[Given the connection between AT and greenspace, thought this might be of
interest. -cheers, Beth]
You are invited to the following public forum about keeping Winnipeg’s
greenspace’s green including the Windsor Park and St. Boniface golf courses
along the Seine River. Save Our Seine is a founding member of OURS, one of
the event sponsors. If you know someone who might be interested, please
forward this invitation to them.
*
Public Forum – Keep Winnipeg Greenspace Ours
**When: *Monday, March 19, 2012
*Where: *St Mary’s Road United Church at 613 St. Mary’s Road. Winnipeg, MB
(map <
http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=613+St+Marys+Road,+Winnipeg,+MB&hl=en&ll=49.86…'s+Rd,+Winnipeg,+Division+No.+11,+Manitoba&t=m&z=15<http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=613+St+Marys+Road,+Winnipeg,+MB&hl=en&ll=49.86…>>
)
*Time: 7:00 to 9:30 pm
Description: Public forum on Winnipeg greenspace. Panelists and audience
participation. Discussion regarding the potential sale and development of
city owned golf courses.
Co-sponsored by OURS-Winnipeg and Council of Women of Winnipeg. *For info,
visit www.ours-winnipeg.com <http://www.ours-winnipeg.com> and
www.councilofwomen-winnipeg.ca <http://www.councilofwomen-winnipeg.ca>
Denis De Pape
Volunteer Vice President – Save Our Seine
I encourage you to attend an upcoming open house and comment on the ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION ASPECT of the 'Event Day Management Plan' being presented
over the next few days by the City of Winnipeg, U of M and the Winnipeg Blue
Bombers and BBB Stadium Incorporated.
The City of Winnipeg, Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada have
invested $10's of Millions into Active Transportation (AT) infrastructure in
south Winnipeg enabling some of the City's best cycling and walking
connectivity.
This is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase AT investment's as a viable
transportation choice - and to encourage and reap the benefits of active
transportation in an environment challenged by limited vehicle parking:
- it is important these AT investments be shown as TRANSPORTATION CHOICES
in 'The Stadium Event Day Management Plan'
- it is important that ENCOURAGEMENT through marketing and promotional
plans for AT be incorporated into ' 'The Stadium Event Day Management Plan'
ie: similar to the marketing and promotional plans put in place around
taking transit to a football game
Please take some time to attend one of these open houses - and offer your
comments related to the ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ASPECT of the 'Event Day
Management Plan'
Public engagement for soliciting feedback on the Event Day Management Plan
for the new Football Stadium at the UM:
http://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2012/nr_20120228.stm#2
February 29, 2012 Dalhousie
School, 262 Dalhousie - Library, 400 pm - 8:30 pm
March 3, 2012 CANAD INN
Fort Garry, 1824 Pembina Highway - Ambassador A, 1000 am - 300 pm
March 5, 2012 CANAD INN
Garden City, 2100 McPhillips Street - Ambassador A, 430 pm - 800 pm
March 6, 2012 Access
Transcona, 845 Regent - Room 163, 430 pm - 800 pm
March 7, 2012 Sturgeon
Heights Community Centre, 210 Rita Street, 430 pm - 800 pm
March 8, 2012 Bronx Park
Community Centre, 720 Henderson - HobNobs Cafe, 430 pm - 800 pm
thank you
Janice Lukes
Manager, Special Projects
Winnipeg Trails Association
c/o Rivers West - Red River Corridor Inc
235-614 Des Meurons Street
Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9
Cell (204) 952-4222
Fax (204) 943-7915
<mailto:jlukes@shaw.ca> jlukes(a)shaw.ca
winnipegtrails.com
Member of City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Advisory Committee
Past Chair, Province of Manitoba Active Transportation Advisory Group
*[In the lead-up to an exciting conference <http://pacm.ca/> in Portage la
Prairie in March, I thought it worth circulating just a few examples of how
active transportation is indeed "gaining ground" outside Winnipeg, be it
under the auspices of health, tourism, recreation or anything else. I will
limit myself to a few divergent posts between now and March 21st, but I
encourage everyone to share any stories they might come across. Below is a
message from Rivers West in an excerpt from the Manitoba Recreational
Trails Association's brand new
newsletter<http://www.mrta.mb.ca/documents/winter2012.pdf>.
