- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

SUVs more deadly to pedestrians and cyclists
by Charles Feaver 09 Nov '15

09 Nov '15

Good article in the Globe that explains, in part, why our roads are more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists than European roads: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/why-the-suv-mentality-needs-to-c hange/article27172486/ Recently, four-year-old Arisa Ahmed and her seven-year-old sister, Ayra, were struck by a Mercedes SUV while crossing the street in front of their school in a residential neighbourhood of Markham, a northeastern suburb of Toronto. Arisa was killed and Ayra was taken to hospital with serious injuries. Every aspect of this collision will be investigated. But as traffic authorities consider installing the speed bumps and stop sign that residents say they have been requesting for years, one factor will escape scrutiny: the vehicle that did it. We in the land of cheap gas and vast geography like our cars big and powerful. A combination of psychological and design factors make large passenger vehicles such as SUVs much more of a threat to pedestrians and cyclists than standard passenger cars, a fact that deserves attention as a larger class of vehicle comes to dominate our roads. Within a generation, the sport utility vehicle has gone from a fringe phenomenon to the new normal. According to industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers, SUVs represent the fastest-growing segment of Canadas vehicle market, with sales tripling in the past decade as those of passenger cars have shrivelled. SUVs are the vehicle of choice for young families, thanks in part to their ample interior space and cachet, but primarily because we think theyre safe. Despite research on their rollover risk, slower braking times and poorer handling, were convinced that the basic laws of physics pertain: If it comes down to a highway encounter between a Fiat two-door and a GMC Yukon, we know where wed rather be. When we say safe, were thinking in terms of occupants, picturing our little bundles of joy packed into the back seat, and not pedestrians, face to face with the front grille, invisible to the driver and, assuming the vehicle is in motion, doomed. Researchers at the University of Michigans Transportation Research Institute have concluded that a pedestrian hit by an LTV (light truck vehicle, which includes minivans, pickup trucks and SUVs) is more than three times more likely to be killed than one hit by a car less due to the vehicles greater mass than due to its height and the design of its front end. A pedestrian hit by a passenger car will, with luck (a relative term), be struck in the legs and sent over the hood. An LTV will probably strike a pedestrian with its blunt hood for adults, at the level of the torso, home of the vital organs; for kids, the level of the head. The LTV will then knock 65 per cent of adults and 93 per cent of children to the ground, where they have a good chance of being run over. The good news is that, with safety technologies continually improving, the total number of accidents and fatalities on Canadian roads is in steady decline. The bad news is the portion of those fatalities that are pedestrians and cyclists continues to rise. Studies show the more convinced a driver is of the safety of his own vehicle, the more careless he is in its operation. As a first step toward mitigating this risk, we need better data. In Ontario, the municipal and provincial statistics on pedestrian collisions use the term automobile to cover everything that is not a van, truck, bus or streetcar. With automobiles causing nearly 10 times more deaths than any other type of vehicle, this figure needs to be broken down into categories employed by automotive engineers so research can be correlated. We should also consider tougher testing. Having taken my drivers exam in both Ontario and Germany, I would liken the former to hard-boiling an egg and the latter to mastering a soufflé. The Germans insist on knowledge of the vehicles inner workings and the relationship between mass and velocity, and hyper-vigilance with respect to pedestrians and cyclists. Young Germans grumble about the failure rate of 30 per cent on the driving exam, but their country sees one-third fewer pedestrian fatalities per capita than Canada. As an SUV-driving friend said to me, I feel like Im insulting my car when I drive 30 kilometres an hour, referring to the speed limit on many residential streets in Toronto. The cars begging to do more. Let it beg. And drivers must bear in mind that the more ensconced and elevated our vehicle makes us feel, the more likely we are to ruin the life of a non-vehicular fellow being.

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Separated cycleways increase residential property value (Sydney, Aus)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Nov '15

08 Nov '15

Local bike paths mean higher house prices http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/2011/05/03/local-bike-paths-mean-higher-h… *Transport planner Rachel Smith writes:* On April Fool’s Day Fairfax Media posted a video <http://media.drive.com.au/property/domain/sydneys-grand-new-bike-boulevard-…> affirming that the new inner Sydney cycleways have had a positive effect on property prices. It was no joke. It seems that having a bikeway right outside your front door is good for your health *and* the value of your house. The City of Sydney’s network of separated cycleways have attracted their unfair share of controversy; threats of legal action, opposition from traders and a protest rally ironically attended by 200 pro-bike lane supporters and no opponents. <http://blogs.crikey.com.au/rooted/files/2011/05/bourkest.jpg> Fairfax interviewed Nic, a local real estate agent, who said that the Bourke Street bike path has had a “positive effect and influence on sales in the area” as well as Don, an owner-builder, selling a recently renovated million dollar property. Don explained the combination of a garage at the rear and the bike path out the front had added a premium of $100,000 to his house. Like many, Don had been sceptical, particularly because of the loss of on-street car parking, but now that the Parisian style bike boulevard with gardens and street lamps has been finished, even he agrees that Bourke Street “looks good”. There is no denying that Bourke Street is beautiful; lined on either side with grand Victorian homes, exquisite cafes and a stunning canopy of trees. The bikeway has, as Lord Mayor Clover Moore says, made Bourke Street, “a very special street”. We all want to live on a beautiful street and we all want to know what the tangible benefits of improved social infrastructure could be to our street, our neighbourhood our city. So should we, and can we, use economics to support the case for more safe and separated bikeways in our cities? Yes we should. But, implementing anything that requires changes to on-street car parking is controversial because many traders believe, rightly or wrongly, that customers will go elsewhere, that ‘convenience’ will be destroyed and that bike riders don’t spend money. Research in 2007 <http://colabradio.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Value_of_Bike_Parking_…> [PDF] by Alison Lee sought to identify the economic value of replacing car parking with bike parking in shopping strips. The case study in Lygon Street Carlton in Melbourne showed that cycling generates 3.6 times more expenditure. Even though a car user spends more per hour on average compared to a bike rider, the small area of public space required for bike parking suggests that each square metre allocated to bike parking generates $31 per hour, compared to $6 generated for each square metre used for a car parking space, with food/drink and clothing retailers benefiting the most from bike riders. A model developed in the US, as part of research that examined factors affecting property values in Delaware, showed that a bicycle path would be expected to increase property values by about US$8,800. The research done by David P. Racca and Amardeep Dhanju <http://128.175.63.72/projects/DOCUMENTS/bikepathfinal.pdf> [PDF] in 2006 indicated that the presence of a bike path either increased property values and ease of sale slightly or had no effect. A study in Pittsburgh found that both property owners and real estate agents both agree that bike paths led to increases in business and property selling prices. Although these increases in value cannot be strictly linked to the bikeway, the increase is noteworthy. Pittsburgh is not an isolated case. Realtors in North Carolina reportedly <http://documents.publicworks.houstontx.gov/documents/divisions/ecd/research…> added US$5,000 to the prices of 40 homes adjacent to the Shepherd’s Vineyard Bikeway. Similarly results from the 1999 Bicycle Plan <http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/transport/cycling/documents/1999bikeplan.pdf> by the City of Vancouver indicated that 65% of realtors would use the bikeway as a selling feature of a home. Another study in 1997 showed that bike paths were placed third in a list of thirty-nine features that home buyers defined as crucial in persuading them to buy a home in a new community. These case studies provide a basis for action and demonstrate that bikeways can help to support a diverse and resilient economy with positive benefits for individuals. The fundamental problem we have in Australia is that we need to improve our data collection efforts. It is impossible to monitor change if we don’t measure change. A prime example is Brisbane’s South East Freeway Bikeway, adjacent to the M3 Motorway, designed for commuter cyclists. The bikeway is predominantly used by male cyclists for longer distance commuting trips with almost all trips made during the morning and afternoon peaks. We know who is using this established bikeway now but we have little knowledge of cycling behaviour in the area prior to the bikeway and no contestable evidence of people relocating to the area to use the bikeway. Without this ‘before’ and ‘after’ evidence cycling, as a transport option, is powerless to compete for government funding. Bikeways cost money and their merits are often called into question. If we really want cycling to be a central part of our cities more data is needed to show a direct correlation between a city’s bikeway program and the city’s economy. Planners, engineers, economists, policy officers and decision makers alike, need to increase the quantity and quality of pre and post construction data collected. They also need to develop a consistent methodology to justify and evaluate the benefits. Finally they need to work in partnership with business associations to measure and monitor change, in an objective manner, with appropriate scale analysis. Despite the early controversy to change, Sydney’s Lord Mayor knows the bikeways have been a success. Votes for her in the polling booths close to the bikeways have been maintained or increased… seems like bikeways can be good for wallets, waistlines and the pollies that support them. *Rachel Smith is a Principal Transport Planner with AECOM in Brisbane. Rachel’s Cycling Super Highways Toolkit (downloadable here <http://www.4shared.com/document/COLaHTtt/PBT_Seminar_-_Cycling_Super_Hi.html>) and study tour received financial support from the 2008 Australian Institute of Traffic Planning and Management Janet Brash Memorial Scholarship.*

