Given Winnipeg's climate, this would be useful here for wayfinding (with both cold weather and hot weather info.)
http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2015/07/a-map-that-adapts-to-the-weather/3…
David Patman, P. Eng.
Transit Planner
Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division
421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2
P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>
Millennials Favor Walkable Communities, Says New NAR Poll
Jul 28, 2015, 12:46 ET from National Association of Realtors
<http://www.prnewswire.com/news/national+association+of+realtors>
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/millennials-favor-walkable-communit…
WASHINGTON, July 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Millennials prefer walking over
driving by a substantially wider margin than any other generation,
according to a new poll conducted by the National Association of Realtors® and
the Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State
University.
The *2015* *National Community and Transportation Preference* *Survey*
<http://www.realtor.org/reports/nar-2015-community-preference-survey> found
that millennials, those aged 18-34, prefer walking as a mode of
transportation by 12 percentage points over driving. Millennials are also
shown to prefer living in attached housing, living within walking distance
of shops and restaurants, and having a short commute, and they are the most
likely age group to make use of public transportation.
The poll also found that millennials show a stronger preference than other
generations for expanding public transportation and providing
transportation alternatives to driving, such as biking and walking, while
also increasing the availability of trains and buses. Millennials likewise
favor developing communities where people do not need to drive long
distances to work or shop.
"Realtors® don't only sell homes, they sell neighborhoods and communities,"
said NAR President Chris Polychron, executive broker with 1st Choice Realty
in Hot Springs, Ark. "Realtors® aid in improving and revitalizing
neighborhoods with smart growth initiatives, helping create walkable, urban
centers, which is what more Americans want in their neighborhoods. While
there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all community, more and more
homebuyers are expressing interest in living in mixed-used,
transit-accessible communities."
As a whole, the survey found that Americans prefer walkable communities
more so than they have in the past. Forty-eight percent of respondents
reported that they would prefer to live in communities containing houses
with small yards but within easy walking distance of the community's
amenities, as opposed to living in communities with houses that have large
yards, but they have to drive to all amenities. And while 60 percent of
adults surveyed live in detached, single-family homes, 25 percent of those
respondents said they would rather live in an attached home and have
greater walkability.
When choosing a new home, respondents indicated that they would like
choices when it comes to their community's transportation options.
Eighty-five percent of survey participants said that sidewalks are a
positive factor when purchasing a home, and 79 percent place importance on
being within easy walking distance of places. Women in particular value
walkability in their communities, with 61 percent indicating that having
sidewalks with stores and restaurants to walk to is very important.
When it comes to respondents' thoughts on transportation priorities for the
government, 83 percent indicated that maintaining and repairing roads and
bridges should be a high priority, with expanding roads to help alleviate
or reduce congestion as the next highest priority, at 60 percent. While
consumers' top two concerns are related to driving, over half of survey
participants stated that expanding public transit and providing convenient
alternatives to driving should also be high priorities.
TREC's research on active transportation and urban housing choices provided
a foundation to build upon in working with NAR for this poll. "It's great
to work with an organization that reaches so many professionals and has
such an effect on people as they decide where to live," said Jennifer Dill,
director of TREC. "This poll shows again how strong a role transportation
plays in housing decisions."
The survey of 3,000 adult Americans living in the 50 largest metropolitan
areas was conducted by American Strategies and Meyers Research in May 2015 and
analyzed by researchers at Portland State University.
TREC, the Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State
University, produces timely, practical research useful to transportation
decision makers and supports the education of future transportation
professionals. TREC houses the National Institute for Transportation and
Communities, the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation and the
Portal transportation data archive.
The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is
America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members
involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate
industries.
*Information about NAR is available at **www.realtor.org*
<http://www.realtor.org/>*. This and other news releases are posted in the
"News, Blogs and Videos" tab on the website.*
**
*** Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar ***
Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local
viewing of the APBP and Green Lane Project webinar: *How Rapid
Transformation Delivers Bike-Friendly Urban Streets*.
