Reduced limits in effect Monday: School zones apply new, lower speeds
By: Jessica Botelho-Urbanski
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/reduced--limits-in-effect--monday-27…
u
[image: Speeds around Winnipeg's 171 elementary schools will be reduced
to 30 km/h starting Monday. The fine is a steep $310 for going the usual
posted limit of 50 km/h.]
<http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/800*610/140829-STDUP_SCHOOL_SPD__…>
Speeds around Winnipeg's 171 elementary schools will be reduced to 30 km/h
starting Monday. The fine is a steep $310 for going the usual posted limit
of 50 km/h. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
Though you might be in a rush to get the kids back to school, you'll have
to get there more slowly. New speed limits in 171 school zones -- a drop to
30 km/h from 50 km/h in most areas -- go into effect Monday and city police
realize the new speeds might take some time to get used to.
"Reducing speeds from 50 to 30 is a significant drop. We're all going to
have to be extra aware and extra cautious," said Const. Jason Michalyshen.
"Regardless of time of day or day of week, we have to get into that habit."
School zones in other areas of the province, such as Brandon, Winkler and
Portage la Prairie, have already adopted restricted speeds. This is not a
new or innovative practice, said spokeswoman for the Manitoba branch of the
Canadian Automobile Association, Angèle Young.
"Speed is always a concern no matter how many speed bumps, crosswalks and
patrols you have. There's still drivers and motorcyclists that will speed
through school zones and they need to know it's a law required of them to
slow down," Young said.
"If our speeds are reduced, we can react quicker, we can stop faster. And
if in fact there is contact made, when speeds are reduced, the likelihood
of significant injuries is greatly reduced as well," said Michalyshen.
New street signs advertising the changing speed limits popped up in recent
weeks. The new limits will be effective between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. from
Monday to Friday, between September and June.
Traditional and photo radar ticket enforcement will still apply to school
zones, too, to ensure children's safety, said Michalyshen.
"We want kids to be safe. It doesn't matter where they are, but in relation
to these particular areas near school zones, we're going to be there
monitoring," he said. As of Monday, going 50 km/h in a school zone
advertised as 30 km/h will cost speedsters $310.
Michalyshen suggested officers would not start issuing tickets immediately.
"This first week isn't about us putting out the message that we're out
there and if you're not travelling at the posted speed limit in these
school zones, then it's all about tickets," said Michalyshen. "Changing
habits often takes time and hopefully, it's not a significant amount of
time... at the expense of injuries."
jessica.botelho-urbanski(a)freepress.mb.ca
*Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 30, 2014 A8*
JUST SLOW DOWN
*How reduced speed levels can prevent deaths*
A pedestrian hit by a motorist going 40 km/h has a 25 per cent chance of
being killed.
Going 50? The pedestrian has a 55 per cent chance of being killed.
Going 60? The pedestrian has an 85 per cent chance of being killed.
If a pedestrian is hit at a significant speed, it's comparable to a drop
from a great height.
Being hit at 50 km/h is like falling from a three-storey building.
Being hit at 75 km/h is like falling off an eight-storey building.
Being hit at 100 km/h is like falling off a 12-storey building.
Source: CAA
(Canadian Automobile Association)
Late notice but if you're available please join Green Action Centre and
Bike Winnipeg to watch the following APBP and Green Lane Project webinar*
tomorrow (Wed) afternoon* in the EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
boardroom.
With protected bike lanes in Winnipeg on Pembina and Assiniboine Ave, and
construction underway for the parking protected bike lane on Sherbrook,
it's a timely topic.
If you are unable to attend but still want to hear either of these free
recorded webinars, here's the link: Intersections and Protected Bike Lanes
/ <http://www.apbp.org/?page=PBL_webinars>Accessibility and Protected Bike
Lanes <http://www.apbp.org/?page=PBL_webinars>
cheers,
Beth
(204) 925-3772
** * * * **
*Intersections and Protected Bike Lanes*
*APBP recorded webinar | Wed, Aug. 27th, 2014 | 2:00-3:00 pm*
*Key takeaways*:
- Learn about current practice for designing protected bike lanes at
intersections
- Consider aspects of Dutch cycle track design at intersections that are
transferable to the North American context
- Review elements of Dutch treatments implemented in U.S. cities
*Description*:
One of the greatest challenges to designing a protected bike lane is
getting the lane through an intersection. This webinar focuses on the most
forward-looking work related to protected bike lanes at intersections, as
well as lessons that can be learned from Dutch design.
Presenters will discuss geometric techniques for managing speed and
mitigating right turn issues and best practices for signal phasing and
mixing zones. Going beyond current practice, we ask “What do next
generation protected bike lanes at intersections look like?” and discuss
how North American intersections designs can look and function more like
their Dutch counterparts. The session includes examples of Dutch-style
elements and treatments already installed in the U.S.
*Presenters*:
- Nick Falbo, MURP, Senior Planner, Alta Planning + Design
- Nathan Roseberry, Senior Transportation Engineer, T.Y. Lin
Upwards of $16 million for slip claims. That definitely makes a case for better clearing.
Mark
Sent from my mobile device.
----- Reply message -----
From: "Anders Swanson" <andersswanson(a)gmail.com>
To: "at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca" <at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca>
Subject: [At-network] New Winter Cycling Snow Clearing Plan Approved in Toronto!
Date: Tue, Aug 19, 2014 6:04 PM
Folks might be interested in this recent Toronto city council decision, shared with me recently by City of Toronto planner (and 2014 conference speaker) Christina Bouchard.
Council decision
Background infoNote: Appendix 1 has an interesting comparison of sidewalk snow-clearing policies in Canada, including Winnipeg.
-Anders
Social media: The Wild West of behavioural data collection <http://newsletter.travelmanitoba.com/newsletter_redirect.asp?link_id=7082&&…>
When tech company Strava was founded in 2009 it had a simple mission - to help cyclists and runners keep track of their activities.
It didn't take long, however, for an entirely different group of customers to take an interest. San Francisco-based Strava has received so many requests for its user data that it now runs a secondary business selling anonymized cycling data to municipalities and other groups looking to better understand how and why local cyclists choose the routes they do. The Oregon Department of Transportation, for example, paid $20,000 last year for a data set that included information about 400,000 trips made by 35,000 Oregon cyclists in 2013.
A simple activity-tracker app, it appears, has collected enough data from its users to help decipher one of the great modern-day urban planning mysteries.