Transcona Trail- Pandora Ave West Connection Backgrounder

The Trasncona Trail was one of the biggest projects included in the 2010 Federal Stimulus Fund Package. It runs 6.7km from the Perimeter Highway across the northern limit of Transcona before veering southwest to follow the CEMR rail line to Regent Ave, where it ends.The Transcona Trail Extension project will extend the Transcona Trail across Regent Avenue and westward to Panet Rd. Construction of the Transcona Trail Extension is currently scheduled for 2019.

 

A second project included in the 2010 Federal Stimulus Fund Package constructed a pathway along the north side of Pandora Ave W between Plessis Rd and Day St. Pandora Ave East will undergo major rehabilitation work in 2020, which should extend the Pandora Pathway form Day St to Wayoata St. Similarly, Regent Ave West is scheduled for a mill & fill rehabilitation between Plessis Rd and Rougeau Rd in 2021.

Upcoming Rehab Work Needs to Include Connection between Transcona Trail & Pandora Pathway

It’s obvious that a low street connection between the Transcona Trail and the Pandora Pathway would provide a lot of benefit for people biking into or out of Transcona. The Regional Street Renewal program includes the renewal and reconstruction of the City’s regional streets, sidewalks and recreational walkways/paths, as well as incorporating pedestrian and cycling facilities on regional street renewal projects where identified in the Winnipeg Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies.

Beyond the entrance to 1500 Regent Ave, accommodating people on bikes along Regent Avenue would require a significant reallocation of roadway space and may not be politically viable at this point. Pandora Ave W, just south of Regent Ave and with far better connectivity to Mission Gardens Neighbourhood to the south Regent Ave, has wide boulevards between Owen Rd and Plessis Rd where a pathway could easily be built, and which would provide a direct connection to the existing pathway on the north side of Pandora Ave W. This pathway is part of the planned bike network laid out in the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies. West of Owen Rd, Pandora Ave W is a quiet residential street that is suitable for people on bikes as is.

To provide a connection between the Transcona Trail at Rougeau Rd and Pandora Ave W, we see two possibilities.

1. A neighbourhood greenway mixing pathways and on street travel on low stress roads may be possible if an easement for a pathway behind the Frontier Toyota Lot can be acquired. This would connect to a pathway through a vacant park lot to Rougeau Garden DR and through a back lane to the CEMR Rail/Hydro Corridor and the Transcona Trail.
2. A pathway built along the south side of Regent Ave W from the CEMR rail line and hydro corridor to Starlight Dr, which would provide the connection to Pandora Ave W.

Our recommendation is to include construction of a pathway and neighbourhood greenway connection between the Transcona Trail and the Pandora Pathway in the rehabilitation works planned for Regent Ave W in 2021. A public engagement process should be included within the 2020 Pandora Ave E Rehabilitation project to determine connections between the Transcona Trail and the Pandora Pathway, and to provide preliminary and detailed design for the Pandora Pathway along Pandora Ave W.

Key Candidate Commitments

• Commit to including a preliminary design and public engagement process in the 2020 Pandora Ave E roadway rehabilitation project to set plans for a low stress bikeway connection between the Transcona Trail and the Pandora Pathway.
• Commit to including construction of any recommended low stress bikeway connection between the Transcona Trail and the Pandora Pathway as part of the Regent Ave W rehabilitation project planned for 2021.
• Commit to  including construction of any recommended pathway on the north side of Pandora Ave W between Day St and Wayoata St (and along Day St) as part of the planned roadway rehabilitation of Pandora Ave W (Day St to Wayaota St) and Day St (Pandora Ave W to Regent Ave W).

More Information

Transcona Trail Extension Project (City of Winnipeg)
Eastern Corridor Study (City of Winnipeg)
Revised Budget – Regional and Local Street Renewal 2019-2023 (City of Winnipeg)

• Appendix A: Regional and Local Street Renewal Capital Detail Sheet
• Appendix B: Maps showing location of regional street renewal 2019 to 2023