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Rideau Street businesses are facing three years of massive construction associated with the $2-billion Confederation Line LRT that will see the street severely curtailed — and they’re worried.
“This is going to affect everyone,” said Corey Hackett, co-owner of skate board shop Top of the World, which has been on Rideau Street for 23 years now. “Every business owner I’ve spoke to in the past few days has been concerned.”
Starting Friday, the busy section of downtown Rideau Street between Mackenzie Avenue and Dalhousie Streets will close to cars and most buses for construction of the line, which is scheduled to open in 2018.
The city says pedestrians will still be permitted in most parts of the area, but the construction fencing and heavy construction equipment will likely mean a reduced appeal for for tourists and residents.
The potential for lost foot traffic to the area, especially in light of all of the construction that has occurred in the downtown core over the past few years, has many shopkeepers nervous.
In fact, shopkeepers say they were only notified of the three-year closure at a meeting with city staff officials a little over a week ago. They question how a huge project that’s been in the works since 2012 could suddenly require the closure of one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.
“I don’t think that the city understood the scope of what the construction companies required,” said Hackett.
The city said while it plans to work with businesses in the area on a campaign to let Ottawa residents know that the strip will remain open for business, the city remains particularly concerned about how the construction will affect bus traffic.
“Our biggest challenge is not car traffic, it’s making sure there is timely bus operations. It’s one of the key stations along the corridor. What’s important is making sure there is on-time transit,” said Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury, adding that recent lane reductions in the area have caused big issues for public-transit schedules.
“We’ve had ongoing discussions. It’s different between discussion and the time when implementation comes. The issue here has been making sure everyone is aware what’s happening starting the 28th.”
News of the street closure sparked the Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Area (BIA) to request a meeting with the city to try to find a way to ensure that foot traffic isn’t significantly impacted over the next three years. The area has been through several rounds of construction in recent years. The building of the Shaw Centre, which started with the demolition of the old Ottawa Congress Centre in 2008, snarled traffic in the area heading toward the ByWard Market. Lane reductions east of Dalhousie due to more recent construction and the installation of large water mains near King Edward Avenue have all taken a toll.
An $8-million project in 2003 to renew a large portion of Bank Street in Old Ottawa South saw foot traffic to area businesses drop by more than 20 per cent as consumers simply chose to avoid the area. Several shops ended up closing. That project lasted less than a year.
It’s those kind of stories, coupled with the recent construction headaches they’ve faced in the area, that have Rideau Street businesses worried. The BIA has asked the city to consider finding ways to open portions of the roadway during off-peak periods, provide more advance notice about construction and the impact it will have, establish passenger drop-off areas in the construction zone, to allow foot traffic to continue, and to set aside funds for a marketing campaign alerting Ottawa residents to the fact that businesses in the area remain open.
“We’re very concerned, which is why we arranged to meet with city officials as quickly as we could,” said Peggy DuCharme, executive director of the Downtown Rideau BIA. “This is what’s going to be and there doesn’t appear that we will have much effect in changing this. It’s a matter of what can we do that can ensure we minimize impact on our business members and economic viability, as well as our customers.”
According to the BIA as many as 55 per cent of customers arrive at their shops by car, another large proportion of their shoppers arrive by bus. With those two transit options affected by construction, and a mess in the middle of Rideau, many are hoping a public relations campaign is enough to keep foot traffic coming through to 2018.
“I don’t want people to believe that it’s hell to get down here and it’s an area to be avoided. It’s an optics issue. It’s the continuation of the ongoing construction that’s been going on for years down here,” said Hackett, adding that its not in the city’s interest to see Rideau Street business owners close.
“This isn’t a couple months of short term pain. I don’t think the city’s vision of the first passengers coming out of the LRT at the Rideau Station is that they come out of the underground and are greeted by half of the storefronts being boarded up.”
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“This is going to affect everyone,” said Corey Hackett, co-owner of skate board shop Top of the World, which has been on Rideau Street for 23 years now. “Every business owner I’ve spoke to in the past few days has been concerned.”
Starting Friday, the busy section of downtown Rideau Street between Mackenzie Avenue and Dalhousie Streets will close to cars and most buses for construction of the line, which is scheduled to open in 2018.
The city says pedestrians will still be permitted in most parts of the area, but the construction fencing and heavy construction equipment will likely mean a reduced appeal for for tourists and residents.
The potential for lost foot traffic to the area, especially in light of all of the construction that has occurred in the downtown core over the past few years, has many shopkeepers nervous.
In fact, shopkeepers say they were only notified of the three-year closure at a meeting with city staff officials a little over a week ago. They question how a huge project that’s been in the works since 2012 could suddenly require the closure of one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.
“I don’t think that the city understood the scope of what the construction companies required,” said Hackett.
The city said while it plans to work with businesses in the area on a campaign to let Ottawa residents know that the strip will remain open for business, the city remains particularly concerned about how the construction will affect bus traffic.
“Our biggest challenge is not car traffic, it’s making sure there is timely bus operations. It’s one of the key stations along the corridor. What’s important is making sure there is on-time transit,” said Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury, adding that recent lane reductions in the area have caused big issues for public-transit schedules.
“We’ve had ongoing discussions. It’s different between discussion and the time when implementation comes. The issue here has been making sure everyone is aware what’s happening starting the 28th.”
News of the street closure sparked the Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Area (BIA) to request a meeting with the city to try to find a way to ensure that foot traffic isn’t significantly impacted over the next three years. The area has been through several rounds of construction in recent years. The building of the Shaw Centre, which started with the demolition of the old Ottawa Congress Centre in 2008, snarled traffic in the area heading toward the ByWard Market. Lane reductions east of Dalhousie due to more recent construction and the installation of large water mains near King Edward Avenue have all taken a toll.
An $8-million project in 2003 to renew a large portion of Bank Street in Old Ottawa South saw foot traffic to area businesses drop by more than 20 per cent as consumers simply chose to avoid the area. Several shops ended up closing. That project lasted less than a year.
It’s those kind of stories, coupled with the recent construction headaches they’ve faced in the area, that have Rideau Street businesses worried. The BIA has asked the city to consider finding ways to open portions of the roadway during off-peak periods, provide more advance notice about construction and the impact it will have, establish passenger drop-off areas in the construction zone, to allow foot traffic to continue, and to set aside funds for a marketing campaign alerting Ottawa residents to the fact that businesses in the area remain open.
“We’re very concerned, which is why we arranged to meet with city officials as quickly as we could,” said Peggy DuCharme, executive director of the Downtown Rideau BIA. “This is what’s going to be and there doesn’t appear that we will have much effect in changing this. It’s a matter of what can we do that can ensure we minimize impact on our business members and economic viability, as well as our customers.”
According to the BIA as many as 55 per cent of customers arrive at their shops by car, another large proportion of their shoppers arrive by bus. With those two transit options affected by construction, and a mess in the middle of Rideau, many are hoping a public relations campaign is enough to keep foot traffic coming through to 2018.
“I don’t want people to believe that it’s hell to get down here and it’s an area to be avoided. It’s an optics issue. It’s the continuation of the ongoing construction that’s been going on for years down here,” said Hackett, adding that its not in the city’s interest to see Rideau Street business owners close.
“This isn’t a couple months of short term pain. I don’t think the city’s vision of the first passengers coming out of the LRT at the Rideau Station is that they come out of the underground and are greeted by half of the storefronts being boarded up.”
查看原文...
