Probably not surprising that results from a CAA survey of 1500 motorists would be against opening Portage and Main to pedestrians, especially given their demographics skew older and do not likely include many folks who are trying to cross this intersection on foot.

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Majority don't want Portage and Main open to pedestrians: CAA poll

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/majority-dont-want-portage-and-main-o...

People don't want the iconic intersection at Portage Avenue and Main Street open to foot traffic, CAA Manitoba found in a survey of about 1,500 of its members.

The survey found that 60 per cent of people polled cited pedestrian safety as a major concern if the intersection were to be opened. More than three-quarters of the survey's respondents believed traffic congestion would be a significant problem if people could cross on foot at Portage and Main.

"With much discussion lately on this topic, we wanted to know what our members think," Mike Mager, CAA Manitoba president, said in a media statement. "Not surprisingly, survey results show traffic congestion and pedestrian safety are top concerns at Portage and Main, and the majority of our members worry it will worsen if the barricades are removed."

CAA said its survey results showed that 20 per cent of its members aged 18 to 29 believe the city should allow pedestrian traffic to cross at the downtown corner. That result was in contrast to Probe Research data which indicated younger Winnipeggers were more likely to support the plan.

Fewer than one in four of those polled by CAA indicated that they believe Mayor Brian Bowman has done enough public consultation on the issue. The majority of respondents said they would be open to participating in more consultation through online polling, written surveys by mail and open houses.

"Many people suggested a simpler, safer way to reduce confusion for tourists and locals at this intersection would be to install better signage at street level and underground in Winnipeg Square to guide people to their destination. This should be a priority before any talk of opening the intersection," Mager said in the statement.

"It’s nice for Mayor Brian Bowman to talk about making Portage and Main great again, but safety and public opinion must be part of the conversation, too. It will be interesting to see the results of the City of Winnipeg’s research; but when it comes down to it, opening the intersection is not a priority for Winnipeggers."

The CAA media release listed other notable survey results:

- Over 70 per cent of respondents said they felt opening the intersection should not be a priority for the City of Winnipeg.

- One-third of members surveyed believe opening the intersection to pedestrians would not have any effect at all on making Portage and Main a tourist destination.

- People cited current traffic congestion and the intersection being confusing as the main reasons why they avoid driving through the corner at any given time.

- This issue matters to more than just drivers: over 30 per cent of members polled who currently work downtown reported that they typically take the bus, bike or walk to the office.

Improving accessibility at the intersection for all Winnipeggers can be done more affordably than taking down the barricades. Wheelchair ramps, elevators and signage should be greatly enhanced.