Avalon Place Highway 7/8 Multi-Use Trail Crossing

[cherrypark]

Excited for this one. Will mean no longer having to pass through that forsaken Homer Watson roundabout area on my regular route to work by bike.

[KevinT]

I'm trying to picture if this would change my bike to work route or not. Right now I head into town from Doon South on the Homer Watson MUT, turn right onto Ottawa, then use the beg button to cross onto Kehl/Heiman/Mill to pick up the Iron Horse to Waterloo (and the reverse to head home). Fortunately the only thing I need to cross near that roundabout is the 8 east on ramp.

Regardless of whether or not this changes my route, I'll be happy when it's here.

[danbrotherston]

I'm trying to picture if this would change my bike to work route or not. Right now I head into town from Doon South on the Homer Watson MUT, turn right onto Ottawa, then use the beg button to cross onto Kehl/Heiman/Mill to pick up the Iron Horse to Waterloo (and the reverse to head home). Fortunately the only thing I need to cross near that roundabout is the 8 east on ramp.

Regardless of whether or not this changes my route, I'll be happy when it's here.

You could take this new bridge by instead going left on Ottawa up through Lakeside Park, to Queens Blvd and using the Kitchener segregated lanes on Queens and Belmont to get up to Waterloo.

You end up in almost exactly the same place. I don't think it'd be faster or necessarily safer (crossing the Homer Watson roundabout might be a reason NOT to go this way, but on the return trip, you'd probably have to cross the roundabout regardless) but it's always nice to have alternative routes.

Eventually I think you could go down Strasbourg directly and avoid Homer-Watson entirely, which would probably be an improvement safety wise avoiding that roundabout. Depending on how bike friendly the residential streets in that area are.

As an aside, does anyone know why Homer Watson is shown having trails under highway 7/8? It didn't when I was there. Also, Ottawa west of Homer Watson is shown without bike trails but as "bike friend"...which is...about as far from reality as possible. Seems like the region's GIS data is getting a bunch of garbage in it again.

[dtkvictim]

Also, Ottawa west of Homer Watson is shown without bike trails but as "bike friend"...which is...about as far from reality as possible. Seems like the region's GIS data is getting a bunch of garbage in it again.

Where are you seeing that data? But, some portions of Ottawa have a MUT trail now, so you might be seeing that. I think there are still large sections on either side of Westmount with zero infra though. Someone who cycles that area probably knows more specifics.

[KevinT]

As an aside, does anyone know why Homer Watson is shown having trails under highway 7/8? It didn't when I was there. Also, Ottawa west of Homer Watson is shown without bike trails but as "bike friend"...which is...about as far from reality as possible. Seems like the region's GIS data is getting a bunch of garbage in it again.

Google Maps' cycling data has always been pretty suspect, for years it didn't believe that you could cycle north on Manitou Dr through the Bleams Rd roundabout, it would always detour you around it. Amazingly I just entered a test route from the Eidelweiss to Qdoba and now it will let you. I wonder when that changed, as the last time I entered a real route a few months ago that was still messed up...

As a driver semi regularly using Strasburg Rd to get to Zehrs and Hong Kong Seafood, I have no desire to ever cycle down any significant length of it. I'll stick with the Homer Watson MUT.

Edit to add: Also, using the roundabout to go left on Ottawa from the Homer Watson MUT also scares me. Going right and down Ottawa to the Kehl beg button is waaaay safer.

[KevinL]

 Also, Ottawa west of Homer Watson is shown without bike trails but as "bike friend"...which is...about as far from reality as possible. Seems like the region's GIS data is getting a bunch of garbage in it again.

Ottawa has MUTs on both sides up to the Howland/Mowat area now, and they should extend past Westmount once the intersection is rebuilt (I think that's planned for this year).

[tomh009]

As an aside, does anyone know why Homer Watson is shown having trails under highway 7/8? It didn't when I was there.

Definitely sidewalks only ... but very rare to see pedestrians on those.

