- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Invitation: Winnipeg Trails Strategic Planning
by Anders Swanson 08 Apr '15

08 Apr '15

*Where Do We Go From Here?* *Trailblazing Summit 2015* *Saturday April 18th* *Norquay Community Centre* *(Just North of the Disraeli Ped/Bike Bridge on the North Winnipeg Parkway)* *65 Granville Street <https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Norquay+Community+Centre/@49.909947,-97.12…>* *Meeting: 11am to 2 pm* *Site visits: 2-3pm* *We want to hear from you! * Come share your perspective on the past, present and future of Winnipeg Trails. Our last coordinator is now Chair of Public Works; and boy does the new guy have some big boots to fill. Join us as we review our mandate and vision, review the impact of the City of Winnipeg's walking and cycling strategies, and talk about about our shared priorities for the next year. When we are done chatting, those interested will be heading out to check out some emerging projects and priorities right nearby. So don't forget your shoes or bikes or skateboards . . .we're going on a little trailblazing adventure! Lunch & refreshments will be served Introductory remarks by former WTA Coordinator Janice Lukes. Facilitated by new WTA Coordinator, Anders Swanson. *Everyone Welcome.* Kindly RSVP today by contacting Sylvie at info(a)riverswest.ca.

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Better Streets: Whatchu whatchu whatchu want?
by Dave Elmore 08 Apr '15

08 Apr '15

http://www.placemakers.com/2015/04/06/better-streets/ Better Streets: Whatchu whatchu whatchu want? "What a bunch of idiots. Don't they know this will create a traffic nightmare?" Sound familiar? It's the most commonly voiced complaint any time the community conversation turns to traffic calming. Taken at face value, it's not an outrageous sentiment. After all, when you're out and about, anything that stands between you and where you want to be looks like a problem. So why on earth would anyone choose to further complicate your commute on purpose? I don't blame them. Most people alive today have been told for their entire lives that infrastructure upgrades occur to ease congestion and, by that measure, the reduction of lanes does seem sort of, well, stupid, right? But here's the thing: Traffic calming isn't done to ease congestion. That's not the problem it's trying to solve. If that's surprising news to the community, one of two things has likely taken place: Either leadership has done a poor job of articulated and validating a particular vision; or infrastructure investments are being made outside the participation of the community. Hell, sometimes it's even both. Let's start at the beginning The right-of-way, as it exists from property line to property line, is public space, which means that we, the public, can divvy it up any way we want. Long before money gets released and design schematics surface, that's the conversation we need to have. What kind of space do we want this to be? (From time to time I'll come across great illustrative graphics on social media, then get annoyed that they're small or of insufficient resolution to print or use in presentations. This week, I took some time to rebuild a number for this post and am including them all at a large, useful size. Feel free to use, link or otherwise circulate.) Complete Mobility <https://twitter.com/dewanmkarim> suggests looking at our built environment in terms of either Links, in which movement is prioritized, or Places, in which destination space takes precedence. Each has design best practices to serve its larger respective goal. In a Link environment, the design objective is to save time. In a Place, it's to spend time. Neither is a value judgment. It's just a decision that needs to be made one way or another. This graphic explains: <http://www.placemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Prioritized-Space1.jp g> Concept from Complete Mobility (Twitter user @dewanmkarim). Click for larger view. Once you've narrowed down the context that defines your objectives, then you can get down to the decisions that flow from there. In a Links environment, you'll face questions like: Are we seeking maximized automotive throughput (your classic car sewer scenario), or do we want a more humane and equitable environment in which facilities exist to serve all users, from cars to bikes to those on foot or with assisted mobility? What are the advantages and negative impacts associated with each? That's even a conversation that most DOTs are now equipped to participate in. But sometimes communities have a different realization. Such as: Why do we care if people can pass through our community faster on their way to somewhere else? First and foremost, our streets should be engineered to serve us, the surrounding community. When that's the case, you're talking about the public realm as a Place rather than a Link. Which means a totally different set of criteria takes over. In a Place, automobiles might be accommodated but they are not prioritized. Human scale and comfort are what rule, and all subsequent design decisions reflect that. First and foremost in that consideration is speed. Simply put, people places don't function with high speeds. If you constrict capacity but do nothing to reduce speeds, you're investing a whole lot of money in a lose-lose scenario. Why is speed so important? Because if people don't feel safe, they don't hang out. If they don't hang out, it's not really a people place now, is it? So why don't they feel safe in the presence of higher speeds? These two graphics do a great job of explaining: <http://www.placemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Injury-Severity1.jpg> Original image from Complete Mobility (Twitter user @dewanmkarim). Adapted for US measurements. Click for larger view. Now available in metric <http://www.placemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Injury-Severity-METRI C.jpg> as well. <http://www.placemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Speed-Mortality-Graph ic1.jpg> Adapted from a graphic at www.gjel.com. Click for larger view. Now available in metric <http://www.placemakers.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Speed-Mortality-Graph ic-METRIC.jpg> as well. There you go. When people drive fast, pedestrians are injured more severely and die in greater numbers. Which is not a particularly enticing prospect when you're trying to get people to treat the street as a shared public resource. Why we get confused Generally speaking, traffic engineers only see Links, so when they talk about safety, they're looking at ways to reduce accidents without compromising throughput. That's car-first safety. It has its place in certain contexts, but people places are not one of them. People places require safety measures that put pedestrian safety and comfort first. Failing to begin any change in infrastructure with a community conversation of Link vs. Place will result in all the public confusion and outrage we've come to expect. And why not? We all know such discontent stems from unmet expectations and our expectation as a culture, which has been reinforced for more than a half century, is that we spend money to ease congestion to help us get where we're going faster. Sometimes that's still the case, but sometimes it's not. That's why the conversation is so important. Without it, you end up like Gainesville, Florida (where they installed and are now removing bike lanes <http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/01/why-one-florida-city-reversed-its-ro ad-diet/384307/> ) or Denver's new urban community of Stapleton (where a failure to adhere to the distinctions of Link and Place has left them transportationally confused <http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/04/a-case-study-in-flawed-street-desi gn/389291/> ). You can't be all things to all people. No one expects that. But you can minimize conflict when you define what kind of street you want up front, then commit to the path that'll get you there. Further resources It's worth noting that transportation decisions don't just impact mobility. Or lifestyle. So those shouldn't be the only factors in the discussion. Transportation policy also plays a huge role in associated development models and our friends at Strong Towns <http://www.strongtowns.org> have done tremendous work quantifying the economic returns associated with different development patterns. Spoiler alert: A lot of the conventional wisdom peddled by politicians is wrong. Flat out wrong. Finally, once you get the big question of context answered, you eventually work your way down to the very granular details of design. To that end, the book to read is Street Design: The Secret to Great Cities and Towns <http://www.amazon.com/Street-Design-Secret-Great-Cities/dp/1118066707> by John Massengale and Victor Dover. -Scott Doyon <http://www.placemakers.com/meet-and-contact-us/#Atlanta>

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Fwd: Info: Walking Visionaries Awards launched
by Anders Swanson 08 Apr '15

08 Apr '15

Wanna go to Vienna? Enter a project in the Walking Visionaries Awards. See details from Florian below. The formal submission process is over, but a new award has been announced. If you have an innovative project that aims to advance pedestrian design, policy or planning, throw your name in the ring. You'll be in good company. Hundreds of organizations and ideas apply. Most are interesting and worthwhile. If your project win, you get free registration (which is not cheap), an excuse to visit Vienna and a chance to present/discuss your work to the leaders in the field (priceless). Take it from me: in 2013 at Velocity Vienna, CounterPoint <http://counterpointapp.org> was one of two winning entries from Winnipeg (The U of W's Bike Lab was the other) to make the cut for a similar award for cycling. It was an incredible chance to engage and partner with leaders in this field from around the world. It led to countless opportunities such as being invited to Australia. Walk21 Sydney in 2014 was an excellent conference packed with information critical to understanding pedestrian issues. The depth of things to learn is incredible. So.. Go for it. You might win. Even if you don't, but you work in this field and your boss will let you, try to attend this conference. You won't regret it. Anders ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Florian Lorenz <florian.lorenz(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Mar 27, 2015 at 12:39 PM Subject: Info: Walking Visionaries Awards launched To: awards(a)walk21vienna.com Dear friends peers and people interested in active transport, This is an email to notify you about the Walking Visionaries Awards <http://walk21vienna.com/visionaries/>, an initiative that I am working on as member of the Walk21 Vienna Management Team. This year Vienna, Austria will be hosting Walk21, the foremost conference about walking as a strategy to foster liveable communities and vibrant public spaces. Within the conference we launched the Walking Visionaries Awards <http://walk21vienna.com/visionaries/> to 1. invite people to share creative, visionary and bold ideas for how to foster more walkable spaces and thereby build a reference collection to inspire people to work together towards more walkable and liveable cities, and 2. award a minimum of 30 "Walking Visionaries" who will receive free tickets to participate in the Walk21 Vienna conference <http://walk21vienna.com/visionaries/>. I am writing to you to ask you to help us spread the word about the Awards, participate yourself in them and/or visit the awards page to see the growing collection of submissions. Follow the hashtag #WalkVision on Twitter <https://twitter.com/search?f=realtime&q=%23WalkVision&src=hash> (and Facebook) to keep updated. Attached I am also sending you some info material that you can use upon your wish. Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thank you very much and hope to see you soon! All the best Florian Florian Lorenz 弗洛里安

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Bicycle crash study could guide design of bicyclist detection systems
by Beth McKechnie 07 Apr '15

07 Apr '15

Interesting article and study on common crash situations, and the idea of adding bicycle detection to cars: *http://www.iihs.org/iihs/sr/statusreport/article/50/3/3 <http://www.iihs.org/iihs/sr/statusreport/article/50/3/3>* ...So far most efforts to improve bicyclist safety have focused on infrastructure. Cities have added bike lanes and cycle tracks and have delineated bike boxes at intersections to give bicyclists their own space to wait for a light to change. In many cases, safety was found to improve after such changes (see "Sharing the road: Communities try new ways to improve bicyclist safety <http://www.iihs.org/iihs/sr/statusreport/article/48/1/1>," Jan. 24, 2013). But even with improved infrastructure, it would be impossible to eliminate all conflicts between vehicles and bicycles. That's why it's important to incorporate bicyclist detection into front crash prevention systems. ... A handful of automakers are already adding bicyclist detection to their crash avoidance systems. Volvo and Subaru say their optional forward collision warning and automatic braking systems recognize bicyclists as well as pedestrians. BMW's Night Vision is designed to detect bicyclists, pedestrians and large animals in the dark and highlight them on a display, issuing an audible warning if necessary. All these systems have certain limitations, and it's not clear what percentage of bike crashes they actually prevent or mitigate. cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Peer to peer bike share
by tjzdan50＠gmail.com 07 Apr '15

07 Apr '15

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More traffic congestion in Kingston? Bring it on, say transportation experts
by Beth McKechnie 02 Apr '15

02 Apr '15

More traffic congestion in Kingston? Bring it on, say transportation expertsKingston Heritage By Bill Hutchins <http://www.kingstonregion.com/news-story/5535536-more-traffic-congestion-in…> http://www.kingstonregion.com/news-story/5535536-more-traffic-congestion-in… News – If you think some Kingston roads are congested now, you’d better get used to it. The city is in the process of updating its Transportation Master Plan (TMP), and one of the strategies is to allow traffic congestion to get worse. “It’s not nice to drive if the capacity of that road is virtually reached,” explained Valerie McGirr with AECOM, the consulting firm hired to help the city map out its long-term transportation needs. Experts told council that extending local road capacity to its maximum design is more likely to persuade automobile users to consider alternate transportation means such as car-pooling, public transit and cycling. “This is how we further help people make that choice,” McGirr told council March 24. The TMP’s first update since 2009 sets new long-term goals to promote active transportation while reducing reliance on car travel. In 2004, automobile use was the dominant form of transportation, representing an 82 per cent share of all commuters in Kingston. By 2009, the automobile mode share was down to 76 per cent. Experts believe Kingston can further reduce that figure to 69 per cent by the year 2034. At the same time, they’re forecasting an increase in active transportation users (walking and cycling) from a 12 per cent share in 2004 to 17 per cent by 2034. Public transit is projected to rise from just a three per cent share in 2004 to 9 per cent in 2034. Getting people out of their cars and into more sustainable forms of transportation is a cornerstone policy of the proposed 2015 TMP update, which council is expected to approve later this year. A city-funded telephone and online survey of 846 residents conducted last year identified the top reasons that influence travel choices. The majority of respondents, 38 per cent, said they were swayed by convenience, 25 per cent said travel time and 14 per cent said it was the cost. Regardless of the mode of travel, the survey also looked at what residents consider as “very important” improvements that need to be made; 48 per cent want more multi-use trails for pedestrians and cyclists, 42 per cent want transit improvements along with designated carpool and park-and-ride facilities, 41 per cent identified building and widening roads, and 39 per cent favoured more cycling lanes. The city has already invested millions of dollars to install new sidewalks and bicycle lanes, and officials promise that more will be done down the road. At the same time, experts want to increase the threshold by which traffic engineers determine whether roads need to be widened. The former standard to determine whether a particular road was a candidate for expansion was when traffic counts reached 90 per cent capacity during peak periods. The new standard is 100 per cent. It’s a standard that’s already been adopted by communities such as Ottawa, London, Waterloo Region and Burlington. “This LOS (level of service) threshold will allow the City to defer capital costs until roads reach capacity,” said a report by director of engineering Mark Van Buren. He added: “Given that the population forecasts for the City of Kingston are forecast to peak in 2034 and then gradually decline, it is reasonable to adopt a higher level of congestion.” For example, two-lane Bayridge Drive is already a busy commuter route for suburban motorists. Yet city officials confirmed they have no plans to widen Bayridge to four lanes to ease the weekday morning and afternoon congestion. What they have done, however, is launch a west end-to-downtown 15-minute peak express transit service, and more express busses will be added this May to the central and east end areas of Kingston. “We are emphasising the active modes,” explained McGirr during a presentation to council. Coun. Rob Hutchison says increased bus service frequency is what the city should be striving for. “Ten minute service is one of the thresholds where you see people being willing to leave their cars and that’s why I think it’s something we should seriously look at.” While many councillors appear enthusiastic with the active transportation vision, they are not about to abandon the needs of motorists completely. In fact, the TMP has identified some key road projects that should be built over the next 20 years, subject to final council approval. The list includes the third bridge crossing over the Cataraqui River, completing the controversial Wellington Street extension, finishing the widening of John Counter Blvd. with a bridge over the CN tracks, extending two-lane Bayridge Drive (Sierra Avenue to Creekford Road), extending Cataraqui Woods Drive east (Centennial Drive to Sydenham Road), extending four-lane Centennial Drive (Cataraqui Woods to Gardiners Road), widening Highway 15 to four lanes (Highway 2 to Gore Road) and connecting Leroy Grant Drive (Concession Street and Elliott Avenue.) The expensive road projects, coupled with improvements to transit, intersections and pavement widening for cycling lanes, adds up to $293 million over the next two decades.

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WFP Analysis: Don't destroy Arlington Bridge (Apr.1'15)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Apr '15

01 Apr '15

Don't destroy Arlington BridgeHistoric structure can be converted to pedestrian/cycling corridor By: Catherine Mitchell <catherine.mitchell(a)freepress.mb.ca> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/dont-destroy-arlington-br… It was a good start to another season, even with the double wipeout, on the same day. Getting on the bike March 9 was a personal victory -- I'm not one of the ninja cyclists grinding the gears through the dead of winter. (Thick skin; stout heart. Not me.) Construction season has also started early on Route 90 this year. They're working on sewer drains north of Silver Avenue, and there's more work to come this summer. I'm already hating the drive, hating the person behind my wheel. Cycling's good for the heart. Which brings me to the Arlington Bridge: It's not on my work route, but it's on my mind. It's 103 years old, and they want to tear it down. The city posted a public list of options, but it's clear the administration sees it coming down. It's crumbling, and a do-over is cheaper. The deck is corroded. The trusses may be salvageable (they still have to be assessed) but if the bridge is to be widened, that's not possible. A wider bridge would require rebuilding the piers that are supported on timber piles more than a century old. "If you're going to invest in another bridge for vehicles, you would have to rebuild the piers," says project manager Brad Neirinck. All prohibitively expensive. So, what they are mulling over (even amid talk of moving the CP rail yards; a generational project if ever it materializes) is whether to raise a new bridge over the CP rail yards at Arlington or move the crossing to another location, reviving the option of a bridge at McGregor. I agree designing a vehicle bridge would see the existing span pulled down. But we should wait to see how the numbers line up before condemning Arlington outright. The city is expected to produce a report in the fall. Neirinck was skeptical the superstructure -- the lattice-like work of riveted steel beams that gives the span its profile -- could be saved. But it should stay. We've got to stop putting cars before people, and Arlington Street is a good place to do that. This busy bus route is technically too narrow for the two lanes of traffic either way that happens every rush hour. A better option is to turn the curb lanes and sidewalks into pedestrian/cycling corridors. The Arlington crossing can be part of the corridor, although its approach is steep. The bridge, closed to trucks and buses since 1972 because of deck deterioration, sees about 15,000 vehicles per day. That can be shunted, partially to a rebuilt McPhillips underpass, facing a re-do of its own because its clearance is too low. A bridge at McGregor/Sherbrook would be the more natural conduit to residential expansion in Winnipeg's northwest because McGregor doesn't narrow to a glorified goat path the way Arlington does. Turn Arlington Bridge into a pedestrian/cycling bridge. Illuminate the girding, tear off the sidewalk cages that imprison walkers, and turn the bridge into a venue for public events, as other cities in North America have done with decommissioned rail/vehicle crossings. The cities of Newport, Ky., and Cincinnati, Ohio, did exactly that to preserve a gorgeous, trussed rail bridge opened in 1872 across the Ohio River. Closed to cars in 2001, it was painted purple, and for a short time people could walk up and over the five truss humps (purplepeoplebridge.com). At 2,670 feet, the crossing can be rented for wedding receptions, fundraisers and dinners. New York's Walkway over the Hudson (walkway.org) was opened in 2009 after a mammoth rebuild to save a 127-year-old rail crossing abandoned after a fire in 1974. At more than two kilometres, it is the world's longest, elevated pedestrian bridge and has given life to a state historic park. These are laudable conservation efforts that make the case saving Arlington is possible. In other cities, new pedestrian/cycling bridges are becoming architectural installations. Austin's Pfluger Bridge, on the Colorado River, is more a park than an overpass and has been credited with some of the best views of the cityscape and its sunsets. Have you seen how a retiring sun can set rail yards and its cars shimmering? It's Winnipeg's time to step into the 21st century, to defer to its growing cycling community. This is an opportunity to stitch together a historic divide. City council's Build Canada wish list is an aggressive vote to move more steel on the roads faster. But there's got to be room in a city to slow it down. Divert it. Give residents a space on Arlington to connect by pulling together the North End, inner city and the south. The gritty, storied stretches of Logan and Dufferin there are loaded with potential for rebirth as a hub of human activity. Let's start talking about that. Catherine Mitchell is a Free Press editorial board member. catherine.mitchell(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @wfpcmitchell Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition April 1, 2015 A9

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Light up your bike
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 28 Mar '15

28 Mar '15

‎http://mashable.com/2015/03/28/volvo-lights-up-nighttime-cyclists/ Happy trails Terry Zdan MIT 2042273724 Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca

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Spin - inspired by the story of Annie "Londonderry" Kopchovsky
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '15

28 Mar '15

Mark your calendars to pick up tickets for Prairie Theatre Exchange <http://www.pte.mb.ca/database/files/library/Season_at_a_Glance_website.pdf>'s presentation of "Spin" by Evalyn Parry <http://www.thecollectionagency.ca/evalyn%E2%80%88parry/> running Jan 13-31, 2016. Annie was recently featured by Momentum Mag as one of three women who changed the course of history on bicycles <http://momentummag.com/three-women-changed-course-history-bicycle/>. SPIN Created and Performed by *evalyn parry* Directed by *Ruth Madoc-Jones* Innovative, award-winning Toronto artist evalyn parry takes her audience on an uncommon theatrical and musical journey in* SPIN*, her tour-de-force performance celebrating the Bicycle as muse, musical instrument and agent of social change. Inspired in part by the incredible true tale of Annie Londonderry – the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle in 1894 – parry spins a web of stories which travel from 19th century women’s emancipation to 21st century consumer culture, peeling back layers of history to ultimately reveal a profoundly contemporary and personal heart to her performance. parry’s “co-star” is a vintage bicycle: suspended in a mechanic’s stand on stage and connected to a variety of electronic effects pedals, the bike is played – from fenders to spokes to bells – by percussionist *Brad Hart*, conjuring an astonishing and unique sonic accompaniment to parry’s songs and monologues. Projections by award-winning designer *Beth Kates* add a captivating visual layer to *SPIN*, which sold out the run of its premiere in Toronto in 2011. “part theatre, part musical gig, part spoken word poetry and part documentary … whatever it is, it is brilliant” –*Toronto Star*

