- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: New pedestrian crossing on Dunkirk (Oct28'24)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Oct '24

28 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. NEW PEDESTRIAN CROSSING ON DUNKIRK DRIVERS travelling south on Dunkirk Drive approaching Fermor Avenue will now occasionally experience red lights after the recent installation of a pedestrian crossing signal. Previously, only southbound traffic turning left from Dunkirk onto Fermor could get a red light. Northbound traffic has always experienced a red-light cycle. “It’s important for people to know this is here now because drivers have experienced a constant green light at this intersection for 58 years,” Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) said in a news release Saturday. “We need drivers to be aware of this change.” Both north and southbound traffic will be stopped when a pedestrian pushes a button at the southeast or southwest corners of the intersection. The signal was installed to prepare for a new transit stop on eastbound Fermor that will begin service in December.

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WFP: City on Portage and Main: stay away (Oct26'24)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Oct '24

27 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City on Portage and Main: stay away Drivers can expect shifting lane closures as intersection is prepared for pedestrians https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/10/25/imminent-portage-… WINNIPEG’S public works chair has a warning for drivers and bus riders before major construction begins at Portage Avenue and Main Street to eventually reopen the intersection to pedestrians. “I’m telling everyone to find a different route, because lanes will be closed, lanes will be opened and more lanes will be closed,” said Coun. Janice Lukes. “It’s going to be a major headache for people who take that route.” Lukes, who drives through the downtown intersection to get to and from city hall, expects the seven- month project will add a “significant” amount of time to commutes when construction starts Nov. 15. “A lot of work will be happening at once,” the Waverley West councillor said. Mayor Scott Gillingham urged people to leave earlier than usual if they head downtown while the project is under way. Lukes hopes downtown employers will consider flexible schedules or work-from-home arrangements for eligible staff, if they don’t already, due to anticipated traffic jams at peak times. “The big thing is for people to plan right now,” she said, noting snowfall will probably slow traffic even more. Drivers began facing lane closures and delays when pre-construction work got underway earlier this week. “It’s not really that bad right now, but it’s really going to get intense starting in November,” Lukes warned. “It’s going to be intense construction, because it’s accelerated.” The city is aiming to finish construction by June 27, two days before the launch of Winnipeg Transit’s new primary network. The intersection is scheduled to reopen to foot traffic by July 1 for the first time since 1979. Details of specific lane closures and traffic impacts are expected to be released before Nov. 15. “We are working to minimize congestions and delays as best we can,” city spokesman David Driedger wrote in an email. “It’s also anticipated that some work may occur on weekends and during off-peak times on weekdays to help minimize potential disruptions.” He said drivers should use the Waze app to find the fastest route to their destination. Portage and Main closed to pedestrians 45 years ago, after the city struck a 40-year deal with a property developer who built an office tower and an underground mall. Debate over whether to reopen the intersection has gone on for years. Opponents feared a change would be too expensive and delay traffic. Supporters believed it could help rejuvenate and better connect downtown. In March, city council approved the reopening in an 11-3 vote and earmarked an initial $13 million, even though 65 per cent of voters opposed restoring pedestrian access in a non-binding plebiscite in 2018. The council vote was spurred by a staff report that said it would cost $73 million and cause up to five years of traffic disruption to repair a leaking membrane, or waterproofing layer, that protects an underground pedestrian concourse at the intersection. Additional costly repairs would be expected in 30 to 40 years. Council decided to study the cost and impacts of closing the underground concourse, which was initially proposed at an estimated cost of $20 million to $50 million. Before the March vote, a Free Press/ Probe Research poll of 600 residents found 61 per cent strongly or somewhat supported restoring pedestrian access, while 39 per cent were strongly or somewhat opposed. Gillingham said upcoming traffic delays will be a “short-term inconvenience,” compared with years-long disruption that would come with membrane replacement. Portage and Main would have to be ripped up to fix the layer. For the pre-construction phase, Gillingham said he is leaving home five to seven minutes earlier than usual when he heads to city hall in the morning. “That has been ample time right now,” he said, noting he may have to leave earlier or take a different route when construction “intensifies” next month. “I want to thank motorists in advance for their patience.” Crews are currently installing conduit at Portage and Main’s corners to prepare for new traffic signals, said Lukes. Sections of curb and median lanes will be closed intermittently. During the actual project, large concrete barricades will be demolished to make way for new sidewalks and curbs. Medians will be repaired and adjusted. Hoarding and heating will be used to pour concrete in cold weather. The city doesn’t run road construction projects 24-7 because it doesn’t have the money or volume of work to merit around-the-clock operations, said Lukes. An earlier study cited increased safety risks for workers and the public after dark, noise disruption for residents and higher costs. Lukes said “other players,” including contractors and public utilities, would also have to work or be on call if the city ran construction projects overnight. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Fixing The Forks’ bike, pedestrian span could cost $10M: report (Oct25'24)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Oct '24

26 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Bridge repair cost cuts like a knife Fixing The Forks’ bike, pedestrian span could cost $10M: report https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/10/24/forks-bridge-clos… IT could cost more than $10 million to repair the historic rail bridge at The Forks, a favourite with pedestrians and cyclists, which has been closed for 16 months. Preliminary repairs to remediate the counterweight that sits above the bridge is expected to begin next week, said Zach Peters, communications manager of The Forks. The price tag and timeline were outlined in engineering reports, which took longer than expected to conduct because of mild temperatures last winter. Peters said upon reviewing the assessment, The Forks leadership is looking at short- and long-term solutions for the bridge, which closed without notice in June 2023. “The bridge is a vital access point to and through The Forks,” Peters said in an email. “It’s certainly a priority for us to get it reopened.” Peters declined to discuss the findings in the engineering reports. A timeline for the bridge’s repair and reopening was not provided, with The Forks only saying it is in the process of determining a permanent solution. Construction work on the 110-year-old bridge could be seen Thursday afternoon. Active transportation advocate Mark Cohoe said with a $10-million price tag, The Forks should consider asking the city and province to chip in to fast-track the repair work. “When it’s out of commission, it puts a fairly big hole in our (transportation) network,” said Cohoe, who serves as executive director of Bike Winnipeg. The former railway structure, which allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Assiniboine River from South Point Park to The Forks, has been closed since a routine assessment revealed potential safety issues. The Forks has not released significant updates to the bridge’s future since December, to the frustration of some who use the crossing. Jas Patel once travelled the bridge regularly on his commute to work but now has to detour on sidewalks and streets. He now rides down St. Mary’s Road and through downtown side streets, a commute that is longer and less safe, the cyclist said. “The city already has few access points for bikes … it’s a pain to deal with,” Patel said while at The Forks Thursday. The city has not been approached about sharing in the cost of repairs and it isn’t currently being considered in the capital budget, spokesperson Kalen Qually said in an email. A provincial spokesperson declined to comment, saying the federal government holds jurisdiction over any funding for the bridge. Peters did not say whether The Forks would seek external funds to help pay for the bridge repairs. Patel said it could be worth tearing down the old bridge and building anew, but cyclists are anxious to have the access point reopened in any way. “We need something back,” he said. Meanwhile, another city bridge more than a century old remains closed to traffic. The Arlington Bridge, which links downtown to the North End, shuttered in November 2023 after an inspection revealed the structure was beyond the point of repair. Council is studying options to replace the 112-year-old bridge, including a $171-million bridge option that would involve closing Dufferin Avenue at Arlington Street. A second proposal would see a $180-million version travel over Dufferin, leaving it open for vehicle traffic. In 2019, a preliminary design estimated a new bridge could cost $319 million. nicole.buffie(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Ontario plans to make cities seek bike lane approval (Oct16'24)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Oct '24

16 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Ontario plans to make cities seek bike lane approval Cites gridlock for new veto over changes that remove lanes of vehicle traffic https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/2024/10/15/ontario-to-make-cities-… TORONTO — Ontario cities would have to seek the province’s permission to install new bike lanes that remove lanes of vehicle traffic under upcoming legislation, the transportation minister announced Tuesday. Too many drivers are stuck in gridlock as a result of bike lanes installed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the process is “frankly, out of control,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said at a press conference. “When strategically placed, bike lanes are a vital part of every city, offering residents a safe and reliable way to move around,” he said. “What cities should not be doing, however, is taking away lanes of traffic on our most congested roads.” The first government bill to be introduced when the legislature resumes sitting next week will focus on tackling gridlock, the province said. It is expected to contain a requirement that municipalities receive provincial approval for certain bike lanes and demonstrate the proposed bike lanes won’t negatively affect vehicle traffic. Premier Doug Ford, who lives in the west end of Toronto, has complained about bike lanes that were installed on Bloor Street West, saying the street is jammed and first responders are having a hard time getting through the congestion. “There’s a petition just in Etobicoke for 50,000 people signing to get rid of these bike lanes,” he said last month. “You might see four or five bikes as you see traffic lined up all the way down the road for kilometres and kilometres. … It’s an absolute disaster.” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she does not support limiting city powers. “It’s always better when we work together to get things right,” she wrote in a statement. “To tackle congestion and keep people safe on city roads we need all types of transportation. The province should focus on their job of finally getting the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch LRT open, which will have a huge impact on congestion in our city.” Sarkaria, who made his announcement Tuesday with the Bloor bike lanes as a backdrop, said the province is not ordering the removal of those lanes at the moment, but is asking for more data and pausing the installation of any new, similar bike lanes. A City of Toronto report on an earlier stretch of bike lanes on Bloor, which were added in 2016 as a pilot project, found that collisions and near misses with cyclists decreased, the number of cyclists increased by 56 per cent, customer spending at area businesses increased and vehicle volumes decreased, while drivers’ travel time increased. The city’s report said that travel time increased by up to 8 ½ minutes, depending on the section of Bloor, but after traffic signal adjustments were made, that went down to four minutes during afternoon rush hour. Sarkaria said data that cities have used to justify bike lane decisions don’t take into account low usage on rainy days, during periods of extreme heat, or in the winter months. One local bar owner’s security camera showed just nine cyclists in a 24-hour period in February, Sarkaria said. “I think all of that has to be taken into consideration,” he said. “But the data is in commute times. I hear it from every single person … those members on Bloor Street that use this road every single day, on University, on Yonge, travel times have gone up and we have to have a balanced approach.” The Green Party asked in a press release, “Is this government for real?” “The ‘evidence’ this government has based this decision off of is one man’s security camera outside his bar in Etobicoke,” deputy leader Aislinn Clancy wrote in the statement. “Is that how they make decisions for this province now?” The province is asking municipalities for data on any bike lane project launched in the last five years. Sarkaria also said the province is moving ahead with a plan to increase the speed limit to 110 kilometres per hour on all 400-series highways, where it is safe to do so. The government said it is developing a design standard that could allow vehicles to travel safely at speeds higher than 120 km/h on new highways. — The Canadian Press

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WFP: Property-tax spending drives city in wrong direction (Oct8'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Property-tax spending drives city in wrong direction OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2024/10/07/property-tax-spending-dr… SOMETHING’S got to give. This year has been — in my humble, anecdote-based opinion — one of the most challenging for driving in and around Winnipeg. Rush hour is more intense, starts earlier and lasts longer. Construction seems to be everywhere, choking off entire parts of the city during our overly short construction season. All the trend lines point to a near-term future where, despite our status as a medium- sized city, we will have traffic congestion worthy of much larger places. Once we accept that this is our future, we’ll have to accept the need to start doing things differently to avoid or at least mitigate the impending traffic apocalypse that’s headed our way. A good place to start would be to radically change the way we dedicate portions of annual property taxes to make a final, determined effort to de-emphasize roads and expand transit. Currently, Winnipeg property owners are facing a 3.5 per cent general rate increase this year. Of that total increase, two per cent will be dedicated to road repairs and only 0.33 per cent to public transit operations. None of the annual increase in property taxes is dedicated to expanding Winnipeg’s stunted rapid-transit system. The current approach to allotting property taxes is — literally and figuratively — a road to disaster. Ignoring transit to invest heavily in roads — whether it’s to repair, expand or lengthen — does nothing to encourage people to get out of their vehicles and use other modes of transport to get where they are going. This is particularly true when it comes to commuting to work. This creates a vicious cycle for the city: increasing investments are made in roads while transit is starved of needed money; transit continues to attract few new riders because of limited service; people continue driving, one person to a car in traffic that continues getting worse; as traffic volumes increase so, too, does the wear and tear on roads, which then require more frequent repair and reconstruction. Have you ever asked yourself why one of the major streets you use each day to drive back and forth to work is being repaired again, just a year or two after the last time it was torn up? It’s because traffic volumes have continued to escalate, causing more damage to road surfaces. It’s not hard to see how, eventually, we are going to have the worst of all worlds: crappy streets, crappy transit and worsening traffic jams. Think that’s an exaggeration? Consider that Winnipeg is already hitting way above its weight in traffic congestion. I recently wrote a newsletter on this topic, highlighting traffic data that showed we have the third-worst traffic of all Canadian cities. In short, the data showed that our average commuting times are going up and the distances we can travel in a 30-minute window are going down. And if you’re not depressed enough by that current snapshot, consider that increasing traffic volumes also translates into increasing carbon emissions that — in case you hadn’t noticed — are helping to warm the planet and trigger increasingly extreme weather events. There is a way to avoid this future, but many of us are not going to like it. We have to start now to make it increasingly unattractive to commute by car while, at the same time, making transit much more attractive. Next year’s reimagining of Winnipeg Transit — with new routes and schedules — may help in that regard. But we also need to dedicate more lanes of existing roadways to buses (both downtown and on major routes to and from the downtown) while expanding rapid-transit busways. In the short term, this will put a lot of pressure on traffic by compressing it into fewer lanes on feeder routes and making it harder for drivers to get into, out of and around downtown. And all this requires a new approach to property taxes. It can be done. Halifax, for example, dedicates roughly two-thirds of annual property tax increases to a “climate fund” that pays for improvements in things such as electric vehicle charging stations, the purchase of more electric buses and installation of solar panels on city buildings. Small gestures such as those can add up to significant changes, but it’s never going to be enough. Even if Winnipeg were to flip the way it divides up property tax increases, or push employers to subsidize transit passes, it would never generate enough money to build the transit system necessary to supplant vehicular traffic. The provincial and federal governments have largely focused their support on building or expanding rapid transit. However, just about every major city in this country is suffering from massive transit system operating deficits. Transit needs to be the No. 1 infrastructure funding priority for governments of all levels to ensure that we have sensible and climate-friendly alternatives to hopping in the car and driving to and from work. Even so, the city could send a strong message to citizens by starting with the way it divides up property tax increases. It won’t be enough to solve the problem, but it will represent one small step away from the traffic and climate apocalypse. dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP Editorial: Blocking bike lanes — and writing tickets (Oct8'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Blocking bike lanes — and writing tickets https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2024/10/08/blocking-bi… ANYONE who cycles regularly in Winnipeg has probably seen them: cars or trucks blocking bike lanes. It is illegal to park or stop a motor vehicle in a bike lane. Doing so is subject to a $70 fine. Trouble is, it is — at best — loosely enforced and overly reliant on public complaints. It is not a priority for the city. It should be. If the city is serious about promoting active transportation as a viable way of travelling to work, school and other destinations, it has to make bike lanes a priority. It also has to make safety in bike lanes a priority. That includes ensuring they’re not used as parking lots or loading zones by cars and trucks. The city handed out 70 tickets between January and August to motorists who were blocking bike lanes, which works out to about two tickets per week on average. It doesn’t seem like much considering how common it is to see vehicles blocking bike lanes throughout the city. Even the fine amount, $70, does not seem that high. A larger fine might help hammer the point home that it’s not OK to park a vehicle in a bike lane. Not only does it obstruct the path of cyclists, it is unsafe because it often forces cyclists off bike lanes and onto roadways. City officials say they rely primarily on public reporting to respond to blocked bike lanes. The problem with that is enforcement officers often arrive too late after a call is placed and the offending motorist may no longer be there. The city should be doing more patrolling as a proactive way of discouraging this practice. A public information campaign would also be useful. Many motorists see bike lanes as optional pathways for bikes. They think the paths, even the protected ones, are fair game for parking their vehicles. That culture has to change. An information campaign launched by the city, perhaps in collaboration with bike groups, might help more motorists realize that blocking bike lanes is not only an inconvenience for cyclists, doing so is dangerous. In Toronto, bicycle patrol officers are often tasked specifically with monitoring bike lanes across the city. They also recently raised their fine amount from $60 to $200. Toronto has made the safety of bike lanes a priority. Winnipeg should consider doing the same. Winnipeg has made good progress on expanding protected bike lanes across the city, including downtown. However, much more needs to be done to make the city’s bike network more interconnected. There are still far too many gaps in the network when travelling between certain destinations. Public opinion polls and surveys have shown consistently that people are more willing to cycle as a mode of transportation if they have access to safe, unobstructed protected bike lanes. While there are far more bike lanes in Winnipeg today than there were a decade ago (especially protected ones), the city still has a long way to go to expand that network. But more bike lanes alone are not enough. They must be kept safe, clean and unobstructed. They should be given at least as high a priority as roads — if not special attention for a period of time — if the city truly wants to encourage people to get out of their vehicles and onto bikes. It’s a culture shift that needs to happen. If Winnipeg is serious about fighting climate change, promoting active transportation should be a priority. Ensuring bike lanes are safe and accessible is an important part of that goal.

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Equitable Cities is next week!
by Mel Marginet 04 Oct '24

04 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, Green Action Centre and Peg City Car Co-op are excited to welcome Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities> on October 9th! Don’t have your tickets yet? If you are a student or representing a community organization or nonprofit, use ECStudent or ECCommunity at checkout to save! Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He is the host of Arrested Mobility<https://arrestedmobility.com/>, a podcast that asks: What can we do to change the outcomes when people of colour step out their door to exist in the world? In this keynote presentation, Charles addresses how our transportation system in Winnipeg, like communities across the country, underserves and disproportionately harms those who are most vulnerable. By understanding inequities in our transportation system, Charles identifies potential strategies for action. Following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in two breakout sessions that bring the themes of Charles’ keynote into our local context. Breakout topics are: POINT DOUGLAS: A Neighbourhood of Opportunity Facilitated by: Sel Burrows Point Douglas is one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods. Like similar communities across North America, Point Douglas has suffered decades of disinvestment. For those who call Point Douglas home, they see endless untapped potential. Not only is this neighbourhood beautiful, with its canopy of trees and historic architecture, but also it is home to resilient people and organizations who want to see it thrive once again. The City of Winnipeg has committed resources to creating a neighbourhood plan for Point Douglas. This breakout session will give participants the opportunity to learn more about Point Douglas, and how neighbourhoods can thrive when everyone has access to what they need for health, happiness and opportunity. FREEDOM TO MOVE: How do we build an accessible city for all? Facilitated by: Sarah Manteuffel Winnipeg’s urban footprint ballooned after the second world war, spreading people and places further apart. At the same time, the city invested less in transit and active transportation, and more in roads for personal vehicles. We now live in a car-oriented city and the disability community often finds themselves on the margins, forcing the choice to use personal vehicles, or being reliant on infrastructure and transit that can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. This session will focus on what we all lose when our city is inaccessible, while also asking: how can Winnipeg become more inclusive for everyone? ARRESTED MOBILITY: Moving While Indigenous Facilitated by: Adrian Alphonso Winnipeg is home to the largest Indigenous population in Canada. Indigenous people are overrepresented as victims of traffic violence, policing and poverty. In this session, we examine Winnipeg’s transportation system to discover and discuss its long history of inequity, as well as opportunities for change. In this session we’ll ask: what can we gain when all people feel safe moving about our cities and towns? We look forward to welcoming Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities>, and we hope to see you at the Norwood Hotel on October 9th! Thank you to our sponsors Builder [45354-PC-PegCity-Logo-RGB-Release.png] Influencer [HTFC-CMYK.png] [Selkirk_logo_RGB.png] Advocate [image.png] [image.png] Supporter [Lankmark Logo - White on Green - JPG.jpg] [image001.png] 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: Cyclists call for enforcement as bike lane violations go largely unticketed (Oct3'24)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Oct '24

03 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Battle of the bike lanes Cyclists call for enforcement as bike lane violations go largely unticketed https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/10/03/battle-of-the-bik… WHETHER it’s moving vans, food delivery services or everyday drivers, vehicles stopping in bike lanes aren’t an uncommon sight in Winnipeg. While it is illegal — and subject to a $70 fine — city data shows it isn’t always being ticketed. There were 70 tickets handed out between January and August. Most of those tickets (43) were given out in January and February while the other months saw fewer than 10 tickets handed out. There was a single ticket for parking in a bike lane given out in May. Similarly, in 2023, there were fewer than 10 tickets sent out monthly from April to October. Andrew Kohan, a father of two who describes himself as a “utility cyclist” who uses his bike to transport him and his family as much as possible, said those numbers don’t match the reality on Winnipeg roads. “I see people parked in unprotected bike lanes all the time, often with their hazards on, treating it like it’s just a place you can stop and in the protected bike lanes as well — if it’s a wide enough lane, people will fit their car in it, and will get upset with you if you mention to them that that’s not a place to park,” he said. “It’s incredibly frustrating to hear that the city isn’t prioritizing enforcement of parking bylaws in bike lanes, because it’s so dangerous when a car is blocking that space.” He’d like to see proactive bike infrastructure that would make it harder for drivers to circumvent the rules. “For me, it’s a family safety issue, it’s a life-and-death issue, potentially, and I don’t want to be in that position where I’m forced out of that small amount of safe infrastructure we have,” he said. This year, most tickets have been handed out on Bannatyne Avenue, Notre Dame Avenue and Arthur Street. While parking in a bike lane has been a bylaw offence since 2016, the city’s bike infrastructure was integrated into the Winnipeg Parking Authority’s enforcement mapping system to include them in regular officer patrols in late 2023, after a “peak in non-compliance” and a spike in complaints, said Lisa Vermette, the authority’s manager of regulation and compliance. The parking authority also moved away from issuing tickets through the mail and instead focused on handing out tickets — and tow orders, which she said were included with every ticket handed out in 2024 — on site. “Compliance rates are sometimes a very tricky thing to measure,” she said. “The ticket data tells one side of that story.” Vermette said she hopes compliance is increasing — data over the past few years shows more tickets were handed out in winter months (25 tickets were given out in January 2024, compared to seven in March), which may mean drivers are unknowingly stopping in bike lanes without curbs and avoiding them in other months. What has decreased, she said, are complaints to 311 about cars in bike lanes. In 2023, the city received around 60 complaints, and there have been less than 20 calls made this year so far. While there are 13 to 15 vehicles patrolling in Winnipeg at any given time, she said, the parking authority still relies heavily on public reporting. “If a cyclist says, for example, ‘Every morning I travel this path, there are vehicles parked almost every morning,’ we can also set up more routine patrols and a more concentrated effort in those areas, rather than try to cover the whole bike infrastructure throughout the city to try to really minimize the rate of non-compliance in one or several specific areas,” she said. The complaint system isn’t enough to hold drivers to account, argued Patty Wiens with advocacy group Bike Winnipeg, as the city’s standard 90-minute turnaround time for complaints isn’t always quick enough. “The way it works is we call 311, and maybe by the time that the parking authority gets there, they’re still there … they are not actively seeking this,” she said. She pointed to Toronto, where bicycle patrol officers are, at times, tasked specifically with monitoring bike lanes across the city and recently raised the fine for parking in a bike path from $60 to $200. “Here — one, we can’t even get bike lanes, and two, we can’t get the officers to come out,” she said. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: Building a city to keep the next generation here (Oct1'24)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Oct '24

01 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Building a city to keep the next generation here https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2024/09/30/building-a-ci… WHEN the Jets play a road game in another Canadian city, the familiar “True North” chant can always be heard loud and clear as ex-pat Winnipeggers celebrate their former hometown. The chant is an expression of pride from those who have moved away, but its prevalence might also be an indication that Winnipeg is losing a different competition against other Canadian cities — the battle to attract and retain its young people. Every year Winnipeg loses thousands of people to other cities, many of them young, educated adults looking to establish their roots elsewhere. The inability of Winnipeg to retain its young people has always been a problem, but in the face of changing demographics, it’s an issue that has today become even more pressing. Our country is aging quickly. Fifty years ago, the median age in Canada was 25 years old, today it’s 41. This demographic shift is making young people more important to cities than ever before, needed to backfill an aging workforce and drive social vitality and economic innovation in our communities. Young people have grown up in an interconnected, technology-driven world. Their digital fluency and focus on social and environmental priorities make them a key demographic in the knowledge-based economy that creates modern, prosperous cities. The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and Canada West Foundation recently released an important study called, Finding Their Place: Manitoba Youth Mobility. It takes an in-depth look at why young people leave Winnipeg and Manitoba. As expected, many of the conclusions focused on jobs and economic opportunity in bigger centres, but the study revealed a fascinating and often overlooked factor that deserves much more public attention. A large percentage of young people consider vibrancy and urban quality a key factor in their desire to move to other Canadian cities. The study showed that almost 80 per cent of young people in Winnipeg would consider moving to another Canadian city if it offered a higher quality of life. This was the same percentage as those who would consider economic factors. When the study looked deeper into what defined quality of life for young people, the answers were not larger backyards, more big box stores or less vehicle traffic, it was the ability to live a socially connected urban lifestyle. The most important factor that was identified by 53 per cent of all respondents was a desire to live in a walkable neighbourhood. Across North America, today’s young adults have consistently demonstrated a generational shift toward urban living with a greater preference for diverse, higher density communities, generally closer to the city centre, with shops, restaurants, services, entertainment, employment, and education within walkable access from their home. Many young people in Winnipeg are no different. The next most desirable factors that young people are looking for in the city they choose to call home, followed this urbanist trend. Easy access to urban parks ranked second and high-quality public transportation was third. Almost 20 per cent identified much-maligned bike lanes as a top quality-of-life factor when considering a move to another city. These findings are backed up by real world evidence in Winnipeg. Compared to the city average, almost twice as many young adults live in walkable, urban neighbourhoods such as Osborne Village, Corydon-Earl Grey and Broadway-Assiniboine. Residents in these areas use public transit almost twice as much as the city average and walk or bike to work three to four times more often than average — seven times more than those living in suburban neighbourhoods like North Kildonan or Linden Woods. The top destinations for Winnipeg’s young people are Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, together attracting more than all other cities combined. Despite housing costs being far higher in those cities, young people are attracted to the socially connected, urban lifestyle they offer, something that is largely unavailable to them in Winnipeg. If we want to slow the exodus of our young people to other Canadian cities, we must begin by asking ourselves, who are we building our city for? The answer to this question should define the lens through which we view our city-building decisions. We have largely been using the priorities of older generations to guide policy, which has created an overwhelmingly suburban and vehicle-dependent city, offering fewer urban lifestyle options that are attractive to many younger people. The study clearly describes what many young people are looking for, unfortunately, building that type of city often meets with resistance and opposition from older generations. When we prioritize our residential streets for vehicle traffic, oppose bike lanes, fight reduced speed limits and traffic calming measures that help create more connected, urban and walkable neighbourhoods, we are rejecting the type of city that many young people want. When homeowners protest higher density and mixed-use infill development in mature neighbourhoods, they are fighting against the ability for young people to access to the communities they want to live in and are pushing them to other cities where they can find those lifestyle opportunities. When we contemplate spending three-quarters of a billion dollars to expand Kenaston Boulevard for cars, we might consider that Winnipeg will soon be the only city of Canada’s ten largest without light rail rapid transit. Understanding that we compete against these cities for our young people, we might instead prioritize mobility investments that are more attractive to the next generations. If we want our children and grandchildren to choose Winnipeg as the place they call home, we must begin by building a city that responds to their priorities and dreams, not only to those of their parents and grandparents. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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WFP: Replacing Arlington Bridge could come cheaper (Sep26'24)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Sep '24

26 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. New proposals tens of millions less than original $319-M estimate Replacing Arlington Bridge could come cheaper https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/09/25/replacing-arlingt… THE city has studied two proposals to replace the Arlington Bridge that could cost tens of millions of dollars less than previously expected, a city councillor says. A few months ago, city officials told councillors they were considering two key options to replace the decaying bridge, after the vital transportation link to the North End suddenly closed 10 months ago. “They’re talking about replacing it, on the same trajectory as it sits today, with slight differences,” said Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie. The councillor said a $171-million bridge option would involve closing Dufferin Avenue at Arlington Street, while a $180-million version would travel over Dufferin, leaving it open for vehicle traffic. Winnipeggers will need to wait at least another month to read final options to address the structure that was shut down in November 2023. Eadie said he was told the options are much cheaper than previous estimates to replace the bridge because a past option accommodated three lanes of traffic, while these versions would only have two. Past designs also included more property expropriations, adjustments to rail lines below the bridge and separated spaces for bike and pedestrian paths, which also contributed to the higher cost, he said. Eadie said the new options would have one shared active transportation path. In 2019, a preliminary design estimated a new bridge could cost $319 million. Eadie stressed the bridge’s replacement is critical. He plans to buy ads that urge Winnipeggers to push all city council members to support funding for the project. “The first step is to fund the removal of the old bridge because it’s very dangerous right now,” said Eadie. In 2016, city engineers deemed the Arlington Bridge, which opened to traffic in 1912, to be near the end of its life. Eadie said the bridge is in urgent need of replacement, describing it as a critical link used by several communities and a common route used to reach Health Sciences Centre, prior to its closure. “It’s more than just my ward… the Arlington Bridge should be the No. 1 project for this city, in terms of major infrastructure. Yeah, the St. James Bridge needs work but it’s still open,” he said. Coun. Janice Lukes cautioned against banking on either of the options becoming final proposals, calling both “preliminary” and noting both prices and options could change before a final report is released. “We don’t have the final facts yet because the report’s not done. It may change. It’s just not finished yet,” said Lukes (Waverley West), the chairwoman of council’s public works committee. “It’s an option that was presented to us, yes. … Really, we’re looking at a wide range of designs and options and that brings a wide range of prices. They have not, to my knowledge, decided on anything yet. What Coun. Eadie is (talking about) is a concept but they’ve got multiple concepts,” she added. Lukes expects a final council-ordered report on rehabilitation options for the bridge, which was expected in October, will now be released publicly in November. She warned the actual replacement of the bridge, should council find a way to fund it, would take years. “Even if we come out with (the decision) we’re going to replace it, we’ve still got to take the old bridge apart. So, it’s still going to be at least another two or three years … bare minimum,” she said. Lukes said she’s “optimistic” the bridge will be replaced but that would likely require funding from other levels of government. The city announced the sudden closure of the bridge on Nov. 21, 2023, after a condition assessment found steel corrosion had accelerated, raising the risk involved with keeping it open. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he wants the final options to cope with the bridge as soon as possible. “The consultants and our staff do need to take the time to get the report finalized … but I am eagerly anticipating that report,” said Gillingham. This summer, the city budgeted $1 million to replace multiple bearings on the bridge to prevent it from falling on the rail yard below it, work that did not help reopen or demolish it. A spokeswoman said that work was “completed as planned.” As they wait to learn the bridge’s fate, some residents say its absence is creating frustrating traffic delays. “It’s very important (to fix) … (On) McPhillips, Salter and Main, the traffic is just crazy now,” said Darrell Warren, president of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association. Warren said he’s frustrated that no decision on the bridge’s future has been made, years after the city acknowledged it was nearing the end of its useful life. “They’ve known for years that bridge is going to need replacement and they kept putting it off and putting it off,” he said. — with files from Gabrielle Piché joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Work at Portage and Main starts Nov. 15 (Sep21'24)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Sep '24

21 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Famous intersection closed to pedestrians in 1979 Work at Portage and Main starts Nov. 15 https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/09/20/work-to-reopen-po… CONSTRUCTION to reopen Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrian access appears set to begin in two months — 45 years after it was cut off. The City of Winnipeg is seeking a contractor to begin construction by Nov. 15 and reopen the intersection to foot traffic by July 1, 2025, as per tendering documents released Friday. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he’s received mostly positive feedback on the idea since council voted to reopen it in March, despite 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voting “no” to opening the intersection to pedestrians in a 2018 plebiscite. “Not everyone is in agreement but there has been a lot of people who have said to me, ‘This is the right decision. It’s time to treat this intersection like every other intersection,” said Gillingham. Debate over letting people cross the intersection on foot has raged for years. Opponents feared the change would be costly and delay traffic, while supporters argued it could help rejuvenate and better connect downtown. Pedestrian access was cut off at the crossing in 1979. In a press release, the city notes construction is needed to support the safe movement of traffic when pedestrians return. The construction will include: demolishing barrier walls; installing new traffic signals and street lights; adding a curb extension on the southeast corner to allow for shorter pedestrian crossing distance across Portage Avenue and more pedestrian space at the corner; repairing and adjusting the medians; and installing new curbs and sidewalks to accommodate pedestrian crossings on all four corners. “Certainly, our staff are focused on improving the intersection, changing the intersections to make it safe for everybody… There will be a real focus on maximizing movement and traffic flow,” said Gillingham. However, a councillor who has long opposed the reopening remains concerned it will delay traffic. “I do think it will slow traffic down, particularly those p.m. rush-hour movements,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan). “Winnipeg does not have freeways… so, in terms of getting through the city, we use major arterial roadways and… making sure that those work efficiently is important.” Originally, the mayor proposed closing the intersection’s underground concourse as part of the plan but council voted to study the idea further before acting on it, said Browaty. He said next year’s budget might include funding to study the cost and impact of that change. “I still think the underground concourse plays a very important part of… the way people move around and work and live downtown in the winter,” he said. The councillor said the city should explore whether property owners at the intersection would cover the difference between the price of closing the concourse and the cost of repairing it and keeping it open. In March, Gillingham said it would cost $73 million to repair the leaking membrane to protect the concourse, while closing the city’s portion of the site could cost roughly $20 to $50 million. Multiple business leaders noted the closure cost was vaguely defined and stressed that many people rely on the underground connections to travel between businesses, especially in winter. Loren Remillard, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, said his organization looks forward to the street-level pedestrian access but the city must study any underground changes before acting on them. “We need to understand exactly how that functions, in terms of the connectivity into the walkway system, into servicing the various towers… The underground is a vital connection point for so many,” said Remillard. Gillingham said there’s no target timeline for the potential closure of the underground. “The underground won’t be closed this year nor next year,” he said. In March, council earmarked $13 million to pay for the initial reopening of the intersection to foot traffic. Additional design work for the intersection is expected to be part of a rapid transit design study, which is expected to begin in 2025. The pedestrian access is timed to resume shortly after a new primary transit network begins operating on June 29, 2025. While most of the construction period to prepare for that falls in the winter, Coun. Sherri Rollins said the timeline appears realistic. “The demo and removing of the barriers, the traffic signals, this is work that we do all year round,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry). She noted she’s excited to see the pedestrian barriers come down. “They are an eyesore. It’s long overdue,” she said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: City carpooling program jump-started (Sep13'24)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Sep '24

13 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City carpooling program jump-started https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/09/12/carpooling-progra… A WINNIPEG non-profit is encouraging Manitobans to save money — and curb pollution — with what it calls “the Kijiji of carpooling.” Members of the Green Action Centre joined provincial Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt at the Seel transit hub in south Winnipeg on Thursday to announce the reboot of GoManitoba. The online platform connects users looking to share a ride to work, school, appointments or special events. “In Manitoba, our leading cause of (greenhouse gas) emissions is transportation,” Mel Marginet, the Green Action Centre’s lead for workplace commuter options, said. “Manitobans often rely on single-occupancy vehicles to get them to their destinations … This has resulted in communities where it’s difficult to live your life without access to a personal vehicle.” The GoManitoba tool aims to help reduce single-passenger drives by helping users find carpool partners for frequent commutes or one-off trips. The service also encourages users to ride the bus, walk or cycle by providing route maps and connections with other active transportation travellers. Similar to Kijiji or Airbnb, the platform allows users to find and message other commuters who log similar trips. Once a connection is made, users can choose to swap contact information and build a network of commuting buddies. “We believe everyone should have the opportunity to choose transportation modes that don’t harm the environment, that are affordable and good for our health and, at the same time, modes that create connections and build communities,” action centre executive director Josep Seras-Gubert said. GoManitoba was first introduced in 2017 and amassed nearly 3,000 users before COVID-19 social distancing protocols came into effect. The pandemic lockdowns and work-from-home policies led to a drop-off in GoManitoba users, Marginet said, but also triggered a “bike boom” and prompted Manitobans to start thinking differently about how they travel. With more Manitobans back to their regular commutes, “We thought this was a really good time to do a relaunch with some more user- friendly tools,” she said. GoManitoba was upgraded this year to streamline the digital experience and — hopefully — reach more users. Marginet said she would like to see the user base grow to 5,000 Manitobans, including more rural and northern carpoolers. The action centre is also looking to work directly with businesses, schools and other organizations to create dedicated ride-sharing networks for staff members through the GoManitoba platform. The upgrades have come with a little help from the province, which provided $30,000 to cover technology costs. The NDP government announced in April it would restore nearly $400,000 in annual funding for environmental non-profits, including $230,000 for the action centre, which had been cut under the previous Tory government. “Finding greener transportation options is critical to reduce our (greenhouse gas) emissions, and we believe that Go Manitoba will not only help reduce our transportation emissions, but will also help folks have a bit more money in their pockets,” Schmidt said during the launch event. julia-simone.rutgers(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca>

