Bank Street Active Transportation and Transit Priority Feasibility Study

For the past couple of years, city staff have been consulting with the public and working on plans to help improve transportation along Bank Street in the Glebe, looking especially at transit improvements, safety enhancement, as well as pedestrian and bicycling improvements.

At the time of writing this, staff have released a pilot project proposal to be reviewed and voted on by the city’s Public Works and Infrastructure Committee and City Council.

To improve transit service, staff are proposing

• Four small sections of 24/7 bus lanes in the curb lane, with cars using the middle lane.
• Peak-period transit only bus lanes. 
• A raised bike lane extension from the Bank Street bridge to Marché Way
• Pedestrian crosswalk improvements with ladder markings and tactile walking improvements for people who are visually impaired
• Bus advance light at Exhibition Way 
• Staff are also recommending that city transportation staff seek improvements to the O’Connor and Percy bicycle routes.

With these changes, 17 of the 143 parking spaces along Bank Street in the Glebe would be lost.  

Staff are proposing to implement these changes in 2027.

It has taken a lot to get to the point we’re at. This is a fairly significant change that is being proposed for Bank Street, but we are confident that these changes will improve the street.

Bank Street is a relatively narrow street for all the demands placed on it. It’s a commercial district, a residential street, a destination and an important transportation route. There was no single solution that would satisfy everyone, but this is a balanced plan. Importantly, because it is a pilot, the plan will be informed by data, and we will be able to make informed changes and improvements in the future.

Fourth Avenue Parking Limitations 

In recent years, we have been hearing about frustrations from residents, visitors and businesses about the parking time limits in the Glebe. Some streets have one-hour time limits, some two-hour and others three-hour limits. 

People are frustrated by how unpredictable the time limits are. Further, many feel the one-hour limits in some areas do not give enough time for guests, personal support workers or patrons to local businesses to park. 

Our office has been in discussions with residents, city staff, the Glebe Community Association and the Glebe BIA about addressing these concerns. 

To begin with, we have a motion going to the April Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting to extend the parking time limit on Fourth Avenue between Chrysler and Lyon Street South from one hour to two hours, similar to Clemow, Glebe, First and Second Avenue. 

We’ve been hearing about issues on this street and from Blessed Sacrament, and my staff and I knocked doors there in March to talk to people about this. 

If this is successful, we will have further discussions about other changes that may be needed in the neighbourhood.

Lansdowne 2.0 Update

With construction work beginning for the re-development of Lansdowne, this summer is going to look a lot different at the park. The Great Lawn is currently being used for a construction staging area, and it is scheduled to remain so until August 2028. When planning the construction schedule, city staff wanted to minimize the disruption on the Great Lawn, but with work on the new arena occurring there, it was unavoidable that the lawn would have to be closed for a period of time. 

Because of this, events that had been hosted on the Great Lawn in the past have been forced to find other locations. Last year, the Escapade Music Festival moved to the RA Centre, and we anticipate them returning there, this year. As well, we understand that CityFolk is looking at the RA Centre as a site for their festival. 

Rehabilitation work is also planned for the Aberdeen Pavilion. The schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, but staff anticipate the work to begin some time between July and September. The pavilion will be closed during construction. 

City staff at Lansdowne have begun discussions with the Ottawa Farmers’ Market and 613Flea to find alternate accommodation during the work on the Aberdeen Pavilion. Staff are looking at the Horticulture Building and outdoor spaces at the park as potential locations for these events. 

The project has also seen disruptions with the Ottawa Atleti forced to play a home playoff game in another city and the heavy truck traffic over the Bank Street Bridge and Wilton. We will continue to ensure transparency and accountability on this file. 

One-Time, One-Garbage Bag Drop-Off to Support Transition to New Collection Contract

Reminder: your curbside collection day may be changing starting March 30. To see if this impacts you, view your curbside waste collection calendar at ottawa.ca/CollectionCalendar or in the Ottawa Collection Calendar app for Apple or Android devices.

Your green bin will continue to be collected weekly. To support all curbside residents, operators will collect up to six garbage items on your scheduled garbage collection day between March 30 and April 24 (no yellow bags required!).

NEW! Some curbside residents of Capital Ward will experience a one-time period of longer than 17 days between garbage collections. To further support impacted residents of the following neighbourhoods Old Ottawa East and Old Ottawa South (map attached), Solid Waste Services is hosting a one-time, one bag garbage drop-off opportunity on Saturday, April 4, from 8:30 am to 11:30 am at Windsor Park (1 Windsor Avenue).

No bulky items or additional bags will be accepted. Proof of address may be required onsite

Thank you for continuing to use your green bin and recycling bins to reduce your waste.

