Only one end of the bridge exit and path intersection has a raised stop sign
This long weekend, a lot of people went to the newly opened Chief William Commanda Bridge, which connects Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., for the first time. Many of them were amazed by the pedestrianized former Ottawa River rail crossing.
“Nice and wide,” said Mike Johansen, who lives in Ottawa. “Very peaceful.”
Andrea Ryan, who was riding with Johansen, said, “It’s cool to see something from a different point of view that we’ve never seen before.”
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who likes to run, gave his own review of the crossing on Saturday, a day after he announced that it would finally open.
“Spectacular views of the river and downtown,” he said on social media.
But some people are worried about the T-junction at the Voyageurs Pathway that cyclists, runners, and walkers will find when they leave the bridge on the Gatineau side.
Michèle Ménard-Foster, a cyclist, said, “It’s a little bit of a recipe for disaster.”
On a pole facing people leaving the bridge, there is a stop sign, but there isn’t one for people going east or west on the Voyageurs Pathway.
She said that’s making traffic worse, which is a safety risk.
Needs more signag
Menard-Foster said, “People who cross for the first time don’t know where they’re going, so they have to make quick decisions.”
“It would be best if it were a three-way stop with a lot of signs, especially telling cyclists to be patient and give pedestrians the right of way, which I see a lot on bike paths.”
Gatineau cyclist Pierre Duguay called the new bridge “fantastic” on Sunday morning, but he shared Ménard-Foster’s concerns about the intersection.
“There are too many people, so it could be risky. But they’ll fix it,” Duguay said, adding that once the excitement about the new bridge dies down, traffic should calm down.
There are red stop signs painted on the surface of the path, but they are chipped and faded. Sunday, riders went right past them and the stop sign on the bridge.
Some people using the bridge also gathered at the exit or in the middle of the path, which made things even worse.
Both the City of Ottawa, which built the bridge, and the National Capital Commission, which is in charge of the Voyageurs Pathway, said they might not be able to respond until Tuesday.
When asked what could be done to make things better, Ryan said, “Maybe put up real stop signs.” “They may not stop, but at least they’ll slow down and maybe take a look.”
‘It’s very narrow here
Ménard-Foster said that she had seen “many, many” close calls.
“The bike path in Gatineau is also very narrow, so there’s not much room to react and move over,” she said.
When Ménard-Foster got off the bridge, she crossed to the other side of the path. It was a dead end with crushed rock, but it was a safe place for cyclists who didn’t know where to go next.
She said, “Thank God this is here.” “Because if we didn’t, things would be a bit crazy.”
