- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Webinar reminder: Planning for Facility Mgmt and Maintenance Costs, Wed, Feb 17, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 16 Feb '16

16 Feb '16

** *Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar* ** Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar: *Planning for Facility Management and Maintenance Costs*. The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre 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! cheers, Beth * * * * * *Planning for Facility Management and Maintenance CostsWednesday, February 17 | 2-3pm CST* Explore design practices and construction techniques that can reduce the cost of maintaining pedestrian facilities. The session includes information on recommended design standards for sidewalk sub-grade and pavement depth and the life-cycle costs of different materials. A particular focus is street trees: learn about soil volume and best practices that reduce the impact of maturing trees on sidewalks while encouraging the life of the tree and intercepting and filtering stormwater. *Speakers*: - Earl Eutsler, Deputy Associate Director/State Forester, District Department of Transportation - Kevin Farrington, PE, City Engineer, City of Plattsburgh, NY -- *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/>

1 0

AT Webinar: Planning for Facility Mgmt and Maintenance Costs, Wed, Feb 17, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '16

11 Feb '16

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar: *Planning for Facility Management and Maintenance Costs*. The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre 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! cheers, Beth * * * * * *Planning for Facility Management and Maintenance CostsWednesday, February 17 | 2-3pm CST* Explore design practices and construction techniques that can reduce the cost of maintaining pedestrian facilities. The session includes information on recommended design standards for sidewalk sub-grade and pavement depth and the life-cycle costs of different materials. A particular focus is street trees: learn about soil volume and best practices that reduce the impact of maturing trees on sidewalks while encouraging the life of the tree and intercepting and filtering stormwater. *Speakers*: - Earl Eutsler, Deputy Associate Director/State Forester, District Department of Transportation - Kevin Farrington, PE, City Engineer, City of Plattsburgh, NY

1 0

Study:Bicycling injury hospitalisation rates in Cdn jurisdictions: analyses examining associations with helmet legislation and mode share
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '16

11 Feb '16

Teschke K, Koehoorn M, Shen H, et al. Bicycling injury hospitalisation rates in Canadian jurisdictions: analyses examining associations with helmet legislation and mode share. BMJ Open 2015; 5:e008052. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015- 008052 *Full paper*: http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/11/e008052.full.pdf * * * * * *ABSTRACT* *Objectives*: The purpose of this study was to calculate exposure-based bicycling hospitalisation rates in Canadian jurisdictions with different helmet legislation and bicycling mode shares, and to examine whether the rates were related to these differences. *Methods*: Administrative data on hospital stays for bicycling injuries to 10 body region groups and national survey data on bicycling trips were used to calculate hospitalisation rates. Rates were calculated for 44 sex, age and jurisdiction strata for all injury causes and 22 age and jurisdiction strata for traffic-related injury causes. Inferential analyses examined associations between hospitalisation rates and sex, age group, helmet legislation and bicycling mode share. *Results:* In Canada, over the study period 2006–2011, there was an average of 3690 hospitalisations per year and an estimated 593 million annual trips by bicycle among people 12 years of age and older, for a cycling hospitalisation rate of 622 per 100 million trips (95% CI 611 to 633). Hospitalisation rates varied substantially across the jurisdiction, age and sex strata, but only two characteristics explained this variability. For all injury causes, sex was associated with hospitalisation rates; females had rates consistently lower than males. For traffic-related injury causes, higher cycling mode share was consistently associated with lower hospitalisation rates. Helmet legislation was not associated with hospitalisation rates for brain, head, scalp, skull, face or neck injuries. *Conclusions:* These results suggest that transportation and health policymakers who aim to reduce bicycling injury rates in the population should focus on factors related to increased cycling mode share and female cycling choices. Bicycling routes designed to be physically separated from traffic or along quiet streets fit both these criteria and are associated with lower relative risks of injury.

