Public Involvement Centre #3 - Summary Report
Preliminary Design Study and Environmental Assessment
G.W.P. 663-93-00, Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway)
From Highway 416 Easterly to Anderson Road
Public Involvement Centre No. 3 - Summary Report
November 2005
Prepared by:
Danielle Chartrand, Assistant Environmental Planner
Reviewed by:
Valerie McGirr, P.Eng. Environmental Planner
Brian Ruck, P.Eng. Project Manager
Contents
Tables
- Table 1 Summary Of Contacts
- Table 2 Summary Of Public Comments
- Table 3 Summary Of Public Comments
Appendices
- Appendix A Notice of Public Involvement Centre No. 3
- Appendix B Notice of Public Meeting - Island Park Drive
- Appendix C Sample Notification Letters to External Agencies and Affected Property Owners
- Appendix D Summary of Comments Received and Responses
1.0 Introduction
The purpose of this report is to present an overview of the third and final round of Public Involvement Centres (PICs) and to document public response in accordance with the approved planning process for Group 'B' projects under the class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000).
The third round of PICs were held on:
| Monday June 20, 2005 | Nepean Sportsplex, Halls C & D
1701 Woodroffe Avenue Nepean |
| Tuesday June 21, 2005 | Ottawa City Hall
110 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa |
| Wednesday June 22, 2005 | Capones, Rochester Room
831 Industrial Avenue Ottawa |
The PIC sessions were held from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A Municipal and Agency Review Session was held from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. prior to the first session on Monday June 20. Its purpose was to allow external agencies to view the presentation material and to discuss the project with Ministry and consultant representatives. The main PIC sessions provided an opportunity for all members of the public to view the display material and to discuss the project with Ministry and consultant representatives. Attendees were encouraged to provide written comments.
Ministry of Transportation and consultant representatives were available to respond to any inquiries. Ministry representatives included:
- Senior Project Engineer – Dave Lindensmith
- Area Engineer, Planning and Design – Phil Pawliuk (Tuesday June 21, 2005)
- Supervisor, Environmental Unit – Dave McAvoy
- Senior Environmental Planner, Acoustics – Chris Blaney
- Property Section – Chris Kardassis
- Property Section – John Dwyre
- Property Section – John Adams
Consultant representatives included:
- Project Manager, Study Consultant – Brian Ruck (TSH)
- Assistant Project Manager – Brenda Jamieson (TSH)
- Environmental Planner – Valerie McGirr (TSH)
- Assistant Environmental Planner/Bilingual representative – Danielle Chartrand (TSH)
- Noise Specialist – Steve Taylor (National Capital Engineering)
- Air Quality Specialist – David Chadder (Rowan Williams Davies & Irwin)
- Landscape Architect – Martha Lush (Corrush SutherlandWright)
The purpose of the third PIC was to provide the public with an opportunity to review and comment on the following:
- Recommended Plan based on comments received at and following the second round of PIC's;
- Mitigation Measures; and
- Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS).
