Thanks to Jaymi Derrett for sharing the following two new reports:
*Designed to Move: Active Cities*
A new report, *Designed to Move: Active Cities*
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001sSzFkjCHriLo0e2HUsB-iMemcooqSuaq3xztKCiOEPKs…>,
is a blueprint for city leaders in creating an active city, regardless of
city size or location. The report shows that cities with physically active
populations are not only more economically competitive - they also benefit
from increased productivity, improved school performance, higher property
values, and improved health and well-being.
*State of the Walking Movement in Canada*
The State of the Walking Movement in Canada: Survey Summary Report
<file:///C:/Users/Owner/Desktop/State-of-Walking-in-Canada-Survey-Summary-Report_final_2015.pdf>
is the presentation of findings collected from The State of the Walking
Movement in Canada Survey. The survey investigated the practices,
resources, and needs of groups and organizations across Canada that promote
walking and plan for walkability. Acquiring this information is of timely
importance due to the increasing reliance on the private automobile, and
increasing rates of chronic illness throughout the country, to which
walking can combat.
cheers,
Beth
--
*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/>
Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local
viewing of the APBP webinar: *Health in All Policies*. The presentations
will include how this approach can increase prioritization of active
transportation and explore different tools for quantifying the health
benefits of bicycle and pedestrian projects.
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
** * * * **
Health in All Policies
*Wednesday, July 15th, 2-3:15pm, EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>
Boardroom*
*Learning objectives: *
- Define Health in All Policies
- Describe model policies and tools to implement the HiAP approach to
active transportation
- Identify and understand analytical tools for evaluating the health
benefits of nonmotorized transportation investments
Health in All Policies provides a way for policymakers – at all levels and
across all agencies – to systematically consider health in their policy
development efforts. With local government facing tremendous budget
constraints, HiAP offers a cost-effective approach that focuses on
improving existing programs, policies and projects (rather than creating
new programs that require additional funding). Learn how adopting a Health
in All Policies approach can result in enhanced collaboration between
agencies and increase prioritization of active transportation.
California's unique statewide, multi-agency Health in All Policies Task
Force is in the vanguard of this new planning approach. Speakers describe how
the task force has promoted a coordinated approach to statewide active
transportation initiatives, explain how to replicate the HiAP approach in
any community, and review a toolkit of model policies to establish Health
in All Policies at the local level. The session also identifies and
explores different tools for quantifying the health benefits of bicycle and
pedestrian projects.
*Presenters:*
- Sean Co, Toole Design Group
- Meredith Lee, California Department of Public Health
- Dr. Sandra Whitehead, National Association of County and City Health
Officials
- Heather Wooten, ChangeLab Solutions
The latest post on winnipegtrails.ca
http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/another-opportunity-to-have-a-say-epc-wednesda…
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SAY: EPC WEDNESDAY JULY 8TH PEDESTRIAN AND
CYCLING STRATEGIES
There is one more opportunity to speak about the cycling and walking
strategies at committee before they are sent to council for adoption.
The strategies are appearing in front of the Executive Policy Committee on
Wednesday, July 8th:
West Committee Room Council Building,
City Hall, 510 Main Street
9:00am
Here is the agenda
<http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/ViewDoc.asp?DocId=14504&SectionId=&InitUrl=>.
(look for bullet 4 in the public works committee report section).
*If you wish to register to speak (We urge you to come out and express your
views: Whether you speak for or against, please consider attending. It is
always valuable to exercise your democratic right to speak. You can
register to speak by emailing the committee clerk, Carlos Gameiro,
at CGameiro[a]winnipeg.ca <http://winnipeg.ca>. Note: If you are working
that day or otherwise too busy to attend, note that you can also send a
letter to the above email and have it included in the register and
officially submitted to the committee. *
To recap:
We have been following this closely and are very much looking forward to
Winnipeg having vision for cycling and walking. While this is far from the
last time to give input (all recommendations and projects in the strategies
are subject to extensive consultation and further research and approval),
we look forward to – for the first time – operating in a city with an
official mandate that takes walking and cycling (and scooters, wheelchairs,
skateboards and strollers) seriously.
[image: NortheastPioneersGreeway1]
You can read all about the pedestrian and cycling strategies here.
<http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/WalkB…>
Since 2003, Winnipeg Trails has been working with you to create a connected
network of trails and protected bicycle facilities throughout Winnipeg, for
everyone. All of our partners, including the City of Winnipeg, the Province
of Mantioba, NGOs, stewardship groups, firms, private businesses and clubs
have begun to envision walking and cycling for what it is: extremely
important to the fabric of our city. Until now, we have often helped target
connectivity based on when/if funding was available, sought expertise and
network planning where we could find it and built trails where space could
be found. In general, without an official plan, you do the best you can
with what you have.
