New planning, property and development director advocated for re-opening
intersection
*Expert stays out of Portage & Main fray*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/27/urban-expert-stay…
A ONCE-VOCAL advocate for reopening Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic
will be staying out of the debate on the future of the historic
intersection in her new position.
The city announced Wednesday that urban planning expert Hazel Borys will
become director of planning, property and development at the end of July.
Borys, an engineer with an MBA and president of Placemakers, an
international city planning firm, was a leading voice for the Yes side in
the campaign to remove the concrete barriers before the 2018 municipal
election, where the issue appeared as a non-binding plebiscite question on
the ballot.
“Keeping this corner closed signals to Winnipeggers and the world that we
are a car city,” she told the Free Press at the time. “Keeping the
intersection closed hurts our economy and well-being.”
A majority of residents disagreed, voting to leave things as they are.
Borys intends to leave advocacy to others when she begins her new role.
“My past opinion hasn’t changed at all, but what has changed is Portage and
Main is a political decision now,” she said Thursday. “For it to change, it
would be a political decision.”
Earlier this week, the city released a discussion paper outlining the
issues surrounding the intersection, including a massive project to repair
the membrane under the street protecting the Winnipeg Square concourse,
which has been in place since the underground mall opened in 1979.
The paper also revealed several concepts for improving pedestrian movement
and the area’s physical appearance.
The city has asked for public input.
Borys said the planning department will help city council get the
information it requires during public consultations and, eventually, arrive
at a decision.
Mayor Scott Gillingham said Thursday he wasn’t concerned that the
department will be led by someone who advocated to open the intersection.
“I think hiring Hazel Borys is good for our downtown development plans,” he
said, noting her reputation as “an innovator.”
“She has an extensive record of working with cities across North America
and working on densification… I think the work she has done will serve us
well.”
Borys, who is married to Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq director and CEO
Stephen Borys, has helped cities reduce red tape in order to make
development processes easier, while also assisting in guiding governments
through zoning reforms.
She said she will be able to do both in her new position, just from a
different vantage point.
“I’ve spent the last 19 years on the other side of the desk,” she said.
“I’m super-excited. I’m looking forward to going much deeper than on my
consultant side.”
Coun. Jeff Browaty, who helped lead the battle to keep Portage and Main
closed to pedestrians, said he’s looking forward to working with the new
planning department head.
“While we clearly disagree on the opening of Portage and Main to pedestrian
crossings, I actually support a lot of the planning principles she has been
involved with,” Browaty said.
“I came to respect her work many years ago when she successfully led the
public consultation for the private developer of the controversial Edgewood
Estates towers at Chief Peguis Trail and the Red River. While the majority
of the time elected officials and public servants see eye to eye on issues,
when we don’t, it’s understood council’s direction needs to be implemented.”
Browaty also noted, as an aside, he is partially responsible for getting
Borys to Winnipeg.
“I was the city rep on the Winnipeg Art Gallery board of governors when we
hired her husband… as director,” he said.
Borys said she will be mothballing her company and expects the first weeks
and months in her new position to be part of a “big learning curve.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “I can’t wait.”
kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca
*Businesses have mixed feelings about proposed pathways*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/04/27/businesses-have-mixed…
Businesses below Portage and Main have mixed feelings about proposed
pathways above the iconic intersection.
On Tuesday, the City of Winnipeg released ideas to revitalize the downtown
crossing, seeking public feedback. One rendering displayed a “sky garden” —
a circular walkway six storeys above ground level with potential bridge
connections to adjacent buildings.
Glass elevators would connect to the street, the plaza and the underground
concourse.
“They already have the connection down below,” said Mike Publicover, owner
of Stonework’s Bistro.
Publicover opened his Winnipeg Square eatery last year. Connecting to
Winnipeg’s skyscrapers, including the new 300 Main, was a major
consideration before settling, Publicover said.
“So now (people are) going to start walking over and above,” he said. “Will
they come down?”
Already, businesses below struggle to get customers when the workday ends.
Publicover’s feelings would be different if the underground network, which
covers Portage and Main and extends outwards, didn’t exist.
“The added cost to the city of doing it, I don’t know that there’s value
when there’s already something here,” Publicover said.
The city is preparing to replace the waterproof membrane protecting the
underground concourse. It could cost between $15 million and $20 million to
excavate the intersection’s surface for membrane repair, according to one
engineering report.
More connections above ground could be good for business, said Melani
Bastians.
“Down here, we do have a lot of folks who are Monday to Friday,” said
Bastians, who owns two restaurants in Winnipeg Square.
When the weekend hits, customers leave and everything shutters, Bastians
said. Taste of Sri Lanka, one of her businesses in the underground
concourse, closes after 4 p.m. during the week and doesn’t open Saturdays
or Sundays.
“I want more customers, always, and avenues of which they can get here,”
Bastians said. “If we had overpasses, then it would support the general
public.”
She’s now doubly invested in Winnipeg Square. Bastians opened The Green
Eatery beside Taste of Sri Lanka three weeks ago.
“People don’t really know that there are places like this in Winnipeg
Square,” added Adanna Hanniford, The Green Eatery’s manager.
If overpasses will bring people downtown, that’s good news, she said. The
nearby GoodLife Fitness and the 300 Main residences are already positives
for the restaurant, which has vegan and gluten-free products, Hanniford
said.
Above-ground changes to Portage and Main likely wouldn’t affect Cookies by
George, predicted Lasha Yaeger.
“We get business from there,” she said behind the counter, pointing to the
Portage and Main concourse. “They’re coming here anyways. It’s not like
they’re going to avoid us.”
Still, she worried businesses in the concourse might see fewer visitors if
overpasses became concrete.
The proposed sky garden’s effect on underground businesses is hard to
forecast, according to Loren Remillard, president of the Winnipeg Chamber
of Commerce.
New infrastructure could draw people to the area, he noted.
“Right now, I think our bigger concern isn’t skywalk/underground, it’s ‘How
do we get more people downtown?’” he said.
Once traffic has increased, the focus becomes guiding people to shops and
vendors downtown, he said.
“Some of the initial concerns were about costing and city priorities — all
legitimate concerns. We really want to be creative, we really want to be
innovative, and this is an opportunity to engage Winnipeggers in a
conversation around ‘What kind of downtown do we want?’” Remillard said.
A public survey to give feedback on potential Portage and Main changes is
open until May 26 at winnipeg.ca/portageandmain.
The city will also host two events about the ideas in May.
— with files from Joyanne Pursaga
gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com
Hazel Borys to divest herself of Placemakers, take on helm of city
department
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/hazel-borys-planning-director-1.682…
The City of Winnipeg has chosen an urban planner who runs a binational
consulting firm to be its new director of planning, property and
development.
Hazel Borys, the CEO of Placemakers in Canada and the United States, will
take over the city department responsible for land use at the end of July,
Winnipeg chief administrative officer Michael Jack announced on Wednesday.
She will succeed Marc Pittet, who's served as Winnipeg's acting planning,
property and development director since John Kiernan retired in 2022.
Borys said Wednesday she feels like she's taken on the job at "a really
critical moment" in Winnipeg's history.
"I think we have a number of significant challenges that we'll need to
address together and that's really similar to many Canadian cities right
now," Borys said in an interview.
"But I think we also have both the opportunity and the responsibility to
become a more resilient, livable and inclusive place.
One of those challenges will involve stemming a burgeoning trend where
Winnipeg is starting to lose development opportunities to several of its
immediate neighbours.
An increasing concentration of industrial, commercial and residential
developments have sprouted up just outside city limits in municipalities
such as Macdonald, Rosser, West St. Paul and Springfield.
Borys said she plans to work with other municipalities to ensure both the
city and its neighbours benefit from a new regional planning framework
ordered by the provincial government.
"My focus as the director of planning, property and development won't be
about fighting over the existing pie that the region has, but how when we
all work together, we can grow that pie quite a bit," she said. "So I'm not
terribly concerned about where today's development capacity is going."
Modernizing land use
Borys said she believes development can intensify in existing Winnipeg
neighbourhoods if the city modernizes outdated rules that govern land use.
"What the development community most struggles with is our zoning bylaw
hasn't yet caught up with the policies that we have in place to help do
those things," she said. "That means that development takes longer — and
time is money, from a developer's perspective."
Borys suggested the city must focus on densification to achieve its
development goals.
"I think we have to get back to our agricultural roots and instead of
thinking about dollars per new development, we need to be thinking about
dollars per hectare and jobs per hectare," she said.
"So how we can use our land more productively, just like a farmer looks at
how to use her land more productively as well."
Winnipeg's mayor, a centrist conservative who hired a number of urbanists
to his own staff, referenced the incoming property director's progressive
leanings when he welcomed her to the city.
"Hazel has an incredible reputation as an innovator, placemaker and
community builder and I look forward to working with her in this new role,"
Scott Gillingham said in a tweet on Wednesday.
Borys, however, chose not comment on several hot-button issues facing
Winnipeg's planning, property and development department, including the
revitalization of Portage and Main and a pending decision in a lawsuit
against the department by developer Andrew Marquess.
Born in Alabama, Borys was educated in Ohio before she moved to Winnipeg in
2008 with her husband, Stephen Borys, who runs the Winnipeg Art
Gallery-Qaumajuq.
Borys has worked in the urban planning field for 19 years. With
Placemakers, she consulted for both developers and governments. She helped
the City of Winnipeg develop its long-term planning framework and also sits
on the Manitoba Municipal Board.
Borys said she has tendered her resignation from the municipal board, whose
powers have been expanded to include the ability to overturn City of
Winnipeg land-use decisions.
She also said she will divest herself of an ownership stake in the U.S.
side of Placemakers and dissolve the Canadian company of the same name.
City seeks public input on concepts to improve pedestrian access, enhance
appearance at reimagined intersection
*‘Sky garden’ among ideas floated for Portage & Main*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/04/25/sky-garden-pedestrian-pl…
THERE’S a chance Winnipeggers could finally be able to cross the street
again at the city’s most famous intersection… but they’d be doing it six
storeys above traffic.
A “sky garden,” with a plant-adorned circular walkway, potential bridge
connections to adjacent buildings and glass elevators connecting the
street, plaza and underground concourse, as well as an option to add a set
of four lookout towers with viewing platforms (one at each corner), are
among several ideas to revitalize Portage Avenue and Main Street the city
is now seeking public feedback on.
“The City of Winnipeg sees Portage and Main as an iconic, historic
destination and worthy of a little bit of extra attention… and that’s why
we’ve looked at ideas that are somewhat conventional, as well as some that
are more bold,” said Kurtis Kowalke, a principal planner for the city.
The changes — advanced by a city consultant — could allow for temporary
pedestrian access at ground level, such as for special events. However, the
vision doesn’t pursue a long-debated call to permanently restore
surface-level pedestrian crossing. The intersection has been closed to
pedestrians since 1979, and Winnipeggers voted down a non-binding
plebiscite to reopen the corners in 2018.
The new vision is being considered as the city prepares to replace an
ailing waterproof membrane that protects the underground concourse, which
has been deemed beyond its useful life. A deal struck by the city in 1976
to construct the concourse and an above-ground building guaranteed the
developer a barricaded intersection for 40 years, forcing pedestrians into
the underground mall.
Crews must excavate the intersection’s surface to repair the membrane,
which an engineering report once estimated would cost between $15 million
and $20 million.
Kowalke said public input will help the city narrow down design ideas to
reimagine the public space, and the crumbling concrete barriers will likely
be replaced with more-attractive fencing or bollards.
Other options to revamp the site could add “living art” (a raised garden
ring with no pedestrian access) or “monumental public art,” such as a
large, dome-like structure above the street (depicted as an example in the
city survey). Multimedia lighting poles could also be added with or without
canopies.
At street level, the city could add public art to building walls, plant
trees and spruce up the site’s paving.
Cost estimates for the new options were not provided.
Mayor Scott Gillingham declined to offer an opinion on which, if any, of
the ideas he supports.
“It has to be something that is reasonable but also exciting. It’s our most
iconic intersection,” said Gillingham.
The idea of simply reopening pedestrian access at street level has
triggered intense debate for years, with supporters arguing the change is
needed to help revitalize and better connect downtown. Opponents say
allowing foot traffic would snarl vehicle traffic, cost millions of dollars
and increase road-safety concerns.
In the 2018 plebiscite, 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted against removing
the barriers. Advocates for pedestrian traffic argued most of the no votes
were cast by people living in the suburbs who did not want to be
inconvenienced by longer stop-light waits at the intersection that would be
required for walkers to cross the street.
One advocate who urged residents to “vote open” at the time questions the
logic of diverting pedestrians upward, instead.
