AT-Network November 2011

at-network@lists.umanitoba.ca

4 participants
19 discussions

Help Develop a Vision for Cycling Facilities on the Pembina Highway Corridor

by Mark Cohoe

Hi, Sorry for the short notice on this. If you can't make this meeting, we'll be posting updates to the Bike to the Future <www.biketothefuture.org> website. Bike to the Future's Riel Community Sub-Committee will be meeting on Wednesday November 30th to discuss upcoming City of Winnipeg infrastructure projects and their potential to improve cyclist access along the Pembina Highway Corridor. The goal of the meeting is to help develop a vision for cycling facilities along the Pembina Corridor that will be part of a cohesive, direct, safe, and comfortable cycling network, and to develop strategies to ensure those facilities get built. Upcoming projects include: * Pembina Underpass Rehabilitation * Phase II of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor * Various Pembina Highway Mill and Fill Rehabilitation Projects *When:* Wednesday November 30th; 7-9pm *Where:* Round Table Pub 800 Pembina Highway (just north of Jubilee at the Pembina/Stafford intersection) *Draft Discussion Papers:* Potential Cycling Facility Improvements <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1721/pembina-jubilee-intersecti…> Existing and Planned Cycling Facilities <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1722/pembina-jubilee-intersecti…> Potential Bike Boulevard/Neighbourhood Greenway Alignments <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1723/harrow-to-bison-map-bike-b…> *Proposed Agenda* 1 Adoption of Agenda 2 Pembina/Jubilee Intersection 2.1 Overview of Upcoming Projects 2.2 Key Connections/Existing Assets/Future Plans 2.3 Potential Options 2.4 Discussion of Benefits/Constraints/Costs 2.5 Developing an Evaluation Matrix 3 Pembina/Jubilee to U of M Connection 3.1 Overview of Upcoming Projects 3.2 Key Connections/Existing Assets/Future Plans 3.3 Potential Options 3.4 Discussion of Benefits/Constraints/Costs 3.5 Developing an Evaluation Matrix 4 Strategies to ensure Inclusion of Equitable Facilities for Cyclists/Pedestrians Along Pembina Corridor 5 Adjournment If you are able to attend, please RSVP <mailto:mark@biketothefuture.org>. Cheers, Mark

11 years, 6 months

AT & Obesity in Europe, NA and Australia

by Beth McKechnie

While the conclusions are intuitive, i.e. a statistically significant inverse relationship between Active Transportation and obesity prevalence, it is always helpful to have a study to confirm what we know! In particular, I found the following paragraph from the attached pdf compelling: "In the 1980s, few households in China owned automobiles, but 14% of Chinese households acquired an automobile between 1989 and 1997. Bell et al.5 conducted a longitudinal study of 2,485 adults (aged 20 to 45 years) during this time period. They found that Chinese men who acquired a car averaged a 1.8 kg weight gain and were twice as likely to become obese, compared to men whose vehicle ownership remained unchanged. These findings held even after adjusting for diet." cheers, Beth -- *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/>

11 years, 6 months

new video from Winnipeg

by Anders Swanson

Hi, This one isn't researched-based or particularly groundbreaking, just some nice camera work, with a soundtrack that mixes honest opinions and not-cheesy music (I suggest headphones if you are at the office): http://sustainablesouthosborne.com/smart-trips-video/ Thanks to Shoni at the Green Action Centre for sending this to me. Thought it deserved some more distribution and that it might inspire. Maybe it's just me: I am currently outside of Canada, visiting a city where 50% of the households don't own cars and where the bike counts almost equal the car counts, yet this one succeeded in making me homesick and providing some hope. Anders

11 years, 6 months

Caltrans Seamless Travel Study

by Beth McKechnie

Caltrans Seamless Travel Study *Download the Executive Summary or full report at*: http://www.altaplanning.com/caltrans+seamless+study.aspx Alta Planning + Design teamed with the Traffic Safety Center of the University of California Berkeley to develop a model for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand for Caltrans Division of Innovation and Research. The project, Seamless Travel, in coordination with the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, is the largest and longest combined count and survey effort in the United States focusing only on bicyclists and pedestrians. Using San Diego County as a case study, the Seamless Travel Project is the first of its type to develop an extensive database of count and survey data for use in analyzing and identifying factors that influence bicycling and walking. While the modes were studied together, it was recognized that they are distinct from one another and were always counted, surveyed, and analyzed separately. The project methodology included bicycle and pedestrian counts and intercept surveys over a two-year period throughout the county and evaluating the effects that socio-demographic, land use, and other variables have on walking and biking rates within the county. The report provides a review of the methodology along with count and survey results, development of predictive models, and model results. -- *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/>

