- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: Bike registry sees promising signs of success (Apr24'25)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Apr '25

24 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Bike registry sees promising signs of success https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/04/23/registry-sees-pro… A FREE-TO-USE bicycle registry is being credited with helping the city steer more stolen bikes back to their rightful owners. In April 2024, the City of Winnipeg began urging cyclists to register their bikes through the 529 Garage app. Between April and December, residents registered 6,325 bicycles. Last year, 1,440 bikes were stolen, 681 were recovered and 105 were returned to their owners, including 64 returned by the city’s bicycle recovery officer. “I think the numbers are really promising. Looking specifically at returns made from our bike recovery officer, going from 22 in 2023 up to 64 in 2024, to me, that’s a really good step in the right direction,” said Terry Cormier, the city’s licensing co-ordinator. In 2023, 1,451 bikes were stolen, 572 were recovered and 22 bikes were returned by the officer. Between 2020 and 2022, 12 to 15 stolen bikes were returned by the recovery officer to their owners each year. In 2024, another 29 bikes were returned by Winnipeg Police Service and 12 were returned by fellow users of the 529 Garage app. The number of bikes returned to owners by police and the public wasn’t available for previous years on Wednesday. Mayor Scott Gillingham, who championed the new registration system, welcomed its early signs of success. “It makes it much more difficult for (someone) to resell a bike if they steal (it) and a lot easier for our police and others to reunite that stolen bike with the owner … These numbers show that this registry is working,” said Gillingham. In one case, police were called to a store to reclaim a bike brought in for repair and make arrests, after a staff member confirmed through 529 Garage it was stolen, the mayor said. Cormier said the fact thousands of Winnipeggers registered for the app is also promising, though all local bike owners should do so. “If somebody reports their bike on the app as stolen, an alert goes out to (owners of) all bicycles registered in that area … This really enables us … to track stolen bikes and return them,” he said. A cycling advocate said he has heard anecdotal success stories linked to the app. “I think it does seem to be making an improvement,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. However, registration is just “one piece” of the response needed to address daunting levels of bike theft, he said. Cohoe said two of his bikes were stolen over the years, which he reported to police. Neither was returned. “We hear fear of theft is one of the things that prevents people from riding more,” he said. A total of 1,483 bikes were stolen in Winnipeg in 2020, followed by 1,572 in 2021, 1,674 in 2022, 1,451 in 2023 and 1,440 in 2024, according to Winnipeg Police Service data. Cohoe suspects the actual number is higher, suggesting many thefts go unreported. He’d like the city to require that new buildings include secure indoor bike parking areas, such as in multi-family and office structures, to help better prevent theft. Charles Feaver, chair of Bike Winnipeg’s bike theft prevention committee, said the app is reassuring some people. Feaver said it recently helped a cyclist whose expensive cargo bike was stolen get it back within a week. “It’s a bureaucratic chore that you’ve got to take a picture of your bike and figure out its serial number. But, if you do it, you have a chance of getting your bike back,” he said. “We’re (also) making people (aware) that half the bike thefts are normally from your own property … A lot of bikes are stolen unlocked from (inside) garages.” Gillingham said the city could consider requiring secure indoor bike parking in some buildings, though he believes demand for that feature is already leading it to be included more often. “Having secure bike storage … is something that’s really an attractive feature for building owners,” he said. The Winnipeg Police Service said no one was available to comment on bike theft Wednesday. When it began promoting 529 Garage, the city stopped accepting new registrations to its own online registry, which required a $7.35 fee. Serial numbers previously added to that registry will be checked to help reconnect owners with recovered bikes until May 1, 2026. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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FP Community Review: ‘Elmwood Guy’ to publish book on municipal finances
by Beth McKechnie 23 Apr '25

23 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ‘Elmwood Guy’ to publish book on municipal finances https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/east/2025/04/23/have-blog… When Michel Durand-Wood started a blog on municipal financial issues, he didn’t know where it would take him — but what a journey it has been. On May 20, Great Plains Press will publish You’ll Pay For This!, Durand-Wood’s first book, which is also the first in The City Project, a series edited by Durand-Wood and his wife Emma Durand-Wood, which will tackle “the components that go into making a thriving city.” “I never did think it would get to this,” laughed Durand-Wood. “I’d been sort of interested in city finances, following the closure of the Kelvin Community Centre in my neighbourhood. Why were we closing stuff and why was stuff not getting fixed? You have money for everything, you don’t need to prioritize things. So why don’t we have enough money?” Chair of the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association, Durand-Wood has been involved in grassroots initiatives such as ReImagine Elmwood, which have had a direct positive impact on the neighbourhood he calls home. In 2018, in response to the failed referendum to open Portage and Main up to pedestrians, Durand-Wood launched the blog Dear-Winnipeg.com with the intent of debunking myths about municipal finance. “That was a wake-up call,” Durand-Wood, a father of three who blogs as the ‘Elmwood Guy’, said. “My goal was to educate my fellow Winnipeggers on the financial backdrop to all the policy decisions that we make in the city, be it transportation, or housing, or recreation.” Since then, Durand-Wood has written regularly on his blog, which has gained a broad readership not just locally, but also internationally. The blog has led to speaking engagements both in Winnipeg and beyond. (Interestingly, the city has since come around to opening Portage and Main to pedestrians.) “Now, probably 60 per cent who read the blog are from outside of Winnipeg,” Durand- Wood said. “That’s cool to see. We’re writing about Winnipeg, but it’s also writing about common struggles of the North American city.” You’ll Pay For This! will also be available in the U.S. and U.K. on June 24, proof that Winnipeg isn’t the only city grappling with institutional financial issues. The book, Durand-Wood explained, is intended to be an introduction to municipal finance for the layperson. “This, in broad terms, lays out the same topics I’ve been writing about, in a nice approachable book that you can get through on a Sunday afternoon and learn about how money flows through a city and what are the things we need to pay more attention to in order to have a city that can pay its expenses sustainably,” he said. “What are the things we need to understand, essentially, as the owners of the city? We’re not customers. We’re the owners, and we need to understand if our city is doing well or poorly, and if it’s the latter, how can we turn things around.” While Durand-Wood admits there is much to bemoan when it comes to the issues facing our city, he is ultimately hopeful. “We didn’t get here overnight, and we’re not going to get out of this overnight,” he said. “It’s going to take a lot of effort, both individually and collectively. We can change how we approach things. The agency rests with us. We can do something about it. We can’t wait for someone to rescue us. Nobody is coming. If something is going to happen, it’s going to have to be us. Everyone has a role to play. It all adds up and works together.” The local launch of You’ll Pay For This! will be at McNally Robinson Booksellers (40001200 Grant Ave.) on Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m. Hosted by Patty Wiens, a.k.a. the Bicycle Mayor of Winnipeg, the event will feature games, a small talk from Durand-Wood, a Q& A period, and a book signing.

