- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Bicycling our way into work and out of the Great Recession
by Beth McKechnie 05 Jul '11

05 Jul '11

Bicycling our way into work and out of the Great Recession by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/people/Elly+Blue> 5 Jul 2011 10:29 AM * http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-07-05-bicycling-our-way-into-work-and-out-… * *This is the tenth and last column in the Bikenomics<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-02-28-how-bicycling-will-save-the-economy>series. A new ten-part series will begin in two weeks, exploring some of the different reasons people don't bike for transportation and ways these obstacles to bicycling can be overcome. * Conversations about transportation bicycling tend to revolve around work, particularly commuting. This is a good thing. We need to get to work; more of us need to get to work by bike; and more bicycling means a healthier economy<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-02-28-how-bicycling-will-save-the-economy>, a better workplace<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-05-09-how-employers-can-encourage-happy-he…>, and even more jobs<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-01-14-building-bike-infrastructure-create…>. * * But the commutes in these conversations are an endangered species, part of a type of work and lifestyle that's fading fast: the 9-to-5 lifetime career with health benefits and pension, a commute from suburbs to central city, and a hot meal waiting for you when you get home<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-06-20-bicyclings-gender-gap-its-the-econom…> . The way we work has been changing for a long time, and our transportation needs and options along with it. With the recent recession, fewer people are working as much or for as much money, or as regularly -- or at all. More of us are, in a word, poor. We're the ones who need bicycling the most.* *Yet the broke and the tenuously employed aren't always reached by bicycle transportation advocacy, education, and services. When they are, the messages being promoted are not always relevant or welcome. The mainstays of bike advocacy organizations are the three E's: engineering, enforcement, and education -- with a fourth E, encouragement, becoming increasingly popular. Encouragement is a kind of marketing. It's about selling the benefits of transportation bicycling as though it were a product.* *It's appealing because, to a large extent, it works, imbuing everyday transportation bicycling with a certain cool cachet. Marketing, being what it is it, tends to be best executed by businesses and blogs selling everything from imported, upright city bikes <http://clevercycles.com/2007/06/26/dutchness/> to the concept of cycling fashion <http://www.velovogue.com/> to the aesthetic and lifestyle <http://momentumplanet.com/articles/this-is-the-bike-lifestyle>associated with both of these. But lately, advocacy organizations and even government agencies are investing in encouragement initiatives and seeing a lot of success. A recent example is the charming animated video made by the Cascade Bicycle Club called "Will you ride with Sophie <http://www.cascade.org/sophie/>?" that extols the environmental, social, and personal virtues of choosing to bike instead of drive, even for just a few trips a week. And that's the crux of it, what makes encouragement so appealing to some and so frustratingly divisive to others: When you're broke, you simply don't have the same choices. The risks you are willing to take are informed by different factors. What one person might feel as a stirring call to action, another might just as easily see as unwelcome and out-of-touch moralizing. It's understandable, of course, that the pursuit of encouragement, as well as the other E's, is informed by the concerns of the advocates themselves. Part of the heritage of bicycle advocacy in the U.S. is recreational riding -- an activity that suggests a decent enough income to have a nice bike in the garage and the leisure, skills, and confidence to go out and ride it whenever one chooses. U.S. bike advocacy is also imbued with a heavy focus on individual responsibility as more important -- or perhaps more readily achievable -- than social and infrastructure change, as exemplified by the until-recently prominent vehicular cycling movement<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_cycling> . Such initiatives tend to reach out to the people who ride -- or don't -- out of choice rather than economic necessity, whose only barrier to getting on a bike is motivation. When you're already broke, you don't need to be encouraged to adopt someone else's lifestyle. You need solutions that arise from your own circumstances and community. That means that simply choosing to hop on a bike isn't actually that straightforward. Even as your car is sucking your savings dry and pummeling your credit, at least it's the devil you know. People living in low-income households are less likely to have access