Less Car

Cycling Infrastructure in Orléans, Ottawa: Status and Opportunities

This post is part of my feedback given to the city of Ottawa in response to the draft Transportation Master Plan:

blue bike against parliament building in ottawa canada
Photo by Braeson Holland on Pexels.com

Orléans (including Convent Glen, Orléans Wood, Fallingbrook, Chapel Hill, Avalon, Cardinal Creek, etc.) is a large suburban area in Ottawa (population ~125,000) with growing travel demand. While many residential streets have informal cycle routes or nearby multi-use pathways (MUPs) along parks, the high-comfort, year-round cycling network is still very incomplete. The existing network relies on a patchwork of off-road trails, standard bike lanes on a few arterials, and mixed-traffic routes.

Existing Facilities and Winter Maintenance

Orléans already hosts some amenities for recreational cycling: a continuous multi-use pathway on the Ottawa River Parkway adjacent to Orleans Wood and Convent Glen, several recreational trails in the Green’s Creek and Chapel Hill parks, and bike lanes or shoulders on some collector roads. However, it should be noted that while multi-use paths can be used for cycling, the speed limit of 20 kph and conflicts with pedestrians make them a challenge to use for transportation. However, even including all multi-use paths in the area, many gaps in cycling infrastructure are evident. For example, there are no safe bike facilities on Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard, and Orléans Boulevard has traces of bike infrastructure at best. The high-speed roadways (Innes, St-Joseph, Trim, etc.) generally lack fully separated lanes, making them barriers to cyclists at best, and dangerous at worst. These lanes on Innes (and any new ones added to the network) should be protected to the latest standards for safety.

In winter, Ottawa maintains only a limited downtown network (about 60 km total) of on-street and off-road bikeways (Maps | City of Ottawa). City policy is to plow on-street bike lanes and MUPs after 2.5–5 cm of snow to a “snow-packed” standard, but almost no Orleans routes receive regular winter clearing, and all of these are paths. This means year-round all-weather cycling remains challenging in Orléans, despite recent ridership growth. As advocacy groups note, Ottawa has seen a “large increase to cycling modal share, despite the lack of safe cycling infrastructure,” and that “safe infrastructure…highlights why we need to keep advocating for more” (Transportation Master Plan – Have Your Say | Bike Ottawa). Ensuring a year-round network here will require not only building new facilities but also committing to winter maintenance (plowing and maintenance) of key routes.

Key Destinations and Connectivity Needs

Orléans has many destinations that cycling routes should serve:

  • Shopping/Commercial: The Place d’Orléans Shopping Centre and Mall are major trip generators. The new Orleans LRT stations (Place d’Orléans, Jeanne d’Arc, Convent Glen, Trim) will also attract commuters from surrounding neighbourhoods. High-comfort bike links to these hubs are essential. Enabling multi-modal trips, with safe bike parking or bikeshare programs, could help compensate for the reliability issues with local bus routes.
  • Transit: The Orleans LRT (Stage 2) will provide rapid transit through four Orleans stations. Safe, sheltered bike routes and parking connecting nearby streets to each station will enable bike–transit commuting.
  • Schools and Colleges: There are dozens and dozens of schools in Orleans, each with very different states of accessibility by bike for students. The city could easily set up standards for reduced car traffic around schools, especially at the start and end of the day, and schools could work with parents and the city to create school streets that result in the safest outcomes.
  • Parks and Recreation: Orleans has so much greenspace and many beautiful parks and community centres. The area’s extensive greenbelt trails (Ottawa River Pathway, Green’s Creek, Prescott–Russell multi-use trail at the east edge) should tie into safe on-road routes to complete that transportation network.
  • Residential Neighbourhoods: The sprawling neighbourhoods (Orléans Wood, Fallingbrook, Chapel Hill, Avalon, etc.) need north–south and east–west spine routes so more people will have the opportunity to safely bike to shops and schools.

Any proposed network must link these destinations. For example, bike routes on Tompkins Ave, Duford Dr, Prestone Dr and Major Rd (proposed last year by the City, and paused despite community consultation showing support for the project) would connect Queenswood Heights’s amenities to residential areas. Orleans Boulevard (east of 174) is another critical corridor linking Place d’Orléans to homes north and south, and the city’s draft plan already envisions bike lanes there from the Ottawa River Pathway east to Boyer Road, those these plans are not funded and the city has not released anything yet. Higher-density developments are being approved now without the transportation fabric to support the new members of our communities. We want this development, but without non-vehicular connections to transit and amenities, new residents will feel the need to buy cars with nowhere to store them.

