*Crossing for cyclists crucial*
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letters-marc…
Coun. Jeff Browaty's assertion that safety will be compromised by the
construction of a through-pass on the Northeast Pioneers Greenway
right-of-way turns reason on its head (Perimeter plan 'poorly conceived':
Browaty, March 12).
As a restricted-access roadway, the Perimeter Highway acts as a major
barrier between regionally important recreational facilities such as the
Gateway Recreation Centre, Bunn's Creek Trail, the Skylight Complex, Chief
Peguis Trail pathways, Kilcona Park, the East St. Paul Recreation Complex
and the Red River Floodway trail to Birds Hill Park.
Without this much-needed crossing, people wanting to ride their bikes to
these and other destinations on either side of the Perimeter would be
forced to cross the Perimeter on Highway 59 through the planned
interchange. They would be required to run a gauntlet of long, high-speed
merge lanes serving up to 900 vehicles per hour.
This is the approach Coun. Browaty favours, but it represents a very real
safety concern that is completely unacceptable. Bike Winnipeg and our
allies have been working so hard to see a safe, convenient crossing of the
Perimeter Highway included in the interchange project.
Mark Cohoe
Executive director, Bike Winnipeg
***
While Coun. Jeff Browaty's desire to protect his constituents is admirable,
his assertions the province is moving forward without consultation on a
plan that will funnel 30,000 cars onto the streets of north Winnipeg is
simply incorrect.
Consultations were held as part of the design/tender process and resulted
in a plan to build a full cloverleaf interchange with an
active-transportation corridor at ground level that will connect Winnipeg
with Birds Hill Park.
The raised Perimeter Highway not only provides a ground-level corridor for
active transportation, but will create a gated corridor that can be used by
emergency vehicles only. The corridor will not be opened to the public, and
Coun. Browaty's concern the design will result in 30,000 vehicles moving
through northeast Winnipeg is unfounded.
It is also incorrect to infer the province is opening this corridor without
municipal participation. Last fall, we heard loud and clear from the
trucking industry, the active-transportation community and East St. Paul
residents.
Our engineers have also told us the chosen option requires a similar
investment compared with building the Perimeter Highway as a level highway
with a long and high bridge for active transportation.
The obvious choice was to take the option that guaranteed emergency
services for area residents, allowed for economic growth and was favoured
by our active transportation users.
If Coun. Browaty would like to better understand this project, we would be
happy to give him a briefing.
Ron Kostyshyn
Minister, Transportation and Infrastructure
Browaty still fearful of Perimeter plans
By: Aldo Santin
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/browaty-still-fearful-of-perimeter-p…
North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty said he still has concerns over a
proposed at-grade corridor across the north Perimeter Highway, despite
assurances by the province it won't be used as a public roadway.
Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Ron Kostyshyn told the Free
Press Friday there are no immediate plans to allow traffic on the new
corridor that will link both sides of Raleigh Street in East St. Paul.
Kostyshyn said the corridor is being designed for active-transportation
uses that can accommodate emergency vehicles when the situation arises.
"The corridor will not be opened to the public, and Coun. Browaty's concern
that the design will result in 30,000 vehicles moving through northeast
Winnipeg is unfounded," Kostyshyn said.
Browaty went public with his concerns over the corridor earlier this week,
saying it would result in a massive influx of traffic into north Winnipeg
and the residential streets of North Kildonan.
The Selinger government promised in the 2011 campaign to construct an
elevated active-transportation bridge across the north Perimeter -- part of
its plans for a cloverleaf at the Perimeter and Highway 59 -- linking the
Pioneers Greenway pathway that runs through East and North Kildonan with a
similar pathway in East St. Paul and on to Birds Hill Park.
Browaty said those plans suddenly changed in the fall, to an underpass open
to traffic linking Raleigh Street on both sides of the north Perimeter
Highway.
Kostyshyn said the corridor has been designed to accommodate an expansion
for vehicular traffic, but added that would only occur "if both
municipalities wish to pursue that option in the future."
Browaty said the province did not consult with Winnipeg when it recently
changed its plans for the corridor, adding he's not reassured the NDP
government will consult the city when the time comes to allow traffic on
the corridor.
"Those (provincial) assurances aside, I still believe there are better ways
to spend the money than what the province is planning to do," Browaty said.
Browaty said traffic studies done by East St. Paul found 30,000 vehicles a
day would use the new corridor by 2030 if opened to regular traffic, adding
Winnipeg's residential streets in that area aren't designed to handle that
kind of load.
The province hasn't disclosed the cost of the proposed corridor, but a
spokeswoman said it's estimated to be the same as the active-transportation
bridge originally proposed for the crossing.
She added it was concluded the at-grade corridor was the better option.
aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 14, 2015 A14
*1.* *I made a new video. Its special. I think you'll really like it. *
*[video] Paradise On the Prairies <https://vimeo.com/121991829>*
Grab a coffee and enjoy. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
It starts with a little handdrawn 3-D animation of Portage and Main with
protected bike lanes and then takes you on a journey to see what I see.
Takes a few minutes to watch the whole thing. Just might change the way you
see Winnipeg. If you like it, please share it on Twitter
<https://twitter.com/SwansonAnders/status/576481125473902593> with anyone
who wants to see it happen (or is in a position to...).
*2. Inspired? *
That video is also my submission to the Winnipeg Capital Budget process.
(That's why it's exactly 10 minutes.) You can have your say too. If you are
in Winnipeg, consider signing up to speak in delegation on Monday (PW) or
Tuesday (EPC) to share your enthusiasm for a complete bike network asap
with our politicians. The clerks to talk to are Destiny Watt,
dwatt(a)winnipeg.ca and Carlos Gameiro cgameiro(a)winnipeg.ca, respectively.
Send them an email asap.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks,
Anders Swanson
P.S. For all those of you who chipped in to get me that camera, this one is
for especially you. Thanks so much again.
Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local
viewing of the following webinars (details on each follow below):
*1) Bicycle Friendly Communities (Tools of Change
<http://webinars.cullbridge.com/>) - Tues, Mar 17th, 11am-noon*
*2) Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs (APBP <http://www.apbp.org/>)
- Wed, Mar 18th, 2-3:30pm*
These webinar viewings 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!
cheers,
Beth
* * * * *
1) Bicycle Friendly Communities
*Tuesday, Mar. 17th, 11am-Noon, EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Boardroom*
The BFC Program is a positive, upstream, results-oriented program designed
to get municipal decision makers thinking about how all of their programs
around cycling work complementary to one another, and how those programs
can be synergistically improved. It provides recognition for the hard work
done by municipal staff, the leadership displayed by municipal politicians
and the partnerships developed with local cycling organizations. It gives
communities that apply both a measure of where they are and a roadmap into
the future, using a feedback system that has been developed and refined
with input from stakeholders from all areas of transportation issues.
*Presented by:* Justin Jones, Manager, Bicycle Friendly Communities, Share
the Road Cycling Coalition (Canada), and Bill Nesper, Manager, Bicycle
Friendly Communities, League of American Bicyclists (USA)
2) Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs
*Wednesday, Mar. 18th, 2-3:30pm, EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Boardroom*
Key learning objectives:
1. Review state of the practice for bicycle and pedestrian data
collection, with reference to NCHRP Report 797
2. Recognize the elements of effective bicycle and pedestrian counting
programs
3. Understand the methodology and policy implications of Ottawa’s
bicycle count program
4. Explore the Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP)
*Description*:
Consistent and standardized data collection techniques are the building
blocks for establishing reliable performance measures to document usage,
need, and return on investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This
90-minute webinar provides practitioners with a comprehensive introduction
to concepts, examples of current practice, and discussion of policy
implications of data collection programs. The session agenda includes:
- An overview of NCHRP Report 797: Guidebook on Pedestrian and Bicycle
Volume Data Collection and the state of the practice
- A case study from the City of Ottawa that describes a methodology for
measuring trends accurately over the long term and developing correction
factors for short-term or seasonal influences
- Guidelines for setting up a robust counting program, with reference to
the 2013 FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide; including techniques for estimating
Annual Average Daily Bicyclists and Pedestrians (AADB / AADP)
- An explanation of the Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP),
the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s new tool to measure and model trail use
for project prioritization and impact assessment.
