- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Micromobility guidance from other cities (bikeshares, e-scooters)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Nov '19

19 Nov '19

Hi everyone, Micromobility was a hot topic at the APBP conference in Portland this past August. They defined it as: bikeshare (docked or dockless) and e-scooters. Here is a summary of what we heard during panel presentations and on a tour. Speakers noted that e-scooters are still very new, joking about their lengthy experience being 1.5 years. For the short version, simply read the Top 10 insights and Top needs below. Or keep reading for lessons learned from a variety of cities along with comments from vendors of bikeshares and e-scooters. And if you're visual, there's a video link at the end. cheers, Beth * * * * * *Top 10 insights on bikeshares and e-scooters* APBP Conference (Portland, OR) Aug 25-28, 2019 1. Bike lanes / paths / quiet streets preferred infra for e-scooter users 2. E-bikes the best bet for bikesharing 3. E-scooters considered the most financially viable opportunity for vendors 4. Incorrect parking and illegal sidewalk riding main complaints about e-scooters (along with speed) 5. Data sharing by vendors essential 6. Surcharges (or discounts) important to incentivize behaviour of both vendors and users 7. Low income programs and lowered barriers to access important (eg. PayNearMe, text-to-unload, distribution outside downtown)* 8. E-scooter collisions more frequent with first time users - intro training program helps 9. Staff time is significant to set up, permit vendors, and administer program 10. Ask for more from vendors (public ROW is valuable) ** Recommended to require this data breakout from vendors* * * * * * *Top needs for e-scooter introduction:* 1. Staff time 2. Regulation 3. Procurement framework (permitting vendors) 4. Fees to incentivize vendor and user behaviour 5. Set up data reporting standards 6. Continue to build out bikeway network (encourages ridership & safety) 7. Know that parking will be an issue 8. Work closely with other departments and regional partners, e.g. parks dept, universities Note: APBP is working on a micromobility policy statement that will include key factors for success and recommendations. * * * * * *Spokane* - They market it as "WheelShare <https://my.spokanecity.org/projects/wheelshare/>" (covering e-bikes and e-scooters) - Use one vendor only (Lime) - more of a partnership - Post-pilot settled on 100 e-bikes and 1200 e-scooters - Get 3.7 rides/day e-scooters and 1.5/day e-bikes (2019 to date) - #1 complaint - riding on downtown sidewalks (illegal but residents don't believe or know that). About 50% of users ride on dntn sidewalk (34% e-scooters and 16% e-bikes). - Also an issue with scooter parking blocking peds - Scoot Spokane First Ride program for new scooter users - Data from Lime helps them identify where there is demand/need for infrastructure *Minneapolis* - Branded as Nice Ride <https://www.niceridemn.com/> - 3100 bikes (combination docked and dockless, and now e-bikes) - Now looking to replace all of their pedal bikes with e-bikes - Scooters are not allowed on sidewalks anywhere - Helmet recommended but not required - Bike network pretty good and also used for scooters - Piloting scooter parking (painted stencil) within buffer zones of dntn bike lane grid - Scooters proving popular; only had 1 serious user injury to date (not life altering) - Vendor permits require distribution with 40% dntn and 30% in areas of concentrated poverty (i.e. less than $46K/yr) - Offer a reduced fare program - 35% of scooter users are new (i.e. they are not cyclists) - Avg trip length is 1.3 miles *Seattle* - Launched dockless bikeshare pilot in July 2017: - permitted private vendors - regulated operations - collected fees and data - wanted no cost to the city - Jump & Lime now operating in Seattle (Lyft permitted but haven't launched) - Looking to launch e-scooters in 2020 - Will permit up to 20,000 bikes but only 5-7K deployed at present - Want more e-bikes but they're more expensive and harder for vendors to provide - Offer low income programs and lowered barriers to access - Jump uses Uber gift card with text-to-unload; Lime uses PayNearMe <https://home.paynearme.com/> (7-11s) with text-to-unload - Data collection lesson learned - now wish they'd also required vendors to provide breakout of low income % usage - Partner with Outdoors for All Foundation <https://outdoorsforall.org/about-us/who-we-are/> (adaptive bikes, like Freedom Concepts <https://www.freedomconcepts.com/> does in MB) to allow more people to experience bikesharing - Bike parking - added ~150 new bike corrals in 2019 near transit and areas without bike parking (can be used for both bikeshare and personal bikes) - Logged almost 900,000 rides this year - Ongoing fleet audits & infractions: - Bikeshare parking - - 2% ADA violations - 10-20% obstruction hazards - 25-30% improperly parked - Bikeshare maintenance - - 1.5% safety maintenance issues - 4.8% not in good working order *Portland* - Now in their second pilot <https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/77294> for e-scooter sharing - Not branded; 6 vendors operating in Portland - Lime, Bird, Spin, Razor (seated scooters), Shared, Bolt - Require data sharing and ensure the privacy of sensitive location data - Report from first pilot <https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/709719> found: - 71% used e-scooters for transportation - 34% replaced driving and ride-hailing with scooter trips - 44% of users new to the bike lane - Positive response from 62% of Portlanders - Users prefer low-speed streets and bike lanes - Scooter program also popular with people of colour and low income - After first pilot, found that people wanted more access to scooters in more parts of the city as well as seated scooters - Complaints mostly around incorrect scooter parking and illegal sidewalk riding - Portland Tribune article (August 27, 2019) reported results for first 6 months of 2nd e-scooter pilot: - 253,690 trips logged during the first 10 weeks of program - 307,456 total miles logged by users - 46 emergency room trips linked to e-scooter crashes (source: Multnomah County Health Dept) - 16 reports of e-scooter collisions - 903 complaints sent to e-scooter vendors by the public regarding bad behaviour - 371 emails sent by the public to PBOT - 340 total fines and warnings issued by PBOT staff for illegal parking or riding on sidewalks - Vendor permits require deployment in areas outside dntn - Think scooters likely worth it even if it's eating a bit into bikeshare usage - If Portland decides to continue with e-scooters after the 2nd pilot, they may consider partnering with 1 vendor; if the results are still not clear they might continue with multiple vendors - *Additional learnings from Micromobility mobile conference tour:* - E-scooter users prefer using bike network to other streets - Avg trip length = ~0.6 mile - Scooters not allowed on park greenways along river (most popular/desirable route); lesson learned - talk to your parks dept in planning stages - Low income pass with debit/cash options available for both bikeshare and e-scooters but little uptake for e-scooters (difficult to access) - PBOT doesn't require speed cap on e-scooters (some cities cap anywhere from 5-15 mph) - Vendors are asked to incentive users to return scooters to a designated zone - PBOT provides surcharge discount to place scooters in neighbourhoods with less demand (e.g. 20 cent surcharge in Dntn Portland but 5 cents in East Portland) - Biketown <https://www.biketownpdx.com/> - have 5 motorized (e-assist) trikes to rebalance distribution of bikeshare; also have 2 big transit vans - trikes used to get the bikes to one station for van to pick up a bunch at once - Emissions tracking - this year PBOT is requiring reporting of VMT for redistribution (vans); also analyzing the life cycle of e-scooters to ensure there is an environmental ROI - E-bikes are a game changer (e.g. distance boundaries) but more challenging to rebalance as they're even heavier - Injuries - most scooter users who get injured do so on their first ride (but usually continue to ride) - State law requires helmets on scooters but not for bikes - Surcharges / fees charged to vendors and users goes to support program administration (but not enough to fund infra) - *Comments from other tour participants:* - Don't use Skip (battery explosions) - E-scooters hard on knees & back due to user's joints absorbing the shock; Lime coming out with front shocks <https://techau.com.au/lime-scooter-v3-adds-2-8-colour-display-bigger-wheels…> - Kelowna got around provincial legislation by passing a municipal by-law allowing e-scooters on specific multi-use pathways <https://infotel.ca/newsitem/kelownas-experiment-with-e-scooters-a-major-sum…> *San Francisco* - Offer both dockless bikeshare and e-scooters - 12-month pilot ends Oct 14, 2019 - 2 permittees - Skip and Scoot - Key metrics for pilot project: - Use (# trips & availability) - Safety and accessibility (collisions, lock-to, user education) - Equity and engagement (demographics, programming) - Number complaints / citations - Pilot found 42% of all trips replace auto trips - Lessons learned from pilot - - Ask for more from vendors (public ROW is valuable) - Even though vendors are responsible, the city is accountable (takes flack because it's public ROW) - 2/3 of scooters were stolen in the first few weeks of availability - Don't underestimate staff time needed (e.g. even once you've developed the permit requirements, scoring applications incredibly time intensive) *General notes from vendor presentations (Lime, Spin, Jump)* - Geofencing used to help enforce city regulations on use (e.g. scooters are not allowed on park greenways in Portland) - Micromobility helpful not only for first/last mile but also in areas not well served by transit - Vendors are interested in cities where there is good bike infra as it's critical for success (influences decision to come and to stay) - Also important is the city's attitude, i.e. openness to collaborate and interest in helping ensure viability - Lime rep noted that a low performing scooter market still does better than a high performing e-bike market (scooters are the real route for vendor viability) - 1/3 of Lime riders report an income $50K or less; Lime Access provides 50% discount to qualified individuals along with cash & non-smartphone options; also provide multilingual safety and rider education materials and hire from under-resourced communities. - Spin bought out by Ford last year - Jump Bicycles started out as Social Bicycles (Sobi) but then bought by Uber; now have both bikes and scooters - Jump's data shows only a 13% overlap between bike and scooter users, reinforcing experience elsewhere - Future - looking at kiosks where users can swap out batteries themselves * * * * * *APBP Portland: **Going Macro with Micromobility (panel video) * www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc13hqk7OeA This panel will explore the evolving landscape of micromobility and its integration into cities. Panelists from large and mid-size cities will discuss their experiences and approaches in working with private micromobility providers and adapting programs and facilities to new users and rules of the road. Micromobility providers will shed light on the factors involved in success and profitability, and their experiences as private companies operating in the public realm. Moderated discussions and audience questions will go deeper into the dynamics between public and private entities in the transportation realm, and challenge us to envision the streetscape of the future (including winners and losers in the race for mode share). 0:00 - Melissa May White, AICP, SSFM International, Inc. 1:54 - Rae-Leigh Stark, Toole Design 13:20 - Brandon Blankenagel, City of Spokane 20:34 - Alexander Kado, City of Minneapolis 29:25 - Joel Miller, Seattle Department of Transportation 39:18 - Briana Orr, Portland Bureau of Transportation 51:13 - Jamie Parks, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency 1:01:22 - City Panel Q&A 1:11:53 - Gabriel Scheer, Lime 1:22:45 - Kay Cheng, Spin 1:33:54 - Anne Brask, Jump 1:41:46 - Provider Panel Q&A 1:52:55 - William Henderson, RideReport 2:04:04 - Combined Panel Q&A Recorded at the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals conference in Portland, OR, August 28, 2019.

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Free webinar: Traffic Safety and Its Relationship to Vision Zero (Dec 3)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Nov '19

19 Nov '19

Free Webinar: December 3 at 3:00 pm EDT Traffic Safety and Its Relationship to Vision Zero Register here <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SDjc5cW1Fq9pJIwVXKTD75KK6wTp7TEB6sPvj-efsUXh…> There is growing interest in “traffic safety culture” (TSC) as a key factor to manage and sustain safe roadway transportation systems, especially as more jurisdictions adopt targets of zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. However, the theory, terminology, and methods involved in addressing TSC come from human and social science disciplines that are not always familiar to traffic safety agencies (e.g., departments of transportation, driver’s licensing, motor vehicle records, etc.). The lack of shared language and understanding about TSC limits the ability of agencies to explore this topic and engage new stakeholders. Additionally, the variation in the interpretation and implementation of TSC strategies has resulted in a lack of consensus about best practices. Communication tools that develop shared language and understanding about TSC and its relationship to vision zero goals are needed. This webinar will summarize the TSC Primer and its supporting toolkit that have been developed to address this need as part of a multi-state pooled fund project. Learn More About Pooled Fund Program <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SDjc5cW1Fq9pJIwVXKTD75KK6wTp7TEB6sPvj-efsUXh…> Speakers Sue Sillick, Montana Department of Transportation Nic Ward, Center for Health and Safety Culture

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AT Webinar: Aging in Place - Designing Communities to Support Mobility (Nov 20, 2-3pm)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Nov '19

14 Nov '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. * * * * * Aging in Place: Designing Communities to Support Mobility Wed, Nov 20th at 2:00 pm One of the greatest challenges for maintaining the health and independence of our aging population is designing communities that provide accessible connections to support the changing mobility needs of our elders. Designing communities with the senior in mind can provide improved opportunities for healthy transportation while preserving independence and dignity for people who wish to age in place. What’s more, communities that work for our eldest populations benefit users of all abilities. Presenters: - Carol Kachadoorian, Toole Design - Katie White, The Ohio State University College of Social Work - Madeline Brozen, UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

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Creative ped safety videos
by Beth McKechnie 13 Nov '19

13 Nov '19

Couple of very cool ads created by the Société de l’Assurance Automobile du Québec on pedestrian safety. You don't need to speak French to get the message! https://pricetags.ca/2019/10/30/driving-carefully-in-quebecthe-viral-videos… -- 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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TAC Resource: Integrating Health and Transportation in Canada (Nov 2019)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Nov '19

13 Nov '19

*Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share...* *Integrating Health and Transportation in Canada * https://www.tac-atc.ca/en/publications/ptm-ihtc-e Traditionally, transportation systems have been designed for motorized vehicles to move people, goods and services efficiently. Excluding more active and sustainable modes of travel from these systems in meaningful ways has often influenced Canadians to use motorized vehicles. The design of transportation systems and land use can help achieve public health goals such as increased physical activity, reduced chronic diseases, and reduced exposure to air and noise pollution. Good health can be facilitated or negatively impacted by transportation policies, plans, analyses, funding levels, and infrastructure design decisions – all of which impact the relative safety, efficiency, costs, and overall desirability and relative utility across modes of travel. As a result, the potential health consequences of transportation decisions and land use actions are a growing part of the fields’ lexicons. *Integrating Health and Transportation in Canada*: - Provides a review of literature and best practices on the topic; - Describes input provided by practitioners about knowledge and resources needed; - Describes the methodology used to develop recommendations for improvement; and - Provides, for each recommendation, resources related to the champions, preliminary actions and challenges identified.

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Driver’s licence fees to fund AT in PEI
by Beth McKechnie 13 Nov '19

13 Nov '19

Driver’s licence fees return to fund climate change projects, says P.E.I. government https://www.capebretonpost.com/news/canada/drivers-license-fees-return-to-f… CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I —Driver’s licence fees will be reinstated in 2020 to pay for a $5 million active transportation fund for P.E.I., said the province on Tuesday. As of Jan. 1, 2020, the driver’s licence fee rebate for Islanders will end. The free driver's licences were introduced by the previous Liberal government in the months leading up to the last provincial election. The free licences were funded with revenue from a modest federally mandated tax on carbon. Registration fees will also increase for regular vehicles, however electric vehicles and hybrids will continue to receive registration fee discounts. The new $5 million active transportation fund will build new walking and bike paths, widen paved shoulders and better connect existing walking and cycling trails to improve and grow our active transportation network. "I know some Islanders will be disappointed when they don't get a free drivers licence. But I am determined to address climate challenges head on," Transportation Minister Steven Myers told the legislature on Tuesday. Under the new fund, a list of priority investments across the province will be compiled through public and partner feedback this winter, said Myers. Priority projects will begin during the 2020 construction season. Green transportation critic Stephen Howard welcomed the announcement. "It's encouraging to hear that the government is going to be taking some actual action on climate targets with the funds that are supposed to be dedicated towards greenhouse gas emissions," Howard said. Howard further suggested the new funding should go toward improving cycling paths on the Hillsborough Bridge. Liberal MLA Robert Henderson suggested the changes would increase fees paid by Islanders. "I haven't seen any platform that said they were going to increase taxes and fees on Islanders. Now they're looking like they're going to do that," Henderson said. "I don't think our party was too consulted or collaborated on (with) this particular announcement." The licences will be renewed for a five year term. Twitter.com/stu_neatby

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CBC: Calgary grows downtown cycle track network by 1.5 kilometres
by Beth McKechnie 12 Nov '19

12 Nov '19

Nice to see Calgary continuing to build on the success of their downtown protected bike lane grid: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cycle-track-calgary-1.5352572 -- 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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Event Recap: Parking And The City ft. Dr. Donald Shoup
by Heather McKie 07 Nov '19

07 Nov '19

In October 2019, Green Action Centre partnered with the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ to bring Dr. Donald Shoup <http://www.shoupdogg.com/> to Winnipeg for *Parking And The City*. This two-day event had the goal of bringing planners, developers, parking managers, city councilors, stakeholders and citizens together to hear from one of the world’s leading experts in parking. Those in attendance had the opportunity to learn, debate and envision how changes to our management of parking could transform our cities. Read the full event recap *HERE <https://greenactioncentre.ca/healthy-travel/recap-parking-and-the-city/>*, which includes a video recording and presentation slides. -- *Heather McKie* Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 107 | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB *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/>. Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenActionCentre/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/greenactionctr> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/greenactioncentre/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-action-centre/> <https://www.gomanitoba.ca/Public/Home.aspx> ᐧ

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Integrated Transport and Health Impacts Model (ITHIM): Invitation to Research Seminar - November 13, 2019
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 07 Nov '19

07 Nov '19

The ITHIM tool calculates the change in fine particulate air pollution from vehicle exhaust, physical activity from walking and cycling, and injuries from traffic collisions that result from a change in transportation from vehicles to walking and biking to assess the overall benefit in health as well as the costs from changes in air pollution, physical activity, and traffic injuries. Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVy…>. [CARB_header] ________________________________ Join CARB for the Upcoming Research Seminar on November 13, 2019 Open Source Integrated Transport and Health Impacts Model (ITHIM) ________________________________ Every year, more than 30,000 Californians die prematurely from traffic injuries and chronic diseases linked to physical inactivity and air pollution. The transportation system in California impacts our health in both positive and negative ways. It enables us to access goods and services, jobs, and opportunities, however, car-centric transportation is associated with long and sedentary commuting, noise, air pollution, urban sprawl, community severance, and traffic injuries. Active travel for transportation can improve public health by offering opportunities for physical activity through walking and cycling and decrease the production of air pollution. Low levels of physical activity contribute to the premature deaths of Californians each year and raise the risks and costs of major chronic diseases. According to the California Household Survey and the US Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, about 20% of Californians indicate low to no physical activity.The transportation sector also accounts for about 40% of directly emitted greenhouse gases annually in California. These gases lead to warming air temperatures, which favor the formation of health harming smog. Replacing short trips taken by cars with walking, cycling, and transit represents a double win: improving health and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ITHIM which stands for Integrated Transport and Health Impacts Model (ITHIM) is a tool that can calculate the health benefits, harms, and cost savings of active transportation. The California version of the ITHIM planning tool answers the question of "How much health benefit we can expect by changing our mode of transportation from cars to active transportation such as walking and biking?" The ITHIM tool calculates the change in fine particulate air pollution from vehicle exhaust, physical activity from walking and cycling, and injuries from traffic collisions that result from a change in transportation from vehicles to walking and biking to assess the overall benefit in health as well as the costs from changes in air pollution, physical activity, and traffic injuries. DATE: November 13, 2019 TIME: 10:00 a.m. LOCATION: California Environmental Protection Agency California Air Resources Board | Sierra Hearing Room 1001 I Street Sacramento, California 95814 Webcast<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVy…> ________________________________ Speaker Biography Neil Maizlish, Ph.D., M.P.H.,is an epidemiologist with over 30 years of experience in research methods, statistics, and health informatics in government, academia, unions, and health care organizations. He currently is a Visiting Researcher at the University of California, Davis, where he models the health co-benefits of active transport as a greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. He is also a senior Research Scientist at the Public Health Institute, focusing on the development of healthy community indicators. CLEARING CALIFORNIA SKIES FOR 50 YEARS CARB is the lead agency for California's fight against climate change, and oversees all air pollution control efforts in the state to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards. Learn more at www.arb.ca.gov<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVy…>.<abe/templates/189475/www.arb.ca.gov> Stay connected with California Air Resources Board [Social Media icons]<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVy…> Manage Subscriptions<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVy…> | Unsubscribe All<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInF1…> | Help<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVy…> ________________________________ This email was sent to terry.zdan(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:terry.zdan@gov.mb.ca> using GovDelivery Communications Cloud, on behalf of: California Air Resources Board * 1001 "I" Street * Sacramento, CA * 95814 [GovDelivery logo]<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDcsInVy…>

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"School Streets" Pilot in Toronto: Webinar, Thursday November 21
by Sean Carlson 06 Nov '19

06 Nov '19

The School Streets concept - car-free areas in front of schools during arrival and dismissal times that have been used in the UK and other European countries - is being piloted in Canada (Toronto) for the first time. Ontario Active School Travel is hosting a webinar on planning and implementing School Streets, which could be valuable for many AT network members! *Sean Carlson* (he/him/his) Active and Safe Routes to School Program, Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 103 | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB *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/>. Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenActionCentre/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/greenactionctr> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/greenactioncentre/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-action-centre/> ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Ontario Active School Travel <info(a)ontarioactiveschooltravel.ca> Date: Tue, Nov 5, 2019 at 4:31 PM Subject: Register for School Streets Webinar To: Sean Carlson <sean(a)greenactioncentre.ca> Thursday, 21 November 2019 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (EST) View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/ontarioactiveschooltravel.ca/ontario-active-school-trave…> A program of Green Communities Canada *5 November 2019 * School Streets Webinar *Register for School Streets Webinar* <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> *Thursday, 21 November 2019 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (EST)* Ontario Active School Travel <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> and 8 80 Cities <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> present a webinar on *School Streets*, a successful program from the U.K. that has been proven to improve safety, reduce air pollution, and encourage more active transportation. School Streets are appearing in cities across the UK and Europe, where communities take part in creating car-free zones in front of schools at peak drop-off and pick-up times. Hackney Borough Council is a municipality that has pioneered the installation of School Street zones in the City of London, U.K. with 4 permanent zones established to date, and 3 more pilots underway in 2019. Building on the lessons learnt in Hackney, 8 80 Cities teamed up with Keele Street Public School, Toronto District School Board and EcoKids to host the first School Streets pilot project in Canada <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> this October. *Learn about how to plan and implement a School Street * This webinar will discuss the motivations behind the School Streets movement, and identify what makes a good candidate for a successful School Street pilot. Our presenters will share their experiences of planning and implementing School Streets and highlight resources available to support these initiatives: - *Tyler Linton - Sustainable Transport and Engagement Group Manager, London Borough of Hackney (U.K)* - *Amanda O’Rourke - Executive Director, 8-80 Cities* - *Candice Leung - Project Coordinator, 8-80 Cities* *REGISTER NOW* <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> Ontario Active School Travel is a program of Green Communities Canada with funding from the Government of Ontario. <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=4ed2453…> *Copyright © 2019 Green Communities Canada, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you signed up to receive information on Ontario Active School Travel and/or you subscribed to Canada Walks News. *Our mailing address is:* Green Communities Canada 416 Chambers St, 2nd Floor Peterborough, Ontario K9H 3V1 Canada Add us to your address book <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/vcard?u=4ed2453d5f9f5…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/profile?u=4ed2453d5f9…> or unsubscribe from this list <https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.us4.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=4ed2453…> . [image: Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…> ᐧ

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Pedestrian Safety and Traffic-Speed Management Resource
by Beth McKechnie 05 Nov '19

05 Nov '19

Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share! [image: http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=cover_nchrp_syn_535] [image: http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=viewthispdf] <https://www.nap.edu/login.php?action=guest&record_id=25618> [image: http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=sponsorbeta] <http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/179827.aspx> [image: http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=buythisbook] <https://www.mytrb.org/Store/Product.aspx?ID=10368> Pedestrian Safety Relative to Traffic-Speed Management SYH535 10368 http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_syn_535.pdf 179827 *Pedestrian Safety Relative to Traffic-Speed Management * Measures that are effective at reducing speed, such as speed humps and mini traffic circles, are sometimes used in low-speed areas such as school zones. But they are often not recommended or allowed (via local policy) on the higher-speed streets typically associated with the highest injury severity for pedestrians. For those higher-speed streets, redesigning them to communicate lower speed, such as through a roadway-reconfiguration effort, can effectively accomplish the goal of lowering speed. In the absence of street redesign, however, another effective current solution is enforcement, and particularly automated speed enforcement (ASE) that frees police to focus on other issues and that is free from implicit or explicit bias. It is important to carefully consider community context when selecting locations to employ ASE, to avoid disproportionately burdening any historically disadvantaged communities that surround the typically high-speed streets that need to be addressed. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's *NCHRP Synthesis 535: Pedestrian Safety Relative to Traffic-Speed Management* aims to document what is known about strategies and countermeasures to address pedestrian safety via traffic-speed management in urban environments. For example, the City of San Francisco regularly uses curb extensions as traffic-calming devices on its streets. However, the political and land use context of each city heavily influences the types of treatments that are considered feasible for each city. Thus, the City of Los Angeles has had to find alternatives to both ASE and road diets, the latter of which have been the subject of intense public backlash in some cases. These realities—that speed management can be fraught with difficulty—have spurred creative thinking about how to work within contextual confines, resulting in some particularly noteworthy and promising practices. For example, the City of Nashville anticipated potential backlash against speed-management efforts and thus chose to work with advocacy groups to identify areas of the city desiring walkability improvements. By installing walkability improvements in those areas first, city leaders created instant wins that could be used as leverage for future projects. The authors of the synthesis found there may be a need for greater clarity about the speed-limit-setting process, as well as for greater collaboration between local and state agencies when state roads run through urban areas. In particular, it may be worth exploring whether there is a need for a framework that will foster collaboration between local and state staff on safety initiatives such as achieving flexibility in roadway design, changing laws or regulations that govern speed-limit setting, and finding a balance between local safety needs and regional mobility needs. Such a framework may support both local and state agencies attempting to address safety issues and reach larger goals as articulated through movements like Vision Zero. Project: Project Information <https://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=4392> DOI: 10.17226/25618 <https://dx.doi.org/10.17226/25618> Project Number: 20-05/Topic 49-08 E-Newsletter Type: Recently Released TRB Publications <http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs.aspx?fields=ENewsletterType%7CRecently%20Rel…> TRB Publication Type: NCHRP Synthesis Report <http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs.aspx?fields=PublicationType%7CNCHRP%20Synthe…> *H**A**P**P**Y* *T**R**A**I**L**S * Terry Zdan BA MEDes Policy and Legislation Unit | Manitoba Infrastructure 1520 215 Garry Street Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3 *C 204 227 3724* E Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca [image: winnipeg-jets-logo-new] *"...Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events..."* þ Think green, read on screen | Soyez écolo, lisez à l'écran

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FYI : Rapid Transit Reports Winter Cyclist Traffic on Active Transportation Networks
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 01 Nov '19

01 Nov '19

FYI - See Report # 15 http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/DMIS/ViewDoc.asp?DocId=18504&SectionId=&InitUrl= HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes

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WFP: City tests school-zone beacons donated by businessman (Oct24'19)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Oct '19

24 Oct '19

*City tests school-zone beacons donated by businessman* * Amber markers await green light * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/flashing-amber-stuck-at-red-awaitin… BUSINESSMAN Chuck Lewis is hoping to begin installing flashing amber lights, which he wants to buy for city school zones, before Christmas. Lewis said he provided one of the beacons, which is undergoing a two-stage testing process, to the city earlier this month. “They’re the same beacons that have been installed all across Toronto, so I can’t see there being any problems because I’m sure Toronto tested them, too, before they installed them,” Lewis said. Lewis, general manager of Expert Electric, has offered to purchase and install solar-powered flashing amber lights for all reduced-speed school zones in the city. A civic spokeswoman said there are 225 schools that have reduced-speed zones. Each light costs around $3,500, with two lights per zone — one for each traffic direction on an adjacent street. The minimum cost of the initiative would be $1.575 million. Some schools have more than one adjacent reduced-speed street, adding more lights and higher costs to the equation. Surprisingly, for a gift with such a large price tag, the city has acted cautiously. Lewis approached the city with the idea four years ago but was rejected by officials, who claimed the province wouldn’t allow him to do it. Coun. Kevin Klein heard about Lewis’s original offer shortly after taking office following the 2018 election, and in early July, raised it at the Assiniboia community committee. The committee endorsed it and recommended the offer to the property and development committee, which deals with offers of gifts to the city. The committee also supported the offer and instructed the administration to investigate. The administration prepared a report for the committee’s Sept. 4 meeting endorsing the offer and said a formal legal agreement would be drafted and brought back to the committee. What the public service didn’t tell the committee, however, was that the public works department wanted the lights tested before an agreement would be drafted and signed. Lewis said testing the lights before the city agreed to accept the offer made sense. “There’s no point in me giving them several hundred beacons only to learn they won’t stand up to our conditions, but I don’t see how they won’t.” Lewis said he was surprised to learn that even with the committee’s direction in September, civic officials were hesitant to buy the one light needed for testing. “They said they didn’t want me to provide a light that they might possibly wreck during the testing phase, but they said no one at city hall was willing to sign off on the purchase of the one light they needed for the test,” Lewis said. “Can you believe it? It only cost about $3,500 to buy, but no one was willing to approve the purchase. I said, ‘What the heck, I’ll buy it.’ I’m going to buy them all, anyway.” Once approved, the lights will be installed on the same posts that the reduced-speed signs are posted on. They’ll be programmed to flash only during the time stipulated in the bylaw and posted on the signs: 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, from September to June. Coun. Brian Mayes, chairman of the property and development committee, said councillors will get an update on the initiative at a meeting on Monday. Lewis said the city set up the beacon at one of its works yards two weeks ago for a month-long testing period, adding that will be followed by a second month-long test in a school zone. David Patman, the city’s manager of transportation, told the committee at its Sept. 4 meeting the testing is necessary to ensure it meets regulatory standards and so the city is not exposed to any future liabilities. Lewis is convinced the testing is only a formality. “They said after one month, if it passes all their tests, it will be put at a school for a month. Then after that, it’s a go,” he said. “They seemed happy with it the last time I talked to them about it. There were no concerns.” aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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How do you measure mobility?
by Beth McKechnie 23 Oct '19

23 Oct '19

Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share of this new (U.S.) tool: *New modes of transportation are popping up in cities and towns across the world. Innovations include transportation network companies like Lyft, Uber, and Via, and more recently dockless bikes and scooters, all of which have shaken up transportation sector.* *These new technologies are likely to have dramatic impacts on the way people move – but how do we assess this impact? These new technologies provide additional choices, but which improves overall mobility? While walk or bike scores that exist in some cities are useful, they don’t look at the whole mobility picture or consider future technologies like connected cars and automated vehicles. How do we assess the energy impacts of these technologies? Evaluate their affordability? Or weigh their tradeoffs and overall impact across various dimensions? * Full story: https://www.energy.gov/eere/articles/how-do-you-measure-mobility -- 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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WFP Analysis: Shared streets create vibrancy (Oct21'19)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Oct '19

21 Oct '19

*Shared streets create vibrancy * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/shared-streets-create-vi… WHEN it comes to moving around our cities, Canadians live in a world of rules — green lights, yellow lights, red lights, speed limits, crosswalks, countdowns, no parking, no stopping, no riding on the sidewalk. All these rules are intended to order pedestrians, drivers and cyclists into individual corridors where each can move with blind obedience to lights and signs. They are designed to keep vehicles moving quickly, and naturally prioritize traffic flow for the largest, fastest and most dangerous road users. Sometimes a street has a different purpose, a different story to tell. Some streets are more importantly a great place than a great connector. To be this, they must be designed first as somewhere to linger, not to move quickly through. A street can be the social and economic heart of its community. Those with a strong sense of place can entice people to the sidewalks and public spaces, key to making urban neighbourhoods attractive places to live, work, shop and socialize. But when vehicle speed is prioritized, these streets feel less safe and become less attractive to sit near, live on or walk along. And as they attract fewer people, the businesses falter, the appeal to new residents decreases and the neighbourhood begins to decline. About 30 years ago, a Dutch traffic engineer named Hans Monderman looked at the design of low-traffic streets and considered ways to prioritize all users equally, to make streets safe, vibrant and attractive places for people. His radical solution was to get rid of the rules completely, calling the idea a “shared street.” Imagine sitting on a bench, enjoying a coffee, and the street in front of you looks more like a public plaza than a road. There are no curbs, and no sidewalks. Spaces are defined with trees, planters, benches and outdoor cafés. The paving pattern on the road surface appears as a single, beautiful piece of public art where parents pushing strollers, people riding bikes and even drivers in slow-moving cars mix seamlessly in a choreographed kaleidoscope of movement. It sounds like a utopian fantasy that would in reality lead to carnage in the streets, like a scene from a Mad Max movie, but shared streets exist around the world. They are counterintuitive and initially almost always met with skepticism, but they often work. In the absence of signage, lights and defined areas for each road user, people rely on social interaction to define their space. Instead of robotically following traffic signals, the natural uncertainty of the environment causes drivers to instinctively slow down (typically to 10 km/h) and become more engaged with other road users. People stop looking at signs and begin looking at each other. A pedestrian makes eye contact with a driver — a nod to go ahead, a wave, and they each proceed. When done successfully, the street becomes a place where everyone is equal, creating a safe and welcoming environment that can transform the character of an entire neighbourhood. Now imagine you are watching this scene in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. Coun. Vivian Santos is hoping this will become reality, recently bringing forward a motion which proposes a pilot project for a shared-streets concept on Bannatyne Avenue and Albert and Arthur streets, adjacent to Old Market Square. The motion was approved to proceed by a public works committee. The idea came out of recent debate about the challenges of incorporating loading zones that are being displaced by bike lanes required to protect cyclists from higher-speed vehicle traffic. The shared-streets concept maintains vehicle access, allowing loading to occur for local businesses, and eliminates the need for bike lanes because of the inherent safety of reduced traffic speeds. The proposal has these pragmatic roots, but it represents a much greater opportunity to introduce a new level of vibrancy to the Exchange District, helping to make it the destination and livable neighbourhood that it has the potential to be. Cities across the world are embracing the idea of shared streets. Most began with similar pilot projects to familiarize people with the idea, and the concept is almost always embraced and expanded. Montreal has now implemented more than seven kilometres of shared and pedestrian streets, and offers financial grants to neighbourhoods wanting to create them across the city. Halifax recently transformed two major downtown routes into shared streets, with great success, creating more people-focused spaces that support the vitality of downtown. The notoriously car-centric city of Auckland, New Zealand, has used the shared-streets idea to transform its city centre into a vibrant, pedestrian- focused neighbourhood. A program was developed in 2011 to implement the strategy, and today seven downtown streets are shared space. The results have been overwhelmingly successful, increasing pedestrian volumes by 54 per cent and consumer spending by 47 per cent, and three-quarters of all property owners claim it has added value to their businesses. The number of vehicles has fallen by 25 per cent, far fewer collisions have occurred and about 80 per cent of people surveyed say they feel safer in the area. Winnipeggers are traditionally resistant to change, but the proposal to implement a shared streets pilot project in the Exchange District is an exciting opportunity to look at how we move through our city in a new way. Back-in diagonal parking was introduced a few years ago, to high levels of public skepticism, but after a pilot program, it has become a successful norm. The physical character of the Exchange is similar to popular shared-street precedents in other cities, and represents an opportunity to create a new type of public space that makes streets safer while supporting businesses and residents. It is a progressive step forward in the goal of redefining our downtown as a vibrant and prosperous place for people. *Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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WFP: WPS official grilled on pedestrian safety (Oct15'19)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Oct '19

15 Oct '19

*Councillors question whether increased traffic revenues sending message to drivers* * WPS official grilled on pedestrian safety * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/wps-official-grilled-on-pedestrian-… WHILE A Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) finance manager was bragging about a 22 per cent rise in traffic enforcement revenue, two councillors Friday grilled her over whether police work was making city streets any safer. Tara Holowka told the city’s finance committee that while revenue from photo enforcement was down 10 per cent in 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, revenue from traditional enforcement was up 22 per cent. “So, good news on that side,” she said, adding the number of tickets issued by traffic officers was running 46 per cent ahead of 2018. Councillors Shawn Nason and Markus Chambers both took her to task on the statement. Chambers said the number of pedestrian deaths so far this year is triple for all of last year. “Revenues are up, but I don’t know if it’s keeping the population any safer,” Chambers said. Nason asked how any of her figures was good news. “Are our drivers that bad that we’re catching more?” Nason asked. “Is that a measurement of police issuing more tickets or drivers not getting the message?” Chambers asked. Being a numbers person, Holowka answered the only way she could: “It’s good for revenue.” Manitoba Public Insurance said there have been nine pedestrians killed in vehicle collisions in Winnipeg to the end of September, compared to three for all of 2018. Shawna Curtin, the secretary of the Winnipeg Police Board, told the committee that safety and enforcement were separate issues. “I don’t think we can call ticket revenue a performance measure in terms of safety,” Curtin said. “It’s not good news, necessarily, when revenue goes up, but it is a good news story that people are being sanctioned for poor driving,” Curtin said. “It’s impossible to say if that makes us safer or not,” adding similar public discussions at police board meetings and at city hall are having an effect in the community. “People are paying attention if those sanctions do have some effect.” An administrative report to the committee examining revenue and expenses from all departments shows the city is projecting a year-end deficit of $6.9 million, with the WPS accounting for $1.1 million of that. The WPS’ projected year-end deficit is attributed to the decline in photo enforcement revenue. While the WPS Q2 data shows that revenue from traditional traffic enforcement is up 22 per cent compared to the same time frame in 2018, the actual dollar difference is $230,000; while the 10 per cent decline in photo enforcement revenue is almost twice that amount, $510,000. Nason said police and city officials should focus on school zones that have a high incident of speed violations, bringing in traffic officers to target the bad drivers. “Where are the school zones that kids are being put at risk? That is important community information that we should have readily available to us,” Nason said. Nason said he’s been frustrated in his efforts to get data on speeding violations in school zones in his Transcona ward. He said a request to the public works department for an accounting by individual school zone for 2018 cannot be provided to him until sometime in 2020. “Let’s look at where people aren’t paying attention and just put physical enforcement there on occasion to change behaviours,” Nason said following the meeting. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Cyclist seeks driver who hit him (Oct10'19)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Oct '19

10 Oct '19

*Motorist fled, leaving man with broken arm, leg* * Cyclist seeks driver who hit him * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/badly-injured-cyclist-seeks-driver-… A CYCLIST who was hit from behind by a vehicle in a 90 km/h zone is searching for the motorist who sped away. Jordan Sylvestre was disoriented and in distress after he was knocked off his bicycle during his Tuesday morning commute. In thinking back to the frantic moments that followed, the 34-year-old cyclist remembers one thing for certain — “There were no brake lights,” which showed the driver didn’t slow down after hitting Sylvestre. At 6:12 a.m. on Tuesday, Sylvestre was biking southbound on Pipeline Road, just south of the Perimeter Highway, when he was struck by a vehicle that sped off toward the city. “I was blindsided at about 90 km/h, I should be dead,” he said during a phone interview from his home in West St. Paul on Wednesday. He survived the hit and run, but not without being severely injured. Sylvestre broke his leg and arm and suffered abrasions all over his body. Now, he and his family are searching for the motorist responsible. They only know the person was driving a silver Honda. Pieces of the car, including its right passenger mirror, were scattered on the side of the asphalt road after the incident. “If anybody has seen, in their neighbourhood or in a parkade or at work, a silver Honda that’s missing a passenger mirror, and potentially, likely other damage to the front or side, right corner, alert police,” he said. (Anyone can submit a tip to the Winnipeg Police Service at 204-986-6222 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.) A local police spokesperson said the incident took place outside of its jurisdiction, although Sylvestre said he filed a report with Winnipeg police. WPS did not respond to a followup request. RCMP did not respond to multiple requests for comment on Wednesday. Sylvestre has been commuting to his engineering job in the city from the rural municipality northwest of Winnipeg for about two years. He was wearing a helmet and headlamp and his bike was equipped with a back light. While he has always enjoyed the exercise, he said he might put his bike away after the traumatic incident. “I can only be as safe as the most unsafe driver out there, so I need to figure out, especially now with a young (daughter), whether I want to put myself in that position again,” he said. All collisions are preventable as far as the executive director of Bike Winnipeg is concerned. “I don’t think there’s any way you wouldn’t have seen him, unless you’re really oblivious and texting or something, which is also incredibly dangerous,” Mark Cohoe said. Cohoe said there’s a need for the city and province to recognize that suburban areas require infrastructure that protects all road users, including lower speed limits. “I don’t think I’d want to be passed at 90 km/h on that road,” he said. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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WFP Analysis: Pedestrian scrambles would be street smart (Oct9'19)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Oct '19

09 Oct '19

*Pedestrian scrambles would be street smart * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/pedestrian-scrambles-wou… LIKE oil and water, vehicles and pedestrians don’t mix easily. Winnipeg has the death toll to prove it. To improve the chances that pedestrians and cyclists can get home safely, the city recently introduced several proactive measures. Another batch of changes is about to be devised, including the expected introduction of pedestrian scrambles, a measure for which the city’s public works department has high hopes. “We think this will have an effect on removing the conflict between pedestrians and motorists,” David Patman, manager of transportation, said during a recent committee meeting. In theory, pedestrian scrambles are a good concept. Signals stop all vehicular traffic simultaneously, and pedestrians and cyclists safely cross the intersection in every direction, including diagonally, at the same time. The scrambles are being considered by public works as part of something called the Road Safety Strategic Action Plan, a blueprint to make Winnipeg roads safer. The city advertised for consultants to help compose the plan and will award the contract on Oct. 29. The city is also considering cameras at more intersections, new flashing countdowns at crosswalks and protected left-turn lanes. These would add to a strategy of big and small changes already completed and obvious to everyone who drives regularly on Winnipeg roads. Small changes include signage warning drivers about high-risk intersections, more “walk” signals that count down the time before the signal turns to “don’t walk,” speed tables that grab the attention of drivers by raising the road surface about eight centimetres for a length of seven metres, and a building spree of 43 new stop signs and 27 new pedestrian crosswalks. Larger changes include expanded bike lanes, with Wolseley and West Broadway likely the next to get better cycling routes. Also, several years ago, 30 km/h speed limits were instituted at 230 school zones. The traffic planners at city hall are doing many things right. The problem is a small but hazardous number of Winnipeg drivers who are distracted, aggressive and feel the rules of the road don’t apply to them. Ten pedestrians have been killed in Winnipeg so far in 2019, which is more than triple the three pedestrians killed last year. And all urban cyclists tell horror stories of getting cut off, edged out or hit by vehicles whose drivers scoff at the notion that bicycles have just as much right to the road as motor vehicles. These dangerous drivers will likely get irate when they experience how scrambles negatively affect vehicle traffic. In scrambles, red lights for vehicles last longer so pedestrians and cyclists in all directions have time to get across. That means lineups of vehicles grow longer, particularly during rush hour. In New York, some scrambles have congested vehicular traffic to the point of gridlock. To anticipate how some drivers will react to scrambles, look at the public opposition when 30 km/h speed limits were instituted around schools several years ago. The purpose was to keep children safe; who could object to that? A small but vocal number of Winnipeg drivers, that’s who. Many publicly expressed vexation when ticketed for speeding through the school zones, even though slowing down would have added only about 10 seconds to their trips. Precedent shows some Winnipeg drivers don’t learn easily. Zipper merging is a good example. Advertising campaigns have tried to teach Winnipeg drivers that, when two or more lanes of traffic approach a bottleneck, drivers from each lane are supposed to take turns entering the gap, like a zipper. There’s lots of opportunity to practise these days on the many Winnipeg streets where lanes suddenly end because of construction. But many inconsiderate drivers defend their position in line by blocking others from entering ahead of them. When these same drivers encounter scrambles, some will get clench-jawed angry that their routes have been slowed considerably for the convenience of pedestrians and cyclists. It won’t do any good to tell these drivers they should commend, not condemn, their fellow Winnipeggers who walk and cycle to benefit the environment and their personal health. In Winnipeg, the car culture rules. People choose retail and recreational outings based on the availability of parking, fast-food restaurants find great success by serving diners in their vehicles and zoning bylaws let downtown be dominated by ugly parking lots. It’s not wrong to enjoy our vehicles. But it is wrong for drivers of vehicles to endanger the smart people whose transportation choices include a bicycle or sturdy walking shoes. The angry drivers will just have to live with it as pedestrians and cyclists are prioritized. Scrambles are one more way Winnipeg’s traffic scene is heading in the right direction. *Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.* carl.degurse(a)freepress.mb.ca

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AT Webinar: Estimating Demand for Biking and Walking, Oct 16th, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 08 Oct '19

08 Oct '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Wed, October 16th, 2-3pm If We Build it, Will They Come? Estimating Demand for Biking and Walking It is an age-old question: How do we make the case for investing in bicycling and walking without solid evidence that the results will pay off? This webinar will explore traditional methods, as well as emerging practices for estimating demand and benefits of bicycling and walking. Presenters: - Summer Jawson, PE, Seattle Department of Transportation - Farnaz Sadeghpour, Ph.D., University of Calgary

