Ambitious Winnipeg bike plan stalled by eleventh hour development issues

Winnipeg mayor Brian Bowman, addressing multi-million dollar plans for new mixed-use walking and cycling paths through the city, is asking for a second look at how the plan is going forward, CBC news reported.

A little over a week ago, the ambitious plan to makeover Winnipeg transportation all but sailed through official channels at city hall, when it was unanimously passed by city councillors on Tuesday, May 5. The applications are many: not only does it involve expanding the bicycle and sidewalk network threaded throughout Winnipeg, but bicycle parking, maintenance of the network, facilities for cyclists, and a facelift for dedicated cycling and pedestrian crossings are all part of the mix. For every mode of transportation but motoring, the plan is an exponential step forward.

On Tuesday, Bowman said that concerns regarding the plan have prompted the second look — the question, chiefly, being about how people were consulted before the $334 million plan went ahead.

Principally, that question comes against a backdrop of concerns regarding the development itself. Hundreds of streets, Transcona councillor Russ Wyatt said, will be affected by the plan, with changes pending for each of them. It’s a chorus with which residents of Point Grey in Vancouver may be familiar, the outcome of that particular development aside.

Despite having received a very enthusiastic green light, the plan to expand Winnipeg’s cycling network now faces an eleventh-hour setback. Construction is delayed until June as a result, when city councillors will have another chance to weigh in on the initiative.