O'Connor suggested as site of next dedicated bike lane

Councillor Diane Holmes said O'Connor Street could be the site of the city's next segregated bike lane, creating a north-south link with Laurier's dedicated lanes.

The city has said it is encouraged by how cyclists have taken to the Laurier Avenue corridor since the segregated lanes were installed as part of a $1.3 million pilot project.

Holmes said O'Connor is a logical next connection and said a bike lane could travel south from Laurier, under the Queensway, and continue on O'Connor in the Glebe neighbourhood.

"We do need a cycling system. We can't just have lanes that go nowhere to nowhere," said Holmes.

Holmes said she hopes if the city does put a lane there that they learn lessons from the Laurier Avenue pilot project and not take away visitor parking or put bollards or other barriers in front of residential entrances.

O'Connor Street corner storeowner Ali Syed said he worries segregated lanes will hurt his business.

"Bike lane is killing the business," said Syed. "It's like the same thing on Laurier... I have a friend and he's crying because [there is] no business. But he doesn't have any support from the city."

Clark suggests extending Laurier lanes east

Councillor Peter Clark said he thinks the city should continue building the Laurier corridor before it considers other streets.

He suggests extending the Laurier lanes east of the University of Ottawa to Strathcona Park and onto the proposed bridge over the Rideau River that would connect to Donald Street. From the bridge bicycles could then connect to the National Capital Commission bike paths, he said.

"It will be a solid link east west," said Clark. "I think we need to set some priorities and we build the sold link before we start building the tributaries."

Whether O'Connor or any other street gets more bike lanes will be in part determined by the city's budget over the next few years.