While I typically resist including personal comments when circulating
articles, this one begs for context. The article below underscores the
critical importance of pre- and post-construction counts. Users of the
cycle track will certainly attest to its busyness but anecdotal evidence is
not enough. It is also true that the full potential of the route was
dampened this past year due to construction on Osborne Bridge, which will
continue again this spring. But there now appears to be a pattern of
apology at City Hall regarding AT project construction. It is common, if
not seemingly mandatory, in every city building pedestrian and cycling
facilities, to have backlash, usually in the form of the "insufficient
consultation" argument. Winnipeg is not unique in this regard but we do
seem to be establishing a habit of backtracking afterward.
-Beth
Consultation flawed: Katz Short shrift for firms, public on bikeway plan
By: Jen Skerritt
Mayor Sam Katz admits the city could have done a better job consulting the
public over a bikeway project one citizen has called a "theft of democracy."
On Wednesday, council's executive policy committee reviewed an audit report
that identified shortcomings in the consultation process over the
Assiniboine Avenue bikeway. The report said area businesses were not
included in the process and public notifications should have outlined the
impact the project would have on traffic.
The bikeway was part of Winnipeg's major active-transportation overhaul
that saw the city try to complete 35 projects within an 18-month period to
make use of federal stimulus dollars.
It prompted a backlash from residents and businesses, and six companies
near the Midtown Bridge filed a lawsuit to try to halt construction, saying
the plan would cause traffic chaos in the neighbourhood. One plaintiff on
Assiniboine said he was notified about the project by a notice taped to his
door.
Graham Hnatiuk, a citizen journalist, told EPC the city should seek a
refund since the consultant the city hired to conduct public consultations
did not contact residents for their input for the on-street bike lane.
Hnatiuk said he became interested in the issue after he attended a public
meeting about the bikeway in 2009, and most of the people who attended were
bike lobbyists.
The blogger said he complained to 311 about the consultation process, and
department staff did not address his concerns. Hnatiuk said Coun. Jeff
Browaty (North Kildonan) later helped forward his complaint directly to the
city auditor.
Hnatiuk said the bikeway is "sparsely used" in summer, and hundreds of cars
that used the route during rush hour travel down an already gridlocked York
Avenue instead.
"We were right all along," he said. "The residents and businesses along
Assiniboine Avenue have known all along that their input was never asked
for."
Bob Axford told EPC the City of Winnipeg has a governance problem and
public consultations need to be improved. He suggested Winnipeg make
changes to the way it approaches public consultations.
"This is a complete theft of democracy," he said.
Katz said he agrees that the consultant did not do a good job. He said the
company had a short time frame to complete the public-consultation process
due to the federal deadline.
However, Katz said the firm shouldn't have taken the job if they could not
complete it in the given time. He said everyone, including the mayor,
councillors and the city, could have done a better job.
"On this particular instance a very poor job was done," Katz said.
jen.skerritt(a)freepress.mb.ca
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/consultation-flawed-katz-137654733.h…
<jen.skerritt(a)freepress.mb.ca>
Great news from the Province of Manitoba!
In the attached letter to Janice Lukes, Chair of the Province's Active
Transportation Advisory Group (ATAG), Minister Dave Chomiak has confirmed
they will be acting on three key recommendations of the report generated by
ATAG:
1) Develop a provincial policy to support and encourage AT;
2) Appoint a provincial director for AT; and
3) Establish an on-going public stakeholder advisory committee.
In addition, the Province had committed to and has confirmed building an AT
crossing at the Perimeter Hwy to connect with the popular Northeast
Pioneers Greenway. This will allow peds and cyclists to safely cross the
Perimeter and continue northward through East St. Paul and toward the
floodway trail and Birds Hill Park.
