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WFP: Predicted boom for Portage and Main up for debate (Sept.16'17)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Sep '17

22 Sep '17

*Predicted boom for Portage and Main up for debate * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/will-reopened-portage-and-main-be-e… THE debate over the reopening of Portage and Main to pedestrians took an interesting turn this week when a U.S. software firm proclaimed that Winnipeg can expect to generate $18 in private-sector investment for every dollar spent on opening the intersection to pedestrians. But commercial property appraiser Rocky Neufeld said he doesn’t understand how the firm … [View More]reached its conclusions, adding he believes opening the intersection will lead to lower property values for the buildings on the intersection’s corners. “I love to sit outside and have a drink whenever I can but I won’t do it anywhere in areas where it’s toowindy and hot,” Neufeld said. “Portage and Main iswindy as hell. It’s a sun-focused area. It’s either windy and cold or stagnant and hot.” Boston-based firm State of Place said it used its own unique forecasting model to conclude the city can expect to see a dramatic increases in property values and rental rates in the immediate area adjacent to Portage and Main. Mariela Alfonzo, founder and CEO of State of Place, said removing the barriers alone will have little effect on the intersection, adding her firm’s work demonstrates that enhancement of the area through urban design changes can have a dramatic impact on public perception and enjoyment — and that will translate into increased property and rental values. “I don’t think you should only just take the barriers away and call it a day,” Alfonzo said. “You really need to think more holistically about the kind of design changes needed there.” She said her firm’s analytical model changed the look and use of the intersection with the addition of trees, outdoor dining, attractive pavement designs, on-street parking and other improvements. “There are many other things that have to happen at that intersection, from a design perspective, to achieve the goal that you’d want in doing this,” Alfonzo said. State of Place said if Winnipeg were to invest $7 million to reopen the intersection and make the necessary design changes, property owners could expect to see the following benefits on a oneblock stretch of Main Street, from Portage Avenue to Mc Dermot Street: • an increase to office rents by $5.52 a square foot; • an increase to retail rents by $6.73 per square foot; • generation of additional retail revenues of $50.22 per square foot; • an increase to overall property values of $126 million over a 10-year period; • a return of investment of $18.07 for every $1 spent. Neufeld can’t imagine any of the benefits predicted by the State of Main model. He said diverting pedestrians from the underground to the street will cause permanent damage to the underground businesses, leading to vacancies and lowering the property values. Alfonzo said the opposite would be true: underground retailers and property owners would be motivated to make their space more attractive and end up getting more customers as more people are attracted to the intersection. Neufeld said when he looks at the intersection, he doesn’t see there is enough physical space to make the design changes Alfonzo said are necessary. Without that space, he said, the building owners will be hard-pressed to make the desired changes to make the area more attractive. “There is a little bit of space in front of 201 Portage, a little bit of space in front of the Richardson building, that’s just about it. If you have people there, what are they going to do? Is Hy’s going to put an outdoor café there? I don’t see it.” Alfonzo said her firm is not a design or consulting firm but is a software firm that developed predictive, analytic software that’s used by municipalities, developers and transportation agencies to “guide, design and (make) planning choices and to justify them from a business case perspective.” She said her firm chose Portage and Main to coincide with the International Downtown Association conference taking place in the city. “We’re capturing how movement from lower-quality space to higherquality space, how that could move the needle from an economic development perspective,” Alfonzo said. “It’s based on a robust statistical model where we had an almost infinite combination of different urban design qualities across many different neighbourhoods.” aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca [View Less]

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Wednesday: AT Webinar & GoManitoba Launch!
by Beth McKechnie 19 Sep '17

19 Sep '17

*Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar viewing in the EcoCentre boardroom...* *We also invite you to join us under the canopy at The Forks tomorrow (Wed) morning at 11am for the official launch <http://greenactioncentre.ca/event/gomanitoba-public-launch/> of GoManitoba <http://www.gomanitoba.ca/>!* * * * * * *Green Design: Minimizing Environmental Impact in Public Rights of WayWed, Sept 20 | 2-3 p.m. CDT* At the September webinar, a representative from NACTO will take … [View More]

