----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Haynes
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 8:04 AM
Subject: Active Transportation - Canada: November 18, 2009
Active Transportation - Canada features a regular posting of news articles, studies, reports, and other items that have relevance in this field, with previous postings available in an archive. In addition, pictures of existing Active Transportation infrastructure from communities across Canada will be profiled each week.
The following items have recently been posted to the Active Transportation - Canada Blog. To view in more detail, go to: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com
****************************************************************************************************
AT Infrastructure Example: Corner Brook NL - Pedestrian Tunnel
1.. Report - Dangerous By Design
2.. City Streets a Mortal Threat to Pedestrians
3.. Councillors back $22M active transportation plan
4.. Pedestrian link urged west of 14th Street S.W.
5.. Winnipeg unveils $430M capital budget
6.. Burrard Bridge bike lane trial a success so far, survey finds
7.. Active-living co-ordinator hired
8.. Sidewalk snow shovelling to be enforced in Pelham
9.. Open house will give people chance to decide details of heritage trail
10.. Driving the Lane: Toronto Prepares for Public Bicycling
11.. Longboarding Reaches East Coast
12.. Miami's Visionary Zoning Plan
13.. Portsmouth [UK] – changing the way we share our streets
14.. City council to increase capacity of bike stations
15.. Has Japan designed the world's best bike shed?
*************************************************************************************
A reminder e-mail of new postings will be sent no more often than once per week. To continue to receive these updates, you need take no action. Should you not wish to receive updates, please return this e-mail with "Unsubscribe" in the Subject area.
Interested in an AT workshop in your community? For more information, please contact:
Michael Haynes
Director
TransActive Solutions
MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "ca.mc883.mail.yahoo.com" claiming to be activetransportation(a)rogers.com
613.424.2803
Hello Bike to the Future members and supporters. This newsletter contains
the following items:
1. Minutes from our AGM and November Monthly Meeting
2. Speak Up Winnipeg: Call To Action report and Open Houses
3. Webinar: Building Political Will for Strong Bike/Walk Programs
4. Route 90 Corridor Study -- Public Open House #2
5. City Committee meetings to discuss the 2010 City of Winnipeg Preliminary
Capital Budget
6. Membership
7. BttF Members' Night at the Mountain Equipment store
8. Cycling workshops at The Bike Dump
Kevin Miller
Bike to the Future, Co-Chair
www.biketothefuture.org
_____________________________
*Minutes from our AGM and November Monthly Meeting*
The AGM and November Monthly Meeting minutes will be posted at
http://biketothefuture.org/about/meetings in the next week.
2009-2010 Board of Directors <http://biketothefuture.org/about>
____________________________
*Speak Up Winnipeg: Call To Action report and Open Houses*
Speak Up Winnipeg is the City's public forum for Winnipeggers to express
their opinions about the future of our City, and how we can ensure it is
sustainable, making Winnipeg a leader among cities.
The Call to Action report will be presented at *8 Open Houses from Tuesday
November 17th to Thursday November 26th*, or you can read the 55 page report
online.
Details<http://biketothefuture.org/news/archives/2009/11/13/speakup-winnipeg-call-t…>
_____________________________
*Webinar: Building Political Will for Strong Bike/Walk Programs*
Wednesday November 18th from 2:00 to 3:00 PM at the Manitoba Eco-Centre (3rd
floor MEC building, Portage & Donald)
Info <http://www.apbp.org/event/nov-09_webinar>
If you are interested in attending (free), please contact Dave
Elmore<dave(a)resourceconservation.mb.ca>
.
_____________________________
*Route 90 Corridor Study -- Public Open House #2*
Thursday November 19th at Canad Inns Stadium (Winnipeg Sun Centre, 1465
Maroons Road)
Drop-in from 4:00 to 8:00 PM
Project info <http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/Route90>
The more cyclists who attend and express a desire for really good cycling
facilities as part of this expansion, the more likely that good cycling
facilities will result.
