Many will recall that, a little over two years ago, the Standing Policy Committee on Public Works (SPC PW) considered a public service report that could have led to road safety improvements in Osborne Village, including the closure of a slip lane and installation of a scramble crossing as a pilot project at River Avenue. In the end, despite considerable support from the public and from area Councillor Sherri Rollins (who championed the initiative), the committee rejected the proposal, which predicted minor delays to drivers commuting through the Village were it to be implemented.
The public service has returned with a report outlining potential measures to increase safety in response to another motion made by Rollins, this one in January 2026. The report examines Osborne from Broadway to the St Vital Bridge. In the report, Osborne Street in the Village in particular is described as “… currently serving multiple, competing functions. It is a Regional-street and full-time truck route that accommodates over 30,000 vehicles per day. The route crosses the Assiniboine River (Osborne Street Bridge) and Red River (St. Vital Bridge) which makes it an attractive commuter route linking downtown to south Winnipeg. It exists in a dense, pedestrian-oriented development area that is close to rapid transit, which is at odds with the high flow of motor vehicles that travel daily along the corridor.”
With that description, it’s no surprise that the area contains three of the city’s top 11 worst intersections for pedestrian injuries. (And anyone who bikes along basically any part of Osborne knows it is no picnic to ride on, either.) Tragically, the area also recorded a fatality last year when author, journalist and area resident Rosalie Tennison died after a driver hit her as she crossed Osborne at Roslyn with the right-of-way.
The new report is on the agenda for this Thursday’s meeting of the SPC PW. This is an important second chance to be heard on improvements to road safety in our city, albeit in a piecemeal approach, until there is a decision to adopt Vision Zero like so many municipalities have done successfully. Please register to speak on the report, and if you aren’t available, be sure to submit comments to have your voice heard.
Here is the agenda (look for Item 13, In-Service Road Safety Review for Osborne Street)for the meeting which begins at 1 PM on Thursday, September 10 at City Hall. And all you need to know about participating in a meeting, either in person, virtually, or in writing, is here. Note: You must register to speak or send comments by noon on Wednesday. It is a hard deadline with no exceptions.