To see all of the recommendations, check out "Greater Strides: Taking
Action on Active Transportation":
http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/pdf/atag_report6.pdf
Wonderful start to 2012! Thanks to Janice, Mark Cohoe, Anders Swanson,
Russell Wychreschuk and Pat Locken for your hard work and dedication in
creating this report, along with the many others who contributed to the
process.
cheers,
Beth
Hi,
For anyone planning on attending the Emerging Technologies for Bicycle
and Pedestrian Planning webinar tomorrow, handouts, slides, and a 41
page report are available for download here
<http://www.apbp.org/?page=Webinar_Downloads>.
Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a
local viewing of the APBP webinar*"*Emerging Technologies for Pedestrian
and Bicycle Planning*" *at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave)
followed by group discussion.
RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then!
cheers,
Mark
475-5070
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents:
Emerging Technologies for Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning
Wednesday, January . 2:00 to 3:15 pm CST
Through a series of short presentations, this webinar will survey
several applications with the potential to help engineers and planners
improve conditions for bicycling and walking. gpsThe examples covered in
this session will offer an overview of a range of situations where
technological advances can aid professionals in their work to develop
plans and programs. Due to the number of examples, attendees should plan
to be in the webinar for 75 minutes.
The session will include:
1. An overview of the newest web and mobile apps and devices, with
suggestions for their application to the 5 Es.
2. A description of Cycloplan, an application in development at the
University of Minnesota that will leverage data collected in the
geo-wiki Cyclopath to create a tool for analyzing cycling networks
and managing bikeways.
3. An example from St. Louis' new Gateway Bike Plan of using technology
to engage the public and help build a new regional bicycle master plan.
4. Information about GPS-enabled data collection equipment used for
pedestrian access inventories, plus pedestrian access shed analysis
methodology.
Presenters are James Andrew, Senior Transportation Planner, Metropolitan
Council of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; Terra Curtis,
MCRP candidate, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; RJ Eldridge,
Director of Planning, Toole Design Group; and Julie Padberg-White,
Principal, FPA Group.
I hope you all loved Peg City Car Co-op <http://pegcitycarcoop.ca>'s last
video featuring our member Amanda <http://vimeo.com/34035273> - is she not
adorable?
Next up in our series of four videos is Chris. Chris usually travels to
work by bus and bike, but finds that the car co-op helps him live more
simply, visit the suburbs, and get out of awkward situations!
See it here: http://vimeo.com/34035969
Also, we have recently moved a vehicle to South
Osborne<http://pegcitycarcoop.ca/2012/01/car2-moves-to-south-osborne/>-
so if you live in that neighbourhood and have considered carsharing or
would like to learn more about it. Please get in touch with me!
Enjoy folks, and stay tuned for video #3 next week!
--
Shoni
Peg City Car Co-op
Co-ops build a better world - International Year of the Co-op
2012<http://www.copac.coop/iyc/index.html>
.
If you watched enough Mr.Dressup as a kid, or simply like watching people
draw, you might like this video. You wouldn't be alone; it's got over a
million hits. Not bad for a video with no cats.
It was made by a doctor/professor in Ontario and is about finding "the
single best thing" we can do for our health. Can you guess what that is?
Hint: I posted it to this list. I won't ruin the suspense, and you might
have heard the message before. Nonetheless, this video includes some pretty
clear and compelling research, and presents the facts in a nice simple way.
For the time being, it even lets the smokers, drinkers and overweight folks
in the crowd off the hook (somewhat)...
Watch the video:
23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our
health?<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo>
Read the CBC Story:
An illustrated video with a simple message about health has received more
than a million hits on YouTube, much to the delight of the Toronto doctor
who created it. "My bankability with teenagers has increased
significantly," Dr. Mike Evans told CBC News on Wednesday. Evans is a
doctor at St. Michael's Hospital and professor at the University of
Toronto. People all over the world are linking to his month-old video from
Facebook and Twitter. Evans says his message — to complete a half-hour of
exercise every day — is like a magic pill to cure aches and pains. "I've
got a pill that's going to help with your arthritis, help with your
depression, help with your anxiety, help with your obesity, help prevent
cancer," he said. The video cites studies from the world, including
research that shows even overweight people have fewer health problems when
active. Watch the full video above.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/01/11/toronto-viral-video-…
- - - -
Anders Swanson
Active Transportation Project Coordinator
Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba | www.pacm.ca
activetransportation(a)pacm.ca
Cycle like the Danes to cut carbon emissions, says study
*EU could cut its transport greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% if
every country's cycling rate was the same as Denmark's*
Europe could cut its transport greenhouse gas emissions by more than 25% if
every population cycled as regularly as the Danes, according to a
pioneering study (http://www.ecf.com/wp-content/uploads/ECF_CO2_WEB.pdf)
which tracks the environmental impact of cycling down to the extra calories
consumed by riders.
