City’s Vanier Road study ‘top secret’

A long-awaited study which could contribute in dramatically re-shaping Vanier Road remains private.

Despite a request under the Access to Information Act by the Bulletin, the city refused to divulge its traffic and planning study for Vanier Road.

The city cited article 39 of the information act, which allows keeping a study confidential until there’s a decision on its use – or until five years have passed without any decision.

The study was completed a dozen months ago by companies CIMA+S.E.N.C.  The $50,600 contract was to complete the study analyzing Vanier Road between Mountain Road and the Ottawa River; this was competed in May 2015, but the city is still keeping it under wraps.

The study was necessary since Vanier Road has become an important north-south artery, with traffic considerably increased around the Vanier Road - Allumettières Boulevard intersection. The four corners are now occupied by a dozen businesses, with more retail space under construction. A bank and another coffee shop are expected in a new shopping area north of Allumettières and east of Vanier.

Two-year-old petition

In the summer of 2014, 200 residents petitioned the city to improve Vanier Road and reduce its speed limit. The city had told Gérard Lajoie, who organized the petition, that the traffic study was underway; almost two years since tabling the petition, Mr. Lajoie and residents still have not seen the results of the study. They are wondering, what’s the secret?