- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2013/12/-and-after-guide-safer-stree ts/7867/ A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets In the past decade or so, New York has seen a considerable decline in traffic fatalities (30 percent since 2001) and an even more dramatic decrease in the risk of serious injury among cyclists (72 percent since 2000). At the heart of these public safety achievements is better street design. City streets are far from perfect, but as officials have reduced space for cars, they've improved mobility for everyone. Last month, the New York City Department of Transportation released a brief-but-handy guide [PDF <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dot-making-safer-streets.pdf> ] that uses before-and-after design renderings to illustrate five basic rules for street safety. The report calls its comparisons "the largest examination of the safety effects of innovative roadway engineering conducted in a major American city, or perhaps any city globally." That's a tall claim, but there's no question that the five lessons embedded in these images merit notice from urban communities near and far. 1. Make the street easy to use. The idea here is to reduce the complexity of a given intersection in the eyes of all travelers. A safer city street will trade long, indirect crosswalks for shorter crossings and pedestrian islands. Removing low-volume legs from the traffic cycle will reduce wait times for everyone and eliminate complicated (read: dangerous) turns. Clearer lane designations - for left-turns and through traffic alike - make the whole intersection more predictable. (See PDF for images) 2. Create safety in numbers. Counter-intuitive as it can seem, the safety-in-numbers effect suggests that more pedestrians and bike riders actually make streets less dangerous. Bike lanes are the obvious way to bring riders to an intersection, while islands, mid-block crossings, and direct pedestrian routes can do the same for walkers. Giving signal priority to pedestrians gets platoons of people in the streets before cars have the chance to turn. (See PDF for images) 3. Make the invisible visible. Clear sight lines can improve a street's safety significantly. Curbs lined with parked cars can make it hard for a turning vehicle to see what's in another part of the street. That problem can be addressed by removing some of the parking spaces closest to the corner - a process called "daylighting," which increases visibility considerably (so long as parking enforcement is strict). Curb extensions that bring pedestrians further into the street have a similar effect. (See PDF for images) 4. Quality over quantity. Street engineers like to give cars as much space as possible <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/12/transportation-planning-la w-every-city-should-repeal/636/> , but removing lanes to reduce the complexity of an intersection can actually improve traffic flow. A jumble of un-designated lanes with competing signals has the potential to become much more congested than an intersection that bans complex turns and creates right-angle corners. Pedestrian plazas that take the place of former lanes can enhance visibility and the safety-in-numbers effect. (See PDF for images) 5. Look beyond the problem. Expanding the area of traffic analysis can unlock solutions across a wider wedge of the street system. Redirecting traffic to another part of the local network, for instance, can help decongest crowded intersections without eliminating important routes. Sometimes the best street design is really a corridor design. (See PDF for images)

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FW: For Your Next Trip to Gimli
by Dave Elmore 18 Dec '13