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Last chance: Downtown bike lanes & West Alexander ped-bike corridor
by Beth McKechnie 07 Nov '15

07 Nov '15

*** Note: the online surveys close Monday, November 9th *** For those who didn't make it to the Open Houses for the downtown bike lane project or West Alexander ped-bike corridor, you can still provide feedback online but only till Nov 9th: http://www.winnipegwalkbikeprojects.com/ cheers, Beth -- *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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Public forum - "Vibrant Transit: making Transit the preferred choice"
by Beth McKechnie 07 Nov '15

07 Nov '15

** Please share widely ** Come learn about “Human Transit <http://climatechangeconnection.org/solutions/transportation/public-transpor…>” and let’s discuss ways to make Transit awesome. Save the date: - Thursday, November 26 - 7:00PM to 9:00PM - U of W Richardson College of the Environment <https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Richardson+College+for+the+Environment+&+S…> (599 Portage Ave) Panelists: - Dr. Jino Distasio, Director of the Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg - Dr. Barry Prentice, former Director of the Transport Institute, University of Manitoba - Dr. Jeanette Montufar, Associate Professor, University of Manitoba contributor to Winnipeg’s Pedestrian and Cycling Strategy

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Calgary cycle track network: An overnight success story, 5 years in the making
by Beth McKechnie 04 Nov '15

04 Nov '15

Calgary cycle track network: An overnight success story, 5 years in the making In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, building safe, separated bike infrastructure has become one of the lighter, quicker, and cheaper strategies utilized by cities to attract high-tech businesses, talent, and retail activity into their centres. Led by visionary Mayors, predictable players like New York <https://www.ted.com/talks/janette_sadik_khan_new_york_s_streets_not_so_mean…> , Chicago <http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2012/12/17/chicago-mayor-i-want-seattles-bik…> and Vancouver <http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2014/11/whats-needed-to-build-bicycle-culture-in…> – alongside less likely ones such as Indianapolis <http://www.streetfilms.org/the-indianapolis-cultural-trail/>, Pittsburgh <http://www.streetfilms.org/pittsburghs-mayor-peduto-wants-to-leapfrog-your-…> and Memphis <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/memphis-mayor-wharton-how-protecte…> – have assembled ‘minimum grids’ of protected bike lanes – piece by piece – over the past 10 years. These networks had another thing in common: they were completed one street at a time, pulling off the proverbial Band Aid slowly (and rather painfully). But on the morning of June 17, 2015, Calgary announced its own arrival on the international scene, cutting the ribbon on an entire network <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/calgary-rolls-out-a-downtown-prote…> of downtown cycle tracks – the first of its kind in North America. Unlike their counterparts, Calgary’s network wasn’t the product of a ‘top down’ approach from a single political entity. Rather, they were the result of a non-partisan, grassroots campaign (paired with a strategic measure of brokering and championing by Mayor Nenshi) that captured an entire city’s imagination, and demonstrated the undeniable demand for safer cycling facilities. Read full story: http://calgarybuzz.com/2015/11/calgary-cycle-track-network/

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MassDOT Separated Bike Lane Planing & Design Guidelines
by Mark Cohoe 04 Nov '15

04 Nov '15

Hi, The Massachusetts DOT Separated Bike Lane Planning & Design Guidelines are now available. These promise to be the most comprehensive set of guidelines produced in North America to date, and have a ton of detail matched with some great illustrations. http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/DoingBusinessWithUs/ManualsPublicati… Cheers, Mark Cohoe Bike Winnipeg