Public Open House
#1<http://biketothefuture.org/events/archives/2009/01/22/route-90-widening----…>
_____________________________
*City Committee meetings to discuss the 2010 City of Winnipeg Preliminary
Capital Budget*
Monday November 23rd at noon at the Eco-Centre (Portage &
Donald)<http://biketothefuture.org/events/archives/2009/11/16/city-committee-budget…>
Monday November 30th at noon at the Eco-Centre (Portage &
Donald)<http://biketothefuture.org/events/archives/2009/11/16/city-committee-budget…>
_____________________________
*Membership*
Members of Bike to the Future agree with our mission and vision and support
it. We are a volunteer-run, incorporated, non-profit organization that is
only as strong as our membership. Please show your support for our work by
becoming a member or renewing your membership.
All memberships taken out in 2008 (and the complimentary memberships given
out in 2009) are now due for renewal.
Membership info<http://biketothefuture.org/get-involved/join-bike-to-the-future>
*Use PayPal to purchase a new Bike to the Future membership or renew an
existing Bike to the Future
membership*<http://membership.biketothefuture.org/membership_paypal.html>
*.*
If you are not sure of your membership status, please contact BttF's
Membership Committee Director <membership(a)biketothefuture.org>.
_____________________________
*BttF Members' Night at the Mountain Equipment store*
BttF's first Members' Night will be held at the Mountain Equipment Co-op
store (Portage & Donald) on *Monday November 23rd from 7:30 to 9:00 PM*.
(The store closes to the public at 7:00.) Activities include product
knowlege sessions, a discussion forum, and a store merchandise discount of
10%.
Details<http://biketothefuture.org/events/archives/2009/11/06/bttf-members-night-at…>
_____________________________
*Cycling workshops at The Bike Dump*
The Bike Dump is holding a series of free drop-in workshops on a variety of
bike-related topics on the third Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM. Please
see http://bike-dump.ca.
_____________________________
Our website at http://biketothefuture.org is updated often.
$20M in infrastructure hitting the streets and trails next year in Wpg -
Kudos to the FreeP for yet another timely article -
Road rage, cycling explode
By: Meghan Daum
Dr. Christopher Thompson, a driver who abruptly stopped his car in front of
two cyclists in Los Angeles last summer, was found guilty of six felonies
and a misdemeanor last week. The trial, which captivated the cycling
community, revealed a particularly virulent form of road rage. Christian
Stoehr suffered a separated shoulder and Ron Peterson shattered several
teeth and broke and nearly severed his nose when the two hit the back of
Thompson's Infiniti on a road in upscale Brentwood.
Thompson, a former emergency-room physician who lives along the winding
five-mile road, claimed that he was merely trying to take a photograph of
Stoehr and Peterson, evidence of the way cyclists flout the law in the
canyon and flip off residents. A police traffic investigator who arrived on
the scene shortly after the incident testified that Thompson told him he
"stopped in front to teach them a lesson."
Suffice it to say that Thompson shouldn't be driving a support vehicle in
the Tour de France. Two other cyclists testified that in March 2008, a
motorist they believed to be Thompson made a similar maneouver, speeding
ahead, then slamming on his brakes. One of these cyclists told the court
that the driver tried to hit them again and then sped off, noting that the
car was an Infiniti sedan and the licence plates spelled out an abbreviated
form of the medical software company Thompson owns and matched those on his
car.
Obscene gestures, vanity plates -- it's all part of the romance of Southern
California driving. Road rage? That's just the inflamed passion part of
romance. But anyone who's been paying attention to the road lately probably
has noticed a marked, even dizzying, increase in the number of bikes on U.S.
streets. Suddenly, they're in bike lanes and traffic lanes, zipping through
stoplights, careening around mountain passes and weaving along sidewalks.
Census data show that between 2000 and 2008, the number of bicycle commuters
increased by 43 per cent. And membership in competitive cycling clubs is on
the rise, with USA Cycling reporting the number of licenced U.S. racers up
48 per cent since 2002.
Despite the cozy, granola-esque community spirit this trend might evoke
(think helmeted parents riding with their helmeted kids and women in flowing
skirts peddling home from the farmers market with baskets full of French
bread), the reality is more sobering. Cycling-related accident rates are
decreasing, but cycling injuries are getting worse. That suggests that
riders may be tangling with something more than a mere fall, like a car door
or fender. Although most drivers, mercifully, don't harbor as much animosity
as Thompson, I suspect there may be more of him out there than we think.
Why? For starters, many people don't know what rights cyclists do and do not
have, which pretty much makes them assume they have none. I was in this
category myself until I consulted the bicycle laws in the California Vehicle
Code and learned that a cyclist has "all the rights and is subject to all
the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle." In other words,
you're not supposed to dart through red lights on a bike (shame on you, 80
per cent of Lycra wearers in my neighborhood).
