AT-Network March 2017

at-network@lists.umanitoba.ca

4 participants
17 discussions

Promoting bike lanes as safety enhancements

by Charles Feaver

Interesting how New York promotes enhancements to sidewalks and bike lanes as safety enhancements. That is presumably an easier sell than "AT" enhancements. http://nyc.streetsblog.org/2017/03/21/de-blasio-previews-his-2017-street-saf ety-agenda/

6 years, 2 months

Job Posting | Peg City Car Co-op

by Beth McKechnie

*** Please share widely. Thanks! ** * *Peg City Car Co-op seeks Member Services Coordinator* We’re looking for someone who is passionate about sustainable transportation and is keen to help make carsharing a practical, convenient and cost-effective solution for more Winnipeggers. If you are someone who likes a variety of responsibilities and working with a small, tight-knit team, this is for you. Care to join us? Details here <https://pegcitycarcoop.ca/v1_5/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Member-Services-C…>

6 years, 2 months

New toolkit for doctors to promote healthy, active transportation

by Beth McKechnie

NEW! A toolkit for doctors to promote healthy, active transportation to their patients and their communities. View this email in your browser <http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=c040ba40bf…> <http://cape.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id…> Prescribing Active Travel for Healthy People & a Healthy Planet: A Toolkit for Health Professionals <http://cape.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=…> As health professionals, we know how important it is for our patients to be physically active. After all, physical activity is known to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such heart disease and diabetes. It also improves mental health and provides some relief from arthritis. But we also know that many people have difficulty finding the time to get the levels of physically activity needed to maintain good health. Studies bear this out; the number one barrier to physical activity is time. This is particularly true for women with young children. This is where active modes of transportation (such as walking and cycling) and transit use come in. Research has demonstrated that many people can fold physical activity into their lives if they combine it with other activities such as errands, commuting to work, or taking the kids to school. As health professionals, we are well positioned to encourage our patients to think about active transportation as a way to get the physical activity they need to stay healthy. When we use the phrase “active transportation”, we mean any activity used to get people from one destination to another that involves physical activity. It can include skate boarding or in-line skating, but usually involves walking or cycling. When we use the phrase “active travel”, we are referring to transit use as well as active transportation because many trips on transit begin or end with walking or cycling. <http://cape.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id…> Unfortunately, many communities across Canada have not been designed to encourage and foster active modes of transportation or transit. Many were built during a time when it was considered wise to separate homes and schools from workplaces and amenities. This led to communities designed around cars; sprawling neighbourhoods with winding roads and cul-de-sacs separated from shopping malls that grouped all amenities into one place. Experience and research has demonstrated the problem with this thinking. We now understand the need for compact neighbourhoods that have enough people in them to support efficient transit service and attract restaurants, stores, and other services. We know that streets built on a grid encourage people to walk and cycle to nearby amenities. We know that streets lined with sidewalks encourage walking by making it safer and easier to do. And we know that busy streets with separated bike lanes are safer for cyclists and encourage more people to ride their bicycles. But changing the design of communities and streets can be difficult. Resistance can come from a number of different sources. As health professionals, we can play an important role in community decisions. We can help educate the public and decision-makers about the many health benefits of community and street designs that support and foster a healthy lifestyle. <http://cape.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id…> CAPE has produced *a new toolkit <http://cape.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id…>* —*Prescribing* *Active Travel for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet: A Toolkit for Health Professionals*—to help health professionals become advocates of active transportation and transit with their patients and in their communities. The toolkit is designed with five stand-alone modules so people can focus on the ones of most interest to them. Module 1 describes the health, environmental and social benefits of active travel. Module 2 provides strategies to motivate patients to use active travel. Module 3 explains the links between active transportation and community design. Module 4, designed for health professionals in southern Ontario, focuses on Ontario’s Growth Plan and how it impacts active travel. Module 5 provides strategies for promoting change in one’s community. The toolkit also includes two factsheets and brochures that health professionals can give to their patients, two backgrounders that can be used in meetings with the public or decision-makers, and a series of memes that can be used on Twitter or Facebook to make people think about the many benefits of walking, cycling, and transit for society as a whole. The toolkit and its various supporting documents can be found at https://cape.ca/active-travel-toolkit/ <http://cape.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=…> <http://cape.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=…> Share <http://cape.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id…> <http://cape.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=…> Tweet <http://cape.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id…> <http://us1.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=c04…> Forward <http://us1.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=c04…> *Copyright © 2017 Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, All rights reserved.* Thank you for supporting CAPE! *Our mailing address is:* Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment 405-215 Spadina Ave Toronto, ON M5T 2C7 Canada Add us to your address book <http://cape.us1.list-manage1.com/vcard?u=3701ef07f7d8b332a721d7714&id=4db94…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

