I spend about 600 hours a…

I spend about 600 hours a year riding around the Ottawa area on my bike. I'm excited to hear that some improvements will be coming from the province, and I hope even more will be done in the years ahead. This is long overdue, and I very much support this new frontier in provincial transportation spending. Here are my specific thoughts on the proposed provincial network:

General suggestions:

1) Don't bother with sharrows. They have not been found to improve cyclist safety, and they won't encourage new people who are fearful of mixed traffic. Painting them is a waste of money that should be spent on more substantial measures.

2) Instead of the wording "share the road" on signage, use "bikes may use full lane" or "single file". This is much less likely to be misinterpreted. In general, such signage is not useful. Like sharrows, it won't help improve the cycling experience.

Suggestions for Ottawa area, specifically:

3) Highway 15 from Black's Corners to Smith's Falls is terrifying. I would never ride here. At a bare minimum, paved shoulder would have to be added to make it suitable for cycling.

4) Perth-to-Ottawa would be a very nice link to have. Instead of, or in addition to the Highway 15 route you've identified, use the trails parallel to 15, just to the east, south to 9th line. Take 9th line and Tennyson to Highway 7, where only a short stretch of Highway 7 needs to have a paved shoulder added to make it tolerable for cycling (currently, it is also terrifying). From Perth, go to Smith's Falls.

5) Perth-to-Smith's Falls: Shoulders on highway 1 would be required.

6) The rail trail south from Smith's Falls to Sydenham is in terrible condition: overgrown, large rocky gravel. A maintenance upgrade is needed to make it useable for cycling. At minimum, cut the brush and add stone dust surface.

7) Stittsville-to-Carp: there are no shoulders on the 417 overpass - these are needed because it's not currently safe. Huntmar drive, just to the east, is preferred by current cyclists since it is a calmer road. Take Huntmar to old Carp road, which is scenic,

8) Portions of the Ottawa River Pathway along the Sir John A MacDonald parkway are very crowded in summer, and prone to flooding in spring. The canal paths are almost unusable for cycling due to crowds. Partnering with other levels of government (the NCC) to improve the pathways (twinning, widening) would be very useful. The NCC is aware that these paths are well over capacity, and a source of pedestrian-cyclist conflict.

9) The bridge at Hog's Back has just been tendered for rebuilding at the federal level. The City of Ottawa has identified this location as a cycling project to be built within the next 1-4 years. Provincial co-operation in building a space for cycling on the bridge would be very welcome, but prompt timing is crucial. I have contact information of the federal and city planners involved, if that's of interest.

10) Airport parkway is a poor choice for a southbound direction. Instead, connect to the nearby Sawmill Creek MUP, immediately to the east, Then, between HuntClub and Leitrim, there is an unused rail right of way that is ripe for development as the continuation of the Sawmill creek MUP. In fact, it's already used unofficially as a dirt trail. This would make a direct path linking the Sawmill Creek MUP and the Osgoode rail trail. Please investigate upgrading this to an official path with the help of the City of Ottawa.

11) At the southern end of the Osgoode trail, Rideau River road is not suitable for cycling. Paved shoulders are needed. A woman was killed here participating in a charity cycling event a couple of years ago.

12) Heading east out of downtown Ottawa, the portion of the route along Sussex has some poor design in places. I can provide more detail about those problems if it's of interest, but too much to summarize here. I just want to point out that signage alone will not be enough to make this a safe route, so be prepared for a bit of work here.

13) Beyond Princess avenue, along the George-Etienne parkway, there is an existing off-road route, but your map indicates a proposed off-road route. An error?

14) Along the George-Etienne parkway, there is an upper pathway that is paved, and a lower pathway along the river that is stone dust. The stone dust path has low-lying areas that flood and can get washed out.

15) After crossing Green's creek, it would be best to stay on the pathway system, rather than go south to St. Joseph. Stay on the riverfront paths all the way to their end at Trim road, then head south on Trim. From there, Wilhaven and Baseline will make for a calmer traffic experience out to Cumberland and Clarence Creek than Montreal rd.

16) Manotick is a beautiful Ottawa-area destination that can be accessed via the Osgoode rail-trail, Rideau Rd, and the Nicholls Island locks. It could easily be included in the network.

[Original Comment ID: 209435]