Winnipeg to start initial process for downtown rapid transit corridor designs

The City of Winnipeg is getting the ball rolling to start exploring rapid transit for the downtown.

In a news release Tuesday, the city said it will soon be collecting information from people who live, work and own businesses in downtown that would be along the proposed corridors to “understand how they use the streets and learn what matters most to them.”

The city plans on reaching out to people in June for meetings with the information obtained to be used in determining design options.

Following this, the city said it will have three rounds of public consultations starting in the fall of 2026 and going until the spring of 2028.

“By summer 2028, we will have a design that will show what rapid transit in downtown will look like,” the news release notes. “We will also have a cost estimate that we will use to apply for funding for construction. Timelines for construction will depend on funding.”

According to the transit master plan, the corridor would see on-street rapid transit on Main Street from Marion Street to Portage Avenue, then from Portage to Sutherland Avenue. Also, Portage from Main Street to Maryland Street.

There are also plans for an elevated transit-only infrastructure that would go between Harkness Station and Portage.