Open House Display Boards

Board 1 - Welcome/ Aims and Objectives of this Open House/ Background
Board 2 - Environmental Assessment Process/ Study Area
Board 3 - Roadway Surface Features (Somerset Street to Gladstone Avenue
Board 4 - Roadway Surface Features (Gladstone Avenue to Arlington Avenue)
Board 5 - Streetscaping Plan
Board 6 - Photographs of Existing Conditions
Board 7 - Bank Street Public Art
Board 8 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile
Board 9 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile
Board 10 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile
Board 11 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile
Board 12 - Utility Modifications
Board 13 - Bank Street Construction Traffic Management Strategy
Board 14 - Bank Street Detour Plans
Board 15 - How can you remain involved in the Bank Street Project?/ Next Steps

Board 1 - Welcome/ Aims and Objectives of this Open House/ Background

[ PDF Version - 1,2 MB ]

Board 1 - Welcome/ Aims and Objectives of this Open House/ Background
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Welcome to our Public Open House for the Detailed Design of Bank – Somerset Street to Arlington Avenue.

Please feel free to view the presentation material and the background reports at the Resource Table.  Should you have any questions regarding the material, or any other aspect of the project, please speak to any of the City, Technical Advisory Committee or Consultant team members in attendance.

We encourage you to provide your comments in writing.  Comment sheets are available at the registration desk.  Please deposit completed forms in the comment box or mail/fax/e-mail to the address at the bottom of the form.

Finally, we ask that you record your attendance on the sign-in sheet.

Aims and Objectives of This Public Open House

This Public Open House will:

Present the preferred detailed design for the corridor between Somerset Street to Arlington Avenue.

  • Present streetscape and streetlighting preferred detailed designs for the corridor.
  • Present a preferred traffic management strategy.
  • Present background information.
  • Identify next steps to be undertaken in the project.
  • Obtain your comments.

Background

Bank Street between Wellington Street and the Rideau Canal is a major north-south urban undivided arterial in the City of Ottawa.

Within the limits above, the City of Ottawa has identified a requirement for the rehabilitation/replacement of portions of its aging watermain distribution system, sanitary, combined and storm sewers, and road and sidewalk structure.  Due to the size and the complexity of the project, a functional and preliminary design study has been carried out for the whole corridor which has provided environmental clearance for the City to proceed with future construction following the requirements of a Schedule "C" Project under the Municipal Class EA. This study was completed in March 2006.

An Environmental Study Report (ESR) was prepared and approved in accordance with the EA process. Further details are included on Board No 2.

Detailed design has been undertaken and construction is now proposed, for the section of the corridor between Somerset Street to Arlington Avenue.

The Scope of work includes:

  • Rehabilitation/replacement of the asphalt pavement.
  • Construction of a new combined sewer.
  • Construction of a new watermain.
  • Replacement of the existing sidewalks with new concrete sidewalks along the east and west side of the street.
  • New streetlighting on both sides of Bank Street.
  • Replacement traffic control signals.
  • Streetscaping elements that include tree planting, waste receptacles, benches, bicycle racks, and hard surface features.
  • Upgrades to certain private utilities (Bell and Hydro Ottawa).

The detailed design has been separated into three stages.  They are:

  • Stage 1 – Bank Street – Wellington to Laurier (construction completed).
  • Stage 2 – Bank Street – Laurier to Somerset.  Substantially complete.
  • Stage 3 – Bank Street – Somerset to Arlington.  Construction is planned for 2009.

For the limits Somerset Street to Arlington Avenue construction is planned to start in early April 2009.

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Board 2 - Environmental Assessment Process/ Study Area

[ PDF Version - 1,5 MB ]

Board 2 - 1 Flow chart of the Municipal Class EA Planning and Design Process indicating the present stage of the project – Complete Contract Drawings and Tender Documents.
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Board 2 - 2 Map indicating the project limits for 2009 construction - Bank Street from Somerset Street to Arlington Avenue.
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Board 2 - 3 Environmental Assessment Process
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In August, 2004, the City of Ottawa initiated a functional and preliminary design study for Bank Street from Wellington Street to the Rideau Canal, a length of 3100m.

This project was planned following a Schedule “C”, Class Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the Municipal Class EA document, 2000, a copy of which is available at the Resource Table.

In accordance with the EA process, an Environmental Study Report (ESR) was completed and filed for public comment on March 24, 2006.

The ESR produced for the Bank Street corridor between Wellington Street and Rideau Canal has been approved by the Ministry of Environment in 2006, and provides environmental clearance for the detailed design of the section of Bank Street included in the current assignment.

A copy of the ESR is also available for review at the Resource Table.

