The questions below were asked by residents and the responses are from the Department.

These non-answers cloud the ability to ensure the best route is chosen and are needed to answered before a route is chosen.

Parker Rapid Transit Questions and Replies

Through traffic

Q: How will traffic going to and from the Rapid Transit line access the line from Pembina and Waverley?

Although Functional Design and service planning for Stage 2 of the Southwest Transitway has not yet been completed, access to the Corridor could potentially occur at Pembina and Jubilee, at Hurst/Beaumont, at McGillivray, at Bishop Grandin, at Markham, and/or at Bison.

Protecting Green Space

Q: Will the line go through forest or the line of trees that run along Parker?

A: The impact of Stage 2 of the Transitway on the tree areas along Parker will be better understood with the completion of the Functional Design Study in approximately 12 months’ time.

Noise

Q: What type of noise can the neighbourhood expect and what measures are been recommended to minimize any noise?

A: One can get a very good sense of the noise associated with the Transitway by standing on the AT path alongside of Stage 1 of the Southwest Transitway. Many people find that the operation of buses along the Corridor is surprising quiet, and in fact, very few noise complaints have been received since operation of Stage 1 began in April.

Active Transportation

Q: Will there be an active transportation path built with the Rapid Transit Line?

A: Although details around the development of AT facilities will be better defined during Functional Design, the intent is to support Stage 2 of the Transitway with AT improvements.

Dog Park

Q: Will the Rapid Transit line impact the Brenda Leipsic Dog Park?

A: As with the Green Space questions, the impact of Stage 2 of the Transitway on the area will be better understood with the completion of the Functional Design Study in approximately 12 months’ time.

Safety

Q: Are there any safety concerns associated with having rapid transportation run alongside an existing neighbourhood?

A: Similar to Stage 1, construction of the corridor will be sited near to existing and proposed residential developments in an effort to maximize the value of the service. Although construction of the Transitway presents risks similar to any other roadway, it is important to note that transit vehicles utilizing the corridor will be operated by professional drivers.

Potential Expropriation

Q: Are homes going to be expropriated?

A: The potential for some expropriation of properties does exist. The details of these expropriations will be better understood following Functional Design.

Residential Access to the Neighbourhood

Q: Are any of the present road access points into the neighbourhood going to be closed off?

A: The potential for the closure, or relocation, of some road access points does exist, particularly with Hurst Way. Again, the details surrounding this issue will be better understood following Functional Design.

As for the posting of the findings of the Stage 2 Southwest Transitway Alignment Study – we expect to have the report (and the maps in the report) posted to our website shortly.

For more information on the project go to:

http://winnipegtransit.com/en/inside-transit/futuredevelopment/

The City has removed the majority of the stumps after the first big snowfall in 2012, but some were missed due to the extensive piling of snow along the sidewalk.

The Department has indicated that finishing the job is a priority once the snow disappears in 2013.

This is part of a longer process in designing an Academy Rd. streetscape that represents the neighbourhood, is full of people walking and enjoying the many offering along the street and is a show piece to proud of.

On August 16th, 2012, I met with a number of residents to discuss the purpose, side-effects, and any suggestions to the Harrow barricade at Academy Road.

I was asked a number of questions, which I have provided answers to below:

Why does Harrow have a barricade?

The barricade was placed as part of the City of Winnipeg Active Transportation network (insert link) and includes a traffic light, to make the Harrow/ Academy intersection safer for bicycle and pedestrian crossing, while not allowing for an increase in vehicle traffic to and from Wellington.

The traffic light was placed to allow safer crossing along Harrow at Academy Road. It connects the Harrow Active Transportation Corridor from Wellington Crescent to Pembina Hwy, and crosses the other Active Transportation Corridors at Grosvenor and Warsaw.

Providing a four-way light at Harrow would have provided access via Harrow St. to and from Wellington Crs.

The results would be making

- Increase vehicle traffic along Harrow and Wellington Crs as a through route for people going and coming from downtown.

- Harrow from Academy to Wellington Crs would be a lineup of cars waiting to cross Academy Rd in the morning, and a lineup of cars along Kelvin High School to cross over Academy to Wellington Crs going home.

- Increasing the amount of cars speeding along Wellington Crs

- Provide a less safe crossing point for cyclist and pedestrians to cross Academy Rd. to the Wellington Crs paths.

