Since June a new group has risen out of the ashes of Citizens for Better Public Transit in Winnipeg (CBPTW).
The new group, headed by columnist Dallas Hansen, is Transit Riders' Union of Winnipeg (TRUWinnipeg).
Where CBPTW failed was in the various values of each of the participants. Some, like myself, wanted LRT. Another wanted extensive subway ala W.A.T.S. Scheme III. A couple of others wanted BRT and a couple of cyclists were satisfied with just basic upgrades to our diesel bus fleet (and they call themselves 'environmentalist'. Shame!)
So last year Dallas Hansen discovered my uwto.org website and wrote an Op-Ed piece in the Freep about the Wilson subway, which has been ignored since the 1960s.
He contacted me in early 2005 and said he wanted to do more to make this particular subway plan for Winnipeg a reality in our lifetimes.
By June he had the idea to start a brand new transit rider group, dedicated to the Wilson plan and mixed-use design for downtown Winnipeg and the immediate city proper.
The truwinnipeg.org domain name and some web space was reserved in July 2005. We have been holding weekly meetings, since that time.
Another Op-Ed piece was written and this included contact info. We had a couple of people from Western Economic Diversification attend our meeting advising us to become a registered non-profit organization and have the Wilson plan updated to today's realities.
This is in the process of happening now, and should be ready by early next year.
By this time next year, the Wilson subway plan will be front page news (again) and will be part of the debate during the next civic election campaign.
