Winnipeg Area Transportation Study

In 1962 Metro's Planning Division, headed by George Rich and Boris Hryhorczuk, set out to survey the daily commuting habits of metropolitan Winnipeg citizens. The preliminary plan included the circumferential Suburban Beltway, would double the amount of major thoroughfares and the new roadways would cost between C$100–200 million.^[1]

They officially announced the creation of the WATS group on December 11, 1963.^[2]

• February 1966, Volume 1: Base Conditions released.
• July 1966, Volume 2: Travel Analysis released.
• September 1968, Volume 3: Recommendations released.

The recommendations of the W.A.T.S. report was to construct 5 "radial" freeways, 1 suburban beltway, and one 8.7 kilometres (5.4 mi) underground subway line=

• Northern Freeway — scuttled after opposition from a local school in 1979–1980.
• Southern Freeway — described in Plan Winnipeg literature as a "re-alignment" of Wilkes Ave.
• Western Freeway - along Silver Ave.
• Eastern Freeway
• Southeastern Freeway — would create a downtown bypass and link up with the Disraeli Freeway.
• Suburban Beltway — a ring-road a few kilometres inside the Perimeter Highway.

A 8.7 kilometres (5.4 mi), 11 station underground rapid transit line from Polo Park to Hespeler in Elmwood. Four of the stations would be located underground in the downtown Winnipeg area (Memorial, Donald, Fort, City Hall/Centennial Centre). The line would require 15 trains to start. During peak (rush) hours, trains would operate every two minutes. Park and Ride facilities and feeder buses oriented towards the rapid transit stations would complement the line. It was estimated that, in 1968 dollars the subway line would cost $158 million.^[3]

The precursor to the planned subway line was the Norman D. Wilson report, Future Development of the Greater Winnipeg Transit System published on March 4, 1959.

The W.A.T.S. report projected the need for 650 buses with a daily ridership of 285,000 by 1991.^[3]