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Friday infographic - protected bike lanes
by Beth McKechnie 13 May '16

13 May '16

Nice infographic on the benefits of protected lanes courtesy of the PeopleforBikes.org <http://peopleforbikes.org> (aka Green Lane Project <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/green-lane-project>). Too bad it doesn't include Canada as well! * * * * * *Click the image for a larger version <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/PFB_BikeLaneDayInfographic_120…>. Feel free to share or use it however you'd like. Want more details? We keep them and many others here <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/category/protected-bike-lane-stati…>* . <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/PFB_BikeLaneDayInfographic_120…> -- *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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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New York Times: Buildings get bike friendly
by Beth McKechnie 09 May '16

09 May '16

Buildings Get Bike Friendly By JANE MARGOLIESMAY 6, 2016 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/realestate/catering-to-new-yorkers-with-b… One recent morning Erik Harrison, a vice president of the Patrinely Group <http://www.patrinelygroup.com/home.html>, stopped by 535W43 <http://535w43.com/>, a rental complex nearing completion that his company is developing with the USAA Real Estate Company between 10th and 11th Avenues in Manhattan <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newyork/newy…>. But it wasn’t the 280 units in the two 14-story brick towers designed by CetraRuddy <http://www.cetraruddy.com/> that were on his mind. It was the bike rooms, one in each of the towers, located not in a shadowy basement but right on the ground level, with big windows letting in abundant light. “We’re going to have a table where people can fix their bikes, and maybe we’ll hold workshops,” Mr. Harrison said, surveying the south tower’s 850-square-foot bike space as cyclists seen through the windows zipped by toward the Hudson River Greenway. “We’ll fit as many bike racks as we can.” Driven by demand as well as a city mandate, developers and building owners are carving out bike rooms for residents to store what for some has become their transportation mode of choice. The state-of-the-art spaces often have their own entrances, saving wear-and-tear on the lobby and passenger elevators. They also offer their own gear by way of pumps and repair stands, and, sometimes, homey touches like hooks for hanging helmets. In the fancier buildings, porters and door attendants act as bike valets. “People come to an open house and ask, ‘Do you have a gym, a roof deck, a doorman?,’ ” said David Maundrell III, the executive vice president for Brooklyn <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newyork/newy…> and Queens <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/classifieds/realestate/locations/newyork/newy…> new development of Citi Habitats. “Now they also ask, ‘Do you have a bike room?’ ” Ridership has been growing steadily, according to the New York City Department of Transportation. A 2014 survey by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene indicated that in vast swaths of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, up to 20 percent of the population cycled several times a month. While the Citi Bike <https://www.citibikenyc.com/> program can lay claim to some of the increase in cycling, people who own their own wheels still make up the majority of riders, according to Paul Steely White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives <https://www.transalt.org/>, an advocacy group. Of course, riders can store their bikes in their apartments, if there’s room. But “now when you’re spending a million dollars for a one-bedroom,” said Roberta Axelrod, the director of residential sales and marketing at Time Equities, “no one wants a bike in there” propped against the wall. Residents of older buildings have been clamoring for the conversion of formerly empty or underutilized “back-of-house” space into storage for bikes. “If you have a building with two- and three-bedroom apartments, 100 units doesn’t mean 100 bikes,” said Matthew Baron, the president of Simon Baron Development <http://www.simonbaron.com/>. “It could be 300 or 400.” Consequently, there are waiting lists for many of the city’s bike rooms. As for new buildings, a zoning amendment passed in 2009 requires the provision of one bike space for every two units in structures of 10 apartments or more. The law also applies to substantially enlarged buildings and to those being converted to residential use. “It used to be you’d build a building and then say, where should we put the bikes?” Ms. Axelrod said. “Now it’s included in the program from the beginning.” In