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Momentum Mag: Paris Proves the Power of Pedals: How Cycling Helped Cut Pollution in Half
by Beth McKechnie 17 Apr '25

17 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. It didn’t happen overnight, but Paris is forever changed, and now local residents of the French capital are reaping the rewards. Top of list? Cleaner air. A lot cleaner. Full Article<https://momentummag.com/paris-proves-the-power-of-pedals-how-cycling-helped…>

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WFP: Cyclists upset as city backpedals on speed limit (Apr16'25)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '25

16 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Cyclists upset as city backpedals on speed limit https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/04/15/cyclists-put-off-… CYCLISTS say they’re frustrated an interim solution to protect them on the section of Wellington Crescent where a cyclist died last year has been delayed by two months. The civic public works committee on Monday voted to let the civil service have more time to determine an interim solution “to improve safety for cyclists, ahead of a more permanent WalkBike design study for separated cycling infrastructure… to allow for consideration for initial implementation in 2025.” Patty Wiens, who was given the title Bicycle Mayor of Winnipeg by BYCS, an Amsterdam organization made up of bike enthusiasts, and who is on the board of Bike Winnipeg, said cyclists are not happy. “We’re tired of waiting,” Wiens said on Tuesday. “June 6 is the one-year anniversary of Rob Jenner’s death and we feel this has been kicked down the road for some time. How much is a human life worth? What are we waiting for?” Wiens said the street needs protected bike lanes and a reduced speed limit. “It is a high-traffic corridor there,” she said. Wiens criticized public works chair Coun. Janice Lukes, who was the Winnipeg Trails co-ordinator before she was elected a decade ago. “People are dying,” she said. “(Lukes) is not an advocate. She is on the other side now.” Jenner, 61, was cycling on Wellington Crescent on June 6 when he was struck by a vehicle travelling 159 km/h per hour — more than three times the speed limit. Beckham Severight, 19, was sentenced last month to three years in custody and banned from driving for five years after pleading guilty to dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of a collision. In December, city council rejected a motion to reduce the year-round speed limit on Wellington Crescent, from River Avenue to Academy Road to 30 km/h from 50 km/h. Some councillors said they had misgivings about approving a speed limit change before consulting traffic experts. Instead, they asked for a report on how to make the street safer for cyclists. Lukes, who said she was taken aback by some of Wiens’ comments, continues to push for changes to make Wellington Crescent safer for cyclists. “If they think it’s so easy, put your name on the ballot,” she said. “This is a regional street, this isn’t just a residential street. They want to do it right, so if it takes another month to make it right, so be it.” Lukes said contrary to the belief of cycling advocates that the process is too slow, the opposite is true. “Never in my 10 years of advocating, as Winnipeg Trails co-ordinator, and 10 years being elected, have I ever seen such rapid action by the public service on such a major initiative as Wellington,” she said. “This is an incredibly fast turnaround.” “I say to advocates, change is coming. It will be in place in either June or July if council approves, and I fully expect a majority of council will approve.” Lukes said another study, whether to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h or 40 km/h on residential streets throughout the city, is expected to be discussed at the same committee meeting in two months. “I believe speed changes on Wellington are being recommended in the report,” she said. kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: City installing traffic-calming measures on River Heights street to slow rush-hour shortcut seekers (Apr8'25)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Apr '25

08 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City installing traffic-calming measures on River Heights street to slow rush-hour shortcut seekers https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/04/08/city-installing-t… Several traffic-calming changes are headed to Cambridge Street following complaints that rush-hour drivers use the route as a shortcut. City staff will add new speed humps, traffic-calming curbs and turn restrictions to help reduce the speed of travel and the number of vehicles using the River Heights residential street. A long-term traffic management plan will be developed after those changes have been in place for about a year. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said she supports the upcoming changes. “I’ve parked on Cambridge, going to visit someone, and I was overwhelmed at the volume and speed (of traffic). (There are) many streets that we need to deal with that have this scenario,” said Lukes (Waverley West). “The key goal is to calm traffic down, slow the traffic down by changing the built environment.” This year, initial changes will add: permanent speed humps on Cambridge and Oxford streets between Academy Road and Corydon Avenue; temporary speed humps on Wilton Street; road narrowing with traffic-calming curbs at multiple points along Cambridge between Corydon and Grant avenues; a right-turn restriction for weekday-morning rush-hour heading northbound at Waverley Street/Mathers Avenue; and temporary speed humps in the back lane of Ebby Avenue. The councillor said the changes aim to avoid creating new traffic woes nearby, as many drivers in River Heights try to avoid congested main arteries such as Route 90. “When we put traffic calming on one street, traffic is like water — it will flow to the next street…. This is why it really took a while to really do an analysis on it to see how we could calm traffic with the least amount of neighbourhood impact,” said Lukes. The work will cost about $100,000, unless changes are made following public feedback. The changes will be funded within the department’s existing budget. The city plans to inform residents about the traffic-calming measures through postcards and an online survey. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: City employee charged with hit-and-run infractions (Apr8'25)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Apr '25

08 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City employee charged with hit-and-run infractions ‘Like a slap on the wrist,’ victim says https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/04/07/man-faces-traffic… A CITY of Winnipeg employee is facing three Highway Traffic Act charges in connection to an early morning hit-and-run that left a 25-year-old pedestrian with serious injuries. The vehicle involved in the March 15 collision at Osborne Street and Mulvey Avenue East was a Ford Transit panel van registered to the city, the Winnipeg Police Service said Monday. “It did take some time to conclusively identify the vehicle,” police spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said. The collision happened at about 12:30 a.m., while the victim, Margaret (Macey) Cobiness, was trying to cross Mulvey in front of a stopped westbound van. After she was hit and knocked to the ground, the van’s driver turned and drove north on Osborne, without stopping at the scene, police said. The city employee faces charges of careless driving causing a life-threatening injury, failing to yield the right of way to a pedestrian and failing to stop and provide particulars to an injured person. Cobiness, who suffered fractures to her pelvis, hip, collarbone and ribs as well as scrapes and bruises, had hoped for more serious charges. “I wasn’t too happy with the charges. It’s more like a slap on the wrist for him,” she told the Free Press. The City of Winnipeg wouldn’t provide details about the employee or his employment status following his arrest. “We are not able to comment further on this as it is a police and human resources matter,” city spokesman David Driedger wrote in an email. Cobiness was walking to a bar in Osborne Village to play pool when she was struck. She said she made eye contact with the van’s driver before stepping off the curb. After being run over, the driver backed up and drove over her a second time, she said. A suspect turned himself in at the police department’s downtown headquarters April 2, about two weeks after police issued a public appeal to help locate the vehicle involved and identify the alleged driver. “My understanding is that once the driver of that vehicle was established, they were co-operative,” Mc-Kinnon said. In the March 17 appeal, police encouraged the driver of a large white cargo-style van to call investigators in the traffic division. Cobiness said investigators informed her of the arrest, but didn’t know the suspect was a city worker. “The police said he turned himself in and he told the police he thought he hit a curb,” she said. The man was released on a court appearance notice, which police said was mandated by the provincial Highway Traffic Act. McKinnon said the charges that were laid are common for a hit-and-run. There was no evidence to substantiate any other charges or offences, she added. “There didn’t appear to be criminal negligence or malice attached to it. Once this goes to court, it will be established if the driver was aware (of the collision) or not,” McKinnon said. Cobiness, a mother of two, originally from Buffalo Point First Nation in southeastern Manitoba, spent about two weeks in hospital, where she underwent surgery for her injuries. She continues to recover physically and emotionally. Cobiness said she is using a wheelchair and walker, struggles to sleep at night and is still in pain. “I’m learning to walk again. I probably will never walk again properly. I’m not confident that it will be the same after,” she said. The city employee’s name was not released by police because the charges have not yet been formally laid. Police did not release his age. The information was held back for anonymity purposes, according to Mc-Kinnon. It was unclear if the City of Winnipeg van was equipped with GPS. McKinnon said surveillance video was part of the investigation. “It’s always common practice to involve solicitation of video, whether it’s private or public or city camera systems, as well as talk to a number of witnesses, to confirm and get more concrete information, which led to a licence plate and a registration leading to this vehicle,” she said. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: We can do better than ‘Just Slow Down’
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '25

05 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. We can do better than ‘Just Slow Down’ JEFFREY HODGINS https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/04/05/we-can-do-bet… THE Free Press story Speed hit 213 km/h, police say, published March 27, brought to mind an experience of my own. In 2017, I was hit head-on by a vehicle exceeding the speed limit on the same road, in the same area. The driver was suffering from a medical issue, and had accidentally locked his foot onto the gas pedal. I had minor injuries, but my 2004 Santa Fe and the front foyer of the Marigold restaurant didn’t make it; I never found out what happened to the driver. I was glad to see the driver of this most recent collision arrested, but what stood out to me is this: in an early online version of this article, the Winnipeg Police Service reminded us that collisions are not accidents: “If it is predictable, it is preventable.” Yes, occurrences of speeding, as well as collisions on many Winnipeg roads, are rather predictable. In fact, with how St. Mary’s Road was specifically engineered, they’re practically a yearly guarantee. A 17-year-old was killed in 2022 (‘ A terrible thing’: Teen dead after St. Mary’s Road crash, Oct. 19, 2022) a few streets over from the “notorious curve” where speeding caused another collision. What has changed since then? The twisted metal, broken glass and shattered plastic were swept away… and then? Forgotten. No lessons learned, no change to the road’s design, nothing. A child died and we so quickly forgot. The WPS stated in the aftermath of the March 26 collision, “The overall strategy of the Winnipeg Police Service continues to focus on making city streets safe for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike. We all have a part to play in maintaining road safety and our message is simple: Just Slow Down.” But is it as simple as that? Sure, there would be a slight change if we even lowered the speed limit from 60 km/h to 50 km/h; it’s better than nothing. But would this actually rectify the issue? Drivers could still feel comfortable driving to over twice or even three times the limit. The design of St. Mary’s Road, along with many other Winnipeg streets built in the post-streetcar era, prioritizes speed at the cost of safety to those inside or outside of a vehicle. These roads were built for vehicles to travel fast, not necessarily safely. Therein lies the issue with the “Just Slow Down” campaign. While well intentioned, it falls short by focusing solely on individual behaviour rather than the systemic issues that permit these collisions. You can tell a driver to slow down, but ultimately driving is a subconscious activity. Driving would be exhausting if every single operation of the vehicle required your full attention (this is why distracted driving is so common). I can guarantee there is no driver who obsessively checks their speedometer every few seconds to ensure they are driving at or under the limit. People will drive at the engineered “comfort” of the road. What we need are engineered roads that force drivers to be attentive — narrow or curved streets with visual/ physical cues to the driver to signal to them that it would be dangerous to themselves or their vehicle to go above the designed road speed. We need a team of traffic engineers to review crash data to see how improvements could be made to lower collisions and improve safety before more lives are taken or injuries occur. We need our city leaders to demand a true goal to put an end to traffic fatalities in our communities. These are commonplace in many other cities, but not Winnipeg. If we continue to build roads that encourage high speeds, we should not be surprised when drivers take advantage of them, predictably putting lives at risk. Jeffrey Hodgins is a lifelong Winnipeg resident, passionate about public safety and his community’s health.

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CBC What on Earth: How getting rid of mandatory parking minimums is helping the climate
by Beth McKechnie 03 Apr '25

03 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. How getting rid of mandatory parking minimums is helping the climate https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-parking-minimums-1.7500760 Last October, I was sitting on a streetcar, stopped at a light on Queen Street East in Toronto, when something caught my eye. It was a city notice about a proposed 60-storey condominium with 701 residences that would have parking for 701 bicycles — and just nine cars. I was surprised over just how few spaces there were for cars. Nine? For more than 700 units? I told my colleague Emily Chung, who wasn’t surprised at all. She explained that, until recently, the City of Toronto had mandatory parking minimums, where buildings were required to have a certain number of parking spaces depending on their size. It turns out that more and more cities in North America are removing these minimums<https://newsletters.cbc.ca/c/16HHa0vOOLSDg3mJW0PyXwlMXpl6i>. And the good news is that it’s great for the climate and the environment. Let’s talk about parking when it comes to condominiums and apartment buildings rather than above-ground parking for malls and homes, since big cities are continually building up rather than out. A 2022 study<https://newsletters.cbc.ca/c/16HHa0L0TVyuKtmxREHcslA9dcaKF> for the City of Vancouver estimated that a decrease of 10 underground parking spaces could reduce CO2 emissions between 50 tonnes to as high as 8,500 tonnes. They also noted that the minimum impact of constructing one parking space is almost equal to one year of the operation of a car, and the maximum impact is close to the operation of a car for close to 19 years. That’s a lot of CO2 emissions. “For each level of parking you remove, you can reduce the [greenhouse gas emissions] of a building by about 15 per cent,” said Shoshanna Saxe, an associate professor at the University of Toronto's department of civil and mineral engineering and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Infrastructure. “The simplest, easiest thing you can do to make your building more sustainable is not have a whole bunch of underground parking.” Another study<https://newsletters.cbc.ca/c/16HHa10cZ5emeTmlNiyPXaOvsZ0p2>, by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation that was released in 2024, noted that the environmental impacts of constructing underground parking spaces are far-reaching, including the displacement of soil that is taken elsewhere and potentially passing on dangerous microorganisms. And removing the soil also means a larger carbon footprint as these trucks may need to drive hundreds of kilometres to dispose of it. And let’s not forget that once the ground is dug up, trapped CO2 is also released into the atmosphere. Now, while cities across Canada and the U.S. are moving away from these parking minimums, they’re not doing so for the climate or the environment, Saxe noted. It’s the cost. A 2024 study<https://newsletters.cbc.ca/c/16HHa1fp4eUdJjm9IWqts02RILQ3p> by the Altus Group, which provides asset and fund information for commercial real estate, found that building underground parking in Vancouver ranges anywhere from $160 to $250 per square foot. For comparison, surface parking would cost between $12 to $25 per square foot. In Toronto, underground parking ranges $175 to $300 per square foot, while surface parking ranges from $15 to $30. Reducing parking minimums means housing becomes more affordable. “Before Toronto rolled back mandatory minimum parking requirements, you were seeing … lots of buildings where they had way more parking than anybody wanted,” Saxe said. “People just wouldn't claim them, and they have to be absorbed, in general, by the costs in the building.” The CMHC study also noted that there is less need for parking minimums, as our lifestyles have changed. More people are turning to ride shares, they noted. And after the COVID pandemic, more people are working from home, even if it’s only part of the time. Of course, getting rid of parking means there needs to be a robust transit system in place, something that some cities, like Toronto, are aiming to improve by building new transit lines. Bike lanes are another important factor, she noted. Finally, Saxe said that we need to stop making driving such an attractive method of getting around. “People behave within the system that we build for them. And so if we say this is a place you get to by parking, we signal it with providing a lot of parking,” she said. “Then we're incentivizing people to drive, which leads to more air pollution of all kinds.” Saxe said she is happy to see more cities move away from mandatory parking minimums. “I think that in many ways, while it was driven by cost, getting rid of mandatory minimums is one of the best sustainability policies that's been passed in many cities around North America in the last 10 years,” she said. — Nicole Mortillaro

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WFP: Business case for Chief Peguis Trail extension ordered (Mar29'25)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Mar '25

29 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. BUSINESS CASE FOR CHIEF PEGUIS TRAIL EXTENSION ORDERED https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2025/03/28/around-city-hall-9 A MAJOR road project that could cost more than $900 million is moving forward for further study. On Thursday night, city council voted to order an independent value for money assessment of the Chief Peguis Trail Extension and consider alternative delivery methods for the project. A report is due back in December. Extending the trail from Main Street to Brookside Boulevard would cost $755 million, plus $147 million in interest, if the city funds it solely through debt. In 2019, it was expected to cost $449 million, plus $38 million in interest (if funded by debt). Mayor Scott Gillingham has argued the project is worth its hefty tab, since it would better connect trade routes. Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) joined councillors John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) and Matt Allard (St. Boniface) to oppose moving the project forward, arguing the city has more pressing infrastructure priorities. “It’s not a need when we have crumbling infrastructure, like the Louise Bridge that could be closing any day now,” said Gilroy.

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WFP: Driver pleads guilty in hit and run that killed mother of three (Mar22'25)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Mar '25

22 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Driver pleads guilty in hit and run that killed mother of three https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/03/21/driver-pleads-gui… A WINNIPEG man has admitted responsibility for a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a 43-year-old Sudanese immigrant. Kelvin Mark Lavallee, 26, pleaded guilty Friday to one charge each of dangerous driving causing death, driving over .08, and leaving the scene of an accident. Lavallee was behind the wheel of a red Audi A4 the evening of Sept. 26, 2023, when he blew through a red light at the intersection of Fermor Avenue and St. Mary’s Road and struck and killed pedestrian Akuch Machuor Kulang. Lavallee did not stop or slow down as he approached the intersection and, after hitting the woman, continued driving for another 3.7 km before pulling into an Esso gas station at Beaverhill Boulevard, Crown attorney Nick Reeves told court. Police arrested Lavallee as he was gassing up his vehicle. While in custody, Lavallee “provided a statement to police admitting to drinking before driving and failing to stop after the collision that killed Ms. Machuor,” Reeves said. Lavallee remains free on bail and will return to court for sentencing Sept. 22, on what was to be the first day of his trial. “It is unlikely (the Crown and defence) will have a joint recommendation,” defence lawyer Zach Kinahan told King’s Bench Justice Sheldon Lanchbery. Court heard an off-duty police officer was driving behind Lavallee minutes before the crash and saw him tailing other vehicles and weaving in and out of traffic. Another motorist stopped at a red light reported seeing Lavallee on his cellphone. “While I am thankful for the legal system providing closure, it is important to recognize that no amount of punishment can fully heal the pain of losing someone so dear,” said Rev. Abraham Monybuny Chuol of Emmanuel Sudanese Mission. Chuol and Machuor met as teenagers living in a Kenyan refugee camp after being displaced during a civil war in Sudan. She arrived in Canada as a refugee in the early 2000s and the two friends reunited. “The memory of Akuch will always be cherished by those who knew and loved her. Let us also remember that she was not just a victim, but a mother and daughter to someone,” Chuol said. At the time she was killed, the single mother of three had just started a new job as a health-care aide. — with a file from Scott Billeck

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WFP: Bill targets driver passing distances for bikes, plows (Mar18'25)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Mar '25

18 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Bill targets driver passing distances for bikes, plows https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/03/17/bill-seeks-to-man… A NEW government bill aims to make roads safer by spelling out how much room drivers must give cyclists and snowplows on Manitoba roads. The proposed amendment to the Highway Traffic Act, introduced earlier this month but not made available to MLAs and the public until Monday, says drivers must keep a distance of at least one metre when passing a bicycle or power-assisted bicycle. “The cyclist community has been pretty helpful on this issue for a long time — that they don’t always feel like motorists do pass at a safe distance, so we’re wanting to clarify that,” Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor told reporters Monday. “We’re going to need time to make sure motorists are educated,” she said. The Highway Traffic Act does not specify how close cyclists should ride at the right edge of the roadway or the clearance to be given a cyclist when travelling alongside or passing them. The Manitoba Driver’s Handbook says “drivers should pass a cyclist only when it’s safe to do so” and that “cycling advocacy groups suggest providing at least one metre of clearance.” The bill is a good start but doesn’t go far enough, said Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe. “We would really hope that we would mirror best practices in different jurisdictions … not just a straight, acrossthe- board one-metre passing distance, but really link that passing distance to speed,” Cohoe said Monday. At highway speeds, bikes should be given a wider berth, as in B.C., Cohoe said, where, at 50 km/h or more, motorists are to stay 1.5 metres away, he said. Speed is taken into consideration in the Manitoba Driver’s Handbook: “Extra caution must be exercised and additional space may be required when passing cyclists” on highways. Naylor’s bill also requires a driver follow at least 30 metres behind a snowplow or other winter vehicle and 100 metres if the speed limit is more than 80 km/h. It does not say bikes should be given more room on the highway. “I think that’s something that’s missing here,” said Cohoe, who expects Bike Winnipeg to speak up if the bill proceeds to the committee stage, which is required before becoming law. Bill 38 also prohibits passing a winter maintenance vehicle “unless additional precautions are taken,” putting the onus on a motorist to proceed with caution when meeting a plow in an intersection or travelling in the opposite direction. “It’s important to give a wide berth to snowplow equipment,” Naylor said after question period Monday. The bill also authorizes operators of tow truck or other assistance vehicle to put down traffic control devices. carol.sanders(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: The cost of road expansion — permanent tax increases (Mar15'25)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Mar '25

15 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. The cost of road expansion — permanent tax increases MICHEL DURAND-WOOD https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/03/15/the-cost-of-r… THE city recently released an economic impact analysis on the extension of Chief Peguis Trail, a project slated to cost over $900 million including interest. We’re told it’s needed in order to unlock land for new development, to accommodate the city’s growth and to generate new revenue for the city. But here’s the thing: the analysis calculates that for this project, and all the development it will enable, to just break even on its infrastructure investment, the city needs to levy above-inflation tax increases every year going forward. In other words, the rest of the city will be subsidizing this development forever. It’s often hard to grasp the significance of the city spending dollar amounts in the millions, or even billions, to our own lives. So let me spell it out for you: extending Chief Peguis Trail will force your taxes to go up by more than inflation every year for the rest of eternity. Why would we ever agree to that? If we decide not to increase our taxes by that rate, then it’ll just show up as a sewer rate increase, or a garbage fee increase, or some other fee increase down the line. Sound familiar? And if we choose not to increase our taxes or our fees, then there won’t be enough money to fund the services we currently enjoy, or maintain the infrastructure we already own. So we’ll have to make cuts to library hours, close pools and rec centres, abandon bridges and leave potholes unfilled. This isn’t theoretical, the money is real. And we’re the ones who pay. And yet, this is how we’ve grown our city for nearly 80 years. Extend a road, build out a whole new development to a finished state with no possibility of change, then start again. That it costs more than it returns is the grand bargain we’ve accepted in exchange for the ability to keep our own neighbourhoods from changing. But as we’re seeing, that grand bargain has a compounding financial cost. At the end of 2023, the city’s net financial position was negative $1.2 billion. That’s how much we’ve already spent subsidizing current developments that we’ll need to make up in future budget years, either with above-inflation tax increases, fee increases, service cuts or neglecting existing infrastructure. Our 2024 and 2025 budgets project that to worsen to $1.8 billion by the end of this year. Assuming the province or the feds will help us is forgetting that there’s only one taxpayer. The money is coming from us no matter what. It’s also forgetting that Winnipeg isn’t the only city that has grown this way. There isn’t enough money to go around, and it’s not even close. But there’s a big messy gap between being against an insolvent development pattern that costs more to service than it returns in economic benefits, and being for the things that will help improve our collective fate. From a financial perspective, given that 88 per cent of our infrastructure is just the roads and pipes, our biggest gains will come from making more efficient use of those that are already built. But making better use of those pipes means every neighbourhood in the city will have to accept the possibility of having two, three or four homes where there used to only be one. After all, Canadians use half as much water per person as they did in the 1970s, and many of our older neighbourhoods have half the population today as in the 1970s, meaning some of those pipes are carrying as little as 25 per cent of their capacity compared to 50 years ago. Making better use of our existing road capacity means having more trips taken on foot, on bike and on transit, moving more people in the same amount of space, while leaving more room for commercial traffic. That will only happen by reallocating some of the space to those other modes with wider sidewalks, bike or transit-only lanes and reducing vehicle speeds in some areas. After all, we won’t get more people opting for walking, biking and transit if those choices aren’t safe, convenient and reliable. After eight decades of having our neighbourhoods not change, it is certainly reasonable to expect that to continue. But that has a cost. Choosing to continue with the same approach means we have to accept more above-inflation tax increases, fee increases, service cuts and neglect of our infrastructure. Forever. Ultimately, what we “want” and what we’re willing and able to pay for may not be the same thing. Yes, transitioning to a city that allows a fourplex next door, reduces vehicle speeds and prioritizes active transportation over more road infrastructure is going to be an uncomfortable, awkward and messy process. But looking at the city’s finances, the alternative is certainly much, much worse. Tell your councillor. Michel Durand-Wood writes about municipal issues at DearWinnipeg. com, and is the author of the upcoming book, You’ll Pay for This.

