A sure sign of spring and warmer weather
The patios on the By Ward Market reappeared on Friday. And, while slogging up a street on the west side … Continue reading A sure sign of spring and warmer weather
Bonus feature for crosswalks at cycle tracks
Anyone who walks in Ottawa knows that a key feature of our crosswalk design is that the crosswalk must be located at the lowest possible point. So that puddles will form right at the crosswalk location. In winter. In spring. … Continue reading Bonus feature for crosswalks at cycle tracks
Read at City Hall?
Readers with memories may recall this sign shown about 10 days ago: It has been changed: — Richard Eade. Continue reading Read at City Hall?
Post It Note Art
Hopefully, this artwork was created from “used” post it notes saved from garbage, and that this artwork did not unnecessarily divert the civil servant from its duties nor sacrifice virgin post it notes. On second thought, maybe we should rejoice that … Continue reading Post It Note Art
New Confederation Line Station renderings
The City has released some updated renderings of what some of the new stations along the Confederation Line will look like. As always, keep in mind these are artist impressions and reality may differ. Also don’t look too closely, as … Continue reading New Confederation Line Station renderings
Love letters under the snow
Spring will eventually come. And as it does, this love note will re-emerge from under its snowbank: Here’s the message… Perhaps the proud parents can read along with baby’s first speller. Continue reading Love letters under the snow
Carling reconstruction … Bronson intersection
Recall that as the Carling Avenue buses go eastbound from Booth up the hill towards Bronson, the centre busway portion in the median becomes a lane for a brief period near Bell Street. The gap in the east-bound median bus … Continue reading Carling reconstruction … Bronson intersection
Line my sewer, please
If you go through the downtown on weekdays, you may notice the occasional steel plate embedded in the centre of the street. If you go on the weekends, these plates are lifted and lanes are blocked to traffic through the core. … Continue reading Line my sewer, please
Carling … from Preston to the Glebe
Will the reconstructed Carling Avenue between Preston Street and Glebe be a traffic sewer or a beautiful, functional urban Avenue? The reconstructed Carling proceeding east from Preston follows a similar design to the road sections west of Preston described here … Continue reading Carling … from Preston to the Glebe
Carling … proposed median bus stops
Today we will examine the City plans for the reconstructed Carling between Sherwood and Preston. This includes the new median bus stop for Trillium crossing / Preston intersection. Recall that either before Sherwood (Richard’s view) or after Sherwood (city’s version) … Continue reading Carling … proposed median bus stops
Carling Avenue Reconstruction
Over the next few stories, Richard Eade and yours truly will be looking in some detail at the proposed reconstruction of Carling Avenue from the top of the hill by the Farm, down to Sherwood Drive, to Preston, Booth, and … Continue reading Carling Avenue Reconstruction
Job knowledge at City Hall
On March 7th, there was a new sign posted along Albert at the [closed] Preston Extension that used to carry traffic out to the Sir JAM Parkway and Wellington St: First, it seems like more bureaucratic self-work to officially close … Continue reading Job knowledge at City Hall
Bhat Boy Inspired Chateau Laurier Addition
The proposed addition to the Chateau Laurier simply begs to be seen in the light of “elites” vs popular opinion. The architectural and heritage elites seem to like the idea that every building must be in current architectural styles. And … Continue reading Bhat Boy Inspired Chateau Laurier Addition
Elevated Confederation Line safety
The elevated portions of the Confederation LRT Line west of Bayview Station are on a high viaduct. Throughout its life as a transitway there were concrete side walls along the road. These may have been to stop debris from blowing … Continue reading Elevated Confederation Line safety
Elevated Confederation Line noise
The old transitway viaduct near Bayview Station is being converted to rail for the Confederation line. I was curious to see the contractor, RTG, drill holes in the jersey-barrier type concrete sidewalls along the roadway. They used the holes … Continue reading Elevated Confederation Line noise
Who’s civic hospital vision will win out?
If I were the head of the Civic Hospital, and directing the planning for the new campus to be located to the east of the Farm, along the Carling escarpment, I think I’d be pushing for the first big building … Continue reading Who’s civic hospital vision will win out?
Stick wars
We’ve all heard of the “war on cars”, or “the war on cyclists” or pedestrians, or whomever is your favorite in or out group. But the war on stick figures? Sticker aggression is better than actually doing it, I guess. Continue reading Stick wars
Car Free, Helmet Free
I have never owned a car. Nor do not wear a helmet when cycling or walking. I used to have a MIT article explaining how if we really wanted to reduce head injuries we’d require helmets before anyone could walk … Continue reading Car Free, Helmet Free
Vision Zero, or is it Zero Vision?
Canadians are too tolerant of unsafe roads, and unsafe cities, and unsafe neighbourhoods. There is a lot written about this, only some of which is readily understandable. I thought this video made the case in simple English with persuasively related … Continue reading Vision Zero, or is it Zero Vision?
Loretta Avenue rebuild
From time to time the city rebuilds residential streets. Loretta Avenue, which runs north-south between the Trillium Line tracks and Bayswater Avenue, is one such street. It crosses Hickory, a busy east-west cycle and ped route, and crosses Laurel, which … Continue reading Loretta Avenue rebuild
The Friday Traveller: Trudeaux, Cuba, and Me
So there was a brouhaha for a few days about the mostly unlamented death of Fidel Castro. Trudeau 1 and Trudeau 2 were involved. So I’ll insert myself, for your amusement. Back in 1971 I was still a high school … Continue reading The Friday Traveller: Trudeaux, Cuba, and Me
The Friday Traveller goes to a gas station
I went to a city where I could only find ONE gas station. And it was very out of the way. The city streets were silent, only the sounds of footsteps, the swish of clothes, the occasional piano or singing … Continue reading The Friday Traveller goes to a gas station
New public spaces grace west side Ottawa
Some pretty darn good new public spaces are appearing in our neighbourhoods. Some are much heralded, like Winston Square in Westboro which is fun day and night. Some are hidden away, not widely known. Here are two of those “secret” spaces … Continue reading New public spaces grace west side Ottawa
Shooting TOD in the cradle
In a story earlier this week I enthused about the McRae Avenue progressing from blah to an attractive Transit Oriented Development. Did I speak too soon? Is the city trying to thwart TOD before it can leave the cradle?? Here’s … Continue reading Shooting TOD in the cradle
Making better use of existing infrastructure
As a society, we take it for granted that there is a lot of car infrastructure around. But we built most of it from scratch, at great expense. When that money came in the form of grants from higher levels … Continue reading Making better use of existing infrastructure