*Evaluation of the C-Roundabout – an Improved Multi-Lane Roundabout Design
for Cyclists*
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/510/docs/510.pdf<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001JH1tBLwlsSK2D7Ib2o6ldGTQgMn-MbSTqPyGu04EA_k7…>
Research Report: *New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA)*
The NZTA research report evaluates field operations of the C-roundabout
design, a new design to improve the safety of bicyclists at multi-lane
roundabouts. The concept of the design is to decrease vehicle speeds
through the roundabout by increasing the deflection of the roundabout and
by reducing the widths of approach lanes and circulating lanes so that
cyclists are required to travel in the center of the lanes.
* * * * *
*NEW RIGHTSIZING STREETS GUIDE RELEASED
http://www.pps.org/reference/rightsizing/
*
Rightsizing is the process of reallocating a street’s space to better serve
its full range of users. Picture a four lane road that was built thirty
years ago in an undeveloped area, but that now has housing, shops, and an
elementary school in close vicinity. The needs of the community surrounding
that road have changed over three decades – and the design of that road may
need to change to meet those needs as well. It may need a sidewalks or a
median to help people cross safely, or on-street parking for folks who want
to frequent local shops, or other safety features to prevent injuries.
* * * * *
PBIC creates new YouTube Channel The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information
Center <http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/> has created a new YouTube Channel for
hosting and promoting its archived webinars, as well as other relevant PBIC
videos. The site,
www.youtube.com/pedbikeinfo<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/3224560524/e535421c0a/f578a7d7…>,
features many of the center’s recent webinars including all webinars from
the series on the American Association of State Highway Transportation
Officials newly updated “Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities”
and from the series on the intersection of public health and transportation
co-hosted with the American Public Health Association. Webinar recordings
also remain available on the PBIC website,
www.walkinginfo.org/webinars<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/3224560524/e535421c0a/61a803c1…>
.
You have been invited to the following event.
Title: Lindsay's Cool Million
When: Sat Feb 2, 2013 11:30am – 12:30pm Central Time - Winnipeg
Where: The Foks Port
Calendar: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca
Who:
(Guest list has been hidden at organizer's request)
Event details:
https://www.google.com/calendar/event?action=VIEW&eid=dG50YTZrcWVxYzQzanB0d…
Invitation from Google Calendar: https://www.google.com/calendar/
You are receiving this courtesy email at the account
at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca because you are an attendee of this event.
To stop receiving future notifications for this event, decline this event.
Alternatively you can sign up for a Google account at
https://www.google.com/calendar/ and control your notification settings for
your entire calendar.
Dear At Network,
You are cordially invited to take part in an historic event.
*This Saturday, February 2nd at 11:30
am<http://www.theforks.com/events/calendar-of-events/date:2013-02#event_1631_2…>
*, Lindsay Gauld will be riding his *1 000 000th* kilometer as he rides
down the frozen Rivertrail into the Forks port. There will be a celebration
honoring this achievement (*this is the equivalent of riding around the
world 25 times*).
As part of the celebration, The Forks is hoping to have *1000 riders on
their bikes in the Forks port* to welcome Lindsay as he rides in.
For those of you who don't know who Lindsay is...well...he's gotta be
Winnipeg's only
former-Olympian-turned-successful-bikeshop-owner-turned-year-round-bike-courier.
He's also been meticulously documenting his kilometers ridden from a young
age. While certainly many of those "kilometers-biked" haven't strictly been
"for transportation", many of them have been (he's a bike courier after
all) and, more importantly, Lindsay has been inspiring people and
demonstrating what's possible - rain or shine, snow or sleet, no matter
what your age - for a long time. One million kilometers is an incredible
achievement of incredible scale. IMO, Lindsay is also a rather nice fellow
too!
If you've never ridden in the winter before, this is also your chance: The
River Trail provides a nice well-packed, safe place to try it. Consider it
an ideal place for a Winter Bike to Work
Day<http://winterbiketoworkday.org>or Ice it to Work Day practice run,
a chance to test your fortitude for Actif
Epica <http://actifepi.ca/> or an opportunity to add a few kilometers to
your team's Jack Frost
Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/bougeons-en-hiver/>tally.
Whatever your reason, get out there. It took Lindsay a million
'clicks' to get here, so it's probably the least we could do!
Hope you can make it.
Please invite any and all who would like to be there at this historic
event.
The Forks has asked that you please twitter, facebook, email, write letters
but most of all, show up on your bike on the 2nd.
Sincerely,
Anders Swanson
Lindsay's Cool Million
*When*
Sat, February 2, 11:30am – 12:30pm GMT-06:00
*Where*
The Foks Port
*Who*
(Guest list has been hidden at organizer's request)
Hello,
See the unique and exciting opportunity attached.
Please forward to tech-savvy folks with a background in software
development (and perhaps a penchant for active transportation) whom you
think might be interested.
