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Glebe Traffic Plan 2002

Approved by GCA and DLRA
February 26, 2002

Bronson Avenue Corridor
Queen Elizabeth Drive Transfer
Rest of Glebe
Area 1: Dows Lake (bounded by QED, Carling and Bronson)
Area 2: Southwest Glebe (bounded by Fifth, Bronson, QED and Bank, but excluding QED "transfer")
Area 3: Glebe west (bounded by Fourth. Bronson, Glebe and Bank)
Area 4: Northwest Glebe (bounded by Clemow, Bronson, Chamberlain and Bank)
Area 5: Bank Street (Canal to Queensway)
Area 6: Southeast Glebe (bounded by Bank, Glebe/First and QED)
Area 7: Northeast Glebe (bounded by Bank, Isabella, QED and Linden/Clemow)

Preamble:

This document is the culmination of five years work and extensive public consultation. Drawing upon the recommendations of Cumming Cockburn and JP Braaksma and Associates, consultants hired to assist the community with its review, the Glebe Community Association (GCA) Traffic Committee has elaborated a consolidated traffic plan for the Glebe/Dow’s Lake area. The Plan builds upon the measures introduced in the original Glebe Traffic Plan of the early 1970s and is presented as an integrated set of measures, interlinked and indivisible. While the Plan is designed to deal with both general and specific traffic issues affecting this community, the members of the Traffic Committee recognize that additional measures not set out in the Plan may well be necessary in the future.

The Glebe Traffic Plan 2001 is based on the following principles, which have been widely endorsed by community members during the course of over threetwo years of consultation:

Background

During the 1990s, issues related to the growing impact of traffic travelling through the Glebe and Dow’s Lake areas increasingly became the focus of discussion at meetings of the Glebe and Dow’s Lake Community Associations. Complaints regarding the number of vehicles using residential streets within the Glebe and Dow’s Lake to access the downtown core from other parts of the City and Region, and the threat to pedestrian safety and quality of life posed by vehicular traffic, grew in both number and intensity during this period.

Beginning in 1997, deliberations of the Traffic Committee of the GCA turned to the need for coordinated action to deal with problems created by levels of traffic that could no longer be adequately accommodated within the framework of the original Glebe Traffic Plan implemented in the early 1970s.

In response to a formal request by the GCA in early 1998, the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton approved funding for a traffic study for the Glebe and Dow’s Lake communities. In preparation for the launch of the study, many local residents participated in a major consultation exercise aimed at developing an inventory of traffic-related problems. A public workshop was held in September 1998 to identify the issues. Evidence of the high level of community concern about traffic in the Glebe was provided by the active participation of over 100 community members in the gathering of traffic data during fall 1998 – one of the largest such initiatives ever undertaken in the Ottawa area.

On April 21, 1999, the GCA Traffic Committee, working with municipal staff, finalized the Terms of Reference for the Glebe Traffic Review. The consultants who were to conduct the Review were selected at the end of June 1999. Following initial review of the available data and consultation with residents over the course of a series of neighbourhood ‘walkabouts’, the consultants prepared a Background Report setting out their summary of the traffic-related problems facing the community.

An open house was held in June 2000 to confirm and invite comment on the various traffic-related problems that area residents had identified. Consultants analyzed the over 200 individual submissions and proposed potential corrective measures which were set out in their Final Report to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (now the City of Ottawa).

