Carling Avenue Transit Corridor

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by roger1818

There is another factor. The bike lobby is significantly stronger than the transit lobby, and any new bus lane would need to come with bike lanes, further complicating the issue.

And any new bike infrastructure would, inevitably in this city, results in compromises on the bus infrastructure side of things that would limit the utility of doing anything about transit in the first place.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

And any new bike infrastructure would, inevitably in this city, results in compromises on the bus infrastructure side of things that would limit the utility of doing anything about transit in the first place.

Wasn't the plan to put the BRT in the median partly to avoid conflicts with bike infrastructure? Inevitably that would mean no quick fix, but probably leads to a better street in the end.

[Jay31]

Originally Posted by roger1818

There is another factor. The bike lobby is significantly stronger than the transit lobby, and any new bus lane would need to come with bike lanes, further complicating the issue.

Downtown perhaps...but since moving to Nepean, I'd be hard pressed to identify any City of Ottawa biking infrastructure besides a bit of paint and some flex posts on the very widest empty roads (like Sherbourne). Bike infrastructure is seemingly only put where it is easy to add without reducing any traffic lanes...thus, it goes where it is probably not really needed, yet on busier corridors where it is needed, nothing at all. I think this is also why there is a patch work of bike lanes that aren't really connected in any way throughout the city. Thus, to actually use a bike to get from point A to B you end up either riding on roads like Carling or on sidewalks. I don't see any political will to change that. Heck, even on Elgin street downtown they didn't put in bike lanes after rebuilding it.

For most of Carling between Dows Lake and Lincoln, I think there is room for both a tram, 2 lanes of traffic each way and bike lanes + sidewalks. It gets a little narrower after Woodroffe, but I think it's still doable. I suspect it might be politically challenging to reduce car lanes on Carling (and likely the speed limit to 50), though as someone who drives it every day... I think it would benefit the area a lot. Developer seem to want to make Carling a place to live and do business (rather than just drive through), and I hope the city can get onboard with that at some point too.

[Jay31]

An interesting read related to this street and its challenges: https://ottawacitizen.com/feature/ca...-how-to-fix-it

The one thing it doesn't mention is all of the development planned and how that may impact the different parts of it over the next 10+ years.

[TransitZilla]

^ A bit odd that the article doesn't mention the study completed in 2017 which called for a significant redesign east of Sherwood (with median bus lanes, cycle tracks, etc.) and bus lanes on the western portion as well.

https://ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-a...f-c4ef351a6f28

Unfortunately these plans have largely been sitting on the shelf.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by TransitZilla

^ A bit odd that the article doesn't mention the study completed in 2017 which called for a significant redesign east of Sherwood (with median bus lanes, cycle tracks, etc.) and bus lanes on the western portion as well.

https://ottawa.ca/en/parking-roads-a...f-c4ef351a6f28

Unfortunately these plans have largely been sitting on the shelf.

For whatever reason, the curbside lanes were always set aside to be implemented after Line 2 reopens.

The median lane between Champagne and Bronson is unfunded though, AFAIK.

[Multi-modal]

Originally Posted by OCCheetos

For whatever reason, the curbside lanes were always set aside to be implemented after Line 2 reopens.

Where did you get this information? I've never seen an explanation for why the 2017-design curbside bus lanes haven't been implemented. Every time I hear about the Councillors in the area complain about transit on Carling I want them to push the City to implement the lanes ASAP, but they never push City staff and it never seems to happen. Its been six years now and I'm worried its been dropped entirely without telling the public.

[OCCheetos]

Originally Posted by Multi-modal

Where did you get this information? I've never seen an explanation for why the 2017-design curbside bus lanes haven't been implemented. Every time I hear about the Councillors in the area complain about transit on Carling I want them to push the City to implement the lanes ASAP, but they never push City staff and it never seems to happen. Its been six years now and I'm worried its been dropped entirely without telling the public.

It had been discussed in committee meetings (can't remember if it was transit or transportation) a number of times over the past few years.

There also used to be a project page listing expected construction dates that showed construction starting in Q2 2022 and ending in Q3 2022, coinciding with the end of construction of Line 2. The page is no longer available, but here's the archived version: https://web.archive.org/web/20220707...ansit-priority

Edit: the Carling Avenue transit priority project still exists in the transportation budget, though all that really means is that it hasn't been outright cancelled.

Edit 2: The city's planned projects map also shows the funded part of the transit priority project set to begin construction "this year".

[rocketphish]

What should we do with Carling Avenue?
Architects Toon Dreessen and Jay Lim put their heads together and make suggestions for a reimagined road

Mario Carlucci · CBC
Posted: Feb 11, 2024 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

There's a lot to love about Carling Avenue: easy access to the Central Experimental Farm, Dow's Lake and Island Park Drive, a gigantic Canadian Tire and some popular established restaurants such as Pita Bell Kabab.

But there's no question the arterial roadway is very much designed for fast-flowing car traffic and doesn't exactly give off the main street vibes of nearby Wellington or Richmond roads, according to two architects who were guests on CBC Radio's All In A Day this week.

Carling is on their minds as city council embarks on revamping elements of the roadway. The city has also approved high rises at the Travelodge, which once housed the Talisman Motor Inn near Kirkwood Avenue.

Jay Lim of 25:8 Architects and Toon Dreessen of Architects DCA met us in the Travelodge parking lot, where demolition is already well underway. CBC asked them to brainstorm ways to reimagine that stretch of Carling, and beyond.

<more>

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottaw...enue-1.7105489