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Milan Street Design Slows Cars More Than Speed Limits, Research Finds - Bloomberg
by Beth McKechnie 23 Dec '25

23 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Thanks to Ken Klassen for the share... https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-15/milan-street-design-slow… There’s a Better Way to Win on Traffic Safety Backlash has undercut the success of 30km/hour speed limits. New research finds that a less controversial policy can be more effective in slowing cars. October 15, 2025 at 10:20 AM CDT Milan has faced backlash to its law capping speed limits to 30km/hour. Photographer: Piero Cruciatti/Anadolu via Getty Images In recent years, modest urban planning ideas have sparked outsized backlash. The “15-minute city” concept — designing neighborhoods so amenities are available within 15 minutes by foot or bike — became a flashpoint in conspiracy theory<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-02/how-did-the-15-minute-ci…> circles. Now, new citywide speed limits of 30 kilometers per hour are the latest target in many European cities: a sensible safety measure turned culture-war fodder. These reactions have put local and national governments at odds over policies that aim to tackle traffic safety and livability. But recent research results<https://arxiv.org/html/2507.04434v1> suggest such political battles may be beside the point: In studies we have conducted at our Senseable City Lab, we found that the posted speed limits often have little effect on how fast people drive. Instead, the policies that work involve the design of the street itself. The movement for citywide speed limits of 30 kilometers (19 miles) per hour gained visibility during Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s 2020 campaign. The logic was compelling: Slower traffic means safer streets and quieter neighborhoods. Furthermore, as our past research showed<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264275122004498#:~:….>, “slow zones” attract nearly twice as many people, drawing diverse visitors and enriching the city’s social mix. Once re-elected, Hidalgo enacted the policy, and other mayors followed. From Milan to Brussels, Bologna to Amsterdam, many began testing or implementing lower-speed zones. Particularly in my home country of Italy, the backlash came quickly. To some motorists, a lower speed limit felt less like protection and more like control. In the clickbait economy, the measure was recast as suspicion of an authoritarian drift. Even our lab at MIT got pulled into the storm. In July 2024, we presented results<https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5264874> on the impact of 30 km/h zones in Milan. Using real vehicle telemetry from the Italian insurance company Unipol, we were able to accurately assess changes in vehicle speed and evaluate their consequences. We found that increases in travel times were negligible — at most an average of about 34 seconds per trip — while previous research had found a decrease in fatalities of around 37%. We also found that air pollution levels remained mostly stable, with only a minimal increase. Despite the breadth of our findings, headlines in Italian news outlets focused entirely on an increase in air pollution. In fact, Italy’s Transport Minister Matteo Salvini seized on our study as “scientific evidence” that the 30 km/h policy created more traffic jams and pollution. Since making that comment, Salvini and his colleagues in Italy’s national government have worked to erode<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-09-25/bologna-s-citta-30-safet…> cities’ 30 km/h policies, imposing limits and banning the cameras used to enforce the policy in the cities that had enacted it. In response, we dug deeper. This year, we analyzed<https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.04434> Milan, Amsterdam and Dubai. We gathered over 73 million telemetry points and 1.2 million street-level images. Such data is now analyzable at speed and scale thanks to AI models — a theme we are also exploring at this year’s<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-06-22/venice-biennale-curat…> Venice Biennale Architettura. What we found suggests something surprising: Speed limit laws aren’t actually the best way to get residents to slow down. Drivers slowed only 2–3 km/h when limits dropped from 50 to 30 km/h, while the design of the streets played a much larger role. Narrow, enclosed streets with high building density tended to slow traffic, whereas wide, open roads with long sightlines encouraged faster driving. This suggests that design, more than legislation, sets the pace. A street map of Milan shows how smaller streets had higher compliance (purple) with the 30 km/h speed limit than larger streets (pink).Courtesy of MIT’s There are likely a few explanations for this. In many countries, particularly Italy, speed limits are considered merely a suggestion, meaning that legal changes won’t usher in cultural ones. Milan and Bologna, where speed cameras were eventually banned, offer clear examples of how difficult it can be to rely solely on punitive measures — even when noncompliance is widespread. Street configuration, by contrast, can change behavior in more palatable ways. Urbanists have long intuited<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-10-06/why-12-foot-traffic-lane…> that design can moderate traffic speed<https://usa.streetsblog.org/2023/11/13/study-12-ft-lanes-are-deadlier-than-…>. With the first large-scale, cross-city uses of AI, those insights can be quantified and generalized across different contexts. Raised crosswalks, narrower lanes, or tree-lined streets are examples of the kinds of design interventions our model takes into account. In short, our model can now predict how fast people are likely to drive just from street imagery, offering urban planners a predictive tool to assess the impact of different design interventions. The MIT study focused on parts of Amsterdam where cyclists dominate traffic flow.Photographer: Selman Aksunger/Anadolu via Getty Images Applying our method across Milan, Amsterdam and Dubai showed how local context matters. In Milan, with UNIPOL, we studied traditional, mixed-use streets — compact urban corridors where drivers, cyclists and pedestrians share space. In Amsterdam, with the AMS Institute, we analyzed a cycling-first network — areas where bikes dominate traffic flows and car access is secondary, offering insights into how multimodal coexistence shapes speed. In Dubai, working with the Dubai Future Foundation, we tested car-centric streets under extreme heat. There, we found that heat itself can reduce average driving speeds by up to several km/h, showing how environmental stressors can influence behavior even in the absence of formal design interventions. These examples show how street geometry — but also culture and climate — shape how people drive, often more than regulations do. To be sure, changes to street design are not without controversy: Attempts to add bike lanes<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-11-27/why-does-ontario-want-to…> and pedestrian spaces or reduce road space dedicated to cars have faced pushback, too<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-22/trump-cancels-trail-bike…>. Still, our results may offer comfort to both sides of the political spectrum. Changing how people drive cannot be achieved by decree alone. But there is no grand conspiracy at work: It may depend, above all, on the configuration of our streets. Carlo Ratti is a practicing architect and a professor at the Politecnico di Milano and at MIT, where he directs the Senseable City Lab. In 2025 he’s directing Venice’s Biennale Architettura.

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WFP: ‘It’s really defeating’: Transit pass-ups up from last year (Dec23'25)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Dec '25

23 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City vows adjustments to decrease buses passing by riders ‘It’s really defeating’: Transit pass-ups up from last year https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/22/its-really-defeat… RYAN Nother says showing up at the bus stop on time has repeatedly failed to secure him a ride home. That’s because F6 buses regularly pass by the stop at Osborne and Mulvey, already full of passengers, when he’s trying to return home from work, Nother said. “It’s really defeating. It feels like you can tolerate it from time to time. But, when it happens so frequently, it feels like no one cares and they’re not trying to fix it,” he said. On some occasions, two or more consecutive buses have passed by the stop while leaving passengers waiting, making the additional wait futile, he said. He says his family is now paying hundreds of dollars more each month for ride-hailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, to complete their commutes, and reluctantly planning to buy a vehicle. “It’s not something we were looking forward to doing. It’s not an expense that we really need. (Transit is) just not something we can rely on anymore,” said Nother. The number of full Winnipeg buses that pass by waiting riders grew this fall. Between September and November, there were 6,971 pass-ups, compared to 5,779 during the same period last year. The overall number is down from what riders experienced during the year prior to the pandemic, when 8,297 pass-ups took place during the same stretch of 2019. Nother said he noticed a significant increase in pass-ups at his stop after a new primary transit network took effect June 29, which overhauled virtually every local route. “Prior to that, it would be a very rare occasion when it would happen. It seems like there are more buses scheduled (now) but they’re not successful in actually appearing (and picking up passengers),” said Nother. “With the winter temperatures, I’m not willing to wait 40 minutes for another bus to maybe come.” The recent pass-up increase is related to this year’s return to 100 per cent service levels on Transit routes, after service was reduced during the pandemic, according to the head of the union for Winnipeg Transit drivers. “We were still on a reduced service (last year) so it’s difficult to assess (the trend). Obviously, every person passed up is bad for the service. You don’t ever want to leave anybody behind,” said Chris Scott, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505. He said passing by riders is stressful for drivers, who are typically the first to receive complaints about the practice. “Every time a bus is full and can’t pick up people, there’s a potential for an escalating confrontation with the (driver of the) next bus that is able to take on that passenger or passengers that are missed,” said Scott. Transit data shows the number of pass-ups typically rises in September, when more people return to their fall routines and tend to ride buses during peak periods. The service also notes ridership has seen a general, gradual recovery after plummeting during the pandemic. Earlier this month, however, Transit noted ridership slipped to 89 per cent of 2019 levels by Nov. 30, down from 95 per cent of that amount throughout 2024. A Transit official said service changes are underway that aim to reduce the number of pass-ups as much as possible, including by shifting resources to the busiest routes. “Pass-ups are obviously something we don’t like having so… we already are making adjustments to try to deal with that,” said Bjorn Radstrom, Winnipeg Transit’s manager of service development. The