Community group calls for expanded bus-only lanes on Bank Street in the Glebe

An OC Transpo Route 6 travels along Bank Street in Febraury. Statistics show it was one of the routes with the highest percentage of bus trip cancellations in January. (Leah Larocque/CTV News Ottawa)

The Centretown Community Association is calling on the City of Ottawa to implement more bus-only lanes as part of proposed changes to traffic flow on Bank Street in the Glebe, and look at expanding transit lanes into Centretown.

City staff are currently conducting the Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study, looking at options to improve transit efficiency and reliability along Bank Street between Highway 417 and the Rideau Canal.

A proposal would implement lanes exclusively for buses during the morning and afternoon peak periods on Bank Street, and during major events at Lansdowne Park.

But, in an open letter to city staff, the Centretown Community Association said the current proposal “does not go far enough to prioritize public transportation and move as many people as possible.”

“As OC Transpo faces reliability and confidence issues, we need to prioritize fast and reliable public transit,” says the letter, signed by Centretown Community Association president Robert Dekker.

“Bus lanes are a great way to reduce operating costs, speed up travel times, and increase the number of people that will ride the bus.”

Bank Street is a key transit corridor serving OC Transpo’s second and third-busiest routes, and is a key link for transit to Redblacks, Charge, 67’s and other events at Lansdowne Park.

Last Fall, the city proposed turning one lane on Bank Street into an exclusive bus-only lane, with one lane for northbound buses between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and a southbound bus lane between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The city is looking at full-time bus only lanes on some sections of Bank Street at Exhibition Place southbound, Aylmer Street northbound and at the Bank Street/Fifth Avenue intersection.

Bus lanes would be in place in both directions during major events at Lansdowne.

Staff said the morning and afternoon peak period bus lanes would reduce bus travel time by up to 60 seconds per trip.

The Centretown Community Association proposes the following changes to the Bank Street Transit Study:

• Bi-direction bus lanes whenever in use and “the city should consider expanding the duration of active bus lanes,” the association said.
• The number of 24/7 bus lane sections should be expanded.
• There should be more frequent use of transit priority signals throughout Bank Street.
• The definition of large events requiring bus lanes should be expanded to include events like 613flea and Ottawa Charge games.
• Signage should be improved to direct drivers to the Second Avenue parking garage.

The Centretown Community Association is also proposing a pilot project for the Bank Street Transit Study for bus lane durations, and the city to look into expanding bus lanes into Centretown.

“As the busiest bus corridor in the city, we need to be maximizing the efficiency of bus travel to ensure traffic flows smoothly and reliably,” Dekker writes.

“A reminder that the City’s own data collected outlined that 77 per cent of respondents want more space for people outside of private vehicles on Bank Street.”

A report with recommendations for the Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study will be presented to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee.

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