WINNIPEG — A new poll suggests that Winnipeggers are nearly split on whether the rapid transit expansion should be fast tracked. Results lean towards residents saying the city should fast track the expansion.
According to the poll conducted by Insightrix Research for Global News and CJOB, 48 per cent of Winnipeggers surveyed agree that the Winnipeg bus and rapid transit (BRT) expansion should be fast-tracked.
Meanwhile, 41 per cent disagree and another 11 per cent aren’t sure.
Initially, the project was projected to cost close to $600 million but now the estimate is $467.3 million.
Despite the savings, the price tag can still make it difficult for Winnipeggers to get behind the project.
“Infrastructure projects are vastly expensive and its hard to people behind that to say lets spend the 400-million lets get that first leg together,” said Jino Distasio, director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg.
In order to get people to use the transit system more often, the southwest corridor needs to be finished so people can see that it works, he continued.
“You can move people really efficiently using the BRT based system as long as we get behind it and really just finish that leg and demonstrate that it works,” he said.
It’s unclear how the money saved on Winnipeg’s BRT expansion will be spent. There are also many questions surrounding the completion of the entire BRT system.
Mayor Brian Bowman promised it would be done by 2030 during his election campaign nearly two years ago.
The rapid transit plan has six legs and so far, half of one has been completed.
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