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WFP: Transit proposes to expand evening service and hire 27 drivers to address complaints (Nov1'25)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Nov '25

01 Nov '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Later hours, more jobs to cost $7M Transit proposes to expand evening service and hire 27 drivers to address complaints https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/10/31/transit-proposes-… WINNIPEG Transit plans to spend millions of dollars each year and add 33.5 new staff positions to ensure buses on some of its fixed routes can run later into the night. A new proposal calls for council to approve $3 million in 2026 (when many of the changes will start in April) and $4.4 million throughout 2027 to extend service on 11 bus routes. The funding will also pay to extend a separate extension to nighttime service for on-request routes. “This gives a lot of really good late night service to areas that never had late night service under the old network or under the first instance of this new network,” said Bjorn Radstrom, Winnipeg Transit’s manager of service development. Radstrom said the routes were selected for added hours based on gaps identified in transit’s new primary route network, which was implemented on June 29. The city also considered proximity to large workplaces with night shifts, ridership data and public feedback. Radstrom said further changes could be needed as circumstances change, such as the construction of new neighbourhoods or addition of large companies that rely on night shifts. Transit’s new hires would include 27.5 new bus operator positions, plus six more positions to cover operating, plant, equipment and administrative supports. While Transit has sometimes struggled to hire enough bus drivers, that’s not expected to be an obstacle to this plan. “We’re doing better with our hiring than we ever have… We’re continuing to hire about six operators a week,” said Radstrom. In 2025, Transit hired 234 operators, while 120 left their positions, he said. “We haven’t had a single service cancellation due to a shortage of operators since the launch of the new network,” he added. On Thursday, council’s public works committee will vote on a request to refer the plan to the city’s 2026 budget process. The committee’s chairwoman said she will support the proposal. “People need to get to work. Transportation and movement is the backbone of our economy,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). Lukes said the changes match key complaints received by the city after the new network was implemented, with some residents noting they could no longer rely on the bus to get home from work or school. “We’re making these changes, we’re taking feedback,” she said. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he supports adding more night-time bus service, although he’s still reviewing the details of the plan. “If that’s what it takes to ensure that transit’s available late at night for transit users, then that’s an investment that I’m certainly willing to look at,” said Gillingham. If approved, the fixed route changes would kick in on April 12, 2026. The following routes would offer a last trip that starts after midnight: D10 Panet – Adsum; D14 Salter – Stafford; D16 Academy – Notre Dame; D17 Talbot – Selkirk; 28 Arlington – Stafford; 38 Mountain – Munroe; 43 Watt – Logan; 70 Roblin; 74 Kenaston – Keewatin; 224 Sherwin – Valour; 680 River Heights – Cambridge (on weekdays only). Currently, the last bus for fixed two-digit “connector” routes makes its final pickup around 10 p.m., while the last bus on three-digit “community” routes do so at 7 p.m. City council has already approved a separate plan to extend hours later into the night for 10 on-request bus routes, starting Dec. 14, with funding until April. The latest plan would extend its funding permanently as well. On-request service will end just before 2 a.m. from Monday to Saturday and around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday and holidays on those routes, instead of around 10 p.m. On-request service allows riders to request a pickup from their location to a stop on the primary bus network by using the Winnipeg Transit website, app or by calling 311. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: City pushing forward with Route 90 projects (Oct31'25)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Oct '25

31 Oct '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City pushing forward with Route 90 projects Critics argue more Kenaston lanes won’t cure congestion, while costs also a concern https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/10/30/council-votes-to-… A MASSIVE project is moving forward to expand Kenaston Boulevard and replace key infrastructure around it, despite some concerns it won’t have a lasting impact on the area’s traffic-snarling congestion. On Thursday, city council voted 11-2 in favour taking the first steps to begin the plan next year, with construction to begin as soon as 2028. The proposal would earmark $5 million to start property acquisitions and set early planning to begin in 2027, pending approval in the city’s 2026 budget. “The Route 90 projects, plural, are all about the potential of Winnipeg. It’s all about… unlocking our future potential as a city,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham, deeming the boulevard a critical trade route. The mega project would widen Kenaston-Route 90 to offer three lanes in each direction between Taylor and Ness avenues. It would also replace the St. James bridges, separate aging pipes to reduce combined sewer overflows and add active-transportation pathways on both sides of Kenaston. It’s expected to cost $614 million, plus $143 million in interest, if the city funds it entirely through debt. In her first city council meeting after winning last Saturday’s Elmwood-East Kildonan ward byelection, Coun. Emma Durand-Wood joined Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) in opposing the project. “It’s just a very unaffordable project that takes away resources from other priorities that we have in the city,” said Durand-Wood. She said the city should instead focus its limited funds on expanding public transit and active transportation. “There’s ways that we can (improve transportation) without just adding more car lanes,” she said. Couns. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) and Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) were absent from the meeting and the vote. City council’s chairwoman of public works said widening the street is essential for promptly delivering goods throughout the city. “Transportation is the backbone of our economy, so we need to move people and we need to move goods. And the Route 90 (expansion) is doing all of that,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). The decision comes after members of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition urged councillors to reject the project. During Thursday’s council meeting, coalition member Tim Fennell argued the city simply can’t afford the Kenaston overhaul and shouldn’t “saddle” future generations with paying off the tab. “It’s a lot of money we’re talking about here… We’re planning to pay for it over 30 years,” said Fennell. Fennell also questioned why a third party cost benefit analysis was not fully released to the public. To date, only the executive summary has been published. That Deloitte review predicts the project would produce about $10 million more in benefits more than it will cost throughout its life cycle. Coalition member Brian Pincott said adding traffic lanes will attract more vehicles to the route, quickly eliminating any improved traffic flow. “Kenaston is horrible to drive on. They’re… thinking if we add another lane we’ll improve traffic flow, we’ll reduce congestion. Any transportation planner knows that induced demand chews up your extra capacity right away,” said Pincott, who acknowledged the need for bridge, sewer and road-resurfacing components of the project. Gillingham said a traffic increase in the area is not a risk but a guarantee, noting the Naawi-Oodena redevelopment of the former Kapyong Barracks is expected to add up to 3,100 more residential units in the area. “This is not an induced demand, this is an inevitable demand,” he said. The mayor said the road widening would be needed to create the capacity required to expand transit in the area. “The only way that we could expand transit is to expand that road. The potential growth of transit in that area would be completely tied to (that),” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Trustees want say in school zone redesign (Oct31'25)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Oct '25

31 Oct '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Trustees want say in school zone redesign Move to make 30 kilometres per hour the residential default speed also on the table https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/10/31/trustees-want-say… TRUSTEES are calling on Winnipeg City Council to redesign 30 km/h school zones to better protect everyone who lives, learns and works in their wards — and they want a say in an infrastructure makeover. For Ryan Palmquist, an active cyclist, dad and first-term trustee, road safety is both a passion and frequent source of frustration. His son’s trek to École Varennes serves as a daily reminder of why he remains committed to the cause. “My oldest son crosses a crosswalk — every single day, twice a day, to go to school — where a kid died,” the father of three said. On Feb. 13, 2018, an eight-year-old boy was struck by a motorist when he was crossing Ste. Anne’s Road at Varennes Avenue. Grade 3 student Surafiel Musse Tesfamariam’s death resulted in significant upgrades at the intersection. No charges were laid. The tragedy and others like it are what motivated Palmquist to mount a 2022 campaign for Ward 3 trustee in the Louis Riel School Division. In the lead up to the last municipal election, he went door-to-door to promise voters he’d lobby for safer streets and learn-to-swim programs. Palmquist, who was previously an executive assistant for Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), a well-known supporter of active transportation, made good on both promises this fall. The Louis Riel School Division board unanimously approved his motion to ask metro boards to join forces to demand more inter-governmental collaboration so they are regularly consulted on “matters of traffic safety in and around schools.” The Manitoba School Boards Association is gathering trustees in Region 5 — seven boards inside the Perimeter — on Saturday to short list their priorities for 2025-26. If Palmquist’s motion is deemed a priority, it will be brought to the association’s 2026 annual general meeting of 38 boards. Also this weekend, attendees will vote on whether they should appeal to all trustees in Manitoba to petition higher levels of government to establish 30 km/h as the default speed limit on all residential streets. City hall’s special liaison for school boards has heard from multiple board chairs with concerns about school speed zones since Labour Day. Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) has asked trustees if they are in favour of 24-7, year-round reduced school speed zones — a proposal she received from the Winnipeg School Division last month. “School properties and nearby amenities are active well beyond those restricted hours,” Santos wrote in an Oct. 9 letter to board chairs. “Children, families and seniors regularly use these spaces — whether it’s teens attending after-school programming offered by the city or the school division, families visiting playgrounds during summer holidays, or seniors walking or cycling around school areas for recreation and exercise.” Santos is set to meet with board chairs to discuss the subject next week. The Free Press’ ongoing investigative series on school zone safety has revealed the 30 km/h limit in place to protect students has not reduced traffic violations. There are approximately 150 school zones in Winnipeg with reduced speed limits in place between Sept. 1 to June 30. They are typically in effect from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays over that 10 month period, regardless of whether classes are in session. Last year, there were nearly 32,000 photo radar violations between the top 10 revenue-generating stretches, according to enforcement data obtained via freedom of information requests. A University of Winnipeg research team’s historical database shows many of the 2024-25 hot spots — including behind River Elm School (Talbot Avenue) and beside Greenway School (St. Matthews Avenue) — are chronic problem areas. There have been more speed camera flashes on Talbot between Watt Street and Gateway Road than anywhere else since it became a designated 30 km/h area. There were upwards of 5,000 tickets generated in the area last year. There has been little political will to make signage or other infrastructure related improvements to reduce violations that raise tens of millions of dollars for the city annually. The majority of 30 km/h school zones in Manitoba aren’t enforced around the clock, but some — like those in Portage la Prairie — are, said Alan Campbell, president of the Manitoba School Boards Association. Campbell said every school grapples with congestion during drop off and pick up, but he declined to weigh in on whether reduced speed limits are effective when it comes to changing motorists’ behaviours. “Ninety-nine per cent of schools in Winnipeg don’t have adequate drop-off zones,” said the longtime trustee who is a transportation director for a city school division. Many aging neighbourhoods, which were built to prioritize walkability, are not equipped for the current level of bus and personal vehicle activity, Campbell noted. As far as Palmquist is concerned, members of the Manitoba School Boards Association are among the most critical road safety stakeholders, but their input is often overlooked. He cited trustees’ concerns about the predatory nature of photo radar as one example. “Predatory speed traps could easily be redesigned or re-engineered to eliminate speeding,” Palmquist said. “I support what (Santos) wants to do in principle, but it is inextricably linked to this other problem that we have to fix before we can move forward.” Both Palmquist and Ian Walker, a trustee and member of Safe Speeds Winnipeg, has called on the public works committee to study ticket hot spots and make adjustments to deter violations. Board chair Sandy Nemeth said she’s optimistic other boards will endorse the Louis Riel motion because every school community is affected by traffic violations. Near-misses and collisions take a toll on individuals and school communities at large, Nemeth said. There have already been at least three incidents involving students at Louis Riel division schools since classes began in September. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Seven kids struck by vehicles in one month (Oct24'25)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Oct '25

24 Oct '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Rash of ‘close calls’ prompts MPI to urge patience Seven kids struck by vehicles in one month https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/10/23/distracted-impati… MANITOBA children have been hit by vehicles 36 times this year. Seven of the incidents were in September, as kids made their way back to school after the summer break. Manitoba Public Insurance’s latest analysis of road incidents also reveals there have been dozens of collisions involving school buses in 2025. The numbers represent “close calls, injuries and lives forever changed,” said Maria Campos, vice-president and chief customer and product officer at the public insurer. “They show why extra vigilance around school buses and in school zones is so critical.” MPI unveiled a new awareness campaign Thursday calling on all road users to practise patience, especially throughout the 2025-26 school year. Rows of yellow buses belonging to the River East Transcona School Division served as the backdrop for the event. Martin Monette, the division’s transportation director, oversees a team of more than 100 people who get thousands of students to and from class every school day. Combined, his front-line staff rack up more than a million kilometres every year. They travel about 5,500 kilometres each school day. Monette’s drivers have reported that other drivers’ impatience and distractions are getting worse every year. And they’ve come to a collective conclusion that Winnipeg Transit’s recent system overhaul is contributing to the problem by backing up traffic “more than anything.” Asked about what motorists could do to make school bus drivers’ jobs and, as a result, their young passengers safer, Monette had a quick answer. “Stop at a stop sign,” he said. “It’s that simple.” It is illegal to pass a bus with flashing red lights — an indicator that it is either loading or unloading students. The rule applies to oncoming traffic, as well as vehicles behind a bus. The law demands that drivers stop at least five metres from a school bus if its overhead lights and stop-sign arm are activated. Rule breakers face a $672 fine and two demerit points on their licence. Campos noted that oncoming traffic is not exempt because children may be crossing in front of the bus. Speeding or distracted driving can have tragic consequences, she said midway through Manitoba’s annual school-bus safety week. “Treat every school zone like your own family is there,” she said. Sandra Hofer, now a trainer in RETSD, began her 25-year career as a school bus driver in 1999. Hofer, wearing high-visibility gear, participated in an interview from the driver’s seat of a bus equipped with a new extended stop sign to replace the one knocked off by a driver when the vehicle was stopped during a run on Henderson Highway last week. “These are your best friends as a driver,” Hofer said, pointing to the six mirrors in front of her. Hofer did not gesture to the seventh, the largest of the bunch: a rectangular panel used for supervising children. But student behaviour issues are not the top concern for drivers in her division; the problems are caused by commuters who share the road. “Everybody’s just in a rush to get where they’re going,” Hofer said. “They’re very distracted. People have 100 things going on at any time. “Everybody just needs to slow down.” Bus drivers don’t like holding up traffic, but getting students — especially the chatty ones who don’t yet understand traffic-delay annoyances — safely on and off is more complex and time-intensive than most people waiting realize. Over the last four years, since traffic began returning to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, school buses have been involved in 451 collisions in which MPI has recorded 105 injuries, 79 of which have occurred this year. While noting bus drivers play a key role in protecting Manitoba students, River East-Transcona secretary-treasurer Elise Downey said parents and other community members do as well. “Staying mindful and aware” around buses, as well as maintaining safe speeds near schools is an easy starting point, she said. Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas), who is the city’s designated liaison for metro school boards, recently reached out to trustees to organize a standard in-school year meeting. Downey said she anticipates schoolzone safety will be a hot topic, as it often is. Following a Free Press investigation into the city’s top ticket-generating school zones in 2024-2025, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he would consider supporting safety-related upgrades near schools if there is data to prove there are areas with chronic problems. None of the 10 most ticketed 30 km/h school zones in Winnipeg were located in the River East-Transcona division’s area last year, according to photo-radar enforcement data obtained via freedom of information. École Voix des Prairies (851 Panet Rd.), a francophone school within the English board’s borders, was No. 5 on the list. There were 3,429 traffic violations issued at that site between Sept. 1, 2024 and June 30. The West End’s St. Matthews Ave. made the top 10 list twice, with a combined 5,664 speed-camera flashes going off outside Greenway School (390 Burnell St.) last year. Eastbound traffic behind River Elm School (500 Riverton Ave.), which backs onto Talbot Avenue, was the top spot, generating 5,833 speeding tickets. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: $2.1M for pathway for Winkler, Morden (Oct9'25)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Oct '25

09 Oct '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. $2.1M FOR PATHWAY FOR WINKLER, MORDEN OTTAWA is contributing $2.1 million to a new 10-kilometre pathway connecting Winkler and Morden. The pathway will also provide improved access to Boundary Trails Health Centre, the federal government said in a news release Wednesday. The cities of Winkler and Morden and the Rural Municipality of Stanley are contributing $2.25 million, split three ways. Almost $1.8 million was raised through local efforts. The federal money is from the active transportation fund.

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WFP Analysis: NDP neglects public transport on path to net zero (Oct8'25)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Oct '25

08 Oct '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. NDP neglects public transport on path to net zero OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2025/10/07/ndp-neglects-public-tran… THE NDP government’s new Path to Net Zero plan has the right buzzwords — sustainability, electrification, resilience — and plenty of good ideas in broad strokes. But for a government that has made so much noise about climate leadership, this long-awaited plan lands with more of a thud than a spark. It’s not that the plan, released Monday, is bad. It outlines the right goals: cutting emissions, transitioning to cleaner transportation, promoting renewable energy and positioning Manitoba to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. All of that makes sense. What’s glaringly absent is detail — the kind of concrete, measurable, costed-out actions that turn a vision into reality. The biggest disappointment, though, is what the plan leaves out: a meaningful strategy with specific funding commitments to grow public transit. Transportation is Manitoba’s second- largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions after agriculture. If the province is serious about reaching net zero, changing how people move around has to be a central part of that strategy. And that means building a far more robust public transit system — particularly in Winnipeg. Yet the NDP’s climate plan doesn’t include a single concrete funding commitment or clear target for improving public transit. It says the province will “work with municipalities to expand public and regional transit systems,” but offers no specifics. No new money, no timelines and no measurable goals for ridership or emissions reductions. That’s not a plan; that’s a talking point. Winnipeg’s transit system is underfunded and overstretched. Buses are too infrequent and unreliable to be a realistic alternative for most commuters. Outside the capital, public transit options are virtually non-existent. This isn’t just a transportation problem; it’s an emissions problem. If people can’t rely on transit, they’ll keep driving. If they keep driving, emissions won’t go down. The government could have used this plan as an opportunity to make a big, bold investment in public transit — something that would actually shift how Manitobans live and move. Instead, we got another glossy government report filled with broad goals but no road map for how to achieve them. The plan does make one big transportation promise: to expand Manitoba’s electric vehicle charging network. More charging stations are certainly needed. Manitoba has lagged behind most provinces in this area, and a stronger network will help make EV ownership more practical. But EVs alone won’t solve Manitoba’s transportation problem — not by a long shot. Electric vehicles are great for cutting tailpipe emissions, but they still take up the same amount of road space, require the same expensive infrastructure and contribute to the same congestion and maintenance costs as gas-powered cars. They don’t make transportation more affordable or accessible for low-income families. And they don’t reduce the overall number of vehicles on the road. If Manitoba’s goal is truly to reach net zero, then building more EV chargers while leaving public transit to wither, is like trying to fix a leaky roof by buying better buckets. It doesn’t address the underlying problem. A more sustainable transportation system means fewer cars — not just cleaner ones. It means giving people realistic alternatives to driving. Expanding public transit isn’t just good for the environment. It’s also smart economics. Fewer vehicles on the road mean less wear and tear on infrastructure — and that saves taxpayers money. Winnipeg spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year patching potholes, rebuilding streets and maintaining bridges. That’s partly because the city’s transportation system is overwhelmingly car-dependent. The more people drive, the faster roads deteriorate and the more main thoroughfares need to be expanded (at a cost often in the billions of dollars, such as the planned Kenaston Boulevard expansion). Investing in transit would ease that burden, freeing up resources for other priorities while extending the lifespan of existing infrastructure. The Kinew government deserves credit for at least producing a plan. After years of neglect under the previous Progressive Conservative government, Manitoba’s climate policy needed an overhaul. The problem is that Manitoba’s Path to Net Zero doesn’t break enough new ground. It’s cautious where it should be bold. Other provinces have made major, multibillion-dollar commitments to expand public transit as part of their climate plans. Manitoba, by contrast, is still talking about “working with municipalities.” That kind of small thinking won’t get the job done. Winnipeg’s population is growing, and its transit system has been substandard for years. Without significant provincial support, the city won’t be able to modernize routes, add frequency or expand rapid-transit corridors — all of which are essential if transit is going to become a true alternative to driving. And without better transit, there’s no realistic path to meeting the province’s emissions targets. The good news is that the government still has time to get this right. But that will require shifting focus from political slogans about “a green Manitoba” to the unglamorous work of funding and implementing real solutions. Premier Wab Kinew often talks about building for the next generation. That’s exactly what a serious investment in public transit would do. Until this government is willing to put real money behind that vision, Manitoba’s Path to Net Zero will remain just that — a path, not a plan. tom.brodbeck(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: 2025 - a summer of interesting urban changes
by Beth McKechnie 29 Sep '25

29 Sep '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. 2025: a summer of interesting urban changes https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/09/29/2025-a-summer… THE summer of 2025 was quietly a pretty good season for urbanism in Winnipeg. Over the last few months, the city has been busy implementing several new progressive city-building initiatives to enhance livability in our communities. A few of these programs made headlines, and others flew under the radar. Some had immediate impact, some set building blocks for future impacts, and others remain a work in progress. If you’ve been walking downtown recently, you might have noticed that the timing of traffic signals has been changed to become what is known as leading pedestrian interval lights. The signals now let pedestrians leave several seconds early, giving them a head start and allowing them to establish a presence in the intersection before drivers start moving. This simple change increases the likelihood that turning drivers will yield to pedestrians and allows slower-moving people an increased margin of safety. When this idea was implemented in New York City, it reduced fatal pedestrian collisions by 65 per cent. Those who have been walking downtown might have also noticed that they can now cross the street at the city’s famous Portage and Main intersection. The day the barricades came down, it immediately became just a normal place. The backs of buildings became the fronts, and people started coming back to a place they hadn’t been in decades. Standing there today, it’s difficult to even remember what the barricades looked like. In time, the improved connectivity will hopefully leverage new development happening at the corner and become a catalyst to improve a struggling Portage Avenue. None of the hyperbole and doomsday scenarios that paralyzed us for 50 years have come to fruition. That’s a lesson we might learn for future public decision-making. A block away from the newly opened intersection is Graham Avenue, a street that had its role as a bus corridor removed with a citywide transit route overhaul. Instead of simply giving the street back to cars, as would likely have happened in the past, the city made the bold and forward-thinking move of claiming it for public space. Saving it from cars, however, is only a first step, and we must work together as a community over the next several years to ensure it becomes a successful public place. As an active spine across downtown, it could create a renewed sense of place in the city centre and be a significant development catalyst in the future. Changes also happened outside of downtown this summer. The most high-profile being that transit route overhaul, a move that has faced well-documented challenges. It would have been easy to simply continue doing what we have always done, but it takes courage to boldly try something new in an effort to improve. The logic behind the changes has found success in other cities, but problems have unquestionably been exposed. Hopefully with greater investment and considered response to rider experience and feedback, solutions can be found that will allow the new system to meet the promise of its design. To make our neighbourhood streets safer, the city has begun implementing an innovative system of traffic calming installations at 16 locations across the city. Temporary curbs are being used to quickly and inexpensively alter street layouts and configurations to slow traffic. These yellow, concrete curbs work by narrowing parts of the road to encourage lower driving speeds, tighten corners to slow turns, and reduce crossing distances for pedestrians and cyclists. The temporary installations are allowing designers to study how the changes work before more expensive permanent road configurations are implemented. You might have seen little trees popping up along streets in your neighbourhood and in parks across the city all summer long. In its never-ending battle against the invasive beetles decimating our urban forest, the city traditionally plants between 1,200 and 2,000 replacement trees per year. Thanks to funding from the federal government’s 2 Billion Trees program and the adoption of the city’s Urban Forest Strategy, almost 7,000 new trees were planted in 2025. These increased tree planting numbers have made a noticeable impact on our streets and in our neighbourhoods and in time will help restore Winnipeg’s iconic tree canopy that has seen increasing losses over the last several years. Physical changes to our city over the summer were augmented by a controversial change to planning policy that will promote a gradual but impactful evolution of our neighbourhoods. The changes effectively eliminate single-family zoning, allowing at least a duplex, and in many cases a three or fourplex, to be built on almost any residential lot in the city. This will promote higher densities to capitalize on existing infrastructure and services, while supporting local shops and amenities like libraries, parks, community centres, and public transit. Greater housing diversity will provide access to good neighbourhoods for a broader range of people who can’t afford or might not want a single-family house, whether it’s a rental apartment for a young person, a downsizing option for a senior aging in their community, or a new family home in a townhouse. The summer of 2025 put in place several urbanist building blocks that will work together to create a more livable city in the future. We are of course far from finished. Issues to be worked on include better connected cycling networks in the city’s mature neighbourhoods, rapid transit investment, possibly including light rail, and much more aggressive action by all levels of government to find solutions to homelessness, and public safety. If we keep making positive steps forward, however, we can build the prosperous and progressive city that we all want for our children and grandchildren. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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CBC & WFP: New active transportation path unveiled in northwest Winnipeg (Sept24'25)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Sep '25

25 Sep '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. CBC: Cyclist says path is a 'critical piece of infrastructure' that offers safe crossing under railway https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-keewatin-bike-path-1.76423… WFP: EXTENDED MULTI-USE PATH OFFICIALLY OPENS THE last leg of the Keewatin multi-use path officially opened in northwest Winnipeg on Wednesday. The 4.5-kilometre path now runs from Gallagher Avenue West at its southern end to the intersection of Water Ridge Path and Dr. Jose Rizal Way, north of Jefferson Avenue. The final 1.8 km of the path, between Gallagher Avenue West and Burrows Avenue, was completed earlier this year at a cost of $4 million. The project included a pedestrian half-signal at Keewatin Street and Tyndall Avenue. Another such signal will be installed at Keewatin and Manitoba Avenue later this year. New lighting along the multi-use path and 250 metres of pathway between Billy Mosienko Arena and the trails into Shaughnessy Park School were also part of the final phase of work.

