- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Re: [At-network] shed the monster
by Mark Cohoe 15 May '15

15 May '15

Thanks Terry. Very appropriate today! Keep an eye on our site, I think things will come out fine for BW by the end if the day. Mark Sent from my mobile device. ----- Reply message ----- From: "Terry Zdan" <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> To: "AT network" <AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> Subject: [At-network] shed the monster Date: Thu, May 14, 2015 10:19 AM We all have those days. Full inbox, stuck in traffic, spilled coffee, barking dogs… The everyday stresses of life can take a toll. We get cranky, grumpy and irritated by things that aren’t a big deal. But if you ride, you know there’s always one thing you can count on: the power of a bike ride to erase the stress and lighten your day. Hop on a bike and shed the monster. Watch the video: PeopleForBikes.org/shed -- Terry Zdan126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com

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shed the monster
by Terry Zdan 15 May '15

15 May '15

[image: Watch the video] <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/m/67f218cb/3a9fcb02/7f0881/3af1d302/16556347…> We all have those days. Full inbox, stuck in traffic, spilled coffee, barking dogs… The everyday stresses of life can take a toll. We get cranky, grumpy and irritated by things that aren’t a big deal. But if you ride, you know there’s always one thing you can count on: the power of a bike ride to erase the stress and lighten your day. Hop on a bike and shed the monster. *Watch the video: PeopleForBikes.org/shed <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/m/67f218cb/3a9fcb02/7f0881/3af1d309/16556347…> * -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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Local media coverage of delay on Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies
by Beth McKechnie 15 May '15

15 May '15

http://globalnews.ca/news/1996785/bowman-delays-cycling-and-pedestrian-stra… http://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/video?playlistId=1.2373078 http://www.winnipegsun.com/2015/05/13/epc-backpedals-on-active-transportati… http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cycling-plan-hits-speed-bump-3037084… Cycling plan hits speed bumpEPC agrees to delay vote on $330-million strategy By: Kristin Annable A lineup of advocates for the city's pedestrian-and-cycling strategy arrived at city hall Wednesday to address Mayor Brian Bowman's decision to delay the adoption of the city's $330-million, 20-year strategy. There were few opponents. Yet, council's executive policy committee unanimously approved Bowman's motion to delay the vote on the strategy by more than a month. The delay is to allow further consultation with business owners and residents on infrastructure recommendations in the document. Bowman said a handful of downtown businesses approached him with concerns involving parking and asked for additional time to read the extensive document. "The feedback I received from some is that they didn't feel that they had enough time or avenues to provide their input to the process, and I wanted to let them know we are listening," he said after the meeting. "When you look at the map, if you are under the presumption that the strategies are the final product, then I can understand and appreciate the concern of anyone looking at it." The 356-page document recommends a dense network of protected bicycle lanes be focused within the downtown core. This year, if approved by council on May 27, the city will allot $205,000 for the development of a functional design for the first phase of a downtown protected bike-lane network at Fort Street and/or Garry Street. Coun. Russ Wyatt has led the charge against the quick adoption of the strategy and has been advocating the city take a second look before adopting the document. Earlier this week, the Free Press learned the Transcona councillor sent multiple letters to downtown businesses to inform them of the possible loss of parking resulting from the proposed protected bike lanes. After the meeting Wednesday, Wyatt said Bowman's announcement Tuesday he would delay the strategy's adoption quelled the naysayers. "I think it was a genuine gesture by the mayor and the mayor's staff so they want to respect that," he said when asked why none of business owners concerned with the strategy attended the meeting. Wyatt also takes issue with the proposal of creating "neighbourhood greenways" for non-arterial roads. The idea is to encourage cycling, walking and local traffic, which can include the use of traffic-calming measures such as speed humps or traffic-calming circles. The strategy suggests Point Douglas, Seven Oaks East, River Heights and St. Boniface West are well-suited for extensive neighbourhood greenways. Bowman was quick to remind councillors the document is only a strategy and said "nothing is cast in stone" when it comes to its contents. He said if there is anything council does not agree with, the action plans will still be voted on by council and further public consultation will occur. Advocates such as Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, resident Len Van Roon, Winnipeg Trails Association co-ordinator Anders Swanson and Stephanie Voyce of the Downtown BIZ all came to the meeting to speak in favour of the strategy. Van Roon told members there is room for public consultation, but said he supports the 20-year strategy. "We worry about the cost of cycling and walking infrastructure, but we are subsidizing cars and the repair costs," Van Roon said, repeating the argument more cyclists will save the city money on road repairs. kristin.annable(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 14, 2015 B1

