The City of Winnipeg has opened up public engagement for it’s St. Boniface to Downtown Walk/Bike Project. We’re asking you to fill in a survey and provide input through a mapping tool for the project that we’ll will link to below, but first we want to provide some background information and recommendations we have for the project.
This study will identify options to improve travel choices, accessibility and connectivity between the Esplanade Riel Footbridge / Provencher Bridge and the multi-use path on Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue (a planned connection to the Northeast Pioneers Greenway).
While our preference would be for the City to allocate a sufficiently large budget to study, design, and construct the needed Local Bike Network and meet the goals of the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies, we understand that there is a limited budget for construction in the short term. However, we feel that it is important to use this engagement opportunity to plan not just for the short term, but into the longer term as well. Planning for the longer term by identifying a suite of routes to serve as a Local Bike Network gets more bang for our dollar on the public engagement, but also allows the city to save on costs by having ready to go plans in place when rehabilitation projects can move forward and incorporate planned changes without the need for public engagement.
In discussions with city staff, we have recommended that the study look not just at the connection from the Esplanade Riel footbridge to / Provencher Bridge and the multi-use path on Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue, but at the wider Local Area Bike Network for North and Central St. Boniface. In particular, we would like the study to provide advice on the Local Bike Network for Central and North St. Boniface (its study area), including:
- A preferred east-west spine route through Central and North St. Boniface that will provide long-term connectivity through the community
- A prioritized list of short-term walk/bike projects that can provide access between Esplanade Riel and the multi-use path on Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue.
Happily, we feel that we have reached consensus with city staff on this issue, and would recommend that you keep that in mind as you fill in the survey and participate in other public engagement opportunities surrounding this project. We anticipate a second round of public engagement will work on prioritizing walk/bike improvements within the limited budget for the project. While that will likely exclude the possibility of installing protected bike lanes on Provencher at this time, it allows the city to capture the very strong community desire to see protected bike lanes installed along Provencher and incorporate this need into future plans and budgets.
When filling out the survey, our advice is to interpret the purpose of the survey as a request for advice on a local bike network and to ignore the strong caveats regarding protected bike lanes on Provencher (which will need to be sorted out through a project prioritization process in upcoming engagement opportunities within this project).
Our recommendations for east-west connections in the area are
- Protected bike lanes along Provencher serving as the network spine
- Neighbourhood greenways along Avenue de la Cathedrale and either Dumoulin or Notre Dame to provide additional routes and connections within and through North and Central St. Boniface.
- North-south routes including, but not necessarily limited to St. Jean Baptiste and Tache/Tache Promenade, should be defined as well at this time.
Such a network would provide access to highly trafficked destinations throughout the neighbourhood on direct routes for most origins and destinations. It would also provide direct routes and network redundancy so that construction work on any single route (say the closing of a rail crossing) does not break the network.
Protected bike lanes on Provencher would provide direct access along a mixed use community corridor and fits with recommendations from the Riel Community Committee and Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works Committee (requesting that the Winnipeg Public Service consider installation of the most suitable cycling facility on Provencher Ave during any future Pedestrian and Cycling consultation for the respective area) and the vision of Complete Streets called for in the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies, the Complete Communities Policy Document, and the North St. Boniface Secondary Plan.
Critically, protected bike lanes on Provencher would support access to businesses along the corridor, helping ensure the long term health of these businesses. With a 40m right of way, there is plenty of room to install protected bike lanes along Provencher without removing travel lanes or removing parking lanes. Given that installation of protected bike lanes on Provencher could fall outside the budget of this program, we recommend selecting a neighbourhood greenway route north of Provencher, along with improvements to the Archibald right of way between Mission and the multi-use path on Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue as short term priorities for construction.
Public Engagement Opportunities
You can get involved by:
- Taking a short survey
- Providing location-specific feedback through the mapping tool
- Attending a “Tour-it Tuesday” event
The survey and mapping tool are open until September 23, 2020.
Join the project team on a walk and talk through the neighbourhood, to identify key barriers and opportunities. The tours are drop-in events and will depart St. Boniface City Hall at the following times:
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2020
North tour: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
South tour: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Leaving from: St. Boniface City Hall, 219 Provencher Blvd.(External link)
To register email stbtodowntown@winnipeg.ca(External link) by September 11, 2020
*Please let us know if you would like to join a French-speaking tour
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2020
North tour: 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
South tour: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Leaving from: St. Boniface City Hall, 219 Provencher Blvd.(External link)
To register email stbtodowntown@winnipeg.ca(External link) by September 18, 2020
*Please let us know if you would like to join a French-speaking tour
Project team members will remain at St. Boniface City Hall through the duration of the events to talk to anyone who wants to weigh in but doesn’t want to or can’t participate in the walking tour. In the case of inclement weather, tours will be cancelled and all project staff will remain inside the meeting place to answer questions and discuss the project.
