City of Ottawa unveils plan to ease traffic concerns in downtown core

The City of Ottawa is looking to alleviate traffic congestion in and around the downtown core with a new Downtown Mobility Plan. 

A number of factors are contributing to downtown congestion these days, including the closure of the Chaudière Bridge, construction on the ramps for Highway 5 and 50 in Gatineau, and construction projects in downtown Ottawa that require the closure of important corridors such as Elgin Street, Portage Bridge and the Elgin Street and Wellington Street intersection.

Mayor Jim Watson asked city staff, earlier this week, to develop a plan to ease the current congestion issues facing commuters and transit riders, and they've come up with the Downtown Mobility Plan, which will be implemented for two weeks, starting on Monday, June 10. 

The plan includes:

• Parking Control Officers will engage in targeted enforcement in areas identified on the City of Ottawa's Critical Roads Map utilizing their bike squad to ensure efficient enforcement of congested areas.
• Tow trucks will be placed at strategic locations and, at the direction of By-Law Services, will remove vehicles parked or stopped in no stopping zones to ensure the effective flow of traffic.
• In the afternoon peak period, OPS will dedicate officers to enforce turn restrictions at key intersections, along with ensuring the Albert and Slater bus lanes are clear of traffic.
• In the afternoon peak period, OPS officers will be assigned to Laurier and Nicholas and to Waller and Mackenzie King Bridge to ensure that traffic does not block the intersection, allowing transit to effectively travel through these intersections.
• Transit Operation Services will increase the number of mobile Transit Supervisors along the Albert and Slater corridors and the number of Transit Supervisors in the Transit Operations Control Centre during morning and afternoon peak periods to manage bus and operator resources.
• Traffic Services will dedicate a staff person at the City's Traffic Control Centre to monitor the traffic flows on the critical road network during morning and afternoon peak periods and make signal timing adjustments as required.
• A Traffic Management Inspector will patrol the critical road network to ensure no construction or encroachment activities occur during the morning and afternoon peak periods.
• A moratorium will be in place on issuing any road cut or encroachment permits on the critical road network that would impact the morning and afternoon peak period traffic flows.
• Traffic Services will install additional traffic signage on Albert, Slater and Queen, including tow-away signs above peak hour no stopping signs and an eastbound no right turn on red sign at Bank and Queen, to assist with bus operations along these corridors.
• The city will proactively push out information to residents on the enhanced enforcement blitz through the city's social media channels.

At the end of the two weeks, the city expects to see traffic volumes start to reduce as a result of the end of school and the beginning of the summer holiday season. 

During this time Transportation Services Department is expected to work with Emergency and Protective Services and the Ottawa Police Service to enhance mobility in the downtown core.