*Have your say on the Capital Region Transportation Master
Plan<http://www.manitobacapitalregion.ca/>
!*
Okay, it may not sound very exciting, but it could have a major impact on
active transportation opportunities between and within communities
surrounding Winnipeg. Please consider sharing with your networks and
participating in the discussion.
*Open House*<http://www.manitobacapitalregion.ca/notices_detail.asp?notice_ID=196>:
Wed, Jan. 9th, from 4:30-7:30 pm*,* City Hall in the Mayor's Foyer (510
Main St)
*Storyboards* from the three open houses held to date can be found at:
http://manitobacapitalregion.ca/_assets/downloads/story_boards.pdf
*Can't make the Open House? Fill out the online survey instead*:
http://surveymonkey.com/s/CRTMP
Note that a workshop was also held in December in West St. Paul, which
included representatives from the Province, various municipalities in the
Capital Region, and a number of organizations and associations (including
Janice Lukes from the Winnipeg Trails Association, Anders Swanson and Shoni
Litinsky for Green Action Centre's Active & Safe Routes to School Program,
Mark Cohoe from Bike to the Future, and Jason Carter representing the
Manitoba Cycling Association).
For consideration, here are the main points that I focused on during group
discussion at our table at this workshop:
- Ensure variety of transportation options - don't assume that, due to
distances, people will only drive and will always drive
- Make it feasible for residents to choose not to drive whether it's
between communities or within their community
- Ensure multi-modal options (residents able to combine bike and bus,
regional connections, etc)
- Need for regional transit strategy and collaboration between
communities
- Concerns around changes to Perimeter for increased and faster speeds
of freight goods movement (CentrePort) – barrier that cuts off communities
and makes it that much more challenging for AT users
- Recognize the tourism opportunities in developing the plan – transit
to Birds Hill Park and Grand Beach; cycle tourism in the area with
popularity of cycling route to Lockport and to / within the provincial parks
- Potential role that a Regional Transportation Authority could play
- Potential tool - regional subscription to carpooling/ridematching
service (e.g. RideShark, Pathway Intelligence, Carpool.ca)
cheers,
Beth
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2013 09:26:44 -0600
-----Original Message-----
From: Ralph Buehler [mailto:ralphbu@vt.edu]
Sent: January-07-13 9:16 AM
Subject: ANF20 Committee on Bicycle Transportation: Bicycle Related
Sessions at Annual Meeting
Dear Friends of ANF20 (TRB Committee on Bicycle Transportation),
Happy New Year!
The TRB annual meeting is only one week away! Here is a link to a list of
sessions that involve ANF20 and/or bicycling!
http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/trbbike/conferences.cfm
See you in a week!
Greetings from Alexandria, VA
Ralph Buehler
ANF-20 Chair
http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/trbbike/http://www.spia.vt.edu/people/spiafacultybios/buehlerspiabio.html
--
Terry Zdan
126 Duncan Norrie Drive
Wpg MB R3P 2J9
CANADA
tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>
http://www.fatcyclerider.co.uk/2012/11/what-raf-pilot-can-teach-us-about-bei
ng.html?utm_source=feedburner
<http://www.fatcyclerider.co.uk/2012/11/what-raf-pilot-can-teach-us-about-be
ing.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+FatCycleRi
der+%28The+Fat+Cycle+Rider%29&m=1>
&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+FatCycleRider+%28The+Fat+Cycle+Rider%29&
m=1
What an RAF pilot can teach us about being safe on the road
Guest post from the London Cyclist Blog <http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/> .
What an RAF pilot can teach us about being safe on the road
<http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/raf-pilot-teach-cyclists/> :
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you". Is a catchphrase used by drivers up and down
the country. Is this a driver being careless and dangerous or did the driver
genuinely not see you?
According to a report by John Sullivan of the RAF, the answer may have
important repercussions for the way we train drivers and how as cyclists we
stay safe on the roads.