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AT Webinar Invite: Minimizing Environmental Impact in Public Rights of Way, Wed, Sept 20, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 14 Sep '17

14 Sep '17

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of this month's APBP <http://www.apbp.org/> webinar. The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications for those who wish to stay. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * *Green Design: Minimizing Environmental Impact in Public Rights of WayWed, Sept 20 | 2-… [View More]

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WFP: Second study for intersection; Portage & Main key to growing downtown (Sept.14'17)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Sep '17

14 Sep '17

*Another consultant hired to examine Portage and Main’s ‘pedestrian friendly’ opportunities* *Second study for intersection* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/second-portage-and- main-study-to-examine-pedestrian-friendly-and-urban-design-opportunities- 444244573.html WINNIPEG city hall has commissioned a second consultant’s study examining the reopening of Portage and Main, even as it is putting the final touches on an administrative report for council’s October meeting that will … [View More]outline the cost to remove the concrete barriers. Doug Mc Neil, the city’s chief administrative officer, said the second study — awarded in July to a Vancouver firm at a cost of $70,000— will examine how the city can integrate public spaces above and below ground with adjoining private properties. Mc Neil would not say when officials will propose a final cost for reopening the intersection and design plans, nor if the city will be ready tomove ahead with a reopening in 2018. “I’m going to not answer any more detailed questions because it will all be in the (October) report,” Mc Neil told reporters Wednesday. He said the second study was done in response to concerns raised by property owners at the famous intersection of Main Street and Portage Avenue. They want to know what city hall will do to complement the investments they plan on spending once the intersection is open. Mc Neil said the property owners said “the city needs to have a vision,” adding the first study only looked at the effect to traffic flow and pedestrians once the intersection is open to foot traffic. The second consulting team will look at “how can we make Portage and Main more pedestrian-friendly, what kind of new urban design opportunities are there for Portage and Main, again, above and below,” Mc Neil said. The intersection was closed to pedestrians in February 1979 as part of the deal for the private development of the underground retail and commercial space, with the city agreeing to construct the underground pedestrian concourse and prohibit pedestrian crossing. The terms of the deal with the developers required the city to keep the intersection closed for 40 years. Mayor Brian Bowman made it a campaign commitment in the 2014 civic election to reopen the intersection. Bowman’s plan was to have the intersection opened ahead of the 2017 Canada Summer Games, which were held this summer. Despite the terms of the original lease not expiring until February 2019, all property owners on the corners have agreed to reopen the intersection. Coun. Jeff Browaty, who strongly opposes the move, said he was critical of the city to commission a second study before disclosing the findings of the first. The North Kildonan representative said Winnipeg residents deserve to know the costs and impacts on traffic flow before considering further expenditures to enhance the area. Mc Neil said he will present an administrative report to council at its Oct. 25 meeting, based on the findings of the first study, which determined the impact on traffic flows once the intersection is opened. He said the administrative report will also include preliminary cost estimates to remove the barriers and changes to the intersection to accommodate pedestrian crossings. Mc Neil said it’s not certain if the second study will be finished by the October meeting, nor if any of the proposals for design changes will be presented to council. “I don’t know exactly how we’re going to incorporate that,” the CAO said. “We’re currently talking about that and working on the (administrative) report.” Mc Neil said the reports going to council in October are only “the first steps” towards reopening the intersection. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca * * * * * *Portage, Main key to growing downtown: Bowman * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/portage-main-key-to- growing-downtown-bowman-444351103.html PORTAGE and Main was closed to pedestrians nearly 40 years ago, but Mayor Brian Bowman remains convinced reopening the intersection is necessary for Winnipeg’s growth. “Opening up Portage and Main has never been only about tearing up barriers and throwing pedestrians into the mix and hoping for the best,” Bowman told reporters Wednesday. “It’s about studying how we can integrate with what is already happening in our downtown and create a vision based on partnering with the businesses and the community to develop a plan to make a transformation-only intersection everyone- friendly, not just car-friendly.” The city’s iconic intersection was closed to pedestrians on Feb. 24, 1979. Bowman said he doesn’t imagine it transforming into a version of New York City’s Times Square, which was what former mayor Glen Murray hoped could be achieved when he initiated an international design competition in 2003. Murray’s competition drew submissions from around the world. But Murray was gone from the city when the winning design was chosen in 2005 and when a $10.5-million proposal was eventually presented to council in 2007, which incorporated the design changes and suggested the intersection be open on evenings and weekends, then-mayor Sam Katz wanted no part of it. To see some of the submissions, go online to: wfp.to/portageandmain. The winning design, #073, was submitted by Toronto architect Janet Rosenberg & Associates, in collaboration with local firm Cibinel Architects. While opinion surveys show a slight majority of Winnipeggers is opposed to reopening the intersection, Bowman said he believes the initiative is necessary. “We’re not building a Times Square at Portage and Main, but we are working to study and understand ways to better connect our city, work with property owners in the area and create a vision that works for Winnipeg,” Bowman said. “I continue to believe our Portage and Main intersection can bemore and can do more for our downtown and our city. It can help us better connect our city. It can help build a better sense of belonging, and it can becomea more engaging destination.” aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca [View Less]

