Post on 14-Apr-2018
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
1/21
Lowertown Active Transportation
Audit ReportSeptember 19, 2013
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
2/21
Acknowledgements
Ecology Ottawa and the Lowertown Community Association would like to wholeheartedly thank Walk Ot-
tawa, Citizens or Sae Cycling, and the King Edward Ave Task Force or partnering with us in our Lowertown
Active Transportation Audit.
We would also like to thank Councillor Mathieu Fleury and Alanna Dale Hill or their participation.
In addition, we also thank the ollowing individuals and organizations or advice and guidance:
Associate Proessor Elizabeth Kristjansson,
University o Ottawa Institute o Population
Health and Lead Investigator, Ottawa Neighbour-
hood Study
Hilda Chow, Ottawa Public Heath
Guylaine Gratton, Lowertown Community Resource
Centre
Rose Kung & Amy Faulkner, Community Planning
& Urban Design, Planning & Growth Management
Department, City o Ottawa
Robin Bennett, Cycling Facilities Coordinator, City
o Ottawa,
Rob Wilkinson, Saer Roads Ottawa, City o Ottawa
Gill Wilson, Sustainable Transportation, Planning &
Growth Management Department, City o Ottawa
Zlatko Krstulic, Transportation Planner, City o
Ottawa
Guy Schryburt, Markets Management, City o
Ottawa
Mary Gracie, Parking Studies, City o Ottawa
Ryan Anders Whitney, Toronto Centre or Active
Transportation
Wallace Beaton, Green Communities Canada
Jasna Jennings, ByWard Market Business
Improvement Area
Ecology Ottawa interns Amanda Allnut, Darby
Babin, Erica Richard, Erin McFarlane and Stepha-nie Pompeo, and Lars Wessman
This report was designed by Maya Hum and printed and bound in Canada on 100% post-consumer
recycled paper.
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
3/21
table of contents
01 About Us
01 About our Partners
02 Glossary
03 Summary
04 Recommendations
06 Background
08 Audit Overview
09 Street-by-Street AuditFindings
17 For More Inormation
18 Resources
18 Appendix
19 Media Clippings
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
4/21
1
About Us
Ecology Ottawa
Ecology Ottawa is a not-or-prot volunteer-driven grassroots organization, working to make Ottawa the
green capital o Canada. Ecology Ottawa provides residents with inormation and tools they need to un-
derstand local environmental issues and promote environmental leadership in city hall. Ecology Ottawa
has ocused on Smart Growth and Sustainable Transportation: aiming to help Ottawa adopt a sustainable
urban orm based on compact, complete and transit-supportive communities. www.ecologyotttawa.ca
Lowertown Community Association
The Lowertown Community Association, ounded in the mid 1970s is comprised o local residents and
meets every month to discuss issues o importance to the community. The community association reviews
development applications, monitors environmental concerns and provides a voice or the community as a
whole. www.lowertown-basseville.ca
About our partnersWalk Ottawa
Walk Ottawa is a group o citizen volunteers who contribute their time, talent, and resources to promote
walkability and advance the interests o pedestrians in Ottawa. http://ottawawalkingproblems.ca
Citizens for Safe Cycling
Citizens or Sae Cycling is a voluntary association made up o cyclists who work or better, saer, environ-
mentally-riendly cycling in the Ottawa area. http://www.saecycling.ca/
King Edward Avenue Task Force
Since 1986, the King Edward Avenue Task Force has been a voice in the City o Ottawa or the residents o
King Edward Avenue and the surrounding community o Lowertown in downtown Ottawa.
http://kingedwardavenue.com/
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
5/21
2
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Glossary
Complete Streets
Complete Streets is a planning ramework that
holds transportation planners and engineersto designs that ensure streets are accessible to
all users, not just cars. Streets are designed to
accommodate all ages, abilities and modes o
travel, including orms o Active Transportation.