Downtown Brooklyn, 388 Bridge <http://388bridge.com/>, a new 378-unit rental/condo building, created 190 bike spaces in three separate rooms in the basement, one space above its mandated quota. Many buildings near parks or bike lanes, or ones geared to a demographic group that favors cycling, exceed the minimum number of spots. Forty2East, a new 53-unit condo building in East Williamsburg, has 36 bike spots, nine more than its quota. In some cases, bike rooms are muscling out other types of storage. TheRichard Meier <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/realestate/06SqFt.html>-designed condominium One Grand Army Plaza, in Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights neighborhood, originally was going to have 75 bike slots, but even before the building opened in 2008, that number was deemed inadequate — especially considering the location, opposite Prospect Park <https://www.prospectpark.org/>, and the number of family-size apartments it contained. After space from the garage was folded into the bike room, it accommodated 90 bikes, and, more recently, with the addition of double-decker racks and wall hooks, it now has 117 spots. These days, however, it seems the mere provision of space isn’t enough. Bike rooms in buildings coming to market now are being tricked out with compression air pumps, of the sort found in bike shops and gas stations, and work stands to which one can clamp a bike while oiling a chain or fixing a flat. Tools are often on hand, and sometimes there’s a hose for washing bikes down after a muddy ride. At 252 East 57th Street, a condominium under construction near Second Avenue, one of the door attendants stationed at the porte-cochere will be able to whisk away a bike after a ride and have it readied for the next outing. At the Residences at Prince <http://princeatmott.com/>, a condominium project in an 1826 landmark-designated building in NoLIta that previously housed a Catholic school, the bike room will have hooks where residents can hang their helmets between rides. Many buildings are providing the bicycles themselves, acquiring their own fleets — emblazoned with the buildings’ names — for residents’ use. Circa Central Park <http://circacentralpark.com/>, a condominium taking shape at West 110th Street and Central Park West, will have four branded single-speed recreational bikes by Priority Bicycles <http://www.prioritybicycles.com/>, according to Shlomi Reuveni, a managing director of Town New Development, which is handling sales and marketing. At 50 West <http://www.50westnyc.com/>, a condominium under development in Lower Manhattan, residents will be able to take the building’s four Porsche bikes, which cost $3,700 each, out for a spin. At least one building is even giving bicycles away. Nine52 <http://www.nine52.com/>, a luxury condo soon to open on West 52nd Street in Hell’s Kitchen, will have 20 black single-speed Joulvert bikes, according to Maria Theresa Ienna of Park River Properties, the director of sales. It is also offering a bike, valued at around $450, as a closing gift to the first 25 buyers. “Customers come in and listen to the sales presentation and say, ‘That’s a beautiful bike,’” Ms. Ienna said. “We say, ‘If you buy an apartment, the bike is yours.’ ” The least expensive unit in the building (already in contract) is a studio for $597,000. There is usually a price for parking in a bike room, according to owners and developers. The charges, which can come in the form of a monthly or annual fee, vary widely, from a token $10 per year to $10 to $100 per month. “It’s a decent revenue stream,” said Marc Kotler, a senior vice president for the new development group of FirstService Residential. “It can be $10,000 or $20,000 a year in income” for a building. For some New Yorkers, even a bike room won’t do. The finicky can stow their top-of-the-line bikes in the private storage lockers that some buildings have, safe from jostling and scratching. Or come up with other solutions. Susi Wunsch, the founder of Velojoy <http://velojoy.com/>, a cycling lifestyle website, keeps her everyday bike, an all-black aluminum Kona Dew with disc brakes, in the bike room of her Greenwich Village building, though she isn’t a fan of wrestling it on and off overhead hooks. She balances her Serotta Ottrott road bike — which she called her “pride and joy” — atop a bookcase in her home office. With a frame that’s clear carbon and titanium, it weighs only 16 pounds. Meanwhile, her midnight blue Pashley Britannia, with its big wicker basket strapped to the handlebars, is parked in the dining room, where “its beauty merits ‘sculpture’ status,” she said. It helps, she added, that she has “a very understanding husband.” -- *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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Fwd: Biking Vacation Trips
by Terry Zdan 06 May '16