6 years, 2 months

WFP: Ride-sharing [Uber] gets green light (Mar.21'17)

by Beth McKechnie

Sure wish the media (and Uber) would refer to themselves correctly as 'ride-hailing' instead of ride-sharing. For clarification, check out Mel's excellent blog post: Carsharing, ridehailing, carpooling, ridematching, oh my! <http://greenactioncentre.ca/healthy-travel/carsharing-ridehailing-carpoolin…> * * * * * Taxicab board dissolved, municipalities to take control Ride-sharing gets green light http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/legislation-first- step-for-uber-arrival-416641774.html IT’S official: Uber is on the way to Winnipeg. Manitoba opened the door to ridesharing services such as Uber on Monday with the introduction of the Local Vehicles for Hire Act. It is enabling legislation that will allow municipalities to create bylaws to regulate them as they compete with the taxi industry. The legislation will dissolve the Manitoba Taxicab Board, formerly the licensing and regulatory body governing the industry, and will pass off all of the responsibilities for the ride-forhire business onto municipalities. The act covers limousines and other car services and includes those hired via online platforms. It is to come into force no later than Feb. 28, 2018. Municipal Relations Minister Eileen Clarke said the province will continue to work with the City of Winnipeg, but there has been no discussion about assisting the city with the cost of setting up such a regulatory system. “The city will have the option to write their own bylaws, and we are not going to speculate at this time in what avenue they will take to modernize the business. We will work with them in a transition period to discuss what they want to do,” Clarke said. Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman said he was caught unaware that the province would assign the taxicab board’s responsibilities to the city, but said he was excited at the prospect of ridesharing services coming to Winnipeg. “I believe this is an opportunity for customers and the City of Winnipeg to be presented with new options and with innovation,” Bowman said. “We’ll review what they’ve (the province) proposed right now and we will have discussions with them.” All existing licences will remain valid and will transfer to a municipal licence when the city has its office in place. Clarke said the province is not contemplating any compensation for current licence holders, some of whom have paid more than $200,000 for their licence on the secondary market. Taxi drivers have been up in arms about the prospects of a ride-sharing business entering the market. Michael Diamond, a spokesman for the Winnipeg Taxi Alliance, a lobby group set up by dispatch companies Unicity and Duffy’s, was surprisingly calm Monday about the developments. “We believe that if there is a level playing field, our members will be able to compete,” he said. Clarke said it was well known changes were coming after the release of the MNP review of Winnipeg’s taxi industry in December, which was commissioned by the taxicab board. That report recommended allowing ride-sharing services into the Winnipeg market. It also showed conclusively that Winnipeg is significantly under-serviced by the industry, with only one cab for every 1,252 people, compared with an average of one for every 860 people in other Canadian cities of comparable size. Susie Heath, a spokeswoman for Uber Canada, said they will work closely with the city and the province. “We hope to bring ride-sharingto Winnipeg soon so that Winnipeggers can benefit from another safe, reliable way to get around their city and a flexible income-earning opportunity,” she said. The MNP report recommended adding 150 standard taxicab licences to the 410 currently issued, a number that has remained flat since 2008, although the city’s population has grown by seven per cent in that time period. Uber already operates in several Canadian cities, including Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Waterloo, Ont. The Silicon Valley corporation has become a global phenomenon. Uber operates in 81 countries and 581 cities. — with files from Aldo Santin martin.cash(a)freepress.mb.ca

6 years, 2 months

Webinar reminder: AT in Rural Settings, Wed, Mar. 22nd, 2:30-3:30pm, EcoCentre

by Beth McKechnie

*** Friendly reminder regarding tomorrow's webinar *** Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of this month's APBP <http://www.apbp.org/> 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 for those who wish to stay. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * *AT in Rural SettingsWednesday, March 22 | 2:30 - 3:30 pm CDT * *Presenters*: - Joe Gilpin, Alta Planning + Design - Dan Goodman, FHWA The presentation will highlight the content and recommended use of the Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/small_…> published by FHWA in January 2017. Highlights of the guide include designing mixed-traffic bicycle/pedestrian facilities, visually separated facilities, and physically separated facilities. The guide also includes recommendations for planning and linking to key community destinations. The presenters will highlight case studies of small town and rural planning and facility design throughout the webinar. -- *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/>