Before the barricade vehicle cut-through traffic originating at the Maryland Bridge would travel through Wellington and on to Harrow, as an alternative to Academy and Stafford which has more traffic lights.

Additional vehicle cut-through traffic originating from the east would travel through Wellington and on to Harrow, as an alternative to Academy to Stafford, which has more traffic lights.

Traffic counts along Harrow Street before the barricade were at 350 vehicles per day to the north of Academy, and 5500 vehicles per day to the south of Academy. The four-way light would have dramatically increased the traffic along Harrow, a non-regional street, to the north and south of Academy.

The barricade provides the safe crossing for bicyclists and pedestrians, while not increasing this vehicle traffic.

Did Council vote to have the barricade put up?

There was no council vote for the Harrow barricade. The barricade was a part of the 2009 Active Transportation Stimulus plan, which was a plan to design and construct a network of active transportation paths where they are most needed across the City of Winnipeg.

The City contributed one third of the cost, with the province and federal government paying the other two thirds.

The plan to fund an Active Transportation Stimulus Plan was adopted by Council on December 15th, 2009 as part of the 2010 Capital Budget. The infrastructure changes along the proposed routes were managed by the Public Works department with public input into the designs.

Were public consultations held before the Harrow barricade was constructed?

The coordinating consultant for the 2009 Active Transportation Stimulus Plan held public consultation events for input and feedback on the proposed changes for the Harrow, Grosvenor, Fleet, and Warsaw. The details are below:

January 30, 2010 - Earl Grey Community Centre

· Promoted through Free Press and community newspaper ads

· Colour posters along the routes and nearby commercial corridors

· Listed on the Winnipeg Active Transportation website

February 24, 2010 - Earl Grey Community Centre

· Promoted through the Free Press

· Colour posters along the routes and nearby commercial corridors

· Letters hand-delivered to all households and businesses directly adjacent to the proposed routes

· Letter and package hand delivered to all local schools

· Emails to residents from first consultations

· Mall promotions

April 12, 2010 – Kelvin High School

§ Local Residents received invitations from the City of Winnipeg to an information session regarding the Barricade.

Were the Public Consultations Adequate?

I believe the public consultations fell short of what was required. As such, I took initiative in sending out post cards to all residents north of the CPR tracks in February 2010, notifying residents of the proposed changes, inviting them to attend the public consultations, and inviting any feedback or suggestions they may have. Additionally I sent out emails to as many residents and community leaders I could reach, provided neighbourhood updates on my website, and encouraged residents to sign up to my email updates on the issue.

Why was Harrow chosen as a bike path route?

The city conducted a bicycle route study in 2009, which showed that both Harrow and Stafford combined were one of the highest used bicycle routes in the city. The counts were consistent with the counts of the local bicycle lobbyist organization, Bike to the Future. Harrow was chosen as an Active Transportation Corridor because it’s a safer alternative to Stafford. Also, fewer bikes on Stafford would improve traffic flow along Stafford.

Have more bicyclists been using Harrow?

The city doesn’t have current bike counts for cyclists using Harrow to/from Wellington, although Bike to the Future counted bicyclists traveling along Harrow crossing Grosvenor. During the 2011-2012 counts, there was an increase of 136% in bicycles using Harrow at Grosvenor.

Were alternatives to the barricade considered?

The other choices reviewed by the department included crossing lights and pedestrians corridors but were considered as unsafe alternatives.

I met with a number of local residents in late 2010 to discuss suggestions regarding the Harrow barricade. Residents came up with an alternative design allowing westbound Academy traffic to access northbound Harrow, and allowing southbound traffic along Harrow to turn right onto westbound Academy. This option was designed to not allow for northbound Harrow traffic to cross the Academy intersection. The department reviewed the request and denied it in January 2011. The department stated these turns “would be contrary to the intent of having refuge areas for cyclists as they proceed across Academy Road. Allowing the turn movements would place the cyclists in conflict with turning vehicles.” In other words, the vehicles would need to drive over top of the bike lanes in order to make these turns.

I met again with local residents on September 16, 2012 and another alternative was presented by some community members which allowed traffic to go west bound onto Academy from Harrow. This alternative was denied by department for the same reasons as stated above.

What is the impact of the barricade on local residents?

Since the barricade has been put up, some local residents have expressed concerns about increased traffic in the lane between Guelph and Harrow, increased traffic along Guelph Street north of Harrow, exiting onto Academy from Guelph, accessing their properties and difficulty with parking along Harrow. :

What has been done about the increase in back lane traffic between Harrow and Guelph?

Once the barricade came in, a number of drivers began using the lane adjacent to Academy connecting Harrow and Guelph to go onto Harrow and then onto Wellington Crescent. Drivers also turned from Wellington onto Harrow, and down the lane to Guelph. While traffic counts were relatively high at first, a number of things were done to decrease the traffic volume.

· In June of 2011 and 2012 my office notified the local churches at the corner of Wellington and Academy of upcoming Sunday road closures and appropriate traffic routes for parishioners to use during Sunday closures.

· In June 2011, my office asked the city’s traffic control unit to ensure that clear passage is made along Wellington to allow vehicles to travel along northbound Guelph to eastbound Wellington Crescent. I ensured this passage has continuously been maintained.

· I requested that on Sundays ‘Local Access Only’ signs be installed along east and westbound Wellington for summer and fall 2011, and again 2012.

· I arranged for an additional “Local Access Only” signs to be placed at the intersection of Wellington Crs and Academy, facing incoming traffic, to remind them of the closure and divert them away from Wellington Crs. and towards Academy before they arrived at Harrow and Wellington Crs. and the Sunday road closure signs.

· I requested a traffic volume and speed study, which measured two full weeks of traffic between Sept 17 and Sept 30, 2011 along the back lane. The average daily counts were 113 vehicles per weekday, and 125 vehicles per weekend day. The city concluded this is below the expected normal volume of 9.8 vehicle trips per day per household (totaling 130 trips along Harrow per day). The majority of vehicles were below the 30 km per hour speed limit with the average speed being 21 km per hour and the 85th percentile being 29 km per hour.

· Speed humps were not installed along this lane because the speed study showed the percentage of speeders was too low to meet the city warrant criteria for speed humps.

Can anything be done about the increase in traffic on Guelph?

I have asked the department to do a traffic study and provide options to address this traffic.

Has anything been done about the parking on Harrow north of Academy?

Because the lack of motor vehicle traffic now makes this section of Harrow safer for cyclists, I requested that the parking be re-instated along Harrow, despite the bike lanes. The department re-instated parking along the west side of Harrow in December 2010. In July 2011, the department decided not to allow parking because it would encourage further traffic to use the lane between Harrow and Guelph. I also requested that this portion of Harrow be no longer designated as a no-parking snow route during the winter months. The criteria was reviewed and a decision will be made by the department shortly.

Is the barricade safe?

The barricade, with the traffic lights, allows pedestrians and cyclists to easily cross Academy with reduced conflict with motor vehicles. This intersection had dangerous crossing beforehand. While Sunday traffic has increased along the lane, I ensured a dead-end sign was installed in 2011, and have worked with the local churches to ensure visitors have received information about alternative routes. I will continue to work with residents to ensure side effects do not pose a safety hazard.

Can the crossing time at the Harrow light be increased?

The current light crossing time is approximately five seconds of green light time. The department chose this timing because they do not want to promote traffic on Harrow as an alternative to Stafford. The department noted this is sufficient time for several vehicles to get through and for most people to get across. Longer time would encourage more drivers to use Harrow as an alternative to Stafford.

I discussed the crossing time at this light with the department in July 2011, five months after the installation of the traffic counts. At that time 311 had not yet received a request for an increase in crossing time at this intersection. The department advises that this light provides more than sufficient crossing time at the average walking speed. Should you have any reason to request an increased in crossing time, I will be happy to ask the department to review it.

Can a park with trees be placed on Harrow instead of a barricade?

Possibly. This would likely further reduce the potential of vehicles making illegal turns, and replace the barricade with a beautified landscape. However, at this point, local residents continue to bring suggestions for changes or removal of the barricade. A park should only be considered if there is plenty of agreement amongst the community that this should be done.

Can the Harrow traffic light be put on Wellington Crs instead?

No. Wellington Crescent at Harrow is an intersection of two residential streets within a residential neighbourhood. The more logical location is the intersection of Harrow and Academy. Wellington Crescent is widely used as a leisure route, open to pedestrians and cyclists during Sunday closures. A traffic light would have a significant negative impact to the beauty of this street.

Could a photo radar camera enforce traffic movements, reducing the need for a barricade?

