Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local
viewing of the following APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303
Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local
applications. Description provided below.
RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then!
cheers,
Beth
(204) 925-3772
** * * * **
*Public Health Benefits of Active Transportation*
*Wednesday, April 16, 2014 | 2:00-3:00 pm Central*
Active transportation creates important opportunities for routine physical
activity. Effective collaboration between public health and active
transportation can strengthen projects with better results for all
residents, including children, senior citizens, people with disabilities,
and low-income families. By understanding the impact of different types of
interventions on the behavior of drivers and pedestrians, transportation
professionals can create and construct designs that meet community goals.
This webinar looks at case studies in Charlotte, N.C. and Columbia,
Missouri, where changes to the streetscape were studied for their effects
on physical activity and social interactions. The interventions include
replacing a pedestrian bridge with an at-grade, signalized crossing; and
modifying the streetscape and street profile with landscaping, narrower
driving lanes and additional bike lanes. Presenters also suggest techniques
for breaking down professional silos and engaging transportation, public
health and research professionals in a collaborative study and design
process.
*Presenters:*
- Ian Thomas, PhD, Board of Directors, America Walks
- Dwane Jones, PhD, Director of the Center for Sustainable Development,
University of the District of Columbia
City studying more sidewalk clearing around schools
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>
By: Nick Martin
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-studying-more-sidewalk-clearing…
The city could clear every sidewalk around every school in Winnipeg right
after a snowfall next winter.
But it will require city council to approve a major policy change at a
significant but unknown cost this summer, right before October's municipal
election.
"We'd be looking at the impact of making the sidewalks around schools
priority 1 or priority 2," said Jim Berezowsky, the city's manager of
street maintenance. "The expectation is they want it to be done the first
day."
Pembina Trails School Division raised alarms earlier this winter when the
city was considering reducing snow-clearing operations on residential
streets.
Berezowsky said that prompted the city to re-examine its snow-clearing
policies, particularly on sidewalks around school properties.
The city has three priority levels for sidewalks, he said.
Depending on how major the roadway in front of a school, the front-entrance
sidewalk and school-bus loading zone would currently be cleared in the
first or second wave of operations. But most schools have the vast majority
of their property, including school fields, along residential side streets,
and those sidewalks along school property have been a third-level priority.
That could change next winter, but it would mean buying more sidewalk
snow-clearing machines and hiring people to operate them, Berezowsky said.
He said the city clears sidewalks after five centimetres of snowfall.
"It's going to be an increased cost to the city. As a policy decision, it
would still have to go to council" after staff finishes their study and
report back sometime this summer.
It's a matter of safety, Berezowsky said. Most families drive their kids to
school, but they'd let them off earlier if the kids could walk safely the
rest of the way, he said.
"It's because of the amount of traffic that picks up and drops off kids.
They want to be able to drop them off farther away."
He wrote Pembina Trails school board chairman David Johnson the city's
decision will be announced in August.
Berezowsky replied to the division's letter to Mayor Sam Katz "regarding
priority concerns of snow clearing in and around schools within the Pembina
Trails School Division. Previous discussions with school divisions appeared
to be centred solely around residential streets for the priority
enhancements during winter months," Berezowsky said. "Sidewalks never
appeared to be a consideration during those previous talks. We will
definitely analyze sidewalk clearing in conjunction with the street-service
priority given in the winter months to the various schools.
"I will provide you with an update in August 2014 on the status of
sidewalks as they pertain to the winter enhanced service in and around
schools," he wrote.
Pembina Trails superintendent Ted Fransen was delighted.
"We're very pleased to hear the city is taking our concerns seriously,"
Fransen said.
nick.martin(a)freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 9, 2014 B1
Hi everyone,
The WRENCH has been nominated for the MTS Future First Community Grant.
Help them win $ 10,000 by voting now!
http://www.mts.ca/mts/future+first/grants#poll
Have a good day!
--
*Sylvie Fouasse*
Rivers West
info(a)riverswest.ca
(204) 925-2320 ext 108
FYI:
Tools of Change is soliciting nominations for its 2014 *Landmark* behavior
change case studies in two topic areas - (1) home / building energy
conservation and (2) sustainable transportation. If you know of anyone
working on a particularly effective or innovative approach for changing
energy or transportation behaviors, please consider nominating them - or
yourself. All nominations must include measured impact results.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jay Kassirer <kassirer(a)toolsofchange.com>
Date: 1 April 2014 08:29
Subject: Call for Nominations: Energy Efficiency or Active / Sustainable
Transportation Behavior Change Case Studies (for peer-selection by Tools of
Change Landmark panels)
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*Call for Nominations*
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*About Us*
Tools of Change promotes best practices in social marketing and a
healthier, more sustainable future.
Our social marketing website was awarded the Society of Environmental
Journalists' highest rating as an information source for environmental
journalists, and is recognized by the Infography as one of six superlative
references on social marketing.
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* For immediate Release - March 31,** 2014*
*Dear Jackie,*
*For Immediate Release. MS Word copies of media release and backgrounder
are at *www.toolsofchange.com/en/landmark/<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uQTNpmC1GtXXbOcWov5auXNnQ-E0pVZTDSpRjkvnTDuL…>
Tools of Change is soliciting nominations for its 2014 *Landmark* behavior
change case studies in two topic areas - (1) home / building energy
conservation and (2) sustainable transportation. If you know of anyone
working on a particularly effective or innovative approach for changing
energy or transportation behaviors, please consider nominating them - or
yourself. All nominations must include measured impact results.
Designation as a "*Landmark*" (best practice) case study through this peer
selection process recognizes behavior change programs and approaches
considered to be among the most successful, innovative, replicable and
adaptable in the world. Designated programs gain exposure, credibility and
free, on-line program case study materials, which may make it easier for
them to attract clients and maintain or increase program funding.
Nominations are screened by Tools of Change staff and then the most
promising are rated by peer selection panels based on a standard scoring
grid. Designated programs are highlighted in our webinars, the webinar
transcripts and video recordings, and written case studies. Program
organizers get a *Landmark* designation logo for use on websites and in
electronic newsletters, providing click-through access to the program's
case study materials.
The nomination form, which can be downloaded from
www.toolsofchange.com/en/landmark/<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uQTNpmC1GtXXbOcWov5auXNnQ-E0pVZTDSpRjkvnTDuL…>,
must be submitted by May 30, 2014. Designations will be announced by
October 2014, and case study webinars will be presented between January and
May 2015.
To view *Landmark* case studies designated in past years, go to
www.toolsofchange.com/en/landmark/<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001uQTNpmC1GtXXbOcWov5auXNnQ-E0pVZTDSpRjkvnTDuL…>
Help us spread the news. If you know of others who might be
interested, forward this to them. If you are a media writer or editor,
tell this story.
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Jay Kassirer, General Manager, Tools of Change
*Backgrounder*
*About Tools of Change *
*Tools of Change* was launched in January, 2000 as a collaborative effort
between Cullbridge(tm) and such partners as the Federation of Canadian
Municipalities, Health Canada, Natural Resources Canada, the International
Institute for Sustainable Development, Environment Canada, and Canada's
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. Founded on the
principles of community-based social marketing, *Tools of Change* engages
program planners and facilitators from around the world to share and learn
from their collective experiences. Its mandate is to build the capacity for
planning and implementing more successful health, safety and environmental
promotion programs.
The *Tools of Change* website, sections of which are based on a workbook
co-authored by Jay Kassirer and Doug McKenzie-Mohr, currently hosts about
130 full-length case studies. An impact evaluation of site users found that
most returned to the site many times, had improved their programs as a
result, and had used the site to help explain and justify their ideas to
colleagues and decision makers. Many had replicated ideas found on the
site. The website was awarded the Society of Environmental Journalists'
highest rating as an information source for environmental journalists, and
was recognized by the Infography as one of six superlative references on
social marketing.
*Recent Landmark Designations *
The following are some recent examples of programs that have been
designated.
Home / Building Energy:
- *Class 5 Energy*'s comprehensive, long-term approach combines
education, training, behavior change and goal setting with progress
tracking, recognition, continuous improvement and social media, to reduce
energy use in schools, hospitals and other institutional settings. Over
eight years in the program, Cambridge-Isanti Public School district reduced
energy use per person by about 36% and saved $2.6 million in energy costs.
Designated in 2013.
- *City of Burlington's Ice Rink Competition* employs a low-cost
community-based social marketing approach to significantly reduce energy
consumption, associated greenhouse gases and energy costs. With a program
return on investment of more than 96%, it shows the substantive impacts
that behavioral change programs can have over and above retrofits. The
results are based on actual utility bills. The approach is applicable to
any high energy consuming asset (facilities and buildings, vehicle fleet)
and is scalable. It successfully modified entrenched, long standing staff
behaviour towards the desired energy conservation behaviors, improved
facility performance, and extended equipment life cycle - all without
sacrificing facility service levels and user satisfaction. Designated in
2013.
- *Opower* helps individual utility companies to send customized home
energy use feedback reports to their residential utility customers. The
full-colour reports include a comparison with other similar households,
offer tips and strategies to reduce energy use, and provide seasonal energy
consumption information. The program delivered 400 GWh (400,000,000 kWh) in
energy savings over multiple regions in 2011.
- BC Hydro's* Power Smart* program is a great example of applying the
"loyalty group" approach to progressively engage participants in changing
behaviours. Energy savings for FY2010 were estimated at 5.15 GWh (5,150,000
KWh)
Sustainable Transportation
- *Stockholm's Congestion Pricing* was introduced in 2006 as a "trial",
followed by a referendum. The charges reduced traffic across the cordon by
20%, leading to huge congestion reductions all over the city. Perhaps more
surprisingly, the initially hostile opinion turned, and the referendum led
to permanent reintroduction of congestion charges. The traffic effects have
proved persistent in the years since. Designated in 2013.
- *CAC's HSBC Clean Air Achievers *program provides youth with a chance
to meet high profile athletes and be inspired by personal messages to adopt
healthier, more active and sustainable lifestyles. The program has dual
goals of reducing air pollution and increasing physical activity levels via
active transportation. For the 2011-2012 school year, program participants
had a 30.6% average percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 45.2%
average percent increase in active transportation. Designated in 2013.
- *Haliburton Communities in Action* is a rare, well-documented model
for promoting walking and cycling in a small or rural community. Designated
in 2012.
- *Portland's Smart Trips Welcome Program.* Portland has refocused its
Individualized Marketing efforts and incorporated an innovative and
targeted communication strategy to help new residents develop
environmentally-friendly and active transportation habits. As a result, the
city's new residents took 10% fewer drive-alone trips and the proportion of
their trips taken by green and active methods increased by 14%. This
comprehensive approach includes a strong evaluation design and targeted
social marketing strategies. Designated in 2012.
- *Stepping It Up*, led by the regional transportation authority
Metrolinx, illustrates a coordinated, highly replicable, and
institutionalized approach for reducing car traffic and increase walking
and cycling to school. The program worked with 30 elementary schools in the
City of Hamilton and Region of Peel, Ontario. Designated in 2012.
- *BIXI Bicycle Sharing*(Montreal) is a great example of how to make
urban cycling a more practical and attractive transportation option. BIXI
makes it convenient for commuters to cycle rather than drive, especially
for frequent, short trips. The system was specifically developed to augment
Montreal's existing transit system and between 2009 and 2013 Montrealers
made more than 13 million trips with BIXI. It is a turn-key service that is
inexpensive and replicable across many countries and cultures. In addition,
by making cycling more chic and attractive, BIXI has had a major impact on
cycling in North America. Designated in 2011.
