Councillor pitches transformation of Robertson Road in Bells Corners

A conceptual image showing a redesigned Robertson Road. (Mobycon, via Coun. Laine Johnson)

College Ward Coun. Laine Johnson has published a report that looks at a transformed Robertson Road in Bells Corners, with separated bike lanes, fewer car lanes, and slower speeds.

The Reimagining Robertson Road report was published to Johnson’s website. It comes following community consultation sessions and feedback on plans to address things like speeding and difficulties walking and biking.

“Built as a high-speed gateway into Ottawa, it still functions as a commuter corridor carrying 28,000 vehicles daily, with traffic spiking to 1,500 vehicles per hour during peak periods. Yet it’s also the community’s main street, where people need to shop, catch buses, and increasingly, live,” says a section of the report, prepared by Dutch-based consultancy group Mobycon.

The vision for a reimagined Robertson Road changes the street from a commuter corridor to a “vibrant, safe, and green main street.” It calls for improved sidewalks, protected bike lanes along the entire corridor, a lower speed limit, fewer vehicle lanes, a planted median, and improved intersections.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Johnson says the “Reimagining Robertson Road” project and action plan were driven and funded by her office and include the results of feedback from the community.

“The design demonstrates elements of community feedback (like more accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists, community spaces, etc.) to provide a visual of what ‘could be’ a future for Robertson Road. The Action Plan itself breaks down short-, medium-, and long-term projects that can contribute to reaching some of the goals community members have outlined, but this is not a confirmed transformation from the City,” she said.

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“Some of the report’s plans are already underway, such as sidewalk improvements on both the north and south sides of Robertson Road. Other aspects, like bike lanes, will take longer. That’s why the plan includes short-, medium-, and long-term ideas.”

The report says congestion on Robertson is typically limited to one direction at a time during peak periods — eastbound in the morning and westbound in the afternoon — but during the rest of the day, volumes are less than 60 per cent of capacity.

“In other words, there is unused space on the roadway for much of the day that could be used more effectively,” the report says.

The proposed vision includes a single lane in each direction, separated by a median lined with trees, and a speed limit of 50 km/h, down from 60 km/h. On either side of the car lanes would be a grassy boulevard separating a bike lane. The report states these changes would lead to more people walking and cycling, fewer drivers, a more consistent traffic flow, and less cut-through traffic, encouraging local trips.

Johnson says Robertson Road is often overlooked in broader city investments.

“Robertson Road serves more than cars; it serves the community itself. Residents want a place where they can comfortably walk and bike through their community, where they can rely on transit to reach their destinations, enjoy public spaces that are more than parking lots, and support the local businesses that call this street home,” Johnson said in a letter included in the report.

“It is time to see investments that reflect the diverse ways this corridor is already used by the people of Bells Corners. I’m hopeful this Action Plan is one step in moving towards these future investments.”

The report does not say how long it might take to realize the proposed changes, but does note the city is initiating a citywide Public Realm Strategy that will identify areas for investment.

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“Since Robertson Road in Bells Corners is designated as a ‘design priority area’ in the Official Plan, the Strategy will identify and prioritize projects within that corridor,” the report says.

Johnson says she is currently talking to staff about bringing the report to the next scheduled public works and infrastructure committee meeting on June 25.

“There would be an opportunity for public delegations to the report, which would then be sent to staff (assuming Committee and Council’s assent) to review and report back with recommendations,” she told CTV News Ottawa.

Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron, Johnson said she wanted to get the conversation started.

“This really is a councillor-led report. I’m trying to stimulate a conversation about Robertson Road,” she said.

Johnson said she’s received many comments about Robertson Road when she was first running for office in 2022.

“The city is investing in plans for Merivale, for Baseline, for around Algonquin College, but Bells Corners remains largely absent from the city’s plans,” she said. “We have a lot of commercial right there on Robertson Road that has new permissions under the zoning to do mixed use — housing and retail — and we want them to know if they’re going to choose to redevelop at anytime that the community has a strong vision for Robertson Road.”

While she plans to bring the report to committee, a reconstruction of the road would be many years away.

“The big road reconfiguration, that’s honestly a lifetime of discussion, but I didn’t want another moment to go by without pushing the issue,” she said.