Wellington Crescent bike lane won’t roll till next year: committee

A bike lane pilot project planned for Wellington Crescent remains on track to roll out next year, despite dozens of pleas to deliver it in 2025.

On Thursday, council’s public works committee approved a plan to test out one-way temporary separated bike lanes on Wellington and reduce part of the street to two lanes from four lanes.

The plan would also cut the speed limit to 40 km/h from 50 km/h between Academy Road and Stradbrook Avenue.

About 40 cycling advocates urged committee members to get those changes in place this summer, as originally planned, instead of next year. While councillors did call for the next staff report on the matter to arrive by February 2026, the changes will still be tested that year, pending a final city council vote.

“When implemented… (these changes) will address the concerns,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman.

A city staff report states the delay to add the bike lanes will allow consultation with property owners and others before changes take effect.

Lukes (Waverley West) said the delegates made a lot of valid points, noting she supported reducing the area’s speed to 30 km/h late last year before council voted against that change.

“I support (the cyclists). I hear them… I have to talk to my other colleagues to get (the majority of city council members) to move it through,” she said.

Many cyclists have lobbied the city for changes on Wellington since cyclist Rob Jenner was killed by a speeding driver on the street on June 6, 2024.

While the vehicle was travelling at 159 km/h, more than triple the current speed limit, many argued the design of the street makes it far too easy to speed through.

Most of those delegates also called for a 30 km/h speed limit on the route, instead of the proposed 40 km/h.

Samantha Beiko, who commutes from Charleswood to downtown by bike, said implementing the pilot project and a 30 km/h speed limit would prevent crashes and injuries.

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“This (pilot) has been talked about for well over a year, that they have the materials in stock to do it now, to put in a temporary solution… This can be implemented right away,” said Beiko.

City council is expected to cast the final vote on the matter on July 17.

The report on interim solutions to make Wellington Crescent safer for cyclists and pedestrians was originally expected in April before being delayed until this month’s agenda.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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Wellington bike lane report

Joyanne Pursaga
Reporter

Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.

Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.