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WFP: City boosts bike path plowing (Nov1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Nov '23

01 Nov '23

Aim to clear snow on active routes quicker City boosts bike path plowing https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/11/01/city-boosts-bike-… SNOW is expected to be removed from most active transportation routes in less than two days this winter, as the city adds special plows to its snow-clearing arsenal. Avid cyclists hope more snow-free paths will mean fewer road rage incidents, as cyclists won’t be forced into the street. Michael Cantor, the city’s manager of streets maintenance, said snow days for active transportation paths will be shorter, now that the city has added 15 new bike path and sidewalk snow-clearing machines to its fleet of 31. Cantor said the extra machines, coupled with ones owned by private contractors, will allow the city to clear the sidewalks and paths along major streets and bus routes within 36 hours, if five centimetres of snow has fallen. Paths and sidewalks beside residential streets will be cleared in five days. “These machines are like a small truck plow that has a blade at the front or a snow blower and they are both on these new units,” he said. “They can also pull sand behind them. They look exactly like a snow blower you use at home only they are bigger, wider and stronger.” Cantor said the extra machines should allow the city to meet snow-clearance times mandated by council. St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard, who regularly cycles to city hall from his ward, said he’s pleased the city has more capacity to clear bike paths because it is safer for cyclists and reduces road rage incidents. But Allard said he has noticed a change in how cyclists are treated on the streets in recent years. “I think attitudes are changing. There’s an understanding now that there are many road users, not only motorists, but also cyclists and pedestrians,” he said. “Yes, there are still some moments where a motorist, when there is no active transportation route or it hasn’t been plowed, gets upset and they honk or they come close, but I think public opinion is moving to a much greater appreciation for those who use active transportation. “In general, we need to be kind to each other.” Bike Winnipeg’s Mark Cohoe said he has also noticed more positive change in peoples’ attitudes while cycling. He said it could be because there are more bike paths in the city — and more are on their way, including paths along River and Stradbrook avenues, as well as Goulet Street and University Crescent. But there are still major gaps, Cohoe said, including Regent and Nairn avenues, where there aren’t dedicated bike paths. Ian Walker, an elementary school teacher, said he was recently targeted in a road rage incident on Nairn. “The driver in a pickup truck didn’t like I was taking the lane and he came up behind me and then went around me horn blaring, scaring me,” Walker said. “I then felt a bunch of liquid on me and thought it was a snowball. It turned out it was coffee. I had to go to a meeting with principals covered with coffee. Walker said motorists have vented their rage at him in the past when he had to pedal on the street with no bike path, or when it was filled with snow. Despite the recent incident on Nairn, Walker said it is still better to ride a bike now than a few years ago. “I think it is getting better, honestly. I think people are more tolerant.” kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: City eyes imposing speed limits on active transportation paths (Oct28'23)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Oct '23

28 Oct '23

City eyes imposing speed limits on active transportation paths https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/10/27/city-eyes-active-transpo… THE City of Winnipeg will study the idea of imposing speed limits for electronic bikes and scooters. On Thursday evening, Winnipeg city council approved a call to have city staff study the potential new restriction, which could affect all motorized devices used on active transportation pathways. Traditional bicycles will be excluded. Coun. Janice Lukes said it’s great to see a hike in the number of people relying on active transportation. However, she said concerns about unsafe speeds of travel are triggering complaints and raising a need to consider new rules. “We’ve got people calling (about) getting hit (while) standing in the (path) and a dog’s leash got caught up in an e-bike… There are scenarios that are unfolding that are requiring us to look to see what other cities are doing that have addressed this issue,” the public works chairwoman said during the meeting. She noted Calgary has already imposed such a speed limit. The Alberta city requires all pathway users, including those riding manual bikes, to travel at or below posted speed limits. The maximum speed is typically set at 20 km/h, the City of Calgary’s website notes. The decision comes amid criticism an active transportation speed limit could prove difficult to enforce. Prior to ordering the report, the majority of Winnipeg council members opted to remove traditional bicycles from the potential speed limit. Coun. Matt Allard, who moved that amendment, told council members he feared including manual transportation could prove complicated. “I do believe that some of these (electronic) devices, particularly those that have been modified from the original manufacturer’s specifications, may achieve speeds that are significant. I would hope that we would not move in the direction of establishing maximum speeds for (traditional) bicycles because that would… likely mean installation of speedometers on bicycles and all sorts of issues with enforcement,” said Allard. Coun. Ross Eadie, who said he was once struck by a manual bicycle many years ago, voted against removing traditional bikes from the potential speed limit, suggesting all active transportation options should be limited to a maximum speed of 30 km/h. “If somebody gets hit by a bike moving really fast, believe me, it hurts… The older you get, the worse the injuries are,” said Eadie. Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act already sets a restriction of 32 km/h for “power-assisted” bicycles with motors of up to 500 watts. Coun. Shawn Dobson, who raised the speed limit motion, argues an even lower cap is needed. “Thirty-two (km/h) on an active transportation path is way too fast. Probably anywhere from 10 (km/h) to 20 (km/h) would be reasonable,” Dobson said in an interview Friday. Dobson said he supported the call to remove traditional bikes from the speed limit to avoid holding up the report, but believes the option could be revisited in the future. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: City to consider new bike registry (Oct26'23)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Oct '23

26 Oct '23

CITY TO CONSIDER NEW BIKE REGISTRY WINNIPEG could soon endorse a new bike registry in hopes of reuniting more stolen cycles with their owners. A new public service report calls for the city to urge citizens to register their bikes with 529 Garage, a free, cloud-based system that would replace an internal city-run bike registry that has a $7.35 registration fee. Council would also consider providing 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. If council approves, the new registry would share data with hundreds of police agencies and Winnipeg civic officials to help get more bikes returned.

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WFP: City seeks feedback on speed-limit reductions (Oct19'23)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Oct '23

19 Oct '23

(Adding to Dave Elmore's earlier message) *City seeks feedback on speed-limit reductions* THE City of Winnipeg is seeking feedback from residents in select neighbourhoods where speed limits have been reduced for several months. The city announced Wednesday it is entering the second phase of its reduced-speed neighbourhood pilot, in which speed limits in the Bourkevale and Tyndall Park neighbourhoods were reduced to 30 km/h, and limits in Worthington and Richmond West were reduced to 40 km/h per hour. “The pilot will tell us if changing the speed limit changes how fast vehicles actually travel, and if lowering the speed limit within a residential area affects neighbourhood livability,” the city said in a news release. The city has created separate surveys to assess the effectiveness of the program — one for residents living within the reduced speed limit areas, and another for the rest of Winnipeg residents. “Survey responses will help us understand both pilot area residents’ experience with the speed limit change and broader perspectives on speed limits in general,” the city said. In addition to the surveys, the city released the findings of a public engagement survey conducted in the program’s first phase before the limits were reduced. Sixty per cent of respondents felt residential speed limits should not be changed, while 40 per cent agreed with lowering them. The city is organizing a series of forums to be held early next year in which residents will be able to discuss the program. The first forum will take place at the Bourkevale Community Centre on Jan. 29 at 4:30 p.m. Further discussions will continue in each respective neighbourhood between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. The survey is available online <https://www.winnipeg.ca/news/2023-10-18-winnipeggers-invited-talk-residenti…> on the City of Winnipeg website, along with a list of forum dates and locations.

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Thanks
by Dave Elmore 19 Oct '23

19 Oct '23

The City of Winnipeg put this survey about residential speed limits and the neighbourhood pilots. Please share widely! https://www.winnipeg.ca/news/2023-10-18-winnipeggers-invited-talk-residenti… Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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WFP Editorial: Cities must adapt to new bike tech (Oct17'23)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Oct '23

17 Oct '23

*Cities must adapt to new bike tech* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/10/17/cities-must… IT’S a bike, it’s a car, it’s something in between. If you spent any time travelling around Winnipeg this summer, you probably noticed some new vehicles whizzing around the city’s roadways and active transportation routes. Electric bicycles and scooters have accelerated into common use recently with riders of all stripes jumping on the bandwagon. The battery-powered vessels have seen a surge in popularity thanks to their environmental advantages, accessibility and fun factor. But their presence isn’t beloved by all. Last week, the city’s public works committee agreed to commission a report on the viability of establishing speed limits on active transportation paths for bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other devices. The motion, raised by Coun. Shawn Dobson last month, argues speed restrictions are necessary to protect all path users from collisions. The department has 300 days to report back. As in other jurisdictions, the issue is proving to be a contentious one, with some Winnipeggers expressing safety concerns about mingling with the speedy personal vehicles on pathways and others raising questions about the effectiveness of speed limit enforcement. All are valid viewpoints, which is why the city needs to take an holistic approach to regulations. With every new form of transportation technology, governments have had to grapple with their application on roadways. When horses and buggies were the norm, they were barred from being “driven at a gallop” on New York streets or risked incurring a hefty fine. Alberta introduced its first speed limits in 1906, capping automobile travel at 32 and 16 km/h on highways and within city limits, respectively. Road safety has improved as speed limits have increased thanks to a combination of regulation, enforcement, infrastructure and public education. The city must acknowledge each of these factors when drawing up new rules around e-bikes and scooters. Doing too little will create undue tension between users on active transportation routes. Doing too much will impede e-bike and scooter use, which has the potential to take vehicles off the road and reduce carbon emissions. Speed limits are a good starting point, but they need to come with cost-effective enforcement strategies. In the absence of a fleet of bicycle bylaw officers, signage and public education campaigns can encourage self-policing. Currently, Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act restricts “power-assisted” bicycles to speeds of 32 km/h with an electric motor of up to 500 watts. That’s faster than vehicles are allowed to travel in school zones — a regulation designed to protect young pedestrians from death or injury. In Calgary, most active transportation routes have a maximum speed limit of 20 km/h for all path users. The bylaw also requires users to use a bell or vocal signal when passing others and denotes which vehicles are allowed on which pathways. Fines range between $100 and $400. The rules are clearcut and fair, while setting a standard for decorum on shared roadways. The latter is likely more important for e-rider and pedestrian safety than speed limits. Recent studies from Europe and the United States found that while e-bike users suffer higher rates of more severe injuries than traditional cyclists, rider behaviour and user error were the main culprits of collisions, followed by road conditions, such as speed limits. E-bikes and scooters are not a passing trend. While city councillors are busy mulling speed limits, they should also be thinking about how these increasingly popular modes of transportation will fit into future infrastructure and active transportation developments. Giving residents many different options to get where they need to go offers a direct path to improving Winnipeg’s livability.

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CTV News: New bike lanes cause close quarters driving along Goulet
by Beth McKechnie 14 Oct '23

14 Oct '23

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/near-impossible-new-bike-lanes-cause-close-quar…

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WFP: Speed limit proposed for bike paths (Oct6'23)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Oct '23

06 Oct '23

Speed limit proposed for bike paths https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/10/05/speed-limit-propo… A WINNIPEG councillor’s bid to create a speed limit for bicycles, electric bikes and scooters on active- transportation pathways is raising questions of whether such a restriction would be adequately enforced. Coun. Shawn Dobson argued a speed limit is necessary for the safety for all path users. “I’m trying to be proactive on our pathways because we have a number of bicycles, e-bikes, etc., that are going too fast,” the St. James councillor said Thursday. “I could see this getting much worse.” The potential for collisions increases with speed, he said, noting the growing use of e-bikes and scooters. A motion raised by Dobson at city council’s Sept. 29 meeting asks city staff to study the matter and report back. The motion was referred to the public works committee’s Oct. 10 meeting for consideration. “I just thought it made sense. We can’t turn them into raceways,” he said. Dobson wants staff to look at what other cities are doing. Calgary has a speed limit of 20 km/h for its paths and sidewalks. Fines range between $100 and $400. Dobson’s motion doesn’t recommend a specific speed limit or fine for Winnipeg. “It could be 10, 20 km/h,” he said. The limit would apply to bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other devices, according to the motion, which states many Winnipeggers are afraid to use pathways because they fear being in a collision. Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act sets a restriction of 32 km/h when power-assisted bicycles are using an electric motor of up to 500 watts. The minimum driving age is 14. Helmets are required. Only bicycles with a rear wheel diameter of 410 millimetres or less are allowed on sidewalks. Enforcement of a city-imposed speed limit on pathways could be an issue, according to some cyclists and e-bike users, as well as public works chair Coun. Janice Lukes. “The police have more important things to do,” said Jeff Bowes, manager of retailer EBike Winnipeg. He thinks a speed limit is a good idea. Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said a speed restriction shouldn’t be viewed as the only solution for matters such as safety. “It’s something we have to consider, but we have to consider carefully,” he said. “We have to look for solutions that are going to work for us and be enforceable and manageable and fair.” He would like cities to consider ways to integrate e-bikes into current and future active-transportation networks. The bikes exploded in popularity when many of Winnipeg’s paths were already in place or designed. Bowes agreed Winnipeg must be more bike-friendly. He and Cohoe said a majority of people who would be affected by a speed limit ride responsibly. Ian Walker, an e-bike user and spokesman for Safe Speeds Winnipeg, believes the increase in electric bicycles, coupled with limited space on paths, is leading to more complaints about speed. There is a need for wider and more pathways, he said. “Our paths are small. There is not a lot of space for passing, which is a problem,” said Walker. He encouraged people to slow down when passing. Lukes, who supports a speed limit on paths, recently discussed e-bikes with police after some residents contacted her with questions. “It is definitely time to take a look at this and make a decision on what we’re going to do,” the deputy mayor said. Whatever the city chooses to do, it must not discourage people from using bicycles or e-bikes, she said. Lukes believes an effective education campaign would encourage a large majority of people to comply with a speed limit. “I think, sometimes, things can self-enforce,” she said. Safe Speeds Winnipeg has lobbied city council to reduce the speed limit for vehicles to 30 km/h on all residential streets. Doing so would reduce the risk of fatal or serious injury collisions, while encouraging more cyclists or e-bike riders to use the roads, it argues. That proposal should be a higher priority for council than speed restrictions on paths, Walker said. Dobson does not support lowering the speed limit for all residential streets. “There’s no way people would follow that,” he said. Last March, the city turned four streets into 30- or 40-km/h zones as part of a pilot project. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching

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WFP: Assiniboine Avenue closure considered (Oct5'23)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Oct '23

05 Oct '23

ASSINIBOINE AVENUE CLOSURE CONSIDERED VEHICLE traffic may lose access to a key section of Assiniboine Avenue if a proposed pilot project to enhance the area for pedestrians is approved. On Oct. 10, council’s public works committee will consider a call to order a report on a pedestrian-prioritized pilot project that would close Assiniboine Avenue to vehicle traffic between Fort and Main streets. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said shutting down vehicle access at this stretch of Assiniboine Avenue would improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. “Vehicles would not have a right or left turn onto Assiniboine Avenue (from Main Street), basically closing Assiniboine Avenue,” said Lukes. A pilot project could help determine how best to use the space and to study its impact on traffic and safety. Lukes suggested the area could include more green space and/or a plaza in the future. The motion also calls for options to eliminate the right turn lane at River Avenue and Osborne Street and consider adding a pedestrian scramble in that area. At a pedestrian scramble, all vehicle traffic has a red light at the same time in order to let pedestrians cross in all directions at once.

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WFP: City spring cleanup crews to make on-road active-transportation routes a priority (Oct4'23)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Oct '23

04 Oct '23

City spring cleanup crews to make on-road active-transportation routes a priority https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/10/04/city-spring-cleanup-crew… Starting next spring, some Winnipeg active transportation routes will be cleared of winter sand and grit before other roads, with the goal of making them accessible sooner. A new city staff report notes the city’s on-road active transportation network will be prioritized for cleaning first in the spring. The prioritized routes include bike paths, active transportation priority routes, seasonal bike routes and neighbourhood greenways. (The city defines neighbourhood greenways as on-street routes that typically use reduced speeds and traffic-calming measures to safely move cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles.) The off-road network of sidewalks and pathways will continue to be cleared based on the priority level of associated streets. “It is anticipated that the on-road active transportation network can be cleaned within two weeks (as opposed to the larger network’s five to six weeks), providing a safer environment to users earlier in the season,” Michael Cantor, city manager of streets maintenance, writes in the report. An active transportation advocate welcomed the change Wednesday, suggesting it will reduce the risk of injuries on routes where cyclists travel at higher speeds. “What it means is that if you’re on your bike, there’s less risk that you’re going to be crashing because there’s loose gravel out on the roadway,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. Since Winnipeg tends to have lengthy, snowy winters that require the repeated spreading of sand to improve traction, Bike Winnipeg has advocated for the change in the past. Cohoe said the on-road routes tend to collect more sand than other active transportation ones, partly because nearby motor vehicle tires can push excess debris into curbside spaces designated for bikes. He would like the city to also prioritize spring cleanup for separated sidewalks and paths, in order to encourage more people to use active transportation routes. Coun. Janice Lukes, head of council’s public works committee, said she would also like to see all active transportation routes prioritized for spring cleanup, but considers this change an important first step. “We’re starting with the roads for the vulnerable road user… It’s just to try and get more people to use active transportation and to have it presented to them (earlier in the year) and in a safe manner,” said Lukes. Since the change mainly adjusts the schedule of existing spring cleanup efforts, the city councillor said it’s not expected to cost more money. Street sweeping typically starts in mid-April, weather permitting. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Speed limits sought for active pathways (Sep30'23)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Sep '23

30 Sep '23

SPEED LIMITS SOUGHT FOR ACTIVE PATHWAYS https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/09/29/councillor-suggests-spee… THE City of Winnipeg should study the merits of imposing a speed limit for bikes, electric bikes, scooters and other devices on active transportation pathways, according to one councillor. Coun. Shawn Dobson raised a motion at Friday’s council meeting that seeks a staff report on the potential change, which states collisions and injuries are more likely when speed increases. “Many residents are afraid to use our pathways for fear of being struck and injured by speeding bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other devices,” the motion states. The matter was referred to council’s public works committee, which will consider it next month.

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WFP: Cyclist injured in apparent road rage incident with truck (Sep20'23)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Sep '23

20 Sep '23

Cyclist injured in apparent road rage incident with truck https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/09/20/cyclist-injured-i… A cyclist is recovering after an alleged road rage incident in which a motorist attempted to ram him with his truck, severely damaging his bike and sending him sprawling to the pavement. “I’m still processing this in a really big way,” Elliot Long said, describing how a seemingly innocent interaction with a motorist allegedly turned hostile. “I’m really shaken up. I would like to continue cycling, but it is really scary.” Long, a student at the University of Winnipeg, said he was cycling northbound on Roslyn Road near Osborne Street around 9 a.m. Monday when a car cut him off and stopped at a red light. When he gestured for the driver to give him more space, an unrelated motorist behind the wheel of a burgundy truck began shouting at him. “I don’t even know why he got involved,” Long said. “He started foaming at the mouth, screaming all kinds of stuff, just completely losing it at me.” Long stepped off his bike and turned to face the incensed motorist. When the light turned green, the man in the truck “backed up a little bit and crashed right into me,” he said. Long said he managed to dive away in order to avoid being run down, and watched from the ground as the truck sped off with his bike trapped beneath. The bike broke loose a few metres away with its rear tire, chain and gears reduced to a twisted wreck. Shaken up and sore, but relatively unharmed, the cyclist got to his feet and took note of the truck’s licence plate. He went immediately to Winnipeg Police Service headquarters and filed a report, he said. Numerous witnesses approached him in the aftermath of the crash, including a staff member at a nearby convenience store who said they had video footage; that evidence has since been submitted to police, Long said. On Tuesday, WPS confirmed it received the report but did not provide additional details. “They asked me if I want to press criminal charges,” Long said. “(I said) yes. This is not OK. There are cyclists killed often and you cannot behave that way. It’s completely inappropriate.” Manitoba Public Insurance data shows an average of four cyclists are killed and 78 are injured in collisions annually throughout the province. While every situation is different, claim reports suggest fault is often shared between drivers and cyclists. In June, a 63-year-old man was struck on his bike and sent to the hospital in critical condition after a hit-and-run incident near Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue. In May, a cyclist in his 30s was critically injured after being struck by a garbage truck near Erin Street and Sargent Avenue. Javed Musharraf, 22, died late last year after colliding with a front-end loader while riding his electric bike near the intersection of Mission and Plinguet streets. A separate 2019 MPI report found roughly 30 per cent of drivers admit to committing acts of road rage, including shouting, cursing, making rude gestures or — in extreme cases — forcing other motorists off the road. Long estimates the cost of damage to his bike, helmet and eyeglasses will exceed $1,000. The number does not account for physical or emotional damage suffered as a result, he said. He intends to file a claim with MPI. “Everybody I know who is a cyclist has been in an accident at some point,” he said, “Drivers seem to think cyclists are supposed to ride on the sidewalk sometimes, which is not the law and is much more dangerous. I wear my helmet, I follow the rules of the road, but it is scary.” tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Montreal-area police equip school kids with backpacks that display speed cameras (Sep7'23)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Sep '23

07 Sep '23

Montreal-area police equip school kids with backpacks that display speed cameras https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/2023/09/06/montreal-area-police-eq… MONTREAL — Children in the Montreal area are becoming living speed cameras to get drivers to slow down in school zones as the city charges ahead with efforts to increase road safety. On select dates, police in the metro area will equip a handful of schoolchildren with backpacks that display passing vehicles’ speeds. The concept, developed in Quebec by police in the suburb of Laval, north of Montreal, in 2021, spread to Longueuil on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River last year. On Wednesday, the Montreal police force presented its first “living radars.” The striking demonstrations are part of a series of measures municipalities are deploying to better secure school zones this year — an effort that took on renewed urgency last December when a seven-year-old girl who had recently arrived from Ukraine was killed in a hit-and-run on her way to school east of downtown Montreal. “Living environments are not shortcuts, and they must guarantee safe travel for everyone,” Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said in a statement this week. “Road safety is everyone’s business. Every motorist must prioritize safety over speed.” Police in Montreal, Laval and Longueuil have all announced operations to crack down on dangerous driving around school zones this month. Montreal is reshaping its streets to better protect children, ramping up work to envelop school zones with pedestrian safety and traffic calming measures, such as raised crosswalks, enlarged sidewalks, speed humps and lane size reductions. The program — the first of its kind in Quebec, according to Plante — has made 92 schools safer since its launch in 2020, the city says. Eighteen more projects are underway and scheduled to wrap up by the end of the year. Longueuil is following suit, with its own school zone safety plan coming shortly, the city’s mayor, Catherine Fournier, promised last week. On Tuesday, Plante pointed to the rising number of serious road collisions as motivation to push forward with the urban redesign. Quebec’s public automobile insurance corporation counted 38 fatal accidents in the Montreal region, including the city and on-island suburbs, in 2022, compared with 29 in 2021. “Our aim is to do more, faster,” the mayor said. — The Canadian Press

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WFP Community Review: Mobility fair for older adults to be held Sept. 13
by Beth McKechnie 06 Sep '23

06 Sep '23

*Mobility fair for older adults to be held Sept. 13* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/east/2023/09/06/mobility-… Options to help some of the city’s more senior citizens get out and about will be explored at an upcoming free community event. Green Action Centre, in collaboration with the Transportation Options Network for Seniors, will hold a mobility fair for older adults on Wednesday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Corydon Community Centre, River Heights site (1370 Grosvenor Ave.). The fair, which will be held in a drop-in format, will include presentations, information and resources provided by a number of organizations, including the two host organizations, such as Winnipeg Transit, Bike Winnipeg, Easy Street Rehabilitation, Peg City Car Co-op, Plain Bicycle, and Freedom Concepts. Organizers say the goal of the event is to showcase a selection of local transportation options that older individuals can utilize to maintain a healthy, independent and sustainable lifestyle. “It’s very exciting for us to do this,” Ariel Desrochers, a sustainable transportation co-ordinator at Green Action Centre, said. Desrochers, who lives in Wolseley, said the organization tends to serve younger audiences — with initiatives such as its Active and Safe Routes to School program — and individuals across the board with any number of active transportation initiatives, so it’s especially satisfying to be tailoring the upcoming fair to an older demographic. She said the event will be helpful to community members with a cross-section of different needs and interests, whether it’s those who are looking for different transportation alternatives, such as people potentially looking for more sustainable alternatives to cars; folks who want to maintain their independence as they age; or maybe those with mobility issues that are seeking prudent options. “It’s something I’m looking forward to. When we talk about sustainability and environmental initiatives, maybe older folks sometimes get left out of the conversation. I really hope this event can be inclusive to this age group and help expand their horizons,” Desrochers said. “Accessible travel isn’t always sustainable, so we’re looking forward to bringing these options to older individuals in the community.” According to Green Action Centre’s website, limited refreshments will be provided. As well, many of the vendors will be stationed outside, so attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable footwear and dress according to the weather. There will be limited bicycle and vehicle parking, as well as street parking. Desrochers said the fair’s drop-in format will allow visitors to pick and choose what they’d like to see and do. Go online at greenactioncentre.ca for more information.

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WFP: Repair coming for longtime safety hazard on Sturgeon Creek path, city promises (Aug30'23)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Aug '23

30 Aug '23

Repair coming for longtime safety hazard on Sturgeon Creek path, city promises https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/08/29/repair-coming-for… A MASSIVE hole at one edge of the busy Sturgeon Creek active transportation route is still drawing safety complaints from residents months after it was first reported. The city said Tuesday a repair is on the way. The Free Press first reported the problem — where the Sturgeon Creek route meets a smaller path that leads to a playground on Amarynth Crescent — on June 7. At the time, it had one barricade posted at each of its ends and appeared to be about 75 centimetres deep and at least six metres long. The next day, the city erected snow fencing around the entire perimeter of the hole. Randall Hull first complained to 311 about the safety hazard on April 23. Hull said he’s relieved to hear some action will be taken soon, since it’s about to get a lot more use. “Once kids get back to school, there’s a lot of kids that use that pathway to either go to school by bike or walk,” he said. The city pumped standing water out of the trench, which now appears to be about 1.8 metres deep, he said, adding the snow fence doesn’t extend far enough to block access to the hole in its entirety. “The snow fence is good on two of the four sides but it isn’t really adequate at the end … it stops (about 1.2 metres) short of going all the way around and therefore it’s easy for kids to go underneath the snow fence,” he said. “At the proper angle, you see how grossly inadequate it is.” A city public works spokesman said the repair process will begin soon. “The gap in Sturgeon Creek pathway by Amarynth Park is the result of an underground washout that needs further investigation. The site will be inspected by a riverbank stabilization engineer in mid-September to determine the cause of the gap and the appropriate next steps for making the repair, Ken Allen wrote. “Temporarily filling the hole with gravel as an interim measure is not a sufficient or appropriate repair method for this type of issue.” Allen said a crew will also inspect the snow fence and could repair it before the hole itself is fixed “in the weeks ahead.” The damaged path is in St. James Coun. Shawn Dobson’s ward. He said city officials suspect an old land drainage line may be linked to the problem. “They can’t (just) fill up (the hole). It’ll keep sinking until they determine the cause,” said Dobson. In June, the councillor called the hole “monstrous” and agreed it posed a significant safety concern. He said it appears even larger now, but he believes the highly visible barrier surrounding it greatly reduces any risk. Dobson said it makes sense to take the time needed to ensure a more permanent repair. “It’s a complicated fix because you can’t just throw gravel in it and say it’s done. ... They have to figure out what’s causing (the washout) and that means they have to get in there and dig,” he said. Dobson said the pathway may need to be realigned and rebuilt. While there is not yet a cost estimate or timeline to fix the problem, he said he’s confident money will be available. Hull said he’s glad the city has promised to take action. And while he’d love to see a quicker repair, he said it does make sense to pursue a long-term fix. “Until there’s something permanently done, it’s probably a good point not to throw money at (fixing it if) you know it’s not going to last,” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP Editorial: It shouldn’t take a squeaky wheel (Aug25'23)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Aug '23

25 Aug '23

It shouldn’t take a squeaky wheel https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/08/25/it-shouldnt… DESPITE a convoluted response from city staff last week, hazardous pavement heaving on a well-used local bike path was patched within days of a Free Press story highlighting the issue. It’s a chain of events that raises questions about the inner workings of City Hall, as well as its active transportation priorities. For months, cyclists have been skirting around a section of dangerously uneven pavement at the corner of Rover Avenue and Hallet Street in North Point Douglas. The soil under the sidewalk had shifted, causing the concrete slabs to buckle and creating a large ridge at the roadway. One daily user interviewed by the Free Press said the fissure had developed in the spring, forcing cyclists to dismount or find an alternate route during the height of bike season. The junction would likewise have been impassable for wheelchair users, pedestrians with limited mobility or parents with strollers heading to nearby Michaëlle Jean Park. In its initial response, a city spokesperson pointed to riverbank failure as the cause of the newly formed curb. A costly and lengthy proposal and investigation process was needed before the sidewalk could be fixed. “Making the repair is not as simple as just repaving the pathway,” read the emailed statement. Yet, within 24-hours of that assessment, new asphalt had been poured by public works and the gap corrected. The patch may not be a permanent solution to the underlying issue of ground shifting in the area, but it does make the neighbourhood’s infrastructure usable again. While a gap of several inches might seem like a minor inconvenience in a city with pockmarked streets and thousands of potholes, it’s the latest in a growing list of controversies that illustrate the city’s dismissive attitude toward active transportation routes. This past winter, Winnipeggers took up shovels to clear ice and snow from local bike paths in response to the city’s lackluster clearing efforts. Last year, Free Press reporting found that two multi-use path projects in the city had been funded, but not completed. When pressed, the city couldn’t answer where the budgeted money went or why the projects were stalled. An inquiring city councillor was met with similar silence. In the winter of 2019, two Wolseley residents took it upon themselves to clear ice from the Omand’s Creek footbridge after the city determined the job was too difficult and that the busy bridge should be left impassable until the spring melt. A request for information by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation following the incident revealed 97 pages of internal communications related to the bridge-clearing decision. Time after time, Winnipeggers who opt for active transportation — either by choice or by necessity — are forced to deal with physical and bureaucratic roadblocks during their daily commute. It’s an embarrassing state of affairs that hampers the city’s livability and its environmental goals. Last week, Coun. Janice Lukes rightly described the North Point Douglas issue as “completely unacceptable” and promised that maintenance of Winnipeg’s active transportation network would be a priority for the public works department next year — an admission that suggests bike and pedestrian pathways aren’t currently very high on the agenda. Our infrastructure isn’t the only thing in desperate need of repair. It appears the municipal workflow could also use a tune-up. While the promise of better city-wide bike infrastructure has yet to be delivered, commuting has gotten a little smoother for one cohort of local cyclists. It’s too bad those users had to wait for media coverage in order to find a fix.