In addition to the PIC's for the overall project, a public meeting to discuss the issues related to the Island Park Drive Interchange was held on Wednesday June 29, 2005 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at the Travelodge Hotel on Carling Avenue. A presentation was given followed by a question and answer session. Ministry of Transportation representatives included:
- MTO Senior Project Engineer – Dave Lindensmith
- MTO Supervisor, Environmental Unit – Dave McAvoy
- MTO PIC Assistant/Bilingual representative – Stephanie Roller
- MTO PIC Assistant – Sara Silverberg
Consultant representatives included:
- Project Manager, Study Consultant – Brian Ruck (TSH)
- Environmental Planner – Valerie McGirr (TSH)
- Traffic Safety Specialist – Greg Junnor (Synectics)
- Assistant Environmental Planner/Bilingual representative – Danielle Chartrand (TSH)
2.0 Public and Agency Notification
One of the key objectives of the environmental planning process is to provide the public, interested parties and affected agencies with ample and frequent opportunities for meaningful input. In order to ensure this objective is met, a comprehensive public and agency notification program was undertaken and included the following:
Newspaper Notices:
Notices for the PIC sessions were placed in the following local newspapers between June 11, 2005 and June 17, 2005:
- Ottawa Citizen (English Version): Saturday June 11, 2005 and Wednesday June 15, 2005
- Ottawa Sun (English Version): Sunday June 12, 2005 and Wednesday June 15, 2005
- Ottawa Le Droit (French Version): Saturday June 11, 2005 and Wednesday June 15, 2005
- Nepean This Week (English Version): Friday June 17, 2005
- Kanata Kourier (English Version): Friday June 17, 2005
- The Star (Gloucester) – (English Version): Tuesday June 14, 2005
- Weekly Journal – East Edition (English Version): Friday June 17, 2005
- Weekend Outaouais (French Version): Saturday June 11, 2005
The PIC No. 3 notices are provided in Appendix A.
Notices for the Island Park Drive meeting were placed in the following newspapers on Wednesday June 22, 2005 and Saturday June 25, 2005:
- Ottawa Citizen (English Version)
- Ottawa Sun (English Version)
- Le Droit (French Version)
In addition approximately 3000 bilingual meeting notice flyers were hand delivered to residents adjacent to the Island Park Drive Interchange, namely Churchill Avenue, Carling Avenue, Holland Avenue and Richmond Road/Wellington Street.
The notices are provided in Appendix B.
Affected Property Owners:
Letters were hand delivered on June 17, 2005, to residents where property would be required as a result of the Recommended Plan. They were encouraged to attend the PIC, view the presentation material and discuss their concerns with the Project Team. Letters are provided in Appendix C.
Agency and Special Interest Group Contacts:
Letters of notification were mailed to the municipal, provincial and federal agencies listed in Table 1. Notices were e-mailed or mailed to the interest and community groups listed in Table 1, as well as all individuals on the project mailing list. The Notice is provided in Appendix A and sample notification letters are provided in Appendix C.
Table 1: Summary of Contacts
| Municipal Contacts |
|---|
| OC Transpo, City of Ottawa Transit Services |
| Ottawa-Carleton District School Board |
| Ottawa-Carleton Catholic Separate School Board |
| French Public School Board |
| Conseil Des Ecoles Publiques De L'Est De L'Ontario |
| Conseil Des Ecoles Catholiques De Langue Francaise Du Centre Est |
| Provincial Contacts |
| Ministry of Natural Resources, Southcentral Region |
| Ministry of Natural Resources, Kemptville Provincial District Office Government Office |
| Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Eastern Region |
| Ministry of Tourism, Eastern Region |
| Ministry of Environment, Ottawa District Office |
| Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ottawa Office |
| Ontario East Economic Development Commission |
| Rideau Valley Conservation Authority |
| Federal Contacts |
| National Capital Commission |
| Public Works and Government Services, Planning Development Group |
| Other Contacts |
| Kriska Transportation |
| Tibbs Transportation |
| Interest Groups |
| Transport 2000 |
| Community Groups |
| Centretown Citizens' Community Association |
| Carlington Community Association |
| Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association |
| City Centre Coalition |
| Cycling Advisory Committee |
| Alta Vista Community Association |
| Action Sandy-Hill/Action Cote-de-Sable |
| Katimavik-Hazeldean Community Association |
| Island Park Community Association |
| Hampton Iona Community Group |
| Hintonburg Community Association |
| Glabar Park Community Alliance Inc. |
| Dow's Lake Residents' Association |
| Dalhousie Community Association |
| Copeland Park Community Alliance |
| McNabb Neighbourhood Improvement Bunch (McNib) |
| Pineview Municipal Golf Course Board |
| Qualicum-Graham Park Community Association |
| Roseberry Avenue Residents Committee Inc. |
| Ottawa East Community Association |
| West Wellington Community Association |
| Velo Ontario Cycling Alliance |
In summary, the notification of PIC No. 3 was communicated to the general public and all identified community interest groups and federal, provincial and municipal agencies.