Text in bold is my emphasis. - Anders] *
"Vision 2030 - Master Development Plan for Red River Corridor
Submitted by Julie Turenne-Maynard
Rivers West concentrates its efforts along the length of the Red River
corridor in Manitoba, from Emerson at the international border north to
Netley Marsh at Lake Winnipeg. Rivers West's vision is to make Manitoba's
Red River corridor a destination. The mandate of Rivers West is to develop
and implement a long-term strategy focusing on the development, promotion
and management of the natural, tourism, cultural/heritage and recreational
resources of the Red River from Emerson to Lake Winnipeg.Rivers West will
work with stakeholders to create and promote a corridor along Manitoba's
Red River that connects people with communities and attractions as well as
the conservation, recreation, economic and tourism resources of
the corridor.
Master Plan
The Master Plan is intended to accommodate and integrate the local plans
and enhancements of each of the various stakeholders, creating a clear
picture of what the destination would offer in 20 years. This could include
incremental greenway and natural environment enhancements, *comprehensive
active transportation and recreational plan*, culture and heritage product,
hospitality facilities, as well as infrastructure. It is also critically
important that the Master Plan consider and incorporate the Canadian
Heritage Rivers System document A Management Approach for the Red River in
Manitoba.
Overall, the intent is to:
evoke images of a specific unified destination;
ensure that incremental projects are consistent with the long term vision;
strengthen support and commitment among stakeholders;
provide a lens through which priorities can be set and resources
allocated;
clarify the Red River Corridor’s position in the marketplace while
establishing a focus for marketing and promotion.
This is a significant undertaking that will require the assistance of
consultants to identify all current plans and expectations among
stakeholders and to develop a unifying plan that has the support of all
stakeholders. Rivers West is engaging consultants to execute the work.
Stakeholders will be approached in Spring 2012 to provide input in the
process. Public Consultation meetings will be organized. Please check the
www.riverswest.ca website for updates."
--
Anders Swanson
Active Transportation Project Coordinator
Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba | www.pacm.ca
activetransportation(a)pacm.ca
[snipped from the Executive Summary...]
Good for Busine$$ is a discussion paper for built environment professionals
and business people to show the positive financial benefits of making
streets more walking and cycling friendly.
This report asserts that a well-designed, quality street environment that
promotes walking, cycling and public transport is good for business.
“… it would be advantageous to local businesses to support measures aimed
at attracting more pedestrians and bus passengers to the local shopping
centre rather
than car users … wider pavements (sidewalks) and traffic restraint measures
should result in attracting more regular, dedicated custom to the area and
have a positive
impact on retailers and customers alike.”
The Heart Foundation (SA) commissioned this discussion paper to bring
together the evidence around the financial benefits to retailers and
residents in making commercial streets morewalking and cycling friendly.
Walking and cycling to local shops is good for business and good for the
local economy and is essential to the success of revitalisation strategies.
Streetscape enhancements add value to an area and are associated with
higher rents and the attraction of new businesses. In addition there is
good evidence to show that improving walking and cycling environments
raises private property values by significant amounts.
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/GoodforBusinessFI…
[Thanks to Susanne Dewey Povoledo for sharing this resource. -Beth]
[Thanks to Aaron Russin and Melissa Dupuis at Peg City Car
Co-op<http://pegcitycarcoop.ca/>for sharing this article. -Beth]
The end of the road for motormania 16 August 2011 by *Fred
Pearce*<http://www.newscientist.com/search?rbauthors=Fred+Pearce>
*Something unexpected is happening to our car-crazy culture. What are the
forces driving us out of motoring?*
IS THE west falling out of love with the car? For environmentalists it
seems an impossible dream, but it is happening. While baby boomers and
those with young families may stick with four wheels, a combination of our
ageing societies and a new zeitgeist among the young seems to be breaking
our 20th-century car addiction. Somewhere along the road, we reached "peak
car" and are now cruising down the other side.
Peak car takes several forms. Sales of new cars have almost
halved<http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/tab…>in
the US, down from nearly 11 million in 1985 to about 5.5 million in
2009. We shouldn't take much notice of that, though. Cars last longer these
days, and sales go up and down with the economy. But we have hit peak car
ownership, too. And, more to the point, peak per-capita travel.
The phenomenon was first recognised in *The Road... Less
Traveled*<http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2008/1216_transportation_tomer_puentes.aspx>,
a 2008 report by the Brookings Institution in Washington DC, but had been
going on largely unnoticed for years.
