• SECTION 1 — PREAMBLE
  • 1. The General Problem
  • 2. Various Suggestions for Relief of Congestion
  • 3. Essential Bases of Urban Life
• SECTION 2 — GROWTH AND IMPORTANCE OF WINNIPEG
  • 1. Winnipeg's Strategic Situation
  • 2. Winnipeg—A Commercial, Manufacturing and Cultural Centre
  • 3. Future Possibilities
• SECTION 3 — THE STREET SYSTEM and PRESENT TRAFFIC PROBLEM
  • 1. Street System
  • 2. Traffic Barriers
  • 3. Street Traffic
  • 4. Present Transit Service
• SECTION 4 — ANTICIPATED DIRECTION AND EXTENT OF URBAN GROWTH
  • 1. Population Estimates by Metropolitan Planning Commission of Greater Winnipeg
  • 2. Outward Spread of Population
  • 3. Recommendation
• SECTION 5 — RAPID TRANSIT
  • 1. Significant Features
  • 2. Rapid Transit Proposals for Winnipeg
    • A. Portage— North Main — Mountain
    • B. Osborne — Chalmers
    • C. Pembina — William
  • 3. Further Considerations Relative to Routes
  • 4. Car Maintenance and Storage Facilities
  • 5. Stage Program of Construction
    • STAGE PROGRAM OF SUBWAY CONSTRUCTION
• SECTION 6 — SOME CONTROLLING FACTORS OF LOCATION
  • 1. Portage-Main Subway
  • 2. Main Street and Main Interceptor Sewer
  • 3. Utility Services
  • 4. Subsoil Conditions in Winnipeg
  • 5. Depths to Hardpan
  • 6. River Crossings
  • 7. Off Street Right of Way
  • 8. Stations and Station Spacing
  • 9. Grades and Curvature
  • 10. Transit-System Integration
• SECTION 7 — TIME SAVING FACTORS
• SECTION 8 — CAPACITIES AND COST OF RAPID TRANSIT AND EXPRESSWAY STRUCTURES
• SECTION 9 — RIGHT OF WAY REQUIREMENTS FOR EXPRESSWAY AND RAPID TRANSIT
• SECTION 10 — VARIOUS TYPES OF RAPID TRANSIT
  • a. The Elevated Railway
  • b. The Mono-Rail
  • c. Rubber Tires on Subway Trains
  • d. Railway Commuter Service
• SECTION 11 - OPERATION COSTS OF VARIOUS TRANSIT MEDIA
• SECTION 12 — FREIGHT ARTERY
• SECTION 13 — SUMMARY

SECTION 1 — PREAMBLE

1. The General Problem

Transit is by definition a common carrier passenger transportation service operating within the confines of an urban area and contiguous suburban environs. The type and extent of transit service required depends on the size, both physical and population-wise, of the particular community, as also on its special characteristics.

Cities have existed from earliest ages, both for the readier transaction of business and the wider field of employment available. But always their extent appears to be controlled by an unwillingness or physical inability on the part of the inhabitants generally, to spend more than one hour travelling between one's domicile and place of daily employment, in fact forty or forty-five minutes each night and morning is nearer an average maximum.

Prior to the introduction of public transit service, cities of necessity were limited in size and greatly overcrowded. People were compelled to live close to their place of daily work, for few could afford the up-keep of private means of transportation. It was the coming of the street car, just over one hundred years ago, that brought about the segregation of residential and business areas and expanded the area of definitely urban living from a radius of two miles at most to three miles with horse drawn vehicles, and to six miles or more upon the introduction of electric traction.

With the motor vehicle age reaching full fruition following the second world war, with the provision of paved highways over an ever expanding area, cities have literally exploded under its impact so that the zone of urban living is now anywhere within a radius of fifteen miles from the business centre, and that of suburban living as much again.

But the motor vehicle has created its own problems namely ever increasing street congestion and insatiable need for parking space. The street system inherited from the past is now fully used. The improvement of traffic conditions, however accomplished, and the provision of additional parking space, has up to the present, resulted only in the "bringing out" of additional motor vehicles to at once load to capacity the new facilities, with relatively little if any improvement over previous conditions.

The above is mentioned only as to its effect on transit service. That effect of course is that it has become next to impossible to provide regular and certain transit service at hours of maximum street congestion.

The service provided by a transit vehicle that is locked in congestion for minutes at a time, and takes double its normal time to make its half-round trip, is far from being satisfactory service to the passengers on board it who at least have some idea as to the reason for the slow out-bound trip, and is most unsatisfactory service to would-be passengers waiting for that bus to arrive on its in-bound trip, with no reason visible for its being behind time.

On an evening in November last I boarded an Osborne trolley bus about five o'clock at Dufferin Avenue and Salter Street. Two very competent-appearing business girls were in the seat ahead of mine. As the bus inched along Isabel Street in a very extended traffic jam, locked in a phalanx of motor vehicles, I overheard one girl say to the other, "This settles it. I am going to buy myself a car." No explanation was forthcoming as to how a car would expedite her home-going under the existing or similar circumstances.

But the remark succinctly epitomizes the major transit problem, which is an increasing inability in a major city, to provide satisfactory transit service (and that includes self-sustaining service at a reasonable fare level) in view of street congestion, particularly at rush hours, coupled with a sanguine hope on the part of many that the private motor-car can somehow solve the problem.

2. Various Suggestions for Relief of Congestion

Cities being what they are, from the very nature of things it is most unlikely that in any major city, there will ever be a complete solution to the problem of congested streets. While the city continues to thrive, at times in the business area all traffic media will be compelled to operate at the very brink of complete stagnation. Relief, however, is possible through segregation of various forms of traffic. Sidewalks are an early example, though the segregation of pedestrians and wheel traffic is limited to the individual block.

The construction of specialized roadways for motor vehicles, completely grade-separated from the existing street system, offers but a limited solution, for the reason that an expressway has no terminal facilities other than the existing public streets. All motor vehicle traffic destined for the downtown area (much the greater part of that moving) will still have to debouch into the downtown streets and seek to obtain parking accommodation in the business area. The dead storage of motor vehicles within the downtown area adds nothing to the attractiveness of its appearance, and detracts from its overall business utility. An expressway will indeed tend to induce the use of more motor vehicles so that terminal facilities will be in increased demand.

Unless the downtown streets can readily handle the traffic leaving an expressway, traffic will back up on it and clog all movement, including that solely interested in cross-town travel. No benefit will accrue to the transit system, which must also serve the area.

Motor vehicle expressways can be built as depressed roadways or as elevated structures or embankments, but except for very minor lengths, must be open to the air, if artificial ventilation is to be avoided. Great expense for right of way, and substantial destruction of business properties cannot be avoided.

The alternative is the provision of specialized grade-separated road beds for transit vehicles. These can be on elevated structures or depressed below street level, either in open-cut or enclosed structure. Free from conflict with miscellaneous street traffic, economic use of track is obtainable, and with track, transit vehicles can be operated in trains of great carrying capacity, at speed, with assured regularity and safety, and at the lowest possible cost per passenger.

Rapid transit relieves street congestion in two ways. It permits the elimination of many of the surface transit vehicles that now enter the downtown, and to do so travel the major streets leading to it. It tends to reduce the number of motor vehicles entering the downtown as workers and others having business downtown will find it highly convenient to utilize the rapid transit service, reaching an outer station by walking to it if nearby, or by feeder bus or by motor-car, and by parking close to the outer station, avoiding the difficulty, inconvenience and greater cost of downtown parking.