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WFP weekly: Women’s cycling group strikes a chord (Aug23'2023)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Aug '23

23 Aug '23

Women’s cycling group strikes a chord SHELDON BIRNIE https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/east/2023/08/21/exceeding… When Sarah Gravelle-MacKenzie set out to start a bi-weekly guided bike ride for mature women around northeast Winnipeg this spring, she knew there’d be interest. Even so, the response has surprised her. “It has been phenomenal,” Gravelle-MacKenzie, 68, said. “I don’t think I could have dreamt it would be this successful.” Cycling with Sarah launched in May. Following three introductory rides in the spring, Gravelle-MacKenzie ran two group rides per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A total of 53 women registered, with more than 40 on the waiting list. “We were at the max,” she said. “The goal is for next year, if we want to try to grow it, we’ll have to get more ride leads and sweeps.” This summer’s rides wrap up with group rides on Aug. 29, Sept. 7 and 14. There will also be a wind-up party at Bikes & Beyond (227 Henderson Hwy.) on Tuesday, Sept. 19. “Once formal rides end, we can still ride. People have made friendships, which is something special,” Gravelle-MacKenzie said. “The bonds that have been created are pretty special.” Sponsored by Liv Canada, Bikes & Beyond, and the Manitoba Cycling Association, Gravelle-MacKenzie is planning to extend a series of events into the fall and, hopefully, the winter as well, to keep the group together and stay active. “Fall, pre-snow, we’re doing hiking groups and going to different places. We’ll set up a schedule and women can sign up,“ she said. “Once the snow comes we’re going to do snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and I want to do tobogganing at Silver Springs here in East St. Paul. It’s a good workout and it makes you feel like a kid again.” Gravelle-MacKenzie, who started cycling seriously when she retired a few years ago, is also keen to introduce more women to winter cycling, if informally at first. “I love winter cycling,” she said. “I have talked about winter cycling and there are some women who want to try it.” Gravelle-MacKenzie believes part of the success of the group has been that it serves an under-represented demographic. “A lot of the women, as older women in their sixties and seventies, said they felt invisible,” Gravelle-MacKenzie said. “So for a group to be formed just for them is really powerful. It’s been neat to watch it all develop and everyone being so enthusiastic about it. Come spring, we’ve got so many people who want to ride. It’s evolving really nicely.” For more information, follow @CyclingWithSarah on Instagram or email cyclingwithsarah(a)gmail.com

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Stats Can: Commuting to work by car and public transit grows in 2023
by Beth McKechnie 22 Aug '23

22 Aug '23

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230822/dq230822b-eng.htm

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WFP: The great barricade debate (Aug5'23)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Aug '23

05 Aug '23

The great barricade debate Residents worry about extra traffic from drivers looking for shortcut https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/08/04/heg-5 BARRICADES have been removed from an East St. Paul route reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles, allowing general traffic to access the hotly debated link to Winnipeg. It is sparking safety concerns from some area residents, while others argue it’s time to open the paved road for good. The walking-biking route on Raleigh Street in the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul offers a “through-pass” under the northeast Perimeter Highway. A City of Winnipeg boundary on Raleigh is located just south of it. Someone removed the wooden barricades in early July, raising concerns of potentially excessive traffic. “This is a… residential neighbourhood with residential streets… None of them were designed with the notion of becoming another Henderson Highway or Pembina Highway,” said Victor Mikolayenko, who lives nearby. Mikolayenko is urging the province, which owns the infrastructure, to replace the barricades as soon as possible. As traffic from East St. Paul currently has just one permanent connection to Lagimodiere Boulevard, he fears allowing general traffic on the Raleigh link between Sperring (north) and Foxgrove (south) avenues would create a very busy route, increasing noise and the risk of collisions. “It doesn’t take much imagination to see that it would be used as a shortcut… Residents on Headmaster Row between Gateway (Road) and Lagimodiere would be severely impacted, as would any other residents along that way,” said Mikolayenko. He believes the wooden barricades were removed by vandals. During a Free Press visit to the site Friday morning, a broken wooden barrier was spotted in the grass beside the structure. Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said the barricades were removed at least three weeks ago and he’s asked the province to replace them. Browaty said he’s most concerned about future traffic, as East St. Paul’s population grows. “There’s a big chunk of East St. Paul that, when this is open, would find it desirable to take this underpass south of the Perimeter Highway and then (connect through) to get to Lagimodiere. That’s the cut-through traffic that is really problematic for the design and the build of Headmaster (Row),” said Browaty, noting Headmaster is a residential street with many driveways that back directly onto it. Before the link was built, a City of Winnipeg public service report also opposed allowing general traffic along the “through-pass.” “Gateway Road and Raleigh Street north of Chief Peguis Trail have not been built or planned to accommodate high volumes of vehicle traffic… (To do so, these routes) would require a major infrastructure investment by the city that would not at this time be supported by residents in the North Kildonan ward,” a 2015 report noted. Browaty is urging the province to cut off general traffic at the site once again, arguing the area isn’t set up to handle it. He said it could be possible to allow traffic in the future, but only after extensive public consultation, traffic studies and potential infrastructure improvements, with no cost to the city. East St. Paul should also first provide guarantees its future development around the site won’t be dense enough to greatly increase traffic, he added. However, one East St. Paul councillor said he believes the route should open up to allow local traffic permanently, to create an efficient route and alleviate the need for detours. “I think the province and everybody (else) foresees… that you’ve got to not land-lock the community. You’ve got to keep (this area open),” said Charles Posthumus. Posthumus said he’s heard ample support for making the change from both Winnipeg and East St. Paul residents. In an email, a provincial spokesperson said road signs were initially placed along the route to note it is restricted to emergency vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, with movable barricades used to ensure emergency vehicle access. Road signs to alert drivers to the restriction did not appear to be present Friday. The province indicated vandalism has been a persistent problem at the site. “These barricades are subject to frequent vandalism and theft. Therefore, barricades may or may not be present at any given time… signage is also subject to frequent vandalism so signage may or may not be present at any given time,” the statement said. The spokesperson said Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure will work with East St. Paul and the City of Winnipeg to resolve any concerns. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Resourceful thieves sabotaging bike racks (Aug3'23)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Aug '23

03 Aug '23

Resourceful thieves sabotaging bike racks Riders locking cycles to altered, non-secure structures https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/08/02/damaged-bike-rack… WATCH out for altered bike racks, a cycling advocate says, after local riders have posted online warnings of security structures damaged by would-be thieves to make pilfering bicycles easier. One such rack had been cut or sawed at St. Boniface-area strip mall Dominion Centre, with the cut masked with a piece of tape, one post said in an online group focused on preventing Winnipeg bike thefts. On Wednesday afternoon, the damaged rack remained, but no cyclists stopped to lock up. Mark Cohoe, executive director of advocacy organization Bike Winnipeg, said he hadn’t personally encountered that specific method of thievery, but noted he’s heard of people damaging racks to ease such thefts. “Sometimes, you might get a rack or a post that’s been unbolted… I haven’t seen it personally, but I’ve heard… where racks are either partially cut or they’re cut through,” he said Wednesday. “In some ways, it’s not surprising — I’ve seen it on social media in other cities, and the tools are here, but I don’t know if it’s widespread.” Bike theft, however, is widespread in Winnipeg, with city data suggesting as many as 2,000 bicycles reported stolen a year, but far fewer returned to rightful owners. Cohoe said he’s also heard of bolts being removed from the base of racks, allowing the rack to be removed from the sidewalk or ground, or a rack being cut most of the way through, allowing a thief to break it with a hammer and slip off a bike’s lock with ease. The advocate, who's had many bikes stolen over the years, said if someone spots a damaged rack, they should report it to the business that owns it or the City of Winnipeg. “But ultimately, we need to have more racks out there and have better enforcement to make sure we’re installing racks in good places, too, to ensure they’re in visible places where it’s a little harder to do that and maybe a quicker response if someone notices it has been vandalized… or prepared for easier theft,” Cohoe said. More short-term street parking and long-term bicycle storage programs need to be developed, he added. “Like into apartment buildings, into workplaces, places where if a bike’s going to be stored on a regular basis, that it’s much more protected than where it’s just sitting out, and ultimately a grinding tool will get to it fairly quickly.” The advocate recommended cyclists choose parking spots in visible locations with foot traffic, and to check bike racks by physically shaking them to ensure it is secured, before locking the frame and a wheel of the bike to the rack. Frequent bike thefts in the city have dissuaded some from cycling more frequently, he said. “If you assume your bike’s going to get stolen, you’re not going to take it out there. And the reality is, people are getting their bikes stolen,” said Cohoe, adding he would like to see Winnipeg police assign an investigator to focus specifically on bike thefts, as well as online platforms to crack down on illicit sales. erik.pindera(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Group wants to see more active transportation in Steinbach
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jul '23

31 Jul '23

Group wants to see more active transportation in Steinbach https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/the-carillon/local/2023/07/30/group-wants… Strong Towns Steinbach held its first public event on Sunday at E.A. Friesen Park in Steinbach. The group met with their bikes and with like-minded citizens to bring awareness to active transportation. “We’re living in a city that is well suited for getting around by car and it’s possible to actually get around by walking and by riding. So, I think we’re wanting to encourage people to think more consciously about the fact that they can get to so many places by bike and do it efficiently and safely,” said Gary Snider, co-founder of Strong Towns Steinbach. While there are bike routes in the city, the group feels that there needs to be more especially at major roadways. “There are in the original square mile – the older community – there are a lot of bike paths. The challenges is where you come into crossing the larger streets like Main street and (Highway 12) there isn’t a lot of access for that…I have three kids that are under six-years-old and I would like them to cycle safely with me on their own bikes and really to be able to get anywhere in Steinbach,” said co-founder Wade Wiebe. “As more people choose cycling as a way of getting around they will let the councillors know what we need is more access to bike paths, which are separate from car paths. Bike paths alongside car paths are OK, but it’s not ideal for kids unless they’re with an adult and even with an adult it can be challenging or intimidating sometimes. We want to make a push to make that happen.” Wiebe hopes that within 10 to 15 years there will be bike paths all over the city and that biking will be encouraged. “I think we can do a lot better as a city and that’s the hope,” he said.

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CBC: These Canadian cities are making it easier for cyclists and pedestrians to get around this summer
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '23

28 Jul '23

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:13:04 -0500 Subject: Pedestrians & Cyclists: some cities https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/open-streets-efforts-canada-cities-2023-1.69…

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WFP: City expands active-transportation network with new pathway in north Winnipeg (Jul27'23)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jul '23

27 Jul '23

City expands active-transportation network with new pathway in north Winnipeg https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/07/27/city-expands-acti… Also Global News: https://globalnews.ca/news/9860934/winnipeg-multi-use-pedestrian-cycling-ne… The wheels of a few dozen cyclists sliced through several metres of ribbon in place of the classic, comically-large pair of scissors during an offbeat ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday marking the official opening of Winnipeg’s newest active-transportation path. After a soft opening earlier in the week, the Northwest Hydro Corridor Multi-Use Path was formally unveiled to the public during a news conference Thursday at Simkin Park in Garden City. “By embracing the opportunity to partner and invest in our transportation network, we are ensuring that we provide healthy opportunities for safe and accessible pathways for our residents,” Old Kildonan Coun. Devi Sharma told the gathering. Cyclists and pedestrians could be seen using the new trail while councillors, the mayor and representatives from Manitoba Hydro, Trails Manitoba and the Manitoba government delivered speeches. The 4.5-metre-wide path, running parallel to McPhillips Street, consists of a 2.4-kilometre stretch between Leila and Church avenues. It cost a total of $2.5 million and was funded, in part, by a $450,000 grant from Trails Manitoba and the province. The multi-use trail will service a wide range of shops, workplaces and institutions in north Winnipeg, including the Garden City Shopping Centre, Seven Oaks Hospital and several schools. Don Denesiuk cycled north from his home in Downtown Winnipeg to test out the path and gather with other bike enthusiasts. “Any kind of infrastructure, especially if it separates the bike from traffic, is going to be a good thing,” Denesiuk said. “The points of contention are going to be where it crosses the major thoroughfares.” To improve cyclist and pedestrian safety in the future, Denesiuk wants the city to address more gaps in the municipal active-transportation network and invest in snow-clearing infrastructure designed specifically for the routes in the winter months. Mayor Scott Gillingham raved about the city’s growing investment in projects such as the pathway in the past year. The city’s 2023 preliminary budget committed $17.5 million to active-transportation projects. “Our investment in active-transportation projects this year is 300 per cent higher than what was forecasted in the 2022 budget,” Gillingham said. He added that the city is also installing protected lanes along River and Stradbrook avenues and multi-use paths down Keewatin and Archibald streets. Over the years, multiple hydro corridors have been transformed into multi-use pathways. Awasisak Mēskanow Trail, formerly known as the Bishop Grandin Greenway, was the city’s first. Colleen Galbraith, Manitoba Hydro’s customer energy services department manager, said active transportation is one of the best uses for hydro right-of-way corridors. “We’re so happy to see the right-of-way to be used for such a great community,” Galbraith said. “The project is a perfect example of what our community can achieve by working towards a common goal: giving Winnipeggers, young and old, a safe place to get outside, ride a bike and get some exercise.” In Phase 2, the multi-use path will extend into Point Douglas. Gillingham couldn’t provide further details on when that will happen. Point Douglas Coun. Vivian Santos said she was eager to welcome more active-transportation investments into her ward, which has historically been underserved. cierra.bettens(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Higher standard for snow clearing (Jul14'23)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jul '23

14 Jul '23

*HIGHER STANDARD FOR SNOW CLEARING * CITY council has backed a call to ramp up snow-clearing for residential sidewalks, while moving forward a request to greatly increase the annual snow-clearing budget. Council voted Thursday to refer the call to raise the annual ice and snow control budget to $54.2 million, from around $35 million, to next year’s budget process. *The vote also approves a plan to spend an extra $216,000 in 2023, plus $552,000 or more per year from 2024 through 2027, to ramp up snow-clearing for residential sidewalks and pathways.*

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WFP Analysis: The Idaho stop: a step forward for safety (Jul13'23)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '23

13 Jul '23

*The Idaho stop: a step forward for safety * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/07/13/the-idaho-sto… WHY isn’t the Idaho stop legal in Manitoba? That’s not the latest TikTok dance trend, it’s a rule that allows cyclists to “roll” through stop signs when safe to do so and research indicates it saves lives. The Idaho stop, named after the state that first made it legal in 1982, isn’t allowed anywhere in Canada, but is slowly becoming part of the legal landscape in the United States. Here’s how it works. When a cyclist comes to an intersection in states with stop-as-yield laws, they must reduce their speed, ensure that there is no traffic coming and proceed carefully. It also means stopping at red lights, but only for as long as needed for the intersection to be safe to ride through. It doesn’t mean blast through all the stop signs, red lights and any other traffic measures. It does mean that the rider doesn’t have to stop the bike, put their foot down and stop their momentum if it’s safe to continue to ride. As Bike Winnipeg’s Patty Wiens explains: “Stop signs are for controlling speeds and making sure that cars aren’t treating every street like a highway. Bikes aren’t high-speed vehicles, with even e-bikes being speed controlled at a maximum of 32 km/h, having the Idaho stop become legal, would just help to keep traffic moving.” Obviously then, this treats cyclists differently than vehicles. And that’s not a bad thing. Research conducted suggests that allowing cyclists the opportunity to maintain their momentum and get “in front of traffic” at intersections is safer. According to Manitoba Public Insurance, there are on average four cyclists killed and 78 injured annually in collisions with vehicles. Intersections are the most dangerous place for cyclists. Interestingly, a 2007 study indicated that women cyclists are more likely to be killed than men by large transport trucks, largely because women are more likely to obey signage and stop, and as a result, are hit by trucks who don’t see them in their blind spot. Here’s why the Idaho stop should be implemented in Manitoba. First as stated, research suggests it saves lives because it allows cyclists to get out ahead of traffic and away from blind spots. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, after Idaho adopted the law, cyclist injuries from traffic crashes declined by 14.5 per cent in 1983. When Delaware adopted a similar stop law in 2017, crashes involving cyclists at stop sign intersections fell by 23 per cent. Second, while building more bike paths should still be the goal for city planners, stop-as-yield laws may divert cyclists off of main thoroughfares and onto side streets which have more stop signs. If cyclists don’t have to slow down their momentum and aren’t going to be ticketed by police for Idaho stops, this may be a safer response to trying to cycle on Kenaston at Corydon in the middle of rush hour in Winnipeg. (No, I am not letting city hall off the hook about bike paths, but this feels like a reasonable compromise until something is finally done.) Third, it decriminalizes cycling behaviour and it may actually encourage more people to become cyclists. With more people riding bikes, there’s more visibility and there’s more safety. Research indicates that there is safety in numbers for cyclists and accidents are reduced when there are more riders on the streets. Finally, it also may reduce the opportunity to harass cyclists. It’s perhaps one of the most annoying habit Winnipeggers seem to engage in and it’s something I have never experienced as an avid rider who has biked in Cuba, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Quebec, Alberta and New York City. People (very often, driving large trucks) will scream at you while waiting at the intersection. The Idaho stop means cyclists could ride away from that kind of vitriol. (Seriously, what is wrong with you?) As Wiens says, cycling is more than just a leisure activity and we should normalize it as another form of active transportation. For many who live on a lower income, cycling is the only form of transportation that is affordable and reliable. As well, Wiens says: “due to the rising price of gas, insurance and car ownership, there are more and more people commuting on their bikes in Winnipeg, including in winter.” Making cycling safe for everyone should be a priority that has to be promoted by the government from the top down. And in the winter, a stop-as-yield law will be even more important. Wiens says cyclists end up sharing the road even more because there are many times where the snow gets cleared onto the bike lane and the separated bike paths don’t get the priority snow clearing that roads get. It’s time to do the Idaho stop Manitoba. Let’s save some lives. Shannon Sampert is a communications consultant, freelance editor for Policy Options and former politics and perspectives editor at the Free Press. She teaches part time at the University of Manitoba. shannon(a)mediadiva.ca

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WFP: Winnipeg top three in residential bus stop accessibility (Jul13'23)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '23

13 Jul '23

*Winnipeg top three in residential bus stop accessibility * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/07/12/winnipeg-top-three-in-re… (CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-transit-buses-accessible-b… ) WINNIPEG is — or should be — one of the easiest places to catch a bus in the country, according to new Statistics Canada data. Data released Tuesday compared population density and how many people live within 500 metres of a bus stop across 36 cities. In Winnipeg, 84.8 per cent of its population has convenient access to a bus stop, following only Montreal and Toronto, at 87.5 per cent and 85.3 per cent, respectively. Cities with similarly high percentages include Vancouver, Victoria and Regina. The lowest was Belleville, Ont., where just over half of residents can get to a bus stop in a short walk. However, access to a bus stop is not access to a reliable bus, Functional Transit Winnipeg president Kyle Owens said Wednesday. “In the past, there has been sufficient investment to at least put those stops in place, to understand that having lots of stops makes transit service broadly accessible to more people … Infrastructure was put in place with the expectation that people would be using and valuing transit to get where they’re going as part of their routine,” he said. “That we have not seen widespread use of Winnipeg Transit reflects the fact that we just haven’t seen that commensurate investment.” The grassroots non-profit organization also questioned the value of the data, as a 500-metre distance isn’t always indicative of true accessibility, noting struggles for people with physical disabilities to traverse winter sidewalks that aren’t regularly cleared. “It is crucial that we think about making that access possible for so many people, whether or not they have mobility needs, and if they do have mobility needs, we’re seeing broken sidewalks, sidewalks that are not to grade, all that infrastructure maintenance is crucial for transit to work properly,” Owens said. Functional Transit member Brian Pincott called the data “meaningless” without more investment in Transit services. “I think honestly what the city should do is go, ‘So what?’ and then look at the plan that they have … and make it happen quickly,” he said. The Winnipeg Transit Master Plan incorporates several broad revisions, repairs, fixes, improvements to service, Owens said. “We are trying to encourage the city to accelerate the Transit Master Plan… What we consider to be the key (improvement) is frequent service.” The number of city residents close to a bus stop has dropped in the past seven years. — Malak Abas

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Free Press Community Review: West - Free programming promotes safe bike habits (Jul12'23)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jul '23

12 Jul '23

Free programming promotes safe bike habits https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/west/2023/07/12/free-prog… Start your (non-existent) engines! Manitoba Public Insurance is offering free cycling programs for cyclists of all ages to promote road safety, comfort, and good cycling habits. Most notable are MPI’s Cycle Safety Bike Rodeos, which will be presented in the highest number of communities ever this summer, after being around for 50 years. “MPI’s free cycling programming has reached over 12,000 people so far this year, and will grow to over 13,000 Manitobans by the end of the summer,” said Kristy Rydz, manager of communications at MPI. “In 2023, MPI anticipates it will reach approximately 50,000 Manitobans of all ages.” Cycle Safety Bike Rodeos are available to kids aged between six and 10, every year between May and August The BEST (Bicycle Education & Training in Schools) program — created and presented in partnership with the Seven Oaks School Division, Green Action Centre, Bike Winnipeg, and the WRENCH — is delivered to students in grades 6 to 8 at over 20 schools in the city. The program teaches cycling safety basics, such as hand signals, lane positioning, as well as bicycle maintenance — similar to motor vehicles, not all bikes are roadworthy. “MPI’s goal is to begin sharing road safety messages with Manitobans as early as possible to help everyone learn the rules of the road from a young age,” Rydz said. “By teaching young people how to share the road, first as a cyclist, and then as a driver as they get older, MPI aims to make Manitoba’s roads safer for all road users.” In Manitoba, drivers and cyclists are expected to share the road. Although cyclists must ride as far to the right side of the street as possible, they judge traffic the same way one would in a car and can ride further into a lane if it’s safest for them. “Motor vehicles and cyclists share the same roads, the same rights and the same rules,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. The different biking programs all encourage consistent safe practices, proper communication between bikers and drivers, and better navigation of the city’s active transportation system. Alongside the younger aged education, the corporation will be offering several adult classes, including MPI’s Bike It! for riders aged 16 and older, which will include theory and on-road lessons for participants, separated into daytime sessions throughout the summer. For older cyclists, Cycling Champions workshops can be arranged for work, neighbourhood groups, or classrooms. This group-oriented (six people or more) program lasts a full day and is a hybrid of presentation and road-based learning. Custom times can be arranged in advance. At press time, registration is open and programming will be available throughout the summer. To learn more about the mentioned programming or register for a session in advance, visit online at mpi.mb.ca or email roadsafety(a)mpi.mb.ca *Emma Honeybun is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. She graduated RRC Polytech’s creative communications program, with a specialization in journalism, in 2023.*

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WFP Editorial: The latest - Portage and Main (Jul6'23)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jul '23

06 Jul '23

*The latest: Portage and Main* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/07/06/the-latest-… IT’S not some kind of mythical Gordian Knot, tangled and tightened beyond all hope of being untied. Nor is it a creation of author Franz Kafka: one night, the pedestrian access beneath Portage and Main did not metamorphose into a giant, otherworldly mandible-clacking beetle. But sometimes it seems more than a little bit like both of those things. And the saga continues. In the past few weeks, City Hall has been examining the idea of closing and demolishing the bunker — the stairwell that takes pedestrians (well, brave ones, anyway) down into the concourse beneath the storied Winnipeg intersection. Make no mistake — the bunker, stairs and connection to the underground concourse is stinky, scary and unpleasant. Often a urinal — and sometimes disgustingly more than that — it is in no way a route of choice for those trying to cross at the intersection. Sometimes, though, it’s the only route. The idea being considered is one put forward by the city’s property committee, and approved unanimously, which would include the city paying Richardson Centre Ltd. $1.65 million to remove the staircase as part of a redevelopment, and also put in place an agreement to allow people to use parts of the Richardson Building to access the concourse route underneath the intersection, using more expanded hours than the current hours the building is open. The arrangement doesn’t appear to be establishing or maintaining a public right-of-way: it seems more like a move to develop a commercial arrangement for access through private property. And commercial arrangements have their complications and costs. The proposal approved by the property committee is worded like this: “That authority be delegated to the Chief Administrative Officer to negotiate and approve all future agreements with Richardson Centre Limited with respect to public use and access to the City concourse through Richardson Centre Limited’s property located at 365 and 375 Main Street and such other terms and conditions deemed necessary by the City Solicitor/Director of Legal Services to protect the interests of the City,” the motion says. And generally speaking, things like access, cleaning, additional opening hours and security can end up being commercial costs that have to be borne by users. The question of public access is not lost on committee chairperson Coun. Sherri Rollins: “Most Winnipeggers want to not have to rely on a private-sector access agreement to be able to access their city in a meaningful way.” Another way of looking at it? Like putting lipstick on a pig — or else as yet another hitch and coil in the ever-growing Portage and Main Gordonian Pedestrian Knot. Moving the public through the Richardson Centre property doesn’t actually simplify things: it just throws in a whole new element. Other larger and more complex intersections in larger and busier cities than our own have managed to function without such complications. Without sky gardens. Without years of planning and replanning, consultants’ reports and public input and scary staircases and concrete barricades. A functional downtown needs the ability for a right of way from point A to point B, not just for vehicles, but for living, breathing, walking people. Alexander the Great, by solving the Gordian Knot by cutting it in half with his sword, was prophesied to become the ruler of all Asia. Perhaps endless travails over an intersection would benefit from such a simple and direct approach. Whoever finally unravels meaningful, simple, public pedestrian access through Portage and Main won’t rule all of Asia. But maybe there’s an argument that they could rule all of Winnipeg.

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WFP: Cyclist in hospital, four suspects sought in hit, run (Jul4'23)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Jul '23

04 Jul '23

Cyclist in hospital, four suspects sought in hit, run Reconstructing the scene of a hit-and-run collision that hospitalized a cyclist June 30 is a key aspect of the city police probe into the incident, a spokesman says. The Winnipeg Police Service was called to the reported collision between a cyclist and a vehicle at Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue at about 8 p.m. Friday. Patrol officers found the 63-year-old man lying unconscious in the road. He remains in hospital, in critical but stable condition. The vehicle involved left the scene, but was ditched a block west on the 100 block of Juno Street, police said Sunday. Community support officers found the vehicle, a “heavily” damaged grey 2007 Pontiac G6, with no one inside. Witnesses told police four males ran from the sedan. WPS spokesman Const. Claude Chancy said Monday he could not reveal whether the vehicle had been reported or suspected stolen prior to the collision. Chancy added the four suspects who fled the damaged sedan have not yet been located. He said much of the investigation will be focused on rebuilding the collision. “There’s a lot of work insofar as the reconstruction of the accident itself — the rest is just based on sourcing out information, whether it be from witnesses, the involved party and, of course, video surveillance that is available to investigators,” Chancy said. “That’s why we usually ask for public assistance in order to gain that information.” Jeremy Epp, owner of Independent Jewellers, said Monday he knew little of what occurred — noting his business at the northwest corner of Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue was closed at the time of the collision and over the weekend. However, “It’s a high-traffic corner,” said Epp. Traffic investigators learned the cyclist had crossed the intersection against a red light when he was hit by the vehicle, throwing him onto the road, police said Sunday. Police are still seeking witnesses who saw the collision or spotted the vehicle around the time of the collision, as well as any surveillance footage, including from homes and dash cameras, captured around that time. Traffic investigators ask anyone with tips to call the division at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204786-8477. erik.pindera(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: City split three ways on desired infrastructure path: poll (Jul4'23)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Jul '23

