*City moves forward on revamped bike registry report*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/12/city-moves-forwar…
THE City of Winnipeg will explore new options for bicycle registration, in
hopes of reuniting more stolen bikes with their owners.
On Monday, council’s executive policy committee cast a final vote to order
a city staff report on replacing Winnipeg’s current bike registry with a
multi-jurisdictional one that lets cyclists register for free, while also
providing police and civic officials easy access to the key data.
“The goal, ultimately, is to have more bikes registered and for residents
to have confidence that, if… their bikes get taken or stolen, that this
would make it easier to get bikes back to people… There’s just too much
bicycle theft in the city of Winnipeg,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham.
The current online bike registry comes with a $7.35 registration fee and,
at times, requires police to email a request to city officials to find the
owner of a stolen bicycle.
The mayor suggests a replacement registration service could involve an app
(such as Bike Index or 529 Garage) that can better share information across
multiple jurisdictions. It would not be mandatory for cyclists to register.
Up to 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg each year, with about
1,000 recovered and less than 10 per cent successfully returned to their
owners, according to the mayor’s office.
During Monday’s EPC meeting, one councillor floated the idea of requiring
Winnipeggers to also obtain bike licences, with exceptions for small
children.
“A lot of people are using bikes as a legitimate form of commuting… I think
having a licence plate on your bicycle is a way of making sure that you are
less anonymous on your bike, as well,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North
Kildonan).
The councillor said he thinks a licence requirement would help police
enforce rules of the road for cyclists.
“If you are found to be rolling through every stop sign down a street, if
you’re found to be breaking other laws of the road, the licence plate would
(link) at least back to the bicycle owner,” said Browaty.
He did not raise a motion to call for licensing, and stopped short of
suggesting how such a program could be implemented, stating he’s mainly
seeking feedback.
The mayor said he would not support such a move.
“When you make something mandatory, then you really have to ensure that you
have the enforcement mechanism, the tools and resources to ensure that it’s
mandatory. I think we have other things to focus on as a city rather than
enforcing mandatory registration or mandatory licensing of bicycles,” said
Gillingham.
Meanwhile, council’s most powerful committee also approved a few tweaks to
the proposed Shaw Park lease for the Winnipeg Goldeyes.
EPC voted in favour of listing the Goldeyes’ non-profit entity, Riverside
Park Management, as the lease holder, instead of the baseball club itself.
The team said the move is needed to obtain provincial grants.
The Goldeyes also asked the city to ramp up the amount they would be
compensated if they lose stadium parking stalls due to future rapid transit
development.
The city proposes to offer compensation that starts in the range of $50 per
stall per year, while the company wants that to begin at $50 per stall per
month. EPC stuck with the city’s offer, though council will have the final
vote.
Gillingham told reporters he thinks the deal, which awaits a final council
vote, will succeed. “I’m confident that this will get things across the
finish line so we can get this lease signed.”
When asked if the Goldeyes will accept those exact terms, Mark Newman, the
team’s legal representative, told the Free Press: “We consider (this vote)
to be a step in the right direction. We’ll be considering the matter
further.”
Prior to the latest potential changes, the city and Goldeyes had come to
what was believed to be a final deal in 2020, which determined annual rents
and tax incentives.
On Monday, EPC rejected a call to require applicants for new developments
to appear in-person at East Kildonan- Transcona community committee public
hearings for their projects, removing a remote video or telephone link
option.
Coun. Russ Wyatt argued it is needed to ensure a clear discussion, free of
technical glitches, on substantial projects.
EPC opted to take no action on the idea, though council will have the final
say.
joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
[shared by @willnorman]
Despite all the fuss, electric cars are still only 9% of sales and the
e-car fleet is under 17 million worldwide, while e-bikes are at 275 million,
In Europe, e-bikes are projected to outsell cars of any type by the middle
of this decade.
https://www.treehugger.com/stop-ignoring-ebikes-5324307
Potential overhaul of system would seek improvements to curb theft
*Mayor pushes free bike registry*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/09/mayor-pushes-for-…
A new, free-to-use bike registry could be rolling into Winnipeg amid
concerns theft is posing a key deterrent to cycling.
Mayor Scott Gillingham believes it’s time for a new bike registry without
the $7.35 fee to record a serial number on Winnipeg’s online system.
“Many, many bikes are not registered. What I’m proposing is what a lot of
other cities are doing, providing free bike registry,” said Gillingham.
The mayor plans to raise a motion at Monday’s executive policy committee
meeting to order a staff report about overhauling the registry. A
replacement, for example, could use an app, such as Bike Index or 529
Garage, that can easily share information between jurisdictions, he said.
“If a bike was stolen in Winnipeg and showed up in Calgary, they can share
this data,” he said.
