- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Edmonton fights back against the hidden costs of parking with the boldest plan in Canada
by Charles Feaver 02 Jul '20

02 Jul '20

Globe and mail editorial today: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-edmonton-fights-b ack-against-the-hidden-costs-of-parking-with-the/ .. Some cities have started to move away from parking requirements for new buildings, but they are doing it slowly, and usually only in specific circumstances. Edmonton, however, decided to go further. Last week, city council <https://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-Release---Edmonton-first-major-Can adian-municipality-to-eliminate-parking-minimums.html?soid=1127191170163&aid =hSRVUDLmF1Q> eliminated parking minimums from its zoning rules for all developments across the city, the first big city in Canada to do so. All Canadian cities should take inspiration. Edmonton is thinking about what kind of city it wants to be in 2050. To quote a guiding maxim of a famous former Edmontonian: "Skate to where the puck's going and not where it's been." .. Sadly, their front page points to another trend: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article-here-in-my-car-i-feel-safest-of -all-and-in-a-covid-19-pandemic-it/ "Here in my car, I feel safest of all - and in a COVID-19 pandemic, it's the only way to live". Charles Feaver 11 Harvard Ave Winnipeg R3M 0J6 204.293.6332

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WFP: City scraps plan for one-way traffic on West Broadway streets (Jun25'20)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jun '20

25 Jun '20

*City scraps plan for one-way traffic on West Broadway streets* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-scraps-plans-for-one-way-traff… THE city has scratched an idea to make two major West Broadway streets into one-way roads as it prepares to begin construction of a bike path in the area next year. In an email sent Tuesday to area residents, the city says it decided to keep vehicular traffic in both directions on Westminster Avenue, Balmoral Street, and Granite Way, from Langside Street to Osborne Street. Residents, parents of children at Balmoral Hall School, and members of the Granite Curling Club opposed one-way traffic. “You told us the project design balances the safety and needs of all road users in some ways, but that you were very concerned with some aspects — particularly one-way streets and their potential to increase traffic and decrease safety along some residential streets,” the email says. The city says it has decided to build a two-way protected bike lane on the east side of Balmoral Street and Young Street, instead of a bike path on either side of the street. However, to fit it in with vehicular traffic, it will reduce the width of the bike lane to 1.5 metres from 1.8 metres, and require the removal of six loading stalls on Westminster in front of Balmoral Hall. The design includes the addition of stop signs on Balmoral Street at Granite Way and the loss of 15 parking spaces on Granite Way. The city said it expects to have a detailed design contract by the end of the summer, with construction expected to begin next year. But, because of low traffic volume connected with the shutdown of nonessential businesses for weeks to slow the spread of COVID-19, the city has decided to hold off on the final design of the rest of the planned bike path along Westminster, from Langside Street to Chestnut Street in Wolseley, until September.

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WFP: Councillors urge city to boost safety by improving markings (Jun25'20)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jun '20

25 Jun '20

Councillors urge city to boost safety by improving markings Faded paint lines not street smart https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/paint-by-numbers-councillors-push-f… WINNIPEG drivers have likely all faced the challenge: you want to stay in your lane but you’re not sure where it is. Snow-clearing, road sand and other Manitoba weather realities strip away paint that marks lanes, leaving just a few flecks of colour or blank pavement. It can take many weeks for city crews to repaint those lines each year. Two councillors are pushing for changes to that process, which they hope will make streets safer. Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) is calling on the city administration to provide options to “improve the permanency of lane markings,” in a motion set to be debated at the July 7 meeting of the public works committee. Nason said the current faded markings are barely, or not at all, visible, which could make motorists and cyclists more likely to compete for the same space. “This creates an unsafe situation, and we need to do a better job to ensure (that) there are properly marked trails on our roadways. Then the motoring public can (stay in) their proper lane,” he said. He believes the longevity of the paint is key to addressing the issue. “We need some permanency on our line-painting, that’s not just put down and washed away a few weeks or months later — something that can stay on the road over the winters,” said Nason. The City of Winnipeg website describes road markings as “an important, but often overlooked, safety feature... Painted lines keep traffic in lanes and serve as guide posts for passing, safety, crosswalks and stopping areas.” In 2013, a KPMG public works review offered recommendations for Winnipeg to improve its road markings, which the consultant found were often missing. “Reliance on a single, in-house crew that takes up to 34 weeks to remark the city’s streets implies that many roads are left unmarked for much of this time,” the report notes. KPMG suggested Winnipeg consider the use of longer-lasting paint, try out new technology, and possibly contract out work to address the problem. Meanwhile, Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said she’d like to see the city prioritize lane painting so intersections that have the most collisions get painted first. Lukes said she lobbies for new paint at the intersection of Kenaston and Mc-Gillivray boulevards each year, then waits weeks or months to see the work completed. “It’s still not painted and it’s (late) June. Last year, it was the middle of August,” said Lukes. “Personally, I just think high-collision intersections should be (the top) priority at all times.” A total of 1,352 crashes took place at Kenaston-McGillivray between 2015 and 2019, the most at any intersection, Manitoba Public Insurance figures show. Leila Avenue and McPhillips Street had the second-highest number of crashes (1,191). Lukes said high-crash locations tend to have crosswalks and may also offer bicycle lanes, so making their lane markers more visible would make all road users safer. She plans to soon raise her own motion for the city to paint its Top 10 highest-collision intersections before any other roads each year. The city’s website notes it still uses one lane-liner machine that paints about 1,000 kilometres of roadway lines and edges, including 1,061 intersections. In a written statement, city spokeswoman Julie Horbal Dooley said the complete process takes about 35 weeks, which isn’t finished some years due to weather and resource issues. The work itself is growing, Horbal Dooley said. “The number of lane markings in the city is increasing at a rapid pace as we add active transportation routes to the network and… some regional streets are remarked up to three times a year.” The statement noted paint options that are more durable have a “cost-prohibitive nature.” Horbal Dooley also noted the public works department does prioritize some repainting for sites that need it most and intersections that have the most traffic. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Segway personal transporter hitting brakes on production
by Beth McKechnie 24 Jun '20

24 Jun '20

Segway personal transporter hitting brakes on production SEGWAY, which boldly claimed its two-wheeled personal transporter would revolutionize the way people get around, is ending production of its namesake vehicle. The Segway PT, popular with tourists and police officers but perhaps better known for its high-profile crashes, will be retired on July 15, the company said in a statement. “Within its first decade, the Segway PT became a staple in security and law enforcement, viewed as an effective and efficient personal vehicle,” said Judy Cai, Segway president, in a statement, noting that in the past decade it gained popularity with vacationers in major cities in North America, Europe, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. But the Segway, which carries a standing passenger on a wide platform, accounted for less than 1.5 per cent of the company’s revenue last year. The company said 21 employees will be laid off, another 12 employees will stay on for two months to a year and five will remain at the Bedford, New Hampshire facility. “This decision was not made lightly, and while the current global pandemic did impact sales and production, it was not a deciding factor in our decision,” Cai said. The transportation revolution that inventor Dean Kamen envisioned when he founded the company in 1999 never took off. The Segway’s original price tag of around US$5,000 was a hurdle for many customers. It also was challenging to ride because the rider had to be balanced at a specific angle for the vehicle to move forward. If the rider’s weight shifted too much in any direction, it could easily spin out of control and throw the rider off. They were banned in some cities because users could easily lose control if they were not balanced properly. “What did they think the market was when they built this, when they designed it?” asked Maryann Keller, principal at Maryann Keller & Associates. “My impression was they were talking about this as personal mobility. How could you think that something this large and expensive would be personal mobility?” Segway’s popularity may have peaked in early 2009 with the release of the Kevin James comedy Paul Blart: Mall Cop, where the titular Blart patrols a fictional mall on a Segway. Ten months after buying the company in 2009, British self-made millionaire Jim Heselden died after the Segway he was riding careened off a 30-foot cliff not far from his country estate north of London. He was 62 years old. In 2003, then president George W. Bush avoided injury after tumbling off a Segway at his parents’ summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. A cameraman riding a Segway ran over Usain Bolt in 2015 as the Jamaican sprinter did a victory lap after winning a 200-metre race in Beijing. Bolt wasn’t injured and later joked about the incident. In 2017, Segway got into the scooter business, just as the light, inexpensive and easy-to-ride two-wheelers took over urban streets. Riders took 38.5 million trips on shared electric scooters in 2018, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Segway’s foray into lightweight scooters may have been a sign that its original PT’s days were numbered. “It was probably over-hyped before it was launched, and when it was launched, it was like, this is not going to work on city sidewalks,” Keller said. — The Associated Press

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Federation of Cdn Municipalities: COVID-19 Street Rebalancing Guide
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jun '20

23 Jun '20

[*Shared by Brian Patterson of Urban Systems on the TDM listserv]* Earlier today, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) released a new *COVID-19 Street Rebalancing Guide *to help cities effectively modify urban streets to support safe commuting, commerce and exercise. The *COVID-19 Street Rebalancing Guide* is a product of FCM's The Urban Project <https://theurbanproject.ca/>, which convenes a wide spectrum of voices to tackle urban challenges across Canada. The guide itself flows from weeks of engagement with city officials and thought leaders from across Canada. The guide is designed for decision makers and practitioners alike. With case studies from around the world, it offers strategies and practical guidance on rebalancing streets through three phases of COVID-19 response-from immediate to longer term. It explores installations ranging from bike lanes and curbside queuing areas to temporary patios and parklets. The guide was developed for FCM by Urban Systems. *FCM Press Release:* covid.fcm.ca/news/... <https://covid.fcm.ca/news/new-guide-helps-cities-rebalance-streets-amid-pan…> *Download the Guide: *theurbanproject.ca/events/covid-19-and-mobility ------------------------------ Brian Patterson Active Transportation Practice Leader Urban Systems Ltd. Vancouver BC (604) 235-1701 bpatterson(a)urbansystems.ca

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Free webinar: NTSB Bicycle Safety Report (June 24th)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jun '20

23 Jun '20

Upcoming Free APBP Webinar: A Discussion of the NTSB Bicycle Safety Report June 24 at 3:00pm EDT Register Here <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ngQtQNNXaYJOFwiJb6fT4Gc9OBGxAi833CZ1DBHW1P8_…> The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released its full report on bicyclist safety in December 2019: Bicyclist Safety on US Roadways: Crash Risks and Countermeasures, *the agency’s first report on bicyclist safety in 47 years*. Most of the report focuses on what federal agencies can do to improve the safety of people who bike. Join APBP and NTSB for this free webinar where NTSB's Member Homendy will discuss the full report. Moderated by APBP Board member and Policy Committee Chair, Conor Semler.

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WFP: Cyclist struck by SUV on bike route calls for increased safety measures (Jun23'20)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jun '20

23 Jun '20

Cyclist struck by SUV on bike route calls for increased safety measures https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cyclist-struck-by-suv-on-bike-route… JESSE HAJER was on his way home from his son’s physically distanced birthday party late Saturday afternoon, biking down the Wolseley Avenue active transportation route with four young children, when he was struck by an impatient driver in a sport-utility vehicle. He was keeping an eye out for the group of six- and seven-year-old kids, he said, crossing through the intersection at Clifton Street, when an SUV approached from behind, honking at the group to hurry along. Hajer signalled to the driver to wait but the car accelerated, appearing to try to squeeze between Hajer and the curb, and hit Hajer from behind. “It wasn’t going super fast or anything but it was enough,” Hajer said in an interview Monday, noting that he wasn’t seriously injured but was hit hard enough to damage the car. The incident comes amid ongoing debate about the nine temporary active transportation routes the City of Winnipeg set up at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage physical activity and alternative transportation options during isolation, introducing the question of road safety for those pedestrians and cyclists taking to the road. Hajer said he and his family are supporters of the active transportation road in their neighbourhood, and want to see the city take measures to make the routes appear more permanent, encouraging motorists to slow down and follow the rules. “I’m a huge fan of these routes; they’ve been just a breath of fresh air literally and figuratively in this challenging time,” Hajer said. “It’s stressful, families are super stressed out and they need options like this to get outside.” So far, motorists have been limited to one block of travel between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on the routes, seven days a week. Hajer said he would like to see the city commit to traffic calming measures to make the routes more secure, including more frequent barriers to emphasize the rules, or larger and more attractive barriers such as planters. He’d also like to see the one block driving rules extended to 24 hours a day, speed limits reduced to 30 km/h on the residential roads and more educational signage outlining consequences for breaking the rules. Many of those initiatives have been echoed in recent months by cyclists and active transportation advocates such as Anders Swanson, executive director of Winnipeg Trails, who has petitioned the city to extend and expand the open street project. Assuring safety on those routes, he said, is about making cars feel as though they are guests on the road, rather than the road’s intended user. “From Day 1 we should have been working on a plan to make these feel more like pedestrian and cycling spaces, and that can include everything from picnic tables to flower planters to warm and welcoming signage,” Swanson said Monday. “A barricade with a chloroplast board feels like a temporary waiting room set up in the lobby. It doesn’t feel like we’re going to take this opportunity to make the city better and make it so people can make themselves better and heal themselves.” Reducing speed limits, beautifying streets and increasing education about the routes are easy first steps the city can take to more pedestrian and cycling-friendly streets, Swanson said. From there, he’d like to see the city invest in making those streets permanent and expanding the network into as many neighbourhoods as possible. “Our concern is that we’ve only got a toe in the water here, we keep extending them for a measly few weeks, there’s been no firm commitment to turn this into a network that reaches everybody in the city, and when you do that then you’re not mobilizing your department to do the things it needs to do because it’s a half measure,” he added. For its part, the city has no clear plans to enforce safety measures on the routes. A spokeswoman for the Public Works department said in an email Monday that “all modes of road users are reminded to be mindful of others and share the road, and to be aware of their surroundings at all times,” adding that the city is “counting on Winnipeggers to do their part and obey posted signage, and — for the most part — (has) seen them comply.” The city said permanent routes would be enforced “as per the governing bylaws,” but would not indicate whether it has used any disciplinary measures to enforce the rules thus far. julia-simone.rutgers(a)freepress.mb.ca

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This isn't the first time bicycles have been the hottest machines on the market
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '20

22 Jun '20

How bicycles transformed our world: Coronavirus has sparked a two-wheeled transport boom in many parts of the globe. But this isn't the first time bicycles have been the hottest machines on the market https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/06/how-bicycles-transformed…

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Toronto Star: COVID-19 and transit - What we think we know may be wrong (Jun18''20)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '20

22 Jun '20

*COVID-19 and transit: What we think we know may be wrong * https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/06/18/covid-19-and-transit-what-we-th… According to everything we know about COVID-19 <https://www.thestar.com/coronavirus.html>, public transit seems like a perfect breeding ground for the disease. During normal times, a functioning transit system requires thousands of people to crowd together in an enclosed space, spend several minutes breathing the same air, and then spread back out into their workplaces and communities carrying whatever they picked up on board with them. Combined with economic shutdowns prompted by the pandemic, the fear of contracting the virus on subways and buses has helped decimate ridership on systems, creating revenue crises that pose an existential threat to transit operators around the world. The effects could be long-lasting. In Toronto, where ridership has dropped to as low as 14 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and the TTC is losing about $21 million a week, one in 10 riders say they won’t take transit again even as provincial authorities deem it safe to reopen the economy, according to a recent survey <https://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/Commiss…> commissioned by the agency. But is transit as dangerous a vector as it appears? Recent international data show a lack of confirmed cases connected to transit use that is striking even when taking ridership declines into account. Some experts say this can be explained by gaps in contact tracing methodologies, but others argue the risk of transmission on public transportation may not be as severe as initially feared. “There’s so much that we don’t know about the coronavirus and how it spreads. But we’ve seen enough new evidence to suggest that public transportation hasn’t been the super-spreader that many have assumed,” Janette Sadik-Khan, the influential former New York City transportation commissioner and current principal at the Bloomberg Associates, said in an email. She cited a study in France that determined none of 150 COVID-19 infection clusters identified in Paris from early May to early June originated on the city’s transit network. She also pointed to Japan, a country that has experienced only about 17,000 COVID-19 cases, despite having one of the world’s busiest rail networks. Canada has now recorded more than 100,000 cases. Figures like those present a sharp contrast to the conclusions of a study by an MIT economics professor <http://web.mit.edu/jeffrey/harris/HarrisJE_WP2_COVID19_NYC_24-Apr-2020.pdf> that was widely circulated in the early days of in the crisis. It warned the subway network “was a major disseminator — if not the principal transmission vehicle — of coronavirus infection” in New York City. The study’s methodology and conclusions have been widely criticized, not least because in New York infection rates have been lower in subway-rich Manhattan than in transit-poor boroughs like Staten Island. But Sadik-Khan said its findings and similar proclamations early in the pandemic “scared people and may hold them back from returning to transit.” For transit agencies now plunged into financial crisis, “this fear of transit may ultimately be more damaging than the potential threat of riding it,” she said. Conclusive evidence linking COVID-19 transmission to transit use appears to be rare in Canada. As of June 12, 65 TTC employees out of a staff of more than 15,000 had tested positive for the virus <http://www.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Safety_and_Security/Case_update.jsp>. But it’s not known whether they contracted the infection on the job. Toronto Public Health hasn’t traced any of the city’s more than 13,500 COVID-19 cases to public transit. However, TPH spokesperson Dr. Vinita Dubey cautioned that doesn’t necessarily indicate that infections aren’t occurring in settings like the TTC. Because the virus has a 14-day incubation period and can be spread by people who aren’t exhibiting symptoms, “it is difficult to determine exactly where someone acquired their infection,” she said. The picture is similar in other Canadian jurisdictions. Public health authorities overseeing Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa all told the Star this week that no cases in those cities had been linked to transit. A spokeperson for Vancouver Coastal Health said “we don’t comment on specific cases,” but the agency “hasn’t had need for any public notification to transit users.” Tom McMillan, a spokesperson for Alberta Health, said the agency “has not identified any cases to date where transit is considered the source of exposure.” But the agency is drafting guidelines for operators like Calgary Transit and Edmonton Transit Services to keep riders and workers safe. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Toronto and Toronto General Hospital, said he wasn’t surprised by the lack of cases linked to transit. Even in jurisdictions where transit operators haven’t made safety measures like mask use mandatory for riders, Bogoch said passengers appear to be taking it upon themselves to take precautions like wearing face coverings, washing their hands, and keeping their distance from one another, which has likely helped to reduce the spread. Wearing a mask will become mandatory on the TTC as of July 2, with exceptions for young children and people with medical conditions. Some commentators have speculated transmission on transit hasn’t occurred at high rates because unlike in settings like bars where patrons risk spreading the infection in airborne droplets by talking close to one another, transit riders largely don’t speak to other passengers. And while transit vehicles are enclosed spaces, their doors open regularly, circulating the air. Bogoch said it’s possible such factors have mitigated the spread of the virus, but their effects are difficult to quantify. He argued what’s more important is the infection rate of the societies in which transit systems operate, which he said bodes well for Toronto. Even though the city lags behind the rest of Ontario in reducing caseloads, it still has a rate of about 400 per 100,000 people, according to Ontario Public Health data <https://files.ontario.ca/moh-covid-19-report-en-2020-06-18.pdf>. By comparison, New York state’s rate is about 2,000 per 100,000 people, according to data compiled by the New York Times. The “general low burden of infection” in Toronto, coupled with measures such as mask use, make transit in the city a “low risk” environment, Bogoch said. He cautioned that doesn’t mean the probability of transmission on transit is nonexistent, especially as the province continues to open up and more people return to the system. “We’re going to have outbreaks in the GTA, and certainly someone’s going to be infected by this virus on a bus or on a subway,” he said. Dr. Colin Furness, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, warned the lack of evidence connecting infections to public transit can’t be taken as proof the virus isn’t being spread there, and instead could be attributed to blind spots in contact tracing. He said chains of infection are more easily recreated in homes, workplaces, and other settings where people know each other and can be identified after they come in contact with someone who has the virus. Accurately determining the rate of transmission on transit would be “enormously difficult” because “people don’t live on public transit, people don’t know each other on public transit,” Furness said. Until there is conclusive proof the virus isn’t spreading on transportation networks, Furness warned any assertions that systems are safe would be overly optimistic. “It’s going to be pretty hard for me to come to the conclusion that buses and subways and streetcars aren’t risky,” he said. “A responsible person is going to say, look, if we’re not sure, we should not downplay the risk … So yes, it’s too early to jump for joy.” TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said it was up to Toronto Public Health to determine how safe the transit system is, but the TTC agrees with the health authority’s position that “the TTC remains a safe system.” Green said the TTC is “certainly aware of examples from around the world that suggest there are no links between mass transit ridership and viral spread,” but “we are not taking that for granted.” He said “as the city reopens and ridership returns, we will take all steps possible to continue to protect the health and safety of everyone in our system.” In addition to mandating mask use, the TTC is also cleaning its vehicles several times a day, deploying additional vehicles to busy bus routes to decrease crowding, and is readying crowd management plans for subway stations. While there remains uncertainty about exactly how risky it is to ride, passengers will continue to have real fear about taking transit while the virus remains a threat, and the TTC will need to address those anxieties to coax customers back. “We absolutely understand that perception matters for our customers and employees,” Green said. “We want them not only to feel safe, but to actually be safe.”

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CTV: Proposed active transportation route extension passed by executive policy committee (Jun19'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '20

20 Jun '20

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/proposed-active-transportation-route-extension-… WINNIPEG -- A motion to keep Winnipeg active transportation routes open until September was passed by the mayor’s inner circle on Thursday, and is now in the hands of city council. The executive policy committee voted unanimously on Thursday to support a measure to extend the end of the active transportation routes until September 7, 2020. The active transportation routes are located in these locations: - Lyndale Drive from Cromwell to Gauvin Street; - Scotia Street from Anderson (at Cross Street) to Armstrong Avenues; - Wellington Crescent from Academy Road (at Wellington) to Guelph Street; - Wolseley Avenue from Raglan Road to Maryland Street; - Assiniboine Avenue from Bedson Street to Westwood Drive; - Churchill Drive from Hay Street to Jubilee Avenue; - Egerton Road from Bank to Morier Avenues; - Kildonan Drive from Helmsdale Avenue to Rossmere Crescent; - Larchdale Crescent to Irving Place; and - Kilkenny Drive from Burgess to Patricia Avenues and Kings Drive. On these active transportation routes, traffic is confined to one block through the area from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The city expanded the use of the routes to help with physical distancing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the motion filed during the meeting, the routes have been popular with city residents and cyclists. If no extension was sought, the routes would end on July 6. The extension will be discussed at the next city council meeting on June 26.