04 Jul '23

[Note: Also see Brent Bellamy's response to the article, pasted below this one.] * * * * * *More recreation space, roads, rapid transit near-equal priorities* *City split three ways on desired infrastructure path: poll* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/07/03/city-split-three-… TINA Montemayor is like many Winnipeggers, staring at a public policy fork in the road. As a commuter, she knows how frustrating driving in the city can be — especially on Kenaston Boulevard at rush hour. Route 90 has become a no-go zone for her. She takes Shaftesbury Boulevard, then McCreary Road, McGillivray Boulevard and a short stretch on Kenaston to reach her Bridgwater neighbourhood home after work. “For my own mental health, I’m avoiding Kenaston,” Montemayor said with a laugh. “I know how crazy the traffic is.” If another lane were added, however, she says she would take Kenaston all the way home. But when asked to choose between more concrete traffic lanes, more green and recreational space or more rapid transit, Montemayor’s decision mirrors that of most Winnipeggers, according to a new Probe Research survey for the Free Press. While she’s all for widening roadways — like 31 per cent of respondents — Montemayor desires more spending on recreation, which edged out transportation as the top priority in Probe’s poll at 36 per cent. “For me, (it’s) more funding so that people get more active and get to interact with each other,” Montemayor said. With the City of Winnipeg proposing two road-widenings — Route 90 (Kenaston) between Ness and Taylor avenues, and Chief Peguis Trail, at an estimated cost of $1 billion — the Free Press asked Probe to survey residents to ask which of the following would be their top priority: widening major roadways, building more rapid transit, or creating and renovating recreation facilities and other amenities that improve quality of life. The results elicited a near three-way split. Suburban residents in north Winnipeg were most likely to prioritize expanding roadways, as were Progressive Conservative voters. “Not surprisingly, you have… people who live in some of the more suburban areas who are affected by congestion and gridlock (picking roadway expansion),” said Curtis Brown, a principal with Probe Research. However, despite Winnipeg capital spending debates often being framed around “better roads” or more active and rapid transit, the data show “a pretty strong current across the city” of people wanting recreation investment, Brown said. Spending more on recreation topped Robin LaFreniere’s list. “Everyone’s struggling with their mental health,” said LaFreniere, 35. “Wrapping around more wellness and (having) a bit (of a) slower pace for people, I think, would be good.” She’s taken her five-year-old son to parks, pools and play structures. She couldn’t choose a favourite spot — all are “unique” — but more free programming at facilities is needed, LaFreniere said. “I think no matter where you live — whether you live in Wolseley, or whether you live in the far reaches of North Kildonan — you want to have rinks and pools and splash pads that you and your family can use,” Brown said. “It’s pretty much universal.” Graham Lowes considers Winnipeg behind, when comparing it to peers’ recreation centres: “Go to a pool in any place in B.C. or Alberta… even Steinbach.” Support for recreation was widespread throughout Winnipeg, Probe’s survey found. At least one-third of respondents in each area — central Winnipeg, the suburban north and the suburban south — listed recreation centres as their top priority, at 41, 37, and 33 per cent, respectively. Julie Chamberlain, a University of Winnipeg urban studies professor who researches urban development and planning, counted herself among the group to put recreation at the forefront. “It addresses… a whole range of concerns the city has that seem disconnected.” Studies show accessible recreation improves physical and mental health, community safety and connection, she said. “It’s especially important in neighbourhoods where people can’t afford to pay to send their kids to programs, and where there isn’t adequate and safe and attractive greenspace.” Widening roadways, of the three options, was at the bottom of Chamberlain’s list. “The expansion of roadways is…. notoriously poor planning practice. I know it seems counter-intuitive,” she said. “It doesn’t do what people think it does.” Road-widening draws more traffic and pollution, and often comes at the expense of green space, Chamberlain said. Ciara Okumura, 25, would prefer to not own a vehicle. Lately, she’s been living the lifestyle; her car broke down. “I think we should be moving away from a car-oriented city anyways,” Okumura said, waiting at a rapid transit station near Pembina Highway. “Just for our carbon footprint.” Thirty-two per cent of survey respondents crowned rapid transit their top priority. The number jumps to 45 per cent when counting respondents ages 18 through 34, and 43 per cent when considering households earning less than $50,000 annually. Nearly half of NDP voters — 47 per cent — ranked rapid transit a top priority, as did central neighbourhood residents (45 per cent). “We need a way better bus system,” Okumura said. “Not even just rapid transit, just all the buses working better.” She’d like reliable bus service — especially in the winter, as she’s waiting in freezing temperatures for a ride to university. It’s not uncommon for buses to be late or pass her by, too full to stop. The Linden Woods resident said she needs a car because buses don’t come frequently or transport her everywhere she needs. Chamberlain, who lives in the North End, echoed that concern. “By the time I’ve waited for the bus to come, I could’ve ridden my bike there already,” Chamberlain said. Kyle Owens, president of Functional Transit Winnipeg, believes increasing bus frequency — and returning the fleet to 2018 levels — is the first step to improving Winnipeg Transit. “No one can be forced onto a bus with enough advertising,” Owens said. “It has to be a more convenient option than just taking your car.” Speeding up implementation of the city’s Winnipeg Transit Master Plan is also critical, Owens said. “So many families are suffering economically,” he added. “The existing system does not meet the needs of so many people who would be happy to not buy a car, not use their car or get rid of their car.” Winnipeg Transit has made headlines for a persistent driver shortage. Meantime, the City of Winnipeg is projecting a $27-million deficit this year, one which is expected to drain its so-called “rainy day” fund. Several people the Free Press spoke to highlighted the need for more active transit, including Lowes, who bikes on major arteries such as Kenaston Boulevard. “If they’re going to widen the roads, they should put a (protected) bike lane,” he said, adding he regularly visits a bustling Assiniboine Avenue cycle track. “When you build that infrastructure, people use it.” Survey respondents answered online from May 31 through June 13, after being randomly recruited via phone call. The survey has a 95 per cent accuracy, plus or minus four percentage points, if Winnipeg’s entire adult population had been surveyed. gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com * * * * * Winnipeg’s three Rs: recreation, roads, rapid transit https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/07/03/winnipegs-three-rs-recre… The *Winnipeg Free **Press* and Probe Research recently conducted a poll asking people to identify their top infrastructure spending priority for the City of Winnipeg. The results reveal Winnipeggers have diverse opinions about how to improve their quality of life. Thirty-six per cent of respondents identified their top priority as building and renovating recreation centres and related amenities such as community clubs, parks, splash pads and arenas. Thirty-two per cent favoured building a rapid transit network. Thirty-one per cent preferred widening and expanding roads. [image: WENDY SAWATZKY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS] <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/07/probe-…>WENDY SAWATZKY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS At first glance, the responses appear to be distinct priorities whose implementation would require choosing one over another. With careful and strategic planning however, they can be tied together in a symbiotic relationship that allows the city to achieve the goals of each. The poll illustrates Winnipeg’s connection to its community centres runs deep. While many cities have moved to a big-box recreation model that combines several uses into large, regional complexes, Winnipeg has been able to maintain a wonderful network of community centres deeply woven into the fabric of neighbourhoods. For generations, they have supported physical and mental health, providing people from youth to seniors with places for social connection and relationship building. Skating at the local rink or joining an after-school program, creates a sense of community and represents a vital building block of a walkable neighbourhood. The community centre model in Winnipeg is unique from other Canadian cities in that they are owned by the city but governed and operated by volunteers. It’s estimated each year, 17,000 volunteers devote more than 1.2 million hours to them. As important as the facilities are, they are facing significant challenges, including the ability to maintain such a level of volunteer support. The challenges facing Winnipeg’s 63 community centres can in many ways be connected to how the city has grown and developed over the last 50 years. Most of Winnipeg’s mature neighbourhoods have at least 30 per cent fewer people living in them today than in the 1970s, largely due to smaller household sizes. In contrast, population growth has exploded in new suburban neighbourhoods. The impact is recreation services in older areas are underused and being supported by a smaller community, while at the same time, new facilities are being built to support new communities. This growth pattern has meant more thinly-spread volunteer support and a stretching of city budgets to maintain facilities and programming. In 2018, 40 per cent of Winnipeg’s community centres, and 100 per cent of city-run arenas, were evaluated to be in poor condition, requiring funding for maintenance and new construction to meet modern building codes, evolving recreation trends and community needs. Rapid transit, the second priority identified in the Probe/*Free Press* poll, offers part of the solution to the challenges recreation facilities face. Rapid transit can address issues of social equity, cost of living, and environmental sustainability, but it can also be used as a strong urban development tool. When rapid transit is effective and convenient, large numbers of people want to use it, creating market pressure for high-density residential development near the system’s access points. This can create powerful magnets for population growth in established communities. Known as transit oriented development (TOD), it allows planners to strategically locate rapid transit stations to target areas for infill growth and densification. This has proven to be particularly successful with light rail transit systems. Growing a mature neighbourhood’s population through TOD can breathe new life into existing community centres by increasing the number of potential users and broadening the volunteer pool. This also allows overall population to grow without creating the need to build new facilities to serve new residents. With more taxpayers supporting a smaller number of recreation facilities, the city’s financial model becomes more viable, freeing up funding to improve maintenance schedules and explore redevelopment options for existing community centres. The financial advantages of higher-density existing neighbourhoods stimulated by initiatives such as TOD also hold true for the recent poll’s third identified priority: building and expanding roads. Larger roads aren’t necessarily the end goal, but higher levels of maintenance and lower levels of traffic congestion are likely to be. Using TOD as a tool to direct population growth to mature neighbourhoods means more people using roads that already exist, requiring fewer expensive, new roads to be built. More taxpayers paying to maintain less road naturally results in better road conditions. As for reducing traffic congestion, a good rapid transit system has consistently proven to be far more effective than increasing vehicle capacity. Bigger roads result in more cars — always. The speed, lower cost and reliability of rapid transit make it an attractive alternative to driving. This mode shift can reduce the number of cars on the road and the corresponding traffic they create. In Calgary, as an example, the convenience and affordability of the C-Train has made it North America’s busiest light-rail system, attracting almost half of downtown commuters to transit. An important takeaway from this poll is city building is an interconnected network of priorities. The ability to implement one can be directly affected by another. When strategic investments are made that more efficiently use existing resources, it creates financial flexibility for other priorities. Rapid transit is just one example of an infrastructure investment that, if combined with strong planning strategies, can transcend its primary function — to become a city-building tool that enables a wide range of other quality-of-life public investments. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group*

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WFP: Police seek help in cyclist hit-and-run
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jul '23

03 Jul '23

Police seek help in hit-and-run A cyclist is recovering in hospital after a hit-and-run Friday, police say. Winnipeg police say they responded to a report of a vehicle-cyclist collision at the intersection of Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue Friday at 8 p.m., according to a release. At the scene, police found a 63-year-old man unconscious on the road. He was taken to hospital in unstable condition and later downgraded to critical but stable condition. The vehicle fled the scene. Police later located an abandoned “heavily damaged” grey 2007 Pontiac G6 in the 100 block of Juno Street. Four men were seen fleeing the vehicle. When traffic collision investigators took over, they learned that the cyclist was crossing Notre Dame Avenue and Isabel Street against a red light when the vehicle struck him, projecting him onto the road. Those with information are asked to contact traffic division investigators at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).

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WFP: Bike safety programs roll on, active transportation concerns persist (Jul1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jul '23

01 Jul '23

*Bike safety programs roll on, active transportation concerns persist* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/30/bike-safety-progr… Sharee Hochman wants Winnipeggers to choose active transportation over cars. “Simply, the way our city is built is just not prioritizing people to get out of their cars to move in different ways,” said Hochman, a sustainable active transportation program co-ordinator with the Green Action Centre. “(The city) is still focusing on providing more space, more money and more capacity to vehicles, rather than trying to provide safer and reliable options.” On average, 200 cyclists are injured or killed on Manitoba roads each year, making cycling dangerous, especially when riders have to share the road with vehicles. In the hope of reducing fatalities, Manitoba Public Insurance has expanded free cycling safety programs. MPI expects to reach a whopping 50,000 Manitobans of all ages, said Kristy Rydz, manager of communication. The Crown auto insurer estimates 13,000 children will be educated through its Cycle Safely Bike Rodeos — the widest reach in the program’s 50-year history. Since 2015, the Bicycle Education & Skills Training in Schools program has had great success in educating middle school students about bike safety. Every year, a fleet of bicycles travels from school to school to deliver hands-on safety training to middle schoolers in the Seven Oaks School Division, thanks to a partnership between MPI, Bike Winnipeg, WRENCH and Green Action Centre. “Those instructors are providing cycling skills, information, things like road positioning, parts of the bike, signals, what to watch out for, where the hazards are, different things like that,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. Despite the expansion of MPI programs, Winnipeg was given a failing grade of 32 out of 100 on bike safety by PeopleForBikes, which is based in Colorado. To boost the city’s score, Hochman suggests installing additional protected bike lanes, offering bike parking and dedicating more municipal funding to infrastructure. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said that while progress has been made on the active transportation front over the past several years, more must be done. As an avid cyclist himself, he said the main problem is the lack of connectivity between designated cycling routes. “We know that a lot of people aren’t using their bicycles because they don’t feel safe on the streets,” Allard said Friday. “Until we have a complete network, there are a whole lot of people that won’t be using their bicycles to get around the city.” Compared to past years, the City of Winnipeg has allocated more funding to active transportation, which includes walking, cycling and other forms of human-powered transportation. In the 2023 preliminary budget, it committed $17.6 million to active transportation projects, subject to council approval — an $8 million increase from 2022. Winnipeg also has more protected bike lanes than it did five years ago. In 2021, the Wolseley-to-downtown bike lane was completed, equipping the neighbourhood with protected lanes on Westminister Avenue/Young Street/Balmoral Street between Maryland and Osborne streets. This year, protected lanes will be installed on River and Stradbrook avenues, and Wellington Crescent. Without proper infrastructure, cyclists are forced to ride with vehicular traffic, which turns off many would-be cyclists, Cohoe said. “If you’re on a street with buses, with trucks, and a fair bit of traffic, that’s a thing that really discourages people,” he said. “It’s really a no-go situation for a lot of people.” Recent municipal consultations suggest demand is high for protected bike lanes. Seventy-seven per cent of St. Boniface residents consulted by the city were in favour of installing one-way lanes on Provencher Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the neighbourhood. Describing 2023 as the “worst year for traffic,” Allard believes drivers who dread rush-hour congestion would benefit from more robust cycling infrastructure. “Usually, people riding bicycles on roads are riding at speeds that are less than people who are driving automobiles,” he said. “I would suggest that every time a new cycling facility is introduced, particularly separated facilities, that’s good for commuters.” Hochman credits advocacy by active transportation groups for boosting awareness and a desire for safer conditions on the road. At the same time, she knows they can’t do it alone. She wants civic government to be more responsive. “A lot of this does need the support from the city to help make this a more safe, attractive and reliable option for a lot of people,” Hochman said. “There’s only so much that organizations can do. We do need the decision makers to support this shift.” cierra.bettens(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Book Review: Parking problems pleasingly parsed (Jun30'23)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jun '23

30 Jun '23

Parking problems pleasingly parsed https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/books/2023/06… WINNIPEG drivers like to think that finding a space to park our cars is our civic, if not human, right. American journalist Henry Grabar’s new book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World, will disabuse us of the notion we are in any way special. According to Grabar, the unrealistic expectation of convenient, immediately available and free parking is held by every North American with a driver’s licence. “It would be unimaginable to hold any other good or service to the same standard,” writes Grabar, who covers urban policy issues for Slate. “Once, I missed an entire summer afternoon at the beach because I refused to pay for parking, and while I hunted, my passengers (wisely) left on the island ferry without me.” In his snappily written and well-researched tome, Grabar surveys wrong-headed urban decisions made over many decades. These have turned downtowns into traffic-clogged disasters and suburbs into grey expanses of strip malls surrounded by seas of empty asphalt and concrete. The book’s main virtues are Grabar’s grasp of the subject matter and his impressive writing ability. Policy-wonk books are seldom so fluent and entertaining. A big downside, at least for Canadian readers, is Grabar’s American focus. In his hundreds of anecdotes, profiles and examples, he seldom strays from the contiguous 48 states. He gives us a single mention, in a paragraph about per-capita car ownership. Canada, he reports, has about 655 cars per 1,000 population, compared to 600 per 1,000 in Western Europe and 800 in the U.S. C’est tout for Canuck content. Well, except for his title, grabbed from the lyric of Joni Mitchell’s song Big Yellow Taxi: “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” Grabar acknowledges his research leans heavily on the work of progressive urban thinkers who have, uh, paved the way for him. Chief among them is California-based economist Donald Shoup, best-known for his 2005 book, The High Cost of Free Parking. The big evil for Shoup is “parking minimums,” municipal bylaws that command property developers to include unrealistically high numbers of parking spots in their plans for both commercial and residential buildings. These rules put construction costs out of reach and result in non-drivers in, for instance, apartment blocks, absorbing in their rent the cost of other tenants’ parking spots. Another common mistake is improper pricing of downtown street parking. If it’s too low, downtown workers will snap up the spots by 9 a.m., leaving only high-priced lots for everyone else. Most parking-policy errors made in the U.S. have been imported to Canada, but it would be useful to know if and how our regulatory framework differs. *Shoup, by the way, presented his ideas in Winnipeg in 2019 in a workshop sponsored by the Downtown BIZ and the Green Action Centre.* The book contains much else of interest. Included is a portrait of the inventor of the shopping mall, the Holocaust refugee Victor Gruen, an amusing chapter detailing how parking lots attract fraudsters, and another filled with eye-opening stats about the over-availability of parking spots in U.S. cities. “By square footage,” Grabar writes, “there is more housing for each car in the United States than there is for each person.” Kudos in particular to the publisher for illustrating the text with nifty line drawings, by Alfred Twu, instead of predictable photos. *Morley Walker is a retired Free Press writer and editor.*

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Drop in Calgary neighbourhood speeds shown two years into limit change
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jun '23

29 Jun '23

https://livewirecalgary.com/2023/06/27/drop-in-calgary-neighbourhood-speeds…

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Academic behind ‘cyclists seen as less human’ study: “If you have a safe and normal cycling culture, how could you see people as anything but human?” | road.cc
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jun '23

26 Jun '23

From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> https://road.cc/content/feature/cyclists-seen-less-human-academic-helmets-a…

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Student's Invention Creates as-Needed Bike Lanes Wherever You Ride
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jun '23

26 Jun '23

From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> https://www.bicycling.com/news/a44321576/invention-creates-as-needed-bike-l…

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WFP: City plans to demolish filthy access to concourse under Portage and Main (Jun23'24)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jun '23

23 Jun '23

City plans to demolish filthy access to concourse under Portage and Main Stairway (not) to heaven A STAIRWELL used by the public to enter the concourse under Portage and Main has become a regular place for people to relieve themselves and pester people for money. A sanitation worker who was cleaning the stairwell, at the northeast corner of the intersection, Tuesday morning said he has to remove human excrement and litter with a broom and soap. “They poop here, they pee here, they smoke inside this,” he said while cleaning the site at the northeast corner of the intersection. He said he expected there would be more litter when he returned later in the day to clean up again. An employee at the nearby Fairmont Hotel said if he can, he’ll avoid using the concourse after dark. “If you’re going after, I would say 9 p.m. or 10 p,m., then that’s not safe,” he said. While he said he’s witnessed bad behaviour in the stairwell, most people just ask for money and don’t pose a threat. “Not all of them will be really bad or aggressive,” he said. “They’re just looking for spare money or change, that’s it.” The City of Winnipeg is looking at demolishing the stairwell and working with staff of the nearby Richardson Building to open its concourse to the public during hours it would normally be closed. On Tuesday, the property committee will discuss a recommendation that $1.65 million be paid to Richardson Centre Ltd. for the cost of removing the stairwell. It would conduct the work while constructing the adjacent Richardson Plaza. An agreement would be signed to allow the public to access the concourse via the Richardson Building. It’s not a new idea. In 2017, the idea was raised as part of a discussion to improve accessibility and safety. About $1.5 million was allotted for work on the concourse below 201 Portage Avenue, including removing the bunker in question. The report notes the sidewalk may have to be re-excavated when the roof membrane over the concourse is replaced in future. Committee chairperson Coun. Sherri Rollins said while she plans to support the idea, she is concerned about pedestrians having to rely on a private property to enter the public space. “In this, too, are real public interest questions with respect to access agreements,” she said. “Most Winnipeggers want to not have to rely on a private-sector access agreement to be able to access their city in a meaningful way.” The concourse is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Until a way to cross Portage and Main at the ground level exists, Rollins said, the public stairwell is in dire need of refurbishing and called this “the most cost-efficient way of getting that job done.” “It stinks, it doesn’t feel safe. This isn’t a way to design a city with bunkers,” she said. “It’s really past its prime.” Mayor Scott Gillingham said he’s undecided and would wait to hear Tuesday’s discussion, but he called ensuring public access on par with what the city could provide “paramount” to his decision. “Whether it’s through an access agreement with the property owner on that corner, or whether it’s through upgrading and maintaining that stairwell, we need to ensure that access is provided to the public,” he said. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Civic report recommends road-renewal tax hikes for years (Jun22'23)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '23

22 Jun '23

*Civic report recommends road-renewal tax hikes for years* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/21/civic-report-reco… WINNIPEGGERS could be paying property tax hikes to fund road renewal well into the next decade. A funding strategy for road and bridge infrastructure suggests council consider extending the practice long term, beginning with the 2024-2027 multi-year budget process. A public works report proposes to continue levying at least part of those tax revenues through 2037. “I’m supportive of it… it clearly identifies where we’re going as a council to maintain our existing roadways. That, in turn, is good for city staff, it’s good for contractors,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee. The report also calls on city council to make more projects eligible for the dedicated tax dollars, by adding in tree-replacement and preservation projects in 2024 and expanding to include road-safety and pedestrian/cycling programs in 2026. The City of Winnipeg began raising property taxes with the money dedicated to road renewal in 2013. For 2023, property taxes rose 3.5 per cent, with revenue from two percentage points of the increase devoted to roads and 0.33 percentage points earmarked for the Southwest Rapid Transitway. The new proposal would continue to ensure road renewal is a priority, said Lukes. The proposed plan aims to improve the “level of service for roadway condition.” That would require devoting revenue from two percentage points of annual tax hikes to roads again from 2024 through 2028, then gradually decreasing the amount. Only 0.5 percentage points of property tax hikes would be earmarked for roads between 2034 and 2037. “Assuming service level targets are met by 2037, no additional dedicated property tax increases for street renewal reserve purposes are projected for 2038 and the foreseeable future thereafter,” writes Brad Neirinck, the public works department’s manager of engineering, in the report. The roads target would be achieved once 85 per cent of Winnipeg’s regional streets are in good or very good condition, as well as 75 per cent of residential roads, 75 per cent of industrial streets and 55 per cent of alleys. Council could consider the report as soon as next month. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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CBC: Research offers financial case for big city bike lanes
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '23

21 Jun '23

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/biking-lanes-business-health-1.5165954

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Owners of the most polluting cars to pay double for parking across England
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '23

20 Jun '23

Lambeth is the latest council in London to introduce emissions-based parking fees, with similar charges now expected elsewhere in England. Owners of the most polluting cars can expect to pay more than twice as much as cleaner cars. There are now 26 different charges to park for an hour in Lambeth, depending on a car’s tax band and whether there is a diesel surcharge. <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jun/07/petrol-diesel-engines…> The cost of a parking bay near Waterloo station in south London now ranges between £6.30 and £13.23 an hour, with payment made by an app. Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jun/18/owners-of-most-polluting-ca…

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WFP: Zero-carbon visitor centre flagship of FortWhyte redevelopment plan (Jun19'23)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '23

19 Jun '23

Zero-carbon visitor centre flagship of FortWhyte redevelopment plan Buffalo Crossing to come alive https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/06/18/buffalo-crossing-to-c… LIZ Wilson sits down having freshly exchanged her high-visibility vest and steel toed boots for a tan blazer and stylish flats. The wooden bench she settles on was ironically dedicated to then-50-year-old Doug Harvey, a major donor of the Buffalo Crossing development at the FortWhyte Alive sanctuary in southwest Winnipeg. “I was just over at our new building site,” says the president and CEO of FortWhyte Alive. The footprint of the planned $25 million, two-storey, 18,000 square-foot-facility on McGillivray Boulevard already holds a visible impression on the south end of the 660-acre urban green space and wetlands, with the concrete foundation poured and asphalt spread where a large parking lot will be. Next is the mass delivery of timber — expected to arrive in early July — to assemble Buffalo Crossing, a visitor centre and flagship initiative in a six-project, $35 million capital campaign that will open a new entrance to FortWhyte Alive, offering some much-needed relief for the natural urban oasis and increasing its accessibility to the rest of Winnipeg. “All of a sudden, this building is going to be erected. It’s going to be almost like Lego, so that’s super exciting,” Wilson says. Buffalo Crossing, which broke ground in November, is expected to open in July of 2024. FortWhyte Alive has one access point on McCreary Road, a road that winds to the only entrance building on the property. Days with heavy flows of traffic, owing to the number of schools that use FortWhyte Alive as a destination for field trips, create a bottleneck in the existing parking lot, Wilson says. “It’ll take some of the pressure off our main entrance, we’ll be able to separate our youth programs from our public and tourism programs,” she says. “It allows us the opportunity to open up more of our property, expand our program offerings and increase the number of youth and school groups that can come here with our expanded capacity.” As with any project of this magnitude, Buffalo Crossing has come with its challenges, Wilson explains, Construction is slightly behind schedule, largely owing to supply-chain issues and the added task of building the facility to passive house and zero- carbon standards. Buffalo Crossing is the first commercial building to hold these energy-efficiency designations in Manitoba. “I hope that this is going to be a teaching tool for everyday Manitobans to be able to come in and see that sustainable, climate-resilient architecture is possible in our climate,” Wilson says. Last week, the city cleared one of the largest remaining hurdles in the plan to build a new access point on one of its busiest thoroughfares: how those travelling by foot will safely cross McGillivray to reach FortWhyte Alive. An update by Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West ) in June of 2021 detailed two possible options for pedestrians. The first included traffic lights and a crosswalk to be installed at the Brady Road and McGillivray intersection. The second was a controlled crosswalk that led from a new pathway at Front Street and McGillivray. Given the speed limit on that stretch of the road is 80 km/h and is often occupied by large vehicles such as construction trucks, semis and farm equipment, the city decided on a plan that closely resembles the first option. Four-way lights that also act as a controlled pedestrian crossing at Brady and McGillivray will be installed by May 2024. “What it also triggers are upgrades to the current pathway,” says Lukes. “The pathway south of McGillivray is horrible, it’s a little sidewalk. As fate would have it, development is occurring along McGillivray. They’re going to upgrade the pathway, the other development that comes along is going to upgrade the pathway and the city will be upgrading the pathway. “What this will do is the connectivity of separated sidewalks and bike paths is going to be incredible because the network that will get into FortWhyte Alive or out of FortWhyte Alive, into the south — from an active transportation perspective — is brilliant. And from transit, people will be able to get on the rapid transit corridor, take a feeder bus and zip into FortWhyte.” Indeed, possibly the grandest piece to the multimillion-dollar capital campaign will be a bus loop that allows public transit to reach a part of the city it’s never touched. “That is huge. That’s a game changer for us because accessibility has been a barrier for FortWhyte,” Wilson says. “Unless you live close and you can use active transportation, walk or bike or you have access to a vehicle, we really haven’t been able to attract those visitors.” FortWhyte Alive will also add a bridge for pedestrians that connects Buffalo Crossing to the other side of Muir Lake, which will be installed in the fall. jfreysam(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Residents of a Parking Benefit District in Columbus can ride free on public transit
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jun '23

18 Jun '23

Funding for the Short North C-pass program comes from a designation from the City of Columbus of local parking revenue generated within the Short North Parking Benefit District. These local parking revenues are reinvested into mobility programs in the Short North area after the city’s costs are met, Pandora said. Full story: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/transportation/2023/06/16/short-nor…

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WFP: City moves forward on revamped bike registry report (Jun13'23)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '23

13 Jun '23

*City moves forward on revamped bike registry report* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/12/city-moves-forwar… THE City of Winnipeg will explore new options for bicycle registration, in hopes of reuniting more stolen bikes with their owners. On Monday, council’s executive policy committee cast a final vote to order a city staff report on replacing Winnipeg’s current bike registry with a multi-jurisdictional one that lets cyclists register for free, while also providing police and civic officials easy access to the key data. “The goal, ultimately, is to have more bikes registered and for residents to have confidence that, if… their bikes get taken or stolen, that this would make it easier to get bikes back to people… There’s just too much bicycle theft in the city of Winnipeg,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. The current online bike 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 bicycle. The mayor suggests a replacement registration service could involve an app (such as Bike Index or 529 Garage) that can better share information across multiple jurisdictions. It would not be mandatory for cyclists to register. Up to 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg each year, with about 1,000 recovered and less than 10 per cent successfully returned to their owners, according to the mayor’s office. During Monday’s EPC meeting, one councillor floated the idea of requiring Winnipeggers to also obtain bike licences, with exceptions for small children. “A lot of people are using bikes as a legitimate form of commuting… I think having a licence plate on your bicycle is a way of making sure that you are less anonymous on your bike, as well,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan). The councillor said he thinks a licence requirement would help police enforce rules of the road for cyclists. “If you are found to be rolling through every stop sign down a street, if you’re found to be breaking other laws of the road, the licence plate would (link) at least back to the bicycle owner,” said Browaty. He did not raise a motion to call for licensing, and stopped short of suggesting how such a program could be implemented, stating he’s mainly seeking feedback. The mayor said he would not support such a move. “When you make something mandatory, then you really have to ensure that you have the enforcement mechanism, the tools and resources to ensure that it’s mandatory. I think we have other things to focus on as a city rather than enforcing mandatory registration or mandatory licensing of bicycles,” said Gillingham. Meanwhile, council’s most powerful committee also approved a few tweaks to the proposed Shaw Park lease for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. EPC voted in favour of listing the Goldeyes’ non-profit entity, Riverside Park Management, as the lease holder, instead of the baseball club itself. The team said the move is needed to obtain provincial grants. The Goldeyes also asked the city to ramp up the amount they would be compensated if they lose stadium parking stalls due to future rapid transit development. The city proposes to offer compensation that starts in the range of $50 per stall per year, while the company wants that to begin at $50 per stall per month. EPC stuck with the city’s offer, though council will have the final vote. Gillingham told reporters he thinks the deal, which awaits a final council vote, will succeed. “I’m confident that this will get things across the finish line so we can get this lease signed.” When asked if the Goldeyes will accept those exact terms, Mark Newman, the team’s legal representative, told the Free Press: “We consider (this vote) to be a step in the right direction. We’ll be considering the matter further.” Prior to the latest potential changes, the city and Goldeyes had come to what was believed to be a final deal in 2020, which determined annual rents and tax incentives. On Monday, EPC rejected a call to require applicants for new developments to appear in-person at East Kildonan- Transcona community committee public hearings for their projects, removing a remote video or telephone link option. Coun. Russ Wyatt argued it is needed to ensure a clear discussion, free of technical glitches, on substantial projects. EPC opted to take no action on the idea, though council will have the final say. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Free and secure downtown Bike Valet service debuts next week in Vancouver
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jun '23

12 Jun '23

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/free-and-secure-downtown-bike-valet-serv…

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It's Time For Everyone to Stop Ignoring E-Bikes
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '23

11 Jun '23

[shared by @willnorman] Despite all the fuss, electric cars are still only 9% of sales and the e-car fleet is under 17 million worldwide, while e-bikes are at 275 million, In Europe, e-bikes are projected to outsell cars of any type by the middle of this decade. https://www.treehugger.com/stop-ignoring-ebikes-5324307

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WFP: Mayor pushes free bike registry to curb theft (Jun10'23)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jun '23

10 Jun '23

Potential overhaul of system would seek improvements to curb theft *Mayor pushes free bike registry* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/09/mayor-pushes-for-… A new, free-to-use bike registry could be rolling into Winnipeg amid concerns theft is posing a key deterrent to cycling. Mayor Scott Gillingham believes it’s time for a new bike registry without the $7.35 fee to record a serial number on Winnipeg’s online system. “Many, many bikes are not registered. What I’m proposing is what a lot of other cities are doing, providing free bike registry,” said Gillingham. The mayor plans to raise a motion at Monday’s executive policy committee meeting to order a staff report about overhauling the registry. A replacement, for example, could use an app, such as Bike Index or 529 Garage, that can easily share information between jurisdictions, he said. “If a bike was stolen in Winnipeg and showed up in Calgary, they can share this data,” he said. If council approves, Gillingham hopes the new system would make cyclists more confident they’ll be able to keep their bikes safe. “There’s too much bike theft in the city of Winnipeg and there’s too much theft that goes unreported. Individuals that had their bikes stolen just maybe feel there’s no hope.” As many as 2,000 bikes are reported stolen each year, with about 1,000 recovered and less than 10 per cent successfully returned to their owners under the current registration system, said a news release from the mayor’s office. The mayor stopped short of calling for mandatory bike registration, arguing it would be too difficult to enforce. Gillingham announced his call to explore a new registry, which he said would be done in consultation with Bike Winnipeg, the WRENCH and Winnipeg Police Service, shortly after concerns were aired about bike theft at Friday’s Winnipeg Police Board meeting. Charles Feaver, chair of the working committee on bike theft for Bike Winnipeg, told the board the frequency of theft is a key reason people don’t use their bikes more often, second only to road safety concerns. “The No. 2 reason is ‘I don’t feel it’s safe to leave my bike anywhere in the city,’” Feaver told reporters. The avid cyclist noted he’s had four or five of his bikes stolen over 40 years of frequent riding. During a presentation to the police board, Feaver called on police to partner with Bike Winnipeg and other groups to determine the best solutions, which he suggested could focus on improving bike registration, bike recovery and theft-prevention efforts. Without key changes, the concerns about theft will make it difficult for Winnipeg to meet a goal to combat climate change by enticing more people to use active transportation, said Feaver. “This will not be achieved if people are worried that their bike will be stolen while they are working, shopping or going to school,” he told the police board. Data from the city’s current bike registry doesn’t appear to be shared easily with police or the public, he said. Winnipeg police confirmed officers don’t have immediate access to the bike registry and sometimes need to email a request to the City of Winnipeg to find the owner of a stolen bike. Police data show there were 2,049 bike thefts reported in 2018, 1,823 in 2019, 1,471 in 2020, 1,555 in 2021, and 1,665 in 2022. Police Chief Danny Smyth said he agrees with the mayor and bike advocates the data on bike thefts may be skewed by under-reporting. “(For) a lot of property crime that’s on the lower end of the (price) spectrum, I don’t think people necessarily take the time to report it. There’s evidence of people talking about theft of their own property, but also making it clear they never reported it,” said Smyth. The chief said he’s open to the idea of exploring a partnership between cycling advocates and the service’s property crime unit. “It’s a no-brainer to work with any group that wants to address that,” said Smyth. Pending council approval, a bike registry report would be expected in about four months. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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CBC: Winnipeg mayor calls for new, free bike registry to help curb thefts (Jun9'23)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jun '23

10 Jun '23

[Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bike-registry-thefts-1.687… Winnipeg cyclists could soon have a new, free registration system as part of an effort to curb bike thefts. Mayor Scott Gillingham says he will bring forward a motion at the next executive policy committee meeting, asking the public service to study how other cities have overhauled their bike registries. "There's too much bike theft in the city of Winnipeg and there's too much theft that goes unreported," Gillingham said after a meeting of the Winnipeg Police Board on Friday. "And sometimes it goes unreported because individuals who have their bike stolen just maybe feel there's no hope, because it's too complicated and they don't think they'll get their bike back." According to the city, about 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg every year. About 1,000 are recovered, but only 10 per cent of those are returned. Charles Feaver, chair of the bike theft prevention committee with Bike Winnipeg, has had at least four bikes stolen. "We surveyed our followers who had experienced bike theft and found that 45 per cent had registered their bikes on the city system, but less than four percent thought that the registry was helpful in recovering their bikes," he told the board on Friday. Feaver says Vancouver dramatically reduced its bike theft by 42 per cent by assigning a dedicated detective to work with local cycling advocacy organizations. He asked the board for a new community partnership with Winnipeg police to tackle bike theft. One problem with the current system is that it is not publicly accessible, even to police officers. "[Police] can look at the stolen bikes. So if you report your bike stolen then that's entered in a database that the police can see, but they can't see the Winnipeg bike registry," Feaver said in an interview. Other cities in Canada, including Montreal and London, Ont., have used app-based registration systems like 529 Garage, which allows anyone to see if a registered bike has been reported stolen. Gillingham cited 529 Garage as one option for the City of Winnipeg to consider. Secure bike parking facility mulled Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth says he's open suggestions on how to improve the system. "The only way we're going to know it's stolen is if people have registered it, otherwise it ends up in a warehouse and gets auctioned off at the end of the year," Smyth told reporters. Bike Winnipeg and the Downtown BIZ are also in talks to create a secure bike parking facility. "We're still in the early stages but the hope is to find solutions for more bike infrastructure that make it easier for anyone who wants to bike downtown," Downtown BIZ CEO Kate Fenske said in an email statement. In the meantime, Feaver recommends all cyclists invest in a sturdy U-bolt lock, and always lock up through the frame, not just the front tire. A report on a new bike registration system for Winnipeg is expected to come to executive policy committee within about 120 days.

