Weekend Traffic: Stupidity, Incompetence, Laziness

A big heartfelt congratulations to all of our levels of government who were able to respond to the perfect Ottawa traffic storm on the weekend in such a unique and innovative manner.

Take for example our much-loved National Capital Commission in association with the federal department of not-quite-thinking-it-through who were able to aggravate the traffic disaster perpetrated by the City of Ottawa and the province this weekend.

This in response to closing the only working main traffic artery in the city due to the reconstruction of the Prestion Street Bridge on Highway 417 and aggravated by shutting the O-Train for two weeks of repairs.

Just to make it worse, the Kichi Zibi Parkway, the No. 2 cross-town thoroughfare in Ottawa, has been down to one lane for years in either direction due to the late finishing of the light-rail project and the NCC’s late completion of the Westboro Beach renovation. But add to that the shuttering of the westbound lanes on Saturday and Sunday for Ottawa’s weekend bike days. Then the federal department of not-quite-thinking-it-through (or the NCC … take your pick) decided to close the westbound parkway lanes in front of the War Museum for repaving on traffic disaster weekend.

In addition, the feds, in a fit of genius, decided to channel that traffic onto Booth Street northbound to Scott Street which was closed a few blocks away in a parallel fit of genius by the City of Ottawa done in conjunction of the closing of the O-Train in the west-end.

This, in turn, sent traffic farther north into the detoured congestion caused by the Highway 417 closing.

So let’s just summarize here.

The main and only working major transportation artery, Highway 417, is closed by the province on the weekend.

The O-Train is shutdown too while Scott Street, a major bus route particularly when the O-Train is closed, is also blocked by the city. Other city streets are blocked in various forms in the west end.

Then to top it off, the NCC couldn’t cancel its bike days on the Kichi Zibi Parkway, that same thoroughfare has been restricted by late LRT construction and late Westboro Beach renovation, and the feds decided on this shambles of a traffic situation to repave the road in front of the War Museum.

Don’t these three levels of government ever talk? You know, get together over some white wine and canapes to discuss how the peasants travel … without even chauffeurs and limos. You know, have a coaching opportunity with the feds, NCC, the city and the province to facilitate transportation in the national capital (note to pols of all stripes, in high school you were taught that transportation was a factor of production).

This weekend our three levels of government treated travelling Ottawans with utter carelessness and arrogance.

Ottawa is a serious community. It’s too bad this bright, intelligent city is not served by bright, intelligent government.

All three levels of government should be ashamed of the way they treated this city this weekend with distain, disregard, laziness and complete incompetence.

So let’s name some names. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and NCC head Tobi Nussbaum miserably failed the residents of Ottawa this weekend.

The people of this community don’t deserve to be treated in such a stupid, high-handed manner.

Ken Gray

For You:

‘Panic-Induced Chaos At City Hall:’ STANKOVIC

City Considers Taxing Your Car Parking For Transit

Hwy. 417 Detour Turns Hunt Club Into Nightmare

Friday Morning’s Ottawa Transportation Disaster (Eastbound)