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 completion: 2023
Construction start: late May 2024
Construction completion: early September 2024

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, please call the City at 3-1-1.  
For general project information, please contact the City’s Project Manager. 
For construction related questions or concerns, please contact the Contractor Representative.

City Project Manager
Steven Stoddard, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure Services
City of Ottawa
Tel.: 613-580-2424, ext. 27880

Contract Administrator
Kelsey Lloyd, P.Eng.
Novatech Engineering
Tel.:  613-254-9643, ext. 287

City On-Site Representative
Todd Penfound, Site Inspector
Novatech
Tel.: 613-277-3273

Contractor Representative
Justin Woodward
Project Manager
DSQ Construction Ltd.
Tel.: 613-914-1431

In late May 2024, the City of Ottawa began installation of traffic calming measures and a sidewalk in your neighbourhood.

What: The traffic calming work on Southmore Drive East includes the installation of a raised crosswalk at the pedestrian crossing of Southmore Drive East at Walkley Road.

Why: The road closure is required for the safety of the residents and workers.

When: The Southmore Drive closure at Walkley Road will begin on Saturday July 6 and will end Sunday July 7.

Where: Southmore Drive at Walkley Road.

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained the contractor, D-Squared Construction Ltd., to complete the work.

Traffic impacts

Signage will be installed to indicate that Southmore Drive is closed to through traffic. During the full road closure, local access will be maintained. Local access is defined as those living within the limits of the road closure. The closure applies to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

Construction disruptions

The contractor will take every precaution to minimize interruptions to the everyday life of your family and/or operation of your business, but as you can appreciate, there may be some inconvenience during the course of the construction work, such as delays and traffic detours, parking restrictions, noise and dust. You may also feel vibrations due to heavy equipment operations. Vibrations from construction activities are quite common and rarely cause any problems. We would like to thank you for your patience and co-operation. For construction activity hours of work, the City of Ottawa follows provincial requirements and the City’s Noise By-law (2017-255).

In late May 2024, the City of Ottawa will begin installation of traffic calming measures and a sidewalk in your neighbourhood.

What: The traffic calming work on Southmore Drive East includes the following:

• Installation of four speed cushions between Walkley Road and McCarthy Road.
• Installation of a new 2.0m wide concrete sidewalk along the west side of Southmore Drive East between Walkley Road and Garwood Avenue.
• Installation of a raised crosswalk at the pedestrian crossing of Southmore Drive East at Walkley Road.
• Modifications to the intersection of Southmore Drive and McCarthy Road, including the replacement of all four pedestrian landing pads at the intersection.

Why: This work is required to improve conditions for all road users by calming vehicular traffic, encouraging more appropriate driver behaviour, and increasing pedestrian and cyclist safety.

When: This work is scheduled to begin in late May and is scheduled to be completed by early September 2024.

Where: Southmore Drive between Walkley Road and McCarthy Road.

Who: The City of Ottawa has retained the contractor, D-Squared Construction Ltd., to complete the work.

Traffic management

To accommodate the proposed construction, temporary lane reductions will be required on Southmore Drive. To accommodate the proposed raised crosswalk construction, a short-term closure at Southmore Drive East and Walkley Road will be required. Access to private properties including pedestrian and cycling access, will be maintained throughout the construction period unless otherwise communicated.

On-street parking and local access

As the various road reconstruction activities are in progress, on-street parking will be restricted. Local access will be maintained to residents, business owners and emergency vehicles. Periodically, vehicular access to your property may be unavailable; the contractor is required to provide 24-hour notification of temporary loss of vehicular access/egress to your property. A temporary On-Street Parking Permit will be made available to allow on-street parking within two blocks of your residence when these disruptions occur. Residents with electric vehicles will need to find alternative charging arrangements when access is restricted. The use of extension cords within the public right of way is not permitted. Should you have additional concerns about reduced access, such as business deliveries or accessibility requirements, please contact the project manager.

Contractor responsibility

As part of this contract, the contractor is assuming full responsibility for the construction work until it is entirely complete as well as any damages to private property resulting from these construction activities. In the event of such occurrences, all claims for damages should be immediately reported both verbally and in writing to the contractor and to the City on-site Representative. This will ensure prompt notification of appropriate authorities to complete the claim investigations.

Construction disruptions

The contractor will take every precaution to minimize interruptions to the everyday life of your family and/or operation of your business, but, as you can appreciate, there may be some inconvenience during the course of the work, such as traffic delays, noise and dust. You may also feel vibrations due to heavy equipment operations. Vibrations from construction activities are quite common and rarely cause any problems. We would like to thank you for your patience and co-operation. For construction activity hours of work, the City of Ottawa follows provincial requirements and the City’s Noise By-law (2017-255).

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