Abstract Manager

The City of Ottawa has established itself as a leader in the adoption of active transportation and cycling measures and was the first Canadian municipality to be awarded the Gold Bicycle Friendly Community Award from the Share the Road Cycling Coalition at the 2012 annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference.  While active transportation measures have always been included as part of transportation projects within the City, there has been increased consideration on the expansion of cycling facilities since the 2008 City of Ottawa Cycle Plan, including consideration of enhanced measures such as segregated cycle lanes, cycle tracks, and off-road facilities.  With the on-going propagation of these enhanced facilities, and with the City of Ottawa’s Cycle Plan Update (2013), the OTM Book 18 (2013 publication and 2021 update), the City of Ottawa’s Protected Intersection Design Guideline (2021) and the OTC Protected Intersection Guide (2023), cycling accommodation measures at intersections has continued to evolve rapidly in the City.

Through Robinson Consultants various design assignments within the City of Ottawa, we have been actively involved in the development of protected intersections in the City.   Since 2011, Robinson Consultants has completed several iterations of protected intersection designs, reflecting the rapidly changing considerations and accommodation measures.  This presentation will highlight the evolution of protected intersection design within the City of Ottawa through several protected intersection designs ranging from constrained urban reconstructions, to suburban arterial widenings, starting with the initial design concepts developed as part or the Albert Street Corridor project in 2011, through our most recent Bank Street Renewal project (Riverside to Ledbury), Bank Street Widening (Leitrim to Dun Skipper) and Scott Street Protected intersections.    Through each generation of protected intersection designs, the designs have become more complex and challenging with several competing issues and constraints, including accessibility requirements, grading and drainage challenges, and property impacts.