If the EU cycling rate was the same as it is in Denmark, where the average
person cycles almost 600 miles (965km) each year, then the bloc would
attain anything from 12% to 26% of its targeted transport emissions
reduction, depending on what forms of transport the cycling replaced,
according to the report by the Brussels-based European Cycling Federation
(ECF).
This figure is likely to be a significant underestimate as it deliberately
excludes the environmental impact of building road infrastructure and
parking, or maintaining and disposing of cars.
The ECF is urging politicians to focus less on technologically complex
solutions to emissions, such as electric cars, and instead think about the
potential for increased cycling, especially given that around a third of
motorised journeys within the EU are 1.25 miles or less.
"There's this rhetoric going about that technology is going to save the
day. In the end it's going to have to be the political decisions which make
the difference in emissions, and it's not just going to be technology,"
said Julian Ferguson of the ECF, one of the report's authors.
"Things like e-cars will need a massive investment in new infrastructure.
But that's almost part of the problem. Politicians like having those
massive, awe-inspiring projects, something to change the face of transport.
The big advantage of the bicycle is that it exists as a vehicle, it's not
just a projected attempt to reduce emissions."
The European commission requested that the ECF carry out the research to
provide the first specific figures for emissions produced by bicycles over
their lifespan, as against motorised vehicles.
The calculations for bikes included manufacture – the ECF took a heavier,
European-style bike as its model, assuming each used 14.6kg of aluminium,
3.7kg of steel and 1.6kg of rubber – maintenance and even the impact of
producing extra calories consumed by someone cycling rather than driving,
estimated at 175 an hour, on average.
This came up with a total of 21g of carbon emissions per passenger
kilometre travelled for a bike, as against 271g for people in a car and
101g for a bus. The impact of electric-assisted bicycles, a boon for older
or infirm riders, was almost as low, at 22g. In real life these figures
would most likely be biased far more towards cycling, Ferguson said: "We
were pretty conservative. We were worried, being a cyclists' federation,
that if the figures looked too amazing for a bicycle we wouldn't be taken
seriously. So we didn't include infrastructure for cars, or things like
parking, maintenance for cars – while maintenance for bikes was included."
Increasing continent-wide cycling to Danish levels would, nonetheless, be
quite an enterprise. The EU average is just under 120 miles per person per
year, while in the UK it is a mere 46 miles, less than 8% of that in
Denmark.
But the ECF says that if the EU is to meet its emissions target, which
calls for a drop of between 80% and 90% on 1990 levels by 2050, major
changes will be required somewhere, and that transport is a the ideal place
to start. From 1990 to 2007, transport-based emissions on the continent
rose 36%, while those from other sources fell 15%. It also points to
the example
of cities such as Seville in
Spain<http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/ecf-chooses-seville-to-host-2011-velo-city…>,
where the construction of segregated bike lanes and other policies saw
cycling increase tenfold in just three years.
"It is possible," said Ferguson. "It just takes a bit of political will and
a good dose of cultural change."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/dec/12/cycle-like-danes-cut-emis…
If everyone could help share the word on this, it would be greatly
appreciated.
A lot of people used the actual Transitway for walking and cycling during
construction but now need to stay clear as the buses are on the road.
thanks!
Beth
------------------------------
*From:* City-MediaInquiry
*Sent:* Wednesday, January 11, 2012 10:47 AM
*Subject:* City of Winnipeg News Release - Winnipeg Transit testing new
Rapid Transit Corridor, public advised to stay off Transitway
[image: Description: Description: Description:
cid:image001.png@01CC88E0.FA0A1B80]****
** **
For Immediate Release****
Wednesday, January 11, 2012****
** **
*Winnipeg Transit testing new Rapid Transit Corridor, *
*public advised to stay off Transitway*
** **
*Winnipeg, MB.* – The City of Winnipeg is advising the public to stay off
the newly constructed 3.6 km Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor Transitway
and to exercise caution at street intersections along the corridor. ****
** **
Winnipeg Transit officials are reminding residents to be safe and avoid
trespassing on the Transitway, which is now an active roadway with test
buses approaching speeds of 80 km/h. Pedestrians and cyclists are at risk
if they enter the Transitway and are advised to stay on public
rights-of-way adjacent to the corridor. Strict adherence to all Transitway
signs and signals is equally important for motorists also, as they will be
sharing intersections with the test buses at certain times of the day.****
** **
Winnipeg Transit has been conducting driver training on the corridor since
December 16, 2011. The Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor is scheduled to
open on Sunday, April 8, 2012.****
** **
For more information on Rapid Transit or the Southwest Rapid Transit
Corridor, visit http://winnipegtransit.com/en/rapid-transit/ ****
** **
- 30 -****
Media inquiries should be directed to the City of Winnipeg Media Inquiry
Line at 204-986-6000 or via email at MediaInquiry(a)winnipeg.ca****
** **
Follow us on Facebook:
facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg<http://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg>
****
** **
Follow us on Twitter:
twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg<http://www.twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg>
****
** **
Are you interested in helping out with the Actif Epica bike race from St.
Malo to Winnipeg on February 18th? Volunteering is a great way to be a
part of this unique event—your help will make this a fun and safe bike
challenge for everyone.
We’d appreciate your help with:
- *Course setup* – set up a few signs and flags on the Friday before the
race
- *Checkpoint race officials* – timing and communications to race
headquarters
- *Checkpoint hosting* – helping riders with food and water, general
oversight
- *Roving support* – on-course support in a vehicle or on a snowmobile
(we’ll cover your gas)
No experience is necessary – we’ll train you up and various shifts and
locations are available. Volunteer briefing meetings will be held from 4-5
p.m. on Saturday February 11 (St. Pierre) and Sunday February 12
(Winnipeg), please plan to attend one or the other.
If you are interested in giving a couple of hours or more please contact Hal
Loewen <halloewen(a)gmail.com> or Ian Hall <ian.hall.204(a)gmail.com>, we’ll
find a way for you to be an important part of the Actif Epica experience
and have some winter fun.
http://actifepi.ca/2012/01/bike-challenge-volunteers-needed/
[Not sure what happens with buses when there's transit signal priority but
interesting concept. -Beth]
The Intersector: A Traffic Light That Knows When Bicycles Are Coming
*It’s time for some intelligent design in our traffic management. A new
device can change light times to make things safer for oncoming bikes, and
more convenient for impatient drivers.*
It’s a problem even in the most bike-friendly cities: cars move faster than
bikes, which means cyclists are put in danger when traffic lights change.
To cut down on the danger of deadly crashes, a handful of California
cities, including Pleasanton, Redding, and Monterey, are installing the
Intersector<http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/services/traffic/intersector.html>,
a smart traffic signal that can differentiate between bikes and cars--and
then times traffic light changes accordingly.
The Intersector uses a microwave radar gun that can calculate the speed and
length of approaching objects, so it knows whether a bike or car is rolling
up. The device then decides how long the light should stay green so that
both cars and bikes have enough time to pass through. Cars get four seconds
to roll through, while bikes get 14 seconds. If a cyclist pedals through a
light that’s already green when they arrive, the Intersector tacks on an
extra five seconds of green. If no cars are coming, it can shorten the
length of a green light to let people needlessly waiting at a red go ahead
sooner.
Check out a video of the Intersector in action and full story at:
**
http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679087/the-intersector-a-traffic-light-that-kno…