Chop shop but no cop Bike thieves' pictures and address seem insufficient
for police
By: Gordon Sinclair Jr. <gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca>
What would you do?
I mean, what would you do if someone stole your $700 mountain bike -- and
your fiancée's $600 model -- and you called police with the kind of lead
you didn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to follow.
But then you got the feeling police weren't interested in following it.
Well, I'll tell you what 33-year-old Rejean Robert did.
It was Saturday, just after the lunch hour, when Rejean's soon-to-be wife
Brenda Harder saw the note posted on the front door of their Fort Rouge
apartment block.
The note had been left by a neighbour who, about an hour earlier, had seen
two thieves make off with four bikes that had been locked under an
apartment fire escape.
The witness, who could be the poster boy for Neighbourhood Watch, contacted
police and took photographs of the thieves pulling off one of the most
common and frustrating Winnipeg crimes. Not only that, but he made like a
cop and trailed them in his vehicle and watched as they hauled the bikes to
a walk-up apartment on Corydon.
Minus one of the bikes, which he found stashed in the bush and returned to
the owner.
But that's only part of the story.
While patrol officers responded that same afternoon, Rejean and Brenda were
taken aback by what one of the officers told them.
"They said it was very unlikely they were going to recover our bikes,"
Rejean recalled Monday morning.
Police had a witness who had given them a statement. Plus photographs of
the crime in progress. And the nearby address where the bikes had been
taken.
But that didn't seem to be enough to track down their bikes the same day.
"That basically told me they weren't going to go and look," Rejean said. "I
didn't know what to do at that point."
By late Sunday afternoon, a day later, he'd had enough of waiting for the
police to do nothing.
So he and Brenda paid a visit to the apartment block on Corydon where their
bikes had last been seen.
As luck would have it, the apartment caretaker was working outside.
Rejean told the caretaker why they were there and showed him the photos
their neighbour had taken of the theft.
The caretaker recognized the people in the photographs right away.
Rejean said the caretaker told them there was what amounts to a bicycle
chop shop being run out of the one of the apartments in the block he looks
after, and he had reported it to police more than once.
But they didn't respond.
Rejean asked the caretaker if police had stopped by that weekend to
investigate their complaint.
"He said they never came by."
Then the caretaker invited them into the block to see what he would have
shown police if they had contacted him.
It was a basement storage locker packed with bikes and bike parts.
The caretaker asked Rejean if he wanted to see if their bikes were there.
Rejean said yes. Brenda said no.
"She was too scared to go up."
Rejean was nervous, too.
He didn't know if they had a gun or a knife, or what would happen.
But since the caretaker was with him, Rejean climbed the stairs.
There, propped up in the hall, Rejean spotted what he recognized right away
as Brenda's bike.
The caretaker knocked on the door.
And when a young man opened the door, there were more bike parts and more
bikes, but nothing that resembled his.
The young man in the apartment said he had paid $50 for it, so it was his.
By that time, hearing the dispute in progress, Brenda had joined them.
The guy in the apartment was demanding to see their purchase receipt for
the bike he'd just bought. Rejean and Brenda said they wanted to see his.
And then Rejean and Brenda called his bluff.
They suggested they call police and the cops could resolve it.
At which point the dispute over the bike was resolved, because the guy with
all the bikes and bike parts wanted nothing to do with police.
What he didn't know, though, is apparently the police didn't want anything
to do with the guy in the apartment, either.
Police didn't return repeated requests for comment on Monday.
But late Monday afternoon, Rejean called to say he had just received a text
from the neighbour who witnessed the crime in progress, took the photos and
followed the thieves. He had been contacted by police, and a detective was
coming to see him.
To take notes, no doubt.
Which is what I did when I finally reached the poster boy for Neighbourhood
Watch Monday. And he said this:
"I did what I hope any neighbour would do."
gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/chop-shop-but-no-cop-158535455.html
Closing gaps in Winnipeg’s bike network
by Colin Fast
Winnipeg has made a lot of progress as a cycling city in recent years.
New multi-use trails have been built, on-street bike lanes have been
painted, more bike parking has been added, and bike routes are even plowed
in the winter.
It’s no surprise that making it easier to get around town has boosted
interest in cycling.
While the two-wheel crowd is enjoying the new infrastructure, there are
still several holes in the system that can make it confusing and dangerous
to get from one pathway to another.
Take the example of a group of cyclists trying to make their way from River
Heights to the new rapid-transit line. They head east on the pathway along
Taylor Avenue, make a right on to Harrow, and then …
“OHMYGOD! That’s Pembina! We’re all going to die!“
You see, to your average cyclist, Pembina Highway is like Kryptonite: You
avoid it at all costs, because eventually it will kill you.
At this particular juncture, our cyclists have two choices: White-knuckle
it under the rail bridge and the Jubilee overpass, or ride up the
embankment of the rail bridge, jump over the tracks, then scramble across
traffic onto the overpass.
Obviously, neither option is particularly safe.
This is why local cycling advocates call this “the Pembina Gap,” and have
identified it as one of the critical missing links in Winnipeg’s cycling
network.
Yet when the city released concepts for an overhaul of the Pembina
underpass recently, only one of three designs included a safe, direct way
for cyclists or pedestrians to get across the street.
It’s this gap in transportation planning that disappoints Janice Lukes of
the Winnipeg Trails Association, who has been pushing the city to improve
connections between different pathways.
“We’ve built a lot of multi-use trails and on-street infrastructure in the
past few years, and there’s more and more people wanting to use them,” she
says.
“So we need to fill the gaps now, purely from a safety perspective.”
In addition to the Pembina Gap, Lukes points to other problem areas along
Osborne Street, St. Mary’s Road and throughout northwest Winnipeg.
She says bridges are bad chokepoints for bike traffic, and wonders why the
Osborne Bridge rehabilitation didn’t include a separated bike lane.
However, there are some encouraging signs.
New pedestrian/cycling bridges over the Red River and the Perimeter will
allow people to ride all the way from The Forks to Birds Hill Park on
dedicated trails within five years.
And the city begins construction next month on what Lukes calls “the Holy
Grail of bike infrastructure” in Winnipeg: A bike lane that separates
cyclists from traffic by using bollards along several blocks of Pembina
Highway.
“This is by far the most important piece of the puzzle,” says Lukes, who
hopes the new bike lane can be a model for other high-traffic roadways,
like Portage Avenue.
“The safety it’s going to provide for users is incredible, and we know that
improving safety is essential to getting more cyclists on the road.”
http://metronews.ca/voices/urban-compass-winnipeg/258040/closing-gaps-in-wi…
Hi,
Manitoba Public I launching a new program aimed at creating Cycling
Champions in Manitoba workplaces. See below for a summary of the
program, or click here
<http://www.mpi.mb.ca/english/rd_safety/BikeSafe/Champions.html> for
full details.
*Cycling Champion *
Cycling Champion is a free, full-day workshop that provides you the
information to cycle safely and the tools to share this knowledge with
others.
Workshops are led by CAN-BIKE <http://canbike.net/cca_pages/index.htm>
certified trainers. You will spend four hours in the classroom and four
hours gaining hands-on riding experience. During the session, you will
learn:
* The proper size and fit of bike.
* Use of safety equipment such as helmets.
* Skills to recognize and avoid road hazards and dangerous situations.
* Strategies on how to safely ride in traffic.
* Safe use of bike lanes and other cycling infrastructure.
*Share the skills you learn*
This full-day workshop is intended for those who are committed to
passing their safety knowledge on to others by hosting cycling
presentations. With the help of a ready-made presentation kit, you can
promote active transportation and recreation by sharing your safety
knowledge with others at work, at school or in your community.
All the materials required to deliver a cycling presentation are
provided at no charge. Your kit contains a facilitator's guide,
including speaking notes and two PowerPoint presentations, to help you
teach cycling safety to others.
*Schedule*
Workshops are available throughout the summer. Participants must
register in advance and commit to delivering cycling presentations in
their workplace, school or community. Upcoming workshops include:
*Date *
*Time*
*Location*
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, June 16
8:30 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m.
Main Street Service Centre,
1284 Main Street, Winnipeg
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saturday, June 23
8:30 a.m. -- 4:30 p.m.
