The article below can be found in the Sou'Wester and provides a great
overview of the Green Action Centre project - Bike, Walk, Roll Fort
Richmond. The project is funded through the Neighbourhoods Alive - LIFT
program and aims to increase awareness and expand education on A/T in the
Fort Richmond community.
Live in Fort Richmond? Our public open house is next Tuesday October, 23rd
from 7-8:30pm at the Acadia Junior High School library, located at 175
Killarney Ave.
See more project details at: fortrichmondat.ca
Bike, walk and roll in Fort
Richmond<http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Bike-walk-and-ro…>
A brand new active transportation initiative is hitting the streets of Fort
Richmond.
Bike Walk & Roll Fort Richmond is a project that aims to increase awareness
and expand active transportation opportunities and safety in the community.
Active transportation includes walking, cycling, in-line skating or any
mode of self-propelled transportation.
The project was initiated by local community residents, but is being
spearheaded by the Green Action Centre, a non-profit environmental
education hub that does work throughout the province.
Bike Walk & Roll builds on the Green Action Centre’s Active and Safe Routes
to School program, which works with Fort Richmond schools to increase the
number of students who walked or cycled to school.
Through the program, the Green Action Centre had the opportunity to apply
for the Bike Walk & Roll grant which will allow them to offer the program
to the entire community, not just students.
"It’s helping us to work more broadly with all ages and abilities to
increase the education and awareness of active transportation around the
whole community," said Shoni Litinsky, co-ordinator of the Active and Safe
Routes to Schools program.
Litinsky said the project will include different community events,
including cycling education and public open houses.
The first open house will be held Tues., Oct. 23 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the
Acadia Junior High School library, located at 175 Killarney Ave.
The open house will be an opportunity for residents to learn more about
active transportation and discuss how the conditions in the community can
improve for cyclists and pedestrians.
"If you look at the area, it’s a classic representation of a lot of old
neighbourhoods with lots of bays, and a shortage of sidewalks. It’s really
hard to navigate on foot," Litinsky said.
She said one of the key components of the project will be to work with the
community to develop a map to highlight walking and cycling routes in the
neighbourhood.
"We’re trying to highlight the key destinations and routes people can
take," she said.
Fort Richmond resident Jennifer Watt said such a map would be useful tool
for people living in the neighbourhood.
Watt said the neighbourhood is full of cut-through paths that go from one
bay to another, but that many residents don’t know where they are. She
thinks a map might encourage residents to get out and walk more.
"A map is a very practical step that gives people options to go through
residential bays where there’s not much traffic."
Watt stressed other solutions will still be needed. She’s hoping to see a
walking and cycling path installed near Ecole St. Avila, where her children
attend school.
"Walkers and bikers don’t really have a safe path to get to get to school,"
said Watt, who said one of the main concerns for residents in the area is
the lack of sidewalks.
"My daughter is in Grade 3 and she’s at the age where she should be able to
bike to school by herself, but it’s really difficult to (allow it)
because... the traffic... can make it quite dangerous.
"With a few modifications we can make this a safer and more sustainable
neighbourhood."
For more information on the Walk Bike & Roll Fort Richmond initiative go to
FortRichmondAT.ca.
--
*Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School
Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a
member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>
Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
*Please note that this Wednesday's AT webinar is CANCELLED:*
**
*FHWA Experimentation for Advancing Best Practices
Wednesday, October 17th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT*
The content appears too U.S.-focused to be of value for us in Winnipeg.
However, please plan to join us next month to hear about:
Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform
Wednesday, November 14th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST
Details will follow closer to the date.
cheers,
Beth
*
*
Green Action Centre's Active and Safe Routes to School
Program<http://greenactioncentre.ca/program/asrts/>would like to wish
everyone a happyInternational Walk to School
Month<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk>!
Currently more than 70 schools in Manitoba are participating in IWALK, and
encouraging students to walk to and from school. IWALK presents a chance
for schools to celebrate our environment by keeping our air clean, to share
walking safety skills with children, to bring safety to our neighbourhoods,
address traffic congestion and speed around our schools.
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk-reg/>
Schools can still sign up here.<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk-reg/>
Last Wednesday was International Walk to School Day - and several schools
held their own events to celebrate. See below for details!
