For the past few years, I have been involved with different committees that have an influence on Winnipeg’s transportation system (so we like to believe) or at least contribute to the decision making process.
But I know from personal experience that not everyone is as keen – I’ve been shot down more than once by family and friends when I wax on about the impact of the built environment and the city’s design on personal transportation decisions.
Fair enough.
Yet there are times when it clicks, when we get talking about favourite walking routes or someone says they’d like to try biking to work if they felt safer. Or how their bus route is pretty good but they wish the service were more frequent on weekends.
Maybe it’s because I’m regularly engaged in thinking about how we need to improve our transportation system that it surprises me more people don’t feel they have a say in the matter. Especially since it’s something that has such a huge impact on our daily lives. We might gripe to co-workers, families and friends, but then leave it at that.
The fact is, you don’t have to volunteer on a committee and sit through endless hours of meetings to have an influence. The City is in the process of developing a Transportation Master Plan that is going to affect how we get around in Winnipeg for the next 20 years and longer. If you’ve got some ideas or preferences, now’s the time to share them.
The next Open House should take place soon, sometime in February. You can sign up to receive updates from the City or simply keep watch for a notice on our website. In the meantime, take a read through what Green Action Centre is recommending. You can find both of those links here.
And I’ll keep going to those committee meetings.