The Glebe Traffic Plan 2001 is organized around three distinct, but related, problem sets – (1) the Bronson Avenue Corridor, (2) the Queen Elizabeth Drive (QED) "transfer" and (3) the "rest of Glebe" (ROG). While the last category was considered as ‘one’ problem area for the purposes of identifying community-wide issues requiring a common treatment, it was further broken down geographically to allow the Committee to address localized problems and propose appropriate corrective measures. These are: Area 1: Dows Lake (bounded by QED, Carling and Bronson); Area 2: Southwest Glebe (bounded by Fifth, Bronson, QED and Bank); Area 3: Glebe west (bounded by Fourth, Bronson, Glebe and Bank); Area 4: Northwest Glebe (bounded by Clemow, Bronson, Chamberlain and Bank); Area 5: Bank Street (canal to Queensway); Area 6: Southeast Glebe (bounded by Bank, Glebe/First and QED); and Area 7: Northeast Glebe (bounded by Bank, Isabella, QED and Linden Terrace/Clemow)

The elaboration of the Glebe Traffic Plan 2001 was guided by the principles set out above. Building on these, the Committee first envisaged each problem area in terms of the intended effect of any proposed improvements, before moving on to identify the proposals themselves. The Glebe traffic plan proposes measures to manage existing traffic; it was beyond the scope of its terms of reference to address broader issues of overall transportation demand management and its effects on the quality of life in the inner city. However, the community wishes to express its concurrence with the findings and recommendations of the Airport Parkway Extended Traffic Impact Study (APETIS) Steering Committee Report, particularly those encouraging the use of more community-friendly modes of transportation, for example, light rail. (See Appendix A).

In many significant ways, the Glebe/Dows Lake area resembles a village, a village oriented towards its commercial centre – or main (Bank) street. Virtually all residents in the community live within three quarters of a mile of that main street – a feature that, along with the availability of a complete range of essential personal, retail and commercial services, accounts for the extraordinary sense of community identification and cohesiveness. Ours is a mixed-age community and our residents walk more than do those of the suburbs. The safety, comfort and security of our sidewalks and intersections, and the careful and appropriate behaviour of motor vehicle drivers, are vitally important to the continued well-being and well-functioning of our village.

Our traffic plan will preserve the continued health and vibrancy of our village and maintain and sustain the integrity of individual neighbourhoods within the wider community.

Our plan will reduce the number of cars being driven on our local residential streets and encourage slower and more respectful driving. Our plan looks to the City of Ottawa and the Ottawa Police to diligently enforce all traffic regulations throughon an ongoing highly publicly visible program, encouraging said slower and more respectful driving, designed to enhancing enhance the safety and viability of vehicular traffic in the Glebe and Dow's Lake area. Our plan also envisages sidewalks which are safe and comfortable to use – wide enough for people to pass comfortably and designed for walking not cars.

Our streets will be used in ways that are appropriate to their essential character and that enhance the safety, security, comfort and enjoyment of all users, whether resident or visitor. Our streets will be pleasant to travel along whatever the chosen mode of transportation.

Our plan will focus improvements on streets so as to ensure that solutions do not simply shift the problem elsewhere.

Our plan recognizes, accounts for, and will not interfere with the operation of emergency vehicles and public transportation.

Bronson Avenue Corridor:

Problem definition:
Bronson Avenue is now used extensively primarily as an express link between communities in the south end of the region and the Queensway, downtown, and the bridges to the Outaouais. Enhanced access to the Airport Parkway has increased the volume of traffic on Bronson, which, in turn, has increased the number commuters using local residential streets to bypass the congestion.

The volume and excessive speed of traffic on Bronson now constitutes a significant barrier separating Dow’s Lake from the Glebe.

Aggressive and inconsiderate drivers run through intersections, ignoring signals and endangering those crossing – particularly children, older people and the disabled. Close proximity to fast, dense traffic is menacing to pedestrians and cyclists, inhibiting the use of these environmentally friendly, community sustaining modes of transportation.

Community Vision/Desired State
Dow’s Lake and the Glebe form a single, contiguous, integrated community. Bronson is primarily a residential street, the scale and ambience of which should be consistent with the rest of the neighbourhood. Bronson should not constitute a barrier to movement between the two neighbourhoods.

The realization of our vision calls for measures that will allow Bronson to continue to offer access to the downtown while at the same time enhancing the safety and comfort of all users and the adjacent neighbourhoods.

Recommendations

Safety:
Speed

• Reduce existing speed limits along Bronson to 60 kph at the Dunbar Bridge, to 50 kph at Sunnyside and to 40 kph at the Bronson Bridge.

• Establish a Community Safety Zone in the 40 kph zone on Bronson from the Bronson Bridge to Chamberlain, with higher fines and increased enforcement. Examples are similar zones established on Smythe Road and on Dynes Road. This would include measures such as signs stating increased fines in the Community Safety Zone.

• School crossing signs on Bronson at the Glebe/Carling intersection.

• Lift restrictions on off-peak parking.

• Install, from time to time, a visible, speed-feedback monitor on or near the Bronson Bridge.

• Adjust the synchronization of the signal lights at all Bronson intersections to support the above-noted speed limits.

• Mark pedestrian crossings with permanent acrylic zebra stripes.

• Have city staff study the results of an experiment in Indianapolis that linked speed signs with red lights: "Warning, if you exceed the speed limit, the upcoming traffic light will turn red."
  

Intersections

• Adjust traffic signal cycles to provide more time for pedestrians to cross at Holmwood, Fifth, Carling, and Powell Avenues.

• Reduce the waiting time for pedestrian crossings on Bronson.

• Install red light cameras at first traffic light north of Sunnyside, in addition to the one at Carling Avenue, to inhibit drivers running red lights.

• Install photo radar cameras at the Bronson BridgeFifth Avenue intersection, in addition to the one at Carling Avenue, as soon as this traffic enforcement measure is once again approved by the Provincial legislatureto inhibit drivers running red lights.

• Install a new traffic light at the intersection of Bronson and Findlay Avenues.

• Install a pedestrian activated traffic signal mid-block between Second and Third to facilitate pedestrian crossing. This signal should be synchronized with the other traffic signals on Bronson.

• Install an audible signal at Fifth and Bronson.

Traffic Management:
Reduce cut-through traffic

• During a.m. peak, prohibit right turns from Bronson northbound, between Bronson Bridge and Chamberlain Avenue. Bicycles excepted. (Suggest same restriction at Sunnyside.)

• During a.m. peak, prohibit left turns from Bronson northbound at Madawaska and Kippewa. Bicycles excepted.

• Reconfigure the Bronson/Chamberlain intersection, and add an on-ramp from Chamberlain to the Queensway. Make use of the opportunity to purchase the unused Board of Education property to provide additional space for the on-ramp. This will reduce cut-through traffic in the Glebe, and take traffic off Chamberlain and Isabella.

• At the existing billboard at Bronson and Carling, have OC Transpo advertise the O-Train as an alternative for Bronson commuters.

• Prohibit left turns from Bronson northbound onto Sunset (24/7), bicycles excepted.

• During a.m. peak, prohibit access to Glebe Avenue from Carling Avenue eastbound (buses, emergency vehicles, and bicycles excepted).

• During a.m. peak, prohibit right turns onto Imperial (buses, emergency vehicles, and bicycles excepted).

• During p.m. peak, prohibit access to Glebe Avenue from Carling Avenue eastbound (buses, emergency vehicles, and bicycles excepted). As well, prohibit right turns onto Powell, Renfrew, and Imperial (buses, emergency vehicles, and bicycles excepted)

Sense of Neighbourhood:
Streetscaping

• Landscape Bronson Avenue (in particular, plant trees).

• Install lower, ornamental street lighting, as in Somerset Village or on Clemow Avenue.

• Allow off-peak parking.

• Post signage to advise drivers that they are entering/travelling through a residential district.

• Offer incentives to encourage compatible/complementary street-oriented commercial redevelopment of Bronson Avenue between First Avenue and the Queensway.