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Waverley Underpass: Construction Update - Ped/Bike Detours
by Beth McKechnie 12 Sep '17

12 Sep '17

*** Please share widely with your networks *** *From:* Dillon Consulting Limited [mailto:lhastie=dillon.ca@cmail19.com] *On Behalf Of *Dillon Consulting Limited *Sent:* Tuesday, September 12, 2017 10:23 AM *Subject:* Waverley Underpass - Construction Update <http://newsletters.cubiclefugitive.com/t/y-l-hhkdad-treuuhulr-r/> *Waverley Underpass * *Construction Update #3* Fall is here and the next phase in the construction of the Waverley Underpass will begin shortly. [image: … [View More]Rounded Rectangle: Click here to learn more about this exciting project.] *Construction Work to Date* Preliminary works on the road and rail detour, intersection improvements, and reconstruction of Waverley between Taylor and Grant are nearing completion. *Temporary Weekend Closure* To complete final detour construction work there will be a temporary weekend closure of the project area. · Closure starts Friday, September 29, 2017 at 5:30pm · Closure ends Monday, October 2, 2017 at 6:00am · The project area will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists, refer to map at right for details · Property owners will have access via other routes and access points · Additional communications will occur if closure dates change or the closure dates need to be extended *Detour Restrictions* On Monday, October 2, 2017 immediately following the weekend closure, traffic will begin operating on the Waverley Detour roadway. A multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists will be provided along the west side of the detour. The detour will cross the CN Mainline at a temporary at grade crossing. While traffic is operating on the detour, a number of turning movement restrictions will be in place. Refer to the Detour Map at right for details. Detour turn restrictions include: • Eastbound Taylor at Waverley (detour) must turn right • Northbound Waverley (detour) at Taylor, no left turn • Southbound Waverley at Taylor, no left turn *Future Construction Work* With traffic on the detour, construction of the Underpass Bridge and roadway will proceed over the following two years. Traffic is expected to transition back under the new underpass in the Fall of 2019. *For additional information please contact Lea Hastie, Dillon Consulting Limited, lhastie(a)dillon.ca <lhastie(a)dillon.ca>, 204-453-2301 <(204)%20453-2301>* <http://newsletters.cubiclefugitive.com/t/y-l-hhkdad-treuuhulr-t/> <http://newsletters.cubiclefugitive.com/t/y-l-hhkdad-treuuhulr-i/> Dillon Consulting Limited 1558 Willson Place Winnipeg, MB, R3T 0Y4 204.453.2301 <(204)%20453-2301> www.dillon.ca [View Less]

