Many factors contribute to sidewalk deferral decision

Councillor details reasons for deferring sidewalks for Manor Park project

After extensive community consultation and careful analysis, I have made the decision to defer the implementation of sidewalks as part of the current integrated infrastructure renewal project in Manor Park. 

This decision affects six streets scheduled for infrastructure renewal as part of an $18.9 million project: Arundel Avenue from Farnham Crescent to St. Laurent Boulevard, Braemar Street from Ava Road to Arundel Avenue, Farnham Crescent from Ava Road north to the dead end, Finter Street from St. Laurent Boulevard to the dead end, Jeffrey Avenue from St. Laurent Boulevard to Braemar Street, and Kilbarry Crescent from Sandridge Road to Ava Road.

While sidewalks have been removed from the project scope — saving $150,000 from the budget — all essential underground infrastructure work will proceed as scheduled. This includes sewers, watermains, roadway reconstruction, and curb installation. Importantly, no trees will be lost as part of the project. 

This deferral represents a strategic approach to infrastructure planning that prioritizes long-term community benefit over immediate implementation.

I want to emphasize that Manor Park faces an unprecedented convergence of major transportation and land-use changes that necessitate comprehensive planning before implementation of sidewalks for this specific project. The Manor Park Official Plan Amendment, approved in 2021, could introduce significant density near the St. Laurent/Hemlock intersection. This level of intensification will generate substantial additional vehicle traffic, pedestrian activity, and cycling demand that will interact with the infrastructure renewal areas in complex ways.

My office and the Manor Park Community Association specifically recommended comprehensive transportation planning following the 2021 Official Plan Amendment approval, but city staff did not undertake this essential analysis. This failure to implement the recommended comprehensive transportation analysis has created the current exceptional circumstances where we find ourselves making infrastructure decisions without the foundational transportation studies that were identified as necessary for this specific area.

Several major transportation changes affecting Manor Park require coordinated consideration. The Hemlock Road Connection to Wateridge Village will create a new traffic corridor that will significantly alter pedestrian routes and traffic volumes throughout Manor Park. The Beechwood Avenue Reconstruction project, currently in preliminary design phase, could transform the traditional main street into an active transportation spine. Proposed changes at the Braemar, Ava, and Eastbourne intersection, potentially including a traffic circle, will fundamentally alter pedestrian navigation patterns. Manor Park Public School area improvements will include pedestrian enhancements as part of the updated Transportation Master Plan, and the Secondary Plan Implementation will guide long-term infrastructure and land-use decisions that will shift pedestrian activity patterns.

Best way forward

All of these changes must be examined in a holistic fashion in order to determine the best way forward. My decision also, in part, reflects extensive community engagement conducted over eight months, including two public information sessions, community surveys, and ongoing resident feedback. This consultation process was more extensive than typical integrated renewal projects, which usually involve only a single public information session. 

Based upon concerns expressed by both affected residents and the community association, my office extended the consultation process and worked with residents, the community association and city staff to examine all options and alternatives under existing policy.

Survey results

A community survey conducted by my office received responses from 338 residents, revealing overwhelming opposition to sidewalk installation. Only 71 respondents representing 21 per cent expressed support for sidewalks, while 267 respondents representing 79 per cent opposed the installation. This substantial opposition indicates that more than three-quarters of community members who participated in the survey do not want sidewalks included in the current infrastructure renewal project.

The consultation process highlighted important accessibility considerations from different perspectives. My office heard from residents noting that current infrastructure forces wheelchair users into dangerous situations, and that winters make the lack of sidewalks particularly challenging for people with mobility issues. Sidewalks would also benefit parents with strollers, children walking to school, and seniors. However, I also heard from residents with mobility challenges who preferred no sidewalks due to technical requirements of specific mobility equipment and difficulty navigating sidewalks due to sensory processing challenges.

I want to emphasize that this decision is limited to this specific infrastructure project and does not impact other proposed projects. The deferral allows time for proper analysis of how multiple transportation changes will collectively impact the transportation network in this sector of Manor Park. Future planning must include comprehensive transportation analysis considering all major changes affecting Manor Park, proper coordination between different transportation projects, ground-level streetscape analysis of projected pedestrian and cycling traffic, and assessment of future pedestrian demand patterns and optimal sidewalk placement.

By taking time to properly analyze the collective impact of multiple transportation changes, we can ensure that future sidewalk installations serve Manor Park optimally and integrate seamlessly with the community’s evolving transportation network. Community input will continue to be sought as future transportation plans develop, with sidewalk implementation to be revisited as part of the comprehensive planning process.

I thank all residents for sharing their perspectives throughout this extensive consultation process. My full decision is available at www.rideau-rockcliffe.ca/issues. As always, you can contact my office by email at rideaurockcliffeward@ottawa.ca or by phone at 613-580-2483. Please subscribe to my newsletter at www.rideau-rockcliffe.ca for ongoing updates about our community.