to a working bicycle (only 29 percent of households making less than $15,000 do, according to the NHTSA's most recent survey <http://www.nhtsa.gov/>). Aside from the cost and learning curve of acquiring, outfitting, and maintaining a reliable everyday bicycle, if you're broke your neighborhood is also less likely to be graced<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/unhealthy-neighbo…>by bike lanes, calmed traffic, and other facilities that are lauded for their ability to raise property values<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/green-living-blog/2009/nov/05/bike-st…>. You're also less likely to have easy, central access to grocery stores and other amenities. Bicycling has a reputation as being dangerous, making it even less appealing to those who lack health insurance. There's also a social stigma attached -- car ownership is a widely acknowledged symbol of success and adulthood. Moreover, the pursuit of the three original Es -- education, engineering, and enforcement -- demands some further sensitivity if undertaken in the context of economic inequality. When you're low-income, you may simply not have access to the amenities of bicycle advocacy that others of us take for granted. Your concerns are less likely to be solicited or lobbied for. Education initiatives and materials about cycling laws and safety, what to do if you crash, and even how to ride at all are less likely to reach you and may not even exist in a language you read fluently. And engineering and enforcement are as likely to work against you as they are to protect and serve your interests. [image: Runs on fat] <http://www.flickr.com/photos/carltonreid/4646637491/>Photo: Carlton Reid <http://www.flickr.com/photos/carltonreid/4646637491/>These concerns are hardly universal, but they're a sampling of what advocates need to ask and engage about if they are serious about making bicycling more widely accessible and attractive. Of course, relatively elite bike advocacy organizations didn't invent bicycling, and have much to learn from others who have already been doing it a long time. Among people in the U.S. who already ride, residents of socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are already riding for transportation rather than recreation. Bicycling is particularly embraced<http://la.streetsblog.org/2011/06/01/bicycling-is-for-everyone-the-connecti…>by recent immigrants from countries where bicycle transportation has long been the norm. There are a lot of bike organizations out there that are already driven by the needs of low-income people and communities. Earn-a-bike programs<http://oaklandlocal.com/posts/2011/06/oakland-bike-programs-give-youth-chan…>around the country empower participants with a free bicycle and the skills and knowledge to maintain and ride it well.* *Tamales y Bicicletas<http://www.browningthegreen.org/>is a Minneapolis group run by and for Latino youth to build job skills and work for environmental justice. Ciudad de Luces/City of Lights<http://ciudaddeluces.wordpress.com/>is a Los Angeles program that provides free bike lights and bike safety and maintenance education to working-class Latino immigrants. In Madison, Wisc., police work with bike advocates and businesses to install free bike lights instead of writing costly tickets<http://frontporchcoffeetalk.blogspot.com/2011/05/be-bright-helps-madison-cy…>to those caught riding unlit at night. As our economy shifts and bicycling becomes a more urgent economic imperative both individually and socially, advocates need to start seriously rethinking how their work can better serve the people who need it most. Initiatives that presuppose motivation as a primary to barrier for bicycling, or climate and public health concerns as a primary driver of transportation choices, will necessarily be limited in their reach, and run the risk of alienating people who, if listened to and engaged with, could be powerful allies. I propose a fifth E for the bicycle advocacy toolkit: Economics. Not marketing, not the creation of wealth or the promotion of wealthy lifestyles, but rather the awareness of economic inequality and its impact on people's choices and lack thereof. When we wander down the path of assigning moral value to lifestyle choices and take our policies cues from gender and identity politics, we lose a lot of people -- and make enemies -- along the way. When we focus on communities' economic realities and the hard numbers behind them, then we can provide concrete, material tools for addressing the inequalities that are holding us all back. The bicycle economy, after all, isn't going to make most of us rich, and that's OK. We could use fewer people getting rich in this country and more people getting by, feeling good, and having fun. Bicycling creates a little wealth. But more importantly, it creates a lot of well-being. That's what the bicycle economy is all about. Elly Blue is a writer and bicycle activist <http://takingthelane.com/>living in Portland, Oregon. You can also find her on Twitter <http://twitter.com/ellyblue>.