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Ciclovia looking for sign hangers on Friday and Saturday
by Beth McKechnie 06 Sep '17

06 Sep '17

Hi everyone, Please help spread the word that volunteers are still needed to hang route signs on Friday and Saturday for Ciclovia this Sunday. If you're free for a few hours, you can connect with Jennie at fetejockey(a)gmail.com thanks! Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 … [View More]

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WFP Analysis: Imagination could give Arlington Bridge new life (Sept.5'17)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Sep '17

05 Sep '17

*Imagination could give Arlington Bridge new life * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/imagination-could-give- arlington-bridge-new-life-442716493.html THE three graceful arches of the old Arlington Bridge have cast their curving shadows on Winnipeg’s central rail yards for 105 years. It’s become a quintessentially Winnipeg experience to ascend the bridge’s steep ramp and cross its narrow deck as the rhythm of steel girders ticks by. The sweeping panorama — a rarity in a flat … [View More]city — lays out below, with rows of trains vanishing into the horizon, the downtown skyline rising over an elm tree canopy beyond. Few bridges provide an experience as unique as Arlington, and even fewer provide a better story. The prevailing legend explains that the ramps are so steep because the bridge, built in England, was actually designed to span the Nile River. When a contract fell through, the structure was offered to Winnipeg on the cheap and shoehorned into the site. Built specifically to run streetcars to the North End, the steep ramps prevented a single trolley from ever crossing. With all its quirks, calls for the bridge’s replacement go back more than 70 years. This month, the City of Winnipeg will begin public consultation for the design of a new $300-million bridge, with more lanes, better emergency vehicle and transit access and less-steep ramps for pedestrians and cyclists. Public art will attempt to make themodern roadway more visually appealing. The starting point for public consultation assumes the old bridge will be demolished, specifically identifying that it cannot be repurposed to another use. The steep ramps and aging structure are provided as anecdotal reasons for this decision, but no formal study identifying the criteria used in this assessment has been made public. It is undoubtedly easiest to simply demolish the Arlington Bridge and build a new concrete roadway, but without thoroughly investigating its reuse, are we missing an important opportunity to create something special for our city? Cities across North America have demonstrated that with a little imagination, bridges at the end of their service lives can be reborn as important community spaces and even tourist attractions that breathe new life into inner-city neighbourhoods. New York’s High Line established the model in 2009, transforming an abandoned elevated rail corridor into a 2.5-kilometre-long urban park. Other cities have successfully followed suit. Chicago, Minneapolis and even Chattanooga, Tenn., have all transformed old bridges into dynamic public spaces. Most closely related to the Arlington Bridge is 11th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., where a modern span was constructed next to a decommissioned older bridge that was slated to be demolished. Community groups rallied together to propose an ambitious project; using the old structure to create a 300-metre-long, multi-functional community space, connecting two neighbourhoods and new public parks on either side. A goal was set to create a place of pride that will stitch together two long-divided neighbourhoods, establishing a community node and regional destination that acts as an economic catalyst by providing employment within the park and drawing visitors to the community and its surrounding commercial streets. An international design competition was held and won by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture, with a dramatic scheme of terraced lawns, parks and playgrounds, as well as a café, amphitheatre, education centre and space for community agriculture gardens and neighbourhood vendors. Through a public fundraising campaign and support from the civic government, much of the US$50-million construction cost has been raised and the park is slated to open in 2019. When complete, a simple roadway will be reborn as a cultural and social amenity for the entire city, bringing new opportunity to a struggling neighbourhood. Ambitious community-led projects such as the 11th Street Bridge should inspire us in Winnipeg to dream and to be creative when it comes to our infrastructure investments. We should ask ourselves, is the old Arlington Bridge an opportunity to create something that is a similar source of pride, recreation and economic growth? The reuse of the old Disraeli Bridge piers to support a new active-transportation corridor is an excellent precedent for this type of creative thinking. The Arlington Bridge and its importance to the surrounding communities deserve a unique effort to investigate its reuse within the current public consultation exercise. There are many creative ideas to be explored that might use the old bridge in new ways without the structural requirements of vehicular traffic. With the new span slated to be built beside the old, is there an opportunity to connect the two in the middle? Maybe we demolish all but the centre arched spans, transforming them into a dramatic public space for the new bridge. Could the money earmarked for public art be redirected to develop the old bridge into a public space accessed from the new, with its lower slope ramps and bike lanes? Could the old bridge become the active transportation component of the new, with new ramps built only for cyclists and pedestrians? Could the ramps become landscaped terraces? Should we hold a design competition to invite the world to dream about the possibilities? Imagine public gardens, vendors, gathering and performance spaces on the old bridge, connecting parkland and recreational pathways that reach into the surrounding communities. Imagine watching the sunset between those steel arches, surrounded by trees and grasses, an injection of nature uniquely floating over an industrial site. Imagine a children’s playground and interpretive centre, teaching future generations about our city’s history on a piece of its history. Imagine a public place that improves quality of life in the inner city and is powerful enough to draw together residents from every neighbourhood. Just imagine, Winnipeg. * Brent Bellamy is chairman of Centre Venture ’s board and the creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.* [View Less]