Japan peaked in the 1990s. They talk there of "demotorisation". The west
had its tipping point in 2004. That year the US, UK, Germany, France,
Australia and Sweden all saw the start of a decline in the number of
kilometres the average person travelled in a car that continues today. In
Australia, car travel peaked in every city in 2004 and has been falling
since (*World Transport Policy and Practice*, vol 17, p
31<http://www.eco-logica.co.uk/pdf/wtpp17.2.pdf>).
It is a similar picture in the UK, where per-capita car travel is down 5
per cent since 2004.
What could be driving us off the road? Fuel costs and rising insurance
premiums may be a factor. And urban gridlock, combined with an absence of
parking places and congestion charging, makes the car a dumb way to move
around in cities where there are public transport alternatives.
In the US, however, the decline of the car is most dramatic not in the
gridlocked city centres but in the car-dependent suburbs. In sprawling
cities like Atlanta and Houston where the automobile is king, driving is
down by more than 10 per cent.
Of course the end of the love affair with the car may just be a sign of the
economic times: the much-discussed "hollowing out" of the middle classes,
with jobs available at the top and bottom of society, but less so for the
white-collar workers. Still, a study by Lee Schipper of the Global
Metropolitan Studies unit at the University of California, Berkeley, found
that while rising wealth correlates with more travel up to a per-capita
income of $30,000, beyond that the link breaks down (*Transport Reviews*,
vol 31, p 357 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01441647.2010.518291>).
Demographics is a more likely explanation. It is surely no accident that
peak car happened first in Japan, which has the world's oldest population.
Pensioners do not drive to work, and many don't drive at all. There is also
the rise of people like me, "virtual commuters" who work from home via the
internet.
Besides work habits, leisure lifestyles are also changing. The biggest fall
in car use in the US is among people under 35. The fraction of American
17-year-olds with a driver's licence has fallen from about three-quarters
to about half since 1998. Twenty-somethings have recently gone from driving
more than the average to driving less.
Social scientists detect a new "culture of urbanism". The stylish way to
live these days is in inner-city apartments. The suburbs suck. Richard
Florida<http://www.creativeclass.com/creative_class/2010/06/04/the-great-car-reset/>,
an urban studies theorist at the University of Toronto in Canada, points
out that the young shop online, telecommute, live in walkable city
neighbourhoods near public transport and rely more on social media and less
on face-to-face visiting. Given those changes, they can think of better
ways to spend their money than buying a car.
Phil Goodwin at the University of the West of England in Bristol says the
same applies to the UK, where young people are the most prominent in
dropping out of the great car society. Maurie Cohen, an environmental
scientist at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, says "Gen
Y-ers are quite cool to the automobile." The modern James Dean is a rebel
without a car.
Meanwhile, use of everything else, from bikes and buses to trains and
trams, is still going up. But even that trend may reverse. Schipper says we
may be approaching a point of "peak travel" of all sorts. People just won't
see the need to move around so much.
Of course, environmentalists shouldn't get carried away. In the developing
world, the car boom is only now getting under way, despite gridlock in
cities from Shanghai to São Paulo. That trend makes any claim of an
impending global peak car far-fetched.
The industrialised world still has plenty of less-green trends too. Falling
car occupancy is one. In the US, the average car on the average journey
carries 1.7 people, half a person less than in 1970. So even if we
individually travel less, our cars may travel just as much. Likewise, the
continuing trend for bigger and more powerful cars is wiping out the gains
from more fuel-efficient vehicles. And sometimes we simply replace driving
with flying.
But the good news is that those straight lines on the planners' graphs
predicting ever rising car-kilometres and ever-worsening carbon emissions
from internal combustion engines are being proved wrong.
Planners need to take note. And, if they have any sense, they will start to
reinforce these trends with improved public transport, an end to urban
sprawl and more investment in inner cities.
Some think car use will revive if and when economies recover. But it looks
like something more profound is going on. Florida calls it a "great reset"
in society that will have profound consequences - not least for the
environment. Even our most treasured consumer aspirations can have a peak.
Enough can be enough.
*Fred Pearce is New Scientist's environment consultant*
*
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128255.600-the-end-of-the-road-for-…
*
*Winnipeg's first annual Ice It To Work Day!*
*Friday, February 17th, 6:30-9:00 a.m. *
Join us on the Assiniboine Credit Union River
Trail<http://www.rivertrail.ca/wp/>and skate, ski, snowshoe, bike, run
or walk TO WORK!
