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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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WFP: ‘Getting more butts on bikes’ (Jun2'25)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '25

02 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ‘Getting more butts on bikes’ Charleswood resident shares his passion for cycling through his volunteer work https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/02/getting-more-butt… DAVE Elmore recalls the ribbing he got as a teenager when many of his friends were buying their first cars and he bought a bike instead: a blue 10-speed CCM Turismo. “Cycling’s always been important to me,” he says. “It’s always been something I’ve done.” Today, the 70-year-old Charleswood resident shares his passion for cycling through his volunteer work as chairperson of Bike Week Winnipeg. The annual event features programming meant to encourage and engage cyclists. This year’s edition takes place June 8-14. “It’s all about getting more butts on bikes,” Elmore says. An engineer by training, Elmore was working as a project manager for the federal government when he started commuting to work by bike in the early 1990s. He co-founded the cycling advocacy group Bike to the Future, now known as Bike Winnipeg, in 2007. The following year, he helped start Bike to Work Day, an annual one-day event for bicycle commuters. In 2014, the event was rebranded as Bike Week. With the rebrand came an expanded mandate to engage cyclists of all kinds — whether they ride for everyday transportation, recreation or some other reason. Rather than create change through advocacy, Elmore says, Bike Week attempts to create cultural change by engaging riders, trying to get more people involved in cycling and growing their understanding that bicycles can be a part of the city’s transportation culture. While Bike to Work Day is still one of the week’s flagship events (it takes place June 10), this year’s Bike Week will feature numerous activities for people of all ages and abilities, including group rides, workshops, games and a wrap-up party on the legislative grounds on June 14. Last year’s Bike Week drew more than 14,000 people to 160 events over seven days, according to a report prepared by Fête Jockey Events Inc., which helps organize and manage Bike Week. Elmore expects similar numbers this year. Bike Week “adds to the culture and visibility of cycling across the city,” says Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “(It’s) creating those opportunities to give people that experience of cycling so they can get out there and imagine it as part of their everyday life,” he says. “It’s everyday people who are looking for those cycling opportunities — not just some radical core of people. It’s everyday folks. It’s our neighbours, our aunts, our uncles and our siblings that want to get out riding.” Cohoe praises Elmore’s efforts, describing the retiree as “tireless (and) ageless.” “(He’s) someone who’s committed a huge amount of time to making the city better, to helping us all be a little bit more environmentally friendly and sustainable, and someone who’s always ready to take on the task, big or small,” Cohoe says. “You get a smiling face, you get a hello and a warm welcome from Dave every time.” In addition to chairing Bike Week, Elmore is a mechanic at the WRENCH community bike shop, he teaches cycling skills to middle school students and he leads spin classes twice a week at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg. The grandfather of two rides to these volunteer commitments on one of his eight bikes — usually either his red Surly or chrome Sekine. “Ultimately I don’t look at any of them as work because I enjoy doing them, and I guess I’m seeing the benefits because I’m seeing more and more people on bikes,” Elmore says of his volunteer commitments. “The things that we’re doing as different organizations, whether it’s Bike Winnipeg or Bike Week, are making a difference in our city, and that keeps me going.” If you know a special volunteer, email aaron.epp(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca>. [https://winnipeg-can.newsmemory.com/eebrowser/ipad/html5.check.25012021/aja…]

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WFP: Businesses lose parking to buses (May22'25)
by Beth McKechnie 22 May '25

22 May '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Businesses lose parking to buses ‘The daily turnover of these ... spots generate substantial revenue’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/05/22/businesses-lose-p… MERCHANTS of Grosvenor Square are irate the city is relocating a bus stop along Grosvenor Avenue and removing several parking spaces they say are vital for business. “People tell me all the time, ‘I’ll come in if I can find parking,’ and this is going to seriously affect me,” said Chris Atkinson, owner of Lilac Bakery at 930 Grosvenor Ave. As part of Winnipeg Transit’s massive overhaul, all four current stops at the intersection of Grosvenor Avenue and Stafford Street will be removed and replaced with three new stops, including one in front of the bakery and several other shops. Atkinson estimates the new bus stop is taking away five parking stalls. City crews installed “no stopping” signage on the strip last week. “There was no consultation, no one had any idea this was even happening,” Atkinson said. Other businesses in Grosvenor Square include restaurants, a furniture store, boutique, dry-cleaning, a yoga studio and hair salon. Atkinson says much of his customer base park momentarily to pick up orders or a quick treat and he already competes for parking with the other businesses. The bakery has a few parking stalls in the back lane behind his shop but they are usually reserved for staff, he said. “We pay taxes and employ people. I’m all for active transportation but, unfortunately, we’re still a car-centric city and these spots are valuable,” Atkinson said. The bakery has seen increased walk-in traffic in recent years owing to a concentration of businesses moving into the area, but many still drive across town for a taste of Lilac’s coveted red velvet cake and other confections. A city spokesperson said parking would be reinstated where possible. Megan Benedictson said while some spaces would be removed in front of Lilac Bakery, an existing bus stop (northbound Stafford, near-side Academy) would be removed and parking added there. The new parking spaces will be a 20-metre walk from the front door of the bakery. Across the street at Metro Cleaners, owner Gus Lefas said the relocation of the bus stop means drivers will use his parking lot instead. Lefas has been at 917 Grosvenor Ave., since 1961 and has always had ample parking, but with the host of businesses now in the area, times have changed. He fears the new stop location will completely dry up Lilac’s business. “They can’t just move the stop 50 feet behind the houses? Won’t bother nobody, I don’t know why they’re doing this,” Lefas said. The city considered availability of space, transfer walking distance, pedestrian infrastructure, existing stop infrastructure, safety, adjacent land use and parking impacts in choosing where bus stops will go, Benedictson said. Atkinson wrote a letter to the mayor and area councillors Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) and John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) signed by six nearby businesses. “Unlike suburban areas where parking is ample, the Grosvenor Square merchants do not have that luxury and have relied on and built businesses with this parking in mind; we need it to survive. Most of us have no parking at all, outside street parking. The daily turnover of these mentioned parking spots generate substantial revenue for the neighbourhood businesses,” a portion of the letter states. Orlikow said while the stop isn’t in his constituency, he’s looking into the issue with Transit and exploring possible alternatives. He recognizes the imposition on business in the area. “This transit overhaul has been a massive project and you can’t consult absolutely everybody … but we’re making sure that transit understands the impact it’s going to have on those businesses and seeing if there’s any other viable options,” Orlikow said. The city’s new transit network is expected to go online June 29. On May 1, Transit posted the upcoming schedules online so residents can become familiar with the new routes. nicole.buffie(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca>

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ParticipACTION report on creating a social norm for physical activity
by Michelle Porter 16 May '25

16 May '25

Here is a new report from ParticipACTION<https://www.participaction.com/> about creating a social norm for societal physical activity: MOVING TOWARDS A NEW NORMAL<https://www.participaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Social_Climate_Pa…>. Some of this information is relevant to active transportation of course. Michelle Michelle M. Porter, PhD, Professor | Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management | Director, Centre on Aging | 338 Isbister Building | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg, MB CANADA | R3T 2N2 | (204) 474-8795 michelle.porter(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:michelle.porter@umanitoba.ca> | Centre on Aging | University of Manitoba (umanitoba.ca)<https://umanitoba.ca/centre-on-aging/> | https://bsky.app/profile/um-coa-porter.bsky.social | linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150<https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150>

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WFP: Cycling advocates say city wasted time on safety (May7'25)
by Beth McKechnie 07 May '25

07 May '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Focus on unworkable bike path plan could have been better spent making roads safer, they say Cycling advocates say city wasted time on safety https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/05/06/no-speed-limits-f… Plus: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-cyclists-decry-delay-of-we… THE city will not set speed limits for bikes on active transportation paths, a decision cyclists say took valuable time away from real issues needed to make roads safer. More than a dozen cyclists gathered at city hall prior to a public works committee meeting Tuesday, displaying the white “ghost bike” that honours Rob Jenner, who was killed in a crash with a speeding vehicle on Wellington Crescent near Cockburn Street on June 6, 2024. During the meeting, members of the group urged the committee to urgently enact changes to make bike travel safer on Wellington. They argued key city staff should have been able to focus on that topic instead of researching options for an active transportation speed limit that officials ultimately deemed too difficult to enforce. “We would like to be here to talk about 30 km/h (speed limits) in residential areas … I do not want to be the next one killed on my way to work,” said Linda van de Laar. In December, city council ruled out calls to immediately reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 km/h on Wellington Crescent, from River Avenue to the western end of Academy Road. At the time, some councillors cautioned against elected officials imposing the change without having city traffic experts study it first. Council did direct staff to report on solutions to improve cyclist safety on the route that can be implemented this year. That report was originally due in April but was delayed until June. “It’s (now) one month before the anniversary of Rob Jenner’s death and there’s no sense (that) the urgency to fix a hole in our infrastructure as significant and deadly as Wellington Crescent is shared by our city leaders … We won’t see action until past the time of year when Rob needed it,” said Andrew Kohan. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said future changes must be thoroughly studied before the city proposes a plan to alter Wellington. “It is a very, very high volume regional road, so the public service wants to make sure it’s safe and they’re going to take their time … They’re taking their time to do a proper, comprehensive outreach and review,” said Lukes. The Waverley West councillor said she expects city staff may recommend converting a lane of Wellington Crescent into a bike path and lowering the speed limit. Lukes said the city has spent millions of dollars on safer active transportation routes in recent years. “Is it balanced right now from vehicular use to active transportation? I’d say absolutely not. But we’re evolving. We can’t do it overnight,” she said. The cycling advocates did support a city staff recommendation to rule out setting a speed limit along active transportation paths for electronic bikes, scooters and other similar devices. Public works cast a final vote to follow that advice on Tuesday afternoon. According to a city report, the municipal government lacks the authority to set separate speed limits on paths that form part of a road, highway or street under the Manitoba Highway Traffic Act, meaning speed limits could only be added on completely separated paths. The report suggests any such speed limits would be difficult to implement. “(That) would require significant new signage, be difficult to enforce, and likely have low compliance among higher speed users,” it notes. Councillors ordered the report after some residents complained a growing number of motorized bikes were rushing past pedestrians at unsafe speeds, creating a growing safety hazard, said Lukes. She agreed a bike speed limit isn’t a promising option to address that concern. “I think we can use our police service for better things that are more urgent,” said Lukes. The report notes most bikes aren’t even equipped with speedometers and don’t require registration, making tickets difficult to issue. Instead, city staff plan to create an educational program to teach all users how to safely share active transportation paths, with a focus on bicycles and electronic devices yielding to pedestrians. The city’s pedestrian and cycling strategy may also be updated to require new paths to have separate spaces for electronic devices/bicycles and pedestrians “when possible and feasible.” If the above measures don’t work, the report suggests the city could start making paths wider to better accommodate multiple modes of travel. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Community members to lead Jane’s Walks throughout the city (May2'25)
by Beth McKechnie 02 May '25