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Board 3 - Roadway Surface Features (Somerset Street to Gladstone Avenue)

[ PDF Version - 929 KB ]

Board 3 - Roadway Surface Features (Somerset Street to Gladstone Avenue): Plan indicating the proposed roadway geometry and the proposed location of bus stops, loading zones, taxi stands, streetlights, trees, benches and bike racks along this section of Bank Street.
Click to enlarge

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Board 4 - Roadway Surface Features (Gladstone Avenue to Arlington Avenue)

[ PDF Version - 724 KB ]

Board 4 - Roadway Surface Features (Gladstone Avenue to Arlington Avenue): Plan indicating the proposed roadway geometry and the proposed location of bus stops, loading zones, taxi stands, streetlights, trees, benches and bike racks along this section of Bank Street.
Click to enlarge

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Board 5 - Streetscaping Plan

[ PDF Version - 17,3 MB ]

Board 5 - Plan indicating the proposed location and details of the types of streetlights, trees, benches and bike racks to be introduced on Bank Street as part of this phase.
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Board 6 - Photographs of Existing Conditions

[ PDF Version - 2,6 MB ]

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Board 7 - Bank Street Public Art

[ PDF Version - 1,25 MB ]

Board 7 - 1 Details of the rationale, funding, evaluation criteria and winning designs of the Public Art competition held for the Bank Street project.
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Rationale for Functional Art Approach

  1. Incorporating art into street furniture saves street space
    • No extra space on Bank Street North for stand alone art
  2. Opens up public art competition to more local artists
    • Artists do not need outdoor public art experience to apply since they will not be responsible for fabrication or installation of functional art.

What it’s all about

  • Call on local artists to propose designs for bicycle racks
  • Artists will submit line drawings that take into account criteria for functional bike racks
  • Selected artists will refine and transfer their drawings to digital files
  • Digital files will be used as a pattern for laser-cut steel bicycle racks

Percent for Art Budget

The percent for art budget covers administration costs as well as the artist commissions. These costs vary according to the type of competition and project.

The percent for art allocation is expected to cover:

  • Administration costs
  • Jury fees
  • Finalists’ design fees
  • Fabrication
  • Interpretation plaque
  • Official unveiling
  • Photo documentation
  • Contingency
  • GST

Commissioning Process in Summary

  • Create an art plan
  • Call to Artists
  • Form Art Selection Committee (2-3 artists, architect/ landscape architect, community representative, project manager)
  • Evaluate submissions
  • Short-list finalists
  • Host Public Viewing for community input
  • Art Selection Committee chooses final designs
  • Artwork fabricated and installed

Evaluation Criteria for Art

  • Demonstrate artistic excellence
  • Be conceptually timeless
  • Account for technical criteria for functional bicycle racks
  • Reflect the community profile and character of the site
  • Be engaging to site users
  • Be safe for the public

Opportunities for Community Involvement

  • Representation on art selection committee
  • Provision of resource material for the artists, including background information on the history, character, and vision for the street
  • Public viewing of finalists’ designs

Timeline for Public Art

  • Call to Local Artists April 2008
  • Deadline for Submissions May 2008
  • Art Selection Committee shortlists designs May 2008
  • Public Viewing of shortlisted designs June 2008
  • Selection Committee chooses winning designs June 2008
  • Designs transferred to digital files Fall 2008
  • Bicycle racks fabricated Winter 2008/2009
  • Bicycle racks installed Spring 2009

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Board 8 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile

[ PDF Version - 1,2 MB ]

Board 8 The plan and profile of the proposed sewers and watermain along Bank Street between Somerset Street and Gladstone Avenue.
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Board 9 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile

[ PDF Version - 972 KB ]

Board 9 The plan and profile of the proposed sewers and watermain along Bank Street between Gladstone Avenue and Arlington Avenue.
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Board 10 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile

[ PDF Version - 1,1 MB ]

Board 10 - 1 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on MacLaren Street.
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Board 10 - 2 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Gilmour Street.
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Board 10 - 3 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Lewis Street.
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Board 10 - 4 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on James Street.
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Board 10 - 5 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Waverley Street.
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Board 10 - 6 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Florence Street.
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Board 11 - Road, Sewer and Watermain Rehabilitation/ Replacement Plan & Profile

[ PDF Version - 1 MB ]

Board 11 - 1 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain on Frank Street.
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Board 11 - 2 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Gladstone Avenue.
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Board 11 - 3 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on McLeod Street.
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Board 11 - 4 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Flora Street.
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Board 11 - 5 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Argyle Avenue.
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Board 11 - 6 The plan and profile of the side street connections to the existing watermain and sewers on Arlington Avenue.
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Board 12 - Utility Modifications

[ PDF Version - 981 KB ]