“I don’t know if you need to invest as much as some of these designs are
going to cost. I think we can have a really great intersection if we have a
pedestrian crossing at grade and some nice, artistic, culturally relevant
designs going on at street level,” said Adam Dooley.
Pedestrian access at an overhead walkway could perhaps be seen as a
compromise keeping vehicle and foot traffic apart, but a grade-level
crossing remains his first choice, he said.
The president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce said the new options to
enhance the site are worthy of discussion.
“It elevates the conversation that we’ve been having for far too long
around this intersection… from one of barricades or removing barricades to
one… (about what) kind of downtown centre… we want to have for our
community,” said Loren Remillard.
Kate Fenske, chief executive officer at the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said
street-level access remains her organization’s top priority. “Allowing
pedestrians to cross the street at Portage and Main would have a minimal
impact on drivers but drastically reduce the time for pedestrians to get
across…. A good design is one that encourages more people at street level.
That’s critical for economic activity, for improving safety and for
vibrancy of downtown,” said Fenske.
She also questioned how adding a raised circular walkway would stack up
against other priorities for limited city dollars.
Some city councillors agree the primary focus at Portage and Main should be
to add a ground-level pedestrian crossing.
“Before we start contemplating the budgets involved (with) pedestrian
overpasses that might be pretty and might involve greenery… I’d like to
just ask that basic question… (of) how to make it accessible at grade,”
said Coun. Sherri Rollins.
Rollins is backing a new motion at city hall, which calls for staff to
study options to add surface-level access at Portage and Main. The public
works committee is expected to consider ordering that report next month.
On Tuesday afternoon, folks in the Portage and Main area shared mixed views
on the ideas.
Adam Enns said paving and tree improvements make sense but an above-ground
circular walkway isn’t realistic.
“What’s the function of it, just to look nice?…. It seems like a waste of
money to me,” said Enns.
Jennifer Olson feared the “sky garden” walkway may not best serve downtown
residents.
“It looks nice but what is in it for the people who live here? I’d like to
see a grocery store, some more services… not necessarily some elevated
walkway. And I would like to see Portage and Main reopened (to pedestrians
at the surface level),” said Olson.
Jay Rodgers said he liked the “sky garden” at first glance, though its
potential cost must be considered.
“I think it’s very attractive,” Rodgers said. “It looks modern and I think
it would increase traffic circulating in the area.”
A survey at winnipeg.ca/portageandmain will seek public feedback until May
26. The city will also host two events on the ideas, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
May 10 at the lobby of 201 Portage Ave. and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 11
at Portage and Main’s underground concourse (near Scotiabank).
joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Circular walkway, massive orb, towers among Portage and Main redesign
optionsCity seeks public feedback on designs that would see existing
barricades come down — without pedestrian access
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-redesign-options-1.682…
A circular walkway above Portage and Main, a massive orb and a quartet of
lookout towers are among eight potential and in some cases fanciful
redesign options for Winnipeg's most famous intersection.
The City of Winnipeg is seeking public opinions about new designs that
would see the existing concrete barricades at Portage Avenue and Main
Street be replaced by a more esthetically pleasing streetscape that would
still bar pedestrians from crossing at street level.
The city must remove the barricades as part of a multimillion-dollar repair
job at the intersection, where a leaky membrane allows surface runoff to
damage the underground pedestrian concourse.
The barricades are to be replaced as part of a broader redesign. The city
has launched a public opinion survey
<https://engage.winnipeg.ca/portageandmain> and will hold a pair of public
events in May to solicit feedback on the options.
They include an above-ground walkway called a "sky garden," a hanging
garden with no pedestrian access, lookout towers, a row of lights, a row of
lights mixed with trees, new paving, both with and without trees, and a
"monumental" orb at Portage and Main reminiscent of the laser pyramid
floated by former mayor Susan Thompson after she left office.
None of the options are costed out in the survey, which is open until May
26.
The survey asks whether respondents live or work downtown.
The public events will be held May 10 in the lobby of 201 Portage Ave. from
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and May 11 in the underground concourse, also from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m.
The survey also asks what other amenities Winnipeggers wish to see at
Portage and Main, such as food trucks and Indigenous programming.
The City of Winnipeg will make officials available to speak about the
project this afternoon.
Portage and Main closed to pedestrians in 1979. Winnipeggers voted against
reopening the intersection in a non-binding plebiscite in 2018.