This includes inrastructure that provides sae
and comortable access or pedestrians, cyclists,
transit-users and the mobility-impaired.
http://completestreetsorcanada.ca/what-are-
complete-streets
Active Transportation
Active transportation reers to all human pow-
ered orms o transportation, particularly walking
and cycling, but also skateboarding, rollerblad-
ing and skiing, and using a wheelchair. Active
transportation can also be combined with other
modes, such as public transit that together can
decrease dependency on vehicles and promote
healthy households by increasing exercise. Active
transportation also helps to build bustling, sae
and complete communities.
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hp-ps/hl-mvs/pa-
ap/at-ta-eng.php
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
6/21
3
Summary
The ByWard Market is - and should continue to be - a place that both the community and the country can
be proud o. A place that meets the needs o its residents and acts as a showcase attraction in our nations
capital.
For the Lowertown Community Association and Ecology Ottawa, how people get to and rom the ByWard
Market, and how they get around once there helps set the tone or the community and says a lot aboutthe kind o city that Ottawa wants to be. How we design our neighbourhoods has a direct impact on the
health and prosperity o our communities. We want the ByWard Market to be an even better place to live,
work, shop and play.
With this in mind, the Lowertown Community Association and Ecology Ottawa, assembled a group o 25
people rom a variety o walks o lie and toured the neighbourhood looking or ways to make it better by
improving active transportation in our community. Our group included:
residents with a detailed knowledge o the streets that they walk along every day;
local business people who care about their community and want it to prosper;
a local councillor and city sta who are trying to both lead and serve their constituents;
public health ocials and academics with expertise in the advantages and disadvantages o dierent
orms o transportation; and
partners rom other organizations who are working to help move people around in the easiest and
most sustainable way.
The conclusions o this report are clear: i we want a vibrant and bustling ByWard Market, a truly great com-
munity in the heart o our city, then we have to design our streets with all users, ages and abilities in mind.
We need to prioritize pedestrians and sae cycling and ensure that our streets act as bridges between the
ByWard Market and the emerging public transit system. We need parking, but we need to turn streets like
York Street into great public spaces rather than parking lots. We also need to move away rom the outdated
thinking that has turned King Edward Avenue into the worst example o designing streets solely as high-
ways or cars and trucks. Facilitating car travel is important, but the interests o trucks and single-passenger
vehicles should no longer be prioritized over the health, saety and prosperity o the community.
This report documents short-term actions that will move us in the right direction as well as issues that
need to be addressed over the longer term. It is a road map that can be used immediately to engage the
community and its leaders as well as a living document that will be rened, and will play a role in shaping
a vision or what our community will look like decades rom now.
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
7/21
4
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Recommendations
Short-term recommendations:
The City o Ottawa and the community can move
immediately to:
Adopt a Complete Streets policy as part o
the ongoing review o the Ocial Plan and
related plans.
Ban sandwich boards on sidewalks and pub-
lic right o ways throughout the ByWard Mar-
ket. Enorce this through regular patrols o
By-law enorcement ocers and not just on
a complaint basis.
Ensure a 2m minimum clear walking width
throughout in the ByWard Market to allow
or the simultaneous passage o a wheelchair
and a pedestrian. Patios that inringe on this
2m minimum width should not be granted
licenses or should have them revoked.
Address unsae intersections or cyclists and
pedestrians.
Shorten pedestrian wait times or crossing
lights, and increase the duration o lights or
pedestrians.
Enorce 40 km speed limits on King Edward
Avenue and reduce and enorce speed limit
on Sussex Avenue.
Repair cracks in sidewalks and depressions
which create pools o water.
Enhance bicycle access through improved bi-
cycle parking and signage.
Replace dead trees and improve mainte-
nance to ensure the health o other trees.
Increase number o garbage cans.
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
8/21
5
Long-term recommendations:
In the context o a Complete Streets policy or
all o Ottawa, the ollowing issues need to be ad-
dressed over the longer term.