Reduction of street congestion in the business area, however much that area may expand as the community grows, will increase the desirability of that area for business, commercial and cultural uses, with the great attendant advantages of business propinquity as also obtaining full economic use of what in any case is a limited area of valuable land. Also, a much lesser part of it is required for the dead storage of motor vehicles.

Lastly while the costs of rapid transit structure and expressway structure in downtown locations are about the same per unit of length, experience is that, for the conveyance of passengers, a rapid transit structure has an effective carrying capacity four to five times that of an expressway.

Nevertheless no one can gainsay the convenience of personal transportation direct from one point to another that is possible by motor vehicle, provided adequate expressway space from point to the other is at all times available, as also parking space at either end. But the cost of providing such facilities to satisfy all would-be automobile users is so astronomic as to at once show the fallaciousness of any such idea. In fact if a metropolitan city were to be wholly or even largely dependent on the private automobile for transportation, so much space would be taken up in roadways and so little left for business purposes, as to destroy the value of the district for the business uses that attracted the traffic in the first place.

It would seem that at some place along the line, the free use of the automobile in heavily built up urban areas, will be restricted.

3. Essential Bases of Urban Life

Two historic facts relative to urban life must be noted. Whatever was the occasion for a city to develop at its particular site, whether as a port or a ferry; as a convenient point of trade, or a seat of government; as a monastery, or an educational centre; as a point of defence, or a police post; whatever the reason, a considerable density of development was present from the beginning, and this density increased as additional population came in to supply ancillary services to those already there, or to take advantage of the facilities or opportunities the established community offered for the carrying on of some new adventure in trade, commerce, amusement or what have you. (The dictionary meaning of town or city implies little more than a considerable collection of dwellings, etc. Any sense conveyed of a specific corporate status derives from Canadian statutory definition).

The other fact that should be mentioned is that living in close proximity to other citizens, all inhabitants must accept some restriction on complete personal freedom of action when necessary for the general benefit of all. The curfew bell when instituted was no doubt deeply resented by many citizens. But this mandate to extinguish all fires was for the benefit of all. In a wood and thatch town, a conflagration at night was too great a hazard to the entire community to permit taking any chances. So today building and zoning bylaws are definitely restrictions on individual action in the general interest, as are also traffic regulations.

In turn the provision of many services in urban communities can best, if not only, be supplied by the community as a unit, either directly or through a specifically authorized agency. Water supply and the sanitary services, fire protection, police protection, traffic control, parks and gardens, are some of these. Another is transit service. Ready means of travel between all parts of a community is what makes it a community. The means of communication must in degree correspond to the need, that is be in accordance with the population and its distribution at any time, and with the general lines of expected travel. This is the basis of this present study. It involves consideration as to the future growth and development of Greater Winnipeg, both in degree and direction, as well as other more or less pertinent factors affecting same.

SECTION 2 — GROWTH AND IMPORTANCE OF WINNIPEG

1. Winnipeg's Strategic Situation

The location of Greater Winnipeg is truly a strategic one. Southward on the Red River from Lake Winnipeg, and then westward on the Assiniboine, was the water highway to the western prairies, both from Eastern Canada and from Hudson's Bay. This was the line of impact and of conflict between the two great trading organizations that opened up Western Canada; a conflict only ended by the merger of the Northwest Company and Hudson's Bay Company in 1821. At the mouth of the Assiniboine stood Fort Gibralter, the fortified post of the North-West Company, rebuilt as Fort Garry after the merger. North from Point Douglas was the first agricultural settlement on the prairies, founded in 1812, with altruistic intent, but destined to suffer a decade of violence. On Point Douglas itself was the trading post and village nucleus of this Colony.

The short ninety mile stretch between the U.S. boundary and the south end of Lake Winnipeg, is truly the gateway to the prairies. Through it all railways joining eastern and western Canada had to pass. When, in 1880, the choice fell on historic Point Douglas for the first railway crossing of the Red River, and as the location of the C.P.R. shops and terminals, the future of Winnipeg was assured.

On June 15, 1870 Manitoba was created a province of Canada and on November 8, 1873 Winnipeg was incorporated as a city. Its limits included both the settlement at Point Douglas and the trading post and accessory developments at the mouth of the Assiniboine. The population according to its first assessment numbered 1,869.

In 1878 railway connection to the east was obtained from St. Boniface via Emerson and St. Paul. In 1880 with the organization of the C.P.R., decision was made to build the railway westerly from Winnipeg. When six years later transcontinental service from Montreal to Vancouver commenced, Winnipeg's population was close to 20,000.

By 1914 when the great railway construction era had ended, the population of the city itself had increased ten times to 203,255. Other than for the inclusion of certain park lands, there has been no extension of city boundaries since that date. None the less the City's population increased 25% to 254,612 as of 1958. But the major increase in the urban population had occurred in the adjoining municipalities whose joint population in 1958 was fully 180,000.

But the increase in Greater Winnipeg's population was only symptomatic of the great increase in population of the three prairie provinces, in the golden years of free land and immigration in the fifteen years prior to the first world war. The census figures are as follows.

It was through Winnipeg that all the immigration to the prairies came. Winnipeg was the supply house for all their needs, and in turn the funnel through which all their produce passed.

2. Winnipeg—A Commercial, Manufacturing and Cultural Centre

In the 80-year period that has ensued since the advent of the railways, Winnipeg has built itself up as a great railway terminal and equipment maintenance depot, a great air centre, a major wholesale supply base, a most substantial manufacturing centre, and a major financial one. Clearing house statistics are impressive. Winnipeg ranks next after Toronto and Montreal in the number of cheques cashed at its clearing house.

(9 Mos.)
Increase
over 9 Mos.

As a manufacturing centre Winnipeg has continuously since 1933 ranked sixth among the cities of Canadian gross value of manufactured products, and the same applies to the Metropolitan areas of these cities since such statistics have been developed. This last comparison for the years 1951 and 1952 appears on page 712 of the 1955 Canada Year Book, and is set out overleaf.

* Exclusive of the non ferrous smelting and refining industry.

From the foregoing table it is apparent that Greater Winnipeg is responsible for the bulk of the manufacturing within the province. The provincial total is classified by industrial groups as under (1955 Canada Year Book—page 692). This division should be fairly typical of the diversity of products of Greater Winnipeg.

But Winnipeg is also much more than a commercial and industrial complex. Its University, colleges, and allied organizations proclaim it also a cultural centre.

Moreover the fabric of the city itself expresses in tangible ways the accomplishments and aspirations of its citizens. Few cities of 150,000 population would have had the course to reach out 100 miles for their water supply, as did Winnipeg. It had only one-fifth that population when its Parks Board was established, but the latter's accomplishments are notable both in their physical form, and also as an expression of the temperament of the citizens.

The Community courage in undertaking the obligations inherent in the provision of civic utilities capable of meeting anticipated needs, and not least in facing emergencies such as that of 1950 is noteworthy, as is also the spirit of cooperation, consistently exhibited, between the various entities of the metropolitan community, as also a pronounced regard for advancing the amenities of city living. "Prudence" holds a central place in the City's motto, and equally in the Community's history and outlook.

3. Future Possibilities

With this background, what of the future? In the first place Winnipeg's geographical location remains unchanged. For many generations yet to come, the vast bulk of east-west movement across Canada must continue to pass south of Lake Winnipeg, that is via Metropolitan Winnipeg, which will certainly remain the focus of all rail and road travel. As a distribution centre for the entire prairies, it is to be expected that Winnipeg in the years ahead will meet with greater competition from other prairie cities, but the development of Manitoba's own north country should bring a greater recompense. For there is every reason to believe that northern Manitoba will prove to be as great a treasure house as has Northern Ontario and Quebec in the limited areas of those provinces that have as yet been more than scratched.

