Ottawa sends transport funds, but Manitoba still needs plan

Sam Katz and Gary Doer are sitting on a brand-new pile of federal transportation dollars but aren't sure whether to spend that cash on buses, bike trails or rapid transit.

On Friday, Ottawa handed Manitoba $17.9 million from a $500-million national transit program but left it up to the province to decide how to use the money.

"They have the flexibility to draw on the funding as needed over the next couple of years," federal Treasury Board president Vic Toews said in Winnipeg.

Steve Ashton, Manitoba's Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, said Winnipeg will receive "a significant part" of the $17.9 million but could not commit to a dollar figure.

Ashton said the province is open to the idea of both bike paths and rapid transit but will enter into discussions with the city before coming to any conclusions.

"A lot of people forget a rapid transit corridor can be a bike-commuter corridor as well," he said over the phone from Thompson. "The real question is whether we can make a (busway) work. There are other ways to spend the money."

Winnipeg Transit has already started to study ways to use the new federal money, said Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz, who said he would prefer to devote the cash to rapid transit but is concerned about the cost.

Ashton has pegged the cost of a dedicated busway between downtown and Jubilee Avenue -- the first leg of a southwest transit corridor that would eventually extend to the University of Manitoba -- at $70 million.

That means the new federal dollars would not even cover half of the bill for a new people-moving system rapid-transit supporters have dreamed about since Katz cancelled a $43-million BRT plan shortly after he was first elected in 2004.

Katz said he would meet with Premier Gary Doer to discuss transit upgrades and find out whether the province would be willing to match city funding for rapid transit.

"Rapid transit is something our city should have," said Katz said, adding he's never made a secret of the fact he prefers the idea of light rail transit, as opposed to busways.

"I always knew that LRT was expensive because of the infrastructure. I always believed we should pursue some of the existing railway lines that are being used very little, because that's your infrastructure right there. That cuts down so significantly on your costs."

Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, city council's most vocal rapid-transit proponent, said Winnipeg could build the first leg of a $70-million southwest rapid transit corridor if the city and province agree to build upon the federal commitment.

"If we can extend Chief Peguis Trail, we can build a busway," said Gerbasi, referring to the $64-million road in North Kildonan. "But the political will has to be there."

A busway would also make it easy to build a bike path connecting downtown to Jubilee Avenue and eventually the University of Manitoba, she added.

But Katz said he is going to listen to Winnipeg Transit before he meets with Doer.

Ashton said it's possible the province will match the federal funding, but also said it may be possible to reallocate existing provincial transit dollars toward a rapid-transit system.