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Job Posting: Active Transportation Coordinator, City of Winnipeg
by Beth McKechnie 27 Mar '15

27 Mar '15

Hello everyone: You may have heard that Kevin Nixon, the City's AT Coordinator, is retiring shortly. We are very sorry to see him go! Here's the job posting – please share widely! thanks, Beth * * * * * ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COORDINATOR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT Posting #: 112240 Under the general direction of the Transportation Facilities Planning Engineer, this position implements programs that are critical to the successful management of the transportation network and the position is expected to excel in communications, team building and project management in a multi-task and multi-disciplinary environment. This position shall be responsible for encouraging and implementing Active Transportation projects and coordinating related interdepartmental activities. A significant responsibility of this position is the implementation and coordination of programs, education, promotion and funding activities including the preparation of reports to the Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works. This individual fulfills a facilitation/coordination role with community groups and various City Departments. The position is responsible for the supervision of two technical/support positions and also administers the work of the Active Transportation Advisory Committee. As the Active Transportation Coordinator you will be: - Implementing the City's Active Transportation Strategies and Policies. - Chairing meetings with and administers the Active Transportation Advisory Committee. - Encouraging innovation and seeking partnerships in funding and supporting Active Transportation facilities and programs. - Assessing and recommending the incorporation of Active Transportation facilities in all transportation projects. - Administering the Active Transportation Capital Budget Program. Your experience includes: - A Community College Diploma in a related discipline such as Urban Planning or Environmental Studies. - Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering or Urban Planning would be considered an asset. - Minimum of three (3) years of prior related work experience. - Indepth knowledge of City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Policy. - Knowledge of cycling and pedestrian best practices and policies. - Proven ability in public speaking; dealing with the public and stewardship groups. - Demonstrated application of transportation planning methods. - Demonstrated current research related to policies and design guidelines in the area of Active Transportation. Requirements: - Possess and maintain a valid Manitoba class 5 Driver's License. If YOU are interested in this exciting opportunity, please apply online at winnipeg.ca/hr quoting Posting No. 112240, Active Transportation Coordinator position by 4:30 p.m., Monday, April 13, 2015. The salary range for this position is $2,669.48 to $3,585.65 biweekly. We have great benefits and competitive salaries, and we are committed to ongoing learning and career development! For more information on this opportunity and other careers within the City, visit: winnipeg.ca/hr/. WE SEEK DIVERSITY IN OUR WORKPLACE. ABORIGINAL PERSONS, WOMEN, VISIBLE MINORITIES, AND PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY ARE ENCOURAGED TO SELF-DECLARE. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. #LI-POST Posting and to apply online: http://www.winnipeg.ca/resumeol/peoplesoft/job_req.asp?req=112240

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The economics of bike lanes vs car parking - compilation.
by Laura Donatelli 25 Mar '15

25 Mar '15

Not sure if this has already been shared, but if not, it's quite interesting. http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/03/the-complete-business-case-for-con…

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Artist Talks with Erika Lincoln, Victoria Scott and Scott Kildall
by Beth McKechnie 24 Mar '15

24 Mar '15

You may recall hearing about this collaboration of an artist with the City's climate change office. Could be a really interesting presentation. Please share widely! http://plugin.org/events/201503/artist-talks-erika-lincoln-victoria-scott-a… *From:* Plug In ICA [mailto:info@plugin.org] *Sent:* March 19, 2015 1:45 PM *To:* erika(a)lincolnlab.net *Subject:* Artist Talks with Erika Lincoln, Victoria Scott and Scott Kildall [image: Plug In ICA bulletin] Artist Talks with Erika Lincoln, Victoria Scott and Scott Kildall March 26, 2015 - 7pm to 8:30pm Plug In ICA | 460 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Canada Plug In ICA is pleased to host *Erika Lincoln* on *Thursday, March 26th* as she introduces the scope of her residency with the Climate Change Ofﬁce at the City of Winnipeg Planning, Property & Development Department. Erika Lincoln was selected as the Artist-in-Residence with the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council Public Art Program. Collaborating with the Planning Department’s Ofﬁce of Climate Change, Lincoln’s project augments public engagement opportunities for citizens of Winnipeg to learn more about climate change and the city. The Reﬁll Project, <https://refillproject.wordpress.com/about/> featuring Victoria Scott and Scott Kildall, will be the ﬁrst in a series of events organized by the Lincoln. For this presentation, each artist will speak about their individual art practices as well as introduce The Reﬁll Project <https://refillproject.wordpress.com/about/>, a public workshop on data visualization and mapping happening Friday, March 27, 6 – 9 pm and Saturday, March 28, 12 – 5 pm at VideoPool Studio, 300 – 100 Arthur Street. San Francisco-based artists Victoria Scott and Scott Kildall have been invited by Erika Lincoln to speak about the Reﬁll Project which addresses the 2013 closing of the Freshwater Institute Library in Winnipeg. Victoria Scott and Scott Kildall’s collaborative art practice in data visualization and public intervention helps engage citizens with their cities. More information on the artists and this project can be found at The REFILL Blog. <https://refillproject.wordpress.com/about/> The Winnipeg Arts Council Public Art Program’s Artist-in-Residence Program integrates artists and their ideas into City facilities to engage citizens in civic processes through art. Plug In ICA gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council and Winnipeg Arts Council as well as our generous donors, dedicated members and hardworking volunteers. For general information please contact: info(a)plugin.org. For media inquiries please contact: Janique Vigier at janique(a)plugin.org or by telephone at (204) 942-104 ext 27. Share this on: Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.plugin.org/events/201503/art…> | Twitter <http://www.twitter.com/home?status=Currently%20reading%20http://www.plugin.…> Become a member of Plug In ICA <http://plugin.org/news/200902/become-member-plug-in-ica> Visit our web shop <http://plugin.org/shop> *Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art* Unit 1 - 460 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 0E8 Canada View the online version <http://www.plugin.org/events/201503/artist-talks-erika-lincoln-victoria-sco…> | Unsubscribe from this bulletin <http://plugin.org/newsletter/confirm/remove/2d54bd5d0b654t4>

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WFP: From parking spot to 'parklets' (Mar.21'15)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Mar '15

22 Mar '15

From parking spot to 'parklets' By: Emily Badger http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/from-parking-spot-to-parklets-297114… Conventional wisdom says businesses need parking spots. If would-be customers can't pull up out front, how will they come inside? This is a powerful idea, and it invariably animates the opposition any time cities threaten to redesign roadways, replacing parking spots with bus lanes, cycle tracks, bike racks or wider sidewalks. Remove parking, the argument goes, and business will wither. The reality, though, is more complicated. Consider one illustration: For the last few years, Philadelphia has converted a handful of parking spots in front of neighbourhood businesses into temporary "parklets" no bigger than the space that might fit one or two cars (these tiny interventions are now popular in a lot of cities). Records from adjacent businesses show sales went up about 20 per cent immediately after the parks were installed, relative to right beforehand. The data come from a recent study by the University City District, a neighbourhood development organization in Philadelphia that sent interns out in the spring and summer of 2013 to exhaustively record what happened after a half-dozen of these tiny parks were placed. Most of them included tables, planters and bike racks that created something in between a new public park and an outdoor extension to nearby cafés and sandwich shops. The result: a lot more people packed into these spaces than could ever be accommodated by a single car. Outside a taco shop, as many as 150 people used a space over the course of the day that was only about 240 square feet in size. The seats were packed outside the café in early afternoon and an ice cream shop in the evening. Not all of these people were spending money at these nearby businesses (that's a good sign -- it means people recognized they could treat these spaces as public parks and not private outdoor restaurants). But the sales data shared by these businesses suggest the extra foot traffic -- and the outdoor attraction -- was a boon for business, even when it came at the expense of a little parking. The takeaway here isn't we should turn parking spaces everywhere into public parks. This idea wouldn't work in a lot of other contexts (you're a lot more likely to need your car on the way out of an IKEA than a coffee shop, for one thing). But it illustrates a parking spot isn't always the best use of roadside real estate, although we often treat it as such. And it adds a little more evidence to the growing economic case for deploying our streets differently, for use by more than cars. Other research suggests cyclists may actually spend more than drivers at some kinds of businesses because it's easier for them to pop in often and unplanned. And there are some signs that bike-share docks boost business nearby, too. -- The Washington Post Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 21, 2015 D5

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AT webinar slides: Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs
by Beth McKechnie 18 Mar '15

18 Mar '15

Hi everyone, Thought others – beyond those who attended today's APBP webinar on Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs – might be interested in the attached slides and additional links and info. cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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WFP Herald: Browaty stirs up emotions with "bike tunnel" ad (Mar.16'15)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Mar '15

18 Mar '15

Browaty stirs up emotions with “bike tunnel” ad By: Sheldon Birnie http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/Browaty-stirs-up-em… Plans to include an active transportation link and emergency corridor beneath an elevated interchange at Highway 59 and the Perimeter Highway have come under fire from one Winnipeg city councillor. But Manitoba government and RM of East St. Paul officials say Browaty is being alarmist. Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) took out a full page ad in last week’s issue of* The Herald* calling on premier Greg Selinger not to "waste $$$ on (a) bike tunnel." "Originally proposed as a simple active transportation bridge over the Perimeter Highway by the NDP during the 2011 provincial election," Browaty’s statement reads, "the revised proposal is calling for an elaborate tunnel, costing $10’s (sic) of millions of dollars and routing thousands of vehicles daily onto residential streets in North Kildonan and East St. Paul." "The money could be better spent," Browaty told* The Herald*, saying he believes upgrades to Lagimodiere Boulevard and Henderson Highway are more deserving of public investment. Lance Vigfusson, assistant deputy minister of Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, and Shelley Hart, mayor of East St. Paul, both said Browaty made incorrect and misleading statements in his ad and subsequent press release. "For one, this is not a tunnel," Hart told *The Herald*. "It’s a level-grade crossing. The new cloverleaf (interchange) will be above it." Vigfusson explained that, in order to deliver on the 2011 promise of an active transportation connection "there were two options" when designing that link into plans for the upgraded interchange at the Perimeter and Highway 59. "One option was up and over the Perimeter," Vigfusson said. "The other was taking the Perimeter up and over, making the active transportation corridor as a through path, not a tunnel." After consulting with trucking industry representatives, the province determined that a bridge over the Perimeter which could accommodate large, oversize loads would be the more difficult of the two options. "We would have had to build with at least seven metres of clearance," he said. As a result, he explained, the overpass would have been "approximately nine metres above the ground," making it impractical for active transportation. Keeping the active transportation corridor at grade was the option selected. As a result of Browaty’s ad, some North Kildonan residents have expressed concern that the proposed transportation link will increase traffic in the residential area along Raleigh Street and Gateway Road south of the perimeter. "This’ll increase traffic flow," said Ross Campbell, who lives near the intersection of Gateway and Knowles Avenue. "Traffic will in turn create problems in residential areas. All in all, I do not believe the province or East St. Paul put any thought into it." Vigfusson stressed that the active transportation corridor will not create additional traffic headaches as it won’t be open to commuter traffic. It will be made wide enough to accommodate emergency vehicles, which would access it via a gated system. Vigfusson did say that, if the city of Winnipeg and the RM of East St. Paul decide to open the corridor to regular vehicle traffic in the future, the costs to upgrade would be minimized. "We designed this (interchange) to last for 75 years," he explained. "If ever East St. Paul and the city want to convert it down the line, it would cost a fraction of overall cost to do it now, rather than retrograde." Vigfusson said he believes Browaty’s estimate of thousands of vehicles "that number is highly exaggerated." "From where we’re standing, we applaud the province’s foresight," East St. Paul mayor Hart said. Longtime East St. Paul resident Gary Alderson agreed. "The option of going with a two-lane underpass is probably, if you look down the road, a good idea," Alderson told *The Herald*. "To me, this is good planning. Sure, it’ll cost residents here a few million bucks, and it’ll cost the province. But that’s inevitable if you’re going to do something like this." The province is now awaiting final proposals for the Highway 101/59 interchange as part of the competitive process. Vigfusson said a proposal should be selected by June and hopes to see construction begin at the end of summer. He expects the project to take three to four years to complete. "We have a lot of bridges and lanes to build," he said. "And a lot of dirt to move." *Facebook.com/TheHeraldWPGTwitter: @heraldWPG*

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AT Webinar Reminder: Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs, Wed, Mar 18, 2-3:30, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 17 Mar '15

17 Mar '15

*Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar...* Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs. * Interesting to see that the presenters include a couple of Canadians (from Ottawa and Montreal). The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth ** * * * ** Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs *Wednesday, Mar. 18th, 2-3:30pm, EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Boardroom* Key learning objectives: 1. Review state of the practice for bicycle and pedestrian data collection, with reference to NCHRP Report 797 2. Recognize the elements of effective bicycle and pedestrian counting programs 3. Understand the methodology and policy implications of Ottawa’s bicycle count program 4. Explore the Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP) *Description*: Consistent and standardized data collection techniques are the building blocks for establishing reliable performance measures to document usage, need, and return on investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This 90-minute webinar provides practitioners with a comprehensive introduction to concepts, examples of current practice, and discussion of policy implications of data collection programs. The session agenda includes: - An overview of NCHRP Report 797: Guidebook on Pedestrian and Bicycle Volume Data Collection and the state of the practice - A case study from the City of Ottawa that describes a methodology for measuring trends accurately over the long term and developing correction factors for short-term or seasonal influences - Guidelines for setting up a robust counting program, with reference to the 2013 FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide; including techniques for estimating Annual Average Daily Bicyclists and Pedestrians (AADB / AADP) - An explanation of the Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP), the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s new tool to measure and model trail use for project prioritization and impact assessment. *Presenters*: - Tony Hull - Zlatko Krstlic, P. Eng., Transportation Planner, City of Ottawa - Tracy Hadden Loh, Ph.D., Director of Research, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Luis F. Miranda-Moren, Ph.D., Associate Professor, McGill University - Krista Nordback, Ph.D., P.E., Postdoctoral Research Associate, TREC, Portland State University

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Metro Article: Perimeter Crossing
by Anders Swanson 14 Mar '15

14 Mar '15

http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/1312192/perimeter-tunnel-crossing-near-hi…

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WFP L2E: Crossing for cyclists crucial (Mar14'15)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Mar '15

14 Mar '15

*Crossing for cyclists crucial* http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/letters-marc… Coun. Jeff Browaty's assertion that safety will be compromised by the construction of a through-pass on the Northeast Pioneers Greenway right-of-way turns reason on its head (Perimeter plan 'poorly conceived': Browaty, March 12). As a restricted-access roadway, the Perimeter Highway acts as a major barrier between regionally important recreational facilities such as the Gateway Recreation Centre, Bunn's Creek Trail, the Skylight Complex, Chief Peguis Trail pathways, Kilcona Park, the East St. Paul Recreation Complex and the Red River Floodway trail to Birds Hill Park. Without this much-needed crossing, people wanting to ride their bikes to these and other destinations on either side of the Perimeter would be forced to cross the Perimeter on Highway 59 through the planned interchange. They would be required to run a gauntlet of long, high-speed merge lanes serving up to 900 vehicles per hour. This is the approach Coun. Browaty favours, but it represents a very real safety concern that is completely unacceptable. Bike Winnipeg and our allies have been working so hard to see a safe, convenient crossing of the Perimeter Highway included in the interchange project. Mark Cohoe Executive director, Bike Winnipeg *** While Coun. Jeff Browaty's desire to protect his constituents is admirable, his assertions the province is moving forward without consultation on a plan that will funnel 30,000 cars onto the streets of north Winnipeg is simply incorrect. Consultations were held as part of the design/tender process and resulted in a plan to build a full cloverleaf interchange with an active-transportation corridor at ground level that will connect Winnipeg with Birds Hill Park. The raised Perimeter Highway not only provides a ground-level corridor for active transportation, but will create a gated corridor that can be used by emergency vehicles only. The corridor will not be opened to the public, and Coun. Browaty's concern the design will result in 30,000 vehicles moving through northeast Winnipeg is unfounded. It is also incorrect to infer the province is opening this corridor without municipal participation. Last fall, we heard loud and clear from the trucking industry, the active-transportation community and East St. Paul residents. Our engineers have also told us the chosen option requires a similar investment compared with building the Perimeter Highway as a level highway with a long and high bridge for active transportation. The obvious choice was to take the option that guaranteed emergency services for area residents, allowed for economic growth and was favoured by our active transportation users. If Coun. Browaty would like to better understand this project, we would be happy to give him a briefing. Ron Kostyshyn Minister, Transportation and Infrastructure

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WFP: Browaty still fearful of Perimeter plans (Mar.14'15)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Mar '15

14 Mar '15

Browaty still fearful of Perimeter plans By: Aldo Santin http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/browaty-still-fearful-of-perimeter-p… North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty said he still has concerns over a proposed at-grade corridor across the north Perimeter Highway, despite assurances by the province it won't be used as a public roadway. Infrastructure and Transportation Minister Ron Kostyshyn told the Free Press Friday there are no immediate plans to allow traffic on the new corridor that will link both sides of Raleigh Street in East St. Paul. Kostyshyn said the corridor is being designed for active-transportation uses that can accommodate emergency vehicles when the situation arises. "The corridor will not be opened to the public, and Coun. Browaty's concern that the design will result in 30,000 vehicles moving through northeast Winnipeg is unfounded," Kostyshyn said. Browaty went public with his concerns over the corridor earlier this week, saying it would result in a massive influx of traffic into north Winnipeg and the residential streets of North Kildonan. The Selinger government promised in the 2011 campaign to construct an elevated active-transportation bridge across the north Perimeter -- part of its plans for a cloverleaf at the Perimeter and Highway 59 -- linking the Pioneers Greenway pathway that runs through East and North Kildonan with a similar pathway in East St. Paul and on to Birds Hill Park. Browaty said those plans suddenly changed in the fall, to an underpass open to traffic linking Raleigh Street on both sides of the north Perimeter Highway. Kostyshyn said the corridor has been designed to accommodate an expansion for vehicular traffic, but added that would only occur "if both municipalities wish to pursue that option in the future." Browaty said the province did not consult with Winnipeg when it recently changed its plans for the corridor, adding he's not reassured the NDP government will consult the city when the time comes to allow traffic on the corridor. "Those (provincial) assurances aside, I still believe there are better ways to spend the money than what the province is planning to do," Browaty said. Browaty said traffic studies done by East St. Paul found 30,000 vehicles a day would use the new corridor by 2030 if opened to regular traffic, adding Winnipeg's residential streets in that area aren't designed to handle that kind of load. The province hasn't disclosed the cost of the proposed corridor, but a spokeswoman said it's estimated to be the same as the active-transportation bridge originally proposed for the crossing. She added it was concluded the at-grade corridor was the better option. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition March 14, 2015 A14

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New Video: Paradise on The Prairies (starring Portage and Main)
by Anders Swanson 13 Mar '15

13 Mar '15

*1.* *I made a new video. Its special. I think you'll really like it. * *[video] Paradise On the Prairies <https://vimeo.com/121991829>* Grab a coffee and enjoy. I don't think you'll be disappointed. It starts with a little handdrawn 3-D animation of Portage and Main with protected bike lanes and then takes you on a journey to see what I see. Takes a few minutes to watch the whole thing. Just might change the way you see Winnipeg. If you like it, please share it on Twitter <https://twitter.com/SwansonAnders/status/576481125473902593> with anyone who wants to see it happen (or is in a position to...). *2. Inspired? * That video is also my submission to the Winnipeg Capital Budget process. (That's why it's exactly 10 minutes.) You can have your say too. If you are in Winnipeg, consider signing up to speak in delegation on Monday (PW) or Tuesday (EPC) to share your enthusiasm for a complete bike network asap with our politicians. The clerks to talk to are Destiny Watt, dwatt(a)winnipeg.ca and Carlos Gameiro cgameiro(a)winnipeg.ca, respectively. Send them an email asap. Have a great weekend. Thanks, Anders Swanson P.S. For all those of you who chipped in to get me that camera, this one is for especially you. Thanks so much again.

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AT Webinars: Bicycle Friendly Communities (Tues) & Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs (Wed)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Mar '15

13 Mar '15

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following webinars (details on each follow below): *1) Bicycle Friendly Communities (Tools of Change <http://webinars.cullbridge.com/>) - Tues, Mar 17th, 11am-noon* *2) Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs (APBP <http://www.apbp.org/>) - Wed, Mar 18th, 2-3:30pm* These webinar viewings take place in the *EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>* boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * 1) Bicycle Friendly Communities *Tuesday, Mar. 17th, 11am-Noon, EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Boardroom* The BFC Program is a positive, upstream, results-oriented program designed to get municipal decision makers thinking about how all of their programs around cycling work complementary to one another, and how those programs can be synergistically improved. It provides recognition for the hard work done by municipal staff, the leadership displayed by municipal politicians and the partnerships developed with local cycling organizations. It gives communities that apply both a measure of where they are and a roadmap into the future, using a feedback system that has been developed and refined with input from stakeholders from all areas of transportation issues. *Presented by:* Justin Jones, Manager, Bicycle Friendly Communities, Share the Road Cycling Coalition (Canada), and Bill Nesper, Manager, Bicycle Friendly Communities, League of American Bicyclists (USA) 2) Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs *Wednesday, Mar. 18th, 2-3:30pm, EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Boardroom* Key learning objectives: 1. Review state of the practice for bicycle and pedestrian data collection, with reference to NCHRP Report 797 2. Recognize the elements of effective bicycle and pedestrian counting programs 3. Understand the methodology and policy implications of Ottawa’s bicycle count program 4. Explore the Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP) *Description*: Consistent and standardized data collection techniques are the building blocks for establishing reliable performance measures to document usage, need, and return on investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This 90-minute webinar provides practitioners with a comprehensive introduction to concepts, examples of current practice, and discussion of policy implications of data collection programs. The session agenda includes: - An overview of NCHRP Report 797: Guidebook on Pedestrian and Bicycle Volume Data Collection and the state of the practice - A case study from the City of Ottawa that describes a methodology for measuring trends accurately over the long term and developing correction factors for short-term or seasonal influences - Guidelines for setting up a robust counting program, with reference to the 2013 FHWA Traffic Monitoring Guide; including techniques for estimating Annual Average Daily Bicyclists and Pedestrians (AADB / AADP) - An explanation of the Trail Modeling and Assessment Platform (T-MAP), the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s new tool to measure and model trail use for project prioritization and impact assessment. *Presenters*: - Tony Hull - Zlatko Krstlic, P. Eng., Transportation Planner, City of Ottawa - Tracy Hadden Loh, Ph.D., Director of Research, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Luis F. Miranda-Moren, Ph.D., Associate Professor, McGill University - Krista Nordback, Ph.D., P.E., Postdoctoral Research Associate, TREC, Portland State University -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Survey identifies obstacles for 'interested but concerned' group
by Beth McKechnie 13 Mar '15

13 Mar '15

A new national survey in the US interviewed 9,376 adults who would like to bike more but are being held back for various reasons ("interested but concerned" group). http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/here-are-the-first-ever-national-f… Here are 5 highlights (though it's worth checking into the details): 1. One-third of people who want to bike more are dissatisfied with existing bike infrastructure. 2. Bicycle ownership is a major barrier to riding, especially among poorer households. 3. Fear of being personally targeted is a major barrier to riders of colour. 4. The western US is much better at the bike + transit combo. 5. Every single demographic group wants protected bike lanes. Each of these sound pretty applicable to Winnipeg as well. cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Five Quick Facts: North East Pioneers Greenway Crossing of the Perimeter to Birds Hill
by Anders Swanson 12 Mar '15

12 Mar '15

*[In light of a recent newspaper ad <http://bikewinnipeg.ca/2015/03/11/councilor-browaty-opposes-key-tunnel/#sth…> "relabeling" a very exciting, long anticipated and much safer bicycle/pedestrian crossing of the Perimeter, I thought I'd share a couple bits of factual information with the folks on this list. IMO, the issue here is of a new road being wrapped up with a bike/pedestrian crossing unnecessarily. That, however, is part of a** separate debate about urban sprawl and car access. The **key thing to remember is that is a project was intended originally for bikes and pedestrians for a reason. It fixes a very important safety and connectivity issue - and, as a whole, this project represents a critical part of one of the coolest transportation and recreation and tourism legacies for Winnipeg. We owe it to this spectacular project to set the record straight - and to make sure the many politicians who champion it hear our support. - Anders ] * 1. *Here is a relevant video <https://vimeo.com/121954361>.* Note that there is a perfectly safe, and perfectly beautiful bike "tunnel" near the start of the video which I filmed while in Davis, California - which also happens to have the US' highest bicycle modal share. Take a moment to watch/feel what such crossings feel like. Its is near the beginning. Then stick around to see what is possible on a bike once you reach the North East Pioneers Greenway, cross the perimeter and beyond. (It is also a teaser from a longer film I am putting together for the Capital Budget process, but the timing couldn't be better.) *2. For a better "safety" perspective*, have a look at a real photo taken of the current crossing <https://www.facebook.com/771955042888044/photos/pcb.772032826213599/7720312…> . *3. Here is a map I made (again) of the bicycle/pedestrian underpasses in Oulu, Finland with help of my colleague Pekka Tahkola. <https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=z-6EAXpUkKw4.kWjIpHHg4PTQ&msa=0&ll=6…>* *Yep, that's 291 of them. *It is my opinion, and that of the current and former bicycle coordinators/engineers of this remarkable Finnish city, that it is precisely these underpasses that make Oulu one of the highest winter cycling cities in the world. Instilling "fear" about a bike underpass is simply speaking to the root of fear - ignorance. *4.* *This is about local travel by bike and on foot.* Although the stuff above is nice and certain to attract tourists and tons of summertime recreational users, any bicycle and pedestrian planner/engineer will tell you that the current options - Henderson and Lagimodiere - are much too far away to be useful to people on foot or on bikes. Destination are within sight. This explains why so many already use it <https://www.facebook.com/771955042888044/photos/pcb.772032826213599/7720312…> even though it is sketchy to do so. It also explains why the Premier, local politicians and community members banded together to champion it as a good idea. *There are thousands of people either currently traveling or wanting to travel daily on bikes and on foot between North Kildonan and East St.Paul. *Don't forget about them. For the same reason people want to build more roads, you have an equal number, if not greater, who just want to walk/ride there. It is a matter of the choices we provide. I have been to the area a few times, and each time I have seen young kids dart across the roadway. There are numerous amenities just inside the perimeter that people in East St.Paul want to get to. Including the kids on the way to soccer fields, friends, and swimming pool. The clearest one-time example of latent demand from inside Winnipeg is probably the hundreds of festival goers who ride to the Folk Fest ride every year from the Forks <https://www.facebook.com/771955042888044/photos/pcb.772032826213599/7720308…>. That ride expands every year. In order to do it, we need a police escort on the highway when the crossing itself is just a few meters away from the end of the spectacular North East Pioneers Greenway. All we need is a safe crossing. *5. It is 2015. It is probably time to focus on bike/ped facilities.* Why? There is no real traffic emergency. That "emergency" has been around for decades and it just keeps growing. There is no reason to put off building bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure. Why? The issue is systematic. If you chase potholes and temporarily build new access roads to fix "traffic congestion" and "wear and tear", you end up with a pile of bandaids and no cure. On a project level, every principle of transportation demand management out there suggests that you can simply limit some options to encourage the options. So, build the bike stuff first. See how it goes. All of this is very clearly a basic symptom of sprawl. At some point, something has to give. This crossing is a wonderful idea - and is meant for bikes, people on foot, strollers, scooters, wheelchairs, etc. Build it and they will come. Build roads, they fill with cars. Build bike paths, they fill with bikes. It's that simple.

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Compelling data from slow roads in Edinburgh
by Beth McKechnie 11 Mar '15

11 Mar '15

Inspiring news from Scotland that expands on snippets we heard before. A worthwhile (and quick) read: http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/slow-speed-limits-cities-edinburgh-20mph cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Real estate values 37% higher in walkable urban places
by Beth McKechnie 11 Mar '15

11 Mar '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Chris Leinberger, LOCUS <info(a)smartgrowthamerica.org> Date: Wed, Mar 11, 2015 at 11:07 AM Subject: The Boston WalkUP Wake-Up Call To: beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca Beth— <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=qxvEsi9FZXygXqt4…>Metropolitan Boston is poised to be one of the most walkable metro areas in the country. This is one of the exciting findings of *The WalkUP Wake-Up Call: Boston <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Ji2WIFag8iRZGY6o…>*, a new report unveiled in Boston today at LOCUS’s first-ever New England Leadership Summit. The new research defines—for the first time—the form and function of all land use in metropolitan Boston’s 3,100 square miles, identifying 57 regionally significant walkable urban places (or “WalkUPs”) in metro Boston and ranking them based on economic performance and social equity performance. Looking ahead to future opportunities, the report also identifies emerging and potential WalkUPs where new development could go. Real estate values in WalkUPs are 37% higher across all product types than drivable sub-urban development. And public revenues are also substantially higher in these areas: On a per acre basis, walkable urban development generates 12 times the tax revenues as drivable sub-urban. [image: Read More] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=zbW8U8slq5S0JfrT…> [image: Share this on Twitter] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=Awq53tH1hT4IG5II…> [image: Share this on Facebook] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=xHhoLbXAQr2s5Jt%…> While the economic outlook for WalkUPs is strong, this drive towards a more walkable future in Boston is not without its concerns. Proximity to transit for households and employers remains a challenge, and the affordability of walkable urban places in Boston will shrink over time as they become more and more popular. As a beacon to other cities, it’s our hope that Boston’s major shift to walkable development will help reshape the way developers approach urban design and planning, regulation, financing and construction nationwide and inspire us to rethink the way we manage our investments in the built environment. Read the full report to learn more <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=QYlWrPdMiTPROZgZ…> . Sincerely, Chris Leinberger, President of LOCUS, Smart Growth America [image: Become a fan on Facebook] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=0%2BJ2zc6hmJIAFc…> [image: Follow us on Twitter] <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=DNGmDANlykbro3GV…> You have received this email from Smart Growth America. Click here to manage your subscription or unsubscribe <http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&c=MzPSMJAqX7dUwVLw…> .

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Metro News: Making commuting fun - What Winnipeg can learn from the River Trail
by Beth McKechnie 10 Mar '15

10 Mar '15

Making commuting fun: What Winnipeg can learn from the Red River Mutual Trail http://metronews.ca/voices/your-ride-winnipeg/1307883/making-commuting-fun-… Perhaps the greatest transportation system in Winnipeg shut down yesterday. Within weeks, any proof of its existence will be wiped out. But, no worries; it will be back again in about 10 months. The Red River Mutual Trail — or just “the river trail” to most people — hosted its final skaters, skiers, cyclists and pedestrians of the season on the weekend. And while many people might not consider it a true transportation system — after all, there’s not a huge market for commuters between the St. Vital Bridge and The Forks — it does provide a few lessons in how to modify our approach to driving, busing and biking to make them more appealing activities. Make it fun: When you think about it, using the river trail is actually a bit of a pain. You have to make your way down to a specific stretch of the river, squat on a rickety bench to put your skates on, then lug your shoes and boots along for the trip. If you want to stop to do anything along the way, then you have to reverse the process. Yet tens of thousands of people make the trek every winter with smiles on their faces, because it’s fun. So how do you replicate that experience on a regular commute? Synchronizing traffic lights and ensuring speed limits are consistent makes driving more enjoyable. Cruising along rapid transit lines is more fun than being stuck on regular roads. Wi-Fi on buses would be a cool feature, and buying some double-decker models like Ottawa recently did would make transit a whole lot more charming. And how about turning water buses into something more than just a tourist attraction? Keep uses separated: It’s somewhat amusing that the best example of a complete street in Winnipeg takes place on a frozen river, but the river trail is a great example of how keeping uses separate works well for everyone. Skaters, pedestrians and skiers are all travelling the same route, but they each have their own space. It’s an efficient way to build the network, and it helps prevent accidents. We should be able to enjoy the same safety and efficiency on our roads, with separate lanes for cars, buses, bikes and pedestrians. Give us something to look at: Of course the river trail wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if it wasn’t for the warming huts. The varied designs and colours bring life to what could be a desolate stretch of frozen water. In the same way, the city’s funding of public art and enhanced infrastructure can make it a more joyous experience to get around town. Sure, you can build another utilitarian bridge that takes you from one side of a river to the other, or you can invest in something like the Esplanade Riel that takes you much further than that. So while our civic leaders put their skates away for another season, let’s hope they turn their attention to how we can make our daily commute a little more like cruising the river trail. *Colin Fast is a communications specialist and freelance journalist in Winnipeg. Out of guilt, he avoided looking directly at his unused bike while writing this column. Find him @policyfrog on Twitter.*

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Advocacy and the future of cycling
by Dave Elmore 06 Mar '15

06 Mar '15

http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/advocacy-and-the-future-of-cycling/Content?oi d=4559880 Advocacy and the future of cycling One of the greatest misconceptions about the various types of dedicated bicycle infrastructure is that they only serve a minority of the population-that they're pet projects for bicyclists. The reality is that whether you're left or right leaning, urban or suburban, rich or poor, bikes are simply one of the most accessible and efficient forms of urban mobility. While they mean much more than that to some people, at the heart of the matter is our fundamental right to choose how we move and make our way through life. Just like sidewalks, bike lanes and cycle tracks serve all road users by providing a clearly marked space for a specific user group and, in turn, adding to the safety and predictability of the roadway. That safety and predictability, in particular when reliably networked, means more riders from all walks of life. Not only do bike facilities make visible the fact that cycling is a viable way to move around the city and demonstrate the commitment on the part of municipal governments to encourage travel by bike, these facilities help many who might otherwise be too nervous to ride add two-wheeled travel to their transportation options. In fact, their addition to urban roadways - networked and physically separated cycle tracks in particular-is the single most important factor in the growth of ridership. According to the first multi-city academic study of U.S. protected bike lanes (2014), "When protected bike lanes are added to a street, bike traffic rises-by an average of 75 percent in their first year alone, for the eight projects studied." And building this type of infrastructure to accommodate bike traffic is cheap too. "One thing I like to remind my business-minded friends and colleagues about," says April Economides, president of Green Octopus Consulting, "is that bicycling is more tax-payer-friendly than driving. Bicycle infrastructure is considerably cheaper to construct than car infrastructure, the most famous example being that Portland, Oregon's outstanding 300-mile [482 km] bike network completed through year 2008 cost the same amount as one mile [1.6 km] of freeway." But we still have a long way to go to meaningfully integrate bicycles into our urban planning and traffic systems, build real public support and understanding regarding their value, and grow the percentage of the population using bikes for transportation. As per a 2013 OECD study on cycling safety, "The traffic system does not typically account for the specific characteristics of cyclists and bicycles...Though cycling is an important component of urban mobility, cyclists are often seen as intruders in the road system." Intruders, eh? The days when the bicycle was the only vehicle (other than horse drawn carriages) on the road seem to be long forgotten. But rest assured, bikes are too important a part of the solution to urban congestion to be ignored. People need to move and bikes get the job done.

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March 19 - South St. Vital Active Transportation Public Engagement Workshop
by Jackie Avent 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

Good evening! Please join us for and spread the word to your networks about an upcoming public engagement workshop on active transportation to be held *Thursday, March 19th 2015 from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm at the United Church in Meadowood.* Do you live in the South St. Vital community? Please join us for an information night to look at local level active transportation issues in your neighbourhood <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/southstvital/>. *Thursday, March 196:30pm – 8:30pmThe United Church in Meadowood1111 Dakota Street* Green Action Centre will be sharing the results <http://greenactioncentre.ca/living-green-living-well/innovative-pilot-proje…> of the Active School Travel Engineering Plans that have been created for *H.S. Paul, Ecole St. Germain, Samuel Burland, Ecole George McDowell and Highbury Schools* . We will also begin the discussion around key transportation issues for walking and cycling in your community. Children are more than welcome to attend and encouraged to participate, though please know there is no childcare provided. RSVP’s to shoni(at)greenactioncentre.ca or (204) 925-3773 are appreciated so we can be sure to order enough tasty treats. Walk, Bike, Bus, or Sled to the event to be entered for an exciting door prize! Can’t make the date on March 19th? Please take a few minutes to fill out a quick survey <https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/stvital>! -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Aspiring [teen] urban planner making waves
by Jackie Avent 05 Mar '15

05 Mar '15

Most 15-year-olds don’t spend their spare time studying walkability and public housing. Dylan Gentile is not most 15-year-olds. http://www.citylab.com/politics/2015/03/this-aspiring-urban-planner-is-maki… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Concert fundraiser to help build bike cage at WAEC
by Beth McKechnie 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

Please share widely...

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Traffic pollution tied to slower cognition in schoolchildren
by Beth McKechnie 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [At-network] Slower Speed Limits Give Cities a New Attitude About Biking, Walking, Breathing http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/traffic-pollution-tied-to-slower-cognition-in… Traffic pollution tied to slower cognition in schoolchildren Take pollution into account when selecting sites for new schools, researchers say CBC News <http://www.cbc.ca/news/cbc-news-online-news-staff-list-1.1294364> Posted: Mar 03, 2015 2:22 PM ET Last Updated: Mar 03, 2015 9:59 PM ET Children who attend school in heavy traffic areas may show slower cognitive development and lower memory test scores, Spanish researchers have found. About 21,000 premature deaths are attributed to air pollution in Canada each year, according to the Canadian Medical Association. The detrimental effects of air pollution on cardiovascular health and on the lungs are well documented and now researchers are looking at its effects on the brain. To that end, Dr. Jordi Sunyer and his colleagues from the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology in Barcelona measured three aspects of memory and attentiveness in more than 2,700 primary school children every three months over 12 months. "What was surprising for us is among our children, we see very robust, consistent effects," Sunyer said Tuesday from Rome. The associations between slower cognitive development and higher levels of air pollutants remained after the researchers took factors such as parents’ education, commuting time, smoking in the home and green spaces at school into account. The researchers measured air pollutants from traffic twice, in the school courtyard and inside the classroom for schools with high and low traffic-related air pollution. Pollutants from burning fossil fuels, carbon, nitrogen dioxide and ultrafine particles were measured. For example, working memory improved 7.4 per cent among children in highly polluted schools compared with 11.5 per cent among those in less polluted schools. Sunyer called on politicians to understand and act on how air pollution can be harmful to the developing brains of children, given that one of the cognitive measures studied is a good predictor of learning achievement. The study builds on experiments in animal models and smaller human studies, Sunyer said. But the only way to prove a link between air pollution and poorer cognition would be to remove the cause and see if the effect improves. Stop idling The findings have important implications for Canadian children, said environmental health Prof. Ryan Allen of Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. His research team has found more than one-third of public elementary schools in Canadian cities are located within 200 metres of a highway or major road, a distance where he said traffic-related air pollutants are significantly elevated. "The best long-term strategy is to reduce the amount of pollution that is produced in the first place," Allen said in an email. "We should also take environmental pollution into account when selecting sites for new schools. For example, legislation in California prevents the construction of new schools within 150 metres of a freeway." For existing schools, Allen suggested locating playgrounds as far from traffic as possible, moving air intakes for ventilation systems away from traffic and using enhanced air filtration. University of Toronto chemistry Prof. Greg Evans studies sources of air pollution, how people get exposed and health outcomes. For Evans, it's too early for parents to worry about how close schools are to roads. "What we can do, which really doesn't need more evidence, is try to reduce the traffic emissions and that is done most simply by removing some of the highest emitting vehicles on the roadway," Evans said. "Secondly, for parents who are worried about this, I'd encourage them to stop idling in front of schools." While Canadian cities generally have good air quality, a 2013 commentary published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal estimated 54 per cent of the population live in areas with high exposure. Evans said the levels of traffic air pollutants measured in Spain are quite comparable to those in most Canadian cities. Sunyer would like to see more children walk to school <http://www.cbc.ca/1.2648059>, adults walk to work and more rides on public transit to mitigate the traffic problem. The study was funded by the European Research Council. With files from CBC's Christine Birak