The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre 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
** * * * **
How Rapid Transformation Delivers Bike-Friendly Urban Streets
*Wednesday, July 29th, 2-3pm, EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Boardroom*
Explore how the concept and practice of rapid implementation is evolving
and has altered the way cities develop and deliver urban street projects.
This webinar previews a new report from PeopleForBikes on the
institutionalization of real-time transportation programs and shows how the
techniques are becoming embedded as normal practice within city governments.
A developing project delivery technique is transforming the way cities put
new bicycle facilities on the ground. Presently identified with pilot
projects and rapid implementation, real-time transportation programs are
progressing rapidly from outlier status to status quo. PeopleForBike’s
research indicates that no two cities have established and evolved these
programs in quite the same way, suggesting that the technique is flexible
and easily adaptable. The report also delves into the role of leadership
and different scenarios for selling the approach. This webinar reviews the
origins of rapid implementation and discusses institutional settings,
relationships with other parts of transportation, planning and public works
departments, the process of project development, relationship to capital
programs, and emerging issues. Speakers from Pittsburgh and Seattle provide
insight based on their cities’ experience.
*Speakers:*
- Dongho Chang, City of Seattle
- Jon Orcutt, PeopleForBikes
- Kristin Saunders, City of Pittsburgh
Interesting ideas in Chicago: Increasing the area zoned for TOD & making it acceptable to provide bike parking instead of vehicle parking...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-cta-housing-bicycles-0727-biz-201…
David Patman, P. Eng.
Transit Planner
Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division
421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2
P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>
Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local
viewing of the APBP and Green Lane Project webinar: *How Rapid
Transformation Delivers Bike-Friendly Urban Streets*.
The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre 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
** * * * **
How Rapid Transformation Delivers Bike-Friendly Urban Streets
*Wednesday, July 29th, 2-3pm, EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Boardroom*
Explore how the concept and practice of rapid implementation is evolving
and has altered the way cities develop and deliver urban street projects.
This webinar previews a new report from PeopleForBikes on the
institutionalization of real-time transportation programs and shows how the
techniques are becoming embedded as normal practice within city governments.
A developing project delivery technique is transforming the way cities put
new bicycle facilities on the ground. Presently identified with pilot
projects and rapid implementation, real-time transportation programs are
progressing rapidly from outlier status to status quo. PeopleForBike’s
research indicates that no two cities have established and evolved these
programs in quite the same way, suggesting that the technique is flexible
and easily adaptable. The report also delves into the role of leadership
and different scenarios for selling the approach. This webinar reviews the
origins of rapid implementation and discusses institutional settings,
relationships with other parts of transportation, planning and public works
departments, the process of project development, relationship to capital
programs, and emerging issues. Speakers from Pittsburgh and Seattle provide
insight based on their cities’ experience.
*Speakers:*
- Dongho Chang, City of Seattle
- Jon Orcutt, PeopleForBikes
- Kristin Saunders, City of Pittsburgh
Helmet camera catches close call between Winnipeg cyclist and bus
A close call caught on camera between a Winnipeg cyclist and bus has a
cycling instructor calling for the bus driver to be fired.
"It was definitely scary," said Al Paul, who captured the incident on a
camera mounted on his helmet.
Paul said the near hit happened at about 7:10 am Monday morning when he
was commuting by bike to his downtown job.
*Full article and video*:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/helmet-camera-catches-close-call-bet…
Rossland, B.C. Speed Limit Dropped To 30 Km/H
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/07/22/rossland-bc-speed-limit_n_7852790.h…
A southeastern city in B.C. is bucking the trend to raise speed limits and
is actually slowing traffic down to 30 km/h.
The city of Rossland, B.C.
<http://www.rossland.ca/new-speed-policy-rossland> announced the local
speed limit change last week.
