Winnipeggers from across the City of Winnipeg are calling on Mayor Brian Bowman, and all levels of government, to create a pop-up connected network for walking and biking! 

Green Action Centre, Winnipeg Trails, Safe Speeds Winnipeg, and Bike Winnipeg, as well as as well as signatories, including IRCOM, Fearless R2W, Pembina Trails, Seven Oaks School Divisions and several neighbourhood associations, sent a letter to the Mayor of Winnipeg requesting urgent action to provide a connected network for walking and cycling this spring. The letter was delivered in person on Wednesday, April 7th to Mayor Bowman and Premier Pallister. A family group ride delivered a copy of the letter to Dan Vandal, MP, the evening of April 6th.

WHY

• • Citizens of a lower income are more likely to be impacted by lack of access to safe transportation options. Our current transportation system is fundamentally inequitable. 
  • Increasing safety and convenience for those walking & biking will support the Transit Master Plan, as every transit trip begins and ends on foot or by bike.
  • The pandemic has disproportionately affected women, youth and those who are Indigenous, Black or people of colour. These groups are also more likely to travel on foot, by bike or via transit, and Winnipeg must support their ability to access employment and services. 
  • Traffic volumes remain down by 20%. Now is the ideal time to reallocate the space on the street and invite Winnipeggers to form new travel habits. 
  • We must reduce the number of people driving from 80% to 50% in less than 10 years to meet our climate goals. 
  • Recreation shops are reporting a continued surge in demand for outdoor gear, and bicycles continue to sell out. 
  • The pandemic caused a decline (from an already low 15%) to less than 3% of Canadian children and youth meeting national physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes/day (ParticipACTION). Updated Submission (August 2020)
  • Bike and Pedestrian counts on Wellington Ave showed remarkable uptake of Open Streets during the spring of 2020, with 2hr counts averaging between 429 and 810 (pedestrians plus cyclists) at locations between Academy Rd and Lamont Blvd. (Bike Winnipeg Open Streets Count Survey, May 2020, pg. 8)

• • • Compared to counts collected in 2016, pedestrian and bicycle traffic along Wellington Crescent were up by 329% and 103% respectively.

• • School Travel Surveys conducted in the fall of 2020 showed an average of 71% of families living within a walkable/bikeable distance to school, but only 16% of families walked or cycled before the pandemic. Covid has since caused a dramatic increase in driving trips to schools. 
  • With the newly announced National Active Transportation Strategy, now is the perfect time for the City of Winnipeg to focus on sustainable travel for all Winnipeggers.

DO YOU BELIEVE ALL WINNIPEGGERS DESERVE TO TRAVEL SAFELY?

Take action today!

• Contact Mayor Bowman. Click here.
• Contact your Councillor. Here’s a map, just click on where you live for details!
• Reach out to your MLA & MP. All levels of government are important! Find your MLA & MP!
• Share photos! Share the story on social media about what works, and what doesn’t, traveling by foot & bike in your neighbourhood. Tag Green Action Centre, or email them to gohappy@greenactioncentre.ca.
• Join us! Learn more about Green Action Centre, Safe Speeds Winnipeg, Bike Winnipeg and Winnipeg Trails. Volunteer, become a member, participate in future events. We’re all in this together!

READ THE LETTER

Community Letter to Mayor Bowman RE connected walk-bike network