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WFP: Bike Week celebrates the big 1-0 with BIRTHDAY BASH
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '23

08 Jun '23

*Bike Week celebrates the big 1-0 with BIRTHDAY BASH* Sunday, 1-3 p.m. Manitoba legislative grounds Free GET on your bikes and ride: Bike Week 2023 winds up with an afternoon of family-friendly activities, games, culture and music in honour of its 10th birthday. Papa Mambo, James Culleton’s SuperFun Show and DJ Mama Cutsworth will supply the tunes. The best mechanics in the city will face off in the Bike Olympics. Photo booths, bike-themed crafts, obstacle courses, a gigantic slide, a mobile plant sale and a host of other games and activities will be on offer — plus free hotdogs for the first 100 attendees. The fun doesn’t stop at 3 p.m., though. Riders can join the Pinata Pedal Party from 3 to 4 p.m. — where your challenge, should you choose to accept it, will be smacking down pinatas while in the saddle — and the Bike Week After Party from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Beer Can (1 Granite Way), where the first 60 riders will receive a complimentary beverage and DJ Hunnicut will spin tunes. — Jen Zoratti

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WFP: ‘Monstrous hole’ trouble on Sturgeon Creek path (Jun8'23)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '23

08 Jun '23

*‘Monstrous hole’ trouble on Sturgeon Creek path* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/07/monstrous-hole-lo… A massive, water-filled hole where the busy Sturgeon Creek active transportation route meets a playground path has posed a safety hazard for several weeks, according to those hoping to speed up repairs. Randall Hull said he first complained to 311 on April 23, about the roughly 75-centimetre-deep depression he estimates stretches at least six metres. A barricade posted by city staff at each of its ends isn’t enough to alert people to the danger, he said Wednesday. “It is deep enough that if a child fell into it (they could be hurt). The one side of the hole is lined with bricks that are all exposed, so somebody could fall into the hole, hit their head on a brick and drown in the water, or accidentally bike into it because the barricade doesn’t completely cover it,” said Hull. “It’s just a public safety thing and the fact that it’s a path that leads up to a playground, it’s even more troubling that it’s not being attended to.” While most of the damage is concentrated on the path leading to a playground on Amarynth Crescent and the main Sturgeon Creek path is still passable, Hull said many residents routinely walk and bike in the area, raising the risk of potential injury. He recalled seeing some children standing in the water-filled hole at one point. The space appears to have been washed out during high water levels this spring. Erosion has been an issue at the spot, with less extensive damage last summer, Hull said. If the City of Winnipeg lacks resources to repair it quickly, it should do more to block off the area, said Hull. “I understand there’s probably 101 different issues to deal with in 101 different parks around Winnipeg. (But if the city is) not going to repair it, then put a snow fence around it, so it’s safe.” Coun. Shawn Dobson, whose ward includes the path, visited the site Wednesday. “That’s horrible. That’s not a pathway by any means. I absolutely share the concern. This should be fixed right away, otherwise our pathway network is incomplete now because of this monstrous hole,” said Dobson. The councillor said he immediately submitted a request that the city completely surround the hole with some form of barricade. The extent of the damage could be linked to issues beyond flooding, so the repair may be more extensive than it first appears, Dobson said. “It’s been getting progressively worse every year. Time to get it fixed right.” A request to interview someone from the city’s public works department was not granted Wednesday. In a brief emailed statement, spokesman Kalen Qually did not answer questions about how long the city expects it will take to repair the problem or why it has not been able to do so by this point. “The site is currently barricaded and staff are looking into making more permanent repairs to the area,” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Brandon Sun: Group to study public spaces, active transportation (Jun6'23)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '23

07 Jun '23

https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2023/06/06/group-to-study-public-spaces-tr… A new study done in partnership between Brandon University, the City of Brandon and Prairie Mountain Health has received approximately $68,000 in federal funding to explore how public spaces in the city are used. “Walking the Walk in Smaller Cities” in Brandon is one of four municipalities that have received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to investigate how active transportation options like biking and walking as well as public spaces can be better supported. Other participating cities include Guelph, Ont., Oshawa, Ont., and Saskatoon, Sask. On the team for the project are representatives of all three organizations: Brandon University professor Rachel Herron, director of communications Grant Hamilton and research assistant Jared Friesen, Mayor Jeff Fawcett, City of Brandon director of planning Ryan Nickel and Prairie Mountain Health medical officer of health Dr. Amy Frykoda. Presenting on the project was Hamilton, who said he believes the city has a chance to find world-class solutions to active transportation in smaller cities. He said the project and Brandon team had been assembled in less than a month. This summer, the project will consult with residents about how they walk and bike in Brandon’s public spaces as well as the reasons why they don’t. This will include online consultations as well at smallercities.ca, focus groups and in-person pop-up consultations throughout the summer. A council of representatives from groups like the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council and Westman Immigrant Services is also being formed to make sure people from different backgrounds and experiences are accounted for in the study. This fall, once data has been collected, Herron told council that the Brandon team will meet up with the other Canadian teams at a global workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark. Following that, the Brandon team will meet up with local focus groups to explore ideas inspired by that visit to Copenhagen and how they can be translated to Brandon. Then, next summer, the team will pick an active transportation or public spaces project to implement in Brandon with the intention of inviting people from other smaller Canadian cities to help share what was learned. » cslark(a)brandonsun.com » Twitter: @ColinSlark

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St. Boniface Walk Bike project survey (closes July 6)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jun '23

06 Jun '23

The St. Boniface to Downtown Walk Bike project is exploring options to improve travel choices, accessibility, and connectivity between the Esplanade Riel Footbridge / Provencher Bridge and the multi-use path on Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue. The study also includes connections to the Southeast Corridor, Taché Promenade, and Notre Dame Street pedestrian bridge over the Seine River. Phase 3 of public engagement is here, and we want to hear from you! Based on what we heard during Phases 1 and 2 engagement, technical knowledge, and other planning considerations, we are proposing a route on Provencher Boulevard. https://engage.winnipeg.ca/stboniface-walk-bike

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Job Posting at UMCycle
by Jessie Klassen 05 Jun '23

05 Jun '23

Hi all, Happy Bike to Work Day and Commuter Challenge week! UMSU has a position available for an UMCycle Coordinator. Posting attached and also pasted below. While the posting date says May, the position is still open until filled. Please share widely. Thanks, Jessie Klassen Job Opportunity: UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS' UNION UMCYCLE COORDINATOR ONE YEAR TERM University of Manitoba Students' Union (UMSU) is a non-profit organization which advocates on behalf of its memberships' best interests to internal and external stakeholders. Our primary objectives are to serve students and strive to enhance student life and the quality of education through consultation, representation and advocacy. Position Summary This is a one term position (with the possibility of renewal) within the operations of UMSU. Reporting to the Manager the coordinator is responsible for day to day store operations, training new staff, assisting staff, ordering of new parts and inventory as well as, managing the overall success of the business. In addition, the incumbent will be responsible for keeping the premises safe and clean for workers and customers. This position operates on a full time basis Monday - Friday from 8:30am - 4:30pm. Skills and Qualifications * Experience repairing bicycles - installation and repair of all systems of the bike (brakes, drive, steering, wheels, accessories) as well as experience with bicycle fitting; * Organize and facilitate bicycle workshops on safety & riding skills, repairs and maintenance; * Recruit and coordinate volunteers for the kiosk and workshops; * Organize events such as bike builds, group rides, tours, and riding buddy programs for campus and community; * Accepting incoming shipments, verify against ordering invoices; * Oversee the work of service attendants to ensure excellent service delivery; * Oversee service policies and procedures, concentrating on service excellence; * Assist customers in choosing the right bikes and accessories by providing expert opinion; * Create work orders for repair and maintenance offerings; * Ensure that all service processes are quickly and efficiently carried out; * Oversee thorough and accurate bike building and accessory installation work; * Create and maintain liaison with vendors and dealers in order to ensure quick delivery of parts and accessories; * Oversee bike and accessories inventory, and communicate low stock situations to manager; * Supervise shop support staff to ensure continuous cleanliness and maintenance of the premises; * Take responsibility for opening and closing the bike shop in a timely manner; * Assist in ensuring proper daily operations of the shop including order supplies, sales and high-quality customer management; * Equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered. UMSU promotes Employment Equity and is strongly committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. Therefore, we promote employment equity and encourage candidates to voluntarily self-identify on their application if they are members of the underrepresented group (woman, Indigenous person, a person with a disability or a visible minority). We offer competitive benefits package and pension plan. We wish to thank all applicants in advance for their interest; however, only those applicants considered will be contacted for an interview. Please provide a cover letter, resume, and three (3) professional references and identify how you meet the desired qualifications listed by May 23, 2023 to: The Human Resource Department, 101 UMSU University Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, or email to: hiring(a)umsu.ca<mailto:hiring@umsu.ca> Jessie Klassen (she/her) Sustainability Projects Coordinator Office of Sustainability University of Manitoba 89 Freedman Crescent Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 431-997-1013 jessie.klassen(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:jessie.klassen@umanitoba.ca> [cid:image001.png@01D997A4.37B9E260] The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

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Winners of $1m prize for sustainable city transport announced
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/02/winners-of-1m-prize-for… Ten months after cities around the world were offered the chance <https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2022/oct/10/cities-around-the-world-offe…> to bid for up to $1m (£800,000) to build or expand new cycling and walking schemes, the money has been awarded to designs in Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, New Zealand and Albania, among others. The money was put up by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the philanthropic arm of the media conglomerate set up by Michael Bloomberg <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/michaelbloomberg>, during whose terms as mayor of New York the city sprouted a rapidly expanding network of cycle lanes. Bids were assessed in conjunction with Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), an urban design NGO founded by Janette Sadik-Khan, who was New York’s traffic commissioner <https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2022/oct/10/cities-around-the-world-offe…> under Bloomberg. As well as the money – $1m for the winner and $400,000 apiece for the other nine cities – GDCI will help the cities with things such as design and local engagement. The top prize went to a plan to build more than 110 miles of protected cycle routes in Fortaleza, a city in Brazil’s tropical north-east, with a focus on helping children and older people use bikes, and promoting cargo bike delivery.

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Winnipeg needs you: Canada-wide Pedal Poll bike count next week
by Anders Swanson 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

Friendly reminder Pedal Poll - the cross-Canada bicycle count organized by Velo Canada Bikes - is happening again next week. Go here to sign up <https://signup.com/Group/117695512080/> if you can spare a couple hours on a Tuesday morning or Saturday. For 3 years now, thousands of volunteers across the country have been doing a coordinated count. Here is more general info. <https://velocanadabikes.org/pedalpoll/> There are dozens of participating cities and spaces are filling up! You can help make sure Winnipeg gets counted. We could use a few more folks here. There are 45 counting slots in Winnipeg, so far 10 are filled. Check it out. <https://signup.com/Group/117695512080/> Thank you! Anders Volunteer Chair, Vélo Canada Bikes

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WFP: Province commits to share cost to study Route 90 design (Jun2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

Province commits to share cost to study Route 90 design https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/01/province-commits-… MANITOBA taxpayers will foot half of the $1.4-million bill to conduct a design study for an expanded Route 90. Premier Heather Stefanson announced Thursday that the Manitoba government will contribute $700,000 to the City of Winnipeg to move the proposed project into its next phase. “Infrastructure corridors like Route 90 support new housing and business development in Winnipeg and promotes industry and trade, allowing for quicker access to business areas, such as CentrePort and the Winnipeg airport,” Stefanson told reporters gathered in a field just west of Kenaston Boulevard. The funding covers 50 per cent of the city’s identified costs for the project’s next phase, the province said. Widening Route 90 between Taylor and Ness Avenues was identified as a strategic infrastructure priority by the city council in 2011. An estimated 40,000 vehicles use the stretch of road each day. City hall has proposed widening the street to offer three lanes in each direction, add active transportation pathways on both sides and update aging infrastructure, including sewers and the St. James Bridge. A preliminary estimate predicts the project will cost about $550 million, with the majority of that budget dedicated to bridge and road renewal and sewer upgrades to prevent spills into the Assiniboine River. However, final design and analysis work could change the price tag. On Thursday, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham shot back at critics of the project, saying the infrastructure upgrades are critical to improving active transportation and Winnipeg Transit networks to meet growing traffic demand, and to the development of Naawi-Oodena at the former Kapyong barracks site. “There has been a lot of misinformation about this project shared online and in editorial pages over the past few weeks,” said Gillingham, who campaigned on a pledge to expand the roadway so long as a business case exists. However, the proposal has received pushback from sustainable transportation advocates who argue the development will increase the use of personal vehicles and undermine efforts to combat climate change. “Some of the information that I’m hearing out there… it’s incorrect,” he said. The federal government has also acknowledged the importance of the project, he said. An updated business case analysis and cost estimates are expected to be completed this calendar year, he said. “With the help of the Province of Manitoba, we will do the work necessary to improve the project ahead and to move this project forward,” he said. Stefanson said she supports the project moving forward but appropriate analysis must be conducted before any additional provincial dollars can be committed to the expansion. danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Analysis: The evidence says we need fewer cars (Jun2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

The evidence says we need fewer cars https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/06/02/the-evidence-… RAY Kohanik puts forward in the May 29 edition ( It’s time to make better transportation decisions) that our city missed out by not building freeways in the 1970s, and that we should do it now. He supports this idea with arguments that might instinctively “feel” right, but that are entirely refuted by the city’s own data. I understand why Kohanik, or anyone else for that matter, might hold these views. It has been the predominant narrative around transportation in North America since the Second World War that the continual prioritization of car travel, at the expense of nearly everything else, is the key to economic prosperity and a higher quality of life for all. I used to hold these views. After all, it’s all we’ve ever been told since before many of our parents (or grandparents!) were even born. But despite this continent-wide, decades-long experiment in car-oriented transportation, we now have the benefit of hindsight and data. Loads and loads of data. So rather than make major infrastructure decisions based on what “feels” right, most Winnipeggers would agree that we should make evidenced-based decisions instead. On the economic side, it’s important to understand that while cars can be extremely useful, a transportation system built around everyone using one every time for every trip is prohibitively expensive. Simply maintaining the 8,300 lane-km of roads that city reports tell us we already own would require an extra $600 million per year. Every year. To get it, we’d need to eliminate the entire police department, the entire fire and paramedic department, and the entire Community Services department (the one in charge of pools, libraries and rec centres). Or we could double our property taxes. And no matter if Justin, Heather or Scott is collecting it, that money is all ultimately coming from the same pockets. Ours. It’s not just more than the city can afford. It’s more than we can afford. And that’s the problem. Many of us may say we prefer to drive for every trip, but that’s only because we’re choosing from a menu with no prices. And prices affect preferences. It’s why we don’t all live in 1,000-room mansions and fly a helicopter to work every day. We may prefer it, but when we are confronted with the reality of prices, our choices reflect that reality. So here’s some reality. Many of us worry about the cost of transit to the taxpayer, but the $38.7 million per year we’re planning to spend to “improve” driving on what amounts to 0.19 per cent of our road network could fund 27 per cent of our entire transit operations. And the numbers are even starker with active transportation: all the bike infrastructure in the city combined has a replacement value of less than $47 million. Many other cities are figuring that out already. Cities that we are losing young people to every year, like Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton, are following the data and building more efficient, economical transportation systems. Vancouver, the poster child for transit and active transportation in Canada, doesn’t have any freeways. And they aren’t building any. Calgary is spending $5 billion today to expand its light rail system. Meanwhile, Edmonton, a winter city like ours, is spending $100 million over the next four years to expand their cycling infrastructure. Edmonton’s Mayor Sohi says they’re doing it because “active transportation is the cheapest way to move people around.” Despite all this, there are still some who say we should be bold and expand Kenaston anyway. After all, Duff Roblin was ridiculed for his grand idea, and look how well that turned out. But in drawing comparisons to the floodway, it would be wise to remember that a cost-benefit analysis done at the time showed an expected positive return of nearly $3 for each dollar spent on the flood-proofing megaproject, whereas the cost-benefit analysis we have for the Kenaston widening expects us to lose nearly 90 cents on the dollar. Maybe Duff Roblin wasn’t a visionary, maybe he was just good at math. I agree with Ray Kohanik when he says that an efficient transportation system based in reality is needed. But the reality is that while we may wish prioritizing car travel on ever wider roads was financially sustainable, the numbers consistently show it simply is not. Any way you slice it, the future is in getting more people to walk, bike or take transit on more trips, more times. It’s the only way to pay for all of this. In the end, Kohanik laments that “the city is broke, broke, broke” but that “that’s another story.” We now know that it’s the same story. Cities that don’t figure that out soon will go bankrupt, bankrupt, bankrupt. *Michel Durand-Wood lives in Elmwood and has been writing about municipal issues since 2018.*

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WFP Letters to the Editor: Better options, fewer cars (Jun1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jun '23

01 Jun '23

Better options, fewer cars I read Ray Kohanik’s opinion piece *It’s time to make better transportation decisions* <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/05/29/its-time-to-m…> (May 29) with interest. His analysis is correct that widening Kenaston Boulevard is a project out of our budget, whether or not cost-sharing comes through this time from other levels of government. (For those keeping score at home, Kenaston has been twice rejected. Third time’s the charm?) As it stands, by the city’s own analysis, traffic will have returned to Kenaston, and our commute times will be longer than they are now, before we have paid off the bill. The reality is we already have far more roads than we can properly afford to maintain given our tax base. Unless we want to double our property taxes and cut basically all of our services, we need to find a way to use our transportation infrastructure more efficiently if we want to give future generations a fighting chance for financial sustainability. I note that Kohanik points to Norway’s investment in EVs as a solution. While he highlights Norway’s similar climate and sprawl, he missed what is being done in cities. For example, Oslo has committed to radically reducing vehicle trips through investment in transit and its walk/bike infrastructure. They might have been inspired by Finland, where Oulu sees thousands of children biking to school through their cold and snowy winters (and a note that Oulu is quite a sprawling city, much like Winnipeg). As for being “unable to imagine” how people could possibly drive less, I’d encourage Kohanik to reach out to one of the 3,000-plus members of Peg City Car Co-op, which is seeing demand to expand further and faster. It seems like having the choice to drive less is something many Winnipeggers are already doing, or want to do. I sold my vehicle over seven years ago and am happier, healthier and saving a profound amount of money by walking, biking, busing and, when I need to, driving a shared Peg City vehicle. But I could only do this by living in a neighbourhood with services within walking distance, good bike routes, decent transit and access to the car-sharing co-op. We don’t need more lanes, we need better neighbourhood design and more transportation choice so more Winnipeggers can drive less if they want to. Mel Marginet Winnipeg Ray Kohanik’s question: “Finally, can someone please explain to me how someone with a bike picks up their kids from daycare and gets them to sports/activities and then home again on a bike?” Answer: on bikes. Our family did just this until middle school, when kids could bike alone. It was faster than driving. Heidi Klaschka Winnipeg

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WFP Analysis: It’s time to make better transportation decisions (May29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 29 May '23

29 May '23

*It’s time to make better transportation decisions* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/05/29/its-time-to-m… ARCHITECT Brent Bellamy comments in the May 23 edition ( Need more congestion? Route 90 plan is the $500-M ticket) that improving Kenaston Boulevard will be, in total, more than just the $500 million construction cost, that the bill won’t be paid for up to 30 years, that greater capacity will create further congestion as this becomes a preferred route, and that we should consider the impact on future generations. In all of these points, Mr. Bellamy is correct, although I think he should have mentioned that for something like this, there is cost sharing with the province/feds which typically reduces the cost to the city. The reality is we could have avoided a lot of this pain had we made better decisions 50 years ago. Around 1970, Plan Winnipeg decided that, with minor exceptions, we would be a city without freeways. Today, for a city of our size, we have significant traffic congestion and an inefficient transportation system. Rather than expediting travel from one part of the city to another, it seems like it is more designed to spread the pain, as most routes take about the same time. On that point, traffic is bad enough on major routes at rush hour that we now have restrictions on travel through residential areas because commuters would rather take the “scenic route” than fight traffic on a “major route” studded with light signals (which, by the way, the Kenaston expansion won’t deal with — it still incorporates stop lights). If there is more traffic on a widened Kenaston, there will be less through River Heights. The simple fact is that if we had not made the decision to avoid freeways in 1970, the cost of implementing them would have been significantly less than the cost today. Consider the issue of the Red River Floodway, the initial cost of which was significantly less than $100 million in the mid-1960s. To give you an idea of the cost of deferring capital expenditures, Fargo, N.D., is currently implementing a “floodway- style” Red River diversion. Although it has some more complex details than our own floodway, the cost: US$3.2 Billion. Bellamy, among others, has touted the benefits of active and mass transportation. At the urging of special interest groups such as Bike Winnipeg, politicians have dedicated millions of tax dollars to creating an “active transportation” network — including bike paths — and are considering expansion of the mass-transit system. The reality is these solutions are not realistic for our climate and the busy North American lifestyle of most families. On the matter of bike paths for commuting, I have never heard a convincing argument for this. Someone needs to stand up and say this will never work for the vast majority of people. As it is, the existing system of bike paths are largely unused, let alone considering expanding the system further. While this is a feel-good story, it doesn’t make sense for us for a variety of reasons. Essentially, commuting by bike will work only for those who can shower when they get to work, for people who don’t need a vehicle to make calls out of the office on a given day, who can keep separate attire at work and don’t have a busy family life. If you need to use your vehicle for work, live in the suburbs or don’t have facilities to shower/ change, this will never work. Furthermore, given our climate, this is barely workable for four to five months of the year. Finally, can someone please explain to me how someone with a bike picks up their kids from daycare and gets them to sports/activities and then home again on a bike? Some will say improved mass transit is an answer. The existing system loses a fortune every year, and the ongoing cost of providing frequent and efficient mass transit to overcome climate and distance is unimaginable. As a first step, we need to make the existing system safe. Until we confront that issue, ridership will be limited to those who have no choice or for whom the cost of commuting with a vehicle is prohibitive. Also, building a mass-transit system forces the assumption of where planners think people will want to go in 10, 20 or 30 years. That’s a tough call. It’s a good thing we didn’t build mass transit out to Polo Park to serve the Jets and Bombers. Perhaps an alternative is to accept the fact that personal vehicles are and likely will be the preferred form of transportation for the foreseeable future. In the same manner, single-family homes are likely to remain the preferred form of residence. To try and reconcile these issues, could we perhaps embrace the move to electric vehicles instead and accept the need for an improved traffic system? In Norway, a country with a winter climate and a small population spread over a wide area, the majority of vehicles sold are now electric. Manitoba has the current and potential power resources to be self-sufficient in energy as well as an even more significant exporter. Further development of this resource would allow Manitobans to maintain our lifestyle and help address climate change through export of clean electricity. An expansive charging network would remove one of the main concerns of potential vehicle owners and do so at a fraction of the cost of mass-transit expansion. Either way, an efficient transportation system based in reality is needed. It’s unfortunate that we are where we are, though this is the cost of poor decision making in the past. It’s even more unfortunate the city’s finances are so messed up that we absolutely can’t afford to take this project on, regardless of any benefit. The city is broke, broke, broke. But that’s another story. *Ray Kohanik writes from Winnipeg.*

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WFP: Coalition urges pause on Kenaston, Chief Peguis projects (May27'23)
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '23

27 May '23

*Coalition urges pause on Kenaston, Chief Peguis projects* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/05/26/coalition-urges-p… THE City of Winnipeg should pause any new spending on two major road projects expected to cost a combined $1 billion, until it determines if they are worth their financial and environmental price, according to a sustainable transportation advocate. On Friday, the Transportation and Land Use Coalition urged city council to avoid committing funds to widen Route 90 (Kenaston Boulevard) and extend Chief Peguis Trail, aside from money needed to complete a cost-benefit analysis and environmental assessment of each project. “We just want to be sure that no money is spent in the upcoming budget until that (analysis and environmental review) is received and assessed,” said Mel Marginet, co-chair of the organization. Marginet accused city council of rushing the approval process by listing the two projects within its strategic priorities action plan, which is expected to help guide the city’s 2024-27 multi-year budget. The coalition fears the city could lose money on the projects and the developments could undermine the municipal government’s efforts to combat climate change. “It’s going to induce the continued reliance on personal vehicles within our transportation system… The bike routes that are included as part of the Kenaston project… are very inadequate and it’s unrealistic to expect that the cycling trips that they will generate will in any way mitigate the induced demand for personal vehicles,” said Marginet. The group also claims the projects are unrealistic, since the federal government already rejected at least one application to help fund the Kenaston work. The city confirmed the senior government declined a request to fund Route 90 improvements in 2017, though the design was different at the time. The Chief Peguis Trail extension would extend from Main Street to Brookside Boulevard, pending council approval and funding. The Kenaston proposal would widen the boulevard to offer three lanes in each direction between Ness and Taylor avenues, while adding transportation paths on both sides. The city is now seeking public feedback on the latest Kenaston design. That project has also drawn complaints from some area residents. Carol Styles said she’s concerned about a lack of information on how the city will assist folks whose homes are removed to create room for the project and those who will be left to live next to a major construction zone. “What is the plan for the people that they’re expropriating and the people they’re leaving behind? There’s… little talk about noise mitigation during the construction, as well as afterwards,” said Styles. While she agrees the road is in desperate need of repair, Styles said some residents have been hesitant to make home improvements since they still aren’t sure when the long-discussed widening project will happen. “Having lived through the process for 15 years and three iterations of these community engagement sessions, as they call them, (my concern) is really about the process… People want to know (what’s happening). Make a decision, let’s do it or not do it.” When asked if the provincial government now expects to fund the two projects, Manitoba Municipal Relations Minister Andrew Smith repeatedly said: “Stay tuned.” Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal, federal minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, called both projects “very important,” but stressed it’s up to the city to set its own infrastructure priorities. Coun. John Orlikow said the city has conducted extensive consultation on the Kenaston project, and is continuing to seek feedback. However, he agreed it should commit to a clear plan forward soon. “Unfortunately, there are some homes that need to be expropriated… but these people have been living in limbo for the last 15 years… So, it really is time to move this project forward, one way or another.” Orlikow noted the Kenaston project would also improve a sometimes “dangerous” St. James Bridge, crumbling roads and Transit access, while sewer repairs incorporated into the road work would help reduce combined sewer overflows. “The value isn’t just (for) the road, it’s many, many layers,” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Webinar Recording - Rapid implementation of bikeways for healthy, safe, equitable & more sustainable communities
by Kristine Hayward 25 May '23

25 May '23

Hi AT folks – see below a link to the webinar recording of NCCEH Healthy Built Environment Webinar Series held on May 24, 2023: Title: Rapid implementation of bikeways for healthy, safe, equitable and more sustainable communities Presenters: Brian Patterson, Urban Systems; Matt Craig, TransLink The recording of the presentation and slide deck are now available here<https://ncceh.ca/content/webinar-recording-rapid-implementation-bikeways-he…> Kristine Hayward (she/her) Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Population & Public Health MB Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<mailto:khayward@wrha.mb.ca> Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo__;!!IqQd2s…> Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Disclaimer : This email (including any attachments or enclosed documents) is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately, return the original (if applicable) and delete the email. Avis : Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé, et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels, privés ou protégés par un privilège juridique. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous avez reçu le présent courriel par erreur, veuillez en informer immédiatement l’expéditeur, retourner l’original (le cas échéant) et supprimer ce courriel.

