AT-Network June 2022

at-network@lists.umanitoba.ca

3 participants
29 discussions

Economic Study of 12 Active Transportation Projects in Oregon Finds Solid Returns on Investment

by Beth McKechnie

https://trec.pdx.edu/news/active-transportation-projects-offer-solid-return… Overall, the research team found positive effects on business activity in the retail and/or food sectors, demonstrating that the potential economic benefits are not just in more urban parts of the city of Portland: - 75% of the project locations saw measurable economic gains in the food or retail industries after implementation. - Layering complementary investments (e.g. light rail stations and transit oriented-development) has the potential to yield the greatest benefits. - The projects that did not see positive effects tended to have higher traffic volumes and/or speeds. Projects are more likely to reach their full potential when they reduce the effects of an auto-oriented environment and create places for walking that are also less stressful and more comfortable. "The findings reveal that these types of investments can have positive outcomes in places outside of downtown and inner Portland, particularly when coupled with other planning and infrastructure investments, but that we do need to address the negative effects of high speed, multi-lane arterials," Dill said.

11 months, 1 week

Winnipeg Manitoba City Rating Page | PeopleForBikes 2022 City Ratings

by Terry Zdan

https://cityratings.peopleforbikes.org/cities/winnipeg-mb

11 months, 1 week

Winnipeg cycling safety assesment: F

by Terry Zdan

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bike-cycling-safety-1.6505…

11 months, 1 week

Re: [At-network] Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan – June 2022 Project Update

by Beth McKechnie

On Wed., Jun. 29, 2022, 9:22 a.m. Kurylko, Robert, <Bob.Kurylko(a)stantec.com> wrote: A few things I think are missing from this strategy document. > > > > Number one is the lack of recognition that roundabouts are a proven > solution for reducing collision severity. Concern about pedestrian > accommodation at roundabouts is not substantiated by the evidence that I > have seen and is mitigatable if it exists. > > Number two is the lack of recognition that highway design philosophy – > design speed higher than posted speed – is a contributor to encouraging > higher speeds on arterials and highways > > > Number three is lack of mention that signal timing contributes to > speeding. If timing is set to allow free flow at a speed slightly lower > than the posted speed, traffic flow slows down. It has been done. > > > Number four is no mention, that I saw, about using speed reader boards – > signs that tell you your speed. This is very effective tool used in various > communities. You want drivers to be looking at the road environment. These > signs provide a friendly reminder about your speed. > > > Number five is no mention that design standards for roads, in general, > promote moving vehicles as fast as possible. Good for rural highways, not > so much for urban conditions where other modes are present and being > promoted. > > > > Safety should begin at the engineering level, and we need documents like > this to recognize that the fundamentals of road design need to reflect the > goals of meeting the needs of all users with priority to the most > vulnerable. If the intent of the road is to move a lot of vehicles, and we > do need those, then other modes need to be accommodated in the proper way. > Mixing modes is tricky and leaves vulnerable users at risk. > > > > The document talks about the success of various countries in reducing > collision severity. There is little if any mention of what contributing > factors drove those reductions, they are well documented and we should be > follow their leads. > > *Robert (Bob) Kurylko, P. Eng, * > > Senior Transportation Engineer > Sr. Associate > Stantec > 500–311 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg MB R3B 2B9 > Cell: 204 918 2042 > robert.kurylko(a)stantec.com > > > > *From:* Terry Zdan > *Sent:* Tuesday, June 28, 2022 9:43 AM > *To:* AT network <AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> > *Subject:* Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan – June 2022 Project > Update > > > > > > ---------- Forwarded message --------- > From: *City of Winnipeg* <notifications(a)engagementhq.com> > Date: Tue., Jun. 28, 2022, 9:22 a.m. > Subject: Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan – June 2022 Project > Update > To: <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Good morning/afternoon, > > You are receiving this email because you requested updates on the Winnipeg > Road Safety Strategic Action Plan. > > The Phase 3 public engagement report > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> > , summary > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…>, > and appendices > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> are > now available and provide an overview of the feedback collected for the > project. > > The Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> will > be considered by the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure and > Public Works > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> on > July 5, 2022. If you would like to appear as a delegation > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…>, > please contact the City Clerk's Department > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> > by noon on July 4, 2022. > > For more information, visit winnipeg.ca/roadsafetyplan > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> > . > > Kind regards, > > > > The Project Team > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You're receiving this email because you are a registered participant on > Engage Winnipeg. > Powered by EngagementHQ > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> > Unsubscribe > <https://can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Femails.en…> > > > > > > > > > >

