Executive Summary
To be successful in reducing Manitoba’s environmental footprint, the government must seek out and act upon opportunities that create positive change for Manitobans and their environment. The benefits of upgrading Winnipeg’s Perimeter Highway to free-flowing conditions by replacing the current signalized intersections with grade-separated interchanges include reducing vehicle emissions and travel times, increasing safety, reducing fuel consumption and increasing Winnipeg’s attractiveness as a potential central transportation hub. Although this emission-reduction strategy would be costly at more than an estimated $300,000,000, it is a goal that would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions significantly and provide Manitobans with other important benefits. These secondary benefits would make it a more innovative approach than recent government decisions that involve significant public spending and focus solely on emissions reductions.
Definitions
The following terms are defined for the purpose of clarity:
Free-flowing interchange – an intersection of two or more roads that is grade-separated to allow traffic to pass through and change directions without having to cross paths.
Intersection – a junction between three or more road approaches (can also be interpreted as the junction of two or more roads).
Perimeter Highway – known as Provincial Trunk Highways 100 and 101, the Perimeter Highway is the highway specific to Winnipeg that surrounds the city region.
Signalized intersection – an at-grade intersection between two or more roads that is controlled by traffic-control signals.
SimTraffic1 – simulation software produced by Trafficware as part of their transportation analysis software titled Synchro Studio.
Synchro2 – modelling software produced by Trafficware as part of their transportation analysis software titled Synchro Studio.
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