06 May '16

---------- Forwarded message ---------- <https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=ChTOHs5IsV9j7MpLjBeeNv…>

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New cycle track approved on Bloor in Toronto
by Jessie Klassen 05 May '16

05 May '16

Toronto city council voted to move ahead with a pilot cycle track on 2.6 kms of Bloor St in Toronto. Also involves removal of 135 on-street parking spaces. https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2016/05/04/city-council-debates-bloo… *Jessie Klassen* | 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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> *** Please note: I am in the office Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.***

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WFP: Pedestrian and bike paths worth $6M approved (May4'16)
by Beth McKechnie 04 May '16

04 May '16

Pedestrian and bike paths worth $6M approved http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/pedestrian-and-bike-paths-worth-6-m-… Winnipeg will be getting $6-million worth of new cycling and pedestrian paths, and corridors and sidewalks this year. Members of the public works committee Tuesday approved a modified pedestrian and cycling action plan, the first year of a 20-year, $330-million strategy to construct an active transportation netwwork across the city. "This is the first time we've ever had a strategy so there will be hiccups and we're learning, but I think the councillors' concerns were addressed," said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee. The plan, which still must be approved by council, includes: $1.3 million for recreational walkways and bicycle paths; $1 million for new regional sidewalks; $300,000 for new non-regional sidewalks; $1.5 million for bicycle corridors. $1.7 million for studies and related work The 20-year strategy faced stiff opposition from some councillors before it was approved in July 2015. Critics said many of the maps were wrong, and corridors and pathways were proposed without resident feedback. But Lukes, who shepherded the strategy through council, said at the time the strategy was a guideline which would be implemented on an annual basis with input from area councillors and with council's approval. Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) kept her word at committee Tuesday, where the committee addressed councillors' concerns with this year's plans and modified the administration report before passing it on for council consideration. Coun. Brian Mayes said he was opposed to a multi-modal corridor study along St. Anne's Road, from St. Mary's Road to the Perimeter, citing local business opposition to building a cycling corridor. The committee agreed to Mayes' compromise to use the $250,000 allocated to the St. Anne's study for a study of a possible cycling corridor along Des Meurons and another linking River Road to Rivergate Drive. One of the strongest critics of the 20-year strategy was Coun. Jeff Browaty, who appeared at the committee Tuesday to oppose a $450,000 study to identify the location of a new cycling and pedestrian bridge over the Red River somewhere between Kildonan Settlers Bridge and Harry Lazarenko bridge. Browaty said that study would be a waste of funds and preferred the administration explore how to modify the sidewalks on Kildonan Settlers bridge to accommodate cyclists and to improve the corridor along Kildonan Drive. Lukes said the administration had consulted councillors before bringing the report to the committee but said Tuesday's changes were made to address the councillors' concerns. Lukes said the 2017 plan will be reviewed as part of the budget process. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca *Highlights of the 2016 pedestrian and cycling action plan* *SIDEWALKS* $564,770 -- New sidewalk along the west side of Smith Street between Graham Avenue and St. Mary Avenue. $225,000 -- New sidewalk on the west side of Lagimodiere Boulevard between East Mint Place and Burmac Road. $205,000 -- Sherbrook Street enhancements for pedestrian crossing and transit stops, from Ellice Avenue to Cumberland Avenue. *CYCLING CORRIDORS* $475,000 -- Forks to Assiniboine Avenue $350,000 -- North East Pioneers Greenway to Archibald Street $74,120 -- Production of a print and digital Winnipeg cycling map $200,000 -- A study to determine the best location for pedestrian/cycling bridge over the Seine River *RECREATIONAL WALKWAYS AND BIKE PATHS* $892,000 -- Construction of Phase 1 of the Northwest Hydro Corridor/McPhillips Greenway corridor $767,000 -- Construction of a pathway linking St. John's Park to south of Redwood Avenue, includes purchase of private property. -- *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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Bike lane line quality problems in Montreal
by Patman, David 03 May '16

