Beechwood Avenue Transportation Corridor

In order to facilitate the eventual completion of the East-West Bikeway route, the City has initiated a planning and functional design study to provide further definition about the future of transportation on the Beechwood Avenue corridor. Through Planning applications for redevelopments, the City will receive additional space for the public right-of-way that will enable the reconfiguration of the roadway to ensure safe passage for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and cars. Although there are no immediate plans to reconstruct Beechwood Avenue, this study will look at how to eventually use that expanded right-of-way to facilitate a future reconfiguration of the roadway in line with the city's Cycling Master Plan, which defines Beechwood Avenue as a cycling spine route, and the Beechwood Community Design Plan, which calls for Beechwood to be reconfigured to two vehicular travel lanes east of Springfield Road.

Project Status and Next Steps

1. Staff will compile a list of ideas and suggestions brought forth during the June 24, 2015 Open House
2. Additional feedback will be collected by e-mail throughout the summer
3. A summary of the feedback will be provided to participants who signed up and posted on the project website
4. Staff will use the suggestions to inform a number of feasible options that could be considered for the future configuration of the road
5. Draft reconfiguration options will be released to the public for comment in the fall, with a second open house
6. Based on public feedback, a preferred road configuration will be identified. In this context, City staff will review options to protect additional space for the public right-of-way as redevelopments along Beechwood occur
7. This preferred configuration will be included in the next review of the Cycling Plan, part of the Transportation Master Plan
8. The plan will be referred to in the future when Beechwood is eventually reconstructed

Your comments are welcome and encouraged at any point during this study. For more information, please contact:

Zlatko Krstulic, Planner
Transportation Strategic Planning
City of Ottawa, 110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
613-580-2424, ext. 21827
E-mail: zlatko.krstulic@ottawa.ca

Beginning in September, you will notice construction work occurring in your neighbourhood. This activity is being conducted to improve transportation safety on Beechwood Avenue.

Who: Contractors working for the City of Ottawa will be completing this construction.

What: As part of the Beechwood Complete Street Project, a pedestrian crossover and a raised and separated bicycle facility will be constructed along Beechwood Avenue between Jolliet and Corona Avenues.

Why: This construction will add a pedestrian crossover to be located at Beechwood Avenue and Corona Avenue, along with a section of cycle track to the East-West Bikeway corridor, offering transportation choices while improving safety for all road users.

When: This work will tentatively begin in September 2018 and will be completed by November 2018, subject to unforeseen circumstances.

Where: Beechwood Avenue eastbound between Jolliet and Corona Avenues.

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 undersigned.

On-street parking

To allow the work to be completed, on-street parking will be prohibited during the construction period. Signs will be placed 24-hours in advance indicating the temporary parking prohibition. Vehicles parked at these locations may be towed at the owner’s expense. Parking fines may also apply. In the event that access to your driveway is restricted due to construction activities, a temporary On-Street Parking Permit (orange form) will be issued by the Construction Site Inspector to authorize on-street parking within two blocks of your residence. This pass does not entitle you to park in “no parking zones” at any time.

Construction disruptions

The contractor will assume full responsibility for the construction work in its entirety. They 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 operation of the work, such as delays and traffic detours when travelling through the construction zone, noise, dust and vibration. You may feel vibrations at your home or business due to the use of the heavy equipment needed to complete this work. This is quite common and not usually a problem. We would like to thank you for your patience and co-operation.

Impact on the right-of-way and adjacent private properties

The construction work is within the City’s right-of-way and will not result in any major disruption to part of the private property directly adjacent to the work. Lawns, pathways, gardens and/or driveways may be disturbed. The affected areas will be reinstated as soon as possible after construction is completed.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the project, please contact the City’s project manager below.

City project manager:
Jamie MacDonald, P.Eng.
Design and Construction Municipal Branch
Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department
100 Constellation Drive
Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 16151

Beginning in July 2017, you will notice construction work occurring in your neighbourhood. This activity is being conducted to improve transportation safety on Beechwood Avenue.

What: As part of the Beechwood Complete Street Project - Phase 2, raised and separated bicycle facilities will be constructed in three locations along Beechwood Avenue between the Vanier Parkway/Crichton Street and Springfield Road. Street trees and new street lighting are also planned. For more information, go to ottawa.ca/beechwoodavenue.

