In the election race, Brian Bowman promised to hit the ground running if he became mayor.

A few hours after winning on Wednesday evening, Bowman seemed to live up to that pledge. He walked briskly onto set at CTV Morning Live while on a phone call early Thursday morning, just in time to get his microphone on for an interview to answer questions and discuss plans.

Now, Bowman begins the task of living up to all of his other campaign promises.

“One of the greatest platform planks that I initiated my campaign with was on greater openness of transparency,” said Bowman.

During his campaign, Bowman said he wrote out a plan for his first hundred days at city hall, and would display meeting schedules for all to see.

Bowman also vowed to:

• limit tax increases to the rate of inflation

• find two per cent savings in operating costs to fix roads

• get rid of city council severance packages

• cut ward budgets

Colin Craig with Canadian Taxpayers Federation sounded a cautionary note.

"Hold onto your wallets,” he said.

“The reality of city hall right now is there are a few costs that can't be avoided. The city's got pension problems. There are crumbling roads that need a lot of dollars,” he said.

On top of that are other expenses for new projects.

Bowman talked during the campaign about finishing all six phases of bus rapid transit in Winnipeg within the next 15 years.