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WFP: One small step for pedestrians, one giant leap for Portage and Main (Jun20'25)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '25

20 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. One small step for pedestrians, one giant leap for Portage and Main https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/19/one-small-step-fo… PEDESTRIANS will legally cross Portage Avenue and Main Street before the end of next week. On Thursday, Mayor Scott Gillingham said the reopening date is set for June 27. “After (more than) 45 years of debating whether it should be open or not, we’ve ended the debate. It’s opening and I’m getting very positive feedback from people in the downtown, that live in downtown, that work in downtown, that own businesses in downtown. I’m getting positive comments from people who live in the suburbs as well,” said Gillingham. At last check, the mayor said the project was within its current budget, up to $21.3 million from $13 million to cover its expedited schedule. The city had aimed to reopen the intersection to foot traffic by the June 29 unveiling of Winnipeg Transit’s new network. “It was very important, all along, that the pedestrian traffic be able to cross at Portage and Main and the construction related to the opening be completed before we make the change in our transit system,” said Gillingham. Pedestrian access was halted in 1979. Reopening it has been debated for decades, with 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voting against the idea in a non-binding 2018 plebiscite. Gillingham originally said he would follow the results of that vote but changed his mind after a city report estimated it would cost $73 million to repair the membrane to renovate the underground concourse. He then supported closing the underground, an idea the city is now studying, and reopening the intersection to pedestrians. “My thinking has (changed). When I drive through the intersection now, these days, I can’t help but think how welcoming … the space looks to invite people into all of the buildings,” he said. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said she hopes the debate is over. “Many people have a passion for Portage and Main. It’s a very significant hub in our city.” Opponents of the change argued it wasn’t worth its cost and could create significant traffic delays, while supporters argue the change will help rejuvenate and better connect downtown. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP Editorial: Last-minute cancellations bad look for council (Jun14'25)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jun '25

14 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. EDITORIAL Last-minute cancellations bad look for council https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2025/06/14/last-minute… YOU have to ask if Winnipeg city council actually wants to hear from its citizens, or whether they just want the appearance of listening. That question of appearance versus reality was brought even more sharply into focus when roughly 30 people waiting to speak to the city’s public works committee about bike safety were abruptly told to go home Thursday and come back in July. “I’d like to suspend the rules to not hear any delegations today on that item because we’re laying it over. We’re going to be hearing all the details on July 3,” the committee’s chairwoman, Coun. Janice Lukes, said at the beginning of the meeting. The reason? A staff report on safety measures for Wellington Crescent bicycle users, due since April, still isn’t finished. Getting people to go through the registration process to present to a council committee and have them show up to be heard, only to hold a vote and temporarily cancel public input, is both insulting and counterproductive. It may well be that members of the council’s public works committee are correct that a discussion of bike lane policy would be much more informed if everyone had a chance to review the at-the-moment incomplete report on the issue before registering their ideas and concerns. Certainly, more information is always better than less. But at the same time, the committee had to have known long before Thursday that the report wasn’t going to be ready — and since those who want to speak to committees of council have to register in advance and provide their personal information, those who were interested in talking about bicycle safety on Wellington Crescent could have been contacted and advised of the need for a delay. (Anyone registering to speak to a council committee has to say what agenda item they wish to speak to, and whether they are for or against the proposal.) Instead, the presenters were left to wait until the day of the meeting to be told, in person, that their presentations had been delayed. (Council committees are already not particular respectful of the value of presenters’ time. The rules for speaking at a meeting state “All meetings of council and its committees take place in the council building at 510 Main St. Delegations should be present at the start of the meeting and remain in the gallery until their name is called.”) But this is just part of council’s apparent interest in having public input in name only — or at least in handy bite-sized pieces, easily digested (and perhaps rapidly excreted as well). Council has already cut the amount of time it lets citizens present their concerns from 10 minutes to five, saying that public input was making meetings run too long. (The same strictures do not apply to committee members, clear evidence of “do as I say, not as I do.”) The message is that councillors are more concerned about the value of their own time than they are about the time of the people those same councillors are selected to serve. In a time of growing citizen and voter apathy, council members should be doing absolutely everything they can to welcome and foster citizen engagement. The aim should always be to bring more people into the civic tent, not to make it more difficult and less productive to be able to make your position known to your elected officials. And yes, that is more difficult and takes more dedicated time and planning — right down to notifying people in advance when things change. Because things can change. But letting your guests know in advance that their event is cancelled is really only common courtesy.