*Active /Sustainable Transportation Panel, 2013*
2014 will be the seventh year for our peer selection panel for active /
sustainable transportation programs. The panel includes members from
on-the-ground programs including:
- Ryan Lanyon, City of Toronto
- Patricia Lucy, Translink
It also includes members from some of North America's most proactive
consulting, NGO, and government organizations supporting sustainable
transportation
professionals, including:
- Mark Dessauer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation
- Jacky Kennedy, Green Communities Canada
- Nathalie Lapointe, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
- David Levinger, Mobility Education Foundation
- Geoff Noxon, Noxon Associates
- Phil Winters, CUTR and the University of South Florida
- Chuck Wilsker, U.S. Telework Coalition
* Home/ Building Energy Efficiency Panel, 2012 *
2014 will be the fifth year for our peer selection panel for home /
building energy efficiency programs. This panel includes members from
on-the-ground programs and from some of North America's most proactive NGO
and government organizations supporting energy conservation professionals,
including:
- Arien Korteland, BC Hydro
- Devin Causely, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
- Doug McKenzie-Mohr, McKenzie-Mohr Associates
- Edward Vine, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Dan York, IEEE
*Help Spread the Word!*
Use portions of this newsletter and / or our full case studies in your own
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short credit: Courtesy of Tools of Change (www.toolofchange.com) which
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Tools of Change - Cullbridge Marketing and Communications | 2699 Priscilla
Street | Ottawa | Ontario | K2B 7E1 | Canada
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*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/>
TOD Standard
The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy has released a
report that outlines core principles of urban design, including those that
create pedestrian and cycling networks and strong customer bases for public
transportation.
http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/170522.aspx
ITDP's Principles of Urban Development for transport in urban life:
1. [walk] Develop neighborhoods that promote walking
2. [cycle] Prioritize non-motorized transport networks
3. [connect] Create dense networks of streets and paths
4. [transit] Locate development near high-quality public transport
5. [mix] Plan for mixed use
6. [densify] Optimize density and transit capacity
7. [compact] Create regions with short commutes
8. [shift] Increase mobility by regulating parking and road us
http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/your-brain-bicy
cling?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-Bicycling-_-Content-Story-_-yourbrain
Your Brain on Bicycling
It's no secret that cycling makes you fitter. It also sharpens your thinking
and melts away stress. Now researchers are discovering why-and exactly how
you can maximize the cognitive benefits of a good ride.
Every morning Canadian neuroscientist Brian Christie, PhD, gives his brain
<http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/mental-trainin
g-cyclists> an extra boost. We're not talking about tossing back multiple
strong shots of espresso
<http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/nutrition-weight-loss/caffeine-
alert> or playing one of those mind-training games advertised all over
Facebook.
"I hop on my bike, go to the gym
<http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/gym-etiquette>
for 45 minutes, then ride the rest of the way to work," says Christie. "When
I get to my desk, my brain is at peak activity for a few hours." After his
mental focus sputters to a halt later in the day, he jump-starts it with
another short spin to run errands.
Ride, work, ride, repeat. It's a scientifically proven system. In a recent
study in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, scientists found
that people scored higher on tests of memory, reasoning, and planning after
30 minutes of spinning on a stationary bike than they did before they rode.
They also completed the tests faster after pedaling.
Grow Your Mind
Exercise is like fertilizer for your brain. All those hours spent turning
your cranks create rich capillary beds not only in your quads and glutes,
but also in your gray matter. More blood vessels in your brain and muscles
mean more oxygen and nutrients to help them work, says Christie.
When you pedal, you also force more nerve cells to fire. As these neurons
light up, they intensify the creation of proteins like brain-derived
neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a compound called noggin (yes, really), which
promote the formation of new brain cells. The result: You double or triple
the production of neurons-literally building your brain, says Christie. You
also release neurotransmitters (the messengers between your brain cells) so
all those cells, new and old, can communicate with each other for better,
faster functioning.
This kind of growth is especially important with each passing birthday,
because as we age, our brains shrink and those connections weaken. Exercise
restores and protects the organ, says Arthur Kramer, PhD, a neuroscientist
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Our research finds that
after only three months, people who exercised had the brain volume of those
three years younger," says Kramer, referring to a study that examined the
brains of 59 sedentary volunteers between the ages of 60 and 79 who either
did an exercise program or were inactive for six months.
A bigger, more connected brain simply works better. "Adults who exercise
display sharper memory skills, higher concentration levels, more fluid
thinking, and greater problem-solving ability than those who are sedentary,"
says Kramer.
Ride Your Way Smarter
So if a little exercise boosts your mental acumen, will going longer and
harder earn you Mensa membership? Not so much, says Christie. More isn't
always better, especially in the short term, he says. The same study that
reported brain benefits from a short exercise session also revealed that
more intense efforts can temporarily compromise memory and information
processing, something Christie has seen firsthand.
It's clear that physical activity like cycling boosts production of
feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine.
Christie's teenage daughter also kicks off her day with
exercise-specifically rowing practice, usually with searing interval sets.
But instead of leaving her brain firing on all cylinders, the workout leaves
her a little stalled out when she arrives at school. "Short term, you're on
a U-shaped curve for exercise and mental benefits," says Christie. "Too
little and your brain doesn't get what it needs to work optimally. Too much
and your body has sapped the glucose and other resources it needs, so it's
hindered until it recovers." The sweet spot for sharp mental acuity right
after exercise is about 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic riding at roughly 75
percent of your maximum heart rate, or an effort of 7 on a scale of 1
(standing still) to 10 (going all out).
Positive Spin
Of course, there's a lot more to mental fitness than just improving your
smarts. Plenty of science backs the idea that a good ride can also have
emotional benefits. Cycling can elevate your mood, relieve anxiety, increase
stress resistance, and even banish the blues.
"Exercise works as well as psychotherapy and antidepressants in the
treatment of depression, maybe better," says James Blumenthal, PhD,
professor of behavioral medicine in the department of psychiatry and
behavioral sciences at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. A recent
study analyzing 26 years of research finds that even just some exercise-as
little as 20 to 30 minutes a day-can prevent depression over the long term.
At the moment, scientists don't completely understand the exact mechanisms,
but they do know that physical activity like cycling boosts the production
of feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. "As soon as our lab
rats start running on their wheels, they get a 100 to 200 percent increase
in serotonin levels," says J. David Glass, PhD, a brain-chemistry researcher
at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio.
As you pedal past the 20-to 30-minute mark, other mood-lifting chemicals
like endorphins and cannabinoids (which, as the name suggests, are in the
same family of chemicals that give pot smokers their high) kick in. When
researchers asked 24 men to either run or pedal at a moderate intensity or
sit for about 50 minutes, they found high blood levels of anandamide, a
natural cannabinoid, in the exercisers, but not in sedentary volunteers.
Even better, regularly riding your bike helps keep hormones like adrenaline
and cortisol in check, which means you'll feel less stressed and you'll
bounce back from anxiety-filled situations more easily.
The sweet spot for sharpening mental acuity right after exercise is about 30
to 60 minutes of aerobic riding at roughly 75 percent of your maximum heart
rate.
Remember: Although it's healthy, exercise itself is a stress, especially
when you're just getting started or back into riding. When you first begin
to exert yourself, your body releases cortisol to raise your heart rate,
blood pressure, and blood glucose levels, says Monika Fleshner, PhD, a
professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado at
Boulder. As you get fitter, it takes a longer, harder ride to trigger that
same response. "For people who are active, it takes a greater crisis to
trigger the cortisol response as compared with sedentary people," says
Fleshner. "So now you can go into a stressful environment and be okay. You
can endure a lot more before you kick off a stress response."
What's the cycling prescription for happiness? The authors of a recent
review study on exercise and depression came up with the following
guidelines to ward off the blues with aerobic exercise: Do three to five
sessions a week. Each session should be 45 to 60 minutes long and keep your
heart rate between 50 and 85 percent of your max. Of course, that's just a
minimum recommendation aimed at the general public. You can go ahead and
ride to your heart's-and mind's-content.
Fielding's rapid-transit stance on wrong track
By: Bartley Kives
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/fieldings-rapid-transit-stance-on-wr…
In a mayoral race in which six out of eight potential candidates can be
safely described as right of centre, it makes sense for Scott Fielding to
try to stand out from the field.
The two-term councillor for St. James-Brooklands is positioning himself to
be the populist fiscal conservative among a crew of fellow conservatives
that either have more elitist trappings or lean closer to the centre.
Fielding is no lunch-bucket-carrying everyman. He's a former pharmaceutical
sales rep who has interests in a pair of businesses and lives in
upper-middle-class Linden Woods.
But Scott Fielding's voting record and political philosophy can safely be
described as neo-libertarian, even if that's a word he'd never use to
describe someone who's in small government and would prefer to see the
market provide solutions to public-policy problems.
Last week, Fielding was doing his best to prove his populist cred by
campaigning against the extension of the Southwest Transitway, the city's
first dedicated bus corridor.
The 3.6-kilometre first phase of the transitway was completed in 2012 at a
cost of $138 million. A seven-kilometre extension to the University of
Manitoba comes with a $600-million price tag because it's packaged with two
other Fort Garry projects -- a new Jubilee underpass and the
Cockburn-Calrossie drain replacement.
Fielding, who has never supported rapid transit, launched an online
petition that attempts to mine the same anti-elitist sentiment directed
against megaprojects such as the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and
Investors Group Field.
Fielding wants prospective rapid-transit funding to be spent on road
repairs instead and urged Winnipeggers to tell "the politicians, insiders
at city hall that we need to address infrastructure, make that our No. 1
priority."
As far as campaign strategy goes, it's not a bad gambit to gain attention.
Mayor Sam Katz, who may or may not be running again, oversaw the
construction of the transitway's first phase despite his well-documented
ambivalence to rapid transit.
Lawyers Gord Steeves and Brian Bowman, who most likely will run, can be
painted as members of the political elite by the mere nature of their
profession. Only Charleswood-Tuxedo Coun. Paula Havixbeck is also playing
the populist card, though she's also courting union support for her
potential mayoral run.
Fielding's anti-rapid-transit position, however, runs the risk of driving
away potential supporters across the political spectrum who may have seen
him as a safe place to park their votes.
Although he only garnered support of six per cent of Winnipeggers in the
two mayoral-race polls to date, Fielding has room to grow because he has
been strong on ethical reform at city hall and chose to break ranks with
Katz.
His rapid-transit hate-on, however, is a bad move in the long run, as the
roads-not-transit argument fails to stand up to logical scrutiny.
Winnipeg suffers from inadequate infrastructure because it's too spread
out. The lack of density in this city requires too much money to be
shovelled into road, sewer and water-main maintenance.
And as any student of Winnipeg's recent history can tell you, one of the
main contributors to this lack of density is the absence of a rapid-transit
network.
Winnipeg began pondering rapid transit in the 1950s and '60s, around the
same time Toronto and Montreal started building subways. Decades of
dithering allowed Winnipeg to be lapped by Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and
Ottawa, which pursued various permutations of light rail, subways and
dedicated bus corridors.
Development along transit lines and transit-station nodes has improved
density in all of these cities. But Winnipeg kept on building roads and
focusing on single-family-home development, with disastrous results.
