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WFP: Riverbank erosion concerns drive Wellington Crescent rehab (Jun4'20)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Jun '20

04 Jun '20

Riverbank erosion concerns drive Wellington Crescent rehab https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/riverbank-erosion-will-force-city-t… A portion of the Wellington Crescent parkway will be dug up and moved south in anticipation of the pavement eventually slipping into the river. Come winter, crews are scheduled to begin an estimated $9.6-million project to rebuild the roadway between Fulham Avenue and Grenfell Boulevard. The project will also include a kilometre-long riverbank stabilization effort to slow failures along the southern bank of the Assiniboine River. “We’ve had one failure and, thankfully, it was not a large, widespread failure,” said Cam Ward, a project manager in the city’s public works department. “If we didn’t do anything, eventually you would see relatively large riverbank failures progressing away from the riverbank and impacting City of Winnipeg assets.” Ward said city officials have been monitoring the portion of riverbank just before the entrance to Assiniboine Park since 2015. The year following, the paved pathway looping through trees along the river started to crack and in 2017 the riverbank failed, forcing a closure of the area. The city has released plans to rehabilitate the area and a preliminary design for the relocation of Wellington Crescent. The project will include placing riprap stone to reinforce the bank, shear keys to slow sliding, moving pathways and the removal and replanting of trees. Relocating Wellington Crescent south instead of shoring up the riverbank was a more economical decision and fit within the council-approved project budget, Ward said. The project cost would have increased to $15.5 million to build the retaining wall necessary to safely accommodate the 8,700 cars that use the existing road on a daily basis. Before relocating the street, which would reduce setbacks for homes on the crescent, area councillor Kevin Klein said the city ought to give more consideration to a proposal to close or limit the road to vehicles and turn it into an active transportation corridor. “Those trees are priceless and moving the road closer to the homes is not going to eliminate the problem forever,” Klein said. “The residents have all told me... they’d prefer the road be closed. “The residents are disappointed that the city is not listening to them and they’re very angry that the neighbourhood has not been included in any official engagement.” The city has consulted residents adjacent to the project area, however. “You have to stabilize the riverbank, we know that,” Klein said. “I believe it’s reasonable to close that and make it a path like they suggested.” Traffic studies conducted by the city ruled out closing the road after noting the diverted traffic would overwhelm adjacent streets. While a pathway requires less investment than a roadway to protect it from riverbank instability, overall cost savings would be negligible due to work required to relocate underground assets and add needed traffic infrastructure, Ward said. The city has launched an online portal to collect public feedback on the project and preferred roadway alignment. Two webinars will also be held on June 9. More information can be found at engage.winnipeg.ca. Construction is expected to be complete by October 2021. danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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AT planning for marginalized communities
by Orly Linovski 03 Jun '20

03 Jun '20

Good article on AT planning for marginalized communities https://theconversation.com/poor-and-black-invisible-cyclists-need-to-be-pa… -------------------------------- Orly Linovski, Ph.D. (RPP, MCIP) Assistant Professor, Department of City Planning University of Manitoba 204-474-6424 / orly.linovski(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:orly.linovski@umanitoba.ca> http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~linovsko/

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APTA urges CDC to reconsider guidance on commuting alone by car
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jun '20

03 Jun '20

*APTA urges CDC to reconsider guidance on commuting alone by car* https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/18349-apta-urges-cdc-to-reconsider… The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is encouraging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reconsider its recent guidance encouraging commuting alone by car. APTA said the stance is misguided, would hamper the nation’s economic recovery, and demonstrates a lack of understanding of how people of all incomes get around their communities. “For many individuals, the cost of owning and commuting by car is not financially viable and out of reach,” APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas said. “The guidance also doesn’t consider the congestion created by millions of cars stuck in traffic. Gridlock and polluted skies are not the mobility future we want emerging from this crisis.” Skoutelas said the position also ignores the role public transportation has played during the pandemic as a lifeline in getting essential workers to hospitals, pharmacies, and grocery stores and the measures public transit agencies have taken to safeguard riders and employees. “In addition, the guidance is confusing and runs counter to past guidance provided to public transit agencies and riders and what has been provided on air travel,” Skoutelas concluded. “We urge the CDC to work with APTA and the public transit industry to further develop appropriate safeguards. The current crisis has underscored that each entity involved in public transit – the transit agencies; the riders; business and elected officials – has a responsibility and role to play in ensuring the safety and vitality of our communities moving forward.”