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Now accepting proposals to present at Winter Cycling Congress 2016 Minneapolis-Saint Paul!
by Beth McKechnie 14 May '15

14 May '15

Very cool (pun intended) to see that the 2016 Winter Cycling Congress is taking place in Minneapolis. Carpool anyone? cheers, Beth ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Winter Cycling Congress 2016 Minneapolis-Saint Paul < info(a)wintercyclingcongress2016.org> Date: Wed, May 13, 2015 at 10:36 AM Subject: Now accepting proposals to present at Winter Cycling Congress 2016 Minneapolis-Saint Paul! To: Beth <beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca> Now accepting proposals to present at #WCC16! View this email in your browser <http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/?u=abcb7e25b4918127c7355edce&id=512bf43b1f…> <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> Share your winter cycling research and expertise at #WCC16! Proposals to present at the Winter Cycling Congress 2016 <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abcb7e2…> are now being accepted. The Winter Cycling Congress will be held *2-4 February* in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The congress is a three-day professional development event uniting a diverse and international group with a shared vision of increasing cycling and walking among people of all ages and abilities. This year’s congress will look at winter cycling through the lens of *equity*. How do we engage with a wide range of people and their communities to ensure everyone has an ownership in cycling and active transportation no matter the time of year, where they live, their age, ability or background? Topics & Tracks Topics to be covered at the congress relate to policy, planning, engineering, design, maintenance, implementation, evaluation and encouragement necessary to creating a built environment and social context in which cycling is a safe, comfortable and convenient choice in July or January. There will be three tracks at the congress, including the following. 1. Build it – policy, planning, engineering and design for year-round cycling and walking. 2. Maintain it – implementing the plan and maintaining safe, comfortable conditions. 3. Bike it –evaluating winter cycling and encouraging health, economic and social benefits. Audience Past congresses have featured presenters from the fields of planning, engineering, advocacy, public health, journalism, architecture, the arts and many other areas. It is a Congress for anyone who lives in a winter climate and works with or uses a bike in the winter. More information? Interested parties can learn more about proposal criteria and deadlines at http://wintercyclingcongress2016.org/program/. For specific questions, write to organizers: info(a)wintercyclingcongress2016.org. About the congress This is the first year the Winter Cycling Congress will be held in the United States. The 2016 congress is being organized by a coalition of volunteers representing a diverse group of individuals, organizations and businesses from Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota. This coalition presents the 2016 edition of the congress in partnership with the Winter Cycling Federation <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…>. The mission of the Winter Cycling Federation is to promote winter cycling around the world. <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abcb7e2…> <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> [image: Facebook] <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> Facebook <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> [image: Twitter] <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> Twitter <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> [image: Website] <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> Website <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb7e25…> *Copyright © 2015 Winter Cycling Congress 2016 Minneapolis-Saint Paul, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you previously attended the Winter Cycling Congress, have applied as a speaker, are an organizer or have joined our newsletter online. Thanks again for staying in touch! *Our mailing address is:* Winter Cycling Congress 2016 Minneapolis-Saint Paul c/o Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota P.O. Box 5078 Saint Paul, MN 55101 Add us to your address book <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=abcb7e25b49181…> unsubscribe from this list <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage1.com/unsubscribe?u=abcb7e2…> update subscription preferences <http://wintercyclingcongress2015.us7.list-manage1.com/profile?u=abcb7e25b49…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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In response to the Free Press article re: Councillor Wyatt
by Patman, David 13 May '15