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Equitable Cities is less than one month away!
by Mel Marginet 12 Sep '24

12 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, Green Action Centre and Peg City Car Co-op are excited to welcome Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities> on October 9th! Don’t have your tickets yet? Don’t delay! From now until September 20th you can take advantage of our September Sale, saving yourself $25 per ticket. Just use ECSeptSale at checkout. Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He is the host of Arrested Mobility<https://arrestedmobility.com/>, a podcast that asks: What can we do to change the outcomes when people of colour step out their door to exist in the world? In this keynote presentation, Charles addresses how our transportation system in Winnipeg, like communities across the country, underserves and disproportionately harms those who are most vulnerable. By understanding inequities in our transportation system, Charles identifies potential strategies for action. Following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in breakout sessions that bring the themes of Charles’ keynote into our local context. Topics include: FREEDOM TO MOVE: How do we build an accessible city for all? Facilitated by: Sarah Manteuffel Winnipeg’s urban footprint ballooned after the second world war, spreading people and places further apart. At the same time, the city invested less in transit and active transportation, and more in roads for personal vehicles. We now live in a car-oriented city and the disability community often finds themselves on the margins, forcing the choice to use personal vehicles, or being reliant on infrastructure and transit that can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. This session will focus on what we all lose when our city is inaccessible, while also asking: how can Winnipeg become more inclusive for everyone? POINT DOUGLAS: A Neighbourhood of Opportunity Facilitated by: TBA Point Douglas is one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods. Like similar communities across North America, Point Douglas has suffered decades of disinvestment. For those who call Point Douglas home, they see endless untapped potential. Not only is this neighbourhood beautiful, with its canopy of trees and historic architecture, but also it is home to dedicated people and organizations who want to see it thrive once again. The City of Winnipeg has committed resources to create a neighbourhood plan for Point Douglas. This breakout session will give participants the opportunity to learn more about Point Douglas, and how we can think about transportation as a way to bring freedom, opportunity and wellness to those who call it home. We look forward to welcoming Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities>, and we hope to see you at the Norwood Hotel on October 9th! Thank you to our sponsors Builder [45354-PC-PegCity-Logo-RGB-Release.png] Influencer [HTFC-CMYK.png] [Selkirk_logo_RGB.png] Advocate [image.png] [image.png] Supporter [Lankmark Logo - White on Green - JPG.jpg] [image001.png] 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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FW: Design Guide for Bus Steps Adjacent to Cycling Infrastructure - Free Webinar for CARSP and ITE Members / nominal fee for non-members
by Michelle Porter 05 Sep '24

05 Sep '24

Hi all! Here is a webinar opportunity that you might be interested in. Please note there is a nominal fee for non-members. Michelle Michelle M. Porter, PhD, Professor | Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management | Director, Centre on Aging | 338 Isbister Building | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg, MB CANADA | R3T 2N2 | (204) 474-8795 michelle.porter(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:michelle.porter@umanitoba.ca> | www.umanitoba.ca/aging<http://www.umanitoba.ca/aging> | https://twitter.com/coaporter | linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150<https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150> From: CARSP/ACPSER <brenda.suggett(a)carsp.ca> Sent: September 5, 2024 9:02 AM To: Michelle Porter <michelle.porter(a)umanitoba.ca> Subject: Design Guide for Bus Steps Adjacent to Cycling Infrastructure - Free Webinar for CARSP and ITE Members / nominal fee for non-members Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals L'Association canadienne des professionnels de la sécurité routière [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/9f1c3699-299…] <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…>[https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/84da7771-4df5-31…]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…><https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Free Webinar for CARSP & ITE members! Oct 8, 2024, 12pm-1:00pm ET As part of our partnership agreement, CARSP and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Canada are pleased to present our second joint webinar. The topic will be of interest to anyone involved in road safety, as well as those focused on promoting equity and accessibility for all users. TransLink, in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI), recently retained Urban Systems to create the Design Guide for Bus Stops Adjacent to Cycling Infrastructure to provide province-wide guidance to develop “island platform bus stops” or “floating bus stops” in British Columbia. The Design Guide provides a comprehensive set of planning and engineering guidelines offering solutions for the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of bus stops adjacent to protected cycling infrastructure in a range of contexts and applications throughout British Columbia, along with guidance for education and engagement. This Design Guide is the first of its kind in North America and addresses a significant gap in knowledge on how to design bus stops to meet the needs of people with disabilities while also being comfortable for cyclists of all ages and abilities. The Design Guide was developed with extensive stakeholder engagement, including pilot projects in five municipalities in British Columbia. This session will provide an overview of the Design Guide as well as lessons learned from municipal staff from two case study communities. The Design Guide was awarded both the ITE Canada Stan Teply Outstanding Technical Project Award and the ITE International Transportation Achievement Award – Planning Award in 2024.. SIGN UP QUICKLY - SPACE IS LIMITED! [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/3ce72de7-a440-9c…: Brian Patterson, RPP, MCIP, PMP, RSP1 Brian is a senior transportation planner and brings over 20 years of experience in active transportation planning and design, multi-modal transportation planning, and safety and accessibility. Brian has developed over hundreds of plans, designs, and studies for communities of all sizes across Canada and has been recognized with numerous industry awards. Brian led the development of the Design Guide for Bus Stops Adajcent to Cycling Infrastructure and has led numerous other design guides, including the BC Active Transportation Design Guide. [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/b68fd8a2-33d1-db… Therrien, MPH Suzanne is an Active Transportation Planner at the City of Kelowna. Her work focuses on programs, resources and partnerships to promote more trips by active modes. She holds a Master degree in Public Health with specialty in population health and has over decade experience in active transportation research. [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/e9adb3ba-ae94-e1… Bot, RPP, PMP Mo is a collaboratively-minded project manager specializing in multimodal transportation policy development, infrastructure design and construction. Mo has worked across Canada on everything from big city major transit projects to site specific high impact public realm and active mobility improvements. They are always keen to hear all perspectives and strive to support physical and social spaces where learning and justice are centred. Rather than give everyone a space at the table, Mo invites you to smash the table to pieces and build something new that explores the collective experience together. Registration is open until Oct 7th. Space is limited, so sign up soon to reserve your spot! Register Now!<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [Twitter]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Twitter<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [LinkedIn]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> LinkedIn<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [YouTube]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> YouTube<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [Facebook]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Facebook<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Copyright © 2024 CARSP-ACPSER, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as you have chosen to be on the CARSP email distribution list. Our mailing address is: CARSP-ACPSER 2846 Arrowsmith Court Stevensville, ON L0S 1S0 Canada Add us to your address book<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=b56b…> unsubscribe from this list<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> update subscription preferences<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=b5…> [Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp]<https://login.mailchimp.com/signup/email-referral/?aid=abd86bfa37a970914903…>

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WFP: Changes urged to make central intersections safer (Aug31'24)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Aug '24

31 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Changes urged to make central intersections safer https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/31/changes-urged-to-… The City of Winnipeg is being urged to ramp up road safety in central neighbourhood intersections, where a report finds pedestrians have been more at risk of getting injured or killed in collisions. The planning consultant’s report on intersection collision data from 2012 to 2020 found 44.9 per cent of 39 fatal pedestrian-vehicle crashes at intersections were located within or near the city centre or downtown. “Most fatalities happen in the same areas around downtown or in the neighbourhoods surrounding downtown, like Point Douglas or West Alexander … but also most prominently around (the Winnipeg) School Division. If we pay attention to those areas, in my opinion, it’s a good beginning for us to start (making streets safer),” Jairo Viafara, who wrote the report, said. His transportation equity analysis focused specifically on crashes that took place at intersections, for which the most specific geographic data is available. Viafara found 1,118 (61.3 per cent) of the 1,822 pedestrian-vehicle crashes that caused major and minor injuries took place within the catchment area of the school division. About one-third of the fatal pedestrian collisions he studied took place in the downtown east, downtown west, North Point Douglas and South Point Douglas areas, he said. “In certain neighbourhoods, residents continue experiencing a persistent lack of safe pedestrian facilities,” he wrote in the report. Viafara suggests a lack of progress to improve the most collision-prone intersections “may indicate to the public that pedestrian safety is not being considered a priority concern by local decision-makers.” The head of a local residents committee said she’s seen several road safety hazards in her neighbourhood. “I’ve wanted to go walk my dog around the Louise Bridge. It’s impossible to get across there safely … You just take your life in your hands and run,” Catherine Flynn, chairwoman of the Point Douglas Residents Committee, said. Flynn said there are also too few controlled crossings to help pedestrians cross key sections of Main Street and Higgins Avenue, where many folks jaywalk. “I’m not an urban planner, but I think when you’ve got a city that (can get) so cold, one of the things you’ve got to think of is what is the number of safe crossings … It could be -30, -40, windy … of course (pedestrians are) going to run across the street (wherever they are),” she said. Viafara said the affected neighbourhoods appear more likely to rely on walking to get around. Many of the residents have lower incomes than other Winnipeggers, he said. His transportation equity analysis focused specifically on crashes that took place at intersections, for which the most specific geographic data is available. Viafara found 1,118 (61.3 per cent) of the 1,822 pedestrian-vehicle crashes that caused major and minor injuries took place within the catchment area of the school division. About one-third of the fatal pedestrian collisions he studied took place in the downtown east, downtown west, North Point Douglas and South Point Douglas areas, he said. “In certain neighbourhoods, residents continue experiencing a persistent lack of safe pedestrian facilities,” he wrote in the report. Viafara suggests a lack of progress to improve the most collision-prone intersections “may indicate to the public that pedestrian safety is not being considered a priority concern by local decision-makers.” The head of a local residents committee said she’s seen several road safety hazards in her neighbourhood. “I’ve wanted to go walk my dog around the Louise Bridge. It’s impossible to get across there safely … You just take your life in your hands and run,” Catherine Flynn, chairwoman of the Point Douglas Residents Committee, said. Flynn said there are also too few controlled crossings to help pedestrians cross key sections of Main Street and Higgins Avenue, where many folks jaywalk. “I’m not an urban planner, but I think when you’ve got a city that (can get) so cold, one of the things you’ve got to think of is what is the number of safe crossings … It could be -30, -40, windy … of course (pedestrians are) going to run across the street (wherever they are),” she said. Viafara said the affected neighbourhoods appear more likely to rely on walking to get around. Many of the residents have lower incomes than other Winnipeggers, he said. “So, there is a connection between … fatalities and traffic accidents involving people of low income,” Viafara said, noting that appears to be common across Canada. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee, is calling for city traffic experts to review the report. “The city does know that there are a lot of collisions in the downtown because anywhere where there’s more density, there’s more collisions … It’s (about) putting the spotlight on the vulnerable road user.” The Waverley West councillor said the city has four staff members devoted to implementing a road safety action plan, who prioritize new projects using an “equity lens.” “It’s a huge pillar in what we do,” Lukes said. The city expects to spend $30 million on road safety improvements over the next six years, she said. Viafara is urging the city to make several changes to make core-area intersections safer. The recommendations include prioritizing pedestrian safety countermeasures for downtown and adjacent neighbourhoods, conducting “walkability assessments” near frequent collision sites, improving collision data collection and preparing safe route to school plans. He said countermeasures could include adding lights, medians and other road treatments to help minimize the risk of crashes. “Transportation (needs) to be part of the revitalization effort,” Viafara said.

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New machines have sights set on tracking City sidewalk conditions
by Beth McKechnie 23 Aug '24

23 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Released: August 23, 2024 at 10:01 a.m. Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeggers – don’t be alarmed if you see a futuristic-looking quad out on Winnipeg sidewalks this month. It’s not a real-life Transformers moment – it is a new-to-us data collection tool designed to help the City of Winnipeg better assess, maintain, and improve sidewalk and pathway conditions. Two sidewalk surface testers will collect data on nearly 3,200 km of asphalt and concrete sidewalks and pathways over the next few months. “This new technology will make a real difference in how we keep sidewalks in good shape,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “By using these advanced tools, we’re improving how we assess and maintain our infrastructure, which means better service for all Winnipeggers. This is a practical step toward ensuring our sidewalks are safe and accessible for everyone.” We have previously collected data on surfaced street, back lanes, and pathways, but not sidewalks. The machines will record information about: * Sidewalk length and width * Surface material * Tripping hazards and cracks * Steepness * Factors that could reduce the sidewalk’s usable width “For the first time ever, we’re collecting citywide baseline data on the conditions of our sidewalks,” said Janice Lukes, Chairperson of the Standing Policy Committee on Public Works. “This data will help us determine what we’re working with now, what we may need to do to keep sidewalks serviceable in the future, and how much money we require to keep Winnipeggers moving on them.” Once the sidewalk surface testers have inventoried the whole city, we will segment the sidewalk network and assign each a general condition (new, good, fair, poor, very poor), similar to our existing street conditions assessments. The data will help us plan renewals and maintenance activities, including helping determine whether funding amounts are adequate to meet our future service level targets. The City plans to collect the same data in 2027 and every three years after. https://www.winnipeg.ca/news/2024-08-23-new-machines-have-sights-set-tracki…

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Green Action Centre seeks Bike Education Instructor
by Beth McKechnie 19 Aug '24

19 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Position: Bike Education Instructor Contract: During months of September-October and May-June Rate: $250-$300 per day based on experience, for total of 75 days Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Application Deadline: August 26, 2024 Details: Bike Education Instructor<https://greenactioncentre.ca/jobs-bike-education-instructor/>

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WFP Traffic lights turned on near FortWhyte at McGillivray (Aug17'24)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Aug '24

17 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. TRAFFIC LIGHTS TURNED ON NEAR FORTWHYTE A NEW set of traffic lights is now working at McGillivray Boulevard and Brady Road, near FortWhyte Alive. A new entrance to the wildlife preserve and recreation area is expected to open next to the intersection this winter. “These four-way lights increase safety and connectivity in Winnipeg’s active transportation network and will provide much-needed crossing controls for pedestrian, cycling and vehicular traffic at this very busy intersection,” Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the City of Winnipeg’s public works committee, said in a news release Friday morning.

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WFP: Canada’s public transit in crisis (Aug17'24)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Aug '24

17 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Operating costs sinking transit systems: report Canada’s public transit in crisis https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2024/08/16/broke-and-broken-repo… OTTAWA — A new analysis warns that Canada’s major cities — including Winnipeg — are struggling to keep their transit systems running and says public transit is heading for a “downward spiral” unless major new streams of operating revenue open up. In a report published in late May, Leading Mobility Canada said the $120-billion in expansions planned for those transit systems won’t help cities that are struggling to keep the buses and trains running at current levels. David Cooper, the principal at Leading Mobility and the study’s co-author, said the majority of transit is funded through passenger fares and property taxes and cities have very limited options for other sources of revenue. The federal government is allocating billions to expand transit. “It’s great we’re getting these investments but you actually can’t materialize the benefits of these investments if the cities actually can’t afford to run it,” he said. The analysis looked at the budgets, revenue sources and long-term plans for eight transit systems in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. Most of them are already reporting budget shortfalls. Calgary’s shortfall was $33 million in 2023, the same year Toronto reported a $366-million gap. Montreal anticipates its budget shortfall will exceed $560 million in 2025 and grow to $700 million by 2028. Halifax expects it will be up to $22 million short in 2026 — more than 15 per cent of its total transit budget — while Vancouver warns of a structural deficit of $600 million by the same year. All of them say the planned expansions, such as new light rail lines in Ottawa, bus rapid transit in Halifax and subway expansions in Toronto, will incur operating costs well above what they can afford. Vancouver estimated bus and light rail expansions will cost $1.2 billion extra. Calgary said in 10 years its operating budget will be $127 million higher. Edmonton said by 2033 its budget deficit will grow to $174 million a year, while Winnipeg estimated its expansion plans will add $37 million in annual costs. The provinces and federal government are only offering limited operating funding to go with the growth and even that is temporary. For example, Ontario has agreed to provide $1.2 billion to help Toronto run two new LRT lines for a three-year period. In late July, Vancouver’s TransLink warned that it will have to make significant service cuts if its structural deficit isn’t solved, including cancelling 145 of its 245 bus routes and reducing service on the SkyTrain and SeaBus. The result would push more than half a million people out of walking distance from a transit stop or station. On Aug. 8, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe sounded the alarm about a “transit crisis” because of a $9-billion hole in OC Transpo’s long-range financial plan, including the opening of the nearly $5-billion second phase of light rail. “It’s nice to dream of building more light rail but we don’t even have the money we need to operate our existing system,” Sutcliffe said. “If we don’t get the help we need, it won’t even make financial sense to open Phase 2 of light rail. We’d be better off from a financial perspective not to open and run the system.” The report makes clear that COVID-19 hastened some of the structural funding problems plaguing transit systems when work-from-home policies took a massive bite out of ridership. Leading Mobility said before COVID-19, passenger fares covered an average of 59 per cent of the costs of transit in Canada, far higher than the 38 per cent in the United States. By 2023, fares covered as little as 23 per cent of costs in Ottawa and as much as 43 per cent in Toronto. Most cities have seen ridership return — though not quite to pre-pandemic levels — but people are using the system differently, with fewer people buying monthly passes, and in some places, more using subsidized transit passes or tickets. Property tax is most often the second-biggest source of revenue for public transit but inflation and affordability have put massive pressures on cities and there is limited ability for transit to get more money from property taxes. Vancouver’s TransLink gets a share of gas tax funding but with B.C. drivers adopting electric vehicles more rapidly than anywhere else, that funding source is shrinking fast. Gas tax revenues were down $34 million in 2023 from the year before. Halifax has a benefit area tax, a surtax on properties located within a certain distance of transit, which in 2023 accounted for almost half its total revenues, or $58.6 million. Montreal gets about five per cent of its operating revenue from a vehicle registration levy. Vehicle levies and benefit taxes are among the suggestions the Leading Mobility report makes for cities. It also suggests considering a tax on electric vehicle charging, or adding congestion pricing that taxes vehicles in the busiest parts of cities, similar to what’s in place in London and New York City. The report calculated what may work best in each jurisdiction but also notes that many cities need permission from their provincial governments for such changes. It recommends provinces make legislative changes to allow transit systems to raise new money. The report also calls for a national commission on transit operating funding, bringing together provinces and municipalities to determine the best way to save their systems. Cooper said cutting service is a death knell because people will only use transit if it is reliable and affordable. If ridership drops, revenues drop, and then more cuts follow. Marco D’Angelo, president of the Canadian Urban Transit Association, said he feels there is a will to solve this problem and it is not insurmountable. He noted that when ridership plummeted during the pandemic, federal and provincial governments stepped up to help. “We had leadership when it was needed to keep Canada’s transit systems running,” he said. “This is a different scenario but it was handled before by provinces and the federal government recognizing the national importance of public transit.” — The Canadian Press

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WFP: Driver tried to flee after hitting boy (Aug14'24)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Aug '24

14 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. DRIVER TRIED TO FLEE AFTER HITTING BOY: POLICE A driver is facing charges after he allegedly struck a young boy riding a bicycle and tried to flee the scene. An officer with the Winkler Police Service was on patrol in the area of Pembina Avenue and Main Street when he saw the collision at about 1:06 p.m. Monday. A red Chevrolet Silverado turned east onto Pembina from southbound Main and struck a small child who was crossing the intersection on a bike. The truck briefly stopped in the roadway before the driver accelerated eastbound in an apparent attempt to leave the scene, the police service said later that day. The officer was able to stop the suspect before trying to give the victim first aid. An off-duty local doctor approached the scene and gave the boy medical care. The boy was transported to hospital by paramedics in stable condition with undetermined injuries. The driver of the truck, a 50-year-old Plum Coulee man, is facing charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, failure to stop after a collision causing bodily harm and driving without a licence.

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WFP: One pedestrian killed, two injured in three accidents (Aug12'24)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Aug '24

12 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. One pedestrian killed, two injured in three accidents https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/10/one-pedestrian-ki… A 49-year-old woman is dead after she was struck by a vehicle while reportedly lying down on the Harry Lazarenko Bridge, while two other people are in hospital in critical condition after they were hit while crossing Winnipeg streets in just over six hours. Winnipeg Police Service officers were called to the bridge, which connects Redwood Avenue with Main Street, about an injured woman at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday. Police found the woman with serious injuries, but she died before paramedics were able to arrive to try to revive her. Traffic investigators, in a preliminary probe, found the woman was lying on the road when she was hit by a driver headed west. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and spoke with officers, police said. Investigators have identified the victim and informed her family of her death. Police are also still investigating another serious collision between a vehicle and pedestrian on Pembina Highway at Adamar Road, which also occurred overnight. Officers were called to the intersection at about 4 a.m., where they found a man with serious injuries. Paramedics took the man to hospital in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and spoke with police. Police have determined the man was walking eastbound across Pembina near the intersection when he was hit by a driver headed east. Earlier Friday, at about 9:45 p.m., police were called to Smithfield Avenue and Main Street, where a 57-year-old man was in critical condition on the road. He was rushed to hospital. Investigators believe the man was crossing Main Street against a red light when a vehicle, travelling south, hit him. The driver stayed at the scene. Police have asked anyone with further information, including video or dash camera footage from the areas near the collision scenes, to call the traffic division at 204-986-7085<tel:204-986-7085> or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204786-8477<tel:204786-8477>. The death of the woman on the Harry Lazarenko Bridge is the second fatal collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle this week. A man was struck near Queen Elizabeth Way (Main Street) and Mayfair Avenue near The Forks at about 3:30 a.m. on Thursday by a driver that fled the scene. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, but later died. Police have said investigators were closing in on the kind of vehicle that hit the man on Thursday. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:fpcity@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: City seeks stronger analysis of traffic data (Aug9'24)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Proposal request aims to improve road safety City seeks stronger analysis of traffic data https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/08/city-hopes-enhanc… A new system to collect traffic counts and collision data is on the way to Winnipeg in an effort to improve road safety. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said the addition is great news. “If we have better data and better ability to sift, sort and analyze the data, then it becomes clear to us where we need to make changes and investments to improve the system. At a punch of a few buttons, we can see sooner where the collisions are, we can analyze when they happen,” said Lukes (Waverley West). A request for proposals seeks a company to implement the new system for Winnipeg’s traffic monitoring program. “The City of Winnipeg has greatly expanded their traffic-monitoring program in the last five years and needs a solution that will support the acquisition, validation, analysis and dissemination of all its data sources,” the document notes. It states the city’s current tracking program has “major limitations,” since it lacks a central database and information is difficult for the public to access. “Short-duration studies are currently managed through a series of disconnected excel files that result in poor scheduling, duplication of efforts, and data entry error,” the RFP notes. The new system is expected to let the city make better use of Manitoba Public Insurance collision data that municipal officials already receive. “(With this system) if we see a particular intersection is always either getting bogged down or there are collisions on a regular basis and then we can analyze it in a more rapid manner, then we can fix it sooner,” said Lukes. A request to speak with a city traffic official was not granted on Thursday. In an email, a city spokeswoman said the system will make better use of vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian counts, which are gathered through radar, intersection video cameras, pneumatic road tubes (tubes laid across the road to gather data) and other devices. “More than 40 permanent count stations have been installed across Winnipeg in the past five years and hundreds of other traffic studies have been collected with portable equipment as part of the traffic-monitoring program,” wrote spokeswoman Pam McKenzie. “The (new system) will help the city consume all of the data from these devices and present it in an easy-to-digest format that will help… derive more meaningful insights.” Lukes said ensuring all of the data can be quickly assessed to support safety decisions will help the city more efficiently select the changes most likely to reduce collisions. She said she hopes Winnipeggers will eventually see fewer collisions as a result. “If we can have a better technology to capture and monitor and analyze this data, it really helps us make better decisions,” she said. The RFP notes council approved a road safety strategic action plan in 2022, which this system would support. “Several of the 67 actions identified in the (plan) relate to the need to improve and better integrate safety data into divisional practices,” the document notes. For example, city officials expect the new system will help track performance toward a municipal goal to reduce fatal and serious injury collisions by 20 per cent between 2022 and 2026 and conduct road safety reviews with detailed collision analyses. In an email, Mayor Scott Gillingham’s communications director said the system is part of a renewed focus on road safety. “It started with council adopting the road safety strategic action plan in 2022, then we created a new unit to oversee the plan last year, and now we’re looking to improve our systems to make better use of traffic count and collision data,” wrote Colin Fast. The winning bidder is expected to implement the data system for four years, with a possible three year extension. The city expects to spend $200,000 on the contract. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Police using video to zero in on suspect involved in fatal pedestrian collision (Aug9'24)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Driver can hit, run but can’t hide Police using video to zero in on suspect involved in fatal pedestrian collision https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/08/police-zero-in-on… POLICE said they are closing in on a suspect in a hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian near The Forks early Thursday as officers canvassed the area for witnesses and additional surveillance footage. Although police haven’t identified the person responsible, investigators have “a good idea on the general type of vehicle that was involved, based on surveillance video and some roadway evidence,” Patrol Sgt. Brian Neumann said. “Ultimately, there will be evidence on that vehicle of this collision, so when we obtain that vehicle, we should be able to gather the evidence necessary to complete our investigation.” Officers responded to Queen Elizabeth Way (Main Street) and Mayfair Avenue at about 3:30 a.m. A seriously injured man was found and taken to hospital in critical condition but later died. The preliminary investigation indicated the man was walking across Queen Elizabeth Way when he fell and was struck by a southbound vehicle as he struggled to get up. The driver took off, police said. Neumann, who co-ordinates collision investigations, said officers rerouted traffic to gather evidence from the scene. Investigators have yet to release information about the vehicle involved in the collision but will provide an update to the public when they are ready, the patrol sergeant said. “What we are having to do is just expand our knowledge of what we have so far, so that when we want to be able to take that action, we have sufficient (evidence) to effect an arrest or bring a person in for an interview,” he said. “I’ve got investigators out who are viewing video and compiling their opinion on what they are finding… Especially in an urban environment, we tend to be able to follow them throughout their movement in the city until we get (the suspect) identified.” Speaking generally, Neumann said suspects identified in hit-and-run investigations can range from motorists with a clean driving record to people with criminal records. In some cases, drivers panic after a collision and flee the scene. Later, they turn themselves in to the police. Other times, motorists try to cover their tracks by destroying evidence or getting their vehicles washed, he said. Impairment can be a contributing factor that leads to a collision or influences a person’s decision to flee, he said. He urged anybody involved in a hit-and-run collision to do the right thing and come forward to police. “You may be wrong and you may be (held) accountable but you have to step up and take that. Just like you would expect someone else to do that if it happened to you or someone in your family,” he said. “In the case of something like today’s incident… you’re just compounding the problem. It’s not going to get easier.” Investigators ask anybody who was travelling near Mayfair Avenue and Queen Elizabeth Way around the time to call investigators, particularly if they have video footage, Neumann said. Investigators can be reached at 204986-7085<tel:204986-7085> or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477<tel:204-786-8477> (TIPS). Manitoba Public Insurance recorded 384 reports of hit-and-run collisions that resulted in injuries in Winnipeg since 2022, including 92 incidents as of July 31. Nine people were killed in hit-and-runs during the same period, including three this year. The numbers do not include Thursday’s fatality, MPI said. One hit-and-run investigation in which a person was injured remains unsolved from 2023, Neumann said. A cyclist was crossing Notre Dame Avenue and Isabel Street on the evening of June 30. The vehicle fled the scene before the police arrived. An empty but heavily damaged grey 2007 Pontiac G6 was later found in the 100 block of Juno Street. It was subsequently learned that four men were observed fleeing the vehicle, police reported. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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City News: Calls for bike safety in Winnipeg continue after girl hit by vehicle in Wolseley neighbourhood (Aug7'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Aug '24

08 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://winnipeg.citynews.ca/2024/08/07/calls-bike-safety-winnipeg-latest-i…

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WFP: Cyclist dies after crashing into parked semi (Aug7'24)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Aug '24

07 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Man riding at high speed when collision occurred Cyclist dies after crashing into parked semi https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/06/cyclist-dies-afte… A 67-YEAR-OLD male cyclist died after crashing into the back of a parked tractor-trailer on the side of Kenaston Boulevard, near Waverley Street, on Friday. The cyclist was riding at high speed when he collided with the rear of the trailer, which had its hazard lights activated on the northbound shoulder, shortly before 2:30 p.m., the Winnipeg Police Service said. “It’s always tragic. You feel for the family,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, which advocates for increased cycling awareness and safety in the city. “The bottom line is it’s just tragic,” said local Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). The WPS provided limited information in a news release Tuesday. Police would not provide more details about the cause of the crash, which is being investigated by the traffic division. The cyclist’s name was not released. His family has been notified, police said. He is at least the second cyclist to be killed on Winnipeg’s roads in as many months. Police wouldn’t say if the man was wearing a helmet. The crash happened on a stretch of Kenaston that has one separated cycling route (on the west side) north of Waverley, and none to the south between Waverley and the Perimeter Highway. While details are limited, the incident points to a gap in Winnipeg’s active transportation network, and the importance of separated lanes for cyclists, said Cohoe. “You don’t have a pathway in that section,” he said. “It just showcases that we want to have a separation on those roadways.” There are plans to build a separated lane on the east side of Kenaston north of Waverley, said Lukes, chair of city hall’s public works committee. She said there are currently no plans for bike routes on Kenaston between Waverley and the Perimeter, given the province’s previously announced plans to build a bypass in the area. “When the St. Norbert bypass comes into play, then stuff like (bike lanes) will happen,” said Lukes. In 2015, the former NDP government said construction of a new $400-million route bypassing St. Norbert — by linking Kenaston and Highway 75 — would begin in five years and be completed within 10 years. The proposal included a cloverleaf interchange at Kenaston and the Perimeter. Almost 10 years later, no construction has taken place. The NDP lost the 2016 provincial election to the Progressive Conservatives, who ordered studies and held public information sessions while in government. The Tories lost last year’s election to the NDP. A provincial spokesperson said a 2020 design study proposed an interchange at Kenaston and the Perimeter as part of the long-term Winnipeg One Million Perimeter Freeway Initiative. Active transportation routes were considered in the study, the spokesperson said. Cyclists rallied in Winnipeg last month to call on the city to make streets safer for them, following a fatal collision in June and a separate crash that injured a teenage girl. Both collisions occurred on Wellington Crescent. Cohoe wants Winnipeg’s road-safety strategic action plan, passed by council in 2022, to be fully funded and implemented to help reduce fatal and serious injury collisions involving all road users. “The goal of the city really needs to be that we don’t see people dying in collisions,” he said. The plan comprises 67 actions for improved safety for all road users, and a goal of reducing fatal and serious collisions by 20 per cent over five years. Each year, Winnipeg averages 13 fatal collisions and 145 crashes resulting in serious injuries, according to city data. Across the province, an average of four cyclists are killed and 78 are injured in collisions per year, Manitoba Public Insurance’s website stated. A helmet was not worn in almost 90 per cent of cases in which a cyclist was killed in a collision with a vehicle, according to MPI. The WPS, meanwhile, is asking anyone with information about Friday’s crash or video from vehicle dashboard or home surveillance cameras to call investigators at 204-986-7085<tel:204-986-7085> or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477<tel:204-786-8477>. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Festival brings together active transportation and environmental performance art (Aug6'24)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Aug '24

06 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ROLLING CIRCUS Festival brings together active transportation and environmental performance art https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/08/06/rolling-circus IT’S an outdoor adventure that combines the thrill of live performance with the charm of nature. Bike and Circuses, returning for its second year from Aug. 7 to 11, promises a blend of theatre, music and dance set against the backdrop of Whittier Park. “Bike and Circuses is about combining physical adventure with being a participant in a theatrical event,” explains Daina Leitold, executive director of Green Kids Inc. and co-producer of Bike and Circuses. “We wanted to experiment with the way we tend to take in the arts — quietly and passively. We are talking about taking action for the health of this planet. This is no time to be passive.” “And also, just breaking down this kind of theatre convention where everyone’s inside and they’re watching a play,” adds co-producer Brenda Mc-Lean. “We want more engagement and more of a feeling of the audience being participants in the theatre spectacle.” The inspiration for Bike and Circuses came when McLean visited Quebec City and saw an outdoor circus event by Cirque du Soleil. “The energy was incredible, with so many people from the city and surrounding areas coming out to watch. I thought, ‘Why not bring that kind of vibrant outdoor circus festival to Winnipeg?’ We needed more of that festival atmosphere in Winnipeg and to bring these great events to our city,” she says. The event is carbon neutral, prioritizing eco-friendly materials and transportation. Costumes, sets and props will be made from mostly salvaged or second-hand items and travel will be by foot, bike or transit as much as possible. The show takes audiences on a tour of the park, stopping to take in various performances along the way. Green Kids has partnered with community organizations, environmental NGOs and local businesses to create an interactive outdoor lobby where audiences can learn about environmental advocacy and active transportation, says McLean. Circus performer Lil Borger is excited about the show. “I specialize in something called cyr wheel. It’s like a big metal hula hoop that I spin in, kind of like when a coin spins on the ground,” says Borger, who has been performing since the age of seven. “I’m working with an amazing accordionist from Winnipeg named Anne-Marie (Williot), who’s going to be doing live accompaniment. My act also involves some spoken word.” Borger and Williot have been co-ordinating via Zoom as Borger currently lives in Montreal, attending McGill University. The performance tackles the theme of economic growth and its impact on the environment. “It goes into themes of overconsumption tied to overproduction and overuse of our planet and natural resources,” says Borger. “It shows the tension between nature, which I play, and our human economic system of production, which is represented by the wheel and the accordionist.” ANOTHER performer featured is Charlene Van Buekenhout, a Métis/Belgian/Canadian theatre artist, who will use a crankie machine — a moving panorama — to create an immersive storytelling experience. “I’m doing something that I have not done before. My whole piece is based around the concept of an ultrasound, connecting people to what’s inside themselves and the world around them,” Buekenhout says. Luekenhout was inspired by an exercise she learned from an elder at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. “You sit in the environment, notice the things around you and connect those things to yourself. It’s all about personalizing our world and recognizing that we are made up of the world around us,” she says, adding she will invite audience participation in a gentle and engaging manner. “I will be the ultrasound wand, and you can place your hand on my head while I turn the crankie machine. You’ll see what’s inside yourself. It’ll be very pain-free and non-invasive, just a fun and sweet way to engage with the audience.” Other performances include butoh dancer Tanja Faylene Woloshen, theatre artist Loc Lu and musical theatre performers Brittany and Mario Lagassé. THIS year’s event aims to be more inclusive than the first, with different routes and accessibility options. The event offers three versions to accommodate various audience needs: one for those on bicycles, one for those walking or slow rolling and a more physically-accessible route. “Knowing right away we wanted to do a show that was on bikes, our first thought was ‘That’s awesome, but is that for everybody?’” Leitold says. “We’ve been working with accessibility consultants. We offer the show for people walking as well as for people on bikes, and we have a physical show with an accessible path for folks who prefer not to walk too much but still want to experience being in the park.” Despite some challenges, the team is committed to making Bike and Circuses a recurring event, she says. “There was no Bike and Circuses in 2023 due to funding issues but we hope to make it a yearly event with enough community support. We want to show that being out in your city and taking time away from your cell phone, computer and car to go to a park and walk or ride a bike is a good way to get in touch with nature. The closer you are to nature, the more you might care about being environmentally responsible.” Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-choose pricing model: $10, $20 or $30 plus fees, with children four and under free. thandi.vera(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:thandi.vera@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: More bike lanes make for a better city (Aug6'24)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Aug '24