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FYI New Zealand: Factors Affecting Cycling Levels of Service
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 08 Oct '19

08 Oct '19

[http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=viewthispdf]<https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/research/reports/660/660-Factors-…> [http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=sponsorbeta]<http://www.trb.org/main/blurbs/179712.aspx> [http://www.trb.org/Resource.ashx?sn=buythisbook]<https://www.mytrb.org/Store/Product.aspx?ID=> Factors Affecting Cycling Levels of Service https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/research/reports/660/660-Factors-… 179712 Factors Affecting Cycling Levels of Service New Zealand cyclists' perception of levels of service is explored in a report<https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/research/reports/660/660-Factors-…> from the New Zealand Transport Agency. The goal of this report is to provide a user-centered approach to assess existing and proposed facilities that would enable better-informed decisions about cycling levels of service to plan and design bicycle facilities in New Zealand. HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes

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FYI Why Don’t Women Cycle? A Case Study of Women’s Perceptions of Cycling in San Francisco
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 08 Oct '19

08 Oct '19

Why Don’t Women Cycle? A Case Study of Women’s Perceptions of Cycling in San Francisco<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM1NjEyM…> [http://apps.trb.org/images/enewsletter/blank.png]<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM1NjEyM…> Women’s perceptions about bicycling in San Francisco are explored in a report<%20https:/safetrec.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/whydontwomencycle_9.3_v2.pdf> from SafeTREC at the University of California at Berkeley. Actual safety and women’s perceptions of it may play significant roles in whether or not they choose to bicycle in urban areas. HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes

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20mph zones effective in reducing road casualties
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 07 Oct '19

07 Oct '19

UK researchers show 20mph zones effective in reducing road casualties<https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/10/20191007-20mph.html> 07 October 2019<https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/10/20191007-20mph.html> A review of published evidence by a team of researchers in the UK has found<https://www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews/QueensUniversityBelfastresearchersshow20…> 20mph zones to be effective in reducing the number and severity of traffic collisions and casualties. The research, published in the Journal of Transport and Health provides important evidence to support the implementation of 20mph speed zones across the UK and Europe. The research, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), is part of the largest and most comprehensive study to date into the effects of 20mph speed limits and speed zones to be undertaken in the UK. HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes

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WFP: Transit corridor well on track, under budget (Oct2'19)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Oct '19

02 Oct '19

*Transit corridor well on track, under budget * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/transit-corridor-well-on-track-unde… THE southwest transit corridor will be finished eight weeks ahead of schedule, with another $40-million reduction in cost. Councillors on the public works committee were told Tuesday the revised cost is now expected to be $420 million. It was originally set at $589 million. “We’re well under budget and well ahead of schedule,” said Dave Wardrop, the city’s chief transportation and utilities officer. Work on the corridor was scheduled to be substantially complete by the end of the year, and transit service, following several months of driver training, was to begin in April. Wardrop said the active transportation (pedestrian and cycling paths) along the corridor will be open later this month, but the city will not implement transit service until April, to coincide with the start of Transit’s spring bus schedule. Based on figures Wardrop provided to the committee, the city’s share of the project is expected to decline from the original $225 million to between $160 million and $165 million. The provincial share will match the city’s contribution. Wardrop said the federal government’s share of the project will be in the range of $90 million to $100 million. The project’s original cost was reduced by $120 million after the design and construction contract was awarded to the winning consortium, which developed the lower cost estimates. As a result of a motion from Coun. Janice Lukes and the Assiniboia community committee, the administration will be directed to produce an annual report measuring and assessing the value-for-money benefits of the new corridor. Lukes told the committee that the public needs to know the benefits promised with the corridor are actually being realized once it’s put into service. “We need to see data and information and reports... I want the public to see the positive impacts that this almost$500-million investment is making in the city of Winnipeg,” Lukes said. “If we’re going to go forward on more rapid transit corridors, we need to really have a clear understanding how this thing is working and the benefits it brings.” Lukes said the annual reports should clearly demonstrate how the corridor is meeting expectations in terms of ridership, reduced traffic congestion and improved transit service. Lukes also wants to see pedestrian and cycling path linkages to the corridor on a regular basis in future years. “If we don’t see amazing results from a $500-million infrastructure investment, how are we going to convince other people that we should be doing this elsewhere?” Ribbon cutting on the Jubilee/Pembina underpass was held on Sept. 27. Wardrop said all concrete pouring has been completed on the corridor and landscaping work is underway. Other project milestones reached in the project include: ● paint markings and signage on the corridor; ● painting and signage on the active transportation pathway along the corridor; ● and shelter installations at all seven stations. Most of the recent project savings are the result of unspent contingency funding, Wardrop said, but he added contingency dollars are being retained in the budget to deal with unexpected property acquisition costs and potential contractor disputes. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Shared-street concept proposed for Exchange District pilot project (Oct2'19)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Oct '19

02 Oct '19

*Shared-street concept proposed for Exchange District pilot project * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/committee-backs-study-of-shared-str… COUN. Vivian Santos is proposing an experimental street concept for areas of the Exchange District, after the public works department narrowed a portion of a sidewalk along Main Street. Santos said she’s unhappy with the decision by the department to alter the sidewalk on the west side of Main at Bannatyne Avenue, and said the city needs to find an alternative way to accommodate vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. “I was very disappointed with the new loading zone on Main Street. I wanted to find a better solution for the Exchange District area,” Santos said at Tuesday’s public works committee meeting. The sidewalk was narrowed to construct a pedestrian drop-off at the northwest corner for students attending a private music and dance school, the City of Winnipeg administration said. Santos is proposing a “shared-street” concept for three areas of the Exchange, where vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists can safely travel. The changes she envisions through the pilot would include a reduced speed limit; allowing pedestrians to cross the street at any point, not just at controlled intersections; and raising the road bed to match the sidewalk, making it easier for pedestrians, including those with physical disabilities, to cross the street at any point. The locations for the trial would be on Albert Street, Arthur Street, and Bannatyne Avenue between Main and King streets. Much of the Exchange District is treated by pedestrians and motorists as a shared street already, she said. “We all know the Exchange District is a pedestrian-friendly area so I feel Winnipeggers (are) ready for this shift. That’s why I’m calling for a pilot project, just to do small steps,” Santos said. “Eliminating the traditional segregation of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists can create a shared and more vibrant streetscape.” The committee supported Santos’s proposal for the city to consult with area businesses and residents about the possibility of implementing the shared street concept on a pilot basis. The administration was directed to develop a cost estimate and conceptual design for the committee within six months. Similar configurations have been implemented in pedestrian-popular areas such as Banff, Alta., and Montreal, Santos said. “I have always been a big proponent of making our downtown and Exchange District more pedestrian and cyclist friendly,” she said. “I know that not every other city’s design concept can work in Winnipeg, but I believe this shared-streets concept is a very positive balance that the Exchange District desperately needs to accommodate vehicular traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.” aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca Councillors disappointed with lack of consultation WINNIPEG city councillors renewed their concerns Tuesday over the public works department reducing the width of a portion of the sidewalk along Main Street without informing elected officials. Couns. Jeff Browaty and Vivian Santos said they were disappointed with the department’s decision to dig up the sidewalk on the west side of Main Street at Bannatyne Avenue to accommodate business operators who wanted a drop-off zone for deliveries and clients. “Main Street is one of those streets where there is a lot of pedestrian activity and we need that space,” Browaty said during the public works meeting, adding he doubted during the winter months there would be enough space left for people to walk when snow gets piled up. “It’s simply too narrow for a street like Main Street.” Browaty said wide sidewalks are specifically cited in civic policies as a way to encourage pedestrian activity. “Arbitrarily taking out a sidewalk… is a step backward that shouldn’t have been done bureaucratically,” he said. “It seems surprising that the department has the autonomy and authority to do this without having to consult with the area councillor or having some political direction.” Browaty later told reporters the work shouldn’t have been done without first consulting the ward councillor (Santos) and he didn’t understand the rationale (the building has a parking lot on the north side and there is parking allowed on the west) or how the department was able to pay for the project. “I’m kind of curious how this all came to be,” Browaty said. Santos told reporters she thought the work shouldn’t have been done, adding, however, she understood the department had the authority after council gave blanket approval to a downtown sidewalk enhancement program. “I’m not accepting it. I still feel it’s very disappointing what’s happened here and I wish public works had at least consulted with me,” she said. City officials acknowledged last month they had not advised or consulted with Santos on the project, and promised not to let that happen again. — Aldo Santin

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WFP Analysis: Narrowing sidewalk a step backward (Sep30'19)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Sep '19

30 Sep '19

*Narrowing sidewalk a step backward * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/narrowing-sidewalk-a-ste… ALMOST since the invention of the automobile, downtown Winnipeg has been shaped by cars. In 1931, right turns on red lights were introduced, diagonal parking was removed and one-way streets began to appear. In 1955, streetcars were discontinued and the elm trees that lined the once-residential streets were cut down to widen the roads. Housing was slowly bought up and turned into parking lots. Today, with more than 32,000 stalls, a staggering 40 per cent of downtown’s land area is dedicated to parking. This slow evolution of prioritizing cars over places for people transformed the character of downtown — its pedestrian barricades, wide roads and windswept parking lots left few places for people to linger and enjoy. We designed for cars and we got cars, lots of them. Our once bustling sidewalks today see the fewest pedestrians and are lined by the lowest number of retail storefronts of any major Canadian city. There is no longer a downtown shopping street, and even the Exchange District, with all its charm, has fewer storefronts and restaurants than similar areas in other cities. Over the past decade, however, this has slowly begun to change. Beginning with the construction of Waterfront Drive, we have started to use the design of our streets to bring people back. Sidewalks have been widened and improved, bike lanes have been installed and, after almost 90 years, diagonal parking has returned. There has been a great investment in public space, with new lighting, public art, trees, benching and other street furniture. Innovative government tax incentive programs that have in the past driven residential growth have helped make downtown a more attractive place for people are working. More people live downtown today than ever have, and the population of the Exchange District has gone to 2,500 from 250 in 15 years. Shops and restaurants have begun to follow. Recently, however, we took a small but important step backward, when a segment of the sidewalk on Main Street at Bannatyne Avenue was reduced by more than half to add a drop-off lane to a street that is already eight lanes wide. The resulting sidewalk, about two metres wide, is narrower than the city’s own standards for accessibility, even before factoring in snow accumulation and space for vehicle-door swings. The design was explained as a compromise to provide tenants of the adjacent building a new drop-off area, sometimes for children, after loading on Bannatyne Avenue was moved across the street to accommodate a new bike lane. If we look holistically at the overwhelming amount of adjacent area given to cars, it suggests there may have been opportunity to find the compromise within existing vehicle space. The building has two associated surface parking lots. One takes up a significant portion of Old Market Square, an important public place, and the other creates a permanent open space along Main Street and a driveway across its sidewalk. Main Street itself is eight lanes wide and has curb-lane parking and loading all the way down its length, including on the blocks directly on either side of the new drop-off area. It is unclear why that configuration was not pursued on this block. Bannatyne Avenue has parking and loading zones on the opposite side of the street, less convenient, but a possible compromise might have been for parents dropping off their children to get out of their cars and escort them the short distance to the building entrance. We have been making progress creating spaces that invite more pedestrians, but narrowing sidewalks works to repel them. It demonstrates the difficult challenge planners and engineers face, balancing the needs of cyclists, drivers and pedestrians, particularly in response to the demands of local, street-level business. Downtown Winnipeg is in a unique transition phase. There are so few street-level shops because downtown has been designed to prioritize drivers, making it an unattractive place to walk. This has resulted in too few pedestrians on the sidewalks to support businesses, which in turn requires increased space for cars to attract more drivers to help support the shops. It creates a challenging cycle: drive-up business may represent a smaller proportion of downtown storefront commerce, but removing even a few parking stalls can be enough to affect the viability of a shop or restaurant. This has put downtown shop owners in a difficult position, as they generally believe part of what they are selling is a unique urban experience that includes bike lanes and great pedestrian environments, but, in the short term, they need parking to survive. This becomes even more important with residential growth slowing because of the end of tax incentives and bike-lane implementation that has been slow to create a complete functioning network that will increase the number of cyclists to replace business lost by the removed parking spaces. It is generally recognized that to have prosperous storefronts and sidewalk-focused commerce in downtowns, the only viable long-term solution is to attract more pedestrians and grow the population so businesses are supported locally. This explains why the city has worked so hard to incentivize residential growth, redesign public space and add bike lanes — all initiatives that have proven in other cities to be very good for urban business in the long term. The current challenge is a difficult one. We have made strides toward the continuing goal of a downtown that attracts people to live, work and shop, but as we move forward, it is important to not take our eye off that goal and do what we can to avoid trading pedestrian space for car space, which reduces accessibility, degrades the pedestrian experience and is likely a step backward in downtown’s long-term evolution. *Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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FYI Cities need to encourage cycling with 10 easy steps, report finds
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 26 Sep '19

26 Sep '19

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/cycling-bikes-visionzero-climate-env… https://www.tcat.ca/resources/increasing-cycling-in-canada-a-guide-to-what-… https://www.tcat.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Increasing-Cycling-in-Canada… HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes Policy and Legislation Unit | Manitoba Infrastructure 1520 215 Garry Street Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3 C 204 227 3724 E Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:Terry.Zdan@gov.mb.ca> [winnipeg-jets-logo-new] "...Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events..." þ Think green, read on screen | Soyez écolo, lisez à l'écran

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WFP: Pedestrian deaths up in 2019, MPI warns (Sep25'19)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Sep '19

25 Sep '19

*Pedestrian deaths up in 2019, MPI warns* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mpi-issues-alert-as-annual-pedestri… MANITOBA Public Insurance is warning pedestrians and motorists alike to stay alert on the roads, as this year’s pedestrian fatality count approaches a record high. Manitoba has seen 12 pedestrian deaths on public roadways so far in 2019 — the same number as the annual average over the past five years, and the highest nine-month count in the past 20. “This isn’t about pointing the finger of blame, this is all about raising road-safety awareness so both (pedestrians and motorists) can use the road safely and get home safe,” MPI spokesman Brian Smiley said Tuesday. A total of 972 pedestrians were involved in incidents — 147 of which resulted in serious injuries, while 68 were fatal — in 2013-18. The record-high of 16 pedestrian fatalities during a single year occurred in 2007. Historical data indicates about half of all pedestrian deaths occur at intersections. One in 10 deaths take place either between intersections or when pedestrians are walking on roadways. Smiley said while MPI has observed bumps in statistics during January and February, when roads are covered in ice, and in July and August, when pedestrians are out and about in the warm weather, collisions involving pedestrians are a year-round concern. Last year, MPI launched “Save the 100,” a roadsafety campaign with the same premise as the Vision Zero strategy. “One fatality is far too many,” Smiley said. A road-safety strategy born in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero seeks to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while simultaneously making a city safer and accessible for all residents and visitors to navigate. Similarly, Towards Zero (fatalities) is a traffic-safety approach that recognizes pedestrian deaths are preventable while driver error is unavoidable, so traffic infrastructure must be forgiving of that. The City of Winnipeg has adopted the latter and is seeking applications for a $275,000 contract to develop a five-years-and-beyond plan to assess road safety. Applications are due by Oct. 8. Meanwhile, next week, world-renowned traffic safety experts will be in Winnipeg for the second annual Mode Shift festival, five days of events centred around transportation, culture and health, to discuss how the city can mimic the successes seen in other parts of the world (such as Amsterdam). The Forks is hosting a Vision Zero panel discussion Oct. 1. “We need to undo some of the endemic issues we have with the built environment by investing heavily in things like traffic calming, upgraded crosswalks, changing laws around speed limits,” said Anders Swanson, program director at Mode Shift 2019, organized by the Winnipeg Trails Association. Swanson is in favour of a policy on the table at city hall to lower the standard residential speed limit in Winnipeg to 30 km/h from 50 km/h. “If we design a city that’s intended to move machines around as quickly as possible, we have a city that’s not worth living in,” he said. Smiley agreed, noting the chance of survival after being hit by a car going 50 km/h or less is much higher than otherwise. A future with zero annual fatalities, he said, must involve a number of partners, with municipalities and law enforcement at the forefront. More traffic circles, speed-reducing bumps and jaywalking tickets could improve safety, Smiley added. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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Selective enforcement of rule-breaking on public roads & sidewalks
by Charles Feaver 24 Sep '19

24 Sep '19

An interesting point of view regarding Amsterdam scofflaw cyclists, relevant to enforcement for successfully implementing Vision Zero policy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XypDTdd4qr0 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XypDTdd4qr0&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1wReLh wF5X83Gv3-FUL4HwvI4W1XPibQIf6-gb7qkKxzYgl3U2A8fd5gw> &feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1wReLhwF5X83Gv3-FUL4HwvI4W1XPibQIf6-gb7qkKxzYgl3U2 A8fd5gw Having ridden in Amsterdam at dusk in rush hour, I can confirm that there is a lot of crazy rule-breaking going on, but nobody gets excited. Charles

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Mode Shift Video Release and Nuit Blanche
by Anders Swanson 24 Sep '19

24 Sep '19

Mode Shift just released a new short film for 2019 on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WinnipegTrails/videos/484319538788135/?__xts__[0]=…> or Twitter <https://twitter.com/WinnipegTrails/status/1176512183229984768> or Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/p/B2zGGB0AtXd/>. Like Mode Shift Festival itself, the film is blend of sharing new ideas and taking action. So, it is a piece about things that have happened, things that should happen. This one touches on speed limits and a kid's right to street hockey, but also family, dance, fairness, the joy of experiencing the world under your own power no matter how you move ...or who you are and the urgency of building better cities. It is meant to be about perspectives on how we connect as people, and intends to people excited for the many events happening next week, - which is why I am sharing it with you. As an annual event, Mode Shift intends to release a new video like this each year, to capture some of the changes that have gone on in the time between events and to provoke conversation on the salient issue being discussed as a city so we can look back and see these moments in time and watch ourselves change. If you enjoy it, please share. And if you see a GIANT version of this projected on a building somewhere during Nuit Blanche <https://nuitblanchewinnipeg.ca/> this Saturday, come say hi to the team! Anders

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Children's independence & long term health
by Charles Feaver 24 Sep '19

24 Sep '19

Worth the read: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/article-our-societys -culture-of-fear-is-holding-back-childrens-fitness/ Our society's culture of fear is holding back children's fitness . Larouche is the lead author of one of the two new studies, which together make the case that fitness patterns established in childhood have lasting effects on adult health, and these patterns can be influenced by a wide variety of sometimes unexpected factors such as parental attitudes about traffic and morning temperatures. . . The biggest and most easily modifiable factor affecting how much the children moved was the amount of time they spent outdoors. "Studies comparing physical activity in indoor versus outdoor environments have consistently found that children are more active outdoors," Larouche says. "Other studies suggest that children may be more active if, as adults, we back off and let them play." There were also some more subtle indicators that, in some cases, varied by gender. Boys were less active if their parents reported driving to work, were worried about traffic or were worried about other people in their neighbourhood. Girls were more active as the morning temperature warmed, adding 77 steps a day for each additional degree Celsius. Active travel to school also played a role, but in general the children (who were between 8 and 12 years old) had low levels of independent mobility, as assessed by whether they were permitted to do six things on their own: travel to and from school, travel to other places within walking distance, cross main roads, go on local (non-school) buses and go out alone after dark. On average, the children in the study were permitted to do two of these things . Charles Feaver

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Safety in numbers vs bike infrastructure
by Beth McKechnie 19 Sep '19

19 Sep '19

Don't like reading studies? Check out this 3:25' video explaining the research and conclusions. (If only all research was summarized this way!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwYeNz1jCkM&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR13u… *WHY CITIES WITH HIGH BIKING RATES ARE SAFER FOR ALL ROAD USERS* In a study published in the Journal of Transport & Health, which analyzed 13 years of data from 12 large US cities, researchers investigated over 17,000 fatalities and 77,000 severe injuries. (Why Cities with High Bicycling Rates are Safer for all Road Users: http://bit.ly/2KGADSS <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…> ) Their results suggest that more bicyclists is not the reason these cities are safer for all road users. Better safety outcomes are instead associated with a greater prevalence of bike facilities--particularly protected and separated bike facilities--at the block group level and, more strongly so, across the overall city. Higher intersection density, which typically corresponds to more compact and lower-speed built environments, was strongly associated with better road safety outcomes for all road users. A companion video explains the paper and findings: http://bit.ly/2QqcWTw <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…> -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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France subsidizes e-bike purchase | California provides e-bike / bikeshare vouchers for car trade-in
by Beth McKechnie 19 Sep '19

19 Sep '19

*FRANCE SUBSIDIZES E-BIKE PURCHASE, US DOES NOT* Streetsblog reported that lawmakers in France announced last week e-bike owners in the greater Paris area may soon be able to get half the cost of their wheels--up to 500 Euros ($553)--paid for by the government as part of an effort to boost the eco-friendly vehicles. In the US, federal tax breaks that can knock up to $7,500 off the cost of a new electric vehicle have been available to car drivers for years, but those hoping to upgrade their old 10-speed to an e-bike have always had to pay cost. Presently, there isn't a hint of federal legislation that would provide tax relief for e-bikes, whose widespread adoption studies say could significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. http://bit.ly/2QhfTpb <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…> *CA: TRADE IN CAR FOR E-BIKE OR BIKE SHARE VOUCHER* Electrek reported California's "Clean Cars 4 All" program has already helped many people trade in old, polluting gas cars for subsidies to buy electric cars or hybrid cars. A new bill recently signed into law now includes vouchers for electric bicycles and bike-sharing programs in the program. (SB-400 Reduction of Greenhouse Gases Emissions: Mobility Options: http://bit.ly/2At6lg6 <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…>) http://bit.ly/2AsoFGb <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…>

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ModeShift Program Announcement
by Anders Swanson 17 Sep '19

17 Sep '19

Hello AT-Network, Check out the program-at-a-glance and new event details <https://modeshift.ca/events/>. We feel that it is rare, exciting, worthwhile and... ambitious event. *If you are willing to share on social media, it is much appreciated. * Share the program on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WinnipegTrails/posts/2433602183389980?__xts__%5B0%…>, Twitter <https://twitter.com/WinnipegTrails/status/1173992349187366912> and Instagram <https://www.facebook.com/WinnipegTrails/posts/2433602183389980?__xts__%5B0%…>. Some recent highlights now confirmed: - SpaceMODE: an attempt to recreate the famous advocacy image showing the space taken up by 4 kinds of transportation, outside the CMHR. Sign up here - KidMODE: a new conference stream for you and youth at heart, including a contest being fanned out to schools in Winnipeg, teaching about traffic calming, street hockey and redesigning streets - A day long Street Party at IRCOM on Ellen with street furniture building, street food, painting, games, hockey, the Walktober launch, masterclasses and walkabouts on Wednesday October 3 - We have a number of new panelists joining on the topic of road safety technology, chronic disease prevention and vision zero including Karen Laberee Dr.Gillian Booth and Craig Milligan. - We are also very excited to welcome our own Dr.Gillian Booth, Janell Henry and more. Depending what you are into, the best may be yet to come. Stay tuned for more for more details about MovieMODE and DanceMODE... ....and a very special Vision Zero event at the Forks! You can register here. <https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/winnipeg-trails-association-17054822883> Hope to see you there! Anders ModeShift PS. Huge kudos to the many of you on this mailing list or part of our sponsor and organizing team who have helped make it happen. Really.

