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Calgary Herald: Who rides a bike in winter? Study sheds light (Feb.11'14)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '14

11 Feb '14

Who rides a bike in winter? Study sheds light on thousands of urban winter cyclists in Calgary<http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2014/02/11/who-rides-a-bike-in-winter-study-…> February 11, 2014. 6:24 am * Section: Pedal<http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/category/calgary/pedal/> http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2014/02/11/who-rides-a-bike-in-winter-study-… The average winter cyclist in Calgary is a middle-aged man who rides almost every day, usually to work, and will brave temperatures down to -20 C and colder to do so. That's some of the initial findings of a project from the University of Calgary <http://www.ucalgary.ca/> that is shedding light on heretofore enigmatic winter cyclists in Calgary, those sometimes misunderstood and maligned people who ride their bikes through Calgary's long and ever-fluctuating dark season and have become a major part of the debate over cycling in Calgary. The project is being spearheaded by Dr. Farnaz Sadeghpour in the Schulich School of Engineering <http://www.schulich.ucalgary.ca/> and is designed to teach engineering students the importance of engaging with the community and users before designing solutions to real-life civic problems. The nice side-benefit to the project is that it gathers data on winter cycling in Calgary. Sadeghpour, a passionate professor, recently agreed to show me the data that has been collected so far, and work with me to present it here. It's still early in the process and she has yet to do much serious analysis, but after attending the world'sfirst winter bicycle conference in Finland <http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/02/13/never-mind-the-plows-five-things-…>last year and seeing how little information has been collected about winter cyclists anywhere in the world, I don't think it's a stretch to say this may be the most advanced project of its kind in the world. This is the third year in which Sadeghpour will ask her students to stand at strategic places around the city and stop cyclists during the evening commuting hours with a survey that asks questions about themselves and their cycling habits. In the first year, the project was limited to about 100 cyclists on the then-newly painted bike lanes on 10th St. N.W. Last year, it was expanded throughout downtown and captured more than 2,000 different cyclists in all kinds of winter weather. This winter, the project will focus even more on downtown. Sadeghpour loves to speak about how the project gives her students a chance to tackle a pressing issue in the city -- she has even involved planners at City Hall to help judge students' final designs- but what grabbed me most was what the data revealed about winter cyclists in the city. These highlights were pulled from the 2013 data: * Most of the winter cyclists were male (more than 70 per cent). Most were over 35 years old, and the biggest segment was those older than 44. * More than 30 per cent said they ride when the temperature dips as low as -20 C, and nearly 25 per cent will ride no matter how cold it gets. That means about 55 per cent of them say they ride to -20 C or colder. * The most common distance travelled was 10 kilometres, but many cyclists travelled much farther distances. Nearly 30 per cent said their ride was longer than 10 kilometres, a distance Sadeghpour notes is farther than has been recorded in academic literature from any other city. * Fifty six per cent of survey respondents said they were on their bikes as part of their commute. The second most common reason for riding in winter was recreation and exercise. * The biggest safety concern of the 2,100 cyclists surveyed was ice and snow, which was cited by 30 per cent of respondents. Lane width (which also includes proximity to moving vehicles), poor pavement, and gravel were also areas of concern. * When asked where bike routes should be expanded, 38 per cent said downtown, 36 per cent said routes into downtown, and 25 per cent said communities. * A quarter of respondents said their bike trip was supplemented by another form of transportation. Among those, 44 per cent said their multimodal trip included a car, while 35 per cent said transit. * More than 75 per cent of winter cyclists said they own a car. What does all this mean? Sadeghpour is reluctant to read too much into the early data. It did, however, point out some intriguing things to me. The data contradicts some common perceptions of winter cyclists in many ways. The vision of cyclists being aggressive young men is only partly true. Yes, most are men, but they aren't necessarily young. The single biggest segment, 33 per cent of respondents, were 44-years-old or older. The data also suggests they are committed commuters who let little stop them from riding, including cold weather. In fact, I was surprised to see more than half will ride when the temperature reaches -20 C or colder. Assumptions are often made about northern cities being unsuitable for cycling because of the cold. Considering the temperature last winter reached -20 C or colder only four times, according to Environment Canada<http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climateData/dailydata_e.html?timeframe=2&Prov=…>, that means there aren't many days that would be considered too cold to ride for most winter cyclists. (So far this winter, 13 days have been colder than -20 C). A bigger challenge to those surveyed, however, is snow and ice, which was cited as the biggest concern. Cracks in the pavement, gravel and proximity to vehicles were also big concerns, which underscores the importance of road and pathway maintenance, snow clearing, and good-quality infrastructure. All of this is important information because Sadeghpour says it offers insight into one of the bigger questions facing civic leaders as they consider ways of making the city more bicycle friendly: In a city as cold as Calgary, is it worth investing in bicycle infrastructure? It's proving to be a contentious question these days, so this data may prove to be crucial. Sadeghpour says a great addition to the data would be querying people who don't ride in winter to find out what is stopping them. For now, however, she plans to repeat this project every year, building up our understanding of what motivates people to ride bikes in winter and how city leaders can accommodate them, if they choose to. This student assignment could wind up to be an essential resource as Calgary evolves.

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Calgary Herald: Cycle track deserves to get some traction (Feb.7'14)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '14

11 Feb '14

Graham: Cycle track deserves to get some traction BY BRUCE GRAHAM, CALGARY HERALD FEBRUARY 7, 2014 http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/op-ed/Graham+Cycle+track+deserves+some… Calgary's proposed cycle track network has been creating quite a buzz around town lately and we wanted to weigh in on this issue. You may wonder why we, as Calgary's leading economic development organization, care about a cycle track network for Calgary. Well, as the promotional agency tasked with attracting and retaining the best talent, as well as promoting our business and lifestyle advantages around the world, a cycle track network will help us do just that. It may be less obvious than an increase in healthy lifestyle or taking tailpipes off the roads, but an inner city cycle track network can boost business. In Colorado, cycling brought more than $1 billion to the state's local economy, and in New York, after the installation of a protected bike lane, retail sales increased by as much as 49 per cent compared to a three per cent increase in sales citywide during the same period. When San Francisco optimized Valencia Street for cyclists and pedestrians, nearly 40 per cent of merchants reported increased sales and 60 per cent reported more area residents shopping locally due to reduced travel time and convenience. Travelling by bike encourages more frequent stops than travelling by car; a study of Toronto merchants revealed that patrons arriving by foot and bicycle visited the most often and spent the most money per month. It goes without saying that parking the car and jumping on your Trek is good for your health, but it's also good for the health of the community. Business owners would be interested in a study done by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, which found that cycling reduced employee absenteeism -- specifically, the employees who cycled to work regularly missed less work, on average more than one day per year less than colleagues who didn't. And a Minnesota company that encouraged its employees to bike to work saved $170,000 in health care over three years and $301,000 through increased employee productivity every year. And then there's the social reputation factor: The "I didn't know the city built on energy invested in commuter bike lanes." And make no mistake, it is an investment. This is a prime example of the kind of selling feature we use when telling Calgary's story around the world. People want to live in a city that invests in making the lives of its citizens better. Sixty-two per cent of recent transplants to Portland, Ore., said that the city's bike friendliness was a factor in their decision to move there. By 2018, Calgary's population is expected to grow by more than 150,000 people. We'd love to add the cycle track network to our people-attraction tool kit before we see tens of thousands of new cars added to our morning commute. The major benefit of dedicated bike lanes is they help pedestrians, motorists, transit users and cyclists coexist safely. Even in Calgary's harshest weather, you'll see many diehard cyclists making their way to work, and these numbers would increase if we made their commute safer. After New York City installed their first protected bike lane (the first in the U.S.), they saw a reduction in injuries to all street users by 58 per cent. Calgary drivers will be the first to say that the unpredictability of cyclists sharing the narrow downtown roadways makes them nervous for the safety of the cyclists and themselves. A cycle track network in Calgary gives commuters a reliable alternative to driving, while ensuring the well-being of both cyclists and motorists. Calgary is already well suited to adopting a cycle track network and here's why. With the most expensive parking in Canada, our citizens have already shown us they would happily utilize this healthy and fun mode of transportation. The first leg of the cycle track network runs on 7th Street S.W., and over the course of a year (2012-2013), the number of bikes quadrupled per day. Pedestrians were happier too, as the number of cyclists riding on the sidewalk went down by 25 per cent. At 700 kilometres, Calgary has the longest paved urban pathway system on the continent. With the addition of a downtown cycle track (and Calgary Transit's recent announcement that all new buses will have bike racks), commuters can safely and efficiently travel from their homes in any quadrant of the city into the core. Calgarians may be surprised (and hopefully delighted) to learn that over the past five years, a multitude of downtown building owners have added up to 2,000 bike parking stalls in their buildings, telling their tenants and their employees they support their desire to embrace diverse transportation options. We realize adoption will take time and people want to be involved in the process to understand where the proposed network will go and how it impacts them. We encourage Calgarians looking for more information on the cycle track network, to stop by the CORE Shopping Centre, Plus-15 level, by Holt Renfrew, this Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to talk to the cycle track network team. Bruce Graham is president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development. (c) Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

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Bicycle Safety Education for Children From a Developmental And Learning Perspective
by Terry Zdan 10 Feb '14

10 Feb '14

*Subject:* Children & Bicycling Research For your reference, NHTSA has just produced a new publication entitled Bicycle Safety Education for Children From a Developmental And Learning Perspective: http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/bicycles/pdf/Bicycle_Safety_Education_… -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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WFP: Winter cycling focus of congress (Feb.10'14)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Feb '14

10 Feb '14

Winter cycling focus of congressWinnipeg welcomes experts, advocates By: Bartley Kives http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winter-cycling-focus-of-congress-244… The coldest winter in decades has proven challenging to year-round cyclists in Winnipeg, but not because of the temperatures alone. In late December and early January, people who use bikes to get around uttered many of the same complaints motorists made about the condition of the city's streets. The heavy ruts that made driving difficult a month ago also made cycling frustrating and dangerous, especially on routes where cars and bikes are expected to share the road. Although road conditions have improved, Winnipeg's recent transportation headaches will provide a timely backdrop for a gathering of international winter-cycling advocates and experts known as the Winter Cycling Congress. Beginning this Wednesday, approximately 170 delegates and speakers will spend three days in the Manitoba capital, sharing ideas about making winter cycling easier, safer and more accessible. Conference director Anders Swanson said slightly less than half the participants are coming from outside the province, including delegates from European and North American cities and towns where the winter climate is similar to that of subarctic Winnipeg. "What we're trying to do is change the conversation in terms of what is possible for year-round transportation," said Swanson, who travelled to Oulu, Finland, for the 2013 conference before lobbying to bring the event here this year. "We're trying to connect places that know what they're doing with places that are learning to fully embrace the bicycle year-round." As recently as the 1990s, the only people who rode bikes year-round in Winnipeg were couriers and a handful of die-hard commuters. Now, both recreational cyclists and commuter cyclists are a common winter sight, albeit in modest numbers. The main obstacle is not cold, but road conditions. "On some of the colder days, you have to bundle up a bit more," Swanson said. "In my experience, in cities that take care of winter cycling infrastructure properly, the cold really doesn't matter." Swanson said several Scandinavian cities are among the world leaders in this capacity, but that's hardly surprising considering the immense popularity of warm-weather commuter cycling in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. The challenge in North America -- and in Winnipeg in particular -- is to convince cash-strapped municipal authorities to devote more resources to clearing bike paths and bike lanes. Swanson said he believes the City of Winnipeg is doing the best it can. "I have no interest in suggesting there's any problem this winter, when we've had a lot of cold and a lot of snow," he said. Still, delegates to the Winter Cycling Congress will hear from a range of Scandinavian and Canadian panellists about ways to improve winter street and bikeway maintenance. Other conference topics include sessions on the design of the perfect winter bike, winter cycling fashion and the creation of other modes of alternative winter transportation, from Winnipeg's river trail to a curb-side commuter-skating trail in Vancouver. The conference was timed to take place the same week as this Friday's Winter Bike To Work Day, the 130-kilometre Actif Epica winter race on Saturday and Sunday's Icebike race. The Forks also hoped to extend its river skating and walking trail to the University of Manitoba by this weekend, but the weather would not co-operate. "We came up against the worst conditions on the Red River we've ever encountered," said Paul Jordan, chief operating officer at The Forks. The presence of almost more than two metres of snow on the Red insulated the surface, creating dangerous slush that made the southern extension of the trail impossible, he said. Jordan nonetheless expects existing river trail sections to be visited by the roughly 75 out-of-province Winter Cycling Congress delegates as they explore downtown Winnipeg by bike. "This conference has really exploded," Jordan said. "There are a lot of cities looking at doing more (with active transportation) during the winter." bartley.kives(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 10, 2014 A6

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REMINDER! Sunny Saturday - Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th
by Janice Lukes 07 Feb '14

07 Feb '14

TOMORROW TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Huts / RAW:almond / frozen river trail / Sharon Blady / sunny Saturday morning - & Free Cocoa From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Janice Lukes Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2014 12:24 PM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [At-network] Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th And here is another winter event - for the walkers in the crowd! See attached poster - and those warming huts on the river are a must see! * * * * * * * * * * Come and join Sharon Blady, Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors, the Winnipeg Trails Assoc. and friends to walk on the Red River Mutual River Trail! DATE: Saturday, February 8th TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Calling all Winnipeg winter walkers! Walk and talk with the Minister, check out the architecturally designed warming huts, sip on free hot chocolate and make new winter memories with friends and families! We have ordered up a sunny mild day - so shake that cabin fever and come out for a winter walk!

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Workshop: Welcome to Canada - (Winter) Riding for Newcomers
by Winter Cycling Congress 2014 07 Feb '14

07 Feb '14

**Please forward this opportunity to anyone who works with newcomers and who may be interested in attending a workshop next Friday. Workshop is free. Conference registration is not necessary.** *Workshop: Welcome to Canada - (Winter) Riding for Newcomers* *Friday, February 14th - 1 - 4pm Manitoba Theatre For Young People (The Forks)* *(Free - coffee provided)* Do you work with newcomers to Canada? Do you get asked questions about transportation? Wonder how to use the power of the bicycle build self-esteem and create community? Whether its year-round or just when spring hits, bicycles can be a powerful tool. Learn how to make it easier for everyone to adopt. Join us for unique and exciting "train the trainers" workshop for those who work with new Canadians, refugees and others being run by Angela Van Der Kloof<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/speaker-lineup/angela-van-der-kloo…> an internationally-reknowned educator, specialist in newcomer issues and an expert on bicycle skills programming who is joining us from Delft, Holland. *All the details on the workshop are here <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/welcome-to-canada-winter-riding-fo…>. * *Please RSVP to local organizer Robin Ellis at volunteer(a)thewrench.ca <volunteer(a)thewrench.ca>. * Thank you. The Organizing Team *Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>* *Feb 12-14, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* [image: Inline image 1] phone: 1-204-797-1962 email. info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://facebook.com/Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg> twitter. @wccwpg <http://twitter.com/wccwpg>. #wccwpg #wintercycling

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Treat a cyclist like a horse?
by Dave Elmore 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

This UK commercial was banned because it showed a cyclist without a helmet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELId66LUupw Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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School Travel Planning Benefit Cost Analysis
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

Green Communities Canada, Metrolix and the University of Toronto have completed the first Canadian Benefit-Cost Analysis of School Travel Planning. Looking at 19 Ontario schools from varied urban, suburban and rural communities, the findings illustrate a benefit-cost ratio of 1.8. It's important to note that the estimated annual cost of $93,000 for the 19 projects is not the influx of all "new" money, but rather a re-prioritization of time and resources at a school, regional and provincial level along with some monetary investment. The one-year endeavour was estimated to garner $200,000 in annual health and societal benefits from car trip reduction and increases in walking. You can find the full-version of the report here<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…>; the executive summary here<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…> . Reposted from: http://www.greencommunitiescanada.org/blog/ School Travel Planning: The Way to Go <http://greencommunitiescanada.org/school-travel-planning-costs-and-benefits/> Posted on February 3, 2014<http://greencommunitiescanada.org/school-travel-planning-costs-and-benefits/><http://www.greencommunitiescanada.org/blog/> [image: Canada Walks Director Jacky Kennedy introduced School Travel Planning in Canada.]<http://greencommunities.nonprofitwebsites.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sch…> Canada Walks Director Jacky Kennedy introduced School Travel Planning to Canada. The results are in: School Travel Planning (STP) is a cost-effective way to increase walking and cycling to school. What's more, it provides economic, health and environmental benefits. School Travel Planning is designed to take active school travel to the next level by comprehensively addressing barriers and incentives that affect behaviour. The first benefit-cost analysis<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…> of STP projects in Canada was released in January 2014 and is a collaboration of Green Communities Canada, Metrolinx and the University of Toronto. Key findings, extrapolated for a full school year, show the 19 STP projects studied are estimated to have: - reduced 192,224 vehicle kilometres travelled; - reduced 41.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 1.7 tonnes of air pollutants; and - increased physical activity, including 1.3 million minutes of walking, and 2 million minutes of cycling. Translated into dollars, this increase in walking and decrease in driving shows: - annual societal benefits of approximately $200,000; - net benefits of $1.8 million is STP if maintained for 11 years; and - an average benefit per student of approximately $221 over 11 years. Based on the average benefits versus the average costs per student, if STP programming was delivered across Ontario the benefit-cost ratio would be 1.8. In other words, benefits are almost double the costs. The STP model was introduced in response to studies showing the number of children being driven to school nearly doubled over the 20 year period between 1986 and 2006. Driving causes traffic congestion, safety concerns and increased air pollution around schools. STP promoted active and sustainable ways of getting to school at 71 elementary schools in Ontario between 2009 and 2012. -- *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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Fwd: [RAIN] Snow patterns showing opportunities for depaving
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

Here are some interesting photos from Philadelphia using snow patterns to show what parts of roads are used and what parts aren't. This could be useful in terms of planning for enhanced pedestrian crossings and/or including storm-water management infrastructure as part of the inclusion of AT infrastructure in roadway redevelopments... Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <cblakelock(a)greencommunitiescanada.org> Date: 6 February 2014 10:27 Subject: [RAIN] Snow patterns showing opportunities for depaving To: rain(a)greencommunitiescanada.org, depave(a)greencommunitiescanada.org In case you missed it on facebook and twitter, here's a cool series of photos from Philadelphia showing how patterns in the snow can show what parts of roads are actually used and what aren't. http://thisoldcity.com/advocacy/photos-what-snow-tells-us-about-creating-be… It could be a fun idea to see if you can see examples of this in your communities and take photos to post on social media! *Clara Blakelock* Coordinator of Water Programs, Green Communities Canada (705) 745 7479 ext. 159 www.greencommunitiescanada.org www.slowrain.ca www.depaveparadise.ca www.raingardentour.ca _______________________________________________ RAIN mailing list RAIN(a)greencommunitiescanada.org http://greencommunitiescanada.org/mailman/listinfo/rain_greencommunitiescan… -- *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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New York's Cyclists Are Getting Better at Following the Rules
by Dave Elmore 05 Feb '14

05 Feb '14

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/02/new-york-more-cyclists-has- led-better-biking-habits/8299/ New York's Cyclists Are Getting Better at Following the Rules More New Yorkers are riding bicycles than ever before, on an ever-expanding network of bike lanes. The city's new bike-share system has had phenomenal early success, logging 40,000 trips daily on peak days in good weather, and even averaging nearly 9,600 in the cold and snowy month of January <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/nyregion/snow-ice-and-wind-no-issue-for-c iti-bikes-die-hards.html> . But it's not just the number of riders that is different from the past. A new study suggests that the way New Yorkers ride is changing - for the better. According to the research, conducted by Peter Tuckel and William Milczarski of Hunter College at the City University of New York, New Yorkers on bikes are measurably more law-abiding than they were just four years ago. They are also proportionally more female. The study, "Bike Lanes + Bike Share = Bike Safety" [PDF <http://silo-public.hunter.cuny.edu/62eaab1fad6c75d37293d2f2f6504a15adacd5c6 /Cycling_Study_January_2014.pdf> ], looked at the behavior of 4,316 bicyclists at 98 different locations in central and lower Manhattan. The researchers compared the resulting data to what they found in a similar, although not identical, survey in 2009. Since that year, the city has installed more than 200 more miles of bike lanes, for a total of 537 miles; launched a bike-share system with 6,000 bikes (in May 2013); and seen a pronounced increase in general ridership <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bike-counts.shtml> . Cyclists have a legitimate right to the street. What has changed, with so many more people on two wheels? "There has been a significant improvement in bike safety," says Tuckel. More riders are stopping, or at least pausing, at red lights; riding in bike lanes; and wearing helmets. Fewer riders are pedaling against traffic. This, despite predictions <http://www.policymic.com/articles/12371/citi-bike-share-program-in-nyc-will -bring-total-carnage/186972> that the launch of the city's bike-share program last May would mean chaos, as inexperienced riders hit the city's notoriously contested streets. "Everybody had predicted with the Citi Bike riders that there would be a spike in the number of accidents," says Tuckel. "I think it was the same people that predicted that the Broncos were going to win the Super Bowl. It didn't materialize." In fact, the study found that Citi Bike riders were exceptionally law-abiding, and there have been relatively few, mostly minor injuries <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/nyregion/no-riders-killed-in-first-5-mont hs-of-new-york-city-bike-share-program.html?_r=0> in the first few months of the program. Here are a few of the findings that Tuckel and Milczarski gleaned from their research: * The proportion of women pedaling on the city's streets is still low, just 21.1 percent. But compared to the 2009 study, the proportion of female riders to male has doubled. Women made up 31.1 percent of Citi Bike riders observed. * Women tend to be much more law-abiding than men in every way, but male bike-share riders stop fully at red lights at a rate significantly higher than male general cyclists or male delivery cyclists. * In the recent study, 34 percent of riders were observed going through red lights without pausing or stopping, down about 10 percentage points from 2009. * Just 4.2 percent of cyclists were observed riding against traffic in the street and 3.2 percent were riding against traffic in the bike lane, for a combined total of 7.4 percent - well below the 13.2 percent recorded in 2009. * Helmet use rose from 29.9 percent to 49.8 percent, with much of that being driven by an increase in use by male commercial cyclists (the city passed a law in 2007 that requires businesses to provide their delivery riders with helmets), who wore them at a rate of 72.7 percent. Among general male cyclists, helmet use also went up dramatically, from 32.2 percent to 47.8 percent. * Citi Bike riders in general are more compliant with traffic laws and ride in bike lanes at a higher rate than other riders. As for helmets, 31.1 percent of male Citi Bike riders and 36.2 percent of female Citi Bike riders were wearing them. "They're taking advantage of the infrastructure," says Tuckel of the bike-share user. "That's important from a policy standpoint." Not only did the presence of more bike infrastructure literally pave the way for the bike-share program in New York, he says, the lanes have made a place for a more diversified ridership. Women and Citi Bike riders of both sexes are more likely to use bike lanes when they are available. Tuckel says that the most recent data reflects an evolving street culture in New York, one in which drivers no longer have a monopoly on the roadway and all users are adjusting to new infrastructure. "I think what is happening now in New York City is that drivers realize that even though they have had a dominant position on the road, the roads now have to be shared," says Tuckel. "Drivers are becoming more aware of cyclists, and cyclists are becoming more aware of drivers. It's going to result in safer habits for drivers and cyclists."

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Free Creative Commuting Ambassador Sessions
by Jessie Klassen 05 Feb '14

05 Feb '14

Green Action Centre has some free upcoming Creative Commuting Ambassador Training<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/creative-commuting-ambassador-training/>sessions that may be of interest to many of you. Also, just a friendly reminded to strap on your skates, skis, snowshoes or otherwise for the Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/bougeons-en-hiver-the-jack-frost-challe…>starting this Saturday! [image: Inline image 3] *Creative Commuting Ambassador Training* Want to support your co-workers to bike, bus, walk or carpool? Does employee health and wellness or benefits fall under your responsibilities? Perhaps you simply want to improve green commuting options at your workplace. Sign up for one of our FREE workshops to increase your knowledge, answer questions and grow your toolkit of resources. *I: Tools and hands-on training* *Wednesday, February 26, 1:00 - 4:30pm* Become a Creative Commuting Ambassador at your workplace! Get the tools and guidance to support your co-workers to get the most out of their commutes. >From a basic primer on different types of bike infrastructure to transit tools, such as Navigo, BUStxt and transit apps, to understanding carpooling vs carsharing. *II: Baseline commuting surveys* *Wednesday, March 12, 12:00 - 1:30pm* Understanding how your co-workers currently get around will help inform your next steps. This 1-1/2 hour workshop will help you plan and create a basic online survey to determine existing commuting habits and what programs, policies or incentives could have the biggest impact on commuting choices at your workplace. *III: Creating change over time* *Wednesday, March 26, 1:00 - 4:30pm* Do you want to sing the praises of creative commuting with your co-workers but no one seems to be listening? Explore the many facets of behaviour change from a social marketing, transitions and systems perspective. Walk away with some strategies you can apply to create a more commuter friendly and active workplace. *Location: *All workshops are held in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). *Register today: *Email beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca or jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca today or call us at (204) 925-3772. *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca>| Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 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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Sunday Review: When Pedestrians Get Mixed signals
by Beth McKechnie 02 Feb '14

02 Feb '14

SundayReview <http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html#sundayreview> |OPINION When Pedestrians Get Mixed Signals By TOM VANDERBILTFEB. 1, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/opinion/sunday/when-pedestrians-get-mixed… A FEW years ago, I was waiting to cross the street in Los Angeles. And kept waiting. I watched several cycles of traffic go through the intersection. I checked my iPhone. I admired the distant Hollywood Hills. But the indication to walk never came. I was contemplating a four-lane dash when a man appeared who told me I had to press the "Walk" button. I did, and at the next signal change for cars, my signal appeared as well. At first, I applauded this municipal beneficence, which I encountered during a visit while researching my book. Los Angeles is looking after its pedestrians! In New York City, by contrast, the once-functioning "Walk" buttons were left to go dormant, then largely removed. But in my subsequent visits to Los Angeles, my feelings have shifted. The reason the buttons were rendered obsolete in New York is that there was no need for them. There were always pedestrians waiting to cross. In Los Angeles, the working button came to seem a rare and feeble plea: May I *please* cross the street? Let's put aside the tired trope that no one walks in Los Angeles -- Ray Bradbury nailed that one with his 1951 short story "The Pedestrian," about a man picked up by the police for the suspicious activity of walking. In fact, Los Angeles has many places that are quite pleasant for walking. Take the Silver Lake neighborhood: It does not even rank among the city's top 20 "most walkable" areas, according to the website Walk Score<http://www.walkscore.com/CA/Los_Angeles/Silver_Lake>, yet still wins 75 points ("most errands can be accomplished on foot") -- a number that puts many American cities to shame. In 2012, the city hired its first "pedestrian coordinators." But then came the surest indication of a walking resurgence in Los Angeles: It suddenly had a pedestrian problem. As The Los Angeles Times reported<http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/18/opinion/la-ed-jaywalking-20131218>, the Police Department was targeting people for a variety of pedestrian violations in downtown Los Angeles -- an area that once featured as an emptied post-apocalyptic wasteland in the 1971 science fiction movie "The Omega Man," but has of late enjoyed a renaissance of life, much of it occasioned by foot traffic. "We're heavily enforcing pedestrian violations because they're impeding traffic and causing too many accidents and deaths," said Lt. Lydia Leos<http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/police-crackdown-on-jaywalking-means-tic…> of the Los Angeles Police Department. Thus a familiar pattern reasserts itself: The best way to reduce pedestrian deaths is to issue tickets to pedestrians. A similar dynamic can be seen<http://www.newstimes.com/news/us/article/I-m-walkin-here-NYC-takes-aim-at-j…> in recent weeks after a spate of pedestrian deaths in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio has endorsed more aggressive enforcement by the New York Police Department against jaywalkers. Enforcement against jaywalking varies between states, but it is an infraction in most, even a misdemeanor in some. The international picture is mixed: Crossing the road at other than a designated spot is also an offense in Canada, Spain, Poland and Australia, among other countries. Singapore is especially harsh -- jaywalking can earn a three-month prison sentence. As you might expect, Scandinavian countries are less punitive. In Britain, the term is rare, and the presumption is that crossing the road safely is a matter of personal responsibility. But neither enforcement nor education has the effect we like to think it does on safety. Decades of graphic teenage driving safety films did not bring down teenage driving deaths; what did was limiting the age and conditions under which teenagers could begin to drive. Similarly, all the "awareness campaigns" on seatbelt usage have had a fraction of the impact of simply installing that annoying chime that impels drivers to buckle up. If tough love will not make pedestrians safer, what will? The answer is: better walking infrastructure, slower car speeds and more pedestrians. But it's easier to write off the problem as one of jaywalkers. Nowadays, the word connotes an amorphous urban nuisance. In fact, the term once referred to country bumpkins ("jays"), who came to the city and perambulated in a way that amused and exasperated savvy urban bipeds. As the historian Peter Norton <http://virginia.academia.edu/PeterNorton> has documented, the word was then overhauled in the early part of the 20th century. A coalition of pro-automobile interests Mr. Norton calls "motordom" succeeded in shifting the focus of street safety from curbing the actions of rogue drivers to curbing rogue walkers. The pedestrian pushback was shortlived: An attempt to popularize the term "jay driver" was left behind in a cloud of exhaust. Sure, we may call an errant driver, per the comedian George Carlin, an "idiot" or a "maniac," but there is no word to tar an entire class of negligent motorists. This is because of the extent to which driving has been normalized for most Americans: We constantly see the world through what has been called the "windshield view." Those humans in Los Angeles who began walking a second or two after the light was blinking were, after all, violating the "Vehicle Code." Note that cars, apparently, do not violate a "Human Code." As for pedestrian safety, which is the typical stated purpose of jaywalking crackdowns, more pedestrians generally are killed in urban areas by cars violating their right of way than are rogue pedestrians violating vehicles' right of way. Then there are those people struck on sidewalks, even inside restaurants. What do we call that? Jay-living? I routinely jaywalk across one-way streets with my young daughter in our Brooklyn neighborhood. I do this not as an act of vigilante pedestrianism, but simply because the times we came closest to being hit by cars were when we had the "Walk" signal and a driver attempted to make a turn. Pedestrians, who lack air bags and side-impact crash protection, are largely rational creatures. Studies have shown that when you shorten the wait to cross a street, fewer people will cross against the light. When you tell people how long they must wait to cross, fewer people will cross against the signal. When you actually give people a signal, more will cross with it. As the field of behavioral economics has been discovering, rather than penalizing people for opting out of the system, a more effective approach is to make it easier to *opt in*. The Los Angeles Police Department may be patrolling on foot in downtown Los Angeles, but it is still looking through the windshield. Tom Vanderbilt is the author of "Traffic" and a visiting scholar at New York University's Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management.