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Fwd: Volunteers needed!
by Dave Elmore 02 Sep '17

02 Sep '17

Sorry if you may have already seen this request. Ciclovia organizers need volunteers. Please help if you can. *Ciclovia Volunteer Position 1* Would you be willing to help us for 4 hours on September 10th, ensuring folks using the car free streets are safe as they make their way to Manyfest? We are looking for Ciclovia marshals for shifts from 10:30am-2:30pm and 2:00pm-6pm. We will supply safety vests, stop signs and instructions. You will meet us at Broadway & Memorial and will need … [View More]a bike in order to locate yourself at an intersection along the Ciclovia route, which runs from the north to the west end of the city. As a volunteer, we will provide you with a Manyfest t-shirt, food truck voucher and snacks. Please contact Jennie at fetejockey(a)gmail.com if interested. *Ciclovia Volunteer Position 2*We are looking for volunteers to help us administer a 60 sec intercept survey at Ciclovia (September 10th). Shifts are from 10:30am-2:30pm and 2:00pm-6pm. You would be asked to approach the public randomly (on Broadway between Osborne St and Edmonton St) to undertake the Ciclovia Point of Origin and Opinion Intercept Survey. Instructions and link to survey will be provided by the Downtown BIZ (please meet us at Broadway & Memorial). Fill in the surveys for folks on Survey Monkey with your smart phone (or fill in paper copies). Provide a sticker to those who have taken the survey. As avolunteer, we will provide you with a Manyfest t-shirt, food truck voucher and snacks. Please contact Jennie at fetejockey(a)gmail.com if interested -- *Fête Jockey *is Winnipeg's production company for kick ass events. Founded in 2016 by visual artist Jennie O (O'Keefe) and theatre entrepreneur Andraea Sartison, Fête Jockey specializes in uniquely crafted cultural events that expertly intertwine the best of Winnipeg artists, with high profile public occasions. Together, Sartison & O'Keefe boast years of experience as event planners, theatre producers, art curators/consultants/teachers, producers and promoters- working with a multitude of organizations including University of Winnipeg, The Forks, Bike Week Winnipeg, One Trunk Theatre, Martha Street Studio, Art City, MAWA and Theatre Projects Manitoba. Fête Jockey uses events to highlight local products, organizations and initiatives while directly engaging the diverse artistic community of Winnipeg. The company is dedicated to hiring artists and investing 3% of their annual profit back into grassroots arts initiatives in our one great city. [View Less]

