A number of factors are presently contributing to downtown congestion, including the closure of the Chaudière Bridge, construction on the ramps for Highway 5 and 50 in Gatineau, and construction projects in downtown Ottawa that require the closure of important corridors such as Elgin Street, Portage Bridge and the Elgin and Wellington intersection.
To assist in improving transit operations and increase mobility for all road users, the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), By-Law Services and the Transportation Services Department have identified critical roads within the downtown core as identified in the attached map (see link below). A Downtown Mobility Plan will be implemented for two weeks starting on Monday, June 10. This plan includes:
- Parking Control Officers will engage in targeted enforcement in areas identified on the City of Ottawa’s Critical Roads Map utilizing their bike squad to ensure efficient enforcement of congested areas;
- Tow trucks will be placed at strategic locations and, at the direction of By-Law Services, will remove vehicles parked or stopped in no stopping zones to ensure the effective flow of traffic;
- In the afternoon peak period, OPS will dedicate officers to enforce turn restrictions at key intersections, along with ensuring the Albert and Slater bus lanes are clear of traffic;
- In the afternoon peak period, OPS officers will be assigned to Laurier and Nicholas and to Waller and Mackenzie King Bridge to ensure that traffic does not block the intersection, allowing transit to effectively travel through these intersections;
- Transit Operation Services will increase the number of mobile Transit Supervisors along the Albert and Slater corridors and the number of Transit Supervisors in the Transit Operations Control Centre during morning and afternoon peak periods to manage bus and operator resources;
- Traffic Services will dedicate a staff person at the City’s Traffic Control Centre to monitor the traffic flows on the critical road network during morning and afternoon peak periods and make signal timing adjustments as required;
- A Traffic Management Inspector will patrol the critical road network to ensure no construction or encroachment activities occur during the morning and afternoon peak periods;
- A moratorium will be in place on issuing any road cut or encroachment permits on the critical road network that would impact the morning and afternoon peak period traffic flows;
- Traffic Services will install additional traffic signage on Albert, Slater and Queen, including tow-away signs above peak hour no stopping signs and an eastbound no right turn on red sign at Bank and Queen, to assist with bus operations along these corridors; and,
- The City will proactively push out information to residents on the enhanced enforcement blitz through the City’s social media channels.
These measures will be in place starting Monday, June 10 for a duration of two weeks. At the conclusion of this period, we expect to see traffic volumes start to reduce as a result of the end of school and the beginning of the summer holiday season.
During this time Transportation Services Department will work collaboratively with Emergency and Protective Services and Ottawa Police Services to enhance mobility in the downtown core.
Staff also continue to work with the Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development Department, all levels of government and other agencies to expedite or delay where feasible, construction projects impacting traffic volumes and congestion in the downtown core.