1 0

Winter Bike to Work Day Activities in Winnipeg
by Anders Swanson 09 Feb '16

09 Feb '16

*Friday, February 12, 2016 is the 4th annual* *international Winter Bike to Work Day <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/>..and first ever Winter Bike to School Day <https://bikewalkroll.org/campaigns/view/winter-bike-to-school-day>.* *How it Works*Commit to ride. <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/> Put a snowflake on the world map. Watch it grow. Schools can participate; teachers do a 30second survey. <https://bikewalkroll.org/campaigns/view/winter-bike-to-school-day> *International highlights so far:* Kids in Oulu are keeping their city's hopes alive <https://www.facebook.com/winterbiketoschoolday/posts/1022315281159892> and testing software made in Winnipeg. :) Canada's Federal Environment Minister will be riding her red bike <https://www.facebook.com/WinterBikeToWorkDay/posts/956264531134776>. Russia's official twitter account approves of Moscow's warm up ride <https://twitter.com/russia/status/685943178642468864>. Right now there are 1.7 people signing up around the globe every minute. ...and much more. *STUFF HAPPENING IN WINNIPEG!* *MORNING COFFEE *Bike by and grab a *free coffee until 9:30 at:* Little Sister <http://www.littlesistercoffeemaker.ca/> on River Fool + Horses <http://www.foolsandhorses.ca/> on Broadway Parlour Coffee Shop <http://parlourcoffee.ca/> on Main Cafe Postale <https://www.facebook.com/Cafe.Postal.Winnipeg/> on Provencher or Thom Bargen <http://www.thombargen.com/> on Sherbrooke ...if free hot chocolate is more your thing, swing by the Breakfast on Ice at the Forks <http://festivalvoyageur.mb.ca/en/festival/venues/> * until 10am. * *LUNCH HOUR - DOWNTOWN* Meet up at Fools + Horses at noon for an informal discussion with Winnipeggers freshly returned from the international Winter Cycling Congress in Minneapolis-St.Paul <http://wintercyclingcongress2016.org/>. Learn what it takes to become a world-class bike-friendly city. *LUNCH HOUR RIDE - U OF M*Meet at the UMSU Bike Shop <http://www.umsu.ca/services/community/recycling-environmental-group> (lower level Helen Glass) at 12:15 for a 30 minute group ride around campus, co-hosted by UMSU and the Office of Sustainability. <http://umanitoba.ca/sustainability/> *EVENING - WE PARTY!*Join the Jack Frost Challenge crew <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/bougeons-en-hiver-jack-frost-challenge/> at 17:30 at the Yellow Dog or swing by after supper at 19:30 at “The Echo Palace*” (on the Red under the Norwood bridge). Make some maple taffy, smokies, project some video and enjoy some tunes before biking to Festival du Voyageur!!! *LATEST NEWS ON FACEBOOK*Stay tuned to Bike Winnipeg <https://www.facebook.com/BikeWinnipeg/?fref=ts> and Winnipeg Trails <https://www.facebook.com/WinnipegTrails> for any emerging info about local events. Follow the event on Twitter <https://twitter.com/WinterBike2Work> or Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WinterBikeToWorkDay> to see the latest scores and watch what's happening around the world. *If you're not sure where/what the Echo Palace refers to, try out the Winnipeg Trails app <http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/app>. If you can show us the Echo Palace gem on you phone, you will win some awesome prizes. See the poster.

2 1

Winter Bike to Work Day update
by Anders Swanson 06 Feb '16

06 Feb '16

Hi, Bicycling Magazine called. I thought the AT list might get a kick out of Winnipeg getting a mention <http://www.bicycling.com/rides/commuting/no-blizzard-can-delay-winter-bike-…> . Now. Lets get Winnipeg a little higher up on this list <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/2016-city-scoreboard-full/>, shall we? Latest news: Our federal Environment Minister is riding <https://twitter.com/cathmckenna/status/696099936853696512>. So is the Crown Princess of Denmark. <https://twitter.com/wbtsd/status/694683490835533824> So are these little Ben Hurs. <https://www.facebook.com/WinterBikeToWorkDay/posts/956229637804932> So is this entire class of elementary school kids from Finland <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/WP_20151127_007.j…> who are already signed up for Winter Bike to School Day <https://bikewalkroll.org/SurveyCentres/view/354>. More info about fun local plans coming out from Winnipeg Trails, Bike Winnipeg and The Jack Frost Challenge early next week. Meanwhile, if there was ever a day to ride to work or school in the winter, this coming Friday is it. Go here to sign up. <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/> :) Anders

1 0

Imagine Portage & Main
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jan '16

28 Jan '16

<http://downtownwinnipegbiz.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d59c0568f5163…> This email was sent to beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca *why did I get this?* <http://downtownwinnipegbiz.us3.list-manage.com/about?u=d59c0568f51634fe5e73…> unsubscribe from this list <http://downtownwinnipegbiz.us3.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=d59c0568f51634…> update subscription preferences <http://downtownwinnipegbiz.us3.list-manage1.com/profile?u=d59c0568f51634fe5…> Downtown Winnipeg BIZ · 426 Portage Avenue · Winnipeg, MB R3C 0C9 · Canada

1 0

Active & Green: Jack Frost, Mr. Money Mustache, EcoPass top tips
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jan '16

27 Jan '16

Check out our latest issue of Active & Green. Please share with your networks: http://eepurl.com/bKOkvz If you'd like to subscribe or see back issues, here you go <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/active-green/>. thanks! Beth Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. <http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=9ff6b24985…> *More Winnipeggers commuting by bike* The numbers are in and they tell an interesting story. Since 2007, there's been a 20% increase in people commuting by bike. But get this – at locations where bike lanes or paths were built there's been a 115% increase. Yowza! Check out the full report <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> from Bike Winnipeg. ------------------------------ *Mr. Money Mustache* Even if you don't get to retire at age 30 like this fellow, try out his tips <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> to get on the path to "financial freedom through badassity". ------------------------------ *Boost bottom line and productivity* In this Avison Young White Paper <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>, the authors outline 3 main arguments how reducing the number of employees who drive alone to work will benefit both the corporation and their employees. ------------------------------ *Upcoming events* Winter Cycling Congress <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> February 2-4 Jack Frost Challenge <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> February 6-12 Snow Trek: Harbour View <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> February 7 Winter Bike to Work Day <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> February 12 Breakfast on Ice <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> February 12 W <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>ebinar: King County in Motion <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> February 24 W <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>ebinar: R <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>educing GHG Emissions in Canada's Transportation Sector <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> March 1 Transportation Talks <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> February 18 - Transit / Rapid Transit March 17 - Road Projects April 21 - AT Infrastructure May 19 - Ped & Cycling Strategies June 16 - Master Plan Update Bike and Walk to School Month <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> May 2 - June 1 Commuter Challenge <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> June 5-11 Bike Week Winnipeg <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> June 18-24 ------------------------------ Like what you read? Check out some back issues <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . *Jack Frost Challenge* Need a cure for the common February? Gather a team of up to five friends, family members, or co-workers, and take the Jack Frost Challenge! Then skate, ski, walk, run, bike, or snowshoe a combined total of 130 km the week of February 6-12. Register your team today <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . *Carsharing, ridehailing, carpooling, Oh my!* Whoah, those are a lot of options! It's easy to get them confused. Let us help you keep these services straight <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . *EcoPass: Making the Case* We recently asked our Commuting Ambassadors how they make the case for EcoPass at their workplace. And... they delivered. Check out our Commuting Ambassadors' top tips <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> for implementing a successful EcoPass program. *Stantec snags award* Stantec Consulting was presented with the 2015 Commuter Friendly Workplace Award at a morning celebration in their new downtown office space. Take a closer look <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> at how Stantec's Sustainability Committee ensured staff were met with a suite of comprehensive transportation options when they opened the doors to their new offices. *A better way to go* Want to improve commuter options at your workplace? We can help <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . You are receiving this email because you are an Active & Green subscriber. Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Copyright (C) 2016 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. Forward <http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=9ff…> this email to a friend Update your profile <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…> -- *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/>

1 0

AT Webinar Reminder: Using Guidance Effectively, Thurs, Jan 28th, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jan '16

27 Jan '16

** Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar ** Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar, *All About Guidance #2: Using Guidance Effectively* The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre 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! cheers, Beth * * * * * *All About Guidance #2: Using Guidance EffectivelyThursday, January 28 | 2-3pm CST* Begin a new year in your professional life by taking a fresh look at the topic of guidance. Two consecutive webinars invite practitioners to think more broadly about the guidance documents they use and explore recent developments in how guidance is applied. On December 16, we asked which resources belong in the practitioner’s library and considered ways to navigate effectively among different sources of information. (See attached slides if you didn't attend on 12/16.) In part 2, on January 28, the discussion segues to the specific application of design flexibility: how agencies can select among treatments and designs for specific conditions. Case studies from Phoenix, Fort Lauderdale, and Boston provide examples and offer insight into the process. *Presenters*: - Christine Fanchi, PE, PTP, City Livability Planner, City of Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Jessica Mortell, Project Engineer, Toole Design Group -- *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/>

