RM, City to work towards agreement on Raleigh roadway

East St. Paul

North Kildonan

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This article was published 20/12/2023 (991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Where there’s a will, sometimes there’s a way — though the way might not please everybody.

The walking-biking route on Raleigh Street in the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul that passes under the northeast Perimeter Highway has been seeing increased commuter traffic since wooden barricades were removed this past summer. While access to the route is welcome news for some local residents, others are upset and looking for answers.

“I was assured that this was closed to regular traffic,” said Murray Greenley, a longtime North Kildonan resident. “Why hasn’t there been any public open houses about this? Agreements were made. Stick to them.”

When the new overpass at Lagimodiere Boulevard was completed in 2018, the underpass was designated an active transportation pathway and a route for emergency vehicles. However, the route has largely remained open to regular vehicle traffic since summer.

“I want to emphasize our unwavering commitment to keeping the Raleigh underpass open,” said Carla Devlin, mayor of East St. Paul. “Our residents contributed financially to the underpass over two years ago, and we firmly believe it’s time to explore its full potential and consider the long-term benefits it can offer to our community.”

Rachelle Schott, MLA for Kildonan-River East, confirmed that jurisdiction over the stretch of Raleigh Street within the RM of East St. Paul now lies with the RM.

“At this point, it is up to the RM of East St. Paul and the City of Winnipeg to move forward,” Schott said.

“I do use it, absolutely,” said Lisa Lester, a North Kildonan resident. “My mother is a longtime resident of East St. Paul. She’s been there her whole life. I go there to help her. It eliminates getting into the heavy traffic on the highways. It’s instant access to be able to help the elderly in that area. It saves me a lot of time.”

“It appears most residents (of both communities) would like to see the through-pass open,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan).

“I think it’s a good thing. I’ve never seen an abundance of traffic,” Lester added. “Multiple families I know live on both sides of the highway, and I find many are very happy to simply connect between the recreation arenas.”

While a City of Winnipeg report from 2015 makes clear that Gateway Road and Raleigh Street north of Chief Peguis Trail cannot, as currently constructed and configured, accommodate higher volumes of vehicle traffic without significant improvements, Browaty said he doesn’t see an immediate issue to the road being used.

“That said, when the East St. Paul sewage treatment plant capacity is upgraded and there’s pressure to build denser housing to pay for those upgrades, I’m concerned North Kildonan streets will be unfairly impacted by the higher levels of traffic,” Browaty added. “If (East St. Paul) agrees to partnering with the City in a traffic study and devising and agreeing to a formula to address the costs of dealing with growth in traffic in the future, I would be willing to bring a motion to council to change Winnipeg’s formal position on opening the roadway and notifying the province.”

“The data collected from our traffic counters indicates that it sees some use, particularly during the evening hours when parents are using it to reach the Gateway Community Centre,” Devlin said. “While it’s true that the underpass may not currently experience heavy usage, we believe it holds great potential and significance for our community. We cannot overlook the benefits it brings — the potential to reduce traffic congestion on Headmaster Road, improved connectivity within our community and the City of Winnipeg, and most importantly, enhanced efficiency for our first responders who can save valuable time in emergency situations.”

A meeting between the RM and the city was scheduled earlier this month, but was postponed until the new year, owing to a COVID-19 outbreak.