Winnipeg mayor says city will have 6 rapid transit lines, but 'thinking is evolving' on how to deliver them

Mayor Brian Bowman says Winnipeg needs to be "open to different ways of delivering rapid transit" but says the city will still deliver oncampaign promises he made in 2014 to modernize Winnipeg's public transportation system.

Bowmanpledged to complete a total of six rapid-transit corridors by 2030.

But according toa Winnipeg Transit planning document from the fall of 2019, the city is no longer planning to build rapid transit corridors that are entirely separate from existing roads but rather, is looking at a mix ofrapid buses running on both city streets and on dedicated transit lines where necessaryto "bypass congestion."

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Bowman said his position since 2014 has been that the city "[needs] to be open to different different ways of delivering rapid transit."

"What is still being contemplated is six lines coming into downtown," the mayor told reporters on Tuesday.

"The thinking is evolving in terms of where they would go. The city has changed a lot over the years and we needto see thosestudies before we make any decisions on what would be the next line and where it would go."

Bowman says the ability to get funding from other levels of government has changed sincetheSouthwest Transitwaya dedicated corridorwas approved. The city's growth has also impacted how rapid transit will evolve in Winnipeg, he said.

"There could be smarter ways that we can move people and buses more efficiently in different areas," Bowman said.

"So we want to get the best and the smartest research and public engagement, so that we can make decisions on those additional lines."

The Southwest Transitway's first leg, completed in 2012, runs from Queen Elizabeth Way andStradbrook Avenue to Pembina Highway and Jubilee Avenue.

The second phase, running from Pembina and Jubilee to the University of Manitoba,is targeted to be operational in April 2020, at a cost of $467.3 million.