Executive Summary A summarized version of the text below, can be found on the Executive Summary page. Past
History/Background
- The downtown truck problem has been an issue for
decades and the subject of many previous solution attempts. Heavy trucks are
allowed on only two of the five bridges that cross the Ottawa River, and a
large majority use the Macdonald- Cartier Bridge. On the Quebec side, the
Macdonald-Cartier Bridge links directly to the Highway 5 and 50 expressways. In
contrast, the route between Ontario Highway 417 and the bridge follows King
Edward, Rideau, Waller and Nicholas streets (referred to as the KERWN corridor).
The KERWN corridor traverses both residential and commercial districts and
includes two right-angle turns that are difficult and hazardous for heavy
trucks to use. Serious and fatal accidents involving large truck traffic have
occurred along this corridor.
- In the early 1990s a detailed engineering study
(referred to as JACPAT) was conducted by the NCC and the Ottawa-Carleton
regional government of the time (i.e. prior to Ottawa’s amalgamation in 2001).
The study concluded that a new bridge would be needed by 2010 and that the best
location would be at Kettle Island, connecting the Aviation Parkway on the
Ontario side with Montée Paiement on the Québec side.
- In the time leading up to amalgamation, east-end
communities and their elected representatives successfully convinced the City
of Ottawa as part of an Official Plan update to remove this bridge/corridor
from the Plan as well as to remove a planned roadway connection to the
Macdonald-Cartier Bridge that would extend the Vanier Parkway from Beechwood Ave
over the Rideau River through Bordeleau Park.
- This change was appealed to the OMB by a number
of individuals in Lowertown and the Rideau St. BIA. They were unsuccessful in
having the Vanier Parkway Extension added back into the Official Plan; however
the OMB ruled that the Official Plan should reserve the Aviation Parkway/Kettle
Island/Montée Paiement corridor for a future new interprovincial bridge and
that this should become a new truck route.
- 7 years later, in 2007 the NCC, together with
the Province of Ontario and the Province of Quebec (the funding partners),
launched a comprehensive study to determine where a new interprovincial bridge
should be built.
- In 2009 it concluded the best location was
Aviation Parkway/Kettle Island/Montée Paiement. This conclusion was vigourously
opposed by east-end community groups and under pressure from the Ontario
government, and with the support of the Quebec government, the study was
repeated again with more opportunity for public consultation, particularly to
assess potential community impacts.
- In 2013 the conclusion was once again that a
new bridge should be built at Aviation Parkway/Kettle Island/Montée Paiement.
The Province of Ontario, again under pressure from east-end communities
withdrew from further participation in the study (i.e. to do a detailed
Environmental Assessment for a bridge at this location).
- Shortly after this, the Province of Quebec also
withdrew its participation citing the withdrawal of Ontario, and finally the
NCC ended the effort.
- In summer 2013, the City of Ottawa and the
Province of Ontario agreed to co-fund a $750,000 engineering feasibility study
for a downtown tunnel to connect Highway 417 to the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge.
Results of this joint study are expected in Q1 2016.
- In August 2016 the Study results were released. This Study examined several possible routes for a 417 to Macdonald-Cartier bridge tunnel and concluded that a tunnel was technically feasible. The recommended route for a tunnel would locate its southern portal near the Vanier Parkway at Coventry Rd and continue under the Rideau River, East Sandy Hill, East Lowertown with the northern portal at the southern end of the Macdonald-Cartier bridge.
- The proposed tunnel would be 3.4km long, would in fact be 2 separate tunnels (one for each direction of travel), with 2 lanes in each tunnel. The cost was estimated at between 1.7B$ and 2.0B$ (2015$). It was estimated that if the tunnel existed in 2016 that it would carry approximately 1700 trucks and 20,000-25,000 cars per day. During the peak afternoon period the car traffic would approach 1400 vehicles per hour and a forecast was made that this would increase to 2500 vehicles per hour by 2031. Unfortunately the Study did not provide any forecast for how much additional truck traffic the tunnel would carry by 2031.
- Ottawa City Council on Sep 14, 2016 voted 21-2 to set aside 2.5m$ in the 2017 budget for a detailed environmental assessment (EA) for this tunnel and commissioned the Mayor to approach the provincial and federal governments to also contribute to the funding of the EA on a 1/3 basis.