02 May '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. A 21-gun salute for urban theorist Jane Jacobs Community members to lead Jane’s Walks throughout the city ● Friday-Sunday ● Various locations ● Free ● For more info see: wfp.to/janeswalk<http://wfp.to/janeswalk> AFTER her time meeting with the City of Winnipeg in the ’90s, the world’s most famous urban theorist Jane Jacobs was reportedly gifted a $10 watch with the city logo. “It’s so funny because it came in this fancy little box,” laughs Caitlin Broms-Jacobs, Jane’s granddaughter, an oboist living and working in Winnipeg. If this gift seems like a token of underappreciation, Winnipeg offers Jane something of a 21-gun salute this May. That’s the number of Jane’s Walks hosted in Winnipeg this year between Friday and Sunday during the annual festival of free, community led-walking tours inspired by Jacobs. Started by friends and colleagues of hers shortly after her death in 2006, the concept quickly spread to cities around the world — more than 500 of them to date, according to the fest’s Toronto- based steering committee. “It’s all very decentralized and self-organizing,” says Jim Jacobs, Jane’s son. He lives in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood, where Caitlin grew up and Jane lived after emigrating to Canada from the United States in the late ’60s. “Its focus and value are not in promoting her thoughts or ideas… but to provide a soapbox,” he goes on. “People will say whatever they want to say and if the audience likes it, they’ll stay. And if they don’t, they’ll beat their feet!” This grassroots freedom is already in a certain Jacobian spirit. Jane Jacobs’ complex ideas evolved considerably after her 1961 classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities; the first book of many by a self-educated mother of three, which ultimately turned the urban-planning establishment on its head. (Although her son observes that establishment absorbed her ideas in ways that today sometimes amount to little more than window dressing — big shows of “community consultation,” for instance, that do little to shape planners’ schemes.) But certain throughlines tie this tapestry together. Jacobs championed vibrant, walkable neighbourhoods built on diversity, density and mixed-use development. She famously opposed top-down planning and urban renewal projects that she believed devastated communities. Instead, she emphasized local knowledge and organic interactions between everyday people in shaping successful urban life. If some of these ideas seem taken for granted today, it speaks to Jacobs’ towering influence — an influence resisted at first by an establishment more smitten with modernist visions that served “order and progress” at the expense of human-scale urbanism. Jane Jacobs became famous not just for her theories, but for her David-and-Goliath battles, waged with wit and grit, against powerful planners in New York and Toronto. It’s this plucky spirit from which local community organizer Michael Champagne and Jane’s Walk leader draws inspiration. “I know that too many people just drive down Selkirk Avenue or Main Street to get from one part of the city to the other,” says Champagne, who also organizes North End History, committed to social activist and heritage enterprises in the neighbourhood. He leads 100 Years of Main Street: Commerce and Community from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday and Selkirk Avenue: Yesterday & Tomorrow from 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday. “These walks invite Winnipeggers to get out of their vehicles to see the vibrant local organizations, businesses and people that are here because, like Jane Jacobs, we believe our community problems can be answered when we’re together.” Other Jane’s Walks this year explore Old Saint Boniface, the Exchange District and the histories of its garment and grain industries, St Norbert’s forests and more. “These walks are a nice, hyper-localized opportunity for us to listen to and learn about the solutions that are working,” says Champagne. According to Broms-Jacobs, Jane left her tour of Winnipeg especially interested in the North End’s history and future — a locale that, for all the challenges it may face, has a strong neighbourhood identity encompassing a mosaic of social groups and uses. What would she make of present- day Winnipeg? “Jane observed from a political point of view that having a city’s government controlled by its suburbs is devastating to a city,” says Jim Jacobs. Notwithstanding, he has an optimistic vision of the city. “There are certain long-standing characteristics of Winnipeg that count in its favour, even if they’re under-exploited, like a lot of mixed use neighborhoods,” says Jim Jacobs. “And there are these older buildings, some of which provide lower rent and more flexibility, more flexibility for entrepreneurs, community groups and artists.” One of those artists is Broms-Jacobs, who performs with such organizations as the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Fierbois duo, often in the city’s older, more centrally located churches that now serve partially as music venues. “It’s an open-minded, artistic, sensitive town … new ideas can flourish because it’s not so crushingly expensive,” she says. “And in the (15 years) that I’ve been here, I’ve just noticed such an amazing increase in diversity in the way that Torontonians think of diversity — in the international sense.” To see the full list of Winnipeg’s 2025 Jane’s Walk and to register visit winnipegarts.ca/janes-walk. The events are all free. conrad.sweatman(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:conrad.sweatman@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP: Online tool lets transit riders take incoming spine-and-feeder network for a spin (May1'25)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '25