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These 15 stories show exactly how great bikeways help local economies
by Dave Elmore 01 Feb '14

01 Feb '14

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/these-15-stories-show-exactly-how-g reat-bikeways-help-local-economies These 15 stories show exactly how great bikeways help local economies January 15, 2014 Michael Andersen, Green Lane Project staff writer It's time for American bicycling advocates, government leaders and the public at large to permanently retire an idea that's been hurting our economy, preventing equitable development and generally holding our country back. Here's the destructive, mistaken idea: that great biking is something a city pays for if it can afford it. The truth is just the opposite. In the modern United States, creating protected bike lanes and other great bikeways are something a city does to help create prosperity. Great bikeways are things people make so they and their governments can afford to do all the other important things they want to do. Great biking, in other words, is wonderful. But for cities, it's not the end goal. Great biking is the means. The reason that not everyone already thinks this way - even many of us who passionately support bicycling - is that until recently, it wasn't nearly as true. In a major report being released today <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/Protected%20Bike%20Lanes%20Mea n%20Business.pdf> , the national research and advocacy groups PeopleForBikes <http://peopleforbikes.org> and the Alliance for Biking and Walking <http://peoplepoweredmovement.org> consider four megatrends that are transforming the U.S. economy in ways that are only now being widely understood, only now being integrated into the conventional wisdom of American communities and businesses. Here they are: * Skills are scarcer: Companies are scrambling to attract the most skilled Millennials and Gen X-ers, who increasingly prefer downtown jobs and commutes that don't involve a car. * Cities are more popular: Americans are flocking to urban areas, creating demand for solutions that increase traffic flow without adding congestion. * Unhealthy lifestyles are more expensive: With health care costs near an all-time high, employers are scrambling to encourage active living. * We are literally running out of room for all our cars: In the country's newly thriving urban shopping districts, physical space is at a higher premium than ever before. In today's report, we use 15 stories from thriving businesses in Texas, Illinois, Oregon, California and Washington DC, backed with up-to-the-minute research from academic and government studies, to show with concrete examples and personal stories how bicycles, and the protected bike lanes that are proven to put more people on bicycles, are solving each of these problems and creating economic growth for the cities that are using them. We'll also be covering these issues over the next week here on the blog. But you can start by checking out the full report <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/Protected%20Bike%20Lanes%20Mea n%20Business.pdf> , and maybe sharing it with someone else who might be interested. Neither of you may think about better biking the same way again.

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Cold Campus Cycling - FREE Winter Cycling Congress Panel & Workshop at University of Manitoba - February 14, 2014
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '14

01 Feb '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ian Hall <Ian.Hall(a)umanitoba.ca> Date: Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 3:49 PM Subject: Cold Campus Cycling - FREE Winter Cycling Congress Panel & Workshop at University of Manitoba - February 14, 2014 Hi friends, You're invited to join us for Cold Campus Cycling<http://umanitoba.ca/campus/sustainability/events.html>at the University of Manitoba - a free, open-to-all panel discussion and facilitated workshop focused on winter cycling in a campus environment. Four experts from around the world will share their perspectives on the planning, design, culture, and engineering keys to great cold campus cycling. Join us for the panel (1 p.m.), a coffee break (2 p.m.), the workshop (2:30 p.m.), or all three. For those attending the main Winter Cycling Congress at The Forks, a group ride option from downtown to the university on a bike route is planned (alternatively, the University is well served by Transit <http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo>). I'd be grateful if you could share this invitation with your networks. Thanks, Ian

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WTA News
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Rivers West <info(a)riverswest.ca> Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:20:47 -0600 Good day, Winnipeg Trails Association (WTA) through Rivers West continues to work on behalf of all Winnipeg Trails groups. We will communicate the activities & events that are happening in the city, what we are doing on your behalf, and we will assist you with some events. Limited funding is currently available through Rivers West to provide trails associations with honoraria and assistance with expenses for community trail events, Jane's Walks and International Trails Day. Read more on this subject in the attached newsletter. We look forward to working with all of you in 2014! -- *Sylvie Fouasse* Rivers West info(a)riverswest.ca (204) 925-2320 ext 108

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Repeat webinar by demand: Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and Walking, Thurs, Feb.6th, noon-1:30, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

Given that many people interested in this APBP webinar were not able to attend the original airing a couple of weeks ago, we are holding a repeat viewing next week. Please see the attached slides for reference. Join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg in the boardroom at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) next Thursday at noon for this 90-minute webinar. Very timely issue and a nice lead-in to the International Winter Cycling Congress <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>happening in Winnipeg the week following. Also mark your calendar for the next APBP webinar on Wed, Feb. 19th, 2-3pm, on the topic of "Designing for Pedestrian and Cyclist Comfort". Details to follow closer to the date. cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and Walking *Thursday, Feb. 6th | 12:00-1:30 p.m.* Winter conditions vary across a range of temperatures and precipitation, but in all cases communities must find ways to provide safe, accessible conditions for winter cycling and walking while balancing competing priorities. This webinar offers examples of policies and practices that are used to ensure timely snow removal from sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes and cycle tracks. Presenters in this session will discuss: - An overview of different types of winter climates and how facilities and maintenance should be adapted to local climate - Different policy approaches to snow removal from sidewalks - The importance of prioritization and predictability of snow removal in encouraging winter cycling - A pilot program to determine operation and funding requirements to achieve improved snow clearing and street sweeping along on-street bike routes. Presenters include: - Tyler Golly, General Supervisor - Sustainable Transportation, City of Edmonton, Alberta - Marc Jolicoeur, Research Director, Velo Quebec - Nicole Losch, Bicycle/Pedestrian/Environmental Planner, City of Burlington, Vermont - Arthur Ross, Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator, City of Madison, Wisconsin

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Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th
by Janice Lukes 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

And here is another winter event - for the walkers in the crowd! See attached poster - and those warming huts on the river are a must see! * * * * * * * * * * Come and join Sharon Blady, Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors, the Winnipeg Trails Assoc. and friends to walk on the Red River Mutual River Trail! DATE: Saturday, February 8th TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Calling all Winnipeg winter walkers! Walk and talk with the Minister, check out the architecturally designed warming huts, sip on free hot chocolate and make new winter memories with friends and families! We have ordered up a sunny mild day - so shake that cabin fever and come out for a winter walk!

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Fwd: Conference Program Updates and Other Exciting News
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

In case you're not receiving these messages, some really fantastic activities happening with the upcoming conference. If you haven't registered yet, sign up today<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/register/>! See you there. cheers, Beth ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 < info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org> Date: Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 10:00 AM Subject: Conference Program Updates and Other Exciting News <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> Why hello there! Just under two weeks to go! This is the second in a series of e-newsletter updates about the Winter Cycling Congress 2014. Major announcements only. This one is a doozie. Please read carefully. Join us on Twitter<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> , Facebook<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> or LinkedIn<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> for up-to-the-minute updates and other fun stuff. *1.* *See who is speaking*. Go here to learn a bit more about all of the talented speakers that are making this event special.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> *2. You can be a speaker too! Tell everyone your story on Thursday night! *Be a part of an exciting public event where delegates, speakers and the people of Winnipeg are invited to mix at the St.Boniface Research Centre to exchange stories! With a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from guests from around the world, we are inviting everyone involved in the conference to consider submitting a short, image-based presentation to be presented rapid-fire style in the Samuel N. Cohen Auditorium. Based on the popular *Pecha Kucha* presentation format, *"Betcha Couldya: **Reflections on Human Powered Winter Travel"* is a fun event with music, drinks, DIY workshops, mingling and a succession of stories from at home and around the world. Speaking slots are limited. Topics are open ended. Entry is free or by donation to local bike education programs. Go here for more information, and to sign up to speak.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> Made possible by Alta Planning + Design. *3.* *Do you need a bike?* Courtesy of Winnipeg's local volunteer-run bikeshops and others, there will be a limited number of bicycles available for "rent" to conference guests. Rental is by donation. Bikes vary in size/type. Bring your own lock (mandatory) or helmet should you choose to wear one. First come first serve. To help us gauge interest, please go here to fill out a brief form<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>. Made possible by the WRENCH<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> . *4. Hungry? Sign up for the Moveable Feast . . . Winnipeg's one-of-a-kind Winter Cycling Restaurant Tour.* Thursday evening, just before the Betcha Couldya, this one-of-a-kind opportunity features a stop on the now-famous Raw: Almond restaurant right on the frozen river, warm drinks in a snow maze, dessert on a winter patio and more. Come see and taste Winnipeg for yourself! Spaces are reserved for conference-goers, but is very limited. Sign up now.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> Made possible by The Downtown Winnipeg Biz and Freig and Associates. *5. Sign up for the Winnipeg Cultural and Architectural Icons Tours.*Also Thursday evening, just before the Betcha Couldya. Featuring special access for conference delegates, speakers and volunteers only, this is your chance to visit the newly built Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the inimitable Winnipeg Art Gallery. Culture buffs will not want to miss this one. Go here for more info and to sign up.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=abc…>Thanks to Freig and Associates and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ for organizing. *6.* *Winter Cities Bicycle Infrastructure Design Course.* Tuesday all day. There is still room left for participants in this important pre-conference session<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> being held at the Millenium Library on Tuesday, February 11th. The design course costs extra, but is heavily discounted for conference participants. Sign up now!<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>Kudos to our friends at Urban Systems for making it happen. *7. U of M Post Conference Session - Cold Campus Cycling.* Friday afternoon, just after the conference. Typically university campuses exhibit some of the highest numbers of winter cyclists. The U of M may not be the University of Madison or the University of Oulu, but they have big plans. Our biggest University is undergoing some significant and exciting changes and they are keen to get feedback on what is possible. Come down and hear from 4 experts who know how it works and participate in some lively discussion and workshops. Go here for more info.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> Brought to you by the U of M. *8. Can't make it to the conference? Have to work? There is still plenty of **time to commit to riding on Winter Bike to Work Day on Friday, February 14th, 2014.* Celebrate winter riding the simplest way. There are numerous communities participating (From Alaska to Winnipeg to Finland) - or just sign up as an individual. Everything you need to know is here: Winter Bike to Work Day<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> . *9. A Few Good Causes.* Faced with the slight possibility that this non-profit conference may have money left over once we cover expenses, any additional money raised will be donated to local and international causes working to improve cycling conditions for everyone. Specifically, The WRENCH<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> (local volunteer bike repair for at-risk youth), Bike Winnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> (local volunteer bike advocacy) and the Winter Cycling Federation<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> (for the development of future conferences). *10. Music, Fancy Dress and More. *The next update will feature information on after-parties, local bands, the banquet at one of Winnipeg's oldest and most beautiful hotels and much more. Thanks again for staying connected to a very special conference. Contact us anytime for questions or comments! We would sincerely like to thank our partners the City of Winnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>and the Province of Manitoba<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>. Thanks also to our major sponsors Mobycon<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Urban Systems<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Vélo Québec<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Rivers West Red River Corridor<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> /Winnipeg Trails Association<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, University of Manitoba<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Green Action Centre<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Tourism Winnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=abc…>, The Forks<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Alta Planning + Design<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Eco-Counter<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Stantec<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>and everyone else<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>who has have helped make this conference a success. This could not have happened without you. Feel Free to Share this Message Widely. Sincerely, *The Organizing Team* *Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>* *Feb 12**-14, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* phone. 1-204-797-1962 facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> twitter. @wccwpg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> . #wccwpg #wintercycling Sign up for our newsletter here<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> . This email was sent to beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca *why did I get this?*<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/about?u=abcb7e25b4…> unsubscribe from this list<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=abcb…> update subscription preferences<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=abcb7e25…> Winter Cycling Congress · c/o Rivers West Red River Corridor · 235 - 614 Des Meurons Street · Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9 · Canada [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Fwd: Active & Green: IISD is 'Gold'en, Take on Jack Frost, Winter Cycling Celebration
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jan '14

28 Jan '14

Hope you enjoy the latest issue of Active & Green! If you would like to subscribe directly or check out past issues, you can do so here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/active-green/> . cheers, Beth Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=530a28a91d…> *Looking to add some GOLD to your workplace?* Request resources<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>on cycling, carpooling, commuting surveys and tracking progress, among others. Book a presentation<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>on green commuting options and creating a commuter friendly workplace. Become a Commuting Ambassador! Sign up today for a FREE training session<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> : *1) Commuting Tools and Hands-On Training *(Wed, Feb. 26th, 1-4:30pm) *2) Baseline Commuting Surveys *(Wed, Mar. 12th, 12-1:30pm) *3) Behaviour Change *(Wed, Mar. 26th, 1-4:30pm) ------------------------------ *Upcoming Events* *Snow Trek*<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> *Feb. 2 - Harbourview* Feb. 9 - Living Prairie The Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> *February 8-14* *Winter Walk Day <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> Saturday, February 8* *International Winter Cycling Congress <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>* *February 12-14* *A Moveable Feast: Cycling Tour of Restaurants <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Thurs, Feb. 13, 4:45-8:00pm* *Winter Bike to Work Day <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Friday, February 14* *F <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>amily Winter Cycling Celebration <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> Friday, Feb. 14, 4-7pm* *Commuter Challenge <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> June 1-7, 2014* ------------------------------ *Mark your calendar! Rapid Transit Stage 2 - Open Houses* Set aside an hour on *February 24 or 25* to attend the public open houses for Stage 2 of the Southwest Rapid Transitway<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>in Winnipeg. This leg will run from Pembina and Jubilee to the U of M and the football stadium. Stay tuned for more details on our website<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . ------------------------------ *What's up with the Ped/Bike Strategies?* Looks like it will be at least another month or two before Public Open Houses will be held for the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Word has it the City and consultants are busy drafting what will be presented. Stay tuned for updates<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>through our regular Green Action Centre newsletter, which comes out every three weeks. ------------------------------ *'Walkmobile' claims equal space for pedestrians* Austrian engineer Hermann Knoflaccher demonstrates in his 'walkmobile'<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>how much space a pedestrian would take if they were in a car. Pictures truly speak a thousand words. (Photo courtesy of Dr. G. Emberger) ------------------------------ *Carpooling stories* When a group of ACU employees started sharing a ride to work, they gained more than convenience and extra savings. Most importantly, they became fast friends. Read their full story here<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . ------------------------------ *Share Active & Green* Like what you read? Share with your friends and family. Show your support: become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>or make a donation<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> to Green Action Centre. Thanks! *[image: Twitter] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> [image: Facebook] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>* *IISD is 'GOLD'en* Imagine working in a place where 87% of staff take the bus (thanks to an EcoPass discounted bus pass program), where secure bike parking and showers are available when you arrive, where work-from-home options and compressed work weeks are normal, and where taxi vouchers are available if you need to get home in a hurry. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has turned this ideal into a reality. IISD was awarded the 2013 GOLD Commuter Friendly Workplace Award<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> by Green Action Centre at a staff celebration held in December. Congratulations, IISD! ------------------------------ *Take on Jack Frost Feb 8-14* Stay active this winter! Sign up your friends, family, co-workers and classmates to glide, swish, pedal and crunch your way to 130 km of fresh air, fun and 'cool' prizes. Register<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>your team of five today, then get ready to take the Bougeons en hiver: Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>from February 8 to 14. ------------------------------ Back on Track If one of your New Year's Resolutions involved getting a little more active or adding more green to your life, Green Action Centre might have what you're looking for. Sign up you and your friends for the Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Survey<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>your co-workers on how they get to work and how they'd like to get to work with better infrastructure and policies. Become a Commuting Ambassador<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>at your workplace by taking one of our free upcoming training sessions. Or subscribe to Green Action Centre's general e-newsletter<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>and receive practical tips on greener living and environmental issues in Manitoba. ------------------------------ *Winter Cycling Celebration* It's all about getting on your bike in Winnipeg from Feb 12-14th (and beyond). Start with the 2nd International Winter Cycling Congress<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> being held in our fair city. Really, where better to hold a winter conference? (Oulu, Finland, took the honour last year.) Follow that up Thursday evening with A Moveable Feast cycling tour<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>of restaurants in the heart of the city. Continue riding the next morning for Winter Bike to Work Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Then top it off with an entire family celebration of winter cycling at The Forks<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Friday afternoon, co-hosted by our very own Active and Safe Routes to School program staff here at Green Action Centre and the good folks at MEC. Whew! That's a lot of cycling. ------------------------------ *Bendy buses a big hit* Had a chance to try out one of the new 'bendy' buses yet? Winnipeg Transit introduced the 60-foot articulated buses on January 13th on the St Vital Express Route #54. A full 20 feet longer than regular buses, these behemoths can accommodate 40% more passengers. Seeing is believing -- the inside of the bus seems to go on forever. For extra fun, choose the swing seat in the middle! Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Add us to your address book<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f…> Copyright (C) 2014 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. 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(no subject)
by Dave Elmore 28 Jan '14

28 Jan '14

Hard to believe but apparently true http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Cyclist-Driver-didn-t-see-me-stuck- in-windshield-5161867.php#photo-5753097 Cyclist: Driver didn't see me stuck in windshield Updated 6:41 am, Friday, January 24, 2014 Steven Gove of Manitowoc, Wis., talks about how lucky he was to escape serious injury after he was stuck in the windshield of a moving car, Monday, Jan 20, 2014. Gove says he was struck Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014 night while riding his three-wheeled bicycle. Gove says he was wearing an overcoat with a reflective vest and he had front and rear flashers on. He says he's not sure why the driver didn't see him. Photo: Sue Pischke, AP MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin man who became lodged in the windshield of a car that struck him said he turned to the driver and said, "Hello, I'm the guy you hit on the bicycle." The driver did not respond, but continued on, running a stop sign and hitting another vehicle before he arrived home, the cyclist, Steven Gove <http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fc rime&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Steven+Gove%22> , told HTR Media about the Saturday incident (http://htrne.ws/1bI58jh ). The man finally noticed Gove when he stopped the car outside his home. "He looked at me and said 'Who are you? What are you doing in the car?'" Gove said. "He started freaking out: 'I'm going to jail, I'm going to jail.'" The man then locked the car doors and went into his home. Gove, whose body had gone most of the way through the windshield, then pulled his knees and feet into the car. "I righted myself and got out," he said. "I unlocked the passenger's side door and started walking down the street." A witness had called police, who found Gove as he was walking and took him to a hospital. Doctors removed glass from Gove's eyes and treated him for other cuts to the head and leg. The driver, a 20-year-old Manitowoc man, was found at the home and treated at a hospital for a serious cut to the hand. He hadn't been formally charged as of Tuesday morning, but he was facing several preliminary charges, including suspicion of drunken driving, suspicion of hit-and-run causing injury and suspicion of failing to render aid. Gove, a 56-year-old newspaper carrier, was shocked that the driver didn't see him on his three-wheeled delivery bike. "I was wearing my blue overcoat with my neon reflective vest," said Gove. "I had my front and rear flashers on. I have no idea why he didn't see me." A 50-year-old Green Bay man died in a similar accident in 2007. Steven Warrichaiet <http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fc rime&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Steven+Warrichaiet%22> was sentenced to 15 years in prison for hitting Tyrone Ware, driving home with Ware's body lodged in the windshield and leaving Ware in the garage while Warrichaiet went inside and fell asleep on the couch. An autopsy showed Ware died instantly of spinal injuries.

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WFP: Crosswalk cams eyed (Jan.25'14) & Metro Winnipeg: Wpg Police to study ped cameras (Jan.27'14)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jan '14

27 Jan '14

Crosswalk cams eyed Chief accepts proposal from councillor on concept By: Aldo Santin *http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crosswalk-cams-eyed-241935001.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crosswalk-cams-eyed-241935001.html>* WINNIPEG police will examine the feasibility of installing photo-radar-like cameras and other safety measures at pedestrian corridors. "We have to be open to look at anything that would improve safety for our citizens," Chief Devon Clunis said. The Winnipeg Police Board met Friday morning and agreed to the proposal from Coun. Ross Eadie to study measures to bring motorists into compliance with traffic laws. "Bad motorists are doing this all the time," Eadie (Mynarski) said. "They're blowing through pedestrian corridors because they know they can and they know it's against the law." The board instructed the WPS to look at all aspects of installing cameras, including possible locations, costs and benefits. The report will be brought back in 60 days. The WPS will also consider adopting other measures that will improve pedestrian safety and bring motorists into compliance. Eadie said he's pleased with the board's response and the willingness of Clunis to look into the issue. "This is an issue of police enforcement," Eadie said, adding he believes the most violations are occurring on busy regional routes, including Main Street and Pembina Highway. In Manitoba, motorists who fail to stop for a pedestrian at a pedestrian corridor face a fine of $175.30. Motorists can also be fined an additional $143.75 for passing another vehicle stopped for a pedestrian. Washington, D.C., is the only major municipality in North America with pedestrian cameras, having installed them in November at 16 crosswalks near schools and recreation centres. Clunis told the board installing similar cameras would likely require the approval of the province. Clunis said the WPS had already been looking at the issue of pedestrian safety and driver violations but was not prepared to release any results before a comprehensive report is brought back to the board. "In principle, it sounds like an excellent idea but... you have to look at the practicality of implementing it," Clunis said. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 25, 2014 B4 * * * * * Winnipeg police to study proposed pedestrian corridor cameras http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/920848/winnipeg-police-to-study-proposed-… A report on the feasibility of red-light-type cameras at pedestrian corridors will be delivered in 60 days, said Winnipeg Police Chief Devon Clunis. “I’m looking at the impetus behind this, it’s about safety,” said Clunis following Friday’s Winnipeg Police Board meeting. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) said the cameras are necessary because drivers are blowing through the crossings. As to how big the problem is, Clunis said the police’s admin will be checking their stats. “We need to go back and look, ‘OK, is this really a primary concern?,’” he added. “Certainly we know that at pedestrian corridors people have been killed in the past, and one death is one too many, but is it a very serious problem? We need to go back and look at that.” Coun. Scott Fielding (St. James-Brooklands), who chairs the police board and is known for his opposition to the photo radar program, said he’ll reserve his judgment until the police report is delivered. “My concern with the photo radar program in the past that it has been more about revenue than it has been about safety,” said Fielding. “(But) from my point of view, I think it doesn’t hurt to listen to ideas.” Should the pedestrian corridors cameras idea garner support, Chief Clunis said any implementation would require changes to provincial legislation.

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The City of Calgary - Bicycle Program Yearbook
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jan '14

25 Jan '14

The Bicycle Program Yearbook<http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Documents/cycling/cycle-yearbook.pdf> is a new tool to help measure, track and report progress on The City’s effort to improve conditions for cycling. The City of Calgary is one of only a few cities world-wide to have published this type of document, also known as a Bicycle Account. Bicycle Accounts are a recommended practice of the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community Program. The Yearbook includes the most recent information on: - The many ways that bicyclists are counted - Tracking the number of bikeways built over the last decade - Photos and descriptions of new bikeway projects - Collision and safety trends - Summary of education and encouragement efforts A snapshot of bicycle data in the Yearbook<http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Pages/Cycling/The-Bicycle-Program-Y…>

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Montreal Gazette: Bixi files for bankruptcy protection (Jan20'14)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jan '14

22 Jan '14

[Sad news! Hopefully there's a solution to be found.] Bixi files for bankruptcy protection Service will roll in Montreal this year, Coderre says BY ANDY RIGA, GAZETTE TRANSPORTATION REPORTER JANUARY 20, 2014 http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Bixi+files+bankruptcy+protection/94… MONTREAL — Bixi was not supposed to cost them a cent but Montreal taxpayers could be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars, the city admitted Monday. The bike-sharing service's debt is almost $50 million. Citing Bixi's "grim financial portrait," Mayor Denis Coderre announced he had forced the city-controlled non-profit company to enter bankruptcy protection. Though he wants Bixi out of the international bike-sharing business, Coderre said he would like to see Bixi continue to roll in Montreal. "We will have Bixi in Montreal this summer," he said, noting many users have purchased memberships. Keeping Bixi operating in the city in 2014 could cost taxpayers a further $1.5 million. Coderre was less definitive about whether Montrealers will have access to bike-sharing beyond 2014. Bixi is unable to neither "meet its financial obligations nor find a viable short-term solution," Coderre said. That was causing "uncertainty regarding the possible recovery of the sums injected by the city." Bixi owes the city $31.6 million on a $37-million city loan. Montreal also guaranteed a line of credit on which Bixi owes $6.4 million. That means Montreal taxpayers could be stuck with a $38-million bill, though the city hopes a sale of the international part of the business will cut that amount. Bixi also owes its suppliers $9 million. In total, then, Bixi's total debt is at least $47 million. Bixi is also embroiled in multimillion-dollar lawsuits with a former software supplier. Montreal's auditor general had warned the city about Bixi's precarious situation. In September, Jacques Bergeron expressed "serious doubts about Bixi's ability to continue operations." At the time, the city denied Bixi was on the brink of bankruptcy. Bixi has operated Montreal's popular bike-sharing service since May 2009. Though backed by the city, the company has refused to make public basic information about its operations. For example, Bixi's 2012 financial statements have yet to be disclosed. For 2013, all Bixi would say is that it had 41,000 Montreal members and that it operated with a deficit of about $4.5 million. Coderre, who took power in November, promised his administration will "keep Montrealers informed about any new developments regarding Bixi." The mayor said "if Bixi can be saved," it is through bankruptcy protection, which will allow Bixi to restructure and give it time to sell its international arm. But Coderre admitted previous attempts to sell off that part of the business have failed. On Monday, he disclosed that for the second time, a potential buyer walked away from a deal after taking a closer look at Bixi's books. Under former mayor Gérald Tremblay's plan, devised in 2007, the sale of the Bixi system to other cities would completely finance bike-share operations in Montreal. It did not work out that way. Bixi was stymied by legal disputes, software glitches, upgrade delays and, most recently, by New York City and Chicago withholding payments, claiming Bixi was not fulfilling its end of the bargain. Since 2012, Bixi has been in a legal dispute with 8D Technologies, the Montreal firm that provided the software for initial Bixi stations. The dispute arose after 8D refused to sell all the rights to the software. Bixi hired a company to build software to replace 8D's in future systems. That software, initially plagued with bugs, is now used by several cities. The latest problems involve back-end software under development by Bixi. It is used by cities to track and analyze usage, among other things. Bixi admits it has been late in providing promised updates, angering New York and Chicago. Bixi chief executive Michel Philibert said Chicago owes Bixi $2.6 million. New York City owes $3 million. In addition, Alta Bicycle Share, the company that operates New York's service, has told Bixi it wants $11 million in damages for software delays. Such disputes are common in business. But Coderre said a city should not be involved in commercial enterprises. He called the international expansion "a mistake." The city "embarked on commercial operations that it should not have been involved in. ... It is not up to taxpayers to assume the financial risk involving a business plan." The opposition at city hall backed Coderre's move. Projet Montréal leader Richard Bergeron said when the dust settles, the system could end up costing taxpayers $25 million or more. He blamed wrong-headed decisions by the Tremblay administration, which shovelled money into Bixi to create an innovative system that would sell internationally. Instead, it should have focused on developing a basic, inexpensive system for Montreal. Bergeron said Montreal's transit authority, the Société de transport de Montréal, has already drawn up a contract that would see it take over Bixi's Montreal operations, though it wants nothing to do with the service's debt. Whether the STM or a private company runs the system, "Bixi will be in the streets in 2014 and there's no reason why it shouldn't be on the streets in 2015, 2016 and so on," Bergeron said. But "it will be a public service, as it should have been from the very beginning." That means an annual city subsidy, which Bergeron estimated would range from $1.5 million to $2 million. "That is not too much for such a service, with more or less 2 million trips a year," he said. "If you pay $1.5 million for 2 million trips, it's 75 cents per trip. That's perfectly acceptable and affordable." Bergeron compared Bixi to public transit: Bixi users pay a fee but not the full cost. The bankruptcy protection process gives Bixi an initial 30 days to restructure. That period can be extended for up to six months, the city said. Bixi employees 66 people. "No job losses are expected at this time," the city said. *BIXI BY THE NUMBERS* *$31.6 million:* Amount Bixi still owes the city of Montreal on $37-million loan. *$6.4 million:* Bixi line of credit, guaranteed by Montreal taxpayers. *$1.5 million:* Estimated amount it could cost the city to ensure Bixi service operates in Montreal this year. *$4.5 million: *Bixi's estimated deficit for 2013 (financial results have not been made public). *$9 million:* Amount Bixi owes to suppliers. *$3 million:* Overdue amount owed by New York City to Bixi. *$11 million:* Amount that Alta Bicycle Share, the company that operates New York's bike-share service, has told Bixi it wants in damages for software delays. *$2.3 million:* Overdue amount owed by Chicago to Bixi. That city, too, is unhappy with software delays. *37,000:* Number of Bixi bikes in operation around the world. *15:* Number of cities that have adopted Bixi, including London and New York. *5,000:* Number of Bixis on Montreal streets in 2013 <ariga(a)montrealgazette.com> <ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com> ariga(a)montrealgazette.com © Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette BY ANDY RIGA, GAZETTE TRANSPORTATION REPORTER JANUARY 20, 2014

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Alternative signage on London Underground
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 22 Jan '14

22 Jan '14

Someone hacked the London Underground signage... If you need a morning smile to warm your bones, here's some persuasion... http://prosign.tumblr.com/post/33766157596/someone-has-made-fake-london-und… Enjoy! 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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List of Bike Share Programs Around the World
by Anders Swanson 21 Jan '14

21 Jan '14

*[ One more. Further to the two recent postings on bike sharing... Companies come and go all the time. Even banks. For anyone looking for a bit more context on the bankruptcy of one bike sharing company, consider the fact that there are now more than 535 the public bike sharing systems around the world and more opening every day. The amount since 2008 has more than doubled. See the link below, for example. Even more interestingly, bike share programs around the world are now starting to stay open all winter, see recent stories in New York, Denver and Chicago. - Anders ]* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bicycle_sharing_systems

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Guide to using policy to create bicycle friendly communities
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jan '14

21 Jan '14

Stumbled across this policy guide for bicycling that (at an initial glance) looks useful (US document). http://changelabsolutions.org/sites/default/files/Getting_the_Wheels_Rollin… cheers, Beth

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Toronto Star editorial: Urban sprawl is sickening, as well as ugly
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

Urban sprawl is sickening, as well as ugly: Editorial Urban sprawl is sickening, say researchers at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, who found obesity and diabetes higher in suburban areas that discourage walking. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/01/19/urban_sprawl_is_sicken… Published on Sun Jan 19 2014 Urban sprawl is ugly, inefficient and bad for the environment. It’s also – quite literally – sickening. The unhealthiness of spread-out, car-dependant neighbourhoods is clearly spelled out in a new study by St. Michael’s Hospital researchers. Urban planners, municipal leaders and city residents would be wise to pay close attention. Scientists from the hospital’s Centre for Research on Inner City Health found risk of obesity and diabetes was elevated<http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/01/15/more_obesity_diabetes_in_less_wa…>by as much as 33 per cent in suburban areas of Toronto with poor “walkability.” Simply put, the layout of a neighbourhood has a big impact on the health of the people who live in it. The findings were published this past week<http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0085295> in the online journal PLOS One. Older, downtown areas are more walking-friendly because they’re divided into shorter city blocks. There’s a higher population density, so residents aren’t as spread out. And there are more places to go (such as stores and services) within walking distance. In contrast, many outlying Toronto neighbourhoods don’t even have sidewalks. Furthermore, in contrast to sedentary suburbanites, people in walkable communities don’t just stroll more often, they also cycle and use public transit more frequently and are significantly less likely to drive. All that translates into solid health benefits. It’s important to note that other factors, beyond walkable neighbourhoods, do affect risk of obesity. Affluence and ethic origin play a big role too. And it’s possible that walking-friendly neighbourhoods don’t so much inspire residents to use their legs as attract people who were walkers in the first place. None of that should deter city planners and urban activists from pushing to cut sprawl and create walkable communities. Canada is facing an obesity epidemic. And rather than throw up their hands and lament that there’s not much that can be done, policy-makers can play an active role by promoting neighbourhoods specifically designed as healthier places to live. An emphasis on creating fewer single-family homes, and more multi-unit residential buildings, is fundamental. So are zoning initiatives aimed at developing more easy-to-walk-to mixed use areas, expanded public transit lines, and bicycle paths. Sidewalks would be nice, too. Discouraging driving and broadening opportunities for strolling, cycling, and using public transit don’t constitute a “war against the car,” as Mayor Rob Ford calls it, but part of a battle for better health. Urban sprawl is the real foe. And a determined effort is required in order to defeat it.

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Fwd: Four Reasons Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jan '14

16 Jan '14

Friend - It's easy to see that we're living in a changing country. The economy is rebounding after the biggest slowdown since the Great Depression. Americans are moving to cities in record numbers. And more and more people want to be in places where bicycling is easy and comfortable. City leaders and businesses are taking note of these trends. In response, they have discovered an unexpected tool to create opportunities in growing downtown economies: the protected bike lane. In our new report with PeopleForBikes, 15 business leaders explain how protected bike lanes benefit their companies. We break down the latest research to find out how these new lanes make an impact. Keep scrolling for a summary of the four biggest findings -- and click here to read the full report.<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> *1. Americans - especially young people - are driving less and biking more.* Employers say their headhunters get a competitive edge by locating in areas with great biking networks, so savvy companies are locating near protected bike lanes to attract and keep Millennials and Gen X-ers. *2. Americans are flocking to urban areas, congesting city streets and creating market demand for solutions that increase street flow without adding gridlock. * Studies show that homes near bicycle infrastructure appreciate in value more than equivalent houses away from bike lanes. *3. With health care costs at an all-time high, companies are scrambling to get more employees exercising regularly. * Newsflash: healthcare is expensive. Companies benefit when more employees find it pleasant to bike to the office, because workers who exercise regularly are less expensive to insure. *4. In shopping districts, the most valuable customers are those who stop by often. * People who shop by bike tend to buy less in a single visit, but stop by more often. When space is at a high premium, these regulars make for great customers. To learn more, check out the report: Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> . If you like what you see, will you help us spread the word by sharing it?<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> Thanks -- happy riding, walking, and transit-taking, Mary Lauran Hall Communications Director Alliance for Biking & Walking <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001fVXok0jsw3t7yu4AtMBC1w%3D%3…> <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_Basic_209> This email was sent to beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca by info(a)peoplepoweredmovement.org | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001fVXok0jsw3t7yu4AtMBC1w%3D%3…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001fVXok0jsw3t7yu4AtMBC1w%3D%3…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. Alliance for Biking & Walking | PO Box 65150 | Washington | DC | 20035

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Indianapolis bike network built with philanthropic dollars...
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 16 Jan '14

16 Jan '14

Very interesting model! Jackie http://www.treehugger.com/cars/biggest-bicycling-infrastructure-achievement… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Fwd: Let's bolster the BOLD discussion...
by Winter Cycling Congress 2014 15 Jan '14

15 Jan '14

[FYI. The focus of this discussion is walking, cycling and other modes of winter physical activity. See below.] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Alana Odegard <aodegard(a)winnipeg-chamber.com> Join the conversation and attend the Winnipeg Chamber’s BOLD Breakfast Wednesday, Jan. 22 | 7:30-9:00 am |Radisson Downtown Hear our panel talk about “Winterpeg” and some BOLD ideas on embracing an active winter lifestyle. Tickets: https://winnipegmbcoc.wliinc31.com/events/BOLD-Breakfast-Winterpeg-%28and-p… Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser<http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3a4a7e5892b132c1c2e330e81&id=41c2bcd691…> . <info(a)winnipeg-chamber.com?subject=BOLD%20Breakfast%20-%20Jan.%2022&body=Please%20register%20me%20for%20this%20event.> To register, please contact Marissa Schluter at (204) 944-8484 or info(a)winnipeg-chamber.com. * <http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com>* *Alana Odegard* Policy & Communications Manager The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce aodegard(a)winnipeg-chamber.com Office: (204) 944-3316 Cell: (204) 297-5703 [image: Description: cid:image001.png@01CEC981.B5FFFDE0]<http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com/>[image: Description: cid:image002.png@01CEC981.B5FFFDE0]<http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com/BOLD/> Confidentiality Warning: This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s), are confidential, and may be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, retransmission, conversion to hard copy, copying, circulation or other use of this message and any attachments is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, and delete this message and any attachments from your system. Thank you. *Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>* *Feb 12-14, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* [image: Inline image 1] phone: 1-204-797-1962 email. info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://facebook.com/Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg> twitter. @wccwpg <http://twitter.com/wccwpg>. #wccwpg #wintercycling

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WFP: Big-city feel to bendy bus (Jan.14'14)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jan '14

14 Jan '14

Big-city feel to bendy bus Articulated unit hits streets to glowing reviews By: Alexandra Paul http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/big-city-feel-to-bendy-bus-240048361… The best part? Everyone got a seat. Transit riders on the No. 54 St. Vital Express were in for a surprise Monday afternoon. One of the city's articulated "bendy" buses made its debut, picking up the first bus riders just before 4 p.m., eastbound on Portage Avenue at Langside Street. There were the obvious comparisons to other cities -- that Winnipeg was a big city now, like Toronto, Ottawa and countless American cities that have big buses and subways. The biggest practical difference was everybody got a seat on a rush-hour bus. Typically it's standing room only by the time the 54 Express makes the turn from Portage Avenue onto Main Street for the long run down St. Mary's Road into St. Vital. "That's pretty cool, first time on an articulated bus," said Jonathan Kos as he cast his gaze around the nearly empty bus. As one of the first passengers, along with a gaggle of university students, Kos and the kids were the first to get a good look inside. "I kept walking. I was so surprised, I just kept walking" past the fare box, University of Winnipeg student Kayla Goossen said. Her companion, Trevor Thomson, nodded beside her. Skipping the fare isn't something Goossen does. Later, the bus driver said he remembered the young student with the long hair. "Yeah, I called her (back)," he said. Goossen returned quickly to drop in her fare. "I really like the length of it, and you didn't really see it when it pulled up, how long it was. It's like two buses," Thomson said. >From the outside, lots of riders missed the fact the articulated bus is 20 metres long (60 feet) compared with a regular 13-metre (40-foot) transit bus. Inside, there was an initial disorienting split second before the eyes adjusted to the new reality, to take in the depth and the long walk back. And to count the three doors, instead of just two on regular buses. And so it went for just about everyone. "I just walked in with the (lineup)," chuckled Ron Ferguson. "No, didn't notice, not until I looked up," he said. Articulated buses have been spotted around the city in the last few weeks in a training role, but a city spokeswoman said the Monday-evening rush-hour run was the first time one of the vehicles had ferried passengers. Winnipeg Transit purchased 20 articulated buses that had been used in Ottawa previously. The vehicles were refurbished by New Flyer Industries, the manufacturer. The second-hand buses were a steal of a deal. Transit picked them up for far less than their new cost, which would have been $625,000 each. Winnipeg's price per bus came to $53,000 (plus GST), roughly the cost of a fully loaded pickup, plus $11,500 each for refurbishment. Winnipeg Transit will slowly integrate the vehicles, which can carry 40 per cent more passengers than a regular transit bus. The first of the new bendy buses arrived before Remembrance Day and were expected to be on city streets weeks earlier, but refurbishing at New Flyer, followed by tweaks by Winnipeg Transit to refit the refurbished buses to match the city's code, took some extra time. In November, Transit Tom picked four routes for the initial passenger runs: Routes 36, 54, 58 and 59, for their high-traffic routes through the St. Vital and Maples areas. The No. 54 Monday was the express from downtown to deep St. Vital. Bus driver Eric Genereux said it took him about half an hour to adjust to the extra space and the gentle accordion swing in the ride. "It feels a lot like a regular 40-foot bus," the transit driver said. "It's a longer bus, that's the difference, I guess. I've got 60 feet to pay attention to on either side and the third door." It's the riders who notice it more: "They all love the added space," the driver said. More than one passenger compared the bendy bus to a transit status symbol, rolling proof the gateway to the Prairies had graduated to a grown-up metropolis. Spin seats at the articulated middle spin gently as the bus makes a turn. Sitting there, passengers don't feel much of anything. But the swing looks cool and playful from other seats. That said, it's no surprise to learn the accordion middle widens and swings far less than, say, the 90-degree turn the bus makes on the street. "There are things to watch. It's like a regular 40-foot bus only it's 60 feet long. It's not the bus driver who does the work, it's the articulated (middle) that's got to work," Transit official Carlos Fernandes said. He said the bus design, with wheels on either side of the accordion middle, is what keeps the bus on track. Toronto, Montreal and Halifax already use articulated buses. alexandra.paul(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 14, 2014 A5

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AT webinar (Wed, Jan 15, 2-3:30, EcoCentre) - Strategies to Enable Witner Cycling and Walking
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '14

13 Jan '14

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local applications. Detailed description provided below. Please note this webinar is 90 minutes (rather than the usual one hour). RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and Walking *Wednesday, Jan.15th | 2:00-3:30 p.m.* Winter conditions vary across a range of temperatures and precipitation, but in all cases communities must find ways to provide safe, accessible conditions for winter cycling and walking while balancing competing priorities. This webinar offers examples of policies and practices that are used to ensure timely snow removal from sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes and cycle tracks. Presenters in this session will discuss: - An overview of different types of winter climates and how facilities and maintenance should be adapted to local climate - Different policy approaches to snow removal from sidewalks - The importance of prioritization and predictability of snow removal in encouraging winter cycling - A pilot program to determine operation and funding requirements to achieve improved snow clearing and street sweeping along on-street bike routes. Presenters include: - Tyler Golly, General Supervisor – Sustainable Transportation, City of Edmonton, Alberta - Marc Jolicoeur, Research Director, Velo Quebec - Nicole Losch, Bicycle/Pedestrian/Environmental Planner, City of Burlington, Vermont - Arthur Ross, Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator, City of Madison, Wisconsin *Mark your calendar for the full year of APBP webinars coming up in 2014* January 15 Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and WalkingFebruary 19 Design for Cyclist and Pedestrian Comfort March 19 All In: The Value of Investing in Complete and Green Streets April 16 Public Health Benefits of Active TransportationMay 21 Best Planning and Engineering Practices for School Zones June 18 Calming Arterial Streets for Safer Walking and Cycling July 16 >From Fast to Safer: Best Practices Where Road Speeds Change August 20 Transform Bicycling and Walking Outside the Urban Context September 17 Optimize Signals for Pedestrians and Bicyclists October 15 Design Treatments to Transition from Trails to Roadways November 19 E-bikes, Electric Assist Bikes and Transportation Policy December 17 Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement

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Summary of FHWA (U.S.) Pedestrian and Bicycle Research and Program Activities
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '14

13 Jan '14

Comprehensive summary from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the U.S. on their Pedestrian and Bicycle Research and Program Activities: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/overview/trb_summari… (Thanks to Terry Zdan for circulating.)

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Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25549789 Plans to build a network of cycle paths high above the streets of London are being put forward for consultation. SkyCycle is a 136-mile (219 km) route, with the first phase, proposed from east London to Liverpool Street Station, costing more than £200m. If approved, the 10 routes would be built above existing rail lines and would take about 20 years to complete. The plans will be sent out to interested parties for feedback before a planning application is submitted. Sir Norman Foster, the architect who designed London's Gherkin tower, has been working with Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax on the concept since 2012. He said cycling was one of his great passions, particularly with friends. "I believe that cities where you can walk or cycle rather than drive are more congenial places in which to live," he said. 'Lateral approach' "To improve the quality of life for all in London and to encourage a new generation of cyclists, we have to make it safe. "However, the greatest barrier to segregating cars and cyclists is the physical constraint of London's streets, where space is already at a premium. "SkyCycle is a lateral approach to finding space in a congested city. By using the corridors above the suburban railways, we could create a world-class network of safe, car free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters." He said early studies of a SkyCycle system indicated that it provided capacity at a much lower cost than building new roads and tunnels. The car-free cycle routes will be accessed via ramps at more than 200 points. Sam Martin and Oli Clark of Exterior Architecture Ltd said: "SkyCycle is an urban cycling solution for London. A cycling utopia, with no buses, no cars and no stress." A spokesman for Network Rail said they supported the plans. He added: "We are always happy to look at ways we can contribute to improving travel and transport in London. We will continue to liaise with all involved as the aspiration for this innovative scheme develops."

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WFP: One-metre Rule -- MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists (Jan.2'14)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

One-metre RULE MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists By: Bruce Owen http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/one-metre-rule-238408371.html It doesn't feel like bicycling weather now, but in a few months, thousands of cyclists will take to Winnipeg streets and resume the annual jostling between bicycles and vehicles. In a recent decision, the Public Utilities Board recommended Manitoba Public Insurance "reinforce" the message of a one-metre passing distance between motor vehicles and cyclists. The PUB also wants MPI to conduct detailed research, including mapping, of collision history in the province to present at a hearing expected later this year. Cycling advocates say the public regulator didn't specify how MPI should reinforce the message of safe passing distance. "It is good to see the order for mapping of pedestrian and cycling collisions, but it's disappointing to see that many items have been left as recommendations, not orders," Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said. "Personally, I had hoped for more, however, I am not terribly surprised," added Winnipeg CAN-Bike safety instructor Dave Elmore. "It moves some of our arguments a bit further, but not much. "The question is what does reinforce mean? MPI's reluctance to push this safety measure comes from the fact it is not a requirement of the Highway Traffic Act and thus not really enforceable." Elmore appeared on behalf of Bike Winnipeg, a cycling advocacy group, at the PUB. He argued in order to make city streets safer, MPI should improve its messaging and driver training to emphasize a safer passing distance of one metre between a cyclist and a motor vehicle, and this distance should be increased for speeds greater than 50 km/h. MPI has said between 2001 and 2010, 13 cyclists were killed, 68 were seriously injured and 2,144 were injured less seriously. Elmore also told the PUB it is not sufficient for a motor vehicle and cyclist to share a lane, given the standard width of a lane, adding the term "share the road" is often misinterpreted by motorists as sharing the lane. Bike Winnipeg wants changes to the Highway Traffic Act to make the one-metre guideline law. MPI has said it has met with cyclist groups to update the information it gives to the public about cycling safetyin brochures and on its website. The PUB also wants the province to consider a meeting to review whether MPI is doing and spending enough to promote road safety. In 2012-13, MPI's road-safety and loss-prevention expenses were $13.1 million, which was y $1.7 million less than initially forecast. Road-safety expenses are forecast to decrease to $12.4 million in 2013-14, to $11.5 million in 2014-15 and to $10.6 million in 2015-16. MPI CEO and president Marilyn McLaren said the corporation will continue to work to fulfil its road-safety mandate. "It is not immediately clear what more could be learned through a significantly larger investment in research and analysis about Manitoba vehicle collisions," she said. "Road-safety programming efficacy is a priority across the globe and we will continue to work with Manitobans to reduce risk on our roadways." Elmore said because the PUB has no jurisdiction over the province, a future meeting "is likely to fall upon what we have found, to date, to be deaf ears." Cohoe said research in other jurisdictions has shown many collisions go unreported and more has to be done between MPI, health authorities and police departments and the public to capture those unreported collisions. "This is especially true for collisions involving cyclists as no one agency has the mandate to capture all collisions," he said. "MPI only counts collisions that involve motorized vehicles." bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca *Safety programs put to the test* THE Public Utilities Board says because so little is known about the effectiveness of MPI's road-safety programs, it wants the Crown auto insurer to hit the books to minimize economic and social costs of collisions. "MPI is in the unique position of gathering the most driving and vehicle data in Manitoba. It can provide a leadership role in providing data and conducting research regarding road safety. It is the view of the board that MPI can -- and should -- facilitate or conduct more research and analysis regarding road safety issues," the PUB said in a recent order. For the next rate application next fall the board wants MPI to: A. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to pedestrian/motor-vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; B. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to cyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; C. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to motorcyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns. D. Conduct a summative evaluation/benchmarking analysis of its high-school driver education program, focusing on whether there is a difference in outcomes for drivers who have completed the program versus drivers who have not; E. Provide the results of the analysis in (d) above together with an update regarding the Autopac's plans for changes to the High School Driver Education program; F. Provide an independent review of the current road-safety portfolio with a view to optimizing it (and setting goals for outcomes) and minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions; and G. Provide an independent review of the optimal size of a road-safety budget portfolio for the corporation with a view to minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 2, 2014 A8

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New report: Cycling, Health and Safety (OECD)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Dec '13

28 Dec '13

http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/cycling-health-and-safety_9789282105… Many jurisdictions around the world are trying to retain or increase the share of cycling in urban traffic in order to benefit from the many health and transport efficiency benefits. Safety is a key concern and should be accounted for in these policies. This report of the International Transport Forum's Cycling Safety Working Group monitors international trends in cycling, safety and policy, and explores options that may help decision makers design safe environments for cycling. Key messages relate to strategic goal-setting for cycling policy and managing crash risks while increasing health benefits. The report also discusses how to better capture crash and bicycle usage statistics. The safety impacts of a wide range of pro-cycling measures are examined in detail.

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The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/No LMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html Conservatives' new enemy: Bikes The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. Even before Toronto Mayor Rob Ford became internationally famous for being videotaped smoking crack, he was known as a City Hall version of Bluto Blutarsky of "Animal House"-swearing in public, proudly overeating, guzzling booze. His boorishness is so conspicuous and well documented that it raises the question: Who elected this guy? And why? The answer, in large part, comes down to transit. Ford is famously pro-car, and his strongest support came from suburbs outside downtown Toronto, where voters drive into the city during the day and return by car in the evening. One political scientist found that the strongest predictor of whether someone voted for Ford in the 2010 mayoral election was the person's method of commuting: Car commuters were Ford voters; everyone else wasn't. Ford repaid their loyalty by declaring on his first day as mayor that the "war on cars" was over; he abolished the vehicle registration tax and announced a plan to kill light rail in the city simply because, he said, streetcars "are just a pain in the rear end." But Ford reserves special venom for the menace called the bicycle. He is perhaps the most antibike politician in the world. In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, "it's their own fault at the end of the day," he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks-"sooner or later you're going to get bitten." He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: "Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists." This all might seem kind of crazy-the rantings of an unmuzzled Canadian demagogue better known for his disastrous personal habits. But in his antipathy for bikes, Ford appears to be part of a trend. Particularly in America, the bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. In May, Wall Street Journal commentator Dorothy Rabinowitz called bicyclists "the most important danger in the city"; in Colorado's last governor's election, a Republican candidate said a local bike-sharing program "could threaten our personal freedoms." A columnist for the conservative Washington Times declared D.C. bike-sharing programs to be "broken-down socialism"; radio pundit Rush Limbaugh said he "won't care" if his car door knocks over a cyclist. Cyclists who have struggled for years to attract political attention might be surprised to hear themselves talked about as an insidious new social force. But they can also see it as a kind of welcome-a recognition that for better or worse, they have, politically, arrived. In some ways, the bicycle seems profoundly unsuitable as a political lightning rod. True, zero-emission transport is a kind of liberal dream, but the bike is also an icon of self-sufficiency, designed for use by individuals who rely on themselves for upkeep and mobility. Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush all were photographed on their bicycles. The bike has managed to stick around for over a century without joining the likes of organic vegetables and the Prius as symbols of holier-than-thou progressive snobbery. But as health and government officials have begun peddling bicycles as healthy, environmentally responsible alternatives to cars, and cities and towns spend money on new bike infrastructure, conservatives have started to sense a new target. They have begun to deploy "the bike" as a bogeyman in political debates-cast in a role anywhere from physical annoyance to a genuine threat to the American way of life. The most common target of critics has been the new city bike-share programs, an idea imported from Europe that has turned out to be wildly popular in Boston, New York, and elsewhere. In an antibike-share video commentary titled "Death by Bicycle," The Wall Street Journal's Rabinowitz described New York as "a city whose best neighborhoods are absolutely-begrimed, is the word-by these blazing blue Citibank bikes," while the reporter interviewing her helpfully offered that the bikes were also a "fire hazard" and observed that "New York is not London, or Paris, or Amsterdam." But Rabinowitz's deeper cavil is that bikes represent an assault on American freedoms. Her description of the bike lobby as an "all-powerful enterprise" might sound a little breathless, but is echoed elsewhere. Dan Maes, a Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010, declared efforts to boost cycling to be "part of a greater strategy to rein in American cities under a United Nations treaty." When Rush Limbaugh suggested that injured bikers deserve what they get, it was because they're victimizing auto drivers by forcing them to yield to others. Ford acted on his promises to crack down on the biking nuisance, ripping up existing bike lanes in an attempt to help return his supporters to the freer, pre-bike world he promised them. The removal cost the city $300,000, and, according to Canada's National Post, ended up saving commuters just an average of two minutes each way. There's an element of demographic realpolitik to the conservative antipathy to bikes. Cyclists-and especially bike commuters-are statistically more likely to be city residents, and thus more liberal than those living in suburban and rural areas. But as the commentators' language suggests, the bike fight is really just another proxy battle in the American culture wars. Washington Times columnist Charles Hurt declared D.C.'s bike-sharing program to be favored by "commune enthusiasts." The program's red bikes, he wrote, weren't suitable for manly men, only for "these so-called 'metrosexual' males everybody keeps talking about." As political ideas fracture along cultural lines, pundits and politicians are finding cyclists to be a convenient new "them" in the eternal us-them struggle. Even if conservatives don't all agree that riders are metrosexuals, they "see bikers as obnoxious, rude hipsters," says Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner. Conservative politicians know that simply opposing causes like environmentalism appeals to the base. At the extreme end, this leads to some positions that almost defy belief-"I love that smell of the emissions," said the former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, while riding a motorcycle-but bikes represent more of an everyday rebuke, a quiet reminder that your car isn't the only way to get around. In this respect, Rob Ford isn't just a mess. He is a visionary-perhaps the first candidate to win an election in part by fanning public annoyance at those reckless, entitled, tax-and-spend bicycle riders. As new bike lanes make their slow incursions into downtown traffic patterns, it's reasonable we can expect more such victories. It might seem frustrating for bike supporters, but there is one consolation: In politics, you get attacked because you matter. "There's been a huge increase" in the number of bikers, says Schwartz, who put in New York's first bike lane in 1978. "The love affair with the car is over for young people." After decades of unquestioned, highway-sponsored dominance of cars, bikes are finally becoming-even if just on the margins-something big enough to push against. Just ask Rob Ford. Or don't. He'll tell you anyway.

