Message from Peter Hume – May 2011
Click to open -> National Defence Medical Centre Development
VISTAS – April 2011
Posted April 7, 2011 by RPCA Communications
Article: The Hospital Link Road – A Step in the Wrong Directions?
To read the article click here -> Vistas Article April 2011
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AVTC – 2011 Ottawa Budget Vote Results
Posted March 8, 2011 by RPCA Communications
Today at City Hall Council voted on the Alta Vista Hospital Link budget with a vote of 21 in support and 3 against the project (Councillors Homes, Chernushenko, Fleury).
Councillor Diane Holmes voiced her concerns about the project. “Certainly the people who live in my ward… are very concerned about the Alta Vista Parkway.” She pointed out that people are concerned that it’s only the first phase of a larger project. A number of us spoke out against the project during the budget consultation on March 3rd.
Councillor Holmes registered her dissent and called for a vote on this item. Councillors Chernushenko and Fleury also registered their dissent (all others Councillors and the Mayor voted in favour of the first phase of the Alta Vista Corridor). Councillor David Chernushenko mentioned the Alta Vista Corridor and the importance of transit in his closing comments.
During the public consultations, Mayor Watson said he does not support constructing the entire road — just the first phase.
We are disappointed that all our efforts to have the Alta Vista hospital link removed from the City budget did not get the result for which we were hoping. While this is a setback, we are not giving up by any means – we will continue to work to get it removed from the Transportation Master Plan – and we hope you will continue to work with us.
We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thanks everyone who contributed time, effort and thought into this short but incredibly vibrant campaign. You were all terrific. We have not only forged new friendships within our community but we have also strengthened our connections with other community associations in Ottawa.
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850 Signatures Collected for the NoRoad Petition and Delivered to City Hall
Posted March 7, 2011 by RPCA Communications
A big THANK YOU to all who took the time to sign the NoRoad petition. We have 850 signatures on the online and paper versions. The petition was delivered to Mayor Watson and Council on Monday morning, March 7th prior to this week’s deliberation of the 2011 budget.
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AVTC to Actually Cost $65 Million
Posted March 4, 2011 by RPCA Communications
NEWS FLASH: From the Budget 2011 Ottawa meeting held at city hall on March 3rd:
The $55 million for the project is “new money”. $10M had been allocated in previous years of which $7.1 million has yet to be spent. Therefore, the total forecasted costs for the project are $65 million.
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AVTC a City Wide Issue
Posted March 3, 2011 by RPCA Communications
The City Centre Coalition opposes the Alta Vista Corridor. The CCC is a coalition of 11 community organizations focused on transportation issues in Ottawa.
To see the City Centre Coalition’s March 2, 2011 letter to your elected representatives – click this link -> CCC on AVC-2011 Budget
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Residents Protest Against $55 million AVTC
Posted March 3, 2011 by RPCA Communications
This week residents protested on Alta Vista Drive at the location of the planned road (near the hydro lines between Cluny & Valour Dr). The weather was cold but spirits high as we held our signs and waved at the passing drivers. There were many honks and thumbs up from the drivers as they drove by.
If you have not already done so, please sign the petition at: www.NoRoad.ca
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Why your Councillor should vote against the AVTC
Posted March 2, 2011 by RPCA Communications
Here are the top 6 reasons why your Councillor should vote against the AVTC (click link below)
Posted February 23, 2011 by RPCA Communications
What do YOU think about the $55 million AVTC Hospital Link road?
Please sign the petition – Stop the $55 million 1.2 km first phase of the Alta Vista Corridor road http://www.noroad.ca
Media coverage on the $55M project:
Alta Vista link drawing critics Opposition to proposed $55M road grows, Maria Cook Ottawa Citizen, Feb.27, 2011 http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Alta+Vista+link+drawing+critics/4356444/story.html
Residents Launch Petition Against Alta Vista Road, David Reevely Ottawa Citizen, Feb.22, 2011 http://communities.canada.com/ottawacitizen/blogs/greaterottawa/archive/2011/02/22/residents-launch-petition-against-alta-vista-road.aspx
CTVOttawa – lead in story on news at 6 PM, Feb.22, 2011 http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110222/OTT_alta_vista_corridor_110222/20110222/?hub=OttawaHome
Spacing Ottawa article on Hospital Link road, March 4, 2011: http://spacing.ca/ottawa/2011/03/04/back-to-the-60s-council-votes-on-retro-road-for-southeast-commuters/
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Alta Vista Road Update Feb 18, 2011
Posted February 18, 2011 by keystone1
Over 30 residents from Ward 18 met with our Councillor Peter Hume last night to discuss the budget proposals. Needless to say the hot topic was the AVTC. He was not encouraging. In fact, he clearly stated that “this has passed and it is a fait accompli and we should just accept it”. However, This, however, is not the case. Yes the AVTC proposal is being recommended by the Transportation Committee (in spite of community efforts) but the final budget deliberations will take place the first week of March.
Furthermore, in Mr. Hume is continuing to insist that this road needs to be built to support the hospital expansion and the planned 700 high density housing units to be built on the NDMC lands. However a) the hospital has not ever (including in the EA), indicated any interested or support for this road and b) the NDMC land will not be developed until sometime after 2022 (or “not for at least another 30 years” as quoted by Mr. Hume on Ken Grays blog). Hence we will wonder why the push to develop this road now?
If you are interested in expressing your thoughts on this issue, please turn out at the Budget consultation night 3 March 2011 at 19:00 at City Hall.
In the meantime, please write, call or email your Councillor and the Mayor. Unless there is a groundswell of angry voices, nothing will happen
Karin Keyes Endemann
President Riverview Park Community Association
SPEAK out About the Loss of our Woods
Posted February 15, 2011 by keystone1
Join our facebook page: Friends of the Alta Vista Greenspace:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_135231823210919&ap=1
Sign the online petition: www.NoRoad.ca
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City budget calls for a 2-4 lane “55 $m parkway” through our woods (documents attached)
The draft January 2011 City budget has allocated the first part of a $55 million project to construct the controversial 1.2 km Alta Vista Transportation Corridor (AVTC) arterial road linking the General Hospital ring road to Riverside Drive…. Read on to find out how this will affect our community
This will be one of the most expensive roads in Canada – costing almost $46 million per kilometre, which is twice as expensive (per kilometre) to build than it cost to widen the multi-lane 401 through greater Toronto and about eight times more expensive (per kilometre) than it cost to twin the mountain-bound Sea-to-Sky highway for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. While the current City plans are for a two-lane road, the full build-out of the AVTC would see the road expanded to four lanes.
Our community does not believe this expenditure is warranted in these times of fiscal restraint. The $55 million could be more effectively used on projects to make necessary repairs to existing bridges and roads around the City– many of which have previously been postponed due to lack of funds.
Many Riverview Park community residents are stunned by this expenditure in this time of fiscal restraint….read on to find out what you can do…….
Press Release: RPCA Press Release – AVTC – 1Feb11
Background Information: Backgrounder 2 Feb 2011
Preliminary Design Plan: Hospital Link Preliminary Design Plan – Fig6
So what can you do?
If you would like to express your views about this new development in our neighbourhood you can write to our Councillor, Peter Hume at peter.hume@ottawa.ca, Mayor Jim Watston at jim.watson@ottawa.ca or the RPCA at info@riverviewpark.ca. You may also want to tell your friends and colleagues to write their Councillors as well, since any money for the AVTC comes at the expense of more worthy projects around the City.
You are also encouraged to send your views directly to the eight members of the Transportation Committee who will be hearing budget submissions in early February. Committee members are Marianne Wilkinson (Chair) and Councillors Rainer Bloess, David Chernushenko, Peter Clark, Diane Deans, Mathieu Fleury, Scott Moffatt, Bob Monette, Doug Thompson and Tim Tierney (for their points of contact, please refer to the “Useful Links and Contacts” section on this website).
Welcome to Riverview Park, Ottawa, Ontario 