Today we are writing to tell you about the progress of a City of Winnipeg pilot project. We also want to encourage your participation in its next steps at a public meeting of a committee of City Council.
The Neighbourhood Greenway Reduced Speed pilot project is a City initiative in which Bike Winnipeg has had significant involvement. Under this initiative, four residential streets have been converted into greenways:
- Eugenie Street from St. Mary’s Road to Youville Street
- Warsaw Avenue from Thurso Street to Pembina Highway
- Machray Avenue from Fife Street to Main Street
- Powers Street from Dufferin Avenue to Partridge Avenue
Neighbourhood greenways or “bike boulevards” are created through the use of lower speed limits and traffic-calming measures like traffic circles, signage, barricades, enhanced pedestrian crossings and speed humps. These routes support safe, fun cycling. The changes in the pilot program have been embraced by most residents of these streets and cyclists using the greenways.
At its meeting on March 7, the City’s Standing Policy Committee on Public Works will consider an administrative report providing results of the Neighbourhood Greenway Reduced Speed pilot project and making recommendations to move forward. You can review the report here (see item #10). Your opinion and voice matter! Please click here to find out how to register and participate in the public meeting, in person or in writing.
We are in support of reports recommendations, but ask that Roch St from Poplar Ave to Sutton Ave be added to the list of neighbourhood greenways listed in Appendix A, and that Larsen Av from Henderson Highway to Roch St be added as well. The later would provide a connection to Henderson Highway at an existing Pedestrian Corridor that would allow for the neighbourhood greenway to be extended into Elmwood Park and eventually to Glenwood Crescent and the Harry Lazarenko (Redwood) Bridge. The addition of Roch St would include a long standing neighbourhood greenway providing access through the Chalrmers, Munroe West, Rosemere, and North Kildonan neighbourhoods.
Bike Winnipeg and partners like SafeSpeedsWinnipeg believe that reducing speeds in residential neighbourhoods is a win-win for people and the planet.
In keeping with Bike Winnipeg’s mission as “an inclusive group of people and organizations working to make cycling in Winnipeg a safe, enjoyable, accessible, and convenient transportation choice year-round,” we use our collective voice as a positive advocate for improvements to our city’s cycling infrastructure.
We work closely with the City of Winnipeg and other organizations to call for cycling and other human-powered modes of transport to be considered when roads are built or renewed so that Winnipeg families have safe, reliable routes for cycling, whether it be for commuting or recreation. We are also called upon to provide subject expert advice to the City on projects related to transportation infrastructure.
Please plan to participate in the March 7 public meeting, and if you are interested in volunteering with Bike Winnipeg, there are many opportunities to get involved.