You did it!

Winnipeg City Council voted 13-1 Thursday night (June 24, 2021) to Wellington Crescent closed to regular vehicle traffic, seven days a week until November.  Thanks to Mayor Bowman and City Council with a special shout out to Councillors John Orlikow and to Sherri Rollins.  

But most of all thanks to each of you that took your time to sign this petition, share it with others, handout fliers, talk to media and to contact city council. You did it! It is hard to believe all that happened in just one week.

The vast majority of experiences have been so positive but let’s make sure the rest of the Open Streets season conflict-free. Share the road safely, forgive each other for mistakes and transgressions and enjoy the day. Let’s bike, walk, run, rollerblade and drive with a real sense of community and mutual respect.

We have resolved the issue for this year, but the future is uncertain. For anyone interested in discussing or hearing ideas about potential permanent solutions for Wellington Crescent and other active transportation routes please email me at activewinnipeg@outlook.com. Your information will be treated confidentially.

Bill

Original Petition:

On June 16, Winnipeg's Executive Policy Committee voted to open Wellington Crescent to weekday vehicle traffic two months earlier than planned. (September 7th rather than November 5th) . City council is poised to approve this with a final vote on on Thursday, June 24th!

Wellington Crescent is a beautiful street that offers residents and visitors respite from the stress of the pandemic. While a handful of the street’s residents have expressed concerns, many more Wellington residents strongly support the daily closure to vehicle traffic. They feel that enabling active lifestyles and living in a beautiful traffic-free parklike setting far outweighs any minor inconveniences. But just as important, the street residents are not the only stakeholders. People from across the city are taking advantage of the opportunity to share this beautiful street together and gain physical and mental wellness.

Last season the city undertook a detailed survey through Engage Winnipeg. Results released in November 2020 showed that the vast majority, 75% of Wellington Crescent residents supported Open Streets (58% very positive and 17% positive). Only 13% of Wellington Crescent residents opposed the street being closed to vehicle traffic. We respect the views of all people, but a vocal minority should not dictate the future of this program. There is significant and city-wide support.

The Open Streets program is providing room for safe, healthy recreation and enabling active transportation. The safety, health and environmental benefits of this program should be fully considered in a rational manner.

The current vehicle restrictions should stand until the pilot program’s planned end date of November 5th. The City should collected data on traffic flows and Winnipeg citizens should again be consulted before deciding what measures should be in place for next year.

Please sign this petition and share your views with Mayor Bowman, the City Clerk and your local city councilor.