KlTCHISSIPPI T IMES

NEWSWEST

October 1, 2015 26

Sherbourne Road Audit

Safer streets a priority
By Nandita Bijur and Neeta
l\llcMurtry Ecology Ottawa I
Ecologie Ottawa
The sun was still shining at 6:30 p.m.
when residents of Carlingwood and
McKellar Park Community Associations,
and Ecology Ottawa volunteers convened
at Westwood Park 10 conduct a walk and
cycle audit of Sherbourne Road on
September 14th.
The audit atlfac.ted over 50 pa,ticipants
ranging in age from I 10 8 1. It's goal wa510
gather input from people of all ages and
abilities in evaluating pedestrian and cyclist
safety conccms in neighbourhoods along
Sherboume Road. One of the main concerns is the level and speed of commuter
n-affic in this residential ru1d school ru-ea.
Parents in ire ru-ea note ire increasing
number of school-aged chiJdren having 10
cross Sherbourne twice daily without any
safe pedestrian facilities. Seniors who
walk lo Carljngwood Mall and dog-owners who walk to off-leash Westwood Park,
are also raising concems. The wide road
and unmarked lanes, coupled with the
lack of pedesnian ru1d cyclist infrastructu,-e, encourages drivers lo speed and
makes crossing the road unnecessarily
dangerous.
"It's afready busy and we expect it's
only going to get busier," says Christine
Barlow, a concerned Sherbourne Road
homeowner. ''Without appropriate trafficcalming measLU-es, Sherboume is an accident waiting to happen."
Barlow is referring to the City of
Ottawa's Light Rail plans, which include
stations at Dominion and Cleary. Residents
wony this could turn Sherboume into an
unofficial extension of the 417 between

the Maitland ex.it and LRT stations.

With scheduled resurfacing on the horizon from 2015 to 2018, this is an opportunity for Mc Kellar Park and Crulingwood
residents to raise traffic safety concerns
with.the City. The inclusion of"Complete
Su-eets" in council priorities brings all fum,-e roadwork into the design and implementation process. This type of planning
wiU make st,-eets safe and accessible to
people of aU ages and abilities, including
cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.
Ecology Ottawa volunteers will be aiding in this process by compilfog all the
i.nfo,mation collected on September 14,
analyzing it, and composing an active
transponation audit repon. This document
will include a list of immediate actions to
inc,-ease pedestrian and cyclist safety, .is
weU as long te,m ideas for Sherboume
Road development.
The prutnership between the community and Ecology Ottawa has yielded an
opponunity to address core safety issues
for the community. ''Having Ecology
Ottawa assess traffic concerns along one
of the gateways to our communities is
invaluable," says Sybil Powell of
McKellar Park Community Association.
''It will organize traft,c concerns we have
throughout both neighbomhoods."
The three organizations ru-e asking concerned citizens 10 pa1ticipa1e in a shon
electronic survey at www.ecologyonawa.
org/sherboume_road_survey.
Alternatively, you cru1 contact Ecology
Ouawa, McKeJJar Park Community
Association or Carlingwood Community
Associat)QQ. tQ p.i:o~i~ you, own input.
Visi1 rie11'.S~:es.1,q,~'?; for a Web-ex1ra
photo .~allery of the Sherboume Rd sTreet
a11di1.