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The City received approval for their Study Terms of Reference
(ToR) from the Ontario Minister of the Environment on 15 September
2004 for the North-South Corridor LRT Project (Rideau Centre to
Barrhaven Town Centre). The Next Public Consultation Group Meeting
for the North-South Corridor LRT EA Study will be held on Monday,
October 4th @ 6:30 p.m. in the Col By Room, 2nd Floor Ottawa City
Hall - 110 Laurier Avenue West. Public Open Houses (POH) are tentatively
scheduled for October 19th, 20th and 21st (locations to be determined).
The City plans to have a final plan for the North-South Corridor
from Lebreton Flats to Ottawa South in June 2005 and approval
of the plan from the Provincial Minister of the Environment for
May 2006. It is expected that this corridor will pass through
Riverside Park probably along/adjacent to the existing O-Train
route.
Walkley Off-Ramp from the Airport Parkway
For a number of years the possibility of an off-ramp to Walkley
Avenue for southbound traffic from the Airport Parkway has
been discussed in the City. Although still on the list of potential
traffic projects nothing seems to be happening on this proposal.
Motorcycle Racing
This is an issue that keeps coming up. There are motorcyclists
that gather in the evenings at the mall at Bank Street and
Alta Vista Drive and then race along streets including in our
area along Walkley, Riverside and Heron. The Police have indicated
that they have an enforcement unit that throughout the summer
has been actively addressing the street racing issue in all
parts of Ottawa (including motorcycle racing in the Heron Park
area.
Motorcycle racing continues to be a problem for Riverside Park
and some adjacent areas. We have tried for more years then we
can count to solve this problem and as you can hear each night
to no avail. The police have said that they will not try and
catch the bikes (safety reasons!) and with the plates on bikes
being able to be flipped up, it makes it hard to catch a number.
There are even sites on the web for Ottawa listing all the bike
racing spots. The Data Centre being one of them. This problem
has been brought to the attention of at least five Councillors
for this ward and the Police department numerous
times. We have been told that the City is working on a plan of
action to deal with the situation.
Speeding Enforcement
Last January (2004), the City announced that 18 new positions
had been added to the Ottawa Police Service Traffic Enforcement
Unit as part of the City's overall Integrated Road Safety Program.
Speed traps have been set-up often since then along Walkley
(near the VIA overpass and near the Airport Parkway0 and on Heron
(near Kaladar). It seems that there has also been some increase
in ticketing people turning right from Walkley onto Springland
from 7am to 9am in the morning.
Digital Radar Signs
The City has a number of portable digital radar signs that they
had set up in Riverside Park West and along Walkley for a few
days this past year.
Speeding Survey
Between April 1 and April 8, 2004 the City conducted a speed
survey on Flannery Drive and on Springland Ave at a total of
four locations. They were at each location for approximately
1.5 hours. On average 52% of vehicles were driving at or below
the speed limit (50kph) and 48% of vehicles were driving over
the speed limit. On Flannery between Brookfield and Springland
81% of vehicles were driving over the speed limit (50kph).
Origin - Destination Survey
For years there has been ongoing concern in Riverside Park West
about cut through traffic. The City has indicated that an origin-destination
survey will be conducted for Riverside Park West this year.
The survey would
be conducted at four intersections: Brookfield Road and Flannery
Drive, Riverside Drive and Ridgewood Ave, Riverside Drive and
Mooney’s Bay Place, and Walkley Road and Springland Drive.
The results of the survey should provide some numbers as to two
much cut through traffic there is.
Bill Smith, Chair, Transportation | 
