This Wednesday, May 9^th, the City of Winnipeg will be hosting an open house giving an opportunity to review three options being proposed for improvements to the Pembina Highway Underpass (at Jubilee).   Only one of the proposed options meets the minimum requirements for active transportation.   Only option 3 includes the long promised pathway to safely carry cyclists and pedestrians over Pembina Highway.   This crossing has consistently been included in public plans for the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor, the City has chosen to present the public with two options for the Pembina Underpass that exclude pedestrians and cyclists from having a safe, convenient way to cross one of the busiest roadways in the city.

What difference would the exclusion of this pathway make?  For those that Portland terms the “interested but concerned” cyclist (they estimate this represents 60% of their population), it means a lot.   These potential cyclists will not choose a high traffic roadway like the Jubilee Overpass, nor will they suffer constant stopping and dismounting to get to their destination along lower traffic routes that avoid Jubilee Overpass (and incidentally cause them to stop all traffic on Pembina when they cross just south of Jubilee).  For these cyclists, the lack of a safe, convenient, and separated pathway across Pembina will mean choosing their car over their bike for trips that they would otherwise gladly make by bike.

We are asking all members to make an effort to get out to the open house this Wednesday, fill out the on line survey (available after May 9^th) and write your City Councillor and Provincial MLA to make it known that the only acceptable option for the Pembina Underpass is one that includes room for a separated AT Pathway over Pembina Highway when Rapid Transit is extended.  The open house is being held at the APEGN office (870 Pembina Highway) just north of the underpass.  Comments can be sent to the project web-site or sent directly to the head planner in charge of this project, Jacqueline East.

Sincerely,
Mark Cohoe
Bike to the Future