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MANOR PARK CHRONICLE
NOVEMBER 2003
Public Works in Manor Park on Birch Street
– Another Update
I am informed that, in spite of the late start of the works on
Birch, staff expect to complete all underground water and sewer
works and rehabilitate the road surface with a first (rough)
asphalt coat before winter freeze-up halts activities. The
concrete works (sidewalk and curbs) and landscaping as well as the
final finishing asphalt layer and remedial works at the individual
private driveway entrances will await the spring season. Also, I
remind everyone, that the community will be asked for the
preferred lighting type that they will want on Birch. We have been
asked to provide an answer prior to the end of January, especially
if the community wishes something other than the City standard
‘cobra-head’ fixture with sodium vapour lights. My office will
organize a community meeting on the question in due course.
Hemlock/Beechwood Transportation Corridor
The speed of traffic in this corridor continues to be a concern to
residents on Hemlock and to many users including pedestrians,
cyclists and even some motorists. The city has tried to calm the
traffic by redefining the travelled surface, principally a parking
lane on the north side. The notion was to encourage parking and
thereby reduce the perceived road width. In fact, very little
additional parking has occurred with the result that vehicular
speeds have not visibly diminished. The next step would be to
introduce some physical measures (other than paint), which would
change the perception that all drivers (I include those from the
community as well as those passing through) have that Hemlock is a
road able to accommodate higher speeds than those actually posted.
It is difficult to rely on enforcement measures alone to effect
real change in driver behaviour on any roadway.
There are various elements now coming together, which may allow
the community to have some success in the future. First, Council
has recently adopted (October 8th) interim warrants for
implementing a posted 40 km/h Maximum Speed Limit. The report is
available on the City’s web site. I will cite a couple of the
factors which may be useful in the case of Hemlock; - elementary
or junior high school abuts the road; - lack of sufficient
distance to stop safely at two or more locations when travelling
at 50 km/h. You should also know that for streets 10.5 metres or
more in width, staff will only ‘consider’ implementing 40km/h if
the 85th percentile speed is equal to or less than 50 km/h. If we
could convince Council to implement such a speed limit on Hemlock
(which will not be easy even with these warrants) the approach
would only be effective if it were coupled with increased
enforcement. In this context, I recently met with representatives
of the firm that has provided the technology for our
‘red-light-camera’ pilot project. They also have a technology that
would allow a very similar approach to monitoring robotically
speeds along roads such as Hemlock. As with red-light cameras,
speeding drivers would receive a traffic offence fine on any road
monitored with this equipment. I don’t want to mislead anyone. We
do not yet have the ability to use this approach but I am
encouraged that it may be possible in the not too distant future.
Finally, this fall, City staff will be undertaking a “Community
Design Plan” for the Beechwood corridor. This is a design approach
described in the City’s new Official Plan and includes the
transportation aspects of the corridor. Beechwood will be the
first exercise undertaken since the plan’s adoption. I mention
this here in the context of Hemlock traffic calming because of the
obvious link – Hemlock-to-Beechwood …
You can communicate with me at (please include a telephone
number):
City of Ottawa
110 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1P 1J1
Tel: 580-2483, Fax: 580-2523
e-mail:
jacques.legendre@ottawa.ca
Web Site:
www.rideau-rockcliffe.com
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