18 Dec '13

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/home_family/mass-high-te ch-startup-launches-device-that-transforms-any-bike-into-an-electric-hybrid- 236330091.html Mass. high-tech startup launches device that transforms any bike into an electric-hybrid In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Assaf Biderman, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and Associate Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT, poses with his invention at Superpedestrian, his venture-backed company in Cambridge, Mass. The Copenhagen Wheel is a human/electric hybrid bicycle engine built into a bicycle's back wheel. Pre-orders for the Copenhagen Wheel are being taken with delivery expected by May 2014. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Assaf Biderman, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and Associate Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT, poses with his invention at Superpedestrian, his venture-backed company in Cambridge, Mass. The Copenhagen Wheel is a human/electric hybrid bicycle engine built into a bicycle's back wheel. Pre-orders for the Copenhagen Wheel are being taken with delivery expected by May 2014. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A Massachusetts startup is launching a new device that transforms almost any bicycle into an electric-hybrid vehicle using an app on a smartphone. The device, called the Copenhagen Wheel, is installed as part of a rear hub of a bike wheel and is packed with a proprietary computer, batteries and sensors that monitor how hard a rider is pedaling and activate an onboard motor whenever support is needed. The device uses wireless connectivity to communicate with the biker's smartphone to track distance travelled and elevation gained, share with friends the number of calories burned and lock the wheel remotely as soon as the owner walks away from the bike. "The motor integrates itself with the rider's motion very, very seamlessly," said Assaf Biderman, who co-invented the device at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's SENSEable City Lab, where he is associate director. "It's almost like having a riding companion riding together with you, making the ride easier, simpler." The combination of power from the Copenhagen Wheel and the cyclist's energy can make an average biker move "almost like a Tour-de-France-level athlete in your daily commute," said Biderman, who founded Cambridge, Mass.-based Superpedestrian Inc. that secured an exclusive license for the technology from MIT. The Copenhagen Wheel packs sufficient power to propel a rider as fast as 60 kph (37.28 mph), but developers have put speed limits in software to meet local speed limits, effectively turning off the motor once the speed reaches 20 mph in the U.S. and 25 kilometres in Europe. The concept was inspired by a simple question: "How can we get more people to cycle?" Biderman said. The project received funding from the Italian ministry of the environment and office of the mayor of Copenhagen, a Danish city known as one of the most bicycle friendly locations in the world and whose tourism website says 55 per cent of its residents bike 1.2 million kilometres (750,000 miles) every day. The initial 1,000 units of the Copenhagen Wheel became available for pre-order through the Superpedestrian website earlier this month. Two weeks later, at least 810 had been sold for $699 each, the majority of them to customers in the U.S. Other orders went to Europe, Australia, Kenya, Madagascar and elsewhere. Shipping is scheduled for next spring. The Copenhagen Wheel does not replace a cyclist's existing bicycle. Consumers get the stylish hubcap-sized device already installed on a new rear wheel that fits their current bicycle. They remove the current wheel from their bike and install the souped-up unit and they are ready to go. The batteries are rechargeable. The Copenhagen Wheel seeks to tap into a lucrative and highly competitive market for electric bikes, also known as e-bikes. In a recent report, clean-technology consulting company Navigant Research estimated that worldwide revenue from electric bicycles will grow from $8.4 billion this year to $10.8 billion in 2020, fueled in part by desire for a viable alternative to increasingly congested city roads that makes crawling in car traffic less palatable. In the U.S., the trend is reflected in Census Bureau data showing the number of bicycle commuters rose 60 per cent in the decade ending in 2010. "Over the past few years we've seen a cycling renaissance throughout the world," Biderman said. "People are looking for alternatives."

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WFP: Dreaming of a bike Christmas - Cycle of Giving volunteers work 'round the clock (Dec.16'13)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Dec '13

