Earl Mulligan Drive Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Study

The City of Ottawa is conducting a Neighbourhood Traffic Calming (NTC) Study along Earl Mulligan Drive between Mountshannon Drive and Woodroffe Avenue in response to traffic concerns raised by residents. The main concern noted along this street is speeding.

This study focuses on key locations within the means of the Neighbourhood Traffic Calming (NTC) Program. Traffic calming is the combination of mainly physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor vehicle use, alter driver behaviour, and improve conditions for non-motorized street users. Additional information on traffic calming can be found online.

Based on traffic data, a proposed concept plan has been developed.

This plan includes:

• Earl Mulligan Drive between Mountshannon Drive and Woodroffe Avenue
  • 3 speed cushions. Speed cushions are being proposed along Earl Mulligan Drive because it is an OC Transpo route. Speed cushions allow large vehicles like buses and emergency response vehicles to straddle the cushions.
• The intersections of Earl Mulligan Drive and Woodpark Way, Woodgate Way, Shandon Avenue, and Long Gate Court
  • Corner tightening (curb-radii reductions) and accessibility improvements on the east and west corners
• The intersection of Earl Mulligan Drive and Mountshannon Drive
  • Corner tightening (curb-radii reductions) and accessibility improvements on the north and south corners
  • Painted crosswalk on the south leg and accessibility improvements across from the proposed crosswalk
  • Slightly relocate the north leg painted crosswalk and accessibility improvements across from the crosswalk
• Earl Mulligan Drive between Mountshannon Drive and Woodpark Way
  • Painted edgelines
• Woodpark Way between Earl Mulligan Drive and Armagh Way
  • Sidewalk on the west side

Please click the following link to view the proposed concept plan:

Concept Plan [ PDF6.732 MB ]

Over May / June of 2024, an online survey was conducted to gather feedback on the proposed conceptual traffic calming plan along Earl Mulligan Drive between Mountshannon Drive and Woodroffe Avenue. The AWHI report includes the results from the online survey and summaries of the individual comments received. A total of 283 people completed the online survey.

Here are some key findings:

• The top three concerns raised by the residents are vehicle speeds, pedestrian safety, and aggressive driver behaviour. There were some residents who indicated that they have no concerns.
• 44.5% of respondents are supportive of a traffic calming study, 44.5% of respondents are not supportive of a traffic calming study, and 11% are neutral.
• 43% of respondents are very comfortable or somewhat comfortable with the proposed conceptual traffic calming plan. 48% of respondents are very uncomfortable or somewhat uncomfortable and 9% are neutral.

Complete survey results are provided in an AWHI Report [ PDF 630 KB ]

Next Steps

The next steps include a review of the proposed traffic calming plan and potential updates to the plan based on the feedback provided by residents and internal stakeholders. Final recommendations will be posted to the project webpage once the review is complete.

This October 2024 update includes the final recommended traffic calming plan for Earl Mulligan Drive and the rationale for the recommended traffic calming measures.

Final Recommended Traffic Calming Plan

The final traffic calming plan for Earl Mulligan Drive includes the following recommended roadway modifications:

• Earl Mulligan Drive between Mountshannon Drive and Woodroffe Avenue. 
  • Two speed cushions. Speed cushions are being proposed along Earl Mulligan Drive because it is an OC Transpo route. Speed cushions allow large vehicles like buses and emergency response vehicles to straddle the cushions.  
• The intersection of Earl Mulligan Drive and Woodgate Way (east side).
  • Pedestrian crossover (PXO) type B.
• Earl Mulligan Drive between Woodgate Way and Woodroffe Avenue.
  • Shorten the existing eastbound left turn lanes for the eastbound movement at Woodroffe Avenue to include a westbound left turn lane at Woodpark Way.
  • Centre-island median on the west side of Woodpark Way.
• The intersections of Earl Mulligan Drive and Woodpark Way, Woodgate Way, Shandon Avenue, and Long Gate Court. 
  • Corner tightening (curb-radii reductions) and accessibility improvements on the east and west corners. 
• The intersection of Earl Mulligan Drive and Mountshannon Drive.
  • Corner tightening (curb-radii reductions) and accessibility improvements on the north and south corners. 
  • Painted crosswalk on the south leg and accessibility improvements across from the proposed crosswalk. 
  • Slightly relocate the north leg painted crosswalk and accessibility improvements across from the crosswalk. 

• Earl Mulligan Drive between Mountshannon Drive and Woodgate Way. 
  • Painted edgelines. 
• Earl Mulligan Drive between Shandon Avenue and Woodgate Way.
  • Relocate the existing bus stop that is currently on the north side of Earl Mulligan Drive and the east side of Woodgate Way to the west side of Woodgate Way.
  • Concrete bus shelter pad for the location of the new bus stop.
• Woodpark Way between Earl Mulligan Drive and Armagh Way. 
  • Sidewalk on the west side. 

