As I write this, another day-long dose of April showers has helped wash away the last vestiges of winter and give the grass more of an optimistic glow.

So the last thing I want to do is fast forward through the entire summer to visit late fall already.

But considering we’re building up to a civic election in October, and the fact I haven’t had a rant for a while, I figured it was time to tune into the sounds of the collective consciousness at city hall this spring.  

And I’m not too surprised to find that transportation is still near the top of their playlist.

In the retro song category, they just can’t decide whether it’s a Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads or (Waiting For) The Ghost Train by Madness.

In other words, is it light-rail transit or bus rapid transit?

City council recently voted 10-4 to spend up to $100,000 during the next three months to compare the costs and benefits of both potential transportation systems.

Never mind the fact that they’ve already spent millions on such studies during Mayor Sam Katz’s tenure. Now he has postponed the second phase of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor while he plans to lobby for funding for the LRT network.

Interesting, then, that Katz said recently that Winnipeg is "experiencing an unprecedented level of growth, confidence, and commitment."

"With all of the major projects underway here in the heart of the continent, we need to be sure we are thinking big picture and making decisions that look 20 years into the future, not 20 years in the past," Katz said in a news release.

Personally, I think our future can take inspiration from our railroad roots. Yes, I think we could do a lot worse than try LRT.

Finances aside for a minute — and I’m no engineer — but let’s consider there’s still a network of rail lines and an infrastructure that can be adapted to LRT in Winnipeg.

I’m no tree hugger either, but the thought of fewer cars on the road and the chance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is an opportunity too rich and too valuable to not try.

I’ve heard people argue that Winnipeg doesn’t have the right kind of population density to justify LRT, but surely the massive and rapid growth (see Katz, above) in neighbourhoods like Waverley West and Whyte Ridge will keep the well of potential punters primed in the coming years?

I’ll never be a city planner, mind you.

I do, however, find it easy to picture thousands of football fans from all corners of the city riding on LRT and converging on the University of Manitoba to watch the Bombers play at their future stadium.

Reminds me of my London youth. Tons of us jumping on the tube or the train after enjoying a few beers rather than drinking and driving.

OK, so we may have been more interested in taunting rival supporters, but the principal remains the same.

So what do you think? Is LRT worth a shot?

Drop me a line at simon.fuller@canstarnews.com