What would you do to make transit service in Winnipeg more functional, reliable and safe for its users? What plans do you have, if any, to reduce car dependency in the city?

Reducing car dependency is a primary goal of mine, and that includes making investments in reliable transit. I would seek to designate new bus lanes on important transit routes, and extend the hours of existing bus lanes to match operating hours. I would also invest in transit priority signals that allow buses to bypass car traffic and make it a viable option for commuting instead of a car. Of course, my biggest long-term infrastructure priority would be an expansion of Rapid Transit, especially downtown where congestion is heaviest. We need to make Winnipeg less car dependent, and transit will be the biggest contributor to a mode shift.

What do you think the city should be doing to ease the housing and homelessness crisis? What specifically would you change about the city’s current approaches?

Houselessness is a top issue for many Winnipeggers this election. I would seek to partner with local community support groups to tackle this crisis by increasing the amount of grant funding they receive. They already do fantastic work on a limited budget, and I believe with more support from the city they can help many more people. I would also seek agreements with the provincial and federal governments to build or purchase more transitional and affordable housing to help address the critical lack of housing options to assist moving unhoused people into.

Public disorder has become a major concern among surveyed voters. How should the city best deal with it? The police budget is a major expense for the city, are people getting value for money?

While safety is a top concern, we have clearly seen that increases to the police budget do not result in a decrease in crime. If anything, crime has risen with our police budget. I firmly believe that the only way to tackle safety is to address the root causes of poverty, houselessness, and addictions through social service. If elected, I would pursue, either with the city alone or with the provincial government, an expansion in rental assistance, affordable housing, and compassionate addictions care. Funding for these services have been on the decline in the past few years, and if we can restore that funding we can start to see a change for the better in our city.

While poverty and addictions are largely another government’s responsibility, are there ways that you see that the City of Winnipeg could be doing more to solve these issues?

While the provincial government has the biggest role to play, the city is not free from responsibility to help with addictions and poverty. The city can play a role in coordinating with the province to direct residents to services such as rehabilitation or safe consumption sites, as well as increase grant funding to community groups that address poverty and addictions everyday.

Voters are concerned about the rising cost of living and affordability. What do you see are ways the City of Winnipeg could make life less expensive for residents?

With the cost of gas more volatile and higher than ever, I would work hard to provide reliable alternatives to cars for the people of Winnipeg. As previously mentioned, I will pursue massive investments in public transit to make it reliable enough for people to leave their cars at home. I will also pursue an expansion of our active transportation infrastructure, so people can safely travel on their bicycle throughout the city. And finally, I wish to encourage denser, walkable neighborhoods where people can live, shop, play, and possibly work without needing their car. With a combined focus on alternative transportation, I hope to give Winnipeg a much more affordable option for travel.