This paid Walking School Bus project in Ottawa is the first of it's kind
that I'm aware of in Canada. It's an interesting model, and one to keep an
eye on!
Jackie
Walking School Bus pilot project launched at eight Ottawa schools
News • Posted by OttawaStart on October 06, 2014
http://ottawastart.com/story/24616.php
Ottawa Public Health (OPH), in partnership with the Ottawa School
Transportation Authority (OSTA), the Ottawa Safety Council and Green
Communities Canada, have launched the Walking School Bus pilot project at
eight schools across Ottawa.
The 12-week pilot project offers a daily Walking School Bus for the
morning trip to school on weekdays from September 29 to December 19. Like
adult crossing guards, each Walking School Bus leader is screened, trained,
supervised and paid by the Ottawa Safety Council. The Walking School Bus
project offers a safe, convenient, healthy and fun way for children to
travel to school.
The eight participating Ottawa schools were selected for their demonstrated
commitment to promoting walking to school: Convent Glen Elementary School,
Corpus Christi Elementary School, Henry Larsen Public School, Hilson Avenue
Public School, Robert Bateman Public School, St. Gabriel Elementary School,
Steve MacLean Public School and Woodroffe Avenue Public School.
According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, only 28
per cent of Canadian children walk to school, compared to 58 per cent one
generation ago. Numerous studies have shown that walking to school helps
students arrive at school ready to learn and better able to concentrate.
The Walking School Bus project makes active transportation a part of
children’s routines, which also helps promote healthy and active habits in
their teen and adult years. In 2013, only 24 per cent of grade 7 to 12
students in Ottawa reported having been physically active for 60 minutes
per day, as recommended by the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for
youth. With more children being driven to school, traffic and child safety
issues have become chronic at many school sites.
For more information about the Walking School Bus project, visit
ottawaschoolbus.ca. For more information about school active
transportation, visit ottawa.ca/health, or call the OPH Information Line at
613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). You can also connect with OPH on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/ottawasante>, Twitter
<http://www.twitter.com/ottawahealth>(@ottawahealth), Tumblr
<http://www.ottawahealth.tumblr.com/> or Pinterest
<http://www.pinterest.com/otthealthsante>.
--
*Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School
Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a member
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>
Just a friendly reminder of tomorrow's webinar: Design Treatments to
Transition from Trails to Roadways. The webinar viewing will take place in
the EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
boardroom
(3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of
local applications.
RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then!
Thanks,
Jessie
(204) 925-3772
Design Treatments to Transition from Trails to Roadways
*Wednesday, October 15th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom*
*Key takeaways*:
• Understand the challenges and current guidance related to designing safe
trail and road intersections
• Explore design considerations including safety issues at unsignalized
crossings; preferred treatments for trail entrances; alternatives to
at-grade crossings; and use of signs, pavement markings and bollards
• Learn about examples of non-standard use of pavement markings and signals
that have improved safety
*Description*:
Detailed, prescriptive guidance for designing safe intersections between
trails and roadways is scarce, and trail crossings often present complex,
nonstandard design problems for engineers and planners. Attend this webinar
for an overview of current design guidance and to learn how some
jurisdictions help cyclists and pedestrians travel safely across a roadway
on a trail or shared-use path. Case studies from San Jose, California, and
Virginia’s Washington and Old Dominion Trail will provide design examples
that include at-grade and under grade crossings; trail entrances; use of
signs and bollards; alternative pavement markings; and experimental use of
signals.
*Presenters*:
Randy Dittberner, P.E., PTOE, Regional Traffic Engineer, Virginia DOT
Northern Region
Bill Schultheiss, P.E., Vice President and Senior Engineer, Toole Design
Group
Yves Zsutty, Trail Manager, City of San Jose
*Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre
<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca> | Find us here
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a member
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>
Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local
viewing of the following APBP webinar: Design Treatments to Transition from
Trails to Roadways. The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
boardroom
(3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of
local applications.
RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then!
Thanks,
Jessie
(204) 925-3772
Design Treatments to Transition from Trails to Roadways
*Wednesday, October 15th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom*
*Key takeaways*:
• Understand the challenges and current guidance related to designing safe
trail and road intersections
• Explore design considerations including safety issues at unsignalized
crossings; preferred treatments for trail entrances; alternatives to
at-grade crossings; and use of signs, pavement markings and bollards
• Learn about examples of non-standard use of pavement markings and signals
that have improved safety
*Description*:
Detailed, prescriptive guidance for designing safe intersections between
trails and roadways is scarce, and trail crossings often present complex,
nonstandard design problems for engineers and planners. Attend this webinar
for an overview of current design guidance and to learn how some
jurisdictions help cyclists and pedestrians travel safely across a roadway
on a trail or shared-use path. Case studies from San Jose, California, and
Virginia’s Washington and Old Dominion Trail will provide design examples
that include at-grade and under grade crossings; trail entrances; use of
signs and bollards; alternative pavement markings; and experimental use of
signals.