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WFP Analysis: Funding Transit a necessity (Sep24'25)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Sep '25

24 Sep '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Funding Transit a necessity MEL MARGINET https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/09/24/funding-trans… WHILE the new Winnipeg Transit network launched in June 2025 has achieved many of its objectives, it’s important to assess what is and isn’t working in order to see Winnipeg Transit reach its full potential. Overall, the system change gives transit a chance to increase ridership while ensuring Winnipeggers have frequent, reliable access to destinations across the city. This redesign isn’t a final product, but a new frame to give city council many options to improve service across the city, should they choose to turn up the dial. Previously, our “spaghetti route” system had numerous congestion points — such as Graham Avenue — where buses stacked up. Adding more buses to a system like this is meaningless as buses inevitably get stuck behind each other. The spaghetti routes also created confusion, especially to those new to the city or trying to reach an area they don’t know well. Telling someone to “hop on the 16” but not that 16, lest they end up in a completely different neighbourhood, didn’t inspire confidence. The new system has given 75 per cent of Winnipeggers access to a primary transit stop (up from 40 per cent previously). Some of us have lost our old stops, and that can be hard to get used to. We can work with our councillors and transit on which stops should be restored, but we do need to remember that more stops add more time. When Transit asked during public engagement (Phase 1) “would you prefer a longer walk to a stop with more frequent service, or a shorter walk to a stop with less frequent service,” of the thousands of Winnipeggers who participated (75 per cent of them heavy transit users), 83 per cent said they preferred a longer walk to more frequent service. What the current system has not delivered on is level of service. Too many routes end too early, feeder routes are not frequent enough (the transfer times add too much time to the overall trip), and the frequent routes are too in-demand, meaning packed buses and pass-ups. New stops mean we need new shelters, and packed buses mean we need to up our cleaning game. The good news is that level of service frustrations can be easily fixed. The bad news is that it requires an increase to the operating budget to do it. This is where the system is struggling. When city council approved the network redesign, one thing was made abundantly clear to Winnipeg Transit: they did not have any increased operating funding to work with. This is where we’re at today. As someone who regularly rides the bus, I’ve had the pleasure of taking this new system to a number of new places at various points in the day. For the most part, it’s worked well for me and I’m grateful for that. But I can see where we can make improvements. I’ve been squished onto a Blue four minutes after an equally full Blue has passed by. I’ve been waiting for the F8 at a stop on Donald watching the bus creep behind single occupancy vehicles (requiring multiple light cycles to go a few blocks — madness!). And I’ve heard from several friends who are frustrated with the feeder routes in their neighbourhoods being too infrequent, adding too much time to their trips. All of these frustrations are fixable, but they require resources. It doesn’t matter what a city says it wants to be, a city’s vision is shown in what it chooses to budget for. No new operating funding for transit while continuing to budget hundreds of millions of dollars to expand Kenaston (to save, at best, 12 seconds of travel time in one area of the city) and road budgets with ongoing “record levels” of investment, makes it clear to transit riders: your comfort and convenience is not as important as those who drive. Transit is crucial for our cities as they continue to grow. It costs cities seven to nine times more per trip to move a person in a personal vehicle versus on a bus. To not invest in transit is wildly irresponsible. Winnipeg city council, the province of Manitoba, and our “nation building” federal government all need to come to the table to support public transit in our cities. Our system redesign has laid the foundation, we now need the resources to build on that foundation and deliver the transit system we need and deserve. Mel Marginet is part of the sustainable transportation team at Green Action Centre and she’s the publisher at Great Plains Press, which publishes The City Project.

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Montréal’s bike infrastructure hardly takes up any space from cars on city roads
by Beth McKechnie 23 Sep '25

23 Sep '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Interesting article on road space allocation: https://theconversation.com/montreals-bike-infrastructure-hardly-takes-up-a…

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CBC: Ontario court strikes down Ford government's plan to remove Toronto bike lanes (Jul30'25)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Aug '25

04 Aug '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. A spokesperson for Ontario's transportation minister said the government will appeal https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-ford-bike-lane-toronto-court…

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WFP: Transit scrambles to mitigate GPS confusion (Jul25'25)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jul '25

25 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Transit scrambles to mitigate GPS confusion Update expected to be completed by 2028 https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/07/24/transit-scrambles… A GPS failure that led Winnipeg Transit to post incorrect arrival times for buses earlier this month is still wreaking havoc with some schedules. Two weeks ago, Transit posted an online notice to riders that a “widespread” issue led incorrect times to appear on Navigo, bus schedule boards and Transit’s website starting on July 7. On Thursday, Transit said about 18 to 24 per cent of bus location reports were incorrect at the peak of the problem, which has since fallen to 13 to 15 per cent. The regular “baseline” level for errors is three to four per cent. “We don’t have a firm timeline of when a more permanent fix will be in place, except to say it is expected in the coming weeks,” spokeswoman Megan Benedictson wrote in an emailed statement. When the Free Press first reported on the issue on July 11, Transit stressed the technical concern was not related to the launch of its new primary network, which took place June 29. The service noted a GPS repair was on the way from its supplier. Transit’s initial public alert about the problem suggested some posted arrival times varied greatly from actual ones. “On these buses, on-board systems that display and announce the next stop won’t work. Our real-time schedule information gives incorrect times. Buses that may only be a few minutes late can appear hours late online. We are unable to track the location of some buses accurately,” the notice stated. Transit recently posted an update that a short-term fix is helping reduce the frequency of the issue, while the service awaits a more permanent solution. “A fix deployed across our fleet has led to an improvement in our GPS performance. This has improved the accuracy of our schedules online,” it notes. Winnipeg Transit spokesman Brandon Logan said the GPS issue isn’t route specific, since buses travel to different locations each day, meaning the problem can affect all routes. “In cases where invalid GPS data is detected, we use previous GPS reports or post the scheduled time in place of real-time data. We encourage riders, if they’re able, to arrive (a few minutes) early at their bus stop when riding with us,” wrote Logan, in an email. Winnipeg Transit previously told the Free Press the GPS errors affect units that are about 20 years old and were already slated for replacement. Transit expects the broader replacement program for buses with dated GPS will be completed by 2028. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee, said she has received complaints that bus transfer times are not accurate but it’s tough to tell how many are caused by the GPS problem. “I have had calls talking about the need to get better timing at the connections. Now that could be (for) many reasons, maybe there’s construction on that road, maybe the GPS isn’t working… but this is an area that I know transit is really focusing on,” said Lukes (Waverley West). “The framework, the backbone of the network, is the ability to connect, to transfer, so it makes it difficult when we’re not getting accurate times. It’s a totally independent issue (from the network), it’s just terrible timing.” Transit’s new primary network uses a spine-and-feeder concept, where direct spines along major corridors are supported by a network of feeder routes, meaning many rides that begin outside of a main route now require transfers. Kyle Owens, president of Functional Transit Winnipeg, said the technical woes could affect many riders. “If Winnipeg Transit is telling us that this is affecting 13 to 15 per cent of bus (location reports)… because (the new system) involves so many more transfers, that affects far more than just 13 to 15 per cent of riders,” said Owens. While he called the portion of inaccurate arrival times “significant,” the public transportation advocate said the new network’s frequency should help limit the amount of disruption the problem causes on main routes. “With more buses adding more frequency, we would see less of an impact in the future with other disruptions. It’s a way to ensure that the system remains reliable, even during disruptions,” said Owens. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP Analysis: Next spring too late for bike lane (Jul23'25)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jul '25

23 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Next spring too late for bike lane ARO VAN DYCK https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/07/23/next-spring-t… ON July 17, I spoke before Winnipeg City Council, urging them to ditch the latest delay to the installation of a bike lane where Rob Jenner was struck and killed last year on Wellington Crescent. I was joined at the podium by Wendy Van Loon (Rob’s wife), and in the galleries by over 120 members of our cycling community, who came out wearing red for Rob to send a powerful message to city council: we are united in solidarity and we will not be ignored. According to the plan that was before city council, the public service would be required to engage in consultations until February of 2026 before installing the bike lane next spring. This delay is unacceptable, and that’s not just something that I can say for myself. The last two weeks at bike racks, intersections and cycling events, I have spoken with over 400 cyclists about the delays this bike lane has faced since April, and can say that I have never seen our community so moved to shock, anger and distrust in the system. Our community wants Winnipeg to be decisive and strategically agile in the pursuit of Vision Zero — a road safety initiative summed up by the idea that no loss of life is acceptable. Our community wants City Hall to set a new precedent in which fatal crashes trigger immediate road design interventions. In all these conversations, something became crystal clear. Whether City Hall intends it or not, delaying again sends a message to Winnipeg’s cyclists: We’ll protect you when it’s convenient for us. The report from the public works department on this bike lane (available on the city’s website) is revealing. It notes 13 reported collisions with pedestrians and cyclists occurred on this part of Wellington between 2012-2022 (averaging one every 280 days, which is a shorter period than the proposed delay). It also states that “Traffic modelling predicts the pilot would result in minimal traffic impacts.” With this context, I want to share one more quote: “It is important to note this four-phased approach is atypical of a traditional pilot. A pilot would typically see infrastructure put into place prior to any feedback collection. The proposed infrastructure could be implemented in 2025; the public service would then modify the plan to more closely resemble a typical pilot and collect feedback from both road users and fronting residents after they have an opportunity to experience the change.” Given the acknowledgment of Wellington’s dangerous design, the expectation of minimal impacts on traffic and the fact that this delay for consultation is inconsistent with typical city practices, our community came together to demand that city council ditch the delay. In response to the call from our community, Coun. Sherri Rollins advanced a motion to do just that, which received only two votes (her own and Coun. Cindy Gilroy’s) and was defeated. Wellington Crescent, where green “bike route signs” stand in sharp contrast to Rob Jenner’s white ghost bike, will remain as dangerous as the day he died until next spring. We have been watching the decisions made at City Hall. These delays have us angry at our political leadership, embarrassed at the state of our infrastructure and afraid our next bike ride could be our last. We are pessimistic about Winnipeg’s ability to meet big challenges when we see city council getting tangled in “atypical” red tape over one bike lane. We are tired of being villainized as disrespectful in our advocacy by politicians who confuse requests to be listened to for personal attacks. When our councillors can’t stay off their phones or even stay in the room during meetings that are designated as the place and time for citizens to weigh in on civic matters, they don’t have a leg to stand on calling us disrespectful. Honestly, I did not go to City Hall expecting they would ditch the delay. Public works chair Janice Lukes stated at last week’s executive policy committee meeting that the lane would not be built this year. Yet I had hoped that with a hundred observers, our community would be heard. Halfway through my delegation, Lukes left the room. Perhaps after our next election, we will have councillors who can sit through a meeting. Aro van Dyck is an advocate for safer streets.

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WFP: City installing traffic-calming curbs in ongoing battle with speeders (Jul22'25)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jul '25

22 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City installing traffic-calming curbs in ongoing battle with speeders https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/07/21/city-to-install-t… BLAME speeders for the installation of concrete traffic-calming curbs on several city residential streets. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the civic public works committee, said the first of them will be in place this week on Chancellor Drive north of Lake Island Crescent. “There are two elementary schools and a community centre, You would think with two 30 km/h zones, people would already slow down,” Lukes said Monday. “But no they don’t. It’s crazy.” The yellow concrete curbs shaped like thick surf boards are 2.4 metres long and weigh more than 900 kilograms. They will be marked by signage and placed in another 12 locations throughout the city before the end of August. “These are a lot cheaper than rebuilding the street. We are putting them in locations where we have studied them. This is changing the built environment in the best way,” Lukes said. “People just need to slow down — but it seems they can’t, so we have to change the darn road structure so they are forced to slow down. This is a pilot project to understand how effective these curbs will be and to observe how they stand up in the winter. “If it stops even one collision, that’s great.” If the curbs do what they are intended to do, the city will make them permanent in future street-renewal work, she said. Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a statement that “every neighbourhood in our city deserves safer streets.” “That’s why we created a new road safety unit, to find practical, cost-effective ways to reduce risk and protect all road users. These traffic-calming curbs are a smart solution that will make a difference right away.” The curbs are already used in other jurisdictions across North America to increase safety. They “minimize conflict between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles,” a news release from the city said. A list of the 10 sites where the curbs will be installed, is available on the city’s website. Both Templeton Avenue and Cambridge Street have four locations apiece, while the other eight streets have single placements. The city is working with Art City to install asphalt art at select locations to increase visibility further and beautify the neighbourhood. kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca> [https://us5-bcdn.newsmemory.com/eebrowser/ipad/html5.check.25012021/ajax-re…] A graphic shows the planned placement of traffic-calming measures on Chancellor Drive.

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WFP: Wellington bike lane pilot project greenlit (Jul19'25)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jul '25

19 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. WELLINGTON BIKE LANE PILOT PROJECT GREENLIT CITY council has approved a plan to conduct a Wellington Crescent bike lane pilot project next year, despite intense lobbying from cyclists to take action much sooner. About 80 cyclists gathered in council chambers before the final vote took place Thursday, including two who spoke as delegates, asking council to implement the changes this year. The pilot project will test out one-way temporary separated bike lanes on Wellington and reduce part of the street to two lanes from four lanes. The plan would also cut the speed limit to 40 km/h from 50 km/h between Academy Road and Stradbrook Avenue. Supporters say the timing will allow for more consultation with property owners and others, before the changes take effect. Many cyclists have lobbied the city for changes on Wellington since cyclist Rob Jenner was killed by a speeding driver on the street on June 6, 2024. While the vehicle was travelling at 159 km/h, more than triple the current speed limit, many argued the design of the street makes it far too easy to speed through.

