Councillors scramble for more info after pedestrian crossing shot down

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This article was published 03/04/2024 (546 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A city councillor is disappointed after a report shot down a proposal to improve pedestrian flow at one of Osborne Village’s busiest intersections.

The public works committee asked the public service to investigate the possibility of introducing a scramble crossing at Osborne Street and River Avenue last year, allowing pedestrians to cross in all directions amid widened sidewalks, narrowed road lanes and slower vehicles.

The final report recommends no alterations to the intersection due to concerns about traffic flow and transit interruptions.

“There are problems of logic that need to be explained in the report. I think it’s a very light report, so I don’t think enough time and care was taken,” Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), said of the 14-page document, which is to be reviewed by the public works committee at its April 9 meeting. “In particular, the troublesome part is that the resolve of the original motion was to report back on a pedestrian-prioritized pilot and I see none of that in this report.”

Rollins championed the original request to investigate a scramble crossing, which would be the first intersection of its kind in Winnipeg. She and other community stakeholders believe it would improve safety and walkability for pedestrians.

The public service acknowledged the crossing would improve safety, but said it would require a longer traffic signal cycle length.

“The troublesome part is that the resolve of the original motion was to report back on a pedestrian-prioritized pilot and I see none of that in this report.”–Coun. Sherri Rollins

“A pedestrian scramble is not recommended at the intersection because it would likely increase both vehicle and pedestrian delays and also be cost-prohibitive,” the report said, noting motorists would have to stop at the intersection for an additional 20 seconds and the delay would likely impact nearby intersections.

The service also assessed the possibility of removing the slip lane on Osborne Street, which allows southbound motorists to turn right onto River Avenue without stopping at the lights. Eliminating the slip lane would require the removal of a concrete island that houses a transit stop at the intersection.

“The removal was ultimately not recommended due to negative impacts to Winnipeg Transit service and bus stop amenities at the intersection,” the report said. “Relocating the bus stop is an undesirable change to Transit operations and passenger comfort.”

Rollins called the explanation a “red herring.”

“Transit stops move all the time,” she said. “You could argue the passengers of the bus might have even more room to line up if they didn’t have to exist on a small island.”

Coun. Janice Lukes, who chairs the public works committee, said she, too, has questions about the public service’s report.

“They’re saying not to proceed. I like the idea of a (pedestrian) scramble. We don’t have many of them in Canada. I think there may be some hesitancy with the department on that,” she said Wednesday.

The report lacks a detailed accounting of how many pedestrians cross the intersection daily, said Lukes, who would “like to have a little bit more information.”

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The Osborne Village BIZ was a major proponent of overhauling the intersection and floated the idea of a scramble in its “Blueprint for a Vibrant and Healthy Neighbourhood” document, released last year.

“Everybody who lives in the neighbourhood understands how important it is to make sure it’s safe for pedestrians,” said Zohreh Gervais, Osborne BIZ executive director.”This is one step we can take to help that process move along, so I really hope that the city will reconsider.”

Rollins intends to reject the report and recommend the public service return in 90 days with a more comprehensive document, she said.

— With files from Joyanne Pursaga

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca

Tyler Searle
Reporter

Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press’s city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic’s creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler.

Every piece of reporting Tyler 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.