and Council / et au Conseil
30 March 2011 / le 30 mars 2011
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/
Directrice municipale adjointe, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability/Services d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact Person/Personne ressource :Wayne Newell, General Manager / Directeur Général
Infrastructure Services / Services d’infrastructure
(613) 580-2424 x 16002, wayne.newell@ottawa.ca
SUBJECT: |
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OBJET : |
That the Transportation Committee recommend Council approve the acceleration of the reconstruction of Bank Street between Holmwood and the Queensway commencing in 2011, as outlined in the report.
Que le Comité des transports recommande Conseil d’approuver l’accélération des travaux de réfection de la rue Bank, entre l’avenue Holmwood et le Queensway, qui doivent commencer en 2011, comme il est expliqué dans le rapport.
The Bank Street reconstruction project, between Wellington Street and the Rideau Canal was initiated in 2004. A Municipal Class ‘C’ Environmental Assessment Process (EA) was followed in the planning of this project, which included consultation with the public, the Glebe Community Association, Glebe Business Group (predecessor to the Glebe BIA), the National Capital Commission (NCC) and Ward Councillors. The EA was completed and approved in 2005. Construction of the overall project was broken down into several phases. The section of Bank Street between Wellington Street and Arlington Street (just north of the Queensway) has been completed. The section through the Glebe between the Queensway to the Rideau Canal remains.
Bank Street from the Queensway to the Rideau Canal is identified as a high priority for renewal. The infrastructure is deteriorating and provides an inadequate level of service. The renewal needs are summarized as follows:
Sewer Needs
The existing sewers on Bank Street are the original combined sewers built over a period of time from the 1890s to the 1930s. These sewers are structurally deteriorating and have reached or are near the end of their life-cycle. The combined sewer system does not provide adequate conveyance capacity. There is a history of basement flooding on Bank Street and in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Reconstruction of the sewers will provide additional conveyance capacity to mitigate the risk of flooding.
Water Needs
For the most part, the watermains in this area were built prior to 1910 and are more than 100 years old. There have been numerous watermain breaks along Bank Street. Many water services are lead and require replacement. The existing watermain is considerably undersized from current standards and will be upgraded to improve the level of service.
Road Needs
In 2007, the inner two lanes of Bank St were resurfaced from Holmwood Avenue to Rosebery Avenue to address the severity and extent of pavement deficiencies. These lanes are in fair condition overall, however, the curb lanes are in extremely poor condition. Bank Street remains a source of ongoing vibration complaints as a result of the condition of the roadway. Reconstruction of Bank Street will address these issues and provide opportunities to integrate streetscaping and sidewalk improvements.
The 2011 Capital Budget identifies $5 million to rehabilitate Bank Street between the Rideau Canal and Holmwood Avenue. An additional $17 million is required to complete the section from Holmwood Avenue to the Queensway.
At the 8 March 2011 Council meeting, $6.6 million in tax supported debt and $10.4 million in rate supported debt was approved for the advancement of the reconstruction of Bank Street between Holmwood Avenue and the Queensway, subject to the consideration and approval of this report.
DISCUSSION
The Bank Street reconstruction project between the Queensway and the Rideau Canal will consist of the complete reconstruction of the sewers, watermains and roadway. As part of the project, new wider sidewalks and streetscaping (i.e. decorative streetlighting, public art, street furniture, bicycle racks, integrated newspaper boxes, trees, and enhancements to the Central Park entrances) will be constructed. The project does not include hydro burial.
Staff has commenced consultations with the Bank Street Reconstruction Advisory Committee (consisting of the Ward Councillor, and members of the Glebe Community Association (GCA), and Glebe BIA). It is expected that consultation with this Advisory Committee will continue over the next several months and that any required changes to the proposed Bank Street reconstruction project will be incorporated where feasible. To take full advantage of the 2011 construction season, staff have tendered the project and will award subject to Council approval of funding. Amendments to the contract will be undertaken, as required, to incorporate any changes.
City Council has approved plans to proceed with the Lansdowne Park Redevelopment project. Construction at the site is tentatively scheduled to start in January 2012 and be completed in 2014. Acceleration of the Bank Street project will allow the required sewer, water and roadway construction to be completed in 2011 and final reinstatement including streetscaping features to be completed by mid 2012. Having Bank Street fully open to vehicular traffic from mid-2012 to 2014 will lessen the impact on the surrounding community.