06 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. More bike lanes make for a better city https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/04/more-bike-lanes-m… A FEW weeks ago in Winnipeg, Rob Jenner was killed by a driver while riding his bike to work. On July 29, a few blocks away, a young girl out for a bike ride with her dad was hospitalized after a driver crashed into her. Every year, an average of 70 people riding a bike are hit by drivers so severely that an injury report is filed with the police. In a six-month cycling season, that’s every third day. Yet, when the city began public consultation for three new protected bike lanes, two downtown and one in the West-Alexander area, the usual public opposition was heard. The talking points are always predictable and can be addressed one-by-one. ● Winnipeg is a winter city. We don’t need bike lanes for six months a year. This is like saying, “I don’t need to wear a life jacket because I only go boating in the summertime.” Far fewer people cycle in winter but this shouldn’t diminish the need for safe streets in the seasons when people are riding bikes and fighting for road space with thousand-kilogram machines. We publicly invest in many things not used to their full capacity year-round. Would this same argument not apply to parks, sidewalks, arenas, pools and splash pads? ● We can’t afford bike lanes. Bike lanes are cheap. We spend $5 million per year on all active transportation projects. Most of this funding is used to build and maintain sidewalks, with a small percentage used for on-street bike lanes that are often rolled into larger road renewal projects. Spending on dedicated cycling infrastructure is a rounding error in our overall roads budget. We spend $170 million every year fixing existing roads and the Transportation Master Plan projects spending almost that amount building new roads. If we can’t afford bike infrastructure, we really can’t afford car infrastructure like the Kenaston Boulevard widening, pegged to cost the equivalent of the entire active transportation budget for 150 years. ● Winnipeg is a car city. It sure is but with 8,300 kilometers of public roads and less than 30 kilometres of on-street protected bike lanes, there’s lots of room for cars. ● Nobody rides a bike in Winnipeg anyway. The federal census shows between 5,000 and 7,000 people ride a bike to work daily between May and October. While this represents less than two per cent of commuters citywide, it varies significantly by neighbourhood. About two-thirds of bike commuters live less than five kilometres from Portage and Main. In suburban neighbourhoods like Bridgwater, Seven Oaks, Island Lakes, Linden Woods, Sage Creek, and North Kildonan, this percentage is close to zero. It’s understandable, if you live in this type of neighbourhood, you might believe nobody rides a bike. In mature neighbourhoods like River Heights, West Broadway, Osborne, and Earl Grey, cycling mode share is closer to six per cent of all commuters. Wolseley is ranked as a top 10 cycling neighbourhood in Canada with 12 per cent of commuters riding a bike. Many more people, including children, cycle for other reasons, such as recreation, exercise, or riding to school. The bike counter near The Forks regularly shows more than a thousand people biking past on a summer weekend day. A 2022 CAA survey found that 15 per cent of Winnipeggers ride a bike at least a few times per week, with a further 30 per cent riding occasionally. Forty per cent of respondents said they would bike more if they had safe, protected lanes to ride in. ● If cyclists want bike lanes, they should pay for it themselves. City streets, sidewalks and bike lanes are paidfor overwhelmingly through property taxes. Like drivers, people who ride bikes pay property taxes. Cyclists don’t pay fuel taxes that go into the government’s general revenues but the money they save is spent on other things that are similarly taxed. Most cyclists also drive a car. ● Bike lanes take parking away from downtown businesses. Planners are careful to design bike lanes to be as minimally disruptive as possible. When the Exchange District bike lanes were built, diagonal parking was implemented to increase the total number of stalls in the immediate area. The downtown lanes currently being proposed will remove 97 on street stalls, representing 0.3 percent of downtown’s 26,000 public parking stalls. Diversifying mobility options is a key step in the long-term process of creating a downtown residential neighbourhood to support local shops and businesses, so they don’t have to rely on the ever-dwindling number of people driving downtown to shop. ● Bike lanes make driving worse. Separating cyclists, drivers and pedestrians into their own lanes is better for everyone. If you get frustrated as a driver having to pass slow-moving cyclists on the street, you should support bike lanes that keep them separate from car traffic. Bike lanes often get blamed for narrowing car lanes but most often, as in the case of Goulet Street, this is done intentionally to slow vehicle speeds and calm traffic having nothing to do with bike lanes. Many people will read this angrily and think cyclists deserve their fate because they don’t follow the rules of the road. Undoubtedly, some percentage of the population is selfish and irresponsible but just as many of those people are drivers, or pedestrians. Cyclists aren’t protected by a thousand kilograms of steel with crumple zones, air bags and seat belts. Improving their safety comes from the built environment. When we create safe streets by narrowing lanes and intersections, slowing vehicle speeds, improving sight lines, widening sidewalks and building bike lanes, we build in a safety factor that allows for mistakes, distractions, careless behaviour and unexpected conditions to happen — without having someone pay for it with their life. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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WFP: Gaping hole on city pathway remains ‘disgusting, a danger’ (Aug3'24)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Aug '24

03 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Gaping hole on city pathway remains ‘disgusting, a danger’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/02/gaping-hole-on-ci… A MASSIVE hole on a city pathway that has triggered safety complaints for more than a year has grown even larger, amid hope a permanent fix is on the way. Early Friday afternoon, the gaping depression surrounded by bright orange fencing appeared to stretch at least seven metres long, three metres wide and up to one metre deep. It previously triggered complaints when it was about six metres long in June 2023. “It’s ridiculous. I walk these trails at least twice a day… and this has been (very large for) a few years,” said Karen Stokes. “It’s an eyesore, I think it’s disgusting … Some of these (guard) rails are in that water. It attracts mosquitoes, there’s lots of reasons that it’s gross.” At least one barricade was spotted submerged in water, with weeds and algae in the hole on Friday. Most of the damage is located on the path that connects an Amarynth Crescent playground to the busy Sturgeon Creek active transportation route. Stokes noted the area is so well used by pedestrians and cyclists that their traffic has worn away grass on both sides of the path. During repeated downpours this June, those stretches became a wet, sticky “mud pit,” she said. “I’ve had to push a senior in a scooter out of the mud… She was literally stuck,” said Stokes. Even with the fencing and some metal barricades in place, she fears the massive gap still poses a risk to seniors and kids, noting it’s close to a playground. “For kids, it’s probably a bit of a danger,” Stokes said. “It’s disappointing because these trails are used a lot. Hundreds of people every day are out here and it’s disappointing that (it hasn’t been fixed).” Spring flooding and rain water appear to wash out the current section of the path in the low lying area at times, while storms fill it with water, residents said. Susan Cava-Salie said the gap looks “awful” but she believes the fencing is effective at reducing the risk of someone falling into it. St. James Coun. Shawn Dobson said the city has proposed a design to repair the path and expects to receive a cost estimate for it soon. The proposed fix would realign part of the path to the west and cover part of the area near the sinkhole with woven concrete to help prevent erosion, while a bank around the creek would also be cut back to reduce the velocity of the water, said Dobson. He said the hole has persisted for at least two years and poses safety risks, which led him to personally reinstall some barricades around the large depression this spring. “It is a hazard because there is a hole… This is unexpected because it’s on the pathway,” said Dobson. The councillor said the problem took time to study, but he supports the current proposal for a more permanent repair. “It was not the money (delaying repairs). It was figuring out (how to) fix it once versus fixing it every year,” he said. Dobson said he will push for the path to be fixed this year and would use ward funding to help pay for it, if needed. However, that work isn’t guaranteed at this stage, he noted. The Free Press reported on the hole in June 2023, when only a small barricade blocked off one of its sides. Fencing was added to surround the entire gap a day after the story was published. A request to interview a representative from the city’s public works department was not granted Friday. Dobson said the city previously filled the hole with limestone, followed by wood chips, both of which washed away. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Pedal Pub wheels out spirited new offering (Aug1'24)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Aug '24

01 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Coolers stocked with beer, vodka sodas to be available on Exchange District cycle tours Pedal Pub wheels out spirited new offering https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2024/08/01/pedal-pub-wheels-out-… BIKERS with beers will soon traverse Exchange District streets. Pedal Pub, a popular attraction where users cycle to local bars, is preparing to offer brews on its quadricycles. “The first question we get from people is whether they can consume alcohol on the bike,” said Miguel Gauthier, co-owner of Pedal Pub’s Winnipeg branch. “Now we’re very proud and happy to say that we can answer… with a big, firm ‘Yes.’” Starting Monday, employees will load coolers full of beer and vodka sodas onto the quadricycles, which are four-wheeled vehicles that riders pedal. It’s been a long time coming for Gauthier and his partners. They brought Pedal Pub to Winnipeg in 2022. In other Canadian cities, customers of the franchise could sip alcohol while pedalling to various bars. They’d get off, drink more and hop back on. It was the case for operations in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Winnipeg’s Pedal Pub couldn’t get a liquor licence from the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba. The LGCA would only issue a liquor service licence if other government agency licences and permits regulated the entity in question, spokeswoman Lisa Hansen explained earlier this summer. And in 2022, Pedal Pub’s quadricycles — where 15 customers can pedal at a time — didn’t fit any vehicle registration class. It didn’t need a City of Winnipeg licence, either. Pedal Pub contacted the provincial government to create laws targeted at quadricycles, co-owner Brandon Guenther said. As of this Wednesday, Manitoba has launched a pilot project regulation for large quadricycles. It’s set to be revoked Jan. 31, 2029. Part of the legislation called for municipal approval. So in July, the Pedal Pub owners waited to see what the City of Winnipeg would say — and on July 3, councillors gave the green light. “The province is the one that’s regulating it, so I wish them the best,” Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) said while moving the motion. Now, Pedal Pub is preparing for an even boozier ride. “We’re really, really excited,” Gauthier said. The tour will continue the same: the two-hour Exchange District trek will have two bar stops and pre-paid drinks. However, customers can order a cooler stocked with cans to accompany them on the quadricycles. Packs range from 15 to 36 drinks, at $6 per Torque Brewing beer and Smirnoff vodka soda. People must place their orders online before the voyage, according to Gauthier. Pedal Pub isn’t required to change its safety features, such as adding seatbelts. Instead, it’s adding a second staff member to its rides, Gauthier detailed: one employee will drive and another will act as bartender, ensuring riders behave. “Nobody who is on the bike can just reach in and grab their own drink,” Gauthier emphasized. “If there’s instances of full intoxication, we’re in full control of that vehicle. We’re able to remove the person from the tour… if it’s becoming unsafe.” Each quadricycle has an electric motor, a backup if legs fail. Pedal Pub has 10 bar, restaurant and distillery partners in the Exchange District. Each tour elicits an average $1,200 in spending at local businesses, Guenther said earlier this summer. The company is currently restricted to operations downtown and in the Exchange District. It must get city approval before touring elsewhere, Gauthier said. gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com>

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CBC: 'Whose kid is next?' Winnipeg cyclists call for safer infrastructure after another collision (Jul31'24)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jul '24

31 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Cyclists demand safer riding conditions near the scene of two recent collisions https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bike-rally-cyclist-vehicle…

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WFP: Cyclists demand safety improvements (Jul31'24)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jul '24

31 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Teen on bike struck by vehicle at intersection of Wellington Crescent and Academy Road Cyclists demand safety improvements https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/30/teen-cyclist-inju… A TEENAGE cyclist was injured Monday after she was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of Wellington Crescent and Academy Road, renewing calls for better active- transportation infrastructure. Winnipeg police said the crash happened at about 8:45 p.m. The teen, who was cycling with her father, was hospitalized but has since been released, Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Dani McKinnon said Tuesday. Her father was not injured. McKinnon said the driver, who remained at the scene, may have been experiencing a medical event at the time, and the investigation is continuing. Passerby Mark Hildahl blocked traffic with his vehicle immediately after the collision. He used his paramedic training to keep the teen’s spine stable. “My heart sunk,” he said Tuesday. “She wasn’t moving; at first I thought she might be dead.” He said he didn’t notice that the vehicle’s driver was in medical distress, but observed that she was “very distraught.” He was told the driver was later taken away by an ambulance. Hildahl described what happened Monday as “everybody’s worst nightmare” at a notoriously unsafe intersection. “I travel through this intersection multiple times a week and it’s just horrible,” he said. “The entire design of the intersection at Wellington and Academy is designed for cars, there’s nothing that’s designed for pedestrians or cyclists, so it’s extremely dangerous for everybody.” The crash happened a short distance from where Rob Jenner, 61, was killed June 6 in a hit-and-run on Wellington Crescent near Cockburn Street. Jenner had been cycling to his job at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Beckham Keneth Severight, 19, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop at the scene. Last week, more than 100 cyclists calling for improved infrastructure gathered outside the museum to honour Jenner’s memory. Among them was Patty Wiens, a director of Bike Winnipeg, who blamed poor infrastructure for the crashes. “Do you think this kid will ever get on a bike again? This is not OK. Our roads need better design,” she said. “That’s what it’s going to actually take. It’s not about enforcement, it’s about design.” About 180 cyclists blocked cars at the intersection of Academy and Wellington as a protest on Tuesday evening. Wiens said she wonders how many pedestrians and cyclists need to be hurt or killed before bike infrastructure becomes a priority. “We are tired of protesting. I don’t want to be shutting down intersections once a week. It’s going to take some serious political will,” she said. Following Jenner’s death last month, Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry Coun. Sherri Rollins called the stretch of Wellington Crescent a “known gap in the cycling plan for the city” and suggested her calls to install 30 km/h zones around the ward hadn’t been heard due to a lack of political will. Brent Bellamy, a Free Press columnist who writes on urban planning, was hit by a driver while cycling at the same intersection in 2019. He witnessed the aftermath of Monday’s collision. Both Wellington Crescent and Academy Road are designed for commuters but are in the middle of a pedestrian- dense residential area, and cars “fly by” the slip lanes on Wellington Crescent, he said. He noted that just across from where the crash happened, a piece of the fencing at St. Mary’s Academy is missing after being hit by a driver. “It doesn’t even have a stop sign for five kilometres, from Academy all the way to Assiniboine Park. It’s actually designed to be unsafe. It’s designed to prioritize speed and traffic volumes,” he said. Streets should be designed to account for medical emergencies, mistakes and freak accidents, Bellamy said, adding slower traffic, more narrow intersections and fewer lanes all reduce the amount of time cyclists and pedestrians are interacting with cars and give them more time to escape dangerous situations. “We have to design our streets to allow things that aren’t normal to happen, and provide as much safety as we can, as much room for error as possible on our streets,” he said. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca> [https://us5-bcdn.newsmemory.com/eebrowser/ipad/html5.check.24030714/ajax-re…] Members of the cycling community blocked cars at the intersection of Academy Road and Wellington Crescent Tuesday in a protest to call for safer road infrastructure.

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WFP: Cycling community pays tribute to man killed in hit-and-run (Jul26'
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jul '24

26 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ‘We will not let Rob’s death be in vain’ Cycling community pays tribute to man killed in hit-and-run https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/25/we-will-not-let-r… MORE than 100 cyclists, who wore red to celebrate the life of Rob Jenner, gathered outside the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Thursday evening to honour the man killed in a hit-and-run collision. Jenner, who regularly biked to his job as a shipper and receiver at the museum, liked to wear red on Fridays to end the work week. He was travelling eastbound on Wellington Crescent near Cockburn Street when he was hit by a vehicle going in the same direction on the morning of June 6, a day after his 61st birthday. “Since my retirement, I waited for him with the garage door open, knowing I’d see that big smile rolling toward me — full of pride and feeling on top of the world. He was so proud to be a bike commuter,” said widow Wendy Van Loon, her speech punctuated by applause and the chiming of bicycle bells. “He must have known deep inside that he was part of something bigger, but I don’t think he knew the reach and depth of this beautiful community.” Van Loon said Jenner knew riding a bike in the city could be dangerous and he always wore highly visible clothing, including a helmet with blinking lights. He left home early to avoid rush-hour traffic. He was looking forward to retiring. He was an artist and writer and loved cooking. He was “friendly, blunt and also very kind,” said a statement released by the family a week after his death. Travis Jenner, one of his sons, asked the crowd to fight for change. He said he wishes his dad could be there to help take the training wheels off his son’s bike one day. “One small gap in safety was enough to change my life forever, so I ask you not to stop and don’t take no for an answer,” he said. “Show up and don’t back down until you’re safe, or until we’re all safe.” Members of the bike community have chosen to honour Jenner by installing a “ghost bike” at the location of the crash. Van Loon wanted her old bike to be used. It’s been painted white. In addition to memorializing a life lost, ghost bikes serve as a reminder to drivers to slow down and be cautious of cyclists on the road, said Patty Wiens, the “bicycle mayor” of Winnipeg. Wiens said she hopes to normalize cycling for transportation in the city and wants to see the bike network completed. Another cyclist was injured Wednesday night at the same intersection where Jenner was hit, she said. “This moment right here is a direct consequence of a bike network that’s missing some very crucial connections. I know I speak for every person here when I say it could have been any of us or someone close to us,” Wiens said. “The moment he used his bike for transportation in this city, he became an activist. We will not let Rob’s death be in vain.” Rachael Alguire lives a block away from the intersection. She started riding her bike to work a year ago but said she’s never felt quite safe. She began taking her bike to work because it’s more convenient than taking the bus and for the positive impact on her mental health. Her partner is an avid cyclist so she felt more comfortable getting into biking with her partner’s guidance. “I experience aggression from drivers and very unsafe roads all the time,” Alquire said, just as the group was leaving to go to the site of the crash. “There’s not a day where it doesn’t happen, so it’s very close to my heart.” Alguire hopes to see the city add protected bike lanes and for the route at Wellington Crescent to be completed. The group of cyclists rode from the museum to the intersection where the ghost bike will remain. Jenner’s family is working with Gordon Bell High School to set up a fund in his memory that aims to teach kids how to fix their bikes and ride them safely. Van Loon wants others to grow up with the same joy her husband got from riding his bike. “My best friend and favourite chef is gone,” Van Loon said. “He may have been just one person, but he was my world. There’s nothing we can do to bring him back, but let’s make sure his death wasn’t in vain.” Beckham Keneth Severight, 19, is charged with dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop at the scene. jura.mcilraith(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:jura.mcilraith@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Briefs: Snow clearing, Louise Bridge & quadricycles (Jul20'24)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jul '24

20 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. SNOW CLEARING FROM SIDEWALKS TO SPEED UP RESIDENTIAL sidewalks should be cleared of snow days sooner next winter. On Thursday, city council voted to require that crews “normally” complete plowing on residential sidewalks within 36 hours after the work begins, instead of the current target of five working days. The work will be funded through money approved during the 2024 to 2027 multi-year budget. LOUISE BRIDGE REHABILITATION PLAN APPROVED THE city will rehabilitate its 114-year-old Louise Bridge following age-related deterioration. “It requires annual closures for reactive repairs and will require significant work by 2030 to remain operational,” a staff report notes. On Thursday, city council approved a plan to design the project for construction no later than 2030. City officials estimate the work will cost $40 million and extend the life of the bridge by at least 30 years. NEW RULES FOR QUADRICYCLES NEW city rules for quadricycles — four-wheeled, pedal-powered vehicles — are on the way. On Thursday, Winnipeg city council voted to make bylaw changes for the vehicles, which would officially allow them to operate in downtown Winnipeg. Those operating a large quadricycle outside of downtown would be required to submit a planned route to seek approval from the city’s public works director. Additional rules would only permit the vehicles to cross multi-lane streets at intersections with traffic signals or those with “an all-way stop condition.” The companies would also be required to submit annual reports to the city.

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Winnipeg Sun: Political will, capital and public buy-in will be crucial for Winnipeg's Transportation 2050 plan
by Patman, David 19 Jul '24

19 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Political will, capital and public buy-in will be crucial for Winnipeg's Transportation 2050 plan Winnipeg Sun Author of the article: Cameron Eason Published Jul 16, 2024 * Last updated 2 days ago * 3 minute read Political will, capital crucial for Winnipeg's Transportation 2050 plan | Winnipeg Sun<https://winnipegsun.com/news/local-news/political-will-capital-and-public-b…> On Monday, Councillor Janice Lukes, Winnipeg's public works committee chair, presented Transportation 2050, quite literally a roadmap to how the city could reach its transportation goals within the next 26 years as Winnipeg approaches a population of one million. Many residents would probably agree that what we have now isn't working as well as it should, and as Winnipeg continues to grow, it needs the infrastructure to match. According to the plan, Transportation 2050 outlines its goals by prioritizing and maintaining existing infrastructure instead of building new; investing in our existing roads; developing communities where people can access their needs in a short distance; and empowering people to travel in their preferred mode of transportation. But what could this look like? As it stands today, our current roads are overused in many areas, less than seven per cent of Winnipeggers walk or cycle as a transport method, and public transit usage has declined by 14 per cent since the 1960s. The city laid out an ambitious goal of reaching a "50 per cent mode shift by 2050." Broken down, this would mean 21 per cent ridesharing, 15 percent using public transit, and the remaining 14 per cent cycling or walking. The issues with Winnipeg Transit are well documented, so improvements here come as no surprise. Ensuring that it becomes safer, more reliable and more convenient will be key to increasing ridership. The strategy mentions the need for more rapid transit, and acknowledges that Winnipeg may need to analyze the need for Light Rail Transit in the future. Interestingly, Transportation 2050 also focuses a lot on active and bicycle transport. Talk of more bike lanes can seem to either make people rejoice or roll their eyes, but the solutions may not be as complicated as they seem. If the city wants to encourage more people to use bicycles, they need to find solutions that don't impact the businesses and commuters already using existing roadways. Walking and cycling are grouped together in much of this master plan, and hopefully that is a sign of things to come. If you look around, many of Winnipeg's sidewalks are surrounded by boulevards: wasted space typically covered by grass, brick, concrete or asphalt. Widening the sidewalks, or paving the boulevards beside them for bicycle usage (this already exists in certain parts of the city) could be an affordable and practical way to get more bike lanes built without bottlenecking traffic and parking. Transportation 2050 also mentions changing zoning requirements for developments near key transit routes. Mayor Scott Gillingham pledged to get rid of parking minimum requirements for certain developments (a minimum parking spot per unit ratio) during the 2022 mayoral election, and this appears to be a move towards that. It would not only ensure that more developments are built with transit in mind, but it also lowers building costs, helping keep housing affordable. Other key points in the document are fixing the infrastructure we have before building more, changing the way goods are transported through the city, and focusing on safety and accessibility of our existing infrastructure. It also acknowledges the need for more transport options for low-income Winnipeggers who don't have access to private vehicles. If the city can deliver, these measures will surely be well-received. In the news release, Lukes said "This plan won't completely satisfy anyone, but absolutely has something for everyone." It's a safe bet that she's correct. The best way to encourage transportation mode shifts is to make different modes more convenient and accessible and attract people to make a switch on their own accord. If the city wants this to work, they need the public's buy-in over the long-term. With a large focus on improving existing roadways over building new ones, this hopefully means that it won't impact those who commute in a car in the meantime. After all, with four out of five trips in Winnipeg being taken in a private vehicle, current trends won't change overnight. Transportation 2050 will be presented to the city council for consideration in the fall of this year. Lukes encourages residents to learn more, with six pop-up events around the city between now and July 26. The entire document can be found on the City of Winnipeg's website. Ultimately, the city needs a master plan to pave the way for the future, and this is a step in that direction. But a master plan is, after all, just a plan. Transportation 2050 is a good start, but it will require political will - and, most importantly, capital - to turn plans into action.

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Winnipeg Sun: Show us evidence before making major bike-lane investment
by Patman, David 19 Jul '24

19 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Winnipeg Sun KLEIN: Show us evidence before making major bike-lane investment Published Jul 18, 2024 * Last updated 19 hours ago * 3 minute read KLEIN: Show us evidence before making major bike-lane investment | Winnipeg Sun<https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/columnists/klein-show-us-evidence-before-ma…> On Monday, Councillor Janice Lukes, Winnipeg's public works committee chair, unveiled Transportation 2050, a comprehensive roadmap detailing the city's transportation objectives for the next 26 years. This ambitious plan aims to transform how we move around Winnipeg, advocating for a future where 50% of us walk, bike, or take public transit to work. To achieve this, the city plans to invest millions of tax dollars. But is this truly what the residents of Winnipeg want? Winnipeg is not a European metropolis. It's a sprawling winter city with a unique urban landscape. Many of our light industrial jobs are dispersed across the city rather than concentrated downtown. While Lukes insists on the need for change as Winnipeg's population nears one million, it's essential to recognize that Winnipeg's suburban communities are among the fastest-growing in Canada, indicating a preference for living outside the city core. As a city councillor, I twice requested an accurate count of how many people use the bike paths, which have already cost millions of dollars. Unfortunately, my council colleagues, including Councillor Lukes and Mayor Gillingham, denied voting against my data collection requests. This resistance raises questions about the transparency and accountability of these investments. Business owners have voiced concerns about the negative impact of bike lanes on their operations. Residents frequently question the rationale behind substantial spending on bike lanes, especially when these lanes remain underutilized, particularly during the winter when they are plowed before many secondary roads. My goal was to evaluate the return on our investment in these bike lanes, yet the council, influenced by bike lobbyists, has continually dismissed the necessity for such data. The city's decision-making process lacks a foundation in proper data or evidence. Instead, it relies on former Mayor Brian Bowman's "Public Engagement" strategy, which tends to support the city's predetermined objectives due to the participation of advocates and lobby groups. Many residents refrain from participating in these engagements, trusting their elected representatives to advocate for them-a trust that is often misplaced. As a result, numerous complaints arise after decisions have been made, but by then, it is too late to effect change. Public opinion is crucial, but so is data. The City of Winnipeg could conduct a phone survey to gauge residents' priorities regarding bike lane spending. Additionally, a thorough count of bike lane usage could be conducted to determine their usage rates and cost per biker. This data-driven approach is essential for making informed, evidence-based decisions about major investments. A comprehensive business plan should outline the long-term costs associated with maintaining, clearing snow, and repainting lines for these bike lanes annually. Residents have an opportunity to voice their support or opposition to the City of Winnipeg's proposed bike lanes during upcoming public engagement events. As part of its CentrePlan 2050, the city is designing bike routes intended to enhance connectivity to, from, and within Downtown. These events represent the final stage of planning, making it imperative for concerned citizens to participate and express their views on the allocation of resources to bike lanes. The city's recommendations can be reviewed online at the City of Winnipeg website or by using a simple Google search. The upcoming meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. via Zoom. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer period. Additionally, city representatives will be available at True North Square Plaza on Thursday, July 18, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and at the Central Park Market on Saturday, July 20, 2024, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. If you strongly feel about the city's investment in bike lanes, now is the time to make your voice heard. Complaining to others is ineffective; real change occurs when we demand better from our elected officials. These officials are not there to impose the will of a few on the many but to represent the majority of the people they serve. It is crucial that decisions about major investments like bike lanes be based on solid evidence and data. The city must prioritize the needs and preferences of its residents through transparent, accountable, and data-driven decision-making processes, not lobby groups. The city's transportation infrastructure must serve the needs of all Winnipeggers commuters. - Kevin Klein is a former Tory cabinet minister, a former city councillor and is the President & CEO of Klein Group Ltd.

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WFP Analysis: City on right track to expand downtown cycling (Jul19'24)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jul '24

19 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City on right track to expand downtown cycling https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2024/07/18/city-on-right-track-to-e… BUILD it and they will come. That’s the mantra behind the expansion of protected bike lanes in downtown Winnipeg. For the most part, it appears to be working. A new proposed plan by the City of Winnipeg to expand the network further will not only keep that momentum going, it could change the face of the core area. Downtown’s first protected bike lane along Assiniboine Avenue is a good example of how demand for protected bike lanes grows over time. According to Bike Winnipeg, bike traffic increased by more than 200 per cent within four years after the protected lane was built in 2010. Today, scores of cyclists use the route to get to work, school, or other destinations. That’s partly because the bike lane network has been extended north into the heart of downtown. It allows cyclists to reach a multitude of places in the core area — including the Exchange District — on safe, reliable routes separated from motor vehicle traffic. That’s the key to convincing more people to get out of their cars and onto bikes. Surveys have shown that people are far more willing to commute by bike if there are protected lanes for them to use. The city unveiled proposed plans this week to add more protected bike lanes downtown. Options include protected routes on St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue, which are key east-west corridors that would make downtown cycling even more accommodating. Protected bike routes on Notre Dame Avenue, Cumberland Avenue, and William Stephenson Way — which would vastly improve bike access into downtown — are also on the table. Not surprisingly, the plan has its detractors. In order to make room for the protected lanes, downtown would lose 148 parking stalls. In a car-centric city such as Winnipeg, that’s going to ruffle some feathers. Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said the loss of those parking stalls could hurt small retail businesses and restaurants that rely on short customer visits. Perhaps, but only in the short term. The whole point of this exercise is to convince more people to walk, bike or take transit downtown and to leave their vehicles at home. To do that, the city needs to improve transit and significantly expand the network of protected bike routes. You can’t tell people to take a bus downtown when buses run as infrequently as they do in Winnipeg (if they show up at all). Similarly, most people won’t bike downtown if they have to compete with cars on busy roads. Painted bike lanes on streets are nice, but they don’t cut it. They don’t give cyclists the protection and comfort level they need. Downtown retail businesses and restaurants won’t suffer with fewer parking spots if more people frequent those establishments by bike. In fact, greater bike access could lead to an increase in business over time. It’s often easier to bike downtown than it is to drive and find parking, especially during busy periods. The more downtown becomes known as a bike-friendly zone, the more people will think of that as a viable option. These are the kinds of things the city needs to do to alleviate motor vehicle traffic. The fewer vehicles on the road, the less money the city has to spend on street maintenance. More active transportation also means fewer greenhouse gas emissions, which is the most important objective if the city is serious about fighting climate change. The reliance on single occupancy motor vehicles in Winnipeg is ridiculously high. The only way to change that is to give people more active transportation options. This is about creating a different vision for downtown, one teeming with bikes, pedestrians and people moving around on transit. When that happens, cars will be crowded out, especially when it comes to parking. That’s the whole point. This kind of change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a slow process. But each step, including adding more protected bike routes, is an important one. If you want to see how the demand for protected bike lanes builds over time, spend a half hour anywhere along the Assiniboine Avenue bike route during morning rush hour. What you’ll see is a steady stream of bikes, e-bikes and scooters. It’s what the rest of downtown should look like. And it will, in due course, as long as the city keeps moving in the right direction. tom.brodbeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Proposed downtown bike lanes would slash on-street parking: report (July18'24)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jul '24

18 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Proposed downtown bike lanes would slash on-street parking: report Cycling advocate says changes would make streets safer https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/17/proposed-downtown… NEW bike routes proposed for downtown Winnipeg could result in the removal of nearly 150 parking stalls. The City of Winnipeg is sharing options for routes on St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue, Notre Dame Avenue and Cumberland Avenue and William Stephenson Way, as part of the Centre-Plan 2050 vision to transform the city centre. A cycling advocate said the proposed changes appear positive. “These are pretty important east-west routes to get in, both the Notre Dame and Cumberland and the York/ St. Mary. So, it’s really critical that we do get those… it adds a fair bit of connectivity,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. City staff recommend one-way protected bike lanes on both St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue, which a report predicts would be easier for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to cross safely and have less impact on traffic flow than a two-way route. The design would keep three vehicle lanes on each street. The city also recommends a two-way protected bike lane for each of the north side of Cumberland Avenue and Notre Dame Avenue, which would lose one vehicle lane. “One of the things I’m definitely happy to see in it is we’ve got enough width in there for people to be able to pass each other safely and that’s really critical, especially as we see more and more electric bikes… (add) more variation in speed,” said Cohoe. Combined, the changes would remove 148 parking stalls from St. Mary, York, Notre Dame and Cumberland avenues. Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said he is concerned small retail businesses and restaurants could lose customers due to the proposed parking stall reduction, as some folks seek closer parking elsewhere. “For those businesses that really depend on short visits… like retail businesses, I really do think this would impact them,” said Browaty. While he acknowledged the city wants Winnipeggers to rely more on active transportation and less on trips in their personal vehicles, the councillor said he’d prefer the city add more temporary, seasonal bike lanes from May to September and remove the barriers for the rest of the year. “I really don’t believe a lot of the population are going to become winter cyclists… I don’t believe (enough) people are using these pieces of infrastructure in the fall or winter. So put the parking back (then),” he said. However, council’s public works chairwoman welcomed the changes, noting the city’s Transportation Master Plan calls for more bike lanes and sidewalks. “We’ve got a lot of missing gaps (in active transportation routes) downtown, so I think this is great,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). Lukes said reduced downtown parking could help attract new residents to the area as the city tries to make it more accessible by foot and by bike. “Downtown needs to be a neighbourhood… It needs things like other neighbourhoods have, like bike lanes and connectivity and parks,” she said. A city spokesman said Winnipeg’s active transportation planner was not available for an interview on Wednesday. In an email, spokesman Kalen Qually noted 150 parking stalls would remain on St. Mary and York avenues after the proposed changes, along with “numerous off-street surface parking lots and parkades.” Qually said there’s less demand for parking than in the past. “Our analysis shows there are still less people driving (and parking) downtown for work and meetings now compared to five years ago due to remote-work options, and that has, in part, created opportunities to reallocate space within the right of way,” he wrote. Since road reconstruction projects are planned for both St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue between 2025 and 2027, finalized bike lanes are expected to be included in that work. There is no timeline or funding approved for bike lanes on Notre Dame or Cumberland at this point. The city has also completed designs to widen several sidewalks along William Stephenson Way and Waterfront Drive to become multi-use pathways, though the proposal also lacks dedicated funding and a target timeline. Further study is needed to address traffic concerns at the intersection of William Stephenson Way and Waterfront Drive, the city report notes. The city is seeking public feedback on the changes before a final plan is approved. Winnipeggers can attend pop-up events to weigh in, including one at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at True North Square’s outdoor plaza (223 Carlton St.) A second event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at Central Park (367 Ellice Ave.), while residents can also register online to attend a Zoom event from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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Equitable Cities | Early Bird Deadline Approaches
by Mel Marginet 17 Jul '24

17 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, A reminder about the early bird tickets pricing on until July 31st for Equitable Cities! We hope to see you at this event on October 9th. Use ECEARLYBIRD to receive your discount. Are you a student, or do you work for a non-profit? We also have discount codes for you! ECCommunity ECSTUDENTS [Ticket banner.png]<https://greenactioncentre.ca/healthy-travel/equitable-cities/> GET YOUR TICKETS!<https://3common.com/equitablecities> On Wednesday, October 9th Green Action Centre and Peg City Car Co-op will welcome Arrested Mobility’s Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg. Tickets are now on sale for Equitable Cities: How to liberate those caged by our transportation system. Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He is the host of Arrested Mobility<https://arrestedmobility.com/>, a podcast that asks: What can we do to change the outcomes when people of colour step out their door to exist in the world? In this keynote presentation, Charles addresses how our transportation system underserves and disproportionately harms those who are most vulnerable. By understanding inequities in our transportation system, Charles identifies potential strategies for action. The audience for this presentation will leave the event with a greater understanding of the history of our transportation system across North America, and be inspired to correct past injustices to bring better health, equity and freedom to all. Following the keynote, attendees will be invited to participate in discussions to bring the themes of the keynote into our local context. Equitable Cities' Builder and Influencer sponsors: [https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdo9Z7GoDB3X58oWKn6RV_nOoKz…] Thank you to our Advocate and Supporter sponsors: The Johnston Group, the City of Winnipeg & Councillor Janice Lukes Would you like to support Equitable Cities? We are still in need of sponsorship and would love your support. We have various levels available. Please reach out to gohappy(a)greenactioncentre.ca<mailto:gohappy@greenactioncentre.ca> for details. 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: City unveils vision to cut residents’ car trips by half (Jul16'24)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jul '24

16 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City unveils vision to cut residents’ car trips by half https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/15/city-unveils-visi… THE city is reimagining how Winnipeggers will move in the next 26 years and has set a goal for people to walk, cycle, take transit or rideshare for half of their trips by 2050. Details of the ambitious target were shared in a new transportation master plan released Monday. The city expects Winnipeg’s population to increase by 200,000 residents, to about one million, as of 2050 and says transportation priorities need to shift in response. New sidewalks, a bike network, road and bridge improvements, expanded road capacity, multimodal corridor improvements, and changing how and where trucks move throughout the city are proposed in the plan. Though walking, cycling and transit are more sustainable options for getting around, the plan acknowledges daily trips will continue to be made via personal vehicles. As per the city’s recent pedestrian and cycling strategy, most trips in Winnipeg in 2021 (83 per cent) were made via a personal vehicle, with less than 10 per cent made by transit, and cycling or walking accounted for under seven per cent. By 2050, the city wants to see the share of all trips in personal vehicles reduced to 50 per cent, with the remaining half split between ridesharing (21 per cent), transit (15 per cent) and walking/cycling (14 per cent). “That’s a big bite. The only way we’re going to do that is (by) making it desirable,” public works committee chair Janice Lukes said. “It’s not forcing people, it’s making it more desirable to take the bus, to walk, to bike and to do ridesharing.,” Environmental concern is partly responsible for the shift in priorities since the 2011 master plan, but Lukes said money is the main motivator. “It’s very expensive to design a city and operate a city all around personal vehicles,” she said, adding tax dollars from senior governments will be needed to realize the new plan, especially when it comes to transit. The city is also updating truck routes and aims to reduce by 20 per cent the number of fatal or serious injury collisions come 2026. It also seeks to provide accessible and affordable transportation options for all. “Many streets and intersections are at capacity today,” the plan’s overview states. The infrastructure can’t support movement or serve modes of transit and active transportation unless it receives “major investments,” the overview says. Meanwhile, the city is contending with a “lean financial position” and would opt to maintain current infrastructure rather than building new, the overview states. Everything in the plan is guided by priorities surrounding land use, moving people and goods, and emergency service access. What could all this look like practically? Housing along transit routes, more roads shared by vehicles and cyclists, truck-only lanes, better winter sidewalk maintenance, transit service to city outskirts, maximized road capacity, and bridge repairs were just some of the suggestions in the plan. “It is a visionary plan, but it is a guiding document for making a lot of decisions,” Lukes said. Feeding into the plan are a goods movement study, a road safety action plan — both presented in 2022 — and a 2024 pedestrian/cycling strategy. Success, according to the plan overview, would mean solving “Winnipeg’s biggest transportation problems” and making “transportation safe and efficient for all.” The city wants to get the word out about the proposed plan before a final version and a report go to council in the fall. Six info sessions are scheduled July 17 to 25 for residents. A telephone town hall, requiring registration in advance, is also planned for July 24. jordan.snobelen(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:jordan.snobelen@freepress.mb.ca> Review the plan The city is inviting residents to attend a pop-up event to review the Transportation 2050 plan, talk to members of the project team and share feedback. ● Tuesday St. Vital Centre, near kids’ play park, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● Wednesday Outlet Collection, near Old Navy, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● Thursday Garden City Shopping Centre, centre court, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● July 22 Kildonan Place, near H& M, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● July 23 Polo Park, centre court, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● July 25 The Forks, first floor food hall, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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TRANSPORTATION 2050: Reimagining Mobility
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jul '24

