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Existing infrastructure is good but could be better, Ian McCausland says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/cycling-advocates-winnipeg-election-...
A bike advocate is hoping whoever is elected as Winnipeg's mayor builds off existing momentum on the future of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
"We already have an amazing commitment from the previous council and the current mayor, so we're really positive about that," said Ian McCausland, a board member of Bike Winnipeg.
The 2026 budget says the city plans to spend $112.8 million on active transportation over the next six years, with $60 million specifically going toward cycling and pedestrian infrastructure.
"We're looking forward to working with whoever makes up the next council and taking those commitments forward, and seeing more investment in active transportation as a solution to the transportation problems everyone seems to have identified," McCausland said.
A CBC-commissioned survey done in August suggested cycling and pedestrian infrastructure is one of the areas where Winnipeg has improved the most, with 42 per cent of respondents saying it's better than it was four years ago.
A margin of error for the Abacus Data survey could not be calculated because the majority of responses came from online panels, but a random poll with that sample size would have a margin of error of 3.74 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
McCausland said the results don't surprise him.
"When we talked to cyclists who've been cycling for a long time, they'll say the same thing. The infrastructure has gotten better, we're always just missing those crucial connections that just tip it over into … an amazing network," he said.
McCausland said the No. 1 complaint he hears from cyclists in Winnipeg is that the bike path network isn't connected enough, especially in the north and northwestern part of the city. It's something he'd like to see addressed by the next council.
"You'll have a great piece, and then it'll end up throwing you into traffic," he said. "So, we'd really like to see all those little connections being made so that we can have a complete network that would help people embrace the network."
With election day right around the corner, McCausland is a little worried about what he's been hearing from some mayoral candidates.
"We've heard a little bit about bike lanes and active transportation during this campaign — not all of it has been positive," he said.
Mayoral candidate Mike Vogiatzakis said he would "100 per cent" reduce the amount of spending on bike lanes — namely the $60-million figure touted in the latest city budget.
"I would most definitely not spend that kind of money on bike lanes," he said. "You could build bike lanes in a much safer way and have them away from traffic — that would cost you a lot less."
Vogiatzakis said he'd prioritize making existing bike paths safer — mainly by moving them further away from major roads and highways — rather than focusing on developing more cycling infrastructure for a city with long winters.
He's also not on board with the city's long-term target of 50 per cent https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/transportation/transportationmasterplan.stm of trips in the city being walking, cycling, transit or ride-sharing by the year 2050.
"They want us to walk, they want us to cycle and find different ways to get to work, and I think it's unrealistic in a city like Winnipeg to have a plan that's good for other places in the world but not really good for our city," Vogiatzakis said.
If elected mayor, Kevin Klein has promised to redirect a portion of the funding currently allocated to bike-lane program funding toward homelessness initiatives, and arena and community-centre infrastructure.
"I want to be clear, I am not saying there will be no money for transportation needs such as bike lanes, but that we have to redirect some of the funds currently allocated for them to the most pressing needs of our communities," he said in a statement to CBC News.
Mayoral candidate Noah Redden said in a statement to CBC News that he supports increased bike lanes and active transportation infrastructure in the city. As mayor, he would "work to increase the amount of safe active transportation options in the city," he said.
Incumbent mayoral candidate Scott Gillingham said at a campaign announcement Monday that if re-elected, he wouldn't be diverting from the current funding plan for active transportation.
McCausland said that regardless of who is elected mayor of Winnipeg on Wednesday, he hopes that person "sees the value" in investing in cycling infrastructure.
Mazher Alam, Johnny Calderon, Chris Clacio, Tracey Drexler, Brad Gross, Umar Hayat, Josh Pagdato, and Don Woodstock are also running for mayor.