John Sullivan is a Royal Air Force pilot with over 4,000 flight hours in his
career, and a keen cyclist. He is a crash investigator and has contributed
to multiple reports
<http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/Boards
OfInquiry/ServiceInquiryInvestigatingTheAccidentToTutorAircraftGbyutAndGbyvn
.htm> . Fighter pilots have to cope with speeds of over 1000 mph. Any
crashes are closely analysed to extract lessons that can be of use.
Our eyes were not designed for driving
We are the result of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution. Our eyes,
and the way that our brain processes the images that they receive, are very
well suited to creeping up on unsuspecting antelopes and spotting threats
such as sabre-toothed tigers.
These threats are largely gone and they've been replaced by vehicles
travelling towards us at high speeds. This, we've not yet adapted to deal
with.
Why?
Light enters our eyes and falls upon the retina. It is then converted into
electrical impulses, that the brain perceives as images. Only a small part
of your retina, the centre bit called the fovea, can generate a
high-resolution image. This is why we need to look directly at something, to
see detail.
The rest of the retina lacks detail but it contributes by adding the
peripheral vision. However, a mere 20 degrees away from your sightline, your
visual acuity is about 1/10th of what it is at the centre.
Try this scary test to see quite how much detail you lose in your peripheral
vision
1. Stand 10 metres away from a car.
2. Move your eyes and look just one car's width to the right or left of
that car.
3. Without moving where you eyes are now looking, try and read the
number plate of the car.
4. Try the test again from 5m.
The test shows you quite how little detail you are able to truly capture
from the side of your eyes.
That's not to say that we cannot see something in our peripheral vision - of
course we can. As you approach a roundabout, you would be hard pressed not
to see a huge lorry bearing down upon you, even out of the corner of your
eye - obviously, the bigger the object, the more likely we are to see it.
But would you see a motorbike, or a cyclist?
To have a good chance of seeing an object on a collision course, we need to
move our eyes, and probably head, to bring the object into the centre of our
vision - so that we can use our high-resolution vision of our fovea to
resolve the detail.
Here's when things get really interesting
<http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/clip_image005.png
> Your brain fills in the blanks
When you move your head and eyes to scan a scene, your eyes are incapable of
moving smoothly across it and seeing everything. Instead, you see in the
image in a series of very quick jumps (called saccades) with very short
pauses (called fixations) and it is only during the pauses that an image is
processed.
Your brain fills in the gaps with a combination of peripheral vision and an
assumption that what is in the gaps must be the same as what you see during
the pauses.
This might sound crazy, but your brain actually blocks the image that is
being received while your eyes are moving. This is why you do not see the
sort of blurred image, that you see when you look sideways out of a train
window.
The only exception to this, is if you are tracking a moving object.
Another test to try
If you are not convinced, try this test.
1. Look in a mirror.
2. Look repeatedly from your right eye to your left eye.
3. Can you see your eyes moving? You can't.
4. Repeat the test with a friend and watch them. You will see their
eyes moving quite markedly.
You can't see your own eyes move because your brain shuts down the image for
the instant that your eyes are moving. This is called Saccadic masking
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccadic_masking> .
In the past, this served us well. It meant we could creep up on antelopes
without our brain being overloaded by unnecessary detail and a lot of
useless, blurred images.
However, what happens when this system is put to use in a modern day
situation, such as a traffic junction?
Why we miss motorbikes and bicycles
At a traffic junction all but the worst of drivers will look in both
directions to check for oncoming traffic. However, it is entirely possible
for our eyes to "jump over" an oncoming bicycle or motorbike.
The smaller the vehicle, the greater the chance it will fall within a
saccade.
<http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/clip_image003.png
> motorbike in a saccade
This isn't really a case of a careless driver, it's more of a human
incapacity to see anything during a saccade. Hence the reason for so many
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" excuses.
The faster you move your head, the larger the jumps and the shorter the
pauses. Therefore, you've got more of a chance of missing a vehicle.
We are effectively seeing through solid objects, with our brain filling in
the image.
