UPDATED Winnipeg, October 18, 2018 – On Saturday, October 20, Winnipeggers will meet at Portage and Main to celebrate the iconic intersection for Open Fest – a free festival of local musicians, artists, food and drinks organized by Vote Open Winnipeg volunteers.

Richardson Plaza will host the main stage with concerts, speakers, coffee and donuts. While 201 Portage will have local beer from Little Brown Jug, Nonsuch Brewing Co., Lake of the Woods Brewing Company and cocktails by Forth.

“It’s so encouraging to have the support of the local musicians and business owners who bring so much culture to this city,” said Anders Swanson, Executive Director at Winnipeg Trails and Open Fest Concert Organizer. “Open Fest is a way to end the election in a positive way by celebrating Winnipeg’s culture. We invite all Winnipeggers down to enjoy great local music at the heart of our city.”

The concert will include performances by Royal Canoe, Mahogany Frog, JP Hoe, Sweet Alibi, members of Red Moon Road, local DJs and more. The Purple Room will also be hosting an open mic from 5 pm to 9 pm.

Admission is free, but Vote Open is accepting donations for the Children’s Rehabilitation Centre at Richardson Plaza. Walking, biking and Winnipeg Transit are the encouraged ways to get to Open Fest. Cyclists can safely leave their bike with Bike Valet Winnipeg who will be posted up for the event.

All vendors are donating a portion of their services.

For more information about the event visit www.voteopenwpg.ca/OpenFest.

Contact:

Adam Dooley, Dooley PR
204-291-4092
adam@dooleypr.com

Or

Anders Swanson, Concert Organizer
204-797-1962
andersswanson@gmail.com

The post Show some love at Open Fest: Free Concert Saturday appeared first on Vote Open Portage and Main.

WINNIPEG – October 15, 2018 – The Coalition for Portage & Main is calling on the next Winnipeg City Council to find solutions to improve traffic flow across the downtown, especially around Portage and Main. The volunteer citizens group is recommending councillors start by considering a north-south transit mall along Fort Street and Notre Dame Avenue.

“We know the 2016 traffic study says reopening Portage and Main will have minimal impact on traffic, but this campaign has shown that a large number of Winnipeggers are frustrated over downtown traffic today,” said coalition spokesperson Adam Dooley. “Instead of accepting the status quo, our city’s leaders should be looking for better ways to do things. If we’re able to pull most or all buses off Main Street, that will be a large step towards making all traffic move faster through Portage and Main.”

The idea was proposed to the coalition by former Mayor Glen Murray who points to the success of the east-west Graham Avenue transit corridor. It helped reduce bus traffic on Portage Avenue. It has also attracted major new investment over the years from the Manitoba Hydro building to the arena and the new True North Square. It was also home to the Winnipeg Jets’ whiteout parties in 2018.

“Leaving Portage and Main as is, is guaranteed to achieve two dismal outcomes in the long run,” said Murray. “First traffic congestion will just get worse as the current design funnels all traffic – transit, active transportation and automobiles – into one channel. And the current design does not allow for a reasonable redesign to improve traffic flow.”

Fort Street is currently an underutilized north-south street with few storefronts. It also connects to Notre Dame, which is an effective route into and out of the downtown. A Fort-Notre Dame transit corridor could funnel buses on and off Main Street at Logan, William or Bannatyne in the north connecting with Notre Dame at Princess, King or Arthur; and buses could enter and exit at Assiniboine or Broadway in the south of downtown. This would make better use of Fort and run transit routes close to Red River College in the Exchange.

“This will require planning and consultation,” said Murray. “The point is that there are ways to make downtown better for cars, buses, pedestrians and for downtown businesses. There are no savings by keeping Portage and Main closed. The repairs now needed on the roof of the underground concourse will cost many millions of dollars and force the city to renew the intersection. Now is the time to fundamentally rethink Portage and Main for the 21^st Century.”

A “No” vote will entrench the status quo, leading to worse traffic in the future. A “Yes” vote allows the city to fix Portage and Main. Murray added that tax increment financing is a model that the city has used to effectively fund downtown developments in the past including Waterfront Drive and True North Square. The transit mall coupled with a redesign of Portage and Main is another suitable use for tax increment financing. It stands to improve property values and lure new businesses, both of which can expand the city’s tax base. With nearly 20,000 vehicles added to Winnipeg’s roads every year, the city needs to address traffic congestion now.

“This has been a divisive debate over a relatively minor project. We want to end this campaign by reaching out to people who are frustrated by traffic today,” said Dooley. “We believe the city can and should do better. We know the city has a lot of repair work to do at Portage and Main. It makes no sense to rebuild it in the same way. Vote Yes and demand council build a better, smarter system for traffic all over the area.”

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