Interesting article shared by a friend....McGill study on 4 types of
cyclists. Which kind are you?
I definitely have multiple-cyclist personalities depending on the day :)
Shoni
Who's Out There On The Roads? The 4 Types Of
Cyclists<http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2013/08/27/whos-out-there-on-t…>
Micheline Maynard <http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/>,
Contributor
People who prefer to get behind the wheel of a car for every trip often
wonder what motivates someone to cycle everywhere. Now, researchers at
McGill University in Montreal have come up with some answers.
Their new study divides cyclists into four types: dedicated cyclists,
path-using cyclists, fairweather utilitarians, and leisure cyclists.
The Montreal researchers — associate professor Ahmed El-Geneidy, research
fellow Michael Grimsrud and graduate research assistant Gabriel
Damant-Sirois — believe the findings will help guide urban planners,
transportation engineers and policy makers as they remake cities to respond
to new transit demands.
“Cycling as a means of transportation has increased in many European and
American cities,” the researchers write. “From what was seen by many as a
recreational or physical activity, cycling also has become a mode to
commute in urban areas.”
Montreal, like a growing number of U.S. cities, is embracing a broad view
of transportation that includes Bixi bike sharing and bike paths, a subway
system, along with vehicle and pedestrian traffic. This week, the San
Francisco area will kick off Bay Area Bike Share<http://bayareabikeshare.com/>,
which spans the region from Oakland to San Jose, and promises to be one of
the most ambitious systems in North America.
Canada’s second largest city is its highest in terms of biking, walking and
public transit use, according to the researchers. Montreal also ranks first
in North America among bike-friendly cities, and 11th in the world,
according to the Copenhagenize index. <http://copenhagenize.eu/index/>
The study included 2,000 cyclists, who participated in an online, bilingual
survey. The researchers divided up the respondents this way.
*Path-using cyclists* (36 percent) are motivated by the fun of riding, its
convenience, and the identity that cycling gives them. They’d rather use a
continuous route, rather than dodge cars. They were actively encouraged by
their parents to ride for fitness and to get places.
*Dedicated cyclists* (24 percent) are motivated by speed, predictability
and flexibility that bike trips offer. These cyclists are the least likely
to be deterred by the weather. They aren’t as interested in bike paths, and
actually enjoy riding in traffic. The researchers say these cyclists
consider riding to be an important part of their identity.
*Fairweather utilitarians* (23 percent) are just that. They like to ride in
good weather, and they’ll take another form of transportation in rain or
snow. These are also bike path users, and they don’t necessarily see
themselves as cyclists.
*Leisure cyclists* (17 percent) ride because it is fun, and not as much for
commuting. They prefer bike paths, don’t like to deal with traffic, and
want to feel safe, especially when riding with family members.
The study found that cycling demographics are changing rapidly. In a 2008
Montreal study, conducted before Bixi and the growth of bike paths, 65
percent were men and 35 percent women. But in 2013, the study included 60
percent men and 40 percent women.
The age of cyclists also is dropping. The average age of the 2013 cyclists
was 37.3 years old, compared with 42 years old in a 2008 study. But the
study also showed cyclists’ income skews high. In 2008, 13 percent of
cyclists had a household income of $100,000 or more. In the 2013,
one-quarter of the respondents’ household income was above $100,000.
Based on the results, the researchers said a one-size-fits-all approach
might not be the right way to encourage more cycling. Emphasizing health
benefits, for instance, works best with first-time and returning cyclists,
but doesn’t affect the most committed cyclists who ride for different
reasons.
Likewise, dedicated cyclists aren’t as interested in bike paths, although
other groups see them as important. “Building a network adapted to the
cyclist population, and emphasizing its convenience, flexibility and speed
would be an effective strategy to increase cycling frequency,” the McGill
researchers said.
--
*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/>
Very exciting news to share - Thompson, Manitoba's first Ciclovia! Open
street Sunday. Also great to see their volunteer-run Fork in the Road bike
shop<http://m.thompsoncitizen.net/article/20130703/THOMPSON0201/130709999/commun…>is
up and running for community members now :)
Great work Bruce Krentz and many others in organizing this event.
Please share with everyone you know up there!
S
** **
****
** **
*Open Street Sunday – September 8th, 2013*
On Sunday September 8th cyclists will take over one lane of our core
streets. A loop will be created using Cree Road and the West side of
Thompson Drive. The inner most lanes on those streets will be blocked off
to vehicle traffic and open to cyclists. ****
** **
Everyone in the community is invited to “loop the loop” and do a lap or
two. The loop will be closed to vehicles from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.****
** **
Event headquarters will be the Fork in the Road Bike Shop, located on the
Boys and Girls Club property. Fork in the Road will not only be open for
repairs but they will also have refreshments, a bike skill’s rodeo and will
be giving away bikes and helmets. The Fork in the road will be open from
11:00 am – 3:00 pm. ****
** **
Open Street Sunday is a partnership between the Northern Health Region, The
City of Thompson and the Fork in the Road Bike Shop. The event is a great
way to get out and get some exercise. It is also a sneak preview of what
it would feel like to have dedicated cycling paths in our community.****
** **
For more information on Open Street Sunday and a map, visit the City of
Thompson website, facebook page or contact; Bruce Krentz at (204) 677-1742,
bkrentz(a)brha.mb.ca or Cory Sparks (204)677-7952 , facility(a)thompson.ca****
** **
Bring your friends and family to Open Street Sunday on September 8th, 2013
from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.****
** **
--
*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/>
Since a couple of you, upon reviewing the maps that were include as a
companion to the video, have kindly taken the time pointed out a few
"missing" underpasses in Winnipeg, I wanted to provide a clarification:
The maps purposely avoid counting any grade-separated crossings where
bicycle facilities were included in a road project - ones that had to be
built to get the road across a railway, river or another road. These are
common. I tried to avid counting those in Oulu and Davis as well. The
reason being that, while these are indeed useful, the application of these
facilities to locations where bike paths meet collectors/arterials is
fairly unique.
What struck me about Oulu and Davis was threefold:
a. their similarity in urban/residential structure to Winnipeg
b. the similarity in terms of weather extremes and topography to Winnipeg
*c. the usage of bicycle underpasses built specifically for AT that were
intended only to avoid crossing collector/arterial streets or railways at
grade. *
To me, what this represents is an acknowledgement by the
designers/planners/engineers that, to a bicycle rider, even a collector
street is akin to a river (or freeway or railway track) if it has to be
crossed at grade. There is value in sending them underground instead. Note
that the relative traffic volumes of the roads being avoided is also
interesting. Even roadways with the equivalent amount of traffic as say,
McLeod or DesMeurons, seem to be candidates for an underpass in both Oulu
and Davis. Note that I avoid discussion of bridges. They have their
benefits, especially with high groundwater, but bridges have the drawback
of being exposed to the wind and usually require steeper approaches (to
clear large vehicles or containers, for example). Lastly, with regards to
mode share, from what I remember, Davis had an overall 15% share of
commuter traffic in 2010. For Oulu, it was a 12% bicycle mode share in
winter, and around 32% in summer. Winnipeg, of course, sadly still hovers
at around 2.6% overall (at least 5X less than Davis and 12X less than Oulu
in the summer). Another reason the correlation stuck with me.
Kind regards,
Anders
>
Hello at-network,
We know that not every best practice around the world works for Winnipeg,
but occasionally something comes along that you can't ignore.
I would feel amiss if I were to not report back about something important I
saw while in California recently. Maybe it was the similar endless-suburban
landscape in some places, maybe it was the flat topography, maybe it came
from being in a flood plain or maybe it was the similarly hot weather, but
I think it could work here.
Certainly Davis, California offers some unique and valuable lessons. Bike
underpasses is one of them.
See for yourself.
[video] Built For Bikes: The Tunnels and Paths of Davis,
California<http://vimeo.com/activetransportation/bike-tunnel-davis-california>
*Background and Reference Maps*
I was in Sacramento to share a project at the US Safe Routes to School
conference. I luckily signed myself up for a guided bike infrastructure
tour of nearby Davis. I turned my camera on. While biking around, it
occurred to me that the *humble little bicycle underpasses* made a really
really really big difference. More importantly, I had seen the same
arrangement in Oulu, Finland in the snow.
Oulu is known as the bike capital of Finland. Davis is known as the bike
capital of the US. Both a replete with these tunnels. Coincidence? The mode
share numbers suggest that there is something going on anyway.
It could happen here. Use your imagination. The clay and the drainage issue
is something we can handle if we want to. There are lots of candidate
locations. Think *Maple Street*. Think Bishop. Think Northeast Pioneers
Greenway. Think all the crossing that currently say "dismount" and just
about everything we build new from now on (at least until cars disappear).
To help you remember the parallel, see this little set of 3
photos<http://imgur.com/a/yBVYH> for
comparison.
To give an idea of just how many of these there are and where they are
located, I subsequently put together a map of each of the above-mentioned
places highlighting the bike underpasses in red:
Oulu<https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=215874840102932743143.0004e4ef9fce4291b…>
Davis<https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=215874840102932743143.0004e4f035992af96…>
Winnipeg<https://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?msid=215874840102932743143.0004e4f0c605a28d6…>
I found more than 140 of them in Oulu (pop.c.200,000). There are likely
more. I couldn't look at the map any more. You can see how they create a
critical porosity in the bike network. Apparently, there are more than a
dozen <http://daviswiki.org/bike_tunnels> in Davis (pop.65,000), although I
gave up on mapping them all. You can see clearly how useful they are. In
Winnipeg, there are only 2 that I am aware of that come close to
qualifying. Note that neither of them are really wide, airy or bright
enough to meet best practices, but I mapped them for comparison's sake
anyway. In all cases, I tried to map only the ones that are AT-specific.
For comparison's sake, I tried not to count the ones that simply run
alongside a road with a bridge over both.
Conclusion:
Winnipeg + more bike underpasses = bike capital of Canada . . . . ???
Kind regards,
Anders Swanson
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 09:34:53 -0500
*Women on a Roll: Benchmarking Women’s Bicycling in the United State and
Five Keys to Get More Women on
Wheels<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPWprZnNrY…>
*
<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPWprZnNrY…>
The League of American Bicyclists has released a report that discusses the
health benefits of bicycling and ways to increase women’s participation in
the sport.
--
Terry Zdan
126 Duncan Norrie Drive
Wpg MB R3P 2J9
CANADA
tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>
*SAVE THE DATE!*
SPECIAL FORUM | FREE ADMISSION
Viafara Consulting Presents
*IDEAS FOR ACTION ON TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT*
A Conference on Transit Malls and Mobility Opportunities for a Thriving
Downtown
You’re invited to a special forum made possible by the Downtown BIZ’s
sponsorship – exclusively for you, our members and the general public.
*September 12, 2013 | *7-9PM
Portage Place Edmonton Court
Light food & refreshments served
*FEATURING*
*Dr. Reid H. Ewing, Director of the Metropolitan Research Centre
(University of Utah) | *Planning for Supportive Transit, Transformative
Investment Strategies: The Pedestrian and Transit-Oriented Design
* *
*Mr. Michael Lander, Lander Urban Development Group (Minneapolis, MN)* |
Developing Around Transit, How central city areas benefit from modern
transit infrastructure
*Moderated by Dr. Richard Milgrom, Head Department of City Planning,
University of Manitoba*
*RSVP:* info(a)downtownwinnipegbiz.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: PBIC News <PBIC_News(a)mail.vresp.com>
Date: Mon, Aug 26, 2013 at 9:44 AM
Subject: PBIC News: Free Ped/Bike Lessons for Course Instructors
To: beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca
<http://cts.vresp.com/fbl?33017d6d02/a153a5784b/http%3A%2F%2Fhosted-p0.vresp…>
<http://cts.vresp.com/ts?33017d6d02/a153a5784b/http%3A%2F%2Fapi.addthis.com%…>
<http://cts.vresp.com/ls?33017d6d02/a153a5784b/http%3A%2F%2Fapi.addthis.com%…>
**
[image: PBIC News Brief -- News from the Pedestrian and Bicycle
Information Center] *August 26, 2013* *New ped/bike planning and design
lessons available for course instructors** *
CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is pleased
to announce the release of new bicycle and pedestrian planning teaching
modules for undergraduate students.