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Slower Speed Limits Give Cities a New Attitude About Biking, Walking, Breathing
by Dave Elmore 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/slow-speed-limits-cities-edinburgh-20mph Slower Speed Limits Give Cities a New Attitude About Biking, Walking, Breathing As more U.S. cities embrace the Vision Zero <http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/seattle-new-speed-limit> approach to curtailing traffic and ensuring pedestrian safety, theres plenty of compelling data in favor of slow roads coming out of Edinburgh, Scotland. The numbers show how lower speed limits can change drivers attitudes about bicyclists and even let city-dwellers breathe a bit easier thanks to air quality improvement. The easy-to-love capital city is rolling out a plan <http://edinburghcouncilmaps.info/LocalViewExt/Sites/20mphConsultation/> to cap the speed limit at 20 mph across 80 percent of its roads, including the entirety of its dense downtown. Key arterial roads will retain their speeds of 30 and 40 mph. After three years of planning, public engagement and pilot projects, as well as advocacy by Living Streets <http://www.livingstreets.org.uk/scotland> and 20 <http://www.20splentyforus.org.uk/> s Plenty For Us, the new strategy is explicitly about encouraging people to bike or walk, rather than drive. Crucial details about cost and enforcement will come in an implementation report that is due in March. But what is certain is that change will begin to be phased in later this year. It is expected to be complete by the end of the 2017/18 fiscal year. The last sweeping change <http://www.scotsman.com/news/slowing-traffic-gives-us-a-bit-more-breathing- space-1-3694827> in Scotlands speed policy dates back more than 80 years, when it adopted 30 mph as its limit in 1934; before then, there were no restrictions on driving speed. At the time, there were about 2.5 million cars on British roads. Today, there are 31.5 million. The greater traffic density calls for a new road strategy. Between 2009 and 2013, there was an average of 2,842 bike and pedestrian casualties in Edinburgh, or about 22 percent of the Scottish total. Traveling at excess speed caused 13 percent of all reported accidents, and 20 percent of fatal ones. While the risk of fatal injury for pedestrians is only 1 percent when the vehicle is traveling at 20 mph, it jumps up to over 30 percent when the speed is 40 mph. Slow roads are a meaningful intervention here. Down south, Portsmouth became the first city in England to put 20 mph limits in place over most of its streets, and even though it didnt include traffic calming features as part of the plan, it still saw a drop in accidents and casualties. Pilot projects in Edinburgh revealed <http://www.planetizen.com/node/71374> that the number of people who believed cycling to be unsafe fell from 26 percent to 18 percent. The number of young children riding bikes to school tripled, while, among older kids, the rate of bike-riding to school went from 3 percent to 22 percent. Scotlands council of Fife, which is home to St. Andrews, stands out as a slow roads pioneer. In 2003, its leadership adopted a 20 mph initiative that eventually encompassed nearly all urban residential streets. Ten years after the fact, an evaluation of the program is pending, but early indicators suggest that the policy had a tangible impact traffic has indeed slowed and there is generally a very good level of support for it, although few are fans of speed cushions or bumps. Easing down the rush of traffic neatly connects to the newly energized effort <http://www.gallowaygazette.co.uk/news/local-headlines/mcleod-urges-people-t o-contribute-to-new-strategy-on-air-pollution-1-3665444> to clean up air pollution in Scotland. Even as the country has steadily reduced emissions since 1990, it still has a tendency to break <http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/scotland-breaks-european-air-quali ty-standards--pollution-has-become-a-public-health-crisis-9970813.html> European air quality standards. Environmental groups connect this to serious public health problems that cost the National Health Service £2 billion annually. In January, Scotland adopted <http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/01/3287> a low emission strategy for sustainable growth and an increased quality of life. Emilia Hanna, the air pollution campaigner for Friends of the Earth Scotland, told <http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-30798323> the BBC that traffic fumes in urban areas are a leading cause of poor air quality, meaning that the new speed restrictions can be part of a larger evolution. One of the biggest barriers to walking and cycling is fear of speeding traffic, so 20 mph zones, if accompanied by greater investment in active travel infrastructure, could transform how people move around the city, she said. Importantly, the <http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/news/new-guidance-20-mph-limits-release d> good practice guide developed for Edinburgh by Transport Scotland points to how pollution has a disproportionate effect on disadvantaged communities, suggesting that slower traffic can reduce health inequities. Edinburghs move also syncs with the Scottish governments 2010 Cycling Action Plan, which aimed for 10 percent of all journeys to be taken by bike by 2020. When the plan was updated <http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/report/j0002-00.htm> in 2013, urban areas were encouraged to introduce more 20 mph streets. The citys pro-active shift to slow roads is inspiring its neighbors. Residents of Glasgow, Scotlands most populous city, have recently committed <http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/glasgow-city-council-continues -add-4985126> to capping speeds at 20 mph for all residential roads, but residents are petitioning <http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/call-20mph-speed-limit-glas gow-157557> their council to expand the policy to commercial districts. These lower speeds encourage more considerate driving, leading to safer streets for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, they argue. Likewise, a councilor in Dundee is introducing <http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/dundee/city-council-ready-to-debate- dundee-20mph-limits-1.842632> a 20 mph proposal, suggesting that Edinburghs best practices can also work for the nations fourth largest city. And speed cameras are looking like they will become more popular <http://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/a9-speed-cameras-may-cover-more-key- scottish-roads-1-3693496> across the board in Scotland, bringing greater awareness and transparency to road safety. One important point that Transport Scotland makes in its slow roads report is that reducing speed limits are not a shortcut to complete streets. They should not be set in isolation, but should be considered as part of a range of other measures to manage speeds, improve safety and meet other objectives, including the encouragement of active travel, it says. Enforcement is, of course, an immediately pressing point. Not everybody is happy about the pending slowdown in Edinburgh. A procession of black taxi cabs demonstrated <http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/transport/taxis-to-protest-over- edinburgh-s-20mph-limits-1-3697432> recently, pointedly trying to bring traffic to a standstill. Drivers are concerned that the slow road plan will backfire, causing more rather than less congestion, disinclining people to take taxis. The city councils transport convener, Lesley Hinds, has said before <http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-28970224> that she understands that public consultation at each step is essential in moving toward a culture change in the capital. To make the 20 mph speed limit workable, and not just a philosophical point, the council plans to focus on signage and road paint, as well as calming measures like pedestrian islands. Speed bumps will not be used on any main streets served by the bus system. The most recent public poll of Edinburgh residents showed <http://www.localgov.co.uk/Edinburgh-unveils-20mph-speed-limit-map/37905> that 60 percent supported the 20 mph limit. And much of the opposition is fueled by misconceptions <http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/1743/busting_the_myths_around_edin burghs_20mph_roll-out> , including the concern that it will be a blanket rollout or that it will hurt commercial districts. For his part, Stuart Hay, head of Living Streets, has his eye on the prize. If this encourages more people to be active, it could have the biggest impact on public health since the smoking ban, he wrote <http://www.scotsman.com/news/slowing-traffic-gives-us-a-bit-more-breathing- space-1-3694827> in The Scotsman.

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Job posting for Bike Week Event Coordinator Assistant
by Dave Elmore 04 Mar '15

04 Mar '15

Please circulate to your networks: Bike Week Winnipeg is looking for an independent, enthusiastic individual to act as an intern/assistant to the Event Coordinator for Bike Week 2015. Position Description: Working with the Bike Week Event Coordinator, the Event Intern will assist with a variety of duties in the planning, organizing, and coordination of the events and activities of Bike Week 2015. It is our hope that this Intern position will transition into the Event Coordinator role in 2016. The current event coordinator will be leaving this position after this year's event and there will be an opportunity for the intern to move to this position. Background: Bike Week is an annual event that celebrates people riding bicycles. Starting as Bike to Work Day in 2008, the event has grown to become a week-long celebration of bicycles that engages everyone that rides a bike, regardless of reason they ride. Through a wide variety of bicycle related events our goal is to encourage people to get on their bikes and help to improve the culture of riding bikes in our city. In 2015 Bike Week will run from June 13 to 19. Events and activities include but are not limited to the Bike Week Kickoff Breakfast and Celebration Barbeque, workshops, themed group rides, and a variety of other bike related activities. For more information please visit www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com <http://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com> . Duties and Responsibilities: In cooperation with the Event Coordinator and Project Manager, the Event Intern will assist with all aspects of the following tasks: * Attend Bike Week planning meetings as availability permits * Overseeing the overall marketing campaign and working with the marketing sub-committee * Disseminating materials and information to sponsors * Collecting and disseminating all promotional information required for participating events * Booking venues and securing permits as required for events such as the kickoff breakfast and celebration BBQ * Coordinating and hosting the Bike Week media launch party in early June * Coordinating events including the kickoff breakfast and celebration BBQ (including liaising with sponsors and venue, ordering food services, distributing signage, managing volunteers, booking security, ordering event materials, setting up stations and running event) * Coordinating other activities including themed group rides and workshops. * Liaising with the Pit Stop and Volunteer coordinator to ensure all pit stop sponsors have information and materials required * Preparing for and coordinating the pit stop information meeting * Representing Bike Week at events * Managing distribution of t-shirts and other Bike Week prizes * Coordinating interviews with media, contacting appropriate Bike Week committee members for media opportunities and potentially speaking to media throughout Bike Week * Coordinating documentation of Bike Week activities (including booking photo/videographers and managing data) * Creating and distributing final project report * Other tasks as assigned Qualifications: Self-motivated, reliable and able to work collaboratively without close supervision. Key qualifications include: * Organized, responsible and self-disciplined * Good interpersonal skills * Team player * Good written and verbal communication skills * Knowledgeable about Winnipeg and Manitoba communities * Previous event coordination experience an asset * Some knowledge of bike culture in Winnipeg and asset Term of Position: April 15 to July 31, 2015. An opportunity exists for the successful candidate to fill the Event Coordinator position for 2016. There is no guarantee of further employment and the final decision on hiring of an event coordinator for 2016 will be determined by the Bike Week Steering Committee. Remuneration: The Event Intern will receive a contract for $ 2000.00. It is estimated that the work of this position will be approximately 100 to 120 hours. The position is part-time and hours from week to week will be variable, however during Bike Week the successful candidate will need to be available full-time. Deadline for application: 4:00 p.m on Friday, March 20, 2015. Apply: Applications will be accepted by e-mail only. If you are interested please email your resume and cover letter to dave(a)bikeweekwinnipeg.com <mailto:dave@bikeweekwinnipeg.com>

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The secret weapon of suburban sustainable transport
by Beth McKechnie 02 Mar '15

02 Mar '15

Excellent article on how London (England) is investing in cycling improvements in the suburbs: "Cycling is, I think, the secret weapon of suburban sustainable transport," says Transport for London Director of Surface Strategy and Planning Ben Plowden. "It is much more like car travel than transit is." http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/outer-london-is-about-to-embrace-t… cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Biking Is Safest in Nations With the Most People on Bikes
by Dave Elmore 27 Feb '15

27 Feb '15

http://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/02/27/safety-in-numbers-biking-is-safest-in- nations-with-the-most-people-on-bikes/ Safety in Numbers: Biking Is Safest in Nations With the Most People on Bikes <http://usa.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/B-jBsAjCQAAn9rR.png> Countries with high cycling rates also have low rates of fatalities per distance biked. Graph: International Transport Forum [PDF <http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/transport/cycling-heal th-and-safety_9789282105955-en#page118> ] via Amsterdamize The more people get around by bike, the safer it is, according to the <http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/9/3/205.abstract> "safety in numbers" rule first popularized by researcher Peter Jacobsen. This chart from the International Transport Forum [PDF <http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/transport/cycling-heal th-and-safety_9789282105955-en#page118> ] shows how the safety in numbers effect plays out at the national scale. As you can see, biking is safer in the countries where people bike the most. There was, however, some variation country to country. The report noted that Korea's cycling fatality rates were greater than what its biking rates would suggest. Researchers speculated that might be due to a rapid recent growth in cycling. Perhaps, they write, "neither cyclists nor other transport participants have had time to assimilate each other's presence." Meanwhile, in some nations with high cycling rates, biking has become even safer over time. That was the case in Denmark, where cycling rates have been high but fairly stable for the last decade, but fatality rates have dropped 40 percent during the same period. The safety in numbers has been observed at the scale of cities too. Recently, for example, bicycle injury rates in Minneapolis have declined <http://streetsblog.net/2013/01/18/the-safety-in-numbers-effect-surfaces-in- minneapolis-bike-crash-data/> as total ridership has risen. The same trend has played out in New York <http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/05/safety-in-numbers-its-happening-in-ny c/> , as cycling has increased while total injuries and fatalities have not. Do more people on bikes cause cycling to become safer, or does safer infrastructure attract more people to bike? There's no conclusive evidence either way, but the answer is probably a mix of both. Safer infrastructure entices more people to ride, and more people riding instill greater awareness on the part of motorists and increase the demand for safer infrastructure.

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Report: Livable Streets for All, 30 km/h Speed Limits in Urban Neighbourhoods
by Jackie Avent 25 Feb '15

25 Feb '15

This report by 8-80 Cities highlights the health, economic, environmental and social benefits of slower speeds in urban areas and provides international case studies that prove safer streets are possible with the right policies and leadership. The purpose of this report is to advance the discussion and compel all cities to take action to reduce speed limits. http://8-80cities.org/images/res-walking-cycling-articles/livable-streets-3… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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How a "complete street" works in the real world
by Dave Elmore 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/a-model-for-stephen-avenue-how-a-c… A model for Stephen Avenue? How a "complete street" works in the real world There’s a buzzphrase about urban transportation these days. “Complete streets.” You’ve heard it. Cites are making it their goal to change many roads from the way they exist now, basically as smooth delivery platforms for cars, into something that works for everyone, not just drivers. For many people, myself included, this always seemed like a nice notion that was difficult to visualize. Does it mean adding bike lanes? Expanding sidewalks? More space for street hockey? I think a lifetime in Canada made it difficult for me to truly understand what a complete street was supposed to be. That’s probably why I’ve been, like many Calgarians, nervously anticipating plans to introduce bikes onto Calgary’s pedestrian-only Stephen Avenue Walk later this year, worried about conflicts and potential accidents. After attending the third Winter Cycling Congress in the Netherlands recently, I can officially say I now get what a complete street really is. I was invited to speak at the event (full disclosure: organizers paid for my plane ticket to attend), which took place in Leeuwarden, a northern city of about 100,000 people that may be most famous as the birthplace of Mata Hari. But what I’ll remember most is seeing a complete street in action. Of course, nobody there called it a complete street. It was just a street. But the way people used the road was a real eye-opener. This idea didn’t exist on all of the roads. The fast and busy multi-lane roads and highways didn’t look much different than those in North America, except for the presence of weird brands of North American cars (Ford Ka? Wha?), and of course, for the ever-present cycle tracks and bike routes running alongside. You know the Dutch and their bikes. But on roads with slower speeds and less traffic, that separation was thrown out the window. Onto the road, everybody mixed. I mean everybody. People on bikes, cars, trucks, mopeds, strollers. And what was perhaps most surprising to me: they did this on streets nearly devoid of road signage. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. “Great idea, hippie. Throw everybody together with no rules and somebody’s gonna get killed.” I thought the same thing, especially the first time a car squeezed past me as I strolled down the middle of the road pulling my suitcase. But after a few hours in the city, I got used to the idea, felt safe, a little exhilarated (in a city-nerd kind of way) and I realized that people approached the road in a fundamentally different way. It’s almost as if the idea of a road was different. Rather than fighting for space, with signage and a handbook telling everyone how to behave, people simply got along. I’m reluctant to say they “shared” the road, because of all the connotations that term has picked up in recent years, but that really was how people behaved. Drivers went slow, and manoeuvred around the eye-popping number of cyclists. Moped drivers slowed (most of the time) for pedestrians. Delivery trucks backed up in the middle of a street, and people simply went around. As one Dutch delegate to the conference said: “It’s based on relationships instead of rules.” What he meant was that people on the street made their way around by communicating with the people around them, with eye contact and social cues and body language. That’s a high falutin’ way of saying that people were just being people. The roads seemed to function based on patience and respect as well. At one point, a large group of delegates gathered in the middle of the road for a photo and traffic in both ways stopped and, amazingly, waited. Us North Americans felt sheepish about stopping cars and were cringing in anticipation of an assault of car horns that never came. The Dutch carried on arranging people for the photo as if they, well, owned the road. This doesn’t always work. Near the NHL University building (don’t get excited, Canadians, it has nothing to do with hockey. NHL stands for Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden), the city had recently converted a large section of roadway to a “shared space,” which looked, basically, like a wide road with a bus stop on one side. Our group strolled to the middle of the space and hung out, but cars and buses came by rather quickly for my taste. Another delegate from Leeuwarden confessed the shared space hadn’t been a complete success. It was too wide, he felt, which gave a cue to car drivers that it was safe to go quickly. The city had recently installed a planter in the middle of the road in an attempt to slow the traffic, but he grumbled that it still wasn’t quite right. The point is that what makes shared space and complete streets work is making everybody feel safe and welcome. That doesn’t mean we all have to hold hands around a campfire – most of it comes through design. What does all of this have to do with Stephen Avenue? I still share some of the consternation about the impact of adding bikes to what has been Calgary’s premier (and only) meaningful pedestrian street, but Leeuwarden showed me how people can get along when they are left to just be people. And without cars there to further complicate things, the process should be smoother still. I expect there may still be problems from time to time, but hopefully, this move will make one street in Calgary a little more complete.

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Bike Week invitation to host an event
by Dave Elmore 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

Please forward to any organizations/communities/individuals that you feel might be interested in hosting an event during Bike Week 2015. Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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FW: Bike Valet Manager ad
by Dave Elmore 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

Please pass along to your networks Bicycle Valet Winnipeg Manager: Contract Opportunity About Bicycle Valet Winnipeg <http://www.bicyclevaletwinnipeg.ca/> Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is a project of Bike Winnipeg that offers a bicycle valet parking service at events around Winnipeg. Bicycle valet parking reduces traffic and parking congestion while encouraging active transportation. The service is free to cyclists and is paid for through contracts with various events and organizations. Bicycle Valet Winnipeg has been in operation for five years and has successfully established itself as an important service at many public events including sports and entertainment events, community festivals, fundraising events and others. Bicycle Valet Winnipeg has an established network of clients and volunteers, an inventory of equipment, and an established set of services, pricing policies and operating procedures. About the contract Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is looking for a Manager who will operate the bicycle valet service as a social enterprise, and who has a passion for active transportation, and a commitment to making Winnipeg a bike-friendly city. The Manager is the leader of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg and the primary point of contact for sponsors, event promoters, media, volunteers, and the public. The Manager is responsible for all aspects of the enterprise, including negotiating contracts and sponsorship agreements, drafting grant applications, recruiting and coordinating volunteers for events, and ensuring materials are delivered, set-up, torn-down, and returned safely to storage. This is a contract position and the Manager’s net income will be based on revenue generated through contracts, grants, donations and sponsorships net of expenses. Past experience suggests that the Manager may generate $12,000.00 or more in net income per year. The work of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is primarily completed during the months of May - November and a flexible work schedule is required as many events occur on the weekend or in the evenings. Applicants should provide a resume and cover letter describing their skills and experience in the following areas: * volunteer recruitment and management, * financial and business management, * event coordination, and * working as a self-employed contractor. Please send resume and cover letter to Jeremy Hull, at jeremy(a)bikewinnipeg.ca <mailto:jeremy@bikewinnipeg.ca> . For more information visit: http://bicyclevaletwinnipeg.ca/ Application Deadline: March 6, 2015

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AT Webinar (Thurs, Feb 26, 2-3pm): New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand
by Beth McKechnie 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

*Friendly reminder regarding this Thursday's webinar...* Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand. * This webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand *Thursday, Feb. 26th, 2-3pm, EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Boardroom* NCHRP project 08-78 developed new methods for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand for planning and project development. The project’s final report is NCHRP 770, a guidebook that presents an array of methods for a variety of planning applications, with context and instruction on their selection and use. This webinar will focus on a new tool outlined in NCHRP 770 that enables practitioners to estimate demand from the interaction of land use and transportation. The new *multimodal accessibility tool *allows planners to include all modes of travel in an analysis that also examines changes in the pattern of land use or the travel network to determine which strategy, or combination of strategies, provides the greatest return. This session will review the limitations of current models for estimating demand, describe the research behind the development of the new tool, and give examples of how the model is being used at regional, corridor, and neighborhood levels. *Presenter:* - J. Richard Kuzmyk, Principal, Renaissance Planning Group

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Colin Fast: Hit the Gas on Slowing Down
by Beth McKechnie 23 Feb '15