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WFP Editorial: For cyclists, permanent protection preferred route (Sep16'19)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Sep '19

16 Sep '19

*For cyclists, permanent protection preferred route * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/for-cyclists-permanent… A recent City of Winnipeg report shows that when it comes to safe cycling infrastructure, half-measures don’t cut it. The report, which was sent to the city’s public works committee this week, says temporary plastic pylons separating the cycling lane along Pembina Highway from the other lanes of traffic were both expensive (part of a $21-million cycling-path initiative) and largely ineffective (they were flimsy and often driven over by motorists). Cycling lanes in other parts of the city employ similar pylons; the one on Sherbrook Street has a variety of rider-safety mechanisms, depending what block you’re cycling along. They include concrete curb-height barriers between the bike lane and motorist, the aforementioned pylons and nothing more than a line of paint. Trails Winnipeg executive director Anders Swanson and Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe agree that the inconsistent nature of cycling lane infrastructure along Pembina Highway has been a disincentive to cyclists using it. This is a bit like being at a pedestrian crossing that sometimes lets you cross a busy thoroughfare but most of the time doesn’t let you cross at all. You’d quickly find another place to cross the street. So it is with safe, permanent bike lanes. The pylons have typically been removed in the winter, which meant the bike lane effectively became invisible. Non-cyclists may argue that nobody rides their bike in the winter (demonstrably not true, even in Winnipeg), but it becomes something of a chicken-or-egg question: if the lane intended to allow cyclists to ride safely isn’t reasonably clear of snow and visible to motorists, why would anyone on a bicycle risk using it in the winter? The simple reality that it’s easier to effectively clear snow from permanently protected bike lanes makes the argument for them stronger. Yes, a permanent cycling-lane barrier, even one not as wide as a sidewalk, takes up room on the road. However, the reason it’s there is safety. And although an adequate bike lane and a corresponding permanent barrier could remove an entire lane of vehicular traffic, the safety that is gained actually means less traffic headaches for motorists. First, it prevents motor-vehicle drivers from plowing over flimsy plastic barriers and risking a collision with a cyclist, while at the same time preventing cyclists from weaving out of their lane to avoid a puddle or a pothole. Second, on any Winnipeg street, consider how many cars passing by have more than one occupant. Given this city’s car-focused infrastructure and Winnipeggers’ seemingly unshakable attachment to their automobiles, the ratio is often one human to one vehicle. If a safe-cycling option convinced even a fraction of those motorists to trade four wheels and internal combustion for two wheels and pedal power, it would remove a lot of vehicles from rush hour. That would also hold true for increasing the number of year-round cyclists. The pesky Pembina pylons were installed before the city’s active transportation plan was introduced in 2014, so they were a stopgap measure at best. As the city moves forward with making its infrastructure work for everyone, permanent barriers that allow motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to navigate our streets safely is an option that should be built in.

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CTV News: City councillor wants better solution for sidewalk being narrowed in Exchange District (Sep15'19)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Sep '19

16 Sep '19

City councillor wants better solution for sidewalk being narrowed in Exchange District https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/city-councillor-wants-better-solution-for-sidew… The city councillor for Winnipeg’s Exchange District would like to see a better solution for a Main Street sidewalk being narrowed to make way for a loading zone. Vivian Santos, who represents the Point Douglas ward, said she learned about the construction on social media this week. “It didn't come across my desk,” Santos said a phone call with CTV News Sunday. The sidewalk in question, which appears to be shrinking to about half its size, is located on Main Street near the corner of Bannatyne Avenue. In an email to CTV News, the city said the new version of the sidewalk is about 2.2 metres wide and within acceptable accessibility standards for a downtown sidewalk. “The project was undertaken as a result of a unique situation identified through feedback received from 211 Bannatyne and its users to ensure a safe pick-up and drop-off location for families and children using the facility for music and dance lessons,” the city said. “Transportation planning in the downtown, given the limited space within the existing public right-of-way, is a matter of balancing the needs of all users including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, and sometimes involves making compromises to achieve an acceptable solution for all users,” the city said. Located inside 211 Bannantyne Avenue is a dance school, restaurant and offices. Santos said the issue about a lack of space in the area stems back to 2018 when some on-street parking and loading zones were removed to create bike lanes. Santos said she is familiar with the area and believes other options could have been explored. She said she would like to meet with the public works department about the project. “Safety is always my concern,” Santos said. The city said the loading zone on Bannatyne was removed in June 2018 when construction started on the bike lane. It is anticipated the project will be completed by the end of October, the city said. *‘Backwards priority system’: Winnipeg Trails Association* Winnipeg Trails Association executive director Anders Swanson said the move to narrow the sidewalk is as a result of a ‘backwards priority system’. “I was really surprised in 2019, Winnipeg is taking away any space for pedestrians at all. We have a massive wide street, very fast moving cars,” said Swanson. “We’ve created a city where machines are more important than people walking around.” He said the association plans to raise the issue at the city’s next active transportation advisory committee meeting. “It means you can’t have bike parking, and it makes it more difficult for people two people to walk side by side,” said Swanson. “It should be designed for two people in wheelchairs going somewhere,” he said. *‘A practical issue’: The School of Contemporary Dancers* Faye Thomson is the co-director of The School of Contemporary Dancers, which moved into 211 Bannatyne in the early 2000s. She said until the bike lanes on Bannatyne were installed in 2018, people coming to the school used the loading zone on Bannatyne. When the drop-off disappeared, she said the school requested a meeting with the city, which was sympathetic to its concerns. “The solution has nothing to with us. We just have hundreds of kids who need to unload in a safe unloading zone,” said Thomson in a phone call with CTV News Sunday. She said over 100 students a day come to the school because there are rehearsals up to seven days a week, and some of the students are as young as two-years-old. CTV News asked Thomson about the city councillor for the area wanting a better solution. “I think our view is, we need a safe loading zone that’s on the side of the building. How they come to that is for their planning department to come up with.” Thomson said many of the students are supportive of bike lanes. “This is not a philosophical issue. It’s a practical issue,” Thomson said.

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Bikelash & how to reduce it
by Beth McKechnie 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

*Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share...* *Globe & Mail: Bike lanes could ease gridlock – so why do drivers hate them so much? * https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-the-bikelash-is-real… *Civic crowdfunding reduces the risk of 'bikelash'* http://theconversation.com/civic-crowdfunding-reduces-the-risk-of-bikelash-…

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WFP: Narrow sidewalk sparks pedestrian-vehicle conflict (Sep14'19)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

*Building gets loading zone back after bike lane built on side street* * Narrow sidewalk sparks pedestrian-vehicle conflict * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/narrowed-sidewalk-site-of-pedestria… THE shrinkage of a single sidewalk has led to concern from urban planning experts and confusion at city hall. The width of the sidewalk — located at the southbound corner of Bannatyne Avenue and Main Street, in front of the McKim Building — will be reduced to 2.2 metres from 4.9 metres to make way for a vehicle loading zone. In 2018, the building’s former loading zone on Bannatyne was converted to separated bike lanes, leaving tenants without adequate loading space, said Faye Thomson, co-director of the School of Contemporary Dancers, which occupies the building’s main floor. The school reached out to the city’s public works department, stating it needed a loading zone for vehicles to drop off and pick up students. “It’s not that we don’t support bike lanes, and I’d like to make that clear,” Thomson said, adding her organization wasn’t consulted about the bike lanes or removal of the loading zone. “Philosophically, it wasn’t an issue, but it was a practical one.” “The goal of this loading zone is to ultimately ensure a safe pickup and dropoff location for families and children attending music and dance lessons at 211 Bannatyne,” a public works department representative wrote to Coun. Vivian Santos, in a message shared with the Free Press. “While the impact to the existing sidewalk may seem extensive today... the finished loading zone will leave the sidewalk with a width that still exceeds the minimum allowable measurement for the area (1.5 metres).” However, Santos said she wasn’t notified about the reduced sidewalk width. If she had, she’d have voiced her concerns. “This is not what I have been promoting the Exchange District to be: a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly neighbourhood,” she said, adding, as area councillor, normally she is notified about changes to streets and back lanes. “You don’t see anywhere else in the Exchange with (sidewalks this narrow) along a main street. “I hope it doesn’t set a precedent.” Richard Milgrom, head of the University of Manitoba department of city planning, agreed: “The message to downtown pedestrians is they aren’t as important as vehicles. That’s pretty clear.” Milgrom said sidewalks must be wide enough to not just serve as places for people to walk: they can be used as social places, with benches or art work to create more comfortable settings for pedestrians. “It’s even more complicated for people who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters,” he added. Marnie Courage, an occupational therapist and chief executive officer of Enabling Access Inc., said the loading zone could enhance accessibility for people with mobility concerns who have access to vehicular transport, but the reduced width will make it more difficult for wheelchair or mobility aid users. While Winnipeg’s minimum width for sidewalks of this kind is 1.5 metres, the City of Edmonton’s complete streets design and construction standards states main street sidewalks should be no narrower than three metres wide. Milgrom said neither 2.2 metres nor 1.5 metres are wide enough. “Minimum standards are rarely about quality. They’re usually about making things tolerable at best. I would argue this is reducing the tolerability.” A city spokesperson said the restructured sidewalk meets civic standards, adding: “Transportation planning in the downtown, given the limited space within the existing public right-of-way, is a matter of balancing the needs of all users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, and sometimes involves making compromises to achieve an acceptable solution for all users.” The School of Contemporary Dance and fellow tenant Across the Board Game Café say the loading zone will help their businesses. “Basically, we see it as a positive for us,” said Nicholas Mann, the café’s manager, who says he didn’t reach out to the city to request the change. “Having the loading zone here for deliveries (will be helpful).” Mann said, however, he hopes the city did due diligence in assuring the new sidewalk will be sufficient from pedestrian and accessibility standpoints. “We as a business would love to see more infrastructure for bikes and having it accessible for pedestrians, but it’s a tough balancing act because everything is so congested.” Santos has requested another meeting with public works about the issue. ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Webinar: From Yellow to Green: Reducing School Transportation's Impact on the Environment
by Beth McKechnie 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Date: Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 1:39 PM WEBINAR From Yellow to Green: Reducing School Transportation’s Impact on the Environment September 25, 2019 from 3:00pm - 3:30pm <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> School transportation is often a necessity for students and families, but daily trips to and from school have significant environmental effects for students and their communities. All of these vehicles emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases per year into the environment — contributing to global warming — and expose children to harmful pollutants that can affect their health and academic performance. In a new policy brief, “From Yellow to Green: Reducing School Transportation’s Impact on the Environment <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…>,” Bellwether Education Partners analyzed how school transportation affects the environment and what steps states and districts can take to provide more environmentally friendly transportation services. This webinar, hosted by the brief’s co-author Phillip Burgoyne-Allen, will provide an overview of the school transportation policy landscape, school transportation’s environmental impact, and the costs and benefits of a number of impact reduction strategies. *Speakers:* * Brianne Eby,* *Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation* *Phillip Burgoyne-Allen,* *Policy Analyst, Bellwether Education Partners* *September 2019* *25* *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 © 2019 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 Add us to your address book <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff96&id=d…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff96&id…> or unsubscribe from this list <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> . -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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WFP: Pedestrian scrambles boost safety: city (Sep13'19)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Sep '19

13 Sep '19

*Touted as ideal measure for road strategy* * Pedestrian scrambles boost safety: city * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/pedestrian-scrambles-on-road… PEDESTRIAN scrambles, which are intersections where traffic is stopped in all directions to allow people to cross any way, including diagonally, would make Winnipeg streets safer, city traffic engineers say. Scrambles are used in cities with heavy foot traffic, including Banff, Alta., and Toronto. The idea is one of several being considered by the City of Winnipeg as part of its road safety strategy. “We think this will have an effect on removing the conflict between pedestrians and motorists,” David Patman, manager of transportation in the public works department, said during a committee meeting Thursday. Patman told the public works committee his department has shortlisted a number of intersections that would be good matches for a scramble. The city has yet to make location details public or provide a timeline for the completion of such projects. However, Patman said short-term engineering safety projects are changes that can be made “right away.” The cost would be covered by the city’s $2.5-million budget for road safety measures in 2019. Pedestrian scrambles aside, Patman said Thursday his team wants to divvy up funds for strategic planning, data collection, public engagement campaigns and other engineering projects. The money would pay for installing more cameras to monitor safety hazards at high-priority intersections, as well as new flashing countdowns at crosswalks and protected left-turn lanes. “At many locations in the city, when you want to do a left turn, you sit in the intersection at the green phase and you wait for a gap,” Patman said. “This can be very frustrating when there’s very few gaps in the traffic and people get frustrated. They’ve got people behind them that are sort of glaring at them, they can see in their rear-view mirror that they want them to go, they start honking (horns), and people start taking chances.” The budget would include a request for proposal to develop a five-yearsand- beyond plan to assess road safety in the city. It would expand on the Manitoba Road Safety Plan, which expires in 2020. The deadline for applications for the $275,000 contract is Oct. 8. The city’s road safety is under scrutiny this year after the deaths of nine pedestrians and one cyclist. In 2017, the city started actively working towards adopting the principles of Towards Zero (fatalities), a national traffic safety approach that recognizes pedestrian deaths are preventable and driver error is unavoidable, meaning infrastructure must be forgiving of that. Of the total Winnipeg collisions reported from 2012 to 2015 — the latest traffic data compiled over a fouryear period — less than 0.1 per cent resulted in a fatality, while about 0.3 per cent resulted in a major injury. About 36 per cent of the fatal collisions involved a pedestrian. The cause of 40 per cent of those fatal pedestrian collisions is unknown. A pedestrian crossing with the right of way or running onto a roadway resulted in some of the deaths (18 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively). Fatalities that involved a pedestrian walking along a roadway against traffic, at an intersection without the right of way or on a sidewalk, median or safety zone each accounted for six per cent of the total count. The city’s latest report on collisions shows streets with 60 km/h speed limits are overrepresented in fatal and major collisions, followed by 80 km/h areas. Todd Dube, founder of traffic advocacy group Wise Up Winnipeg, said he supports the city’s pedestrian scramble idea — even though it might cause more congestion for vehicles downtown. “If you have 90 seconds of red (lights) every direction, you’re going to move less traffic, but you’re going to move more pedestrians more safely because they can cross at all points,” he said. Dube said the first ideal intersection that comes to his mind is Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard, near the University of Winnipeg. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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New study on effectiveness Bristol, UK's shift from 30mph to 20mph default speed
by Sean Carlson 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

Published July 13, 2019, positive outcomes of the city-wide speed limit reduction in Bristol, UK: https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2019/07/25/injuryprev-2019-0… Amazingly, these positive changes "did not involve the introduction of any physical traffic calming measures" ( https://travelwest.info/project/ee-no-185-the-effectiveness-of-a-20mph-spee… ). That being said, *roadway design is still understood to be the most effective way to reduce speeds*; this study just suggests that the posted limit alone can have a significant impact, and that the general behaviour change from a city-wide shift is greater than reducing limits in only designated areas. Key takeaways: - After implementing 20mph default speeds, *speeds decreased city-wide, even on streets whose limits were unaffected: "**This suggests that city-wide 20 mph speed limits could be an effective strategy for reducing injuries, as it encourages safer driving behaviour that is not restricted to 20 mph roads. * - In support of a city-wide change vs. traffic-calmed zones: *"Interestingly, the reductions in fatalities in Bristol are larger than the 46% reduction in London associated with the introduction of traffic-calmed 20 mph zones,...Therefore, this finding goes some way to supporting city-wide 20 mph speed limits as an intervention to reduce road injuries*."; *The policy recommendation that would follow from this is to implement city-wide 20 mph limits, rather than 20 mph limits in restricted areas of a city* *.*" *Sean Carlson* (he/him/his) Active and Safe Routes to School Program, Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 103 | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB *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/>. Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenActionCentre/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/greenactionctr> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/greenactioncentre/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-action-centre/> ᐧ

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AT Webinar: Building support for controversial projects | Sept 18th 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Sounds like a good one! Can We Talk About the Street? Building Support for Controversial Projects <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001x1YOLu77Uyo5cnpRKTXz9-v27NxkhfaEA3ktalQh7peu…> Wed, Sept 18th, 2:00-3:00pm CDT Proposing solutions that call for reallocating roadway space can stir up controversy. This webinar will examine innovative approaches to building support for innovation in the public right-of-way. How do we manage the conversation in a way that both educates and inspires our stakeholders? Presenters: - Mary Stewart, Alta Planning + Design - Jeff Fuchs, PE, City of Tualatin - Dave Brokaw, Wallis Engineering

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Road Safety ModeShift in 3 weeks - program update
by Anders Swanson 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

AT-Network, With the exciting announcement in the paper <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-seeks-road-safety-strategic-ac…> about a new Road Safety Strategy for Winnipeg, I wanted to take a moment today to highlight some important road safety themed speakers and events happening during ModeShift Festival 2019 <http://ModeShift.ca> happening Sept.30-Oct4 (with a plenary conference on October 3rd). *Built for Walking: Youth Mobility MasterClass delivered by Dr.Linda Rothman (Toronto, ON) and Dr.Marie-Soleil Cloutier (Montreal, QC) (*with intro by Denae Penner) Both are renowned experts in road safety. They specialize in the analysis of the built environment for issues that affect youth specifically. They look at big data for patterns in mobility seeking out the barriers and injury-prone areas and drawing causation. Dr.Rothman is most well known recently in the international media for her work analysing socio-economic equity issues in traffic injury among youth during her time at Sick Kids Hospital. Dr. Cloutier is former chair of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals board and brings an innovative approach to GIS and youth mobility. Join them for a walkabout with a mixed group of all ages and learn how Linda, Marie-Soleil and kids in Winnipeg's inner city see the world! *Dutch Road Design - a Vision Zero MasterClass by Herbert Tiemens (City of Utrecht, NL)* (with intro by Chris Baker) Formerly working at the regional level, where he was an advisor to the Kingdom of Netherlands and ambassador for the Dutch Cycling embassy, Herbert is now in a new position as senior policy advisor on walking and cycling for the City of Utrecht. Utrecht has "problems" like needing to find overflow routes for some of the multiple main arteries that experience 50K+ people on bicycles a day . . or determining whether or not people whould be allowed to park on the street next to the world's largest bike parking garage. A leader in the country that developed the Safe Systems approach, Herbert will be leading workshop participants in an innvovative exercise looking at an area of Winnipeg that has long required attention. Don't miss it. *Tactical Traffic Calming MasterClass by Jen Malzer (City of Calgary)* (with intro by Rebecca Peterniak) Jen Malzer is a leading light in transportation engineering in Canada, hometown hero and has an incredibly interesting job involving community members directly in how Calgary rethinks their streets. <https://modeshift.ca/events/> Other related events: The Forks will be helping us announce a very exciting public talk by a special guest from the USA shortly. (I will let The Forks, who is making that event possible, spill the beans on that next week.) You will also not want to miss the masterclass by Amina Yasin about dementia-friendly cities and equity. Amina is a highly-regarded planner who will be discussing a range of equity-related issues and why ultimately, who you are ends up being a road safety issue. Scan the whole program at a glance. <https://modeshift.ca/events/> There is something of interest for everyone -whether a public health practitioner, engineer, advocate or artist! More speakers and panelists are being added to the website and details on evening events will appear shortly. Don't miss your chance to be part of this unique photo-op either and stay tuned for a lot more. You can register for the whole thing here. <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mode-shift-2019-a-festival-of-human-scale-citie…> Student, underemployed, on a budget? Mode Shift has been made affordable for anyone who wants to attend thanks to generous sponsors. By donation pricing is available. If you know someone who is interested, do not hesitate. Join us! Thank you, Anders Swanson Mode Shift Conference Program Director

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WFP: City hall issues call for strategic action plan on road safety (Sep12'19)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

*City hall issues call for strategic action plan on road safety * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-seeks-road-safety-strategic-ac… THE same day a 37-year-old female pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on William Avenue — the ninth such fatality this year — the City of Winnipeg issued a request for proposal, for the development of a road safety strategic action plan. The RFP announced Tuesday, which seeks to develop a five-yearsand- beyond plan, is aimed at assessing the state of road safety in the city and to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement through public engagement and analysis, city hall says. The document notes previous endeavours — including the Manitoba Road Safety Plan developed in 2017 — didn’t go far enough to address the unique issues Winnipeg faces. “In order to achieve the long-term vision of Towards Zero (fatalities), there is a need to develop a road safety strategic action plan that is specific to the City of Winnipeg.” Nine cyclists and 27 pedestrians were killed in collisions on Winnipeg streets, from 2013 to 2018, Manitoba Public Insurance statistics show. MPI has run an aggressive advertising campaign aimed at reducing motorvehicular fatalities provincewide. So far in 2019, nine pedestrians and one cyclist have been killed in Winnipeg. While individual incidents spur media attention and draw concern from politicians and public figures, cycling and pedestrian advocates say the numbers only tell part of the story. “The reality is it’s a pattern,” Anders Swanson, executive director of Winnipeg Trails Association, said Wednesday. “Every single incident is a failure of the system in place. And behind every one of those ‘numbers’ is a person, and their families.” The Towards Zero ideology has been on the city’s radar since 2017, when a city committee requested the delivery of a road safety strategy. Swanson is optimistic the new strategic plan request could spark change and prevent future injuries or fatalities. “I think it’s a really important step, and gives a framework to operate under where we start off by saying, ‘We haven’t gotten this right, but we envision a city where people don’t get killed in traffic,’” he said. “(The RFP’s) main purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of what we’re already doing and find other things we need to do. “If it does that, it will be hugely beneficial.” Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe agreed. “They seem to have adopted a safe systems approach, and they’re really underscoring those as the principles a road safety plan would follow,” he said. “I think it’s a recognition that we’re seeing too many collisions, too many injuries and too many fatalities on Winnipeg streets.” Mayor Brian Bowman reiterated that pedestrian and road safety is a priority for his government. He cited the city’s 20-year cycling and active transportation strategy and $43 million in federal gas tax revenue earmarked for pedestrian and road safety improvements as proof. In April, city council approved $2.5 million in spending in 2019 on road safety measures to be determined by public works, as well as $750,000 in funding for three active transportation studies. This fall, in response to calls from advocates, council will also review the proposed lowering of the residential speed limit of 50 km/h to 30 km/h. “The numbers show we have a problem,” Cohoe said. “I think everyone agrees we want to see those fatalities and injuries disappear. We have to culturally recognize there’s an imperative to do that.” The RFP says the deadline for consultants to apply is Oct. 8, and the city will award a contract Oct. 29. The budget for the contract is $275,000. The public works committee will be briefed about the road safety strategy today. ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Bid Opportunity for City of Winnipeg Road Safety Strategy
by Mark Cohoe 11 Sep '19

11 Sep '19

The city has listed a bid opportunity for the Road Safety Strategy. It can be found at https://www.winnipeg.ca/finance/findata/matmgt/documents/2019/635-2019/635-… Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca

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WFP: Crushed pylons waste bike lane potential: city report (Sep10'19)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Sep '19

10 Sep '19

*Crushed pylons waste bike lane potential: city report * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crushed-pylons-waste-bike-lane-pote… MORE than $21 million spent on Pembina Highway bike lanes is being wasted because the plastic pylons meant to protect cyclists are flimsy and constantly driven over by vehicles, a City of Winnipeg report states. The report, headed to council’s public works committee Thursday, recommends better protecting the long cycling path, especially as another $15-million active transportation investment at the Jubilee Avenue overpass opens this month. However, the plastic “poly posts” are better than nothing, said Trails Winnipeg executive director Anders Swanson. “But we’ve heard that they’re not there when people are expecting them, which makes them kind of pointless.” The pillars are glued to the ground in summer and removed in the winter. But Swanson said riders eager to head out in the spring find them missing as well — or toppled. “There’s definitely been issues with those bollards being knocked down, through the winter but also in summer,” said Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe. “It’s pretty disheartening if you’re riding and you see the bollard that’s supposedly providing your protection is run over and squished by an unknown number of vehicles.” Both agreed the piecemeal nature of the Pembina bike lane — protected in some places but mixed in with heavy traffic in others — keeps riders from using the path. Cohoe said it’s actually easier to clear snow from permanently protected bike lanes compared to the pillars. “If (snow plows) have something they can put their blade up against, it can make it a bit easier to clear,” he said. The report states it’s not feasible to remove the posts at present, but perhaps in the future: “The Winnipeg public service will review upgrading buffered bike lanes to a protected facility for regional streets and will prioritize this as a future project as part of the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies projects.” The poly posts were installed before the city’s 2014 active transportation plan, which calls for stronger protection to encourage cycling. “We have to be continually upgrading. So we welcome the report that takes a look at this,” Swanson said. He said there’s more that can be done to make the bike network connected, reliable, comfortable, and attractive — such as using flower planters to protect bike lanes, as Toronto and Vancouver are learning to do. tessa.vanderhart(a)freepress.mb.ca

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APBP: Now Accepting Proposals for the 2020 Webinar Series
by Beth McKechnie 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

Submissions due Sept. 30! Now accepting proposals for the 2020 monthly webinar series APBP has launched a new submission format this year which should offer more flexability. You will be able to submit a complete webinar panel with all presenters arranged or you can submit just your case study and APBP will match you with others to complete the webinar. If you don’t want to present but have an excellent idea or a speaker suggestion, we want to hear from you too! The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, September 30 Submit a Proposal <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ixJhwb2G3I0ovHKHF8VmX7E4kx6RXEZTcqGa9JikRiKx…> Proposal Guidelines: Webinar proposals must relate directly to subjects useful to professionals and advocates working in the field of bicycling and walking: planning, design, engineering, education, encouragement, evaluation, enforcement and advocacy. Innovative approaches that have achieved measurable results are most desirable. Presentations must be evidence-based. WEBINAR TIMING: APBP webinars are 60-minutes long (45 minutes of presentation time and 15 minutes for Q&A), scheduled at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on the third Wednesday of each month except in the event of a conflict with an official holiday (religious or secular). GUIDELINES: - APBP will not accept webinar topics intended purely to promote commercial products. Products may be mentioned during a presentation only if relevant to the topic and broadly useful to communities seeking to increase bicycling and walking for transportation. APBP staff will gladly provide guidance to interested suppliers on what type of content is acceptable. - A single consulting firm may not present on more than two (2) webinars in a calendar year. - APBP strongly encourages consultants who are submitting proposals to include agency folks in the proposal to speak on the webinar as well. REVIEW & APPROVAL PROCESS: After reviewing your proposal, APBP may ask you to provide additional information or suggest modifications to meet the specific objectives of a proposed webinar. APBP may accept the proposal whole or in part, depending on how the review committee develops the webinar’s content. If your proposal is selected, you will be notified in a timely manor and given the opportunity to confirm the month selected is workable for you and your panel. Proposals intended for inclusion in the 2020 webinar series must be received by September 30, 2019 for consideration. However, proposals and proposal ideas can be suggested at any time, but priority will be given to fulfilling the scheduled webinar panels in the calendar year and thus ideas outside of these topics may not be approved until the following year. PRESENTER EXPECTATIONS: - Participate in a 60-minute planning/practice session (generally one week before the live webinar) as well as the webinar itself. The approximate time commitment (besides your own preparation time) is two to three hours. - Supply a head shot type photo and short bio (200 words or less) prior to the webinar. - Provide a PowerPoint version of your slides to APBP 48 hours prior to the live webinar. APBP does NOT give out a Presenter's PPT slides, but will format them into a PDF and make them available for download for all registered webinar attendees the morning of the live webinar. - An honorarium of $600 per webinar is available, divided evenly among the presenters. The honorarium will be paid within 30 days after the webinar, or it can be donated back to APBP’s scholarship funds. The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, September 30 Submit a Proposal <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ixJhwb2G3I0ovHKHF8VmX7E4kx6RXEZTcqGa9JikRiKx…> STAY CONNECTED [image: Facebook] ‌ <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ixJhwb2G3I0ovHKHF8VmX7E4kx6RXEZTcqGa9JikRiKx…> [image: Twitter] ‌ <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ixJhwb2G3I0ovHKHF8VmX7E4kx6RXEZTcqGa9JikRiKx…> [image: Instagram] ‌ <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001ixJhwb2G3I0ovHKHF8VmX7E4kx6RXEZTcqGa9JikRiKx…> APBP | 201 East Main Street, Suite 1405, Lexington, KY 40507 Sent by info(a)apbp.org in collaboration with [image: Trusted Email from Constant Contact - Try it FREE today.] <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=nge&rmc=VF19_3GE> Try email marketing for free today! <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=nge&rmc=VF19_3GE>

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Research: Bike skills training impact on increasing biking & confidence
by Beth McKechnie 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

*BIKE SKILLS TRAINING IMPACT ON INCREASING BIKING & CONFIDENCE* A study to be published this fall in the Journal of Transport & Health assessed the impact of 2 to 4.5 hours of adult bicycle skills training using a longitudinal, quasi-experimental study design to compare changes in bicycling and confidence over time between course participants and a comparison group. Researchers found one year after the course, there were no changes in bicycling for work, errands, or leisure. Without changes to physical and social environments, courses may be insufficient to overcome barriers to bicycling uptake. Effectiveness of a Bicycle Skills Training Intervention on Increasing Bicycling and Confidence: A Longitudinal Quasi-Experimental Study https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140519300684

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Montreal police using ultrasonic equipment to ensure drivers leave space for cyclists
by Beth McKechnie 09 Sep '19

09 Sep '19

CBC-News reported Montreal police on bicycles are using new C3FT ultrasonic distance detectors to ensure motorists are leaving enough space as they pass cyclists. On roads with a speed limit of 50 km/h or less, drivers must leave at least one metre between their car and a bicycle when passing. On roads with higher speed limits, drivers must give 1.5 metres (nearly five feet) of space. This applies even if the cyclist is in a separate bike lane. Drivers can be fined $313 (US$235), including fees, and receive two demerit points. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-highway-safety-code-police-d…

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Globe editorial; put life back into our streets...
by Charles Feaver 03 Sep '19

03 Sep '19

Today's Globe editorial is once again very strong on taking back the streets: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-how-to-put-life-b ack-into-our-city-streets/ They note that Winnipeg is at the back of the pack implementing Vision Zero. .. Charles Feaver 11 Harvard Ave Winnipeg R3M 0J6 204.293.6332

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The High Cost of Canada's 'free' roads
by Charles Feaver 25 Aug '19

25 Aug '19

Excellent editorial in the Saturday Globe: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-the-high-cost-of- canadas-free-roads/ . Canada's roads and bridges, tunnels and highways, are almost all "free." That means free for drivers, paid for by taxpayers. You can drive to the Champlain Bridge from virtually anywhere in Canada, from Vancouver to Cape Breton, on roads that are costly to build and maintain, yet toll-free. Is this logical? No. It's not economically efficient, it's environmentally damaging and encourages urban sprawl. It does all that by subsidizing driving. There are compelling reasons for taxpayers to pick up the tab for things society wants more of, from public education to public parks to public libraries. There's a lot of upside in kids being able to read more, for free. What's the social good in adults being able to drive more, for free? . Charles Feaver

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News story from Winnipeg on cyclists on sidewalks
by Patman, David 15 Aug '19

15 Aug '19

Recent story on concerns regarding fast-moving cyclists on sidewalks conflicting with other users. https://globalnews.ca/news/5761908/frustration-grows-as-cyclists-refuse-to-… I know this mailing list is not for discussion, but if anyone reading has articles or links to webpages/PDFs outlining instances of cities or jurisdictions where they have been able to make cycling on sidewalks work successfully for both cyclists and other users of sidewalks, can they please reach out to me at dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>? Thanks, [City of Winnipeg logo]<https://winnipeg.ca/> David Patman P.Eng. Manager - Transportation City of Winnipeg Public Works Transportation TELEPHONE: 204-986-5895 MOBILE: 204-806-6471 EMAIL: dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca> WEBSITE: winnipeg.ca<https://winnipeg.ca/> ADDRESS: 1155 Pacific, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P1 CONNECT WITH US: [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> [Twitter] <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this message is intended solely for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any use, dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this message and attachments, in whole or in part, by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and permanently delete the complete message and any attachments. Thank you.

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The Economist: Europe is edging towards making post-car cities a reality
by Beth McKechnie 14 Aug '19

14 Aug '19

Looks like there may have been a glitch in Charles Feavers' email about this article. Here's the link: https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/08/01/streets-ahead cheers, Beth -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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[SUSPICIOUS MESSAGE] the gradual retreat of the car from the European city
by Charles Feaver 14 Aug '19

14 Aug '19

===== 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 ------------ Interesting piece in The Economist about "the gradual retreat of the car from the European city" https://secure-web.cisco.com/1mEEF6ssvzT6sVz-aFFXlw0bQvRJg5ne7aDYIDdzzAlEXG…

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Training communities on pedestrian and bicycle safety
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 13 Aug '19

13 Aug '19

Training communities on pedestrian and bicycle safety <https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…> [http://apps.trb.org/images/enewsletter/blank.png]<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…> A Community Pedestrian Bicycle Safety Training program is evaluated in Community Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Training Program: Evaluation Report<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…> from SAFETREC at the University of California at Berkeley. The goal of this program is to train and mobilize communities to address pedestrian and bicycle safety and to strengthen collaboration with... From: Zdan, Terry (MI) Sent: August-13-19 8:01 AM To: 'AT network' <at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> Cc: 'mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca' <mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca>; 'Anders Swanson' <andersswanson(a)gmail.com>; 'bbellamy(a)NumberTEN.com' <bbellamy(a)NumberTEN.com>; 'Beth McKechnie' <beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca> Subject: Biking accessibility Biking accessibility<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…> [http://apps.trb.org/images/enewsletter/blank.png]<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…> Accessibility to jobs by biking is addressed in Access Across America: Biking 2017<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…>, a report from the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota. This report presents detailed accessibility values for each metropolitan area, as well as block-level maps that illustrate the spatial patterns of accessibility within each area. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.52402… HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes Policy and Legislation Unit | Manitoba Infrastructure 1520 215 Garry Street Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3 C 204 227 3724 E Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:Terry.Zdan@gov.mb.ca> [winnipeg-jets-logo-new] "...Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events..." þ Think green, read on screen | Soyez écolo, lisez à l'écran

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Biking accessibility
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 13 Aug '19

13 Aug '19

Biking accessibility<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…> [http://apps.trb.org/images/enewsletter/blank.png]<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…> Accessibility to jobs by biking is addressed in Access Across America: Biking 2017<https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0OTU0O…>, a report from the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota. This report presents detailed accessibility values for each metropolitan area, as well as block-level maps that illustrate the spatial patterns of accessibility within each area. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.52402… HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes Policy and Legislation Unit | Manitoba Infrastructure 1520 215 Garry Street Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3 C 204 227 3724 E Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:Terry.Zdan@gov.mb.ca> [winnipeg-jets-logo-new] "...Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events..." þ Think green, read on screen | Soyez écolo, lisez à l'écran

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e-scooters
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 12 Aug '19

12 Aug '19

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-thursday-edition-1.52402… HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes Policy and Legislation Unit | Manitoba Infrastructure 1520 215 Garry Street Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3 C 204 227 3724 E Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:Terry.Zdan@gov.mb.ca> [winnipeg-jets-logo-new] "...Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events..." þ Think green, read on screen | Soyez écolo, lisez à l'écran

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AT Webinar: Getting the Green Light: Improving Actuation And Detection For Cyclists & Peds (Aug 21, 2-3pm)
by Heather Mitchell 12 Aug '19

12 Aug '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Getting the Green Light: Improving Actuation And Detection For Cyclists & Pedestrians Wed, August 21st, 2-3pm Traffic signals often provide the most convenient and secure opportunity for bicyclists and pedestrians to navigate busy intersections and high-speed roadways. But signals are only effective if properly designed. Providing adequate detection, reliable actuation and proper phasing of signals can greatly improve bicycle and pedestrian access in a community. This webinar will examine current best practices for integrating detection, actuation and phasing for with active modes of transportation. Presenter: - Peter Koonce, City of Portland -- *Heather Mitchell * (she/her/hers) Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 107 | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB *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/>. Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenActionCentre/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/greenactionctr> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/greenactioncentre/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-action-centre/> <https://www.gomanitoba.ca/Public/Home.aspx>

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Early Bird Tickets! | Parking And The City
by Mel Marginet 07 Aug '19

07 Aug '19

Greetings, Early Bird tickets are now available for Parking And The City. We want to ensure those on the AT List-serve secure their place for this important upcoming discussion at the reduced rate. Parking plays a fundamental role in how our cities are built and how they function. Learn about new approaches, tested in North America, that support more vibrant, livable cities. Secure your seat to: Parking And The City Rethinking Parking to Transform Our Cities Join us for a conversation about parking with distinguished researcher Dr. Donald Shoup, author of The High Cost of Free Parking and Parking And The City Thursday, October 10th | RBC Convention Centre BOOK NOW <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/parking-and-the-city-tickets-64697012506> This event will feature a luncheon and keynote from Dr. Donald Shoup, followed by small group activities focused on the local context. - Learn more about how the right cost for parking can impact business zones. - Find out what Parking Benefit Districts are, and how they could benefit your neighbourhood. - Join the discussion about Parking Minimums vs Parking Maximums, and how mandatory parking minimums have fundamentally reshaped our cities. The event will conclude with a mixer, where guests can enjoy a complimentary beverage and converse with Dr. Shoup and each other. About Dr. Shoup Donald Shoup is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research has focused on how parking policies affect cities, the economy, and the environment. In his 2005 book, The High Cost of Free Parking, Shoup recommended that cities should (1) charge fair market prices for on-street parking, (2) spend the revenue to benefit the metered neighborhoods, and (3) remove off-street parking requirements. In his 2018 book, Parking and the City, Shoup and his co-authors examine the results where cities have taken this advice. The successful outcomes show that the recommended parking reforms are not theoretical and idealistic but are instead practical and realistic. Shoup is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and an Honorary Professor at the Beijing Transportation Research Center. The Canadian Parking Association gave Shoup its Keate Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Knowledge in the Parking Industry. Thank you very much to our Promotional Partner, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. Would you like to see your organization recognized as a sponsor for this event? We have affordable opportunities available. Contact gohappy(a)greenactioncentre.ca to find out more. *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/> 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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library - bike share program
by Kristine Hayward 17 Jul '19

17 Jul '19

Interesting read. Across the U.S., more than 20 public libraries have introduced special bike-share programs, in which members take out bicycles from the library for free before returning them at the end of the day. https://www.usnews.com/news/cities/articles/2019-07-09/us-libraries-launch-… 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 Check out our videos on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/Winnipeginmotion 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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10 common myths about bike lanes – and why they're wrong
by Beth McKechnie 17 Jul '19

17 Jul '19

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2019/jul/03/ten-common-my… 1. Cycle lanes increase congestion (and thus pollution) 2. Hardly anyone uses them 3. They’re only used by white, middle-class men/commuters 4. They’re bad for business 5. They’re dangerous for pedestrians 6. Cyclists just break laws, so they shouldn’t get lanes 7. How do I carry work tools/a fridge on a bike? 8. We’re not the Netherlands/Denmark 9. They cost too much 10. There’s no need -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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AT Webinar: Return on Investment for AT (Wed July 17, 2-3pm)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jul '19

15 Jul '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. cheers, Beth * * * * * *AT Webinar: Wed, July 17th, 2-3pm* Return on Investment for Active Transportation The economic benefits of walkable and bikeable communities are well documented. In addition to capital gains, investment in placemaking and active transportation yield intangible, societal benefits. This webinar takes a broad look at the wide spectrum of benefits to be gleaned when placing walking, biking and placemaking at the forefront of community design. Presenter: - Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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CBC: Cycling safety 101 - The basics any beginner biker should know
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jul '19

15 Jul '19

https://www.cbc.ca/life/wellness/cycling-safety-101-the-basics-any-beginner… *H**A**P**P**Y* *T**R**A**I**L**S * Terry Zdan BA MEDes Policy and Legislation Unit | Manitoba Infrastructure 1520 215 Garry Street Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3 *C 204 227 3724* E Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca [image: winnipeg-jets-logo-new] *"...Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events..."* þ Think green, read on screen | Soyez écolo, lisez à l'écran

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Parking And The City - Save The Date!
by Heather Mitchell 15 Jul '19

15 Jul '19

*Parking And The City* *with distinguished researcher Dr. Donald Shoup, author of The High Cost of Free Parking and Parking And The City* *Thursday, October 10th | RBC Convention Centre* This event will feature a keynote from Dr. Donald Shoup, followed by small group discussions. The event will conclude with a mixer where guests can converse with Dr. Shoup and each other. *About Dr. Shoup* Donald Shoup is Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Urban Planning at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research has focused on how parking policies affect cities, the economy, and the environment. In his 2005 book, *The High Cost of Free Parking*, Shoup recommended that cities should (1) charge fair market prices for on-street parking, (2) spend the revenue to benefit the metered neighborhoods, and (3) remove off-street parking requirements. In his 2018 book, *Parking and the City*, Shoup and his co-authors examine the results where cities have taken this advice. The successful outcomes show that the recommended parking reforms are not theoretical and idealistic but are instead practical and realistic. Shoup is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners and an Honorary Professor at the Beijing Transportation Research Center. The Canadian Parking Association gave Shoup its Keate Award for Outstanding Contribution to Advancement of Knowledge in the Parking Industry. We have been attempting to secure Dr. Shoup for several years, and are delighted we can finally host him in our province. We hope you will join us for this important conversation! -- *Heather Mitchell * (she/her/hers) Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 107 | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB *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/>. Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenActionCentre/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/greenactionctr> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/greenactioncentre/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-action-centre/> <https://www.gomanitoba.ca/Public/Home.aspx>

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WFP: People-powered push for active transportation (Jul8'19)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jul '19

14 Jul '19

*People-powered push for active transportation * FOR some, “valet service” conjures up images of people in uniforms parking expensive cars at posh parties. For a local organization, a valet service is a way to encourage active transportation. Since 2010, Bicycle Valet Winnipeg has offered its services to local event promoters interested in reducing traffic and parking congestion. The program works like a coat check for bicycles: people check their bikes into a secure compound and can retrieve it later with a claim ticket. Bicycle Valet Winnipeg provides the equipment, setup and volunteers. Guy Bonnetta volunteers with the program because it reflects his interest in cycling. “I enjoy talking and rubbing shoulders with other cyclists,” the 67-year-old says. Now retired, Bonnetta got into cycling when Bike to Work Day was introduced in Winnipeg. (The 12th edition of the annual event ran June 17.) Intrigued by the idea, he decided to cycle the 15 kilometres to his job on campus at the University of Manitoba from his home in Charleswood. He enjoyed the commute, and began doing it regularly. “I really liked it,” Bonnetta says. “I just felt a lot more healthy.” After he began cycling regularly, he joined Bike Winnipeg’s board. Eventually, he started volunteering with the bike valet program. One of his favourite experiences with it was volunteering at IG Field for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup games Winnipeg hosted. “It’s a big rush when everyone arrives at the same time and leaves at the same time, and you’ve probably got 500 bikes or more,” he says. “We were really running off our feet, and that was a lot of fun. The busier we are, the more enjoyable it is.” Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is scheduled to offer its services at a number of events throughout the year, including the MS Society of Canada’s Gimli bike tour, ManyFest and Nuit Blanche. Crystal San Filippo, 11, also volunteers with the program. “I help people fill out their tickets and then I keep all the (slips) in order,” says Crystal, whose aunt was involved with the program and recruited her to help. “It’s really fun.” “I think that everybody dotes on (her),” says Karen San Filippo, Crystal’s grandmother. “She’s quite shy, or has been quite shy, so what we’ve noticed at bike valet is that she knows what she’s doing there, she has her job to do, and it’s really helped to make her more confident.” Bicycle Valet Winnipeg has worked more than 20 events this year, including the Winnipeg Whiteout street parties, the Rise Up concert in Old Market Square and Canada Day at The Forks. Volunteers also look after trailers, strollers, skateboards and more. The bike valet is always open to new volunteers, says Stephanie Chow, who runs the program. Anyone interested can email info(a)bicyclevaletwinnipeg.ca. “Amazing volunteers are essential to our service,” Chow says. “If (you) love festivals, bikes and being outdoors, there are many great opportunities.” *If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp(a)gmail.com <aaron.epp(a)gmail.com>.*

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Bike share study
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jul '19

14 Jul '19

Included in the nine innovation pilot projects under development in the City's department of innovation, transformation and technology (complete report can be found at wfp.to/d5A) as reported by the Winnipeg Free Press (Jul9'19): BIKE SHARE ● $80,000, six-month study for public works to establish partnerships with “micromobility rental vendors (e.g. bikeshare, e-bike and e-scooter) to trial their services and establish future relationship models.”

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WFP: Speed-limit debate revving up (Jul10'19)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jul '19

14 Jul '19

*SPEED-LIMIT DEBATE REVVING UP* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/city-to-cut-ties-… PRESSURE on city hall to lower the residential speed limit to 30 km/h continues. Nine individuals were among the delegations Tuesday, asking EPC to drop the speed limit to make the streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists. However, the issue wasn’t on the agenda. EPC was dealing with a bylaw that will maintain all current speed limits at their posted rate, in anticipation of the province ending its authority to set street speed limits. Previously, road speeds were regulated by the Highway Traffic Board. City staff have proposed maintaining all current speed limits as they were March 1 — with the exception of a stretch of Marion Street, which will be reduced to 50 km/h from 60 km/h. The new bylaw, once approved by city council, will take effect Sept. 1.

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WFP: Safety of bike paths criticized (Jul10'19)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jul '19

14 Jul '19

*Former police officer says crumbling routes deter riders* * Safety of bike paths criticized* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ex-police-traffic-commander-cycling… FOR some Winnipeg cyclists, the city’s bike paths are full of holes. Gord Friesen has been commuting by bike for more than two decades, including for many years to his job as an officer with the Winnipeg Police Service. Now, the River Heights resident said he’s worried the city’s patchwork of bike paths — including a south Osborne route that has a gap between Brandon and Togo avenues, where it turns into a dirt trail, forcing cyclists who don’t want to weather the rough terrain onto a busy street or sidewalk — might deter people from getting into cycling. “It’s just an additional challenge,” Friesen said. “Gaps are obviously problematic for people, because I think one of the things about being out on a bike is you want to be able to have some predictability in terms of the quality of the road surface.” In an emailed statement to the Free Press, a city spokesperson said plans to improve the south Osborne route were put on hold because of riverbank stabilization issues. It also said the city will be doing a design study of another route with similar issues later this year: the North Winnipeg Parkway, which has a gap between Burrows and Alfred avenues, forcing cyclists into a zigzag of residential streets, or onto Main Street. Friesen said his career with the police force — where he served at one point as the commander of the traffic division — helped form his perspective on cycling and other kinds of active transportation. Even in retirement, the 57-year-old said he and his wife use their bikes to get wherever they need to go, and he hopes more people will start to do the same. “Our car sits for days on end, because (whatever we do), it’s almost always on a bicycle,” he said. Mark Cohoe, executive director of the Bike Winnipeg advocacy group, said he was riding on the south Osborne bike path with some friends a few nights ago. They turned around after deciding they wouldn’t be able to make it through the gap. Cohoe said if people who are new to cycling encounter the same problem, it might turn them off entirely. “People remember the worst part of their ride, and that’s sort of the decision point for them,” he said. “If they don’t feel like they have a safe connection... they’re going to choose to drive.” Meanwhile, cyclists travelling a few minutes southeast on the same south Osborne route are being forced onto the road for the foreseeable future. On Friday, the city announced it was closing the east sidewalk on the St. Vital Bridge for at least 18 months to replace the sewer main underneath. With two elections looming in the coming months, Cohoe said he’s hoping to see more leadership encouraging cycling in Winnipeg. “I think if we want to act on climate change, if we want to act proactively on health, we need to make sure that all levels of government — especially the provincial government, which is responsible for health — make sure funding is available to get people out of their cars and onto their bikes,” he said. caitlyn.gowriluk(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Back to the future?
by Charles F 09 Jul '19

09 Jul '19

⁣ A bit of humour that this audience might enjoy.. . https://getpocket.com/explore/item/make-driving-dangerous-again?utm_source=…

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BBC News: Electric cars 'will not solve transport problem, ' report warns
by Charles F 05 Jul '19

05 Jul '19

Electric cars 'will not solve transport problem,' report warns https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48875361

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E-scooters: a transport 'tsunami' flooding cities worldwide
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 05 Jul '19

05 Jul '19

https://phys.org/news/2019-07-e-scooters-tsunami-cities-worldwide.html HAPPY TRAILS Terry Zdan BA MEDes Policy and Legislation Unit | Manitoba Infrastructure 1520 215 Garry Street Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3 C 204 227 3724 E Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:Terry.Zdan@gov.mb.ca> [winnipeg-jets-logo-new] "...Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events..." þ Think green, read on screen | Soyez écolo, lisez à l'écran

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Safe Speeds Winnipeg
by Dave Elmore 05 Jul '19

05 Jul '19

If you would like to see speed limits lowered in Winnipeg, please consider signing the on-line petition by Safe Speeds Winnipeg. Here is their website with the link to the on-line petition. https://www.safespeedswpg.com/

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Join Bike Winnipeg for TAC Webinar: Protected Intersections in Vancouver
by Mark Cohoe 02 Jul '19

02 Jul '19

Please join Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the July 9th webinar, “Protected Intersections in Vancouver” in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. RSVPs are welcome, but are not required. Date: Tuesday, July 9th Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Location: MB Eco-Centre Board Room (3rd Floor, 303 Portage Avenue) *About the Webinar* Since 2013, Vancouver has been building protected intersections, which extend protected bike lane design principles into the intersection to create a safe and comfortable environment for everyone. This webinar will give examples of protected intersection designs that Vancouver has implemented, discuss the design principles behind them, and show how those principles have been adapted to different situations. *Presenter* *Paul Storer, City of Vancouver* Paul manages the City of Vancouver’s Transportation Design Branch, and is responsible for transportation infrastructure improvements including functional design, public engagement, and implementation support. He is a professional engineer with 15 years of experience at the City of Vancouver in street design, bike facility planning and design, neighbourhood traffic calming, rapid transit planning, and implementation of the City’s Transportation 2040 plan. Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca

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WFP: Electric scooter company interested in Winnipeg (Jul2'19)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jul '19

02 Jul '19

*Electric scooter company interested in Winnipeg * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/electric-scooter-company-interested… THE CEO of Bird Canada, a new subsidiary of California-based e-scooter company Bird, would love to expand to Winnipeg after it launches in Edmonton and Calgary. “We’re going to who raised their hands first,” Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons said. “Most provinces need an exemption in their highway traffic act because e-scooters were not thought of when the regulations were drafted.” Lyons said the company decided to launch in Alberta because it anticipates that exceptions to provincial regulations requested by the cities of Calgary and Edmonton will be granted soon, allowing the e-scooters to be operated on public roads. The company says Kelowna, B.C., will likely be the next city it will operate in. Lyons said Saskatoon and Charlottetown have also expressed interest, but the company “would love to come to Winnipeg.” He said the company will put between 500 and 1,000 e-scooters in Calgary. The size of the city dictates the number of scooters it gets. Generally, electric scooters have been praised as a welcome addition to public transit. Bird Canada customers would be able to use the vehicles at a cost of $1.15 to start and 35 cents per minute after, a rate that Lyons said makes the service competitive with public transit. Electric scooters, however, have been criticized for cluttering roads and sidewalks and being tossed into waterways. There’s also the potential for injuries and the issue of insurance liability. Temporary bans have also been placed on companies like Bird in U.S. cities such as Nashville, where a man was killed after being hit by a car. Lyons said the subsidiary company is more focused on safety and doesn’t anticipate any bans in Canada. In Winnipeg, theft is a concern. The city has a notorious reputation when it comes to bike thefts. Lyons realizes scooters are easy to carry, so there’s no guarantee that they won’t be stolen. But he said the scooters’ wheels can only be unlocked through the company’s app. “The wheels won’t move, but you could take it,” Lyons said. “It could make for a nice doorstop, or something in your garden.” In February, council’s public works committee voted to direct city staff to spend six months determining how scooter-share and bike-share companies such as Bird can operate here. A city spokesman said “changes to City of Winnipeg bylaws and policies may be needed to permit firms to share bikes, e-bikes, or other small transportation micro-mobility options.” Gord Spado of the Winnipeg Police Service’s traffic division said provincial legislation would not allow Bird Canada scooters to be driven in Winnipeg. Under the Highway Traffic Act, e-scooters would be considered motor vehicles, which means they would have to be driven on roadways. Manitoba Public Insurance said anything specified as a vehicle under the act would need to be licensed and insured. Spado said, however, that e-scooters “cannot be registered due to the fact they do not have safety equipment, and are not part of any registration class of vehicle. Therefore they cannot be operated on the roadway, under the (Highway Traffic Act).” He added that, even if the scooters did not have an engine, they could not be driven on roadways because push scooters must be driven on sidewalks. Spado said only electric bikes can be driven on roads right now because they are listed in the traffic act. Founded in 2017, Bird has grown to operate in 120 cities, mostly in North America and Europe. Lyons said the company negotiated the exclusive licence to offer device-sharing services in Canada. nicholas.frew(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @n_frew

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Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Risk and Equity: Implications for Street Improvement Projects
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jul '19

02 Jul '19

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Date: Tue, Jul 2, 2019 at 8:36 AM *Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Risk and Equity: Implications for Street Improvement Projects <https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0NTg1N…>* <https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0NTg1N…> The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota has released a report that illustrates how estimates of pedestrian and bicycle crash risk and assessments of inequities may inform prioritization of street improvement projects. This report provides information about variations in crash risk across street networks to inform...

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CBC: 'There has to be something else': Winnipeg's car culture is unsustainable, say urban planning experts
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jul '19

01 Jul '19

*'There has to be something else': Winnipeg's car culture is unsustainable, say urban planning experts* *City needs transportation alternatives to 'a system that we allowed to be dominated by the automobile'* https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/car-culture-urban-planning-road-saf… If Winnipeg is to shift out of the well-worn rut of being a car-first culture, it's going to require two crucial elements: creativity and daring leaders, say urban planning experts. "That is the biggest challenge — the overwhelming scale of retrofitting a city to be something more, to reflect new ways of thinking about how we as citizens move within the urban environment," said Jino Distasio, director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg. "To create a sustainable city, to create a sustainable country, we need to look at alternative modes of transportation, and to get it right we need to have visionary leaders. "We cannot continue to build cities based on automobile use. There has to be something else." Winnipeg has taken some steps, such as adding bike lanes around the city, but their effectiveness is questionable. Many have no protection from cars, some are marked by symbols painted near curbs of lanes that were never widened for bikes, several end without notice and force cyclists into traffic, and others run between lanes of traffic and leave cyclists exposed. In multiple places, the city has dedicated lanes that are shared between bikes and buses — pitting the smallest, most vulnerable mode of transport against the largest. "It's a work in progress," said Mark Cohoe, executive director of cycling advocacy group Bike Winnipeg. But since the city adopted its pedestrian and cycling strategy <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-council-approves-bike-pede…> in 2015, there's been improvement from what was previously a random, disorganized system, he said. At the same time, Cohoe says it often seems like the city slapped together a section of the network just to say a cycling component was included in a project "rather than creating something that's built around the needs of the system … aimed at attracting the type of user we're hoping to convert, to get out of their car." There are new, concrete-curb-protected, bicycle-only lanes throughout the Exchange District and along part of Sherbrook Street (before it ends at Broadway, leaving cyclists in an unprotected lane). Those protected lanes take away a lane from cars, which is a good start, said Cohoe. "It's shown that you can do it but it takes a willingness," he said. "As the city grows we have to make some different choices and focus not on how to move cars, but how do we move people." Distasio signalled the Graham Avenue transit mall, created in 1995, as a positive change. That has relocated a number of buses off other roads in an attempt to ease congestion. It runs parallel to the city's major artery of Portage Avenue and hosts 1,800 buses and 100,000 riders every weekday, according to the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone. But that's not enough progress to make significant change, said Orly Linovski, assistant professor in the department of city planning at the University of Manitoba. "There's not a lot [that has been done], to be honest with you. They're going in fits and starts," she said. Distasio agrees, saying there needs to be "a massive shift" with a full commitment to change. "We're trying to retool a system that we allowed to be dominated by the automobile, and trying to retrofit all these other uses into it," he said. "It doesn't work." Chicken and egg Part of the hesitation in committing to that massive shift can be attributed to the city being in a chicken-and-egg situation when it comes to public transit, said Linovski. That being, which comes first — ridership or investment? "It's 100 per cent a chicken-and-the-egg thing. Obviously politicians don't want to put money into a system that's seen as failing, but also people won't take it if the service isn't good," Linovski said. Same goes for the bike network, said Cohoe, whose Bike Winnipeg commissioned a Probe Research survey that found <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-cyclists-poll-caa-1.4759579> 21 per cent of Winnipeggers ride a bike daily or a few times a week. "When we asked [how many people would ride] if we … create the facilities and the network to make cycling comfortable for you, that percentage of people who might be biking went up to 45 per cent," he said. Winnipeg is making strides in that direction with its rapid transit network — designed to cut down commuting time by having buses zip along exclusive corridors — though many people probably haven't noticed much change yet, said Distasio. The initial 3.6-kilometre stretch, from downtown to the Pembina Highway/Jubilee Avenue underpass, opened in 2012 at a cost of $138 million. "I think it's done well but it's such a small scale I don't think people get the full impact. As that second leg gets completed, I think Winnipeggers will get their first strong taste of how quickly you can move at a long distance without repeated interruptions by street traffic," Distasio said. Phase 2, a seven-kilometre extension from Jubilee to Bison Drive, near the University of Manitoba, is scheduled to be done in 2020 at a cost of about $470 million. I think the city is trying to take important steps forward," but it can't do it alone, Distasio said. "We need the enhanced political support from all levels of government, along with the citizens of this city, to realize investment in transportation benefits everybody. It's about creating a more efficient city that will take us into the next century." City originally designed around public transit Ironically, Winnipeg had it right a long time ago. In its early days and into the beginning of the 1950s, the city was designed around the streetcar and public transportation. The automobile was almost secondary. "A lot of the neighbourhoods that are easy to cycle and walk in today is because of their built form that's historic," said Linovski. "Osborne Village was developed as one of the first streetcar suburbs, so its built form was based on people, not driving." The neighbourhood developed a healthy density because people wanted to live close to the streetcar line. That density also attracted businesses and services, which turned the area into a compact community, with many people walking and cycling. "That mix of uses is hard to replicate in a new community," Linovski said. But the city wants to try. It hopes to develop density along bus rapid-transit corridors <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/tower-stradbrook-transit-corridor-1…> with residences close to the stations. "We were at the leading edge and now we're sort of looking back at where we should be," said Distasio. The change came during the late 1950s and '60s as suburbs became popular and vehicles became a necessity to get around. That was the period where many North American became "hell-bent on punching freeways through inner-city neighbourhoods," said Distasio. Winnipeg also embraced the automobile "hook, line and sinker," building bigger parking lots and wider streets and became dominated by a car culture, he said. However, its growth didn't match that of other large Canadian cities and Winnipeg avoided the freeway frenzy — but not by choice. There were plans in place, including one that called for the demolition of much of the East Exchange District to make way for modernist buildings and expressways. However, Winnipeg is seeing a rebound. The city's population has grown by nearly 42,000 — or 6.3. per cent <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/census-manitoba-winnipeg-growth-1.3…> — since 2011, according to 2016 census data (the latest census profile available). In comparison, it added about 30,000 people between 2006 and 2011 — a 4.8 per cent change. And a report from the City of Winnipeg <https://www.winnipeg.ca/cao/pdfs/CommunityTrendsandPerformanceReportVolume1…> projects the population will surpass 1 million by 2040. The city has also seen rapid growth in its suburbs in recent years. As a result, Winnipeggers are facing more traffic congestion than they have in generations. "We're now at the point where, in the next 10 years, if Winnipeg's growth continues, people are going to face an even more significant traffic crunch and more interruptions by infrastructure renewal projects that are going to continue to heat up tempers," said Distasio. That is, unless pressure is taken off that road infrastructure by establishing a multi-modal network — whether that uses buses, subways, trains, or monorails — that respects bicycles, cars, and pedestrians, he said. "Now is the time. Every year that we hesitate on creating a sustainable transportation environment, the more critical it's going to be and the more expensive it will become." The tricky part is how to do it. "We can look at the great cities of Paris and New York and London and say that they have these wonderful transportation systems," Distasio said. "But we need to look at what would work for this city, this climate, our topography, our urban structure, and come up with a solution that fits the city not only today, but for the next 50 years." Some cities on the right track, he said, include Seattle, Ottawa and Minneapolis, all of which have seen their car culture evolve into a transportation system that combines buses and light rail transit <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/rapid-transit-a-tale-of-two-cities-…> . Winnipeg considered light rail when it first began plans for rapid transit. The city's executive policy committee recommended that route in 2010 but a new council nixed the idea in 2014. While Distasio likes what those other cities are doing, it doesn't mean Winnipeg can just use their template. "Those systems can't simply be transplanted here. We need to figure out, with our rivers and our existing patterns, what's going to make sense." Political will In addition to infrastructure changes, there need to be policy changes to discourage vehicle use, such as higher taxes on fuel and cars, Linovski said. "Other jurisdictions have car registration taxes, like in Quebec, [where] the car registration tax goes to fund public transit," she said. "But there isn't the political will to tax ourselves to pay for different types of improvements even though, historically, we have subsidized roads and cars, as well as gas, in a way that has made it very easy and very cheap to drive." The thing that has consistently proven to encourage people to drive less is making it easier to walk or cycle, or providing fast and convenient transit options. Period. That's the framework on which Winnipeg needs to build its system, Distasio said. "It's incumbent upon us to come up with a system that alleviates that pressure but does so in a manner that is sustainable," he said. "We're talking about a plan to continue to ensure that Winnipeg is a healthy, safe place to commute in — by any mode that anybody selects on any given day." ------------------------------ *Interested in making Manitoba streets safer? CBC created a new group on Facebook called Road to Safety <http://www.facebook.com/groups/860243351022929/?source_id=170300219399>.* Darren Bernhardt spent the first dozen years of his journalism career in newspapers, first at the Regina Leader-Post then the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. He has been with CBC Manitoba since 2009 and specializes in offbeat and local history stories and features. Story idea? Email: darren.bernhardt(a)cbc.ca

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Montreal & Vancouver make Top 20 cycling cities in world list
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '19

28 Jun '19

https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-de… -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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WFP: E-scooter rental company plans Alberta launch (Jun28'19)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '19

28 Jun '19

*E-SCOOTER RENTAL COMPANY PLANS ALBERTA LAUNCH * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/calgary-and-edmonton-targeted-fo… CALGARY — A company backed by Toronto Raptors founder John Bitove says it will bring e-scooter rentals to Calgary and Edmonton in early July. Newly founded Bird Canada says Alberta will be the launching point for its line of dockless electric-powered scooters, but it plans to expand to eventually offer scootersharing and other “commuter solutions” across the country. The company says Kelowna, B.C., is likely to be the next city to see its products. Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons says it negotiated the exclusive licence to offer device-sharing services in Canada from California-based Bird, which was founded in 2017 and has grown to operate in 120 cities, mainly in North America and Europe. Lyons says the company decided to come to Alberta first because it anticipates that exceptions to provincial regulations requested by the cities of Calgary and Edmonton will be granted soon, thus allowing the e-scooters to be operated on public roads. He says customers will be able to use the machines at a cost of $1.15 to start and 35 cents a minute after, a rate which he says makes the service competitive with public transit. The company expects to put between 500 and 1,000 e-scooters in each city. The devices have attracted complaints in some cities of littering sidewalks and being tossed in streams, but Lyons says his firm is committed to have enough staff to track and return wayward e-scooters. — The Canadian Press

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Low income transit pass – Survey live
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jun '19

27 Jun '19

*Un message en français suivra.* Good day, Thank you to all those who have provided input and perspectives on the low income transit pass program so far. Your feedback has been invaluable in identifying areas in need of greater focus. Since we last met, Council approved the low income transit pass. Once implemented in spring 2020, eligible adults will be able to purchase a monthly transit pass at a 30 percent discount. We are currently seeking your feedback on the implementation of a low income transit pass, including criteria for eligibility to improve the success of the program. Please complete the survey *before July 10* and share with your networks and community partners. Complete the survey now <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52Y925J>. A report on stakeholder feedback will be included with a report to Council on the program’s proposed implementation in fall 2019. Once the low income transit pass is introduced, we will be consulting with those who are using it to gather their feedback and improve implementation over time. Focus groups and interviews will be held to determine the lived experience of those using the low income transit pass and how the program could be improved. Information on the low income transit pass is available online at winnipeg.ca/lowincometransitpass <http://www.winnipeg.ca/lowincometransitpass>. If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss further, please do not hesitate to contact me at lowincometransitpass(a)winnipeg.ca. Bonjour, Merci à toutes les personnes ayant fait part de leurs commentaires et points de vue sur le programme de laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu. Vos rétroactions sont essentielles pour déterminer les domaines ayant besoin de davantage de travail. Depuis notre dernière rencontre, le Conseil a approuvé le laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu. Une fois le programme mis en œuvre en 2020, les adultes admissibles pourront acheter un laissez-passer d’autobus mensuel en jouissant d’une réduction de 30 %. Nous vous demandons vos rétroactions pour la mise en œuvre d’un laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu, notamment en ce qui concerne les critères d’admissibilité, et ce, pour améliorer la réussite du programme. Veuillez remplir le sondage *avant le 10 juillet* et le faire suivre à vos réseaux et à vos partenaires communautaires. Répondre au sondage maintenant <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5C269WW>. Un rapport sur les rétroactions des parties prenantes sera inclus aux côtés d’un rapport soumis au Conseil concernant la mise en œuvre proposée à l’automne 2019. Une fois le laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu présenté, nous consulterons les personnes qui s’en servent pour recueillir leurs rétroactions et améliorer la mise en œuvre au fil du temps. Des groupes de consultation et des entrevues seront organisés pour déterminer l’expérience des personnes à faible revenu utilisant le laissez-passer ainsi que les façons d’améliorer le programme. Vous trouverez des renseignements sur le laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu en ligne à winnipeg.ca/laissezpasserpourfaiblerevenu <https://www.winnipeg.ca/laissezpasserpourfaiblerevenu>. Si vous avez des questions ou si vous souhaitez prendre un rendez-vous pour en discuter davantage, n’hésitez pas à m’écrire à lowincometransitpass(a)winnipeg.ca. Regards/Cordialement, [image: City of Winnipeg logo] <https://winnipeg.ca/> *Neil Bailey* Public Engagement Officer City of Winnipeg *Office of Public Engagement* *Customer Service and Communications* *TELEPHONE: *204-451-2591 *EMAIL: *neilbailey(a)winnipeg.ca *WEBSITE: *winnipeg.ca *ADDRESS: *4th Floor, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1B9 *CONNECT WITH US:* [image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> [image: Twitter] <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> *Confidentiality Notice:** The information contained in this message is intended solely for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any use, dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this message and attachments, in whole or in part, by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and permanently delete the complete message and any attachments. Thank you.*

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WFP: Drive to lower speed limits hits bump (Jun26'19)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jun '19

26 Jun '19

*Drive to lower speed limits hits bump* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/drive-to-lower-speed-limits-hits-bu… THERE appears to be growing support in favour of reducing the speed limit on all Winnipeg residential streets to 30 km/h. Six groups and individuals attended a public works committee meeting Tuesday, calling on city hall to follow the example of hundreds of cities across Europe that have already made the move. “We envision a city where all children and youth have the opportunity to walk, bike or roll to school safely and, at times, independently,” Denae Penner of the Green Action Centre told councillors. “The streets in Winnipeg are unsafe for children to travel to school or to their friends’ houses or other activities because of high speeds (and) high volumes of cars on those roads.” The speed limit for the city’s residential areas is 50 km/h, unless otherwise posted. Penner and others — including representatives of the Winnipeg Trails Association, Safe Speeds Winnipeg and Bike Winnipeg — urged the committee to dramatically alter the city’s streetscape with lower speed limits, accompanied with road alterations to encourage slower speeds, including narrowing roadways, adding more bike lanes and a switch to angle parking. The presentations were prompted by a proposed bylaw the administration has drafted in response to the Pallister government’s decision to allow all Manitoba municipalities to set their own speed limits — a function which had previously required the approval of the Highway Traffic Board. City staff have proposed maintaining all current speed limits, as they were March 1. The new bylaw, once approved by city council, will take effect Sept. 1. David Patman, City of Winnipeg transportation manager, said the administration will later develop a process for speed-limit change requests. The committee Tuesday voted 3-1 to support the proposed new bylaw. Coun. Vivian Santos, the lone dissenting vote, urged the others to lower the speed limit to 40 km/h on residential streets. “Look at the pedestrians and cyclists who are dying. We need to do something now,” Santos later told reporters. Coun. Matt Allard, chairman of the committee, said while he recognized the growing support for a lower speed limit, he said it wouldn’t be fair for the committee to impose it without consulting other councillors and the community — and allowing those in opposition to speak on the issue. The presentations Tuesday appear in stark contrast to a Probe Research study from mid-October 2018, which found nearly two-thirds of Winnipeggers it polled were opposed to a lower speed limit. Patman said a move to 30 km/h would be expected to encounter resistance from many motorists and would require increased police enforcement. He suggested a pilot study be conducted, with one neighbourhood chosen to study the public response and implementation issues. Santos countered a pilot study was unnecessary, arguing Winnipeggers have become accustomed to lower speeds as a result of the 30 km/h limit in school zones. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Wpg Sun: City looking at rerouting active transportation during construction interruptions (Jun25'19)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jun '19

25 Jun '19

*City looking at rerouting active transportation during construction interruptions* https://winnipegsun.com/news/news-news/city-looking-at-rerouting-active-tra… City guidelines will be updated early next year to consider how best to address active transportation routes, when construction projects interrupt their use. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), who chairs council’s public works committee, moved a successful motion Tuesday that calls to update a civic construction manual with considerations around the interruption of AT routes. “The issue of AT is, if you do close a street, you are closing a much bigger section of the network than you would be in the case of vehicle traffic where you can just go to the next street, in some cases you might have to take a significant (AT) detour if you’re staying on the network,” said Allard. The updates are expected to return to council’s public works committee in February 2020.

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The Herald: Interest in AT strong in East St. Paul (Jun21'19)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '19

22 Jun '19

Interest in AT strong in East St. Paul https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/Room-to-improve-on… North of the Perimeter, the RM of East St. Paul is also home to a network of paved and unpaved active transportation pathways that continues to grow. “Anytime we have development coming forward, we’re always looking for that connectivity,” mayor Shelley Hart said. “We continue to upgrade our trail system.” The TransCanada Trail runs through the RM, and a paved AT path runs parallel to Hoddinott Road from Henderson Highway to Birds Hill. “That path gets a ton of use,” Hart said, adding that lights were recently added along the route. Currently, Hart said the municipal council is looking to pave the path that would connect Hoddinott to the Northeast Pioneers Greenway. “There’s a lot of room there,” Hart said. “We’re looking to turn it into a linear park, with places for people to stop and be engaged in different activities.” While Hart could not specify a date of completion for the project, she did say that council is eager to see it move along. “I’d like to see some progress this year. We’re just looking at costs and possibilities for funding to allow us to do more sooner.”

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The Herald: Room to improve on strong cycling foundation (Jun21'19)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '19

22 Jun '19

Room to improve on strong cycling foundation Northeast Winnipeg’s cycling infrastructure: the good, the bad, the ugly https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/Room-to-improve-on… They say that "if you build it, they will come." But how do you get there in the first place? For Bike to Work Day on June 17, Transcona city councillor Shawn Nason cycled the 14 kilometres from his home in the Park City to City Hall at the urging of Robb Massey. "I survived," Nason said with a smile on the steps of 555 Main St. "I’m probably 15 to 20 years removed from being an active cyclist. This was fun. It’s rejuvenating. I’m arriving here at a reasonable hour, and reasonably awake. We’ll see how I’m doing around three o’clock when I have to start thinking about the ride home." Massey, a cycling advocate who ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Elmwood-East Kildonan councillor Jason Schreyer in the civic election last year, reached out to Nason as a means of highlighting how inconsistent cycling infrastructure is in northeast Winnipeg is. "It was a nice ride," said Massey, whose daughters Olivia and Sinéad joined the ride on their way to school. "We didn’t see too many cyclists out there, which I think speaks to some of the challenges we have riding from the northeast to downtown." The wide, tree-lined avenues in northeast Winnipeg are inviting to cyclists. The area is also home to an array of active transportation projects and pathways — from the Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge to the Transcona Trail — that residents and City staff alike can look to with pride. But getting from one route to another safely can be challenging. That lack of connection is a constant complaint among cycling advocates and enthusiasts. Nason acknowledged as much. "It was a fairly disjointed ride," Nason admitted. "We saw the greater part of Elmwood-EK to get here, but overall it felt fairly safe." The good The Northeast Pioneers Greenway, which runs parallel to Gateway and Raleigh from Talbot Avenue in Elmwood north to East St. Paul, provides a sheltered, scenic thoroughfare for cyclists and pedestrians. The 6.5-kilometre paved pathway is a former CPR rail line and is often touted as a successful example of active transportation infrastructure. "The Greenway is wonderful," said Emma Durand-Wood, a member of the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association who joined Massey and Nason on their ride in Elmwood. "But the problem is there’s not a lot to get to on the Greenway. It’s a great way to get to Superstore, or the park way up north. It’s a great piece of cycling infrastructure, but it doesn’t get us to the library, or the drug store, or Sobeys." While the Greenway does connect to a number of east-west on-street routes that the City’s Public Works department lists as low- to medium-stress routes for cyclists, there are some outstanding issues, particularly in connecting to AT paths in St. Boniface to the south. "Finishing some of those connections aren’t necessarily huge capital costs, but they’re important," Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) admitted. "Those small improvements would go a long way." Coun. Schreyer agreed, adding that he believes that repurposing the aging Louise Bridge as an active transportation bridge is an idea that council should at least consider. "Sooner or later they’ve got to deal with it," he said. The Chief Peguis Trail in North Kildonan runs east from Main Street over the Kildonan Settlers Bridge to Lagimodière Boulevard, connecting to the Northeast Pioneers Greenway and the Bunn’s Creek Trail at Gateway Road. The extension of the Chief Peguis Trail west to McPhillips includes a major active transportation link to northwest Winnipeg. Transcona, meanwhile, is home to over 22 kilometres of paved active transportation trails, many more limestone neighbourhood trails, and a number of low- to medium-stress street routes for cyclists. "We have a lot of multi-purpose trails, we’re very fortunate," said Val Cousineau, president of the Transcona Trails Association. "Because so much new development is happening now we have a chance to get a really amazing system in there." "We have a lot of new subdivisions, especially in Transcona, where it’s part of the development agreement that AT is built in," Nason explained. The bad While designated active transit pathways like the Transcona Trail and the Northeast Pioneers Greenway offer ideal conditions for cyclists, the reality is most cyclists need to use city streets to get where they’re going. "When people don’t feel safe on the roads, or when motorists feel squeezed or frustrated, that creates challenges," Massey said. Sometimes, the streets the City has designated as a bike route don’t make sense to commuters, Massey argued. "We’ve designated Roch (Street) as a bike route, but it’s not connected," he said by way of example. Instead, commuters favour Brazier Street. Wayfinding signage directing cyclists to AT pathways and designated on street bike routes is an issue Cousineau and Nason would like to see improved. "I think what City needs to do now is wayfinding for cyclists," Cousineau said. "There should be safe cycling routes throughout the city." Durand-Wood and her husband have three children between the ages of two and nine years old. They recently sold their car and rely on public transportation, cycling, or walking to get around. "We tend to try to find routes that allow for the adults to ride on a low-traffic street and the kids to ride on the sidewalk, which is doable," Durand-Wood said. "But the crossing at the major streets like Henderson and Johnson are very scary." Durand-Wood said she would like to see more separated bike lanes on major streets, or at least have active transportation considered when major streets like Johnson and Munroe are up for renewal. "If it’s not safe enough for me to ride with my children, it’s not that safe," she said. "I don’t really foresee being able to increase the amount of cycling until that happens." "There are all sorts of little things that don’t have to cost a lot of money that would make people safer," Massey suggested. "Like painting green lines through the intersections, cars would be aware that there could be cyclists." "Having protected, designated bike lanes on some of our major streets would be well supported," Nason said "(But) these are all projects that take considerable capital. It has to be a priority of council and the budget working group, of which I am currently not a part of. In the meantime, hopefully they’ll see the way and continue to improve our cycling network." The ugly Although Transcona boasts a series of active transportation paths that would be the envy of many neighbourhoods in the city, getting out of the Park City itself can be difficult — if not downright daunting — for cyclists. "There are short gaps in cycling infrastructure throughout the city, but they’re key gaps," Cousineau said. "It’s those little key links between communities that are so important." "We have to make sure that these ATs are connected to something," Nason added. "We have to find a way there." Lagimodière Boulevard separates Transcona from the rest of the city, as do the CN rail line that runs parallel to Regent/Nairn Avenue in the south and the CPR, which cuts southwest from Gunn Road to Panet Road. As a result, opportunities for safe, low-stress cycling routes are limited. "We’re advocating to complete the Transcona Trail, over to Panet and Mission," Cousineau said. "That’s a high priority for us. Those links to Elmwood and East Kildonan are important." According to Nason, an AT connection along that route had been included in an early draft budget for 2019, but was cut. "I’ve asked (council) to go back, to see if there’s a way we can do it, to find a separated bike path," Nason said. "I have patience for the system on this," Schreyer said regarding connecting Transcona to East Kildonan. "It’s not simple, but it’s not off the agenda. Those routes are being developed fairly, I believe." The Chief Peguis Trail and AT paths in and around Kilcona Park are separated only by Lagimodière. Though controlled, the intersection is listed by the City’s Public Works department as an area of caution. Browaty said that while a better connection between the Chief Peguis Trail and Kilcona Park has been discussed over the years, it was not a high priority of his. "There are a number of things in Kilcona Park that need improvement first," he said. "But it would be nice." A higher priority for Browaty is improving or adding sidewalks on routes like DeVries Avenue or Henderson Highway north of Chief Peguis. "It’s not easy to add active transportation on Henderson," Browaty added. "The saving grace is there are some parallel routes that have had some active transportation additions to them." "Sidewalks are 90 per cent of the active transportation system," Schreyer added. "If we’re serious about active transportation, we have to maintain our sidewalks in the winter time." *Sheldon Birnie* *Community journalist — The Herald* Sheldon Birnie is the community journalist for The Herald Email him at sheldon.birnie(a)canstarnews.com Call him at 204-697-7112

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Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project - Survey Deadline Extension
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '19

21 Jun '19

Find Bike Winnipeg's draft recommendations and comments regarding the project here: https://bikewinnipeg.ca/2019/06/19/draft-recommendations-and-comments-wolse… * * * * * The deadline to provide your input on the Wolseley to Downtown Corridor Project through the online survey <https://na1se.voxco.com/SE/111/wolseleytodowntown/> has been extended. The survey will close on the evening of *June 23, 2019*. Thank you to everyone who has already provided input! The project team will enter Phase 3 of the public engagement program in fall 2019 to share a recommended design. Phase 3 will include additional opportunities to provide feedback before the proposed design is complete. For more information visit winnipeg.ca/walkbikeprojects <https://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkBikeProjects/def…> .

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CBC: 8 Winnipeg libraries to get outdoor bike repair stations (Jun21'19)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '19

21 Jun '19

*8 Winnipeg libraries to get outdoor bike repair stations* City issues tender to build stations at city libraries https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bike-repair-stations-winnipeg-1.518… Winnipeggers may soon be able to find a book and fix up their bike in the same place. The city has issued a request for tenders to install bike repair stations — each complete with a bike rack, repair stand, pump and basic tools — outside eight libraries across Winnipeg. Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg calls the move a step in the right direction. "It's a way to create an easy and accessible way for people to do quick repairs on the bikes," he said. "It's something where, if you don't have access to those tools … it'll make a big difference being able to go to the library, put your bike up, and get it fixed." The libraries which will see the outdoor stations built include the Henderson, Harvey Smith (West End), Charleswood, Fort Garry, St. James-Assiniboia, Sir William Stephenson and Osborne branches. The city already has 13 bike repair stations scattered throughout Winnipeg, including one recently opened at City Hall. 'Bicycles are power machines' Patrick Krawec, managing director at the WRENCH, a charity that breathes new life into old bikes and teaches people how to fix them, says he's glad to see more stations being added. "The city supporting infrastructure for bicycles and programming, especially at a place where people really connect, like libraries, shows that the city realizes that a prosperous city needs bicycles — that bicycles are power machines to generate health, wealth and happiness," he said. "To bring people together with bicycles in a community setting — any step in that direction is a good thing." But, as well as providing space to fix bikes, Krawec said he'd also like to the city run programming around the importance of cycling and bicycle repair. He says he's heard of tools from the other stands being stolen, and then used to steal bikes. "I think it would be good to have some other programming tied to (the stations), especially explaining them to people so people value them," he said. "I think sometimes they might get vandalized, or misused, because people don't realize what a resource it is. "A tool is an inanimate object, a human will help you connect over that tool." The deadline for submissions to build the stands is June 27 and a city spokesperson said the work is expected to be completed by the fall of 2019 or spring of 2020. The cost of the project won't be known until the bids are chosen, the spokesperson said.

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CBC: Montreal's suburban drivers will pay more for car registration to boost transit funding
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jun '19

21 Jun '19

*Montreal's suburban drivers will pay more for car registration to boost transit funding* https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/motorists-registration-costs-montre… Suburban motorists will have to pay $50 more a year for their car's registration as officials look for new ways to fund public transit. Montrealers already pay the extra fee, but the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) approved a measure Thursday that will require drivers in the surrounding suburbs to pay it as well. This new price hike will generate an estimated $100 million a year to support bus, train and Metro services. "We are talking about $1 a week," said Laval Mayor Marc Demers before the CMM approved the increase. "We are talking about a tax that aims to alleviate traffic congestion, improve public transit and, of course, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of air." Only Boucherville Mayor Jean Martel voted against the fee increase, which will come into effect in 2021. "People want an improvement in public transit and we must find a way to finance this," said Demers. Most municipal financing comes from property taxes, but authorities must diversify funding sources, he said. While most officials might think it's a good idea, not everybody on the South Shore agrees. Mary Ward said she already pays higher fares for public transportation as a resident of Longueuil and costs are so high, young people can't even afford to use the service. "I think it's awful," said Ward of the proposed fee. "I'm totally against it. I don't think it should be done at all." Plante backs plan to tax suburban drivers On Wednesday, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante defended the level of investment the city is making in public and active transportation. "At the CMM, we are 82 municipalities and each has different realities," she said. While issues between those municipalities differ, the fact remains that the "CMM must make firm commitments and position itself" when it comes to funding public transit. At the same time, she said both the provincial and federal governments must loosen the purse strings and "invest heavily" in public transit. Her administration wants "clear commitments" from the higher levels of government. Chantal Rouleau, junior transport minister and minister for Montreal, has said she is not in favour of additional taxation on suburban motorists to better fund public transit systems. Legally, however, the Coalition Avenir Québec does not have the power to prevent the CMM from imposing an increase.

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WFP: Isabel ped signal & City to oversee speed limits (Jun20'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

*ISABEL STREET TO GET PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS * PEDESTRIAN safety measures are planned for a stretch of Isabel Street where a four-year-old girl died after being struck by a vehicle earlier this year. The public works department, mirroring proposals suggested by Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas), is recommending the pedestrian corridor at Ross Avenue be replaced with traffic signals and the crossing at Alexander Avenue be upgraded with the addition of mid-level, amber flashing lights. The changes follow the death in March of a four-year-old who was struck by a car while crossing at Alexander with her mother. A report to the June 25 public works committee meeting states the cost of purchasing and installing traffic signals at Ross is about $250,000; the mid-level flashing amber lights at Alexander is $5,000. Both items would be funded out of the $2.5 million council set aside for unspecified pedestrian safety enhancements from the bonus $40-million-plus federal gas tax revenue. *CITY TO OVERSEE SPEED LIMITS * CITY hall is putting the regulatory framework in place to oversee speed limits across Winnipeg. A bylaw is being prepared in the wake of the Pallister government’s decision earlier this year to allow municipalities to set their own speed limits. Previously,changes to speed limits had to be considered and approved by the Highway Traffic Board. The new law requires municipalities to enact their own bylaws governing speed limits. The bylaw being proposed by city staff would maintain all current speed limits as they were on March 1. There is a time factor: if municipalities don’t pass a new bylaw by Sept. 1, speed limits within the city will default to 50 km/h. There are only two more council meetings before the deadline: Thursday, and the July council meeting. Once the bylaw has been approved by council, the administration will develop a process for speed-limit change requests. — Aldo Santin

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WFP: Requests for speed humps almost always denied (Jun20'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

*Report shows test requirements rarely met* * Requests hit speed hump * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/requests-for-speed-humps-almost-alw… MOST requests for speed humps on Winnipeg streets don’t result in the traffic-calming measures being implemented, said a report that will be presented to a city committee next week. “This finding does not mean that the current technical standard is ineffective,” wrote the report’s author, transportation division manager David Patman. “But it does substantiate the need to evaluate the standard to ensure it is appropriately structured for the City of Winnipeg context and reflective of national best practices.” The report, which will be reviewed Tuesday by the public works committee, found only about one-fifth of applicants met the initial requirement to garner 70 per cent neighbourhood support for their request in a petition. Of the 156 calls to 311 requesting speed humps on public streets from 2015 to 2018, only 32 people reached that threshold. None of these requests resulted in speed humps being installed because they didn’t pass a speed test conducted by the city. The committee’s report said a street must meet one of three requirements to pass the test: the street’s average speed must exceed the speed limit, at least 15 per cent of vehicles must exceed the speed limit by 5 km/h or at least 10 per cent of vehicles must exceed the limit by 10 km/h. Of 14 calls made to 311 that requested the traffic-calming measures on public lanes during the same three-year period, four people satisfied the petition requirement. Of these, two requests satisfied the rest of the requirements and the speed humps were installed. Steve Rosdobutko, who has lived on Grove Street in North Point Douglas for 15 years, said he and a group of his neighbours tried to get speed humps installed on their street about five years ago. “It’s been like a race track up here for a long time,” Rosdobutko said. “It shouldn’t have to wait for somebody to be hurt (or) killed… When is enough enough?” Rosdobutko estimated the group collected about 50 to 60 signatures from people living on their street who were worried about the roads being unsafe for kids playing in the area — but they didn’t meet the minimum petition threshold, so nothing happened. “Nobody seemed to care,” Rosdobutko said. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), who was on the Riel community committee that recommended the public works committee review its speed hump approval process last year, said he wants to see if there’s a way to change the process so it’s more aligned with what people expect. “There (were) many streets where there was a desire for traffic control devices, but once the evaluation was done, it wasn’t warranted by the (public works) department,” Allard said. The city declined a request for an interview Wednesday, and instead provided a written statement outlining a pilot program for speed tables that will be completed later this year. Speed tables are flat-topped speed humps that are typically long enough for the entire wheelbase of a passenger car to rest on top. Their length, as well as ramps that are more gently sloped than speed humps, may be more appropriate for streets with higher speeds. caitlyn.gowriluk(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Free transit rides for kids would cost $1M a year: city (Jun20'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

[Unfortunately no mention of Victoria's recent decision to fund free transit for youth through parking revenue <https://globalnews.ca/news/5384599/victoria-approves-free-public-transit/>] *Free transit rides for kids would cost $1M a year: city * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/transit-pegs-cost-of-free-rides-for… COUN. Matt Allard’s campaign promise to offer free bus rides to kids has a price tag even he admits could squelch the initiative. A report from Winnipeg Transit says it could cost taxpayers more than $1 million annually to provide free transportation for children age six to 11. The report, to be considered at the June 25 public works committee meeting, breaks down the cost of Allard’s idea. It includes an estimated $834,000 in lost fare and $200,000 in additional operating expenses, presumably related to additional salaries for two new buses needed for the project. (The cost of two buses is a further $1.34 million.) Allard, who proposed the idea during the 2018 civic election, said he believes the amounts are exaggerated, but admits it may be a tough sell. “I have to say I’m a bit skeptical on the numbers presented by Transit,” the public works committee chairman said, adding he thought the report exaggerates the number of children who use transit and what it would mean in terms of lost revenue. “I ride transit quite a bit, and I just don’t see that age group riding the buses now,” Allard said. “I ran for re-election with the promise that this is something I would bring to council — and I think it’s a good idea. My challenge now is having that conversation with members of the committee and other council members to see if eventually this is something we would fund.” Allard had hoped the initiative would get kids to use the bus, and they would become paying customers after turning 12. He said offering free fare to children age six to 11 might also encourage parents to use Transit more. Currently, children five and under ride transit for free; children between the ages of six and 16 (and other high school-aged youth) receive a 30 per cent discount on the full fare. Transit says it collected $8.34 million in children and youth fare revenue in 2018, but it has no way of knowing how many of those children are between the ages of six and 11. It estimates the number at 10 per cent, and placed the potential lost revenue at $834,000. The report noted Edmonton has been offering free transit to children since 2018, where it’s estimated the annual revenue loss will be about $2 million with an additional $880,000 in operating costs, along with the need to purchase 17 additional buses. Toronto had a marked jump in the number of children riders (to 28 million from 22 million), when it began offering free transportation. It estimates it has lost $8 million in revenue. Winnipeg Transit says it didn’t expect to see the same experience as Toronto and Edmonton, and projected lower operating costs and revenue loss. As an alternative, Transit suggests free fares for children could be incorporated into the proposed low-income discount initiative, which has yet to be fully costed. The report doesn’t make a recommendation to the committee about adopting the plan. It says if councillors want to proceed, children should be required to get a Peggo card so they have to provide their age. The free-fare period would expire on their 12th birthday. “One of the key challenges with offering free transit for children under the age of 12 is determining who is eligible at the time of use,” the report states. “Bus operators would have a difficult time determining the age of a child if no additional identification was required. “Some controls would need to be in place to ensure the program was not abused.” aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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BC promotes active transportation, Vision Zero, $850 incentive for e-bikes
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '19

20 Jun '19

[British Columbia] has just introduced a new "active transportation strategy" <https://cleanbc.gov.bc.ca/active> that is designed to get people out of cars and on to alternatives... The goal of the plan is to double the percentage of trips taken with active transportation, which is already pretty high in cities like Vancouver. They are adopting Vision Zero (the real thing, with the first point being "working with communities to build and improve safe active transportation infrastructure"). https://www.treehugger.com/alternative/british-columbia-promotes-active-tra… -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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Rules of the Road: Compliance and Defiance among the Different Types of Cyclists
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '19

19 Jun '19

From: "Zdan, Terry (MI)" <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> A recent Canadian study in Montreal found only 0.6% of surveyed cyclist follow traffic laws…”.. reflects a disconnect between the safety goals of traffic laws and the reality on the streets…” is it any different here? https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0361198119844965 *Rules of the Road: Compliance and Defiance among the Different Types of Cyclists* Nick Chaloux <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0361198119844965> https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198119844965 Article information <https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0361198119844965> [image: Full Access] *Article Information* Article first published online: May 3, 2019 Nick Chaloux <https://journals.sagepub.com/author/Chaloux%2C+Nick>1, Ahmed El-Geneidy <https://journals.sagepub.com/author/El-Geneidy%2C+Ahmed>1 1School of Urban Planning, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada Corresponding Author: Address correspondence to Ahmed El-Geneidy: ahmed.elgeneidy(a)mcgill.ca Abstract Although cycling has become a more attractive option to commuters in many North American cities recently, significant apprehension remains around its safety. Though risks experienced by cyclists are diverse, the idea that they are because of scofflaw cyclists—cyclists who regularly ignore the rules of the road—remains prevalent. Improving cycling safety requires countering this idea, and therefore an understanding of how different cyclists act under the existing rules. Using a survey of 1,329 cyclists in Montreal, Canada, this study generated a typology of cyclists based on cycling motivations and behaviors and conducted comparisons based on their responses to four cycling rule-breaking scenarios. Our study shows that all cyclist types contravene traffic laws in similar ways, and 0.6% of respondents consistently follow the traffic laws. Breaking the law was often considered the safest option by respondents, which reflects a disconnect between the safety goals of traffic laws and the reality on the streets based on the perspectives of different cyclist types. Although cyclist types may act similarly in response to existing laws, they still respond uniquely to policies aimed at increasing rule adherence. Targeted interventions aimed at educating young cyclists, improving dedicated infrastructure, and prioritizing cycling traffic could increase rule compliance across all types. Through our study, planners, policy makers, and law enforcement could improve cycling safety by better understanding the behavior and rationale taken by cyclists.

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Crestview man rescues baby crow & takes on daily bike rides
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '19

19 Jun '19

Even crows are getting in on Bike Week! https://globalnews.ca/news/5392870/crescentview-man-rescues-baby-crow-takes…

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WFP: MPI criticized for recommending protective equipment for cyclers (Jun19'19)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '19

19 Jun '19

*MPI criticized for recommending protective equipment for cyclers * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mpi-criticized-for-advising-excessi… SOME Winnipeg cycling enthusiasts took to social media this weekend to criticize a list of recommended safety equipment for cyclists published by Manitoba’s public insurer, saying it amounted to suggesting people wear battle gear to ride their bikes. Erin Riediger said she first posted a picture from Manitoba Public Insurance’s cycling safety guide — which features a man wearing orangetinted safety glasses, a yellow safety vest and reflective bands on his wrists and ankles — on Twitter Sunday because she thinks the guide makes cycling seem like a dangerous activity. “When I first saw the photo, I thought it was a little bit comical because of the amount of gear that the cyclist was wearing,” Riediger said. “If anybody wanted to cycle in Winnipeg and they opened up this safety guide, it would turn them off immediately.” She said the amount of equipment the province’s public insurer recommends cyclists wear is ridiculous, and puts the onus for road safety solely on people riding bikes. “We don’t put the same sort of responsibility on drivers who could actually cause a lot more damage on the road,” she said. “Really, the issue isn’t what you’re wearing. It’s how the roads are designed and how you interact with traffic.” Brian Smiley, a spokesman for Manitoba Public Insurance, said the public insurer is in constant communication with Winnipeg’s cycling community for feedback to implement in its safety tips. Smiley said MPI creates its handbooks keeping in mind bikes and cars are using the same roads — but one is protected by a lot more metal. “A cyclist does not have a ton of steel protecting them (like) a motorist does,” he said. “Both groups are expected to share the road responsibly and safely, but in some situations that does not happen.” Smiley said MPI recommends cyclists take extra steps — like wearing brightly coloured, reflective clothing — to keep themselves safer. The safety guide Riediger posted suggests cyclists wear safety glasses or sunglasses, gloves and reflective ankle and wrist straps. It also recommends using mirrors, a bell and a bike panier attached over the rear wheel to increase safety. “For the cyclists, it’s a suggestion,” he said. “It’s nothing mandatory.” Smiley said main issues that have come up in MPI’s consultations with the cycling community are people driving their vehicles too close to cyclists when passing them on the road, and forgetting that each bike has a person on it. “We often lose sight of what a cyclist really is,” Smiley said. “It’s a person, it’s a mom, a dad, it’s an uncle, it’s a colleague.” Riediger said cycling safety gear is important, but the focus on cyclists armouring up to hit the streets could create a false sense of security for people on their bikes. “The most effective thing would be to be separated from the cars and eliminate the hazard of the cars,” she said. “The evidence is if you actually get hit by a car and you’re wearing a helmet, you’re likely to still be injured quite severely.” Riediger said she hopes to see more local politicians push for investments in cycling infrastructure projects like protected bike lanes across the city. caitlyn.gowriluk(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Victoria uses parking revenue to pay for free transit (under 18)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jun '19

18 Jun '19

Victoria approves free public transit for young residents starting in fall https://globalnews.ca/news/5384599/victoria-approves-free-public-transit/ A plan to provide free public transit to all Victoria resident under the age of 18 is becoming a reality. Starting in September, the City of Victoria will take on the cost of the $45 monthly youth transit passes. “The [Victoria Regional] Transit Commission made its decision yesterday to allow Victoria to purchase the fare product, so the U-Pass, the Universal Pass,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps. City council approved sending the plan to the transit commission in April. At that time, the province had said no money would come from them, leaving Victoria to figure out how to pay for it. The plan will not see any tax increases, despite a recommendation from council to do just that. Instead, the money will come from parking revenue, which currently brings in about $8 million a year. As of May 1, the city started charging for parking on Sundays, which is expected to add between $600,000 to $1 million to the pot. With 6,350 youth in the city, and passes at a cost of $135 per year, that should be enough to cover it. At the same time, Helps said families will also save. “It’s money back in parents’ pockets that can be spent on food, or rent or maybe ballet or soccer.” The idea is to create lifelong transit riders by starting them young. It’s also being called a promising step in combating climate change. Now, students from around the Capital Regional District (CRD) are hoping the commission will consider expanding the program to include other municipalities in the region, including Saanich and Oak Bay. “We really want it to be a CRD-wide thing,” Our Earth Our Future co-organizer Emma-Jane Burian said. “We really hope that the transit commission, after looking into it more, decides to do if for the whole region, but we’re still waiting to hear more.” Naturally, that has transit users are asking whether free transit for all is an option. Roughly one-third of transit revenues come from ridership. The city is hoping to look at what the total cost might be, and put it to the public to decide whether to shift the burden to taxpayers. “What I’d love to see in 2022 is a referendum across the region that says, ‘Here’s the price tag, do you want to pay?'” Helps said.

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Petition/Opposition against proposed one-ways in West Broadway (for Wolseley-Downtown connection)
by Sean Carlson 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

Say "NO" to Winnipeg's West Broadway One-Way Streets: https://www.change.org/p/the-city-of-winnipeg-say-no-to-winnipeg-s-west-bro… While it seems not to be a huge number of people yet, there are fears in certain members of the community need to be addressed, and that pro-cycling residents may need to be vigilant so they aren't drowned out. The comments on the petition might provide some insight into where oppoonents are coming from. The petition seems to be led by Houston Properties, or at the very least they distributed the following letter to some residents of Balmoral direction people to it (also attached as an image, which the Listserv may not support). Interesting how they create a false divide between "cyclists" and "residents"/ "people who work and live in the area". Residents of West Broadway, The City of Winnipeg is exploring options pertaining to the roadways in our neighborhood to accommodate cyclists and we want you to be aware of how these changes will affect your daily route. While Houston Properties fully supports cyclists, we feel the proposed option of turning the roads into a one-way will have a negative impact on our community. The city has proposed three options and they have considerable support for the first option which will be the worst for our residents. This proposition will change the following routes: - Balmoral will change into an eastbound one-way off Sherbrook and northbound to Broadway, meaning you will no longer have access off Broadway - Granite Way will become a westbound one-way off Osborne, resulting in NO access to Osborne, funneling Great West Life's 3000 car count into our neighbourhood and onto Broadway (which already has too much traffic) - Langside will be a southbound one-way from Balmoral to Westminster and home of a new bus route. All of these changes will greatly impact the daily lives of everyone in our neighbourhood by creating more vehicle congestion and it will significantly inconvenience the people who work and live in the area by making the route longer. If you're coming from the North or East you will now have to make a large loop around. Please take a minute and use your finger to trace your daily routes to understand how it personally impacts you. To date, much of the support has come from cyclists because residents in the surrounding area were not informed of the impending changes. With this information, we encourage you to take action and fight for the neighbourhood. The deadline is June 21 and here are ways in which you can take a stance: 1) Take the City of winnipeg's online survey. - Visit www.winnipeg.ca/walkbikeprojects -> Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Projects -> Engage -> Online survey 2) Voice your opinions to Councillor Sherri Rollins - E-mail address: srollins(a)winnipeg.ca - Phone number: (204) 986-5878 3) Sign the Petition - Visit http://chng.it/HrhHZKrJ -> Sign this Petition If you have any questions please contact the office at (204)772-07777. Thank you for your support, Houston Properties. *Sean Carlson* (he/him/his) Active and Safe Routes to School Program, Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 109 | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB *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/>. Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenActionCentre/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/greenactionctr> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/greenactioncentre/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-action-centre/> ᐧ

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UK advocates critical of substandard cycling / walking infrastructure
by Charles Feaver 17 Jun '19

17 Jun '19

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/17/painted-bike-lanes-waste-mo ney-cycling-commissioners?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19XZWVrZ GF5cy0xOTA2MTc%3D <https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/17/painted-bike-lanes-waste-m oney-cycling-commissioners?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19XZWVr ZGF5cy0xOTA2MTc%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianToda yUK&CMP=GTUK_email> &utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&CMP=GTUK_email UK AT advocate report critical of transportation investment. Some snippets: Painted bike lanes are waste of money, say cycling commissioners In a letter to the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, the commissioners - including the Olympic champions Chris Boardman (Greater Manchester), Dame Sarah Storey (Sheffield City region) and Will Norman (London) - say painted cycle lanes are a "gesture" and do nothing to make people feel safer on a bike. Recent studies have shown they can actually make people less safe, they argue. "As there are currently no national minimum safety standards for walking and cycling infrastructure, these practices can and will continue wasting public money and failing to persuade people to change their travel habits," the letter says. The commissioners also call for an end to car-centric transport planning and a move towards investment decisions that "account for the true cost of car use to society". They argue that current economic appraisal models used by the Treasury to decide whether to fund a new motorway or a segregated cycle lane "do not take full account of the negative consequences of making private car use easier, nor do they take full account of the benefits of walking and cycling on our health, wellbeing and environment". Charles Feaver <mailto:charles@bikewinnipeg.ca> charles(a)bikewinnipeg.ca 204.293.6332

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WFP: Cyclists say faded bike lanes unsafe (Jun13'19)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '19

13 Jun '19

*Cyclists say faded bike lanes unsafe * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/disappearing-bike-lanes-need-new-pa… JULIE Penner rides her bike to work every day. But lately, she said, she feels less safe on her commute from Wolseley to the Exchange District because the painted bike lane she uses on Sherbrook Street has faded and chipped away . “It’s like this every year. I’m surprised (it) isn’t given more of a priority,” Penner said. The City of Winnipeg did not respond to a request for comment. The city’s website page on lane-marking says the process begins in mid-April, when it’s warm enough for paint to adhere to the road. The page says crews work clockwise around Winnipeg, starting north of the Assiniboine River. Penner said she’s confused about why the city schedules the repainting based on geography instead of how often certain bike lanes are used. Mark Cohoe, executive director of cycling advocacy group Bike Winnipeg, said he would like to see the city make more of an effort to keep cyclists in mind when making the schedules. “The bike lanes should be one of the city’s priorities. If you’re on a bike, you’re one of the most vulnerable people out there,” he said. Cohoe is encouraged by steps the city has taken lately to create roads with expanded bike lanes and bicycle-specific traffic signals that have cyclists in mind, but he would like to see a more proactive approach to maintaining infrastructure that will help keep riders safe on the road. “It definitely does make a difference in terms of safety to have the bike lane there, but it’s only there if it’s painted and visible. If it isn’t there, the drivers are less likely to respect it,” he said. While painted bike lanes don’t give cyclists the same protection from vehicles as lanes that have barriers, they let drivers know to be aware that cyclists could be nearby, Penner said, adding that with the lane on Sherbrook Street disappearing, she has noticed cars inching closer to her on the road. “Cars are used to responding to paint on the road. I’m a driver, too. You respond to that. (If) there’s a solid line, then you don’t cross it,” she said. “They’re either unaware of the bike lane, or they don’t respect it as much because there’s just nothing on the ground.” Recent city actions that support cycling infrastructure are positive moves, but there are still gaps to fill, Penner said. “Right now, there’s bits and pieces where you can get downtown relatively safely in some areas, but not in others. It’s definitely requiring patience from the cycling community, but I do feel hopeful about it,” she said. Because the lanes will get repainted eventually, Penner said it might not seem like a big deal, but in the meantime, she said she’ll feel less safe when riding her bike. “It’s the lowest form of cycling protection, just paint on the ground, but even that is better than having nothing,” she said. “And I do feel like cars notice when it’s there.” caitlyn.gowriluk(a)freepress.mb.ca

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AT Webinar: Finding Common Ground with First Responders (Wed Jun 19, 2-3pm)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '19

13 Jun '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the June APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. *Particularly timely topic given concerns around emergency vehicles access and proposed changes to the Wolseley / Westminster cycling route.* cheers, Beth * * * * * *AT Webinar: Wed, June 19th, 2-3pm* Finding Common Ground with First Responders First responders provide the 1st line of defense against emergencies. The notion that “every second counts” has left its mark on our communities, creating wide and fast streets. Though intended to provide efficient access for first responders, this type of street design creates unintended consequences for other roadway users. How can agencies find common ground to address the needs of emergency response while maintaining low speed networks that support safe and convenient active transportation. -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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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When not to push for bike lanes
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jun '19

12 Jun '19

Very interesting (short) article: https://bikesiliconvalley.org/2019/05/action-alert-when-not-to-push-for-bik…

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WFP: Going Dutch - Plain Bicycle Project aims to fuel bicycling explosion (Jun12'19)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jun '19

12 Jun '19

*Plain Bicycle Project aims to fuel bicycling explosion with two-wheelers from the Netherlands* * GOING DUTCH* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/going-dutch-511149792.html ANYONE want a used bike from the Netherlands? They’re going fast. The Plain Bicycle Project unloaded a shipping container crammed with discarded Dutch bicycles Tuesday at a secret location in downtown Winnipeg. Over the next month or so, the local enthusiasts will repair and get the bikes ready for the 221 people who signed up for the so-called omafiets (“grandma bikes”), leaving 19 available for $350 each online at the Plain Bicycle Project. (The price covers the costs of shipping and repairs.) “The whole idea is to create a bicycle culture explosion,” said Plain Bicycle co-founder Anders Swanson, who also heads up the Winnipeg Trails Association and is one of six people who organized the shipment to the Prairie city. “What better way to welcome the bicycle infrastructure being built in Winnipeg and all across North America than by being an early adopter of a plain bike... (which) will probably become the preferred ride,” Plain Bicycle Project’s website says. Safety for cyclists is a perennial issue in Winnipeg, with enthusiasts pressing for more paths to safeguard cyclists navigating busy traffic corridors. On average, two cyclists are killed in the province each year, according to Manitoba Public Insurance. Durable, comfortable and easy to ride, the Dutch bikes come with fenders, upright handlebars, a rack, integrated lock, kickstand and sturdy steel frame with a sloping tube (so you can wear whatever and still get around). Like Winnipeg, the Netherlands is flat, so most of the bikes come with internal gears, which the Plain Bicycle founders claim makes them last longer and stand up to more abuse. “The point is to get people thinking anybody can ride a bike, that it’s a lifelong thing to bike. You can be a kid or a grandma, it doesn’t matter. These bikes grow old with you. They’re the Honda Civics of bicycles,” Swanson said. None of the plain bikes have disc brakes, shocks, knobby tires, carbon fibre, etc. In other words, less bling to draw thieves. Of the 100 bicycles Plain Bicycle organizers shipped over from the Netherlands last year — the first year for the project — two were stolen, organizers said. Earlier this year, three co-founders made the trip to the Netherlands to collect more bikes and stick handle paperwork to export the cargo to Winnipeg. A container weighing more than 8,200 kilograms was loaded onto a cargo ship in mid-April and arrived via the Panama Canal in Vancouver, then was shipped by freight train to Winnipeg. The container was locked with a Dutch bike lock and, without the key, opening the doors proved a problem. “They had to beat the hell out of it,” said trucker Grant Houlden, who hung around after unloading the cargo. The Plain Bicycle people used his hammer to pound the lock apart; it took about five minutes and a lot of exertion for Swanson to finally snap it open. “I’ve never seen a lock like it before. My bolt cutters couldn’t cut it,” Houlden said. The appeal of a Dutch bike, apart from the lock, is its simplicity and its supply, theatre director and former bike courier Leigh Anne Parry said. “The Netherlands have over two bikes per person and a lot of them end up on the side of the streets. There are more bikes than people, so there are a lot of bikes not being used,” the project co-founder said. “It’s an easy, relaxing ride. There’s no pressure on your arms and you can carry all your groceries with these bikes,” she added, before heading into the shipping container to start hauling them out. alexandra.paul(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Wolseley considers cutting shortcuts (Jun11'19)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '19

11 Jun '19

*Bike plan aims to keep rush-hour traffic on main roads* * Wolseley considers cutting shortcuts * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cutting-off-shortcuts-wolseley-bike… TAKING a rush-hour shortcut through Wolseley could get more difficult for drivers, thanks to proposed changes to the neighbourhood’s bike infrastructure. Speed humps, vehicle access restrictions and new crosswalks identified in the Wolseley to Downtown Walk Bike Project are all designed to let bikes ride and push cars to thoroughfares, said Mark Doucet, City of Winnipeg transportation facilities planning engineer. “The Wolseley area has got a lot of active community,” Doucet said Monday. “There’s a lot of short-cutting traffic through the Wolseley neighbourhood, so (this is) an attempt to look at that concern and try to just make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists through the area.” For example, during the afternoon rush hour, vehicles cut through the residential neighbourhood, avoiding busy Portage Avenue by taking Arlington Street to Wolseley Avenue. Residents will get to have their say this week about several options for change, including making Langside and Balmoral streets one-ways and eliminating some parking spaces in West Broadway. Westminster Avenue is set to get either a protected bike lane or become a neighbourhood greenway. Protected bike lanes from Langside to Osborne streets are on the table as well, even raised lanes — like the ones the city has installed on Silver Avenue and Chevrier Boulevard in recent years. Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe supports the proposed changes to cut back on the number of cars searching for a shortcut. He said he’d like to see protected bike lanes continuing through Maryland and Sherbrook avenues to West Broadway, as well as intersection improvements to help cyclists make safe left turns at major intersections. “We’re not sure what they’re planning between Langside and Maryland, that seems a little open-ended in some of the plans,” Cohoe said. “It just doesn’t seem to have anything. Just through that stretch, which we think is a critical part of the connection, so we want to make sure that’s a strong point and not a weak point in any improvements going forward.” Doucet said he’s heard such concerns and hopes to do something about them for the final version of the plan, which is expected to be released in the fall. Another possible sticking point is vehicle blockades, which Doucet said are modelled on diversions from Lethbridge, Alta. “That’s a tricky one, because we want to discourage short-cutting traffic and encourage cycling and pedestrians, but the fire paramedic group has concerns with a diversion,” he said, noting it could keep ambulances and fire trucks out, as well as passenger vehicles. “It’s a big hurdle for us right now, we’re trying to find ways to balance everyone’s needs.” West End resident Caroline Thiessen was cycling through Wolseley on Monday, and said she spent the ride thinking about how nice it is — not like the West End, where she recently got honked at in a construction zone. “It almost doesn’t feel safe anywhere other than Wolseley,” she said. Her sentiments were echoed by neighbourhood resident and cyclist Tamara Lewis-Jones: “Wolseley’s the safest (place to bike) in the city but it still needs more... I guess the whole city needs to be better.” Other area residents said Monday they notice some people cutting through, but aren’t worried about motorists. “During the week, people should be able to go up Wolseley, people should be able to go up Westminster, if they want to,” Morgan Davis said. “It’s not that difficult to bike there.” Riley Durocher, who cycles and drives through his neighbourhood, said the shortcut problem seems to be worst near Mulvey School. “I have no issues other than Sundays,” Durocher said, noting it can be a tangle to get his car home if he forgets Wolseley is closed to cars. Doucet notes the city plans aren’t set in stone, and hopes to hear more from residents at community consultations being held today through Thursday. tvanderhart(a)freepress.mb.ca @tessavanderhart

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