17 Dec '13

Dreaming of a bike Christmas Cycle of Giving volunteers work 'round the clock to make Christmas more shiny for 250 kids By: Kevin Rollason http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/dreaming-of-a-bike-christmas-2359782… More than 250 children whose families wouldn't be able to afford to buy a bike will be getting refurbished ones under the Christmas tree thanks to an army of volunteers at a 24-hour bike-repair marathon. Volunteers organized by WRENCH, which stands for Winnipeg Repair, Education and Cycling Hub, were able to refurbish more than 250 bikes during its third annual Cycle of Giving bike-building marathon during the weekend. "It's nice to think of that child who will get a bike all shiny," volunteer Kate MacKay said Sunday as she put the final touches on a small, purple two-wheeler a young child could soon be riding. "There's few things as rewarding as teaching a kid to ride a bike. It's a confidence-builder and it is an important step. "I've been volunteering since noon and I will be here next year and the year after," MacKay said. For 24 hours starting Saturday at 6 p.m., the gymnasium inside the Orioles Community Centre at 448 Burnell St. was transformed into a bicycle repair shop. Pat Krawec, WRENCH's executive director, said 900 bicycles were taken out of the Brady Road Landfill earlier this year and brought to the community centre. The bikes included kids bikes, tricycles, 10-speeds, and mountain bikes. "The bikes that need the least work go first," Krawec said. "If you're going to put out 250 bikes that work well, you don't have time to work on something that's been in a landfill for a year-and-a-half already or used by someone's big brother." At one end outside the community centre, hundreds of bicycles sat in snow waiting to be worked on. At the other end of the centre, repaired bikes, cleaned and shined, were parked back into the snow before being picked up by several organizations, including Newcomer Employment Education Development Services (NEEDS Inc.), which will distribute bicycles to immigrant and refugee children, youth and families they support. Krawec said the volunteers include mechanics from bicycle repair shops and ordinary Winnipeggers who fix their own bikes. He said bicycles not repaired now will be taken to be fixed up by inmates at Headingley Correctional Centre and then distributed across the province. Nearby, Richard Helbig, a science and mathematics teacher at Hugh John Macdonald School, an inner-city junior high school -- who also runs an after-school bicycle repair club -- said it's great to be able to fix so many bikes. "I'm mostly making sure everything on it is tight -- it's probably better now than when the first owner took it home," Helbig said. Across from him, two students, 13-year-old John Nai and his 15-year-old brother, Jack, said they appreciate coming in to help other children get a bicycle. "It's great -- last year I got a bike so I know what it's like," John said. "It's fun -- I enjoy doing this and helping out," Jack said. On the other side of the room, past boxes full of bicycle seats and other assorted parts, Jayson Gillespie was using a special tool to tighten the spokes on the wheels of a tricycle. When not on his knees repairing a used tricycle, Gillespie is coach of the Manitoba Provincial Cycling team. "This is different than the high-end bikes we use," Gillespie said laughing. "These have had lots of wear and tear. But you can ride this in the basement -- you don't have to ride it outside." WRENCH is still accepting monetary donations at thewrench.ca or by mailing a cheque to the WRENCH, 1057 Logan Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3N8. kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 16, 2013 B1

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Free Seminar: Dec.17 - WHO's Health Economic Assessment Tool
by Anders Swanson 12 Dec '13

12 Dec '13

[ Calling policy, health and/or active transportation professionals: If you are willing to stay up a bit late, (or get up a bit early) next Tuesday, you have a unique opportunity to participate in an online seminar on how to use the World Health Organization's Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT). In Europe especially, policy makers and planners are using HEAT as a go-to population-level health benefit assessment tool for determining the return on investment of various programs and capital projects. At VeloCity 2013 in Vienna, the importance of this tool was underscored numerous times, especially during the political panel, in discussions of budgeting. Thanks to the European Cycling Federation newsletter for sharing the opportunity. You can sign up to ECF's newsletter here: http://www.ecf.com/category/newsletter/ Kindly, Anders ] "*This tool is designed to help you conduct an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling by estimating the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of walking or cycling.* *The tool can be used in a number of different situations, for example:* - *when planning a new piece of cycling or walking infrastructure.* HEAT attaches a value to the estimated level of cycling or walking when the new infrastructure is in place. This can be compared to the costs of implementing different interventions to produce a benefit–cost ratio (and help to make the case for investment) - *to value the reduced mortality from past and/or current levels of cycling or walking*, such as to a specific workplace, across a city or in a country. It can also be used to illustrate economic consequences from a potential future change in levels of cycling or walking. - *to provide input into more comprehensive economic appraisal exercises, or prospective health impact assessments.* For example, to estimate the mortality benefits from achieving targets to increase cycling or walking, or from the results of an intervention project. - " *Tuesday December 17th 10:30am Central European Time* *Sign up here:* http://heatwalkingcycling.org/index.php?pg=training&id= *More info on how HEAT is used for walking* http://heatwalkingcycling.org/index.php?pg=walking&act=introduction *More info on how HEAT is used for cycling* http://heatwalkingcycling.org/index.php?pg=cycling&act=introduction

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FW: Why You Should Never Bike to Work
by Dave Elmore 11 Dec '13

11 Dec '13

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-leonard/biking-to-work_b_4426504.html? view=print Why You Should Never Bike to Work I have biked everywhere within 4 miles of my apartment in the past 5 years, including every job I've had -- I've never had to drive to work in Denver. I find riding a bicycle exhilarating, but that's no reason for you to think you should. In fact, here are 9 reasons you shouldn't bike to work. I'm sure you can think of others. 9. It's too dangerous. Can you imagine being out there on a bicycle with all these crazy drivers flying past you, nothing to protect you except a plastic and styrofoam shell on your head? You could get killed. The absolute best thing is to stay in the protective cage of your car, because no one's ever been killed when they're inside an automobile. Driving is safe. 8. You have to wear a tie to work. Or a suit. Or a skirt. Not only that, it's important to wear your tie/suit/business casual attire from the moment you leave your house in the morning until the moment you get home. There is no conceivable way you could leave some clothes at your office, and change into them after you ride your bike to work, two or three days a week. Plus, your suit/tie combination is so dialed, you can't just spread your tie collection out over two locations. Where the hell is my cornflower blue tie? I need to see if it looks good with these shoes. And like there's some way to ride a bike in skirt or a dress? <http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2009/06/cycling-in-skirts-and-dresses-cy cle.html> 7. You have to go to the gym after/before work. What, are you supposed to carry all your work materials and your gym clothes in a tiny little backpack on a bike? Please. I mean, what, bike to work, then bike to the gym, then get on the stationary bike for 45 minutes, and bike home? Ridiculous. What are you, Lance Armstrong? I guess you could just ride your real bike, and stop going to the gym, but we're Americans. We work out indoors. 6. You can't show up all sweaty and smelly for your job. It is a proven fact that once you have sweated from exercise, you can never recover until you get into a shower or bath and rinse it off. Also a fact: Human sweat is comprised of more than 90% fecal particles, which is why you smell like a hog confinement instantly after you start exercising, and afterward, when the people next to you on the Stairmaster are passing out like they've just been chloroformed. It's not like you could take a shower at the office, after all, or use Action Wipes to wipe off when you get to work to mitigate that smell. Your co-workers will be all, "Bob, what the hell did you do, bike to work today? It smells like somebody's gutting a week-old deer carcass in your cubicle." 5. You don't have the right bike for it. The only bike you own are your Trek Madone, and your single-speed 29er, neither of which will work. You'd have to go out and buy a dedicated commuting bike, which start at, what, $1,200? Ask those day laborer guys who bike to work every day on secondhand Huffys and Magnas -- they're not cheap. 4. You can't be wearing a bike helmet and messing up your hair before work. Fact: Hair products are not portable, and are not designed for use outside of your home bathroom or a hair salon. And let's face it: Your hairstyle is a work of carefully crafted art, not something that can be rushed in 5, 10 or even 30 minutes in some modern office restroom. You spend a long time on your hair, just like Tony Manero <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viCYkduSzaU> . You can't just throw it all away on a bike ride. 3. The route from your home to your office would be suicide on a bike. There are no bike lanes, no shoulders, no wide sidewalks, no nothing on the roads from your home to your office. What, are you supposed to find other roads to ride on, like lesser-traveled, lower-speed-limit roads through residential areas? Or detour way out of your way to get on a bike path? No thank you. You don't have time for that shit. 2. What if it rains? Yeah, Mr. Hardcore Bike Commuter, what if it rains? You're supposed to just ride a bicycle home from the office through a downpour? What are you supposed to do when you get home, looking like a sewer rat? This is a civilized society. Thanks to umbrellas, sprinting from your car to your office, and sometimes holding a newspaper above your head, you haven't gotten wet outside of your shower since 2007. Next thing, someone's going to tell you that you have to carry a rain jacket in your bike commuting bag -- maybe pants too. What the hell is this, a backpacking trip? You're just trying to get to work on time. 1. You would have to change your routine. Please. Give up your 45-minute drive into work, the drive that energizes you for the day ahead? Give up interacting with all those other fun, friendly, courteous drivers on the freeway? Sitting in traffic? Road construction? Merging? Not a chance.

