Committee backs 30 km/h speed limit on Wellington Crescent

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This article was published 29/11/2024 (306 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The proposal to slash the speed limit on Wellington Crescent is moving forward, along with plan to study additional options to make the street safer.

More than 20 delegates went to city hall to advocate for the speed reduction Friday. Later, council’s public works committee voted to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 km/h on Wellington, from River Avenue to Academy Road, until a protected bike lane is added along the route.

The change cannot be implemented until council votes on it.

Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, noted Friday’s vote reflected an “incredible outpouring” of safety concerns, which will require more than one change to address.

“We need to look at a super short-term solution, then a short-term (one), then a long-term solution… This is a major, major transportation corridor and we really want to be sharing the space more equitably,” said Lukes.

The Waverley West councillor told transportation staff she hopes the speed limit can be reduced by February. The committee ordered a staff report, which is due back in about four months, on potential changes that can help calm the street next year, and directed staff to hold consultations on longer term safety solutions.

Prior to the vote, Lukes told reporters she feared changing a speed limit alone wouldn’t address all safety concerns on the route.

“It’s one thing to put a speed limit up, it’s another thing that it become effective. We don’t have enough police in the city to monitor every speed on every road. When a road is designed, like Wellington, to kind of flow and go, there’s a natural tendency for speed to increase (But) … I know for a fact that it is proven, time and time again, that lowering speeds reduces (crash) fatalities,” she said.

Lukes said she didn’t think the city needed traffic experts to further study the topic before elected officials took action, despite some councillors’ concerns about acting without that input.

“Cities all around the world have been studying (this.) We know that reducing speed saves lives. But we also know that when you change the built environment, it’s more effective,” she said.

Without changes to the design of the street, a lower speed limit could wind up creating a false sense of security, Lukes added.

Coun. Sherri Rollins, who pushed for the speed reduction, said frequent reports of crashes, near-misses and vehicles repeatedly knocking down the fence at St. Mary’s Academy warrant a quick response.

“I don’t need or want a study on 30 (km/h) between River and Academy… The evidence base here that I’m leaning on is 30 (km/h) saves lives,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry).

The councillor said she’s aware “the odd person” won’t like the speed reduction but believes a large majority of residents want it.

“As someone who’s interested in more bike lanes, the quickest way possible to obtain that is not by multi-millions of (dollars of) infrastructure but to slow everything down to 30 (km/h),” she said.

Safety on the street has been in the spotlight in recent months, especially after a cyclist died in a crash this spring. Rob Jenner, 61, was killed in a collision with a speeding vehicle while cycling to work on Wellington Crescent near Cockburn Street on June 6.

A 19-year-old driver pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death after travelling at least 159 km/h despite the 50 km/h speed limit.

Cycling advocates said the crash makes it clear the road’s design is far too conducive to speeding. While it may not have prevented the crash that killed Jenner, they argue a lower speed limit could alleviate other safety concerns.

“How do we make streets safe? We reduce speeds. This has been studied all over the world… When a vehicle hits somebody at 30 km (per hour) or less, typically, the people survive,” said Andrew Single.

Some delegates told the committee the risk of a crash prevents them from taking up cycling.

“I’m too scared to ride a bike in Winnipeg because of how dangerous it is,” said Nathalie Kleinschmit.

Kleinschmit said slowing down traffic would greatly reduce the risk.

“No one is a perfect driver, neither car nor bike, but slowing that down provides the necessary room for error and adjustment, with safer interactions for those who share the road,” she said.

The proposal would set the lower speed limit year-round. That would add to the seasonal bike route that applies a 30 km/h speed limit to Wellington between Academy Road and Guelph Street in the summer.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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