Champaign/O-Train pathway

Location

This is a new multi-use pathway runs north-south along the O’Train.

View OBP – Champaign path in a larger map

It runs between the Ottawa River pathway and Carling Ave., along the existing O-Train corridor. There have been no diagrams released, so it isn’t exactly clear where this path will be. The connectors to the Ottawa River pathway are not obvious. There would likely be connectors to some of the neighbouring street.

This is a useful route, as right now cyclists typically travel along Booth St. or Preston, both of which have stop signs, traffic lights, and a significant hill.

What’s new

In the 2011 budget (p. 130), the pathway was below the budget line, meaning that it was bumped in favour of other projects.

In March, 2011, a report to Transportation Committee from the Transportation Committee said that the City’s share of the cost of the Bixi program had risen, and these funds should be reallocated to part of this path. This summer, the City will be reconstructing Somerset between Preston and Booth St., and part of this is reconstruction of the bridge over Somerset. It will be more efficient for the city to build a bike tunnel at Somerset concurrently.

What’s next

There is a connection between this path and Carling Ave, at the western edge of the reconstruction of Carling Ave. between the O-Train and Bronson. Part of that plan is to form a smooth connector from Carling to the path. This project has no schedule.

The path itself has no construction schedule as it is in no budget.