- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Active Design Guidelines: Promoting Physical Activity and Health in Design
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jul '11

30 Jul '11

*Active Design Guidelines: Promoting Physical Activity and Health in Design* (NYC, 2010) History has shown that environmental design can play a crucial role in improving public health. Today, architects, urban designers, and planners can help address one of the most urgent and widespread epidemics of our time, obesity and its related diseases, by implementing the strategies contained in the Active Design Guidelines. Just as design professionals are increasingly embracing green building as an objective, so too should they consider the potential effects of their designs on public health and wellbeing. With the publication of the Guidelines, the City of New York signals its commitment to integrating active design principles into projects being developed in the metropolitan area. http://www.8-80cities.org/Articles/Active%20Design%20Guidelines%20NYC.pdf

1 0

Bicycle traffic jams? Daily volumes on Montreal paths soaring
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jul '11

30 Jul '11

Bicycle traffic jams? Daily volumes on Montreal paths soaring By Michelle Lalonde, The Gazette June 14, 2011 http://www.montrealgazette.com/travel/Bicycle+traffic+jams+Daily+volumes+Mo… MONTREAL - It was no surprise to anyone who drives or cycles regularly in Montreal’s central neighbourhoods to learn that the proportion of adult cyclists using bicycles for transportation in this city has more than doubled in the past decade, as a recent Vélo Québec report showed. But the sheer number of cyclists using the most popular paths daily — such as Rachel, Brébeuf, Milton and de Maisonneuve Blvd. — has experts calling for measures to curb a problem that many of us took to our bikes to avoid: congestion. “We are reaching capacity on a lot of these facilities,” said Luis Miranda-Moreno, assistant professor at McGill University’s Department of Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics. Miranda Moreno was part of a team of researchers from McGill, Harvard School of Public Health and Montreal’s Public Health department, who recently presented a study at a road-safety conference in Halifax, N.S., that tried to compare cyclist injury risk on bike paths and bike lanes compared with streets with no special cycling facilities. The researchers used automatic bicycle counters installed under asphalt, pneumatic counters or manual counters to determine average daily bicycle volumes and injury rates on Montreal streets with and without cycling facilities. The study concluded that cyclists are safer on streets with bike paths or lanes than on comparable streets without these facilities, but could not determine whether physically separate bike paths or painted lanes are safer. But among the more startling statistics in that study were the average daily bicycle volumes on some of Montreal’s more popular path segments. For example, on an average day during the cycling season, which this study defined as April through November, 4,982 cyclists used the Rachel bike path between Parc LaFontaine and Marquette St.; 4,252 used the Brébeuf path between Rachel and Laurier; 3,797 used Milton between Hutchison and University; 3,047 used De Maisonneuve between Atwater and Bleury Miranda-Moreno stressed that these are daily averages, including counts on rainy and cold days as well as sunny ones. “What amazed me was to look at the maximum daily volumes of some of these streets, like Milton, which in August and September is reaching maximum daily volumes of 6,000 cyclists,” he said. “In the biking season, you probably have double the number of pedestrians and cyclists on this street than people in cars, yet cars are taking up 80 per cent of the street,” he said. Miranda-Moreno said Montreal should establish a “bike boulevard” on streets like Milton, a concept that other Canadian cities with less bike traffic than Montreal are already embracing. On a bike boulevard, cyclists can use the full width of the road. Local vehicular traffic and deliveries are allowed, but speed limits are very low, and the heavy presence of cyclists plus other traffic-calming measures discourage motorists from using these routes. Quebec City, for example, will make a bike boulevard this summer on Père Marquette St. between Laval University and the National Assembly. Vancouver is also experimenting with the concept. Now that the numbers are showing that Montrealers are clearly onside with cycling for transportation, Miranda-Moreno said the city obviously needs to expand its bike lane/bike path network. But he noted that doesn’t mean cyclists need physically separated paths on every street. “Just like the road network has highways, arterials and local roads, the cycling network needs to be continuous and it should have cycle tracks (physically separated bike paths) on very busy streets, painted lanes and bicycle boulevards on some streets, and on quiet local streets you don’t need anything,” he said. Suzanne Lareau, who heads the Vélo Québec cycling advocacy group, said this study is “another clear signal that the cycling network is well-used and getting saturated.” She said more cycling paths and lanes are obviously required, especially on or near these well-travelled routes: de Maisonneuve Blvd. east of Berri St.; an east-west link between the Cherrier path and the Milton/Prince Arthur lanes; St. Laurent Blvd.; St. Denis St.; de la Commune St. in the Old Port between McGill and Berri streets. *Call for new measures* Some of the most popular Montreal bike paths, like the ones along Berri and Brébeuf Sts., are getting more than 7,000 users on some days. Cycling safety experts say it’s time for the city to consider some measures to avoid congestion of cyclists at intersections and improve safety: — Install priority turn signals for cyclists — Synchronize traffic lights to cycling speeds on heavily cycled routes — Raise or paint intersections where bike paths cross major arteries to improve visibility — Install bike boxes, where cyclists can fan out across the roadway, side by side, ahead of the vehicle stop line — If a bike route is saturated, build a safe alternative on a nearby parallel street — Do not allow parking beside bike paths near intersections mlalonde(a)montrealgazette.com

1 0

Webinar: Results of 2011 National Walking Survey (Thurs, July 28, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jul '11

27 Jul '11

Bike to the Future and Green Action Centre invite you to join us to view the following webinar presented by the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) in collaboration with America Walks... *Results of the 2011 National Walking Survey* *Thursday, July 28 • 2:00 to 3:00 pm CDT **•** EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) ***<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=markc@biketothefuture.org&job=426760&ymlink=…> Results are in for the America Walks National Walking Survey. Thanks to the 7,000+ people participating, America Walks has learned a great deal about those who are avid walkers and those who are not. Survey results yielded some unexpected information. Learn about and discuss the results with the academic team behind the survey. Bring your questions and join the lively exchange. The survey was planned and conducted by William Milczarski, a professor in the Department of Urban Affairs & Planning at Hunter College, the City University of New York, and Peter Tuckel, a professor in the Department of Sociology at Hunter College, the City University of New York. The survey team has conducted a number of studies on pedestrian safety and traffic issues and is currently writing a book on the growing popularity of walking in the United States. Presenters are William Milczarski, Department of Urban Affairs and Planning, Hunter College; and Peter Tuckel, Department of Sociology, Hunter College.

1 0

Biking To The Supermarket Made Easy
by Erik Dickson 23 Jul '11

23 Jul '11

Now if only the shopping cart disconnects from the frame to be used inside the store!

1 0

Exciting legislation regarding TDM in CA
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jul '11

20 Jul '11

Interesting progress on a commuting-related bill in California that was circulated on the TDM listserv. (Okay, I find it exciting but maybe not everyone does!) cheers, Beth "California Senate Bill 582, authored by state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco), is now on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk and awaiting the Governor’s signature after passing both houses of the state Legislature last week. The bill, which was jointly sponsored by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), aims to reduce both traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions by establishing a four-year pilot program under which local air districts and metropolitan planning organizations could require employers with 50 or more employees (or, at the agencies’ discretion, 20 or more employees) to adopt commute benefit policies that offer workers one of the following: * the option to pay for their transit, vanpooling or bicycling expenses with pretax dollars, as allowed by federal law; * a transit or vanpool subsidy of $75 per month; * a free shuttle or vanpool operated by or for the employer; or * any employer-chosen alternative to these options that can be demonstrated to provide an equal or greater benefit." -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

What do you think? - I can't park my bike outside or it will get stolen
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jul '11

19 Jul '11

Hi everyone, Thought you might be interested in commenting on the latest green 'myth' posted on the Green Action Centre website as part of our mythbusting series. Often you'll hear people say they don't want to bike to work or a destination where they have to park their bike for any length of time as it will get stolen. What do you think? http://greenactioncentre.ca/2011/you-cant-park-your-bike-outside-it-will-ge… cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Free transit for life - if you give up your car
by Stacy Matwick 19 Jul '11

19 Jul '11

Spanish city lets you trade in your car for a lifetime pass on public transit by Sarah Laskow 13 Jul 2011 1:26 PM - Grist http://www.grist.org/list/2011-07-13-spanish-city-lets-you-trade-in-your-ca… cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

1 0

After School Recreation Project Announcement
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jul '11

18 Jul '11

Recreation Connections Manitoba and Green Action Centre are pleased to announce the pilot sites for After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project have been selected. *Please refer to attached announcement for more information!*****

1 0

Winter Weather Warrior contest
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jul '11

18 Jul '11

Though no one is probably thinking about winter during this hot sunny weather, here's an interesting approach used to encourage cold weather riding. -cheers, Beth *December 15, 2010* Capital Bikeshare Winter Weather Warrior Contest Capital Bikeshare encourages greater use of the system during the frigid winter months by launching a contest. http://www.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/About+DDOT/News+Room/Snow+Announcements/Capital+B… (Washington, DC) Today Capital Bikeshare launched the details of its Winter Weather Warrior contest, designed to encourage greater use of the system during the frigid winter months. All Capital Bikeshare annual and monthly members are eligible to participate in the contest which begins January 1 and lasts through February 28. The member with the greatest number of trips in the two month span will be awarded with a three year extension of their membership, two annual memberships to give away to family or friends, a $100 Hudson Trail gift card and a $25 Starbucks gift card. Additional contests will take place to honor other cold-weather riders, including monthly “Long Haul Rider” and “Most Saddle Time” contests. All members who ride every day during the two month period will be given a prize for perfect attendance. Photo contests and random drawings will also be announced throughout the duration of the contest. All Capital Bikeshare members interested in participating must opt in to the contest. By opting in, members agree to be listed by name on the weekly leader board, and on both Facebook and Twitter if they win any of the various contests. For more details about the contest or to opt in, visit www.godcgo.com/winterweatherwarrior.aspx.

1 0

Exhaust-ing ride for cyclists: Air pollutants trigger heart risk
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jul '11

15 Jul '11

Exhaust-ing ride for cyclists: Air pollutants trigger heart risk In big cities around the world, cyclists breathe an array of pollutants from exhaust-spewing cars. A new study has now found a link between cycling on high traffic roads and heart risks. Even healthy cyclists had harmful changes in their heart rates. Experts say cyclists should stick to their two-wheels, however, pointing to simple solutions to reduce exposure. By Brett Israel Environmental Health News July 6, 2011 http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/exhaust-ing-ride-for-cyclis… NEW YORK – Even by this city's standards, the Garment District is an imposing place to ride a bike. A never-ending parade of delivery trucks rumbles along 8th Avenue between 34th and 42nd streets, leaving a wake of gritty exhaust for cyclists to feel, smell and breathe. After riding in the Garment District, Robert "Rocket" Ruiz, a 13-year veteran of the bike messenger business, would often look into the bathroom mirror and see his face covered in grime. "I remember having to wash my face three or four times a day," said Ruiz, now the head dispatcher for Quik Trak Messenger Service. "There's nothing but tar and smoke on your face." Ruiz, a star on the Travel Channel's bike messenger show "Triple Rush," said he once had to miss a day of work to see a doctor because of exhaust burning his eyes. Pedaling behind pollutant-spewing cars and trucks may not seem as scary as being hit by one, but scientists say it can pose invisible dangers. Now, for the first time, cycling in heavy traffic has been linked to a heart health risk, Canadian researchers reported last month. A new study found cyclists in Ottawa, Ontario, had heart irregularities in the hours after their exposure to a variety of air pollutants on busy roads. Pedaling behind pollutant-spewing cars and trucks may not seem as scary as being hit by one, but scientists say it can pose invisible dangers."Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to traffic may have a significant impact on cardiac autonomic function in healthy adults," the scientists from Health Canada, Environment Canada and the University of Ottawa wrote in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. The study does not suggest that bikers would be better off driving, experts say. Rather, the findings intensify the scrutiny on cyclists' pollution exposure, and point to simple solutions for a cleaner ride, such as avoiding busy roads like 8th Avenue whenever possible. "It's something that actually concerns a lot of people that do cycle," said Michael Brauer, a cyclist and atmospheric scientist at the University of British Columbia who was not involved in the new study. "People want to understand their risk. They're just thinking all the time, 'Is this good for me? Is this bad for me? I'm doing my part, but there's this car that's throwing this exhaust in my face.' " For the study, 42 healthy, non-smoking cyclists wore heart monitors before, during and after cycling for one hour on high- and low-traffic roads between May and September last year. Instruments on the bikes' panniers measured exposure to air pollution. [image: 2011-0706cyclingmom] Brett IsraelStudy results point to simple solutions for a cleaner ride, such as avoiding busy roads whenever possible. Short-term exposure to heavy traffic significantly decreased heart rate variability in the cyclists for up to three hours after they finished cycling. Experts say reduced heart rate variability is associated with a higher risk of heart attacks. "A very healthy person is like a Ferrari," said Arden Pope, an expert in the health effects of air pollution and professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. "Step on the gas and it really goes fast. Step on the brakes and it really slows down. The human heart, you want it to be like that too." But with lower heart rate variability, the heart is behaving more like a minivan than a Ferrari, Pope said, meaning that it is less able to respond to stress. Researchers are not sure how air pollution alters heart rate variability, Pope said. One idea is that particles in the lungs cause inflammation, which throws off the body's ability to carry out its automatic functions. No respiratory effects were found in the cyclists. The researchers did not find any significant changes in their lung function, probably because all the cyclists were healthy, and most had no asthma or other respiratory problems. Around the world, researchers have found that whenever fine particles increase in the air, deaths and hospitalizations from asthma, heart attacks and other cardiopulmonary problems increase, too. Hours to weeks of exposure to particles that are smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which peak during rush hours, can trigger cardiovascular effects, according to the American Heart Association. Researchers are not sure how air pollution alters heart rate variability. One idea is that particles in the lungs cause inflammation, which throws off the body's ability to carry out its automatic functions.For the Canadian cyclists, when their exposure to certain pollutants, including ultrafine particles, nitrogen dioxide or ozone, increased, their heart rate variability decreased, according to the study. Sheer proximity to tailpipes is one reason why cyclists have a high exposure to the tiny particle pollutants, which are emitted by vehicles along with thousands of other chemicals. Diesel buses and trucks are among the worst offenders. "The closer you are to the source of the fresh exhaust, the worse it is," said Patrick Ryan, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Cincinnati, who studies the health effects of traffic-related pollution. Near the tailpipe, these particles are small enough to lodge deep in the lungs, triggering heart attacks and hospitalizations from lung diseases such as asthma. Tiny particles can also cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially harming the nervous system. Farther away from the tailpipe, these particles clump together, growing too large to lodge deeply, Ryan said. That's why even a small separation from cars, created by physical barriers to traffic – something that's missing for most of 8th Avenue – is important for cyclists. Two white stripes of paint, with a few feet of cycling space between them, is all that is reserved for bikers on this crowded street. Trucks commonly idle on the bike lane. Heavy traffic creates a wind tunnel that traps pollution on the road, according to a study by the California Air Resources Board. A 2010 study of cyclists in the Netherlands showed that hard-pedaling, deep-breathing cyclists on busy roads inhale more of this dirty air. In many cases, they also spend more time exposed to it compared to someone driving the same distance. "Those things add up and they give cyclists that cycle in traffic a high exposure," Brauer said. [image: 2011-0706cyclingpan]Todd Mecklem/flickr<http://www.flickr.com/photos/toddmecklem/4994420417/> Cyclists brave not only traffic, but rain and oil-slicked roads in Portland, Ore. But whether that exposure ups a cyclist's risk for heart or breathing problems has been less well established. One small study of Netherlands cyclists found a weak link between exposure to ultrafine particles and soot and airway inflammation. The new study of Canadian cyclists does not mean that people should lock up their bikes and hop back into the driver's seat, said Brauer. Another study has shown that drivers have higher respiratory problems than cyclists because of their higher exposure to volatile organic chemicals in vehicle exhaust. "In stop-and-go traffic, [drivers] have more exposure than a cyclist who stays 15 feet or more from the tailpipes," said Rebecca Serna, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, a cycling advocacy group. The health benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks from air pollution and traffic collisions relative to car driving, according to one estimate by researchers in the Netherlands, where cycling is king. Taking cars off the road also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic accidents. "In general, you're better off cycling than not," Brauer said. "The physical activity benefits outweigh negative impacts. But you'd like there to be no impacts." Exposure to dirty air adds to the perception problem that cycling is unsafe, said C.H. Christine Bae, an urban planner at the University of Washington in Seattle, who specializes in how bike facilities affect air pollution exposure. The Canadian study authors have a simple solution. Avoid busy streets. "In general, you're better off cycling than not. The physical activity benefits outweigh negative impacts. But you'd like there to be no impacts." *– Michael Brauer, cyclist and atmospheric scientist, University of British Columbia*"When possible it may be prudent to select cycling routes that reduce exposure to traffic and/or to avoid cycling outdoors or exercise indoors on days with elevated air pollution levels," the research team wrote. Others agree. "Our recommendations to cyclists would be to avoid busy as streets as much as possible," said Dimitri Stanich, a spokesman for California's Air Resources Board. Of course, cyclists might want to avoid busy streets for a number of reasons – fewer distracted drivers being one. But the busiest streets also have the dirtiest air, with ultrafine particle and soot exposure highest on busy roads, according to a recent study. Bike routes should aim to minimize time spent on these high-traffic roads, the Canadian researchers wrote. This would reduce exposures of riders who may be more susceptible to the immediate health risks of traffic-related air pollution, such as the elderly, children, and pregnant mothers. A study of bike lanes in Portland, Ore., showed that lanes separated by planters, not just by white paint, actually decreased cyclists' air pollution exposure. A Belgian study of traffic pollution found that cycling as little as several feet off the road gave measurable differences in exposure. Getting cyclists out from behind the cars helps, too. In Portland, when traffic stops at a red light, cyclists have a designated area at the front of the line of cars, called a bicycle box, which helps them navigate turns and flee the tailpipe fumes. [image: 2011-0706waitingspace] Spacing Magazine<http://www.flickr.com/photos/spacing/1121822878/>Solutions like this bicycle box in Portland help cyclists flee tailpipe fumes. "Little things like that can help a lot to reduce exposure to cyclists," Bae said. If a little is good, more is better. Brauer says the preliminary results of his lab's work suggest that bike lanes are best when built one block from a major traffic artery. Despite the emerging research, Bae said that she does not know of any cities that consider cyclists' pollution exposure when designing bike lanes. Including Vancouver, where Brauer cycles, many of the cities that built bike lanes one block away from a major road thought about cost, not pollution. "Most were done by accident, because they were cheaper," Brauer said. "But they actually give you an air pollution benefit."

1 0

The Herald: AT supporters want greenway included in road project
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '11

13 Jul '11

[As someone who thoroughly enjoyed cycling out to the Winnipeg Folk Festival this past weekend via NE Pioneers Greenway, Raleigh and the Floodway trail, I wholeheartedly agree with the need for this AT bridge over the Perimeter. It's extremely dangerous trying to run/cycle across multiple lanes of heavy traffic going 110+ kph! No matter how many times we do it, it's just as scary every time. -Beth] Active transportation supporters want greenway included in road project By: Adrian Alleyne Posted: 07/13/2011 http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/Active-transportati… Some local active transportation advocates want to see the Northeast Pioneers Greenway extended as part of a series of proposed roadway improvements near Lagimodiere Boulevard and the Perimeter Highway. The provincial government has proposed making changes to the intersection to ease traffic congestion in the area. Sigrun Bailey and Louise Balaban, co-chairs of the River East Neighbourhood Network - Trail Committee, said the improvements would be an ideal opportunity to extend the trail further north to Birds Hill Provincial Park. The avid cyclists said what they would like to see is a bridge built that would allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Perimeter at Raleigh Street, similar to the one that was recently built near Birds Hill. A bridge would allow individuals to travel uninterrupted along the greenway and connect to the Floodway Trail System that leads to Birds Hill. "We’re trying to get a safe facility for non-motorized transportation," said Bailey, who lives in North Kildonan. "It’s also a health issue, getting people active." The province’s plans include construction of a full interchange at the intersection at an estimated cost of $80 to $100 million. "Basically we would be building an interchange that would allow motorists in all directions to go through that intersection of roadways without stopping," said Don McRitchie, a spokesperson for Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation. McRitchie cautioned that any extension of the greenway would have to be a shared initiative between the city and the Rural Municipality of East St. Paul. Bailey said it would be a mistake not to include the active transit trail in the province’s plans. "They’re not considering active transportation, which is ludicrous," she said. "They’re forcing people to be in their cars." Balaban said the proposed bridge would make the intersection safer for both cyclists and pedestrians. "You can’t ride your bike on the shoulder with semitrailers going by at 80 km/h," said Balaban, an East Kildonan resident. "We need to have a trail all the way to Birds Hill." Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan), said plans are already in place for the greenway to be extended to Glenway Avenue once the construction of Chief Peguis Trail is complete. However, he said extending it to Birds Hill likely isn’t something the city could consider at this time. Bailey said she fears there might never be another opportunity to extend the greenway. "They all say they’re for it, but I’m afraid it will slip between the cracks," she said. "It’s a win-win for everybody, so everyone should chip in." adrian.alleyne(a)canstarnews.com

1 0

Active Transportation Canada - New Posts July 12, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '11

13 Jul '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Tue, Jul 12, 2011 at 10:51 AM Subject: Active Transportation Canada - New Posts July 12, 2011 Dear Listserv Members: More than 20 new items have been posted on the Active Transportation-Canada Website. A complete list of titles may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. Some sample new items: 1. Ottawa - Bike lanes earn rave reviews on first morning commute<http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Bike+lanes+earn+rave+reviews+first+mo…> 2. Product review: Top five skateboarding helmets for ultimate protection and safety <http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-8779805> 3. Moncton - Bike Battles continue<http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/opinion/article/1422093> Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com A "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. With more than 1,000 items posted on Active Transportation - Canada, there are links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and the world. 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

1 0

America's Top Cities for Bike Commuting: Happier, Too
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '11

