By Ganesh Tailor
Recent decisions by Winnipeg’s City Council have made it clear that the city’s streets are designed for vehicle speed, not community safety. Council has repeatedly ignored calls from as many as 48 delegates to reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h and immediately implement a pilot bike lane on Wellington Crescent. These calls follow the unfortunate killing of cyclist Rob Jenner last year by a speeding driver, while many more are killed across the city in preventable deaths every year.
Bike lanes and speed limit reductions are not luxuries – they are just as much safety devices as seatbelts, guardrails and helmets. Instead of working in favour of the safety of residents, councillors voted for a 220-day delay so they could conduct consultations with property owners. That is 220-days (minimum!) of unsafe conditions for cyclists to commute to work, school or wherever else they need to be. The committee’s decision here demonstrates the privileged position afforded to property owners, many who don’t live in the area, to the detriment of community safety.
Consultations are fine – so long as there is data to present. But how can real-world data be collected if not from the immediate implementation of pilot bike lanes? Seasonal speed limit reductions have already resulted in greater safety and use by cyclists. The data is in. These reductions are needed year-round.
Most recently, cyclists organized to sit-in on the final decision by City Council. With the successful organization and instruction by organizers from Bike Winnipeg, a sea of red shirts worn by cyclists and allies filled Council chambers. Even then, councillors could be seen texting and scrolling on their phones while two delegates spoke, including Wendy van Loon, the wife of the late Rob Jenner. Janice Lukes, Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works, walked out as the subsequent delegate spoke.
With the repeated delays, ignoring of delegates and residents, and generally arrogant attitude, councillors’ goal seemed more than ever to be killing public support for the bike lane pilot project. While one councillor proposed an amendment to move up construction, Council ultimately voted the amendment down, maintaining the 220-day delay.
Organizers are not giving up. Bike Winnipeg implored attendees afterwards to keep the momentum going and the conversation alive at the monthly Critical Mass Winnipeg group bike rides which meet on the last Friday of every month at 5 pm in Central Park. A pilot bike lane is immediately needed and is the only way critical data can be obtained and used to fine-tune a long-term, sustainable, and safe solution for community well-being on Wellington Crescent.
Cyclists in Winnipeg – and everywhere – deserve safety. Bike lanes and speed limit reductions are key elements of making that a reality.
[Photo: Sam Beiko]
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