The implementation of Winnipeg’s long-awaited and much-hyped active-transportation plan has become an example of how not to roll out a good idea.

Construction crews have been working feverishly since the summer on $20.4 million worth of expansions and improvements to Winnipeg’s existing AT network — the largest such undertaking attempted to date.

Funded by all three levels of government — including $6.8 million of use-it-or-lose-it federal stimulus money — the ambitious plan includes 35 projects ranging from signage and painted bike lanes to the addition of bumped-out curbs and traffic-calming circles on some streets.

Planning for these upgrades began in 2007 at the civic level but it was only when construction actually got underway that some local businesses and residents started paying attention. Since then, all manner of complaints have emerged — from concerns about traffic flow and parking on Assiniboine Avenue to confusion about new calming circles on Grosvenor to a more general sense that citizens living or working in affected neighbourhoods were not adequately consulted about the upcoming changes.

Whether one agrees with such sentiments, they have served to re-open a historically fractious debate about AT in Winnipeg — one that has pitted car drivers against cyclists as if the two groups are mutually exclusive, warring factions.

Exacerbating this situation is the fact that Winnipeg is in the middle of a civic election campaign. Regrettably, incumbent Mayor Sam Katz and challenger Judy Wasylycia-Leis have wasted no time making political hay with this issue; playing to an angry vocal minority, both have publically criticized the consultation process while Katz has gone even further, postponed plans for work on an Exchange-District route. The backlash is unfortunate, as Winnipeg is on the right track with its investment in active transportation. If anything, the city is playing catch-up to other municipalities across North America which have already built robust AT systems in recognition of their benefits: more options for people to get from Point A to Point B, less wear and tear on roads and the long-term potential for more active, healthier citizens, to name but a few.

Equally unfortunate is the response by would-be civic leaders. While an argument can be made that Winnipeggers could have been better informed about what was going to happen on their streets so that they could begin adapting accordingly, progressive development should be defended, not abandoned because of short-term inconvenience to a few, or worse, the kind of NIMBYism that sees some citizens refuse to share "their" roads with others or accept any form of accommodation in the name of the greater good.

When a city embarks on an unprecedented, multi-pronged infrastructure project, it’s inevitable that some mistakes will be made. In response, the city needs to work to fix them.

But a city also needs leadership that will stand behind decisions made and champion progress. Winnipeg’s politicians should be working to unite citizens on the issue of active transportation, not trying to win votes by finding scapegoats to blame.