Doug Brousseau, Director of Mobility Services and Corporate Fleet Services reminded committee that the Transition Board has not yet approved the budget for traffic calming. He recognized the need to look at ways of making Kent Street a better place to travel and live on, especially since it is a gateway to Parliament Hill and is one of the key access points to the central business district.

Greg Kent, Project Manager indicated that the details of what is being proposed are shown at Annex A to the report. Following a detailed overview of the proposal, he advised that staff dealt with making improvements to the whole street, not just from a traffic calming perspective. The parking strategy which was adopted and implemented two years ago is recommended to continue.

Mr. Brousseau confirmed there are no vertical measures planned, i.e., no speed humps or raised intersections. To further clarify the present parking scheme, he indicated that two years ago the original report on Kent Street pointed out there was no need for four lanes during the peak hours to handle traffic. Staff embarked on an experiment whereby parking was permitted on both sides of the street after rush hour and this has been successful. What is now being proposed is to give one lane over to all-day parking and protect that parking with bulb-outs, complete with a tree in each one. Under this proposal, the downtown would not lose capacity that currently exists. However, he cautioned that the Transportation Master Plan states the need for extra capacity in the downtown and while it may not be needed now, it might be needed sometime in the future.

Councillor Cantin referred to the bulb-out proposed at the intersection of Cooper and Kent and given the direction of traffic on this one-way street, he found it difficult to understand how a tree could be located there and parking beyond it, when what is needed is increased visibility for motorists crossing at that intersection. G. Kent indicated that this concern can be addressed with the types of trees which have been identified by the Regional Forester. D. Brousseau added that this is one of the trade-offs that staff had to deal with. He did not believe it was a serious safety issue. With respect to the proposal to physically prohibit a through-movement at Lisgar and Kent, the councillor believed that no matter how difficult it is made, motorists will still go across when they’re not supposed, hence increasing the chance of collisions. Mr. Brousseau advised that it is Council’s decision that the movement be prohibited and all other measures implemented have been unsuccessful. The councillor asked whether fire trucks can negotiate those turns and staff advised that the turning radius has in fact improved with the bulb-outs and staff have contacted the Ottawa Fire Chief to discuss these proposals. Further, they will be working with the Fire Department in regards to the raised crosswalks on the sidestreets and the drainage issues that have been raised by the City of Ottawa. He confirmed this plan should not impact emergency response times.

Councillor Kreling stated that if this plan is approved, it is unclear that the City wants to proceed with raised sidewalks for stormwater purposes. If this is accepted and the Region proceeds with the modifications, he questioned when the raised crosswalks would be installed. Mr. Brousseau responded by stating that if the City does not want the raised crosswalks for stormwater management, staff would not propose they be installed, except for those Council already approved in principle from the Braaksma report. He confirmed they would have the answer from the City before construction begins.

The committee received the following public delegations:

Father Stephen Amesse, Saint Patrick’s Basilica objected to the proposed changes to Kent Street, but was not opposed to any efforts to beautify the street. He indicated that the church has thousands of people attending for various reasons, i.e. masses, weddings, community events, et cetera and any changes to Kent Street will affect these people, some of whom come from all across the Region. In addition, there is an aging population which comes to the church, and he was concerned about the impact these modifications would have on emergency access to the church. While he recognized that the downtown will continue to grow, he did not believe limiting vehicle access was the solution. He suggested burying the hydro lines and replacing the sidewalk would enhance the visual aspect of the street.

Councillor Davis was surprised to hear this opposition, especially since the bulb-outs will create a more narrow road thereby making it easier for pedestrians to cross. While he did not disagree with this statement, Father Amesse indicated they had not received any complaints from people having difficulty getting across the street, or about the speeds at which motorists were travelling. While he understood that capacity would not be affected, Father Amesse believed the proposal to switch the parking to the other side of the street will be confusing for drivers, who may take another route to the downtown and avoid Kent Street altogether.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen questioned whether the volume on Lyon Street had been reduced as a result of the speed humps which were installed last year and if so, where was the traffic diverted. Mr. Brousseau confirmed there was a modest change, but the data will be collected this summer and a report brought forward to committee in the fall on the results of those and other traffic calming measures, as well as the displacement of traffic.