3.0 Presentation Material
To view the exhibits presented at Public Involvement Centre No. 3, which are provided in Appendix C, go to Get Involved: Public Involvement Centre #3
4.0 Public Comments
4.1 Overall Project
The total number of people who signed the register and the number of comment sheets that were received during the third round of PICs are summarized as follows:
| PIC Date | Registered Persons | Comment Sheets Received |
|---|---|---|
| June 20, 2005 | 92 | 32 |
| June 21, 2005 | 137 | 83 |
| June 22, 2005 | 50 | 18 |
| Total | 279 | 133 |
In addition, approximately 52 e-mails, letters or faxes were received following the PICs.
The public comments documented on the comment sheets are summarized in Table 2. A summary of the comments received and the responses provided can be found in Appendix D of this report.
Table 2: Summary of Public Comments
| Description of Comment | Number of Comments |
|---|---|
| Related To Overall Study / Plan | |
| Support for the Recommended Plan | 6 |
| Oppose widening but support ramp improvements | 1 |
| Concerns related to transit use, auto-dependence, encouraging higher vehicle occupancies, park and ride lots, etc. | 4 |
| Request more review of network: City streets, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, ring road, new interprovincial bridge, etc. | 2 |
| Concerns regarding truck traffic | 1 |
| Suggestions for specific changes to the plan | 3 |
| Related To Specific Ramps / Locations | |
| Support for the Island Park Drive ramp | 2 |
| Support for Westmount/Parkdale changes | |
| Support for changes at Woodroffe Avenue interchange | 1 |
| Support for changes at Bronson eastbound | 1 |
| Support for changes at St. Laurent | |
| Concern for the design of the ramp at Island Park Drive, loss of green space and mature trees | 8 |
| Concern for truck and/or additional traffic on Merivale Road | 3 |
| Concern for the new Holly Acres eastbound ramp | 2 |
| Concern about Lyon Street ramp (open/close) | 2 |
| Concern for safety at Carling westbound – Kirkwood | 2 |
| Concern regarding the design of Chamberlain and Imperial | 4 |
| Concern regarding the design of Westmount (Parkdale) ramp | 1 |
| Concern for closure of St. Laurent S-E ramp | 1 |
| Concern for safety at St. Laurent E-NS ramp and Labelle St | |
| Comments related to a specific location | 1 |
| Related To Specific Impacts | |
| Comments related to cyclist facilities | 3 |
| Concerns related pedestrian and cyclist crossings (safety) | 2 |
| Concern for loss of park land east of Main Street south side | 1 |
| Concerns regarding noise/vibration levels | 1 |
| Concerns regarding air quality | |
| Concerns about property impacts | |
| Concerns about runoff water quality / quantity | |
| Requests | |
| Request for information | 5 |
| Request for additional landscaping | 1 |
| Request traffic calming measures in specific residential areas | 2 |
| Request to be placed on the mailing list for the study | |
| Description of Comment | Number of Comments |
|---|---|
| Related To Overall Study / Plan | |
| Support for the Recommended Plan | 4 |
| Oppose widening but support ramp improvements | |
| Concerns related to transit use, auto-dependence, encouraging higher vehicle occupancies, park and ride lots, etc. | 27 |
| Request more review of network: City streets, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, ring road, new interprovincial bridge, etc. | 10 |
| Concerns regarding truck traffic | 3 |
| Suggestions for specific changes to the plan | 1 |
| Related To Specific Ramps / Locations | |
| Support for the Island Park Drive ramp | 1 |
| Support for Westmount/Parkdale changes | 3 |
| Support for changes at Woodroffe Avenue interchange | 2 |
| Support for changes at Bronson eastbound | 6 |
| Support for changes at St. Laurent | 1 |
| Concern for the design of the ramp at Island Park Drive, loss of green space and mature trees | 27 |
| Concern for truck and/or additional traffic on Merivale Road | 6 |
| Concern for the new Holly Acres eastbound ramp | 1 |
| Concern about Lyon Street ramp (open/close) | 4 |