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Fwd: Register for the 2020 TAC Conference & Exhibition!
by Mark Cohoe 18 Jun '20

18 Jun '20

With this conference going online, and thus more affordable, it might be of interest to a few more people and organizations. I'm definitely going to give it some thought. Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: TAC-ATC Communications <secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca> Date: Thu, Jun 18, 2020 at 12:49 PM Subject: Register for the 2020 TAC Conference & Exhibition! To: Additional Recipient <mark.e.cohoe(a)gmail.com> [image: Image] * Register for the 2020 TAC Conference & Exhibition! * [image: Image] *As a TAC customer, you might not have heard the announcement <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBUosN5o8b…> that the 2020 TAC Conference & Exhibition won't be held in Vancouver this fall. *Instead, you can *join over 500 thought leaders and influencers* from municipalities, provincial/territorial transport departments, academia, and the private sector at the * 2020 TAC Conference & Exhibition <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBUosN5o8b…>, now with live programming ONLINE, September 21 to October 8!* *Register by August 17 for Early Bird rates* <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBUosN5o8b…> * $225 TAC members | $275 regular | Free for students* This low-cost registration makes attending the TAC Conference & Exhibition easier than ever! * When you register, you get: * - access to *3 Featured Events (1 per week)* on topics including *The Journey to Safer Roads* and the impacts of COVID-19 on transportation in Canada - access to the full technical program <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBUosN5o8b…> of more than *40+ sessions across 16 tracks*, showcasing the work and experience of *150+ presenters* - to learn about and make contact with *leading transportation suppliers and services*. Visit their Partner Profiles, message or video chat with representatives, or attend or view Partner Demos - the choice to attend all of these events via *live web-conference* to participate interactively, including in Q&A sessions, *OR watch the event recordings* after they're over. Access to recordings and the conference event portal continues until March 2021 - to *network, message or video chat* with other participants, presenters and corporate partners Don't miss the opportunity to keep in touch with your peers, and learn about new and evolving practices and challenges in transportation! *Learn More & Register* <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBUosN5o8b…> Finally, if your company is interested in participating in #TACconf as a corporate partner, it's not too late to get involved. *Learn about Corporate Partnership* <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBUosN5o8b…> *Thank you to our Premier Plus partners* [image: Image] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBS-2FlneO…> [image: Image] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBZu4Ne8aZ…> [image: Image] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBepwU9tJi…> [image: Image] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBRCuniL84…> [image: Image] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBRcI6EaAJ…> [image: Facebook] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBaw9DX0kw…> [image: Twitter] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBfqnDLTJy…> [image: LinkedIn] <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBaEKzYTL8…> TAC © 2020 www.tac-atc.ca <https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=2LEIirtkw1-2BsjXHPJCzkH2D1t9b…> UNSUBSCRIBE *Transportation Association of Canada* *401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON K2C 3T2* *613-736-1350 secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca <secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca>*

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Minneapolis and Saint Paul lowering speed limits to support safety
by Beth McKechnie 17 Jun '20

17 Jun '20

https://www.visionzerompls.com/speedlimit-s On March 12, The Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul announced plans to lower speed limits to support safer streets. Slower speeds on local streets make travel safer for everyone no matter how you get around. New speed limits will be: - 20 mph for local residential streets; - 25 mph for larger, arterial city-owned streets; and - 30-plus mph for a few city-owned streets. - Per Minnesota law, cities do not have authority to change speed limits on county and MnDOT roads. Speed limits on these streets in Minneapolis and Saint Paul will not change. - Map (see link) shows what the speed limits will be on individual streets Staff from both cities will begin in March to install or change more than 1,000 speed limit signs on city-owned streets in the coming months. New, lower 25 mph speed limits on individual streets will go into effect as soon as they are signed. Once the busier streets are signed, the cities will then install “gateway signs” at entry points in both cities, indicating the citywide speed limit is 20 mph unless otherwise posted. Once the gateway signs are installed, the 20 mph speed limit on local residential streets will be in effect. The cities will generally not be posting 20 mph signs on local residential streets. The cities expect the sign installation to be completed by this fall. Full details: https://www.visionzerompls.com/speedlimit-s

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Please take this commute survey!
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jun '20

16 Jun '20

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jessica Roberts <jessicaroberts(a)altaplanning.com> Date: Tue, Jun 16, 2020 at 12:28 PM Hi all, our friends at the Center for Advanced Hindsight (CAH) are running a study to learn more about the *impact of message framing on commute choices, *including how COVID-19 concerns affect that. Having just taken the study, I can tell you that the results of this study will be *very* helpful to us as TDM practitioners. CAH will share the results with us. Would you please take the survey yourself, and also share with any lists you have access to? It's great for TDM professionals to reply, but it's even better if all your 'ordinary' commuters can reply. The goal is to get 900 replies so CAH has statistically significant replies. *Researchers at Duke University are exploring Commute choices. Please take this short 5 minute survey to tell us about your commuting preferences.* *Click here to answer the confidential survey. * *https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Vfu246mlMra7hb <https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Vfu246mlMra7hb>* Thank you very much! -Jessica *JESSICA ROBERTS* *Pronouns: she/her * *Principal + Programs Manager | Alta Planning + Design, Inc.* *d. 503.200.3272 | o. 503-230-9862* *Working remotely. Contact me at 503-752-4144.* 711 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR 97214 altaplanning.com *Creating active, healthy communities*

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[SUSPICIOUS MESSAGE] Webinar: Walkability and Health: Building Strong, Vibrant and Resilient Communities – Part 2: Street Design and Placemaking (June 25)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jun '20

15 Jun '20

===== UofM Email Security Notice - SUSPICIOUS MESSAGE ===== The message below may be a potential threat. It may trick victims into clicking a link and downloading malware. Do not open suspicious links. If you do not know the sender or cannot verify the integrity of the message, please do not respond or click on links in the message. Depending on the security settings, clickable URLs may have been modified to provide additional security. Please contact the Service Desk if you have any questions. (204) 474-8600 ==== Original Email Body Follows ==== ------------ Suspicious threat disclaimer ends here ------------ Part 1 recorded webinar: http://secure-web.cisco.com/14D-YVL4WOxnn0O4Kq2DG00mlLuRwLNCQEkgCN0NWxDnTFh… ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Maryland Department of Planning <michael.bayer1(a)maryland.gov> Date: Mon, Jun 15, 2020 at 8:34 AM You don't want to miss Part 2 with Dan Burden and Mark Fenton UPCOMING FREE WEBINAR <http://secure-web.cisco.com/1NDdfcouZ4v7l3nWt05RIkFIKnk-xgBYnoGd20ul-A60YKo…> Walkability and Health: Building Strong, Vibrant and Resilient Communities Part 2: Street Design and Placemaking Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. EDT Participants of the live webinar are eligible for 1.5 AICP CM credits. Join the Maryland Department of Planning and the Smart Growth Network at 1 p.m. Thursday, June 25, for the second part of a series on the connection between walkable communities and public health. Dan Burden, Mark Fenton and Danielle Schaeffner of Blue Zones return to examine the details of street designs and places that work for all. Learn important design features that will help the nation become more focused on people, to be more inclusive, to repair mistakes made to public streets built in the past. Find out more and register for this free webinar via the link below. Register For Walkability and Health: Building Strong, Vibrant and Resilient Communities – Part 2: Street Design and Placemaking <http://secure-web.cisco.com/1NDdfcouZ4v7l3nWt05RIkFIKnk-xgBYnoGd20ul-A60YKo…> Smart Growth Information Clearinghouse | 410-767-4943 | SmartGrowth.org The Smart Growth Information Clearinghouse is a project of the Smart Growth Network and is partially funded by the U.S. EPA, Office of Community Revitalization and managed by the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Department of Planning | 301 W. Preston Street, 11th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201 Sent by michael.bayer1(a)maryland.gov in collaboration with [image: Trusted Email from Constant Contact - Try it FREE today.] <http://secure-web.cisco.com/11s2YyN4vEouei3AJwY9K7v-FPNGmQf_EtQUUSV-svbCrXL…> Try email marketing for free today! <http://secure-web.cisco.com/11s2YyN4vEouei3AJwY9K7v-FPNGmQf_EtQUUSV-svbCrXL…>

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Transportation issues are social justice issues
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

*The Bicycle as a Vehicle of Protest* https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-bicycle-as-a-vehicle…

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Toronto expands bike share network as it looks to give residents more ways to get around during pandemic (Jun9'20)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

Toronto expands bike share network as it looks to give residents more ways to get around during pandemic https://www.cp24.com/toronto-expands-bike-share-network-as-it-looks-to-give… Toronto is adding 1,850 new bicycles and 160 new stations to its existing bike-sharing network as it continues to look to new ways to help residents get around during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor John Tory announced the expansion during a news conference in Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday morning, noting that the initiative will help provide more residents “with safe alternatives to get moving” in the era of COVID-19. The expansion will see the geographic area covered by Bike Share Toronto’s network double to 200 square kilometres and will also include the creation of pilot areas in North York and Scarborough that will each feature up to eight new stations. The total cost of the overall expansion is $11.25 million with nine million of that coming from the province as part of a previously announced commitment. “Residents are looking for different and yet safe ways to get around the city and as we continue to respond to the pandemic and make our plans for the post-pandemic period residents want to go outside, they want to be active and they want to have those transportation alternatives. It is our job to make that happen,” Tory told reporters in making that announcement. Bike Share Toronto charges members an annual fee and then allows them to check out bicycles for 30-minute increments from any of its stations. While the network was largely limited to the downtown core when the city took over the service from its bankrupt owners back in 2013 it has grown considerably since then and will now cover 20 of the 25 wards in the city. It will also feature 6,850 bikes spread across 625 stations. As recently as 2016, there were only about 1,000 bikes spread across 80 stations. “A big part of expansion is ensuring that all corners of this city will have access to bike share,” Tory said. “It will mean that people can use the bikes to come all the way down to the core if they choose to do so or they can use it as well to get to places within their own neighbourhoods.” The expansion of Bike Share Toronto comes as the city accelerates work on 40 kilometres of new bikes lanes as part of its wider response to COVID-19. The city has also been closing select major arteries to vehicular traffic on the weekends in order to give pedestrians and cyclists more space. “As the economy starts to reopen and people want to get out to their mom and pop shops and support their local businesses, active transportation is going to be a critical way to do that,” Beaches-East York Coun. Brad Bradford said during Tuesday’s press conference. “This is a 21st century approach and I think it is the perfect approach for the moment we are in right now.”

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Walk/Bike/Places 2020 is going online
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

We are moving the conference online for 2020. Display problems? View this in a browser. <https://mailchi.mp/b1938b061c5e/walk-bike-places-2020-1641846?e=8577dd457f> <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> Walk/Bike/Places 2020 Is Going Online We hope this conference update finds you safe and healthy. Our New York City based team and local Indianapolis partners have been working long and hard behind the scenes on our plans for Walk/Bike/Places 2020, so that we could bring you the best and safest event in response to the effects that COVID-19 has had on you and on us. Today, we are pleased to share that Walk/Bike/Places 2020 will now be presented *online* <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…>. This change in format allows our current program to continue, despite the personal, professional, and financial uncertainties facing so many people that will continue in the months ahead. <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> Biking and walking has been the mobility preference in many cities during COVID-19, as seen here in the empty streets of NYC. Updates on the Conference Program We will be sticking to our conference theme of *Implementation**—*a theme which has become even more relevant at this moment in time. This online gathering provides us with a time to step back and explore some of the incredible (and imperfect) work taking place right now in the realms of active transportation, public space and public health. Our program will still include *dozens of breakout sessions*, spread across the four-day event, and as a bonus, participants will have access to *view all sessions on their own time* for many months after the event. In response to the impact that COVID-19 has had on us all personally and professionally, we look forward to serving as a platform for *shared experiences, lessons learned, and practical solutions* that will be helpful to you for years to come. In the face of such hard times, we find some hope in knowing that our work will soon be more important than ever as we face challenges, new and old, like recovery, resilience, and inequality in our communities. We hope you will join us, and we look forward to sharing this new experience with you. ------------------------------ Articles & Resources Below are a few links to articles and resources that capture some of what is on our minds at this moment. We expect that these topics will fuel many of the conversations we have at this year's online event: - In our host city *Indianapolis*, a group of artists are turning plain plywood planks on downtown businesses into works of art (Nuvo <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - A new guide to adapting streets for pandemic response and recovery ( NACTO <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - A manifesto on how to create and protect places that recognize, affirm, and amplify Black agency, discourse, and thought (BlackSpace <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - Watch Oakland's open streets in action (StreetsBlogNYC <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - An article on how designers can work toward justice in alignment with the Movement for Black Lives (CityLab <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - A call to remake our sense of place post-COVID-19 (The Conversation <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - Recovery will happen in public space (Project for Public Spaces <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) ------------------------------ Sponsorship & Exhibitors Interested in sponsoring Walk/Bike/Places 2020? Conference sponsorship is the perfect way to support the biking, walking, and placemaking movement. Learn more. <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> Please reach out to us to learn more about the many ways you can participate at program(a)walkbikeplaces.org <program(a)walkbikeplaces.org?subject=Exhibition%20and%20Sponsorship> ------------------------------ * Learn more about our conference at* *walkbikeplaces.org* <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Any questions?* *contact us at program(a)walkbikeplaces.org <program(a)walkbikeplaces.org?subject=Sponsorship%20for%20W%2FB%2FP%20Indy%20in%202020>* ------------------------------ *Hosted By* [image: Project for Public Spaces] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Co-presenters* [image: Indianapolis] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Spark Placemaking] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: APBP] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Program Partners* [image: America Walks] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Impact Sponsor* [image: People for Bikes] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Supporting Sponsor* [image: DERO] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Contributing Sponsor* [image: sportworks] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Toole Design] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: eco counter] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Saris Infrastructure] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Facebook] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Twitter] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Instagram] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: LinkedIn] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Copyright © 2020 Project for Public Spaces, PPS, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website to receive updates about Walk/Bike/Places. *Our mailing address is:* Project for Public Spaces, PPS 740 Broadway, 11th Fl New York, NY 10003 Add us to your address book <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee…>

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The Headliner: Inmates learn skills in bike shop (Jun10'20)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jun '20

10 Jun '20

Gearing up for success Inmates learn skills in bike shop https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/Gearing-up-for-… A broken bike abandoned at the Brady Road Landfill may look like a piece of junk, but it could make a big difference in at least one person’s life. Sheryl Reid-Corrales, Headingley Correctional Centre’s Winding River Community unit manager, said that bike could become one of the 2,000 bikes repaired by inmates and donated to The WRENCH (Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub) to distribute to community groups serving immigrant and other Winnipeg residents in need. “We go and get the bikes from the Brady Road Landfill,” Reid-Corrales said. By repairing bikes, inmates learn valuable job skills as part of an addiction program offered at the special unit, which houses up to 150 men. Winding River is based on the model of Guthrie House Therapeutic Centre at Nanaimo Correctional Centre in British Columbia, she said. It is a self-contained unit that offers counselling and behavioural modelling to keep inmates fighting addictions out of the main prison system. “We’re an addiction program with a positive environment,” Reid-Corrales said. Two correctional officers oversee the bike shop, teaching inmates to repair bikes. Reid-Corrales said 16 inmates at a time work for a half-day, and the other part of their day is devoted to counselling and programs supporting their desire to kick an addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. “It takes a year for them to go through the program,” she said. “Working in the bike shop is a practice run for when they get out (of prison). In the bike shop, they are treated like an employee.” This puts the onus on inmates to show up on time and call in if they are sick and unable to come to work. Reid-Corrales said giving inmates personal responsibility for their success or failure in the bike shop and Winding River program is important. “They’re learning confidence.” She said working on bikes, especially children’s bikes, leads inmates to reflect on their own families and how their actions that brought them into Headingley Correctional Centre impacted their loved ones and others in the community. For example, they might have stolen bikes to sell for profit and purchase substances. “It’s important that they give back to the community,” Reid-Corrales said The WRENCH recently gave away 320 bikes repaired by Winding River inmates. Reid-Corrales said the inmates also make bike seats that are available at The WRENCH’s office at 1057 Logan Ave. in Winnipeg.

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WFP - Future of AT routes
by Kristine Hayward 10 Jun '20

10 Jun '20

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/future-of-city-active… Kristine Hayward Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Telephone 204 232-7546 Fax 204 940-2690 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo Metred street parking and pay lots in the area - please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Follow Winnipeg in motion on Twitter - @wpginmotion<https://twitter.com/search?q=wpginmotion&src=typd> Check out our videos on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/Winnipeginmotion Scent Free Facility - visitors are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes/colognes/heavy-scented lotions/oils This email and/or any documents in this transmission is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original. Ce courriel et tout document dans cette transmission est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé. Il peut contenir des informations privilégiées ou confidentielles. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie, ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire de ce message, veuillez en informer l'expéditeur immédiatement et lui remettre l'original.

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CBC: Extending Winnipeg active transportation routes until fall gains support but has critics (Jun9'20)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Jun '20

09 Jun '20

*Extending Winnipeg active transportation routes until fall gains support but has critics* Calls to tweak location of routes, change hours and provide better communications on closures https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-active-transportation-rout… A push to extend the temporary closure of nine Winnipeg streets to vehicle traffic got plenty of support Tuesday, while others want city council to slow down and examine what's already in place. The nine streets were closed earlier this spring to provide active transportation options to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vehicle traffic is limited to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the routes, seven days a week. The temporary closures are set to end on July 6, but on Tuesday, the city's infrastructure and public works committee heard from several councillors and a dozen delegations about extending the closures for another two months. St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard has a motion that would extend the active transportation routes until the September long weekend. "The majority of people I have heard from in my ward supports keeping them open," Allard said on Tuesday. Several councillors appeared in front of the committee in full support of the motion, but others say changes should be made before the life of the routes is extended. Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie says he has "no real problem" with the routes, one of which — Scotia Street — is in his ward. But he did inject a note of caution about the interaction between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers on the routes. "There is tension on all sides," Eadie said, adding the restrictions bring out the "aggressive nature" in people while attempting to share the road. Assiniboine may not be right fit for route The councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood says there was little advance notice to residents when five more routes were added <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/city-winnipeg-more-active-transport…> in early May to the four that had opened up in April <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/city-winnipeg-active-transportation…> . "There was no information given to residents.… It was just done," Kevin Klein told the committee. Assiniboine Avenue from Bedson Street to Westwood Drive, which is in Klein's ward, was among the routes added in May. He says there are six bus stops on the street and no proper signage was put in place to explain the changes to residents. Klein says perhaps the route could remain closed to vehicles on the weekends or evenings, but whatever happens with the motion to extend the routes until the fall, residents and the local councillors should be consulted first. Westwood resident Darlene Van Ruiten agreed with Klein on both the concerns about the bus stops on the route, and the lack of consultation. "There wasn't any time to speak to residents that this was coming," Van Ruiten told the committee. She says the barricades on the street have created a potential danger, as transit buses attempt to manoeuvre around them. The Green Action Centre appeared in support of extending the routes beyond the current nine streets, urging councillors to follow the lead of other cities around the world. "Create a pop-up network routes accessible by foot and bikes," urged the Green Action Centre's Mel Marginet. After hearing from some councillors and delegations, Allard allowed there may be a need to tweak some routes. "I want to acknowledge there have been a number of concerns raised by residents and councillors," Allard said. Allard believes the motion going to council has the flexibility in it to allow area councillors to adapt the routes in each ward. The infrastructure and public works committee is expected to vote on Allard's motion later Tuesday. It also has to pass executive policy committee before a full vote of city council.

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WFP: Future of city active transportation routes draws debate (Jun10'20)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Jun '20

09 Jun '20

Future of city active transportation routes draws debate https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/future-of-city-active-transp… Some Winnipeggers fear a route restricting vehicle access to make more room for pedestrians and cyclists has created new safety concerns. The city introduced nine active transportation routes as an option for socially distanced exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, where vehicle traffic is limited to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. While that was slated to end July 6, city council is now considering a motion that would keep the paths open to Sept. 7. Coun. Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) opposed the extension, however, after the Assiniboine Avenue route (from Bedson Street to Westwood Drive) triggered complaints. "There’s buses and there’s a lot of turns and dips on that road, so it’s difficult to see pedestrians and cyclists," Klein said Tuesday, noting there are also multiple bus stops along Assiniboine. "It creates a diversion of traffic that’s not expected in the community." The councillor said the vehicle restrictions also fuel notable traffic increases in a nearby back lane, as drivers search for alternative routes. "Right now, it’s creating division among the street, it’s creating issues. I don’t want to see a child get hit in the back lane because a ball went out of their yard (and they weren’t expecting the traffic)," he said. Klein said some of his constituents do support the AT route. However, he urged city staff to conduct consultations to determine if other nearby alternatives may be better suited to active transportation. He said each ward councillor should be invited to provide input on route placement before any extension occurs. If that doesn’t happen, council could also consider restricting the vehicle limits to Saturdays, Sundays and weekday evening hours. Darlene Van Ruiten, a resident of the ward, told the committee she’s also concerned about heavy bus traffic forced to move around the route’s barricades. "The barricade causes this bus, this full-sized bus, to go (switch lanes) to make those corners… It causes a potential danger to either hit a car or a child that’s not paying attention," said Van Ruiten. On Tuesday, the public works committee voted to support the extensions, which means the AT access for sections of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Assiniboine Avenue, Churchill Drive, Egerton Road, Kildonan Drive and Kilkenny Drive will be extended. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), committee chairman, noted the motion does call for all councillors to be consulted to see if any changes to the routes are required. Allard said that should ensure ward concerns can be addressed without AT routes getting shut down to do so. "By design, this motion is meant to include the area councillor," he said, adding he’s heard plenty of support for the route extension. By late Tuesday afternoon, more than 8,000 Winnipeggers had signed an online Winnipeg Trails Association petition to support the extension and call for more permanent AT routes. The public works committee also heard clear support from many delegates at Tuesday’s meeting. "A small inconvenience for some folks to limit their driving to a block during designated hours in exchange for all of the benefits of movement and fresh air is an incredibly simple trade-off for the city to champion," said Mel Marginet of the Green Action Centre. Marginet said the routes must be expanded, however, since many Winnipeggers live too far from the current ones to easily access them. If council approves the changes as proposed, the city’s public service would also study the addition of permanent, year-round active transportation routes. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Building active transportation routes on a tight budget possible, councillor says (Jun9'20)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

Building active transportation routes on a tight budget possible, councillor says https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/building-active-transportation-rout… As more residents make biking and walking an essential part of their day through the coronavirus pandemic, one city councillor says supporting active transportation might not necessitate big-budget investments. "The nine active transportation corridors we’ve opened, we were able to do that with very small financial implications, so perhaps there’s ways of expanding active transportation in the city without spending a whole lot of money," Coun. Matt Allard said. "Part of it is investment, but part of it is what do we want to do as a city? How do we want to use the spaces that we have?" Allard’s remarks came Monday as city officials cut the ribbon on the latest multimillion dollar piece of infrastructure built with pedestrians and cyclists in mind. The new $2.5-million underpass connecting Niakwa Trail to Des Meurons Street beneath Fermor Avenue saw plenty of people jogging, cycling and walking past news crews gathered Monday morning to cover the opening. The pathway, located about midway between St. Anne’s Road and Archibald Street, and not far from the Windsor Park Golf Course and St. Vital Outdoor Pool, was part of the city’s $29.6-million Fermor Avenue reconstruction project. The underpass allows easier access to active transportation corridors connecting to downtown from southeast Winnipeg. "This brings us a step closer to the dream, which is a completely connected separated network from the road," said Allard (St. Boniface), who is chair of the city’s infrastructure renewal and public works committee. "I’m cycling much more since being elected to city council and understanding the value of these facilities, but as the father of an 11-year-old girl, I can tell you protected facilities are essential to get people to make the choice to use their bicycles and active transportation — to make the switch." In April, the city extended four Sunday and holiday bike routes to allow for pedestrians and cyclists to use the routes seven days a week with vehicle traffic restricted to one block between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., as part of its COVID-19 response. Five additional residential streets were added in the following weeks, with vehicle restrictions in place until July 6. Allard said use of these active transportation corridors has been significant and, overall, more people are choosing to leave their vehicles at home or find alternatives to using the bus. "With COVID-19 we’ve seen some trends and one trend that we expect, and are actually encouraging, is bus ridership is down," Allard said. "We’re asking people to ride the bus only if they have to… that’s a big part of the mode shift in Winnipeg." The standing policy committee on infrastructure renewal and public works will vote Tuesday on a motion to extend the initiative to Sept. 7. The motion also calls on the public service to report on the results of the program and the feasibility of establishing permanent year-round active transportation routes. A petition by Trails Winnipeg to keep the routes in place had received more than 7,800 signatures by Monday afternoon. "In terms of a culture change, I think that’s just happening now," Allard said. "It’s going to have an impact on what the public demands of city hall." St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes, whose ward residents will also benefit from the Fermor Avenue underpass, said he wants to see the city upgrade existing, well-used active transportation infrastructure and assets. "I’ve been on this campaign to upgrade all these running tracks across the city and we could fix some of those up pretty cheaply, and we haven’t," Mayes said. "So we should have a balancing act here. "I think we should keep building and cycling walking paths but also we’ve got some old running and walking infrastructure; people can use those and we need to put some money into that, too." danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Editorial: Extend active-transportation routes (Jun8'20)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

Extend active-transportation routes https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/extend-active-transpor… AS Winnipeggers adjust to the new normal in the age of COVID-19 — whatever that may be — there is opportunity to change how roads are used in the future. Sections of multiple streets were designated as active transportation routes early in the wave of changes brought by physical-distancing recommendations. Motorized traffic was restricted to one block along parts of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Assiniboine Avenue, Churchill Drive, Egerton Road, Kildonan Drive and Kilkenny Drive. Some of these routes, such as Wolseley Avenue, already had such restrictions in place — but only on weekends and only during summer months. City council extended the initial period of the closures to July 6. A motion by Coun. Sherri Rollins, seconded by Brian Mayes, would extend the designation to Sept. 7. The Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works is scheduled to vote on it June 9. As more people who were working from home return to commuting in some form, there may be more pressure on the city to again allow motorized traffic on these streets. But the new normal need not be the car-centric normal that dominated Winnipeg previously. With a usually busy Manitoba summer suddenly emptied by multiple event cancellations, more people now find the time to dust off their bicycles or don a sturdy pair of walking shoes. These people will get a nod of approval from their doctors because, when it comes to preventative health, active living is an effective prescription. The risk of being exposed to COVID-19 is currently low, but the means by which it spreads remain the same. Joggers, cyclists, roller-skaters — anyone using the roads to get a bit of exercise — still need space to maintain distancing, and such space can be provided by allowing some or all of these road areas to be used for active transportation. It’s a timely topic because the city is already working on a long-term active transportation network. Community consultations are ongoing as to where bike routes and dedicated paths should go. Other Canadian cities have experimented with temporary barriers to add such lanes to city streets, to see whether people will eschew their vehicles and take to their bikes. Creating such spaces here, as the city has done, presents an opportunity to see how Winnipeggers would use active transportation. Some areas may not prove popular with enough commuters, or residents, to justify making permanent changes to the infrastructure. This is something the city should collect information on, and something Winnipeggers should tell their councillor about. What kind of city do we want to live in when we’re through the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s time for active transportation to be more than an afterthought in Winnipeg. The pandemic offers a rare opportunity to try expanded, and healthier, ways to use pavement.