1 0

WFP: City will hear from Times Square boss about opening Portage and Main (Jan.26'16)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jan '16

26 Jan '16

City will hear from Times Square boss about opening Portage and Main http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/New-York-City-Manitoba-366495821.html The buzz about reopening Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic is going to get a lot louder in the coming weeks. That’s because the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ will be hosting a number of events on the topic, and it’s bringing in the New Yorker who was instrumental in reopening Times Square to foot traffic. Tim Tompkins, who has headed up the business improvement district of perhaps the most famous part of New York City for more than a decade, said transforming an area to accommodate pedestrians can certainly be done and done successfully. Stefano Grande, executive director of the Downtown BIZ, said Tompkins will speak to city councillors, the chief planner and the chief administrative officer about his experiences after he arrives in town on Feb. 4. The Downtown and Exchange District BIZs will hold closed-door sessions with area property owners and the public will be invited to sit in on panel discussions with BIZ members. Mayor Brian Bowman is perhaps the highest-profile champion of reopening Portage and Main to foot traffic as it was one of the planks of his run for mayor in late 2014. "It can’t be ‘Run! All the best to you!’ " he said on the campaign trail. "Let’s be innovative and let’s make it even more iconic than it is right now." Today, Bowman continues to work on this campaign commitment. "I’d like to see it happen sooner than later," he said. "I’ve heard from some of the property owners in the Portage and Main area that there is increased focus on our plans to open up pedestrian traffic at that intersection. We want to help support the landowners in that area. "It’s ongoing. There has been talk at council already about some of the efforts that we need to do in order to open it. There is nothing pending in terms of the barriers being removed in the next week or month by any means." In 2009, New York City’s Broadway Avenue, one of the roadways bordering Times Square, was closed off to vehicle traffic and turned into a pedestrian space, Tompkins explained in an interview with the Free Press. But before the move became official, Tompkins and other proponents addressed many concerns from local businesses who feared their revenue would plummet and from commuters who were worried about getting to work and back on time. "There are often common processes and concerns when trying to balance how to nurture economic activity and create great public and civic space in a way that helps, rather than hurts, individual businesses," said Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, a BIZ-like not-for-profit organization. Winnipeg can learn a lot from the Times Square trailblazers, he said. New York’s Broadway theatres are in Tompkins’ district and many customers were worried that the drive to their favourite show would be adversely affected while theatre owners were concerned about ticket revenue plunging. After surveying as many stakeholders as possible and coming up with a solution that was palatable to the vast majority, the transformation has been a great success, he said. "Three-quarters to four-fifths of business people feel very positive about it. We wanted to take the concerns of the businesses very seriously but try to address them in ways that didn’t make us give up on the bigger vision. We got the facts about what was or wasn’t a threat," he said. Improving the overall physical environment for pedestrians can make a huge difference in attracting foot traffic and helping convince people to open up their wallets. "By creating a space where we could put tables and chairs so people could enjoy a nice outdoor day, it really changed the atmosphere," he said. The changes also included basics such as planters and food kiosks up to small-scale arts and entertainment and even yoga classes. "Because the environment was nicer, people spent more time in the plazas and advertisers’ signs were seen more. The (economic) pie is getting bigger." The proof, however, would be in retailers’ tills — they were stuffed. "That’s reflected in a bunch of different ways, including foot traffic and the rent when there is turnover for business. Over time, the value of the real estate has gone up because retail businesses have done better," he said. A generation of Winnipeggers have never seen people cross Portage and Main above ground. With the construction of the Trizec building in the late 1970s, an underground connection was made to each of the intersection’s four corners. In an effort to force people into the shops that lined the concourse, a 40-year agreement was signed with the six adjacent property owners that read, "The city agrees that it will not consent to any construction of a pedestrian crossing over or under any street (at Portage and Main)." Concrete barricades adorned with colourful flowers were installed and the intersection was sealed off. But it may be time for those barriers to come down. "It’s very clear that direction is coming from city hall and the mayor’s office that we want to start this conversation and get those barriers down," Grande said. "We want to kick-start the conversation, look at best practices from Times Square and how they engaged the stakeholders for a redesign to create more of a pedestrian-friendly environment for people who want to visit this incredible place (at Portage and Main). We think a similar process could be used here. We could learn from them and have a good conversation with our community and businesses and use this as a springboard," Grande said. Jenny Gerbasi, city councillor for Fort Rouge/East Fort Garry, has been working on the bring-down-the-barriers file for years. She has spent much of her time building public support and she’s optimistic things are moving in the right direction. "There’s a lot more political momentum now," she said. Council recently endorsed a motion giving the administration direction to take the specific steps that are needed to make it a reality, including a detailed traffic study. "We’ve also had legal advice over the last year that has given the city confidence that there won’t be a problem if the public and political will is there," she said. Gerbasi said Winnipeggers need to take a more worldly view of Portage and Main. "We’re the exception. You don’t find a bunch of intersections that are closed off to the public (in other cities). We have intersections that are just as busy as this one. The view that we can’t possibly have people at our signature intersection that everybody in the world knows about it absurd," she said. The city's deal with property owners of the corners of Portage and Main expires in 2019 and while the property owners can renew it for a further 40 years, Gerbasi said the ultimate decision lies with council. "If the city decides we want to open it up, we can do it. We want to do it in a collaborative way. City council has the ultimate authority," she said. Gerbasi said the sooner the barriers come down, the better. "I¹d like to see it happen in time for the Canada Summer Games (in July 2017)," she said. geoff.kirbyson(a)freepress.mb.ca Bonus: TEDxTimesSquare Talk with Tim Tompkins - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kVbIc5mVCw

