Active transport plan unveiled

By: Larry Kusch

There was more tolerance and respect on city streets Friday between motorists and cyclists -- and the province's local government minister would like to see that happen more than one day a year.

The well-publicized Bike to Work Day saw thousands of Winnipeggers don helmets and pedal to their jobs. By all accounts, riders and drivers got along on the way to work, despite all the extra two-wheeled traffic.

Local Government Minister Ron Lemieux chose the day to unveil a three-year active transportation action plan he hopes will help lead to a permanent increase in cycling.

It includes pledges of funding and technical support to municipalities to develop active transportation infrastructure and efforts to promote more understanding between cyclists and drivers.

"I'm personally very concerned with improving awareness of motorists so that the tragic collisions we've seen recently can be avoided," Lemieux said at a press conference. "We need to find better ways of balancing the needs and rights of all users of roadways (so they) get to their destinations safely and feel secure while they're doing so."

Lemieux, who lives outside the city, said he was impressed with the consideration he witnessed between motorists and cyclists as he drove in to work on Friday.

He said the government is working on ways to ease tensions between the two groups since "active transportation is only going to increase."

The program he announced Friday was lean on specifics and lacked a dollar figure. Lemieux said initiatives will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months as the province consults further with stakeholders. He also said the province would press hard for the funding of active transportation improvements under a new Building Canada capital projects fund (involving all three levels of government), which is expected to be unveiled in a couple of years.

In the spring sitting of the legislature, the Selinger government passed legislation giving municipalities more authority to set rules governing bicycle traffic within their boundaries. That is expected to set the stage for future active transportation improvements.

Doug Dobrowolski, president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, said his group supported the legislation and hopes future active transportation infrastructure spending will help promote local tourism.

"Each community has something unique they want to showcase. So this gives another opportunity for people to come to these communities and see what's outside the city of Winnipeg," he said Friday.

Janice Lukes, who chairs the province's Active Transportation Advisory Group, called Lemieux's announcement a good start. She applauded the fact the province has appointed an active transportation co-ordinator -- Vicky Reaney. But Lukes would have liked to have seen a funding commitment.

"I'm still challenged by the fact that there's over $500 million spent on roadways this year and we haven't heard a dedicated amount... put into active transportation," she said.

Meanwhile, Anika Terton, who bikes to work between April and October, said Friday the key to improved cycling safety is simply getting more people out riding bikes, whether they use them to get to work or not.

"I felt safer today because there were more cyclists on the road, and I felt there was more respect because there were more cyclists on the road," she said.

"I think if you cycle and drive your car, you respect cyclists more when you're in your car."

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

Manitoba's active transportation plan

-- Develop design guidelines for active transportation infrastructure.

-- Provide new funding and technical support to help municipalities integrate AT planning with other land use and transportation planning and development.

-- Launch a new online portal with AT resources and an inventory of cycling routes across the province.

-- Work to complete the Borders to Beaches section of the Trans Canada Trail (from the Ontario border to Grand Beach).

-- Construct a new AT overpass at the north Perimeter Highway to extend the popular Northeast Pioneers Greenway, which runs along Gateway Road.

-- Work with Manitoba Public Insurance to raise awareness of safety issues concerning cyclists and pedestrians.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/active-transport-plan--unveiled-160105375.html

Additional coverage:
http://www.cjob.com/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1726507
http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/273618/manitoba-rolls-out-action-plan-on-active-transportation/