River Ward Community Update Dear Friends and Neighbours of River Ward, I am certainly looking forward to warmer weather this month and the bursting open of tulips across our City. The Canadian Tulip Festival is back this year, concentrated in Commissioners Park near Dows Lake. Take some time...
(Une copie de ce bulletin est disponible en français, sur demande.)
Dear Residents of Riverside Park and Hunt Club North,
I trust you are well and are enjoying a well-deserved Spring.
The objective of this bulletin is to provide information on the Airport Parkway, the progress of the City’s work to widen it and to inform you of a planned pilot project that will take place in June on Walkley Road.
History and Context
As part of the 2013 Transportation Master Plan (TMP), approved by City Council, the Airport Parkway is slated to be widened as part of a 3-phase project.
Phase 1 includes:
In 2015 the City of Ottawa undertook a thorough and detailed, provincially required Environmental Assessment (EA). An environmental assessment process ensures that governments and public bodies consider potential environmental effects before a major infrastructure project begins. The provincial government ultimately received the EA study and gave a green light for the Parkway expansion to proceed.Funding for the Airport Parkway widening will be sourced from Development Charge (DC) revenue and not the property tax base. Preliminary estimates on DC revenue was not realized in the initial timeline which resulted in the postponement of this project for a number of years.
Final design dollars were allocated in the 2022 and 2023 City budgets. Final design is a detailed process that creates the blueprint to be used for the actual construction of this project and to tender the work to interested contractors. Construction is expected to begin in 2024. A public working group has been formed and local organizations, including the Riverside Park Community Association and Hunt Club Community Association are active participants.
A public information meeting, led by the City of Ottawa and their consultant on this project, Parsons, is slated in September 2022 to share the (draft) final design concepts with you.
Walkley Road Modifications
During the EA process, local residents raised concerns with unsafe traffic conditions on Walkley Road, mainly, but not limited to, speed as well as cut-through traffic on neigh-bouring streets.
The Airport Parkway project was modified to acknowledge that when the off-ramp at Walkley Road is opened, the volume of vehicles on westbound Walkley Road will in-crease substantially.
The plan is to reduce the number of travel lanes on Walkley Road between the Airport Parkway and McCarthy Road, from four to two, plus a middle turning lane.
Using the existing width, curb-to-curb as follows: from the curb, modify the existing space with a bike lane, a travel lane, a middle turning lane, a travel lane, a bike lane and the curb.
I have always maintained, that before the final design of the Airport Parkway project was finalized, I would lead a pilot project on Walkley Road to simulate, as best as possi-ble, what a modified Walkley Road would function as, particularly, how speed, volume and traffic flow may be altered. As such, in June 2022, a pilot project will take place for at least two full weeks. Travel lanes will be reduced from 4 lanes to 2, using construction barrels. This pilot is being undertaken in 2022, to measure what the impacts will be so that if modifications are needed, they can be incorporated in to the final design. Metrics such as volume of traffic, speed of traffic, queuing times in turn lanes, cut thru volumes on side streets, as well as community feedback will all be assessed.
Community Information Session
A community information session focusing on the Walkley Road pilot project is planned for April 28, 2022 at 7pm. This session will be virtual and hosted on Zoom. You may register for this event here: https://tinyurl.com/yk4jd6ku
Although this bulletin provides an update on the Airport Parkway project and explains the pending pilot project, you are invited to attend the session to learn more and ask questions.
Data Driven Decision Making
Data derived from the pilot and public feedback will be used to shape the final design of Walkley Road. This will not be an extensive rebuild of the street. There is no new asphalt or concrete, the road will be modified by paint, signage and possibly lane delineator sticks.
After one full year under the newly modified road, key data observations/statistics will be derived again and the public will be engaged to provide their feedback. This may result in further traffic safety/calming improvements, if necessary.
The ultimate long term goal is to make Walkley Road safer and address the needs of all users.
I would like to acknowledge various local groups who, over the years, have made contributions, focusing on road safety, particularly, the Riverside Park Community Association, the West Walkley Residents Action Committee and others in the General Vanier East community. My goal is a safer Walkley Road and community. With your input and our collaboration, we will leverage the Airport Parkway Project to make local improvements.
Sincerely yours,
Riley
Riley Brockington
City Councillor, Conseiller municipal
River Ward, Quartier Rivière
613-580-2486
Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca
River Ward Community Update April showers bring May flowers, sunny days and longer hours… With patches of snow here and there if you look closely, we are finally in our first full month of Spring. We also celebrate and observe a number of religious holidays and events...
I hosted my annual River Ward Women’s Day speaker Series virtually via Zoom on Thursday March 10. Click below to watch the presentations.
[embed]https://youtu.be/bKL0Q8ibHZk[/embed]
Riley Brockington
City Councillor, Conseiller municipal
River Ward, Quartier Rivière
613-580-2486
Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca
River Ward Community Update The month of March has always been a month of hope for me, the arrival of Spring, warmer temperatures and a visit to a sugar bush for a sweet treat. Today is St David’s Day (Patron Saint of Wales) and Mardi Gras, traditionally...
