City to add bike lanes, explore closures for special events this summer

Ottawa city councillors voted in favour of reopening Wellington Street to vehicles Wednesday with a motion that leaves the door open to making the downtown roadway pedestrian-only for special events as soon as this summer.

City councillors voted to take down the concrete barricades “as soon as is operationally feasible” but no sooner than March 1. Capital Coun. Shawn Menard and Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Jessica Bradley dissented.

Phil Landry, director of traffic services with the city, said he couldn’t give a precise date cars would be able to return to the east-west thoroughfare in front of Parliament Hill.

It will take four to eight weeks to get traffic signals installed, Landry said. Conversations with emergency services, including police, may also affect the reopening date, he added.

The barriers were originally installed to block Wellington between Bank and Elgin streets following the three-week convoy protest last winter.

While Wednesday’s motion paves the way for the return of vehicular traffic, it also includes a plan explore temporary closures on the street for special events as soon as this summer, as well as a plan to add a temporary bike lane between Sussex Drive and Lyon Street. City staff said the lane would use painted lines and flex stakes.

Adding a bike lane will reduce the amount of space for motorized vehicles on Wellington, which is six lanes wide in some places, said Coun. Tim Tierney who chairs the city’s transportation committee.

The street will likely lose two lanes to accommodate bike traffic, he said.

‘Ugly’ barricades must go: Sutcliffe

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe called the decision to reopen the street a “short-term plan” while a grander vision for Wellington Street is worked out with federal partners.

That longer-term plan would take into account security concerns, but also street design, public transit and the needs of both local businesses and resident.

Sutcliffe said it’s time to remove the “ugly” barricades and bring activity back to the street.

Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi said in a statement to CBC Wednesday that while he would have preferred the street remain closed to vehicular traffic, he is “encouraged” to see measures like bike lanes added to the city’s plan.

Today’s council vote “showed that there is significant alignment on the long-term potential of this space,” he wrote.

“We need to ensure these conversations remain top of mind as discussions between the city and federal government continue,” Naqvi said.

A working group made up of Public Services and Procurement Canada, the National Capital Commission and the city is currently overseeing a transportation study of Wellington. A final report with recommendations will be tabled later this year or early 2024, according to a city memo.

Some Liberal MPs want to see Wellington expropriated by the federal government. Sutcliffe said any transfer would have to be carefully considered as it would affect Ottawans “for generations to come.”

Council’s support for Wednesday’s motion comes after the transportation committee voted unanimously to support the motion in January.

Coun. Shawn Menard introduced two amendments to Wednesday’s motion which included setting a deadline of July 1 for city staff to report back on options to close Wellington for special events, and for council to support the vision of Wellington Street as a “sustainable transportation corridor.”

Both proposed amendments failed to pass.