There’s a multi-million dollar expansion of the bike paths around the Ottawa River in the works - one that not many people know about.
The 1.2 kilometre extension from the Ottawa River along the O-Train tracks to Young Street (just south of the Queensway) will be finished in a few weeks at a cost of over $3 million.
It’s a project many in Ottawa’s cycling community said they didn’t know was happening.
“I thought it was a water protection thing,” said Susan Fisher.
“I had no idea, I thought you were talking about the fence here and I thought it was a snow fence,” said Jaynee Crook.
“I was only guessing that it was a walkway for people using the O-Train,” said Sharon Beauvais.
Blair Williams said the multi-purpose pathway will give her a better way to walk with her two-month-old son.
“I like that you can go all the way to the Ottawa River parkway and there are no cars,” she said. “It's better for the dog and better for the baby.”
Frank Nicastro’s deli is along the new pathway and said he has safety concerns about the area, which is littered with broken bottles, clothes and used condoms.
“I spoke to one of the engineers and they say they're trying to clean it up, if you put lighting and you spend money you're going to keep the bad people away,” he said.
“But $2.9 million to do that, we could've hired a security guard.”
Nicastro said the fact a tunnel was dug under the Somerset Street bridge makes him question whether the price tag was worth it.
“It just seems when major projects happen only a few people know about it,” he said. “I think the money could have been spent better.”
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s John Hua
