Cyclists ride to defend active parkways as data shows cycling/pedestrian traffic on Queen Elizabeth Driveway

Bike protest pedals through Ottawa Hundreds of cyclists pedalled through Ottawa Saturday to call for safer active transportation routes. CTV's Jackie Perez reports.

Cyclists held a "Critical Mass Ride" down Queen Elizabeth Driveway on Saturday, as debate continues over the closure of the road along the Rideau Canal to vehicles this summer.

The event was billed as "Critical Mass Ride – defend active parkways," with dozens of cyclists riding on the road to call for safe active transportation space in the city of Ottawa. It comes after Mayor Mark Sutcliffe renewed his call to reopen a section Queen Elizabeth Driveway to vehicles this week, saying statistics show that between 30 and 100 cyclists an hour are using the road along the Rideau Canal for active transportation.

"We know that if this city is going to be sustainable that cycling is going to have to be part of it," Coun. Jeff Leiper told the crowd, noting Ottawa's Official Plan calls for the city to increase active transportation trips.

"That is not going to happen as long as our roads are reserved and saved only for people in cars."

The NCC opens Queen Elizabeth Driveway for active transportation seven days a week in the summer from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., closing the road to vehicles between Somerset Street and Fifth Avenue.

"The NCC is doing something really special here and we're not seeing that same effort from the city of Ottawa," said one person on Saturday.

Sutcliffe shared statistics compiled by the city of Ottawa showing 1,866 cyclists per day were using the Rideau Canal Pathway and Queen Elizabeth Driveway combined during the NCC active use program in July, with 104.3 cyclists an hour on the QED during the 12 hours a day it's open for active transportation.

Sutcliffe says the statistics showed 625 vehicles an hour using the Queen Elizabeth Driveway in July 2019, while 3,144 cyclists a day used the Rideau Canal pathway.

Data collected by the city of Ottawa on the Queen Elizabeth Driveway Active Use Program shows the city monitored pedestrian and cyclist traffic on the QED July 25 to 30, when it rained on five of the six days in the survey. The busiest day was Sunday, July 30 with 3,631 trips on QED alone, while the quietist day was Friday, July 28 with 856 trips on the road, according to the statistics provided to CTV News Ottawa.

The mayor wants the NCC to reconsider its decision to close the QED to vehicles between Pretoria Avenue and Fifth Avenue.

"Or at least to reopen it during the morning and afternoon rush hours and for popular events at Lansdowne and in the Glebe," Sutcliffe said.

Meantime, the NCC says its QED Active Use Program is "very popular," and it is, "proud to provide safe, accessible and unique active use experiences and destinations throughout the capital."

Cyclists say the mayor's call to reopen the QED to vehicles prompted them to act.

"We have the mayor coming out making pretty restricted comments on what he would like to see on QED, keeping the status quo," Erin Maher, co-lead for Parkways for People, said Saturday.

Leiper says active transportation on Queen Elizabeth Driveway is not about recreation.

"If our city is going to be sustainable, we need to make sure cycling is part of it," Leiper said. "People getting from point A to point B safely, without having to share the road with cars."

CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at the data available from the National Capital Commission and the city of Ottawa on the number of people using the Queen Elizabeth Driveway for active transportation.

City of Ottawa statistics

CTV News Ottawa asked the city of Ottawa for the data compiled by staff about active use on Queen Elizabeth Driveway following the mayor's statement this week.

Officials say staff collected pedestrian and cyclist trip data on Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Linden Avenue on six days in July.  The statistics were collected via cameras, according to the city.

It rained on five of the six days the city examined traffic on Queen Elizabeth Driveway.

A city of Ottawa spokesperson says a report on the participation in the Queen Elizabeth Driveway Active Transportation Program will be presented to the Transportation Committee in September.

The city provided the statistics to CTV News Ottawa, looking at pedestrian and cyclist traffic volumes on Queen Elizabeth Driveway and on the NCC pathway the week of July 25 to 30.

Tuesday, July 25

Wednesday, July 26

Thursday, July 27

Friday, July 28

Saturday, July 29

Sunday, July 30

National Capital Commission statistics

The National Capital Commission says its Queen Elizabeth Driveway Active Use Program is "very popular", with nearly 74,000 visits since May.

The QED was open for active use transportation on Saturdays, Sundays and the Victoria Day holiday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., between May 13 and June 25, and moved to daily closures between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for July 1 to Sept. 4.

The NCC opened Queen Elizabeth Driveway to vehicles over the weekend of July 14 to 16 due to the Highway 417 closure for the replacement of the Bronson Avenue overpass.

Queen Elizabeth Driveway was open for active transportation 53 days between May 13 and Aug. 10, when the NCC provided statistics to CTV News Ottawa.

Based on the NCC statistics, an average of 1,400 pedestrians and cyclists a day are using the Queen Elizabeth Driveway for active transportation.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Jackie Perez