11 years, 6 months

Sharing time: Tracking the 'sharrow' on city streets

by Beth McKechnie

Sharing time: Tracking the ‘sharrow’ on city streets <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/people/Elly+Blue> <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=ra-4dc04d5824…> <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=ra-4dc04d5824…> <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> 17 Nov 2011 7:06 AM http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on… Visiting Seattle last weekend, it was impossible not to notice that its streets are absolutely covered in sharrows. "It's almost like they polluted the streets with them," said Tom Fucoloro, proprietor of the Seattle Bike Blog <http://seattlebikeblog.com/>, who took me on a walk through the city's Central District, pointing out its transportation features. [image: Bike sharrow.]A sharrow in Baltimore. Photo: Elly Blue<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellyblue/3201689952/in/photostream/> A "sharrow" -- the word is an amalgamation of "arrow" and "share the road" -- is a larger-than-life thermoplastic symbol of a bicycle topped by two chevrons pointing the way forward. More technically known as "shared lane markings," they're intended to remind two-wheeled and four-wheeled road users alike to share with each other, and also to encourage people on bikes to take the lane<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-10-25-dont-hate-me-because-im-a-smart-biker>when it's too narrow to ride side-by-side with car traffic. Sharrows have been increasing in popularity nationwide, and got a boost in 2009 when they were officially entered<http://www.vabike.org/new-mutcd-released-now-with-sharrows/>into the federal transportation engineering canon. Seattle got a head start, writing them into its 2007 Bike Master Plan. Other cities began earlier, but I've never seen such a profusion as in the Emerald City. Like many experts on transportation bicycling, Fucoloro wasn't enthusiastic about them. Sharrows are spread so indiscriminately on Seattle streets, he said, that "they mean nothing now." He has noticed that there seems to be "slightly less aggression" from drivers when they're in place. "But does that mean all the streets without sharrows are worse?" In other words, with sharrows everywhere, do drivers assume that cyclists don't belong on streets without them? Fucoloro is not the only one to express that concern, but he and others seem to be watching and waiting as cities feel out how best to use them. Some early adopters, including Sacramento and Baltimore, initially put sharrows on busy roads all the way to the right, where riders would be squeezed between fast car traffic and parked cars -- right in the dreaded "door zone <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-09-01-the-dangers-of-the-door-zone>." Federal regs now say that sharrows must be at least four feet from the curb if there's no parking, 11 feet from the curb if there is. Seattle has its own brand of sharrow growing pains. Riding and walking around town, it's hard to see a logic to the streets chosen for sharrow treatment. Some are on relatively quiet back streets, others are on breathtakingly fast arterials where the symbols are worn and rutted by the daily flow of cars and trucks speeding over them. Sharrows are popular because they are politically easy -- you can almost hear city officials sigh with relief when sharrows are mentioned. On the surface, they seem like a way to please the increasingly vocal bike lobby without ruffling feathers by putting in a bike lane at the expense of car parking or traffic lanes, which are often perceived as being for cars only. And they're cheap: Sharrows cost only $229 each<http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2010/07/02/sharrow…>to install, including labor and materials, while a full-blown bike lane can cost between $5,000 and $60,000<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-03-14-tearing-down-urban-freeways-to-make-…>per mile. But do sharrows work? One recent study<http://www.sfmta.com/cms/uploadedfiles/dpt/bike/Bike_Plan/Shared%20Lane%20M…>says sharrows slow car traffic slightly, and make bicyclists a little safer. But they are even better at keeping drivers at a distance from parked cars -- once again, bike infrastructure benefits more than just people on bikes. Fucoloro's conclusion about sharrows: "They're better as wayfinding signs" rather than safety tools. Portland's take on the sharrow meme bears this theory out. Last summer, my hometown experienced a sudden sharrow explosion, as an influx of federal stimulus money was used in part to paste them en masse on an extensive network of low-traffic, neighborhood streets in our northeast quadrant. Laid out smack in the middle of the road, they're meant to show all road users where people on bikes can ride most safely -- but in practice their main usefulness has been to map out bikeable routes across town. And this, Fucoloro said, points the way to sharrow's ultimate future, at least in Seattle. They are helping pave the way, politically and on the ground, for the next big thing: neighborhood greenways<http://neighborhoodgreenwayssea.wordpress.com/>-- designated networks of residential streets that ease walking and biking by discouraging fast car traffic and calming areas where pedestrians cross streets. "We have a lot of busy streets separating schools and parks, and there's a need for families and kids to have a safe way to get around," Fucoloro explained. Greenways fulfill this need. Neighborhood groups have been demanding them, he said, and "lots of them aren't bikers at all." A recent ballot measure in Seattle would have raised car registration fees by $60 per year to fund active transportation projects, including thousands of dollars a year in neighborhood greenways, Fucoloro said. But the initiative was defeated. "I think the city was going to take bike infrastructure to the next level, and Prop 1 was going to give us a push," Fucoloro said. "Now I don't know what we're going to do -- we'll just keep half-assing it, I guess." Half-assed or not, sharrows are a feasible right-now hack for Seattle's -- or any other city's -- streets in a time when the mere mention of bicycle transportation in a public forum can produce an upswell of anti-bike grumbling and threats of vehicular violence. Done wrong or inconsistently, they can make streets slightly more dangerous for bicycling. Done right, they can point the way to the future. *Elly Blue is a bicycle activist living in Portland, Oregon. She has been the managing editor of BikePortland.org, the lead coordinator of the Towards Carfree Cities conference in Portland in 2008, and has been an active bike funnist since 2005. She publishes a feminist bicycle zine called Taking the Lane <http://takingthelane.com/zine>. *

