Trustees want say in school zone redesign

Trustees are calling on Winnipeg City Council to redesign 30 km/h school zones to better protect everyone who lives, learns and works in their wards — and they want a say in an infrastructure makeover.

For Ryan Palmquist, an active cyclist, dad and first-term trustee, road safety is both a passion and frequent source of frustration.

His son’s trek to École Varennes serves as a daily reminder of why he remains committed to the cause.

“My oldest son crosses a crosswalk — every single day, twice a day, to go to school — where a kid died,” the father of three said.

On Feb. 13, 2018, an eight-year-old boy was struck by a motorist when he was crossing Ste. Anne’s Road at Varennes Avenue.

Grade 3 student Surafiel Musse Tesfamariam’s death resulted in significant upgrades at the intersection. No charges were laid.

The tragedy and others like it are what motivated Palmquist to mount a 2022 campaign for Ward 3 trustee in the Louis Riel School Division.

In the lead up to the last municipal election, he went door-to-door to promise voters he’d lobby for safer streets and learn-to-swim programs.

Palmquist, who was previously an executive assistant for Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), a well-known supporter of active transportation, made good on both promises this fall.

The Louis Riel School Division board unanimously approved his motion to ask metro boards to join forces to demand more inter-governmental collaboration so they are regularly consulted on “matters of traffic safety in and around schools.”

The Manitoba School Boards Association is gathering trustees in Region 5 — seven boards inside the Perimeter — on Saturday to shortlist their priorities for 2025-26.

If Palmquist’s motion is deemed a priority, it will be brought to the association’s 2026 annual general meeting of 38 boards.

Also this weekend, attendees will vote on whether they should appeal to all trustees in Manitoba to petition higher levels of government to establish 30 km/h as the default speed limit on all residential streets.

City hall’s special liaison for school boards has heard from multiple board chairs with concerns about school speed zones since Labour Day.

Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas) has asked trustees if they are in favour of 24-7, year-round reduced school speed zones — a proposal she received from the Winnipeg School Division last month.

“School properties and nearby amenities are active well beyond those restricted hours,” Santos wrote in an Oct. 9 letter to board chairs.

“Children, families and seniors regularly use these spaces — whether it’s teens attending after-school programming offered by the city or the school division, families visiting playgrounds during summer holidays, or seniors walking or cycling around school areas for recreation and exercise.”

Santos is set to meet with board chairs to discuss the subject next week.

The Free Press’s ongoing investigative series on school zone safety has revealed the 30 km/h limit in place to protect students has not reduced traffic violations.

There are approximately 150 school zones in Winnipeg with reduced speed limits in place between Sept. 1 to June 30. They are typically in effect from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays over that 10 month period, regardless of whether classes are in session.

Last year, there were nearly 32,000 photo radar violations between the top 10 revenue-generating stretches, according to enforcement data obtained via freedom of information requests.

A University of Winnipeg research team’s historical database shows many of the 2024-25 hot spots — including behind River Elm School (Talbot Avenue) and beside Greenway School (St. Matthews Avenue) — are chronic problem areas.

There have been more speed camera flashes on Talbot between Watt Street and Gateway Road than anywhere else since it became a designated 30 km/h area. There were upwards of 5,000 tickets generated in the area last year.

There has been little political will to make signage or other infrastructure-related improvements to reduce violations that raise tens of millions of dollars for the city annually.

The majority of 30 km/h school zones in Manitoba aren’t enforced around the clock, but some — like those in Portage la Prairie — are, said Alan Campbell, president of the Manitoba School Boards Association.

Campbell said every school grapples with congestion during drop off and pick up, but he declined to weigh in on whether reduced speed limits are effective when it comes to changing motorists’ behaviours.

“Ninety-nine per cent of schools in Winnipeg don’t have adequate drop-off zones,” said the longtime trustee who is a transportation director for a city school division.

Many aging neighbourhoods, which were built to prioritize walkability, are not equipped for the current level of bus and personal vehicle activity, he noted.

As far as Palmquist is concerned, members of the Manitoba School Boards Association are among the most critical road safety stakeholders, but their input is often overlooked.

He cited trustees’ concerns about the predatory nature of photo radar as one example.

“Predatory speed traps could easily be redesigned or re-engineered to eliminate speeding,” Palmquist said. “I support what (Santos) wants to do in principle, but it is inextricably linked to this other problem that we have to fix before we can move forward.”

Both Palmquist and Ian Walker, a trustee and member of Safe Speeds Winnipeg, have called on the public works committee to study ticket hot spots and make adjustments to deter violations.

Board chair Sandy Nemeth said she’s optimistic other boards will endorse the Louis Riel motion because every school community is affected by traffic violations.

Near-misses and collisions take a toll on individuals and school communities at large, Nemeth said.

There have already been at least three incidents involving students at Louis Riel division schools since classes began in September.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca