What Glebe residents think about Bank Street improvements
Glebe residents weigh in on how to improve Bank Street more than what the City has proposed.
What Glebe residents think about Bank Street improvements
A snapshot from the community survey
By Mark Redwood
If you’ve walked, biked, taken the bus or driven along Bank Street lately, you already know that change is coming.
Since 2023, the City of Ottawa has been studying how to improve Bank Street for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. After consultations, including a well-attended open house last September, a draft plan is now coming together. The plan focuses largely on incremental improvements – including peak-hour bus lanes – aimed at balancing traffic flow with safety and accessibility.
For many residents, though, the question remains: what else could make Bank Street safer, more comfortable and more welcoming, especially for people moving through the neighbourhood on foot or by bike?
To help answer that question, the Glebe Community Association’s Transportation Committee launched a rapid community survey this past November. The goal was simple: gather local feedback on a set of modest, practical ideas that could complement the City’s plan before the community submits its input.
The response was strong. In just one week, 268 residents completed the survey, and more than 100 people provided written comments – thoughtful, detailed reflections on everything from traffic flow to pedestrian safety to the future of transit in the Glebe.
Here are a few highlights from what we heard.
Strong support for safer walking and cycling connections
Despite the title of the City project – “Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study” – very little on active transportation has been retained. One clear takeaway from the survey is that many residents want safer, more continuous routes through the neighbourhood, especially around Lansdowne, one of the busiest and most complex areas for all road users.
Among the most positively viewed ideas was the creation of a safe cycling route through the Lansdowne site, helping riders avoid difficult stretches of Bank Street near Holmwood and connect more easily to existing cycling routes.
This reflects a broader theme in the survey responses – people are looking for practical ways to reduce conflict between different types of road users, especially in areas where space is tight and activity levels are high.
Safety measures matter – but opinions differ on how to achieve them
Many of the proposed improvements focused on pedestrian safety – things like clearer crossings, traffic calming and other design features that encourage slower driving in busy areas.
In general, these kinds of measures were well received. But the survey also showed that not every safety idea is universally popular.
For example, the proposal to install protective barriers or bollards beside bus lanes generated one of the most divided responses. Some residents see barriers as an important protection for pedestrians and cyclists; others worry about clutter, winter maintenance and impacts on traffic flow. In other words, even when residents agree on the goal – safer streets – they don’t always agree on the best way to get there.
Residents are engaged – and thoughtful
One of the most striking observations we had wasn’t tied to any single proposal. It was the depth of engagement. More than 100 written comments covered a wide range of perspectives. Some residents emphasized the importance of making walking and cycling safer, especially for families and older adults. Others stressed the need to keep traffic moving efficiently, particularly given growing congestion and major events at Lansdowne. Many people pointed out that they use Bank Street in multiple ways – as pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and drivers – depending on the day. That reality shaped much of the feedback: residents want a street that works well for everyone, not just for one group.
There was also a strong sense that Bank Street improvements shouldn’t be considered in isolation. Respondents mentioned neighbouring streets, neighbourhoods, transit reliability, enforcement of traffic rules and the broader impact of development and growth in the area.
What happens next?
The survey was not intended to settle every question about Bank Street. Instead, it provides a snapshot of community thinking at a moment when decisions are taking shape.
The GCA will use these results to help inform its submissions to the City as the Bank Street plan moves forward. It’s also a fact that the narrow breadth of the Bank Street corridor limits what is possible in the Glebe. As a result, many ideas won’t make it into the final design. The survey, however, helps to ensure that local voices remain part of the conversation.
For more insight into the work of the GCA on Transportation in our neighbourhood, please visit the website at https://glebeca.ca/traffic-committee/.
Mark Redwood is a member of the Glebe Community Association’s Transportation Committee.