15 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. After nearly five years of researching, talking to Winnipeggers, and drafting strategies, we are now ready for you to view the final draft plan as part of TMP2050. Both what we heard during Phases 1& 2 public engagement and further technical analysis helped us refine our strategy into TRANSPORTATION 2050: Reimagined Mobility. TRANSPORTATION 2050: Reimagining Mobility is the product of our nearly five-year TMP2050 project. It is our master plan for moving Winnipeg’s transportation system forward. The plan is a comprehensive strategic document that outlines the methods and means to move our city and people into the future. TRANSPORTATION 2050 provides a roadmap that will allow us to: * Prioritize maintaining existing infrastructure over building new infrastructure * Make strategic investments to move more people and goods using the roads we have * Support development of complete communities where people can access their daily needs within a short distance * And empower people to travel by their preferred mode We have developed a plan that could solve Winnipeg's biggest transportation problems and make transportation safe and efficient for all of us, regardless of how we move or where we are going. We have balanced priorities and needs to build a plan that will benefit pedestrians, cyclists, goods movement, emergency vehicles, and cars together. Now, we want to: * Help you understand what the plan could mean for you * Answer your questions * And get a temperature check on whether reimagining mobility will deliver what Winnipeg needs from our transportation system We’re inviting people to learn more by: * Reviewing our bite-sized Guide to TRANSPORTATION 2050<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> * Downloading the larger TRANSPORTATION 2050 policy document<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> * Taking a deep-dive into one of the two draft subsidiary plans moving forward to Council with TRANSPORTATION 2050 (Goods Movement Study<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> and the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies Framework<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…>) * Joining us at one of six public pop-up events<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> between now and July 26 to talk to the project team, ask your questions, and tell us whether you think the plan will move transportation in Winnipeg into the future * Signing up for a July 24 telephone town hall <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> where thousands of Winnipeggers will be on the line to hear about the plan, ask questions, and learn what others think [Winnipeg 150 logo]<https://winnipeg.ca/150years> Julie Horbal Dooley (she/her) Communications Coordinator Director's Office Public Works City of Winnipeg Telephone: 204-391-5498 Email: juliedooley(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:juliedooley@winnipeg.ca> Website: winnipeg.ca<https://winnipeg.ca/> Address: 1155 Pacific Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P1 Vacation alert: June 28-July 2; July 26-August 6 Connect with us: [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> [X (Twitter)] <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> [YouTube] <https://youtube.com/thecityofwinnipeg> [LinkedIn] <https://linkedin.com/company/city-of-winnipeg> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/thecityofwinnipeg/>

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WFP: A Jane Jacobs moment for the post-pandemic world (Jul15'24)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jul '24

15 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. A Jane Jacobs moment for the post-pandemic world https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/2024/07/15/a-jane-jaco… JANE Jacobs is the most famous name in the history of urban planning, but she wasn’t an urban planner, and was often critical of the profession. She didn’t draw maps or write zoning policy. Her unique skill was observation. She watched how people interacted with their cities, neighbourhoods, and streets, extracting her theories from the complexity of human movements and interconnected relationships that she would call the sidewalk ballet. Her home on Hudson Street in New York’s Greenwich Village would be her classroom, the people living their lives on the sidewalks in front of her would be her study. She went on to become a writer, releasing her most influential book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in 1961. The book was a reaction to the explosion of car ownership and suburban growth happening across North America that hollowed out many urban centres. She despised the grand megaproject schemes that promised urban renewal solutions by wiping away older neighbourhoods and replacing them with overscale new buildings, parking lots, and bigger roads for suburban commuters. She challenged the ideas of top-down planning and celebrated the value of unplanned organic growth, and the social connectivity, local economic diversity and architectural complexity of the traditional city. She observed that community fabric was woven most tightly in walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods with diverse streets, where apartments, houses, parks, schools, corner stores, and shops were all mixed together. This contrasted with the ideals of modern planning that segregated uses into different areas of the city, requiring a private vehicle to access them. She believed that by rejecting what had made cities successful in the past, planners were dooming them for the future. In this post-pandemic world, we arrive once again at a Jane Jacobs moment as cities across North America search for solutions to redefine their downtowns in a work-from-home era. Winnipeg city council votes this week on CentrePlan 2050, a downtown plan that will form an important part of our city’s response to the challenge. Previous renewal schemes have always looked at downtown as a destination whose success hinges on an ability to draw visitors from other areas of the city, often relying on megaproject attractions and promising silver bullet solutions. CentrePlan 2050 differs from this ideal, finally heeding Jane Jacobs’ 60-year-old advice, saying “You can’t rely on bringing people downtown, you have to put them there.” With office work patterns evolving, the traditional drivers of downtown are changing, and we can no longer rely on it being primarily a transient destination. The path to future prosperity will support these destination attractions but within a downtown that is primarily an urban, mixed-use residential community that many people, from all walks of life, call their home. Achieving this goal will be about more than simply building housing. We must more importantly build the type of urban neighbourhood that people want to live in, and in turn developers want to invest in. While Jacobs’ landmark book is most wellknown, her first published work — a 1958 article in Fortune Magazine called, Downtown is for people — has important lessons for cities like Winnipeg as they implement these plans. Although Jacobs was critical of the planning profession, it has an important role to play in creating a framework that allows the kind of places she loved to organically grow over time — the goal of CentrePlan 2050. Jacobs’ article delivers a strong message that successful downtown neighbourhoods should be designed from the viewpoint of the pedestrian eye, lamenting designers’ fascination with scale models and bird’s-eye views. She expressed the importance of diversity and texture in a streetscape that pulls pedestrians along by continually offering new visual experiences, saying, “a sense of place is built from many little things, some so small people take them for granted, and yet the lack of them takes the flavour out of the city.” Jacobs went on to celebrate the value of old buildings, not only for their architectural character, but their ability to offer lower rent opportunities for new and local business that create walkable streets and provide amenities that support an urban lifestyle. She also lamented the often placelessness of modern architecture, designed without individuality, whim or surprise, believing that cities should take advantage of what makes them unique, capitalizing on and enhancing their own particular history, climate, and built traditions. She believed that to attract pedestrians, streets should be narrow and human scale. Cars can be present in a successful downtown, but they can no longer be the dominant force whose priorities overwhelmingly inform the design and experience of the city. Dense and diverse neighbourhoods, with streets that prioritize human experience will naturally bring people to the sidewalks, creating “eyes on the street” that helps improve safety and security in the neighbourhood. Winnipeg’s CentrePlan 2050 is not a megaproject solution. It’s instead a visionary document that creates a planning framework that nurtures and guides private and public development of all sizes and types towards the common goal of creating a vibrant, safe, and prosperous mixed use downtown neighbourhood. A place that Jane Jacobs would have been proud of, and one that all Winnipeggers fall in love with. It will be important as we move forward that we continuously uphold the values and goals of CentrePlan 2050, through supporting policies, project approvals, budgets and design review processes. Expediting new housing is important, but we must have the self-confidence to say no to low quality and incongruent development, demanding all new projects be a quality worthy of our downtown, responding to the plan with beauty, durability, elegance and a seamless connection to the pedestrian experience. As Jane Jacobs said, “designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination.” Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.

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CBC: Bike sharing is growing fast in Canada's cities
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jul '24

11 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-bike-sharing-1.7260301

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WFP: City bylaw change first stop on Pedal Pub route to on-board liquor licence (Jul3'24)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jul '24

03 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City bylaw change first stop on Pedal Pub route to on-board liquor licence https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2024/07/02/city-bylaw-change-fir… A POPULAR boozy Winnipeg trek is seeking to take alcohol on the road — and is the force behind new legislation. Pedal Pub cycled into Winnipeg in 2022. Its quadricycles — four-wheeled vehicles that users pedal — has since been traversing down Exchange District streets. Co-owner Brandon Guenther estimates Pedal Pub has pushed more than 500 tours in the last two years. A quadricycle holds 15 people, though the average group books 13 to 14 seats. People travel from bar to bar, drinking at each destination before hopping back on the bike. Pedal Pub hopes the sipping will soon be able to continue on the road — after all, the quadricycle has cup holders. Guenther and his partners applied for a liquor licence through the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba in early 2023, he said. The LGCA wouldn’t comment on whether it had received an application on the matter; it only says if a licence is approved, spokeswoman Lisa Hansen wrote in an email. However, other government agency licences and permits must be in place before the LGCA will issue a liquor service licence, she highlighted. Pedal Pub didn’t fit any vehicle registration class, nor did it need a City of Winnipeg licence in 2022. So in early 2023, Pedal Pub reached out to the provincial government to create laws targeted at quadricycles, Guenther said. A provincial spokesperson did not confirm the relationship, but said Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure “consulted with stakeholders throughout its development” of the regulation. Fast forward to July 31: Manitoba will launch pilot project regulation for large quadricycles. “We’re fairly excited about it,” Guenther stated, adding he doesn’t expect anything to change with Pedal Pub; it’s just a more legitimate way to operate to get a liquor licence. There’s one catch — the City of Winnipeg must adopt the regulations or Pedal Pub will have to close. The city’s public works committee is set to discuss the bylaw change today. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairperson of the committee, figures the change will be approved. “They’re great. They’re a lot of fun,” she said of Pedal Pub, adding it’s good for government to look into quadricycle regulation. Guenther plans on speaking at the meeting. He doesn’t foresee issues, given past clearance from the city. “If it doesn’t pass, that’ll be a huge deterrent to other unique small businesses trying to start in Winnipeg,” Guenther said. “It will also be a huge detriment to downtown Winnipeg tourism.” Pedal Pub employs around 20 part time staff. Each tour elicits an average $1,200 in spending at local businesses, Guenther highlighted. The company has 10 bar, restaurant and distillery partners in the Exchange District. Brock Coutts, Patent 5 Distillery’s cofounder, called Pedal Pub “amazing.” The Alexander Avenue hub is in its third year working with Pedal Pub; it saw 368 cyclists in 2023, Coutts recalled. Most riders are new customers. “Lots of people who … don’t go downtown are quite happy to go downtown in a group, like the Pedal Pub,” Coutts said. “I think … they find a whole area of Winnipeg that they probably don’t frequent very often and are usually shockingly surprised how nice it is. “It’s a great boost for all businesses on the route.” Pedal Pub is a franchise with at least 45 locations. Many of those, including in Alberta and Saskatchewan, allow drinking on their quadricycles. There’s no risk to safety, Guenther maintained — a sober staff member has control of the bike’s steering and they’re trained to ensure customers don’t get out of hand. Patrons can be removed if they’re too rowdy, Guenther added. The quadricycle is equipped with an electric motor, a backup if legs fail. It’s a “great idea,” Paul Larson, a University of Manitoba supply chain management professor, wrote in an email. “I’m not a fan of excessive regulations, but perhaps there should be rules regarding routes and hours of operations — and seat belts.” Pedal Pub will follow any rules necessary to operate responsibly, Guenther told the Free Press. He didn’t answer whether Pedal Pub has seat belts; the quadricycles seemingly don’t. Winnipeg’s Pedal Pub moves slowly and travels through areas often trafficked by pedestrians. The partiers slowing other vehicles is a benefit to the streets, Guenther asserted. He called the past two years in business “very good.” It’s been privy to hundreds of gatherings, including bachelorettes and corporate team building sessions. Pedal Pub offered an Osborne Village route in 2022, but cancelled it because of difficulties transporting the bike, which is stationed in the Exchange District. The Manitoba government isn’t aware of any large quadricycles being used outside of Winnipeg, a spokesperson wrote in an email. The province’s quadricycle pilot project regulation is set to be revoked Jan. 31, 2029. gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP: City lengthens crosswalk times for pedestrians (Jul2'24)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jul '24

02 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City lengthens crosswalk times for pedestrians https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/01/city-lengthens-cr… PEDESTRIANS now have more time to safely cross the entire street at a few signalled crosswalks, while more crossing time limits could be lengthened in future. The City of Winnipeg has upgraded three signalled pedestrian crossings to make them safer and will assess whether additional upgrades are needed during routine maintenance checks at other sites. So far, improvements have been made to the crosswalks at: Jarvis Avenue and Main Street; Dearborn Avenue and Henderson Highway; and Carriere Avenue and St. Mary’s Road. “I really think anything we can do to improve safety for the vulnerable road user, being a pedestrian or cyclist, is really important… We can always do more,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. The changes include extending the crossing time by one second to 29 seconds, adding lower flashing amber lights and removing buttons on the median at Dearborn and Henderson. Lower lights were also added, with median buttons also removed at Jarvis and Main. At Carriere and St. Mary’s, the changes included adding lower flashing amber lights, removing median buttons and increasing the crossing time from 22 to 26 seconds. Lukes (Waverley West) said she’d like to see broader work on the issue but that effort is limited by budget constraints. “We should (continue to do) this where we can and where the budget allows. So, they’ve picked priority crosswalks and that’s a good thing,” she said. City traffic specialists say removing crossing buttons at crosswalks with narrow medians is meant to deter people from stopping in the middle of a crossing, while added crossing time helps them cross the whole road. Pedestrians using the Carriere and St. Mary’s crossing generally welcomed the added time given to pedestrians to cross on foot as well as the lower lights. “We need more of them. I like that the lights are more in your line of vision, so you’re not looking up (for drivers.) That’s a real plus,” said Vicki Harris-Clarkson. Jay Nault said he also found the improved lighting easier to spot but didn’t like the removal of the median light activation buttons. “It doesn’t seem safer at all to me. …My grandma (who is 77), there’s no way she’d make it fully across in 26 seconds, it would never happen… You’ve now lost the control of hitting that light (in the middle),” said Nault. Requests to speak with city traffic experts were not granted. In an email, city spokeswoman Julie Horbal Doole said making pedestrians less likely to stop at narrow medians would address multiple safety issues. “Some medians are quite narrow, so the risk of a vehicle-pedestrian collision increases. Others are wide enough for a single pedestrian to stop, but simply are not large enough for groups of people, wheelchair users, people with strollers, etc. Additionally, someone stopping on a median in winter has a greater risk of slipping into traffic. To keep everyone safe, we want people to change their habits and avoid stopping on the median,” wrote Horbal Dooley. At locations with wider medians, the city could replace some dual-button poles (one pole with a button for each direction of travel) with two poles that clearly show the direction each controls. It’s not clear how many crosswalks will be updated or when that will take place. “At this time, there is no timeline or budget for the change to be implemented as we are still determining where these changes are appropriate as we examine each intersection as part of our routine reviews,” wrote Horbal Dooley. She said the changes aren’t a response to crashes or road safety incidents but are based on “an observation of human behaviour and evolving knowledge of how we can make things easier, safer and more efficient.” An advocate, who is lobbying the city to reduce speed limits on all residential streets to 30 km/h and add pedestrian safety measures, welcomed the changes, though he’d prefer a commitment for all crosswalks to be assessed and improved. “Some people are slower than other people, especially with an aging population… They’ll need a little bit more time to cross the street,” so I think (that change is) great,” said Ian Walker, chairman of Safe Speeds Winnipeg. Walker said he expects motorist safety to improve as well, since pedestrians who are less rushed would be more likely to double-check if vehicles have come to a stop before proceeding into an intersection. “Just allowing time for traffic to stop (helps),” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Feds give $1M for active transportation, transit upgrades in rural Manitoba (Jun29'24)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jun '24

29 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Feds give $1M for active transportation, transit upgrades in rural Manitoba https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/27/feds-give-1m-for-… THE federal government is injecting more than $1 million to fund transportation upgrades for rural Manitobans. The money will be used to build active transportation infrastructure and improve accessible transit service in rural communities throughout the province, the government announced in a news release Thursday. “By investing in transportation infrastructure and services in rural communities in Manitoba, we’re broadening access to essential resources and helping Manitobans get to where they need to go more quickly,” Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal, the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, said in a statement. The Town of Niverville will use its portion of the funding to build a new sidewalk and extend sections of an asphalt bike path that connect the community’s residential and commercial areas. The municipalities of Glenboro-South Cypress, Oakland Wawanesa, Teulon, Argyle and Piney, as well as Buffalo Point First Nation, will purchase new transit vans and accessible buses. The vehicles will help people with mobility issues travel within their communities. Elsewhere, the municipalities of West Interlake, Grahamdale and Coldwell will purchase a new vehicle and construct a garage to enhance existing transit services and expand the medical shuttle network. Further studies and transit plans are being funded in Berens River First Nation and for a group of municipalities in southwestern Manitoba, including Piney and La Broquerie, the release said. The funding totals $1,051,329 and is sourced from the federal government’s active transportation fund and the rural transit solutions fund. Municipal governments are contributing $159,496, and the Province of Manitoba is providing $7,500. Other sources are providing an additional $160,064, the release said. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:fpcity@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: City could plow ahead on clearing sidewalks sooner (Jun27'24)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jun '24

27 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City could plow ahead on clearing sidewalks sooner https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/26/city-could-plow-a… RESIDENTIAL sidewalks could be cleared of snow days sooner this winter in an effort to improve accessibility. A proposed policy change would require the city to “normally” complete plowing on its “Priority 3” (residential) sidewalks within 36 hours after the work begins. The current completion target is set at five working days after clearing starts. “That’s huge … We’re hearing what the people want. They want more accessibility on walking with (enhanced) snow clearing and we’re delivering on that,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee. The Waverley West councillor said the changes will make it easier to walk around during the winter, following repeated requests from residents to ramp up plowing efforts. The work will be funded through money approved during the 2024 to 2027 multi-year budget process, which added $551,803 in 2024 and similar amounts in each of the following three years, according to a city staff report. The city’s total snow-clearing budget is set at $40.45 million for 2024. The new report reveals exactly how much more quickly sidewalk clearing can be completed as a result of that funding, estimates that were not previously available. Some residents say they would love to see the city clear snow off residential sidewalks that much faster but fear the target won’t actually be achieved. “I think if it (proves) true, that would be great. I find it hard to believe that it’s true that they’ll do it in 36 hours,” said Lori Ross, who uses a wheelchair. Delayed sidewalk clearing has triggered complaints in the past, with snow sometimes staying put for several days after a snowfall ends. Ross said the wait can strand people with mobility challenges at home on the worst winter days, especially those who rely on wheelchairs, walkers and other devices. “For a lot of people, that means they don’t get out to get to work, they can’t get out to the doctor’s, they can’t do anything because it’s not like we can levitate over the snow,” she said. City staff tracked sidewalk clearing operations last winter to help determine the new target. Since last winter saw lower-than-average snowfall, the report cautions snowier weather could yield different results. “I will be the first one to cheer if it actually works,” said Ross. The report also highlights the city’s struggles to cope with repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which climate change has made more common in Winnipeg winters. “The mild winter season of 20232024 introduced challenges in keeping sidewalks passable during prolonged melting periods. The melting and lack of proper drainage traps water on the sidewalk, which then freezes again when temperatures drop and causes slippery conditions,” writes Michael Cantor, the city’s manager of streets maintenance. Lukes said she’ll call for a report on how to cope with that problem, which would include gathering feedback on how other winter cities address it. Meanwhile, the city is also set to enhance its online snow-clearing map, which would offer live updates on parking bans and track snow-clearing progress on streets and paths. Lukes said the information for sidewalks and pathways will be updated every 10 to 15 minutes, while road status will be updated at least twice a day, starting sometime this winter. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: The Forks rolls out bike-check service (Jun26'24)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jun '24

26 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. FORKS ROLLS OUT BIKE-CHECK SERVICE A NEW bike-check pilot project is in place at The Forks this summer. The Forks has partnered with the Winnipeg Trails Association to create the secure area, which is being operated out of the atrium space on the south side of The Forks Market. “We’ve heard through our annual public surveys that more and more people are coming to The Forks via active transportation, and many of these folks suggested they’d bike here even more often if there was a managed, secure spot to store their bikes,” The Forks North Portage Partnership CEO Sara Stasiuk said in a news release Tuesday. Other items such as cargo bikes, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, rollerblades, skateboards, unicycles and wheelchairs can also be checked. The service is offered for free or by donation, with proceeds raised going to support Winnipeg Trails Association programming. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, and on the three holiday Mondays this summer.

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WFP: Students pumped by new bike trail (Jun26'24)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jun '24

26 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Students pumped by new bike trail https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/25/students-pumped-a… A GUIDANCE councillor’s vision of a bicycle trail near his school was almost too much to handle. Luke Barr of École Stanley Knowles School set the wheels in motion for a trail to be built after an open field caught his eye on the way to work one morning. But he quickly started to feel defeated when looking into funding and realizing the logistics needed to maintain the trail. Then, his students got involved. “They really pushed and said, ‘No, keep doing this. We really want this,’” Barr said. The students got their wish Tuesday as plans for the new Fairgrove Park Community Trail at the Tyndall Park-area school were unveiled at a news conference. The trail will run along the perimeter of Fairgrove Park with construction expected to start next summer. The trail is set to open next fall. “We need to have a trail here. We need to have a reason for students to bring their bikes to school and have something for the community to use in the evening,” Barr said. The trail will be funded with $55,000 from the Trails Manitoba grant program, and $100,000 from the city’s land dedication reserve fund. The project is one of 33 recipients for the Trails Manitoba grant this year. Others include a pathway development at the Leaf in Assiniboine Park and enhancing the community trail at Steep Rock. Max Bundoc, a Grade 8 student at Stanley Knowles, believes the new trail will mean a lot to his school and the community. He credits biking and school programs with becoming more confident in himself. “I really found out who I am. And because of Mr. Barr, I’ve been able to learn a lot about biking and now I really have something I’m doing in my life,” Bundoc said. The school offers multiple bike programs for students, including cycling trips to Birds Hill Provincial Park, a bike mechanic program at lunchtime and a bike bus. Bundoc said he’ll be first in line to use the trail when it opens and will probably spend three hours there on the first day. “This new bike trail is not just a physical addition to our park, but it’s a symbol of progress, community spirit and a commitment to our children’s future,” said Point Douglas Coun. Vivian Santos. The Trail Manitoba grant program dedicates $697,365 annually for trails outside of Winnipeg and $190,000 for trails within the city, a government release stated. With the funding, 36 kilometres of new trails will be built and 600 km will be maintained around the province. matthew.frank(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:matthew.frank@freepress.mb.ca>

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City of Wpg: Pedestrian crosswalks have a new look
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '24

21 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://www.winnipeg.ca/people-culture/our-city-our-stories/pedestrian-cros…

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WFP: Winnipeg celebrates successful 11th Annual Bike Week Amid calls for Safer Cycling Infrastructure (Jun16'24)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jun '24

16 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Winnipeg celebrates successful 11th Annual Bike Week Amid calls for Safer Cycling Infrastructure https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/15/winnipeg-celebrat… Bike advocates and Sunday cyclers alike gathered at the legislative grounds Saturday to wrap up Winnipeg’s 11th annual Bike Week. Thousands of wheels were spun by thousands of cyclists throughout the week of activities, which ranged from a bike to work day to a scavenger hunt to a kid-centric ride to kick off Saturday’s get-together. This year’s events brought cyclists back in pre-pandemic numbers, Bike Week Winnipeg chair Dave Elmore said Saturday. “It was really, really good this year,” Elmore said. “I think we had great weather. I only know of one ride that got rained on, and it didn’t seem to bother them at all, because we’re not made of sugar.” Whether you bike for sport, bike to work or bike for fun, Elmore said the goal of Bike Week is to create programming for everyone. His dream for the future of Bike Week is to bring in more people from suburban areas and people who may not have considered becoming a regular bike-rider. “In the bigger picture, we’re trying to reach those people who are interested, but concerned,” he said. “What we want to do is get them to make the cross-over to being more interested, and less concerned.” Patty Wiens with Bike Winnipeg has helped set up local bike groups that hold small-scale neighbourhood-based rides that help teach new cyclists how to get around safely. “We show people what exists in their neighbourhood, and we take them safely and say, ‘Hey, it’s kind of tricky crossing here, but we’re working with the city on providing a safer way for you to cross’ … it’s a very educational ride,” she said. This year’s festivities were preceded by tragedy, after 61-year-old cyclist Rob Jenner was struck and killed by a driver in a hit-and-run on Wellington Crescent June 6. Over 100 cyclists shut down the intersection where the collision occurred the next day in protest and mourning. Jenner’s family released a statement calling on the city to invest in safer cycling infrastructure and called cycling “something he loved to do.” Beckham Keneth Severight, 19, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of a collision. Jenner’s memory was front of mind for Meghan Gallant, who had taken part in a child-friendly group ride organized by Bike Winnipeg that morning with her six-year-old twins. Gallant’s husband was Jenner’s co-worker. A regular cyclist herself, she said coming out in celebration and support of cycling in Winnipeg Saturday while remembering Jenner was a meaningful, “conscious decision.”

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Equitable Cities | You're Invited!
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '24

13 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. [Ticket banner.png]<https://greenactioncentre.ca/healthy-travel/equitable-cities/> GET YOUR TICKETS!<https://3common.com/equitablecities> On Wednesday, October 9th Green Action Centre and Peg City Car Co-op will welcome Arrested Mobility’s Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg. Tickets are now on sale for Equitable Cities: How to liberate those caged by our transportation system. Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He is the host of Arrested Mobility<https://arrestedmobility.com/>, a podcast that asks: What can we do to change the outcomes when people of colour step out their door to exist in the world? In this keynote presentation, Charles addresses how our transportation system underserves and disproportionately harms those who are most vulnerable. By understanding inequities in our transportation system, Charles identifies potential strategies for action. The audience for this presentation will leave the event with a greater understanding of the history of our transportation system across North America, and be inspired to correct past injustices to bring better health, equity and freedom to all. Following the keynote, attendees will be invited to participate in discussions to bring the themes of the keynote into our local context. Get your Early Bird tickets, available while stock lasts or until July 31st. Use the promo code: ECEARLYBIRD to save! Equitable Cities' Builder and Influencer sponsors: [https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXcf4SN9GcXcyTOCxAWs23-U3cRQ…] Thank you to our Advocate and Supporter sponsors: The Johnston Group & Councillor Janice Lukes Would you like to support Equitable Cities? We are still in need of sponsorship and would love your support. We have various levels available. Please reach out to gohappy(a)greenactioncentre.ca<mailto:gohappy@greenactioncentre.ca> for details. 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: Wolseley residents pan Transit plan (Jun12'24)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jun '24

12 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Fear overhaul will trade cars for buses on greenway Wolseley residents pan Transit plan https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/11/wolseley-resident… WOLSELEY residents are asking Winnipeg Transit to pause their neighbourhood’s portion of a citywide bus network overhaul, arguing the changes could undermine a reduced-speed route designed to safely serve cyclists and pedestrians. A network transformation of bus routes is set to alter almost every city route, bring buses closer to many residents and increase bus frequency, starting on June 29, 2025, with council slated to vote on the exact changes this month. Some residents fear part of a newly proposed No. 28 route that’s set to travel over the Wolseley Avenue neighbourhood greenway and interfere with its objective to welcome active transportation. The greenway recently saw its permanent speed limit drop to 30 km/h and got new speed humps to help slow traffic. “There’s huge support for the new greenway on Wolseley Avenue. Residents want transit to co-exist with Wolseley, not overwhelm it, not undermine its livability, not change it from a walkable and family friendly community into a major bus thoroughfare,” said Rachel Morgan. Morgan said the residents don’t oppose the Transit investment but the proposed path would include old, narrow roads that are well used by pedestrians and cyclists and weren’t designed to handle so many buses, raising the risk of crashes and injuries. “Running 130 buses a day through a residential bottleneck will be neither efficient nor reliable. That’s why residents urge council to pause the plan for Wolseley. Please give us time to properly consult with Transit,” she said. The group’s estimate is based on one bus passing through every 7.5 minutes between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m. the following day. City staff said later the actual frequency would be much lower, often about one bus every 15 minutes. The residents said 467 people signed a petition to support pausing the Wolseley area changes. Daniel McIntyre Coun. Cindy Gilroy suggested relocating the No. 28 route around Wolseley to address the concerns. The currently proposed route would travel south down Arlington Street, then head east down the Wolseley greenway toward Academy Road. Instead, she asked that the route stay off Wolseley entirely by having buses travel south on Arlington, then go east on Broadway before heading south on Academy. The councillor also stressed the greenway isn’t suited to heavy bus traffic. “If you go down there around 8:30 to 8:45 (a.m.) you are going to see a mass of kids, children riding their bikes … And then you see a mass of adults riding their bikes … I think that Wolseley residents would rather walk a little ways to a (high) frequency (transit) line (than have this route),” she said. Another Wolseley resident expressed concerns that the plan’s removal of the current No. 10 bus route would force her to walk 20 minutes further to catch a ride. “I don’t know how that is even a conceivable idea in winter,” said Kathryn Martin Winnipeg Transit officials expect the overall network overhaul to roughly double the number of people who are in walking distance of frequent transit service, with a bus arriving at least every 10 minutes on the most frequent routes during rush hour. A Transit advocate said those changes are desperately needed. “(This) is essentially taking the system we have right now and blowing it up and starting over again, (which) is exactly what needs to be done. It is focused on getting people from where they are to where they want to go more efficiently,” said Brian Pincott, a spokesman for Functional Transit Winnipeg. Pincott urged councillors not to alter specific changes, which he said could result in a less efficient system. “This is an integrated, linked network and the moment you start whittling away at any one of those links, the whole thing could fall apart or not function very well,” he said. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, told media she does have concerns about increased traffic on greenways, which aim to slow vehicles down. “Do we want buses travelling regularly on a greenway route? Personally, I wouldn’t. But (we also) want to deliver bus service to Wolseley,” she said. Lukes (Waverley West) noted any changes council approves will be reviewed in 2026, about a year after the new routes are expected to take effect. She said there was extensive planning and consultation on the new transit network, though many public meetings were forced online during the pandemic. “This is all because we want to deliver better transit service. We want to have higher frequency. We want to have dependable service,” she said. On Tuesday evening, the public works committee voted to move the new route plan forward, while requiring additional consultation. Any route changes would be subject to a final council vote. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Safer roads needed, family of cyclist killed by hit-and-run driver says (Jun11'24)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '24

11 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Safer roads needed, family of cyclist killed by hit-and-run driver says https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/10/safer-roads-neede… A 61-year-old cyclist was on the way to his job at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when he was killed last week by a speeding driver who fled the scene. The national museum said in a news release sent on behalf of the man’s family Monday that Rob Jenner was its shipper/receiver and had worked there since September 2014. He regularly cycled to work, the CMHR said. Jenner was cycling eastbound on Wellington Crescent near Cockburn Street when he was hit by an eastbound vehicle shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday. “Rob was killed cycling to work, something he loved to do. He knew cycling in this city could be dangerous, but he loved it,” the family said. “The city needs to do more for safer roads for cyclists, and we would ask every driver in Winnipeg reading this to think of Rob and take extra care and patience while passing cyclists. We don’t want another family to experience this grief.” Jenner’s widow, Wendy Van Loon, said in the statement that, “He was my everything. And I know I was his.” More than 100 cyclists blocked a stretch of Wellington Crescent and the adjacent street at a protest late Friday afternoon. Some people in the crowd held signs demanding action to protect cyclists and pedestrians with protected bike lanes and slower speeds. Jenner, a grandfather, was a caring person who was looking forward to retirement, his family said. “He was an artist and writer; his home was filled with art. He was also an incredible chef — his family and friends looked forward to the meals he prepared for them with love,” the statement said. “Rob was friendly, blunt and also very kind. He had a soft spot for people and was quick to connect with everyone. He was a person who treated everyone he knew with respect and dignity.” Beckham Keneth Severight, 19, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of a collision. He has had no prior convictions in Manitoba, court records show.

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WFP Editorial: A wake-up call the city shouldn’t need (Jun11'24)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '24

11 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. A wake-up call the city shouldn’t need https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2024/06/11/a-wake-up-c… THE death of a cyclist struck by a speeding vehicle in Winnipeg last week is a stark reminder of the need to reduce speed limits on residential roads and to significantly expand protected bike lanes. A 61-year-old man was cycling eastbound on Wellington Crescent near Cockburn Street North at 7 a.m. Thursday and was hit by a motorist police say was driving erratically. About 100 cyclists staged a protest at the location Friday to demand greater bike safety on city streets. Many of them said vehicles often speed on that stretch of Wellington. They want the city to build more protected bike lanes, not only on Wellington but throughout Winnipeg, to better separate cyclists from motor vehicles. Some of those at the protest also demanded the city lower speed limits on residential roads to reduce the chances of collisions between motor vehicles and cyclists. It should not take a tragic incident like last week’s to effect change. But all too often, that is what is required to motivate politicians to do the right thing. To be fair, city hall has made progress expanding the network of protected bike lanes in Winnipeg, including in the downtown area. There are now more active transportation routes than ever. Many are well used. The edict “build it and they will come” aptly applies to the city’s small but growing network of protected bike routes. But it’s not enough. Cyclists in Winnipeg are routinely forced to switch from protected bike lanes to busy roadways to reach their destinations. They must often compete with fast-moving motor vehicles whose drivers do not always respect or make accommodation for cyclists. Riding a bike on busy roadways can be hazardous. It not only discourages many people from cycling, it can end in tragedy, as we saw last week. City hall can and must do better. City politicians should make active transportation a higher priority. Right now, motor vehicles are still the highest priority for city hall when it comes to transportation budgeting, whether it’s street repairs, snow clearing or the widening of roadways. The car is still king in Winnipeg. That mentality has to change. City hall needs to find a better balance between single occupancy motor vehicle use and active transportation when drafting budgets. There needs to be a shift in resources from the former to the latter. Does the city, for example, really need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to widen Kenaston Boulevard (the latest cost projection is now over half a billion dollars for that project), or would those resources be better spent on active transportation and transit improvements? These are big picture issues city hall should re-evaluate. The resources are there to improve active transportation and to make cycling and pedestrian traffic a greater priority. But it has to come at the expense of motor vehicle use. That would require a paradigm shift at city hall, something that is long overdue. Tragedies like last week’s cannot be eliminated altogether. There will always be a risk of collision between cyclists and motor vehicles, no matter how many protected bike lanes are constructed. But those risks can be mitigated by lowering speed limits and separating cyclists as much as possible from motor vehicle traffic. Last week’s fatal collision should be a wake-up call for city hall. It’s time for Winnipeg to take the next step on active transportation by making it a much higher priority.