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CBC: Makeshift bike lane set up on Wellington Crescent on anniversary of Winnipeg cyclist's death (Jun11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '25

13 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-wellington-crescent-diy-bi…

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WFP: Dozens of delegates who planned to voice concerns over active transportation safety turned away (Jun13'25)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '25

13 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Dozens of delegates who planned to voice concerns over active transportation safety turned away Speakers furious after city delays hearing https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/12/speakers-furious-… DOZENS of delegates who signed up to speak on active transportation safety at City Hall Thursday were not heard, following a rare, last minute vote to cancel their time. About 30 people planned to weigh in on a delayed report on making bike travel safer on Wellington Crescent. Instead, their presentations were suddenly preempted by the public works committee decision. “I’d like to suspend the rules to not hear any delegations today on that item because we’re laying it over. We’re going to be hearing all the details on July 3,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman, at the start of the meeting. Lukes noted staff had asked for a one month extension to return with a safety plan for this year. The announcement was met with a few surprised laughs, at least one “boo” and some impolite language from people in the council chambers who were hoping to speak. Committee members asked security officers to step in after someone yelled out “bulls—t!” Couns. Markus Chambers (St. Norbert- Seine River) and Ross Eadie (Mynarski) joined Lukes to vote in favour of the change, while the committee’s third member, Coun. Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) was absent during the vote. Linda van de Laar, a nurse who planned to speak, yelled out that she had taken a day off to be there. Afterward, van de Laar said she isn’t able to return on July 3 because of work, and expressed concern the vote will set a precedent. “I wish that our city councillors would be doing this job because they want to represent residents. It seems like they don’t…. They just silenced (us) and it isn’t even the first time that they’ve silenced delegations,” she said. In March, council voted to reduce the time each public delegate can speak at hearings, committee meetings and council sessions to five minutes from 10, a move the city said would shorten meetings that sometimes start at 9:30 a.m. and drag on late into the night. Those who lost their chance to speak Thursday have been pushing for changes to Wellington Crescent since cyclist Rob Jenner was killed in a crash with a speeding driver in the area on June 6 last year. The group has called on council to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 km/h on Wellington from River Avenue to the western end of Academy Road, which was rejected last year. Council instead ordered a staff report on options to make the streets safer for cyclists this year, which was first expected in April but has been delayed since that time. Lukes said Thursday’s decision was not the first time a standing policy committee opted not to hear delegates, though she did not offer other examples. She said delaying feedback to the next meeting makes sense, since a new proposal to make cycling safer isn’t available yet. “I thought people would be wasting their time,” said Lukes (Waverley West). The councillor said she’s received 35 to 40 emails and phone calls on the topic over the last few days, which included some “non-repeatable” comments, so feedback is still being heard. “I’m disappointed in some of the things that have been said to me and to the committee members…. (The delegates are) disappointed that we don’t have a plan in place,” said Lukes. She expects city staff will ultimately recommend creating a protected bike lane and reducing the street’s speed limit but stressed more time is needed for consultations. Another councillor said she was left with questions after witnessing the vote. “I’m going to listen to the rationale because I honestly couldn’t hear for the yelling, but, generally, when people take time off and the standing policy committee is there to hear, you hear them. It’s really important when people take time out for democracy to understand that that costs them time, it costs them money,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry). In an email, city spokeswoman Julie Dooley said members of the public are welcome to speak to each report “when it actually appears on” a committee agenda. “As the report itself was not being presented today, the committee moved to not hear from registered delegates. This is not unprecedented,” Dooley wrote in an email. Committees that made similar decisions have typically done so verbally in the past, so staff can’t search for specific examples or provide the number of times the practice has previously taken place, the city later added. An active transportation advocate who regularly speaks at city hall said this is the first time she’s been unable to speak due to such a vote. “It seems very heavy-handed, and it seems a bit aggressive towards the community who has been patiently waiting for this report…. (You) take the day off work, or you get leave from work, you get child care. It is a big step to come down,” said Mel Marginet, a member of the Green Action Centre’s sustainable transportation team. Marginet said she’s concerned the decision could set a precedent. “It is important for our democracy that people are allowed to come out and voice their support or opposition to things before city council,” she said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP Analysis: Bike safety changes are overdue (Jun11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '25

