NEW: Changes to truck routes in Manotick
Scroll down further on this page to read all the details in our FAQ section.
OTTAWA, ON (October 21, 2024): I am pleased to inform the community that, thanks to the persistent activism of concerned residents, engagement of community groups, support of businesses, and cooperation from the Mayor, we have secured two major victories for the village.
Starting this week, Manotick Main between Bridge Street and Century Road will be removed from the City’s truck route network for the majority of the year.
In addition, the City will be conducting a truck route review in the south end of the City; this review will identify options for removing Bridge Street from the truck route network.
These changes were made possible through close collaboration between the Mayor and I.
“There is nothing more important than the safety of our residents. After many concerns have been raised by the people of Manotick, I'm pleased to see that we're making significant progress on reducing truck traffic in the village,” said Mayor Sutcliffe.
“As I promised during the last election, and in meetings with community leaders and residents, I will continue to work with Councillor Brown to find solutions that improve the safety and quality of life for Manotick residents.”
I have prioritized getting trucks out of Manotick, just as I promised during the election, and with these two victories, we are closer to realizing a vision of a safer community free of heavy truck through traffic.
I have been proud to be your Councillor and continue to work hard for the residents of Manotick. Although I have been in this role for less than 2 years, we have made many incremental gains in reducing truck traffic in the village. These two changes announced today are the most significant so far, and they will help enable much more substantial changes into the long term.
For more information on the route changes, the truck route review, and what this all means for Manotick, please read the below FAQs.
FAQs – Manotick Main Truck Route Changes
What do the changes on Manotick Main Street entail?
Signage will be added at the intersection of Bridge and Main and Century and Main/Rideau Valley Drive prohibiting truck traffic from going north or south on Manotick Main between Bridge and Century.
This removal of truck traffic will occur on a seasonal basis. Trucks will be permitted to operate on Manotick Main Street between March 1st and May 15th annually; for the rest of the year, they will not be permitted.
The signs will be changed annually to reflect when trucks are and are not permitted on Manotick Main.
See below for what the signs in the village look like:
Why is the change only seasonal?
The reason for this is that during the freeze-thaw cycles that occur during the spring, some truck routes in the area (most notably Century Road) are not able to accommodate heavy trucks due to the damage that they cause to roads that do not have a subsurface that can accommodate. Permitting trucks on Manotick Main during about 10 weeks of the year was a compromise that had to be made to get them off of main during the other 42 weeks.
Once Century Road can be brought into the full-load portion of the truck route network, I believe I will be in a position to work with City staff make the restriction on Manotick Main into a year-round prohibition.
Will there be any trucks permitted on Manotick Main when the prohibitive signs are up?
Generally speaking, trucks are allowed to deviate from the truck route network when they are leaving from their point of origin or arriving at their final destination so long as they take the shortest deviation possible. Practically, this does mean that there will be some trucks permitted on Manotick Main, but for most of the year, it will be very limited compared to the kinds of traffic volumes that we have observed in recent years through the village core.
An example of permitted traffic would be trucks that are making local deliveries (such as to the grocery store). They will still be permitted on Manotick Main at all times of the year.
What should I do if I see a heavy truck on Manotick Main
Trucking companies have been informed of the impending change and should be prepared to abide by the new route changes.
If residents do see trucks on Manotick Main during the times of the year when this kind of traffic is prohibited, they are encouraged to call 3-1-1 and provide as many details about the truck as possible so that City staff can investigate If the truck was there improperly and notify the trucking companies. Enforcement of the rules of the road generally falls to the police, so if there are persistent issues, the OPS can be informed via a non-emergency report.
Please note that my office does not have the legal authority to direct by-law or the police in the exercise of their duties, nor can we file reports with 3-1-1 or the police on behalf of residents for these kinds of issues.
How did this change come about and what took so long?
If this challenge were simple to solve, one of my predecessors would have surely solved it. The fact is, there had been no progress on this file in decades. Much like a car would be difficult to start if you left it sitting in the driveway for 20 years, so too has it been difficult to secure the willingness of the City to move quickly on this matter.
It’s important to understand that the incremental progress that has been made as a result of quiet, behind the scenes work has enabled the successes that we’ve seen in the last two years.
Below is a timeline that outlines some key moments in the last few years:
The reason why we are having success now when there was so little success before comes down to a few key factors. First, I have made this a top priority, as I will continue to do until the matter is resolved to the community’s satisfaction. Next, the Mayor’s office was very supportive of finding solutions. Finally, we have settled on an approach that favours results above all else.
That last point is important. I could be in the media all the time railing against the unfairness that Manotick faces with respect to the burden of heavy trucks. I could be organizing rallies and protests in the community, holding public meetings, or otherwise channeling the community’s well-justified frustration into the problem. The issue with that approach though is that it has been tried and it did not succeed in bringing about change.