But guess what: It's perfectly legal to occupy the entire lane, not just
hang on the side, if you're going the same speed as traffic. The speed limit
on Mandeville Canyon Road is 30 mph (it's 25 mph on most residential Los
Angeles streets), which, according to the injured cyclists' GPS data, was
about the speed they were traveling when Thompson stopped in front of them.
In other words, if you're getting impatient with a "slow" cyclist in front
of you, it's probably because you're speeding.
So, now that you know, are you going to stop swearing at cyclists? My guess
is no. Because there's a larger bone of contention here, which is that
cyclists make a lot of us feel like lazy slobs. Whereas drivers sit in an
air-conditioned bubble, expending only the energy required to press the gas
pedal, tap the brake and change from a '70s classic-rock radio station to an
'80s classic-rock station, cyclists are out in the actual elements doing
actual exercise. Whereas drivers are consuming calories by eating an entire
bucket of KFC over 10 blocks, cyclists are burning calories and consuming
nothing but seaweed at home. Whereas drivers' carbon footprints grow more
beast-like by the hour, cyclists create no exhaust other than the sweet
fatigue they feel as they drift off to saintly sleep at night.
Of course, moral superiority is insufferable, but you still shouldn't try to
run it off the road. You might win on the street, but in court, it's
different.
Meghan Daum is an essayist
and novelist in Los Angeles.
--The Los Angeles Times
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 12, 2009 A15
Janice Lukes
Latest News
New diamond lanes open today
DIAMONDS are a transit rider and cyclist's best friend -- starting today.
Diamond lanes, that is.
As part of a comprehensive transit improvement plan approved by Winnipeg city council, new diamond lanes take effect today.
The specially marked lanes are for transit vehicles, cyclists and right-turning vehicles -- which must turn right at the first opportunity -- during weekday peak periods.
They're designed to improve the speed and reliability of transit service and motorists who misuse them face a minimum fine of $190.80 and two demerit points.
The new lanes in effect today are located at:
Portage Avenue:
* Westbound from Colony to Strathcona (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
* Eastbound from Raglan to St. Mary (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
Main Street:
* Southbound from Smithfield to Jarvis (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. only)
* Northbound from Jarvis to Inkster (3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m only)
Goulet Street:
* Westbound from Youville to Tache (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. only)
McPhillips Street:
* Southbound from Hillock to William (7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
New on-street parking restrictions will be also in effect to accommodate new diamond lanes on westbound Portage Avenue and on northbound Main Street.
Diamond lanes were first implemented in Winnipeg in 1995.
There are about 30 kilometres of reserved lanes on major corridors throughout the city.
The $2-million diamond lane project is funded by the federal gas tax and the Public Transit Capital Trust (PTCT) "for projects that enhance transit service in communities across Manitoba," the city said in a press release.
A good article to read. Perhaps someone can encourage
Colville-Andersen to come to Winnipeg for a speaking engagement!
David Wieser
From: Richard Campbell <richard.campbell.lists(a)gmail.com>
The bottom line is that every street should be a bicycle route. That
includes busy commercial streets that have the shops and other
destinations where people want to go. To really encourage people to
cycle, it must be more convenient than driving.
From:
http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/30/want-to-be-like-copenhagen-think-about-v…
In the 1980s, when Copenhagen was experiencing a boom in bicycling,
city officials worried that too many people were riding on the busy
main streets. “They thought, we’ve got to stop that, it’s not safe.”
Their solution was to direct bike traffic to the backstreet by
building high-quality cycle tracks through neighborhoods.
The problem was that the neighborhood routes meant people had to ride
10-15 minutes out of their way to get from a to b. The result? No one
used them. “It was a flop. So, the city shrugged and went, ‘fine,
we’ll put them on the main streets’”.
The lesson, says Colville-Andersen, is that planners should put
bicycle infrastructure where people actually want to go, not where
engineers think they should go.
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Apologies for any crossing postings.
Sent on behalf of the Healthy Living Issues Group:
We are pleased to share with you the report, Bringing Health to the
Planning Table: A Profile of Promising Practices in Canada and Abroad.
This report was produced by the Healthy Living Issue Group of the
Pan-Canadian Public Health Network.
