A Somerset Street underpass to accompany a cycling pathway along the east side of the O-Train corridor will have to wait for another year.
A planned cycling path through Centretown to connect the Ottawa River to Dow’s Lake will not be built this year despite efforts by frustrated advocates to piggy-back a key underpass with road construction along Somerset Street.
The proposed pathway would follow along the east side of the O-Train corridor, joining the Ottawa River Capital Pathway to the Rideau Canal West Capital Pathway, both of which are maintained by the National Capital Commission.
Ottawa council approved the pathway, along with four other cycling projects, last August but Tuesday decided not to include it in this years budget.
Councillors hoped the cost of the project could be shared with the NCC.
The federal agency says the pathway will not be included in its funding for this year, but discussions are ongoing with the city.
The project, referred to by the city as the O-Train Corridor Pathway, will cost about $3.2 million, according to Eric Darwin, president of the Dalhousie Community Association. About half of that money would be used to construct an underpass at Somerset Street, Darwin says.
The current O-Train underpass is just wide enough for the train and does not have room for a bicycle pathway to be added.
The proposed new underpass would be built to the east of the existing tracks and would allow pedestrians to safely get past the busy street and continue onto existing paths.
The city’s transportation committee has been ignoring the project after confusion about funding at a recent meeting, according to Darwin.
“I’m not optimistic we’ll see anything this year,” he says.
With road improvements continuing on Somerset Street West, local community associations have been pushing for the pathway to be constructed now to avoid tearing up newly paved roads in the future.
“It just seems more cost effective to get it done now while the street’s torn up and closed to traffic than later,” says Lori Mellor, executive director of the Preston Street BIA.
Fixing roads only to have them torn up again frustrates taxpayers and business owners, Mellor says.
City engineers say the underpass and pathway can be installed without damaging Somerset Street, but Darwin says he’s skeptical.
“It’s going to be a big construction effort with a lot of mess.”
For the DCA and the Preston Street BIA, the pathway is an important priority and they say they are disappointed the city does not seem to agree.
“It’s not one of Mayor Watson’s priorities. It’s unfortunate. It’s really unfortunate,” says Darwin.
Mellor says she is frustrated because the city is pursuing the controversial Laurier Avenue segregated bike lane, but continues to ignore the O-Train corridor.
“If the city of Ottawa is truly keen on providing safe cycling facilities, they need to start walking the talk,” she says.
Both Darwin and Mellor say they’re working with other Centretown organizations to find funding elsewhere and hope to see the project completed as soon as possible.