A photo radar camera can only monitor traffic – it cannot enforce it.

1. Slow your speed as you approach the intersection.
2. Stop in advance of the sidewalk if pedestrians are crossing.
3. Yield to vehicles that arrive first at the intersection. Yield to vehicles on the right if arriving at the same time.
4. Keep to the right and travel around the traffic circle in a counterclockwise direction.

The City of Winnipeg understands that many of our green spaces are not accessible due to geese dropping and have responded by setting up the Canada Goose Citizens' Information Network

The City of Winnipeg is providing groups and individuals the opportunity to learn techniques to encourage or discourage Canada geese particularly around retention basins and in parks.

As part of this project, we will also be monitoring geese populations in the city.

This will require gathering information about the locations of nests and numbers of geese in selected areas.

for more information go to: http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/naturalist/ns/Goose.asp

Q: How will the traffic flow be guided through Waverley West from Kenaston Blvd, and how will the westbound traffic on Bishop Grandin Bv. be directed into Waverley West?

A: The segment of Kenaston Blvd currently under construction will connect North Town Rd (in Waverley West) to Bishop Grandin Blvd and be open to traffic later this fall. This is the first stage of the larger project extending Kenaston Blvd to the perimeter highway. This larger project includes construction of a "flyover" bridge to provide free flow for southbound Kenaston to eastbound Bishop Grandin Bv traffic.

Q: How will this connection be made to direct westbound traffic from Bishop Grandin Bv into Waverley West, and to direct traffic from Waverley West onto Bishop Grandin Bv.?

A: Initially (prior to construction of the bridge), all traffic movements will flow through a signalized intersection at Bishop Grandin Bv and Kenaston. Upon the opening of the bridge, all traffic moving between the existing Kenaston Bv and Bishop Grandin Bv will be free flowing (southbound to eastbound via the bridge and westbound to northbound via two by-pass lanes), while traffic moving to and from the extended portion of Kenaston will travel through a signalized intersection.

Q: Will pictures become available so we can see what is proposed?

A: We will soon have some diagrams up under the Major Projects page of the City website: http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/majorprojects/

Q: What are speed humps?

A: As described in the Transportation Association of Canada’s (TAC) Canadian Guide to Neighbourhood Traffic Calming, “a speed hump is a raised area of a roadway, which deflects both the wheels and frame of a traversing vehicle. … [Speed humps are] intended to produce sufficient discomfort to limit travel speeds yet allow the driver to maintain vehicle control. Its design is intended to limit effects on emergency, maintenance and transit vehicles while allowing cyclists to comfortably cross the speed hump.”

Q: How do they work?

A: Speed humps have been proven to have substantial benefits in reduction of vehicle speeds (Source: TAC). However, speed humps are not intended to address issues of high traffic volumes - studies of speed hump installations have shown only minor reductions in traffic volumes.

Speed humps provide a gradual rise and fall and are designed to prevent vehicle damage when traversed at the recommended speeds (indicated with advisory speed signs). The dimensions of a speed hump are approximately 4.0 metres (13 feet) wide and 80 mm (3 inches) high.

Q: What are the steps/ conditions to getting speed humps in a street or alley?

A: The Warrant Criteria, or steps, to getting a speed hump are as follows:

Warrant Criteria #1: The street/ alley is a local residential street and is not a Transit route, snow route or a residential collector street. If this is criteria is met go to Warrant Criteria #2

Warrant Criteria #2: Submission of a petition representing a minimum of 70% of the residents in the block (one signature per residence) on both sides of the street in support of the installation/removal of speed humps. Petitions can be found at http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/InformationAndResources/TrafficControl/TrafficCalming/speed_humps.asp

If this is criteria is met the City Traffic Department will perform a traffic study of the street/ alley. These studies are scheduled in the spring and fall while school is still in and the traffic volumes are at their highest. This gives the most accurate reading of the peek volume and speed.

Warrant Criteria #3: At least one of the following criteria is met:

(i) Average speed exceeds the speed limit (50 km/hour) for streets, (30 Km/hours) for alleys; or

(ii) At least 15% of vehicles exceed the speed limit by 5 km/hour or more (55 km/hour); or

(iii) At least 10% of vehicles exceed the speed limit by 10 km/hour or more (60 km/hour).

