*Cyclists say faded bike lanes unsafe *
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/disappearing-bike-lanes-need-new-paâŠ
JULIE Penner rides her bike to work every day. But lately, she said, she
feels less safe on her commute from Wolseley to the Exchange District
because the painted bike lane she uses on Sherbrook Street has faded and
chipped away .
âItâs like this every year. Iâm surprised (it) isnât given more of a
priority,â Penner said.
The City of Winnipeg did not respond to a request for comment.
The cityâs website page on lane-marking says the process begins in
mid-April, when itâs warm enough for paint to adhere to the road. The page
says crews work clockwise around Winnipeg, starting north of the
Assiniboine River.
Penner said sheâs confused about why the city schedules the repainting
based on geography instead of how often certain bike lanes are used.
Mark Cohoe, executive director of cycling advocacy group Bike Winnipeg,
said he would like to see the city make more of an effort to keep cyclists
in mind when making the schedules.
âThe bike lanes should be one of the cityâs priorities. If youâre on a
bike, youâre one of the most vulnerable people out there,â he said.
Cohoe is encouraged by steps the city has taken lately to create roads with
expanded bike lanes and bicycle-specific traffic signals that have cyclists
in mind, but he would like to see a more proactive approach to maintaining
infrastructure that will help keep riders safe on the road.
âIt definitely does make a difference in terms of safety to have the bike
lane there, but itâs only there if itâs painted and visible. If it isnât
there, the drivers are less likely to respect it,â he said.
While painted bike lanes donât give cyclists the same protection from
vehicles as lanes that have barriers, they let drivers know to be aware
that cyclists could be nearby, Penner said, adding that with the lane on
Sherbrook Street disappearing, she has noticed cars inching closer to her
on the road.
âCars are used to responding to paint on the road. Iâm a driver, too. You
respond to that. (If) thereâs a solid line, then you donât cross it,â she
said. âTheyâre either unaware of the bike lane, or they donât respect it as
much because thereâs just nothing on the ground.â
Recent city actions that support cycling infrastructure are positive moves,
but there are still gaps to fill, Penner said.
âRight now, thereâs bits and pieces where you can get downtown relatively
safely in some areas, but not in others. Itâs definitely requiring patience
from the cycling community, but I do feel hopeful about it,â she said.
Because the lanes will get repainted eventually, Penner said it might not
seem like a big deal, but in the meantime, she said sheâll feel less safe
when riding her bike.
âItâs the lowest form of cycling protection, just paint on the ground, but
even that is better than having nothing,â she said. âAnd I do feel like
cars notice when itâs there.â
caitlyn.gowriluk(a)freepress.mb.ca
Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of
the June APBP webinar in the EcoCentre
<http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-oâŠ>
boardroom.
This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay.
*Particularly timely topic given concerns around emergency vehicles access
and proposed changes to the Wolseley / Westminster cycling route.*
cheers,
Beth
* * * * *
*AT Webinar: Wed, June 19th, 2-3pm*
Finding Common Ground with First Responders
First responders provide the 1st line of defense against emergencies. The
notion that âevery second countsâ has left its mark on our communities,
creating wide and fast streets. Though intended to provide efficient access
for first responders, this type of street design creates unintended
consequences for other roadway users. How can agencies find common ground
to address the needs of emergency response while maintaining low speed
networks that support safe and convenient active transportation.
--
Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *Green Action Centre
<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/>
3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | 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/>
<http://www.gomanitoba.ca>
*Plain Bicycle Project aims to fuel bicycling explosion with two-wheelers
from the Netherlands*
* GOING DUTCH*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/going-dutch-511149792.html
ANYONE want a used bike from the Netherlands? Theyâre going fast. The Plain
Bicycle Project unloaded a shipping container crammed with discarded Dutch
bicycles Tuesday at a secret location in downtown Winnipeg.
Over the next month or so, the local enthusiasts will repair and get the
bikes ready for the 221 people who signed up for the so-called omafiets
(âgrandma bikesâ), leaving 19 available for $350 each online at the Plain
Bicycle Project. (The price covers the costs of shipping and repairs.) âThe
whole idea is to create a bicycle culture explosion,â said Plain Bicycle
co-founder Anders Swanson, who also heads up the Winnipeg Trails
Association and is one of six people who organized the shipment to the
Prairie city.
âWhat better way to welcome the bicycle infrastructure being built in
Winnipeg and all across North America than by being an early adopter of a
plain bike... (which) will probably become the preferred ride,â Plain
Bicycle Projectâs website says.
Safety for cyclists is a perennial issue in Winnipeg, with enthusiasts
pressing for more paths to safeguard cyclists navigating busy traffic
corridors. On average, two cyclists are killed in the province each year,
according to Manitoba Public Insurance.
Durable, comfortable and easy to ride, the Dutch bikes come with fenders,
upright handlebars, a rack, integrated lock, kickstand and sturdy steel
frame with a sloping tube (so you can wear whatever and still get around).
Like Winnipeg, the Netherlands is flat, so most of the bikes come with
internal gears, which the Plain Bicycle founders claim makes them last
longer and stand up to more abuse.
âThe point is to get people thinking anybody can ride a bike, that itâs a
lifelong thing to bike. You can be a kid or a grandma, it doesnât matter.
These bikes grow old with you. Theyâre the Honda Civics of bicycles,â
Swanson said.
None of the plain bikes have disc brakes, shocks, knobby tires, carbon
fibre, etc. In other words, less bling to draw thieves.
Of the 100 bicycles Plain Bicycle organizers shipped over from the
Netherlands last year â the first year for the project â two were stolen,
organizers said.
Earlier this year, three co-founders made the trip to the Netherlands to
collect more bikes and stick handle paperwork to export the cargo to
Winnipeg. A container weighing more than 8,200 kilograms was loaded onto a
cargo ship in mid-April and arrived via the Panama Canal in Vancouver, then
was shipped by freight train to Winnipeg.
The container was locked with a Dutch bike lock and, without the key,
opening the doors proved a problem.
âThey had to beat the hell out of it,â said trucker Grant Houlden, who hung
around after unloading the cargo. The Plain Bicycle people used his hammer
to pound the lock apart; it took about five minutes and a lot of exertion
for Swanson to finally snap it open.
âIâve never seen a lock like it before. My bolt cutters couldnât cut it,â
Houlden said.
The appeal of a Dutch bike, apart from the lock, is its simplicity and its
supply, theatre director and former bike courier Leigh Anne Parry said.
âThe Netherlands have over two bikes per person and a lot of them end up on
the side of the streets. There are more bikes than people, so there are a
lot of bikes not being used,â the project co-founder said.
âItâs an easy, relaxing ride. Thereâs no pressure on your arms and you can
carry all your groceries with these bikes,â she added, before heading into
the shipping container to start hauling them out.
alexandra.paul(a)freepress.mb.ca
*Bike plan aims to keep rush-hour traffic on main roads*
* Wolseley considers cutting shortcuts *
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cutting-off-shortcuts-wolseley-bikeâŠ
TAKING a rush-hour shortcut through Wolseley could get more difficult for
drivers, thanks to proposed changes to the neighbourhoodâs bike
infrastructure.
Speed humps, vehicle access restrictions and new crosswalks identified in
the Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project are all designed to let bikes
ride and push cars to thoroughfares, said Mark Doucet, City of Winnipeg
transportation facilities planning engineer.
âThe Wolseley area has got a lot of active community,â Doucet said Monday.
âThereâs a lot of short-cutting traffic through the Wolseley neighbourhood,
so (this is) an attempt to look at that concern and try to just make it
safer for pedestrians and cyclists through the area.â
For example, during the afternoon rush hour, vehicles cut through the
residential neighbourhood, avoiding busy Portage Avenue by taking Arlington
Street to Wolseley Avenue.
