City of Winnipeg consulting groups on new protected bike lanes coming to Osborne Village
The City of Winnipeg is moving forward on a project aimed at fixing roads and improving safety for cyclists in Osborne Village.
Construction is slated to start next spring or summer but the city is meeting this summer with businesses and property owners who may be impacted by changes.
Changes that will see protected bike lanes installed on River Avenue and Stradbrook Avenue.
“It would be about dang time to do that because that’s going to drive a wedge between people’s relationships with biking on the road versus choosing their car to get just around the neighbourhood here,” said Ryan Kaul, an Osborne Village resident and avid cyclist.
The preliminary design calls for one-way protected bike lanes on River and Stradbrook between Harkness Avenue and Wellington Crescent, with a small stretch of two-way riding on River from Bryce Street to Fort Rouge Park.
Wellington is also slated to get a one-way protected bike lane from River to Stradbrook.
“It makes a huge difference and I’m excited to see this,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “This is a big game changer, a big step forward for the city because it really builds on that connectivity.”
The plan doesn’t yet address the issue of safety and connectivity for cyclists crossing the Osborne Street Bridge to and from the city’s downtown.
The proposed link, a walk-bike bridge over the Assiniboine River between McFadyen Park downtown and Fort Rouge Park in Osborne Village, was referred to the unfunded project list where it remains.
Source: The City of Winnipeg
Sherri Rollins, city councillor for Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry, said the walk-bike bridge remains a priority and a plan for her as she seeks re-election in this fall’s municipal election.
“The protected bike lanes is exciting but also what’s exciting is that it is really a lead up to a pedestrian cycle bridge that Winnipeggers want,” Rollins said.
The City of Winnipeg anticipates the lanes will have a positive impact but recognizes there will be trade-offs especially when it comes to parking and loading zones. Those are issues the city said it’s working on with area businesses and property owners.
Upcoming meetings with these groups will be held to help officials better understand current parking and loading needs and develop plans to mitigate any issues.
Miguel Gonzalez lives in West Broadway and commutes into Osborne Village for work, usually by bike. He understands the loss of parking might upset some but feels the benefits of protected bike lanes will outweigh any loss of parking.
“I think the commute will just be a lot safer,” Gonzalez said. “A lot more streamlined as well.
"There’s already a lot of traffic in the area with foot traffic, bike traffic – especially in the summer. So I think it’ll just kind of liven up the area a little bit more.”
In addition to making the commute safer, Kaul hopes the road renewal makes his ride smoother.
“The last few years Stradbrook has been rattling bikes to pieces,” Kaul said. “I think myself and my partner have ruined a couple tires and rims.”
The city previously conducted public engagement on the project and said it heard from a wide range of Winnipeggers who expressed overwhelming support and desire for protected bike lanes on River and Stradbrook.
Lindsay Somers, executive director of the Osborne Village Biz, said she’ll be attending a consultation with project planners and local businesses next week to learn more about the project.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
'It was violent': Police tear down U of A pro-Palestinian encampment Saturday morning
Multiple people at the protest camp torn down at the University of Alberta campus Saturday say police's actions against protesters were "violent" and "disproportionate."
An apartment block collapses in a Russian border city after heavy shelling, injuring over a dozen
An apartment block partially collapsed in the Russian border city of Belgorod on Sunday, leaving at least 19 injured. Officials blamed Ukrainian shelling and said there were also likely deaths.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Adopted daughter in the Netherlands reunited with sister in Montreal and mother in Colombia, 40 years later
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
German men with the strongest fingers compete in Bavaria's 'Fingerhakeln' wrestling championship
Despite the threat of dislocated fingers and strained muscles, over 150 Bavarian men came together Sunday to compete in Germany’s unique national championship of “Fingerhakeln,” or finger wrestling.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.