Key plan [ PDF - 3.32 MB ]

Where: The following locations will be affected:

• Beechwood Avenue westbound from Springfield Road to MacKay Street.
• Beechwood Avenue westbound from Springfield Road to 1 Beechwood Avenue (the Guardian Pharmacy), conducted by Minto Developments on behalf of City of Ottawa, as per City plans.
• Beechwood Avenue eastbound in a section midblock between the Vanier Parkway and Charlevoix Street, in front of 6 Beechwood Avenue.

Why: This construction will complete the East-West Bikeway corridor, offering transportation choice while improving safety for all road users.

Who: Contractors working for the City of Ottawa and Minto Developments will be completing this construction.

When: This work will begin in July 2017 and will be completed by September 2017.

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 undersigned.

On-street parking

To allow the work to be completed, on-street parking will be prohibited during the construction period. Signs will be placed 24-hours in advance indicating the temporary parking prohibition. Vehicles parked at these locations may be towed at the owner’s expense. Parking fines may also apply. In the event that access to your driveway is restricted due to construction activities, a temporary On-Street Parking Permit (orange form) will be issued by the Construction Site Inspector to authorize on-street parking within two blocks of your residence. This pass does not entitle you to park in “no parking zones” at any time.

Construction disruptions

The contractor will assume full responsibility for the construction work in its entirety. They 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 operation of the work, such as delays and traffic detours when travelling through the construction zone, noise, dust and vibration. You may feel vibrations at your home or business due to the use of the heavy equipment needed to complete this work. This is quite common and not usually a problem. We would like to thank you for your patience and co-operation.

Impact on the right-of-way and adjacent private properties

The construction work is within the City’s right-of-way and will not result in any major disruption to part of the private property directly adjacent to the work. Lawns, pathways, gardens and/or driveways may be disturbed. The affected areas will be reinstated as soon as possible after construction is completed.

Should you have any questions or concerns about the project, please contact the City’s Project Manager below.

City project manager: 
Jamie MacDonald, P.Eng.
Design and Construction Branch 1
Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-580-2424, ext. 16151

Consultant project manager:
Dave Hook, P.Eng.
IBI Group
333 Preston Street, Suite 400
Ottawa, ON K1S 5N4
Tel: 613-225-1311

This project is now proceeding to the implementation phase.

Timelines

Implementation of the Transition Plan will be broken down into two phases.

Phase 1: Tentatively (subject to approval) scheduled for August/September 2016
Phase 2: Fall 2016/Early 2017, subject to detailed design process and approval

Implementation Phases [ PDF 1.153 MB ]

Transition Design Plan  [ PDF 4.888 MB ] (subject to approvals process and budgetary constraints)

Phase 1 will involve the following work on Beechwood between Mackay/Charlevoix and Putman Avenue/Marier Avenue:

1. Repainting of the lines on Beechwood, including the addition of bicycle lanes
2. Changes to on-street parking on this section Beechwood
3. Addition of new on-street parking spaces on side streets.

Phase 2 will involve the following work on Beechwood Avenue, the Vanier Parkway/Crichton Street and Springfield Road:

1. Construction of a short section of eastbound raised cycle track on the south side of Beechwood midblock between the Vanier Parkway and Charlevoix to allow for off-peak parking (subject to design approval);
2. Curb adjustments along the north side of Beechwood between Springfield and Crichton; and
3. Adjustments to signals at Beechwood/MacKay and Beechwood/Springfield intersections. (2 and 3 subject to approvals process and budgetary constraints).

Changes to On-Street Parking

In response to public feedback, on-street parking spaces have been added as per the table below.

Changes to On Street Parking [ PDF 6.270 MB ]

Changes to On-Street Parking

Note 1: Numbers are approximate.
Note 2: (+XX) = Number of new spaces added to plan since March 2016 Public Open House.

Reference Plan

The future Reference Plan configuration will be used to guide designs for street reinstatement when properties along Beechwood Avenue are redeveloped in the future. There are no immediate plans to reconstruct Beechwood Avenue.

For more information on implementation of the Transition Plan, please contact:

Jamie MacDonald, P.Eng.
Infrastructure Services Department
City of Ottawa, 100 Constellation Crescent, 6th Floor
Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
613-580-2424 ext. 16151
Email: jamie.macdonald@ottawa.ca

On March 9, 2016, City staff worked with Councillors Tobi Nussbaum and Mathieu Fleury to organize a second public open house to present draft functional design plans for the Beechwood corridor and receive feedback from stakeholders.

The open house focused on the Transition Design Plan, which could be implemented with minimal construction in the short term through the use of pavement markings and signage. The Reference Design Plan was also presented to show what the corridor could look like as properties along the corridor redevelop over the longer term. Information was conveyed through 10 open house display boards and the Transition and Reference Design roll plans.