11 years, 6 months

Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2012 conference

by Beth McKechnie

If this newsletter does not seem to be displaying properly, try viewing it in your browser<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> . Issue: 1 | November 16, 2011 Mark your calendar for September 10-13, 2012 and plan to be in Long Beach, California for the 17th gathering of Pro Walk/Pro Bike®. Like any Pro Walk/Pro Bike®, you will be joining a broad array of people who share a common belief that more bicycling and more walking leads to communities that are more cohesive, more economically sustainable, healthier, and happier; unlike conferences of recent memory, this will take place against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and long beaches, which will you send you home with a head start on happiness. Those of you who have attended previous Pro Walk/Pro Bike® conferences understand very well that the work—more than any individual—is the star. That tradition will continue in 2012, but seeing how we’re in the LA area, we thought it couldn’t hurt to sprinkle in a few stars. *Some of the featured speakers at Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012 in Long Beach, California:* [image: Picture of Mikael]*Mikael Colville-Andersen* *Copenhagenize Consulting, CEO* A rising international star who is often referred to as Denmark's Bicycle Ambassador, Mikael is an urban mobility expert and "bicycle anthropologist." He lectures around the world on how cities can - and should - re-establish the bicycle as a respected and accepted transport form. The "bicycle anthropologist" draws lessons from observing the 500,000 people who daily choose to navigate the streets of Greater Copenhagen on bicycles. Mikael challenges us to think of them not as cyclists, nor as environmentalists, but simply as people choosing to ride because the bicycle is the simplest, quickest way to get through the city. With his unique combination of anthropology and marketing, Colville-Andersen explains how regular citizens can be encouraged to choose the bicycle. Go on a guided tour of Copenhagen with Mikael: http://youtu.be/ZtX8qiC_rXE<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> -> Mikael’s appearance at Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012 is thanks to the generosity of the League of American Bicyclists. Thanks! [image: Picture of Fred]*Fred Kent* *Project for Public Spaces, President* Fred Kent is a leading authority on revitalizing city spaces and one of the foremost thinkers in livability, smart growth and the future of the city. As founder and president of Project for Public Spaces, he is known throughout the world as a dynamic speaker and prolific ideas man. Traveling over 150,000 miles each year, Fred offers technical assistance to communities and has given talks across the U.S. as well as internationally. Each year, he and the PPS staff train 10,000 people in Placemaking techniques. Fred studied with Margaret Mead and worked with William H. Whyte on the Street Life Project, assisting in observations and film analysis of corporate plazas, urban streets, parks and other open spaces in New York City. -> Check out Fred's recent interview in *The Atlantic Monthly*: http://bit.ly/sUKXrW<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> [image: Picture of John]*John O. Norquist* *Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), President and CEO* John Norquist's work promoting New Urbanism as an alternative and antidote to sprawl's social and environmental problems draws on his experience as a big-city mayor and prominent participant in national discussions on urban design and transportation policy. Norquist served as Mayor of Milwaukee from 1988-2004. Under his leadership, Milwaukee experienced a decline in poverty, saw a boom in new downtown housing, and became a leading center of education and welfare reform. He oversaw a revision of the city's zoning code and reoriented development around walkable streets and public amenities such as the city's 3.1-mile Riverwalk. Named a *Governing Magazine* "Public Official of the Year" during his tenure, Norquist also received widespread recognition for championing the removal of a 0.8 mile stretch of elevated freeway. In 2008, he received the Bacon Prize, named for visionary Philadelphia planner Ed Bacon. -> We're very excited about the participation of CNU's members in Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012. For more about the work they're doing relating to planning and walkable neighborhoods see papers from their June 2011 conference: http://www.cnu.org/nuresearch<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> [image: Picture of Charlie]*Charlie Gandy* *PWPB® 2012: Local Host Coordinator* Directing local efforts in Long Beach is the one (and only) Charlie Gandy. Charlie is a nationally recognized expert in active community design, and has been at the epicenter of national and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy for nearly two decades. Charlie is one of our best innovators and translators, often moving outside bicycle and pedestrian circles to get our message across to elected officials, business leaders, and other non-traditional audiences. As the Mobility Coordinator for Long Beach, California's Bike Long Beach program, Gandy played a lead role in the award winning "sharrow" experiment, the 3rd and Broadway national "protected bike lane" pilot program, and collaborated on the nation's first Bicycle Friendly Business Districts. Prior to moving to Long Beach, Charlie was Director of Advocacy Programs for the Bicycle Federation of America (NCBW's precursor) from 1994 to 1998. At the Bicycle Federation, he organized and launched citizen based advocacy groups for walking and cycling in thirty states and metropolitan areas, and coached and trained advocates in all fifty states. Gandy developed and launched the "Walkable Community Workshops," which have traveled to more than 1,200 communities nationwide. Charlie is President of Livable Communities Inc. Pictured above: Charlie (left) talks with Gary Toth (PPS) about an intersection redesign in Long Beach. -> Fans of Charlie: Don't miss the Charlie Gandy Honorary Roast that will take place at PWPB® 2012. Time: TBD. ------------------------------ Next in our December edition -> Our Call for Proposals -> A Sneak Peak at the Program! ------------------------------ Thanks to our conference sponsors <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…><http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> If you are interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor at Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012, please contact: Mark Plotz Conference Director Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012 202.223.3621 phone 202.223.3477 fax mark(a)bikewalk.org conference website<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> ------------------------------ National Center for Bicycling & Walking | 1612 K Street, NW | Suite 802 | Washington, DC | DC | 20006 *Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&m=1101674884274&ea=…> * **<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001Fn1fHTcb0koJrY6Q8eE_USQ3W…> ** ** ** This email was sent to beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca by newsletters(a)bikewalk.org | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&mse=001Fn1fHTcb0koJrY6Q8eE_USQ3W…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001Fn1fHTcb0koJrY6Q8eE_USQ3W…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. ** National Center for Bicycling & Walking | 1612 K Street, NW | Suite 802 | Washington, DC | DC | 20006