Queen Elizabeth Drive Transfer:
Problem Definition

Drivers use Findlay, Broadway and Torrington Avenues on the east side and Lakeside Avenue on the west side (all densely populated residential streets) to transfer between Bronson Avenue and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway. The incentive to use the QED has been heightened by a dedicated northbound turning lane, beginning south of the Bronson Bridge and merging with Findlay Avenue. This turning lane also eliminated the northbound bicycle lane on the Bridge, encouraging cyclists to use the sidewalks, creating a conflict with pedestrians.

This arrangement dates back to the 1960s, when the Bronson Bridge was constructed and the old Bronson Avenue was redirected, it presumed the expropriation of the properties adjacent to Bronson on the north side of the canal for a dedicated ramp to/from the Queen Elizabeth Driveway (as exists on the south side). As the expropriation was never undertaken, the existing residential road network has been forced to absorb this transfer traffic.

Initially, Bronson Avenue carried relatively little traffic, as the Airport Parkway functioned solely as a dedicated route to and from Ottawa International Airport. With the effective conversion of the Parkway to a commuter corridor serving south-end communities, the number of drivers transferring to QED has increased dramatically, to the point where the roads have become almost unusable during the morning rush hour and residents fear for the safety of their school-aged children.

Clearly, the weekday, peak hour volume on these residential streets is excessive and unacceptable ":" more than 1000 vehicles currently travel the Findlay, Broadway, Torrington leg between 7 and 9 a.m..

The situation is aggravated further by the behaviour of drivers, many of whom travel too fast and fail to respect stop signs.

Finally, these streets carry too much and inappropriate commercial traffic, such as large tour buses.

Community Vision/Desired State:

Findlay, Broadway, Torrington and Lakeside will regain their character as quiet, family-oriented residential streets. Weekday commuter traffic will not cut through residential neighbourhoods but will remain on the appropriate arterial roads.

Drivers using all residential streets will do so in ways that are mindful of the safety, comfort and security of the people living there.

This vision can be realized only by substantially reducing the volume of traffic on these streets and by introducing measures that will constrain driver behaviour in ways that are compatible with the quiet, residential character of the neighbourhood.

Recommendations:
Volume:

• Prohibit right turns from Bronson northbound during the a.m. peak to significantly reduce volume. Bicycles excepted. (See Bronson Corridor recommendations)

• Eliminate the third (dedicated turning) northbound lane over the Bronson Bridge. This would return the Bronson Bridge to the previous design, which protected Findlay. It would provide increased pedestrian safety on Bronson, Findlay, Broadway, and Torrington.

• Install a traffic signal at the intersection of Bronson and Findlay Avenues.

• Reconstruct the intersection of Bronson and Findlay Avenues to reduce turning radii.

• Establish a bicycle lane northbound on the Bronson Bridge to Holmwood. This will encourage cyclists away from the sidewalks and to use the existing Bronson/Holmwood/Craig/Percy cycling route.

• Add signage to direct cyclists to follow the Holmwood/Craig/Percy cycling route.

• No right turns on red at proposed traffic light at Findlay and Bronson.

Behaviour:

• Post more explicit and larger signage on the Bronson Bridge indicating that drivers are now on a residential street and now entering a residential neighbourhood.

• Subject taxi and other commercial drivers to special restrictions/penalties with respect to traffic infractions.

• Bulbout at the intersection of Lakeview and Bronson.

Speed:

• Install a sign on the Bronson Bridge warning drivers to "be prepared to stop".

• Install speed humps on Broadway Avenue, Findlay and Torrington Avenues between Bronson Avenue and the QED.

• As for all residential streets in the Glebe, limit speed on Broadway, Findlay and Torrington Avenues to 40 km/h, with advisory that recommended speed is 30 knm/h

• Allow parking on both sides of Broadway Avenue.

• Introduce staggered parking on Findlay.

