Ottawa Queensway Preliminary Design and Environmental Assessment Study
Table of Contents
- Welcome
- Updates (January 29, 2007)
- Background
- Environmental Assessment Process
- Study Purpose
- Study Area
- Study Schedule
- Reports
- Presentations
- Get Involved
- Contacts
Welcome
Welcome to the Web site for the Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway) Preliminary Design Study and Environmental Assessment from Highway 416 easterly to Anderson Road. Totten Sims Hubicki (TSH) has been retained to assist the Ministry of Transportation, Eastern Region, with the Study. This website has been established to provide project information and collect your comments on the study.
We encourage you to read through the site and send us your feedback. We will be updating this site with additional information, such as upcoming Public Involvement Centres, as the study progresses. Please check this site for updates and details on how you can get involved.
If you wish to be added to our mailing list or submit comments or questions please go to the contacts section of the Web site.
Updates
Ottawa Queensway Preliminary Design and Environmental
Assessment Study
Website last modified: January 29, 2007
- Transportation Environmental Study Report (Added: January 29, 2007)
- Ontario Government Notice (Added: January 29, 2007)
- Public Involvement Centre #3 - Summary Report (Added: February 27, 2006)
- Public Involvement Centre #3 - Display Boards (Added: December 22, 2005)
- Change to Recommended Alternative for Island Park Drive Interchange(Added: October 21, 2005)
- Notice of Public Meeting - HIghway 417 Interchange with Island Park Drive (Added: June 20, 2005)
- Notice of Public Involvement Centre #3 (Added: June 14, 2005)
- Recommended Alternative to be presented at PIC #3 (Added: June 14, 2005)
- City of Ottawa Transportation Committee #2, June 2, 2004(Added: May 6, 2005)
- Public Advisory Committee Presentation #4, June 1, 2004 (Added: May 6, 2005)
- Public Advisory Committee Presentation #3, April 7, 2004 (Added: May 6, 2005)
- Public Involvement Centre #2 - Summary Report (Added: January 28, 2005)
- Public Involvement Centre #2 - Display Boards (Added: September 16, 2004; Evaluation tables added: September 29, 2004)
- Preliminary Alternatives Report, Volumes 1 and 2 (Added: June 18, 2004)
- Notice of Public Involvement Centre #2 (Added: June 8, 2004)
- Traffic Operations Report and Executive Summary (Added: May 26, 2004)
- Study Schedule revised to account for Traffic Operations Report
- Public Advisory Committee Presentation #2, May 15, 2003 (Added: March 30, 2004)
- PIC No.1 Summary Report (Added: March 16, 2004)
- References to City of Ottawa's Draft Official Plan revised to reflect approved Official Plan, May 2003 (Revised: February 17, 2004)
- Additional Design Alternatives Under Consideration:
- At Island Park Road — relocate Island Park Drive Ramp to west side of Island Park Drive and provide a roundabout;
- At Aviation Parkway — close westbound off-ramp to St. Laurenty Boulevard and accommodate moves from Ottawa Road 174 via a new ramp from Ottawa Road 174 to the Aviation Parkway;
- At St. Laurent Boulevard — combine eastbound on-ramps to preclude access to Ottawa Road 174; provide access to Ottawa Road 174 via Cyrville Road connection.
Background
Highway 417 within the study area is the major east-west provincial corridor in the Ottawa area serving provincial inter-city travel as well as commuter traffic. Traffic volumes are high and are increasing, and already exceed the theoretical design capacity during several hours of the day. As a result, experiences of congestion and associated delays are increasing and are expected to continue to increase, in the absence of significant improvements.
The Highway 417 corridor from Highway 416 easterly through the heart of the City of Ottawa Central Business District currently experiences considerable congestion during the a.m. and p.m. peak travel periods. Further, communities on the west, south, and east sides of Ottawa are rapidly expanding, and although growth has slowed somewhat in the past couple of years, this growth is expected to continue to occur. This growth expansion is creating additional demand, which adds to the existing congestion and associated safety concerns.