11 years, 6 months

Macleans: Canada's best cycling schools

by Beth McKechnie

Canada’s best cycling schools By Macleans.ca <http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/author/macleansca/> | November 7th, 2011 | 9:46 am *From the 21st Maclean’s University Rankings—on newsstands now. Story by Jason McBride.* If you were to design the perfect bicycling environment, it would include safe, well-maintained and lit streets. It would have almost no car traffic, dedicated bike paths and ample secure parking and storage. It might even have showers purpose-built for sweaty commuters and a well-equipped repair shop where cyclists can get help fixing a flat tire. In short, it would look quite a bit like the campus of McMaster University. McMaster is located in blue-collar, largely car-centric Hamilton, Ont.—an unlikely champion of the bicycle. But in the past two years, the city has been in the vanguard of sustainable travel, expanding cycling infrastructure, improving regional transit and adding carpooling programs. Municipal support has, in turn, emboldened the university, and encouraged both students and faculty to take up, in great numbers, alternative modes of transportation. According to Kate Whalen, manager of McMaster’s office of sustainability, a 2010 campus survey revealed that 37 per cent of students walked or cycled to school. “We have a very engaged population,” she says. And the university is very responsive to the needs of that population. Just one example: after a civil engineering student did a systematic geographic information survey of the use of university bike racks, underutilized racks were relocated to more optimal spots on campus. Ten additional racks are installed each year, Whalen says. Biking has always been an if-you-build-it-they-will-come culture. It’s a no-brainer: the easier and more convenient it is to bike, the more likely people are to use their two-wheelers. And there are no better candidates for cycling than university students: largely able-bodied young people, with tight budgets and, usually, an awareness of the fitness and environmental benefits cycling offers. In recent years, students and faculty have been encouraged even more to ride to school—with universities struggling with the demands of their own growth. Congestion and parking have, meanwhile, become pressing concerns. In 2008, a Transport Canada report highlighted ﬁve post-secondary institutions—McMaster, the University of Ottawa, McGill, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Victoria—and their respective, campus-based “Transportation Demand Management” initiatives. These initiatives all seek to reduce the number of students and university staff that take single-occupancy vehicles to school, offering alternatives from universal student transit passes, carpooling and, of course, improved cycling facilities. Those five universities still offer the best cycling experiences in the country. Each boasts its own cycling co-op where students can rent or borrow bikes, get their bikes fixed, share ideas and work together to better life on campus for all cyclists. And each school adds new services or facilities almost every year. The University of Ottawa, for example, started a bike-share program in the spring of 2011. McGill has had such a program in place for almost a decade, but the newish BIXI system, operated by the City of Montreal, and with many hubs on campus, has expanded this fleet of bikes for rent. The school also aims, in the next year, to double the number of bike racks. The University of Victoria and UBC have long been cycling pioneers. Obviously, the gentle B.C. climate is a major factor, but both schools have created, over the past decade, the most robust and comprehensive bike infrastructure in the country. At UVic, where the percentage of people travelling to and from campus by bike increased 67 per cent in the last four years, there are 3,000 parking spaces and 96 bike lockers. UBC’s bike co-op offers numerous repair and safety courses, including some specifically geared to women, and a nascent cargo bike-share program. The inclusivity and diversity of the programs, as well as the planning and design of Vancouver itself—there are no highways through the city, and all buses can carry bikes on their front racks—have all contributed to an increase in biking. Jean-François Caron, a graduate student in physics and a former president of the co-op, says, “Cycling is no longer a symbol of poverty or low status; it’s just something people do.” And they’re doing it in increasing numbers on more surprising campuses as well. Students at the University of Calgary were delighted that their much beloved volunteer-run community bike shop, the Bike Root, found a new home this fall after its temporary campus location closed; the city’s progressive mayor, Naheed Nenshi, and his own new municipal bicycling strategy, have put more wind at their backs. Even at the University of Windsor, in a city where Fords are a far more common sight than Schwinns, a growing community of cyclists has made its presence felt. “People are waking up to the fact that Windsor’s a great place to cycle,” says Christopher Waters, the associate dean at Windsor’s law school. “It’s flat, the climate’s mild relative to the rest of Canada, and we have a beautiful waterfront trail from one side of town to the foot of campus.” Waters, a member of the Windsor cycling committee, proudly makes a point of riding to school no matter the season or weather: “I, quite literally, did not miss a day last year.” *Canada’s top five biking schools* *University of Victoria:* Victoria is Canada’s cycling capital. UVic offers tons of parking, lockers—even a bike bursary program where old bikes are refurbished and lent to students. *University of British Columbia:* UBC’s famous purple-and-yellow bike-share program and good number of end-of-trip facilities (with lockers and showers) make cycling in Vancouver easy and accessible. *University of Ottawa:* Parking doesn’t come cheap in the nation’s capital (or its university) but upgraded cycling amenities—including an effective theft-prevention program—and 500 km of bike lanes in the city are quickly reducing car use. *McMaster:* The school’s Sustainability Office monitors and improves biking infrastructure, bolstered by Hamilton’s increasing municipal efforts on alternative transportation. *McGill:* A Danish urban planning authority recently named Montreal North America’s top cycling city. McGill even has its own Bicycling Research Centre. http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2011/11/07/canadas-best-cycling-schoo…

11 years, 6 months

Trucks can be made safer for cyclists, study shows

by Beth McKechnie

Trucks can be made safer for cyclists, study shows renata d’aliesio Published Sunday, Nov. 13, 2011 9:25PM EST / Last updated Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 10:37AM EST http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/regulator-unmoved-by-s… It’s a debate that’s gone on for years: Should truck drivers be forced to install side guards to help prevent pedestrians and cyclists from being crushed under their rear wheels? To families and friends of the victims, it’s a life-saving measure, a position reinforced after the tragic death of a cyclist in Toronto last week. But the trucking industry and the federal transportation regulator argue the evidence of the side-guard’s effectiveness isn’t clear. The debate moves to Ottawa on Monday when opposition MP Olivia Chow will press the government to make the protection mandatory on trucks across the country. A report from 2010, commissioned by Transport Canada and made available to The Globe and Mail, shows that since the introduction of guards on the side of most trucks in Europe in the late 1980s, the number of cyclists and pedestrians killed or seriously wounded in crashes with large vehicles has dropped. However, the National Research Council Canada, which produced the study, found it unclear whether the safety measure was entirely responsible for the decrease in deaths and injuries, or one of several factors. Transport Canada spokeswoman Melanie Quesnel said in an e-mail that her department would be open to examining the issue further “should any valid information become available in the future to support the use of side guards as a significant means to improve safety.” That’s not going down well with friends and relatives of people who might have been helped, if not saved, by these protective guards. “The truck that was involved in Toronto’s incident [last] week would have cost $800 for a side guard,” said Jeannette Holman-Price, whose 21-year-old daughter was crushed by a snow-removal truck in Montreal six years ago. “Do you think that company wouldn’t have wished that they had that side guard in place? Do you think that driver wouldn’t have wished to have had that in place? “Eight hundred dollars to save that woman’s life.” The Canadian study cited a British probe that zeroed in on crashes involving the sides of trucks. A substantial reduction in cyclist deaths (61 per cent) and serious injuries (13 per cent) occurred 10 years after side guards were introduced. Still, the government research agency cautioned side guards are only part of the solution and an uncertain one at that. “It is not clear if side guards will reduce deaths and serious injury or if the guards will simply alter the mode of death and seriously injury,” it concluded. Several of Jenna Morrison’s friends believe safety guards might have saved her life. The 38-year-old yoga instructor was five months pregnant, and on her way to pick up her five-year-old son from school, when her bike collided with a truck turning right on a major Toronto street last Monday. She was pulled under the truck and crushed beneath its back wheels. Toronto police are investigating the circumstances of the crash to determine whether charges should be laid. At a downtown Toronto intersection Monday, bike riders will gather to ride in honour of Ms. Morrison. The cyclists will pedal to the intersection where she died and stop for a moment of silence. Later in the day in Ottawa, Ms. Chow will reintroduce a private member’s bill urging the federal government to make side guards mandatory on most trucks in the country. This is the NDP MP’s third try at changing the regulation. >From 2004 to 2006, 77 pedestrians and 24 cyclists died nationwide as a result of collisions with heavy vehicles in urban areas, government statistics show. Another 1,410 people were injured. Estimates on the cost of side guards range from $600 to $2,600, depending on the type of truck and guard. In some cases, the cost could be recovered through improved fuel efficiency, the National Research Council study said. “The cost would be minimal, compared with the lives that could be saved,” Ms. Chow contended. “It’s just a tragedy all these senseless deaths.” Ontario’s chief coroner’s office recently announced it would review cyclist and pedestrian deaths in the province. The probe will look at what has changed since a 1998 examination of fatalities involving cyclists. That coroner’s review recommended Ottawa examine the life-saving potential of side guards. The 2005 death of Toronto bike rider Ryan Carriere, a father of two young girls who was crushed beneath a truck, also sparked demands for change: the City of Toronto requested that Transport Canada introduce side guards on trucks in 2006. Mr. Carriere’s widow, Megan Holtz, said she believes the safety device would have saved his life and added she hopes the latest coroner’s review presses the federal government to act. She also wants the city to build bike lanes separated by barriers. “He was not riding recklessly. He was riding carefully, and yet he was killed,” she said. “It terrifies me that my children want to ride in the city.” For now, the federal government has no plans to regulate side guards. Prominent Toronto neurosurgeon Charles Tator wants the federal and provincial governments to take a closer look at the safety tool. But Canadian Trucking Alliance president David Bradley doesn’t believe sufficient evidence exists to support making side guards mandatory. He maintains there are better measures to explore, such as adding bike lanes and education campaigns on sharing the road. “Everybody feels badly for what’s happening,” Mr. Bradley said, “but too often people jump to conclusions about things that really might sound like they would work but don’t hold up to empirical scrutiny.” Ms. Holman-Price has no doubt side guards work. The Newfoundland mother said they would have prevented her daughter’s death and her son’s brain injury. The pair were standing on a snowbank in Montreal, waiting to cross the street, when the 10-year-old boy was snagged by a snow-removal truck and pulled underneath in December, 2005. His sister scrambled and pushed him to safety, but in doing so, she slid under the truck and was crushed by its wheels. Their mother has been campaigning for safety guards on trucks ever since. “I’m 100-per-cent positive that they would have made a difference in my daughter’s case and my son’s as well,” Ms. Holman-Price said. “Had there been a side guard there, they wouldn’t have been able to get underneath the truck.”