1 0

A new, and dangerous, kind of distracted driver
by Dave Elmore 21 Jan '16

21 Jan '16

http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-most-dangerous-kind-of-distracted-drivin… A new, and dangerous, kind of distracted driver They hog lanes, ignore emergency vehicles, and treat their cars like multi-tasking way stations. That culture of entitlement makes drivers a new kind of menace. Anne Kingston <http://www.macleans.ca/author/annekingston/> January 21, 2016 Working in traffic enforcement for a quarter of a century has exposed RCMP Cpl. Chris Little to bad driving in all of its manifestations. Recently, though, he’s noticed a concerning, and deadly, trend: the self-preoccupied driver in a steel-and-glass bubble, oblivious to the outside world. The telltale texter (head down, stopped on a green light) is the least of it. Little, an officer with Strathcona Traffic Services in Strathcona, Alta., has pulled over drivers brushing their teeth, applying makeup, even reading a novel. “A 300-page book, balanced on the steering wheel,” he says. Car-as-mobile-kitchen is another theme: he pulled over one man eating a bowl of cereal while trying to drive with his knees; another man was eating waffles from a plate with a knife and fork. Then there was the solo female driver taking driver distraction to a new level: “A call came in that a vehicle was driving erratically,” Little says. When I pulled her over, her clothing was around her knees and she was flushed. You get the picture.” She was charged with careless driving. It’s a roadscape familiar to Angelo DiCicco, general manager of Young Drivers of Canada (GTA). A driving instructor for three decades, DiCicco is also director of operations at Young Drivers’ new five-acre advanced driving centre in Markham, Ont., which offers rehab for drivers involved in serious crashes and also focuses on the perils of distracted driving, or, as DiCicco puts it, “to prove to people that multi-tasking is a lie.” People are far more stupid than they think, he says: “Just having your eyes open isn’t enough to see a dangerous situation; your brain has to be engaged.” The fact that distracted driving <http://www.macleans.ca/politics/how-the-war-on-drunk-driving-distracts-from…> now accounts for more fatal car accidents than impaired driving hasn’t made a dent in driving habits, says DiCicco, who sees the rise of “assertive” and now “aggressive” driving over the past 15 years as equally narcissistic and dangerous. It’s not unusual for impatient drivers behind a nervous novice trying to turn left to pull ahead and cut the new driver off, he reports. Such “me-first” behaviour—disregard for traffic signs, failing to signal, lane-hogging, crowding intersections, sailing through red lights—has led to a culture of driving entitlement squarely at odds with the spirit of co-operation needed to navigate the impromptu societies that occur when motor vehicles share space. That has made driving, the most dangerous and behaviourally complex activity most people engage in on a daily basis, a cultural menace that affects not only drivers but pedestrians and neighbourhoods as the spillover effects puts cyclists on sidewalks and pedestrians at peril. Some solace for drivers can be taken from Transport Canada <http://www.macleans.ca/tag/transport-canada/> statistics that reveal a decrease in deaths from automobile accidents over the past decade, in good part due to improvements in car design that reduce the impact of rear-end collisions. But it has never been a more dangerous time to be a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcyclist; for them, deaths from automotive collision have risen in the same period. Even standing on the sidewalk isn’t safe; last year, four people were taken to hospital when a car plowed into a bus station in a Toronto suburb. Aggressive, thoughtless driving is not new, says psychologist Leon James, a pioneer in the field of “driver psychology.” References to “road rage” date to ancient Rome, which had a law against “furious driving,” the University of Hawaii professor says. Comparison between North American driving habits and an empire in decline are appropriate. As James sees it, the rise of a selfish roadway culture is not only dangerous but culturally corrosive: “It’s anti-social, even immoral to expose others to risk.” The evidence is plentiful. Consider Sheryl Sandberg <http://www.macleans.ca/society/life/sheryl-sandbergs-cosmic-lean-in-moment/> ’s widely circulated Facebook post written last year after her husband died of a heart attack; the Facebook COO recounts the “unbearably slow” trip to the hospital in an ambulance because drivers refused to get out of the way. She implored drivers to do what is both legally and morally required: yield way to emergency vehicles. Cars blocking emergency vehicles is a huge problem on Canadian roads as well, says Little. “And it’s getting worse.” No tale illustrates the spirit of driver entitlement better than that of Jourdan Bancroft, a 25-year-old woman pulled over at 8:20 p.m. on an Ontario highway last July for driving 150 km/h in an 80 km/h zone; she was charged with road racing. Her explanation for putting her life and others at risk? She told the arresting officer she wanted to get to her cottage to “see the sunset.” The story elicited outrage. But in a small way, every driver could relate. How we behave on roads is culturally determined, says James—a conﬂuence of technology, economics, sociology and psychology. A major factor is car design <http://www.macleans.ca/society/technology/these-cars-drive-themselves-excep…> itself, specifically “improvements,” even at the low end, that make cars feel like safe, screen-filled, multi-tasking way stations, a place to text, chat on the phone, eat, even be entertained; in late December, Ontario Provincial Police stopped a man driving over 160 km/h on Highway 401 near Brockville, Ont., watching a movie on a screen taped to his dashboard. He was charged with distracted driving and stunt driving. One telling casuality is the stick shift, a driving feature requiring hands-on focus. Only nine per cent of cars sold in Canada have manual transmissions, down from 35 per cent in 1980, according to IHS Automotive. Only 3.6 per cent of new car buyers in Canada request it. The new logic is laid out in a much-circulated 2013 video, an audition for a Canadian reality TV show, featuring a candid Dawn Muzzo: “I had a six-speed Porsche but I couldn’t wear my heels, have a cigarette, and drink my coffee whilst shifting,” she says. “So it had to be traded in for an automatic.” (Our ability to drive and multi-task is less than we think, according to a 2015 AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report that found a phone conversation via hands-free or Bluetooth, which is legal, is mentally demanding and associated with moderate to high levels of cognitive distraction.) No vehicle better symbolizes the altered road dynamics than the SUV; the behemoths’ popularity has given rise to an “if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them” mentality. Even James, whose research in the early 2000s found female SUV drivers far more aggressive that male SUV drivers, drives one. His wife convinced him, he says. “Women drive them because they feel safer, protected,” he says. “They’re higher up.” But research also reveals that the aura of safety and impenetrability created by driving an SUV or light truck can foster what Reuben Aitchison of the Australian Automobile Manufacturing Industry calls an “illusion of superiority . . . that leads them to believe they should be getting somewhere faster than everybody else.” That can lead the SUV driver to take risks that the Smart car driver does not. The fact almost two-thirds of SUV drivers are women aged 25 to 49 and men aged 50 or older has reframed the stereotype of road menace: it’s not the male teenager in a souped-up muscle car that poses risk, but the middle-aged woman in a black SUV. Last October, four-year-old Arisa Ahmed was killed and her seven-year old sister seriously injured while crossing the street in front of their school in Markham, Ont., as their mother watched; they were struck by a black Mercedes SUV driven by a 39-year-old woman, who was later charged with dangerous operation <http://www.macleans.ca/society/traffic-signs-with-a-heart-ask-you-to-stop-i…> of a motor vehicle causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing injury. Perceived time crunch has added to road stress. DiCicco routinely hears stories from people who have had licences pulled or were involved in serious crashes. “Women say, “I had to pick up the kids; daycare charges by the minute,’ ” he says. Men are more likely to be ferrying kids from school to practice with dinner at a drive-through in between. Soaring housing prices have also fed frustration, says DiCicco, by pushing many buyers outside of city cores, which increases commute times. DiCicco sees three distinct driver personalities: the “adult”’ who understands that everyone wants to get home and that one crash could mean hundreds of people are late; the “child” (unrelated to actual age), subject to peer pressure who engages in “my car is faster than your car” behaviour without thinking through consequences; and the “domineering