Winnipeg’s finally set to begin construction on 3.6 kilometre rapid transit line this summer as talks that began in the ‘70s finally get green light.

The City of Winnipeg’s detailed plans for the first installment of a three-part rapid transit line, which is a form of bus transportation that has fewer stops and its own designated lanes, were revealed at open houses held on May 25 and 27.
Phase one of the project – southwest rapid-transit corridor – will run from The Forks to Jubilee Avenue.

“We’re offering a higher level of transit, so we can get people off cars and onto transit,” said Bill Menzies, manager of Winnipeg Transit’s service development division.

With the recession threatening previously secure funding sources, Menzies remains confident that this project will go on as planned, citing the amount of time the city has deliberated over the issue of rapid transit.

“The original feasibility studies for rapid transit were done over 30 years ago,” he said. “We finally have funding to go ahead.”

For many, phase one offers hope for people who would like to see more efficient transportation alternatives in Winnipeg.

“This is a pivotal moment for Winnipeg,” said Arne Elias, executive director of the Centre for Sustainable Transportation. “It’s all about getting from point to point without using a car, and this is better than a car.”

Menzies is hopeful that the transit line will play a key role in revitalizing Winnipeg’s downtown and increasing its density.

“[Rapid transit] puts more people onto the street, which means there are more eyes on the street. There is safety in numbers,” he said. “Rapid transit will make it a lot easier to get into downtown – don’t have to worry about parking.”

But, rapid transit is not enough on its own, said G.B. Arrington, principle practice leader for PB PlaceMaking, which is a company that assists in realizing urban spaces by integrating community development and transportation.

According to Arrington, for Winnipeg to properly utilize new rapid transit lines, it must use a transit-oriented development (TOD) model. TOD is a way of looking at neither transit nor the development around transit as separate issues; rather, they should be treated as one, with private/public partnerships.

“The way to succeed is not to talk about transit, but how transit fits into the larger community,” he said. “In order for there to be change, there can’t be one person in charge of land use and one in charge of transit. Both need to be treated as one issue.”

For Arrington, at any given stop down the line, the transit user should be within a five-minute walk of their destination.

Menzies said the city is on board with TOD and has been talking with some developers about creating high-density sites in three areas along phase one’s line.

It’s one thing for Winnipeg to have rapid transit, but it’s another challenge altogether to get people to use it.

“More people need to use transit, so it can be destigmatized,” said Arrington. “[We] need to develop strategies that will get the middle class to use it more.”

Published in Volume 63, Number 28 of The Uniter (June 18, 2009)