- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Active Transportation - You and Your Community
by Derrett, Jaymi (HLYS) 20 Jun '12

20 Jun '12

Active Transportation - You and Your Community Rosanne Prinsen, MSc, Resource Coordinator, Alberta Centre for Active Living Active transportation means using human-powered transportation (rather than cars or other motorized vehicles) to get to and from local destinations, such as work, school, businesses, facilities, events and much more. This article offers a variety of tips and insights to help you and your community works towards your active transportation goals. http://www.centre4activeliving.ca/publications/wellspring/2012/jun-active-t… Jaymi Derrett Consultant Recreation and Regional Services Children and Youth Opportunities 310- 800 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3G 0N4 Phone: (204) 945-4401 Fax: (204) 948-4042

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Webinar Handouts
by Mark Cohoe 19 Jun '12

19 Jun '12

Hi, For those coming to tomorrows webinar, Resolving Conflicts at Complex Intersections, handouts can viewed here <http://www.apbp.org/?page=Webinar_Downloads>. Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.**Detailed description provided below.* * Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Resolving Conflicts at Complex Intersections *Wednesday, June 20 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST* The webinar will focus on mitigating bad geometry at awkward intersections, including how to address skews, multi-legs, unusual bicycle and pedestrian movements, and interchanges. imageThrough an overview of engineering tools and many examples, partipants will learn how to realign skewed intersections, get rid of extra legs, place crosswalks, design corner radii to reduce speed while accommodating turning trucks, and use islands and medians to make a complex intersection safer and more pedestrian friendly. Several signal phasing topics will also be covered, including exclusive pedestrian phases, leading pedestrian intervals, banning RTOR, and bicycle signals. Presenter: Michael Moule, PE, TE, PTOE, has over 18 years of progressive traffic and transportation engineering experience, including traffic calming, conceptual design for Complete Streets, and the planning of improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities. His projects accommodate all modes of transportation in order to help cities and states meet their mobility, economic development, safety, and quality of life goals. He has significant innovative design experience and specializes in improving conditions for non-motorized users without degrading motor vehicle capacity. Michael routinely leads community planning processes and training sessions to give citizens the basic skills they need to develop and review street design solutions. -- Cheers, Mark

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Webinar reminder: Resolving Conflicts at Complex Intersections: Wed, June 20th, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '12

19 Jun '12

*Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar (thanks to those who have already RSVP'ed)...* Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided below.* *Resolving Conflicts at Complex Intersections *Wednesday, June 20 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 * * * * * Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Resolving Conflicts at Complex Intersections *Wednesday, June 20 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST* The webinar will focus on mitigating bad geometry at awkward intersections, including how to address skews, multi-legs, unusual bicycle and pedestrian movements, and interchanges. [image: image]Through an overview of engineering tools and many examples, partipants will learn how to realign skewed intersections, get rid of extra legs, place crosswalks, design corner radii to reduce speed while accommodating turning trucks, and use islands and medians to make a complex intersection safer and more pedestrian friendly. Several signal phasing topics will also be covered, including exclusive pedestrian phases, leading pedestrian intervals, banning RTOR, and bicycle signals. Presenter: Michael Moule, PE, TE, PTOE, has over 18 years of progressive traffic and transportation engineering experience, including traffic calming, conceptual design for Complete Streets, and the planning of improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities. His projects accommodate all modes of transportation in order to help cities and states meet their mobility, economic development, safety, and quality of life goals. He has significant innovative design experience and specializes in improving conditions for non-motorized users without degrading motor vehicle capacity. Michael routinely leads community planning processes and training sessions to give citizens the basic skills they need to develop and review street design solutions. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 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/memberships/>

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A review of all accidental cycling deaths in ON from 2006-2010
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '12

19 Jun '12

*Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario* *Cycling Death Review: A Review of All Accidental Cycling Deaths in Ontario from January 1st, 2006 to December 31st, 2010* Road safety is a global public health issue. In the 2004 World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention co-authored by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, it is estimated that by the year 2020, road traffic injuries will become the third greatest contributor to the global burden of disease and injury. In terms of mortality, cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users worldwide...One of the hypotheses of the Cycling Death Review was that all cycling fatalities are preventable. This hypothesis held true in each and every death we reviewed. Read the report here<http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/stellent/groups/public/@mcscs/@www/@com/docu…> .