* *
Energize yourself at one of the four “Cocoa Fire Pit Stops’! Experience the
allure of the river trail in the early morning hours – this picturesque
commute along the Assiniboine River is an exceptional Winnipeg way to start
your day. First 100 commuters to stop by a Cocoa Fire Pit will receive free
special surprises and gifts!
Count your Ice It To Work Day km towards Bougeons en hiver: The Jack Frost
Challenge! <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/bougeons-en-hiver/>
Stop by Green Action Centre's fire pit at Balsam to get your Blue
Loonie<http://www.downtownwinnipegbiz.com/home/getting_around/blue_loonie/>for
a free bus ride to work and a chance to win cozy wool socks! Snap your
pic (with or without props, as you prefer) for the "First Annual Ice It To
Work Day Hall of Fame" on our website.
Pick up a bike map at the Bike to the Future / Winnipeg Trails Association
fire pit, enjoy a tasy rice krispie square at the Actif Epica / Winnipeg *in
motion* stop, and enter to win free passes for the Festival du Voyageur
while you groove to the music at the The Forks fire pit.
Spread the word and see you on the ice!
Hi,
The handouts for today's webinar are now available for download from the
APBP web-site here <http://www.apbp.org/?page=Webinar_Downloads>.
As always, Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join
us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar*"*Land Use Planning: Routine
Inclusion of Bicycling and Walking in New Developments *" *at the
EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.
RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then!
Cheers,
Mark Cohoe
Bike to the Future
Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents:
Land Use Planning: Routine Inclusion of Bicycling and Walking in New
Developments
Wednesday, February 15th . 2:00 to 3:30 pm CST
Broad land use patterns and transportation policies determine whether
walking and bicycling are not just possible, but practical and
enjoyable. Understanding how the big picture works is essential for
those engaged in regulating, designing and advocating for more
sustainable transportation options. Attend this webinar to learn how
land use policy and regulations are the basis for pedestrian and bicycle
friendly communities, and what to look for in plan review. Through
overview and examples of policy and regulations, and the experience of
one small Wisconsin city (Fitchburg, pop. 20,000), you'll find out how
innovative zoning codes and policies can help promote active transportation.
People attending this webinar will learn about:
* The connection between transportation and land use, and how it
relates to Smart Growth
* The importance of connectivity and the benefits of street networks
* Smart Code/Form-based Code, including the Bicycle Module, as well as
the urban-rural continuum of development contexts
* Land use policy vs. regulations, including what can be regulated
through zoning and subdivision standards
* Examples of site designs and best practices for integrating design
standards into land use regulations
* The land use, development regulations, and bike/ped transportation
elements of the Fitchburg, Wisconsin Comprehensive Plan.
Presenters: John Cock, Associate/Regional Manager Southeast, Alta
Planning + Design; Mike Lydon, Principal, The Street Plans
Collaborative; Ahna Bijzak, Transportation Project Engineer, City of
Fitchburg; and Susan Sloper, Community Planner, City of Fitchburg.
Land Use Planning: Routine Inclusion of Bicycling and Walking in New
Developments, are now available for download here.
Active transport to connect east and west
*Posted * February 13th, 2012 *by* Jeremy
Gregoire<http://www.themanitoban.com/contributor/jeremy-gregoire/>
On Feb. 9 the University of Manitoba hosted a public session about an
active transportation river crossing that will provide a direct connection
between Fort Garry and St Vital.
The pedestrian and cycle crossing will go over the Red River and enter Fort
Garry near the U of M.
During the session the City of Winnipeg and MMM Group Limited provided
professional consulting about the project.
The U of M – St Vital active transportation project was initiated by the
city and consists of a conceptual design study to identify viable options,
locations and assess public opinion for a pedestrian and cycle crossing.
A similar session was held Feb. 8 at the Dakota community centre in St
Vital.
“The City of Winnipeg is studying the feasibility of providing an active
transportation crossing,” said Kenn Rosin, project manager of the study for
the City of Winnipeg.
“Optional possibilities and structure technology types need to be developed
and evaluated,” Rosin added.
In the two interactive sessions the public viewed display boards about the
study and people were asked to provide answers to different questions
regarding how they see the project and what impact it has on their daily
life.
They were also asked to fill out surveys.
Luis Escobar, a representative from the City of Winnipeg, said there has
been good feedback from the public on the project thus far.