changes include swapping regular and articulated buses between routes based on passenger counts, since a 40-foot bus can seat 38 people and an articulated (bendy) bus can seat 65. Transit’s winter schedule took effect Dec. 14, bringing in some tweaks, said Radstrom. Transit will also try to educate riders to ensure they choose the most efficient routes they can. Many passengers still choose routes similar to ones they rode before the network overhaul, instead of the most efficient current options, which can create unexpected crowding, said Radstrom. “Some of this still does have to do with the learning curve that people are having with the new network… a lot of people, instead of planning a trip using Navigo or the Transit app or calling 311 for some help, they’ll just walk to the usual bus stop that they’re used to… they end up taking the bus that’s least suited to them, that could be one of the more crowded buses,” he said. For example, he said many riders still take Blue Line buses to leave University of Manitoba, even though there are better routes available to reach their destinations. Radstrom said some increase in passups was expected as riders learn the new network. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said it’s positive that the number of pass-ups remains below pre-pandemic levels, though she understands every missed bus causes frustration for riders. “Pass-ups are concerning, period,” said Lukes (Waverley West). The city has ordered 30 more buses, including some larger, articulated ones, which should offer some relief when they arrive in January, she said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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$3M Forks Historic Rail Bridge Investment by Province
by Beth McKechnie 22 Dec '25

22 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. From: The Forks Foundation <foundation(a)theforks.com<mailto:foundation@theforks.com>> Date: Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 4:20 PM [https://phqf7vhbb.cc.rs6.net/on.jsp?ca=a8750c52-08d9-4670-b5ce-f3b3da9c9e06…] [https://files.constantcontact.com/fe0c2cbe901/8a9d99fa-28ae-4841-a1d7-dc2f9…] [https://files.constantcontact.com/fe0c2cbe901/0a6a3ce2-897d-4845-8b42-35750…] Thank you to the Government of Manitoba! Today, Premier Wab Kinew announced a $3 million investment to revitalize The Forks Historic Rail Bridge. This is the first step toward reopening this active transportation corridor and connection to Niizhoziibean, which features stunning public art and the first wiigwaam within city limits in more than a century. This commitment is especially meaningful now, as we look to open the Nestaweya River Trail – which runs under the bridge - in the days ahead. (The on-land trails opened last week, and the river trail won't be far behind.) The Forks Historic Rail Bridge has been closed since 2023 for safety reasons, and we look forward to reopening it as soon as possible. More than 250,000 people used this bridge as a part of their active transportation route each year. This investment will help restore access to a well-loved part of downtown that many Manitobans use and care about. The restoration is a $9.3 million project, and we invite everyone to contribute. To find out more, https://www.theforks.com/support/historic-rail-bridge. <https://phqf7vhbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpiTiiEVfxxp76g6wSpf1Mqt3oA3NDLIHO…> Thanks to Global News and CJOB for reporting on this. Stay warm, [Instagram]<https://phqf7vhbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpiTiiEVfxxp76g6wSpf1Mqt3oA3NDLIHO…> [Web] <https://phqf7vhbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpiTiiEVfxxp76g6wSpf1Mqt3oA3NDLIHO…> [Facebook] <https://phqf7vhbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpiTiiEVfxxp76g6wSpf1Mqt3oA3NDLIHO…> [Email] <mailto:foundation@theforks.com> [YouTube] <https://phqf7vhbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001HpiTiiEVfxxp76g6wSpf1Mqt3oA3NDLIHO…> The Forks Foundation | 130-123 Main Street | Winnipeg, MB R3C 1A3 CA

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WFP: Santa, cyclists brave nasty weather to spread cheer (Dec20'25)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Dec '25

20 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Santa, cyclists brave nasty weather to spread cheer https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/19/santa-other-cycli… THE weather was frightful — at times undeniably dangerous for cycling on city streets — but that didn’t stop more than a dozen riders from braving heavy snowfall and blustery winds for the 14th annual Cycle with Santa on Friday. Equipped with thick tires built for winter riding, goggles to shield their eyes from blowing snow and dressed in an array of festive Christmas outfits, the cyclists pedalled through Winnipeg’s inner city with more than 1,000 pieces of clothing strapped to their backs, delivering warmth and cheer to those in need. Event organizer Kerry LeBlanc donned his best Santa Claus suit to lead the pack as they rode through the city searching for people who could use a lift in spirit — or supplies. “Cycling with Santa is just going for a ride out in the community and trying to bring some love and joy to the streets through humour, through just riding our bicycles,” LeBlanc said. “It originated with me just going for a ride one year, wearing a Santa suit, and it’s grown to a 14-year now annual event, where we have as many as 25 riders come out and understand the need for joy and love in the streets at this time of year.” LeBlanc was adamant that the event would go ahead, snow or shine. “We’re going to be out on the road for 90 minutes,” he said. “The folks that we visit, the charities are doing it every day, 24-7. We think it’s a little bit of a challenge for us for 90 minutes, but just think of our people living in the streets every day, and the charity groups that are working in the homeless sector every day fighting the fight.” This year, the Brothers of the Fork crew — a casual group of philanthropic cyclists and humanitarians — also came bearing cash. The group donated $20,000 to five charities, including Resource Assistance for Youth Inc. and Inner City Youth Alive, which received their donations during a small gathering at True North Square before riders set out. “We’ve got plenty of youth that are sleeping outdoors,” said Kate Sjoberg, CEO of RaY Inc. “We don’t have enough housing in the city for the folks that really need it. “This is going to continue to be an issue for a little bit longer, and it’s really our privilege to work with people every day who know how to survive and trust us enough to help them a little bit along the way here and there.” Victoria, a young woman who accessed RaY more than a year ago while experiencing homelessness, said the organization has played a crucial role in her life. “RaY’s helped me quite a bit and not just in finding a new home, but getting to be more out there and more socialized, and I always feel like I have a safe place to go when I need to,” she said. “There’s counselling. There are people I can talk to, and the best part is they make me friends. So it makes me feel included, and I feel safe.” From True North Square, riders made stops at city hall and Centennial Concert Hall before heading to N’Dinawemak, their first major destination of the afternoon. “Every shelter has a closing time for cleaning, and people get stuck out on the street for that hour to hour and a half every single day,” said Nicholas Candaele, one of the N’Dinawemak directors. “So, what Kerry and his crew is doing out there is amazing. It’s really showing effort… and what our relatives go through every single day.” Each night during the winter months, roughly 200 people access N’Dinawemak’s Disraeli Freeway shelter, with daytime numbers more than doubling as people arrive for meals, outreach and other services. Those inside the building Friday received an added boost of holiday cheer, as the Downtown Community Safety Partnership dropped off dozens of blue backpacks filled with treats and essential winter clothing. “It’s never too much,” Candaele said. “We also get quite a bit of backlog stuff for the rest of the winter, which is awesome.” scott.billeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Judge convicts man who switched seats with driver after collision that killed cyclist (Dec19'25)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Dec '25

19 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Judge convicts man who switched seats with driver after collision that killed cyclist https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/19/judge-decides-pas… A Winnipeg man who admitted taking the driver’s seat following a high-speed collision that killed cyclist Rob Jenner has been found guilty of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Lyle Barker-Young, 19, remains free on bail and will be sentenced at a later date following the completion of a court-ordered pre-sentence report. Co-accused Beckham Severight, 20, was behind the driver’s seat of Barker-Young’s leased 2013 BMW sedan the morning of June 6, 2024, racing along Wellington Crescent when he rounded a curve near the intersection at Cockburn Street and collided with Jenner, who was cycling to work in the same lane. Police arrested the two roommates at their Elmwood apartment later that day. In a police statement, Barker-Young said he told Severight to keep driving after hitting Jenner. They drove a short distance, pulled over and switched seats before Barker-Young drove away without checking on the 61-year-old critically injured cyclist. “The comments Mr. Barker-Young made in his statement… support that (he) would have known this was a violent collision that must have resulted in at least bodily harm to the cyclist,” provincial court Judge Catherine Carlson said Friday, reading from a 24-page decision. Severight had only a learner’s permit. Barker-Young had a valid licence and accompanied Severight but did not qualify as a supervising driver. “So (the collision) happened and (Severight) didn’t know what to do,” Barker-Young told police. “Told him to keep driving up a bit. We stopped and I told him to get out and we switched… ’cause I knew he couldn’t f—king drive anymore.… It was my idea to go.” Prior to the collision, “we were going too much… like, we were going fast, like, too fast,” Barker-Young, said. Witnesses in the area at the time said they heard a loud bang and saw Jenner fly three metres into the air before landing on the ground. Witnesses said the car did not slow down or stop after hitting Jenner. One witness estimated the BMW was travelling 120 km/h when it hit Jenner, which would have been 70 km/h over the speed limit. Defence lawyers Debbie Buors and Melissa Serbin argued Barker-Young could not be convicted of leaving the scene of an accident because the offence was complete when Severight continued driving after hitting Jenner. By that time, any subsequent direction from Barker-Young to Severight to keep driving was too late to be considered aiding or abetting the offence, they said. That argument “imposes a narrow and artificial time limit on the decision not to stop that is not present or contemplated by (the Criminal Code),” Carlson said. “Mr. Barker-Young’s comments (to police) are consistent with him getting into the driver’s seat a short distance from the collision site,” she said. “Once he took over driving, he could have returned to the scene, stopped, provide particulars and rendered assistance. He did not.” Jenner’s death sent shock waves through the city’s cycling community and led to calls to reduce the speed limit along Wellington Crescent between River Avenue and Academy Road to 30 km/h. Severight pleaded guilty last March to dangerous driving causing death and was sentenced to three years custody. dean.pritchard(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Transit planner tacked on to 2026 budget (Dec17'25)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Dec '25

