Brian Bowman (IAN McCAUSLAND PHOTO)
Winnipeg mayoral candidate Brian Bowman would open up Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic by 2019 if elected mayor.
The privacy lawyer said Monday his approach would be aimed at making downtown an open, accessible, safe and vibrant place for all Winnipeggers.
“Last week there was a lot of discussion about ways to make downtown safe. Unfortunately those solutions have many believing that we should be afraid of our downtown,” Bowman said.
Bowman also said he would encourage downtown businesses to engage in streetscaping and creating “parklets” using adjacent public spaces to create a more walkable and engaging experience in downtown Winnipeg.
He would also develop a seasonal pedestrian mall in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.
Another part of Bowman’s downtown-focused strategy would be to create a committee to work with business owners and community stakeholders to develop the proper solutions required to successfully open Portage and Main, and to implement future strategies to bring more people downtown.
The civic election is October 22.
