Winnipeg Area Transportation Study
Encyclopedia
The Winnipeg Area Transportation Study, or W.A.T.S. as it is commonly known, is a regional transportation plan created during the administration of the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
.
They officially announced the creation of the WATS group on December 11, 1963.
The precursor to the planned subway line was the Norman D. Wilson
report, Future Development of the Greater Winnipeg Transit System published on March 4, 1959.
Instead, Winnipeg Transit
purchased feeder buses built by Orion Bus Industries of Ontario via the Urban Transportation Assistance Program (UTAP). The first of these buses were delivered in July 1981.
Another W.A.T.S. Freeway, the Southern, is currently being constructed as the Sterling Lyon Parkway, and includes the Kenaston Underpass.
Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg
In 1960, the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater Winnipeg was created as a separate layer of municipal government in the metropolitan area of Winnipeg, Manitoba...
.
Study Period
In 1962 Metro's Planning Division, headed by George Rich and Boris Hryhorczuk, set out to survey the daily commuting habits of metropolitan Winnipeg citizens.They officially announced the creation of the WATS group on December 11, 1963.
- February 1966, Volume 1: Base Conditions released.
- July 1966, Volume 2: Travel Analysis released.
- September 1968, Volume 3: Recommendations released.
The Plan
The recommendations of the W.A.T.S. report was to construct 5 "radial" freeways, 1 suburban beltway, and 1 5.4 mile underground subway line.Freeways
- Northern Freeway — scuttled after opposition from a local school in 1979–1980.
- Southern Freeway — described in Plan Winnipeg literature as a "re-alignment" of Wilkes Ave.
- Western Freeway
- Eastern Freeway
- Southeastern Freeway — would create a downtown bypass and link up with the Disraeli Freeway.
- Suburban Beltway — a ring-road a few kilometres inside the Perimeter Highway.
Subway
- Subway — 5.4 mile underground rapid transit line from Polo ParkPolo ParkPolo Park is Winnipeg's largest retail and entertainment district. It is the largest mall out of the eight malls in the city. Situated on the former Polo Park Racetrack, the Polo Park Mall was built in 1959. It was the first enclosed shopping mall in Winnipeg when a roof was added in 1963...
to ElmwoodElmwood-Places:Canada*Elmwood, Winnipeg, Manitoba*Elmwood , provincial electoral district in Manitoba*Elmwood—Transcona, federal electoral district in Manitoba*Elmwood, a community in West Grey, Ontario*Elmwood, Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta...
.
The precursor to the planned subway line was the Norman D. Wilson
Norman D. Wilson
Norman Douglas Wilson was a Toronto-based transportation engineer who designed the Toronto subway, and created a design of a subway for Winnipeg in the late 1950s.-References:*...
report, Future Development of the Greater Winnipeg Transit System published on March 4, 1959.
Aftermath
In 1980-81 city transportation planners tried unsuccessfully to add the Northern Freeway to the city's five year Capital Budget. The Northern Freeway was to connect Sherbrook St. with McGregor St., creating the Sherbrook-McGregor Overpass. However, Sr. MacNamara of the Rossbrook House opposed this and City Council ultimately voted against it.Instead, Winnipeg Transit
Winnipeg Transit
Winnipeg Transit is the public transit agency in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is a bus-only operator.The Winnipeg Street Railway operated a horse car operation from 1882 to 1894...
purchased feeder buses built by Orion Bus Industries of Ontario via the Urban Transportation Assistance Program (UTAP). The first of these buses were delivered in July 1981.
Another W.A.T.S. Freeway, the Southern, is currently being constructed as the Sterling Lyon Parkway, and includes the Kenaston Underpass.