17 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Help needed to streamline new bus network: mayor Transit planner tacked on to 2026 budget https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/16/epc-adds-transit-… THE mayor’s cabinet wants to hire a full-time transit planner to chart out adjustments to the controversial spine-and-feeder network that’s been the source of persistent complaints since it was rolled out in June. The executive policy committee voted Tuesday to add the permanent planner to the proposed 2026 budget. The full council must vote on it. “We knew there would be adjustments needed this (coming) year. And, so, to expedite the work that is needed to make the system better requires a transit planner. We want to give our staff the resources they need, so that citizens see the ongoing improvements,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. The network overhaul, which took effect June 29, affected virtually every local bus route. The concept includes direct spines along major corridors that are supported by a network of feeder routes throughout the city. The changes were designed to increase bus frequency on main routes, but many riders have complained they now require more transfers and much more time to reach their destinations. Some have been stranded at work or school due to reduced night-time service. In some cases, passengers have reported buying vehicles to avoid frustrating delays. The city added more late-night service to some on-request zones on Dec. 14, while the budget proposes to extend hours on some fixed routes in April. Winnipeg Transit’s On-Request operates in some areas when feeder bus routes are not in service. The mayor said the new transit planner would help guide additional changes next year. “I’m confident it was the right decision to go with the new transit network. I’m not entirely thrilled, to be honest with you, at the number of adjustments we’re having to make, but we’re making them,” said Gillingham. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said the new position should help speed up Transit’s response to common complaints. “We’re really happy about all the feedback we’re getting and we really want to accelerate the changes,” said Lukes (Waverley West). A transit activist said he’s pleased the city is planning ahead for additional network changes. “Having somebody in place to help ensure that the city is thinking long term and also helping recognize the urgent need for specific infrastructure is very exciting,” said Kyle Owens, president of Functional Transit Winnipeg. Owens said the city must add more buses and drivers to ensure its network can meet riders’ needs. “What we’re seeing is that the years of lack of investment (in the past) mean that this one change is not enough. They are going to need to offer real improvements in service and investments. The (network) changeover was emergency foundation repair,” he said. Other new additions to the city’s proposed 2026 budget aim to pursue a new crime-prevention pilot project and expand needle cleanups at parks. One would seek federal funding to support an “inter-agency crime and incident prevention pilot” project. Gillingham said that would be part of the Safe Winnipeg Initiative he announced in March, which aims to increase collaboration between safety related organizations. “I’ve talked about co-ordinating our public safety agencies to provide a blanket of safety in the downtown. Crime rates have shown a drop in the last few years in the downtown, but there’s more work we have to do,” he said. The mayor listed the Winnipeg Police Service, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, Downtown Community Safety Partnership and the Community Safety Team as agencies that could participate. Details of the project itself are still being determined, he said. EPC also wants to expand a program that clears needles, weapons, drugs and other dangerous debris from parks. City staff removed thousands of needles and more than 150 weapons from 16 “high-risk” downtown parks and green spaces between April 14 and Oct. 3 via the seasonal program, according to a recent report. An amendment would see staff clean up six additional sites two to three times per week, including Vimy Ridge Park, Jacob Penner Park, Cornish Library, Alderman John O’Hare Park, Broadway Neighbourhood Centre and the Dynasty Building, if council approves. “We have seen a significant impact (from) our needle cleanup initiative. It’s making parks safer for families,” said Gillingham. The change is expected to cost $28,200 more each season, once the program resumes next spring. Another budget amendment would ensure three temporary full-time staff continue to be devoted to the unsafe conditions response team, allowing their work to continue throughout 2026. The team, made up of bylaw officers and building inspectors, expedites the city’s response to hazardous properties, included rubble-filled sites left behind after fires. That change is expected to cost $267,000 in 2026. The city could use the revenue from vacant and derelict building fees to help fund those positions in 2027, 2028 and 2029, pending future budget approvals. City council will cast a final vote on the 2026 budget today. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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Changing Lanes | Save The Date!
