A bridge connecting the Glebe and Old Ottawa South with Ottawa East is being proposed by the city in an attempt to give pedestrians and cyclists easier access to both sides of the canal.
A second in a series of public open houses was held last week to present the proposal, which is still in an early stage of development.
The bridge will connect Fifth Avenue in the Glebe with Clegg Street in Old Ottawa East.
A new footbridge was deemed necessary because the two kilometres between the Pretoria Bridge and the Bank Street Bridge is one of the longest barriers in the city’s pedestrian and cycling network.
Both bridges have no room for further development to provide greater access for cyclists and pedestrians.
The bridge would be a benefit for students in Centretown that attend Immaculata High School and Lady Evelyn Alternative School in Old Ottawa East, says Nick Masciantonio, president of the Old Ottawa East Community Assocation.
On the other hand, students from Old Ottawa East would have an easier way to get to schools in Centretown and the Glebe.
“It means that kids are not crossing over at Pretoria Bridge or Bank Street Bridge,” he says, noting that a new footbridge would be safer and more convenient.
The Bank Street Bridge has been called unsafe by many because of high traffic and Pretoria Bridge can be an inconvenience when it opens and closes.
The bridge’s architects proposed two designs.
The first option is a slightly curved bridge that would cross over Colonel By Drive, ending with a ramp.
The other option is a spiral ramp that would slightly extend over the Canal.
The architects said the NCC requires the bridge to be a contemporary design and “of its time.”
At the meeting, residents voiced concerns over cost, the potential increase in parked cars, the time frame for the project and congestion on the canal pathways.
Organizers said there is potential for a lookout stop on the bridge, as well as a kayak and canoe docking area underneath.
One suggestion that resonated with the crowd was to include a Bixi bike station, the bike rental program that currently has 10 stations located throughout the city.
Capital Ward Coun. David Chernushenko says residents have been vocal about their desire for a new footbridge.
“I’ve been getting letters from schools who feel it will help more of their students to be able to walk to school,” Chernushenko says.
“One of the biggest problems society faces is out of shape, increasingly obese youth. The more we can make it a reasonable distance to walk, the more we can help students to walk.”
“We support in principle anything that increases the pedestrian interconnectedness of our city,” Jordan Charbonneau, president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association, said in an email.
Christine Leadman, executive director of the Glebe BIA, says it will help businesses on both sides.
The city will review the comments from residents, look at the structural and aesthetic aspects of the bridge, and then recommend a design for public review.
Organizers said the review will likely be done by the spring, when they will hold another open house.