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WFP analysis: Time to talk about River and Osborne (Apr29'24)

by Beth McKechnie

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

17 hours, 9 minutes

WFP: Incoming registry expected to curb bike theft, reunite owners with wheels (Apr24'24)

by Beth McKechnie

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

5 days, 3 hours

Project update - Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike

by Beth McKechnie

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

3 weeks, 4 days

WFP: Public service says Osborne proposal would slow traffic, transit (Apr4'4)

by Beth McKechnie

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

3 weeks, 4 days

WFP: Traffic-calming Wolseley Avenue (Apr4'24)

by Beth McKechnie

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

3 weeks, 4 days

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

by Beth McKechnie

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

3 weeks, 4 days

WFP: Fuel for a rethink of driving habits (Mar22'24)

by Beth McKechnie

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

1 month, 1 week

WFP: City hall votes to open Portage and Main, close concourse (Mar22'24)

by Beth McKechnie

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

1 month, 1 week

WFP: Poll shows U-turn on Portage and Main (Mar21'24)

by Beth McKechnie

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

1 month, 1 week

The Economist on American love of big vehicles

by Charles Feaver

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

1 month, 2 weeks

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