Author Archives: John Verbaas

For decades the City of Ottawa has listed as one of its top priority new road projects a corridor joining Conroy Road at Walkley, through an empty corridor north of the Ottawa Hospital connecting to a re-designed interchange of Nicholas Avenue at the Queensway. A coalition (Citizens for Healthy Communities) was formed in the early 2000‟s including representatives … Read More

For immediate release: November 29, 2013 Study will evaluate feasibility of tunnel between bridge and Hwy. 417 Ottawa – The study of a possible solution to heavy traffic in downtown Ottawa will investigate the technical feasibility of connecting the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge and Highway 417 with a tunnel, with the primary goal of removing large trucks from downtown streets. … Read More

The City, together with the Province of Ontario, has committed to and is now engaged in a 750,000$ feasibility study for a tunnel downtown intended to remove the trucks from the surface streets in order to get them between the 417 and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge. That study is just starting and is expected to take just over a … Read More

On November 15, 2013, the City’s Transportation Committee met to review the draft 2013 Transportation Master Plan which outlines the transportation vision for the City to 2031 and beyond. One item that is always mentioned in these Transportation Master Plans is the need for a solution to the downtown interprovincial truck problem. In the past, that solution has … Read More

110 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1J1 May 31, 2013 Dear Mayor Watson: Thank you for taking the initiative to reach out to us in your May 27, 2013 email on the interprovincial crossing project. Action Sandy Hill (ASH) is very interested in your offer of further communications on this matter and we will make our views … Read More

May 21, 2013 Update: On May 14th, 2013, the NCC announced the results of the Phase 2B study as decided by the “Evaluation Committee” regarding the “technically preferred corridor” for a new inter-provincial bridge in the east end of the NCR. The choice was Kettle Island (via Aviation Parkway-Montée Paiement). Kettle Island was preferred over 2 other corridors … Read More

Ever since the Macdonald-Cartier bridge was built in the 1960’s Lowertown and the Northwest section of Sandy Hill have continued to struggle/deteriorate in large part because 2,500 heavy trucks (1600 of which are tractor trailers) per day travel down Waller, Rideau, and King Edward streets. This truck route is a major impediment to the revitalization of Rideau Street … Read More

Information Memo: Waller/Rideau Street, and King Edward Ave. have served as the major interprovincial truck route in the National Capital Region for 47 years since the Macdonald-Cartier bridge was constructed in 1965. The effects of the resultant high volumes of heavy trucks is quite evident in the number of abandoned and decaying buildings and lack of development along … Read More

A brief overview of transportation issues which are of potential interest to residents of Sandy Hill and where to go for more information. Comments or questions on any of the issues can be directed to transportation@ash-acs.ca.   Current/Ongoing Topics Traffic Calming Downtown Inter-provincial Truck problem Inventory of Road, Cycling, Pedestrian, Transit Changes in Sandy Hill, 2010-2021 Pending Sandy … Read More

Through the efforts of a group of Lowertown residents who organized under the name “King Edward Avenue Task Force” and with the help of then councillor, Georges Bedard, the City undertook a study to determine the feasibility of reducing King Edward Ave north of Rideau St from 6 lanes down to 5 or 4 lanes. This study wrapped … Read More