May 2022 - AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

CTV News: Winnipeg cyclists irked with city's 'haphazard' clearing of bike lanes (May25'22)
by Beth McKechnie 26 May '22

26 May '22

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg-cyclists-irked-with-city-s-haphazard-c…

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WFP: City advised to reduce project design spending (May25'22)
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '22

25 May '22

City advised to reduce project design spending THE City of Winnipeg could impose strict criteria for when a project warrants a detailed design, following concerns it has spent millions exploring projects that don’t get built. “It’s city practice to do… functional designs, which are detailed designs of major infrastructure projects. And those things are done in advance of having funding for (the project). As a result, we have a number of them on the books that are designed but they’re not funded,” said Coun. Matt Allard. “We have several projects that have a lot of merit and several projects that should be built, if we had the money. However, if you add them up, it’s clear as day that we don’t have the funding.” Allard, who is council’s public works chairman, is calling for city staff to study the idea of putting conditions in place before money is spent on a functional design. He believes each project should have a class five (quite preliminary) cost estimate and a minimum of 40 per cent of its total price included in Winnipeg’s five-year capital budget forecast to qualify for that design. Allard’s motion calls for future functional designs to include a 30-year forecast of operating and maintenance costs for each project, as well as an assessment of how it will affect the city’s tax base, including the impact of properties acquired to make room for it. If public works agrees, the report would also explore options to have city staff to manage functional designs inhouse, without turning to consultants. “I’m trying to get more information on the table and I would like us to not spend money until we know that there’s a political desire to pursue a project,” said Allard. He estimates the city has spent several million dollars in recent years on consultant studies for major projects that remain unfunded, indefinitely postponed or cancelled. That includes $1.25 million to design a widening and grade separation for Marion Street. That project was abandoned in 2016, largely because its $566-million price was deemed too expensive, said Allard. “I think (these proposed changes are) tightening up our processes so that we don’t spend money before we need to do so,” Allard told his colleagues on the Riel community committee just before they approved the motion on Tuesday. “Why not save millions of dollars, do the political work and then actually build something?” The councillor told the Free Press additional design work on the William R. Clement Parkway, Arlington Bridge, Kenaston Boulevard and Chief Peguis Trail cost a combined $7.9 million, while the related projects have yet to be pursued. In an email, city spokesman Kalen Qually said the public service will review Allard’s specific motion. However, Qually said functional and preliminary design studies are needed to develop cost estimates that are “suitable for budgeting purposes.” He said such work often can’t be completed by city staff. “Many functional designs require specialized engineering expertise that may not exist within the public service. In addition, internal staff resources are not available to undertake the investigations necessary to develop many of these projects,” said Qually. The statement cautioned against deeming the functional design spending to be a waste. “Preliminary work may be completed well ahead of construction so it’s difficult to say certain projects won’t be completed,” he said. The public works committee will consider Allard’s motion on June 9. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Cyclists urge city to prioritize major bike routes for street sweeping (May23'22)
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '22