Barriers and Missing Links

Several major barriers disrupt connectivity in Orléans:

  • Highway 174 (Queensway) runs east–west through Orléans, severing north and south. There are effectively no bike-friendly crossings of the 174 in Orleans, though Stage 2 is working on a couple, and many lack protected bike lanes. Without additional crossings or improvements (such as widened sidewalks/MUPs or dedicated pedestrian/bike bridges), many north–south trips remain impractical by bike.
  • Large Roadways: Long arterial roads (Jeanne d’Arc, St. Joseph, Innes, Tenth Line, Trim) act as barriers. Many existing bike lanes on collector roads and multi-use paths end abruptly at major intersections. Improving crossings (e.g. pedestrian/cyclist signals, curb extensions, grade separation) is needed.
  • Fragmented Path Network: Orleans has many off-road paths and trails, but they rarely connect residents to city businesses, services, and amenities. These gaps force detours onto busy roads, or, more frequently, just force these trips to happen by car, or not at all.

Overall, the biggest missing links in today’s planned network are north–south and east–west spines that tie everything together. As cycling advocates in Orleans observe, a new direct and safe north–south bikeway through central Orléans (such as along a continuous street or greenway) would greatly enhance connectivity. In the Orléans Corridor Secondary plan, many recommended bikeways remain “conceptual” and would close significant gaps once built.

Safety and All-Weather Considerations

Safety concerns in Orleans include high traffic volumes and speeds on major streets without protection for cyclists. For example, buses and cars on St. Joseph/Navigation or Orleans Blvd pass at 50-60 km/h with no buffer. Upgrading these passages to protected bike lanes or separated multi-use paths would greatly reduce crash risk. Protected intersections (with curb extensions, refuge islands, etc.) should be provided at busy crossings along St-Joseph, Jeanne d’Arc and Orléans Blvds, etc.).

Year-round usability requires durable, cleared surfaces. Where possible, all new routes should be paved multi-use paths (not just gravel, as happens with some NCC paths) and integrated into the winter plow program. Currently, only a limited downtown network is plowed. Extending winter maintenance to Orléans would mean plowing key connections (e.g. part of the Ottawa River pathway into Orleans). City policy already commits to clearing bike lanes after snowfalls to a packed standard, so enforcing this in Orléans on priority routes (especially those linking to transit and schools) is essential for reliable year-round cycling.

Proposed Infrastructure Solutions

The start of a connected, distributed bike network, for the western part of Orleans (Maps link).

To achieve a high-comfort, all-weather network, the City should pursue a combination of protected on-road lanes, off-road MUPs, and improved crossings:

  • Protected Bike Lanes: Expand separated lanes on major corridors. In particular, completing the Orleans Boulevard bike lanes (from the River Pathway east to Boyer Road as already proposed) will help link central Orléans to businesses and services on St Joseph. Similarly, Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard (east-west both north and south of the highway) should have continuous bike lanes along the whole length. Other collectors like Tenth Line, Trim Road, and Innes Road should get protected bike lanes that replace the incredibly unsafe painted lines that have been used as a standard.
  • Multi-Use Pathways: Build new off-road routes where on-street space is limited. For instance, a pedestrian bridge across the highway could provide a safe north–south link. An upgraded North South MUP in the Convent Glen area bisecting Voyageur and Vineyard would improve connectivity and make bike transportation safer for many residents. The city’s Orleans Corridor Secondary plan already calls for separated cycling facilities on Jeanne d’Arc and St. Joseph. Additional paths connecting neighbourhoods where there is space would help to fill gaps.
  • Modal filters: Bollards, planters, or curb extensions are simple yet powerful tools to improve cycling safety and comfort by limiting motor vehicle through-traffic on residential streets while still allowing access for people walking, biking, or using mobility devices. In Orléans, strategically placing modal filters on local collector roads could help create a network of low-stress cycling routes that link neighbourhoods to schools, parks, and transit stations. For example, filters on cut-through streets near Jeanne d’Arc, Avalon, or Queenswood Heights could discourage speeding and shortcutting, making these corridors safer and more inviting for everyday cycling. This approach, commonly used in bike-friendly cities like Vancouver, Montreal, and parts of the Netherlands, supports the creation of “quiet ways” or bicycle boulevards without requiring major reconstruction. The new explicit modal filter for bikes on Frank Bender is a great example that should go even further with explicit infrastructure.
  • Bridges/Underpasses: New crossings over barriers are key. A fully accessible cycling bridge or tunnel across Highway 174 would greatly improve north–south connectivity. Similarly, grade-separated bike crossings over the future LRT stations would ensure safe passage. Many of those useful crossings already have rights of way. For example, the storm sewer right of way between Voyageur and Youville.
  • Intersection and Crossing Upgrades: Install bike signals and enhanced crosswalks on major roads even where bike facilities aren’t fully deployed. The City’s Secondary Plan map includes considerations for this kind of safety project.
  • Neighbourhood Bikeways: Develop quiet‐street networks. Low-traffic local streets (e.g. in Fallingbrook and Avalon) can be designated as neighbourhood bikeways with signage and traffic calming. These should connect to the main routes and pathways so riders have low-stress short‐cut options.
  • Lighting and Amenities: Year-round cycling also means adequate street lighting, winter bike parking, and street-level wayfinding. Major routes should be lit, and community hubs (schools, parks) should have covered bike racks to encourage use in cold months. Lights in parks on paths and MUPs should also be a priority, it makes these spaces much safer at night for everyone who is trying to get around the community.