13 Jul '11

America's Top Cities for Bike Commuting: Happier, Too By Richard Florida Jun 22 2011, 11:41 AM ET http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/06/americas-top-cities-for-bik… *A nationwide analysis shows that towns where people bike to work are richer, fitter, and more successful in many other ways * Riding a bike through a city, David Byrne wrote in his book *Bicycle Diaries<http://books.google.com/books?id=5Ar9V-4z9PwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Bicycl…> *, "is like navigating the collective neural pathways of some vast global mind." Biking, he adds, "facilitates a state of mind that allows some but not too much of the unconscious to bubble up. As someone who believes that much of the source of his work and creativity is to be gleaned from those bubbles, it's a reliable place to find that connection." Cycling is one of my own great passions. I like nothing more than to get on my road bike and just go. My bike is not just a great way to get around, it's a great way to get to know cities. It's also a good way to stay in shape, as witnessed by this post<http://www.livingstreetsalliance.org/2011/05/americas-fittest-cities/>at the Living Streets Alliance blog, which noted the uncanny overlap between the places listed in my post<http://www.theatlantic.com/life/archive/2011/05/americas-fittest-cities/239…>on America's Fittest Cities and the cities where the greatest percentages of people who bike to work live. That got me wondering what other characteristics of metropolitan areas might be associated with higher levels of cycling. With the help of my colleague Charlotta Mellander, I took a quick look at the numbers. We used data from the American Community Survey<http://www.census.gov/acs/www/>(ACS) on the share of people by metro area who commute to work by bike. Nationally, less than one (0.6) percent of Americans ride their bikes to work. But the share of bike commuters varies quite a bit across metros. The gallery below lists ACS figures for the top 15 metros with the largest shares of bike commuters. (These data cover entire metros; data for core or center cities may be higher.) At the top of the list are Eugene, Oregon, and Fort Collins, Colorado, where more than 5 percent of commuters bike to work. College towns dominate the list—Boulder, Colorado, Madison, Wisconsin, Santa Cruz, California, Iowa City, Iowa, Gainesville, Florida, and State College, Pennsylvania, among others. But bigger metros like Portland, Oregon, Honolulu, Sacramento, San Francisco, and San Jose (Silicon Valley) also rank highly. (Source: American Community Survey, Share of Commuters Who Bike to Work) <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/> Top Cities for Biking Flickr/Kris Hurst 15 :: Iowa City, IA *Share of Commuters who Bike to Work*: 2.22% *Median Household Income*: $49,535 *Creative Class*: 32.46% <http://www.census.gov/acs/www/> All of this raises the question: What is it about these metros and others where cycling to work is more prevalent? So Mellander and I compared these figures on bike commuting to key social and economic characteristics of metros. Though all we are looking at are associations—our analysis does not infer causality and other factors may come into play—some of the findings are rather intriguing. First off, metros where more people cycle to work are more affluent. Metros with a greater share of bike commuters have higher average wages (with a correlation of .5). They have higher levels of education or human capital (a correlation of .5) and more knowledge-based economies as well. Cycling to work is positively associated with the share of creative class jobs (.3) and negatively associated with working class jobs (-.4). They're more diverse. The share of commuters who cycle to work to work is positively associated with higher levels of immigrants (.3) and even more so with higher concentrations of gays and lesbians (.4). <http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/richard_florida/Florida_biking2…> Cycling to work also goes together with happiness. The percentage of cycling commuters is positively associated with levels of happiness and well-being, which we measure via Gallup surveys (with correlation of .5). As for fitness, the hunch by the folks at the Living Streets Alliance was right. Metros with a higher percentage of cycling commuters boast higher rates of fitness on the American College of Sports Medicine's<http://www.acsm.org/> American Fitness Index™<http://www.americanfitnessindex.org/docs/reports/2011_afi_report_final.pdf> (with a correlation between the two of .5). Biking metros are richer, better-educated, and more fit than non-biking places. They're happier, and, as exemplified by Mr. Byrne, more creative too. *Richard Florida is Senior Editor at **The Atlantic and Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto. * **

1 0

Reminder: Transportation Master Plan Open House today, 4-8 pm, The Forks Atrium
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jul '11

06 Jul '11

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

1 0

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

05 Jul '11

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

1 0

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

30 Jun '11

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

1 0

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

29 Jun '11

Bike-friendliness of Vancouver neighbourhoods mapped by UBC VIVIAN LUK VANCOUVER - Globe and Mail Update In a city where bicycle paths are separated from traffic, racks are accessible, cycling routes are connected, and the way from home to work is smooth and flat, more people may actually want to ride their bikes. And if more people bike rather than drive, they will be much healthier, and the city much greener. That is the argument that a team of University of British Columbia researchers are presenting with the *Bikeability Index*, an innovative mapping tool that scores Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods on how accommodating they are to cyclists. According to the study, the way communities are designed directly influences people’s level of physical activity. “If you make cycling and walking the easier choice, then people will be more likely to choose it because it’s faster to get [somewhere] than sitting in traffic,” said lead researcher Meghan Winters. “Then people will be less likely to choose their cars, they’ll be more likely to engage in physical activity, and that will reduce congestion in the city.” The project, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, surveyed 2,100 people about factors that influence their cycling behaviour, Ms. Winters said. Most answered they are concerned about biking next to cars, biking up and down hills, the availability of racks to lock up their bikes, and the connectivity of bike-friendly streets. Based on these factors, Ms. Winters and her team created online, colour-coded maps (green depicts bike-friendly areas and red shows where cycling conditions need to be improved) that compare the bike friendliness of Vancouver and surrounding municipalities, as well as the bike friendliness within each municipality. The maps show the availability of bike facilities, bike route density, topography and land use. According to the Bikeability Index, Vancouver, Burnaby and New Westminster rank highest in bike friendliness because they have denser cycling infrastructure. The team plans to deliver the maps to Metro Vancouver urban planners. “What we’ve done is highlight areas that are good for cycling, and areas where there are challenges,” she said. “We hope this will demonstrate where gaps are happening and where improvements are needed, like maybe there needs to be more bike facilities there, or separated bike lanes for people who are less confident on their bikes.” The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has provided the team with additional funds so that they can make up bikeability indexes for Victoria, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, Charlottetown, Moncton and St. John's by 2012. The maps can be viewed at *www.cher.ubc/ca/**cyclingincities/tools.html*. Cyclists can also search for routes based on preferred distances, air pollution levels and elevation gain. Future renderings will also allow users to click and zoom on the maps. Published on Tuesday, Jun. 28, 2011 8:00AM EDT -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

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

29 Jun '11

As this is an Active Transportation list serve - I am compelled to ask that when you review / provide input at the Transportation Master Plan Open House - you consider the following related to the CentrePort Canada initiative: CentrePort Canada http://www.centreportcanada.ca/ * is a public - private partnership which is the driving force behind unprecedented road investments in Winnipeg - and ultimately highways accessing Winnipeg * is recognized as one of North America's top infrastructure projects * all levels of gov't (Feds / Province / City) are making tremendous investments in the development of CentrePort with the vision of significant economic impact for Manitoba * roadways to from and around Winnipeg must be designed as expressways to accommodate the development of the international multi modal transportation hub * the attached CentrePort Business Plan provides a clear overview of the investment / goals, etc. - some interesting long weekend reading TODAY, we are seeing active transportation routes impacted by the development / preparation of roadways related to CentrePort - in both a negative - and positive (when challenged) way: * Perimeter Hwy median closures eliminating trail connectivity from Winnipeg to the greater capital region (Harte Trail to Headingley Grand Trunk Trail, Northeast Pioneers Greenway Trail to town of Birds Hill trail system) * Elimination of service roads around the Perimeter Hwy - often used as active transportation routes * Construction of Inkster pathway as part of Inkster roadway expansion (a link in the CentrePort network) * Construction of a ped / cycle flyover - over the expansion of the Chief Peguis Expressway (a link in the CentrePort network) * Kenaston expansion - may or may not include active transportation on both sides - and may or man not include a ped/cycle flyover to schools on either side (a link in the CentrePort network) My comments aren't on the pros / cons of CentrePort - just that you CONSIDER: * the tremendous financial investments in roadways to support development of CentrePort * the transportation infrastructure required to develop a global multi modal transportation hub * the tremendous commitment by gov'ts and private industry to support the development of CentrePort * the consideration of active transportation in the development of CentrePort * the historic approach / default mode - when developing active transportation in Winnipeg * the many obstacles continually faced when moving active transportation forward in Winnipeg Will the ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION vision reflected in the Transportation Master Plan enable Winnipeg to truly be a 'transportation hub' - for all modes of transportation? Having had the opportunity to provide input on Winnipeg's Transportation Master Plan - I look forward to the open house. Janice Lukes Winnipeg Trails Association * * * * * * * * A few selected Free Press articles & quotes related to CentrePort Canada Way o "Toews said that once complete, CentrePort will increase Canada's opportunities on the world stage. CentrePort Canada is definitely a key component of Canada's economic prosperity as we emerge from the recession," o Selinger said the road projects will link CentrePort with the port of Churchill and Hudson's Bay, continental U.S. and Mexico and Canada's east and west coasts o "CentrePort ...has the ability to do what nothing else can accomplish for our city (for) economic impact and creating phenomenal jobs," Katz said. "This is the beginning of something very wonderful and very special." <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/new-expressway-seen-as-a-road-to- riches-96712199.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/new-expressway-seen-as-a-road-to-r iches-96712199.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-construct ion-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-constructi on-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-construct ion-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/300-million-in-road-constructi on-vital-to-inland-port--starts-96661709.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/a-centreport-trade-coup-111312584 .html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/a-centreport-trade-coup-111312584. html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/Inkster-Street-road- widening-work-continues--99880789.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/Inkster-Street-road-w idening-work-continues--99880789.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/federal-funding-at-stake-at-arcti c-gateway-summit-107020833.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/federal-funding-at-stake-at-arctic -gateway-summit-107020833.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/CentrePort-a-key -issue--in-Rosser-reeve-race-105285718.html> http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/CentrePort-a-key- issue--in-Rosser-reeve-race-105285718.html -----Original Message----- From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Beth McKechnie Sent: June 27, 2011 4:57 PM To: AT network Subject: [At-network] Transportation Master Plan Open House - July 6, 2011 ** Please share widely ** WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE INVITATION The City of Winnipeg staff and consultant team invite you to attend the second Open House for the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). Drop by to view the main comments received from the public and stakeholders meetings and review the key directions and opportunities for the following transportation components: * Transit * Roads * Goods Movement * Active Transportation * Transportation Demand Management * Funding, Financing, and Governance We would like to hear from you on this important stage of the process! WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN OPEN HOUSE Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Where: The Forks Market Atrium (at the base of the Forks Tower) Format: Drop in anytime - no formal presentation. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and collect feedback you may have. Visit the following Website to view or download the latest version of the TMP Newsletter: http://transportation.speakupwinnipeg.com Please forward this email to anyone that you feel would be interested in attending. Thank You! -- Beth McKechnie | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options /> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options /> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> our work by becoming a member

1 0

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

28 Jun '11

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

1 0

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

28 Jun '11

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

1 0

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

28 Jun '11

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

1 0

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

28 Jun '11

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

1 0

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

28 Jun '11

Great places: how livable streets make us happier humans by Sarah Goodyear <http://www.grist.org/people/Sarah+Goodyear> 23 Jun 2011 12:30 PM * http://www.grist.org/urbanism/2011-06-23-great-places-how-livable-streets-m… * ** ** *This post follows up on David Roberts' series on "great places<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-05-23-great-places-reorienting-progressiv…> ."* I found out yesterday that one of my neighbors, a lady in her 70s, had been taken to the hospital with heart problems. Her middle-aged daughter, who lives with her, was the one who told me, when we met on the stretch of sidewalk between our two houses. We often stop to chat like this, trading news and gossip and small talk. I expressed my concern and asked if there was anything that I could do. The daughter thanked me, and said she would pass along my well-wishes. Later, I found out from another neighbor that the older woman is going to be just fine. Phew. So what does this have to do with the "great places<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-05-23-great-places-reorienting-progressiv…>" idea David Roberts began exploring a few weeks back? Here's what: Great places have to be sustainable not just environmentally, but socially, too. Because human beings are social animals. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/sminor/4458106816/> Those brief talks I had with my neighbors were typical -- among dozens of similar interactions I have every week on my block and the streets around it. My dense, walkable, transit-rich neighborhood does a lot of great things for my carbon footprint (no car required, Zipcar within walking distance if I need one, farmers market only a few blocks away). But what it does for my soul might, in the end, be more important. Over the years, I have traded dog-sitting services with one neighbor. A store around the corner has accepted packages for me when I've been out. I've gotten, and given, career advice while sitting on the stoop. I've dropped my wallet on the sidewalk and had it returned by a woman whom I know could have used the money inside. She didn't touch the cash. My son has ridden his scooter up and down the sidewalk, and we've played stickball with the neighbor kids in the street. I've shoveled the snow in front of the house of the old couple next door. I've given hugs, picked up trash, and offered my shoulder to cry on. The street I live on is not just an address for me. It is an extension of my home. That sense I have -- that my living room extends into the street -- is, sadly, a privilege in this day and age. It's made possible by relatively low car traffic and high density of dwelling units on my block. This combination opens up a way of life that used to be common -- in which human beings naturally connect with each other over time, forming networks that can then be called upon when the going gets rough. Back in the late 1960s, a man named Donald Appleyard<http://www.pps.org/articles/dappleyard/>did some groundbreaking research into the way that car traffic kills street life and degrades the quality of urban communities<http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-04-how-automobiles-make-our-streets-le…>. It was published in a book called *Livable Streets<http://www.amazon.com/Livable-Streets-Donald-Appleyard/dp/0415610648/ref=sr…>, *which will be back in print next year. He found that on streets with light car traffic, people felt more connected to their neighbors and their physical surroundings. The heavier the traffic, the more those connections suffered. The more the people suffered. The video below, from Streetfilms <http://www.streetfilms.org/>, is an excellent illustration of his work. Revisiting Donald Appleyard's Livable Streets <http://vimeo.com/16399180>from Streetfilms <http://vimeo.com/streetfilms> on Vimeo <http://vimeo.com/>. Since Appleyard did his research in San Francisco, automobiles have only grown more dominant on our streets. Recently, a British graduate student named Joshua Hart set out to replicate Appleyard's findings<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/19/ethicalliving.automotive>, and the quotes from his dissertation<http://www2.grist.org/grist-images/2011/June/6-20/DTESummary.pdf>[PDF] dramatize the toll autocentrism takes on human lives. Here's what one man in his 50s said about the street where he lives: [The traffic is] like a mountain range, cutting you off from the other side of the road.....it's hellishly busy....a bloody nightmare. The buses and lorries shake the house when they come by. The air pollution can be quite bad out the front, sometimes during rush hour you feel the air getting thicker and thicker..... Other recent studies have found<http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/12/walkable-ne…>that "social capital" -- that is, the number and quality of human interactions -- is higher in walkable communities<http://www.springerlink.com/content/xtq06270p27r1v0h/>. And even small increases in connectedness and activity can have significant health benefits<http://www.dnaindia.com/health/report_small-day-to-day-changes-could-lead-t…> . Take a look at the video below (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVW8BCFsT3c) as well, from Mike Biddulph of Cardiff University<http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/cplan/contactsandpeople/stafflist/a-b/biddulph-mik…>. It compares two different streets in Cardiff, Wales, at the same time of day. One is what is known in the U.K. as a "home zone<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_zone>" -- a street that is designed with people as its primary focus, not cars. The other is a street with some traffic-calming measures in place, but where automobiles still dominate the streetscape visually and in terms of the space they occupy. It becomes clear very quickly which street makes it inviting for people -- especially children -- to come out of their homes and do what primates generally like to do, which is to socialize with one another. The concept of walkable, or livable, streets has slowly but surely been coming back into the mainstream conversation, in part because of the work of grassroots activists like Dan Burden <http://www.walkable.org/about.html>. Burden has worked many hours (and walked many miles) to try to convince municipal officials that they should design their cities and towns for people instead of cars. People are taking notice<http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/walking-expert-prescribes-ro…>. Streets are changing. More and more communities are passing "complete streets <http://www.completestreets.org/>" legislation that requires streets to be designed with pedestrians and bikes in mind, not just cars. It shouldn't just be 19th-century neighborhoods like mine that have a happy street life. It shouldn't just be rich neighborhoods. It should be all neighborhoods. But there are still way too many places in America where streets are for cars, and you take your life into your hands just trying to cross on foot<http://www.grist.org/slideshow/2011-05-25-do-not-walk-here> . Changing our streets to bring them back to human scale will take generations. It's a process, but at least the work has begun in earnest. Here's what Donald Appleyard said about the tension over street design: People have always lived on streets. They have been the places where children first learned about the world, where neighbors met, the social centers of towns and cities, the rallying points for revolts, the scenes of repression.... The street has always been the scene of this conflict, between living and access, between resident and traveler, between street life and the threat of death. Appleyard would likely be thrilled to see how his ideas are being taken up by a new generation. Sadly, he's not around to do so. He was struck by a car and killed in 1982 <http://streetswiki.wikispaces.com/Donald+Appleyard>. Sarah Goodyear is Grist’s cities editor. She’s also on Twitter<http://twitter.com/buttermilk1> . -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

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

27 Jun '11

** Please share widely ** *WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN* *PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE INVITATION* ** ** The City of Winnipeg staff and consultant team invite you to attend the second Open House for the Transportation Master Plan (TMP). Drop by to view the main comments received from the public and stakeholders meetings and review the key directions and opportunities for the following transportation components: - Transit - Roads - Goods Movement - Active Transportation - Transportation Demand Management - Funding, Financing, and Governance We would like to hear from you on this important stage of the process!**** ** ** WINNIPEG TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN OPEN HOUSE**** Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011 **** Time: 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM**** Where: The Forks Market Atrium (at the base of the Forks Tower)**** Format: Drop in anytime – no formal presentation. **** ** ** Staff will be on hand to answer questions and collect feedback you may have. **** ** ** Visit the following Website to view or download the latest version of the TMP Newsletter: http://transportation.speakupwinnipeg.com**** ** ** Please forward this email to anyone that you feel would be interested in attending. Thank You!**** ** ** -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

WFP: His passion is the wheel thing - Winnipeg cyclist tireless advocate for AT
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jun '11

23 Jun '11

His passion is the wheel thing Winnipeg cyclist tireless advocate for active transportation By: William Burr When he goes on a canoe trip, Anders Swanson likes to be the one holding the map. The walls of his apartment are covered in them. Control freak or visionary, Swanson likes to know where he's headed. And he knows where he wants to take Winnipeg: toward a full-fledged embrace of the bicycle. Probably Winnipeg's most famous cycling advocate, his membership on the steering committee for Bike to Work Day, coming up Friday, is just the tip of the iceberg of Swanson's involvement. He sits on six advisory committees for active transportation, including Manitoba's and Winnipeg's. He participates in seven environmental organizations, some of which he started himself, such as the Orioles Bike Cage, a co-operative where cyclists go to learn how to repair their own bikes. His volunteer work is basically all he does outside his part-time jobs at the Natural Cycle shop and the Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba. "You get emails from Anders in the middle of the night all the time. I don't know when he sleeps," says Kevin Nixon, Winnipeg's active-transportation co-ordinator. Curt Hull, who works on Bike to Work Day with Swanson, is another peer who sings his praises. "It's his quiet, infectious enthusiasm and how he brings energy into a room -- I've seen him light up a city council meeting," Hull says. "He's pleasant to work with and funny, and he breaks up the gruelling agony -- he's got a good wit about him," says Janice Lukes, who sits on the city's active-transportation advisory committee with Swanson. She says he understands that cycling is more than a "niche market." "People generalize and think cyclists are spandex racer types. But they're not. They're the masses. And he gets it." Lukes says Swanson has been effective at selling cycling to people who were what she calls "tough nuts to crack," such as Mayor Sam Katz and city Coun. John Orlikow. Both speak highly of Swanson. "I'm a big fan of Anders, no question about it. That doesn't mean we're always going to agree," Katz says. "He's an advocate. We have many advocates in the city. We listen to them all, and we take a balanced approach after that," says Orlikow, but adds, "He's passionate and committed and a good community member, for sure." Swanson is a tall, burly, youthful 33-year-old and he has a thick, brown beard. He lives with his girlfriend in a spacious apartment downtown. A bike Swanson is working on sits upside down on the floor, wheels in the air. But he wasn't always a cycling enthusiast. When he was 16, he wanted nothing more than his own car, and he would eventually own several -- but not anymore. The cycling bug only bit him in 2004, when he bought a $25 bike to get to work and learned how to equip it for the winter. Beating Winnipeg's cold gave him a sense of accomplishment, and he was hooked. Shortly after that, he applied to work at Natural Cycle. Senior mechanic David Geisel says the cover letter Swanson wrote was so convincing they had to hire him. "He somehow touched on the cultural aspect of cycling and just made it sound as if nothing else mattered," Geisel says. While repairing bikes at Natural Cycle, Swanson heard many stories from commuters. "You get into discussions with customers and every second one has a story about this or that close call or this or that pathway that floods or doesn't go the right direction or doesn't connect, and I guess a penchant for mapping was making me connect all these dots in my head." He started OneGreenCity.com, a website where people share ideas about what kind of cycling infrastructure they would like to see in Winnipeg and then map it out digitally. One project led to another, and suddenly cycling advocacy was all he did. "It got pretty out of hand. All of a sudden there were so many trails to be built and events that people wanted to plan -- so anyways I started being on a lot of committees." Seeing ideas being turned into real changes to the city's landscape, such as new bike lanes, helps motivate him to sit through so many meetings. "When you see it come out in reality and then you see little kids biking down there, big smiles on their face, then it's like, OK, maybe this is pretty awesome," he says. Despite the bicycling inroads, it will be decades before Manitobans have the cycling infrastructure that other cities have, he says. "Even just to catch up, there's a lot of mapping and ideas and people to connect." william.burr(a)freepress.mb.ca *Put away the car keys... Friday is Bike to Work Day* BIKE to Work Day this year will feature over 20 "pit stops" spread out throughout the city where participants can meet up with each other and get free snacks, coffee, T-shirts and prizes. Largest pit stop will be at Bonnycastle Park -- at the corner of Main Street and Assiniboine Avenue -- where there will be a live TV broadcast. During and following the afternoon commute on Bike to Work Day, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., there will be a barbecue at The Forks with free hotdogs, veggie dogs or burgers for the first 300 cyclists and a prize draw. To register for this year's Bike to Work Day, map your route and find a pit stop, visit biketoworkdaywinnipeg.org

1 0

Winnipeg Free Press Poll: Bike to Work Day
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '11

22 Jun '11

Friendly reminder to sign up for and participate in Bike to Work Day<http://biketoworkdaywinnipeg.org/index.html>this Friday, June 24th. In related news, the Winnipeg Free Press Poll question today is: Will you bike to work on bike to work day? Visit http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ if you are interested in casting your vote! cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

WFP: Pedal pusher - Bike Valet Winnipeg
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '11

19 Jun '11

Pedal pusher With his bike valet service, David Wieser is hoping more Winnipeggers will two-wheel it to city events By: David Sanderson / Roll With It Revenge is a dish best served cold. And dripping with paint. Not long ago, regulars at a bar in Livingston, Mont., were being plagued by a bicycle thief who would nab their wheels while they were inside, tossing back a few. One night, some of the victims hid near the watering hole's bike rack, and waited for the perpetrator to show up. Within an hour, a dark figure appeared and began sawing the lock off one of their bikes. Before the crook could make his getaway, however, he was greeted by a barrage of paintball pellets. (Charles Bronson fans everywhere will be pleased to learn that the act of vigilantism was filmed by one of the participants, and is now available for all to enjoy, on YouTube.) "That was a good video; I watched it last week," says David Wieser, the founder of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg -- a year-old organization that parks and protects Winnipeggers' bicycles at events all over town. The million-dollar question, then: will Wieser now follow suit, and arm his legion of valets with paintball guns? "Uh, no," Wieser says, with a laugh. "There are no plans to do that at this time." Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is exactly what it sounds like: Cyclists present their bikes to whoever is on duty at happenings like rock concerts and street festivals. Valets park the bikes in a cordoned-off area, then hand out claim stubs. At the end of the event, the bike owners return their ducats, and the valets fetch their rides. Best of all: it's free. "People always ask, 'How much?' but thanks to our sponsors and event organizers, we don't have to charge a penny," Wieser says, adding that Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is a subsidiary of Bike to the Future, a non-profit organization whose mandate is to make cycling in the Peg a safe and convenient transportation alternative, year-round. Wieser came up with the idea for Bicycle Valet Winnipeg in 2007, after reading about a similar enterprise in San Francisco. But before he made his dream a reality, Wieser, a 17-year member of the Canadian Armed Forces, was redeployed to Edmonton for training, and then to Afghanistan for a six-month tour of duty. "It was while I was in Kandahar that I really began jotting down notes, bouncing ideas off other people, and firing off emails," Wieser says. By the time he returned to Winnipeg in April 2010, the married father of one was "pretty much ready to go." Well, not exactly. At Bicycle Valet Winnipeg's inaugural event -- Bike to Work Day 2010 at The Forks -- Wieser had plenty of takers, but nowhere to put their bikes. "It fell on the same day that the Queen was in town," Wieser explains. "The city was supposed to deliver a bunch of bike racks, but they were so busy with the royal visit that they forgot about us." To make sure that never happened again, Wieser began building his own bike racks. (Last week, he put the finishing touches on No. 51.) He's also busy building on Year One, when his valets -- all of them volunteers -- worked at close to 20 events, including the last six Blue Bomber games. Wieser just got word that his services will be needed at all of the Big Blue's home games this year, and Bicycle Valet Winnipeg will also be present at the Red River Exhibition, Canada Day at The Forks, and the M.E.C. Bike Fest in July. To date, Bicycle Valet Winnipeg has tended to everything from skateboards to unicycles to bike trailers. "Last year, we even had a 10-foot-long, four-wheel car cycle -- it was awkward to park but we did it," Wieser says. On the other hand, mopeds need not apply. "No, we won't park anything with an engine. We're trying to encourage people to choose active transportation to get to their event." In addition to establishing relationships with organizers of the Manitoba Marathon, and/or the management of this city's new NHL franchise, Wieser has one other goal in mind. "We parked (Hot 103 DJ) Ace Burpee's bike at the Ciclovia festival last year," Wieser says. "He draws such a crowd, I wish we could have a bike valet following right behind him wherever he goes." For more information, and to see where Bicycle Valet Winnipeg will be setting up next, visit www.bicyclevaletwinnipeg.ca. david.sanderson(a)freepress.mb.ca Valet girl IN August, David Wieser will bid adieu to Winnipeg, and to his "baby," Bicycle Valet Winnipeg. Wieser, an electrical distribution technician at 17 Wing, is being transferred to a base in Ontario. Last month, Wieser hired Rosanne Ritchot to take his place as Bicycle Valet Winnipeg's chief co-ordinator. We recently caught up with Ritchot, and asked her a few questions about the future of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg, and her own passion for getting around town on two wheels. Free Press: Was there a seminal moment in your life when you discovered you were a serious cyclist and not just somebody out for a little fresh air? Rosanne Ritchot: I discovered my love for cycling during a bike trip from Winnipeg to Alaska and back, in 2004. Understandably, it would have been wiser to discover this love before leaving on a 5,000-plus-kilometre trip, but fortunately, it worked out. FP: Just a hunch, but I'm guessing you didn't show up for your interview with a David Wieser behind the wheel of a Hummer. RR: I wouldn't have dreamed of showing up for this job interview in any type of car! I have to admit, though, that I didn't ride my bike. I walked. FP: I know you haven't officially started yet, but do you have any ideas re: your new title? RR: I don't have any specific plans yet. But I do dream of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg getting bigger, if only because I dream of Winnipeg being a city more open and accessible to cyclists. FP: One of David Wieser's chief tenets is that Bicycle Valet Winnipeg will never charge individual cyclists to use its services. Do you subscribe to that belief? RR: Absolutely. In my opinion, BVW's purpose is to make taking your bike instead of your car as easy, as accessible, and as affordable as possible. Using your bike is a glorious thing, and BVW should help to make that true for more and more Winnipeggers.

1 0

New bike plan unveiled for Toronto (includes a number of cycletracks)
by Anders Swanson 16 Jun '11

16 Jun '11

See more here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/06/15/toronto-bike-plan.ht… As per the article, these curb-protected facilities will be a first for Toronto. Winnipeg already has one on Assiniboine... Winnipeg: 1 .....*+0.5 if you count the Norwood Bridge* Toronto: 0 Success. Related note of pride: Thompson is getting its first bike lanes ever, this year (on Burntwood). Anders Swanson Active Transportation Project Coordinator Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba | www.pacm.ca c.204-294-7027 | activetransportation(a)pacm.ca

1 0

In Mexico, citizens create DIY bike lanes
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jun '11

16 Jun '11

In Mexico, citizens create DIY bike lanes By Colleen Kimmett On Vancouver's city council, support for building bike lanes has been pretty much unanimous <http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/08/11/BicycleBacklash/>. (It helps having a mayor who bikes to work and opposition members who spend their vacation cycling around Europe.) Here, it's the politicians who have had to ease bike infrastructure into the public realm, with communication plans, consultations, and trial runs<http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/Transportation/2009/06/23/BurrardBridgeBike…>. For some, it's still too much. For others, not enough. In Mexico, reports Treehugger.com <http://www.treehugger.com/>, residents of Guadalajara -- a city that adds 350 cars to its street every day -- are taking a different approach, with DIY bike lanes. The city at one point created a cycling plan with recommended bike routes. But nothing ever came of it. Fed up with their government's inaction, a group of citizens led by students and teachers at a local technical college, decided to take matters into their own hands. They erected signs and painted lines on the street to create dedicated bike lanes, and released a video and document explaining how and why they did it. "In Mexico, the cost of building a bike lane reaches about a hundred thousand dollars per kilometer," the group explained. "This means that the section on which we worked, 2.5 kilometers on each side of a two way avenue, could have cost about five hundred thousand dollars. The investment, the citizen's investment, was of only a thousand dollars." The full story and video, can be found here<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/guerilla-diy-bike-lane-guadalajara-…>. *Colleen Kimmett reports for The Tyee.* *http://thetyee.ca/Blogs/TheHook/2011/01/13/DIYBikeLanes/ * -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Register for Bike to Work Day Winnipeg!
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jun '11

16 Jun '11

*** Please share widely *** Dear Fellow Winnipegger, Join us in making an impact by cycling to work on June 24th as part of the 4th annual Bike to Work Day Winnipeg! By registering for free online, not only will you get a chance to take part in all of the days events including complimentary snacks, beverages, BBQ, prizes and parties, you will add your voice to ours and take a stand for cyclists and a greener, more bike-friendly Winnipeg. This year is a year to celebrate both the advances in our city's walking and cycling infrastructure as well as our event plans. Please take a moment to learn more at www.biketoworkdaywinnipeg.org Even if you are unsure today whether you can bike on June 24th--register! Your registration and support of the event will help grow the event each year. Please see below for a schedule of the day. We look forward to seeing you on your bikes soon! cheers, Beth -------- *JUNE 24th is BIKE TO WORK DAY* *6:30-9:00am* Locate a pit stop using our online map<http://bikeplanit.org/map/index.html?site=btwd&ll=49.87335,-97.160518&z=13&…>. Stop along your commute and receive free snacks and coffee (available on a first come, first serve basis) along with other swag and t-shirts. Find a buddy and share the ride to work! *Please note that there is NO pancake breakfast this year; instead we will be hosting a BBQ to bookend the day.* *4:00- 7:00pm* Manitoba Lotteries BBQ at the Forks. Stop by on your way home for free music and a great party! Free food for the first 300.

1 0

New research: Benefits of New and Improved Pedestrian Facilities - Before and After Studies
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '11

11 Jun '11

S. Turner, R. Singh, P. Quinn and T. Allatt (2011), "*Benefits Of New And Improved Pedestrian Facilities – Before And After Studies*," Research Report 436, NZ Transport Agency ( http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/research/reports/436/docs/436.pdf ). [snipped from the Executive Summary:] This research, conducted between 2005 and 2009, aimed to investigate whether the implementation of new pedestrian facilities (or the improvement of existing facilities) led to increased pedestrian rates, and to record these changes in a standardised format that could be used in transport planning and project funding. This study also tried to develop an expected pedestrian-usage model, based on before and after data analysis, for planners and funding agents to use when planning new or improved facilities and evaluating projects. The final part of the project involved developing a monitoring database containing before and after pedestrian count data for various new and improved pedestrian facilities, along with a list of accompanying factors such as safety, delay and directness. Results from the before and after pedestrian count surveys and analysis of the individual case studies showed that the implementation of improved pedestrian facilities resulted in increased usage at seven out of the eight sites analysed. The magnitude of these changes varied between sites, from 7% for the Moorhouse Ave signalised pedestrian crossing to 90% for the kerb extensions at Collingwood St. The reasons for the increases in flows were analysed in each of the individual case studies, and were found to be a mix of factors such as safety, delay and directness. Overall, it was observed that the construction of kerb extensions/refuge islands resulted in the largest increase in pedestrian numbers, followed by the installation of kea crossings. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

New research: increasing sidewalk coverage to reduce GHG emissions
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '11

11 Jun '11

[From the Victoria Transport Institute (VTPI) newsletter] Lawrence D. Frank , et al. (2011), "*An Assessment of Urban Form and Pedestrian and Transit Improvements as an Integrated GHG Reduction Strategy*," Washington State Department of Transportation (http:// www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/765.1.pdf ). This study used detailed data to assess the impacts of various urban form factors on vehicle travel and carbon emissions. This analysis indicates that increasing sidewalk coverage from 30% to 70% of streets in an urban neighborhood would typically reduce vehicle travel 3.4% and carbon emissions 4.9%. Land use mix and parking pricing also had significant impacts. Increasing average parking fees from $0.28 to $1.19 per hour (50th to 75th percentile) reduces vehicle travel 11.5% and emissions 9.9%. Study results were used to develop a spreadsheet tool that can evaluate the impacts of urban form, sidewalk coverage, and transit service quality and other policy changes for local and regional analysis. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Bike to Work Day Winnipeg is June 24
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

If you haven't registered yet for the 4th Annual Bike to Work Day Winnipeg, then please register now! It's easy and FREE! Just go to http://biketoworkdaywinnipeg.org/ and click Register in the top right corner then fill in your information. You'll be entered to win great prizes like a *bike makeover from Natural Cycle*. Then *on Friday, June 24th*, ride your bike to work. *Locate a pit stop near you using our online map and stop by between 6:30 and 9 AM for free snacks and coffee. At the end of the day you can wind down at the Forks from 4-7pm with a free BBQ for the first 300 cyclists and live music. Please note that there is NO Pancake Breakfast at the Forks in the morning.* It is very important for everyone to register as we want to show how important cycling is in Winnipeg with a great turn-out. Please forward this on to all your friends, family and coworkers so that we can make this the most successful Bike to Work Day Winnipeg yet! There are also volunteer opportunities still available. Please contact *CARA FISHER programs(a)thewrench.ca * if you would like to help.

1 0

TRAIL BUILDING WORKSHOP - PROVIDENCE COLLEGE - OTTERBURNE JUNE 18th
by Anders Swanson 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

For those of you interested in the nuts and bolts of trails infrastructure development, please see the information on the workshop hosted by the Crow Wing Trail below. Regards, Anders Swanson Active Transportation Project Coordinator Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba | www.pacm.ca c.204-294-7027 | activetransportation(a)pacm.ca ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Crow Wing Trail <cwta(a)voyageur.coop> Date: Tue, Jun 7, 2011 at 2:40 PM Subject: MORE INFORMATION ON TRAIL BUILDING WORKSHOP - PROVIDENCE COLLEGE - JUNE 18th Please find attached cover letter, press release and poster providing more information about the trail building workshop. Please print and distribute or forward to your members and/or organizations that could benefit from this opportunity. Please register asap to assist us in accommodating everyone. Thank you. Murielle Bugera, President Crow Wing Trail Association

1 0

Grist: How bike tourism helps local economies
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '11

07 Jun '11

The grand tour: How bike tourism helps local economies by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/people/Elly+Blue> 6 Jun 2011 10:49 AM http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-06-06-the-grand-tour-how-bike-tourism-help… Bike-friendly cities, off-road paths, and scenic country roads where cyclists can spin along in comfort aren't just good for the people who live in those places. They also attract tourists. And tourists mean money for the local economy. Tourism is one of the U.S.'s largest industries and biggest employers, creating millions of jobs and bringing in hundreds of *billions* of dollars each year<http://www.ustravel.org/government-affairs/travel-industry-economic-impact>(not to mention the tax benefits). Bicycle touring has long had an honored place in the tourism economy and culture. This doesn't go unrecognized: In Wisconsin, bike tourism is estimated to contribute $1.5 billion to the state's economy<http://urbanpedal.com/2011/02/04/economics-of-biking/>every year. It's not just about paths or trails, though the measurable impacts these facilities have on local economies are a big deal. Bicycle transportation may not yet be mainstream in the U.S., but recreational bicycling is. More people ride bikes than ski, and more bikes than cars are bought here every year -- presumably for the purpose of family rides along the riverside trail<http://www.bikesbelong.org/resources/stats-and-research/statistics/economic…>and the like. For communities looking to up the ante, in adventure or economic development, there are many enticing opportunities for bicycle touring beyond a short jaunt on the rail trail. Take, as an example, RAGBRAI (that's the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa <http://ragbrai.com/>), which calls itself "the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world." Now in its 39th year, the seven-day event follows a different route every year. Participants and spectators drop plenty of cash into small-town economies along the way -- buying pancakes, beer, massages, and souvenirs. The ride also has a longer-term economic impact that's harder to quantify -- in marketing<http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=297766>the state's attractions and even in job creation<http://www.iowacityareadevelopment.com/news/ottumwaragbrai/> . Rides like RAGBRAI -- few are nearly as large, but every state boasts smaller supported tours -- introduce participants to the satisfaction and camaraderie of bicycle touring. And they are ambassadors of mutual goodwill, paving the way<http://pathlesspedaled.com/2011/05/rough-cut-tara-corbin-rural-communities-…>for acceptance in communities where a person on a bike on a rural road might otherwise be seen as an inconvenience. Then there's unsupported touring. It's the same thing you might do with a car -- strap some basics to your rear rack and take off down the road to meet people, see sights, and gaze contemplatively at the road ahead. You can take a bike trip for next to no money by camping and picnicking your way down scenic country roads, picking up supplies and souvenirs at the same places locals shop, finding your focus in grueling mountain climbs and your joy in the long descents. At the other end of the spectrum is what a friend calls "credit card bike camping": short hops between charming bed and breakfasts, stopping at every tucked-away restaurant and winery. Either way, you're expanding your horizons under your own power and putting your money directly into small, local businesses rather than into your gas tank or the chain hotels off the freeway. There's a resurgence of interest in this kind of touring, though few are embracing it as completely as Russ Roca and Laura Crawford, who a year and a half ago decided to sell all their possessions and take off across the country by bike <http://pathlesspedaled.com/about/> without a set destination or plan. They financed the trip in part with speaking engagements at local bike shops, which have proven unexpectedly popular. Roca and Crawford seem to be onto something. The rising price of gas and a growing disenchantment with cars, traffic, and the sedentary life mean have resulted in new interest in different types of vacations and adventures. The hurdle, for local decision makers and business leaders who want to encourage bike tourism, is to avoid the pitfall of classifying bikes as purely recreational, a luxury alternative to the classic Sunday drive. Welcoming bicycle tourists should go beyond a friendly attitude and amenities from business owners, though those two things certainly make a big difference<http://pathlesspedaled.com/2011/05/5-easy-ways-to-be-a-bike-friendly-busine…> . The benefits of bike tourism aren't just for rural communities. In Portland, with its well-established bikeway network, a survey found that 78 percent of visitors said that the city's bicycle-friendly reputation played a role in their decision to travel here<http://bikeportland.org/2009/01/28/60000-free-bike-maps-a-look-at-transport…>. Bikeshare systems can change a visitor's experience of a city<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-05-25-washingtons-bikeshare-is-a-capital-i…> . Bike touring, when it's embraced at a policy level, breaks down the dichotomy between recreation and transportation. After all, bike-minded improvements in infrastructure and enforcement create healthier<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-03-28-pedaling-away-from-the-health-care-c…>, more economically sound places not just to visit but to live. Streets and roads where it feels comfortable to ride a bike are good for residents, tourists, and the economy. Elly Blue is a writer and bicycle activist <http://ellyblue.net/> living in Portland, Oregon. You can find her on Twitter <http://twitter.com/ellyblue>.

1 0

WFP: City brings back bike-pad parking
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jun '11

06 Jun '11

Going for a ride? City brings back bike-pad parking By: Melissa Martin THERE is suddenly a surge of parking in the heart of Winnipeg -- as long as you leave your car at home. City workers have installed new bike parking pads over 18 street spots in downtown, the Exchange District and the West End. It is the second year for the active-transportation feature, which was launched as a pilot program last summer. The mobile pads take up about two car-lengths of space on the street, and have room to securely hitch 16 bikes per rack they carry. "They are designed to be semi-portable so that, should a location not be in high demand, they can be moved to an area of higher demand," city spokeswoman Alissa Clark said. For instance, you may have spotted the pads -- which are built on a base of recycled wood -- outside Canad Inns Stadium for last Sunday's U2 concert. Currently, the pads have a home at spots including outside the MTS Centre, near the Sport Manitoba building on Pacific Avenue, and on Langside Street, north of Portage Avenue. In some high-traffic spots, the pads have been a hit with cyclists who have long had to lash their bike to fences or light poles. Unlocking her bike from the pad at the corner of Bannatyne Avenue and Albert Street, one frequent cyclist applauded the pads' return. "It's an incentive," said Elisa Contreras, 24. "Everything that makes a city more friendly for cyclists is great. They're well-made and incredibly easy to lock your bikes to ---- it's a great idea." Not all are so thrilled. Last year during the pilot program, witnesses in the Exchange District watched as a car accidentally drove into one of the pads, damaging bikes and the car itself; on Twitter and in Exchange District cafés, some drivers were overheard voicing concerns that the pads' presence on the street wasn't safe. But the pads are marked by tall blue columns to alert drivers, and Clark pointed out that they are only placed in existing street parking spots to minimize risk. Each spot is vetted by the public works department to make sure it's safe for drivers, she said. The bike-pad program is administered by the city's parking authority and designed to complement the city's active transportation initiatives. They are monitored by local Business Improvement Zone organizations, which keep an ear out for feedback. Last year, the Exchange District BIZ heard a few complaints about where the bike pads were located. So this year, they tweaked the placement of their four pads. "So far, we haven't had a single complaint, and for the most part they're full," said BIZ operations director Derek Manaigre. "So we are happy." The BIZ also hopes to install 15 to 30 more individual bike racks this year. melissa.martin(a)freepress.mb.ca -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Active Transportation Canada - New Posts June 3, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 10:00 AM Subject: Active Transportation Canada - New Posts June 3, 2011 More than 20 new items have been posted on the Active Transportation-Canada Website over the past month. A complete list of titles may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. Some sample new items: 1. Halifax - Active transportation plan stalls 2. ‘Cycle tracks’ in cities could save bicyclists lives 3. Nova Scotia Rural Active Transportation Summit Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com A "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. With more than 1,000 items posted on Active Transportation - Canada, there are links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and the world. 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

1 0

Trails Day TOMORROW - NEW special event / invitation !
by Janice Lukes 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

TOMORROW is Trails Day in Winnipeg An unprecedented number of events are occurring throughout the city! - see link for details: http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/2011/05/09/june-4th-trails-day-celebration/ and end of day yesterday we just received final confirmation that a ribbon cutting ceremony will occur on the brand new Bishop Grandin Trail West with government dignitaries ( location of Bishop Grandin Trail West http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/trails-maps/bishop-grandin-trail-west/ ) JUST CONFIRMED: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Bishop Grandin Trail West - (also part of the Trans Canada Trail) 3:00 pm Crampton's Market - 1765 Waverly St (Corner of Bishop Grandin and Waverly) Join MP Rod Bruinooge, Honourable Kerri Irvin Ross (MLA Fort Richmond) and Mr. Phil Sheegl, CAO City of Winnipeg (TBC) in opening this new trail! The three levels of government have made significant investments in trail development over the past few years. IF you have some time on Saturday, join us at 3:00pm and congratulate / celebrate! thank you! Janice Lukes Manager, Special Projects - Winnipeg Trails Rivers West Red River Corridor Inc. 235-614 Des Meurons Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9 Cell (204) 952-4222 Fax (204) 237-4618 <mailto:jlukes@riverswest.ca> jlukes(a)riverswest.ca www.WinnipegTrails.ca <http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/> Member of City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Advisory Committee Chair, Province of Manitoba Active Transportation Advisory Group

1 0

Free Webinar: Linking Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change and Health Impacts
by Jessie Klassen 02 Jun '11

02 Jun '11

(Apologies for cross postings) Hello All! * Green Action Centre will host a local viewing of the following PHAC webinar on Linking Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change and Health Impacts on Wednesday, June 8th, from 1-2pm in the Eco-Centre Boardroom (303 Portage Ave, 3rd Floor, enter via the MEC elevator). We'd love it if you would join us! Please let me know at jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca. Hope to see you then! 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/memberships/> * * * *The Public Health Agency of Canada is hosting this Fireside Chat to mark 'Clean Air Day' Join one of Canada’s leading environmental health scientists for a presentation describing the current status of air pollution effects on the health of Canadians and opportunities to reduce these impacts through healthy urban design. * Air quality management strategies have resulted in significant improvements in urban air quality in Canadian cities, yet there remains clear evidence of substantial public health impacts amongst Canadians. Linkages between climate change and air pollution through common emission sources and health impacts will require increased application of traditional health protection measures and climate mitigation approaches that do not compromise air quality. These interactions also suggest novel opportunities for climate, air quality and health co-benefits. Healthy urban design, in which active transportation is facilitated, can lead to emission reductions while providing further potential health benefits through increased physical activity. *Advisor on Tap: [image: image001]Dr. Michael Brauer Professor, * School of Population and Public Health The University of British Columbia *Michael Brauer* is a Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at The University of British Columbia. He also directs the Bridge Program – a strategic training program linking public health, engineering and policy. He is recognized internationally for his research on air pollution exposure and health impacts. He has participated in studies throughout the world and served on advisory committees to the World Health Organization, the US National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, the International Joint Commission and governments in North America and Asia. * *

1 0

FW: Science Matters | Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike
by Kevin Miller 27 May '11

