Winnipeg Area Transportation Study
{{short description|1960s era transportation plan}}
The Winnipeg Area Transportation Study, or W.A.T.S. as it is commonly known, is a regional transportation plan created during the administration of the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg.
Study Period
In 1962 Metro's Planning Division, headed by George Rich and Boris Hryhorczuk, set out to survey the daily commuting habits of metropolitan Winnipeg citizens. The preliminary plan included the circumferential Suburban Beltway, would double the amount of major thoroughfares and the new roadways would cost between C$100–200 million.{{Cite news|title=Metro's Bridge-Road Plan A 25-Year Traffic Safeguard|date=November 22, 1962|work=Winnipeg Free Press|page=1}}
They officially announced the creation of the WATS group on December 11, 1963.{{cite news|title=Keep public transit wheels moving is the aim of WATS|last=O'Malley|first=Martin|date=December 11, 1963|work=The Winnipeg Tribune}}
- February 1966, Volume 1: Base Conditions released.
- July 1966, Volume 2: Travel Analysis released.
- September 1968, Volume 3: Recommendations released.
The Plan
The recommendations of the W.A.T.S. report was to construct 5 "radial" freeways, 1 suburban beltway, and one {{Convert|5.4|mi|km|abbr=|order=flip}} underground subway line=
=Freeways=
- Northern Freeway — scuttled after opposition from a local school in 1979–1980.
- Southern Freeway — described in Plan Winnipeg literature as a "re-alignment" of Wilkes Ave.
- Western Freeway - along Silver Ave.
- Eastern Freeway
- Southeastern Freeway — would create a downtown bypass and link up with the Disraeli Freeway.
- Suburban Beltway — a ring-road a few kilometres inside the Perimeter Highway.
=Subway=
A {{Convert|5.4|mi|km|abbr=|order=flip}}, 11 station underground rapid transit line from Polo Park to Hespeler in Elmwood. Four of the stations would be located underground in the downtown Winnipeg area (Memorial, Donald, Fort, City Hall/Centennial Centre). The line would require 15 trains to start. During peak (rush) hours, trains would operate every two minutes. Park and Ride facilities and feeder buses oriented towards the rapid transit stations would complement the line. It was estimated that, in 1968 dollars the subway line would cost $158 million.{{Cite news|title=Need $158,210,000 For Transit|last=Lisoway|first=Bob|date=February 28, 1969|work=Winnipeg Free Press|page=29}}
The precursor to the planned subway line was the Norman D. Wilson report, Future Development of the Greater Winnipeg Transit System published on March 4, 1959.
= Surface bus =
Aftermath
A $330,000 preliminary engineering study for the Sherbrook-McGregor Overpass was budget for in January 1969,{{Cite news|title=Metro Streets Dept. Proposes $14 Million In Construction|date=January 4, 1969|work=Winnipeg Free Press|page=9}} the same month the W.A.T.S. study Volume 3 Recommendations were released.{{Cite news|title=Five Freeway Planned To Speed Traffic In Future|date=February 28, 1969|work=Winnipeg Free Press|page=29}}
Plans to construct the first segment of the W.A.T.S. freeway, the Sherbrook-McGregor Overpass, were continually delayed during the 1970s as the City studied the option of having the CP railyards moved.{{Cite news|last=Phichyn|first=Paul|title=Sherbrook-McGregor Overpass Decision Stalled For A Month|date=April 13, 1973|page=3}} In 1979 it was estimated to cost about the same to relocate the CP railyards, C33.7 million, as it would be to construct three projects Sherbrook-McGregor Overpass, replace the Arlington Bridge, and upgrade the Salter Street Bridge at C$32.5 million.{{Cite news|last=Boyens|first=Ingeborg|title=Costs of overpass, moving CP yards even|date=January 30, 1979|work=Winnipeg Free Press|page=4}}
In 1980-81 city transportation planners tried unsuccessfully to add the Northern Freeway to the city's five year Capital Budget. The Northern Freeway was to connect Sherbrook St. with McGregor St., creating the Sherbrook-McGregor Overpass. However, Sr. McNamara of the Rossbrook House opposed this and City Council ultimately voted against it.{{Cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Paul|title=J.A.A. Gosling|date=June 25, 1981|work=Winnipeg Free Press|page=46}}
Instead, Winnipeg Transit purchased feeder buses built by Orion Bus Industries of Ontario via the Urban Transportation Assistance Program (UTAP). The first of these buses were delivered in July 1981.{{cite news
|first = John
|last = Forsythe
|title = Transit Tom thumbing fuel guzzlers: Buses smaller; but so's fuel bill
|url = http://uwto.org/sun/transit_1981orionbuses.html
|publisher = The Winnipeg Sun
|page = 8
|date = July 27, 1981}}
Another W.A.T.S. Freeway, the Southern, Sterling Lyon Parkway, which includes the Kenaston Underpass started construction in June 2004, and successfully completed in November 2006 at a cost of $43 million.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.rossbrookhouse.ca/about/history.htm Rossbrook House]
- [http://uwto.org/transit_plans.html uwto.org - Transit Plans]
{{Transportation-planning}}
Category:Transportation planning