13 May '15

http://www.citylab.com/work/2013/09/no-bike-lanes-dont-hurt-retail-business… http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/03/the-complete-business-case-for-con… http://www.citylab.com/work/2013/12/safer-streets-pay-businesses/7880/ David Patman, P. Eng. Transit Planner Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division 421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2 P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca> From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Beth McKechnie Sent: May-12-15 8:33 AM To: AT network Subject: [At-network] WFP: Wyatt wary of two-wheel traffic - says bike-pedestrian paths could hurt downtown business (May12'15) Wyatt wary of two-wheel traffic Says bike-pedestrian paths could hurt downtown business By: Bartley Kives http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/wyatt-wary-of-two-wheel-traffic-3033… Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt is trying to put the brakes on Winnipeg's new bike-and-pedestrian strategy by warning protected bike lanes could harm downtown businesses. The fourth-term councillor has penned a letter to downtown business owners, warning the creation of 13 protected bike lanes over the next 20 years may lead to a loss of parking. "I thought you may want to know this. This is not just a 'strategy,' but calls for the amending of the city's transportation master plan, designating and setting out these streets for this treatment. Once it is in the plan, you are then on the defensive if you want to stop or change it," Wyatt wrote in an email to an undisclosed number of businesses. In the letter, Wyatt noted he spoke against the city's bike-and-pedestrian strategy last week at council's public works committee, "assuming many in the business community have never been consulted." He noted the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ spoke in favour of the plan at the meeting. Wyatt wrote he supports bike-and-pedestrian paths but called the documents making their way through council committees "unrealistic plans that ignore the facts" of how roads are used. "Maybe a street or two could be designated to improve the protected bike lane system in our downtown, but to designate a dozen or more streets seems a bit over the top," he wrote, offering to meet with downtown business owners who are concerned about the plans. In an interview, Wyatt said he contacted "three or four" downtown business owners because he feared Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, who represents the southern half of downtown, would not. "Downtown Winnipeg belongs to all Winnipeggers," he said. "It appears to me we've forgotten the lessons of the Assiniboine Bikeway audit." That audit, conducted following a troubled city effort to conduct $20 million worth of bike-and-pedestrian upgrades in 2010, concluded businesses were not adequately consulted about the construction of a protected bike lane on Assiniboine Avenue as well as traffic-flow changes on the downtown street. St. Norbert Coun. Janice Lukes, city council's public works chairwoman, said she isn't sure why Wyatt is trying to foment downtown opposition to the pedestrian-and-cycling strategy, which comes before council's executive policy committee on Wednesday. "He's free to do what he wants," said Lukes, the former director of the Winnipeg Trails Association. "Any dialogue toward active transportation is a good thing, as nothing can be built until we have consultation." Lukes, however, questioned why Wyatt is so concerned with the relocation of on-street parking spaces when downtown suffers from a surfeit of surface parking. She also called the Assiniboine Bikeway one of the most utilized bike lanes in the city, despite the fact it's interrupted by the Heritage Landing apartment construction. "It's a proven fact more people walking and biking bring value to businesses," she said. "I have no idea what he's doing, but I'm pleased to see he's engaging." The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ plans to consult with its members about the protected bike lanes as well, executive director Stefano Grande said. "We've advised them consultations are just starting. There are no designs," Grande said. Gerbasi concurred, saying nothing will move forward without "extensive consultations" that may include plans to create more parking-protected bike lanes such as the one on Sherbrook Street, where parking stalls are placed between traffic and a bike lane. bartley.kives(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:bartley.kives@freepress.mb.ca> Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 12, 2015 0

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CBC: Bike paths on Berry Street ripped up, residents question city plan (May11'15)
by Beth McKechnie 13 May '15