Public Spaces
Enhance pedestrian courtyards through
better signage, prohibiting vehicles rom
parking at entrances and blocking access to
them. Expand connections and linkages or
improved walkability. Increase trees, public
benches, ountains, and artwork. Produce a
map or improve highlights in existing maps.
Add benches, trees, water ountains and pub-lic art throughout the community.
Walking and Biking:
Expand pedestrian zones, including the Wil-
liam St pedestrian area, rom Rideau through
to Clarence, making it a Gateway into the
market and connection to the uture LRT stop
at Rideau and William St.
Improve the intersection o Mackenzie/Ride-au/Wellington, which many residents cited as
the most dangerous or cycling and walking.
Create a dedicated bike lane on MacKenzie
Ave and enorce no biking on sidewalks.
Create a connection to the Citys East-West
bikeway project rom Westboro to Vanier pro-
viding an East-West route or cyclists crossing
the citys core.
Phase out curved curb radii on sidewalk in-
tersections and return to 90 degree angles, ascurves ease turning or vehicles but increase
pedestrian crossing distance, reduce the
amount o space available on the sidewalk
and present dangerous access or wheel-
chairs, sending them into the intersection.
Add crosswalks on King Edward Avenue and
extend the median rom St Patrick to Cathcart.
Implement cross-walk light cycle policy that
is more avourable to pedestrians through-
out Lowertown, particularly during non-peak
hours. Ensure automatic walk signal at red
lights regardless o demand button being
pushed.
Phase out use o blue advertising bicycle
parking (which use more pedestrian space)
and replace with City o Ottawa ring and post
bicycle parking and lots like on the west side
o the Market building. Ensure there is a sig-
nicant net increase in bicycle parking.
Car Traffic and Parking
Ban trucks on King Edward Avenue, Rideau
and Waller Streets and nd a permanent so-
lution to removing the trucks rom King Ed-
ward Avenue.
Transition away rom the current approach to
managing parking, by reducing the amount
o on street parking that could be better used
as public space.
Increase way-nding and directional signs or
municipal parking lots and expand hours o
paid parking (ie Sundays and holidays).
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
9/21
6
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Background
Lowertown is one o the most historic neighborhoods and a vital community in the heart o the City o Ot-
tawa. It is to the north o Rideau Street, east o the Rideau Canal, south o the Ottawa River and west o the
Rideau River. The ByWard Business Improvement Area (BIA) denes the ByWard Market as George Street
North, Dalhousie Street rom George to Cathcart, and Sussex Drive East to Cumberland Street West. Rideau
and Mackenzie are beyond the ByWard Markets jurisdiction.
Lowertown residents walk and cycle more than other residents in Ottawa. Thirty-six percent o Lowertownresidents walk to work, 3.6% bike and 28% use public transit, compared to the average o 7.8% o residents
walking to work, according to the 2006 census.
While it has not benetted rom a ormal community development plan, in the past two years the Low-
ertown Community Association (LCA) has begun a number o consultations and visioning exercises to
engage residents in discussing what we most like about our neighbourhood and improvements we wish
to see to make our community more complete, liveable, beautiul and more accessible or healthy, sae
walking and cycling.
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
10/21
7
Transportation choices, which we make on a daily
basis, have a signicant impact on the environ-
ment as well as the livability o our community.
Walking, cycling and other active modes o trans-
portation not only reduce our greenhouse gas
emissions, but promote healthy households by
providing exercise and recreational opportuni-ties, and contribute to bustling complete com-
munities. But to choose sustainable methods o
transportation such as transit, cycling, walking, or
rollerblading, the inrastructure to ensure saety
o those methods must be available. Residents o
Lowertown have identied this as a key priority.
Many o us chose to live here so we can walk and
bike to work and to shop and enjoy Ottawas
pathways and greenspace. For our wheelchair us-
ers, and or many o us aging, with reduced mo-
bility, we want sae access with our aides. While
we benet rom good access to public transpor-
tation, we are bordered by King Edward Avenue,
Rideau St, Sussex Avenue (all undergoing recent
reconstruction) and have thoroughares, St Pat-
rick and Murray St, cutting through our commu-
nity directly impacting our ability to saely walk
and cycle.
For more than 25 years, Lowertown residents
have sought solutions to the high trac volumes
on King Edward Avenue since it was designateda truck route and since the construction o the
Macdonald-Cartier Bridge in 1965. We have ad-
vocated or the need to move away rom the out-
dated kind o thinking that has prioritized cars
and trucks over the health, saety and prosper-
ity o the community. King Edward Avenue has
divided, literally bi-secting, our neighbourhood.
The King Edward Avenue Task Force has docu-
mented 67 pedestrian injuries and 4 atalities
rom 2005-2009.
The ByWard Market, since its inception, has beenintegral to the City o Ottawa. Recently, citizens
have expressed concerns regarding the loss o
traditional market activities and the use o public
space or local ood and the dominance o restau-
rants, bars and nightclubs. In 2012, the LCA un-
dertook, in partnership with the Market BIA, the
Market Saety and Security Committee and the
City o Ottawa, a consultation process to develop
a vision or the uture o the ByWard Market. The
City hired the rm Project or Public Spaces (PPS)
to assist in developing a vision or the uture o
the market. To ensure residents o Lowertown
were well represented, the LCA conduced an on-
line survey as well as a public meeting. Both had
high participation levels, and through input gath-ered in both the survey (180 respondents) and
attendance at the meeting (70 participants) it
was very clear that residents enjoy living in Low-
ertown, in or by the ByWard Market, are attached
to their community and want to see the neigh-
bourhood improve and develop sustainably. In-
deed, one o the most oten cited improvement
residents wished to see was in walkability and cy-
cling inrastructure. The report submitted by PPS
recommends short-term improvements such as
enhancing bicycle access and parking, and long-term ones such as creating more useable public
open spaces.
Given these concerns, and that the City o Ottawa
began the Building a Liveable Ottawa process, its
review o the strategic documents that guide the
development o our city in 2013, residents agreed
it was an opportune time to conduct an active
transportation audit. As part o Ecology Ottawas
emerging Community Network, we are working
with communities across the city to build the
kinds o sustainable neighbourhoods that peoplewant to live in.
We hope to eed our results into the review o
the Ocial Plan, Transportation Master Plan, In-
rastructure Master Plan, Cycling and Pedestrian
Plan. The ByWard Market Visioning process, the
start o construction o the LRT and the station on
Rideau at William will also provide excellent op-
portunities or identiying immediate, as well as
long-term, improvements or active transporta-
tion users. We intend to meet our elected repre-
sentatives, City sta, and other partners using thisreport as a community checklist. We also intend
to conduct additional audits, including one in the
winter and one or seniors in our community.
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
11/21
8
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Lowertown Active
Transportation
Audit Overview
For approximately two-and-a-hal hours during
the early evening o Wednesday, June 19, 2013,
over 20 people participated in the Lowertown
Transportation Audit, which was co-organized
by the Lowertown Community Association and
Ecology Ottawa. Participants included walkers
and cyclists; residents using wheelchairs and
walkers; members o the Byward Market Business
Improvement Area (BIA); City Councillor or Ward
12, Mathieu Fleury; City o Ottawa sta; Proes-
sor Betsy Kristjansson o the University o Ottawa;and representatives rom Walk Ottawa, the King
Edward Avenue Task Force, Citizens or Sae Cy-
cling, the Lowertown Community Association,
and Ecology Ottawa. Participants were asked to
bring whatever they would typically have with
them when travelling around the area (a shop-
ping cart, a stroller a cane, etc.).
Participants met at the Routhier Community Cen-
tre (172 Guigues Avenue). This location served as
the audits start and end point. Ater an initial
overview o the audits aims and an explanationo the process, the group divided into two and be-
gan traveling through the neighbourhood. From
the Routhier Community Centre, both groups
traveled northeast to King Edward Avenue. They
then traveled southwest on York Street to the Wil-
liam Street Pedestrian Mall in the Byward Market.
The groups traveled around the Market, includ-
ing visits to its various courtyards, and made their
way to Sussex Drive beore heading back to the
Routhier Community Centre (see Appendix A or
map).
Participants were asked to observe the streets
they visited with a critical eye and were told to
jot down their eedback both positive and neg-
ative - on one o the recording sheets provided
by audit organizers (see Resources - page 18) or
to share their thoughts with one o the volun-
teer note takers. This allowed or participants to
document open-ended descriptions o their ob-
servations. Organizers also came prepared with
some pre-determined questions to ask. Examples
o questions asked were: Are streets well-lit? Are
pedestrian lights reasonably timed? Are side-
walks ree rom obstructions such as sign poles
or sandwich boards? Are sidewalks wide enoughor strollers and wheelchairs? Are there enough
bike racks? In order to provide a means or a more
structured assessment o the area, organizers
made available two audit tools or participants:
The Neighbourhood Walkability Checklist rom
The Heart Foundation in Australia; and the bicy-
cling inrastructure section o the B.E.A.T (Built
Environment & Active Transportation) Neigh-
bourhood Assessment tool rom the British Co-
lumbia Recreation and Parks Association (see Re-
sources - page 18).
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
12/21
9
Location Observations Action
Guigues Street No bicycle parking in ront o Centre Routhier Add bicycle parking in ront o
Centre Routhier by installing a
ew more ring and post park-ing spots on Guigues St. and
a sign in ront indicating more
parking is in back
King Edward
Avenue
Uneven sidewalk (sloped in certain areas)
makes it dicult or those with mobility issues
Crossing light at St. Patrick too short to cross
saely
Crossing light at Murray St too short
Wait time or pedestrian crossing light at St
Patrick is long Wait time or crossing light at Andrew is long
Unnished brick work around Hydro man
hole on east side Kind Edward and St. Patrick
Repair sidewalk
Extend crossing time or pe-
destrians
Adjust trac light circle
Shorten wait time or pedestri-an crossings, particularly during
o-peak hours. Make pedestri-
an crosswalk automatic on cycle
not on demand when pushed
Repair sidewalk
Street-by-Street Audit Findings
Below is the documented summary o the evaluated comment sheets completed by participants o the
Active Transportation Audit. (See Resources - page 18) or an example o the participant survey.
As soon as you turn the corner (from
Guigues onto King Edward) you fee
you are no longer in a community bu
on a highway. - Audit participant
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
13/21
10
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Location Observations Action
King Edward
Ave and
Murray Street
Sidewalk area around trees unnished in ront
o Shepherds o Good Hope
Limited space in ront o Shepherds o Good
Hope means that groups oten congregatehere, making it dicult or pedestrians to pass
Garbage fows down sidewalk rom ood ven-
dor up street
Timing o trac lights should be ocused on
slowing trac down considering it is a one-
way street not a green light at every cross-
ing at the same time
Cyclists were riding on sidewalk
Trucks and vehicles going too ast, speed limit
too high
Too noisy, eels like a highway and unsae.Improved where the median has trees and
greenery
Finish area around trees
Adjust trac light cycle
Create dedicated bicycle lanes.
Reduce speed limit. Addition-
al pedestrian crosswalks rom
Cathcart to St Patrick
Extend the median rom StPatrick to Cathcart, maintain
existing and extend green
space on medians
Increase width o sidewalk
York Street Crosswalks are not at both sides o King Ed-
ward and York
Lack o benches and water ountains
Crosswalks are not clearly visible
Cracks in the sidewalk on the north side walk-
ing rom KEA to Cumberland, cracks and glass
Positives
Dierence in noise ater turning the corner
rom King Edward was immediately noted
Trees
Trac calming techniques
Less trac overall
Green space in the median is maintained
Benches
Add crosswalk
Add benches and water ountains
Repaint crosswalks
Repair sidewalk
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
14/21
11
Location Observations Action
York and
Cumberland
Street
Stoplights are conusing with a long wait
time, short crossing time. Pedestrians cross
against the light. (York and Cumberland-
northeast and northwest corner)
Curb high at Cumberland and York. Curved
curb radius or ease o turning or vehicles
but increases pedestrian crossing distance,
dangerous access or wheelchairs
Meters on one side o sidewalks with bike
racks on the other decreases walking space
or pedestrians
Several sandwich boards on the sidewalk ob-
structed passage, ie 153 York and 135-145 York
Increase pedestrian crossing
time and change light cycle to
avour pedestrians rather than
turning vehicles. Make cross-walk automatic in cycle, not
on demand
Redesign curbs at intersec-
tions at 90 degree angles
Move bike racks so both are on
the same side o sidewalk
Ban sandwich boards
York and
Dalhousie
Street
Fence (near stables) blocks access to green
space and gives the impression that this is
private, rather than public, space and it is un-
derused
Blue double bike racks take up unnecessary
space: 4 eet, 10 inches rom edge o blue bike
racks to edge o sidewalk
Bus stop location impedes the passing o pe-
destrians when the door o the bus is open;
bixi bikes and bike racks are also located here
urther limiting space Multiple newspaper boxes are an eyesore
Market stalls used to be in parking lot but are
now on the sidewalk (limiting space or pe-
destrians, especially as smokers also congre-
gate here)
Positives
Bixi bikes; bike racks
Market stalls do make or vibrant space
Remove ence, add benches
and additional ring and post
bike parking
Move the stalls onto the street
parking spots
York between
ByWard Market
and Sussex
Drive
Inecient use o space with too much on-
street parking, with no trees or benches Remove and bury on-street
parking
Widen sidewalks
Create public space with
benches, ountains, trees, pub-
lic art, additional bike parking
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
15/21
12
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Location Observations Action
William Street Dead tree, not enough trees and vegetation
No water ountain Pedestrian mall quickly transitions into a
crowded roadway or cars, with on-street
parking
Very narrow sidewalk on one side
One group was honked at as it conducted au-
dit o this area
Sandwich boards on sidewalk
No garbage bins around benches
Not enough bike racks
No accessible public washrooms in area
Crosswalk at William and George is conusing
No public art
Positives
Pedestrian mall at York and rom George to
Rideau
Benches
Bike racks well placed
Benches Pedestrian lights
People eel sae while walking in this area
Buskers provide entertainment
Wait at pedestrian lights are reasonably short
Mall rom George to Rideau is wide, with good
placement o bike racks, well used, good
oundation to use as Gateway to the Market
when LRT station opens.
Replace dead trees, add veg-
etation and ensure health o
trees or shade
Add water ountain Reduce on-street parking be-
tween York and George
Extend pedestrian mall to
Rideau
Ban sandwich boards
Add benches and garbage bins
Add bike racks at intersections
Provide accessible washrooms
Add way-nding signage or
o-street parking
Add public art, including mu-
ral on parking garage on Wil-
liam or Clarence
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
16/21
13
Location Observations Action
Clarence Street Cars exiting the garage at Parent and Clarence
turn and the crossing Clarence/Parent/Byward
Market is conusing. STOP sign at Clarence and
Parent does not line up with other STOP signs:dicult to see who has right o way
Bikes locked to signage poles
Patios and sandwich boards encroach onto
the sidewalk in ront o patios. Some examples
o encroachment on a 2 m walking distanced
noted during the audit include:
Stella, 81 Clarence: 1.3m between patio and
bicycles parked on the parking sign
Irish Village, 93 Clarence: 1.3m between pa-
tio and taxi parking sign
Senate, 33 Clarence: 1.4m between sand-
wich board and curb
Black Thorn Ca, 15 Clarence: 1.2m be-
tween patio and curb
Heart and Crown and Empire Grill: sand-
wich boards in the way
Positives
Metal bike racks that hang rom wall on the
parking garage are good or saving space (but
dicult to know how to use)
Additional bike parking recently installed, in-
cluding on west side o Market building
Improve signage or cars to yield
to pedestrians. Reduce the curb
radii at Parent and Clarence and
locate the pedestrian crossingat the corner and paint it
Add ring and post bicycle
parking that does not block
sidewalk passage, on both
sides o the street. Add how-
to sign next to hanging bike
racks on parking garage
Ensure a 2m minimum clear
walking width to allow or the
simultaneous passage o a
wheelchair and a pedestrian.
Ban sandwich boards on side-
walks throughout the Market
and enorce through regular
patrols o By-law ocers and
not just on a complaint basis.
Encourage hanging signs (ie
on side o patios)
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
17/21
14
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Location Observations Action
Byward Market Cars over butting the curb on York, and parking
spots are not the most eective use o space
Not well lighted at night or pedestrians
Farmers market, stores and sandwich boardsencroach on sidewalk
No shade, lack o tree cover
Scarce artwork
Insucient garbage cans
Positives
Bike racks have replaced old parking spots
Wide sidewalks
Buskers
Public benches have been added on George
and Market
Plant mature trees outside o the
Byward Market to provide shade
Improve street light lighting at
night. Mural program to paintByWard business gates
Remove on-street parking
spaces on side o Market. Make
pedestrian crossings wider at
main crosswalks
Add bicycle parking like that
on west side o Market building
on east side
Add additional benches such
as those recently installed on
George
Rideau Street
(did not walk
but discussed
at corner
William and
Rideau)
Transit station makes the street very congested
Dangerous corner: Rideau/Wellington/Sussex
in ront o Chateau Laurier
Widen sidewalk
Repaint crosswalk and bike
lane more requently. Place
cars stop here sign in ront
o Chateau Laurier
Rideau and
Nicholas Street
Huge puddles when rains or snows
Crossing Nicholas is dangerous, no crosswalk
Fix depression and drainage
Paint crosswalk. Place turning
vehicles yield to pedestrians
sign
Clarendon
Lanes
Courtyard
One dark and narrow alley exit at back o
courtyard, on the western side in building on
York, near Sussex which eels unsae
Tables blocking ramp or wheelchairs
Trail o grease rom wheeling garbage can
through courtyard to pick up at entrance on
York. Garbage and delivery vehicles oten
block access
Exiting courtyard on York, cross trac, no
connection to Jeanne dArc Courtyard. Court-yards do not connect
Positives
Lively with outdoor patios and shops
Trees and benches, public art
Increase lighting
Ask businesses to move tables
blocking ramp
Prohibit vehicles rom parking
at entrance, improve signage
and enorce
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
18/21
15
Location Observations Action
Jeanne dArc
Courtyard
and Tin House
Courtyard
Many loose cobblestones in courtyards
Some tree beds missing cobblestones
Construction in Tin House Courtyard, encing
takes up much space leaving narrow passageway Not connected
Positives
Cooling eect o trees
Many benches, public art,
Well lit
Surrounded by businesses and apartments,
lie, elt sae
Jeanne dArc is one o gems o the market
Enhance pedestrian court-
yards through better signage,
prohibiting vehicles rom
parking at entrances, blockingaccess to them. Improve en-
orcement
Expand connections and link-
ages or improved walkability
Increase trees, public benches,
ountains, artwork
Produce a map or improve
highlights in existing maps
Sussex Drive Speed limit too high
Trac noise
Construction
Designated truck route
Trees are only present on one side o the route
Dangerous intersection or cyclists and pedes-
trians at St Patrick and Murray and Sussex and
Mackenzie
Positives
Benches Bike lane
Flowers/benches
Wide sidewalk
Footpaths are ree rom obstruction such as
overgrown vegetation
There are points o interest along walk (mint,
US embassy)
Area is ree rom litter and broken glass
Area is maintained well
Paths are easy to walk on, consistent suraces
People do eel the area is sae
Reduce speed limit ater rede-
sign o Sussex, and enorce it
Plant trees on other side
Add bicycle lane on Macken-
zie.