01 May '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Online tool lets transit riders take incoming spine-and-feeder network for a spin https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/05/01/online-tool-lets-… Winnipeggers can start planning for a massive transformation that’s set to alter virtually every bus route. Winnipeg Transit will launch a new primary transit network on June 29. On Thursday, transit posted the upcoming schedules online, so users can try out virtual trips and sort out their best options in advance. Mayor Scott Gillingham said the information will help prepare riders for the biggest single-day change in Winnipeg Transit’s history. “With this new network, you’ll be able to get anywhere in Winnipeg more easily on routes that are more frequent, more reliable and more direct. It means faster commutes, shorter wait times and better customer service… This is big. This is bold change,” said Gillingham. [On Thursday, Winnipeg Transit posted the upcoming schedules online, so users can try out virtual trips and sort out their best options in advance.]<https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/05/322346…> On Thursday, Winnipeg Transit posted the upcoming schedules online, so users can try out virtual trips and sort out their best options in advance. Riders can visit Winnipeg Transit<https://www.winnipeg.ca/services-programs/transportation-roads-parking/tran…> to preview stops, routes, and trip plans. The new primary network will use a spine-and-feeder concept, where direct spines along major corridors are supported by a network of feeder routes throughout the city. “It’s a big change for passengers and we know how people like change,” joked Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. “So, I think all the information we’re launching today, all the training that we’re offering, will help demystify this transformation.” Lukes (Waverley West) said some of the most frequent routes will have buses arrive so often that Winnipeggers can just show up at times without checking the schedule first. “It will make transit better, so much better that probably our next big issue will be overcrowding on the buses because that’s what we’re seeing with the Blue Line (now),” she said. Lukes said Winnipeg Transit’s Blue Line, which stretches from southwest Winnipeg to downtown, has operated in similar fashion to the new network since 2020, proving the concept works. To support the broader change, the councillor said “travel trainers” will help educate the public, including students and seniors groups, about the new system. Bus drivers will receive extra help when they sign up for specific routes in the next week or so, said Bjorn Radstrom, Winnipeg Transit’s manager of service development. “We want them to not just know the route they’re driving, but understand the entire network,” said Radstrom. Winnipeg Transit has had a shortage of drivers in recent years but heavy recruitment has recently paid off, with sufficient drivers now in place to carry out a full summer schedule, he said. “It’s looking better than it has in a very long time,” said Radstrom. Transit said bus routes are operating at six per cent below normal, but full service should be restored in the summer. Once the new network is implemented, a bus is expected to arrive every five to 15 minutes along each of the most frequent routes during peak periods, while connector route buses would come every 15 to 30 minutes, the city’s website says. Radstrom said the city hopes to release its fall schedule by July to allow more planning time for updated school routes. A transit advocate expects the new network will greatly improve service. “Frequent service helps so many people to be able to rely on the system because it reduces uncertainty and provides access to more buses more often, with shorter waits, faster transfers and increased reliability. There are sweeping benefits,” said Kyle Owens, president of Functional Transit Winnipeg. Owens said routes are all interconnected, so it makes sense to overhaul the system at once, while the early route notice will help users prepare for it. The new system will require more transfers on many routes, though these should be more reliable, while riders may have to adjust to community routes ending earlier in the evening, he said. “Fewer stops getting them across the city quickly is fantastic but (passengers) are going to need to anticipate when the feeder routes may end,” said Owens. The head of the union that represents transit drivers welcomed Thursday’s commitment to help prepare drivers for the new routes. In the meantime, he urged the public to be patient. “We are concerned about people being impatient with this change, taking out their frustrations on the others… riding the bus or our operators,” said Chris Scott, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505. Transit will provide drivers with business cards that contain QR codes that they can give to passengers to look up information en route, he said. “That’s something small and convenient that an operator can grab at the garage to hand out to anybody that they can’t give the answer to,” he said. Scott said driver staffing levels have greatly improved due to the ongoing “hiring blitz,” though about 80 more operators would be needed to meet the full service level in the fall. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Speed reduction coming to bike routes (Apr30'25)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Apr '25

30 Apr '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. SPEED REDUCTION COMING TO BIKE ROUTES AUTOMOBILE DRIVERS must soon slow down to ease travel for cyclists as the weather warms up. Reduced speed limits will take effect on sections of four seasonal bike routes, beginning Thursday. Speeds will drop to the following limits: ● 30 km/h on Lyndale Drive, between Cromwell and Gauvin streets; ● 30 km/h on Wellington Crescent, from Academy Road to Academy Road at Maryland Street; ● 30 km/h on Churchill Drive between Hay Street and Jubilee Avenue; ● 40 km/h on Kilkenny Drive between Burgess Avenue and Kings Drive, and on Kings Drive between Kilkenny and Patricia Avenue. The speed reductions will remain in effect at all hours through late October.

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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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Winnipeg Free Press: Driver fined for speeding 123 km/h near school
by Patman, David 05 Feb '25

05 Feb '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. This is absolutely ridiculous given what happened on Wellington so recently. Driver fined for speeding 123 km/h near school - Winnipeg Free Press<https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/02/04/driver-fined-for-….> Driver fined for speeding 123 km/h near school Posted: 3:37 PM CST Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 A motorist has been fined more than $1,000 for driving 123 km/h in a residential zone in Waverley West near a school that was hosting an event on Friday evening. The Pembina Trails School Division alerted families on Tuesday about a police stop that took place shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 31. "Officers stopped a motorist driving 123 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on North Town Road near Bison Drive, by one of our schools that had an event underway. Buses were in operation, and young pedestrians were present," the school division wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The intersection of Frontier Trail, which turns into North Town Road, and Bison Drive is under 10 minutes by foot from both Bison Run School and Pembina Trails Collegiate. The former, a kindergarten-to-Grade 8 school, celebrated its second birthday last week. The Winnipeg Police Service confirmed the driver was issued a $1,006 fine and a serious offence notice. The individual will have to attend a hearing in front of Manitoba Public Insurance that could result in a lengthy licence suspension. Police had no further details on Tuesday. "Excessive speed puts everyone at risk. It reduces reaction time, increases stopping distance, and makes collisions more severe," WPS wrote in a statement on social media urging motorists to slow down. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca [City of Winnipeg logo]<https://winnipeg.ca/> David Patman (he/him) Manager Transportation Public Works City of Winnipeg Telephone: 204-986-5895 Mobile: 204-806-6471 Email: dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca> Website: winnipeg.ca<https://winnipeg.ca/> Address: 101-1155 Pacific Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3E3P1 Connect with us: [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> [X (Twitter)] <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> [YouTube] <https://youtube.com/thecityofwinnipeg> [LinkedIn] <https://linkedin.com/company/city-of-winnipeg> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/thecityofwinnipeg/> Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this message is intended solely for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any use, dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this message and attachments, in whole or in part, by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and permanently delete the complete message and any attachments. Thank you.