-----------------------------------
mysteinbachonline
<http://www.steinbachonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id…>
Niverville Elementary Places Emphasis On Walking To School
Written by Sawyer Klassen on Saturday, 13 October 2012
[image: 2012 10 nes walk1]*One of the groups of students leaves for NES.*
On Wednesday, students from Niverville Elementary School (NES) joined over
3,500 schools in North America in participating in International Walk to
School Day.
Students met at a church one block from NES before school started, and
walked to the school from there in groups. Students who were bussed to
school also participated by walking laps around the school playground.
Matthew Fast, a grade five teacher at NES, explains why they chose to
participate in I-Walk to School Day.
"We're starting to try to change things around our community and make it
safer for kids to walk to school. So in an effort to promote walking or
biking to school and less driving, we want to be part of events like I-Walk
to School Day."
World-wide, schools in 40 different countries participated in the event.
Fast notes that at NES, the majority of students also chose to take part in
I-Walk to School Day.
"I think we're close to about 65% participation. I'm not quite sure about
the numbers yet as I'm still waiting for results from a few classes to come
in, but I would say upwards of about 200 to 250 students at least."
Fast adds this was the second year in a row they have taken part in the
event, and he notes several other schools in Hanover School Division also
participated.
-----------------------------------
Green Action Centre
Blog<http://greenactioncentre.ca/2012/a-successful-iwalk-day-celebrated-by-maple…>
A successful IWALK Day celebrated by Mapleton School & Green Action
Centre!<http://greenactioncentre.ca/2012/a-successful-iwalk-day-celebrated-by-maple…>
**Despite the chilly weather in the morning, International Walk to School
Day 2012 was a great success with approximately 150 students, teachers, and
the school principal all joining in the walk together on October 10th! This
year, Mapleton School in St. Andrews <http://www.lssd.ca/maple/> was
selected as the recipient for a walk to school with Green Action Centre
along with Councillor Russ Garvie. The event focuses on getting more kids
active by walking and biking to school and over 65 schools in Manitoba and
40 countries worldwide will be participating over the month of October this
year.
It was great to see the excitement among the students and staff there to
participate on IWALK day, since every single student was out there walking.
Mapleton School also committed to doing this walk the entire week to show
students that it’s fun to participate! Since some of the students at
Mapleton live farther away, this morning walk is also meant to show the
school that even though busing is a reality for some, they can still join
in with those who walk and bike in this event. The morning walk started
just after 8:30 am in the school yard where the staff and students began
the walk on the track laid out around the school. Everyone was happy to
celebrate IWALK day, especially the students who had fun playing and
chatting with their friends along the way. When everyone completed their
walk around the track and arrived back at the school, Councillor Russ
Garvie said a few words on why it’s important to be active and participate
in International Walk to School Month. For participating in the event,
every student in the school also got a small prize and sticker! Thanks to
Mapleton School and Mrs. Bouchard, the school’s IWALK coordinator, for
celebrating the event with Green Action Centre this year and setting a
great example for schools all across Manitoba!
If your school would still like to participate, don’t worry, there’s still
time! Register for IWALK
here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk-reg/>and your school
will receive a kit with all the resources, posters and
stickers you need! This event is a chance to promote active transportation
to students over a *day*, a *week*, or the *entire m**onth of October.*
In addition for participating, your school can be entered great prizes
including *great active transportation gear from Bikes&Beyond, Mountain
Equipment Co-op, Healthy Schools in Motion and MPI! *Just remember to send
in your tally sheet before *November 9*th!
Happy Walking!
By Lea Grezenda
--
*Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School
Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a
member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>
Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
On Oct 11, 2012, the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT)
released its latest backgrounder, *The Economic Impacts of Active
Transportation*. This backgrounder discusses some of the economic impacts
related to walking and cycling within an urban environment, in terms of
impacts on businesses and real estate, personal and public finances, and
indirect impacts such as health and productivity. It also includes figures
from recent surveys and studies to introduce the wide array of economic
benefits that investments in walking and cycling can return to governments,
business owners, and individuals.
*http://tcat.ca/sites/all/files/Backgrounder_Economic_Impacts.pdf*
This backgrounder is the third in TCAT's periodic backgrounder series, the
first focused on Bikeway Options currently under consideration in
Toronto<http://tcat.ca/node/1686>and the second on Designing
Off-Road Paths for Pedestrians and Cyclists <http://tcat.ca/node/1751>.
Hello!
The below comments are made purely from observations made on Saturday,
October 13th - I'm not aware of any updates from the City on the project
-these are solely my observations and comments on the Pembina buffered bike
lane project. If anyone else has observations - consider sharing them with
this posting!