- The Province of Ontario announced they would provide their 1/3 share of the cost of a tunnel EA. No announcement was ever made by the Federal gov't. As of 2020 the City of Ottawa still lists their 2.5m$ share as a committed project in its Capital Budget.
- In the 2019 Federal Budget, an announcement was made that the NCC would be funded to perform a long term interprovincial crossings study
- In 2020 the NCC published a report which looked at any changes that have occurred since 2013 that may have an impact on the analyses in the 2007-2013 Study. The "Refreshed" analysis made only minor adjustments to the evaluation performed in 2013.
- In 2020 the NCC launched the Long Term Interprovincial Crossings Plan Study as outlined in the 2019 Federal budget.
The
Interprovincial Truck Problem Today
- Daily interprovincial truck totals are currently
about 2600 trucks/day on the Macdonald-Cartier bridge with about 2300 of these
moving along the KERWN portion of the corridor (King Edward, Rideau, Waller,
Nicholas streets).
- Some of these 2300
make local stops in the downtown. The
Tunnel Feasibility Study estimated that of the total 2600 trucks/day, 1700 move directly through the downtown
without stopping to connect with the 417.
(A further 900 trucks per day use the Chaudière bridge).
- About 2/3 of the 2600 trucks per day are large tractor trailers.
- The peak period for trucks is mid-morning and mid-afternoon (to avoid the rush hour) and reaches about 200 trucks per hour, which translates to a truck going by every 20 seconds (with the majority of these being tractor trailers).
- About 5% of the trucks are classified as carrying "dangerous goods" and most of those are gasoline tanker trucks which are common on arterial roads throughout the city as they service local gas stations.
- Origin-destination surveys for these interprovincial trucks have been performed and it has been determined that on average 1500 (40%) of the daily interprovincial truck trips are 35kms or less in length, 2300 (63%) are 100kms or less in length and 1400 (37%) are longer than 100km.
- 93% of the truck trips either start, or end, or both start and end, within the National Capital Region and only 6% of the trips start and end outside of the NCR (i.e. are just transiting through).
2007-2013 Bridge Study Results: other technical details emerging from the studies
- A new bridge at Aviation
Parkway/Kettle Island/Montée Paiement would become a preferential truck route
for about 40% of today's truck traffic. For the remaining 60%, the existing
Macdonald-Cartier and Chaudière bridges would still be a preferred route.
- With the projected population
growth and growth of the economy to 2031, it was forecasted that, even if 40%
of the trucks were diverted to the new bridge, the number of trucks for which
KERWN (King Edward, Rideau, Waller, Nicholas) was the preferred route would rise to about the same number of trucks as are present today.
- Questions were raised as to
whether the City of Ottawa would be able to
prevent trucks from using the Macdonald-Cartier
Bridge and KERWN corridor
(i.e. force the trucks to use the new bridge). A conclusive answer was never
given. Therefore, there was a degree of ambiguity as to whether the existence
of a new bridge would lead to the removal of the majority of trucks from
downtown Ottawa.
- In Jan. 2009, (the City of Gatineau passed a resolution that called on the City of Ottawa NOT to force trucks off KERWN (i.e. not to restrict
trucks from using the Macdonald-Cartier
Bridge) and to leave both
the new bridge and the current one open to trucks. The reason was that the City
of Gatineau was
opposed to forcing 100% of the truck traffic onto Montée Paiement, which is
flanked by a mix of commercial/retail/residential development. Gatineau did not consider it acceptable for Ottawa with the stroke of a pen to impose the truck problem 100% onto City of Gatineau roads via a new
bridge. In their view the only reasonable path forward was to leave both the new bridge and the current downtown route open to trucks. This issue of whether it would be acceptable for Ottawa to off load 100% of the inter-provincial truck problem onto Montee Paiement in Gatineau was never discussed during the 2007-2013 Bridge Study
- In addition to the truck traffic,
there are currently 70,000 cars per day using the Macdonald-Cartier
Bridge and about 30% of those (~20,000
cars per day) travel directly between Quebec
and Highway417 (i.e. they are only transiting through downtown Ottawa).
- The 2007-2013 studies also looked
at the impact to transit ridership of building a new bridge in the east end and
concluded it would have a negative impact on public transit ridership.
Downtown Tunnel Solution - What is it?- A connection between Highway 417
and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge under downtown Ottawa. It is not a new link under the Ottawa River.