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WFP Analysis: Keep roads closed for cyclists and pedestrians (Jun2'20)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '20

02 Jun '20

Keep roads closed for cyclists and pedestrians https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/embrace-active-transport… I run a communications and executive advisory firm; since mid-March, our clients have scrambled to navigate the grand mess caused by the COVID-19 crisis, racing to keep pace with the needs of employees and customers while trying to plan for whatever the pandemic brings next. Right now the biggest anxiety for many organizations — at least those in relatively stable sectors — isn’t about Zoom calls or work-from-home policies. It’s fear of missing the moment. As much as COVID-19 presents challenges, it also presents opportunity, and no leader wants their organization left behind once the dust finally clears. Smart companies are already scouring for opportunities, leveraging whatever data they can gather. Not to do so is to risk being outpaced by competitors who had better foresight and the courage to act. For businesses, COVID- 19 proves the old hockey aphorism: you need to skate to where the puck is going. Governments must have the same mindset. No one has a COVID-19 crystal ball, but in some instances the ground shift brought on by the coronavirus has revealed policy opportunities with such clarity that they now seem obvious. Take, as one important local example, the temporary extension of active-transportation routes along nine of Winnipeg’s most scenic streets. This extension should be made permanent, at least from spring through fall — not only because Winnipeg families are embracing these routes in enormous numbers, but because the health and economic rationale makes an indefinite expansion objectively compelling. Things that are easy, cheap and pay a big dividend are things we should be pursuing. Consider four reasons: 1. Current levels of physical activity are stubbornly low, which translates into enormous, avoidable health spending and reduced business productivity. Federal data show just two in 10 Canadian adults meets Canada’s physical activity guidelines. Among kids, it’s one in 10. Health-care spending in Canada is already wildly unsustainable. The Conference Board of Canada has noted provinces are now spending up to half of all revenues on health care, making clear that better disease prevention efforts and wellness promotion — such as helping people become and stay active — are the only sane and financially sustainable options. Right now we have throngs of people engaging in pro-health behaviours, walking and cycling on safe, scenic, accessible streets. Bike stores are sold out as people discover (or rediscover) the simple pleasure of gliding along a quiet street. As any change-management expert will tell you, when the wind is in your favour you don’t start rowing against it. Winnipeg should be looking to embrace and build on this natural momentum toward greater physical activity, not interrupt it. Policy change rarely becomes easier. 2. Macro trends tell us a significant portion of the workforce will be working from home for the foreseeable future, and perhaps forever. This raises an immediate need for accessible places for exercise and recreation close to where people live. Making local active-transportation routes permanent is a profoundly simple, low-cost means to help meet this need. The financial benefits to business are clear. Study after study demonstrates a link between exercise and increased productivity. 3. Mental-health needs are soaring in the wake of COVID-19. Major mental-health organizations are already warning of an “echo pandemic,” which will translate into enormous social and economic costs. Greater walking and cycling options are far from a panacea, but the correlation between physical activity, time spent outdoors among trees and mental health is well-documented. 4. We risk surrendering our competitive edge to other cities. Across Canada, cities are already moving to rapidly expand their post-COVID-19 walking and cycling networks, often for the reasons above. These quality-of-life factors are a key part of the formula for what makes a city competitive, and they’re part of the draw for the highly educated, high-earning-potential, entrepreneurial talent we desperately need to retain. Other cities are moving forward right now. Winnipeg will be leapfrogged if we let the opportunity pass us by. It’s been a joy over these past few weeks to see local streets full of families enjoying our amazing city together. But the policy decision to keep this important momentum going is about more than a pleasant bike ride. It’s about simple economics. *David Leibl is founder of OnCallComms.com, a Winnipeg-based communications and executive advisory firm.*

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Economist article on the bicycle as the "Little Queen of deconfinement"
by Charles Feaver 01 Jun '20

