BIA endorses roundabout, Monette not on board

On Monday, Feb. 1 the local business organization voted to endorse the plan. The city’s transportation committee, meanwhile, approved the plan on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

Orléans Chamber of Commerce executive director Peter Stewart said the BIA still likes the proposal.

Based on feed back from the open house and comments the city has received, Stewart added members of the BIA still feel it’s a good project.

Orléans Coun. Bob Monette, however, said he voted against the roundabout at the recent BIA meeting.

He noted of the correspondence he received, 25 residents were against the roundabout, two were in favour and three wanted to hear more about the feature.

The problem, Monette said, is that the St. Joseph and Jeanne d’Arc intersection is one of the busiest in Orléans. People don’t think it’s the right location for such a traffic feature, he continued, and there’s a belief the money could be used to do something different on St. Joseph Boulevard.

The tricky part is that with the BIA endorsement alongside one from city staff, Monette said it might be difficult to convince his colleagues around the council table to vote against the proposal.

It could be especially tough because Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder is a proponent of the traffic feature. Once vehemently opposed to roundabouts, the west-end councillor changed her mind after one was installed in her ward.

In an earlier interview with the Orleans Star, Harder called roundabouts “a real success story,” noting the one in her community has “worked extremely well.”

Harder indicated she believes a roundabout on St. Joseph Boulevard would not only define the business district and act as a gateway to the community, it would also keep traffic moving and bring the community together. In the end, she urged Orléans to “take a chance” on one.

The roundabout proposal is part of the larger streetscaping initiative intended to revitalize the area. Money for the project, estimated to cost between $1.5 million to $1.8 million, will come from the $2.5 million federal infrastructure money earmarked for streetscaping in Orléans.

The timeframe for making a decision is of the essence because, under the funding program, work on the project has to be completed by March 2011. Any money spent after that date will no longer be split between the province and feds, said Rock Fortier, a senior engineer with the City of Ottawa.