Councillor calls for permanent bike lanes on Wellington stretch

The chair of Winnipeg’s public works committee wants the city to scrap plans for temporary bike lanes on part of Wellington Crescent and immediately proceed with a permanent protected route.

Coun. Janice Lukes wants permanent lanes to be installed in 2027 if her proposal is approved, although some proponents worry there will be more delays if plans change for a road they consider unsafe.

“I know this is frustrating and it’s challenging, but we’ve got the money — move it up and let’s just do it right the first time,” Lukes told reporters.

The city on Wednesday published a staff report and design for temporary lanes on a one-kilometre section between Academy Road and Stradbrook Avenue, after getting public input on a proposed $436,000 pilot project.

The initial proposal was for temporary lanes to be installed this spring, followed by a preliminary design for permanent lanes. The city budgeted nearly $5.5 million for permanent lanes in 2029.

City hall’s public works committee was expected to vote on the proposal March 4. Lukes, the councillor for Waverley West, plans to move a motion to ask staff to instead immediately proceed with the design and construction of permanent protected lanes.

She said the plan for temporary lanes would only marginally improve safety, while significantly disrupting traffic and adding to “visual clutter.” The lanes would be marked by plastic poly-posts, which Lukes described as “useless.”

Permanent protected lanes with curbs would improve safety, maintain smooth traffic flow and provide better value for taxpayers, she said.

Implementing the interim bike lanes would reduce evening and weekend on-street parking by about 29 stalls, the report said. The plan would introduce turning restrictions, and create a new loading zone on Cockburn Street.

Lukes said the design for permanent bike lanes would address those concerns. The city can build into the existing boulevard to create space for delivery vehicles, she noted.

Members of Winnipeg’s cycling community escalated calls for permanent protected lanes after Rob Jenner, 61, was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike to work in June 2024.

The city said there were at least 10 collisions between vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists from 2012 to 2022.

Local resident Joe Curnow, a member of a group referred to as Neighbours for a Safe Wellington Crescent in the staff report’s section on community input, said the pilot project has been delayed multiple times.

Curnow welcomed the initial proposal because it called for temporary lanes to be installed this year. She expects additional delays if the plan is abandoned.

“Pedestrians and cyclists and all the folks in the neighbourhood are saying we need something right now that makes us safer right now, not three years from now, not two years from now,” Curnow said.

The staff report recommends lowering Wellington’s speed limit, between Academy and Stradbrook, from 50 km/h to 40 km/h, if temporary bike lanes are installed. Lukes doesn’t think the speed limit will require a change if permanent protected lanes are installed.

Mayor Scott Gillingham is open to the discussion about whether to proceed now with permanent lanes.

“There may not be value in going to something temporary, only to rip it out a year later to go to something permanent,” he said.

Gillingham predicted “something will happen this year,” in response to concerns about further delays.

Patricia Carter, who lives in the area, wants the city to consider how changes to Wellington could affect the wider area.

“I know some people would be concerned. You have to look at the bigger picture,” she said.

Bike Winnipeg was waiting for more information about Lukes’ proposal, including timelines, before speaking “yea or nay” in favour of it, executive director Mark Cohoe said.

The organization prefers permanent protected lanes.

“At the same time, we want to make sure we’re getting a well thought out design, and that it’s really considering all users,” Cohoe said, noting the number of existing pedestrian crossings is limited.

In a recent online survey, 74 per cent of 2,648 respondents told the city they want permanent bike lanes, while 83 per cent said they think the section of Wellington is unsafe for cyclists.

Only 309 respondents had a direct connection to Wellington. The city said 48 per cent of Wellington residents who took part in the survey think the interim plan would be negative, and 46 per cent think it would be positive.

About 12,000 vehicles travel on the stretch of Wellington each weekday, a traffic study found. About 20 per cent of those drivers travelled 55 km/h or faster.

The study predicted about 15 to 20 per cent of drivers who use Wellington would choose other routes if temporary bike lanes were installed.

Some rush-hour commutes could increase by up to one minute if turning restrictions are imposed at Academy and Wellington.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Chris Kitching
Reporter

Chris Kitching is a general assignment reporter at the Free Press. He began his newspaper career in 2001, with stops in Winnipeg, Toronto and London, England, along the way. After returning to Winnipeg, he joined the Free Press in 2021, and now covers a little bit of everything for the newspaper. Read more about Chris.

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