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WFP Analysis: Need more congestion? Route 90 plan is the $500-M ticket (May23'23)
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '23

23 May '23

Need more congestion? Route 90 plan is the $500-M ticket https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/23/need-more-congestion-rou… THE projected cost of the city’s plan to widen Route 90 is equivalent to a 6.9 per cent property tax increase for every Winnipeg homeowner. It will take 30 years for Winnipeg taxpayers to pay off the new road, and in the long run, traffic congestion will get worse. The City of Winnipeg is currently asking for public feedback on a new design for widening Kenaston Boulevard between Ness and Taylor avenues, including related sewer upgrades and an expansion of the St. James Bridge. The city is hoping that other levels of government will share the cost, but Ottawa has already rejected applications twice before, in 2015 and 2018, and the province’s Multi-Year Infrastructure Investment Strategy makes no mention of the project. This likely leaves Winnipeg taxpayers to foot the bill on their own. The cost of widening Kenaston is typically reported to be $500 million, but a 2019 city document, Unfunded Major Capital Projects Detail, provides a more accurate picture of the total costs. Using the $500 million construction value, it projects that when borrowing and operating costs are included, the project will require annual payments of $38.7 million, (6.9 per cent of the city’s operating budget) amortized over 30 years. This represents a true project cost of $1.2 billion, and is predicated on construction values not increasing further, having already risen steadily from $129 million in 2009, to $375 million in 2015 and $450 million in 2018. The formula’s operating costs include projected increases in maintenance required for the larger infrastructure. For 20 years, the city has earmarked $100,000 annually for the maintenance of Kenaston Boulevard. The state of the road is evidence of how woefully inadequate that number is, but it’s also evidence of how strained our city’s finances are. The application to the Building Canada Fund in 2015 revealed that additional operating and maintenance costs for an enlarged roadway were projected to be $1.9 million per year, a significant addition to the city’s already stretched road-maintenance budgets. The costs are staggering, but Kenaston is congested and many people believe that needs to be addressed. This is the other bit of bad news found in the city’s reports. The 2023 Route 90 Improvements Study indicates that even after increasing road capacity, traffic congestion will eventually be greater than it is today. The study projects that over several years, driving times between Ness and Taylor will increase to 8.7 minutes in the morning peak and 9.2 minutes in the evening peak, compared with eight minutes and 7.2 minutes today, respectively. The study predicts that if we don’t enlarge the road, those times will increase by several minutes, but this might be challenged, because despite significant growth in south Winnipeg, the number of cars travelling on Kenaston every day (measured at the bridge) hasn’t increased since 1995. People find alternate routes. The traffic study seems counterintuitive, but it reflects something many cities have already learned. You can’t build your way out of congestion. A bigger road always attracts more cars, eventually consuming any additional capacity. This concept is known as “induced demand.” The increased capacity of bigger roads will immediately reduce commuting times. To take advantage of the higher capacity network, drivers divert from different routes, are less strategic with the times they travel and are less likely to use public transportation or carpooling. All of this increases the number of vehicles on the new road. Greater convenience also results in more people willing to commute longer distances, incentivizing suburban sprawl, increasing car dependency and further increasing traffic volumes. Almost invariably, within a few years of a road expansion, traffic congestion begins to return and, as the Route 90 study demonstrates, may get worse than it was before. This large increase in the number of vehicles on Kenaston will also have important impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods, pushing significantly more traffic to adjacent feeder streets such as Academy Road and Corydon Avenue. The design carves a vehicle canyon, lined with concrete acoustic walls, through existing mature neighbourhoods. Large intersections will decrease walkability and pedestrian safety, reducing connectivity between neighbourhoods, and inhibiting any ability for the future development on the former Kapyong Barracks land to integrate with surrounding communities. It’s often suggested that enlarging Kenaston will generate economic growth as a long-haul trucking route that opens new international trade opportunities, but without a marked long-term improvement in congestion, it’s unclear why a road through residential neighbourhoods would inspire new trade and commerce. Currently, only four per cent of vehicles on Kenaston are large trucks, and the road’s role as a trade route was significantly diminished when the CN Intermodal Terminal moved to Symington Yards, replaced by the outlet mall. Provincial investments in CentrePort Canada Way and the Perimeter Highway are more appropriate catalysts to this growth. With all of Winnipeg’s post-pandemic challenges, widening a single road may not be the best way to spend such a staggering amount of money. There are so many more impactful quality-of-life improvements that could be made. We could invest in the tree canopy, neighbourhood parks and community centres. For that same money, we could build 7,000 new affordable homes as an impactful way to address homelessness and poverty. Winnipeg’s full 25-year rapid transit plan connecting the entire city — an investment that might actually reduce congestion — could be built for the same projected cost. We could even just fix the pothole-blighted roads we already have. As we evaluate widening Kenaston, we should remember that we are not making a choice just for ourselves. Our children and grandchildren will be paying for it as well, and we should ask ourselves if they will believe we spent their money wisely. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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Globe column on EV reality
by Charles F 21 May '23

21 May '23

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-stellantis-ev-b… government is enchanted – obsessed even – with the idea of building batteries for electric vehicles on home soil. Already, Volkswagen is soaking up about $14-billion in public subsidies to build a battery factory in Southwestern Ontario, and Stellantis, owner of Jeep and Fiat, and LG Energy Solution are demanding equal treatment for their joint venture.The mission to make Canada (well, Ontario) part of the global EV supply chain was inevitable and, from a purely industrial point of view, makes some sense, even though the per-employee job creation bill may emerge as the most expensive in Canadian history.But on so many other levels, the decision to lunge into the EV supply chain lies somewhere between irresponsible and crazed; it locks us into an ever-expanding car culture for generations when we should be downgrading the car as a transportation tool, as some European cities are doing. EVs, and hybrid cars to a lesser extent, enjoy a global image that is entirely unjustified. The pitch – buy an EV and save the planet – is just nonsense.Never mind that EVs are still cars that need to be parked. Their presence will still disfigure cities, pushing politicians and developers to build new parking lots, roads and highways to gratify the endless swarms of drivers (see Ontario’s proposed Highway 413, an assault on the wetlands, waterways and farmland in Southern Ontario’s Greenbelt).And never mind that EVs are hardly “clean,” even if they have no tailpipe emissions. The EV supply chain is notoriously ugly and carbon-intensive. Yes, EVs can make urban air more breathable, but at what cost to the greater environment?Cleaner air in cities does not mean climate change will slow down. The EV revolution could even accelerate global warming as forests in sub-Saharan Africa, Indonesia and elsewhere are razed to make way for the mines and smelters that produce the nickel, copper, cobalt and lithium required to build EV batteries. The Washington Post recently reported that the high-pressure, acid-based nickel-leaching process used in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of the metal, generates 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of nickel. After a slow burn, there is no doubt that EVs will sound the death knell for diesel- and gasoline-powered cars. European Union law requires all new cars to have zero carbon emissions from 2035. In the United States, President Joe Biden wants the Environmental Protection Agency to tighten car-emission standards to the point that two-thirds of new cars and light trucks will have to be electric by 2032. Canada is considering an even more aggressive zero-emissions mandate, backed by the lavish investments in battery production.The debate virtually worldwide is the speed at which governments should banish internal-combustion engines; it is rarely about the need to banish cars regardless of what power source they use. EV production could actually increase the number of cars on the road, since families will probably buy them initially as second cars – urban runabouts – while they keep their longer-range fossil-fuel cars for as many years as possible.As EV use soars, so will the demands on regional and national power systems. Already, there are fears that plugging in millions of cars at night could blow grids in areas where there is barely enough electricity to meet peak demand. Last September, California asked residents to avoid charging EVs during a brutal heat wave, when all the juice was needed to keep the lights and air conditioning on. As the planet heats up, so will the battle to find enough power to keep EVs charged up and homes running.More power plants will have to be built and, in many countries – perhaps most – that means building coal and natural-gas plants. The International Energy Agency says that about two-thirds of global energy comes from fossil fuels and that ratio is unlikely to change much any time soon, since nuclear plants are costly and renewable energy is unreliable and rolling out slowly, if steadily.It may make sense to plug in an EV in Ontario or Quebec, where zero-emissions energy is the dominant power; it makes little sense to plug in an EV in Alberta, where almost 90 per cent of the electricity is generated by fossil fuels. EV owners in Alberta are merely transferring emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack.In some enlightened cities, the debate is not whether EVs are a net benefit but whether cars of any size, shape or power source are. In Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo doesn’t want her streets cluttered with fossil-fuel or battery-powered cars. The city has banned heavily polluting diesel cars, added bike lanes to most of the streets in the centre, eliminated most cars from a few main roads like the Rue de Rivoli and is expanding the metro network. The result is that car trips in Paris have fallen by almost half since 1990, according to a study by Les Cahiers Scientifiques du Transport.Which brings us to Canada. If there is one project that would create thousands of jobs, improve business productivity, clean up the air, reduce the output of greenhouse gases and cut the demand for endless highway construction, it would be high-speed electric rail between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, where population densities are high enough to make the project sensible. Cost estimates are all over the map. The University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy put the price tag at about $12-billion, which is $2-billion less than the bucks being thrown at the Volkswagen battery plant alone. But forget it – the Canadian government wants more cars, not fewer. Canadian cities will remain car sewers forever.Sent from my phone.

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Brandon Sun: City hears calls for active transportation (May19'23)
by Beth McKechnie 20 May '23

20 May '23

*City hears calls for active transportation* https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2023/05/19/city-hears-calls-for-active-tra… Despite some opposition, Brandon residents showed overwhelming support for active transportation and community growth during Thursday evening’s city plan event. More than 70 residents filled the Brandon Curling Club’s upper lounge at the Keystone Centre for the first city plan event since March, when a confrontation between attendees and city staff at a previous session led to the temporary cancellation of consultations for the project. A group of citizens confronted staff and accused them of trying to implement elements of a conspiracy theory surrounding 15-minute cities. The concept of 15-minute cities proposes communities be designed in a way that allows residents to access all necessary amenities and services in 15 minutes or less of travel time. The conspiracy theory alleges a plan to assign people to zones within their community they’re not allowed to leave. The first member of the public to speak was Rick Macl, part of the group that confronted city staff in March. He criticized the city for pursuing growth and trying to attract new residents without working harder to reduce the cost of living. He said originally coming from Winnipeg, the property taxes in Brandon were “insane” and decried upcoming increases to Brandon’s water utility rates. Macl brought up 15-minute cities while speaking, saying they aren’t a conspiracy theory and the city’s actions show it is pursuing that goal. While kicking off the meeting, Brandon’s director of planning and buildings, Ryan Nickel, said when the process to design a new city plan started, thought was given to how to generate engagement from the public. Nickel thanked those attending for their time and consideration, and said he hoped people had come because of a variety of interests and opinions. He said he hoped the event would be a safe environment for everyone to address their concerns. “We want to acknowledge that we had a pause,” Nickel said. “We know there was a lot of passion.” After an introduction to the concept of a city plan and how it’s made, city planner Sonikile Tembo and Nickel gave a series of short presentations on elements of the plan broken up by opportunities for attendees to ask questions. On top of the prudence of planning for the city’s future, Tembo said Brandon is required by the province to complete plans like this every so often. Nickel said in recent years around 74 per cent of Brandon’s growth has come from “emerging” areas in the southwest and the North Hill, with 26 per cent coming in more established neighbourhoods. One challenge to industrial growth, Nickel said, is while Brandon plenty of industrial land, only some of it is fully serviced with utilities and infrastructure. During consultations, the city has heard residents ask for a greater variety of housing and a bigger emphasis on mixed-use zoning to allow services to operate near residential areas. While the city has identified a desire for more active transportation routes around town like bike paths, Macl questioned the value of doing so given how many people drive to work and the number of months where biking is inaccessible due to winter weather. He said he’d like to see members of Brandon City Council walk to work every day and see how that suits them. Addressing some of those concerns about active transportation, Nickel said it’s not about restricting vehicles, it’s about providing safe options for people who are travelling on foot, by bike or other methods of movement. “It’s about taking the space we already have and using the space a little bit differently,” Nickel said. In response, Macl argued against the potential cost of maintaining more bike paths and said he hasn’t heard any safety concerns from pedestrians or cyclists. Brandon Police Service Chief Wayne Balcaen, sitting on the panel of city representatives, said there are several motor-vehicle collisions and bicycle accidents every year and it is the city’s goal to prevent them. Macl challenged Balcaen to say how many fatalities he’s seen over his 30-year career, to which a fellow member of the public said: “One is too many.” Cycling advocate Grant Hamilton, who lost a finger and suffered a permanently separated shoulder last year when he was struck by a car while riding his bike, said it is “absolutely wild to hear that people like me don’t exist.” He said he didn’t speak up to complain about himself, but to say he doesn’t want any motorists to feel the guilt the person who hit him did. That, he said, is why Brandon should pursue safety for all road users. Another resident said that while she doesn’t intend to get rid of her vehicle, she appreciated road safety issues being looked at so she and other people can more easily choose to walk if they want to. She pointed out that by making more accessible walking and cycling infrastructure, it will also make it simpler for people using scooters or other mobility aids to get around. Multiple people spoke about how they either bike during the winter or would if the city had the proper infrastructure in place. While speaking about movement, Nickel acknowledged that residents have made it clear they’re unhappy about the current state of Brandon Transit and said city council has identified improving the service as a priority. The city’s community housing and wellness co-ordinator, Shannon Saltarelli, said in working with the city’s most vulnerable population, she’s found how important active transportation options are for them. More information on future city plan events and the feedback generated by the public can be found online at brandon.ca/cityplan. » cslark(a)brandonsun.com » Twitter: @ColinSlark

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WFP: Peg City puts faith, new fleet into free-floating service (May18'23)
by Beth McKechnie 18 May '23

18 May '23

Peg City puts faith, new fleet into free-floating service https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/05/17/peg-city-car-co-op-pu… IT’S a new era of car sharing in Winnipeg — one without city parking fees, advanced bookings and precise dropoff locations. Peg City Car Co-op’s free-floating car-share program, nicknamed Flo, will launch June 7. “I really feel the wind is behind our backs,” Philip Mikulec, Peg City chief executive officer, said Wednesday, standing near one of 35 Toyota Corollas set to join the program. The vehicles won’t have a permanent home. Instead, they’ll stay in prescribed zones when not being used, untouched by City of Winnipeg time limits and, for the user, street parking fees. It is “more flexible, but it’s more last-minute” than Peg City’s typical structure, Mikulec said. Currently, Peg City vehicles must be booked for at least one hour and returned to the same spot from where they were picked up. The round-trip program — now nicknamed Fix — will continue alongside Flo. “The two will complement one another,” Mikulec said. Free-floating vehicles must be booked within a half-hour of use. Available cars will appear on a map, real-time, on Peg City’s app for users to book. Members can drive those vehicles without a predefined end, and they don’t have to return the Corollas to the trip’s starting location. However, the car must be parked in one of 12 designated zones throughout the city. When Jared Kozak exits his home base of Osborne Village in a Flo car, he can leave it in a designated zone in River Heights, Crescentwood, Corydon, Riverview, Lord Roberts, Norwood, St. Boniface, West Broadway, Wolseley, St. Matthews or the West End — or back in River-Osborne. “(This will) revolutionize the way that we do last minute bookings,” said Kozak, a Peg City member. The cars, which are decorated with Flo labels, can disregard city time limits and parking fees in designated zones highlighted on Peg City’s app. “It’s, like, brilliant,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, who also serves as deputy mayor. City council unanimously approved a bylaw change allowing for free parking of the co-op cars in the 12 zones. It follows a pilot project in which certain parking spaces were reserved for car-sharing vehicles. Five spots became permanently reserved for car shares in early 2022. Lukes couldn’t say Wednesday how much street parking revenue the city will lose because of the zones. Peg City Car Co-op will spend $875 annually on Flo car parking permits ($25 per vehicle). For Lukes, the program’s gains outweigh the money lost. “It’s doing far more than revenue generation,” she said. “It reduces the wear and tear on our streets, it reduces the greenhouse gases, it’s good for the environment.” Cars are expensive, and this is an alternate form of transport, Lukes added. “It’s… really cheap,” agreed Zephyra Vun. She sold her vehicle in 2019, and got a Peg City membership. She pays $4.50 monthly for a casual spot. A regular membership (with cheaper vehicle rental rates per hour) requires a $500 refundable share. Members are set to pay 35 cents per minute while using Flo vehicles. The price caps at $10/hr and $50/day, with subsequent days costing $40. For a casual user such as Vun, the daily rate is $56. There are nine Flo drop-off spots in clusters of three downtown and in the Exchange District. The cars can also be taken out of province. “The cars are communicating with us,” Mikulec said. “If there’s something going wrong, and the vehicle has been suspiciously out of the zone for a long time and stationary, it’s going to alert us.” Members will be asked to leave the keys in the vehicle after ending a trip in a designated zone. Once alone, the vehicle automatically locks itself down. If it’s in a Flo zone, it will reappear as available on Peg City’s map, Mikulec said. The company has attracted more than 3,000 members since its 2011 launch. Communauto, Canada’s largest car-sharing business and a Peg City partner, assisted the local co-op in launching its app last month. “I’m sure (free-floating cars) will be a big boost in membership and usage (for Peg City),” said Marco Viviani, Communauto vice-president for strategic development. A similar program has been in Montreal for 10 years. Since then, the flexible model has spread to Quebec City, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Hamilton, Ont., Viviani said. In Montreal, usage of the flexible model nearly matches usage of the station- based model Peg City Car Co-op is known for, he added. One car-sharing vehicle takes up to 15 privately-owned cars off the road, according to Peg City Car Co-op. Three-quarters of its members bus or take active transport to work. Lukes (Waverley West) said she wants to see the new program model expand: “I just think that we need to have these (zones) all throughout the city.” Meantime, Peg City Car Co-op also launched a new logo Wednesday, a green circle with white lettering. It will hold its annual general meeting May 31. It has a fleet of more than 130 vehicles. gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com

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WFP Editorial: A tale of two roadway plans (May18'23)
by Beth McKechnie 18 May '23

18 May '23

* A tale of two roadway plans * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/05/17/a-tale-of-t… CONSIDERING the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and motor vehicle use, it is instructive to compare two approaches to urban planning in Winnipeg: one along Route 90 between Ness and Taylor avenues and the other in Osborne Village. The former is a plan to widen a busy roadway, a move that will ultimately attract more vehicles and, in all likelihood, fail to achieve its primary goal of reducing traffic congestion. The latter is an attempt to discourage motor vehicle use by prioritizing pedestrian traffic, public transit and active transportation. The City of Winnipeg is planning to spend some $500 million to widen Route 90 and separate combined sewers along the roadway. The plan includes upgrades to the St. James bridges and would add new, dedicated walking and cycling pathways. The main objective of the mega project is to improve traffic flow for motor vehicles. To achieve that, the city plans to add a lane northbound and southbound and standardize the speed limit at 60 km/h (it currently varies between 50 km/h and 70 km/h). Proponents of the plan argue widening the roadway is necessary to reduce traffic congestion and to prevent it from getting worse as Winnipeg’s population grows. Without the added lanes, commute times along Route 90 for northbound vehicles during morning rush-hour would nearly double over the next 18 years to about 14 minutes, the city projects. Southbound commutes would increase from around eight minutes to 11 minutes during afternoon peak periods. The added lanes would keep both commute times at about seven to nine minutes. What the city’s analysis does not address, however, is that adding more lanes will induce demand for vehicle traffic and create more gridlock over time. What urban centres all over the world have discovered is that building larger, wider roads only serves to attract more vehicles, and does not actually solve the problem of traffic congestion. The analysis also fails to consider how alternative options — including a vastly improved public transit system, enhanced active transportation and the use of other strategies to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles (such as more ride sharing) — could reduce traffic congestion and eliminate the need for wider roads. Meanwhile, a few kilometres to the east, Osborne Village is looking to create a more livable neighbourhood by actively discouraging motor vehicle use. Instead of seeking ways to accommodate more vehicles, the Osborne Village BIZ’s “Blueprint for a Vibrant and Healthy Neighbourhood” is proposing less space for cars and trucks and more room and flexibility for pedestrians and cyclists. It is a unique and forward-looking approach. The plan proposes to narrow each of Osborne’s four traffic lanes within the village from 3.25 metres to three metres to allow for wider sidewalks. It also proposes to lower the speed limit and bring in a “pedestrian scramble” at the corner of Osborne and River Avenue, where all vehicles would temporarily stop to allow pedestrians to cross in all directions at the same time. It would be the first such pedestrian crossing in Winnipeg. By favouring pedestrians and cyclists over motorists, the Osborne Village proposal seeks to achieve the opposite of what the Route 90 plan would likely bring: more single passenger, carbon- emitting vehicles to the area and ultimately, more traffic gridlock. Perhaps it’s time to reimagine how the Route 90 corridor could look with less emphasis on motor vehicles and a greater focus on alternative forms of transportation.

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CBC: Widening Winnipeg's Kenaston Boulevard, Chief Peguis Trail not worth the cost: sustainability expert (May17'23)
by Beth McKechnie 17 May '23

17 May '23

City's 'strategic misrepresentation' overstates benefits, understates costs, Ken Klassen says https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/route-90-widening-not-worth-cost-1.… As Winnipeg considers whether to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on two of the most expensive road construction projects in its history, one expert says the city's own data shows the projects aren't worth the cost. Ken Klassen is an engineering technologist with four decades of experience advising companies on ways to improve sustainability. He gave a presentation to city council's executive policy committee in March, urging them not to go ahead with plans to widen Kenaston Boulevard and extend Chief Peguis Trail. Using reports produced by the city, including some obtained through freedom of information requests, Klassen argued the costs far outweigh any purported benefits. "Part of the strategic misrepresentation that the city has consistently done with this project [is] they've overstated the benefits [and] they've understated the impacts on the community," Klassen said in an interview. Earlier this month, the city released its preliminary designs for upgrading the Route 90 corridor between Taylor Avenue and Ness Avenue, including adding two new lanes to Kenaston Boulevard. That report states more than two-thirds of the cost of that project is needed for necessary upgrades to the road, sewers and St. James Bridge. Past cost-benefit study The city estimates the Kenaston Boulevard project will cost about $500 million, and the 2023 budget includes $2.8 million for preliminary planning, including conducting business case studies of the Kenaston and Chief Peguis Trail projects. Klassen, who lives on a street near Kenaston Boulevard, said the city already did that study a decade ago. A 2012 report prepared by MMM Group Ltd. estimated widening Kenaston would generate $125 million in revenue for the city over 20 years — $6.25 million per year. The city's unfunded major capital projects report from 2019 estimates the Route 90 project will cost the city $38.7 million per year, with financing and maintenance costs factored in. The cost of the proposed Chief Peguis Trail extension is also pegged at about $500 million. Klassen said considering those costs, the two projects are "the equivalent of a 14 per cent increase in your property tax every year for the next 30 years." In an emailed statement, Mayor Scott Gillingham said the city would conduct a new cost-benefit analysis using current data before applying for federal and provincial funding. "But this isn't simply about widening a road. It's about removing a bottleneck on one of our most important trade routes," Gillingham wrote. "Kenaston is six lanes wide immediately north and south of this section. The bottleneck creates congestion and causes some drivers to cut through other streets in River Heights." Feds rejected project twice Klassen also cast doubt on the possibility of the city getting federal and provincial support for the project. He points out that the federal government has rejected it twice already — once in 2015 under the Building Canada Fund and again in 2018 under the National Trade Corridors Fund. Other Canadian cities have dedicated massive amounts of money to building their rapid transit networks with the help of federal funding, Klassen said. "The federal government is not funding urban freeways, they're funding rapid transit," he said. "Winnipeg taxpayers are literally seeing their federal tax dollars being used to fund rapid transit in other cities, and we're not at the table." Gillingham points out the Kenaston plans also include new active transportation paths and upgrades to transit stops, allowing for articulated buses to be used along the route. "Outside of this project, we will continue to implement [the] transit master plan and make further enhancements to pedestrian and cycling infrastructure," he wrote. Rather than building wider and longer roads as a way of dealing with congestion, Klassen said Winnipeg should focus on expanding its rapid transit network, which carries an additional benefit. The largest bus manufacturer in North America, New Flyer, is based in the city. As Winnipeg moves to electrify its bus fleet, it can take advantage of Manitoba's abundance of cheap electricity. "We don't build cars like Ontario does. We build buses," Klassen said. "We don't drill for oil and gas the way Saskatchewan and Alberta do. We have hydroelectricity. Yet we're not leveraging our inherent resources. It's ridiculous."

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WFP Analysis: City fails to look to the future (May17'23)
by Beth McKechnie 17 May '23

17 May '23

* City fails to look to the future * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/05/17/city-fails-to… MOST Winnipeggers won’t know that on April 18, with the release of the agenda for our five city community committee meetings, they were notified of a chance to comment on the new city strategic plan or Strategic Priorities Action Plan (SPAP), a new guiding document for Winnipeg. Unless you make it your business to know, you would be oblivious, because you had only two days to register by April 21 for the public meeting April 24-26. We have all been jammed by scheduling games like this, where someone doesn’t give the time needed to meet or complete a job. There are terms for this type of action in workplaces — weaponization of procedures, administrative harassment, or social bullying. What do you call it when governments routinely do it to citizens? Governance procedures are often used to exclude, while creating the optics of inclusion with no meaningful engagement and participation. Our city governance routinely makes public meetings a charade, merely a token gesture or formality. The recent community committee meetings of city council, discussing something as important as a strategic plan, were an example, even before disrespectful councillor comments. Policy and procedure are connected. We need an inclusive, participatory process to get good evidence-based public policy, including evidence from lived experience. This was the main point of my presentation at the community committee that caused Coun. Jeff Browaty to confuse unsustainable privilege to drive SUVs around drive thrus with civil rights. Real democracy is required for real progress to address the climate and inequity crisis we face. Cities must become climate smart by design, through good urban planning, and connecting collaborative public engagement, research evidence, budgets, and public policy. But there was not just a problem with undemocratic procedure related to what happened at the community committee, but with the SPAP itself. A strategic plan is mandated by and flows from the requirements of Our Winnipeg, the governing document approved by council to guide city planning and development. This plan to implement Our Winnipeg should not be pet projects cobbled together by councillors and called a strategic action plan — pet projects like Chief Peguis Trail incompatible with guiding policy. The Our Winnipeg document and dozens of related policy documents call for complete communities, where people can access services and resources close to home and for mode shift. Meaning to meet our climate obligations we must reduce our personal vehicle-reliant mode share from 80 per cent to 50 per cent, by 2030. To do this, we must reduce the gasoline purchased and burned by 50 per cent, which requires the city to make transit, car-pooling, biking, and walking viable and convenient. Electric vehicles will help, but electric vehicles don’t address traffic congestion. This mode shift is impossible in a city designed for car reliance, like Winnipeg. A strategic plan which prioritizes the extension of the Chief Peguis Trail expressway and other street widening megaprojects like Kenaston is not aligned with Our Winnipeg and other policies. This infrastructure expansion makes it impossible for us to meet our transportation climate emission goals and responsibilities. Borrowing billions of dollars for vehicle infrastructure we can’t afford just can’t happen. We can’t knowingly continue to design the city for cars, inequity, climate chaos and catastrophe. On May 30, council must not approve the SPAP. After I made these points as a member of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition (TLUC), Coun. Browaty, the finance chair, made shocking comments, implying he, and the constituents he represents, do not support the climate plan, that his constituents wanted to drive their SUVs around drive-thrus to get coffee. Did he violate his councillor code of conduct not just with climate change denying comments but in support of the SPAP? Section 10 of the Code indicates council members will “adhere to all by-laws, policies and procedures adopted by council.” If the integrity commissioner investigated, would they find elected officials not following public policy, particularly those who consider it irrelevant to support policy for addressing climate change? This is important because Coun. Browaty leads city budget development. The mayor, who appointed him finance chair, was quoted saying he did not see anything wrong with Coun. Browaty’s comments. We must stop this disregard for public policy and groups that, acting in the public interest, follow public policy development at city hall. These citizen groups take time to review the documents, prepare, sign up, and speak up, urging those elected to live up to their mandate to create a healthy city for all. There are special interest groups who benefit handsomely from the unsustainable way Winnipeg has been developed and governed for decades. They presented to council meetings in support of the billion-dollar Chief Peguis Trail Highway extension. The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce spokesperson made some outlandish comments of his own, claiming the Chief Peguis Trail extension would help meet our climate goals by reducing traffic congestion. Wow! Who is relevant? Who is speaking for public interests? Which councillors are going to stand for climate-relevant policy? *Marianne Cerilli is a former MLA and mayoral candidate.*

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WFP Editorial: Two wheels and one big problem (May17'23)
by Beth McKechnie 17 May '23

17 May '23

* Two wheels and one big problem * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/05/16/two-wheels-… THE sun is shining, the trees are budding and Winnipeg bike thieves are gearing up for another busy season of breaking locks and reselling stolen goods online. Bicycle theft might seem like small potatoes when compared to more serious local concerns — such as an uptick in violent crimes and arsons — but it’s a nagging issue that commands few resources and sees little improvement year after year. After year. Stolen bikes have become an accepted, embarrassing fact of life in Winnipeg. When Ai Weiwei’s towering sculpture of 1,245 silver bicycles was installed at The Forks in 2019, social media was atwitter with jokes about how long it would take thieves to run off with the 30foot public art piece. During last year’s mayoral race, candidate Rick Shone had his bike stolen minutes after pitching a plan to reduce bike theft — again, online reaction was swift. Few seemed surprised that a bicycle was snatched in broad daylight. While bike theft is a chronic issue in cities across Canada, local efforts to curb the problem have been laughably ineffective. A recent investigation published by the Free Press revealed that Winnipeg has a single bicycle recovery officer. That lone employee is responsible for managing the city’s unclaimed bike inventory, creating promotional materials, responding to police reports, recovering stolen property and returning bikes to their rightful owner. Quite the job description for one person. That there is only a single officer — in a city of 750,000 people — dedicated to addressing bike theft shows how serious the Winnipeg Police Service considers the issue. Last fall, officers reportedly laughed off a resident’s request to help thwart a bicycle robbery in-progress. The victim lost his wheels and his confidence in the system — a sentiment that can have dangerous consequences. The same Free Press investigation profiled a mother and son who had taken to vigilante justice to recover the 13-year-old’s stolen bicycle. After spotting the wheels for sale online, the pair concocted a plan to meet with the seller and retrieve the goods. Things worked out for the pair, but vigilantism is risky business. As many as 3,000 bikes are reported stolen in the city annually; although, the actual number of thefts is likely higher since small-scale property crimes are often underreported. Of that, roughly 400 bicycles make it back to their rightful owners. Missing bicycles shouldn’t be the department’s top priority, but the city needs to reassess how it handles the issue. The current system requires residents to pay $7.35 to register their bicycles with the city’s online database. In theory, registration makes it easier to reunite bikes with owners; however, only 10 per cent of lost bikes ever return home, making it clear the process isn’t working. Vancouver and Edmonton have managed to increase reunions through free online bike databases and point-of-sale registrations. The city would also do well to offer more secure sites to lock up bikes, such as the bike corral in the parkade of the Millennium Library. Winnipeg cyclists have enough to contend with between crumbling infrastructure, aggressive drivers, difficult weather conditions and a lacklustre cycling network. The risk of also having your ride swiped is another hurdle for citizens trying to engage in active transportation. While biking is billed as an important pillar in the city’s forthcoming Transportation Master Plan, Winnipeg has kilometres to go before it can be considered an accessible cycling city. Addressing bike theft is key to that transition. Winnipeg Police don’t need to re-invent the wheel, but they do need to recognize its value. And come along for the ride.

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Global: Winnipeg still lags behind on active transportation, experts say (May13'23)
by Beth McKechnie 15 May '23

15 May '23

https://globalnews.ca/news/9696861/winnipeg-still-lags-behind-on-active-tra…

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WFP: CentrePlan 2050 targets new residents, more traffic on feet, less in cars (May12'23)
by Beth McKechnie 12 May '23

12 May '23

*CentrePlan 2050 targets new residents, more traffic on feet, less in cars* *Vision for a downtown with ‘people’* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/11/city-proposes-massive-ch… A new vision to revitalize Winnipeg’s downtown pitches options to create new green space, calm traffic, reimagine Graham Avenue and attract new residents among its key goals. Described as a blueprint to redevelop downtown, a preliminary version of CentrePlan 2050 released Thursday sets a target to ensure at least 350 new residential units get built in the city centre each year until 2030, followed by 500 annually after that. That’s part of a much broader strategy to attract more residents and visitors. The proposal floats ideas to create “ideal neighbourhood streets” with safe crossings for foot traffic, street trees, pedestrian lighting, on-street parking and narrow road lanes meant to help slow traffic. “We want more people living in the downtown and staying in the downtown and not just driving through the downtown… I think now’s the time to have a conversation about pedestrian safety, cycling… transit and motor-vehicle traffic,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “There’s a couple things I really want to see, (including) finding ways to add more green space in the downtown, finding more ways to redevelop surface parking lots and add the amenities to the downtown communities that people depend upon and rely upon in other communities across the city.” The proposal doesn’t identify designated “neighbourhood” streets, though a city official suggested Edmonton and Kennedy could be included. The city is also seeking input to design future bike routes in the areas of St. Mary and York avenues, Notre Dame and Cumberland avenues and William Stephenson Way and Graham Avenue. Additional goals include attracting major grocery stores, planting trees, creating new parks, adding winter activities and increasing access to riverbanks. It has been a busy week for proposals and discussions about inner-city Winnipeg’s future. The proposal’s release followed Wednesday’s unveiling by the Osborne Village BIZ of a multi-pronged plan to transform one of the city’s most densely populated neighbourhoods. There have also been two public open houses staged by city planning department staff to get feedback and answer questions about a consultant’s report on a revitalization of the controversial Portage and Main corridor. The project also aims to “reimagine” Graham Avenue, since the city expects buses will no longer use it within five to 10 years. The report notes car travel is already prohibited on several blocks. It suggests the avenue’s central location could serve as a key cycling connection and makes it “perfectly situated to be downtown’s signature open space.” The report indicates motor-vehicle access on some sections of Graham, mostly where it is currently not allowed, is “to be determined.” The future version of the street could incorporate some combination of: a “shared zone” with more room for pedestrians, cyclists and patios; a “green zone” with trees, plantings and recreation; and a “celebration zone” with a flexible space to accommodate street parties, food-truck festivals and active-transportation paths. Richard Mahé, a senior downtown planner for the city, said Graham Avenue options could be considered “block by block.” “As the buses leave, it gives us a really unique opportunity to rethink how we want to use that space for people,” he said, noting changes could still accommodate vehicles. Mahé said the strategy acknowledges downtown has changed as more people continue to work from home. “We saw a lot of progress in our downtown pre-pandemic, and the pandemic has exposed certain weaknesses in our downtown. We’ve had an (over-reliance) on the office worker to animate our downtown…. We need to provide more housing downtown and a broader range of different housing options to meet different needs,” he said. While the online survey asks residents if they support efforts to “increase safety by reducing car speeds” downtown, Mahé said that’s not a current focus. The document also notes connector and corridor streets would be treated differently. An urban-issues expert said Graham deserves special attention. “Graham is one of these oddities of Winnipeg’s downtown,” said Jino Distasio, a professor of urban geography at the University of Winnipeg. “As a kid that has grown up in the downtown, I scratch my head because I have never understood what Graham Avenue was as a destination… that one, to me, needs help from (public) input to figure out.” Distasio said all downtown routes should be designed to meet the needs of all forms of traffic. “You have to have accessibility and the ability to efficiently and effectively move 50,000, 60,000 workers, students and visitors in the downtown but you also want to do it as safely as possible…. All of this is about scale and balance,” he said. Kate Fenske, chief executive officer of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said any changes should prioritize quality of life for the 18,000 people who currently live in the area and help attract new residents. “I think a lot of our streets downtown are treated like a thoroughfare. (This is) more about how… we design our downtown to be for people first,” she said. “That it’s not just a neighbourhood to pass through… that supports businesses as well,” said Fenske. She believes the initial target to build 350 new homes in the area each year makes sense, since inflation and rising construction costs have recently made development more challenging. Data shows 352 new residential units were built downtown in 2021, followed by 141 last year. A five-year average between 2017 and 2021 was notably higher at 454, but the number of units is “historically volatile,” partly because new homes tend to arrive through large, multi-year projects, city spokesman Kalen Qually said in an emailed statement. While some drivers have expressed concern traffic-calming measures could snarl traffic, the head of council’s property and development committee said other cities have smoothly adopted similar changes. “(As for) the bias… that it’s all going to slow down, I’ve watched other cities do this. Other cities have the same hesitation, the same concerns and then it just doesn’t happen,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins. The new ideas should help guide the city to build a downtown “for everyone,” she said. “They’re reimagining many streets in the downtown and, dare I say, even the potential to eliminate some…. Do we need that many or do we need more walkable malls, and so forth?” she said. Winnipeggers can weigh in on the ideas in an online survey at winnipeg. ca/centreplan2050 until June 15 or attend an open house from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 25 at Manitoba Hydro Place (360 Portage Ave.) joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Portage and Main future draws plenty of interest (May11'23)
by Beth McKechnie 11 May '23

11 May '23

Strong opinions on study of possible changes to iconic intersection at open house Portage and Main future draws plenty of interest https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/05/10/portage-and-main-… THE opportunity to weigh in on changes that could transform Portage and Main drew Winnipeggers to an open house inside one of the controversial intersection’s office towers Wednesday. City planners were on hand inside the lobby at 201 Portage Ave., to answer questions about a consultant’s study released last month outlining a variety of projects that could be done at street level and — in some cases — high above it, to improve access and esthetics in the divisive corridor. The ideas, both restrained and grandiose, were generated by the inescapable reality that major surgery is required to repair the city’s deteriorating infrastructure heart. The membrane below the intersection that since 1979 has protected the underground concourse of shops and services that also serves as the only pedestrian access, is well past its life expectancy and needs to be replaced. That massive construction opens the doors to change, if not opening the barricades to foot traffic. “If the real purpose of this is to make downtown a viable place again, it has to be done in a certain manner to make people actually want to be here, which I think is mostly in part to opening pedestrian traffic back into the area,” said Jeff Hodgins, who works near the vehicles-only intersection. “Not only just that, but also making it a safe place for pedestrians, reducing people driving through.” The consultant’s study included a fanciful six-storey-high “sky garden” offering access via glass elevators and another idea featuring lookout towers at each corner, along with possible large-scale art installations and attractive paving stones and tree planting. Hodgins was among visitors who stopped in to speak with city staff, wrote suggestions for improvements on sticky notes and applied red, yellow and green stickers to posters of individual ideas to denote interest. By mid-morning, some had quite a few more green stickers than others. A poster describing edge-to-edge sidewalk paving with trees at the intersection was dotted with mostly green stickers, while the lookout towers, sky garden and public art options were, judging by the smattering of yellow and red stickers, more contentious. Hodgins, who noted that he liked the lookout towers, placed a red sticker on the sky garden and a yellow on the large-scale art proposal. “Before we start throwing up art pieces, we should probably really be addressing the core issues,” he said. “We can put up a beautiful art piece when we’re not broke as a city.” Those “core issues” seemed to be the focus of many; a board left blank for people to place their suggestions was filled with notes including “Priority is opening!” “Bike lanes should be considered,” and “Public safety, more police and security.” Others were concerned about the price tag that could be attached to some of the showier options. Jim Moore, the property manager of 201 Portage, decried the overhead designs as “pie in the sky” and “way too pricey” on his suggestion sticky note. “By far the best, most reasonable ideas are these ones where you take down the barricade, you make it waterproof again with a membrane, you put some bollards up for safety, some trees, some lighting and you’re done,” Moore said. “And you don’t cost hundreds of millions of dollars, or whatever the price tag might be on sky decks or things like that.” Kirby Cote’s suggestion took up two sticky notes: “Designs do not meet the Accessibility for Manitobans Act standard for public spaces.” “We know what universal design looks like, we know how to create accessible, inclusive spaces and we know what vibrant communities need to be safe and healthy,” she said. “And art is part of it, but we also need to think about the space that we are putting the art in, and can everybody move around that space?” Cote, who is visually impaired, lives nearby and struggles to navigate the intersection. “We can’t even keep a bathroom downtown open 24-7, or a transit shelter. How are we supposed to keep towers and bridges and elevators open?” she said. “I feel like whoever submitted these designs was extremely out of touch with the people that are actually walking around in our downtown area.” Critiques of the current set of ideas are what the organizers were hoping for, said Kurtis Kowalke, a principal planner for the city. “If certain ideas don’t resonate with people, that’s what we want to hear,” he said. “We really want to put as many ideas on the table as possible at this stage where we’re really having those discussions about what works, what doesn’t, what resonates, what actually fulfils our project objectives.” A second pop-up open house is being held in the underground concourse this morning and the city will continue to accept online surveys ( https://engage.winnipeg.ca/portageandmain) until May 26. A study based on the results, along with design recommendations, will be released in the fall. “If this morning has been any indication, I think there is a lot of interest,” Kowalke said. “There’s certainly a lot of people that work right at the intersection or catch a bus in the intersection, there’s lots of people nearby, and I think they have a really strong opinion of what Portage and Main should be.” While visiting the open house, Asper Foundation president and businesswoman Gail Asper felt the most important choice wasn’t on a poster. Rather than place a green sticker on any of the existing options, she scrawled her own on a small piece of paper — simply take down the barricades and allow pedestrians to cross the street. Quickly, her paper was dotted with others’ green stickers. “I think it’s good to have these discussions,” she said. “But what concerned me about the things that I saw posted in the lobby, none of them included opening the barricades, and that is a huge disappointment to me.” malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Analysis: Outdated thinking fuels proposed Route 90 expansion (May11'23)
by Beth McKechnie 11 May '23

11 May '23

Outdated thinking fuels proposed Route 90 expansion https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/10/outdated-thinking-fuels-… IT’S not the first time Winnipeggers have been promised that a large, stand-alone infrastructure project would alleviate their commuting woes. History is littered with stories about local government and construction-sector enthusiasts crowing about how something that is longer and wider, with more underpasses or overpasses or bridges, would eliminate bottlenecks and gridlock. By now, you’d figure we’d recognize a hustle when we see one. The most recent example of the magic bullet theory of infrastructure planning comes in the form of an ambitious, $500-million plan to widen and improve all aspects of infrastructure of Route 90 — sewers, bridges, transit hubs and active transportation — one of the most important north-south traffic corridors in the city. This plan, City of Winnipeg traffic engineers claim, will significantly cut travel time during the busiest parts of the day. Lurking beneath the hoopla and lofty claims that accompanied the recent release of the plan is an inconvenient truth that has been established over decades of experience in other bigger and busier cities: longer and wider roads do not relieve traffic congestion. To quote the legendary Sam Schwartz (the New York City traffic engineer who coined the term gridlock): “If you build it, they will come.” Urban planners refer to the phenomenon Schwartz described as “induced demand.” In other words, the wider and longer the road, the more cars will end up using it. The increased volume that flocks to expanded roadways often leaves them as, or more, gridlocked than they were before. What lessens gridlock? Again, the proven methods in other cities involve making it more difficult and expensive to drive automobiles to and from the busiest neighbourhoods. However, there’s something more: the world’s biggest cities rely on massive investments in mass transit to keep people out of their cars. Cities that look to the future — which includes just about every Canadian city of equal or larger size — are extremely cautious about widening and lengthening roads. They are more enthusiastic about discouraging automobiles and supporting investments in transit. By proposing a widening of Route 90 to alleviate traffic congestion, Winnipeg demonstrates it is about 50 years behind the urban planning curve. There are two things we must keep in mind when considering this project: first, there is a current issue with gridlock on Route 90; second, the project (as it’s now configured) is about a lot more than just widening a road. As presented, the “widening” of Kenaston Boulevard represents only about one-third of the project costs and scope. According to the city’s presentation, 42 per cent would be dedicated to bridge and road repairs or replacement, and 27 per cent would involve much-needed sewer upgrades. The argument is because the road surface and bridges along Route 90 will need to be replaced anyway, it makes sense to include as many other “needs” under the umbrella of one project. What doesn’t make a lot of sense, however, is the city’s insistence that widening it will affect congestion and travel times. It is an argument so flawed, it borders on delusional. When the Route 90 report was released last week, city traffic engineers dutifully showed current loads and then modelled well into the future to predict the increased traffic that will come from expected population growth. Embedded in these calculations, however, is a dangerous assumption: that the city does nothing else to get people out of their cars and onto transit. It’s not even certain, at its current four lanes, traffic loads will increase. Again, in more progressive cities, it is well-known traffic will avoid the busiest routes. Maybe not every day, but as congestion increases, people find different routes or — wait for it — ride the bus. Thankfully, the city will have a chance to save itself from this plan, as described. If the city really wants to widen the road and reduce congestion, then it needs to designate the additional lane in each direction as a bus-only, rapid transit route. If people from the burgeoning neighbourhoods in the southwest quadrant knew they could take an express bus from a transit hub at Kenaston and Mc-Gillivray Avenue, along a rapid transit lane on Route 90 that goes all the way downtown, we’d be an important step closer to solving this city’s traffic problems. Or consider doing the rehabilitation and ancillary infrastructure but don’t widen the road. If the cost of widening is 31 per cent of the total project price tag, then the city could save more than $150 million by just focusing on the other enhancements: better transit hubs, road and bridge rehabilitation, active transportation. The Route 90 plan as presented is badly conceived, based on outdated thinking and jam-packed full of fallacious reasoning. As configured, it hasn’t got a hope in hell of reducing the traffic problems. So, remind me again, why are we spending $500 million on this project? dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com

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CBC: Pedestrian scramble at River and Osborne part of neighbourhood blueprint (May10'23)
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '23

10 May '23

Plan from Osborne Village BIZ also calls for allowing on-street parking on both sides, widening sidewalks https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/osborne-village-pedestrian-scramble…

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Globe&Mail: Winnipeg rethinks Portage and Main intersection, but not the barriers
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '23

10 May '23

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-crossing-the-street-at-winni…

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WFP: Vote on studying Portage & Main reopening postponed to fall (May9'23)
by Beth McKechnie 09 May '23

09 May '23

Vote on studying Portage & Main reopening postponed to fall https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/05/08/vote-on-studying-… THE City of Winnipeg won’t explore the impact of opening a street-level pedestrian crossing at Portage Avenue and Main Street just yet. On Monday, council’s public works committee postponed a vote until October on ordering city staff to study the option. Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman, said she believes council should wait until public consultation is completed on a consultant’s recently released options to revamp the intersection, which propose everything from basic pavement enhancements to a sixth-floor-level circular walkway. “Right now, we’ve got this public consultation going on. We don’t want to cloud the waters,” said Lukes. While the consultant’s ideas don’t include an option to reopen Winnipeg’s most famous intersection to surface- level pedestrian traffic, Lukes said she expects many people who support that change will share their views. Lukes said she expects foot traffic will one day be allowed at street level and she is personally open to the idea. Coun. Sherri Rollins, who raised the motion to study that option now, noted a street-level crossing is notably absent from the “fanciful” designs on which the city is seeking public feedback. “We don’t have the basics of costs and impacts for the option of opening up the intersection and that seems to me, through the course of time, to be a big omission that I’d like you to fix today,” Rollins told the public works committee. She suggested the new study should offer details on construction requirements, accessibility improvements, navigation, traffic impact, cost and other aspects of street-level access. Rollins, whose ward stretches close to Portage and Main but doesn’t include the intersection, said downtown residents deserve to have easy access to cross the street near their homes, as many folks in other parts of the city do. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: City eyes prioritizing active transportation route cleanups (May9'23)
by Beth McKechnie 09 May '23

09 May '23

City eyes prioritizing active transportation route cleanups https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/05/08/city-eyes-priorit… THE City of Winnipeg will explore options to prioritize spring cleanup on active transportation routes over clearing the same sand and grit off roads. On Monday, council’s public works committee ordered a staff report to determine what it would take to make the seasonal cleanup on multi-use pathways, protected bike lanes and sidewalks the higher priority of the two. “This would mean some of the streets not getting done as fast but prioritizing the active transportation network… because it’s much more hazardous if you wipe out on gravel on a bike or (while) walking or on a mobility device than it is in a vehicle,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, committee chairwoman. Since Winnipeg tends to have lengthy, snowy winters that require crews to repeatedly spread sand to improve traction, a cycling advocate said the debris left behind once the snow melts has triggered concerns. “I hear lots of complaints about it. I imagine that the councillors hear lots of complaints (too). People are definitely having issues out there… The gravel, especially on turns, can really take you down,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “At some point, I’ve definitely had the tire come out from under me.” Cohoe said he believes quicker spring cleanup on active transportation routes would support the city’s goals to encourage more people to walk and ride bikes. “It improves safety, it improves comfort, but it also makes you feel a little bit more valid in choosing (a transportation option) that isn’t just an afterthought.” Cohoe said his group has previously asked for the change. Jim Berezowsky, Winnipeg public works director, said the sanding of sidewalks has increased considerably in recent years, a service that was traditionally restricted to freezing rain events in the past. Berezowsky said far more traction material is added now, following demands from citizens and councillors to address slick winter conditions, which may be difficult to remove from the narrow paths. “A lot of the challenges that I see (are linked to) the amount of material being applied… Our policy doesn’t state (that we should do) continuous sanding of the sidewalks.” He said sweeping sand off residential sidewalks was also not part of traditional spring cleanup. The report is expected back in about six months. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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CTV: 'Part of a worldwide trend': E-bikes becoming more popular in Winnipeg (May7'23)
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '23

08 May '23

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/part-of-a-worldwide-trend-e-bikes-becoming-more…

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WFP: Breaking the cycle - bike theft (May6'23)
by Beth McKechnie 07 May '23

07 May '23

BREAKING THE CYCLE Bike theft is far from a uniquely Winnipeg problem, but other Canadian cities are having more success reducing numbers and reuniting owners with their wheels https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/05/breaking-the-cycle-4 JEN Sjodin never expected to be sending her 13-year-old son pedalling down a criminal path. But the Winnipeg mom was out of luck when it came to retrieving his $400 bike with the help of city police, so she and her husband took matters into their own hands, and their son Dawson’s legs. He’d saved for months to buy the grey and neon-green Giant Talon last fall. Not long after getting his new wheels, he rode to the Walmart on Taylor Avenue and locked his bike to the rack near the front doors. He was in and out of the store in about 15 minutes, and found his cable lock cut. The bike was gone. Sjodin filed a police report with the Winnipeg Police Service, posted a notice on Facebook and scoured online classified ads in hopes of finding the bike. Six days later, Dawson spotted it on Kijiji. “We called the police non-emergency line and talked with someone after hours,” she says. “They suggested to call back the next day, provide any updates to the police report and the police would check it out.” The next day was going to be too late. Instead, Sjodin, her husband and two brothers concocted a plan to steal the bike back. She messaged the seller and posed as an interested customer. When they met up, Dawson took the bike for a test ride and pedalled directly to his uncle’s house. Dawson got his bike back, but the experience left him shaken. “For my son, it has made him much more afraid to lock up his bike,” Sjodin says. “He doesn’t think it’s safe to lock it up anywhere.” ❏❏❏ The experience is one thousands of Winnipeg cyclists — from young kids to seniors — are all too familiar with, some repeatedly. Police say 1,665 bikes were reported stolen across the city in 2022. The real number, however, is likely many times higher; multiple studies suggest “small” property crimes often go unreported. Many victims won’t bother to involve police because of the time involved and minuscule odds of getting their stuff back. And although the city launched an online bike registry in 2018, it has proven mostly ineffective at reuniting owners and their rides — particularly when compared to measures implemented in other Canadian cities — say cycling advocates, bike-shop owners and even police. About 400 cycles are recovered in Winnipeg annually, but less than 10 per cent of them make their way home. In 2022, 386 bikes were recovered, and 15 were returned to their owners, according to the city’s community services department. In Edmonton, 23 per cent of recovered bikes are returned to their owners. More than 17,000 bikes are registered in the Winnipeg system, which combined existing paper registrations from 1995 with web records. Of that number, more than 7,500 went on the registry between 2018 and 2021. ❏❏❏ Tom Babin, a Calgary author, active-transportation advocate and “cyclist in chief” at online magazine Shifter, says bike theft breaks trust in communities, creates economic difficulties and fuels other crimes. “There isn’t a lot of trust between citizens and police when it comes to bike theft. There’s an assumption everywhere that the cops will do nothing about it, and they’re probably right. The police are busy,” he says. When filing police reports and registering bikes fail to show results, people such as Sjodin may take drastic measures when they see systems not working. “Can you imagine celebrating other crimes for stealing something back? Stealing your bike back might be good at the moment, but for society, it’s a terrible way of approaching it,” Babin says. Police say they understand that people may turn to vigilantism when they feel the police aren’t helping in their time of need. “I don’t blame people for doing that. Of course, we can’t recommend that people take matters into their own hands. But I understand the frustration,” says WPS Sgt. Yvan LeTourneau. Winnipeg cyclists can pay $7.35 and input their bike’s serial number, make, model, year, value and three images to add a bike to the city’s online registry. Any recovered bikes are taken to a city bike-storage facility and cross-referenced with the registry to try finding their rightful owners. A nondescript warehouse in a Winnipeg industrial district houses hundreds of bikes, likely bound for auction or the scrap pile. The city’s 2023 auction of recovered bikes ended Wednesday. Associated Auto Auctions, which conducted the weeklong online sale, had 428 bikes listed, an 11 per cent increase from 2022. All 428 were sold, the proceeds of which go into the city community services department’s coffers. Winnipeg has a single bike-recovery officer who is responsible for the warehouse, recovering reported bikes, communicating with the police, providing promotional materials and returning bikes back to owners. Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe says only three per cent of 300 cyclists surveyed found the online registry useful for recovering their property. ❏❏❏ Before he retired last spring, Rob Brunt worked as the Vancouver Police Department’s first-ever bike detective. He says in 2015, about one per cent of the 3,000 stolen bikes reported to the police were getting back to their owners. That year, he reached out to other cities and developed a partnership with Project 529, an online bike registration system. “This system allows anybody to search the stolen database. The cops can use it, the bike stores can use it and the community can use it,” he says. In the first year after Vancouver joined Project 529, police saw a 30 per cent decline in reported bike thefts, along with improvements in recovery efforts. That number is now a staggering 60 per cent, compared to the number of thefts in 2015. It’s free for bike owners to register their rides with Project 529, and the international database is available to anyone, not just law-enforcement agencies. Const. Kenny McKinnon of the Edmonton Police Service wanted to address Edmonton’s bike-theft crisis in a similar way. “For The EPS, bike recovery was abysmal,” he says. “When we worked in the downtown core, frequently we would stop people on bikes, and it was well known that they were known bike thieves. But being able to prove that the bike was stolen was the most difficult thing that we ran into.” McKinnon says it was important to partner with the community. Since 2019, all 18 bike shops in Edmonton offer point-of-sale registration for every sale, free of charge. EPS says more than 100,000 Edmonton bikes are registered through the Bike Index. When the system was first implemented, 1,200 bikes were sent to auction or destroyed annually. In 2021, that number fell to 774. Winnipeg’s online registry was developed by ePly, a company focused on event registration. The city is ePly’s first and only client for bike-registration purposes. LeTourneau has unsuccessfully pitched Project 529 and the Bike Index to the city. “(ePly) was never on our radar as a solution,” he says. “Why are we creating something that’s already been created elsewhere?” ❏❏❏ In April 2019, the community services department launched Bicycle Registry at the Time of Purchase Project, a stakeholder engagement survey. Of the 21 surveyed bike retailers who participated, 15 supported point-of-sale registration. Tim Woodcock, owner of Woodcock Cycle Works, says the city approached him and other shops to register bikes at the point of sale. Through the shop’s own database, Woodcock keeps a record of serial numbers for every sale. “It’s not that much extra work for us. I said to (the city) that I’m on board, and then we never heard anything back,” he says. “I don’t view selling a person a bike because their bike was stolen as a sale. If people get multiple bikes stolen, we lose them as cyclists.” City spokesperson Adam Campbell says the city annually provides shops with promotional materials for registration that can be included in paperwork when someone buys a bike. “During a consultation with stakeholders conducted in 2019, we found that not all bike shops or larger retailers support or have the resources to do a point-of-sale bike registration,” Campbell says. WPS Sgt. Todd Martens says the registration system needs to change. “If the system isn’t working to the best of its capability and you have evidence to prove it, let’s pivot,” he says. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Editorial: Walking it back - Portage & Main (May3'23)
by Beth McKechnie 03 May '23

03 May '23

Walking it back https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/05/02/walking-it-… PORTAGE and Main has long been considered Winnipeg’s most famous intersection. Infamous may be more appropriate. Since 1979, Portage and Main — the confluence of this city’s two main non-river arteries — has been closed to pedestrians. Crossing at the intersection involves navigating a confusing underground concourse populated by businesses that close at 6 p.m., and is accessed by poorly maintained, poorly lit stairwells. Traversing Portage and Main is an accessibility nightmare for those with disabilities, and a baffling ordeal for tourists and newcomers to the city. The word iconic gets bandied about a lot when describing Portage and Main. What, exactly, is “iconic” about crumbling concrete barricades? The intersection is a reliable source of debate and, once, a go-nowhere plebiscite. And that’s about it. But now, the city is being presented with a rare opportunity to reimagine our most infamous intersection into something that could, perhaps, be worthy of the “iconic” designation. The current barricades need to come down, owing to necessary repairs above and below ground, and the city is soliciting public feedback on potential replacements, including a circular “sky garden” that would allow pedestrians to move across the intersection — suspended six storeys above traffic. Other ideas at street level include lookout towers, lighting poles, canopies, and “monumental public art.” Maybe we should revisit former mayor Susan Thompson’s laser-pyramid-and-hot-tubs idea while we’re at it. Most of these ideas do not involve improved street-level pedestrian access. Making Portage and Main more attractive to residents and visitors alike is a fine goal, but it shouldn’t be the only goal. What if — and hear us out — people could just cross the street? What if Portage and Main was accessible to everyone, every day, in their daily lives? While a balance can certainly be struck between the practical and the beautiful, what we’re talking about, at the end of the day, is an intersection. Perhaps we should improve its function before we talk about its form. The thing that makes cities feel alive is vibrancy at street level, the feeling of being part of a larger, kinetic energy that comes from being around a crush of other people — which is why pedestrian-only corridors and squares in other, larger cities tend to be popular tourist attractions. We can’t erect a concrete fortress around our supposedly iconic intersection and then turn around and wonder why our downtown practically has tumbleweeds rolling across it after 6 p.m. Vibrant city centres need people in them. Not just cars. A pedestrian scramble-style crossing — in which vehicles are stopped in all directions and pedestrians can move any way, including diagonally, to get where they need to go more quickly and efficiently — could be a potential solution for Portage and Main. Arguably the most famous scramble crossing in the world is Shibuya Crossing, which, in addition to being functional, is actually worthy of the designation “iconic.” Many cities have them. Oxford Circus in London features a pedestrian scramble; so does Yonge and Dundas in Toronto. Vancouver is looking at installing them as well. When they are navigated properly, scramble crossings — despite their moniker — are safer for pedestrians, according to City of Winnipeg engineers who started looking at them as part of a road safety strategy back in 2019. Re-erecting the barricades at Portage and Main — even prettier, more Instagrammable versions — only cements our image as a pedestrian- hostile, car-centric city. Sky gardens, discs, towers, orbs… it doesn’t really matter what you call them. A barricade by any other name is still a barricade.

