New bridge is great, users say — but Gatineau side's layout is not

UPDATE | On Wednesday, Aug. 9, the City of Gatineau said it is working with the National Capital Commission and "discussions are being pursued" to implement appropriate signage for users of the Voyageurs Pathway.  

The newly-opened Chief William Commanda Bridge connecting Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., was packed with first-time visitors this long weekend, with several ooh-ing and ah-ing at the pedestrianized former Ottawa River rail crossing.

"Nice and wide," said Ottawa resident Mike Johansen. "Very calming."

"Neat to see a different perspective that we've never seen before," Johansen's riding companion Andrea Ryan added. 

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, an avid runner, gave his own review Saturday, one day after he announced the crossing's eagerly-anticipated opening. 

"Spectacular views of the river and downtown," he wrote on social media. 

But some users have concerns about the T-junction at the Voyageurs Pathway that awaits cyclists, runners and pedestrians who exit the bridge on the Gatineau side. 

"It's a little bit of a recipe for disaster," said cyclist Michèle Ménard-Foster.

While there's a stop sign on a pole facing users exiting the bridge, there isn't one for people headed east or west on the Voyageurs Pathway.

That's resulting in congestion that poses a safety risk, she said. 

Needs more signage

"People coming across their first time, they're not sure where they're going, so they have to make some quick decisions," Ménard-Foster said.

"It would be ideal if it was a three-way stop with lots more signage, especially for cyclists to be patient and give pedestrians priority, which is often something that I see on bike paths."

Gatineau cyclist Pierre Duguay called the new bridge "fantastic" Sunday morning, but echoed Ménard-Foster's concerns about the intersection.

"There's too [many] people so [it] could be dangerous. But they will fix it," Duguay said, noting that traffic will likely calm down once the fervour over the new bridge fades. 

There are painted red stop signs on the pathway's surface, but they're chipped and faded. Riders rolled through both them and the bridge's stop sign on Sunday. 

Some bridge users also pooled by the exit or in the middle of the pathway, adding to the congestion. 

"Maybe [install] real stop signs," suggested Ryan, when asked what improvements could be made. "[People] might not stop, but at least they'll slow down, have a look, maybe."

Cross the new multi-use bridge from Ottawa to Gatineau

1 year ago

Duration 0:34

The Chief William Commanda Bridge opened to pedestrians and cyclists Sunday.

'It's very narrow here'

Ménard-Foster said she witnessed "many, many" near-collisions. 

"It's very narrow here too on the Gatineau bike path, so not much room to react and move aside," she said. 

Once she got off the bridge, Ménard-Foster crossed over to the opposite side of the pathway — a dead end filled with crushed rock, but a refuge for cyclists trying to figure out where to head next.

"Thank goodness this is here," she said. "Because otherwise it would be a bit of a chaotic situation."