Getting around Downtown

As part of CentrePlan 2050, we will be creating a Streetscape Design Standards Manual and the design of key Downtown Bike Routes.

Streetscape Design Standards Manual

The creation of a Streetscape Design Standards Manual (Manual) will provide long-term clarity on the vision for how our streets will be designed. This will create predictable outcomes for street design by establishing a set of standard design requirements and streetscape elements.

The Manual will categorize Downtown streets by types, based on their function in the roadway network and the planned adjacent land uses. It will also provide recommendations for how space is allocated within the sidewalk area for each type of street, including placement of furnishings, trees, and other streetscape elements.

Downtown bike routes

The Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies (PCS) provide the long-term vision for accessible, convenient, and safe walking and cycling infrastructure for people of all ages and abilities. The PCS also assists in prioritizing active transportation infrastructure projects throughout the city.

The PCS is undergoing an update as part of Transportation Master Plan: 2050. The following key routes have been identified for further study to improve connectivity to/from and within the Downtown:

• St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue
• Notre Dame Avenue and Cumberland Avenue
• William Stephenson Way
• Graham Avenue (see Re-imagining Graham Avenue theme)

Winnipeg Transit – Long Term Plan for Downtown

The Winnipeg Transit Master Plan (WTMP) was approved by City Council in 2021. The WTMP re-envisioned the transit route network and sets new priorities for Rapid Transit city-wide. For the first time, there is a city-wide plan for both transit service and rapid transit infrastructure.

Rapid Transit infrastructure plan
Rapid Transit corridors will be developed in stages, from Downtown moving outward. All three rapid transit lines will meet on Main Street between Portage Avenue and Stradbrook Avenue. Union Station will be the central hub of the rapid transit network.

The Downtown Rapid Transit Corridors project includes sections of Portage Avenue and Main Street (including along the “high line” through Union Station).

The Downtown Rapid Transit Corridors design study will begin in 2025 and finish in 2027. Construction would begin sometime after 2028, subject to funding approval by City Council and other levels of government.

Transit service plan
We’re transforming the transit route network. The proposed Primary Transit Network and its feeder routes will launch on June 29, 2025. More buses will travel north/south through Downtown, while fewer will travel east/west, reducing bus traffic on Graham Avenue and Portage Avenue. Once Rapid Transit infrastructure is built Downtown, all Graham routes will move to Portage Avenue.