Sidewalks won’t be built in Manor Park following fierce pushback

Sidewalks won’t be coming to Manor Park after all. Rideau-Rockcliffe Coun. Rawlson King confirmed in his newsletter last week that plans fell through following fierce criticism from the community. 

“Critical underground infrastructure such as sewers, watermains, roadways, and curbs will proceed as scheduled. This decision does not come lightly and is based on extensive community consultation and technical and policy analysis,” wrote King.

Out of a survey filled out by 338 respondents, 79 per cent said they were against the sidewalks being installed. The biggest concern was taking away from the community's older character. 

But those in support argued pedestrian walkways would help with safety. The Manor Park Environmental Sustainability Committee was among those in support. 

“Manor Park Estates has large amounts of land in both MP North and MP South slated for redevelopment over the coming decades. Their official plan amendment passed the city council a few years ago, so they are already approved to build thousands of new residential housing units, including in mid-rise and high-rise buildings,” the group previously said in a Facebook post. “All of the land they will be redeveloping at some point in the next two to three decades in Manor Park North is within two to three blocks of the streets proposed to have sidewalks and traffic calming.“

In his newsletter, King admitted the area “will experience an unprecedented convergence of major transportation and land-use changes that will fundamentally alter pedestrian patterns and mobility needs.” He said community reaction was not the only reason for the reversal and noted the idea could be revisited again in the future. 

“This deferral represents a strategic approach to infrastructure planning that prioritizes long-term community benefit over immediate implementation. By taking time to properly analyze the collective impact of multiple transportation changes, we can ensure that this specific sidewalk installation serves Manor Park optimally and integrates seamlessly with the community’s evolving transportation network,” he wrote. 

Some pedestrian benefits will still occur, including connection to Wateridge Village via Helmock Road and the reconstruction of Beechwood Avenue. King said Beechwood would be transformed into a “central active transportation spine,” noting pedestrian routes and tariff volumes will change in Manor Park. 

The work will be carried out on Arundel Avenue, Braemar Street, Farnham Crescent, Finter Street, Jeffrey Avenue and Kilbarry Crescent at the cost of $18.9 million. The additional $150,000 cost for sidewalks has been removed from the plan with work expected to be completed by fall or winter next year.