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, Green Action Centre is thrilled to bring Todd Litman to Winnipeg in February 2026 for Changing Lanes: Better Value From Winnipeg Transportation Investments. This keynote address will take place on February 25th. Please save the date! [Speaker Event Save the Date.jpg] Changing Lanes: Better Value From Winnipeg Transportation Investments with Todd Litman of the Victoria Transportation Policy Institute North American cities are trapped in a wasteful cycle of more driving, reduced travel options and more costly public infrastructure. Cities need better solutions to traffic problems. Roadway expansions are expensive, and only provide temporary relief until additional traffic fills the added capacity. “Win-win” solutions reduce congestion and help achieve other community goals including affordability, equity, public health and safety. Applying these solutions requires a shift to accessibility-based planning that recognizes the many benefits provided by multimodal planning and compact neighborhoods. In this keynote address, Todd Litman shares insights from his research, Smart Congestion Relief, Affordability as a Transportation Planning Goal and The Mobility-Productivity Paradox. Todd’s up-to-date research will provide practical guidance for more efficient infrastructure spending, increasing financial savings for families, and how to create more inclusive and livable communities. Tickets for this event will go on sale early in the new year. We hope to see you there! Mel Marginet | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 300-286 Smith Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 1K4 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *Note: I work two days a week at Green Action Centre and it may take a few days to respond to you. We are located on Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The water we drink comes from Shoal Lake First Nation. [https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif] Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org<http://canadahelps.org/> [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4xnHIzg-oNAxItLMxFnB1HS5HGb…]<http://gomb.ca>

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WFP Editorial: The traffic disaster that failed to arrive (Dec11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. EDITORIAL The traffic disaster that failed to arrive https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2025/12/11/the-traffic… FOR pedestrians and motorists who have traversed Winnipeg’s most iconic intersection during the past six months, a quick upward glance would have confirmed what proponents of reopening the windy interchange to foot traffic have predicted all along: The sky has not fallen at Portage and Main. After years — perhaps decades — of doomsaying by those opposed to reintroducing aboveground pedestrian activity to the intersection, data collected since the June 27 reopening show the controversial change has actually had negligible impact on vehicular traffic flow. Adherents to the keep-it-closed school of thought had long argued that allowing foot traffic across Portage and Main would create varying degrees of gridlock-induced chaos and regrettable vehicle/pedestrian carnage. Instead, the transition back to a pedestrian-accessible intersection has been seamless and without any incidents of note. The study, undertaken by the City of Winnipeg, involved data collected from GPS-enabled vehicles travelling on four specified routes leading in and out of the Portage and Main interchange during peak traffic times in November. That information was then compared to data collected in November 2024, before pedestrian traffic was reintroduced. Morning travel on two of the routes was unchanged, while traffic on the other two experienced a delay of less than one minute. Afternoon travel time on three of the routes increased by less than two minutes, while the fourth actually experienced a one-minute decrease. The analysis did not account for nearby construction or other factors that might have affected traffic flow during the data-collection periods. Meanwhile, the analysis also showed that an average of 3,750 pedestrians have crossed Portage and Main daily since Sept. 1. Mayor Scott Gillingham summed it up this way: “Everybody heard the doomsday predictions about gridlock and accidents that would happen, and the data proves that those predictions were wrong. Ultimately, I don’t have a good answer as to why this was debated for so long.” He doesn’t have a good answer because there isn’t — and wasn’t — one. The recent wrangling over Portage and Main dates back more than a decade, to when then-mayoral candidate Brian Bowman made reopening the intersection one of his key campaign promises. After encountering resistance to his pledge, Bowman relented and said he would abide by the result of a plebiscite on the issue — which in 2018 ultimately showed a majority of Winnipeggers opposed reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians. A breakdown of that vote, however, showed the strongest opposition came from outlying suburban areas of the city, meaning most of the people who voted on the “no” side had likely never actually travelled through the intersection in question. But the politicization of the Portage and Main question by a few naysaying councillors kept the intersection closed, and it likely would have remained inaccessible to pedestrians had not the looming failure of the waterproof membrane protecting the underground concourse — the repair of which would have cost almost $60 million and created four to five years of traffic disruption — forced city council to reconsider the issue as a practical matter, rather than a political one. The newly reported numbers speak for themselves. The return of pedestrians has not affected traffic in any meaningful way. And the simple fact of the matter is that nothing catastrophic was going to happen at this intersection simply because pedestrians crossed the street there. Despite its local-icon stature, Portage and Main is no more complicated than thousands of other intersections in hundreds of other major cities that are traversed safely by millions of pedestrians every day. The wind will always blow at Portage and Main, but the sky was never going to fall.