In the Port of Churchill, Manitoba already possesses a developed port, the most southerly natural deep-water harbour on the west side of Hudson Bay. In the interest of Winnipeg and southern Manitoba generally, a firmer welding of the highly dissimilar but none the less mutually dependent north and south parts of the province by more direct road and rail connection, would be highly desirable.

I have read with great interest the report setting out the results of the Economic Survey of Northern Manitoba lately carried out for the Provincial Government by Arthur D. Little, Inc. It is manifest that the Government is giving urgent consideration to this matter of northern development. The extension of the Gypsumville branch of the C.N.R. as proposed in the foregoing report would bring the new mining territory (and the Port of Churchill) 215 miles closer to Winnipeg than is now the case. At the present time Regina is closer by 149 miles than is Winnipeg, to Wekusko, Thompson or Churchill. By the proposed extension to Wekusko, the opposite would be the case by 66 miles.

The development of super-highways and the increasing use of trucks for freight movements is to be expected, both in competition with, and in conjunction with the railways, this latter, in the form of so-called piggy-back operations. Truck movements will be referred to later in this report.

SECTION 3 — THE STREET SYSTEM and PRESENT TRAFFIC PROBLEM

1. Street System

Greater Winnipeg occupies what is practically a level site at the junction of the Assiniboine River with the Red River. General prairie level ranges from a few feet below to a few feet above Elevation 760 feet above sea level, that is, 44 to 49 feet above seasonal levels of Lake Winnipeg, but 32 or so above the level of the Red River at low water at the city's heart.

The street system in the greater city in general conforms in direction with the early division into farm lots of the lands contiguous to the rivers. These farm lots appear to have been laid out at right angles to the general directions of successive portions of these rivers. While the street system is almost everywhere rectangular, its general orientation varies from locality to locality.

Notre Dame Avenue represents the governing direction for all streets on the west side of the river from that avenue northerly and as far back as Keewatin Street, and on the east side of the river from Hespeler Avenue northerly. An exception is the original townsite at Point Douglas between Henry Avenue, King Street and Pritchard Avenue, which manifestly was sub-divided to best conform to the natural shape of the point.

To the south of the Assiniboine River, the orientation of River Avenue and Corydon Avenue is the governing direction on the west side of the Red River as far west as Cambridge Street, and on the east side of the river, southerly from the north limit of St. Vital at Carriere Street.

In the interval between Notre Dame Avenue and the Assiniboine River and extending back to what would appear to have been a travelled road from Portage Avenue to the Pembina Highway (and now represented by Osborne Street), is the best planned area of Winnipeg. Its governing direction is that of a rectified pioneer trail now Main Street.

From this sub-division westerly on the north side of the Assiniboine, and westerly from Cambridge Avenue on the south side, the orientation of the streets is nominally that of the meridian.

St. Boniface, dating from 1818, appears to have been sub-divided in three separate sections each of slightly different orientation though the streets are reasonably continuous.

Outside the area covered by the original river lots, the Dominion Lands system prevails. Its geometric system of road allowances in no way influenced street development within the Metropolitan area.

What is of primary interest in the above is the lack of relationship between the street systems on either side of Notre Dame Avenue, as also at the Assiniboine River, and along the Osborne-Memorial-Balmoral line. A considerable number of street betterments have been made along this last line, and at the Notre Dame Avenue intersections, but local traffic problems will continue to persist along these lines of contact.

Winnipeg is a product of the railway age. From very early in the city's life traffic to the surrounding territory moved by rail. Other than for Main Street along the west bank of the river from the original base of supplies at Lower Fort Garry, and for Portage Avenue paralleling the Assiniboine River and extending that supply line to the west, it has few historic service roads into the countryside around it. The Pembina Highway became a major supply route after the railway from the east reached St. Paul, but with the extension of this rail service to St. Boniface in 1878, the importance of the Pembina Highway lessened, and its course from Osborne Street and Corydon Avenue to Portage Avenue or Main Street appears to have been superseded by a new street system. Kelvin Street and St. Mary's and St. Anne's Roads should be included under this heading, possibly also the Dawson Road.

That is to say there is a very limited system of long established and long recognized major streets. What were formerly carline streets have in a measure attained that status but their choice as carline streets appears more or less fortuitous and based wholly on local considerations at the time.

None the less it should be said that few cities have inherited arterial streets such as Portage Avenue and Main Street, each 132 feet wide. This width came about not due to any foresight for the needs of future traffic, but the immediate need for wagons to keep to unrutted prairie sod to avoid getting mired.

2. Traffic Barriers

As a community that owes its birth and growth to the railways, Greater Winnipeg has had in turn to accept the consequences and has suffered major severances by them. Probably the worst barrier to traffic flow is that occasioned by the C.P.R. Yards. Higgins Avenue crossing is the sole crossing east of Main Street and is 4,500 feet (0.85 miles) distant from it. Westward from Main Street underpass, it is 3,000 feet to the Salter Street viaduct. Arlington Street bridge in turn is 4,000 feet west of Salter Street, and McPhillips Street underpass 2,500 feet west of Arlington Street. The Keewatin Street crossing is 6,300 feet beyond McPhillips Street.

The C.N.R. Fort Rouge Yard, soon to be abandoned (other than the main line track) has a length of 7,500 feet (1.42 miles) with no intermediate crossing.

An even longer barrier to traffic and city expansion is the Winnipeg Airport with a total extent from north to south of three and two thirds miles.

But the major barriers to inter-municipal traffic are the rivers, or rather the limited number of bridges crossing them. The effect of these river barriers is aggravated by the crooked nature of the rivers themselves.

Only five traffic bridges cross the Red River within the precincts of the metropolitan municipalities. One of these, the Elm Park Bridge, is a narrow minor structure. The Redwood Bridge is also only a two-lane structure, but soon to be supplemented by the Disraeli bridge. This last, and the three major existing bridges, the Louise, the Provencher, and the Norwood Bridges, all feed directly into the downtown area, namely the central core of the city between the Assiniboine River and the C.P.R. tracks, and between the Osborne-Memorial-Isabel artery and the Red River.

The Assiniboine River is also crossed by five bridges. That at Main Street carries all the traffic of the Norwood bridge, and in addition a lesser amount of traffic from Fort Rouge. The new Midtown Bridge, and the Osborne Bridge, one of the earliest, carry the major streams of vehicular traffic from Fort Garry and Fort Rouge. All three of these bridges debouch into the aforesaid central core area of the City.

The Maryland Street bridge, next west, is in an essentially residential area and at the south end of a cross town artery, but its traffic movement is also largely directed to and from the central core. The most westerly bridge, the St. James bridge, is greatly overloaded with traffic, serving as it does the whole rapidly developing area to the west on the south side of the river, as well as local traffic to and from the newly built up section of River Heights. Traffic northbound across this bridge is delivered 100% into Portage Avenue, the major part also destined to the central core.

In brief the layout of the major highways, the barriers and the openings through the barriers, all tend to concentrate traffic into the central core area. While this is the destination of the majority, obviously the necessity of persons not interested in travelling through the central core but having to do so in the absence of any alternative, adds to traffic congestion in that area.

3. Street Traffic

The amount of traffic in the central downtown and the substantial amount not primarily interested in that area, is clearly set out in the Wilbur Smith and Associates report of December 1957, to which I am greatly indebted for the traffic statistics included therein. In that report the "cordon area" is that contained within the cordon line represented by Maryland-Sherbrook Streets, the C.P.R., the Red River, and the Assiniboine River.

