Fielding endorses Steeves for Mayor
Fielding says Steeves has the infrastructure renewal plan Winnipeg needs

Mayoral candidate Gord Steeves was endorsed today by St. James-Brooklands Coun. Scott Fielding as the best candidate to be Mayor of Winnipeg.

“I am very pleased to have Scott come on board with his endorsement of my campaign,” Steeves said. “His support for my campaign and my commitment to Rebuilding Winnipeg’s infrastructure means a great deal to me.”

Fielding said he was very impressed with the Steeves Plan to renew Winnipeg’s crumbling infrastructure and wanted to help make that plan a reality.

“There can be no debate Winnipeg’s infrastructure must to be repaired now,” Fielding said. “Of all the mayoral candidates, Gord has the best plan to address this critical need. His plan makes sense and will provide real solutions for all Winnipeggers. I am proud to offer him my full support in his campaign.”

Making the announcement near the north gate of Assiniboine Park, Fielding noted Steeves played a significant role in helping develop the governance model for one of Winnipeg’s crown jewels. With Steeves’s help, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy became a very successful non-profit organization.

“Gord’s hard work at the City Council table helped make the Assiniboine Park Conservancy a reality,” Fielding said. “He has proven time and time again he has the experience to tackle the many issues Winnipeg faces, and provides successful solutions to those challenges. That’s why he will be the most effective voice for Winnipeggers in the Mayor’s chair.”

Steeves will shelve Phase 2 of Bus Rapid Transit

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

Mayoral candidate Gord Steeves said he will stop Phase 2 of the Parker Lands Bus Rapid Transit plan if elected mayor.

“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,” Steeves said. “A BRT route through the Parker Lands does not accomplish either of these goals. This BRT line is Winnipeg’s BiPole 3.”

Steeves said there is no reason to have a referendum on cancelling Phase 2 of the BRT plan. With Steeves 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,” Steeves 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 Gord Steeves 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

Mayoral candidate Gord Steeves said today the way photo radar enforcement is conducted needs to be changed to promote both safety and fairness.

“Winnipeg’s photo radar enforcement program can only be about worker safety,” Steeves said. “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.”

Steeves 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,” Steeves said. “A completely successful implementation of this policy will result in zero photo radar tickets.”

An additional measure Steeves 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,” Steeves 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 Steeves 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:

Mayor candidate Gord Steeves says road 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, said Steeves.
• ‘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.

Steeves said his initiatives 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.

Mayoral candidate Gord Steeves made it known in no uncertain terms, as mayor of Winnipeg he’d make mosquitoes public enemy Number 1.

“Winnipeggers work hard and suffer through long brutal winters,” Steeves 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, Steeves 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.

Steeves 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, Steeves 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,” Steeves said.

Gord Steeves was the first mayoral candidate to make a significant infrastructure pledge in this campaign, committing to create a $100 million Core Road and Infrastructure Renewal Fund.   Continue Reading