A Winnipeg city councillor is calling on Mayor Brian Bowman to release the findings of a study on the traffic impacts of opening Portage and Main.
Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said Tuesday he is demanding the report’s release on the one-year anniversary of when it was initially ordered.
"While the Mayor and I disagree on whether it should be opened, I would hope that in the spirit of openness and transparency he will join me in demanding that we get the facts on the table,” Browaty said in a news release.
"Winnipeggers want to know what the impact of opening Portage and Main to pedestrians will be to their commute times. This is a busy time of year for home sales and changes like this might affect some people's decisions on where to shop for a home."
According to Browaty, the taxpayer-funded contract came with a $116,000 price tag.
In a statement to CTV News, Bowman said an administrative report outlining a plan for the intersection will be released for council’s review. The traffic study will be included, he said.
“Councillor Browaty voted against the traffic study in 2015 that he’s now demanding access to today,” the statement said.
“His lack of vision and opposition to increasing both accessibility and connectivity of the intersection is well known, and his desire to treat property owners at Winnipeg’s most iconic intersection as second class citizens is disappointing.”
Bowman added that opening Portage and Main is “more than simply allowing pedestrians to cross the street”, but an acknowledgement that the intersection is a connection point for significant downtown investment.
Opening the notorious intersection was one of Bowman's campaign promises when he was elected in 2014.