Residents will get to have their say this week about several options for
change, including making Langside and Balmoral streets one-ways and
eliminating some parking spaces in West Broadway.
Westminster Avenue is set to get either a protected bike lane or become a
neighbourhood greenway.
Protected bike lanes from Langside to Osborne streets are on the table as
well, even raised lanes â like the ones the city has installed on Silver
Avenue and Chevrier Boulevard in recent years.
Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe supports the proposed changes
to cut back on the number of cars searching for a shortcut. He said heâd
like to see protected bike lanes continuing through Maryland and Sherbrook
avenues to West Broadway, as well as intersection improvements to help
cyclists make safe left turns at major intersections.
âWeâre not sure what theyâre planning between Langside and Maryland, that
seems a little open-ended in some of the plans,â Cohoe said.
âIt just doesnât seem to have anything. Just through that stretch, which we
think is a critical part of the connection, so we want to make sure thatâs
a strong point and not a weak point in any improvements going forward.â
Doucet said heâs heard such concerns and hopes to do something about them
for the final version of the plan, which is expected to be released in the
fall.
Another possible sticking point is vehicle blockades, which Doucet said are
modelled on diversions from Lethbridge, Alta. âThatâs a tricky one, because
we want to discourage short-cutting traffic and encourage cycling and
pedestrians, but the fire paramedic group has concerns with a diversion,â
he said, noting it could keep ambulances and fire trucks out, as well as
passenger vehicles.
âItâs a big hurdle for us right now, weâre trying to find ways to balance
everyoneâs needs.â
West End resident Caroline Thiessen was cycling through Wolseley on Monday,
and said she spent the ride thinking about how nice it is â not like the
West End, where she recently got honked at in a construction zone.
âIt almost doesnât feel safe anywhere other than Wolseley,â she said.
Her sentiments were echoed by neighbourhood resident and cyclist Tamara
Lewis-Jones: âWolseleyâs the safest (place to bike) in the city but it
still needs more... I guess the whole city needs to be better.â
Other area residents said Monday they notice some people cutting through,
but arenât worried about motorists. âDuring the week, people should be able
to go up Wolseley, people should be able to go up Westminster, if they want
to,â Morgan Davis said. âItâs not that difficult to bike there.â
Riley Durocher, who cycles and drives through his neighbourhood, said the
shortcut problem seems to be worst near Mulvey School.
âI have no issues other than Sundays,â Durocher said, noting it can be a
tangle to get his car home if he forgets Wolseley is closed to cars.
Doucet notes the city plans arenât set in stone, and hopes to hear more
from residents at community consultations being held today through Thursday.
tvanderhart(a)freepress.mb.ca @tessavanderhart
*Traffic safety audit needed, bike advocate and councillor say*
* Cyclist dies after collision with truck *
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cyclists-death-sparks-inquiry-call-âŠ
THE death of a bicyclist on Higgins Avenue at King Street â the second such
incident in seven years â has sparked calls for a traffic safety audit of
the area.
The bicyclist died Tuesday at the scene, after colliding with the cab of a
transport truck at around 1:45 p.m.
A single red bicycle with a mangled wheel was still on the sidewalk hours
after the collision.
Winnipeg police blocked traffic on Higgins Avenue between Main and Princess
streets for a few hours while officers gathered evidence.
While no details were released about the age or gender of the deceased â or
how the collision occurred â a bike advocate and a city councillor who is a
longtime bike path booster said the City of Winnipeg has to look at the
intersection and other nearby streets to see how safe they are for
bicyclists and pedestrians.
Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said heâs upset because
itâs not the first bicyclist killed in the area.
Violet Nelson, 35, chairwoman of the Native Womenâs Transition Centre, was
cycling to the grand opening of the Kihiw Iskewock Lodge in May 2012, when
she collided with a vehicle and fell in front of a semi-trailer on Higgins
Avenue just west of Main Street.
Cohoe said there was another fatality a block south, when a pedestrian on
her way to work at Siloam Mission was struck and killed by a truck at Logan
Avenue and King Street in July 2015.
