Winnipeg cyclists not sold on speed limit increases

By Shane Gibson | Metro Winnipeg

http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/447360/winnipeg-cyclists-not-sold-on-speed-limit-increases/

While the province’s Highway Traffic Board considers increasing the speed limit on a number of Winnipeg streets a group of city cyclists who advocate for bike safety say not so fast.

Bike to the Future executive director Mark Cohoe told Metro the group would meet Tuesday night to discuss the changes proposed for many four-lane divided streets in Winnipeg.

“It’s really seems they haven’t thought about cyclists,” said Cohoe. “They are just thinking about how to get cars moving quicker but they have to put the context of all road users into consideration as well.”

The Highway Traffic Board has reviewed all the existing 50-km/h four-lane divided roadways within the city and is considering increasing them to 60-km/h.

Board chair Al Rivers explained the idea is to eliminate sections where speed limits suddenly change—which have become popular spots for cops to set up speed traps.

“It’s just far too confusing,” said Rivers. “Our job is to make everything as consistent as possible, and when you do that the roadways become safer.”

Among the dozens of roadways being considered for increases are University Crescent between Chancellor Matheson Road and Pembina Highway, Broadway between Osborne Street and Main Street and Moray Street between Portage Avenue and Ness Avenue.

Cohoe is also worried about pedestrian safety on roadways like Waverly Street between Taylor Avenue and Grant Avenue that have residential houses on both sides.

“It seems like they’ve gone with the decision that if a roadway is divided it automatically goes to a higher speed limit, and for some of the areas that doesn’t really make a lot of sense,” he said.

The board has three public hearings planned for Nov. 27, Dec. 4, and Dec. 11 to go over the proposed changes with Winnipeggers, and Rivers said it’s too soon to say if or when limits will increase.

A breakdown of streets under consideration for speed limit increases in Winnipeg:

On November 27/12 the Board will be hearing the following streets:

• Dugald Road, between a point 400 metres east and west of Plessis Road;
• Grant Avenue, between Kenaston Boulevard and Stafford Street
• Pembina Highway, between Ducharme Avenue and the bridge crossing the La Salle River (also under consideration is increasing the speed zone from 60 km/h to 80 km/h between rue des Trappistes to south of Turnbull Drive and increase the 90 km/h to 100 km/h between Turnbull Drive and the City limit);
• Waverley Street, between Taylor Avenue and Grant Avenue.

On December 4, 2012 the Board will be hearing the following streets:

• Corydon Avenue, between Kelvin Boulevard and Cambridge Street;
• Roblin Boulevard, between Haney Street and Wexford Street;
• University Crescent, between Chancellor Matheson Road and Pembina Highway.

On December 11, 2012 the Board will be hearing the following streets:

• Broadway, between Osborne Street and Main Street;
• Memorial Boulevard/Colony Street/Balmoral Street, between Broadway and Qu’Appelle Avenue;
• Isabel Street/Salter Street, between William Avenue and Stella Avenue;
• Main Street, between Assiniboine Avenue and Manitoba Avenue;
• Inkster Boulevard, between Lansdowne Avenue and Main Street;
• Moray Street, between Portage Avenue and Ness Avenue;
• Wellington Avenue, between the east limit of James Armstrong Richardson International Airport and St. James Street.

Additional streets not yet advertised:

• Kenaston Boulevard;
• Taylor Avenue;
• Provencher Boulevard.