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WFP: Angry cyclists shut down scene of fatal collision (Jun8'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '24

08 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Angry cyclists shut down scene of fatal collision Advocate: ‘My community is moved and tired’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/07/angry-cyclists-sh… [CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/hit-and-run-fatal-cyclist-crash-win…] MORE than 100 cyclists, angered and saddened over a fatal hit-and-run of a bike rider a day earlier, shut down the intersection where the collision occurred Friday afternoon. A 61-year-old man cycling eastbound on Wellington Crescent near Cockburn Street was hit by a driver police allege was speeding and driving erratically just after 7 a.m. Thursday. The man, who was on his way to work, was taken to hospital in critical condition and later died. Protesting cyclists blocked a stretch of Wellington Crescent and the adjacent street Friday from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The demonstrators forced most drivers to find an alternate route, but allowed Winnipeg Transit buses and a fire truck through the crowd. Most drivers obliged, though some jeered and swore at the protesters. Some in the crowd held signs demanding action to protect cyclists and pedestrians with protected bike lanes and slower speeds. Patty Wiens, who was bestowed the title Bicycle Mayor of Winnipeg by an international active-transportation advocacy group last month, spoke for the group. “My community is moved and tired,” said Wiens. “When I saw that they were getting organized to protest the lack of safety for pedestrians and cyclists in this area, I knew that I had to be here as well, because we’re all in this together, and our community is really feeling hit.” She said news of the hit-and-run spread quickly in the cycling community. “The first thing that happens is we think of, ‘That could have been me; I’ve been on that stretch so many times,’ or, ‘I had a close (call) right at that stretch and I never used it again, because I’m terrified,’” she said. “The first feeling, too, is what is that family thinking right now? What are they feeling? What (are) his co-workers — he didn’t arrive at work — but most of all, it’s how many is too many?” She said many drivers go “very” fast on the stretch of Wellington Crescent, using it as a route out of downtown. She said cycling infrastructure needs to be improved. “Narrowing the streets, putting in a bike lane, protected infrastructure… that would be amazing and ideal, but also slowing down the speeds on side streets is very important, because if we don’t have money for protected bike infrastructure, if we slow down our streets, then maybe people will get the message that they can’t go so fast and maybe we’ll feel a little bit safer,” Wiens said. She said moves on improving cycling infrastructure in Winnipeg have been slow. “It seems like the priority is always for anything to do with cars… the cyclists always kind of fall below,” she said. “It hasn’t been dealt with in so long — and our current administration is trying, our mayor rides a bike to work, our deputy mayor used to be with Winnipeg Trails… but we need buy in from everyone.” She added police enforcement on speeding could also help, but design of streets is the more pressing concern. Investigators determined the driver of a white BMW was speeding and driving erratically when the luxury sedan hit the cyclist, said Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen. “It’s incredibly unfortunate,” he said. Beckham Keneth Severight, 19, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of a collision. “This person was operating the vehicle erratically, at high rates of speed… this is beyond preventable, this is an individual who clearly had no concern for public safety whatsoever,” said Michalyshen. He said Severight had borrowed the vehicle. Police found the car parked near the owner’s home. “They’ve been very helpful, co-operative,” Michalyshen said, referring to the owner. Severight is in custody. He’s had no prior convictions in Manitoba, court records show. erik.pindera(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Arlington Bridge needs $1M in repairs (Jun1'24)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jun '24

01 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Arlington Bridge needs $1M in repairs Replacing bearings necessary, costly but won’t mean reopening span https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/05/31/arlington-bridge-… THE City of Winnipeg expects to pay up to $1 million to repair the Arlington Bridge, but the work is only expected to prevent the structure from falling onto the rail yard below it, not to help reopen it. A new tender seeks a company to replace multiple bearings on the bridge, which was suddenly shut down in November after an assessment found significant steel corrosion and structural issues. The traffic closure remains in effect, while an engineering study set to provide recommendations on whether council should demolish, repair or replace the bridge is expected this fall. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said the new repair work should take place this summer. “Until we decide to take it down or replace it… the bridge is there. What has degraded are bearings on the bridge that allow the bridge to expand and contract based on the weather. The current ones have rusted and solidified… So they’ve put an order out for these bearings and it’s basically to prevent it from falling down,” said Lukes (Waverley West). The councillor said a report with options for the bridge’s future will come out around October. Lukes said each bearing is expensive and the construction work will be complex, since removing any piece of a bridge must be done with extreme caution, especially at this location. “Even though the bridge is closed, it is over an active rail line. Clearly, we’ve got obligations to the rail line also to be safe,” she said. “If you take out a piece of a bridge, you have to make sure the rest of it doesn’t fall down.” While noting she’s still waiting for the engineering report to make a final decision, Lukes said she believes the bridge will likely be replaced, ideally with access for trucks, buses, pedestrians and cyclists. “I think I’m pretty confident in saying we’re going to be doing a replacement of some kind. It’s a critical link to north and south. If we can start using it more for trucking also, it’s going to relieve some pressures,” she said. The councillor said she’s not sure if the bridge could remain at its current location or if it would have to move. Since the span closed, traffic has ramped up on McPhillips Street and the bridge on Salter Street. A tender document notes the city is seeking a company to replace bearings at three piers of the bridge, which a city spokeswoman said is urgently needed. “We anticipate the repair project to cost up to $1 million. This includes engineering, materials, and construction. The repair is considered urgent to keep the bridge standing and underlying railway property safe… If we do not replace (the bearings) now, unintended stress will build up in the truss; such stress puts bridge stability at risk,” wrote Julie Horbal Dooley, in an emailed statement. Mayor Scott Gillingham said the repair is necessary to keep the area safe. Gillingham said he’ll wait for the engineering report’s recommendations to council before sharing his views on the bridge’s future. “I need to wait for the report to see what the report is recommending. Obviously, traffic in and out of Winnipeg’s North End and the movement of vehicles is very important. So we need to make decisions with that in mind as well,” he said. The city expects to award the construction contract by June 28 and have the winning bidder achieve “total performance” by Sept. 11. The bridge was suddenly closed to all traffic on Nov. 21, after a condition assessment. The inspection was part of a viability study for the 112-year-old structure, which allows traffic to cross over the Canadian Pacific Railway yards. At the time of the closure, a city official told reporters some repairs would be required just to keep railway workers and property under the bridge safe. Brad Neirinck, manager of engineering for public works, said safety risks were rising at the bridge prior to the closure, though it wasn’t in immediate danger. “We don’t want to get to the point that there’s a collapse,” he said at the time. “We’re not near that point… but there’s things (we’ve) got to do to mitigate the risk and make sure that the structural integrity is there.” In 2016, city engineers deemed the bridge, which opened to traffic in 1912, to be near the end of its life. In 2019, a preliminary design estimated a new bridge could cost $319 million. Gillingham said there’s no updated cost estimate for a new bridge, which could be considerably higher now, due to rising construction costs over the past five years. Over the past decade, the city has devoted about $3.6 million for studies on whether to repair or replace the bridge. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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Omand's Creek Crossing & Graham Ave Transition
by Beth McKechnie 17 May '24

17 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Provide input on City projects [Winnipeg Public Library News & Events | Nouvelles et activités de la bibliothèque publique de Winnipeg]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Public Engagement News<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Bulletin d'information sur l'engagement public<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> En français Provide your input [Omand's Creek Bridge in the winter]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> An Omand’s Creek crossing for everyone<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> The bridge in Omand Park is old and must be replaced. We're exploring how a new pedestrian bridge could serve the community while maintaining the look and feel of the park. Before we begin the design study, we want your feedback to better understand the community, your needs, and how you currently use the park. Join us at a park event May 30 or share your feedback online<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>. Park event details: Date: Thursday, May 30, 2024* Time: 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Omand Park, meeting at the corner of Wolseley Avenue and Raglan Road<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Format: Drop-in (come and go) *In case of rain or high winds, visit the project webpage<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> for rescheduling updates Take the survey<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Map your feedback<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> [CentrePlan 2050]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> CentrePlan 2050<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> CentrePlan 2050 will help transform what Downtown looks like, how we get around, and how we experience Downtown. Unfortunately, the open house ended earlier than scheduled on May 15 due to a power outage affecting most of Downtown. Another open house has been scheduled for Thursday, May 23. We hope you can join us, details are below. Open house #2 Date: Thursday, May 23, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Location: Carol Shields Auditorium, Millennium Library, 251 Donald St.<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Format: Come and go (drop-in) Take the survey<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Take the Re-imagining Graham Avenue survey Share your comments<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Share your comments about the draft CentrePlan 2050 Attend an information session [Transit bus garage]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> North Garage Replacement Project<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> We are building a new bus garage in northwest Winnipeg at the intersection of Oak Point Highway and Selkirk Avenue<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>. Join us at an information session to learn more about the project and speak with the project team. Information session event details Date: Monday, May 27, 2024 Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Location: Tyndall Park Community Centre, 2255 King Edward St.<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Format: Come and go (drop-in) Upcoming engagement events May 23 * Open house #2: CentrePlan 2050<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> May 27 * Information session: N<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>orth Garage Replacement Project<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> May 30 * Park event: An Omand’s Creek crossing for everyone<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> We strive to promote public events at least two weeks ahead through other means such as newspaper ads, social media, and direct mail. Contact us Email: City-Engage(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:City-Engage@winnipeg.ca> Phone: 204-986-4243 [Winnipeg 150 graphic]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Winnipeg 150<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Our shared stories. Our shared future. In 2024, Winnipeg marks 150 years as a city. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on our past, and look ahead to our future. Exprimez-vous [Bridge in Omand Park]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Un pont pour tout le monde au-dessus du ruisseau Omand’s<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> (anglais seulement) Le pont du parc Omand est vieux et doit être remplacé. Nous explorons la façon dont un nouveau pont piétonnier pourrait bénéficier à la communauté tout en préservant l’apparence et l’ambiance du parc. Avant d’entreprendre l’étude de conception, nous voulons obtenir vos commentaires pour mieux comprendre la communauté, vos besoins et la façon dont vous utilisez présentement le parc. Joignez-vous à nous lors d’une activité qui aura lieu dans le parc le 30 mai, ou exprimez-vous en ligne<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>. Précisions sur l’activité qui aura lieu dans le parc : Date : Le jeudi 30 mai 2024* Heure : De 16 h à 19 h Lieu : Parc Omand. Rencontre à l’angle de l’avenue Wolseley et du chemin Raglan<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>. Format : Entrée libre * En cas de pluie ou de vents forts, visitez la page Web du projet pour savoir si l’activité a été reportée. Répondez au sondage<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Indiquez vos commentaires sur une carte<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> [CentrePlan 2050]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> CentrePlan 2050<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> (anglais seulement) CentrePlan 2050 aidera à transformer l’apparence du centre-ville, la façon dont nous nous y déplaçons et notre expérience du centre-ville. Malheureusement, les portes ouvertes du 15 mai ont pris fin plus tôt que prévu en raison d’une panne de courant touchant la plupart du centre-ville. On a organisé d’autres portes ouvertes le jeudi 23 mai. Nous espérons que vous pourrez vous joindre à nous. Des précisions sont données ci-dessous. Précisions sur les portes ouvertes Date : Le jeudi 23 mai 2024 Heure : De 11 h à 18 h Lieu : Bibliothèque du Millénaire, 251, rue Donald<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>, salle Carol-Shields Format : Entrée libre Répondez au sondage<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Répondez au sondage sur le projet Repenser l’avenue Graham Exprimer-vous<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Exprimez-vous sur l’ébauche de CentrePlan 2050 Participez à une séance d’information publique [Transit bus garage]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Projet de remplacement du garage nord<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Nous allons construire un nouveau garage d’autobus dans le nord-ouest de Winnipeg à l’intersection du chemin Oak Point et de l’avenue Selkirk. Joignez-vous à nous lors d’une séance d’information pour en apprendre plus sur le projet et pour discuter avec l’équipe de projet. Précisions sur la séance d’information Date : Le lundi 27 mai 2024 Heure : De 18 h à 19 h 30 Lieu : Centre communautaire du parc Tyndall, 2255, rue King Edward<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Format : Entrée libre Activités à venir 23 mai * Portes ouverte<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> : CentrePlan 205<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>0<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> 27 mai * Séance d’information: Projet de remplacement du garage nord<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> 30 mail * A<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>ctivité qui aura lieu dans le parc: Un pont pour tout le monde au-dessus du ruisseau Omand’s<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Nous nous efforçons de promouvoir les événements publics au moins deux semaines avant leur tenue par d’autres moyens tels que les journaux, les médias sociaux et le courrier postal. Contactez-nous Courriel : City-Engage(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:City-Engage@winnipeg.ca> Téléphone : 204-986-4243 [Illustration de Winnipeg 150]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Winnipeg 150<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Nos histoires communes. Notre avenir commun. En 2024, la ville de Winnipeg aura 150 ans. C’est l’occasion de réfléchir à notre passé et de regarder vers l’avenir. Connect with us: Suivez-nous : [Twitter]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[Facebook]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[YouTube]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[LinkedIn]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[Instagram]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Related Engage Winnipeg<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> OurWinnipeg<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> winnipeg.ca<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Information reliée Participe Wi<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>nnipeg<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> NotreWinnipeg<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> winnipeg.ca<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Unsubscribe If you do not want to receive these emails anymore, unsubscribe<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>. Please do not reply to this email. This email was sent from a notification-only address and replies are not monitored. Mailing address: City of Winnipeg, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R3B 1B9 Se désinscrire Les personnes qui ne souhaitent plus recevoir ces courriels peuvent se désinscrire<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>. Veuillez ne pas répondre au présent courriel. Ce courriel a été envoyé depuis une adresse réservée aux avis et les réponses ne sont pas surveillées. Adresse postale : Ville de Winnipeg, 510, rue Main, Winnipeg (Manitoba) R3B 1B9 Privacy statement The City of Winnipeg values your privacy. We do not sell or share your personal information with third parties. You are receiving this email because you signed up for the Public Engagement Newsletter. Déclaration de confidentialité Le respect de votre vie privée est une question que la Ville de Winnipeg prend très à cœur. Nous ne vendons ni ne transmettons vos renseignements personnels à des tiers. Ce courriel vous a été envoyé relativement à votre inscription au bulletin de participation publique.

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Fwd: A fun way to support cycling advocacy in your community
by Dave Elmore 16 May '24

16 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Vélo Canada Bikes <info(a)velocanadabikes.org<mailto:info@velocanadabikes.org>> Date: Thu, May 16, 2024 at 9:27 AM Subject: A fun way to support cycling advocacy in your community To: <daveelmore12(a)gmail.com<mailto:daveelmore12@gmail.com>> 📊 Claim your Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo counting shift today View this email in your browser<https://mailchi.mp/velocanadabikes/april2024-16197743?e=c0b62fb8ea> [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/23fdf8ea-af68-de…] Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo 2024 Canada’s national bicycle count - June 4-9, 2024 Claim a counting shift in your community today<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo 2024 is taking place June 4 to 9. The count is a chance to evaluate the state of cycling in our communities. Together we get a “snapshot” of what cycling looks like in communities across Canada, at the same time, year over year. [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/ded0bb90-8105-1a…] The data collected helps build the case for more, and better, cycling infrastructure. This growing data set is there for everyone to use to advocate for access to safe cycling choices for everyone, everywhere. 📆 Count dates You will note that the SignUp pages list Tuesday, June 4 and Saturday, June 8 as the weekday and weekend count dates. These are the ideal count dates, but if the weather is poor or you are unable to count on these days, please conduct your weekday count on Wednesday the 5th or Thursday the 6th and conduct your weekend count on Sunday the 9th. [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/4b97a529-8092-4e…] Help close the gaps in cycling data<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> 📑 Resources Everything you’ll need to have a successful count. [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/7519f997-042c-cf…] Count Instructions REVISED! Step by step instructions with answers to frequently asked questions. Get all the details<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/1ff19b2c-0edb-3e…]<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> Quick Reference Guide NEW! All the basics on how to get started on one page. Learn the basics<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/c6c2f9ce-28eb-c6…]<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> Webinar Last month our team was hosted by the interdisciplinary research team CapaCITY/É to present the background, methods and key findings of the count. The recording is now available on YouTube. Listen in<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/f776fd18-4d95-b9…]<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> Promotional material The more people counting the better. You can forward this message to others and access a folder with a number of shareable images, GIFs and videos you can post to your profiles, newsletter and website. Get the word out<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> 📊 Results and analysis from past Pedal Polls The results from the 2022 and 2023 counts have been analysed and are available as a series of tables, infographics and charts for each focus community. You are welcome to download your community’s results and share them widely. [https://mcusercontent.com/d4de63e62b75495d947e15ed4/images/efa14418-38d3-fd…] See what we’ve counted<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> Pedal Poll/Sondo Vélo is a project of Vélo Canada Bikes, funded in part by the Government of Canada through the Active Transportation Fund<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> administered by Infrastructure Canada in 2023 and by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> in 2021. The project has also received in-kind support from local cycling advocacy organizations, the CounterPoint app<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> team, hundreds of community volunteers and the Cities, Health & Active Transportation Research Lab<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC (2021 and 2023) and the Healthy Populations Institute<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> at Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS (2021 and 2023). Data for the 2022 and 2023 were analyzed by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…>. [Facebook icon]<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> [Twitter icon] <https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> [Website icon] <https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> [LinkedIn icon] <https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> [Email icon] <mailto:info@velocanadabikes.org> [Instagram icon] <https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…> Copyright (C) 2024 Vélo Canada Bikes. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you have opted in or have participated in one of our projects. Our mailing address is: Vélo Canada Bikes 306 Edwin Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0Y6 Canada Add us to your address book<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=d4de63e62b75495d947e15e…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=d4de63e62b75495d947e1…> or unsubscribe<https://velocanadabikes.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=d4de63e62b75495d9…>

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WFP: Winnipeg’s ‘Bicycle Mayor’ to give city the gears on lack of infrastructure (May10'24)
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '24

10 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pedal plans Winnipeg’s ‘Bicycle Mayor’ to give city the gears on lack of infrastructure https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/05/09/pedal-plans PATTY Wiens refuses to tread lightly in her new role as Winnipeg’s top cyclist. Wiens has been bestowed with the title Bicycle Mayor of Winnipeg by an international organization that advocates for more active transportation and encourages drivers to take up cycling for daily trips. “When you start riding your bike to work, you really start noticing what kind of infrastructure is around bikes for safety, you start noticing how people behave on the road,” she said Thursday afternoon. The year-round cyclist applied for the role to be more involved in advocacy and petition for more, and safer, cycling infrastructure. Wiens, 50, favoured cycling over driving to work in 2021 when she began a new job at the University of Winnipeg to save some cash on parking. After seeing what it did for her mental and physical health, she sold her car and took up the commute full-time. Winter driving made her take notice of the city’s infrastructure she called lopsided towards drivers. “That’s what sent me on a real advocacy journey,” she said. The mayoral title is given to successful applicants by BYCS, an Amsterdam-based non-governmental organization with an international network of bike enthusiasts. Mayors are selected for a period of two years during which they focus on addressing the main barriers to increasing cycling in their cities. Wiens is one of five bicycle mayors in Canada and 147 worldwide. She also serves on the board of directors for advocacy group Bike Winnipeg. The Brazilian transplant speculates the number of cyclists is increasing due to an increased cost of living and price of fuel, but she welcomes the trend and, using her new role, plans to petition the city for slower speeds on side streets where fewer cars tend to drive and active transportation is favoured. “If we would have more of that, we wouldn’t need to worry so much about protected bike infrastructure,” she said. She also wants to raise the profile of cyclists who use bikes for any type of transportation, whether it be for work, grocery shopping, sport or leisure. “That’s who I want to represent … the less cars you have on the road, the better it is for everyone. Cars get around faster and cyclists are safer.” City council’s public works committee recently approved a project that will eliminate vehicle right turns from Assiniboine Avenue onto Main Street and divert eastbound vehicles north on Fort Street, which Wiens calls a win for bike safety. “We have this mentality here that people who drive pay for roads and it’s not true. Everyone pays for roads … yet cars get the priority,” she said. Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, lauded Wiens’ new designation as an important step in the organization’s multi-pronged approach to advocating for a bike-safe city. “It’s important that the bike mayor is able to tell the stories of people on bikes to help people overcome barriers to biking,” Cohoe said. The executive director says connectivity between Winnipeg neighbourhoods is a hurdle to getting more bums in bike seats and is top of mind for the non-profit, which has been working with the city on bike infrastructure projects since 2015. Theft is also a deterrent, Wiens and Cohoe say. Although Winnipeg Police Service statistics show an overall decrease in the number of reported stolen bicycles in recent years, 1,452 were still reported pilfered in 2023. That’s compared to 2,098 in 2018. To combat the theft, council announced a new program in which Winnipeggers can register their bikes for free using the city’s cloud-based Garage 529 service. Bikes registered in the database can be used by police when attempting to return recovered bikes. “The next step is to advocate for secure bike parking, especially in the downtown area. If we have more secure parking, more people are likely to ride their bikes instead of their cars,” Wiens said. Wiens will be calling on the city to install secure bike parking in the Exchange District and look for areas to incorporate bikes in the design for the Portage Place overhaul. nicole.buffie(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca>

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CBC: Drivers wanting to turn at Main and Assiniboine will get new traffic signal in 1 direction, detour in another (May7'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '24

08 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pilot project OK'd after pedestrians, cyclists raised concerns about close calls with cars https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/assiniboine-main-traffic-safety-pro…

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CentrePlan 2050 and Re-imagining Graham Avenue | Open House Millennium Library May 15 11am-6pm
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '24

08 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. We are excited to share the draft CentrePlan 2050 and draft design of Graham Avenue<https://engage.winnipeg.ca/36008/widgets/148212/documents/129629>. To learn more: * Attend the open house May 15 * View the open house boards<https://engage.winnipeg.ca/36008/widgets/148212/documents/129627> Join us May 15 at the open house to ask questions about the project and share your thoughts. Open house Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Location: Carol Shields Auditorium, Millennium Library, 251 Donald St(External link)<https://www.google.com/maps/place/Millennium+Library+(Winnipeg+Public+Libra…>. Format: Come and go (drop-in) You can also share your feedback online: * Share your comments<https://engage.winnipeg.ca/centreplan2050?tool=guest_book#tool_tab> on the draft CentrePlan 2050 * Take the re-imagining Graham Avenue survey(External link)<https://winnipeg.surveymonkey.com/r/grahamphase3> Feedback will be accepted until May 23, 2024. https://engage.winnipeg.ca/centreplan2050

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Job Posting: City of Winnipeg Road Safety Outreach Coordinator
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '24

08 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. The City of Winnipeg is hiring a Road Safety Outreach Coordinator who will be responsible for developing and implementing road safety educational programming and improving road safety culture in Winnipeg. The position includes strong components of research, program development and evaluation, education, partnerships and outreaching, and community engagement/mobilization. Please see the attached posting for more details. Online applications can be submitted at www.winnipeg.ca/hr<http://www.winnipeg.ca/hr> and the posting closes on May 22, 2024.

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WFP: Seeing how the other half rides in Amsterdam (May4'24)
by Beth McKechnie 04 May '24

04 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Seeing how the other half rides in Amsterdam OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/05/04/seeing-how-the-o… A CONFESSION: I haven’t been on my bike in two summers. This isn’t my first long breakup with a bicycle. From the ages of 13 to 31, I didn’t go anywhere near a bike following a pretty significant wipeout that left me with an arm studded with bloody pebbles and a contusion at the top of my pelvis. Lately, I’ve been trying to figure out what this recent avoidance has been about because here’s the thing: I love riding my bike. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that cycling is one of my preferred methods of both physical activity and transportation. And then, last month, I went to Amsterdam. The capital of the Netherlands isn’t just one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world; cycling is woven into Dutch culture. I was in awe of not only the sheer number of people out cycling — even in terribly windy, rainy, sleety weather, I will add — but the number of parked bikes crowding every available public space. Most Dutch cyclists I witnessed weren’t clad in spandex or athleisure (or helmets, for that matter); they were dressed for their destinations. Others had clearly taken their bikes to run errands, balancing groceries and, on more than one occasion, bouquets of flowers. I was in awe of how smooth and well-maintained the bike lanes looked. (I was too intimidated to try for myself.) I had never been anywhere like that, a place where cyclists, not motorists, seemed to be the ruling class. A place that’s the diametric opposite of Winnipeg, basically. Of course, this fact doesn’t always make for an idyll. “Watch out for the bikes,” the friend I was travelling with cautioned me and this proved to be good advice. As a pedestrian, it’s not enough to “look both ways” in Amsterdam; you have to look left-right-left again, otherwise you will almost certainly be mowed over by a cyclist. Or at the very least yelled at. But still, I was jealous. I would love to be the kind of person who could ride to the bakery to pick up a loaf of bread and then meet a friend for a coffee. I’d love to be a commuter cyclist, riding to and from work to build some fresh air and fitness into my day. I would love to do all these things without the threat of being run off the road by a car that could injure me or worse. And that’s when I had an epiphany. I love riding my bike. I don’t love riding my bike in Winnipeg. Honestly? I’m scared to ride my bike in Winnipeg. Whenever I do ride my bike — which is never, these days — I stick to paths that do not share the road with vehicles. I can’t bear to be yelled at, again, for turning left from the correct lane because motorists think I shouldn’t even be there. (I only make right-hand turns if I can help it, which is, uh, limiting.) Being a cyclist in Winnipeg feels a bit like being a pedestrian in Amsterdam, except a cyclist probably won’t kill you if they hit you. It’s very hard to adopt any kind of lifestyle when there is no systemic support for that lifestyle. It’s hard to “eat healthy” if you live in a food desert. It’s hard to have work-life balance if your workplace culture punishes you for taking vacation and rewards being the “last to leave.” It’s hard to balance career goals with having a family if childcare is inaccessible. It’s hard to leave your car at home if you don’t live in a walkable neighbourhood. So, I can express a desire, as an individual, to adopt a Dutch attitude towards cycling, but it’s hard to actually live out that desire in a place not built for it. Still, being around all those bikes in Amsterdam has inspired me to get back on mine. One person on one bicycle does not a bicycle-friendly city make, but hey — it’s one more bike out on the road. jen.zoratti(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:jen.zoratti@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP: City urges switch to new bike-registry system (Apr30'24)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Apr '24

30 Apr '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City urges switch to new bike-registry system https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/04/29/switch-to-new-bik… THE city is urging cyclists to sign up for a free bike-registry system. Bike data registered with 529 Garage can be accessed by jurisdictions across the world. The City of Winnipeg will use the supplied contact information when a stolen bicycle has been recovered. “I’m proud to have championed this change, and I encourage every cyclist in Winnipeg to register their bike with 529 Garage,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a news release Monday. If a bike registered through the app or website has been stolen, the owner is advised to set an alert on 529 Garage and report the theft to Winnipeg police. “The shift to 529 Garage as Winnipeg’s bicycle registration system makes it easier than ever to register a bike,” Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said. “Just as important, the bicycle registry is now linked globally, meaning registry information is available worldwide. Best of all, people purchasing bikes online have a way to check the serial number of a bike against the registry of stolen bikes.” The city previously said 1,452 bicycles were reported stolen in 2023. The City of Winnipeg’s existing registry comes with a $7.35 registration fee and, at times, requires police to email a request to city officials to find the owner of a stolen bike. New registrations under the existing registry will not be accepted after Tuesday. Registrations made before then will be kept on file until May 1, 2026. Bike owners can update their information under the existing registry until that date.

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WFP analysis: Time to talk about River and Osborne (Apr29'24)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '24

29 Apr '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City should scramble to transform important Village intersection Time to talk about River and Osborne https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/2024/04/29/city-should-scramble-t… NOW that there seems to be some resolution for the future of Portage and Main, there is another important urban intersection we should talk about. The corner of River and Osborne is the gateway to Osborne Village, Winnipeg’s highest-density neighbourhood and a rare walkable, complete community in the city. In our collective imagination, the Village strip is a street with bustling sidewalks and vibrant public spaces, set around a series of eclectic shops and restaurants. The reality of Osborne, however, is a street that has become a vehicle canyon, with pedestrians anxiously clinging to the edges along narrow and treeless sidewalks. We have intentionally made design choices that prioritize driving through the neighbourhood over creating a place that invites people to walk, shop and linger. Those choices begin with the intersection. Instead of being the anchor that draws people to the heart of the strip, the River and Osborne intersection has become one of the most dangerous places for pedestrians in the city — typically ranking second or third for most pedestrian/vehicle collisions each year. Recognizing that a prosperous future for the Village requires a change in priorities, last year, the Osborne Village BIZ created the Blueprint for a Healthy Neighbourhood. The action plan outlines ways to begin making the Osborne strip a true neighbourhood high street, creating a renewed sense of place and prioritizing the human experience. It proposes to make the River and Osborne intersection safer by adding a pedestrian scramble crossing and closing the right-turn vehicle slip lane. In late 2023, Couns. Janice Lukes and Sherri Rollins introduced a committee motion directing the public service to study these two ideas and develop a pedestrian prioritized pilot project for the intersection. Scramble crossings are becoming popular interventions across the country, where high numbers of pedestrians and vehicles mix. They have been implemented on other urban shopping streets such as Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, Robson Street in Vancouver, and Yonge Street in Toronto. Scramble crossings make intersections safer by creating an exclusive pedestrian crossing phase where vehicles are stopped at every corner and pedestrians cross all at once in all directions, including diagonally. This strategy was felt to be appropriate for River and Osborne because it would mean vehicles and pedestrians never cross the street at the same time, increasing pedestrian comfort, and significantly reducing interactions that result in collisions. Removing slip lanes is something that is happening across North America as cities accept how unsafe and uncomfortable they are for pedestrians and cyclists. Slip lanes are the unsignalized and dedicated lanes at intersections that allow drivers to turn right without stopping, typically creating a small island between it and the corner. Like at River and Osborne, we often locate transit stops on these islands, forcing people to huddle uncomfortably in a whirlpool of vehicles cycling around them. Slip lanes are the physical manifestation of street design that prioritizes vehicle speed over the safety of all other road users. They are highway infrastructure that has no place in urban neighbourhoods. Eliminating slip lanes is not only an important consideration at River and Osborne, but wherever they exist in residential neighbourhoods across the city. As a driver, consider where your eyes are when you move through a slip lane. As you turn right, you are most likely looking left down the street to find an opening in traffic that you can accelerate into. Now, as a pedestrian, consider where you want a driver’s eyes to be as you step into the street and cross in front of their vehicle. You want the driver to look forward and directly at you, but slip lanes are designed to allow cars to maintain their speed while diverting the driver’s attention away from their direction of travel. This is why they are so dangerous. An intersection is where all road users — cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers — are occupying the same space. It is vital at that moment each person is acutely aware of what’s happening directly in front of them. When you cross a street with a slip lane, you are forced to cross through two intersections, and one of them is uncontrolled. You are simply hoping drivers see you in time to stop. Consider a child walking to school across the slip lane at River and Osborne. Is hope enough? If you wouldn’t feel good about letting your kid cross the street in your neighbourhood, we didn’t prioritize the right things when we designed it. That child could instead be a senior with mobility issues or a person in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the city’s public works committee recently recommended against both initiatives for River and Osborne and no pilot project was put forward. The study suggested a scramble crossing might cause traffic delays at the peak evening rush hour of about half a minute, and removing the slip lane would make the priority transit signal less effective, possibly requiring the bus stop to be relocated. The committee did direct staff to report back with a “scope of work” for options for a scramble pilot in 2025. This disappointing result is yet another instance demonstrating that residents and businesses of the inner city have little control over the design of the streets in their own neighbourhoods. The priorities of commuter traffic have again superseded the wishes of local residents for a safe, livable, and commercially prosperous community. Osborne may be a commuter route to many, but to others, it’s a street in their neighbourhood that their kids cross to go to school, or their grandmother crosses to get groceries. It’s a street of shop owners hoping for more customers. Sometimes saving an extra minute in an evening commute shouldn’t be our priority. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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WFP: Incoming registry expected to curb bike theft, reunite owners with wheels (Apr24'24)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '24

25 Apr '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Breaking the cycle Incoming registry expected to curb bike theft, reunite owners with wheels https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/04/23/breaking-the-cycl… KEVIN Glasier and his family were fast asleep in their Wolseley house last week when a blaring home security alarm jolted him awake at 6:26 a.m. “I just jump out of bed, in my underwear, and all you think is: Is somebody in the house? And you’re concerned with the safety of your family at that point,” the 49-year-old father of three said Tuesday. Running past his kid’s rooms and through the house, he made his way to the door to his garage and spotted a man inside dressed in black with his hood up. “He wasn’t supposed to be there,” said Glasier. “I yelled at the top of my lungs, ‘Get the f--- out of my garage’ to try to scare him off and he turned and ran.” Glasier made his way to the exterior door of the garage to make sure the man left. “I guess he was scared, so he was caught in a bit of a loop — he had that screwdriver, that nine-inch screwdriver, and he was waving that around to keep me back,” he said. “I came out of the door … and I didn’t think anything was stolen at that point, so I yelled ‘Get out of here, get out of here,’ and he was frozen, so I said ‘I’m not going to hurt you, get out of here.’ So he biked away.” Upon reviewing footage from his home surveillance cameras — video he has since posted online to try to identify the thieves, scored with wacky music — he realized another scofflaw had made off with a bicycle, which he had bought for his wife’s birthday days before. Glasier isn’t the only Winnipegger to fall victim to bike theft. Although Winnipeg Police Service statistics show an overall decrease in the number of reported stolen bicycles in recent years, 1,452 were still reported pilfered in 2023. That’s compared to 2,098 reported thefts in 2018. Mark Cohoe, executive director of advocacy group Bike Winnipeg, believes many bike thefts go unreported, but is optimistic efforts, such as increased secured park biking, have been successful in reducing thefts. “I would like to think that that’s a part of it as well, that people are getting better access to good storage and that’s holding back the number of thefts,” said Cohoe. He added that the increase in people out and about post-COVID-19 restrictions may have reduced theft opportunities. A new bicycle registry system approved by city council last year is expected to arrive online in the coming weeks. Cohoe is optimistic this will reduce thefts and help police return recovered bikes to owners. Currently, if a stolen bike is found by officers but is not registered by the owner and no proof of ownership is provided, it is held and later auctioned off by police. Council approved a move to 529 Garage, a free, cloud-based system to replace the city-run bike registry last year. The system is shared by many police agencies. Cohoe said if a registered bike is stolen in Winnipeg but recovered in another city, the system allows the owner to be tracked down. It is also accessible to the public, allowing people purchasing bikes online, for example, to run serial numbers themselves to determine if it had been reported stolen. City of Winnipeg spokesman Adam Campbell said officials would be sharing more about the new system soon. Cohoe says addressing social and health issues could help reduce theft in the long term. “I think we all recognize that a part of this, the bike theft, is driven by poverty and addictions, so certainly getting a grasp on that is a critical part to this,” he said. “There’s people taking advantage of others, to drive that theft and get the bikes sold, and that’s part of what we need to see really addressed.” He added he would like to see police dedicate a detective, like police in Vancouver, to focus on bicycle theft. Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said it would be difficult to gauge whether the drop in statistics is due to fewer thefts or fewer people reporting the thefts. “We’re always hopeful that people are securing their property at all times, making it difficult for these thefts to occur, but the reality is, they’re going to occur,” said Michalyshen. “We take them all seriously, we know the value of bikes — nothing’s cheap these days — and we want to resolve these matters as much as anyone else.” He said it is paramount for any victim of crime, including bicycle theft, to report it, so police can investigate, hold people to account and ensure data is accurate so officials can focus resources on problems. Property crimes investigators are actively probing the break-in and theft at Glasier’s home, but have not yet made any arrests, said Michalyshen. Glasier said he hopes the video helps others learn how brazen those committing break-ins and thefts can be. He added that last year, his family’s vehicle was stolen from their driveway, but they managed to locate it with a tracking device. “Part of the thing here, too, is just how as a community, and individuals, how much you have to take things into your own hands. We had to find our own car, the police were overwhelmed, there’s a thousand thefts a month, they can’t keep up… it’s rampant,” said Glasier. After posting the video, he received tips about the suspects in the break-in. He gave the information to police. erik.pindera(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca>

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Project update - Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike
by Beth McKechnie 04 Apr '24

04 Apr '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Provide your input now. [City of Winnipeg | Ville de Winnipeg]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project – Phase 4<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Project updates Help us make Wolseley Avenue work for you [https://communications.winnipeg.ca/web_files/5642/wolsely%20walk%20bike.jpg…] The Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project began in 2018. It set out to improve east-west travel through three sections of the neighbourhood: 1. Wolseley Avenue and Westminster Avenue 2. Balmoral Street 3. Granite Way Over the course of a few years, we developed, refined, and sought public feedback on a series of designs. In 2019, we presented what we thought was a final design for the neighbourhood as a whole. in 2019. We learned what we proposed for the eastern section of the area worked for the community. What we proposed for the western section didn't. As a result, we installed protected bike lanes on Balmoral Street and Granite Way. We also added them on Westminster Avenue from Sherbrook Street to Walnut Street. Now we need your help to make sure Wolseley Avenue works for people of all ages and abilities. This summer, we will turn Wolseley into an all ages and abilities active transportation route with a neighbourhood greenway. We will reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h and install speed tables, raised crosswalks, and curb bump-outs. Ahead of this, we want to know what success would look like to the community. Your feedback will help the us develop what we’re calling community criteria. We will use this list to measure how well the greenway meets community needs in addition to technical requirements such as lower speeds and traffic volumes. Attend a pop-up. Join us in person to speak with the project team and provide your feedback. Format: Drop in (come and go) Date: April 18, 2024 Time: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Location: Clifton School, 511 Clifton St.<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Date: April 19, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: Bonnie Day, 898 Westminster Ave.<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Date: April 20, 2024 Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Location: Robert A. Steen Community Centre (Outside the Spring Craft Sale), 980 Palmerston Ave.<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Learn more<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Review the project boards. Take the survey<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Take five minutes to tell us what you think. Learn more about this project winnipeg.ca/wolseleytodowntown<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Contact us Email: <mailto:City-Engage@winnipeg.ca> wolseleytodowntown(a)winnipeg.ca<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Phone: 204-924-4144 Connect with us: [Twitter]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[Facebook]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[YouTube]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[LinkedIn]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>[Instagram]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Share on X<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> | Share on Facebook<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…>

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WFP: Public service says Osborne proposal would slow traffic, transit (Apr4'4)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Apr '24

04 Apr '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Public service says Osborne proposal would slow traffic, transit Report leaves city hall scrambling for answers https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/04/03/councillors-scram… A CITY councillor is disappointed after a report shot down a proposal to improve pedestrian flow at one of Osborne Village’s busiest intersections. The public works committee asked the public service to investigate the possibility of introducing a scramble crossing at Osborne Street and River Avenue last year, allowing pedestrians to cross in all directions amid widened sidewalks, narrowed road lanes and slower vehicles. The final report recommends no alterations to the intersection due to concerns about traffic flow and transit interruptions. “There are problems of logic that need to be explained in the report. I think it’s a very light report, so I don’t think enough time and care was taken,” Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) said of the 14-page document, which is to be reviewed by the public works committee at its April 9 meeting. “In particular, the troublesome part is that the resolve of the original motion was to report back on a pedestrian-prioritized pilot and I see none of that in this report.” Rollins championed the original request to investigate a scramble crossing, which would be the first intersection of its kind in Winnipeg. She and other community stakeholders believe it would improve safety and walkability for pedestrians. The public service acknowledged the crossing would improve safety, but said it would require a longer traffic signal cycle length. “A pedestrian scramble is not recommended at the intersection because it would likely increase both vehicle and pedestrian delays and also be cost-prohibitive,” the report said, noting motorists would have to stop at the intersection for an additional 20 seconds and the delay would likely impact nearby intersections. The service also assessed the possibility of removing the slip lane on Osborne Street, which allows southbound motorists to turn right onto River Avenue without stopping at the lights. Eliminating the slip lane would require the removal of a concrete island that houses a transit stop at the intersection. “The removal was ultimately not recommended due to negative impacts to Winnipeg Transit service and bus stop amenities at the intersection,” the report said. “Relocating the bus stop is an undesirable change to Transit operations and passenger comfort.” Rollins called the explanation a “red herring.” “Transit stops move all the time,” she said. “You could argue the passengers of the bus might have even more room to line up if they didn’t have to exist on a small island.” Coun. Janice Lukes, who chairs the public works committee, said she, too, has questions about the public service’s report. “They’re saying not to proceed. I like the idea of a (pedestrian) scramble. We don’t have many of them in Canada. I think there may be some hesitancy with the department on that,” she said Wednesday. The report lacks a detailed accounting of how many pedestrians cross the intersection daily, said Lukes, who would “like to have a little bit more information.” The Osborne Village BIZ was a major proponent of overhauling the intersection and floated the idea of a scramble in its “Blueprint for a Vibrant and Healthy Neighbourhood” document, released last year. “Everybody who lives in the neighbourhood understands how important it is to make sure it’s safe for pedestrians,” said Zohreh Gervais, Osborne BIZ executive director.”This is one step we can take to help that process move along, so I really hope that the city will reconsider.” Rollins intends to reject the report and recommend the public service return in 90 days with a more comprehensive document, she said. — with files from Joyanne Pursaga tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Traffic-calming Wolseley Avenue (Apr4'24)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Apr '24