PEMBINA MEDIAN (between Plaza Dr and Chevrier):
Narrowing of the centre median between Plaza Dr and Chevrier, and
construction of the curbs and roadway on both sides of the median is now
complete. This aspect of the buffered bike lane project took about 3 months
- undoubtedly creating new roadway lanes is a big component of the project.
On Saturday, new topsoil was being installed on the medians and expect the
salt resistant grass will be sprayed on shortly.
In this last month of construction - the project is going to become really
interesting as the detail for the buffered bike lanes is starting!
BUS STOPS:
Safe access on / off busses for transit users was a key aspect of the design
of the buffered bike lane project. Transit users could not be in the 'line
of cycling traffic' when waiting for or exiting a bus. The Bus Stop
Treatment
<http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/Pembi
naBufferedBikeLanes/PDF/PembinaBufferedBikeLane-ChevrierBusStop.pdf>
enables transit users to have a 'landing area' as they wait to enter / exit
busses. The landing area has a point where they can then safely check for
cycling traffic and cross the buffered bike way to the sidewalk.
Southbound Pembina:
You may recall that last year - new asphalt surfacing was placed on
southbound Pembina between Chevrier and Plaza Drive ($890,000) as part of
the City <http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/Streets/StreetsProgram.asp> 's
street maintenance program. Now, as part of the buffered bike lane design,
construction is starting on the southbound Bus Stop treatments. Sections of
asphalt are being cut out of the roadway at all the bus stops between
Chevrier and Plaza Drive (see southbound Pembina jpg) to provide 'enhanced
bus stop design
<http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/PembinaBu
fferedBikeLanes/default.stm> '. Not sure if the bus stop will be identified
with raised surfacing or colored surfacing and expect the bike lane to
transition into the existing sidewalk curbs. This will be interesting to
watch unfold.
Northbound Pembina:
This year, as part of the City's street maintenance program, northbound
Pembina (between Chevrier and Plaza Drive) was scheduled for new asphalt
surfacing. This new asphalt surfacing is occurring simultaneously with the
buffered bike lane project on the northbound side of Pembina. See the
attached north bound Pembina jpgs highlighting the new roadway asphalt
surfacing, bus stops awaiting enhanced design and soon to be constructed new
sidewalk sections.
PAINT & POLY POSTS:
The final touches - once all asphalting / concrete is complete, there are to
special paint markings installed on the roadway to provide a 'buffer' from
vehicular traffic and the bike lane AND what I consider the most important
part of this project - the installation of poly posts (upright posts) to
create a 'visual separation' between vehicular traffic and the bike lane.
SIGNAGE & PROMOTION:
In theory - this new bike facility is to be 'intuitive' related to how it is
used. (Wasn't the thought that traffic circles were 'intuitive'??!)
I'm hoping there will be some kind of AWARENESS campaign about the buffered
bike lanes. I really believe a lot of folks still think Pembina is being
widened for vehicles - all in preparation for the new stadium. Last year
saw upwards of $6 M worth of roadway improvements in the Pembina and Bison /
Chancellor area related to the new stadium.
COST for BUFFERED BIKE LANES:
I've not heard what the final cost for the bike lanes will be - noting it is
incorporated with the northbound Pembina new roadway asphalting project. (~
$1M)
All very exciting for sure!
Janice Lukes
*[Stumbled upon this today. Text copied below. To see associated schematics
and images, see the original source: City of
Montreal<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5957,54865598&_dad=portal&_…>-
A.S.]
*
Introduction of the 40-km/h speed limit in Montréal's boroughs
On December 14, 2009, Ms. Manon Barbe, executive committee member
responsible for transportation, and Mr. Claude Trudel, executive committee
member in charge of public safety, announced measures to introduce the
reduced 40 km/h<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5957,55187595&_dad=portal&_…>(from
50 km/h) speed limit on local residential streets. New signage by
sector was implemented first in 2009 in Lachine, Pierrefonds-Roxboro,
Rosemont-La Petite Patrie, Saint-Laurent and two parts of Ville-Marie. The
new speed limit is being introduced gradually in all of Montréal's boroughs
between now and the end of 2010. The city will consult the other 15
reconstituted cities on the island of Montréal to coordinate the
introduction of the new speed limit across the Montréal agglomeration.
