The Ottawa Technical High School, closed since 1992, is the site of the newly proposed bike path on Albert Street.
The city is working on a new development that may solve some issues regarding cross-city cycling routes and parking on Laurier Avenue.
Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes says the city is in negotiations with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board to build a bikeway through the former property of the Ottawa Technical High School on Albert Street.
The city and the school board passed a plan five years ago in which the city will give the school board buildings on the east side of the property, in return for green space on the west side, where a bikeway would be built, Holmes says.
Michael Clarke, superintendent of facilities at the school board, confirms that the city has approached the OCDSB about its desire to create a cycling path through the property.
Holmes says the plan is to have the bikeway travel across Laurier through what is currently a parking lot at Percy Street, down near Albert and Slater, along the transit way and through the school’s green space, ending at Bronson Avenue.
It may be years before the school board decides to sell the land, though the city hopes it will be granted right of way over the land to go ahead with the plans, Holmes says.
With the bikeway, Holmes says she is expecting to see some of the parking space restored on Laurier after it was removed for the segregated bike lanes.
The city took away all of the parking along Laurier from Lyon to Bronson which was visitor parking for the condos there, Holmes says.
The Bay/Bronson Resident’s Action Group for Fair Access to the Road has opposed the segregated lane for just this reason.
Janine Hutt, president of the group, says the needs of the residential people were not taken into consideration, leaving thousands inconvenienced and without parking.
Hutt says Laurier is the wrong street for segregated lanes because of the heavy commercial traffic.
The proposed bikeway is certainly not a direct response to the parking issue, Hutt says.
“I still have trouble visualizing how this bikeway will make the residential area more amenable to parking," says Hutt.
Holmes says the bike path will make it easier to return parking on Laurier from Percy to Bronson.
Holmes says the bikeway will also add to existing cross-city cycling routes, hoping at some point the bikeway will connect down to the River Parkway.
The absence of links coming into downtown for cyclists to get across the city is a significant problem, says Alex deVries vice-president of Citizens for Safe Cycling.
“The path through the Ottawa Technical High School is going to make that a lot nicer,” says deVries.
Robert Dekker, vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association, says his organization fully supports this bikeway.
Dekker says there is an increased demand for bikeways like this because of people commuting to work downtown.
“Anything that alleviates that demand from the major routes is a good thing,” Dekker says.
The bikeway could also reinforce the area as green space and eliminate any chance of developments on the property, Dekker says.
Clarke says the plan does mention that a portion of the property’s space will remain a park.
The proposal is still in discussion and the school board is continuing to work with the city to make sure all needs are met, Clarke says.
As for what stage the proposal is currently in, Holmes says, “there’s a concept plan, but certainly no final design.”
But Holmes says she hopes it can be done sooner rather than later.
“It would be wonderful if it could happen this spring, but it’s really up to the school board.”