Thank you,
Anders Swanson
Project Manager
Active and Safe Routes to School Program | Green Action Centre
303 Portage Ave, 3rd Floor | Winnipeg, MB | R3B 2B4
c. 1-204-797-1962 | anders(a)greenactioncentre.ca
source:
http://metronews.ca/voices/urban-compass-winnipeg/517196/five-creative-opti…
Six creative options for the bridge plaza
January 20, 2013 **
*_______________*
**
I never thought placing a Salisbury House on the Esplanade Riel was a great
idea. Nothing against the restaurant chain, which serves reasonable food at
a reasonable price, but the idea always seemed terribly uninspired.
After all, there was nothing “reasonable” about building a restaurant plaza
in the middle of a bridge in the first place. It was a bold, expensive
gambit to create a unique attraction for our city, and filling the space
with another outlet of an ordinary restaurant chain didn’t come close to
achieving that goal.
And while a reasonable argument could be made that the plaza never should
have been built, reality is that it exists now, and with the Salisbury
House lease ending, the city has an opportunity to pursue more creative
ideas.
So with that in mind, let’s explore a couple of options:
*1. Pop-up retail/restaurant.* Winnipeg has been typically slow to adopt
the worldwide trend of pop-up commercial spaces. However, a group of
entrepreneurs will soon open a pop-up restaurant along the river trail, and
if all goes well then that could spark new opportunities. Having a flexible
space on the bridge available for short-term rent could help get more ideas
off the ground, whether it’s seasonal food concepts, art exhibits or even
major retailers who want to test the Winnipeg market (like what Lululemon
recently did with its pop-up retail store in Regina).
*2. Urban cycling centre.* Inspired by the Midtown Bike Center in
Minneapolis (which has the exact same square footage), the bridge plaza
could be converted into an all-purpose bike retail/rental/repair/storage
outlet that could serve as a hub for community outreach activities for the
city’s cycling community. And as an added bonus, the lack of an adjacent
parking lot isn’t a concern for this group.
*3. Ice cream/burger mecca.* For decades, Winnipeggers have been lining up
at the BDI and Sargent Sundae for a chance to buy ice cream and walk across
a bridge. Combine that idea with some classic White Top/Mrs.
Mike’s/VJ’s-style burgers, and you’re guaranteed success … for at least six
months of the year.
*4. Event centre.* Given its unique location, it’s easy to imagine the
bridge as a French-Canadian-themed bar during Festival du Voyageur, a venue
with a view for Folklorama, a spot for swanky cocktail parties during
fireworks shows at The Forks, or even a cool site for wedding photos and
small receptions.
*5. French restaurant.* The original idea when the bridge plaza was built a
decade ago was for it to become a bistro or creperie that provides a
culinary complement to the bridge’s physical connection between downtown
and St. Boniface.
Maybe now the city would be willing to provide more of an economic
incentive (free rent? no business taxes?) to make it happen.
*6. Winnipeg Jets… something.* I don’t even have an idea here, but put the
logo of our most recognized team on our most recognized piece of
architecture, and it’s certain to draw a crowd at any time during the year.
News Worth Sharing:
<http://metronews.ca/author/cfast/>By Colin
Fast<http://metronews.ca/author/cfast/> Metro
Winnipeg
Connect with Colin
Cyclists, drivers can't point fingers Collision data show both parties need
to take better care on road
By: Bruce Owen
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cyclists-drivers-cant-point-fingers-…
It's time to call a truce in Winnipeg's war between cyclists and drivers.
It turns out both are at fault for crashes, injuries and even cyclist
fatalities during the past decade, according to data released by Manitoba
Public Insurance.
The continuing rate of collisions between bikes and vehicles is one reason
Manitoba's Public Utilities Board told MPI late last year to put together a
more comprehensive public education campaign on road safety and messaging
to motorists regarding cyclists, such as giving cyclists one metre of space
when passing them.
"We're both to blame," said Dave Elmore, director of safety and education
for the cyclist lobby group Bike to the Future. "There's equal fault on
both sides. The numbers that we've had in the past from MPI really show
that at least 50 per cent of cyclists are at fault for most of their own
collisions."
MPI's numbers from 2001-10 appear to back that up. MPI spokesman Brian
Smiley said 13 cyclists were killed and 68 seriously injured in that
period, and there were 2,144 less-serious injuries to cyclists.
Almost 68 per cent of reported collisions happened at intersections, as did
61 per cent of the 13 fatalities. In 63 per cent of those collisions, the
cyclist was pedalling straight ahead and 20 per cent of the vehicles
involved were turning right, meaning the driver likely turned into the
cyclist without shoulder-checking.
Of the cyclists in a collision with a motor vehicle:
-- 10 per cent reported they were distracted or confused;
-- 4.3 per cent failed to yield the right-of-way;
-- three per cent disobeyed a traffic-control device.