What has brought about change has been my efforts to work with the Mayor, fostering a positive relationship rooted in trust, respect, and shared goals. Moreover, working collaboratively with City staff has helped move the needle internally. Where City staff were initially my biggest obstacle, they are now working actively with me toward solutions. And I have been focused on achievable interim measures that get us closer and closer to our ultimate goal of the full removal of trucks from Manotick.
This kind of work is often hard to share with the community. It’s hard to communicate about the dozens of meetings my office and I have had with folks throughout the City and the community to try to bring about positive change. It doesn’t make for a flashy newsletter update to say that I persuaded staff to conduct additional core sampling of certain roads to expand relief options that help get trucks out of the village. It isn’t easy to sell the idea that while the community continues to wait, I am still fighting for them behind the scenes.
The “sausage making” of government isn’t sexy. But with persistence and dedication, we can get things done.
The community has been patient for decades waiting for progress on this file. Finally, after so many years, we are seeing some movement. While there is still much more to do, we have a winning formula. I will continue fighting until heavy trucks are finally removed from the village.
What are the next steps?
This change is a major step in the right direction, but we still have a ways to go to bring this issue to a satisfactory conclusion.
Staff have told me that Manotick Main can be fully removed from the truck route network once Century Road is able to manage full truck loads all year round. That will require investment from the City. I am working to secure that investment as a priority for the village.
Additionally, the biggest issue remains Bridge Street. As I have explained in the past, there is not as of yet enough political support at Council or support of City staff to remove Bridge Street from the truck route network unless alternative routes can be identified. Like many in the community, I find this explanation frustrating as, in my view, the Vimy Bridge is a perfectly appropriate alternate route, but it is nonetheless this is the political reality that we find ourselves in.
The truck route review that we have secured will provide us with the ability to identify new routes for trucks, develop any necessary infrastructure, and finally remove Bridge Street from the truck route network, providing relief for the village.
FAQs – Truck Route Review
What is a truck route review and why is it necessary?
A truck route review is a process through which network efficiencies and deficiencies can be identified. Traffic volumes are reviewed, including for heavy trucks, and comprehensive origin-destination surveys will be done to definitively identify where the trucks are coming from, where they are going, and how we can get them there more efficiently and with fewer impacts on local residents. In essence, it is a dedicated effort from the City to identify problems and develop solutions.
Though my preference would be to unilaterally remove Bridge Street from the truck route right now, I unfortunately do not have the support of staff or my Council colleagues at this time to bring that forward. Last year, I submitted an inquiry to the City asking staff to identify what would be necessary to remove Bridge Street from the truck route network. I wanted City staff to commit to one specific solution so that I could channel my energies into accomplishing that solution. You can read my inquiry and the response from staff here.
Staff answered that a truck route review of the south end of Ottawa would be necessary to identify what infrastructure investments would be needed to remove trucks from Bridge Street. The argument from City staff is that, as Bridge Street is one of very few connections across the Rideau River in the south end of the City, it cannot be changed without first identifying solutions for where those trucks will go instead.
Put simply: the truck route review is a vital step toward removing trucks from Manotick once and for all.
What are the specific details of the review?
In response to my inquiry last year, staff engaged with engineering consulting companies with specializations in traffic and transportation planning with a study focusing on the below area as its study area:
As part of the proposals that the City solicited last year in reply to my inquiry, proponents were asked to outline the level of effort and budget required to do the following:
1. Complete a comprehensive truck network review that includes:
Identifying existing network efficiencies and deficiencies;
Reviewing existing and collecting new traffic volumes including heavy vehicle volumes and completing an Origin and Destination Survey in the area;
Reviewing future traffic growth modeling, based on the City’s Official and Transportation Master Plans;
Analyzing structural and roadway network suitability;
Evaluating adjacent land use and impacts to surrounding communities;
Determining whether truck route network modifications are required; and,
Developing an alternative truck route network if supported by review findings.
2. Engage with the public and with stakeholders to garner feedback and support.
It is my expectation that the area covered in the review will largely cohere with the above map and the review will broadly include the details listed about. That being said, the specific scope of the project is yet to be confirmed. Once it is, I will share it with the community.
What is the timeline for its completion?
Based on the proposal submissions in response to my inquiry, the timeline to complete this project is estimated to be within 12 to 18 months. The project requires approximately 1,300 hours of professional services such as stakeholder consultation, data collection and engineering services. Moreover, it is estimated that there would be approximately 650 hours of City staff time allocated to project administration and management.
My understanding is that the review will be initiated sometime in 2025 and completed in 2026 with results circulated either that same year or in early 2027.
Will the community have an opportunity to contribute to the review?
Yes; the community will be engaged to garner feedback and support for the proposed changes and efficiencies identified through the review.
What are the next steps?
I will be working with community partners to feed into the truck route review so that the community’s voice is heard loud and clear and Manotick’s interests are respected through the process. This is an important opportunity for the village, the first truck route review since amalgamation, and I will not let it pass us by.
In the coming months, I plan to coordinate with community partners and the Mayor’s office on a strategy that will help focus our energy completely toward achieving the outcome of removing heavy truck traffic from Manotick.