Additionally, we tend to avoid the edges of the windscreen. The door pillars
on a car therefore create an even wider blindspot. This is called windscreen
zoning
<http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/E0E50D54-8A9E-4F21-9AC4-102A1453308F/0/Servi
ceInquiry_TutorAircraft_Part_1_5_Causes.pdf> .
The danger of playing music
Our ears help us build up a picture of our surroundings. However, inside our
cars or with music playing, our brain is denied another useful cue.
Additionally, bicycles are almost completely silent, so won't be heard by
car drivers.
How accidents happen
Let's say you are driving along. You approach a junction and you notice a
lack of traffic. You look left and right and proceed forward. Suddenly you
hear the blast of a horn, as a motorbike flashes in front of you, narrowly
avoiding an accident.
What just happened?
On your approach, you couldn't see there was another vehicle on a perfect
collision course. With a lack of relative movement for your peripheral
vision to detect and the vehicle being potentially hidden by being near the
door pillar, you miss it entirely.
Lulled into a false sense of security you looked quickly right and left, to
avoid holding up the traffic behind you, and your eyes jumped cleanly over
the approaching vehicle, especially as it was still close to the door pillar
in the windscreen. The rest of the road was empty, and this was the scene
that your brain used to fill in the gaps! Scary, huh?
You were not being inattentive - but you were being ineffective.
Additionally, if you didn't expect there to be a cyclist your brain is more
likely to automatically jump to the conclusion that the road is empty.
Now that you've been warned. What can you do?
<http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/clip_image002.jpg
> motorbike can't be seen
Forewarned is forearmed, so here's what we can do.
Drivers:
* Slow down on the approach of a roundabout or junction. Even if the
road seems empty. Changing speed will allow you to see vehicles that would
otherwise be invisible to you.
* A glance is never enough. You need to be as methodical and
deliberate as a fighter pilot would be. Focus on at least 3 different spots
along the road to the right and left. Search close, middle-distance and far.
With practise, this can be accomplished quickly, and each pause is only for
a fraction of a second. Fighter pilots call this a "lookout scan" and it is
vital to their survival.
* Always look right and left at least twice. This doubles your chance
of seeing a vehicle.
* Make a point of looking next to the windscreen pillars. Better
still, lean forward slightly as you look right and left so that you are
looking around the door pillars. Be aware that the pillar nearest to you
blocks more of your vision. Fighter pilots say 'Move your head - or you're
dead'.
* Clear your flight path! When changing lanes, check your mirrors and
as a last check, look directly at the spot which are going to manoeuvre.
* Drive with your lights on. Bright vehicles or clothing is always
easier to spot than dark colours that don't contrast with a scene.
* It is especially difficult to spot bicycles, motorbikes and
pedestrians during low sun conditions as contrast is reduced.
* Keep your windscreen clean - seeing other vehicles is enough of a
challenge without a dirty windscreen. You never see a fighter jet with a
dirty canopy.
* Finally, don't be a clown - if you are looking at your mobile
telephone then you are incapable of seeing much else. Not only are you
probably looking down into your lap, but your eyes are focused at less then
one metre and every object at distance will be out of focus. Even when you
look up and out, it takes a fraction of a second for your eyes to adjust -
this is time you may not have.
Cyclists and motorcyclists:
* Recognise the risk of being in a saccade. High contrast clothing and
lights help. In particular, flashing LED's (front and rear) are especially
effective for cyclists as they create contrast and the on-off flashing
attracts the peripheral vision in the same manner that movement does.
There's nothing wrong with leaving these on during the day. (Especially if
they are rechargeable
<http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/best-cycle-commuter-lights/> )
* The relatively slower speed of bicycles means that they will be
closer to a point of collision if a vehicle begins to pull into their path.
Turn this to advantage - when passing junctions, look at the head of the
driver that is approaching or has stopped. The head of the driver will
naturally stop and centre upon you if you have been seen. If the driver's
head sweeps through you without pausing, then the chances are that you are
in a saccade - you must assume that you have not been seen and expect the
driver to pull out!