More information:
- City of Winnipeg St. Boniface to Downtown Walk Bike Project Portal
- City of Winnipeg Pedestrian & Cycling Strategies
- City of Winnipeg Complete Communities Direction Strategy
- /City of Winnipeg North St. Boniface Secondary Plan
- City of Winnipeg Motions regarding Cycling Facilities on Provencher
- Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works (Item #4, November 3, 2015)
- Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works (Item #22, March 14, 2016)
- Bike Winnipeg Post on Provencher Boulevard Endorsements
Supporting Policy
A review of the City’s major policy documents includes the following policy guidance.
Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies
Local Bike Networks
In general, people of all ages and abilities should be able to access all major destinations using the recommended bicycle network, To support this hub and spoke concept, a complementary local bicycle network will also provide neighbourhood-specific bicycle routes. Similarly, the local connecting routes will parallel the overall hub and spoke network, but will serve primarily local destinations and routing and will bring cyclists to the major routes that have city-wide connectivity. Local connecting routes will be composed of bicycle facilities that are appropriate for people of all ages and abilities where possible. (PCS pg 157)
The recommended bicycle network in Winnipeg is comprised of both on-and off-street facilities and seek[s] to apply high quality facilities for a complete, connected and dense bicycle network throughout the City. The recommended bicycle network will support a higher density of routes in urban centres and areas of high cycling potential, with a less dense network in areas with lower cycling potential. Especially in areas of high cycling demand, bicycle facilities should be protected from vehicle traffic and comfortable for all users. While implementing the recommended bicycle network will take time, it is important to seize opportunities at the time of new road construction and road rehabilitee projects to install bicycle facilities, (PCS pg. 157)
Recommendation 1B iv – Develop local bicycle networks for each neighbourhood that connect to the spine network and to the Downtown. (PCS pg. 174).
Complete Streets
OurWinnipeg and the CCDS direct the City to embrace the concept of Complete Communities and Complete Streets. Complete Streets aim to provide a range of transportation options, including private automobiles, transit, cyclists and pedestrians in a safe and efficient manner. Complete streets are context sensitive and generally incorporate road treatments that address the unique issues of each corridor. (PCS pg 257)
The CCDS identifies mixed use centres and corridors as focal points of the community, to be defined as areas with mixed uses, high densities, spaces for gathering, and high-levels of accessibility by different modes. (PCS, pg 257)
Accommodate cyclists to travel through and within mixed use corridors and centres, so that cyclists can easily access and enjoy the services and amenities within areas, and effectively contribute to the local vibrancy. By ensuring that people can access mixed use corridors and centres throughout Winnipeg by sustainable transportation, there can be less reliance on the need to drive (and park) in these areas, contributing to more pedestrian, cycling, and transit-friendly environments. (PCS pg. 258)
Recommendation 5B ii – Ensure the bicycle network provides access to mixed use corridors and centres. (PCS pg. 261)
North St. Boniface Secondary Plan
4.1.1 Transportation Objectives
1.To provide an efficient and accessible transportation system that takes into account all users and modes of transportation.
2.To design the transportation network to improve personal mobility, promote healthy living, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
3.Given the proximity to the Downtown, ensure that the transportation network focuses on providing infrastructure that focuses on the accessibility, comfort, and safety of cyclists, pedestrians, and transit users.
5.To incorporate “complete streets” wherever possible.
8.To ensure that changes to the cycling and pedestrian networks meet local needs while aligning with the vision and direction strategies of the City of Winnipeg Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies.
Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works Committee Motions
” The Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works concurred in the recommendation of the Riel Community Committee, as amended, and requested the Winnipeg Public Service to consider the installation of the most suitable cycling facility on Provencher Ave during any future Pedestrian and Cycling consultation for the respective area.”
” The Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works concurred in the recommendation of the Riel Community Committee that the Winnipeg Public Service be requested to conduct a functional design study for the idea of the Protected Provencher Boulevard Bike Lane, and that it be considered for the 2017 Active Transportation Action Plan.”