23 May '22

Cyclists urge city to prioritize major bike routes for street sweeping Grinding their gears https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/grinding-their-gears-576527232.html AFTER carefully steering through a layer of road sand on key bike lanes to avoid losing their grip, some cyclists are urging the city to guarantee a quicker spring cleanup in the future. Bicycle commuters argue it’s time the busiest active transportation routes and on-road bike lanes are prioritized to promptly sweep away the debris. “At this time of year, the existing infrastructure … is not properly maintained and it makes it borderline impassable in a lot of spots,” said Evan Krosney, who regularly commutes to work by bike. “The winter that we’ve had has certainly exacerbated the problem this year but it is a recurring scene.” Krosney recently took his complaints to social media, tweeting images of the Maryland Street bike lane, between Broadway and Sara Avenue, which he said was still not cleaned up by Friday. “The bike lanes that are most heavily used seem to fall to the bottom of the priority list,” he said. Krosney is urging the city to prioritize major bike routes for street sweeping, in a similar fashion to the snow-clearing schedule, which bases the plowing order on the demand level for each type of route. Cyclist Julie Penner said she expected some delay on bike lane sweeping due to this year’s spring snowstorms. But she questions why her own quiet residential street was cleaned weeks ago, while at least part of a key bike route connecting Wolseley to the downtown was only partially cleared this week. “There were so many examples of … unsafe cycling conditions that I had to stop and just start taking pictures. In some areas, you kind of just have to cycle at a crawl basically, because if you’re going to be making turns and there’s so much gravel, you run the risk of wiping out,” said Penner. After tweeting her photos of the route, Penner received a social media response from the city that noted spring cleanup will continue until June 19, urging her to report any routes that aren’t cleared by that date. “It’s a month away. That to me is not acceptable,” said Penner. Active transportation advocates argue the city should give bike routes a higher spring cleaning priority because excess gravel and sand can prove more treacherous to bicycles than motorized vehicles. “(At some spots) there’s probably three inches of sand sitting in the bike lane and that’s more than enough to easily cause someone to lose control of their bike… If you’re making a turn, it’s very easy to lose that contact with the pavement. It’s almost like you’re back on ice,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. Cohoe said quicker cleaning of the routes would support Winnipeg’s goal to combat climate change by making it easier for more residents to switch from single-passenger vehicles to active transportation. Anders Swanson, executive director of the Winnipeg Trails Association, said spring cleaning delays pose a “chronic issue” for cyclists. “At some point… a proper bike lane network (must be) maintained to a standard that makes everybody feel safe and comfortable, period. And that includes not having a beach in the middle of a bike lane,” said Swanson. Current city policy does not set a demand- based priority system for street and bike lane sweeping. That differs from the standards for Winnipeg snow clearing, which require the busiest streets and active transportation routes to be cleared first, said Michael Cantor, the city’s manager of streets maintenance. Instead, a spring maintenance program targets set geographic zones for clearing, with the goal of ensuring entire areas can be cleaned up quickly while minimizing traffic and noise concerns, he said. “There’s no priority system, really. In spring cleanup, we are cleaning the (non-regional bus routes and collector streets) and (residential) streets during the days and the (major routes) during the night because of traffic. So we do everything at the same time,” said Cantor. He said it would be possible for council to change the policy and add a priority element for clearing the busiest bike lanes and paths but that would cost taxpayers more. “It’s a matter of resources and budget and what the city would like to do to do it faster and sooner. Bottom line, it’s always about funding,” said Cantor. The current spring cleanup process is expected to cost the city about $6 million this year and usually takes about six weeks to complete. Cantor noted inclement weather has played a key role in delaying the cleanup this year. The city wasn’t able to start street and path sweeping until May 1, when it’s usually able to do so by mid-April. Even after it finally stopped snowing and began warming up, a series of rainstorms caused some additional delays, Cantor said. The process is now expected to wrap up around June 24, instead of the usual June 1. “It’s really weather dependent and this a ripple effect from this interesting winter that we had, when we had lots of snow and melting snow, so it was wet all the time. And we had rain events, so it’s kind of a perfect storm happening for us,” he said. City crews had swept about 33 per cent of all Winnipeg bike lanes by Thursday afternoon. While cyclists have complained about some residential roads being swept before major bike lanes, Cantor said it’s tough to compare the two. He noted buffered bike lanes require smaller equipment to access, meaning they’re maintenance dates compete for resources with sidewalks, not roads. “We sweep all of the inventory within six weeks. There will be streets that will be swept on the last week and there will be bike paths that will be swept on the (last week),” said Cantor. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Approved, paid-for bike, walking lanes didn’t appear when roads rebuilt (May21'22)
by Beth McKechnie 21 May '22