*...*
In boroughs where there are already streets with a 40 km/h speed limit, the
new signage by sector wuill be installed in order to harmonize this measure
across the city. Drivers develop a number of automatic behaviours that make
driving easier. Setting the same speed limits in similar road environments
helps drivers to understand the desired behaviour more easily, which helps
to improve safety. Furthermore, the new signs are more reflective, which
makes them more visible.
*How does it work?*
As a rule, the speed limit will remain at 50 km/h along the main arteries.
This limit will apply also to industrial zones, as well as roads where
transit priority initiatives are in effect (reserved lanes, bus rapid
transit service). The 30-km speed limit will apply to school zones and near
parks, as posted.
The *sector* concept was used as part of the introduction of the 40-km/h
speed limit, to reduce the number of signs which would have to be
installed. Signs that read MAXIMUM 40 – SECTEUR will be posted at the
entrance to a residential sector. Motorists must obey the speed limit until
they see another speed-limit sign. When SECTEUR does not appear on a
speed-limit sign, the speed limit is only in effect along the road on which
the sign is posted.
The new by-law comes into force 90 days after adoption by the borough
council:
- Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve : September 14, 2010
- Ahuntsic-Cartierville : August 1, 2010
- Saint-Léonard : August 1, 2010
- Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension : August 2, 2010
- Le Sud-Ouest: July 5, 2010
- Le Plateau–Mont-Royal: July 5, 2010
- Saint-Laurent: December 30, 2009
- Two sectors in Ville-Marie (see map): December 28, 2009
- Lachine: December 27, 2009
- Pierrefonds-Roxboro: December 27, 2009
- Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie: December 27, 2009
At all times, motorists must obey signs and speed limits in force.
...
*Where does the 40-km/h speed limit apply?*
The reduced speed limit has been implemented in Lachine, Le Sud-Ouest,
Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont - La Petite-Patrie,
Saint-Laurent and two sectors of Ville-Marie. The maps below show speed
limits for each borough.
will be implemented first in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Saint-Laurent,
Lachine and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie boroughs, as well as in two sectors
in Ville-Marie.
- Ahuntsic-Cartierville<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8C8D79A08F446018E0430A93013…>[778,6
ko - 1 page]
- Lachine<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,19
Mo - 1 page]
- Le Sud-Ouest<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8AE917C457ADD078E0430A93013…>[1,9
Mo - 1 page]
- Le Plateau–Mont-Royal<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8AE870629B63B090E0430A93013…>[1,4
Mo - 1 page]
- Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/90CB00709933A0DCE0430A93013…>[628,1
ko - 1 page]
- Pierrefonds<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[2,12
Mo - 1 page]
- Rosemont–La
Petite-Patrie<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,34
Mo - 1 page]
- Saint-Laurent<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,88
Mo - 1 page]
- Saint-Léonard<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8F2554EEBDE220B6E0430A93013…>[1,5
Mo - 1 page]
- Ville-Marie<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,26
Mo - 1 page]
- Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8C8D14B4910B106AE0430A93013…>[522,6
ko - 1 page]
The new speed limit will be gradually extended to the rest of Montréal
boroughs by the end of the year 2010, and measures will be taken with the
15 related municipalities to harmonize the new speed limit throughout the
urban agglomeration.
*Why is Montréal reducing the speed limit?*
The Transportation Plan aims to reduce accidents by 40 per cent by the year
2018. Several measures have already been implemented as part of the 17th
annual workshop, which included improving safety at intersections,
introducing countdown displays at pedestrian crossings and emphasizing road
safety awareness campaigns. These measures have helped significantly to
reduce the number of accidents within the urban agglomeration since 2007.
In fact, 13 per cent fewer deaths were reported at the end of 2008, all
categories included.
The 40-km/h speed limit is one of several measures to improve the quality
of living for Montrealers. It will help to reduce the probability and
severity of injuries, since the odds of motorists fatally injuring a
pedestrian with their vehicle are 70 per cent at 50 km/h and 25 per cent at
40 km/h.
The impact of the new speed limit will be reviewed closely to determine if
the goals regarding motorist behaviour and fatality reduction have been
achieved. Other appropriate measures may be introduced as per the results
and conclusions of this review.
“Do It Like The Dutch & Danes”: A Guide To Becoming A Bike Friendly Mecca
*Why are some European cities cycling mad? And how can other cities copy
their infrastructure? ECF spoke to Kalle Vaismaa, co-author of the book
“Best European Practices in Promoting Cycling and Walking”. *
Working for the Transport Research Centre at the Tampere University of
Technology, Vaismaa spent more than two years researching the best cycle
infrastructure that Europe has to offer and compiling it into a 269 page
book packed full of colour photos and diagrams.