01 Jun '20

Attached Some snippets: Whereas the coronavirus has been disastrous for most forms of human endeavour, cyclists have never had it so good. Lockdowns have brought blissfully empty roads, which have been a boon to even the most reluctant pedaller. Residents of big cities have been feverishly reimagining their lives on a saddle, rather than behind the wheel. This is cycling’s moment, and it could have profound long-term implications for transport policy. … Early in the pandemic governments latched on to cycling as a healthy way for people to move around safely, exercise and keep reasonably sane. Thus in most American states, for instance, cycle-repair shops were allowed to stay open as essential businesses. Italy’s government offers 60% reimbursements, up to a maximum of €500 ($545), to any city-dweller buying a bicycle, or indeed any sort of motorised two-wheeler. City leaders, from Bogotá to Berlin, have helped by turning over their tarmac, or bits of it at least, exclusively to bikes. Milan converted 35km of its roads into cycle lanes and the Big Apple 100 miles (160km) for the use of both pedestrians and cyclists. Oakland, California, closed 119km of road to cars. Cycling has thus become easier, and safer. Now Western governments are seizing on cycling’s big moment to try to make such temporary measures permanent. Because social distancing is likely to endure for months, or even years, public transport won’t return to normal soon; it may never do so. So the bike will remain an essential tool in many countries’ strategies to taper their lockdowns. As the French environment minister, Elisabeth Borne, put it, “the bicycle is the little queen of deconfinement”; poetry in motion. Paris has been preparing 650km of cycleways to help the city gradually open up. Politicians hope to persuade people of the virtues of cycling beyond the end of this particular crisis. Cycling has well-advertised, longer-term gains: less pollution and a healthier population. The gains from having fewer cars and lorries on the road are already evident. Global carbon-dioxide emissions in early April fell by 17% compared with the mean 2019 levels, according to a study in Nature Climate Change, and “changes to surface transport” made the largest contribution to the reduction. National and city governments are fizzing with new, or revamped, schemes. Grant Shapps, Britain’s transport minister, in a speech on May 9th , promised to make “a ‘once in a generation’ change to the way people travel in Britain.” He announced a £2bn investment in more cycling infrastructure and better pavements. Manchester has plans for the country’s “most comprehensive” integrated walking and cycling network. France wants to spend €20m to subsidise cycle training and more parking spaces for bikes. Bologna is bringing forward its plan for a Bicipolitana, 493km of cycle lanes, from 2030 to later this year, when 60% of it should be finished. Seattle plans to shut 20 miles of streets to most cars permanently. But a two-wheel revolution cannot be taken for granted. Cycling novices in the northern hemisphere have been lucky to enjoy most of the lockdown in fine spring weather; just wait for winter. And some evidence indicates that many people are yearning to get back in their cars, also handy as lockdowns end but social-distancing rules remain. In China, for instance, one survey concluded that the proportion of people who want to use a car would surge from 34% to 66% after lockdown ends; the same survey showed that more Chinese were now keen on buying a car. Other surveys suggest huge drop-offs in enthusiasm for trains and buses. … A country’s legal framework can encourage cycling too. Most European countries, with the notable exceptions of Britain and Ireland, have presumed-liability laws, under which the burden of proof in any collision between a motorist and a cyclist is borne by the driver. Proponents, such as Road Share, a British lobby group, argue that countries with these laws, like Denmark and Germany, enjoy much more, and much safer, cycling than those without, because they encourage motorists to be more cautious. But turning cities like London or New York into so many Copenhagens will be less of a sprint, more several Tours de France. In the Danish capital over 60% of commuters cycle to work (or study). The figure is in the low single digits in most American cities. But at least for now cyclists around the world can demand more of their governments, knowing they have a tailwind of public goodwill. <https://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?publisherName=economist&publi…> Charles Feaver 11 Harvard Ave Winnipeg R3M 0J6 204.293.6332

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Making Space: Biking out of a Pandemic and the Return to School (June 10th webinar)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jun '20