This city has started to improve density through modest means, such as
insisting on smaller lot sizes for single-family homes and demanding more
multi-family housing in new suburbs. But we are desperate for more rapid
transit to promote real density.
Without mass transit, you cannot build up instead of out. And if you build
out instead of up, you cannot afford your roads.
What Fielding is promoting spells disaster for Winnipeg. He's selling the
promise of better roads when in fact the best way to do so would be to
invest in transit.
Fielding's ethics are unimpeachable. He is polite and appears popular with
the constituents in his ward. But Winnipeg has waited too long for not just
the Southwest Transitway, but a full network of transit corridors to endure
another rapid-transit debate. Six decades is long enough.
bartley.kives(a)freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 4, 2014 B1
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 10:18:07 -0500
Subject: The U of W Uniter - Breaking Down Barricades
http://uniter.ca/view/breaking-down-barricades
"I replaced driving with a ten-minute walking commute. The psychological
differences between driving through an environment and physically
interacting with it on the ground cannot be understated. I now walk
downtown with the familiarity everyone else has with their own cul-de-sacs.
The normalization of this type of interaction with the city on a daily
basis gives you a different appreciation of not only its buildings and its
people, but also what it sorely lacks: people living there...."
"And herein lies the toxic heart of how urban Winnipeg is approached: for
serving the suburban population. And for the suburban population there must
be suburban entities. Maybe we knew that already, but in exiling myself
from suburban life, it took on a new level of understanding. It sunk in...."
--
Terry Zdan
126 Duncan Norrie Drive
Wpg MB R3P 2J9
CANADA
tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>
Doctors prescribing bike-share memberships to combat obesity
*by *Lauren O'Neil<http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/author/lauren-oneil/>
Posted: April 2, 2014 5:57 PM Last Updated: April 2, 2014 5:31 PM
http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2014/04/doctors-prescribing-bike-…
Doctors in Boston will soon have a new tool in their arsenal when it comes
to improving the health of obese patients: the humble, yet powerful bicycle.
In an effort to get sedentary Bostonians moving more, as well as provide
affordable transportation for low-income residents, The City of Boston and
the Boston Medical Center (BMC) have partnered together in creation of
program they're calling "Prescribe-a-Bike."
The program, launched today, allows all BMC medical professionals to write
prescriptions for memberships to a local bike-sharing program called
Hubway<https://www.thehubway.com/>,
which currently boasts 1,100 bikes at 130 locations around the city.
Much like Canada's own Bixi
system<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bye-bye-bixi-retooled-bike-sharing-se…>,
Hubway users can borrow a bike from any location and then drop it off at
another, providing themselves a convenient and healthy way to get around.
Qualified low-income patients will pay only $5 for an annual membership to
the program, which entitles them to an unlimited number of trips on Hubway
bikes for up to 30 minutes at a time. They'll also receive a free helmet,
according to the Boston mayor's office.
"Obesity is a significant and growing health concern for our city,
particularly among low-income Boston residents," said Kate Walsh, chief
executive of Boston Medical Center, in a statement published by the Boston
Globe<http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03/27/new-program-will-allow-boston-m…>.
"Regular exercise is key to combating this trend, and Prescribe-a-Bike is
one important way our caregivers can help patients get the exercise they
need to be healthy."
To qualify for a prescription, patients must be 16 years or older either
have a household income of no more than 4 times the poverty level or be
enrolled in some form of public assistance according to the statement.
The program's creators hope to enroll at least 1,000 low-income residents
in Prescribe-a-Bike this year, and potentially expand to include more
hospitals.
"We have already received some calls from other hospitals and health
clinics who are interested," said Nicole Freedman, director of bicycle
programs for the City of Boston, to Boston
Magazine<http://www.bostonmagazine.com/health/blog/2014/03/26/prescribe-bike-bmc-bos…>.
"It's a new way to reach out and promote health."