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Citizens Information Service
Public Works
Walk Bike Projects

Wolseley to West Alexander Corridor

Connecting Palmerston Avenue to the West Alexander Corridor

This study is now complete.


This project will look at options to encourage walking and cycling for people of all ages and abilities through the creation of a neighbourhood greenway along Ruby Street and Banning Street to link the Wolseley and West Alexander neighbourhoods. Ruby Street and Banning Street provide an important north-south connection between Palmerston Avenue and Notre Dame Avenue and beyond.


Recommended Design

The Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies identify the Wolseley to West Alexander Corridor as a high priority. It will create an important cycling network connection in the area, providing access to numerous schools, community amenities and businesses. This study will be the basis for including cycling infrastructure in future street renewal programs. Based on public feedback and technical analysis the recommended design includes signage, pedestrian and cyclist push button signals, raised crosswalks/intersections, right in/right out islands, vehicular directional closures, and median barriers. Further information on feedback provided by citizens throughout this study is available in the public engagement report.

Design treatments along the route were evaluated based on a number of criteria to understand the benefits and impacts on all road users. The evaluation criteria were developed after engaging with stakeholders to gather input about what is important to those who live, travel through, visit or work in the project area. Public participants evaluated design treatments based on whether they met the top two project priorities. In addition participants rated their level of support for specific intersection treatments.

All treatments have considerations for impacts on vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. The recommended design was determined based on treatments that were ranked highest through public input in terms of cycling comfort and safety, and based on technical analysis.

View the recommended design.

Design features for the corridor, where cycling will continue to go both ways throughout:

  • Palmertson Avenue to Westminster Avenue will remain the same, with the addition of raised intersections at Wolseley and Westminster avenues.
  • Westminster Avenue to Preston Avenue will be one-way northbound with parking on the east side of the street.
  • Preston Avenue to Portage Avenue will remain the same.
  • Median barriers will be installed at the Portage Avenue intersection, which will prevent left turns out of, and in to, Ruby Street and Banning Street. Through movements along Ruby Street - Banning Street will also be prevented. Pedestrian/bicycle activated push buttons will also be added.
  • Portage Avenue to Einarson Avenue remains the same with a raised intersection at Einarson Avenue. The four-way stop will change to a two-way stop for the cross streets, allowing north/south traffic to flow.
  • Einarson Avenue to St. Matthews Avenue will have a raised crosswalk by Greenway School.
  • The intersection at St. Matthews Avenue will have right in/right out islands and be upgraded to a half signal with pedestrian/bicycle activated push buttons.
  • St. Matthews Avenue to Ellice Avenue will remain the same.
  • The intersection at Ellice Avenue will add pedestrian/bicycle activated push buttons.
  • Ellice Avenue to Sargent Avenue will be one-way northbound with parking and loading on the east side of the street. There will be two raised crosswalks at General Wolfe School and the egress at Sargent Avenue will be right turn only.
  • The intersection at Sargent Avenue will be upgraded to a full signal with pedestrian/bicycle activated push buttons.
  • Sargent Avenue to Wellington Avenue will have a raised intersection at McIntyre Avenue, and a raised crosswalk at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate.
  • The intersection at Wellington Avenue will be upgraded to a full signal with pedestrian/bicycle activated push buttons.
  • Wellington Avenue to the back lane before Notre Dame Avenue will be one-way northbound with parking on the east side of the street. Past the back lane the parking will continue on the east side of the street, while the street will remain two-way.

Upon further investigation, the traffic impacts at Notre Dame Avenue and Arlington Street were too great to proceed with a connection using this route. The intersection has a high utilization for all movements of vehicle traffic. With the current geometry, it was not possible to maintain the necessary four lanes of traffic or adequately accommodate the transit stops and the required protected bike lanes. The intersection is highly complex and very well used. Further, with the anticipated construction of the Arlington bridge, this will further the demands of this intersection.