He said people are interested in seeing the project move forward and are
happy to be asked for their input.
“I believe approximately 200 to 300 persons attended the session on Feb. 8,
I hope we will get the same attendance today,” said Escobar.
Professionals from the city, MMM and Bike to the Future helped explain
different options to the public.
Mark Cohoe, manager of Bike to the Future and consultant for the project,
said that many people have asked questions about how to get to the future
crossing as a cyclist and what is the best solution to go from St Vital to
the University.
Colleen Plumton, professor in the faculty of kinesiology and recreation
management, said she thinks the project is an excellent idea because it is
important that there are more connections to the U of M.
“In terms of pedways and active transportation we are far behind the times,
we are far behind larger centres in Canada,” Plumton said.
Plumton said she supports any project that improves active transportation
in the city.
Neil Johnson, a citizen of St. Vital, said the session was informative.
“I think [it] is important to be aware of what’s going on in the
neighbourhood, particularly in matters that can really impact the
liveability of the neighbourhood and I want to make sure that my opinion
was being heard,” he said.
The consultants will analyse the information from the sessions and see if
some options are more acceptable to the public.
Once the decision is made the city will provide a report in June.
http://www.themanitoban.com/2012/02/active-transport-to-connect-east-and-we…
Some interesting food for thought for your Sunday afternoon reading
pleasure...
[Below: Three recent articles from the Times of London, the UK Daily Mail
and CBS Chicago, re: changes related to red lights emerging in London,
Paris and the State of Illinois. Also of interest, note the structure and
success of the broader "Cities fit for Cycling" campaign currently underway
and run by the Times itself<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/>.
Note the comments by both of London's Mayoral candidates, the Prime
Minister, Greater Manchester Police, the Italian insurance industry.]
‘Give cyclists a head-start at traffic lights’
- Article<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#tab-1>
- Online app: readers’ cycle
stories<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#tab-5>
A 'ghost bike' memorial for Dan Cox, 28, who died in a collision with a
lorry at a Hackney junction a year ago
Times photographer, Mikael Buck
- Recommend (14)<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#>
- Print<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#>
- Email<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#>
- Share<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#>
-
- Follow stories about
- Cities fit for
cycling<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#>
What's this<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece#>
- [image: A Ghost Bike left for Dan Cox on the corner of Kingsland Road
and Dalston Lane]
A 'ghost bike' memorial for Dan Cox, 28, who died in a collision with a
lorry at a Hackney junction a year ago Times photographer, Mikael Buck
*Rhoda Buchanan* and *Kaya Burgess*
Last updated February 10 2012 12:01AM
Cyclists would have a five-second head-start on other traffic at dangerous
junctions and all cycle lanes would be reviewed for safety if Ken
Livingstone is re-elected as Mayor of London.
Mr Livingstone made his pledge as the *Times* campaign for safer cycling
amassed a total of 25,000 written pledges of support, and more than 1,300
letters were written to MPs urging them to support the campaign and attend
a parliamentary debate.
Greater Manchester Police also gave their backing to the campaign, joining
a growing list of politicians, celebrities and businesses who support the
call for “Cities fit for cycling”.
A debate in the House of Lords this week also suggested that ministers
consider mimicking a new scheme in Paris that would allow cyclists in
Britain to run through red lights if they are turning left at a T-junction.
About 70 per cent of cycling fatalities are at junctions and many occur
when cyclists are forced to pull away from green lights alongside lorries
whose drivers do not see cyclists in their blind spots.
The *Times* campaign is calling for the 500 most dangerous junctions in the
country to be identified and improved, installing measures such as phased
traffic lights where appropriate.
In the House of Lords, in a debate raised by Baroness Gardner of Parkes, a
Conservative peer, the question of cutting the bureaucracy involved in
installing Trixi mirrors, which are fitted to traffic lights to allow lorry
drivers to see into their blind spots, was also raised, though dismissed by
Earl Attlee, the Transport Minister.
Lady Gardner argued that granting permission to cyclists to go through red
lights in certain situations could cut fatalities and serious injuries. She
suggested that more women were killed than men by lorries turning left at
junctions because they “wait at the red lights and men go through them”.
Lord Attlee said that he had not heard of the Paris experiment to let
cyclists go through a red light, which was given the go-ahead this week.
