Staff recommended Bridge design


Protection from Vehicles
There is a risk that a cyclist could fall from the raised cycle track into traffic. This risk could be mitigated with the installation a solid barrier of some kind. During the meeting, we shared images of narrow barriers that rely on tension wires. This would allow some snow to move to the street and would keep the people on bikes from falling into traffic. After further discussion as a group, we feel extremely uncomfortable with not having a physical barrier as part of the design options.
Bike Ottawa has indicated that the City and its planners must find a way to install a barrier within the space designated as a painted buffer (30 cm in each side), in order to prevent a tragedy from occurring along this cycle track.

An example of possible physical barrier that could be used to keep people on bikes safer and separated from motor vehicle traffic


Signage to Help Northbound People on Bikes
Bike Ottawa has also suggested the installation of signage at the bottom of the Bridge at the end of the northbound section to direct people on bikes and walkers to watch for each other, and encourage people on bikes to do a loop southbound on to the MUP just east of the Bridge, and then turn under if they wish to travel west.

Approaching the Bridge
We provided our support for extending the cycle track to Aylmer to reduce conflicts southbound when exiting the Bridge and start at Aylmer to go approach the Bridge going northbound.
We also feel that the southbound transition for people on bikes onto the Bridge is not ideal. Placing an advanced bicycle light at Exhibition Way (for people traveling from Lansdowne) would be really important for the people on bikes that are in the area right now, since we see few headed South from Holmwood Ave. down Bank.
We indicated our preference to have the bike lane begin further back. There is a speed board on the bridge that shows that motorists regularly drive faster than the speed limit, and with the new configuration, it may encourage them to try to “get ahead” of the line where two lanes move down to one. As a result, having the bike lane begin sooner will allow people on bikes a safer ride, giving them their own space from motor vehicles traveling at speed.
We also indicated the need for a physical barrier at Wilton Street to protect people on bikes in the bike lane by ensuring that vehicles slow down and make a proper 90 degree turn, rather than using the bike lane as a right turn lane.


Construction Start and End Dates
The City indicated that construction for the improved active transportation facilities is expected to begin in the Summer of 2021 and last until Fall 2021.

For More Information
For more information visit the City of Ottawa’s project page.

Improvements for Active Transportation on Connaught Avenue

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Written by Sarah Sullivan Partridge and William van Geest

Bike Ottawa sent a letter to the City of Ottawa regarding a plan to add pedestrian infrastructure on Connaught Avenue.

In general, Bike Ottawa supports this project: a continuous sidewalk the length of Connaught will provide a safer space for residents of all ages and abilities to access local amenities, whether Connaught Park, Pinecrest Creek MUP, Elmhurst Park, Lincoln Fields LRT Station, Queensview LRT Station, Severn Avenue Public School, or Woodroffe High School, among others.

Nevertheless, Bike Ottawa also had some suggestions for these plans.

Connaught-Pinecrest Creek Pathway Connection
This proposal also has provisions for the connections from the Pinecrest Creek Multi-Use Pathway to Connaught Ave in four places: at Sackville St., Elmhurst St., Henley St., and Hanlon Ave. The Pinecrest Creek Pathway is heavily used by both pedestrians and cyclists. (See Figure 1. For more Strava heat maps in Ottawa, see Bike Ottawa’s map page.)

Strava heat map of the area.


Bike Ottawa is concerned about the proposed bollard in the middle of the Pinecrest Creek MUP, at the junction of that MUP and Connaught Ave. This bollard would make navigating the path difficult for non-standard bicycles, such as cargo bikes, tandem bikes, bike trailers, and other modified bicycles. Bollards also pose a danger to children learning to ride and cause a friction point between varied traffic, such as groups of pedestrians and groups of cyclists, because the space to travel is limited. There are many MUPs in Ottawa that do not have bollards, and we recommended that the bollard be omitted from these plans.

The plans also propose a fence to be installed on either side of the pathway, anywhere from 0.5 m to 1 m from the MUP. Bike Ottawa recommended that a wider spacing be chosen. Given that the Pinecrest Creek MUP is an artery for cyclists and pedestrians, a wider space is necessary to ensure there is no crowding.

Lastly, to avoid conflict between the many users of the Pinecrest Creek MUP, Bike Ottawa recommended that the link to Connaught Ave allow for both pedestrian and cyclist access. Since according to provincial guidelines, a cyclist must dismount on a pedestrian cross-over (“PXO”), it is preferable to have a devoted space where cyclists can ride without having to dismount. This type of facility already exists where the Trillium MUP meets Carling Ave.