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WFP: School zones with most offenders targeted (Jul19'25)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jul '25

19 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ‘Our goal should be to get to zero tickets,’ says co-founder of Safe Speeds School zones with most offenders targeted https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/07/18/city-eyes-changes… A new motion directs city staff to review school zones with the highest number of speeding tickets and explore design options to slow drivers down in those areas. The motion calls for staff to report back on potential infrastructure changes to address the issue, such as new signs, raised crosswalks, crosswalk lighting, speed bumps and curb extensions. “The idea is not to keep ticketing people. The idea is to fix the problem. The ticketing is kind of an indicator where there are probably some structural problems on the road… So, it’s a good (way) to (determine) where we’re going to focus on,” said Coun. John Orlikow, who seconded the city council motion Thursday. Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) said the 30 km/h speed limit around many schools is not enough to address speeding on its own, so these extra safety measures should be explored. “They’re deterrents for sure, the tickets… But if it’s still not working, if we’re still giving out too many tickets, then we have to look at the infrastructure (at those sites),” he said. An advocate calling for the 30 km/h speed limit to be implemented on all residential streets said changing infrastructure to slow down drivers is a good idea. “It is a great start to changing the way that we think about speed enforcement in the city. School zones are an awesome place to start but… we should be using data to tell us where speeding is a problem throughout the city,” said Emma Durand-Wood, a co-founder of Safe Speeds Winnipeg. For example, she said curb extensions, also known as bump-outs, provide better visibility for pedestrians and reduce their crossing distance, while raised crosswalks cue drivers to slow down. “Most people aren’t setting out to disobey the speed limit. The biggest factor …. that influences how fast people drive is the design of the street. So, we know that (changing) the design of the street is the most effective way to change how fast people drive.” Durand-Wood said the city should incorporate safety infrastructure into road renewal projects and devote photo radar ticket revenue to design changes that make it harder to speed. “Our goal really should be to get to zero speeding tickets because that would mean people are driving safely,” she said. Durand-Wood is also a registered candidate in the Elmwood- East Kildonan byelection, which is scheduled for Oct. 25. However, council’s public works chairwoman said she thinks photo enforcement data alone doesn’t provide enough information to determine where road safety infrastructure dollars should be spent. Coun. Janice Lukes said she fears basing that decision on heavily ticketed school zones would not necessarily pick the best locations overall. That’s partly because police can’t patrol hundreds of schools in Winnipeg every day, so it’s not easy to ensure the most ticketed ones actually see the most speeding, said Lukes (Waverley West). Other important safety factors should also be considered to prioritize infrastructure investments, such as traffic volumes and engineering feedback, she said. “I (probably) wouldn’t support (the motion) because we’re not getting accurate data to base (infrastructure) investments on. I’m not going to base investment on just police ticket data,” said Lukes. The councillor said she’s very supportive of changing infrastructure to slow down vehicles in school zones but any work must fit within the city’s budget. “In my opinion, every school should have curb bump-outs … but we don’t have enough resources to do that,” said Lukes. “People just need to smarten up and slow down,” she added. Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel Mc-Intyre), who raised the motion, could not be reached for comment by deadline Friday. The motion will be considered by council’s public works committee in September. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Art is afoot - new pedestrian corridor’s colourful transformation full of life, movement
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jul '25

12 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ART IS AFOOT From parcheesi to paintings, new pedestrian corridor’s colourful transformation full of life, movement https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2025/07/12/art-is-afoot THEY’RE almost ready to be traversed, touched and skipped on: four blocks of street paintings from Carlton to Garry Street on Graham, including two playable murals. The murals are part of Reimagining Graham Avenue, which sees the former transit corridor transformed into a pedestrian-first corridor. “There’s going to be a giant parcheesi game right in front of the police services,” says Karin Kliewer, a senior planner at the City of Winnipeg. “And I don’t even know how to play parcheesi, but I’m definitely gonna learn!” Local artists began paving the streets with strokes on Canada Day and have been painting at a brisk clip — they’re expected to be wrapped up this weekend. Muralists include Marc Kuegle, Alex Plante, Kal Barteski, Kale Sheppard, Laura Lee Harasym, Mike Zastre, James Culleton, Architects at Play and artistic lead Takashi Iwasaki. The mark of Iwasaki’s unmistakable style — something like an extra whimsical Kandinsky or Miró for the video-game age — can be found on murals from Winnipeg to Churchill and beyond. He oversees the murals’ artistic direction and collaborates with both the city and project lead Stéphane Dorge, an organizer with CoolStreetsWPG, on the murals’ logistics and execution. “I like people to think of rhythm as they walk by. Once they look at the image, it’s not very stagnant,” says Iwasaki. The artist is also intrigued by people’s reactions on social media to the emerging murals, saying some older Facebook users have left skeptical comments, while younger Instagram users are applauding the new works and changes on Graham Avenue. “It’s a sort of casual survey of what kind of people exist around me… On Facebook, I think people say it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money,” says Iwasaki. “But it’s interesting: it’s all funded by Bloomberg, the U.S. philanthropy organization, so nothing of our tax money has been spent on the paint.” Winnipeg is one of only 10 cities in North America selected for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ US$100,000 Asphalt Art Initiative, after the Public Works and the Planning, Property and Development departments at the City of Winnipeg submitted an application. This funding is one reason why Reimagining Graham Avenue is as colourful as it is. “It’s not often where that scale of a (mural) project can happen this fast,” Dorge says. “I hope this isn’t the full catalyst, though. But I hope this… spurs prioritization from developers to focus on rebuilding (the) area and making it more vibrant.” It’s been an eventful couple of weeks for Winnipeg’s downtown. Reimagining Graham Avenue coincides with the opening of Portage and Main to pedestrians, as well as Winnipeg’s newly implemented transit model — all of which, while serving distinct goals, aim to transform the downtown into a more walkable social hub. Many significant planning initiatives in Manitoba’s history have been met with polarized reactions at first, even if some — like Duff’s Ditch in the 1960s, the Downtown Skywalk System in 1970s-80s, and The Forks redevelopment in the 1980s-90s — are now all but taken for granted as key pieces of infrastructure. Iwasaki says he hasn’t experienced any of this negativity at the street level. “People are curious. They always ask, ‘What is this? Why is this happening?’ Or it’s just a nice comment of, ‘Oh, that looks nice,’” he says. “No one yells at us, especially with the (reflective) vest. We look like city workers. They have some sort of respect when you wear the safety jacket.” “I think we are very critical as Winnipeggers, but this is a first step in creating the downtown that we deserve, which has a lot of beauty and a lot of places for people to go and gather,” Kliewer says. “I hope that people walk down this. I hope that people walk down Portage and Main,” she adds. “I hope people walk through The Exchange… and say, ‘Yes, this makes sense. Yes, I want to be here. I want to walk here, bike here. I want to make art here and enjoy it.’” conrad.sweatman(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:conrad.sweatman@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Vancouver cuts speed limit on local streets (Jul10'25)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jul '25

10 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. VANCOUVER CUTS SPEED LIMIT ON LOCAL STREETS https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/uncategorized/2025/07/09/vancouver-counci… Vancouver's city council has voted unanimously to reduce the speed limit on local streets to 30 kilometres per hour, down from the provincially mandated 50 kilometres per hour. The city says in a release that the vote “sets the stage” for the phased introduction of the new limit on residential streets without a centre line. It says new signage will be installed in 25 “neighbourhood slow zones” over the next three years, with other neighbourhoods being added later subject to budget allocations. The city says lowering the speed limit on local residential streets can reduce pedestrian fatality rates in a crash from 80 per cent to 15 per cent, as well as reducing stopping distances almost by half, thus lowering the number of collisions. The city also says lower speed limits can reduce noise and air pollution. B.C. currently sets a blanket speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour on residential streets in Vancouver unless otherwise posted, while the city says Vancouver “has a long-standing practice to lower speed limits” to 30 kilometres an hour on local street greenways, and playground and school zones. — The Canadian Press

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WFP: Wellington Crescent bike lane won’t roll till next year: city (Jul4'25)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Jul '25

04 Jul '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Wellington Crescent bike lane won’t roll till next year: city https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/07/03/wellington-cresce… A BIKE lane pilot project planned for Wellington Crescent remains on track to roll out next year, despite dozens of pleas to deliver it in 2025. On Thursday, council’s public works committee approved a plan to test out one-way temporary separated bike lanes on Wellington and reduce part of the street to two lanes from four lanes. The plan would also cut the speed limit to 40 km/h from 50 km/h between Academy Road and Stradbrook Avenue. About 40 cycling advocates urged committee members to get those changes in place this summer, as originally planned, instead of next year. While councillors did call for the next staff report on the matter to arrive by February 2026, the changes will still be tested that year, pending a final city council vote. “When implemented… (these changes) will address the concerns,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman. A city staff report states the delay to add the bike lanes will allow consultation with property owners and others before changes take effect. Lukes (Waverley West) said the delegates made a lot of valid points, noting she supported reducing the area’s speed to 30 km/h late last year before council voted against that change. “I support (the cyclists). I hear them… I have to talk to my other colleagues to get (the majority of city council members) to move it through,” she said. Many cyclists have lobbied the city for changes on Wellington since cyclist Rob Jenner was killed by a speeding driver on the street on June 6, 2024. While the vehicle was travelling at 159 km/h, more than triple the current speed limit, many argued the design of the street makes it far too easy to speed through. Most of those delegates also called for a 30 km/h speed limit on the route, instead of the proposed 40 km/h. Samantha Beiko, who commutes from Charleswood to downtown by bike, said implementing the pilot project and a 30 km/h speed limit would prevent crashes and injuries. “This (pilot) has been talked about for well over a year, that they have the materials in stock to do it now, to put in a temporary solution… This can be implemented right away,” said Beiko. City council is expected to cast the final vote on the matter on July 17. The report on interim solutions to make Wellington Crescent safer for cyclists and pedestrians was originally expected in April before being delayed until this month’s agenda. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP analysis: A new chapter for Portage and Main (Jun30'25)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jun '25

30 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. A new chapter for Portage and Main https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2025/06/30/a-new-chapter… REMEMBER that time the entire city of Winnipeg voted on whether people should be allowed to cross the street? That was wild. The whole country looked on in curious amusement as a modern city tied itself into knots over what appeared to be an incredibly mundane issue. As a member of the Vote Open campaign, I can remember spending my evenings going door-to-door, or manning booths and handing out pamphlets at festivals and farmers’ markets. We organized a concert, started a website and argued tirelessly on social media. We had all the data and all the engineering studies. We could rebut any point. In the end, as we know, Portage and Main was a mythical beast too powerful to slay and the vote was a resounding NO. A few years later, we found out that it would be cheaper to take down the barricades than to repair the underground, so one day, Mayor Scott Gillingham announced in a reassuring tone, “It’s just an intersection,” and that was that. On Friday, almost 17,000 days after the last person legally did it, we walked across the street. We shouldn’t expect that rainbows will cascade down from the heavens and all that ails downtown will be instantly swept away. But in time, people on the sidewalks will bring life back to the centre of our city. More people work within 100 metres of Portage and Main than live in Steinbach, the province’s third largest city. Enticing even a fraction of these people back to the sidewalks might be the incentive needed to begin filling the many empty storefronts nearby, developing the 50-year-old gravel parking lot on Main Street and bringing life to the plazas and public spaces. An open Portage and Main will reconnect the different neighbourhoods of downtown so they can build on each other’s successes. It will re-establish the intersection’s traditional role as the centre of an urban pinwheel, a place of connection but also, in its own right, a place to be. Before long, people crossing the street will be the new normal and we will wonder what all the fuss was about. It’s then that we might challenge ourselves to dream bigger. Mayor Gillingham is right — it is just an intersection. But it’s also an opportunity. The windy corner, the gateway to the West, Canada’s coldest and most famous intersection has been celebrated in song and story. It began as a First Nations meeting place, later becoming a Métis trading route, then the birthplace of a frontier city and the economic centre of modern metropolis. It is a place we come to celebrate, a place we come to mourn and to protest. Portage and Main is a special place filled with lore and history, not just in Winnipeg but across the country. As you enter the 'Cities of the Twentieth Century’ exhibit at the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa, you are greeted with a giant mural of Portage and Main from a century ago. The image represents the very best of what a city can be, the intersection, the beating heart of a city filled with optimism and energy. Imagine if Portage and Main became a place where this spirit and history were woven together and celebrated through art, sculpture, lighting, landscape, interpretive design and storytelling. A place where we can come to learn about ourselves and to have others learn about us. Telling the story of Portage and Main through placemaking is to tell the story of Canada. The ultimate opportunity for Portage and Main is to be a remarkable place that tells a remarkable story. To achieve this, we might at some point reconsider the physical form of the intersection itself, giving more space to people and less to cars. New York City presents a strong precedent for this, closing Broadway through Times Square in 2009 and creating pedestrian plazas that have transformed it into one of the great public spaces in the world. Considering that it took Winnipeg half a century to accept people crossing the street, removing car space would certainly not be an easy sell, but our experience during the last nine months of construction has demonstrated that it can be done. When construction started on removing the barricades last year, two full lanes of traffic were closed on each side of Portage Avenue and Main Street. This effectively cut vehicle capacity in half. The result was a real-world experiment in traffic engineering. For a few weeks after the closures, maybe a month, traffic slowed during rush hour and it would take a couple minutes longer to drive through the intersection. As people got used to the changes, however, traffic found its way. Congestion decreased and for several months the intersection operated normally despite having far less space devoted to cars. Many cities across North America have used a strategy called “road diets” to permanently reduce the number of lanes on wide streets and create more pedestrian space. When road diets are implemented, drivers will frequently find alternative routes, travel at different times or even use different modes of transportation, often resulting in traffic eventually finding equilibrium. Road diets are always controversial, but the experience during construction at Portage and Main demonstrated that it is possible without significant impact to traffic congestion — knowledge that we shouldn’t forget as we contemplate the future of the intersection. Removing the barricades isn’t the end of the Portage and Main story. It’s the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. What we write in that chapter is now up to all of us. The opportunity for Canada’s most famous intersection is to be a place worthy of its fame — Hollywood and Vine, Shibuya Crossing, Times Square and Portage and Main. Why not? Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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WFP: Route-and-branch transit overhaul maps city’s devolution (Jun29'25)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jun '25

