Committee recommends ending green back lane pilot project

A green back lane is pictured along Dorchester Avenue in Winnipeg on October 28, 2024. A new report recommends the city not go forward with a green back lane pilot project in other areas of the city. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

A city committee has recommended against moving forward with a back lane project intended to reduce stormwater runoff in sewers, saying there isn’t enough data to back its effectiveness.

According to the report from the city’s standing policy committee on water, waste and environment, the public service recommended against considering an additional green back lane pilot project.

• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
• Sign up now for daily CTV News Winnipeg newsletters

The project started in 2015 with a back lane in Crescentwood along Dorchester Avenue. The gravel back lane was rebuilt with green material to help reduce the amount of stormwater entering the city’s sewer system.

However, the project ran into problems including a lack of validated evidence showing its effectiveness.

“The green back lane location was changed due to poor sub-surface soil conditions after pre-construction monitoring had taken place,” the report reads. “The new location did not have a direct connection to the combined sewer system, so post-construction flow monitoring could not be completed.”

In addition, the green back lanes required unique maintenance to reduce clogging, which was not implemented.

While the committee is not recommending going forward with a new green back lane pilot, it said the city should continue looking for green infrastructure opportunities “which have shown a proven benefit to Winnipeg.”

The report will be discussed at the next committee meeting on Nov. 1.