Cyclists miffed over caved-in pavement on main route

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This article was published 17/08/2023 (766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Cyclists say heaving pavement on a main bike route in North Point Douglas is an accident waiting to happen.

“If you were to go over that at a decent speed, you would be very likely to wipe out and that could result in serious injuries,” said Evan Krosney about the buckling pavement at the entrance to Michaëlle Jean Park at Rover Avenue and Hallet Street.

He said the damage has been around for months and it highlights the lack of maintenance on Winnipeg’s active transportation routes.

“I started riding the path in the early spring when there was still snow on the ground and the path was heaving and cracking at that time. It doesn’t look like there’s been any effort to fix it since then… The frustrating thing is (it’s a key) active transportation connection to the north side of the city. As it stands right now, if you’re on a bike, you need to stop and walk (over it). More importantly, if you’re in a wheelchair… it’s totally impassable because it’s a huge dip.”

He said he’s spotted many near-crashes involving cyclists who use the route and it is just one example where maintenance has been delayed or inadequate.

“Certainly, there are citywide concerns about the state of bike lanes, about plowing in the winter, cleaning in the spring and regular maintenance throughout the summer. If there were potholes and dips and ridges the size of this on the streets that cars drive on, they’d be fixed within a matter of days. But here we’re waiting all summer,” he said.

In recent social media posts, residents have complained about repeated poor drainage and puddling on the river path alongside Assiniboine Avenue, between Main and Osborne streets.

Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said parts of the North Winnipeg Parkway are impeded by trees that appear to have been pushed in by spring flooding.

Cohoe echoed the view that damage is obvious, and not limited to, “the absolute hazard” at Rover and Hallet.

“The city is not managing to keep track of its assets and (hasn’t been) able to maintain them,” said Cohoe.

His organization plans to lobby the municipal government to ramp up interim repairs to the North Winnipeg Parkway, which includes the Rover site, and other cycling routes, before more permanent rehabilitation can take place.

“They have to be able to clear out these hazards, like (Rover), much quicker,” said Cohoe.

While he noted that site is affected by riverbank slopes, he urged the city to seek a more temporary fix before addressing the larger issue.

Cohoe said the city has been successful in planning longer term upgrades but often falls behind on maintaining existing active transportation routes.

While the Rover and Hallet site is “completely unacceptable,” improvements to the city’s bike lane maintenance and repairs will be in place next year, said Coun. Janice Lukes.

“From the standpoint of sweeping, from the standpoint of patching holes for next year, the public works department has told me they will be prioritizing the active transportation network, the greenways, the roads that have bike lanes,” said Lukes, the head of council’s public works committee. “The vulnerable road user, we’re moving to prioritize them.”

She said the shift in priorities is based on existing spending levels, though she also expects to push for more staff in next year’s budget. She said the city has also ordered a sweeping machine that’s designed specifically for bike lanes.

“We are moving to increase the focus in the public works department on active transportation more than ever before. You can’t change the direction of a ship overnight, you need resources, you need people, you need bodies,” said Lukes.

While the councillor said this year’s busy road repair season, which will devote $159 million to complete more than 200 construction projects, has “maxed out” current staff, she stressed the new priorities will be in place next year.

“We’ve got funding, we’ve got support on council… we’re changing the dial,” said Lukes.

She noted some road-renewal funding already pays for some active transportation routes and repairs.

In an email, city spokesperson David Driedger said the damage at Rover and Hallet is related to the failure of a riverbank slope.

“Making the repair is not as simple as just repaving the pathway; rather, the riverbank slumping needs to be addressed first. We have issued (a) request for proposals to hire a consulting firm to investigate this issue and provide a design solution, and cost estimate,” wrote Driedger.

The statement did not include a timeline for when that damage will be repaired.

Driedger said the city has inspected and repaired potholes on all active transportation related streets, including seasonal bike routes.

He said AT-related routes are also swept in the spring and on a bi-weekly basis throughout the summer.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga