7.0 Proposed Streetscaping Improvements

The streetscaping of Westboro Village generally meets City design standards for Traditional Mainstreets. However, supplementary work and associated follow-up studies should be undertaken in the future to enhance, and in some cases, remediate, the existing situation.

Such supplementary work should include:

• Reconstruction of planting boxes, as the existing ones will not accommodate the long-term growth of street trees;
• Installation of pedestrian-oriented street lighting;
• Construction of pedestrian crossings; and,
• Analysis of different scenarios to mitigate the impact of overhead wires, including the option of placing these underground.

This section of Richmond Road does not yet project the image of a traditional mainstreet. Most notable is the absence of either a street-oriented building alignment or a continuous building façade. As a result, additional work should be carried out to foster a stronger pedestrian orientation along this street segment.

Specific work includes:

• Creation of a two-metre wide continuous sidewalk;
• Planting trees in alignment with the roadway to achieve the dual objective of (a) restoring continuity of the building façade; and (b) mitigate the effects of deep front yards on a number of properties; and,
• Installation of pedestrian-oriented street lighting.

This section of Richmond Road should be subject to an extensive streetscape redesign in conjunction with the more compact and pedestrian-oriented form of redevelopment identified by the CDP. In particular, the City should take advantage of the presence of the linear Byron Tramway Park located on the south side of Richmond Road in order to:

• Extend the existing recreational pathway as noted in Section 5.0;
• Create an effective buffer zone between the established residential community south of Byron Avenue and the proposed mixed use redevelopment on the north of Richmond Road; and,
• Redefine the streetscape by means of a continuous alignment of trees within the linear park.

In addition, alternative streetscaping scenarios should be identified to treat the north side of Richmond Road to:

• Provide a continuous two-metre wide sidewalk as part of any future rehabilitation of Richmond Road. Due to the narrow right-of-way between Cleary and Woodroffe, the City may have to acquire additional land to accommodate widened sidewalks and streetscaping measures. The optimal scenario would allow for a separation of the sidewalk from the street by a landscaped boulevard.
• Plant street trees, between the curb and the sidewalk, within the existing right-of-way, where possible, and /or between the sidewalk and the building line on private property to help create a continuous streetscape;

The transportation impact study determined that between Broadview and Fraser there is an opportunity to enhance pedestrian facilities by reducing the road cross-section to two to three vehicular lanes, where possible, with the extra lanes being converted to provide widened sidewalks and streetscaping.

These roadways should be redesigned in order to create a more pedestrian-friendly environment. Measures to support this objective should include:

• Construction of a two-metre wide continuous unobstructed sidewalk, separated from the street by a landscaped boulevard to allow tree planning and improved street lighting;
• Installation of pedestrian-oriented street lighting; and,
• The development of new bicycle path along McRae Avenue extending to the Ottawa River along the Hydro corridor.