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Metro News: City committee sets January 2015 date for U-pass
by Beth McKechnie 10 Dec '13

10 Dec '13

City committee sets January 2015 date for U-pass By Bernice Pontanilla <http://metronews.ca/author/bernicepontanilla/>Metro http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/879443/city-committee-sets-january-2015-d… A city committee has endorsed an amendment to the 2014 budget that would get the universal transit pass for post-secondary students, better known as the U-pass, back on track. The infrastructure renewal and public works committee held a special meeting on the preliminary 2014 budget on Monday, during which several students and councillors spoke in favour of the U-pass program. Both student associations at the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba held votes where a majority approved paying a maximum of $200 and $180 respectively for the September-to-April pass as part of their university fees. These supporters had been hoping the program would start in September of 2014, however, that date has been pushed back to January of 2015. Rorie Mcleod Arnould, vice president of the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, said the U-pass would be an investment for the future, so waiting a few extra months isn’t a huge concern. “The U-pass program is a long-term investment in not only our post-secondary education system in Winnipeg, but our transit system in Winnipeg,” said Arnould after the meeting. “If we can get this done at the proposed term in January, then that would make me very happy.” The students still face an uphill battle, since both Dave Wardrop, director of Winnipeg Transit, and Coun. Russ Wyatt, who chairs the finance committee and attended Monday’s meeting, said a proposed semester pass is the better option. This semester pass, which will likely be over $200, would come into effect when the Transit system moves to the smartcard model. “I met with the students earlier this year as well, prior to the budget being released,” said Wyatt, who has encouraged the students to find dollars from sponsors. “The challenge we have is right now we as a city do provide below the national average post-secondary transit fares … our fares are very economical, very competitive.” Wyatt said as a municipal government, the city is not prepared to subsidize post-secondary education and “that’s what this would be.”

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Bike Share Planning Guide (for when Winnipeg is ready)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Dec '13

10 Dec '13

Though Winnipeg needs more connected bike infrastructure before contemplating a bikeshare system, here's an interesting guide on best practices and latest technologies, such as stationless systems. Check out the top 5 components of a successful system. http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/12/06/how-do-you-grade-a-bike-share-system/

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Fwd: Promo for event...
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 09 Dec '13

09 Dec '13

Please help spread the word about this exciting workshop! *apologies for cross-posting* -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Enrique Penalosa: Why buses represent democracy in action
by Beth McKechnie 08 Dec '13

08 Dec '13

[You may recall that Enrique Penalosa, with his brother Gil Penalosa, started the Ciclovia / carfree routes movement.] "An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport," says Enrique Peñalosa. In this spirited talk, the former mayor of Bogotá shares some of the tactics he used to change the system in the Colombian capital ... and suggests ways to think about building smart cities of the future. http://www.ted.com/talks/enrique_penalosa_why_buses_represent_democracy_in_…

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City of Winnipeg 2014 Capital Budget
by Beth McKechnie 07 Dec '13

07 Dec '13

Have your eyes glazed over already? I'm hoping not. In fact, I hope you will consider sharing this with your networks or speaking up through your organization about the following: *First – at a time when many of us are calling for an increase in City planning staff to work on AT issues, there are cuts instead. * We are about to lose a transportation planner position at the City that serves as a bridge between the planning department and public works. Given the City's commitment to integrating land use and transportation planning through OurWinnipeg <http://speakupwinnipeg.com/ourwinnipeg/>, Complete Communities<http://speakupwinnipeg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Complete-Communities.…>and the Transportation Master Plan <http://transportation.speakupwinnipeg.com/>, this is a serious blow. We need more people who understand Complete Streets<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/complete-streets/>, not fewer. As Winnipeg Free Press columnist Dan Lett<http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/blind-cuts-sign-of-cowardice-2341888…>described the staffing cuts at the City, it's like cutting off an appendage to lose weight. *Second – the Osborne underpass, a serious gap left unaddressed in the first phase of the Southwest Rapid Transitway, is now being pushed back till 2019.* It was previously in the budget for 2.5 million in 2015 and another 2.5 million 2017. It is now slated at 2.5 million for 2019. For more details on this and other aspects of the capital budget, please see Bike Winnipeg's written submission<http://bikewinnipeg.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Bike_Winnipeg_2…> . Finally, on a related note, the U-Pass<http://www.umsu.ca/22-general/u-pass>for students and transit is apparently not going ahead. If you share these concerns, please contact City Councillors and the Mayor. (http://winnipeg.ca/council/contact.stm) thanks, Beth

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