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Our City, Our Podcast - Chris from Active Transportation
by Beth McKechnie 14 Mar '25

14 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://podcast.winnipeg.ca/12

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CBC: Pedestrians now have 5-second head start at nearly 100 downtown Winnipeg intersections
by Beth McKechnie 12 Mar '25

12 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City found drop in 'near miss events' after it started testing out system at some intersections https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pedestrians-head-start-downtown-win…

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WFP: Pedestrians get head start downtown (Mar11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Mar '25

11 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. PEDESTRIANS will soon get a five-second head start at many downtown intersections. Workers have begun installing leading pedestrian intervals at nearly 100 downtown intersections, the city said in a news release Monday. The change will give pedestrians a five-second head start to cross a street before drivers travelling the same way get a green light. Council’s public works committee instructed staff last month to make the change citywide at all eligible signalized intersections within the year.

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Community Toolkit for the Primary Transit Network and its feeder routes
by Beth McKechnie 07 Mar '25

07 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Primary Transit Network [City of Winnipeg | Ville de Winnipeg]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Winnipeg Transit Master Plan<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Plan directeur du transport en commun de Winnipeg<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> En français Community Toolkit for the Primary Transit Network and its feeder routes Help us spread the word! We are reaching out with an important update about the next step in the Winnipeg Transit Master Plan. Our new transit network the Primary Transit Network and its feeder routes launches June 29, 2025. Schedules for the new network will go online in late April. New signs will soon appear at a bus stop near you. In the meantime, we have created a community toolkit of resources<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> to help get the word out. It includes a poster, fact sheet, text for newsletters and social media resources. If you are involved in a group or school community of transit users, we encourage you to share these resources as you are able. We will add to this toolkit as more information and resources become available. We have also updated our Primary Transit Network page<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…>. It will be the main source for information in the leadup to this launch. Thank you again to everyone who contributed to the Winnipeg Transit Master Plan. And thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts as we finalized the new network in 2024. We look forward to bringing you bus service that is more frequent, direct, connected, and easy to use. Regards, The Primary Transit Network project team ________________________________ Share on X<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> | Share on Facebook<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Boîte à outils communautaire pour le réseau de transport en commun principal et ses lignes secondaires Aidez-nous à répandre l’information! Nous souhaitons vous donner une mise à jour importante sur la prochaine étape du Plan directeur du transport en commun de Winnipeg. Notre nouveau réseau de transport en commun, le réseau de transport en commun principal et ses lignes secondaires, sera lancé le 29 juin 2025. Les horaires associés au nouveau réseau seront publiés en ligne fin avril. De nouveaux panneaux seront bientôt installés à un arrêt d’autobus près de chez vous. Entre-temps, nous avons créé une boîte à outils communautaire<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> contenant des ressources qui vous aideront à faire passer le mot. Elle contient une affiche, une fiche d’information, du contenu pour les bulletins et des ressources associées aux médias sociaux. Si vous faites partie d’un groupe ou d’une communauté scolaire d’usagers du transport en commun, nous vous encourageons à faire votre possible pour diffuser ces ressources. Nous ajouterons d’autres renseignements et ressources à cette boîte à outils dès qu’ils seront disponibles. Nous avons aussi mis à jour notre page sur le réseau de transport en commun principal<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…>. Il s’agira de la source de renseignements principale pendant la période précédant le lancement. Merci encore une fois à toutes les personnes qui ont contribué au Plan directeur du transport en commun de Winnipeg. Et merci à toutes les personnes qui se sont exprimées pendant que nous finalisions le nouveau réseau en 2024. Nous avons hâte de vous proposer un service d’autobus plus fréquent, direct, relié et convivial. Merci, L’équipe de projet du réseau de transport en commun principal Partager sur X<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> | Partager sur Facebook<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Connect with us: Suivez-nous : [Twitter]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…>[Facebook]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…>[YouTube]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…>[LinkedIn]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…>[Instagram]<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Related Winnipeg Transit Master Plan<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Winnipeg Transit<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> winnipeg.ca<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Information reliée Plan directeur du transport en commun de Winnipeg<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> Winnipeg Transit<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…> winnipeg.ca<https://communications.winnipeg.ca/ext/click/go/ca8b374c639b6c0f66363fd2c16…>

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WFP: Driver gets jail time for killing cyclist in hit-and-run (Mar6'25)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Mar '25

06 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Driver gets jail time for killing cyclist in hit-and-run https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/03/05/driver-gets-jail-… A 19-year-old Winnipeg man who was driving more than three times the speed limit when he struck and killed a cyclist on Wellington Crescent has been sentenced to three years in custody and prohibited from driving for five years. Beckham Severight previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and leaving the scene of a collision for the June 6 crash that killed 61-year-old Rob Jenner. “The sentence must be denunciatory,” provincial court Judge Cynthia Devine said Wednesday. “Causing the loss of a life is the ultimate crime.” Jenner’s death sent shock waves through the city’s cycling community, many members of whom were in court Wednesday for Severight’s sentencing. “Every cyclist in Winnipeg has felt endangered, frightened, distrustful and terrorized at some point over the past eight months,” Devine said Severight asked his roommate, Lyle Barker-Young, on the morning of the collision whether he could take his leased 2013 BMW sedan for a drive. Severight had only a learner’s permit. Barker-Young, 18, had a valid licence and accompanied Severight but did not qualify as a supervising driver. According to an agreed statement of facts previously provided to court, Severight was driving eastbound on Wellington in the curb lane shortly before 7 a.m. when he “rapidly accelerated his speed” as he rounded a curve near the intersection with Hugo Street. Jenner was ahead, cycling in the same lane. Severight saw Jenner and tried to avoid hitting him but lost control of the car and went into a skid before crashing into the back of Jenner’s bike, sending him crashing onto the car’s hood. Witnesses said Jenner was thrown at least 10 feet into the air before he came to rest just off the roadway. A collision reconstructionist determined Severight had been driving at least 159 km/h immediately before the crash. The posted speed limit at the location is 50 km/h. Barker-Young told Severight not to stop and he drove away before stopping a short time later so Barker-Young could drive. “(Severight’s) buddy kept telling him to flee; his conscience kept telling him to stop,” Devine said. “The bad advice from his 18-year-old friend won the day and he drove away.” Jenner was taken to hospital and was pronounced dead 30 minutes later. Witnesses called police with a description of Severight’s vehicle and the two men were arrested later that morning in a common area of their apartment building. Prosecutors had recommended Severight be sentenced to four years in prison, while defence lawyer Mike Cook urged Devine to sentence Severight to 18 months in jail followed by 18 months of supervised probation, arguing he was a caring young man who had overcome personal challenges in his youth and was deeply remorseful for his actions. Devine said she was satisfied Severight’s experience as an Indigenous man — including a family history of residential school involvement, years spent in foster care and personal tragedy — served to reduce his moral blameworthiness for the crash. More than 30 people provided support letters to court describing Severight as a humble, generous and hard-working man driven to help others. “People who know him were universally shocked to learn of the fatal accident because it was totally out of character for him,” Devine said. Devine credited Severight for time already served, reducing his remaining sentence to just over 22 months, meaning he will serve the remainder of his sentence in a provincial jail, not federal prison. Devine ordered that Severight serve an additional 12 months of supervised probation upon his release from custody. Severight said at a sentencing hearing last month that he was “ashamed” of himself. “I will never forgive myself,” he said. “I have spent countless hours and sleepless nights thinking about the harm I have caused.” Outside court, Wendy Van Loon, Jenner’s partner, said she had hoped Severight would have received a longer sentence as a message to other young drivers tempted to engage in reckless behaviour. “I wouldn’t say I’m pleased, but I understand (the judge’s decision),” she said. Cook said Severight was relieved to have sentencing behind him. “He told me before court he would accept the court’s decision, whatever it was,” Cook said outside court. Barker-Young is charged with leaving the scene of a collision and remains before the court. dean.pritchard(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Portage and Main reopening on track, on budget: staff (Mar5'25)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Mar '25

05 Mar '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Portage and Main reopening on track, on budget: staff https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/03/04/portage-and-main-… THE reopening of Portage and Main to pedestrians remains on schedule and within the current budget, city staff told Winnipeg’s public works committee Tuesday. The city expects to reopen the intersection to foot traffic by July 1 to coincide with the launch of an overhauled Winnipeg Transit network. Boarding has gone up at all four corners of Portage Avenue and Main Street while work continues on street, curb and sidewalk construction, and utilities. A staircase at the southeast corner, leading to an underground concourse, is being closed off. Lane closures remain in effect. The intersection has been closed to foot traffic since 1979. Council approved the reopening in an 11-3 vote in March 2024, after a staff report found it would cost $73 million and cause up to five years of construction-related traffic disruption to replace a waterproof membrane that protects a pedestrian concourse beneath the intersection. The project’s cost increased to $21 million in November, a month before construction officially began. Crews finished removing the intersection’s concrete barricades in mid-February. The city is looking at options to close the concourse, but has not yet set a date to do so. Meanwhile, at Tuesday’s meeting, the public works committee approved a proposal to conduct an independent “value for money” assessment of extending Chief Peguis Trail in north Winnipeg. The assessment requires council approval before the city can issue a request for proposals. A staff report said the extension from Main Street to Brookside Boulevard would cost $755 million, plus $147 million in interest, if the city funds it solely through debt. The city could explore traditional construction, a public- private partnership and other options to extend Chief Peguis, the report said. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:fpcity@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Pedestrian scramble pilot project proposed (Feb27'25)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Feb '25

27 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pedestrian scramble pilot project proposed https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/02/26/pedestrian-scramb… CBC coverage: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-king-bannatyne-pedestrian-… THE city’s public service is seeking approval to test a pedestrian scramble in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. If approved by council’s public works committee in early March, the pilot project would introduce Winnipeg’s first pedestrian scramble, simultaneously allowing foot traffic at King Street and Bannatyne Avenue in all four directions. Two options were developed for the pilot, including the recommended $1,000 low-cost option that wouldn’t allow for diagonal crossing at the intersection. The high-cost option, which would permit diagonal crossings, is estimated to cost $360,000 as it would require infrastructure changes. A report to the committee said the recommendation for the low-cost option will allow the public works department time to better understand the benefits and trade-offs before making a decision on the high-cost option. “This is a relatively small investment to do a small trial pilot in one intersection,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “So I’m certainly open to proceeding with that and let’s see how that goes to test it out.” Pedestrian scrambles are said to improve safety by eliminating conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles trying to turn. There are two main types of pedestrian scrambles. Type 1 only allows pedestrians to cross during the scramble phase. Type 2 allows pedestrians to cross during the scramble phases and while motorists travel in the same direction. Type 2 is similar to most signalized intersections, with an added third phase that would halt all vehicle traffic to allow for pedestrian crossings in all directions. The report states a Type 1 scramble was not “considered feasible” at any intersection because of the extensive delays it would cause for people on foot, which would be “expected to negatively impact compliance and safety.” “I think we should do it,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. “It’s a pilot project … it’s $1,000 worth of signage. The scramble will not be a diagonal scramble for a thousand dollars. It will be intersection to intersection. The timing will allow pedestrians to go from one intersection through the other intersection … King to Bannatyne and across.” Lukes said the more costly option may not be worth the price. “If we are going to look at the diagonal scramble, then we need to do major infrastructure upgrades to that intersection because we have to have accessibility, we have to have lights … and that would require the report to be sent back to the department to find out what it would cost and then where it would fit in our level of priorities. I don’t think, personally, it would fit high in the level of priorities. But we’ll find out from the department.” King and Bannatyne was one of four intersections found most promising after screenings. The others included Albert Street and McDermot Avenue, Arthur Street and McDermot and Princess Street and Bannatyne. Osborne Street and River Avenue was considered in 2024 but was not recommended then, and when reviewed again recently was left off the short list. Considerations for each intersection included high-pedestrian and low vehicle volumes, smaller intersections and active land use. Other factors included construction feasibility and cost, collision history and road user delays for pedestrians, cyclists, transit, trucks and other motorists. “This intersection is adjacent to Old Market Square and considered a relatively high pedestrian activity area in the Exchange District with placemaking opportunities,” the report said regarding King and Bannatyne. “It was the only intersection assessed that showed a Type 2 scramble would reduce pedestrian delay while creating acceptable increases in motorist delay. “The other locations assessed shows pedestrian delay would worsen or stay about the same, which indicates a pedestrian scramble would not have much benefit over existing conditions.” The Type 2 pilot project would shorten pedestrian delays by nine seconds east and west and one second north and south while increasing motorist delays for westbound traffic by seven seconds and northbound traffic by 17 seconds. A Type 1 scramble would see an added 30-second delay for pedestrian traffic going east and west, and 28 seconds going north and south. Motorist delays would be the same as Type 2. If public works signs off on the project, city staff will report back to the committee in April 2026. — with files from Joyanne Pursaga scott.billeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Peguis extension pricey but worth it: mayor (Feb27'25)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Feb '25

27 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Benefits for trade, investment outweigh $755-M cost, city says Peguis extension pricey but worth it: mayor https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/02/26/mayor-says-skyroc… THE cost to extend Chief Peguis Trail in north Winnipeg has risen by hundreds of millions of dollars but city officials predict its benefits would still outweigh its price. Extending the trail from Main Street to Brookside Boulevard would cost $755 million, plus $147 million in interest, if the city funds it solely through debt, a new city report notes. In 2019, the project was expected to cost $449 million, plus $38 million in interest (if funded by debt). Mayor Scott Gillingham said the project is worth its hefty tab, since it would better connect trade routes. “Right now, we as a community are facing the threat of tariffs … We need to be investor-ready so that we can pivot and open up the City of Winnipeg’s economy and the provincial economy to new markets,” said Gillingham. Chief Peguis Trail currently runs from Lagimodiere Boulevard to Main Street. The mayor said the city would need help from the provincial and federal governments to pay for the extension to Brookside Boulevard. He said he’s confident that funding will be provided. “This is an important project for all three levels of government … federal and provincial governments have keen interest in this,” said Gillingham. The mayor credited much of the price hike to construction inflation, while he stressed completing the project would result in a substantial boost to the economy over time. A financial analysis predicts the project would allow the city to develop 1,200 net acres of residential land and 600 net acres of employment land. Over 75 years, the project should create thousands of jobs and trigger a $1.83-billion revenue boost, after expenses are accounted for, according to the report. “It will unlock much-needed residential development, up to 15,000 homes, and needed employment lands,” said Gillingham. The report notes that the financial forecast assumes property tax rates will continue to grow by 3.5 per cent each year, while lower tax hikes would produce far less revenue. “Between 1991 and 2024, the compound annual growth rate in property taxes for the average homeowner has been 1.9 per cent — at this rate, the development would run a significant deficit for the entire analysis period,” writes Brad Neirinck, the city’s manager of engineering. The project is expected to start paying off much sooner if provincial and federal governments help fund it. City staff describe the trail extension as a “major transportation project” that is key to enabling development and supporting Winnipeg’s population growth. “(Chief Peguis Trail) is intended to provide a continuous east-west link between the east and west section of the Perimeter Highway via CentrePort Canada Way, thereby improving access to industrial parks in the vicinity of the airport and further (developing) the strategic road network,” writes Neirinck. He suggests Winnipeggers would also benefit from reduced vehicle travel times, new active transportation facilities and decreased greenhouse gas emissions (due to reduced fuel consumption), if the project is built. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said the city’s top infrastructure priority is completing a multibillion- dollar upgrade of the north end sewage treatment plant. However, Lukes echoed the mayor’s view that Chief Peguis Trail remains a key priority. “It’s a lot of money. And it’ll probably be more money by the time it gets around to being built. … But now with what’s going on in the world, with potential tariffs … Canada needs to think (about) how we move goods internally,” said Lukes. If threatened tariffs become a reality and deliver a substantial blow to the economy, Lukes said that could trigger stimulus spending that helps pay for the project. However, some councillors aren’t convinced the extension is worth its price. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said a new road project that could cost more than $900 million is tough to justify while the city struggles with a multibillion- dollar infrastructure deficit. Allard said tax-increment financing grants that trigger the construction of new city buildings would likely create a much bigger return on investment than major road projects. “I do acknowledge there is some economic benefit (to the trail extension) but it also comes with a liability of having to maintain the road,” said Allard. If city council approves, staff will complete an independent “value for money” assessment of the project. The city could explore traditional construction, a public-private partnership and other options to build the extension, the report notes. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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Bike-bus
by feaver＠mts.net 24 Feb '25

24 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/20/cycling-to-school-almos…

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WFP: Pedestrians to get five-second jump on traffic downtown (Feb15'25)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Feb '25

15 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pedestrians to get five-second jump on traffic downtown https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/02/14/signal-change-wil… Winnipeg pedestrians will soon get a head start to cross many intersections more safely. Beginning in early March, city officials will start installing leading pedestrian intervals at about 80 per cent of signalized intersections in the downtown, a city staff report notes. “The head start allows pedestrians to be more visible in the intersection before the signal turns green for vehicles,” wrote David Patman, the city’s manager of transportation planning. Leading pedestrian intervals provide a four- to six-second head start for pedestrians to begin crossing an intersection before the signal turns green for vehicles travelling the same direction, Patman wrote. The downtown changes will signal pedestrians to cross five seconds before vehicles. On Friday, council’s public works committee welcomed the signal changes and expanded them. The committee instructed staff to implement the change citywide at all eligible signalized intersections within the year. A progress report is due back in six months. “It gives (foot traffic) a head start in crossing the intersection, versus pedestrians starting and cars just taking off… I strongly support anything we can do to support the vulnerable road user, which is the pedestrians,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. “Most of the death and carnage… (from collisions happens) at intersections.” Lukes (Waverley West) noted the change resulted in a 13 per cent reduction in collisions in other cities. The traffic signals branch will revise timing throughout downtown to support the reopening of pedestrian crossings at Portage Avenue and Main Street later this year, so the changes happen simultaneously. The public works department can do the work at no added capital cost, the report noted. “It’s a very cost-effective way to increase safety for the vulnerable road user…. If we can even do 50 per cent of (the installations) within a year … That’s fantastic,” said Lukes. The staff report notes some intersections aren’t suited to the change and selection will consider potential traffic delays, pedestrian crash risk and pedestrian volumes. “Not every intersection of downtown is being done. Where there’s… already delay or there’s congestion, we’re not including them,” Patman told the public works committee. Head start signals also won’t be added at intersections that already restrict vehicles from turning during the pedestrian crossing phase, the report said. The city previously installed head start signals at approximately 30 intersections, including at Bannatyne Avenue and Main Street, Broadway and Main Street, Main Street and Market Avenue, Main Street and McDermot Avenue, Osborne Street and Stradbrook Avenue and Osborne Street and River Road. Early results of video surveillance at those intersections (among those with sufficient data) found an average 35 per cent reduction of “near miss” incidents. Between 2012 and 2018, an average of 33 per cent of all road-related fatalities and 10 per cent of all major injury collisions in Winnipeg involved a pedestrian, with most taking place at intersections, according to the report. And from 2015 to 2022, about 275 pedestrians were involved in road-related crashes downtown, including 13 that resulted in major injuries and eight in fatalities. Staff expect the signal change to be completed at the selected downtown intersections in May. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Bus line to launch route from Winnipeg to Flin Flon / Kasper announces Winnipeg to Thompson service (Feb11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '25