If council approves, Gillingham hopes the new system would make cyclists
more confident they’ll be able to keep their bikes safe.
“There’s too much bike theft in the city of Winnipeg and there’s too much
theft that goes unreported. Individuals that had their bikes stolen just
maybe feel there’s no hope.”
As many as 2,000 bikes are reported stolen each year, with about 1,000
recovered and less than 10 per cent successfully returned to their owners
under the current registration system, said a news release from the mayor’s
office.
The mayor stopped short of calling for mandatory bike registration, arguing
it would be too difficult to enforce.
Gillingham announced his call to explore a new registry, which he said
would be done in consultation with Bike Winnipeg, the WRENCH and Winnipeg
Police Service, shortly after concerns were aired about bike theft at
Friday’s Winnipeg Police Board meeting.
Charles Feaver, chair of the working committee on bike theft for Bike
Winnipeg, told the board the frequency of theft is a key reason people
don’t use their bikes more often, second only to road safety concerns.
“The No. 2 reason is ‘I don’t feel it’s safe to leave my bike anywhere in
the city,’” Feaver told reporters.
The avid cyclist noted he’s had four or five of his bikes stolen over 40
years of frequent riding.
During a presentation to the police board, Feaver called on police to
partner with Bike Winnipeg and other groups to determine the best
solutions, which he suggested could focus on improving
bike registration, bike recovery and theft-prevention efforts.
Without key changes, the concerns about theft will make it difficult for
Winnipeg to meet a goal to combat climate change by enticing more people to
use active transportation, said Feaver.
“This will not be achieved if people are worried that their bike will be
stolen while they are working, shopping or going to school,” he told the
police board.
Data from the city’s current bike registry doesn’t appear to be shared
easily with police or the public, he said.
Winnipeg police confirmed officers don’t have immediate access to the bike
registry and sometimes need to email a request to the City of Winnipeg to
find the owner of a stolen bike.
Police data show there were 2,049 bike thefts reported in 2018, 1,823 in
2019, 1,471 in 2020, 1,555 in 2021, and 1,665 in 2022.
Police Chief Danny Smyth said he agrees with the mayor and bike advocates
the data on bike thefts may be skewed by under-reporting.
“(For) a lot of property crime that’s on the lower end of the (price)
spectrum, I don’t think people necessarily take the time to report it.
There’s evidence of people talking about theft of their own property, but
also making it clear they never reported it,” said Smyth.
The chief said he’s open to the idea of exploring a partnership between
cycling advocates and the service’s property crime unit.
“It’s a no-brainer to work with any group that wants to address that,” said
Smyth.
Pending council approval, a bike registry report would be expected in about
four months.
joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
[Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share]
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bike-registry-thefts-1.687…
Winnipeg cyclists could soon have a new, free registration system as part
of an effort to curb bike thefts.
Mayor Scott Gillingham says he will bring forward a motion at the next
executive policy committee meeting, asking the public service to study how
other cities have overhauled their bike registries.
"There's too much bike theft in the city of Winnipeg and there's too much
theft that goes unreported," Gillingham said after a meeting of the
Winnipeg Police Board on Friday.
"And sometimes it goes unreported because individuals who have their bike
stolen just maybe feel there's no hope, because it's too complicated and
they don't think they'll get their bike back."
According to the city, about 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg
every year. About 1,000 are recovered, but only 10 per cent of those are
returned.
Charles Feaver, chair of the bike theft prevention committee with Bike
Winnipeg, has had at least four bikes stolen.
"We surveyed our followers who had experienced bike theft and found that 45
per cent had registered their bikes on the city system, but less than four
percent thought that the registry was helpful in recovering their bikes,"
he told the board on Friday.
Feaver says Vancouver dramatically reduced its bike theft by 42 per cent by
assigning a dedicated detective to work with local cycling advocacy
organizations.
He asked the board for a new community partnership with Winnipeg police to
tackle bike theft.
One problem with the current system is that it is not publicly accessible,
even to police officers.
"[Police] can look at the stolen bikes. So if you report your bike stolen
then that's entered in a database that the police can see, but they can't
see the Winnipeg bike registry," Feaver said in an interview.
Other cities in Canada, including Montreal and London, Ont., have used
app-based registration systems like 529 Garage, which allows anyone to see
if a registered bike has been reported stolen.
Gillingham cited 529 Garage as one option for the City of Winnipeg to
consider.
Secure bike parking facility mulled
Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth says he's open suggestions on how to
improve the system.
"The only way we're going to know it's stolen is if people have registered
it, otherwise it ends up in a warehouse and gets auctioned off at the end
of the year," Smyth told reporters.
Bike Winnipeg and the Downtown BIZ are also in talks to create a secure
bike parking facility.