*Presenters*:
- Tony Hull
- Zlatko Krstlic, P. Eng., Transportation Planner, City of Ottawa
- Tracy Hadden Loh, Ph.D., Director of Research, Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy
- Luis F. Miranda-Moren, Ph.D., Associate Professor, McGill University
- Krista Nordback, Ph.D., P.E., Postdoctoral Research Associate, TREC,
Portland State University
--
*Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre
<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/>
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | 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/>. Donate at
CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>
<http://canadahelps.org/>
*[In light of a recent newspaper ad
<http://bikewinnipeg.ca/2015/03/11/councilor-browaty-opposes-key-tunnel/#sth…>
"relabeling"
a very exciting, long anticipated and much safer bicycle/pedestrian
crossing of the Perimeter, I thought I'd share a couple bits of factual
information with the folks on this list. IMO, the issue here is of a new
road being wrapped up with a bike/pedestrian crossing unnecessarily. That,
however, is part of a** separate debate about urban sprawl and car access.
The **key thing to remember is that is a project was intended originally
for bikes and pedestrians for a reason. It fixes a very important safety
and connectivity issue - and, as a whole, this project represents a
critical part of one of the coolest transportation and recreation and
tourism legacies for Winnipeg. We owe it to this spectacular project to set
the record straight - and to make sure the many politicians who champion it
hear our support. - Anders ] *
1. *Here is a relevant video <https://vimeo.com/121954361>.* Note that
there is a perfectly safe, and perfectly beautiful bike "tunnel" near the
start of the video which I filmed while in Davis, California - which also
happens to have the US' highest bicycle modal share. Take a moment to
watch/feel what such crossings feel like. Its is near the beginning. Then
stick around to see what is possible on a bike once you reach the North
East Pioneers Greenway, cross the perimeter and beyond. (It is also a
teaser from a longer film I am putting together for the Capital Budget
process, but the timing couldn't be better.)
*2. For a better "safety" perspective*, have a look at a real photo taken
of the current crossing
<https://www.facebook.com/771955042888044/photos/pcb.772032826213599/7720312…>
.
*3. Here is a map I made (again) of the bicycle/pedestrian underpasses in
Oulu, Finland with help of my colleague Pekka Tahkola.
<https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z-6EAXpUkKw4.kWjIpHHg4PTQ&msa=0&ll=6…>*
*Yep, that's 291 of them. *It is my opinion, and that of the current and
former bicycle coordinators/engineers of this remarkable Finnish city, that
it is precisely these underpasses that make Oulu one of the highest winter
cycling cities in the world. Instilling "fear" about a bike underpass is
simply speaking to the root of fear - ignorance.
*4.* *This is about local travel by bike and on foot.* Although the stuff
above is nice and certain to attract tourists and tons of summertime
recreational users, any bicycle and pedestrian planner/engineer will tell
you that the current options - Henderson and Lagimodiere - are much too far
away to be useful to people on foot or on bikes. Destination are within
sight. This explains why so many already use it
<https://www.facebook.com/771955042888044/photos/pcb.772032826213599/7720312…>
even
though it is sketchy to do so. It also explains why the Premier, local
politicians and community members banded together to champion it as a good
idea. *There are thousands of people either currently traveling or wanting
to travel daily on bikes and on foot between North Kildonan and East
St.Paul. *Don't forget about them. For the same reason people want to build
more roads, you have an equal number, if not greater, who just want to
walk/ride there. It is a matter of the choices we provide. I have been to
the area a few times, and each time I have seen young kids dart across the
roadway. There are numerous amenities just inside the perimeter that people
in East St.Paul want to get to. Including the kids on the way to soccer
fields, friends, and swimming pool. The clearest one-time example of latent
demand from inside Winnipeg is probably the hundreds of festival goers who
ride to the Folk Fest ride every year from the Forks
<https://www.facebook.com/771955042888044/photos/pcb.772032826213599/7720308…>.
That ride expands every year. In order to do it, we need a police escort on
the highway when the crossing itself is just a few meters away from the end
of the spectacular North East Pioneers Greenway. All we need is a safe
crossing.