Highlights [ PDF 243 KB ]

Open House Display Boards [ PDF 9.062 MB ]

Transition Design and Reference Design Plans [ PDF 1.418 MB ]

More than 135 people attended the open house to discuss the project with the study team, Councillors and Councillors' staff. Information was also available on the project website.

Public comments on the proposed design plans were collected at the Open House using comment sheets as well as by email or phone through April 6, 2016.

In total, the City received 90 responses including 24 comment sheets, 64 emails and two phone calls. Adjustments to the design plan will be considered during the detailed design phase based on the feedback received.

An additional meeting hosted by the Quartier Vanier Business Improvement Association (QVBIA) on April 18, 2016 allowed City staff and the two Councillors to hear feedback from QVBIA members primarily concerned with the loss of on-street parking directly on Beechwood. The agenda for this meeting included:

• A review of the proposed changes to Beechwood
• Feedback on how the proposal could affect businesses
• A review of how other BIAs have dealt with similar issues and the lessons learned
• Identification of ways to address merchants' concerns

Feedback Overview

Feedback was received from 77 residents, several local businesses, the Quartier Vanier Business Improvement Association (QVBIA), which represents local businesses, as well as advocacy groups such as Citizens for Safe Cycling and Local Eco-Action Families (LEAF).

Overall, 48 per cent of responses were supportive, 15 per cent were neutral, and 37 per cent expressed concerns with the plans. When each of the 90 responses is broken down into individual comments or points there are 292 comments, concerns and ideas to be considered.

• 223 comments directly reference the Transition Design and/or Reference Design Plans for Beechwood Avenue
• 56 comments relate to larger planning issues that are addressed in citywide documents such as the Transportation Master Plan, Ottawa Cycling Plan or the Ottawa Pedestrian Plan
• 13 comments relate to the consultation process
• The QVBIA comments were made on behalf of their local business members, which indicated a strong concern related to the loss of on-street parking directly along Beechwood Avenue.

Functional Plan Feedback

The most common responses were related to parking, cycling facilities and traffic management. Other common themes were traffic calming, pedestrian facilities and the removal or relocation of certain bus stop locations.

Parking

Parking was the most common theme mentioned in the open house; 49 of the 90 responses mention parking in at least one comment. Parking concerns were also expressed separately by 29 local businesses.

Twenty-eight responses opposed the changes to parking or requested an increase in the parking supply as part of the plan. Approximately 80 per cent of all responses in opposition to the parking provisions mentioned concern for local small businesses as a reason for opposing the parking changes. Other common reasons for the opposition of the parking changes included concern over an increase in side-street parking, concern for those who require accessible loading spaces and the need for the creation of safe mid-block pedestrian crossings to increase access to parking.

Twenty-one responses supported the changes or preferred to see further reduction of parking within the plan. Common reasons for supporting the parking changes were:

• Improving cycling infrastructure necessitates the removal of parking spaces
• Removing the parking will improve some traffic issues
• Improved cycle infrastructure will enable cyclists to spend money at local businesses.

Additionally, responses voiced general support of the project but did not mention parking. In contrast, all but three responses that voiced general opposition of the project mentioned parking.

Cycling and Pedestrian Facilities

Comments related to pedestrian and cycling facilities were constructive in nature with ideas or suggestions to improve the Transition or Reference Design plans.

The most common suggestions are outlined below:

• Bicycle lanes should be widened, flexi-posts added, or some other form of separation implemented
• Sidewalks should be widened to prioritize pedestrian movement and comfort
• Street parking should be positioned to provide a buffer between the vehicular travel lanes and the bike lanes
• Additional bike boxes / left turn boxes / advanced cycling stop bars are needed
• The connection to the Rideau River Eastern Pathway should be improved

Other cycling facility suggestions included adding green thermoplastic lane markings at additional intersections, adding more bike parking and considering a Beechwood location for a VeloGo bicycle share station. There were also several comments discussing the merits of cycle tracks; some looked forward to the raised bike lanes shown in the Reference Design, while others were concerned about the quality of winter maintenance and the sharp transitions between bike lanes and cycle tracks (such as the eastbound transition on St. Patrick Street at Cobourg Street).

Other pedestrian facility suggestions included changing the signal timing of traffic control signals to ensure the pedestrian phase is automatically activated on every cycle.