11 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Bike safety changes are overdue LINDA VAN DE LAAR https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/06/11/bike-safety-c… JUNE 5 would have been Rob Jenner’s 62nd birthday. Instead of celebrating with him, we gathered where he died — on Wellington Crescent — to sing him “Happy Birthday” and remember a life taken too soon by road violence. This isn’t the way anyone should be commemorated. But for vulnerable road users in Winnipeg, it’s become heartbreakingly familiar. I didn’t know Rob personally. But as a fellow cyclist, I knew him. I’d pass him on Assiniboine Avenue. We’d exchange a greeting, a nod or a wave, the way cyclists are so closely connected, part of a community. For someone like me who cycles to work every day along one of Winnipeg’s major bike routes, Rob’s death is devastating. The city decided that green bike route signs would be enough to protect cyclists, but road signs don’t protect cyclists. Safe infrastructure and traffic calming measures do. As a nurse, advocating for safe infrastructure is my commitment to make this city healthier. I see the toll our car-dominated culture takes on people’s bodies and minds every day — rising rates of chronic illness related to our sedentary lifestyles. Cycling, walking and using public spaces are among the simplest, most powerful ways to build a healthier society. Like how I was connected to Rob without personally knowing him, sharing space through walking and cycling connects us. It makes us move, reduces emissions and builds safer, more vibrant communities. When our streets are hostile to vulnerable road users, we make our population sicker. Since Rob’s death, at least 12 pedestrians and another cyclist have been killed. Many others have been injured. Most of those stories don’t make the news. Like my partner, who lost his hearing because a driver did not stop at a signalized crosswalk. I believe our city leaders continue to fail us. I often feel like they treat parking spots as sacred and human life as expendable. In my opinion, they stall and postpone critical safety improvements like protected bike lanes and lower speed limits. It seems like they are afraid of the backlash from drivers instead of caring about my life and that of other vulnerable road users. I have had enough. I often hear Winnipeg was built for cars. Historically, pictures show that this is inaccurate. Winnipeg had beautiful streetcars, people walking and cycling. Decades of decisions made by councillors and mayors is what made Winnipeg into the car-dominated city it is today. But it is not too late to change this. Lives should matter more than speed. I can’t bring Rob back; it is too late for him. But I can honour his life by refusing to accept the status quo. I am demanding better from the people elected to represent me. I am asking all readers to demand better from their councillors too. Please call your councillors. Ask them why it’s taking so long to implement 30 km/h speed limits in residential neighbourhoods. Tell them to support protected bike lanes on Wellington Crescent. Insist they stop treating road deaths as inevitable, On June 12, two key motions that will make our streets safer might come before public works. I need everyone to show up, speak out and delegate. Together we can make our neighbourhoods places to connect again. These are our streets. And we owe it to Rob to fight like hell to reclaim them. Linda van de Laar is a registered nurse at St. Boniface General Hospital.

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City Update: Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project
by Beth McKechnie 09 Jun '25

09 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. [City of Winnipeg | Ville de Winnipeg]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project Project updates Still more work to do... The Wolseley Avenue Neighbourhood Greenway has been in place for around six months. Motor vehicle speeds and volumes have gone down. But we’re still seeing more vehicles than desired in the eastern part of the project area. Additionally, motor vehicle speeds in all four locations shows that the 85th percentile speed is still more than five kilometers an hour faster than the posted speed limit of 30 km/h. You can see the motor vehicle speeds and volumes for several years on the traffic count map below which also highlights the traffic calming infrastructure that was constructed on Wolseley Avenue. Both numbers remain higher than we’d like for a neighbourhood greenway. This could affect whether cyclists feel safe and comfortable. We’re planning a few more features along Wolseley Avenue this summer, including: * More visible paint markings (like centre-lane sharrows) * Speed reader boards to remind drivers to slow down * New Neighbourhood Greenway signs Once these new features are in place, we’ll measure traffic speeds and volumes again to see if numbers come down. We plan to come back this winter with a full year of data. At that time, we’ll also want to hear your feedback on how the greenway is working. In the meantime, if you have anything urgent to share with the project team, please email us at wolseleytodowntown(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:wolseleytodowntown@winnipeg.ca>. Map: 2025 conditions<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> View the latest conditions of the neighbourhood greenway Board: Summer updates<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Learn more about planned updates this summer Learn more about this project winnipeg.ca/wolseleytodowntown<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/71ebfa129fce40624b3653ffef6…> Contact us Email: City-Engage(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:City-Engage@winnipeg.ca> Phone: 204-986-4243 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: ‘Reimagined’ 25-year city transportation master plan sets price tag at $4.7B (Jun7'25)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '25