parent” who wants to teach someone a lesson by tailgaiting, giving the finger or blocking a car trying to pass on a shoulder. “There are very few homicidal maniacs out to kill you. And very few people are suicidal in the car,” he says. “To be involved in a crash you have to not do a lot of things.” He wants drivers to learn what he calls “traffic emotions management” and to see “good driving” redefined: “It isn’t just vehicle dynamics—lane change, parking, motor skills. It’s mastering the psychology of driving, of realizing more drivers are taking up a finite amount of space and you need to look out for your neighbour and keep space for the other driver who makes a mistake; then you can graciously allow them the space in front of you or move up quickly so they don’t rear-end you.” James agrees. “Being a good driver isn’t just, ‘How many accidents did you cause?’ ” he says. “It should be: ‘How many people have you blown off? How many people have you insulted?’ That should be the measure.” Without a seismic change in driver attitudes, the situation will only worsen, says James: “Every generation is going to be more aggressive, more competitive and more selfish, taking risks and putting people at risk.” Rising awareness of distracted-driving risks has led to an increase in penalties, which vary wildly across Canada—from $115-$145 in Quebec to $300 to $1,000 in Ontario <http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/ontario-increases-penalties-for-drivers-…> . (Nunavut is the only region with no distracted driving penalty). This year, Alberta raised its fine to $250 plus three demerit points. Those enforcing the law say it’s not enough to act as a deterrent and that courts fail to recognize the severity of the crime. The woman charged with “road racing” 70 km over the speed limit to “see the sunset,” for example, received a reduced charge of “speeding”; she paid $812.50 and got six demerit points. “We’re fighting a losing battle,” says Little, who believes Canada doesn’t take driving offences seriously. “We understand ﬁrst-degree murder and gang violence. But driving infractions? We’re too warm and fuzzy. We can’t suspend a licence for life. People think driving is a right, but it’s a privilege.” The call to attach the same stigma now associated with impaired driving to distracted or entitled driving is gaining traction. Pioneering activists exist, including the family of Josh Field, a 17-year-old driver killed in London, Ont., in 2009 when he took his eyes off the road to answer his phone. The Field family recently teamed with #DriveToStayAlive, an initiative launched by 17-year-old professional racecar driver Parker Thompson to teach high school students about the life-changing consequences of texting or talking on a cellphone while driving. “It’s far easier to teach youth,” says Sgt. Wade Davidson, who works in traffic services for the Lethbridge police force. “The group hard to reach is adult drivers who have been doing things the same way for years; they set the example for their kids.” Frustrations are also evident on a rash of driver-shaming websites and YouTube “Bad Driver” channels, which has created a market for dashcams not only to record bad drivers but damage to a vehicle in a hit-and-run when it’s parked. Their presence has a self-monitoring effect, says Alex Jang, the Vancouver-based founder of dashcam company BlackboxMyCar. “Studies show drivers with dashcams drive more responsibly because they know they’re being filmed.” Reminders of roadside perils are now entrenched in urban landscapes, with poignant “ghost bike” memorials for cyclists as well as the “Slow Down, Kids at Play” signage organized in 2014 by residents of a Toronto neighbourhood after the death of seven-year-old Georgia Walsh, killed by a van rolling through a red light. Some 15,000 signs have been distributed from Victoria to Charlottetown, says organizer Meghan Sherwin: “Interest tends to be spurred by a recent child pedestrian death and/or frustration with the lack of traffic-calming measures.” In a telling detail, many of the streets boasting the signs already have traffic-calming bumps. Also telling is the sentencing in the case. The driver, who pleaded guilty to careless driving, received a two-year driving prohibition, a $2,000 fine and 200 hours of community service. The judge explained he didn’t give jail time after seeing the depth of the man’s remorse, his reported psychological trauma and the forgiveness of the victim’s family. “This was an avoidable accident but an accident nevertheless,” he said. “His inattention was momentary.” Yet in that momentary inattention, a young life was gone.

1 0