*Presenters*:
Randy Dittberner, P.E., PTOE, Regional Traffic Engineer, Virginia DOT
Northern Region
Bill Schultheiss, P.E., Vice President and Senior Engineer, Toole Design
Group
Yves Zsutty, Trail Manager, City of San Jose
*Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre
<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca> | Find us here
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772
Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living.
Support our work by becoming a member
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Oct 2014 10:09:13 -0500
*FHWA releases new BIKESAFE guide as part of DOT’s effort to improve
pedestrian and bicycle safety*
*CHAPEL HILL, NC* — The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released its
new Bicycle Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System (BIKESAFE).
This resource helps support the U.S. Department of Transportation’s
new pedestrian
and bicycle safety initiative
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/8f53ce0585/fb09f83e26/cf0c1c82…>
.
“At FHWA, our safety program is multi-faceted. We have developed a broad
range of expertise and resources to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety
and will continue to actively promote these resources and develop new tools
to help communities build streets that are safer for people walking,
bicycling, and taking public transportation,” said Acting Federal Highway
Administrator Gregory G. Nadeau.
BIKESAFE is an online guide for implementing countermeasures to improve the
safety and mobility of bicyclists. It provides practitioners with
information and tools to review and select engineering and roadway
infrastructure improvements to reduce bicyclist injuries.
BIKESAFE is comprised of four sections: A guide of basic information,
specific countermeasure details, case studies, and an expert system tool
for countermeasure selection, as well as links to dozens of other helpful
web resources.
*Guide:* This section helps practitioners better understand the issues
facing bicyclists, how to analyze crashes, and how to implement new
treatments.
*Countermeasures:* The Countermeasures section includes a comprehensive
list of 46 engineering, education, and enforcement countermeasure options,
as well as details of each countermeasure, including its description,
purpose, considerations, safety effect, and cost.
*Case Studies: *There are 34 case studies, or success stories, that
document one or more of the countermeasures that have been implemented,
along with the background of the problems, bicycle safety solutions
selected, and the results of the treatments.
*Selection Tool:* The expert countermeasure selection system allows users
to input the basic safety problem and site conditions. The expert system
will propose a "short list" of candidate treatment options that likely
would be suited to address the specific bicyclist safety problem for that
situation.
This online version of BIKESAFE updates an eight-year-old version and is
now available as an interactive tool, usable on your computer, tablet, or
smartphone. BIKESAFE can be found at http:www.pedbikesafe.org/BIKESAFE
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/8f53ce0585/fb09f83e26/074000c7…>
.
BIKESAFE was prepared for the FHWA Office of Safety
<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/8f53ce0585/fb09f83e26/6a136f31…>
by the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.,
and Toole Design Group.
--
Terry Zdan
126 Duncan Norrie Drive
Wpg MB R3P 2J9
CANADA
tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>
See survey below from Bike Winnipeg.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Friends:
At Bike Winnipeg, we have been working hard to educate the civic candidates
on what they could do to make Winnipeg bike-friendly, and to make cycling
one of the issues raised in the media and in meetings.
Many candidates are taking positive positions on cycling (see
www.ibikeivote.ca ), so there is hope for a more pro-active council after
October 22, but in the last weeks of the campaign, we need to keep
educating all the candidates what the city has to do to make cycling
attractive to more Winnipeggers.
We are doing a flash-survey to ask six multiple-choice questions on cycling
issues to Winnipeg cyclists, and to all the candidates for Mayor and
Councillor in Winnipeg. Next week, we will compare the responses of
cyclists to those of the candidates in their respective areas to further
emphasize the importance of cycling issues in the civic election.
So far, 170 cyclists have taken two minutes to answer the six multiple
choice questions. We need LOTS more participation to make the results more
interesting, and more credible when we show them to candidates and the
media next week, so…
If you’ve already participated, thanks. If you haven't received an e-mail
invitation from Bike Winnipeg to participate in this survey, that means we
don't have your current e-mail address on our newsletter list. Go here:
https://feaver.wufoo.com/forms/r181s0v31lfse34/ to sign up and register
your opinion in the survey.
*And… to really help us make a difference… Please send out a quick note to
encourage all your Winnipeg cycling friends and contacts in your networks
to do the survey by Wednesday*.
Thanks
Charles
Charles(a)bikewinnipeg.ca