Southmore Drive East Traffic Calming

Project description

The City of Ottawa is undertaking the design work for traffic calming and pedestrian improvement measures along Southmore Drive East.

The work involves:

• Four speed cushions 
• Painted edge lines
• Raising the existing crosswalk across Southmore Drive East at Walkley Road
• A short sidewalk segment on the west side of Southmore Drive East from Walkley Road to Garwood Avenue
• Removal of on-street parking on one side of the road adjacent to the new sidewalk 
• Removal of on-street parking on the inside of the curve near Linton Road
• Renewal of the pedestrian landing pads at the McCarthy/Southmore intersection

The new traffic calming measures are intended to improve safety for all road users. The new sidewalk is intended to improve pedestrian safety and encourage active transportation by completing a missing link in the pedestrian network.

Residents will be notified prior to construction commencement.

Project timing

Design: underway
Design completion: 2023
Construction: planned for 2024, pending council budget approval

Project budget

The estimated total project budget is $615,000.

Public engagement

A virtual public meeting was held in March 2022 to present a proposed concept design and respond to resident questions. An online survey was conducted from February to March 2022 to seek feedback on the proposed concept design.

The results of the online survey were compiled into an As We Heard It report. The results of the survey were reviewed and the concept plan was modified taking into account feedback received before being finalized and proceeding to detailed design.

Impact on the right of way and adjacent private properties

The planned construction is within the City’s right of way but may result in some disruption to part of the private property directly adjacent to the work. The City will reinstate all sections of landscaping, driveways and walkways that are disturbed by construction. However, if you have plants or any other assets located within the City’s right of way that you want to preserve, we suggest that you may want to move them in preparation for the construction work.

Accessibility

Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. The City makes every effort to provide access through and around construction sites. If you require a disability-related accommodation, please contact the project team listed below. Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.

Safety

The City of Ottawa is committed to safety in and around project sites. The project team continues to work closely with the industry and to comply with recommendations provided by municipal, provincial and federal health officials, as well as the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

For any emergency outside normal working hours on weekdays and weekends, call the City at 3-1-1.
Should you have any inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact:

City Project Manager
Kim Pearce, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Design and Construction - Municipal
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext. 25594

Below are project-specific questions and responses that were received during a pre-consultation meeting held by the Community Association. General FAQ about traffic calming can be found online.

If you have other questions, please reach out to the City contact below.

Can a continuous sidewalk be added to Southmore Drive East as part of this project?

Adding a continuous sidewalk is outside of the scope and available budget of the Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Program. The City has separate programs which review and prioritize sidewalk requests. 

Through collaboration with another City program, this project was however able to add the short sidewalk segment from Walkley to Garwood, where the greatest degree of concern for pedestrians was identified.

Can implementation of this project be accelerated?

The City will attempt to accelerate the timeline as much as possible, however there are several factors that contribute to the schedule including stakeholder input, resource availability, design processes, construction seasons, nearby projects, funding, etc.

Are speed cushions effective at reducing speeds?

The degree of effectiveness of traffic calming measures including speed cushions vary depending on many factors such as the context and width of the road, existing speed, etc. Vertical measures (speed cushions/humps/tables) are amongst the most effective measures at reducing speeds and are also cost-effective.

Further information on traffic calming measures.

How is winter maintenance affected by speed cushions?

Road maintenance crews may need to use more salt on the speed cushions and run more passes, however there are no major requirements/challenges reported to date.

Are the speed cushions accessible for all users travelling on the roadway, considering that there are not continuous sidewalks along Southmore Drive East?

The speed cushions will be constructed within the City’s Accessibility and AODA guidelines. The slopes will be no steeper than an accessible ramp.

How are bicycles affected by the speed cushions?

Bicycles can navigate the speed cushions easily - they can go over them or in-between. A speed cushion is designed such that the impacts on vehicles, including bicycles, is low if the speed of the vehicle is equal to or less than 30km/h. Cyclists are encouraged not to ride bicycles at speeds higher than 30km/h.

Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. If you require special accommodation, please contact the City of Ottawa Project Manager.

For inquiries, please contact:

Sophie Gauvreau, C.E.T., CAPM
Transportation Planning
City of Ottawa
sophie.gauvreau@ottawa.ca