6 years, 2 months

Cycling Without Age: Why you should take a senior for a bike ride

by Beth McKechnie

If you need a smile and a good news story, read the whole article <http://ideas.ted.com/why-you-should-take-a-senior-on-a-bike-ride/>. Would be wonderful to pilot this in Winnipeg! * * * * * Copenhagener Ole Kassow launched a program to bring older Danes on bicycle outings. Now volunteer pilots in 29 countries are taking their passengers on the road. It all started with a friendly wave. In 2012, Copenhagen native Ole Kassow’s daily cycling commute took him past a nursing home. Every morning, the management consultant would see impeccably dressed 97-year-old Thorkild, who’d greet him from a spot on a bench, a walker by his side. Kassow wondered about the last time the man — and the home’s other residents — had been on a bike. “Because most Copenhageners love cycling, I assumed he’d love to go back out in his community, to interact with his neighbors, and do something he’d probably always done in his life,” he says. He received permission from home staff to take a senior for a ride in a rental trishaw — a cargo tricycle with a low passenger compartment that goes in front of the cyclist. This ride eventually led Kassow to create the nonprofit Cycling Without Age <http://cyclingwithoutage.org/>, an initiative that now includes more than 250 chapters in 29 countries. -- *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/>

6 years, 2 months

Tomorrow, 5-7pm! Keynote & Panel: The Future of Workplace Commuting

by Beth McKechnie

*RSVP today for this complimentary event!* View this email in your browser <http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=b6cde79a89…> After Work Keynote & Panel Discussion *The Future of Workplace Commuting* *Wednesday, March 15, 2017* *5:00-7:00pm * (free entry, cash bar) *Prairie Theatre Exchange - Colin Jackson Studio* Portage Place, 393 Portage Ave <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> *Limited spaces are available for this complimentary event, and light refreshments will be served! A cash bar will be run by Prairie Theatre Exchange. Secure your seat <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> today. * *Brought to you through a partnership of Green Action Centre and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> *Copyright © 2017 Green Action Centre, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email as a result of previous interactions with Green Action Centre's Workplace Commuter Options Program. *Our mailing address is:* Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Add us to your address book <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f5…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

6 years, 2 months

Webinar Invite: AT in Rural Settings, Wed, Mar. 22nd, 2:30-3:30pm, EcoCentre

by Beth McKechnie

Thanks to all who picked up on the date error – darn copying and pasting! The actual date of the webinar is *MARCH 22nd* from 2:30-3:30pm. cheers, Beth On Mon, Mar 13, 2017 at 2:20 PM, Beth McKechnie <beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca> wrote: > Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local > viewing of this month's APBP <http://www.apbp.org/> 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 > for those who wish to stay. > > > *PLEASE NOTE: This is a different date and time than usual.* > > > RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! > > > cheers, > > Beth > > * * * * * > > > *AT in Rural SettingsWednesday, February 22 | 2:30 - 3:30 pm CDT * > > *Presenters*: > > > - Joe Gilpin, Alta Planning + Design > - Dan Goodman, FHWA > > The presentation will highlight the content and recommended use of the Small > Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide > <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/small_…> published > by FHWA in January 2017. Highlights of the guide include designing > mixed-traffic bicycle/pedestrian facilities, visually separated facilities, > and physically separated facilities. The guide also includes > recommendations for planning and linking to key community destinations. The > presenters will highlight case studies of small town and rural planning and > facility design throughout the webinar. > >

6 years, 2 months

Webinar Invite: AT in Rural Settings, Wed, Mar. 22nd, 2:30-3:30pm, EcoCentre

by Beth McKechnie

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of this month's APBP <http://www.apbp.org/> 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 for those who wish to stay. *PLEASE NOTE: This is a different date and time than usual.* RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * *AT in Rural SettingsWednesday, February 22 | 2:30 - 3:30 pm CDT * *Presenters*: - Joe Gilpin, Alta Planning + Design - Dan Goodman, FHWA The presentation will highlight the content and recommended use of the Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/small_…> published by FHWA in January 2017. Highlights of the guide include designing mixed-traffic bicycle/pedestrian facilities, visually separated facilities, and physically separated facilities. The guide also includes recommendations for planning and linking to key community destinations. The presenters will highlight case studies of small town and rural planning and facility design throughout the webinar.

