Alta Vista

It was a sunny, windy Friday afternoon and I was ready to get back on the bike in search of another branch. Since my last couple of trips have been westward, I set my sights on Alta Vista branch to the East. Taking some lessons from my trip to Greenboro, I planned this route with minimal time on Baseline, choosing instead to follow bike paths and quiet residential streets as much as possible.

I set out toward Fisher Heights, and passed through Fisher Heights Park en route to Deer Park Road. Deer Park becomes Dynes Road after Fisher Avenue, and for the first time, I remembered to use all of the protected intersections along the way. These are a nice feature, and I’d love to see more intersections in Ottawa be converted to this style.

I turned right at Prince of Wales Drive, then proceeded left onto Meadowlands Drive to cross the Hog’s Back bridge. Construction is ongoing, but I’ve become an old hand at navigating the temporary ramps and detours. From the entrance to Mooney’s Bay Park, I continued straight across Riverside Drive to Brookfield Road, then onto the pathway to cross the Transitway and Trillium Line.

Brookfield Road continues after the pathway as Brookfield Road East, then ends in a paved pathway leading to Bank Street. At Bank, I crossed at Erie Avenue and cycled through the Ridgemont neighbourhood to reach Alta Vista branch.

View of Alta Vista branch from Alta Vista Drive.

Alta Vista branch was closed today (thanks, COVID-19), but I was still able to admire the outdoor artwork. I made another mental note to return once everything re-opens.

My return journey was fairly uneventful, although I did mix things up by cycling through the Central Experimental Farm between Fisher and Merivale. This has quickly become my preferred route home (if this blog has a central thesis, it is “avoid cycling on scary Baseline Road at all costs”).

Five branches down, 28 to go.