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There’s much to admire about the “complete street” concept adopted by the City of Ottawa.
Wider, spiffy sidewalks, new high-end benches, semi-protected bicycle lanes, slower traffic, sculpted intersections. So, why do some hate the latest in urban thinking?
In the last little while, readers have reached out to complain about both Churchill Avenue and Main Street, each redone following “complete street” principles. Their reaction? Completely wrong.
“The street has never been more dangerous,” says Beverley Jackson, 73, who lives on Churchill near the corner of Dovercourt Avenue.
Her reasons are simple. With an OC Transpo stop at the end of her driveway, and a nearby bush on city property, and an ill-placed utility pole, it is that much more difficult to back the car up — across the sidewalk, across the bicycle lane — and safely onto the narrower road.
Churchill Avenue in Ottawa that has been redesigned as a “complete street.” Complete streets are supposed to accommodate the needs of all people, whether they choose to walk, bike, drive or take public transit.
Just this summer, she said Tuesday, she nearly hit a cyclist while backing up; as a cyclist, she was nearly struck by a reversing car and her granddaughter was nearly struck by a full-speed cyclist “going way, way too fast” inches from the sidewalk.
And we wake Tuesday to learn an elderly pedestrian was struck on Churchill near Scott Street.
“My husband and I have lived here for almost 30 years,” she wrote in her initial email. “We are both seniors and it is very dangerous for us to get our car out of the laneway.”
I took a scoot down Main Street on Tuesday after an alarming message from Mike Hayes, a building inspector who is also a motorist and avid cyclist.
He’s been watching the years-long redo on Main with continuing wonder and frustration. He sees buses struggling to turn because of the narrowed intersections (at Riverdale) and sidewalk bollards struck by unsuspecting motorists and scraped curbs with tire marks and left-turn stacking lanes that are too short, and motorists winging back and forth because there is essentially one driving lane now, not two.
Churchill Avenue in Ottawa that has been redesigned as a “complete street”. Complete streets are supposed to accommodate the needs of all people, whether they choose to walk, bike, drive or take public transit.
“We’ve nicknamed it pinball alley because it’s like playing a pinball machine,” said the Alta Vista resident. And, indeed, the motorist does do much jockeying as you head south from Hawthorne. Instead of four full driving lanes (old days), there is now basically one continuous driving lane in each direction, with occasional left-turn lanes and staggered parking on each side.
The effect, of course, is to slow traffic down. And, boy, does it work.
“If you’re driving down the street and a bus is coming the opposite direction, it has to come into your lane to get around the jutt-outs. It’s just too bloody narrow,” said Hayes.
He, too, was struck by the amount of signage — yield signs, new cycling stop-lights, green stacking boxes, zig-zaggy white lines of uncertain meaning — on top of new driving patterns. Hayes says he counted 44 signs in a roughly two-block span.
“Stops, no lefts, not this, pause here, don’t do, merge there, holy $#%@, am I supposed to be driving or managing instructions?” he asked, exasperated.
“It’s just not intuitive. If we have to put up that much signage, aren’t we missing the point with design?” There are some 1,000 units of housing in the pipeline off Main, so traffic will not lighten. Are we headed to another Parkdale Avenue?
Two observations. Like the O’Connor bicycle lanes, if you put the bike traffic signs where motorists aren’t used to seeing it (above the curb, at sidewalk level), then a re-education has to take place and a new vigilance set in. So, it is only natural to find friction in the early stages.
Secondly, “complete streets” are completely successful at slowing down traffic and, no doubt, reducing volumes per hour. Churchill and Main are both moderately important north-south conduits. What are the consequences to the rest of the city in choking off a couple of spokes?
Related
Lots of people have wondered whether city hall is engaging in a war on the automobile. An exaggeration, probably, but this much is true: complete streets are here and growing.
Some examples provided by city hall (not all have exactly the same elements): Queen Street, between Lyon and Elgin; O’Connor; Rideau, between Sussex and Dalhousie; Campeau Drive Extension in Kanata; Robert Grant Drive in Stittsville.
Others on the horizon: Elgin, between Laurier and Queen Elizabeth Drive; Bank, between Riverside and Ledbury; St. Laurent, from Innes to Smyth.
“How are we supposed to get around in our cars?” asked Hayes. “I don’t get it.” Evidently, he is not alone.
To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email kegan@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn
查看原文...
