City of Winnipeg report rejects idea of pedestrian scramble at River and Osborne

A proposal to introduce Winnipeg's first pedestrian scramble at the intersection of River Avenue and Osborne Street has received a cold reception from city staff.

The Osborne Village BIZ included the idea of a scramble at the intersection in a neighbourhood blueprint released last spring, which aimed to make the neighbourhood friendlier to pedestrians, cyclists and transit users.

Other cities in Canada, such as Toronto, have introduced pedestrian scrambles — which stop vehicle traffic in all directions, allowing pedestrians to cross from all sides of the street at once — at some intersections.

But a new report at city hall recommends against proceeding with the idea.

"[A] pedestrian scramble is not recommended at the intersection because it would likely increase both vehicle and pedestrian delays and also be cost-prohibitive," manager of transportation planning David Patman wrote in the report.

The report lists a number of advantages and disadvantages of a pedestrian scramble. Among the advantages, Patman wrote that it would separate turning vehicles from pedestrian crossings, since vehicle traffic would be stopped while pedestrians cross.

It would also allow pedestrians to cross diagonally and increase pedestrian visibility, the report says.

Disadvantages include a longer traffic signal cycle, which would increase delays for pedestrians and vehicles. It would also impact signal cycle lengths at nearby intersections, since those signals would have to be co-ordinated.

According to a traffic study in the report, estimated increased delays for vehicles and pedestrians range from one second to nearly 30 seconds.

There could also be challenges with introducing a new audible pedestrian signal for people with visual impairments.

Last year, a separate motion raised by area Coun. Sherri Rollins also asked city staff to consider eliminating the slip lane that allows vehicles to turn right from Osborne onto River.

The new city report also recommends against eliminating the Osborne slip lane, because doing so would require moving the Winnipeg Transit stop on the island at the corner, and there are no suitable alternative locations, Patman wrote. 

"The elimination of the channelized right turn at River Avenue and Osborne Street would require motorists turning right to use the same lane as the transit bus stop and transit priority queue jump lane," Patman wrote.

The report says concerns about vehicle speeds through the slip lane can be mitigated through changes in the the River Avenue-Stradbrook Avenue road renewal and protected bike lane project — which started construction last summer and will carry over into the upcoming construction season.

That project will narrow the roadway in the turn onto River by modifying line paint, and will remove or relocate some street furniture on the island to improve sightlines, the report says.

Disappointed councillors

Osborne Village Business Improvement Zone executive director Zohreh Gervais said she's disappointed in the report.

"I am frustrated that the pilot has just been dismissed," she said in an interview.

"As you can see, this is an area that has tons of pedestrian traffic as well as vehicular traffic, and it's something that needs to be examined to make this neighbourhood more walkable."

Rollins said she is comfortable with the potential delays a pedestrian scramble would cause, if the tradeoff is increased pedestrian safety.

"If a car headed to a different neighbourhood has to wait 60 seconds, I am very cool with that wait as the local area councillor protective of my Osborne Village neighbourhood," she said.

Rollins also rejected the report's assertion that closing the slip lane at River and Osborne would require moving the transit stop.

She plans to attend the public works committee meeting on April 9, when the report will be discussed.

Public works chair Coun. Janice Lukes said she was also disappointed the report rejected the idea of a pedestrian scramble.

"I have more questions for the department on the pedestrian scramble, on why we can't do a pilot and just try it," she said in an interview.

A separate report on the public works agenda recommends designating Wolseley Avenue as a permanent neighbourhood greenway, reducing the speed limit to 30 kilometres per hour year-round. 

This would be the first of five streets previously included in the enhanced summer bike route program to be designated a permanent neighbourhood greenway.