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.
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
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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
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
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
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