Wider, spiffy sidewalks, new high-end benches, semi-protected bicycle lanes, slower traffic, sculpted intersections. So, why do some hate the latest in urban thinking?
In the last little while, readers have reached out to complain about both Churchill Avenue and Main Street, each redone following “complete street” principles. Their reaction? Completely wrong.
“The street has never been more dangerous,” says Beverley Jackson, 73, who lives on Churchill near the corner of Dovercourt Avenue.
Her reasons are simple. With an OC Transpo stop at the end of her driveway, and a nearby bush on city property, and an ill-placed utility pole, it is that much more difficult to back the car up — across the sidewalk, across the bicycle lane — and safely onto the narrower road.
Churchill Avenue in Ottawa that has been redesigned as a “complete street.” Complete streets are supposed to accommodate the needs of all people, whether they choose to walk, bike, drive or take public transit.
Just this summer, she said Tuesday, she nearly hit a cyclist while backing up; as a cyclist, she was nearly struck by a reversing car and her granddaughter was nearly struck by a full-speed cyclist “going way, way too fast” inches from the sidewalk.
And we wake Tuesday to learn an elderly pedestrian was struck on Churchill near Scott Street.
“My husband and I have lived here for almost 30 years,” she wrote in her initial email. “We are both seniors and it is very dangerous for us to get our car out of the laneway.”
I took a scoot down Main Street on Tuesday after an alarming message from Mike Hayes, a building inspector who is also a motorist and avid cyclist.
He’s been watching the years-long redo on Main with continuing wonder and frustration. He sees buses struggling to turn because of the narrowed intersections (at Riverdale) and sidewalk bollards struck by unsuspecting motorists and scraped curbs with tire marks and left-turn stacking lanes that are too short, and motorists winging back and forth because there is essentially one driving lane now, not two.
Churchill Avenue in Ottawa that has been redesigned as a “complete street”. Complete streets are supposed to accommodate the needs of all people, whether they choose to walk, bike, drive or take public transit.
“We’ve nicknamed it pinball alley because it’s like playing a pinball machine,” said the Alta Vista resident. And, indeed, the motorist does do much jockeying as you head south from Hawthorne. Instead of four full driving lanes (old days), there is now basically one continuous driving lane in each direction, with occasional left-turn lanes and staggered parking on each side.
The effect, of course, is to slow traffic down. And, boy, does it work.
“If you’re driving down the street and a bus is coming the opposite direction, it has to come into your lane to get around the jutt-outs. It’s just too bloody narrow,” said Hayes.
He, too, was struck by the amount of signage — yield signs, new cycling stop-lights, green stacking boxes, zig-zaggy white lines of uncertain meaning — on top of new driving patterns. Hayes says he counted 44 signs in a roughly two-block span.
“Stops, no lefts, not this, pause here, don’t do, merge there, holy $#%@, am I supposed to be driving or managing instructions?” he asked, exasperated.
“It’s just not intuitive. If we have to put up that much signage, aren’t we missing the point with design?” There are some 1,000 units of housing in the pipeline off Main, so traffic will not lighten. Are we headed to another Parkdale Avenue?
Two observations. Like the O’Connor bicycle lanes, if you put the bike traffic signs where motorists aren’t used to seeing it (above the curb, at sidewalk level), then a re-education has to take place and a new vigilance set in. So, it is only natural to find friction in the early stages.
Secondly, “complete streets” are completely successful at slowing down traffic and, no doubt, reducing volumes per hour. Churchill and Main are both moderately important north-south conduits. What are the consequences to the rest of the city in choking off a couple of spokes?
Related
- On time, on budget: End in sight for Main Street reconstruction
- Egan: A rethink on O'Connor bike lanes, before we kill someone
Lots of people have wondered whether city hall is engaging in a war on the automobile. An exaggeration, probably, but this much is true: complete streets are here and growing.
Some examples provided by city hall (not all have exactly the same elements): Queen Street, between Lyon and Elgin; O’Connor; Rideau, between Sussex and Dalhousie; Campeau Drive Extension in Kanata; Robert Grant Drive in Stittsville.
Others on the horizon: Elgin, between Laurier and Queen Elizabeth Drive; Bank, between Riverside and Ledbury; St. Laurent, from Innes to Smyth.
“How are we supposed to get around in our cars?” asked Hayes. “I don’t get it.” Evidently, he is not alone.
To contact Kelly Egan, please call 613-726-5896 or email kegan@postmedia.com
Twitter.com/kellyegancolumn
查看原文...