I will be hosting the River Ward Trivia Night virtually via Zoom on Friday March 18, from 6:00pm for Youth, and 7pm for Adults. Register via links below:
6pm Youth Session - https://tinyurl.com/TN-Youth
7pm Adults Session - https://tinyurl.com/TN-Adults22
Riley Brockington
City Councillor, Conseiller municipal
River Ward, Quartier Rivière
613-580-2486
Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca
As a result of a public inquiry, the City of Ottawa is undertaking a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study for Southmore Drive East. The purpose of this study is to recommend permanent roadway modifications intended to improve safety, primarily by reducing vehicular speeds. There will be a virtual public meeting held on March 9 at 7pm if you would like to learn more or ask questions. See the project webpage for further details.
The City is asking for your feedback through an online survey. This survey will help City staff to better understand your concerns and gain your input on a proposed concept design. The survey closes March 18.
The registration link for the meeting can be found here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrf-CsqjkqE9KdXz--jJnFYdjYJhGA53FS
Riley Brockington
City Councillor, Conseiller municipal
River Ward, Quartier Rivière
613-580-2486
Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca
I will be hosting my annual International Women’s Day speaker event virtually via Zoom on Thursday March 10, from 6:30pm to 8pm. Register today at https://tinyurl.com/RIVER-WARD-IWD22.
Riley Brockington
City Councillor, Conseiller municipal
River Ward, Quartier Rivière
613-580-2486
Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca
(Une copie de ce bulletin est disponible en français, sur demande.)
We have all seen the shocking images of our City, and our Nations Capital over the last few days. My office has received a high volume of calls and e-mails concerning the occupation of the downtown core, and the incidents as they are being reported for the nation, and the world to see.
I want to first say that while I respect the right to free protest and speech, the symbols of hate and propaganda that we have seen, including the display of the Nazi flags and symbol, Anti-Semitic buttons and badges, pride flags being torn down on private property, verbal threats against a paramedic of colour and many other examples of despicable behaviour such as at the National War Memorial, have no place in our society and must be denounced at every opportunity.
This protest should have ended peacefully on the weekend; it has now evolved into an out of control occupation. Downtown residents have become prisoners in their own homes, fearful of venturing outside. Noise, diesel fumes, verbal intimidation are now commonplace. Local amenities such as schools, childcare centres, the Main and Rideau branches of the OPL, vaccination centres, shops, and bus routes have closed and/or been impacted.
I want to be clear; this occupation is illegal and unsanctioned and must end immediately. During the protest, the OPS wanted to maintain order with a crowd that eclipsed 16,000. Social media posts in advance indicated some were intending various levels of anarchy and the number one goal was to mitigate violence and rioting. The optics of Police members facilitating fuel and food deliveries, posing in photos and other ‘acts of kindness’ now shred the confidence that many Ottawa residents have at this critical time. I do believe Chief Sloly when he says he wants to avoid death and serious property destruction, we all do, but there must be a daily movement to curtail the assistance being provided to the protesters and take a stronger stand.
This protest continues to cost the city exorbitant amounts in police and other costs, estimated upwards of $800,000 a day. The City is engaged to explore every cost recovery method available.
As residents in the downtown core and beyond continue to bear the brunt of this occupation, Ottawa Police have provided Community Contacts, beyond the usual emergency numbers:
Hate-motivated Incidents can be reported to 613-236-1222 ext. 5015
Criminal offences directly related to the demonstration can be reported at 613-236-1222 ext. 7300
These occupiers do not have a bone to pick with Ottawa residents, this is a political occupation that happens to be in Ottawa. Therefore, the federal Government must get involved. I agree with the Ottawa Police Chief, that the further this occupation goes on, a policing solution is not the answer. It’s time for the federal government to step up!
Today, I am asking that you write to your MP and urge that the federal government assist in the peaceful end to this occupation. It is very likely, that if it proves unsuccessful, force will be required to clear the streets. I have been clear throughout this process, you have the right to protest peacefully and responsibly, but the lawlessness and hateful rhetoric, along with the lack of enforcement we have seen to date, is unacceptable and justifiably shocking.
I know we share similar sentiment and emotion with what we have seen and continue to see in our city. While my main focus has been to persuade the Mayor to reach out to the Federal Government for resources and assistance, people must be held accountable for their actions and this occupation must come to swift and peaceful end immediately.
Riley Brockington
City Councillor, Conseiller municipal
River Ward, Quartier Rivière
613-580-2486
Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca
River Ward Community Update February may be the shortest month of the year, but there is certainly a lot on the go.The cold weather may prevent some of us from getting outside, but River Ward offers a bounty of activities to keep us busy.The Terry Fox Athletic...