The Demo Site

A half-baked bike path initiative by the City of Winnipeg has left a number of citizens fuming about blocked off streets, dozens of new residential no parking zones and a flurry of traffic, "calming circles."

Sam Katz ordered the city planners and consultants to put together an Active Transportation system for the city. This plan took advantage of millions of dollars of federal grant money, ($20.4 million). Was it a make-work project for a select few in the construction business connected to city hall?

Was it worth the effort... Going out and spending millions of dollars to; paint lines on miles and miles of roads, block off lanes, streets and access to several thoroughfares and install hundreds of "Bike Path" signs around the city. All to cater to a small group of people who like to ride their bikes to and from work for 4-5 months out of the year. (Q: how many cyclists make up Winnipeg's 650,000 citizens?).

Another question... Are the same consulting companies involved again and again, and who is the person awarding the tenders to these companies...?

And the person is who is supposed to oversee all of this... that would be Mr. Kevin Nixon. It has been said, Councillor Harvey Smith called for Nixon to be fired - immediately. It didn't happen. Did Nixon know about several complaints from businesses and citizens early on, did he choose to dismiss them? The projects had to go through, the money was promised.

This is more than the inconvenience of summer 2010 construction. The city is completely & permanently changing the streets, parking and traffic flow in the neighbourhoods, (which strongly affects the citizens who live and work in those areas), all for who exactly? A very small group of cyclists. Many of whome, in the end, won't use the designated paths on a daily basis. Some paths are simply too out of the way for many who commute by bike.

And, what about those who deliver goods and services, and those who transport the elderly, the disabled, school kids etc.? We have agencies who serve these citizens complaining loudly about the danger of these bike path projects. When completed, will these projects be for the greater benefit of the city of Winnipeg?

Most Winnipegers say, NO. Especially those directly affected by the bicycle path installation projects.

By Kevin Clint
Winnipeg Report

Edited by Phil Merch
Oct. 05, 2010

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