Of the motor vehicle drivers in a collision with a cyclist:
-- 4.1 per cent said they were distracted;
-- 4.8 per cent failed to yield the right-of-way;
-- 1.1 per cent were speeding.
"Everyone is expected to share the road," Smiley said. "Cyclists are
entitled to be on the road. They are also expected to observe the rules of
road, meaning stopping at stop signs, observing traffic lights and yielding
when appropriate. Vehicles are also expected to share the road with
cyclists."
The numbers were compiled from claims filed with MPI. City police do not
record these statistics.
Elmore said the numbers he has show there is an overall downward trend in
the number of car-cyclist collisions in the past decade, but that the
numbers have edged up in the past two years.
"I think that's really a result of the fact that we have more and more
cyclists on the road these days, and fewer of them actually understand how
they should be behaving on the road," he said. "In some cases, they don't
possess the skills, and in some cases, they don't have the knowledge and
understanding.
"It's easy for drivers to point to cyclists who shoot through red lights
and at stop signs, but they're by far the minority of cyclists. And the
same holds true for cyclists, who say that drivers speed and also roll
through stop signs."
What's needed is a more rigorous public education campaign on cyclist
safety, run by MPI and the province, as dedicated bike lanes on streets are
slow in coming and costly.
"People believe that there's this war between cyclists and drivers, but
ultimately, I don't believe it's a war," Elmore said. "I think that really
it's just a misunderstanding and it's created because of the knowledge gap.
There's a huge gap in knowledge on both sides of the coin. Education is
unfortunately overlooked as a solution."
Smiley said MPI has met with cyclist groups to rework the information MPI
gives to the public in brochures and on the Crown corporation's website.
He said the worst months for cyclist fatalities are June and July, with 23
per cent of such deaths happening in those two months. June and July were
also the worst months for injuries. No cyclist deaths were recorded in
December, January and February.
The worst day of the week for cyclist-car collisions is Wednesday, with 18
per cent recorded, and the worst time of day is the 3 p.m.-to-6 p.m. rush
hour, during which 30 per cent of such crashes occurred.
Smiley said 90 per cent of all bicycle-vehicle mishaps were reported, and
10 per cent were classified as hit-and-runs.
*bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca*
**
*To avoid it, you have to see it*
EVER wonder why motor-vehicle drivers don't see the person on the bicycle
until the last second, if at all?
It's not so much because they're not paying attention, it's because the
human brain can only process the images the eyes see directly in front of
them, not what's around them.
It's another way of saying your eyes weren't designed for driving.
Your peripheral vision is only as good as the size of the object
approaching you from the side, such as a truck. Your peripheral vision
would not necessarily pick up a cyclist, especially when lost momentarily
in the blind spot of a car-door pillar.
The lesson here is drivers should always look right and left at least twice
before going into an intersection. It also means fully turning your head so
your brain processes what your eyes see.
For cyclists, it means wearing high-contrast clothing so they can be seen.
Flashing lights front and back are a must at dusk and during the night.
It also means not only looking at vehicles around you, but at the drivers.
If a driver doesn't appear to notice you, or worse, is on a cellphone, play
it safe and assume you have not been seen. Also be predictable in your
riding.
"A lot of people look at it like it's that old expression, 'it's just like
riding a bike.' That's not true," said Dave Elmore, director of safety and
education for Bike to the Future. "That's balancing a bike. Riding a bike
in traffic is a totally different world."
*For more information, go to
www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists*
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 19, 2013 A4
Green Action Centre and Stantec Consulting invite you to join us for a
local viewing of the first of four APBP webinars on bicycle parking. It
takes place at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be
followed by group discussion of local applications.* *APBP strongly
recommends viewing this first webinar as a prerequisite to others in the
bicycle parking series.
*Basics of Bicycle Parking
Wed, Jan. 23, 2013 | 2:00-3:00 pm CST*
RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then!
cheers,
Beth
925-3772
*
* * * * *
*
The Basics of Bicycle Parking
APBP presents a series of four webinars that covers all aspects of bicycle
parking. The first session reviews some of the basic principles of
accommodating bicycles in both public and institutional environments. We
will review types of parking in current use for both short and long term
parking, and describe the conditions and constraints which guide selection
of parking strategies and equipment. The session will look globally at the
organization of the APBP Bicycle Parking Guidelines and preview the
following sessions. Topics include core concepts, rack design and features,
site planning and innovations.
Who should attend? Municipal staff, transit agency staff, managers of
educational, corporate and healthcare campuses, and members of Bicycle and
Pedestrian Advisory Committees (BPACs), as well as elected officials and
staff of bicycle advocacy organizations. Both the experienced agency
manager and those new to developing bicycle parking solutions will benefit.
*For future dates and topics in the Bicycle Parking Webinar series, see: *
http://greenactioncentre.ca/event/apbp-bicycle-parking-webinar-series/