More information and petition forms can be found at the City of Winnipeg web site.

http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/InformationAndResources/TrafficControl/TrafficCalming/speed_humps.asp

Speed hump Brochure

http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/PDF/Transportation/2010SpeedHumpsStreets.pdf

Warrant Criteria Speed humps on Streets

http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/Transportation/pdf/Warrant_Criteria_Installation_Guidelines_-_Street_Humps.pdf

Warrant Criteria Speed humps on lanes

http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/Transportation/pdf/Warrant_Criteria_-_Speed_Humps_in_Lanes.pdf

A motion to accept Option 4 for the widening of Kenaston Blvd from Taylor to Ness was presented to Council and approved. Preliminary information about this plan is available on the City of Winnipeg website at the following address:

http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/Route90/

Council meeting information:

http://winnipeg.ca/clkdmis/ViewPdf.asp?SectionId=298777

Background

In 2007 the City conducted a preliminary design study for Route 90 between Ness and Taylor, which focused on improvements in areas such as safety, vehicular operations, Transit operations, Active Transportation opportunities, capital cost, and reducing neighbourhood and property impacts; such as reducing vehicular emissions, attenuating traffic noise and reducing neighbourhood shortcutting.

FAQ

Q: Why is the Kenaston Expansion Project needed?

A: Route 90 is a vital north-south transportation corridor linking major residential, employment and commercial areas in the southwest and northwest quadrants of the City. It is a major truck route and is the Winnipeg link in the Mid-Continental Trade Corridor. Already one of Winnipeg’s busiest thoroughfares, Route 90’s role in the movement of people and goods will expand with developments.

City standards provide justification for widening to six lanes when the traffic volume reaches 35,000 vehicles per day. The current volume is over 50,000 vehicles per day. The volume is expected to increase to 70,000 per day by 2030 due to new development projects to the south. Insufficient capacity results in congestion and regional traffic spilling onto residential streets not designed for this traffic.

Q: What does the preferred alignment look like?

A: The preferred alignment expands Kenaston on either side of the current roadway. The portion that will have the most impact is that to the north of Tuxedo, where the proposed alignment expands slightly to the north. A detailed map is available here:

http://winnipeg.ca/clkdmis/ViewPdf.asp?SectionId=298779

Q: What would the road and the intersections look like?

A: A cross-section of the street is available here:

http://winnipeg.ca/clkdmis/ViewPdf.asp?SectionId=298778

Q: Where is the process presently at?

A: The preliminary design has been approved by the City of Winnipeg Council. The project cannot start, however, without Federal Government financial support. Until this support is secured, no construction will begin.

Q: Can the project begin before the Kapyong Barrack and Air Force Housing issues are negotiated?

A: Yes, the major work will involve adding an additional span to the St. James Bridge and re-alignment which can be done in a first stage. This would still require Federal Government funding and would add to the over-all cost of the project.

Q: Where are negotiations regarding the Kapyong Barracks lands and acquisition of a row of the PMQ (military base) housing?

A: Pending. Timelines are not available at this point however this motion will be used to help move matter forward at the Federal level.

Q: What steps were taken to consult with the public?

Community residents and businesses were consulted for this plan. These public consultations included first person interviews, small meetings, survey questionnaires and two public open houses between fall 2008 and fall 2009. A diagram of the consultation process is available here:

http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/Route90/42031TimelineWebJan8-09.pdf

Citizen comments are available here:

http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/Route90/PDF/Route90-OpenHouse1Comments.pdf

In addition, I have taken it upon myself to speak with and meet local residents, find answers to questions, and to provide periodic updates for this project on my website. I have brought forward the concerns addressed by local residents and the broader community to the project manager and to Council before voting on this decision.

Q: How will this affect the River Heights/Ft. Garry Ward?

A: The proposed expansion will reduce commercial and through-traffic along adjacent streets for a time.

In order to reduce traffic noise levels, sound attenuation walls are proposed. The walls would range in height from 2.4m in rear or side yards to 1.2m in front yards. Removal of the local street and lane connections to Kenaston Boulevard will allow for longer continuous sections and more effective sound attenuation.

The new intersection alignments at Grant and Kenaston and Corydon and Kenaston will address safety issues.

Directly adjacent to Kenaston, 64 homes in the River Heights / Fort Garry Ward will need to be partially and fully expropriated in order to expand the road. (find out how many full as Corydon is less and increases at you go to Academy.)