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WFP Analysis: Coun. Browaty? Meet Joe Downtown; he rides a bike, doesn’t like coffee and — surprise! — he’s a Winnipegger, too (May2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 May '23

02 May '23

*Coun. Browaty? Meet Joe Downtown; he rides a bike, doesn’t like coffee and — surprise! — he’s a Winnipegger, too* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/01/coun-browaty-meet-joe-do… WINNIPEG, we have a Jeff Browaty problem. In this city’s ongoing efforts to build a better, more progressive and more sustainable city — for those of us here now and future generations — the veteran North Kildonan councillor has emerged as a major impediment. Now, let me say that I respect the fact that Browaty puts his name on a ballot every four years and — if election results are any indication — has done an excellent job of representing his ward. His current position as chair of the finance committee of council proves he has the respect of at least some of his fellow councillors. However, I cannot be alone in squirming any time Browaty ventures out of his suburban enclave to engage on citywide issues. That was certainly my reaction when he almost single-handedly triggered the 2018 plebiscite on reopening Portage and Main. Browaty weighed into an issue that didn’t really affect his constituents, screwed over the people who live and own businesses downtown and then scurried back to the ’burbs. If that were his only crime against progress, it would be tolerable. But he’s at it again, this time at the April 26 meeting of the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee. One of the delegates at that meeting was Marianne Cerilli, founder of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, an advocacy group that supports progressive and sustainable urban planning. The TLUC is well-informed, well-supported and regularly makes a valuable contribution to discussions on the future of the city. Cerilli told the committee the city’s plan to spend $1 billion widening Kenaston Boulevard and extending Chief Peguis Trail — projects that Browaty passionately supports — are inconsistent with the principles expressed in the city’s proposed strategic priorities action plan. Cerilli is hardly the first person to make this observation, and she is not wrong in her assessment. At a time when the city is struggling to maintain existing infrastructure, and the world is trying to slow climate change, spending a billion dollars on bigger, longer roads is harmful. Perhaps it was because Cerilli is a former NDP MLA, and Browaty is a true-blue Tory. Perhaps it’s Cerilli’s contempt for suburban sprawl, for which Browaty is Winnipeg’s self-proclaimed poster boy. Whatever the reason, Browaty launched into a rant about how advocates such as Cerilli “do not represent most Winnipeggers.” Who, you may ask, are “most Winnipeggers?” They are, according to the councillor, the people who “want their street lights timed well so they can get to work as fast as possible. They want to drive their SUVs through the Tim Hortons drive-thru to get their coffee on the way to hockey practice.” Browaty then proclaimed that delegations at committee are “not relevant” and “not representative of Joe Lunchbox Winnipeg who work all day long, who pay taxes, to provide for their families and make a life for themselves.” Browaty is hardly the first politician to play the Joe Lunchbox card or to disparage lobby groups. Former NDP premier Gary Doer regularly referenced the perspective he gained at his daughter’s soccer games, and called lobby groups “one-trick ponies.” But there’s no evidence he ever insulted any of them face to face. There’s a ton of offensive stuff to unpack here. First and foremost, it’s not Browaty’s job to disparage the people who go before committee or council to express their concerns. Or to label them as representative or unrepresentative. He is an elected official and part of the job is listening to citizens, particularly those of the informed variety, such as Cerilli. More important, however, it is very hard not to gag over Browaty’s absurd description of a typical Winnipegger. No doubt some people living in his ward fit the image of a Tim Hortons- clutching, SUV-driving hockey mom or dad complaining about the timing of traffic lights. But surely Browaty has travelled outside his ward enough to realize the city is so much more than that. Let’s remember that Browaty represents about 45,000 people out a community of more than 750,000 people that has become infinitely more diverse and multicultural in the last 20 years. Even in his own ward, you can bet more people do not own a car or truck, or drive smaller vehicles, than those who pilot SUVs. And perhaps most important, there are a lot of people in this city who “work all day long, who pay taxes to provide for their families and make a life for themselves” who also want to see the city take a more progressive approach to urban planning. Some of them might even agree that extending Chief Peguis Trail is not warranted. Perhaps Browaty has been stuck in his SUV in the drive-thru too long to notice how much the city has evolved. Or, he simply hasn’t learned how to make friends outside his peer group in North Kildonan. Either way, it’s time for Browaty to start showing some respect to the people who take the time to engage with him and broaden his understanding of what it really means to be a Winnipegger. Or, alternatively, find another line of work. Heck, maybe he could ask Joe Lunchbox where he works and try to get a job there. dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com

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WFP: Seeking calm amid traffic chaos (May2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 May '23

02 May '23

River Heights group pushes city for changes after vehicle volumes spike on residential street Seeking calm amid traffic chaos https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/01/seeking-calm-amid-the-tr… WINNIPEGGER Tim Fennell counted more than 4,200 vehicles driving past his Cambridge Street home in just 24 hours last month. While calling for traffic calming measures, he said an average of 175 vehicles per hour on a “narrow” residential street is far beyond what should be considered safe. “I believe that the City of Winnipeg has engineered a dangerous situation by continuing to direct more and more traffic on a street that they know was never designed to handle the volume,” he told the Free Press on Monday. Fennell, a founding member of a residents group called Calm Cambridge, has raised concerns with city hall and council members about a spike in vehicles using the street between Corydon and Academy avenues in River Heights. He said drivers treat it as a shortcut during construction projects on Harrow and Stafford streets. “We’d like to see some action taken to calm the traffic, at least slow the traffic down,” said Fennell. City spokesman Ken Allen said staff are aware of “renewed interest” in calming measures due, in part, to construction leading to more traffic on Cambridge. “We are currently investigating the situation to determine potential options to address traffic concerns,” he wrote in an email. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said traffic volumes are a concern on several streets near the River Heights/ Crescentwood boundary. She hopes staff, who receive many requests, will be able to conduct a community traffic calming study. Lukes said a community plan would be more effective than individual changes. “When you change something on one street, it’s a domino effect on other streets,” said the councillor for Waverley West. “Traffic is like water. It’s just going to go somewhere else.” Lukes acknowledged there has been an “incredible” amount of traffic on Cambridge due to road work. She said traffic calming measures are a priority for city staff. Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) said he is working with city employees to address the issues raised by residents. Fennell has been conducting his own traffic counts on Cambridge, north of Corydon. He uses a motion sensor and digital camera. He counted 4,214 vehicles when he went through all the images taken April 26. Much of the traffic was recorded during the morning and afternoon commutes. Fennell said the section of Cambridge between Corydon and Academy shouldn’t be handling so many vehicles in a single day because it is narrower than the stretch south of Corydon. He believes thousands more vehicles per day were using the street to avoid congestion around nearby construction projects last summer. “That’s when we started pushing and saying something has to be done,” said Fennell. In addition to a long-term solution, his group asked for temporary traffic calming measures in a bid to improve safety and livability. Fennell is concerned about the safety of his two children and others who live on or use the street. “We help them cross the street because there are too many cars and they’re going too fast,” he said of his kids. The speed limit outside his home is 50 km/h. When he watches vehicles pass by, most drivers appear to be travelling at or just below the limit. Fennell is in favour of reducing speed limits on residential streets to 30 km/h. In March, the city lowered speed limits to 30 or 40 km/h on four streets in residential areas as part of a pilot project. The city will look at whether drivers slow down and whether the change affects livability and quality of life. In his neighbourhood, Fennell wants the city to consider making physical changes to roadways or turning some into one-way streets. Speed humps were previously installed on Cambridge between Academy and Kingsway. Ian Walker, chair of Safe Speeds Winnipeg, said he observed a lot of traffic when he visited Cambridge on a recent Friday afternoon. “It was like it was being used as a collector or arterial street,” he said. Safe Speeds Winnipeg has lobbied the city to reduce speed limits to 30 km/h in residential areas in a bid to reduce the risk of fatal or serious injury collisions. The group believes the change would help neighbourhoods thrive and encourage residents to be more active. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching

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WFP: Calming traffic by design (Apr29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

CALMING TRAFFIC BY DESIGN THE City of Winnipeg will study ways to calm traffic through design. Council has approved a motion to order a city staff report on methods to add traffic-calming design elements whenever a street is selected for reconstruction. The potential changes could include narrowing roads, adding speed tables (sections of raised road) and/or installing curb extensions to create more space for pedestrians. A report on the matter is expected back in about eight months.

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WFP: Councillor pushes for Portage, Main plebiscite (Apr29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

*Councillor pushes for Portage, Main plebiscite* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/28/councillor-pushes… IF the city wants to reopen Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrians in the future, all Winnipeggers should get another vote on the idea first, according to one city councillor. Coun. Russ Wyatt will push for a policy that requires a plebiscite prior to opening the city’s most famous intersection to foot traffic and for council to follow the results. Wyatt said he will raise a motion to that effect at the May council meeting, primarily over road safety concerns. “When you open this intersection to pedestrians, you can expect injuries and fatalities and that’s my biggest concern. I want the citizens of Winnipeg to have a right to weigh in on this issue as they did before. And that will be council policy before any decision,” he said. Plebiscites are typically considered non-binding votes, which is why Wyatt wants the policy to commit city council to respect the results. In 2018, 65 per cent of Winnipeggers who participated voted “no” to reopening the intersection to pedestrians; council has not taken action to permanently reopen it since. Wyatt said he is concerned there may be a new appetite to restore pedestrian access. Debate has raged on for years about allowing pedestrians to cross the street at the surface level of the intersection, something they haven’t been able to do since 1979. Supporters argue pedestrian access would help connect and revitalize downtown, while opponents argue it would snarl traffic and pose safety concerns. The matter was thrust into the spotlight again this week as the city began seeking public feedback on options to enhance the intersection. An online survey and open houses will seek input on a wide variety of ideas, including a sixth-floor-level “sky garden” circular walkway, “monumental” public art, a set of four lookout towers and multi-media lighting poles, along with simpler upgrades that would add trees and/or enhance paving. None of the options would give pedestrians permanent access to cross the street at ground level. While those ideas from a city consultant don’t include cost estimates, Wyatt said he is also concerned about the potential price tag. “I don’t see why the ratepayers of Winnipeg should be subsidizing fancy lights and whatnot that could cost millions. I think there’s higher priorities in our city,” he said. Others argue a policy that guarantees voters a say in the matter wouldn’t make sense. “I think that’s preposterous. I think it’s an abrogation of their duties as elected councillors. We don’t have a plebiscite over the Chief Peguis (Trail) extension. We didn’t have a plebiscite over (building) Bridgwater. It’s just ridiculous,” said Adam Dooley, a spokesperson for the Vote Open campaign in 2018. The city council process already allows the public to provide input on council and committee decisions through a delegation process, he said. A Winnipeg-wide vote would also prevent the city from focusing on feedback from the intersection’s immediate neighbours, Dooley said. “I think if this were a regular public works project, then the residents in the area would have a larger say than what they are having because they overwhelmingly want this to happen: pedestrian access at Portage and Main. And they’re being told they can’t have that because of votes from, mostly, the suburbs.” Coun. Sherri Rollins said she doesn’t support the use of more plebiscites, stressing elected officials shouldn’t shirk their duty to make informed decisions on voters’ behalf. “A simple yes/no (public) vote is just artificially narrow, so I’m not a fan of plebiscites in general. I really feel that they are anti-democratic. They don’t underline or emphasize the accountability that most of us believe is part of being in elected office,” said Rollins. In a brief written statement, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he won’t support Wyatt’s motion. “I don’t think the city needs another plebiscite on Portage and Main.” joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Special-interest groups don’t represent most Winnipeggers, says Coun. Jeff Browaty (May1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

*Special-interest groups don’t represent most Winnipeggers, says Coun. Jeff Browaty* *Advocates’ relevance questioned* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/28/special-interest-… CITY council’s most senior member has caused outrage after telling members of special interest groups their views are out of step with what most Winnipeggers want. “I appreciate your advocacy, but I don’t think a lot of these opinions are relevant,” North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty, who was first elected in 2006 and is currently finance committee chairman, told Marianne Cerilli, a former MLA and mayoral candidate, after she made a presentation to councillors. “I appreciate everybody who comes to city hall, and takes time out of their day to make presentations — people are very passionate,” Browaty said during the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee Wednesday. “(But) the people who present here really do not represent most Winnipeggers, in my opinion. Each one of us on council represent 45,000-ish people. They’re not looking to blow things up. They don’t have time to come and make presentations all day. They want their street lights timed so they can get to and from work as fast as possible. Or drive their SUVs through Tim Hortons drive-thru to get their coffee on their way to hockey practice. “The consultation we get is not as relevant as the consultation we get as elected officials going door to door every four years to talk to people… it’s not at all as representative of Joe Lunchbox Winnipegger, the people who pay taxes and work all day long to provide for their families, to make a life for themselves.” On Friday, Browaty made an attempt to explain his comments, saying he knew Cerilli had been a politician, so she would have a “thicker skin because of the business we’re in.” But there was little in the way of contrition. “I’m not sending her an apology card today, but all Winnipeggers have the right to have their views and ideas heard. I still do maintain that some of the delegations we hear on budgets are from special interest groups and aren’t representative of the majority of Winnipeg,” he said. “Just because you’ve come to council, your opinions aren’t more important than residents submitting letters to the editor, calling in to talk-radio shows, posting in online community forums or talking directly to elected officials.” Mayor Scott Gillingham said he wasn’t at the meeting, and he doesn’t know everything that was said, so any questions about it should be directed to Browaty. But Gillingham said all councillors work hard to have a good sense of the views of the people they are representing. “We do have an open process at the City of Winnipeg. I appreciate the knowledge and passion that delegations bring to their presentations, and I have learned a lot from this process, but Coun. Browaty is correct that delegations are just one tool that council uses to make its decisions,” he said. “From what I saw (on a social media posting) I didn’t see anything that concerned me, as far as decorum.” Cerilli, a founder of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, said Browaty’s comments were offensive. “This is not about personal opinion. This is about research and evidence. I was telling (councillors) the city has policy on this and for the city to follow the policy. I think he needs to be more concerned about his conduct with a city committee about following public policy. His ideas about urban development are from the 1950s. That’s where he is,” she said. “I don’t care if he apologizes or not.” Marc Cohoe of advocacy group Bike Winnipeg has been making presentations to councillors since the days when cyclists asking for bike paths were considered members of a fringe group. The city now spends millions of budget dollars to build, maintain and clear them. “I was shocked to hear him. I’ve heard presentations that have changed my mind on things and I’m sure others have, too,” Cohoe said. “It’s important in the democratic process for people to listen. I know this is not the whole process, but we bring in expertise and ideas which are valuable to the city. If you sit and dismiss that public-engagement process, what are you telling people?” Longtime Point Douglas advocate and social activist Sel Burrows said he is likely considered “a special interest delegation” by councillors. “It is important for politicians to hear from others,” Burrows said. “Delegations showing up at city council is part of gradually changing councillors’ thoughts on issues. It is particularly important for suburban councillors, who aren’t aware of inner-city issues where most of the homelessness and crime happens.” Mel Marginet, co-chair of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, said she believes Browaty’s comments are so serious the mayor should remove him as finance chair. “His comments were deeply shocking. It was deeply insulting to his residents and the city as a whole. He should be pulled from the committee,” Marginet said. Coun. Matt Allard said he not only has no problem with delegations, he welcomes appearances from more of them. “I believe that it is important to encourage and welcome delegations from the public and any organization that has an interest in making the city better and wants to share their ideas about it,” Allard said. — With files from Joyanne Pursaga kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Analysis: Portage and Main has to be people-friendly (May1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

Portage and Main has to be people-friendly https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/05/01/portage-and-m… Is it too soon? Can we talk about Portage and Main again? It’s been almost five years. The vote was clear, but 2018 feels like a different lifetime, doesn’t it? We’ve been through a lot since then, and a lot has changed. The pandemic was devastating for downtown, and its legacy is lasting. Significantly fewer people are now coming downtown to work. Office buildings are sitting empty. Shops, restaurants, and the last movie theatres have closed. Tax incentive programs that were eagerly snapped up by developers in the past, now sit unsubscribed as they shy away from new residential construction in the city centre. As the social, cultural, and economic heart of our city, downtown needs as much help as it can get right now, because no city flourishes without a prosperous and healthy core. Another thing that has changed is we now know what’s going to happen at the city’s storied intersection. The waterproofing membrane that protects the underground concourse at Portage and Main needs to be replaced and the barricades we so passionately fought over are coming down as part of a multi-million-dollar construction project. If we are removing the barricades, what should we put back? A design team was hired to answer that question, and their proposals were recently unveiled for public feedback. The goals for the design are to improve accessibility, increase safety, enhance the pedestrian experience, and attract people back to the intersection, restoring it to a vital public space and needed a catalyst to help bring downtown back to life. Of course, they must do this while maintaining the pedestrian blockades that prevent people from using the intersection if they are not driving in a vehicle. The designers face the daunting task of trying to attract people while at the same time actively repelling them. Attempting to overcome this dichotomy, the proposals made are dramatic, a ring of sky gardens floating six storeys in the air, lookout towers on each corner, or monumental public art that we can drive under. The scale and grandeur of the proposals are striking and demonstrate just how important Portage and Main is in our collective psyche. Portage and Main is not just an intersection. It’s where we come together in celebration, in protest and in mourning. It has always been seen as the heart of the city, even when hidden behind concrete walls. There is significant irony in the fact that we believe Portage and Main is important enough to invest in a big idea that brings it back to life, but we voted so clearly to say we are not willing to spend a few seconds longer in our cars to accomplish this goal organically, and at low cost. The designs presented are beautiful, and would be exciting additions to our city, but without allowing functional day-to-day use of the intersection by pedestrians, creating attractions to draw people is unlikely to find success. The fact that attractions are felt to be necessary to overcome the impacts of our choice to value driving faster over quality of place, accessibility, and economic vibrancy, means they would stand as monuments to our city’s unwavering dedication to the vehicle, even more than the concrete walls are today. These grand gestures would be the embodiment of the gymnastics our city is willing to put itself through to avoid the easy solution, and ensure it remains subservient to vehicles above all else, even in our downtown. Despite the difficult times downtown Winnipeg is going through, Portage and Main is seeing some important sidewalk-level growth. Restaurants like Earls, OEB, 529 Uptown, and Hy’s are opening or expanding, a Goodlife gym has been built, 300 Main and soon 138 Portage East will bring 550 new residential homes to the area, and the MMF is transforming the Bank of Montreal into an important heritage centre. These developments, and the more than 10,000 people working within a block of the intersection, provide more than enough pedestrian gravity to create a vibrant public space simply by inviting people to freely cross the street, restoring Portage and Main to the powerful neighbourhood connector it once was. Despite the post-pandemic need for downtown to be given every opportunity to find new life, it is unlikely we will seize the simple solution, and settle for prettier barricades that can be enjoyed from our cars as we drive past. Thankfully, the distant future of Portage and Main has been cast and it will be as a vibrant public space and downtown focal point. Paired with the redevelopment of Union Station, the Transportation Master Plan envisions a major downtown rapid transit station at Portage and Main, anticipated to serve more than 50,000 people every day. It seems impossible to imagine a major transit hub without reintroducing pedestrians. Portage and Main is really just an intersection. Its traffic volumes, weather, width and whatever else has created its mythological status, isn’t wildly different from Main and Broadway, Portage and Colony, Kenaston and Sterling Lyon, or many large intersections across the world with pedestrian crossings. Until we treat it like it is a normal intersection, it won’t matter how many floating doughnut gardens or elevators to the sky we build. Portage and Main will never successfully attract people if it is simultaneously designed to repel them. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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WFP: Urban expert staying out of Portage and Main fray as new city planning, property, development director (Apr28'23)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Apr '23

28 Apr '23

New planning, property and development director advocated for re-opening intersection *Expert stays out of Portage & Main fray* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/27/urban-expert-stay… A ONCE-VOCAL advocate for reopening Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic will be staying out of the debate on the future of the historic intersection in her new position. The city announced Wednesday that urban planning expert Hazel Borys will become director of planning, property and development at the end of July. Borys, an engineer with an MBA and president of Placemakers, an international city planning firm, was a leading voice for the Yes side in the campaign to remove the concrete barriers before the 2018 municipal election, where the issue appeared as a non-binding plebiscite question on the ballot. “Keeping this corner closed signals to Winnipeggers and the world that we are a car city,” she told the Free Press at the time. “Keeping the intersection closed hurts our economy and well-being.” A majority of residents disagreed, voting to leave things as they are. Borys intends to leave advocacy to others when she begins her new role. “My past opinion hasn’t changed at all, but what has changed is Portage and Main is a political decision now,” she said Thursday. “For it to change, it would be a political decision.” Earlier this week, the city released a discussion paper outlining the issues surrounding the intersection, including a massive project to repair the membrane under the street protecting the Winnipeg Square concourse, which has been in place since the underground mall opened in 1979. The paper also revealed several concepts for improving pedestrian movement and the area’s physical appearance. The city has asked for public input. Borys said the planning department will help city council get the information it requires during public consultations and, eventually, arrive at a decision. Mayor Scott Gillingham said Thursday he wasn’t concerned that the department will be led by someone who advocated to open the intersection. “I think hiring Hazel Borys is good for our downtown development plans,” he said, noting her reputation as “an innovator.” “She has an extensive record of working with cities across North America and working on densification… I think the work she has done will serve us well.” Borys, who is married to Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq director and CEO Stephen Borys, has helped cities reduce red tape in order to make development processes easier, while also assisting in guiding governments through zoning reforms. She said she will be able to do both in her new position, just from a different vantage point. “I’ve spent the last 19 years on the other side of the desk,” she said. “I’m super-excited. I’m looking forward to going much deeper than on my consultant side.” Coun. Jeff Browaty, who helped lead the battle to keep Portage and Main closed to pedestrians, said he’s looking forward to working with the new planning department head. “While we clearly disagree on the opening of Portage and Main to pedestrian crossings, I actually support a lot of the planning principles she has been involved with,” Browaty said. “I came to respect her work many years ago when she successfully led the public consultation for the private developer of the controversial Edgewood Estates towers at Chief Peguis Trail and the Red River. While the majority of the time elected officials and public servants see eye to eye on issues, when we don’t, it’s understood council’s direction needs to be implemented.” Browaty also noted, as an aside, he is partially responsible for getting Borys to Winnipeg. “I was the city rep on the Winnipeg Art Gallery board of governors when we hired her husband… as director,” he said. Borys said she will be mothballing her company and expects the first weeks and months in her new position to be part of a “big learning curve.” “I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “I can’t wait.” kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Businesses have mixed feelings about proposed pathways at Portage & Main (Apr27'23)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Apr '23

27 Apr '23

*Businesses have mixed feelings about proposed pathways* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/04/27/businesses-have-mixed… Businesses below Portage and Main have mixed feelings about proposed pathways above the iconic intersection. On Tuesday, the City of Winnipeg released ideas to revitalize the downtown crossing, seeking public feedback. One rendering displayed a “sky garden” — a circular walkway six storeys above ground level with potential bridge connections to adjacent buildings. Glass elevators would connect to the street, the plaza and the underground concourse. “They already have the connection down below,” said Mike Publicover, owner of Stonework’s Bistro. Publicover opened his Winnipeg Square eatery last year. Connecting to Winnipeg’s skyscrapers, including the new 300 Main, was a major consideration before settling, Publicover said. “So now (people are) going to start walking over and above,” he said. “Will they come down?” Already, businesses below struggle to get customers when the workday ends. Publicover’s feelings would be different if the underground network, which covers Portage and Main and extends outwards, didn’t exist. “The added cost to the city of doing it, I don’t know that there’s value when there’s already something here,” Publicover said. The city is preparing to replace the waterproof membrane protecting the underground concourse. It could cost between $15 million and $20 million to excavate the intersection’s surface for membrane repair, according to one engineering report. More connections above ground could be good for business, said Melani Bastians. “Down here, we do have a lot of folks who are Monday to Friday,” said Bastians, who owns two restaurants in Winnipeg Square. When the weekend hits, customers leave and everything shutters, Bastians said. Taste of Sri Lanka, one of her businesses in the underground concourse, closes after 4 p.m. during the week and doesn’t open Saturdays or Sundays. “I want more customers, always, and avenues of which they can get here,” Bastians said. “If we had overpasses, then it would support the general public.” She’s now doubly invested in Winnipeg Square. Bastians opened The Green Eatery beside Taste of Sri Lanka three weeks ago. “People don’t really know that there are places like this in Winnipeg Square,” added Adanna Hanniford, The Green Eatery’s manager. If overpasses will bring people downtown, that’s good news, she said. The nearby GoodLife Fitness and the 300 Main residences are already positives for the restaurant, which has vegan and gluten-free products, Hanniford said. Above-ground changes to Portage and Main likely wouldn’t affect Cookies by George, predicted Lasha Yaeger. “We get business from there,” she said behind the counter, pointing to the Portage and Main concourse. “They’re coming here anyways. It’s not like they’re going to avoid us.” Still, she worried businesses in the concourse might see fewer visitors if overpasses became concrete. The proposed sky garden’s effect on underground businesses is hard to forecast, according to Loren Remillard, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. New infrastructure could draw people to the area, he noted. “Right now, I think our bigger concern isn’t skywalk/underground, it’s ‘How do we get more people downtown?’” he said. Once traffic has increased, the focus becomes guiding people to shops and vendors downtown, he said. “Some of the initial concerns were about costing and city priorities — all legitimate concerns. We really want to be creative, we really want to be innovative, and this is an opportunity to engage Winnipeggers in a conversation around ‘What kind of downtown do we want?’” Remillard said. A public survey to give feedback on potential Portage and Main changes is open until May 26 at winnipeg.ca/portageandmain. The city will also host two events about the ideas in May. — with files from Joyanne Pursaga gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com

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CBC: Winnipeg hires CEO of urbanist consulting firm as new planning, property and development director (Apr26'23)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '23

26 Apr '23

Hazel Borys to divest herself of Placemakers, take on helm of city department https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/hazel-borys-planning-director-1.682… The City of Winnipeg has chosen an urban planner who runs a binational consulting firm to be its new director of planning, property and development. Hazel Borys, the CEO of Placemakers in Canada and the United States, will take over the city department responsible for land use at the end of July, Winnipeg chief administrative officer Michael Jack announced on Wednesday. She will succeed Marc Pittet, who's served as Winnipeg's acting planning, property and development director since John Kiernan retired in 2022. Borys said Wednesday she feels like she's taken on the job at "a really critical moment" in Winnipeg's history. "I think we have a number of significant challenges that we'll need to address together and that's really similar to many Canadian cities right now," Borys said in an interview. "But I think we also have both the opportunity and the responsibility to become a more resilient, livable and inclusive place. One of those challenges will involve stemming a burgeoning trend where Winnipeg is starting to lose development opportunities to several of its immediate neighbours. An increasing concentration of industrial, commercial and residential developments have sprouted up just outside city limits in municipalities such as Macdonald, Rosser, West St. Paul and Springfield. Borys said she plans to work with other municipalities to ensure both the city and its neighbours benefit from a new regional planning framework ordered by the provincial government. "My focus as the director of planning, property and development won't be about fighting over the existing pie that the region has, but how when we all work together, we can grow that pie quite a bit," she said. "So I'm not terribly concerned about where today's development capacity is going." Modernizing land use Borys said she believes development can intensify in existing Winnipeg neighbourhoods if the city modernizes outdated rules that govern land use. "What the development community most struggles with is our zoning bylaw hasn't yet caught up with the policies that we have in place to help do those things," she said. "That means that development takes longer — and time is money, from a developer's perspective." Borys suggested the city must focus on densification to achieve its development goals. "I think we have to get back to our agricultural roots and instead of thinking about dollars per new development, we need to be thinking about dollars per hectare and jobs per hectare," she said. "So how we can use our land more productively, just like a farmer looks at how to use her land more productively as well." Winnipeg's mayor, a centrist conservative who hired a number of urbanists to his own staff, referenced the incoming property director's progressive leanings when he welcomed her to the city. "Hazel has an incredible reputation as an innovator, placemaker and community builder and I look forward to working with her in this new role," Scott Gillingham said in a tweet on Wednesday. Borys, however, chose not comment on several hot-button issues facing Winnipeg's planning, property and development department, including the revitalization of Portage and Main and a pending decision in a lawsuit against the department by developer Andrew Marquess. Born in Alabama, Borys was educated in Ohio before she moved to Winnipeg in 2008 with her husband, Stephen Borys, who runs the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq. Borys has worked in the urban planning field for 19 years. With Placemakers, she consulted for both developers and governments. She helped the City of Winnipeg develop its long-term planning framework and also sits on the Manitoba Municipal Board. Borys said she has tendered her resignation from the municipal board, whose powers have been expanded to include the ability to overturn City of Winnipeg land-use decisions. She also said she will divest herself of an ownership stake in the U.S. side of Placemakers and dissolve the Canadian company of the same name.

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WFP: ‘Sky garden’ among ideas floated for Portage & Main (Apr26'23)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '23

26 Apr '23

City seeks public input on concepts to improve pedestrian access, enhance appearance at reimagined intersection *‘Sky garden’ among ideas floated for Portage & Main* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/04/25/sky-garden-pedestrian-pl… THERE’S a chance Winnipeggers could finally be able to cross the street again at the city’s most famous intersection… but they’d be doing it six storeys above traffic. A “sky garden,” with a plant-adorned circular walkway, potential bridge connections to adjacent buildings and glass elevators connecting the street, plaza and underground concourse, as well as an option to add a set of four lookout towers with viewing platforms (one at each corner), are among several ideas to revitalize Portage Avenue and Main Street the city is now seeking public feedback on. “The City of Winnipeg sees Portage and Main as an iconic, historic destination and worthy of a little bit of extra attention… and that’s why we’ve looked at ideas that are somewhat conventional, as well as some that are more bold,” said Kurtis Kowalke, a principal planner for the city. The changes — advanced by a city consultant — could allow for temporary pedestrian access at ground level, such as for special events. However, the vision doesn’t pursue a long-debated call to permanently restore surface-level pedestrian crossing. The intersection has been closed to pedestrians since 1979, and Winnipeggers voted down a non-binding plebiscite to reopen the corners in 2018. The new vision is being considered as the city prepares to replace an ailing waterproof membrane that protects the underground concourse, which has been deemed beyond its useful life. A deal struck by the city in 1976 to construct the concourse and an above-ground building guaranteed the developer a barricaded intersection for 40 years, forcing pedestrians into the underground mall. Crews must excavate the intersection’s surface to repair the membrane, which an engineering report once estimated would cost between $15 million and $20 million. Kowalke said public input will help the city narrow down design ideas to reimagine the public space, and the crumbling concrete barriers will likely be replaced with more-attractive fencing or bollards. Other options to revamp the site could add “living art” (a raised garden ring with no pedestrian access) or “monumental public art,” such as a large, dome-like structure above the street (depicted as an example in the city survey). Multimedia lighting poles could also be added with or without canopies. At street level, the city could add public art to building walls, plant trees and spruce up the site’s paving. Cost estimates for the new options were not provided. Mayor Scott Gillingham declined to offer an opinion on which, if any, of the ideas he supports. “It has to be something that is reasonable but also exciting. It’s our most iconic intersection,” said Gillingham. The idea of simply reopening pedestrian access at street level has triggered intense debate for years, with supporters arguing the change is needed to help revitalize and better connect downtown. Opponents say allowing foot traffic would snarl vehicle traffic, cost millions of dollars and increase road-safety concerns. In the 2018 plebiscite, 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted against removing the barriers. Advocates for pedestrian traffic argued most of the no votes were cast by people living in the suburbs who did not want to be inconvenienced by longer stop-light waits at the intersection that would be required for walkers to cross the street. One advocate who urged residents to “vote open” at the time questions the logic of diverting pedestrians upward, instead. “I don’t know if you need to invest as much as some of these designs are going to cost. I think we can have a really great intersection if we have a pedestrian crossing at grade and some nice, artistic, culturally relevant designs going on at street level,” said Adam Dooley. Pedestrian access at an overhead walkway could perhaps be seen as a compromise keeping vehicle and foot traffic apart, but a grade-level crossing remains his first choice, he said. The president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce said the new options to enhance the site are worthy of discussion. “It elevates the conversation that we’ve been having for far too long around this intersection… from one of barricades or removing barricades to one… (about what) kind of downtown centre… we want to have for our community,” said Loren Remillard. Kate Fenske, chief executive officer at the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said street-level access remains her organization’s top priority. “Allowing pedestrians to cross the street at Portage and Main would have a minimal impact on drivers but drastically reduce the time for pedestrians to get across…. A good design is one that encourages more people at street level. That’s critical for economic activity, for improving safety and for vibrancy of downtown,” said Fenske. She also questioned how adding a raised circular walkway would stack up against other priorities for limited city dollars. Some city councillors agree the primary focus at Portage and Main should be to add a ground-level pedestrian crossing. “Before we start contemplating the budgets involved (with) pedestrian overpasses that might be pretty and might involve greenery… I’d like to just ask that basic question… (of) how to make it accessible at grade,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins. Rollins is backing a new motion at city hall, which calls for staff to study options to add surface-level access at Portage and Main. The public works committee is expected to consider ordering that report next month. On Tuesday afternoon, folks in the Portage and Main area shared mixed views on the ideas. Adam Enns said paving and tree improvements make sense but an above-ground circular walkway isn’t realistic. “What’s the function of it, just to look nice?…. It seems like a waste of money to me,” said Enns. Jennifer Olson feared the “sky garden” walkway may not best serve downtown residents. “It looks nice but what is in it for the people who live here? I’d like to see a grocery store, some more services… not necessarily some elevated walkway. And I would like to see Portage and Main reopened (to pedestrians at the surface level),” said Olson. Jay Rodgers said he liked the “sky garden” at first glance, though its potential cost must be considered. “I think it’s very attractive,” Rodgers said. “It looks modern and I think it would increase traffic circulating in the area.” A survey at winnipeg.ca/portageandmain will seek public feedback until May 26. The city will also host two events on the ideas, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10 at the lobby of 201 Portage Ave. and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 11 at Portage and Main’s underground concourse (near Scotiabank). joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Nature article: Suburbs are a climate disaster, but they can be redeemed
by Jackie Avent 25 Apr '23

