Gender Issues at the Intersection of Portage and Main
Portage and Main intersection in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Source: Primestock Photogaphy
Portage and Main is Winnipeg’s most central and prolific intersection. Its history dates back to 1862, when the merchant, Henry McKenny, purchased a parcel of land for his general store. At the time, the location was far from central - it was a swampy forested area a quarter mile away from the Red River Colony at the Forks. But, the crossing of the north-south and east-west oxcart paths eventually became a transportation focal point in Winnipeg. Portage and Main has now become one of the most famous intersections in Canada, a space where people come together to protest, celebrate, and mourn - but one thing they can’t do is cross the street. In 1976, the City of Winnipeg closed Portage and Main to street-level pedestrian crossings as part of a 50-year agreement with private developers. Inspired by projects like London’s Pedway and Montreal’s La Ville Souteraine, Winnipeg sought to create a multilevel urban environment by building an underground concourse beneath Portage and Main. It was believed that closing the intersection would improve the flow of traffic through downtown, support businesses, and protect residents from Winnipeg’s harsh weather conditions. Unfortunately, closing Portage and Main has had serious implications for users of the intersection, and for women in particular.The closure of Portage and Main to pedestrians has been a divisive issue in Winnipeg. Immediately after the decision was approved, demonstrators filled the council chambers demanding the right to walk Portage and Main. Shortly after, the Manitoba League of the Persons with Disabilities led jaywalking protests across the intersection. Meanwhile, the 81,000 cars that pass through the intersection on an average weekday enjoyed having free reign of the road. Rather than making an executive decision as with most infrastructure and transportation projects, the City Council brought the question of opening Portage and Main to the public.
For the first time in 35 years, Winnipeg included a referendum question on the 2018 municipal election ballot that asked whether the intersection should be reopened. While the vote would be non-binding, the Mayor at the time, Brian Bowman, made a promise to respect the results of the vote. The Results are In…
65% of respondents felt that Portage and Main should remain closed to pedestrians. While the city was split between the north and the south for their mayoral candidate, the Portage and Main plebiscite showed a doughnut-shaped divide between the residents in the core neighbourhoods and those in the peripheries. Those who voted ‘No’ tended to live further from the city centre, and would likely be interacting with Portage and Main in a vehicle. 
Polling election results for the Portage and Main ballot question, 65% of the popular vote stated “no” the intersection should not be reopened to pedestrians. Source: CBC News
The main arguments driving opposition are costs, and traffic delays. According to a Transportation Study by Dillon Consulting, the costs associated with opening the intersection to pedestrians are estimated to be $11.6 million. This estimate includes the cost of procuring additional buses to maintain existing transit service levels. The same study reported that most traffic at the intersection travels north-south, and these drivers would be unaffected if pedestrian crossings were to be restored. However, drivers travelling east-west through Portage and Main could experience up to a five-minute delay during peak rush hour.On the other side of the debate, those advocating for an open intersection tout benefits like improved safety, mobility, accessibility, connectivity, and economic development. Safety
While part of the intent of building an underground concourse may have been to improve pedestrian safety, the result compromised both actual and perceived safety at the intersection. Pedestrians seeking to cross the street have three options: jaywalk, walk to another street-level intersection, or descend underground to cross through the concourse. Jaywalking, a crime endorsed by the auto-industry that places the onus for safely navigating the street on pedestrians rather than drivers, is common at Portage and Main. Pedestrians rushing to catch a bus, or not wanting to walk a block in the opposite direction to find a crossing, may opt to cross the street where there isn’t a defined crosswalk. This is particularly dangerous, given drivers aren’t used to sharing the street at Portage and Main, and may not be prepared to decelerate in sufficient time to avoid a vehicle-pedestrian collision.
Many public access points are located in private buildings that are closed outside of business hours, so if a pedestrian chooses to enter the underground concourse, they often have to do so by entering a dark stairwell that lacks sight-lines to nearby streets. As more commuters descend into the underground concourse, there are fewer ‘eyes on the street,’ making what should be the most lively corner in Winnipeg feel desolate. For women who face significantly greater street harassment than men, the lack of eyes on the street is of concern. 33% of Canadian women have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in public spaces. With fewer people around there is little accountability, and can make a space feel unwelcoming, severely limiting evening and weekend mobility for women living and visiting Portage and Main.