* Recognise that with a low sun, a dirty windscreen or one with rain
beating against it drivers are likely to have less of a chance of seeing
you.
* Cycle instructors have been saying it for years: Ride in a position
further out from the kerb as a driver is more likely to be looking in this
location. See: How to make your next bike ride safer than the last
<http://www.londoncyclist.co.uk/safe-bike-ride/> .
What should we do with our human weakness?
John Sullivan's findings and suggestions are excellent. However, they rely
on drivers changing well embedded habits. Personally I believe that, unlike
RAF pilots, a driver is very unlikely to change their behaviour. Therefore,
I'd suggest that this is another reason we should be looking at building
safety in to our roads, with Dutch style cycling infrastructure.
Two important takeaways for cyclists: Increasing your contrast helps you be
seen. Think flashing bike lights. Also, remember the importance of good road
positioning.
Free webinar provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada and Centre for
Health Promotion. Unfortunately I am not able to host this one at Green
Action Centre, but have provided the registration information below!
*Date: *February 8th, 2013
*Time: *12:00pm-1:00pm CST
*Registration:* Can be done for free here.
<http://www.chnet-works.ca/index.php?option=com_rsevents&view=events&layout=…>
Many small, medium and large Canadian municipalities are proactivity
promoting more active lifestyles and transportation to curb obesity, reduce
greenhouse gases, and address the economic costs of vulnerable road user
(VRU) injuries and deaths. The safe use of roads and pathways by VRUs (e.g.
pedestrians and cyclists) is important to enable and encourage communities
that are more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.
The Fireside Chat presentation will highlight the results from a
comprehensive review of Canadian promising practices that promote the safe
use by VRUs of off/on-road facilities, especially shared-use facilities, as
well as identify successful VRU safety education and enforcement programs.
It will highlight communities across Canada that are successfully educating
and enforcing the proper use of new built environment features intended to
promote active transportation.
*Advisor on Tap:*
*Dr. Gordon Lovegrove, PEng, MBA*
Associate Professor,
School of Engineering,
Faculty of Applied Science, University of British Columbia
Dr. Lovegrove is the UBC’s School of Engineering’s expert in applied
sustainable civil engineering. Dr. Lovegrove was awarded a grant by the
Canada Foundation for Innovation to set up his Sustainable Road Safety
(SRS) Research Lab. He has worked variously as a project and
transportation engineer and consultant for over 20 years in communities
throughout BC, and is regularly asked to speak on sustainable communities
and transportation at conferences across the world. His leadership has
facilitated research, planning, and implementation of projects emphasizing
the promotion of sustainable land use and transportation.
--
*Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School
Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a
member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>
Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
For those interested to attend, or share this open house information with
colleagues, an additional open house has been added. Details below from the
consultants MMM group:
Good Morning,****
** **
An additional Public Open House has been added for the *Manitoba Capital
Region Transportation Master Plan*. We would like to invite everyone who
was unable to attend our previous open houses held in late November 2012,
throughout the Capital Region. The Open House will present the same
information as the previous events and will be an opportunity to view
information boards, map out transportation issues, ask questions and
provide feedback and opinions. The open house is scheduled for:****
** **
*Date:* Wednesday, January 9, 2013****
*Location:* Winnipeg City Hall – Mayor’s Foyer, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg,
Manitoba****
*Time:* 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.****
*Format:* Drop-In****
** **
As well, please feel free to forward this email on to any other people who
you think may be interested in attending or were unable to attend one of
the previous open houses for the project. Thank you to everyone who has
attended already and provided their feedback on the project.****
** **
Regards,****
****
*Natalie Henault, B.Env.Sc., EPt*
Environmental Planner**
MMM Group Limited****
Suite 111-93 Lombard Avenue****
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 3B1****
t: 204.943.3178 ext. 3849 | f: 204.943.4948 | c: 204.451.3054****
henaultn(a)mmm.ca | www.mmm.ca****
* *