Beginning this Sunday and continuing to Sept. 2, the National Capital Commission will be closing the parkways in the capital to motor vehicles and opening them up to other modes of transportation.
Whether someone cycles, skates, runs, walks or uses a mobility device, the NCC’s parkways will be open exclusively to them and closed off to cars until 1 p.m. Sundays.
The westbound lanes of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the south side of the Ottawa River, just west of the downtown core, from Booth Street to Carling Avenue.
Both lanes of Colonel By Drive will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the east side of the Rideau Canal, from Daly Street to the Hog’s Back Bridge.
Both lanes of the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway will be closed from 1 a.m. to 1 p.m. along the south side of the Ottawa River, just east of the downtown core, from the Aviation Parkway to St. Joseph Boulevard in Orléans.
New to the program this year, a special fast lane will be offered between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway for cyclists who would like to ride faster.
“Sunday bike rides are a tradition for many families in our community, and I am excited to join them this summer on the network of car-free routes supported by the NCC,” said MP Mona Fortier in a release. “The national capital region has so many sights to see, and I encourage everyone to get out on their bikes and enjoy everything our region has to offer.”
A bike clinic will be located on Colonel By Drive near Clegg Street and water stations will be located at Colonel By Drive near Rosedale Street, the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway at the Champlain Bridge parking lot entrance and on the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway on the corner of Airport-Marina Road.