‘Unacceptable’ access

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This article was published 23/01/2018 (2960 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Crossing at Portage Avenue and Main Street already requires some roundabout navigating, but for those with mobility issues, the expedition has been particularly challenging the last three weeks.

Two lifts are out of order between the iconic Winnipeg intersection’s underground concourse and the tower at 201 Portage Ave. And for some downtown dwellers, such as Allen Mankewich, who uses a wheelchair, that makes the section of the intersection impassible.

“To me, three weeks is kind of unacceptable,” Mankewich said Tuesday. “The accessibility of (the concourse) isn’t that great. If you want to cross Portage and Main (which has been closed to pedestrians since 1979), you basically have to go underground and take up to four lifts, minimum, to try to get across the street.”

Ian Frank, who works at 201 Portage Ave., said he noticed the out-of-order signs Friday, when a person with a walker was trying to use the stairs.

On Monday, Frank said he saw someone lugging a stroller on the stairs.

“In reality, when anybody says we don’t need to open Portage and Main (to pedestrians), it’s like, well, using private buildings for access might not be the best public method,” he said.

When asked about the out-of-order lifts, a security guard in the concourse said to “call 311” and closed his door. A City of Winnipeg spokesperson was not able to return a request for comment by deadline Tuesday.

At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Brian Bowman said the elevators are not the only thing broken at Portage and Main.

Bowman has long been a proponent of reopening the intersection to foot traffic.

“We’ve got water leaking every time it rains in all four quadrants… (the intersection) has needed some TLC and some upkeep for some time,” Bowman said, noting black mould and asbestos issues have also been brought up.

Winnipeg-based architect Brent Bellamy estimates it takes between seven and 10 minutes for a person with limited mobility to cross Portage and Main. It’s a journey that requires four elevators (two in-building elevators and two half-level lifts), five automatic door-openers, two ramps and three back corridors, he said.

“If one of the private elevators is closed, the intersection is inaccessible. Crossing relies on private owners to provide access,” Bellamy said. “This is not only an issue when things break down, but also when those private properties close, which they do every night.

“We cannot blame the property owners. It should not be their responsibility to provide access for people to cross the road,” he said. “This is a public responsibility.”

jessica.botelho@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @_jessbu

Here is how someone with limited mobility crosses the street at Winnipeg's Portage+Main today. pic.twitter.com/deuq2USwqR

— Brent Bellamy (@brent_bellamy) October 13, 2017