Winnipeg's open streets should be open to pedestrians, residents tell city committee

Councillors on the city's public works committee are being urged to finda way to legalizewalking on Winnipeg's active transportation routes.

Manitoba's infrastructure minister says the law is clear the city has to keep pedestrians and motorvehicles separated, and the province won't be changing the rules.

But some city politicians believeresidents willpound the pavement regardless of what the province's Highway Traffic Act says.

The city's popular "open streets" program expanded last year during the pandemic. While it was in effect, the programlimited motor vehicle traffic on several streetsfrom dawn until dusk, seven days a week. Cars were allowed totravel only one block at a time on the routes, in order to give pedestrians and cyclists a place to beactive while staying physically separated.

Winnipeg's open streets should be open to pedestrians, residents tell city committee

4 years ago

Duration 2:23

Councillors on the city's public works committee are being urged to find a way to legalize walking on Winnipeg's active transportation routes.

The city wanted to extendthe program to14 streets across Winnipeg starting in May, and a request was made for the public works department to work out the details of a new pilot program but a legal pothole emerged.

In a report to the committee published earlier thisweek, the public works department said it found the program violated Manitoba's Highway Traffic Act.

Pedestrians, according to the law, must stay on sidewalks where they're available. When they're not, foot traffic is allowed only on one side of the road, next to the curb, walking single file.

Infrastructure Minister Ron Schulertold CBC News the act is very clear.

"We do not ever contemplate the mixing of vehicles and pedestrians. They don't mix. Pedestrians always lose," the Progressive Conservative MLA said.

"The City of Winnipeg has to know that's the law and the expectation is they will follow the law. And we do not contemplate changing thelaw. I don't know how we would answer for having pedestrians walk among traffic and somebody gets hurt."

He urged the cityto follow the model adopted in Edmonton, where hundreds of traffic cones and flower planters separated the lanes, keeping walkers and vehicles apart.

Pedestrians will use streets anyway: councillor

The public works department suggestedrebrandingthe pilot as an "enhanced summer cycling route" program, since allowingcyclists onthe streets would not breach the traffic act.

But of the nearly two dozen written submissions to the committee, the vast majority imploredpoliticians to make the streets accessible to pedestrians.

Emma Durand-Wood wrote that she was "baffled, upset and disappointed" by "the step backward the program has taken by excluding pedestrians."

Ian Walker told the committee he spent "countless hours" on the active transportation routes last summer, on foot and on bike.

"There is absolutely no way that the pedestrian infrastructure that is running parallel to these routes will be able to keep up with demand," Walker wrote.

Karla Braun told the committee "thedecision to restrict pedestrians from open streets in compliance with an obscure Highway Traffic Act ordinance is a huge disservice to Winnipeggers."

Not everyonesees the program as the best option, however.

"I believe there is also a need for balance in the way this open streets concept is implemented,"Annie Deeley told the committee in her letter.

"Under the current proposal, Lyndale [Drive] would essentially be closed to vehicles all day, every day, for six or seven months of the year. This is not a reasonable solution."

Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan), who sits on thepublic works committee, believes residents will walk on the roads regardless of the rules.

"I have no issue with pedestrians who want to continue to use them exactly as they were. I think that's what we'd like to do, but there's a legal roadblock at the moment," Browaty said.

Mayor Brian Bowman told reporters he'll wait for the committee to do its work before weighing in on the issue.

Due to a long agenda for the public works committee and dozens of delegates weighing in on both open streetsandthe city's Transit Master Plan, the committee agreed to hold a second day of deliberations next Tuesday.