- It would carry only traffic
travelling directly between Highway 417 and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge
(i.e. no connections in/out of the KERWN corridor).
- Primarily intended to carry
trucks but the ability to also carry car traffic could take approximately
20,000 car trips per day out of downtown Ottawa streets.
- Was the subject of a
$750,000 feasibility study from 2014-2016. (50/50 co-funded by City of Ottawa
and Province of Ontario). The Study results were first made public in Aug 2016
- Several different possible routes
were studied and the preferred technically feasible route was recommended to run from the Vanier Parkway near Coventry Rd to just south of Macdonald-Cartier Bridge (3.4km). Estimated cost would be in the range of 1.7B$ to 2.0B$ (2015$)
- On Sep 14, 2016 Ottawa City Council voted 21-2 to seek funding from the Provincial and Federal Gov'ts on a 1/3 basis each to proceed to a detailed environmental assessment (EA) for the preferred tunnel route.
- The detailed EA was expected to cost 5-7m$ and take 3-4 years to complete.
Similar Tunnels in other Cities
- Miami
and Dublin are two cities with very similar
situations to Ottawa.
In those cities downtown streets had been major truck routes toward the city
seaports. Both of these cities built tunnels to solve this problem (Dublin in the mid 1990s and Miami in 2013).
- The Miami tunnel was a collaborative project
which received funding from the City, County, and State, as well as loan
assistance from the Federal government. It was constructed via a public-private
partnership in which the construction consortium also provided some of the
capital for the project and will be responsible for ongoing operations and
maintenance. This is very similar to the financial arrangements for Ottawa's LRT project.
- In Windsor
the main truck route to the USA
follows major urban arterial roads to reach the Ambassador Bridge.
The Ontario Government spent $1.5B to construct a new freeway (Hon Herb Gray Parkway) to bypass these
roads which includes 11 tunneled sections (to minimize the impact of the new
freeway on the City). This project was completed in 2014. The Federal
Government is proposing to build a new bridge to Detroit
from the endpoint of this new Ontario
highway but any construction of such a bridge has yet (as of 2017) to start.
- Hong Kong, Kuala
Lumpur, Brisbane, Auckland,
Oakland, and
other cities have all recently completed, or are in the process of
constructing, tunnels for cars/trucks under their downtowns.
- Most recent tunnels have been
constructed on-time and on-budget. The Boston
"big dig" is a standout exception. Ottawa's LRT tunnel, currently under construction,
is mostly completed and is on-time and on-budget thus far.
Tunnel Solution - Pros/Cons
Pros
- Solves the problem, once and for
all: All through interprovincial trucks are diverted from the KERWN corridor.
Also provides the potential opportunity to divert as many as 20,000 cars from
these streets. The reduction in traffic could then make it possible to reduce
the traffic lanes and widen sidewalks, add bike lanes, etc.
- Avoids opposition: No trucks are
shifted to communities elsewhere in Ottawa or Gatineau. Avoids the
highly contentious process of forcing a new bridge and corridor leading to
significantly increased numbers of cars and trucks in other neighbourhoods.
- Does not encourage more urban
sprawl and does not add new interprovincial capacity across the river to
accommodate future growth in car traffic (and associated carbon emissions) as
was proposed with a new east end bridge. This may be considered either a pro or
a con, depending on one's perspective.
- Cost: A tunnel will be an
expensive project. It should be noted for context however that the estimated
cost of the Kettle
Island interprovincial
bridge and associated approaches, as contemplated in 2013, was over $1.2B (2012$). This
cost included major road works on both sides of a bridge (widening portions of
Aviation Parkway, overpasses of Ogilvie Rd., Montreal Rd. and Maloney Blvd.,
new interchanges with highways 417 and 50, as well as modifications to Montée
Paiement).
Cons- May not be able to accommodate
trucks with dangerous goods, which represent potentially about 5% of the total
truck volume. Currently there are no federal legal restrictions which prevent
trucks carrying dangerous goods from using tunnels; however it is common policy not to
allow dangerous goods in many tunnels.
- Only minor reductions of
pollution compared to the status quo (i.e. some reduction due to less idling
traffic on surface streets). It should be noted though that a tunnel would
require a ventilation system and this does provide the possibility to add
pollution control equipment to significantly reduce pollution from particulate
matter in the downtown area. It would not lead to any meaningful reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions.
Other Potential Alternatives: Logistics Based Solutions
- Logistics based solutions is a
term that encapsulates a broad set of measures, all involving changes in the
goods transport industry that could reduce the number of interprovincial truck
trips. These could be enacted via legislation banning trucks, or certain sizes
of trucks from traversing the downtown or imposing a hefty fee for all truck
trips through the downtown. Either or both of these actions could result in the
industry evolving to make fewer trips (by combining them together in loads, or
even moving them in other modes of transport such as rail or ferry across the
river), or even relocating business operations so that fewer interprovincial
truck trips would be required.
Pros: - Lower Public Cost: No public funds would be spent on a project such
as a bridge or tunnel. It should be noted, however, that both the provincial
and federal governments have committed to investing considerable sums in public
infrastructure projects, including roads, in the next 10-15 years. If those
funds are not spent in Ottawa,
they will likely be spent on roads elsewhere.
Cons:- Partial Solution: What might be the most optimistic outcome of this
approach? Suppose the number of truck trips were reduced by 50%. 50% of today's
truck volume would still leave 1500 truck trips per day on downtown Ottawa streets.
- Time: Any changes involving this approach would take a long time
for the industry to implement/adjust to.
- Costs: Higher costs would be imposed on businesses, which would
likely eventually have an impact on the cost of goods and/or potential economic
activity in the region.
- Difficulty: How easy will it be for governments to enact
legislation/regulations that force changes to how businesses operate? Which
level of government has the authority to enact such regulations, given that the
issue involves two municipalities, two provinces and the federal government?
- Does not remove car trips: In addition to the 2500-3000 truck
trips/day, there are about 20,000 car trips per day that use the KERWN corridor
to connect directly between Highway 417 and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge.
Logistics based solutions will not impact levels of car traffic through the
downtown.
Political Landscape
Elected Representatives/Public Institutions
- During the 2007-2013
Interprovincial Bridge Study Period, the City of Ottawa was committed to completing the study
and, while contentious, the City supported the final recommendation for a new
bridge located at Kettle
Island/Aviation Parkway.
- The NCC led the 2007-2013 Bridge
Study and would not consider any other options to solving the downtown
interprovincial truck problem other than an additional bridge.
- Some provincial and federal
politicians on the Ottawa
side supported the bridge study but withdrew their support when the recommended
location was Aviation Parkway/Kettle Island. After rejecting the outcome of the
bridge study, these politicians supported a feasibility study for the
alternative of a downtown truck tunnel.
- Mayor Jim Watson has stated that
he does not support a new bridge at Aviation Parkway/Kettle Island and that
moving the downtown truck problem to another community is not an acceptable
solution. The mayor made statements to the effect that solving the truck
problem should involve a fresh approach and supported the initiative to study
the feasibility of a downtown tunnel.
- Gatineau
City council did support the
recommendation for a new bridge at Kettle
Island (Montée Paiement on the Quebec side) but it passed a resolution saying it was
unacceptable to route all of the interprovincial trucks onto the new bridge and
called on the City of Ottawa
to leave the KERWN corridor open to continue carrying trucks.
- On the Quebec
side, during the 2015 federal election campaign, the successful candidate in Gatineau riding said that a new bridge across the river
was the top infrastructure priority for east Gatineau. The candidates on the Ontario side all
supported a tunnel as a possible option.
Community Groups
- The Lowertown Community
Association (LCA) has had a long history of advocating for a solution to the
truck problem and was a strong supporter of the 2007-2013 bridge study. They
had no position on which was the preferred corridor for the bridge and limited
their involvement to highlighting the impact of the current truck problem in
their community, stating that a bridge should be built as soon as possible.
- Action Sandy Hill's position was
similar to LCA's with the added nuance that the study should also include a
more detailed analysis of the alternative of a downtown tunnel because it had
the potential to provide a more complete/effective solution to the truck issues
and because it could potentially face less opposition.
- A wide array of east-end
community groups were all strongly united in opposing a bridge in their areas.
Orléans, Blackburn Hamlet and Beacon Hill based groups opposed any potential
bridge corridors through the Greenbelt while
groups in Manor Park,
Rockcliffe Park, Linden Lea and surrounding areas
opposed any potential bridge corridors along the Aviation Parkway.
- Recreational users of the Ottawa River were strongly opposed to a bridge.
- Gatineau
residents were split on the issue but on the whole they did not engage at as
active a level as Ottawa
residents in the 2007-2013 studies.
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