Bank Street Renewal, Riverside Drive (Westbound) to Ledbury Avenue—Public Information Session

The City of Ottawa invites you to attend an upcoming public information session – open house to discuss a reconstruction project ongoing in your neighbourhood.

Through this session, the City of Ottawa will be presenting a construction update related to the Bank Street Renewal project—Phase 1. There will be information on the work completed in 2025, the winter work in 2026, as well as a look ahead to anticipated impacts throughout spring and summer of 2026.

Staff will be present to answer any questions and receive comments. There will not be a formal presentation at this open house. Please attend at your leisure.

In addition to this information session, residents can learn more by reviewing the online documents which will be posted at ottawa.ca/BankStreetRenewal following the event.

Your input is an important part of the process. Your feedback can be submitted on the project webpage, by email or by phone to the contact below by April 30, 2026.

Date and Time

Wed, Apr 15, 2026, 6:30pm to 8:30pm

RA Centre, Courtside B
2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa ON K1H 7X7

Your Capital Ward

Photo by Irene Shumada

If you have a photo you’d like to share in an upcoming bulletin, please send it to [email protected], with the subject line Your Capital Ward. Please give us your name for attribution…or tell us if you’d rather not have your name shared.

Spring “Big Collection” of Recyclables

Once again, the Glebe Community Association is partnering with the Enviro Crew of Old Ottawa South on a “big collection” event in Brewer Park. You can conveniently drop off unwanted household items—from bread bags and old socks to smart phones and plastic plant pots—so that they can be recycled, reused, or re-purposed. See the full list of what items are accepted here and start putting them aside!

Saturday, April 25
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 
Brewer Park at the corner of Cameron Ave and Seneca St 

For more information, contact: [email protected] or [email protected].

Ottawa Food Bank "Fill the Plates" Spring Food Drive

The Ottawa Food Bank's annual "Fill the Plates" Spring Food Drive is taking place on Saturday, March 28, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Loblaws Isabella (64 Isabella Street).

Volunteers will be on site at local grocery stores collecting non-perishable food items and financial donations to support families and individuals across our city. This spring, the Ottawa Food Bank's most needed items are cereal, oats, and canned tomatoes. Every contribution makes a difference in helping ensure everyone has access to good food this spring! More information about the food drive and other ways to give can be found here.

Saturday, March 28
10:00 am to 3:00 Ppm
Loblaws Isabella, 64 Isabella Street

Looking for Community Groups’ Input on the Pilot Extreme Weather Preparedness Grant Program

As we experience more extreme weather, one thing becomes increasingly clear: community matters.

The City’s Climate Adaptation Branch and the Office of Emergency Management are developing a pilot grant program to strengthen local emergency preparedness and we’re looking for input from community organizations. If you’re part of a community association, non-profit organization, social service provider, condominium board or faith-based group, please share your perspective by filling out this survey on Engage Ottawa.

This program was identified as a priority in Climate Ready Ottawa, the City’s Council-approved climate resilience strategy, to improve local community organizations’ capacity to better prepare for and respond to extreme weather events, as well as to help develop and implement local community emergency plans.

The survey is open until 5:00 pm on Friday, April 3.

For more information, see the City’s Office of Emergency Management Community Emergency Tool Kit and other emergency preparedness materials.  You can also contact them to organize a presentation to your community.

Individuals interested in helping local communities prepare for or recover from extreme weather events are encouraged to contact your local community association for opportunities to assist: Pilot Extreme Weather Preparedness Grant Program | Engage Ottawa.

Cleaning the Capital 2026 Spring Campaign

It’s been a long, cold and snowy winter, and we’re more than ready to welcome the first signs of spring. As the season shifts, we invite residents to join a citywide effort to keep our public spaces clean, green, and enjoyable for everyone. Registration for the Cleaning the Capital Spring campaign opens on March 27, with litter cleanup projects taking place across our city between April 15 and May 31.  

The online registration form is available on the Cleaning the Capital webpage. Residents are encouraged to check out the interactive map prior to registering to view the locations and dates of all registered cleanup projects in their communities. Participants can choose to clean public spaces such as parks and greenspaces, roadsides, shorelines, or even areas around bus stops.  

Key Spring campaign dates:  

Cleanup kits 

Cleanup kits, which include nitrile gloves and garbage bags, will be made available for pickup by registrants between April 2 and May 15 at fourteen City of Ottawa facilities across the city.    

City of Ottawa's Landscaping Education Guide

As of March 1st, hardscaping contractors are now required to be licensed and provide an electronic or printed copy of this guide to residents with their landscaping contracts. An email has been sent to all contractors with a copy of the guide.

You can download the guide at the following link:

• English Version: Landscaping Education Guide

These guides can also be found on the city's Landscaping webpage at ottawa.ca/landscaping.