Stairwell and bunker at Portage and Main. Source: CTV News Winnipeg
The underground concourse, while teeming with people during work hours, becomes sparse in the evening. Many of the retailers in the underground mall cater to downtown office workers, closing up shop shortly after 5:00pm. This leaves users feeling unsafe in the unsupervised tunnels, and puts women in a particularly vulnerable environment, given they tend to travel at off-peak hours. If an unsafe situation were to occur, there are few people around to intervene and limited opportunities to exit the concourse. Mobility
The pattern of movement for women differs from that of men due to the social roles they take on, and gendered divisions of labour. Women often take on routine errands and caretaker roles that require shorter, more frequent trips, and are more likely to walk or take public transit. Public transit at Portage and Main can be inconvenient, requiring users to go around or under the intersection to transfer buses. Cycling at Portage and Main also proves to be a challenge. With no bike lanes, it requires brave cyclists, and studies show that women are more risk-averse than men when it comes to cycling in traffic. Women travelling through Portage and Main may cycle significantly out of their way to avoid the intersection, or avoid cycling altogether.Accessibility
Someone navigating the intersection in a wheelchair or with a stroller may take up to 9 minutes to cross the street at Portage and Main. These users either have to make their way to another intersection, or use a series of elevators, provided they are open and functioning. Lifts at Portage and Main are often located in private buildings that are closed outside of working hours, or may be inaccessible if there are any mechanical issues. These issues likely have a greater impact on women, given disability is more statistically prevalent among women than men in Canada, and even more prevalent among Indigenous women. Women are also more likely to travel with dependents, such as young children or elderly family members, who would rely on elevators to access the underground concourse. Able-bodied users also experience delays - crossing underground takes about 4-6 minutes, and above ground takes 8-12 minutes. These times assume that the user is familiar with the concourse, however, given the maze-like nature of the tunnels, someone unfamiliar may take “significant additional time.”Sense of Place
Significant investment has revitalized the intersection with a new courtyard at 201 Portage, the redevelopment of the southwest corner of Portage and Main, and the city’s tallest building at 300 Main. Opening the intersection to pedestrians would improve the at-grade connections between these quadrants of downtown, as well as Winnipeg visitor attractions like the Forks, Old Market Square, Bell MTS Place, and the SHED district. In the current configuration, public art and spaces are hidden behind barricades and under-utilized. A central thoroughfare at Portage and Main could showcase Winnipeg’s art and architecture, and encourage Winnipeggers to visit and live downtown. Economic Development
Despite being the densest area in the city, Portage and Main is surrounded by vacant storefronts and sparsely populated streets. Though the underground concourse was intended to support businesses, some tenants have relocated to True North Square, suggesting that connection to “a place designed for people can drive business decisions and growth.” A human-scaled environment can and does drive commerce, and could help businesses at Portage and Main thrive. The confusing intersection may also drive away revenue generated from the entertainment industry, given the intersection has been a deterrent for actors and hockey players alike. 
Arial view of the Portage and Main intersection. Source: Economic Development Winnipeg
Conclusion
Earlier this year, the City of Winnipeg noted the existing infrastructure at Portage and Main is in need of a refresh and saw the necessary maintenance as an opportunity to re-imagine the intersection. The city launched a public engagement program that included two pop-up events, a survey, interviews, and a stakeholder workshop. At these events, planners proposed sky gardens, lookout towers, and public art, among other design elements intended to activate the space. While the city presented an option to replace the concrete barrier with something more permeable like pollards that could be opened for special events, the intersection would remain closed for pedestrian crossings.As a car-centric city, Winnipeg has long prioritized the movement of cars. The city was designed using several one-way streets to quickly funnel traffic in and out of downtown, has few viable alternatives to driving, and has heavily subsidized roads, cars, and gas. While reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians may slightly increase travel times for some drivers, Dillon’s transportation study acknowledges this minor inconvenience should be “balanced with the improvements to mobility for non-auto users and progress towards the City’s goal of a multi-modal and sustainable transportation system.” As the city seeks to incorporate sustainable development goals within its design, it is vital that this iconic intersection in the heart of Winnipeg prioritizes pedestrians going forward. 