27 May '11

There's probably nothing here that most of us don't know, but it's nice to see cycling as the topic of David Suzuki's weekly column (which appears in many newspapers). Kevin Miller <k.a.miller(a)mts.net> _____ From: David Suzuki Foundation [mailto:subscribers@davidsuzuki.org] Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:39 AM http://tinyurl.com/43ytvhy Having trouble reading this email? View it online <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd12cc612feadcd1b7a63f488a0612cc98 d649e7c36b86a320> . David Suzuki Foundation header <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/20thhead-04.jpg> Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike dtsbike <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/dtsbike.jpg> By David Suzuki A U.K. man recently built a bicycle entirely out of wood, with no plastic or metal parts. Everything, including the wheels, gears, and seat, are wood. Inventor Michael Thompson, who made the "SplinterBike <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdce389bca770edb6752f7f6a1bdc41d9f 35e16c218553dfda> " on a bet with a friend, says it can travel up to 50 kilometres an hour. What's amazing is that, almost 200 years after the first two-wheeler was made, people are still able to come up with innovative ideas for one of the simplest and most practical and efficient transportation devices ever invented. Even though I'm impressed by Thompson's wooden bike, and by those with bamboo or wood frames, I'll stick with my old metal-frame bike. I'm just happy that cycling is becoming more popular all the time, and that the city where I live, Vancouver, is making life easier for cyclists. After all, riding a bike is good for your health and the environment. As the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition points out in its promotion of Bike to Work Week (May 30 - June 5 in several Canadian cities), cycling to work is enjoyable, helps you get and stay in shape, and burns off stress. And when you consider gridlock and traffic, it's often as fast as or faster than driving. It's also way more efficient than car travel. According to the WorldWatch <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd7a725db2b7c0035cc5e8568a547e9fb3 e87e53732ceb4e0e> Institute, a bicycle needs 35 calories per passenger mile, while a car uses 1,860. Reducing your need to stop at the gas pump is both good for the environment and for your pocketbook, especially as gas prices continue to rise. Private automobiles create about 12 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, and road transportation in general creates as much as one quarter. Riding a bike doesn't create any emissions. And it's not just gas that costs money. Buying, insuring, and maintaining a car, not to mention paying for parking, costs thousands of dollars a year. Of course, cycling isn't practical for everyone, and it's not always possible to ride - although I've seen my share of die-hard cyclists even on rare Vancouver snow days. But with proper clothing and gear, many people can ride for most of the year in urban centres. And the money saved from not driving is often enough to pay for public transit or taxis on days when cycling isn't possible. Our cities will become more livable and our environment cleaner when more people get out of their cars and onto their bikes. But we still have a long way to go in Canada. Only about one per cent of trips are made by bike here (although Vancouver <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd26820283112d7780b1893af92005aeb0 0d3b140b853dd3af> is higher, at about four per cent), whereas in many parts of Europe, the number is more than 30 per cent. In Amsterdam, 38 per cent of trips are made by bike, thanks to pro-cycling policies adopted since the 1970s. Resistance to change is inevitable, and in Vancouver we've seen some backlash against the expanding network of bike lanes. Many people still believe we should be shelling out loads of money for pavement and parking lots so that individual people can propel themselves to work and shopping in a two-tonne emissions-spewing machine. Others have complained that, because the bike lanes were not immediately crammed with cyclists, they're a waste of money and get in the way of cars and business. But as Amsterdam shows, investing in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure eventually pays off in many ways. As more people take up cycling, it also becomes safer. Although, those who worry about the safety of cycling might be interested in a British Medical Association study that found the health risks of inactivity are 20 times greater than the risks from cycling. For employers <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd18962cc79cbfb44edd6629d4f4e47aac b0ab2a9f240d68dd> , the benefits of encouraging cycling are numerous. A Dutch study found that people who cycle to work take fewer sick days, and research has shown they are generally happier and less stressed. Cyclists can also avoid traffic jams and are not as likely to be late for work. And bike lock-ups cost far less than car-parking facilities. Whether your bike has a state-of-the-art bamboo frame or is a clunky old off-roader, why not try riding it to work, and not just during Bike to Work week? You'll be happy you did. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation editorial and communications specialist Ian Hanington share on: <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/share.gif> <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdfeeebf715c7180e2c4d72a8b17c14837 c1d3bf92d9cde3f9> facebook logo <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0596e0525fb80fdba85550434272265b 565a620db72b6f15> twitter logo This email was sent to k.a.miller(a)mts.net Take <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0753c23ff3e558a4b65865dbc3001936 669cfce2bc7fe7d9> Action | Donate <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd2f5e93a01523dcb6ee5e50f9f064ea68 507e3f7c6d0978ed> | Unsubscribe <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdb929c68e2ac708f820387bfee6deea15 1d862d4825a00e40> | Privacy <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd596b49828cbc680e758e630ea3e1747b f5cedf19ce9e178a> Policy David <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdc6237878403c8494ad6a4a2c265b10c5 d45d12a057533c3e> Suzuki Foundation 219-2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6K 4S2 604-732-4228 | contact(a)davidsuzuki.org <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/tagline.gif>

1 0

FW: Science Matters | Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike
by Kevin Miller 27 May '11

27 May '11

There's probably nothing here that most of us don't know, but it's nice to see cycling as the topic of David Suzuki's weekly column (which appears in many newspapers). Kevin Miller <k.a.miller(a)mts.net> _____ From: David Suzuki Foundation [mailto:subscribers@davidsuzuki.org] Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:39 AM http://tinyurl.com/43ytvhy Having trouble reading this email? View it online <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd12cc612feadcd1b7a63f488a0612cc98 d649e7c36b86a320> . David Suzuki Foundation header <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/20thhead-04.jpg> Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike dtsbike <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/dtsbike.jpg> By David Suzuki A U.K. man recently built a bicycle entirely out of wood, with no plastic or metal parts. Everything, including the wheels, gears, and seat, are wood. Inventor Michael Thompson, who made the "SplinterBike <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdce389bca770edb6752f7f6a1bdc41d9f 35e16c218553dfda> " on a bet with a friend, says it can travel up to 50 kilometres an hour. What's amazing is that, almost 200 years after the first two-wheeler was made, people are still able to come up with innovative ideas for one of the simplest and most practical and efficient transportation devices ever invented. Even though I'm impressed by Thompson's wooden bike, and by those with bamboo or wood frames, I'll stick with my old metal-frame bike. I'm just happy that cycling is becoming more popular all the time, and that the city where I live, Vancouver, is making life easier for cyclists. After all, riding a bike is good for your health and the environment. As the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition points out in its promotion of Bike to Work Week (May 30 - June 5 in several Canadian cities), cycling to work is enjoyable, helps you get and stay in shape, and burns off stress. And when you consider gridlock and traffic, it's often as fast as or faster than driving. It's also way more efficient than car travel. According to the WorldWatch <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd7a725db2b7c0035cc5e8568a547e9fb3 e87e53732ceb4e0e> Institute, a bicycle needs 35 calories per passenger mile, while a car uses 1,860. Reducing your need to stop at the gas pump is both good for the environment and for your pocketbook, especially as gas prices continue to rise. Private automobiles create about 12 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, and road transportation in general creates as much as one quarter. Riding a bike doesn't create any emissions. And it's not just gas that costs money. Buying, insuring, and maintaining a car, not to mention paying for parking, costs thousands of dollars a year. Of course, cycling isn't practical for everyone, and it's not always possible to ride - although I've seen my share of die-hard cyclists even on rare Vancouver snow days. But with proper clothing and gear, many people can ride for most of the year in urban centres. And the money saved from not driving is often enough to pay for public transit or taxis on days when cycling isn't possible. Our cities will become more livable and our environment cleaner when more people get out of their cars and onto their bikes. But we still have a long way to go in Canada. Only about one per cent of trips are made by bike here (although Vancouver <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd26820283112d7780b1893af92005aeb0 0d3b140b853dd3af> is higher, at about four per cent), whereas in many parts of Europe, the number is more than 30 per cent. In Amsterdam, 38 per cent of trips are made by bike, thanks to pro-cycling policies adopted since the 1970s. Resistance to change is inevitable, and in Vancouver we've seen some backlash against the expanding network of bike lanes. Many people still believe we should be shelling out loads of money for pavement and parking lots so that individual people can propel themselves to work and shopping in a two-tonne emissions-spewing machine. Others have complained that, because the bike lanes were not immediately crammed with cyclists, they're a waste of money and get in the way of cars and business. But as Amsterdam shows, investing in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure eventually pays off in many ways. As more people take up cycling, it also becomes safer. Although, those who worry about the safety of cycling might be interested in a British Medical Association study that found the health risks of inactivity are 20 times greater than the risks from cycling. For employers <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd18962cc79cbfb44edd6629d4f4e47aac b0ab2a9f240d68dd> , the benefits of encouraging cycling are numerous. A Dutch study found that people who cycle to work take fewer sick days, and research has shown they are generally happier and less stressed. Cyclists can also avoid traffic jams and are not as likely to be late for work. And bike lock-ups cost far less than car-parking facilities. Whether your bike has a state-of-the-art bamboo frame or is a clunky old off-roader, why not try riding it to work, and not just during Bike to Work week? You'll be happy you did. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation editorial and communications specialist Ian Hanington share on: <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/share.gif> <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdfeeebf715c7180e2c4d72a8b17c14837 c1d3bf92d9cde3f9> facebook logo <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0596e0525fb80fdba85550434272265b 565a620db72b6f15> twitter logo This email was sent to k.a.miller(a)mts.net Take <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0753c23ff3e558a4b65865dbc3001936 669cfce2bc7fe7d9> Action | Donate <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd2f5e93a01523dcb6ee5e50f9f064ea68 507e3f7c6d0978ed> | Unsubscribe <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdb929c68e2ac708f820387bfee6deea15 1d862d4825a00e40> | Privacy <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd596b49828cbc680e758e630ea3e1747b f5cedf19ce9e178a> Policy David <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdc6237878403c8494ad6a4a2c265b10c5 d45d12a057533c3e> Suzuki Foundation 219-2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6K 4S2 604-732-4228 | contact(a)davidsuzuki.org <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/tagline.gif>

1 0

WFP: Teen cyclist killed
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '11

27 May '11

Teen cyclist killed AN 18-year-old cyclist has died after being hit by a semi-trailer in Steinbach Thursday afternoon. The crash happened at 2.45 p.m. at the junction of highways 12 and 52. The semi was hauling hogs and was travelling west on Highway 52 when the male driver hit the cyclist. The cyclist, a woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. RCMP continue to investigate. Alcohol was not a factor. *Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 27, 2011 A11*

1 0

In some cities, not walking is as dangerous as walking
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '11

27 May '11

In Some Cities, Not Walking is as Dangerous as Walking<http://alttransport.com/2011/05/in-some-cities-not-walking-is-as-dangerous-…> by Joseph Cutrufo <http://alttransport.com/author/jcutrufo/> on Thursday, May 26, 2011 http://alttransport.com/2011/05/in-some-cities-not-walking-is-as-dangerous-… What’s more dangerous in your community? Walking or not walking? If walking isn’t a safe way to travel in your city, *not walking* may be just as dangerous. The American Colleges of Sports Medicine’s American Fitness Index<http://www.americanfitnessindex.org/quickview.htm>(AFI) and Transportaton for America’s Pedestrian Danger Index<http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/states/worst-metros/>(PDI) may not at first blush appear to have much in common with one another, except for the fact that they were both released this week. The American Fitness Index is a “scientific snapshot of the state of health and fitness at the metropolitan level,” while the Pedestrian Danger Index is a “measure of the relative risk of walking, adjusted for exposure.” So where’s the connection? The metropolitan areas that the AFI ranks among the healthiest and fittest, are by and large among the safest places for walking, while many of the unhealthiest, least fit metro areas are also some of the most dangerous for pedestrians. In other words, if you manage not to be killed trying to cross the street, you’re still at increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, asthma and obesity. Minneapolis, which got the top spot<http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/fitness/articles/2011/05/…>on the AFI’s list of 50 metro areas, was ranked the 48th most dangerous metro area out of 52 in the Pedestrian Danger Index. Boston<http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-25/news/29582658_1_pedestrian-danger-ind…>was named the least dangerous metro for pedestrians in the PDI, and was ranked third fittest in the AFI. The Pacific Northwest also had strong correlations between fitness and safety: Portland<http://www.oregon.statenews.net/story.php?rid=45627572>, San Francisco<http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2011/5/25/san-francisco-sacram…>and Seattle<http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2011/05/23/seattle-falls-in-healthy…>were all, not surprisingly, ranked in the top quintile for fitness and in the bottom quintile for danger. On the flipside, Tampa was ranked the second most dangerous metro for pedestrians, and was 40th in terms of fitness. While the PDI’s four most dangerous metros are in Florida<http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/25/us-florida-pedestrians-idUSTRE74O…>, many of the strongest correlations between fitness and pedestrian safety were more spread out geographically: The Inland Empire<http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/05/25/study-finds-inland-empire-region-among-…>region of Riverside and San Bernardino, California (5th most dangerous, 44th fittest), Las Vegas<http://www.8newsnow.com/story/14715691/las-vegas-6th-most-dangerous-for-ped…>(6th most dangerous, 43rd fittest), Memphis<http://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2011/05/24/memphis-bad-for-pe…>(7th most dangerous, 48th fittest) and Houston<http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/05/24/houston-in-top-10-on-ped…>(9th most dangerous, 42nd fittest). We’re quick to point the finger at the American diet and the US health care system for obesity and other chronic diseases, but these reports suggest the physical layout of our metro areas and how we move about within them are also to blame. Because of infrastructure that favors automobile travel over active transportation, the odds are stacked doubly high against people living in the least fit, least walkable places. Even those who want to start walking for health or transportation purposes struggle to do so because there’s nowhere safe to walk. The full American Fitness Index report and the Pedestrian Danger Index — part of T4America’s *Dangerous by Design 2011* — are available here<http://www.americanfitnessindex.org/docs/reports/2011_afi_report_final.pdf>and here <http://t4america.org/docs/dangerousbydesign/dangerous_by_design.pdf>.

1 0

Walking on sunshine - 10 am today kick-off Commuter Challenge
by Beth McKechnie 26 May '11

26 May '11

*Looking for an excuse to get outside and enjoy some sunshine this morning? Walk, pedal, bus over to the official kick-off of the 2011 Commuter Challenge! * *When?* 10 a.m., TODAY *Where?* Manitoba Hydro Place outdoor plaza (corner of Edmonton and Graham) *What?* The Commuter Challenge, which takes place from June 5-11, is an annual friendly competition that encourages Manitobans to choose active and green commuting options. Individuals who bus, walk, cycle, carpool, telecommute or use any form of green commuting during that week are eligible to win great prizes! Manitobans can visit www.GreenActionCentre.ca<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/>to register as an employee with their workplace or as an individual, and log their green km during the week of the Commuter Challenge.

1 0

City of Winnipeg Job Posting: Community Climate Change Coordinator (2 year term)
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '11

25 May '11

http://www.winnipeg.ca/resumeol/peoplesoft/job_req.asp?req=107422 Community Climate Change Coordinator (Planner 3) - Temporary 2 year Term *Posting NO.107422 *COMMUNITY CLIMATE CHANGE COORDINATOR (PLANNER 3) TEMPORARY 2 YEAR TERM PLANNING, PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT POSTING NO. 107422 The City of Winnipeg is currently accepting resumes to fill a temporary 2 year term Community Climate Change Coordinator (Planner 3) position for the Planning Property and Development Department. Under the direction of the Environmental Coordinator, the Climate Change Planner leads and facilitates the development of climate change action plans and coordinates corporate climate change actions across the organization. Engages and fosters relationships and partnerships with the community, various government departments, local agencies, community-based organizations and the private sector to achieve action on climate change priorities. Qualifications: 1. Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Public Administration, Environmental Studies/Science, Geography, Natural Resource Management OR Master¿s Degree in City Planning, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Studies/Science, Geography, Public Administration is desirable. 2. A minimum of three (3) years experience in planning/implementing environmental initiatives. 3. Demonstrated organizational, analytical and decision-making abilities. 4. Proven ability to build consensus, to inspire confidence and to lead. 5. Demonstrated ability to analyze complex issues and develop practical solutions. 6. Strong interpersonal skills, including communication (both oral and written), facilitation and collaboration skills. 7. Public presentation and formal report preparation skills. 8. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective professional and working relationships with a wide variety of people (including elected and senior appointed officials). 9. Demonstrated political astuteness and sound judgment. 10. Positive, team oriented, confident attitude. 11. Ability to operate a personal computer and associated software (word processing, spreadsheet applications). 12. Demonstrated knowledge of local government issues and working knowledge of organizational change, theory and practice. 13. Knowledge of economic development issues as related to sustainable development at the community and neighbourhood level. 14. Knowledge of climate change. A Criminal Record Check will be required for the successful candidate, at their expense. A comprehensive salary and benefits package is offered. Interested applicants should submit a resume indicating Posting Number 107422 to: Competition Coordinator, Planning, Property and Development Department, Mezzanine, Unit 78 - 30 Fort Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 4X7 or apply online at www.winnipeg.ca/hr on or before 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. City of Winnipeg on-line: http://www.winnipeg.ca Online Application Form<http://www.winnipeg.ca/resumeol/peoplesoft/apply.asp> *THE CITY OF WINNIPEG IS AN EMPLOYMENT EQUITY EMPLOYER ABORIGINAL PERSONS, WOMEN, VISIBLE MINORITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SELF-DECLARE IN THEIR COVERING LETTER *

1 0

Nova Scotia success: Province will lower speeds in school zones
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '11

25 May '11

Yesterday the Province of Nova Scotia announced that it will reduce speeds in school zones from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. The Ecology Action Centre’s Active & Safe Routes to School program has been asking for this change since last fall. Find the news release here: http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20110524004. Ecology Action Centre congratulates the Nova Scotia government for making this change. It will contribute to making streets in our school communities safer, especially for children and youth who walk or wheel to school. Here are two short media clips on the announcement: http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/869412--school-zone-speeds-to… http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1245137.html (scroll down to the third item). Janet Barlow, Coordinator Active & Safe Routes to School Ecology Action Centre 2705 Fern Lane, Halifax, NS B3K 4L3 asrts(a)ecologyaction.ca (902) 442-5055 www.saferoutesns.ca Follow ASRTS on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asrts Help us celebrate our birthday with 40 days of action! www.ecologyaction.ca/40days

1 0

E-Bulletin - Recreation Connections Manitoba
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '11

25 May '11

FYI... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Cory Jackson <recconnections(a)sportmanitoba.ca> Date: Tue, May 24, 2011 at 12:50 PM Subject: [Physical-activity-coalition-mb] E-Bulletin - Recreation Connections Manitoba *After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project * *Call for Applications Reminder* Applications for pilot program funding for After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project are being accepted until Friday, *May 27, 2011*. The pilot programs will focus on increasing physical activity, healthy eating and active transportation in existing after school programs. If you are interested in having your after school program involved please visit our website at www.afterschoolmanitoba.ca for more information and an application form. I would also like to point out an error in the Information Package – Appendix B – Blended Program Framework. On the chart there are two boxes with the heading “Recreation 30%”. The heading for the lower box (left hand side) should read “Learning 20%”. There are also two boxes with the heading “Health 20%”. The heading for the lower box (right hand side) should read “Local Content 30%” For more information, please contact Roy Mulligan, Project Coordinator at (204) 925-5751 or via email at recconnections.pro(a)sportmanitoba.ca . ** *RCM Provincial Conference 2012* *Call for Presenters* *February 29 - March 2, 2012* *Winnipeg, Manitoba* Recreation Connections Manitoba (RCM) is seeking qualified workshop and keynote presenters for the 2012 Recreation Connections Manitoba Annual Provincial Conference. The conference will be held at the Victoria Inn, Winnipeg, Manitoba February 29 - March 2, 2012. Those interested in presenting at the event are asked to fill out the Call for Presenters 2012 online form. Deadline to receive proposals is June 15, 2011. *Please click on the Call for Presenters button on the RCM home page.* For more information, please contact Jackie Onagi, Training and Event Coordinator at (204) 925-5747 or via email at recconnections.events(a)sportmanitoba.ca *Sogo Active*** The Sogo Active Program is a for youth by youth program executed by ParticipACTION Canada along with provincial and territorial partners to motivate young Canadian/Manitobans to get active. Sogo Active puts power in the hands of youth to take charge of their own lives, and to inspire their peers to get moving. It’s a national network that connects youth with their peers and with community organizations. Is your organization looking for funding to run, enhance, or initiate a physical activity initiative that would include or target youth between the age of 13 and 19? Register as a community host at www.sogoactive.com to get started and access funding grants for up to $500. For more information, please contact Jackie Onagi, Provincial Coordinator – Sogo Active at (204) 925-5747 or via email at recconnections.events(a)sportmanitoba.ca *Aquatic Facility Operators Course*** Recreation Connections Manitoba, together with Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors is hosting a 3 day course for Aquatic Facility Operators, June 21st - 23rd in Dauphin. Only a few seats left. Register today. To register, visit the RCM website at www.recconnections.com and click on the Online Event Manager button on the home page. For more information, please contact Jackie Onagi, Training and Event Coordinator at (204) 925-5747 or visit the website at www.recconnections.com…then click on Training and Development….then Aquatics.

1 0

Trails Day Celebrations - Saturday June 4th - 6 GREAT PARTIES !
by Janice Lukes 25 May '11

25 May '11

Good morning on a sunny day in Winnipeg! Here is your invitation to party! Pass this on to your friends / family and co workers! This is our 5th year of celebrating International Trails Day and wow we have lots to celebrate this year ! There are six great & unique parties occurring on six different trail systems in Winnipeg - full details can be found here: http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/2011/05/09/june-4th-trails-day-celebration/ Trails Day Poster is attached. Detailed trail maps can be found here (and more are being posted daily!): http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/trails-maps/ There will be all kinds of FREEBIES at the parties! - bike bells to alert pedestrian - brand new Winnipeg cycling maps, - local food samplings and refreshments, - in motion water bottles, - CBC Live Right now goodies, - massages for feet, bodies and more! The celebrations will occur on some of Winnipeg's classic trails - the Harte Trail, Bishop Grandin Greenway Trail, the Seine River Trail system AND on two of our newest stellar trail systems, the Yellow Ribbon Greenway Trail (be sure to stand under the incoming planes as this trail is right alongside a busy flight path) and the Bishop Grandin Trail West (part of Winnipeg's longest and BEST connected trail system)! See this great article in today's community newspaper (also posted below): http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Trails-Day-set-to -connect-communities--122526619.html Check out Crampton's Market (http://cramptonsmarket.blogspot.com/). Crampton's is located on the Bishop Grandin West Trail and is proving to be an ideal Winnipeg case study on the economic benefits of trails - Crampton's was only accessible by motorized vehicle before the Bishop Grandin Trail West was built. People walking / cycling from even the closest communities of Waverly Heights and Waverly West had to take a vehicle. Today, Crampton's is fully embracing the trail and promoting it - and reaping the economic benefits of being located beside Bishop Grandin West Trail, the east - west connecting AT spine in south Winnipeg! happy trails! Janice Lukes * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CANSTAR Community News article: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Trails-Day-set-to -connect-communities--122526619.html Trails Day set to connect communities by simon.fuller(a)canstarnews.com ( CANSTAR Community News, May 25, 2011) Winnipeggers will soon get the chance to become even more connected. June 4 is Trails Day, when there will be six multi-use trail events for individuals to explore across the city throughout the day. One brand new trail will be Bishop Grandin Trail West - a five-kilometre route that runs west from the Red River at Bishop Grandin Boulevard to McGillivray Boulevard.It was funded by all three levels of government under the banner of the Manitoba Rural Infrastructure Fund. A key event organizer says the new trail - which is also part of the Trans Canada Trail system - will help bring communities in southwest Winnipeg together. "This new trail is a stellar example of community connectivity," said Janice Lukes, manager of special projects for Winnipeg Trails. "It also enables access to the University of Manitoba on the east end and the Kenaston big box shopping centers and FortWhyte Alive on the west end." Lukes, who lives in St. Norbert, said the trail links the communities of University Heights, Waverley Heights, Waverley West, Linden Ridge and Whyte Ridge. On Trails Day, the new route will be showcased by the four-kilometre Cycle Tour - FortWhyte Alive to Crampton's Market, during which participants will get a guided tour of FWA before continuing on the trail for a trip to the market. Erin Crampton, who co-owns and operates Crampton's Market with her partner, Marc DeGagne, is excited about the new trail - not least because she hopes it will improve safety for local cyclists and pedestrians. "I've seen our customers, including mothers with young kids, dodging traffic when they cross the intersection at Bishop and Waverley," said Crampton, who lives in Waverley Heights. "I'm too scared to cycle on these routes. So, for me, the new pathway is absolutely necessary. There are the road warriors, who will nudge their way through traffic on their bikes. But for the rest of us, the new trail will make it safe and easy, which is lovely." When event participants arrive at Crampton's Market, they can expect to find a selection of locally grown produce, dry goods and baked goods, as well as the chance to score goody bags and receive bicycle and sports therapy advice from various organizations. "There will be a whole bunch of local food producers and we'll also be giving out swag bags. People will get a rewards card and receive a sticker at every station they visit. When they get five, they can collect a bag," Crampton said. Other Trail Day events will include Harte Trail's Paw Trek and Dog Show, which starts at Oakdale Street and Ridgewood Avenue in Charleswood and Discover Transcona's Many New Trails, which begins at the Transcona Historical Museum on Regent Avenue West. Crampton's Market is located at 1765 Waverley St. For more information, and downloadable maps, visit www.winnipegtrails.com. Janice Lukes Manager, Special Projects - Winnipeg Trails Rivers West Red River Corridor Inc. 235-614 Des Meurons Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9 Cell (204) 952-4222 Fax (204) 237-4618 <mailto:jlukes@riverswest.ca> jlukes(a)riverswest.ca <http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/> www.WinnipegTrails.ca Member of City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Advisory Committee Chair, Province of Manitoba Active Transportation Advisory Group