The report profiles case studies within 13 Canadian communities from
across Canada where collaborative approaches to improve health outcomes
have been a key consideration in planning decisions related to the built
environment. This approach was chosen so that the successes (and lessons
learned) of a variety of different projects could be shared with other
communities. With one case study from each province and territory it
provides a pan-Canadian perspective. Two international examples highlight
similar work happening abroad.
Please feel free to disseminate this report broadly. It can be found
online at: http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hl-vs-strat
We would be interested to hear how the report is supporting your work and
the work of your colleagues. Any feedback can be sent to:
healthylivingE-bulletin(a)phac-aspc.gc.ca.
_________________________________________________________________
C’est avec plaisir que nous vous présentons le rapport intitulé Amener la
Santé à la Table de Planification : Un Profil des Pratiques Prometteuses
du Canada et de l'Étranger. Ce rapport a été produit par le Groupe des
modes de vie sains du Réseau pancanadien de santé publique.
Ce rapport établit le profil d’études de cas au sein de 13 communautés de
partout au Canada et où les efforts de collaboration visant à améliorer
les résultats en matière de santé ont été un élément essentiel pour la
planification des décisions liées au milieu créé. Cette approche a été
choisie afin que les succès (et les leçons tirées) d’un éventail de
projets puissent être communiqués à d’autres communautés. En présentant
une étude de cas de chaque province et territoire, le rapport présente un
point de vue pancanadien. Deux exemples à l’échelle internationale mettent
en évidence le travail semblable qui est effectué à l’étranger.
N’hésitez pas à diffuser ce rapport à grande échelle. Il est possible de
le consulter en ligne à l’adresse suivante :
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/hl-vs-strat/index-fra.php
Nous aimerions savoir de quelle façon le rapport contribue à l’exécution
de votre travail et à celui de vos collègues. Veuillez transmettre vos
commentaires à l’adresse suivante :
healthylivingE-bulletin(a)phac-aspc.gc.ca.
Sandy Kostyniuk
Program Consultant
The Public Health Agency of Canada
Street Address
7th Floor, 275 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Mailing Address
Manitoba and Saskatchewan Regional Office
1015 Arlington Street
Winnipeg, MB
Canada
R3E 3R2
Phone: 1-204-789-7411
Fax: 1-204-789-7878
Email: sandy_kostyniuk(a)phac-aspc.gc.ca
----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Haynes
Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:22 AM
Subject: Active Transportation - Canada: October 31, 2009
Active Transportation - Canada features a regular posting of news articles, studies, reports, and other items that have relevance in this field, with previous postings available in an archive. In addition, pictures of existing Active Transportation infrastructure from communities across Canada will be profiled each week.
The following items have recently been posted to the Active Transportation - Canada Blog. To view in more detail, go to: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com
****************************************************************************************************
AT Infrastructure Example: Lac des Seize Iles QC - Separated Bicycle Route
1.. Urban sprawl no fun for kids, reports say
2.. Reclaiming city streets for people
3.. Alberta Centre for Active Living - Physical Activity Information Round-Up
4.. US - Community Walkable Neighbourhoods Guide
5.. Boomer demand spikes sales of two-wheelers designed for older riders
6.. Ottawa's cycling issues finally gaining needed speed
7.. City plans to create seven areas that are vibrant, pedestrian friendly and transit supported
8.. Time to put the brakes on bicycling lanes
9.. Montrealers have no problem walking the walk
10.. Cyclists seeking safer routes and driver education
11.. Skateboard Path May Become Permanent
12.. FACE parents worry about new bike path
13.. Silver Birch Trail will not be paved
14.. National report praises city's bike lane
15.. Proposed trail on agenda for two public meetings
16.. New York's transformation sends us a message
17.. UK - Crap Cycle Lanes
18.. Swedish Piano Stairs
19.. Beijing’s Sustainable City Center
20.. Focusing on Neighborhood Traffic Safety - Lessons from Europe
****************************************************************************************************
A reminder e-mail of new postings will be sent no more often than once per week. To continue to receive these updates, you need take no action. Should you not wish to receive updates, please return this e-mail with "Unsubscribe" in the Subject area.
Interested in an AT workshop in your community? For more information, please contact:
Michael Haynes
Director
TransActive Solutions
activetransportation(a)rogers.com
613.424.2803