To illustrate Ottawa's expected growth, the following information has been extracted from the City of Ottawa's Transportation Master Plan, March 2003.
| Population | 2001 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Greenbelt | 517,000 | 588,000 |
| Outside Greenbelt | 283,000 | 604,000 |
| Total | 800,000 | 1,192,000 |
| Employment | 2001 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Inside Greenbelt | 400,000 | 514,000 |
| Outside Greenbelt | 97,500 | 234,000 |
| Total | 497,500 | 748,000 |
Should the noted projections be reached, then considerable pressure will be placed on the transportation infrastructure, including the Queensway, both over the shorter term before significant new transportation can be constructed, and in the longer term as part of a balanced transportation system.
Current conditions have necessitated a comprehensive operational review of Highway 417 within the study area to determine if the existing infrastructure can be upgraded to accommodate the increased mobility needs. The Ministry of Transportation has initiated this study to determine the need and feasibility of providing additional capacity (person and goods movement) in this corridor. Alternatives under consideration include:
- additional general use lanes;
- New Interchange at Hunt Club Road;
- Review of interchange operations to improve safety and reduce congestion;
- High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) facilities;
- Ramp metering; traffic demand management including Freeway Traffic Management System; and
- Others that may be identified as the study progresses.
In determining whether an identified roadway improvement will be recommended, the Project Team will consider the magnitude of the identified problem and the impacts associated with implementing the potential solution, and will thoroughly weigh each prior to reaching a decision.
This study will complete the technical analysis needed in determining the extent and timing of short and longer-term improvements to Highway 417 and document the results of the analysis in a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR). The TESR will be available for a 30-day public review period near the end of the study. The study will develop several technical alternatives for an improvement scheme that will then be subject to evaluation and refinement by the Project Team based on comments received from agencies and the public.
The study will also identify and address existing (“now”) operational concerns, and will identify and address operational concerns that can be expected to arise in the future (by considering the effects of the projected, 2011 and 2021 horizon year traffic volumes). These concerns have been identified through an extensive traffic modeling effort that has been undertaken for the Queensway Corridor. This model was developed/updated by analyzing and incorporating existing traffic, population, employment, and development data from various sources, including the City of Ottawa Transportation Master Plan, March 2003. The traffic model and associated Traffic Report forms a large measure of the technical background for this study. The results of this work was presented to the public at the first Public Involvement Centres that were held on January 21, 22, 23 and 30, 2003.
The Role of Transit
Transit does, and will continue to play a vital role in the overall transportation network in Ottawa.
The City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003) is forecasting population growth over the next 20 years of almost 50%, with the majority of the growth occurring outside of the Greenbelt. Further, employment is expected to grow by about the same amount, with about 45% of that occurring within the Greenbelt and 55% outside of the Greenbelt. In order to support that growth, significant improvements to all components of the transportation network will be required.
The Demand Forecasting work undertaken for the Queensway study, assumed that significant growth would occur in the number of people using public transit, and that all of the transit ridership targets contained in the Official Plan would be achieved. In fact, this work has recently been updated to reflect the city's new transit gorwth targets as outlined in the 2003 Transportation Master Plan. As part of the Queensway modeling work, we generated the total travel demand across various screen lines throughout the City; for existing conditions and for 2011 and 2021. For the future years, we assumed that City transportation improvements as identified in the Official Plan would be in place, and that all of the City’s transit targets would be met. In analyzing the data, we concluded that even with these improvements in place, including planned transit improvements, that the demand would exceed the supply and consequently that improvements to the Queensway would have to be considered as part of the overall transportation network.
In other words, even though transit is an integral component of the overall transportation network, and that the percentage of travelers using transit will grow significantly and more than any other travel mode, improved transit on its own cannot satisfy the total demand created by the City’s expected growth.
Environmental Assessment Process
This project follows the approved environmental planning process for Group “B” projects under the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000) with the opportunity for public input throughout. Three rounds of Public Involvement Centres (PICs) are planned at key points in the study to provide the public with information regarding the study and to receive public input. The PICs will be a 'drop in' format with representatives of the MTO and TSH in attendance to answer questions about the study.
