Eastern Canada - Commuting in the south/west end of Ottawa

I'm going to be moving to Ottawa in a few months. My job will be near the intersection of Baseline and Merivale, and I'm looking for some commuting advice to help me focus my house-hunting. So, within roughly a 15-20 km ride of Baseline at Merivale, what areas and routes do you recommend? What routes should be avoided? Is there a 'dream commute' in Ottawa? I'm looking at small older houses under $275,000, no condos. Why are houses in Hull so much less expensive?

Here are my preferences:

-My fantasy route would be a wide paved shoulder alongside a traffic jam (so that I can fly by all the suckers in their cars)... does that sound like I should take the 417? :D Seriously, I probably would if I thought I could get away with it.

-Fantasy route #2 would be a paved, low pedestrian volume, virtually non-stop MUP with NO SPEED LIMIT (or at least one that isn't enforced much... what's the fine?). I'm nice to pedestrians, but I don't like slowing down every 500 ft, and I REALLY don't like tootling along when there's clearly nothing up ahead.

More realistically:

-I'm an assertive, fast, traffic-smart rider. I frequently take the lane, and ignore substandard bikelanes and MUPs. My average cruising speed is around 33 km/h in summer, but closer to 20-25 km/h in winter, depending on temperature and pavement conditions (i.e., if I'm using the MTB with studs).

-I can't handle the speed limit and crowds on the NCC trails in beautiful summer weather (is it 20 km/h or 25 km/h?... I tried it once when visiting my parents. Never again!). They might be a nice option to have sometimes in winter, though, if they get plowed, or in the 'off-season' if there are times of year when the speed limit isn't enforced.

-I want a direct, or at least relatively non-stop route (not a big fan of wending my way through suburban streets with all the stop signs).

-I prefer nice scenery and calm traffic to doing battle.

-I find taking the lane is less stressful on multi-lane roads, when it's easier for motorists to pass me.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have for me!

The houses are cheaper in Hull because it is in Quebec. The tax situation is better in Quebec if you have young children, but better in Ontario if you are old (or maybe vice-versa). It would be close to 10 km from Merrivale to the N end of the Champlain bridge, which seems to be a nice crossing. Multi-use trails would probably be good in the mornings but may get crowded with rec riders at the end of the day when school is out in the summer. Speed on the paths may be limited in places by poor sight -lines. There is great cycling in Gatineau Park.

Why are houses in Hull so much less expensive?

Because they are crappy! I live in Hull, in one of the oldest houses in the sector I should add, and the quality of the houses is below what is offered in Ottawa. That said Gatineau park is magnificant and Hull is a strange place to live and I prefer it over Ottawa and I work on the Ottawa side.
Gordon

I recently moved to the south/east end of town, and commute by bike to the Hunt Club/Prince of Wales area (which isn't too far from your workplace location, I think). I think the route that I take is a pretty good description of your preference #1. I usually ride along Hunt Club from Conroy all the way to Prince of Wales, then take the smaller side street that leads into my studio. It's a multi-lane, high speed arterial road (posted speed limit is 80km/h on some stretches). There's a bike lane that goes along most of the road along the route I take, although there are parts where it disappears occasionally. I can't say the road is too congested when I ride, but then again, I don't really ride during peak rush hour (I go to work at 3:30pm and leave at midnight). I imagine the road would get a bit more clogged up during rush hour. Which isn't to say that I haven't been able to blast by cars occasionally as they sit anxiously in traffic ;)

There are plenty of suburban housing around the area, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something in the range you're looking for. I can't say I've looked too much into that, since I'm renting a room from a friend who owns a house.

I live right near baseline and merivale. If you want to live close to work you should definitely look for a house in the Central Park area. You could walk to work. Most of the houses in this development are 1-5 years old but you could probably find something around your price limit. As for commuting, there is an area called the Central Experimental Farm which is just like what it sounds, a Farm used by the Government dept. of Agriculture. Anyway you can bike on any of the roads in there which is awesome as it allows you to avoid traffic as well as the silly 20 kmph speed limits on the NCC MUPs. That said however, I have never had a problem riding at 30 on the MUP. Yes once in a while you have to slow down for a group of little kids or something, but it is not bad around here. Here is the map showing the MUPs: http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/data/2/rec_docs/7894_Biking_Country_Au_pays_du_velo_2007.pdf
Here is a route on bikely that shows a very nice commuting route from east to west across the city. http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Ottawa-East-to-Ottawa-West-Bell-s-Corners

Notice both follow the Experimental farm pathway which is just a block or two north of Baseline. To me this is the dream commute. Only problem is the snow is not cleared from it during the winter. Unfortunately there are few cyclists who commute through Ottawa winter unless they are right downtown or going very short distance.

OP, did you end up moving?

I live near Baseline & Greenbank. Last year I used to ride on Baseline to my work @ Heron & Riverside. It really isn't that bad of a road to ride on. I always found that there is enough room for bikes, even with the 118 (bus) going by.

This year though I changed my route up, I take Baseline to Woodroffe then get on the MUP that goes through the Experimental Farm and connects to the Canal. Yes the limit is 20 on the MUP but I agree with Browncow, I haven't had an issue with riding around 30 kmph.

Cheapest housing would be in the Bells Corners area I imagine. There is a trailer park there after all :)

If you move anywhere near Baseline, you will very likely be going faster than the bus!