"We're still in the early stages but the hope is to find solutions for more
bike infrastructure that make it easier for anyone who wants to bike
downtown," Downtown BIZ CEO Kate Fenske said in an email statement.
In the meantime, Feaver recommends all cyclists invest in a sturdy U-bolt
lock, and always lock up through the frame, not just the front tire.
A report on a new bike registration system for Winnipeg is expected to come
to executive policy committee within about 120 days.
*Bike Week celebrates the big 1-0 with BIRTHDAY BASH*
Sunday, 1-3 p.m.
Manitoba legislative grounds Free
GET on your bikes and ride: Bike Week 2023 winds up with an afternoon of
family-friendly activities, games, culture and music in honour of its 10th
birthday.
Papa Mambo, James Culleton’s SuperFun Show and DJ Mama Cutsworth will
supply the tunes.
The best mechanics in the city will face off in the Bike Olympics. Photo
booths, bike-themed crafts, obstacle courses, a gigantic slide, a mobile
plant sale and a host of other games and activities will be on offer — plus
free hotdogs for the first 100 attendees.
The fun doesn’t stop at 3 p.m., though. Riders can join the Pinata Pedal
Party from 3 to 4 p.m. — where your challenge, should you choose to accept
it, will be smacking down pinatas while in the saddle — and the Bike Week
After Party from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Beer Can (1 Granite Way), where
the first 60 riders will receive a complimentary beverage and DJ Hunnicut
will spin tunes.
— Jen Zoratti
*‘Monstrous hole’ trouble on Sturgeon Creek path*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/07/monstrous-hole-lo…
A massive, water-filled hole where the busy Sturgeon Creek active
transportation route meets a playground path has posed a safety hazard for
several weeks, according to those hoping to speed up repairs.
Randall Hull said he first complained to 311 on April 23, about the roughly
75-centimetre-deep depression he estimates stretches at least six metres.
A barricade posted by city staff at each of its ends isn’t enough to alert
people to the danger, he said Wednesday.
“It is deep enough that if a child fell into it (they could be hurt). The
one side of the hole is lined with bricks that are all exposed, so somebody
could fall into the hole, hit their head on a brick and drown in the water,
or accidentally bike into it because the barricade doesn’t completely cover
it,” said Hull.
“It’s just a public safety thing and the fact that it’s a path that leads
up to a playground, it’s even more troubling that it’s not being attended
to.”
While most of the damage is concentrated on the path leading to a
playground on Amarynth Crescent and the main Sturgeon Creek path is still
passable, Hull said many residents routinely walk and bike in the area,
raising the risk of potential injury.
He recalled seeing some children standing in the water-filled hole at one
point.
The space appears to have been washed out during high water levels this
spring. Erosion has been an issue at the spot, with less extensive damage
last summer, Hull said.
If the City of Winnipeg lacks resources to repair it quickly, it should do
more to block off the area, said Hull.
“I understand there’s probably 101 different issues to deal with in 101
different parks around Winnipeg. (But if the city is) not going to repair
it, then put a snow fence around it, so it’s safe.”
Coun. Shawn Dobson, whose ward includes the path, visited the site
Wednesday.
“That’s horrible. That’s not a pathway by any means. I absolutely share the
concern. This should be fixed right away, otherwise our pathway network is
incomplete now because of this monstrous hole,” said Dobson.
The councillor said he immediately submitted a request that the city
completely surround the hole with some form of barricade.
The extent of the damage could be linked to issues beyond flooding, so the
repair may be more extensive than it first appears, Dobson said.
“It’s been getting progressively worse every year. Time to get it fixed
right.”
A request to interview someone from the city’s public works department was
not granted Wednesday.
In a brief emailed statement, spokesman Kalen Qually did not answer
questions about how long the city expects it will take to repair the
problem or why it has not been able to do so by this point.
“The site is currently barricaded and staff are looking into making more
permanent repairs to the area,” he said.
joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2023/06/06/group-to-study-public-spaces-tr…
A new study done in partnership between Brandon University, the City of
Brandon and Prairie Mountain Health has received approximately $68,000 in
federal funding to explore how public spaces in the city are used.
“Walking the Walk in Smaller Cities” in Brandon is one of four
municipalities that have received funding from the Canadian Institutes of
Health Research to investigate how active transportation options like
biking and walking as well as public spaces can be better supported.
Other participating cities include Guelph, Ont., Oshawa, Ont., and
Saskatoon, Sask.
On the team for the project are representatives of all three organizations:
Brandon University professor Rachel Herron, director of communications
Grant Hamilton and research assistant Jared Friesen, Mayor Jeff Fawcett,
City of Brandon director of planning Ryan Nickel and Prairie Mountain
Health medical officer of health Dr. Amy Frykoda.