03 May '16

Lines aren't straight: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-bike-paths-crooked-lines-ro… Possible alternative solution: http://www.mtlblog.com/2016/04/montreal-could-be-first-city-to-let-street-a… Hope they come up with a solution. -David Patman

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Physical activity workshop (May18/2016)
by Beth McKechnie 02 May '16

02 May '16

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Miriam Gonzalez <Miriam.Gonzalez(a)umanitoba.ca> Date: Mon, May 2, 2016 at 2:51 PM Subject: Physical activity workshop (May18/2016)- Please share *Please share with others who may be interested. *Miriam Gonzalez* B.A. (Hns Psyc), M.Sc., PhD. Family Medicine Research, College of Medicine Faculty of Health Sciences [image: cid:image001.png@01CF4749.72883EB0] George and Fay Yee Centre for Health Care Innovation Third Floor, Chown Building 753 McDermot Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3E0T6 Email: Miriam.Gonzalez(a)umanitoba.ca

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WFP: City has long list of street repairs, new bike-and-pedestrian projects slated for completion this year (Apr.30'16)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Apr '16

30 Apr '16

Smoother road aheadCity has long list of street repairs, new bike-and-pedestrian projects slated for completion this year http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/smoother-road-ahead-377671791.html Mild spring weather has led to an early start to Winnipeg’s 2016 construction season, which will see the city spend $105 million on road repairs. In March, city council approved a plan to conduct major repairs or "mill and fill" rehabilitations on 15 regional streets, most notably Pembina Highway, where $11.7 million is tabbed for the stretch between Grant Avenue and Confusion Corner. Two sections of St. James Street are getting a combined $9.3-million makeover, while $4.75 million will be poured into Logan Avenue. The rest of the city’s road-repair cash will be spent on smaller regional road-repair projects, local residential streets, back lanes, alleys and gravel roads. The city also plans to spend $4.1 million to create new sidewalks and bicycle corridors. The early snowmelt has allowed the city to get a head start on the work, beginning with the completion of a handful of leftover 2015 jobs — including the rehabilitation of Selkirk Avenue — and the largest of the new city projects. ‘"We’re excited the weather has co-operated this year. It’s one of the earliest go dates we’ve given to the contracting industry," said Lester Deane, director of Winnipeg’s public works department. On Tuesday, council’s public works committee will consider a pair of reports outlining the 2016 list of residential street repairs and new bike-and-pedestrian projects. Once approved, those will get underway as well, Deane said. The smaller residential-street repairs rarely fall behind schedule, said St. Norbert Coun. Janice Lukes, who chairs the public works committee. "Local streets are pretty bread-and-butter. A lot of that is just rehabilitation. The industry’s hungry and ready to go." Here’s a list of major road repairs and new bike-and-pedestrian projects scheduled to be completed in 2016, according to budget documents and the reports headed to the public works committee: *1. Major regional street reconstructions* Pembina Highway (Grant Avenue to Osborne Street): $11.7 million St. James Street (Maroons Road to Portage Avenue, Sargent Avenue to Ellice Avenue): $9.3 million Logan Avenue (Blake Street to Keewatin Street): $4.75 million Keewatin Street (Logan Avenue to Notre Dame Avenue): $2.4 million Corydon Avenue, westbound (Montrose Street to Niagara Street): $2.05 million Sargent Avenue (Victor Street to Arlington Street): $1.8 million Archibald/Watt Street (80 Archibald St. to Nairn Avenue): $1.5 million Maryland Street (Portage Avenue to Broadway): $800,000 Academy Road (Stafford Street to Harrow Street): $700,000 *2. Regional "mill & fill" work* St. Mary’s Road (St. Anne’s Road to Lyndale Drive): $1.6 million Inkster Boulevard (Keewatin Street to Sheppard Street): $1.6 million Academy Road (Maryland Bridge to Stafford Street, Campbell Street to Renfrew Street): $1.5 million Watt Street (Chalmers Avenue to Nairn Avenue): $850,000 Henderson Highway, northbound (Leighton Avenue to McLeod Avenue, Springfield Road to Whellams Lane): $800,000 Notre Dame Avenue, eastbound (Wall Street to Arlington Street): $750,000 Maryland Street (Ellice Avenue to Portage Avenue): $700,000 Lagimodiere Boulevard, southbound (Dugald Road to Rue Marion): $250,000 *3. Residential street renewals* Citywide (including lane and sidewalk renewals): $44 million (Click on the interactive map at winnipegfreepress.com to find out if your street will be fixed this season.) *4. Major new bike lanes, paths and corridors* Pembina Highway buffered bike lanes (Osborne Street to Grant Avenue): $4 million, included in Pembina rehab budget Forks-Assiniboine Avenue cycle track connection: $475,000 Waverley Street multi-use pathway (Bishop Grandin Boulevard to Scurfield Boulevard): $447,000 Northeast Pioneers Greenway-Archibald Street connection: $350,000 *5. New sidewalks* Smith Street (Graham Avenue to St. Mary Avenue): $565,000 Lagimodiere Boulevard (East Mint Place to Burmac Road): $225,000 Downing Street (Wellington Avenue to Sargent Park Place): $150,000 Howden Road (Humber Road to Betournay Street): $150,000 *6. Other street work* Thin bituminous overlays: $5 million Granular roads: $4 million Alley renewals: $2.75 million bartley.kives(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Tourism Calgary: Getting around Calgary by bike
by Beth McKechnie 28 Apr '16

