Gord Steeves is vowing to scrap the planned route of rapid transit through the Parker Lands to south Winnipeg. The proposed route got the go-ahead from the city two months ago.

"I believe building this stage of BRT would be a monumental mistake for our city,” said Steeves.

Steeves said the route isn’t the most direct option for transit for enhancing developments already on Pembina.

He said spending $600 million to save only a few minutes in transit time is not an effective use of taxpayers’ dollars. The city's share of the rapid transit costs will result in $221 million in debt, he said.

“We have to find this $20 million a year in the 2015 process. That is a five per cent tax increase,” he said.

“Building through the Parker Lands will do more harm than good,” said Steeves.

"This project will help to make a ghost town of Pembina Highway between Bishop Grandin and Jubilee,” Steeves said, adding he believes it would be regretted for decades to come.

Steeves said there doesn’t need to be a rapid transit referendum, as the mayoral election would give him the mandate to scrap the Park Lands route plan, if he’s elected.

Mayoral candidate Brian Bowman pointed out that Steeves publically supported the project earlier this year.

"I'm disappointed to see there's such a key flip-flop in the middle of this election,” he said.

Bowman hasn't changed his mind on the need for the expansion.

“Right now, if you look at the state of our roads, we need to get more people off the roads and into public transit. Quite frankly, there's good environmental reasons, traffic flow reasons.”

Some Winnipeggers agree with Steeves that the rapid transit plan doesn't make sense.

“I think there's a more logical route to take,” said Sheldon Ross. “You're taking up some wetland and not using the seemingly easy route of just going down Pembina Highway.”

Members of the Rapid Transit Coalition say the expansion will benefit the entire city. “A stronger urban centre, where you've got density downtown, walkable neighbourhoods. Those are the sort of things that come with rapid transit. It's an investment in the future,” said Paul Hesse.

The project also includes the widening of the Jubilee Underpass.

- With a report by Alesia Fieldberg