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CBC: Winnipeg Transit puts wheels in motion to replace most of its bus routes this summer (Jan30'25)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '25

30 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. New routes coming to most of the city on June 29, when spine-and-feeder system replaces hub-and-spoke model https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-transit-network-overhaul-1…

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WFP: Go with the floe: Ice Cycles back on river trail (Jan25'25)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jan '25

25 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Go with the floe: Ice Cycles back on river trail https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/2025/01/24/go-with-the… AN ICE bike rental company hopes to slide to success after mild weather cancelled its 2024 season. Ice Cycles has set up shop under the footbridge at The Forks and will be open for business starting today. The company rents four different models of ice bikes — vehicles with the body of a bicycle or tricycle, minus the front wheel and mounted on a blade similar to the kind used in skates or on a short ski. There are two models for individual riders, a tandem model and a “minivan” model that can accommodate up to two adults and three children. Due to their stability and ease of use, ice bikes are an accessible winter activity for people of all ages, according to co-owner Sinan Leylek. “This is a great way to open up Winnipeg’s famous river trail to people who say, ‘I don’t know how to (skate),’” he said. Ice Cycles is Canada’s first ice bike company. It’s a division of Spark Rentals Inc., an event equipment rental business Leylek started in 2015. The company provides audio-visual equipment, lighting, dance floors and staging equipment for weddings, socials, corporate events and film productions. Leylek discovered ice bikes while travelling in northwestern China in 2014. He decided to bring them to North America in 2021, after Spark’s business suffered due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Ice Cycles opened for business in January 2022. Leylek was disappointed last year’s warm weather meant Ice Cycles couldn’t operate in Winnipeg. The company is also an international wholesaler, though, and Leylek sold a fleet of the bikes to the City of Edmonton. He’s also sold ice bikes to customers in the Yukon, Ontario, Michigan and Vermont. “(We want to) validate the markets in Winnipeg and show you how much fun it is, how successful it can be, and then find other municipalities or rental operators that want to bring it into their own cities,” Leylek said. Ice Cycles kicked off its 2025 season Jan. 11 at the Assiniboine Park duck pond with free rentals as part of the park’s three-day We are Winter celebration. More than 500 people rode the bikes that weekend, according to Lewis Keller, Ice Cycles manager. “People were excited that it was back,” Keller said. “It just really proved that people love something to do (outside), even if it is the winter. We are ‘Winterpeg’ — the snow’s never stopping anyone from going out and having fun.” The bikes were a welcome addition to We are Winter, said Laura Cabak, Assiniboine Park Conservancy communications director. “For people who might not have skates, this was another fun activity we could offer,” she said. Ice Cycles will be open this weekend: today and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. A Captain America impersonator will be on hand for two hours Sunday starting at 2:30 p.m. to take pictures with customers. Walk-ups are welcome, but advanced reservations can be made online at sparkrentals.ca. “I’m hopeful for (good) weather to kind of keep the trail open until mid-March,” Leylek said. The Forks officially opened the Nestaweya River Trail on Dec. 31. The trail is currently four kilometres long and will be extended to its full six km length as soon as today, according to Zach Peters, spokesperson for The Forks. Weather conditions last year meant the trail did not open until late January, with only a small section of it open for nine days. In 2023, approximately 220,000 people used the trail, which was open for 72 days — only three days shy of the longest season (2019). aaron.epp(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Demolishing Arlington Bridge a step closer (Jan25'25)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jan '25

25 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Demolishing Arlington Bridge a step closer https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/01/24/demolishing-arlin… The City of Winnipeg is on track to take on another $20 million in debt to begin the long-awaited replacement of the closed Arlington Bridge. Council’s executive policy committee approved a $22-million plan to demolish the bridge, which is between Logan and Dufferin avenues, and start designing its replacement, on Friday. The plan would also draw $2 million from Winnipeg’s share of federal gas tax revenues this year, pending final council approval of the 2025 budget. Mayor Scott Gillingham confirmed the plan is to eventually replace the bridge. “That’s what we’re moving toward. There’s funds here now to … demolish the decommissioned bridge because we are paying money every year just for maintenance to keep that decommissioned bridge up. There’s also funds there to do design work as a next step to moving forward to building the bridge,” said Gillingham. The Arlington Bridge, which opened in 1912, closed suddenly on Nov. 21, 2023, due to structural concerns, raising questions about its future. In November, the city released a proposal to replace the bridge at its current location. It would cost $166 million, plus up to $27 million more in interest, and require six years to build. Coun. Jeff Browaty, council’s finance chairman, said the bridge is a critical link between communities and must be demolished to protect the rail lines below it. “It’s going to have to come down. We know that. I’ve spoken to engineers … and they’ve suggested if we don’t do it now, it’s going to be more expensive to take it apart later. I think this is a smart investment to deal with it now,” said Browaty. Council’s public works committee had approved a motion that would earmark $30 million of future years’ funding for the bridge, along with a “first charge” to allow $20 million to be spent this year. Gillingham said officials worked to refine early cost estimates after that vote, leading the new total to drop by $8 million. The mayor’s inner circle also approved a call to let Downtown Community Safety Partnership move into the shuttered community connections space at Millennium Library for a two-month pilot project from April 1, 2025 to May 31, 2025. Then there is Millennium for All, an advocacy organization that has fought against reductions in funding for the downtown library. That group wants community connections restored to its previous form and is skeptical of the new proposal. One representative of Millennium for All said the proposal would bring a “police-oriented” presence to the library, which is not what advocates want. Let’s dispense with some of the misconceptions critics could use to derail this worthy idea. DCSP is not a “police-oriented” presence. Its outreach workers are not trained in law enforcement, they are trained to navigate social services and intervene with addictions and mental- health crises. They wear a uniform of sorts, but look a lot more like couriers than police officers. And for the record, the library is absolutely the right place to provide this kind of support. Millennium remains one of the last truly open, public spaces in the downtown. All kinds of people who need help connecting with public services already use the library, which has computers, printers and a host of staff to help people apply for identification, government support, housing and health care. For many newcomers, the library is their first stop in building a new life in Canada. Finally, thanks to the fact that the safety partnership is already widely supported by government and other entities, the proposal to move into space in the Millennium Library comes at no additional cost to the city. It’s win (for the city, which is tight for money), win (for DCSP, which needs a storefront presence), and win for the people downtown who need help navigating public services. Who would try to derail a win-win-win proposition like this? One can only hope that it’s no one. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca>

