Letter to the Editor Ottawa Citizen (not published)

City plans to develop the AVTC confirmed

OC Transpo’s proposed changes to bus routes and schedules (OC Transpo plans to save $22M by 2011, Joanne Chianello, Ottawa Citizen, March 24, 2011) confirm the arrogance of city council’s recent vote to continue with development of the hospital link section of the Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC). OC Transpo plans indicate that the General Hospital campus will now only be serviced by one bus, the 106, and this bus will operate a reduced schedule.


It hardly seems credible that the provision of a lightly scheduled shuttle bus service between the General and Hurdman (10 minutes at peak and 15 off-peak) justifies construction of a $62M, 1.2 Km road unless there is an ulterior motive. Notwithstanding comments from Mayor Watson that he does not support the AVTC development and similar comments from Alta Vista/Riverview Park Ward Councillor Hume it is clear that the city intends that this road will eventually be constructed in its entirety.

Recommendations to develop the AVTC were made by contractors who will eventually benefit in a significant way from its construction. It is clearly time to eliminate the possibility of corporate influence from city management and council decisions. New rules need to be applied at both municipal and provincial government levels to eliminate corporate financial support and influence in the electoral process.

Interestingly if council were to cancel plans to construct the hospital link and to remove the AVTC from the master plan, there would be more than adequate funds available to finance OC Transpo with no need for radical changes to bus services nor for increased taxes.

Letter to the editor from RPCA President

Dear Editor,


Eleven Community Associations of Ottawa (representing 100,000+ residents), and the 850 citizens from across our lovely city, who are working to stop the development of the Alta Vista link road, applaud your recent editorial critiquing the City’s plans to implement an outdated solution via the Alta Vista Link Road.

 

We would now like to offer a few clarifying facts:

• the City planned spending on the link road is actually $65 million ($55 “new money” plus the funds previously allocated to this project) and the spending plan for 2011 is $12.1 million;
• in 2006 City Council voted against implementing the entire Alta Vista Corridor except the currently proposed 1.2 km link (between Riverside and the hospitals) which is now being considered by Council;
• Mayor Watson along with our Councillors Peter Hume and Chernoshenko have all publicly stated that they are against building the full Alta Vista Corridor;
• the construction of the proposed “link” road will flow traffic from the 417 to the hospital only and will not resolve any traffic issues on Alta Vista Drive, simply shift them a few blocks; the development of this link road will preclude future light rail in the corridor - a rather short sighted and environmentally unfriendly decision (note: Council only fleetingly considered light rail for this corridor); the NDMC lands will not be available for redevelopment until sometime in the next decade; and finally
• the link road will destroy neighbourhood greenspace.

 Given these facts and facing rising gas prices, we believe that City Council should be seeking a public transportation solution in line with the Ottawa 20/20 planning principles, which encourages a modal shift away from cars. It’s time to listen to the citizens of Ottawa.

 

Karin Keyes Endemann
President, Riverview Park Community Association

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter to the Ottawa Citizen

A Riverview Park resident sent this letter to the editor.  It appears in today's paper.  The on-line edition also incorporates a video http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/todays-paper/pave+backyard+yours/4388778/story.html.  There is also an interesting post on the Spacing Ottawa blog site by another Riverview Park resident http://spacingottawa.ca/2011/03/04/back-to-the-60s-council-votes-on-retro-road-for-southeast-commuters/. 

Don't pave my backyard, or yours

The question of what will happen in the Alta Vista Corridor has been a hotly debated topic at the city level over the last 10 years. Because of strong opposition from city residents, Ottawa city council promised several years ago that the old-style 1950's plan to build a commuter highway through the middle of residential Alta Vista would be permanently shelved. Apparently this is not so, because once again we are discussing road-building in the AVC.


A $55M price tag for a 1.2 km stretch of roadway is absurd if the only goal is to make a better connection between Riverside and the Ottawa Hospital General Campus. There are two existing connections (at Industrial and at Smyth) which are only three city blocks apart on Alta Vista. The connection between Riverside and Smyth could be upgraded, with traffic directed north at the intersection of Smyth and Alta Vista - then a much less expensive connecting road from Alta Vista to the hospital ring road could be constructed through the NDMC lands. This solution would re-route traffic past office buildings, rather than residential properties, and would still make an efficient bus and car connection to the hospitals.

Unfortunately, the proposed $55M link seems to be a back-door way to begin construction on an Alta Vista Parkway - something the city promised that it would not do. The charges of NIMBY-ism are misplaced. The group opposing the construction of a commuter highway through residential neighbourhoods definitely doesn't want a highway in their backyards - but they don't want one in your backyard either (or the side, or the front). People who live in city center neighbourhoods have chosen to pay a premium to live in smaller houses closer to their work and other amenities, so they don't have to drive their cars everywhere. People who live farther from the city center need to get to work, but they don't need to drive there one by one in their cars. The city says it values a clean urban environment, and that it wants to grow in a green way, with transit, cyclists and pedestrians first - let them show that by the decisions that they take with the AVC.

Let's not pave over anyone's backyard.

John and Sheila Bell