Rest of Glebe:

Problem definition:

The vast majority of problems in the area are related to the unacceptable volume of cut-through traffic and driver behaviour (compliance and mindfulness) on our local residential streets. Some streets are also subject to extraordinary volumes of traffic due to decisions taken in the past regarding desired traffic routes for traffic to take within and through the community. Additionally, there are infrastructure issues, including the inconsistent application of all-way stops, dysfunctional directional flow patterns and poor sidewalk design and maintenance.

Community Vision/Desired State:

Cars on residential streets will be principally local traffic originating and/or terminating in the community, or will belong to people visiting residents.

Drivers on local streets will behave civilly and respectfully and will travel at a pace that does not threaten pedestrians or compromise the quality of life of residents.

Sidewalks will be wide enough for people to pass comfortably and designed and maintained so that they may be walked on safely in all weather conditions.

Community-wide Recommendations:

• Set speed limit on all streets to 40 km/h, as per provincial regulations.

• All-way stops introduced at all intersections along Lyon, Percy, Chrysler, and O’Connor

• Mid-block speed humps, bulb-outs, and raised intersections on Glebe streets, with particular priority for east-west and west-east oriented streets, east of Bronson.

• Implement Community Safety Zones around all schools in the Glebe.

Area 1: Dow’s Lake (bounded by QED, Carling and Bronson)

Problem

Vehicles approaching Bronson from Carling Avenue travel at excessive speeds, endangering pedestrians and cyclists. They also produce noise and splashing which is unpleasant for people whose residences border the road. Some drivers in sport utility vehicles (SUVs) cross the sidewalk and barrier strip at Opeongo.

Recommendations:

Eliminate the third lane on Carling in each direction, which will allow for widening sidewalks and additional streetscaping to increase residential set-back. Specifically, on the south side of Carling, eliminate the third lane between Cambridge and the tour bus parking area. Maintain the tour bus parking area at its present size.

Add planters and trees at the barrier strip at Opeongo and Carling.

Problem

Vehicles anticipating a red light at Fifth Avenue/Madawaska while travelling northbound along Bronson Avenue turn left onto Sunset, usually at a speed that is inappropriate and thus unexpected by the people living on that street. The unexpected nature of the speed increases the danger to residents, particularly to the young children.

Recommendations

Prohibit all left turns onto Sunset from Bronson Avenue (24/7), bicycles excepted..

Narrow the Bronson-Sunset intersection on south side with a bulbout

Problem

Drivers using local streets to transfer between Bronson Avenue and QED/Preston Street.

Recommendations

During a.m. peak, prohibit left turns from Bronson onto Madawaska and Kippewa Avenues. Bicycles excepted. (See Bronson Corridor recommendations)

Study the impact of the following: During p.m. peak (3:30-5:30 PM, Monday to Friday), prohibit left turns off QED onto Lakeside and Crescent Heights. Bicycles excepted.

Introduce traffic calming measures on Lakeside, as deemed necessary. Possibilities to be studied are:

• Two-sided parking in non-winter months.

• Widen sidewalks.

• Introduce speed humps.

Maintain the following traffic calming measures on Kippewa, Madawaska, and Opeongo:

• Kippewa: maintain 1-sided parking in winter and 2-sided parking for rest of year.

• Madawaska: maintain 2-sided parking, but reduce parking near Bronson by 2 to 3 car lengths.

• Opeongo: maintain 1-sided parking.

Add a pedestrian activated traffic light at Crescent Heights and Queen Elizabeth Drive.

Problem

Drivers accelerating downhill on southbound route: Cambridge, Frederick, and Jackson, cutting through from Carling to get to Madawaska/Bronson, or Kippewa/Bronson.

Recommendation

Post stop sign at the north-east corner of Frederick and Jackson (one-way stop).

Area 2: Southwest Glebe (bounded by Fifth, Bronson, QED and Bank, but excluding QED "transfer")

Problem

Approaching drivers use excessive speed and frequently disregard traffic signals, making the intersection crossing at Holmwood and Bronson dangerous and uncomfortable for pedestrians (includes many Carleton students) to use. Further, the signal cycle is heavily biased in favour of the north-south flow, which encourages speeding and means pedestrians and other westbound traffic must wait an uncomfortably long time. The diminished turning opportunity induces drivers to speed up when approaching the intersection from Holmwood Avenue. The problems are accentuated in off-peak hours.

