Slide #10 from Baseline BRT presentation: General map of future transit in Ottawa

I’m a resident of Crystal Beach and I attended the presentation held by Laine Johnson, Councillor of College Ward on January 15^th, 2025. It was schematic but clearly outlined the planned route for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and how the upcoming construction schedule will begin. The Baseline BRT project will create a dedicated bus route in the space between Baseline traffic lanes where there is currently a median. The project also includes a new raised bicycle lane and maintains two lanes for cars in either direction. The drawings showed a scope of work that is 16 km long, but did not show exact intersections, only concept drawings. Based on what I saw in the meeting, here are some thoughts I had.

Pros:

• Relocating the buses to a dedicated lane along Baseline Road would free up space within the current car lanes and therefore improve the flow of traffic.
• Dedicated lanes for the BRT can also be used by emergency vehicles, thereby improving speed and reliability of response times.
• Rush hour chaos will become irrelevant for BRT commuters since car congestion will not interfere with the reliability of dedicated bus lanes.
• The presenters stated that the design will not remove any of the existing vehicular lanes, only develop a new lane within the median between the current east-and westbound lanes.
• The cost of adding the BRT is quite low comparatively, meaning we might be able to do it sooner than a more expensive project.
• BRT buses are from the existing city supply and so the project doesn’t have additional complications that come with train systems. Faster turnaround time until completion.
• The existing East-West LRT line somewhat by-passes many Nepean residents. This proposal will enhance the transit route and lifestyle experience along Baseline plus it will connect Nepean residents directly into LRT stations. More commuters taking transit alleviates congestion for local vehicular traffic.
• The proposed plan indicates that the route will be accompanied by raised cycle tracks and sidewalks, which will increase viability of cycling network throughout this area.

Slide #14: from Baseline BRT presentation: Concept intersection with lane placement identified

Cons:

• Baseline could be developed into a tram line now instead of a bus rapid transit
  The City stated that the City isn’t taking on any more train projects until the current ones are completed.  Developing the Baseline route to create a dedicated path within the median without subtracting any of the lanes in the Baseline vehicle corridors appears to be the optimal approach. In addition, if future tram routes are considered, the Baseline route is more likely to receive consideration since it would be more feasible and easier to adopt if the planning steps are resolved at this stage for that eventuality. (LRT is not an option because it would require grade separation and more space.)
• Baseline is already congested with traffic due its prominence as an alternative to the bottlenecks created by other construction projects in the city. The BRT project will only make the next several years worse!
  Special consideration should be given to ameliorating unnecessary lane interruptions while under construction. Commuters would request that the road layout be reconfigured first where necessary and then limit occupation of the roadways while under construction.
• The presentation plans only show concept ideas, with complicated intersections undiscussed.
  If the resulting design of the route is ill-conceived, the environment created at a typical waiting zone could be awful. Stops located in a harsh climate with exposed, vulnerable people standing close to fast-moving traffic while feeling too cold in winter or too hot in summer could be unpleasant for much of the year. Developing the bus route from a pragmatic view is vital but so is a vision for a healthy, pleasant waiting and walking experience for the entire length of the BRT.
• No timetable was presented. How will construction of the Baseline BRT affect residents who are already dealing with other major city transit projects?
  The schedule should take into consideration the existing schedules of other projects along the route such as highway, LRT, or road construction projects planned or in progress. For example, construction of the BRT on Holly Acres Road must not conflict with the move of the eastbound Highway 417 on-ramp from Richmond Road to Holly Acres Road. The BRT project should avoid unnecessary delays or lane blockages during construction.

Slide #13 from Baseline BRT presentation: Plan of development: Phase 1 Greenbank to Baseline LRT station, Phase 2 extend route east to Billings Bridge, Phase 3, connect Bayshore to Greenbank

Considerations:

• The presentation did not mention the timetable for this project. Consideration may be given to coordinate with the dates of construction and ideally after the completion of the LRT West extensions.
• How does the bus travel west from Greenbank towards Bayshore after Phase 1? The intersection design needs to show how the buses re-integrate into vehicular lanes.
• The route outlined in this BRT project will likely become the future route of a tram system one day. Consideration should be given now to tram-related aspects: curvature of the route for turning radius or slope gradients, clearance heights and clearance widths affecting the land purchased so that future development is not severely hampered by lack of foresight in these early stages.
• Encourage ambitious tree planting in developed zone of work and consider building shade structures to improve user experience of the BRT. Hire experts to study wind patterns, problem areas along the route that need widening, troublesome intersections.
• Travel times in the presentation were stated to be nominally faster than they are currently, however that travel time would now be achievable even during rush hour. Considerations should be taken to avoid inefficient bus loop travel paths at stations to streamline the route and achieve optimal travel times.
• Many councillors have indicated that there is some debate regarding the proposed route of the BRT, with interest to consider extending the route into Kanata (west) or beyond Confederation Station at Billings Bridge (east). Increasing connections between rapid transit routes is a plus, potentially improving transit times from Orleans to the airport.

Reflections:

Based on the anticipated growth of Ottawa, development of our city’s transit system is imperative to mitigating future congestion levels that are projected for our city. The plan proposed is in early steps but it appears to be a good decision overall.

Although simple in concept, the complications will reveal themselves in the details. We encourage developing the layout of the intersections and median width along the route now; early resolution will avoid many unforeseen issues that will be painful to adjust later.

Consider hiring experts to investigate, anticipate and resolve any obstacles, pinch-points, harsh climate issues or difficult intersections now to maintain a quality experience of the route.

More in-depth drawings are needed before committing a preliminary idea into a binding contract that is then rushed into construction. Building Ottawa’s future isn’t easy, but the planning steps taken at this stage are some of the most important for it to be a successful project.

Sincerely,

Mark Hollett, resident of Crystal Beach (Bay Ward)

and member of the CBLCA Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Committee