WHAT WE HEARD: Active transportation & missing links in Stittsville

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Here’s the feedback that our team sent to City transportation planners to summarize community feedback about missing links for pedestrians and cyclists in Stittsville. Thank you to every resident who sent comments and ideas. Your feedback was constructive and thoughtful and very helpful to better understand how you walk and cycle in our community. Next: staff will release a draft Active Transportation Plan for public consultation in the fall of 2021.

As part of the outreach for the new Active Transportation (AT) Master plan process, we asked Stittsville residents to identify “missing links” for pedestrians and cyclists in the community. Our office received nearly 100 emails with issues and suggestions, along with comments on social media. This was a very high amount of feedback – it may be the the most feedback we’ve received from Stittsville residents for any City consultation in this term of council.

We also held a virtual webinar via Zoom with other west end councillors in collaboration with the City’s transportation staff on May 11 that outlined the AT plan process and how staff prioritize new projects. There were many comments and questions collected in the Zoom chat that we’ve incorporated into our feedback.

We also used a survey to narrow down our findings to help inform the decision on the top priority retrofit projects. Using the most common suggestions received from the initial round of email, we created a survey that allowed residents to rank six pedestrian project ideas and seven cycling ideas. The survey was open between May 20 and May 28, and we received 430 responses.

People in Stittsville walk and bike for recreation as well as for utility between destinations. They have a good sense of the barriers that prevent active transportation being safer and more popular. Some of the missing links identified were site-specific difficulties, such as gaps in sidewalks; others were more conceptual approaches like the need to provide separated facilities for different road users.

This “what we heard it” report outlines the feedback we received. Overall, there was a consensus about the types of improvements Stittsville want to see, captured in the following five themes:

Better connections to the existing pathway and trails system
A safe, separated north-south route for cyclists
Improvements to rural roads through urbanization or paved shoulders
Need for new sidewalks in older residential areas of Stittsville
Lack of a safe crossing over or under the 417

Better connections to the existing pathway and trails system

Unsurprisingly, the question about missing links led residents to suggest links they would like to see within the existing pathway and trails system. The connections residents suggested included connecting pathways to each other, and connecting pathways with destinations like shopping plazas and schools.

Examples of what we heard

“There are no sidewalks on the south side of Maple Grove Road currently. This is a safety concern for those who are attempting to reach the pathways that link Maple Grove Road to the end of Stittsville Main Street and the pathways which exist west of this area.”
“The alignment of the path and a sloped curb to allow cyclists to enter the Trans-Canada trail at [Carbery and Abbott] is needed badly.”
“Where the paved section of Jackson Trail ends [behind Eagle Crest Heights], There is a crude extension between Overland Dr. and Lloydalex Crescent—uneven, muddy, standing water, etc.—not too passable for strollers, bicycles etc.”
“A path from Hesse to the shopping plaza would provide a needed link from the Amberwood community. Pedestrians must currently take a long circuitous walk to reach the plaza, and this discourages walking.”
“I would like to see a cut-out in the curb on Westridge Drive where the sidewalk ends on the east side just north of Abbott Street. This would allow cyclists to get onto and off of the street when using the trail that runs north from there to Beverley instead of riding along the sidewalk.”

A safe, separated north-south route for cyclists

Stittsville is fortunate to have a safe, separated multi-use trail right running east-west through the heart of the community with the Trans-Canada Trail. However, there isn’t an equivalent north-south route to match it. The new north-south arterial, Robert Grant Avenue, will include raised cycletracks once that is completed—but residents pitched other suggestions to make convenient and safe connections within Stittsville between north and south.

Examples of what we heard:

“All of Stittsville Main is a missing link.”
“The whole of Main Street Stittsville is more than a missing link: there is absolutely no safe space for a bike on Main Street sharing with heavy traffic (trucks).”
“We need a sidewalk/cyclist lane on Iber road between Hazeldean and Abbott. A lot of people walk to work and bicycle on the edge of the road and a bad accident is waiting to happen.”
“Iber is a big concern as there isn’t a bike path or a sidewalk on either side. There are many people walking this area to get to work at all hours of the day as some warehouses work shifts.
“I live in Granite Ridge and there are no sidewalks or bike lanes on Iber, Fringewood or Sweetnam to get to Hazeldean. My daughter works on Hazeldean and sometimes bikes to work and it is always a concern for her to pick the road with the least amount of traffic to avoid accidents.”
“We definitely need a sidewalk or path along Terry Fox from Westphalian to the jiffy lube/Walmart/LCBO intersection.”
“We desperately need a path linking the Johnwoods linear park to Alon Street along Johnwoods.”

Improvements to rural roads through urbanization or paved shoulders

With the rapid growth of Stittsville, many rural roads (Carp, rural Hazeldean, Fernbank, Flewellyn, etc.) are quickly becoming insufficient for the travel needs of the now predominately urbanized community. While most of these suggestions are already covered in the 2013 Transportation Master Plan affordable network (with implementation “post-2031”), Stittsville residents are still eager to have sidewalks, bike lanes, and paved shoulders brought to rural sections of Fernbank, Maple Grove, Hazeldean, and Carp Road.

Examples of what we heard:

“One opportunity is to pave the shoulders of Hazeldean from Westridge west to Jinkinson”
“A neighbour said the other day she feels like she’d be taking her life in her hands if she were to walk [along Maple Grove between Terry Fox and Huntmar]”
“Fernbank past Westridge is very popular with cyclists. But it is a horrible road for biking and for safety, I’ve only ridden it a couple of times and avoid it.  Paved shoulders all the way Dwyer Hill would be amazing.”
“Fernbank is busy, but well used by bikes and walkers, however there is no safe way to walk or cycle on the road as the shoulder narrows.”

Need for new sidewalks in older areas of Stittsville

City standards have changed over the years: new communities are now built with a sidewalk on at least one side of the street on most new residential roads, and often on both sides for collector streets. In areas of Stittsville developed prior to amalgamation, this is not the case. These residential streets don’t have sidewalks at all, and collectors sometimes have just one sidewalk that hops back and forth between sides.

Examples of what we heard:

“Near West Ridge Park B, there is no sidewalk from Sable Run to the crossing at the park, but there is a sidewalk on both sides. Residents simply walk on the grass and have made a trail of their own. This however is unsafe because of possible trip hazards and is not accessible for those in wheelchairs.”
“There is a 0.2km stretch [Stittsville Main between Porter and Donegal] where there is no sidewalk and people end up biking or walking on the road or on this person’s lawn.”
“Hobin Street from A. Lorne Cassidy School to Carp Road would be a million times safer if it had a sidewalk”
“There is a section of West Ridge [north of Abbott, at the Poole Creek pathway trailhead], where the sidewalk stops. It is, unfortunately, not at a crosswalk.”
“Orville street is a busy road and used as a cut through. The curves make it especially dangerous for kids. A sidewalk would go a long way for safety.”
“A continuum of the sidewalk from Hartsmere Drive down Liard Street connecting to Stittsville Main…connecting a missing sidewalk from Liard Street down Basswood Avenue connecting Orville Street, then connecting from Orville Street to Stittsville Main.”

Lack of safe crossing over or under 417

While Stittsville’s boundary ends at the 417, Stittsville residents are still looking to cross into Kanata North—and they find there’s no safe or convenient way to do so. The most logical crossing point, Huntmar Drive, has neither a shoulder nor bike lanes in the overpass. The Carp River path ends at each side of the highway, with no connection provided underneath. With increased development on both sides of the 417, along with the relatively new and popular Tanger Outlets shopping mall, there is increasing reason to cross the 417—and residents want the ability to do so by walking or cycling.

