Hi all,
The Winnipeg Trails Association
(WTA) is a coalition of volunteer trail builders and trail users. For the
past 6+ years, the WTA's volunteer chair has been Paul Jordan, who is also COO of The Forks.
Paul has been providing brilliant direction, guidance and advice in
growing Winnipeg's trails network. For the past 4 years, the WTA has been
able to secure funding through multiple organizations and levels of
government to hire a coordinator for various trail related projects.
This past spring the WTA
received a verbal commitment from the Province of Manitoba that project
based funding would be forthcoming. As of yet, this funding has not been secured
but we are optimistic it will come through to enable the continued development
of trailheads, KM marker installations, website, the sharing of information
between groups, and broadening the awareness of the benefits of trails
- through events and various initiatives.
As the WTA coordinator,
I have been volunteering my time since April and am focusing on the
following initiatives:
NORTHEAST PIONEERS
GREENWAY - Pedestrian / cyclist's separated bridge or
'flyover'
The city is spending $110 M to
extend the Chief Peguis freeway from Henderson to Lagimodiere - which passes
directly through one of the busiest multi use trails in the Province - the
Northeast Pioneers Greenway. I am ecstatic to say, through the very very
hard work of volunteers AND the support of Mayor Katz, the city will be building
a separate pedestrian / cyclists bridge OVER the freeway. Think of the bridge
over the William B. Clement Parkway (formerly known as the Charleswood
Parkway). From a larger perspective, and in a short few years - this
flyover will be part of a stellar route enabling people to travel safely from
south Winnipeg to Birds Hill Provincial Park. THANK YOU to Sigrun Bailey, Louise
Balaban, Anders Swanson AND Mayor Katz for helping to move this forward.
You can catch a bit more info on this project on CJOB news and in today's Free
Press.
TRAILHEADS:
The trailhead sign design for the
trailheads for Harte, Bishop, Cordite and Northeast Pioneers Greenway
trails are finalized. The city will
include these in their Parkway trailhead sign
tender for production this fall. Recall the structures design
was finalized and structure installations
have occurred on the above
trails. This was a complex process to determine the details /
requirements for the components of trailheads, but it lays the standards for all future trailheads.
We expect Transcona, Bois des Esprit, Yellow Ribbon Pathway and more to be next
on the list to complete.
SECURING BALANCE of
PROVINCIAL FUNDING COMMITMENT:
During the 2007 Provincial
election, the NDP made a funding commitment of $1.8M to the Winnipeg Trails
Association to construct trails in Winnipeg. Of that amount ~ $1.3 has been used
to construct the Bishop Grandin West, Harte, Transcona, and Seine River South
trails. We are in the process of securing the remaining ~$500,000 of the WTA
commitment to use along Pembina Hwy (between Plaza and Chevrier).
CITY OF WINNIPEG -
ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (ATAC)
As a member of ATAC, I have been attending various meetings and
providing input regarding development of the City's AT network. I expect
that during the winter, a broad outreach to trail groups and the
public will occur to gather additional information for next construction
season. Current visible trail and on road construction, news articles,
issues, and pending deadlines have all combined to raise a broader
public interest - which hopefully engage more people in when the next round
of public input occurs.
PROVINCIAL ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP (ATAG)
Last September, the Province of
Manitoba formed a Provincial Active Transportation Advisory Group with the focus
aimed at providing active transportation recommendations to government. For the
past year, the group has
been consulting Manitobans, organizations, and reviewing best
practices throughout the world. I sit on that group as chair. We have completed
our recommendations which will be handed off for internal gov't review next
week, and are finalizing report production details. We expect the report to be
made public once the Legislature sits again in November.
IN
SUMMARY:
There are many other projects
that need attention, but from my volunteer capacity I am unable to attend to.
The role of WTA coordinator in
these current times is a very demanding but very very rewarding. IF anyone
is interested in learning more about the WTA coordinator position and would
like to volunteer on some super interesting projects, please feel free to
contact me.
THANK YOU
Janice Lukes
Winnipeg Trails
Coordinator
Winnipeg Trails Association
202 – One Forks Market
Road
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4L9
Cell
(204) 952-4222
Fax (204) 943-7915
jlukes@shaw.ca
winnipegtrails.com
Member of City of Winnipeg Active
Transportation Advisory Committee
Chair, Province of Manitoba Active
Transportation Advisory Group