Instead, the northern connection will proceed along a shared sidewalk on the west side of Banning Street and south side of Notre Dame Avenue, utilizing current crossings, and connecting to the bike lane on McDermot Avenue through a bi-directional protected bike lane on the east side of McPhillips Street.

Next Steps and Future Considerations

The City will review the project to determine how it fits with other City priorities and future budget considerations.

The creation of a parklet (i.e. public greenspace) on Ruby Street between Preston Avenue and the backlane at Portage Avenue was proposed as a potential street treatment. While this treatment received a lot of public support, views from fronting properties were mixed. This treatment could be reconsidered at this location, along with the section on Banning Street between Sargent Avenue and McIntyre Avenue, if funding becomes available, if fronting properties are supportive.

Engage

Further information on feedback provided by citizens throughout this study is available in the public engagement report.

A range of treatments were presented to create a neighbourhood greenway to make travel more comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. Neighbourhood greenways are bike routes introduced on streets with low vehicle speeds and volumes.

Treatments can be scaled to affect and increase the level of traffic calming on the street by impacting traffic flow and vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle speed. Opportunities are available to tailor treatment levels based on the unique conditions throughout the corridor.

A neighbourhood greenway has a minimal impact on street parking. Some of the recommended treatments require a change to the side of the street parking occurs.

Level of comfort
Keeping traffic low and slow

View the detailed drawings of the recommended design.

Phase 2

Thank you to everyone who has taken time to fill out our online survey or join us at the street event. The survey available on this website from September 1 – 29, 2017 received 171 responses. A street event at Greenway School included about 100 participants, which included the Bike Education and Skills Training Session.

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Previous Engagement

Phase 1

Thank you to all who attended pop-up events from April 19 to 28. The project team had approximately 316 interactions with people at the events and received valuable feedback from participants.

As well, 87 parents and children took part in a project-related Flaming Cheetah's ride on May 3, and 25 people participated in a project-related Jane's Walk on May 6. An online survey and mapping tool were available from April 7 to May 19. Over 300 surveys were collected online.

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If you would like to stay updated on City of Winnipeg public engagement events, follow the City on Facebook and Twitter or sign up for our newsletter.

School Travel Planning

Since February School Travel Planning has been taking place with Greenway School, General Wolfe School, and Daniel McIntyre Collegiate, which is occurring along with this study. The goal of School Travel Planning is to encourage walking and cycling to school, enhance school and traffic safety in the area, and improve overall options for people of all ages and abilities to walk or cycle.

The three schools have completed the data collection phase, participating in classroom hands-up surveys, family take home surveys, and traffic counts. A variety of stakeholders were engaged on a school walkabout to see the barriers in the community and to discuss potential school transportation goals and solutions. Students were also engaged through participation in several classroom presentations and photovoice workshops that visually documented their perspectives along the corridor.

The data and feedback from the schools is currently being integrated into the study and is being considered when developing the treatments for the neighbourhood greenway.

In the fall each school will be presented with a final travel plan to support them in their priorities and to encourage active transportation in their communities.

If you would like to get more involved at the school level to support this initiative, please contact your school principal.

Project Timeline

timeline

Timeline

Documents

Document Name Date Type
Phase 1 – Popup Invite 2017-04-05 Community Letter
Phase 1 – Postcard Invite 2017-04-05 Community Letter
Phase 1 – News Release 2017-04-07 News Release
Phase 2 – Invite 2017-09-01 Community Letter
Phase 2 – Poster 2017-09-01 Community Letter
Phase 2 – Street Event Materials 2017-09-01 Street Event Materials
Phase 2 – News Release 2017-09-05 News Release
Phase 2 - Public Engagement Report 2018-02-16 Reports
Phase 2 - Recommended Design 2018-02-16 Graphic

Background

In November 2011, City Council approved the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). A key underlying goal of the TMP is to expand the range of travel options that are available to residents, workers and visitors, and to ensure that people are not dependent on one single mode of transportation. The TMP also called for the development of the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies.

