Winnipeg Roads & Infrastructure

[esquire]

Originally Posted by cllew

I always thought the U of M load was the financial driving force for the Rapid Transit line down Pembina.

It is. Transit has long maintained that this route had the most significant two-way commuting patterns in the city which is why it was always targeted as the first rapid transit segment... you basically have large numbers of people moving both ways at rush hour.

I'm not sure what number two is, but I would imagine that there must be a lot of people moving between downtown and Polo Park at all times of the day although that presents a much greater logistical challenge for rapid transit barring an above or under ground line which would cost a fortune. I wonder how WT envisions building a RT route between downtown and Polo Park? Perhaps if BRT to the S and E suburbs is a success, the next step is to pitch a grade-separated system to Polo Park?

[CoryB]

I would imagine that all the underground infrastructure throughout Winnipeg practically dictates an above ground solution where grade separation over more than an intersection is needed (aka the downtown to Polo Park run). In terms of load factor downtown-St Vital must have a high passenger count as it was one of the first routes to get the articulated buses. The number of routes and runs coming out of Transcona also suggests it has a high load factor.

[cllew]

@@@

[CoryB]

I have seen it suggested the current reconstruction on Portage Ave is a missed opportunity to installed protected bike lanes. This comment though fails to look at the complete picture as it does not account for how rapid transit will move from downtown to Polo Park and what impact using space for protected bike lanes could have on those future plans. This is exactly why Winnipeg needs to stop haphazard build outs of transportation infrastructure and create a move unified, long term, master plan that they can act on.

[rypinion]

Originally Posted by CoryB

This is exactly why Winnipeg needs to stop haphazard build outs of transportation infrastructure and create a move unified, long term, master plan that they can act on.

Isn't that exactly what they are trying to do?

[Kildonaner]

Anybody know any details as to the construction taking place at the corner or Gateway and Sun Valley in North Kildonan? I seem to remember a roundabout being talked about a long time ago... I presume this is what they are beginning construction on? I spent some time standing at the intersection wondering how they were going to pull it off. It looks like it goes right up into the AT path. Either way i'm happy that something is being done about that intersection. It's been awful since the completion of the new Chief Peguis extension.

[mattpa]

roundabout

[Auror]

Why is the city resurfacing Lagimodiere, when the city is discussing traffic renovations? Wouldn't it make sense to wait until the city knows that the plans are going to get a green light, or shelved for much later?

Would be silly to resurface only to have to rip some up?

[cllew]

That section is shot, the city had to do something to fix the pavement. Even if the city decided to do something at the Marion intersection that is a few years away.

[cllew]

Originally Posted by Kildonaner

Anybody know any details as to the construction taking place at the corner or Gateway and Sun Valley in North Kildonan? I seem to remember a roundabout being talked about a long time ago... I presume this is what they are beginning construction on? I spent some time standing at the intersection wondering how they were going to pull it off. It looks like it goes right up into the AT path. Either way i'm happy that something is being done about that intersection. It's been awful since the completion of the new Chief Peguis extension.

It is part of the Peguis project and will be installed and maintained by the original Peguis contractor. The city decided to wait for a bit before giving the green light to it to see a roundabout at Sun Valley was really needed, and the traffic counts came back saying it was needed.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by rypinion

Isn't that exactly what they are trying to do?

No, the Active Transportation Plan some are trying to rush through is not part of a Master Plan that has detailed rapid transit routes also planned out. There is no detailed plan on where rapid transit will go outside of the southwest corridor. That is the prime issue, the city has continued to look at different aspects haphazardly and in isolation. They need to figure out what the overall plan is for all modes.

For example, if they end up building a raised, grade separated route for transit down Portage Ave might they also be able to easily include protected bike lanes on the outside of that? Or is there enough space still left in the Portage Ave right of way to include them at ground level? If we have protected bike lanes at ground level on Portage Ave might special signals be needed to favour right vehicles over bikes at any point?

Currently we don't have any of those answers as everything is being done in isolation. This causes everyone to lose. We need to have a plan with cost estimates for the whole system. Not what it will cost for a few cans of paint and someone to drive around painting sharrows.

[cslusarc]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Yeah. South side of Glenway is within City limits, north side is ESP. There are actually 2 sections of de Vries that do not connect. One runs along the west Side of Lagimodiere as the service road, and ends near the City boundary by the interchange with 101. The south service road along 101 by the churches is within ESP. This is where the new housing developments are going in. De Vries at this location ends at Raleigh, where the new road under 101 is going.

Basically the same road but does not connect with each other. The gap is where the Wal-mart was supposed to go.

There are currently 3 (three) sections of De Vries.
1) An east-west between Raleigh St and Henderson Hwy in East St Paul. (Proposed to be closed once Maxwell King Drive is extended to Raleigh St. Estimated closure: 2020s or beyond. Those churches and the Legion will have southward facing access.
2) A north-south section wholly within the City running from Springfield Rd to Headmaster Row. A footpath connects it with the next section.
3) A section that currently runs northwards from Knowles Ave for 450m and terminates on the north side of my parents' lot of which the first 150m are in the City. Future realignment will push the De Vries westward and it will terminate about 150m south over the current location of a demolished 2220 De Vries.

[esquire]

The Province put out a news release today about an upcoming open house for the CCW extension connecting the existing CCW segment to the TCH close to the junction with PTH 26 near St. Francois Xavier.

http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.htm...ve=&item=35310

I know this has been widely anticipated for some time, but I find this an oddly interesting little project. So far as I can tell, it's basically an expressway for trucks coming from, or headed west to get right into the trucking district north of the airport as quickly as possible. What's interesting is that the area was not all that badly served before in terms of infrastructure... the TCH > 101 > Inkster Blvd. route was not as direct as it could have been, but it was still pretty fast with few stops along the way.

