Go Steve’s

Road quality, 24/7 construction, and creating reserve funds key to Rebuilding Winnipeg

“My plan is the only one which will inject $150 million per year into rebuilding infrastructure,”. “I will ensure that money is spent on building quality regional and local streets which are built right the first time so we don’t have to keep going back to make repairs every 10 years.”

By spending $150 million per year on road and other infrastructure renewal, will increase the city’s current infrastructure renewal budget by 45 percent. By cancelling $600 million to $1 billion in spending for Phase 2 of Bus Rapid Transit, and selling city owned golf courses, ensures this infrastructure renewal will take place without a property tax increase.

added projects can be done faster and more efficiently by both closing the road sections being rebuilt and with a 24-hour, seven-day construction work schedule. He also pledged this work would be done by private sector companies. Approving the city’s capital budget in November will ensure this work can be properly planned.

Building roads properly, the first time, will also limit future traffic disruptions caused by road maintenance. Well-built roads lasting 50 years instead of 10 years require less maintenance and over time are cheaper for taxpayers.

There will also be better planning for future infrastructure maintenance. Under the plan, two percent of the property taxes collected from properties in new developments will be put into a reserve fund to cover the eventual maintenance and renewal of those roads. 

Winnipeg needs to do more to attract American tourists to the city

Winnipeg should be doing more to attract American tourists from North Dakota, particularly Grand Forks.

“We all know Winnipeggers head to Grand Forks to enjoy shopping trips in the United States,” said. “I want to ensure Grand Forks residents know they can get the same experience in Winnipeg.”

This weekend could be a time when both the Winnipeg Jets and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have home games. It could also feature a friendly hockey game between the University of North Dakota and the University of Manitoba Bisons.

pledged the City of Winnipeg could contribute $50,000 towards a campaign, which includes Destination Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, and the Manitoba Hotel Association. Other partners could include the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Assiniboine Park, and stakeholders such as Manitoba’s sport governing bodies and arts groups.

“The point of this exercise is not just to introduce more people to our city, but to even the north-south trade deficit which currently exists between Winnipeg and Grand Forks,” . “If this works, or looks promising, we can try it again. This is not a very expensive plan, but I believe it will pay great dividends for our city.”

added one of the reasons Winnipeggers travel to Grand Forks is to access cheaper air travel options for southern United States cities. Attracting a low-cost airline with similar destinations as Grand Forks offers would also help keep Winnipeg competitive. 

The practice of predatory photo radar enforcement must cease before Winnipeggers lose faith in the program entirely.

“When photo radar was introduced in Winnipeg in 2002, it was done to promote public safety, but the focus has clearly shifted to grabbing cash from unsuspecting drivers,”. “If we don’t make changes soon, the city will face the expense of having to refund fines collected from wrongfully-issued tickets en masse.”

Winnipeg citizens are losing faith in a photo radar system that is clearly unfair for drivers. Enforcement is targeting deficiencies in traffic engineering standards such as the improper setting of speed limits, poor speed limit signage and improper amber light timing at intersections.

There must be signage on both sides of the road when the road is divided by a median, including speed limit signs. That doesn’t happen in Winnipeg, and as a result the photo radar program issues 400 percent more tickets (on a per capita basis) than in other jurisdictions as a result. That’s not fair for drivers.

Winnipeg’s four-second amber lights, set regardless of the speed limit, result in 750 percent more photo radar tickets in 80 km/h speed zones. That’s not fair for drivers

There are known cases where a vehicle can receive two photo radar tickets from stations only several hundred metres apart. That is not a fair enforcement technique and it must stop.

Speed limits are artificially low on some streets, and that is driven by politics not sound policy. When traffic engineers used the nationally recognized standard to recommend the speed limit be raised, politicians ignored their advice. That’s not fair for drivers.

Fines levied through photo radar tickets are 250 percent higher than the average of all other provinces, and then the provincial NDP government doubled them again in construction zones. It is clear photo radar enforcement has become a tax grab. 

Moody’s ties city’s negative outlook to NDP government on Broadway

Moody’s indicated the outlook was downgraded because it is tied to debts racked up by the provincial NDP government and its inability to keep spending under control.

“The NDP’s record on taxing Manitobans is not defensible, and if Judy Wasylycia-Leis is elected mayor, you can be assured Winnipeggers will feel that tax pain once again,”said. “These tax increases will make it nearly impossible for Winnipeg to thrive. It needs to be stopped.”

Wasylycia-Leis has already promised a 12 percent property tax increase. However we can assume she will follow the provincial NDP government’s tax and spend policies. The links between Judy Wasylycia-Leis and the provincial NDP government responsible for record tax increases can no longer be denied. Peter Dalla-Vicenza, a senior policy analyst, has taken leave from his job in Premier Greg Selinger’s office to work on the Wasylycia-Leis campaign team. In other words, Selinger and Wasylycia-Leis are sharing the same staff.

The very people who imposed the largest tax increase on Winnipeggers since Wasylycia-Leis’ record tax increase in 1987 are now working to expand the NDP’s tax and spend regime to City Hall.

These policies could turn the city’s negative outlook into reality. It will cost more for the city to borrow money, which will mean Wasylycia-Leis will have to increase property taxes beyond the 12 percent she has already promised.

The warning signs are clear. Wasylycia-Leis will bring to City Hall an NDP government Winnipeggers can’t afford. She has raised taxes before. She has already said she will do it again. 

The tax increase proposed by Wasylycia-Leis harms young Winnipeggers looking to buy their own home, may make home ownership too costly for seniors, and will drive overtaxed Winnipeggers to neighbouring municipalities.

In 1987, she was an NDP cabinet minister in a government that levied the single-largest tax increase in Manitoba history. She raised taxes 37 percent on ordinary Manitobans in one year. When she was in government, she supported increases to the provincial sales tax. She has raised taxes before, and she has already promised to do it again.

This is the second-straight mayoral election where Wasylycia-Leis has said she will raise property taxes.

Winnipeg’s residents are already among the highest-taxed citizens in Canada. Those who battle to make ends meet will find it even tougher to survive in Winnipeg with Wasylycia-Leis and the NDP in control of City Hall.

Winnipeggers can’t afford more NDP tax and spend policies proposed by Wasylycia-Leis.  

will shelve Phase 2 of Bus Rapid Transit

Parker Lands plan adds $ 100 million to cost, but will not produce results for taxpayers

“My vision for the city is to ensure a rapid transit plan which not only offers the most direct route, but also enhances the developments already on Pembina Highway,” said. “A BRT route through the Parker Lands does not accomplish either of these goals. This BRT line is Winnipeg’s BiPole 3.”

said there is no reason to have a referendum on cancelling Phase 2 of the BRT plan. With the only candidate committed to cancelling Phase 2 through the Parker Lands, the Oct. 22 municipal election will serve as that referendum.

“Using the Parker Lands for rapid transit causes more harm than good,” said. “Not only does it cost $100 million more, but it also means people along Pembina Highway from Jubilee Boulevard to Bishop Grandin Boulevard would be better off taking a regular bus to connect to the Phase 1 of BRT.”

Spending $600 million to save only a few minutes in transit time is not an effective use of taxpayer dollars and does not improve transit service. The city’s share of the BRT costs will result in at least $221 million in debt. That works out to $600 per person in addition to the city’s current debt responsibilities.

In addition to those costs, another $20 million per year will need to be spent, starting in 2020, on the public-private partnership portion of the BRT project. This could result in property tax increases for Winnipeggers, transit fee increases or both. How that $20 million gets paid for will need to be addressed in the 2015 city budget. To cover those costs, a five percent property tax increase is required.

That’s why believes it is a major mistake to proceed with Phase 2 of BRT and will not support this plan. He will call for council to stop this plan at the very first meeting of the new city council. 

Photo radar must focus on safety and fairness
Photo radar enforcement should be about safety, not a cash grab

“Winnipeg’s photo radar enforcement program can only be about worker safety,”. “It fails the moment it becomes about revenue for the city. I support a photo radar enforcement policy which is reasonable and fair for all citizens.”

will implement a policy where signage is present that clearly indicates photo radar is present at construction sites, and enforcement will take place. Signage will also be required to clearly indicate where the lowered speed limit for that construction zone ends. Reader boards will also be present at construction sites indicating what your speed is and what the speed limit is in that zone. Posted signs showing photo radar will be used for enforcement 24 hours per day, seven days per week will also encourage safety.