25 Apr '23

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01369-3 How to create liveable suburbs <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The sprawling outer areas of US cities are the physical embodiment of unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity, argues urban-design researcher Dana Cuff. Rigid and often absurd planning rules prevent the construction of blocks of flats <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, shops, schools, health facilities and workplaces. “It will take many creative solutions to redeem suburbs,” Cuff says, such as building housing for teachers on underused school land or offering loans for constructing affordable housing. Nature | 5 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Nature Briefing <briefing(a)nature.com> Date: Tue, Apr 25, 2023 at 1:04 PM Subject: First close-up images of tiny Mars moonlet To: <Jackie.avent(a)gmail.com> What matters in science | View this email in your browser <https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=4e0751221c&u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Tuesday 25 April 2023 [image: Nature Briefing] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Hello *Nature *readers, Today we discover that researchers have sequenced the genomes of more than 10,000 ancient people, find out why parrots like to video call each other and marvel at the first close-up images of Mars’s tiny moonlet Deimos. [image: A bleached human skull lies on its side on mossy ground. The skull’s lower jaw has become detached, lying separately in front of the skull. More bone fragments and broken skulls are visible in the background.] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> These 2,000-year-old human remains were found in a stone chambered cairn in Greenland. There has been an ‘ancient-DNA gold rush’, with the number of ancient-human genomes exponentially increasing since 2018. (Ashley Cooper/Getty) Ten thousand ancient genomes sequenced <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> More than 10,000 ancient-human genomes have now been sequenced. In 2010, the first ancient-DNA sequence was published, of a man who lived 4,000 years ago. Since 2018, thanks to technological advances, there has been an explosion in the number of ancient genomes sequenced. The vast majority come from people who lived in Europe, Russia and the Middle East <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. “We need to shift that focus and obsession with numbers” and look at genomes from other parts of the world, says palaeogenomicist María Ávila-Arcos. Nature | 4 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Reference: bioRxiv preprint <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> (not peer reviewed) [image: A line chart showing the quantity of genome data from ancient-human remains. The data set has grown rapidly since 2018, owing to advances in DNA sequencing, and extraction and has risen to 10,067 in 2023.] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Parrots call each other to be less lonely <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Giving pet parrots the opportunity to video call other birds helps to counter isolation and boredom <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> in the intelligent animals. Researchers trained 18 pet parrots, ranging from macaws (*Ara*) to cockatiels (*Nymphicus hollandicus*), to phone a friend using Facebook Messenger. “All caretakers reported perceived benefits, some arguably life-transformative, such as learning to forage or even to fly by watching others,” write the authors in their paper, which includes some well-worth-watching video <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> of parrots chatting. The Guardian | 4 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Reference: *CHI '23: Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> paper <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Reader poll [image: Pie chart illustrating poll results to the question “What do you think about the commercial space age?”] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Today, a lunar lander built by the Japanese firm ispace will touch down on the Moon’s surface <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. It will be the first private company to land on the Moon, and the first of several commercial lunar trips flying this year. Briefing readers had mixed feelings about this burgeoning commercial space age: more than half of the respondents to our poll last week said they preferred when space exploration was led by governments only. Another 40% welcome private space missions. Many readers felt the money pumped into space missions — both private and public ones — could be better spent on Earth, for example on addressing climate change. There were concerns about the amount of space debris that missions would create, and about the environmental impact of rocket launches. “There should be an international agency to regulate who can send what into space and clean up afterwards,” writes librarian Penelope Bulloch. “I think we should reframe the conversation altogether,” suggests sustainability project manager Joan Suris. “Every time we have started mining resources on Earth we have created more environmental and social problems than we have solved. What are the unforeseen consequences of ‘commercial exploitation’ of the Moon?” Features & opinion Deep ocean exploration isn’t about science <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Attempts to reach the bottom of the sea have a surprisingly long history, as Jeff Maynard recounts in *The Frontier Below*. The book is a brisk tour of diving and submersibles <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, heavy on engineering and light on science. “That’s fitting, because the endeavour was hardly ever about science,” writes reviewer and *Nature *reporter Alexandra Witze. Instead, it was about retrieving goods from wrecked vessels, military interests or finding a ‘lifeless’ place to dump nuclear waste. Nature | 6 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> [image: Nature Special: Nature+] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> ACCESS *NATURE* AND 54 OTHER NATURE JOURNALS <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Nature+ gives you immediate online access to *Nature* and 54 other journals. Nature+ is a flexible monthly subscription and is currently available only to personal users in the United States <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> and in the United Kingdom <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> . Learn more about Nature+ in the US <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> or in the UK <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> How to create liveable suburbs <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The sprawling outer areas of US cities are the physical embodiment of unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity, argues urban-design researcher Dana Cuff. Rigid and often absurd planning rules prevent the construction of blocks of flats <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, shops, schools, health facilities and workplaces. “It will take many creative solutions to redeem suburbs,” Cuff says, such as building housing for teachers on underused school land or offering loans for constructing affordable housing. Nature | 5 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The far-reaching impacts of melting ice <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> How does melting ice contribute to destructive wildfires in the western United States? And how does ice loss lead to extreme floods in Nepal? A sobering yet hopeful quiz, accompanied by stunning visuals <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, clarifies how the shape of coastlines, the weather and the survival of communities are all tied to ice. NPR | Interactive 5-min scroll <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Image of the week [image: The moonlet Deimos, looking like a small grey space potato, floats serenely in front of the giant red shape of Mars in the background.] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The first up-close images of Mars’s little-known moonlet Deimos have revealed that it is made of the same material as the red planet. The tiny, 12.4-kilometre-wide moon probably formed together with Mars <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, rather than as an asteroid that was captured in the planet’s orbit. (Nature | 4 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>) (Emirates Mars Mission) Quote of the day “I often have a nightmare with my tombstone that reads: ‘What did she think she was doing?’ Because all of us have to reckon with the fact that the future will look back on us with new tools and a new framing.” <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Neurologist Helen Mayberg hopes that deep brain stimulation — invasive surgery that helps people with severe depression — will eventually be seen as outdated. (Nature Careers Podcast | 25 min listen or 15 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> ) As we celebrate World Penguin Day, spare a thought for what the word ‘penguin’ actually means to you <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Psychologists found that even such simple words can signify wildly different concepts for people — and we’re often oblivious to these variations. Send me your definition of the word ‘penguin’, alongside any other feedback on this newsletter, to briefing(a)nature.com. Thanks for reading, *Katrina Krämer, associate editor, Nature Briefing <briefing(a)nature.com>* *With contributions by Flora Graham* We’ve recently launched two new e-mails you might like. They’re free, and of course you can unsubscribe at any time. - *Nature Briefing: Cancer* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> — a new weekly newsletter written with cancer researchers in mind. Sign up here <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> to receive the next one. - *Nature Briefing: Translational Research* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> covers biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma. Sign up here <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> to get it free in your inbox each week. [image: nature] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Join our community [image: twitter] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> [image: Facebook] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> You received this newsletter because you subscribed with the email address: Jackie.avent(a)gmail.com Please add *briefing(a)nature.com <briefing(a)nature.com>* to your address book. Enjoying this newsletter? You can use this form to recommend it to a friend or colleague <https://us17.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d&id=9…> — thank you! Want to switch to the weekly edition? Update your preferences <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Had enough? 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CBC: Circular walkway, massive orb, towers among Portage and Main redesign options (Apr25'23)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '23

25 Apr '23

Circular walkway, massive orb, towers among Portage and Main redesign optionsCity seeks public feedback on designs that would see existing barricades come down — without pedestrian access https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-redesign-options-1.682… A circular walkway above Portage and Main, a massive orb and a quartet of lookout towers are among eight potential and in some cases fanciful redesign options for Winnipeg's most famous intersection. The City of Winnipeg is seeking public opinions about new designs that would see the existing concrete barricades at Portage Avenue and Main Street be replaced by a more esthetically pleasing streetscape that would still bar pedestrians from crossing at street level. The city must remove the barricades as part of a multimillion-dollar repair job at the intersection, where a leaky membrane allows surface runoff to damage the underground pedestrian concourse. The barricades are to be replaced as part of a broader redesign. The city has launched a public opinion survey <https://engage.winnipeg.ca/portageandmain> and will hold a pair of public events in May to solicit feedback on the options. They include an above-ground walkway called a "sky garden," a hanging garden with no pedestrian access, lookout towers, a row of lights, a row of lights mixed with trees, new paving, both with and without trees, and a "monumental" orb at Portage and Main reminiscent of the laser pyramid floated by former mayor Susan Thompson after she left office. None of the options are costed out in the survey, which is open until May 26. The survey asks whether respondents live or work downtown. The public events will be held May 10 in the lobby of 201 Portage Ave. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and May 11 in the underground concourse, also from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The survey also asks what other amenities Winnipeggers wish to see at Portage and Main, such as food trucks and Indigenous programming. The City of Winnipeg will make officials available to speak about the project this afternoon. Portage and Main closed to pedestrians in 1979. Winnipeggers voted against reopening the intersection in a non-binding plebiscite in 2018.

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WFP: Residents weigh in on Portage and Main proposals (Apr22'24)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Apr '23

24 Apr '23

*Residents weigh in on Portage and Main proposals* Report renews debate over iconic intersection https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/22/residents-weigh-i… A report regarding the future of Portage Avenue and Main Street has renewed discussions surrounding the contentious intersection, with residents weighing in on the potential of street-level pedestrian crossing. On Tuesday, the city will release the findings of a study it commissioned in 2021 to assess upgrades for the iconic intersection. Current plans involve removing and replacing the concrete barriers that bar pedestrian passage, but future designs may be adaptable, allowing people to cross at street-level for special events, or during designated times, city documents show. “The debate over Portage and Main has been a perennial discussion in Winnipeg for more than 40 years,” Winnipeg transportation planner Jairo Viafara said by phone Saturday. “If we are to open it, there must be a balance.” The intersection, which spans up to eight lanes at some points, presents a particular challenge for city planners. While keeping the intersection closed to pedestrian traffic compromises accessibility, opening it will likely impact traffic flow and may frustrate stakeholders who’ve made significant investments in and around the underground concourse, he said. Among possible solutions is a suggestion from Coun. Jeff Browaty to allow pedestrians to cross outside of peak traffic times, possibly between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. when the underground passage is closed. Viafara was hesitant to endorse this idea, citing safety concerns because the area is surrounded by several bars and restaurants. “I do not want pedestrians who have drinking and dancing their way through the night to step out on the street in their merriment and (be struck by a vehicle),” he said. Pedestrian safety and economic development must be paramount concerns as the city deliberates how to improve the intersection, he said. City officials are not exploring permanently opening the intersection, but promised to allow residents to weigh-in on the design options through an online survey. People passing though the underground concourse Saturday afternoon voiced mixed opinions on the subject. “It is a bit of a nuisance to have to come down particularly because… downtown has gotten a lot sketchier in the last few years,” said Francine Martin. “It doesn’t always feel (safe) and it’s dirtier than it used to be.” Martin, who described herself as a “non-motorist” pointed to a 2018 plebiscite in which 65 per cent of people in Winnipeg voted against reopening street-level crossings at the intersection. According to voter demographic data released at the time, people in suburban areas felt most strongly that the intersection should remain closed. “Maybe they should survey people in the core areas who actually use this intersection as non-motorists,” Martin said. “If we’re the ones using it, or perhaps more likely to use it, then maybe our vote should count for a little bit more.” Others passing through felt the opposite. “I don’t think its a good idea to take the barriers down. It’s going to snarl traffic even more than it is now. It will be a complete hassle,” said Lisa, an Exchange District resident who asked to withhold her last name. “Yeah, its a hassle to come down here, but I’d rather have that hassle (than open the intersection),” she said. “If you live (downtown), you understand why the barriers are there… We’re going to find out real fast if they allow pedestrian traffic up there how inconvenient it is.” Another group of men, who declined an interview but paused long enough to offer their opinion, agreed. “There’s just way too much traffic on Portage and Main,” one said. Corey Yantha, a visitor from Halifax who found himself lost in the underground concourse, said he’s encountered similar underground crossings in other Canadian cities, but found navigating Winnipeg’s confusing. “I think it’s pretty annoying… I don’t really know which way to go,” he said. “It should be a lot easier to get to the other side of the street.” Others passing through had similar experiences, with one group saying they paused several times to check if they were heading the right direction. Regardless of the proposal report, the intersection is likely to see significant construction in the near future. A waterproof membrane surrounding the underground concourse needs to be replaced and it can only be accessed from above. Preliminary estimates suggest the project could cost between $15 million and $20 million. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: New vision for Portage & Main coming next week (Apr22'23)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Apr '23

22 Apr '23

*Survey to allow input into options for intersection* *New vision for P&M coming next week* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/21/new-vision-for-po… A LONG-AWAITED vision to revamp the iconic Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection will be released to the public Tuesday. In 2021, the City of Winnipeg hired a consultant to provide options to improve the above-ground crossing and its “pedestrian environment.” A request for proposal noted the design should also be adaptable to potentially let pedestrians cross at street level on a temporary basis, such as for special events, without permanently restoring that access (which was blocked in 1979). On April 25, the city will release design options for the site, along with an online public survey. “We’ve known for a lot of years that there needs to be repairs to Portage and Main, and we did call for a report to come back two years ago, so we’re going to get it soon,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham, who declined to share further details. The consultant was also tasked with providing options to replace a waterproof membrane that separates the underground concourse from the road above, which has been deemed beyond its useful life. A preliminary estimate found it could cost between $15 million and $20 million, according to a 2019 engineering report. Since the 40-year-old membrane is located two to three metres below the pavement and can only be accessed from above, “any investment in streetscape design enhancements will need to be co-ordinated with membrane renewal work,” the RFP notes. Coun. Jeff Browaty said councillors expect to receive updated cost estimates for replacing the membrane later this year — though there is now some sense of what the intersection might look like after current barricades at the surface are replaced. “Subject to what the public comes back with (as input), I think the thinking is that the new barricades… will be more visually appealing,” said Browaty. He expects it could include options for a transparent material that can be altered to allow foot traffic during special events. Browaty, who has been a vocal opponent in the sometimes heated debate on reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians, said he remains concerned doing so full-time would wreak havoc with traffic. “I have zero appetite to the opening of the intersection to regular pedestrian crossings during the day.” However, Browaty said, he is now open to exploring whether pedestrians could cross the intersection at the surface overnight, when traffic volumes are lower. In the middle of the night, when the traffic impact isn’t going to be material… there’s really no cost, in terms of… making physical changes to the intersection (once it is altered).” The North Kildonan councillor said there may be a growing need for overnight pedestrian access because the underground concourse at Portage and Main was open 24-7 before the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now restricted to daily hours of 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. “So, in the middle of the night, you literally do have to go and walk several extra blocks to get through that intersection,” said Browaty. Supporters of reopening the intersection to pedestrians argue doing so would better connect downtown, making it more walkable and vibrant. The consultant was not asked to create a plan for a permanent reopening of the intersection to pedestrians. The report notes 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted against the reopening in a 2018 plebiscite. Meanwhile, a councillor whose ward includes part of downtown, said she fears the feedback of residents who live closest to the intersection won’t be privileged over other public input — even though consultations on intersections outside downtown focus more on immediate neighbours. “It can be very frustrating, as a downtown councillor, to… understand there are shared interests there, but… watch your residents take back seat to the discussions of whether or not they can cross a street near where they live,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry). joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Road Safety week - May 15-21
by Kristine Hayward 17 Apr '23

17 Apr '23

The UN Global Road Safety Week is coming up – May 15-21. #RethinkMobility is the theme. See additional information and resources - https://www.roadsafetyngos.org/news-events-orig/events/un-global-road-safet… Kristine Hayward (she/her) Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Population & Public Health MB Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<mailto:khayward@wrha.mb.ca> Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo__;!!IqQd2s…> Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Disclaimer : This email (including any attachments or enclosed documents) is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately, return the original (if applicable) and delete the email. Avis : Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé, et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels, privés ou protégés par un privilège juridique. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous avez reçu le présent courriel par erreur, veuillez en informer immédiatement l’expéditeur, retourner l’original (le cas échéant) et supprimer ce courriel.

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WFP: Council to consider sidewalk snow-clearing cost study (Apr15'23)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Apr '23

15 Apr '23

Council to consider sidewalk snow-clearing cost study https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/14/council-to-consid… FOLLOWING repeated complaints that snow isn’t cleared off sidewalks quickly enough, the city may study an option to speed up the service. An annual snow-clearing report could be tasked with determining a cost estimate to clear snow off all sidewalks and active transportation paths within 72 hours after a significant snowfall. That measure would be reached when an inspection finds clearing is needed following a five-centimetre snowfall or equivalent drifting. A motion passed by public works committee this week calls for that element to be explored in the report, though the change requires a full council vote. “I think it’s important that people understand the cost and the requirements (to ramp up service this much). Dozens of machines would have to be purchased, dozens of staff would have to be hired,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman. The motion, raised by Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt, also calls for the city to study how the increased service level could be phased in. Wyatt’s motion states the current frequency of clearing sometimes forces pedestrians to walk on roads and suggests the proposed change would improve quality of life. Under city policy, plowing on all sidewalks on major routes and collector streets should be completed within 36 hours after an average storm ends. Sidewalks on residential streets should see plowing completed within five working days after it begins. Lukes (Waverley West) said she expects continuing to clear sidewalks by priority may better fit the city’s budget. “(It) would be better for the taxpayer to realign the priority system versus making everything a (top priority for clearing). I think we need to do a better analysis on where high density is, where high needs are,” said Lukes. Council will vote on the matter later this month. The annual snow-clearing report is expected in June. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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new date - Rapid Implementation of Bikeways webinar
by Kristine Hayward 13 Apr '23

13 Apr '23

[cid:image003.png@01D96E1A.5F3F2880] More information and to register - https://ncceh.ca/hbe-forum#webinar1 Kristine Hayward (she/her) Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Population & Public Health MB Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Telephone 204 232-7546 Fax 204 940-2690 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<mailto:khayward@wrha.mb.ca> Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo__;!!IqQd2s…> Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Disclaimer : This email (including any attachments or enclosed documents) is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately, return the original (if applicable) and delete the email. Avis : Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé, et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels, privés ou protégés par un privilège juridique. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous avez reçu le présent courriel par erreur, veuillez en informer immédiatement l’expéditeur, retourner l’original (le cas échéant) et supprimer ce courriel.

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WFP: Icy sidewalks create shut-ins, city told (Apr12'23)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Apr '23

12 Apr '23

Delegate tells committee obstructed, slippery paths a human rights issue Icy sidewalks create shut-ins, city told https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/11/icy-sidewalks-cre… THE mounds of ice and snow that can bury sidewalks in winter too often put people with mobility issues at risk of isolation or dangerous slips and falls, multiple delegates told council’s public works committee on Tuesday. Any effort to clear more sidewalks to “bare pavement” would mark a good first step to ensuring active transportation routes are accessible throughout every season, they argued. Marika Prokosh, who is visually impaired and not able to drive, said the condition of sidewalks is declining, making it increasingly difficult to get around on foot and by bus. “Every year, it’s getting a little harder… It has an effect on how often I choose to go out (and so) it limits the scope of my life,” said Prokosh. Unexpected dips and inclines created by uneven snow clearing can be tough to avoid, she told reporters. Prokosh said she understands many factors, including cost, influence snow-clearing policies. But she stressed the city must also view the service through a disability lens. “What I’m looking for, ultimately, is for the city to figure out a way logistically, economically to ensure that, the majority of the time, the pavements are clear enough that wheelchairs and strollers and people with canes and walkers can pass them with minimal difficulty,” said Prokosh. Sidewalks covered in ice and snow can prove daunting to seniors, said Connie Newman, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Senior Communities. “Many seniors become shut-ins in winter because venturing out onto the sidewalks is just too dangerous,” said Newman. She told the committee the matter is a human rights issue, as mobility should be possible for people of all ages. “We should all feel safe to walk on our sidewalks… For many, six months of icy sidewalks limits us from getting to the grocery store, to the drug store, to exercise. Access to food is a basic human right,” said Newman. Coun. Matt Allard is making his fourth attempt to have the city explore clearing more sidewalks to bare pavement; three previous motions failed. Allard’s latest recommendation calls for city staff to report on options for a pilot project that would clear snow off sidewalks to a “bare pavement” standard on one street that connects to a bus stop in each council ward. He wants that report to review several options to achieve that, including: testing various de-icing material; plowing efforts specific to snow drifts and windrows; and reducing snow banks at intersections and crosswalks. Allard told the committee Tuesday the matter is an urgent human rights issue. “Do we need someone to bring the City of Winnipeg to the Manitoba human rights tribunal to demonstrate that their human rights have been violated… because they were not able to participate in society like any other able-bodied person could?” he asked. Under city policy, downtown sidewalks adjacent to major routes and collector streets are plowed to a paved surface “whenever conditions allow,” while such sidewalks outside downtown are maintained to a compacted snow surface. Plowing on all sidewalks on major routes and collector streets should be completed within 36 hours after an average storm ends. Sidewalks on residential streets should normally be maintained to a compacted snow surface, with plowing completed within five working days after it begins, the policy states. Some council members stressed work is underway to improve snow-clearing on active transportation paths. Mayor Scott Gillingham said a neighbourhood action team, whose tasks will include sidewalk snow clearing, will be hired by the end of this year. He noted city staff will report back in June on more options to improve snow clearing. “We need to do all we can to assist people to navigate our sidewalks and our streets. I want to see people able to get around,” said Gillingham. When asked if the city could pursue the bare pavement pilot project, the mayor suggested it could come at a significant cost. “We don’t know the price. I think the average person could… (imagine) what it may cost to clear snow to (bare pavement) on all sidewalks across the city,” said Gillingham. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said she expects the June report to help enhance winter sidewalk clearing. “When you are harnessing Mother Nature… you’ve got to use many tools in your toolkit to get to the end result… The public service is looking at all kinds of things. New technologies emerge, new machines emerge, new approaches emerge. Winnipeg really leads the way in snow and ice removal,” said Lukes. Last year, council approved $3 million to buy 15 additional sidewalk-clearing machines to ramp up the city’s resources. Due to supply chain delays, those are expected to arrive around June and help improve clearing next winter. The public works committee voted to receive Allard’s motion as information, which means taking no immediate action on it. Council will cast the final vote on the matter. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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CBC: Committee rejects motion to study plowing Winnipeg sidewalks to pavement (Apr11'23)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Apr '23

11 Apr '23

Committee rejects motion to study plowing Winnipeg sidewalks to pavement https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/sidewalk-snow-clearing-motion-1.680… The city's public works committee rejected a proposal on clearing sidewalks to bare pavement for the fourth time this term. St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard brought forward a motion asking council to approve a study of a pilot project that would clear one sidewalk in each of the city's 15 wards down to bare pavement. On Tuesday, Allard told the committee the way the city clears sidewalks — leaving a layer of compacted snow that turns to slush and ice during the spring freeze-thaw cycle — hinders Winnipeggers' right to freedom of movement, particularly for seniors and people with disabilities. "People have the right to participate equally in society," Allard told the committee. Numerous delegates spoke to the committee in favour of Allard's motion. Marika Prokosh, who is visually impaired, said the icy sidewalks are dangerous. "Maybe there's like a two-inch drop down where they've shoveled, and if you don't see very well, as I don't, and you miss that, you can twist an ankle on that," she said in an interview. Seniors advocate Connie Newman said the uneven walking surface keeps many people in their houses and limits their ability to stay healthy. "We wanna continue to walk and sometimes during November to April, it's difficult. And we become isolated," said Newman, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Senior Communities. Allard has criticized some of his council colleagues, including public works chair Janice Lukes and Mayor Scott Gillingham, for rejecting it. "My criticisms of Coun. Lukes, and of the mayor, have been based on their comments not supporting this particular idea and not proposing any other solutions," he said. The committee unanimously voted to receive Allard's motion as information, meaning they are taking no action on it. Before the vote, Lukes told reporters the public works department is preparing a report evaluating the city's snow-clearing operation will come to council in June. It will look at alternative ways to clear ice on sidewalks. "I know for a fact that they're looking at a lot of data points right now for high-frequency use. I know that they're looking at possibly changing priorities," Lukes said. "I wish there was one silver bullet … but [the public service is] looking at a lot of different things and then they will be coming forward in June." Gillingham campaigned on creating neighourhood action teams that will look for issues in communities, including icy sidewalks, he said. "I've been working to, and will continue to work to improve snow clearing in this city, our winter city. I think the neighborhood action teams are really going to help," he said. Council will hold a final vote on the matter at its meeting later this month.

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WFP Analysis: Winnipeg winter shouldn’t translate to lower quality of life (Apr11'23)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Apr '23

11 Apr '23

*Winnipeg winter shouldn’t translate to lower quality of life* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/04/10/winter-should… FALLING is the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations in Winnipeg, and more than one-third of the province’s direct health-care costs are accounted for by injuries related to falls. The financial costs, however, are far less impactful than the personal effect on health and well-being that falls can have, particularly for older adults. A fall can often trigger a downward health spiral for seniors, where injuries limit mobility and independence, and a fear of falling again leads to anxiety, depression and social withdrawal. According to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, 20 per cent of falls that require hospitalization are the result of slipping on ice and snow. In Winnipeg, a typical winter month can see more than 300 people, more than 10 per day, visit urgent care or an emergency room to treat injuries from a fall caused by snow and ice. Understanding these impacts has many people in Winnipeg lobbying to improve our city’s sidewalk snow-clearing policies. This includes Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), who has introduced a motion to be debated today at city hall, to establish a pilot project studying the challenges of clearing sidewalks to the bare pavement throughout the winter. The City of Winnipeg’s policy on snow clearing and ice control dictates sidewalks outside of downtown be maintained to a compacted snow surface, meaning a layer of snow several centimetres deep is left on sidewalks all winter. This layer creates significant challenges for pedestrians and can be an impassable barrier for people using wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. There is a common misconception the condition of city sidewalks is inevitable because it’s caused by water from adjacent melting snowbanks. Most regular sidewalk users, however, understand this “compacted snow surface” is what creates the most significant safety issues, and it’s a problem not only in the spring but throughout the winter. As long as the surface remains frozen and compacted, it’s fine; but on warmer days throughout the winter, it becomes soft and, as people walk over it, the surface breaks up, becoming pitted and uneven with slush and water filling the crevices that form in the layer of snow. When the temperature drops again, it freezes in place, creating a slippery and unstable surface that can remain until it’s re-compacted during the next significant snowfall. This cycle is compounded in the spring months, as temperatures fluctuate daily. Allard’s motion to address this issue by keeping sidewalks snow-free has been presented many times in the past and is always met with opposition claims it’s not possible to clear to pavement because it’s too costly and sidewalk conditions are too poor to allow it. Other cities, however, have successfully used pilot projects to experiment, innovate and establish a greater understanding of the issues and costs involved. In Ottawa and Montreal, ice-breaker machines that resemble small steamrollers with spike-studded drums were tested for two years, before large numbers were purchased and are now in successful use. Machinery such as rotating brushes being used in other cities could also be tested to see if they can alleviate the sidewalk condition obstacle. In Edmonton, a pilot study investigated the use of a calcium chloride solution instead of salt, finding it was highly effective at removing ice even at low temperatures, reducing falls and accidents, and actually saved money by reducing the need to plow. The cost of sidewalk clearing represents only 10 per cent of the overall Winnipeg snow-clearing budget, so understanding the scale of any increases might allow us to devise a strategy that is manageable. If sidewalk condition is a limiting factor, accelerating sidewalk renewal would be an important solution. Extrapolating public works’ estimates, the cost of replacing all 3,400 kilometres of sidewalk in Winnipeg would be about $500 million, a similar price tag to the Chief Peguis Trail extension the mayor made as a campaign promise. Of course, there is no need to replace every sidewalk, but the comparison demonstrates the things we can and can’t afford are defined more by priority than economics. Even if we decide complete sidewalk snow-clearing isn’t feasible citywide, we might make targeted changes. In many mature neighbourhoods, sidewalks are vital arteries of mobility, essential to life in the community. They connect people to things such as work, school, shopping and public transit. As an example, in the Osborne area, more than 11,000 trips per day are taken on foot, with 22 per cent of the neighbourhood walking or biking to work. Another 23 per cent walk to the bus. In Wolseley, 27 per cent commute on foot or bike, and 20 per cent by bus. In St. Boniface, 19 per cent walk to work, and 8,500 pedestrian trips are made every day. In most newer communities, less than one per cent of the population walks or bikes to work, and even in older areas such as North Kildonan, only four per cent do. A study that allows us to create data-driven policy that at least ensures sidewalks are safe in areas where they are most used and are most important to quality of life, would have valuable societal impacts. The fact Winnipeg is a winter city shouldn’t mean its residents accept a lower quality of life. We should be driven to become the most livable winter city in the world. Central to this goal is ensuring sidewalks are safe and accessible to all people of all ages and abilities in all seasons. Innovative cities set ambitious goals and through testing, research, and experimentation, work to achieve them. They look for solutions, not excuses. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group*

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WFP Editorial: Speed reduction first step toward safer streets (Apr10'23)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Apr '23

10 Apr '23

Speed reduction first step toward safer streets https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/04/10/speed-reduc… WINNIPEG’S residential speed-reduction pilot program is crawling along and the early results appear to be getting the green light from community members. “It’s nice,” Shannon Shields told the Free Press recently of the speed reduction in Bourkevale. “It just gives it a little bit of a different vibe that other neighbourhoods don’t have.” Bourkevale, a St. James subdivision along the banks of the Assiniboine River, is one of four neighbourhoods in which speed limits have been temporarily reduced to see whether drivers adjust accordingly and how those changes impact local livability. Speed limits have been lowered from 50 km/h to 30 km/h in Bourkevale and Tyndall Park; and to 40 km/h in Worthington and Richmond West. Signage was erected in March and will remain in place for one year. This pilot project has widespread potential to rewrite how our streets are designed and how drivers interact with people and infrastructure around them — for the better. It’s no secret that Winnipeg is a car city. Urban sprawl and lacklustre public transportation make it nearly impossible to navigate life without a vehicle. This hierarchy puts human beings at the bottom and creates an adversarial relationship on the road. Perhaps it should be a little more difficult for drivers to get around, especially in residential neighbourhoods where vehicles and pedestrians often mingle more closely. Research shows the likelihood of death or serious injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle is greatly reduced when speed limits are lower. Winnipeg is grappling with a major uptick in traffic fatalities. Last year, 28 people died in vehicle collisions, including 12 pedestrians, compared with nine fatalities in both of the previous two years. This is a horrific and unacceptable trend. Vision Zero is a road safety movement, popularized by the Swedish government, that aims to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and injuries. The campaign has been gaining traction in North America and is a stated goal of the Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan released in 2022. While the document cites research, infrastructure and policy as ways to move “towards zero,” it also points to the need for a culture shift. Could a culture shift be achieved through speed reduction and physical roadblocks? The aforementioned “vibe” described by Ms. Shields can be summed up as a sense of mutual respect between drivers and other road users. The simple act of travelling at a lower rate of speed signals care for those who aren’t protected by thousands of pounds of steel. Care and respect make for closer communities and safer streets. Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt recently raised a motion to include traffic-calming measures in street-renewal projects. If approved, road repairs could involve the addition of speed bumps, curb extensions and road narrowing. These design elements would make it harder to speed and force drivers to pay closer attention while behind the wheel — beneficial outcomes for everyone involved. At the same time, if we are to make driving more difficult, we need to make alternative modes of transportation more accessible. Sweden is now “moving beyond vision zero,” an initiative that seeks to eliminate road fatalities while also creating a strong multi-modal system that prioritizes public transit, cycling networks and walking paths. While roundabouts and 30 km/h speed limits won’t make sense for every neighbourhood, it’s imperative that the city explore every opportunity to improve road safety. Everyone has the right to get where they’re going safely. It’s encouraging to see citizens and politicians moving (carefully) towards the same goal

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