29 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ROUTE-AND-BRANCH TRANSIT OVERHAUL MAPS CITY’S DEVOLUTION By: Rebecca Chambers<https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/biographies/rebecca-chambers> https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2025/06/27/route-and-branch-transit… 10 Wolseley. 11 Portage. 12 William. 14 Ellice. 15 Mountain. 16 Osborne. 17 MacGregor. 18 Corydon. 19 Notre Dame. 20 Academy… Until this week, I hadn’t realized I could recite just about the full set of Winnipeg Transit routes and numbers by memory. Alas, this newly discovered party trick is destined to go unused as we bury these routes with the streetcar tracks they were originally designed to follow, the veins through a city that are remnants of a time when a much more closely-packed citizenry all needed the same things, and all of which were available in the heart of the city. I have mixed feelings about this evolution. Obviously, changes are needed to transit. Declining ridership and rising safety issues are clear indicators it’s not fulfilling its role of getting us where we need to go. But the days of jumping on the bus for all of our needs are behind us. Even if we wanted to go shopping downtown, we largely couldn’t, as there’s nowhere left to shop. A short walk down Portage or Graham will yield empty shop front after empty shop front. The mammoth department stores of two generations ago are gone, and many of the destinations that would have drawn us are now parking lots haunted by the ghosts of Winnipeggers past and the cars of Winnipeg present. I’m worried our transit overhaul reflects our devolution, instead of our evolution, as a city. It seems to be a reflection and acceptance of our problematic sprawl. With nothing to bump into on the outside margins of our town, we have nothing stopping us from expanding ever outward, trenching new sewer lines and paving new roads while the older ones rot and crumble, building new houses while addresses in older neighbourhoods are left as burnt skeletons or piles of rubble for months on end. Transit has been slow to extend service into newer areas, and inhabitants have been slow to adopt transit as a way to get around. While in some ways this redesign feels like an admission of defeat, a commitment to a future of further sprawl, it does give hope that somewhere in Winnipeg, someone involved in planning is acknowledging we cannot go on just waiting for our boomtown days to come back while more and more of our citizenry are making homes along river banks. In a rare example of cross-sector coordination, there are a few examples of this novel forward-thinking mindset. The city is looking at adding housing along the new “spine” routes, even incorporating residential units into transit infrastructure. The lofty plans for Graham Avenue — a pedestrian mall and shopping district — promise to bring people downtown to socialize, shop and dine. The new routes promise quicker commutes, better coverage and short waits for transfers — all good reasons to pull someone onto the bus who hasn’t considered it in some time. All in all, it’s a noble effort to make a rare and radical change to Winnipeg’s public services in an effort to actually serve the needs of the citizenry. But it’s not going to work. These noble “pull” reasons to take the bus will fail if there aren’t balanced and co-ordinated “push” incentives to get people out of their cars. We cannot simply emphasize the perks of taking the bus without also making driving more unattractive, and we are a woefully car-committed city. The fact we’re still entertaining the thought of widening Kenaston Boulevard is clear communication from the city itself that we don’t believe in public transit to move people. No, we must make way for more cars instead. It’s cars that move people in Winnipeg. And it’s cars that occupy the ever-expanding network of surface parking lots in our downtown: cheap, plentiful spaces have made driving to work easy and comfortable. Why would anyone take the bus where there is very little advantage? Transit is not just failing because the product itself isn’t working well. It’s failing because our city has planned for it to fail. There is no outcome for transit, in the current design of this city, that will strengthen its utility and usage, because we haven’t considered factors beyond the service itself. It’s clear the reliability and safety of transit must be improved, and some of that will be addressed by the changes that go into effect tomorrow, but until the infrastructure surrounding car use makes it preferable, I can’t imagine I’ll be memorizing many new route numbers. rebecca.chambers(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:rebecca.chambers@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Massive murals won’t just brighten Graham Avenue, they will make it safer (Jun28'25)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jun '25

29 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Massive murals won’t just brighten Graham Avenue, they will make it safer TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREET https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2025/06/27/takin-it-to-the-… MURALS, not buses, will soon be running up and down Graham Avenue. Winnipeg is one of only 10 cities in North America — and just two in Canada, the other being Ottawa — selected for the US$100,000 Asphalt Art Initiative launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The project turns the formerly transit-heavy corridor into a whimsical urban canvas. Beginning Monday, local artists will cover the asphalt with large-scale, street-level murals. The public art initiative is part of the broader Reimagining Graham Avenue, which is seeing the four-block zone from Carlton to Garry Street transformed into a pedestrian-first corridor. “It’s not often where that scale of a (mural) project can happen this fast,” says project lead Stéphane Dorge, an organizer with CoolStreetsWPG, which specializes in transforming community spaces through art. “This is kind of like an arts festival, where we’re going to be up to 10 artists on site, plus helpers and volunteers bringing to life about 18,000 square feet of murals to animate the Graham Avenue space, so it’s a bit overwhelming.” Muralists include Marc Kuegle, Alex Plante, Kal Barteski, Kale Sheppard, Laura Lee Harasym, Mike Zastre, James Culleton, Architects at Play and lead artist Takashi Iwasaki. Like a cinematically colour-graded street scene, the project will have a rich, overarching palette, but each of the artists was given near carte blanche to create, with an emphasis on play and interactivity. Dorge describes Architects at Play’s 13,000-square-foot piece as a “playable mural where you can bring your own pocket dice or use a dice app on your phone to play.” “I can’t wait to unveil it.” Reimagining Graham Avenue dovetails with the city’s new spine-and-feeder transit model launching Sunday. Known as Primary Transit Network (PTN), the new system is a historic transformation that will shift transit’s focal points away from the downtown core towards other major corridors in the city, prioritizing bus frequency and greater neighbourhood-to-neighbourhood access across Winnipeg. But rather than diminish downtown’s place in the city’s civic culture, projects such as the PTN and Reimagining Graham Avenue — which coincide with the intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street opening to pedestrian traffic — aim to transform the heart of the city into a more walkable social hub. Look up from the asphalt tableaus, and rather than buses you’ll soon see a public plaza, including street plants, picnic tables, furniture, benches, pingpong tables and access ramps. Car traffic will be allowed along other stretches of Graham, where protected bike lanes are also being added. “When these changes are in place, Graham will be more colourful, more dynamic, more pedestrian-friendly. One more reason for people to visit, explore and enjoy our downtown,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. The application to Bloomberg Philanthropies, a charitable organization in New York, for the Asphalt Art Initiative was submitted by Public Works and the Planning, Property and Development departments at the City of Winnipeg. “It was just a really well-thought-out, really inspired application,” says Nicholas Mosquera, one of the program leads at Bloomberg Philanthropies for the Asphalt Art Initiative. “It reminded us a lot of work that we’d been doing (in New York City’s Times Square). We saw a lot of similarities in the Winnipeg project and we’re happy to be a part of that effort.” Studies consistently show that pedestrian-friendly design makes neighbourhoods feel more connected. For example, research from a University of British Columbia review found walkable neighbourhoods build civic trust and spark friendlier interactions, while a U.K. study showed that quieter, low-traffic streets made people more neighbourly and less lonely. That same study also found that low-traffic, pedestrian-centric neighbourhoods can create public health gains up to 100 times greater than the costs of those plans. And while public arts and beautification projects are sometimes criticized as a superficial fix to the social problems undergirding urban distress, a growing body of literature shows the social benefits run deeper than fleeting eye candy. The Asphalt Art Safety Study, conducted by Sam Schwartz Consulting in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies, analyzed 17 asphalt art sites across the United States. Among the outcomes reassuring them of their good work, they found that crashes involving pedestrians or cyclists were halved, while crashes resulting in injuries decreased by 37 per cent, along with a 27 per cent increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians with the right-of-way. “They’re really striking results. We’re really proud of that — (it’s) some of the first research, certainly to our knowledge, to look at multiple arts-driven street-design projects,” says Mosquera. A number of independent studies, mostly focusing on green projects, illuminate the effects of community beautification on improving mental health and community connectivity. “It’s incredible when we can see that the street is actually going to turn into a large piece of art,” said Kate Fenske, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ’s chief executive officer, of Reimagining Graham Avenue. “I hope this isn’t the full catalyst, though,” says Dorge. “We still need development of the surface lots and Graham. We need more housing downtown. But I hope this draws attention to that need and, hopefully, spurs prioritization from developers to focus on rebuilding that area and making it more vibrant.” conrad.sweatman(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:conrad.sweatman@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Editorial: Big changes for your bus trips (Jun28'25)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '25

28 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. EDITORIAL Big changes for your bus trips https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2025/06/28/big-changes… WELL, fasten your seatbelts! Except you can’t. There aren’t seatbelts on Winnipeg Transit buses, but you know what we mean. Tomorrow starts the biggest set of changes at Winnipeg Transit in years: in reality, the first full-scale revamp of transit routes and services that any transit user is likely to be able to remember. The old route map has been torn up: there are hardly any surviving legacy routes, and it’s a new era for Winnipeg bus travel. The process has been unrolling slowly for several years, with transit officials designing a new feeder system, seeking input on proposed route changes, followed by a final route plan and a redrafted Navigo app, transit signs for new routes being installed, and temporary signs listing the routes that will be vanishing tomorrow. The idea changes the entire structure of the system, moving to a main “spine” Primary Transit Network and feeder system that promises sufficiently frequent buses that riders won’t need to schedule their trips and connections that thread out into different parts of the community from those “spine” routes. It’s a lot different from the system that’s in place now, but the goal is a familiar one — to get you from here to there as quickly and easily as possible. There will be problems. There will be hiccups. There will be angry passengers and frustrations. You can’t massively overhaul a system that had just under 67 million riders in 2024 and not have issues arise. Heck, the system will be brand new for bus drivers, too, and there are something like 1,100 of them who will have to get up to speed all at once. (A quick note here: bus drivers didn’t devise this new system, and if you’re angry about the changes, you’ve got no right to take it out on them, even if they are the first and only face of Winnipeg Transit you see in the flesh.) But keep this in mind: most of the changes to Winnipeg’s bus system in recent years have been incremental, building on a foundation that hasn’t changed greatly while the needs of a changing demographic certainly have. The system, where it worked well, worked well in spite of itself, not because of carefully managed and planned change. This is different. So, now to the “what’s next?” part. No one sets out to deliberately make things worse: there will be winners and losers, commutes that take more time for some riders and, hopefully, more routes that take less. But the whole process has been undertaken in an attempt to improve transit for the largest number of riders possible. Winnipeg Transit is making quite a few claims about the benefits of the new system. “You’ll benefit from a route network that’s more … Frequent: Buses arrive more often on frequent routes. Direct: Major routes are straighter, fewer take slow and winding paths. Connected: Service expands into new areas, and bus stops move to improve connections. Simplified: Routes are easier to figure out.” At least, that’s what the website says, That does all remain to be seen. But the changes are the result of a careful process, one that has tried to deliver the most benefits possible for the most people. Do that hardest of things: if you’re inconvenienced or confused at the beginning, try to give the new system the benefit of the doubt as kinks are worked out and you get used to how it can work for you. And be patient: at least at this point, Winnipeg Transit intends to keep this iteration of its bus routes and schedules in place for a full year before making significant changes. Enjoy the ride.

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WFP: Bring on the buses (Jun28'25)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '25