Recommendation

• Adjust signalization cycle to support recommended speed limits and shorten button response time for pedestrians wishing to cross.

Problems

A growing number of drivers are using Fifth Avenue to transfer between Bronson Avenue and Bank Street; the volume on Fifth at Bronson exceeds 200 vph during both the morning and afternoon peaks.

Intersection volume encourages drivers (particularly taxis and other commercial vehicles) to use Muriel Street and Gordon Street to avoid waiting for the lights at either Bronson and Fifth or Bronson and Holmwood.

Cars travelling west along Fifth Avenue and anticipating a red light at the Bronson Avenue intersection use Muriel Street to access Bronson at Holmwood Avenue.

Recommendations

Introduce all-way stops at both ends of Muriel and Gordon Streets.

• Speed hump mid-block on Muriel.

• Raised intersection from Muriel to Gordon on Holmwood instead of all-way stops.

• Add all-way stop at Torrington on Holmwood.

• Reconfigure intersections of Muriel and Gordon Streets and Fifth Avenue to ensure drivers slow down and use the appropriate lane when turning onto the street..

• Establish parking on alternating sides of the avenue for a chicane effect.

• Extend a streetscaping verge (about 3 feet) on the no parking sides of the avenue.

• Plant trees on the verges.

• The existing placement of the sidewalk will remain.

• This is made opportune and economical by the pending reconstruction of Fifth.

Problem

Drivers at intersection of Percy, Fifth and Craig often do not come to a full stop.

Recommendation

• Narrow streets at intersection and introduce bulbouts to ensure cars come to a full stop and make the proper turns from one street onto the other.

Problem

Drivers at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Ralph Street (at Mutchmor School) consistently ignore the all-way stops, endangering children crossing at this location.

Recommendations

• Add flashing signals to stop signs during school crossing hours.

• Modify intersection (narrow, bulbouts, bollards) to ensure cars come to a complete stop.

• Post additional signage indicating the presence of children.

• Paint zebra stripes over pedestrian crossing areas.

• Designate intersection as a community safety zone and therefore a high-fine area.

Problem

Speed of traffic using Queen Elizabeth Place between Bank Street and the Queen Elizabeth Drive. This creates a conflict between pedestrians and automobiles.

Recommendations

• Add marked pedestrian crossing on Queen Elizabeth Place at the Queen Elizabeth Drive.

• Provide advanced green at proposed light at Wilton and Bank, turning left onto Wilton, to reduce speed of drivers turning left.

Area 3: Glebe west (bounded by Fourth. Bronson, Glebe and Bank)

Problem

Glebe Avenue directly links Carling eastbound with Bank Street and/or Colonel By northbound (via the Pretoria Bridge). The volume of this traffic has grown dramatically (in fact Glebe has experienced the highest percentage increase in traffic over the past few years of any local residential street). The fact that the street is unidirectional encourages drivers to travel at inappropriate speeds between intersections.

Recommendations

• During a.m. peak, prohibit right turns from Bronson. Bicycles excepted. (See Bronson Corridor recommendations)

• To calm peak traffic, and allow residents access to their homes, Glebe Avenue to become two-way between Percy and Bronson, but with no exit onto Bronson from Glebe.

Area 4: Northwest Glebe (bounded by Clemow, Bronson, Chamberlain and Bank)

Problems

High traffic speed and volume on Chamberlain endanger children and pedestrians at school and pedestrian crossings.

Heavy volume on Percy during peak periods resulting from commuters and other drivers trying to avoid congestion on Bronson.

Cars using residential cross streets to transfer between Bank Street and Bronson Avenue.