| Concern for safety at Carling westbound – Kirkwood | 1 |
| Concern regarding the design of Chamberlain and Imperial | 8 |
| Concern regarding the design of Westmount (Parkdale) ramp | 4 |
| Concern for closure of St. Laurent S-E ramp | |
| Concern for safety at St. Laurent E-NS ramp and Labelle Street | 1 |
| Comments related to a specific location | 2 |
| Related To Specific Impacts | |
| Comments related to cyclist facilities | 2 |
| Concerns related to pedestrian and cyclist crossings (safety) | 1 |
| Concern for loss of park land east of Main Street south side | |
| Concerns regarding noise/vibration levels | 22 |
| Concerns regarding air quality | 13 |
| Concerns about property impacts, needs of property owners | 4 |
| Concern about runoff water quality / quantity | 1 |
| Requests | |
| Request for information | 33 |
| Request for additional landscaping | 2 |
| Request traffic calming measures in specific residential areas | 1 |
| Request to be placed on the mailing list for the study | 2 |
| Description of Comment | Number of Comments |
|---|---|
| Related To Overall Study / Plan | |
| Support for the Recommended Plan | 2 |
| Oppose widening but support ramp improvements | |
| Concerns related to transit use, auto-dependence, encouraging higher vehicle occupancies, park and ride lots, etc. | 6 |
| Request more review of network: City streets, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, ring road, new interprovincial bridge, etc. | 4 |
| Concerns regarding truck traffic | |
| Suggestions for specific changes to the plan | 3 |
| Related To Specific Ramps / Locations | |
| Support for the Island Park Drive ramp | |
| Support for Westmount/Parkdale changes | 1 |
| Support for changes at Woodroffe Avenue interchange | |
| Support for changes at Bronson eastbound | 3 |
| Support for changes at St. Laurent | 1 |
| Concern for the design of the ramp at Island Park Drive, loss of green space and mature trees | |
| Concern for truck and/or additional traffic on Merivale Road | |
| Concern for the new Holly Acres eastbound ramp | |
| Concern about Lyon Street ramp (open/close) | 1 |
| Concern for safety at Carling westbound - Kirkwood | 1 |
| Concern regarding the design of Chamberlain and Imperial | 3 |
| Concern regarding the design of Westmount (Parkdale) ramp | |
| Concern for closure of St. Laurent S-E ramp | |
| Concern for safety at St. Laurent E-NS ramp and Labelle Street | |
| Comments related to a specific location | 1 |
| Related To Specific Impacts | |
| Comments related to cyclist facilities | 1 |
| Concerns related to pedestrian and cyclist crossings (safety) | 1 |
| Concern for loss of park land east of Main Street south side | 2 |
| Concerns regarding noise/vibration levels | 2 |
| Concerns regarding air quality | 3 |
| Concerns about property impacts, needs of property owners | |
| Concern about runoff water quality / quantity | |
| Requests | |
| Request for information | 1 |
| Request for additional landscaping | |
| Request traffic calming measures in specific residential areas | 3 |
| Request to be placed on the mailing list for the study | |
| Description of Comment | Number of Comments |
|---|---|
| Related To Overall Study / Plan | |
| Support for the Recommended Plan | 3 |
| Oppose widening | 3 |
| Oppose widening but suggest increasing and promoting public transportation | 12 |
| Concerns related to transit use, auto-dependence, encouraging higher vehicle occupancies, park and ride lots, etc. | 1 |
| Request more review of network: City streets, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, ring road, new interprovincial bridge, etc. | 4 |
| Concerns regarding truck traffic | |
| Suggestions for specific changes to the plan | 9 |
| Related To Specific Ramps / Locations | |
| Oppose the Island Park Drive ramp | 11 |
| Support the Island Park Drive ramp | 2 |
| Support for Westmount/Parkdale changes | |
| Support for changes at Woodroffe Avenue interchange | |
| Support for changes at Bronson eastbound | 4 |
| Support for changes at St. Laurent | |