*Residents weigh in on Portage and Main proposals*
Report renews debate over iconic intersection
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/22/residents-weigh-i…
A report regarding the future of Portage Avenue and Main Street has renewed
discussions surrounding the contentious intersection, with residents
weighing in on the potential of street-level pedestrian crossing.
On Tuesday, the city will release the findings of a study it commissioned
in 2021 to assess upgrades for the iconic intersection. Current plans
involve removing and replacing the concrete barriers that bar pedestrian
passage, but future designs may be adaptable, allowing people to cross at
street-level for special events, or during designated times, city documents
show.
“The debate over Portage and Main has been a perennial discussion in
Winnipeg for more than 40 years,” Winnipeg transportation planner Jairo
Viafara said by phone Saturday. “If we are to open it, there must be a
balance.”
The intersection, which spans up to eight lanes at some points, presents a
particular challenge for city planners. While keeping the intersection
closed to pedestrian traffic compromises accessibility, opening it will
likely impact traffic flow and may frustrate stakeholders who’ve made
significant investments in and around the underground concourse, he said.
Among possible solutions is a suggestion from Coun. Jeff Browaty to allow
pedestrians to cross outside of peak traffic times, possibly between the
hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. when the underground passage is closed.
Viafara was hesitant to endorse this idea, citing safety concerns because
the area is surrounded by several bars and restaurants.
“I do not want pedestrians who have drinking and dancing their way through
the night to step out on the street in their merriment and (be struck by a
vehicle),” he said.
Pedestrian safety and economic development must be paramount concerns as
the city deliberates how to improve the intersection, he said.
City officials are not exploring permanently opening the intersection, but
promised to allow residents to weigh-in on the design options through an
online survey.
People passing though the underground concourse Saturday afternoon voiced
mixed opinions on the subject.
“It is a bit of a nuisance to have to come down particularly because…
downtown has gotten a lot sketchier in the last few years,” said Francine
Martin. “It doesn’t always feel (safe) and it’s dirtier than it used to be.”
Martin, who described herself as a “non-motorist” pointed to a 2018
plebiscite in which 65 per cent of people in Winnipeg voted against
reopening street-level crossings at the intersection.
According to voter demographic data released at the time, people in
suburban areas felt most strongly that the intersection should remain
closed.
“Maybe they should survey people in the core areas who actually use this
intersection as non-motorists,” Martin said. “If we’re the ones using it,
or perhaps more likely to use it, then maybe our vote should count for a
little bit more.”
Others passing through felt the opposite.
“I don’t think its a good idea to take the barriers down. It’s going to
snarl traffic even more than it is now. It will be a complete hassle,” said
Lisa, an Exchange District resident who asked to withhold her last name.
“Yeah, its a hassle to come down here, but I’d rather have that hassle
(than open the intersection),” she said. “If you live (downtown), you
understand why the barriers are there… We’re going to find out real fast if
they allow pedestrian traffic up there how inconvenient it is.”
Another group of men, who declined an interview but paused long enough to
offer their opinion, agreed.
“There’s just way too much traffic on Portage and Main,” one said.
Corey Yantha, a visitor from Halifax who found himself lost in the
underground concourse, said he’s encountered similar underground crossings
in other Canadian cities, but found navigating Winnipeg’s confusing.
“I think it’s pretty annoying… I don’t really know which way to go,” he
said. “It should be a lot easier to get to the other side of the street.”
Others passing through had similar experiences, with one group saying they
paused several times to check if they were heading the right direction.
Regardless of the proposal report, the intersection is likely to see
significant construction in the near future. A waterproof membrane
surrounding the underground concourse needs to be replaced and it can only
be accessed from above.
Preliminary estimates suggest the project could cost between $15 million
and $20 million.
tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca
*Survey to allow input into options for intersection*
*New vision for P&M coming next week*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/21/new-vision-for-po…
A LONG-AWAITED vision to revamp the iconic Portage Avenue and Main Street
intersection will be released to the public Tuesday.
In 2021, the City of Winnipeg hired a consultant to provide options to
improve the above-ground crossing and its “pedestrian environment.”
A request for proposal noted the design should also be adaptable to
potentially let pedestrians cross at street level on a temporary basis,
such as for special events, without permanently restoring that access
(which was blocked in 1979).
On April 25, the city will release design options for the site, along with
an online public survey.
