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- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Reimagined' 25-year Winnipeg transportation master plan sets price tag at $4.7B
A 25-year transportation master plan designed to 'reimagine' travel throughout Winnipeg would cost $4.7 billion to fully implement, though plenty of work remains to determine what will be funded when.
Transportation 2050: Reimagining Mobility sets out the hefty cost estimate for all staffing, planning, design and capital costs needed to turn it into a reality.
It's unlikely the city would be able to cover the whole tab over the next 25 years, the head of council's public works committee said.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Mayor Scott Gillingham said the master plan aims to balance investments that support drivers as well as cyclists and pedestrians.
'We prioritize (projects) related to the money that we have … It's good that they put a price tag on it just so people understand (the cost),' said Coun. Janice Lukes.
Lukes (Waverley West) said some priorities will be covered by road and active transportation funding in current and future budgets, while partnerships with senior governments will help determine what else the city can afford.
The staff report calls for funding to hire five new employees to implement the changes, which will be considered in the 2026 budget process. No other funding plan is recommended yet.
Meanwhile, city staff are also proposing potential business studies to determine if the city should conduct pilot projects on designated truck lanes, pop-up active transportation infrastructure, secure bike parking, reduced parking on arterial roads and even autonomous buses.
'Automated buses are ready for real-world testing and Winnipeg's Southwest Transitway is an ideal testing location, as a fully separated right-of-way that experiences cold and winter conditions. Potentially, autonomous buses could be tested in this location outside of revenue service hours,' the staff report states.
Lukes said she's not convinced self-driving buses are in the city's near future.
'I don't think we're ready for it… we've got snow, we've got ice, we've got really varying road conditions,' she said.
However, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he's 'very open' to exploring the idea.
'Obviously, it has to be safe and all that analysis has to be done, but if it's innovative and it can enhance the delivery of city services, then I'm all for it… I'm not about being innovative just for the sake of doing the latest thing. It's got to enhance services for the people of Winnipeg,' said Gillingham.
The mayor said the master plan aims to balance investments that support drivers as well as cyclists and pedestrians.
'We do want to move people into more sustainable modes of transportation… by investing in our transit system to make it a better, more reliable, more frequent service, we believe that more people will choose transit,' he said.
With a multibillion-dollar price tag, Gillingham noted the full master plan would take 'a long, long time to fully implement.'
Both the mayor and Lukes said the city should focus on improvements that support moving goods throughout and beyond the city to support economic growth.
'We really need to look closely (at) investment in our trade routes. We talked about Kenaston/ Route 90 and the upgrades that need to happen there, the Chief Peguis Trail extension, as well. Those are economic routes, those are trade routes (that are) really important to our community,' said Gillingham.
Recent reports suggest extending Chief Peguis would cost $755 million, while revamping Kenaston Boulevard/Route 90 would cost $586 million.
'If we want to do new major upgrades like Kenaston, like Chief Peguis… we have to find external funding…. We'll see what federal programs they come out with and how we can align those federal programs to our priorities,' said Lukes.
In the report, city staff propose creating a funding strategy for a goods movement study and proposed truck route network by March 2026.
Staff also suggest exploring future strategies on managing transportation demand, transit-oriented development and zero-emission vehicles.
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The strategy sets goals to ensure half of all trips are made using sustainable mobility options by 2050, active transportation is deemed a realistic option for everyday travel and people of all ages and abilities can safely move around.
The plan also adds to Winnipeg's decades-old debate over light rail transit, which the city has debated many times but never built.
'The Transportation 2050 Plan directs the city to investigate when and where LRT might be needed in the future. High-capacity transit will be essential to increasing sustainable trips,' the report notes.
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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.
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