Bank Street renewal, Riverside Drive (westbound) to Ledbury Avenue

Project limits

The project limits for Bank Street are between Riverside Drive (North) to Ledbury Avenue, approximately 2.8 kilometres. The project is located in Ward 16 (River), Ward 17 (Capital) and Ward 18 (Alta Vista).

Key plan [ PDF – 95.1 KB ]

Project description

The City of Ottawa has completed the functional design plan for the Bank Street Project and is now proceeding with the preliminary and detailed design phase of the project.

The vision for the Bank Street project is to construct a functioning and safe complete arterial main street with a well-balanced multi-modal transportation network which will cater to vehicles, transit, cyclists and pedestrians. To achieve this goal, some of the following aboveground and underground improvements are proposed:

• Full road reconstruction on Bank Street between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue that includes cycle tracks in both directions and protected intersections.
• Introduction of full height and mountable curb medians along sections of Bank Street.
• Implement streetscaping features along Bank Street, including but not limited to new street furniture, streetlights, trees, concrete sidewalks, grassed sections and paver stones.
• Reconstruction of sanitary sewer, storm sewer and replacement of distribution watermains within the project limits.
• Review and improve bus stop and bus shelter locations.
• Renewal of Bank Street Sawmill Creek culvert.

This project will be guided by the work completed as part of the Bank Street functional design plan. The approved functional design of Bank Street was a product of an extensive study process, which included consultation with the public.

Project timing

A general summary of the estimated design timelines are as follows:

• Summer 2019 - Consultant selection and preliminary design start
• Fall 2019 - First public open house
• Spring 2021 - Finalize preliminary design
• Spring 2021 - Begin detailed design
• Fall 2021 - Confirm utility relocations on Bank Street
• Winter 2021/2022 - Finalize detailed design

Construction start to be determined. Construction timelines will be dependent on future budget approval and coordination with other infrastructure projects across the City. The construction phase of this project will occur over multiple years.

The above timelines are estimated and may change as the project progresses. Additional public information sessions will be scheduled and held throughout the design process. Residents will be notified of these events.

Public engagement

Stay tuned on this webpage and our social media pages for information about our public information sessions and how you can contribute feedback to the project! Our first public information session will occur in fall of 2019.

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 special accommodation, please contact the City’s Project Manager.

COVID-19

COVID-19 is an unprecedented situation and the City of Ottawa is committed to protecting people and the community. The Province of Ontario has allowed certain businesses and workplaces, including all municipal construction projects, to continue operations subject to compliance with strict public health and safety protocols. The City is working closely with the industry and complying with restrictions and recommendations provided by municipal, provincial and federal health officials, as well as the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development.

For further information or to provide comments, please contact the City’s project manager.

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
Roxanne Tubb, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Projects
Design and Construction - Municipal
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 16741

Consultant Project Manager
Kelly Lalonde, P.Eng.
Robinson Consultants Inc.
350 Palladium Drive, Suite 210, Ottawa, ON, K2V 1A8
Tel: 613-592-6060 ext. 141

Geotechnical borehole work on road update (November 2019)

The subsurface investigation work for the Bank Street Renewal project is currently ongoing.

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained Robinson Consulting and their subconsultant GEMTEC Consulting Engineers to complete the work.

Why: The work is in preparation for the reconstruction works on Bank Street between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue scheduled to begin in 2021.

What: Work will involve borehole drilling equipment, operators and technicians for soil and groundwater sampling.

When: New dates - This work will take place until December 20. This work takes place between 7 pm and 3 am. A Noise By-Law Exemption is in place for this work.

Where: The work will take place at various locations along Bank Street between Riverside Drive and Heron Road. The limits of work will vary daily.

We apologize for any inconvenience this work may cause.

Traffic

Lane reductions are anticipated by this work.

Impact on the Right of Way and Adjacent Private Properties

It is not anticipated that the right of way will be impacted by this project.

Noise

You may notice noise during drilling. The City of Ottawa Noise By-law (2017-255) allows construction activity to occur weekdays between 7 am and 10 pm. On Saturdays, work is permitted between 7 am and 10 pm, while Sundays, statutory and public holidays work is permitted between 9 am and 10 pm.

Geotechnical borehole work on road (September 2019)

Representatives of the City of Ottawa will be undertaking work in your neighbourhood.

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained Robinson Consulting and their subconsultant GEMTEC Consulting Engineers to complete the work.

Why: The work is in preparation for the reconstruction works on Bank Street between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue scheduled to begin in 2021.

What: Work will involve borehole drilling equipment, operators and technicians for soil and groundwater sampling.

When: This work period is planned for September 23 to October 23, 2019 between 7 pm and 3 am.

Where: The work will take place at various locations along Bank Street between Riverside Drive and Ledbury Avenue. The limits of work will vary daily.

We apologize for any inconvenience this work may cause.

Traffic

Lane reductions are anticipated by this work.

Impact on the right of way and adjacent private properties

It is not anticipated that the right of way will be impacted by this project.

Noise

You may notice noise during drilling. The City of Ottawa Noise By-law (2017-255) allows construction activity to occur weekdays between 7 am and 10 pm. On Saturdays, work is permitted between 7 am and 10 pm, while Sundays, statutory and public holidays work is permitted between 9 am and 10 pm.

Public Meeting

Tuesday, December 6, 2016
6 to 8:30 p.m.
Presentation at 7p.m.
Jim Durrell Recreation Centre – Ellwood Hall
1265 Walkley Road
OC Transpo routes 1, 8, 41, 87 and 146
Free parking is available

Your feedback is an important component for this renewal project (full road, watermain and sewer replacement). Key elements that will be presented for comment include:

• Cycle tracks
• Widened sidewalks
• Transit priority measures
• Additional medians and the removal of the two way left turn lane in select locations
• Intersection designs
• New traffic control signals

Presentation [ PDF 4.964 MB ]
Open House Display Boards [ PDF 4.628 MB ]
Functional Design Plan [ PDF 17.7 MB ]

Comments and information regarding this project will be collected to assist the project team in finalizing the design. All comments received, with the exception of personal information, will become part of the public record.  Deadline extended - please send comments by January 15, 2017.

Approximately 100 people participated in the Open House.  A presentation by the consulting team was held at 7 pm followed by a question and answer period. Approximately 15 comment sheets were received during the course of the evening and approximately 30 emails were received prior to the deadline for comments.

Summary of Public Comments [ PDF 249 KB ]

• Many participants identified these issues to be of greatest interest to them:
• Widening sidewalks
• Improving the cycling environment along the corridor 
• Adding Street trees and Landscaped Boulevards
• Concerns with the removal of the  two way left turn lane and access to the local businesses

City staff and the consulting team reviewed the feedback and the following drawings were amended to address the specific concerns:

1. Addition of a pedestrian signal at Notting Hill and Bank Street
2. Addition of a shared westbound transit lane with right turn lane  on Heron Road at Bank  Street as well as a double southbound left turn lane
3. Modification to the median from Cecil Avenue to Randall Avenue
4. Addition of a traffic signal at Blue Heron Mall and 1525 Bank Street
5. Reconfiguration of the northbound cycling facility from Riverside Drive south to Riverside Drive North 

Foxbar Avenue to Surrey Avenue [ PDF 332 KB ]

Billings Bridge to Riverside Drive [ PDF 800 KB ]

Heron Road to Evans Avenue [ PDF 459 KB ]

Blue Heron Mall [ PDF 444 KB ]

Next Steps (updated March 2019)

• Bank Street from Riverside Drive to Heron Road is currently forecast for construction to begin in 2021; however, this timeline could change dependent on bus detour routes required for Light Rail Transit (LRT) construction.
• Bank Street from Heron Road to Ledbury Avenue is forecast for construction in 5-10 years.