21 May '22

Approved, paid-for bike, walking lanes didn’t appear when roads rebuilt Missing: active pathways, millions to pay for them https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/missing-active-pathways-millions-to… ON paper, it seems like a pair of simple projects that could easily be done to move Winnipeg’s active transportation agenda forward. But like most things in the city, what is budgeted and what actually happens are two different things. In the case of the bike-lane and multi-use path projects, the cost of which total $2.2 million and were supposed to be completed last year, no one can clearly explain why the work wasn’t done. Or where the money went. The University Crescent road reconstruction project was launched with Phase 1 of construction beginning in 2021 and Phase 2 scheduled for this year. City council approved $9.9 million for the project, including $900,000 for a protected bike lane in the first phase, and $1.2 million for active transportation infrastructure in the second. But there was no bike lane when last year’s construction was completed. The council-approved 2015 pedestrian and cycling strategy identified the location (near the University of Manitoba) as one of the highest priorities in the city for active transportation infrastructure. Coun. Matt Allard, who chairs the public works committee, said he’s repeatedly asked that department and chief administrative officer Michael Jack what happened on the project and why the bike lane wasn’t built — to no avail. “I’m concerned. I’m frustrated. I’m waiting for answers,” said Allard (St. Boniface). “I’ve had multiple meetings with staff from the public works department. I’ve had a meeting with the CAO. I’ve requested a subsequent meeting with the CAO. “There is a lot of uncertainty in terms of what is going on, as it pertains to approved budgets, council policies and what has happened on the ground.” The city refused a Free Press request for an interview with staff about the University Crescent project. Instead, Ken Allen, communications co-ordinator for the public works department, sent a written statement. “The project is ongoing and certain sections have been completed. Work on completing the entire active transportation pathway is contingent on finalizing land acquisition and addressing land drainage issues,” Allen wrote. But he did not address the request for details on why the protected bike lane wasn’t built and what happened to the $900,000 set aside for its construction. Allard said the University Crescent project is not a one-off. The city’s budget set aside $1.3 million for a multi-use path on Keewatin Street near the Logan Avenue underpass, to be completed last summer as part of a road rehabilitation project. The path wasn’t built, and it’s not clear where the money went. In his written statement, Allen said the $1.3 million earmarked for the path had been “erroneously identified” in both the 2021 capital budget and the 2015 pedestrian and cycling strategy. In other words, the city set aside $1.3 million for an active transportation project — in both its 2015 long-term strategy document and its 2021 budget — by mistake. “With that said, a preliminary design study is underway to identify potential off-road active transportation options, including budget and scope, to connect Selkirk to Burrows. There will be no re-work required related to last year’s pavement rehabilitation,” Allen wrote. Allard said the issue is bigger than just the University Crescent and Keewatin Street examples. He points to a 2008 council motion and the council-approved 2015 pedestrian and cycling strategy, which state that building the city’s active transportation network will be tied to annual road work. “It was understood at the time that we voted on this, that we would build the network incrementally. So, piece by piece, the network would be built… using the road-renewal budget, and eventually we’d have a complete active transportation network,” Allard said. “I’ve been voting for budgets — budget after budget — with the understanding that, despite the very large, record spending on roads, in the event that roads were identified (by the 2015 strategy), that those roads would be getting active transportation treatments.” But he pointed to at least three other cases — on Roblin Boulevard, Hargrave Street and Day Street — where that work wasn’t done. “What’s concerning is we’ve got streets which have clearly identified, prescribed treatments for active transportation, and yet they didn’t happen. The streets got reconstructed and the active transportation isn’t there,” he said. “And I’m concerned and I’m frustrated that despite the budgets, despite the policies in place, the public service is renewing and rehabilitating these roads without the required active transportation components.” Dave Elmore, one of the founding directors of Bike Winnipeg, said the city’s pedestrian and cycling strategy is not ambitious enough. “We’re not seeing the kind of funding required to even meet their so-called award-winning strategy.… They’re simply not following through with the funding required to make it happen — not even close,” Elmore said. “The city has indicated that with road renewals, active transportation will be considered. But it hasn’t always happened. And it’s been disappointing to watch.” Allard said he has requested a report from the public works department explaining what active transportation projects are planned for this year, and what projects have not been done in the past — in contravention of the city’s 2008 and 2015 policies. The public service was given until September to produce the report. “If the issue is not council policy, if the issue is not council budgets, then the issue is with the public service, and the public service implementing council policy and council budgets as they are written… I have a number of outstanding questions,” he said. “There were projects constructed with explicit dollars assigned for active transportation. It wasn’t built and I don’t know where those monies are at… In a nutshell: I feel like I didn’t get what I paid for. I didn’t get what I voted for.” A request for comment sent to the Winnipeg Association of Public Service Officers was not responded to by deadline. Allard said he is hopeful answers will be forthcoming in September. If not, he said an audit would be the last available avenue to get to the bottom of what’s been going on. “Ultimately, I don’t just want answers. I want projects getting built,” he said. “I want projects getting built for the budgets we approved and the policies we approved.” ryan.thorpe(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe

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WFP: Mayoral hopeful vows to bus, cycle and walk the climate walk (May20'22)
by Beth McKechnie 20 May '22

20 May '22

Mayoral hopeful vows to bus, cycle and walk the climate walk SHAUN Loney promises to walk, bike, bus or carpool to city hall if he’s elected to become Winnipeg’s next mayor. Loney expects the pledge, made Thursday, would allow him to leave most of the mayor’s $550 monthly transportation allowance unspent. “In my career working downtown, I have commuted actively or with transit. In fact, sometimes I skate or canoe, if I’ve got time. It’s my normal practice, but, primarily, I really want Winnipeggers who want a big-city transit system, who value active transportation, to know I am their candidate in this election,” he said. Loney said he hopes to spend just $50 per month of the allowance to load his Peggo card to use Winnipeg Transit instead. However, the current expense policy notes “normal daily travel between home and the normal work location (i.e. city hall)” is not an eligible expense for the mayor to claim, since the funding is meant to cover other costs, such as workday trips, mileage and parking. Loney said he would cover alternative travel expenses through his discretionary budget, if needed, while pursuing council changes to the policy itself. The social enterprise leader hopes his commitment will highlight the value of public and active transportation, options he will make future pledges to improve. “If we’re going to have a big-city public transportation system, Winnipeggers need to use it because it’s the best option for them... We want something that people take… because it’s faster, it’s cheaper and it’s more convenient,” he said. Over four years, he says reliance on public transportation, instead of a personal vehicle, could save thousands of dollars that could be used to purchase bus tickets for clients of non-profit support groups. That would also require a change to the current mayoral expense policy, which automatically diverts unspent funds to the city’s general revenues. Coun. Matt Allard, council’s public works chairman, welcomed the commitment to rely on greener transportation options to commute to city hall. “I think initiatives by leaders like that in the community, who are visible and who are able to promote that message, are good… as someone who is running for public office, (that example could) encourage other people to do it,” said Allard. The St. Boniface councillor said some residents have told him his own pledge to exclusively commute by Winnipeg Transit throughout January 2018 inspired them to follow suit. Four years later, he remains a regular bus rider. Seven other mayoral candidates have registered to run for mayor so far, including Jenny Motkaluk, Don Woodstock, Christopher Clacio, Rick Shone, Scott Gillingham, Robert-Falcon Ouellette and Idris Ademuyiwa Adelakun. Mayor Brian Bowman is not running for re-election. In an email, Gillingham said he frequently rides a bike or bus to work as the city councillor for St. James. Woodstock told the Free Press he “strongly supports” biking, walking and public transportation to get around, and he also owns an electric car. The remaining candidates could not be reached for comment. Winnipeggers will elect their next mayor and council on Oct. 26. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Winnipeg pedestrian killed in hit, run and cyclist critically injured (May19'22)
by Beth McKechnie 19 May '22

19 May '22

Cyclist critically injured after being struck by garbage truck in separate incident Winnipeg pedestrian killed in hit, run https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winnipeg-pedestrian-killed-in-hit-r… A PEDESTRIAN has died and a cyclist is in critical condition after two collisions in less than six hours on Winnipeg streets. City police had not yet identified the drivers in either of the apparent hit-and-runs, nor the woman who died, as of late Wednesday afternoon. Police said first responders went to the intersection of Henry and Higgins avenues at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a pedestrian collision. They found a seriously injured woman lying in the road; she later died in hospital. Traffic investigators have not yet identified the victim, police said Wednesday. She is described as Indigenous, 45 to 55 years old, with a small, thin build and shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair. She was wearing brightly coloured galaxy-print sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt, with white, pink and yellow New Balance runners. She had “Klyde love you” tattooed on her right wrist and “Rohdy” in half of a red heart, as well as a star symbol tattooed on her left forearm. Police ask anyone with information to call the traffic division at 204-986-7085 or the police non-emergency line at 204-986-6222 after hours. A heavy police presence remained in the mostly industrial area near the Canadian Pacific rail yard early Wednesday, as a forensics officer photographed evidence markers laid out in the street. Hours later, in the West End, a cyclist was critically injured after he was struck by a garbage truck. Police said officers responded to a collision at the intersection of Erin Street and Sargent Avenue at about 5 a.m. The man, in his 30s, was taken to hospital. Initial investigation indicates the cyclist was struck by the truck, which then drove off, noting it’s too early to say whether the driver was aware of the collision, police said. It’s unclear what company the truck belonged to; traffic investigators are still seeking to identify it and the driver. When asked whether the red light camera in the area was operating at the time of the collision, a City of Winnipeg spokesman would not comment, instead directing the Free Press to police. As of mid-Wednesday, the one-way Erin Street remained blocked off to south-bound traffic, as debris sat strewn across the street. Two crumpled bicycles, both belonging to the injured cyclist, lay in the middle of the road, along with clothing. A forensics officer carrying a camera walked through the scene behind yellow tape, while other police stood watch in the area, before they packed the evidence into the back of a van. “It’s a bad corner, someone’s always running a light,” said Gerald Dudley, 65. “If you go on the corner over there, you’ll see all the auto parts, there’s pieces all over the place all the time.” Dudley, who has lived on nearby Clifton Street for 41 years, said he knows someone who was recently hit at the intersection while riding their bicycle by a driver who ran a red light. Police also asked anyone with information on the Erin Street collision to call the traffic division. erik.pindera(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @erik_pindera

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NHTSA estimates show traffic fatalities reached a 16-year high in 2021; up 10.5% over 2020 - Green Car Congress
by Terry Zdan 18 May '22

18 May '22

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/05/20220518-nhtsa.html Bike fataloties up 5%

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FW: [EXTERNAL] Free webinar – Encouraging active transportation for children
by Kristine Hayward 17 May '22

17 May '22

Hi AT folks. Upcoming webinar by Parachute on Encouraging AT for Children – May 31 and the theme for Safe Kids Week -May 30-June 5 is making roads and transportation safer for kids so they can #WalkBIkeAndWheel See information and links below. K Kristine Hayward (she/her) Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Population Public Health Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street (currently working from home) Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Telephone 204 232-7546 Fax 204 940-2690 Email khayward(a)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 Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Follow Winnipeg in motion on Twitter - @wpginmotion<https://twitter.com/search?q=wpginmotion&src=typd> Check out our videos on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/Winnipeginmotion Scent Free Facility - visitors are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes/colognes/heavy-scented lotions/oils We are located on Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The water we drink comes from Shoal Lake First Nation. From: Parachute Vision Zero Network <info(a)parachute.ca> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2022 9:05 AM To: Kristine Hayward <KHayward(a)wrha.mb.ca> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Free webinar – Encouraging active transportation for children [https://r20.rs6.net/on.jsp?ca=eeedbfdb-3d90-41c6-8562-d7c21b3a0af0&a=110361…] [https://files.constantcontact.com/81471b4f001/9a8d2976-3aa8-45a2-a823-d9aad…] Parachute Vision Zero presents: Encouraging active transportation for children [https://files.constantcontact.com/81471b4f001/8bc69cb7-39a8-4cb4-bdc7-a7351…] Tuesday May 31, 2022 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET Active transportation – such as waking, biking and wheeling – are sustainable forms of mobility that not only gets us to where we want to go, but also improve our physical and mental wellbeing. Join moderator Pamela Fuselli, President & CEO of Parachute, as we discuss how to create and sustain active spaces for children to get to and from school and move though their communities safely. Panel Dr. Leigh Vanderloo Scientific Director ParticipACTION Dr. Alison MacPherson Professor Faculty of Health York University Dr. Suzanne Beno Paediatric Emergency Medicine physician Hospital for Sick Children Register<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ki302aZBZWYKIrnOdFgPDwfiNsAVHX0O9lE_bsqB9Xc…> More info at parachute.ca/webinar<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ki302aZBZWYKIrnOdFgPDwfiNsAVHX0O9lE_bsqB9Xc…> Supported by Desjardins Safe Kids Week May 30 to June 5 promotes #WalkBikeAndWheel Check out and share our resources<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ki302aZBZWYKIrnOdFgPDwfiNsAVHX0O9lE_bsqB9Xc…> and information to help parents and caregivers encourage their children to #WalkBikeAndWheel. Parachute’s vision is to make the roads safer so that every kid can walk, cycle or wheel to encourage mental, physical, social and emotional well-being. Find out more<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ki302aZBZWYKIrnOdFgPDwfiNsAVHX0O9lE_bsqB9Xc…> [null]<https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ki302aZBZWYKIrnOdFgPDwfiNsAVHX0O9lE_bsqB9Xc…> Parachute | 150 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 300, Toronto, Ontario M4P 1E8 Canada Unsubscribe khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<https://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001ZH8cm0mwpXVSIl5hbMkk5w%3D&…> Update Profile<https://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001ZH8cm0mwpXVSIl5hbMkk5w%3D&…> | Constant Contact Data Notice<https://www.constantcontact.com/legal/customer-contact-data-notice> Sent by info(a)parachute.ca<mailto:info@parachute.ca> powered by [Trusted Email from Constant Contact - Try it FREE today.]<http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=nge&rmc=VF21_3GE&pn=whiteboards…> Try email marketing for free today!<http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=nge&rmc=VF21_3GE&pn=whiteboards…> 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: More city than we can pay for (May16'22)
by Beth McKechnie 16 May '22