Main Street Service Centre,
1284 Main Street, Winnipeg
Cheers,
Mark
The W.R.E.N.C.H and Bike to the Future are hosting a community bike ride on
*Sunday June 10th* and you are invited!
The satellite (or longer rides) are intended as a way for you to explore a
new area of the city and enjoy the Sunday car-free bike routes with other
cyclists. Chose a corner of the city and ride with a group to the Forks
where you will meet other riders and proceed on a short family orientated
ride to the Legislature for a celebration.
*
Satellite Rides – 11:30 AM meet up, 12:00 PM depart*
Each satellite ride will have two ride leaders to guide the group to the
Forks. The rides starting at:
- Kildonan Park – meet at the Pavilion
- Omand Park/Creek – meet at the corner of Raglan Rd and Woseley Ave
- St. Boniface/St. Vital – meet at the entrance to Windsor Park Golf
Course on Des Meurons
ending at: Oodena Celebration Circle, the Forks Market
*All Ages Family Ride – 12:00 PM*
12-1 pm : Bike decorating with Art City and bike repair stations. Meet up
at the Oodena Celebration Circle, the Forks Market
1 pm : All ages ride along the Assiniboine Cycle Track to the Manitoba
Legislature
2pm : Celebration and gathering at the Legislature. Food, music, games and
more!
Feel free to bring a picnic blanket, music or a game to play. There will be
Bike Valet at the Legislature during our celebration.
Other information
Parking at the Forks Market – There is parking at the Forks.
Kidsfest will be happening at the Forks all weekend so double up and go to
the festival and join our ride.
Volunteers needed and extra trailers. Contact us at: info(a)thewrench.ca or
call 296-3389
Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a
local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303
Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided
below.*
*Resolving Conflicts at Complex Intersections
*Wednesday, June 20 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST*
RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then!
cheers,
Beth
925-3772
* * * * *
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents:
Resolving Conflicts at Complex Intersections
*Wednesday, June 20 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST*
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?AssociationofPedestr/f83ac6adb9/4474d32d6e/3501cdda…>
The webinar will focus on mitigating bad geometry at awkward intersections,
including how to address skews, multi-legs, unusual bicycle and pedestrian
movements, and interchanges. [image: image]Through an overview of
engineering tools and many examples, partipants will learn how to realign
skewed intersections, get rid of extra legs, place crosswalks, design
corner radii to reduce speed while accommodating turning trucks, and use
islands and medians to make a complex intersection safer and more
pedestrian friendly. Several signal phasing topics will also be covered,
including exclusive pedestrian phases, leading pedestrian intervals,
banning RTOR, and bicycle signals.
Presenter: Michael Moule, PE, TE, PTOE, has over 18 years of progressive
traffic and transportation engineering experience, including traffic
calming, conceptual design for Complete Streets, and the planning of
improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities. His projects accommodate all
modes of transportation in order to help cities and states meet their
mobility, economic development, safety, and quality of life goals. He has
significant innovative design experience and specializes in improving
conditions for non-motorized users without degrading motor vehicle
capacity. Michael routinely leads community planning processes and training
sessions to give citizens the basic skills they need to develop and review
street design solutions.
--
*Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action
Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/>
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us
here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a
member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>
*Celebrating Active Commuters on Clean Air Day (Wed, June 6th)*
Green Action Centre is rewarding active commuters with some sweet treats.
It’s our way of saying “Good on ya!” for walking, cycling, inline skating,
running or canoeing to work on Clean Air Day and during the Commuter
Challenge.
When: *7:00 to 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 6th*
*
*Where:* **Bonnycastle Park at the corner of Assiniboine Ave and Main St *
*
*What: *Bring your travel mug and fill up with fair trade, locally roasted
coffee provided by Green Bean<http://www.greenbeancoffeeimports.com/en/home/>
**or some organic juice **to enjoy with a muffin or cinnamon bun.*
Find all the details and a map
here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/celebrating-active-commuters-on-clean-a…>
.
See you at Bonnycastle Park!
Local NDP members want increased funding for bike lanes and trails
By: Larry Kusch
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/Local-NDP-members-want-increa…
Manitoba New Democrats want the province to step up funding for bicycle
lanes and trails to promote a healthier population and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
As their three-day convention wound up on Sunday, party members passed a
comprehensive active transportation policy that would assure long-term
funding to municipalities. The policy would also ensure that a dedicated
percentage of future road building costs be earmarked for active
transportation.
