North Bluff Drive and Owls Cabin Avenue Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Study

The City of Ottawa is undertaking a local traffic calming study for North Bluff Drive and Owls Cabin Avenue to address raised traffic safety concerns and to recommend solutions to reduce the negative impacts of motorized traffic on these community streets. The main focus of the study is to explore localized solutions to help address speeding and pedestrian and cyclist safety concerns without adversely impacting vehicular access.

An online survey was undertaken from Monday, May 22 to Friday, June 9, 2023, to confirm support for this study and to gather public feedback on traffic concerns and level of support for potential measures along North Bluff Drive and Owls Cabin Avenue. The majority of the survey respondents supported traffic calming along North Bluff Drive and Owls Cabin Avenue. Among the presented potential measures, speed humps, speed cushions and curb radius reductions were supported by the majority. More detailed results of the survey are summarized below:

As we heard it report 1 [ PDF 775 KB ]

The City of Ottawa has developed a recommended plan in response to residents' traffic concerns. The study examined the road conditions from the perspective of all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and adjacent residential property owners. The recommended plan was developed in consideration of effectiveness, cost, and the feedback received from the first survey. The following is a summary of the recommended plan:

• Two speed humps are recommended on Owls Cabin Avenue to reduce speed. Speed humps are a type of vertical deflection measures and effective in speed reduction, but in comparison with other measures, they have higher impacts on emergency response vehicles and response times.

• Seven speed cushions are recommended on North Bluff Drive to reduce speed. Speed cushions are another type of vertical deflection measures similar to speed humps. They are designed to allow large vehicles (such as emergency response vehicles) to “straddle” the cushions while smaller passenger vehicles are vertically deflected. Speed cushions are less effective in speed reduction than speed humps, but they have significantly less impacts on emergency response vehicles and response times.

• At the intersection of North Bluff Drive and Canyon Walk Drive, curb radius reductions are recommended to reduce speed of right turning traffic. Also, it is recommended to add two crosswalks on Canyon Walk Drive with depressed curbs and tactile walking surface indicators to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility.

The recommended plan is shown in the links below:

Recommended Plan (1/2) [ PDF 5.879 MB ]

Recommended Plan (2/2) [ PDF 4.797 MB ]

The second online survey, conducted from February 26 to March 16, 2024, received 131 responses. Key concerns included pedestrian safety, speeding, and aggressive driving behavior, with 55% of respondents supporting traffic calming measures. Among the proposed solutions, curb radius reductions received the highest support (56%), followed by speed humps (46%) and speed cushions (37%). Notably, 65% of respondents supported reducing on-street parking to accommodate traffic calming measures. Support levels varied by residence, with the highest coming from those living directly on the study streets. Detailed survey results are summarized below:

As We Heard It Report 2 [ PDF 616 KB ]

Approved Plan

Based on the feedback from residents through two online consultations and input from related City departments, the following modifications are made to the plan that was shared during online consultation 2:

1. The number of speed cushions on North Bluff Drive are reduced from seven to four.
2. Three intersection bulb-outs are added to compensate for the reduced number of speed cushions. Bulb-outs, a type of horizontal deflection measure, narrow the road to discourage speeding and reduce pedestrian crossing distances.

3. Flexible centerline signs are added at the intersection of North Bluff Drive and Nakina Way. These signs are designed to improve visibility and compliance with stop signs.

Final Recommendations

• Two speed humps on Owls Cabin Avenue between Canyon Walk Drive and Feather Moss Way.
• Speed cushions on North Bluff Drive :
  • Between August Riley Crescent North and Brookton Place/August Riley Crescent South
  • Between Bookton Place/August Riley Crescent South and Grey Seal Circle/Black Sage Crescent North
  • Between Bowercrest Crescent/Dusty Miller Crescent North and Fireweed Trail
  • Between Royal Fern Way and Corral Berry Avenue/Eye Bright Crescent
• Intersection bulb-outs at:
  • Southeast corner of North Bluff Drive and Goldeneye Way/Black Sage Crescent
  • Southeast corner of North Bluff Drive and Coral Berry Avenue/Eye Bright Crescent
  • Southeast corner of North Bluff Drive and Bowercrest Crescent/Jersey Tea Circle
• Flexible centerline signs at the intersection of North Bluff Drive and Nakina Way
• Curb radius reductions and two crosswalks at the intersection of North Bluff Drive and Canyon Walk Drive

Approved plans are available at the links below:

Approved Plan (1/2) [ PDF 1.550 MB ]

Approved Plan (2/2) [ PDF 1.647 MB ]

The final recommended plan was approved in December 2024.

Next Steps

The project will be funded through the Neighbourhood Traffic Calming program. The next step in the process is to initiate the preliminary/detailed design, which typically requires one year to complete. The construction is typically undertaken the following year.

Accessibility is an important consideration for the City of Ottawa. If you require special accommodation, or for any inquiries, please call or email the following City of Ottawa project contact:

Wook Kang
Project Manager, Neighbourhood Traffic Calming
Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J1
613-580-2424, ext. 19285
Fax: 613-580-2578
Email: wook.kang@ottawa.ca