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WFP: Free bus rides for all might be what’s needed to save Transit (Dec11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Free bus rides for all might be what’s needed to save Transit DAN LETT https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2025/12/10/free-bus-rides-for-all-m… WHEN one looks at the multitude of problems facing Winnipeg Transit — declining ridership, increasing costs and chronic concerns about safety — it becomes increasingly clear that new and even radical ideas need to be embraced. One such idea is eliminating fares. That might seem like a pipe dream until it’s acknowledged just how critically important public transit is for the future of all cities, including Winnipeg. Robust transit ridership not only helps reduce carbon emissions — desperately needed to slow climate change — but also reduces the wear and tear on municipal infrastructure, adding years to the lifespans of roads, bridges and other transportation assets. Transit is also a tool that creates socioeconomic opportunities for even the poorest of citizens, enabling them to move about the city. Unfortunately, following the worst years of the pandemic, ridership has dropped in just about every city, threatening the viability of public transit. Winnipeg is an excellent case in point. This week, a City of Winnipeg committee was told Transit would earn $8.5 million less than budgeted for the current year, as nearly five million fewer rides were taken. Transit finance manager Laurie Fisher told the committee “the erosion of fare revenue” is a problem that has no easy explanation and, thus, no current solution. The city is working to improve transit services with last summer’s launch of a redesigned network and improved schedules. Although city officials believe the new system will, ultimately, be better for most riders, there are concerns the transition — combined with ongoing concerns about safety — has discouraged some people from taking the bus. And that is making Winnipeg Transit less viable. It will cost roughly $264 million this year to operate the service. Fares and provincial grants contribute about $140 million, but the balance — about $124 million — has to be taken out of the city’s general revenues. Despite the lost revenue from fewer rides, Winnipeg Transit is expected to end the year with a small surplus, thanks to lower costs of fuel and carbon taxes. However, unless paid ridership increases substantially in the next few years, it will find itself trapped in a revenue death spiral. Fewer riders every year, against a backdrop of increasing costs. It may seem counterintuitive to address the problem by eliminating fares. However, the broader analysis suggests the benefits would far outweigh the overall costs. Increasingly, we’re seeing other cities, faced with the same dilemma as Winnipeg, taking that bold step. In 2023, Iowa City, Iowa, decided to eliminate bus fares for two years on a pilot basis. Ridership rose above pre-pandemic levels by nearly 20 per cent. The city’s residents put 2.9 million fewer vehicle kilometres on city streets, reducing carbon emissions by 778 metric tons. Of course, with close to 80,000 citizens, Iowa City might not make the best point of comparison with a city such as Winnipeg that is 10 times bigger. Thankfully, we are also starting to see larger jurisdictions launch similar initiatives. Luxembourg, the landlocked western European nation bordered by Belgium, Germany and France, has a population of about 680,000. It made buses, trams and second-class train tickets free in 2020 and has experienced around a 12 per cent increase in ridership over pre-pandemic levels and around an eight per cent drop in CO2 emissions. What about bigger jurisdictions? When he was a member of the state assembly, New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani helped launch a one-year pilot project that provided a free bus line in each of the city’s five boroughs. Service was faster, ridership on the free lines increased by as much as 38 per cent and — perhaps more importantly — around 38 per cent fewer assaults were reported. After he is sworn in on Jan. 1, Mamdani has promised to expand his “fast and free” vision for bus service within the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, arguing that increased revenue from vehicular-congestion pricing will help him cover the cost of citywide free bus service. For advocates of free transit, there is a lot of excitement focused on Belgrade, a Serbian city of around 1.7 million that eliminated fares at the beginning of 2025. No results have been made public yet, but the net impacts on ridership, infrastructure, emissions and safety will be of enormous value in determining the viability of free public transit. Could Winnipeg jump on the free transit wave? It would take an enormous amount of support from the federal and provincial governments, as the city on its own would be unable to cover the nine figures of lost fare revenue. If a deal could be cobbled together, however, the benefits to the city could be limitless. Along with non-financial benefits such as lower CO2 emissions, there would be millions of fewer vehicle miles crossing city streets and bridges. Increased ridership could free the city from wasting billions of dollars on expanding over-burdened commuter routes. For residents, it would mean faster commutes and greater safety by reducing injuries from vehicle collisions. That, in turn, would also bring down the cost of automobile insurance. Unless something radical is done, Winnipeg will be faced with a transit system that is increasingly more expensive and less appealing to riders. This is most definitely one of those situations where the cost of doing nothing is ultimately much larger than the cost of doing something bold. dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP: Riding the bus ‘unbearable and stressful’ (Dec11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '25

