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Osborne safety study gets go-ahead

Will aim to identify inexpensive, fast fixes to busy route in effort to protect pedestrians

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2026/09/03/history-of-pedestr...

TRAFFIC experts will put Osborne Street safety under the microscope to find ways to make the busy route safer for pedestrians.

The short-term study will take place “over the next year” with the aid of a consultant, to identify “low-cost improvements that can be installed quickly,” wrote David Patman, the city’s manager of transportation planning, in a new report.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, who represents the area and has long called for safety improvements on Osborne, said the study is long overdue.

“(This street is) … known for the absolute worst-case scenario, deaths and injuries from pedestrians … There have been calls for action for years,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).

There’s been a high number of injuries due to collisions at three of the route’s intersections. Patman’s report noted 18 pedestrians were injured at Confusion Corner (which technically includes three signalized intersections) between 2014 and 2023, the highest number at any Winnipeg intersection. Osborne Street and River Avenue had the third most injuries during that time period, with 13, while Osborne Street and Morley Avenue tied for the sixth most, with 10.

Rollins said that data highlights why she began calling for a safety study years ago, which she said was rejected earlier due to concerns the changes could delay drivers.

In November, 67-year-old Rosalie Tennison died after she was hit by a vehicle while crossing the street in Osborne Village. Rollins said the tragedy was one reason she repeated her call for the safety study.

“This (study) is bittersweet because it comes after so much advocacy and it comes, tragically, after Rosalie Tennison died, something that I really sought to prevent,” she said.

The staff report notes the route is in high demand for several modes of traffic.

“Osborne Street is a busy road with heavy vehicle traffic. It passes through an active neighbourhood where many people walk to many destinations. This combination creates safety challenges for pedestrians,” wrote Patman.

A request to interview Patman, or another city transportation expert, was not granted Thursday.

The report notes the study will focus on Osborne between Broadway and the St. Vital Bridge and propose changes that can be added “without significantly impacting the current function of Osborne Street.”

“I’m hoping for a pedestrian-prioritized pilot that gets us results fast that can save lives,” said Rollins.

Osborne is a four-lane mostly undivided road with a 50 km/h speed limit, including 12 signalized intersections, three pedestrian corridors, a rail underpass and a bridge crossing over the Assiniboine River.

“Osborne Street is currently serving multiple, competing functions … It exists in a dense, pedestrian-oriented development area that is close to rapid transit, which is at odds with the high flow of motor vehicles that travel daily along the corridor,” wrote Patman.

A local cycling advocate said there is “certainly” room for improvement on Osborne, calling it a “critical” travel route and destination.

“The pedestrian crossings are an issue … Some of the turning speeds are too high. Confusion Corner, which they identify here, certainly is problematic,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg.

Cohoe said some Osborne intersections could benefit from extended concrete barriers that reduce the radius offered to drivers to make turns, a change that could help slow them down.

“Speed does two things. It’s obviously more force if you are hit … (And), if you’re (driving) at a slower speed, you have more time to put focus onto the crossings and where pedestrians or people on a bike are,” said Cohoe.

He said he has “mixed” views on the study, since it appears limited to low cost, quick remedies.

“I think it’s a good step forward. Certainly, they are taking some actions but … there do seem to be some limitations in there as to what they’re going to allow that consultant to come back with,” said Cohoe.

The study will analyze all collisions that caused injuries or deaths in the area in recent years, while reviewing key pedestrian crossings, signal timing, lighting and the speed limit.

Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said that effort is warranted.

“If we’ve got the top-3 collision (injury) intersections (there), we should be studying it and working on it … I’m always open to anything they can do to improve pedestrian safety,” said Lukes (Waverley West).

Lukes said population growth is ramping up pressure on the already uniquely dense route.

“There’s no other area that’s got a higher population density and a chokepoint than (the) Confusion Corner intersection. It is a unique area without a doubt,” she said.

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