Presenting on the project was Hamilton, who said he believes the city has a
chance to find world-class solutions to active transportation in smaller
cities. He said the project and Brandon team had been assembled in less
than a month.
This summer, the project will consult with residents about how they walk
and bike in Brandon’s public spaces as well as the reasons why they don’t.
This will include online consultations as well at smallercities.ca, focus
groups and in-person pop-up consultations throughout the summer.
A council of representatives from groups like the Brandon Neighbourhood
Renewal Corporation, the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council and
Westman Immigrant Services is also being formed to make sure people from
different backgrounds and experiences are accounted for in the study.
This fall, once data has been collected, Herron told council that the
Brandon team will meet up with the other Canadian teams at a global
workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Following that, the Brandon team will meet up with local focus groups to
explore ideas inspired by that visit to Copenhagen and how they can be
translated to Brandon.
Then, next summer, the team will pick an active transportation or public
spaces project to implement in Brandon with the intention of inviting
people from other smaller Canadian cities to help share what was learned.
» cslark(a)brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @ColinSlark
The St. Boniface to Downtown Walk Bike project is exploring options to
improve travel choices, accessibility, and connectivity between the
Esplanade Riel Footbridge / Provencher Bridge and the multi-use path on
Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue. The study also includes connections
to the Southeast Corridor, Taché Promenade, and Notre Dame Street
pedestrian bridge over the Seine River.
Phase 3 of public engagement is here, and we want to hear from you!
Based on what we heard during Phases 1 and 2 engagement, technical
knowledge, and other planning considerations, we are proposing a route on
Provencher Boulevard.
https://engage.winnipeg.ca/stboniface-walk-bike
Hi all,
Happy Bike to Work Day and Commuter Challenge week!
UMSU has a position available for an UMCycle Coordinator. Posting attached and also pasted below. While the posting date says May, the position is still open until filled.
Please share widely. Thanks,
Jessie Klassen
Job Opportunity: UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS' UNION
UMCYCLE COORDINATOR
ONE YEAR TERM
University of Manitoba Students' Union (UMSU) is a non-profit organization which advocates on behalf of its memberships' best interests to internal and external stakeholders. Our primary objectives are to serve students and strive to enhance student life and the quality of education through consultation, representation and advocacy.
Position Summary
This is a one term position (with the possibility of renewal) within the operations of UMSU. Reporting to the Manager the coordinator is responsible for day to day store operations, training new staff, assisting staff, ordering of new parts and inventory as well as, managing the overall success of the business. In addition, the incumbent will be responsible for keeping the premises safe and clean for workers and customers. This position operates on a full time basis Monday - Friday from 8:30am - 4:30pm.
Skills and Qualifications
* Experience repairing bicycles - installation and repair of all systems of the bike (brakes, drive, steering, wheels, accessories) as well as experience with bicycle fitting;
* Organize and facilitate bicycle workshops on safety & riding skills, repairs and maintenance;
* Recruit and coordinate volunteers for the kiosk and workshops;
* Organize events such as bike builds, group rides, tours, and riding buddy programs for campus and community;
* Accepting incoming shipments, verify against ordering invoices;
* Oversee the work of service attendants to ensure excellent service delivery;
* Oversee service policies and procedures, concentrating on service excellence;
* Assist customers in choosing the right bikes and accessories by providing expert opinion;
* Create work orders for repair and maintenance offerings;
* Ensure that all service processes are quickly and efficiently carried out;
* Oversee thorough and accurate bike building and accessory installation work;
* Create and maintain liaison with vendors and dealers in order to ensure quick delivery of parts and accessories;
* Oversee bike and accessories inventory, and communicate low stock situations to manager;
* Supervise shop support staff to ensure continuous cleanliness and maintenance of the premises;
* Take responsibility for opening and closing the bike shop in a timely manner;
* Assist in ensuring proper daily operations of the shop including order supplies, sales and high-quality customer management;
* Equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered.
UMSU promotes Employment Equity and is strongly committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. Therefore, we promote employment equity and encourage candidates to voluntarily self-identify on their application if they are members of the underrepresented group (woman, Indigenous person, a person with a disability or a visible minority).
We offer competitive benefits package and pension plan. We wish to thank all applicants in advance for their interest; however, only those applicants considered will be contacted for an interview. Please provide a cover letter, resume, and three (3) professional references and identify how you meet the desired qualifications listed by May 23, 2023 to:
The Human Resource Department, 101 UMSU University Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, or email to: hiring(a)umsu.ca<mailto:hiring@umsu.ca>
Jessie Klassen (she/her)
Sustainability Projects Coordinator
Office of Sustainability
University of Manitoba
89 Freedman Crescent
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
431-997-1013
jessie.klassen(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:jessie.klassen@umanitoba.ca>
[cid:image001.png@01D997A4.37B9E260]
The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.