“We originally published the book in Finnish,” explains Vaismaa, “but then
we realized there was a huge demand for it in Europe and now it has been
translated into English.”
It’s easy to see why people were eager to get their hands on this gem. The
book looks at some of Europe’s most famous cycling cities with insight into
cycling greats such as Groningen, Strasbourg, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. And
it comes as no surprise as to which countries do cycling infrastructure
best.
Read more:
http://www.ecf.com/news/do-it-like-the-dutch-danes-a-guide-to-becoming-a-bi…
*A quick note about two important and complementary training opportunities.
This is aimed squarely at those planners/engineers/folks interested in
applying the best and latest in bicycle infrastructure design principles to
all kinds of projects. There is a cost associated with each session, yet it
is recommended that you plan to attend both if at all possible to get the
full perspective. Knowledge is, after all, much cheaper than concrete!
*
*Monday November 19
TAC is offering a seminar on bicycle facility guidelines in Winnipeg:
http://www.tac-atc.ca/english/seminars/cycling.cfm
Thursday November 22 and Friday November 23
Kickstand sessions*
Mobycon <http://www.mobycon.com/page/352/about.html> and
Copenhagnize<http://copenhagenize.eu/clients.html>are presenting a
made-for-North America two-day workshop on applying the
hallmarks of Dutch and Danish cycling policy, engineering and bicycle
culture principles to Canada. This presentation is aimed at combining
Canadian guidelines and European know-how to come up with solutions adapted
to North America.
http://kickstandsessions.com/
* I am part of the organizing team for the latter. The local steering
committee is meeting next week to finalize location, but the dates are
firm. Registration is in fact already open. More details and ancilliary
events to follow. If anyone wants more info in the meantime, feel free to
call me.*
*
Anders Swanson
204-797-1962
*
Hi,
I attended the Charleswood Transportation Study Public Information
Display tonight, and the news was quite bad. The draft plan completely
ignores the city's AT policy in their recommendations for Shaftesbury.
They are recommending widening this road to four excessivley wide lanes
without providing any cycling facilities at all on a roadway that
connects one of the city's main east west AT corridors (the Harte Trail)
to Assiniboine Park, the Canadian Mennonite Museum, and a critical
bicycle pedestrian bridge over the Assiniboine River. This is despite
the fact that north of the study area, a multi-use pathway runs along
the west side of Shaftesbury all the way to the pedestrian/bicycle
bridge and over the Assinboine River. I wish I could say I was
surprised by this, but in truth it is not at all surprising.
Beyond the issue with Shaftesbury, both Shaftesbury and Taylor/West
Taylor were omitted from the City's network of proposed AT facilities,
and while both Grant and Roblin were correctly marked as having
sharrows, there was no indication that these would ever be upgraded to
something useful such as a bike lane, or better yet, a buffered bicycle
lane or cycle track, which would be warranted. In fact, I was told
point blank by one of the MMM staff that AT was not within the mandate
of the study other than to identify existing facilities. Shaftesbury
was the one exception, but as I indicated above, they have inexplicably
excluded any cycling facilities from their recommendation to widen this
roadway to four lanes (each 4m wide)! The only other AT related
recommendation I saw was what appeared to be a recommendation to remove
the restriction on right turns on red in front of a busy pedestrian
crossing leading to Royal School.
Here are the points I think need to be made:
1. Any widening of Shaftesbury needs to include a bicycle path and
sidewalk on the west side of the roadway
2. A bicycle/pedestrian overpass for the Harte Trail must be included
in any southward extension of the William Clement Parkway
3. Bicycle lanes or cycle tracks should be added to West Taylor and
Taylor from Shaftesbury to Kenaston
4. A recommendation to add buffered bicycle lanes or cycle tracks to
Grant and Roblin as part of any future rehabilitation
5. The study needs to look into traffic calming on North/South
residential streets in the study area that would encourage more
cycling and walking, especially on streets leading to schools and
commercial nodes
6. If the city had maintained the AT Advisory Committee, these errors
would have been spotted prior to the public information display
This can likely all be paid for if they simply reduce the lane width on
Shaftesbury from 4m to a more reasonable 3.35m (11 ft), which is still
wider than the current edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (The Green
Book) recommends.
Mark