04 Apr '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Traffic-calming Wolseley Avenue City says dropping speed limit would increase neighbourhood livability https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/04/03/wolseley-avenue-o… WOLSELEY Avenue, a hotbed of activity with bicycles and pedestrians dodging drivers trying to escape the hustle of Portage Avenue, could become the city’s latest greenway, with vehicle speeds limited to 30 km/h under a new proposal. A city report recommends the scenic street along the Assiniboine River become the next year-round speed-reduced route, which would see its speed drop to 30 km/h from 50 km/h between Maryland Street and Raglan Road, if approved by council. Coun. Janice Lukes, head of the public works committee, supports the change. “It increases the neighbourhood livability… As our city densifies, we’re going to be doing more and more of this. We don’t need cars racing through neighbourhoods… They can drive (at a higher) speed on collectors and on the major arterials,” said Lukes (Waverley West). The trend to add more speed-reduced neighbourhood greenways is well underway. The City of Winnipeg defines the greenways as on-street routes meant to safely move pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles, which typically include traffic-calming treatments and a 30 km/h speed limit. The avenue would join 19 other such routes that council previously approved. Wolseley Avenue stands out because it tends to have more traffic than the standard neighbourhood greenway, with about 1,000 to 3,200 vehicles per day, while target traffic volumes for a greenway should fall below 1,000 to 1,500, said city spokeswoman Julie Horbal Dooley, in an emailed statement. “What we need to explore further is whether the speed limit and some minor traffic-calming measures do enough to create ‘all ages and abilities’ (active transportation) conditions on Wolseley,” she wrote. She noted speed tables, curb bumpouts and raised crosswalks are slated to be added this summer. After staff assess how that works, further proposed changes could be brought forward for community consultation, Horbal Dooley said. Lukes said the higher traffic volume doesn’t dampen her support for the proposed change. “Wolseley is one of the most commuter… bicycling-oriented neighbourhoods in the city… It’s got a very high percentage of people who bike and walk. I know the majority, a lot of Wolseley residents, want this,” she said. A frequent bike commuter and advocate for reduced residential street speed limits applauded the proposal. “I wouldn’t want to ride on Portage Avenue with my kids. So having Wolseley to the south of Portage is a great way to be able to head out to the Polo Park area… It’s a missing link,” said Ian Walker, chairman of Safe Speeds Winnipeg. Walker said the lower speed is much safer for roads shared by vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, since pedestrians and cyclists are much more likely to survive a collision when the vehicle is travelling at 30 km/h or less, as per the World Health Organization. “We’d like to see all residential streets be 30 km/h. In the meantime, we’re happy to see that the city is creating routes that people can use to commute,” he said. By contrast, others fear the change would slow down drivers. “These are routes that people need to drive on. I’m not against having areas for (cyclists) but it needs to be done with some thought… I’m concerned that it’s going to be a cash grab for the city and they’re going to set up their mobile (photo radar police units to ticket people) as a way to increase their revenues,” said Winnipeg resident Derek Rolstone. Rolstone said he expects the change would result in traffic congestion, perhaps inconveniencing more Winnipeggers than it supports. “When you put a 30 km/h zone in place, there’s people who are going to go 20 (km/h) and that’s not good,” he said. “We have a lot of bike routes for a winter city. I don’t think we need more.” Lukes said she expects some drivers to oppose the change but believes the benefits outweigh the concerns about driver delay. She said photo radar can offer an “incredibly effective tool for traffic calming and for improving neighbourhood livability.” In recent years, Wolseley has been an enhanced summer bike route, which means it is already slated for a seasonal speed-limit reduction that begins in May. Those bike routes were meant to slow down vehicle traffic and create more room for cyclists. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP opinion: It ain’t over till it’s over — is it over? (Portage & Main) Apr4'24
by Beth McKechnie 04 Apr '24

04 Apr '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. It ain’t over till it’s over — is it over? https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2024/04/04/it-aint-over-… JUDY WAYTIUK THE other day, I dropped into the Portage and Main circus. The elderly Asian man at the little convenience store there told me, in halting English, “I hope property owners keep open.” He has nowhere to go. He’ll have to figure it out. City council’s decision is not a reprieve while debate over closing the concourse continues, and the decision perhaps gets reversed. It will close. Council prettied up the mayor’s abrupt, unilateral decision with the gentlest possible knuckle- rap (though the vote on the amendment was 14-1) for his colossal pratfall in announcing the closure without a shred of the information needed to do so sensibly. Not actual costs, economic impacts, effects on businesses clinging to survival. Not the damage dried-up foot traffic will do to Winnipeg Square shops, to hotels, restaurants, or to the property values on which taxes from all those shops and businesses and parkades and hotels are based. Without pondering the thrill of crossing Portage and Main in January at -30 C with 40-kilometre winds in a wheelchair. Because when you close the circus, surface pedestrian crossing is your only option. Remember: the sole reason the mayor chose to open the surface was so he could close the circus. Council cobbled together a face-saving repair to his blunder and threw a sympathetic bone to the Bruce Head Wall, which is in the centre of the circus. The Winnipeg Arts Council — from whom the mayor just pulled an annual $500,000 that had enabled them to fulfil an essential purpose, commissioning public art, will try to figure out the problem. But they really should just find competent art historians to document the Wall in torturous detail for history, since the public will never see it in situ again. Locating a site for a 415-foot massive circular piece of three-foot-thick, 12-foot-high sculptured concrete slab? Figuring out what to do with its backside, even if you find a spot? Assuming you could cleanly cut it up into roughly 50 four-tonne blocks and haul them out of the doomed circus? Scotiabank’s escalators won’t carry them up. I’m exhausted after weeks of battling alone, until the Building Owners and Managers Association of Manitoba and the Downtown BIZ blazed up at the last minute, firing desperate salvos across the civic ship of state’s inexorably advancing bow. I’m tired of constantly observing the mayor’s $73-million number is patently wrong, and seeing that simple truth ignored in favour of the shiny-bauble news story: “Widow battles to save husband’s art.” But the media ran with that number, unquestioning, from the get-go, and cemented $73 million into their files — and the public mind. Then the shiny-bauble news story became “Historic intersection to reopen to people.” Nobody has checked the glaringly visible arithmetic. Concourse repairs plus new accesses — $35 million — not $73 million. Sewer/water main repairs, $13 million. Rip up/ replace the intersection plus traffic management, $25 million. Total: $38 million. Traffic disruption and $73 million were the mayor’s reasons to shutter the concourse. They have been blindly parroted by journalists since March 1. The sole questioning analysis came in brief coverage quoting the building owners association protest letter, and in op-eds penned by vested interests (this being one). The mayor also wished to lift the decision-making burden for civic authorities decades into the future. He very much deserves credit for at least making a decision frantically ducked by Brian Bowman — the mayor who held that 2018 plebiscite, simultaneously ignoring the leaking concourse membrane which was, even then, degrading under his watch. But the $38 million worth of sewer and water work still needs doing. Stantec’s report documents the needed work for over two pages. It will mean shredding and replacing the intersection and East Portage Avenue as well, and five years of disrupted traffic; there are even pretty, multi-coloured diagrams. Does the mayor consider $38 million and five years of awful traffic also unacceptable? On June 8, 2016, an enormous sinkhole in downtown Ottawa swallowed three lanes of Rideau Street. Cause: a broken water main. A year later, another hole gaped open. Hasty repairs hadn’t gone quite right. On Feb. 7 of this year, a sewer line broke in south Winnipeg. Roughly 230 million litres of raw, putrid sewage belched into the Red River before it was fixed 16 days later — temporarily. Traffic on Abinojii Mikanah was terrible. On March 13, a sewer pipe collapse forced closure of a south Winnipeg community centre/daycare for more than two weeks. If your sewer and water department tells you something needs doing, you do it. But that means more costs. When crosswalks go in (possibly $10 million), they’ll have to be ripped up, along with the intersection, to do the sewer and water work. The mayor wants those crosswalks by July 1, 2025, the same deadline the public service got to produce all the information the mayor apparently didn’t need to make his decision in the first place. So, another $20 million, maybe? Nobody wanted the concourse closed. Not the consultants, not Stantec, not the public service, not the shelved 2018 Dillon report. This is what happens when you don’t think something through, and you grab the wrong decision because you skipped your homework. It could blow up in your face. Or implode. Literally. Winnipeg, and what’s simply known across Canada as The Wall, will pay the cost. One way or the other. Bruce Head’s widow, Judy Waytiuk, may be exhausted, but she isn’t quite ready to quit.

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WFP: Fuel for a rethink of driving habits (Mar22'24)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Mar '24

22 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Fuel for a rethink of driving habits OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2024/03/21/an-opportunity-to-think-… THE abrupt shutdown of an Imperial Oil pipeline that carries fuel to Winnipeg is surely an inconvenience. Economically, it’s bad news because it could have a negative effect on trade and retail sales. The trucking industry has already been impacted. However, it’s also an opportunity: a chance for Winnipeggers, including businesses, to explore ways to burn less carbon-emitting fuel. Some fuel stations around Winnipeg have been limiting, or are sold out of, gasoline after the pipeline was shut down for repairs. Imperial Oil says the pipeline — which runs from Gretna, near the U.S. border to Winnipeg — will be out of commission for three months. While industry officials and politicians have assured Manitobans there is no immediate threat of a fuel shortage (since gas is being delivered by truck and rail instead), there are visible signs of a supply disruption. Hastily scrawled “Out of gas” signs are popping up at some pump locations. Those will surely become more common, as will capping the amount of fuel motorists can buy. The wrong and dangerous response to this inconvenience (which is all it is right now, it’s not a crisis) would be to hoard fuel in jerry cans in your garage or backyard. For starters, there’s no need to do so. Fuel is available for sale and, by all accounts, will continue to be so for some time. It may just take people a little longer to get it. Second, hoarding will only exacerbate the situation by increasing demand unnecessarily. Third, and most important, it’s dangerous. Storing fuel in jerry cans — or worse, containers not designed to hold fuel — increases the risk of combustion and fire. A more appropriate and healthier response would be to use this situation to re-evaluate how much carbon-emitting fuel we use in our lives. Granted, some of that consumption is not discretionary. For those who need their vehicles for work, or have no other way of commuting to places they must be, there’s not much wiggle room. For many, though, there are alternatives to driving, especially for able-bodied, single-occupant motorists. Transit is the most obvious alternative. It’s not an option for everyone, especially in Winnipeg, which has a substandard public transportation system (the government should take this opportunity to re-evaluate how poorly it funds transit in Winnipeg). But it is available to many and, while perhaps inconvenient and less comfortable than getting into a remote-started vehicle, it is often a viable alternative to driving. Walking is also not an option for everyone, but it goes without saying most people could walk a lot more to reach their destinations, myself included. Many of us are lazy. We like convenience and it’s far easier to get into a vehicle to commute a kilometre or two (sometimes less) than it is to walk. Cycling. Again, not everyone has that choice, but with warmer weather just around the corner, biking to work, school, the store… wherever, is a viable alternative for many. Fortunately, the city has made progress expanding its network of dedicated cycling routes. It is far easier to get around on a bike today in Winnipeg than it was 25 years ago. The city has a long way to go before it can claim to be cyclist-friendly, but it’s headed in the right direction. Perhaps the fuel-supply disruption could help accelerate that process. Some people can work from home more often, carpool if possible (or more often) or even stay home instead of making a discretionary commute. Dog owners don’t have to drive to unleashed parks every day. They can substitute some of those trips with walks in their own neighbourhoods. The fuel-supply disruption could even be an opportunity to re-evaluate how people drive, including reducing or eliminating quick accelerations, speeding up to red lights and exceeding the speed limit, all of which is fuel-inefficient. In other words, use this fuel-disruption situation to rethink how much fuel you burn. Is all of it necessary? Can some be reduced? Is it time to start thinking about buying an electric vehicle or a hybrid? Those who have one must feel pretty good about their decision right now. Given the climate-change crisis faced by humanity, we should be having these discussions on an ongoing basis. It should not take a minor fuel- supply disruption to get us out of our single-occupant vehicles. Since the opportunity has presented itself, why not exploit it? tom.brodbeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: City hall votes to open Portage and Main, close concourse (Mar22'24)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Mar '24

22 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City hall votes to open Portage and Main, close concourse Tear down barricades: council https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/03/21/council-votes-to-… IN the end, the final vote in a debate that has raged since 1979 wasn’t even close. Next year, after 46 years, pedestrians will once again cross Portage and Main at street level: city council Thursday voted 11-3 to open the intersection and close the underground concourse. ‘ The landmark intersection, which has been called the windiest in Canada, has been the place to where Bombers fans race to celebrate a Grey Cup win, where protests are routinely held and where the military was celebrated for helping out during the 1997 “flood of the century.” The vote came after city officials estimated it would cost $73 million and disrupt traffic for up to five years to replace the leaking membrane that protects the underground concourse and keep it open. Mayor Scott Gillingham has repeatedly argued that assessment makes a clear case to close the underground instead. “I believe the practical alternative (is) to open the intersection to pedestrian traffic at street level, avoid up to five years of traffic delays and decommission the concourse,” said Gillingham. The mayor joined Couns. Matt Allard, Jeff Browaty, Shawn Dobson, Evan Duncan, Cindy Gilroy, Janice Lukes, Brian Mayes, Sherri Rollins, Vivian Santos and Devi Sharma to support the proposal, while Couns. Ross Eadie, Jason Schreyer and Russ Wyatt voted against it. Couns. Markus Chambers and John Orlikow were absent. Not everyone at Thursday’s council meeting agreed: the trucking industry questioned the effect on traffic, while one councillor argued for another plebiscite to let citizens have their say and another councillor said he backs opening pedestrian access but opposes closing the indoor walkway. An early estimate suggests it would cost about $20 million to $50 million to close the concourse, though council voted to complete a more thorough assessment of that cost, and the steps required, before the 2025 budget process. City officials are expected to prepare for the street-level reopening by July 1, 2025. The city expects to devote $13 million to the “initial opening design and construction” and defer some road projects to pay for it. Some delegates at Thursday’s council meeting questioned why council would make such a quick decision to close the concourse, before the full impact is studied. “We’ll all have to wait until after you vote to close it to find out what it would actually cost… We know nothing that we need to know about the ramifications of closing it,” said Judy Waytiuk. Waytiuk noted she has a vested interest in opposing the concourse closure, since her late partner, Bruce Head, created the 127-metre-long concrete artwork that covers the inner wall of the circular walkway, which would be difficult to save on its own. She stressed maintaining public infrastructure is a primary role of city council, including the concourse. A member of the trucking industry said he fears large trucks could lose some access to the intersection, which is a key part of many different routes. “We’re not specifically against opening the barricades… Our concern is keeping Portage and Main open in all directions to trucks because conceptual designs do not make that clear,” said Aaron Dolyniuk, executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association. Debate over pedestrian access at the intersection has raged on for many years. In a 2018 plebiscite, 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted “no” to reopening the intersection to pedestrians, which was cut off in 1979 after the underground concourse opened. Wyatt said the city shouldn’t pursue a reopening unless a second plebiscite with the same question finds the majority of Winnipeggers now support the change. “I’m not going to vote to open Portage and Main, absolutely not, without there being another plebiscite (to) let the citizens of Winnipeg decide,” said Wyatt (Transcona). He also expressed safety concerns, suggesting pedestrian access will result in an increase in crashes, causing injuries and even deaths. While the mayor said he was opposed to reopening the intersection during the last election campaign, Gillingham said the latest information, especially the cost to fix the concourse, led him to change his mind. Eadie (Mynarski) supported pedestrian access but opposed the concourse closure. “I’m definitely not for closing the concourse. It’s existing infrastructure, just like the Arlington Bridge (that should be maintained),” he said. Meanwhile, Browaty said an amending clause, which requires the cost and traffic impacts of closing the concourse to be studied, helped lead him to support the slightly altered motion. That comes despite his long-standing opposition to opening the intersection to pedestrians. “Even though I’m still against 24-7 (pedestrian) crossings and I don’t think spending $13 million to rush the opening for next year is the best plan, I do think… getting that amendment is important enough (to vote for this),” he said. The North Kildonan councillor said pedestrian crossings should be assessed over the first 12 to 18 months after the reopening. “If it doesn’t work out… perhaps (in the) longer term, we look at putting weekday rush-hour bans on pedestrian crossing,” said Browaty. The mayor said he’s committed to consulting with the trucking industry, property owners at the intersection and businesses in the underground concourse about the changes, noting any spending to actually close the concourse would still require city council approval. “Council has to make hard decisions from time to time. There are times… when we have to make a decision about whether we’re going to continue to invest in an asset or whether or not we’re going to say it’s time to decommission an asset,” said Gillingham. Council’s decision also directs city staff to consult with the Winnipeg Arts Council about the public art in the concourse. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X : @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Poll shows U-turn on Portage and Main (Mar21'24)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Mar '24

21 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Poll shows U-turn on Portage and Main Most Winnipeggers now support reopening intersection https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/03/20/u-turn-on-portage… A MAJORITY of Winnipeggers is in favour of reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians six years after an overwhelming “no,” a new poll suggested ahead of a council vote Thursday. More than a quarter of those polled in the Free Press- Probe Research survey said they voted against the proposal in a 2018 plebiscite, but have since changed their mind. “When you look at this new information, I think a lot of people, like me, are making a different decision than they did six years ago,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said Wednesday. The “new information” is the estimated $73 million cost and up to five years of traffic disruption associated with proposed repairs to the pedestrian concourse beneath the iconic downtown intersection. “When people, like I did, get this new information, it moves us toward the practical alternative, which is to reopen the intersection at-grade,” said Gillingham. The online survey of 600 Winnipeg adults was conducted between March 5-18. A total of 61 per cent said they strongly or somewhat support restoring pedestrian access, while 39 per cent are strongly or somewhat against it. Women, younger adults, university graduates and supporters of the provincial NDP and Liberals were among those more likely to be in favour. Portage and Main has been closed to pedestrians since 1979. In 2018’s non-binding plebiscite, 65 per cent of voters were against removing concrete barriers and reopening the junction to foot traffic, while 35 per cent were in favour. The Free Press- Probe Research poll suggests 28 per cent of those who voted “no” are now strongly or somewhat in support. “We have seen a pretty significant chunk of suburban Winnipeggers think this is the right thing to do, given the cost and the support (on council),” said Probe Research principal Curtis Brown. “There hasn’t been as much vocal opposition compared to six years ago.” Support outpaced opposition in four of five areas of the city. The strongest support is in the city’s core (72 per cent in favour), followed by the southwest (61 per cent), northwest (60 per cent) and southeast (58 per cent). Northeast Winnipeg had the highest proportion of opposition (53 per cent). Potential traffic impacts and negative attitudes toward downtown were probable factors, said North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty. The finance committee chair said he is open to allowing pedestrians only at off-peak times. He said a full reopening should be trialled for 12-18 months — to assess traffic pattern changes and economic impacts — before a final decision is made. A 2017 study by a consulting firm suggested a few minutes would be added to most commutes. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed work and commuting patterns for some Winnipeggers, the mayor has said. Browaty said council shouldn’t consider closing the underground concourse until it sees a complete study. He fears property and rental values could decline if the concourse is closed. At a March 12 executive policy committee meeting, Browaty was the lone member to vote against a motion to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians by July 1, 2025, and proceed with an eventual concourse closure in consultation with affected businesses and property owners. Council is scheduled to vote today. “It seems like the mayor has the votes for it,” said Brown. “No matter what happens, there definitely will be people who are not happy.” Gillingham believes the motion has enough support, but he is not expecting a unanimous vote. If approved, an external engineering study will help to determine the design and cost of a pedestrian- friendly intersection. The vote is taking place less than three weeks after Gillingham announced he is now in favour of reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians. The U-turn was prompted by a report from the city’s acting urban planning manager, who said it could cost $73 million and disrupt traffic for up to five years to replace a leaking membrane under the concrete that protects the concourse. “I could see why that could sway people’s decision,” said Coun. Vivian Santos, who supports pedestrian access to the intersection, which is in her Point Douglas ward. Decommissioning the concourse, meanwhile, could cost between $20 million and $50 million, subject to further study. Gillingham has said it costs the city about $1 million annually to operate and maintain the concourse. The Building Owners and Managers Association of Manitoba has spoken out against the proposed closure, describing it as “short-sighted” and “based on incomplete information.” The city said about 72,000 vehicles pass through Portage and Main on a weekday, which is 10 per cent less than in 2016. It is Winnipeg’s sixth busiest intersection. Last year, a study counted more than 2,100 pedestrians in the underground circus during a two hour period at midday on a weekday. More than 1,500 people walked by the intersection on adjacent sidewalks during counts in mid-January. Probe Research said its survey comprised a random and representative sampling of Winnipeggers. Live operators, an automated phone system and an online panel were used to recruit respondents. The polling firm said the survey has a margin of error of four percentage points, 95 per cent of the time. Margins of error are higher within sub-groups, such as gender, age and education. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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The Economist on American love of big vehicles
by Charles Feaver 14 Mar '24

14 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Why American cars are so big A regulatory loophole that incentivised sales of big vehicles is about to be tightened [Trump supporters drive through Mooresville in trucks while participating in a Donald J. Trump parade in Mooresville, Indiana, USA.]image: jeremy hogan/polaris/eyevine Mar 11th 2024 SaveShare Give Americans love to super-size-and not just their fast food. They favour huge sport-utility vehicles (suvs) and pickup trucks over small cars. Some 8.7m hit the road in 2023, accounting for more than half of all sales of new vehicles, according to jato Dynamics, a research firm. Although European cars are also getting bigger<https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/06/21/a-farewell-to-small-cars-the-in…>, American ones still have a comfortable lead: in 2022 the average car sold in America weighed 1,857kg, almost 20% more than the average in Europe. Wide roads and big parking spaces accommodate this preference for hefty rides-and so does the law. But a loophole that for nearly 50 years has incentivised sales of big vehicles will soon be tightened. Will that lead Americans to buy smaller cars? In 1973 oil-producing Arab countries cut shipments to America to punish it for supporting Israel in the Yom Kippur war: sharp increases in fuel prices, long queues at petrol stations and a deep recession followed. In 1975, in response to the crisis, the federal government imposed fuel-economy standards on carmakers. By 1985 all new models would have to reach 27.5 miles per (American) gallon (11.7km/litre), up from an average of 13mpg. Today the law mandates 40mpg. To increase efficiency, manufacturers had to use more complex engines, which made their cars costlier. To ease the burden on small businesses that relied on big vehicles, the government exempted "light trucks", any vehicle that could be used off road and weighed less than 8,500lb (3855kg). That meant suvs-typically among the biggest and least-efficient cars-were swept into the category and avoided the new fuel standards. [cid:image002.png@01DA7652.C1A60610]image: the economist Because making light trucks held to lower environmental standards was more profitable than building small clean cars, automakers marketed big models, including suvs, enthusiastically. They portrayed them as quintessentially American, embodying freedom<https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/11/09/in-praise-of-ame…>, strength and adventurousness. By 2002 light trucks made up a bigger share of light-duty vehicle sales than cars. After the price shock of the 1970s, by the 1990s petrol had become cheaper in America than in other rich countries-so the cost of running a big car did not deter buyers. Such models are convenient for suburban living, and consumers see them as safe. Even when buying cars that are not exempt from efficiency standards, Americans favour chunky sedans over small city cars, which made up just 8% of vehicle sales in 2023, compared with 36% in Europe. And although suvs have a similar market share-a little over half of new vehicles-in both America and Europe, American models are bigger and less efficient. That has been bad for the climate. Transport is the largest source of greenhouse gases in America, and almost 60% of those emissions come from cars and other light-duty vehicles. It has been bad for the safety of other road users too. Heavier cars are more likely to kill people if they hit them. According to a study conducted at the University of Hawaii, pedestrians are almost 70% more likely to be killed if they are hit by a light truck as opposed to a car. The rule favouring big petrol-guzzlers is about to change. The Environmental Protection Agency (epa), which sets limits on cars' emissions, announced in April 2023 that it planned to tighten standards across the board and narrow the definition of a light truck. The agency is due to publish final rules this year. The CO2-emission limit for cars is currently 161 grams per kilometre, compared with 276 grams for light trucks, a 71% difference; the epa is expected to cut that gap to 22% by 2032, forcing manufacturers to use more efficient engines in their big models, which will raise the price of big cars relative to smaller ones. The agency believes that its new rules are so strict that they will speed up the move towards electric vehicles<https://www.economist.com/business/2023/11/27/is-americas-ev-revolution-sta…> (evs), so that by 2032 two-thirds of new sales will be electric. Yet this may make little difference to the size of cars. Many popular vehicles, such as the Ford F-150, would still count as light trucks and continue to benefit from lower efficiency standards, and hence lower costs and prices. And evs are developing the same weight problem<https://www.economist.com/business/2023/08/10/how-green-is-your-electric-ve…> as conventional cars. The epa does not regulate evs' indirect emissions, even though heavier models require more electricity to charge, and need bigger batteries, which contain more of the scarce metals used to make those batteries. In 2022 60% of electric-vehicle sales in America were suvs, according to the International Energy Agency. Regulation alone may not be enough to change the country's taste for super-sized cars. ■

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WFP: A step closer to pedestrians on Portage and Main (Mar13'24)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Mar '24

13 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. EPC votes for plan; Downtown BIZ concerned A step closer to pedestrians on Portage and Main https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/03/12/epc-votes-in-favo… THE proposal to reopen pedestrian access at the Portage and Main intersection and decommission its underground concourse passed a key hurdle Tuesday. City council’s executive policy committee cast a 5-1 vote in favour of the move, despite hearing concerns the below-grade closure will hurt businesses linked to the structure. After applauding the pedestrian reopening as a way to spark street-level activity, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ chief executive officer Kate Fenske told EPC she is similarly worried about the below- ground changes. “We’re hoping this doesn’t have to be an either/or position… Decommissioning the underground would have a huge impact on their livelihoods and could also impact the success of other businesses connected to the city-owned Portage and Main underground,” said Fenske. The sheltered walkways also offer a key option for employees of many downtown businesses to travel between buildings, especially during the winter, she added. “Opening the intersection at Portage and Main to pedestrians is absolutely a priority, but Winnipeg’s underground is so much more than just an intersection,” she said, suggesting the city collaborate with the BIZ to address any negative impacts. Mayor Scott Gillingham later told reporters the feedback “doesn’t change anything for me.” “I’ve committed to having discussions with the property owners and the business owners, as well. We know that businesses, obviously, within the circus… would be affected by its closure but also businesses that are located under the properties. Part of our commitment is to be in discussion with the property owners and the businesses to try to find a way to assist them,” he said. The mayor stressed decommissioning of the site would not happen immediately, though the City of Winnipeg hasn’t provided a timeline. Gillingham said it’s “too soon to tell” whether the city could compensate the six tenants who now rent spaces within the city’s portion of the concourse. “The decommissioning wouldn’t happen immediately. It would take a while to all play out, so there’s time for dialogue.” The mayor has stressed there is a clear financial basis for the changes, noting replacing a leaking membrane to protect the concourse would cost an estimated $73 million and require up to five years of traffic-delaying construction. The mayor’s office said Winnipeg received about $111,000 in rent from concourse businesses in 2023, but paid $1.011 million to operate and maintain the site the same year. An early estimate suggests it would cost about $20 million to $50 million to close the concourse. After decades of heated debate over the site’s future, Gillingham said the relatively muted response to his current call to reopen it to pedestrians is likely related to Winnipeg’s need to address more urgent concerns. “I’m not saying the opening of Portage and Main is not important, but there are just more things that are pressing in our community right now — whether it’s housing, safety, the need to continue to address homelessness in our community. I think the public is wanting us to focus on those things.” At EPC, the mayor joined Couns. Sherri Rollins, Evan Duncan, Janice Lukes and Brian Mayes to vote in favour of the Portage and Main plan; Coun. Jeff Browaty voted against it. Browaty stressed the underground walkway is an important piece of public infrastructure. “Many groups are concerned with this out-of-the-blue closure scenario, accessibility advocates, business owners, people working downtown… At this point, no real work has been done to study the shuttering of the underground circus.” While the matter still awaits a final council vote, Gillingham said he believes there is sufficient support among elected officials to get the plan approved. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP Analysis: Imagining what the ‘Windy Corner’ could one day be (Mar11'24)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Mar '24

11 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Imagining what the ‘Windy Corner’ could one day be https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2024/03/11/imagining-wha… OPEN Portage and Main. Four simple words. Elections have been fought over them. Friends have become temporary enemies because of them. Family dinners have been ruined by them. A Winnipeg debate that has stirred local emotions and bewildered outsiders for more than half a century. During the 2018 plebiscite, a common refrain in opposition to opening the intersection to pedestrians was that the money required to remove the barricades could be used for more important things. A new Public Works report flips this economic argument on its head, revealing a staggering cost for required repairs to the underground. This construction work would also cause up to five years of traffic delays through the intersection. With this new information, Mayor Scott Gillingham and several city councillors have pulled the pin on that old political hand grenade and announced their support for the less costly and disruptive approach, proposing to close the underground and allow people to cross the street at the sidewalk level. In 2018, the easiest solution was the status quo, so we voted against change. Today the easiest solution is change. The debate will continue as the mayor’s proposal moves through committees and council votes. We know the issue has been a political quagmire and this time will likely be no different. As politicians argue, however, the rest of us might try a new approach for once. Instead of being sucked back into endless circular debates about traffic and safety, informed by gut feeling and speculation, what if we let the traffic engineers solve the traffic engineering? Let the experts be experts, while the rest of turn our thoughts to a vision of what Portage and Main might become. We may be forced into this decision for pragmatic reasons, but that doesn’t mean our response can’t inspire our collective imagination. The mayor has said, “it’s just an intersection.” He’s right, it is. It’s not the mythical beast that has its own climate or was once a battlefield of pedestrian carnage that has lived in Winnipeg lore for generations. But it was once a special place in our city, in our country. What if it was again? What if instead of being a place to drive through, it was a place where we lingered, learned, and loved? As you enter the ‘Cities of the Twentieth Century’ exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, you are greeted by a giant mural of Portage and Main from a century ago. It once represented the very best of what a city could be — bustling sidewalks filled with optimism at the social and economic heart of a city. Could it ever become that again? Portage and Main began as an Indigenous meeting place, the intersection of two ancient trading routes, its unusual width a legacy of Red River Carts travelling, side by side, as Métis entrepreneurs crisscrossed the open Prairie. When Henry McKenney built his general store at the connection of the two paths in 1862, he planted the seed that a modern city would grow from. Portage and Main would later be the site of Winnipeg’s first city council meeting, and was once the head of Banker’s Row, a stunning line of financial buildings on land as valuable as Wall Street in Manhattan. Western Canada’s first office building once stood there, and in 1969, the west’s tallest building rose from the corner. It would be where the city’s first streetcar ran, and its last. The intersection witnessed the 1919 General Strike, the signing of Bobby Hull and Dale Hawerchuk, and the return of the Jets. A place where we celebrate together, mourn together, and protest together. Imagine a place where this spirit and history was woven together and expressed through art, lighting, landscape, and interpretive design. A vibrant place that is a celebration of our city, one that welcomes visitors to learn about us and a place for us to learn about ourselves. Today, every side of the intersection is seeing renewal and growth — new plazas, new restaurants, new office space, a gym, a soaring new skyscraper filled with hundreds of people who call the nearby intersection home. The familiar old bank that resembles a Greek temple on the southeast corner will see the intersection’s highest impact transformation as it becomes the Red River Métis National Heritage Centre, poetically reclaiming the origins of the place as a celebration of Métis culture and modern spirit. It will stand as a downtown focal point and destination that will draw people to Portage and Main. Imagine if, instead of being hidden behind concrete barricades, this new landmark was surrounded by a grand urban landscape that spills from one corner to the next, drawing all this new activity out from inside the buildings onto the sidewalks and into the public spaces. A celebration of who we are, where we have come from and where we want to go. Most Winnipeggers recognize the lasting impacts of the pandemic have hit downtown hard, and Portage Avenue is no longer the proud street it once was. New ideas are needed to restore its prominent place in our city. Re-imagining Portage and Main as a welcoming place for people won’t solve all of downtown’s issues, but it will make an important statement about who we are as a city and who we aspire to be. The mayor and supporting councilors should be given credit. It will take political courage to move forward, even backed by financial justification. As we do, let’s take some time to dream about the possibilities and shift towards an uplifting dialogue about vision and opportunity, reflecting on what Winnipeg’s famous ‘Windy Corner’ might one day be. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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WFP: ’Over the moon’: longtime proponents of opening Portage and Main plan ‘crossing the street’ party (Mar3'24)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Mar '24

03 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ’Over the moon’: longtime proponents of opening Portage and Main plan ‘crossing the street’ party https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/03/02/over-the-moon-lon… If the concrete barricades are torn down and Portage and Main reopens to pedestrians, you can expect Adam Dooley to be one of the first Winnipeggers to cross the storied intersection. Dooley, who co-chaired the Vote Open campaign during a 2018 plebiscite that denied the reopening, joked about having a “crossing the street” party to celebrate the occasion. “We will definitely be there on day 1, and I know there will be a lot of happy people,” he said. “Once the dust settles, people will applaud this. Even people who were four-square against it.” Dooley and fellow supporters were pleased when Mayor Scott Gillingham announced Friday Portage and Main could reopen to pedestrians by summer 2025, following decades of debate. “I was over the moon. It feels like something that has been a really long time coming,” said Alyson Shane, a digital marketing agency owner who was the official spokesperson of the Vote Open campaign. “It’s nice to see the city making changes that move us in a positive direction.” The downtown intersection closed to foot traffic in 1979, after the city struck a 40-year deal — now expired — with a property developer who built an office tower and an underground mall. In 2018’s non-binding plebiscite, 65 per cent of voters were against restoring pedestrian access. Dooley and Shane said there was a lot of missing information or myths at that time, especially around the potential impacts on travel and safety. When he ran for mayor in 2022, Gillingham was opposed to removing the barricades, saying it would “disrespectful” to ignore the results of the public vote. He’s now in favour, after a new city staff report said it would cost $73 million to repair the leaking membrane under the concrete that protects a pedestrian concourse beneath the intersection. Repairs would involve digging up parts of Portage and Main, which would cause traffic “chaos” for four to five years, the mayor said Friday. Additional costly repairs would be necessary in 30 to 40 years. “We have information today we did not have in 2018, and I did not have during the election in 2022,” said Gillingham. If the report’s findings were available in 2018, the plebiscite’s result likely would have been closer, said Dooley, a public relations executive based in the Exchange District. “When I read about the rationale (Friday), I thought this is a good, common sense policy decision,” he said. In 2018, the Vote Open campaign heard two main concerns: that reopening Portage and Main would be a waste of money, and it would impede vehicular traffic. The report states concourse repairs and maintenance would be costlier, said Dooley. As for traffic impacts, people in the “vote yes” camp pointed to a consulting firm’s 2017 study which suggested only a few minutes would be added to most commutes. The difference would have been negligible, said Shane. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed work and commuting patterns, and the city has been taking steps, including bus route changes, to improve traffic flow, said Dooley. In 2017, the cost to reopen the intersection was estimated to be $11.6 million, about half of which was for the purchase of new buses. City council could soon vote on a motion which calls for pedestrian access at Portage and Main — the city’s sixth-busiest downtown intersection — by 2025 to coincide with a new Winnipeg Transit route network. Further study would find out how much it could cost to reopen the intersection. Public works chair Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said the city budget’s road safety plan would provide funding and research to ensure the intersection is safe for pedestrians. Busier downtown intersections are open to pedestrians, she noted. The plan calls for the concourse to be permanently closed to the public. It could cost $20 million to $50 million, and take up to five years to decommission the city’s portion of the concourse, said Gillingham. Dooley said some questions are still to be answered. “We don’t know what the final intersection will look like,” he said. Supporters such as Shane believe a pedestrian-friendly junction will help to improve public safety and vibrancy downtown. “It’s a really exciting and positive step for our city,” she said. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: Six years later, ‘Yes’ side gets the last laugh (Mar2'24)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Mar '24