28 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. New transit system promises faster, more reliable service. It’s now up to Winnipeggers to decide if they like the new ride Bring on the buses https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/27/bring-on-the-buses FORGET Hamlet, today’s great existential dilemma might be, “Do I wait for the next bus or start walking?” At least according to behavioural economists, who use the wait-walk dilemma to explore trade-offs between waiting for better opportunities or taking immediate action amid uncertainty. Winnipeg Transit gives the dilemma, in its literal form, an especially cruel edge. Winter lasts for months. Buses in many areas are infrequent. Routes can be as winding and indirect as the streets themselves. Miss a transfer and — walk or wait — you could be stuck in Mars-level cold for the next 45 minutes. With choices like these, it’s little wonder that more than 90 per cent of Winnipeggers say “not to be” when it comes to commuting via bus, preferring to drive, bike or walk. Bjorn Radstrom, manager of Transit Service Development at the City of Winnipeg, is the lead behind a new experiment he hopes will nudge ambivalent commuters in the right direction: stand tall and wait for Winnipeg’s public chariot. “I’m an absolute transit nerd… (and) this is a once-in-a-lifetime project,” he says of the Primary Transit Network, the city’s new system of bus “spine” lines, which debuts Sunday. It was designed and planned in collaboration with Stantec, a global design and consulting firm. “Not many cities have done a wholesale overhaul of their entire network like this. It’s probably the biggest ever in Canada or in the United States and it’s one of the biggest ever in the world.” ●●● The new transit network’s backbone is a series of high-frequency “spine” routes, with buses every 10-15 minutes, along major corridors — including St Mary’s, Grant, Portage, Donald, Osborne, Provencher, Pembina and Abinojii Mikanah. Commuters squinting at the display on approaching buses on these lines will spot an “F” or “FX” prefix, standing for frequent and frequent express. “(For a lot of routes), you won’t have to even consult a schedule. You can just walk out because the bus is going to be coming,” Radstrom says. The F lines join the network’s BLUE Line, Winnipeg’s first rapid transit service (arriving every four to 10 minutes during peak hours) connecting the downtown to the University of Manitoba and St. Norbert through the bus-only Southwest Transitway corridor. There’s also the new D (direct), R (regular) and E (Express) lines, which differ somewhat in terms of bus-stop spacing and service speed but like F and FX run along thoroughfares. As well as reducing wait times, the new network allows Winnipeg Transit to wring a de facto “grid” out of the city’s sometimes jumbled topology, a shape generally considered a marker of transit efficiency. All this means scrapping the buses’ oddly cherished naming system, where most were labeled with a number that often stuck for decades. Numbers like the “68”, “20” and “11” that for many evoke years of commuting and colourful, sometimes surreal, encounters with fellow riders. It also means tossing the city’s complex branching patterns — express-only and peak-only services and certain downtown corridors, like Graham Avenue’s transit mall. Those many overlapping routes and their multiple variants are now considered redundant. To ensure commuters don’t have to walk too far before hopping on a main line, the new system has three categories of feeder routes — connector routes (two-digit numbers), community routes (three-digit numbers) and on-request service. These offer lower-frequency buses connecting neighbourhoods to the spine network; little streams flowing into a big river. All the same, it’s easy to find commuters on Reddit and social media eulogizing the loss of a familiar, trusty line or venting about now having to walk longer or transfer more often. “I really value complaints, and I want people to complain if it’s not working for them. My only request is be specific and be constructive,” Radstrom says. “(But) with a change of this magnitude … there’s no way around it. Things are going to get more challenging for some people.” It’s also notable the new system requires more transfers on many routes — changes that may make some Winnipeggers bristle. That’s natural when they associate transferring with standing in the cold and checking their phones for a connecting bus that never seems to come. The redesigned network aims to address that with more reliable, regular service. You may have to catch an extra transfer, but the buses should come more quickly. Radstrom — fond of quoting transit pundit and consultant Jarrett Walker’s motto, “Freedom is frequency” — estimates transit will significantly improve for about 60 per cent of current riders and remain functionally the same for 20 to 30 per cent. On the other hand, he predicts things will become more difficult for the remaining 10 to 20 per cent. For the city, it’s a make-or-break moment. With years of stagnant ridership and revenue shortfalls, the status quo would no longer do. “For those that may be concerned about the changes, I can appreciate that, but I think the general principle I would ask everyone to please remember is that we would not be making these changes to make things worse,” Mayor Scott Gillingham says. “(It’s) the biggest modernization of Winnipeg transit service in 60 years.” ●●● City modernization initiatives almost always have trade-offs and discontentment and it’s no different with public transit. Among transit wonks, one of the hotter debates is whether cities are better off with the hub-and-spoke model Winnipeg is ditching or the spine-and-feeder approach behind the new system. The hub-and-spoke system is a radial one. It gets its name from its wheel-like shape: a central hub — typically downtown — with spokes stretching outward. Downtown has been the heart of Winnipeg’s transit system since 1891, when electric streetcars began running along River Avenue, radiating in and out from the city’s core. The story of Winnipeg’s modern transit system begins about a half century ago. In 1955, the city scrapped its streetcars — marked by a symbolic “funeral” with hundreds gathering at Portage and Main to watch a ceremonial streetcar parade and to flatten coins on the rails one last time. Over the next 15 years, Winnipeg’s transit switched gears, as rubber-tired trolleys — still powered by overhead wires — gradually gave way to diesel buses. In 1963, the city launched the Winnipeg Area Transportation Study. It reflected the post-war modernist ethos — promoting radial expressways, geared towards drivers in their big Meteors, Impalas and Fairlanes. It also recommended that the system be radial and downtown-centric. After all, the country was enjoying its postwar boom. The suburbs were young and multiplying, the middle-class now had cars and commercial life was centred around Portage and Main. A gloom had yet to envelope the downtown. There was still hope it might serve as a civic hub for residents of new suburbs like St. Vital and Tuxedo, with a slew of downtown cultural attractions like the Centennial Concert Hall (built 1967) and Manitoba Theatre Centre (1970) all soon on the way. In the 1970s, the city went all-in with diesel, rolling out Winnipeg’s classic buses, like the 66, the 75 and the 11 — funnelling riders to and from the downtown. “The (old) network doesn’t work because it’s built for the city of the 1950s, maybe 1960s, when everybody’s commuting into downtown in the morning, out of downtown in the afternoon,” Radstrom says. “But it didn’t serve people for all the other trips they want to do, for work, first of all, but also just for daily life — if they want to go shopping, visit their friends, all that kind of stuff.” It’s rare to see a city’s transit switch suddenly from a hub-and-spoke to a spine-and-feeder model. In this shift, Winnipeg joins cities like Madison, Wis. — which launched a new grid-like transit system in 2023 — and Dublin, Ireland, where similar changes began to take root in 2021. Winnipeg’s shift, while reflecting an ongoing downtown malaise, also evokes broader debates about how cities should grow. Urbanists tend to champion gridlike systems for transit and streets, viewing them as a more rational and efficient way to guide people and vehicles. This makes spine-and-feeder inherently attractive. However, large-scale efforts to reform transit with watchwords like “rationality” and “efficiency” are often criticized as too top-down. Conservatives and grassroots progressives alike share these concerns, wary of centralized overhauls that disrupt daily routines with new abstract frameworks — especially if they’re rolled out without public input. Others argue this view underestimates our ability to plan effective transit and that even large-scale systems like spine-and-feeder models can promote a different kind of decentralization. These models push back on the downtown-centrism of planning and reflect that over time cities tend to see jobs, schools and shopping services dispersed across neighbourhoods. They can do this by enabling transit users to travel across town rather than always through the core. When done well, spine-and-feeder systems promote transit frequency and directness — and, as many argue, help knit a city’s diverse neighbourhoods more closely together. ●●● While major city projects still evoke a technocratic image, today’s planners are expected to engage in deeper, more inclusive public consultation than in the past. “The new routes are built on extensive consultation with transit users and a deep analysis of anonymous data from cellphones, really looking at where people are coming from and going to,” Gillingham says. “What this is ultimately about is the people of Winnipeg and customer service to Winnipeg,” The mayor is referring to public consultation going back to 2018, unfolding over three phases through late 2020. It included surveys, open houses, pop-up events, workshops and virtual sessions. Starting in 2019, the city partnered with Stantec on public consultancy and released several summaries highlighting residents’ calls for more frequent service, better cross-town connections, and shorter walks to stops. These reports also detailed how public feedback shaped the new system’s planning. “If we heard from people that the current network mostly works, but it needs a few tweaks and changes and things like that, we would be willing to go in that direction,” Radstrom says. “But if we heard from everybody that, no, it absolutely doesn’t meet the needs of people today and where they want to travel, how they want to travel — we were going to do something completely different.” The city also used anonymous cellphone location data to map travel patterns — showing, among other things, that many trips bypassed downtown. Radstrom says this gave planners added confidence to push ahead with a bold redesign. Winnipeg Transit also says they plan to gather data for the next year, including by collecting feedback from users through 311, before making any significant changes to the new system. And gathering this data, to continue improving the system, means getting more butts on bus seats. “I would encourage all Winnipeggers this summer to get on a transit bus if you haven’t been on one for years — and just enjoy the new transit experience,” Gillingham says. ●●● Though some worry about the scope of change, others worry they’re not dramatic enough. “To get people to use transit, generally transit service has to be comparable to car use,” says Orly Linovski, associate professor at the department of city planning at the University of Manitoba. “Transit nerds (take buses) because we love transit, but even with me, if it’s going to take an hour and 20 minutes instead of seven or 15 minutes — that’s a big ask.” Linovski points out Winnipeg’s relatively low traffic congestion makes driving easy and convenient for most vehicle owners, giving little incentive to switch to public transit. At the same time, it’s not surprising political leaders hesitate to explore policies discouraging car use — and unleash a commuter rage fiercer than a Winnipeg deep freeze. The more popular option for commuters is to make busing more inherently appealing through upgrades and smart reforms. It remains to be seen how commuters will respond to the new network in the long term and the extent to which it will shorten average trip lengths, though Radstrom predicts significant improvements for more than half of riders. And there are other significant upgrades on the horizon for Winnipeg Transit, thanks to significant capital investments coming from all levels of government. This includes a rapid transit corridor design for downtown, rolling out 90 zero-emission buses, installing accessible bus stop platforms and implementing “intelligent transportation systems,” which are supposed to make transit smarter and faster through GPS, sensors, wireless networks and real-time data analytics. For Linovski a key factor is still missing. “The evidence is pretty clear that the way to increase ridership is to increase service vehicle hours and increase them substantially,” she says, noting the total number of hours buses are in service remains unchanged with the new system. Substantially boosting service hours, however, would increase costs for fuel, maintenance, drivers, administration and other expenses, further straining Winnipeg Transit’s operational budget, which is already subsidized at record numbers by the city. Despite those constraints on the new system, few people are arguing the old one was working well enough as it was. With only one in 10 Winnipeggers choosing bus as their primary mode of commuting — and public consultations showing a strong demand for reforms — this isn’t surprising. As Linovski emphasizes, the impact of the upgrades on ridership, users’ experiences and transit’s overall efficiency deserves close study, with challenges inevitable. For Winnipeggers, it may initially feel like the new system walks before it runs. But after decades of unreliable and underused transit, the city couldn’t wait any longer. conrad.sweatman(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:conrad.sweatman@freepress.mb.ca> Tales in transit We want to hear about your experiences with the new Winnipeg transit network. Share your thoughts via the online link: wfp.to/myride<http://wfp.to/myride>. Winnipeg’s transit system is changing. Here’s a survival guide: wfp.to/transittips<http://wfp.to/transittips>.

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WFP: Pedestrians step out onto Portage and Main for first time in decades (Jun28'25)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '25

28 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pedestrians step out onto Portage and Main for first time in decades ‘Felt great, but also unremarkable’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/27/felt-great-but-al… WINNIPEG’S landmark intersection, Portage Avenue and Main Street, officially opened to pedestrian traffic for the first time in more than four decades Friday morning. No longer will pedestrians be forced to walk for blocks or duck down into the underground concourse to cross the street. Concrete barriers installed at the intersection in 1979 have been a source of contention between pedestrians and motorists. “Today, we’re bringing an end to 46 years of debating whether or not people should be allowed to cross the street,” Mayor Scott Gillingham said, moments before opening the roadway to foot traffic. “Now, reopening this intersection isn’t a silver bullet. It’s not the answer for all of Winnipeg’s downtown challenges, but it’s important for the progress that we are making, step by step, block by block, to build a downtown for everyone.” A large crowd crammed onto the northeast corner, eager to hear the mayor’s remarks and witness what he described as another “historic moment” for the spot. Traffic roared past and people jostled for space, waved signs and cheered before they rushed forward to test the newly painted crosswalks and signals. Gillingham said the reopening would bolster safety and accessibility downtown and is part of the effort to strengthen the inner city. Critics have argued the concrete barriers prevent collisions and traffic delays. Advocates said forcing people underground created unnecessary challenges for pedestrians and people with limited mobility. The debate was settled in 2023, after a city report estimated it would cost $73 million to replace the leaky membrane protecting the underground business concourse. City council voted to reopen crossings last year and construction began in December. The work included removing the barriers; installing new traffic signals, streetlights, sidewalks and curbs; and introducing new transit stops. Signal timings have been adjusted, some traffic lanes have been changed and pedestrians can cross in all directions. Superintendent Chris Ritz, who oversaw the project on behalf of construction company M.D. Steele, said the effort was completed on time, within the $21-million budget and with minimal impact to traffic over the past eight months. Construction crews encountered some challenges, including a badly deteriorated foundation beneath the northwest corner and a pair of “unknown vaults” in the southeast and southwest corners that required significant structural repairs. “Despite these surprises, we knew that the June 27 date was important and we needed to get this met,” Ritz. City officials wanted the project completed by that date, so the reopening could coincide with the overhaul of the Winnipeg Transit system, set to take effect Sunday, Gillingham said. While the ribbon-cutting was not official until around 11 a.m., supporters of the move gathered hours earlier to watch as construction crews cleaned up debris from newly finished sidewalks amid the morning rush hour. “This intersection being closed has been such a chasm or an abyss in the middle of the city. Really, it just takes away from people being able to move,” said Emma Durand-Wood, a proponent of the Vote Open movement, which has long advocated for removing the barriers. Durand-Wood had her two children and bicycle in tow as she mingled with Vote Open supporters and other bystanders. They cheered on pedestrians who crossed the intersection before the official opening, stepping past temporary orange barricades and seizing the opportunity to cross between traffic signals. “I already crossed last night,” Durand-Wood said, smiling. “It felt great, but also, like, completely unremarkable.” Gillingham said the barriers were erected as part of a 40-year deal to shutter the intersection to foot traffic and drive pedestrians to the businesses in the underground concourse. “We were blocking life and economic activity from this intersection for 46 years and it’s preposterous when you think about that. All for the sake of a bad deal,” said Adam Dooley, the spokesperson for the Vote Open campaign. “This is a victory for the Winnipeggers in the 1970s who were against this. It’s a victory for the businesses in the area that wanted it open, for the residents and for people with accessibility issues.” A woman named Isabel, who declined to give her last name, said she worked near the intersection when she was a teenager — before it closed to pedestrian traffic. “I loved it. There was so much activity here and it was energy and people were on the streets. To me, once (the barriers) came, that was the beginning of the end. I’m so glad that I got to see this come back.” tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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CBC: City report proposes protected bike lane, lower speed limit pilot on Wellington Crescent (Jun26'25)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jun '25

27 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Changes to area where cyclist was killed last June would take effect in spring if approved by Winnipeg council https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bike-lane-speed-limit-well…

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WFP Editorial: It’s been a long time coming — Portage and Main (Jun26'25)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jun '25

