Blair Road Transit Priority and High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes

Project description

The City of Ottawa is proposing improvements to Blair Road for transit priority and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes between Blair LRT Station and Innes Road. New accessibility, pedestrian and cycling facilities along the road corridor are also proposed to provide connectivity (LRT Station, residential communities, employment, retail and other amenity areas), to promote active transportation, and to improve safety for all road users. This project will result in widening of the roadway and reconstruction of intersections to accommodate these transportation facilities as a complete street. 

The project limits include Blair Road from the north side of the intersection of Blair Road at the Blair LRT Station (the Gloucester Shopping Centre entrance) to the intersection of Blair Road at Innes Road as shown on the map below.

Key project features include: 

• Barrier free access along the corridor for all users 
• A new multi-use pathway (MUP) to provide direct connectivity to Blair LRT Station, along the west side of the corridor
• A new northbound cycling facility along the east side of the corridor
• Protected intersections at the two intersections at Blair Station and south of Ottawa Road 174 (OR174), and improvements to the intersections at Meadowbrook Road, Beaverpond Drive, and Innes Road.
• Two new mid-block pedestrian crossings to access bus stops 
• Reconfiguration of the high-speed OR174 interchange ramps to reduce vehicle speeds in the vicinity of Blair Road and active transportation crossings.

The City has begun the preliminary design phase of this project. The design will be informed by the Blair Road Transit Priority (Innes Road to Blair LRT Station) Environmental Assessment Study for which the Notice of Completion was given on May 21, 2021.

Project timing

Design: underway
Design completion: spring 2024
Construction: to be determined when construction budget has been identified

Project budget

Approved project funds to date are 5 million dollars. 
Overall project funding requirements will be determined at the completion of the design stage and will be subject to additional council approval.

Public engagement

An online public information session was held on April 12, 2023, to present the design drawings to the public. At that time, residents were able to review the design, ask questions and provide comment on the proposed works.

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 of Ottawa Project Manager
Frédéric Lacasse, P.Eng.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure and Water Services
Design and Construction - Municipal
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-227-1459

Consultant Representative
Ronald Clarke, MCIP, RPP
Vice President, Ottawa
Parsons
1223 Michael Street North, Suite 100, Ottawa, ON K1J 7T2

The City of Ottawa remains committed to keeping the public informed of projects occurring in your neighbourhood and may use a variety of communication methods to update residents including but not limited to, mailed notices, ottawa.ca and online engagement opportunities.

The Blair Road Transit Priority and High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes project held a virtual public meeting in April followed by an online engagement opportunity to provide residents with an update on this project.

The virtual public information session was held on Wednesday April 12, 2023 at 6:30 pm.

For the online engagement opportunity, you are invited to review and provide comments on the new documents and illustrations by April 26. Your feedback can be submitted by email or by phone to the contact below. 

Presentation [ 4.49 MB ]
Draft Preliminary Design, North Section [ 2.13 MB ]
Draft Preliminary Design, South Section [ 3.47 MB ]

What: The City of Ottawa is proposing improvements to Blair Road for transit priority and high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes between the Blair LRT Station and Innes Road. New accessibility, pedestrian and cycling facilities along the road corridor are also proposed to provide connectivity (LRT Station, residential communities, employment, retail and other amenity areas), to promote active transportation, and to improve safety for all road users. This project will result in widening of the roadway and reconstruction of intersections to accommodate these transportation facilities as a complete street.

Why: The design is informed by the Blair Road Transit Priority (Innes Road to Blair LRT Station) Environmental Assessment Study for which the Notice of Completion was given on May 21, 2021.
     
Where: The project limits include Blair Road from the north side of the intersection of Blair Road at the Blair LRT Station (the Gloucester Shopping Centre entrance) to the intersection of Blair Road at Innes Road.

When: The design work for this project is ongoing and expected to be completed by the end of 2023. The timing of construction is to be determined when construction budget has been identified. Notices will be sent prior to construction.

Who: The work is being managed by City of Ottawa Infrastructure Services and the consulting firm, Parsons Inc., has been retained to complete the design.

For further information about this project and/or to submit comments on the project, please contact the City project manager:

Frédéric Lacasse, P.Eng., ing.
Senior Engineer, Infrastructure and Water Services
Design and Construction - Municipal
100 Constellation Drive, Ottawa, ON K2G 6J8
Tel: 613-227-1459