*Residents enthusiastic about walking-cycling trail plan *

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/residents-offer-thumbs-up-to-walking-...

[Note: If you missed the open house, find the storyboards (under Documents) and online survey (under Engage) here http://www.winnipeg.ca/PublicWorks/pedestriansCycling/walkBikeProjects/ChiefPeguisGreenwayExtension.stm .]

IF they build it, Gloria Sampson will bike it.

Sampson, who would only give her age as “in the seventh decade,” gave thumbs-up to the city’s proposal to build a greenway walking-cycling trail on Chief Peguis Bridge, connecting Henderson Highway and Main Street.

The city held an open house Tuesday evening at Red River Community Centre to show the proposed design and gauge reaction.

The trail would start on the north side of the bridge and proceed west until before the river, then loop under the bridge to the south side. On the south side, the current sidewalk would be extended by a metre to make it 2.5 metres wide, all the way to the traffic lights on Main Street.

An additional trail would be built extending another 400 metres from Main Street to Frog Plain Park. The system would allow cyclists to bike from the south end of Kildonan Drive all the way to Chief Peguis Trail and Frog Plain Park.

The loop under the bridge is required to take advantage of city-owned property— and for safety purposes because part of Chief Peguis Trail’s south side is hidden behind a sound wall.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Swanson said. “It doesn’t require expropriating anything. It’s all city-owned land.”

Aylen Mayor, 23, who cycles the Chief Peguis Trail regularly for recreation, also approved.

“Cycling over the bridge is a safety issue, for sure. I was really scared the first time I went over,” Mayor said.

There is only a narrow shoulder now for cyclists.

“My dad uses that path every day, so it’s really important to have a safe path,” she added.

The greenway is designated a moderate- to-highpriority in thepedestrianand cycling strategy, a 20-year master plan for walking and cycling in Winnipeg.

There are two reasons for that, said Scott Suderman, a city transportation engineer. One is for “connectivity,” to link up with the greenway along Chief Peguis Trail between Henderson Highway and Lagimodiere Boulevard.

The other reason is because northwest Winnipeg has been underserviced in transportation infrastructure, he said.

The existing sidewalk on the south side of the bridge would be expanded by a metre to make it 2.5 metres wide. Expansion could be done without closing any lanes on Chief Peguis Bridge during rush hours, city officials said. Lighting and rest stops would be added throughout the trail system.

Suderman said the greenway between Lagimodiere and Henderson Highway has proven so popular he has little doubt an extension would get plenty of use. “What the city finds is these pathways fill up with people,” he said.

Next, a consultant will determine the cost, with a proposal put to council within a few months, officials said.

Gord Tye, representing 20 Valhalla Drive apartments, was pleasedwith the walkway design because it doesn’t compromise the privacy of residents.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca