Portion of Bank Street in Ottawa closing to vehicles on Saturdays starting July 11

A section of Bank Street in downtown Ottawa will close off to vehicle traffic on Saturdays this summer in an effort to give pedestrians more space to maintain their distance and boost foot traffic for businesses on the strip.

The Bank Street Business Improvement Area (BIA) announced Wednesday morning that it has arranged a plan to close off the downtown Ottawa roadway between Flora and Queen streets to motor vehicles. The BIA later tweeted the closures will extend south to Catherine Street by Highway 417.

The closures will happen every Saturday starting July 11 from 9 a.m. to midnight. The pilot project will continue until Aug. 8, at which point the BIA said it will re-evaluate how the closures have worked.

The BIA said in a statement it has worked with the City of Ottawa to establish temporary loading zones along the side streets off Bank for businesses that need them for pickups and curbside service.

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OC Transpo bus routes will be altered to accommodate the change, but details have not been shared yet.

2:29 Downtown Kelowna merchants upset they were not consulted about road closure

The BIA said it has been soliciting feedback from both Centretown residents and Bank Street businesses during the novel coronavirus pandemic, and has heard a demand from pedestrians and cyclists for more space to physically distance amid the area’s often-narrow sidewalks.

The debate over closing roads during the pandemic has turned bitter in other areas of Ottawa, leading to rifts at city council and standoffs between some business owners and advocates for active transportation.

But the Bank Street BIA said it sees closing streets as a win-win for pedestrians and businesses alike.

“By opening Bank Street to the greatest number of people, we hope that foot traffic into businesses will increase, and at the same time, give more space to customers and clients to safely wander Bank Street.”

Officials also announced this past week that nearby Somerset Street between Bank and O’Connor streets will be closed on weekends this summer, allowing restaurants to expand their patios into the road.