Councillor Bellemare stated that if the bulb-outs were eliminated, to what extent could streetscaping be implemented in terms of tree planting. Mr. Brousseau advised that it would restrict the ability to plant trees since the bulb-outs provide a place for the tree to grow. At the suggestion of the councillor, he confirmed that staff will be bringing forward a cost-benefit evaluation of the bulb-outs.

Reverend Sharon Moon, First United Church expressed concern for the safety of pedestrians because of the speed at which traffic is moving on Kent Street. She stated there are a lot of elderly parishioners as well as those with young children, who have to cross this busy road to get to the church. She was very pleased with the staff proposal.

Paul Van Steen, Urbandale Corporation submitted a letter dated 3 May 2000 outlining the concerns of the Corporation. They own the building at 360 Lisgar Street as well as the vacant property across the street, so they have an interest in how Lisgar Street functions. They requested a re-evaluation of the proposal to prohibit through movements at Lisgar and Kent. He explained that restricting movements to right-turns only will only serve to contribute to the congestion on Kent Street and motorists will have to travel an additional four blocks to get to the Queensway. He stated that Lisgar is the only street in this project that would have the through traffic restriction so they believe through traffic should be permitted instead of the reinforcement of the forced right turn. With Kent Street being narrowed through the installation of bulb-outs, it will make the crossing distance shorter and perhaps the through movement can be done more safely as a result. He confirmed that their building is not directly impacted, but employees and deliveries to the building will be affected. Mr. Van Steen referred to a letter from Eftia OSS Solutions Inc. which accompanied his letter. As tenants in the office building at 360 Lisgar Street, they also agree that through traffic be permitted at Lisgar and Kent.

Andre Fontaine, Centretown Community Health Centre referred to the numerous child care facilities in the area and the number of seniors and children that cross the street to access the Centre and the local schools. With the speed at which motorists are travelling, he agreed there was a need to calm traffic on Kent Street and he supported the initiative brought forward by staff.

Andy Doyle, McEvoy Shields Funeral Home spoke as a resident, a businessman and a property owner in the area affected. He believed there was not a sufficient vision in the staff report. He made reference to an earlier point made by staff that Kent Street is a major entrance to the Nation’s Capital and he was of the opinion that if the street is going to be improved, it should be done right the first time. He remarked on how the hydro poles take away from the streetscape and burying those lines would go far to improving the streetscape. He was concerned that the staff report did not include input from emergency services and he believed their comments should have been incorporated. He believed that if a situation were to occur on another road and traffic had to diverted to Kent Street, it would completely block the street under this proposal, because the road narrowings, et cetera would only serve to cause gridlock. He was concerned about the bulb-outs because he believed the parked vehicle would serve to calm traffic to a large degree.

Mr. Doyle preferred to see four lanes opened to flowing traffic, particularly in the a.m. peak periods because he believed the current capacity during that period would be better accommodated with the additional lane. He also believed it would be prudent to look at the area north of Somerset Street because the profile of that area is quite different from the area west of Kent Street or south of Somerset, i.e., there are a number of high-rise buildings and commercial businesses. He remarked that restricted turns and narrowing of intersections make the elderly people nervous as they come down the street. He felt it was unreasonable to restrict the through movement at Lisgar Street.

Mark Farren, Centretown Citizens Community Association has been a resident of centretown for 16 years. He supported the spirit of the proposals; however, he and his family were concerned about safety and traffic speeds. He remarked on how people have moved from the area because of the crime as well as the number of accidents on the road. While there have been times when he has reconsidered his commitment to living in the downtown, he has rediscovered a sense of community by working together with others to solve problems. He wanted to convey a message to drivers that once they come off the Queensway they cannot continue to travel at the same rapid pace. He supported the proposal for bulb-outs, noting they will not limit capacity and residents will feel safer because they will be further away from the fast flow of traffic.

Bill Filleter was in favour of bulb-outs because it gets people closer to the other side of the street, therefore decreasing the crossing distance. His children attend Elgin Public School and like many others, they must cross these busy Regional roads. While they did not want to stifle the growth of the downtown, the community would like some controls in place to make them feel more comfortable when they walk along these streets. He thanked staff for the fine approach and the consultation done with residents.

Lois K. Smith remarked that while she was not a resident of the downtown, she did traverse this area frequently. As a transit rider she was pleased with the proposal to move the parking from one side of the street to the other because it will assist transit. She supported the proposal for bulb-outs and to green the street. With respect to the latter comment, she suggested building frames made from sturdy construction to be placed on the bulb-outs and which could hold a plant such as Virginia Creeper, whose growth can be controlled. This plant would provide the necessary greenery and could be used in places not otherwise suitable for trees.

