Add your voice to the chorus asking for options to travel on foot or by bike!

Green Action Centre, Winnipeg Trails, Bike Winnipeg and Safe Speeds Winnipeg have joined forces to launch #OpenStreets #Winnipeg. This campaign calls on Winnipeggers to share stories about their streets:

• What is working now?
• What would you like to see changed?
• What would a connected, safe network through all neighbourhoods mean to you?

Submissions received to these hashtags will be collected weekly, and City Councillors will be sent weekly reports for those applicable to their wards. Photographs are welcome and appreciated!

For those not on social media, please feel free to send your stories to mel@greenactioncentre.ca.

Why Now?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the very rhythm of our lives, and while everyone has been effected in some way, we see that this pandemic has not affected all communities equally. Those in our most high needs communities have suffered due to reduced transit, and they will continue to be the most exposed if transit remains overcrowded with no safe alternative. Thus far, the City of Winnipeg’s response has been to open Nine Sunday/Holiday Routes. While these routes are nice, we can see from the map below that only one route services a high needs community.

“Transport is about justice. Transport is about what it does to the dignity of the people who use the system.” – Rehana Moosajee, former City Councillor in Johannesburg, South Africa

Green Action Centre was pleased to support these routes at the June 9th meeting for Infrastructure and Public Works, but we urged the committee to use this successful project to launch a connected network. Councillor Vivian Santos put forward a motion for a connected network, but it suffered defeat with a 2-2 vote.

During the same meeting, we heard Public Works state that traffic volumes in Winnipeg have almost returned to pre-Covid levels, which is incredibly concerning given the fact that many Winnipeggers are still working from home, some businesses have only returned to 50% or less and school hasn’t resumed for a majority of children. This signals that we are on course for a traffic emergency.

While Safe Speeds Winnipeg, Bike Winnipeg, Winnipeg Trails and Green Action Centre all have their own areas of expertise and focus, we are united in championing a connected network through Winnipeg for people to walk and bike for their essential trips. All Winnipeggers, all incomes, all ages and all abilities, deserve to live in a city that is healthy, equitable & accessible.

And of course, fun!

Join the chorus with your stories, suggestions, pictures and dreams. We can’t wait to hear from you!