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
19/21
16
Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Report
Location Observations Action
Dalhousie
Street High curb at several intersections rom York
to Guigues
Sandwich boards oten placed beside meters
Lights at Dalhousie and Clarence not working Edge o sidewalk at Dalhousie and Clarence
high or wheelchairs
Edge o side walk at Murray and Dalhousie
high or wheelchairs
Cracks in sidewalk on Dalhousie between St
Patrick and Guigues (east side) by deteriorat-
ing parking lot
Limited tree cover, no adequate seats to stop
and rest, no drinking ountains, no public toi-
lets, no areas that shelter rain
Positives
People eel sae here
Crossing points are ree rom obstructions
Repair curb
Repair lights
Repair cracks
Plant trees, install benches
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
20/21
17
For More Information
Strengthening the Future o the ByWard Market, Project or Public Spaces (PPS) Report, May 23, 2013, Sub-
mitted to City o Ottawa Planning and Growth Management department. Includes Lowertown Community
Association survey and October 2012 community workshop resultshttp://ottawa.ca/sites/ottawa.ca/les/attachments/ottpage/byward_market_en.pd
Building a Liveable Ottawa 2031: City o Ottawa strategic documents under review in 2013 include: Ocial
Plan; Transportation Master Plan; Inrastructure Master Plan; Cycling Plan; and Pedestrian Plan.
http://ottawa.ca/en/city-hall/ocial-and-master-plans
King Edward Avenue Fact Sheet and various documents, King Edward Avenue Task Force
http://kingedwardavenue.com/
Complete Streets Policy Resources, Toronto Centre or Active Transportation
http://completestreetsorcanada.ca/policy-resources
Pedestrian Death Review, Oce o Chie Coroner or Ontario, September 19, 2012
http://news.ontario.ca/mcscs/en/2012/09/chie-coroner-releases-pedestrian-death-review.html
Cycling Death Review, Oce o Chie Coroner or Ontario, June 2012
http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/DeathInvestigations/oce_coroner/PublicationsandReports/Cy-
clingDeathReview/DI_Cycling_Death_Review.html
ByWard Market Local Area Parking Study (LAPS) Summary Report, 2011. City o Ottawa Parking Operations,
Maintenance, & Development
http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/trc/2011/06-29/06%20-%20ByWard%20Market%20LAPS.pd
Ottawa Neighbourhood Study: http://neighbourhoodstudy.ca/
Health, well-being and built environment checklists, a series o tools intended to help community members
assess the health impacts rom planned developments in their neighbourhoods. Centretown Community
Health Centre
http://www.centretownchc.org/en/what%E2%80%99s-happening-at-the-centre/news/health,-well-
being,-and-the-built-environment.aspx
7/29/2019 Lowertown Active Transportation Audit
21/21
Resources
Built Environment & Active Transportation (B.E.A.T.) Neighbourhood Assessment, British Columbia Recre-
ation & Parks Association, BC Healthy Living Alliance
http://www.physicalactivitystrategy.ca/pds/BEAT/B.E.A.T.Neighbourhood_Assessment.pd
Neighbourhood Walkability Checklist, National Heart Foundation o Australia, 2011.http://www.heartoundation.org.au/active-living/Documents/Neighbourhood-walkability-checklist.pd
Appendix
A. Map o Lowertown Active Transportation Audit Route