Many of these solutions are already identified in the City’s 2023 TMP. For example, bike lanes on Tompkins Ave, Duford Dr, Prestone Dr and Major Rd (to link Queenswood Heights and nearby schools) were explicitly approved to fill missing links, despite the project being stalled previously. Extending those ideas, this report suggests accelerating those projects and adding more new links. These high-comfort facilities will not only improve safety but, as advocates note, help grow cycling mode share by making bike travel “sufficiently efficient” that people will leave cars behind.

Suggested Projects (All-Year, High-Comfort Network)

  • Orléans Blvd Improvements: Complete a protected cycle track on Orléans Boulevard (four lanes/median road) from the Ottawa River Pathway all the way across Innes Road. Provide safe crossings at major intersections.
  • Jeanne d’Arc Corridor: Build continuous separated bike lanes or paths adjacent to Jeanne d’Arc from Trim Road near Petrie Island all the way until it becomes Mer Bleue Blvd, and on that stretch as well. This links a large number of communities in Orleans to local amenities, gets them close to LRT stations and other downtown-bound transit.
  • 174 Farm Easement Path: Build a MUP connecting Georges Etienne Cartier parkway to Jeanne d’Arc Blvd along the 174 highway. The community is in discussion with the city, NCC, and Orleans Fruit Farm to make this a possibility.
  • Innes Road Upgrades: Add protected lanes from Blackburn Hamlet through to Trim Road and take steps to reduce the number of entry/exit points along Innes Road.
  • Intersection Projects: Construct protected intersections at St. Joseph Blvd at Trim (for cyclists to Ottawa River Park Path), at Jeune-Laframboise (east side of Trim), and at Orléans Blvd/Limoges. Short-term treatments like bike signals and curb ramps should come first.
  • Winter Network Expansion: Commit to plowing key new bikeways in Orleans (such as the ones mentioned above) with the same standard as downtown. Install covered bike parking at transit hubs and maintain paths, even if on a lower standard than the rest of the network to start.

Each of these projects would close a “missing link” or eliminate a barrier, creating a continuous high-comfort network. In choosing priorities, the city should focus on projects that link major origins and destinations (schools, LRT stations, shopping, parks) and are feasible given right-of-way. For example, protected lanes on wide boulevards (Orléans Blvd, Trim) are high-impact and relatively straightforward, whereas new bridges or underpasses (though valuable) may require longer planning.

Key Recommendations

  • Implement all Year-Round High-Comfort Routes: Accelerate planned bike lanes in the transportation master plan, and add new protected lanes on major streets (Jeanne d’Arc, Orleans, Innes, St. Joseph). Build and pave new multi-use paths where possible, ensuring every community links to an arterial cycleway.
  • Remove Major Barriers: Provide at least one new grade-separated bike crossing over Hwy 174. Ensure the new Orleans LRT stations have safe bike overpasses or underpasses to surrounding streets.
  • Eliminate desire line: Pave over existing desire lines to increase walk- or bikeability for shorter trips.
  • Enhance Winter Cycling Maintenance: Expand Ottawa’s winter network plowing to include these new routes. Advertise cleared winter routes in Orléans to encourage ridership.
  • Connect to Transit and Recreation: Prioritize segments that feed transit (Park & Ride, LRT) and parks. For example, a complete cycle route from Orleans Boulevard north to Place d’Orléans station, and east to Petrie Island, should be built.
  • Safety Upgrades: Redesign busy intersections (with dedicated bike signals/kerbs) where multi-lane roads meet neighbourhood streets. Lower speed limits on key bike corridors as appropriate (30 km/h in residential collectors, 40 km/h on arterials through villages).
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Work with community associations (as Bike Ottawa does) to fine-tune route alignments. Conduct a winter network “push” to identify critical routes for plowing.
  • Monitoring: Install bicycle counters on new routes and survey usage to demonstrate success and guide further expansions (noting that Ottawa already collects data on several bikeways).

By pursuing these projects, the City would weave together Orléans’s isolated trails and side streets into a true all-season bike network. A fully connected, high-comfort grid will allow residents of Convent Glen, Orléans Wood, Fallingbrook, Chapel Hill, Avalon and Cardinal Creek to reach schools, parks, shopping centres and transit stations safely by bicycle year-round. In turn, this network will help achieve Ottawa’s broader goals of shifting trips to active modes (especially given recent growth in cycling), reducing congestion and improving public health.