AT-Network October 2016

at-network@lists.umanitoba.ca

3 participants
17 discussions

Edmonton's quick build protected bike lane grid a new model

by Beth McKechnie

In preparation for Tuesday night's forum <http://janicelukes.ca/blog/forum-fast-tracking-a-downtown-cycling-grid-calg…> at the Millennium Library on a protected bike lane grid in downtown Winnipeg, here's a succinct description of Edmonton's planned approach. (Note that it received unanimous approval from council.) http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/edmontons-quick-build-protected-bi… -- *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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

7 years, 6 months

Good Canadian article as to the safety of cycling for kids

by Jamie Hilland

http://shifter.info/why-are-we-so-afraid-of-letting-kids-ride-bikes-when-st… Jamie Hilland | Program Manager Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue | (204) 925-3773 | Find us here *Please note I am away from the office Thursdays and Fridays* Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member. Donate at CanadaHelps.org

7 years, 6 months

Fast-tracking a Downtown Cycling Grid Forum - Oct 18, Millennium Library

by Beth McKechnie

*Public INVITATION: Fast tracking a Downtown Cycling Grid* What's up in Winnipeg? Find out on Oct 18! *Tuesday, October 18, 2016* *6:30 pm Registration* *7:00 pm SHARP – Forum begins* *Millennium Library, 215 Donald Street – Carol Shields Auditorium* More details at: http://janicelukes.ca/blog/forum-fast-tracking-a-downtown-cycling-grid-calg…

7 years, 6 months

Webinar invite: Intersections that Work for Peds and Cyclists - Wed, Oct 19, 2-3pm

by Beth McKechnie

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of this month's APBP webinar. 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 * * * * * *Intersections that Work for Pedestrians and CyclistsWednesday, October 19 | 2:00 - 3:00 pm CST * Intersections present the greatest safety risk for vulnerable road users and are the point of greatest potential conflict. The Dutch approach to intersection design of separating modes and increasing sociability through eye contact presents an opportunity for significant safety improvements to transportation networks while meeting operational demands. This webinar will evaluate the safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists that lie in traditional intersection designs, as well as identify the principal elements involved in protected intersection design and explore their role in increasing safety. In addition, case studies of safety improvements from both Dutch and North American contexts where protected intersection designs have been implemented will be discussed. *Speakers:* - Dick Van Veen, Senior Consultant / Lead Designer Public Space, Mobycon - Brian Gould, Bike Planning Engineer, City of Vancouver -- *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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

7 years, 6 months

WFP Analysis: Pilot projects going permanent (Oct.11'16

by Beth McKechnie

Pilot projects going permanent By: Brent Bellamy http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/pilot-projects-going-perm… Resistance to change is a natural human condition. We feel security in what is familiar and see risk in what is unknown. As cities grow and progress, this inertia can be a difficult obstacle for planners, developers and political leaders trying to implement new ideas. When change threatens to alter familiar, established patterns in a community, opposition galvanizes, and decision-makers face the uphill challenge of articulating the goals and benefits of new proposals in an effort to alleviate neighbourhood concerns. Cities across North America are looking for new ways to engage in this dialogue and inspire a greater feeling of public inclusion in the decision-making process. In some cases, cities are implementing short-term pilot projects as a method of testing ideas and building community support. Pilot projects allow residents to observe the real-world effects of an idea, fundamentally changing the nature of public outreach. Traditional open house-type consultation offers case studies from other cities, academic theory and glossy renderings that often do little to change attitudes and preconceptions. By implementing smaller-scale pilot projects, the starting point for public engagement is shifted from a hypothetical description to a discussion about an observed experience. The lower cost and flexibility of pilot projects often means designers can very quickly implement substantial change in a city, evaluate performance, react to public feedback and easily modify or remove components before a permanent solution is implemented. These temporary projects often face less public resistance because the impact of failure is perceived to be lower. A successful example of this will soon come to an end in Calgary. In April 2014, the city decided to create a temporary 6.5-kilometre-long protected bike-lane network throughout the downtown. The argument was made that a minimum grid needed to be established to realize an impact on cycling participation. Constructed using moveable planters, precast parking curbs and plastic bollards, the system opened in June of that same year. To evaluate the effects, a record of 82 different metrics has been kept, including participation rates, percentage of female riders and impact on traffic congestion. Fourteen months later, a celebration was held for the one millionth rider to pass one of the counting stops and surveys have shown the number of bike commuters into the downtown has doubled since the network was built. Public acceptance of the lanes has substantially increased, and the city is now preparing to make the system permanent and is even looking for ways to expand. Last week, the City of Edmonton decided to follow Calgary’s lead and build its own seven-kilometre-long downtown cycling network next spring. Compare this to Winnipeg’s piecemeal approach, where a 1.5-kilometre-long permanent protected bike lane on a single downtown road began public consultation in 2015 and will not experience its first full summer season until 2019. At that pace, it will be far more than a decade until we achieve the minimum effective network Edmonton will establish in two months. Having seen the effects of the pilot project, initial fears in Calgary have largely been overcome, meaning further expansion of cycling infrastructure will likely meet with less resistance moving forward. In Winnipeg, each new lane will continue to face opposition because their effect cannot be fully evaluated until the network is complete. There are many other pilot projects Winnipeg could borrow from other cities to test designs and gauge public reaction. During the last election, Mayor Bowman mused about creating a pedestrian promenade in the Exchange District. Last year, Montreal created five different temporary pedestrian mall pilot projects across the city to observe how they would work and evaluate their impacts. The City of Montrose, Col., recently implemented temporary diagonal parking stalls, much like those Coun. Pagtakhan is currently proposing for downtown Winnipeg. One of the city’s most contentious urban planning issues, the opening of Portage and Main to pedestrians, might also achieve greater public acceptance through a pilot-project strategy. This approach could allow Winnipeggers the opportunity to experience the benefits of a vibrant public space at the heart of their city, while planners and engineers could observe the real-world consequences of their designs, responding to public fears of congestion and safety before a final scheme is implemented. A relevant precedent study for this would be from New York City where, in 2009, five blocks of Broadway, including three of the seven vehicle lanes running through Times Square, were closed and transformed into a series of public plazas for a one-year test period. The asphalt was painted red, seating areas were delineated by planters and the spaces were filled with lawn chairs, moveable tables, umbrellas and public art. Concerts and events were held, allowing people to imagine the possibilities of what a new public space could become. After the year, predictions of stifling traffic congestion and fears for public safety were alleviated, and community support for the project went from 40 per cent to 75 per cent. Today, the public plazas are becoming a permanent centrepiece of the Manhattan cityscape. As we move forward in our community, we might learn from the experience of other cities and consider implementing pilot projects such as these, as a strategy to ensure effective investment in key urban design initiatives and encourage a more informed public dialogue. *Brent Bellamy is chairman of CentreVenture’s board and the creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

