The City’s Transportation Committee today approved the recommended plan to add a bike lane in each direction on Bank Street between Riverside Drive westbound and Chesley Street, including on Billings Bridge.
That section of Bank Street would be reduced from two to one through lane for vehicles in each direction to accommodate the new cycling facilities. The plan would also add a southbound right-turn-only lane approaching Riverside Drive westbound and a northbound through/right-turn lane approaching Riverdale Avenue.
To protect cyclists, traffic signals for southbound right-turning vehicles would operate independently of bike signals for southbound cyclists, ensuring that right-turning vehicles could only proceed on a green arrow. Pedestrian and cycling safety improvements are also proposed at the intersection of Bank Street and Riverdale Avenue.
The plan includes a new reserved northbound bus lane on Bank Street between Chesley Street and Aylmer Avenue, which would be in effect during the weekday afternoon peak period, between 2:30 and 5:30 pm. This bus lane would improve transit travel speeds and reliability through Old Ottawa South. Cyclists would be permitted to use the bus lane.
To facilitate this plan, the City would permanently remove 14 on-street parking spaces on Bank Street between Cameron and Riverdale Avenues. Another 41 spaces on the east side of Bank between Cameron and Aylmer avenues would be restricted during the afternoon peak.
This work would be done as part of the Bank Street Renewal project and the additional cost for cycling and transit improvements would be funded through existing budgets.
Recommendations from today’s meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, September 13.