Traffic Management, Traffic Calming and Transit Concerns

Twenty-three responses expressed concern over the modelled increase to vehicle travel delay and congestion. The concerns traffic issues are outlined below:

• Concern about westbound traffic congestion due to the removal of the dedicated left-turn lane from Beechwood Avenue to the Vanier Parkway
• Concern about increased traffic congestion east of Springfield Road due to the reduction in vehicular travel lanes
• Concerns about potential neighbourhood cut-through traffic in New Edinburgh due to the proposed restriction of left turns from Crichton Street to Beechwood Avenue
• Concern about increased walking distances for OC Transpo users if the westbound bus stop at Crichton Street was removed
• Concern about increased walking distances for OC Transpo users if the eastbound bus stop at Charlevoix Street was removed

Two comments suggested adding transit priority measures on the corridor to improve transit travel times.

High-Level Planning Feedback

There were approximately 55 comments that were outside the scope of this study or related to larger planning issues that are addressed in citywide documents such as the Transportation Master Plan. The most common planning issues are listed below:

• Possibility of cycling facilities on side streets (Barrette Street)
• Bicycle licensing / insurance
• Responsible cycling / cycling etiquette
• Redevelopment of the former Rockcliffe airbase and/or new condos will increase traffic along the Beechwood corridor
• Transit should be prioritized over cycling
• Too much or too little winter maintenance of cycling infrastructure

There was one request to add cycling infrastructure on the Vanier Parkway and an idea to turn Beechwood Avenue and Barrette Street into one way streets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why consider changes to Beechwood Avenue?

Beechwood Avenue is a significant transportation corridor located in the heart of a changing neighbourhood. The street serves as a destination for both residents and visitors and as a major corridor for commuters. Rebalancing the needs of various road users would act as a major placemaking opportunity, in both the short- and long-term.

Q. Why should the plan for Beechwood Avenue include bike lanes and cycle tracks?

Providing an effective alternative for residents interested in cycling requires a major improvement in the quality and connectivity of the City's cycling network. Beechwood Avenue is designated as a Crosstown Bikeway in the 2013 Cycling Plan. Crosstown bikeways are meant to provide continuous connectivity over long distances for cycling across the city and are to include both on-road and off-road facilities that consistently provide a high level of comfort. Beechwood Avenue is one of the last remaining sections of Crosstown Bikeway Route 2 that does not currently provide continuous facilities.

Q. Is it possible to add additional parking spaces on side streets to compensate for the loss of spaces on Beechwood Avenue?

Up to 40 all day parking spaces would be restored on Barrette Street if the transition plan for Beechwood Avenue is implemented. The possibility of adding additional parking spaces on Beechwood Avenue and side streets is being evaluated.

Q. Is it possible to restore at least some of the on-street parking spots on Beechwood Avenue itself- to mitigate local business impacts?

The restoral of some of the lost parking on Beechwood Avenue is being actively worked on. The number of additional spots which could be restored will be finalized during the detailed design phase.

Q. Can the proposed bicycle lanes on the transition plan be widened?

Due to the narrow width of the existing road corridor, it is not possible to widen the bicycle lanes beyond what is currently proposed while still maintaining minimum lane widths for transit service.

Q. Can the bike lanes be separated from traffic?

In the Transition Plan, bicycle lanes would be added using pavement markings. In the long term, as the corridor is redeveloped, there will be opportunities to add separated cycling facilities (cycle tracks) as shown on the Reference Design Plan. An example of this approach can be viewed at the recently completed 222 Beechwood Ave. redevelopment ("The Kavanaugh").

Q. Can the sidewalks on Beechwood Avenue be widened?

Due to the narrow width of the existing road corridor, there are no immediate plans to widen the sidewalks on Beechwood Avenue. Initial work to implement the Transition Plan design would be completed mainly by repainting the lines on the road. In the long term, as properties along the corridor are redeveloped, there may be opportunities to widen the pedestrian realm as shown on the Reference Design Plan by adding curb extensions to reduce crossing distance.

Q. Can the bicycle lanes be positioned between parked cars and the sidewalk?

Operating considerations do not allow for this type of configuration. The proposed configuration in the Transition Design Plan allows for a 0.5 meter buffer zone to prevent dooring, and allows cyclists to pass in lower traffic conditions which would not be possible if the bike lane were to be located between a parked car and sidewalk. In the long-term, as the corridor is redeveloped, separated cycle tracks may be added at the same height as the sidewalk as shown in the reference plan.

Q. Is it possible to include additional bike boxes for left turns?

This will be considered during the detailed design phase.

