Winnipeggers will wait until May for bike path, sidewalk plowing plan after city report delayed

After a two-year delay, a report on plowing active transportation paths in Winnipeg has been laid over once more.

Public works committee chair Coun. Marty Morantz said the active transportation snow clearing report was on Friday's agenda, but the report wasn't ready and was put over to May — after being requested back in March 2016. 

"I'd hoped to have the report today, but it just wasn't quite ready to be published," said Morantz.

But because it was on the agenda, several delegations came to present in support of more plowing of bike paths and sidewalks during the winter months.

Right now, the city is governed by a snow clearing policy that requires major streets to be cleared after three centimetres of snow accumulates, while it takes five centimetres of snow to trigger plowing of other bus routes, collector streets and back lanes.

Residential streets are cleared after a 10-centimetre accumulation — or when public works officials determine ruts on a particular street are dangerous.

Sidewalks may be cleared after five to eight centimetres of snow, depending on where they are.

Delay causing 'real-life harm'

At Friday's meeting, Matthew Robinson told the committee snow clearing was addressed at a recent event Urban Brew event, part of the series of informal discussions and panels on civic issues. He said the two-year delay has caused "real-life harm" to disabled Winnipeggers.

"Further delaying this report and these changes will only create these same issues next year," Robinson said.

"We need to be listening to some of the experts that have come out and talked about this, how we can prioritize pedestrians, prioritize cyclists, prioritize people in wheelchairs and people who are aging, [people with] temporary disabilities, in our environment during the winter."

He wants to see more accountability for how quickly routes are cleared, to avoid sidewalks at major bus stops going unplowed for weeks.

Urban planner and civil engineer Alexander Ashton says he attended Friday's meeting because people like his grandparents are heavily affected by snowfall — and a lack of snowplowing.

"I have grandparents who live here, and I have grandparents who live in Greece. My grandparents who live here cannot go outside," Ashton said. "They're still very healthy, but because of snow clearing, they can't go outside."

He considered helping them move downtown, but says snowy sidewalks are still a problem there.

"If you have some mobility issues, you're completely limited or, worst-case scenario, locked inside for days or weeks."

Ashton wants people to think about cycle paths for more than exercise, noting they can be safe places for parents with strollers or people on wheelchairs to travel.

At the meeting, Coun. Jeff Browaty pointed to arguments against more plowing, suggesting it's inefficient. Ashton responded by suggesting the city could target a few streets where more plowing could have a bigger impact.

As for whether those concerns will be echoed in the Active Transportation Network Winter Maintenance Strategy, Morantz said answers will have to wait until that report is released in May.

"I think when it is [published], I think you'll see it's quite comprehensive."

The committee did hear the results of a separate snow clearing report on Friday, focusing on two successful eco-friendly de-icing pilot projects — one with beet juice and another with brine — and using sidewalk snow-removal equipment during the summer by buying tractors that can also work as mowers.