Big changes coming to Scott, Albert streets once LRT opens

The City of Ottawahas unveiled its plan for howa two-kilometre stretch of Scott and Albert streets will look following the expected opening of the east-west Confederation light rail line next summer.

The reconfigured stretch will run from approximately the City Centre building westward to Tunney's Pasture, and cyclists, pedestrians and drivers will all see major changes to how the roadway operates.

According to the city's drawings shown at a public consultation Monday evening the number of lanes would be reduced from four to three, with two lanes for westbound traffic but only one heading east towarddowntown.

• Read the city's plans for Scott and Albert here

A multi-use pathway that currently exists on the north side of Scott and Albert streets will remain, but will eventually be made off-limits toeastbound cyclists.

Those cyclists will instead use a raised"cycle track" on the opposite side of the streets, the documents show.

Eastbound bus stops will also be placed on platforms that jut out from the curb, allowing cyclists to pass behind them.

"I like that the city is doing something at all. They could've just been really cheap and said we'llwait until Phase 2 of theLRTopens, and then we'll do things," said Eric Darwin, whoblogsabout urbanissues in Ottawa at West Side Action.

However, Darwin told CBC Radio'sAll in a Day he was concerned the plans don't do enough to improve the heavily-used BayviewRoad intersection, and that the multi-use pathway should remain open in both directions.

"I think [the cycle track] will be appealing to people who want to go quite quickly, like the commuters," Darwin said. "But the pathway is much more appealing to older people like myself, or people who are recreational cyclists."

'Interim step'

Kitchisippi Coun. Jeff Leiper said Darwin had many legitimate concerns about the plan, but called the separated cycle track which would be kept clear in the winter a "huge leap forward" over what the city proposed in the spring.

He also noted this was an "interim step" until Scott and Albert become what's known as a complete street a road that's shared equally by cars, cyclists, pedestrians and transit users.

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"There is clearly some latitude to make further improvements," Leiper toldAll in a Day. "And I hope these are the sorts of considerations that residents are going to be raising this evening."

In the planning documents, the city says it could revisit the proposed three-lane configuration if development along the corridor requires the fourth lane to be reopened to traffic.

One major development in the works along that corridor is a multi-use building at 900 Albert St., just across from the future Bayview LRT station, that would feature more than 1,600 residential unitsalong with retail and office space.

Consultation until Dec. 18

At a public consultation at the Tom Brown Arena Monday evening, people who live nearby said they favour focusing on the street being used bypedestrians and cyclists.

Some raised questions about why parking spots were included in the design drawings at all.

LouiseLafondsaid she uses Scott Street as a motorist, cyclist and pedestrian with her two young children.

"You have to be super careful crossing the street because the line of sight is terrible. And that's bad for the cars, for cyclists, for pedestrians," she said, adding she's optimistic the new plan will work for all road users.

Heather Pearl, co-chair of the Champlain Park Community Association, said she hopes the interim plan will be a permanent step towardthe complete street principles of theScott Street Community Design Plan.

She said the redesign was a step in the right direction, though she'll be watching the implementation.

"I don't want to see more traffic lanes. I think we should be trying to move away from the emphasis on the cars. That is so '70s," Pearl said.

"We should be moving moretoward a city you could walk in, that you feel safe walking down the street."

Second redesign

The plan marks thesecond major redesign of the two streets in less than three years.

Scott and Albert streets were both widenedto accommodate thousands ofOC Transpo busesdisplaced from the Transitwaywhen LRT construction began in 2016.

Many nearby residents did not appreciate those changes.

• Scott-Albert residents up in arms over LRT bus detours

Residents are able to submit comments on the plan until Dec. 18.