âIt is kind of a confusing intersection and you can maintain high speeds
there,â he said. âIt is a high-flow kind of route, and it is really set up
to move people through as quickly as possible, but at the same time, you
have people walking and cycling.
âItâs high time a safety study is done there. Itâs clear we have a major
safety issue in these few blocks.â
Cohoe said a safety audit would look at all areas of traffic flow,
including whether there should be a stop sign (instead of a yield) for
northbound vehicles on King Street turning right onto eastbound Higgins
Avenue, and whether the speed limit should be slower.
âWe need to make sure if someone makes a mistake in future it doesnât end
in tragedy. We donât want it to happen again â it has already happened too
much.â
Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said Tuesday sheâll be speaking with
Cohoe with the idea of putting forward a motion calling for a safety audit
of the area.
Lukes sat on the cityâs active transportation advisory committee and was
appointed the first chair of the provinceâs active transportation advisory
group prior to becoming a city councillor.
âIâm just dreading this season, because weâve done a pathetic job in
education,â she said. âWeâre good now at putting in more (bike)
infrastructure, but with more bikes and more people, we need more education
for cyclists and drivers.â
kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca
Please pass this around
Cheers
Dave
o
_ ( \ _
(X)\ /(X)
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Sarah Thiessen <wrenchvolunteer(a)gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jun 4, 2019 at 7:21 PM
Subject: Employment Opportunity / Bike Bazaar / Wheels of Courage
To:
Hey WRENCH Volunteers!
A few exciting announcements to share with you:
*1. Employment Opportunity: Summer Programming Assistant *
Term Position: 8-week term with flexible starting date 32 hrs/week @
$15.00/hr
Must be 18-29 years old to apply.
Application deadline: 10 pm, Sunday June 16th, 2019
Please read Job Description (attached) for all the details on this position
and how to apply.
*2. West Broadway Bike Bazaar
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1245477358948421/> is this Sunday!*
*When*: Sunday, June 9th 12-3pm
*Where:* In outdoor rink behind Broadway Neighbourhood Centre (185 Young St)
If you are able to come volunteer, we can always use another set of hands!
*We could especially use some more folks helping with:*
-Sales (11:30-3)
-Bike Repairs (11:45-3)
-Tear Down (3-6pm)
Please let me know if you are available to help! & Help spread the
word by sharing
the event on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/events/1245477358948421/>.
*3. Today is the last day to apply for our Wheels of Courage Mentorship
Program! <http://thewrench.ca/woc/>*
If you are between 14-29 and want to use bikes as a tool for personal
growth and social change, Wheels of Courage is for you! *Learn more & Apply
now!* <http://thewrench.ca/woc/>
Alrighty that is all for now, hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful
weather.
Kindly,
Sarah Thiessen
*Volunteer Coordinator & Wheels of Courage Lead Mentor*
The *W*innipeg *R*epair* E*ducation '*N*' *C*ycling *H*ub
1057 Logan Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3N8
Treaty 1 Territory & Homeland of the Metis Nation
204.296.3389
www.thewrench.ca <volunteer(a)thewrench.ca>
Roads are safer for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists in cities with
robust bike facilities
Date:
May 29, 2019
Source:
University of Colorado Denver
Summary:
The most comprehensive study of bicycle and road safety to date finds that
building safe facilities for cyclists is one of the biggest factors in road
safety for everyone. Bicycling infrastructure -- specifically, separated and
protected bike lanes -- leads to fewer fatalities and better road-safety
outcomes for all road users.
https://www.cudenvertoday.org/cycling-lanes-not-cyclists-lower-road-fataliti
es/
In the most comprehensive look at bicycle and road safety to date,
researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New
Mexico discovered that it's not the cyclists, but the infrastructure built
for them, that is making roads safer for everyone.
