On Friday November 16th a press conference was held in the walkway above Graham Ave by representatives from all three levels of Government to discuss Transit Improvements. To view the press release and Backgrounder click on the Moving Winnipeg Transit Improvements Forward Press Release.

- The first phase of the bus stop upgrade program is nearing completion. Phase one of this major upgrade program includes the installation of 104 new shelters of which 37 will be heated shelters, new signage and information kiosks, new benches, and sidewalk improvements. The new signs represent a major change in our bus stop identity replacing the traditional flying T and bus that have adorned transit bus stop plates since 1986.

New Shelter and Sign at southbound Pembina Highway at Warsaw

The Phase one upgrades have been at major stops including:

• Downtown (Graham, Portage, Main, Vaughan, Donald, Fort, U of W)
• Confusion Corner - Osborne Village (Stradbrook and River)
• Polo Park
• Kildonan Place
• St. Vital Centre
• University of Manitoba
• Pembina Highway
• Henderson Highway
• Regent Avenue West

Additional upgrades will be undertaken along other major arterial roads and at major activity centres in 2008 and 2009. These other corridors include Portage Avenue and Main Street (outside of the downtown), Notre Dame, McPhillips, Marion/Goulet, St. Anne's, St. Mary's, and Grant Avenue.

On-Street Transit Priority Program
Phase one of the On-Street Transit Priority Program, part of the Transit Improvement Program approved by Council in 2006, also began this fall. The three phase program in being undertaken from 2007 to 2009. Phase one includes work on Pembina Highway, St. Mary's Road, and St. Anne's Road. Most of the work will be completed this fall, with some measures on St. Mary's and St. Anne's being completed next spring.

During each phase, three to four major arterials are assessed for transit priority improvements (such as signal timing improvements, road geometry improvements, transit queue jumps, transit signal priority lights, and transit-only lanes) with the most feasible measures subsequently being implemented. The goal is to improve bus operating speeds and transit on-time reliability in each corridor. New transit priority areas in Phase 1 where only transit buses are permitted to operate 24/7, will have new concrete with a red tint. The distinct colour of the concrete has been used in other jurisdictions and has been found to be an effective self-enforcement design technique to keep non-transit traffic from using transit-only lanes.

Phase two will include the Henderson, Nairn/Regent, Notre Dame/Cumberland, and the McPhillips corridors with implementation in the summer/fall of 2008. Phase three includes Portage, Main, and Marion/Goulet scheduled for the summer/fall of 2009.

Some of the 2007 improvement highlights include:

• Improvements to signal timings at all intersections along Pembina
• Widening of NB University Crescent to 3 lanes between Wedgewood and Pembina
• Construction of a "Transit Only" roadway between the off-ramp from Bishop Grandin to Chancellor and the bus bay at Pembina and University Crescent
• NB Pembina and Jubilee - new Queue Jump with "Transit Only" approach lane and transit priority signal
• North and Southbound Osborne at Confusion corner - new Queue Jump with "Transit Only" approach lane and transit priority signal
• WB Exit from Osborne and Corydon bus bay - new transit priority signal for buses turning south on Pembina Highway
• Improvements to signal timings at all intersections St Mary's Rd and St Anne's Rd
• NB St. Mary's and Bishop Grandin - new short "Transit Only" lane near-side and far-side the intersection
• New transit priority signals SB St. Mary's and Bishop Grandin and SB St. Mary's and Fermor
• NB St. Mary's and Dakota - new Queue Jump with "Transit Only" approach lane and transit priority signal
• St. Anne's and Bishop Grandin - new SB and NB transit priority signals.
• NB St. Anne's and Fermor/Kingswood - intersection improvements at Fermor to permit buses to approach Kingswood without changing lanes, plus a transit priority signal at Kingswood
• NB St. Anne's and St. Mary's - new transit priority signal

Red Cement at Confusion Corner identifies Transit only lanes.

- In the 2006 capital budget that was approved by City Council on February 21, 2006 significant funding was authorized to implement many of the recommendations made by the Rapid Transit Task Force. The Task Force was set up by Mayor Sam Katz to develop a "made in Winnipeg" approach to future transit needs.

Over the next five years Winnipeg will see many changes in the way transit service is provided. With the upgrading and refurbishing of bus stops along "Quality Corridors" and major technological developments in the way we provide transit service information to the public the next few years will bring major challenges and improvements to Winnipeg Transit.

- On October 19, Executive Policy Committee received the final report of the Rapid Transit Task Force and recommended to Council:

1	That the Rapid Transit Task Force - Made in Winnipeg Rapid Transit Solution - Final Report dated September 2005, be received as information.
2	That the Proper Officers of the City be authorized to do all things necessary to implement the intent of the foregoing.
3	That the Administration review the report of the Rapid Transit Task Force and report back to Executive Policy Committee on analysis of options and advice with respect to:

• Implementation of the Report's recommendations
• A priority list of short-term improvements that can be undertaken in 2006-2007
• Timelines for potential implementation
• Costs of options being recommended
• Funding options for potential project costs

At its meeting on October 26, 2005, Council adopted the October 19, 2005 recommendations of Executive Policy Committee with respect to the final report of the Rapid Transit Task Force.

- Mayor Katz appointed the Rapid Transit Task Force, with Councillor Wyatt as Chair and Councillors Pagtakhan and Gerbasi as members. In addition, a six-person Advisory Council of citizens was appointed to support the Rapid Transit Task Force in its work.

The Rapid Transit Task Force officially commenced its work on December 15, 2004 with approval of its work plan by EPC Secretariat and Council approval of its project budget. The Task Force was to submit its report to Executive Policy Committee by June 30, 2005. In July 2005, Council granted a 90-day extension to this deadline. The Task Force completed its final report in September 2005.

- Council adopted a recommendation of Executive Policy Committee to reallocate $43 million of the Canadian Strategic Infrastructure Fund agreement from the Bus Rapid Transit project to community recreation and leisure facility projects, to allocate $7.5 million of the BRT funding to transit modernization initiatives, to pursue funding for transit modernization from other sources (including the Green Municipal Funds Program), and to establish a Rapid Transit Task Force to recommend a long-term rapid transit plan for the City.