Category Archives: Prince of Wales Bridge

LRT Stations: (part iii) Bayview Station

The Bayview Station is quite complex to describe compared to Tunney’s or Hurdman. Basically, it is a long thin platform built atop an earthen embankment, pretty much where the bus shelters are now. But rather than have sloping pedestrian paths connect to the O-train platform about 16′ lower down, under the overpasses, the City proposes to build an escalator connection at the west end of the new platform that takes users directly down to the O-Train platform. This is a great development for users that transfer. 

What complicates the Bayview Station is that it is in the middle of an empty space and the surrounding transit connections are still undecided. They have to allow for the O-Train (or its LRT successors) to continue north across the Prince of Wales Bridge to Gatineau, or for the bridge to be converted to a busway for STO buses to arrive at a transfer station to be built at Bayview. They also have to allow for the O-Train (or its LRT successors) to turn east and join the soon-to-be-constructed East-West LRT line. This would allow direct airport to downtown LRT service, which would be a real boon to travellers, visitors, and convention traffic (the alternative, extending the  north-south LRT to Gatineau’s casino and convention centre, would deliver the benefits of direct service to Gatineau). They also have to plan for the possibility that the Western LRT extension study will recommend the track turn south and then west along Carling. Whew. And that’s before the cycling and pedestrian access options are put in!

So what the City proposes, and this is quite clever, is to build the new east-west LRT on the earthen embankment, with two partial “basement” or lower levels. One would be at the O-Train end, the other at the eastern end of the platforms.  If tracks are needed to connect to the O-train corridor, they would be built down in a cut on either side of the new station, with new stations built below but just outside the foundations of the first station. This should minimize building a grand station in advance of need (that might never come) or disturbing the first phase of the station when building the subsequent phases. The devil, of course lies in the details. Because keeping lots of options open also closes off other choices that might make a better station and city now.

Here are the general site characteristics:

The site analysis has some curious features, which leads me to think the Planners didn’t actually visit the site. They claim the station has great River views to the North, but don’t the berms along the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway block that view? The brown zig-zaggy lines identify ”bad” views of industrial lands. But all these lands are slated for redevelopment with transit-friendly condos and offices … and local condo builders tell us that industrial views do NOT reduce the saleability of units. The site plan does correctly identify that Bayview has a fabulous view of the downtown, and the station will be visible from far and wide. It shall be interesting to see how they take advantage of that.

I cringed a bit when I saw the pedestrian and cycling plan for the environs:

The golden yellow dotted line running along Scott and Albert Streets identifies a potential on-street cycling lane. This axis is a nice direct route connecting the west end with downtown. But it doesn’t identify the existing MUP along Scott or Albert, which if improved and connected might make a better safer parallel facility (“BikeWest”); although the continuing the existing MUP is mentioned in subsequent slides (the Bayview slides are a hodge-podge of different ideas not at all integrated).

Unfortunately there is no key provided to explain the exploding graph over the top of the station that shows alighting and boarding. And I shudder a bit when the neighborhoods around the station are shown as blank white zones, a sort of terra incognito.

The opportunities study, shown below, fixes some of these concerns. It shows a possible connection of the Albert MUP to the Scott MUP winding it through the entry plaza of the Station and then down to the O-Train platform, and then west along the north edge of the transitway viaduct (where the old spay-neuter clinic was) [insert cyclist joke here] and Merkley now is, and then somehow connecting to the Scott MUP via the existing Bayview Road underpass. This link will work, but only for the first phases of the LRT system, as the land will be required for other facilities later on and a new MUP route would be required.

The opportunities plan also shows the north-south MUP from the new Somerset underpass, which is good. On this slide they neglected to show it reaching the O-Train platform, which numerous other slides do show. It would even better if the route crossed the O-Train tracks on the old Wellington alignment, which neighborhood plans continually call for reopening for pedestrians and cyclists.

For pedestrians, the plan calls for a set of stairs down the slope behind Tom Brown arena, to replace the goat trail there now, and a path along the soccer field to Breezehill North. This is good. They call for wider sidewalks (6′ and 9′ wide) east of the  overpass over the O-train, but don’t address the appallingly narrow and unwelcome substandard sidewalk currently on that bridge. Will this be false economy?

They also propose a kiss-and-ride and taxi stand at the City Centre Avenue end of the site.

I am struck in the above drawing at how cathedral-like the station outline is. Given its prominent views in all directions, and consequent visibility from all directions, there is generous opportunity to build a truly landmark station here. Unfortunately, no sketches of the building are provided.