| Support closure of Lyon St. ramp | 1 |
| Concern for the design of the ramp at Island Park Drive, loss of green space and mature trees | 8 |
| Concern for truck and/or additional traffic on Merivale Road | |
| Concern for the new Holly Acres eastbound ramp | 1 |
| Concern about Lyon Street ramp (open/close) | 1 |
| Concern for safety at Carling westbound - Kirkwood | 2 |
| Concern regarding the design of Chamberlain and Imperial | 6 |
| Concern regarding the design of Westmount (Parkdale) ramp | |
| Concern for closure of St. Laurent S-E ramp | |
| Concern for safety at St. Laurent E-NS ramp and Labelle Street | |
| Comments related to a specific location | 1 |
| Related To Specific Impacts | |
| Comments related to cyclist facilities | |
| Concerns related to pedestrian and cyclist crossings (safety) | 2 |
| Concern for loss of park land east of Main Street south side | |
| Concerns regarding noise/vibration levels | 1 |
| Concerns regarding noise barriers | 7 |
| Concerns regarding air quality | 4 |
| Concerns about property impacts, needs of property owners | 1 |
| Concern about runoff water quality / quantity | |
| Requests | |
| Request for information | 3 |
| Request for additional landscaping | 1 |
| Request traffic calming measures in specific residential areas | |
| Request to be placed on the mailing list for the study | 3 |
| Inquired about Changeable Message Signs (CMS) | 1 |
4.2 Island Park Drive Interchange
A total of 287 people signed the register at the June 29, 2005 meeting and 38 comment sheets were received that evening. In addition, approximately 56 e-mails, letters or faxes were received following the public meeting on June 29.
The public comments documented on the comment sheets received at the June 29, 2005 meeting are summarized in Table 3. A summary of the comments received and the responses provided can be found in Appendix D of this report.
Table 3: Summary of Public Comments
| Description of Comment | Number of Comments |
|---|---|
| Related To Recommended Plan | |
| Oppose the Island Park Drive ramp/roundabout | 14 |
| Oppose use of Hampton park as part of solution | 8 |
| Supports Island Park Drive ramp/roundabout | 3 |
| Retain prohibition of commercial trucks on Island Park Drive | 2 |
| Provide signage and enforcement measures to reduce collisions | 3 |
| Suggests closure of Island Park Drive ramp | 4 |
| Supports expropriation of homes rather than impact Hampton Park | 3 |
| Supports "Hockey Stick" alternative | 1 |
| Provide tighter radius turn to avoid trees | 1 |
| Focus on Carling/Kirkwood exits | |
| Suggestions for specific changes in the plan | |
| Related To Specific Impacts | |
| Concerns regarding air quality | 2 |
| Concerns regarding noise/vibration levels | 3 |
| Concern for loss of green space and mature trees | 9 |
| Concern for truck and/or additional traffic on Island Park | 7 |
| Concern about speeds on Island Park and adjacent roads | 1 |
| Concern for pedestrian/cyclist safety | 10 |
| Concern for impact on wildlife in Hampton Park | 3 |
| Concern for additional traffic on Merivale Road | 1 |
| Concern for use of taxpayers money | 1 |
| Requests | |
| Request for information | 7 |
| Request to be added to mailing list | |
| Other | |
| Review traffic volumes at specific location | 2 |
| Focus should be on public transit | 5 |
| Does not support/agree with safety data provided | 4 |
| Description of Comment | Number of Comments |
|---|---|
| Related To Recommended Plan | |
| Oppose the Island Park Drive ramp/roundabout | 18 |
| Oppose use of Hampton park as part of solution | 25 |
| Supports Island Park Drive ramp/roundabout | 4 |
| Retain prohibition of commercial trucks on Island Park Drive | 3 |
| Provide signage and enforcement measures to reduce collisions | 3 |
| Suggests closure of Island Park Drive ramp | 3 |
| Supports expropriation of homes rather than impact Hampton Park | |
| Supports "Hockey Stick" alternative | 5 |
| Provide tighter radius turn to avoid trees | |
| Focus on Carling/Kirkwood exits | 11 |
| Suggestions for specific changes in the plan | 9 |