Carling Avenue and Connaught Avenue
Bike Ottawa also noted that the intersection at Carling Ave and Connaught Ave is also part of this plan. This intersection would benefit from cycling infrastructure, to ensure connectivity from the Queensway Terrace North neighbourhood to other existing or future cycling infrastructure. For example, through the development of the Lincoln Fields commercial area, QTN could be linked to the Richmond Rd. cycle track by way of a multi-use pathway through the commercial area. This could also be connected to the cycle track proposed for Carling Ave in front of the Lincoln Fields LRT station.

  • Carling & Connaught current configuration looking north
  • Carling & Connaught current configuration looking south


Bike Ottawa would like to see cycling infrastructure at the intersection of Carling Ave and Connaught Ave, to allow for cyclists to cross Carling Ave. This would include
a bike box for eastbound cyclists turning northbound, with a bike sensor
a “bicycles excepted” sign for cyclists to cross Carling to or from Connaught
green paint or a dashed line to guide cyclists along this crossing

Bike Ottawa is looking forward to the benefits of improved active transportation options in this area.

The New Official Plan

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By 2046 it’s expected that Ottawa’s population will hit 1.4 million, and the new Official Plan is the legal document that will contain the City’s goals, objectives, and policies that will manage and guide this growth. The Official Plan implements the City’s Strategic Plan in relations to land use, which impacts the economy, environment, and communities. The Official Plan also provides direction for many city plans, including the Infrastructure Master Plan, the Transportation Master Plan, and the Parks and Greenspace Master Plan.

The “5 Big Moves” from the Draft Official Plan


The Official Plan is centred around the “5 Big Moves” which includes Growth Management (“more growth by “regeneration” than by greenfield development); Mobility (“By 2046, the majority of trips in the City of Ottawa will be made by sustainable transportation”); Urban and Community Design (improve urban and community design, including priority areas, and policies that tailor to distinct neighbourhoods); Climate, Energy and Public Health (environmental, climate and health resiliency will be built into the framework of planning policy); Economic Development (“Embed economic development into the framework of planning policies”).

Bike Ottawa is encouraged to see the goal of having most trips be taken by sustainable transportation by 2046, and that discussions of mobility are at the core of the Official Plan. We believe that with some thoughtful consideration of how to make active transportation a more attractive option for people to move around all parts of the city, Ottawa can combat the climate crisis and develop in a way that makes it more of a space for people. We have studied the Official Plan Draft and submitted the following letter and addendum for consideration.

Envisioning a Better ByWard Market: Public Realm Plan

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On December 1st, the City of Ottawa Financial and Economic Development Committee passed the “Byward Market Public Realm Plan“, and the plan goes to council for final approval next week. Bike Ottawa wrote a letter in response to the proposed plan. We supported it, we also stated the need for significant improvements at the implementation stage.

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Our recommendations for Montreal Rd LRT station

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Montreal Rd Station

Bike Ottawa’s Advocacy Working Group has recently created a subgroup dedicated to safe cycling issues in the east end of the city. As one of their first projects, they have been looking at cycling connections to future Stage 2 LRT stations. Read on for the letter prepared by volunteer Daniel Domen providing our recommendations for the Montreal Rd station and the response from the Stage 2 Project Team at the city. AWG continues to work with city staff and Councillors Tierney, Dudas, and Luloff to improve cycling and pedestrian safety.

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Our letter calling for temporary infrastructure in response to COVID-19

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Montreal temporary cycling infrastructure

Cities across Canada and the world have been implementing temporary measures to enable safe cycling in order to take pressure off of transit systems trying to ensure physical distancing, and to encourage people to visit local businesses. Bike Ottawa wrote to city council to encourage Ottawa to do the same, however the city has decided not to pursue any city-wide measures to enhance active transportation. Read our letter and the response from city staff.

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Our letter in support of safe streets for distancing

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Bank Street parking lane demonstration

At a recent council meeting, Mayor Jim Watson introduced a motion which as passed requires 2/3 of businesses to approve temporarily converting street parking space into wider sidewalks. However, people are already walking in the street to avoid crowding. This is an unsafe situation, and Bike Ottawa has written to the mayor to ask that this policy be reversed and that priority be put on the safety of vulnerable road users.

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Bike Ottawa delegation on urban expansion

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Complete street rendering

The update to Ottawa’s official plan aims to reduce car dependency and promote active transportation, but increasing residential development at the edge of the city will make those goals more difficult to achieve. On May 12, Bike Ottawa board member Barbara Greenberg presented a delegation to a joint sitting of the Planning Committee and Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee to oppose expansion of the urban boundary.

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