Tag: Transit

Future Development of QTN Discussion with GM of Transportation and GM of Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development

Councillor Kavanagh has invited us for a Bay Ward discussion with special guests, General Manager of Transportation Services, John Manconi and General Manager of Planning Infrastructure and Economic Development, Stephen Willis.

The meeting will focus on the future transportation plans and development for Queensview Drive and the surrounding community followed by an opportunity to bring forward your questions and concerns.

This meeting will be held through electronic participation using Zoom on November 25th at 6:30pm.

Register online to receive your link to participate.

Queensview Drive and QTN: Good Neighbors?

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Change is coming on Queensview Drive. It is both an opportunity and concern for residents of Queensway Terrace North (QTN). The QTN Planning Committee is taking early action to influence City plans for this area, instead of waiting to react to proposals by outside developers. City plans for Queensview Drive will become public in the draft Official Plan later this month.

In advance of the Official Plan, QTN is asking the City to consider how Queensview Drive could better serve area residents and be connected by pathways, in an integrated plan. This could make it easy to walk or bike there for necessities, recreation, or coffee with a friend. As outlined in a Discussion Paper, titled “Queensview Drive and QTN: Good Neighbors,” this requires attention early in the planning process. While density and the height of towers will get a lot of attention, QTN wants a stronger focus on the design of the whole street to be a place residents will want to go, rather than a wall of high towers on the edge of our neighborhood.

This direction reflects the responses of a majority of residents in an informal summer survey.

A majority of respondents want to see a mix of commercial and residential uses, with a focus on services for area residents, according to the findings in our survey.

Better connections and noise mitigation are other factors that QTN wants included in the early plan. A better connection to the Queensview LRT Station has been a high priority for QTN since the earliest discussion on the LRT. It needs to be in place when the station opens, not five years later, to ensure that QTN residents have good access to the LRT.

QTN is also asking that community services, such as a recreation center, be developed at the same time as affordable housing to foster community connections. QTN, says the discussion paper, could be an “oasis” neighborhood between Lincoln Fields on the north and Queensview Drive on the south, building on its green spaces and friendly streets. That requires a change in the planning process, to center the community in the plans and work with all the stakeholders, including businesses and residents, to find mutual benefits.

Looking to the future, QTN is also asking the City to consider moving the bus barns from the current location on Queensview Drive and using that space for affordable housing and associated services (see section 5 in our paper). This would reduce noise levels on the south side of QTN and allow more affordable housing than the current in-fill strategy, which is having negative impacts on QTN .

This is a working paper to foster discussion. QTN invites feed-back, suggestions, and discussion with your neighbors. We will continue to work toward a plan that works for the future well-being of QTN as well as for the new LRT stations on our boundaries.

Kathy Vandergrift, Planning Committee

 

You’re Invited: Community Workshops on Neighbourhood Walkability

As a community, walkability and pedestrian-friendly streets frequently come up as high priorities for the future of QTN. What does a 15 minute neighbourhood look like for QTN? Here’s an example of where you can walk today from the Alpine Ave tennis courts (source: walkscore.com):

Walking map of QTN

We encourage you to participate in a series of community workshops on neighbourhood walkability being hosted by Walkable Ottawa. To register for a workshop please visit Walkable Ottawa’s website. Here is some additional information on these sessions:

·  Sept 9, 7:00-8:30PM. Residential Focus: Neighbourhoods which are predominantly residential. They may have some public amenities, but little or no commercial. For example, Barrhaven West/Old Barrhaven, Alta Vista, Crystal Beach, or Manor Park.

·  Sept 10, 7:00-8:30PM. Mixed Urban: Somewhat walkable neighbourhoods with a mix of residential and commercial, near and around walkable shopping streets. For example, Sandy Hill, Glebe Annex, or Chinatown.

·  Sept 11, 7:00-8:30PM.  Mixed Residential: Neighbourhoods in which residents use their cars every day, with available rapid transit, which are located farther away from the city centre. For example, Overbrook, Britannia, or Hiawatha Park.

·  Sept. 12, 7:00-8:30PM. Approaching Walkable: Neighbourhoods which are similar to Mixed Residential in terms of car use, but with walkable shopping streets. For example, Westboro, The Glebe, or Beechwood.

“What should we expect?”
Each evening will open with introductions, followed by a brief Q&A and an informational video on the many aspects of walkability. We will then move into smaller groups through breakout rooms divided by participants’ main interests, and close with a large group discussion.

“Walkability survey?”
A week ahead of the consultation, you will be invited to complete an online survey on walkability in your neighbourhood. This will allow us to include your direct input in our consultation, and provide some context in advance of the community workshops. If you find it too long, do not feel pressured to complete all of it: simply the parts that matter most to you.

“Where is the information going?”
All the information we gather will be compiled into a report, which will be made publicly available on our website. These ideas will then be worked through with a diverse group of stakeholders, and presented to the City to supplement the work the Planning Department is doing on walkability.