The reconstruction of Bank Street between the Queensway and Holmwood Avenue will generally require the closure of Bank Street to vehicular traffic in 2011. This will ensure the construction work is undertaken in a safe manner. Opening of the roadway will be staged as the various segments are completed. For the majority of the construction period, streets crossing Bank Street will remain open to all traffic. Periodic closures will occur to accommodate construction work within the intersections. In 2012, assuming underground work will be completed as scheduled, it is anticipated one (1) lane of traffic in each direction will generally be maintained on Bank Street. Temporary closures on a block-by-block basis will occur to permit completion of the final reinstatement. For the section of Bank Street between Holmwood Avenue and the Rideau Canal, one (1) lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction during the entire construction period.
The Department will work closely with the Glebe BIA and GCA to develop a communications strategy including installation of appropriate signage to assist in directing customers to the various businesses. Signage will also include traffic detouring for the various stages of the project. Bank Street will be completely opened to traffic mid-November 2011 until early January 2012 to minimize impacts to businesses over the holiday season.
Closure of the roadway between the Queensway and Holmwood Avenue will result in an overall shorter construction schedule. The shorter construction schedule (1.5 years rather than 2.5 years) will reduce the impacts that a project of this nature will have on local businesses and the community. The accelerated schedule will also provide better access to Lansdowne Park while it is under construction and ultimately allow the new updated street to be put into use for large scale events such as the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) U-20 Women’s World Cup 2014 and FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 if the City is successful in their bid.
Deferral of the Bank Street reconstruction project past 2011 would necessitate delaying construction beyond 2015 to accommodate the road access requirements for Lansdowne Park. The current deteriorated state of the infrastructure on Bank Street would not be conducive to this delay.
Hydro Burial
Recommendations regarding the City’s overall Underground Wiring Policy will be considered by Planning Committee on 29 March 2011. Based on the findings of the cost-benefit analysis, review of possible financial tools, and in the absence of any identified City funding source, the main recommendation is that the City consider the burial of overhead wires only when the full cost is covered by the requesting party. The report also notes that there may be times where there are technical constraints within the right-of-way or timing issues relative to other City works that may make hydro burial not feasible.
Hydro Ottawa have estimated the preliminary cost to bury the existing overhead hydro lines on Bank Street between Holmwood Avenue and the Queensway to be approximately $7 to $12 million. This cost is not included in the project budget of $17 million.
Notwithstanding the cost, burial of the hydro lines in this corridor could not be accomplished in the time frame noted above as the required design work for the hydro burial has not been undertaken. Inclusion of the incremental scope of work related to hydro burial would add a minimum of one year to the construction phase of this project, resulting in a completion date of mid-2013 at the earliest. This would result in additional impact and inconvenience to the local businesses and the community and potentially interfere with the redevelopment of the Lansdowne Park site.
As noted above the Bank Street reconstruction project (excluding hydro burial) is currently out to tender and is scheduled to close in mid-April. Construction could commence in early May 2011.
There are no rural implications associated with this report.
Public consultation is ongoing.
Councillor Chernushenko (Ward 17) has been briefed on this matter and is aware of this report.
There are no Legal/Risk Management impediments to implementing this report's recommendation.
CITY STRATEGIC PLAN
The recommendation contained herein aims to support the following Strategic Directions adopted by Council on 11 July 2007:
· Close the gap in road rehabilitation and ditching renewal by 2010.
· By 2017, close the infrastructure renewal gap in sidewalks, traffic control signals, traffic signs and streetlights.
· Close the gap on sanitary and storm sewer and water line replacement by 2015.
The technical implications associated with the burial of overhead hydro as part of the Bank Street Reconstruction are highlighted in the discussion section above for the information of Committee and Council.
The 2011 draft budget included $5 million to rehabilitate Bank Street between the Rideau Canal and Holmwood Avenue. Per Council motion carried on 8 March 2011, an additional $17 million ($6.6M tax-supported funding and $10.4M rate-supported funding) was added to the project to expand the project scope to include Bank Street between Holmwood and the Queensway, subject to the consideration and approval of this report. In accordance with the motion, 2012 and 2013 tax-supported funds for integrated works will be reduced by $6.6 million as a result of the increase in the Bank Street project scope.
The Infrastructure Services Department will proceed with the reconstruction of Bank Street between the Queensway and the Rideau Canal upon Council approval of this report.