11 months, 1 week

WFP: City eyes expanding sidewalk snow clearing (Jun29'22)

by Beth McKechnie

City eyes expanding sidewalk snow clearing https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-eyes-expanding-sidewalk-snow-f… WINNIPEG’S sidewalks could potentially be freed of ice and snow more quickly in future winters — but those more passable routes would come at a price. A proposed update to the city’s snow clearing and ice control policy calls for council to approve $3 million to buy 15 more sidewalk-clearing machines, while also contracting out an additional 500 kilometres of sidewalk plowing. Those combined changes could reduce the plowing timeline for residential sidewalks by up to 50 per cent, or from five to 2.5 days, said Michael Cantor, City of Winnipeg manager of streets maintenance. “This amount of equipment will provide a much better level of service than we have been able to provide so far and (allow us) to meet the policy that we have. We have a very good policy but we need the right resources to meet it.” The changes are proposed just after the “worst-case scenario” winter of 2021-22 thwarted efforts to efficiently clear sidewalks, said Cantor. A city report notes repeated snowstorms wreaked havoc on walking paths. Municipal policy requires sidewalks adjacent to major routes and collector streets be cleared within 36 hours after an “average” storm ends, with residential street sidewalks cleared within five working days after plowing starts. Instead, it took an average of 98 hours to clear main route sidewalks last winter, 156 hours for those on collector streets and 218 hours for residential routes. “According to 2021-22 data, none of the priority level sidewalks or pathways were completed according to the standard set out by the policy,” the report notes. Many Winnipeggers who rely on sidewalks for daily travel complained the routes were largely impassable for long periods, demanding the city make a greater investment to ensure active transportation options are available year-round. Cantor said the new system, if approved by council, would provide the resources needed to meet clearing standards for the highest priority sidewalks and clear residential ones “much faster.” “I think both the clearing and the ice control on the sidewalks will significantly improve,” he said. The city currently owns 31 sidewalk snow-clearing machines and can rent additional ones. While the city currently removes snow from 2,500 km of sidewalks and hires contractors to clean up another 500 km, the changes would also shift a further 500 km to private crews. The new policy would also crack down on contractors who don’t complete snow clearing on time. Fines that currently kick in for uncompleted work 36 hours after an operation starts could be applied within 12 hours of a scheduled operation instead. The city is also calling to revamp the annual snow route parking ban, which currently bars key routes between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28. Under the new rules, the city could begin or end the ban at any point between Nov. 1 and April 30. The ban’s name would also change, with “winter route” replacing “snow route” to highlight the fact it can be imposed to salt and sand streets, not just for plowing. Coun. Matt Allard, who has long called for ways to make sidewalk travel less treacherous in the winter, welcomed the proposed changes. “I’m pleased to see it move forward. I hope that’ll be enough to meet our snow and ice control policies to have that level of service that Winnipeggers expect,” said Allard. While the city expects to cover the $3-million tab for sidewalk clearing equipment through debt, the councillor said the investment is warranted. “If we want to be able to walk on the sidewalks, I think we need to spend the money required to do that (in the winter). We want to encourage people to use all modes (of transportation)… This is going to be a citywide increased level of service, so I think the value for money is definitely there,” said Allard. The report notes new sidewalk-clearing machines may not be available next winter, since such equipment can take 12 months to obtain, thanks to COVID-19 supply chain delays. Cantor said the city expects to contract out about 200 km of sidewalks this year, with the rest through new contracts the following year. Council is expected to hold a final vote on the proposed changes next month. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