13 May '15

Bike paths on Berry Street ripped up, residents question city plan Hydro work also tears up 5-year-old cycling paths By Sean Kavanagh, CBC News <http://www.cbc.ca/news/cbc-news-online-news-staff-list-1.1294364> Posted: May 11, 2015 4:28 PM CT Last Updated: May 11, 2015 4:45 PM CT Residents along Berry Street say they don't understand why the City of Winnipeg would build bike paths only to damage them by subsequent work for another project. The two bike paths along Berry were completed at the end of 2010 as part of an active transportation strategy funded by the province, the federal government and the city. Some residents on Berry were angered by the original bike path project from the start. The paths run along each side of the curb and meander around trees and light posts. "It's the only street in North America with two sidewalks on it … and they are all dirty," said Agostino "Gus" Fiorentino. Fiorentino has run his barber shop on Berry for the past eight years and watched as crews built the bike paths in 2010 and 2011, and then saw other workers damage them last year doing sewer work. "It's just a waste of money," said Fiorentino, who didn't want the paths installed in the first place. He said the work crews seemed to disappear during the sewer repairs last fall. Fiorentino was told they left to work on roads around Polo Park. "They stopped here, and then went to do on St. James. Because they had to — Target has a priority to be opened up first. The Target ended up closed." The paths now have large sections cut out for replacement and there is debris everywhere on Berry from last fall's work. Lindy Alderson has lived on Berry for 24 years. She saw the bike paths built, then damaged. "I don't know what the hell they thought they repaired in the process of doing that. They screwed these up because they drove their equipment over it. They just screwed it up," Anderson said. The city admits that some of the damage to the bike path was caused by combined sewer and basement flood relief work started in April 2014. A city spokesperson also acknowledges the project was delayed and will seek compensation from the contractor in charge of the work. "The project has been delayed for reasons beyond the control of the City including a period of time in July/August 2014 when the contractor reassigned some of its crews to projects in the Polo Park area. Because of these delays, the City will be requesting compensation from the contractor," the city stated in an email to CBC News. The city also said Manitoba Hydro is responsible for much of the damage to the bike path. Hydro has been installing new street lighting on Berry Street and was required to cut out sections of the path for the street light cable replacement. Public works and infrastructure committee chair Janice Lukes says she understands the residents' frustration. "I don't think there was a big embracing of the active transportation path in the first place, and then two years later we have the sewer works that starts, and then the sewer work is delayed and then the sewer work starts up again, and then Hydro starts upgrading their hydro poles. It's been a long process," she said. Lukes is steering a 20-year, $300-million cycling/pedestrian plan through city hall and promises that active transportation routes will be better planned and have more consultation before being implemented. The city says the sewer work and repairs to the damaged bike paths will be completed by the end of this month. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bike-paths-on-berry-street-ripped-up…

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WFP: Wyatt wary of two-wheel traffic - says bike-pedestrian paths could hurt downtown business (May12'15)
by Beth McKechnie 13 May '15

13 May '15

Wyatt wary of two-wheel trafficSays bike-pedestrian paths could hurt downtown business By: Bartley Kives http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/wyatt-wary-of-two-wheel-traffic-3033… Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt is trying to put the brakes on Winnipeg's new bike-and-pedestrian strategy by warning protected bike lanes could harm downtown businesses. The fourth-term councillor has penned a letter to downtown business owners, warning the creation of 13 protected bike lanes over the next 20 years may lead to a loss of parking. "I thought you may want to know this. This is not just a 'strategy,' but calls for the amending of the city's transportation master plan, designating and setting out these streets for this treatment. Once it is in the plan, you are then on the defensive if you want to stop or change it," Wyatt wrote in an email to an undisclosed number of businesses. In the letter, Wyatt noted he spoke against the city's bike-and-pedestrian strategy last week at council's public works committee, "assuming many in the business community have never been consulted." He noted the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ spoke in favour of the plan at the meeting. Wyatt wrote he supports bike-and-pedestrian paths but called the documents making their way through council committees "unrealistic plans that ignore the facts" of how roads are used. "Maybe a street or two could be designated to improve the protected bike lane system in our downtown, but to designate a dozen or more streets seems a bit over the top," he wrote, offering to meet with downtown business owners who are concerned about the plans. In an interview, Wyatt said he contacted "three or four" downtown business owners because he feared Fort Rouge Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, who represents the southern half of downtown, would not. "Downtown Winnipeg belongs to all Winnipeggers," he said. "It appears to me we've forgotten the lessons of the Assiniboine Bikeway audit." That audit, conducted following a troubled city effort to conduct $20 million worth of bike-and-pedestrian upgrades in 2010, concluded businesses were not adequately consulted about the construction of a protected bike lane on Assiniboine Avenue as well as traffic-flow changes on the downtown street. St. Norbert Coun. Janice Lukes, city council's public works chairwoman, said she isn't sure why Wyatt is trying to foment downtown opposition to the pedestrian-and-cycling strategy, which comes before council's executive policy committee on Wednesday. "He's free to do what he wants," said Lukes, the former director of the Winnipeg Trails Association. "Any dialogue toward active transportation is a good thing, as nothing can be built until we have consultation." Lukes, however, questioned why Wyatt is so concerned with the relocation of on-street parking spaces when downtown suffers from a surfeit of surface parking. She also called the Assiniboine Bikeway one of the most utilized bike lanes in the city, despite the fact it's interrupted by the Heritage Landing apartment construction. "It's a proven fact more people walking and biking bring value to businesses," she said. "I have no idea what he's doing, but I'm pleased to see he's engaging." The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ plans to consult with its members about the protected bike lanes as well, executive director Stefano Grande said. "We've advised them consultations are just starting. There are no designs," Grande said. Gerbasi concurred, saying nothing will move forward without "extensive consultations" that may include plans to create more parking-protected bike lanes such as the one on Sherbrook Street, where parking stalls are placed between traffic and a bike lane. bartley.kives(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 12, 2015 0