Recommendations

• Community Safety Zone along Chamberlain from Imperial to Kent with higher fines and increased enforcement.

• School crossing for school children who use this crossing to access Glashan School, and access physical education facilities in the Central Park chain at multiple times during the day.

• Prohibit morning peak right turns off Bronson northbound will reduce cut-through traffic. Bicycles excepted. (See Bronson Corridor recommendations)

• Raised intersections on Chamberlain at pedestrian crossings at Percy and at Kent.

Problem

High traffic volume on Powell because Clemow (the closest adjacent street) cannot be accessed either at Bank or Bronson. Note that Powell is the entrance for Renfrew, Powell, Glebe, and Clemow.

Recommendation

• Mid-block "No Through Traffic" signs on Powell between Lyon and Percy, except emergency vehicles, buses, and bicycles.

• Add bulbout mid-block.

• Add signs at Powell and Bank and Powell and Bronson, saying "Not a Through Street - Local Traffic Only".

• Add signs at Powell and Percy and Powell and Lyon: "No Exit".

Problem

The bus shelter on the small island at the intersection of Bank and Chamberlain endangers those waiting at the stop and impedes eastbound right-turning drivers’ view of southbound Bank Street traffic.

Recommendation

• Eliminate turning lane between Chamberlain and Bank. Convert intersection to T-shape and eliminate island. Move bus shelter further to the west of the intersection.

Area 5: Bank Street (Canal to Queensway)

Problem

Between Wilton/Canal Bridge and Fifth Avenue, cars using Bank Street travel at excessive and unsafe speed, especially during off-peak periods, frequently running red lights at Holmwood Avenue. The third lane between Holmwood and the Canal Bridge facilitates and encourages speed.

Recommendations

• Remove the third lane and add parking.

• Install a traffic signal at Bank and Wilton.

• Set signal cycle to keep Bank Street traffic at 30 kph and to allow frequent opportunity for crossing.

• Add trees and other streetscaping features to slow drivers down.

Problem

Several riousaccidents have resulted when drivers try to cross Bank Street at Fourth Avenue, many serious.

Recommendation

See AppendixNone.

Problems

Although Bank Street between Holmwood and Glebe Avenue attracts heavy pedestrian traffic, the traffic environment on Bank Street is not very pedestrian-friendly.

During peak hours, when parking is restricted, many cars use the curb lane to pass. This has led to cars mounting the sidewalk, particularly when roads are slippery. Not only does this endanger the life and health of pedestrians, it results in their being splashed in wet or slushy weather.

Many cars travel along Bank Street at speeds that are unsafe in such a pedestrian-intensive area.

Recommendations

• Configure flow along Bank Street between Canal and Queensway for speed limits and speed targets of 30 km/h.

• Remove all parking restrictions and add bulbouts to stop drivers from using the curb lane when no parked vehicles are present.

• Eliminate requirement for pedestrians to push a button in order to trigger the walk signal at traffic signals on Bank Street.

Problem

Between First Avenue and the Queensway, there are too few opportunities for pedestrians to cross Bank Street safely. Cars often travel at speeds which make pedestrians uncomfortable, particularly in off-peak hours.

Recommendations

• Remove all parking restrictions, except between Pretoria and Catherine, and add bulbouts to protect parked cars.

• Relocate parking meters to curbside of the sidewalk (defines sidewalk and imposes a barrier between vehicles and pedestrians).

• Remove parking meters on Powell at Bank St.

Area 6: Southeast Glebe (bounded by Bank, Glebe/First and QED)

Problem

Particularly in the p.m. peak, the high volume of north- (Quebec) bound commuters using Holmwood to transfer from Bronson Avenue to Queen Elizabeth Driveway/the Pretoria Bridge is making Holmwood increasingly unsafe for pedestrians and unpleasant for residents.

The problem is particularly acute east of Bank Street, where cut-through traffic on Holmwood is increasing, travelling too fast and frequently not complying with traffic regulations.

