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Better solutions needed for active transportation: Wasylycia-Leis

By: Bartley Kives

Posted: 10/5/2010 1:19 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies) | Last Modified: 10/5/2010 3:22 PM | Updates

WINNIPEG - Mayoral challenger Judy Wasylycia-Leis has accused Mayor Sam Katz of employing "divide and conquer" tactics to deal with public anger and confusion over the City of Winnipeg's $20.4-million active-transportation upgrade.

Wasylycia-Leis gathered reporters to her Portage Avenue headquarters this afternoon and pledged to personally attend public meetings about the city's new bike-and-pedestrian upgrades if she's elected mayor on Oct. 27.

Wasylycia-Leis also promised to cancel a city search for a private public-relations consultant to handle the active-transportation file, a move she described as "damage control and nothing more." According to a request for proposals on the city's website, the contract has a $75,000 budget.

The former Winnipeg North MP, who is even with Katz in the latest Probe Research poll, said she supports active-transportation but claims the city did not do a good job of making sure the public understood what it was getting.

She praised the efforts of city staff but insisted the city should have listened to concerns from businesses on Assiniboine Avenue before they sued the city over the Assiniboine Bikeway.

She accused Katz of deflecting responsibility to city staff and councillors. She claimed the incumbent is a poor consensus builder who has wound up pitting motorists against cyclists. She claimed the city must be united before it can move forward with change.

Wasylycia-Leis made her comments this morning in the company of a cycling advocate and a Crescentwood resident opposed to a barricade at Academy Road and Harrow Street.

She said she would not rip up infrastructure if elected mayor, but would speak personally to all citizens in an effort to find solutions to genuine problems.

This afternoon, Katz said he accepts responsibility for the upgrade. He reiterated he is not alone on council and some some councillors did not conduct proper oversight of new commuter-cycling amenities in their wards.

Last week, he suggested River Heights Coun. John Orlikow, Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi and Daniel McIntyre Coun. Harvey Smith -- all members of council's unofficial opposition -- did not conduct a thorough job at City Centre community committee.

Katz also said he has met with upset residents and businesses in St. James and the West End. He said Wasylycia-Leis is merely critizing without offering new ideas of her own.

The city originally planned to build 36 new bike-and-pedestrian paths, bikeways and other amenities. One has been cancelled, another is on hold and at least six others are the subject of intense criticism.

Approximately three quarters of the 102 kilometres of new routes being added to the city's network of cycling routes are on streets.

History

Updated on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 at 3:22 PM CDT: Adds details, quotes

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