26 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. EDITORIAL It’s been a long time coming — Portage and Main https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2025/06/26/its-been-a-… IT’S been a while. Forty-six years, to be precise, since the last time a pedestrian (legally) traversed the corner of Portage and Main at street level. That will change on Friday — to the great relief of many, and undoubtedly to the consternation of no small number, as well — when the city’s most iconic intersection is reopened to foot traffic for the first time since 1979. How long has it been? Well, consider this: when the opening of the below-ground concourse (formally known at the Portage and Main Circus) forced pedestrians off the street in February 1979, the Happy Days spinoff sitcom Laverne and Shirley was the top-rated show on U.S. television, the low-budget street-gang thriller The Warriors was the No. 1 box-office movie and Rod Stewart’s Do Ya Think I’m Sexy sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Yes, it’s been that long. Ironically, the decision to bar pedestrian traffic from the intersection — after more than a half-decade of city council debate and deliberation — was defended at the time as a move to revitalize Winnipeg’s downtown by streamlining vehicle traffic through one of its busiest interchanges. The prevailing mindset favoured cars over people, presumably in reaction to Winnipeg’s continuing outward spread. The city’s primary business and shopping stretch, from Main Street west along Portage Avenue, had begun to lose its lustre; suburban sprawl was drawing residential population to the fringes and the creation of major shopping malls in St. Vital and Transcona redefined the retail experience for most Winnipeggers. Downtown was struggling. Mega-project ideas for restoring its vitality were plentiful, including the addition of office towers at Portage and Main, creation of the aforementioned subterranean shopping concourse and construction of the massive Portage Place mall, but most — as visitors to the current version of downtown can readily attest — have proved fruitless. The idea of reopening Portage and Main has been part of the public conversation for at least a couple of decades; in 2014, then-mayoral candidate Brian Bowman pledged to re-introduce foot traffic if elected, but once in office he opted to abide by the result of a 2018 plebiscite on the issue, in which two-thirds of voters (most of whom were from the city’s far-flung suburbs and likely seldom visited the intersection) rejected the notion of reopening. Those who thought the issue was laid to rest received a rude awakening when a subsequent city report revealed it would cost $73 million to repair the leaky membrane underpinning the intersection, and that the work would disrupt above-ground traffic for up to five years. A massive rethinking of Portage and Main became a practical necessity rather than just a political- points opportunity. Afforded the latitude to reconsider the question, current Mayor Scott Gillingham wisely chose to take things in another direction. With a complete overhaul of public transit routing about to launch, and a major reimagining of Graham Avenue poised to reset the attitude of a major downtown component, the reopening of Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic now feels like the right move at the right (albeit long overdue) time. Over the past several months, the familiar and decidedly unwelcoming brutalist barriers have been removed from the corners at Portage and Main. More traditional curbsides have been established, crosswalks have been painted and the necessary electronic signals have been installed. And on Friday, a rather bold political step will result in the illumination of a “Walk” signal welcoming the return of actual steps — by people, who have once again, finally, been granted access to the city’s most famous intersection. Portage and Main. It’s about time.

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WFP: Mayor excited for ‘colourful, more dynamic, more pedestrian-friendly’ Graham Avenue (Jun24'25)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Jun '25

24 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Downtown pilot project will add furniture, art, picnic tables, ping pong tables Mayor excited for ‘colourful, more dynamic, more pedestrian-friendly’ Graham Avenue https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/23/mayor-excited-for… OVER the next three weeks, the city aims to breathe new life into a four block stretch of Graham Avenue, with a bright new look, ping pong tables, street furniture and art. As the Free Press reported last week, a pilot project will see Graham reserved for cyclists and pedestrians between Carlton and Garry streets, once a new primary transit network removes buses from the area on June 29. On Monday, the city laid out its vision for the pilot, which is expected to continue at least until the end of summer. “The buses will move off of Graham Avenue and in just three weeks … after that, we will completely transform this stretch of Graham,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. The city says roughly $750,000 has been committed to revamp Graham within and beyond the project so far, including funding from the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, some in-kind donations and $250,000 set aside by city council. The initial pilot project additions will include street furniture, plants, picnic tables, ping pong tables, benches, art installations and access ramps. The city also secured a Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art grant to fund the painting of street murals. “When these changes are in place, Graham will be more colourful, more dynamic, more pedestrian-friendly. One more reason for people to visit, explore and enjoy our downtown,” said Gillingham. The mayor said the pedestrian-centred idea is worth testing. “Too often we can be a little afraid to give ourselves permission to fail. We have permission to fail here. This is a bit of almost a blank canvas, and we’re going to try some things, and if they don’t work, we’ll move on to the next thing. But I think a lot of what initially is being proposed is really exciting,” he said. Hazel Borys, the city’s planning, property and development director, said the pilot project will help draw visitors to the area, moving toward a vision of filling it with “people and patios, economic activity, and life.” Kate Fenske, chief executive officer of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said another change slated for Graham in the near future will add new lighting from Lights Unlimited. “(This will be) adding vibrancy and … increasing public safety. These lights are going to shift colours and patterns throughout the year. From our signature downtown biz colours to fullon Whiteout mode when the Jets go to the playoffs … It’s incredible when we can see that the street is actually going to turn into a large piece of art,” said Fenske. The new project should help revitalize Winnipeg’s downtown, said Rochelle Squires, chief executive officer of CentreVenture Development Corporation. “Today’s announcement is yet another milestone. Winnipeg’s first signature pedestrian street. What we’re starting on Graham Avenue will mark a turning point in how we envision, use and experience our downtown. “Bold ideas like this have to start somewhere,” said Squires. Karin Kliewer, a senior downtown planner with the city, said planning on how the street is used after the summer will start as soon as the pilot project changes are in place. On Friday, businesses gave a mixed reaction to reserving part of Graham to pedestrians and cyclists only, with some fearing they will lose customers when buses are rerouted. Fenske said the Downtown BIZ will monitor how the changes affect businesses, while BIZ ambassadors will touch base with visitors to Graham to help determine where they are coming from. “We want to learn from that so we can develop that (long-term) plan for the street going forward,” she said. The city also plans to add new protected bike lanes on Graham in areas where vehicles will still be allowed. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP Column: Righting Portage and Main wrong first step on way to a better downtown (Jun23'25)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jun '25

23 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Righting Portage and Main wrong first step on way to a better downtown OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/22/righting-portage-… WINNIPEG is poised for one of the most important do-overs in its long and storied history. If all goes to schedule, Portage Avenue and Main Street will — finally, thankfully — be open to pedestrians this week. The intensive work to remove the brutalist concrete barriers is, rather remarkably, approaching completion. After having debated it for so long, Winnipeggers can now stop talking about if it’s going to happen and start asking themselves what it means. That is an incredibly different question to answer, given there is still likely a deep divide between those who think this is a good idea and those who consider it to be a colossal waste of money. Regardless of which camp you’re in, let’s consider what it could mean. The closure of the intersection to pedestrians was an enormous error. However, it was an error that was very much in lockstep with urban-design thinking in the late 1970s, when the barriers were erected. At that time, cities all over North America bent over backwards to make it easier for cars to move in, about and back out of downtown areas. The Portage and Main barriers, along with the Winnipeg Square underground mall, were considered best practices for helping vehicular traffic and giving pedestrians a safe and warm place to go. Today, we can see rather easily that this kind of approach to downtown design was deeply flawed. Making it easier for cars and trucks to move around is not conducive to a livable neighbourhood. Nor are measures that take people off the streets, even in a city such as Winnipeg, where harsh weather makes going outside a somewhat challenging concept. Cities of all sizes are undertaking do-overs for this kind of design thinking. Boston, San Francisco and Milwaukee have completed projects to remove downtown freeways built as monuments to the automobile. Even Halifax recently replaced its infamous Cogswell Interchange — a multi-level highway that bisected the downtown — with a more traditional street grid design that sought to restore pedestrian traffic and improve active-transportation links. That makes the decision to remove the Portage and Main barriers, which was undertaken rather courageously by Mayor Scott Gillingham and council last year, very much in keeping with current thinking. However, before anyone questions whether this contemporary mindset is, like its predecessors, doomed to be abandoned within a few more decades, consider that we’re quickly moving to a model of downtown pedestrian and vehicular traffic that has proven to be both successful and enduring in other countries. When you don’t spend money on building bigger, longer, wider roads, you have a lot of additional money to spend on other things, including walkability, active and public transportation and promoting densification of residential development. These are the building blocks of sustainable, livable downtowns. In fact, if we should hope for any single consequence from the reopening of our famous intersection, it should be that it’s just the start of more courageous decisions to make downtown more welcoming for foot traffic. The city is already inching closer to this idea in other areas of downtown. Graham Avenue, for example, will undergo an initial conversion, losing its designation as a dedicated bus route and allowing car traffic, albeit with a much lower speed limit. Longer term, Gillingham has talked about the possibility of turning it into a pedestrian mall and cycling route. The same conversation needs to unfold on the future of the west Exchange District. Bannatyne and McDermot avenues, along with Albert and Arthur streets, are ripe for a pedestrian mall. As it stands now, parts of all of those routes are closed periodically during the summer to accommodate music and theatre festivals. Those closures provide valuable insight into how a permanent pedestrian mall would impact that area. Just about everyone who lives or works in the Exchange knows that in the first few days after the barriers are put up for a festival, traffic is a hot mess as drivers get trapped on the area’s network of one-way streets. After the initial shock and awe, however, they choose different routes to avoid the most-affected streets and intersections. It’s proof that like rainwater, traffic that is stopped from going in one direction will eventually leak out and find another way to get where it wants to go. Our aversion to permanent pedestrian malls is one of the mindsets that prevents Canadian cities from taking downtown revitalization to the next level. In the United Kingdom, for example, it is rarer to find a town or city that has not closed its core to vehicles. Sometimes, vehicular traffic is allowed in these areas during business hours but is blocked during the evening and on weekends. Combine pedestrian malls with robust and accessible transit hubs — as is almost always the case in the U.K. — and you’ve got a tried and true way of pulling people into the core. On its own, reopening one intersection isn’t going to transform the downtown, but as an incentive for local government to continue pressing for similar innovations, it could be transformative. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Pedestrian-only corridor to replace bus-only zone in pilot project (Jun21'25)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '25

21 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pedestrian-only corridor to replace bus-only zone in pilot project ‘New life’ for Graham Avenue https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2025/06/20/graham-avenue-stretch-to… THE city will turn a four-block stretch of Graham Avenue into a living lab when Winnipeg Transit’s network overhaul pulls buses off the downtown street. It will be cyclists and pedestrians only between Carlton and Garry streets in an indefinite pilot project scheduled to begin after June 29. “In July 2025, buses will be removed from four blocks, creating a rare opportunity to transform the street into a safer, pedestrian-first space. “With a focus on recreation, public gathering areas and cultural programming, Graham Avenue can become a dynamic hub of activity in the heart of downtown,” a city document states. Without changes, the area risks becoming a neglected corridor with minimal foot traffic once buses leave, it warns. “This is our moment to bring new life to Graham Avenue and downtown as a whole. By testing ideas and shaping long-term designs, we can lay the foundation for a permanent transformation into a thriving public plaza and park,” the document notes. The plans include adding street art, street paint, lighting, street furniture and planters, a competition to add an art installation and public seating to create a “once-in-a-generation” vision. Council’s public works chairwoman said she expects the changes will be “fantastic” for the area. “Because the buses come off, it will be bike and pedestrian…. It’s going to be a great little pilot project for downtown,” said Coun. Janice Lukes. “We’ve got more people moving downtown. Downtown needs neighbourhoods, downtown has (existing) neighbourhoods and… we want to put some green vegetation in, paint benches and just create a really interesting pedestrian space.” Lukes (Waverley West) said she did not know when the pilot will end but believes the decision on whether to make the change permanent will depend largely on public feedback. “Depending on how it plays out… maybe it will expand,” she said. Earlier this month, council’s public works committee approved additional changes to Graham Avenue, which still await a final city council vote. Those changes would reduce the avenue’s speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 km/h between Vaughan and Carlton streets and remove its full-time truck route designation. “We’re creating a more livable street,” said Lukes. Council previously approved $250,000 to revamp Graham Avenue, part of which can be used to cover the pilot project costs. There was a mixed response to the plan among Graham Avenue business owners Friday. John Dang, owner of Hue Shoe Repair, said he hasn’t seen as much foot traffic in the area since the pandemic and is concerned losing the bus-only section of the street could further reduce visits from Winnipeg Transit passengers. “Not a lot of people live in downtown…. So, we have to make everything convenient. Transportation is the first priority,” said Dang. And among people who do live in the area already, many reside in apartments and don’t have cars, relying heavily on buses, he said. Daniel Equbazgi, owner of Dan’s Cafe and Lounge, said his shop benefits from people at bus stops who visit while they wait for their next ride. “They come for coffee or whatever until their bus is coming. We were getting good business…. If they change (this), we’re losing business. I am not happy with that change,” said Equbazgi. By contrast, Eric Saniuk, owner of Blazing Chicken Shack, said he’s excited about the pilot and said he’d like to put some tables outside his restaurant. He hasn’t seriously considered it until now because of the noise from constant bus traffic. Saniuk said he hopes the pilot leads to more events that will drive more foot traffic. The general manager of Rudy’s Eat & Drink at Carlton and Graham also welcomed the change. “You see a lot of other major cities across the world that have those pedestrian and cycling streets designated to them in the core and heart of their cities and I think this could be a really great positive change for downtown,” said Mackenzie Robb. “As a business with a 150-person patio that faces right onto that beautiful street, I think the more foot traffic, the better for us.” Calls to “reimagine” Graham Avenue were first introduced as part of CentrePlan 2050, the city’s vision to guide the development of downtown, which aims to attract more residents and visitors to the area. City council approved that plan last year. CentrePlan noted the street could incorporate a “shared zone” with more room for pedestrians, cyclists and patios in the future. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Nearly five decades after forcing people underground, crosswalk traffic is about to return to Portage and Main (Jun21'25)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '25

