uwto.org logo

I just finished viewing a Winnipeg Sun story online regarding parking and would like to comment on what was said in the news item. I'd like to say before I start that I support Canwest Global Park and that I know it will help play an important part in the revitalization of downtown Winnipeg. I'm glad it was built where it was and not in the suburbs. I did attend the very first game on May 24th and look forward to attending Goldeyes games in the future.

The Free Press had published a special Goldeyes pull-out on Thursday, June 3rd, 1999. However I never saw one mention of public transit in the section nor in any editorials and news items in the Free Press or Winnipeg Sun that week. Apparently the situation was that Winnipeg Transit was not notified that the Free Press was doing such a special insert so they couldn't let people know which routes run near the baseball park (10 St. Boniface/Wolseley, 38 Salter, 43 Munroe) as well as the 99 Downtown Flyer to The Forks and stops very close to Canwest.

People will park anywhere they can, even if they have to walk a fair distance, in this case, from Provencher Blvd. in St. Boniface to Canwest Global Baseball Park. People do this because they say that it is "convenient", whereas thereal reason is that the parking is "free". Well, there is no such thing as "free parking", it's just that people don't see the costs up front as they usually do when riding public transit by paying their fare. It is a fact that the more opportunity (space) for people to park people will choose to drive rather than use other means (walk, cycle, transit, water bus/taxi). The increased availability of parking contributes to increased VMT, of course the opposite is true when parking restrictions and parking space itself is reduced — this is a concept that is related to TDM.

There are numerous costs involved in driving. If I've left anything out it's not because I don't believe they are not cost but because I don't have a handy list of all the costs. These are the ones that I know of:

Direct Costs

5C (1) Maintain Existing Infrastructure (maintain existing capacity of regional street, bridge and public transit systems as highest priority)
5C (2) Commit to Transit System Improvements. The City shall commit to transit system improvements as a second priority in those areas where transit is considered to have a potential advantage over the private automobile, namely, within the Downtown, at major access points to the Downtown, along the major radial regional street system, and in areas of concentrated employment;

And only after (1) and (2) have been done is it OK to proceed to:

5C (3) Commit to Regional Street System Improvements. The City shall commit to regional street system improvements as a third priority, in those areas of Winnipeg where the private automobile is deemed to be the most effective mode of travel, namely, along the major crosstown and circumferential regional street system.

And last but not least 5C (4) states:

Integrate Land Use, Urban Design, and Transportation Planning.

Obviously then it is totally appropriate in this case to improve Transit service near Canwest Global Park as it states "within the Downtown, at major access points to the Downtown". Shouldn't an effort be made to create an improved Transit experience there which would... Which brings me to another concern: Where's the heated Transit station (shelter, T-man, current schedules, and WT system map, trash receptacle) at Canwest Global Park, which would help to provide a "sense of arrival" (as stated in one of the objectives in the CentrePlan's recommendations for Downtown Winnipeg???

Indirect (intangible) Costs:

As a Transit rider, I don't have to worry about any Direct Costs, excepting paying my transit fare when I board, and by riding transit I know I'm not being affected by or affecting the Indirect Costs related to auto travel Because all the driving is left to the Bus Operator or streetcar Motorman, the passenger can take in the view of the urban scenery out the window or read, and he/she doesn't bother others with excessive noise from their stereo because he/she brings along a walkman personal stereo with headphones. And I'm positively sure that if Winnipeg had an hydro-electric tram and light rail transit network in place that Winnipeg's CO2 emissions would start to decline, which would help Canada meet Kyoto Agreement levels.

Not-for-profit groups like Heritage Winnipeg and Midwest Rail Assoc. are currently in a fundraising drive called Project 356 which aims to raise sufficient funds for restoration of Winnipeg Electric streetcar No. 356. Midwest Rail is hosting the web page, but the funds go directly to Heritage Winnipeg.

Also Winnipeg had the longest streetcar in all of Canada, number 798, constructed in 1928 right here in Winnipeg, and was over 53' in length and had room for 60 seated passengers (plus standees). Unfortunately Winnipeg Electric Co. (WECo.) scrapped No. 798 after streetcar service was eliminated in September 1955.