1 0

Greater Strides - Taking Action on Active Transportation - Handoff to the Manitoba Government
by Janice Lukes 30 Jun '11

30 Jun '11

Hi all, The public handoff of the Provincial Active Transportation Advisory Group's report occurred today, at the corner of Shorehill Dr. and Bishop Grandin Blvd, in conjunction with a funding announcement for the 'Shorehill Trail'. Minister Lemieux and Minister Selby had great remarks - I've attached my remarks, as Chair of the advisory group. The report can be found here <http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/pdf/atag_report6.pdf> http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/pdf/atag_report6.pdf We had a super turn out of AT supporters representing key organizations in the far southeast corner of Winnipeg - considering we had a 3 hour notice. Thank you - and have a great Canada Day! Janice Lukes 952-4222

1 0

Bikeability Index: Bike-friendliness of Vancouver neighbourhoods mapped by UBC
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jun '11

29 Jun '11

Bike-friendliness of Vancouver neighbourhoods mapped by UBC VIVIAN LUK VANCOUVER - Globe and Mail Update In a city where bicycle paths are separated from traffic, racks are accessible, cycling routes are connected, and the way from home to work is smooth and flat, more people may actually want to ride their bikes. And if more people bike rather than drive, they will be much healthier, and the city much greener. That is the argument that a team of University of British Columbia researchers are presenting with the *Bikeability Index*, an innovative mapping tool that scores Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods on how accommodating they are to cyclists. According to the study, the way communities are designed directly influences people’s level of physical activity. “If you make cycling and walking the easier choice, then people will be more likely to choose it because it’s faster to get [somewhere] than sitting in traffic,” said lead researcher Meghan Winters. “Then people will be less likely to choose their cars, they’ll be more likely to engage in physical activity, and that will reduce congestion in the city.” The project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, surveyed 2,100 people about factors that influence their cycling behaviour, Ms. Winters said. Most answered they are concerned about biking next to cars, biking up and down hills, the availability of racks to lock up their bikes, and the connectivity of bike-friendly streets. Based on these factors, Ms. Winters and her team created online, colour-coded maps (green depicts bike-friendly areas and red shows where cycling conditions need to be improved) that compare the bike friendliness of Vancouver and surrounding municipalities, as well as the bike friendliness within each municipality. The maps show the availability of bike facilities, bike route density, topography and land use. According to the Bikeability Index, Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster rank highest in bike friendliness because they have denser cycling infrastructure. The team plans to deliver the maps to Metro Vancouver urban planners. “What we’ve done is highlight areas that are good for cycling, and areas where there are challenges,” she said. “We hope this will demonstrate where gaps are happening and where improvements are needed, like maybe there needs to be more bike facilities there, or separated bike lanes for people who are less confident on their bikes.” The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has provided the team with additional funds so that they can make up bikeability indexes for Victoria, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton and St. John's by 2012. The maps can be viewed at *www.cher.ubc/ca/**cyclingincities/tools.html*. Cyclists can also search for routes based on preferred distances, air pollution levels and elevation gain. Future renderings will also allow users to click and zoom on the maps. Published on Tuesday, Jun. 28, 2011 8:00AM EDT -- *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/memberships/>

1 0

CONSIDER the IMPACT of CentrePort when reviewing Winnipeg's Transportation Master Plan Open House - July 6, 2011
by Janice Lukes 29 Jun '11