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Fwd: Children's independent mobility
by Anders Swanson 03 Nov '15

03 Nov '15

Interesting report comparing independent children's mobility in various countries. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: *Juliane Stark* <juliane.stark(a)boku.ac.at> Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2015 Subject: Children's independent mobility To: active-school-travel-network(a)googlegroups.com Hello everybody, I herewith send you the recent report about independent mobility of children and a comparison between different countries ( http://www.psi.org.uk/children_mobility). Perhaps it might be interesting for you. Best Juliane ------------------------------------------------------------- Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Juliane Stark Tel. +431-47654-5311 Fax. +431-47654-5344 https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/staff?name=JulianeStark <https://forschung.boku.ac.at/fis/mypubs?name=JulianeStark>Institute for Transport Studies Department of Landscape, Spatial and Infrastructure Sciences University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Peter Jordan Straße 82 1190 Vienna / Austria / Europe *www.boku.ac.at/ <http://www.boku.ac.at/>* www.jugend-unterwegs.at www.evrest-project.org survey.pastaproject.eu/wien -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Active School Travel Network" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to active-school-travel-network+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','active-school-travel-network%2Bunsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com');> . To post to this group, send email to active-school-travel-network(a)googlegroups.com <javascript:_e(%7B%7D,'cvml','active-school-travel-network(a)googlegroups.com');> . To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/active-school-travel-network/5638A2380200… <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/active-school-travel-network/5638A2380200…> . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

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Essentials of Bike Parking
by Beth McKechnie 29 Oct '15

29 Oct '15

Note that you used to have to pay for the APBP Bike Parking Guidelines document, but there is now a free APBP Essentials of Bike Parking <http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.apbp.org/resource/resmgr/Bicycle_Parking/Essen…> document that is available to everyone. Enjoy and please share widely! -- *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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Today's Webinar POSTPONED!
by Jessie Klassen 29 Oct '15

29 Oct '15

Today's webinar, Through-Road/Main Street Interventions, has been POSTPONED until further notice from NCCHPP. Thanks, Jessie *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca> | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 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/> On Wed, Oct 28, 2015 at 11:48 AM, Jessie Klassen < jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca> wrote: > Just a friendly reminder of tomorrow's webinar: Through-Road/Main Street >> Interventions. The webinar viewing will take place in the EcoCentre >> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> boardroom >> (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of >> local applications. >> >> >> RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! >> >> Thanks, >> >> Jessie >> > *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options > > <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre > <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> | Find us here > <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> > > 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 > > > > 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/> > > >> >> ** * * * ** >> Through Road/Main Street Interventions >> >> *Thursday, October 29th, 1-2pm, EcoCentre >> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Boardroom* >> >> >> *This webinar will present “Through Road/Main Street Interventions.” This >> term refers to sections of public roadways that have a dual purpose, >> serving both as the main streets of small or medium-sized communities and >> as through routes for motor vehicles.* >> >> *Presenter*: François Gagnon (NCCHPP) >> >> In this webinar, we will introduce: >> >> - What context-sensitive through road/main street design interventions >> are; >> - What evaluations reveal regarding their effects on public health and >> its determinants; >> - The implications for the practices of actors who would like to promote >> them. >> >> Question and exchange periods will be part of the session. >> >> >> >> >> > >

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Winter Cycling Congress: Early Bird Registration ends Oct 31
by Beth McKechnie 29 Oct '15

29 Oct '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Cara Fisher <carafisher(a)altaplanning.com> Date: Wed, 28 Oct 2015 08:43:59 -0700 The Winter Cycling Congress 2016 <http://wintercyclingcongress2016.org/> conference super early bird "arctic tern" registration closes October 31st for only $325. Don't miss your chance to save on the affordable rate to attend this international conference on winter cycling. The Congress is taking place in the Twin Cities Minneapolis February 2nd through to 4th. The program will be announced very soon. The three theme at this years event are: - Build it - policy, planning, engineering & design for year-round cycling and walking - Maintain it – implementing the plan & maintaining safe, comfortable conditions - Bike it –evaluating winter cycling & encouraging health, economic and social benefits Hope to see you there! Cara Fisher Director, Winter Cycling Federation Planner, Alta Planning + Design

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