Orléans roundabout proves unpopular with east end residents

The first public meeting since OC Transpo unveiled a design proposal for a new roundabout in Orléans turned into a tense and sometimes heated exchange between residents and staff Monday night.

More than 100 people packed a room at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex to hear about the single-lane roundabout proposed for the intersection of Jeanne D'Arc Boulevard and Fortune and Vineyard drives.

Transit staff told residents the roundabout is a necessary step toward Stage 2 of the Confederation Line's extension east, allowing buses easier access to the Jeanne d'Arc LRT station.

"The buses that are coming from the south dropping people off need to be able to turn around to go back south again," said Pat Scrimgeour, OC Transpo's director of transit customer systems and planning.

He said other locations were considered but ultimately failed to meet certain requirements because they were too far from the station or required the city to expropriate land.

An image of the preliminary design shows the proposed roundabout in Orléans at the intersection of Jeanne d’Arc Boulevard and Fortune and Vineyard drives. (Safiyah Marhnouj/CBC)

"We looked at the map and didn't like the idea of running on residential streets to turn the buses around and having the buses stop there and wait, so we started to look for other alternatives and this is the one that we think is best," Scrimgeour said.

But that explanation didn't sit well with many in attendance. They sometimes heckled staff, and the room occasionally erupted into cheers of support when an audience member voiced common concerns about the proposal.

Roundabout near elementary school 

Heather O'Connell said she typically likes roundabouts and appreciates how they can improve traffic flow, but this particular proposal has left her with "a lot of concerns."

Namely, she's worried about the possible risks that come with placing a roundabout in a high-pedestrian area, directly beside Convent Glen Catholic School where her children attend classes.

Pat Scrimgeour, OC Transpo’s director of transit customer systems and planning, says the proposed roundabout is still in its initial design stage, and community feedback will be incorporated into the final design before it’s sent to tender. (Safiyah Marhnouj/CBC)

"We're in that intersection quite often, so I have a nervousness about the increase of buses that are certainly going to be going through that intersection every single day when we're trying to enjoy the community," O'Connell said.

OC Transpo staff told the gathering they anticipate an extra six to eight buses per hour will use the roundabout, on top of the approximately 15 buses per hour that currently serve the area.

"I've seen buses take roundabouts before and they often clip the sidewalk or they clip the side of the roundabout itself," O'Connell said.

"Kids who aren't really paying attention, who are maybe standing close to the end of the curb … I think that's a danger there."

A parent of two children at Convent Glen Catholic School, Heather O'Connell says she's worried about increased bus traffic at the roundabout. (Safiyah Marhnouj/CBC)

Drivers show 'flagrant disregard for kids' safety'

Cheryl Turpin offered a different perspective on the roundabout, and offered a potential solution to a problem she's witnessed firsthand as a crossing guard.

"What I see every day is a flagrant disregard for kids' safety," she told CBC. "People just ... thinking they have to get to school, [and that] is more important than some kid's life."

Turpin believes the roundabout would eliminate some of the problems she sees on a daily basis, including reckless right-hand turns.

Crossing guard Cheryl Turpin says she sees firsthand the risks children face from drivers travelling through or turning right at the intersection. (Safiyah Marhnouj/CBC)

"That's the worst thing ever, because people keep cutting kids off, cutting me off, cutting each other off," she said.

Turpin said a red light camera installed at the intersection has been a relief and has helped reduce those dangerous incidents, but she'd like to see more done to improve safety.

Despite welcoming the idea of the roundabout, Turpin criticized what she characterized as a lack of proper consultation and said she understands why so many people in the neighbourhood are frustrated.

"Did anybody come and talk to me, the crossing guard?" she asked. "No. And this is a real problem."

OC Transpo told residents the design for the proposed roundabout is still in its first draft, and promised community feedback will be incorporated before it's sent to tender.

The aim is for construction to start this summer, to be completed by summer 2025.