Examples of what we heard:

“The first and most important to me is bicycle (and I suppose you could include walking) routes to cross over the Queensway from Stittsville. I do not feel safe at any of the available crossings in the Stittsville area”
“The first one that comes to mind would be that there’s no good way to get over to Tanger.”
“To commute by bike [to Kanata Resarch Park] means crossing the 417”
“A pedestrian access bridge over the 417 between the Canadian Tire Centre and the Tanger Mall is DESPERATELY needed…if someone chooses to walk or bike over it, it’s extremely dangerous.”
“Extend the Carp River path north, under the 417, allowing another safe route to get across (under) the 417 to connect areas on either side of the 417”
“Crossing the 417 or 416 is either terrifying, out of the way or unconnected and badly signposted”
“There is no link between the trail along carp river on the south side of the 417 and the new trails that run along carp river on the north.”

Other miscellaneous feedback:

Better signage/wayfinding needed for bike routes
Safer intersection designs, including at roundabouts
Separated facilities for pedestrians and cyclists wherever feasible
More direct route to the core (that’s safer than Moodie)
Build new paths, sidewalks, and cycling facilities from day one with new development

Next Steps

Staff have asked for input on AT Plan priority retrofit projects that “address short missing links in existing walking and cycling facilities, with budgets in the range of $0.5 to $2 million.” Councillors can identify four priority pedestrian projects and four priority cycling projects.

Unfortunately this narrow criteria cancels out many of the excellent suggestions received from residents. While some of the priority connections identified by residents fall in the $0.5 to $2 million range, most do not.

For example, a safe pedestrian/cycling crossing over the 417 near Huntmar Drive was suggested by many residents, but would cost far more than $2-million and likely fall under provincial jurisdiction, rather than the City.
Similarly, many of the requests for sidewalks on older roads (Hobin, Fringewood, Liard, Orville, Basswood, etc.) would also come above that budget due to the need for stormwater infrastructure upgrades in the millions of dollars.
Major upgrades of roads such as Maple Grove or Fernbank to improve pedestrian and cycling safety are required, however these don’t fit the criteria for “missing links”. They should be prioritized as part of arterial road upgrades through the TMP process.
Many residents identified pedestrian/cycling infrastructure along Iber Road as a missing link between Abbott and Hazeldean. (Fringewood and Sweetnam were also idenfitied as well.) These projects would exceed the budget criteria for missing links. The future Robert Grant extention from Abbott to Hazeldean will partially solve this because it includes a MUP/sidewalk, but we’ll still need to address the infrastructure gap on these existing streets.
Some projects identified are already scheduled to be completed in the near-term, for example the pathway along Hazeldean Road between Kittiwake and the shopping plaza.
Some projects are outside of Stittsville but would provide important connections outside of the communtiy, for example a link between the end of the Trans Canada Trail near Moodie, and the NCC trail system further east.

We note one project recommended by many residents: A pathway connection that we’re calling the “Poole Creek Pathway – Wildpine Branch”. This would be an extension of the existing pathway behind Beechfern, heading north towards Wildpine and connecting to the shopping plaza / Brown’s Independent. This is outside of the scope of the “Missing Link” criteria but would be an excellent addition to our pathway system. We will be exploring this separately from the Active Transportation / TMP process.

Priority projects

Based on all of the public feedback, we are recommending the following projects for prioritization, in no particular order:

Pedestrian Projects:

West Ridge Drive, between Sable Run and Stegall
Hobin Street, east side between Birdstone and Carp
Johnwoods Street, between Rosehill and Alon
Abbott Street, sidewalk lighting between Stittsville Main & Granite Ridge

Cycling Projects:

Stittsville Main Street, between Hazeldean and Fernbank
Trans Canada Trail – miscellaneous pathway and connection improvements between Robert Grant Avenue and West Ridge
Jackson Trails/Potters Key pathway to Lloydalex
Connecting pathways south of Westphalian parallel to Terry Fox

We will also be sending a summary of all feedback received from Stittsville residents to City staff for consideration and prioritization through the “Missing Links” project and through other programs and funding opportunities.