In addition, an access road will connect Boulton Bay residents to Taylor, in order to better accommodate southbound traffic originating on Boulton Bay.

Q: How will Active Transportation be accommodated in the new design?

A: The proposed plan has a sidewalk on each side and a cycling path along the west side of Kenaston between Wellington Cres to the north and through the Kenaston underpass to the south. The plan recommends that the City connect the cycling path with other existing active transportation paths in the area. The plan also recommends a pedestrian and cyclist overpass across Kenaston at Lockston Avenue.

Q: Will there be an active transportation trail on the East side?

A: The plan has not been finalized however attempts will be made to get an active transportation trail on the East side however there may not be the room available.

Q: How will the new plans affect transit? Is there room for a future rapid Transit route along this corridor?

Route 90 has also been identified as a potential transit quality corridor in the City’s Transportation Master Plan. A Transit Quality Corridor is a major transit corridor that has a comprehensive set of coordinated transit priority measures.

Potential improvements for Transit operations along the proposed Kenaston expansion include queue-jump lanes, transit priority signals, upgraded centralized transit stops and real-time scheduling information displays. The location and specific types of improvements for each intersection will be determined at the detailed design stage.

Q: What other options were considered for the Kenaston Widening?

A: Five conceptual alternatives for widening Route 90 were developed by the project consultant team and an interdepartmental project steering committee and presented to the public at a two day open house event in January 2009. These options included the following:

Option 1 - Widen Kenaston on the west side

Option 2 - Widen Kenaston on the east side

Option 3 - Widen Kenaston on both sides

Option 4 - Widen Kenaston on alternating sides

Option 5 - One-Way Pair using the former Oak Point Rail line for northbound lanes

The three highest rated alternatives (Options 1, 4, and 5) underwent preliminary design and further assessment taking into account comments received during the initial Open House event. The resulting preliminary designs were then presented to the public at a second Open House event held in November 2009.

At both Open House events Option 4 (Widening on alternating sides) received the highest rating by the public and by the project steering committee and was therefore selected as the recommended widening option.

The most significant disadvantages of the other four options are the following:

Option 1 Widen West - This option was the second most preferred option; however, it requires land from the Manitoba Youth Centre and results in a poor alignment with the St. James Bridges.

Option 2 Widen East - This option was considered infeasible due to the substantial negative impact upon commercial and condominium properties. It requires the acquisition of developed properties on the east side for the full length of Kenaston Boulevard including all privately owned homes on the east side of Kenaston Boulevard.

Option 3 Widen on Both Sides - The property acquisitions necessary for this alternative are the highest of the 5 options. It requires removal of all homes on both sides of Kenaston Boulevard, yet offers no operational improvement compared to the preferred option 4.

Option 5 One Way Pair - While this option performs nearly as well as the other 4 options it creates an island effect, surrounding a pocket of homes and Carpathia School with high traffic volumes and introduces high traffic volumes into areas that currently carry only moderate residential traffic volumes. It also separates northbound and southbound transit movements making transferring more difficult. Due to recent building projects within the former Oak Point rail right-of-way the property acquisition costs for this alternative could be as much as $15M higher than the recommended alignment. By separating the northbound and southbound lanes, this option would also double the number of individual signalized intersections between Taylor Avenue and Academy Road.

Q: Has the City considered having a raised highway?

A: The enormous capital expense and ongoing maintenance costs, the added expropriation needed for onramps and off-ramps, and detrimental effects to the neighbourhood being under a freeway make this option an impractical solution for Kenaston.

Q: When are overlays used?

A: Overlays are applied to roads that are graded Fair or better. They are used to prolong the life of a road. Several sections of Academy that are graded fair have received overlay in recent years, most recently Waterloo to Oak.

Q: Why wasn’t the Oak to Oxford section of Academy done earlier as it is in the worst shape?

A: Academy from Oak to Oxford is graded Poor. As such it did not qualify, as regular overlay deteriorates quickly when applied to poor foundations.

Q: What changed?

A: The city is testing a new thicker overlay on Academy from Oak to Oxford. This over-lay is unique as it is a new product developed as a treatment for issues associated with similarly poor graded streets.

This is a test to see if this new type of asphalt overlay will last over time and be suitable to assist sections of road graded poor. We need to know that the product will be cost effective.

This is a temporary measure until Academy can be programed into the Capital budget for rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Q: How much did it cost?