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Velo-City Pre-Conference Workshop: Velo-Talk Bicycle Advocacy Workshop
by Shoni Litinsky 18 Jun '12

18 Jun '12

For anyone who is attending Velo-City this year or know of anyone attending please considering registering or passing along this message about a fantastic pre-conference workshop *Velo-Talk Bicycle Advocacy Workshop*, held on *June 25th, 2012 from 12:30-5pm.* *Workshop Details* *Do you want to share ideas about how to get even more cycling happening? Please join HUB at Velo Talk, a satellite event of the Velo-city Global cycling conference in Vancouver. Join in Vancouver's cycling excitement in this afternoon advocacy workshop the day before Velo-city starts (June 25th) with an optional morning bike ride and evening social. See http://bikehub.ca/civicrm/event/register?id=48&reset=1 and the attached flyer. This event has limited registration, so please sign up soon.* Please contact Kerry Hamilton if you would like more information: kerry(a)hastebc.org -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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WFP: Stolen bikes not on police radar (Jun16'12)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jun '12

16 Jun '12

Stolen bikes not on police radar Another opportunity lost to catch a bicycle thief in city By: Gordon Sinclair Jr. <gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca> Some questions have been raised this week as a result of something that happened to one of the thousands of people who have their bikes stolen each year in this city. The questions are these: How much does the Winnipeg Police Service really care about finding bike thieves? And how much does it really care about finding and returning your bike? The questions were raised -- to a level just shy of a scream -- after Rejean Robert, a 33-year-old Fort Rouge resident contacted the Free Press about the theft of two bikes last Saturday afternoon; a $700 mountain bike he rode to work and a $600 model belonging to his fiancée. Initially, the police response appeared positive. Within a few hours, two patrol officers took a statement from a witness. Actually, the witness had done more than just watch, he took photos, and then followed the thieves for six blocks to a walk-up apartment block on Corydon Avenue near Confusion Corner, where he saw them take the bikes. Rejean thought, given that kind of lead, police would follow it. And fast. But they didn't. So the next day, Rejean and his fiancée, Brenda, decided to follow the lead themselves, right to that apartment block on Corydon. With the help of the caretaker, they not only found Brenda's bike, but a large stash of other bikes and bike parts in a basement locker and second-floor apartment. All of which suggested they had stumbled on a stolen-bike ring that was operating a chop shop out of the building. I wrote about all of this on Tuesday. By Wednesday, police, who had assigned detectives to the case on Monday, had executed a search warrant at the apartment block. By that time, the bikes were gone. But police arrested one suspect there and another the next day downtown, both of whom were charged with possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000. They're still looking for a third suspect. The arrests make police -- or at least these officers -- look better. Except the police service had known for weeks that a bike ring was at work in the area, and according to what the caretaker told Rejean, they had been alerted more than once about the suspicious goings-on at the Corydon apartment. But police hadn't responded. What's even more disturbing is this doesn't appear to be an isolated case. Ruth Smith owns a 16-suite apartment block on St. Mary's Road, and when she read about Rejean's experience, she sent me an email. Late last month, Ruth said she discovered 12 bikes and assorted bike parts stashed under a basement stairwell in her building. So she took it upon herself to investigate, much like the witness did in last weekend's case. "I proceeded to phone and talk directly to every tenant in the 16-suite block," Ruth wrote. Fifteen of the tenants told her none of the bikes belonged to them. But when Tenant 16 didn't get back to her, Ruth decided to record all the bike serial numbers and call police. But when she called police, they brushed her off. "They said they wouldn't come to check as there was no proof of illegal activity." There's more. "When I offered to record the serial numbers, they said I could but someone could just say they found them. Basically, they said, never mind." The next day, Tenant 16 was spotted removing the 12 bikes and bike parts from the basement. Later, he would tell Ruth he took the bikes to his brother's place. On hearing that, Ruth called police again, and again got the brush-off. He could be repairing friends' bikes or buying and selling bikes, police told her. "And they had no reason to investigate." We all know there are lot of good cops doing a lot of good work, and there's a never-ending load of work to do. I also know it's not uncommon for general-patrol officers to find bikes, run their serial numbers and then stuff them in their trunks and return them to their owners. But then there's what appears to be institutional apathy about bike theft, as if it doesn't matter. Police don't even track stolen bikes as a separate theft category, leaving the city to estimate reported cases at 3,000 annually, which means there are probably another 3,000 stolen that go unreported. On a national scale, the number is more like 200,000, which amounts to losses in the tens of millions of dollars. Of this much I can assure you: If it were a bank being robbed at that rate, police wouldn't be telling citizens such as Ruth Smith that their tip didn't matter. But we're not talking about banks, we're talking about bikes. Big wheels, versus little ones. And that's just the way the world goes around. gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/stolen-bikes-not-on-police-radar-159…

