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| click image to enlarge Map: City of Ottawa / Photos: Vanier Cycles (top) and Rachel Muston (bottom) |
by Rachel Muston
Currently no single, safe route exists for cyclists to travel East to West across Ottawa’s urban centre. Sure, cyclists who know the streets (which ones have lanes, which ones aren’t busy, which ones allow for safe turns) can and do cycle from Vanier to Westboro. But the rest of us, the majority of us, don’t.
Ottawa’s new East-West Bikeway aims to change that. It is part of the Transportation Master Plan and its 12km network of segregated lanes, painted lanes and sharrows will connect the near east (St. Laurent and Hemlock) with Westboro.
This is an exciting and much needed project for Ottawa and also for Vanier. The development of this Bikeway has the potential to dramatically improve the health of Ottawa residents by increasing bike ridership -- one of the goals the City set in the Ottawa Cycling Plan (2008). The latest draft of the plan, to be presented to Council on November 26, 2013, shows that there has been a city-wide increase in cycling during the AM peak period of 40% (over 2006 levels) thanks to changes already implemented such as the segregated lane on Laurier. Vanier results are better than average with a 50% increase in cycling during the AM peak period. The Vanier results are no surprise; as the Urban Commuter blog pointed out, Vanier’s high density and urban location make us a prime candidate for a high bike modal share.
Some major cycling improvements coming to Vanier thanks to the East-West Bikeway include:
- The addition of bike lanes on Hemlock and part of Beechwood, designating space for cyclists on what is currently a busy street with fast moving traffic. In addition, the traffic light planned at Hemlock and Birch will increase the likelihood that Vanier parents transporting their children to school at Manor Park will do so via bike.
- Street storm catch basins are being upgraded as part of the construction of the Bikeway. This means that most of the surface grates (which cyclists often have to swerve around and into traffic) will be replaced with curb inlets.
- A left turn bike box is planned on Charlevoix at Beechwood which will move cyclists to the front of the queue and will enable safer, more visible left turning.
- As part of the latest draft versions of the Ottawa Cycling Plan and the Transportation Master Plan, a winter-maintained cycling network is being proposed. The East-West bikeway has been designated as part of this network.
foster and promote compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development that provide for access by foot, cycle, transit and automobile (Traditional Mainstreet Zone).With the proposed bikeway detoured off Beechwood and down Barette for the majority of the shopping district, it is easy to argue that this is not equal treatment. Adding a segregated lane in shopping districts has proven to be an economic driver (evidenced by this NYC study which indicated that businesses along a segregated bike lane showed an increase of sales of 49%); the detour on Barette will do the opposite by taking cycling shoppers away from Beechwood.
In addition to this challenge, there are some other opportunities for improvements:
- Increasing the number of segregated bike lanes (upgrading from painted lanes) would make the Bikeway safer for cyclists and is more likely to increase the number of bicycle trips in Ottawa. Cycle Toronto has written that segregated lanes also make roads safer for cars, and sidewalks safer for pedestrians. Local cycling groups have also weighed in with Ottawa Bicycle Lanes Project expressing disappointment that the East-West Bikeway “is not a segregated lane”. In a recent conversation with Sarah from Vanier Cycles, she clearly stated why segregated lanes are needed, “fundamentally people feel safer when they are in a segregated lane.” Further, segregated lanes create “complete and liveable streets and a better, more desirable community”. Last week’s tragic death of skilled cyclist Mario Théoret, who was travelling in a non-segregated bike lane at the time, emphasizes the dangers that cyclists face even in painted lanes.
- Implementing bike lanes instead of sharrows (e.g. along Barette) would provide greater benefits. As many cycling advocates, including Vanier Cycles, have pointed out, “sharrows are not cycling infrastructure” as they do not allocate any space for cyclists and simply act as a reminder to drivers to share the road.
- The Minto development on Beechwood provides an opportunity to vastly improve the cycling infrastructure on the Bikeway section on Beechwood between Charlevoix and the Vanier Parkway and the safety of cyclists and pedestrians at the intersection of Vanier Parkway and Beechwood. This intersection is notoriously busy and dangerous with many drivers rushing through the intersection.