02 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Six years later, ‘Yes’ side gets the last laugh OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2024/03/01/is-the-truth-in-the-end-… BACK in 2018, with Winnipeggers embroiled in a contentious plebiscite about whether to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic, one of the property owners connected to the concourse beneath the storied intersection suggested city council delay the vote. The roof membrane of the concourse was leaking and would have to be replaced. However, as the plebiscite campaign raged on, the property owners and city had done only very preliminary engineering work to estimate the size and cost of a fix. “It would seem to me to be very premature to vote on the intersection until we get all the engineering information on what expenditures need to be made to the concourse,” said Roseanne Hill Blaisdell, president and CEO of Harvard Developments, owner of 201 Portage Ave. History will show the plebiscite was not delayed and that — without all of the necessary information about the consequences of the concourse repairs — Winnipeggers voted convincingly to keep the intersection closed. Fast-forward five years. The missing information in the debate over Portage and Main was finally unearthed Friday when Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham released an engineering report confirming it would cost $73 million to remove the existing pedestrian barricades and repair the roof of the underground concourse beneath the intersection. Gillingham said once he had the report in hand, he began to see just how pointless it was to repair the concourse. The $73-million investment would only buy the concourse — the city-owned circular walkway that connects the sub-grade retail and commercial levels of four properties at Portage and Main — another 40 years or so, when the entire process would have to be repeated. And because the membrane has to be accessed from street level, significant portions of the intersection would be closed for up to five years. The decommissioning of the concourse will be costly, as well, Gillingham said, with estimates running from $20 million to $50 million. However, that work will not have to be repeated in 40 years and will not require the intersection to be closed at street level, he added. Despite voting against reopening in 2018 and avoiding the issue completely in the 2022 election, Gillingham said he realizes the only sensible option is to close the concourse permanently, which almost automatically means reopening the intersection to pedestrians at street level. “I think it’s the practical decision,” Gillingham said in an interview on the Niigaan and the Lone Ranger podcast. “I think that if the average voter in Winnipeg had this information (back in 2018), that we’d looking at $73 million for this work, that we’d have to do it again in 30 to 40 years and five years of traffic chaos, I think more voters would have said, ‘Open it to pedestrian traffic.’” Rather than get involved in another plebiscite, Gillingham will join Coun. Sherri Rollins in tabling a motion on the floor of city council to close the concourse permanently and reopen the intersection to pedestrians by 2025. In other words, no followup plebiscite. Gillingham should be applauded for putting practical considerations ahead of philosophical ones. But it will still rankle many of the most strident supporters of reopening the intersection who predicted this exact scenario back in 2018. You may remember that former mayor Brian Bowman was actually elected in 2014 on a pledge to reopen the intersection. However, in the leadup to the 2018 civic election, North Kildonan city councillor Jeff Browaty and allies on council challenged the mayor to hold a plebiscite on the issue on the theory that voters in suburban neighbourhoods — where there is typically higher turnout during civic elections — would defeat the idea. Sensing the political mismatch that was developing, the ‘Yes’ campaign immediately went to work educating voters on the truth of the Portage and Main debate, which was afflicted by both a shortage of critical information (engineering estimates) and deliberate misinformation. Browaty, architect of the plebiscite and unofficial leader of the ‘No’ campaign, continued to argue that reopening the intersection would put vehicles and pedestrians at risk and cripple traffic flow. He made the arguments even though there were much busier and larger intersections in downtown that allowed pedestrians to cross at street level safely and efficiently. And Browaty dismissed concerns about the concourse repairs, suggesting that if existing barriers had to be removed as part of repairing the membrane, then it was an opportunity to build something “more aesthetically pleasing” in their place. When Browaty was reminded during the campaign that a full cost estimate had not been completed, he shrugged and started repeating talking points about pedestrian safety. What a lot of people suspected, and what we know now to be true, is that the 2018 plebiscite was a sham. It was a misinformed debate that took place with only partial information about cost implications, all designed to hoodwink voters. For a ‘Yes’ campaign that relied heavily on fact but ultimately fell prey to the forces of fiction, there may be some hard feelings about having to wait five years for the truth to come out. On the other hand, the ‘Yes’ folks do get to have the last say on the matter. They told you so. dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP: Portage & Main - Concourse businesses worried; disability groups cheering
by Beth McKechnie 02 Mar '24

02 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Concourse businesses worried; disability groups cheering Winds of change bring mixed reaction https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/03/01/winds-of-change-b… DOWNTOWN senior Marilyn Brazeau is a frequent visitor to the underground concourse at Portage and Main. Brazeau, who lives a few blocks away, is a regular customer of some Winnipeg Square businesses and, after hearing Friday’s traffic-stopping news, expressed concerns about the owners and people who work below the famous intersection. Mayor Scott Gillingham announced earlier in the day that replacing the leaking membrane under the intersection — protecting the concourse below — would cost the city $73 million and take up to five years, creating major construction-related traffic disruptions. The city will instead close the concourse and remove the controversial concrete barriers at street level that have prevented pedestrians from crossing since 1979. Gillingham’s announcement comes more than five years after 65 per cent of voters in a civic plebiscite turned thumbs-down to reopening the intersection to pedestrians. The mayor said he’s working with Coun. Sherri Rollins to draft a motion that recommends the city remove the pedestrian barricades by summer 2025 to coincide with the launch of the new transit network. Brazeau acknowledged that safety is a concern for people who access the concourse via stairwells from the street. “It is kind of scary (in the concourse), to be honest with you but, I mean, it’s scary up here too, right?” she said, adding she’d like to hear more input from downtown residents and business owners and possibly another plebiscite, before the city takes action. “I think it’s really controversial,” she said. “I think that people should have a say, people should vote on it, because it’s going to cost money, it doesn’t matter which way we go.” John Young was 17 years old in 1979. At the time, he found the decision to close the intersection to people shocking. Now the executive director of the Independent Living Resource Centre, which supports people with disabilities in Winnipeg, he is well-versed in the difficulties downtown residents have navigating the corridor. “Just imagine this — you went from Portage Place, you want to get to here,” he said Friday morning, gesturing at the concourse entry adjacent to the Richardson Building. “But then you get to Scotiabank, and the elevator doesn’t work. You can’t keep going. You’ve got to go back home.” He said the city had reached out to the ILRC for input on the possible change. While he’d like to see the concourse stay open, taking down the barriers will make a big difference for many. “One hundred per cent, this would solve it for people with disabilities, it would solve it for older people, it would solve it for a lot of people who live downtown who just want to cross the street,” he said. If the city saves money by closing the concourse, Winnipeg Square eatery Caribbean Vibes owner Melani Bastians said the city should take the difference and invest it into social supports in the downtown core. “If there’s any extra money that’s being saved from this (change), in the downtown core, we should find a warehouse, build a massive kitchen and… we can make massive amounts of food for the hungry,” she said. Lasha Yaeger has managed the Winnipeg Square dessert shop Cookies By George for nearly 25 years and has followed the never-ending debate about the intersection nearly that long. She was thinking about the future of her business Friday. While some customers order ahead over the phone, most of her business comes from people walking up and buying treats on the go — many using the underground concourse to get to her — and she’s not sure business in the winter will keep up if people have to get to her by trudging through the snow. “As a business, it will affect me,” Yaeger said Friday. “I’m not going to get as many people walking up, especially in the wintertime. So I’m a little concerned.” Yaeger wonders how her business and others in the downtown core, still licking their wounds in the aftermath of COVID-19, will adapt again. “I have very mixed feelings on it,” she said. The underground concourse was quiet Friday morning, and many of the businesses inside were empty. Business owners in the area were skeptical about hopes from city council members that the change could help the revitalization of downtown. Mike Publicover, who owns the nearby Stonework’s Bistro, has been working downtown for more than 30 years. “Every mayor, every council, every time somebody has an idea to improve downtown, it hasn’t happened,” he said. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Portage & Main - Most councillors behind mayor (Mar2'24)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Mar '24

02 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Most councillors behind mayor WINNIPEG Mayor Scott Gillingham said he thinks a motion to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians by the summer of 2025 has the support of most of his fellow councillors. He was joined at his city hall press conference by councillors Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre), Janice Lukes (Waverley West), Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge - East Fort Garry) and Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) who spoke in favour of it. “Once we start opening things up, we’re going to see a flurry of businesses,” said Gilroy. “When people are around, there is more safety. It builds a downtown where people want to come and live,” she said. Rollins said she and her colleagues have reached out to business organizations about the impact on retailers in the concourse. “We want to keep businesses in the downtown,” she said. “We care a lot about the empty spaces that we want to see filled above ground, too.” Santos said businesses and residents have been asking to open up the intersection and improve access to businesses and services at street level. Others also expressed support. “These types of decisions require leadership and I am glad to see the mayor has taken that approach,” said Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood). “Open the intersection to pedestrian traffic, close the lower level and let’s get on with life,” Duncan said in an email. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River) said he, too, is in favour. So is St. James’ Shawn Dobson. “Opening Portage and Main might be the best financial decision we can make,” Dobson said. The cost of repairs to the concourse membrane, a reduction in pedestrian volume since the pandemic and a need to reinvigorate downtown are three reasons he cited for supporting reopening the intersection. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) said he will vote “yes” but has “concerns and conditions” he wants addressed. Eadie said $73 million would be better spent on replacing the Arlington Bridge. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) and Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) both said they weren’t prepared to comment Friday. Some other expressed opposition for different reasons. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said repairing the underground concourse is worth it and questions the cost involved in closing it for good. “The reality is we don’t know what the actual costs are to do the mothballing, to close the concourse entirely,” he told reporters after the mayor’s press conference. “We don’t know how long that’s going to take, what the level of construction is to fill it in, so to speak.” He said the $20 million to $50 million cost suggested by the mayor “is really from the back of a cocktail napkin.” The mayor was “putting too much emphasis” on the traffic interruptions if the $73-million repair goes ahead, said Browaty who supports spending to keep the underground concourse open. “I think there’s a lot of advantage to our downtown for people who work in that core for people to use the retail amenities in the underground concourses.” Holding another plebiscite on the matter is unwarranted, he said. “Winnipeggers have spoken. They don’t want it open.” Russ Wyatt (Transcona) said a plebiscite is necessary and Winnipeggers should decide on reopening Portage and Main. “Their voice is being completely ignored by city hall today and being undermined.” He said the city should be getting a second opinion. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) said he’s neither for nor against the reopening — it’s the timeline for making a decision that he called “very troubling.” “I am disturbed by the rush to get this decided,” he said Friday. “This is a pretty big issue.” Councillors Jason Schreyer and John Orlikow did not respond to a request for comment.

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WFP: The great debate returns - Mayor crosses street in decades-old controversy (Mar2'24)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Mar '24

02 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. The great debate returns… with a $73-million price tag Mayor crosses street in decades-old controversy after report reveals repairs to membrane protecting concourse will cost $73M, disrupt traffic up to five years https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/03/01/mayor-calls-to-re… PORTAGE and Main could reopen to pedestrians by summer 2025 after decades of debate and political wrangling over the fate of the iconic downtown intersection. On Friday, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham announced he’s now in favour of removing the concrete barricades at each corner preventing pedestrian crossing after a new report said it would cost $73 million to repair the leaking membrane under the concrete that protects the concourse below it. The repairs would involve major construction-caused traffic disruptions for up to five years at what is now Winnipeg’s sixth-busiest downtown intersection, the report said. A motion is being drafted to call for the pedestrian intersection to reopen by summer 2025 to coincide with the launch of the new Winnipeg Transit route network. The engineering report goes to the city’s property and development committee on Thursday. “The goal is to get this approved by the end of the month,” said Gillingham, who previously was opposed to reopening the intersection. He said learning the costs and inconvenience of keeping the concourse open changed his mind. “I think it’s time we put this question to bed once and for all and move onto more important issues like addressing homelessness, safety, housing and improving commuting options for people throughout our entire city.” The so-called “coldest and windiest corner in Canada” has been closed to pedestrian traffic since 1979 under an agreement the city signed with a developer who agreed to build two office towers, a hotel, a bank and an underground mall. The city agreed to force people who wanted to cross the street to do it underground, benefiting businesses in the mall. Permanently closing the city’s portion of the underground concourse could take up to five years and cost $20 to $50 million, Gillingham said. “It’s too soon to tell at this point, but there wouldn’t be access through the concourse once it’s decommissioned,” he said. Public works chairwoman Coun. Janice Lukes said Portage and Main has lower volumes of traffic than other downtown intersections and is the only one closed to pedestrians. Funding and research to ensure the intersection is safe for pedestrians would come through the city budget’s road safety plan, said Lukes (Waverley West). Former mayor Brian Bowman promised to reopen the intersection while in office, but after 65 per cent of voters registered their opposition in a non-binding 2018 plebiscite, he dropped it. Instead of a plebiscite, Gillingham and property and development chairwoman Coun. Sherri Rollins will draft a motion calling for Portage and Main to reopen to pedestrians and the mayor expects the majority on council will support it. “There’s a lot that has changed in the past six years,” said Gillingham, who maintained his opposition to taking down the pedestrian barriers during his 2022 mayoral campaign, pointing to the 2018 plebiscite and saying it would be “disrespectful” to the public to ignore the results. However, Winnipeggers were in the dark concerning how much it would cost and how long it would take to replace the membrane, he said Friday. Since the non-binding vote, a global pandemic has changed commuting and work patterns and a transit network design is helping to improve traffic flow, he said. “We have information today we did not have in 2018 and I did not have during the election in 2022,” the mayor said. Coun. Jeff Browaty, who was one of the loudest voices in opposition to opening the intersection in 2019, said civic officials still don’t have enough information and he doesn’t think there’s been adequate consultation with affected property owners. James Richardson & Sons issued a brief statement Friday saying that it is “in favour of improving and revitalizing Winnipeg’s downtown, including taking the step of opening the Portage and Main intersection to pedestrian traffic.” “We understand that the City (of Winnipeg) is considering closing the underground pathway as part of the re-opening of the intersection to aboveground pedestrian traffic, but without time to consider the details of such a plan, it is too early for us to comment further,” the statement said. A prominent tenant at Portage and Main applauded the push to remove the concrete barricades. “Not only do we care in terms of the downtown at large, but… as tenants that are going to be accessing that intersection every day,” said Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Loren Remillard. Four or five years of anticipated traffic disruptions would add to the challenges already facing downtown, Remillard said. “This isn’t just the responsible decision,” he said. “It is the only logical decision.” Federal Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal, a former city councillor, said he supports “100 per cent” closing the underground concourse and removing the barriers. “I wish we would have done it 15 years ago,” the St. Boniface MP said at an unrelated news conference in the city Friday. “COVID really did a number on the underground pedestrian walkway and infrastructure is expensive, and I think it’s the right move,” Vandal said. “I’ve long advocated for opening up Portage and Main when I was a (city) councillor… I think this is an example of a good idea will always rise to the top. And it’s quite clear that there were challenges with closing pedestrian traffic and maintaining the underground vitality.” Premier Wab Kinew, who opposed the reopening in the 2018 plebiscite, didn’t offer provincial help to repair the membrane to keep the concourse open. “Mayor Gillingham and I share a commitment to downtown redevelopment and, if he believes this is a cost-effective path forward, then our government won’t stand in the way,” he said in a prepared statement. — with files from Maggie Macintosh, Malak Abas and Katie May carol.sanders(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca> Closed intersection timeline December 1976: City council awards a contract to build an underground parking garage and pedestrian corridor at Portage and Main, and agrees to prohibit pedestrians from crossing the iconic intersection for 40 years. February 1979: A city committee votes to immediately ban pedestrian traffic at the intersection, although crossing from the south corner was permitted to continue until a connection was completed between the concourse and street. March 1979: A caravan of protesters — many using wheelchairs — make three circuits of the intersection to protest the closure. A Winnipeg police sergeant told them, “I must warn you that you are in violation of a traffic-control device.” Officers wrote down the names of about a dozen protesters and gave them to the Crown attorney’s office. August 2014: Mayoral candidate Brian Bowman holds a campaign news conference to announce he would open the intersection to pedestrians, with the goal of getting it done by 2019. “We’ll all be here when the Winnipeg Jets win the Stanley Cup,” he said. October 2018: Voters re-elect Bowman to a second term. Winnipeggers also vote overwhelmingly (65 per cent “no”) against reopening the intersection in a non-binding plebiscite. October 2022: Scott Gillingham is elected mayor. He said during the campaign that he was opposed to reopening the intersection. The second-place candidate, former mayor Glen Murray, previously supported reopening Portage and Main but said that month that “the people have spoken about it once already.” April 2023: The city releases a discussion paper outlining the issues surrounding the intersection, including a massive project to repair the membrane protecting the Winnipeg Square concourse and options to improve pedestrian access.

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CBC: 'A lot has changed,' Gillingham says as he pushes to reopen Portage and Main by summer 2025
by Beth McKechnie 01 Mar '24

01 Mar '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Mayor says fixing intersection to save walkway below would cause 'traffic chaos' and cost $73M https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-reopening-gillingham-1… Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham made it official Friday morning and announced his desire to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians by summer 2025. A new report from the city's acting urban planning manager says fixing the leaky membrane at Portage Avenue and Main Street in order to protect the city-owned underground pedestrian crossing would create traffic delays for four or five years and cost at least $73 million. Gillingham said Friday at a news conference he cannot support years of traffic disruptions and will not support the plans, outlined in the new report, to fix the leaky membrane at the city's sixth-busiest intersection. "Repairing the membrane would require completely tearing up Portage and Main in sections and create traffic chaos downtown for four to five years," Gillingham said. "We need to pursue a more practical alternative. It's time to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic." Gillingham's plan, which must be supported by council, would permanently close the circular underground walkway. Reopening the intersection in summer 2025 would coincide with the implementation of Winnipeg Transit's new route network, which will include a transit hub at Portage and Main. Portage and Main has been closed to pedestrians since 1979. An agreement with neighbouring property owners to keep it closed expired in 2019. James Richardson & Sons, which owns the Richardson office tower at the northeast corner of the intersection, said it supports pedestrian crossings at the intersection. "James Richardson & Sons Ltd. is in favour of improving and revitalizing Winnipeg's downtown, including taking the step of opening the Portage and Main intersection to pedestrian traffic," spokesperson Barb Perreaux said in an emailed statement. "We understand that the city is considering closing the underground pathway as part of the reopening of the intersection to above-ground pedestrian traffic, but without time to consider the details of such a plan, it is too early for us to comment further." The Manitoba Métis Federation, which owns the former Bank of Montreal building on the southeast corner of Portage and Main, supports reopening the intersection. President David Chartrand said above-grade crossings will increase the vibrancy of downtown Winnipeg and enable foot traffic to the Métis heritage centre under construction at the Bank of Montreal. That centre is slated to open in 2026, he said. CBC News has reached out to Harvard and Artis, the owners of the office towers at the northwest and southwest corners of Portage and Main. Former mayor Glen Murray sought to reopen the intersection and held a contest to redesign it. That plan was shelved by his successor, Sam Katz, who said he wished to honour a 40-year deal with adjacent property owners to keep the intersection closed. * Refresh coming to Fairmont Winnipeg after hotel acquired by James Richardson & Sons<https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/fairmont-winnipeg-hotel-purchase-ri…> * 'Would have been a step backwards': Winnipeggers vote to keep Portage and Main closed<https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeggers-vote-portage-main-1.48…> Brian Bowman, Katz's successor, initially promised to reopen the intersection to pedestrians but shied away after a majority of Winnipeggers who voted in a non-binding plebiscite in 2018 indicated they opposed the idea. Gillingham did not support reopening in 2018. "There's a lot that has changed in the past six years. We have information today we didn't have then," Gillingham said. "We didn't know then that replacing the membrane would disrupt traffic for four to five years. We didn't know that it would cost $73 million. We didn't know that we were going to have a global pandemic that would permanently change commuting and work patterns. "We didn't have the transit network design, which will actually help to improve traffic flow at the intersection, and I think if voters did have that information in 2018, I think they probably would have made a different choice. I know I would have. Gillingham said he is not asking the province for money to help with decommissioning the underground concourse. City councillors Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), Janice Lukes (Waverley West), Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) and Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) stood alongside Gillingham at the news conference. Rollins, Gilroy and Santos represent every Winnipeg ward adjacent to downtown, while Rollins also chairs council's property committee and Lukes chairs council's public works committee. Gillingham said he expects some city councillors to oppose his decision. Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt is one of them. He questioned why a city planner wrote the report and not a city engineer. "It raises alarms and concerns that we would rush to judgment that we would overturn a plebiscite decision made by the citizens of Winnipeg not to open that intersection," Wyatt said in an interview. e later jumped up to the podium where Gillingham spoke at the news conference and addressed people who were there. City hall staff responsible for audiovisual equipment turned his microphone off. Kate Fenske, executive director of the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone, said reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians will improve the vibrancy and safety of downtown. Adam Dooley, who was the co-chair of the "vote open" campaign during the 2018 plebiscite, said the city was aware keeping the underground concourse would come with significant costs. The decision should never have been put to a vote, said Dooley, the public relations manager at communications firm UpHouse.

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WFP: City seeks public input on addressing icy sidewalks (Feb29'24)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Feb '24

29 Feb '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City seeks public input on addressing icy sidewalks https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/02/28/city-seeks-public… WHILE city crews are proactively seeking out slippery sidewalks to sand, they’re also asking Winnipeggers to point out trouble spots, after a recent freeze-thaw cycle created treacherous conditions. A City of Winnipeg post on X (formerly Twitter) asks residents to report the streets, sidewalks and paths that need sanding the most. “We’ve got thousands of kilometres of sidewalk and pathway. We do have city staff actively out trying to address public areas by putting out sand … but the more we can work together as a community to help, the better we will be,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. “So, we’re encouraging residents to help, to call in these trouble spots.” For sidewalks, Lukes (Waverley West) said public reports help target sanding where it’s needed most. “When (the temperature is) back and forth like this, for sure we get more calls, because every day the conditions are different. And it is frustrating because people have strollers, they want to walk, it’s slippery. This last spell (of winter weather) was a real bad one … but if we’re notified of the troubled areas, we’ll get out there,” said Lukes. The councillor noted repeated freeze-thaw cycles have made some routes more treacherous this winter, but stressed the city has invested more to keep sidewalks and active transportation paths clear. That included spending $3 million to buy 15 sidewalk snow-clearing machines, which arrived in time for this winter. The recent weather patterns made sidewalks especially tough to navigate on Monday, when Rachel Unger fell on a slick patch of ice covered by a layer of snow. “I think it was an issue of weather just because it melted so much and just got really, really cold. It was snow-covered ice, so I didn’t even see that it was there. … It all happened very fast,” said Unger, who uses they/ them pronouns. The fall caused a torn knee ligament, so they may require surgery. Unger suspects sanding might have prevented the injury altogether and hopes the city will take additional proactive measures to sand sidewalks, such as by adding set timelines to complete the treatment. “This winter has just been so wild and very unpredictable from anyone’s standpoint. This is not typical … (but) it would be nice to have a more standardized approach, knowing that it’s not going to prevent all injuries. If we could prevent some (injuries) that would be amazing,” they said. Lukes said requiring all sidewalks to be sanded within a set amount of time would prove challenging and may not be the most effective use of tax dollars, since sidewalk conditions can vary on a block-by-block basis. “You can literally go down two blocks and see (both) frozen ice and dry sidewalk … I really don’t think sanding every sidewalk in the city (would) be a very efficient use of our resources,” she said. The timing of sidewalk sanding is currently based on visual inspections and weather conditions, spokeswoman Julie Horbal Dooley said in an email. “Sanding/ice control isn’t a matter of one-and-done completeness; often, when conditions are suitable, we will sand the entire Priority 1 (major route) and Priority 2 (collector street) sidewalks after a full network plow. Outside of plowing operations, we will sand if and where conditions require it — not on a city-wide or priority-(based) basis,” wrote Horbal Dooley. Coun. Matt Allard, who has repeatedly called for enhancements to sidewalk snow clearing, said he’s not sure more sanding is the answer. Allard (St. Boniface) said his call to have all sidewalks cleared at the same priority level as major route roads, which was recently rejected by city council, would be more effective in keeping sidewalks passable. “(It would) mean comparable conditions for someone who’s driving a car on a (major route) and someone who’s walking on a sidewalk. It would, in my opinion, involve a situation where a slippery sidewalk is the exception and not the rule when you’re looking at the freeze-thaw conditions,” he said. City policy dictates that roads on Priority 1 major routes be cleared to bare pavement, with plowing completed within 36 hours after a snow event ends. Crews are expected to plow downtown sidewalks to a paved surface when “conditions allow,” while sidewalks along major routes and collector streets are cleared to a compacted snow surface, both within 36 hours after a storm ends. Residential sidewalks are to be maintained to a compacted snow surface, with plowing completed within five working days after work starts. Allard said more frequent sanding may be less effective than changing snow-plowing timelines and standards, since sand can be frozen over during freeze-thaw cycles. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Calls to curb cars on Cambridge (Feb29'24)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Feb '24

29 Feb '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Calls to curb cars on Cambridge Residents complain about traffic volume https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/02/28/calls-to-curb-car… A RIVER Heights neighbourhood where residents are fed up with rush-hour drivers treating their streets as shortcuts could get relief in the form of traffic-calming measures. At its March 5 meeting, city hall’s public works committee is set to ask staff to explore interim measures for Cambridge Street north of Corydon Avenue, and the possibility of a longterm traffic management plan with a wider look at the community. “The objective is to try to make the streets calmer and safer for everybody,” said Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry). He said cut-through traffic has been an issue and Cambridge Street is among the residential streets where it is excessive. If his motion is approved, city staff will be given four months to report back on possible measures. The motion says cut-through traffic is increasing as the south end of Winnipeg densifies and grows. A short-term plan would seek input from River Heights residents and consider possible ramifications for streets adjacent to Cambridge, said Orlikow. He said the city would look at how recent construction work on corridors such as Stafford and Harrow streets has affected nearby residential streets. Last year, Cambridge residents told the Free Press drivers were using the street as a shortcut during the construction projects. About 3,900 vehicles per day use Cambridge between Corydon and Grosvenor avenues, the city said. Lower totals were recorded between Grosvenor and Kingsway (3,400) and Kingsway and Academy Road (2,400). Daily totals are as high as 6,500 between Corydon and Grant avenues, where Cambridge is wider and designed to accommodate more traffic. Tim Fennell, a founding member of a residents group, Calm Cambridge, that has lobbied city hall for traffic calming measures, welcomed the potential for interim solutions. “I believe there is some political will to make this happen,” he said. “We need support from all the different members of council.” The group proposed five interim calming measures in its pitch to city hall. It suggested extending the red light interval for north-south traffic at Cambridge and Corydon, installing temporary speed bumps between Corydon and Academy and temporarily reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h on that stretch. The group has asked the city to consider extending left-turn restrictions, from Grant and Corydon to northbound Cambridge, to include the afternoon rush hour. It also suggested blocking existing slip lanes at Grosvenor and Cambridge, and using the intersection as a normal four-way stop. Fennell said there is some risk of traffic being redirected onto adjacent streets by any new measures on Cambridge, but he believes drivers would choose corridor streets rather than other residential streets. He began lobbying for calming measures out of concern for the safety of Cambridge residents and road users, given the volume of traffic and high speeds of some vehicles. He said Cambridge is narrower between Corydon and Academy, and not designed to handle as much traffic as it does. Some sections do not have sidewalks. Fennell said he obtained Manitoba Public Insurance data that showed 179 reports of collisions on Cambridge and 80 on neighbouring Oxford Street from 2014 to 2022. The highest annual total for Cambridge was 31 in 2019. Wayne Manishen, a Winnipeg doctor, wants the city to consider traffic control measures at Cambridge and Taylor Avenue, an intersection he uses regularly. “I call it the ‘Cambridge carnage and chaos corner,’” said Manishen, who provided photos of a collision that happened last summer and a congested intersection during the afternoon rush. In 2018, council rejected a request for a temporary traffic light during construction of the nearby Waverley Street underpass. Manishen believes another option could be turning restrictions for some directions of travel during certain hours. “You don’t necessarily need lights, but you need something,” he said. “The status quo is still a dangerous option.” A long-term community study would take many months to complete. Last year, public works chair Coun. Janice Lukes told the Free Press a community plan would be more effective than individual changes. A community study in Lord Roberts began in 2018 and closed in 2023, with ongoing monitoring. It proposed about two dozen solutions, including reduced speed limits on some streets, new sidewalks, parking restrictions and cyclist crossing improvements. Meanwhile, the public works committee will also consider a recommendation to include traffic-calming measures, where feasible, in road renewal projects in locations that have higher volumes of “vulnerable” road users, starting next year. A staff report cites school and playground zones, and neighbourhood greenways as examples. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Council ponders price hike for residential parking pass (Feb28'24)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Feb '24

28 Feb '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Council ponders price hike for residential parking pass https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/02/27/council-pondering… WINNIPEGGERS who require permits to park on their home street may soon pay much more to do so. Annual residential parking permits are required to park in time-limited areas. They cost $25 each, with each household able to apply for up to three. A new tiered approach would raise that fee to $50 for a first permit per household, $75 for a second and $200 for a third. Pending approval in the city’s 20242027 budget, the new fees would take effect in 2024, and would increase with inflation each year after. Coun. Jeff Browaty, the head of council’s finance committee, said the substantial hikes are meant to deter street parking and encourage greater use of driveways, garages and other alternatives. “This wasn’t really done as a big revenue generator. What we’re really trying to do is discourage long-term on-street parking, wherever possible,” said Browaty. When asked why the fees will increase so much at once, the North Kildonan councillor said he thinks the cost remains relatively low. “Car ownership, like it or not, is not an inexpensive proposition. … Even on a very small car, $50 is basically the cost of a simple tank of gas,” said Browaty, who added the permit fee has also been frozen since 2006. Other councillors agreed the change is warranted. “It opens up the street. It allows other people to park and have turnover. … These are public streets, they’re not public parking lots,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. However, one councillor fears many inner-city residents, who more often lack garages and other parking alternatives, would face an unfair burden if the new rates are approved. “Now, not only are you charging for the parking pass, you’re going to have to have a massive increase for them. It’s just very unfair for residents who are living in the inner city,” said Coun. Cindy Gilroy. The Daniel McIntyre councillor said she already receives complaints about the $25 annual passes and hopes to convince fellow council members to reject the increases. “I don’t think this is a popular move. I think they should look at other ways to generate revenue,” said Gilroy. There are currently about 3,200 active residential parking permits for Winnipeg vehicles, including 86 permits issued for a third vehicle in one household, according to the Winnipeg Parking Authority. If council approves the changes, the higher fees will likely be imposed sometime this summer, said Lisa Patterson, the manager of parking and facilities for the WPA. “We’re really trying to encourage people to not use the city street as car storage. … Try to use the spaces on your property first,” said Patterson. She said such fees are already higher in other Canadian cities and more revenue is needed to cover the program’s cost. While annual operating costs for the permitting program were not provided, Patterson said fee revenues fall short of paying for staff, software and other expenses, though that figure includes an unspecified dividend to be transferred to general city revenues. Overall, the parking authority is expected to transfer about $7.8 million to general city coffers this year. Patterson suggested the higher fees could also entice more Winnipeggers to consider alternate forms of transportation to personal vehicles. “There’s a cost to car ownership and if there’s a way to encourage people to utilize a different method of transportation, that’s something we’re trying to do,” she said. Coun. Sherri Rollins supports the changes as a move away from “subsidizing” vehicle use. “Generally speaking, when you own things like vehicles or bicycles, you have a place where you are going to keep them. When that place is (in) the public realm … then the public sphere acts like a subsidy,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry). “I will get arguments, as soon as you publish this, that $50 is too low (for the first car per home), that we should not at all be subsidizing vehicles.” Rollins said she believes the proposed fees — which would affect residents of multiple streets in her ward — are fair. “I’m concerned about affordability on a lot of fronts, including housing. … I’m not concerned about it here, not at these price points. Not at the first car. I still think the third car (permit price) is still too low,” she said. City council will cast a final budget vote on March 20. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Vehicle hits three people in crosswalk (Feb23'24)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Feb '24

23 Feb '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Child and two adults taken to hospital, driver flees scene Vehicle hits three people in crosswalk https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/02/22/two-adults-child-… A CHILD and two adults were hit by a vehicle Thursday morning in a River Heights pedestrian crosswalk close to an elementary school and two daycare centres. The student at J.B Mitchell School, a crossing guard and another adult were taken to hospital, police said. The collision happened at about 8:50 a.m. in the warning light-equipped crosswalk at the intersection of Grant Avenue and Lanark Street. “Winnipeg Fire and Paramedic Service members were on scene when police arrived and the pedestrians were transported to hospital in stable condition for precautionary measures,” Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Dani McKinnon said. “The driver, who was not on scene when police arrived, has been identified and is co-operating with police.” McKinnon said the investigation into the incident is ongoing, but no charges have been laid. Police told the Free Press at one point Thursday the incident was a hit-and-run but later said that has yet to be determined. No evidence of the incident remained near the scene by late morning. When school let out around 3:30 p.m., two crossing guards were stationed at the intersection wearing fluorescent safety vests and activating the crosswalk lights — which were fully operational — before ushering children and adults across the street. When the roadway was clear, a steady stream of motorists cruised past. A Winnipeg School Division spokesperson referred to the crossing location as “very busy.” Multiple parents who were parked near the school waiting to pick up their children said school officials had notified them about the incident via email earlier in the day. “I have a daughter who is in the same class as that little (child who was struck),” said one mother, who did not provide her name. “The school brought in some extra people for the kids to talk to.” One neighbour who lives near the crosswalk but did not witness the collision said it is frequently used by parents who park on Lanark south of Grant before walking their kids to the school located at the corner of Lanark and John Brebeuf Place. As far as the man is aware, the lights have always functioned normally and vehicles typically stop as expected, he said. “It doesn’t seem like a trouble spot, but if I had kids, I’d just be careful; you’ve got to be careful at every corner,” he said. While Lanark is designated as a school zone to the north and south of the intersection, motorists travelling eastbound or westbound on Grant are not required to slow their speeds below the 50 kilometre per hour limit. At least one home on Lanark has a yard sign that urges drivers to “please slow down.” Collisions between drivers and pedestrians are not uncommon on city streets. City council approved the Road Safety Strategic Action Plan in 2022, a year in which drivers killed 11 pedestrians in Winnipeg. The document outlined several infrastructure improvements and safety recommendations, including the creation of a road safety committee, a road safety branch within the public works department and three new full-time safety-focused staff positions. One of those positions was filled early this year, a city spokesperson said Thursday. The 2023 city budget allocated $282,000 in funding for the project. In just over a year, Winnipeg police have issued news releases about 10 incidents in which pedestrians were seriously injured or killed by motorists. Of those, four occurred in the last two months. Most recently, a 23-year-old woman died after being struck by a 58-year-old driver on the 1400 block of Pembina Highway the night of Jan. 26. Investigators learned the woman had run in front of the vehicle, which was travelling southbound on Pembina near Clarence and Boston avenues. The driver stopped and remained on scene. On the morning of Jan. 13, an 18-year-old man was struck and killed near Notre Dame Avenue and Cecil Street. Investigators again determined the victim had run in front of the involved vehicle, which was heading southbound on Notre Dame. Police said the driver stopped his vehicle, called police and provided emergency medical care to the victim until an ambulance arrived. The week prior, a 48-year-old man was killed after being run over by a motorist attempting to pull into a car wash. The man had been lying near the entrance, police said. Finally, a woman died after a driver struck her near Kildonan Place mall on Jan. 5. Police said the victim had been involved in an earlier collision with another vehicle, got out of her car to exchange information with the other motorist and was hit by a passing truck. The driver remained on scene. Thursday’s collision is not the first time a child accompanied by an adult was hit by a vehicle at a city crosswalk. Rezene Habtegergish, 4, and her mother were hit by a vehicle at a crosswalk on Isabel Street at Alexander Avenue the morning of March 18, 2019. Rezene later died. Surafiel Musse Tesfamariam, 8, was struck and killed at a crosswalk on St. Anne’s Road, between Bank and Varennes avenues, the morning of Feb. 13, 2018. He was crossing the road with his mother. Signs were later put up on Varennes with the honorary name Surafiel Way. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: Commuters, meet Marchetti (Feb20'24)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Feb '24