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Active Transportation & Road Safety Town Hall | March 15th
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jan '25

21 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Councillor Janice Lukes is hosting a public session on active transportation and road safety. You’re invited to join Councillor Lukes, the Public Works committee – Councillors Sharma, Chambers and Eadie, and members of the public service to discuss upcoming Active Transportation and Road Safety projects. See an at a glance AT Funding<https://janicelukes.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/AT-Funding-2025.pdf> A presentation from the public service will be delivered, followed by a robust discussion. Saturday, March 15th Presentation Theatre – RBC Convention Centre 9:00 doors open 9:30 – 10:30 presentation 10:30 – noon, robust discussion Refreshments will be served No need to RSVP – the room holds up to 300 people https://janicelukes.ca/event/active-transportation-road-safety-town-hall/

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FW: Sustainable Safety versus Vision Zero - Free Webinar for CARSP and ITE Canada Members / $50 for non-Members
by Michelle Porter 17 Jan '25

17 Jan '25

An upcoming webinar that you might be interested in. Michelle Michelle M. Porter, PhD, Professor | Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management | Director, Centre on Aging | 338 Isbister Building | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg, MB CANADA | R3T 2N2 | (204) 474-8795 michelle.porter(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:michelle.porter@umanitoba.ca> | Centre on Aging | University of Manitoba (umanitoba.ca)<https://umanitoba.ca/centre-on-aging/> | https://bsky.app/profile/um-coa-porter.bsky.social | linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150<https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150> From: CARSP/ACPSER <brenda.suggett(a)carsp.ca> Sent: January 16, 2025 1:43 PM To: Michelle Porter <michelle.porter(a)umanitoba.ca> Subject: Sustainable Safety versus Vision Zero - Free Webinar for CARSP and ITE Canada Members / $50 for non-Members Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals L'Association canadienne des professionnels de la sécurité routière [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/9f1c3699-299…] <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…>[https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/5a2f8614-39c9-d5…]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…><https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Free Webinar for CARSP & ITE Canada members! Feb 27, 2025, 12pm-1:00pm ET This webinar explores Sustainable Safety and Vision Zero, examining their philosophies, best practices, and practical applications. Through a comparative analysis, participants will gain insights into how these frameworks complement one another and the challenges inherent in integrating them. The session includes case studies from Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands, showcasing diverse contexts shaped by varying local needs, cultural factors, and community scales. These examples will illustrate how to adapt these frameworks effectively to specific road conditions, traffic behaviours, and societal norms. The webinar will balance presentation and interaction, with tools like Menti polls and a dedicated Q&A segment to foster engagement and practical takeaways SIGN UP QUICKLY - SPACE IS LIMITED! [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/_compresseds/348f9196-d… Luten Anna is a communication specialist based on North America. Originally hailing from the Netherlands, Anna was the first Bicycle Mayor of Amsterdam and is focussed on urban cycling safety and advocacy to foster sustainable transportation in North America. Anna brings a diverse experience which has seen her collaborate in various industries from fashion and e-commerce to bicycle manufacturers, startups and urban mobility organisations. Anna is an excellent storyteller with a flair for developing implementable strategies, working adeptly from strategy creation through to execution. With her expertise in mobility, she is passionate about improving urban environments for the betterment of communities and cities. [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/_compresseds/0570aead-d… Donaldson Narayan is a transportation planner with seven years of planning and engineering experience in Canada and the Netherlands. He is passionate about rebuilding streets and networks to allow people to move safely and efficiently using all modes of transport. He specializes in the design of intersections including physical design and traffic signal control, with a particular focus on active transportation modes and public transit. Prior to working at Mobycon, he worked as a traffic signal program developer in the Netherlands and in Ontario. He also has experience designing streets through his previous work as a transportation planner for the Toronto Transit Commission. His combination of Canadian and Dutch experience makes him well-suited for adapting European strategies for a North-American context. Registration is open until Feb 26th. Space is limited, so sign up soon to reserve your spot! Register Now!<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Questions? * Webinar Content Questions: Anna Luten a.luten(a)mobycon.com<mailto:a.luten@mobycon.com?subject=CARSP%20Webinar%20Question> * Technical Difficulties (either during registering or during the webinar): homa.naeini(a)carsp.ca<mailto:homa.naeini@carsp.ca?subject=Webinar%20Question> * about CARSP - Brenda.Suggett(a)carsp.ca<mailto:Brenda.Suggett@carsp.ca?subject=Questions%20about%20CARSP%20> [Twitter]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Twitter<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [LinkedIn]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> LinkedIn<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [YouTube]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> YouTube<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [Facebook]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Facebook<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Copyright © 2025 CARSP-ACPSER, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as you have chosen to be on the CARSP email distribution list. Our mailing address is: CARSP-ACPSER 2846 Arrowsmith Court Stevensville, ON L0S 1S0 Canada Add us to your address book<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=b56b…> unsubscribe from this list<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> update subscription preferences<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=b5…> [Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp]<https://login.mailchimp.com/signup/email-referral/?aid=abd86bfa37a970914903…> ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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WFP: Committee votes to set aside cash for Arlington Bridge (Jan17'25)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Jan '25

