Exciting active transportation improvements

The new pedestrian and cyclist tunnel beneath Fermor Avenue, east of St. Anne’s Road, is now visible — and  light can be seen from the other end.

As well, several other exciting new pieces of active transportation infrastructure in Old St. Vital are complete or are about to be completed.

The new tunnel will form the linchpin of an active transportation corridor reaching from Southdale, Royalwood and other southeast neighbourhoods up through Old St. Vital into St. Boniface and ultimately the core.

"The tunnel creates a connection from the southeast across Niakwa footbridge to Des Meurons — it is a major improvement for cycling in St. Vital," says Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital).

The tunnel will link the southern end of Des Meurons Street with the Niakwa Place and Alpine Place neighbourhoods. For walkers and cyclists, these communities, the most densely populated areas in St. Vital, are presently only connected to their northern neighbours via a detour to St Anne’s Road.

The newly rehabilitated St. Anne’s and Fermor intersection features two high-quality bicycle lights and pathways through the signalized section.

There are also new, elevated  speed-table-style safe crossings over yield lanes for pedestrians and cyclists.

A new, at-grade, bridge-level multi-use pathway across the Fermor bridge is also now operational. It provides an alternative route across the Seine River in the event —as is true at the time of writing — the trail to Niakwa Park is flooded.

The City of Winnipeg’s active transportation strategy identifies several north-south routes through the Southdale area, as well as a north-south corridor along St. George Street, Worthington Avenue and then Grey Street to the Bishop Grandin Greenway.

Passing, as it does, by St. George School, this project could represent a tremendous opportunity to calm traffic in front of the school. Speed tables, a narrowed road, and improved sidewalk would not only provide a safe north-south bike route for St. Vital but a safer and more pleasant experience for parents at that school.

To the north, given that St. Anne’s and St. Mary’s roads are narrow and in great demand for both rush-hour vehicle traffic and day and evening parking, Des Meurons Street through Glenwood and then Norwood  seems the logical place to continue a safe and pleasant bicycle pathway into St. Boniface and the core.

These projects and future visions represent an amazing leap forward for St. Vital.

Ryan Palmquist is a community correspondent for St. Vital.