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

22 Dec '13

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

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

18 Dec '13

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

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

17 Dec '13

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

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

12 Dec '13

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

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

11 Dec '13

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

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

10 Dec '13

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

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

10 Dec '13

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

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

09 Dec '13

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

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

08 Dec '13

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

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

07 Dec '13

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

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Canadian Municipal AT Policy Map & webinar
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '13

05 Dec '13

[Interesting item courtesy of the PACM e-newsletter. Note that I have registered Green Action Centre for this webinar and booked the EcoCentre boardroom in case you care to join us here for a group viewing. Will send out a reminder invite closer to the date. -cheers, Beth] The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) has a new tool to help you find active transportation policies from across Canada. The *Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map *is a bilingual, customized, google map pre-populated with active transportation policies from the Prevention Policy Directory. To add your community's policy in 5 minutes or less . . . call Chris Politis at 1-416-915-9222 ext. 570 or email: christopher.politis(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca *CPAC is hosting a free webinar on this new tool on January 16th/2 pm -3:30 pm EST.* Click here to register for this webinar<http://recconnections.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8de91dae132ff629742…>

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Fwd: Active Transportation Canada - New Posts - December 4, 2013
by Beth McKechnie 04 Dec '13

04 Dec '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 9:22 AM Subject: Active Transportation Canada - New Posts - December 4, 2013 Active Transportation-Canada Listserv Members: The last notice for Active Transportation-Canada was sent on November 25. Since then, 45 new items have been posted. May I suggest you examine: 1. What Your Street Grid Reveals About Your City<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/what-your-street-gri…> 2. ‘Free’ streets, highway network an illusion<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/free-streets-highway…> 3. A Tale of Two Suburbs<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/a-tale-of-two-suburb…> 4. Walkable Cities are Good News for Small Business<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/walkable-cities-are-…> 5. Halifax cycling group pushing to make helmet laws extinct in Nova Scotia<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/halifax-cycling-grou…> 6. Why Correcting Misperceptions About Mass Transit May Be More Important Than Improving Service<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/why-correcting-mispe…> 7. Edmonton planning to ‘winter proof’ contentious 106 Street bike lanes<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/edmonton-planning-to…> 8. Council approves master plans for building the future Ottawa<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/council-approves-mas…> 9. One hour's driving costs 20 minutes of life, study says<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/one-hours-driving-co…> 10. Dad on Foot Arrested for Refusing to Wait in Line of Cars to Get Kids<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/dad-on-foot-arrested…> A complete list of all articles posted since the Websites creation may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. There are now *2,500+* news items, reports, studies, and articles posted on Active Transportation - Canada, with links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and around the world. Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com/ "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. If anyone has a problem reading this message, please let me know. I welcome suggestions for posts, so if you have news items featuring your community, please share them with the other subscribers from Canada, the US, and Australia on Active Transportation-Canada. Thank you. Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions

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An old-style new development
by Anders Swanson 02 Dec '13

02 Dec '13

[Land-use planning and residential block layout are at the heart of active transportation planning, but whereas bike paths make for sexy news, we rarely see examples/articles about the former. Here though is an interesting article on a new form of Manitoba Housing development planned for Winnipeg. From the article, and the accompanying graphic, I can't exactly work out how it is supposed to accomplish it, but according to the article "....it has that walkability aspect, where cars are kind of in the background and the focus is on pedestrians." - Anders] More: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/an-old-style-new-develo… >From today's free press.

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Fwd: News Release: Study Reveals More K-8 Children Are Walking to School
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 02 Dec '13

02 Dec '13

New research from the US shows that the rates of K-9 students walking to and from school are increasing across the border. It's interesting to note the significant importance of the schools being supportive of and encouraging walking and cycling, as well as the importance of investing in infrastructure, safety education and safe routes to school programming to help the shift occur. Between 2005 and 2009 the federal US government established a National Safe Routes to School program and dedicated $612 million to programming in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: National Center for Safe Routes to School <news(a)saferoutesinfo.org> Date: 2 December 2013 08:01 Subject: News Release: Study Reveals More K-8 Children Are Walking to School To: asrts(a)greenactioncentre.ca New research from the National Center for Safe Routes to School shows that more K-8 students are walking to and from school across the country. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=b0420f1cf7…>. [image: SafeRoutes, National Center for Safe Routes to School]<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a403489…> Go to SafeRoutes website<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a4034895…> News Release Study Reveals More K-9 Children Are Walking to School *School support of active transportation a critical component* *CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Dec. 2, 2013) – *New research from the National Center for Safe Routes to School – based on parent survey data collected by nearly 4,700 U.S. schools from 2007 to 2012 – shows that more K-8 students are walking to and from school across the country. According to the data, the percentage of K-8 children who walked to school in the morning increased from 12.4 percent to 15.7 percent (representing a 27 percent increase). Similarly, the percentage of K-8 children who walked from school in the afternoon increased from 15.8 percent to 19.7 percent (representing a 24 percent increase). “We have heard anecdotally that more families are choosing active transportation for everyday trips, and this first-ever large dataset provides evidence that this is indeed the case for the trip to and from school.” said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. “This encouraging news illustrates the importance of continuing to invest in building safer infrastructure, promoting safety awareness and continuing programs like Safe Routes to School.” Another significant finding of this research was that the percentage of parents who reported that their child’s school supporting walking and bicycling for the school commute rose from 24.9 percent to 33 percent. “School support for walking and biking is an important element in parents’ decisions to allow or to encourage their children to make this transportation choice,” Marchetti continued. “And, as nearly 15,000 schools have benefited from Safe Routes to School funding across the country, this is an exciting finding. Together, schools, families and communities can help integrate physical activity into daily life.” The full report, *Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School from 2007 to 2012*, analyzed parent survey data collected by nearly 4,700 schools located in all states and DC from 2007 through 2012. The surveys represent more than 525,000 K-8 school children across the country. Parent surveys are not considered representative of all households, instead they give insight into communities where walking to school was slightly more feasible than average (for example, rural schools are under-represented in the study). Surveys came from schools with ranging amounts of SRTS activity, from those seeking SRTS funds to get started to those actively conducting SRTS programs. The complete study and a companion piece for practitioners, *Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School: Takeaways for Building Successful Programs*, is available online at www.saferoutesinfo.org/program-tools/school-travel-trends-2007-to-2012<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a4034895…> . *Additional findings* - Although walking increased among students who attended low-, medium- and high-income schools, walking increased especially among students who attended low-income schools (schools where at least 75 percent of students were eligible to receive free or reduced price meals). - Although schools located in suburbs, towns, and rural areas showed higher rates of walking over time, walking increased especially at schools located in cities. - There was a small but statistically significant decrease in bicycling to school between 2007 and 2012, from 2.6 percent to 2.2 percent in both the morning and afternoon. - Using the bus decreased significantly between 2007 and 2012. Within one mile of school, the largest shift between travel modes occurred between busing and walking, with busing decreasing significantly and walking increasing significantly. Marchetti added, “While the study does document a small decrease in bicycling, there are reasons to believe that bicycling is gaining traction among children and families. The first National Bike to School Day was held in 2012 and the number of events grew 80 percent in 2013. As this support for bicycling to school continues to grow, we think we’ll see the numbers go up. And we do plan to examine the numbers again in 2014.” # # # *About the National Center for Safe Routes to School* Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists states and communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center serves as the information clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Part of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, the National Center also provides technical support and resources and coordinates online registration efforts for U.S. Walk to School Day and facilitates worldwide promotion and participation. For more information, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org. *Media Contact:* Doug Nicholas 919-843-8854 Nicholas(a)hsrc.unc.edu like us on Facebook<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a4034895…>| forward to a friend<http://us2.forward-to-friend1.com/forward?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=b0…> *Copyright © 2013 National Center for Safe Routes to School, All rights reserved.* You are currently subscribed to receive periodic information from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, such as news releases, updates and our e-newsletter Safe Routes Matters, because you opted in at www.saferoutesinfo.org/newsletter-sign. *Our mailing address is:* National Center for Safe Routes to School 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Suite 300, Campus Box 3430 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430 Add us to your address book<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8…> - unsubscribe from this list<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage1.com/unsubscribe?u=55978ef31b4a403489…> - update subscription preferences<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3…> - view email in browser<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=b0420f1cf7…> -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Fwd: FW: Living Green: The Holiday Edition
by Beth McKechnie 29 Nov '13

29 Nov '13

Hope you don't mind if I share the Holiday Edition of our newsletter. It has a few items that I thought might be of interest to folks on this list. (But I won't make it a habit!) And if you would like to subscribe to the general Green Action Centre e-newsletter, sign up here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/support/>. thanks, Beth * * * * * Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=135473c034…> *November 28, 2013* Santa praised for climate-friendly travel Canadians could achieve major GHG reductions by switching to flying reindeer as a regular mode of transportation, according to a study by Green Action Centre. With his eco-friendly travel, Santa is not only reducing emissions, he's saving thousands of dollars to boot<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . ------------------------------ Unique holiday gift baskets for sale! Place your order today for a holiday gift basket filled with delicious and useful homemade goods. It makes a perfect present and also supports Green Action Centre! Learn more or purchase a basket here<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . Limited numbers available. We're also giving away a basket: become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> between November 26th and December 20th for a chance to win! ------------------------------ *Which Christmas tree is better – real or fake?* Oh, those holiday decisions. Natural tree or artificial? Go for a walk or eat another piece of shortbread? We can't help with the latter but here's the lowdown on Christmas trees along with other greenery options<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . ------------------------------ *Share Green Action Centre* Like what you read? Share it with your friends and family! *[image: Twitter] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> [image: Facebook] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> * *Green Action Centre News* ------------------------------ *Be merry and green through the holidays* Must we empty our pockets to fill our hearts with joy? We think not. From gift wrapping to decorations and lighting to entertaining, here are 10 eco-friendly ways to keep the holidays merry and bright.<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> ------------------------------ *The year-end cometh – make your gift count* Making year-end charitable donations<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>? Please donate now<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>to Green Action Centre – it's secure, easy and online through Canada Helps. Your gift will support down-to-earth, practical solutions for greener living in Manitoba. Thank you! ------------------------------ Dear Santa, please bring us a greener 2014 Here's what we're asking Santa for this year – gifts from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and the City of Winnipeg among others<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Fingers crossed he's in a giving mood in 2014. ------------------------------ Sustainable strategies for the holiday hoopla It's a stressful time of year (no kidding!). Need help surviving the holidays while keeping your energy and pocketbook balanced? Here are some creative coping strategies from someone who can relate<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . ------------------------------ Sign up for Membership Green Action Centre is your voice for advocating and educating about important environmental issues in Manitoba. Become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>to help make our voice even stronger You are receiving this email as a supporter of Green Action Centre. Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Add us to your address book<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f5…> Copyright (C) 2013 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. Forward<http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=135…>this email to a friend Update your profile<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Speed Limits - Right Here at Home
by Anders Swanson 27 Nov '13

27 Nov '13

*[ AT Network: Further to the last post about speed limits from NYC, the same discussion is happening here. Tomorrow evening, in fact. See the message below from the West Broadway Community Organization. If you live, work in or commute through the West End, this may be of particular interest to you. Apologies for late notice. - Anders ] * Hello friends, Each year the West Broadway Community Organization holds a town hall meeting in November to discuss local issues that have particular relevance to our community. In the wake of several troubling accidents on our streets involving pedestrians and in response to ongoing calls from community members asking for information on how to reduce vehicle speeds, improve cycling infrastructure, and make West Broadway safer for pedestrians, WBCO’s town hall this year will focus on finding solutions to ongoing transportation concerns<http://www.westbroadway.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2013-Town-Hall-Pos…> . *Thursday, November 28th* *Multi-purpose room at Gordon Bell Collegiate* *6:30pm until 8pm* *Snacks and refreshments served* Too often, community meetings bring residents and stakeholders together to ‘consult’ or merely ‘talk about’ problems, our hope for tomorrow night’s meeting will be to offer solutions, document concerns and provide community members with concrete strategies for improving the livability of this neighbourhood. It is no secret that over 60 percent of residents in West Broadway commute without the use of automobile and that a large percentage of residents are committed pedestrians, transit riders and cyclists; in this context, with one of the highest population densities in the city, the need to consider local concerns and work together on solutions is significant. Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone who lives, works or volunteers in the West Broadway community. Best, Greg MacPherson Executive Director West Broadway Community Organization 608 Broadway Winnipeg, MB R3C 0W8 Phone - 204.774.7201 ext 5 Fax - 204.779.2203 www.westbroadway.mb.ca

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NYC Council working to reduce speed limit on city streets
by Beth McKechnie 27 Nov '13

27 Nov '13

<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>[Thanks to Terry Zdan for sharing. -cheers, Beth] * * * * * Council Working to Reduce Speed Limit on City Streets By Jill Colvin <http://politicker.com/author/jill-colvin/> 11/26 4:03pm http://politicker.com/2013/11/council-working-to-the-reduce-speed-limit-on-… The New York City Council hopes to pass legislation that would reduce the speed limit on most residential and side streets to 20 miles per hour, Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced today. “We are actively working on that bill and our goal is to pass it before the end of the year,” Ms. Quinn said during an unrelated press conference this afternoon before the month’s final council meeting. “We’re actively working on it right now.” The bill, introduced by Councilman David Greenfield, is aimed at reducing serous pedestrian injuries and traffic fatalities. Last year<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/nyregion/more-traffic-fatalities-in-new-y…>, 148 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents and crashes. “We are working to fine-tune this life-saving legislation that will slow down automobiles on narrow residential streets. I am hopeful that we can get consensus on this important legislation, which will literally save lives once it is enacted here in New York City,” he said in response to the speaker’s comments. But there are complications. The city’s Department of Transportation has argued the proposal would conflict with state law, which only allows limits that low if other traffic-calming devices are used. Last Friday, Councilman Jimmy Vacca, chair of the council’s transportation committee, told WNYC<http://www.wnyc.org/story/d-i-y-20mph-speed-limit-signs-line-brooklyn-stree…> the bill was being “tweaked a little bit” and that members were “aiming for 25 miles per hour on narrow, one-way streets.” Currently, the speed limit on most city streets is 30 miles per hour, unless otherwise posted. The new regulations would be a boon to advocates–including those who installed their own<http://www.wnyc.org/story/d-i-y-20mph-speed-limit-signs-line-brooklyn-stree…> 20-mile limit signs in Park Slope this week–but have drawn grumbles from some drivers who feel the city’s notoriously gridlocked streets are slow enough. According to the group Transportation Alternatives, pedestrians have an 80 percent chance of surviving being hit by a car traveling 30 miles per hour and a 98 percent chance of survival if the car is traveling 20 miles per hour. The measure is just the latest of several recent efforts aimed at making streets safer for pedestrians. Later today, the council is expected to pass another bill, introduced by Councilwoman Debi Rose, aimed at slowing speeds near public and private schools. The rules would require the city to install speed humps near at least 50 schools. “Speeding is the number one cause of deadly crashes in New York City and we must do everything we can to prevent fatalities,” Mr. Quinn said in a statement touting Mr. Rose’s bill. A spokeswoman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not immediately comment on whether the mayor supports the bill.

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The Guardian: How safe are the world's cities for cyclists?
by Beth McKechnie 23 Nov '13

23 Nov '13

Fascinating look at cycling in 12 cities around the world – from Delhi to Berlin to New York, Beijing, Rome, Paris, and many more. While some focus is on the number of cyclist deaths or injuries, what I found most interesting to hear is the different personal experiences riding in these major centres. -cheers, Beth * * * * * How safe are the world's cities for cyclists? The deaths of six cyclists in the past two weeks have highlighted the dangers of taking to London's busy streets. But what is it like to cycle in other major cities around the world? From Amsterdam to Delhi, our writers report from the bike lanes http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/nov/20/how-safe-are-worlds-cit… - Richard Orange <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/richard-orange>, Anu Anand, Philip Oltermann<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/philip-oltermann> , Jonathan Kaiman <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonathan-kaiman>, Pete Jordan, Kim Willsher<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/kim-willsher> , Shaun Walker <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/shaun-walker>, Lizzy Davies <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/lizzydavies>, Patrick Kingsley<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/patrick-kingsley> , Matt Seaton <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/mattseaton>, Harriet Sherwood <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/harrietsherwood>, Rory Carroll <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/rorycarroll> and David Byrne<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/david-byrne-contributor> - - The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian>, Wednesday 20 November 2013 [image: Malmo cycling] Malmö, with its dedicated cycle paths and huge take-up, is something of a cycling heaven. Photograph: Alamy Malmö When I arrived in Malmö two years ago, it was the free bicycle pumps, installed in convenient places on cycle paths, which showed me that, when it comes to cycling <http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/cycling> in Sweden <http://www.theguardian.com/world/sweden>, Malmö leads the way. Sweden's third-largest city is laced with 500km (310 miles) of cycle lanes, more even than in Copenhagen, a short hop across the Öresunds Bridge<http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2012/12/19/135…>. About a quarter of all journeys in the city are already made by bike. That is an estimated 100,000 trips a day for the its 307,000 inhabitants. Stockholmers, by contrast, use bikes for fewer than 10% of trips. When I take my daughter to day care in the morning on the back of my bike, the cycle lanes are packed with parents and commuters. Almost all my friends own cargo bikes<http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2013/7/25/1374…>, which they use to ferry their young families to day care, or to do the weekly shop. Remarkably, in the 10 years from 2003 to 2012, the city has seen only 16 cyclists killed in an accident involving a car. Olle Evenäs, a traffic planner for Malmö, puts this down to the way the city has built its cycle lanes. "In Malmö we have two-way cycle lanes, every single track, which isn't the case in Copenhagen. We never have painted lanes as cycle tracks; we always have a dedicated surface which is separated from the car traffic by a divider and up a level from car traffic." The law-abiding nature of the people also helps cut down on fatalities. For Swedes, cycling in the wrong direction on a cycle path or, worse still, on a pavement intended for pedestrians, elicits the sort of outrage people in the UK reserve for those dumping their rubbish on the pavement. The city continues to try to cut car use, aiming to increase cycling's share of journeys to 30% by 2018. To do this it has earmarked at least 400m kroner (£37m) to be spent on various cycling programmes in the years 2012-19. "This is the money we know we have for sure, but we are going to be spending even more than that," says Evenäs. *Richard Orange* [image: Dehli cycling]Cyclists in Delhi must compete with rickshaws and the city's seven million cars. Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty ImagesDelhi Size is power on India <http://www.theguardian.com/world/india>'s roads and in the caste system of transport, cyclists rank just a notch above pedestrians and stray animals. Buses and SUVs rarely, if ever, give way to lesser mortals. Indeed, pedestrians attempting to cross a road here, even with children in tow, are invariably honked at while drivers speed towards them. By and large, cycling is not a lifestyle choice for the middle classes. Rather, it is the default mode of transport for those who cannot afford anything else. Labourers, deliverymen and semi-skilled workers such as plumbers and carpenters use bicycles. They are India's struggling masses, not its moneyed elite. In 2012, according to India's National Crime Records Bureau<http://ncrb.nic.in/>, a total of 168,301 people died on its roads. In New Delhi, that includes 78 cyclists and 501 pedestrians. There are nominal cycle lanes on some of the capital's main thoroughfares, but with seven million cars jostling for space, those lanes are often cannibalised by motorised rickshaws and scooters, leaving no safe space for bicyclists. Cyclists rarely wear helmets and there are no viable emergency services to ferry accident victims to hospitals. In recent years, some intrepid middle-class Indian and foreign expatriate cyclists have begun to brave Delhi's roads. Recognisable by their expensive bicycles, helmets and high-visibility vests, they can sometimes be spotted along the quieter avenues of colonial New Delhi. One company, Delhi by Cycle<http://www.delhibycycle.com/>, has even set up two-wheeled tours through the narrow, twisting lanes of the old city. But they start before dawn, before cars, motorbikes, cycle rickshaws, pushcarts, cows and the ever-present crush of pedestrians appear. If cycling in London <http://www.theguardian.com/uk/london> is dangerous, Delhi is like having a near-death experience every single time. *Anu Anand* [image: Berlin cycling]Cyclists are well-catered for in Berlin, but it still saw 15 cyclist deaths in 2012. Photograph: Adam Berry/Getty ImagesBerlin In many ways, Berlin is a cyclists' paradise. Most major roads have clearly marked cycling lanes, either on the pavement or on the road itself. The age range of cyclists is broader than in London: with old ladies and kids sharing lanes with bike couriers in Lycra, road behaviour tends to be less aggressive. Some major junctions even have a special set of traffic lights for cyclists, allowing them a head start ahead of motorists. That doesn't mean there are no problems. Fifteen cyclists died in 2012, seven of them through collisions with lorries; 4,533 more were injured over the same period. According to the German Cycling Club (ADFC), one of the most common causes of accidents are cars turning into side streets at high speed and cutting off cyclists in the lanes to their right. Berlin's many tram lines can also be a hazard: the track grooves are perfect for trapping the wheel of your average city bike. In spite of being notoriously cash-strapped, Berlin has taken steps to make cycling safer. This month, the city authorities launched an online survey in order to help identify trouble spots. On radsicherheit.berlin.de, users can mark dangerous junctions, blocked paths and road potholes, as well as recording "near-misses" that they didn't log with the police at the time. But Berlin also expects its cyclists to stick to the rules more than London does. One reason for this is self-policing: try going down a cycling path on the wrong side of the road, even in an alternative district such as Kreuzberg, and you will soon be bellowed at by other cyclists or by pedestrians. Cycling offences are not just punished with on-the-spot fines: any fine over €45 (£37.50) also comes with points that show up on your driving licence (which means that, in theory, you can end up with points on your licence before you have even passed your driving test). And, unlike Britain, Germany <http://www.theguardian.com/world/germany> has a drink-drive limit for cyclists: a blood alcohol content of 0.16%, though some regions have recently tried to lower the limit to the same as that for cars (0.05%). This also explains the German word for a shandy: *Radler* or "cyclist", because it just about keeps you sober enough to stay on your bike. *Philip Oltermann* [image: Beijing cycling]Beijing hopes to have a quarter of its residents cycling by 2015. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images Beijing Beijing was once a city of bikes. Now it's a city of traffic. There are more than 5m cars in Beijing, and they have transformed its once-generous thoroughfares into a noxious, honking mass. Cycling helps me rise above the noise. I bike 5km (3 miles) to work every day, weaving through Ming dynasty-era alleyways, gliding past shadowy government offices, darting among flatbed tricycles hauling mysterious metal tanks. The Chinese capital is notorious for its air pollution, and my commute isn't always pleasant. But when the smog lifts and the city snaps into focus, it's the highlight of my day. Along with the freedom comes a fair amount of risk. According to official statistics, cyclists were involved in more than 10,000<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595633/> of China <http://www.theguardian.com/world/china>'s 67,759 traffic accident-related deaths in 2009. Scooters blast through red lights; cars park on the pavements. Nobody wears a helmet. Last winter, I was riding to work when I collided with an auto-rickshaw. They are the sharks of the city's bike lanes – vault-sized motorised boxes that are almost as powerful as small cars, but are not required to play by the same rules. It was on the wrong side of the road. I veered left; the driver veered right; I hit the side of the carriage and fell over. The driver, a middle-aged man with oily hair, decided to play the defensive – he was clearly from the countryside, and if the accident was serious, my medical bills could have wiped out his savings. He pointed his finger at me, yelling. A crowd began to gather. I shot him a middle finger and pedaled away, my right knee bleeding, my handlebars askew. In 2010, the Beijing government announced hopes that by 2015, nearly a fourth of the city's residents would use cycling as their primary mode of transportation. It doesn't seem likely. The city is too much of a sprawl, its traffic too unruly. There are other reasons, too. On Monday night, I returned to a restaurant where I had parked my one-speed Giant overnight, only to find it missing. A passerby saw me looking, and asked how long I'd left it outside. "Too long, I guess," I said. "You should know better," she replied. "This is China." *Jonathan Kaiman* [image: Amsterdam cycling]Amsterdam has long had a reputation for 'traffic anarchy', but if it's chaos, it works extremely well. Photograph: David R. Frazier Photolibrary/Alamy Amsterdam Over the course of my 11 years of daily biking in Amsterdam, I have never worn the helmet I brought with me from the US. No one needs a helmet here. Instead of putting the onus on the cyclists to protect themselves, in Amsterdam the onus is on society to provide a safe environment to ride in. Here, everyone bikes: the young, the old, the tourists. It usually takes me less than an hour to spot three pregnant cyclists. I had never realised how stressed I was while biking in America until I biked with relative ease in Amsterdam. Despite the decades-old reputation of Amsterdam's cyclists for being "traffic anarchists" – riding through red lights, biking without lights at night, and so on – it is a chaos that works incredibly well. Most motorists here are also cyclists, which enables them to better anticipate the behaviour of cyclists in traffic. Driving instructors teach new motorists to use their right hand to open their door, which forces the driver to turn, putting them in a better position to see if a cyclist is approaching from behind. Amsterdam is by no means perfect. Cycling fatalities do occur – estimates say about six a year - but on nothing like the scale that they do in the British capital. And the Dutch do not rest on their laurels with the infrastructure they have created over the past 30 years. I am always pleasantly amazed by how the city continues to be improved. *Pete Jordan* [image: Paris Cycling]Paris has taken its Vélib' scheme of hire bikes to its heart. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Paris<http://www.theguardian.com/world/paris> Paris is extremely proud of the fact it was the first capital to introduce a city-wide free bicycle scheme. Known as Vélib'<http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/oct/18/cyclingholidays-ethicalholida…>, a combination of the words *vélo* (bike) and *liberté* (freedom), it was introduced in 2007 by Socialist mayor Bertrand Delanoë. Now approaching retirement, Delanoë considers it one of the great triumphs of his term in office. By 2012, when Vélib' was celebrating its fifth birthday, there were around 23,000 of the heavy grey bicycles in circulation, more than double the number when it was launched. There are now 1,700 bicycle "stations" – 1,400 of them in Paris itself and 300 in surrounding towns. In 2007, there were just 750. Under the Socialists, the French capital has installed 652km (405 miles) of dedicated cycle routes for the 224,000 Parisians who have signed up to Vélib', a figure that will rise to 700km by the end of 2014. Launching several thousand bicycles onto the city's roads in 2007 caused widespread safety concerns, but they have proven largely unfounded. While cycling around the Arc de Triomphe can be a perilous exercise, with cars coming from all directions following the now largely outdated "priorité à droite" <http://www.vendee-guide.co.uk/priority-a-droite.htm> rule, the number of accidents involving cyclists between 2007 and 2012 was relatively low: 12 have died, eight of them while using a Vélib'. More than 660 have been injured, according to police, though most of the injuries were reported as "not serious". In 2010, 43 people died in accidents on Paris's streets and boulevards: two cyclists, 18 pedestrians, 17 motorcyclists and scooter riders and six vehicle drivers or passengers, according to the Paris Préfecture de Police. In 2011, not a single cyclist died<http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/19/boris-johnson-london-cyclist…>. Accident investigators say because there are more cyclists around, other road users have become more used to them and are giving them "greater respect". The rules of the road – "I don't ride on the pavement, I respect traffic lights and stop signs, I don't carry passengers and I don't ignore no entry signs" – are posted on each Vélib' bike. *Kim Willsher* [image: Moscow cycling]Moscow's bike-hire scheme works well in summer – but is mothballed for the harsh winter months. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images Moscow With 10-lane highways cutting through its centre, roads covered in snow and ice for much of the year, and drivers who – to put it charitably – do not always obey the letter of the law, Moscow has never been much of a city for cyclists. Those who can afford a car brave the legendary traffic jams, while those that cannot use the ruthlessly efficient metro system. In recent years, however, as the chaos of post-communist wild capitalism has subsided and thoughts have turned in some quarters to issues such as quality of life and urban planning, bicycles have become a more visible part of Moscow's fabric. This year, a local equivalent of Boris bikes was even introduced, with the Bank of Moscow funding 1,000 bikes and 74 rental points across the centre of the city. It was free to use them for up to half an hour, and just 60p for an hour after that, for those who paid an initial registration fee. The bikes have been removed with the onset of winter, but over the summer season nearly 50,000 Muscovites registered for the scheme. Nevertheless, the bikes were still mainly used for cycling along Moscow's embankments, through its newly renovated parks and along the pedestrianised boulevard ring that runs through the centre. Actually using a bike as a means of getting from A to B along normal roads is still a matter for the brave and the foolhardy, and cyclists on the roads are a rare sight indeed. *Shaun Walker* [image: Rome cycling]Rome's cyclists hope that their bike-friendly mayor can deliver. Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images Rome With its fabled seven hills, cobbled streets and notoriously chaotic traffic, Rome is not an obvious cycling paradise. A bike-sharing scheme launched in 2008 has been an abject failure. And, for what it's worth, helmets and hi-vis have never been included in any Italian's definition of*bella figura*. Despite the risks to both health and image, however, many Romans are choosing to brave the roads and get on their bikes. For the first time in decades, more bikes were sold than cars in the recession-hit Italy of 2011, a trend reflected predominantly in the north but also on the traffic-clogged streets of the capital. Many of those who do brave it insist the city's off-putting image is unfair: it is hard for cars to speed around the narrow, winding streets of the historic centre, they say. Moreover, Roman motorists, whatever their other defects, are used to looking out for people on two-wheels - it's just that those wheels tend to belong to a Vespa or Piaggio. But tragedies, of course, do happen. Last year, five people died in accidents involving bicycles, according to the city authorities; one person the year before that; three in 2010, and four in 2009. In July, a 60-year-old man called Domenico Calabrò was fatally injured in a collision with a car on the city's south-eastern outskirts. The man who now finds himself at the centre of the city's cycling future is the mayor, Ignazio Marino, who was elected in June and has repeatedly spoken of the need to make Rome a more bike-friendly capital. He says he is considering various projects in order to boost cycle use, including the creation of parking lots for 10,000 bikes, a new, more successful cycle-sharing scheme, and 20km more cycle paths to add to the patchy existing network. Marino is himself a keen cyclist, often seen whizzing around town, security staff in tow, on a white Lombardo. Even for him, however, it hasn't been straight-forward: in July, he fell off. Cycling activists are pleased that their new "first citizen" is a bike-lover, but are still waiting to see if he will keep his promises, says Fausto Bonafaccia, president of the BiciRoma association. "The cycle path situation is improper for a city like Rome, the capital of Italy, where vegetation, disjointedness and potholes represent daily obstacles for those who want to travel by bike," he says. "Road safety <http://www.theguardian.com/world/road-safety> … does not meet the minimum standards befitting a civilised country and cyclists are always at risk of having an accident in the Roman traffic." *Lizzy Davies* [image: Cairo cycling]Cairo's most fearless road users must be its bakery delivery cyclists. Photograph: Carsten Koall/Getty Images Cairo Tell a local that you cycle in Cairo, and more often than not you will be met with a wide-eyed stare. Driving a car is dangerous and frustrating enough, with 42 annual road deaths per 100,000 Egyptians, according to the World Health Organisation<http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_traffic/countrywork/egy/…>. Britain has just 2.75. Cairo's roads are chaotic<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8029015.stm>, with cars paying little attention to road markings, and gridlocked streets common by mid-afternoon. Lane discipline is not a recognised concept, drivers often reverse down multi-lane highways, and cars will not stop for pedestrians seeking to cross a road until they step out into the speeding traffic. In this environment, there is little concept of cycling as a means of getting across the city. Needless to say, there are no cycle lanes. Many deliverymen do use bikes to pedal around their neighbourhoods – perhaps Cairo's most fearless road-users are the cycling bakers who careen through traffic jams balancing vast trays of bread on their heads. But very few commuters cycle, put off by the perceived danger and the lack of infrastructure. For some professionals, bikes are associated with the working class, and so have a social stigma – while some female cyclists report harassment from passersby. But the city's few energetic bike advocates say that cyclists are slowly on the rise. When the Cairo Cycling Club was founded five years ago, it had just four members. Now it organises weekly recreational group rides<http://www.cairobike.com/group-rides> through quieter districts that have sometimes attracted hundreds of cyclists. In two provincial cities near Cairo, the authorities are planning to encourage more cycling<http://stpegypt.org/images/NGO%20Fayoum%20workshop_apr2013.pdf> along some main roads. There are no exact figures, either for the number of Cairene cyclists or the number of annual cycling-related fatalities. But Ahmed el-Dorghamy, one of Cairo's most vocal cycling proponents, says there are more than 20,000 users of Egyptian online cycling groups. "The idea we want to get across is that it's not just a sporting activity," hetold the BBC <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21629907> last year. "It can also be a means of transport in some areas of Cairo." *Patrick Kingsley* [image: New York cycling]New York's busy streets might seem daunting, but things are improving for cyclists. Photograph: Joseph Mcnally/Getty ImagesNew York If you commute by bike in New York City, you are still regarded by colleagues as something of a daredevil. And if you don't wear a helmet, they frankly think you are reckless. Mind you, this is a country where they wear helmets for the game they call football (which, actually, does have a serious head-injury problem). But perceptions lag behind reality. New York has become a much more cycle-friendly city over the past decade or so of the Bloomberg administration. Cyclist fatalities have held steady over that time: in a good year, perhaps just a dozen; in a bad year, double that number. But bike use has tripled since 2000 and, with several hundred miles of new bike lanes put in, it is still growing fast. So, according to the City's "cycling risk indicator", the danger of serious injury has plummeted by 73% (between 2000 and 2011). And New York is truly a bikeable city. Manhattan and the other boroughs are reasonably flat, and car ownership is the lowest of any American city. The views can be spectacular, whether you are flying down one of the big avenues in a canyon of Gotham skyscrapers or taking the riverside bike path along the Hudson on the west side. Earlier this year, the city got the Citibike bike-share scheme, our equivalent of Boris bikes. Despite teething troubles, the five-month-old rollout is mostly judged a great success – not least because it has not yet resulted in a single fatality. Not everything is rosy. Transportation Alternatives<http://www.transalt.org/>, NYC's leading pro-bike campaign, has worked hard recently to make more of an issue of how poorly fatal accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists are often investigated by the NYPD. Just last weekend, an article in the New York Times asked provocatively: "Is it OK to kill cyclists?" But I take heart simply from the fact that the question is being asked: the mindset is changing. My main tip from the mean streets: just watch out for the yellow cabs – they never pull over to drop people off, and passengers will fling the doors open on either side. *Matt Seaton* *is the Guardian's former cycling columnist and is now an editor at the New York Times.* [image: Tel Aviv cycling]Tel Aviv's flat, wide-open spaces are ideal for cycling. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images *Tel Aviv* It is flat, sunny and boasts a sweeping promenade hugging long golden beaches. There are 120km of cycle paths threading throughout the city, 1,500 public bikes for hire at an hourly rate, and 3,000 bicycle parking slots. Welcome to Tel Aviv, cycling heaven. That, at least, is the city council's vision. As part of a plan to turn Tel Aviv into a car-free city, it has promoted two-wheel transport, with the introduction two years ago of Tel-O-Fun, an Israeli version of Boris bikes, available for hire at around £8 for two and a half hours. A network of cycle paths has been established along roads and through parks, and an annual city bike ride attracted 20,000 participants in September (though 42 cyclists were injured). Helmets are encouraged, but not a legal requirement. According to a poll last year, 14% of residents say it's their main form of transport. But not everyone is in heaven. "A lot of the cycle paths are just painted areas of the pavement, interrupted by bus stops and with pedestrians wandering over them," says Ruthie Pliskin, a PhD student who cycles to university every day. "Even the paved ones along the roads are often blocked by parked cars. They're very narrow, and sometimes it's not even clear which direction you are supposed to cycle." Despite the city council's efforts, Pliskin says cycling is still a dangerous activity in Tel Aviv. "But it has the potential to be a great cycling city – even if you do need eight showers a day in the summer." *Harriet Sherwood* *Los Angeles <http://www.theguardian.com/world/los-angeles>* Drivers rule Los Angeles, yet on balance the city is surprisingly safe for cycling. An expanding network of bicycle lanes is slowly making parts of LA friendlier to two wheels, turning a once eccentric form of transport almost hip. About two cyclists are killed in traffic-related collisions in LA county each month, out of a total population of 10 million. Per capita, that is a lot better than many other big population centres in the US and elsewhere. The bad news is that 3% of road accident fatalities are cyclists, way above the US's national figure of 1.7%. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa became evangelical after he fell and broke his arm swerving from a taxi that cut him off on Venice boulevard in 2010. Within two years the city built 123 miles of new bikeways, nearly eight times the rate of the previous 40 years. There are now more than 430 miles of bike paths across the city. Not all cheered. Hollywood complained that a bright green, 6ft-wide lane, which runs for 1.4 miles through downtown's historic core, ruined the area's utility as an Anytown, USA, location. Worse, camera lights reflected the green on to everything else, including actors' faces. California's governor, Jerry Brown, rejected a law obliging motorists to give cyclists at least 3ft of room while passing, or slow down. But advocacy groups such as the LA County Bicycle Coalition, and rider packs known as Midnight Ridazz and Wolfpack Hustle, and programmes such as CicLAvia, appear to be slowly winning the argument. LA's new mayor, Eric Garcetti, has pledged to continue bike-friendly policies. You still need strong nerves to cycle here. About 22 cyclists a year are killed or badly hurt in LA's epidemic of hit-and-runs – there are 20,000 cases annually. Veterans warn that one of the most perilous places is Beverly Hills: few lanes and inconsiderate drivers. *Rory Carroll* [image: David Byrne cycling]David Byrne riding his bike in New York. Photograph: Sam Polcer Why I like cycling in New York City By David Byrne I ride everyday in New York City unless it's pouring rain or snow or the roads are icy – and that's actually not often. I now know where the protected bike lanes are and I will go a block or two out of my way to use them. The protected ones make a huge difference, though the occasional delivery or municipal vehicle parks in them. Even the non-protected lanes<http://bikingrules.org/biking/laneprimer> – the ones in green and white paint that run alongside the traffic – feel much more secure. Having used bikes in London, I'm used to a lack of road space being allocated to cyclists. But it is, yes, a little scary sometimes back in London. We used to do scary quite well in NYC, but we've mostly gotten over it. One does have to beware of limo and hire-car drivers who feel they are carrying people more important than us, and watch out for New Jersey plates, as they've rarely seen cyclists and pedestrians where they come from. Bike delivery guys riding the wrong way are another hazard, but maybe they'll fall in line eventually as well. NYC is easy – it's dense and fairly flat. The new bike-share program needs to expand and is already hugely popular. I see men in suits using it, so for me that means the whole thing has passed the tipping point and resistance is futile – best now to figure out how to make it all work.