"Bicycling seems inherently dangerous on its own," said study co-author
Wesley Marshall, PhD, PE, assistant professor in the College of Engineering,
Design and Computing at CU Denver. "So it would seem that a city with a lot
of bicycling is more dangerous, but the opposite is true. Building safe
facilities for cyclists turned out to be one of the biggest factors in road
safety for everyone."
The study published in the Journal of Transport & Health found that bike
facilities act as "calming" mechanisms on traffic, slowing cars and reducing
fatalities. The effect is similar to the effect of grid blocks found in
cities with higher intersection density
Researchers looked through 13 years of data from 12 large U.S. cities with
high-bicycling mode shares, including Denver, Dallas, Portland, Ore., and
Kansas City, Mo. During those years, the United States saw a 51% increase in
bicycling to work and the number of protected bike lanes double each year
starting in 2009. In a longitudinal study, the researchers investigated over
17,000 fatalities and 77,000 severe injuries.
Originally, researchers believed that more bike lanes and the increase in
cyclists would lead to a "safety-in-numbers" effect: the more cyclists on
the road, the more likely drivers would slow down and be aware of their
surroundings.
Instead, they found that safer cities aren't due to the increase in
cyclists, but the infrastructure built for them -- specifically, separated
and protected bike lanes. They found that bicycling infrastructure is
significantly associated with fewer fatalities and better road-safety
outcomes.
Portland, Ore., saw the biggest increase. Between 1990 and 2010, city's
bicycle mode share increased from 1.2% to 6%; over the same period, the road
fatality rate dropped by 75%. With added bike lanes, fatal crash rates
dropped in Seattle (-60.6%), San Francisco (-49.3%), Denver (-40.3%) and
Chicago (-38.2%), among others.
"The U.S. is killing 40,000 people a year on roads, and we treat it as the
cost of doing business," Marshall said. "A lot of the existing research
focuses on bicycle safety; with this study, we're interested in everyone's
safety."
Eliminating fatalities is the goal of Vision Zero cities like Denver. To
reduce deaths, cities need more evidence-based research to help them make
better policy decisions.
"Focusing on fatalities -- not crashes -- is important," said Marshall.
"Over the years, my research has found that safer cities have fewer
fatalities but more fender benders."
The study co-author is Nicholas Ferenchak, PhD, assistant professor in the
department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at the
University of New Mexico. Ferenchak studied under Marshall and received his
doctoral degree from CU Denver.
Overall, Ferenchak hopes this study simplifies the ways in which cities move
forward.
"When we believed it was the old safety-in-numbers concept, that meant we
had to figure out how to get more people on bicycles to make a city safer,"
Ferenchak said. "That's not easy. But this research has boiled it down for
city planners: create cycling facilities, and you'll see the impact."
The 12 cities included in this research are Oklahoma City, Memphis, Kansas
City, Mo., Dallas, Houston, Austin, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco,
Minneapolis and Portland. As this study focuses on larger cities, the
results are not generalizable to smaller cities.
_____
Story Source:
<https://www.cudenvertoday.org/cycling-lanes-not-cyclists-lower-road-fatalit
ies/> Materials provided by <http://www.ucdenver.edu/> University of
Colorado Denver. Original written by Rachel Sturtz. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.
_____
Journal Reference:
1. Wesley E. Marshall, Nicholas N. Ferenchak. Why cities with high
bicycling rates are safer for all road users. Journal of Transport & Health,
2019
Charles Feaver
11 Harvard Ave
Winnipeg R3M 0J6
204.293.6332
*HEALING PRESCRIPTION *
* City life got you down? A cure for what ails you is as close as the
nearest nature trail*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/healing-prescription-510724862.html
THE urban grind can grind one down. Being stuck in rush-hour gridlock and
inhaling exhaust, hearing the unwelcome roar of a neighbourâs lawn mower
too early on a Saturday morning, or fighting crowds in grocery stores and
malls can give one the itch to escape.