View the final recommended traffic calming plan [ PDF 6.784 MB ].

Rationale for a Traffic Calming Study

Upon review of the feedback that we received through the online survey, some residents were interested to understand how Earl Mulligan Drive qualified for a Neighbourhood Traffic Calming (NTC) Study. For a street to qualify for a NTC Study, it must meet certain criteria as indicated in the NTC Study Process (approved by council in 2019). The NTC Study Process indicates a street must have an average speed of 45km/hr or more and/or an 85^th percentile speed of 55km/hr or more to qualify for a NTC study. Apart from the speed data, there are other factors that we consider as part of qualification process such as:

• Road classification
• Road reconstruction plan within 5 years
• Presence of sensitive land use (school, park, daycare, etc.)
• Councillor support

For more detailed information about the qualification process, please refer Figure 3 and Figure 4 in the NTC Study Process. Once a street qualifies for an NTC study, the implementation timeline and/or consideration of NTC funding support depends on where the street is located on the prioritization list compared to other streets that have qualified. For more detailed information about prioritization, please refer to Figure 8 in the NTC Study Process.

In 2023, the City received concerns from residents about speeding along Earl Mulligan Drive. Upon review, Earl Mulligan Drive qualified for a NTC study.

Changes to the Initially Proposed Conceptual Traffic Calming Plan

The traffic calming plan has been updated from the initially proposed conceptual traffic calming plan that was circulated as part of online consultation in the spring of 2024. Changes to the initially proposed conceptual traffic calming plan include the following:

1. The existing eastbound left turn lanes to Woodroffe Avenue has been slightly shortened to add a westbound left turn lane to Woodpark Way. The new westbound left turn lane will help to avoid blocking westbound thru traffic by allowing vehicles to pass.
2. A pedestrian crossover (PXO) (type B with flashing beacons) has been added to the traffic calming plan. The PXO will be implemented on Earl Mulligan Drive on the east side of Woodgate Way which is inline with the walking route to and from the Fallowfield transit station. The PXO will provide a safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

A centre-island median has also been added directly east of the PXO. The centre-island median will help slow down westbound vehicles before they reach the PXO which will increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists crossing at the PXO.

3. Due to the addition of the westbound left turn lane and PXO, one of the three speed cushions proposed on the initial plan (east of Woodgate Way) has been removed from the traffic calming plan. Instead, the centre-island median has been recommended.
4. The existing bus stop on the north side of Earl Mulligan Drive - east of Woodgate Way has been relocated to the west side of Woodgate Way. A concrete bus shelter pad has been added at the location of the new bus stop.

Next Steps

This project will be funded through the NTC Program. The next step in the process is to undertake the preliminary/detail design (which typically requires 1 year) with the construction typically following the year after.

There are many benefits to implementing traffic calming measures along a street including reduced vehicular speeds and increased pedestrian safety. The following section will provide an overview of the potential traffic calming options along Earl Mulligan Drive, which includes a combination of speed cushions and corner tightening (curb-radii reductions).  

Speed cushions 

Speed cushions are a type of vertical traffic calming measure which cause a vertical upward movement of the vehicles that are traversing over them. They are raised areas, similar to speed humps, but not covering the entire width of the road. They are designed to allow large vehicles to ‘straddle’ the cushions, resulting in less impacts to emergency and transit vehicle operations. Smaller vehicles are vertically deflected which generally results in lowered vehicles speeds as motorists slow to avoid unpleasant sensations when traversing them. The photos below provide an example of speed cushions that are located along Knudson Drive in Kanata: 

The benefits of speed cushions include reduced vehicular speeds, they are self-enforcing, and they impact larger vehicles less than other vertical measures. Potential disbenefits include that they may affect emergency response times (but less than other vertical measures), could create noise and vibrations, may result in a loss of some on-street parking (adjacent to the speed cushions), require additional winter maintenance due to the gaps in between the cushions, and may cause discomfort to some drivers and passengers at high travel speeds. 

Corner tightening (curb-radii reductions)

Corner tightening or curb-radii reductions involve modifications of intersection corners to implement tighter corners (smaller radii). The benefits of corner tightening include reducing speeds of right-turning vehicles and shortening crossing distances. The disbenefits include larger vehicles may need to cross into adjacent travel lanes and there’s the potential for larger vehicles to mount the curbside space.

Email – EarlMulligan@ottawa.ca

Telephone - 613-580-2424 ext. 12625