Traffic Study – Speed Limit on Waverley Street, from Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Sandusky Drive

In a rapidly growing new development such as Waverley West, many new traffic patterns emerge as more and more residents move to the neighbourhoods. I received multiple calls asking if the speed limit of 80 km/hr – currently posted on Waverley Street – could be reduced. Residents were concerned about the speed combined with the increase in pedestrians crossing Waverley at Arbour Meadow and Lake Crest. Waverley is a street that has been ‘modified’ over time. At one time, Waverley was a low use rural road used to access the Perimeter Highway – or for residents in St Norbert to access Bishop Grandin. With the development of the communities in Waverley West, Waverley’s direct access to the Perimeter was closed, and Waverley St. was re-routed through South Pointe and now connects to Kenaston. Waverley is now a main ‘collector’ road for new communities Waverley West, Fairfield Park and the more established neighbourhood of Richmond West.

On October 2, 2017, I moved a motion to have the Winnipeg Public Service conduct a traffic study to on the speed limit on Waverley Street, from Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Sandusky Drive, to determine if a speed reduction should occur.

On February 27, 2018, the Public Service recommended that there be no changes to the speed limit on Waverley Street at this time (see Full report). The study identified that the average weekday daily traffic volume was 25,000 vehicles, and that based on road conditions, results from the speed data and future plans for Waverley Street, that the speed limit of 80 km/hr remain. Future plans call for a new interchange at Bison and Waverley, and a new collector road linking to Lee Blvd. Traffic patterns will continue to change, and to increase on Waverley Street over the coming years, and may result in a need to lower the speed limits.

June 1, 2020 UPDATE:
The Public Service is going to conduct a review the entire Waverley corridor (south limit to Taylor) for speeds limit appropriateness and consistency – as there are three speed changes alone between Kenaston and Sandusky. I expect this review to be complete in early 2021.