29 Jun '11

As this is an Active Transportation list serve - I am compelled to ask that when you review / provide input at the Transportation Master Plan Open House - you consider the following related to the CentrePort Canada initiative: CentrePort Canada http://www.centreportcanada.ca/ * is a public - private partnership which is the driving force behind unprecedented road investments in Winnipeg - and ultimately highways accessing Winnipeg * is recognized as one of North America's top infrastructure projects * all levels of gov't (Feds / Province / City) are making tremendous investments in the development of CentrePort with the vision of significant economic impact for Manitoba * roadways to from and around Winnipeg must be designed as expressways to accommodate the development of the international multi modal transportation hub * the attached CentrePort Business Plan provides a clear overview of the investment / goals, etc. - some interesting long weekend reading TODAY, we are seeing active transportation routes impacted by the development / preparation of roadways related to CentrePort - in both a negative - and positive (when challenged) way: * Perimeter Hwy median closures eliminating trail connectivity from Winnipeg to the greater capital region (Harte Trail to Headingley Grand Trunk Trail, Northeast Pioneers Greenway Trail to town of Birds Hill trail system) * Elimination of service roads around the Perimeter Hwy - often used as active transportation routes * Construction of Inkster pathway as part of Inkster roadway expansion (a link in the CentrePort network) * Construction of a ped / cycle flyover - over the expansion of the Chief Peguis Expressway (a link in the CentrePort network) * Kenaston expansion - may or may not include active transportation on both sides - and may or man not include a ped/cycle flyover to schools on either side (a link in the CentrePort network) My comments aren't on the pros / cons of CentrePort - just that you CONSIDER: * the tremendous financial investments in roadways to support development of CentrePort * the transportation infrastructure required to develop a global multi modal transportation hub * the tremendous commitment by gov'ts and private industry to support the development of CentrePort * the consideration of active transportation in the development of CentrePort * the historic approach / default mode - when developing active transportation in Winnipeg * the many obstacles continually faced when moving active transportation forward in Winnipeg Will the ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION vision reflected in the Transportation Master Plan enable Winnipeg to truly be a 'transportation hub' - for all modes of transportation? Having had the opportunity to provide input on Winnipeg's Transportation Master Plan - I look forward to the open house. Janice Lukes Winnipeg Trails Association * * * * * * * * A few selected Free Press articles & quotes related to CentrePort Canada Way o "Toews said that once complete, CentrePort will increase Canada's opportunities on the world stage. CentrePort Canada is definitely a key component of Canada's economic prosperity as we emerge from the recession," o Selinger said the road projects will link CentrePort with the port of Churchill and Hudson's Bay, continental U.S. and Mexico and Canada's east and west coasts o "CentrePort ...has the ability to do what nothing else can accomplish for our city (for) economic impact and creating phenomenal jobs," Katz said. "This is the beginning of something very wonderful and very special." <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/new-expressway-seen-as-a-road-to- riches-96712199.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/new-expressway-seen-as-a-road-to-r iches-96712199.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-construct ion-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-constructi on-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-construct ion-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-constructi on-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/a-centreport-trade-coup-111312584 .html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/a-centreport-trade-coup-111312584. html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/Inkster-Street-road- widening-work-continues--99880789.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/Inkster-Street-road-w idening-work-continues--99880789.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/federal-funding-at-stake-at-arcti c-gateway-summit-107020833.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/federal-funding-at-stake-at-arctic -gateway-summit-107020833.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/CentrePort-a-key -issue--in-Rosser-reeve-race-105285718.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/CentrePort-a-key- issue--in-Rosser-reeve-race-105285718.html -----Original Message----- From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Beth McKechnie Sent: June 27, 2011 4:57 PM To: AT network Subject: [At-network] Transportation Master Plan Open House - July 6, 2011 ** Please share widely ** WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE INVITATION The City of Winnipeg staff and consultant team invite you to attend the second Open House for the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). Drop by to view the main comments received from the public and stakeholders meetings and review the key directions and opportunities for the following transportation components: * Transit * Roads * Goods Movement * Active Transportation * Transportation Demand Management * Funding, Financing, and Governance We would like to hear from you on this important stage of the process! WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN OPEN HOUSE Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Where: The Forks Market Atrium (at the base of the Forks Tower) Format: Drop in anytime - no formal presentation. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and collect feedback you may have. Visit the following Website to view or download the latest version of the TMP Newsletter: http://transportation.speakupwinnipeg.com Please forward this email to anyone that you feel would be interested in attending. Thank You! -- 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 <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> our work by becoming a member

1 0

New study from PERI available online
by Stacy Matwick 28 Jun '11

28 Jun '11

>From University of Massachusetts Political Economy Research Institute http://www.peri.umass.edu/ "The benefits of pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails-reduced congestion, better air quality, safer travel routes, and improved health outcomes-are well documented. But in this study, Heidi Garrett-Peltier examines another dimension of these public investments: the employment impacts of building and refurbishing this infrastructure, as well as construction and rehabilitation of roads without cycling or walking facilities. Using data from eleven cities, Garrett-Peltier finds that bike and pedestrian projects are effective job creation engines, notably more so than investing at similar levels in road construction for cars." Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study of Employment Impacts by Heidi Garrett-Peltier http://www.peri.umass.edu/fileadmin/pdf/published_study/PERI_ABikes_June201… Cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

1 0

Fw: Bike to Work Day 2011, please forward
by beth＠greenactioncentre.ca 28 Jun '11