The Government was “aware of the hypothesis” that more women were killed or
seriously injured on bikes than men, he said, adding: “It’s difficult to
extract measurable data to formulate policy or to make effective
regulations.”
Mr Livingstone, who is campaigning for Labour against Boris Johnson in
London’s mayoral election, dismissed the cost of introducing phased traffic
lights across the capital, citing the Mayor’s £13 billion budget. “To give
cyclists a five-second advantage is a relatively simple thing to do,” he
said. “You’ve got to do it everywhere where there is a risk to cyclists.”
Kulveer Ranger, Mr Johnson’s director of environment, said: “Over the past
four years the Mayor has been directly responsible for an unprecedented
investment and focus on cycling in the capital.”
Cycling lobby groups in the US, Australia, France, South Africa and the
Netherlands have backed “Cities fit for cycling” this week, and a group of
bloggers has written to Italian newspapers asking them to support and copy
the *Times* campaign.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3315346.ece
It's enough to make motorists see rouge! Paris to allow cyclists to run red
lights in bid to cut accidents
- Cyclists will be allowed to turn right or go straight ahead, even when
a traffic light is on red
- But they will have to give way to pedestrians, and traffic coming from
the left
- They will be held responsible if there is an accident
By PETER ALLEN<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Peter+Allen>
Last updated at 10:24 PM on 7th February 2012
- Comments (109)<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097882/Paris-allow-cyclists-run-re…>
- Share<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097882/Paris-allow-cyclists-run-re…>
-
-
-
-
Paris is to become one of the first major capital cities in the world to
officially allow cyclists to ride through red lights.
The radical measure, which is intended to cut down on accidents, will be
studied by city and town planners in numerous other countries outside
France, including Britain.
At the moment, thousands of cyclists in cities like Paris and London
regularly break red lights, but risk fines for doing so.
[image: Trial period: Paris is to become one of the first major capital
cities in the world to officially allow cyclists to ride through red lights]
Trial period: Paris is to become one of the first major capital cities in
the world to officially allow cyclists to ride through red lights
Councillors in the French capital have voted to adopt the measure following
a three-year campaign by cycle associations.
It will allow those on bicycles to turn right or go straight ahead, even
when a traffic light is on red.
But they will have to give way to pedestrians, and traffic coming from the
left. Crucially, they will also be held responsible if there is an accident.
More...
- You can't park there! The moment pranksters slapped a parking ticket
on giant SNOWBALL<http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097854/You-park-The-moment-prankst…>
Tests on the potentially chaotic measure will start on around 15 crossroads
over the next few weeks, before the scheme is fully implemented, so as to
cover up to 1,700 Paris crossroads.
Red and yellow signposts posted on traffic light poles will inform cyclists
that they can ignore the lights in designated 30km per hour zones.
The official justification for the new rule reads: ‘Experience shows that
adding specific traffic lights for cyclists can create confusion for
motorists.’
[image: Bold measure: Cyclists will be able to turn right or go straight
ahead, even when a traffic light is on red. But they will have to give way
to pedestrians, and traffic coming from the left]
Bold measure: Cyclists will be able to turn right or go straight ahead,
even when a traffic light is on red. But they will have to give way to
pedestrians, and traffic coming from the left
The measure is also being tested in the cities of Bordeaux, Strasbourg and
Nantes, where Paris city hall has noted there have been ‘no rise in the
number of accidents.’
Paris has a Velib bike hire scheme which means thousands of amateur
cyclists regularly fill the streets.
There have been a number of deaths and serious injuries, with police often
blaming the most serious accidents on bikes competing with heavy vehicles
at traffic lights.
Cyclists can be crushed in blind spots by lorries turning. Bicycles failing
to accelerate away as fast as motorised vehicles are also a cause of
constant problems.
Opposition to the regulations have come from numerous road safety bodies,
with Paris councillor Laurence Douvin saying: ‘If pedestrians, cyclists,
motorbike users and car drivers don't respect each other, the introduction
of these practices could increase the risks in Paris.’