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Portage la Prairie Active Transportation Committee to Host Bike Week
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

Transportation Committee to Host Bike Week <https://portageonline.com/local/transportation-committee-to-host-bike-week> https://portageonline.com/local/transportation-committee-to-host-bike-week The Portage la Prairie Active Transportation Committee is bringing back Bike Week for the sixth annual year. The Committee has a full week of bike-related events for you to take part in from June 15-21. Chair of the Bike Week Committee Heather Bruce says their most popular event, the Cookie Ride, has been altered because of the pandemic. "This year, it's going to be a freezie ride so we can hand out freezies, and we will hand other things out as well. It's very popular because it makes families get out after supper to go for a bike ride. That's part of what we're trying to do, encourage people to get out and about." Other activities planned for Bike Week include Bike & Yoga, bike trails, and a public art bike tour. Bruce says they've taken safety into mind when planning the activities. "Because we're outside the social distancing thing will be easy, and we're on bikes. For instance, our Grub Crawl is on Thursday this year. Last year, we went to three different places and had something small to eat at each place. This year, we're only having it at Cafe on Prince." The Transportation Committee strives to hold the event as a way to showcase Portage's many biking paths and bring awareness to active transportation. Bruce says Bike Week has a new event this year, the Bike Jam. "Even the route is kept a secret right until the last minute. There will likely be music blaring. It's just a nice slow-moving ride throughout the city, and people are encouraged to ride in costume, or decorate their bikes." Bruce wants you to get outside and enjoy the Manitoba summer. "We know that during COVID, there's been a lot of talk about people's mental health, so bike week fits in getting people outside, active and in the fresh air with other people, but socially distant." You can keep up to date with Bike Week on their Facebook Page. <https://www.facebook.com/activetransportationplap>

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CBC: Bike lanes installed on urgent basis across Canada during COVID-19 pandemic (Jun7'20)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

Bike lanes installed on urgent basis across Canada during COVID-19 pandemic Commuters nervous to take public transit hop on bikes; driving not an option for many https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/bike-lanes-covid-pandemic-canada-1.5598164 Been meaning for years to bicycle to work, as a way to improve your fitness and save money on gas and parking? Now is your chance. Municipal governments across Canada are moving quickly to create clearly marked bicycle lanes in order for people to travel safely through cities. A number of city councils have approved road closures, either partial or complete, as an emergency alternative to public transit. Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Kitchener, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton have all recently extended their cycling networks, according to Vélo Canada Bikes, a national advocacy group for cycling. "We're doing a lot of work that was meant to be spread out over a few years in a few weeks," said Toronto mayor John Tory said in an interview. "It's going to keep people safer, because it's going to give people an alternative to the transit system, where they're still a bit anxious." The World Health Organization has issued guidelines <http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-cov…> on how to get around during the COVID outbreak, which include "whenever feasible, consider riding bicycles or walking" to help with physical distancing and physical activity. Safe transit for essential workers But many of the bike lane extensions introduced in Canada during the pandemic are are temporary, marked with portable stanchions. Permanent bike lanes typically involve lengthy public consultations with merchants and residents, a process that isn't feasible given the urgent need for transportation options right now. Toronto-based urban planner Jennifer Keesmaat said transportation alternatives are critical as many workplaces begin to reopen. As well, essential service workers need to get to their places of employment. "In the absence of having a vaccine and being unable to pack everybody on transit the way we have in the past, cycling is a viable option," said Keesmaat, Toronto's former city planner. "It's simply impossible for everybody who takes transit to get into a car, and secondly, it's not affordable," she said. "A lot of people don't have access to a car or can't afford one." Keesmaat hopes the new bike lanes will become permanent. She is the chief architect of the 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities <https://www.2020declaration.ca/>, a statement signed by 100 well-known Canadians calling on political leaders to use the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to "kickstart" a move toward more accessible, equitable, and sustainable cities. The list of 20 priorities on the declaration includes protected bike lanes. Cities such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen have long boasted a cycling culture, with crowds of citizens pedalling along cycling routes around the city. Since the pandemic began, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan and Bogota and others have shifted street space away from cars, to add pathways for bikes and pedestrians. Friction with motorists The Canadian Automobile Association supports proper cycling infrastructure, according to spokesperson Ian Jack. "The more people on bikes and on transit, the fewer people there are on the road," he said. "There will be less congestion." But Jack also believes that the cycling lanes work especially well right now, with fewer Canadians driving due to the lockdown. "These temporary lanes have been fine because there's been so little vehicular traffic, it hasn't been an issue," he said. "It's going to become one as more and more people start to go back to work." Then there's the issue of insurance. "If the breadwinner of the family is on their bicycle, they only have their home insurance and that doesn't cover them fully," Melissa De Genova, a city councillor in Vancouver. "They wouldn't be covered the same way as with vehicle insurance if there was an accident." How long will the lanes last? Even so, many proponents of cycling hope that the new extended cycling routes will be made permanent. They point to health benefits, as well as the environmental impact, noting Canada's commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change. No one can say at this point how long the bike lane extensions will be left in place, due to the unpredictable course of the pandemic. Nor is it clear how many Canadians will be eager to bundle up to ride their bike to work once winter sets in. Montreal typically sees just 20 per cent of its cycling population on its bike network in February. "You need to get a bit prepared," Keesmaat said. "But we get prepared to get into our cars too. We buy windshield fluid, we make sure we have a scraper in our car, we change our tires. You can change the tires on your bike as well, and buy proper clothing." Kimberley Nelson of Vélo Canada Bikes believes cyclists will need to put pressure on political leaders in order for the temporary extension to be made permanent. "We really need to come together and push those communities that are doing it now as a temporary measure, to say 'hey, look how much better this street works when everybody is included'," she said. A national strategy Early in March, Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna appointed Halifax MP Andy Fillmore to head up a new National Active Transportation Strategy. He said although many of the strategy's goals are long term, the government is also looking to amend and update its 12-year, $180-billion Infrastructure Plan to acknowledge "the realities" of COVID-19. That will include a greater focus on cycling. "We already had money set aside for active transportation," Fillmore said. "But not by intention, maybe by oversight, you had to squint to see it. There wasn't a particular line item for it." Fillmore, who worked as an urban planner prior to his political career, said the plan will be updated to highlight investments that support communities in their recovery from the pandemic. He believes COVID-19's impact on transportation will boost awareness of the need for more safe cycling routes, and accelerate Canadian cities towards more sustainable practices. "If we're looking for silver linings, I think we've found one," Fillmore said.

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[SUSPICIOUS MESSAGE] Free Webinar Thursday, June 11: Walkability and Health: Building Strong, Vibrant and Resilient Communities – Part 1: Tools and Techniques
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

===== UofM Email Security Notice - SUSPICIOUS MESSAGE ===== The message below may be a potential threat. It may trick victims into clicking a link and downloading malware. Do not open suspicious links. If you do not know the sender or cannot verify the integrity of the message, please do not respond or click on links in the message. Depending on the security settings, clickable URLs may have been modified to provide additional security. Please contact the Service Desk if you have any questions. (204) 474-8600 ==== Original Email Body Follows ==== ------------ Suspicious threat disclaimer ends here ------------ You don't want to miss this. FREE WEBINAR THURSDAY <http://secure-web.cisco.com/1jZnXdTVTsnfywk6FHpAozKVOrV03SGtyyZHHY3WFuluNHK…> Walkability and Health: Building Strong, Vibrant and Resilient Communities – Part 1: Tools and Techniques Thursday, June 11, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. EDT Participants of the live webinar are eligible for 1.5 AICP CM credits. The connection between walkable communities and public health was already at the center of planning discussion in many communities before the Covid-19 pandemic prompted many cities to close public streets for pedestrian use. This webinar features Dan Burden and Mark Fenton of Blue Zones, two of the nation’s leading walkability experts. Find out more and register for this free webinar via the link below. Register For Walkability and Health: Building Strong, Vibrant and Resilient Communities – Part 1: Tools and Techniques <http://secure-web.cisco.com/1jZnXdTVTsnfywk6FHpAozKVOrV03SGtyyZHHY3WFuluNHK…> Smart Growth Information Clearinghouse | 410-767-4943 | SmartGrowth.org The Smart Growth Information Clearinghouse is a project of the Smart Growth Network and is partially funded by the U.S. EPA, Office of Community Revitalization and managed by the Maryland Department of Planning. Maryland Department of Planning | 301 W. Preston Street, 11th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21201 Sent by michael.bayer1(a)maryland.gov in collaboration with [image: Trusted Email from Constant Contact - Try it FREE today.] <http://secure-web.cisco.com/18-saP7zcmFYyAh26auVaPbxyV3dULxMR-U9QnyI8aqxtz0…> Try email marketing for free today! <http://secure-web.cisco.com/18-saP7zcmFYyAh26auVaPbxyV3dULxMR-U9QnyI8aqxtz0…>

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CDC revise awful COVID-19 commuting recommendations, but they’re still not great
by Beth McKechnie 05 Jun '20

05 Jun '20

CDC Revise Awful COVID-19 Commuting Recommendations, But They’re Still Not Great https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/06/04/cdc-revise-awful-covid-19-commuting-… The Centers for Disease Control is no longer recommending that employers incentivize their workers to commute by car alone as businesses reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the agency’s revised guidelines still don’t do enough to protect workers from the novel coronavirus — *or *the myriad public health threats posed by our unsafe transportation network. The original version of the agency’s workplace safety recommendations encouraged employers to offer workers who use public transportation “incentives to use forms of transportation that minimize close contact with others, such as offering reimbursement for parking for commuting to work alone or single-occupancy rides.” The CDC have now amended the recommendation as follows <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/businesse…> : For employees who commute to work using public transportation or ride sharing, consider offering the following support: - If feasible, offer employees incentives to use forms of transportation that minimize close contact with others (e.g., biking, walking, driving or riding by car either alone or with household members). - Ask employees to follow the CDC guidance on how to protect yourself when using transportation <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/using-transport…> . - Allow employees to shift their hours so they can commute during less busy times. - Ask employees to wash their hands <https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html> as soon as possible after their trip. The minor tweak came after major backlash from media outlets like Streetsblog <https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/05/29/feds-seek-incentives-to-encourage-dr…> and leading transportation organizations like the National Association of City Transportation Officials, the American Public Transportation Association, and Smart Growth America. ... But even the new-and-improved guidelines still don’t adequately address the safety needs of vulnerable road users — or the inequities disproportionately faced by people who are black, brown, and/or poor. For one, the CDC still encourage employers to provide financial incentives *for every mode except transit use* — despite emerging evidence from East Asian countries like Korea <https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/05/08/subways-trains-buses-are-si…> and Japan <https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/05/japan-ends-its-covid-19-state-emerg…> that transit might still be safe during the pandemic, especially if networks undertake proper protocols, like frequent vehicle cleanings and supplying passengers with masks. The advisement threatens to starve transit networks further when fare collections are already at historic lows, rendering transit agencies unable to provide adequate service to the riders who have no choice but to remain. Low-income workers with long commutes, who generally cannot afford cars *or *get to work via active transportation modes, disproportionately rely on transit. <https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/long-commutes-are-awfu…> Providing employer-based financial incentives to bike or walk is great, but it won’t do much good if the many safety barriers to active transportation that walkers and bikers still face are not addressed. Of course, workplace leaders alone can’t fix those, but they can do their part, by leveraging their influence as a business community with government officials to support policies to end police harassment, brutality and killing — a significant barrier to the mobility of BIPOC <https://chi.streetsblog.org/2020/06/03/police-have-always-limited-black-peo…> — and implement Vision Zero <http://visionzero.org/> policies, programs and infrastructure.

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City of Nelson BC offers low interest financing for residents to purchase commuting bikes
by Beth McKechnie 05 Jun '20

05 Jun '20

*City of Nelson rolls out E-bike Program to residents* http://thenelsondaily.com/news/city-nelson-rolls-out-e-bike-program-residen… In a media release Wednesday, the City of Nelson said on June 1, 2020, Council approved the roll out of a city-wide E-bike Program for residents with the goal of promoting active transportation, community wellbeing and reducing GHG emissions. *The City of Nelson said the program will provide low interest financing for Nelson homeowners who would like to purchase a commuter bike including electric bikes, do-it-yourself conversion kits and non-electric bikes with the loan applied monthly on the homeowner’s Nelson Hydro electric bill and repaid over the term of the loan.* *The City said the maximum loan amount will be $8,000 per household, which can support the purchase of more than one bike. Participants will be able to choose an amortization period of two or five years, with an interest rate of 3.5% (subject to change each year).* “Council is pleased with the development of this new e-bike program and we hope it provides the incentive and tools folks need to be able to purchase a commuter bike,” said Nelson Mayor Dooley in the media release. “By increasing the use of bikes in Nelson, we can reduce carbon emissions and pollution in our community. There is also increased benefits to having fewer vehicles on the road and more parking capacity downtown for visitors and retail customers.” The City said the program will be available to City of Nelson residents who own their own home. Program participants are encouraged to purchase locally and support the Nelson economy. The program provides an affordable option for making the transition to active transportation. Users may see added benefits of more time outdoors and increased fitness levels. The City said there are some administrative steps that must be done before the E-Bike Program is officially in place. It is anticipated that this will be completed by mid to late July. Once the bylaw is adopted, Nelson residents can go online and apply for financing. The application process will include a short survey to collect information on the program. In the interim we encourage you to go visit our local bike shops, do your research and be ready to participate in this exciting new initiative. Learn More: The E-Bike program aligns with the Province’s active transportation strategy titled “Move. Commute. Connect.”, that aims to build a cleaner greener future for all British Columbians by: - Doubling the percentage of trips taken with active transportation by 2030. - Providing incentives that encourage safe active transportation for all ages and abilities. - Helping communities build integrated and accessible active transportation systems. - Working with communities to create policies and plans that enable and support complete active transportation networks.

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

04 Jun '20

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

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

03 Jun '20

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

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APTA urges CDC to reconsider guidance on commuting alone by car
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '20

02 Jun '20

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

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

02 Jun '20

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

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

01 Jun '20

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

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

01 Jun '20

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

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

30 May '20

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

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More media coverage of recreational AT routes extension - Global News and CTV News
by Beth McKechnie 28 May '20

28 May '20

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

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

28 May '20

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

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WFP: Push begins to extend half-day street closures (May27'20)
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '20

27 May '20

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

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Study shows bikesharing increases cycling by 20%
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '20

27 May '20

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200514143511.htm In the past couple of years, if you lived in a major, or even mid-sized city, you were likely familiar with bike-share bikes. Whether propped against a tree, strewn along the sidewalk or standing "docked" at a station, the often brightly colored bikes with whimsical company names promised a ready means to get from Point A to Point B. But one person's spontaneous ride is another person's commute to work. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in cities where bike-share systems have been introduced, bike commuting increased by 20%, said Dafeng Xu, an assistant professor in the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. Xu studied U.S. cities with and without bike-share systems, using Census and company data to analyze how commuting patterns change when bike shares become available. "This study shows that bike-share systems can drive a population to commute by bike," said Xu, whose study was published May 11 in the *Journal of Policy Analysis and Management*. Bike-share systems, common in cities in Europe and Asia, were launched in four U.S. cities in 2010 and as of 2016 had grown to more than 50. Not all systems have been successful: Convenience -- how easy it is to find and rent a bike -- is the key. In Seattle, for example, a city-owned bike-share program failed in 2017 due largely to a limited number of bikes and a lack of infrastructure, but private companies in the same market thrived prior to the pandemic. [Around the world, cities have enacted mobility restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak. The responses of bike-share companies, and bike-share usage, have varied by community.] Among other interests in transportation and immigration policy, Xu researches the effects of bicycling on the environment and human health, and on the ways bike-share systems can play a role by expanding access to cycling. "In general, biking is good and healthy, and it means less pollution and traffic, but it can be expensive, and people worry about their bikes being stolen, things like that," Xu said. "Bike share solves some of these problems, because people don't need to worry about the cost and theft." For this study, Xu sorted through nine years of demographic and commute statistics from the American Community Survey, a detailed, annual report by the Census Bureau. He then examined bike-share company data (through the National Association of City Transportation Officials) from 38 cities with systems, focusing on trips logged during morning and afternoon rush hours. By comparing the number, location and time of work-related bike commutes from Census data against bike-share company records of trips logged, both before and after the launch of bike shares, Xu was able to estimate the use of bike shares for commute trips. Xu found that in both bike-share and non-bike-share cities, the rate of bike commuting increased, while car commuting decreased, from 2008-2016. However, the rate of bike commuting -- and the use of public transportation -- was significantly greater in bike-share cities. For example, in bike-share cities in 2008, roughly 66% of commuters drove to work, about 1% biked, and 22% took transit. That compared to non-bike-share cities, where about 88% of commuters drove, fewer than 1% biked, and 4% took transit. By 2016 -- after many bike-share systems had launched -- car commuting had fallen to 59% in bike-share cities, while bike commuting had climbed to 1.7% and transit to 26%. Commuting by car in non-bike-share cities had slipped to 83% in 2016, while bike commuting had grown to 1%, and transit to 6%. Nationwide, 0.6% of commuters bike to work, according to an American Community Survey report in 2017. In general, cities with larger bike-share systems also experienced sharper increases in bicycle commuting, Xu said. "This is not surprising: A large bike-share system means a higher density of public bicycles and is thus more accessible by commuters," he said. "In contrast, sadly, Seattle's Pronto struggled to attract commuters and was finally doomed only after three years of operation partially due to its relatively small size." In his paper, Xu points to Chicago, which operates a municipally owned bike-share system called Divvy. Prior to Divvy's launch in 2013, 1.5% of commuters biked to work, Xu said, but afterward, that rate grew to 2%. The trends held, he said, even when controlling for a city's expansion of protected bike lanes -- another significant factor in whether people choose to bike to work, according to other research. Overall, the numbers before COVID-19 were promising, Xu said. The numbers could grow, he said, if communities and bike-share companies make changes that can boost the appeal of bike commuting: adding bike lanes to city streets, expanding programs to outlying communities, or increasing the allowable rental time. Many bike shares, for instance, last only up to a half-hour before a user has to pay for a new trip. Xu is also the author of a previous paper analyzed the impact of bike-share systems on obesity rates. ------------------------------ *Story Source:* Materials <https://www.washington.edu/news/2020/05/14/bike-commuting-accelerated-when-…> provided by *University of Washington* <https://www.washington.edu/>. Original written by Kim Eckart. *Note: Content may be edited for style and length.* ------------------------------ *Journal References*: 1. Dafeng Xu. *Free Wheel, Free Will! The Effects of Bikeshare Systems on Urban Commuting Patterns in the U.S. *. *Journal of Policy Analysis and Management*, 2020; DOI: 10.1002/pam.22216 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pam.22216> 2. Dafeng Xu. *Burn Calories, Not Fuel! The effects of bikeshare programs on obesity rates*. *Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment*, 2019; 67: 89 DOI: 10.1016/j.trd.2018.11.002 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2018.11.002>

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The Lance: Active transportation routes are a big hit (May26'20)
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '20

27 May '20

Active transportation routes are a big hit https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/correspondent/Activ… On May 4, the City of Winnipeg opened St. Vital’s Egerton Road as a Sunday/holiday style active transportation route, seven days a week for the duration of the month. In this arrangement, non-emergency vehicle traffic is restricted to one block, and encouraged to enter and exit the street at the nearest available intersection. It is one of nine such routes opened up in Winnipeg during the pandemic shutdown — the city’s four permanent summer active transportation routes (Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue) plus five new (Egerton, Kildonan Drive, Assiniboine Avenue, Kilkenny/King’s Drive, Churchill Drive). The concept was first pitched by Egerton resident Christian Robin, whom I interviewed for an article published in September 2017. Robin has been pleased with the result so far. "Health professionals are constantly reminding us to find ways to keep ourselves active and safe," he said. "Active transportation routes like Egerton Road tick all the boxes for walkers, joggers, cyclists, pet owners, couples, seniors, and families with young children and it’s great to see all of them take advantage." Circumstances aside, 2020 has been an exciting year in St. Vital for pedestrians and cyclists, with several new amenities opening or being used to their full potential for the first time. Egerton is complimentary to some wonderful new active transportation infrastructure. The new AT tunnel beneath Fermor Avenue connecting the Glenwood neighbourhood and the Niakwa Trail to the Niakwa Road and Alpine Place neighbourhoods has been a hit. Its addition has created an unanticipated walking circuit between itself & Archibald Street, utilizing the two Seine River foot bridges on either side of Fermor. That same project also added a new, secondary active transport trail up at road level along the Fermor bridge, providing a helpful alternative to the nature trail below during seasonal flooding. New bike pathways and signals at Fermor and St. Anne’s Road, linked to the existing pathways, have been a dramatic improvement for cyclists in the area, providing safe, segregated and efficient access into the picturesque low-traffic residential streets of St. George, south of Fermor. Perhaps best of all is the realization that all of these projects were part one of the largest road rehabilitation the area has seen in years. The success here goes to show that car, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure need not be at odds. All wheeled vehicles from semi-trucks to baby strollers and everything in between were the big winners of the Fermor rehabilitation. A reminder that our communities prosper when collaboration, rather than competition for our scarce resources rules the day. *Ryan Palmquist is a community correspondent for St. Vital.*

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NACTO COVID-19, Guidance to improve intersections, e-bike users dismayed and more
by Beth McKechnie 26 May '20

26 May '20

*Thanks to Terry Zdan for the many shares:* COVID-19: Transportation Response Center | National Association of City Transportation Officials https://nacto.org/2020/05/21/streets-for-pandemic-response-and-recovery/ https://nacto.org/program/covid19/ Pandemic fuels big increase in biking and walking in Minnesota | Star Tribune https://www.startribune.com/covid-19-fuels-big-increase-in-biking-and-walki… Guidance to Improve Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety at Intersections http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/180624.aspx TRANSED 2018 (TRANSED is the International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Older Adults and People with Disabilities) http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/180616.aspx E-bike users, sellers dismayed by B.C. Supreme Court decision https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/e-bike-users-sellers-dismay…

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WFP: Vancouver looks to slow streets and space for patios, pedestrians amid COVID-19 (May25'20)
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '20

25 May '20

Vancouver looks to slow streets and space for patios, pedestrians amid COVID-19 https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/vancouver-looks… Vancouver is considering plans to repurpose 50 kilometres of roadway in an effort to create more space for restaurant patios and lines outside of businesses, as well as walking and cycling, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The so-called "slow streets" would have signs and barriers telling people to drive slowly and use the streets for local access only, the city said in a news release Monday. Its plans also include expediting the permitting process for outdoor patios that allow room to serve people while maintaining physical distancing requirements. The city said 12 kilometres of slow streets have already been installed and council will consider a motion asking staff to rush the repurposing of road space in more neighbourhoods across the city. Lon LaClaire, the general manager of city engineering services, said physical distancing will be in place for some time and more space is needed for people to safely go about daily activities, such as exercise or travel to work. "We also want to help people return to some of the things they really enjoy doing, like eating at a favourite restaurant, picking up items from local businesses or connecting with friends outdoors." The city will work with businesses and community partners to assess the needs for space while making sure streets and public spaces are safe and accessible, LaClaire said in the city's release. In Victoria, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry reported 12 new cases of COVID-19 and four more deaths on Monday for a total of 161 fatalities among 2,530 cases in B.C. Gatherings will be limited to 50 people for now even as some COVID-19 restrictions are being loosened, said Henry, because any new outbreaks could affect vulnerable residents in long-term care homes. She said bigger gatherings would undo the gains B.C. has made to "flatten the curve" of the epidemic, while creating more work for public health employees doing time-consuming contact tracing. The public health officer's order establishing a maximum of 50 vehicles at drive-in events also stands, said Henry, adding that increasing that number would bring together more people who would likely not stay inside their vehicles. Henry said it's also dangerous to reopen long-term care facilities to visitors but health authorities are considering how that could be done when the time is right. Another wave of the pandemic may strike in the fall as respiratory illnesses such as flu make their seasonal appearance, so keeping the number of COVID-19 cases low through the summer is key, she said. Health Minister Adrian Dix said he understands and regularly hears about the consequences for families who can't visit their loved ones in care homes. "For the moment it is not possible to change those policies around visiting," he said. Dix said emergency-room visits around the province are going up, indicating people are starting to use them as they should. *This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 25, 2020. *

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#KeepTransitMoving - May 28th Day of Action
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '20

25 May '20

Transit systems across Canada are facing service cuts. Join the national day of action for emergency transit funding! Thursday May 28. View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/052aaa232595/keeptransitmoving-may-28th-day-of-action?e=…> Day of Action: Emergency Transit Funding Essential workers -- like nurses, doctors and sanitation staff -- rely on transit to get to work. But public transit systems across Canada are facing service cuts and driver layoffs, because they depend mostly on fares for funding. Right now we need more service, not less, for safe physical distancing on transit! Join Functional Transit Winnipeg and organizations across Canada for the national day of action and share why public transit is important to you! Here's how you can join in: * 1) Sign the petition*: www.keeptransitmoving.ca/take-action <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> * 2) Save the date for May 28th* (click “going” on the Facebook event <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> ) * 3) Spread the word!* - Get your local community and organization on board! - Download promotional graphics here: www.keeptransitmoving.ca/may-28-day-of-action <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> * 4) On May 28th, share why public transit matters to you* - Download graphics from our toolkit and share on social media: www.keeptransitmoving.ca/may-28-day-of-action <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> - Take a selfie and explain why transit is important for you. Use the hashtag #keeptransitmoving <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> and tag your elected representatives on social media - Make phone calls to PM Trudeau and your local MP and provincial representatives - Find your MP here: https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/search?province=MB <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> - Find your MLA here: https://www.electionsmanitoba.ca/en/Voting/MyVotingInfo <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> - Sign the petition: www.keeptransitmoving.ca/take-action <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> Questions? Want to get more involved? Contact us at contact(a)functionaltransit.com <contact(a)functionaltransit.com?subject=Get%20Involved%20with%20%23KeepTransitMoving> [image: Twitter] <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> [image: Facebook] <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> [image: Website] <https://functionaltransit.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=ac0ca3a791bd6ef…> *Copyright © 2020 Functional Transit Winnipeg, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. [image: Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/email-referral/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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The pandemic is suburban – and it wants us back in our cars
by Charles F 23 May '20

23 May '20

A less encouraging view; looking at the suburban situation:https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-pandemic-is-s… the truth is that the big priority for cities as their citizens return to work in the next weeks and months is not going to be bicycles or pedestrians. Rather, it’s going to be a large-scale shift from public transit to private automobiles.And that’s because the people whose lives will change the most are not the fortunate downtown minority who can afford to live within a half-hour’s cycling distance of work and shopping and child care. We may dominate the conversation, but the biggest challenge involves the far larger number of employed citizens who live farther out and are too vulnerable or frightened to get back on their crowded buses or commuter trains.This is a pandemic of the suburbs. The places with the highest infection and death rates aren’t the big cities but the residential areas far outside them. Paris and Stockholm have seen relatively little infection, while their apartment suburbs have been badly hit. Even in New York City, the virus has largely spared Manhattan, but Queens and Long Island and especially bedroom communities such as New Rochelle and Rockland County have been devastated. It is the low-density places where death and fear have generally been the highest.That’s why automakers, despite a near-total collapse in sales in March and April, are surprisingly optimistic, their shares recovering. “We definitely do see a return to what I’ll call personal transportation and trust,” Volkswagen’s U.S. chief executive Scott Keogh told Bloomberg. Cars, he said, are being pitched as sources of public safety....Sent from my phone.

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Canada’s new normal begins in our cities
by Charles F 23 May '20

23 May '20

A positive story on how cities can adapt:https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-canadas-new-normal-be… why we, alongside business and real estate leaders, urban planners, not-for-profit sector leaders, academics, and current and former politicians, have signed onto the 20 measures outlined in the 2020 Declaration for Resilience in Canadian Cities. That manifesto provides a road map for how Canadian cities can immediately chart a future that is more affordable, sustainable and equitable, building on the thought leadership that has been produced around envisioning the world we’ll have when lockdowns are lifted and economic activity returns, and putting forward a specific,detailed course for immediate action in our cities. Among the proposed measures: permitting appropriately scaled multitenant housing, co-housing, laneway housing and other gentle density to flourish; accelerating the decarbonization of our transportation systems by transforming existing roadways for safe, active transportation such as walking and biking; and embracing sustainability in our built and natural environments, by enacting funded, detailed plans to achieve a 40-per-cent urban tree canopy in Canadian cities.....The full manifesto is at 2020declaration.caSent from my phone.

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Commuting Post-Pandemic: How to Nudge for Sustainable Commutes
by Mel Marginet 21 May '20

21 May '20

Greetings everyone, We're hosting a free webinar on May 27th about the impact of Covid-19 on commuting. Please help spread the word, and we hope you can join us! Registration here. <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/commuting-post-pandemic-how-to-nudge-for-sustai…> *COMMUTING POST-PANDEMIC: HOW TO NUDGE FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUTESMobility is changing, let's make sure it is for the better.About this EventThe workplace commute has changed dramatically over the past two months. From the rise in telework, the fall of transit use and the explosion in bike sales, many opportunities and threats are on the horizon. The sustainable transportation team at Green Action Centre has collected some of the latest research on what is happening now, and how to encourage sustainable commuting as we re-open.This webinar is ideal for Commuter Challenge workplace coordinators, GoManitoba Subsite partners, and Human Resources professionals.Following the presentation, we will invite attendees to join in a discussion. Presented by the Sustainable Transportation team at Green Action Centre.* *Mel Marginet* | 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) 925-3777 x112 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> **Note: I work two days a week at Green Action Centre and it may take a few * *days to respond to you. * Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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CTV News: Why the city installed video cameras along active transportation routes (May21'20)
by Beth McKechnie 21 May '20

21 May '20

*Why the city installed video cameras along active transportation routes * https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/why-the-city-installed-video-cameras-along-acti… Winnipeggers may have noticed video cameras set up along active transportation routes in different areas of the city. A spokesperson for the City of Winnipeg told CTV News that nine streets in the city have been designated as temporary active transportation routes to allow for recreational activities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They said this allows pedestrians and cyclists to follow social distancing requirements. According to the City of Winnipeg website, these routes limit motor vehicle traffic to one block throughout the area between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The video cameras are counting to see how often these routes are getting used. The spokesperson said the city is collecting data at all nine sites. The video will be turned into numerical data to record the level of usage. These routes are in place until Friday, May 29. "The City will re-evaluate at the end of May to determine if the designations will be extended," the spokesperson said in a written statement. According to the city, video is often used instead of pneumatic traffic tubes when counting cyclists and pedestrians. Here is a list of the temporary bicycle and active transportation routes in Winnipeg: - Lyndale Drive - Cromwell Street to Gauvin Street - Scotia Street - Anderson Avenue (at St. Cross Street) to Armstrong Avenue - Wellington Crescent - Academy Road (at Wellington Crescent) to Guelph Street - Wolseley Avenue - Raglan Road to Maryland Street - Assiniboine Avenue - Bedson Street to Westwood Drive - Churchill Drive - Hay Street to Jubilee Avenue - Egerton Road - Bank Avenue to Morier Avenue - Kildonan Drive - Helmsdale Avenue to Rossmere Crescent & Larchdale Crescent to Irving Place - Kilkenny Drive - Burgess Avenue to Patricia Avenue and Kings Drive

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Parking Flip Traffic Calming Animation release
by Anders Swanson 20 May '20

20 May '20

The AT-network might appreciate this. I made a little animation last night based on a conversation with traffic engineer Pekka Takhola. I added a challenge for people to name a street it would work on, the people who could make it happen and why: https://twitter.com/SwansonAnders/status/1263153980000964608 Reason for sharing: I believe it could work for most neighbourhoods build in Winnipeg prior to 1970 and be popular to boot (it gets bonus points for creating a couple community gardens just when we the world needs it) Its not a new idea, but I think it is a timely and simple one. Consider sharing. Thanks. -a

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WFP: Bicycle business booming (May20'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 May '20

20 May '20

BICYCLE BUSINESS BOOMING Pandemic fuels surge in bike sales with some shops running out of stock https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/bicycle-business-booming-5706085… UNLIKE some retailers who are worrying about how to convince people to come back to the stores, bike shops are facing a whole other problem — running out of stock. Demand is not the problem. Bike shops that have been around for decades are experiencing something they have never seen before — people queuing up to get in. But some are worried about what they’ll have left to sell as the summer months kick in. The lineups are partly a result of the social-distancing regulations once customers are in the store, but demand for all things biking is spiking. Riding a bicycle sits in one of the few sweet spots in the world of COVID-19-enforced social distancing, but shop owners are having to deal with the extra pressures of keeping their workplace up to the new safety and health standards in addition to dealing with a surge in cycling enthusiasm. “I don’t think you can find many ladies bikes in the whole city,” said Brian Burke, longtime owner of Olympia Cycle & Ski on St. Mary’s Road. “I have sold out and reordered and then sold them out even before they arrived.” Like many other popular consumer goods, bicycle manufacturing has succumbed to the global supply chain that is now almost exclusively based in Asia. Tim Woodcock, owner of Woodcock Cycle Works, said: “It doesn’t matter if the bike is made in Taiwan or Bangladesh or Vietnam, most of the parts come from China.” Shipments of all things from China was disrupted months ago by the coronavirus lockdown that happened there first, and shipments have still not caught up. Coupled with the fact prime biking weather is now upon us, more people have more time to ride. That means shop owners are scrambling to deal with an unusual confluence of high demand, limited supply and a scenario where they can only have so many people in the stores at once. “I’m a little stressed,” Woodcock said. He said he prides himself and his store on being focused on customer service and now he’s forced to make people wait outside. Then there’s the added pressure of discouraging excessive window shopping, what with the lineups outside. Claude Brunel, owner of Lifesport on Henderson Highway, could barely stop to take a call from a reporter. “I can’t get bikes, that’s the problem,” he said. “All the bikes are made in China.” Woodcock, who acts as an adviser to a Chinese bicycle manufacturer, had a good perspective on market development early on and made the decision to stock up on supply, ordering more earlier in the year than he typically might. “There’s normally three major shipping windows,” he said. “We realized by the time the second and third shipping window came along vendors probably would not be able to supply us. So we took as many as we could to have them later if there was a shortage. Now we are starting to see those shortages.” But even with that kind of planning, Woodcock said they are still scrambling to keep bikes on the shop floor. Most shops are operating on reduced hours, and it may be just as well, because it gives them the chance to have mechanics in at night assembling bikes and also dealing with the overwhelming demand for repairs. “We’re getting bikes (to repair) that don’t look like they have been on the road for 20 years,” Woodcock said. At Olympia, Burke said he’s been hiring repair people who are working every night from 5 to 10 p.m. “We have adapted,” he said. “You have to adapt.” Walter Jozwiak, owner of Lifesport on Pembina Highway, said the supply crunch is unprecedented. “It’s like selling Coca Cola and you’ve run out of Coke,” he said. “I was saying to one of my staff, ‘what am I going to do two weeks from now?’” In addition to running out of women’s bikes, popular-priced models — between $500 and $800 — are what people are looking to buy. Many say the “exotic” bikes that can cost as much as $4,000 are not what people are looking to buy. “It is a problem for everybody in the industry,” Jozwiak said. “We didn’t realize the general population would need something to do and this is one of the few activities that they can do in a safe mode. That’s what’s happening.” martin.cash(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Analysis: Pandemic presents obligation to change our world (May19'20)
by Beth McKechnie 19 May '20

19 May '20

Pandemic presents obligation to change our world https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/pandemic-presents-obliga… CRISIS creates opportunity and leverage for change. As governments prepare to make once-in-a-generation stimulus investments to fight a global recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are faced with an opportunity, if not an obligation, to use it to change our world. We are faced with a lot of uncertainty about what the future holds, but we are not powerless against it. The choices we make today will create the tomorrow we live in. Our decisions must be guided by a vision for the future, holding every public dollar we spend up to the light and asking ourselves, what will this do today, and what will it do tomorrow? Changing our world doesn’t mean we need to start building wind turbines, autonomous vehicles and solar panel factories. The future can learn from the past. It can be simple, low-tech, but effective. There is an old, not-very-sexy machine that could be the key to making our cities more sustainable, more liveable, and more just — the humble bus. Public transit use has cratered during the pandemic, and it will likely be a lasting casualty. The only way to change that will be with high levels of investment to improve service and reduce crowding. The number of cars on Manitoba’s roads has already grown by almost 50 per cent since 2005. Congestion has increased, commutes are longer and today, half of Winnipeg’s greenhouse gas emissions come from vehicles. Imagine the social, environmental and economic impact if the 170,000 trips taken on transit every day were replaced with 170,000 more cars on our roads. We have an opportunity to use this crisis to redefine the perception of public transit in our city, not only to regain lost ridership but to increase it, by making transit more convenient, more comfortable and more frequent. Public transit may be an old idea, but it can modernize how we move around our city, reduce emissions, and even incentivize growth and investment through transit-oriented development. Until transit levels are restored, investing in a comprehensive active-transportation network that can be implemented quickly could be vital in providing access to employment, education and recreation. Because they use high amounts of labour and local materials, constructing bike-lane and sidewalk infrastructure has proven to create almost 50 per cent more jobs for every dollar invested, compared to car-only road projects. Active transportation could be an important short-term response to the pandemic crisis, and a legacy that transforms our urban mobility. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently proclaimed that the pandemic should result in a new golden age for cycling. It can do that here, too — if we build for it. Many are predicting that even after the pandemic is over, working from home might be a trend that continues, reducing the need for commercial office space. This could have a significant effect on the downtowns of Canadian cities, affecting housing demand, local restaurants and shops, and arts and entertainment venues already hit hard by the pandemic. Stimulus dollars targeted at downtown development could redefine the city centre and usher in a new era of residential urban growth. Investing in downtown development is another old idea. For many years, government programs have successfully encouraged downtown residential growth to drive urban renewal. These programs could be replicated quickly. A shining example of this success came in 2004, when the City of Winnipeg spent $9 million building Waterfront Drive. That investment is still leveraging private spending today; with two new projects soon beginning construction, it will have attracted more than $200 million in private development, creating almost 1,000 new homes. Tax increment financing (TIF) has also been used as a successful development driver in downtown Winnipeg. Using deferred taxes as the incentive instead of up-front spending, it could be an attractive strategy to promote economic growth for today’s cash-strapped governments. TIF programs have leveraged more than a billion dollars in private downtown development in Winnipeg, creating more than 2,700 new homes over 15 years. New TIF programs could be targeted to respond to important needs, such as affordable housing, helping to create neighbourhood diversity and addressing the fact that 21 per cent of Winnipeg households live in unaffordable housing, as reported by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. A prosperous downtown is a catalyst for foreign investment, tourism and immigration. It is also a source of civic pride, all of which might be particularly important as we negotiate the difficult economic times ahead. One important project that could capture the city’s imagination and redefine Winnipeg’s downtown is the Market Lands development on the site of the Public Safety Building, currently being demolished in the Exchange District. The first phase of the development will include a sparkling glass public market building and mixed-use affordable housing tower, targeting net-zero energy use, with several arts organizations establishing an urban creative campus on the bottom floors. As Waterfront Drive did 16 years ago, the dynamic first phase will create a new focal point downtown and be a catalyst to attract private development on the remainder of the site and beyond. It is estimated the development will leverage more than $100 million in private investment, create almost 1,500 person-years of employment, and return almost $26 million in provincial and federal taxes from construction alone. Accelerating visionary projects such as this and others with stimulus funding would create a lasting effect on the future of downtown and the city. Changing our world doesn’t mean reinventing it, and it doesn’t necessarily require futuristic ideas. Sometimes old ideas, such as investing in public transit, affordable housing and downtown development, or simply building a few sidewalks and bike lanes, can be all that’s needed to make the most effective change. *Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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Commute Revolution - Free Webinar on Thursday, May 21
by Beth McKechnie 15 May '20

15 May '20

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Becky Alper <becky(a)moveminneapolis.org> Date: Fri, May 15, 2020 at 10:04 AM Hello TDM practitioners, Move Minneapolis is excited to invite you all to Commute Revolution 2020: A Seismic Approach to Transforming Transportation on Thursday, May 21 from 11am to 2pm CST. Massive changes to our transportation system were long overdue. With commuting routines upended and our economy in shambles we are forced to reckon with long-needed improvements to land use and infrastructure. Tune in to this free webinar as Move Minneapolis presents an amazing line-up of national thought leaders and local activists, each with a compelling take on how to build an equitable and sustainable post-pandemic transportation system. Full details and registration available at www.moveminneapolis.org/transportation-summit Here's a snapshot of the program (all times CST): 11:00 a.m. - Matthew Lewis, Director of Communications, California YIMBY 11:35 a.m. - Michael Kodransky, U.S. Director, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy 12:05 p.m. - Angie Schmitt, Author and former contributor, Streetsblog 12:20 p.m. - Adie Tomer, Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program, The Brookings Institution 12:55 p.m. - Jarred Johnson, Director and COO, TransitMatters 1:25 p.m. - Alissa Walker, Urbanism Editor, Curbed Hope you can join us! ~Becky Outreach Director Move Minneapolis becky(a)moveminneapolis.org

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More details on ODOT's change to 50th percentile from 85th percentile
by Beth McKechnie 14 May '20

14 May '20

[TDM listserv post on the Oregon DOT's changes to speed limit setting, most notably shifting to 50th percentile rather than 85th percentile] Hi friends and colleagues, I wanted to let you know that ODOT's new Oregon Administrative Rule around speed-setting went into effect on May 1. Review an overview of the new process <https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Engineering/Docs_TrafficEng/Speed-Setting-Updat…> (this link is a helpful ppt overview) or review the corresponding Oregon Administrative Rule updates <https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Engineering/Docs_TrafficEng/OAR-Update-Speed-Se…> for information about the change. We've also updated the Speed Zone Manual <https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Engineering/Docs_TrafficEng/Speed-Zone-Manual.p…> to reflect the change. All this information lives on our Speed Zones page <https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Engineering/Pages/Speed-Zones.aspx>. This represents a major step forward in our approach to posted speeds on urban arterial highways. It aligns recommended speeds with the Blueprint for Urban Design targets and anchors our technical methods around the 50th percentile speed (the typical driver) instead of the 85th percentile (the driver traveling one standard deviation faster than the norm). When choosing the posted speed, our engineering approach must document and address factors like land use context, crash history, and multimodal activity, and can also bring other elements such as user demographics and public testimony into the conversation. Rural communities will have the flexibility to use 50th percentile or the 85th. Please feel free to reach out to me or other ODOT colleagues if you have questions about what this change means for existing plans/projects or for corridors where speed is a concern. Be aware that our Technical Services folks do not advise collecting speed data now due to COVID-related impacts on travel (which we know include increased speeding in some Oregon communities). This is new practice for all of us, so we'll be learning with you. Thanks and hope you're all well! Talia Jacobson, ODOT Region 1 Planning 123 NW Flanders Portland, OR 97209 503-731-8228 talia.jacobson(a)odot.state.or.us *(she/her)*

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Your daily commute won't ever be the same
by Beth McKechnie 12 May '20

12 May '20

[In case you don't want to sign up for a free National Geographic account, I've pasted the article below.] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/05/coronavirus-your-daily-c… Coronavirus will upend—but perhaps make healthier—the ways we use trains, buses, and bike lanes in our post-pandemic future. It's time to go to work. The COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, and—in this vision of the future—trains and buses are running again. But things look different than they used to. You pay your fare without touching anything. Seats are spaced farther apart on divider-filled vehicles, while drivers sit in ventilated compartments, isolated from passengers. Smartphone apps may help decongest trains and buses. And with more people choosing to bike, walk, or work from home, packed train cars have become part of the pre-pandemic lore. While it’s impossible to predict the future, interviews with transportation and public-health experts suggest that the pandemic offers an opportunity to reshape transit systems and revive cities, with the potential to ward off infectious disease and even some chronic illnesses. And while lockdowns have put public transport in a state of crisis for the moment, strategic investment <https://www.citylab.com/perspective/2020/04/coronavirus-public-transit-ride…>, creative thinking, and new technologies could eventually make people feel safe enough to ride again, says Yingling Fan <https://www.hhh.umn.edu/directory/yingling-fan>, an urban planner at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. “There's certainly a lot of challenge, but also there's a lot of opportunity,” she says. The pandemic might also open up possibilities for making transit systems more inviting. “Transportation history is full of stories where something that was done temporarily turned out to be permanent, because people didn't want to go back,” says Jarrett Walker <https://jarrettwalker.com/>, an international transit consultant and author of *Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking about Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives*. Cars don’t equal healthy The whole purpose of mass transit is to move heaps of people, and this crowding increases the chances of spreading infectious diseases. In a study of dozens of people during the 2008-2009 influenza season, researchers in the United Kingdom found that those who rode buses or trams were nearly six times as likely as non-riders to seek health care for an acute respiratory illness <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12940-018-0427-5;%20https://bmci…> . The natural reaction might be to take a car instead, but that ups the risk for chronic illnesses, says Lawrence Frank <https://www.spph.ubc.ca/person/lawrence-frank/>, a transportation and public health expert at the University of British Columbia. In 2004, he and his colleagues found that every extra hour <https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(04)00087-X/abstract> that people spend in a car each day increases their risk for obesity by 6 percent. Obesity, in turn, is a predictor of diabetes and heart disease—which both increase a person’s vulnerability <https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/groups-at-…> to COVID-19 complications. “We want fewer people to have those preconditions, so that if a pandemic hits, if they get exposed to it, they will survive it,” he says. “The real question is: How do you build a future that addresses both chronic and infectious disease?” Urban density is unlikely to disappear, Frank says, nor should it. His research has linked dense neighborhoods, walkability <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01944360608976725?casa_token=tG…>, proximity of shops, and access to public transportation with lower rates of <http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/regional-planning/PlanningPublicatio…> diabetes, heart disease, and stress, as well as with reduced health-care costs. His group <https://health-design.spph.ubc.ca/> is now investigating how chronic disease and infectious disease vary with neighborhood walkability, transit use, car dependence, and the ability of people to engage in active modes of transportation, like walking and biking. Preliminary results suggest that people who live in more walkable neighborhoods and those with less exposure to air pollution <http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/regional-planning/PlanningPublicatio…> are less likely to have chronic conditions and may be less vulnerable to dying from COVID-19. Preserving both public transit and encouraging active transportation is important for keeping air pollution down, he adds, and that has health implications, too <https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/04/pollution-made-the-pande…> . “The most vulnerable society is the one that becomes the most sedentary and the most car dependent, and that's the worst possible case when a pandemic comes,” Frank says. Infection-proofing public transit The COVID-conscious commute may begin before you leave home, Fan says. In some cities in China, such as Shenzhen and Guangzhou, pre-booking a seat is already common on city buses and trains. She suspects that adding the option of pre-paying for fares online or via smartphones could reduce the number of people who need to touch a grimy kiosk. It’s also possible to disperse people in ways beyond limiting transit capacity, which plenty of places have done during the pandemic, Walker says. Cities can use existing automatic vehicle-location <https://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/features/making-public-transit-more-…> and passenger-flow monitors <https://ny.curbed.com/2019/7/30/20747360/mta-pilot-technology-improve-subwa…> to quickly reroute buses when demand changes. Automated passenger-counters and weight sensors—currently in use in Australia, the U.K. <https://ggwash.org/view/64291/real-time-signs-reduce-train-crowding>, and elsewhere—can provide information about train-car capacity through smartphones or display screens at stations, so riders can spread out by picking the least crowded car. Last year, Google started using crowdsourcing and traffic information in more than 200 cities worldwide to give users a heads-up about how full they should expect buses and trains to be <https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-jam-packed-will-my-train-be-google-says-it…>. Integrated with smartphone apps <https://ggwash.org/view/64291/real-time-signs-reduce-train-crowding>, all this information could reduce congestion by allowing passengers to avoid crowded platforms and vehicles. So far, this type of data has not been used by officials to enforce crowd spacing on public transport, Fan says, but applying the idea is conceivable, as China already uses similar technology to restrict road traffic. However, using some of these apps might mean surrendering certain levels of privacy. Monitoring apps on your phone, for example, could alert you if you have ridden a train with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19. Apple and Google <https://blog.google/inside-google/company-announcements/apple-and-google-pa…> are developing software with this kind of contact-tracing capability, which is already available in China, Singapore, and other countries. Cultural differences play into the willingness to give up privacy, Fan says. South Korea’s contact tracing has been successful in part because laws allow the government to track an infected person’s credit card history and cell phone location data. “The trade-off between privacy and safety is a hot topic,” Fan says. “I do not think the general public in the U.S. is ready for any strict contact-tracing measures.” Facial sensors like ones that have been deployed on public transportation in China <https://www.scmp.com/tech/policy/article/3049215/ai-firms-deploy-fever-dete…> may also measure your temperature, rejecting entry to a bus or subway station if you have a fever. Once antibody testing is accurate and easily available <https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/05/why-unreliable-tests-are…>, you might even show an immunity card before you can board, though there will be a fine line between safety and hassle, adds David Levinson <https://www.sydney.edu.au/engineering/about/our-people/academic-staff/david…>, a transport engineer at the University of Sydney, Australia. “All of those invasions of privacy are things that are not going to make people happy, and are going to make them more likely to use other modes than public transit,” he says. “People will find alternatives if they can.” Bike bounce Bikes are among those alternatives. New bike lanes have already been popping up during the pandemic, appearing in cities from Berlin <https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-pandemic-gives-cyclists-more-road-in-berl…> to Bogota. In recent weeks, Oakland, California, has closed 74 miles <https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-closing-streets-to-traf…> of streets to make room for cyclists and pedestrians, and many other places, including Seattle <https://sdotblog.seattle.gov/2020/05/07/2020-bike-investments-to-accelerate…>, Washington*,* and Milan <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/21/milan-seeks-to-prevent-post-c…>, Italy, aim to permanently reduce car use. Experts predict these bike lanes will create a self-perpetuating cycle, as the number of people biking boosts demand. During a major overhaul of the freeway through downtown Seattle, for example, the city temporarily turned traffic lanes into bus lanes, and then never took them away. Building 400 miles of bike paths in Paris would cost much less than <https://www.ft.com/content/52ae6c52-8e75-11ea-a8ec-961a33ba80aa>—just two percent the price—an upcoming redesign of the city’s subway system. Biking isn’t realistic for everyone, Walker says, and it tends to be more accessible to people who live close to their jobs. Still, a growing industry of electronic bikes could help people commute farther, especially if public transportation systems integrate their fare structures with bike-sharing programs to allow people to hop from bike to train to bike again, Frank says. E-bikes are already available through share programs in dozens of cities <https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2019-08-12/e-bikes-take-the-lea…> . Work from home forever? For some people, the future of commuting might be no commute <https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/04/06/telecommuting-will-likel…> at all. About half of adults with jobs in the U.S. are working from home during the pandemic, according to a report published by the Brookings Institution in April. That’s more than double the percentage who did some telecommuting two years ago. Close to 20 percent of chief financial officers surveyed by Brookings said they planned to permanently retain remote work for at least 20 percent of their workers. This kind of societal shift could further reduce crowding and the spread of disease on mass transit, Levinson says, especially if people go into offices only occasionally, if they bike when they can, and if they get better about staying home when sick. Still, maintaining strong public transit systems is a key component of vibrant cities, Fan says. Buses, trains, and other modes of public transportation bring people together across race and income, and that kind of mixing builds empathy in a way that sitting in your car doesn’t. “Public transportation is a place where people experience urbanism,” she says. “It’s where people negotiate their differences.”

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Building your counting program: join us for a Canada-focused webinar
by Beth McKechnie 11 May '20

11 May '20

This Thursday, 14th May at 1-2PM ET *Eco-Counter Webinar Invite, May 2020* View this email in your browser <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/alk-about-data-693182-e-UNIQID/3j82t…]> *In partnership with Share the Road Cycling Coalition, join us for a Canada-focused webinar this Thursday!* We have been a proud partner of Share the Road Cycling Coalition <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/2020-05-11/3j82w/93412152?h=M6Q114xJ…> for a while now and have attended every single Ontario Bike Summit since it started back in 2009. Unfortunately, this year's OBS has been cancelled due to the pandemic. Instead,* join us for a free, open to anyone webinar* on building your bike and pedestrian count program! *Building your counting program* *Thursday May 14th, 2020 - 1-2PM (ET)* Click here to register for the webinar <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/g-program-tickets-102118384838/3j82y…> *About the webinar:* What are the best practices for building a count program? What challenges do planners face for building and maintaining a count program? Where is a good place to start? During this data session, learn from leading experts about about how to build an effective bike and pedestrian count program and leverage counting efforts to build a more bicycle-friendly community. We look forward to seeing you there! [image: Facebook] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/EcoCounter-/3j831/93412152?h=M6Q114x…> [image: Twitter] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/Eco-Counter/3j833/93412152?h=M6Q114x…> [image: Website] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/2020-05-11/3j835/93412152?h=M6Q114xJ…> Copyright © 2020 Eco-Counter. 3981 Saint-Laurent Blvd, Suite 604 | Montreal, QC | H2W 1Y5 Office: 1-514-849-9779 | Toll Free: 1-866-518-4404

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Sorry - we can't find that page
by Terry Zdan 11 May '20

11 May '20

I am sharing this article with you https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/winnipeg-bicycles-indigenous-students-1.…

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Survey finds 65% of Londoners changed their usual mode of transport for the ULEZ - Green Car Congress
by Terry Zdan 11 May '20

11 May '20

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/05/20200510-ulez.html

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Cycle sales booming in UK
by C Feaver 09 May '20

09 May '20

Demand for more mobility and exercise amid lifestyle changes imposed by the lockdown has also boosted bike sales across the UK. "Very strong" bicycle sales at bike and car parts chain Halfords this week saw its shares soar by 23%. Some bike stores are battling to meet demand. Broadribb Cycles in Bicester normally despatches 20-30 bikes a week, but manager Stuart Taylor says the shop is currently selling 50 bikes every day - and seeing a commensurate rise in demand for servicing. "It's just gone crazy," he told the BBC. "People are dragging bikes out of sheds and garages and finding they need new tyres and cables. ... But rusty cyclists may be nervous on busy roads, so the pressure group Cycling UK has commissioned research showing how 100 "pop-up" lanes in 10 English cities could make cycling and walking easier. ... The Scottish government has announced£10m of funding for councils to provide temporary space on the roads this way <https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/10-million-to-support-pop-up-active-tra…>, and Cycling UK is urging ministers in Westminster to follow suit. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52564351 -- Sent from my tablet

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Transport Committee launches e-scooter inquiry - Lexology
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 08 May '20

08 May '20

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=98338dea-2e74-4fb7-b58e-5d70… Happy Trails Terry Zdan

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London cycling could increase tenfold after lockdown, says TfL
by Charles Feaver 08 May '20

08 May '20

Cycling in London could increase tenfold and pavements could be widened to allow for <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/uk-will-need-social-distancin g-until-at-least-end-of-year-says-whitty> physical distancing and queueing outside shops, under plans to overhaul the capital's streets post-lockdown. As part of the <https://www.theguardian.com/uk/london> London Streetscape plans, new walking and cycling routes along major corridors would be fast-tracked , including temporary cycle lanes along routes such as the busy thoroughfare of Euston Road. .. But the office of the London mayor, <https://www.theguardian.com/politics/sadiq-khan> Sadiq Khan, said millions of journeys a day would need to be made by other means, with London's public transport capacity potentially running at a fifth of pre-crisis levels. If people were to switch even a small fraction of those journeys to cars, Khan said, London risked grinding to a halt, air quality would worsen and road danger would increase. The mayor and <https://www.theguardian.com/uk/transport> Transport for London (TfL) said they would work with boroughs to focus on three areas: * The "rapid construction" of a strategic cycling network, using temporary materials, with new routes, aimed at reducing crowding on public transport. * A "complete transformation" of local town centres so that people can walk and cycle where possible, including widening footways on high streets so that people can safely queue outside shops. * Reducing traffic on residential streets and creating "low-traffic neighbourhoods". <https://www.theguardian.com/uk/tfl> TfL said its modelling suggested there could be a tenfold increase in distances cycled, and up to five times the amount of walking compared with pre-coronavirus levels, if travel demand returned. .. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/06/cycling-could-increase-five-fo ld-in-london-after-lockdown?CMP=share_btn_link

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Wpg Sun: Dropping speed limits best path to traffic ‘calming,’ says councillor (May6'20)
by Beth McKechnie 07 May '20

07 May '20

*Dropping speed limits best path to traffic ‘calming,’ says councillor* https://winnipegsun.com/news/local-news/dropping-speed-limits-best-path-to-… Changes to Winnipeg speed limits and new traffic safety measures could be on the horizon for city residents over the coming months. On Wednesday, a Standing Policy Committee report, advocated for “a whole new suite of traffic calming measures” was accepted by council – although the road to safer streets in Winnipeg is paved with controversy and complexity. The motion was partly in response to ongoing complaints filed by concerned residents regarding vehicle speed problems on city streets. Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverly West) said the report will align Winnipeg with many other jurisdictions regarding traffic safety initiatives. “There are many new approaches to traffic calming that many cities throughout the world are using,” she said. “One of the things that I’ve learned is traffic calming is very labour intensive, time-consuming and very expensive.” Lukes said that many Winnipeg streets were designed with cars at the top of the transportation pyramid – resulting in the need for traffic calming and road retrofits. “And expenses are being incurred,” she said. “Many of our streets are still being designed in a manner that does not encourage traffic calming. In my almost two decades of working on active transportation initiatives, I’ve never heard more public outcry than I have in the last few years.” To avoid wasting a fortune on road safety infrastructure, Lukes said the best way to bring about calmer streets is lowering speed limits. “Of course, there would be some initial investment for signage,” she said. “Cities all over the world are lowering speed limits on residential streets.” Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) agreed with Lukes about the need for traffic calming but had his own take on excessive speed on Winnipeg streets. “The condition of the street dictates how fast people are driving,” he said. “Our streets are so bad that nobody’s actually speeding. They’re not speeding because there’s – I guess you could call them – natural decay speed bumps called potholes all over the place. I think it’s very important that public consultations do happen.” Cutting to the chase, Eadie said the biggest problem on Winnipeg streets is drivers who flout the rules. “And I’m not just going to blame drivers,” he said. “There are cyclists who don’t follow the rules of the road, and they cause problems for everybody as well. Everybody needs to follow the rules and do things appropriately. Driving is not a right, it’s a privilege. Police can’t be on every street and every block.” Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort-Rouge East Fort Garry), said that a cost-benefit analysis leads her to believe that lowering residential speed limits to 30 km/hr is a “cheap alternative” to other, more costly, traffic safety initiatives like speed bumps. “I just want to acknowledge the budgetary reality that need not be if we just reduce speeds.” Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights – Fort Garry), said that if council decides to lower speed limits, residents will continue to “drive the road.” “We can arbitrarily say we should have 10 km/hr or 30 km/hr,” he said. “But the problem is we’re going to have to do some road modifications if we don’t want to have people driving at those speeds.” Orlikow said that safer streets can’t be predicated on a one-size-fits-all model. “We have to have many different facets to it,” he said. “But, it is a serious issue that we are facing.” Mayor Brian Bowman explained that creating safer streets is a long-term project that could take years. “I do obviously think that adopting new processes for triage, for analyzing and implementing requests for traffic calming measures is entirely appropriate at this stage.” jsnell(a)postmedia.com Twitter: @JamesWestgateSn

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WFP: Report puts more school-zone driving restrictions on city’s radar (May7'20)
by Beth McKechnie 07 May '20

07 May '20

Report puts more school-zone driving restrictions on city’s radar https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ways-to-expand-30-kmh-zones-outline… SCHOOL-zone speed limits are here to stay and could be expanded in the future, according to a public service review from the City of Winnipeg. A review of all school-zone speeding tickets issued in 2018 in the East Kildonan and Transcona districts revealed the reduced 30 km/h limit appears to be achieving its goal of slowing drivers. Fewer speeding tickets were issued in those zones than in photo-radar areas near schools that didn’t have a lowered speed limit. Based on feedback from school administrators in six local school divisions, the report’s authors have flagged several school-zone changes the city could consider, including keeping lowered speed limits in effect all day, every day, not just during school hours; placing school-zone limits at middle schools and high schools; and expanding school-zone limits to streets that are near schools but not necessarily adjacent to school property. Those suggestions haven’t been officially put forward as recommendations, but the report notes some of the changes could be made with approval from city council and/or changes to municipal bylaws. The review, which was released as part of the agenda for next week’s East Kildonan-Transcona community committee meeting, was requested last spring by city councillor Shawn Nason (Transcona), who said he hears regular concerns about speeding in the ward, which contains several school zones, and he wanted to know the location of the problem areas. Nason said Wednesday he will review the report. “One of the things I was looking for was areas that were having increased photo-radar tickets, so that we could look at safety perspectives,” Nason said. The majority of speeding tickets issued near schools in the ward were via photo radar, on streets where there is no lowered speed limit. Very few tickets were handed out for speeding in 30 km/h school zones, according to the review. Most tickets were issued in “school areas” that have signs identifying them as such. The signs allow photo radar enforcement to happen there, but the posted speed limit is not lowered. The most common place to get a “school area” photo radar ticket was at northbound Plessis Road, north of Rosseau Avenue West. Of the total of 523 tickets issued in East Kildonan-Transcona in 2018, 198 tickets went to drivers in that spot. Another 104 speeding tickets were handed out near Polson School, at 491 Munroe Ave., which doesn’t have a lowered speed limit. Despite the 30-km/h limit in place outside of St. Joseph the Worker School, at 505 Brewster St., 25 speeding tickets were handed out there in 2018, making it the most commonly ticketed reducedspeed school zone in the neighbourhood. katie.may(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay

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Bike counts are booming in North America
by Beth McKechnie 06 May '20

06 May '20

Happy Trails Terry Zdan *From:* Info Eco-Counter <info(a)eco-counter.com> *Date:* May 6, 2020 at 6:49:39 AM CDT Interactive dashboard, pop-up infrastructure, and more *Eco-Counter Newsletter, May 2020* View this email in your browser <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/ming-in-north-america-e-UNIQID/3hnyr…]> *Capturing the growth of cycling since COVID-19: Introducing our new interactive dashboard* If you have been out on a bike path or trail in the past month you've probably noticed something: *there are a lot of people out cycling right now*. We've seen news stories in Arlington <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/rowded-trails-during-covid-19-/3hnyt…>, New York <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/onavirus-nyc-bike-commute-html/3hnyw…>, Richmond <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/ckets-amidst-covid-19-pandemic/3hnyy…> and so many other places talking about how many people are cycling and walking. Today, we're proud to introduce our new interactive dashboard that tracks the impact of the pandemic on bike counts in North America and Europe. The analysis confirms our hypothesis: *cycling is booming*. Explore our interactive dashboard of bike counts here <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/BikeCounts2020/3hnz1/91848024?h=waUy…> Overall, *bike counts are significantly up across most regions in North America*. What really jumps out is the *strong growth (more than 50% increase in 6 out of 8 regions) in weekend bike counts*, suggesting a strong demand for recreational cycling at this time – a trend also seen in our European dataset. *We hope you enjoy the dashboard and find it useful for your work.* *Make it count on temporary and pop-up bike and pedestrian **infrastructure* More and more people are walking and biking, and in many cities across North America, active measures are being taken to give more space to cyclists, runners and pedestrians. Through t*emporary street closures, pop-up infrastructure and tactical urbanism,* planners everywhere are are acting fast <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/s-over-to-walkers-and-cyclists/3hnz3…>. Having the right data to understand how and when the temporary infrastructure is used is essential to *justify investments, maintain momentum, communicate with stakeholders and the media and much more. * Our automated bike and pedestrian counters are designed for rapid deployment and short-term studies. The battery powered Mobile MULTI <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/uits-multi-range-mobile-multi-/3hnz5…>, for example, counts and differentiates bicycles and pedestrians and can be* set up and moved in under 30 minutes*. Equally easy to install, the Easy-ZELT <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/produits-zelt-range-easy-zelt-/3hnz7…> bike counter (pictured above) is ideal for* 3-12 month count studies* and can be configured to a wide-variety of on street and separated cycling infrastructure. Get in touch to learn more about counting on pop-up infrastructure <info@eco-counter.com?subject=Re%3A%20Newsletter%20-%20learn%20more%20about%20temporary%20counting%20solutions&body=Hi%20Eco-Counter%2C%0A%0AFollowing%20your%20May%202020%20newsletter%2C%20i'd%20love%20to%20hear%20more%20about%20your%20temporary%20bike%20and%20pedestrian%20counting%20solutions.> *Download our new 'Quick Guide to Moving a PYRO-Box'* The PYRO-Box people counter is trusted by organizations around the world for short to long term count studies. While some of you put up the PYRO-Box <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/-produits-pyro-range-pyro-box-/3hnz9…> and leave it for years, others move the counter around every few weeks to gain a broad geographic understanding of counts. We've created a *handy new checklist guide to moving a PYRO-Box.* The guide covers a range of best-practices, including checking for ghost counts, renaming the counter in Eco-Visio and much more. Print out the guide and take it with you out on site! Download the PDF guide here <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/MoveAPYRO/3hnzc/91848024?h=waUyFlgsd…> Want to learn more about taking your bike and pedestrian data one step further? Get in touch <info(a)eco-counter.com?subject=Hi!%20I'd%20love%20to%20learn%20more.&body=Following%20the%20Eco-Counter%20newsletter%2C%20i'm%20interested%20in%20learning%20more%20about%20a%20data-driven%20approach%20to%20bike%20and%20pedestrian%20planning.>, our team is here ready to help you with your project. 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WFP: City eyes repairs, Arlington Bridge rebuild in limbo (May5'20)
by Beth McKechnie 05 May '20

05 May '20

City eyes repairs, Arlington Bridge rebuild in limbo https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-seeks-to-repair-arlington-brid… THE City of Winnipeg is seeking bids to extend the life of the Arlington Bridge — a century-old structure that has survived no shortage of criticism or construction since it was built in 1912. Last week, the city posted a request for tender for a contractor to undertake numerous structural steel-related repairs to the North End overpass. Among them: replacing eroding or corroded elements and installing new steel pieces, including diaphragms, support brackets and decking. The contractor would be required to temporarily support the floor beams framing to enable construction while the bridge is still open, according to the request. Bids will be accepted until May 22. For years, the city has sought technical expertise and community feedback on the future of the bridge, which was originally built to connect two Winnipeg neighbourhoods, the West End and North End, separated by the CP Rail yards. Since the 1940s, the bridge’s condition has been questioned, leading to countless temporary closures — as well as warnings of a permanent one. It was expected to be demolished this year. The latest posting comes almost one year since the city completed its “A Better Bridge for Arlington” project. “Today, the bridge is nearing the end of its usable life and must be replaced,” states a public engagement report posted on the city’s website in May 2019. Last year’s report expanded on a 2016 functional design study of the Arlington Street structure. The design study determined it was best to replace the bridge in its current location. Designs with accessibility standards, improved active transportation and better traffic flow in mind were submitted and considered. Two final proposals included three permanent traffic lanes (two northbound and one southbound), two unidirectional bike lanes and two sidewalks. However, the transformation of the viaduct remained in limbo because the project never received funding. The lowest estimated price tag for a replacement bridge is $319 million. In June 2019, a city report identified 22 major capital projects for the next decade — a new Arlington Bridge included — that totalled $4.9 billion. Mayor Brian Bowman said the report underlined the need for greater financial assistance from other levels of government. More recently, the city ranked upgrades to the aging North End sewage treatment plant, relocating its insect control centre, and replacing residents’ water meters as top infrastructure priorities. In a list of infrastructure priorities, the Arlington Bridge placed 31st. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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WFP Sou'wester: Cleaning up the Bishop Grandin Greenway (May3'20)
by Beth McKechnie 04 May '20

04 May '20

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Cleaning-up-the… Running alongside a major thoroughfare, it’s no surprise to see fast-food boxes and wrappers, bottles and cans, cardboard and plastic bags littering the Bishop Grandin Greenway in the spring. For years, the Friends of the Bishop Grandin Greenway have organized a spring clean-up event that sees community members remove thousands of kilos of garbage from the greenway. The greenway is a 4.7-kilometre long multi-use trail that stretches alongside Bishop Grandin Boulevard from the Red River to the Seine River, with connections into the Waverley Heights area. "In past years, we usually see 40 volunteers come out on a specific clean-up day," Nicole Grabowski, a Friends board member said. "Last year, we picked up 700 pounds (318 kilograms) of trash." This year, with the need to avoid contact to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the Friends cancelled the formal event and replaced it with a clean-up week from May 3 to 9. The Friends have attached garbage bags to the mileposts along the trail, which they are asking people to fill with garbage and debris as they travel the greenway. Once filled, the bags can be dropped at the mileposts — which are located near major intersections — or behind the service shed at the end of Glen Meadow St. (near the tunnel) or by the community garden. Bishop Grandin Greenway volunteers will collect the garbage bags throughout the week. "This is important to me, given what the greenway means. It’s a link to other active living paths in other parts of the city. You can see geese and other birds, and see a lot of people out enjoying the day, on bikes, roller blading and walking," Grabowski said. She is a resident of River Heights, but joined the board of the Friends a year ago in order to volunteer for a green project. Friends’ vice-president Derick Young has been a board member since 2009. He said the idea for the greenway came about 20 years ago when local seniors expressed dismay about the decline of green space in St. Vital. "People began working with the City of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Trails Association, and they got the trail system put in place over the next eight years, along with a community garden," Young said, adding the greenway continues to be expanded. "We were supposed to hold a 20th anniversary event, but that had to be postponed until the fall," Grabowski said. The goal of the Friends is to restore the greenspace, and develop awareness of the area’s natural and historical value, he said. In the summer of 2019, they added a wildflower garden just west of St. Mary’s Rd., run by the Winnipeg Wildflower Project. The garden plot contains several different varieties of wildflowers and grasses from Prairie Originals. Once established, seed from the plot will be collected to grow native grasses and wildflowers elsewhere in the city. The trail now links with other trails extending to Sage Creek in the east, and to the Waverley West area. It will eventually join trails along McGillivray Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway to form part of a city-wide active transportation network. For more information, see www.bishopgrandingreenway.com

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CBC: Why these advocates hope COVID-19 could lead to a more walkable, bikeable Winnipeg (May3'20)
by Beth McKechnie 04 May '20

04 May '20

COVID-19 has cut car traffic and made Winnipeg more bike-friendly — but will impacts last when lockdown lifts? https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-pedestrian-cyclist-covid-1… Strolling down any of Winnipeg's traffic-free streets over the past several days has been a "beautiful experience," in the eyes of Patrick Krawec. "You're seeing lots of people, lots of smiles, lots of children, lots of play," said Krawec, the executive director of the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub, or WRENCH. Traffic restrictions from the City of Winnipeg on a handful of streets across the city <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/city-winnipeg-more-active-transport…> has turned them into physical distancing-friendly pedestrian and cycling paths for residents cooped up thanks to COVID-19. Temporary traffic restrictions on four streets were announced in April, with five more set to join on Tuesday, limiting vehicle traffic to one block, so people and families can walk and ride — while distancing — outside. "It is a very elegant, simple solution," Krawec said. "No costs, tons of savings and it was led by the people." Across the country, other cities have made similar moves, from a ban on cars <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/stanley-park-vancouver-phys…> in Vancouver's Stanley Park to reduced traffic lanes <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/biking-naheed-nenshi-covid-coronavir…> to make room for cyclists on some Calgary streets. Around the world, expansive, kilometres-long networks have sprung up in cities like New York, Paris, Lima and Bogota. Those, alongside tanking oil prices, have prompted some observers to wonder if COVID-19 could be a nail in the coffin of the car <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200429-are-we-witnessing-the-death-of-…> . "It was like flicking a switch, and it achieved so many goals of community wellness," Krawec said of the changes he saw on closed streets in Winnipeg. "In a time of isolation, it has really brought people together, although they're staying apart." As Manitoba starts reopening Monday and restrictions roll back, Krawec and other advocates are hopeful the change in how Winnipeggers use and view their streets won't fade away. 'Reconnecting with nature' Cities across Canada and around the world have seen drops in traffic since the pandemic began <https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/satellite-images-no2-smog-gta-vancouver-1.…>, with wide swaths of the population staying home thanks to shutdowns and physical distancing measures. In Winnipeg, the traffic measurement company TomTom has recorded a congestion drop of 21 to 34 per cent <https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/traffic-index/winnipeg-traffic/> during peak rush hour every day over the past week. Emptied streets combined with the need for physical distancing have thrown a sudden spotlight on decades of traffic-centred urban planning strategies, said Anders Swanson, executive director of the Winnipeg Trails Association. "You very quickly realize how the space has been allocated, as soon as you're walking down a 1.5 metre-wide sidewalk towards somebody [and] you're afraid of having them breathe on you," said Swanson on the phone from Finland, where he was stuck due to the pandemic. "You very quickly realize that you don't have anywhere to go to, except for this giant, wide street, which is right there and empty." Robin Cox, a professor of disaster and emergency management at Royal Roads University in Victoria, says that realization is being accompanied around the world by a greater value placed on getting outside. "We are witnessing in many areas, particularly urban environments, people … reconnecting with the value of nature to them and to their lives, as other aspects of their lives get more constrained," said Cox, who is also the director of the Resilience by Design Research Innovation Lab. The devastating global impacts of the pandemic have exposed or amplified fault lines in many sectors, she said — from social inequities on health outcomes to the fragility of global supply chains for food and medical supplies. It's also sparked a greater focus on health, particularly in how underlying conditions can influence the way individuals experience the disease, said Lawrence Frank, a professor in the school of population and public health at the University of British Columbia. Staying active can help prevent some of those pre-existing conditions, such as heart and lung disease, he said. "Myself and others have been doing lots of studies showing that active transportation contributes significantly to the reduction of chronic disease, reduces health-care costs," said Frank, who teaches sustainable transportation and health and runs the school's health and community design lab. When it comes to fighting chronic disease in general, and COVID-19 in particular, he said, "we think that investing in active transportation is, really, probably one of the best things we can do in the near- and long-term." Building back from crisis Global drops in traffic and air travel have been accompanied by a reduction in observed emissions. In late February, CO2 emissions in China dropped by 25 per cent <https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/covid-19-coronavirus-climate-carbon-emis…> after the country locked down entire cities and shut factories, highways and airports. The pandemic is now expected by some to lead to the biggest single-year CO2 emissions drop since the Second World War, according to the World Meteorological Organization. That group predicted COVID-19 would lead to a global drop of roughly six per cent by the end of this year. Scientists around the world have been clear these temporary drops won't make a dent <https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/covid19-co2-emissions-1.5521271> in long-standing climate issues. "We need to understand that the climate crisis is a health-care crisis that will impact, and has already impacted, health," Cox said. "And if this isn't a warning siren for that, then I'm not sure of what is." It's hard to say for sure whether temporary interventions like a few closed streets will translate to long-term policy change, said Cox. But hallmarks of communities that have faced disaster and come back better include slow, purposeful rebuilding, she said, along with early community engagement. Crises disrupt the "normal," she said, and should be followed by questions about what wasn't working. "We tend to be a reactive culture, whether it's health care or economics or whatever. And what we're seeing [about] that reactive culture is that it doesn't serve us well." 'Dipping one toe in the water' In Winnipeg, Swanson said he wants to see leaders do more for cyclists and pedestrians. Across Canada, he characterizes the policy moves made so far as focused on recreation, rather than transportation. "Most of the cities I've seen in Canada kind of made that same mistake, of only dipping one toe in the water — and Winnipeg, too," he said. Opening only a few streets at a time creates a destination, making it harder for people to stay distanced, he said. The Winnipeg Trails Association he heads is calling on the city to create an emergency cycling network and curbside lane dedications in its OpenStreets 2020 plan <https://www.winnipegtrails.ca/openstreets2020/>, to give more Winnipeggers access to trails to give commuters options as the economy reopens. Winnipeg Transit is reducing bus service and laying off 253 full- and part-time drivers <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-layoffs-transit-covid-19-1…> because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and city officials said last month ridership dropped 72 per cent compared to the same timeframe in 2019. "When you have an entire transportation system shut down in the middle of an emergency … you would think that you'd want to have some kind of serious backup plan in place," Swanson said. A spokesperson for the City of Winnipeg said in an emailed statement the city is collecting data on the current routes to track usage. "The city will re-evaluate at the end of May to determine if the designations need to be extended," he wrote. Like Krawec, he's hopeful the pandemic will leave a long-lasting shift in how Winnipeggers see their streets. "We've known that people want to walk and bike a lot more than they can, but they just feel concerned about traffic, basically," he said. "It becomes a kind of a vicious circle, and all of a sudden, that vicious circle got broken."

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Webinar: Dynamic Streets, Curbs, and Sidewalks in COVID-19
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '20

01 May '20

Join us next week for our upcoming webinar on dynamic streets, curbs, and sidewalks during the COVID-19 pandemic. WEBINAR Dynamic Streets, Curbs, and Sidewalks in COVID-19 May 7, 2020 from 2:00pm - 2:30pm ET <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> Previous plans to expand bike networks and more space for pedestrians are being fast-tracked as stay-at-home orders for COVID-19 demand more room for people to adequately practice social distancing while remaining active and making trips for essential goods and services. As cities move quickly, it is important for them to have tools to rapidly create these new policies and communicate them easily to mobility operators and the public. Cities across the world, from Oakland to Denver to Milan to Paris, are moving to free up more space for pedestrians and cyclists, often by accelerating existing plans. This webinar will discuss how cities are taking action and how new digital tools can support more dynamic management of their streets, curbs, and sidewalks. *Speakers:* *Rodney Stiles,* *Head of Policy, Populus* *Paul Lewis,** Vice President of Policy and Finance, Eno Center for Transportation* May 2020 07 REGISTER <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Connect with us and don't miss out on other great resources!* [image: Facebook] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> Facebook <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: Twitter] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> Twitter <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: VIEW UPCOMING WEBINARS] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> VIEW UPCOMING WEBINARS <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Copyright © 2020 Eno Center for Transportation, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you opted in to our email list. *Our mailing address is:* Eno Center for Transportation 1629 K St. NW Ste 200 Washington, DC 20006

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Stanley Park vehicles ban a ‘tremendous success,’ says park board GM
by Beth McKechnie 30 Apr '20

30 Apr '20

Making Stanley Park car free has been a “tremendous success” in transforming people’s experience of the park, according to the general manager of the Vancouver Park Board. Malcolm Bromley said Tuesday that the board is learning from its move to limit the seawall to people on foot, move cyclists onto Stanley Park Drive, and ban cars in the park. The change came into effect <https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/park-board-to-close-stanley-park-to-vehi…> on April 8. “People have really loved it,” said Bromley. “It put a lot more people in a safe environment to cycle. It’s been transformational, really, for the experience of the park.” Any move to either create permanent car-free sections of set aside car-free days has to be measured against ensuring people can get to and from amenities such as restaurants at Prospect Point and Ferguson Point, he said. “Cycling has taught us something about how the park sounds and feels when it’s quiet,” Bromley said. “You notice more birds. It smells different. It feels different. It’s a very interesting experiment we’re doing in the name of the pandemic, and it’s teaching us some things.” Bromley said staff is collecting data on the number of cyclists on the roadway and pedestrians on the seawall and will be reporting back to the board about how to promote active transportation around the park. https://theprovince.com/news/local-news/covid-19-stanley-park-vehicles-ban-…

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Oregon drops use of 85th percentile for speed limits, adopts new rules
by Beth McKechnie 30 Apr '20

30 Apr '20

BikePortland.org reported on May 1st, traffic engineers in OR will no longer rely on an outdated and dangerous method for setting speed limits. Thanks to new rules adopted by the OR Transportation Commission last month ( https://bit.ly/2WndcT1 <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…> , https://bit.ly/2YfI5ez <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…>), the process for designating speeds has changed dramatically and now goes way beyond the traditional 85 percentile method, which said limits should be set at or under the speed at which 85% of drivers are currently driving. The new rule, which applies to all public roads except interstate freeways, adds many new factors into the decision-making process. When setting speeds, engineers will now have statutory guidance to consider dense urban contexts, presence of foot and bicycle traffic, demographics of road users, crash rate, public input, and other new factors. The adopted rule also introduces a fiftieth percentile rule along with new functional street classifications such as "urban mix," "urban core," and "suburban fringe" that allow engineers to further tune their analysis. It has also codified a list of recommended speeds for those new classifications. https://bit.ly/3cVKMG8 <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…>

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Making Safe Space for Cycling in 10 Days - A guide to temporary bike lanes
by Beth McKechnie 30 Apr '20

30 Apr '20

Berlin proves it is possible to build cycle infrastructure in 10 days The district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in Berlin stepped up to the challenge, building several temporary facilities in just 10 days and ensuring citizens could travel safely by bike while maintain recommended distances. Mobycon supported Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg in the development of these measures and were asked by the district to produce this guidebook: Making Safe Space for Cycling in 10 Day - A guide to temporary bike lanes from Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin <https://mobycon.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e2460a960f276acd64d34db3…>. This guide provides a good foundation for planning safe, temporary infrastructure that can be implemented almost immediately in towns and cities that do not currently offer enough space for cyclists. It serves as inspiration to cities worldwide that want to do something, but don’t know how to start.

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Portland launches 100-mile ‘Slow Streets Safe Streets’ COVID-19 response effort
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '20

29 Apr '20

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has revealed a plan to adapt the streets to the COVID-19 crisis. “The new strategy will repurpose streets, including closing them to car traffic, to make it easier and safer for Portlanders to practice physical distancing as the city recovers,” reads a statement just released by PBOT by way of Commissioner Chloe Eudaly. PBOT is proposing a series of steps and measured improvements for *neighborhood greenways, busy streets, and business districts*. The bureau will focus its initial efforts on areas of the city with the most pressing safety needs. https://bikeportland.org/2020/04/28/portland-launches-100-mile-slow-streets… -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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Human Transit & Walkable Cities book sale | Webinar on Advocating For and Creating Effective Transit
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '20

29 Apr '20

Since 1984, we've been providing people like you solutions to inspire change. View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/7d7bb2ebef7d/we-want-to-help-you-change-the-world?e=c148…> <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> Thanks for joining Jeff Speck and Jarrett Walker's 1/17/20 webinar hosted by Smart Growth Network and the Maryland Department of Planning. The full recording is posted for your reference <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>. The books on which this webinar was based, *Walkable City Rules* <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> and *Human Transit* <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>, can be invaluable resources as you look to apply these principles in your communities. You can grab the paperbacks or e-books for 30% off. 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But what makes for effective transit? How do you advocate for it? And how can cities utilize buses to create fast, frequent and reliable service? Join the Maryland Department of Planning and the Smart Growth Network as Christof Spieler <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>, author of *Trains, Buses, People* <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>, and Steven Higashide <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>, author of *Better Buses, Better Cities* <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>, explain how to make better use of our current transit systems in clear ways for decision-makers, philanthropists, activists, and public agency leaders. *Participants of the live webinar are eligible for 1.5 AICP CM credits.* Register <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> [image: Person holding a newspaper with outstretched arms.] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> *INSPIRE CHANGE WITH US* Island Press is proud to publish books by Jeff Speck and Jarrett Walker as well as many other authors. 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Bicyclist Facility Preferences and Effects on Increasing Bicycle Trips | Blurbs New | Blurbs | Main
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/180560.aspx Happy Trails Terry Zdan

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Milan Limits Cars As Italian Cities Hope To Make Lockdown Environmental Changes Permanent
by Beth McKechnie 28 Apr '20

28 Apr '20

Milan Limits Cars As Italian Cities Hope To Make Lockdown Environmental Changes Permanent https://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccahughes/2020/04/23/milan-limits-cars-as-… Cities in Italy have been recording cleaner air and significantly reduced pollution under coronavirus lockdown, and now plans are being made to maintain these environmental changes as life begins to return to normal. Milan in northwestern Italy has gone from chaos and traffic jams to silent streets in a few weeks under COVID-19 lockdown. Traffic congestion has fallen 30-75% and polluting nitrogen dioxide dropped 24% in March compared with the previous four weeks, according to the European Environment Agency. When lockdown begins to lift, Milan’s authorities have announced that the city will be introducing one of the most ambitious schemes in Europe to reduce traffic congestion in the center. “We are in an emergency and for phase two we must organize ourselves so all those who have to move to make the city work, do it in the safest way for them and to prevent contagion,” Marco Granelli, a deputy mayor for Milan, said in a statement. To avoid using crowded subways and buses, the city hopes to boost the use of bicycles and electric scooters so that residents won’t resort to using their cars. “We worked for years to reduce car use,” said Granelli. “If everybody drives a car, there is no space for people, there is no space to move, there is no space for commercial activities outside the shops.” Over the summer, 35 km of streets will be transformed to cater for cyclists and pedestrians. The *Strade Aperte* (open roads) plan will reallocate road space by introducing temporary low-cost cycle lanes and widened pavements. The new scheme will also see 30 kph speed limits and pedestrian and cyclist priority streets. As Rome prepares for phase two of the coronavirus emergency, it too is looking to switch to eco-friendly transportation. Mayor Virginia Raggi is promoting the use of bicycles and electric scooters to get around the city saying, “otherwise, we will be invaded by traffic, a prospect we must avoid.” In an interview with Radio Cusano Campus, Raggi explained: “We are working to privilege transport by bike and other ‘soft’ modes like scooters.” To help keep levels of pollution and traffic low, the city will see the creation of new cycle lanes. Raggi also stated that she had asked the government to “reopen bicycle shops quickly” and that she was “pushing to provide incentives for purchasing electric bikes.” Residents of Venice are also breathing cleaner air as polluting cruise ships are no longer docking in the city. The canals are still and in some places the water has become clearer as motorboat traffic has reduced. Many would like to see environmental measures imposed, such as resident Diana Vandeville who has started a petition <https://www.change.org/p/rinascita-di-venezia-post-covid-19?recruiter=18870…> calling for change. “Before the coronavirus lockdown, I could smell the pollution as I walked around,” says Vandeville. Vandeville’s petition proposes stricter controls on motorboat speed in order to reduce wake pollution, which damages building foundations and harms the lagoon eco-system by stirring up the sea and canal beds. Her petition also calls for switching to electric or hybrid engines and using biofuel. Italy is due to commence phase two of the coronavirus lockdown plan on May 4. The government has announced that some businesses and industries will be allowed to restart production in a bid to boost the crippled economy. Throughout May there will be gradual reopenings of clothes shops and restaurants for a takeaway service, although details are still to be released by premier Giuseppe Conte. Although the number of new cases of COVID-19 rose on Wednesday, the country is hoping that with adequate safety measures, some sense of normal life can tentatively resume.

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WFP: Active transportation group urges city to block traffic in some curb lanes (Apr25'20)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '20

25 Apr '20

*Active transportation group urges city to block traffic in some curb lanes * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/active-transportation… THE city is being asked to block off curb lanes to vehicle traffic on many normally busy streets to clear more space for pedestrians and cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic. Winnipeg Trails Association wants the city to give people using active transportation nearly exclusive 24-7 access to some stretches of key streets and lanes [map attached]. The organization said that should cause little disruption, since the traffic volume has dropped significantly. “Now there’s very little excuse to not (do this). Vehicle traffic is extremely low,” said Anders Swanson, the association’s executive director. Swanson said the need for biking and walking space will grow as Winnipeg Transit begins to reduce services after seeing its ridership plummet. The reduced frequency of buses could lead some to use other options, he said. “We need a comprehensive (transportation) network that works for everybody,” he said. The association suggests that buses be allowed to pick up and drop off passengers in the affected curb lanes, but not travel through them. Swanson is lobbying for the lanes to be placed on key stretches of St. Mary’s Road, Osborne Street, Pembina Highway, Jefferson Avenue and Burrows Avenue, among many other typically well-used routes. The association also wants the city to reduce residential street speed limits and add traffic-calming measures near homes. Council’s public works chairperson said he’s discussed the association’s request with city staff but no decision has been made. “Before we go forward with something, we want to make sure to get it right,” said Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface). The city will add some extra travel space for bikes and foot traffic in early May, limiting vehicle travel to one block between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily on five new routes. Allard said this will help ensure people can stay two metres apart, as health officials recommend. “This is a perfectly acceptable way to get your exercise while maintaining physical distancing requirements,” he said. Newly designated routes will be in place from May 5 until May 29 on Assiniboine Avenue (from Bedson Street to Westwood Drive), Churchill Drive (from Hay Street to Jubilee Avenue), Egerton Road (from Bank Avenue to Morier Avenue), Kildonan Drive (from both Helmsdale Avenue to Rossmere Crescent and Larchdale Crescent to Irving Place) and Kilkenny Drive (from Burgess Avenue to Patricia Avenue and Kings Drive.) The city will also extend previously announced bicycle/active-transportation routes to May 29. Drivers will also see the road-construction season kick off next month, with about 200 planned projects. Meanwhile, the city is cancelling its spring giveaway weekend for residents to lay out items marked “free” at the curb for others to collect; it had been scheduled May 9-10. COVID-19 is spread by droplets that leave a person’s mouth when they cough or sneeze, which could fall on the “free” items and then infect someone picking them up, said Jason Shaw, Winnipeg’s assistant chief of emergency management. Shaw said he’s also concerned Winnipeggers would roam through neighbourhoods in search of free items, despite being urged to stay home as much as possible. “The giveaway weekend encourages a lot of people to get out and about,” he said. Winnipeggers also won’t be able to collect free city-made compost any time soon, since social distancing has created delays at the 4R depots. Instead, that program has been indefinitely postponed. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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City expanding temporary bicycle/active transportation routes effective May 5 to May 29
by Beth McKechnie 24 Apr '20

24 Apr '20

City expanding temporary bicycle/active transportation routes effective May 5 to May 29 Released: 9:00 a.m. Winnipeg, MB – In an effort to assist with social distancing requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, the City is further extending its annual bicycle and active transportation route schedule and expanding the temporary routes to include five new streets. “As the global pandemic continues to have an effect on our residents, I’m pleased to see an expansion of active transportation routes that can better facilitate physical distancing,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “With ever-evolving circumstances related to COVID-19, the City is once again demonstrating its willingness and ability to innovate.” “It’s important that we provide Winnipeggers with safe spaces they can use to keep active while practicing social distancing,” said Councillor Matt Allard, Chairperson of the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works. “I’m pleased that we were able to expand upon active transportation routes to give residents even more options to enjoy the outdoors as the weather begins to warm up this spring.” The following four streets in Winnipeg are currently designated as bicycle/active transportation routes, and will be extended until Friday, May 29, 2020: - Lyndale Drive - Cromwell Street to Gauvin Street - Scotia Street - Anderson Avenue (at St. Cross Street) to Armstrong Avenue - Wellington Crescent - Academy Road (at Wellington Crescent) to Guelph Street - Wolseley Avenue - Raglan Road to Maryland Street Winnipeggers are invited to take advantage of these additional 5 designated routes from Tuesday, May 5 until Friday, May 29, 2020: - Assiniboine Avenue - Bedson Street to Westwood Drive - Churchill Drive - Hay Street to Jubilee Avenue - Egerton Road - Bank Avenue to Morier Avenue - Kildonan Drive - Helmsdale Avenue to Rossmere Crescent & Larchdale Crescent to Irving Place - Kilkenny Drive - Burgess Avenue to Patricia Avenue and Kings Drive These designated routes limit motor vehicle traffic to one block throughout the designated area. The routes will be in place daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City will re-evaluate at the end of May to determine if the designations need to be extended. Signs are posted on all approach roadways as notification that motorists are entering a bicycle/active transportation route. Signs are also posted at the end of the routes advising motorists that they are leaving the bicycle/active transportation route. It is important to note that these roads are not closed. Cyclists and pedestrians are reminded to use caution and continue to follow the rules of the road.

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WFP: City looking to close more streets to vehicles (Apr23'20)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Apr '20

23 Apr '20

City looking to close more streets to vehicles https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/city-to-close-six-mor… THE city is looking to expand its street closures to make space for people who want to get outside as the weather warms without fighting vehicle traffic. Coun. Matt Allard said as many as six streets are being prepared for similar restrictions to the ones imposed on four others earlier this month, which limit motor vehicle travel to one block between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The infrastructure renewal and public works committee met Tuesday, where Allard (St. Boniface), chairman of the committee, said closures on Egerton Road, Churchill Drive, Kildonan Drive, Kilkenny Drive, Assiniboine Avenue and Glenwood Crescent are under consideration. Ryan Palmquist, a spokesman for Allard, said in an email the committee’s goal is to have the restrictions in place in the next two weeks and that the streets were chosen because of their similarities to Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue, which are under the same restrictions 12 hours per day. The city plans to collect data on the restrictions in the future, Palmquist said.

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Open Streets Winnipeg proposal
by Anders Swanson 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

AT-Network: Winnipeg Trails has been working on developing a comprehensive response to emerging mobility concerns in this pandemic. We are supporting the efforts that have been announced thus far by the city of Winnipeg, and monitoring the emergence of the Open Streets movement across North America. With serious mobility issues looming regardless of the length of lockdown, we are hoping to advance the conversation and are seeking your input and help. Please see this and look for the links to offer feedback: https://www.winnipegtrails.ca/openstreets2020/ If you are inclined to share, please do so widely. Here are links to Twitter <https://twitter.com/WinnipegTrails/status/1252976273430896641>, Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WinnipegTrails/posts/2905469946203199?__xts__%5B0%…> and Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/p/B_SrDn-AhKK/>. Anders WTA

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Upcoming webinars on Quick Build Networks (including Minneapolis)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Apr '20

22 Apr '20

*Webinar Announcement* Upcoming Webinars on Quick Build Networks *Quick Build Networks for All (Part 1) Tuesday, May 19, 2020* 1:00-2:30 pm Eastern Time Register Here <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> *Quick Build Networks for All (Part 2) Wednesday, May 20, 2020* 1:00-2:30 pm Eastern Time Register Here <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> Cities across the US are planning and prioritizing low-stress networks that support bicycling and walking, working to integrate active travel into their transportation system. This two-part webinar series will profile the experiences of several cities – Houston, Minneapolis, and San Jose – as they start turning their plans into action. Using rapid deployment and quick-build techniques, these cities are delivering multimodal facilities to support safety and comfort and broader community goals. Learn about their experiences with community engagement and maintenance, integrating equity, universal design, micromobility, and a host of other factors. Part I will explain the value of Quick Build approaches and highlight examples from around the globe, and feature a detailed case study from Houston. Part II will dive deeper into examples from Minneapolis and San Jose. Panelists include representatives from Toole Design; Harris County, TX; Minneapolis, MN; and San Jose, CA. ------------------------------ PBIC offers free, public webinars approximately every month. To register for upcoming webinars and to access archived presentations, please visit www.pedbikeinfo.org/webinars <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> . Follow the PBIC on Twitter <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> and Facebook <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> and join the discussion [image: https://twitter.com/pedbikeinfo?lang=en] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> [image: https://www.facebook.com/pedbikeinfo] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> [image: http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/index.cfm] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> ------------------------------ Since its inception in 1999, PBIC's mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ------------------------------ Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 300 Chapel Hill, NC 27599 Add us to your address book <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/vcard?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e453ab5d&…> Phone: 1.888.823.3977 Fax: 919.962.8710 www.pedbikeinfo.org <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> View this email in your browser <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…>

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Milan announces ambitious scheme to reduce car use after lockdown
by Beth McKechnie 21 Apr '20

21 Apr '20

Milan is to introduce one of Europe’s most ambitious schemes reallocating street space from cars to cycling and walking, in response to the coronavirus crisis. The city has announced that 35km (22 miles) of streets will be transformed over the summer, with a rapid, experimental citywide expansion of cycling and walking space to protect residents as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/21/milan-seeks-to-prevent-post-c…

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WFP Editorial: Time to park cars outside parks (Apr20'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Apr '20

20 Apr '20

*Time to park cars outside parks * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/time-to-park-cars-out… AS the pandemic grinds on and confinement in our homes becomes bleak at times, Winnipeg’s abundant green spaces offer a therapeutic escape. It’s unfortunate motorized vehicles are allowed to intrude. A temporary ban on cars, trucks and motorcycles from city parks would go a long way toward helping pedestrians enjoy outings while still keeping the required physical distance. Pedestrians in parks could use the full width of the the roadways to keep a safe space from each other. Vancouver did it with Stanley Park on April 8, banning vehicles from its world-class park so pedestrians can walk on roads and enjoy the tonic of the natural world while remaining distanced from other people. Minneapolis-St. Paul has banned vehicle traffic from three of its parkways. Portland, Ore., has closed 10 of its parks to cars and trucks. Similar sensible measures are underway in U.S. cities including Cleveland, Philadelphia and Denver. Like all urban centres struggling to contain COVID-19, these cities banned vehicles from green spaces because of two pragmatic realities: 1) it’s physically and mentally healthy for people to enjoy the rejuvenating effects of nature as a break from being cooped up under stressful circumstances; and 2) city parks can accommodate a lot of people safely, with everyone heeding physical distancing guidelines, as long as vehicles are removed so pedestrians have room to spread out. Personally, the need to bar vehicles from Winnipeg parks was clear last weekend when my wife and I, in dire need of fresh air and exercise, walked the two-kilometre loop around Kildonan Park, the green-space jewel in north Winnipeg. The main walking path is a rind of the roadway’s edge, only one metre wide, so walkers are separated from traffic only by lines painted on asphalt. The vehicle traffic is often bumperto- bumper, so close that walkers could literally touch moving vehicles. With pedestrians at Kildonan Park squeezed into such narrow paths, we couldn’t adhere to the physical distancing guidelines as we met and passed other pedestrians. The vehicles also marred our walk in other ways. The constant din of vehicle engines erased the soothing sounds of birds and the wind blowing through branches. The smell of exhaust fumes overpowered the delicate scents of grass and tree foliage springing into new life. I’m told some pedestrians who use Assiniboine Park feel the same way. If vehicles were barred, people in search of a pandemic panacea would be better able to appreciate the sights, sounds and smells of the natural world. Some of our area’s most precious green spaces have been closed or changed by COVID-19 restrictions. The showcase gathering at Birds Hill Provincial Park, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, was cancelled on Tuesday, but the park itself remains open for people who want trees to massage their minds (although washroom facilities at Birds Hill remain closed). Unfortunately, Fort Whyte Alive is completely closed (perhaps the geese are wondering when the humans will flock back). Winnipeg is fortunate to have more than 1,200 neighbourhood, community and regional parks, and this pandemic crisis is a time when they are needed more than ever. Banning vehicles from parks to allow pedestrians room to roam is the natural next step after the city decided earlier this month to designate four streets in Winnipeg as bicycle/active transportation routes. Sections of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue have been largely freed from vehicles, so the space is free and clear for pedestrians, joggers and cyclists. Winnipeg’s green spaces have long been urban treasures that greatly enhance the quality of life by providing mini-oases amid the buildings, concrete roads and parking lots. That said, the trees that tower over Winnipeg’s green spaces have had a tough time in recent years, battered by the triple assault of Dutch elm disease, the emerald ash borer and a freak ice story in October that damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of trees. The mayor had planned a planting spree called the Million Tree Challenge to restore the giant sentinels, but now the roles can be reversed. Trees can restore us. Plenty of evidence shows connecting with nature can refresh our brains, relieve tension and brighten grim moods. These healing properties are particularly appealing to the many Winnipeggers whose lives have been disrupted by pandemic measures and might make one feel a bit stir-crazy after weeks of sitting at home and watching the walls. Winter-weary Manitobans traditionally have a zealous appreciation for spring and summer, but our usual methods of enjoying the warmer weather — cottages, camping, restaurant patios, picnics and festivals — have been cancelled, prohibited or declared inadvisable. City green spaces remain open, however, and if vehicles are banned from entry, our parks offer the breathing space we need to recuperate before returning to our residences to resume our submission to the necessary discipline of confinement. carl.degurse(a)freepress.mb.ca *Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.*

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East London council to block cars to protect cyclists and pedestrians from speeding drivers during pandemic
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '20

16 Apr '20

[*It seems the propensity to speed with the lower traffic volumes reaches far and wide*.] East London council to block cars to protect cyclists and pedestrians from speeding drivers during pandemic An east London council could be the first in the UK to cut rat running traffic on neighbourhood streets in a bid to ease pressure on its parks and pavements, as part of emergency plans to help people walk and cycle safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://road.cc/content/news/emergency-measures-stop-rat-running-drivers-an… A Hackney councillor has “crowdsourced” potential locations from residents on social media, and the council is in the process of creating a shortlist - but they are 100% planning to “filter” a number of residential streets to protect people from a growing number of speeding drivers on the borough’s roads. The council will use low-cost planters and bollards on selected streets to allow walking and cycling through trips, and access to key workers and emergency vehicles, but preventing people driving through – a process known as filtering. According to the government, traffic levels on London’s main roads have dropped by 63% during the crisis. Hackney Councillor, Jon Burke, said: “By creating those temporary liveable, healthy streets we could also be reducing pressure on some of our green spaces, as we approach some of the warmer months. If we heavily restrict the vehicles on the public highway people will be able to walk in the middle of the road safely, while socially distancing.” Burke wants to “use this as a teachable moment to see what’s possible around road closures”. He said: “We haven’t got weeks to deliver it, we need to deliver it now, because this crisis is happening now,” he says. The council will treat the changes like an “ongoing event” during the crisis, and after the restrictions on movement are lifted they will ask residents if they want the changes made more permanent. “I think we can create healthy urban environments in this moment. We might realise, with the support of the public, which might be able to stay afterwards, when we return,” he says. “This is in inflection point in our future, we are running around making sure vulnerable people have enough food but we aren’t doing something about the 40,000 people that are dying each year because of air pollution.” Although other councils may be quietly considering similar measures, Cllr Burke is the first politician in the UK to announce any action so far. Temporary cycle lanes on main roads won’t be part of Hackney’s plans, however, due to concerns over emergency vehicle access. There are also concerns over increased levels of speeding during the crisis. Cllr Burke says on 30mph roads across London, average speeds are now 37mph. “We have noticed a significant up-tick in speeding on our 20mph roads,” he says. “The kinds of speeds we usually see at night when the roads are empty, we are now seeing in the day.” He says while “the responsible drivers have heeded the government advice”, many of those still driving are behaving badly. Burke argues there is a case to “heavily fine and remove licenses of those individuals”. The council will create a shortlist of locations on Monday, and a final decision will need approval from the cabinet and Hackney mayor. Cllr Burke says they will have the final list on 20 April. Burke adds: “I think we have just got to throw stuff up against the wall and see what sticks, adding there is a risk that otherwise, “by the time we have got around to doing this the crisis will be over and we will be back to business as usual.” London’s walking and cycling commissioner, Will Norman, says there are no citywide plans to implement emergency cycle lanes during the crisis. Norman said: “The Mayor and the Government’s clear message is that Londoners should stay at home to save lives. Our continued investment in walking and cycling over the past four years is making it easier and safer for critical workers to get to where they need to be and we’ve ensured that NHS staff, care workers and the police can use our Santander Cycles hire bikes free of charge.” “Any temporary cycle lanes on TfL’s road network would not be effective at keeping people safe without major changes to junctions. These changes would need to be installed by a significant number of on-site workers and the Mayor has made it clear that construction workers – including those who were constructing new cycleways - should not be travelling at this time.” He adds road traffic has halved, making it easier to take advantage of quieter streets to cycle. “We would remind drivers that breaking the speed limit is dangerous and especially reckless during this time of national crisis. Robust action will be taken against drivers who put themselves and others at risk.”

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Cycling Industries of Europe - online conference
by Anders Swanson 16 Apr '20

16 Apr '20

Coming up April 28th, if interested. Full agenda: https://cyclingindustries.com/fileadmin/user_upload/CIE_2020_Summit_Draft_A… Registration here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cycling-industries-europe-2020-summit-registra… [Anders note: Cycling is booming in many places worldwide. Beyond staying on top of the future of the cycling industry in crazy times, this esoteric event may be of particular general interest to some due to the keynote from the Deloitte global head of research and technology. Sharing this here as a unique chance to get a very specific view of what the future holds. Also you may appreciate Philippe Crist as moderator, and the panel featuring a few interesting MEPs who'll be looking at it from a EU-level strategic perspective. I'm personally interested to learn more about Karima Delli, a young French Green MEP, daughter of Algerian immigrants and younger than me who was tapped to lead the Volkswagen emissions scandal inquiry and now chairs the EU's transport and tourism committee.] <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cycling-industries-europe-2020-summit-registra…> This event is *free.* Stay healthy. -a

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WFP: Waverley West speed-limit cut given red light (Apr16'20)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '20

16 Apr '20

Waverley West speed-limit cut given red light https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/waverley-west-speed-limit-cut-shelv… A PROPOSED three-year pilot project to reduce the speed limit on residential streets in Waverley West is set to be put in park. The councillor for the area, Janice Lukes, said she will tell councillors on the public works committee on Monday to put aside her motion for now. The proposal involved reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h. Lukes said it makes no sense to implement that when people are staying home and children are away from school because of the fight against COVID-19. “With Waverley West only having three or four specific entrances into it, I thought, ‘Let’s try for a pilot project on speeds here,’” she said on Wednesday. “We have a lot of speeding cars, but in light of the pandemic, what is most needed now is seeing more streets open for cycling and pedestrian access. Is (the pilot project) important now? No. There are other things the public works department could do, including identifying which streets can be closed.” The idea was to drop the speed limit on residential streets in Bridgwater Forest, Bridgwater Lakes, Bridgwater Trails, Bridgwater Town Centre, South Pointe and Prairie Pointe. Coun. Matt Allard, chairman of the committee, said it makes sense to delay the pilot project. “We do have a residential, citywide, street report coming… in June,” Allard said. “Not all roads are created equal in Winnipeg. We have priority one, two, three streets, we have streets with different engineering, we have high-speed streets (and) residential streets. I think all of this needs to be considered and there needs to be a response that makes sense citywide.”

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WFP: Enjoying the great outdoors during the COVID-19 era (Apr15'20)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Apr '20

15 Apr '20

Enjoying the great outdoors during the COVID-19 era https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/enjoying-the-gr… IN times of high anxiety and uncertainty, many people turn to physical activity as a means of stress relief. With gym closures and the city’s parks a little too crowded to keep a safe physical distance, many people are turning to the city streets to get their fitness fix by walking, running, biking and even — depending on snowfall — skiing. Though the April weather is unpredictable, here are five places Winnipeggers are getting a breath of fresh air right now, and you can join them — just make sure to stay at least two metres apart. *Harte Trail, Charleswood* Ridge Romanshin, 23, is an apprentice stage manager in Winnipeg’s temporarily closed theatre scene. To keep himself busy, he’s been going for plenty of walks in his neighbourhood of Charleswood, which boasts a semi-rural atmosphere full of trails and places to walk. Though Romanshin admits that some of the sidewalks are still icy — he’s been walking on the roads instead — he does have one favourite place: Harte Trail. The 6.5-kilometre walkway is part of the Trans Canada Trail and, according to Romanshin, is in decent shape for this time of year. “There are some pretty icy patches but it seems to be melting quickly,” he says. “The gravel is starting to show.” *Wellington Crescent* “My running route is the Wellington-Wolseley loop,” says Jack Maier. “I live about a block away from Wellington Crescent in North River Heights, so that’s where I start.” The route has served 22-year-old Maier well for the past three years, but spring weather and increasingly large numbers of people outside initially made it trickier than usual for Maier to maintain a safe distance and stay dry. “The sidewalks are soaked right now,” he says, “especially the central walking path on Wellington, which has basically turned to mud. Your options are running on the road or trying to leap and sidestep over the puddles.” Just a few days after Maier took to running on the road to stay dry, the city opened the seasonal Sunday and holiday bike routes to cyclists and pedestrians seven days a week, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. The four roadway closures are Wellington Crescent between Academy Road and Guelph Street; Lyndale Drive between Cromwell Street and Gauvin Street; Scotia Street between Anderson Avenue and Armstrong Avenue; and Wolseley Avenue between Raglan Road and Maryland Street. Motor vehicles are restricted to one block of travel on these routes. *Central sidewalks* For people living in Winnipeg’s central neighbourhoods, the best trails seem to be the ones right outside the front door: sidewalks. While many folks in suburban areas report a higher number of pedestrians than usual, Charlene Van Buekenhout, who lives in the West End, has noticed the opposite. “The sidewalks are slushy, icy nightmares,” says Van Buekenhout, “but there haven’t been many people out.” Van Buekenhout has even noticed one huge positive: “People have been waving to us from inside their houses, which never happens,” she says. “That’s been a nice development.” Pedestrian activity in the West End, Downtown and the Exchange District is light, so if you live in one of these neighbourhoods, there’s a good chance physical distancing won’t be a problem. *La Barriere Park* “The sidewalks suck,” says Dolores Rintoul, “but the streets being virtually free of vehicles means we can walk on the road in a lot of cases.” Rintoul joins the ranks of many other pedestrians who have found sidewalks too icy, too wet or too narrow and have instead taken to walking on the road… but her partner goes one step further. “My partner goes for a ski by the river every couple of days, or to La Barriere Park.” While skiing may be out of the question now that the snow has mostly melted, Rintoul says that La Barrière Park — located south of Winnipeg in Ritchot — has plenty of room (and 2.9 km of trails) to safely move around and get some vitamin D. *Bike riding, anywhere* “The average city sidewalk is 1.5 metres (wide), and the recommended amount of space that individuals must have between them is a minimum of two metres,” says Mel Marginet of the Green Action Centre. “To ensure Winnipeggers are safe when walking and biking, the city must act quickly to reallocate road space.” While Winnipeggers wait for additional safe spaces to walk, there’s no better time to start cycling now that traffic has been reduced, and many bike shops in the city, such as Natural Cycle at 91 Albert St. in the Exchange, are still open as of Monday morning to help with all of your cycling needs. A complete list of bike routes in Winnipeg is available at wfp.to/bikeroutes frances.koncan(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @franceskoncan

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Fwd: Community engagement, but digital
by Mark Cohoe 14 Apr '20

14 Apr '20

This might be interesting as a number of projects moving forward (Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies update, Transportation Master Plan update, Leila Ave, University Crescent) may need to look into virtual engagement opportunities. Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: The Form-Based Codes Institute at Smart Growth America < info(a)formbasedcodes.org> Date: Tue, Apr 14, 2020 at 12:48 PM Subject: Community engagement, but digital To: <mark.e.cohoe(a)gmail.com> Problems viewing this message? Read it online. <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=d7XL7jbGMG%2Fz%2…> [image: Form-Based Codes Institute, a program of Smart Growth America] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=QzlAuTvkcH7gx%2F…> <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=hjSbJlHDlMvjZLR0…> When in-peron engagement isn't possible A webinar series on virtual tools and techniques for community engagement How can community leaders continue to engage stakeholders and other members of the public in important local decisions when staying safe means staying home? The Form-Based Codes Institute at Smart Growth America and MSU National Charrette Institute <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=P3wGuos2ULwaobNL…> are partnering to deliver a series of three webinars to provide local leaders, developers and advocates with tools and examples for staying in touch, sharing ideas, and getting interactive feedback to keep critical decisions moving forward. Many of these techniques, while essential in this time of separation, have the potential to engage new, hard-to-reach segments of the community, and will be useful, even beyond this current crisis. Join us for the webinar and see how you can stay in touch and keep the wheels turning! *WEBINAR #1: Charrettes go virtual: Missoula, Montana hosts an online charrette to advance a community vision* <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=9TW%2Bo7DN%2Bsw3…> <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=EKeTfrlyZx5jZHKK…> Join us on April 28 when charrette organizers, Dover, Kohl and Partners <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=soonoVmHauB7o1q3…> (DKP), and local planners from Missoula, Montana describe how they successfully pivoted a long-planned community visioning effort for the Mullan Area Master Plan <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=8O13XtiNEyPjuCIe…> to a fully virtual format, designed to simulate the interactive and interpersonal experience of the “live” charrette. This new approach, created by DKP, uses a variety of online tools to generate thoughtful, place-sensitive solutions using high-quality design and urban planning best practices. Webinar speakers will share how the virtual charrette was structured, how the city prepared, the outcomes, and the pros and cons of using this virtual format. Webinar presenters include: - *Jason King*, AICP, CNU-A, Principal, Vice President, Project and Charrette Manager, Dover, Kohl & Partners - *Bill Lennertz*, Lead Trainer for NCI - *Tom Zavitz*, AICP, City of Missoula, Development Services Plan to join us for future webinars in the series when we will discuss other tools and strategies for virtual online community engagement. Announcement to come soon! This webinar <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=PXQ99mjCBdLMhx24…> has been approved for 1.0 continuing education hours by the AIA, and 1.0 certificate maintenance credits by AICP, and 1.0 professional development hour by ASLA (LA CES). Looking for more webinars? FBCI offers dozens of special topic webinars targeted to a range of audiences. Take advantage of reduced fees to maximize your social distance learning! <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=xQQ%2BuLY%2FpjeZ…> Top: Illustration and possible development scenario for the Hiawatha Farm Square Neighborhood in Missoula, MT (Image: Dover, Kohl & Partners) [image: Follow FBCI on Twitter] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Iqeosz%2BMwGplFM…> [image: Become a fan of SGA on Facebook] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2BmhQf7UQvA%2Fi…> Know someone who might like receiving news from FBCI? Signing up is easy <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=7IT0qFbQzs9P9%2B…>. You have received this email from the Form-Based Codes Institute, a program of Smart Growth America. Click here to manage your subscription or unsubscribe <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=ezsyWReE%2BkQE6L…> .

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Pop-up bike lanes help with coronavirus physical distancing in Germany
by Beth McKechnie 13 Apr '20

13 Apr '20

*Thanks to Lawrence Bird for the share...* Pop-up bike lanes help with coronavirus physical distancing in Germany Road markings redrawn after cyclists demand more space to comply with Covid-19 rules https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/pop-up-bike-lanes-help-with-c… German cities are redrawing road markings to create “pop-up” cycle lanes for the duration of the Covid-19 lockdown, as cyclists demand more space to physically distance on their commutes to work. Local authorities in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin trialled a temporary widening of two cycle lanes on 27 March, arguing it would help cyclists keep the required 1.5-metre distance apart while car traffic was down owing to Germany’s coronavirus restrictions. On Friday, the council declared the pilot scheme a success because it had improved cycling safety while not hindering traffic. An expansion of the scheme on further roads in Kreuzberg, as well as in the Schöneberg and Tempelhof districts, is planned for the coming weeks. The council said it had used removable tape and mobile signs to mark out the expanded lanes, which can be removed when the current restrictions on movement are lifted. Residents in 133 other German cities have formally submitted applications for similar pop-up bike lanes to their local authorities on the back of a campaign by Environmental Action Germany <https://www.theguardian.com/world/germany> (DUH), an environmental NGO. The campaign group cites new research <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/climate/air-pollution-coronavirus-covid.…> linking air pollution to higher coronavirus death rates as an argument for redrawing infrastructure across the country. “The coronavirus is showing us that clean air is an indispensable asset,” said DUH’s chair, Jürgen Resch. “It is now especially important to temporarily make it more important for people to move safely on their bikes. This will help improve air quality, enables exercise in fresh air while keeping a safe distance and avoids unnecessary accidents.” Proponents of the scheme cite the Colombian capital, Bogotá, as the example to emulate, where the mayor, Claudia López, opened up nearly 72 miles (117km) of new bike routes in mid-March in the hope of reducing congestion and person-to-person contact. In Berlin, opposition politicians from the pro-business Free Democratic party have described the pop-up cycle lane plans as an “unnecessary provocation” by the bike lobby, saying they will have little practical use. German states have encouraged the use of bicycles in spite of the current restrictions, under which gatherings of more than two people are banned, with exceptions for families. “The use of a bicycle allows citizens to meet the requirements for minimising contact,” a spokesperson for the transport ministry in Thuringia told the German news agency dpa. In Germany, bike repair shops are currently exempt from state-ordered closures because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Three federal states, Berlin, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, have also allowed bike vendors to stay open.

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WFP Editorial: Reduced vehicle traffic creates opportunity (Apr13'20)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Apr '20

13 Apr '20

Reduced vehicle traffic creates opportunity https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/reduced-vehicle-traffi… THE city has extended seasonal limitations of motor-vehicle traffic on certain streets, including Wolseley Avenue, Wellington Crescent, Lyndale Drive and Scotia Street. Motorists will be limited to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, allowing the streets to be used by cyclists and pedestrians. It’s a good idea, with vehicle traffic down due to business and school closures and many people staying in place and working from their homes rather than commuting. The decrease has had an effect: Manitoba Public Insurance processed 4,108 fewer claims last month than in the same period in 2019, a direct result of fewer vehicles being on the road. That’s a lot of damage and injury being avoided. Now, with vehicle traffic reduced and more people out for walks or bike rides as other entertainment and exercise options are shuttered, it raises an interesting question: what do we want to use our streets for? In the neighbourhoods where the newly-extended traffic limitations have opened up long stretches for safe walking and cycling, Winnipeggers are being given an opportunity to find out. Maintaining safe social distancing on sidewalks can be a challenge when one of the few options still available to people during this period of restricted activity is going for a walk or a run. Crowded sidewalks don’t allow for two metres of distance when passing whether one is walking, jogging or using a wheelchair. Some pedestrians take advantage of additional space on the less-traveled streets. But safe distances must be maintained, even when cyclists are added to the mix. Cars take up the greatest amount of space, and in Winnipeg’s traffic flow, the vast majority of motor vehicles in motion have only one occupant. If we could trade some of those single-occupant cars and trucks for bicycles, we would suddenly find there is a whole lot more space for everyone. In addition to the reduction in injuries from motor-vehicle collisions, there are also obvious exercise-related health benefits to having more space for walking, riding and other non-motorized pursuits. Skeptics may point out that once physical distancing and self-isolation requirements are relaxed, all those cars will be back on the road. The likelihood of that is high, since our city is largely designed with motor-vehicle traffic in mind, and other factors such as winter snow and ice can make cycling a challenge for some. But why not consider this brief respite from rat-race traffic a trial run? With fewer cars on the streets, we might learn some unexpected lessons about using them in different ways. In addition to the obvious appeal of a reduction in motor-vehicle accidents, there’s also the benefit of getting to know our neighbourhoods better, including where our local businesses are and what they have to offer. It’s easier to stop and look in the window when you’re not zooming past at the motor-vehicle speed limit or looking for parking. Such benefits extend beyond the specific streets where vehicle traffic is being temporarily restricted, which might prompt one to wonder why we aren’t using more of our infrastructure in different ways. Perhaps it’s time to consider adding protected bike lanes to more of Winnipeg’s streets. As we experience new options for walking and biking, some might be inclined to conclude that motor vehicle traffic doesn’t have to return to what it was pre-pandemic. We’ve been given a chance to try out a healthier, greener approach to getting around, and many of us just might prefer it.

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CBC: Are physical distancing measures giving bikes a new lease on life? (Apr12'20)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Apr '20

12 Apr '20

Are physical distancing measures giving bikes a new lease on life? https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/what-on-earth-newsletter-cycling-covid-1… To slow the spread of coronavirus, we've had to physically distance ourselves from others, which has meant a lot of lifestyle changes, including the way we get around. Getting into an enclosed bus or train with other passengers — or even a taxi or ride-hailing service with a driver — is no longer a recommended option. To make matters worse, many transit agencies are cutting back service. Yet many people still have to get to work and medical appointments. Meanwhile, we're being told to stay home as much as possible, but also to get fresh air and exercise (while gyms are closed). An influx of park visitors — many of whom weren't physically distant enough from each other — has caused governments to close parking lots at national, provincial and local parks. The solution to this conundrum? In many cases, it's getting on a bike. New Yorkers have already done this in droves, with *bike shops reporting double the sales* <https://gothamist.com/news/bike-shop-business-booming-covid-19-takes-new-yo…> they normally get at this time of year. Meanwhile, *bike repair shops in the U.K* <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/24/uk-bicycle-shops-and-repairer…>. also say business is booming. In Canada, so many people are cycling in cities like Winnipeg and *Calgary* <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/biking-naheed-nenshi-covid-coronavir…> that the municipalities are closing some lanes and roads to vehicles to give cyclists (and pedestrians) more space. Meanwhile, bike shops remain open as many provincial governments have recognized them as an essential service. Brian Pincott, executive director of Vélo Canada Bikes, a group that promotes cycling and advocates for infrastructure to make the activity safer, said that kind of government support is welcome. He noted that many urban, lower-income people don't have other good transportation options right now. "So it is also a matter of equity to be able to have the appropriate infrastructure in place for people to actually go about their day-to-day [lives]," he said. The COVID-19 pandemic has inadvertently improved cycling conditions by taking a lot of automobiles off the road. Pincott said the car-centric design of our cities often discourages people from taking a two-wheeler. "Now that there are a lot fewer cars on the road, more and more people are seeing that cycling is a viable choice," he said. "It's a great family activity." But will the boost in cycling last after the pandemic is over and physical distancing measures are lifted? Pincott thinks it depends on whether governments continue to make it safer and easier for people to ride their bikes. He thinks this is a great opportunity for cities to create space for it. In the meantime, he hopes as the weather gets warmer, people will take advantage of the "perfect time" to get on their bikes. "It's impossible not to be happy when you're getting around on your bike," he said. "And God knows we need a little bit of happiness." — *Emily Chung*

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Simple centerline hardening can increase pedestrians safety
by Beth McKechnie 11 Apr '20

11 Apr '20

*[Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share]* IIHS study finds simple centerline hardening can make left turns safer for pedestrians <https://www.greencarcongress.com/2020/04/20200410-iihs.html> Bollards and rubber curbs that prevent drivers from cutting across intersections at a diagonal can make streets safer for pedestrians, according <https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/simple-infrastructure-changes-make-left-tu…> to a new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Such “centerline hardening” forces drivers to turn more slowly at close to a right angle by blocking the diagonal path through the crosswalk. In Washington, D.C., the infrastructure changes reduced the number of times drivers had to swerve or brake suddenly or pedestrians had to dodge out of the way by 70%, said IIHS Senior Research Transportation Engineer Wen Hu, the author of the paper. The calming infrastructure also resulted in a reduction in average left-turn speeds and decreased the odds that drivers made the turn at speeds exceeding 15 mph.

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FW: FYI Men pose more risk to other road users than women
by Charles Feaver 08 Apr '20

08 Apr '20

While the headline references gender, vehicle type is also relevant and the interaction between gender and vehicle type particularly so. Men pose more risk to other road users than women Greater gender equity in road transport jobs might help lessen risks Date: April 6, 2020 Source: BMJ Summary: Men pose more risk to other road users than women do and they are more likely to drive more dangerous vehicles, reveals the first study of its kind, published online in the journal Injury Prevention. The findings prompt the researchers to suggest that greater gender equity in road transport jobs, overall, might help lessen these risks. Road safety analysis has traditionally focused on an individual's injury risk from their own use of a particular type of transport rather than the risk that might be posed to others. To try and plug this knowledge gap, the researchers drew on four sets of official data for England for the period 2005-15: police injury statistics (Stats19); Road Traffic Statistics; National Travel Survey data; and Office for National Statistics population/gender figures. They used the data to analyse the risks posed to other road users from bicycles, cars and taxis, vans, buses, lorries and motorbikes per billion vehicle kilometres travelled, and categorised by road type -- major and minor roads in urban and rural areas -- and gender. In terms of absolute numbers, cars and taxis were associated with most (two-thirds) of fatalities to other road users. But a comparison of fatalities per distance travelled shows that other vehicles might be even more dangerous. Lorries were associated with one in six deaths to other road users: each km driven was associated with more than five times the number of such deaths than each km driven in a car. There was a similarly high death toll for buses per km driven. Despite their small size, motorbikes also put other road users at high risk. Each km driven was associated with around 2.5 times more deaths to other parties than was each km driven in a car. In urban areas, most of those deaths -- 173 over the entire study period -- were pedestrians. Policy-makers should ensure that measures to discourage car use don't inadvertently encourage a shift to motorbike transport, suggest the researchers. At the other end of the scale, cycling seems relatively safe for others: it was associated with fewer deaths to other parties per km ridden than all the other types of transport, with just one other death per billion km cycled. Analysis of the data by gender showed that men posed a significantly higher risk to other road users for five of the six vehicle types studied. For cars and vans, the risk posed by male drivers was double that posed by women per km driven, rising to four times higher for lorry drivers, and more than 10 times higher for motorbike riders. In a linked podcast, lead researcher Dr Rachel Aldred, points out that driving jobs tend to be male dominated, citing the high death toll to other road users associated with lorries, 95% of which are driven by men. While lorries in general are dangerous vehicles, male lorry drivers pose a particularly high risk compared to female lorry drivers, she adds. "Greater gender equity would have a positive impact on these injuries," she suggests, adding that: "Policy-makers should be looking to measure the risk posed to others, and how to reduce it." The researchers conclude: "We suggest policy-makers consider policies to increase gender balance in occupations that substantially involve driving, given the greater likelihood that other road users will be killed if men rather than women are driving or riding." _____ Story Source: <https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/men-pose-more-risk-to-other-road-users…> Materials provided by <http://www.bmj.com/> BMJ. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. _____ Journal Reference: 1. Rachel Aldred, Rob Johnson, Christopher Jackson, James Woodcock. How does mode of travel affect risks posed to other road users? An analysis of English road fatality data, incorporating gender and road type. Injury Prevention, 2020; injuryprev-2019-043534

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WFP: Vehicle restrictions to remain in place until start of May (Apr7'20)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Apr '20

07 Apr '20

Vehicle restrictions to remain in place until start of May https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/city-imposes-half-day… THE return of sunny weather came just in time for new motor-vehicle limits starting today in hopes of making it easier for people getting out of the house to safely maintain social distancing. As of Monday, Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue will limit motor-vehicle traffic daily to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The new restrictions, originally announced by City of Winnipeg emergency operations manager Jason Shaw on March 31, is an expansion of designated bicycle and active transportation routes that are in place on Sundays and holidays from June to September. Signage warning motorists of the restrictions began going up on Scotia Street Monday, which saw its own share of walkers, some of whom took to the roads. Derek Dexter, a Luxton resident, called the restrictions “a great idea.” “My wife and I actually thought of it about two days before the city implemented it,” he said. “In the summer this is always closed on Sundays, so people are used to using it as a bike path and a walking path.” While he said he had seen “the odd group” still mingling, the neighbourhood seemed to have picked up the message of physical distancing. “For the most part, I’ve seen people changing sides of the street and jumping from the sidewalk to the street to keep their distance,” he said. He said he hoped the restrictions would expand beyond a few Winnipeg streets. “I think they could implement this on other streets in the city as well, just to give you that space to walk,” he said. “We often find we’re walking and trying to zig-zag from one side to the other to keep that social distancing, and if the whole street is closed down it just makes that easier.” Shaw said in the original announcement that expanding routes eventually was not off the table. “We need to balance this approach out to make sure that it works first, and we know these routes are familiar,” he said. Andrea Janzen, a school psychologist out for a walk on her lunch break, said that familiarity would likely mean the restrictions wouldn’t affect the traffic activity on the street. “I don’t know what the people feel like who live here on this particular street,” she said. “This street doesn’t get a lot of traffic anyways, I don’t know that it will really change a lot.” However, she said she hopes it sends a message to drivers. “I’m going to walk this street regardless, whether there’s a road blockade or not,” she said. “I think it’s probably just good for people who are out driving who are not from the area to be aware that they need to be more cautious.” Jane Casey, an instructor at the University of Manitoba, said she hadn’t heard about the blockades going up but was used to them in the neighbourhood. “If people can walk down the middle of the road, and be able to have that comfortable distance, that would be a good thing,” she said. The restrictions will be in place until the beginning of May, when they’ll be re-evaluated and possibly extended. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_

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WFP Analysis: Rethinking infrastructure after the pandemic (Apr6'20)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Apr '20

06 Apr '20

Rethinking infrastructure after the pandemic https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/rethinking-infrastruc… IN our desperate battle to slow the spread of the coronavirus, almost four billion people, half the world’s population, are living under stay-at- home orders. In a rare united effort, governments, industry and citizens alike are working together to combat a common global enemy. The scale and speed of societal change left in its wake would have been unthinkable only a few weeks ago. As we move through and out of this fight, the power of this new social cohesion presents us with an opportunity to boldly rebuild a country that is more economically resilient, environmentally sustainable, socially just and physically healthier. Cities will be at the front lines of this opportunity, and rethinking the way we move around them will be fundamental to these goals. We have suddenly learned the importance of physical distancing, and with more people out walking, we are also learning how little pedestrian space there actually is in our cities. Across the world, streets are being closed to cars, as cities scramble to create temporary public space for people to access sunlight and fresh air while maintaining safe distances from each other. As the increased need for easily accessible space to walk and ride a bike becomes more permanent, so will these solutions. With everyone at home, increased pedestrian and cycling space is important for exercise and public health, but as time goes on, it will become increasingly vital for connectivity, to access employment, education and recreation. The coronavirus pandemic will likely have long-term impacts on transit use, and we must find a way to replace that mobility. In Winnipeg, people take a combined 170,000 trips every day on the bus. The social, environmental and economic impact of losing any part of that could be devastating. Creating infrastructure that allows people to safely walk and bike to access their daily needs can be a big part of the response. Winnipeg is well prepared to quickly implement a bold new mobility plan. The city’s 20-year Pedestrian and Cycling Strategy provides a visionary blueprint which, if implemented, would respond to many of our immediate needs, and make Winnipeg an active-transportation leader in North America as we move forward. The design includes 80 kilometres of protected bike lanes crossing every neighbourhood in the city, including a 13-lane downtown grid, as well as hundreds of kilometres of new sidewalks, sidewalk widening and renewal, and off-street pathways. The plan also includes several active transportation bridges. With typical construction costs being 80 to 90 per cent less than a vehicle bridge, they could affordably introduce a new network of connectivity between Winnipeg’s divided neighbourhoods. Strategically located bridges could provide easy walking and cycling access to greenspace between communities — for example, connecting St. Vital Park to Pembina Highway, or Kildonan Park to Henderson Highway. With well-located pedestrian bridges, shops on Wolseley’s Westminster Avenue could be a nine-minute walk from the shops on Academy Road; the Osborne strip could be a seven-minute walk from Norwood Flats, or a 10-minute walk to the restaurants on Sherbrook Street. The estimated cost to build the entire 20-year plan is pegged at $330 million, which sounds daunting, but within the scope of current and future federal stimulus initiatives, doing it all at once is bold but not unrealistic. Rebuilding our economy after the pandemic will be critical, and active transportation construction has proven to be one of the best infrastructure investments possible, in terms of job creation and economic return. A comprehensive study at the University of Massachusetts showed that because they use more labour and fewer materials, and the materials they do use are more often locally produced, bicycle infrastructure projects can create up to 11.4 jobs for every $1 million invested — 46 per cent more than car-only road projects, with pedestrian-only projects falling somewhere in-between. A comprehensive active-transportation network could be implemented quickly on a temporary basis, following the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategy, and then transitioned to permanent as the pandemic slows and economic stimulus is prioritized. Reduced driving would lower greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution, a potential carrier of airborne viruses, and improve physical health, which can strengthen immune systems and reduce pre-existing conditions. The coronavirus pandemic is a stark warning that we are part of a delicate, interwoven ecosystem, and if we push it too hard, it breaks. Our response requires both immediate solutions, and preparation for a long fight. We must also consider future pandemics and, most importantly, this must be a wake-up call to finally address the looming climate crisis, before it becomes a similar global emergency. Governments can work together now to make active transportation an important part of the solution across Canada, helping to get us through this crisis today and helping to meet our economic, environmental and public-health needs in the world we build when it is over. *Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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NZ encourages (and funds) tactical urbanism
by Beth McKechnie 06 Apr '20

06 Apr '20

Covid-19 is having a significant impact on our transport systems and services. The Innovating Streets programme can make a contribution by providing councils with an opportunity to adapt their streets to better support active and safe transport needs, while following official advice about people movement. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roads-and-rail/innovating-streets/about/pilot-fund/

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WFP: No way to cross Portage and Main (Apr5'20)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '20

05 Apr '20

*City closes downtown skywalks, underground concourse due to COVID-19 pandemic* * No way to cross Portage and Main * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/no-way-to-cross-porta… CROSSING the street at Portage and Main just became an even bigger obstacle. As of Friday evening, the city shut the doors to the entire downtown overhead walkway system, along with the underground concourse at Portage and Main until further notice as a health precaution due to COVID-19. To make it to the other side of the windy intersection, pedestrians will be required to locate the nearest street level crossing. People voiced their opinions on social media over the weekend, with a common argument being everyone should be staying home anyway so the added restrictions at Portage and Main is a non-issue. Brent Bellamy, a senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group, couldn’t disagree more. “We may be in a crisis situation, but people still need to access medical appointments, fill prescriptions, buy groceries, get exercise, air and sunlight,” Bellamy said. “Many are still working in essential services. Many of these people need to catch the bus, or walk to their employment. We have very deliberately made the choice that even when the 70,000 workers and 25,000 students are not downtown, the 17,000 people who live there must cross the city’s central intersection by going underground. If we are going to live with that choice we must ensure that option is available to everyone, always, first and foremost for those with mobility challenges, because the alternatives are unrealistic and quite honestly shameful in a modern city like ours.” Forcing people to go outside and walk an extra block or two to get to a crosswalk might not be a major inconvenience for some, but for seniors and people with disabilities, it can make a simple errand difficult, especially with this week’s snowfall. With the snow buildup and the construction going on outside the office building at 201 Portage Ave., it’d be nearly impossible for someone in a wheelchair to navigate around the building and for people to stay six feet apart. “When you actually look at how far it is just to cross the street ‘one block over,’ it is the equivalent of walking between two and four-and-half lengths of a football field, depending on which direction you are coming from,” Bellamy said. “If you are in a wheelchair, or a senior, or just about anyone actually, that is an unreasonable distance.” Bellamy adds these obstacles are nothing new. Even when the skywalk and underground are open, it isn’t easy for people to get around. “The intersection being inaccessible right now is news because it is caused by a pandemic, but the fact that it is inaccessible is the reality almost more often than not. The ramps inside the concourse have been closed for the last month because the roof is leaking across them. Before that, one of the elevators was broken and took months to repair. Before that, the sprinkler system in the concourse burst and an elevator was closed off. Every day after business hours and on weekends, the elevators in the office buildings required to access the concourse are closed. Every single day,” Bellamy said. “If we are going to force people in a wheelchair to use four elevators and two ramps to get across the street, they should at least work.” The barriers at Portage and Main have been the great debate in town for years. Oly Backstrom, the president and CEO of SCE LifeWorks, said issues like this one wouldn’t exist if people would simply be allowed to cross the street. But to him, bringing light to the city’s recent decision goes much further than making another point as to why the barriers should be gone. “I don’t want to get bogged down in that specific issue because Portage and Main is a bit of a lightning rod. But to me, it’s symbolic of how society views accessibility, and even how people are viewing accessibility issues during this pandemic,” said Backstrom, who asked his Twitter followers to remember the current scenario the next time there’s a Portage and Main debate. “Some comments and responses to my original tweet seem to indicate that ‘Buddy, there’s a pandemic going on. Why are you tweeting about this?’ Kind of implying that concerns around accessibility should take a back seat to the pandemic. (The pandemic) has got us all sick with worry, but my argument would be the stakes are even higher during emergencies like this pandemic when it comes to accessibility.” In the 2018 civic election, opening up Portage and Main was put to a vote. The answer was a resounding “no” with 65 per cent of voters wanting to leave the downtown hub as is. “The people most impacted by the barriers, whether it be people with disabilities, or people who live downtown, for the most part, were pretty clear about how they felt about opening it up,” Backstrom said. “But it was put to a vote for all Winnipeggers, including those who are not directly impacted by that negatively on a day-to-day basis. So, I look forward to the day when a leader reassesses and makes the right decision and makes Portage and Main accessible.” taylor.allen(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

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Eco-Counter webinar: Using bike data
by Beth McKechnie 02 Apr '20

02 Apr '20

*Eco-Counter Webinar Invite, April 2020* View this email in your browser <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/alk-about-data-693113-e-UNIQID/39xcn…]> *Taking the conference virtual - join us for a webinar!* As many of you know, last month's National Bike Summit <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/summit/39xcq/78701155?h=m36sN4VvgxH0…> in Arlington, Virginia, was cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The conference, however, has gone virtual! We were supposed to host a *breakout session on applying bike data* during the second day of the conference. The good news is that this session will now happen as a *webinar - free and open to anyone!* *So you have bike data, now what?* *Tuesday April 7th, 2020 - 3-4PM (ET)* Click here to register for the free webinar <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/register-2632832675602503435/39xcs/7…> *About the webinar:* >From automated counters to GPS trace data, demographic surveys to crash statistics, data plays an increasingly pivotal role in cycling planning. What can transportation professionals, researchers and advocates actually do with all of that data? Where is a good place to start? What are some quick wins? During this data session, learn from industry experts, advocates and practitioners about ways in which bike data can be leveraged in order to achieve meaningful, tangible changes in your community. We look forward to seeing you there! [image: Facebook] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/EcoCounter-/39xcv/78701155?h=m36sN4V…> [image: Twitter] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/Eco-Counter/39xcx/78701155?h=m36sN4V…> [image: Website] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/2020-04-02/39xcz/78701155?h=m36sN4Vv…> Copyright © 2020 Eco-Counter. 3981 Saint-Laurent Blvd, Suite 604 | Montreal, QC | H2W 1Y5 Office: 1-514-849-9779 | Toll Free: 1-866-518-4404

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Metro Vancouver State of Cycling Report
by Beth McKechnie 02 Apr '20

02 Apr '20

>From HUB Cycling: We recently released our State of Cycling report <https://bikehub.ca/research/the-state-of-cycling-in-metro-vancouver> on Metro Vancouver in BC, which comprises 23 Jurisdictions/municipalities. This report was developed in partnership for our regional transportation authority, TransLink. The report looks at cycling rates, safety, gender balance, supportive policies, network change, accessibility of safe routes and more for each area. Some highlights: - The report classifies every bike facility (over 15K GIS segments) across all 23 municipalities by level of comfort ranging between comfortable for most, some, few or very few - A bicycle type classification system was developed with input from all member municipalities, TransLink and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (similar to a DOT), providing the framework to classify each facility type - 46% of the network is comfortable for most people, and 65% of people live within 400m of a comfortable bikeway - The length of the bikeway network has nearly tripled in 10 years from 1,700 km (2009) to 4,600 km (2019) - This is meant to be a benchmarking report, allowing us to measure progress against this baseline with each new iteration

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WFP: Sunday bike routes open daily next week (Apr1'20)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Apr '20

01 Apr '20

Sunday bike routes open daily next week SEASONAL Sunday and holiday bike routes will open to cyclists and pedestrians seven days a week as part of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The four city roadways typically reserved for bicycle traffic and active transportation use on Sundays and holidays throughout the summer will have limited motor vehicle traffic beginning April 6. Lyndale Drive, between Cromwell Street and Gauvin Street; Scotia Street, between Anderson Avenue and Armstrong Avenue; Wellington Crescent, between Academy Road and Guelph Street; and Wolseley Avenue, between Raglan Road and Maryland Street will be restricted to through-traffic daily between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Signs will be posted on all approach roadways and exits to notify motorists they are entering and exiting an active transportation route and vehicle traffic is limited to one block throughout the designated area. While traffic volumes are lowered, the city is reminding cyclists and pedestrians that roads are not closed and to use caution and follow the rules of the road. The expanded active transportation route schedule is in effect until May 3. The public’s adherence to physical-distancing recommendations to maintain two metres of separation between individuals on these routes will be monitored by the city officials. City-owned athletic fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, ball diamonds and skate parks will remain closed until further notice, in accordance with the provincial public health order to limit gatherings of people to no more than 10 individuals. Community centres are also being told to discourage programming on their properties.

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WFP: BLUE line brings rapid transit to southwest
by Beth McKechnie 31 Mar '20

31 Mar '20

*BLUE line brings rapid transit to southwest* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/BLUE-line-bring… Starting April 12, a dedicated 11-kilometre transitway will open in the southwest, giving bus riders a faster, easier commute. BLUE is a new rapid transit line that will provide frequent, reliable, high-speed service between Winnipeg’s downtown, the University of Manitoba and St. Norbert, according to Adam Budowski, a transit planner with Winnipeg Transit. The idea of rapid transit was first introduced in Winnipeg in the 1970s, with city council acting on it in the early 2000s when a task force was established. The first stage was opened in 2012 with the 3.6 km-long rapid transitway running from Queen Elizabeth Way to Jubilee Avenue. Planning for stage two of the transitway began in 2012, with most of the construction completed by the end of 2019. "A big piece of this has been route planning," Budowski said. "We started developing route plans for the transitway about two years ago and started doing public engagement in the spring of 2019." Transit "hollowed out" a retired bus, equipped it with poster boards and drove this Ideas in Motion bus to transit hubs and community events to catch people during their daily activities, according to Budowski. They also received responses via email, for a total of around 1,000 responses. "We’ve designed a high frequency line in a well-planned area, with 14 new community feeder routes. People can wait at heated shelters which also feature digital displays for real-time bus information. The transitway is designed to move large numbers of people to where they want to go, quickly and in a way that avoids congestion on Pembina Highway," Budowski said, adding that there will still be buses running on Pembina for those needing local transportation. The City of Winnipeg has been working on weekends to change the bus route signs in the southwest. The transit stops now feature a blue sign showing the new route numbers, and an orange, temporary sign showing the old route numbers. "We want people to know that their current bus is still coming, and get them used to the new routes that will launch April 12," he said, adding there are around 1,500 bus stop signs being changed. Funding for the BLUE line included $163.8 million from the City of Winnipeg, $93.3 million from the province and $163.3 million from the federal government.The BLUE line will feature 28 new articulated buses, which can carry around 100 passengers each. Each bus will feature a front rack that can carry two bikes. There will also be bike lockers at each station and bike racks. "The buses will run approximately every four to five minutes during rush hour," Budowski said. Passengers will be able to park their cars and hop onboard a bus, thanks to more than 1,000 park and ride spots installed at Seel Station and Clarence Station. The parking spots are available for special events at attractions along the BLUE Rapid Transit Line, including Investors Group Field, and are provided free of charge for anyone using Transit services. For those interested in active transportation, such as biking or walking, a protected and accessible path runs the full length of the transitway, connecting to existing active routes. It will be illuminated at night to enhance safety and visibility. Winnipeg Transit mailed information brochures to 75,000 households in the southwest, as well as putting up information signs at 86 bus stations in the downtown regarding route changes. For more information on the BLUE transitway and route changes, see winnipegtransit.com/en/service/blue-rapid-transit/ To start planning bus routes, use the Navigo Trip Planner at winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo and type in April 12 as the date you want to make a trip.

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WFP: Active transportation changes seen as part of virus response (Mar31'20)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Mar '20

31 Mar '20

Active transportation changes seen as part of virus response https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/active-transportation-changes-seen-… BARRICADES for seasonal Sunday and holiday road closures could go up early this year to make space for pedestrians and cyclists struggling to keep their distance as Winnipeggers head outdoors amid the COVID-19 crisis. A spokesman for the City of Winnipeg said Monday that officials are considering whether to provide pedestrians access to roadways and enhanced active transportation routes as physical distancing becomes a challenge on sidewalks in some communities. “There’s just no way possible in areas where there is density on beautiful days that we can maintain the physical distance,” Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said. “We didn’t have a wicked winter, but we want to get outside, the sun is shining, the snow is melting.” Lukes says she’s formally asked the mayor’s office and the city’s interim chief administrative officer to implement road or lane closures for people to get outside and maintain the two metres of distance between individuals recommended by public health officials. “We’ve got thousands and thousands of kilometres of roadway in the city, the traffic volumes are down: take to the streets, take to the residential roads,” she said. The city did not accommodate a request for an interview Monday but said in an email that more information on road closures and pedestrian access will be released this week. City owned playgrounds, recreation centres and picnic shelters have been closed as part of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but parks remain open at this time. On Friday, Mayor Brian Bowman said city officials are reviewing what outdoor recreation options can be made available to the public. “We’re trying collectively as governments to ensure that while we’re telling people to get outside and social distance, we’re not shrinking the available public spaces that they can spread out,” he said. Over the weekend, the City of Calgary closed vehicular lanes alongside popular pedestrian corridors to traffic in anticipation of people heading outdoors to take advantage of warm weather. The locations of the temporary closures were not promoted to avoid crowds of people congregating at select spots. Each May, the city restricts through-traffic on four roads on Sunday and holidays and give cyclists priority. The restrictions are in place for Lyndale Drive, Wolseley Avenue, Scotia Street and Wellington Crescent from Academy Road to Guelph Street. “We’ve already got a framework, let’s put it in play seven days a week for now,” Lukes said. “The thing is, people are going to go outside whether you want them to or not. So we need to make it safe for them and we need to reinforce social distancing.” Winnipeg Trails executive director Anders Swanson said enhancing the city’s overall active transportation network throughout the duration of the COVID-19 response will be critical to ensure the safe movement of people across the city. “If you have to take half the people off the bus to maintain physical distancing for the next however many months, we’re going to need some sort of system,” Swanson said. “We’ve been calling for this for decades, but this is a life changing moment,” Swanson said. “The space is there and it would be not just impractical to not rededicate that space to people so that they can move, but it would be rude to not do that now.” Separated and dedicated lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, addressing “mode gaps,” and speed limit changes should all be considered as quickly as possible, he said. “The simplest message is to stay home if you can,” Swanson said. “We’re not trying to say the most important thing is for everyone to go out for a jog. “But what we’re voicing is the concern that when you make rules to recognize walking and cycling is very competitive with a transit trip, if necessary, given the right infrastructure,” he said. danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Today: Virtual Cycling conference with great speakers - Digital Worldbike
by Anders Swanson 31 Mar '20

31 Mar '20

Good morning, Apologies for the late notice, but there is a conference with some terrific speakers happening today from 1-6pm Central European time. Organized pre-pandemic, its perfect timing for a virtual conference on a topic that offers a rare glimmer of hope. You can see the program here (skip to section 3 for the urbanism/transport stuff): https://twitter.com/DigiWorldBike/status/1244897866046484480 You can register here, free, to enter the virtual conference: https://t.co/k1BFYPvSC7?amp=1 Or check out the a live stream: https://t.co/yEDKeBfYXi?amp=1 As I send this, Marco te Brömmelstroet (fietsprofessor and head of the urban cycling institute at the University of Amsterdam) is talking about the language of mobility. Again, apologies for the short notice. Enjoy! Anders

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