6 years, 2 months

WFP Analysis: Downtown must embrace winter, not hide from it (Mar.13'17)

by Beth McKechnie

*Downtown must embrace winter, not hide from it * http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/downtown- must-embrace-winter-not-hide-from-it-416000874.html AFTER enduring a week of arctic wind chill in the month of March, it might be a bad time to discuss Winnipeg’s downtown walkway system, but as one of the five coldest major winter cities in the world, how we design for climate is an important consideration. For many years, the North American response towinter has been to hide from it. In the 1960s, as downtowns started losing a battle to suburban shoppingmalls and office parks, civic leaders felt the only way to compete was to mimic this climate-controlled trend and consolidate interior spaces in the city centre. Montreal was the leader in this movement, beginning construction of the Underground City in 1962, growing to become a staggering 32 kilometres of subterranean tunnels and shopping centres beneath the city. Since that time, 17 indoor pedestrian systems have been developed in cities across North America. Minneapolis boasts the longest continuous network of elevated walkways at 15 kilometres, and Calgary has the largest total length at 18 kilometres. The idea for Winnipeg’s indoor walkway system began with the 1969Downtown Development Plan, which envisioned a futuristic city of towers and plazas, interconnected by a vast network of elevated and underground walkways to protect people from winter and allow vehicular traffic to flowmore efficiently. To discourage sidewalk use in the summer, the plan proposed “the secondstorey habit,” a strategy to pull all retail, commercial and social activities away from the ground level and into the corridors, so people could avoid cars and weather year-round. Five years later, Winnipeg’s first skywalk would appear, connecting the buildings of Lakeview Square to the Convention Centre. Several years later, the underground concourse at Portage and Main would be an attempt to realize the cosmopolitan dreams of 1969. Today, there is a movement beginning in many cities to reconsider the effects these indoor walkways are having on the vibrancy and prosperity of city centres. As it turns out, skywalks do precisely what was envisioned in Winnipeg’s 1969 plan: they remove people from the sidewalk. In low-density cities, this can have a significant effect. Skywalks take an already limited number of pedestrians and dilute them over two levels, seasonally and at different times of the day. For a few hours, particularly in winter, office workers populate the indoor shops or restaurants, and sidewalk retail struggles. On evenings and weekends and in the summer, this is reversed. With the market divided, the critical mass generally isn’t created to sustain prosperous businesses in either realm. This can be seen very clearly at Portage and Main, where almost 10,000 people spend every day, yet few ground-floor amenities exist and underground restaurants generally stay open for just a few hours around lunchtime, five days a week. Some planners also argue the skywalks create a social hierarchy between the raised, quasi-public space and the sidewalk. This combines with the lower pedestrian numbers and struggling retail storefronts to exacerbate the feeling that downtown streets are unsafe and uncomfortable, compounding the issue. It is generally understood that indoor walkways aren’t going anywhere — only Cincinnati has dismantled its network — so many cities are beginning to look at ways to reduce their impact. In Minneapolis, consideration is being given to removing retail in sections of their walkway, making them simply circulation thoroughfares that don’t compete for business. To complement this strategy, they are hoping to build more highly visible connections directly to the sidewalk. An excellent precedent for this is Winnipeg’s newest skywalk addition at the Delta Hotel on St. Mary Avenue, which incorporates a beautiful, transparent glass stair and elevator to the sidewalk, making pedestrian flow between levels more seamless and inviting. A key strategy to reducing the impact of walkways is to focus on improving the sidewalk experience, making it more comfortable for pedestrians in all seasons. Building elements such as awnings and overhangs can provide shelter from snow and rain. Small storefronts with several entrances allow pedestrians the opportunity to flow in and out of the cold. Design guidelines can be created to ensure new buildings reduce shadows and windtunnel effects on the sidewalk. Public spaces and restaurant patios can incorporate windscreens, gas fire pits and other heating sources. In Montreal, construction will soon begin on an in-ground heated sidewalk system along Sainte-Catherine Street that will be expanded to 2.2 kilometres in length in 2020. This idea, used for years in Oslo and Reykjavik, is also being considered in Saskatoon to melt snow and improve the pedestrian experience. Great cities, even cold cities, are defined by the vitality of their street life. To be an extraordinary winter city, Winnipeg must design to embrace the climate and not to hide from it. Winnipeg is one of Canada’s sunniest cities— and its temperature is typically above freezing 250 days per year — yet our priorities seem focused only on those harsh winter days. At two kilometres, the length of Winnipeg’s skywalk system is a fraction of that in other cities, but its effects can still be seen. Not only has it fundamentally altered the iconic view down Portage Avenue, it is partially responsible for its many empty storefronts. Winnipeg can learn from the experience of faster-growing cities and design its skywalk system carefully and sensitively, to reduce its impact. By building more visible, direct connections between levels, improving outdoor pedestrian comfort and focusing on support for ground floor retail to give people a reason to go outside and enjoy the city, we can bring people back to walk the sidewalks, like they did for a hundredwinters before the skywalks were built. * Brent Bellamy is chairman of Centre Ventu re ’s board and the creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

6 years, 2 months

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AT-Network March 2017