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WFP: Why police didn't bust bike thieves (Jun14'12)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jun '12

14 Jun '12

Why police didn't bust bike thieves By: Gordon Sinclair Jr. <gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca> Everyone can relax now. Well, maybe not everyone. Winnipeg police want you to know they are hot on the trail of what appears to be a ring of bike thieves. Although they didn't appreciate my writing about the case Tuesday, the suggestion being that by alerting the thieves, I've made finding them more difficult. More difficult? Let's just do a little backtracking here. Back to around noon last Saturday when four locked bikes were stolen from under an apartment fire escape in Fort Rouge. As it turns out, there are a lot more than four bikes involved in this investigation. And a lot more at stake for police. That's because of what happened after the four bikes were stolen and what a couple of patrol officers did -- and didn't do -- about it. What they did was respond promptly later that Saturday afternoon to the apartment of Rejean Robert and Brenda Harder, who were without their two bikes. Police responded because a witness had reported what he'd seen. The witness, a 32-year-old neighbour, not only saw what happened, he took photographs of the thieves in action and then followed two members of what appears to be a stolen-bike ring and chop-shop operation. The witness not only tracked the thieves to a walk-up apartment on Corydon Avenue near Confusion Corner, he recovered one of the four bikes and prevented another bike from being stolen by interrupting the theft in progress. Pretty impressive. But it was tracking them to the apartment that would turn out to be the big score. Because, the next day, using a lead provided by his good neighbour the witness, Robert went to the apartment block and recovered his fiancée's bike. By that time, his bike -- the one he used to get to work -- was long gone. It was the block's caretaker who first led Robert to a basement locker full of bikes and bike parts and then took him upstairs where the caretaker knocked on a door behind which were more bikes and bike parts. Why would Robert put himself at risk like that? Because of what the two patrol officers didn't do after they responded to his home to take a report on Saturday. The officers didn't go to the apartment block on Corydon where the witness saw the thieves take their stolen bikes, one worth $700 and the other about $600. It was the patrol officer not following the lead to the apartment block on Corydon that outraged Robert and prompted him to contact the Free Press. "I told them I had the address," Robert recalled Wednesday when we spoke again. "And what they told me was they can't go knocking on doors." No? That's also what Winnipeg Police Service public information officer Const. Jason Michalyshen suggested to me when we spoke earlier this week, although he put it slightly differently. He said police can't go kicking in doors, at least not without a search warrant. "There's a process we have to follow." He said he understands the victim's frustration, but sometimes police can't act as quickly as they'd like to. "We can't snap our fingers," is how Michalyshen put it. All true, but not totally true. When I spoke to a former senior Winnipeg police officer, he said if the patrol officers had driven the six blocks from the scene of the theft to the Corydon apartment, they could have secured the scene and sought a search warrant. So, why didn't they go? Michalyshen said he didn't know. I asked him something else. According to Robert, the caretaker said he had reported suspicious activity at the apartment to police more than once, prior to last weekend. But police hadn't responded. I asked Michalyshen if he could verify that. He said he couldn't. What he could tell me, though, was that prior to last weekend, police in District 6 had been aware there had been a rash of stolen bikes in the Fort Rouge area. And beyond. Last month, Gord's Ski & Bike on Donald Street had been hit by professional thieves three times for a total of eight bikes, including a couple worth $8,000 each. And by Tuesday, when the column appeared, Robert quickly learned he wasn't alone because of Facebook messages from others in the neighbourhood who'd had bikes stolen. Were the two patrol officers aware there had been a rash of stolen bikes in the area? Michalyshen said he didn't know. What the WPS spokesman could tell me about how police handled the case was this: The officers in charge of the patrol officers who took Robert's report on Saturday are "very pleased" with the thoroughness of their work. And, police made no mistakes. But then, when do they ever? Or at least, ever admit they did? But we should give the last words to the victim. Words that cut through all the police we-don't-knows, to what Rejean Robert knows: "We had a witness, pictures, an address... what more do they need to help protect the property of citizens?" gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca *STOLEN BIKES BY THE NUMBERS* 3,000 -- estimated number of bikes reported stolen annually in Winnipeg. 1,500 -- estimated number of bikes recovered annually. 10-12 -- percentage of recovered bikes returned to owners in Winnipeg. 100,000 -- estimated number of stolen bikes reported stolen annually in Canada. 200,000 -- estimated total number of bikes stolen annually across Canada. Sources: City of Winnipeg, TD Insurance http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/why-police-didnt-bust-bike-thieves-1…