In the illustration below, the City shows the surrounding area as it might be built out in the future:

The build-out uses the existing plans for Bayview Yards and the Bayview-Carling CDP illustration for development along the City Centre spine. The NCC illustration for LeBreton Flats is also employed for the area east of City Centre Avenue. At the rate Claridge is building out Phase One, we should see development here in about 2090. Conspicuously absent is any mention of development north of the Station, supposedly the site for a new museum (Science and Technology?).

Here is the initial build out plan for the site (it would require significant add-ons if the STO service arrives, or the O-Train goes downtown or is converted to LRT):

Starting at the left side of the picture, note the new path along the Tom Brown soccer field, connecting to Breezehill North, and with a flight of stairs up to Scott. There is no indication who will build this, or when. Note that the path continues under Albert and joins the proposed paths on the north side of the LRT corridor and has an entrance to the O-Train platform and LRT station above.

On the east side of the O-train tracks, the O-train corridor cycling path or MUP is shown running from the O-train platform south to the new Somerset underpass being built this year. It notes that the path will be built by others, not part of the OLRT. It is not clear from this drawing, but is on others, that the path continues past the O-Train platform towards the river and joins a proposed E-W MUP. This drawing does NOT include the E-W MUP connection along the north side of Albert connecting to the Scott MUP, although that is shown on other diagrams. I suspect it will take perseverance by the cycling lobbies to ensure these links are actually kept in the plans and built.

The station itself has generous bike parking areas under the eaves of the large roof overhangs.

Bizarrely the City proposed relocating the pedestrian crossing of Albert to a point further east, probably for the convenience of motorists entering a small side street. But it means that pedestrians arriving at the grand paved pedestrian forecourt of the station do not have a pedestrian crossing of Albert. I have no doubt they will cross anyway, and the City will have engineered in a safety hazard.

The kiss and ride lot, to the east end of the station environs, has been improved by turning it into a small crescent street circling a TOD development. This is good.

Below is a drawing of the station with trains at the platforms:

Note that the “downstairs” lobby for the O-train is shown at the left (west) end of the platforms; and at the east end is a downstairs lobby for when the lower-level platforms are built alongside this station (maybe)(someday in the future). See below:

Curiously, another downstairs public platform area has suddenly appeared in this drawing that is not on the previous ones. That is the connection between the two lower level platforms, between the area shown in blue and the unexcavated dark gray. This link is essential for the best look and feel and subjective safety of patrons. It remains to be determined if it will be built, and when.

I look forward to seeing what the proposed building exterior and roof looks like. It has enormous potential, due to the building height at the top of a significant rise in the landscape. At its west and east ends, the station will soar at least 33′ above the tracks.

In summary, the Bayview Station seems to address all the major access concerns in a rudimentary way. The station is very large, and complex. It remains a bit of a mystery to see if the City will actually build this grand a station at this location or if it will fall victim to cost cutting. The City will need to consult more with the community to improve the Albert Street crosswalk, the Albert-Scott E/W MUP, and pedestrian access from the Scott side(west) of the station.

Tomorrow: LeBreton Flats, the Station under a bridge…

Western LRT (part i)

Last week, city staff offered some briefings on the western LRT options. Recall that the current downtown Ottawa transit tunnel study, now renamed  Ottawa Light Rail Transit/Tunnel (OLRT), covers that portion from Blair Road in the east to Tunney’s Pasture in the west. However, the first components of the LRT system includes a service from Tunney’s to Lincoln Fields, but under a different Environmental Approval process. The western portion might be completed at the same time as the downtown portion, or shortly thereafter.

City council directed that staff consider various options running west from Bayview Station (Council selected Bayview in order to include the O-Train corridor and full Carling Avenue options; a leg would still be required to Tunney’s, as it is the second largest employment node in the city).

Obviously, the WLRT has to connect with the downtown portion, and somehow with the O-Train, and possibly a connection to Gatineau (either rail or bus) via the Prince of Wales Bridge. And at its western end, Lincoln Fields, there will be a major bus transfer point for buses to Kanata. All trains that run through the downtown will run to Lincoln Fields. The rail line would eventually extend further south to College Square, where underground station facilities are already being built as part of the new Algonquin trades building. From there,Nepean south and Barrhaven customers would transfer to buses.

Note that the bus transitway’s current connection to the Queensway will be closing when MOT widens the Queensway, in part to carry all the buses being moved off the transitway during conversion to LRT tracks. Eventually, the LRT could be extended west from Lincoln Fields to Bayshore and then to Kanata.

