Winnipeg poised to offer free Wi-Fi on a dozen buses next year

Mayor Brian Bowman tried to check off one of his 2014 campaign pledges by endorsing a Winnipeg Transit Wi-Fi pilot project.

A request to spend $300,000 in leftover cash from 2016 on a one-year pilot project that would offer free Wi-Fi on 12 buses will be considered by council's innovation committee on Friday.

The cash comes from the unspent balance of last year's innovation capital fund, a pot of money set aside for projects that employ new technology or make city processes more efficient.

Important for inner-city

Council innovation chair Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) said free WiFi on buses would improve safety for residents of her inner-city ward.

"For a lot of my constituents they don't have data plans, they have a number that's attached to a cell or a number that's attached to an IPod, and sometimes it's being able to connect with Mom and let them know, I'm on the bus, maybe I don't feel so safe," she said on Monday at city hall.

She also said WiFi may alleviate problems with the Peggo electronic-fare-payment system, which requires buses to download data in transit garages instead of wirelessly.

Earlier Monday, as a report recommending the project was made public, the mayor's office endorsed the plan in a news release. Bowman promised during the 2014 election campaign to offer free Wi-Fi on buses.

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The request will not compete with other proposals that go before council's innovation committee on Friday in a meeting that resembles the format of reality TV show Dragon's Den.

Once a year, councillors on the innovation committee listen to proposals from city departments interested in accessing $1 million worth of funds set aside in the innovation capital fund.

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On Friday, the committee will consider 16 new pitches with requests for funds totalling almost $1.9 million. The pitches include:

• $480,000 for making old city buildings more energy efficient.
• $390,000 for creating a lane-closure app and website.
• $197,000 to purchase two electric cars for the city fleet and install two Level 3 charging stations.
• $160,000 to create an alarm-permit management system.
• $150,000 to find efficiencies in city capital processes.
• $150,000 to create a  311 chatbot.
• ​$129,000 to buy and install LED emergency-exit signs.
• ​$43,000 to create interactive software for public engagement.
• $40,000 to valuate city assets properly for potential sponsorship.
• $37,000 to buy a drone to identify places for the insect-control branch to apply larvicides.
• $37,000 to investigate the potential for solar power cells on the south side of Pan Am Pool.
• $37,000 to investigate heat recovery at the St. James pool and ice rink.
• $12,000 to buy a thermal imager for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service drone.
• $10,000 to continue composting at city hall.

The committee can accept or reject any of the pitches.