Mark Cohoe, a delegate from Fort Garry-Riverview constituency, noted that
while the government is spending $586 million on roads this year, it’s
devoting less money to active transportation than it did last year because
of the expiration of some programs that have not been renewed.
Cohoe, who sat on a provincial active transportation advisory group last
year that produced more than 20 recommendations, said more people would
ride their bikes if they felt they could do it safely hence the need for a
greater investment in bike lanes.
He noted that traffic counts at Winnipeg’s Maryland Bridge, which has
relatively generous bike lanes, show an 11 per cent year-over-year increase
in cycling traffic.
"If you build it, they do come," he told delegates.
The party policy adopted today encourages the government to work with
school divisions to introduce a comprehensive multi-year cycling skills
curriculum for school-aged children.
The policy also calls for the establishment of a provincial director or
commissioner of active transportation.
The motion, which is not binding on the government, is one of dozens passed
at the NDP’s three-day convention, which featured an address Saturday by
federal leader Thomas Mulcair.
A highly anticipated resolution recommending that the provincial sales tax
be raised by one percentage point and the proceeds used to repair municipal
infrastructure was deferred.
larry.kusch(a)freepress.mb.ca
>From the Victoria Transport Policy Institute newsletter:
*"Whose Roads? Evaluating Bicyclists’ and Pedestrians’ Right to Use Public
Roadways" *
http://www.vtpi.org/whoserd.pdf
Many people believe that non-motorized modes (walking, cycling, and their
variants) have less right to use public roads than motorists, based on
assumptions that motor vehicle travel is more important than non-motorized
travel and motor vehicle user fees finance roads. This report investigates
these assumptions. It finds that non-motorized modes have clear legal
rights to use public roads, that non-motorized travel is important for an
efficient transport system and provides significant benefits to users and
society, that less than half of roadway expenses are financed by motor
vehicle user fees, and pedestrians and cyclists pay more than their share
of roadway costs. Since bicycling and walking impose lower roadway costs
than motorized modes, people who rely on non-motorized modes tend to
overpay their fair share of roadway costs and subsidize motorists.
*"Active Transportation Beyond Urban Centers: Walking and Bicycling in
Small Towns and Rural America" *
http://www.railstotrails.org/resources/documents/ourWork/reports/BeyondUrba…
This attractive report by the Rails To Trails Conservancy and Bikes Belong
describes why and how to support walking and cycling in small towns and
rural areas.
*"City Cycling" **edited by John Pucher and Ralph Buehler, forthcoming
(October 2012)*
http://www.amazon.ca/City-Cycling-John-Pucher/dp/0262517817/ref=sr_1_1?ie=U…
Bicycling in cities is booming, for many reasons: health and environmental
benefits, time and cost savings, more and better bike lanes and paths,
innovative bike sharing programs, and the sheer fun of riding. *City Cycling
* offers a guide to this urban cycling renaissance, with the goal of
promoting cycling as sustainable urban transportation available to
everyone. It reports on cycling trends and policies in cities in North
America, Europe, and Australia, and offers information on such topics as
cycling safety, cycling infrastructure provisions including bikeways and
bike parking, the wide range of bike designs and bike equipment,
integration of cycling with public transportation, and promoting cycling
for women and children. *City Cycling* emphasizes that bicycling should not
be limited to those who are highly trained, extremely fit, and daring
enough to battle traffic on busy roads. The chapters describe ways to make
city cycling feasible, convenient, and safe for commutes to work and
school, shopping trips, visits, and other daily transportation needs. The
book also offers detailed examinations and illustrations of cycling
conditions in different urban environments: small cities (including Davis,
California, and Delft, the Netherlands), large cities (including Sydney,
Chicago, Toronto and Berlin), and "megacities" (London, New York, Paris,
and Tokyo). These chapters offer a closer look at how cities both with and
without historical cycling cultures have developed cycling programs over
time. The book makes clear that successful promotion of city cycling
depends on coordinating infrastructure, programs, and government policies.