23 Feb '15

[In case you missed this piece, as I did, when it appeared in the print version of Metro Winnipeg on Feb 3/15.] Slow down Winnipeg: Lowering the speed limit to 40 km/h is a no-brainer http://metronews.ca/voices/policy-frog/1277917/slow-down-lowering-the-speed… If this is an average week in Winnipeg at least a half-dozen pedestrians and a couple of cyclists will end up in hospital after being hit by a car or truck. Yet despite the fact hundreds of residents are being injured or killed every year, the city has refused to take the most basic step toward improving road safety: reducing the default speed limit. Ignoring the issue not only creates a real danger for pedestrians, but it leaves Winnipeg in the dust on an emerging public policy trend toward slowing traffic down. New York, London and Paris all lowered their speed limits last year to between 32 km/h and 40 km/h. Edinburgh just approved lowering its limit to 32 km/h and San Francisco — already at 40 km/h — is looking at doing the same. Within Canada, campaigns are underway to lower speed limits in some Calgary neighbourhoods, Victoria recently cut the speed to 40 km/h on several streets, and the Ontario government announced last week it will hold public consultations on reducing the default speed limit to 40 km/h across the entire province. Politicians like Ottawa’s mayor Jim Watson and Thunder Bay’s mayor Keith Hobbs have already backed the proposal and said they want lower limits in their communities. “You see some cars going 60 and 70 km/h down a residential street and you cringe at what could happen — a child hit or killed, a pet, a senior citizen,” Watson told Metro Ottawa. But when 40 km/h speed limits were raised at Winnipeg city council in 2013, the administration dismissed the idea and councillors pretty much shrugged and moved on. To be fair, council did approve 30 km/h school speed zones around the same time, but those might be more confusing than effective. In addition to providing only part-time protection (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, September to June), they also create a patchwork of speed limits in residential areas. For example, along Kingsway in River Heights the speed limit changes four times in seven blocks as the road passes two elementary schools. While “keep ’em on their toes” is one way to deal with speeders, it might not be the best option for creating long-term behavioural changes. A consistent 40 km/h speed limit on all residential streets — secondary roads, not major thoroughfares — would only delay drivers by a few seconds, but it would significantly improve safety and quality of life in Winnipeg’s residential neighbourhoods. Let’s hope our civic leaders speed up and get on board the slow-down movement. *Colin Fast is a communications specialist and freelance journalist in Winnipeg. He drives at 40 km/h through his neighbourhood and doesn’t care how much you honk. Find him on Twitter(a)policyfrog.*

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Another good reason to walk and bike
by Beth McKechnie 23 Feb '15

23 Feb '15

Interesting to see that physical inactivity is even way more damaging than obesity, and that even "healthy weight" individuals would greatly benefit from walking or cycling. (Okay, nothing shockingly new but it might motivate some.) * * * * * *Lack of exercise responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity * A brisk 20 minute walk each day could be enough to reduce an individual’s risk of early death, according to new research published today. The study of over 334,000 European men and women found that twice as many deaths may be attributable to lack of physical activity compared with the number of deaths attributable to obesity, but that just a modest increase in physical activity could have significant health benefits. See more at: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/lack-of-exercise-responsible-for-twice-a…

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Halifax advocates hand their city an entire protected bike lane plan on a platter
by Beth McKechnie 20 Feb '15

20 Feb '15

Halifax advocates hand their city an entire protected bike lane plan on a platter February 18, 2015 For biking believers both inside and outside of government, the playbook has become familiar. Lobby city planners to make a bike network plan. Get it funded. Make it as forward-thinking and ambitious as possible. Once you've drawn a bunch of lines on the city's official map, select the most important projects and start to fight political battles street by street, compromising every step of the way with those who argue that biking facilities don't need to be *that* common or *that* comfortable or *that* direct — forcing elected officials to weigh the needs for this parking lane or that turn lane one block at a time. It's a time-tested strategy, and it can certainly get results. But this winter in Halifax, a handful of volunteer biking advocates decided to try turning the process upside down. Read article <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/advocates-hand-halfiax-an-entire-p…> -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Peg City Car Co-op job posting
by Beth McKechnie 19 Feb '15

19 Feb '15

*** Please share widely *** *Peg City Car Co-op seeks Member Services Coordinator* To help with our growing membership and network of carshare vehicles, we need a dependable person who gets carsharing and how it works. Someone who is committed to and understands the individual, environmental and community benefits of "Bike. Walk. Bus. And Sometimes, Drive." The Member Services Coordinator is the main point of contact for Peg City Car Co-op members and is responsible for ensuring that members are satisfied with the carshare service as a practical, convenient and cost-effective alternative to private vehicle ownership. *Find details here.* <http://pegcitycarcoop.ca/2015/02/peg-city-car-co-op-seeks-member-services-c…> Deadline for submission:* 9pm, Thursday, March 5th*

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Get involved with Jane's Walk 2015
by Beth McKechnie 19 Feb '15

19 Feb '15

*** Please share widely *** Hi everyone, The planning committee for Jane's Walk Winnipeg 2015 is looking for new blood! Each year our number of walks grows and the topics become more diverse. Check out some of last year's 24 walks <http://www.janeswalk.org/canada/winnipeg/> – from "Ballads and Boulevards" to "History and Heroes". This year's Jane's Walk weekend is May 2 and 3. What does the planning committee do? Mostly, we help recruit and assist walk leaders, including an orientation evening, and promote the weekend's walks. *Join us for our next meeting: * *Monday, February 23rd, *5-6:30pm *EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor-303 Portage Ave, MEC bldg)* Background: Jane’s Walk celebrates the ideas and legacy of urbanist Jane Jacobs <http://www.janejacobswalk.org/about-jane-jacobs-walk/meet-jane-jacobs/> by getting people out exploring their neighbourhoods and meeting their neighbours. Free walks held on the first weekend of May each year are led by locals who want to create a space for residents to talk about what matters to them in the places they live and work. All walks are given and taken for free. thanks! Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Portage Daily Graphic: Active Transportation plan stalled
by Beth McKechnie 18 Feb '15

18 Feb '15

Active transportation plan stalled By Svjetlana Mlinarevic <http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/author/svjetlana-mlinarevic>, The Graphic Tuesday, February 17, 2015 http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2015/02/17/active-transportation-plan-st… City of Portage la Prairie councillors recently defeated a motion to implement an active transportation plan for the city. Administrators had recommended the city award the development of an active transportation plan to MMM Group Ltd. for $51,840. Councillors defeated the motion during their regular council meeting on Feb. 9 as most felt it was costing the city too much money. “I completely support the city’s efforts to address and properly plan active transportation initiatives in our community. I do have some concerns though with our ability to fund the projects at hand and I’m just wondering whether or not this is an item, that while we did send out an RFP, should not be appended until after we’re done our debt management plan,” said finance chair Coun. Brent Budz, who was the first to strike down the recommendation. The city issued a request for proposals (RFP) for consulting services for the master plan and received three proposals, with MMM ultimately being chosen by staff as the best choice (it is currently working on the Saskatchewan Avenue revitalization plan). MMM’s plan would assess the needs of residents; would involve discussions with stakeholders; develop an active transportation network plan; develop on and off-street route design standard; develop a phasing plan; identify maintenance requirements and development standards; prepare a public communication and education plan; develop land use policies and land development standards; and prepare cost estimates. The process would also include a public open house. The city budgeted $20,000 for the plan with additional funds coming from potential grants from the province ($20,000); small communities transportation fund, and the community planning assistance program. Administration would defer a $30,000 budgeted item until the grant money is received from the province in order for the project to proceed. The final report would have been completed by the end of June. Budz further compared the active transportation plan to the Saskatchewan Avenue and Island Park bridge plans and said it would be difficult for the city to accomplish all of the projects in an appropriate amount of time. Coun. Brent Froese disagreed with Budz’ lumping of the active transportation plan in with the larger projects. “The fact is that we’ve already been spending money on active transportation ever since the construction of the Crescent path and even longer. We have committed in our debt management plan monies per year for, I believe, the next 15 years. So, it’s not as if we’re talking about an unplanned expenditure. “We’re already spending this money. I also understand that there have been monies donated and waiting to be applied to this project, specifically by the Rotary Club, and there may be other monies that are kind of sitting and waiting for this plan to be finished. “I don’t feel comfortable holding this back on the grounds that this is like the bridge and Saskatchewan Avenue. This is an attempt to plan what we are kind of already doing and maybe we’re already a little late in the planning stage,” said Froese. Mayor Irvine Ferris said there has been an active transportation committee working on this for more than two years and asked director of operations Kelly Braden for his thoughts. “There is an active transportation committee group that has been working on this and it seems to be proceeding without a real plan in place,” said Braden. “It has developed a sketch but every year council has been allocating about $10,000 a year for active transportation. I recommended that we put a plan together, in advance, and then follow that plan for the next 10 or 20 years.” Braden added that the debt management plan has about $500,000 already allocated to active transportation, pathway upgrading and redevelopment for the next 10 years. “That’s one of the reasons I want to put a plan together before we go $50,000 a year .... before we spend that kind of money there should be a plan in place,” said Braden. Espey asked if the city could use university students to develop a plan as the city had done for the Saskatchewan Avenue project as it would be cheaper. City manager Jean-Marc Nadeau said it might not be possible as the students are selective in what projects they take on because they don’t want to take away from the private sector. “We can ask, but my expectation is that they will likely say, ‘No,’” said Nadeau. Coun. Wayne Wall said he felt Espey’s proposal was not above board. “I have a bit of a problem with asking for proposals from consultants and then going out to students and saying, ‘Hey, can you do it cheaper than this?’ from an ethical point-of-view,” he said. svjetlana.mlinarevic(a)sunmedia.ca

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Trails Manitoba RFP
by Beth McKechnie 17 Feb '15

17 Feb '15

[On behalf of Trails Manitoba...] Trails Manitoba is seeking the services of a researcher to conduct an *Environmental Scan of Trail Products for Manitoba’s Trans Canada Trail*. Details are contained in the link below, including the closing date for proposals of March 9, 2015. http://trailsmanitoba.ca/2015/02/trails-manitoba-rfp-environmental-scan-tra…

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AT Webinar CHANGE OF DATE: New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand
by Beth McKechnie 17 Feb '15

17 Feb '15

*** PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE *** Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand. * This webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand *Thursday, February 25th, 2-3 p.m., EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Boardroom* NCHRP project 08-78 developed new methods for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand for planning and project development. The project’s final report is NCHRP 770, a guidebook that presents an array of methods for a variety of planning applications, with context and instruction on their selection and use. This webinar will focus on a new tool outlined in NCHRP 770 that enables practitioners to estimate demand from the interaction of land use and transportation. The new *multimodal accessibility tool *allows planners to include all modes of travel in an analysis that also examines changes in the pattern of land use or the travel network to determine which strategy, or combination of strategies, provides the greatest return. This session will review the limitations of current models for estimating demand, describe the research behind the development of the new tool, and give examples of how the model is being used at regional, corridor, and neighborhood levels. *Presenter:* - J. Richard Kuzmyk, Principal, Renaissance Planning Group

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FW: WRENCH job posting
by Dave Elmore 12 Feb '15

12 Feb '15

Please see job posting for the WRENCH and forward to your contacts/networks. Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X) From: wrenchprogram(a)gmail.com [mailto:wrenchprogram@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Patrick Krawec Sent: February-11-15 5:03 PM To: Dave Elmore; Mark Cohoe; Lea G Subject: WRENCH job posting Hello people, Attached is a new job posting from the WRENCH. If you folks would be kind enough to post it on your posting pages that would be awesome. Thanks, Pat -- Patrick A. Krawec, Executive Director The Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub 1057 Logan Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3E 3N8 <http://www.TheWrench.ca/> www.thewrench.ca 204-296-3389

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The Cost of Urban Sprawl Invitation
by Beth McKechnie 12 Feb '15

12 Feb '15

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Melanie Andrushko <melanie(a)downtownwinnipegbiz.com> Date: Wed, Feb 11, 2015 at 4:35 PM Good afternoon, An exciting speaker is coming to Winnipeg and you’re invited! Sponsored by the Province of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, CentreVenture and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. Please see the invitation and details below. Regards, *Melanie Andrushko* Project Coordinator: Placemaking & Transportation *Downtown Winnipeg BIZ* 426 Portage Avenue | Winnipeg, MB | R3C 0C9 Tel: 204-958-4629 | Fax: 204.958.4630

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Using 'smart language' to talk about safe streets...
by Jackie Avent 10 Feb '15

10 Feb '15

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/how-smart-language-helped-end-seat… "Though the group made no secret of their biking advocacy, they didn't brand themselves as biking advocates. They branded themselves as *neighborhood* advocates. Executive Director Cathy Tuttle, unable to manage every project citywide, deputized advocates around the city to speak as "Fremont Greenways," "Kirkland Greenways," and so on. Together, the groups fought bad language with good language." -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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East Fort Garry - Active Transportation Survey and Public Meetings
by Shoni Madden 10 Feb '15

10 Feb '15

* Please share with your networks * Do you live in the Wildwood, Crescent Park, or Point Road neighbourhoods? We are looking for your input on active transportation! Please complete our active transportation survey <https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/eastfortgarry> and join us for these public meetings to share your thoughts on improving active transportation in your community. Find out more information about this project and the upcoming events at www.greenactioncentre.ca/eastfortgarry -- *Shoni Madden* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> * Please note that my regular office hours are Tuesdays/Thursdays. I will respond to your communication at this time.

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Canada Walks - State of Walking in Canada Survey
by Jackie Avent 10 Feb '15

10 Feb '15

Canada Walks is working with Ryerson University to conduct a survey to learn more about the state of the walking movement in Canada. The survey is aimed at national, provincial and local organizations and groups that: - promote and support walking and walkability - have walking/walkability in their mandate - have staff or volunteers who work directly on walking related initiatives Completing the survey will take about *15 minutes* of your time. Details below! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kate Hall <asrts(a)greencommunitiescanada.org> Date: Mon, Feb 9, 2015 at 5:01 AM Subject: Canada Walks - State of Walking in Canada Survey To: info(a)greenactioncentre.ca *THE STATE OF THE WALKING MOVEMENT IN CANADA:* A NATIONAL SURVEY OF WALKING ORGANIZATIONS Good day, Canada Walks is working with Ryerson University to conduct a survey to learn more about the state of the walking movement in Canada. The survey is aimed at national, provincial and local organizations and groups that: - promote and support walking and walkability - have walking/walkability in their mandate - have staff or volunteers who work directly on walking related initiatives Completing the survey will take about *15 minutes* of your time. We appreciate your help with outreach and encourage you to *pass the link to the survey along* to other relevant organizations you know of. The information collected will be used to assess how we can work more effectively together towards a walk friendly future for Canada. The survey results will be shared through conference and webinar presentations in an effort to raise the profile of walking and walkability. This is just a first step toward capturing what's happening with walking across the country, leading to a broader conversation about a national collaborative and/or strategy. Please follow this link to the survey: https://surveymonkey.com/r/stateofwalkingincanada <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001G9vQSLzbEsaRyGvBjC7lWS2324m-fbU9JO85qaFvT1Xd…> and respond by *Friday, February 27th*. Thank you in advance for participating in this important research to better understand the walking movement in Canada! Sincerely, Kate Hall Manager, WALK Friendly Ontario Canada Walks, Green Communities Canada Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved. Forward this email <http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=a889zicab&m=1101954641760&ea=…> <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…> This email was sent to info(a)greenactioncentre.ca by asrts(a)greencommunitiescanada.org | Update Profile/Email Address <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…> | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=quidnovis&cc=PT_CONFSUB> Canada Walks | P.O. Box 928 | Peterborough | K9J 7A5 | Canada -- Green Action Centre 204.925.3777 www.greenactioncentre.ca Green Action Centre is a registered charity. Please consider making a donation. *Coming to the EcoCentre?* (3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue at Donald Street; Take the elevator to the third floor of the MEC building) Winnipeg transit stops and bicycle racks are located in front of MEC -- *Lea Grzenda* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3774 *| *Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/program/asrts/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/program/asrts/> -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Seeking a Sustainability Outreach Officer - Job Opportunity with the University of Manitoba
by Beth McKechnie 02 Feb '15

02 Feb '15

Hello everyone, The Office of Sustainability at the University of Manitoba is seeking a Sustainability Outreach Officer <https://umanitoba.hua.hrsmart.com/ats/js_job_details.php?reqid=9001> to assist with program development and delivery. Applications are welcomed before February 13th. I’d be grateful if you could share with your networks. Thanks! Ian Hall | MPA | MCIP Director | Office of Sustainability | University of Manitoba 501 Fitzgerald Bldg | Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 | 204-474-7995 [image: http://www.sirpizzamadison.com/facebook_symbol.jpg] <https://www.facebook.com/SustainableUofM> [image: http://scm.ulster.ac.uk/~B00555559/images/twitter_symbol.jpg] <https://twitter.com/SustainableUofM>

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Active & Green: Fun with Jack Frost, Peace on the bus, Walking as superfood, Commuting Gold
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jan '15

29 Jan '15

Check out our winter edition of Active & Green! Sign up here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/active-green/> to receive a copy directly or to check out past issues. -cheers, Beth Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. <http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=f31277bdc2…> *A better way to go* Want to improve commuter options at your workplace? We can help <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> ------------------------------ *Upcoming Events* *Winter Walk Day* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> Thursday, February 5 *Jack Frost Challenge!* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> February 7-13 *Winter Bike to Work Day* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Friday, February 13 *Wildwood AT Community Meeting* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Tuesday, February 24 *Fort Garry AT Community Meeting* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> Thursday, February 26 *Bike and Walk to School Poster Contest* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> Submit by Friday, March 6 *Commuter Challenge 2015* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> May 31 - June 6 ------------------------------ *Taking the bus = Peace* It ain't easy being a working mom. Here's one woman's story on how she decided to take the bus to save money and lighten her environmental footprint. Turns out it's the unexpected benefits that have really paid off <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . *Bike blender fun* Add some spin to your next workplace event – rent our bike-powered blender <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> ! *FREE training sessions* Want to help your co-workers to bike, bus, walk or carpool? Register for one or more of Green Action Centre's free Commuting Ambassador Training <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> sessions: *I. Tools and Hands-on Training* Wed, March 11, 1-4pm *II. Commuting Surveys* Wed, March 25, 1-4pm *III. Behaviour Change* Wed, April 8, 1-4pm *Job posting: Active and Safe Routes to School* Want to help get more kids walking and cycling to school in Manitoba? Green Action Centre is looking for an energetic and organized individual part-time. Find the job posting here <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Apply by Friday, February 13th. *Fun with Jack Frost * Do you suffer from the winter blues? Is curling up on the couch with hot chocolate and Netflix your go-to winter escape? While staying active indoors is worthwhile, research <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> shows that getting outdoors improves these benefits, with the added bonus that activity in nature further reduces stress. So, how do you get started? Put down the remote and sign up for the Jack Frost Challenge! Get together with a team of family and friends, and participate in outdoor activities from *February 7-13, 2015*. Register today <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> ! *Cycling at 55° (latitude)* Active transportation is not just a summer pursuit for John Barker (photo courtesy of Jeanette Kimball). This resident of Thompson, Manitoba, wanted to find a sustainable way to commute to his everyday destinations. Self-described as “not a martyr” for active transportation, John investigated all of his options and posted this excellent piece <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> on his blog. (Spoiler alert! See photo.) Want to try it yourself? Here are some tips on cycling through the winter <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . *Catch the "Freezeway"* Winnipeggers love visiting The Forks in winter to skate along the beautiful river trail. But can you imagine commuting by skating through the city? Edmonton is considering a proposal by young landscape architect, Matt Gibbs, for a Freezeway. This 6.8-mile skating lane would see commuters and tourists strapping on their skates to travel the downtown. “I wanted to look at the hidden opportunities that exist living in a climate that’s below freezing for more than five months a year,” says Gibbs. Read more about this icy idea <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>. (Image source: Matt Gibbs. Also check out his Freezeway video <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> .) *Walking as super-food* If you spend your day consuming the latest, greatest health foods, adding in a sweaty, hour-long workout, you are on the road to great health, right? Not if the rest of your day is sedentary, according to the latest research. Active Sedentary is a new category of people who combine high levels of fitness with long periods of inactivity. Author Katy Bowman notes that “you can’t offset 10 hours of stillness with one hour of exercise.” Read more <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> about why walking is considered the new superfood of fitness. Walking part-way to work or to the bus, walking meetings, and a standing desk are all great places to start. *Kudos to 'Gold' Winner!* Hearty congrats to *Health in Common* for picking up 'Gold' in the 2014 Commuter Friendly Workplace Award <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>! Check out the innovative ways in which this workplace supports its employees <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> to walk, bike, take transit or carpool to work. Lots of great ideas to consider for your workplace. Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Copyright (C) 2015 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Ice skating corridor concept in Edmonton
by Patman, David 29 Jan '15

29 Jan '15

Have heard this idea before, but interesting article nevertheless: http://www.wired.com/2015/01/edmonton-freezeway-ice-skating/ David Patman, P. Eng. Transit Planner Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division 421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2 P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>

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Green Action Centre job posting - Active and Safe Routes to School Project Coordinator
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jan '15

29 Jan '15

** Please share with anyone you know who may be interested. Many thanks! ** *Green Action Centre seeks a dynamic individual to join our Active and Safe Routes to School Program* We are looking for an independent, energetic, flexible and organized individual to fill a position within our Active and Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) team. Working collaboratively with other Active and Safe Routes to School and Green Action Centre staff, the Coordinator will perform duties to organize for and promote children’s mobility in Manitoba. Apply by Friday, February 13th. Find the full job posting here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/about/jobs/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/program/asrts/>

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Do our cities still work?
by Dave Elmore 29 Jan '15

29 Jan '15

Worth the 19 minutes to watch. Spoiler alert! No, but we can fix that! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQfC6mKTErg <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQfC6mKTErg&feature=youtu.be> &feature=youtu.be

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WFP: From why Winterpeg to why not? Follow Edmonton's lead and capitalize on frigid reputation (Jan.19'15)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jan '15

20 Jan '15

>From why Winterpeg to why not?Follow Edmonton's lead and capitalize on frigid reputation ON ARCHITECTUREBy: Brent Bellamy http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/from-why-winterpeg-to-w… It is mid-January, and through hard crusts of frozen breath on their tightly wrapped scarves, Winnipeggers across the city can be heard muttering to themselves "Why do I live here?" Winnipeg doesn't have many things that can truly be described as world-class, but winter is certainly one of them. For a major city (with a population over 500,000) our January average temperatures are the fourth-coldest on Earth, rivalling cities in Siberia, Mongolia and northern China. In response, over the last 40 years, we have worked to build a city that turns its back on winter. We defend ourselves from it like it's an enemy invader. Our climate-controlled networks sever us from the outside. Portage Avenue was for a century a bustling 12-month, outdoor shopping strip, the retail heart of the city. Then we decided to move to indoor malls, and today we zig-zag in our cars across massive parking lots from one big-box store to the next. We pushed people at our landmark intersection underground, and our sidewalks were emptied by skywalks. The default reaction to everything from segregated bike lanes to active pedestrian sidewalks and great public spaces seems to always be "It's too cold to do that in Winnipeg." We have all heard someone from outside the province call our city Winterpeg and laugh a derogatory giggle. Imagine if we could transform that word into a badge of honour. It is difficult for a city to reach its full potential as a smart, vibrant, livable place with a resigned attitude we must endure the winter months. If Winnipeg is to be globally competitive, attracting investment, tourism and immigration, we can't simply accept a lower quality of life for half the year. Winter is part of who we are, it defines us. It can be an asset, if we make it one. To begin changing our perception of the coldest months, Winnipeg might learn from our friends in Edmonton who have begun taking significant steps toward a long-term cultural shift in their collective perception of winter, beginning to leverage its potential as a social and economic asset that can set them apart in the world. Last year, the city took the bold step of adopting as official policy a Winter City Strategic Plan called For the Love of Winter and have drafted a clear implementation document that is now being executed. Edmonton's Winter City plan was created through an extensive public consultation process that established four key pillars: Winter Life, Winter Design, Winter Economy and Our Winter Story. Each pillar categorizes a set of strategic goals. *-- Winter Life: *The goals of this pillar are to improve winter transportation for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users as well as to simply make it easier to go outside. Strategies to implement these goals include: constructing commercial warming kiosks in public parks and plazas; creating regulations for use of fire in outdoor public spaces; encouraging neighbourhood-scale winter carnivals; constructing heated transit shelters and separated bike lanes; and prioritizing snow clearing for cyclist and pedestrian pathways. *-- Winter Design: *This pillar focuses on creating a set of enforceable design guidelines that prescribe architectural and urban-planning elements to create more livable outdoor environments. These design standards focus on creating microclimates that maximize outdoor comfort by incorporating such ideas as protective wind shelter, outdoor heat sources and increased access to sunlight. Colour, public art and creative lighting elements are also encouraged. *-- Winter Economy: *The economic impact of creating a vibrant winter city is seen as a multi-layered opportunity, from tourism and commercial growth to bigger picture issues such as attracting and retaining investment and young people by improving the quality of civic life year-round. Initiatives to achieve this include developing outdoor winter markets, changing zoning and alcohol bylaws to encourage a winter restaurant patio culture, supporting civic-scale festivals and public events as well as establishing educational, business and research centres that focus on winter-related industry and technology. *-- Our Winter Story:* The final pillar hopes to champion awareness for the winter-city plan within Edmonton and abroad. The goal is to establish local contests, marketing and public-engagement initiatives as well as international branding and tourism campaigns that celebrate Edmonton as a world winter capital. Over the past few years, Winnipeg has begun to informally embrace many of the ideals Edmonton has made official policy. If our city were to initiate a similar plan, there would be a strong base from which to build. Festival du Voyageur is the largest winter carnival in Western Canada, attracting approximately 100,000 visitors. Several years ago, the well-publicized battle between The Forks and Ottawa's Rideau Canal for the title of World's Longest Skating Rink raised awareness for winter activity along the rivers. Since then, the warming huts international design competition has become famous worldwide and has spawned the RAW:almond pop-up restaurant, which will again provide the experience of fine dining on the frozen Red River. A competition was held for a new restaurant design this year, won by U.K. architectural firm OS31, which proposed a dramatic tent structure currently under construction. A great opportunity exists to follow Edmonton's lead by building on these initiatives and establishing a formal plan to transform Winnipeg's winter into an asset that makes us a global model for winter-city living and a world leader in cold-weather design. To most of the world, our frigid isolation is as exotic as any tropical island or rainforest. There is a tourism experience here that can be found in few places in the world. Through good design, we can build a city that embraces what makes it unique, improving our own quality of life and attracting visitors wanting the Winnipeg experience. Winnipeg explodes with activities in the summer, from the Fringe and Folk festivals to the St. Norbert Farmers' Market and patios of Corydon Avenue. Edmonton is demonstrating with planning and smart design, some level of this can happen in the winter, as well. Setting goals and outlining ways to achieve them in formal policy could transform our perceptions of Winterpeg and make people instead ask themselves, "Why don't I live there?" Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group bbellamy(a)numberten.com Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 19, 2015 B6

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AT Webinar: Level of Service for Peds and Cyclists, Wed, Jan 21, 2-3pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jan '15

19 Jan '15

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *Level of Service for Pedestrians and Cyclists. * This webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * Level of Service for Pedestrians and Cyclists *Wednesday, January 21st, 2-3 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom* Learn about Level of Service and its relationship to bicycling and walking, with specific reference to the Highway Capacity Manual. Presenters describe the performance measures that transportation engineers and planners use related to signalized and unsignalized intersections; identify points where multimodal travel can be more effectively incorporated into traditional measures; explain emerging measures that are being considered in the update the Highway Capacity Manual by researchers; and discuss specific treatments that should be considered. *Presenters* - Nick Foster, Senior Planner, Kittelson and Associates - Peter Koonce, Signals and Street Lighting Manager, Portland Bureau of Transportation

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Reminder: AT-Policies in Canada - WEBINAR
by Jackie Avent 16 Jan '15

16 Jan '15

Good Afternoon, Green Action Centre will be hosting this upcoming webinar from 12 - 1 pm on Tuesday January 20th at the Manitoba Eco-Centre (3rd Floor, 303 Portage Avenue), followed by a brief discussion. Hope you can bring your lunch and join us! Jackie [image: Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar] Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar What: Webinar When: January 20, 2015 Time: 12:00 PM CDT Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer will host a one-hour webinar on January 20th from 12:00pm-1:00pm CDT. By attending you'll learn about our active transportation policy resources and how they can be applied to your work: - Active Transportation Policy Case Studies <http://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> - Active Transportation Policy Case Study Summary Sheets - Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> - Provincial/Territorial Active Transportation Policy Maps <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> **Note: This webinar will only be offered in English.* -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Videos from BC Transit
by Jackie Avent 15 Jan '15

15 Jan '15

Here are a couple of videos from BC Transit that are worth checking out quickly... Apparently, there'll be a couple more made too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iYx94ia4Ts - One More Lap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLRrgCjE2po - Uphill -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Winter Bike to Work Day - Friday, February 13th - Commit Today
by Anders Swanson 14 Jan '15

14 Jan '15

Dear Winnipeg, It is not often that an event developed here takes over the world. The website for the 3rd annual international Winter Bike to Work Day <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/> is now live, and it has real-time results (in the form a cool world map) <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/#map> for the first time ever. Any business, organization or person can plan a fun celebratory event <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/#plan> (its pretty darn easy). the only thing you have to do though is commit to ride <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/commit> and get out there on the 13th. For the love of all things holy, just make sure that Oulu or Trondheim (....or Saskatoon or Brandon for that matter) don't make us look too bad. ;) This is our event after all. Cheers, Anders Part of the organizing team... *Winter Bike to Work Day* <http://winterbiketoworkday.org/> *Friday, February 13th, 2015* Twitter <https://twitter.com/WinterBike2Work> | Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/WinterBikeToWorkDay>

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Survey on cyclist behaviour
by Jackie Avent 13 Jan '15

13 Jan '15

There is a survey being done by the University of Denver about why cyclists tend to break traffic laws. They are trying to understand the psychology behind the actions - and whether it's because cyclists do it for visibility and to feel and/or be safer on the roads. The direct link to the survey is here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1885930/bikingbad, and there's an article offering background with a link to the survey as well here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/01/09/lets-talk-seriou… Jackie -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Seattle dog rides bus by herself to dog park
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '15

13 Jan '15

A little smile for a nippy Tuesday afternoon. I wonder if they have a special rate for dogs? http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Seattle-dogs-rush-hour-ride-on-the-bus-b…

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WFP: Who has the white stuff? (Jan.10'15)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jan '15

11 Jan '15

Who has the white stuff?We look at the snow-clearing policies of six Canadian cities to see how they measure up By: Mia Rabson http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/who-has-the-white-stuff-288134561.ht… OTTAWA -- It's early January in the nation's capital and the city is digging out from just the second storm of the year. On Saturday, Jan. 3, Ottawa had to deal with an 18-centimetre dump of snow, followed the next day by 11 millimetres of rain and freezing rain. But by Sunday night, just over 24 hours after the storm began, most streets were clear, residential sidewalks had been plowed and cars and people were moving around the city without much trouble. [image: Sean Kilpatrick/ THE CANADIAN PRESS] <http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/800*577/6460839.jpg> Enlarge Image <http://media.winnipegfreepress.com/images/800*577/6460839.jpg> Sean Kilpatrick/ THE CANADIAN PRESS (CP) SNOW REMOVAL BUDGETS *2014 budget breakdown per centimetre of snow* *MONTREAL* $151.5 million (annual budget) for 184.2 cm of snow $822,475.57 per cm *TORONTO* $85 million for 139.6 cm $608,882.53 per cm *EDMONTON* $60 million for 102.9 cm $583,090.38 per cm *OTTAWA* $58 million for 166.6 cm $348,139.26 per cm *WINNIPEG* $40.6 million for 118.4 cm $342,905.40 per cm *HALIFAX** $24.2 million for 287.5 cm $84,173.92 per cm * Halifax budget and snowfall was done on fiscal year 2013-14, not calendar year 2014 More than 2,000 kilometres away in Winnipeg, things weren't so rosy. After 16 cm of snow fell on Jan. 1 and 2, new Mayor Brian Bowman was steamed about the quality of snow clearing. He said he's looking at whether more of the work should be given to city crews rather than private contractors and investigating whether private contractors are meeting their required service standards. He told reporters Wednesday more sand should have been put down and more effort made to remove ruts. Slippery streets and the buildup of ruts last winter led to a huge outcry from Winnipeg drivers and contributed to an increase in accidents that compelled Manitoba Public Insurance to ask for a rate increase to cover the added claims. Snow clearing and winter street maintenance are major headaches in almost every city east of British Columbia. Unpredictable weather and high expectations of residents mean even in small snowstorms, the phones ring off the hook with complaints. "It's a very visible public service that really impacts everyone," said Darrin Natolino, superintendent of winter works for the Halifax Regional Municipality. If you want the gold standard of snow clearing, one must look to Quebec, where Montreal spent more on snow clearing last year than Winnipeg has in the last five years. With a budget of $155 million this year, the city will deploy 370 road and sidewalk salting trucks, and 1,000 snowplows, graders, front-end loaders and sidewalk plows, to clear more than 10,000 km of roads and sidewalks of snow and ice. As soon as 2.5 cm of snow is on the ground, the city goes into clearing mode and doesn't stop until the city is clear, usually within five days unless it's a major storm. Montreal also removes most of the snowbanks, spending as much as 70 per cent of its snow-clearing budget on snow removal. In 2013-14, Montreal spent nearly $840,000 for every centimetre of snow that fell. Snowfall is so unpredictable, all cities find it hard to budget. In November and December 2013, Halifax had to clear away 83 cm of snow. A year later, only seven cm fell in those months. Last year, Winnipeg blew its yearly snow-clearing budget by the end of March. Ottawa and Toronto were well over budget before the end of February. All cities classify streets as different priority levels; most clear expressways and main arteries to the pavement but leave a little snowpack on residential streets. But that is about where the similarities end. Each city has different methods of clearing. Some, like Winnipeg, use mostly private contractors. Others split the work between the two, while cities such as Edmonton use almost exclusively city crews to do the work. Toronto and Ottawa use monitoring stations around the city to keep track of surface temperatures and dew points, helping predict when ice is forming and keeping notes on when precipitation begins. It helps those cities deploy crews as soon as possible. Most clear sidewalks, although Halifax just started doing that, Toronto doesn't do it on residential streets downtown and Edmonton doesn't do it on residential streets at all. Toronto and Winnipeg will clear part of the windrows left in front of residential driveways but the rest generally leave that to residents. Edmonton recycles most of the sand it uses. Before a storm ever begins, crews in Ottawa and Montreal hit the ground with salters and de-icers, laying down a brine liquid to pre-treat roads and prevent snow from adhering to the pavement, which makes it much easier to clear. Ottawa then sends out its plows to the main roads as soon as the snow starts to fall, while most other cities wait for at least two or three centimetres to accumulate. "We get out there as soon as we can to prevent that bond (to the pavement)," said Luc Gagné, manager of road services in Ottawa. Cities such as Winnipeg and Edmonton are at a disadvantage here because it's usually too cold for salt or pre-treat brine liquid to work. Ottawa also aims to have main roads cleared within four hours of the end of a storm, and residential streets are to be done within 10 hours. Winnipeg and Edmonton aim to clear the main roads within 36 hours and residential roads not for five days. It's hard to compare costs directly, because different climates, different amounts of snowfall, and different city sizes all affect what is done. And standards generally go out the window when a major storm hits, because even the cities with budgets like Montreal's can't keep up. On Jan. 5, people returned to work and school in that city following a weekend storm that delivered 20 cm of snow and 30 mm of rain that left the ground so icy some people strapped on skates instead of boots to traverse the sidewalks. Toronto knows this problem all too well. Trevor Tenn, acting director of transportation services in Toronto, says as soon as someone outside the city starts asking about snow clearing, he knows 1999 is going to come up. More than 118 cm of snow fell on the city in just two weeks, prompting mayor Mel Lastman to call in the army to help dig out the country's largest metropolis. "We'll never live that one down," said Tenn. Here's the breakdown: *Amount of snowfall required before crews hit freeways, main arteries with plows* Ottawa: as soon as snowfall begins Montreal: 2.5 cm Halifax: 2 cm Toronto: 2 cm for expressways, 5 cm for major and minor arterials and collector streets Edmonton: 3 cm Winnipeg: 3 cm *Time expected to clear freeways and main arteries from the end of a storm* Ottawa: 2-4 hours Toronto: 2-3 hours for expressways, 6-14 hours for other main roads. Halifax: 12 hours Montreal: less than five days if less than 20 cm, greater than five days if more than 30 cm (this applies to the entire city not just the main streets) Edmonton: 36 hours Winnipeg: 36 hours *Snowfall amount required before residential streets are cleared* Montreal: 2.5 cm Ottawa: 7 cm Toronto: 8 cm Edmonton: 10 cm (clearing doesn't begin until after main streets are cleared) Winnipeg: 10 cm (clearing doesn't begin until after main streets are cleared) Halifax: 10 cm *Time expected to clear residential roads of snow* Ottawa: 10 hours Toronto: 14-16 hours Halifax: 36 hours Montreal: within five days (Unless more than 30 cm of snow falls, then it can be longer) Winnipeg: five days Edmonton: five days *Kilometres of roads to plow* Toronto: 5,600 km Ottawa: 5,700 km Montreal: 5,600 km Edmonton: 4,700 km Winnipeg: 4,400 km Halifax: 3,800 km *Amount of salt, sand, pre-treat liquid used* Ottawa: 180,000 tonnes salt, 4.5 million litres of pretreat liquid Montreal: 140,000 tonnes salt Toronto: 130,000 tonnes salt, 2.3 million litres of pretreat liquid Winnipeg: 70,000 tonnes sand, 20,000 tonnes salt Edmonton: 18,800 tonnes salt, 97,691 tonnes of street sand, 34,354 tonnes of rock chips, 143,981 litres of pretreat liquid Halifax: n/a mia.rabson(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 10, 2015 A6

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Bike Week 2015
by Dave Elmore 10 Jan '15

10 Jan '15

Bike Week Winnipeg <http://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com/> is busy planning for 2015 and we are planning to make it bigger and better than 2014. Due to the new Anti-Spam legislation we are no longer able to email Bike Week updates to past subscribers. Whether you were a past participant or new to Bike Week, please sign up for our e-newsletter <http://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com/register/> and stay informed of all the fun events planned for 2015. If you would like to learn more about this event please visit our website at www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com <http://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com> . Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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Road diet decision reversal from the US (Citylab article)
by Patman, David 09 Jan '15

09 Jan '15

Not local, but of interest - unfortunately, this is more common that it should be in North America - reversing a decision on a road diet: http://www.citylab.com/commute/2015/01/why-one-florida-city-reversed-its-ro… David Patman, P. Eng. Transit Planner Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division 421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2 P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>

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Immediate short-term contract position with Trails Manitoba
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jan '15

07 Jan '15

Submission deadline: Wednesday, January 14th Find details attached or online here: http://trailsmanitoba.ca/2015/01/rfp-trail-completion-oversight/

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AT-Policies in Canada - WEBINAR
by Jackie Avent 06 Jan '15

06 Jan '15

Good Evening, Green Action Centre will be hosting this upcoming webinar from 12 - 1 pm on Tuesday January 20th at the Manitoba Eco-Centre (3rd Floor, 303 Portage Avenue), followed by a brief discussion. Hope you can bring your lunch and join us! Jackie [image: Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar] Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar What: Webinar When: January 20, 2015 Time: 12:00 PM CDT Active Transportation Policy Case Studies and Maps Webinar The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer will host a one-hour webinar on January 20th from 12:00pm-1:00pm CDT. By attending you'll learn about our active transportation policy resources and how they can be applied to your work: - Active Transportation Policy Case Studies <http://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> - Active Transportation Policy Case Study Summary Sheets <hhtp://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> - Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> - Provincial/Territorial Active Transportation Policy Maps <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> **Note: This webinar will only be offered in English.* -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Mark Your Calendar! 2015 APBP Webinar Schedule
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jan '15

06 Jan '15

Hello everyone, Please mark your calendar for this year's line-up of excellent webinars from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP). Note that they are typically held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 2:00-3:00 pm local time. Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg partner to pay for these webinars and then guest host a local viewing at no charge to anyone who wishes to join us for the viewing and discussion afterward. These take place at the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd Floor, 303 Portage Ave above MEC). I will send out more details on the January 21st webinar closer to the date. Hope you can join us! cheers, Beth * * * * * Jan 21 Level of Service for Pedestrians and Cyclists Feb 18 New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand Mar 18Pedestrian and Bicycle Counting Programs Apr 15Legal Rights and Issues for Pedestrians and Bicyclists May 20 Law Enforcement Strategies to Improve Safety for Peds and Bikes Jun 17First Mile / Last Mile Connections to Transit Jul 15Health in All Policies Aug 19 Streetscape Design to Improve Walking and Bicycling Sep 16Shared Streets, Slow Streets Oct 21 Tactical Urbanism Nov 18Bike Boxes Dec 16 The Best Guides and Manuals You've Never Heard Of

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Thompson Citizen: Council approves multi-use path guidelines
by Beth McKechnie 31 Dec '14

31 Dec '14

Council approves multi-use path guidelines Molly Gibson Kirby <http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/authors?author=Molly%20Gibson%20Kirby> / Thompson Citizen December 30, 2014 11:32 AM http://www.thompsoncitizen.net/news/thompson/council-approves-multi-use-pat… The multi-use pathways around the city of Thompson now come complete with guidelines to help residents know what is allowed on these walkways. Northern Regional Health Authority (NRHA) health promotion co-ordinator Bruce Krentz and Michael Isaac, medical officer of health in Winnipeg, spoke about active transportation during the Dec. 15 council meeting. “I firmly believe we need to write the good news story that we want to read someday. So I’ve written a news story that I hope to read in the *Thompson Citizen* on Dec. 15, 2024, 10 years from now.” Says Isaac. In the make-believe article, Isaac touched on areas that Thompson currently, in 2014, is succeeding at. This included the first health summit. “What the community told us that we needed to work together to create a community where making the healthy choice is the easy choice and create opportunities for every resident to be healthy.” Isaac says Thompson was one of the first communities in the region to recognize the importance of active transportation, such as the multi-use pathways. Since then, active transportation has become the number one recommendation in the master parks plan, and it’s one of the key themes in the sustainable community plan. “These active transportation networks allow people to use their own power to get around, decreasing the amount of time they are sitting. They also separate car and truck traffic from cyclists and pedestrians, reducing the chance of injury.” These pathways, Isaac says, are well-connected, well-maintained, easily navigated and lead to all major sites in the city. The newly approved guidelines say active transportation uses human power. This includes anything without a motor, with the exception of motorized wheelchairs, such as walking, cycling, in-line skating, skateboarding and skiing. All users should keep to the right while using the path, and pass on the left, just like a road. There is a speed limit of 20 kilometres an hour, and cyclists must have front and rear reflectors, and warn pedestrians when approaching. A cyclist can do this by using a bell, a horn or the use of a vocal warning. Krentz said about a year-and-a-half ago, active transportation became a talking point in Thompson. After presentations to the recreation and public works committee, a citizens committee was formed that helped guide it into what it stands for today. “We started to look at our active transportation network on a bigger scale. We were seeing what pieces were maybe missing, what could we change, and stuff like that. We spent a fair bit of time talking about that, and we have since met with the committees. What we’re committed to now is working together to make a five-year plan for the city, so if funding becomes available through the budget process, it’s easy to see where we get from Point A to Point B.” Isaac says it’s about changing the trajectory of health in the region, all by working together to prevent disease. “We want people to wear out the soles of their shoes, the chains on their bikes, and the wheels on their rollerblades. Thompson is giving the residents every chance to do that with their active transportation networks and commitment to healthy city planning.” Krentz finished the presentation by saying the active transportation committee wants to work on two major areas - snow clearing and creating bike lanes for this upcoming summer. © Copyright 2014 Thompson Citizen

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Health Wealth and Happiness - Gil Penalosa presents at TEDCity
by Jackie Avent 20 Dec '14

20 Dec '14

Great video to inspire! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKfuSdQDTA8 -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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A little Christmas/Holiday cheer
by Stacy Matwick 17 Dec '14

17 Dec '14

How to Bike Home Your Christmas Tree in 11 Simple Steps | | | | | | | | | | | How to Bike Home Your Christmas Tree in 11 Simple StepsDon't forget bungee cords, peanut butter, and the kindness of strangers. | | | | View on www.citylab.com | Preview by Yahoo | | | | |

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AT webinar: Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement, Wed, Dec 17th, 2-3:15, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 15 Dec '14

15 Dec '14

[Apologies for the late notice...] Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement. * This 75-minute webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement *Wednesday, December 17th, 2:00-3:15 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom* NOTE: This is a 75-minute webinar. *Key takeaways* • Understand key psychological concepts that affect public process • Give examples of successful techniques for public engagement • Describe how public process can adapt to different types of projects *Description* Join us for this session to explore ways to improve the public engagement process. Presenters from St. Paul, Memphis and Los Angeles offer three different perspectives on getting better outcomes from public meetings and suggest techniques for expanding outreach and gaining support. Learn about psychological concepts that can be applied to add transparency and consistency to the public process while increasing insight and buy-in. Find out how the City of Memphis scales outreach efforts to the size and impact of the project, and how pop-up workshops can engage new stakeholder groups and generate better input. *Presenters* - Emily P. G. Erickson - Jessie Holzer, Planner, Alta Planning + Design - Kyle Wagenschutz, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, City of Memphis

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Canada Bikes: Seeking Director of Development
by Anders Swanson 10 Dec '14

10 Dec '14

Hi, Canada Bikes is looking for the right person to help foster a dialogue around cycling across the country. It's time Canadians had a cross-country conversation about bikes and what they mean to our past, present and future. Canada Bikes is seeking an energetic, knowledgeable and ambitious person to help us grow our voice for cycling-as-transportation at the national level. You'll be starting with a pretty easy win: working with individuals and organizations accross the country to plan and host the second annual national event "Bike Day in Canada in May 2015. The idea is to use this fun and simple event as a springboard for collaboration across Canada. This is a self-funded position, suitable for starters keen and able to make connections, willingto engage new people and, above all, raise some cash. Although self-funded, you'll have a head start. You will have board support in fundraising and budgeting, lessons-learned from last year's event and considerable control over how you approach your own tasks. All the details on the position, including anticipated renumeration and preferred skill set are here: http://canadabikes.org/component/content/article/2-uncategorised/72-job-off… Talk to us. Feel free to use the contact info in the job offer, or call me here locally in Winnipeg for further info or to see if it might be the right fit for you. Feel free to pass this on widely. Cheers, Anders Swanson on behalf of the board of Canada Bikes 204-797-1962

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linking air pollution and health
by Cyndi Otfinowski 10 Dec '14

10 Dec '14

HI, Interesting story between air pollution and risk of breast cancer... "Home "Possible link between air pollution and breast cancer" http://www.mcgill.ca/channels/news/possible-link-between-air-pollution-and-… Sorry, have not read the article. Cyndi

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#HOMETOWNPROUD
by Jackie Avent 05 Dec '14

05 Dec '14

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is garnering input from Canadians about what might make their communities all-round better places to live, and collecting stories about what makes folks proud of where they live. I've submitted an idea - you can check it out here <http://hometownproud.fcm.ca/13699/helping_kids_find_better_ways_to_get_arou…> (voting for it if you like) and submit your own idea while you're at it! Happy Friday, Jackie -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Winter cycling - Friday fun
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '14

05 Dec '14

Great to see so many people winter cycling this year in Winnipeg. I've noticed more snow (fat tire) bikes out on the road but have not yet seen one of these: http://www.blessthisstuff.com/stuff/sports/radical-sports/ktrack-snow-bike-…

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Cycle of Giving this weekend
by Dave Elmore 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

If you haven't already signed up to help or donated kids bikes/parts or $, just a reminder that the 4th annual Cycle of Giving takes place this weekend at Orioles Community Centre, 448 Burnell St from 12 noon on Saturday, December 6th to 12 noon on Sunday December 7th. Cycle of Giving is a 24 Hour Bike Building Marathon bringing together volunteers to build reconditioned bicycles for Winnipeg children in need. Last year this event built over 300 bikes and with your help we can build even more. With your generous support we also hope to raise over $15,000 to support free bicycle programming in Winnipeg. This weekend we will turn Orioles Community Centre into a magical workshop where salvaged bicycles are turned into holiday dreams come true. Find out how you can support the Cycle of Giving at www.thewrench.ca <http://www.thewrench.ca> . Drop by and lend a hand or donate to help support the WRENCH's bike programming for youth. Let's make bicycle dreams come true!

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Fwd: FW: Don't miss the upcoming webinar on Surveying & School Travel Planning!
by Shoni Litinsky 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

Please share widely - if you are interested in active school travel and want to learn more about tracking tools and data collection, this is the webinar for you! [image: ASRTS banner] *JOIN US FOR A SCHOOL TRAVEL PLANNING WEBINAR * *Putting the Fun into Surveying for Active & Sustainable School Travel Planning* *Tuesday, December 9, 2014 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (EDT)* Counting, collecting, mapping and using baseline and follow-up data can involve and inspire school travel champions of all ages, and help decision-makers provide safe routes to school. Please join us December 9 for a webinar that showcases two innovative approaches that can support your School Travel Planning projects. Both presentations were a hit at the recent Walk21 Sydney 2014 conference - well worth the 90 minutes of your time! There will be a discussion period after each presentation: - *The Living Streets Travel Tracker. A complete web-based monitoring and rewards system that uses a classroom whiteboard.* The Travel Tracker is a new web-based tool which works alongside WoW (Walk once a Week), Living Streets' long term Walk to School programme, to make the experience bigger, bolder and more interactive than ever before. It acts as a digital alternative to wallcharts for recording journeys to school, delivering all of the same functions, plus a whole lot more. Combined with monthly badges, the Travel Tracker forms a complete monitoring and rewards system fit for Strider's journey into the future! Presenter: Chris Thompson, Schools and Projects Coordinator, Living Streets Scotland. - *Don't Let the Robots Win: The power of CounterPoint AND a new hi-tech vision of School Travel Planning.* CounterPoint is that little counting app designed around teenaged traffic engineers and its making a splash. Come learn what's been piloted in real-life, the changes made and fantastic design for you to use! It's meant to be your new Super-Duper Tool slash Video Game of the Future! We're making it easy to get started in School Travel Planning, from Reykjavik to Moose Jaw. All it takes is a one teacher and one classroom click. Then... School by School and Community by Community - setting a new standard in walkability and bike-ability measurement that is elegant, clear, fun and addictive! Presenter: Anders Swanson, Director of Software Development / Program design, Green Action Centre, Manitoba, Canada. *To register, click here. <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0010MoJ2MB-1jIOoCpu0i-gemkOSIuFm-YbndB_usft7eC-…> * Production of this webinar is made possible through a financial contribution from Loblaw. [image: GCC logo] Green Communities Canada Canada Walks *Forward this email <http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=a889zicab&m=1101954641760&ea=…>* <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…> This email was sent to asrts(a)sympatico.ca by asrts(a)greencommunitiescanada.org | Update Profile/Email Address <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…> | Rapid removal with SafeUnsubscribe <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=quidnovis&cc=TEM_BusLet_003> Canada Walks | 416 Chambers Street, 2nd Floor | Peterborough | K9H 3V1 | Canada -- *Shoni Madden* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> * Please note that my regular office hours are Tuesdays/Thursdays. I will respond to your communication at this time.

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NEW CASE STUDIES, MAPS + WEBINAR: Active Transportation Policies in Canada // NOUVELLES ÉTUDES DE CAS, CARTES + WEBINAIRE : Politiques de transport actif au Canada
by Beth McKechnie 01 Dec '14

01 Dec '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Kendall Tisdale <Kendall.Tisdale(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca> Date: 2014-12-01 8:32 GMT-06:00 Subject: NEW CASE STUDIES, MAPS + WEBINAR: Active Transportation Policies in Canada *<La version française de ce courriel suit la version anglaise.>* Dear Colleagues, The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer has developed a number of resources to support your work on active transportation policy in Canada: · *Active Transportation Policy Case Studies* <http://www.cancerview.ca/policycasestudies> documenting policy development in three Canadian municipalities – Vancouver, Red Deer and Hamilton. · *Active Transportation Policy Case Study Summary Sheets* providing an *overview of the cases* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/overview_en…>, and highlighting key cross-case themes: *evidence* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/evidence_en…>, *framing* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/framing_en_…>, *public engagement* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/engagement_…>, *partners* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/partners_en…>, and *public health roles* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/public_heal…> . · *Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> with more than 4000 municipalities across Canada we need your help to find and add active transportation policies – it is easy to add your jurisdiction’s policy to the map, simply click here! · *Canadian Provincial/Territorial Active Transportation Policy Map* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> · *Prevention Policies Directory* <http://www.cancerview.ca/preventionpolicies> provides bilingual access to Canadian cancer and chronic disease prevention policies at the federal, provincial/territorial and municipal levels, including policies on the built environment and active transportation. · A *free*, *one-hour webinar* *in January 2015* on how to use and apply these active transportation policy resources to your work – *register today* <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> ! *JANUARY WEBINAR* Want to learn more about our active transportation policy resources and how they can inform your work? Please register <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> for our *free webinar *on *Tuesday, January 20th, 2015 from 1:00-2:00pm EDT*. *Please note: this webinar will be delivered in English only.* *FOR MORE INFORMATION* Please contact Kendall Tisdale, Prevention Analyst at kendall.tisdale(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca or 416-915-9222 ext 5781. Best regards, Kendall Tisdale Prevention Analyst Chers collègues, Le Partenariat canadien contre le cancer a mis en place un certain nombre de ressources pour soutenir votre travail sur une politique de transport actif au Canada : · Les *Études de cas de la politique de transport actif* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> documentent l’élaboration d’une politique dans trois municipalités canadiennes – Vancouver, Red Deer et Hamilton. · Les* relevés récapitulatifs des études de cas de la politique de transport actif *fournissent un *aperçu des cas* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/overview_fr…> et soulignent des thèmes clés communs aux différents cas : *données probantes* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/evidence_fr…>, *formulation* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/framing_fr_…>, *mobilisation du public*, <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/engagement_…> *partenaires* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/partners_fr…> et *rôles de la santé publique* <http://www.cancerview.ca/idc/groups/public/documents/webcontent/public_heal…> . · La *carte de la politique de transport actif des municipalités canadiennes* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> inclut plus de 4000 municipalités au Canada. Nous avons besoin de votre aide pour trouver et ajouter des politiques de transport actif – il est facile d’ajouter la politique de votre municipalité à la carte, il suffit de cliquer ici! · *Carte de la politique de transport actif des provinces/territoires canadiens* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> · Le *Répertoire des politiques de prévention* <http://www.cancerview.ca/cv/portal/Home/PreventionAndScreening/PSProfession…> fournit un accès bilingue aux politiques canadiennes de prévention du cancer et des maladies chroniques aux niveaux fédéral, provincial/territorial et municipal, incluant les politiques sur l’environnement bâti et le transport actif. · Un *webinaire gratuit d’une durée d’une heure se tiendra en janvier 2015* sur la façon d’utiliser et d’appliquer ces ressources en matière de politique de transport actif à votre travail – *inscrivez-vous maintenant* <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> ! *WEBINAIRE DE JANVIER* Vous voulez en apprendre plus sur nos ressources en matière de politique de transport actif et comment elles peuvent éclairer votre travail? Veuillez vous inscrire <http://cpac.fluidsurveys.com/surveys/CPAC/active-transportation-policy-webi…> à notre *webinaire gratuit *qui se tiendra* le mardi 20 janvier 2015 de 13 h à 14 h HAE*. *Prière de noter que ce webinaire se tiendra en anglais seulement.* *POUR PLUS D’INFORMATION* Prière de contacter Kendall Tisdale, analyste en prévention à l’adresse kendall.tisdale(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca ou au 416-915-9222, poste 5781. Très cordialement, Kendall Tisdale Analyste en prévention ------------------------------ This e-mail message (and any attachments) may contain confidential and/or privileged information and is for the sole use of the intended recipient. If you have received this e-mail in error, kindly contact the sender promptly and delete all copies of this e-mail and its contents. The disclosure, distribution or copying of this message by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. Opinions, conclusions or other information contained in this e-mail may not represent views of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. Le présent courriel (et toutes pièces jointes) pourrait contenir des renseignements confidentiels et/ou privilégiés et est conçu pour l’usage exclusif du destinataire. Si vous avez reçu ce courriel par erreur, je vous remercie de communiquer avec l’expéditeur immédiatement et de supprimer toutes les copies de ce courriel, ainsi que son contenu. La divulgation, la distribution ou toute reproduction de ce message par une personne autre que le destinataire est strictement interdite. Les opinions, conclusions ou autres renseignements contenus dans ce courriel pourraient ne pas représenter les opinions du Partenariat canadien contre le cancer.

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Portage Daily Graphic: bicycle co-op program inspired after agent of change attempts to launch one for Mission Possibilities (Nov.27'14)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Nov '14

28 Nov '14

Bicycle co-op program inspired after agent of change attempts to launch one for Mission Possibilities By Johnna Ruocco <http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/author/johnna-ruocco>, The Graphic Thursday, November 27, 2014 http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2014/11/27/bicycle-co-op-program-inspire… A new active transportation program may be seen soon in Portage la Prairie — and all because of an unsuccessful attempt at launching one for Mission Possibilities. Guy Moffat was thrilled about the opportunity to be an agent of change in the Portage la Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce and PCRC initiative Mission Possibilities, which saw nine members of the community receive $100 with 30 days to make a positive change in the community. It wasn’t until the chamber and PCRC gave him all the details that he began to get nervous. “Because of my personality, I want to make a really big change, and how can I get that accomplished with $100. So it was just running through all the endless ideas out there and trying to narrow it down that was a little nervewracking at the beginning,” Moffat said. His first thought was an idea he’s had for awhile through the active transportation committee. “The idea is to have a co-operative bicycle program where we have bicycles that are free for use that are left in the community in public areas,” he said. “If someone needs to borrow a bicycle they can borrow it and we just ask that they return it to a public area so someone else will be able to use it.” Moffat tried to think of ways he could use $100 to launch the program and spoke with Fire Chief Phil Carpenter to see is there were any bicycles in need of a lot of repairs that wouldn’t make it to the Portage Firefighters’ annual bike auction. “Fortunately for him, unfortunately for me, there was nothing in there that fit that criteria,” Moffat said. As time trickled away Moffat put out a call on social media looking to see if anyone had a bicycle sitting in their garage they didn’t want anymore. “However, time was crunching down and the idea was to have the program completed within the 30 days, so I would not have enough time to collect all the bicycles, do whatever repairs need to be done, get them branded and get the program together and get it launched,” he said. “Then I was very stuck and after a little bit more reflection, I had the idea to offer to match dollar for dollar any donation that someone in my community wanted to make to either active transportation or to the Portage parks committee.” He arranged through the City of Portage la Prairie to provide tax receipts for donations of $20 or more to the two committees and then he offered up the donation match to two of his communities: RBC and the Rotary Club. “Ultimately my goal at that point was to turn $100 into $200 and instead I turned the $100 into $225 because people ended up donating more,” Moffat said. And while he thought he had hit a dead end with the bicycle program, a couple of people caught wind of his original idea and have come forward and donated bicycles to him. “On top of the $225 (donation) that I was able to make to those committees, at the present time I have four bicycles donated already, I have a place to store them, I’ve started talking to public art... to get students to paint the bikes so that they’re very noticeable,” Moffat said. There is also a tentative donation for $100 for the program to put signage on the bikes in the middle frame, which would outline the program. “Because of the agent of change program that the PCRC and the chamber ran, not only was I able to do the original program and get the donation made, there’s also the spinoff of this other program that will be launching in the spring.” It was an honour to have been chosen to participate in Mission Possibilities, Moffat said, and it gave him a lot of pride to participate in the pilot. “I really, really hope this continues to live on. I was extremely impressed at all of the works all of the agents of change did and what the PCRC and the chamber were able to accomplish with $1,000 injected into the community. You can’t buy much for $1,000 nowadays, and I believe the return on that investment was massive.” johnna.ruocco(a)sunmedia.ca

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AT Webinar: Rapid Implementation and Pilot Projects (Protected Bike Lanes), Wed, Dec 3, 2-3pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 27 Nov '14

27 Nov '14

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP and Green Lane Project webinar on "Rapid Implementation and Pilot Projects" for protected bike lanes (cycle tracks). The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * Rapid Implementation and Pilot Projects (Protected Bike Lanes) *Wednesday, December 3rd, 2:00-3:00 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom* *Key takeaways*: • Identify key factors for success in rapid implementation • Recognize when a pilot project is the right tool for rapid implementation • Describe best practices for effective pilot projects *Description*: The concept of rapid implementation upends the usual order of the planning process—design, engage, execute—to put projects on the ground quickly, then refine design based on public input and actual usage. In this webinar, presenters from Austin and Memphis discuss key factors for success and the role of pilot projects in rapid implementation of protected bike lanes. In this session, learn how the cities of Austin and Memphis have evolved a replicable process for getting projects on the ground quickly. Specific factors conducive to rapid implementation of new facilities are considered, including capacity, resources, process and public outreach. Pilot projects are a tool for rapid implementation, and communities have learned some sharp lessons about what works—and what doesn’t. Hear about the evolution of pilot projects in Memphis, including considerations for planning and implementation to maximize community acceptance. Read about pilot projects here: ‘Ready, fire, aim’: How to make a great protected bike lane pilot project <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/ready-fire-aim-how-to-make-a-great…> *Presenters*: Annick Beaudet, Capital Planning Consultant, City of Austin Kyle Wagenschutz, Bikeway/Pedestrian Coordinator, Memphis Urban Area MPO

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WFP Analysis: The war on cars - Oklahoma City shows people, autos can live together (Nov21'14)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Nov '14

22 Nov '14

The war on carsOklahoma City shows people, autos can live together By: Steve Lafleur http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/the-war-on-cars-283455161… There are two types of people in Canadian cities: people who hate cars, and people who hate cyclists. Or so the perception goes. While it is true many cities have seen bitter electoral feuds over bike lanes and urban sprawl, they are driven more by perception than reality. Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists can co-exist, and making life easier for the latter two groups doesn't have to come at the expense of the former. Canadian cities have much to learn from an unlikely place: Oklahoma City, Okla., -- also known as the City That Lost a Million Pounds. Many drivers think of cycling as a hobby for under-employed hipsters. Cyclists often think of drivers as people who are too lazy to get out of their cars. Pedestrians are often ignored. Despite these rigid identities, humans are multi-modal creatures. Everyone is a pedestrian sometimes, and most people also drive, cycle or use public transportation. While drivers often think of non-drivers as an opposing group, they are generally people at different stages of their days or lives. Urban cyclists often go on to become suburban drivers. Suburban drivers often go on to be urban transit users. These identities are fluid, shaped by urban design, personal circumstances and preferences -- which often evolve. Oklahoma City shows how these preferences can be tweaked. It would be tough to come up with a more stereotypical car city than OKC. Most of the city's growth occurred after the age of mass automobile ownership, so they haven't got the type of large, dense urban core that most large cities have. As the city boomed, built entirely around auto commuting, they skimped on active transportation infrastructure such as sidewalks. That choice came back to haunt the city. When Mick Cornett became mayor of Oklahoma City in 2004, the city was accustomed to appearing on the type of lists that cities want to be on. The city was one of the most affordable and most prosperous. But then the city appeared on a less flattering list: America's fattest cities. Being a heavy-set man himself, Cornett decided to use his own personal struggle to help mobilize his community into healthier lifestyle choices. On New Year's Eve 2007, Cornett challenged the city's residents to lose a collective one million pounds -- which they did by 2012, with some help from the 42 pounds shed by the mayor. That year, Oklahoma City was named the 23rd healthiest community in American by Men's Fitness magazine. Part of the success was no doubt driven by the inspiration of Cornett's personal story. The mayor was making the rounds of national talk shows, extolling the virtues of healthy living. But part was due to the fact the city raised $777 million to create infrastructure to give people alternatives to driving to each and every destination. Some of the expenditures were of questionable value. The city is currently building a $129 million streetcar line, despite the growing consensus streetcars do little to improve urban mobility. They also allocated $252 million to a convention centre, which is tertiary at best to fostering walkability. Some of the expenditures were more obviously beneficial. The city is building a 70-acre park downtown to give residents some valuable green space in the urban core. More importantly, the city added 600 kilometres of new sidewalks. While that doesn't mean that people have necessarily started commuting from the suburbs by foot, it does make it easier to walk rather than drive to the convenience store, or to just leisurely stroll around the block without fear of being hit by a car. The city also added 160 km of jogging and biking trails, and has invested in fitness facilities ranging from kayaking to school gyms. Perhaps the most important lesson from Oklahoma City is that providing more active transportation options does not require a war on cars. The initiative was spearheaded by a suburban Republican mayor, and heavily supported by the business community. It wasn't framed as us versus them. As we've seen in Toronto, for example, an adversarial relationship between drivers and cyclists can eliminate the desire for mutual accommodation. Allowing the discussion over bike lanes and improved pedestrian infrastructure to be dominated by emotion can cloud decision making. The question shouldn't be whether to, but how to build bike lanes and improve walkability. Recognizing drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians aren't opposing factions is an important starting point. We all need to share the streets, whether on two wheels or four. *Steve Lafleur is the assistant research director for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.* Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 21, 2014 A13

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Wave goodbye to the two-car family
by Beth McKechnie 20 Nov '14

20 Nov '14

Wave goodbye to the two-car family Phil LeBeau <http://www.cnbc.com/id/15838076> | @Lebeaucarnews <http://twitter.com/Lebeaucarnews> Tuesday, 18 Nov 2014 Imagine the typical American family. Odds are your vision includes a home with two kids, as well as two or more cars. But according to a new study by KPMG, that image is becoming a less common reality. As a growing number of consumers participate in car sharing, wait longer to buy their first vehicle and move to the suburbs, KPMG predicts that in about 25 years, fewer than half of U.S. households will own more than one vehicle. Read whole article: http://www.cnbc.com/id/102193080

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Regional co-operation to create a bicycle highway
by Patman, David 20 Nov '14

20 Nov '14

http://www.citylab.com/commute/2014/11/how-the-danish-cooperated-to-build-a… Would like to see a similar thing done in Manitoba to provide bike connectivity throughout the Capital Region. David Patman, P. Eng. Transit Planner Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division 421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2 P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>

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You're Invited: Open House at the U of M on Traffic Engineering and Children's Mobility (November 24, 26 & 27)
by Anders Swanson 19 Nov '14

19 Nov '14

Hi, Want to come see some exciting new research into children's mobility happening right here in Winnipeg? As part of their 4th year transportation engineering training, in a course led by Dr. Jeannette Montufar in partnership with Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> and the City of Winnipeg <http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/>, 68 local civil engineering students are assessing 17 local schools across 3 school divisions, looking for ways to make it easier, safer and more convenient to bike, walk or roll to school. The Engineering students have had a semester to research, study, consult and analyze - and they are ready to share some of their findings. The project is also serving as a demonstration of the value our just-released CounterPoint <http://counterpointapp.org/> traffic counting app and, excitingly, a testing hotbed for our second software tool - this one designed to revolutionize origin destination analysis (using Hands Up attendance time "How did you Get Here?" surveys and, ultimately, enlisting the help of kids everywhere). *Come see for yourself. * *Where: * University of Manitoba Engineering Building Atrium See map. <https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Engineering+Atrium/@49.8081537,-97.1332878…> *Dates/Times(Drop-In): * Monday, Nov. 24, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Winnipeg School Division (Group 13 – 17) Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Louis Riel School Division (Group 8 – 12) Thursday, Nov. 27, 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. Pembina Trails School Division (Group 1 – 7) Kindly, Anders Swanson on behalf of the project team

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Green Action Centre job posting: Workplace Commuter Options Coordinator
by Jessie Klassen 17 Nov '14

17 Nov '14

PLEASE SHARE WIDELY, THANKS! *Green Action Centre seeks Workplace Commuter Options Coordinator* Green Action Centre is looking for an independent, energetic, flexible and organized individual to fill a position within our Workplace Commuter Options team. Working collaboratively with other Workplace Commuter Options and Green Action Centre staff, the Program Coordinator assists with the delivery of the WCO program, engaging with businesses, employees and community organizations to make active and green transportation options both appealing and within reach. Apply by Sunday, November 30th. Find full job posting here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/about/jobs/>.

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Fwd: Announcing: The Cycle of Giving 2014!
by Anders Swanson 14 Nov '14

14 Nov '14

[ Another event FYI. This is my favourite event to take part in, ever. Guaranteed good time. If you know how to repair a bike, polish a bike, test ride a bike, donate a bike, cook a pizza, make a christmas card, wash a dish, play music, listen to music or all around be merry, be there. You won't regret it. - Anders] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: The WRENCH <cog(a)thewrench.ca> Date: Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 9:39 PM Subject: Announcing: The Cycle of Giving 2014! To: Anders Swanson <andersswanson(a)gmail.com> <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1ab…> ------------------------------ December 6th and 7th 12pm to 12pm The Orioles Community Centre 448 Burnell St. <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1ab…> ------------------------------ *Cycle of Giving* 24 Hour Bike Building Marathon is bringing together volunteers to build over 270 bicycles for Winnipeg children in need. With your generous support we aim to raise over $15,000 to support free bicycle programming in Winnipeg. >From *noon on Saturday December 6th to noon on Sunday December 7th* the Orioles community centre will be transformed into a magical workshop where salvaged and donated bicycles are turned into dreams come true. ------------------------------ *You can support the Cycle of Giving:* Donate <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1ab…> - Volunteer <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1ab…> - Share on Facebook <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1ab…> ------------------------------ This holiday season let's make bicycle dreams come true! *Our mailing address is:* The Wrench 1057 Logan Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3G 0A1 Canada Add us to your address book <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage.com/vcard?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1abd&id=0…> unsubscribe from this list <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage1.com/unsubscribe?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1a…> update subscription preferences <http://thewrench.us9.list-manage2.com/profile?u=6238a8c152cbe3f4aa1ed1abd&i…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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AT Webinar: E-bikes, Electric Assist Bikes and Transportation Policy, 2-3pm, Wed, Nov19th, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 13 Nov '14

13 Nov '14

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: E-bikes, Electric Assist Bikes and Transportation Policy. The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * E-bikes, Electric Assist bikes and Transportation Policy *Wednesday, November 19th, 2:00-3:00 p.m., EcoCentre Boardroom* *Key takeaways* • Develop an understanding of types and definitions of e-bikes, including U.S. federal guidance and regulation • Understand the range and variation of existing North American regulations, and the ramifications for adoption and use of e-bikes • Explore Boulder’s Electric Bike Pilot Project, including models for testing and evaluation *Description* As electric assist bikes become more prevalent, cities must figure out how to integrate these devices into existing transportation networks. This webinar will help you to understand the spectrum of options and get the grounding you need to introduce this topic to your community’s stakeholders. John MacArthur, the Sustainable Transportation Program Manager for TREC at Portland State University, explains the definition and classifications of electric assist bikes, discusses the speed differential of these devices, and provides a review of current North American regulations. Marni Ratzel, Senior Transportation Manager at the City of Boulder, presents the background and results of Boulder’s Electric Bike Pilot Project, which has temporarily allowed the use of e-bikes on paved multiuse paths. The project provides an outstanding model for testing e-bike use, integrating public concerns into regulations, and evaluating results. *Presenters* *John MacArthur* is the Sustainable Transportation Program Manager for the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University. He is active in research related to sustainable transportation, particularly in the areas of transportation electrification, climate adaptation, and the relationship between transportation and public health. John is focused on exploring how technology can get more people biking and biking more often in more safe ways. Before joining the OTREC staff, he was the Sustainable Transportation Coordinator for HDR Inc. and worked on Oregon's OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program, replacing or retrofitting over 200 state bridges. He has worked for 18 years in the environmental and sustainability field. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University and a M.S. in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Michigan, School of Public Health. *Marni Ratzel* is a senior transportation planner with the City of Boulder, Colorado. Her primary responsibilities are focused on bicycle and pedestrian transportation planning, utilizing a comprehensive approach comprised of the Five Es, which she will briefly discuss in her presentation today, to increase biking and walking trips in Boulder. A regular bus and bicycle commuter, Marni encourages others to integrate bicycling and walking into their daily routine as fun, viable and efficient transportation modes. She received her master's degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University in 1994 and has served city government as a planner in the transportation field for over 19 years.

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TOD summit on Nov 17th
by Anders Swanson 13 Nov '14

13 Nov '14

Hi AT-Network, If there was one thing that was repeated often at Walk21 Sydney, it was the importance of density and transit to promote walking as mode of transportation. In that spirit, I wanted to make sure you got an invitation to this very interesting event being put on the the BIZ on Monday. There is are in-depth discussions and presentation during the day and a public event in the evening. See below. Anders We hope you and/or your colleagues would consider joining us! * See the attached invitation for the roundtable event. Please also see attached invitation for the evening public forum.* Special thanks to our sponsors: Delta BOMA Jairo Viafara Special thanks to our planning partners: The City of Winnipeg Winnipeg Transit Economic Development Winnipeg Exchange District BIZ Dillon Consulting Green Action Center *TOD SUMMIT AGENDA, NOVEMBER 17th* 9-10AM Mayor Gives Greetings (Mr. Brian Bowman) Introduction to TOD (BIZ Representatives & other speakers) 10:30AM-12PM Break off to 3 discussion groups 12-1PM Lunch break 1-3PM Discussion groups continue, followed by a summary and question period 3-4PM Drinks with TOD 6-8PM Public and Downtown BIZ Member Forum · Three international speakers are showcased followed by a panel discussion · Key points from afternoon session are brought forward Best regards, Stephanie Voyce Manager: Placemaking, Cleanliness & Transportation Downtown Winnipeg BIZ 204-958-4621 office 204-958-4630 fax

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Bike infrastructure snakes-and-ladders
by Patman, David 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/copenhagenize-cycling-game/ David Patman, P. Eng. Transit Planner Winnipeg Transit | Service Development Division 421 Osborne Street | Winnipeg, Manitoba R3L 2A2 P: 204-986-5737 | dpatman(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:dpatman@winnipeg.ca>

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Let's Get there Together
by Jackie Avent 29 Oct '14

29 Oct '14

Apologies if these have been circulated before, but check out these great cycling education and safety videos from Edmonton. Great for all ages! http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/cycling_walking/cycling-video-gallery… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Green Action Centre job posting: 2015 Commuter Challenge Coordinator
by Beth McKechnie 28 Oct '14

28 Oct '14

PLEASE SHARE WIDELY, THANKS! *Green Action Centre seeks 2015 Commuter Challenge Coordinator* Are you interested in active and green commuting? Green Action Centre is looking for a detail-oriented and energetic individual to coordinate our 2015 Commuter Challenge. Apply by Friday, November 14th. Find full job posting here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/about/jobs/>.

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Friday fun: This is how we figured where are friends were
by Beth McKechnie 24 Oct '14

24 Oct '14

[image: Photo: Want to bike around #CambMA, but are a little uncertain of how to do it safely? Join us for a FREE on-bicycle training to learn the basics of getting around town on a bike. 11/8, 10:30am-2:30pm. http://bit.ly/1wkts28]

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Mobilizing Knowledge on Active Transportation
by Beth McKechnie 23 Oct '14

23 Oct '14

Further to the webinar series below, here is the Public Health Agency of Canada document: Mobilizing Knowledge on Active Transportation (October 2014) Project Briefing and Highlight Sheets. See how Manitoba' s activities compare with other provinces: http://www.actcanada.com/downloads/6344_Sante_MKET_Report_E_6.pdf ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Sharon Lewinson <Sharon(a)actcanada.com> Date: Fri, Sep 26, 2014 at 7:28 AM [image: Newsletter-Header-Final] *Summary* September 25, 2014 1. *Register for Webinar Series* *Ideas <#1493dd863e384261_148c2351628d81f0_148b1f100f4281c2_abstract> in Motion:* *Mobilizing Knowledge on Active Transportation* [image: http://www.actcanada.com/images/default-source/website-images/ideasinmotion…] *IDEAS IN MOTION:* *Mobilizing Knowledge on Active Transportation* *A series of webinars on active transportation initiatives across Canada presented by ACT Canada in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada * Provinces, territories and their partners can boost public health by making active transportation more practical, convenient and safe. This series of four webinars will highlight provincial experiences in several key areas: *STRATEGIES AND COLLABORATION* *INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING AND DELIVERY* *LEGISLATION AND REGULATION* *INFORMATION AND PROMOTION* *WHAT, WHY AND HOW.* Invited webinar speakers will offer their unique knowledge about provincial initiatives, and present their lessons learned. Each webinar will include time for attendees to submit online questions and comments. *JOIN US!* This is a great opportunity to learn from current Canadian experiences. All webinars are free of charge, and attendees may participate using an Internet connection and/or telephone (long distance charges will apply). *RESERVE YOUR PLACE.* To register, see below. Live attendance for each event will be limited to 100 connections, but recordings will be archived at www.ACTCanada.com. *SAVE THE DATE – REGISTER NOW!* [image: RegisterNowBtn] <https://actcanada.webex.com/actcanada/onstage/g.php?PRID=09ccb28532be696c1b…> *THE BIG PICTURE: Active Transportation Strategies and Collaboration * <http://www.actcanada.com/events/webinars/ideas-in-motion-the-big-picture> Thursday, October 9, 2014 12:00–1:30 PM (Eastern) *BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: Active Transportation Infrastructure * <http://www.actcanada.com/events/webinars/ideas-in-motion-removing-barriers%…> Thursday, November 13, 2014 12:00–1:30 PM (Eastern) *SAFETY FIRST: Active Transportation Legislation and Regulation* <http://www.actcanada.com/events/webinars/ideas-in-motion-safety-first> January 2015 Date and time to be announced *BUILDING CAPACITY: Active Transportation Information and Promotion* <http://www.actcanada.com/events/webinars/ideas-in-motion-building-capacity> *ACT Canada September 2014* CONTACT US: [image: arrow] 613-226-9845 <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> info(a)actcanada.com <info(a)actCanada.com?Subject=Regarding%20the%20Newsletter> www.ACTCanada.com <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> FOLLOW US: [image: arrow] [image: TwitterS] <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> [image: LinkedinS] <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> [image: FacebookS] <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> [image: g+S] <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> [image: YouTubeS] <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> ACT Canada – 2031 Merivale Road, Ottawa, ON Canada K2G 1G7 To review our privacy policy <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…>, click here. If you no longer wish to receive email newsletters from ACT Canada you may unsubscribe <support(a)actcanada.com?subject=Unsubscribe> Were you forwarded this email? Click here <http://www.actcanada.com/aa88ee3c-d13d-4751-ba3f-7538ecc6b2ca?sf=A3416B63AC…> to subscribe to the ACT Canada Sustainable Mobility Network newsletters. ------------------------------

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Traffic Management in Zurich
by Daniel Gravenor 16 Oct '14

16 Oct '14

Zurich's plan uses a network of sensors to track the number of cars that enter its downtown and prevent more cars from entering until congestion has subsided. http://gizmodo.com/zurich-installed-4-500-street-sensors-to-count-every-ca-… It's interesting to think about how this could feed into cities with mass-transit and active-transportation systems.

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Tomorrow at the Cube! Rally for Public Transit
by Beth McKechnie 16 Oct '14

16 Oct '14

Please note the change in location for tomorrow's public transit rally... > From: General Coordinator <gencoord(a)cfsmb.ca> > Date: October 16, 2014 at 12:59:10 PM CDT > Subject: TOMORROW at the Cube! Rally for Public Transit > > Hi everyone, > > Please spread the word! > > Come show your support for public transit at this October 17 rally leading up to this critical municipal election! > > Winnipeg Rally for Public Transit! > 11 a.m., Friday, October 17 > The Cube in Old Market Square > Facebook event page > > Bring your banners, flags and make some noise for public transit! > > We know that there are many ways that we can improve our city. Come show support for public transit! > > > Confirmed speakers: > John Callahan (Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1505) > > Kate Sjoberg (North Point Douglas Women's Centre) > > Mitchell van Ineveld (Canadian Federation of Students-Manitoba) > > Charlotte Prokopow (Winnipeg Labour Congress) > > Harry Wolbert (Winnipeg Transit Riders Association) > > Joseph Kornelsen (Functional Transit Winnipeg) > > Does your group want to endorse this rally? Let us know. > > RALLY ENDORSEMENTS > Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 > Canadian Federation of Students - MB > Council of Canadians - Winnipeg Chapter > Functional Transit Winnipeg > Green Action Centre > Winnipeg Transit Riders Association > > For information contact or to have your group endorse the rally, please contact: gencoord(a)cfsmb.ca > > Sincerely, > > Matthew Brett > > Interim-General Coordinator/ > Intérim-Coordinateur Général > Canadian Federation of Students/Fédération canadienne des étudiantes et étudiants – Manitoba Component > > 511 - 294 Portage Avenue > Winnipeg, MB | R3C 0B9 > Tel/Bureau: 204.783.0787/Fax/Téléc: 204.783.6001/E-Mail/Courriel: gencoord(a)cfsmb.ca > > www.cfsmb.ca > Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. >

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[At-network] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/get-out-of-my-lane-cant-we-all-just-get-along/article21088352/
by Terry Zdan 16 Oct '14

16 Oct '14

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/get-out-of-my-lane-cant-we-all-j… -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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