March 2026 - AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: Transit buses tracked in near-real time - City (Mar5'26)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Mar '26

05 Mar '26

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. TRANSIT BUSES TRACKED IN NEAR-REAL TIME: CITY WINNIPEG Transit riders are able to track buses in near-real time using its online trip planning service or app. Bus locations, based on GPS, will appear as part of search results on transit maps. On the Navigo trip-planning service, the map will show relevant buses for immediate trip plans, while the “explore routes” option will show buses currently travelling on the selected route. The “find stops and schedules” option will show the next five buses on route to a selected stop. Clicking on a bus on the maps will provide more details, including how recently its location was updated. If a bus hasn’t recently updated its GPS location, it won’t appear on the app. The city said on Wednesday that widespread issues with Winnipeg Transit’s GPS system last summer and fall have been addressed.

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WFP: Committee backs permanent bike lane for Wellington Crescent next year (Mar5'26)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Mar '26

05 Mar '26

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Committee backs permanent bike lane for Wellington Crescent next year https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2026/03/04/councillors-back-… THE city is poised to scrap a long-awaited temporary bike lane pilot project on Wellington Crescent, which was expected this year, and speed up the construction of permanent bike lanes instead. On Wednesday, council’s public works committee voted to accelerate the plan to construct permanent bike lanes in 2027, pending a final council vote. The city had planned to spend $5.5 million to do so in 2029. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said the switch to pursue permanent protected bike lanes, with curbs to separate cyclists from vehicular traffic, is the best way to ensure lasting safety improvements. “This is going to be a fundamental change in the way traffic moves, pedestrian cycling and vehicular traffic in this section, and I want to rip the Band-Aid off once… It’s going to be a big change for everyone,” said Lukes (Waverley West). In addition to avoiding prolonged traffic disruption, the councillor said she wants to ensure city funding is promptly approved for the permanent bike lanes. “I want the funding to move to this year so that it gets confirmed… and that we can continue with this project (and build it in 2027). It makes me nervous to see the funding three years out,” said Lukes. The new proposal also directs city staff to explore whether a temporary alternative route near Wellington could be promoted for active transportation use this spring, potentially including traffic-calming measures and new signs. The vote followed a passionate lobby from dozens of Winnipeg cyclists at Wednesday’s meeting, who argued bike safety improvements are desperately needed now. “On Wellington Crescent, the time for action is now. No more delays, no more deaths please,” said Max Schreckenbach. Many delegates noted the temporary bike lane pilot project was originally expected in Summer 2025 before it was delayed to 2026. A city staff report had called for the temporary lanes to be built on Wellington Crescent, from Academy Road to Stradbrook Avenue, and reduce that area’s speed limit to 40 km/h from 50 km/h. Many cyclists have called for new safety measures since cyclist Rob Jenner was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver on Wellington in June 2024. “The killing of Rob Jenner on Wellington Crescent makes cyclists think twice before taking that street now… The safety benefits of a temporary bike lane pilot project are clear,” said Chris Kraljevic. While the vehicle that hit Jenner was travelling at least 159 km/h in a spot where the posted speed limit is 50 km/h, many cyclists have stressed other near-crashes on the street could be avoided with a reduced speed. Kraljevic said he also fears permanent bike lanes won’t arrive in 2027, noting the temporary pilot project was previously delayed. “Does this committee want to allow for the possibility of even more serious and deadly collisions between now and God-knows-when in the name of preventing traffic disruption… or would you rather buck council’s trend of delay, delay, delay?” he asked. The city has said past delays were needed to allow for more study and public consultation. Meanwhile, Coun. Russ Wyatt lashed out against spending $5.5 million on the permanent bike lanes for Wellington Crescent. Wyatt said that amounts to letting that project jump the queue over other active transportation improvements, such as a Transcona Trail expansion in his area. The councillor said accelerating the Wellington plan would amount to paying too much attention to the demands of certain “bike extremists.” “If the bike lobby wants to once again take lanes away from cars by building a bike lane on Wellington Crescent, then they can do so by a local area improvement levy,” said Wyatt (Transcona). Such levies charge residents of a specific area a fee for local improvements, when they’re deemed to directly benefit from them. Lukes bluntly rejected that idea. “That’s not happening,” she said. City council is expected to cast the final vote on the matter on March 26. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Proposal to reduce default 50 km/h speed limit advances (Mar5'26)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Mar '26