But cutting and running from city life is not always in the cards for those
who take umbrage with urban annoyances. The kids have soccer, thereâs that
dentist appointment, the plumberâs coming to fix the leaky faucet⊠Luckily,
one doesnât have to cross the Perimeter to access green spaces and nature
trails. Opportunities to enjoy the outdoors abound in every neighbourhood.
âOur mental health is really at risk when we donât get outside,â Anders
Swanson, active living enthusiast and executive director of the Winnipeg
Trails Association, says. âAccessing nature and moving your body is very,
very good for you,â especially in the modern world where people are
âincreasingly stressed out.â
âIf you think about it, itâs completely obvious,â he adds. âAs human
beings, we are part of the natural world; we grew up in it. When you take
that away or we donât get out there, you very quickly find yourself lost.â
Winnipeg Trails works to make sure Winnipeggers donât get lost. Theyâre a
coalition focused on accelerating the development and connectivity of
Winnipegâs greenways and cycling paths â âthe transportation system
underlying Winnipeg thatâs built for human beings,â as Swanson puts it.
Winnipeg Trails has âdone everything,â from helping to fund and build
trails to adding amenities to existing ones. Theyâre also involved in
events such as next weekâs Commuter Challenge and have scheduled a
Plog-a-Thon â where people jog and pick up trash â for June 8.
One of Winnipeg Trailsâ most popular projects has been its exhaustive list
of detailed trail maps, which can be found on their website,
winnipegtrails.ca. The maps âmore than 30 of them â outline the length of
each trail, how they connect with the citywide network, and highlight
points of interest along the way. Itâs a tremendous resource for those
looking to get out and explore new paths.
âThose were a pretty important project for us,â Swanson says. âItâs one of
the biggest ways that people know about Winnipeg Trails is for those
detailed trail maps.â
âOur job basically is to make it easy,â he continues. âWe just want the
easiest choice to be the most active one. Thatâs how weâre going to make a
big difference for society.â
Charleswoodâs Harte Trail, for example â a 6.5-kilometre path through a
tunnel of trees that stretches from Sterling Lyon Parkway and Shaftesbury
Boulevard to the west Perimeter Highway â has a crushed limestone surface
and connects to five other trails, including the Assiniboine Forest trail
network.
The key to finding time to spend outdoors, Swanson says, is to integrate it
into oneâs daily routine.
âRecreation is great â itâs great to have a chance to unwind â but you have
to find energy, money, basically to do that,â Swanson says, hence Winnipeg
Trailsâ focus on active commuting.
âWe only have a certain amount of time that weâre willing to move every
day,â Swanson says. âOtherwise, we need to get some work done or go to that
class⊠we have a time budget.
âIf you live a 45-minute drive away from a city and thatâs your commute,
people tend to report feeling more unhappy than people who had a half-hour
walk, and itâs because the people who had a 45-minute commute still want to
get human connection and recreation⊠but they end up not having enough time
to do that and then they feel more stressed out.
âPeople who bike or walk to school or work or out to dinner, or whatever â
they integrate it into ways they get around â they tend to report being a
lot happier because they managed basically to kill two birds with one
stone.â
Winnipegger Jen Doerksen has been doing that for years.
Doerksen grew up in St. James near Sturgeon Creek and Saskatchewan Avenue.
Doerksen cycled the Yellow Ribbon Greenway Trail â which begins at Sturgeon
Creek and Hamilton Avenue, terminates at Silver Avenue and Ferry Road, and
is named in honour of the Canadian Armed Forces â hundreds of times over
six years as part of a commute to the University of Winnipeg and later, Red
River Collegeâs Exchange District campus.
Winnipeg Trails calls the 5.5-kilometre path a âcrucial east-west link,â
and itâs been just that to the now-24-year-old Doerksen.
âGreen space and time in nature is super⊠important to me for a number of
reasons,â Doerksen says.
âPrimarily, it feels better to be outside, generally, than inside⊠It feels
better on the body and mind and suits our hardware in a way. Our bodies are
still getting accustomed to this whole âcivilizationâ thing, evolutionarily
Iâd say, and the western lifestyle of indoor work and play is somewhat
contrary to how weâre built, I think.