The business area is that bounded by and including the following streets; Broadway, Colony, Ellice, Hargrave, William, Princess, Alexander, Louise, Rorie, Lombard, Victoria, and the C.N.R.

Movements across the cordon line are summarized in Table II-V. There are over 90,000 passenger car and truck trips daily of which over half (51.5 per cent) have destinations within the cordon area, mainly in the central business district (Page 26-W.S. & A. Report).

A total of 30,827 passenger cars travel across the cordon area between origins and destinations in zones located in surrounding areas within the city and suburban municipalities. These vehicles constitute through trips in the central city, having neither origin nor destination within the cordon area" (Page 28 Idem).

Truck traffic through the cordon area totalled 13,717 trips during the 12-hour survey period (7 A.M. to 7 P.M.)" (Page 28 Idem).

The above tabular statement setting out the amount of traffic, particularly truck traffic, not interested in the downtown area but routed through it, represents possibly the most fundamental finding of the Wilbur Smith and Associates survey. It is referred to in a later section of this report.

Reference will also be made to Table II-IV of the Wilbur Smith and Associates report, which appears on Page 24 and which is set out below. This is a count of all vehicles in and out of the aforementioned cordon area, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on an average day. Accordingly the great proportion of the actual vehicles included in in-bound traffic, are also included in out-bound traffic.

It may be seen from the above counts that passenger cars carried 1.45 persons in-bound and 1.48 out-bound. Trucks carried 1.30 persons in-bound and 1.35 outbound. Taxis carried 1.83 persons in-bound and 1.84 persons out-bound. Presumably in all cases drivers are included.

On the other hand transit buses carried on the average 25.69 persons in-bound and 27.04 outbound.

37.0% of all persons entering or leaving this downtown area were transported with 3.1% of the traffic movements. The 47.6% that travelled by motor car necessitated 71.9% of the traffic movements.

The totals of vehicles and persons entering the cordon area up to any moment, less the numbers counted out-bound, is the number accumulated in the area from the beginning of the count up to that time. The maximum concentration of vehicles, moving or parked within the cordon at any time was at 3 P.M. when the total was 17,485 vehicles. Of these 15,709 were private passenger vehicles, 1,250 were trucks and the remaining 526 about equally divided between transit buses and taxi-cabs.

The accumulation of motor trucks was heaviest at 9.30 A.M. when 1,859 were inside the cordon.

The maximum accumulation of persons in the cordon area occurred at 3:00 P.M. when 88,939 persons were found in the area. Of this total, 36,936 arrived by passenger car, 4,932 by truck, 1,100 by taxi-cab and 45,971 by transit vehicle." (W.S. & A. Reports- Pages 24, 26, etc.).

The above figures clearly indicate the source of congestion in the downtown zone. As indicated in Table II\u2013IV above set out, an automobile movement represents the transportation of only 1.47 persons, a bus movement, the transport of 26.36 persons.

Again of 21,274 total truck entrances to the cordon area 1,250 were within the area at peak hour or 5.9%.

of 3,136 taxi entrances there were about
263 inside at peak hour or 8.4%.
of 3,208 bus entrances there were 263
inside at peak hour or 8,2%.
of 73,277 automobile entrances there were
15,709 inside at peak hour or 21.4%.

It is not likely that more than a comparable 8.4% of these automobiles were in active operation, that is 60% of the private cars inside the area at this trine were parked, or about 9,425.

On Page 36 of their report, Wilbur Smith and Associates state their finding that the maximum accumulation of parked vehicles in the business district totalled about 10,350. Also that this number would be greater, if more parking space were available.

The problem of motor vehicle use in urban areas is the problem of our times. That this problem will intensify in the years ahead is quite to be expected. Metropolitan Toronto already has one motor vehicle for each three persons resident in the Metropolitan area. This ratio may be attained in Winnipeg within 15 years. The essential difficulty in reaching any solution to the motor vehicle problem is that each traffic improvement results only in bringing more vehicles into service. The result is that no highway traffic improvement anywhere has to date been overplanned.

"The great increase in the use of motor vehicles for private transportation has been a dominant factor in the development of traffic problems in the Winnipeg area, as elsewhere. In 1956 there was one automobile to each 5.4 persons in the Greater Winnipeg Area. It is anticipated (that) this ratio may reach one to 3.3 in 1981. At this ratio there would be nearly 225,000 vehicles by 1981, three times the present vehicle registration. The impact of a 200 per cent increase in traffic is difficult to comprehend." W.S. & A. Report—Page 9.

Total vehicle registration as of 1981 is projected at 295,000 or one vehicle for each 2.6 of population (Page 11, Idem).

What is apparent is that the private motor vehicle cannot adequately serve the heavily concentrated business centres of metropolitan cities, but it can, if permitted, stifle them with street congestion and scar them irretrievably with car parking facilities.

4. Present Transit Service

While I interpret my assignment as primarily a study of transit requirements in Winnipeg over the long term, I have in connection therewith given consideration to present transit movements, and have travelled over most of the routes presently operated, primarily to study the development of the metropolitan area, but also to gauge the extent to which it is now serviced with transit, and the sufficiency of same. In my opinion the service presently offered is of high quality both in area covered and in frequency.

Accordingly traffic flow on these transit routes represents the most factual data obtainable as to traffic arterial requirements.

The typical route is a crosstown route, each limb of which divides into two branches after passing out of the area of heavy traffic. Actual crosstown movement is not great, so that essentially each cross town route represents four radial routes of near equivalent traffic weight linked together because of that fact, with primary intent to minimize movements in the downtown. In several instances, in order to adjust service to requirements, the weaker of each pair of branch lines is stubbed at off peak hours, as for example Watt or St. Anne's. Similarly at peak hours some mirror routes terminating in the downtown area are extended to augment other routes where additional service is needed, such as Sherbrook or William.

Route signs at any time indicate the destination to be reached by a specific routing to and through the downtown area.

For the record the existing routes as operated are included as appendix 1 hereto.

To the great majority of Greater Winnipeg residents the streets followed by the various transit routes are known, or at very least the general locations of the sections of the metropolitan area that are served by the several routes. Accordingly the number of passengers paying fares on the various routes provides a realistic indication of major traffic movements. In Table 3-A that appears on Pages 31 and 32 the routes are listed in the order of revenue passengers carried on each during the four week period, August 10th to September 6th, 1958.

Greater Winnipeg Transit Routes in order of Revenue Passengers transported during 4-week period August 10 to September 6, 1958.

The revenue passengers on each transit route as given in the preceding table are computed from the revenue received on each line at a predetermined average fare of 13.3¢ per fare paying passenger. The total revenue from all routes for the four summer weeks was $559,337 representing 4,205,541 passengers.

Midwinter transit riding in Greater Winnipeg attains a level 24 % higher than is experienced in mid-summer. Comparable statistics of total passengers, based on fare receipts as above, for four weeks in January 1958 and the four weeks August 10th to September 6th, 1958 gave this relationship. In the summer period passenger movement on the normal week day (Monday through Friday) was 82.5% of that on normal week day in the winter period.

In the summer period Saturday traffic was only 67.86% of normal week day traffic, as against 82.91% in the wintertime. However, Sunday traffic was 26.34% of normal day traffic during the summer period, as against 25.33% in the winter period. Total traffic in the summer week represented that of 5.94 normal days: in the winter week 6.08 normal days.