11 years, 6 months

Webinar - Parking: Buffers, Bikes & Cars (Wed, Nov.16, 2-3, EcoCentre)

by Beth McKechnie

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar on *"Parking: Buffers, Bikes and Cars" *at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Parking: Buffers, Bikes and Cars Wednesday, November 16 • 2:00 to 3:00 pm CST On-street parking is a significant issue for urban bike lane design; it has thus far not proven feasible to reduce [image: image]large quantities of on-street parking to create high quality bicycle infrastructure.This discussion will be relevant for professionals struggling with how to create bicycle infrastructure that is as comfortable and safe as possible within constrained environments where it is politically impractical to reduce parking. This webinar will provide you with simple, practical solutions to reduce conflicts between parked cars and on-street bicycle facilities. You will learn how to apply low cost solutions that are mindful of federal guidance but also capitalize on the latest advances in the U.S. and elsewhere. Solutions discussed in this webinar will address engineering liability concerns and consider maintenance impacts (cost and manpower). Many agencies are supportive of these concepts in theory but struggle to get past these two issues. Specific discussion will focus on: - Buffered bike lanes, parallel lines, cycle tracks, door zone markings, facility dimensions, color, signs, educational/marketing efforts - How the MUTCD and AASHTO apply to the various treatments - The state of the practice in the U.S. and around the world - The state of the research for each treatment - Identifying when and where it may be appropriate to deploy particular treatments. The presenter is Bill Schultheiss, PE, Senior Engineer, Toole Design Group. Bill has more than a decade of experience on high quality engineering and design for a range of projects including bicycle master plans for the cities of Seattle, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; pedestrian and bicycle design guidelines for state and local governments; and site specific solutions for urban, suburban and rural design challenges. He is a member of the Bicycle Technical Committee of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices. He holds a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