âIf Iâm feeling the air, smelling the rain, grass, (and) fart smells of
downtown Winnipeg, Iâm more actively engaged in what Iâm doing and my mind
is working better in this way,â Doerksen says.
The freelance photographer, videographer and editor now lives in the
Corydon area and doesnât traverse the Yellow Ribbon Trail much these days,
but still cycles for transportation and leisure.
Swanson, a year-round cyclist, prefers biking over driving to Winnipeg
Trailsâ Exchange District headquarters. He tries to walk anywhere within a
kilometre, cycle anywhere between one and eight kilometres, and takes the
bus for longer distances.
He owns a vehicle, but uses it âbasically to get out into the bushâ or to
transport things too heavy to haul on two wheels.
Just as important as the physical benefits are the social ones.
âTry and shake hands with the person next to you in a traffic jam, you
know?â Swanson says. âOur meaningful contact with human beings is
face-to-face. Thereâs nothing that human beings like more than watching and
seeing other people.
âWe canât survive without it. It makes us happy. It makes us stumble into
an old friend⊠share a moment with a stranger⊠that kind of thing is so
instrumental to us. The more time we spend doing it, the happier we are,â
he continues, noting people in countries with the highest happiness index
tend to spend more time socializing outdoors.
Using the trail network helped Doerksen develop social connections.
âBasically, my movement from living in the suburbs to developing friends,
finding community, and spending time downtown came through travelling the
Yellow Ribbon Trail,â Doerksen says.
Doerksen found getting to downtown, Osborne Village and Wolseley to visit
friends took an hour or more by bus, but âbiking that path took 45 minutes
every time.â
Swanson is careful not to judge anyone who doesnât make use of green space,
acknowledging their life situation, location or physical limitations might
make an active commute an impossibility.
However, heâd love Winnipeg to reach a broader consensus that walking,
bicycle commuting, and active living benefits all.
âWe want to make that as pleasant and fun and beautiful as possible,â he
says of Winnipeg Trails. âWhether thatâs biking down a protected bike lane
with all kinds of shops you can stop at on your way home from work, or if
youâre super lucky and you get to walk or bike to a park or along a
riverbank in order to make it there, itâs the kind of quality of life thing
that benefits everybody in ways we donât even think about.
âI want everyone to be able to access nature because itâs something you
want to share. For me, sharing Winnipeg in that way is really important.â
Outdoor cure
âTHEREâS a reason they say exercise is the best medicine,â Anders Swanson
says, and science backs up the claim. If you want to thrive, get outside.
Spending time outdoors can reduce oneâs risk for a variety of common
physical and mental health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, high blood pressure, stressrelated disorders, and even premature
death.
Thatâs according to a 2018 study conducted by researchers from the
University of East Angliaâs Norwich Medical School. The England-based
research team gathered evidence from nearly 150 studies involving close to
300 million people from 20 different countries to come to their conclusions.
âPeople living closer to nature⊠had reduced diastolic blood pressure,
heart rate and stress,â lead researcher Caoimhe Twohig-Bennett said in a
press release outlining the studyâs findings last summer.
âIn fact, one of the really interesting things we found is that exposure to
greenspace significantly reduces peopleâs levels of salivary cortisol â a
physiological marker of stress.â
âWe often reach for medication when weâre unwell,â Professor of Public
Health and study co-author Andy Jones added, âbut exposure to
health-promoting environments is increasingly recognized as both preventing
and helping treat disease.â
The evidence is so unequivocal that some doctors in the UK are giving
patients ânature prescriptions,â eschewing pills for bird watching and
beach walking.
It doesnât take long to reap rewards, either. A modest 20 minutes in a park
is enough to boost a personâs well-being, a February study by the
International Journal of Environmental Health Research found.
âIt would be lot easier to talk about the kind of medical ailments that
arenât helped by getting outside and using trails,â Swanson says. âAlmost
everyone stands to benefit making it part of their life.â