Osborne Village bike-lane plans a start, not a solution, cycling advocate says

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This article was published 11/08/2022 (820 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mel Marginet is the definition of an avid cyclist: she travels around Winnipeg almost entirely by bike and spends her days working as a sustainable transportation advocate.

Despite living in South Osborne, Marginet rarely visits Osborne Village — the streets are too chaotic for her to feel safe on two wheels.

“There is no infrastructure, and there are so many vehicles, and they’re just going so fast,” she said. “It’s not a great place for riding a bike.”

But that’s likely to change next year; the city is beginning consultations on protected bike lanes in the Village. Stakeholder meetings with Osborne Village BIZ, Bike Winnipeg and small business owners in the area are scheduled next week.

Chris Baker, a senior active transportation planner for the city told the Free Press two bike infrastructure projects are planned: a one-way protected lane on River and Stradbrook avenues and two-way protected lanes on River from Bryce Street to Fort Rouge Park. A walking and cycling bridge connecting Fort Rouge and McFayden Parks is also being tabled.

The city plans to have the work done by next summer.

“It’s a pretty big step forward for the bike network,” said Mark Cohoe, the executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “With protected bike lines, we get an opportunity to develop a network so you’re not in mixed traffic.”

Sherri Rollins, the city councillor for Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry, said she’s among many in the area for whom bike safety is a top concern; she suffered a significant knee injury while cycling on a busy road.

“The calls are twofold: slow down traffic for pedestrians, and make sure things are safer for cyclists,” Rollins said.

She believes the protected lanes will enhance plans to revitalize the Village and make it more pedestrian-friendly.

“Osborne Village BIZ welcomes the opportunity to develop a healthier neighbourhood,” executive director Lindsay Somers said in a statement to the Free Press, adding she looks forward to the consultation sessions with local businesses next week to “develop a plan and path forward that is satisfactory to all our needs.”

Marginet said the protected lanes in the east and west corridors of the Village are a welcome addition but they won’t solve what she believes is the main issue: Osborne Street itself.

Osborne Street is what Marginet describes as a “stroad”—somewhere between a street and a road that has heavy traffic and is hostile to cyclists and pedestrians.

“Everything that’s really fun and interesting to go to is along Osborne,” she said. “For me, living in South Osborne, new bike lanes won’t be beneficial in any way because I would want to go straight up Osborne.”

Corydon resident Mia Duchamp recently got rid of her car to cycle full time. To avoid busy routes in Osborne Village, she’ll often take side streets to avoid narrow traffic lanes.

“If I’m going through the village, that Osborne underpass is not the best. I try to go around it as much as I can, but it’s really frustrating and there’s a lot of detours,” Duchamp said.

Through her work with the Green Action Centre, Marginet hears from many Winnipeggers who want to commute actively, but feel the city lacks the infrastructure to do so.

“If you look at how people say they want to get around, most people say they have no choice but to drive,” she said. “We have to start prioritizing the comfort and safety of those who are getting around in sustainable and healthy ways if we want to see any kind of improvement.”

Rollins believes investing in bike infrastructure is connected to a greater shift in consciousness in city planning.

“The project that’s going on in Osborne Village is a game-changer,” she said. “It is that step forward to build a culture of, not only the connectivity we need, but also the culture of a healthier, more sustainable city.”

cierra.bettens@freepress.mb.ca