16 May '22

More city than we can pay for https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/more-city-than-we-can-pa… AS people in Winnipeg emerged from a long, frigid and snowy winter, they found a city with roads bearing a striking resemblance to the surface of the moon. This, despite the City of Winnipeg having had its highest road renewal budget in history for each of the last three years. With drought followed by flood, freezing followed by thaw, Manitoba gumbo has been having its way with our city’s roads. We can’t change the weather, or the soil, and significantly raising taxes wouldn’t be popular, so how will we ever manage our worsening pothole problem? There is one straightforward answer — build fewer roads and get more people to live on the ones we already have. The solution to managing potholes is simple math that reads like a Grade 9 pop quiz. If 10 taxpayers live on a street that is one kilometre long, each one pays to maintain 100 metres of road. If 10 taxpayers live on a street that is one and a half kilometres long, each one pays to maintain 150 meters of road. Every tax dollar being stretched more thinly by lower density means reduced maintenance and more potholes. It’s a simplistic example, but this is precisely what has happened in Winnipeg, and in most sprawling North American cities, over the last 50 years. Since the 1970s, Winnipeg’s low-density, suburban growth patterns have resulted in the population increasing by 37 per cent while the built area of the city has almost doubled. Each taxpayer today is responsible for about 40 per cent more land area and its corresponding infrastructure. Looking at infrastructure such as water pipes, according to the city, each Winnipegger today is responsible for nearly 2.5 times more length of pipe than they were in the 1940s, 70 per cent more than in the 1970s. The math is simple. We have built more city than we can pay for, and our moonscape roads are the result. Looking deeper, the math doesn’t get better. An excellent source of information regarding the cost of Winnipeg’s growth can be found at the Dear Winnipeg Blog (dearwinnipeg.com), written by Michel Durand-Wood. He found that the replacement cost for all of Winnipeg’s roads is about $17 billion, and if we maintain our current road renewal budgets, again, the largest in the city’s history, the replacement cycle will be more than 100 years. The only solution to our infrastructure deficit is to rethink what growth looks like in Winnipeg and begin embracing higher density and more diverse residential and commercial development in our existing neighbourhoods. Locating more development around infrastructure that is already in place, and less development on the periphery of the city that requires new infrastructure to be built, is the only way we will ever inch towards greater economic sustainability. The infrastructure in most need of replacement, for now, exists in older neighbourhoods. The combined sewer system is an important example. Replacing the system is non-negotiable and it will cost billions of dollars to do. To be most cost-effective, our goal must be to have as many people as possible using and paying for that new infrastructure, instead of spending money to replace it while also building new elsewhere. This example translates to all infrastructure and city services, including roads, pipes, sewers, fire halls, community centres, libraries, transit, snow clearing and everything the city pays for. The more taxpayers sharing it, the less costly and the better maintained it will be. By growing our existing neighbourhoods, we will also be investing in our most productive tax base. Despite being filled with high-value homes, new suburbs typically generate far less tax revenue than less-affluent inner-city neighbourhoods because of their lower overall density. Central neighbourhoods like Wolseley, West Broadway, Spence and Earl Grey generate between 50 and 80 per cent more taxes per hectare than new suburbs built on the edge of the city. Osborne Village generates more than twice as much tax revenue per hectare than Bridgwater, Whyte Ridge or Island Lakes. This is also true for commercial development. The single block of Corydon Avenue between Daly and Cockburn streets is lined with old, nondescript, two- and three-storey buildings and shops, but its collective assessed tax value is equal to a Costco in south Winnipeg that uses five times more land area, contributing significantly to the city’s overall footprint, infrastructure and maintenance costs. Not only does the compact nature of mature neighbourhoods produce more revenue, but it also significantly reduces the city’s cost to service them. A study by the Halifax Regional Municipality found that when all infrastructure and public services are calculated, an average home in a central neighbourhood costs $1,416 per year to support, compared to $3,462 in a distant suburb. By embracing density and infill growth, welcoming change in our neighbourhoods and creating policies that support a more compact urban form, we can grow our most productive tax base and spend less to service it. We can complain about soils, weather and construction techniques, but in the end the severity of our pothole problem comes down to simple math. The only solution is to change the equation. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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St. Boniface Bike Route Survey (closes June 14th)
by Beth McKechnie 14 May '22

14 May '22

ST. BONIFACE BIKE ROUTE UNDER CONSIDERATION THE City of Winnipeg wants the public’s help to select a new active transportation route between St. Boniface and downtown. The path would create a link for pedestrians and cyclists to travel between the Esplanade Riel footbridge/ Provencher Bridge and the multi-use path on Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue. After the first round of public consultations, the city will seek feedback on three possible route options west of the Seine River and one that runs east of the river, including: • West option A: Provencher Boulevard (as a standalone route through the area). • West option B: A combination route that serves neighbourhoods both north and south of Provencher Boulevard with parallel routes on de la Cathedrale Avenue (south of Provencher Boulevard) and Notre Dame Street (north of Provencher Boulevard). • West option C: A combination route that serves neighbourhoods both north and south of Provencher with parallel routes on de la Cathedrale (south of Provencher) and Dumoulin Street (north of Provencher). • East recommended design: Nadeau Street / Notre Dame Street / La Fleche Street / La Verendrye Street to connect to Archibald Street. Winnipeggers can share their thoughts on the proposed routes through a city survey or at a public event between now and June 14. For information on the options to provide feedback, visit winnipeg.ca/stbtodowntown.

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