I want to provide you with an update on the Brian Coburn Boulevard/Cumberland Transitway EA Study:
• On December 5, 2018, the National Capital Commission (NCC) granted the City access to their lands to drill bore holes. That work started this week and will continue until February.
• The study area has been expanded to include the widening of Blair Road to allow for transit priority from the East to the Blair Light Rail Transit Station. I can confirm that the expanded scope will not delay progress on the overall Brian Coburn Boulevard Extension.
• The study team is conducting a high-level evaluation and screening of the seven options, with the intent of short-listing it down to four options. I have made it clear to city staff that the option proposed by the community (Option 7) is my preferred option.
• Once the four options are identified, City staff will present them to the NCC’s Advisory Committee on Planning, Design and Realty, the date of which has yet to be set. Although the meeting is closed to the public, I have informed the NCC that I will be in attendance to speak on behalf of the project.
• The City will hold a public open house in the spring to provide information about the shortlisted options, as well as plans for transit priority along the extension. I will share more information about this open house as soon as it becomes available.
• An additional public open house is planned for fall 2019. The recommended option based on the studies, staff expertise, the NCC’s feedback, and public consultation will be brought to Transportation Committee, of which I am a member, in early 2020.
The study also identified that the land at the corner of Brian Coburn Boulevard and Navan Road (2983 - 3053 Navan Road) may need to be acquired by the city to accommodate the road extension.
As many of you know, this land is being considered for a commercial development. City staff are recommending that a holding provision be placed on that development for a short period of time to allow the city to conduct an Environmental Assessment, which will determine if any portion of that land is required for the Brain Coburn Boulevard Extension.
I recognize that our community is in need of amenities within a short distance, and that if done properly, the proposed commercial development would address part of that need. However, I would be remiss to not postpone the commercial development, knowing that it would delay the Brian Coburn Boulevard Extension and cost taxpayers significantly more to acquire the land once it has been developed.
I will continue to provide updates on this, and other projects throughout the Ward and the east end, as they become available. If you have questions, email me at Laura.Dudas@ottawa.ca.