Full circle
Introducing the Central Winnipeg Bike Loop, a safer choice for cyclists in Winnipeg’s inner city
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2023 (768 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Tested and now decorated with helpful signage, the Central Winnipeg Bike Loop is ready for any adventurous, curious, or regular two-wheeled commuter to maneuver and explore.
The loop, which began development in 2020, creates a large circle that connects both ends of the city. It essentially begins in Old Market Square, Downtown, and stretches as far as Traverse Avenue in St. Boniface, and Maryland St., behind the University of Winnipeg, on the opposite side.
The goal of the trail is to connect the core of the city with a loop that takes about an hour to traverse, according to Joe Kornelsen, executive director at West End BIZ, who recently tested the loop himself.
Winnipeg Free Press file photo
Signage on central Winnipeg bike lanes, as seen in this file photo from 2021.
Just as well, it’s there to provide a safer and more convenient way to use active transportation in the city.
“The thinking that went into it is, ‘what is the most convenient-feeling route around the city?’” Kornelsen said. “Where it doesn’t feel like you’re going out of your way to find a safe route. But it also makes sure that the routes that were chosen are routes that are comfortable on a bike.”
Most of the loop is connected through bike lanes, except for a low-volume area in Norwood.
“I think folks will find it very comfortable biking on all parts of the loop,” he said.
The loop is come-and-go as bikers please, which makes areas such as Osborne Village and The Forks, as well as some healthcare facilities — St. Boniface Hospital and Misericordia Health Centre — more accessible on bike.
And, connected to the route’s stretch through Sargent Park, is the supervised bike valet, Kornelsen said, a part of the ongoing West End BIZ event, Saturdays on Sargent.
“I think that kind of linkage is really cool, and it’ll make it that much more fun,” he said. “You can explore the entire loop and stop off (there) and grab a coffee … The projects kind of go hand in glove.”

Also similar to the Sargent Park event, the new bike route has a business aspect, as it will open bikers up to new businesses they may not have had easy access to otherwise.
“I love the type of businesses where they front the sidewalk, so they’re easy to hop in and out of by bike. That’s really the case for this entire loop. It really connects that type of business community in all of these neighborhoods … parts of Marion, Provencher, the Exchange District, West Broadway … They’re perfect for exploring by bike,” Kornelsen said.
For more information on the loop, including a high-definition road map, visit www.centralwpgloop.com

Emma Honeybun is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. She graduated RRC Polytech’s creative communications program, with a specialization in journalism, in 2023. Email her at emma.honeybun@freepress.mb.ca
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