17 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Committee votes to set aside cash for Arlington Bridge https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/01/16/city-committee-vo… THE City of Winnipeg could soon earmark $30 million to complete the first steps toward replacing the Arlington Bridge. On Thursday, council’s public works committee approved a plan to devote future money to fund the demolition of the bridge, which is closed, and complete design work for its replacement. The motion called to authorize $20 million of capital funding in 2026 and to allow the funds to be accessed this year as a “first charge” from that future budget. The proposal also calls to add $10 million to the 2027 capital budget forecast for the project, pending city council and future budget approvals. “It’s a critical link to allow transit to go north and south. … I’m a big trades corridor supporter, and this will allow trucking and more vehicles. … There’s a huge component of active transportation, both north and south of the Arlington Bridge and people will be using it,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, prior to the vote. The Waverley West councillor expects the city would take on debt to fund the work, if council approves the proposal. Lukes said the borrowing is justified, deeming the bridge replacement a “generational project.” “I’ve heard a lot of feedback on the importance of the Arlington Bridge,” she said. The preliminary 2025 budget did not earmark money for the bridge replacement. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) raised the motion for the funding, arguing the city must get work started to replace the “critical” transportation link. “The motion will be to keep the project moving forward, with continuous design and planning. If we just didn’t fund anything right now, it would lie dead and there would be no work done because there’s just no authority to spend money,” Eadie said. In November, the city released a proposal to replace the bridge at its current location. It would cost $166 million, plus up to $27 million more in interest, and require six years to build. However, the city had just $149 million left to borrow within its council-imposed debt strategy when that estimate was released. Eadie hopes to secure at least some of the funding from the other levels of governments. The Arlington Bridge, which opened in 1912, closed suddenly on Nov. 21, 2023, due to structural concerns. The latest price estimate to replace the bridge plummeted from a 2019 proposal, which was expected to cost $319 million and offer a much wider, three lane structure with two protected one-way bike lanes and two sidewalks. The new cheaper plan would produce a narrower, two-lane bridge with two shared, multi-use active-transportation paths. Council will cast a final vote on the budget on Jan. 29. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: City hall feels heat, will bury snow plan (Jan17'25)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Jan '25

17 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Proposal would have delayed clearing efforts City hall feels heat, will bury snow plan https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/01/16/city-to-cancel-co… A PILOT project to increase the amount of snow needed to trigger residential street clearing appears set to be dumped from the city’s budget, after public backlash piled up. City council will be asked to delete the project from the 2025 financial blueprint, which was proposed to raise the threshold to plow residential streets from 10 cm to 15 cm, starting in October. That change would have affected snow clearing throughout next winter. Council’s public works committee voted unanimously in favour of a motion to scrap the pilot project on Thursday. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he will support the motion, noting residents expressed concerns the threshold increase would compromise road safety and accessibility. “We had more feedback concerned (with) the snow-clearing pilot idea than we did about the (proposed 5.95 per cent) property tax increase … We have a very high standard of snow clearing and the public has said very clearly that they want that maintained,” said Gillingham. The mayor said some residents complained it currently takes too long to clear residential streets and the change would extend that wait, while others suggested it would make travel more difficult for people with mobility devices. “Even though I tried to express there’s not a service cut, we’re just doing a pilot project, people, I think, really did see it as a service cut,” said Gillingham. The city’s snow-clearing budget is slated to increase by $5.3 million to $45.7 million this year. Actual spending is tied to the work required to follow snow-clearing policies and varies widely depending on weather. The mayor stressed the city must seek out other ways to keep snow-clearing costs under control as inflation boosts the price of snow removal contracts. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee, said mobility concerns led her to raise the motion to cancel the project. “The feedback that really resonated with me was … the concern of the public (about) mobility issues on streets where there’s no sidewalks or pathways, because people have to use streets (for all modes of traffic). We will never be able to afford a sidewalk or a pathway on every street in the City of Winnipeg,” said Lukes (Waverley West). The councillor said she supports the idea of “floating” cost-saving measures to gauging public feedback, though she did have concerns about this particular proposal from the start. “We could try this pilot project. But, honestly, I really wanted to cancel it right off the bat,” said Lukes, noting Winnipeggers are passionate about snow clearing. The city hoped the pilot project could avoid one citywide residential snow-clearing operation each year, which typically costs from $2.75 million to $5 million. Potential savings weren’t factored into the 2025 budget, Lukes said. She expects the project will be scrapped when council votes on it. “I don’t think there’ll be a problem with the councillors supporting this motion,” said Lukes. The call to strike the project triggered relief from some residents, including those who represent people with disabilities. “As much as they were calling it a pilot, it felt very much like a budget cut disguised as a pilot … I am glad they are hearing people,” said Melissa Graham, executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. If the pilot project were to go ahead, Graham feared recent changes to improve sidewalk snow clearing would become less effective. “If you can’t cross the street to (reach) the next sidewalk, you effectively can’t use (the sidewalk) anyway. A lot of people in this community stay home, sometimes all winter, because they can’t get around on sidewalks,” she said. “I see this (call to cancel the project) as very good news. I’m glad that they’re getting the message that sidewalk clearing and road clearing isn’t just a perk, it’s something that’s really important to people,” Graham said. David Kron, executive director of the Cerebral Palsy Association of Manitoba, said he was concerned even a temporary policy change would have forced more people to stay home more often. “It doesn’t take a lot of snow buildup to make a street or a sidewalk inaccessible for folks that use a manual or power chair or, like myself … a cane. It doesn’t take much of a barrier to make somebody have to stay at home during the winter,” said Kron. “If folks can’t get out of their homes, they can’t be part of the community.” A cycling advocate also welcomed the proposed cancellation, since he feared the change would have allowed more snow and ruts to build up. “The ruts at 15 cm are just really hard to navigate and it is a safety hazard,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “(If) you’re in that rut and … try to get out of it, there’s a potential of (falling) down.” Cohoe said the change threatened to hinder the city’s effort to get more people to walk and bike. “We’re a winter city. Having that … ability to get out and to feel like we’re going to have that option of moving around, walking, busing and driving through the city, is really critical to life in Winnipeg. We can’t just shut down for four months (or more) of the year,” he said. City council is expected to cast a final vote on the overall budget on Jan. 29. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Arrest made in pedestrian Death (Jan15'25)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jan '25