07 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ‘Reimagined’ 25-year city transportation master plan sets price tag at $4.7B https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/06/reimagined-25-yea… A 25-YEAR transportation master plan designed to “reimagine” travel throughout Winnipeg would cost $4.7 billion to fully implement, though plenty of work remains to determine what will be funded when. Transportation 2050: Reimagining Mobility sets out the hefty cost estimate for all staffing, planning, design and capital costs needed to turn it into a reality. It’s unlikely the city would be able to cover the whole tab over the next 25 years, the head of council’s public works committee said. “We prioritize (projects) related to the money that we have … It’s good that they put a price tag on it just so people understand (the cost),” said Coun. Janice Lukes. Lukes (Waverley West) said some priorities will be covered by road and active transportation funding in current and future budgets, while partnerships with senior governments will help determine what else the city can afford. The staff report calls for funding to hire five new employees to implement the changes, which will be considered in the 2026 budget process. No other funding plan is recommended yet. Meanwhile, city staff are also proposing potential business studies to determine if the city should conduct pilot projects on designated truck lanes, popup active transportation infrastructure, secure bike parking, reduced parking on arterial roads and even autonomous buses. “Automated buses are ready for real-world testing and Winnipeg’s Southwest Transitway is an ideal testing location, as a fully separated right-of-way that experiences cold and winter conditions. Potentially, autonomous buses could be tested in this location outside of revenue service hours,” the staff report states. Lukes said she’s not convinced self-driving buses are in the city’s near future. “I don’t think we’re ready for it… we’ve got snow, we’ve got ice, we’ve got really varying road conditions,” she said. However, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he’s “very open” to exploring the idea. “Obviously, it has to be safe and all that analysis has to be done, but if it’s innovative and it can enhance the delivery of city services, then I’m all for it… I’m not about being innovative just for the sake of doing the latest thing. It’s got to enhance services for the people of Winnipeg,” said Gillingham. The mayor said the master plan aims to balance investments that support drivers as well as cyclists and pedestrians. “We do want to move people into more sustainable modes of transportation… by investing in our transit system to make it a better, more reliable, more frequent service, we believe that more people will choose transit,” he said. With a multibillion-dollar price tag, Gillingham noted the full master plan would take “a long, long time to fully implement.” Both the mayor and Lukes said the city should focus on improvements that support moving goods throughout and beyond the city to support economic growth. “We really need to look closely (at) investment in our trade routes. We talked about Kenaston/Route 90 and the upgrades that need to happen there, the Chief Peguis Trail extension, as well. Those are economic routes, those are trade routes (that are) really important to our community,” said Gillingham. Recent reports suggest extending Chief Peguis would cost $755 million, while revamping Kenaston Boulevard/ Route 90 would cost $586 million. “If we want to do new major upgrades like Kenaston, like Chief Peguis… we have to find external funding…. We’ll see what federal programs they come out with and how we can align those federal programs to our priorities,” said Lukes. In the report, city staff propose creating a funding strategy for a goods movement study and proposed truck route network by March 2026. Staff also suggest exploring future strategies on managing transportation demand, transit-oriented development and zero-emission vehicles. The strategy sets goals to ensure half of all trips are made using sustainable mobility options by 2050, active transportation is deemed a realistic option for everyday travel and people of all ages and abilities can safely move around. The plan also adds to Winnipeg’s decades-old debate over light rail transit, which the city has debated many times but never built. “The Transportation 2050 Plan directs the city to investigate when and where LRT might be needed in the future. High-capacity transit will be essential to increasing sustainable trips,” the report notes. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepresss.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepresss.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Moving trucks off Graham Avenue part of proposed revamp (Jun7'25)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '25