Board 12 Plan indicating the scope of the utility modifications proposed along Bank Street. The scope of work includes the reconstruction of the existing Bell duct structure and manholes along the west side of Bank Street. Also, four Hydro manholes will be rebuilt/ repaired.
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Board 13 - Bank Street Construction Traffic Management Strategy

[ PDF Version - 2,8 MB ]

Board 13 Plan indicating the details of the three stages of the Bank Street Construction Management Strategy. The existing traffic volumes, number of parking spaces and number of taxi stands along this section of Bank Street are indicated and the rationale for the traffic management strategy is explained.
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Existing Conditions – Somerset Street to Arlington Avenue :

  • Parking Spaces on-street - 40 (peak period restricted)
  • Loading Zones - 0
  • Bus Stops - 7 (3 N.B., 4 S.B.)
  • Taxi Stands - 5
Summary of Traffic Counts (Mid-Day Hour) North-South Movements:
Location Pedestrians Vehicles
Bank and Somerset 1438 586
Bank and Gladstone 370 965
Bank and Arlington 226 1262

Basic Components of Traffic Management Plan

  • Transit Service (OC Transpo) detours to be put into place to remove bus traffic from the Bank Street construction zone (see Board 14).
  • On-Street parking (Bank Street) removed during construction.
  • Goods delivery to be facilitated by the Contractor.
  • Waste pick-up to be facilitated by the Contractor.
  • Access for emergency vehicles to be facilitated by the Contractor.

Preferred Vehicular Traffic Management Option

Maintaining one lane of traffic in each direction is not considered feasible.  Nor is controlling two-way traffic on one-lane with Traffic Control Persons.  Reasons for rejecting these options:

  • Existing road not wide enough to allow construction alongside travel lane; therefore, temporary road widening would need to be built.
  • Existing streetlights and any other street furniture in the boulevard will be removed to facilitate road widening.
  • On one side, existing sidewalk width would be reduced to maintain safe separation from traffic (to the point of being impractical).
  • Temporary streetlights would be required to provide regulated lighting levels for the roadway.
  • Contractors productivity is negatively impacted, resulting in the construction period being extended by as much as 40%.
  • Constructing Temporary road widening and streetlighting adds considerable expense and time to the project.
  • Safety concerns as pedestrians, traffic and construction personnel/equipment would be working in close/unseparated proximity to each other.
  • Pedestrian requirements are not provided for (insufficient sidewalk width).
  • Greater levels of noise and dust during construction.

Closing Bank Street to Vehicular Traffic

The preferred option for inclusion in the contract documents is to close Bank Street to vehicular traffic during the construction period (for detour details see Board 14)

Under this option:

  • All cross-streets remain open to east-west traffic.
  • Bank and all cross streets remain open to pedestrians (traffic control signals to remain in place to manage pedestrian movements).
  • Bank and Somerset open to traffic.
  • Bank and Gladstone open to traffic (short term closure required for underground works; 10 working days estimated).

Key Advantages:

  • Construction work accelerated.  City to include incentive/disincentive clause in contract to ensure compliance with deadlines.
  • No requirement to excavate sidewalk and boulevard for temporary road widening; therefore, streetlighting and other features can remain until removal is otherwise required.
  • Pedestrians are better provided for, as usable sidewalk width is maximized on both sides of the road.
  • Safer work environment with fewer conflicts between contractors’ equipment, public vehicles and pedestrians.
  • Lower noise and dust levels.

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Board 14 - Bank Street Detour Plans

[ PDF Version - 2,32 MB ]

Board 14 - 1 Map indicating the proposed traffic detour routes during Construction Stage I.
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Board 14 - 2 Map indicating the proposed traffic detour routes during Construction Stage 2.
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Board 14 - 3 Map indicating the proposed traffic detour routes during Construction Stage 3.
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Board 14 - 4 Map indicating the proposed bus detour routes to be in effect during the construction period from April 2009 to November 2009.
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Board 15 - How can you remain involved in the Bank Street Project?/ Next Steps

[ PDF Version - 483 KB ]

Board 15 How can you remain involved in the Bank Street Project?/ Next Steps
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How Can You Remain Involved in the Bank Street Project?

You can remain involved in the Bank Street Project by:

  • Requesting that your name be added to our project mailing list;
  • Providing a written comment sheet (by December 17, 2008); and
  • Contacting consultant or City staff at any time during the study

Any of our representatives can assist you in completing the above activities.

Next Steps

  • Review your comments.
  • Finalize the detailed design, including refinement of streetscape, lighting and underground servicing designs.
  • Obtain necessary approvals from the Ministry of Environment.
  • Prepare contract documents and tender the construction of the Somerset Street to Arlington Avenue section of the project.
  • Initiate the start of construction in early 2009.
  • Substantially complete the construction by the end of November 2009.
  • Final lift of asphalt may be placed in spring 2010.

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