Q. What is the expected impact on vehicle travel time along Beechwood Avenue with the reduction of travel lanes?

Using 2014 traffic volumes, during the morning peak period westbound travel times would be expected to increase by approximately one minute, with eastbound travel times expected to increase by approximately 15 seconds. For traffic conditions in 2031, westbound travel times during the morning peak period are expected increase by approximately 85 seconds.

Q. What is the expected impact on vehicle delay for left turns from Beechwood Avenue onto the Vanier Parkway?

Left turns onto the Vanier Parkway from Beechwood Avenue would be serviced by an advanced left turn arrow, but in a shared left/straight lane. Allowing vehicles to turn left with an advanced signal reduces the amount of vehicles waiting to turn left. The current configuration includes a short dedicated left-turn lane and already results in left-turning vehicles queuing in one of the straight-through lanes. Signal timing for the left turn arrow would be monitored if the transition plan is implemented and may be adjusted depending on travel behaviour.

Q. Can bus stops be removed and relocated to more efficient or practical locations?

The relocation of bus stops is being considered as part of the detailed design stage in order to improve efficiency of the corridor and possibly permit additional on street parking spaces.

Next Steps

Following a review of the functional design plans based on comments received at the open house and under the direction of both Councillors, implementation of the Transition Design Plan is tentatively planned for sometime in 2016.

For more information on this project, please contact:
 

Zlatko Krstulic, P.Eng., Senior Project Manager
Transportation Strategic Planning
City of Ottawa, 110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
613-580-2424, ext. 21827
E-mail: zlatko.krstulic@ottawa.ca

On June 24, Rideau-Rockcliffe Councillor Tobi Nussbaum and Rideau-Vanier Councillor Mathieu Fleury hosted a public workshop to envision the future of transportation on Beechwood. Over 80 residents, business owners and representatives from local groups participated in this collaborative, interactive and inspiring evening of traffic troubleshooting! Although there are no plans to rebuild Beechwood, we wanted to proactively create a vision for the street to guide its evolution, particularly as redevelopments provide opportunities to make street improvements.

Participants were asked to step into the shoes of transportation planners and engineers for the evening. Tasked with identifying a preferred lane configuration that would safely accommodate all modes of transportation, groups of participants arranged lane cut outs into possible layouts on a street map. The energetic 1.5-hour session generated much discussion and allowed both Councillors' offices, City staff and the project consultant to better understand the priorities of those who travel along Beechwood.

We have since compiled the workshop feedback and summarized participants' overall vision for Beechwood, their preferred lane layouts, and their feedback on themes such as parking, the pedestrian experience, cycling infrastructure and public transit.

Please continue to share your feedback and ideas with Tobi.Nussbaum@Ottawa.ca and with City staff (Zlatko.Krstulic@Ottawa.ca) by email. For background information on this project, visit the City's website.

Participant Feedback

Vision for Beechwood

Participants were asked to envision their ideal weekday commute along the corridor in addition to their ideal weekend outing on Beechwood. Broadly, participants want Beechwood to:

• Safely and comfortably accommodate all modes of transportation, in particular more vulnerable users like children and older adults
• Function primarily as a mainstreet for residents and local traffic rather than a thoroughfare for commuters travelling from outside of the neighbourhoods
• Include bike lanes and limit on-street parking during peak hours
• Emphasize walking and cycling during weekends with more benches, trees, and outdoor patios.

Lane Configurations

A total of 16 layouts were developed by 14 groups, ranging between 13.6 metres and 23.6 metres wide. An overwhelming majority of proposed configurations included dedicated space for cycling, mostly in the form of bike lanes on either side of the street, with physical buffers to provide separation from vehicles. Lanes shared between cyclists and vehicles were not a popular option. Based on the dot evaluation of proposed configurations at the end of the session, the preference for bike lanes over on-street parking was very clear.

In general, the proposed configurations included two or three vehicle travel lanes, with the centre lane functioning as left turn lane or as a reversible lane that would change directions based on the time of day and traffic flows. While reversible lanes are not feasible at this time because that configuration would involve major changes to traffic signals, many groups felt that the addition of advanced left turn signals (green arrows or flashing green signals) would improve traffic flow at the western end of Beechwood, between the Vanier Parkway and Springfield Road.

Suggested improvements also included:

• Reducing vehicle travel speeds along the corridor, either by reducing the posted speed limit or by introducing traffic calming infrastructure
• Maintaining separation between different users and facilities on the street
• Introducing slimmer vehicle lanes to free up space for other facilities.