In 2015, City Council approved the Winnipeg Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies (PCS), which provide a long-range policy framework for active modes of transportation for the next 20 years.

The Wolseley to West Alexander Corridor is a high priority in the PCS. It will create an important cycling network connection in the area, providing access to numerous schools, community amenities and businesses. This study will be the basis for including cycling infrastructure in future street renewal programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why is the Ruby Street/Banning Street corridor being considered?
The City's Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies have prioritized Ruby Street/Banning Street as an important connection to allow people of all ages and abilities to safely bike or walk north/south from the West Alexander to Wolseley neighbourhoods. The project will also look at ways to encourage and increase the number of students walking and biking to and from school. This study was approved by City Council and is part of the 2016 Pedestrian and Cycling Action Plan.
Are you looking to put in protected bike lanes along this route?
This project will look at options to create a neighbourhood greenway along Ruby Street and Banning Street, which would not include protected bike lanes.
What is a neighbourhood greenway?
Neighbourhood greenways are routes on streets with low vehicle speeds and volumes, which include a range of treatments to slow down traffic and improve safety for walking, biking and driving. Treatments range from signage, bike signals and pavement markings to varying degrees of traffic calming (speed humps, traffic diverters, traffic circles, etc.).
Winter lasts about half of the year, so why are we building bike infrastructure?
The City’s Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies commits to providing and maintaining safe walking and cycling facilities year-round.
Why isn’t the City considering developing cycling infrastructure along Arlington Street instead?
One goal of the project is to provide infrastructure that will support, encourage and increase the number of students walking or biking to school. Banning and Ruby Streets have a number of schools, and placing a facility along the route will support practices such as Active & Safe Routes to School that encourages people to actively commute to schools.
How will this project maintain and enhance safety?
Ruby Street and Banning Street are both residential streets with relatively low traffic volumes and speeds. There is an opportunity to add components such as signage, pavement markings, traffic calming measures, and specialized treatments to discourage through-trips by motorists. The City is committed to creating a pedestrian and cycling network that is safe and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
Will there be a loss of on-street parking and loading zone space as a result of new cycling infrastructure?
The proposed design options will have minimal impacts on parking and loading. Treatments such as speed humps, pedestrian and cyclist push-buttons signals at select crossings, raised crosswalks/intersections, median barriers at select intersection (i.e., Portage Avenue), right in/out islands at select intersections, will not have any impact on parking. Directional closures in all or part of the route won’t result in parking losses, but could change the side of the street parking occurs in some sections. The only option that would affect parking would be the creation of a parklet (i.e., public greenspace) between Preston Avenue and the backlane at Portage Avenue.
Are traffic circles going to be built as part of this project?
Traffic circles are just one of many traffic calming measures that will be considered. Community input is a key component of the project and will be part of any design recommendations that are being developed.
When will the neighbourhood greenway be constructed?
The first step is to complete the study, which will provide an estimate for future budget considerations.
Will new cycling routes connect with existing cycling routes and destinations?
The creation of a neighbourhood greenway is intended to enhance connections to existing and future planned infrastructure, such as the West Alexander Pedestrian and Cycling Corridor, West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor, CPR Yards Crossing on Arlington Street and routes along Wolseley and Westminster Avenues.
What are the City of Winnipeg’s Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies?
On July 15, 2015, the City Council adopted the Winnipeg Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies. This document stems from the 2011 Transportation Master Plan. The strategies provide a long-range policy framework for active modes of transportation in Winnipeg for the next 20 years. Following public engagement in 2013 with more than 3,000 Winnipeggers, the strategies will assist in the prioritization of walking and cycling infrastructure projects city-wide based on further in-depth engagement with neighbourhood and local stakeholders on a per project basis.
How can I stay involved in the project?
Join our email list to be notified about upcoming engagement activities, look at the "Engage" tab on this website, and follow the City of Winnipeg on Facebook and Twitter .

Maps

Map

Map

Last update: January 8, 2020

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