New pedestrian crossings, speed tables among recommendations to curb Albion Road traffic

The city’s transportation committee is asking that council approve its recommended plan for Albion Road following a traffic study, which found that a significant portion of the traffic along the road was using it as a means to pass through to other areas of the city.

The traffic study was in response to the planned expansion of the Rideau Carleton Raceway and was intended to address traffic concerns in the Emerald Woods – Sawmill Creek and Blossom Park communities that could be further made worse by growth in the southern areas of the city.

The recommendations will be heard at Wednesday’s council meeting.

According to the data collected along the road between Bank Street and Lester Road, about 25 to 40 per cent of traffic on Albion Road was using the route as a way to cut through the city.

The traffic behaviour, the report said, was observed to be inconsistent with the street’s collector designation.

“Development growth has continued south of the Emerald Woods – Sawmill Creek and Blossom Park communities, including the new Hard Rock Casino (at the existing Rideau Carleton Raceway) in addition to the expansion of communities in Findlay Creek and Riverside South,” the report outlined. “With this growth, demand on north-south transportation corridors, including Albion Road, is growing.”

As a result, the study recommends including, primarily, traffic calming retrofits to reduce vehicular speeds without impeding access.

The changes are intended to make Albion Road less attractive as a regional cut-through route, improving attractiveness of sustainable modes of transportation and accessibility and align the street design with the adjacent residential context.

The key measures being recommended are two new pedestrian crossings (including a raised crossing of Albion Road at Sawmill Creek Pathway), two new gateway features, improved bus stop accessibility, cycle-friendly bulb-outs and speed tables.

The report said that there is currently no identified funding for the design and construction for the suggestions. However, it offers flexibility in that it can be implemented in phases or individual components should opportunities present themselves.