IMAGINE 1,400 FEWER CARS ON THE QUEENSWAY EACH MORNING

How would you like 1,400 fewer cars on the Queensway each morning? For many Kanata residents that sounds too good to be true. Whether you commute by car or bus it is a safe bet that, if you have to use the Queensway, you will spend some time stuck in traffic.

Well, if the City of Ottawa follows its Transportation Master Plan, 1400 fewer cars on the Queensway each morning is possible.

In Kanata, 15% of people commuting across the Greenbelt use public transit. In Orleans, 32% of people commuting across the Greenbelt use public transit.

If the percentage of people commuting across the Greenbelt from Kanata was the same as the percentage from Orleans there would be 1,885 fewer people travelling east along the Queensway by car each morning. With an average of 1.3 people per car, that works out to 1,400 fewer cars.

The biggest difference between Kanata and Orleans is the delays buses face on the Queensway. Once buses in Orleans reach the Queensway they are on bus lanes or the transitway until they reach downtown. Buses from Kanata to downtown have to get through the bottleneck on the Queensway between Bayshore and the transitway.

Plans exist to end the bottleneck. The 2006 capital budget included funds for the design work to extend the transitway between Bayshore and Pinecrest. Along with existing bus lanes, this would allow buses from Kanata to avoid being tied up in traffic.

What is a concern is finding the funding for construction. This has been a problem in the past. Work on the project was supposed to start in 1998. However, it was cancelled by the former Regional Municipality – against the wishes of both the former City of Kanata and Kanata’s representative on Regional Council.

After eight years of waiting, there are still concerns about where the funds will come from. A concern I have is that the various additions to the light rail expansion project will eat up funds that should be going to improve transit for Kanata residents.

For me that is unacceptable.

Making the service more attractive helps all of us. For people using transit it means avoiding traffic jams on the Queensway at Pinecrest. For people driving it means fewer cars on the road as the transit service becomes more attractive. For all of us it means a better use of resources as buses and bus drivers spend less time tied up in traffic.

HYDRO PROBLEMS UP AGAIN

Just as we were getting used to fewer power outages, March saw an increase in the number of power failures in Kanata. I am concerned this not become part of a trend and have asked Hydro Ottawa to look into the problem.

The two most serious outages in March – on March 2nd and March 15th were both as a result of loss of supply from Hydro One. While Hydro Ottawa has no direct control over Hydro One, I have asked if there are steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of problems at Hydro One.

I am also concerned that the outages caused by Hydro Ottawa equipment failure are above what one should expect and have asked Hydro Ottawa to look into this.

WORK ON EARL GREY AND KANATA AVENUE INTERSECTION

Work on the installation of traffic lights at the intersection of Earl Grey and Kanata Avenue and intersection modifications required for the lights is expected to start April 24th. Once work begins, city staff are hoping to have the job done in the first week of June. The traffic lights will help address congestion problems around the Centrum.

City staff have assured me that there will be no lane reductions to Kanata Avenue or Earl Grey Drive during the morning or afternoon peak traffic hours

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK

Next week is National Volunteer Week. It is a chance to celebrate and thank the volunteers in our community. Whether it is the people who spend hours coaching sports teams, those who give up a Saturday morning to participate in Spring Cleaning the Capital or countless other volunteers, Kanata is a better place for their efforts.

WORKING FULL-TIME FOR KANATA

I appreciate the chance to hear from you about issues affecting our community. You can reach me at 580-2474 (office), 580-2514 (fax), or peggy.feltmate@ottawa.ca