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WFP: Show the Free Press the city's worst spots for cycling (May11'15)
by Beth McKechnie 12 May '15

12 May '15

Excellent article! Please share widely and start sending in those photos of the worst spots. * * * * * Show the Free Press the city's worst spots for cycling By: Kristin Annable Bike lanes that lead nowhere or abruptly end, dangerous merges into traffic and a daily battle with cars for a share of the road. These are the hindrances cyclists say they encounter daily as they navigate the streets of Winnipeg. [image: Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg rides through the Pembina Highway Underpass.] <http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/800*1334/6769357.jpg> Enlarge Image <http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/800*1334/6769357.jpg> Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg rides through the Pembina Highway Underpass. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)Photo Store <http://store.winnipegfreepress.com/photostore/photo-search/?keyword=Mark+Co…> THE *Free Press *is asking cyclists to submit their own photos of troublesome spots they encounter in their travels. Come across a bike path that goes nowhere, a lane that abruptly ends, or a dangerous merge? Snap a photo and send it in and we will post it <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/multimedia/interactive/Tell-us-where-Winni…>. Our aim is to create a map highlighting all the hindrances cyclists come upon in their travels. We've already started the job for you by mapping out some spots cyclists have already identified to us. Visit wfp.to/cycling to participate. *Winnipeg's bike lanes and paths, by the numbers:* - Winnipeg currently has about 197 kilometres of multi-use paths, 35 km of bike paths, 56 km of bike boulevards. - Estimated cost to create a connected bike network throughout the city: $125 million, plus $1.4 million annually. - Estimated cost of a dedicated downtown protected bicycle lane: $7 million, plus $100,000 annually. - Estimated cost for developing a network that would connect local bicycle networks to the main paths and downtown: $25 million, plus $200,000 annually. - Estimated cost for developing separated crossings for pedestrians and cyclists along major corridors, rivers, and rail crossings: $100 million, plus $500,000 annually. - City's planned investment over six years on walkways and off-street bike paths: $8.3 million. - City's planned investment over six years on bicycle corridors: $11.1 million. *Some examples from cyclists of danger spots they encounter during their commute:* - *Main Street underpass:* Narrow road with many cars and no protected bike lane, a central connection needed for cyclists to cross the city. - *St. Vital Bridge:* Narrow sidewalks, coupled by a dangerous merge where it suddenly turns to 80 km/h when you get over the bridge. - *Portage Avenue and Broadway:*Dangerous merge on the lane eastbound for cyclists. - *The termination of the FortWhyte cycle path: *exits onto Front Street and McGillivary Boulevard, cyclist must now navigate this extremely busy intersection to get to the bike path on the south side. - *Bike path at Taylor Avenue that proceeds south to the IKEA corner:* Example of a path that starts nowhere and ends nowhere. - *Sturgeon Creek path from Ness to Hamilton Avenue:* Path is less than a metre wide in places and has not seen any maintenance for some time. After years of planning, the city has finally released a comprehensive 20-year, $330-million strategy into tackling these issues in Winnipeg and making the city more pedestrian and cycling friendly. The plan is making its way through city hall this month for final approval. In the meantime, the Free Press is launching a project this week to help cyclists identify these troublesome areas and through our website, send in photos to help us map out the city's worst spots for cyclists. And it is a project city officials say they will pay attention to. 'No bike lanes, no calm streets, you'll find you are on a street with a lot of traffic and cars trying to squeeze around you' -- Mark Cohoe on his typical commute It is modelled after a similar project done in Sweden, by the Gteborgs-Posten, a daily newspaper based out of Gothenburg, which saw many cyclists participate and a vast map created. Kevin Nixon, the city's active transportation co-ordinator, said it is something that could help officials prioritize their future investments. "It is really useful, because you can't do everything, so if we get a lot of mentions of a particular issue, then we can make that our priority," Nixon said. "All of these proposed (bike paths) are extremely long and you just don't get the money in one year's budget to do the whole thing." Pathways such as the Bishop Grandin Greenway, which can get a cyclist from Sage Creek to FortWhyte Alive, is one example of a well-designed route the city has created, he noted. The protected bike lane along Sherbrook Street