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Presentations: Public Advisory Committee Meeting #2

Brian Ruck, P. Eng., C.V.S.
TSH Project Manager

Agenda

Project Team Introductions

Current PAC Members

  • Alta Vista Community Association Board
  • Citizens for Healthy Communities
  • Mobility Issues Advisory Committee
  • Dow's Lake Residents' Association
  • Hintonburg Community Association
  • City Centre Coalition
  • Transport 2000
  • Qualicum Community Group / Graham Park Group
  • Ottawa East Community Association
  • Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Associations
  • Centretown Citizens Community Association
  • Dalhousie Community Association
  • Roseberry Avenue Residents Committee Inc.
  • Glabar Park Community Alliance
  • Tibbs Transport Inc.
  • Kriska Transportation
  • Ottawa Cycling Advisory Committee
  • AVHA, CHC
  • Action Sandy Hill
  • Cycling Advisory Committee
  • Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association
  • Island Park Community Association
  • Civic Hospital Association
  • McNibb Neighbourhood Improvement Bunch

Role of PAC

  • Facilitate exchange of information between the Project Team and Communities
  • Provide an opportunity to discuss issues
  • Provide an opportunity to provide comments on evaluation criteria and proposed weighting

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Background

Why is MTO undertaking this study?

  • Address issue of aging infrastructure
  • Address operational and safety issues
  • Address mobility and congestion issues
  • To ensure that the Queensway continues to support economic development in Ottawa

What is being considered as part of this study?

  • High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes (HOV)
  • Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
  • ATMS opportunities either in support of or in lieu of geometric improvements (e.g., Incident detection, congestion management)
  • Strategic mainline widening (max. 8 basic lanes)
  • Modifications to interchanges

Work completed to date

  • Environmental inventories
  • Existing and Future Conditions Traffic Reports
  • Draft Study Design Report
  • Problem Identification
  • Development of Alternatives at concept level
  • Presentation of foregoing to agencies and public
  • Preparation of draft replies to comments received
  • Development of Alternatives at greater level of detail

Work to be completed

  • Update Future Conditions Traffic Report
  • Confirm validity of Alternatives
  • Revise Alternatives as required
  • Complete evaluation criteria and weighting
  • Select Technically Preferred Alternative(s) (TPA)
  • Present TPA to agencies and PAC for comments
  • Revise TPA as may be required
  • Present TPA to public at PIC #2 (fall 2003)
  • Revise TPA as may be required
  • Complete Preliminary Design of TPA
  • Present Preliminary Design to Agencies and PAC
  • Present Preliminary Design to Public at PIC #3
  • Complete documentation and file TESR for public and agency review

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Results of January Public Involvement Centres

Attendance Summary

  • Tuesday January 21, 2003 -- Pineview Golf Club (95 signed in)
  • Wednesday January 22, 2003 -- Jim Durrell Arena (100 signed in)
  • Thursday January 23, 2003 -- Confederation High School (94 signed in)
  • Thursday January 30, 2003 -- City Hall (237 signed in)
  • Total Signed In (over 4 days) = 526

Purpose of PIC's

  • Introduce project
  • Present Draft Study Design Report
  • Present the assessment and evaluation of "Alternatives to" the Undertaking
  • Identify the "Alternative(s) to" the Undertaking which will be carried forward
  • Present background information, including the traffic analysis, environmental inventories and corridor analysis
  • Present the long-list and short-listed "Alternative Methods" for the Undertaking at a conceptual level
  • Present the evaluation criteria and methodology to select the Technically Preferred Alternative(s)
  • To obtain public input

Miscellaneous

  • 769 names on Project Mailing List
  • 690 comment sheets to date
  • Individual responses in final draft form
  • In future, a PIC Summary Report will be produced containing a detailed summary of issues and responses and made available as part of the public record
  • Project website will assist in disseminating information

Main Issues/Concerns

  • Opposition to widening of Queensway, particularly through the downtown core
  • Focus should be on public transit solutions
  • Implement TDM measures to reduce/control travel demand
  • Project website required
  • Accommodation of pedestrians and cyclists required
  • Property impacts
  • Air quality impacts
  • Noise impacts
  • Co-ordination with City of Ottawa

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Changes in Transportation Demand Modelling