21 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Pitter-patter, pedestrians, it’s time to get at ’er Nearly five decades after forcing people underground, crosswalk traffic is about to return to Portage and Main https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/arts/2025/06/… SINCE immigrating to Canada two weeks ago from Romania, Andrew Vlad and Vanessa Chira have been impressed by their newly adopted home of Winnipeg. But on Wednesday afternoon, the engaged tech workers stood at one corner of the city’s most famous intersection, attempting for the first time to solve the riddle of crossing Portage Avenue and Main Street. Vlad shook his head, overwhelmed in confusion: he could see from 201 Portage Ave. at the northwest corner his ultimate destination — the CIBC branch on the other side of the street — but for a building so close, it was still so far out of reach. The pair of new Winnipeggers were experiencing a rite of circuitous passage that will soon be eliminated for all downtown pedestrians. The following morning, Mayor Scott Gillingham announced pedestrians will be able to legally traverse Portage and Main in all directions at controlled, street-level crosswalks in a matter of days. For the first time in 46 years, a pedestrian won’t need to play chicken to cross at the juncture of this city’s most iconic roads. “June 27,” Gillingham told CBC during his monthly radio interview. “There will be a media event, but as I’ve said all along: Portage and Main, it’s important to Winnipeg’s history, it’s important to our future, but as I’ve said all along, at the end of the day, it’s just an intersection.” In a literal sense, the mayor is correct, but that simple intersection — below grade, on the sidewalk and in downtown boardrooms with an eagle-eyed view of the thrum below — has been the source of intense multi-generational debate, taking on an almost mythic stature at the heart of city life while defining the tenor of civic conversation. ●●● AS early as 1971, Jack Willis, the chairman of Metro Winnipeg, was advocating for the closure of the intersection to pedestrians, should the city begin construction on an underground walkway. Eight years before the intersection’s eventual closure, legendary Winnipeg Tribune columnist Val Werier was already sounding the alarm — or honking the horn — considering the idea of barring pedestrians as a harbinger of a car-centric city to come. “I have no quarrel with Mr. Willis’ proposal that an underground connection is required, for it is the busiest corner in Winnipeg and traffic will be more hectic with new buildings planned. In addition, pedestrians need some protection for the weather,” wrote Werier, who died in 2014 after 70 years covering the city for the Tribune and Free Press. “However, I would like to make a plea that instead of banning pedestrians, we ban the cars,” he continued. “Instead of designing a city based on the needs of the car, we should think of people. Unless some dramatic action is taken in these terms, Winnipeg will be like other large centres where the car determines the downtown character. “If anything is to be banned, it should be the cars,” he concluded. “After all, people are far more interesting.” The decision to shut down sidewalk traffic was preceded by a protracted debate, with the city council’s executive policy committee submitting a proposal for the total ban in September 1975, nearly four years before the underground circular concourse (officially called the Portage and Main Circus) opened in February 1979. While the change was considered a concession to the growing needs of vehicular traffic, it wasn’t met with unanimous support. Among the loudest — and boldest — detractors were the participants of the burgeoning disability rights movement, who argued the erection of concrete barriers and the funnelling of pedestrians into underground channels were violations of their rights to an accessible downtown. In the winter of 1979, wheelchair users and their allies breached the barricades to bring traffic to a standstill in protest. “Portage and Main is an iconic, symbolic place,” the late disability rights advocate Jim Derksen told this reporter in 2018, when the re-opening of the intersection was considered by plebiscite on the day of the civic election. “If we don’t take measures to update it according to our new values, in a sense we are recommitting the errors of the past,” added Derksen, a multiple barricade-skirting scofflaw. Former mayor Brian Bowman, who supported the idea of re-establishing pedestrian traffic at Portage and Main, vowed to honour the results of the plebiscite, which ultimately ended with a two-thirds majority opposing the reopening despite a vocal “Vote Open” movement. (Analysis showed the bulk of that majority were commuters who didn’t reside in the city’s core). However, a city report soon found that the cost of repairing the underground’s leaky membrane could cost $73 million and result in four to five years of traffic delays. Those anticipated costs were ultimately enough to tip Gillingham, who did not support opening the intersection in 2018 as a councillor, toward crossing the political aisle when it came to Portage and Main. It’s a decision that will not only help to improve the city’s image, but one which will encourage the development of a more accessible, welcoming downtown, says Melissa Graham, the executive director of the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. “It changes who that space is for,” Graham says. “It won’t just be for people who use cars. It will be for everybody.” “This is good for pedestrians, it’s good for businesses and it’s good for the entire city,” says Kirby Cote, the executive director of Accessible Sport Connection Manitoba. “As a city we should be celebrating our ability to be welcomed,” adds Cote, who is vision impaired and cycles through the area daily. “We designed a downtown to move cars through it as fast as possible and that’s not the reality of how it’s used.” WINDOW cleaning supervisor Don MacKinnon has for 15 years enjoyed an unparalleled vantage point of the intersection. At the end of their shift, cleaners often give in to the temptation to snap photographs from their platform outside the highest floors of the Richardson Building, which anchors the intersection’s northeast corner at 1 Lombard Place. “I never thought in my lifetime they’d open it up again,” says the 53-year-old swing stage supervisor, who was too young to remember crossing at the time of the closure. A longtime Jets fan, MacKinnon says he eagerly anticipates a Stanley Cup celebration at Portage and Main next season. For some downtown workers, the reopening is something they’ve been looking forward to for years. On her lunch break at her usual spot outside the Fairmont Hotel, just a stone’s throw away from the intersection, Joanna Oznowicz reflected on how much better the downtown looked without the barricades. But she also thinks the reopening will make life safer for pedestrians, so long as drivers give them proper attention. “I see people walking in the middle of the street before and I think, you’re going to get killed,” says Oznowicz, 60. “So I hope there will be caution on both sides as we get used to it.” PARALEGAL Cheri Harasym is less optimistic. “Horrible idea,” she says. “Too busy. There’s a reason they’ve been closed for 46 years. The drivers are already looking for too many things, and that’s just more distractions. (Around the office) we think people will end up getting hit, that there will be too many accidents.” Harasym also expressed concern about the status of the underground circus, which she says downtown workers rely on for relief from the harsh winter weather when going from corner to corner. “The long-term future of the concourse has not yet been determined,” says Julie Dooley, the city’s acting manager of corporate communications. “We have hired a consultant to assess any requirements of potentially decommissioning it.” For businesses operating in and around the underground concourse, there’s been very little clarity as to when such a change might occur. “The unknown is tough,” says Donavan Robinson, a co-owner of Pop CoLab, a corporate creative workshop business that opened two years ago in Lombard Place. “I don’t know that anyone really has an answer.” Still, Robinson says crossing at street level will help businesses such as his because pedestrians will have an easier time accessing the Portage and Main nexus as a whole. “Right now people just get confused,” he adds. Outside the former Bank of Montreal building, now owned by the Manitoba Métis Federation, road crews were putting the finishing touches on the pedestrian island at the midway point of Main Street. Standing next to them, a young woman stared across to the southwest corner. Seeing no northbound traffic, she ran to the median and, a few moments later, arrived at the opposing corner. “I had to run my errands,” reasoned Elsie Isiche. It was thrilling to watch. Come next Friday, it’s an experience every pedestrian can legally enjoy for the first time since 1979. ben.waldman(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com>

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What's happening on Graham Avenue
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '25

21 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Dear Graham Avenue owners, tenants, and friends; You are receiving this email because you are located on or close to Graham Avenue, and/or you have been involved in conversations related to Graham’s future redevelopment and this summer’s pilot project. Please share widely with your staff, building residents, tenants, and anyone who might be curious about what is happening with Graham Avenue. We need your help to spread the word. Graham Avenue is transforming! Some big changes are happening on Graham this summer, and we want to ensure you have all the information you need. When Winnipeg’s new bus network launches on June 29, 2025<https://www.winnipeg.ca/services-programs/transportation-roads-parking/tran…>, buses will no longer run along most of Graham Avenue. The section between Vaughan and Carlton (which currently allows cars) will mostly remain the same. The stretch from Carlton to Garry—currently restricted to buses and bikes—will become a pedestrian-focused area. Between Garry and Main, transit will still operate, but with added features for bikes. This marks the beginning of a larger vision to turn Graham into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly corridor in the heart of Downtown Winnipeg. Whether you're walking, biking, or enjoying art and greenery—Graham Avenue is becoming a space for everyone. What is changing this summer? 1. Street use and traffic * June 22-27: Protected bike lanes and a bus lane will be installed between Garry and Main. * Westbound vehicle traffic will no longer be allowed from Main Street to Fort Street. * June 29: Buses will be removed from Graham between Vaughan and Garry. Only the two blocks between Garry and Main will continue to have bus traffic. * Shared lanes for cars and bikes (with parking and loading zones) will remain between Vaughan and Carlton—just like it is today. * The current bus lane on Vaughan will become a two-way bike lane. * Graham Avenue will be removed from the designated truck route, and the speed limit will be reduced to 30 km/h between Vaughan and Carlton. * Cycling will continue to be permitted the full length of Graham between Vaughan Street and Main Street 2. Pedestrians, art, and events The four-block stretch from Carlton to Garry will become a pedestrian-first zone, featuring: * Street murals supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies Asphalt Art Initiative * New artistic lighting and places to sit * Art installations * Planters, picnic tables, and ping pong tables * Custom-built street furniture * Festival space for events like the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) Championship Weekend Expect more art and activities to pop up along the street throughout the summer! This pilot project is being delivered in partnership with several local organizations and guided by feedback from the community. We are testing ideas ahead of any permanent reconstruction, so your feedback is important and welcome. In the meantime, come explore Graham Avenue this summer and help spread the word! Learn more: winnipeg.ca/reimagininggraham<http://winnipeg.ca/reimagininggraham> Questions? Call 311 or submit a request at winnipeg.ca/311<http://winnipeg.ca/311> Thank you, Karin Kliewer Project Manager Reimagining Graham Avenue Learn more: winnipeg.ca/reimagininggraham<http://winnipeg.ca/reimagininggraham> Questions? Call 311 or submit a request at winnipeg.ca/311<http://winnipeg.ca/311> [A map with red circles and black text AI-generated content may be incorrect.] Thank you, Karin Kliewer Project Manager Re-imagining Graham Avenue [Winnipeg 150 logo]<https://winnipeg.ca/150years> Karin Kliewer, RPP, MCIP (she/her) Senior Planner (Downtown) Urban Planning & Design Planning, Property & Development City of Winnipeg 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. I respectfully acknowledge that my workplace is located within Treaty One Territory, on the original lands of the Anisinaabegswn, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Red River Métis.

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WFP: Marion Street upgrade proposal takes back seat (Jun20'25)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '25

20 Jun '25

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. $133-M plan could take decades to complete Marion Street upgrade proposal takes back seat https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/06/19/marion-street-pro… A $133-MILLION proposal to upgrade Marion Street has been released, though a city councillor warns it may take decades to fund, while businesses fear it would eat up critical parking. For years, city council has debated how best to improve traffic flow on Marion, including the elimination of a major bottleneck for drivers at its intersection with Archibald Street. The new, unfunded plan aims to add protected bike lanes and multi-use paths, while also completing “major” traffic upgrades at Marion’s intersections with Archibald Street, Panet Road and Lagimodière Boulevard. “There’s great improvements on intersections (with some widening near crossings) … And I think it definitely improves the active transportation component. It makes it safer,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee. Lukes (Waverley West) noted the proposal has been scaled back in scope and price from previous ideas to revamp the key corridor and will no longer separate vehicle and rail traffic. “It’s not over or under the rail line, which still presents a problem,” she said. Trains crossing at the surface level near Marion and Archibald have long been a key source of commuter delay. The Marion upgrade is not among council’s top priorities, so any funding may be decades away and the vision could be adjusted along the way, said Lukes. “We have a plan (at this point). In 15 years, 20 years, when we get money for it, maybe we’ll be tweaking things,” she said. Lukes noted billions of dollars worth of infrastructure projects, including the Chief Peguis Trail extension, Kenaston Boulevard overhaul and major sewage treatment plant upgrades have all been ranked as more urgent priorities. The latest plan for Marion is facing opposition, mainly from nearby businesses, with about 50 written submissions posted on the city’s website. The Norwood Grove BIZ estimates the plan would eliminate 30 per cent of parking stalls in the area, which it stresses are critical to the survival of some companies. “Our area, compared to others, is more of a wellness hub … We have massage therapy, a medical clinic … (and having) a lot of seniors’ access and (parking for people with disabilities) is an integral part,” said Sheila Tan, executive director of the biz, in an interview. Tan believes most of her members oppose the proposed Marion upgrades and are also concerned about the location of bike lanes. “If these trucks are going to continue to pass by Marion and then we have those bike lanes, there’s going to be a huge impact on traffic … Customers would choose an alternative location to eat, to shop … It’s going to impact a potential long-term loss of revenue and possible permanent business closures,” said Tan. She stressed the opposition is about locating bike lanes along such a busy street, not adding them in general. The area’s councillor said concerns could be addressed through changes as the plan moves forward. “Many issues can be resolved through engineering design … Sometimes space is at a premium, and there needs to be compromises, but I’ll be talking with the BIZ and with the public service,” said Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface). Allard said he supports the overall plan and believes it offers a model the city could repeat. “If we accept that we shouldn’t be, essentially, demolishing large parts of communities in order to replace them with roads, then this is the way that you do it. You create a complete street that is attractive to all road users and, as you keep doing that throughout Winnipeg, more people will choose to take other modes (of transportation) than the single passenger automobile and that means more space for the people that do drive,” he said. The public works committee is set to debate the plan in July. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca>

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

20 Jun '25

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

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

14 Jun '25

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

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

13 Jun '25

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

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

13 Jun '25

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

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

11 Jun '25

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

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

09 Jun '25

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

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WFP: ‘Reimagined’ 25-year city transportation master plan sets price tag at $4.7B (Jun7'25)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '25

07 Jun '25

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

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

07 Jun '25

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

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

07 Jun '25

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

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

03 Jun '25

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

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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 02 May '25

02 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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