01 Jun '20

Share the Road and The Centre for Active Transportation [in Ontario] have been co-hosting a series of webinars on rebalancing streets during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. *The next webinar is on **June 10th at [1pm CST]. * Jessica Roberts leads Alta's programming group out of Portland. Her presentation will focus on what we can be doing to support, encourage and incentivize sustainable mobility. Isooda Niroomand is a School Travel Planner with Green Communities Canada. She will speak specifically to the issue of returning to school. After brief presentations, Jamie Stuckless and Nancy Smith Lea will join the others to explore what we should be doing now, and what we should be planning for, related to walking and cycling, as we emerge from the pandemic. *Registration for "Making Space: Biking out of a Pandemic" *is available here: *sharetheroad.ca/webinars* <http://sharetheroad.ca/webinars>. ------------------------------ Kate Whitfield Alta Planning + Design Ottawa ON (613) 858-2122 ------------------------------

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WFP City looks at keeping cycling routes open longer (May30'20)
by Beth McKechnie 30 May '20

30 May '20

*City looks at keeping cycling routes open longer * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/councillor-wants-city… CITY council could soon extend temporary cycling and walking routes until September, and explore adding more routes year-round. A new motion calls for nine routes — in which vehicular access is restricted to allow more room for cyclists and pedestrians — to continue until Sept. 7 instead of shutting down on July 6. The routes were first promoted as an option for socially distanced exercise during the pandemic. Mayor Brian Bowman said they are popular. “There’s a desire to do what we can, especially during the pandemic, to make sure there’s additional safe spaces for people to engage in recreation,” said Bowman. “We want to at least look at a pilot that would go to Labour Day, so that we can see how it operates.” On Friday, council asked the public works committee to look into it. Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), who raised the motion, noted it also calls on the public service to report back in four months on “the feasibility of establishing permanent year-round active transportation routes.” “For little kids that have learned to ride (bikes) on them, for the public health workers who really need us to keep going on prevention, for so many reasons, this is a good motion,” said Rollins. The routes limit vehicular traffic to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily on sections of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Assiniboine Avenue, Churchill Drive, Egerton Road, Kildonan Drive and Kilkenny Drive. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), council’s public works chairman, had planned to raise a similar motion on Friday. However, Allard realized just before a council meeting that he attended by video feed that he’d need to be physically present to sign a new motion, which led Rollins to step in. Earlier this week, the city announced the current routes would close July 6, under the rationale that loosened pandemic restrictions allow more options for Winnipeggers to get outdoors without violating the public health directive to stay at least two metres apart. The plan to shut down the routes quickly triggered backlash. The Winnipeg Trails Association posted a petition to keep the routes open, enhance and expand them. More than 4,000 people have signed it. Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said his organization will be counting the number of users on the temporary routes until May 31. Cohoe said that data will help determine where the city can best support active transportation. He said the option appears to have grown more popular as many Winnipeggers work from home, keeping them close to the neighbourhood pathways. “We need to be looking at expanding ways to get people to and from work, so that there are options other than choosing a vehicle,” said Cohoe. “We’re seeing an unprecedented number of people getting out walking and biking.” joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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More media coverage of recreational AT routes extension - Global News and CTV News
by Beth McKechnie 29 May '20

29 May '20

*Cycling advocate, some Winnipeg city councillors support active transportation extension* https://globalnews.ca/news/6994641/coronavirus-winnipeg-road-closures/ *Petition aims to keep Winnipeg’s enhanced active transportation routes open* https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/mobile/petition-aims-to-keep-winnipeg-s-enhance…

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CBC: Movement grows to extend temporary active transportation routes past closure date
by Beth McKechnie 28 May '20