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Job Opening | RRC Sustainability Office
by Beth McKechnie 29 Aug '17

29 Aug '17

Red River College's Sustainability Office is growing! This fall, Whitney Crooks, RRC’s current Sustainability Coordinator, will assume a two-year role at the College as a Resource Reduction Specialist (find out more here) <http://blogs.rrc.ca/redgreen/news/>. As a result, they will be backfilling her current position on a two-year term, with the possibility of extension. Resumes are due September 10th. http://blogs.rrc.ca/hr/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2017-108- Revised-Job-posting.pdf

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WFP: Rolling ahead with bike lanes near HSC (Aug.26'17)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Aug '17

26 Aug '17

*Critical link between Wolseley and Exchange District applauded* * Rolling ahead with bike lanes near HSC * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/bike-lane-network- grows-with-hsc-area-project-441759423.html A$1. 3-MILLION upgrade to rebuild the road surface, curbs and sidewalks on a five-block stretch of Mc Dermot Avenue through the Health Sciences Centre campus begins next week. The project includes construction of what an official said will become a pivotal piece of the city’s … [View More]permanent protected bike-lane network: a threemetre- wide, two-way, permanent bike lane on the south side of Mc Dermot, from Arlington Street to Furby Street. The permanent bike lane will eventually be the connecting link between permanent protected lanes that lead into the Exchange District and from Wolseley, said Scott Suderman, the city’s transportation facilities planning engineer. “In the greater context of the network, it’s considered a critical piece,” Suderman said of the 880 metres of protected bike lane being constructed within the Mc Dermot project. To provide adequate space for the bike lane, Mc Dermot between Arlington and Sherbrook streets will be converted into a one-way, eastbound street. The portion of Mc Dermot from Sherbrook to Fort Street has long been a one-way eastbound street. Suderman said the HSC bike lane will be built using the city’s traditional method of permanent, poured-in-place concrete curbs separating cyclists from vehicles. Work on the project is expected to be completed in two months. Complete details on the project can be found on the City of Winnipeg’s website, wfp.to/alexander. A spokesman for the city’s cycling community said he’s excited by the latest addition to Winnipeg’s protected bike network but is concerned about the city’s piecemeal approach. Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said he understands city hall’s long-term vision for the protected bike network and how the HSC/ Mc Dermot portion fits in, but he remains hopeful the city will follow the example of other communities and move faster. The gaps between the protected sections of the bike network dissuade riders from taking advantage of it, he said. “Painted lanes just don’t do it. We know there is a huge pent-up demand for this. When we put in protected bike lanes on Assiniboine, we saw a 225 per cent increase (in ridership),” Cohoe said. The HSC/Mc Dermot permanent bike lane will connect to the existing painted bike lanes on Mc Dermot and Bannatyne avenues east of Furby that go all the way to Waterfront Drive. The city is currently conducting a public engagement and engineering study to upgrade those sections to a permanent status. “We’ve been studying that for quite a few months now. We’ve been meeting with the public, the businesses and owners along the route to work out a plan,” Suderman said. It’s possible portable, adjustable curbs— which were installed this week as part of a nine-month pilot project on short stretches of Sherbrook and on Bannatyne in the Exchange — could be chosen as the building material for the Furby-Waterfront upgrade, making that project more affordable and getting the work done quicker, he said. Other portions of the network that will eventually link to the HSC stretch include: ● A permanent protected bike lane along Arlington, from Selkirk Avenue to Mc Dermot, as part of the Arlington Bridge replacement project. ● A construction of a greenway along Ruby and Banning streets connecting to Wellington Avenue to Arlington and on to Mc Dermot. Included in the HSC/Mc Dermot project are plans to connect Sherbrook from Cumberland Avenue to Mc-Dermot. But Suderman said it’s not certain that work will be completed before winter. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca <http://www.gomanitoba.ca> [View Less]

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