Our vast network of skilled and knowledgeable individuals and groups have
done tremendous things, but we all recognized we were ready for the next
step. At our most recent strategic planning session, there was unanimous
consent on two things: the need for more connectivity and the importance of
these cycling and walking strategies. We are not alone. Cities across
Canada have been developing walking and biking plans in haste. We need one
too. And we need ours to be on the leading edge. There are incredible
advantages to walking and cycling seriously – not the least of which is
that it offers mode choice and improves the efficiency all other modes of
transportation – including bussing and driving. Cities are also in
competition with each other – for investment, for tourists, for innovation,
for taxpayers. It is very important to recognize that liveability is an
extremely important metric for businesses looking to locate and stay.
Keeping ones skilled workforce, and youth, is critical. Investing in
walking and cycling means investing in a city that is modern, vibrant and
forward-thinking. When it comes to transportation, it can be quite simple:
give people a choice, make it equitable, make it inexpensive, make it easy,
make it good for the environment, make it cool, make it healthy and make it
fun. Win, win, win, win, win, win, win.
[image: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA]
The best cycling and walking environments are created when they are treated
as an essential service like any other part of the transportation system.
In 2010, Winnipeg finally began to live up to its potential and spent more
per capita on cycling and walking than almost anywhere else in the world.
Cycling numbers jumped in the years thereafter and sparked a bike boom that
we are still seeing growing today. So many people are out walking on key
trails that they are nearly shoulder to shoulder in busy times. Much can be
accomplished with stakeholder input and councillor guidance, but it was
recognized that Winnipeg needed a long term vision based on community,
councillor *and* professional input (for the same underlying reasons that
automobiles and transit networks require a long term plan).. Soon after
2010, as part of the Our Winnipeg, Winnipeg released a master
transportation plan for automobiles and buses. One of its key
recommendations was the development of separate walking and cycling
strategies (presumably there wasn’t enough time/budget to do the extensive
consultations and work required to address these modes properly at the
time). This process (the development of the cycling and walking strategies)
began a couple years after the larger transportation master plan was
finished and adopted. Consultants were hired, it was briefly cancelled,
then reinstated due to popular demand and, ploddingly, the process began to
move forward.
The report received input in numerous ways. Strategically located open
houses were advertised broadly. Thousands of Winnipeggers took the time to
fill out exhaustive surveys. Comprehensive and impartial telephone polls
reached hundreds of random people who might not have taken the time to
respond to surveys or attend open houses. The results of the random polling
confirmed what we suspected all along – trails and protected bike lanes are
popular, walking is important, and people want safe and connected trails in
order to feel comfortable exploring the city they love. It also determined
that there is a vast pool of “interested but concerned” people who are
simply awaiting investment in safe infrastructure. They may not read the
paper, or show up at trails meetings, but if you build it, they said they’d
come. As the Winnipeg Trails Association, we have seen it in action.
Representatives from Winnipeg trails joined a large and diverse group of
stakeholders from numerous different communities and causes including
environmental, cycling, seniors, real estate and development, business,
Universal Design and Accessibility, who were honoured to sit on the
Stakeholder Advisory committee for two years as these strategies were
developed. As the consultants did their work, Winnipeg Trails
representatives were asked to give approximately 16 hours of their time
each to sit on various review committees, attend large stakeholder
workshops and raise awareness of the open houses. They offered their
non-binding input and feedback, giving the consultants valuable insight. In
a rare development, even young children were consulted in the preparation
of this plan. A special workshop was developed locally just for them, where
internationally-respected planners joined WTA, local NGOs and school
children themselves to do their own version of the walking and cycling
consultations – in a language they could understand. For once, even those
under 16 we’re included in discussions on changes that affect them. They
were, understandably, all for more trails.
[image: YRibbon1]
Most recently, a review of the consultation work
<http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/manitoba/story/1.3081263> determined that
the consultation met international best practices for community
consultation – and confirmed what senior officials were saying – that all
cycling and walking projects done as part of the plan would have built-in
and extensive consultation as part of the design process. The upside of
recent media stories is that they too have drummed up a high level of
interest. We are now at the point where almost no one in Winnipeg remains
unaware of this exciting issue!
Nonetheless, the fact remains that roads in Winnipeg are still missing
sidewalks, our trails are too-often sparse in key areas and disconnected,
and many of our bike paths simply end. Demand is far outpacing supply and
we need to catch up.
It is time to move forward.
a message from Anders Swanson
Coordinator, Winnipeg Trails Association