Chief William Commanda Bridge popular with active transportation users
Thousands of people walked, jogged and cycled across the William Commanda Bridge during its opening weekend.
The new multi-use pathway connecting Ottawa and Gatineau over the Ottawa River opened to the public on Friday, Aug. 4.
New statistics from the city of Ottawa show almost 30,000 crossings on the Chief William Commanda Bridge in its first week.
"During the first weekend the bridge was open for use, the City recorded approximately 7,500 people crossing per day," the city said.
"While most people crossed as cyclists, thousands of pedestrians also walked across, along with people using mobility devices, electric scooters, and skateboards."
The city notes the automatic counter is located towards the north side of Lemieux Island, and only counts people who are crossing the north span of the William Commanda Bridge. People who crossed the southern span between Ottawa and Lemieux Island and turned around are not included in the stats, according to the city.
The bridge just west of downtown Ottawa, built in 1880 as a railway link, hasn’t been in service since 2001. The city bought it from Canadian Pacific Railway in 2005.
The $22.6 million project included construction of a new timber deck on top of the existing rail track ties, installation of steel cable railing system, new lighting through the pathway corridor and new park benches. The federal government committed $8.6 million to the project.
Council voted in 2021 to rename the Prince of Wales Bridge the Chief William Commanda Bridge, after the Algonquin elder and spiritual leader. Commanda was chief of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation from 1951 to 1970 and was a strong supporter of environmental stewardship. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 2008.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live U.S. election results: Trump wins Florida in AP race call
Donald Trump won Florida on Tuesday for the third consecutive election, earning the state's 30 electoral votes, according to AP.
Polls in swing states begin to close as sharply divided America chooses between Harris and Trump
A divided America weighed a stark choice for the nation's future Tuesday as a presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancor approached its finale.
Who's going to win? The election prediction roundup
Outlets across the United States have been crunching numbers, parsing polls and working their magic models to predict the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election.
How exit polls work and what they will tell us on election night
Exit polls are a set of surveys that ask voters whom they voted for, as well as additional questions about their political opinions, the factors they considered in the election and their own backgrounds more broadly.
These swing states will likely decide the U.S. presidential election
These swing states will most likely determine the path to the presidency, with candidates needing to win some combination of votes to get them across the 270 mark to secure a majority.
Canada 'deeply concerned' after alleged Russian sabotage plot
The Canadian government says it has raised concerns directly with Russian officials after media reports this week revealed an alleged Russian sabotage operation. The alleged plot included plans to send parcels packed with incendiary devices aboard aircraft destined for Canada and the United States.
Trump campaign denies and revokes journalists' election night credentials after critical coverage
Journalists from multiple news organizations have been denied credentials to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s election night watch event in West Palm Beach, Florida, in retaliation for their coverage of Trump’s campaign.
Trump snaps at reporter when asked about abortion: 'Stop talking about that'
Donald Trump is refusing to say how he voted on Florida's abortion measure -- and getting testy about it.
Tropical Storm Rafael strengthens to Category 1 hurricane as it barrels toward Cuba
Tropical Storm Rafael strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday as it swirled past Jamaica and chugged toward western Cuba.