Jim Kargakos strongly objected to the proposal before committee and noted that it was only within the last few weeks that this project has changed from a traffic calming issue to a beautification issue. As an owner of a business on Kent Street for the past decade, Mr. Kargakos believed the proposal will reduce traffic thereby affecting his business. He was very upset with what he saw originally as part of the charrettes, compared to what is before committee today. He believed that the goal is to reduce traffic and if he loses business because of the proposal, he would take legal action. He indicated that he would like to see some measures implemented to improve the heritage characteristic of the street, such as heritage lighting, but believed bulb-outs would be incompatible with the heritage aspects of the street. He believed they would be a waste of money and would do nothing to slow down traffic. He urged committee to reject the staff recommendations.

Councillor Cantin asked the delegation what measures he thought would improve Kent Street. Mr. Kargakos suggested that burying the hydro lines would be helpful, as well as providing a parking space instead of a bulb-out because they serve the same purpose. He also suggested that widening the sidewalk would be helpful in calming the traffic. The councillor questioned whether staff had looked at having Kent Street revert back to a two-way street and the Commissioner indicated this would be a massive undertaking because there are a lot of businesses which have reoriented themselves to the present one-way flow. There would be a need to look at the entire downtown as well. With respect to the suggestion to bury the hydro wires the commissioner advised that is an extremely expensive operation.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen wondered whether the bulb-outs could be eliminated if the pedestrian crossings on the side streets were similar to those at Laurier and Elgin, which are set back from the curb. Staff advised that the number of lanes would be two lanes and with this proposal it would only be one lane with a bulb-out. When questioned how much of the total construction cost would be for the bulb-outs, staff confirmed it is the majority of the total cost.

Bruce Bursey, Centretown Traffic Calming Working Group advised that as a resident of Lyon Street, he was very pleased with the results of the vertical traffic calming measures implemented on the street. Traffic travels at a regular and predictable speed, day and night and it is much safer for residents. Now, the committee is faced with a decision to calm Kent Street, which has one of the highest accidents rates. Motorists are consistently exceeding the posted speed limit. It was for this reason that the Centretown Traffic Calming Plan recommended a reduction in the number of lanes on Kent Street and that a raised intersection be installed at Kent and Gladstone. This combination was believed to be the only way to reach the desired objective to reduce speeding. Mr. Bursey noted that all-day parking on one side of the street has been a win-win situation for the last two years and there has not been a negative affect on volumes. However, he could not support the staff proposal because it did not include a clear commitment for raised intersections. Without these facilities, he believed the plan will not have the desired effect of making Kent Street safer. And, while it will make side-street crossings safer, it will not cause a reduction in speeding or the number of accidents caused as a result. He urged committee to learn from the pilot project on Lyon Street and employ similar techniques on Kent Street.

Nicholas Patterson suggested that the answer to the problems on Kent Street would be found by discarding the Kent Street Plan, employing one more police officer to enforce speeds and to finance that position through the elimination of two by-law enforcement officers. He did not believe much could be done with respect to the beautification of the street. He stated that people are already over-taxed and this has not benefited businesses in the downtown.

Roy Neilson, Bona Building and Management Co. Ltd., indicated that they own an office building at 222 Nepean Street (between Kent and Bank). They also own a parking lot beside the building which extends from Nepean through to Lisgar Street. Presently, with the traffic flow being impeded from crossing Kent at Lisgar, motorists tend to cut through their parking lot and head east to Bank Street and then onto Somerset Street to go west. If a bulb-out is installed at the corner of Kent and Nepean, he was concerned it would impede deliveries to their building. He suggested that something should be done to slow down motorists as they exit the Queensway and head down Kent Street. He believed that if they can be slowed down at Catherine Street, perhaps they would carry on down Kent Street at a slower pace.