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City of Winnipeg News Release - OurWinnipeg - The Conversation Continues
by DeweyPovoledo, Susanne 14 Jun '12

14 Jun '12

[Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: cid:image001.png@01CC88E0.FA0A1B80] For Immediate Release Wednesday, June 13, 2012 OurWinnipeg - The Conversation Continues Winnipeg, MB - Today, the City released the first "OurWinnipeg: Report to the Community" which tracks progress in implementing its long-term development plan. The planning document, OurWinnipeg, came into effect nearly one year ago, following a multi-faceted public engagement initiative known as SpeakUpWinnipeg and has won several awards as well as broad community support. Highlighting progress to date, the City will use the successful SpeakUpWinnipeg platform to continue engaging the public in dialogue about OurWinnipeg and efforts towards its implementation. OurWinnipeg is the City's blueprint for the future in all key policy areas, particularly land use and development. The plan was developed through SpeakUpWinnipeg, a massive, multi-faceted public engagement initiative through which city planners reached out to citizens and stakeholders - over 42,000 of them - to determine their vision of what Winnipeg might look like in the future. Having officially come into effect in August 2011, the City has already made substantial progress towards bringing various public initiatives, policy directions and departmental operations in line with the plan's vision and moving it forward. The City will be promoting the report at various locations throughout Winnipeg with staff on-hand to answer questions and talk about how the plan is being moved forward in key areas. These "SpeakUpWinnipeg On the Spot" engagements will take place until Wednesday, June 20, culminating with an Open House at the Millennium Public Library on Thursday, June 21. The report, together with various engagement opportunities are available to the public online at SpeakUpWinnipeg.com -30- Media inquiries should be directed to the City of Winnipeg Media Inquiry Line at 204-986-6000 or via email at MediaInquiry(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:MediaInquiry@winnipeg.ca> Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg<http://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg<http://www.twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg>

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WFP: Chop shop but no cop - Bike thieves' pictures and address seem insufficient for police (Jun12'12)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '12

13 Jun '12

Chop shop but no cop Bike thieves' pictures and address seem insufficient for police By: Gordon Sinclair Jr. <gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca> What would you do? I mean, what would you do if someone stole your $700 mountain bike -- and your fiancée's $600 model -- and you called police with the kind of lead you didn't have to be Sherlock Holmes to follow. But then you got the feeling police weren't interested in following it. Well, I'll tell you what 33-year-old Rejean Robert did. It was Saturday, just after the lunch hour, when Rejean's soon-to-be wife Brenda Harder saw the note posted on the front door of their Fort Rouge apartment block. The note had been left by a neighbour who, about an hour earlier, had seen two thieves make off with four bikes that had been locked under an apartment fire escape. The witness, who could be the poster boy for Neighbourhood Watch, contacted police and took photographs of the thieves pulling off one of the most common and frustrating Winnipeg crimes. Not only that, but he made like a cop and trailed them in his vehicle and watched as they hauled the bikes to a walk-up apartment on Corydon. Minus one of the bikes, which he found stashed in the bush and returned to the owner. But that's only part of the story. While patrol officers responded that same afternoon, Rejean and Brenda were taken aback by what one of the officers told them. "They said it was very unlikely they were going to recover our bikes," Rejean recalled Monday morning. Police had a witness who had given them a statement. Plus photographs of the crime in progress. And the nearby address where the bikes had been taken. But that didn't seem to be enough to track down their bikes the same day. "That basically told me they weren't going to go and look," Rejean said. "I didn't know what to do at that point." By late Sunday afternoon, a day later, he'd had enough of waiting for the police to do nothing. So he and Brenda paid a visit to the apartment block on Corydon where their bikes had last been seen. As luck would have it, the apartment caretaker was working outside. Rejean told the caretaker why they were there and showed him the photos their neighbour had taken of the theft. The caretaker recognized the people in the photographs right away. Rejean said the caretaker told them there was what amounts to a bicycle chop shop being run out of the one of the apartments in the block he looks after, and he had reported it to police more than once. But they didn't respond. Rejean asked the caretaker if police had stopped by that weekend to investigate their complaint. "He said they never came by." Then the caretaker invited them into the block to see what he would have shown police if they had contacted him. It was a basement storage locker packed with bikes and bike parts. The caretaker asked Rejean if he wanted to see if their bikes were there. Rejean said yes. Brenda said no. "She was too scared to go up." Rejean was nervous, too. He didn't know if they had a gun or a knife, or what would happen. But since the caretaker was with him, Rejean climbed the stairs. There, propped up in the hall, Rejean spotted what he recognized right away as Brenda's bike. The caretaker knocked on the door. And when a young man opened the door, there were more bike parts and more bikes, but nothing that resembled his. The young man in the apartment said he had paid $50 for it, so it was his. By that time, hearing the dispute in progress, Brenda had joined them. The guy in the apartment was demanding to see their purchase receipt for the bike he'd just bought. Rejean and Brenda said they wanted to see his. And then Rejean and Brenda called his bluff. They suggested they call police and the cops could resolve it. At which point the dispute over the bike was resolved, because the guy with all the bikes and bike parts wanted nothing to do with police. What he didn't know, though, is apparently the police didn't want anything to do with the guy in the apartment, either. Police didn't return repeated requests for comment on Monday. But late Monday afternoon, Rejean called to say he had just received a text from the neighbour who witnessed the crime in progress, took the photos and followed the thieves. He had been contacted by police, and a detective was coming to see him. To take notes, no doubt. Which is what I did when I finally reached the poster boy for Neighbourhood Watch Monday. And he said this: "I did what I hope any neighbour would do." gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/chop-shop-but-no-cop-158535455.html

