City of Ottawa and NCC moving forward on Brian Coburn Blvd. extension

The city of Ottawa and National Capital Commission (NCC) have finally agreed on a way to improve transit for east end residents after years of deliberation.

They announced agreeing to a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to advance transit priority measures along the Blackburn Hamlet Bypass and Innes Road along with the realignment of Renaud Road.

“With this agreement, the NCC and the City of Ottawa are signaling their intention to work together with the objective of creating more sustainable transit options for residents of the east end of Ottawa and protecting the Mer Bleue sector of the Greenbelt,” says NCC chairperson Maryse Gaudreault.

“I look forward to our continued collaboration within the framework of this agreement to ensure the protection of the Greenbelt for future generations.”

Council approved recommendations for the Brian Coburn Extension / Cumberland Transitway Environmental Assessment Study on March 23, 2022.

The project includes localized widenings and lane improvements for shared transit and high occupancy vehicles, according to the joint statement by the city and NCC.

The city and the NCC also announced plans to collaborate on the Renaud Road Realignment.

The realignment is set to remove the two sharp bends currently on Renaud Road and two crossings of the Prescott-Russell Trail, says the city and the NCC.

This will also create a two-lane westerly extension from Brian Coburn Boulevard at Navan Road to the northern segment of the existing Renaud Road.

“This is a significant move forward in addressing transportation challenges in Orléans South,” says Orléans South-Navan councillor Catherine Kitts.

“For over a decade, progress on transportation infrastructure in this community has been stalled despite rapid residential growth.

Under this proposal, the southern part of Renaud Road will close and be returned to greenspace.