is another example of a well-crafted route for cyclists, said Anders Swanson, the co-ordinator of the Winnipeg Trails Association. But, he points out, it will only function as well as what it is connected to. "With a complete connected network, it is science, you build it and they actually will come, so every bicycle project that makes it safer and easier for people to ride bicycles is more people riding. Period," he said. "I think pointing out how many little or big barriers there are in the city, how much work needs to go into Winnipeg, I think one of the values is until you have these protected lanes, until you fix some of the barriers that are out there, it is tough for someone to understand it is possible." He points to the North End, where there is no safe way for cyclists to cross the Canadian Pacific rail yard, forcing cyclists to navigate dangerous connections such as the Arlington Bridge, which does not have a protected bike path. For Mark Cohoe, the executive director of Bike Winnipeg, he describes his typical commute as one filled with barriers, as he battles to share the road with a heavy onslaught of traffic. "No bike lanes, no calm streets, you'll find you are on a street with a lot of traffic and cars trying to squeeze around you," he said. "A lot of the pathways, you have to stop and dismount or cross multiple lanes of traffic." His nightmare intersection: the Pembina underpass, where more than 60,000 cars a day travel and cyclists are forced to squeeze through a narrow road shared with these cars. However, creating a connected cycling network does not come cheap. The city's 20-year Cycling and Pedestrian Strategies report estimates creating a connected bicycle network throughout the city will cost $125 million, while creating separated crossings for cyclists and pedestrians at major corridors, rivers and rail crossings will cost a further $100 million. On the books for 2016 is a $4-million plan to tackle issues along Pembina Highway, by building buffered bike lanes from Grant Avenue to Osborne Street. Nixon, Cohoe and Swanson all argue the payoff -- less wear and tear on the roads and less congestion, plus a healthier, more active community -- are reasons even those who don't cycle should embrace these sorts of investments. "The fact is if we don't create these alternatives for people to get through, the alternative to creating a safe space for people to be biking is to create more roadways, which is an incredibly more expensive alternative," Cohoe said. "And it is more divisive. Those higher volume roadways are going to be coming through people's neighbourhoods." Through a telephone survey conducted by the city, Nixon said they found a significant population of Winnipeg was interested in cycling, but were concerned about the safety and convenience of the current network. "If you allow the people who want to get out of their cars, a bike is a lot less hard on the road than a vehicle is, it is also healthier for folks and we have to realize there is market out there for walking and cycling that we haven't tapped into," he said. kristin.annable(a)freepress.mb.ca Came across a bike path that goes nowhere? A busy underpass with no space for cyclists? Perhaps a bridge with poor bike path markings? Take a photo and send us a description, so we can add it to our interactive map of cycling problem spots in Winnipeg. See the map below for some troublesome cycling spots, then send us your own using our form below. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/take-us-for-a-bumpy-ride-303249791.h…

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A little Friday fun. Just imagine what Bike to Work Day would sound like!
by Stacy Matwick 09 May '15

09 May '15

Trotify Makes Your Bike Sound Like a Galloping Horse | | | | | | | | | | | Trotify Makes Your Bike Sound Like a Galloping HorseTrotify is a wooden gadget that uses a coconut to that makes your bicycle sound like a galloping horse when pedaling. | | | | View on inhabitat.com | Preview by Yahoo | | | | |

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Protected bike lanes cut sidewalk biking in half
by Beth McKechnie 09 May '15

09 May '15

A few months after Honolulu's first protected bike lane opened, it's the latest to demonstrate a very consistent trend across the country <http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…>: almost every protected bike lane cuts sidewalk biking in half. >From August 2014 (before barriers were installed) to February 2015 (after), the number of bikes using King Street (both directions, road bed and sidewalk combined) soared 71 percent. And in the same period, Honolulu bicycle coordinator Chris Sayers said Monday, the number of bikes on the sidewalk plummeted 65 percent. Full story: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/honolulu-installs-protected-bike-l… -- *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 non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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