Pedestrians First: One (baby) Step at a Time
The City of Winnipeg is taking steps in the right direction for greater safety
First, the Bad News
Making our streets safer for all users should be a priority for any government. Our cities and municipalities have become dominated by cars and placed drivers at the top of the user hierarchy. For over 75 years the focus has been on roads and parking, with the single occupant motor vehicle being the foundational building block of cities. We see it today in the dominance of parking over housing (Granite Curling Club), the priority of building more and more roads despite all facts pointing to the contrary (Kenaston Blvd), or the continued lack of meaningful investment in transit and active transportation (Transit investment).
In Winnipeg, the past decade has seen the creation of climate action plans, transit master plans, pedestrian and cycling strategies, and, while not implementing “Vision Zero”, the City of Winnipeg at least mentions it. We have also seen pilots of speed reductions in residential areas, on limited streets, to make them safer. Despite the rhetoric over the past decade or so, there has been little change in priorities. Cars still win out.
“Roads remain another key priority for Winnipeggers. The budget includes a historic $1 billion investment in street renewal over the next six years, with $169.3 million allocated for 2025 alone, a 15.8% increase over 2024.” City of Winnipeg Budget 2025
Vision Meh
The results of these commitments to reducing car dependence has been middling at best. Not because the strategies and plans themselves are flawed, but because of the lack of follow through. It is well and good to have a climate action plan, but if you don’t have real targets and strategies for meeting them, the plan isn’t worth much. Creating a transit master plan is necessary, and it is a pretty good plan, but it requires the City and City Council to commit the funding to implementing it. So far, we haven’t seen evidence of that from City Council. As to “Vision Zero”, a vision to achieve zero pedestrian fatalities on our streets, and which has been adopted by cities across the country, the City of Winnipeg has committed more to a “Vision Slightly Better”.
So, how’s that going?
For all the rhetoric of a political commitment to making our streets safer and better, for all the talk of investment in active transportation, the continued focus on the dominance of cars is leading to increased carnage on our streets. More people are getting killed and injured every year. Yet, each year at budget time, it seems the proudest achievement of City Council is another record investment in roads.
What can we do?
Last year, I listed a series of actions that we can take to make our streets safer for all users. These actions, some larger than others, would not only make it safer for pedestrians, such as reducing speed limits where people live, but would also send a clear signal that people are the “key priority” of Winnipeggers and not cars.
In summary the list includes:
30Km/hr on residential streets
Eliminate “Right on Red”
Pedestrian “lead on green”
Eliminate beg buttons
More crosswalks
Eliminate slip lanes
Move traffic signals
Now, the Good News
Pedestrian’s Lead
A couple of weeks ago, City Council approved moving forward with giving pedestrians a head start at signalized intersections. The intention is to implement this change city wide over the next year.
This is a big deal. The majority of collisions where a driver hits a pedestrian are at intersections or in crosswalks. In other words, drivers hit pedestrians where the pedestrians have the right-of-way. Giving pedestrians a lead on drivers gets the person into the line of sight of the driver and reduces the chance they “weren’t seen” and get run over. We currently have a few spots in Winnipeg where this is in place, Westminster & Maryland, and they make a huge difference.
Scramble
A second change coming forward soon is a scramble intersection at King & Bannatyne. This intersection will have dedicated time where all cars are stopped and pedestrians can cross freely. In a heavily pedestrian area, this just makes sense. Not only will it be safer for pedestrians, it will make crossing the street quicker. And, it clearly sends the signal that in some areas, pedestrians need to be the priority.
Note: scramble intersections were not on my list! They definitely should have been.
Scramble intersections are commonly used in many cities. I first encountered this type of intersection in Quebec City about 15 years ago. It makes all the difference for pedestrian safety and travel time. Calgary, on the other hand, installed a couple of “type 1” scramble intersections, where pedestrians don’t cross with the flow of traffic, they only cross at the dedicated signal phase. This type adds greater delay to pedestrians.
Second Note: What is it with the City of Winnipeg’s obsession with “piloting” things that are used by cities all over the world? Why do we need to test out what has been shown to be successful everywhere else? Seriously, let’s just get on with it!
A Step in the Right Direction
These two actions will not only make it safer for pedestrians, they also clearly indicate that pedestrians are a priority. These are the kinds of action we need if we are to move in the direction that all the strategic plans, master plans, and vision statements proclaim. We must seize the momentum of these changes, along with the opening of Portage and Main to pedestrians and continue.
In April, the report on the 30km/hr pilot (another pilot!!!) is coming to City Council. Not to pre-suppose what will be in the report, but based on what every other city has experienced in reducing their residential speed limit, we should see an increase in liveability, feelings of safety, greater community social connections, and all at a minimal impact on driver travel time.
While all these actions; reducing speed limits, scramble intersections, pedestrian lead times, crosswalks and more, make it better for people they also make it better for drivers. The reduced kinetic energy of a 30km/hr collision that will save a child will also save the driver. Reducing the number of collisions, any collision, is a good thing for everyone. Creating safer streets for pedestrians benefits everyone.
Now, let’s run!
The City of Winnipeg is taking the first steps towards all those vaunted goals it set for itself. Hopefully, these tentative steps will soon turn into a full fledged run, and we will have the city they envision:
“A vibrant, healthy, and inclusive city for all Winnipeg residents and visitors”
Let’s add the word “safe” to that vision.
brian