07 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Moving trucks off Graham Avenue part of proposed revamp https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/06/moving-trucks-off… A NEW proposal would slow down traffic on parts of Graham Avenue and redirect trucks to other streets. A report calls for city council to reduce the speed limit on Graham to 30 km/h from 50 km/h between Vaughan and Carlton streets and remove the full time truck route designation. “Graham Avenue is going to become a very focal point for downtown. It’s going to become an area that will be activated … It’s going to become a much more people-oriented, populated, activity-oriented street and that’s been part of the downtown plan,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. She noted Winnipeg Transit’s new primary network will move most transit service off Graham later this month, clearing the way for change. She expects a speed limit reduction would take a couple of months to implement. Lukes said the traditional reliance on the avenue as a key bus corridor, with some sections not even open to cars, means the changes shouldn’t create much commuter delay. The new rules should support a growing number of downtown residents, she said. “Downtown has to have neighbourhoods. It’s not just, go there, leave there. We’re putting a lot of housing in (that area),” said Lukes. Mayor Scott Gillingham said changes to Winnipeg Transit create an opportunity to transform the avenue. “It’s almost like Graham Avenue is a blank slate and it can be reimagined (to become) something really different and invigorating,” said Gillingham. The city’s key downtown vision, CentrePlan 2050, calls for an overhaul of Graham, suggesting it could become a cycling connection and open space. Gillingham said he’d like to see a pedestrian mall on the avenue and believes any driver delay from the changes would be limited. “When it’s such a short street, when you drive 30 km/h as opposed to 50, the difference on three or four blocks is seconds,” he said. Shifting buses elsewhere and reducing the speed limit could make the area easier to access, said one business owner. “Having cars added to Graham, I do think that’s probably a good idea and helpful for the local businesses. I think it was fairly chaotic having just buses ripping up and down Graham Avenue… As a general rule, I support speed reduction … I think having a calmer Graham Avenue is a good thing,” said Graham Bargen, co-owner of the Thom Bargen coffee shop at Kennedy Street and Graham Avenue. However, Bargen said he is concerned limiting truck traffic would create an obstacle for deliveries. “That will be an added challenge. We’re a coffee roaster and we receive pallets of coffee… we do need to be able to get product in and out,” he said. In a written statement, the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ expressed support for the changes. “We believe these changes on Graham support the overall plan to improve safety, connectivity and vibrancy downtown. We’re looking forward to the transformation of this street into a pedestrian-friendly hub, where people can gather and connect,” wrote Kate Fenske, chief executive officer of the BIZ. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Cyclists mark anniversary of fatal collision (Jun7'25)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '25

07 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Cyclists mark anniversary of fatal collision Condemn city’s lack of action on safety improvements https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/06/cyclists-mark-ann… BRIGHT red balloons attached to the handlebars of a white “ghost bike” memorial Friday marked the one-year anniversary of a cycling enthusiast’s horrifying high-speed hit-and-run death on Wellington Crescent. Rob Jenner was on his way to work at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights when a 19-year-old man driving more than three times the 50 km/h speed limit hit the rear tire of Jenner’s bike throwing him several metres into the air at the intersection of Wellington and Cockburn Street. He was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead one day after his 61st birthday. Anna Weier showed up at the corner Friday with her nine-year-old daughter Libby to join more than 30 others celebrating what would’ve been Jenner’s 62nd birthday Thursday, and demand action from the city to make the street safer for cyclists, after a report on biking infrastructure improvements was delayed a second time. “Rob Jenner’s death was really scary. It makes me really worried riding, especially with my kid,” said Weier. “We feel like the city isn’t listening to us that we want safe biking infrastructure now.” Jenner’s death ignited protests from members of Winnipeg’s cycling community about inadequate infrastructure and policies to protect riders. Advocates called for the speed limit to be reduced to 30 km/h, and for the city to install protected bike lanes on Wellington Crescent. Council’s executive policy committee rejected a lowered speed limit, but voted in December for city staff to report on other bike-safety solutions on the street. The report, delayed until this month, has been pushed back again after city staff requested a one-month extension for additional consultation on removing street parking and another look at the speed limit, said public works chair Janice Lukes. “I want the public service to get it right. We don’t want something put in that is going to again need adjustments, or again need tweaks or changes,” Lukes (Waverley West) said Friday. “There’s a lot of infrastructure we’d like to have in, but we can’t put it in overnight. We have to let them do their work.” She said active-transportation projects, such as building protected bike lanes, rarely get done in under a year. The effort to address concerns on Wellington Crescent is moving as quickly as it can, she said, adding she understands the urgency for cyclists. The proposed protected bike lane features barriers attached to the road instead of new curb construction to separate vehicles and bikes. Lukes said if council approves after receiving the report next month, she expects the project could be completed by the fall or next spring. She said the McDermot Avenue bike lane that was built in 2018, and described as “very similar” to the plan for Wellington Crescent, took three years to finish. “It’s too late for Rob (Jenner),” said Robyn Dyck, who was at the memorial Friday. “We will now have a whole summer without protection for cyclists. It’s infuriating.” In October, Beckham Severight pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of the accident. He was sentenced to three years in custody and banned from driving for five years. His then-roommate, Lyle Barker- Young, the lone passenger, who was leasing the vehicle, was charged with fleeing the scene and remains before the court. matthew.frank(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:matthew.frank@freepress.mb.ca> [https://winnipeg-can.newsmemory.com/eebrowser/ipad/html5.check.25012021/aja…]