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RE: [At-network] City Infrastructure Announcement Blazes Trails for Winnipeg School Children
by Janice Lukes 21 Nov '13

21 Nov '13

A precedent setting announcement supporting active transportation corridors for schools. Hopefully we will hear more announcements like this city wide! I compiled a two page backgrounder on history of AT initiatives in Fort Richmond. (attached) A lot of work is occurring in the community- as has been city wide. Great news! PLEASE NOTE: While not 'officially announced' yet - the Green Action Centre and communities of Fort Richmond / University Heights and U of M were involved in the development of a Community Walking and Cycling map: http://fortrichmondat.ca/Map.pdf The format is almost identical to the Winnipeg cycling map - except with far more detail (ie: locations of crosswalks / lights / heated bus shelters / sidewalks, etc) Hard copies are available at the Green Action Centre and at many locations in Fort Richmond / south Pembina businesses. The map was supported by the Province / City / Green Action Centre and many other organizations. It is my hope that many communities will want to develop their own detailed AT map! Janice From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Jackie Avent (ASRTS) Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 1:20 PM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [At-network] City Infrastructure Announcement Blazes Trails for Winnipeg School Children Today's Active Transportation infrastructure announcement is a promising step forward in creating safe, active corridors for students to travel actively to and from school. The investment in school-based infrastructure is precedent setting and exciting - highlighting the benefit of wide-spread community engagement and consultation done by Green Action Centre through the Bike Walk Roll Fort Richmond Project. This was on the coat-tails of the School Travel Planning pilot project where we worked with all neighbourhood schools. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Katz-releases-details-on-2014-active- transportation-budget-232868741.html http://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2013/nr_20131121.stm#1 -- Jackie Avent | Active and Safe Routes to School <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> Green Action Centre 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue | (204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options /> Find us here

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City Infrastructure Announcement Blazes Trails for Winnipeg School Children
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 21 Nov '13

21 Nov '13

Today's Active Transportation infrastructure announcement is a promising step forward in creating safe, active corridors for students to travel actively to and from school. The investment in school-based infrastructure is precedent setting and exciting - highlighting the benefit of wide-spread community engagement and consultation done by Green Action Centre through the Bike Walk Roll Fort Richmond Project. This was on the coat-tails of the School Travel Planning pilot project where we worked with all neighbourhood schools. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Katz-releases-details-on-2014-active… http://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2013/nr_20131121.stm#1 -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Webinar slides: Is there safety in numbers for cyclists and pedestrians?
by Beth McKechnie 20 Nov '13

20 Nov '13

Hi everyone, While slides from a webinar are not always helpful without the recording to go with it, today's APBP webinar on "Is there safety in numbers for cyclists and pedestrians?" is an exception. It all seems to be common sense conclusions but they provide the research to back up the important role that larger volumes of cyclists, road design and the presence of bike infrastructure play in reducing crash rates. Two clarifications to note: first, crashes here refer only to motorists and peds or cyclists (not bike/bike or bike/ped) and second, there is an error in Luis M.'s conclusion slide (63 of 85). The blue line should read "Rates without refuge island" and the red line is "Rates with refuge island". cheers, Beth

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Fwd: Budget 2014 Invitation from Mayor Katz: Active Transportation Corridor Announcement
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 20 Nov '13

20 Nov '13

Short notice, but there will be an announcement tomorrow morning related to active transportation corridors. 10:30 am at Dalhousie School. Cheers! Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: MYO-Mayor <MYO-Mayor(a)winnipeg.ca> Date: 20 November 2013 16:39 Subject: Budget 2014 Invitation from Mayor Katz: Active Transportation Corridor Announcement To: -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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WFP: Bylaw to enforce [Sunday street] closures (Nov.20'13)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Nov '13

20 Nov '13

[This is one of those good news items that is tucked into the newspaper and easy to miss!] Bylaw to enforce closures http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/bylaw-to-enforce-closures-232621631.… CITY hall hopes to have a bylaw in place to allow police to enforce Sunday street closures along bike routes. It turns out the prohibition of driving vehicles on Sundays on Wellington Crescent, Scotia Street, Wolseley Avenue and Lyndale Drive couldn't be enforced. "There was a challenge at some point that motivated our people to get this done," public works committee chairman Justin Swandel said. "There was a technicality that didn't actually allow it to be enforced." The public works committee instructed civic administration to draft a bylaw and get approval for proper signs to be posted along the street routes. The new bylaw will allow motorists to travel a distance of one block on the bike routes on Sundays. Motorists travelling farther will be ticketed, once the bylaw is passed. The committee was told posted signs will replace most of the barricades, which will result in a savings. The signs have to be designed and approved by the Highway Traffic Board before they can be erected and the new bylaw goes into force. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 20, 2013 B2

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Design with the blind in mind
by Beth McKechnie 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

Hi everyone, This moving and funny TED Talk provides some great insights into why, as Judy Redmond would say, Universal Design is just good design. cheers, Beth <http://ted.us1.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=07487d1456302a286cf9c4ccc&id=…> 11:40 minutes · Filmed Oct 2013 · Posted Nov 2013 · TEDCity2.0 What would a city designed for the blind be like? Chris Downey is an architect who went suddenly blind in 2008; he contrasts life in his beloved San Francisco before and after -- and shows how the thoughtful designs that enhance his life now might actually make everyone's life better, sighted or not. Watch now »<http://ted.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=07487d1456302a286cf9c4ccc&id=6…>

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Fwd: [Eco-man] Province, City Announce Funding to Extend Rapid Transit into Southwest Winnipeg
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 19 Nov '13

19 Nov '13

News Release November 19, 2013 PROVINCE, CITY ANNOUNCE FUNDING TO EXTEND RAPID TRANSIT INTO SOUTHWEST WINNIPEG - - - Project Expanded to Include More Lanes At Pembina-Jubilee Underpass The Government of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg announced funding today to build the second phase of rapid transit in southwest Winnipeg and redevelop the Pembina-Jubilee Underpass to include additional vehicle and bike lanes, with each government providing up to $225 million toward the integrated project and seeking federal funding for the balance, Premier Greg Selinger and Mayor Sam Katz said. "Each day more and more people are making the move to Manitoba. The City of Winnipeg is expected to reach a population of one million within the next 20 years and the hallmark of any thriving big city is a modern, efficient public transit system," said Premier Selinger. "Building rapid transit will mean good jobs to get the work done and it will connect families with opportunities across this great city, well into the future." "Rapid Transit provides faster, more reliable transit service while helping to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions as well as congestion on regional streets," said Mayor Katz. "Today's announcement for Stage 2 of the Southwest Transitway helps complete the vision of a rapid transit corridor from the downtown to the southwest regions of Winnipeg, substantially increasing the competitiveness of transit for thousands of Winnipeggers. With this announcement, the City of Winnipeg will continue its focus on the development of a rapid transit network across Winnipeg with additional projects such as the Eastern Rapid Transit Corridor." The premier and the mayor noted that combining the Pembina-Jubilee Underpass work with the rapid transit work is expected to speed up construction on both projects by at least two years and reduce disruption for families and businesses while they are built. The seven-kilometre second phase of rapid transit in the city will run from Pembina Highway and Jubilee Avenue to southwest Winnipeg. Public consultations, and design and engineering work on the project are underway with construction scheduled to be completed in 2019. The mayor noted the investment from the Manitoba government allows the City of Winnipeg to proceed with its application to the Government of Canada for the outstanding 25 per cent of project costs through the P3 Canada Fund. It will also allow the city to address storm-water and drainage issues in the underpass. "The extension of bus rapid transit service to our Fort Garry campus is critical to the future of our university community," said David Barnard, president and vice-chancellor, University of Manitoba. "It will provide students, faculty and staff a fast, safe and environmentally sustainable means of getting to the university. It also makes our university more accessible to people who come to our campus for sporting events, concerts, gallery exhibits, public lectures and a variety of other activities that enhance the vibrancy of our city." The premier noted in addition to supporting investments in a new rapid transit corridor, the Manitoba government will continue to fund 50 per cent of Winnipeg Transit's operating costs. - 30 - _______________________________________________ Eco-man mailing list Eco-man(a)uwinnipeg.ca https://mta.uwinnipeg.ca/mailman/listinfo/eco-man -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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WFP Editorial: Take back Portage & Main (Nov.18'13)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Nov '13

18 Nov '13

[Definitely party-worthy when Portage & Main finally reopens...] Take back Portage & Main http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/take-back-portage--main… It's often said the big-box developments in Winnipeg's suburbs are symbols of a city that has surrendered to the culture of King Car. Maybe so, but the worst example of Winnipeg's automobile mentality is Portage and Main. The famous intersection was closed to pedestrians in 1979 as part of an agreement with the owners of the businesses at the four corners to direct human traffic underground and into the shops of Winnipeg Square. There have been cries of protest ever since, and even a few demonstrations led by the likes of activist Nick Ternette and former city councillor Joe Zuken, who illegally crossed the intersection to draw attention to the issue. The official reason it has remained behind hideous concrete barricades all these years is the legal agreement designed to support subterranean commercial activity, but civic traffic planners and others have disliked the idea of mixing pedestrians and cars at the busy intersection. One civic study even said it would be dangerous for pedestrians to cross in some places because of turning lanes and the rapid movement of cars. Architectural historian Jeffrey Thorsteinson, however, has debunked this excuse for eliminating humanity from the intersection. As Mr. Thorsteinson explained on these pages recently, there are busier and seemingly more dangerous intersections in Winnipeg where pedestrians are allowed to cross the street. About 154,000 cars navigate Portage and Main every day, while nearly 190,000 vehicles pass through Regent Avenue and Lagimodiere Boulevard, where people are welcome. Confusion Corner also witnesses more traffic than Portage and Main, Mr. Thorsteinson said, yet no one has seen fit to ban those who walk on two feet in favour of those who move on four wheels. As for the famous legal agreement, always touted as the reason nothing can be changed until it expires in 2017, well, the city has a legal opinion that it can easily be broken. That's because it was written in the form of a bylaw, and not a contract that implies penalties and redress if broken. Bylaws are passed by council, and they can be rescinded the same way, the city was told in a legal analysis prepared for CentreVenture Development Corp. The agreement with the property owners apparently also permits pedestrian surface crossings, provided they can enter the concourse at the four corners. Of the seven property owners affected, six have said they are not opposed to reopening the intersection to pedestrians. The seventh has since been replaced by another company, whose opinion has not been disclosed. The bottom line is there seems to be very little stopping the city from demolishing the barricades and allowing pedestrians to once again cross the windy corner. Council recently passed a motion asking administrators to prepare a study on what the city would have to do if an opportunity arose for removing the barricades. What the city really needs to do, however, is pass a motion to take back the corner, starting with the removal of the barricades and the erection of the proper traffic and pedestrian signals. It should set a date, say June 1, to get the ball rolling. A deadline would then force the city to determine the costs and other requirements that would be needed to make it work. The city could also re-examine some design options for improving the intersection, but it shouldn't postpone the process of reopening Portage and Main to people. If cars have to wait an extra few minutes, well, that's the price of vibrancy. The heart of the city currently looks dead, but that would change if people were actually allowed to take back the street. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 18, 2013 A8

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WFP: Planning strategy guides growth along city's rivers (Nov.16'13)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Nov '13

17 Nov '13

Planning strategy guides growth along city's rivers By: Aldo Santin http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/planning-strategy-guides-growth-alon… Winnipeg's future identity will be linked to its rivers. A new report to city hall proposes a 20-year planning strategy to guide development along the Red and Assiniboine rivers. An administrative report supporting the new strategy, Go To the Waterfront, proposes all development along the two rivers "acts as a magnet for new investment in housing, business and mixed-use development." The proposal will need to be adopted by council, but the first step is its review at Monday's meeting of the downtown development, heritage and riverbank management committee. Coun. Mike Pagtakhan, who chairs the committee, said as the city's waterfront properties begin a rebirth, such a strategy is needed to ensure development is consistent with the city's goals. "It is a vision for Winnipeg's rivers," Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) said, adding the proposal is consistent with other planning documents that guide the city's growth. The strategy focuses on development along 40 kilometres of riverbank connecting six neighbourhoods: Armstrong's Point and Wellington Crescent; Assiniboine Avenue and Osborne Village; St. Boniface and The Forks; Norwood and Riverview; Exchange District and north St. Boniface; Point Douglas, Archibald and Elmwood. The plan was drawn up following a series of public consultations and involved participation of The Forks, Tourism Winnipeg, Economic Development Winnipeg, CentreVenture, Enterprise Riel, Rivers West and other organizations. The document envisages development that links the six neighbourhoods through a series of riverfront pathway networks -- scenic drives, paths, sidewalks and pedestrian bridges, "to build and celebrate Winnipeg's identity as a river city." A long-term goal is to extend the linkages to include the city's three regional parks: Kildonan Park, Assiniboine Park and St. Vital Park. "The more that we can capitalize on our public waterfront, the more we can define our city as a real tourist attraction and for the benefit of our citizens," Pagtakhan said. The administrative report says there is no cost associated with the strategy, but the city could incur expenses as it requires private developers and its own initiatives to conform to the strategy. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca *Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 16, 2013 B2*

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Cycling video to make you smile
by Beth McKechnie 17 Nov '13

17 Nov '13

Hope you enjoy this lighthearted (but revealing) 2-1/2 minute video on cycling in the Netherlands. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqkDiExIEiE cheers, Beth

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AT Webinar (2-3:15pm, Wed.Nov.20'13, EcoCentre) -- Is there safety in numbers for cyclists and pedestrians?
by Beth McKechnie 15 Nov '13

15 Nov '13

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local applications. Detailed description provided below. Please note this webinar is 75 minutes (rather than the usual one hour). *Wednesday, Nov.20th | 2:00-3:15 p.m.* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** Is There Safety in Numbers for Cyclists and Pedestrians? *Wednesday, Nov.20th | 2:00-3:15 p.m.* Is there safety in numbers? At this webinar, learn if increasing the number of cyclists and pedestrians can lead to a better safety regimen. Our presenters review the research related to safety analysis and the relationship between volume of users and facilities, as well as the policy implications for practitioners who seek to increase cycling and walking. The webinar presenters will talk about these points related to the phenomenon of safety in numbers: - When do we observe "safety in numbers” and how can we explain it? - What factors affect cyclist safety, and can we build a framework to understand how these factors interact? - What approaches might a municipality take to analyze and understand cyclist safety? *Presenters*: - Simon Blenski, Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner, City of Minneapolis - Dr. Luis Miranda-Moreno, McGill University, Montreal - Dr. Krista Nordback, Research Associate, Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC), Portland State University

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NB: TIME CHANGE! Join us Monday, November 18th; 2:00 - 2:45 pm! Upstream Thinking - Dr Ryan Meili in Winnipeg
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 14 Nov '13

14 Nov '13

*Apologies for the confusion. Please note the time change to 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm on Monday November 18th for this session!* Dr. Ryan Meili will be at the Eco-Centre on *Monday, November 18th* - 3rd Floor, 303 Portage Avenue *from 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm* for a discussion about the Winnipeg launch of *Upstream: Institute for a Healthy Society*. See this short animated film for an introduction! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qarQXqKbmLg Feel free to spread the word, and kindly RSVP to asrts(a)greenactioncentre.caso we know how many seats to arrange. As it's a short gathering, please ensure to be early or on time. Hope you can make it! Jackie *About Upstream* Upstream is a movement to create a healthy society through evidence-based, people-centred ideas. Upstream seeks to change the current conversation, reframing public discourse around the goal of true health and helping citizens understand the best ways to reach that goal. >From the emergency room, to homeless shelters, to the prison system, we see the consequences of downstream thinking all around us. Upstream thinking means investing wisely for future success rather than spending all of our time and resources responding to failure. If health for all is our goal, then upstream thinking is about addressing the things that have the greatest influence on our health, including income, employment, education, early childhood development, housing, nutrition and the wider environment. Upstream works with the growing body of evidence on these social determinants of health and use that knowledge to guide recommendations for change. By sharing stories through a variety of media, Upstream seeks to creatively engage citizens, sparking within them a personal stake in the social determinants of health and a demand for upstream alternatives to the status quo. Upstream uses this evidence and storytelling to foster a vibrant network of organizations and individuals who share this vision. By demonstrating that a better way is possible, we can help create the conditions for wiser decisions and a healthier Canada. Learn more at www.thinkupstream.net -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Fwd: News from Canada Walks
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 14 Nov '13

