From downtown safety to transit, Winnipeggers sound off in residents’ survey

CTV’s Jon Hendricks breaks down some of the items in the city’s annual resident satisfaction survey, and areas the city can improve.

A new survey by the City of Winnipeg has found fewer residents are finding the city accessible by transit and few feel safe walking alone downtown at night.

On Monday, the city released its 2025 Resident Satisfaction Survey, which polled 600 Winnipeggers aged 18 and over from May 7 to May 18.

The survey found that 48 per cent of respondents feel the city is easy to get around by transit – a statistic that has declined steadily since 2021, when it was 62 per cent.

Just over half of respondents said it is easy to get around Winnipeg by bike, marking a 10 per cent drop since last year’s survey.

These numbers are both quite disparate from how those surveyed felt about car travel in the city, with 90 per cent saying it’s easy to get around by car.

Downtown safety

The city asked respondents if they feel safe walking alone at night in downtown Winnipeg, with only 12 percent saying they do. Though this number is low, it is an increase of 4 per cent since the 2024 poll.

The poll found that three in five residents visited downtown monthly within the last 12 months and also determined the more a resident spends time downtown, the more likely they are to feel safe walking alone at night. The poll also found that men are more likely than women to feel safe walking alone downtown at night.

Value from taxes

Fifty-seven per cent of Winnipeggers feel they are getting good value from their property tax dollars, according to the survey, which also found that older Winnipeggers are most likely to highly rate value for tax dollars, while those who identify as Indigenous are least likely.

More specifically, the city said respondents find value from their tax dollars in services like snow clearing and garbage/recycling, but are dissatisfied with roads, city spending and crime.

Overall, the survey found 86 per cent of Winnipeggers are pleased with their quality of life in the city – a number that’s up by 4 per cent since last year.

Error rate

According to the city, no error rate can be calculated for this survey as it’s a non-probability sample. However, a random population survey of this size would yield and error rate of plus-minus 4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

The full survey results can be found online.