June 16 2024- Bus Lobby Uses Dysfunctional Transit Logic

The Great Canadian Talk Show

A Winnipeg Free Press editorial derided the residents of Wolseley for fighting City Hall, comparing them to "stereotypical Winnipeggers who staunchly oppose" new policies and are "“notoriously” resistant to change."

Sounds like they opposed a bike lane, right?

But this time, it wasn't about bikes. This was about buses.

In Episode 2 of Season 5, you'll hear about the contempt the newspaper showed for almost 500 concerned residents of Wolseley and West Broadway.

(See charts listing their concerns on ActionLine.ca.)

Part 1- The contempt starts with the special interest group driving the changes. The Transit lobby demands means the City is "taking the system we have right now and blowing it up and starting over again."

For Wolseley that meant bus traffic was aiming where it isn't wanted, risking homes and school kids. A 'Greenway' is no place for a bus. With no routing planned west of Arlington, users there face walking for 20 minutes to get to a stop, in winter, at night.

Whose side did the Free Press take?

Not the taxpayers or the actual bus users in Wolseley. Their concerns are "cultural obstinancy."

The "culture" the Free Press insists taxpayers adopt is that of a group called Functional Transit Winnipeg. It had steered a moderate course under its founder, Joe Kornelson but has taken a radical turn after a former NDP politician from Calgary got involved.

You'll hear key background the media- and their own website - doesn't tell you, and you'll wonder why. Then you'll hear what the editorial didn't tell readers about what's at stake.

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16:44 Part 2 - We sample feedback about the meeting, and about the comment of FTU's Brian Pincott- who has lived in Winnipeg for all of 5 years- that the #10 is "the most inefficient route imaginable."

Functional Transit Winnipeg and their allies at the Free Press dismissed faked consultation, safety issues, 20 minute walks to a stop, and labeled the residents as luddites. Is that logical?

22.00 Marty Gold exposes how the planners rigged the consultation process after Transit admitted they 'differentiate stakeholders from residents."

A previous bike lane audit required the City to treat residents as stakeholders- so what gives? To boot, St. Boniface parents had no idea of the route change. A St. B school trustee laughed it off.

28:04 Forced to re-jig route plans in St. James after Kelly Ryback spoke up, promised discussions with Wolseley users were kaiboshed.

One theory: "It would apparently be too disruptive because they are concerned other neighbourhoods uncovering flaws will demand the same."

The effect of an Arlington route boundary on seniors, kids and women further west, and whether buses will interfere with emergency vehicles using Arlington south of Portage are valid, vital safety concerns - but not to the Functional Transit Winnipeg lobby group.

The media described Pincott's position: 'the biggest challenge for the city is not getting bogged down with individual needs and wants.'

Instead, Pincott wants a City hiring spree to plant cheerleaders for the master plan at bus stops.

Guess how much it costs?

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The snubbing of people taking time to deal with City Hall was capped off by Public Works chair Janice Lukes.

“So maybe it’s a year of no transit [in some areas]"

No buses for a year?

MSM won't explain the impact of her cavalier gamble on going to church, shopping, getting home after basketball practice.

"Maybe it’s a year of transit on the greenway. It can change after a year.”

As Marty points out, it could change on Tuesday at EPC, if councilors develop some backbone and represent the voters and Route 10 transit users, and not the bus lobby.

Coming up: Crime and Courts Update; More with Coun. Jason Schreyer; Tuxedo Votes