“We’ve known for a lot of years that there needs to be repairs to Portage
and Main, and we did call for a report to come back two years ago, so we’re
going to get it soon,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham, who declined to share
further details.
The consultant was also tasked with providing options to replace a
waterproof membrane that separates the underground concourse from the road
above, which has been deemed beyond its useful life.
A preliminary estimate found it could cost between $15 million and $20
million, according to a 2019 engineering report.
Since the 40-year-old membrane is located two to three metres below the
pavement and can only be accessed from above, “any investment in
streetscape design enhancements will need to be co-ordinated with membrane
renewal work,” the RFP notes.
Coun. Jeff Browaty said councillors expect to receive updated cost
estimates for replacing the membrane later this year — though there is now
some sense of what the intersection might look like after current
barricades at the surface are replaced.
“Subject to what the public comes back with (as input), I think the
thinking is that the new barricades… will be more visually appealing,” said
Browaty.
He expects it could include options for a transparent material that can be
altered to allow foot traffic during special events.
Browaty, who has been a vocal opponent in the sometimes heated debate on
reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians, said he remains concerned doing
so full-time would wreak havoc with traffic.
“I have zero appetite to the opening of the intersection to regular
pedestrian crossings during the day.”
However, Browaty said, he is now open to exploring whether pedestrians
could cross the intersection at the surface overnight, when traffic volumes
are lower.
In the middle of the night, when the traffic impact isn’t going to be
material… there’s really no cost, in terms of… making physical changes to
the intersection (once it is altered).”
The North Kildonan councillor said there may be a growing need for
overnight pedestrian access because the underground concourse at Portage
and Main was open 24-7 before the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now restricted
to daily hours of 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
“So, in the middle of the night, you literally do have to go and walk
several extra blocks to get through that intersection,” said Browaty.
Supporters of reopening the intersection to pedestrians argue doing so
would better connect downtown, making it more walkable and vibrant.
The consultant was not asked to create a plan for a permanent reopening of
the intersection to pedestrians. The report notes 65 per cent of
Winnipeggers voted against the reopening in a 2018 plebiscite.
Meanwhile, a councillor whose ward includes part of downtown, said she
fears the feedback of residents who live closest to the intersection won’t
be privileged over other public input — even though consultations on
intersections outside downtown focus more on immediate neighbours.
“It can be very frustrating, as a downtown councillor, to… understand there
are shared interests there, but… watch your residents take back seat to the
discussions of whether or not they can cross a street near where they
live,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).
joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
The UN Global Road Safety Week is coming up – May 15-21. #RethinkMobility is the theme. See additional information and resources -
https://www.roadsafetyngos.org/news-events-orig/events/un-global-road-safet…
Kristine Hayward (she/her)
Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator
Population & Public Health
MB Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street
Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7
Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<mailto:khayward@wrha.mb.ca>
Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot.
Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo__;!!IqQd2s…>
Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit.
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Council to consider sidewalk snow-clearing cost study
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/14/council-to-consid…
FOLLOWING repeated complaints that snow isn’t cleared off sidewalks quickly
enough, the city may study an option to speed up the service.
An annual snow-clearing report could be tasked with determining a cost
estimate to clear snow off all sidewalks and active transportation paths
within 72 hours after a significant snowfall. That measure would be reached
when an inspection finds clearing is needed following a five-centimetre
snowfall or equivalent drifting.
A motion passed by public works committee this week calls for that element
to be explored in the report, though the change requires a full council
vote.
“I think it’s important that people understand the cost and the
requirements (to ramp up service this much). Dozens of machines would have
to be purchased, dozens of staff would have to be hired,” said Coun. Janice
Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman.
The motion, raised by Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt, also calls for the city
to study how the increased service level could be phased in. Wyatt’s motion
states the current frequency of clearing sometimes forces pedestrians to
walk on roads and suggests the proposed change would improve quality of
life.
Under city policy, plowing on all sidewalks on major routes and collector
streets should be completed within 36 hours after an average storm ends.
Sidewalks on residential streets should see plowing completed within five
working days after it begins.
Lukes (Waverley West) said she expects continuing to clear sidewalks by
priority may better fit the city’s budget.
“(It) would be better for the taxpayer to realign the priority system
versus making everything a (top priority for clearing). I think we need to
do a better analysis on where high density is, where high needs are,” said
Lukes.
Council will vote on the matter later this month. The annual snow-clearing
report is expected in June.
joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga