Ottawa residents need to stop the constant whining about traffic congestion that is generated by construction across the city.
If we want better and safer roads – as we constantly say we do – we must learn to accept the inconvenience that comes with road reconstruction. We cannot have one without the other.
The latest flashpoint is lane closures and detours on the Queensway, where Stage 2 LRT construction near Pinecrest and highway remedial work have combined to trigger anger and frustration over delays and cut-through traffic in some neighbourhoods. It is the same with Bank Street renewal.
Yes, road reconstruction can be disruptive to everyday lives. The road closures, lane reductions, lost parking and detours can be irritating for commuters and devastating for small businesses that lose customers. We have all been caught in traffic bottlenecks, cursing silently, and wondering when the madness will end. So, people are right to voice their frustrations and demand remedies where possible. But the problem with Ottawa is that complaining has become something of a pastime.
We are the same people who complain endlessly about crumbling roads and bridges that are never fixed. We also want LRT extended to all parts of the city, but all that construction comes with social and economic disruption.
We cannot say we want bad roads fixed, aging sewers rebuilt, and new transit lines constructed, and in the same breath, complain about the inconvenience when the job is being done. Road reconstruction is inconvenient because it comes, unavoidably, with massive digging, tons of dirt, road closures, detours and, inevitably, traffic congestion.
Folks have to understand that reconstructing a major road, which often includes renewal of aging sewers and water mains, takes time and money. Remember when we rushed and cut corners building LRT Line 1? The result is the mess we have today. Frustration about road construction will not be ending anytime soon. This year, the city plans to spend nearly $700 million on construction projects, including road widening and improvements, but it is not as if government does nothing to mitigate the inconvenience. Contractors often work at night when there is less traffic, and also on weekends, to make it easier for commuters. But the complaints never stop.
Deep down, we know the reconstruction is for our own good. As Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says, there is often a price to pay for the good things we want. “I hear from residents all the time that they want better roads and sidewalks, they want to see wider roads … It means we have got to close down some roads and repave them; we have got to close down some roads to expand them, close down some lanes to fix them up … The result will be much better road infrastructure for residents,” he said at the launch of the city’s summer construction season. True enough.
So let us stop complaining and adapt. Plan ahead. Build extra time into your commutes, and if possible, walk your kids to school to keep them safe. The temporary inconvenience from traffic disruptions during road reconstruction is not too high a price to pay for the good roads and transit we will get in return.
Mohammed Adam is an Ottawa journalist and commentator. Reach him at nylamiles48@gmail.com