14 Nov '13

Some interesting things going on around walkability and cyclability across Canada! Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jacky Kennedy <asrts(a)sympatico.ca> Date: 14 November 2013 12:23 Subject: News from Canada Walks To: stp(a)greenactioncentre.ca Walkolution News - November 2013 Please share this newsletter with a friend! [image: Walkolution banner]<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> Visit and "Like" Canada Walks<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>, Walk Friendly Ontario<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>& Sustainable Happiness<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>Facebook pages! [image: Twitter] Follow us on Twitter at <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> @walkfriendlyON<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> and @CanadaWalks<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> *In This Issue* - WALK Friendly Communities Awards <#14257da7923b13a3_WFO> - International Walk to School Month 2013 <#14257da7923b13a3_IWALK> - Community Progress in Active School Travel <#14257da7923b13a3_AST> - Sustainable Urban Transportation Award <#14257da7923b13a3_TAC> - Canada's favourite Crossing Guard Contest<#14257da7923b13a3_CrossingGuard> - York Region ASRTS Campaign <#14257da7923b13a3_York> - Ottawa's Transportation Master Plan <#14257da7923b13a3_Ottawa> - Ontario's First Youth Bike Summit <#14257da7923b13a3_Summit> - Talking Walking, Ghost Pedestrians, WalkABle Alberta<#14257da7923b13a3_Talkingwalking> - UWALK, Car Less in Calgary, The Walkable City <#14257da7923b13a3_UWALK> - International Inspiration for Walking <#14257da7923b13a3_International> - Winter Walk Day 2014 <#14257da7923b13a3_WWD> - Canada walks can help you reach your walkability goals!<#14257da7923b13a3_Walkabilitygoals> [image: WFO][image: Walk Friendly ON] *Ontario's first WALK Friendly Community designations awarded at provincial healthy communities conference in Toronto* It is with great pride that we announce the first five Ontario municipalities to be awarded WALK Friendly designations: *Silver designation: City of Ottawa and City of Hamilton* *Bronze designation: Town of Richmond Hill, City of London and Town of Wasaga Beach* "We offer our congratulations to all of the communities that have achieved a designation and hope that the recognition they receive will inspire further action, and a little healthy competition, to create a culture of walking in cities and towns across the province," said WALK Friendly Ontario program manager Kate Hall. The designation application requires communities to report their progress on more than 200 key walkability indicators including sidewalk policies and networks of connected walking infrastructure, progressive design standards, street festivals, public art, staff training, and citizen engagement to name just a few of the criteria. All applications are reviewed and scored by Canada Walks' panel of experts. "Walkable communities contribute significantly to healthy and active lifestyles for Ontarians of all ages and abilities," said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. "What's more, offering welcoming, walkable routes give residents and visitors alike unique ways to explore and experience communities all across the province." The awards were presented at HC Link's conference, Linking for Healthy Communities: Collaborating for Change<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>, where more than 150 participants from across Ontario gathered to learn new strategies and strengthen networks that support healthy communities. We thank the Ontario government and the Metcalf Foundation who generously provided funds for this initiative. Applications will be accepted for the 2014 designations in February-March and in August-September. The Application Guide to help communities prepare is available at www.walkfriendly.ca<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . [image: IWALK] *International Walk to School celebrations in Ontario* St. Marguerite d'Youville, Hamilton - We LOVE to Move! for IWALK St. Marguerite d'Youville put their heart in their IWALK event on Oct. 9 with more than 500 students and staff walking or wheeling to promote healthy and strong bodies. Follow the walk to school campaign on Twitter<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> ! Be part of the conversation - use hashtags #walktoschool and #biketoschool to share your IWALK experiences and post your stories on the Smart Commute<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> and Canada Walks<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> Facebook pages. Schools and active school travel practitioners can also support ParticipACTION's Park the Car, It's Not That Far<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> campaign, one of the actions resulting from the 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> where Canadian children and youth were assigned a D for Active Transportation. Use hashtag #parkthecar to participate in the conversation. See ParticipACTION's Facebook<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> page and Twitter<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> to follow the campaign and to participate. *London's Walk to School Program helping to create walkable neighbourhoods* London's Mayor Joe Fontana participated in a Walking School Bus (WSB) on IWALK Day: "This walk is exactly what the city needs," Fontana said. "We want a walkable city, we want walkable neighbourhoods, we want to promote active living and we want parents to feel their children are safe on their walk to school." This WSB is one of three at Lorne Avenue Public School, organized through London Block Parent® Walking School Bus Program and the London Active & Safe Routes to School initiative. Joining Mayor Fontana was School Trustee Matt Reid: "I love being able to support volunteers who are helping make sure our kids get to school safely and on time." Across town the Old South Community Association (OSCO), in partnership with ASRTS and the Middlesex-London Health Unit, organized a special IWALK event for neighbourhood schools in the Wortly neighbourhood GreenSPACE. Three local schools attended the event that featured games, snacks and local athletes to share their commitment to physical activity. The children presented skits on physical activity as a celebration of IWALK, and London's In Motion<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>October challenge team was in attendance. OSCO is a strong supporter of walkable neighbourhoods and are planning a Winter Walk Day event with the local schools in February. *Toronto French School embraces active school travel* TFS - Canada's International School is a bilingual, coeducational and non-denominational independent school for students from age 2 to university entrance. TFS has a conscientious Eco-Council, comprised of parents, students, teachers and staff. Early 2013, TFS' Toronto campus successfully launched an *Active Transportation* campaign with a very chilly *Winter Walk Day*. Interest and awareness quickly increased and in the spring, *Walking Wednesdays* was introduced; scores of students either walked, cycled or scootered to school. This year, TFS' Eco-Council will include metrics behind their campaign and start to track how many students are using active transportation, which will, in turn, earn them 'house points' for their efforts. TFS Mascot Tuff welcoming walkers October 9, 2013, TFS hosted its first annual *International Walk to School Day.*Its success generated high participation and noticeably quieter parking lots and traffic. The TFS community is very aware of their carbon footprint. Having passed the Ontario EcoSchool certification and receiving Gold standing in the spring of 2013, it's no surprise their level of commitment. Two senior school students undertook a 9km walk; a Grade 2 class met at a local park and walked to school together and many families either biked or walked together for the first time. Welcome table highlighting international IWALK event TFS' Junior School principal, Mme Kay Scarlett, led an active transportation themed assembly that highlighted the benefits of personal health and the effects on the environment. She inspired her Grades 2 - 5 audiences, with a powerful message that included fascinating videos that underlined the day's international theme. Showcasing contrasting habits of North American families, who typically drive to school, with underdeveloped countries where eager school children must endure long and quite often, dangerous journeys - truly struck a chord with students and generated further discussion. Southwood Park's Walk and Wheel Wall *Southwood Park Public School **in Ajax* kicked off a year of ASRTS on IWALK Day. The initiative is supported by the Town of Ajax as part of their active transportation<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> strategy<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>. Southwood Park students are looking forward to the next challenge in November when they will be creating active travel themed posters. During IWALK month we encouraged schools to track their active travel kilometres using the *ischooltravel calculator*. The calculator helps students understand the impact of their family's travel choices and determines how many calories they burned, the cost of fuel saved, as well as greenhouse gas emissions avoided. This tool is a great way to empower students to make a difference in their world. English calculator<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> French calculator<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> [image: AST] *Active School Travel Gets Important Boosts in Ottawa* Last month saw two important boosts for active school travel in the nation's capital: - On October 3 the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA) along with the Ottawa-Carleton District and Ottawa Catholic school boards, signed a school active travel charter. It represents a first step in the creation of a new School Active Transportation Support Network<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>, created to boost walking and cycling, in collaboration with the two school boards, OSTA, the City of Ottawa and Green Communities Canada (GCC). Great coverage in the Ottawa Citizen<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . Students Jamie McWilliam (left) and Sasha Rogers share stories about why they like to walk to school during the signing ceremony for Ottawa's active school travel charter From left to right: Mark Mullan, Chair, Ottawa Catholic school board; Vicky Kyriaco, General Manager, Ottawa Student Transportation Authority; Jennifer McKenzie, Chair, Ottawa-Carleton Distribt school board; Walter Piovesan, Associate Director of Education, Ottawa-Carleton District school board. - Ottawa Public Health has unveiled its plans to introduce new school-based active transportation initiatives<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> at all 230 English and French-language schools across the city in 2014. *Vaughan Active Routes are the Way to Go! Program Engineering Initiatives * Prior to the opening of the new St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Elementary School in September 2012, staff at the City of Vaughan worked with various partners to develop a school travel planning pilot, called Active Routes are the Way to Go! As part of this pilot, staff developed an action plan consisting of various soft initiatives to encourage walking and cycling, including Walking Wednesdays. Engineering staff contributed to the pilot with funding for hard initiatives, including new road safety signs and pavement markings to encourage motorists to slow down and remind pedestrians to be more aware when crossing the road. Staff organized a colouring contest with the school children to design the sign. Students were asked to use messages such as: "WATCH FOR CHILDREN"; "PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY"; or "GO SLOW". The winning entry was enlarged to create two 60cm x 75cm reflective signs. No regulatory signs were removed. To complement the new signs, engineering staff installed diagonal pavement markings and the words "SLOW DOWN" in front of the school. Traffic in the kiss and ride has already been reduced by 108 cars before the morning bell due to the soft school travel planning initiatives. Staff will also be monitoring traffic speeds following the installation of pavement markings to determine whether vehicular speeds have been reduced. New road safety sign (June 2013) New pavement markings and road safety sign (November 2013) New diagonal pavement markings (November 2013) * [image: TAC]* * Transportation Association of Canada's (TAC) **2013 Sustainable Urban Transportation Award *has been awarded to the Stepping It Up school travel planning project, a collaboration of Metrolinx, Green Communities, City of Hamilton, Region of Peel and the University of Toronto. Project Manager Jennifer Lay of Metrolinx attended the TAC conference to personally receive the award on behalf of the Stepping It Up team. The Stepping It Up school travel planning project<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>, 2009-2011, worked with 30 schools, 3 school boards, and a host of community stakeholders. [image: CrossingGuard] Reminder: *Canada's Favourite Crossing Guard*: Do you know a crossing guard in your area who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to help children get to school safely? Enter him or her in "Canada's Favourite Crossing Guard Contest<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>," run by Parachute, a national charity dedicated to preventing injury and saving lives, and FedEx Express Canada. The winning crossing guards will receive $500 and an engraved plaque and the school will receive $500. Applications accepted until *November 22, 2013*. [image: York] York Region's ASRTS launches a new campaign: *Heading to School? Walk Safe. Drive Safe. Be Safe*! Learn more by watching their video<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> and visiting their website<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . *Ottawa's New Transportation Plan Endorses Complete Streets **[image: Ottawa]* The City of Ottawa has tabled a new draft Transportation Master Plan<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>that, if approved in December, will see it join a growing list of Canadian municipalities that are adopting a Complete Streets policy for road design, operation and maintenance. It includes a commitment to revise road design guidelines and standards to incorporate Complete Streets principles. [image: Summit] Share the Road Cycling Coalition<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>held Ontario's first Youth Bike Summit in Toronto, October 6-7. Attended by 80 high school students, teachers and transportation professionals from across the province, participants were treated to keynote addresses from Ontario Minister of Transportation Glen Murray, motivational speaker Kelly Lovell, and Toronto Youth Bike Summit Co-chairs Akehil Johnson and Justice Betty Councilor Mike Layton. They learned about Toronto's Central Commerce Collegiate's for-credit bike maintenance course, and experienced an interactive advocacy training workshop facilitated by Brown & Cohen Communications and Public Affairs Inc. The 'Youth Agenda for a Bicycle-Friendly Ontario' was released by the youth leaders at a reception held at Queen's Park and attended by 20 MPPs, Minister Murray and members of the Provincial Cycling Causus. Share the Road thanks the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the Canadian Automobile Association, the Co-operators, the City of Toronto, the Trillium Foundation, Mountain Equipment Co-op, JoyRide150, Cervelo and Les Domestiques for their generous support of the Youth Bike Summit<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . Twitter @YouthCycleON and @STRCanada. If you missed our September 25 webinar *Bikeability for School Children*, you can listen to the archive<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . You can access the projects presented: - Bikeability (UK) www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> - Right to Bike (BC) http://bccc.bc.ca/projects/right-to-bike/<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> - Share the Road Cycling Coalition (ON) www.sharetheroad.ca<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> - The Guide to Ride Program www.phecanada.ca<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> [image: Talkingwalking] *Talking Walking *is celebrating its fifth anniversary; 45 interviews<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>related to walking have been recorded and published to date. To celebrate its fifth year Talking Walking is asking walking advocates for their 5-year outlook for walking - listen to the podcasts here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>. Canada Walks' Jacky Kennedy recently recorded her forecast for walking/walkability in Canada. *Walk Ottawa launches 'ghost pedestrians'*: Similar to 'ghost bikes' that memorialize the death of cyclists, the 'walk' symbol is being used to mark locations where pedestrians<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>have been killed. The Province of Alberta's'*Strategic Approach to Wellness*' was showcased at the close of the International Wellness for Life Conference held in Lake Louise, AB, Oct. 1-2. Alberta Health Services featured their '*WalkABle Alberta <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>* ' program, resulting from the 2011 Walkability Roadshow developed in partnership with Canada Walks and Walk21. [image: UWALK] UWALK.ca<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> is an Alberta-wide initiative that aims to increase the physical activity of Albertans. Developed by the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta and funded by the Government of Alberta. UWALK.ca is fun, free and interactive! Documentary Car Less In Calgary premiered this fall - watch the trailer<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>, rent or own here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . Check out Jeff Speck's Ted Talk<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>; Jeff is the author of The Walkable City, detailing the health, economic, and environmental reasons to make our cities walkable. Dr. Michael Evans' video<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> on the dangers of 'sitting disease' and how to 'tweak the week' with life enhancing actions like walking. [image: International] *International inspiration for walking*: - Measuring walking is a challenge for municipalities but we must start to do a much better job - after all, if we don't measure something can we say it really exists? Australia's Victoria Walks has recently released a series of super documents as part of an online toolkit Smart Steps for Councils<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . Measuring Walking: A Guide for Councils<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> provides straightforward advice on when to measure, how to measure, and how to use the measurements to increase walking as a transportation mode share. The document sits aside Developing a Walking Strategy: A Guide for Councils<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…>. We encourage Canadian municipal officials to check these out and adapt for your local needs. - Walk21 Munich 2013 conference presentations and photos are now online www.walk21munich.com<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . [image: WWD] [image: WWD] *Winter Walk Day - February 5, 2014* Tips for keeping warm and being seen on colder and darker winter days: - Keep hands and head covered to prevent heat loss - On really cold days cover your face and mouth with a scarf, neck warmer or balaclava - Wear warm, waterproof boots - Wear a warm coat that deflects the wind or alternately layer clothes underneath a warm, windproof coat - Woolen or synthetic fleece clothing helps to retain the heat - Wear clothing or carry knapsacks with reflective material - it's important to be seen - If possible, change wet clothes at school - tuck an extra pair of socks and mitts into knapsacks - Below -25oC is considered too cold for walking so move your walk in-doors or select another day for outdoor activities or walking to school Posters and printable images are available here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> . *Canada Walks can help you meet your walkability goals*! *[image: Walkabilitygoals]* We offer a full range of workshops and consulting services to help you: You can find out more information about our services here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> or contact us <asrts(a)sympatico.ca> for details. [image: Ride] If you have story ideas or walking news you'd like to share please send to us at info(a)saferoutestoschool.ca. Be sure to include your contact details. [image: foot] Incentive items for active school travel initiatives can be ordered through M.P. Russo & Associates www.mprusso.com.<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> * Let them know you heard of them through us! * [image: Donate Now]<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001U-eXhMxSZZFemWtBbOgbKRyqb9xuLxotzqvq8qUj0LKi…> Canada Walks Walkolution News profiles actions across Canada undertaken by Green Communities Canada and our many local partners to help create communities where walking is safe, easy, enjoyable, and inviting. By making a donation to the Green Communities Foundation you can provide vital support for this work. Just click on the Donate Now button and indicate in the comments section that you'd like your gift to go to the work of Canada Walks. *Our Partners* *Canada Walks* Tel: 416.488.7263 Toll free: 1.877.533.4098, ext. 411 Fax: 416.488.2296 Email: asrts(a)sympatico.ca 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…> <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=quidnovis&cc=TEM_News_117> This email was sent to stp(a)greenactioncentre.ca by asrts(a)sympatico.ca | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001A4zklBfN4cVp2sRA8Zz8WQ%3D%3…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. | 416 Chambers St | Peterborough | K9H 3V1 | Canada -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. 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Join us Monday, November 18th; 2:30 - 3:15 pm! Upstream Thinking - Dr Ryan Meili in Winnipeg
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 14 Nov '13

14 Nov '13

Dr. Ryan Meili will be at the Eco-Centre on *Monday, November 18th* - 3rd Floor, 303 Portage Avenue *from 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm* for a discussion about the Winnipeg launch of *Upstream: Institute for a Healthy Society*. See this short animated film for an introduction! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qarQXqKbmLg Feel free to spread the word, and kindly RSVP to asrts(a)greenactioncentre.caso we know how many seats to arrange. As it's a short gathering, please ensure to be early or on time. Hope you can make it! Jackie *About Upstream* Upstream is a movement to create a healthy society through evidence-based, people-centred ideas. Upstream seeks to change the current conversation, reframing public discourse around the goal of true health and helping citizens understand the best ways to reach that goal. >From the emergency room, to homeless shelters, to the prison system, we see the consequences of downstream thinking all around us. Upstream thinking means investing wisely for future success rather than spending all of our time and resources responding to failure. If health for all is our goal, then upstream thinking is about addressing the things that have the greatest influence on our health, including income, employment, education, early childhood development, housing, nutrition and the wider environment. Upstream works with the growing body of evidence on these social determinants of health and use that knowledge to guide recommendations for change. By sharing stories through a variety of media, Upstream seeks to creatively engage citizens, sparking within them a personal stake in the social determinants of health and a demand for upstream alternatives to the status quo. Upstream uses this evidence and storytelling to foster a vibrant network of organizations and individuals who share this vision. By demonstrating that a better way is possible, we can help create the conditions for wiser decisions and a healthier Canada. Learn more at www.thinkupstream.net -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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WFP: Time to open up Portage and Main
by Beth McKechnie 13 Nov '13

13 Nov '13

Time to open up Portage and Main By: Jeffrey Thorsteinson http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/time-to-open-up-portage-a… In 2017, the agreement that closed the corner of Portage and Main to pedestrians ends. With this in mind, city council has directed staff to study re-opening the intersection to foot traffic. It's admirable the city is taking this step. The arguments that have been made in favour of turning Portage and Main into a more pedestrian-friendly urban space are all correct. But it's important to remember we've been here before, without results. Only eight years ago a large competition calling for a re-design of the site was held. The winning scheme, by local architecture firm Corbett Cibinel, viewed the corner as a pedestrian hub with plans to improve the subterranean realm below. The proposal opened the intersection to foot traffic for evenings and weekends or entirely. But progress halted when then-mayor Glen Murray stepped out of civic politics and into an ill-fated federal election campaign. The meantime hasn't been all bad. The words "Portage and Main" still have an evocative power. It's here that crowds gathered when the Jets' return was announced. It's here that you find local treasures by prominent international firms: McKim Mead and White's Beaux-Arts Bank of Montreal and Skidmore Owings & Merrill's Richardson Building. Recent gestures add life and point in the right direction: a Starbucks at the base of the RBC tower and Hy's Steakhouse anchoring the Richardson building. New art has also appeared, paid for by building owners. The potential is clear, but we're still left largely with emptiness and barricades. Why? There is, of course, the agreement. But this document's language and legality is unclear. It leaves room for surface-level pedestrian crossings of the intersection as long as they "tie-in to the concourse." And with the assent of the corner's property owners, it could certainly be scrapped. In 2007, six out of seven owners agreed to this plan. The seventh, Oxford Properties, has since been replaced by Crown Realty, whose opinion on the matter is unknown. What's missing is leadership. In his 2010 re-election campaign Mayor Sam Katz stated that "Evenings and weekends are a reasonable compromise," but nothing's changed. Unmotivated politicians are just part of the picture. The larger reason behind the current state of affairs is a widespread conviction the corner must remain closed to avoid traffic headaches. More than any other, it's this notion that motivates keeping the corner closed. And it's an idea that hasn't yet received the critique it's due. Happily, it's easily refutable. If you take the time to look at the city's traffic map, it's clear Portage and Main isn't even Winnipeg's busiest corner. Regent and Lagimodiere, which is open to pedestrians, has approximately 189,500 cars pass through on a typical day. In contrast, Portage and Main gets 154,000. If you add up the streets feeding into Confusion Corner, whose name indicates its difficulty to navigate, you'll see that it too gets more traffic than Portage and Main. And yet I've never heard it suggested these corners be shut down to foot traffic. In fact, it's obvious countless cities around the world allow pedestrians to cross intersections with far higher traffic volumes than Portage and Main and that problems do not arise. If these cities adopted our route, Manhattan and Paris would be dominated by shady underground malls. Sites such as New York's Times Square, Herald Square and Columbus Circle are all busier than Portage and Main and all are open to foot traffic. Recently, New York City has given more space to pedestrians and amenities and has found traffic delays have gone down. Portage and Main was not shut to pedestrians because of the difficulty of mixing foot traffic and cars. The concourse was sold to Winnipeggers by the city mostly on the notion that a climate-controlled connection would greatly enhance life downtown. This has not been the case. We don't need to live by the mistaken assumptions of the past. And, importantly, even if pedestrians are allowed to cross above, if you like the concourse, its warm halls will still be there for you. These, hopefully, are the type of findings the city report will come to. When the day the agreement's end arrives, let's open the corner up and invite people back to Winnipeg's central landmark site. Or, better yet: don't wait. Jeffrey Thorsteinson is a Winnipeg architectural historian and writer with an interest in urban planning. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 13, 2013 A9

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Green Lane Project - Selling Biking series
by Beth McKechnie 08 Nov '13

08 Nov '13

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser<http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=64bd122c67bd28d620978f4a5&id=5cb3d62b9a…>. [image: Green Lane Project]<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d6…> This week's Green Lane Project news Selling biking: Perceived safety, the barrier that still matters<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…> Nov 07, 2013 02:57 am *Second in a series about opinions held by the "swing voters" of bicycling <http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d6…>.* To people who ride bikes in many U.S. cities, Portland and San Francisco might feel like heaven. But for the thousands of people in those cities who own bikes but don't ride frequently, that's far from the case. Asked to rate the amount at which they were "concerned about safety when cycling in your city" on a scale of 1 to 5, three-quarters of such riders said read more<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d6…> [image: Like Selling biking: Perceived safety, the barrier that still matters on Facebook]<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…> [image: Google Plus One Button]<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…> [image: share on Twitter]<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…> Selling biking: A new study on the ‘swing voters’ of the street<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d6…> Nov 06, 2013 07:43 am *First in a series.* San Francisco and Portland are celebrated as two of the best U.S. cities for biking. In fact, one in every 25 American bike commuters lives in one of these two cities. But even in these cities' bike-friendly neighborhoods, hundreds of thousands of people — it's perhaps half the population — have ridden bikes before but rarely use them. What's stopping them? Even if they don't personally bike, what images make them read more<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…> [image: Like Selling biking: A new study on the ‘swing voters’ of the street on Facebook]<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…> [image: Google Plus One Button]<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d6…> [image: share on Twitter]<http://greenlaneproject.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=64bd122c67bd28d62…>

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Fwd: Karen Lee Lectures, November 20th
by Beth McKechnie 08 Nov '13

08 Nov '13

Dean's Lecture Series *Karen Lee* The Key Roles of Community and Building Design in Protecting and Promoting Health *November 20, 2013* 12 PM | Room R160 Medical Rehabilitation Building Bannatyne Campus University of Manitoba and 6 PM | CENTRE SPACE John A. Russell Building Fort Garry Campus University of Manitoba Dr. Karen Lee lives in NYC. She teaches on the built environment and health at the Pratt Institute in New York, and is also Adjunct Professor at the Schools of Public Health at the University of Toronto and the University of Alberta (also a World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Non-Communicable Disease Policy) in Canada. She is also Senior Advisor on Built Environment & Healthy Housing at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Dr. Lee has been the lead for the NYC Health Dept in its work with 12 city agencies and non-government partners, in the development of the award-winning *Active Design Guidelines*, published in January 2010. She and her staff at the NYC Health Dept work with the American Institute Architects New York Chapter to organize the annual Fit City conferences since 2006. Since the publication of the *Active Design Guidelines*, Dr. Lee’s team has developed and implemented trainings on Active Design for architects and planners as well as community groups and residents, and has worked with city agencies and private sector partners on developing and implementing Active Design policies and practices in NYC and 15 other U.S. cities. Dr. Lee is also co-author on the recently released publications *Active Design Supplement: Promoting Safety, *and *Active Design: Affordable Designs for Affordable Housing* presenting low-cost and cost-neutral Active Design strategies to address the epidemics of obesity and related chronic diseases. Dr. Lee was also involved in the development and publication of the recent NYC Health Department publication *Active Design: Guide for Community Groups*. Dr. Lee also consults to and advises cities and organizations in Canada, Australia, Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as World Health Organization offices on issues related to the built environment and chronic diseases. Before coming to NYC, Dr. Lee was with the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where she worked in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

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Friendly reminder: 2nd International Winter Cycling Congress - Call for Speakers and Early-bird Registration
by Beth McKechnie 07 Nov '13

07 Nov '13

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline for abstract submissions is a week tomorrow. And don't be shy about registering now -- your attendance is important and your registration fees will be appreciated. Thanks and please share widely! thanks, Beth * * * * * *2nd International Winter Cycling Congress* *Call for Speakers and Early-bird Registration* The 2nd International Winter Cycling Congress will be held *February 12 & 13, 2014*, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Congress will provide a venue for delegates from around the world to share their expertise related to Winter Cycling. The *Call for Speakers*<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/program/call-for-speakers/>is open and the conference is accepting abstract submissions until *November 15, 2013*. Apply now and share your skills, research and wisdom related to planning, design, construction, maintenance, education, advocacy, data collection and management, culture building, and more. If there is snow on the ground, and you are working towards sustainable transportation, we want to hear from you. If you plan to attend as a delegate, *Early-bird Registration*<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>is now open. Act soon – register before December 1st for a $100 discount. Discounts are also available for students and non-profits. Be sure to follow the conference on Twitter <https://twitter.com/wccwpg> or Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg> to connect with people around the world and to be updated on exciting keynote speaker announcements and other programming. Or subscribe<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/join-conference-newsletter-for-upd…>to the conference newsletter for email updates. If you are interested in sponsorship or a display booth, contact us<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/contact/>directly. For more information, please see Winter Cycling Congress 2014<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/> . [image: Inline image 1]

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Fwd: Upstream Thinking - Dr Ryan Meili in Winnipeg
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 06 Nov '13

06 Nov '13

Please consider attending this event at McNally Robinson and the lecture earlier that day at U of M Faculty of Medicine. In the mean time, check out this great short video <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qarQXqKbmLg>. I believe a lot of the work we do is already "thinking upstream", but how do we get the "mainstream" thinking in the same way? If you are interested in a Q&A or discussion with Ryan in the afternoon of November 18th (around 2:30), please let me know and we can arrange something in the downtown area. Cheers, Jackie On *Monday Nov.18th* please join Dr Ryan Meili for a discussion of his book, *A Healthy Society: how a focus on health can revive Canadian democracy* and the Winnipeg launch of *Upstream: Institute for a Healthy Society*. See this animated short for an introduction to Upstream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qarQXqKbmLg Ryan will be speaking at McNally Robinson (Grant Park location) at 7:30pm in the Travel Alcove and will be signing books afterward. Feel free to use the Facebook event page to invite others: https://www.facebook.com/events/651899148177645/?fref=ts He will also be speaking at noon at the Faculty of Medicine on *Social Accountability in Medicine: Shaking the Foundation* in Theatre C, Basic Medical Sciences Building, University of Manitoba. Both events are free of charge and open to the public. *About Upstream* Upstream is a movement to create a healthy society through evidence-based, people-centred ideas. Upstream seeks to change the current conversation, reframing public discourse around the goal of true health and helping citizens understand the best ways to reach that goal. >From the emergency room, to homeless shelters, to the prison system, we see the consequences of downstream thinking all around us. Upstream thinking means investing wisely for future success rather than spending all of our time and resources responding to failure. If health for all is our goal, then upstream thinking is about addressing the things that have the greatest influence on our health, including income, employment, education, early childhood development, housing, nutrition and the wider environment. Upstream works with the growing body of evidence on these social determinants of health and use that knowledge to guide recommendations for change. By sharing stories through a variety of media, Upstream seeks to creatively engage citizens, sparking within them a personal stake in the social determinants of health and a demand for upstream alternatives to the status quo. Upstream uses this evidence and storytelling to foster a vibrant network of organizations and individuals who share this vision. By demonstrating that a better way is possible, we can help create the conditions for wiser decisions and a healthier Canada. Learn more at www.thinkupstream.net -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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The secrets of the world's happiest cit
by Dave Elmore 06 Nov '13

06 Nov '13

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/nov/01/secrets-worlds-happiest-citie s-commute-property-prices The secrets of the world's happiest cities What makes a city a great place to live your commute, property prices or good conversation? Two bodyguards trotted behind Enrique Peñalosa <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique_Pe%C3%B1alosa> , their pistols jostling in holsters. There was nothing remarkable about that, given his profession and his locale. Peñalosa was a politician on yet another campaign, and this was Bogotá, a city with a reputation for kidnapping and assassination. What was unusual was this: Peñalosa didn't climb into the armoured SUV. Instead, he hopped on a mountain bike. His bodyguards and I pedalled madly behind, like a throng of teenagers in the wake of a rock star. A few years earlier, this ride would have been a radical and in the opinion of many Bogotáns suicidal act. If you wanted to be assaulted, asphyxiated by exhaust fumes or run over, the city's streets were the place to be. But Peñalosa insisted that things had changed. "We're living an experiment," he yelled back at me. "We might not be able to fix the economy. But we can design the city to give people dignity, to make them feel rich. The city can make them happier." I first saw the Mayor of Happiness work his rhetorical magic back in the spring of 2006. The United Nations had just announced that some day in the following months, one more child would be born in an urban hospital or a migrant would stumble into a metropolitan shantytown, and from that moment on, more than half the world's people would be living in cities. By 2030, almost 5 billion of us will be urban. Peñalosa insisted that, like most cities, Bogotá had been left deeply wounded by the 20th century's dual urban legacy: first, the city had been gradually reoriented around cars. Second, public spaces and resources had largely been privatised. This reorganisation was both unfair only one in five families even owned a car and cruel: urban residents had been denied the opportunity to enjoy the city's simplest daily pleasures: walking on convivial streets, sitting around in public. And playing: children had largely disappeared from Bogotá's streets, not because of the fear of gunfire or abduction, but because the streets had been rendered dangerous by sheer speed. Peñalosa's first and most defining act as mayor was to declare war: not on crime or drugs or poverty, but on cars. He threw out the ambitious highway expansion plan and instead poured his budget into hundreds of miles of cycle paths; a vast new chain of parks and pedestrian plazas; and the city's first rapid transit system (the TransMilenio <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TransMilenio> ), using buses instead of trains. He banned drivers from commuting by car more than three times a week. This programme redesigned the experience of city living for millions of people, and it was an utter rejection of the philosophies that have guided city planners around the world for more than half a century. In the third year of his term, Peñalosa challenged Bogotáns to participate in an experiment. As of dawn on 24 February 2000, cars were banned from streets for the day. It was the first day in four years that nobody was killed in traffic. Hospital admissions fell by almost a third. The toxic haze over the city thinned. People told pollsters that they were more optimistic about city life than they had been in years. One memory from early in the journey has stuck with me, perhaps because it carries both the sweetness and the subjective slipperiness of the happiness we sometimes find in cities. Peñalosa, who was running for re-election, needed to be seen out on his bicycle that day. He hollered "Cómo le va?" ("How's it going?") at anyone who appeared to recognise him. But this did not explain his haste or his quickening pace as we traversed the north end of the city towards the Andean foothills. It was all I could do to keep up with him, block after block, until we arrived at a compound ringed by a high iron fence. Boys in crisp white shirts and matching uniforms poured through a gate. One of them, a bright-eyed 10-year-old, pushed a miniature version of Peñalosa's bicycle through the crowd. Suddenly I understood his haste. He had been rushing to pick up his son from school, like other parents were doing that very moment up and down the time zone. Here, in the heart of one of the meanest, poorest cities in the hemisphere, father and son would roll away from the school gate for a carefree ride across the metropolis. This was an unthinkable act in most modern cities. As the sun fell and the Andes caught fire, we arced our way along the wide-open avenues, then west along a highway built for bicycles. The kid raced ahead. At that point, I wasn't sure about Peñalosa's ideology. Who was to say that one way of moving was better than another? How could anyone know enough about the needs of the human soul to prescribe the ideal city for happiness? But for a moment I forgot my questions. I let go of my handlebars and raised my arms in the air of the cooling breeze, and I remembered my own childhood of country roads, after-school wanderings, lazy rides and pure freedom. I felt fine. The city was mine. The journey began. Is urban design really powerful enough to make or break happiness? The question deserves consideration, because the happy city message is taking root around the world. "The most dynamic economies of the 20th century produced the most miserable cities of all," Peñalosa told me over the roar of traffic. "I'm talking about the US Atlanta, Phoenix, Miami, cities totally dominated by cars." If one was to judge by sheer wealth, the last half-century should have been an ecstatically happy time for people in the US and other rich nations such as Canada, Japan and Great Britain. And yet the boom decades of the late 20th century were not accompanied by a boom in wellbeing. The British got richer by more than 40% between 1993 and 2012, but the rate of psychiatric disorders and neuroses grew. Just before the crash of 2008, a team of Italian economists, led by Stefano Bartolini, tried to account for that seemingly inexplicable gap between rising income and flatlining happiness in the US. The Italians tried removing various components of economic and social data from their models, and found that the only factor powerful enough to hold down people's self-reported happiness in the face of all that wealth was the country's declining social capital: the social networks and interactions that keep us connected with others. It was even more corrosive than the income gap between rich and poor. As much as we complain about other people, there is nothing worse for mental health than a social desert. The more connected we are to family and community, the less likely we are to experience heart attacks, strokes, cancer and depression. Connected people sleep better at night. They live longer. They consistently report being happier. There is a clear connection between social deficit and the shape of cities. A Swedish study <http://www.samfak.umu.se/english/about-the-faculty/news/newsdetailpage/long -distance-commuters-get-divorced-more-often.cid160978> found that people who endure more than a 45-minute commute were 40% more likely to divorce. People who live in monofunctional, cardependent neighbourhoods outside urban centres are much less trusting of other people than people who live in walkable neighbourhoods where housing is mixed with shops, services and places to work. A couple of University of Zurich economists, Bruno Frey and Alois Stutzer, compared German commuters' estimation of the time it took them to get to work with their answers to the standard wellbeing question, "How satisfied are you with your life, all things considered?" Their finding was seemingly straightforward: the longer the drive, the less happy people were. Before you dismiss this as numbingly obvious, keep in mind that they were testing not for drive satisfaction, but for life satisfaction. People were choosing commutes that made their entire lives worse. Stutzer and Frey <http://ideas.repec.org/p/zur/iewwpx/151.html> found that a person with a one-hour commute has to earn 40% more money to be as satisfied with life as someone who walks to the office. On the other hand, for a single person, exchanging a long commute for a short walk to work has the same effect on happiness as finding a new love. Daniel Gilbert <http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/%7Edtg/gilbert.htm> , Harvard psychologist and author of Stumbling On Happiness <http://www.guardianbookshop.co.uk/BerteShopWeb/viewProduct.do?ISBN=97800071 83135> , explained the commuting paradox this way: "Most good and bad things become less good and bad over time as we adapt to them. However, it is much easier to adapt to things that stay constant than to things that change. So we adapt quickly to the joy of a larger house, because the house is exactly the same size every time. But we find it difficult to adapt to commuting by car, because every day is a slightly new form of misery." The sad part is that the more we flock to highstatus cities for the good life money, opportunity, novelty the more crowded, expensive, polluted and congested those places become. The result? Surveys show that Londoners are among the least happy people in the UK <http://www.govtoday.co.uk/health/44-public-health/11410-london-least-happy- in-the-uk> , despite the city being the richest region in the UK. When we talk about cities, we usually end up talking about how various places look, and perhaps how it feels to be there. But to stop there misses half the story, because the way we experience most parts of cities is at velocity: we glide past on the way to somewhere else. City life is as much about moving through landscapes as it is about being in them. Robert Judge, a 48-year-old husband and father, once wrote to a Canadian radio show explaining how much he enjoyed going grocery shopping on his bicycle. Judge's confession would have been unremarkable if he did not happen to live in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where the average temperature in January hovers around -17C. The city stays frozen and snowy for almost half the year. Judge's pleasure in an experience that seems slower, more difficult and considerably more uncomfortable than the alternative might seem bizarre. He explained it by way of a story: sometimes, he said, he would pick up his three-year-old son from nursery and put him on the back seat of his tandem bike and they would pedal home along the South Saskatchewan river. The snow would muffle the noise of the city. Dusk would paint the sky in colours so exquisite that Judge could not begin to find names for them. The snow would reflect those hues. It would glow like the sky, and Judge would breathe in the cold air and hear his son breathing behind him, and he would feel as though together they had become part of winter itself. Drivers experience plenty of emotional dividends. They report feeling much more in charge of their lives than public transport users. An upmarket vehicle is loaded with symbolic value that offers a powerful, if temporary, boost in status. Yet despite these romantic feelings, half of commuters living in big cities and suburbs claim to dislike the heroic journey they must make every day. The urban system neutralises their power. Driving in traffic is harrowing for both brain and body. The blood of people who drive in cities is a stew of stress hormones. The worse the traffic, the more your system is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, the fight-or-flight juices that, in the short-term, get your heart pumping faster, dilate your air passages and help sharpen your alertness, but in the long-term can make you ill. Researchers for Hewlett-Packard convinced volunteers in England to wear electrode caps during their commutes <http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/nov/30/research.transport> and found that whether they were driving or taking the train, peak-hour travellers suffered worse stress than fighter pilots or riot police facing mobs of angry protesters. But one group of commuters report enjoying themselves. These are people who travel under their own steam, like Robert Judge. They walk. They run. They ride bicycles. Why would travelling more slowly and using more effort offer more satisfaction than driving? Part of the answer exists in basic human physiology. We were born to move. Immobility is to the human body what rust is to the classic car. Stop moving long enough, and your muscles will atrophy. Bones will weaken. Blood will clot. You will find it harder to concentrate and solve problems. Immobility is not merely a state closer to death: it hastens it. Robert Thayer, a professor of psychology at California State University, fitted dozens of students with pedometers <http://www.csulb.edu/misc/inside/archives/vol_58_no_4/1.htm> , then sent them back to their regular lives. Over the course of 20 days, the volunteers answered survey questions about their moods, attitudes, diet and happiness. Within that volunteer group, people who walked more were happier. The same is true of cycling, although a bicycle has the added benefit of giving even a lazy rider the ability to travel three or four times faster than someone walking, while using less than a quarter of the energy. They may not all attain Judge's level of transcendence, but cyclists report feeling connected to the world around them in a way that is simply not possible in the sealed environment of a car, bus or train. Their journeys are both sensual and kinesthetic. In 1969, a consortium of European industrial interests charged a young American economist, Eric Britton <http://worldstreets.wordpress.com/author/worldstreets/> , with figuring out how people would move through cities in the future. Cities should strive to embrace complexity, not only in transportation systems but in human experience, says Britton, who is still working in that field and lives in Paris. He advises cities and corporations to abandon old mobility, a system rigidly organised entirely around one way of moving, and embrace new mobility, a future in which we would all be free to move in the greatest variety of ways. "We all know old mobility," Britton said. "It's you sitting in your car, stuck in traffic. It's you driving around for hours, searching for a parking spot. Old mobility is also the 55-year-old woman with a bad leg, waiting in the rain for a bus that she can't be certain will come. New mobility, on the other hand, is freedom distilled." To demonstrate how radically urban systems can build freedom in motion, Britton led me down from his office, out on to Rue Joseph Bara. We paused by a row of sturdy-looking bicycles. Britton swept his wallet above a metallic post and pulled one free from its berth. "Et voilà! Freedom!" he said, grinning. Since the Paris bike scheme, Vélib' <http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/aug/16/ethicalliving.france> , was introduced, it has utterly changed the face of mobility. Each bicycle in the Vélib' fleet gets used between three and nine times every day. That's as many as 200,000 trips a day. Dozens of cities have now dabbled in shared bike programmes, including Lyon, Montreal, Melbourne, New York. In 2010, London introduced a system, dubbed Boris Bikes for the city's bike-mad mayor, Boris Johnson. In Paris, and around the world, new systems of sharing are setting drivers free. As more people took to bicycles in Vélib's first year, the number of bike accidents rose, but the number of accidents per capita fell. This phenomenon seems to repeat wherever cities see a spike in cycling: the more people bike, the safer the streets become for cyclists, partly because drivers adopt more cautious habits when they expect cyclists on the road. There is safety in numbers. So if we really care about freedom for everyone, we need to design for everyone, not only the brave. Anyone who is really serious about building freedom in their cities eventually makes the pilgrimage to Copenhagen. I joined Copenhagen rush hour on a September morning with Lasse Lindholm, an employee of the city's traffic department. The sun was burning through the autumn haze as we made our way across Queen Louise's Bridge. Vapour rose from the lake, swans drifted and preened, and the bridge seethed with a rush-hour scene like none I have ever witnessed. With each light change, cyclists rolled toward us in their hundreds. They did not look the way cyclists are supposed to look. They did not wear helmets or reflective gear. Some of the men wore pinstriped suits. No one was breaking a sweat. Lindholm rolled off a list of statistics: more people that morning would travel by bicycle than by any other mode of transport (37%). If you didn't count the suburbs, the percentage of cyclists in Copenhagen would hit 55%. They aren't choosing to cycle because of any deep-seated altruism or commitment to the environment; they are motivated by self-interest. "They just want to get themselves from A to B," Lindholm said, "and it happens to be easier and quicker to do it on a bike." The Bogotá experiment may not have made up for all the city's grinding inequities, but it was a spectacular beginning and, to the surprise of many, it made life better for almost everyone. The TransMilenio moved so many people so efficiently that car drivers crossed the city faster as well: commuting times fell by a fifth. The streets were calmer. By the end of Peñalosa's term, people were crashing their cars less often and killing each other less frequently, too: the accident rate fell by nearly half, and so did the murder rate, even as the country as a whole got more violent. There was a massive improvement in air quality, too. Bogotáns got healthier. The city experienced a spike in feelings of optimism. People believed that life was good and getting better, a feeling they had not shared in decades. Bogotá's fortunes have since declined. The TransMilenio system is plagued by desperate crowding as its private operators fail to add more capacity yet more proof that robust public transport needs sustained public investment. Optimism has withered. But Bogotá's transformative years still offer an enduring lesson for rich cities. By spending resources and designing cities in a way that values everyone's experience, we can make cities that help us all get stronger, more resilient, more connected, more active and more free. We just have to decide who our cities are for. And we have to believe that they can change. This is an edited extract from Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design, by Charles Montgomery, published by Penguin at £16.99. Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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The rise of the bicycle-friendly suburb (Atlantic Cities)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Nov '13

02 Nov '13

The Rise of the Bicycle-Friendly Suburb Sarah Goodyear <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/authors/sarah-goodyear/> | Oct 18, 2013 http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/10/rise-bicycle-friendly-subu… Welcoming bicycles to the streets isn't just an urban thing anymore. Increasingly, according to the new rankings of "Bicycle Friendly Communities" released by the League of American Bicyclists<http://www.bikeleague.org/>this week, suburbs are getting in on the act. Places like Elmhurst, Illinois; Riverside, California; Montclair, New Jersey; and Dublin, Ohio; are among the 32 municipalities making LAB’s list for the first time this year. The list, which ranks towns and cities in a four-tier system from bronze up to platinum (the full list here, PDF<http://bikeleague.org/sites/lab.huang.radicaldesigns.org/files/BFC_Master_L…>), was inaugurated in 2003. It now includes 291 towns and cities in 48 states. *Riverside, California. Image courtesy of Flickr user James May <http://www.flickr.com/photos/52746562@N00/4410359617/in/photolist-7HJfg4-as…>.* In its early years, the list was dominated by larger cities like Seattle and Portland, along with college towns like Davis, California, and Fort Collins, Colorado. But it's growing fast, and a lot of the expansion is coming from conventional suburbs where biking – whether for transportation or recreation -- was a marginal activity just a few years ago. *A new bike rack purchased by the Worthington-Dublin Rotary Club. Image courtesy of Flickr user Don O'Brien <http://www.flickr.com/photos/51096110@N00/7599710714/in/photolist-czyve5>.* Communities submit applications for the League’s consideration on an annual basis, and are evaluated on things like safe bicycle infrastructure, a bike-friendly culture, education for riders, and enforcement of laws protecting people on bikes. Because LAB’s ability to do outreach is limited, municipal leaders are the ones taking the initiative to apply – an indicator in itself. The percentage of suburban communities applying has jumped significantly in the last couple of years, according to Bill Nesper, LAB’s vice president for programs. "It’s not just the usual suspects anymore," he says of the applicant pool. "These are places with longer trip distances and suburban land patterns. They are answering a demand. They are coming to us, and they are competing." Increasingly, Nesper says, suburban leaders are seeking out a "bicycle friendly" designation because they think it makes their communities more attractive to new businesses and residents. He cites Greenville, South Carolina, as another unexpected place that earned a bronze designation this year. Amenities like good bike infrastructure can help set a suburb or small city apart from its sprawling counterparts. "What’s happening is that bicycling is an indicator of a high quality of life," says Nesper. "It helps the community compete." <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/topics/suburbia/> Sarah Goodyear has written about cities for a variety of publications, including *Grist* and *Streetsblog*. She lives in Brooklyn.

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Webinar - New NACTO Urban Street Design Guide, Wed, Nov.6, 2-3pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 02 Nov '13

02 Nov '13

Green Action Centre invites you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP and NACTO webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local applications. Detailed description provided below. *Wednesday, Nov. 6th | 2:00-3:00 p.m.* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! (Please note that this is a free webinar, so if you prefer to watch from your office you can register here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/796641226) cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** New NACTO Urban Street Design Guide *Wednesday, Nov. 6th | 2:00-3:00 p.m.* The leading experts in street design who contributed to the guide's development will address how this resource will change the face of our streets, the ways you can use it in your community, and how specific topics and elements in the document differ from conventional practice. The NACTO Urban Street Design Guide <http://nacto.org/usdg/> charts the principles and practices of the nation’s foremost engineers, planners and designers working in cities today. The Guide offers a blueprint for designing 21st century streets, and unveils the toolbox and the tactics cities use to make streets safer, more liveable, and more economically vibrant. In this webinar, participants will achieve a better understanding of how and why city streets demand a unique set of design tools specific to their distinct needs and characteristics; will learn how to implement different "interim" design strategies, including parklets, public plazas and temporary safety improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians; will clarify how to utilize the guide as a tool for local and state advocacy, including basic information on NACTO's endorsement campaign for the guide. Each webinar presenter is an expert in street design and a contributor to the guide: - Michael Flynn, Director of Capital Planning, NYC DOT; - Michael King, Principal, Nelson\Nygaard Associates; - Peter Koonce, Division Manager, Signals, Street Lighting & ITS, Portland Bureau of Transportation; and - David Vega-Barachowitz, Director, Designing Cities initiative, NACTO. *NACTO* - The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) is an association that represents large cities on transportation issues of local, regional and national significance. NACTO views the transportation departments of major cities as effective and necessary partners in regional and national transportation efforts, promoting their interests in federal decision-making. They facilitate the exchange of transportation ideas, insights and best practices among large cities, while fostering a cooperative approach to key issues facing cities and metropolitan areas. As a coalition of city transportation departments, NACTO is committed to raising the state of the practice for street design and transportation by building a common vision, sharing data, peer-to-peer exchange in workshops and conferences, and regular communication among member cities. For more information about the organization, visit www.natco.org<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?AssociationofPedestr/b5b8593e4e/4474d32d6e/5d5d1b72…> . *APBP *- The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) provides expertise for sustainable transportation and is the only professional membership organization for the discipline of pedestrian and bicycle transportation. APBP members are employees of all levels of government, consulting firms and non-profits who work in the engineering, planning, landscape architecture, police, safety, health and promotion fields and specialize in improving conditions for bicycling and walking. For more information about the organization, visit www.apbp.org<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?AssociationofPedestr/b5b8593e4e/4474d32d6e/21f21a00…> .

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Presentations from 8th Nova Scotia Cycling Summit
by Beth McKechnie 02 Nov '13

02 Nov '13

(courtesy of Velo Cape Breton) In addition to their enforced 1m passing law, Nova Scotia is making great strides on several fronts thanks to a combination of political will and a growing network of interest groups such as Velo Cape Breton. See: Nova Scotia Cycling Summit Presentations<http://www.velocapebreton.ca/?q=node/429>

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Head injuries are among the most severe injuries sustained while bicycling
by Beth McKechnie 01 Nov '13

01 Nov '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, 1 Nov 2013 09:01:44 -0500 Subject: Head injuries are among the most severe injuries sustained while bicycling http://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/bike-helmets-to-reduce-risk-of-head… Principal author(s)Brent E Hagel, Natalie L Yanchar; Canadian Paediatric Society, Injury Prevention Committee<http://www.cps.ca/en/documents/position/bike-helmets-to-reduce-risk-of-head…> Paediatr Child Health 2013;18(9):475-80 Abstract Bicycling is a popular activity and a healthy, environmentally friendly form of transportation. However, it is also a leading cause of sport and recreational injury in children and adolescents. Head injuries are among the most severe injuries sustained while bicycling, justifying the implementation of bicycle helmet legislation by many provinces. There is evidence that bicycle helmet legislation increases helmet use and reduces head injury risk. Evidence for unintended consequences of helmet legislation, such as reduced bicycling and greater risk-taking, is weak and conflicting. Both research evidence to date and recognition of the substantial impact of traumatic brain injuries support the recommendation for all-ages bicycle helmet legislation. *Key Words:* *Bicycle helmet; Head injuries; Legislation* Recommendations Based on current evidence and the importance of preventing head injuries in children and youth, the CPS makes the following recommendations: - All jurisdictions in Canada should legislate and enforce bicycle helmet use for all ages. - Legislation should be rolled out using social marketing and education to raise awareness of bicycle helmet efficacy, accessibility and importance. - *Other strategies to prevent bicycling injuries, such as separating riders from motor traffic with bicycle lanes, pathways for commuting and recreational cycling, and community safety programs should be implemented concurrently.* - Physicians should counsel families about the importance of wearing bicycle helmets. Where all-ages legislation does not exist, parents should wear a bicycle helmet to model good behaviour and protect themselves. - Sales tax exemptions or rebates and federal tax credits to make the purchase of bicycle helmets less expensive should be adopted. Future research should explore both the intended and potential unintended effects of bicycle helmet legislation, with focus on: - Long-term follow-up to assess the effects of bicycle helmet legislation on compliance, prevalence and head injuries rates, with appropriate control for trends in other traffic safety initiatives. - How enforcement activities influence helmet compliance and prevalence. - The level of bicycling activity after implementation of helmet legislation, with appropriate control for independent and pre-existing trends in bicycling. Acknowledgements This position statement was reviewed by the Community Paediatrics, Adolescent Health, and Healthy Active Living and Sports Medicine Committees, and by the Emergency Paediatrics Section, of the Canadian Paediatric Society. -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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Denver tech companies: ‘The No. 1 thing they want is bike lanes’
by Mark Cohoe 01 Nov '13

01 Nov '13

In a world where city's must compete with one another for jobs, and employers have to work harder to hang on to their talent, both are coming to the realization that being bicycle friendly can make a world of difference. http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/denver-tech-companies-the-no.-1-th… Mark Denver tech companies: ‘The No. 1 thing they want is bike lanes’ October 31, 2013 /Michael Andersen, Green Lane Project staff writer/ /Bikeability: Denver's new economic development tool. Photo by Andrew Catellier (Flickr <http://www.flickr.com/photos/whltexbread/8193515101/sizes/z/in/photostream/>)./ The single biggest obstacle to recruiting tech workers to Denver is its lack of good bike lanes, the head of the city's downtown business association said this month. That's why her organization, the Downtown Denver Partnership, is taking the lead to create a "comprehensive protected bike lane plan" for the central city. Here's the passage from DDP President Tami Door's interview with the Denver Business Journal's Bill Husted <http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2013/10/18/tami-door-downtowns-dimin…> (emphases mine): *BH:* Who’s moving into downtown? *TD:* We are the number one destination for millennials in the country. Our staff met with a lot of tech companies in Denver and we asked them what we can do to make companies stay here and come here. You know what they said was the biggest obstacle on getting employees to Denver? *BH:* The 16th Street Mall? *TD:* No. *The number one thing they want is bike lanes.* Ten years ago we never would have thought that walkability or bike lanes would be economic development tools. *BH: *Do you like the B-Cycle program? *TD:* It’s great, but *more importantly we’re working on the creation of a comprehensive protected bike lane plan for downtown.* It’s great that we have the B-Cycle bikes and everyone can use them, but we would like to make bikes an integrated part of downtown. We want more people biking in the normal course of the day, not just because it’s a novelty, but that’s how they commute. Door (who in the same interview mentions that one of her favorite authors is Ayn Rand) is the latest person to make this discovery at the local level. We've previously heard it from the mayors of Seattle and Chicago <http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2013/02/20/mayor-mcginn-to-rahm-emanuel-seat…>, CEOs in Portland <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/good-bike-access-helps-score-great…> and a commercial office building manager in D.C <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/data-confirms-it-dc-is-the-new-u.s…>. There also seems to be an amusing generational clash here between the 60ish Husted, a former newspaper columnist who seems certain that downtown Denver's biggest economic problem is its mile-long pedestrian mall <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/us/denvers-downtown-mall-a-headache-and-d…>, and Door, 47, who sees a hunger for more human-friendly spaces, not fewer. In cities where digitally driven office work or the tech sector are important to driving job growth, more business leaders seem to agree that comfortable bike access is quickly advancing from "amenity" to "necessity." /*The Green Lane Project <http://peopleforbikes.org/green-lane-project>* writes about the ways cities are building better bike lanes. You can follow us on Twitter <http://twitter.com/GreenLaneProj> or Facebook <http://facebook.com/TheGreenLaneProject>, or sign up for weekly emails of our latest news here <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/green-lane-project>. Got a bike lane design story worth sharing? Write michael(a)peopleforbikes.org <mailto:michael@peopleforbikes.org>. / http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/denver-tech-companies-the-no.-1-th…

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Re: [At-network] Pedestrian realm: event today + Millenium library to get sidewalks
by Beth McKechnie 31 Oct '13

31 Oct '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 11:14:52 -0500 Subject: Re: [At-network] Pedestrian realm: event today + Millenium library to get sidewalks Professional Reports: Capelle, D., Wiebe, A., and Sylvestre, G. (2011). *Development of a Winter Sidewalk * *Condition Bulletin: Report to Safe Communities Winnipeg*. Winnipeg, MB.: Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg. Cardona, K., Wiebe, A., and Sylvestre, G. (2010). *Strategies for Assisting Older Drivers: * *Recommendations for Community-driven Interventions*. Winnipeg, MB.: Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg. McNairnay, E., Kliewer, K. and Sylvestre, G. (2009). *Community Transportation Toolkit: Interpreting and Implementing the Mobility Disadvantaged Transportation Program Guidelines*. Winnipeg, MB.: Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg. Cardona Claros, K., Ladd, A. and Sylvestre, G. (2008). *Investigating the Social Capital and Capacity of Older Adults in Rural Manitoba*. Winnipeg, MB.: Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg. Sylvestre, G., Gaudry, L. and Christopher, G. (2007). *Mobility Options for the Aging Population of Manitoba: An Action Plan for Regional Solutions*. Winnipeg, MB.: Institute of Urban Studies, University of Winnipeg. On Wed, Oct 30, 2013 at 10:47 AM, Anders Swanson <andersswanson(a)gmail.com>wrote: > [Apologies for the late notice on the former - I just found out about it > myself. The latter is a big deal esp. if you are familiar with/live > downtown and/or know the long history of this. - Anders] > > Event Today! > > *Public Lecture* > > *The Political Drifts of Winter Pedestrianism: Exploring Walking Safety > in a Northern Climate**, *by Gina Sylvestre (Department of Geography, > University of Winnipeg) Lecture takes place on October 30, 2013, > 12:30-1:20 pm in 5L24 Lockhart Hall. Refreshments will be provided. > > > ---- > > > Millennium Library getting sidewalks > > Sidewalks are coming to the downtown Millennium Library. > > Public works staff said today that a sidewalk will be constructed on the > Donald Street side in 2014, with a sidewalk along the Smith Street side > likely in 2015. > > Pedestrians going south either cross the street or risk walking along the > road.There are no sidewalks on either side of the library building south to > the corner at St. Mary Avenue. > > src: > http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Millennium-Library-getting-sidewalks… > > _______________________________________________ > AT-Network mailing list > AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network > > -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com> *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Pedestrian realm: event today + Millenium library to get sidewalks
by Anders Swanson 30 Oct '13

30 Oct '13

[Apologies for the late notice on the former - I just found out about it myself. The latter is a big deal esp. if you are familiar with/live downtown and/or know the long history of this. - Anders] Event Today! *Public Lecture* *The Political Drifts of Winter Pedestrianism: Exploring Walking Safety in a Northern Climate**, *by Gina Sylvestre (Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg) Lecture takes place on October 30, 2013, 12:30-1:20 pm in 5L24 Lockhart Hall. Refreshments will be provided. ---- Millennium Library getting sidewalks Sidewalks are coming to the downtown Millennium Library. Public works staff said today that a sidewalk will be constructed on the Donald Street side in 2014, with a sidewalk along the Smith Street side likely in 2015. Pedestrians going south either cross the street or risk walking along the road.There are no sidewalks on either side of the library building south to the corner at St. Mary Avenue. src: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Millennium-Library-getting-sidewalks…

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NEW: Rough Guide to Estimating Bike/Ped Facility Costs
by Anders Swanson 29 Oct '13

29 Oct '13

*[ This is brand new (released October 2013) and possibly very helpful. Figured I would pass it on,I have never seen anything quite like it: a candy jar of available tools with rough costs. Very readable and clear. Lays it all out. Note that it is an American publication (so for linear facilities, things are quoted per mile; divide costs by 0.62 to get a per km cost). Kudos to Susanne for sharing. - Anders ]* *Costs for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Infrastructure Improvements <http://www.walkinginfo.org/download/PedBikeCosts.pdf> * A Resource for Researchers, Engineers, Planners, and the General Public <http://www.walkinginfo.org/download/PedBikeCosts.pdf>

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Suspension Bridge for Cycling
by Daniel Gravenor 28 Oct '13

28 Oct '13

http://gizmodo.com/a-floating-suspension-bridge-that-lets-cyclists-sail-ov-… Oh, to be a cyclist in the Netherlands. This steel tensioned deck lets cyclists ride high above a busy multi-lane highway in Eindhoven—one of the most bike-friendly areas in the world.

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Four big reasons why people are giving up cars
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 22 Oct '13

22 Oct '13

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2013/10/08/4-big-reasons-why-p… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Bike Parking in Japan
by Dave Elmore 21 Oct '13

21 Oct '13

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TED Talk - Janette Sadik-Khan and New York City's streets
by Beth McKechnie 19 Oct '13

19 Oct '13

If you have 15 minutes to watch, this is an excellent talk by Janette Sadik-Khan, Department of Transportation (DOT) Commission for NYC. While the phrase complete street is not mentioned, it's exactly what she's talking about -- public space, convenient, attractive and safe space for all users, benefits to businesses, and how to use temporary materials to get things done quickly and in a less threatening way to reduce pushback. Plus she's really funny! cheers, Beth * * * * * Janette Sadik-Khan: New York's streets? Not so mean any more *Filmed* Sep 2013 • *Posted* Oct 2013 • TEDCity2.0 http://www.ted.com/talks/janette_sadik_khan_new_york_s_streets_not_so_mean_… In this funny and thought-provoking talk, Janette Sadik-Khan, transportation commissioner of New York City, shares projects that have reshaped street life in the 5 boroughs, including pedestrian zones in Times Square, high-performance buses and a 6,000-cycle-strong bike share. Her mantra: Do bold experiments that are cheap to try out. As commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, Janette Sadik-Khan is responsible for the smooth running of a New York that hides in plain sight... the streets, highways, bridges, signs and lights that make up the bustling metropolis.

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Metro News: Councillor welcomes public consultation on Winnipeg's pedestrian and cycling strategy (Oct.18'13)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Oct '13

19 Oct '13

Councillor welcomes public consultation on Winnipeg’s pedestrian and cycling strategy By Bernice Pontanilla <http://metronews.ca/author/bernicepontanilla/> http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/828182/councillor-welcomes-public-consult… <http://metronews.ca/author/bernicepontanilla/> A city councillor is applauding the news that Winnipeggers will be given the chance to help shape the city’s pedestrian and cycling strategy. The City of Winnipeg announced on Friday that Urban Systems Ltd has been hired “to undertake the research and development of these strategies for the City.” The firm completed the first phase, which involved preparing demographic and neighbourhood profiles, travel patterns, creating an inventory of existing facilities and identifying best practices and lessons learned from other cities’ strategies. The next step is a public consultation to find out what are Winnipeggers’ short- and long-term expectations when it comes to walking and cycling facilities in the city. “It’s great news that it’s happening,” said Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry), adding this is a major study intended to cover the pedestrian and cycling needs of the entire city. “We spend huge amounts of dollars on one stretch of road, planning that, but this is a plan for the whole city of Winnipeg for cycling and pedestrians.” Earlier this year, Gerbasi led a successful campaign to bring back funding for this strategy after it was axed in the 2014 budget process. “It was poor judgment to just stop all the planning on cycling and walking infrastructure,” she told Metro. “This at a time when most cities are investing more in this, because it’s a good investment in transportation.” The public can visit the website walkbike.winnipeg.ca<http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/WalkB…>and participate in the online survey, email walkbike(a)winnipeg.ca, or attend an open house being planned. The city said a telephone survey will also be used to reach out to gauge people’s opinions on walking and cycling throughout the city.

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RE: Stoage space needed
by Dave Elmore 17 Oct '13

17 Oct '13

Bike Week Winnipeg is looking a few new organizing committee members. With the expansion of Bike to Work Day to a weeklong event we really need more volunteers to help us with planning and organizing the various events that will happen throughout the week. If you are interested in helping us make this new project as big a success as Bike the Work Day please let me know. Oh, and we are still looking for a space to store our bike powered concert system (see below). It doesn't take up much space. It is currently all stored on one pallet and could likely be further condensed if some items could be leaned against a wall. We are up against the wall here as we need to get it into a heated space soon. If you can, please help! Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X) From: Dave Elmore [mailto:delmore@mymts.net] Sent: October-07-13 7:23 PM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: Stoage space needed Hi For those of you who participated in Bike to Work Day and were fortunate enough to enjoy Boon Burgers at our BBQ, you will know that Bike to Work Day (now Bike Week Winnipeg) is the proud owner of a bike powered concert system. Since the Bike to Work Day event this system has been stored at the Forks in an garage area that is really not suitable for storage of this equipment. What we are hoping is that a bike friendly group or organization would be willing to provide us with some storage space in a climate controlled area, hopefully somewhat centrally located. The equipment is not really all that much and all of it fits on one pallet. If you think you can help please let me know. Thanks Dave Elmore Project Manager Bike Week Winnipeg o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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Please Assist with New Research: Short Survey about Driver Yielding in Different Communities
by Anders Swanson 16 Oct '13

16 Oct '13

*[Some research into a very interesting question about walking ... coming out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, in which you may be interested in participating. See below - Anders]* Dear Community of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals: ** ** We invite you to participate in a 3- to 5-minute online survey about the prevalence of drivers yielding to pedestrians in different communities. The survey is accessible via the link below: ** ** * http://edu.surveygizmo.com/s3/1368188/Why-Do-Drivers-Yield-to-Pedestrians-M… * *The survey is designed specifically for professionals in the pedestrian and bicycle field, and we appreciate your time and expertise. We would be grateful if you forwarded the survey link to other professional colleagues and encouraged them to participate.* ** Please respond as soon as you have a chance; the survey will close on Thursday, October 31st. ** ** ** Many thanks,**** Bob Schneider and Rebecca Sanders**** ** ** Robert J. Schneider, PhD**** Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI 53211**** Phone: +1 (414) 229-3849**** E-mail: rjschnei(a)uwm.edu Rebecca Sanders, PhD**** Postdoctoral Researcher, Safe Transportation Research and Education Center (SafeTREC) University of California, Berkeley**** 510.316.5940**** @rebeccalsanders**** my Berkeley blog: http://blogs.berkeley.edu/author/rlsanders/****

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AT Webinar (2-3pm, Wed. Oct 23'13, EcoCentre) -- Using photo-enforcement to improve pedestrian safety
by Beth McKechnie 15 Oct '13

15 Oct '13

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local applications.* *Detailed description provided below. Please note this is *one week later than initially scheduled.* *Wednesday, Oct. 23rd | 2:00-3:00 p.m.* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 * * * * * ** Using Photo-Enforcement to Improve Pedestrian Safety *Wednesday, Oct. 23rd | 2:00-3:00 p.m.* This webinar provides information on how cameras can help improve pedestrian safety by looking at interactions between cars and pedestrians. Photo enforcement of red lights and speed limits is common (and sometimes, controversial). Learn what some communities are doing to monitor compliance at crosswalks and stop signs to improve safety. The session includes an overview of the technology; a summary of the research that makes the case for using cameras; and information about the District of Columbia's plans to expand its current photo enforcement program. Presenters: - George Branyan, Pedestrian Program Coordinator, D.C. DOT - Jessica Cicchino, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - Kate Coulson, American Traffic Solutions [image: Using Photo Enforcement to Improve Pedestrian Safety]

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Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 - Call for Speakers Now Open!
by Winter Cycling Congress 2014 08 Oct '13

08 Oct '13

Exciting news. The Call for Speakers<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/program/call-for-speakers/>for the Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 is now open. * * *If you have research/projects/best practices/stories to share, this is your chance! * *Pass it on.* Can't wait for the conference? ...follow our official Twitter account<https://twitter.com/wccwpg>. We are tapping into winter cycling news, research and ideas from around the world. Early-bird registration opens soon. Contact us directly if interested in conference sponsorship opportunities. Stay tuned on Twitter for plenty of exciting announcements. Winter is coming! Embrace it. Kind Regards, Anders Swanson on behalf of the ***Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/> * *Feb 12-13, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* [image: Inline image 1] mobile/cell: 1-204-797-1962* * email. info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://facebook.com/Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg> twitter. @wccwpg <http://twitter.com/wccwpg>. #wccwpg #wintercycling

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Stoage space needed
by Dave Elmore 07 Oct '13

07 Oct '13

Hi For those of you who participated in Bike to Work Day and were fortunate enough to enjoy Boon Burgers at our BBQ, you will know that Bike to Work Day (now Bike Week Winnipeg) is the proud owner of a bike powered concert system. Since the Bike to Work Day event this system has been stored at the Forks in an garage area that is really not suitable for storage of this equipment. What we are hoping is that a bike friendly group or organization would be willing to provide us with some storage space in a climate controlled area, hopefully somewhat centrally located. The equipment is not really all that much and all of it fits on one pallet. If you think you can help please let me know. Thanks Dave Elmore Project Manager Bike Week Winnipeg o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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Register now! Webinar: Pulling up our socks: Manitoba and the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 07 Oct '13

07 Oct '13

*Reminder re: October 9th Webinar - 10 am - 12 noon* Please join Green Action Centre and PACM on *Wednesday, October 9th 2013 from 10 am – 12 noon *for a webinar on the findings of the 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card <http://www.activehealthykids.ca/> and a snapshot of what is being done in Manitoba to “pull up our socks”. All our webinars are free and this invite may be shared widely. Details and registration instruction<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/walking-and-wheeling-webinar-series-2/>are below. *MANITOBA AND THE ACTIVE HEALTHY KIDS CANADA REPORT CARD: are we driving our kids to unhealthy habits?* *Wednesday October 9; **10 am – 12 noon CT* The goal of the webinar is to introduce participants to the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card and give them information about what is ongoing in Manitoba towards achieving recommendations laid out in the report card. *Presentations include:* *Are we driving our kids to unhealthy habits? Results from the 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: **Jennifer Cowie Bonne*, CEO, Active Healthy Kids Canada; *Joel Barnes,* Knowledge Manager, Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Lead Author of the 2013 Report Card *The 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card highlights the dramatic decline in active travel among children and the corresponding increased reliance on motorized transportation. Join Active Healthy Kids Canada CEO Jennifer Cowie Bonne and the 2013 Report Card Lead Writer, Joel Barnes, from the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Institute at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario to learn more about and discuss this year’s results.* *Manitoba’s Active Transportation Action Plan**:* Vicky Reaney, Active Transportation Coordinator, Province of Manitoba *Healthy Winnipeg By Design / Healthy Canada By Design CLASP Initiative - Phase 2 **Shelagh Graham*, Healthy Built Environment Specialist, WRHA *Deanna Betteridge*, Physical Activity Promotion Manager, WRHA *Cycling and your Children: The top 7 things to consider when teaching kids to ride a bike **Dave Elmore*, Can-Bike Instructor *Active and Safe Routes to School in Manitoba and the Bike Walk Roll Fort Richmond Project* *Jackie Avent*, ASRTS Program Coordinator, Green Action Centre *To register for this webinar, please email Jackie Avent at asrts(a)greenactioncentre.ca. Further sign-in instructions will be sent closer to the webinar date.* * * *This is the first in a series of Walking and Wheeling webinars put on this season by the Active and Safe Routes to School Program. Visit our website<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/walking-and-wheeling-webinar-series-2/>for more information and to register! * * * -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Media coverage of Disraeli AT Bridge opening
by Beth McKechnie 07 Oct '13

07 Oct '13

Here's a bit of a round-up of media coverage I could find online for the grand opening of the Disraeli AT Bridge last Thurs morning. There are likely others, so please share if you have links. *Metro Winnipeg *(includes cool photos from night display on bridge) - http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/815290/gallery-light-through-art-on-displ… * * * * *CanStar Weekly* - http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/Disraeli-AT-bridge-… *CJOB* - http://www.cjob.com/2013/10/03/disraeli-active-transportation-bridge-offici… *Press releases*: - City - http://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2013/nr_20131003.stm - Province - http://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/press/top/2013/10/2013-10-03-104300-19110.html - Federal - http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/media/news-nouvelles/2013/20131003winnipeg-…

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Young people drive less, embrace other transportation
by Beth McKechnie 07 Oct '13

07 Oct '13

*Young people driving less, embrace other transportation * Larry Copeland, USA TODAY 10:37 p.m. EDT October 1, 2013 http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/01/social-media-driving-m… *Two new studies find that young Americans are changing the nation's transportation landscape. They drive less, want to stay connected as they travel, embrace car-sharing, bike-sharing, ride-sharing.*Young Americans, whose embrace of new technologies and social networking tools enable them to adopt new ways of getting around, are beginning to change the nation's transportation landscape. They don't drive nearly as much as young people once did: While all Americans are driving less since the recession, the average person ages 16-34 drove 23% less in 2009 than in 2001, the sharpest reduction for any age group. And some of the nation's youths -- those known as Millennials, born between 1982 and 2003 -- approach travel differently than their parents do. They are "multimodal," meaning they choose the best mode of transportation, such as driving, transit, biking or walking, based on the trip they are planning. They consider public transportation the best option for digital socializing and one of the most likely ways to connect with the communities they live in. They also say that transit allows them to work while they travel. These are among the findings of two reports released Tuesday at the American Public Transportation Association's meeting in Chicago. The first <http://washpirgfoundation.org/reports/waf/new-way-go> ( http://washpirgfoundation.org/reports/waf/new-way-go), from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, found that online and mobile technology have fundamentally changed the way Americans live and work over the past 15 years; during the same period, growth in vehicle travel slowed and then stopped. U.S. PIRG suggests that these two developments are connected. There has been "an extraordinary shift" in how people travel, said Phineas Baxandall, author of the PIRG report. "For eight years in a row, Americans have been driving less on a per-person basis than the year before," he said. At the same time, the PIRG report notes, there have been increases in the use of the Internet, cellphones and smartphones, with younger Americans more likely to own a smartphone. Over the same period, participation in tele-work and e-commerce increased sharply. The advances in Internet and mobile communications are fueling a wave of new transportation services enabled by technology, such as car-sharing, bike-sharing and ride-sharing, the PIRG report finds. Other researchers, including Robert Foss, director of the Center for the Study of Young Drivers at the University of North Carolina, argue that the drop in driving among young people is primarily a function of the economic downturn and is likely to rebound as the economy recovers. Michael Melaniphy, president and CEO of APTA, (second report = http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTA-Millenn…) said the two studies highlight the need for the nation to enact transportation policies that address the needs of Millennials. "Now is the time to be proactive," he said. "Congress should authorize investment in a long-term transportation bill that includes strong investment in public transportation in a variety of modes." © 2013 USA TODAY under contract with YellowBrix. All rights reserved. * * * * * ** *New Study Finds Technology Enabling Americans to Drive Less * *Vehicle Sharing Services, Transit Apps and Wi-Fi Contribute to National Driving Decline; Policy Needs to Catch Up by Francisco Enriquez, U.S. PIRG* Oct. 02‚ 2013 * * http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/New_Study_Finds_Technology_Enabling_Ame… Boston, MA – In a first-of-its-kind study, U.S. PIRG compiled nation-wide evidence on transportation apps and vehicle sharing programs, and found that these advanced new tools have made it easier for Americans to drive less. Real-time apps and on-board wi-fi for public transit, as well as carsharing, bikesharing and ridesharing have spread rapidly in recent years while driving has declined. The report<http://uspirg.org/reports/usp/new-way-go>examines new evidence on how these practices are changing travel behavior. “Mobility used to be all about driving a personal car” said Phineas Baxandall at U.S. PIRG, which released the report. “For Baby Boomers, driving one’s car represented freedom and spontaneity. Today–especially for younger people–owning a car is likely to represent big expenses and parking hassles. Meanwhile, technology and vehicle-sharing are making it easier not to own a car or for households to drive less. Public transit systems, especially with on-board wi-fi and real-time apps, can be the backbone of this new mobility.” The report, “A New Way to Go: The Apps, Maps, and New Technologies that are Giving More Americans Freedom to Drive Less<http://uspirg.org/reports/usp/new-way-go>” sheds additional light on how Americans have been driving less per-person for eight years in a row and total miles remain below 2005 levels (Federal highway data<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/travel_monitoring/13jultvt/figure…> ). Among the findings cited in the report: • *Public transit enhancements*—A majority of U.S. transit systems make scheduling publicly available for developers to produce smartphone apps to help riders navigate systems. Smartphone-based tools enable riders to find the best route and track the progress of trains and buses in real time. • *Bikesharing* – More than 30 cities now have programs where subscribers can access bikes by the minute or by subscription at kiosks located on city streets. Approximately 40 percent of bikeshare members report reducing their driving, according to a survey of members of four bikeshare services. • *Carsharing*– Roundtrip carsharing services, such as Zipcar as well as newer one-way services such as car2go enable subscribers to access cars located in their neighborhoods, providing the mobility benefits of access to a car without having to bear the burden of owning one. As of 2012, more than 800,000 Americans were members of carsharing services. Each carsharing vehicle replaces nine to 13 privately-owned vehicles. The average carsharing participant reduces his or her driving by 27 to 56 percent while increasing ridership on transit and biking. [Like Peg City Car Co-op<http://www.pegcitycarcoop.ca>here in Winnipeg!] • *Ridesharing* and taxi-like services—New peer-to-peer carsharing networks enable individuals to rent out their own unused vehicles to people looking for a car. Drivers with open seats in their cars can pair with other individuals who need a ride. Companies such as Lyft allow ordinary drivers to provide web-based taxi-like services during their spare time. • *Young Americans* have consistently been the first to adopt and test these new technologies and practices. As of September 2012, young adults were six times more likely to have a smartphone than their grandparents’ generation, and twice as likely as Americans 50 to 64 years of age. In a statement about the report from U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), “As more Americans are searching for ways reduce driving and incorporate physical activity into their lives, they need information on how to get out of their cars and onto the sidewalks, bike lanes, and rail tracks. This report outlines ways they can do that. I recommend that anybody across the country who’s making decisions about transportation read these recommendations and hop on board with those of us who already know that the cheapest gallon of gasoline is the one you don’t have to buy.” Findings from a separate report released today by the American Public Transit Association (APTA) reinforce those from U.S.PIRG. APTA’s study, called “Millennials & Mobility<http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/Surveys.aspx>” revealed that 70 percent of adults under 35 use multiple alternatives instead of the car several times or more per week. Millennials view public transit as the superior mode for digital multitasking, and a majority view transit-based wi-fi and mobile broadband as well as real-time information about bus and train locations as important. “Now is the time to be pro-active in creating this multi-modal transportation system to address the Millennial generation’s demands and lifestyles. This generation wants the pragmatic benefits of having multiple ways to get around,” said Michael Melaniphy, President and CEO of the American Public Transit Association.” “In the past, people often saw little choice but to depend on personal automobiles. And once you’ve already paid for a car and insurance, then it’s harder to consider other choices,” said Baxandall. “The new tools make it easier not to own a car or to own fewer cars. New apps make it easy to catch a bus and ride unfamiliar routes. Bikeshare or rideshare can be the perfect complement when public transit doesn’t reach nearby your destination, when weather changes, or unexpected errands arise.” The report provides policy makers with a number of recommendations such as to install more wi-fi on public transit and to integrate bike and car sharing into traffic management plans and locate near transit stations. Highway expansion projects should be reconsidered and canceled if no longer justified. “These technological tools and practices are still in their infancy but spreading fast. Government leaders should focus less on expanding highway capacity and more on public transit, biking, walking and other alternatives to personal cars,” said Baxandall. Download “A New Way to Go: The Apps, Maps, and New Technologies that are Giving More Americans Freedom to Drive Less<http://uspirg.org/reports/usp/new-way-go> .” See other recent reports on state-by-state declines in driving, the Millennial generation’s leading role in this trend, and policy implications at: http://uspirg.org/topics/transportation

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Bike counts on Norwood Bridge, scramble corner at Portage & Main & transit smart cards
by Beth McKechnie 02 Oct '13

02 Oct '13

A few interesting items attached from yesterday's Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works meeting: 1) Bike counts on Norwood Bridge 2) Alternative Traffic Crossing Models (Portage & Main) 3) Transit Smart Card Implementation and Related Policies (way more details than what was reported in the news) Great to see the City is considering the applicability of a scramble corner and other innovative pedestrian crossings for Portage & Main. cheers, Beth

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WFP: Riding on federal coattails has to stop (Oct.2'13)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Oct '13

02 Oct '13

Riding on federal coattails has to stop By: Jeremy Hull www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/riding-on-federal-coattails-has-… Winnipeg cyclists, like Winnipeggers in general, can sometimes be too negative about their city. They feel Winnipeg is falling behind other parts of Canada, let alone other countries, in the worldwide movement to promote cycling and all forms of human-powered transportation. It turns out, however, we haven't been waiting for the perfect conditions or government programs to start changing, as I found out when I looked at recently released statistics. Surprisingly, Winnipeg is leading the Prairies in commuting by bicycle and is one of the leading cycling cities in Canada. Data from the National Household Survey reveal Winnipeg is among the leaders in Canada in the percentage who travel to work by bicycle. Among census metropolitan areas (CMAs) Winnipeg ranks third behind Victoria (5.9 per cent) and Ottawa (2.2 per cent), and is tied with Saskatoon at 2.0 per cent. More significant is the rate at which cycling is growing. The percentage of commuters cycling to work in Winnipeg has been increasing steadily since 2001, especially since 2006. In Winnipeg, the percentage of commuters who travel by bicycle went from 1.4 per cent in 2001, to 2.0 per cent in 2011. Among larger Prairie cities, only in Winnipeg has cycling been increasing. In Calgary, for example, the cycling percentage fell from 1.5 per cent in 2001 to 1.2 per cent in 2011 and in Saskatoon it fell from 2.5 per cent to 2.0 per cent. In fact, most cities across Canada have seen declines in the cycling percentage. Cycling rates have been increasing in Victoria, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Halifax, but not as quickly as in Winnipeg. Between 2006 and 2001, the rate of commuter cycling in Winnipeg increased by 19.6 per cent, faster than in any other metropolitan area in Canada. Why is cycling increasing so quickly in Winnipeg? The year 2006 marked a critical turning point in Winnipeg's awareness of the issues facing cyclists. A Critical Mass ride that year resulted in confrontations and arrests. Rather than this turning into ongoing confrontations, cyclists organized a forum dubbed "Bike to the Future," at which issues were aired and constructive solutions were sought. This led to the formation of a cycling advocacy organization, along with many other developments, ranging from lobbying city and provincial electoral candidates and the creation of Bike to Work Day, to the use of federal stimulus funding to build new bike paths. There have been many other developments, such as the emergence of volunteer-run bicycle repair shops, efforts by Bike Winnipeg and MPI to educate cyclists and drivers, celebration of cycling through events like Ciclovia, and the creation of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg, providing free bicycle parking at Bombers games and other events. These developments cannot be credited to a single organization or initiative -- that is their strength. As is typical of Winnipeg, many individuals and organizations have come together to improve our city. Cyclists continue to be frustrated by lack of bike lanes and continued dominance of a car-centric mindset. There has also been controversy about some of the new infrastructure designed for cyclists, but with time it has become clear many of these projects have won the support of cyclists, residents and others. The number of commuters cycling continues to grow. Bicycle counts done by Bike Winnipeg show a 28 per cent increase in commuter cyclists since 2007, and a 12 per cent since last year alone. "Winterpeg" is now a leader in the growth of cycling in Canada. In fact, because of the active cycling community and developments here, Winnipeg has been chosen to be the site of the second International Winter Cycling Conference next February. The excuse that "it's too cold to cycle in Winnipeg" is no longer valid. But what have the City of Winnipeg or the Province of Manitoba done to recognize and capitalize on this grassroots development? Given the benefits of cycling to our health, our infrastructure costs, tourism, retail businesses and our environment it is unfortunate the city and the province have not done more. Since 2010, when Winnipeg was able to take advantage of the federal infrastructure stimulus program, little has been done by local governments to improve and encourage cycling. While we can celebrate Winnipeg's community spirit in moving cycling forward, we would like government to be partners in this movement, rather than sitting on the sidelines. *Jeremy Hull is co-chair of Bike Winnipeg.* *Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition October 2, 2013 A11*

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Webinar: Pulling up our socks: Manitoba and the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 01 Oct '13

01 Oct '13

*kindly distribute to your networks* Please join Green Action Centre and PACM on *Wednesday, October 9th 2013 from 10 am – 12 noon *for a webinar on the findings of the 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card <http://www.activehealthykids.ca/> and a snapshot of what is being done in Manitoba to “pull up our socks”. All our webinars are free and this invite may be shared widely. Details and registration instruction<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/walking-and-wheeling-webinar-series-2/>are below. *MANITOBA AND THE ACTIVE HEALTHY KIDS CANADA REPORT CARD: are we driving our kids to unhealthy habits?* *Wednesday October 9; **10 am – 12 noon CT* The goal of the webinar is to introduce participants to the Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card and give them information about what is ongoing in Manitoba towards achieving recommendations laid out in the report card. *Presentations include:* *Are we driving our kids to unhealthy habits? Results from the 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth: **Jennifer Cowie Bonne*, CEO, Active Healthy Kids Canada; *Joel Barnes,* Knowledge Manager, Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Lead Author of the 2013 Report Card *The 2013 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card highlights the dramatic decline in active travel among children and the corresponding increased reliance on motorized transportation. Join Active Healthy Kids Canada CEO Jennifer Cowie Bonne and the 2013 Report Card Lead Writer, Joel Barnes, from the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Institute at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario to learn more about and discuss this year’s results.* *Manitoba’s Active Transportation Action Plan**:* Vicky Reaney, Active Transportation Coordinator, Province of Manitoba *Healthy Winnipeg By Design / Healthy Canada By Design CLASP Initiative - Phase 2 **Shelagh Graham*, Healthy Built Environment Specialist, WRHA *Deanna Betteridge*, Physical Activity Promotion Manager, WRHA *Cycling and your Children: The top 7 things to consider when teaching kids to ride a bike **Dave Elmore*, Can-Bike Instructor *Active and Safe Routes to School in Manitoba and the Bike Walk Roll Fort Richmond Project* *Jackie Avent*, ASRTS Program Coordinator, Green Action Centre *To register for this webinar, please email Jackie Avent at asrts(a)greenactioncentre.ca. Further sign-in instructions will be sent closer to the webinar date.* * * *This is the first in a series of Walking and Wheeling webinars put on this season by the Active and Safe Routes to School Program. Visit our website<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/walking-and-wheeling-webinar-series-2/>for more information and to register! * * * -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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INVITATION: New Disraeli Bike/Ped Bridge Grand Opening Celebration this Thursday. 10:30
by Anders Swanson 30 Sep '13

30 Sep '13

*[ Please pass along as appropriate. Bridges like this don't get built every day. There are a heck of a lot of people who deserve to go to this bridge opening, have a sip of champagne or something and ride triumphantly across the Red. i.e. The workers who built it, anyone who attended any number of myriad meetings back in the day, all of the NWCC, the people on the consultation committee who gave their afternoons to choose, all of Bike Winnipeg's members and directors, anybody who ever rode a bike over the old Disraeli, the local people who put up with the noise during construction, the WTA, RENN-TC, anyone who lives on either side of the Red, etc.. etc.. etc... You know who you are; you all have your reasons. Details below. - Anders ] * **** **** **** **** **** [image: Description: Government of Canada, Province of Manitoba and City of Winnipeg]**** **** *You are invited to the Grand Opening Celebration of the Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge***** *When: ***** Thursday, October 3, 2013 10:30 a.m.**** *Where: ***** Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge, access off Midwinter Avenue at the foot of the bridge *Map - Location and parking information* <https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zvUDXwELJs4k.kHNB94wxmioo>**** [image: Description: Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge]**** **** ****

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