Parking

Parking generated much debate throughout the session, with various suggestions on its management and location. There was a strong preference to remove on-street parking, particularly between the Vanier Parkway and Springfield Road. Many participants indicated that the current configuration is dangerous and that the space currently reserved for parked vehicles would be better used for dedicated cycling facilities.

Key debates:

• One side vs. none: If on-street parking was suggested, it was only for one side of Beechwood or limited to evening hours only. However, when parking was included in a number of the lane configurations, it was not very popular based on dot commentary.
• Side streets vs. Beechwood: Some participants felt it would be preferable to locate parking on side streets, which would free up space on Beechwood, while many others felt a need to reduce parking pressures on side streets.
• On-street vs. off-street parking: Multi-level parking structures or underground spaces as part of new developments was occasionally suggested.

Pedestrian Experience

Many participants felt that Beechwood should prioritize the pedestrian experience, particularly given the high concentration of children and seniors in the area. Suggested improvements included:

• Ensuring sidewalks maintain a uniform quality, in terms of width and grade
• Adding pedestrian priority signals to intersections, which would permit pedestrians to cross before cars are given a green light
• Increasing pedestrian crossing times
• Adding trees, benches, attractive waste receptacles, and street art to buffer pedestrian space from vehicle lanes and make the street more comfortable and attractive.

Cycling Infrastructure

There was strong support for dedicated cycling facilities on Beechwood. Participants consistently criticized the existing cycling conditions as dangerous, particularly between the Vanier Parkway and Charlevoix Street/MacKay Street. Suggestions included:

• Introducing continuous bicycle lanes, which would require consistent cycling facilities along the length of Beechwood Avenue, connecting to existing routes on St. Patrick Street and Hemlock Road
• Adding bicycle signals at the Vanier Parkway intersection to help reduce conflicts with vehicles
• Increasing bike parking on Beechwood.

Public Transit

Priority for OC Transpo buses did not feature as prominently as priority for cycling facilities. Dedicated bus lanes were occasionally suggested in individual comments, but were not popular in the group configurations. On the one hand, the frequency of stopped buses reportedly causes conflicts with private vehicles, namely cars and bicycles.

However, prioritizing public transit could also encourage a reduction in the number of motor vehicles along the corridor, thereby reducing congestion. Bus bays to provide space for buses to pull out of traffic were suggested as a possible solution to this dilemma. Other suggested improvements included:

• Locating bus stops on boulevards or curb bulbs and not on sidewalks
• Providing shelters at bus stops
• Relocating the south-side bus stop between the Vanier Parkway and Charlevoix Street.

Creative Ideas

A number of more out of the box ideas were produced in the Beechwood brainstorming. These included:

• Adding a traffic circle at the Vanier Parkway intersection;
• Eventually reintroducing a streetcar route that would run along Beechwood, connecting the former CFB airbase redevelopment with downtown
• Landscaping corner garden areas to help soften the streetscape
• Converting the Metro parking into a paid publically accessible lot, but provide grocery store patrons with free parking by showing a Metro receipt (similar to the Loblaws on Rideau Street)
• Exploring opportunities to use parking to generate revenues for the neighbourhood.

Next Steps

Although the City will not be able to undertake significant infrastructure renewal along Beechwood for a number of years, we hope that this feedback will also allow us to push for low-cost, simple interventions that improve the functionality of the street in the interim. In the long-run, the information will help the City refine direction on how to use additional public right-of-way space the City gains when properties on Beechwood are redeveloped.

City staff will continue to collect feedback over the summer. All of the information collected at the workshop will be analyzed by the City staff and consultant team to help inform a number of feasible future configuration options for Beechwood. What we can expect from this process:

1. A number of draft reconfiguration options will be released to the public for comment in the fall, with a second open house.
2. Based on public feedback, a preferred road configuration will be identified. In this context, City staff will review options to protect additional space for the public right-of-way as redevelopments along Beechwood occur.
3. This preferred configuration will be included in the next review of the Cycling Plan, part of the Transportation Master Plan, and will help inform the Beechwood Community Design Plan.
4. The plan will be referred to in the future when Beechwood is eventually reconstructed.

Your comments are welcome and encouraged at any point during this study. For more information, please contact:
Zlatko Krstulic, Planner
Transportation Strategic Planning
City of Ottawa, 110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1P 1J1
613-580-2424, ext. 21827
E-mail: zlatko.krstulic@ottawa.ca