Retired engineer faces disciplinary hearing for speaking out about amber lights

The regulatory body for engineers in Manitobahas charged a retiree with professional misconduct for offering mediaoutlets his opinion about the length of amber lights in Winnipeg.

Engineers GeoscientistsManitoba (EGM) plans to bringretired engineer David Grant before a disciplinary panel on July 26 for saying amber lights ought to be longer than four seconds, and for telling reporters about the investigation, by EGM,of acomplaint against a former City of Winnipeg traffic engineer.

In 2016 and 2017, Grant told several media outlets the city's amber lights are not long enough on streets with high speed limits. He made his comments in support of a multi-yeareffort for longer amber lights by local manJames Aisaican-Chase.

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Aisaican-Chase, whodied of cancer earlier this summer, had lost a lengthy court battle to overturn a red-light ticket. That case touched on the length of the city's amber lights which, among other traffic issues, hasbeen challenged by local activists.

Grant attended one of the court hearings, after which he told reportersthatfour-second amber lights only provide motoristsenough time to stop on lower-speed roads, under perfect conditions.

"I had said a four-second light is good on a nice day and low-speed roads, but at higher speeds and when things are not so nice, it's hard to be acareful, safedriver and conform every time. That's why most of the world has longer than four seconds on those roads and gives advance warnings," Grant told CBC News in an interview on Tuesday.

Professional misconduct

EGM, formerlyknown as the Association of Professional Engineersand Geoscientistsof Manitoba, chargedGrant with professional misconduct, singling out stories publishedin theWinnipeg Free Press and the now-defunct Metro Winnipeg newspaper.

The regulatory bodysays by making those comments, Grant effectively practised engineering while retired. EGM also claims Grant expressedan opinionwithout qualification, made"false statements" and "broughtthe profession into ill repute," according to a letter advising him of the charges.

Grant disputes the charges and claimshe is being punished for being a whistleblower.

"The only things I said are things that half of Winnipeg drivers already know," he said Tuesday, addinghe acquired additionalknowledge aboutamber light durations by reading and internet research.

His punishment could include a reprimand and revocation of his EGMmembership for at least one year.

EGMCEOGrantKoropatnickdeclined to comment due to the upcoming hearing.

'Private information'

EGM also says Grant "divulged private information" when he spokeabout the investigation into a complaint against a former traffic engineer alsoover Winnipeg's four-second amber lights.

The City of Winnipeg would not comment on the charges, communications director Felicia Wiltshire said in a statement.

Todd Dube of Wise Up Winnipeg, atraffic-enforcement activist group, called the charges against Grant outrageous.

"David is right about everything that he said," Dube said in an interview. "Basically, they're arguing against the laws of physics."

Dubealso said his organizationintends to appeal the court decision against Aisaican-Chase.