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NEWS RELEASE
Rapid Transit Plebiscite, June 2014

WINNIPEGGERS PUT BRAKES ON RAPID TRANSIT
Seven-in-Ten Residents (71%) Want A Vote on Rapid Transit in October;
Majority of Decided Voters (53%) Oppose Funding Phase 2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Winnipeg Winnipeg residents are tapping the brakes on the Citys plans for expanding
rapid transit, with a majority of residents expressing a view indicating they oppose
investing in the second phase of the City of Winnipegs proposed Southwest Transitway.
A new Probe Research Inc. survey conducted exclusively for the Winnipeg Free Press
also finds that more than seven-in-ten Winnipeg residents (71%) agree that voters should
have a chance to decide whether to invest in the next phase of Winnipegs rapid
transit network. This includes 46 percent of Winnipeg adults who strongly agree that
there should be a plebiscite question on the upcoming civic election ballot in October,
and an additional 25 percent who moderately agree. Slightly less than one-quarter of
Winnipeg adults, on the other hand, do not think the next phase of rapid transit should
be decided by a plebiscite (23%, including 16% who strongly disagree with this idea). Six
percent of those surveyed were unsure or did not respond.

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A majority of citizens across all demographic sub-groups surveyed agreed strongly or
moderately that there should be a plebiscite about rapid transit on this Octobers
municipal election ballot.
Those who were most likely to agree that Winnipeggers should vote on whether to fund
the next phase of rapid transit included:
Those who have not used Winnipeg Transit in the past month (75% versus 64%
among recent Transit riders).
Citizens who oppose investing in the second phase of rapid transit (79% versus
63% among those who would urge the city to proceed with the rapid transit
plan).
Residents of southeast Winnipeg (81% versus just 60% among those living in
southwest Winnipeg).
Younger and middle-aged adults (76% among those aged 18-34 years and 72%
among those aged 35-54 years versus 64% among those aged 55 years and
over).
Supporters of the provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal parties (77%
each versus 64% among NDP supporters).



Support for Referendum on Rapid Transit
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Agree Disagree (Unsure)
46%
16%
25%
7%
71%
23%
5%
Moderately
Strongly
Base: Winnipeg adults aged 18+
RT1. Later this month, Winnipeg City Council will debate whether to include a question on the ballot in the
October municipal election about whether or not the City should fund the second phase of rapid transit. All
things considered, do you agree or disagree that Winnipeg voters should decide this issue through a
question on this fall's civic election ballot? (And is that "strongly" or "moderately?) (n=603)
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Majority Of Citizens With Opinions Oppose Funding Phase 2
Winnipeggers were asked if they are in favour of, or opposed to, the City of Winnipegs
current plan to spend $590 million to complete Phase 2 of the Southwest Transitway.
Phase 2 includes extending the current rapid transit line from Jubilee Avenue to the
University of Manitoba.
Overall, 47 percent of Winnipeg adults would vote No on a hypothetical plebiscite
question, as they oppose spending the additional funds required to complete Phase 2
of Rapid Transit. Forty-two percent of those surveyed, meanwhile, are in favour of
completing the Southwest Transitway. Eleven percent of respondents were unsure or
did not respond.
These results suggest that if a question is included on the upcoming civic election ballot,
a majority of voters would vote to reject the current proposal to extend the rapid transit
line to the University of Manitoba. Looking only at those with an opinion about whether
to invest in Phase 2 of the Southwest Transitway, the hypothetical No side would
garner 53 percent compared to 47 percent who would urge the city to move ahead
with the next phase of rapid transit in the citys southwest corridor.




Support for Building Phase 2 of Rapid Transit
Yes
42%
No
47%
(Unsure)
11%
RT2. Based on your own views and anything you may have seen, read or heard about this, do you think
Winnipeg should spend the $590 million required to complete the Southwest Transitway to the University of
Manitoba? (n=603)
Base: Winnipeg adults aged 18+
0%
20%
40%
60%
Yes No
47%
53%
Plebiscite Simulation: Decided
Voters Only (n=537)
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Those who were most likely to vote No to building Phase 2 of Rapid Transit included:
Residents of northeast Winnipeg (59% versus 36% among those living in southwest
Winnipeg).
Those who have not used Winnipeg transit recently (51% versus 39% among past-
month Transit users).
Supporters of the provincial Progressive Conservative party (56% versus 37%
among NDP supporters).
Lower-income earners (58% among those earning less than $30,000/year versus
42% among those earning $60,000-$99,999/year and 43% among those earning
more than $100,000/year).

Those who were more likely to vote in favour of extending Rapid Transit included:
Those living in southwest Winnipeg (55% versus 29% among those in northeast
Winnipeg).
University and college graduates (47% versus 34% among those with a high
school diploma or less).
Homeowners (44% versus 31% among renters).
Higher-income earners (54% among those earning more than $100,000/year and
50% among those earning $60,000-$99,999/year, compared to 34% among those
earning $30,000-$59,999/year and just 27% among those earning less than
$30,000/year).
NDP supporters (52% versus 37% among PC supporters).


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As one might expect, a majority of those who want to include this question on the
October civic election ballot indicated that they would vote against Phase 2 of rapid
transit (53%). More than one-third of those who favour a plebiscite, however, indicated
that they would vote Yes (37%).
Importantly, those who oppose placing this proposal before the electorate were more
likely to indicate that they would vote Yes to extending rapid transit to the University
of Manitoba (62% versus 30% who would vote No).





Support for Building Phase 2 of Rapid Transit
- Among Plebiscite Supporters/Opponents -
RT2. Based on your own views and anything you may have seen, read or heard about this, do you think
Winnipeg should spend the $590 million required to complete the Southwest Transitway to the University of
Manitoba?
Base: Winnipeg adults aged 18+
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Support Plebiscite (n=430) Oppose Plebiscite (n=137)
37%
62%
53%
30%
Yes No
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SUPPORT FOR A REFERENDUM ON RAPID TRANSIT
-- June 2014 --
Later this month, Winnipeg City Council will debate whether to include a question on the
ballot in the October municipal election about whether or not the City should fund the
second phase of rapid transit. All things considered, do you agree or disagree that Winnipeg
voters should decide this issue through a question on this fall's civic election ballot?
(And is that strongly or moderately?)
Total
Winnipeg
Region
NW NE SE SW Core
(Base) (n=603)
(%)
(n=118)
(%)
(n=123)
(%)
(n=103)
(%)
(n=146)
(%)
(n=114)
(%)
Agree 71 68 73 81 60 77
Strongly 46 44 60 50 35 44
Moderately 25 24 13 31 26 34
Disagree 23 21 22 12 35 19
Strongly 16 12 16 8 25 13
Moderately 7 9 6 4 9 6
(Unsure) 6 11 5 7 5 4


(Base)
Gender Age Transit User
Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Yes No
(n=288)
(%)
(n=315)
(%)
(n=174)
(%)
(n=228)
(%)
(n=166)
(%)
(n=182)
(%)
(n=420)
(%)
Agree 69 73 76 72 64 64 75
Strongly 46 46 43 49 44 37 50
Moderately 24 27 33 23 21 26 25
Disagree 25 20 16 24 29 27 21
Strongly 18 13 14 15 19 20 14
Moderately 7 7 2 9 10 7 7
(Unsure) 6 7 8 4 7 9 5
Education Income
HS or
Less
Some
Post-Sec.
Post-Sec.
Grad
<$30K $30K-
$59K
$60K-
$99K
$100K+
(Base) (n=145)
(%)
(n=90)*
(%)
(n=361)
(%)
(n=64)*
(%)
(n=125)
(%)
(n=154)
(%)
(n=136)
(%)
Agree 72 82 68 76 70 76 70
Strongly 50 44 46 46 52 51 39
Moderately 22 39 23 30 18 26 30
Disagree 17 13 27 13 24 21 28
Strongly 13 10 18 8 18 12 20
Moderately 5 3 9 5 6 8 7
(Unsure) 10 4 5 11 6 3 2
*Caution: Small Base






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This city-wide survey was designed and conducted by Probe Research Inc. via telephone interviews
conducted between June 10
th
and June 19
th
, 2014 among a random and representative sampling of
603 Winnipeg adults. With a sample of 603, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the results are
within +/- 4.0 percentage points of what they would have been if the entire adult population of
Winnipeg had been interviewed. The margin-of-error is higher within each of the surveys population
sub-groups. Modified random-digit dialing was used to ensure that all Winnipeg adults would have
an equal opportunity to participate in this Probe Research survey. Minor statistical weighting has
been applied to this sample to ensure that the age and gender balance correspond with the city as
a whole.
SUPPORT FOR FUNDING PHASE 2 OF RAPID TRANSIT
-- June 2014 --
Based on your own views and anything you may have seen, read or heard about this, do you
think Winnipeg should spend the $590 million required to complete the Southwest Transitway
to the University of Manitoba?
Total
Winnipeg
Region
NW NE SE SW Core
(Base) (N=603)
(%)
(n=118)
(%)
(n=123)
(%)
(n=103)
(%)
(n=146)
(%)
(n=114)
(%)
Yes 42 35 29 47 55 42
No 47 51 59 42 36 49
(Unsure) 11 14 12 11 9 9


(Base)
Gender Age Transit User
Male Female 18-34 35-54 55+ Yes No
(n=288)
(%)
(n=315)
(%)
(n=174)
(%)
(n=228)
(%)
(n=166)
(%)
(n=182)
(%)
(n=420)
(%)
Yes 43 41 37 49 39 48 39
No 49 45 49 43 51 39 51
(Unsure) 8 14 14 9 10 13 10
Education Income
HS or
Less
Some
Post-Sec.
Post-Sec.
Grad
<$30K $30K-
$59K
$60K-
$99K
$100K+
(Base) (n=145)
(%)
(n=90)*
(%)
(n=361)
(%)
(n=64)*
(%)
(n=125)
(%)
(n=154)
(%)
(n=136)
(%)
Yes 34 37 47 27 34 50 54
No 52 52 44 58 49 42 43
(Unsure) 14 10 9 15 17 8 3
*Caution: Small Base

For more information on this survey, please contact:

Curtis Brown, Vice-President,
Probe Research Inc.
Suite 850-125 Garry Street,
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 3P2
Tel.: (204) 926-6563
Cell: (204) 250-7410
E-mail: curtis@probe-research.com
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