11 months, 1 week

WFP: Council gears up for road safety (Jun29'22)

by Beth McKechnie

Politicians to consider $22M in upgrades Council gears up for road safety https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/council-gears-up-for-road-safety-st… THE City of Winnipeg could spend $22 million over five years in an effort to reduce serious injuries and deaths caused by traffic collisions. However, some fear the city’s first road safety strategic action plan won’t spark changes soon enough. Coun. Matt Allard, chairman of council’s public works committee, said he’s disappointed by a lack of immediate steps to make the streets safer for all pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. “I think we can do more. We should fast track the parts of roads (funding) that involve safety,” Allard said Tuesday. The action plan does call for council to begin funding the changes in 2023, which a city staff report deems a key priority. “The need for such an action plan is clear: between 2012 and 2018, 98 people were killed and 1,113 suffered major injuries as a result of collisions on Winnipeg streets,” David Patman, manager of transportation planning, writes in the report. The new plan would set a target to reduce the number of fatal and serious injury collisions by 20 per cent over the next five years. To achieve that, the strategy proposes the city create a road safety committee, a road safety branch and three new full-time safety-focused staff positions. Additional recommendations call for the city to review the policy for intersection warning lights, roundabouts and left-turn signals; evaluate crosswalk safety; install pedestrian refuge islands (where strategic curbs reduce exposure to vehicle traffic); add pedestrian-led intervals (which give foot traffic a head start to walk before a green light allows vehicle traffic in the same direction); upgrade cycling infrastructure; support school biking-education programs; and review the safety of multi-use path crossings for cyclists. The city should also add more 30 km/hr speed limits at neighbourhood greenways (which are meant to safely serve all forms of traffic), review overall speed limits, add more traffic-calming measures (such as roundabouts) and create public education on road safety, the plan suggests. Allard argues more immediate action is needed. The city recently identified about $7.5 million of warranted engineering enhancements that could improve safety, which have yet to be funded, he noted. He would like the municipal government to find the money to commit to that work now, which could improve pedestrian signals, add traffic lights and upgrade crosswalk lights, rather than waiting to select projects next year. “There are things that we know we can do now… I would have wanted to see immediate reaction,” said Allard. The councillor said he believes the cost of the strategic plan is reasonable but thinks the goal to reduce fatalities and injuries by 20 per cent over five years isn’t aggressive enough. “The public service says it’s important to set targets… but the idea that (a portion of) people are still going to die and get injured is (concerning).” A request to interview Patman was not granted Tuesday. In an email, city spokesman Ken Allen said the five-year target is both significant and realistic. “The goal was set to be ambitious, but achievable, and to set us on a path toward achieving the long-term vision of (a) transportation system that allows people of all ages and abilities to safely move around without experiencing death or serious injury,” wrote Allen. While the action plan funding is sought from next year’s budget, Allen said other road safety investments are taking place in 2022. “The city is continuously working to improve road safety. Several ongoing road safety improvements are funded through existing programs,” he said. The city paid a consultant $2.5 million to develop the road safety action plan, which was funded through federal gas grants. Council is scheduled to cast the final vote on the plan next month. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga Most dangerous intersections AS part of its traffic safety research, the City of Winnipeg has also ranked excess collision sites (2015-19), as compared with other locations with similar characteristics and traffic volumes: ● 1 — Kenaston and McGillivray boulevards ● 2 — Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway ● 3 — Archibald and Marion streets ● 4 — Dakota Street and Dunkirk Drive ● 5 — Academy Road and Stafford Street ● 6 — Lagimodiere Boulevard and Regent Avenue ● 7 — Pembina Highway and Bison Drive ● 8 — Bishop Grandin Boulevard and St. Anne’s Road ● 9 — McPhillips Street and Leila Avenue ● 10 — Lagimodiere Boulevard and Reenders Drive

11 months, 1 week

Ebikes for business...in London ON

by Terry Zdan

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/this-london-ont-tech-firm-is-making-e…

11 months, 2 weeks

Biz for Climate in Winnipeg

by Charles Feaver

Business community gathers at climate concern rally point What do a Prairie farm, a marketing firm and an electronic payment company have in common? Theyve all signed a pledge urging government to prioritize climate action. More than 130 businesses have banded together through the non-profit BizforClimate. "This is about mobilizing business leaders and business owners to speak up," said BizforClimate president Derek Earl. "We want to encourage a bolder, faster response in line with the climate science." Earl was previously vice-president of World Trade Centre Winnipeg. There, hed meet leaders looking to decarbonize their companies. Derek Earl and a group founded BizforClimate in August 2020. "The missing piece was, Are businesses speaking up about climate? Are they stepping forward?" Earl said. "We need to move the needle." Earl found a gap: he said he wouldnt see business owners at climate conventions and meetings he attended. So, he and a group founded BizforClimate in August 2020. The board is comprised of well-connected members: there are presidents and chief executive officers from a range of business sectors on the seven-person team. They began encouraging contacts to sign BizforClimates pledge. Companies who do so show they want politicians to prioritize limiting global warming to 1.5 C through emissions reductions. "We want to build a long and impressive list and share that story with policy makers," Earl said. Companies signing align with BizforClimates messages: climate change is an urgent problem, climate action is the best path to economic prosperity, and public policy is needed to achieve climate solutions. Earl hopes signatories will take steps within their own networks to decarbonize or otherwise take climate action. However, BizforClimate doesnt have the capacity to follow up, nor would they want to micro-manage, Earl said. As of June 7, 133 businesses had signed. Winnipeg-based Highland Electric did so in May. "When I started Highland Electric (in 2015), I just decided that immediately we were going to do something differently," said CEO Ben Bruce. Hed had enough of working on construction sites and seeing environmentally harmful practices. "A lot of job sites werent even recycling their cardboard. Youd notice a lot of garbage that blows away in the wind." Bruce, 38, said he fishes and hunts; he wants to ensure his child can experience the same outdoors he did as she grows up. His staff use reusable notepads, called Rocketbooks, to prevent paper waste. Highland Electric plants trees on the job, specializes in electric vehicle chargers and uses recyclable materials. "I think its more just a choice that companies have to make," Bruce said. "You can either choose to use a company that packages things in plastic or you can choose not to." Bruce said he hopes signing the pledge will signal to companies like his that being environmentally friendly is possible. "You actually save costs," Bruce said, noting theres generally a larger payment up front before the savings kick in. (For example, he had to pay more for a Rocketbook than a typical notepad, but now doesnt have to restock.) Maddie Thompson signed the pledge on behalf of Spark Media in May. "Ive been increasingly aware of (climate change) as theres more events that are happening, more forest fires, that sort of situation," she said. "Before, it seemed like such a future thing." Thompson shared the pledge on LinkedIn shes hoping it spreads awareness. "Everything is going to get worse," she said. "Whats been on my mind lately, specifically, is food security. I think thats going to be a coming issue." Small things, such as businesses switching to compostable cups at meetings, do matter, Thompson said. "Its a sign of the times that companies of all sizes, all over the world, are realizing that there are really good reasons for them to change their ways," said Danny Blair, co-director of the Prairie Climate Centre at the University of Winnipeg. Many will alter practices if they face pressure from customers, Blair noted. "The public is much more sensitive to climate change, theyre much more concerned about climate change, and they will more so, over time, insist that the companies they do business with are themselves working hard to be carbon neutral." Forty-three per cent of Canadians are willing to pay more for sustainable products, according to the third Canadian edition of the EY Future Consumer Index, released in December 2020. Some businesses want to reduce emissions upon learning about climate change, Blair said. Theres no specific date humanity has to reach net-zero by, he added. Instead, emissions reductions need to happen "rapidly." "Every year that we go along and continue business as usual limits our ability to constrain climate change." "In order for us to be successful in addressing climate change, we need everybody involved," agreed Curt Hull, project director of Climate Change Connection. Hull and his team have spent 2 1/2 years researching a path to reducing emissions in Manitoba. Their final report is called: Road to Resilience. Manitoba should electrify heating and transportation, Hull said, proposing "a (Second World War) level of effort, where we go neighbourhood by neighbourhood, improving the efficiency of homes and connecting those homes to district geothermal." Various business sectors, including construction, will be needed, Hull said. "Every step we take to move away from fossil fuels and towards electricity keeps more of that revenue in the province." Manitobans spent roughly $3.7 billion on fossil fuels last year, according to a provincial spokesperson. The figure is based on gas prices of $1.25 per litre. Manitobans spent more than $3.3 billion on diesel and gasoline for transport, and around $400 million on natural gas, the spokesperson wrote in an email. BizforClimate is not government funded, Earl said. Some businesses who sign the pledge choose to donate money, though its not required. The board is volunteer-run. Meetings with government and opposition members have begun, he said. gabrielle.piche(a)freepress.mb.ca Gabrielle Piché Gabrielle Piché Reporter