Project Overview

The City of Ottawa has initiated a study to develop a Recommended Functional Design Plan for Bank Street from the Riverside Drive North to Ledbury Avenue. The Plan will include preliminary roadway geometry and general arrangements, typical cross sections, pavement markings, intersection details, preliminary landscape designs, and identify property requirements and project costs.

The Plan will build upon the Preliminary Design for Bank Street (Riverside Drive South to Walkley Road) completed in 2007and will incorporate recommendations emerging from the 2012 Bank Street Community Design Plan (CDP), the 2013 Official Plan (OP) and associated Transportation Master Plan (TMP) update, and other recent studies and City policies such as the Complete Streets Implementation Framework.

Study Area Map [ PDF 1.854 MB ]

Presentation [ PDF 2.598 MB ]

Background

The Bank Street CDP completed in 2012 is the Council-approved guide to the long-term growth and development of the portion of Bank Street from Riverside Drive to the CN rail line located south of Walkley Road (near Ledbury Avenue). The purpose of the CDP was to create a framework for the future development of these lands, which fulfills the policy direction outlined in the City's OP and sets the specific objectives for the Bank Street community. The CDP provides the land use concept for the area, as well as the servicing and transportation structure for future development.

The City of Ottawa completed a full update to the TMP in 2013. The TMP includes recommendations and actions that support the development of Complete Streets as a component of providing safe and efficient roads.

As part of the Complete Street Implementation Framework, one of the tools identified to support the process was the development of a multi-modal level of service (MMLOS) framework. The TMP provides high level direction on how the MMLOS will be considered and outlines preliminary measures for each mode: pedestrians, cycling, transit, trucks and motor vehicles. The guideline builds upon the work of the TMP and subsequent research into MMLOS indicators to provide a detailed overview of how the MMLOS indicators are to be used and interpreted as part of the transportation impact assessment process.

Study Objectives and Schedule

The development of a Recommended Functional Design Plan will be guided by a detailed assessment of the MMLOS for pedestrians, cyclists, transit service and general traffic for existing and future travel conditions at key locations within the corridor. This analysis considers the roadway geometry and operations of each travel mode and will be used as input in the analysis of design alternatives for the Riverside Drive (North and South), Alta Vista Drive, Heron Road and Walkley Road intersections, and for the roadway segments in between.

As portions of Bank Street are designated as either a Cross-Town Bikeway or a Spine Route on the City's Primary Urban Cycling Network (beyond 2031), a key study objective will be to incorporate cycling facilities into the Recommended Functional Design Plan. The results of the above noted MMLOS analysis will assist in identifying the need for and the degree to which protected facilities can be achieved.

As well, the study will review the need for transit signal priority and assess the feasibility of incorporating bus queue jump lanes at various intersections to address the expected increase in frequency of bus services over time needed to achieve the modal share objectives set out in the 2012 CDP.

The Recommended Functional Design Plan will be refined based on the input received from agencies, stakeholders and the public. Comments received will be considered and incorporated as appropriate into the plan and included in a final Functional Design Report.

This study is to be completed in early 2017.

How to Get Involved

The study will have the benefit of input from a Technical Advisory Committee and a Public and Business Consultation Group that will meet at key points during the study.

An Open House is tentatively scheduled for early October 2016 to provide an opportunity to review and provide input on the Recommended Functional Design Plan. Notification for the Open House will be provided through local newspaper notices, emails to the study mailing list and postings on this website.

Updated project information will be posted periodically on the study website.

You are encouraged to participate in the study through dialogue with your local Community Association or by directly contacting Ann Selfe to have your name placed on the study mailing list to receive project updates or to submit comments and questions.

Ann Selfe, P.Eng.
Senior Implementation Engineer
Development Review Transportation Engineering Services
Transportation Services Department
110 Laurier Avenue West, 4th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J1
613-580-2424 ext. 13185
Email: ann.selfe@ottawa.ca