7 years, 6 months

International Walk to School Month

by Jamie Hilland

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/international-walk-to-school-month-b… Hopefully the city and province start making efforts to make the streets safer for kids to walk or bike to school! *Jamie Hilland* | *Program Manager* *Active and Safe Routes to School* Active kids are Healthy kids <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-377 <%28204%29%20925-3770>3 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

7 years, 6 months

Councillor Lukes to hold public seminar on completing Winnipeg's bike network

by Beth McKechnie

Could a cycling grid be right for Winnipeg?Coun. Janice Lukes will hold a public seminar next month to see what it'll take to complete Winnipeg's bike network. http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/10/03/lukes-interested-in-cyclin… A Winnipeg councillor who saw the lights and lanes of a complete bike network out West on a recent visit thinks one could be rolled out here if only there were the “political will.” Councillor Janice Lukes (St. Norbert) recently attended the Pro Walk/ Pro Bike conference in Vancouver. She said she was “blown away” by how easily navigable the city was by bike. “You can do all the reading in the world, follow all of the blogs, listen to all of the people but there’s nothing like experiencing it,” she said of the city’s bike infrastructure. “I was biking in downtown, day and night, up and down very busy streets and felt completely safe.” At home, she admits openly she’s a part of a reasonably intimidated demographic of people who wish cycling felt safer, aware that disconnected lanes siphon cyclists into traffic often feels anything but safe. “It makes me nervous without protected bike lanes, you can only go up and down Assiniboine Avenue so many times,” she said. “Biking all over Vancouver with protected bike lanes was spectacular.” While at the conference, she also attended an information session on Calgary’s successful implementation of a minimum cycling grid—a network of protected lanes installed quickly to gauge potential usage. Edmonton city council is making moves to follow Calgary’s example, and Lukes said Winnipeg could be next. “Now is the time we should be looking at doing it, looking at temporary pieces of infrastructure to try it out,” she said. “We can learn from these other cities and apply it in a timely manner.” Lukes plans to host a seminar on the bike network question near the end of October. “We are going to talk about what Calgary did, what Edmonton is doing, and where we are at with what Winnipeg can do,” she said, noting the date and place are to be determined. Depending on how that session goes, and what kind of support she has from others councillors, Lukes said there’s a chance increased interest in closing the gaps in our bike network could be reflected in this year’s budget deliberations. Bike Winnipeg Executive Director Mark Cohoe said he hopes that’s the case. “We are falling behind, we’re in a position in this city where we can lead if we want to—we are flat, sunny, perfect for biking—but we have to have that political will and it has to be backed up with funding,” Cohoe said.

7 years, 6 months

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AT-Network October 2016