11 months, 2 weeks

Fwd: Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan – June 2022 Project Update

by Terry Zdan

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: City of Winnipeg <notifications(a)engagementhq.com> Date: Tue., Jun. 28, 2022, 9:22 a.m. Subject: Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan – June 2022 Project Update To: <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Good morning/afternoon, You are receiving this email because you requested updates on the Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan. The Phase 3 public engagement report <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDRPI9yvzhY…> , summary <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDRPI9yvzhY…>, and appendices <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDRPI9yvzhY…> are now available and provide an overview of the feedback collected for the project. The Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=v8N1PNoNaFoK-2BfJX-2Fm8WUToon9…> will be considered by the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure and Public Works <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=v8N1PNoNaFoK-2BfJX-2Fm8WUToon9…> on July 5, 2022. If you would like to appear as a delegation <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDeVqlC6tFy…>, please contact the City Clerk's Department <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDSNRO9dxOj…> by noon on July 4, 2022. For more information, visit winnipeg.ca/roadsafetyplan <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDRPI9yvzhY…> . Kind regards, The Project Team You're receiving this email because you are a registered participant on Engage Winnipeg. Powered by EngagementHQ <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=Ly4LMpFOFkQHsPvHv6lGIGWetLV0tE…> Unsubscribe <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=9vcdD193qA8wVAWAMcxkDRPI9yvzhY…>

11 months, 2 weeks

WFP: City highlights $165M for road repairs this year (Jun28'22)

by Beth McKechnie

City highlights $165M for road repairs this year https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-highlights-165m-for-road-work-… NEARLY 200 construction projects will renew 175 lane kilometres of Winnipeg roads in 2022. Overall, $165 million of repairs will be completed this year, including enhancing sidewalks and active transportation routes, the city says. By 2023, Winnipeg will have invested $1 billion in road repairs since 2014, Mayor Brian Bowman said. “After decades of neglect of our city roads, we’re finally starting to repair and fix the robust network of roads that we have throughout our city,” he said. The work includes some funding from the federal and provincial governments, which each committed $100 million to boost Winnipeg road repairs between 2019 and 2024. This year’s key construction projects include: • Stafford Street, from Corydon Avenue to Pembina Highway: $14 million • Jubilee Avenue, from Osborne Street to Pembina: $13 million • Mountain Avenue, from Arlington Street to McPhillips Street: $10.5 million • Smith Street, from Notre Dame Avenue to the Midtown Bridge: $9.2 million • Nairn Avenue, from Stadacona Street to Watt Street: $5.4 million The province will also give Winnipeg $8.9 million for additional road projects, including fixing a massive number of recently formed potholes caused by a cold, wet winter followed by repeated freeze-thaw cycles in the spring. When asked if that money will stretch beyond potholes to support additional projects, Bowman said a staff proposal on how the extra cash should be spent will be considered by council in July. “We want to see those dollars utilized as quickly as possible,” he said Monday. Thanks to a few years of higher road repair standards after the city began imposing changes in 2020, the current roads should also last longer than they may have in the past, Bowman said. “The city has made significant progress in fixing and improving how roads are being built,” he said. Dr. Ahmed Shalaby, a University of Manitoba professor with expertise in pavement engineering, worked to improve road repairs with a team of U of M students and researchers, along with city, provincial and industry experts. Because of that work, new pavement in Winnipeg is now expected to last about 15 per cent longer, due to improved construction standards that began in 2020. One key change involves removing weaker materials such as clay and finer elements from the aggregate below roads, which lets pavement drain more quickly, said Shalaby. “By removing those materials we are ensuring that these foundations are stronger and can last longer.” Since the expected life span of a road can range from 15 to 30 years, depending on its type, how much the service life is extended also varies, said Shalaby. While the construction changes were first approved in 2020, they have since gradually become a universal standard for municipal and provincial projects, with few exceptions, he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

11 months, 2 weeks

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AT-Network June 2022