WINNIPEG

City paid for second Portage and Main study

Jeff Keele Reporter

@jeffkeelectv Contact

Published Wednesday, September 13, 2017 1:57PM CST

Bowman says this review will deal with issues beyond traffic including property and planning. (File image.)

Text:

The city is spending more money to explore how Portage and Main can be opened to pedestrians.

A $116,000 report on traffic implications has already been commissioned.

Now Mayor Brian Bowman and Winnipeg CAO Doug McNeil say another $70,000 study was sole sourced in July.

Bowman says this review will deal with issues beyond traffic including property and planning.

McNeill says the findings of both reports including costs of the project are expected to be released next month.

Jeff Browaty, city councillor for North Kildonan, who has long been calling for the initial report's release, said in a statement that he is alarmed by news the second study was ordered before the release of the first.

"Members of council and the public should have had an opportunity to review the results before spending more taxpayer money studying a proposal that likely isn't even warranted," Browaty said in the statement.