“We don’t want anyone speeding through a construction zone,” said. “A completely successful implementation of this policy will result in zero photo radar tickets.”

An additional measure would implement is a two-tiered fine structure for those speeding in construction zones. When workers are not present, fines will be lower.

“A ticket of $200 to $300 can be enough of a deterrent,” said. “A $750 ticket for going 14 km/h over the limit can be both devastating and unfair to people when the construction zone was poorly marked.”

Other improvements advocates include adjusting the length of time yellow lights are used at traffic intersections controlled by lights based on the speed limit of that road.

If tickets need to be issued, they should be sent without delay so drivers can learn of their offense and correct their driving habits. By making changes to promote safety and fairness, Winnipeggers can regain their trust and confidence in a photo radar system that restores a focus on safety over revenue. 

Here was my announcement about 24/7 Road Repair as covered by Metro News Winnipeg:

Rroad construction crews should be out all night long.

The former councillor made the announcement Friday morning, saying he was “proposing a solid plan of specific actions that will address the many infrastructure issues plaguing our city.”

The chief promise was to make sure 75 per cent of road construction happened 24-hours a day, seven days a week in order to minimize traffic restrictions and the impact on motorists.

Other promises included:

• Start a committee to monitor projects over $1 million for things like cost overages and scheduling. That committee would be responsible for providing Executive Policy Committee with a monthly update. The funding for the committee would come from the existing administrative budget.
• ‘Blitz’ potholes with a commitment to fixing every pothole on every street in the spring within a 1-2 week period. Fund this with 0.5 per cent of the regional street budget annually – about $421,000.
• Using previous studies done by the city, incorporate life-cycle costing for all significant infrastructure projects.
• A five-year freeze on building new infrastructure except for new projects that are funded by outside sources.

Iinitiatives would not cost any additional money. “This plan will not require additional funding as it will reallocate existing resources and focus on the priorities of Winnipeggers.” 

Last week I was the first candidate to layout a comprehensive downtown safety strategy of this campaign. As part of my plan to rebuild Winnipeg, I  emphasized the importance of safety downtown by targeting chronic issues including individuals are frequently in violation of the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act.

The vast, vast majority of the people who live, work and patronize downtown make it a neighbourhood we’d all like to see flourish. Regrettably a very small minority of these folks cause issues that make downtown feel unsafe. When elected mayor we’ll enforce an ‘intervene early’ strategy intended to make downtown safe and help folks in need get the help they need.

Specifics of my strategy include:

• Creating a high-priority area map and direct the Winnipeg Police Service to saturate downtown P1 areas

• Establishing a downtown Winnipeg Police Service office on Portage Avenue

• Dispatching more WPS officers and cadets on during peak IPDA (Intoxicated Persons Detention Act) violations

• Directing WPS to report establishments to MB Liquor and Lotteries who aresuspected of over-serving

• Reporting all individuals charged under IPDA to the Province of Manitoba

This plan is similar to the Community Mobilization model currently implemented by the Prince Albert Saskatchewan Police Service.
Making downtown safe for everyone is a key pillar of my plan to rebuild Winnipeg. I believe we can do this making the neighbourhood an exciting place to live and visit and by giving folks the help they need to lead healthier lives. 

“Winnipeggers work hard and suffer through long brutal winters,” said. “I think it’s the job as mayor to ensure summers are as comfortable as possible. That means taking every measure possible to reduce mosquito counts to as close to zero as possible.”

Working with the Province of Manitoba, will push for aerial spraying but with an organic compound instead of malathion during targeted time periods. Aerial fogging is implemented by our neighbours to the south in Grand Forks with great success and vastly reduces the need for residential spraying.

will also work with the province to reduce buffer zones from 90 meters to 40 meters for instances where residential spraying is required as a last resort. He will also seek to ensure buffer zones are granted only for medical reasons.

Amidst fears of West Nile disease and a desire to enjoy comfortable as possible, feels this is a vital policy announcement.

“I think one thing all the candidates can agree on is summer time in Winnipeg is spectacular and should be enjoyed by everyone,” said.