Helpful Organizations:

ONGOING PROJECTS

There are a few major AT infrastructure projects on the go in Winnipeg: (A more detailed description of the history of each existing project is coming soon. As plans for each new route is unveiled, they too will be described - and a red route will become purple! )

Purchased privately by Mr.John Buhler with the intention of selling it back to the city at cost, The Marconi Line, running between Raleigh and Gateway all the way from the perimeter to Nairn, is a major step forward for Active Transportation in Winnipeg. A key connection for schoolkids, bicycle commuters, soccer players and leisure seeking residents, Marconi is proceeding very quickly and has the potential to be one of the busiest Active Transportation routes in the city. The local volunteer-run trail stewardship committee has held community consultations on this very fast-developing project. They have consolidated the community's vision and proposed some design considerations in a document presented to both elected officials and professional engineers who will be working on the final project. Click on image above to see their report.

Starting last fall (2006), Bike to the Future has been working diligently to make sure that Marconi makes it all the way downtown. At the end of Marconi, there is a 400m stretch of industrial park surrounding the junction of Archibald, Nairn and CN Rail's mainline. This section is daunting for any cyclist wishing to continue on downtown.

A cooperative initiative between the city of Winnipeg and CP Rail is required to make some simple infrastructue changes. Bike to the Future has made many presentations to various stakeholders and has succeeded in getting the community to understand that this is a very important issue. To see their Powerpoint presentation, with lots of photos and maps, click here.

Winsmart is an acronym for "Winnipeg for Sustainable Management Advancing Responsible Transportation", it is part of a larger program encouraging transportation sustainability in the Red River Valley. Paving an existing section of bike path along the western side of the Red River from downtown to Pembina/Jubilee is part of the program, with construction to finish by 2008. Eventually, the goal is to extend the trail along CNR Letellier to the U of M. The project has consulted with user groups and has moved on to the design stage. Funded in part by all three levels of government, Winsmart (especially the future connection to the U of M) will provide a much needed alternative to Pembina.

Bishop Grandin Greenway has been an ongoing concern and it exists in bits and pieces. The groundwork was being laid as far back as the opening of St.Vital Shopping Centre. In the last few years, it has proceeded - thanks mainly to volunteer intiative, private donations and community grants. Manitoba Hydro has also been heavily involved. Plans have been finalized to connect the disjointed sections East of the Red River. Last minute changes are being made to the design of the multi-use pathway West of the Red River. Bishop Grandin Greenway benefits from a hard-working and active volunteer stewardship group as well as organizational help from the Winnipeg Trails Association. Further progress will largely be dependent on government willingness to fund the initiative.

Douglas Ave corridor - Plans for an AT route along Douglas Ave., in North Kildonan, are on hold, due to the recent announcement of the Chief Peguis Extension. Douglas Ave was to become part of the Trans-Canada Trail. RENN-TC, the local stewardship group also responsible for Marconi, had begun preliminary work on putting in a trail. That work has now halted. With concern for active transportation growing, the province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg are taking steps to ensure that all new infrastructure includes Active Transportation. Although the practice has yet to become consistent municipal policy, RENN-TC is well-placed to ensure that Active Transportation does not get overlooked on the Cheif Peguis Extension.

More info coming soon on:

-Roblin Avenue Bike Lane

-McGillivary Avenue Greenway (Bikeway/Bicycle Route)

-Douglas Avenue Corridor and the new Cheif Peguis extension

-more details on Winsmart

For more info on route design logic, please see the One Green City report.