NCC is also exploring installing bike lanes along Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Colonel By Drive.
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A portion of Queen Elizabeth Driveway, from Somerset Street to Pretoria Avenue, will remain car-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week in July and August, the NCC says.
The news came on Tuesday when the NCC announced the return of its NCC Weekend Bikedays program starting next month.
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On weekends and holiday Mondays, Kichi Zībī Mīkan and Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway will be reserved for active transportation, such as pedestrians and cyclists, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., from May 11 to October 14. A 2.4 kilometer stretch of Queen Elizabeth access road from Somerset Street to Fifth Avenue will be reserved for active use from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Meanwhile, the NCC said it will explore the feasibility of installing cycle lanes along of Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Colonel By Drive to “further improve safety.” of multi-use trails along the Rideau Canal, the busiest in the National Capital Region.”
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The goal is to determine the most effective way to provide permanent, segregated space for cyclists to relieve pressure on canal paths and improve pedestrian safety while separating faster-moving cyclists from limited trail space. said the NCC. The study will include consultations with community associations, stakeholders and the public.
NCC’s Weekend Bikeways transform scenic avenues and shorelines into destinations in themselves, NCC CEO Toni Nussbaum said in a statement.
“We look forward to continuing to collaborate with our partners and stakeholders to create spaces and experiences that make our region a wonderful place to live and visit.”
The NCC opened the stretch of Queen Elizabeth Driveway between Fifth Avenue and Somerset Street to cyclists and pedestrians during the pandemic, but continued the practice. Last year, the NCC closed a 2.4km stretch of Queen Elizabeth Driveway to cars on the weekends from May 13 to June 25. Beginning July 1, 2023, the driveway was closed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week, reopening on the Tuesday after Labor Day, and weekend closures will continue through Thanksgiving Day. thanks.
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The NCC reopened the road to traffic for major events in Lansdowne, such as Redblacks games and the Escapade music festival, beginning three hours before the event and continuing for three hours after its conclusion. According to electronic counters, there were 430,000 visits to the region’s avenues in 2023, up from 390,000 in 2022. These included 1,502 daily visits to Queen Elizabeth Driveway and 1,152 daily visits to Kichi Zībī Mīkan Avenue.
An NCC survey published last year found that 69 per cent of 10,700 respondents supported the NCC’s “commitment to car-free experiences on the capital’s picturesque avenues”. It was 85 percent among those who took advantage of open road policies.
However, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe has criticized the NCC’s closure of Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Among other problems he identified, it has had a negative effect on surrounding neighborhoods and traffic flow, and tour operators have complained that their tours take longer to complete because they have to travel on other streets to reach their destination. Last July, Sutcliffe said he does not support any plans to permanently close Queen Elizabeth Drive to vehicles.
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