The British Highway Code states that cyclists must obey ‘all traffic lights
and traffic signals’.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2097882/Paris-allow-cyclists-run-re…
Motorcycles, Bicycles Can Run Red Lights Under New Law
[image: Red Light]
(Credit: AP)
Filed UnderHeard on WBBM
780<http://chicago.cbslocal.com/category/watch-listen/heard-on-wbbm-780/>
, Local <http://chicago.cbslocal.com/category/news/local/>,News<http://chicago.cbslocal.com/category/news/>
, Syndicated Local
<http://chicago.cbslocal.com/category/syndicated-local/>,Watch
+ Listen <http://chicago.cbslocal.com/category/watch-listen/>
Related TagsBicycles <http://chicago.cbslocal.com/tag/bicycles/>,
Illinois<http://chicago.cbslocal.com/tag/illinois/>
, law <http://chicago.cbslocal.com/tag/law/>,motorcycles<http://chicago.cbslocal.com/tag/motorcycles/>
, Red Lights <http://chicago.cbslocal.com/tag/red-lights/>,Traffic
Lights<http://chicago.cbslocal.com/tag/traffic-lights/>
Don't Miss This
*CHICAGO (CBS)* — Illinois motorcycles and bicycles will be allowed to run
red lights starting in 2012, but only in certain instances.
Motorcycles and bicycles often aren’t big enough to trigger magnetic
sensors that switch traffic lights from red to green, WBBM Newsradio’s Alex
Degman reports.
That could mean the riders either break the law and run the red light, or
wait until another vehicle comes along.
State Rep. Dan Beiser (D-Alton) says the new law means bikers can go
through a red light if they wait a reasonable amount of time, but that
amount isn’t yet defined.
“A reasonable amount of time, which was not defined in the bill, will be
120 seconds,” says Beiser. “So two minutes, that’s what we’ve come to
agreement on and that was part of the governor’s concern.”
The governor issued an amendatory veto of the measure because he wanted a
set amount of time the vehicles must wait.
But lawmakers overrode the veto, assuring the governor’s office it would be
addressed during the upcoming session.
The law applies to municipalities with fewer than 2 million people, meaning
it wouldn’t apply in Chicago.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/30/motorcycles-bicycles-can-run-red-lig…
Italy praises Times Cities fit for cycling campaign
- Article<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#tab-1>
- Slideshow<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#tab-4>
- Graphic: London’s cycling
blackspots<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#tab-5>
- Recommend (5)<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#>
- Print<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#>
- Email<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#>
- Share<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#>
-
- Follow stories about
- Cities fit for
cycling<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#>
What's this<http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/article3313654.ece#>
*James Bone* Rome
Last updated February 8 2012 5:29PM
Italy’s insurance industry has praised *The Times* safe cycling campaign,
saying it offers a model for Italy too, where there are twice the number of
deaths.
The head of the ANIA Foundation for Road Traffic Safety, established by the
country’s insurance firms, issued a statement pledging his support for *The
Times*’ move.
“Making people aware of road safety through the media is fundamental for
reducing the number and gravity of accidents. The campaign launched by *The
Times* for the protection of cyclists in Great Britain should be an example
for all of how public institutions, private associations and the media
should work together to combat what is the greatest tragedy of our country
— road accidents,” said Umberto Guidoni, the foundation’s secretary-general.
“If a big newspaper like *The Times *has taken a position like this,
starting a real battle for respect of the rules of the road, it’s desirable
that in our country there should be a similarly strong media campaign.”
Mr Guidoni said Italy had 11 million bicycles and came third in Europe in
the number of cyclists killed, behind only Germany, with 462, and Poland,
with 280.
“The protection of the weakest road users is a common problem throughout
the world. Cyclists and pedestrians are the categories most at risk of
being run over. In 10 years 1,275 cyclists have been killed on British
streets and, according to European statistics, there were 104 victims in
2010 in accidents involving bicyles,” he said.
“In Italy, the situation is even worse: In 2010 263 cyclists died (6 per
cent of the total deaths); and 2,556 died over the course of the last
decade.
“That is more than double the number recorded in Britain. This shows our
country must still do much in terms of prevention, as well as communication
and awareness.”
The ANIA Foundation is pushing for the introduction of a crime of vehicular
homicide in Italy in cases where the driver is in an altered psychological
state or driving well over the speed limit.
“The position taken by the ANIA Foundation and other institutions on the
need to establish the crime of vehicular homicide in some cases has begun
to produce its first results,” he said. “A man who killed a 24-year-old
woman while driving under the influence of drugs has been sentenced by the
appeal court in Milan to 14 years for voluntary manslaughter. The sentence
overturned the trial court’s sentence of four years for culpable
manslaughter. This is only a first step.”
Contribute to the campaign by pledging support, writing to your MP and
sharing a story <http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/cyclesafety/contact/>