I don't see it being of much use to most Winnipeg-bound traffic... although I suppose people can take the bypass to get around Headingley's low speed zones and then use the Perimeter to head back to Portage.

It would be nice if the city would complete the Silver Avenue connection between CCW and Route 90, which would then give drivers a pretty efficient connection to the Polo Park area and beyond, and diffuse some of Portage Avenue's traffic.

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by esquire

It would be nice if the city would complete the Silver Avenue connection between CCW and Route 90, which would then give drivers a pretty efficient connection to the Polo Park area and beyond, and diffuse some of Portage Avenue's traffic.

I might not be understanding this right, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you suggesting that Silver Avenue be connected from Route 90 to CCW to move traffic off Portage Avenue? You want help alleviating traffic on Portage from a mostly residential street with 2 or 4 lanes? I don't get it...

[esquire]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

I might not be understanding this right, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you suggesting that Silver Avenue be connected from Route 90 to CCW to move traffic off Portage Avenue? You want help alleviating traffic on Portage from a mostly residential street with 2 or 4 lanes? I don't get it...

It strikes me as a fairly small fix that would improve the road network in that area. This idea has been on the books for decades, and with CCW being completed it would make sense to do this too.

[Biff]

I noticed the other day that they have cut down all of the median trees on Lagimodiere in the construction zone between Elizabeth and Cottonwood. It struck me as strange because they weren't dead and don't seem to effect the construction in any way. I could understand if they were putting in a 3rd lane in either direction but I know they are not.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by esquire

The Province put out a news release today about an upcoming open house for the CCW extension connecting the existing CCW segment to the TCH close to the junction with PTH 26 near St. Francois Xavier.

http://news.gov.mb.ca/news/index.htm...ve=&item=35310

I know this has been widely anticipated for some time, but I find this an oddly interesting little project. So far as I can tell, it's basically an expressway for trucks coming from, or headed west to get right into the trucking district north of the airport as quickly as possible. What's interesting is that the area was not all that badly served before in terms of infrastructure... the TCH > 101 > Inkster Blvd. route was not as direct as it could have been, but it was still pretty fast with few stops along the way.

Inkster, before CCW opened, was nearing capacity for a two lane road between the Perimeter and Route 90. The mix of large trucks and personal vehicles also created a bad mix as people attempted to pass the slower moving trucks when it was unsafe to do so more than 50% of the time.

Interestingly, I thought when CCW was first announced it would see little traffic. My experience is that it already receives far more traffic than I would have expected. The other surprising piece is that personal vehicles heavily outnumber the large trucks. That will grow even more as it becomes viable to take CCW/CPT end-to-end on longer runs. The missing Main to Route 90 section will be a real game changer.

--

Separately, of interest in the press release it talks about the five year plan for highways calling out the Headingley bypass, the Lag/Perimeter interchange and work along the south Perimeter. What jumped out though is it specifically talks about improving traffic on 75 which I took to mean fast tracking the St Nobert bypass.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by CoryB

Inkster, before CCW opened, was nearing capacity for a two lane road between the Perimeter and Route 90. The mix of large trucks and personal vehicles also created a bad mix as people attempted to pass the slower moving trucks when it was unsafe to do so more than 50% of the time.

Yeah, I know what you mean, but you would think it could have been addressed by twinning Inkster instead of building an entirely new route. I guess they were intent on linking it up to the Headingley bypass.

Separately, of interest in the press release it talks about the five year plan for highways calling out the Headingley bypass, the Lag/Perimeter interchange and work along the south Perimeter. What jumped out though is it specifically talks about improving traffic on 75 which I took to mean fast tracking the St Nobert bypass.

The news release says "improvements on PTH 75 to the international border", which I'd interpret to mean the recently-announced plan to improve the stretch of highway leading right up to the US border facilities as described here: http://www.gov.mb.ca/mit/pth75/index.html . That's just a guess, though.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by esquire

Yeah, I know what you mean, but you would think it could have been addressed by twinning Inkster instead of building an entirely new route. I guess they were intent on linking it up to the Headingley bypass.

CCW seems to have linked the Headingley by-pass to Inkster and will under the grand vision be part of the northern east-west corridor through Winnipeg. The project also eliminated a set of traffic lights and an at grade rail crossing on the Perimeter, both at Sasketchewan Ave. The project also saw the formal removal of the traffic light at the entrance to the Downs/Ex site on the Perimeter even though it had informally been retired before its removal.

[LilZebra]

I've been transcribing the St. Vital Detailed Area Plan from December 1968.

In the Elm Park section is written the following:

"The area east of Dunkirk Drive and south of Cunnington Avenue should remain
in its present condition to provide a buffer zone against the heavy traffic
conditions on Dunkirk Drive at present, and particularly in the future when
the proposed bridge across the Red River connects Oakenwald Avenue in Fort
Garry with Fermor Avenue in St. Vital."

I haven't followed the traffic plans recently. Is this extension of Fermor (Metro Route 135) to Oakenwald still in the planning books?

If they did that they'd have to cut thru the Canoe Club Golf Course and the Wildwood Golf Course.

My guess is that they won't build such a thing until we reach 800,000-900,000 Metro pop. How much $ would a project like that cost?

As it is now, when I visit my family by bike I go onto Fermor westward, then to south Osborne, then westward to Jubilee then to Pembina, then westward onto Taylor Ave.

The bike ride takes approx. 45 mins., about 15 mins. by car.