Maximum speeds in the city are dropping to 30 km/h, with schools zones and
narrow streets at 20 km/h and drop-off areas at 15 km/h.
The changes are in response to years of public safety concerns, as well as
part of the traffic calming effort in the area, according to a city news
release.
"Council took a look at it, and we decided that yeah, 30 kilometres an hour
is plenty fast
<http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/rossland-speed-limit-drops-t…>,"
Rossland Mayor Kathy Moore told CBC Radio.
It's also meant to encourage people to walk or ride bikes more often.
Despite the slower pace, the city said nearly everyone will be able to
reach a main provincial highway within three minutes of leaving their home.
Last summer, the provincial government raised the speed limit on some
highways
<http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/07/02/highway-speed-limit-bc_n_5552447.ht…>
to 120 km/h from 110.
Winnipeg’s new pedestrian and cycling strategy, by the numbers
By Colin Fast <http://metronews.ca/author/cfast/>
http://metronews.ca/voices/your-ride-winnipeg/1425450/winnipegs-new-pedestr…
As council prepares for its final (God willing) debate over the city’s new
pedestrian and cycling strategy on Wednesday, it’s a good time to look at
some of the key numbers surrounding this initiative:
*— $334 million. *That’s the total price tag for the strategy. While it
sounds like a lot, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, that‘s
spread out over 20 years to build multi-use paths, greenways, protected
bike lanes, sidewalks and pedestrian bridges all over town. And second,
that funding might never actually materialize, as city council would have
to approve capital funding for active transportation projects every single
year based on what money is available in the budget. And while opponents
say that’s too much to spend on bike paths, here’s another number to keep
in mind …
*— Five billion.* That’s what the city’s Transportation Master Plan will
cost in the next 20 years. And that’s not for fixing existing
infrastructure — that’s for new roads, bridges, underpasses and rapid
transit lines. So that means walking and cycling projects only account for
about 6.7 per cent of the total transportation wish list, which is a lot
lower than …
*— Nine per cent.* That’s the current share of Winnipeggers who use walking
or cycling as their primary form of transportation each morning, according
to that very same Transportation Master Plan. So it appears the city isn’t
proposing to spend “too much” on active transportation, but actually not
enough. The problem gets even worse when you consider this statistic …
*— Forty-seven per cent.* That’s the percentage of Winnipeggers who said in
a phone survey they would cycle more often if the city built more separated
bike lanes. That’s right, this strategy wasn’t just created by a cabal of
consultants and cycling elitists on Twitter, but actual scientific polling
was done to figure out whether people were interested in biking and walking
more. Speaking of walking …
*— Fifty-three per cent.* That’s the share of people who said they would
walk more often if the city filled in the gaps in the cycling network. And
if the city actually goes ahead with this plan, maybe they could walk to
one of … 3,800 new construction and engineering jobs.
According to a University of Massachusetts study, cycling projects create
11.4 local jobs for every $1 million spent, while pedestrian projects
create about 10 jobs for the same amount of money. Multiplied by $334
million, that’s a lot of additional employment and economic activity.
Interestingly, the same study said road projects only generate 7.8 jobs for
every $1 million.
And if all that’s not enough to convince councillors, then here’s one last
figure for them: 142 years. That’s how long it has taken for Winnipeg to
finally come up with a comprehensive plan to get more people walking and
biking. It’s time to get this city moving.
*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.*
Letting children slip the leash and engage in risky outdoor play offers
huge benefits to physical, emotional and social health, says Mariana
Brussoni, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia’s
school of population and public health. Brussoni is lead author of a review
of play research published last week in the *International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25023135>*. Overprotective parenting
and tediously safe playgrounds contribute to a decline in rough-and-tumble
play and a generation of sedentary children. The report concludes: “There
is a need for action to slow or reverse the trend in order to promote and
preserve children’s health.”
http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/playing-with-fire-how-much-risk-should-…