28 Jun '11

Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone on the MTS High Speed Mobility Network -----Original Message----- From: Andraea Sartison <andraea.sartison(a)biketoworkdaywinnipeg.org> Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:00:18 Subject: Bike to Work Day 2011, please forward Good afternoon! Friday, June 24th was Bike to Work Day 2011. The event boasted *2700 registered cyclists* (that's way more than 2122 last year!), *325* of which enjoyed a party at the Forks afterwork, there were *22 pit stops* around town and we gave out *400 shirts*, *625 morning snacks* and* 300 burgers or hot dogs*! With 24 degrees and sunny weather the streets were busy with cyclists! In fact, in addition to our registered cyclists each pit stop reported dozens of cyclists who passed by without stopping on their way to work. Knowing that there were even more people on bikes than we registered helps us to emphasize the importance of our event and cycling advocacy, and gives us hope that participation will continue to grow annually. Our goal for next year is to increase registration, promotion and the quality of the event yet again. So stay tuned. The success of this year's event is attributed to our wide network of sponsors, volunteers, partners and riders. We couldn't have done it without you! See you out on the bike paths and for the 5th annual Bike to Work Day Winnipeg in 2012! Please feel free to forward your comments or questions (or suggestions!) about Bike to Work Day to me. Cheers-Andraea -- *Andraea Sartison* *Event Coordinator* *Bike to Work Day 2011* *333-2666* www.biketoworkdaywinnipeg.org

1 0

NYT: Europe Stifles Drivers in Favor of Mass Transit and Walking
by Erik Dickson 28 Jun '11

28 Jun '11

Subject: Re: NYT: Europe Stifles Drivers in Favor of Mass Transit and Walking ZURICH - While American cities are synchronizing green lights to improve traffic flow and offering apps to help drivers find parking, many European cities are doing the opposite: creating environments openly hostile to cars. The methods vary, but the mission is clear - to make car use expensive and just plain miserable enough to tilt drivers toward more environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Cities including Vienna to Munich and Copenhagen have closed vast swaths of streets to car traffic. Barcelona and Paris have had car lanes eroded by popular bike-sharing programs. Drivers in London and Stockholm pay hefty congestion charges just for entering the heart of the city. And over the past two years, dozens of German cities have joined a national network of "environmental zones" where only cars with low carbon dioxide emissions may enter. Likeminded cities welcome new shopping malls and apartment buildings but severely restrict the allowable number of parking spaces. On-street parking is vanishing. In recent years, even former car capitals like Munich have evolved into "walkers' paradises," said Lee Schipper, a senior research engineer at Stanford University who specializes in sustainable transportation. "In the United States, there has been much more of a tendency to adapt cities to accommodate driving," said Peder Jensen, head of the Energy and Transport Group at the European Environment Agency. "Here there has been more movement to make cities more livable for people, to get cities relatively free of cars." To that end, the municipal Traffic Planning Department here in Zurich has been working overtime in recent years to torment drivers. Closely spaced red lights have been added on roads into town, causing delays and angst for commuters. Pedestrian underpasses that once allowed traffic to flow freely across major intersections have been removed. Operators in the city's ever expanding tram system can turn traffic lights in their favor as they approach, forcing cars to halt. Around Löwenplatz, one of Zurich's busiest squares, cars are now banned on many blocks. Where permitted, their speed is limited to a snail's pace so that crosswalks and crossing signs can be removed entirely, giving people on foot the right to cross anywhere they like at any time. As he stood watching a few cars inch through a mass of bicycles and pedestrians, the city's chief traffic planner, Andy Fellmann, smiled. "Driving is a stop-and-go experience," he said. "That's what we like! Our goal is to reconquer public space for pedestrians, not to make it easy for drivers." While some American cities - notably San Francisco, which has "pedestrianized" parts of Market Street - have made similar efforts, they are still the exception in the United States, where it has been difficult to get people to imagine a life where cars are not entrenched, Dr. Schipper said. Europe's cities generally have stronger incentives to act. Built for the most part before the advent of cars, their narrow roads are poor at handling heavy traffic. Public transportation is generally better in Europe than in the United States, and gas often costs over $8 a gallon, contributing to driving costs that are two to three times greater per mile than in the United States, Dr. Schipper said. What is more, European Union countries probably cannot meet a commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions unless they curb driving. The United States never ratified that pact. Globally, emissions from transportation continue a relentless rise, with half of them coming from personal cars. Yet an important impulse behind Europe's traffic reforms will be familiar to mayors in Los Angeles and Vienna alike: to make cities more inviting, with cleaner air and less traffic. Michael Kodransky, global research manager at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy in New York, which works with cities to reduce transport emissions, said that Europe was previously "on the same trajectory as the United States, with more people wanting to own more cars." But in the past decade, there had been "a conscious shift in thinking, and firm policy," he said. And it is having an effect. After two decades of car ownership, Hans Von Matt, 52, who works in the insurance industry, sold his vehicle and now gets around Zurich by tram or bicycle, using a car-sharing service for trips out of the city. Carless households have increased from 40 to 45 percent in the last decade, and car owners use their vehicles less, city statistics show. "There were big fights over whether to close this road or not - but now it is closed, and people got used to it," he said, alighting from his bicycle on Limmatquai, a riverside pedestrian zone lined with cafes that used to be two lanes of gridlock. Each major road closing has to be approved in a referendum. Today 91 percent of the delegates to the Swiss Parliament take the tram to work. Still, there is grumbling. "There are all these zones where you can only drive 20 or 30 kilometers per hour [about 12 to 18 miles an hour], which is rather stressful," Thomas Rickli, a consultant, said as he parked his Jaguar in a lot at the edge of town. "It's useless." Urban planners generally agree that a rise in car commuting is not desirable for cities anywhere. Mr. Fellmann calculated that a person using a car took up 115 cubic meters (roughly 4,000 cubic feet) of urban space in Zurich while a pedestrian took three. "So it's not really fair to everyone else if you take the car," he said. European cities also realized they could not meet increasingly strict World Health Organization guidelines for fine-particulate air pollution if cars continued to reign. Many American cities are likewise in "nonattainment" of their Clean Air Act requirements, but that fact "is just accepted here," said Mr. Kodransky of the New York-based transportation institute. It often takes extreme measures to get people out of their cars, and providing good public transportation is a crucial first step. One novel strategy in Europe is intentionally making it harder and more costly to park. "Parking is everywhere in the United States, but it's disappearing from the urban space in Europe," said Mr. Kodransky, whose recent report "Europe's Parking U-Turn" surveys the shift. Sihl City, a new Zurich mall, is three times the size of Brooklyn's Atlantic Mall but has only half the number of parking spaces, and as a result, 70 percent of visitors get there by public transport, Mr. Kodransky said. In Copenhagen, Mr. Jensen, at the European Environment Agency, said that his office building had more than 150 spaces for bicycles and only one for a car, to accommodate a disabled person. While many building codes in Europe cap the number of parking spaces in new buildings to discourage car ownership, American codes conversely tend to stipulate a minimum number. New apartment complexes built along the light rail line in Denver devote their bottom eight floors to parking, making it "too easy" to get in the car rather than take advantage of rail transit, Mr. Kodransky said. While Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has generated controversy in New York by "pedestrianizing" a few areas like Times Square, many European cities have already closed vast areas to car traffic. Store owners in Zurich had worried that the closings would mean a drop in business, but that fear has proved unfounded, Mr. Fellmann said, because pedestrian traffic increased 30 to 40 percent where cars were banned. With politicians and most citizens still largely behind them, Zurich's planners continue their traffic-taming quest, shortening the green-light periods and lengthening the red with the goal that pedestrians wait no more than 20 seconds to cross. "We would never synchronize green lights for cars with our philosophy," said Pio Marzolini, a city official. "When I'm in other cities, I feel like I'm always waiting to cross a street. I can't get used to the idea that I am worth less than a car."

1 0

Walk this lovely little way - Wpg's picturesque parkways city's best-kept secret
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '11

28 Jun '11

Walk this lovely little way Winnipeg's picturesque parkways city's best-kept secret By: Julie Carl http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/walk-this-lovely-little-way-12463564… Shhhhhh. It's Winnipeg's prettiest little secret, and we wouldn't want word to get out. It's not marked on city maps, not even the trail maps. And there's precious few signs pointing the way. But unbeknownst to most Winnipeggers, there's a web of six parkways that link park to park to park along the city's rivers, following quiet streets where necessary, but mainly hugging the riverbanks. And if you venture just north of the corner of Glenwood Crescent and Harbison Avenue West, you'll discover perhaps the most picturesque spot of all of Winnipeg's parkways, Elmwood Park, part of the Kildonan Parkway. "I can't believe no one, either media or just a person, has asked about this," said Janice Lukes, manager of special projects with the Winnipeg Trails Association and Rivers West, Red River co-ordinator. "But no one has." Many people may be travelling the parkways in bits and pieces but don't realize they all join up. On a recent sunny day, cyclists were whizzing through Elmwood Park and south along the parkway, while a couple walked two enormous dogs and some would-be explorers checked out two mysterious staircases near the river. The Kildonan Parkway, where it wends through Elmwood, might be the most pleasant of the parkways, given to leisurely meandering, snaking along tree-shaded neighbourhoods and sun-dappled parks by the river. The parkways all end at The Forks -- or start there, depending on how you look at it. The South Winnipeg Parkway runs south of The Forks, west of the Red, and the Boni-Vital Parkway, also running south, is east of the Red. There's the North Assiniboine Parkway and South Assiniboine Parkway, their directions self-explanatory. The North Winnipeg Parkway runs north of The Forks on the west side of the river, and the Kildonan Parkway runs north on the Red's east side. The parkway system was started 20 years ago by a forward-thinking city with a vision to make the most of its rivers, Lukes says. There were 18 smaller trails then, a very confusing labyrinth of paths, but officials organized them into six parkways to keep things simple. Until trailheads and route maps are placed on the parkways -- planned for this fall, along with signs indicating points of interest, a very pleased Lukes reports -- bikers, hikers and dog-walkers need to be a little creative to find the parkways in many spots. They are signed, but signs are small and placement is a bit sketchy. It's worth seeking the signs because, really, a whole other world within Winnipeg opens up once you set foot or wheel on a parkway. julie.carl(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

Great Places: how livable streets make us happier humans
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '11

28 Jun '11

Great places: how livable streets make us happier humans by Sarah Goodyear <http://www.grist.org/people/Sarah+Goodyear> 23 Jun 2011 12:30 PM * http://www.grist.org/urbanism/2011-06-23-great-places-how-livable-streets-m… * ** ** *This post follows up on David Roberts' series on "great places<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-05-23-great-places-reorienting-progressiv…> ."* I found out yesterday that one of my neighbors, a lady in her 70s, had been taken to the hospital with heart problems. Her middle-aged daughter, who lives with her, was the one who told me, when we met on the stretch of sidewalk between our two houses. We often stop to chat like this, trading news and gossip and small talk. I expressed my concern and asked if there was anything that I could do. The daughter thanked me, and said she would pass along my well-wishes. Later, I found out from another neighbor that the older woman is going to be just fine. Phew. So what does this have to do with the "great places<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-05-23-great-places-reorienting-progressiv…>" idea David Roberts began exploring a few weeks back? Here's what: Great places have to be sustainable not just environmentally, but socially, too. Because human beings are social animals. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/sminor/4458106816/> Those brief talks I had with my neighbors were typical -- among dozens of similar interactions I have every week on my block and the streets around it. My dense, walkable, transit-rich neighborhood does a lot of great things for my carbon footprint (no car required, Zipcar within walking distance if I need one, farmers market only a few blocks away). But what it does for my soul might, in the end, be more important. Over the years, I have traded dog-sitting services with one neighbor. A store around the corner has accepted packages for me when I've been out. I've gotten, and given, career advice while sitting on the stoop. I've dropped my wallet on the sidewalk and had it returned by a woman whom I know could have used the money inside. She didn't touch the cash. My son has ridden his scooter up and down the sidewalk, and we've played stickball with the neighbor kids in the street. I've shoveled the snow in front of the house of the old couple next door. I've given hugs, picked up trash, and offered my shoulder to cry on. The street I live on is not just an address for me. It is an extension of my home. That sense I have -- that my living room extends into the street -- is, sadly, a privilege in this day and age. It's made possible by relatively low car traffic and high density of dwelling units on my block. This combination opens up a way of life that used to be common -- in which human beings naturally connect with each other over time, forming networks that can then be called upon when the going gets rough. Back in the late 1960s, a man named Donald Appleyard<http://www.pps.org/articles/dappleyard/>did some groundbreaking research into the way that car traffic kills street life and degrades the quality of urban communities<http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-04-how-automobiles-make-our-streets-le…>. It was published in a book called *Livable Streets<http://www.amazon.com/Livable-Streets-Donald-Appleyard/dp/0415610648/ref=sr…>, *which will be back in print next year. He found that on streets with light car traffic, people felt more connected to their neighbors and their physical surroundings. The heavier the traffic, the more those connections suffered. The more the people suffered. The video below, from Streetfilms <http://www.streetfilms.org/>, is an excellent illustration of his work. Revisiting Donald Appleyard's Livable Streets <http://vimeo.com/16399180>from Streetfilms <http://vimeo.com/streetfilms> on Vimeo <http://vimeo.com/>. Since Appleyard did his research in San Francisco, automobiles have only grown more dominant on our streets. Recently, a British graduate student named Joshua Hart set out to replicate Appleyard's findings<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/19/ethicalliving.automotive>, and the quotes from his dissertation<http://www2.grist.org/grist-images/2011/June/6-20/DTESummary.pdf>[PDF] dramatize the toll autocentrism takes on human lives. Here's what one man in his 50s said about the street where he lives: [The traffic is] like a mountain range, cutting you off from the other side of the road.....it's hellishly busy....a bloody nightmare. The buses and lorries shake the house when they come by. The air pollution can be quite bad out the front, sometimes during rush hour you feel the air getting thicker and thicker..... Other recent studies have found<http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/walkable-ne…>that "social capital" -- that is, the number and quality of human interactions -- is higher in walkable communities<http://www.springerlink.com/content/xtq06270p27r1v0h/>. And even small increases in connectedness and activity can have significant health benefits<http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report_small-day-to-day-changes-could-lead-t…> . Take a look at the video below (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVW8BCFsT3c) as well, from Mike Biddulph of Cardiff University<http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/cplan/contactsandpeople/stafflist/a-b/biddulph-mik…>. It compares two different streets in Cardiff, Wales, at the same time of day. One is what is known in the U.K. as a "home zone<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_zone>" -- a street that is designed with people as its primary focus, not cars. The other is a street with some traffic-calming measures in place, but where automobiles still dominate the streetscape visually and in terms of the space they occupy. It becomes clear very quickly which street makes it inviting for people -- especially children -- to come out of their homes and do what primates generally like to do, which is to socialize with one another. The concept of walkable, or livable, streets has slowly but surely been coming back into the mainstream conversation, in part because of the work of grassroots activists like Dan Burden <http://www.walkable.org/about.html>. Burden has worked many hours (and walked many miles) to try to convince municipal officials that they should design their cities and towns for people instead of cars. People are taking notice<http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/walking-expert-prescribes-ro…>. Streets are changing. More and more communities are passing "complete streets <http://www.completestreets.org/>" legislation that requires streets to be designed with pedestrians and bikes in mind, not just cars. It shouldn't just be 19th-century neighborhoods like mine that have a happy street life. It shouldn't just be rich neighborhoods. It should be all neighborhoods. But there are still way too many places in America where streets are for cars, and you take your life into your hands just trying to cross on foot<http://www.grist.org/slideshow/2011-05-25-do-not-walk-here> . Changing our streets to bring them back to human scale will take generations. It's a process, but at least the work has begun in earnest. Here's what Donald Appleyard said about the tension over street design: People have always lived on streets. They have been the places where children first learned about the world, where neighbors met, the social centers of towns and cities, the rallying points for revolts, the scenes of repression.... The street has always been the scene of this conflict, between living and access, between resident and traveler, between street life and the threat of death. Appleyard would likely be thrilled to see how his ideas are being taken up by a new generation. Sadly, he's not around to do so. He was struck by a car and killed in 1982 <http://streetswiki.wikispaces.com/Donald+Appleyard>. Sarah Goodyear is Grist’s cities editor. She’s also on Twitter<http://twitter.com/buttermilk1> . -- *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/memberships/>

1 0

Transportation Master Plan Open House - July 6, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jun '11

27 Jun '11

** Please share widely ** *WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN* *PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE INVITATION* ** ** The City of Winnipeg staff and consultant team invite you to attend the second Open House for the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). Drop by to view the main comments received from the public and stakeholders meetings and review the key directions and opportunities for the following transportation components: - Transit - Roads - Goods Movement - Active Transportation - Transportation Demand Management - Funding, Financing, and Governance We would like to hear from you on this important stage of the process!**** ** ** WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN OPEN HOUSE**** Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 **** Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM**** Where: The Forks Market Atrium (at the base of the Forks Tower)**** Format: Drop in anytime – no formal presentation. **** ** ** Staff will be on hand to answer questions and collect feedback you may have. **** ** ** Visit the following Website to view or download the latest version of the TMP Newsletter: http://transportation.speakupwinnipeg.com**** ** ** Please forward this email to anyone that you feel would be interested in attending. Thank You!**** ** ** -- *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/memberships/>

1 0