Ray Sullivan, Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation noted that while arterial roadways are necessary in large cities, four-laned highways are not acceptable on residential roads and Kent Street comes very close to being just that. He supported the staff recommendations and believed the plan is a very good compromise between the interests of centretown residents and the need for an arterial roadway connecting the Queensway to the downtown business district. He was supportive of the use of parking as a traffic calming measure, noting its success in other areas around the Region. Also, he believed the narrowing through bulb-outs will be an effective means of slowing traffic without significantly reducing traffic flow. The bulb-outs are also a significant factor in changing the sight-lines of Kent Street. All these measures change Kent Street from something that looks like a highway to something that looks more like an urban street. The benefits to residents include safety and a better quality of life and improved property values. The effects on motorists are even more important because if a street looks like a highway, people drive accordingly and he was confident that will change with these measures. Mr. Sullivan also believed that this plan offers a balance between motorists looking for an efficient and quick route and local residents who do not want an unsafe, ugly and noisy highway in their community. He urged the committee to adopt this report and to make Kent Street once again a beautiful downtown residential street.

The Committee Chair indicated that she would be proposing a Motion to ask staff to investigate whether Lisgar Street between Bank Street and Kent Street could revert back to a two-way street. This would allow those parking lots to exit onto Bank Street instead of doing that right turn. Staff pointed out that this is a local road and the Region therefore could not review that proposal without the agreement of the City of Ottawa. Rob Orchin, Manager of Transportation Services, City of Ottawa advised that like the Region, the City of Ottawa is experiencing work challenges with the impending amalgamation and therefore could not suggest how quickly the City would be able to proceed with such a review. The Commissioner suggested that staff could report back on the technical challenges by September and the committee could then consider the next stage. Chair Holmes agreed there would be a need to examine every entrance and exit at the Queensway to see if and how that two-way designation could be applied.

Councillor Bellemare proposed that the road narrowings be deferred pending the results of the traffic calming evaluation study.

Councillor McGoldrick-Larsen supported the parking changes and tree plantings along Kent Street as a means of calming traffic. She too believed that burying the hydro lines and refurbishing the sidewalk would be a big improvement. She supported the Motion proposed by Councillor Bellemare because she felt the committee needed that information before it embarks on spending money to install bulb-outs. If these are approved, however, and further down the road it is determined that they are not effective and should be removed, she wondered how easily that could be done.

Councillor Doucet stated that Kent Street is an important gateway to the downtown, but while it should be one of the principle entrances into the city, instead it is four-lanes of cars, butt up against a very narrow and poorly maintained sidewalk, with no trees. He noted that cyclists do not use this street because it is too dangerous and very few people walk along this street. He supported the plan because he believed it was a good start in returning some kind of reasonable balance to Kent Street which has been butchered by the off-ramp at the Queensway. He believed that the only way to reduce the travelled speed of motorists as they come off the Queensway and enter the downtown, is to change the structure of the road.

Councillor Davis referred to the success of the bulb-outs on Parkdale Avenue in slowing down traffic and how well they have been received in that community. With respect to the traffic calming measures implemented on Kirkwood, she noted that the experience of bulb-outs on that road is something to keep in mind if the plan is approved to install similar features on Kent Street. She supported the staff recommendation and suggested looking one year following implementation to see what the impact has been.

Councillor Bellemare indicated that the vertical measures and bulb-outs have still not been evaluated and believed the committee should wait for the evaluation of such measures before proceeding with them elsewhere. He wondered whether in fact a parked car has the same affect as a bulb-out and whether there were other, less expensive, temporary alternatives that could be used, to achieve the same goal. Also, he wondered what the cost would be of removing those features if they prove to be unsuccessful. In view of the fact the evaluation study is not anticipated to come back to the committee until the fall, he maintained that the committee should not proceed with those intersection narrowings until that study comes forward.

Councillor Legendre supported the staff report as proposed because the changes to be implemented will be positive for residents and businesses. Whenever space is made more liveable, people want to be there.

Chair Holmes remarked that this plan has been a long time coming. She indicated that many of the north/south streets in the downtown are on/off ramps to and from the Queensway and questioned how these should be dealt with when there is dense residential and commercial development in the area. She acknowledged the success of the parking plan implemented two years ago on Kent Street and noted that she had received no complaints with respect to this. She recognized that the plan still maintains the capacity, but changes some of the parking spaces and adds trees because the street has to look different. She agreed that the street must be modified in such a way that it slows the traffic down and that this is a compromise. She stated that since this proposal has nothing to do with capacity but does beautify and provides permanent parking (and perhaps some permanent trees) and it makes it safer for pedestrians to cross at intersections, the committee should proceed with this plan.

Moved by D. Holmes

That staff investigate converting Lisgar Street between Bank Street and Kent Street to two-ways and report back by September 2000 on the technical challenges related to this.