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Metro daily: Closing gaps in Winnipeg's bike network (Jun11'12)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jun '12

12 Jun '12

Closing gaps in Winnipeg’s bike network by Colin Fast Winnipeg has made a lot of progress as a cycling city in recent years. New multi-use trails have been built, on-street bike lanes have been painted, more bike parking has been added, and bike routes are even plowed in the winter. It’s no surprise that making it easier to get around town has boosted interest in cycling. While the two-wheel crowd is enjoying the new infrastructure, there are still several holes in the system that can make it confusing and dangerous to get from one pathway to another. Take the example of a group of cyclists trying to make their way from River Heights to the new rapid-transit line. They head east on the pathway along Taylor Avenue, make a right on to Harrow, and then … “OHMYGOD! That’s Pembina! We’re all going to die!“ You see, to your average cyclist, Pembina Highway is like Kryptonite: You avoid it at all costs, because eventually it will kill you. At this particular juncture, our cyclists have two choices: White-knuckle it under the rail bridge and the Jubilee overpass, or ride up the embankment of the rail bridge, jump over the tracks, then scramble across traffic onto the overpass. Obviously, neither option is particularly safe. This is why local cycling advocates call this “the Pembina Gap,” and have identified it as one of the critical missing links in Winnipeg’s cycling network. Yet when the city released concepts for an overhaul of the Pembina underpass recently, only one of three designs included a safe, direct way for cyclists or pedestrians to get across the street. It’s this gap in transportation planning that disappoints Janice Lukes of the Winnipeg Trails Association, who has been pushing the city to improve connections between different pathways. “We’ve built a lot of multi-use trails and on-street infrastructure in the past few years, and there’s more and more people wanting to use them,” she says. “So we need to fill the gaps now, purely from a safety perspective.” In addition to the Pembina Gap, Lukes points to other problem areas along Osborne Street, St. Mary’s Road and throughout northwest Winnipeg. She says bridges are bad chokepoints for bike traffic, and wonders why the Osborne Bridge rehabilitation didn’t include a separated bike lane. However, there are some encouraging signs. New pedestrian/cycling bridges over the Red River and the Perimeter will allow people to ride all the way from The Forks to Birds Hill Park on dedicated trails within five years. And the city begins construction next month on what Lukes calls “the Holy Grail of bike infrastructure” in Winnipeg: A bike lane that separates cyclists from traffic by using bollards along several blocks of Pembina Highway. “This is by far the most important piece of the puzzle,” says Lukes, who hopes the new bike lane can be a model for other high-traffic roadways, like Portage Avenue. “The safety it’s going to provide for users is incredible, and we know that improving safety is essential to getting more cyclists on the road.” http://metronews.ca/voices/urban-compass-winnipeg/258040/closing-gaps-in-wi…

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