Snow-cleared streets lure winter bike riders

Report shows demand for cycling routes in winter cold

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/snow-cleared-streets-lure-winter-bike-riders-572683872.html

THERE is demand for accessible, snow-cleared winter cycling routes in Winnipeg, according to a report to be presented to the public works committee next week at city hall.

The city conducted cycling counts on 10 streets recently upgraded to Priority 1 snow-clearing (maintained to bare pavement) between Jan. 31 and Feb. 13. A total of 1,633 cyclists were logged across all sites, equivalent to approximately 115 daily. According to the data, the majority rode on weekdays, and during slightly warmer weather.

This is the first time specific data of this nature has been tracked in Winnipeg, according to Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface).

In June 2018, the city approved some upgrades to active transportation pathway snow-clearing, and began designing a winter cycling network. According to the report, improved winter maintenance is intended to ensure key routes are cleared quickly after snowfall to provide “uninterrupted and effective connections” between neighbourhoods, Winnipeg Transit facilities, and downtown.

“I want to stress that the lion’s share of the budget for this enhanced snow clearing is to clear the roads that lead to our active transportation facilities,” Allard explained in an interview Thursday.

A November 2019 motion called for some monitoring of those cleared routes to determine how much demand there is for winter riding in the city.

Across the 10 sites, the highest-trafficked route was Warsaw Avenue, which logged an average of 24 cyclists daily. One route, Clifton Street, recorded no cyclist activity.

Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, attributed the low traffic on Clifton Street to its lack of connectivity to main cycle paths, and noted all 10 of the city’s tested routes are located in generally low-traffic areas.

As it stands now, much of Winnipeg’s active transportation network is made up of existing roadways, Allard said, meaning enhanced snow-clearing benefits cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike.

“If you create a facility that people can use, people then start using it — and that’s exactly what we want when it comes to active transportation, when we’re building new facilities because every trip that someone takes on a bicycle or walking is another trip that they’re not taking using another mode,” Allard said.

The city noted it was unable to provide figures for latent demand — which would indicate how many potential winter cyclists would ride if infrastructure and snow-clearing were improved — because the data collection processes are currently in early stages. More robust data sets are expected in the future.

Cohoe indicated, in his experience, latent demand for winter cycling is substantial — so long as the paths and roads are cleared, and proper infrastructure is in place for accessibility. A 2018 poll conducted by Bike Winnipeg and CAA found a majority of respondents think the city’s snow-clearing on roads and pathways is neutral or poor.

“The very basic one is: get that winter maintenance in place,” Cohoe said. “It’s also having protected facilities — it’s even more important through winter to have that type of facility to make those connections.”

— with files from Joyanne Pursaga

julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jsrutgers