Westport Regional Transit Service and Hub Feasibility Study and Plan

The Rural Municipality of Headingley with the Partnership of the Manitoba Capital Region (PMCR) will develop the Westport Regional Transit Service Hub Feasibility Study and Plan. This plan will assess and demonstrate the social, economic and environmental benefits of applying the principles and practices of sustainable development in planning for the future of the Westport development - an expanding commercial and entertainment area on the western periphery of the City of Winnipeg, within the Rural Municipality of Headingley. The main goal of the initiative is to provide public transportation to Headingley where currently none exists. The Westport Regional Hub will serve as a transfer point for commuters in and out of Winnipeg who move onto mass transit and multi-person vehicles for the continuation of their travel. The hub will include car-parking facilities including electric vehicle charging stations. 

Winnipeg Transit will ultimately provide transit service to and from the Hub, as well as to the RM of Headingley.Specifically, the plan will: 

• Examine the feasibility of establishing a multi modal transportation park and ride and mixed land use gateway as an entry point hub to the City of Winnipeg intended to reduce single person vehicular commuter traffic into the City of Winnipeg, transportation related GHG emissions, and capital and human resource costs related to congestion.

• Examine the feasibility of establishing mass transit between the City of Winnipeg's downtown and locations outside of Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway and beyond. 

• Demonstrate the planning of a transit-oriented development based on GHG reducing techniques, theory and practices.

• Foster partnerships for climate change mitigation oriented development involving multiple municipal jurisdictions, levels of government, 

First Nations, and the private sector (commercial, housing, entertainment).Several thousand commuters travel in and out of the municipality each day, most in single person vehicles. A significant social benefit of the initiative would be transportation service to the two provincial jails located in the municipality, and properties owned by three First Nations currently without transportation options other than private vehicles. The initiative will demonstrate how additional transportation hubs can be established in Winnipeg's periphery, and in other Canadian cities.