28 Apr '16

Great to see how Tourism Calgary is promoting cycling as a way to experience their city. http://www.visitcalgary.com/visitor-info/getting-around-calgary/bike -- *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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Metro News: Cycling trails expected to be top priority in Toronto bid for federal cash
by Beth McKechnie 20 Apr '16

20 Apr '16

Cycling trails expected to be top priority in Toronto bid for federal cash http://www.metronews.ca/news/toronto/2016/04/19/cycling-trails-could-be-tor… It's expected to be the city's first official request for a slice of the $60 billion in new infrastructure funding. Cycling and active transportation projects are expected to be among the city's first request for federal infrastructure money. Councillors are planning to ask the federal government for funding to extend the West Toronto Railpath and improve the East Don Trail. It’s expected to be the city’s first official request for a slice of the $60 billion in new infrastructure funding promised by the new Liberal government, said Coun. Jaye Robinson, chair of council’s public works and infrastructure committee. Both projects are part of a larger plan to improve Toronto’s network of multi-use trails. The federal government has made it clear there will be money available for green infrastructure projects, said Robinson. “We’re ready to roll these out, but the issue is we don’t have the funding to do it,” Robinson said. “We have a great vision and ideology about active transportation in our city, but the funding seems to perpetually be the hold up.” City officials aren’t clear yet on the process of applying to get money, but Robinson has introduced a council motion aimed at allowing the city to get a jump on the process. “We want to hit the ground running on these discussions and make sure we’re front and centre on this issue and not being overlooked,” she said. The Liberal government’s pledge for new infrastructure spending extends over 10 years and is on top of on top of the commitments made by the previous government. It starts with $5 billion over five years for necessary upgrades to municipal water and “green” infrastructure projects that can be implemented quickly. The government has promised to cover 50 per cent of most project requests. *About the projects* — The West Toronto Railpath Extension is a planned multi-use trail that connects the existing West Toronto Railpath from Dundas Street West, along the Kitchener GO rail line, to Fort York. It would cost $23 million and construction is scheduled to start next year, but the city hasn’t found the money to pay for it yet. — The East Don Trail project would link existing trails in the Don Valley, giving more people access to the valley’s trail network. It will cost $26 million and is also unfunded.

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