Of the 36 routes listed on Table 3-A, the first 18 provide 94.18% of the total revenue riding. The first 11 provide 80.52%. The Portage-Main-Mountain route alone provides 23.26% of the total. This means that not less than 12% of all transit riding in the Winnipeg area is carried on Portage Avenue, west of Memorial Boulevard.

Transit movement on Main Street is even heavier. The three heaviest routes of the system utilize the Main Street subway. This gateway was found by the Wilbur Smith and Associates survey (W.S. & A. Report Pages 40 and 41) to carry the heaviest lead of traffic of any artery in the city, namely a one-way traffic volume northbound in one hour of 1,665 vehicles of all types and 1,575 southbound in one hour. The corresponding figures for Portage Avenue at Memorial Blvd. are 1,230 westbound, and 925 eastbound.

Osborne-Memorial-Isabel-Salter is another very congested thoroughfare, used in various sections by the Osborne, Academy, Stafford, Corydon, University, McGregor and Salter routes, all of which are adversely affected by rush hour vehicle congestion.

A point of very heavy local congestion is on Corydon Avenue at Osborne Street, where the Wilbur Smith and Associates survey found the heaviest one way intersection volume, namely 1,750 vehicles eastbound in one hour, absorbing the full rated practical capacity of the street. At this particular point it carries the full lead of both Corydon Avenue from West Fort Rouge, and that of the Pembina Highway from Fort Garry and beyond.

The solution would appear to be to draw off substantial portions of these traffic flows prior to this meeting point.

The great pressure on the bridge crossings is also shown up by the statistics given in the Wilbur Smith and Associates report on Page 41. In this connection it must he remembered that the capacity of a bridge, as also a highway is for vehicles, and not directly for the number of persons served there by.

SECTION 4 — ANTICIPATED DIRECTION AND EXTENT OF URBAN GROWTH

1. Population Estimates by Metropolitan Planning Commission of Greater Winnipeg

There is every reason to believe that Metropolitan Winnipeg will see great expansion in area, population, business and wealth in the years ahead. This in view of its strategic position as the gateway between Eastern and Western Canada, its already established position in manufacturing, commerce and finance, and in the cultural attributes of a metropolitan city, and an expanded outlook and economy based on an increasing development of the northern three quarters of the province.

>Following the Dominion Census of 1956 the Metropolitan Planning Commission of Greater Winnipeg made a forecast of the population growth during the ensuing 25 years, in the various municipalities within the Metropolitan Area. This study took into account the likely ability of the various municipalities to provide utility services within that period.

This estimate which appears herein in somewhat different form as 4-A was based on careful study and has been adopted for this report, except that municipal limits have been discarded as a basis of reference in favour of the natural limits created by the Red and Assiniboine rivers. These divide the metropolitan city into three sectors — north-west, southwest, and east.

The embankment of the Canadian National Railway main line parallelling the north limit of St. Boniface, with the undeveloped area contiguous to it, provide (as of to-day) a physical separation between the north and south parts of the east sector.

While the total metropolitan population is estimated to increase by 354,213 to 765,000 in 1981 or 85.3% in the 25 year period, the percentage of the population estimated as residing in the northwest sector is reduced from 55.7% of the whole as in 1956 to 40.6% in 1981. The southwest sector will increase its proportion of the total during that period from 20.0% to 25.4%, as will the east sector from 24.3% to 34.0%. The largest actual increase in population in any area is expected in this east sector, namely 160,000 divided 62,000 in the north part, and 98,000 in the south part. The increase expected for the northwest sector is 82,000 and for the southwest sector 112,000.

About 45% of the total increase in population of the metropolitan area in the next 25 years will be found on the east side of the Red River, and sixty per cent of that increase will reside adjacent to or south of the Trans-Canada Highway and Fermor Ave.

2. Outward Spread of Population

Greater Winnipeg in spite of the physical barriers created by the rivers, railway yards, airport, etc., is for almost every purpose a single community with downtown Winnipeg its accepted centre. The intersection of Portage Avenue and Main Street is still nominally rated the centre of the greater city, though the retail centre is a half mile or so farther west. Indeed if a circle of 4 miles radius is described with its centre at Portage Avenue and Main Street, it encloses the domiciles of 361,000 persons, or 87.9% of the 410,800 population of the Greater Winnipeg Area as of 1956. The 49,800 persons residing beyond this circle of that year, were distributed as follows in Table 4-B.

The four mile circle is a purely arbitrary limit. It does however enclose most of the fully developed area. This circle intersects Portage Avenue at Sackville Street in St. James; Tuxedo Avenue at Corydon Avenue; Pembina Highway at Waller Avenue Fort Garry; St. Mary's Road at Oustic Avenue in St. Vital; Nairn Road at Regent Avenue in Transcona; Henderson Highway at McKay Avenue in North Kildonan; Main Street at Seaforth Avenue in West Kildonan; McPhillips Street 400 feet south of Leila Avenue in West Kildonan; Carruthers Avenue at Conkling Street at Winnipeg City Limit; the north limit of Brooklands just west of Rosser Road; Barry Avenue at Linwood Street in St. James.

2. (a) Of the total population increase of 354,213 anticipated between 1956 and 1981, the increase within and outside the above 4 mile circle, based on the aforesaid projections of the Metropolitan Planning Commission, will be about as follows in Table 4-C.

2. (b) Of the 70,000 population increase within the 4 Mile Circle between 1956 and 1981, substantial concentrations are expected along the outer fringe in areas zoned for residential use but not as yet fully developed, distributed about as follows:

 The residual 8,000 population increase would be widely scattered throughout the developed area. 2. (c) The estimated twenty-five year increase in population outside the 4-mile Circle of 284,000 will, it is expected, be distributed about as follows:

Tables 4-B, 4-C and 4-D combined represent the total population outside the 4-Mile Circle, together with concentrations of new population within the circle and contiguous to it. This summation is shown as Table 4-F. Conditions are such in Winnipeg that specific sections of the population will have only one normal direct route of access to the downtown. Relatively few will have equally satisfactory alternative routes available to them. Greater Winnipeg is essentially a radial development.

The above indicate major centres of new traffic concentration on the 4 mile cordon around the city. That Portage Avenue is the heaviest of these is not a surprise. That the vicinity of St. Anne's - St. Mary's Roads and the Trans-Canada Highway will be almost as heavy is probably more unexpected. The equivalent weights of the traffic concentrations in the Elmwood and in the Fort Garry zone are also interesting.

It is also to be remembered that the traffic represented by these population figures is very largely new traffic that would be superimposed upon existing traffic. Only the populations drawn from Table 4-B were actual as of 1956.

3. Recommendation

It is manifest that existing arterial streets and surface transit facilities will be greatly overtaxed by 1981, and as regards Portage Avenue at least ten years prior to that date.. The limited number of main arterial roads in Metropolitan Winnipeg will become increasingly apparent; particularly if dependence were to be placed on the private automobile as the basic transportation medium. It is my recommendation that the Metropolitan Community adopt in principle the development of a basic system of rapid transit subways as the primary solution to the transit and traffic problems.

SECTION 5 — RAPID TRANSIT

1. Significant Features

The foregoing recommendation that Greater Winnipeg seek the primary solution of its ever increasing traffic problem in a basic service of "Rapid Transit" entails a clear explanation as to what is meant by that expression. It is the North American term for a type of transportation designed for a metropolitan city where distances are extended and/or street congestion severe. Primarily it implies a system of public transportation operating on its own fully grade-separated right of way. This factor permits the use of types of equipment and methods of operation that provide great passenger carrying capacity and permit much higher overall speeds than are possible under best conditions on the street surface.