A: To overlay this section of road it cost $70,000.

When was the last major maintenance done on Academy Road?

The City has completed concrete repairs and overlays on different sections of Academy each year for around the last 5 years.

What does a "failed" road mean exactly?

A failed road means it requires Rehabilitation or a Reconstruction due to the condition of the joints or slabs.

What is the current plan for the maintenance and/ or renewal of Academy Road?

The current plan is to add Academy from Elm to Harrow to a list of potential projects to be circulated to other departments for comments/recommendations for future works. If Academy is ranked high on the list of candidates it will be considered for a future Capital Program. If it does not then it is deferred to a future date.

What can be done to reduce the noise from vehicles, mainly trucks and buses, as they hit the cracks on Academy Road?

Street Maintenance will continue to provide patching on Academy until it reaches the Capital Program. I will continue to support and lobby for an interim asphalt overlay if reconstruction is not approved in the short term.

What can be done to limit the number of large trucks using Academy Road to reduce the shaking of home foundations even as far away as the fourth house from Academy Road? In every single e-mail we received, residents reported concern and distress over the increase in noise, banging and rattling caused by large vehicles on this road. Some have reported pictures falling and china rattling in cabinets. Others, who have lived in the area for several decades, feel that an increase in foundation cracking is connected to the increases in vibrations and rattling from the road.

The request to have Academy Rd delisted as a truck route was not supported by Public Works however I am open to exploring if there are other options including in-ground barriers.

There is an issue with that Academy Rd. is an important route to ensure that truck traffic does not use residential streets to cut through River Heights.

What can be done to enforce the speed limit of 50km/hr on Academy - many vehicles travel faster than 60km/hr. This is especially problematic around Guelph and Academy where the road curves and residents of this area have seen a number of trucks and semitrailers overturn at that corner when they were taking it too fast. For pedestrians, this blind corner is very dangerous to cross at as well.

The Community Police Officers and the Traffic Division will be providing additional radar enforcement activities on the street and a traffic study to determine actual speeds is in process.

What is your plan to address these and other related issues with the city committees and administrators? Many residents simply asked; when will the reconstruction begin?

I have and will continue to make the appropriate committees and administration aware of the need and the priority of getting Academy fixed. I wish I knew but can not say when the project will begin.

What is the estimated cost of a full reconstruction of Academy between Oak and Oxford?

The estimated cost to reconstruct Academy from Elm to Oxford is $1.8Million

What was the cost of the full reconstruction of Waverley Street (road only, not sidewalks) between Academy and Wellington Crescent?

The budget for Waverley between Academy and Wellington is $470,000. This work was done under the Local Street Renewal Program

In determining whether specific road work must be earmarked in the capital budget or whether it is funded out of a general ongoing maintenance budget, is there a dollar limit criterion, and, if so, how much?

Operating money is used small patching and the Rehabs, Mill and Fills, and Reconstructions are allocated through Capital Budget. The money for this project would come out of the Capital Budget which Council approves every year.

Can we expedite a solution to our immediate problem of the failed roadbed by fully reconstructing only the segment from Oak to Oxford now?

It may be an option and one that will be considered.

When is the next key date when decisions on prioritization of the road capital budget occur? How can we influence this process?

The Department has conferred with me this summer regarding what I believe the priorities are, the Department then assesses all the projects in the Ward and City based on available budget. These recommendations would then go to various City of Winnipeg Standing Committees for review and input and other consultative processes begin in the fall. Council would then vote on the Capital Budget.

It is suggested that all those affected call 311 to report the vibrations as this is a part of consideration when selecting candidates.

The City sent a resident that listed criteria for prioritizing road capital projects. Nowhere in this list was the costs imposed by failed road conditions on the residents of the area. The residents of houses in a band on either side of Academy along the failed segments endure multiple shocks and house tremors on a daily basis, and the annoyance cause by this failed road is a real private economic costs to residents. Are these costs considered by the City’s engineers in the road Capital prioritization process?

The answer is that a person can always make a claim against the City however I was told that there would be no way to accurately and objectively quantify the costs.

Is the traffic camera at Oak turned off at night?

As long as a camera is in the housing then it is turned on for speeding 24 hours a day. (Confirmed with Police services)

For more information regarding traffic cameras go to. http://www.winnipeg.ca/police/safestreets/faqs.stm