A city plan that would improve public transit but also limit on-street parking on Bank Street in Old Ottawa South is causing concern for local business owners who worry traffic to their stores will take a hit.
Approved by the transportation committee last week, the proposal would add cycling lanes and a northbound bus lane to Bank Street between Aylmer Avenue and Billings Bridge, which spans the Rideau River.
While many business owners support the improvement of public transit, the plan’s impact on local parking and access to their businesses is raising red flags.
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The bus lane would be in effect on afternoons between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., at which time 41 parking spaces on the east side of Bank Street between Cameron and Aylmer avenues would be unusable. The plan would also permanently remove 14 on-street parking spaces.
Just south of the busy Glebe neighbourhood, Old Ottawa South is inaccessible by LRT and, with already limited parking, some business owners are worried about what the plan could mean for their business. Due to restrictions, some say there will be no parking options available in some areas of the neighbourhood.
“This removal of parking at peak times will have a devastating effect on the businesses in and along this stretch,” said local business owner Kerry Hodgins. “Unfortunately, this proposal has been lumped together with the Billings Bridge active transportation renewal that we can all agree should take place.”
Old Ottawa South does not have a BIA, so Hodgins said she has “stepped up to the plate” as a local business and community spokesperson.
“It will affect other businesses more than ours. Some have just moved to the area (because of) issues with parking on Rideau Street … One said that had he known (about the plan) starting off, he wouldn’t have gone through with the lease here.”
With increased limits on parking, visitors to the neighbourhood would have to park on sidestreets in residential areas at peak school times, Hodgins said, raising additional issues of accessibility and safety.
At the committee meeting last week, the issues raised by business owners included the availability of parking for business patrons, especially at a busy time of day; the availability of accessible parking; provision for loading and deliveries; and a suggestion for more bike racks to improve cycling access.
Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard said the plan would see “badly needed” investments in the area.
“The proposal for a bus-only lane through Old Ottawa South during peak afternoon period on the east side of the street was proposed by city staff and began as a four-and-a-half-hour proposal,” Menard said in a statement to OBJ. “We worked with local businesses and asked staff to reduce this as much as possible, and they came back with a three-hour proposal instead as they provided data showing significant slowdowns during this time.”
Staff has also been asked to review sidestreet parking arrangements and capacity with a view to supporting local businesses, Menard added.
“The more people we can get to safely walk, bike, scooter, take transit or drive and stay and enjoy the features of the area, the better for everyone,” he said.
Alongside other local business owners, Hodgins said she is fighting to have the bus lane recommendations “uncoupled” from the larger proposal so that further impact studies can take place.
“That’s all we’re asking. We just want it to be uncoupled to see if we’re actually solving a problem here.”
The community has “nothing against” the plan overall, Hodgins said.
“We want that project to go forward,” said Hodgins. “But they lumped in a second part, which was implementing a bus lane and we just don’t know if people are seeing the big picture with the confusion.
“There’s so much noise about the bridge that you can’t focus on our piece of it. We’re lost in it.”
Recommendations from the committee meeting will go to council on Sept. 13.