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WFP: Pedestrian scramble gets Exchange test (Jun3'25)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jun '25

03 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pedestrian scramble gets Exchange test ‘We want to create a more walkable, livable city’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/02/pedestrian-scramb… READY. Set. Scramble. An Exchange District intersection was the scene of Winnipeg’s first pedestrian scramble as a pilot project to test the concept began Monday. Traffic signals at the King Street and Bannatyne Avenue intersection stop motor vehicles in all directions once per cycle allowing pedestrians to cross in any direction, except diagonally. Aro Van Dyck made the trek to the street corner to see the signals in action and try it for herself. “An improvement like this, I’m excited to see it. I’m someone who cares a lot about pedestrian safety,” said Van Dyck, who works downtown. The 32-year-old said she was disappointed when the city scuttled plans to put a scramble crossing at River Avenue and Osborne Street last year. She hopes the pilot project, which was approved in March, proves popular and scrambles become more common on city streets. The scramble includes new no-right-turn and no-left-turn signs, cameras to record vehicle near-misses with pedestrians and loudspeakers that broadcast “walk sign is on at both crossings.” The scramble is expected to reduce crossing times and improve safety for pedestrians with no vehicles in the intersection, said city worker Danae Penner, who was attaching signs to explain how the crossing works. “If pedestrians want to go kitty corner to the other side of the street, they don’t have to wait for two signals. They can make it all the way around,” said the road safety outreach co-ordinator. Coun. Vivian Santos said she hopes the crossing will drive more foot traffic to the area. “We want to create a more walkable, livable city,” Santos said. “It’s about building a people-first city, especially in the Exchange District.” Crossing diagonally wasn’t included in the plans for the new scramble, she said, because extensive work was necessary to make sidewalks more accessible for those with wheelchairs. The scramble cost $1,000 to put in place, a March report from the public works committee noted. Santos said the pilot will be in place until winter 2026. David Pensato, executive director of Exchange District BIZ, is curious how the pilot project’s results will influence the city’s approach to pedestrian crosses. He said the chosen intersection has already been an informal scramble crossing when traffic dies down. “It doesn’t take an urban planner or traffic engineer to note that while the Exchange is among the most walkable areas in the city, there’s certainly some pinch points where it becomes more complicated,” said Pensato. “We’re always looking to better enhance the pedestrian experience.” Dennis Boyko, owner of Red River Book Shop, was surprised the city selected King and Bannatyne for the pilot. The Arthur Street entrepreneur said there are more dangerous crossings that need more robust infrastructure to protect pedestrians in the Exchange. To commemorate the new crossing, sandwich shop King and Bannatyne created a special scrambled egg wrap that will be given away at the corner at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. The city has launched a survey for residents to provide feedback on the scramble at wfp.to/scramble<http://wfp.to/scramble>. A report on the pilot’s results is expected in 2026. matthew.frank(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:matthew.frank@freepress.mb.ca>

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