11 years, 6 months

Nat'l Post: Don't let dimwitted rules push e-bikes off the roads

by Beth McKechnie

Interesting discussion from ON / TO about rules regarding e-bikes vs scooters and their place on the road / bike lane / pathways... Don't let dimwitted rules push e-bikes off the roadsTerence Corcoran, National Post · Oct. 29, 2011 http://www.nationalpost.com/news/dimwitted+rules+push+bikes+roads/5626449/s… I love my e-bike and I'm here to defend it. Save the E-Bike! - the real, the genuine and the only e-bike - is a campaign I hope my fellow opinion mongers here at the National Post will join. More directly, this is an appeal to Peter Kuitenbrouwer and Chris Selley, who recently wrote columns on e-bikes, to take a fresh look at the issue, refine their views and sign up for a rational and consistent e-bike policy for Toronto. If we do not do this, one of the greatest two-wheel transportation concepts since the invention of the bicycle could be lost to this great city. The true e-bike is one with working muscle-powered pedals and an electric battery assist. Thanks to dimwitted policy from the provincial government, the e-bike is being driven off the market in Ontario. The province has created such confusion that both Mr. Kuitenbrouwer and Mr. Selley took positions that came down solidly in favour of two opposite policy options that are both wrong. The Kuitenbrouwer policy: Ban all e-bikes from bicycle lanes and force bikers and their aggressive speeding machines to be licensed as the equivalent of motorcycles that must drive on regular roadways. "Pedal a bicycle or go slug it out in traffic with cars," he wrote in a recent column. The Selley policy: Leave the e-bikes alone. Let them use bike lanes. The problem isn't the e-bikes, it's the e-bikers. "Cyclists and e-cyclists alike do stupid things out there. But let's hate the sinner, not his ride." I will now drive down the middle of this debate on my e-bike, the Schwinn I-Zip Electric Bike, purchased about four years ago from Canadian Tire for an end-of-season bargain price of about $350. It has an excellent gearing system. If I want, I can pedal the I-Zip from a standing start to typical bike speeds; it's heavy, so the start-up is slow by Tour de France standards. Alternatively, since my knees are a wreck, I usually turn on the battery, turn the right handlebar power grip, and gently power the bike forward. At any speed, I can pedal my I-Zip or engage the electric power assist, or do both. As anybody with bad knees can tell you, pedalling uphill is a killer. My I-Zip takes me up hills painlessly and with great ease. Coasting down to the Lake Shore from midtown is always a pleasure. With my I-Zip, so is the ride back up. The I-Zip looks like a bicycle and rides like a bicycle, although purists still scoff at the idea. Cycle enthusiasts believe riding should be work by definition. They view bicycles as machines to crank up their cardio-vascular systems. To them, a bicycle with power is a contradiction. "What's the point?" One point is fun, enjoyment. Bicycles, after all, originated as leisure vehicles. The point is being able to enjoy them without the pain. For older people, e-bikes can open up the pleasure of cycling that age might have taken away. The first problem with the Kuitenbrouwer/Selley positions is that they are not talking about e-bikes. Both their columns were accompanied by pictures of e-scooters, and both columns consistently referred to e-bikes and e-scooters as if they were one and the same. But e-scooters are not e-bikes, a