05 Mar '26

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Proposal to reduce default 50 km/h speed limit advances If council approves, province will be asked to change law https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2026/03/04/proposal-to-reduc… A PROPOSAL in which Winnipeg drivers would be forced to slow down on residential streets is rolling forward. On Wednesday, council’s public works committee voted to ask the provincial government to change the Highway Traffic Act, pending a final council vote. The change would give the city the power to alter the 50 km/h default speed limit for Winnipeg that applies to all areas, except where signs post a different speed limit. Following that, city staff recommend that council reduce the default speed limit to 40 km/h for residential streets and “minor collector” streets. Coun. Janice Lukes said she’d support the reduced speed limit in residential areas, which she expects would only create a minor delay for drivers. “It takes… seconds more to go 40 versus 50. This is only in residential neighbourhoods, not the (major) collectors,” said Lukes (Waverley West). While many road safety activists have called for a 30 km/h speed limit on residential roads for years, Lukes said she doesn’t think that move would have enough council support to get approved. While city data shows most severe collisions take place on major corridors, a lower speed limit would improve quality of life in neighbourhoods, she said. “I have calls literally… every other day on speed issues… People want vehicles to slow down,” said Lukes. Several supporters championed a reduced speed limit Wednesday as a way to make streets feel safer and more welcoming to pedestrians. “People are unhappy with the speed that people are driving through our neighbourhoods. So, the first step to solving that problem is to slow the speed limit down,” said Ian Walker, chairman of Safe Speeds Winnipeg. The group has long lobbied for a 30 km/h speed limit on residential streets. Walker said that speed of travel would greatly reduce the risk of serious injuries and death in crashes. He said lower speed limits would also make it easier for people to walk or cycle. “It’s an essential part of getting us to a point where we have choices for people… One of the big reasons that people drive in cars is because we haven’t accommodated other road users,” said Walker. However, opponents of the lower speed limit argued it would lengthen commutes without improving safety. “Blanket (speed) reductions create resentment without results… Shaving 10 kilometres an hour off every local trip has (impacts). That added travel time doesn’t save lives. It just wastes time and raises blood pressure,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan). Browaty said most severe vehicle collisions take place on high-volume arterial roads, so few could be avoided by this speed reduction. “Our quiet residential neighbourhoods… and minor collector streets simply do not produce the same level of tragedy. Lowering limits on these streets is like putting a Band-Aid on a paper cut while ignoring a broken leg,” he said. Lukes noted city council likely won’t vote on an actual speed limit reduction for another year or more, since there’s no set deadline for the province to respond to such a request. “That’s a debate that won’t happen until we hear from the province. And I encourage anyone who’s advocating for any speed limit change to speak to their MLAs,” she said. The city has the power to reduce speed limits through posted signs. However, lowering the default speed would allow city-wide changes without spending millions of dollars on signs, a city report notes. Implementing a default speed limit change is expected to cost $525,000, including new signs and advertising. Meanwhile, the committee approved a new round of changes meant to enhance Winnipeg Transit routes, after many complaints followed the introduction of a new primary transit network in June 2025. This June, Transit will extend the D19-Corydon line so buses will end the route on Vaughan Street between Graham and St. Mary avenues, instead of further north across Portage Avenue at Webb Place. The D16 Academy-Notre Dame will be split into two routes, a revised D16 and new D18, which would reach downtown from Polo Park and RRC Polytech’s Notre Dame campus, respectively. The new network, which changed virtually every bus route in the city, triggered a few common complaints from riders, including that many passengers now require more transfers and much more time to reach their destinations. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP (Tom Brodbeck): Transit system overhaul a disaster (Mar4'26)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Mar '26

