Winnipeg Roads

brainstorm

Asphalt vs Concrete - 100yr Costs

Average Lifespan: (Michigan DOT)
Asphalt: 15.5yrs
Concrete: 27.5yrs

Average Cost: (per sqft)
Asphalt: $2.24
Concrete: $4.36

100yr Cost Per Sqft:
Asphalt: $14.45
Concrete: $15.85

Asphalt still comes out slightly cheaper. Of course, conditions and regional pricing will be debated ad nauseum. I think the error pro-concrete people make is fixating too heavily on the first lifecycle length, instead of running a long term horizon analysis. Asphalt also bails you out of an immediate road crisis faster (which Winnipeg has), even if you want to switch to concrete later in the future. I'm on team asphalt.

brainstorm

Winnipeg loses the 9th most amount of time to rush hour, in NORTH AMERICA. It's 74hrs, according to TomTom data. As much as Los Angeles!

https://www.tomtom.com/traffic-index/ranking/?country=MX%2CUS%2CCA

brainstorm

Dug up accident data. Worst Winnipeg intersection is McGillivray @ Kenaston. Given that it is also among the most congested from this exercise, as well as this one, I'd put it in top 3 needed overpasses in Winnipeg. Maybe #1. This overpass is needed exponentially more than Perimeter at Oak Bluff. Perimeter overpass should be mothballed and province should chip 60-70% in for a SPUI interchange at Kenaston/McGillivray instead. Digging out of the infrastructure deficit requires ruthless prioritization. Oak Bluff ain't it.

There's a "level of government" issue playing out. Winnipeg accounts for 65% of Manitoba's GDP but doesn't get nearly 65% of the road money in return for the tax dollars they pay. These 2 levels of gov need to work together to accurately allot funds to who paid them. Right now rural is running off with the bag.

brainstorm

Winnipeg Traffic Flow Map (AADT)

Highest AADT is the St James Bridge at 69,000.

https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/transportation/pdf/2023TrafficFlowMap24HR.pdf

brainstorm

Here are the evening rush hour jam-points, from historical Google Map data. This is the master key to solving Winnipeg Traffic issues. My observations:

The majority of these jams are caused by lights. Backups, because traffic can't flow freely on the inner ring system. GET RID OF LIGHTS!
The highest priority overpass in the entire PROVINCE is at Bishop/St Mary's. NOT on the Perimeter. Levels of gov need to work together here.
Kenaston Widening is desperately needed. However the problems go deeper upstream and downstream. Including a need for McGillvary Overpass. The entire inner ring also needs widening to 3-4 lanes, especially on Rt 90 from Portage to St Annes.
Downtown has no "drain". It has no high flow method of dumping traffic in all directions when traffic wants to exit. It needs larger arteries. This points to a direct, free-flowing Waverly completion hooked to the Maryland Bridge for southwest traffic. It points to a direct free-flowing northbound artery to address McPhillips and Oak Point Hwy (not visible on pic). And it points to a more express way of draining Southeast traffic past Fermor.
Lagimodiere needs less lights, intersection closures, and some overpasses.
The Chief Peguis Expansion achieves basically nothing. Mothball it indefinitely. Fix actual current problems.
Cross-connecting Fermor to Wilkes would solve a LOT of issues.

Carboy15

Fermor and McGillvary connection would make sense as they almost perfectly connect with each other.
Kenaston widening is needed. Although I may have bashed it for inducing demand, I feel like 3 lanes isn't induced demand. Pembina Highway has 3 lanes each direction and traffic flows okay, but it's the access points that make stroads dangerous. Kenaston will still be a stroad, which is my problem with it. It should be grade seperated from the Portage Overpass to the Perimeter South.
Lagimodiere definetely needs less traffic lights and intersection closures. Upgrading and connecting Marion to Dugald would make a big difference.
Yes, CPT can wait. The North Perimeter should get an overpass at Pipeline before doing any of that. Therefore the Perimeter North would be functional for years ahead.
I feel like Wilkes and Jubilee could be connected, but it would be a bit hard as it would cut through the Beaumont Neighbourhood. It would require a railway underpass for the CN Letellier Tracks.

Carboy15

https://stroadz.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4/s/c0a8e8/r/FDhrrZJQ1tSHAIjQdlIx

Carboy15

BTW, does anyone think a McPhillips and Waverly connector route should happen? Orignally, the plan was to join Route 80 and 180 as a continuous arterial road. I understand it was opposed because it would cut through residential neighbourhoods. At least getting Waverley and Portage Ave connected would help lots. It would help take traffic off of Kenaston Blvd. That's another reason why the Route 90 is so congested in the first place, because of the lack of alterative routes. Besides the downtown Assiniboine crossings (which are all so close to each other) between Route 70 and the Perimeter, we only have 2 bridges, Route 90 and William R Clement.

brainstorm

Carboy15 A Waverley extension (to Academy/Maryland Bridge) would solve a lot of problems. But it would also duplicate the Kenaston widening. It kinda becomes "one or the other", Kenaston or Waverley.

Kenaston widening would be highest priority of the two IMO.

Carboy15

I also think a McPhillips and Waverley throughfare would make sense to have an almost end-to-end road from The Maples to Bridgewater. It would help the people from the South be connected to the Health Science Center while the North would be connected to MITT. Building that route would create an important connector for the city, as well as taking lots of traffic off the St James Bridge.

For sure, Route 90 should come first. But having alternative routes would help lots too.

Carboy15

Also, watching this video, this reminds me of Gateway and Raleigh Street. I remember talking abiut turning Gateway and Raleigh into one way street pairs. I mean, with the wide median, they could technically make one way pairs with u-turn lanes. But the issue is that many people would oppose it. Residents living there would defintely try to stop it, and people who use the trail wouldn't be happy about it. Also, while it may speed up traffic and make a safer stroad, it would be overbuilt for its traffic volume, causing more "Induced demand". And speed would be a problem too. Since it's currently 50KM/H, who would go that speed? I betcha people would use it as a racetrack and it would become the "Gateway 500" or "Raleigh Rally". Maybe even call it "Getaway Road" for those playing Need for Speed in real life 😂. But anyways, there's probably a sooner chance we will get this than remasters of NFS Underground 2 or Most Wanted 2005.

Carboy15

https://stroadz.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4/s/c0a8e8/r/oSh2tbp1VvY3GOOlMXPF

Oh, and remember when I was drawing up ways they could create back accesses for SCU and Focus Hyundai on Lag @ Almey? It just popped into my head that they should convert the Almey Intersection into a RIRO. It wouldn't be much of a detour for traffic wishing to come from SCU to go on SB Lag to loop around at the Concordia Interchange. That would be great for the time being until they can build an actual Interchange there, along with a back access to SCU.

If the case comes where an Interchange would be built at Lag @ Reendeers, they should just put a SPUI, and have the RIRO connect to a slip lane similar to Yellowhead Trail in Edmonton.

Same thing could be done to Lowson Crescent @ Route 90 with a SPUI at Sterling Lyon. Another reason I like SPUIs is because you can add a Texas U-Turn Lane similar to Yellowhead Trail in Edmonton.

brainstorm

Here's the 2025 construction map.

We're in an infrastructure crisis, and they're prioritizing residential streets over main routes again. Including my street, which simply needs 1hr of pothole filling, not a complete redo.

Until they've mill & filled the entire inner ring road, I don't want to see a single residential street on this map unless cars are falling through it.

fluxcore

brainstorm they're prioritizing residential streets over main routes

Main routes,, like Wellington?? The first street any visitor to Winnipeg sees,, and it's full of potholes and joint heaves,,

What a first impression,,

brainstorm

Winnipeg sucks at line painting.

Ontario does this right.

Ontario rigorously tests different line paint mixes over heavy traffic, to see which one survives the best. Thick compounds too. I've seen this with my own eyes. Meanwhile MB uses regular old shit paint that lasts 3 months at best.

Phone up Ontario MOT, see which paint is best. Start using that. Conduct some ongoing tests here with newer products to find the best value mix, so we can stop playing lane change roulette.

brainstorm

It is absolutely insane that Grant @ Kenaston is not being pre-buffered for an overpass in the Urban Reserve Kapyong Barracks development plan.

That's not even mentioning the 3 new incursions they want to stick on Kenaston (which should be 80kph and grade separated already).

Carboy15

First off, why do they need all those accesses to Kenaston? From Grant to Taylor on the West side, we have a service road proposed. I can't stress this enough that they're just creating another stroad rather than making a road. They're neither creating a destination or a walkable street, especially with 3 lanes per direction. And if they're putting all those controlled crosswalks (as opposed to overpasses) and Intersections.

I mean, they could still fit tight Interchanges which don't take up much space, maybe a SPUI at Grant, Corydon, and Tuxedo, along with a Peanut Interchange at Taylor. But c'mon, this should be in the plans. This should be done at Academy:
https://stroadz.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4/s/c0a8e8/r/eLbATNw9Ju3H3xPA9AbL

Not to mention, there one was a SPUI planned at Marion @ Archibald. Like What the Heck? Archibald gets nowhere near the traffic volume of Route 90, yet they had an Interchange planned there? Please ...

Carboy15

So ya, they're too scared to rip through an area that gets lots of traffic, but they wanted to build an Interstate style Interchange at Archibald @ Marion

Carboy15

Literally my reaction to that:
https://files.fm/f/p6nc44c273

Carboy15

The Intersection of Archibald and Marion would be more appropriate with a Roundabout Installed there. I understand roundabouts aren't loved on arterial roads, but it shows how little traffic that Intersection gets to justify an Interchange. Even so, that's one of the places that could get away with a Roundabout.