As shown in the following slide, the downtown commuter drives the system. They require a high level of service from Lincoln Fields east to the downtown. The reverse flow, ie, people commuting out of the downtown, is only 25% of the downtown-oriented flow, but that is enough to provide good revenue (the lack of backhaul on current express buses to the far suburbs is a financial killer for BRT).

The LRT system will be as grade-separated as possible. However, in a significant clarification from previous descriptions, the track is not being described as fully-fenced off. Just as buses can travel along a road at 80kmh and not be separated from pedestrians by a fence, the LRT line need not be fenced. Crossings can still be controlled by careful landscaping and berming, and a discrete chain or similar “crossable” barrier will permit people to cross the tracks much like they cross the street or the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway lanes now. Underpasses and overpasses will also be provided and crossing traffic will be gently steered towards those. The exclusive right of way, therefore, is exclusive  of cars, but not of pedestrians. Similar permitted crossings occur now across the transitway at the Preston extension, across the O-train south of Confederation Hts, and along the ORP.

Here are the corridors for the Western LRT. Over the next few posts, I’ll run through each set of the major options.

Western Leg, LRT (from Bayview to Lincoln Fields via ???)

The City has set up a stakeholders group to work with the City and its transit consultants on where the LRT goes from Bayview. Despite the best efforts of Mr Gray to say the LRT plan ends at Tunney’s, it is only the first phase (Tunney’s to Blair via the downtown) planning that terminated it at Bayview. Right from the beginning, the consultants have been pointing out that the section from Bayview (or Tunney’s) west to Lincoln Fields could be built and opened at the same time as the main downtown DOTT portion. At least some of the west leg options have no major engineering issues and could be constructed quickly to open in 2017 or 2019. The bugbear was the environmental approval process and getting the NCC on board, so it was decided to treat the western leg separately from the approval process of the downtown portion. The downtown section was quicker to get approval as it is to be built upon the environmental planning already put in place for the SW LRT that council cancelled (so, all the costs of planning that route were not thrown away …).

Council directed that the planners examine all the options going west from Bayview. This permits the option of routing the main LRT line south at Bayview, then west along Carling median. I look forward to seeing the plans for this option. There are several engineering problems with this route: the double track E/W LRT line would use up the whole Otrain right of way, which may prevent any future extension of the service south to Carleton and Riverside South except with a transfer at Carling. (This means N/S users might need to transfer first at Carling, then again at Bayview for the link west to Tunney’s or north across the Prince of Wales bridge, so once again the south enders get screwed). It is also apparently a challenge to bring the LRT up out of the deep Otrain cut at Carling and then immediately climb the steep hill that rises to the plain where the Hospital is located. Also keep in mind that if the main east-west line uses Carling it will have infrequent stops and transfer stations and will NOT be a local streetcar service. But as I say, I really look forward to seeing the routing and transit-oriented-development options along this route.

If the main line continues from the downtown to Tunney’s and then goes west to Lincoln fields, there are a bunch of options open. There is the Ottawa River option. This one certainly gets some quick opposition. Some say no one lives there … but there could be lots of walk in traffic from the high rises already along Richmond and the future ones to come. Certainly the LRT stations do not depend on walk in traffic, most will come from bus transfer stations. I find it funny that those opposed to the downtown tunnel quickly dismiss the surface traffic issues (just close the streets to cars!) in the downtown but cannot imagine reducing the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway from four lanes to two so that transit can replace the east-bound lanes. And I am, as always, annoyed at the notion that transit users should be happy riding in a (open or covered) ditch whereas car users must get manicured landscaping courtesy of the tax payers in Ecum Secum and Equimalt. Heck, the ORP used to be the CPR rail line so in some senses we would just be returning to rail transport after a half century automobile-era interregnum.

There is also the Byron right of way alignment, which has lots of transit-oriented redevelopment potential. Yes, I said it. A growing city cannot forever consist of six houses to the acre inner suburbs, but will need to be redeveloped, over time, to higher densities. Same as the houses there today replaced the McKellor golf course, which replaced the farm fields, which replaced the forest ….   The current preferred option for this city is to protect the low density single family dwellings on 50′ lots and put the density in high high-rises, but there are other options such as gradual redevelopment of larger swathes of low density areas into medium density, say four storey units. Don’t expect anyone running for office this fall to come out in favour of that!

Another option would keep the LRT from Bayview to Tunney’s to Westboro and then swing it south along Churchill to Carling. Could it run on Churchill on the surface, perhaps replacing the through traffic there (a local traffic lane would exist on each side to service properties), or would it go in a tunnel? If it goes under Churchill (a shallow, cut and cover tunnel) we can expect every other neighborhood to demand it also be burried. This means only the lower income Hintonburg and Dalhousie neighborhoods would have open ditch transit. I guess those lower income areas aren’t lacking in parkland, dog walking trails, or other uses for a covered LRT route.

