A staff report recommending that the city enter into a cost-sharing arrangement with the National Capital Commission to build new cycling paths will come before the transportation committee Monday.
All of the new pathways have been identified in a planning document from by the NCC, the City of Ottawa, and the City of Gatineau that plans the development of the Capital Pathway Network over the next 10 year
One of the five new pathways, if approved by the committee and council, will run through Centretown along the east side of the O-Train line from Dow’s Lake to the Ottawa River Pathway.
Called the Champagne corridor, the pathway will be by far the most expensive of the five new pathways at $3.2 million.
The pathway would reduce the commute for residents travelling north-south to Centretown, which currently wraps around the neighbourhood running along the canal.
All five councillors with proposed projects in their wards said they support the initiative.
The NCC is expected to support the city’s initiative to expand and link city and NCC pathways because the linkages will facilitate better transportation to key institutions and tourism.
Currently, Ottawa maintains 560 km of multi-use pathways, 160 km of which were built over the last 10 years.
However, over the next 10 years the city’s cycling plan calls to increase the network to 1,200 km.
The five projects, if approved, will add $7.7 million to the 2011 budget.