*5. It is 2015. It is probably time to focus on bike/ped facilities.* Why?
There is no real traffic emergency. That "emergency" has been around for
decades and it just keeps growing. There is no reason to put off building
bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure. Why? The issue is systematic. If you
chase potholes and temporarily build new access roads to fix "traffic
congestion" and "wear and tear", you end up with a pile of bandaids and no
cure. On a project level, every principle of transportation demand
management out there suggests that you can simply limit some options to
encourage the options. So, build the bike stuff first. See how it goes. All
of this is very clearly a basic symptom of sprawl. At some point, something
has to give. This crossing is a wonderful idea - and is meant for bikes,
people on foot, strollers, scooters, wheelchairs, etc. Build it and they
will come. Build roads, they fill with cars. Build bike paths, they fill
with bikes. It's that simple.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chris Leinberger, LOCUS <info(a)smartgrowthamerica.org>
Date: Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 11:07 AM
Subject: The Boston WalkUP Wake-Up Call
To: beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca
Beth—
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=qxvEsi9FZXygXqt4…>Metropolitan
Boston is poised to be one of the most walkable metro areas in the country.
This is one of the exciting findings of *The WalkUP Wake-Up Call: Boston
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Ji2WIFag8iRZGY6o…>*,
a new report unveiled in Boston today at LOCUS’s first-ever New England
Leadership Summit.
The new research defines—for the first time—the form and function of all
land use in metropolitan Boston’s 3,100 square miles, identifying 57
regionally significant walkable urban places (or “WalkUPs”) in metro Boston
and ranking them based on economic performance and social equity
performance.
Looking ahead to future opportunities, the report also identifies emerging
and potential WalkUPs where new development could go.
Real estate values in WalkUPs are 37% higher across all product types than
drivable sub-urban development. And public revenues are also substantially
higher in these areas: On a per acre basis, walkable urban development
generates 12 times the tax revenues as drivable sub-urban.
[image: Read More]
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=zbW8U8slq5S0JfrT…>
[image:
Share this on Twitter]
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Awq53tH1hT4IG5II…>
[image:
Share this on Facebook]
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=xHhoLbXAQr2s5Jt%…>
While the economic outlook for WalkUPs is strong, this drive towards a more
walkable future in Boston is not without its concerns. Proximity to transit
for households and employers remains a challenge, and the affordability of
walkable urban places in Boston will shrink over time as they become more
and more popular.
As a beacon to other cities, it’s our hope that Boston’s major shift to
walkable development will help reshape the way developers approach urban
design and planning, regulation, financing and construction nationwide and
inspire us to rethink the way we manage our investments in the built
environment.
Read the full report to learn more
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=QYlWrPdMiTPROZgZ…>
.
Sincerely,
Chris Leinberger,
President of LOCUS,
Smart Growth America
[image: Become a fan on Facebook]
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=0%2BJ2zc6hmJIAFc…>
[image:
Follow us on Twitter]
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=DNGmDANlykbro3GV…>
You have received this email from Smart Growth America. Click here to
manage your subscription or unsubscribe
<http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=MzPSMJAqX7dUwVLw…>
.
Making commuting fun: What Winnipeg can learn from the Red River Mutual
Trail
http://metronews.ca/voices/your-ride-winnipeg/1307883/making-commuting-fun-…
Perhaps the greatest transportation system in Winnipeg shut down yesterday.
Within weeks, any proof of its existence will be wiped out.
But, no worries; it will be back again in about 10 months.
The Red River Mutual Trail — or just “the river trail” to most people —
hosted its final skaters, skiers, cyclists and pedestrians of the season on
the weekend.
And while many people might not consider it a true transportation system —
after all, there’s not a huge market for commuters between the St. Vital
Bridge and The Forks — it does provide a few lessons in how to modify our
approach to driving, busing and biking to make them more appealing
activities.
Make it fun: When you think about it, using the river trail is actually a
bit of a pain. You have to make your way down to a specific stretch of the
river, squat on a rickety bench to put your skates on, then lug your shoes
and boots along for the trip. If you want to stop to do anything along the
way, then you have to reverse the process.
