NCC wants your feedback on Queen Elizabeth Driveway closure

The National Capital Commission (NCC) wants to hear from Ottawans about their experiences walking or cycling along the newly closed-off portions of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway (QED) during a pilot project this week aimed at helping residents keep their distance while stretching their legs during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Crown corporation announced last week that it would close off a stretch of the major Ottawa roadway between Laurier and Fifth avenues daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

This past Saturday marked the first day of the pilot project, which will continue until Sunday, April 26.

The NCC hasn’t committed to extending the partial closures past the coming weekend, saying the decision to keep the QED closed to motor vehicles will depend on how well rules for physical distancing are respected.

Public health officials and Mayor Jim Watson have expressed their concerns that opening up the scenic roadway and other streets in the city to pedestrians will encourage residents to flock to the site and, in doing so, disregard directives to stay home whenever possible.

The NCC has posted a survey asking anyone who has made use of the QED during the closures whether they think physical-distancing guidelines — that pedestrians should stay two metres apart from each other wherever possible — were respected by fellow users.

It also asks users how they arrived at the roadway and for the beginning of their postal code. The NCC said users who do not live in the surrounding areas of the QED should not travel to the site.

Also, this past weekend, the City of Ottawa closed off the two outer-curb lanes on the Bank Street Bridge over the Rideau Canal to motor vehicles to help pedestrians pass one another safely.