  • Several changes have occurred since the initial modelling for the Queensway was undertaken in 2002
  • TSH's initial modelling was undertaken in consultation with the City of Ottawa recognizing that the modelling process was somewhat fluid as a result of ongoing updates occuring to support the new TMP
  • TSH has recently re-run the model to incorporate changes that resulted from the City's TMP Update work
  • The City of Ottawa has endorsed our approach as being consistent with the 2003 TMP Update
  • 2003 TMP increased the overall transit target from 20% to 30%
  • TSH original modelling used 20%
  • Some of the changes in the modelling approach generated higher travel demand on the Queensway while others resulted in reductions
  • The following changes in the modelling process resulted in increased auto demand predictions:
    • change in modelling process (model approach vrs. factor)
    • use of 1996 travel survey instead of 1986 survey
    • adjustments to work trips to account for increased labour force participation between 1995 and 2021
    • adjustments to account for commercial activity (trips not captured in survey and heavy truck counts)
    • higher community to community trip making in 2003 TMP
  • The following changes in the modelling process resulted in decreased auto demand predictions:
    • Change in overall transit target from 20% to 30%
  • TSH is in process of updating the Future Conditions Traffic Report to reflect the latest approach and to ensure that the alternatives developed support the identified needs

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Update on Alternatives

Background

  • At first PIC's
    • Long List of Alternatives Presented
  • Long List was screened to develop a Short List along with rationale used for screening
  • Short List Alternatives were presented at conceptual level of detail

Mainline Queensway

  • Highway 416 to City of Ottawa 174
    • 8 basic lanes plus auxiliary lanes where required for interchange operations
  • City of Ottawa 174 to Anderson Road
    • 6 basic lanes

Significant Alternatives Under Consideration - Highway 416 to Maitland Avenue

  • Close Richmond Road SB on-ramp and relocate to Holly Acres Road
  • Close Ashley St. access to EB off-ramp at Greenbank
  • Widen Greenbank/Pinecrest and Maitland Ave. to 6 lanes through interchange to improve intersection operations
  • Provide deceleration lane for WB off-ramp at Woodroffe

Significant Alternatives Under Consideration - Maitland Avenue to Preston Street

  • Separate WB Carling off-ramp from Carling Ave - minor widening of Carling required
  • Parkdale WB off-ramp
    • Close ramp
    • Add ramp at Island Park
    • Re-align ramp to south through homes
  • Close Island Park Ramp
    • Relocate Island Park Ramp to west side of Island Park
  • Widen EB Parkdale off-ramp to 2 lanes for storage

Significant Alternatives Under Consideration - Preston Street to Nicholas

  • Consolidate downtown exits through provision of service roads on north and south of Queensway - some widening of existing roads required
    • South - Chamberlain/Isabella
    • North - Catherine Street
  • Eliminate EB weave between Metcalfe and Nicholas by constructing basketweave (displaces homes on north side of Hawthorne Avenue)
  • Similar solution on north side between Nicholas and WB off-ramp at Metcalfe

Significant Alternatives Under Consideration - Nicholas to 174

  • Widen Riverside/Vanier Pkwy to 6 lanes through interchange to improve intersection operations
  • Close EB on-ramp from south at St. Laurent
  • Close/restrict access to WB off-ramp at St. Laurent
    • Provide movements via Cyrville Road or Aviation Parkway via extended Labelle Street
    • Prevent movement from WB 417 to St. Laurent
    • Prevent movement from St. Laurent to EB 174

Significant Alternatives - 174 to Anderson Road

  • Encourage City of Ottawa to widen Walkley Road west of Sheffield
  • Construct interchange at Hunt Club Road

Update on Alternatives

  • On basis of additional work undertaken since the last PIC, the Short List has been revised for:
    • Richmond Road Interchange
    • Island Park Drive Interchange
    • St. Laurent Interchange
  • Note: All of the alternatives previously presented will be revisited to determine their relevance once the Future Conditions Traffic Report has been updated

Richmond Road Interchange

  • During refinement of mainline widening from Highway 416 easterly, an additional alternative was developed that:
    • addresses lane balance
    • minimizes impacts to properties east of Richmond on south side of Queensway
  • The new Alternative under consideration is "Close both EB on ramps to Hwy 417 and provide new connection via Holly Acres Drive"

Island Park Drive Interchange

  • Concerns were raised about several of the alternatives presented at the PIC's
  • In response, the following new alternative has been developed:

St. Laurent - North Side

  • Another Alternative has been developed for this area as follows:

St. Laurent - South Side

  • Another Alternative has been developed for this area as follows:
    • "Combine eastbound on ramps to preclude access to Ottawa Road 174; provide access to Ottawa Road 174 via Cyrville Road Connection"
    • Layout: St. Laurent Boulevard Alternative 4 (PDF - 883 KB)*

* To view PDF files, you will require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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Project Schedule (What's Next?)

  • Revise Future Conditions Traffic Report
  • Confirm validity of Alternatives
  • Revise Alternatives as may be required
  • Carry out additional study on HOV lanes
    • preliminary results have indicated sufficient demand for an HOV lane in each direction
    • operational difficulties associated with constrained corridor currently being investigated
  • Complete weighting of assessment criteria
  • Carry out selection of Technically Preferred Alternative (TPA)
  • Present TPA to MTAC, PAC, TTC
  • Second Round of PIC's - Fall 2003