Nick Debarats’ daily dog walk this time of year can be dicey, but he says this winter, things are worse than last year. “I have seen busses come up on the sidewalks, especially when there’s big snowbanks or cars parked,” says the Old Ottawa South resident. OC Transpo’s Bus Route 7 travels along Grove Avenue. Residents say recent infrastructure upgrades have made the street too narrow. Snowbanks, parked cars, and delivery truck have compounded issues, sometimes forcing buses to drive on the sidewalk. “I think there are also parking issues as well,” adds Debarats. “Traffic has more trouble getting by.” “Sometimes you see the tracks on the sidewalk,” says Andre Ouellette who also lives in Old Ottawa South. Ouellette says he hasn’t seen any buses drive onto the walk but explains, “If there’s snow, you will see like large tire tracks on the sidewalk.” The narrowing along Grove Avenue is a result of much needed construction to replace over 100-year-old infrastructure including the watermain and sewers underground. Roads in the neighbourhood were much wider before construction wrapped up last summer, and the city installed traffic calming measures. “In order to slow down traffic, (the City of Ottawa) they decided to widen the sidewalks. But I’m just wondering if they considered how narrow the roads in the central neighborhoods are anyway,” questions Old Ottawa South resident, Rachel Strong. While the upgrades and traffic calming measures were meant to make the street safer, some neighbours in Old Ottawa South say walking on sidewalks this winter, feels more dangerous than ever. In a statement to CTV Ottawa, OC Transpo said are aware of issues with the street’s width and transit operations on Grove Avenue. “Route 7 provides convenient and reliable service to the area, except when Grove Avenue is blocked, usually due to inappropriately parked cars or trucks,” OC Transpo wrote. “When Grove Avenue is blocked, eastbound buses detour via Sunnyside Avenue. Our team is engaged with our colleagues in other City departments to discuss options to ensure buses can operate safely and efficiently. City staff continue to have open discussions with the ward Councillor and residents.” In a statement, Capital Ward Coun. Shawn Menard said he understands residents concerns and considers buses being on the edge of sidewalks unacceptable. “In the immediate I have met with city staff and confirmed enhanced snow removals and regular snow tucking in will take place, bus operators will be given instructions for going slow and staying on the street through the last block of Grove, and the potential for a parking line to be painted on the street to indicate where it is ok to park and if the snow bank is too large then parking there will not be an option,” he said. Menard also said people should not park on the street when there are large snowbanks that would cause their parked vehicle to impede traffic. “Should these operational changes not solve the problem, staff have been tasked with reviewing a seasonal parking ban affecting about 7 parking spots, or removing transit from the street, or re-doing the infrastructure in the last block of Grove closest to Bank. None of these are ideal,” he wrote.
