(Thanks to Michelle Porter for the share)
In case you are interested: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32904492/
The impact of e-cycling on travel behaviour: A scoping review - PubMed
<https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32904492/>
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
This review suggests that the personal use of e-bikes is associated with a
reduction in motorized vehicle use, which has potential positive impacts on
the environment and health. The impacts of e-bike share schemes and
workplace initiatives are less well understood. Evidence describing the
purposes …
*Why EVs can’t get dirty to go ‘green’*
*In order to maintain our [US] national car addiction and stay within a
national transportation-related emissions “budget” that scientists agree is
necessary to maintain the planet at temperatures our ecosystems can
survive, the United States would need to replace a whopping 90 percent of
gas-powered cars on the roads with zero-emissions electric vehicles by
2050, researchers at the University of Toronto
<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-00921-7> found.Right now,
just 1.5 percent
<https://www.eei.org/issuesandpolicy/electrictransportation/Documents/FINAL_…>
of
new vehicle sales in the U.S. are electric cars, and roughly 99.7 percent
<https://phys.org/news/2020-09-electric-vehicles-wont-climate.html> of cars
on the road today are powered by fossil fuels.The study was careful to note
that EVs are not a lost cause, and are, of course, “likely to reduce
emissions in the United States when compared with conventional gasoline
vehicles.” But the researchers cautioned of the dangers of policies
that over-focus on electric cars, especially if they come at the expense of
investments in proven strategies for which we have the technology in
place today to significantly curb emissions.Those strategies include
massive public transit adoption, mass construction of active transportation
infrastructure, and fundamentally redesigning our cities to make car-free
or car-light living possible for more people.*
‘OPEN STREETS’ TO BE
FURTHER EXPLORED
THE City of Winnipeg could soon prioritize seasonal pedestrian and cyclist
access on parts of a dozen streets every year.
Council unanimously approved a motion late Wednesday to have its public
service study whether to continue 10 sections of “open streets” that the
city tested out this year.
A report is expected around November.
Coun. Matt Allard, chair of the public works committee, hopes to make the
active transportation routes permanent, seven days a week between the May
long and Thanksgiving weekend.
The streets would limit vehicle traffic to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
daily.
*City makes changes to traffic lights at intersections to improve
pedestrian safety*
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/in-a-flash-they-were-gone-572606212…
THE city has put a stop to traffic light cycles that combine flashing amber
and red lights at Winnipeg intersections.
The change, which took effect Thursday, affects 185 intersections
throughout the city, which used the flashing amber and red light signals at
night, in the early morning and on weekends when traffic volumes are low.
The majority of these intersections now has a standard light cycle: solid
green, amber and red phases at all hours.
Flashing yellow lights warn some directions of traffic to slow down before
proceeding through an intersection, while blinking red lights direct
drivers to treat the crossing like a stop sign.
The city says the change is meant to make it safer for people crossing the
street, since pedestrian visual walk signs and audible crossing sounds were
inactive during flashing light periods.
Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) called for the change a few months ago.
Nason said he grew concerned about the practice after a visually
impaired resident
reported feeling unsafe while walking late at night through the
intersection of Plessis Road and Kernaghan Avenue, when it was in a
flashing light mode.
“Hopefully, (this change) will result in the ability for pedestrians and/or
active-transportation users to be able to safely cross the road at these
intersections with minimal impact on the driving public,” said Nason.
“I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s another step to ensure an inclusive
city,” he added.
Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) also welcomed the change, noting he expects
it could also reduce safety risks for drivers.
Mayes said he has personally driven through one set of flashing lights that
suddenly switched to a solid red while his vehicle was still in the
intersection of Worthington Avenue and St. Anne’s Road.
“A third of the way through the intersection, you look up (and) it’s a
hard red you’re facing now because the clock has shifted to 7 o’clock
(in the morning)... I altered my route in the morning because I thought,
I’m going to get a ticket here or, worse, I’m going to get in a collision,”
said Mayes. “That dangerous situation has now been eliminated.”
The flashing lights were previously meant to reduce driver delays during
times when roads saw low traffic volumes.
Coun. Matt Allard, council’s public works chairman, said he expects the
safety benefits of the change will outweigh any inconvenience for drivers.
“There certainly is a trade-off there. Motorists, who in the past may have
been able to (enter) the intersection at their own discretion, will have to
wait for the signal to change. I think on a balance, though, if you’re
considering the vulnerable road users... I think it’s the right thing to
do,” said Allard (St. Boniface).
The city says eight intersections with especially low traffic volumes will
still have a light cycle that flashes red lights in all directions during
set hours, which drivers should treat as a four-way stop.
City officials also plan to “fine-tune” overnight traffic signal patterns
over the next few months, as new traffic data is collected.
joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga
Helpful primer from Oregon on shared use mobility data (bikeshare,
e-scooters, carsharing, ridehailing services). Lots to think about!
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: MILLAR Stephanie L <Stephanie.L.MILLAR(a)odot.state.or.us>
Date: Thu, Oct 1, 2020 at 2:19 PM
Hello Fellow TDM Professionals,
I am sharing a recently completed project from my consultants at Trillium
Solutions.
Attached is the Shared Use Mobility Data Primer. This document was
developed to provide small and medium sized communities with information on
what shared use mobility data is, why it is important to manage, and the
steps to take in managing it. I hope you find it useful.
*The excerpt below is intended as a pull out piece for elected officials
and managers to help them understand why the subject is important.*
*Why This Matters*
Public demand for shared mobility is growing, as is our understanding of
how it fits into the broader picture of transportation solutions in Oregon
communities. In the course of their operation, shared mobility companies
collect a large amount of data about their users and travel patterns.
Local jurisdictions can establish guidelines for how companies use this
data, and also what data these companies need to share with the
jurisdiction. In many jurisdictions, a condition of approval for shared
mobility companies to operate within their boundaries is a data sharing and
management agreement.
For jurisdictions, having access to shared mobility data allows them to see
travel patterns in their communities, make responsive transportation
planning decisions, ensure oversight of shared mobility companies operating
in the public right of way, and monitor equity impacts of these services.
Stephanie Lawson Millar
ODOT Transportation Options Program Manager
Desk: 503-986-4224
Cell: 503-430-4152
*Email is the best way to reach me*
<http://getthereoregon.org/>
------------------------------