Provided that grade separation is attained, rapid transit can be provided in the open air at ground level, or in depressed cut, or elevated on embankment or structure, and operated with conventional vehicles operating on rails, or straddling a single rail, or suspended from a single rail or a pair of rails. Or it can be provided underground in tunnel structure, designed and constructed in various ways, with car equipment of various types travelling on rails, or as yet may prove practicable, on rubber tires.

Rapid transit lines can also be of two types, according to their purpose. One type, more properly classed as express commuter service, is intended primarily to connect heavy concentrations of population five, ten, or twenty miles away with the central city. Intermediate stops at best are one to two miles apart permitting overall speeds of 30 miles an hour, or better.

The other type, such as exemplified in Paris or Toronto and herein proposed for Winnipeg, is designed to replace to the maximum degree possible, surface transit within the congested downtown zones. These rapid transit lines would operate as an integral part of the transit system with full transfer privileges between rapid transit lines and surface bus or trolleybus lines. Rapid transit stations would be located at reasonable intervals to accommodate transfer movements, and to serve the area traversed. Where two rapid transit lines crossed they would be at different levels, and completely grade separated but the station platforms of the two lines would be interconnected for the free interchange of passengers. The various rapid transit lines that might eventuate in the downtown area would be located to equalize transit service throughout the area rather than unduly concentrate it at one terminal.

There are many matters that must be considered in projecting a rapid transit line, such as:— present, and likely future traffic movements; anticipated growth of the community and its best planning; matters of natural and man-made geography; matters related to climatology; matters relative to underground utilities and soil conditions; engineering problems of permissible grade, curvature, etc.; operating requirements relative to station locations, turn-backs, yard and shop facilities, etc.; and economic operation in general of both the rapid transit facility and a coordinated residual surface system, etc. Always desirable, other things being equal, is a location that will permit construction methods that will minimize traffic disturbance during construction.

Some of these matters are referred to at greater length in subsequent sections. All the above and various ancillary matters have been considered at this time in sufficient measure to be assured of the desirability and practicability of the three routes proposed in the section following.

2. Rapid Transit Proposals for Winnipeg

The routes described in general terms hereunder (and always subject to refinement and adjustment) constitute a system of rapid transit subways, complete in itself, but capable of being constructed and economically operated in stages as later referred to, as also capable of being further extended and amplified in future years.

A. Portage— North Main — Mountain

From the vicinity of Queen Street in St. James, via Portage Avenue, Main Street, Mountain Avenue or adjoining streets to McPhillips Street. Length, 7.00 miles.

B. Osborne — Chalmers

From St. Anne's Road in St. Vital via Kingswood Avenue to Killarney Avenue, thence diagonally to Osborne Street at Churchill Drive, thence via Osborne Street, Memorial Boulevard, Balmoral Street, Colony Street to Notre Dame Avenue; thence by alternative alignments to Powers Street at Sutherland Avenue; thence northeasterly to Main Street near Redwood Avenue, then passing under the Red River and continuing easterly under Chalmers Avenue to Grey Street, and thence to Nairn Avenue near Kent Street. Length, 8.40 miles.

C. Pembina — William

From McGillivray Boulevard, via Pembina Highway to Mason Avenue, curving easterly into the line of Arnold Avenue and following that street to Fisher Street, then curving northerly into a tangent under the Red River, and following under Monck Avenue and St. Mary's Road to Marion Street, thence on tangent under the Red and Assiniboine Rivers to Main Street, south of Broadway Avenue, following Main Street to Bannatyne Avenue, thence curving northwesterly into William Avenue, following that street to Tecumseh Street, thence westerly to Notre Dame Avenue at McPhillips Street, thence to Keewatin Street. Length, 7.75 miles.

Total Length of 3 lines, 23.15 miles.

Briefly the locations of these routes are designed to:

1. Provide the inhabitants of Greater Winnipeg with a basic system of transport throughout the metropolitan area, of assured regularity, capacity, comfort and speed, and freedom from the onus of a private vehicle in city congestion.
2. Provide a rapid transit system of a few reasonably balanced routes likely to best satisfy the passenger requirements and produce maximum economy of operation.
3. Remove from the street surface, to the maximum degree possible, the traffic generated by the create concentrations of new population expected by 1981, contiguous to and beyond the four mile circle with centre at Portage Avenue and Main Street, which traffic would otherwise further congest the downtown streets.
4. Provide assured rapid transit service, under all conditions of traffic and weather, within two thousand feet from every part of the business centre, with ready transfer to other rapid transit lines and distributor bus lines.
5. Reduce to the maximum degree practical, surface transit traffic on the three heaviest travelled arteries in Metro Winnipeg—Portage Avenue, Main Street, Osborne-Memorial-Isabel.
6. Provide improved transit service from all sections of the metropolitan area to the new industrial areas in St. James and South Winnipeg, as also to assured industrial development in St. Boniface and Transcona.
7. Provide four additional gateways of great capacity through the barrier created by the Red River, available to all sections of the public.
8. Stabilize the central business area, save it from decay, and preserve its wealth and taxable values.

3. Further Considerations Relative to Routes

The form of routing proposed places a rapid transit line adjacent to both the west and east sides of the downtown area in order to better serve what is now, and is expected to continue to be, the central business area. Upon this central area are focussed six rapid transit lines from the various sections of the metropolitan area. These are linked into three crosstown lines. The various lines cross each other at five points, the passenger platforms at these free transfer stations being directly one above the other with connecting escalators. At almost every station on the above lines, free transfer to one or more surface distributor and collector routes will be available.

The Portage-North Main-Mountain line, likely first to be built in part at least, follows the itinerary of the heaviest present transit route, and one that has existed from the earliest days of transit in Winnipeg. The development of Assiniboia and the barrier created by the airport will combine to place a tremendous lead on Portage Avenue.

The Osborne-Chalmers line is designed, interalia, to break through, with high capacity facilities, the barriers to metropolitan cohesion and interchange, created by the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. In its central portion it supplements the important Osborne-Isabel crosstown artery which has far from adequate capacity for present traffic, let alone for the traffic the future is certain to place upon it. The areas south of the Trans-Canada Highway in both St. Boniface and St. Vital appear destined as the sites of heavy residential concentrations, for which the only present outlet is St. Mary's Road and Norwood Bridge. The proposed Osborne subway provides the means to siphon off whatever part of this traffic has no primary interest in St. Boniface or the Norwood bridge, with advantage to all concerned. A similar situation of increased traffic to and from the central city, is certain to occur in the Elmwood segment of the Metropolitan Area, with increased population in North and East Kildonan and in Transcona. Great increase in the industrial life of St. Boniface is to be expected with the opening of the C.N.R. Symington yards and the ancillary development that they will bring about. Feeder bus service from either end of this Osborne-Chalmers subway, would be the quickest most direct route to this development, from all the west-bank area. The direction of any extension of the south limb would be toward this industrial nucleus.

The Pembina-William subway is designed to serve the great population increase anticipated for Fort Garry and the southerly part of Fort Rouge, as also movement to and from the University where great expansion in attendance is expected in the next decade.

By transfer to the Osborne line direct access from Fort Garry is obtained to the westerly section of the downtown, as also to St. Vital and south St. Boniface. The two stations on this line in St. Boniface provide the greater part of residential St. Boniface with rapid transit service to all parts of the metropolitan city, traversing south Main Street this subway serves an area of great importance in former years, and of great immediate promise for general commercial and business development.

At Lombard Station there will be direct transfer to the Portage Avenue line, and to the North Main-Mountain line. At Isabel Street or vicinity there will be a second crossing of the Osborne-Chalmers line. The extension up William Avenue should expedite development in this area. The subway will serve the Health Centre and the great concentration of industrial plants at the upper end of Notre Dame Avenue, as also the considerable residential area tributary to Keewatin Street. The three rapid transit lines above described total 23.15 miles of two-way structure. The peak capacity of this six branch system would be 240,000 passengers per hour for peak movements inbound or outbound, or the equivalent capacity of thirty radial six-lane expressways. Nor, in the case of a subway program, would there be any diminution of business area, or diminishment of assessable values.

The Wilbur Smith and Associates survey in 1957 found that 82,400 persons entered the cordon area by transit vehicle in 12 hours and 80,000 persons left the area. As a general relationship applicable in most cities, about one quarter of the daily movement inbound occurs in the peak 60 minutes of the A.M. peak and about one-quarter of the daily outbound movement in the peak 60 minutes of the evening peak. That is to say present peak traffic would represent less than 10% of the absolute traffic capacity of the above rapid transit system. That of course is on the basis of eight car trains approximately 500 feet long, operating at the minimum practical interval of about 2 minutes. By widening the interval and decreasing the number of cars per train, service can be adjusted to meet actual requirements.

On the basis of the population increasing as anticipated, namely to 765,000 in 1981, it would be highly desirable to have the system as above outlined in operation by that date, in which event, in my opinion, transit traffic would be at least 2 ½ times what it is at this time under present conditions of impeded movement.

Such a program of construction would approximate a rate of about one mile per year. However a four mile section is about the minimum desirable for economic operation, but subsequent extensions of lesser length can be added.

4. Car Maintenance and Storage Facilities

A necessity for any operation is access to a car storage and maintenance yard and this generally governs the length and location of the first section of any line, and also to a lesser degree of subsequent sections. To avoid any extensive length of non-revenue subway structure, a car yard should be located close to operating track. Complete grade separation for opposing train movements is most desirable.

A very acceptable site for a main car yard and maintenance shops would be that presently occupied by the C.N.R. Fort Rouge shops, where direct access would be available from both the Osborne and Pembina subways, but not meanwhile from the Portage line, which will require its own car storage and maintenance facilities, temporarily if not permanently.

For maintenance purposes and general flexibility of operations, all subway tracks should be interconnected.

This can be an expensive matter if complete grade separation of opposing movements is to be maintained. The Portage line will cross the Osborne line twice. A single track right hand curve at each of these intersections would provide the essential connection.

5. Stage Program of Construction

There seems little question but that the first line to be built and placed in operation would be that on Portage Avenue and a section of North Main Street to a point beyond the C.P.R. overpass. A reasonable stage program might be as set out below, the termini being the stations located at the streets mentioned.

STAGE PROGRAM OF SUBWAY CONSTRUCTION

1st Stage — Portage \u2013 North Main Line

Queen St. (St. James) to Redwood Avenue 4.55 miles

2nd Stage — Osborne Line

Arnold Avenue to Notre Dame Avenue 2.50 miles

3rd Stage — Osborne Line

Notre Dame Avenue to Kelvin Street 2.40 miles

4th Stage — Osborne Line

Arnold Avenue to St. Anne's Road 1.80 miles

5th Stage — Osborne Line

Kelvin Street to Nairn Avenue 1.70 miles

6th Stage — Portage \u2013 North Main Line

Redwood Avenue via Mountain Avenue

(or St. John's Avenue) to McPhillips Street 2.45 miles

7th Stage — Pembina \u2013 William Line

Arnold Avenue and Daly Street (Fort Rouge Shops)

to Isabel Street (Kate Street) 3.75 miles

8th Stage — Pembina \u2013 William Line

Daly Street to McGillivray Boulevard 1.80 miles

9th Stage — Pembina \u2013 William Line

Isabel Street to Keewatin Street \u2013 Elgin Avenue 2.15 miles

Some change in order of the 5th to 9th stages would be possible depending on relative needs following completion of Stage 4.

SECTION 6 — SOME CONTROLLING FACTORS OF LOCATION

1. Portage-Main Subway

The initial section of rapid transit subway proposed for Winnipeg would follow Portage Avenue from Queen Street in St. James to Main Street and thence via Main Street to Redwood Avenue. This conforms with what is presently, and appears altogether likely to continue to be, the line of the two heaviest streams of traffic within the Winnipeg area. The west arm of this Subway would serve all the traffic moving to and from the city centre from or to St. James, Assiniboia, Tuxedo and Charleswood. With the construction of the proposed bridge at Waverley Street, a large proportion of the traffic originating in or destined to the River Heights section of the city, could be routed via the subway with advantage to the passengers. All the heavily populated area of the city between the Assiniboine River and Ellice Avenue would also be advantaged in some degree.

To the North Main Street arm could be directed the great bulk of the traffic moving to and from the downtown from north of Mountain Avenue on the west side of the Red River, and for an initial period that from East and North Kildonan on the east side. Also the areas served by the Selkirk line and the Talbot line would be advantaged materially.

This Portage-Main subway would cross the future Osborne-Chalmers subway at Memorial Boulevard and again at Redwood Avenue, and the future Pembina-William subway at Lombard Avenue.

In all cases the Portage-Main line would occupy the upper level in the joint stations at these points. Passenger platforms would be interconnected to facilitate transfer movements.

This station at Lombard Avenue herein referred to as Lombard Station would be located on Main Street in the north half of that street, extending north from the north limit of Lombard Avenue to the south limit of Bannatyne Avenue. The upper level platform and tracks would be directly above those on the lower level. Stairs and escalators would provide direct connection between the platforms and also to the mezzanine level above, providing access from and egress to the street.

The location of this station is determined by the opportunity presented for this needed transfer facility. Immediately north of this station the low level tracks curve northwesterly to reach William Avenue. Immediately south of the station the upper level tracks curve southwesterly to follow under Portage Avenue. The curves on both lines are of 450 feet radius. This is a practical radius, but the minimum desirable and compulsory in the circumstances. Even with this minimum radius curve the Portage-Main subway will encroach under the building at the north west corner of that intersection, and will be close against the south limit of Portage Avenue at Fort Street. From here it will bevel back to normal position in about the centre of the north half of Portage Avenue, on a long diagonal extending beyond Smith Street.

There are a lesser number of utility services to be taken care of on the north side of Portage Avenue than on the south side. It is believed that the subway structure will be at such depth between Main Street and Donald Street as not to require changing the position or grade line of any utility service, and as well permit construction by tunnelling (other than at stations) if found desirable. The matter of side or centre platforms is also largely determined by the method of construction adopted.

Memorial station will be a transfer point to and from the Osborne-Chalmers subway, which will pass below the Portage subway. The station on the latter would be centered about on the east line of Memorial Boulevard, and its mezzanine would be east of this street line. It will be possible to get access underground from the south side of Portage Avenue without disturbing the grade line of the 36" sewer in the centre of that street.

The Mezzanine on the Osborne line will likely be located on the west side of Memorial Boulevard and south of Portage Avenue, with sub-surface connection to the east side of the Boulevard. There would also be connection between the unpaid areas of the two mezzanines. There will be free transfer access between the platforms of these stations.

