Winnipeg, MB - A report was published today for Executive Policy Committee's (EPC) consideration which would see an Accelerated Regional Street Renewals request submitted to the Federal and Provincial governments to leverage the New Building Canada Fund (NBCF).
“During and since the last civic election, my number one priority has been fixing Winnipeg’s roads,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “We have heard loud and clear that fixing the roads is the number one priority for Winnipeggers and we’re delivering on that priority. This request to leverage the New Building Canada Fund would significantly increase the already unprecedented levels of funding we have put towards fixing our roads.”
Since 2013, quarterly polling has consistently shown the number one issue or concern of Winnipeggers is the poor condition of City streets. Within the City of Winnipeg there are over 10 million daily vehicle-kilometres driven by commuters and approximately 80% of the traffic volume is on regional streets.
“As Chair of the Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works Committee, one of the main components of my mandate is to lead record infrastructure renewal,” said Councillor Marty Morantz. “Historic funding has already been committed to fixing the roads and this Federal funding request would enhance our ability to improve Winnipeg roads. We are not looking for any new investments from the Province for this program, only their support of our application to access Federal funding.”
If approved by the Federal government, the combined funding from all three levels of government would total more than half a billion dollars over six years towards regional street renewals.
Application to the NBCF would strengthen the forecasted Council funding allocated to the Regional Street Renewals from 2018 to 2023. If approved, the Federal funding request would increase the Regional Street Renewals by 50% from current levels, resulting in a full one third Federal contribution of $182M over the six year span. No additional funding would be required above the current projected funding levels from the Province and City.
Currently, the City of Winnipeg has accessed only $45.875 million of NBCF funding through the Waverley Street Grade Separation Project, which results in only 7% of the funding allocated for the Province of Manitoba. The addition of the NBCF funding for the Regional Street Renewals along with the Waverley Project would result in $227.875 million, or 34% of Manitoba’s total NBCF funding.
“In the 2014 Budget, I was proud to introduce the Regional Street Renewals fund as a means to consistently provide investments into improving the roads in Winnipeg,” said Councillor Russ Wyatt. “An effective one third contribution from the Federal government would be a welcome addition to the investments this Council has committed thus far.”
The administrative report outlines the following projects that would be made possible if the funding were approved:
- Portage Avenue (Woodlawn to Garden)
- Pembina Hwy (Ducharme to Des Trappistes)
- Main Street (McAdam to Partridge)
- Roblin Blvd. (Shaftesbury to Assiniboine Park Dr)
- Selkirk Avenue (Arlington to Sinclair)
- Salter Street (Selkirk to Jefferson)
- University Crescent (Pembina to Chancellor Matheson)
- Broadway (Osborne to Main)
- Keewatin Street (Inkster to Adsum)
- Maryland Street (Westminster to Maryland Bridge)
Council approval is required to proceed with accessing Federal funding to increase external funding of the City’s Regional Street Renewals.