Thank you

We asked Stittsville residents for their feedback and they responded loud and clear: pedestrian and cycling safety is a priority in this community and more investment is needed from the City to make improvements as quickly as possible.

It’s difficult to pick only eight projects as a top priority in Stittsville. There are many missing links that could have made the cut. Through this engagement, we’re confident that the projects we identified will make a big difference for active transportation in our community.

Thank you to every resident who took time to share their ideas and feedback.

Glen Gower
City Councillor, Stittsville
May 2021

Ce que nous avons entendu : transport actif et liaisons manquantes à Stittsville

Voici les observations que notre équipe a transmises aux urbanistes en transports de la Ville pour résumer l’avis de la population à propos des liaisons manquantes pour les piétons et les cyclistes à Stittsville. Nous remercions tous les résidents qui nous ont fait part de leurs commentaires et idées. Les observations étaient constructives et réfléchies, et nous ont été très utiles pour mieux comprendre comment la population se déplace à pied ou à vélo dans le quartier. Prochaine étape : le personnel publiera un plan de transport actif provisoire pour consultation publique à l’automne 2021.

Dans le cadre de nos activités de sensibilisation au nouveau plan directeur pour le transport actif, nous avons demandé aux résidents de Stittsville d’indiquer où il manque des liaisons pour les piétons et les cyclistes dans le quartier. En plus de commentaires dans les médias sociaux, notre bureau a reçu près de 100 courriels traitant d’enjeux dans ce domaine et contenant des suggestions. Il s’agit d’un très grand nombre de commentaires – possiblement le plus important que les résidents de Stittsville nous ont transmis pour n’importe quelle consultation de la Ville au cours de l’actuel mandat du Conseil.

Par ailleurs, nous avons, le 11 mai, tenu un webinaire virtuel sur Zoom avec d’autres conseillers du secteur ouest de la ville, en collaboration avec le personnel des transports. Lors de ce webinaire, il a été question du plan de transport actif et de l’établissement des priorités concernant les nouveaux projets. Bon nombre de commentaires et de questions ont été recueillis dans la boîte de clavardage; nous les avons incorporés à nos observations.

Au moyen d’un sondage, nous avons aussi réduit nos constatations pour faciliter la prise d’une décision éclairée sur les projets prioritaires de mise à niveau. Avec les suggestions les plus fréquentes reçues dans la première vague de courriels, nous avons créé un sondage permettant aux résidents de hiérarchiser six projets pour les piétons et sept pour les cyclistes. Le sondage, qui s’est déroulé du 20 au 28 mai, a abouti à 430 réponses.

La population de Stittsville se déplace à pied et à vélo pour le plaisir, mais aussi pour aller du point A au point B. Elle a donc une bonne idée des obstacles à la sécurité et à la popularité du transport actif. Certaines des liaisons manquantes relevées étaient attribuables à des problèmes précis, comme l’absence d’un trottoir continu, tandis que d’autres étaient associées à des approches plus conceptuelles, comme le besoin de fournir des installations séparées pour les différents usagers de la route.

Ce document présente la rétroaction reçue. Dans l’ensemble, il y a consensus sur les types d’améliorations que la population de Stittsville souhaite voir dans les cinq thèmes suivants :

Meilleures connexions au réseau existant de chemins et de sentiers;
Route nord-sud sécuritaire et séparée pour les cyclistes;
Amélioration des routes rurales par l’urbanisation ou des accotements asphaltés;
Nouveaux trottoirs dans les secteurs résidentiels plus vieux de Stittsville;
Ajout d’un passage sécuritaire au-dessus de l’autoroute 417 ou sous celle-ci.

1. Meilleures connexions au réseau existant de chemins et de sentiers

Sans surprise, la question des liaisons manquantes a poussé les résidents à suggérer des ajouts qu’ils souhaiteraient voir dans le réseau existant de chemins et de sentiers. Notons entre autres les liaisons de chemins entre eux, et le raccordement de chemins en direction des centres commerciaux et des écoles.