20 Feb '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Commuters, meet Marchetti https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2024/02/20/commuters-mee… IF you’re ever hosting a dinner party and you get the feeling that urban planning theory might be just the right topic to spark some lively conversation, casually bring up Marchetti’s Constant. It might make you the hit of the party. It’s a simple but powerful idea that has defined the shape and size of cities for thousands of years and is a key determinant of the sprawling metropolises we live in today. In 1994, Italian physicist Cesare Marchetti published a research paper titled Anthropological Invariants in Travel Behaviour. The study looked at how people of all cultures have moved around their cities from ancient times to the present day and recognized a consistent human behaviour, now known as Marchetti’s Constant. His research identified that when taking the average across a population, the maximum time people will comfortably dedicate to urban commuting is one hour per day — half an hour in each direction. Marchetti found that the half-hour commute has remained consistent throughout time, and the size of the cities we live in has been defined by how far we can commute in that time, using the transportation technologies of the day. He looked at Ancient Rome and found that even as it became the largest city on Earth with more than a million people, it never grew past four kilometres in diameter. With an average human walking speed of four kilometers per hour, a person could do a pedestrian commute from the periphery to the city centre in half an hour. Despite incredibly high densities and no natural boundaries to stop outward expansion, the size of the city remained defined only by how far people could comfortably walk. Cities across the world, from China, to Mesoamerica, to Europe, roughly maintained this size well into the Industrial Revolution. With the invention of bicycles and the development of streetcars in the late 1800s, the speed of urban mobility increased, and the size of cities followed, but the half-hour commute time remained constant. Commuters on bikes or riding streetcars could travel about six kilometres in half an hour, and the streetcar cities that developed across North America during this time followed by growing to this dimension. The pre-automobile city of Winnipeg with 400 streetcars serving 100 million riders per year, was about five kilometres from downtown to the periphery, about a half-hour commute. Today, the size of cities is defined largely by vehicles and the road networks they travel on, but Marchetti’s Constant remains. Comparing major Canadian cities, average commute times are remarkably consistent despite vast population differences, with the three largest cities averaging about 30 minutes and smaller cities ranging between 23 and 27 minutes. This consistency can be attributed to larger transportation networks in more populous cities. Calgary as an example, covers twice the area of Winnipeg, yet its commute times are only about a minute longer because it has a much larger road network. Intuitively, this would seem to indicate that cities should be striving to build larger roads to reduce travel times, but this is where the lessons of Marchetti’s Constant become important. Cities don’t build their transportation networks to create 30-minute commutes, they naturally expand to the 30-minute limit that their transportation systems will accommodate. We often expect that expanding a road network works like replacing a small pipe with a larger one, creating more room for water to flow smoothly through. When it comes to roads, however, it’s more like installing a larger pipe that naturally draws more water into itself until it’s filled again. When a road is made larger, people can drive faster, and commute times are reduced. Because of Marchetti’s Constant, people will naturally begin to live farther away, until that magic half hour commute time limit is once again reached. This brings more cars travelling longer distances to the enlarged road, resulting in traffic congestion that increases commute times beyond half an hour. Residents will again lobby for larger roads in response, and the cycle will begin again. The result is that cities are not only saddled with the prohibitive cost of constructing larger roads, but they must also pay to service and maintain more infrastructure in an ever-expanding urban area. Continually stretched civic budgets, with reduced services and crumbling infrastructure, are the result of cities being caught in this unsustainable growth cycle. All of Winnipeg’s long-term strategic plans and guidelines encourage higher density and inward growth to make our city more livable, affordable, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable. Experience demonstrates that when we build bigger roads, we are not only making it impossible to achieve these strategic goals, but we are also not solving the problem of traffic congestion. Bigger roads invariably lead to physically larger cities and more vehicle traffic. An alternative strategy to increasing road capacity is to address congestion by incentivizing ways for people to live closer to where they are commuting to. These inward growth patterns can reduce driving distances and in turn, the number of cars on the road. With higher densities and shorter commuting distances, alternative mobility options like walking, biking and public transit become more viable. Targeted investments to make these different transportation modes more attractive can reduce vehicle use and further alleviate traffic congestion. From ancient Rome to North American streetcar suburbs, and the sprawling cities of today, Marchetti’s Constant has demonstrated for thousands of years that transportation systems are fundamental in shaping cities, and they can either be used to expand urban sprawl, or they can naturally push growth and development inward in a more sustainable way. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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Re: Plans for twining Mcgilvary west bound from tracks to perimeter...what do you think?
by Mark Cohoe 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Thanks Terry, I hadn't seen this, and we never got an invite to participate as a stakeholder on this (we usually do). It does seem to completely ignore the city's cycling strategy as well as OurWinnipeg 2045. I'm very glad that you contacted us and sent this my way. Cheers, Mark On Fri, Feb 16, 2024 at 5:22 PM Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com<mailto:tjzdan50@gmail.com>> wrote: I think a grade separated pedestrian/cycle crossing such as gateway @ chief peguis would be most appropriate. Anything less not so much. Have to also address access to Bison Crossing. Apparently you can comment at this site https://engagemb.ca/pth3 ? -- Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca<mailto:mark@bikewinnipeg.ca>

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WFP: Eyebrows raised over what’s not in City of Winnipeg's budget (Feb9'24)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Feb '24

09 Feb '24

Crucial infrastructure projects aren’t financed Eyebrows raised over what’s not in budget https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/02/08/eyebrows-raised-o… THREE major infrastructure projects are notably absent from the City of Winnipeg’s proposed multi-year budget; no funding was earmarked for the now closed Arlington Bridge, Kenaston Boulevard (Route 90) widening or Chief Peguis Trail extension. That’s despite some councillors and advocates pushing the city to prioritize replacement of the 112-year-old Arlington Bridge, a major connection between the North End and West End over the Canadian Pacific Railway yards. Funding demands grew louder in November when the city suddenly closed the bridge — even for pedestrians — due to structural concerns. “We should (have started) funding a replacement (bridge) quite some time ago because we knew it was going to fail,” said Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski), whose ward includes the structure. Eadie said he would have liked to see the city devote part of the revenue raised from frontage fees, which the previous 2023 budget raised by $1.50 per foot, to start saving for a replacement. A 2018 report suggested a new bridge would cost about $330 million. Eadie said the bridge is a “critical” link between communities, with emergency response times to some homes likely running longer since its closure. Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said the loss of the bridge also cut off a key active transportation route. “Realistically, we need to be seeing money to replace the Arlington Bridge to include (new) protected bike lanes … or to see money going into rail relocation (so the bridge is no longer required),” said Cohoe. While the Chief Peguis, Kenaston and Arlington Bridge projects aren’t financed in the draft 2024 to 2027 budget, it notes Mayor Scott Gillingham promised revenue from the 2023 frontage fee hike could be used for the road projects. That revenue was allocated to general road repairs but would be diverted to Chief Peguis and Kenaston “trade corridor” projects, if federal and/or provincial funding is confirmed. “Once we’re ready to proceed with Kenaston (that can raise money) to pay for the city’s portion of it,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan). Browaty, who leads council’s finance committee, said unallocated roads funding in the six-year capital plan could also be used. The proposed municipal budget assumes the province’s strategic infrastructure funding to the City of Winnipeg will remain frozen at $89.8 million each year until 2027, with all the money already allocated to various capital projects. Ian Bushie, Manitoba’s municipal relations minister, was tight-lipped about a possible increase to the city’s infrastructure funding being included in the NDP’s first budget in the spring. It will be up to the city to bring forward a proposal that prioritizes the Arlington Bridge and other major capital projects before the provincial government makes any decisions about financial support, said Bushie. “We’ve had continued… discussions to see how we can best accommodate the City of Winnipeg with their significant challenges,” Bushie said, He said a seven-year freeze on the city’s provincial operating grant under the former Tory government is forcing it to catch up in a lot of areas. “When they bring their priorities to the table, we’re open to having those discussions.” As for the widening of Kenaston Boulevard and the western extension of the Chief Peguis Trail, Bushie said discussions continue across levels of government. “I can assure you that we are more than willing to be an advocate and open to those discussions to see how we can best support,” Bushie said. The mayor plans to wait on the results of business case studies on the feasibility of the Kenaston and Chief Peguis projects before taking further city action. Browaty noted the city will wait for an ongoing engineering study on Arlington to be finished before deciding its fate. All three studies are expected this year. If approved, the Chief Peguis Trail extension would stretch from Main Street to Brookside Boulevard and Kenaston Boulevard would be widened to include three lanes in each direction between Ness and Taylor avenues for a combined cost of about $1 billion. — With files from Danielle Da Silva joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Treacherous walkways (Feb9'24)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Feb '24

09 Feb '24

Treacherous walkways Wacky winter weather is making sidewalks a risky, slippery mess https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/02/08/mild-weather-has-… WENDY Scharf watched from the steps of her home in the Central St. Boniface neighbourhood Wednesday afternoon as passing pedestrians shuffled, slid and sidestepped over slick sections of ice and pools of water covering the northbound sidewalk. It’s a common sight, she said, and part of living in a residential area typically considered lower priority by city street-clearing crews. “It’s like this all the time. I mean, all the time,” Scharf said, pointing toward the brown, slush-covered sidewalk. “It is very dangerous this time of year to be out here. I think it adds a level of difficulty, especially for the elderly and people who have strollers.” Winnipeg is experiencing an uncommon pattern of weather conditions that have contributed to the issue this winter, with mild temperatures causing a freeze-thaw cycle that generates ice on roads and sidewalks and in gutters and drains. Reports of slippery conditions have spiked as a result, with the city receiving 562 requests for service related to icy sidewalks and active transportation pathways since Oct. 1. During the same period the previous year, it received just 121 such complaints, city data shows. Last year, when there was more snow, the city received 1,622 requests for service related to blocked sidewalks and active transportation pathways. The same period this year generated just 402 complaints, the data show. Overall, the requests for sidewalk maintenance are down by 44 per cent so far this season, the city said. Coun. Janice Lukes, who leads the public works committee, and Coun. Matt Allard, who has been a vocal proponent of improved snow clearing, traded barbs on the subject during a committee meeting last week. Allard (St. Boniface) demanded better service on sidewalks, saying they should be plowed to the pavement, while Lukes (Waverley West) argued the city is doing everything it can to stay ahead of challenging conditions on major thoroughfares. Up to four centimetres of snowfall and sub-zero temperatures were forecast for Winnipeg beginning Thursday afternoon. The city organizes its snow-clearing schedule in order of priority, with major thoroughfares and adjacent sidewalks classified as Priority 1, non-regional bus routes and collector streets designated as Priority 2 and followed by Priority 3 residential streets. P1 areas are typically plowed to bare pavement within 36-hours of snowfall and then salted. Sidewalks along P1 and P2 streets are plowed after a five-centimetre snowfall and maintained to “a compacted snow surface,” except for downtown sidewalks, which are supposed to be cleared to bare pavement. Sidewalks in residential areas are considered the lowest priority and are plowed to a compacted snow surface only after all the other sidewalks have been plowed. Recently, a number of groups advocating for persons with disabilities launched the S(NO)w Plow campaign to lobby for better clearing of sidewalks. The groups say for persons with disabilties, sidewalks can be impassable when not properly cleared of snow. Michael Cantor, manager of streets and maintenance, said the current sidewalk-clearing equipment operated by the city is incapable of stripping pathways to bare pavement, owing to their uneven surfaces. Clearing sidewalks in such a way could damage equipment or infrastructure — whichever breaks first, he said. City workers would need to use salt and chemicals to reach bare pavement, but current bylaws restrict the use of such materials to P1 streets in an effort to reduce their associated negative environmental impacts, he said. Cantor said he’s looking forward to colder temperatures that will temporarily halt the thaw and allow workers to spread sand to improve traction. In the current conditions, sand mixes with melting ice and has a negligible effect. Allard noted the city has unsuccessfully attempted to pass various motions approving a plow-to-pavement pilot project for P3 zones at least three times in recent years. He believes investments in improved sidewalk-clearing equipment could improve maintenance quality without draining the city’s coffers, saying the snow-clearing budget reserved for roadways is often overspent, while the sidewalk clearing budget is underspent. Lukes pushed back on the idea, saying even if equipment was able to clear pathways to the pavement, the resulting ice and snow would need to be hauled to one of the city’s snow storage locations at an exorbitant cost. She pointed out that Winnipeg’s approach to sidewalk clearing is unique, given that some other municipalities — including Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Toronto and Vancouver — require homeowners to clear walks in front of their homes. The topic has been raised in recent years, but as snow-clearing bylaws are currently written, the City of Winnipeg can fine residents who take it upon themselves to clear snow and ice from city property. Allard said he is opposed to the idea of residents being asked to clear walkways, given such maintenance is an expected return on taxpayer funds. However, he believes the current bylaw should be amended to protect residents from fines, should they choose to do so. Martin Pollock, a Winnipeg lawyer specializing in personal-injury cases, said it is difficult, but not impossible to prevail in a slip-and-fall lawsuit against the city on its property. Municipalities are exempt from certain sections of the Occupiers Liability Act, meaning they cannot be held liable under the legislation for injuries occurring on their property. “Now, that doesn’t mean you can’t sue them for negligence,” Pollock said. “The question becomes, how often did they inspect that piece of the sidewalk? Did they know about it? Did somebody call them five times? “It all depends on the circumstances.” The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said it does not reliably track slip-and-fall injuries, but noted “hundreds of Manitobans are injured from slipping on snow and ice, most commonly in and around parking lots and on sidewalks and especially when temperatures fluctuate around freezing temperature.” tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Online campaign targets city’s sidewalk clearing (Feb1'24)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '24

01 Feb '24

Online campaign targets city’s sidewalk clearing https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/01/31/online-campaign-t… ORGANIZATIONS that speak for seniors and people with disabilities hope pictures of poorly cleared sidewalks in Winnipeg will force politicians and bureaucrats to step up. The S(NO)w Plow campaign, which launched on Facebook this week, is made up of several organizations including the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities, Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, Transportation Options Network for Seniors and the Visually Impaired Resource Network. “We want Winnipeggers to share their photos and their stories to show the people who make these policy decisions that it is not a few complainers here, it is a citywide problem,” said Melissa Graham, executive director of the league, on Wednesday. “It creates inequality when your sidewalk is cleared at a different level… I know people who don’t leave their houses this time of year because they feel the sidewalks are too unsafe.” Graham said a social media site that uses photos to highlight the problem is needed because she and the other groups have tried many times to persuade councillors to improve sidewalk plowing. For example, on Tuesday, councillors on the city’s public works committee failed to act on a motion that would have required all sidewalks in the city to be plowed as quickly as major streets such as Portage Avenue and Pembina Highway following a snowfall. “I’m disappointed,” Graham said. “To me, sidewalks should be the most prioritized ones in the city for plowing because they impact everyone.” Graham said the problem extends to the recent spell of mild temperatures that has created slushy conditions. It means the wheels of her power wheelchair get stuck in the slush. David Kron, executive director of the cerebral palsy association, said while councillors have shelved the latest motion, “a larger debate has to be made. “There is more work to this than to just say no. It is not going away.” Kron said having online photos that show plowing problems on sidewalks is better than simply making a complaint to the city’s 311 system. “I know we live in a place with snow and winter, but reasonable accommodation needs to be made,” he said. “The city is liable for people who fall on sidewalks and roads. It can happen to anyone.” Coun. Janice Lukes, the public works chairwoman, said all sidewalks could be done to the same level as those on top priority streets, but it would cost millions of dollars more each year. Lukes said a report last year found the city would have to buy 54 more sidewalk plows for about $12 million, spend $7 million to operate them annually and also build a garage to store them during the off season. Even if this was done, Lukes said it wouldn’t solve the problem of sidewalk accessibility during winter. “There is snow left on either side of the sidewalk when a plow goes down and when it melts it goes into the trough — the sidewalk,” she said. “The only way it could be prevented is to remove all of the snow there. You would need plows, trucks and equipment and then you haul it all to the snow dumps. Imagine what this would cost. “We fiscally and financially can’t remove all of the snowbanks. But I really think Winnipeg is one of the best cities for removing snow.” Lukes said a report into this year’s snow-clearing effort, including where improvements need to be made, is expected in June. kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Councillor demands better sidewalk clearing (Jan26'24)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jan '24

26 Jan '24

Counillor demands better sidewalk clearing https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/01/25/councillor-demand… A CITY of Winnipeg councillor is pushing to make the clearing of sidewalks right down to pavement the same priority as removing snow on the busiest streets. “People are getting hurt,” said Coun. Matt Allard, who introduced a motion at council’s meeting Thursday. It calls for snow and ice to be cleared from sidewalks at the same level as Priority 1 streets, regardless of whether the sidewalk or active transportation path is on a Priority 1, 2 or 3 (residential) street. The motion also calls for plow operators and contractors to be subject to fines if they push snow onto sidewalks and don’t remove it, and for the city to establish a reserve fund for snow-clearing operations. He has advocated for improved snow clearing for several years, but recently while taking the bus, the councillor for St. Boniface said he noticed the road was bare but the sidewalk hadn’t been plowed and pedestrians were having to trudge through snow. The difference in clearing was obvious along Archibald Street. When he posted about the issue on social media, he heard similar complaints from Winnipeggers who have struggled to walk on sidewalks during this relatively mild winter. “People slip and fall, get injured and, in some cases, some injuries can lead to fatalities, so people are suffering,” Allard said. “I don’t think, as a human rights city, that our snow-clearing policy conforms to human rights,” he said. The councillor maintained the current snow-clearing policy fails to uphold the rights of mobility and equal access to government services. He said people with mobility issues and people who don’t drive cars should be able to get around just as easily as motorists do in winter. “To me, this is a blatant violation of people’s human rights because of freedom of mobility and equality of access to services from government.” His motion was referred to the public works committee. Winnipeg’s council-approved snow clearing policy was recently updated, and this is the first winter the city has had 15 additional sidewalk snow-clearing machines to put to use. They’ve been out since late last year. “Anecdotally, our crews and inspectors say it has definitely made a positive difference in the service we are able to provide,” stated Julie Dooley, communications co-ordinator for public works. The cost of snow clearing so far this winter season is not yet available, a spokesperson for the public works department said Thursday. Every winter for about a decade, the city has gone over-budget on snow removal. That’s part of the reason Allard’s motion asks for a reserve fund, which he said would make the spending more transparent. A reserve fund existed in the past, but was removed due to cost pressures, he said. “There has been progress, but I think there’s a lot more work to do,” he said. The city’s priority levels for snow clearing are set based on traffic volumes and result in the busiest streets being cleared first. Priority 1 roads are supposed to be cleared to bare pavement within 36 hours of an average snowstorm, and are then salted. Sidewalks along Priority 1 and 2 streets are plowed after a five centimetre snowfall and maintained to “a compacted snow surface,” the policy states, except for downtown sidewalks, which are to be cleared to bare pavement. Typically, sidewalks in residential areas have been the lowest priority. Sidewalks along Priority 3 roads are plowed to a compacted snow surface only after all the other sidewalks are plowed. The policy was changed last year to prioritize sidewalk plowing near elementary schools, and a deadline was added, stating sidewalk plowing should normally be finished within five days (not including weekends or holidays). katie.may(a)winnipegfreepress.com

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WFP: City seeks input on new potential cycling routes downtown
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jan '24

25 Jan '24

WINNIPEGGERS can weigh in on new potential bike routes as part of a vision to revitalize downtown. The city has launched a survey to gather feedback on the alignments for cycling routes along St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue, as well as Notre Dame Avenue and Cumberland Avenue. The potential alignments are posted online. Residents can also register to attend a virtual Zoom event at 7 p.m. on Feb. 7. More information about the survey and virtual event is available at https://engage.winnipeg.ca/centreplan2050.

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INVITATION: Winterpeg is For Everyone: Exercise and Adventure for Persons with Disabilities
by Anders Swanson 24 Jan '24

24 Jan '24

Hello winter warriors! You are invited to Winterpeg is For Everyone outdoor adventures tailored to persons with disabilities. Hosted by Winnipeg Trails and Paralympian and Coach Olex Korniiko *Who* You! Persons with disabilities who would like to share their experience with a community and/or learn new skills. *What:* (Optional) Olexercise Tailored exercise session for persons with any disability with Paralympian and Coach Olex Korniiko. Join in person or ask for an online link to join at home. (Main event) Equipment and support for winter adventures. Somewhere new each week! Get fresh tracks. Join mobile ski library afterward. Invite friends and family and do both! *HOW TO JOIN: * Click the event link for full info and to RSVP: https://winterpeg.org/events/olexercise-and-other-cool-programming-for-peop… Or email olex(a)winnipegtrails.ca or call Olex at 431-334-5527 *When: * SATURDAYS in winter 11:00am - Olexercise! 12:00 noon - Winterpeg is For Everyone Winter Adventures *Where:*UPCOMING LOCATIONS AND DATES Saturday January 27th - Fort Garry CC Saturday February 3rd - St.Norbert CC Saturday February 10th -Seine River Adventure @ Kilter Brewery Saturday February 17th - Lindenwoods CC Friday February 23rd - Brewski at Assiniboine Park (+18) (6:30pm start) NOTE: Saturday February 24th - No program. Saturday March 2nd - St.Norbert Community Centre More Winter events in March as weather allows. Get in touch for spring and summer events too! *Why: *Have fun. Build community. Try new things. *Note: Persons with disabilities welcome at all Winterpeg events of course. Visit Winterpeg.org for the full calendar of events and some info on accessibility of the event site and equipment that may be available. * *Image caption note for persons with disabilities: attached poster shows the same information as the PDF and includes with an image of a person using a sit ski, and the Winterpeg logo, showing a stylized face "eating" a snowflake. *

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Reduced-Speed Neighbourhood Pilot | Phase 2 drop-in events
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jan '24

16 Jan '24

https://engage.winnipeg.ca/reduced-speed-neighbourhood-pilot We want to share what we’ve learned so far. Join us at a drop-in (come-and-go) community event as part of Phase 2 engagement! We are holding one event in each pilot neighbourhood. Preview the presentation boards <https://engage.winnipeg.ca/29627/widgets/120073/documents/121866>. The events provide the opportunity for you to talk to the project team, learn more about the project and share your experiences, expectations, and opinions. Bourkevale Date: Monday, January 29, 2024 Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Location: Bourkevale Community Centre, 100 Ferry Rd(External link) <https://maps.app.goo.gl/sHc6TNUdKHxaWkYBA> Format: Drop-in (come-and-go) Tyndall Park (South) Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Location: Sir William Stephenson Library, 765 Keewatin St(External link) <https://maps.app.goo.gl/YUwD77RnH7Njx9eU8> Format: Drop-in (come-and-go) Richmond West Date: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Location: South Winnipeg Community Centre – Richmond, 666 Silverstone Ave(External link) <https://maps.app.goo.gl/AXNz3mSCAAhzJCcm9> Format: Drop-in (come-and-go) Worthington Date: Thursday, February 1, 2024 Time: 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Location: Norberry-Glenlee Community Centre, 26 Molgat Ave(External link) <https://maps.app.goo.gl/ceiTAD1r846vxu7v9> Format: Drop-in (come-and-go)

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WFP: Blue Line is Transit’s busiest route and packed with lessons for system expansion (Jan2'24)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '24

02 Jan '24

Despite initial bumps in the road, the express Blue Line is Transit’s busiest route and packed with lessons for system expansion The future is Blue https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/01/01/the-future-is-blue IT’S 7:31 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13 outside Balmoral Station when the metaphorical whistle blows — a text exchange between a bus rider and motorist ending with, “Race on.” The former is a reporter. The latter is a photographer, who is competing against Winnipeg Transit’s Blue Line in a marked Free Press vehicle during rush hour. The rules are straightforward: Start driving when the rapid transit bus leaves its first downtown stop of the route, follow the speed limit and stop the timer upon parking at the University of Manitoba. Just over 22 minutes later, the vehicle driver is first to arrive. An accordion bus pulls up to the Fort Garry campus’ main stretch at 8:11 a.m, capping off a public transit commute nearly twice the length of a drive. Winnipeg Transit’s Bjorn Radstrom would argue that an asterisk must be attached to the vehicle driver’s win, especially given both the skies and roads were clear. Radstrom said “rapid transit” is a misnomer because while he said speed is valued, the most important thing for the local Transit service, per rider feedback, is reliability. (Frequency is also high up on the service’s list of priorities, he said.) “If somebody is driving to the U of M or from the south end of the city to downtown and traffic is going really well, sure, odds are they’re going to be faster in their car than on a bus. But when things get really congested for cars, the bus should always take roughly the same amount of time,” said the manager of Transit service development at the City of Winnipeg. “You can rely on that and not be concerned your whole day is going to be messed up because of a snowstorm or bad traffic.” To his point, the city’s Navigo trip-planner estimated the morning Transit trip from downtown to Fort Garry would take 38 minutes via the express route, and it ended up taking just shy of 40 minutes. ••• The Blue Line spans 11.2 kilometres in length — much of it parallel to Pembina Highway, on a roadway that was built to keep buses separate from other traffic and allow them to travel at speeds up to 80 km/h. The $467-million project, also known as the Southwest Transitway, sought to divert traffic from a busy commuter corridor between downtown and the U of M. And it’s been successful in doing so. Despite initial bumps in the road, the express line is now the busiest in Winnipeg Transit’s network. The first phase of the transitway was unveiled in 2012. The completed project’s highly anticipated launch happened eight years later, during a historic low in public transit use and as city officials were pleading with residents to stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19. Daily boardings across the city have returned to 94 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. On the Blue Line, the number of weekday boardings is more than four times what it was shortly after its rollout in April 2020. On average, there were 3,906 daily user transactions on the Blue Line during the fall of the launch year. That figure climbed to 7,112 in 2021, 13,715 in 2022, and is currently sitting at 16,937. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a bus (en route home) that hasn’t been packed,” said Elise D’Aoust, a U of M student who takes the Blue Line to and from classes. D’Aoust, who lives in Charleswood, parks her car at Chancellor Station and rides the bus if she does not need her vehicle to get to work later in the day. She said she can typically count on the Transit ride taking fewer than 15 minutes in either direction. Costly parking and the U-Pass — a discounted bus pass that provides post-secondary students with unlimited rides during their studies, in exchange for the entire student body paying a mandatory fee — are both motivators to use a sustainable mode of transportation, D’Aoust said. Another bonus is she has free hands to scroll social media or read a textbook on the bus. “If I want to force myself to study, I’ll make sure that I bus,” she added. ••• Forty-one per cent of all students, staff and faculty members travel via public transit to U of M’s main campus, one of the most popular transit hubs in the city — second only to the downtown core. Driving alone is the second most popular mode of transportation, followed by carpooling, walking and biking — accounting for 25 per cent, 11 per cent, four per cent and one per cent of all commuters, respectively. Sixteen per cent of individuals work or study from home, and the remainder did not disclose their exact commute logistics in the university’s 2023 campus commute survey. Nearly 6,000 community members, representing a 15 per cent response rate, completed the online poll between Jan. 16-31, 2023. “There’ve been a few shifts — for staff, especially, in the 2023 survey because there has been a little more flexibility in terms of some work-from-home days so that has changed the commute lens a little bit,” said Jessie Klassen, U of M’s sustainability projects co-ordinator, during a recent episode of Not Necessarily the Automobile — a campus radio show that explores public and active transportation issues. Citing respondents’ frustrations about late buses, overcrowding and pass-bys due to full loads, a report on the latest commuter findings includes a call for administration to address service-level concerns with Winnipeg Transit. “Our students pay for a lot of Transit and get the absolute minimum,” one participant said in their 2023 submission. Another wrote they often cannot catch a transfer until five or six packed buses come and go during rush hour. Several community members indicated they purchased vehicles because of their poor service experiences. Transit service development boss Radstrom said he welcomes formal complaints — the more specific, the better — so that staffers know where the problems are and can work to fix them. “Ridership has really come back very strongly (post-pandemic) and if anything, it’s higher than we expected it to be, so what we’re struggling with now is really high passenger loads on the Blue Line,” he said. The aftermath of COVID-19’s system-wide halt, government funding approval delays and supply chain problems are currently causing Winnipeg Transit challenges, he said. Radstrom noted that Transit needs more of the articulated or “bendy buses,” each of which can fit about 50 more passengers than traditional 40-foot-long vehicles, because the existing fleet is aging. That aging, in turn, adds to service issues because there are not enough usable buses to meet ridership demands. ••• Blue Line buses are scheduled to make stops along the main line — which splits in two around Waverley Heights so drivers can service U of M and St. Norbert loops — every four to five minutes during weekday rush hours. Buses become more infrequent during quieter times, although passengers are never supposed to wait more than 35 minutes for a ride at a major stop, per Winnipeg Transit’s schedule. The successes of the transitway, including its spine and feeder model, are now informing plans to overhaul the city’s wider network. Radstrom said change is required to simplify and straighten out routes by minimizing left turns, among other updates that will speed up run times and increase the efficiency of the existing system, which he calls “convoluted.” The host of UMFM’s Not Necessarily the Automobile has no shortage of ideas on how to improve service and in turn reduce CO2 emissions in the city — more than half of which are currently linked to transportation. Adam Johnston said the city needs to implement universal low-cost fares, bolster advertising efforts to attract riders, and do a better job of linking bus routes to active transportation paths. “If Winnipeg wants to get to a million people, we can’t just keep expanding freeways like Kenaston and Chief Peguis,” Johnston said. “We have to have serious discussions about land use and getting out of the car and building sustainable communities, and that does include a more equitable Transit system here in the city.” maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Brandon Sun: Driver charged in Brandon crash that killed 15-year-old cyclist (Dec29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Dec '23

29 Dec '23

Driver charged in Brandon crash that killed 15-year-old cyclist Car travelling twice speed limit: police https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/12/28/driver-charged-in… POLICE have charged a 24-year-old Brandon man in the death of a 15-year-old boy who was struck by a car while cycling in the northwest area of the western Manitoba city in early October. Police said at the time that authorities expected charges would be laid against the driver, who remained at the scene after the collision and waited for police and emergency responders. Antoine Sutherland, a Vincent Massey High School student, was killed in the collision. The driver, who was not hurt, is facing a charge of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death. Brandon Police Service public information officer Sgt. Kirby Sararas told the Brandon Sun that fatal collision investigations can be lengthy. Once completed, police consult with a Crown attorney who then must go before a review panel for charges to be determined. “It is a process, it does take time and then of course the investigation itself is very technical,” Sararas said. The investigation by the BPS traffic section, forensic identification unit and a collision analyst determined that the vehicle was travelling more than twice the speed limit when the cycling youth was hit just before 5 p.m. on Oct. 5. The boy was heading north on McDiarmid Drive when he was struck by the vehicle travelling westbound on Victoria Avenue, a main artery in Brandon. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Sararas said a collision analyst uses forensic mapping devices and computer software to investigate collisions, and data pulled from a black box or data recorder in the vehicle is used to obtain information including airbag activation, speed and brake application. “The investigation itself takes a bit of time to ensure that we’ve got all the right pieces in place before we send it to the Crown,” she said. A sacred fire and walk in memory of the teen, who was of Indigenous and Ethiopian descent, were held the weekend following his death. A pedestrian corridor was installed at the intersection in 2022. A safety review three years earlier found that daily traffic counts at the intersection saw approximately 18,000 vehicles and 780 pedestrians and recommended that a pedestrian corridor be installed at any intersection where traffic volume exceeds 9,000 vehicle movements. The driver was released after his arrest and is scheduled to appear in Brandon court on Feb. 26. — Brandon Sun

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WFP: Probe of bridge at The Forks on hold (Dec28'23)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Dec '23

28 Dec '23

Warm weather prevents engineers from assessing structural integrity Probe of bridge at The Forks on hold https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/12/27/warm-weather-keep… MILD weather has delayed efforts to assess the structural integrity of The Forks Historic Rail Bridge, which has remained closed for months with no reopening date in sight. The former railway structure, which allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Assiniboine River from South Point Park to The Forks, has been closed since an assessment in June revealed potential safety issues, The Forks North Portage chief executive officer Sara Stasiuk told the Free Press. “We are doing some pretty extensive investigations with engineers to find out what exactly is wrong with it,” Stasiuk said, speaking Dec. 22, after an unrelated announcement. “It is kind of deemed not safe at the moment and we need to look at the structural steel and concrete to see what exactly the issue is and what our solutions might be.” While the initial assessment is expected to be completed this winter, the work cannot begin until the river ice below freezes solid, allowing engineers and equipment to access the underside of the bridge. At this point, the extent of required maintenance is unknown, Stasiuk said. “There is the potential that it could be closed for a long time and that the work is very expensive and extensive.” The Forks first alerted the public to the Winnipeg bridge’s indefinite closure in social media posts June 5, but it has not released subsequent updates, frustrating some active transit proponents. “You’d think they would actually be more forthcoming and give at least some proper notice or knowledge to people about what is going on, letting people know where they are at with it and how long it’s going to take,” said Tim Woodcock, owner of Woodcock Cycle Works. “Even if they don’t have all that completely, just some communication would be helpful because it is a main artery for people commuting. Whether by walking or cycling, that’s a very popular route to get through to St. Boniface or vice versa.” The lack of information highlights a disparity between cyclists and motorists, Woodcock said, asserting the latter receives regular updates when traffic routes are disrupted. Cyclists and pedestrians who are familiar with the bridge have found alternative routes in the interim, but newcomers or visitors to the city might find themselves stranded — particularly if they rely on cycling maps provided by the City of Winnipeg, which still present the bridge as an active route, Woodcock said. “It’s pretty straightforward, things do wear out and (The Forks is) doing it for people’s safety, well, come out and say that,” he said. “You might wonder why people get upset about it… but when there is no information whatsoever, it opens it up to speculation and people look at it in more of a negative light than it needs to be.” Such speculation includes a belief among some in the cycling community the closure was possibly influenced by the May 31 collapse of an elevated walkway at Fort Gibraltar that sent 17 people to the hospital, Woodcock said. The Forks has repeatedly said the Historic Rail Bridge inspection was routine and unrelated to the incident at the nearby site. Stasiuk acknowledged the impact of the closure and offered assurances that further updates and information will be released to the public as they are available. “It’s a huge impact. It’s super frustrating and disappointing for active transportation,” she said. “We recognize that it’s a huge deal, but safety (comes) first.” Construction on The Forks Historic Rail Bridge began in 1913, placing it among a raft of aging local structures that continue to carry pedestrians and traffic despite being more than a century old. Others include the Redwood/ Harry Lazarenko Bridge (1907-08), Louise Bridge (refurbished for automobile traffic in 1910) and Elm Park Bridge (1912-13). The Arlington Bridge (1910-12) closed indefinitely Nov. 21, due to safety concerns relating to its structural integrity. That closure has been similarly disruptive for cyclists and pedestrians travelling in the northwest region of the city, Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said. “The deciding factor for somebody who is considering cycling is not the best part of the ride, but the worst part,” Cohoe said. “The city is working to close those gaps… but as we close those gaps, it’s obviously critical that we don’t open new gaps — and these are both two new gaps.” Cohoe said if the rail bridge assessment identifies the need for extensive reconstruction, he would like to see the city pitch in to help The Forks cover the expense and ensure the active transit “thoroughfare” is not permanently closed. — with files from Jura McIlraith tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: City study of Osborne slip lane due in spring (Nov28'23)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Nov '23

28 Nov '23

City study of Osborne slip lane due in spring https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/11/27/city-study-of-osborne-sl… A municipal study on getting rid of an Osborne Village slip lane has yet to begin, but a local architect says making pedestrian-friendly changes is long overdue. Slip lanes, which allow drivers to make a right turn while bypassing an intersection, can speed up car commutes but slow down pedestrians and cyclists who must cross that uncontrolled lane of traffic. Architect Brent Bellamy, creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group, bikes daily through the slip lane at Academy Road and Stafford Street. He describes them as “highway infrastructure that have somehow crept into the design of residential streets,” and have no place in pedestrian-frequented areas. “Every single morning I think, this is what they’re going to write on my tombstone: ‘He died crossing the slip lane,’” Bellamy said with a laugh. “Because I’ve had so many close calls and they are just the bane of my existence.” A City of Winnipeg report on replacing the slip lane at Osborne Street and River Avenue with pedestrian sidewalks isn’t expected to be complete until the spring and submitted to the public works committee on May 7, a city spokesperson said. The city is considering whether to eliminate that slip lane as part of a traffic-calming proposal that also looks at closing Assiniboine Avenue to vehicles between Fort and Main streets. The idea to replace the Osborne Village slip lane with some kind of pedestrian scramble was proposed in the spring in a new blueprint for the neighbourhood by the Osborne Village Business Improvement Zone. The city’s public service has been tasked with studying the elimination of the slip lane and considering, instead, wider sidewalks, continuous sidewalks or a pedestrian scramble, according to an Oct. 10 directive from the standing policy committee on public works. “We should do everything we can to invite pedestrians to Osborne, not make them feel unsafe or uncomfortable for being there,” Bellamy said. Other cities, such as Montreal and Edmonton, have removed some slip lanes, sometimes placing planters there instead in a process that is neither lengthy nor too expensive, Bellamy noted.

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WFP: NEW BIKE REGISTRY ROLLING FORWARD (Nov1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Nov '23

01 Nov '23

*NEW BIKE REGISTRY ROLLING FORWARD* A CALL to endorse a new bike registry for Winnipeggers is rolling forward. On Tuesday, council’s community services committee voted in favour of a call to end a city-run bike registry and instead urge citizens to register their bikes with 529 Garage, a free, cloud-based system. The city registry has a $7.35 registration fee. If council approves, the new registry would share data with hundreds of police agencies and Winnipeg civic officials in hopes of getting more stolen bikes returned to their owners. The proposal also includes about $50,000 in each of the next four years to implement a new registration and theft-prevention program. The city sought new bike registration options in June, noting up to 2,000 bicycles are reported stolen in Winnipeg each year; about 1,000 are recovered but less than 10 per cent are successfully returned to their owners.

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