North River Road-Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Study

The City of Ottawa is conducting a Local Neighbourhood Traffic Calming (NTC) study along North River Road (between Donald Street and south of Wright Street) due to concerns raised by the residents about speeding, pedestrian safety, and aggressive driver behaviour.

The purpose of an NTC study is to address community concerns related to traffic on existing local and minor collector streets within neighbourhoods. The NTC studies do not involve the redesign and/or reconstruction of an entire street but focus on key localized roadway modifications and/or spot retrofits. Previous NTC studies have resulted in the implementation of various traffic calming measures and/or other permanent roadway modifications.

There are three phases of the NTC study process: the pre-study phase, the study phase, and the implementation phase. 

Pre-study

• Identify request's chief concern
• Screen request
• Prioritize request

Study

• Determine community support and confirm concerns (we are here)
• Preliminary investigation
• Develop a traffic calming plan

Implementation

• Confirm funding
• Design and construction
• Monitoring and evaluation

North River Road is currently in the “study phase". It passed screening (i.e. qualification criteria for this type of project based on existing traffic data) and is now currently at the top of the NTC program’s priority list. If it is deemed that there is enough community support, the study would proceed with further analysis of the feedback obtained through the online survey and current traffic conditions. Together, with community participation, the city would typically make recommendations for various types of permanent traffic calming measures suitable for the character and constraints of the street. Some potential traffic calming measures include speed humps, speed cushions, speed tables, bulb-outs, intersection narrowing, mini-roundabout etc. Potential impacts, both positive and negative, of the proposed options would be discussed before a recommended plan is selected. Please note there is potential that some on-street parking could be removed adjacent to some types of proposed traffic calming measures.

Once the study recommendations have been finalized and funding secured, the approved traffic calming plan would proceed to design and construction in the “implementation” phase. It should be noted that the entire process from study initiation to final construction can take several years to complete.

Existing Traffic Calming Measures

There are some existing permanent traffic calming measures (speed humps, road narrowing) along different sections of North River Rd as shown on the image below. These measures were implemented in the past through the other City programs.

• Speed hump between Donald St. and Columbus Ave. (implemented in 2022)
• Speed hump between Glynn Ave. and King George St. (implemented in 2022)
• Speed hump between Drouin Ave. and West Presland Rd. (implemented in 2007/2009)
• Speed hump between West Presland Rd. and Wright St. (implemented in 2007/2009)
• Narrowing at the intersections of North River Rd / Drouin Ave. ,  North River Rd./West Presland Rd. (implemented in 2007/2009)
• Narrowing on a section between Wright St and West Presland Rd., West Presland Rd. and Drouin Ave (implemented in 2007/2009)

During August/September 2023, an initial online survey was conducted to gather feedback on traffic issues and to ensure that there was a reasonable level of community support to initiate a traffic calming study along North River Road. Since then, the feedback has been reviewed and analyzed.

A total of people 220 people responded to the initial online survey. Here are some key findings:

• 85 per cent of respondents indicated that they support a traffic study that could lead to localized street changes on North River Road.
• The two main concerns along North River Road are:
  • Speeding: 69 per cent of the respondents indicated that speeding is a concern.
  • Pedestrian Safety: 65 per cent of the respondents indicated that pedestrian safety is a concern.
• The most common concerns from the survey included:
  • Safety concerns at the intersection of North River Road / Donald Street.
  • Safety concerns at the intersection of North River Road / Queen Mary Street.

Complete survey results are provided in an As We Heard It (AWHI) Report [ PDF 479 KB ]

Based on review of traffic data, coordination with various stakeholders, project constraints and the results from the initial online survey, a proposed concept plan has been developed.

This plan includes:

• The intersection of North River Road and Donald Street
  • Raised intersection
• The intersection of North River Road and Queen Mary Street
  • Raised crosswalk on the east leg
  • Upgrade the existing bus shelter landing pad
• The intersection of North River Road and Prindiville Street
  • Pedestrian refuge areas on the northwest and southwest corners
  • Painted crosswalks on the north and west legs
• North River Road between Queen Mary Street and Prince Albert Street
  • Speed hump
• North River Road between Donald Street and south of Queen Mary Street
  • Painted cycling lanes

The North River Road Traffic Calming Study is being conducted concurrently with other City of Ottawa projects including:

• The Active Transportation Planning Branch has developed a cycling plan along North River Road from McArthur Avenue to Donald Street and is also seeking feedback. For more information on this project, please see the Active Transportation Project
• OC Transpo is proposing a sidewalk on the west side of North River Road from Donald Street to the bus stop south of Donald Street / north of Columbus Avenue. The sidewalk is shown in red on the traffic calming plan. The purpose of the proposed sidewalk is to provide a safe space for pedestrians walking to and from the bus stop. OC Transpo is also proposing a new bus stop with a concrete shelter pad on the east side of North River Road, south of Donald Street / north of Columbus Avenue.

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

Concept Plan [ PDF 5.774 MB ]

Over the summer of 2024, a second online survey/consultation was conducted to gather feedback about the proposed traffic calming plan along North River Road from Donald Street to south of Wright Street. The deadline to complete the survey was September 9, 2024. Since then, the results from the survey have been reviewed and analyzed.

A total of people 199 people responded to the online survey. Here are some key findings:

• 65 per cent of the respondents reported feeling very or somewhat comfortable with the proposed traffic calming plan, while 29 per cent indicated they were somewhat or very uncomfortable. 6 per cent of the respondents were neutral.
• Vehicle speeds and intersection safety were most common issues raised by the respondents.

Complete results of the survey are provided in an As We Heard It (AWHI) #2 report. 

Based on the survey results, further technical analysis, and internal stakeholders discussion, the traffic calming plan for North River Road has been finalized.

Final Recommended Traffic Calming Plan

The final traffic calming plan for North River Road includes the following recommended roadway modifications:

• The intersection of North River Road and Donald Street
  • Raised intersection.
• The intersection of North River Road and Queen Mary Street
  • Raised crosswalk on the east leg.
  • Upgrade the existing bus shelter landing pad.
• The intersection of North River Road and Prindiville Street
  • Pedestrian refuge areas on the northwest and southwest corners.
  • Painted crosswalks on the north and west legs.
• North River Road between Queen Mary Street and Prince Albert Street
  • Speed hump.
• North River Road between Donald Street and south of Queen Mary Street
  • Painted cycling lanes.

View the final recommended traffic calming plan [5.774 MB ].

Next Steps

This project will be funded through the Neighbourhood Traffic Calming Program. The next step in the process is to complete the final project approvals and then initiate preliminary/ detailed design, which typically requires 1 year to complete (estimated 2025). The construction is typically undertaken the following year (estimated 2026).

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 North River Road, which includes a raised intersection, a raised crosswalk, and a speed hump.  

Raised Intersection

Raised intersections are intersections constructed at higher elevations than adjacent approach roads. The photo below is an example of a raised intersection at Elgin Street and Gladstone Avenue. 

Raised Crosswalk

Raised crosswalks are marked pedestrian and / or mid-block location, constructed at a higher elevation than the adjacent roadway. The photo below is an example of a raised crosswalk at Amiens Street and Prestwick Drive.

Speed Humps 

Speed humps are defined as a raised section of the road that causes a vertical deflection of both the vehicle’s wheels and frame. The photo below provides an example of a speed hump along Bayswater Avenue. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Vertical Deflection Measures

Some advantages include:

• Potential reduction on vehicle speeds.
• Self-enforcing.
• Specifically in the case of raised crossings and raised intersections:
  • Improve proportion of drivers yielding to pedestrians by increasing visibility and emphasizing their priority.
  • Reinforces the stop condition.

Some disadvantages include:

• May impact emergency response activities.
• May cause discomfort to transit users or drivers, and increase travel time.
• May present difficulties for persons with disabilities.

Email - cheminNorthRiverRoad@ottawa.ca

Telephone - 613-580-2424, ext. 12625