By Penny Thompson, Ottawa Citizen, April 11, 2019
On the heels of a recent line item in the 2019 federal budget reviving the Kettle Island bridge debate, there should be a lot of questions and concerns from those of us who live in the Rideau-Rockcliffe ward.
As a Manor Park resident, I have fought against the Kettle Island Bridge option since it was first identified as the preferred corridor in 2008, and thought we put the issue to bed in 2013 when then-MPP Madeleine Meilleur and the Ontario government at the time agreed with communities and pushed the reset button. They said no to a bridge proposal that would cross at Kettle Island and make use of the Aviation Parkway to connect bridge traffic with Highway 417. The Kettle Island corridor is heavily populated and a bridge would result in the most harmful negative impacts on the health, safety and the quality of life of residents
(...)Instead, we must continue to invest in public transit networks, by building commuter infrastructure between Ottawa and Gatineau with shared-use lanes for transit, cycling and walking. When we think about reducing congestion and alleviating safety concerns on our roads, we must think to the future – and the future is public transit..
https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/thompson-building-another-bridge-wont-solve-the-downtown-truck-issue