Moving trucks off Graham Avenue part of proposed revamp
A report calls for city council to reduce the speed limit on Graham to 30 km/h from 50 km/h between Vaughan and Carlton streets and remove the full-time truck route designation.
'Graham Avenue is going to become a very focal point for downtown. It's going to become an area that will be activated … It's going to become a much more people-oriented, populated, activity-oriented street and that's been part of the downtown plan,' said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
'Graham Avenue is going to become a very focal point for downtown,' said Coun. Janice Lukes.
She noted Winnipeg Transit's new primary network will move most transit service off Graham later this month, clearing the way for change.
She expects a speed limit reduction would take a couple of months to implement.
Lukes said the traditional reliance on the avenue as a key bus corridor, with some sections not even open to cars, means the changes shouldn't create much commuter delay.
The new rules should support a growing number of downtown residents, she said.
'Downtown has to have neighbourhoods. It's not just, go there, leave there. We're putting a lot of housing in (that area),' said Lukes.
Mayor Scott Gillingham said changes to Winnipeg Transit create an opportunity to transform the avenue.
'It's almost like Graham Avenue is a blank slate and it can be reimagined (to become) something really different and invigorating,' said Gillingham.
The city's key downtown vision, CentrePlan 2050, calls for an overhaul of Graham, suggesting it could become a cycling connection and open space.
Gillingham said he'd like to see a pedestrian mall on the avenue and believes any driver delay from the changes would be limited.
'When it's such a short street, when you drive 30 km/h as opposed to 50, the difference on three or four blocks is seconds,' he said.
Shifting buses elsewhere and reducing the speed limit could make the area easier to access, said one business owner.
'Having cars added to Graham, I do think that's probably a good idea and helpful for the local businesses. I think it was fairly chaotic having just buses ripping up and down Graham Avenue… As a general rule, I support speed reduction … I think having a calmer Graham Avenue is a good thing,' said Graham Bargen, co-owner of the Thom Bargen coffee shop at Kennedy Street and Graham Avenue.
However, Bargen said he is concerned limiting truck traffic would create an obstacle for deliveries.
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'That will be an added challenge. We're a coffee roaster and we receive pallets of coffee… we do need to be able to get product in and out,' he said.
In a written statement, the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ expressed support for the changes.
'We believe these changes on Graham support the overall plan to improve safety, connectivity and vibrancy downtown. We're looking forward to the transformation of this street into a pedestrian-friendly hub, where people can gather and connect,' wrote Kate Fenske, chief executive officer of the BIZ.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne PursagaReporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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