Transportation key desire in city plan consultations

Advertisement

Advertise with us

Brandon residents want a more accessible city with better transportation, according to results from consultations on a new city plan released this week.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

Subscribe Now

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!

To continue reading, please subscribe:

Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional

$1 for the first 4 weeks*

  • Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
  • Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
Start now

No thanks

*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.00 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.00 plus GST every four weeks.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/08/2022 (1283 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon residents want a more accessible city with better transportation, according to results from consultations on a new city plan released this week.

Hundreds of residents participated in engagement efforts — including online surveys, workshops, calls and emails — between February and June, resulting in a 27-page document detailing input from Brandonites on the upcoming plan.

More than 800 people responded to an online survey, over 80 people attended workshops, upwards of 100 people visited the City Plan Celebration at Princess Park, and 20-plus calls and emails were received about the project.

Of the 800 survey respondents, 496 of them were women, 265 were men, two identified as non-binary or gender diverse, and 31 said they preferred not to disclose their gender. The most-represented age group among survey respondents was 31 to 40 years old, representing 27 per cent of participants.

A heat map of the locations of survey participants also showed that Richmond Ward residents contributed to the survey most at 92 responses, followed by Linden Lanes Ward (79) and Assiniboine Ward (71). The ward with the fewest responses was Riverview (48).

Senior planner Andrew Mok said he and his colleagues were “very happy” with the responses and the level of detail they provided.

Some of the key items identified in feedback focused on improving established neighbourhoods.

Residents said they want the city to be less reliant on cars and sprawl, housing on top of strip malls as well as higher-density housing, more amenities like recreational facilities and dog parks, and improved bike lanes and paths across the city.

“We got the impression out of this that even though that some people may have some concerns about some of the changes that might occur, most people realize that change is inevitable,” Mok said.

“The intent of the city plan is to provide that high-level policy structure to guide the city in how we manage the growth and change so that it provides as many benefits to the community in general while mitigating the potential downsides that might go in it.”

On whether that desire for improvements to existing areas clashes with the growth Brandon has seen on the edges of its borders, Mok said there will be challenges whether growth is up or out.

“There is already a significant amount of development that is actually infill development,” he said. “Interestingly, it’s not a whole bunch of larger apartment buildings, which is what a lot of people may instinctively think of when they think of infill.”

That infill also includes a “surprising” number of duplexes and other multi-unit buildings, Mok said.

Residents expressed interest in better traffic safety with safe road crossings, red light cameras, pedestrian-focused infrastructure, fewer cars on the road, more convenient and accessible bus service, and an emphasis on making new neighbourhoods ready for transit routes.

On the environment, residents stated a desire for a year-round green cart program, better education for recycling programs and to use methane from waste as a heat source.

Mok said he found the responses on housing to be among the most interesting.

While he said that a desire for more housing options and pricing isn’t surprising given housing issues across the countries, it’s a sign that Brandon is not immune to problems facing municipalities throughout Canada.

When it comes to movement, Mok said there was a clear signal that residents are looking for Brandon to be less car-oriented and provide a greater diversity of transportation options, whether it’s walking, biking or taking transit.

He added that the community is interested in the city incorporating elements of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples as it grows and changes.

Asked if residents’ priorities were achievable in the 30-year time frame of the new city plan, Mok said it will all depend on how the city implements them as policies.

“How do we gather the resources necessary to implement some of the initiatives that the community wants?” he said.

“Having the city plan in place gives us the policy and legal backing to say ‘Hey, this is what the community wants, we need to do something about it within X number of years to achieve our goals.’”

The second phase of consultations will involve additional sessions and workshops held by the city this fall.

The city continues to collecting feedback on the results of the first phase of consultations by phone, email or through an online survey.

For more information, visit brandon.ca/cityplan.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @ColinSlark

Report Error Submit a Tip

Local

LOAD MORE