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Short Series is designed to
augment undergraduate courses in basic civil engineering and/or
transportation planning. The series consists of three lessons covering
Planning for Pedestrians and Bicycles, Pedestrian and Bicycle Facility
Design, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Data and Performance. The modules are
ideally suited to be integrated into an existing course, such as the first
or introductory course in transportation engineering.
Each of the educational modules contains presentation slides for a
50-minute lecture, speaker notes for instructors, references, and
recommended additional readings. The program also includes one supplemental
assignment. The modules can be used individually or sequentially.
"Interest in bicycling and walking is growing nationally. Introducing
undergraduate students to pedestrian and bicycle planning and design basics
will create more well-rounded transportation professionals capable of
addressing the complex transportation challenges of the future,” said Carl
Sundstrom, PBIC staff member and co-author of the new curriculum.
The teaching modules were developed, pilot tested and evaluated by an
interdisciplinary team from the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of City and
Regional Planning, the UNC Highway Safety Research Center (which houses the
PBIC), and Auburn University’s Department of Civil Engineering. The effort
was funded by the Southeastern Transportation Research, Innovation,
Development and Education Center and the PBIC.
This is a first of its kind supplemental curricula designed to fit within
existing university courses. PBIC currently offers several semester-long
courses for graduate and undergraduate students studying civil engineering
and planning.
All PBIC course materials can be found online at
http://www.walkinginfo.org/training/university-courses/Short-Series.cfm<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/33017d6d02/a153a5784b/afcecaa6…>.
Access to the instructional materials is limited to instructors.
------------------------------
Since its inception in 1999, PBIC's mission has been to improve the quality
of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling
as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The Pedestrian
and Bicycle Information Center is maintained by the University of North
Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S.
Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration.
------------------------------
*Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center*
730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Campus Box 3430
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430
Phone: 1.888.823.3977
Fax: 919.962.8710
www.walkinginfo.org<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/33017d6d02/a153a5784b/3d5d26fe…>
www.bicyclinginfo.org<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/33017d6d02/a153a5784b/55c6c716…>
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Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
730 MLK, Jr. Blvd. CB 3430
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
US
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Stats show bike lanes make streets safer, city says
Police collision reports show decreases in crashes every time a bike lane
is put in, city says CBC News | Posted: Aug 15, 2013 3:46 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/story/2013/08/15/tby-thunder-bay-…
The man in charge of planning bicycle lanes in Thunder Bay says they've
resulted in a big drop in cycling collisions.
The city’s active transportation coordinator, Adam Krupper, said studies
prove the value of bike lanes in Thunder Bay.
“The city of Thunder Bay has been using police collision reports to measure
changes in collisions before and after bike lanes have been implemented,”
he said.
**
“What engineering has found is that there has been a 70 per cent decrease
in collisions every time a bike lane is put in. These are really important
numbers to keep in mind in terms of [questions like] 'Do bike lanes make
the roads safer?' Every time a bike lane is put in the road becomes safer."
'A real surprise'
Krupper said there's also been a decrease in motorist collisions on streets
where bike lanes are installed.
The same study found a 22 per cent drop in car accidents.
"That's something that was a real surprise to us,” Krupper said.
“Engineering didn't expect to see changes in motor vehicle collisions. But
it's a very nice surprise to see there's actually been a decrease."
Krupper said the decrease is likely because the more narrow car lane makes
motorists more cautious.
“They're paying a bit more attention,” he said. “We've found that traffic
volumes haven't changed when a bike lane is put in. The same number of
people are driving, but we believe that those people who are driving are
being more cautious."
This week the city is painting new lane markings and putting up signs for
the newest additions to the network. The streets will include Adelaide,
Arundel, High, Keith and Theresa, as well as Leslie Avenue.
Beverly Street will be next, after reconstruction of the road has been
completed.