It’s hard to believe that such an idyllic scene is also the epicentre of some condo-board brouhaha about the Laurier bike lane and parking.
Recently, the media has reported that a condo owner at 556 Laurier is doing her own “bike counts” to validate her parking concerns. She represents “thousands” of concerned residents who mourn the loss of their free on-street parking arrangements from the past in front of their building.
Let’s say that again. Free parking provided by the city. On city land. City.
At 556 Laurier, you’ll see her “traffic cam” tripod set up just a few stories up. It records the movement of bicycles during part of the day unlike the actual bike traffic counters which measure bicycle traffic 24/7. With her “traffic cam”, she is attempting to prove that there is not enough bike traffic to justify the bike lane on her block. If the lane was removed, they’d gain back 13 parking spaces on that block of Laurier that front her building.
The burning issue: Visitor and Service parking
- Condo owners say they need more parking for visitors
- Condo owners say that service vehicles have difficulty finding parking
- Visitors now need to use off-street visitor parking provided by the condos or they need to park around the corner on Gloucester or Nepean.
Parking on Laurier/Percy block – in real (not made up) numbers:
According to a Downtown Moves slide that illustrated off-street parking in downtown Ottawa, we know the following off-street parking exists:
- 262 spots for Kevlee Tower (556 Laurier) and The Laurier (570 Laurier)
- 477 spots at Queen Elizabeth Towers
The real changes to on-street parking for the Laurier Bike Lane:
There may not be free parking at the entrance to 556 Laurier now, but no on-street parking was effectively lost for those residents. Prior to the bike lane, this stretch of Laurier had 13 on-street spaces. This block GAINED an on-street parking spot thanks to the Laurier Bike Lane. When parking was removed on Laurier, 7 spots were added to both Gloucester and Nepean. Total 14 spots. These spaces are free every day. All day.
Conclusion
The condo boards don’t have a parking problem. They have a communications problem. Please tell your visitors and service people where they can find free parking. Problem solved.