Upon completion of the study, a Transportation Environmental Study Report will be available for public review and comment. A notice of submission will be published at that time.
There is an opportunity at any time during the environmental assessment process for interested persons to provide comments and review outstanding issues. With the exception of personal information, all comments received will become part of the public record. If, after consulting with the Ministry’s consultants and staff, you have serious unresolved concerns, you have the right to request the Minister of the Environment to “bump-up” (i.e. make a Part II Order for) this project. A Part II Order may lead to preparation of an individual environmental assessment.
Study Purpose
The purpose of this study is to undertake the Preliminary Design and Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for the Ottawa Queensway from Highway 416 easterly to Anderson Road.
This work will fulfill all the requirements of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (OEAA) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) for a facility of this type.
The specific purpose of this study is to identify short-term and longer term measures to:
- improve the mobility of people and goods;
- reduce congestion and associated delay;
- enhance safety; and
- improve existing infrastructure (i.e. pavement, bridges, lighting, etc.).
Study Area
The section of Highway 417 to be addressed as part of this study extends from west of Highway 416 easterly to Anderson Road and is illustrated on the following map.
The highway passes through an area characterized in the west end as urbanizing commercial and industrial while the east end is characterized as rural. The central portion of the study area passes through the downtown business core of the City of Ottawa and is a fully mature urban core. Throughout the study area, there also exist substantial pockets of residential developments abutting the Queensway corridor.
Study Area Map
Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway)
Preliminary Design Study and
Environmental Assessment
from Highway 416 easterly to Anderson Road
MTO
G.W.P. 663-93-00
Study Schedule
| Milestones | Completion |
|---|---|
| Project Initiation | Summer 2002 |
| Alternative Development Phase | Fall 2002 |
| Public Involvement Centre #1 | January 2003 |
| Traffic Operations Report | Winter 2003/04 |
| Continuation of Alternative Development Phase / Selection of Technically Preferred Alternative | Spring 2004 |
| Public Involvement Centre #2 | June 2004 |
| Preliminary Design of Recommended Alternative | Fall-Winter 2004/05 |
| Public Involvement Centre #3 | Spring 2005 |
| Completion of Preliminary Design | Spring 2006 |
| Submission of Environmental Document
(TESR) for |
Spring 2006 |
Reports
The culmination of this study will result in the preparation of a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) that will be submitted for a 30-day public review period. This document will be prepared in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities as a Group “B” project. Group “B” projects are defined as projects providing major improvements to existing provincial transportation facilities. The TESR will contain supporting reports, and those reports will be made available for review as they are completed.
The following reports are available for review:
- Study Design
- PIC No. 1 Summary Report
- Traffic Operations Report and Executive Summary
- Preliminary Alternatives Report, Volumes 1 and 2
- PIC No. 2 Summary Report
- PIC No. 3 Summary Report
- Transportation Environmental Study Report
Relevant documents will be made available for viewing as they are completed.
Material presented at Public Involvement Centres can be found in the get involved section.
To download the " Transportation Environmental Study Report - Volume1 - Main Report and Appendix " go to: Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway) *
Presentations
Presentations will be made available for viewing as they are completed.
- Public Advisory Committee #1 – January 14, 2003
- Public Advisory Committee #2 – May 15, 2003
- Public Advisory Committee #3 – April 7, 2004
- Public Advisory Committee #4 – June 1, 2004
- City of Ottawa Transportation and Transit Committee #1– January 15, 2003
- City of Ottawa Transportation and Transit Committee #2– June 2, 2004
Get Involved
During the course of the study three Public Involvement Centre (PIC) series are scheduled. Each series of PICs will include dates in the east, central, and west parts of the study area. Each series of PICs will present a different stage in the EA process.
Details of location, date and time will be published on this Web site and will be advertised in local newspapers several weeks prior to the PIC.