distinction that is carefully made by lawmakers in Europe and the United States. It is a distinction that Toronto's scooter retailers consistently obscure and fail to make. Thanks to bungled provincial rules, electric scooters are treated as bicycles, even though their pedals are awkwardly placed and rarely used. Like bicycles, they require nothing more than the cash to buy the scooter. "No pollution, no gas, no licence, no insurance, no tickets, no parking fees, no noise, no brainer," touts one retailer. Drive anywhere - on the street, middle of lanes, in bike lanes. How did the province come to this policy? Whatever its origins, the effect has been to create a surge of interest in electric scooters and to squelch interest in genuine e-bikes. The City of Toronto has an opposite and equally dumb rule. In the city's view, e-bikes and e-scooters are the same. All motor-powered vehicles are banned from park pathways. And only "muscle-powered vehicles" are allowed in bike paths on city streets. Smarter rules exist elsewhere. In Europe, where e-biking (as opposed to e-scootering) is more advanced, rules allow e-bikes on bike lanes but force e-scooters out into regular traffic. Jeff McGuane, president of the Cycling Sports Group of Dorel Industries of Montreal - which makes Schwinn, Cannondale and other e-bike models - says "strict regulations" differentiate e-bikes from e-scooters in Europe. E-bikes must be pedal-operated (e-scooters are not) and the power assist from the battery is limited to certain speeds and wattage. Rules may vary, but a typical German rule would prevent the use of e-bikes that exceed 30 kilometres an hour or have wattage exceeding 450. Escooters are treated as motorcycles. The market for e-bikes this year in Europe is about one million, 30 million worldwide, mostly in China. Mr. McGuane says it may be three or four years before North America picks up the trend. In the United States, federal rules and regulation in states such as Oregon have clear e-bike standards that are well ahead of Ontario's mindless policy. Oregon describes an "electric assisted bicycle" as one with "fully operational pedals for human propulsion and an electric motor" limited to a maximum 1,000 watts. Top speed is limited to 20 miles per hour. The City of Portland, using state definitions, allows e-bikes to use the city's extensive bike-lane infrastructure. In Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis has similar e-bike allowances. At Schwinn, e-bikes are seen as a future wave. My I-Zip (450 watts, top speed about 20 km/h, range 25 kilometres) isn't available any more at Canadian Tire. Best Buy offers a similar model in the United States, but not in Canada. Mr. McGuane, however, sees a boom coming. More than 10% of all bicycles sold through specialty retailers in Germany and the Netherlands are genuine e-bikes. Schwinn has models in the U.S. priced from $799 to $2,800, with a new Cannondale state-of-the art model boasting a "Bosch power system" that calibrates pedal power and motor output. But will they ever make it to Toronto? My speculation is that genuine e-bikes were pushed out of the city by a dumb regulation that allowed e-scooters on the road as bicycles. That gave scooter retailers a market advantage at the expense of e-bikes. The policy should be changed and made clear: e-scooters licensed on the road as motorcycles, e-bikes allowed in bike lanes as bicycles. tcorcoran(a)nationalpost.com

11 years, 6 months

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

AT-Network November 2011