The stations on the two subways should be designed as a unit, with each capable of being constructed separately. It might, however be desirable to provide extra re-inforcement in the floor of the Portage subway to facilitate the construction of the Osborne line at a later date. Westward from Memorial Boulevard no special problems are anticipated in connection with the Portage subway other than the decreasing depth from ground surface to top of hardpan between Memorial Boulevard and St. James Street, namely from 48 feet at the former to 36 feet at the latter. This last depth however still provides adequate depth to construct the subway without abnormal disturbance of utilities. Also it may prove desirable to seek an off-street alignment to underpass the Canadian Pacific and Midland Railways at their overpass of Portage Avenue. This deviation might also be incorporated in the arrangement arrived at for lead tracks to a car storage yard in the vicinity.

Feeding trains into service or removing them from service, requires a sequence of operation, prompt, positive and safe. For all three reasons complete grade separation of opposing train movements is most desirable. The full distance between two stations centered 2,100 feet apart at minimum is required for a single track wye from each direction, if complete grade separation is to be maintained. Yard access is one of the intrusive factors that govern station spacing. The location of a yard to service the Portage line is one matter that must be decided on in the first stages of construction planning.

The extension of the Portage Avenue subway beyond Queen Street is to be expected at some future date, but this will also be contingent upon the construction of a traffic bridge across the Assiniboine River at some point immediately west of Assiniboine Park.

2. Main Street and Main Interceptor Sewer

A major consideration in locating a subway under Main Street is the position both laterally and vertically of the 6'6" main interceptor sewer under this street. Fortunately there appears to be no necessity to disturb this main sewer in any way.

This sewer enters Main Street at Broadway Avenue and from that street to Henry Avenue is located under the east pavement of Main Street. The proposed Pembina-William subway will be fairly centrally located on the west half of this 132 foot street and will pass below the interceptor sewer at Broadway Avenue. Rail level will be about 46 feet below pavement level. This is also a desirable position in order to pass under the Assiniboine and Red Rivers as is proposed. Also this subway will occupy the lower level of the Lombard Station, and so in normal course will be low-level throughout its extent on Main Street. (Low level is 15 to 20 feet below high level position).

The main interceptor sewer keeps within the east half of Main Street until about 50 feet north of Henry Avenue, when it veers westerly, crossing Main Street diagonally to pass through the C.P.R. overpass under the centre roadway, the top of the sewer being about 14 feet below pavement level at the lowest point of the underpass. From this point north the interceptor sewer keeps within the west half of Main Street.

From Portage Avenue northward to Henry Avenue the Portage-Main subway will be located in the west half of Main Street at high level grade. A few modifications to local sewers may be found necessary in normal course.

Main Street bends slightly westerly at Henry Avenue and again at Higgins Avenue. Assuming the subway alignment between William Avenue and Henry Avenue were continued straight ahead it would intersect the east limit of Main Street 100 feet or so north of Higgins Avenue. It would cross the interceptor sewer where it is at such depth (its top 28 feet below pavement level) that the subway could pass above it and still leave the standard 8-foot clearance for utility services. It would also be possible for the subway to overpass the sewer, and then by the use of maximum grades to pass through the C.P.R. overpass keeping below pavement level. However this is an undesirable solution.

The width of any present opening under the overpass is not sufficient for a double track subway tube. A single track tube, could be located under the east roadway and another in the strip east of the east sidewalk, but this last would interfere with any future widening of this underpass to the full width of the street, as appears to have been provided for in the original plans. Also for the subway to dip sharply down to keep below roadway level through this underpass would inhibit the placing of a station at Higgins Avenue, which is a logical location.

The desirable solution is for the subway to undercross the railway in an underground easement, immediately east of the street allowance, with the roof of the subway 12 feet or so below Higgins Avenue pavement. This would permit a station to be placed with its north end at the north side of Higgins Avenue.

The subway would be back under Main Street immediately north of the overpass, and from there north occupy a position in the east half of the street to Redwood Station which would be its initial terminus. On its extension it will overcross the interceptor sewer again in the vicinity of Mountain Avenue. This sewer will also be either overcrossed or undercrossed south of Redwood Avenue by the Osborne-Chalmers subway as will appear most desirable on detailed study of the Redwood Station arrangements.

3. Utility Services

The great number and diversity of utility services occupying positions at various depths across the width of the streets, as also the need to allow for same where not already installed, renders it advantageous, if not necessary, to keep the roof of the subway at least 8 feet below street surface, and at least 5 feet deeper if the majority of the sewers are to be underpassed. This means that platform level is normally about 25 feet below surface level and a minimum of 30 feet below if underground mezzanine or cross passages have to be provided. As this depth makes the use of escalators desirable, an extra five or ten feet of depth is of minor account to subway passengers. This extra depth may however make construction by tunnelling desirable provided subsoil conditions are favourable. That this last is the case in Winnipeg was indicated in the construction of the main interceptor sewer, of which substantial sections were built by this method with substantial economies.

4. Subsoil Conditions in Winnipeg

The following description of subsoil conditions in the Winnipeg area is drawn almost verbatim from a paper by A. W. Fosness, A.M.E.I.C. Designing Engineer for Carter, Halls, Aldinger Company of Winnipeg, published in the Engineering Journal of December 1926.

Bedrock is a hard limestone 50 to 75 feet below prairie level averaging about 60 feet in the central business area. It is covered with a thin (18") layer of decomposed limestone. Above this is a glacial deposit composed of boulders of granite and limestone in a mixture of sand, glacial clay and ground up limestone dust, making a mixture practically as impervious as the clay above. This deposit varies greatly in thickness, but generally runs from 5 to 10 feet thick. Locally it is referred to as "hardpan." It can be readily excavated though not as easily as the clay strata above it.

Above the hardpan is a thin layer of soft white clay of a somewhat different character than the blue clay above and containing considerable water. Above this to the surface of the ground is clay deposited on the bottom of old Lake Agassiz. The top few feet of this clay is surface soil and yellow clay running gradually into brown clay, and as a rule at a depth of from 8 to 13½ feet there is a sharply defined band of yellow clay about six inches thick; nine feet is about the standard depth through the business part of the city. This band of yellow clay runs over the entire Winnipeg district except in places along the rivers where the soil has been washed out to a lower level and silt deposited. This streak of yellow clay has been the curse of many of the old foundations in this district.

From this point down to the white clay above the hardpan is a fairly firm clay locally called blue clay. This blue clay although it contains a fairly high percentage of moisture is practically impervious to the passage of water through it. This bed of blue clay is usually about 40 feet thick. In some parts of the city this blue clay is streaked with brown clay for a considerable depth. At the Hudson's Bay building site considerable brown clay was mixed with the blue to a depth of 25 feet in some places.

5. Depths to Hardpan

The City Engineer's Department has prepared admirable maps showing by contours the elevation of the surface of the ground and the top of hardpan from best information available. In the table following are the elevations read from these maps for various points in the City.

Elevations of the Ground and of Top of Hardpan at Various Street Intersections, as read from Contour Maps prepared by the City Engineers' Department.

6. River Crossings

Prairie level in Metropolitan Winnipeg averages about 760 feet above sea level, the maximum and minimum elevations of same within the city limits being 10 feet higher or lower than the above average. Summer water level of the Red River at the Provencher bridge with the water held back by the lock gates at Lockport is 734.1. With the locks open the water falls to 726.4. During the 1950 flood, the water level rose to 757.87 or 30.3 feet above city datum (727.57) which was the level of the ice in this vicinity in 1876.

As previously indicated, rail level (3'6" below platform level) will be 25 feet to 35 feet below ground level, or at best 10 feet above river level at low water. The length of grade required to underpass the river or to bridge it above high water level is about the same. To ascend to above surface level would necessitate the closing of several cross streets in each instance. Also an open portal close to the river might