11 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Bus line to launch route from Winnipeg to Flin Flon https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2025/02/11/bus-line-to-launch-ro… SEVERAL northern Manitoba communities will have another option for bus travel to Winnipeg come spring. NCN Thompson Bus Lines announced Monday it will launch a regular route from Winnipeg to Flin Flon through Dauphin and The Pas beginning April 1. The company also announced its investment in The Pas via a bus terminal building it has purchased and is redeveloping in the town — its third facility in the province, including Thompson and Winnipeg. NCN Thompson is investing more than $1.5 million to upgrade the building and expand its fleet this year, according to Siddharth Varma, co-owner and chief operating officer. The company has aspired to offer passenger bus service up the western side of the province since it started in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed those plans, he said. The expansion will add regular Monday to Friday daytime passenger service that will connect Flin Flon, The Pas, Swan River, Dauphin, Portage la Prairie and Winnipeg. Freight pickups and drop-offs will also be available along the entire route, along with final mile deliveries. “We believe community members need something reliable, long-lasting and feasible, so we are here to facilitate that,” Varma said. NCN Thompson has not finalized the ticket pricing yet, but they “will be very affordable and competitive in nature,” he added. The expansion will create jobs in northern Manitoba. Seven new staff based in The Pas — four bus drivers, two bus depot staff and a mechanic — have already been hired. The announcement of NCN Thompson’s Winnipeg to Flin Flon route comes two-and-a-half months after Kasper Bus Lines, an Ontario-based company, launched a regular route from Winnipeg to The Pas through Dauphin. Transportation between northern Manitoba and southern Manitoba is vital, according to Andre Murphy, mayor of The Pas. Some community members don’t have their own vehicles, so they use the bus for medical travel and to connect with their family and friends. “Adding NCN is just going to expand that service level and fill that need that much further,” Murphy said. “We’re very happy with NCN. We’re very happy Kasper Bus Lines has joined us and this is a critical service that’s needed in northern Manitoba.” Kasper Wabinski, president of Kasper Bus Lines, doesn’t anticipate NCN Thompson’s new route impacting his business. “People know what we’re known for: safe and reliable transportation. I’m going to continue to offer a dependable, safe service,” Wabinski said. Varma founded NCN Thompson Bus Lines with James Pelk in 2018 to service Manitoba communities along Highways 6 and 280 after Greyhound ended its Manitoba routes. The company’s registered business name is Thompson Bus and Freight. NCN Thompson is partnered with Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation (NCN), a First Nation in Nelson House, about 80 kilometres west of Thompson. The company has been accused in the past by customers and former staff of running its buses with little heat in the middle of winter. Varma said Monday that while the company has had “some hiccups” in previous years, he and his colleagues are serious about the safety, security and comfort of NCN Thompson passengers. The company runs its buses 365 days a year, making close to 700 trips between Winnipeg and Thompson annually that transport more than 33,000 people, he said. “Yes, a couple of times we had issues and there have been negative social media posts in the past, but we are giving a lot of serious effort and investment toward making sure the buses are safe and secure and they have operational heat,” he said. By the end of February, NCN Thompson will have added five buses to its fleet, Varma added. Each bus carries around 50 passengers. Two of the buses are 2020 models and three are brand new 2025 models. Details about the new routes will be available on the company’s website soon, Varma said. Kasper announces Winnipeg to Thompson service HOURS after NCN Thompson Bus Lines publicized its Winnipeg to Flin Flon route, Kasper Bus Lines announced Monday on its Facebook page that it will offer a Winnipeg to Thompson route starting in the next month. The service will run Sunday to Friday and cost $100-$130 per ticket, according to Kasper Wabinski, who owns the Ontario-based company. The 30-passenger buses will include bathrooms, Starlink internet access and USB chargers. Kasper Bus Lines joins NCN Thompson and Greywolf Bus, which launched Dec. 26, 2024, in offering service from Winnipeg to Thompson. “Thompson was always part of the expansion plan,” Wabinski said, adding that he wants his company to service all of Manitoba. “I think it’s an appropriate day to make the announcement.” Kasper Bus Lines operates within Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. It has 42 employees and will add at least eight more in the coming months, according to Wabinski, who also heads the Coast to Coast Bus Coalition. aaron.epp(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: City waits to clear snow from sidewalks, then does it fast (Feb11'25)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '25

11 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City waits to clear snow from sidewalks, then does it fast Report finds only Sudbury allows more white stuff to fall before plows come out https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/02/10/city-waits-to-cle… WINNIPEG gets more snow than other Prairie cities, gets the least snowpack melt, has the fewest days when salt can melt snow — and takes longer than most cities to begin clearing sidewalks. A new city report shows that four of the eight cities that responded to a query from Winnipeg about their sidewalk snow clearing begin plowing as soon as the snow begins to fall. While Winnipeg waits until five centimetres of snow has accumulated before it begins plowing operations, the report found Edmonton, Steinbach, Quebec City and St. John’s begin plowing at the beginning of a snowfall. The report, being presented to the civic public works committee on Friday, found Winnipeg is behind three other cities: Calgary starts its plow as soon as the snow stops falling; Saskatoon starts when there are two centimetres on the ground; and Ottawa calls out the plows when 2.5 centimetres has accumulated. Only Sudbury, which waits until eight centimetres of snow has fallen, takes longer to start clearing sidewalks. Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman, said while sidewalk plows aren’t deployed immediately, when they are they can cover the city faster because there are more of them — and she believes they are doing a good job. “Honestly, and I’m almost afraid to say this, I think I’ve had one complaint this year on the sidewalks and bike paths,” Lukes said. “Maybe it is because we have more machines and we’ve put more labour into it. We got 15 (more sidewalk-clearing) machines last year — this is the first year we’re really using them. We are out there sooner. We used to wait a lot longer before we went out.” Winnipeg also has more kilometres of snow to clear than most cities, Lukes said. The report states Winnipeg has 3,466 kilometres of sidewalks and paths, less than Edmonton’s 4,400 kilometres, but far more than Sudbury’s 538. City council made some sidewalk snow-clearing changes last year. While the starting amount for operations to begin had already been reduced from eight centimetres of snow to five centimetres, it was also changed to have a deadline of finishing all residential sidewalks within 36 hours. Disability advocates admit this year the city is doing a good job, but there are still problems. Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities, said the S(NO)W Plow campaign on Facebook it established with other organizations representing people with disabilities and seniors has received nine complaints this winter compared to 14 last winter. “There are still a lot of people who don’t get out because they feel it is unsafe. The plowing has been good when there has been a dump of snow, but what about the in-between? The snow comes down and it adds up. This impacts people,” Graham said. David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, said he agrees the city has done a better job clearing sidewalks so far this year. “I’ve got to give them kudos. I think they’re doing a better job, but there is always room for improvement. It looks better. I think our (snow clearing) policy has been well established — as long as they follow it, ” Kron said. “I know this is a winter city and I’m willing to work with them.” kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Weekly: Rebuilt bridge enhances transportation options (Feb5'25)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Feb '25

05 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Rebuilt bridge enhances transportation options https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/correspondents/2025/02/05… As someone who likes to ride a bicycle to get around in St. Vital and Winnipeg, I’d like to take a moment to say thank you to the City of Winnipeg for the quality of the newly renovated St Vital Bridge. With the completion of the freshly rebuilt span connecting St. Vital to Fort Rouge, the experience of people who walk and cycle and roll has been dramatically improved. The bridge has been completely modernized, with wide, high-quality sidewalks and cycling paths on either side, in addition to excellent and comprehensive connecting pathways and facilities on both sides. What was once a dangerous choke point that shoved walkers and cyclists up against each other on a narrow sidewalk has become a wide and accommodating deck. It feels welcoming and safe. No longer will people walking and cycling need to get into awkward conflict, with one or both being pinned to the side to pass each other. Those riding on both sides can now get on and off the bridge from convenient, direct pathways that link both back to the on-street cycling network and into the off-street pathway system. This is the latest major infrastructure upgrade in St. Vital to consider the needs of those young and old that travel the community by bicycle and on-foot. The nearby St. Anne’s Road and Fermor Avenue intersection is now a much-improved shared-use space that makes reasonable accommodation for all modes of transport in a busy location. It is heartening to see that the city is heading in the right direction, after many years of delays in trying to create more freedom and practicality of choice for the public. Thank you to the many leaders, activists, and officials who contributed to delivering this encouraging progress. It’s my fervent hope that this momentum continues in the years to come so that my children and generations to come have safe, empowering, and enjoyable streets and outdoors in Winnipeg. Ryan Palmquist is managing director of Save Our Seine and a community correspondent for St. Vital.

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