Just over two months into construction, Île-des-Chênes’s Main Street renewal is well underway. But it wasn’t until the concrete forms were in place to pour the streetside curbs that some residents grew concerned.
The work to date clearly reveals the construction of bump-outs, or traffic bubbles, in several places along Main Street. These bump-outs narrow the street to a single lane of traffic wherever they’re installed.
Steven Petznik is one of the concerned residents. He wasn’t worried, he says, until he checked out the construction in front of the Caisse Populaire for himself after hearing complaints on a local Facebook group.
“I didn’t pay much attention, since decisions like these were made long ago. And if it’s already at this stage, it’s difficult to get the right people to listen,” Petznik says. “That all changed once I saw it in person. It looks like a mess. I didn’t realize that the curbs and new road construction ultimately cut out sections of the northbound lane, to the degree where the lane narrows to a point in which a full-size trailer or truck with a wide stance will have a hard time fitting in.”
Petznik describes IDC as a working town whose contractors often travel along Main with loaded trailers full of equipment. They stop for snacks and groceries on their way home.
He worries that the narrowed street will make navigation difficult not just for contractors but for snow-clearing equipment, too.
The Citizen reached out to Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) to determine their involvement, if any, in the design, since the street falls under provincial jurisdiction.
The MTI media relations specialist indicated that they were unable to provide design details since that aspect of the job was left in the hands of the RM of Ritchot.
A further inquiry to the RM office resulted in the provision of a conceptual design for IDC’s Main Street.
According to the RM’s communications director, the design was developed in 2017 after full public consultation.
Based on the conceptual design, at least four bump-outs were planned for the northbound lane. These were to be constructed at the north and south end of Main where the streets intersect with Dumaine and Lacroix.
Two more bump-outs were planned for the sections of Main Street directly in front of the Caisse Populaire and the convenience store.
The southbound lane should see another four bump-outs, all of which correspond with the bump-outs on the opposite side of the street.
Should the bump-outs be installed as they are shown on the conceptual drawing of 2017, Petznik has big concerns for what that will do to parking on both sides of Main Street.
Petznik says that street parking in front of the bank and grocery store next door is already at a premium. The loss of those spots due to the bump-outs will hurt, especially since the opposite side of the street is likely to be similarly affected.
He wonders, too, how the bump-out at the south side of Main will affect the residential units there, since visitors to that part of town have likely been used the street for parking before.
“I’m not the only one with concerns,” says Petznik. “The nearly 200 comments on three posts in our local [Facebook] chat is astonishing.”
As for the public consultation meeting held in 2017, Petznik, who is a 15-year resident of IDC, says that he has no recollection of it happening.
“It’s important more than ever that we reach out and get the information we need from the RM on anything we see,” Petznik says. “It is important to encourage everyone to voice their concerns on official channels. Facebook is great for community communication, but real concerns need to go further and the people need to know [about] this.”
Both Petznik and the RM encourage concerned residents to contact the RM directly. So far, based on the feedback Petznik has received, at least 10 to 15 direct complaints have already been submitted.