28 May '20

Movement grows to extend temporary active transportation routes past closure date Councillor seeks approval to keep routes open until Labour Day https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/city-winnipeg-active-transportation… They were meant to allow cooped-up Winnipeggers some physically-distanced fresh air and exercise — and meant to be temporary. Now there is an effort afoot to have the city's nine active transportation routes remain open until the Labour Day weekend or perhaps longer if some get their way. The nine streets are closed to traffic (with a one block allowance for residents to get to their homes and deliveries to be made) from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, until July 6. St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard says the feedback he's getting through his office has been very supportive of extending the restrictions through the summer. "I've never seen so many smiling faces in Winnipeg and people are really taking advantage of what is healthy activity that doesn't cost anything. It's accessible to everyone who lives within any proximity to these nine roads. I think it's tremendous," Allard said during an interview Wednesday on Lyndale Drive — one of the nine routes. Allard will table a motion at city council this Friday calling for the routes to remain restricted to vehicular traffic until the Labour Day weekend. Some residents who live along the routes are not so enthusiastic about the restrictions running all day, every day. "I just don't know about the sense of having it all day during the weekdays … as you can see right now, it is not that busy. Around 3:30 gets a little bit busy, [and] in the morning … but what is the sense of having it all day long, that I'm not too sure," said Norwood resident Chantal Wlock. Wlock, who lives along Lyndale Drive, acknowledges the routes are popular and uses the empty streets with her family sometimes, but says perhaps the restrictions could be eased to allow residents to drive more than a single block to get to their homes. "I appreciate that everybody needs space to walk and feel nice. It's by the river, it is a nice walk, there's no doubt. It's just for the residents to have just the one block to get out … it's not always handy," she said. Allard's motion to extend the program until the September long weekend isn't enough for some. A petition started by the Winnipeg Trails Association says, "Keep Winnipeg's open streets open and expand them until we have a safer and connected city." The petition had just shy of 2,000 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon.[[ *[Note: Find the petition here <https://www.change.org/p/keep-winnipeg-s-open-streets-open-expand-them-unti…>.]*

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WFP: Push begins to extend half-day street closures (May27'20)
by Beth McKechnie 28 May '20

28 May '20

*Push begins to extend half-day street closures* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/public-works-chair-allard-wa… A political move to extend temporary active transportation routes has begun, just one day after the City of Winnipeg announced all nine of them would close July 6. The routes limit vehicular traffic to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily to provide extra space for pedestrians and cyclists. Its aim is to help Winnipeggers stay active while keeping at least two metres apart, per coronavirus pandemic restrictions. While announcing the planned closure Tuesday, a city official said the loosening of such rules is allowing Winnipeggers more alternatives to get outdoors. "We see the need for this temporary measure decreasing as people are allowed to move outside of their own neighbourhoods and as traffic volumes start to increase," said Jason Shaw, assistant chief of emergency management. <https://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/NEP8138119.jpg> On Wednesday, Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said he’ll push for the routes to last until at least the Labour Day weekend. "You can see how well-used and loved they are by Winnipeggers… Active transportation is a perfectly safe way to get out there and get some exercise, and it’s accessible to everybody," said Allard. The chairman of the public works committee said he’ll introduce a motion for the extension at Friday’s council meeting, which will likely be referred back to the committee. The nine temporary routes had been expected to close May 29. They include stretches of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Assiniboine Avenue, Churchill Drive, Egerton Road, Kildonan Drive and Kilkenny Drive. Shortly after the announcement, the Winnipeg Trails Association posted an online petition <https://www.change.org/p/keep-winnipeg-s-open-streets-open-expand-them-unti…> calling for the routes to remain open and be expanded. "We want this to grow by kilometres every week until we have a complete (active transportation) network," said executive director Anders Swanson By 3 p.m. Wednesday, the petition had more than 1,800 signatures. Swanson urged the city to also extend vehicle restriction timelines, to ensure those who commute before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m. can use the routes to get to work. He’d like the city to commit to keep the routes open well into the future. "We’re refusing to give people the certainty they need while they’re making some very serious, life-altering transportation choices… If we’re only extending (the routes) by a month here or there, people aren’t able to make their decisions properly," said Swanson. Erin Riediger regularly rides her bike to get to and from work, to shop, and for fun. Living between the Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue active transportation routes — and spending weekends exploring the other seven paths — Riediger said she’s never seen so many people make use of the wide, winding roads for cycling, walking and other physical activity. "It's important because people need safe spaces that are separated from other people to get out and to exercise, to be with their family, to have recreation," she said of the repurposed streets. "(The city) will never get more support for active transportation than they will right now." Ideally, Riediger would like to see the active transportation routes stay open until Thanksgiving, noting many Winnipeggers will still be working from home and avoiding cramped spaces (such as public transit), despite the province’s reopening business sector. "Now's the opportunity to provide something better; to redesign our streets, reallocate some of that space. Not ban cars, not take away cars, but just... provide people with safe, comfortable options to go to work, go to the grocery store, and then also for leisure," she said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga julia-simone.rutgers(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers

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