Yet tens of thousands of people make the trek every winter with smiles on
their faces, because it’s fun. So how do you replicate that experience on a
regular commute?
Synchronizing traffic lights and ensuring speed limits are consistent makes
driving more enjoyable. Cruising along rapid transit lines is more fun than
being stuck on regular roads. Wi-Fi on buses would be a cool feature, and
buying some double-decker models like Ottawa recently did would make
transit a whole lot more charming. And how about turning water buses into
something more than just a tourist attraction?
Keep uses separated: It’s somewhat amusing that the best example of a
complete street in Winnipeg takes place on a frozen river, but the river
trail is a great example of how keeping uses separate works well for
everyone.
Skaters, pedestrians and skiers are all travelling the same route, but they
each have their own space. It’s an efficient way to build the network, and
it helps prevent accidents.
We should be able to enjoy the same safety and efficiency on our roads,
with separate lanes for cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians.
Give us something to look at: Of course the river trail wouldn’t be nearly
as interesting if it wasn’t for the warming huts. The varied designs and
colours bring life to what could be a desolate stretch of frozen water.
In the same way, the city’s funding of public art and enhanced
infrastructure can make it a more joyous experience to get around town.
Sure, you can build another utilitarian bridge that takes you from one side
of a river to the other, or you can invest in something like the Esplanade
Riel that takes you much further than that.
So while our civic leaders put their skates away for another season, let’s
hope they turn their attention to how we can make our daily commute a
little more like cruising the river trail.
*Colin Fast is a communications specialist and freelance journalist in
Winnipeg. Out of guilt, he avoided looking directly at his unused bike
while writing this column. Find him @policyfrog on Twitter.*
http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/advocacy-and-the-future-of-cycling/Content?oi
d=4559880
Advocacy and the future of cycling
One of the greatest misconceptions about the various types of dedicated
bicycle infrastructure is that they only serve a minority of the
population-that they're pet projects for bicyclists. The reality is that
whether you're left or right leaning, urban or suburban, rich or poor, bikes
are simply one of the most accessible and efficient forms of urban mobility.
While they mean much more than that to some people, at the heart of the
matter is our fundamental right to choose how we move and make our way
through life. Just like sidewalks, bike lanes and cycle tracks serve all
road users by providing a clearly marked space for a specific user group
and, in turn, adding to the safety and predictability of the roadway. That
safety and predictability, in particular when reliably networked, means more
riders from all walks of life.
Not only do bike facilities make visible the fact that cycling is a viable
way to move around the city and demonstrate the commitment on the part of
municipal governments to encourage travel by bike, these facilities help
many who might otherwise be too nervous to ride add two-wheeled travel to
their transportation options. In fact, their addition to urban roadways -
networked and physically separated cycle tracks in particular-is the single
most important factor in the growth of ridership. According to the first
multi-city academic study of U.S. protected bike lanes (2014), "When
protected bike lanes are added to a street, bike traffic rises-by an average
of 75 percent in their first year alone, for the eight projects studied."
And building this type of infrastructure to accommodate bike traffic is
cheap too. "One thing I like to remind my business-minded friends and
colleagues about," says April Economides, president of Green Octopus
Consulting, "is that bicycling is more tax-payer-friendly than driving.
Bicycle infrastructure is considerably cheaper to construct than car
infrastructure, the most famous example being that Portland, Oregon's
outstanding 300-mile [482 km] bike network completed through year 2008 cost
the same amount as one mile [1.6 km] of freeway."
But we still have a long way to go to meaningfully integrate bicycles into
our urban planning and traffic systems, build real public support and
understanding regarding their value, and grow the percentage of the
population using bikes for transportation. As per a 2013 OECD study on
cycling safety, "The traffic system does not typically account for the
specific characteristics of cyclists and bicycles...Though cycling is an
important component of urban mobility, cyclists are often seen as intruders
in the road system."
Intruders, eh? The days when the bicycle was the only vehicle (other than
horse drawn carriages) on the road seem to be long forgotten. But rest
assured, bikes are too important a part of the solution to urban congestion
to be ignored. People need to move and bikes get the job done.