On our rides from DTK to McLennan Park, we bike through Lakeside Park to Concordia Park, and then the trail to Westmount, then sidewalk past the school to Laurential Trail and through McLennan and continuing on the hydro cut.

Return on Homer Watson MUT (safe but noisy), across Ottawa at the roundabout (waiting for traffic to stop), and then to the IHT along the Schumacher, err, Shoemaker Greenway.

[cherrypark]

I'm trying to picture if this would change my bike to work route or not. Right now I head into town from Doon South on the Homer Watson MUT, turn right onto Ottawa, then use the beg button to cross onto Kehl/Heiman/Mill to pick up the Iron Horse to Waterloo (and the reverse to head home). Fortunately the only thing I need to cross near that roundabout is the 8 east on ramp.

Regardless of whether or not this changes my route, I'll be happy when it's here.

I ride the opposite of this from Cherry Park area down to Huron Park. I think with the bridge there it will make more sense for me to use it and just live with the Strasburg bike lanes. Eliminating the need to use the Homer Watson roundabout(s) and not having to get left on Block Line to Strasburg are good enough reasons to switch I think.

Now if they could do a little more with the Strasburg lanes when they (must be?) improving it from the new bridge to Ottawa by the bus depot, that would be even better.

[cherrypark]

Also, Ottawa west of Homer Watson is shown without bike trails but as "bike friend"...which is...about as far from reality as possible. Seems like the region's GIS data is getting a bunch of garbage in it again.

Where are you seeing that data? But, some portions of Ottawa have a MUT trail now, so you might be seeing that. I think there are still large sections on either side of Westmount with zero infra though. Someone who cycles that area probably knows more specifics.

Yes, the MUT on the north side of Ottawa in that section west of the roundabouts is done now. That said, the GIS data on Westmount south of Ottawa that is "bike friendly" is so wrong its borderline comedy. Enormous amount of right of way there that it could be, but I guess we'll have just hope the upcoming EA finally has someone get around to installing bike infra along there. I would like nothing more than another Highway 7/8 crossing option that isn't Fisher-Hallman out that way.

[Acitta]

As an aside, does anyone know why Homer Watson is shown having trails under highway 7/8? It didn't when I was there. Also, Ottawa west of Homer Watson is shown without bike trails but as "bike friend"...which is...about as far from reality as possible. Seems like the region's GIS data is getting a bunch of garbage in it again.

There is definitely no trail there. I usually ride along the sidewalk from the highway on-ramp to the MUT at the roundabout when heading to Zehrs. I encounter few pedestrians when doing so. I take the street when heading the other way.

[ZEBuilder]

On the Stirling side of the expressway they've had a rotary drilling rig and a mobile crane doing work on footings for the last week. On the Strasburg side they have yet to start digging any footings but the sidewalk is closed and the prep work is complete so they should be starting soon. There is also no sign of any structural steel for the bridge yet but that should be coming soon.

[SF22]

On the Stirling side of the expressway they've had a rotary drilling rig and a mobile crane doing work on footings for the last week. On the Strasburg side they have yet to start digging any footings but the sidewalk is closed and the prep work is complete so they should be starting soon. There is also no sign of any structural steel for the bridge yet but that should be coming soon.

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that they'll be bringing in a lot of the pieces partially assembled, so that the bridge can go up fast once the parts are on site. There was definitely something about ensuring that a large truck would be able to navigate on both ends, to park in such a way that the bridge pieces could easily be picked up and put into place.

[Acitta]

Avalon Pl.          

Chandler Dr.             

[cherrypark]

Pumped for this one - it will to make my direct to work cycling route much nicer. Curious though if/when they plan to improve the link from the bridge to Strasburg. Was that part of the scope here at all?

[ZEBuilder]

Pumped for this one - it will to make my direct to work cycling route much nicer. Curious though if/when they plan to improve the link from the bridge to Strasburg. Was that part of the scope here at all?

If I remember it correctly there's a multi use trail that's supposed to go from the bridge to Ottawa and it's part of the contract. There is a sidewalk closed sign at Ottawa so it seems as if it might be in the scope.