The stakeholders sitting on the City’s western leg study come from community associations (that’s how I got there) and other groups. One participant laid it on the line in his self-introduction: I’m here to oppose any use of the Ottawa River Parkway. As long as I can remember which guy that is, I can discount anything positive he says about other options because who knows, he may be praising them for the sole purpose of serving his one NIMORP goal. The city has a bunch of its planners on the committee, and the consultants are the same ones who did the first phase DOTT study (which gives us continuity, a common knowledge base, and — silly me — I have positive impressions of their professionalism and knowledge).

The group of stakeholders already had one meeting with the city, and this week is holding another less-formal meeting without the city planners attending. I wonder if anyone will still be willing to talk to me?

Lemieux Island area (ii)

A few years ago the City ran one of its high pressure water mains along the north side of the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway (said expressway being at the top of this slope) from Lemieux Island towards the downtown.
The city contractors re-landscaped the dug up areas. Surprise, surprise, the shrub beds withered away, the trees languished … and for the last few weeks the NCC has be re-doing the city work. Shown above are new shrubs on the slope between the expressway and the river edge bike path near the Prince of Wales bridge.
The shrubs are planted, mulched, and being watered.
The NCC also replaced a number of the trees the city planted.
I wonder how the NCC views the City’s attempts at landscaping? Like a little child, trying, but failing and inept? Like a recalcitrent child, who goes through the motions but sullenly and without interest in the result? Or like a pesky mosquito, just brush it aside and do what needs to be done, properly?

Lemieux Island area (ii)

A few years ago the City ran one of its high pressure water mains along the north side of the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway (said expressway being at the top of this slope) from Lemieux Island towards the downtown.
The city contractors re-landscaped the dug up areas. Surprise, surprise, the shrub beds withered away, the trees languished … and for the last few weeks the NCC has be re-doing the city work. Shown above are new shrubs on the slope between the expressway and the river edge bike path near the Prince of Wales bridge.
The shrubs are planted, mulched, and being watered.
The NCC also replaced a number of the trees the city planted.
I wonder how the NCC views the City’s attempts at landscaping? Like a little child, trying, but failing and inept? Like a recalcitrent child, who goes through the motions but sullenly and without interest in the result? Or like a pesky mosquito, just brush it aside and do what needs to be done, properly?

Prince of Wales maintenance

Picture taken yesterday from the bike path on the west side of the War Museum, looking upriver. A service vehicle is on the Prince of Wales bridge near the Quebec side.
Closer view, shows the vehicle has two sets of wheels, rubber ones for the road and steel wheels for driving on rails. What it is doing?
Men in cherry picker extendable arm are working on the side of the bridge.
Arm continues to extend, now right under the whole bridge, the men are beyond the far side of their vehicle. It is rather like using your left hand to scratch your right side.
Working on the underside. Double click to enlarge.
Recently while cycling past the Quebec side of the POW bridge I noticed a security guard on duty, guarding the track/bridge. Upon questioning, I found out there is a guard on duty 24/7. He prevents people from cutting across the river via the bridge (the big fences at each end having been kicked down by thwarted peds). Upon further questioning, he said he was guarding the Fibre Optic Cable (FoC — as seen frequently painted on downtown streets, along with Bell and other cables that get marked). What is there to steal in FoC? I thought FoC was plastic tube, not copper wire.

Prince of Wales maintenance

Picture taken yesterday from the bike path on the west side of the War Museum, looking upriver. A service vehicle is on the Prince of Wales bridge near the Quebec side.
Closer view, shows the vehicle has two sets of wheels, rubber ones for the road and steel wheels for driving on rails. What it is doing?
Men in cherry picker extendable arm are working on the side of the bridge.
Arm continues to extend, now right under the whole bridge, the men are beyond the far side of their vehicle. It is rather like using your left hand to scratch your right side.
Working on the underside. Double click to enlarge.
Recently while cycling past the Quebec side of the POW bridge I noticed a security guard on duty, guarding the track/bridge. Upon questioning, I found out there is a guard on duty 24/7. He prevents people from cutting across the river via the bridge (the big fences at each end having been kicked down by thwarted peds). Upon further questioning, he said he was guarding the Fibre Optic Cable (FoC — as seen frequently painted on downtown streets, along with Bell and other cables that get marked). What is there to steal in FoC? I thought FoC was plastic tube, not copper wire.