Sept. 26, 2022 – For immediate release:

Today, Mayoral Candidate Rana Bokhari pledges to open up the barriers at Portage and Main and make Winnipeg’s iconic intersection truly accessible for everyone.

“The barriers are already coming down,” says Rana. “According to engineering reports, the barriers are in the way of major repairs needed to the underground concourse.

“Once they are down, they will not go back up.”

Rana says despite the fact that keeping the barriers down will save the city millions in the long run, the reason to keep the barriers down isn’t financial – it’s a human rights issue.

“One in 10 Winnipeggers live with a disability. We’ve all seen what happens to access when the elevators in the underground concourse are in a state of disrepair – it prevents people from crossing the street and accessing services.”

There are no good reasons to keep the barriers up, and numerous reasons to keep them down, she adds.

“There was only one major argument for bringing down the barriers, and that was a 33-second traffic slow-down.”

“Placing people in vehicles above all other types of commuters should not be the reason we keep the intersection closed. People should be able to travel through our famous intersection whether they walk, bus, bike or drive.”

Rana also believes bringing down the barriers will help bring people back to Portage and Main, which means supporting the local businesses surrounding and underneath it.

The pandemic saw the closure of several long and short-term businesses in the area, including in the underground concourse.

“The more we can encourage people to come downtown, walk its streets and enjoy all it has to offer, the better it will be for everyone,” says Rana.

-30-

For more information:

Elisha Dacey

204-290-8009

team@rana4wpg.ca