15 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ARREST MADE IN PEDESTRIAN DEATH A driver has been arrested after an 87-year=old man was hit at a marked pedestrian crossing and later died. The collision happened at the intersection of McPhillips Street and Leila Avenue at about 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 23. Emergency services were already on scene when a pickup truck traveling east on Leila Avenue hit a pedestrian who was crossing McPhillips. The pedestrian was taken to hospital in unstable condition, where he later died from his injuries. The driver, a 44-year-old man, remained on scene and spoke with police. He was arrested Sunday and faces a charge of driving carelessly causing death. He was released on a notice to appear in court.

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WFP: Getting riders back in the saddle (Jan13'25)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '25

13 Jan '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Volunteer-run shop repairs bikes — and teaches cyclists how to — for free Getting riders back in the saddle https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/01/13/getting-riders-ba… ON a Sunday afternoon in mid-December, when most Winnipeggers aren’t thinking about cycling, Jacques Gross is at the Bike Dump, replacing the rear axle on a black and purple mountain bike. As he discards a broken part, the 24-year-old amuses himself by singing to it a song by English musician James Blunt. “Goodbye my lover, goodbye my friend,” he croons. Gross got involved at the volunteer- run, community bicycle shop shortly after moving to Winnipeg last May. Before stepping into the space, which is located at the corner of Main Street and Logan Avenue at the back of the Red Road Lodge, he didn’t know what a community bicycle shop was. He expected that becoming a volunteer would require “a bunch of red tape,” but that was not the case. “I just showed up and kept showing up,” he says. “Since (May), I’ve been confident enough to expand my knowledge … I feel there aren’t many things on a bike I can’t fix now.” Being a welcoming space that is accessible to everyone is what the Bike Dump is all about. Founded in 2005, the shop offers access to tools and a space where people can fix their bikes, free of charge. It is staffed by a non-hierarchical group of volunteers who help visitors with their repairs. The Bike Dump also offers repair workshops and sells refurbished bicycles on a sliding scale. “Volunteers come in with all different skill levels, including zero,” says Edward Cloud, 52, who has been involved for more than 10 years. Volunteers who are new to bike repair might spend their first shifts watching and listening; others might spend 90 minutes on their own exploring some small repair on one of the many bikes waiting to be refurbished. “We have a lot of good education happening in this space,” Cloud says. Across from Gross, Sarah Furgale is working on a blue 10-speed. As a result of an injured hip, the 52-year-old can’t cycle as much as she’d like. Fixing bikes is the next best thing. “I still want to be involved in bike culture, so I thought that this would be a good way for me to do that,” says Furgale, who has volunteered at the Bike Dump since April. “I like helping people fix their bikes,” she says. “Sometimes we get some people who are at risk or who really rely on their bikes. And so to be able to help them with something small, it’s been really rewarding.” The shop is looking for additional volunteer mechanics. People of all abilities are encouraged to get involved. Additionally, women and queer-identifying people are invited to consider volunteering so the Bike Dump can restart its Monday-night shift where women, queer and trans people who may feel uncomfortable during the shop’s regular hours can stop by and repair their bikes. The shop is also looking to add a day-time shift where volunteers would strip parts off of unrepairable bikes and possibly build bikes for sale. A senior mechanic would be there to assist and teach. To get involved, visit bike-dump.ca/ volunteering or email winnipegbikedump@ gmail.com. There’s a lot of history at the Bike Dump, says volunteer Chris Chypyha, 60, with a lot of great people and amazing tools. “Maybe it seems like a little bit of anarchy,” he says, “but the shop is actually well run.” If you know a special volunteer, email aaron.epp(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca>.

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