11 Dec '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Riding the bus ‘unbearable and stressful’ Transit system’s frustrating flaws amplified by cold, says committed customer shopping for car https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/12/10/taking-the-bus-ju… BUS rider Juan Fernandez has had enough of Winnipeg Transit’s new spine-and-feeder network after just five months and the onset of wintry weather. Fernandez, a Transit customer since he moved to the city three years ago, said he’s going to buy a car because his work commute times are double what they used to be, when buses are on time. “I’m looking at (a car) today because I’m done with the transit system,” he told the Free Press Wednesday. “Winnipeg had a very reliable transit system and now it doesn’t. Now, it’s just unbearable and stressful.” The return of freezing temperatures and snow hasn’t helped. While it hasn’t officially started yet, this is the first winter since the new network was introduced June 29. Fernandez said the switch means he spends more time waiting for buses in the cold. The mild start to the season was manageable, but last week’s -30 C wind chills were unbearable, he said. Many passengers complained about the decision to replace the decades-old hub-and-spoke model because it significantly altered their routes or travel times. Some riders now have to take one or more additional buses. The network change eliminated one of two buses Fernandez could take from a stop near his home to downtown, where he transfers to a different bus to complete his trip to work in the morning. He now has to take an extra bus to get to or from the downtown transfer and his commute has doubled to about 70 minutes each way. His travel times to the gym, stores and other destinations are longer. “I don’t want to go anywhere now because it’s taking too long,” Fernandez said. “I feel very angry. I feel we’re just being pranked.” He said buses on the F6 route are often so packed at peak times that people waiting at stops cannot board and have to wait for the next service. Fernandez said the scenario happened to him one night at Isabel Street and William Avenue in the inner city, where he ended up being chased by a man, who appeared to be a drug user, while he waited for the next bus. After the system overhaul was revealed in June, Mayra Manishigaki had to rethink her routes. Basic trips — going to the supermarket, for example — suddenly went from travel on a single bus to what she describes as “almost impossible.” Five months later, the self-described lover of public transit was bundled up in winter gear, waiting for her bus in Osborne Village. She said the cold was making a difficult change worse. “It’s just terrible. You have to plan ahead and usually in the winter, there are more late buses,” she said. “It’s kind of a bummer.” Many of the stops Manishigaki uses during the day don’t offer weather protection from bus shacks. Helping riders stay warm while getting used to the changes would go a long way, she said. “I just wish you could feel a little bit better, more comfortable,” she said. “Having a shack would mean a lot, especially during winter.” Transit is making some changes, based on complaints or requests, when its winter schedule begins Sunday. Fernandez, who reported concerns to 311, doesn’t think his experience will improve. Late-night service is expanding to most on-request zones, some schedules are being rewritten and trips are being added to some busier routes. “I really hope it makes a significant difference, but there are many different issues that people have,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of the city’s public works committee, which oversees Winnipeg Transit. “For certain people, this is going to be fantastic. For certain people, it’s not yet what they want.” Lukes (Waverley West) said Transit has never undergone such a fundamental change. She encouraged riders to continue to submit feedback because it will help to improve the network. More changes are expected in the spring. “We know there are issues because no change is perfect, but we are working to resolve it,” she said. “The spine-and-feeder system is a much better system to make changes and adjustments to.” Transfers are an integral part of the new system and that’s not going to change, she added. Lukes, a Transit user, said she has received positive feedback from riders alongside the negative and she expects good results in the long-term. She said bus shelters will be added next year based on customer feedback and an analysis by staff. Transit had shelters at 705 of 3,825 stops as of Wednesday, compared with 880 at 5,170 stops at the end of 2024, spokesman Brandon Logan said. The total number of stops was cut when the new network launched. Logan said Transit is assessing the condition of 150 shelters that were removed from cancelled stops to find out which ones can be installed at an in-service stop as soon as possible. Chris Scott, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, which represents the city’s bus drivers, said members are happy with the new master plan because it is designed to help them remain on time and take breaks, barring delays caused by construction or weather. It appears most of the frustration among riders has been directed at department heads or council members, rather than front-line Transit staff, he said. “Understandably, humans as a species are averse to change but we are very adaptable and I think that will be the case here as time progresses,” Scott said. “Provided that the elected officials and department heads continue to respond to the issues that the riding public face, I think this system can grow to be far better than what the old system ended up being.” The Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone recently launched an online survey to find out how the network is affecting people who live, work or visit the area. “We’ve heard anecdotally that changes to the Winnipeg Transit network have increased commute times and are making it more challenging for people to get to and move through downtown,” spokeswoman Olivia Billson said. “We hope to gain further insights and ideas where improvements could be made to the system in the future.” Survey results will be shared with the city, she said. — with files from Malak Abas chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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