CentrePlan's recent report endorsed a hydro-elecrtric rail based heritage streetcar line between The Forks and the Exchange District (with later expansion to the CBD and Broadway/Assiniboine Ave.) The idea is for people coming in from the suburbs by car to park in the CBD or the Exchange District and take the tram to The Forks and Canwest Park. This greatly helps to alleviate traffic congestion and would probably do alot to minimize the amount of space devoted to parking in those two areas. People would then happily choose to take the tram because, if done properly (separate right of way, operating often enough, and affordable) it will speed spectators to the baseball game and visitors to The Forks faster to/from the area than it will take people to crawl out of The Forks that has become a parking lot.

The benefits of a rail-based transit system is much more likely to attract more riders because people prefer transit to follow a predictable route, so that if they decide to ride it they just "follow the tracks" to know where the next station/stop is, as compared to a diesel bus route that can be re-routed on the spur of the moment to God knows where. This is why the mode split in Winnipeg is tilted towards cars and auto ownership is 2nds only to Edmonton at 509 per 1000 persons.

So that is why it is so critical that the Goldeyes and The Forks North Portage Partnership encourage people as much as possible to ride Winnipeg Transit or cycle to/from Goldeye games as much as possible and not bring their cars (and SUVs) downtown.

J. H. Crawford has put together an excellent website that speaks of what cities would be like if automobiles had not been invented. Crawford cites the example of Venice Italy, which prohibits all autos from many parts of the city, especially the centre of town. Apparently without major land use devoted to roads, cities would be much more comfortable to live in, less stress because pedestrians don't have to worry about being run over by a vehicle, and almost everything would be within walking distance, a short public transit ride (under 30 mins.) or a short cycle on a Venetian gondola boat ride to/from anywhere in the city. The author has decided to publish in traditional printed book form some time this Fall. I encourage all those who I've e-mailed to purchase a copy when it becomes available.

Sam, if you remember I attended the special Open House that you had from the engineering firm of DS-Lea in January '98 at your Walker Theatre. One of the gentlemen you were talking to was a resident of St. Boniface and expressed his concerns that people may park their cars in the St. Boniface side and was also concerned about noise from the game being heard in St. Boniface. I responded to both of you that the only real solution to both problems was to encourage more use of alternative forms of transport such as public transit (and bicycling, walking) to/from The Forks and that it should be in your best interest that we need rapid transit here. You had stated that rapid transit was a long time away.

Perhaps this would be an opportunity to install parking meters at the current parking spaces at The Forks (to help pay for the real cost of providing "free parking"), install sufficient bicycle racks close to the baseball park for people who want to cycle to/from the game. I also believe that Winnipeg Transit deserves more promotional exposure at baseball and other events to take place at Canwest. A "sawtooth" bus bay was part of the scale model of the proposed baseball park, but why hasn't it been constructed? Apparently someone in the City Admin. (Public Works Dep't and Streets & Transportation are the usual culprits) put a halt to the project and built the Pioneer Blvd. extension instead (recall that Winnipeg is not to add any new major roads as per  Section 5C of Plan Winnipeg. I'd also like the City to pay for an advertising banner with the Winnipeg Transit logo within the baseball park.

And in regards to Coun. Vandal's suggestion that parking restrictions be placed on Provencher. Great idea, but only in conjunction with the needed transit improvements outlined above. As for more activity, yes, but this shouldn't assume more car traffic activity.

I've heard it said that "we can't pave ourselves out of traffic congestion". Maybe The Forks parking problem will be an eye opener for those who think otherwise. Let's work on an environmentally sustainable solution to this. I would like your support and endorsement for the heritage tram line and encourage you to help push for rapid transit in Winnipeg, because we needed it yesterday.

Thanks.

Jim Jaworski, Chair
Citizens for Better Public Transit in Winnipeg
Tel. 204-944-8827

About | Contact | Glossary | Home | Site Map | What's New © 1999, 2005.