General failure to come to a full stop at the indicated stop line before entering an intersection is hazardous for pedestrians throughout the Glebe and of particular concern along O’Connor Street.

Drivers ignoring restrictions on through traffic on Fifth at O’Connor.

Recommendations

• Introduce heavy-duty traffic calming measures (such as speed bumps, bulbouts, etc.) along Holmwood east of Bank Street.

• Add stop sign at Holmwood and Adelaide.

Problem

Designating Fifth and O’Connor as emergency routes, restricts the number and kinds of traffic calming and control measures that may be introduced.

Recommendation

• Install a pedestrian activated traffic signal at Fifth and the QED, so that pedestrians can cross safely.

Problem

Volume of cars using O’Connor is the highest of any non-arterial street in the Glebe.

Cars using O’Connor travel at unsafe speeds and ignore stops signs, especially near First Avenue School.

Recommendations

• On O’Connor, widen sidewalks (especially critical at the O’Connor St. Bridge), provide landscaping, clearly designated bicycle lanes and possibly bulb-outs or speed humps.

• Install flashing stop signals at intersection of First and O’Connor during school crossing hours.

• Post additional signage indicating school area around First Avenue school and designate area as a high-fine zone.

Area 7: Northeast Glebe (bounded by Bank, Isabella, QED and Linden/Clemow)

Problem

Dangerous speeds and high volumes of cars on residential streets. Many cars use Glebe/ O’Connor/ Strathcona/Metcalfe as a funnel to downtown core, and Pretoria/ O’Connor/ First as return route to avoid congestion on Bank Street.

High volume and speed of vehicles on O’Connor endangers pedestrians and is of particular concern in the area of First Avenue School.

Cars avoiding congestion at Isabella and Queen Elizabeth Driveway use Loblaws parking lot as cut-through lane.

Speed and volume of cars and trucks on Chamberlain and Isabella due to limited east bound access to Queensway and to the Pretoria bridge. (QW Exits at Bronson, Kent, O’Connor, but only has one east bound entry ramp at Metcalfe.)

Recommendations

• Implement speed reduction and streetscaping initiatives in the area. For example; on Pretoria Ave., provide a mid block speed hump between O’Connor and Bank; on O’Connor, widen sidewalks (especially critical at the O’Connor St. Bridge, provide landscaping, clearly designated bicycle lanes with bulb-outs or speed humps; on Glebe add sidewalk with a landscaped buffer on the North side to narrow lanes for cars and slow the traffic. As an immediate measure to calm traffic on Glebe and other one way streets within the Northeast Glebe area, introduce alternating left-right side street parking to create chicanes.

• Make O’Connor 2-way in order to open northbound access from O’Connor to Isabella with a 4-way stop at Patterson and a three-way stop Pretoria. This allows an outlet to Isabella from O’Connor and would ease traffic on Strathcona and Metcalfe. Traffic travelling from North of the Queensway will be forced to turn at Isabella and not be permitted to proceed on O'Connor south of the Queensway. Also allow 2-way local movement on Strathcona from Metcalfe to QE Driveway to ease local access, but continue no access restriction from QE Ddriveway.

• Create a community safety zone for First Avenue School.

• Install flashing stop signals at intersection of First and O’Connor during school crossing hours.

• Post additional signage indicating school area around First Avenue school and designate area as a high-fine zone.

• Make Metcalfe between Strathcona and Pretoria 2-way. This will reduce circuitous travel by residents of Patterson, Monkland and part of Strathcona who are returning home from Loblaws and downtown.

• Allow left turns from QED southbound onto the Pretoria Bridge.

• Provide for an advanced green for those vehicles northbound on Elgin turning left on to Catherine Street.

• Add a four-way stop at Second and O’Connor

• Provide for an advanced green for those vehicles northbound on Elgin turning left on to Catherine Street