| Related To Specific Impacts | |
| Concerns regarding air quality | 4 |
| Concerns regarding noise/vibration levels | 2 |
| Concern for loss of green space and mature trees | 7 |
| Concern for truck and/or additional traffic on Island Park | 7 |
| Concern about speeds on Island Park and adjacent roads | 1 |
| Concern for pedestrian/cyclist safety | 10 |
| Concern for impact on wildlife in Hampton Park | 6 |
| Concern for additional traffic on Merivale Road | |
| Concern for use of taxpayers money | 2 |
| Requests | |
| Request for information | 4 |
| Request to be added to mailing list | 3 |
| Other | |
| Review traffic volumes at specific location | 1 |
| Focus should be on public transit | 5 |
| Does not support/agree with safety data provided | 1 |
5.0 Analysis Of Comments
The results of the comment sheets received and discussions held at the third round of PICs are generally summarized below:
- A number of the attendees stated that public transit needs to be a priority not the addition of lanes to the Queensway, which will provide increased capacity for cars, however, there was more overall support for the proposed widening and interchange modifications since a downtown widening is not part of the Recommended Plan.
- The main areas of concerns were site-specific in nature, including concerns about particular ramps and specific modifications under consideration. There was general opposition to the proposal to realign the Island Park off-ramp to the west side of Island Park Drive in an area of Hampton Park.
- There was general support for the proposed interchange reconfigurations other than at Island Park Drive.
- Members of the public expressed concern about property impacts, property loss, neighbourhood impacts, noise, air quality and vibration impacts, and safety.
- Concern was expressed about the loss of green space and mature trees generally in relation to Hampton Park.
- A number of attendees supported the widening of the Queensway and the Recommended Plan.
- There were requests for hard copies of specific information presented at the PIC.
6.0 Conclusion
In conclusion, the attendance at the third round of PICs and the special Island Park Drive meeting was strong and a substantial number of comments were received. This has allowed for the documentation of the key issues which are important to the public. It will allow the Project Team to deal with these issues as completely as possible prior to finalizing the Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR).
Similar to the previous two rounds of PICs, the majority of the attendees at the third round of PICs expressed concern about the widening of the Queensway and the overall long-term impacts on the property owners in the vicinity of the Queensway. Many of the comments were related to property and neighbourhood impacts and air pollution, vibration and noise levels impacts over the years as the number of vehicles on the Queensway increases.
Attendees also expressed concern that increasing the number of lanes on the Queensway would only increase the number of single-occupancy vehicles onto the road and ultimately result in the same congestion problem, however, there was more support for the Recommended Plan than at the previous rounds of PICs as people became more familiar with the content, impacts, and mitigation measures associated with the Recommend Plan. Many people feel that increasing public transit would be a far better approach, thereby forcing individuals to leave their vehicles at home and use local transit.
Residents of the centre core felt that they were being negatively impacted in order to allow people living in the suburbs to use their vehicles to get to the downtown area. They strongly favor public transit over the Queensway expansion.
Although some attendees still did not support widening the Queensway, more did support improvements to ramps and interchanges at specific locations than at the previous rounds of PICs.
Summary Report | Appendix A | Appendix B | Appendix C | Appendix D
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