04 Mar '26

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Transit system overhaul a disaster OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2026/03/03/survey-results-crystal-c… WHEN more than eight in 10 of your core customers say you’ve made things worse, it’s not a minor hiccup, it’s a collapse in confidence. That’s exactly where Winnipeg Transit finds itself after its sweeping network overhaul launched last year. The redesign was billed as a bold modernization — a smarter, more efficient system built around frequent primary routes and timed connections. Instead, it has produced a level of dissatisfaction among downtown riders that is as striking as it is alarming. A recent Probe Research survey of downtown bus users, commissioned by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, found that more than 80 per cent are unhappy with the new system. Commute times to downtown have increased by an average of 22 minutes. One-third of respondents now say it takes at least an hour to reach the city’s core — 10 times more riders facing hour-long trips than under the previous network. An hour to get downtown? In Winnipeg? This is not Toronto. It’s not Chicago. It’s not even Calgary. Winnipeg is a mid-sized prairie city. The idea that a third of surveyed riders now spend an hour on a bus just to reach downtown should set off alarm bells at city hall. Instead, we’re told the overhaul was the right decision, even if the rollout hasn’t been perfect. The mayor has acknowledged Transit didn’t get it right and has promised to keep tweaking the system until it works properly. That’s an extraordinary admission. But you don’t “tweak” your way out of an 80 per cent dissatisfaction rate. You don’t fine-tune your way past a 22-minute average increase in commute times. The complaints are consistent: longer travel times, more transfers and inconvenient connections. The new system relies heavily on transfers between primary and feeder routes. In theory, this creates efficiency. In practice, it works only if buses are frequent, connections are tight and reliability is near flawless. Otherwise, a missed transfer can turn a reasonable commute into a marathon. Seventy per cent of surveyed riders say they visit downtown less often because of the changes. Half say they sometimes choose other ways to get there, including ride-hailing services. That should terrify transit planners. Public transportation depends on ridership. If people who have options start abandoning the system, fare revenue drops and political support erodes. What remains is a shrinking base of riders who rely on transit because they have no alternative — seniors, students, lower-income workers and individuals with disabilities. And survey results suggest those riders are among the most dissatisfied. Older users report particularly high levels of frustration. Riders with disabilities are even more likely to say nearly every aspect of the system is worse. That is not a side issue. It goes to the heart of transit’s purpose. In a city like Winnipeg, public transportation is not primarily a lifestyle choice. It is a necessity for many. If the people who depend on it most are the least satisfied, something has gone profoundly wrong. Yes, the survey was self-selecting. Critics will argue that unhappy riders are more likely to respond. That’s true. But you don’t reach 80 per cent dissatisfaction through statistical flukes alone. And you certainly don’t manufacture a 22-minute jump in average commute times out of thin air. These are lived experiences. What makes this all the more mind-boggling is that none of the core complaints were unforeseeable. Transit experts have long known that forced transfers can deter ridership if not executed carefully. Longer door-to-door travel times are poison to public transportation systems. Reliability is everything. Yet here we are, months after implementation, with a third of downtown riders now facing hour-long trips and the city scrambling to make adjustments. The mayor’s pledge to keep retooling until it’s right is welcome. But it raises a difficult question: how did this get rolled out in its current form in the first place? Major network overhauls require rigorous modelling, pilot testing and contingency planning. They demand careful attention to how winter weather, traffic delays and missed connections compound over an entire journey. If the result is a widespread perception that the system is slower and more cumbersome, then either the modelling was overly optimistic or the implementation fell short. There are proposed fixes on the table — additional buses, extended service hours and route adjustments aimed at improving downtown access. Those may help at the margins. But the scale of dissatisfaction suggests more than marginal change is needed. Transit can’t afford to normalize hour-long downtown commutes. It can’t shrug at a 70 per cent drop in downtown visitation among surveyed riders. It can’t accept that vulnerable populations feel the system has deteriorated. Until commute times fall, transfers become seamless and reliability improves dramatically, the city will not be able to spin this as a successful modernization. The numbers tell a different story. And right now, that story is one of a transit overhaul that missed the mark — badly. tom.brodbeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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