April 2024 - AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: City urges switch to new bike-registry system (Apr30'24)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '24

01 May '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City urges switch to new bike-registry system https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/04/29/switch-to-new-bik… THE city is urging cyclists to sign up for a free bike-registry system. Bike data registered with 529 Garage can be accessed by jurisdictions across the world. The City of Winnipeg will use the supplied contact information when a stolen bicycle has been recovered. “I’m proud to have championed this change, and I encourage every cyclist in Winnipeg to register their bike with 529 Garage,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a news release Monday. If a bike registered through the app or website has been stolen, the owner is advised to set an alert on 529 Garage and report the theft to Winnipeg police. “The shift to 529 Garage as Winnipeg’s bicycle registration system makes it easier than ever to register a bike,” Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said. “Just as important, the bicycle registry is now linked globally, meaning registry information is available worldwide. Best of all, people purchasing bikes online have a way to check the serial number of a bike against the registry of stolen bikes.” The city previously said 1,452 bicycles were reported stolen in 2023. The City of Winnipeg’s existing registry comes with a $7.35 registration fee and, at times, requires police to email a request to city officials to find the owner of a stolen bike. New registrations under the existing registry will not be accepted after Tuesday. Registrations made before then will be kept on file until May 1, 2026. Bike owners can update their information under the existing registry until that date.

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WFP analysis: Time to talk about River and Osborne (Apr29'24)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Apr '24

30 Apr '24

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.

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WFP: Incoming registry expected to curb bike theft, reunite owners with wheels (Apr24'24)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '24

25 Apr '24

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>

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Project update - Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '24

05 Apr '24

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…>

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WFP: Public service says Osborne proposal would slow traffic, transit (Apr4'4)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '24

05 Apr '24

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>

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WFP: Traffic-calming Wolseley Avenue (Apr4'24)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '24

05 Apr '24

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

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WFP opinion: It ain’t over till it’s over — is it over? (Portage & Main) Apr4'24
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '24

05 Apr '24

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.

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