Potential changes to 'Open Street' program along Wellington Crescent gaining traction
Potential changes to limit cyclist and pedestrian access to Wellington Crescent are one step closer to being implemented after a city committee voted in favour of them.
Currently, Wellington Crescent, from Academy Road to Guelph Street, is open to cyclists (and pedestrian using the median walkway) from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, as part of the expanded access to Sunday/Holiday Bike Routes program put in place in response to the pandemic. Motor vehicles are limited to one block of access under the same timeframe.
On Wednesday, a city committee voted six-to-one in favour of reducing bike route hours on Wellington Crescent. The changes will now go to city council for a final vote in July.
The changes would limit access to weekends and holidays starting September 7.
The discussion was originally started by a motion submitted by area councillor John Orlikow, which intended to only allow the public works director, with input from the relevant city councillor, to change the times and dates pedestrians and cyclists can access bike routes like the stretch of Wellington Crescent.
Orlikow said the motion was all about providing flexibility as the economy starts to reopen in the months to come.
Also in the changes passed by the committee is a line that requires the Winnipeg Public Service to provide council with an assessment of the impacts of Wellington Crescent and provide possible options for 2022 by no later than April 2022.
The current bike paths have upset some residents. When the changes were first introduced, CTV talked to residents, which said the bike paths create traffic flow issues and cyclists fight with cars backing out of driveways.
-With files from CTV’s Michael D’Alimonte
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city, marking the first franchise in Canada
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.