1 0

Kick off the Commuter Challenge with us - May 26th, 10am
by Jessie Klassen 24 May '11

24 May '11

*Come and kick-off the 2011 Commuter Challenge!* *When?* 10 a.m., Thursday, May 26 *Where?* Manitoba Hydro Place outdoor plaza Corner of Edmonton and Graham (Rain location: Manitoba Hydro Place foyer) *What?* The Commuter Challenge, which takes place from June 5-11, is an annual friendly competition that encourages Manitobans to choose active and green commuting options. Individuals who bus, walk, cycle, carpool, telecommute or use any form of green commuting during that week are eligible to win great prizes! Manitobans can visit www.GreenActionCentre.ca to register as an employee with their workplace or as an individual, and log their green km during the week of the Commuter Challenge. Last year, over 8,100 employees at 197 workplaces participated, helping Winnipeg snag first place over other cities in our population category, including Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa. Join the Honourable Jim Rondeau, Minister of Healthy Living, Deputy Mayor Justin Swandel, Mr. Lloyd Kuczek, Vice President, Manitoba Hydro, and Green Action Centre to kick-off the 12th annual Commuter Challenge! The Commuter Challenge in Manitoba is organized by Green Action Centre, a non-profit, non-governmental hub for greener living based in Winnipeg. Sponsors of the 2011 Commuter Challenge include: the Government of Manitoba, The City of Winnipeg, Winnipeg Transit, MTS, Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba Hydro, Investor’s Group, Great West Life, Manitoba Public Insurance, and Assiniboine Credit Union. For more information, please contact: Francine Carrier, Commuter Challenge Coordinator Green Action Centre Tel: (204) 925-3779 E: challenge(a)greenactioncentre.ca W: www.GreenActionCentre.ca **

1 0

WFP: Floodway rec plan unveiled - Province reveals pedestrian-centred overpass, trail (May21'11)
by Beth McKechnie 21 May '11

21 May '11

Floodway rec plan unveiled Province reveals pedestrian-centred overpass, trail By: Bill Redekop BIRDS HILL PROVINCIAL PARK -- Former premier Duff Roblin dreamed not just of building a floodway but of developing the floodway corridor for recreational use for all Manitobans. The first one he got built in short order. The latter took 50 years. On Friday, the province gave a glimpse of the first phase of that floodway development that includes construction of a $3-million pedestrian overpass bridge spanning Highway 59, across from the Birds Hill Provincial Park entrance. The bridge is a key component in a 48-kilometre recreational trail for non-motorized travel being built along the west side of the floodway here. The bridge will also connect cyclists and others with Birds Hill Park, which has over 100 kilometres of additional trails, starting at the Cedar Bog Trail. The pedestrian bridge and a portion of the trail -- from about Garven Road to Lockport -- is expected to be completed possibly as early as August. Finishing touches are likely to continue until fall when a grand opening is scheduled. The entire trail, extending as far south as Duff Roblin Provincial Park, at a cost of $6 million in addition to the bridge's cost, will be completed by next summer. It will be open for four-season use including walking, jogging, cycling, in-line skating, cross-country skiing, even dogsledding. There will be a dedicated toboggan hill close to Kirkness Road, north of the Birds Hill Park entrance. There will be up to six staging areas where people can park and load their bikes. Janice Lukes, a director with the Winnipeg Trails Association, expects some people will be skeptical. "It's pretty hard for the average Joe to get the picture," she said. But Lukes has no doubt the trail system, once built, will attract hordes of users. "Just look at the usage that old rail line (the former CPR rail line between Gateway Road and Raleigh Street the city converted into a biking/hiking trail) gets. People are really getting into this," she said. The floodway project is just the north extension of the trail system being built through Winnipeg. You could soon be able to travel on a dedicated recreational trail from the University of Manitoba (following the Rapid Transit Corridor), through The Forks, along the old CPR line that divides Gateway and Raleigh, all the way to Birds Hill Park and beyond to Lockport. "Cycle tourism is a massive industry in Quebec, in Minnesota. We're flat here. We're perfect," Lukes said. The project -- which will also include landscaping and beautification, with the planting of thousands of trees and natural flowers and prairie -- is being undertaken by the Manitoba Floodway Authority. The steel bridge is necessary to hook up with the extensive trail system in Birds Hill Park, and because people are already crossing the highway there. "This is a major safety concern," said Ronuk Modha, floodway authority communications director. The bridge is 4.2 metres wide, from curb to curb. It will have an enclosure similar to wire fencing so people can't fall out or throw things down on traffic. There will also be a viewing area in the centre. About a six-kilometre stretch of trail between Dunning Road and Garven Road is asphalt and already completed. The rest of the trail will be crushed limestone. The floodway authority is also building a three-kilometre trail into Birds Hill Park to hook up to the Cedar Bog Trail. People can't cross the floodway from Birds Hill Park to the floodway's west side when it's full with flood water but that is only one to two months of the year, said Modha. Otherwise, people can cross at Dunning Road, west of the 59er Restaurant. This is just the floodway authority's first phase of development. The second phase will take place on the southern portion of the floodway near St. Mary's Road, Modha said. bill.redekop(a)freepress.mb.ca -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Bixi hits the streets in Ottawa
by Beth McKechnie 18 May '11

18 May '11

CAPITAL BIXI HITS THE STREETS IN CANADA'S CAPITAL http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/capital-bixi-hits-the-streets-in-ca… OTTAWA, May 18 /PRNewswire/ - The* *Capital* *BIXI bike share service officially kicked off today. Residents and visitors in the core of Canada'sCapital will have 24/7 access to 100 bikes located at 10 stations in downtown Ottawa and Gatineau. "The National Capital Commission (NCC) is proud to add another important building block to the cycling infrastructure in the core of Canada'sCapital," said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer at the NCC. "The NCC has been in the cycling business for over 40 years. We've come a long way since the early 1970s and we want to go even further. The Capital BIXI service not only represents a means of active transportation but also a means to build a greener Capital for all to enjoy." "The purpose of the program is to provide immediate access to public bikes as an alternative mode of transportation," said Alain Ayotte, President at the Public Bike System Company. "The BIXI bikes are designed to complement public transit, and as such, they are intended for one-way trips of less than 30 minutes. At the end of the trip, the bike can be dropped off at any of the 10 docking stations. We're convinced local residents and tourists will quickly embrace Capital BIXI." *PARTNERSHIPS* The NCC and the Public Bike System Company are proud to welcome TELUS as the major sponsor of the Capital BIXI bike share service. "TELUS is thrilled to help bring easy, accessible and economical bike sharing to Canada's Capital Region with Capital BIXI," said Michael Sangster, Vice-President at TELUS. "Support for healthier cities is an important part of TELUS' 'give where we live' philosophy, which our team members live every day. Initiatives like the Capital BIXI bike share further our mission by giving Canadians an opportunity to be good stewards of the environment while staying active in our day to day lives." The NCC is pleased to announce that Public Works and Government Services Canada will be adding a station to the Capital BIXI network. The NCC is also in discussion with Environment Canada for stations at their buildings. The NCC looks forward to the participation of public and private organizations who are interested in providing the bike share service to their employees and their partners. The NCC, the City of Ottawa and Ville de Gatineau continue to partner on significant cycling initiatives in Canada's Capital. *CAPITAL BIXI EXPERIENCE* Regular users can purchase a monthly ($28) or yearly ($78) Capital BIXI subscription which entitles them to a BIXI-key. Members then use their BIXI-key to take out a bike at any station in the network. Non-members can purchase a 24-hour pass ($5) or a 72-hour pass ($12) directly at the station. Users can take out a bike as often as they like for 30 minutes or less. Fees apply to longer trips, the second half-hour will cost $1.50 and the third half-hour will cost $3. General information and subscription details can be found at capital.bixi.com. The first 100 annual subscribers will receive founding member status and a distinctive dark purple BIXI-key to access the service. Subscribers can also take advantage of a $10 discount on a monthly pass, until June 30, 2011. *About the National Capital Commission (NCC) * The NCC is a federal Crown corporation whose mandate is to create pride and unity through Canada's Capital Region by making the Capital a meeting place that communicates Canada to Canadians. As the steward of federal lands, national landmarks, parks, transportation infrastructures and buildings, the NCC takes great pride in developing and planning a Capital that today's visitors will enjoy and that future generations will treasure. *About BIXI and the Public Bike System Company (PBSC) * PBSC is responsible for the implementation of the Capital BIXI service in Canada's Capital Region. PBSC offers a highly advanced bike sharing system on three continents, to private campuses and cities, such as London (UK), Melbourne (AU), Minneapolis, Washington and Arlington (USA). *About TELUS * TELUS is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.9 billion of annual revenue and 12.3 million customer connections including 7 million wireless subscribers, 3.7 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and more than 350,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. For more information about TELUS, please visit TELUS.com<http://www.telus.com/>. To learn more about TELUS' commitment to the community, please visit TELUS.com/community <http://www.telus.com/community>. For more information regarding the bike share service Capital BIXI, please contact the Public Bike System Company at 1-855-CAP-BIXI or 1-855-227-2494 (toll free), or visit the website at capital.bixi.com. SOURCE BIXI - PUBLIC BIKE SYSTEM COMPANY -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Active & Green Spring 2011 E-Newsletter
by Jessie Klassen 17 May '11

17 May '11

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=32490864f8…> Let us help! *Looking to improve commuter options at 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 the various commuting options, as well as fuel-efficient driving, creating a commuter friendly workplace, and greening the workplace. Talk to us about implementing a Smart Trips<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>program at your workplace. ------------------------------ Upcoming Events: *Winnipeg Transit Bus Tutorial<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> May 24th <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>Trails Day Celebration<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> June 4th Commuter Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> June 5-11th Clean Air Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> June 8th Bike to Work Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> June 24th Ciclovia<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> September 11th* ------------------------------ Green Action Centre staff whip up a bike blender smoothie on a sunny afternoon! Like what you read? Become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>of Green Action Centre (membership is free!), visit our website at greenactioncentre.ca<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>, or make a donation<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>. Commuter Challenge It’s that time of year again – time to sign up your workplace<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>for the Commuter Challenge! Take part in this friendly competition to explore greener transportation options for personal, environmental, and community health, and for a chance to win great prizes<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>! If you are already signed up and looking to spread the word to other workplaces, send new recruits here<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>and you will both be entered to win a $75 gift certificate to the store of your choice. Motivate your coworkers with our list<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>of fun ideas compiled by past workplace coordinators. ------------------------------ *FREE transit to Folk Fest* (and sing this retro transit song along the way) Take the Festival Express<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>bus to the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year. It’s free and you won’t need to worry about parking or idling in a long line at the end of the night. Wagons, strollers and gear are welcome on all buses leaving from the Downtown area every 30 minutes and the McPhillips Station Casino every 60 minutes. Stay right to the end of the night and catch the last bus home before drivers even leave the parking lot. Before you catch the bus, watch this hidden gem of a video<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>encouraging Winnipegers to try transit in the 1980s. This might make a good song for the trip out to Birds Hill! ------------------------------ *All things bike-worthy!* Find your ride to work (and other destinations) with the 2011 Winnipeg Bike Map! Update your route to take advantage of the $20.4 million worth of new cycling and pedestrian infrastructure built last year. The bike map will be available at the end of May for FREE at bike stores and other retailers along with places like Green Action Centre. Not comfortable riding in traffic? Register for a Commuter Cycling Skills course through the City's Leisure Guide<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>(see page 81). Taught by CAN-BIKE certified instructors from Bike to the Future<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>, the next half-day course takes place Sunday, May 29. We could all learn a tip or two! Whether you're a seasoned commuting cyclist or new to the seat, join hundreds of other Winnipeggers biking to work during the Commuter Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>(June 5-11) and on Bike to Work Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>(Friday, June 24). Even CAA is joining the bike-olution with their new Bike Assist<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>program that offers roadside assistance 24/7 for cyclists. CAA is also attempting to broker some increased respect and safety amongst road users with their Watch for Bikes<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>campaign. ------------------------------ *Bus, walk, bike, carshare?* Need a car but only sometimes? Carsharing could be the answer and it's now in Winnipeg! Peg City Car Co-op<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>gives you easy and affordable access to zippy little cars without the hassle and cost of owning your own vehicle. With gas prices soaring, this is one solution that is easy on the pocketbook and can fit nicely into your life if you mostly get around by bus, walking or cycling. Peg City Car Co-op's first vehicles will be located in Osborne Village with plans to expand into neighbouring areas as the number of members and cars in the fleet grow. ------------------------------ *Commuting takes its toll* A recent U.S. survey<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>found that 4% of employees – a whopping 5 million people – called in sick because they couldn't face their commute to work. Almost half of respondents noted that the valuable time spent commuting has a significant impact on their job satisfaction, with a third saying it played a role in their decision of where to work. So how can employers help? The good folks at Grist magazine <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>have a few suggestions. For the local perspective, check out Green Action Centre's Workplace Commuter Options<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>program and ideas, including 7 steps<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>to get you started and making the business case<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>for improving commuting options. You are receiving this email because you are an Active & Green subscriber. Unsubscribe<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/unsubscribe?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> jessie_klassen(a)hotmail.com from this list. Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Add us to your address book<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f5…> Copyright (C) 2011 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. Forward<http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=324…>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/?aid=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&afl=1>

1 0

Please vote for Green Action Centre's WOW project
by Beth McKechnie 16 May '11

16 May '11

Hello friends and colleagues, Green Action Centre's WOW (We Often Walk to School and Play) program was selected by the Keg Foundation as a potential winner of $25,000 towards expanding/developing this project! We hope you will consider supporting us by voting for our project! Details on "We Often Walk to School and Play" can be found by clicking on the project picture on the link below. If you are so inclined, you can VOTE for our project ONCE PER DAY up till June 14 at : http://www.thekegthanksamillion.com/en/phase2/projects/show/r/19 Please share this link widely with others who might be willing to help. thanks! Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Montreal: City cycling network 'to keep getting better'
by Beth McKechnie 16 May '11

16 May '11

City cycling network 'to keep getting better' *Another $10M invested to expand, improve routes* By MICHELLE LALONDE, The Gazette May 13, 2011 Montreal cyclists will be cruising along 70 new kilometres of bicycle routes by next fall if the city follows through on a promise to invest another $10 million in its cycling network this summer. Michel Bissonnet, the city official responsible for bike paths, on Thursday unveiled the city's 2011-12 plan for expanding and improving the cycling network, which already offers 530 kilometres of lanes and paths. "We want our network of bike routes to keep getting better, more accessible and better-integrated, so that the bicycle becomes a real alternative to car use," Bissonnet said. The city has pledged the network will measure 800 km by 2015, but achievements over the last two years have fallen short because of bad weather and a change in the contracting process. Last year, the city completed 23.4 km of the 50 km that had been planned. In 2009, it was 42 km of 60. Nonetheless, cycling advocates welcomed Thursday's blueprint for summer, noting it includes many small extensions that connect gaps in the network, and a couple of promising pilot projects to improve safety at busy intersections. "Improvements can't always be measured in kilometres," said Jean-François Pronovost, who heads Vélo Québec. The city will try the "bike box" concept, popular in many European cities, at the corner of Milton and University Sts. A painted green box across the width of the road in front of the white line where cars must stop will allow cyclists to wait in front of cars and proceed through the intersection first. Also, new concrete medians will separate bike lanes from car traffic at three intersections along the busy St. Urbain St. bike lane (at Pine Ave., St. Cuthbert St. and Duluth Ave.) Other highlights: --The de Maisonneuve Blvd. bike path will be extended east from Berri St. to Dorion St. to give cyclists safer access to the Jacques Cartier Bridge. --Bicycle commuters from Laval will be able to take advantage of new bike lanes that link to the downtown bike path network, from the Viau Bridge down along Berri, Lajeunesse, Émile Journault, Henri-Julien, De Castelnau and St. Dominique Sts. --In LaSalle, cyclists will be able get from the Lachine Canal bike path to the path along the river by taking a new route down Senkus St. to Cordner St., then west along Cordner, Hardy, and Bédard Sts. to 90th Ave. ner St., then west along Cordner, Hardy, and Bédard Sts. to 90th Ave. An updated map of the bike path network, including Bixi stops, will be available by the end of May at Accès Montréal offices, libraries, and bike shops. Information on the new projects, as well as the bike network map, are posted on the city's website: www. ville.montreal.qc.ca mlalonde@ montrealgazette.com © Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

1 0

Positive results for Walkable Edmonton's communities on foot map series
by Beth McKechnie 12 May '11

12 May '11

*Walkable Edmonton - Taking Steps E-News* http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=252445&q=312226532&qz=… While Walkable Edmonton has had lots of positive feedback around our Communities on Foot Map Series, we now are fortunate to have a study undertaken by the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta looking at the Avenue Communities Walking Map that was released this past summer. The study showed some really positive indicators around the maps encouraging people to get out walking and connect with their communities. * Executive Summary*: http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/Home/2656/3801/link252445/FINAL%20E… -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Analysis of Bicycling Trends and Policies in Large N.A. Cities (Pucher, 2011)
by Beth McKechnie 11 May '11

11 May '11

Analysis of Bicycling Trends and Policies in Large North American Cities: Lessons for New York*Source: University Transportation Research Center (Region 2)* *Download*: http://fulltextreports.com/2011/04/11/analysis-of-bicycling-trends-and-poli… [Note: this is an extension of the "Bicycling Renaissance in North America" journal article that was distributed previously. -Beth] This research report reviews trends in cycling levels, safety, and policies in large North American cities over the past two decades. We analyze aggregate national data as well as city- specific case study data for nine large cities (Chicago, Minneapolis, Montréal, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC). Cycling levels have increased in both the USA and Canada, while cyclist fatalities have fallen. The number of bike commuters in the USA rose by 64% from 1990 to 2009, and the bike share of commuters rose from 0.4% to 0.6%. Over the shorter period from 1996 to 2006, the number of bike commuters in Canada rose by 42%, and the bike share of commuters rose from 1.1% to 1.3%. >From 1988 to 2008, cycling fatalities fell by 66% in Canada and by 21% in the USA; serious injuries fell by 40% in Canada and by 31% in the USA. There is much spatial variation and socioeconomic inequality in cycling rates. The bike share of work commuters is more than twice as high in Canada as in the USA, and is higher in the western parts of both countries. Cycling is concentrated in central cities, especially near universities and in gentrified neighborhoods near the city center. Almost all the growth in cycling in the USA has been among men between 25-64 years old, while cycling rates have remained steady among women and fallen sharply for children. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Webinar: Using Social Media to Improve Bicycle & Ped Facilities, Wed, May 18, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '11

10 May '11

* Green Action Centre will host a Winnipeg viewing of the following APBP (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals) webinar on Using Social Media to Improve Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities on Wednesday, May 18. If you would like to join us for a group viewing of this webinar, please let me know at beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca. See you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 ------------------------------ Using Social Media to Improve Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Wednesday, May 18 • 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT * *Location: EcoCentre boardroom, 303 Portage Ave, 3rd floor (enter via elevator inside Mountain Equipment Co-op)* Recent current events have demonstrated that social media offer serious and effective tools for change. Join this APBP webinar on May 18 at 2:00 p.m. CDT to explore different types of social media and their potential for helping bicycle and pedestrian professionals and advocates build powerful coalitions, foster community, and reach new audiences. A trio of presenters from three areas of practice—consulting, advocacy, and government—who are using social media and Web 2.0 tools creatively and successfully will share their insights and experience. The session will include a brief explanation of different tools and their uses, a discussion of policies and best practices for managing content, and case studies that showcase different real world examples of social media helping to improve bike/ped facilities and conditions: Bike|Walk|Idaho, the NE 125th Street road diet project in Seattle, and Cascade Bicycle Club's BikeWise.org project. Presenters are Brice Maryman, ASLA, SvR Design; Maureen Gresham, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, Idaho Transportation Department; and Chris Rule, Political Program Manager, Cascade Bicycle Club.

1 0

Changing Lanes: Improving the Bike-Car Relationship on Canada's Roads (CAA)
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '11

10 May '11

*PLEASE NOTE*: The organizers have advised that there will be more details available by next Wednesday regarding the webcast, plus they are intending to record the conference for later viewing. We at Green Action Centre are interested in hearing some of the excellent speakers lined up for this conference, so will keep you informed as to a potential group viewing for those who are interested. [image: CAA_Changing_Lanes_503x384web-EN.jpg] CAA has always advocated on issues of concern to its members, and today that includes how bikes and vehicles can better co-exist on Canada’s roads. Millions of our members are both drivers and cyclists, and they see the debate from both sides. Our goal is to provide neutral information, tips and best practices so members can drive and cycle safely. CAA is putting its commitment to the bike-car relationship into action through the services we offer. For example, several CAA clubs offer Emergency Roadside Assistance to bicyclists year round as part of the CAA membership. As part of our commitment to further the bike-car discussion, CAA is hosting a national conference on the topic. Changing Lanes: Improving the Bike-Car Relationship on Canada’s Roads will be hosted on May 25th, 2011, in Vancouver, B.C. The conference will bring together leading international and domestic experts to discuss the latest thinking on bike/car safety, infrastructure, and the business opportunities and costs of increasing the presence of bicycles in our cities. *Conference topics include:* - “Building a Better Connection” – How can we build infrastructure that supports a smoother relationship for drivers and cyclists? - “A Safer Way Forward” - A discussion about strategies and actions that both drivers and cyclists can adopt to help make the road ahead a bit safer for us all. - “The Business Cycle” - Engaging proponents and opponents in the ongoing debate about the real costs and opportunities for business of more biking in Canadian cities. *Confirmed speakers include:* - Gil Penalosa, Executive Director, 8-80 cities, Toronto - Margaret Mahan, Executive Director, Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (B.E.S.T), Vancouver - Jean-François Pronovost, Vice-President, Development and Public Affairs, Vélo Québec, Montreal - Eleanor McMahon, Founder and C.E.O., Share the Road Cycling Coalition, Burlington, Ontario - Hans-Jurgen Becker, Velocities 2012, Vancouver - Jennifer Dill, Oregon Transportation Consortium , Portland … and many more! Email: For further information, please contact us at 613-247-0117 ext. 2006 or via email at changinglanes(a)national.caa.ca. Webcasting: Please join us on May 25th for simultaneous coverage of Changing Lanes. Please feel free to submit any questions you may have for our panellists to changinglanes(a)national.caa.ca or participate in our live chat on the day of the conference.

1 0

After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project News
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '11

10 May '11

Recreation Connections Manitoba and Green Action Centre are pleased to announce the latest exciting developments in the After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project. *Website* We invite you to visit the new After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project website at www.afterschoolmanitoba.ca Officially launched as of May 6, 2011, the website includes information on the project; resources related to after school programs, physical activity, nutrition, and active transportation and will be used to keep stakeholders informed on the project and related topics. Interactive features to encourage information sharing and communication among after school program providers will be developed over the next while. *Call for Applications* The After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project has released a Call for Applications for after school providers interested in participating as a pilot site during the 2011 – 2012 school year. Funding of up to $10,000 will be provided to assist after school programs, for children ages 6 – 12 years, increase physical activity, healthy eating and active transportation within their program. A minimum of *6* sites from across the province will be selected to participate. The deadline for applications is *May 27, 2011*. For more information and to download the application form and an information package with background information, application process and eligibility criteria please visit www.afterschoolmanitoba.ca Roy Mulligan Project Coordinator After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project Recreation Connections Manitoba 317-145 Pacific Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3B 2Z6 Phone: (204)925-5751 Email: recconnections.pro(a)sportmanitoba.ca

1 0

CAA Launches Bike Assist Road Side Assistance Program
by Shoni Litinsky 10 May '11

10 May '11

May 10/11 10:24 am - CAA Manitoba Launches Road Side Assistance & Awareness Programs Posted by *Editoress* on *05/10/11* CAA Manitoba is being proactive with bicycles; launching two new programs: *Bike Assist* CAA Manitoba members can now call for road side assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week when their bike chain breaks or a tire tube pops. Available beginning today, Bike Assist is an innovative new benefit that allows CAA members to use any of their four annually allotted service calls to receive road side assistance if their bike breaks down. Members can use the service to be transported home or to the bike repair shop of their choice. Mike Mager, President and CEO of CAA Manitoba, says with more than 198,000 members, it is important to recognize the changing transportation needs of all members - no matter how they chose to go. "For the first time in Manitoba, our always reliable roadside assistance is now available for bikes, too," Mager said. "Whether you're an avid cyclist who commutes to work to save money on gas, or a casual biker that runs into trouble on the trail, CAA now has all of your wheels covered." Jean-Francios Ravenelle, Owner and operator of Gord's Ski and Bike, says his customers are excited about the Bike Assist service. "It's a fact. Commuters are increasingly looking at alternative options for getting to work," said Ravenelle. "Our Donald location is especially busy most mornings in the summer when bikers and cyclists pop in for a quick tune up on their way into Downtown." A Fact Sheet on Bike Assist can be read Here<http://www.canadiancyclist.com/races11/Bike_Assist_CAA_Manitoba.pdf> . *Watch for Bikes* In an effort to increase awareness about how easy it is for cyclists and motorists to have accidents, CAA Manitoba is launching an awareness campaign that provides motorists with small plastic decals that say "Watch for Bikes" - specifically designed to be placed on their driver's side rear-view mirror. According to police-reported data, in 2009 there were 239 bicyclists involved in collisions with a motor vehicle in Manitoba. (Source: 2009 Traffic Collisions Statistics, published by MPI, Table 7-3, page 124). It's a statistic President and CEO of CAA Manitoba Mike Mager says could be lower if cyclists and motorists knew how to safely share the road. "A cyclist can be virtually invisible from inside a car," said Mager. "When motorists place this sticker on their mirror, it provides a constant reminder to check for cyclists and other traffic." Cam Lundgren, an avid cyclist who enjoys commuting to work, has had several close calls with cars. "When a driver opens their door without checking, it's what cyclists call the 'door prize'," said Lundgren. "Last summer I came within inches of getting this 'gift'. I'm an experienced cyclist - so I know it can happen to anyone!" Dan Vandal, City Councilor responsible for Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works, says the city is working hard to continually develop and improve the alternative infrastructure networks. He says education about how to safely share the road will always be important. "No matter how many kilometres of bike lanes and trails are built in Winnipeg, cars and bikes still need to respect each other and safely share the road," Vandal said. "With more bikes on the road during the summer - and even more on the road once school is out at the end of June, Watch for Bikes is a simple way to remind motorists to look twice before they change lanes or open their car door." -- *Shoni Litinsky* | 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/>

1 0

Free bus service to 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival
by Beth McKechnie 06 May '11

06 May '11

MEET YOUR FRIENDS ON THE* FESTIVAL EXPRESS – * THE FREE BUS SERVICE TO THE 2011 FESTIVAL [image: Old Ladies] We have some really exciting news to share with you today! As you may know, we've been working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of the festival over the years – with everything from compostable cups at our taverns to our organized *Bike Ride to Site<http://smr.mm.ticketmaster.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEyNTI1OD…> *. And now, we're making it even easier for you to join us in our efforts to green the festival with our new and improved Winnipeg Transit service – the *Festival Express<http://smr.mm.ticketmaster.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEyNTI1OD…> *. *The Festival Express is... The QUICKEST, EASIEST way to get to and from the festival – even with your gear! And it's FREE with your festival ticket, wristband or pass. * - Downtown departures every 30 minutes; - Park & Ride departures every 60 minutes; - Wagons, strollers, all your gear – welcome! - Accessible buses for everyone’s use; - More buses than ever – enjoy Main Stage until the end! - FREE! with your festival ticket, wristband or pass. *For more information about the *Winnipeg Transit / Winnipeg Folk Festival Expres*s *visit our website*<http://smr.mm.ticketmaster.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEyNTI1OD…> .

1 0

[At-network] Ticketing blitz seeks rapport between cyclists, drivers
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

Ticketing blitz seeks rapport between cyclists, drivers CORBETT HANCEY From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published Friday, Apr. 29, 2011 10:27PM EDT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ticketing-blitz-seeks-… As warmer weather brings out more cyclists, Toronto police have started a ticketing blitz in a bid to persuade downtown cyclists and drivers to respect each others’ rights on the road. Police say most cycle-related accidents in the downtown core happen when drivers open car doors without first looking for cyclists. They also said residents have complained about cyclists driving on the sidewalk and not obeying traffic signals. Urban cycling consultant Yvonne Bambrick agrees that it’s the job of the police to enforce cycling-related traffic laws, but thinks police should focus more on public education for cyclists. “Not everybody knows the rules or how they apply to cyclists. People do need to know,” she said, adding, “and ideally they would be wearing lights on their bike at night and obeying the stop signs and giving right of way to pedestrians.” As the ticketing began on Friday, cycling advocates from across Canada and the world met at a downtown cafe to talk about strategies for promoting cycling to municipal politicians. It was part of the Complete Streets Forum, a conference organized by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation. The group’s website says the goal of the conference was to “embrace and protect cyclists and pedestrians while accommodating all road users, including transit and cars.” “The most important issue is creating excellent bikeways and encouraging people to bike, to get out there and do it, enjoy it, take it seriously and smile while you're doing it,” said Mia Birk, a speaker at the conference, and president of Alta Planning and Design, a Portland, Ore.-based firm that works with cities across North America to promote biking, walking and mass transit. “That’s far more important than focusing on enforcement,” she added. She said less attention should be paid to the negative aspects of cycling like ticketing for violations and more on the positives, such as the city-wide bike-sharing program that launches next week. The program starts May 3 and will put 1,000 bikes at the disposal of Torontonians. “Having all these bikes is going to be a big moment for Toronto,” she said. But not everyone at the event shared Ms. Birk’s enthusiasm. The police campaign comes after council voted to stop work on the Fort York pedestrian and cycle bridge, and Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee voted to dissolve the cycling advisory panel, along with 20 other citizen advisory groups. Toronto Councillor Mike Layton said he worries that eliminating the advisory committee shuts down an important line of communication between Torontonians and their municipal government. He said he hopes it’s not a sign of things to come under Mr. Ford. “The cycling committee is made up of people who actually bike and are dedicated bike activists,” he said, adding, “We need to have their opinion when we’re making decisions.” The advisory committees will be shut down after the next council meeting unless something is done to save them, Mr. Layton said. More related to this story - Rob Ford could become a champion of cycling<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/marcus-gee/rob-ford-co…> - Ford’s committee criticized for vote to cancel citizen panels<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/fords-committee-critic…> - Ford pedalling away from downtown bike-lane network <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ford-pedalling-away-fr…>

1 0

Shine your walking shoes - Jane's Walk Festival May 7 & 8
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

** please share widely - thanks! ** Shine your walking shoes Winnipeg: The fifth annual Jane's Walk festival is coming up May 7 & 8 ! On Saturday May 7 & Sunday May 8, join a walking tour in your community led by your neighbours. Explore Winnipeg's diverse and vibrant neighbourhoods while walking, talking and sharing ideas. What is Jane's Walk? Jane's Walk is an annual celebration of sustainable cities, walkable neighbourhoods, and vibrant communities. Named in honour of Jane Jacobs<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs>--an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building--the first Jane's Walk was organized in Toronto five years ago and has since spread to more than 30 cities across Canada and 70 cities worldwide. Jane's Walk is now in it's fifth year in Winnipeg and includes walks on a range of themes and topics, including local history, urban biodiversity, city planning, design and transportation issues, social experiences of the city, and more. Jane's Walks are intended to create a space for citizens to talk about what matters to them in the places they live, work and play. How do I join a Jane's Walk? Participating in Jane's Walk is simple: local community members with a passion for urban issues and local history have organized walking tours in their neighbourhood; a list of confirmed walks is published on the Jane's Walk website <http://janeswalk.net/cities/landing/category/winnipeg/> and the public is invited to join any walk of their choosing—no registration or RSVP required. Simply meet your walk leader at the time and place indicated in the online listing. Remember, Jane's Walk is a "walking conversation" and we encourage walk leaders and participants alike to contribute to the conversation by asking questions and sharing their knowledge and passion for cities. What walks are being offered this year? Some of the walks confirmed for this year's Jane's Walk include: - *History Lives In North Point Douglas* with Robert Galston - *Winnipeg Modern: Explore Winnipeg's Modernist Architectural Heritage*with Serena Keshavjee - *The Rapid Tranist Walk* with Paul Hesse - *So You Thought You Knew the West End: Murals and More* with Gloria Cardwell-Hoeppner - *Discover Public Art in Downtown Winnipeg* with Tricia Wasney - *Echoes of Our Past: Walk the Historic Seine & Red Rivers in St. Boniface and visit of Fort Gibraltar* with Jean-Pierre Brunet - *New Central Park* with Designers from: Scatliff Miller + Murray Inc. Landscape Architects, David Penner Architect, Cohlmeyer Architecture Ltd. - *West Broadway* with Robert Shaw - *The Heart of Fort Rouge Tour: Riverview a Place with it all* with Jino Destasio - *Sharing Cars and Gardens: An educational walk through Osborne Village *with Melissa Dupuis and Shauna Carmichael - *Urban Wildlife in Winnipeg *with Laurel McDonald - *Transcona Remembers with ** Transcona Historical Museum* - Matthew Komus - *Winnipeg Modern: Explore Winnipeg’s Modern Architectural Heritage* with Serena Keshavjee New walks are being confirmed everyday. For a complete listing of Jane's Walks check out our website: www.janeswalk.net Contact Facebook: http://on.fb.me/janeswalkwinnipeg Matt Koop-Pearce, volunteer organizer mgcarreau(a)gmail.com (204) 421-2903

1 0

Join the Commuter Challenge!
by Jessie Klassen 28 Apr '11

28 Apr '11

*Join the Commuter Challenge!* Sign up to bike, bus, carpool or walk to work for the Commuter Challenge running June 5-11! Sign up by stopping in at one of Downtown Biz's conveniently located kiosks or register online! Wednesday, May 4 from 11:30 to 1:30 in the walkway by the Millennium Library stairs, Thursday, May 5 from 11:30 to 1:30 in Portage Place, Edmonton Court, or on Friday, May 6 from 11:30 to 1:30 in Portage Place, Edmonton Court. Free mini muffins and cinnamon buns from Tall Grass Prairie Bakery will be available for those who stop by. Also, enter to win a $100 gift certificate to Sydney's and a $50 gift certificate to Mountain Equipment Co-op. This is an initiative of the Green Action Centre and Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. For more information, please contact Francine at 204-925-3779 or challenge(a)greenactioncentre.ca. **For more information on the Commuter Challenge, go to: http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/commuter-challenge/

1 0

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Active Transport lab UBC
by Beth McKechnie 28 Apr '11

28 Apr '11

Postdoctoral position in Health and Community Design - *Employer:* Bombardier Active Transportation Lab, University of British Columbia<http://jobs.phds.org/employer/jobs/5376/university-of-british-columbia> - *Location:* Vancouver, BC, Canada<http://jobs.phds.org/in-vancouver-bc-canada?location=Vancouver,%20BC,%20Can…> - *Posted:* Apr 26, 2011 *Expires:* May 31, 2011 Description: *Full Time Postdoctoral Research Fellowship(s) in Health and Community Design Research* *Active Transport lab -- University of British Columbia (UBC)* The Active Transportation Lab (ATL) at the University of British Columbia, directed by Dr. Lawrence Frank, invites applications from accomplished researchers in the fields of environmental health, epidemiology, health promotion, urban planning, geography, engineering, and others. The Lab’s mission is: *assessing and conveying how community design, including the location and form of transportation investments and land development actions, impacts travel, time use, and activity patterns; air quality; climate change; energy consumption; and public health*. The lab is positioned between the Schools of Environmental Health and Community and Regional Planning at UBC. Postdoctoral fellow(s) will be encouraged to traverse health and environmental impacts of community design with a direct focus on comparative work across socio-demographic sub-groups. This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate with strong quantitative skills to play a leadership role in cutting-edge research that has societal implications for health, environmental and economic sustainability, and overall quality of life. The Vancouver region is a wonderful setting for this work with several very progressive and supportive organizational partners at the municipal, regional, and provincial level along with a growing transit system. Canada is making several advances in promoting healthy communities that offer unique research opportunities. Postdoctoral Fellow(s) will participate in recently funded longitudinal studies and conduct original research and publishing drawing upon several recently completed large scale observation studies (4 NIH funded Neighborhood Quality of Life Studies see www.nqls.org – Sallis, Saelens, Frank, King and others); the King County (Seattle) Healthscape Study; and the NEWPATH Study which integrates travel diary, dietary, and objectively measured physical activity and built environment data including pedestrian infrastructure. Data include objectively measured physical activity, sedentary time, and features of the built environment in GIS at the parcel level, transit and roadway accessibility, and most have in field collected micro scale features of the pedestrian environment. We have also audited parks and food establishments and collected dietary data. Applicants should have a sound theoretical and practical understanding of the linkages between the built environment and travel behavior, including relationships with secondary outcomes such as physical activity, obesity, air pollution, and access to food. Strong research design skills are desired. Applicants are requested to provide a cover letter detailing their research interests and expertise. The application should also include a current CV, representative publications, and contact information for three references. Please submit these documents as pdf files to andrea.procyk(a)ubc.ca by May 31, 2011. Source: http://jobs.phds.org/job/28492/university-of-british-columbia/postdoctoral-…

1 0

New report on Complete Streets
by Beth McKechnie 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

*Complete Streets - New Report* The National Complete Streets Coalition in the U.S. has just released a new report updating and comparing the skyrocketing number of Complete Streets policies that have been implemented in the past couple of years. Waterloo, ON became Canada's first community to implement a Complete Streets policy last week. The report can be downloaded from: http://www.completestreets.org/news-blog/blog/ If you're not sure what this is all about, here's a quick explanation from the report: "Complete Streets policies formalize a community’s intent to plan, design, and maintain streets so they are safe for all users of all ages and abilities. Policies direct transportation planners and engineers to consistently design and construct the right-of-way to accommodate all anticipated users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, and freight vehicles. Complete streets can be achieved through a variety of policies: ordinances and resolutions; rewrites of design manuals; inclusion in comprehensive plans; internal policies developed by transportation agencies; executive orders from elected officials, such as Mayors or Governors; and policies developed by stakeholders from the community and agency staff that are formally adopted by an elected board of officials..." The report identifies the strongest policies existing today and provides guidance on the key elements that should be included. cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Canada gets a failing grade for childhood fitness
by Beth McKechnie 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

Canada gets a failing grade for childhood fitness ANDRÉ PICARD, PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER— From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Published Tuesday, Apr. 26, 2011 6:00AM EDT Canadian children spend a mere 14 minutes of their after-school hours being physically active, a new study shows. “The days of biking home from school and putting the nets out for a game of road hockey are long gone,” said Mark Tremblay, chief scientific officer with Active Healthy Kids Canada. In its annual report card on physical activity, published Tuesday, AHKC identifies a number of factors that contribute to the sedentary behaviour of kids in the key 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. time period, including: * After-school programs do not see activity as a priority; * Lack of supervised programs, particularly for older children; * Schoolyards that are devoid of play structures; * Transportation policies that result in kids being whisked away as soon as the bell rings; * Latch-key children who come home and plunk themselves down in front of the TV; * Parental fears about community safety that keep children inside. “We need a fundamental rethink of how we deliver after-school programs,” said Elio Antunes, chief operating officer of ParticipACTION. “Getting kids outside needs to become a priority.” While it is often argued that modern children are overwhelmed by homework and that the pressure to succeed takes precedence over activity, Mr. Antunes does not buy that argument. “If they can find hours a day to watch screens for entertainment, they can find time to be active,” he said. “Besides, we know that kids who are physically active do much better in school.” Canadian research shows that young people aged 5 to 19 who spend time outside after school take about 2,000 additional steps a day – the equivalent of walking two kilometres. The new data reveal that that 72 per cent of children do not have access to after-school programs, which are geared principally to young kids. Further, less than half the after-school programs focus on physical activity. “Essentially, it’s babysitting – sedentary babysitting,” Dr. Tremblay said. The children who are on their own after class is dismissed seem to fair even worse. “Screen-time is replacing after-school activity. We have to find a way to turn that around,” Dr. Tremblay said. Active Healthy Kids Canada is a charitable organization that advocates the importance of physical activity for children and youth where they live, learn and play. It has published an annual report card for the past five years. The group now assigns 23 grades related to childhood physical activity. This year’s grades include: * F for overall physical activity: Only 9 per cent of boys and 4 per cent of girls meet guideline recommendations of 60 minutes daily of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; * F for active play: Only one in eight children engage in play every day after school; * F for screen-related behaviour: Canadian kids spend, on average six hours daily in front of TV, computer and game screens; * D for active transportation: One in four children get to and from school under their own steam, such as walking or biking; * C- for physical education: One in four children get no gym classes; half get one to two gym periods a week and; one in four gets three to four periods; * C for organized sport: 75 per cent of parents say their children participate in organized sport in the past year; * A- for proximity and availability: 95 per cent of parents polled say that parks and outdoor spaces are available locally. Dr. Tremblay noted that the grades have remained fairly consistent over the years - “consistently and uniformly grim” - but that will not change until there is a concerted effort to improve the situation. “We talk a lot about all this stuff, about childhood obesity and lack of physical activity, but we don’t seem to do anything about it,” he said.

1 0

Japan: Out of disaster, a burst of enthusiasm for bicycling
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Out of Disaster, a Burst of Enthusiasm for Bicycling By MIKI TANIKAWA Published: April 18, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/business/global/18iht-rbog-bicycle-18.htm… TOKYO — Whenever Shigeki Kobayashi spots a salaryman on a bicycle with his bag in the front basket, he knows that he is watching a novice bike commuter: putting the heavy load up front makes steering harder, an elementary mistake. Mr. Kobayashi also realizes that someone is new to street cycling when the rider is on the sidewalk. “Some people mistakenly think it is safer on the sidewalk,” he said. “That’s wrong, because on the sidewalk there is greater chance you’d bump into someone or something.” Mr.Kobayashi is director of the Bicycle Usage Promotion Study Group, a nonprofit organization that promotes usage of bicycles in Tokyo. Since March 11, when an earthquake devastated northern Japan and rattled the Tokyo metropolitan area, the streets of Suginami ward, where he lives, have teemed with wobbly bikers pedaling their way to work. “The increase was sudden and visible,” he said during an interview. Over the past 20 years, more commuters in urban areas like Tokyo have been switching gears and choosing to bicycle to work instead of using trains and cars, citing concerns for health, environment, costs and an escape from packed trains. The catastrophe last month has now converted some of the holdouts by proving one more benefit to cycling: you have a means to go home when the trains stop moving. On that fateful day, millions of workers were stranded in the middle of the city when virtually the whole Tokyo train and subway system — which together shuttle nine million people in and out of the megalopolis daily — ground to a halt. Railways stopped trains for fear of aftershocks. While most of the trains and subways resumed service toward midnight, hundreds of thousands walked home or took shelter in their offices or public halls. Amid worried colleagues wondering how to get home, Masataka Isashiki, 32, a government worker in downtown Chiyoda ward, wowed his colleagues when he announced he was going like he always did: He put on his helmet and headed for his bike. The street was jammed with traffic, “but I simply found my way between cars which were stuck,” he said. “My colleagues were impressed.” That night, hordes of workers trailing home, sometimes as far as 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, on foot, swarmed any bicycle shops they found on their route. “There were many, many people who bought a bike on their way home,” said Kenji Tanaka, secretary general of a bicycle retailers’ association in Tokyo. “Many stores went empty that night.” Since then, “sales have been steadily growing and orders have been pouring in,” he added. Reflecting that, “there are more people on a bike on the road in the morning” now than a month ago, Mr. Isashiki said. “I also see more bicycles parked in the premise of the building I work in.” Mr. Kobayashi, director of the bicycle advocacy group, regularly counts the number of bikers passing by a busy boulevard that leads to downtown Tokyo. On a day last November, he counted 105 bicycles from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. That rose to 243 on March 14, three days after the earthquake and to 330 on March 30. “The quake has clearly changed the number of bike commuters,” he said. “It resembles the sudden spike in bike commuters in London after the 2005 bombings when public transportation was suspended for a while.” People who try biking to work quickly discover that finding their way on the meandering Tokyo streets is neither as daunting nor as exhausting as they expected. “With smartphones and Google<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/google_inc/index.html…>map, the task is made easy,” Mr. Kobayashi said. “They also notice it is quite a pleasant experience cycling. All together, the earthquake may have triggered a change in lifestyle for many.” Mr. Isashiki, the government worker, rides 10 kilometers each way — a 40 minute trip — on his silver Bianchi, an Italian-made bike for which he paid 80,000 yen, or $960. “It just feels good on the bike, generally,” rather than being squeezed into a train, he said. Riding lowers stress, said Takayuki Maruyama, 51, an executive with an information technology company in downtown Tokyo, who cycles to work once or twice a week. “Some people say you might get exhausted on the bike,” he said. “But I feel refreshed. The only snag is parking. There is no dedicated bicycle park, so I leave it on the sidewalk.” For most metropolitan riders, the mental and cardiovascular benefits outweigh the perceived environmental gain, since most have switched from train commutes rather than cars. “Since around 2002, people began talking about the metabolic syndrome and so forth for middle-aged people, which gave birth to the initial boom in bicycling,” Mr. Kobayashi said. According to the Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute, a government affiliated agency, bike ownership in Tokyo rose to 8.99 million in 2008, the most recent available yearly figure, from 7.07 million in 2000. Recently, electric-powered bicycles have also seen something of a boom in demand, particularly in the aftermath of the March temblor. Tooru Miyake, manager of the sales planning team at Panasonic<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/matsushita-electric-i…>Cycle Technology, based in Osaka, said that, probably as a result of the earthquake, the company’s sales of electric bicycles rose about 30 percent in March from that month last year. In February, the increase was just 10 percent, he said. The company would not say how many bikes it had sold, but it said total electric bike sales in Japan were running at about 380,000 a year, of which Panasonic holds a 40 percent market share. *This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:* *Correction: April 19, 2011* * An earlier version of this article stated that bicycle ownership in Tokyo rose to nearly nine million in 2008 from 7.07 million in 1990. The 7.07 million figure was for 2000, not 1990. *

1 0

Research shows biking, walking can thrive in suburbia
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Research shows biking, walking can thrive in suburbia<http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/26/research-shows-biking-walking-can-thrive…> Posted by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)<http://bikeportland.org/author/jonathan-maus/>on April 26th, 2011 at 8:47 am http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/26/research-shows-biking-walking-can-thrive… It's a somewhat generally accepted concept in urban planning circles that there's no hope for suburbia. Cinderblock walls, cul-de-sacs, and wide arterials all make for a car-centric lifestyle. But new reseach shows that among suburban multifamily housing — the fast growing housing type in the U.S. — biking and walking can thrive. In *Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia<http://otrec.us/project/216> * Nico Larco <http://otrec.us/research/researcher/larco/>, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Oregon, focuses on suburban multifamily housing, which he calls a "widespread and overlooked example of density." "Dispelling commonly held beliefs about the amount of walking and biking occurring in suburbia, our study shows that more than a third of all trips to the LCA [local commercial area]... are active travel trips." His findings show that, not surprisingly, site design and connectivity to commercial areas are major factors in whether or not residents choose to walk or bike. Among developments in the study that were well-connected to commercial areas, more than 44% of residents choose to walk or bike to them — a rate that's nearly twice as high as multifamily developments that lack connectivity. But what is surprising is that, contrary to our popular perception of suburbia, "Across *all* studied developments, more than a third of all trips to nearby commercial strips are taken on foot, with a total of 38.7 percent taken on foot or by bicycle." Nico Larco, AIA Larco writes that there may be, "additional latent active transport in suburbia," but it will only be realized if developers and planners make connectivity and "pass through" between their units and commercial areas a top priority. For those that get it right, here's what they have to look forward to (taken from chapter 2 of the study): "The latent potential in proximity of residences and commercial areas can reduce residents’ reliance on automobiles and increase active modes of travel such as walking and biking, especially for short trips under a half mile. Increasing active travel might reduce vehicle miles traveled, which has positive impacts on the environment as it reduces carbon emissions. In addition, walking and biking can have a positive effect on residents’ physical and mental health and can provide economic savings." Especially significant in Larco's field of study are the health, economics, and equity implications. As he notes in the study, the typical demographic of suburban multifamily housing includes the elderly and lower-income individuals. "Increasing active travel for these populations," Larco writes, "can have an economic effect as residents do not need to have access to automobiles or pay for additional fuel for these short trips." Larco's study was funded by the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC). Learn more and download the final report at the OTREC website<http://otrec.us/news/entry/suburban_developments_can_build_in_walking_and_c…> .

1 0

Active Transportation - Canada: April 26, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 10:26 AM Subject: Active Transportation - Canada: April 26, 2011 Active Transportation - Canada features a regular posting of news articles, studies, reports, and other items that have relevance in this field, with previous postings available in an archive. In addition, pictures of existing Active Transportation infrastructure from communities across Canada will be profiled each week. Twenty new items have recently been posted to the Active Transportation - Canada Blog. To view in more detail, go to: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com **************************************************************************************************** 1. A dreadful accident, a wake-up call on street safety 2. City of Waterloo Adopts Canada's First Complete Streets Policy 3. The Federal Election and Cycling 4. Toronto - 2011 Complete Streets Forum 5. Guerilla Urbanism: North Oak Cliff residents create their own Complete Street ************************************************************************************* A reminder e-mail of new postings will be sent no more often than once per week. To continue to receive these updates, you need take no action. Should you not wish to receive updates, please return this e-mail with "Unsubscribe" in the Subject area. Interested in an AT workshop in your community? For more information, please contact: Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions **activetransportation(a)rogers.com<http://ca.mc883.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=activetransportation@rogers.com> 613.424.2803

1 0

WFP: Pedestrians risk life and limb - Dodge traffic after pathway submerged (Apr.26'11)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Pedestrians risk life and limb Dodge traffic after pathway submerged By: Melissa Martin High water and heavy construction have choked off key walkways through one of Winnipeg's busiest downtown routes, triggering a jaywalking jam many fear is a disaster waiting to happen. On Monday afternoon, as the first waves of southbound rush-hour traffic started to flow south down Osborne Street from downtown, dozens of pedestrians and cyclists gingerly picked their way between oncoming cars to make it to Osborne Bridge's single open sidewalk. "This is what passes for planning in this city," said Paul Hesse, who walks or bikes every day from his Osborne Village home to his downtown law office. "It's terrible. Something has to be done." The problem: Since Monday morning, the east side of the Osborne Bridge sidewalk has been closed to accommodate the bridge's year-long rehabilitation. The city expected pedestrians and cyclists crossing the bridge from Osborne Village to use a path underneath the bridge's north side to get to the legislature grounds or the Assiniboine Avenue bikeway. But with that walkway deep under the swollen Assiniboine River and no temporary crossing from Mostyn Place to the legislature grounds, pedestrians walking downtown are forced to either walk north to Broadway -- or, as hundreds of people did on Monday, nip across three lanes of bustling Osborne Street traffic. Until the underpass reopens, Hesse worries, a scheme that pushes dozens of people an hour across Osborne Street traffic risks tragedy. "People haven't been warned about this," he said, minutes after a construction worker in a bright orange vest helped escort an elderly woman through the traffic. "Will people have to risk lives crossing illegally through Osborne's traffic?" Monday was a holiday for city employees, who were not available to discuss the issue in-depth. But in an email to Hesse on April 21, a city bridge engineer acknowledged the concern and said the city had "considered installing a temporary crossing at street level but determined that it is not safe to do so." The letter also noted that once the Assiniboine River water level retreats, the city will raise the walking path so it isn't impacted by future flooding. The bridge-level sidewalk will not re-open until October. The bridge project will also add a permanent pedestrian crosswalk between Assiniboine Avenue and Mostyn Place, the city said, but that will not be open until October 2012. At the impromptu crossing on Monday, some pedestrians scooting between cars were taken aback by the city's decision. "It's too dangerous (to put a temporary crossing)? Oh, that's good," said Kendall Hinds, an Osborne Village resident, on his way to toss a Frisbee on the legislature grounds. "They really thought this one through -- this is the major access point into the village." On the flip side, drivers seemed to understand that too, as they slowed down and stopped on Monday to let pedestrians and bikers cross. "It's a little inconvenient, but for the most part motorists have been really considerate," said bike commuter Bonnie Van Steelandt, waiting for an opening in traffic to pedal across to the west side of Osborne Street. "But it would be nice to have a crosswalk here. I don't know the right answer -- I just hope it doesn't last long." melissa.martin(a)freepress.mb.ca -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Employment opportunity: Bike to the Future Office Administrator / Bicycle Valet Winnipeg Project Coordinator
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

The Bike to the Future Office Administrator / Bicycle Valet Winnipeg Project Coordinator will report to Bike to the Future's Board of Directors and provide administrative support to the organization. This person will also be the primary leader and executive director of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg, a project of Bike to the Future. Find the job posting and more details here: http://biketothefuture.org/news/archives/2011/04/23/employment-opportunity-… For more info, or to submit a resume, please email contact(a)biketothefuture.org.

1 0

AASHTO withdraws objection to stronger bike-ped rules
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/04/25/under-pressure-aashto-withdraws-object… Under Pressure, AASHTO Withdraws Objection to Stronger Bike-Ped Rules by Angie Schmitt <http://dc.streetsblog.org/author/angie-schmitt/> on April 25, 2011 The Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is withdrawing its opposition to an important federal policy change that puts cyclists and pedestrians on a more equal footing with motorists. Active transportation groups were outraged earlier this month when AASHTO requested<http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/04/12/aashto-new-rule-makes-it-too-hard-to-i…>that the FHWA revert to an old standard that required state DOTs show only that “due consideration” had been given to the needs of cyclists and pedestrians in federally financed transportation projects. *A newer requirement increased the standard to “due accommodation,” shifting the burden on transportation agencies to demonstrate that extreme circumstances prevent the inclusion of bike and pedestrian infrastructure.* In his statement Friday, AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley said the agency’s request was meant “to streamline the effort and paperwork required to justify why bicycle or pedestrian facilities may or may not be appropriate on a given federal aid project.” But he added that the group would withdraw the request in light of opposition that emerged after the League of American Bicyclists<http://www.bikeleague.org/blog/2011/04/aashto-wants-to-weaken-us-dot-bicycl…>, this blog<http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/04/12/aashto-new-rule-makes-it-too-hard-to-i…>and other bike advocates<http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/19/odot-expresses-disappointment-in-aashto-…>took up the issue. Horsley said that since that time several state DOT chiefs also came out against the request, including Matthew Garrett of the Oregon DOT<http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/19/odot-expresses-disappointment-in-aashto-…> . “In response to the concerns expressed by several members of AASHTO’s Board of Directors, President [Susan] Martinovich has directed AASHTO for the time being to withdraw its request that FHWA rescind its guidance on the meaning of ‘due consideration’ of bicycle and pedestrian needs,” said Horsley. “This will give AASHTO an opportunity to meet with bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups on May 19 to discuss this issue.” Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclists is planning to attend the meeting. He says he’s glad AASHTO is warming to the idea that all transportation projects should begin with the idea of including bicycles and pedestrians in the plan “rather than ‘we’re not going to include bike stuff unless someone makes us.’” Clarke said AASHTO’s backpedaling is an important demonstration of the collective power of bicycle and pedestrian advocates. “I’m glad we called them on it,” he said. “I’m glad they heard a good deal of dissent.” -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Illinois tracking 'dooring' crashes involving cyclists
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

State begins tracking ‘dooring’ crashes involving cyclists SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE Apr 25, 2011 11:50AM Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday announced the state will begin tracking “dooring” crashes — accidents involving bicyclists struck by opened doors from parked cars. The change will help determine locations where road improvements and public outreach efforts may be necessary to protect cyclists, a release from the Active Transportation Alliance said. The new policy is the result of a collaboration between the Illinois Dept. of Transportation and the Active Transportation Alliance. Before the change, dooring collisions went unrecognized in IDOT’s annual reporting of traffic statistics because a moving vehicle was not involved. The data will be used to plan for improved roadway designs and additional communication with motorists in areas with high concentrations of cyclists, the release said. IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety is also reaching out to law enforcement agencies with instructions on how to begin recording dooring crashes. Police departments that have already begun tracking them, including Chicago, will have their data included in the state’s statistics retroactive to May 2010. http://www.suntimes.com/5014213-417/state-begins-tracking-dooring-crashes-i… -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Jane's Walk strolling into town!
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Matt <mgcarreau(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Apr 22, 2011 at 5:36 PM Subject: Jane's Walk strolling into town! Hi there, my name is Matt Koop-Pearce and I am a volunteer organizer for this year's edition of Jane's Walk. The organizing committee is making a big push to promote the fast approaching Jane's Walk on May 7 & 8 and we would appreciate your help. I am contacting you because you or your organization either has a community member leading a walk or because Jane's Walk is an event that yourself and folks in your community would most certainly be interested in hearing about and participating in. Can you please help us get the word out by forwarding the message below through your personal, professional, and community networks and email list serves? I have also attached a PDF of our media release and a poster that you are welcome to forward along with this message. Of course, word of mouth promotion is always the most powerful, so we hope you will take a moment to check out some of exciting walks planned for this year and convince your friends and neighbours to participate in Jane's Walk on May 7 & 8! Thank you sincerely, Matt Koop-Pearce ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shine your walking shoes Winnipeg: The fifth annual Jane's Walk festival is coming up May 7 & 8 ! On Saturday May 7 & Sunday May 8, join a walking tour in your community lead by your neighbours. Explore Winnipeg's diverse and vibrant neighbourhoods while walking, talking and sharing ideas. What is Jane's Walk? Jane's Walk is an annual celebration of sustainable cities, walkable neighbourhoods, and vibrant communities. Named in honour of Jane Jacobs<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs>--an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building--the first Jane's Walk was organized in Toronto five years ago and has since spread to more than 30 cities across Canada and 70 cities worldwide. Jane's Walk is now in it's fifth year in Winnipeg and includes walks on a range of themes and topics, including local history, urban biodiversity, city planning, design and transportation issues, social experiences of the city, and more. Jane's Walks are intended to create a space for citizens to talk about what matters to them in the places they live, work and play. How do I join a Jane's Walk? Participating in Jane's Walk is simple: local community members with a passion for urban issues and local history have organized walking tours in their neighbourhood; a list of confirmed walks is published on the Jane's Walk website <http://janeswalk.net/cities/landing/category/winnipeg/> and the public is invited to join any walk of their choosing—no registration or RSVP required. Simply meet your walk leader at the time and place indicated in the online listing. Remember, Jane's Walk is a "walking conversation" and we encourage walk leaders and participants alike to contribute to the conversation by asking questions and sharing their knowledge and passion for cities. What walks are being offered this year? Some of the walks confirmed for this year's Jane's Walk include: - *History Lives In North Point Douglas* with Robert Galston - *Winnipeg Modern: Explore Winnipeg's Modernist Architectural Heritage*with Serena Keshavjee - *The Rapid Tranist Walk* with Paul Hesse - *So You Thought You Knew the West End: Murals and More* with Gloria Cardwell-Hoeppner - *Discover Public Art in Downtown Winnipeg* with Tricia Wasney - *Sharing Cars and Gardens: An educational walk through Osborne Village *with Melissa Dupuis and Shauna Carmichael - Walks in *West Broadway, Selkirk Avenue, and Central Park* neighbourhoods are also planned! New walks are being confirmed everyday. For a complete listing of Jane's Walks check out our website: www.janeswalk.net I want to organize a Jane's Walk in my community! Awesome! Jane's Walk is presently accepting submissions from individuals or groups interested in organizing a walking tour in their community. To propose a walk, visit our website and send an email to our coordinator Matt Koop-Pearce at mgcarreau(a)gmail.com The deadline to submit a walk is May 6th. Contact Facebook: http://on.fb.me/janeswalkwinnipeg Matt Koop-Pearce, volunteer organizer mgcarreau(a)gmail.com (204) 421-2903

1 0

Bicycling Renaissance in North America?
by Beth McKechnie 20 Apr '11

20 Apr '11

[*Transportation Research A, Vol. 45, 2011*, in press] *Bicycling Renaissance in North America? An Update and Re-Appraisal of Cycling Trends and Policies *by John Pucher, Ralph Buehler and Mark Seinen http://www.8-80cities.org/Articles/Bicycling%20Renaissance%20in%20North%20A… *Abstract* This paper reviews trends in cycling levels, safety, and policies in Canada and the USA over the past two decades. we analyze aggregate data for the two countries as well as city-specific case study data for nine large cities (Chicago, Minneapolos, Montreal, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington). Cycling levels have increased in both the USA and Canada, while cyclist fatalities have fallen... The bike share of work commuters is more than twice as high in Canada as the USA, and is higher int he western parts of both countries. Cycling is concentrated in central cities, especially near universities and in gentrified neighborhoods near the city center. Almost all the growth in cycling in the USA has been among men between 25-64 years old, while cycling rates have remained steady among women and fallen sharply for children. Cycling rates have risen much faster in the nine case study cities than in their countries as a whole, at least doubling in all the cities since 1990. They have implemented a wide range of infrastructure and programs to promote cycling and increase cycling safety: expanded and improved bike lanes and paths, traffic calming, parking, bike-transit integration, bike sharing, training programs, and promotional events. Portland's comprehensive package of cycling policies has succeeded in raising cycling levels 6-fold and provides an example that other North American cities can follow. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

Bike to Work Day - call for Volunteers
by Beth McKechnie 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

Hi everyone, *Bike to Work Day Winnipeg 2011* needs volunteers to help with tasks right away as well as on June 24th. It would be great if you could share the attached volunteer application form with your various professional networks, family and friends. many thanks! Beth

1 0

Link to new literature review on policies to improve health through active transportation
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '11

16 Apr '11

*Environment International*<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01604120> Volume 37, Issue 4<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%2358…>, May 2011, Pages 766-777 * Improving Health through Policies that Promote Active Travel: A Review of Evidence to Support Integrated Health Impact Assessment* Abstract Background Substantial policy changes to control obesity, limit chronic disease, and reduce air pollution emissions, including greenhouse gasses, have been recommended. Transportation and planning policies that promote active travel by walking and cycling can contribute to these goals, potentially yielding further co-benefits. Little is known, however, about the interconnections among effects of policies considered, including potential unintended consequences. Objectives and methods We review available literature regarding health impacts from policies that encourage active travel in the context of developing health impact assessment (HIA) models to help decision-makers propose better solutions for healthy environments. We identify important components of HIA models of modal shifts in active travel in response to transport policies and interventions. Results and discussion Policies that increase active travel are likely to generate large individual health benefits through increases in physical activity for active travelers. Smaller, but population-wide benefits could accrue through reductions in air and noise pollution. Depending on conditions of policy implementations, risk tradeoffs are possible for some individuals who shift to active travel and consequently increase inhalation of air pollutants and exposure to traffic injuries. Well-designed policies may enhance health benefits through indirect outcomes such as improved social capital and diet, but these synergies are not sufficiently well understood to allow quantification at this time. Conclusion Evaluating impacts of active travel policies is highly complex; however, many associations can be quantified. Identifying health-maximizing policies and conditions requires integrated HIAs. Research highlights ► Active travel policies are growing in popularity worldwide. ► We review multiple benefits and potential risks associated with policies. ► Quantitative relationships for health impact assessments are discussed. ► Major health benefits are especially expected from physical activity outcomes. ► Well designed policies may enhance co-benefits and mitigate risks. LINK: http://bb4md8jw9n.search.serialssolutions.com//?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&ctx_ver…<http://bb4md8jw9n.search.serialssolutions.com/?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&ctx_ver=…>

1 0

Interesting series from Grist
by Stacy Matwick 12 Apr '11

12 Apr '11

Bikeonomics by Elle Blue. http://www.grist.org/article/series/bikenomics "The economic case for on-street bike parking" This is the fourth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-04-11-the-economic-case-for-on-street-bike… cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

1 0

A donkey cart without the cart - where you do the work of the donkey
by Erik Dickson 07 Apr '11

07 Apr '11

Hopefully the author's tongue is firmly planted in their cheek! Have a great day and happy cycling! Erik Dickson Scatliff+Miller+Murray Emailed to me today from the other side! By P.J. O'ROURKE Getty Images Cyclists ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. 'Although the technology necessary to build a bicycle has been around since ancient Egypt, bikes didn't appear until the 19th century. The reason it took mankind 5,000 years to get the idea for the bicycle is that it was a bad idea.' A fibrosis of bicycle lanes is spreading through the cities of the world. The well-being of innocent motorists is threatened as traffic passageways are choked by the spread of dull whirs, sharp whistles and sanctimonious pedal-pushing. Bike lanes have appeared in all the predictable placesAmsterdam, Copenhagen, Berkeley and Palo Alto. But the incidence of bike lanes is also on the rise in unlikely locales such as slush-covered Boston, rain-drenched Vancouver, frozen Montreal and Bogotá, Colombia (where, perhaps, bicycles have been given the traffic lanes previously reserved for drug mules). Even Dublin, Ireland, has had portions of its streets set aside for bicycles onlysurely unnecessary in a country where everyone's car has been repossessed. Then there is the notorious case of New York City. Not long ago the only people who braved New York on bicycles were maniacal bike messengers and children heeding an abusive parent's command to "go play in traffic." Now New York has 670 miles of bike lanesrather more than it has miles of decently paved streets. The proliferation of New York's bike lanes is the work of the city's indomitable transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-(Genghis)-Khan. Her department has a horde of 4,500 employees and a budget nearing a billion dollars. The transportation commissioner's job isjudging by rush-hour cab and subway rides and last December's blizzardto prevent the transportation of anybody or anything to anywhere in New York. Bicycles are the perfect way to go nowhere while carrying nothing. The bicycle is a parody of a wheeled vehiclea donkey cart without the cart, where you do the work of the donkey. Although the technology necessary to build a bicycle has been around since ancient Egypt, bikes didn't appear until the 19th century. The reason it took mankind 5,000 years to get the idea for the bicycle is that it was a bad idea. The bicycle is the only method of conveyance worse than feet. You can walk up three flights of stairs carrying one end of a sofa. Try that on a bicycle. View Full Image The Image Works A French racing cyclist, in 1912 Almost everything that travels on a city street, including some of the larger people in the crosswalks, can crush a bicycle. Everything that protrudes from or into a city streetpot holes, pavement cracks, manhole coverscan send a bicycle flying into the air. When the president of the United States goes somewhere in Washington, does he ride an armored bicycle? Given that riding a bike in a city is insane and that very few cities need more insane people on their streets, why the profusion of urban bike lanes? One excuse for bike lanes is that an increase in bicycle riding means a decrease in traffic congestion. A visit to New Yorkor Bogotágives the lie to this notion. You can't decrease traffic congestion by putting things in the way of traffic. Also, only a few bicycles are needed to take up as much space as my Chevrolet Suburbanjust one if its rider is wobbling all over the place while trying to Tweet. And my Suburban seats eight. The answer to traffic congestion is lower taxes so that legions of baby boomers my age can afford to retire and stay home. Bike lane advocates also claim that bicycles are environmentally friendly, producing less pollution and fewer carbon emissions than automobiles. But bicycle riders do a lot of huffing and puffing, exhaling large amounts of CO2. And whether a bicycle rider, after a long bicycle ride, is cleaner than the exhaust of a modern automobile is open to question. If drops in pollution and traffic congestion are wanted and if discomfort and inconvenience are the trade-offs, we should be packed into tiny circus clown cars. These fit neatly into bike lanes and provide more amusement to bystanders than bicycle wrecks. In fact, bike lanes don't necessarily lessen car travel. A study by the U.K. Department for Transport found that the installation of "cycle facilities" in eight towns and cities resulted in no change in the number of people driving cars. Bike lanes don't even necessarily increase bike riding. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the Dutch government spent $945 million on bicycle routes without any discernible effect on how many Dutch rode bicycles. The bicycle is a parody of a wheeled vehiclea donkey cart without the cart, where you do the work of the donkey. But maybe there's a darker side to bike-lane advocacy. Political activists of a certain ideological stripe want citizens to have a child-like dependence on government. And it's impossible to feel like a grown-up when you're on a bicycle if you aren't in the Tour de France. All but the most athletic among us get on and off a bicycle the way a toddler goes up and down stairs. Wearing bicycle shorts in public is more embarrassing than wearing Depends. Exchanging briefcases for backpacks takes us from the boardroom to the schoolyard. And it's hard to keep a straight face when talking to anyone in a Skittles-colored, Wiffle ball-slotted bike helmet that makes you look like Woody Woodpecker. Bike lanes must be intended to foster immaturity or New York would have chosen instead to create 670 miles of bridle paths. Being on horseback has adult gravitas. Search plazas, parks and city squares the world over and you won't fine a single statue of a national hero riding a bike. This promotion of childishness in the electorate means that bike lanes are just the beginning. Soon we'll be making room on our city streets for scooter and skateboard lanes, Soapbox Derby lanes, pogo-stick lanes, lanes for Radio Flyer wagons (actually more practical than bicycles since you can carry a case of beerif we're still allowed to drink beer), stilt lanes, three-legged-race lanes, lanes for skipping while playing the comb and wax paper, hopscotch lanes and Mother-May-I lanes with Mayor Bloomberg at the top of Lenox Hill shouting to the people on Park Avenue, "Take three baby steps!" A good, hard-played game of Mother-May-I will make us all more physically fit. Fitness being another reason given for cluttering our cities with bike lanes. But why is it so important that the public be fit? Fit for what? Are they planning to draft us into forced labor battalions? Bike lanes violate a fundamental principle of democracy. We, the majority who do not ride bicycles, are being forced to sacrifice our left turns, parking places and chances to squeeze by delivery trucks so that an affluent elite can feel good about itself for getting wet, cold, tired and run-over. Our tax dollars are being used to subsidize our annoyance. Bicycle riders must be made to bear the burden of this special-interest boondoggle. Bicycle registration fees should be raised until they produce enough revenue to build and maintain new expressways so that drivers can avoid city streets clogged by bike lanes. Special rubber fittings should be made available so that bicycle riders can wear E-ZPass transponders on their noses. And riders' license qualifications should be rigorous, requiring not only written exams and road tests but also bathroom scales. No one is to be allowed on a bicycle if the view he or she presents from behind causes the kind of hysterical laughter that stops traffic. Bike lanes can become an acceptable part of the urban landscape, if bicycle riders are willing to pay their way. And if they pay enough, maybe we'll even give them a lift during the next snow storm. Mr. O'Rourke's many books include "Don't VoteIt Just Encourages the Bastards."

1 0

After School Program Survey
by Beth McKechnie 04 Apr '11

04 Apr '11

Recreation Connections Manitoba is pleased to partner with Green Action Centre to coordinate a new two year initiative - *After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project.* The initiative, funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada Healthy Living Fund and the Province of Manitoba until March 2013, is focusing on promoting and supporting increased access and opportunities for children and youth aged 6-12 years to engage in physical activity and healthy living practices in the critical after school time period (3 – 6 p.m.). The project goals include: 1) Increasing capacity for children’s physical activity and healthy eating in the after school time period. 2) Improving access and reducing barriers to physical activity opportunities and facilities. 3) Promoting active and safe routes to and from school. One of our first steps is to collect some basic information about what is currently happening in Manitoba in regard to after school programming. If you provide programming for *children aged 6 to 12 years* during the *3 – 6 p.m.* time period, we would appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete the on-line survey by clicking on the link below, no later than *April 14, 2011*. A draw for an activity/game equipment & resource kit with a value of approximately *$200* will be made from all completed surveys meeting the deadline date. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/After_School_Recreation_Project_SURVEY We are attempting to make this provincial survey as inclusive as possible and this request is being sent out to various organizations across the Province. However, we are aware that our mailing list does not include all after school providers. If you represent an organization/network with a number of service providing entities, we would ask that you either complete the survey on their behalf, if appropriate, or forward the request to the various members. If you are aware of additional after school programs that may have been missed, please forward the request to them as well. Please be aware that we have distributed the survey to the following groups with multiple programs/sites - Boys & Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, City of Winnipeg Community Services Department, General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres, YMCA-YWCA, Youth for Christ, Lighthouses, Coalition of Community Based Youth Serving Agencies, Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres. We apologize in advance to any service providers who receive multiple copies of this request. We are in the process of developing a web site related to the After The School Bell Rings project. It is anticipated that survey results will be posted on the web site. Thank you for your assistance in providing information on your programs and sharing the survey with other providers. Roy Mulligan Project Coordinator After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project Recreation Connections Manitoba 317-145 Pacific Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3B 2Z6 Phone: 925-5751 Email: recconnections.pro(a)sportmanitoba.ca

1 0

Spring tune-up time
by Stacy Matwick 30 Mar '11

30 Mar '11

Found at http://www.BoingBoing.net "It's spring! Time to watch some videos that will teach you how to tune-up and repair your own bike<http://bicycletutor.com/>. (Not that I would need a pre-spring tune-up, of course. I've totally been riding all winter. Yeah. Totally.) - Maggie<http://www.boingboing.net/author/maggie-koerth-baker/> " http://bicycletutor.com/ The purpose of this site is to help people learn how to fix their own bikes. With over 200 videos you're sure to find what you need. Cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

1 0

Grist: Pedaling away from the health care crisis
by Beth McKechnie 29 Mar '11

29 Mar '11

Pedaling away from the health care crisis by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/people/Elly+Blue> 28 Mar 2011 11:36 AM [ http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-03-28-pedaling-away-from-the-health-care-c… ] *This is the third column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Part 1 is "How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it)<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-28-how-bicycling-will-save-the-economy>." Part 2 is "Tearing down freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-14-tearing-down-urban-freeways-to-make…> ."* * *In the United States, we have the most expensive health care system in the world. We collectively invest more than 15 percent of our GDP<http://www.visualeconomics.com/healthcare-costs-around-the-world_2010-03-01/>-- that's around $2 trillion, or $5,700 per person -- into health care every year. The tragedy of these enormous numbers is that they fail to stem the tide of our increasing ill health. "Most of the money we're spending on health care is going to treat preventable chronic diseases," Michael Pollan told Grist<http://www.grist.org/article/2009-11-06-michael-pollan-on-agriculture-and-h…>in 2009. Our poor diet, he added, is responsible for most of those illnesses. But it's not just about what we eat. The other part of that equation is our national and increasingly desperate need for physical activity. We need to rethink our transportation system and built environment on the same scale as Pollan and others have reconsidered our agricultural system. It has become obvious that we can't afford to keep doing things the same old autocentric way. For a fraction of the cost of the world's most expensive health care system, we could all enjoy the world's best bicycling and walking infrastructure -- and with it much, much better health than we enjoy now. Even minor investments in quality bicycle and walking transportation infrastructure, particularly at bottlenecks like bridges, leads directly to increased physical activity<http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/may/12/bridge_pedestrian_lane_raise>for people who live nearby. A recent analysis of the health savings resulting from the bicycle infrastructure in Portland, Ore, came up with stunning results<http://bikeportland.org/2011/02/04/research-by-2040-portlands-bikeway-inves…>. If the city builds out only the infrastructure it currently plans, the researcher found, it will break even by 2015. By 2030, Portland will have saved $800 million -- partly in fuel costs but primarily in health care and the value of reduced mortality. For every $1 we spend, $5 is saved. And that doesn't take into account a multitude of other factors. It's been shown again and again that the benefits of bicycling outweigh the risks<http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info:doi/10.1289/ehp.0901747>, that not bicycling is more dangerous<http://www.ecovelo.info/2008/06/06/the-dangers-of-not-cycling/>in the long run, and that being sedentary is worse for your health than nearly anything else<http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2009/05/05/sitting-death-rate.html>. When kids, particularly, don't get enough physical activity and good food, they are set up for a lifetime of ill health<http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/March/22/Obesity-Type-2-Diabet…> . Then there's the mental health factor. People who bicycle and walk to work love their commutes<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2006004/pdf/9516-eng.pdf>[PDF], whereas everyone else is stressed <http://www.vtpi.org/traveltime.pdf> [PDF], even pathologically<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-01-20-new-report-quantifies-just-how-much…>so. * *Stress is often overlooked as an indicator and instigator<http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/archives/2011/03/stress-may-alte.html>of poor health. And bicycling isn't just good for your personal health. There's also a significant public health benefit to having fewer people driving. Air quality is a big one. Cars produce secondhand smoke that none of us can avoid. A parade of studies over the last few decades have steadily linked living near freeways to heart disease<http://www.justmeans.com/Freeway-proximity-can-put-you-on-road-heart-health…>, lung cancer <http://www.ehjournal.net/content/6/1/23>, asthma<http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/11614.html>, impaired lung development<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR200701260…>, and even autism<http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/16/health/la-he-autism-20101217> . Even being sealed in a car doesn't protect you<http://www.velorutia.ro/blog/util/1281-road-user-exposure-to-air-pollution.…>from the perils of concentrated car exhaust <http://www.icta.org/doc/In-car%20pollution%20report.pdf> [PDF]. Car crashes cost the country $230 billion<http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130350&page=1>in 2000 alone. Only $33 billion of that was spent on medical costs -- but to put that in perspective, that's the same amount as that year's federal highway budget. Worse, in 2009 car crashes caused nearly 34,000 deaths and 2.217 million injuries <http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot16510.html>, many of them serious enough to prevent victims from navigating our car-oriented landscape in anything *but* a car. What do we do about this? How do we address the health care crisis through reforming our transportation system? We'd be much healthier, we're always being told, if only we could get more physical activity. Bicycle transportation is uniquely suited to fill this requirement. Bicycling is uniquely suited for quickly and flexibly getting around a city designed for cars. And riding a bike for transportation is as good a workout as exercising at the gym<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10694139>. The cost, time, stress, and inconvenience of exercise evaporates with the bicycle. If only we all could take advantage of it. We are blessed in this country with a chorus of voices urging people to exercise more and try riding a bike -- but very little is being done to make that option safe and comfortable for everyone. I know, because I grew up in suburbia, that people don't eat unhealthy food and sit on the couch all day out of laziness. They end up falling into those behaviors because the options aren't there, or the cost -- in money, time, and stress -- of living differently is simply too high. Of course we want better options<http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/qa-transportation-secretary-on-bi…>. As many as 60 percent of Americans would like to ride more<http://streetsblog.net/2010/12/20/wooing-the-hesitant-cyclist/>, and most of us already have bikes stashed in the basement or garage. But we don't feel safe, and often that's because there aren't safe or convenient routes for us to take. Fortunately, that doesn't stop everyone from getting on a bike. And the more people out there riding, the safer *everyone* becomes<http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/27/not-just-safer-for-bikes-fatal-car-crash…>, whether or not bicycling is an option for them individually. It would be absurd to suggest that bikes will solve our health care crisis or that they can eliminate the political and economic machinations that continue to deepen it. But bicycling, like food, is one of the few areas where people can directly and concretely address the health care crisis in the context of our community. By improving our own health and working towards healthier cities, we're also taking money from a health care system that doesn't improve our health. In this light, bicycling for transportation isn't so much a lifestyle choice as it's a form of civic action.

1 0

Wed, Mar.30 webinar: How to increase the number of women cycling for transportation, 2-3:30 CST
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '11

28 Mar '11

Green Action Centre will be hosting a local group viewing of the following APBP (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals) webinar on how to increase the number of women cycling for transportation. If you would like to join us, please let me know at *beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca*. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 p.s. Sorry for the late notice -- we just heard about it this morning. ------------------------------ Webinar: * How to increase the number of women cycling for transportation *Date: *Wednesday, Mar. 30th, 2:00-3:30 p.m. CST * Location: *EcoCentre boardroom, 303 Portage Ave, third floor* (enter via elevator inside front doors of MEC) *Description* Learn how to increase the number of women cycling for transportation in your community. This webinar builds on last year's APBP session, "Writing Women Back into Bicycling". Five speakers offer compelling insights about cycling projects run by inspiring women, illuminate what women told APBP they want in a cycling environment, and suggest best practices to help you make a difference in your community. Don't miss the stories of some of the wonderful women leading the cycling movement, and results of APBP's 2010 survey on Women Cycling.

1 0

Costs and Benefits of Cycling Investments in Portland, OR
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '11

28 Mar '11

*Journal of Physical Activity and Health 2011, 8(Suppl 1), S49-S58 Costs and Benefits of Bicycling Investments in Portland, Oregon Thomas Gotschi* http://journals.humankinetics.com/jpah-pdf-articles?DocumentScreen=Detail&c… *Background: *Promoting bicycling has great potential to increase overall physical activity; however, significant uncertainty exists with regard to the amount and effectiveness of investment needed for infrastructure. The objective of this study is to assess how costs of Portland’s past and planned investments in bicycling relate to health and other benefits. *Methods:* Costs of investment plans are compared with 2 types of monetized health benefits, health care cost savings and value of statistical life savings. Levels of bicycling are estimated using past trends, future mode share goals, and a traffic demand model.* Results:* By 2040, investments in the range of $138 to $605 million will result in health care cost savings of $388 to $594 million, fuel savings of $143 to $218 million, and savings in value of statistical lives of $7 to $12 billion. The benefit-cost ratios for health care and fuel savings are between 3.8 and 1.2 to 1, and an order of magnitude larger when value of statistical lives is used. * Conclusions: *This first of its kind cost-benefit analysis of investments in bicycling in a US city shows that such efforts are cost-effective, even when only a limited selection of benefits is considered. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

1 0

New Yorkers support bicycle lanes, poll finds
by Beth McKechnie 21 Mar '11

21 Mar '11

Nice to see this article given some recent backlash by a select few in NYC where they are setting new standards in bike infrastructure for other cities in N.A. -Beth [ http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/new-yorkers-support-bicycle-la… ] * NY TIMES - City Room March 18, 2011, 4:55 pm* New Yorkers Support Bicycle Lanes, Poll Finds By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/author/michael-m-grynbaum/> Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News The Bloomberg administration’s new bicycle lanes, the subject of one of the more heated civic controversies in recent memory, are supported by a majority of New Yorkers, according to a poll released on Friday<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=1569>by Quinnipiac University. More than half of registered voters — 54 percent — said they believed the expansion of bicycle lanes had been a positive development for the city. The only demographic groups opposed were Republican voters and, by a smaller margin, residents of Queens. Over all, 39 percent of respondents said they were unhappy with the lanes, and 6 percent said they had no opinion on the matter (or did not answer). The survey question was fairly stark: either that the bike lanes are “a good thing because it’s greener and healthier for people to ride,” or “a bad thing because it leaves less room for cars, which increases traffic.” The poll asked which statement was closer to the respondent’s point of view. “On balance, people like it,” said Maurice Carroll<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2011.xml>, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x271.xml>. “It’s not overwhelming, but it’s a plus.” Support for the lanes was strongest in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Voters in Queens disapproved of the lanes, but by 48 to 45 percent. Only 35 percent of Republicans supported the lane, while 59 percent of Democrats approved. Support for the bike lanes seemed to wane with age. Voters between ages 18 and 49 supported the lanes by wide margins, but support fell below 50 percent among voters older than 50. Still, supporters outnumbered opponents in each age group. The poll, which surveyed 1,115 registered voters earlier this month, had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Hundreds of new bicycle lanes have been installed since 2007, part of the administration’s plan to encourage environmentally friendly modes of transportation that cut down on traffic congestion. Arguments for and against the bike lanes typically go into more detail than the survey’s questions. The city’s Department of Transportation, led by its commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/nyregion/06sadik-khan.html>, argues that carving out street space for bicycles has resulted in slower car traffic and, in turn, fewer accidents. Critics of the lanes complain about lost parking spots, additional difficulty in driving in the city, and the risk to pedestrians from bicyclists who disobey traffic laws. Some opponents have also faulted the Transportation Department for installing the lanes without sufficient community outreach, and not disclosing all the relevant data related to the lanes. Those are among the arguments in a lawsuit filed last week<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/nyregion/08bike.html>by a group of well-connected Brooklyn residents who have called on the city to remove a two-way bike lane along Prospect Park West. Biking advocates cited Friday’s poll as evidence that the city should continue expanding its bicycle network. “Whether they drive a car, ride a bike or get around by train, this poll shows that New Yorkers understand that bike lanes make our streets better for everyone,” Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, wrote in a statement. The survey also found that New Yorkers were unhappy with a plan to rename the Queensboro Bridge<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/nyregion/09bandt.html>for former Mayor Edward I. Koch. Nearly two-thirds of voters opposed the plan, proposed last year by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, with opposition particularly pointed in Queens.

1 0

Leisure Guide: Commuter Cycling Course
by Beth McKechnie 21 Mar '11

21 Mar '11

Please circulate widely. Thanks! -Beth *****active adult workshops* *****city cycling: commuter cycling skills* *****new!* Start commuting by bicycle or just feel more comfortable riding your bike. CAN-BIKE certified instructors from Bike to the Future will clarify the rules and teach you how to ride on the road with confidence. You will learn the skills you need to ride just about anywhere your bike will take you. The course includes both in-class and on-road training. Each participant will receive a free copy of the***** new* 2011 version of the Winnipeg Bike map. *****Fee:* $36.00 1 day Sport for Life Centre:145 Pacific Ave. *394547 Sat May 14 Noon–4:00pm* *394548 Sun May 29 Noon–4:00pm* You can find it on page 81 of the guide or at: * http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/Leisure/pdfs/leisureguide.pdf*<http://www.winnipeg.ca/cms/Leisure/pdfs/leisureguide.pdf> Pass it around!

1 0

Grist: Cyclists shouldn't 'share the road', they should have their own
by Beth McKechnie 21 Mar '11

21 Mar '11

[While reading this article, note that Winnipeg got its first cycletrack, i.e. physically separated bike lane, late last fall on Assiniboine Ave! - cheers, Beth] Cyclists shouldn’t ‘share the road,’ they should have their own by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/member/386213> 14 Feb 2011 1:14 PM It's long been the most controversial issue in bicycling: Should people on bikes ride in traffic with cars, using the same infrastructure and following the same procedures (a style of riding known as "Vehicular Cycling")? Should we ride on the sidewalks and off-road paths, with pedestrians? Or should we have our own place to ride that's designed specifically for bicycling? <http://www.flickr.com/photos/pwkrueger/5134415882/in/set-72157625160007617/> [image: Cycletrack-Vancouver(Paul Krueger copyright).jpg] A physically separated bike lane in Vancouver, BC. Looks nice, right? Photo: Paul Krueger<http://www.flickr.com/photos/pwkrueger/5134415882/in/set-72157625160007617/> -- Like Goldilocks, we've tried all these options. Riding with faster, heavier cars is hard on us. Riding with slower, roaming pedestrians is hard on them. Only when we have our own place in traffic are things anywhere near just right. Or so says a study released last week in Montreal<http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Separated+Montreal+bike+paths+lower+ris…>, which shows that not only does dedicated bicycle infrastructure work in North America, it borders on negligence for cities *not** *to build such infrastructure. (You can download the entire study here<http://gobiking.ca/risk-of-injury-study.pdf>[PDF].) We're not talking about the old, familiar bike lane, marked by a line of white paint -- which so often functions more as a symbol and reminder of our right to be in the road than as actual bicycle infrastructure. Car doors, intersections, potholes, and misinterpretations by law enforcement are among the many pitfalls of the old-school bike lane. But on any road where car traffic is traveling significantly faster than a person can pedal, a bike lane, flawed compromise that it is, is better than nothing at all. Cities across North America have in the last two years been discovering a better way to build a bike lane -- separating it entirely from motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic alike. It's called the cycle track. Though we recently discovered it, we didn't invent it: It's been the backbone of the world's most attractive, comfortable, safe bicycling environments for decades in European cities like Utrecht<http://hembrow.blogspot.com/2010/05/cycle-rush-hour-in-spring-in-utrecht.ht…>and Groningen <http://www.camcycle.org.uk/events/visits/groningen/> (see the system in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-AbPav5E5M&feature=player_embedded). Cycle tracks, also called segregated bike lanes or separated bike paths, are basically bike lanes that use the same right of way as a major street but are set off from car traffic by a barrier more substantial than a single painted white line. They may be separated by bollards, a concrete barrier, or a curb. On many streets, parked cars provide the barrier. Some cycle tracks are one-way and others carry two directions of bike traffic. Unlike their more dangerous cousins, the off-road bike paths<http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-07-we-need-real-bike-paths-for-real-bi…>, cycle tracks are for bikes only and are not intended to be shared with people walking or running and more than with cars. Montreal, the focus of the recent study, has an unusually large number of cycle tracks for a North American city. Still, unlike their European cousins, these are mainly two-directional and have what the study calls a "less than ideal design," particularly at intersections. Even so, the researchers found, these lanes enjoy 2.5 times more bicycle traffic than alternate bicycle routes without cycle tracks. On Montreal's cycle tracks, the risk of injury is 28 percent lower -- or to be exact, 10.5 crashes, but only 8.5 injuries -- per million kilometers bicycled. Despite strong evidence from now two continents, the Montreal researchers point out, United States federal guidelines actively discourage cities from building cycle tracks. Everywhere cycle tracks are proposed and built there is some amount of local pushback<http://www.citycaucus.com/2010/10/why-are-separated-bike-lanes-so-controver…>. We're seeing an extreme degree of this in New York City, where a powerful group that includes the city's former transportation commissioner (who just happens to be married to Sen. Chuck Schumer [D-N.Y.]) have filed a lawsuit to remove a successful two-way cycle track recently built along Brooklyn's Prospect Park. The media has embraced the campaign<http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/02/14/have-you-seen-the-latest-marcia-krame…>, with a local politician contributing the most venomous and spirited rhetoric<http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/01/24/markowitz-on-ppw-data-its-a-vast-biki…> . There is also a vociferous cadre of bicyclists who organize against bicycle infrastructure of all kinds<http://bicyclealliance.blogspot.com/2011/02/gravity-bike-lanes-and-limits-o…>, with the slogan: "bicyclists fare best when they act, and are treated in return, as drivers of vehicles." One such Vehicular Cycling organization in Ottawa, Ontario is rallying against<http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/Even+some+cyclists+oppose+cycling+lane/…>a high-profile cycle track planned in Canada's capital city. But as the research keeps rolling in, I suspect we'll continue to find that real bicycle infrastructure is going to be an amazing boon to bicycle transportation. For instance, we already knew that the air quality is better<http://bikeportland.org/2010/10/28/study-cycle-tracks-mean-better-air-quali…>, whether you're riding on a cycle track or walking on the sidewalk next to one. We know that, despite shopkeepers' fears, increased bicycling is good<http://therecord.blogs.com/take_the_lane/2010/06/cyclists-are-good-for-busi…>for business<http://www.vancouverobserver.com/blogs/transit/2011/02/10/businesses-see-bi…> . We know that people will ride in greater numbers<http://communities.canada.com/montrealgazette/blogs/greenlife/archive/2010/…>on dedicated, separated bicycle infrastructure, and that with numbers comes safety<http://www.grist.org/article/2010-10-11-theres-safety-in-numbers-for-cyclis…> . As long as we continue to allow our streets to be dominated by cars, we need to go the extra mile -- or thousand miles -- to ensure that everyone who isn't in a motor vehicle at any given time is still able to move freely around the city. Separated infrastructure, like sidewalks and cycle tracks, are necessary if a car-oriented city is to be navigable by unarmored humans. Some day, I hope we don't need them. Until then, I hope we build them as well as possible. Elly Blue is a writer and bicycle activist living in Portland, Oregon.

1 0

Active Transportation Canada - March 18, 2001
by Beth McKechnie 21 Mar '11

21 Mar '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Fri, Mar 18, 2011 at 1:02 PM Subject: Active Transportation Canada - March 18, 2001 Twenty (20) new items have been posted on the Active Transportation-Canada Website today. A complete list of titles may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. Some sample items: 1. Cyclists shouldn’t ‘share the road,’ they should have their own 2. Video - Cycling Options for various disabilities: UK 3. Estimating the Employment Impacts of Pedestrian, Bicycle, and Road Infrastructure Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com A "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. With more than 1,000 items posted on Active Transportation - Canada, there are links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and the world. 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

1 0

Post on NYC bike lane backlash
by Hall, Ian 17 Mar '11

17 Mar '11

Great blog post... Street Fight: What's Behind New York City's Bike Lane Backlash? http://citiwire.net/post/2562/

1 0

LA Times: At 103, he's a three-wheeled wonder
by Beth McKechnie 16 Mar '11

16 Mar '11

[My new role model...] <http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/trb.latimes/news/local;;ptype=s;slug=la-me-l…> At 103, he's a three-wheeled wonder If it were up to Octavio Orduño, he'd still be cruising Long Beach on a two-wheeled bicycle. But his wife insisted he get a tricycle. The city wants to make him an ambassador for cycling: 'He's our poster boy for healthy, active living around here.' By Esmeralda Bermudez, Los Angeles Times March 14, 2011 [image: Long Beach 103 yr old tricyclist.jpg] It's time to ride, but Octavio Orduño, stubborn as ever, won't put on his glasses. His wife, Alicia, insists: "But you can't see without them." "No," he tells her. "I don't want to." Then he starts to head off, on his way. If it were up to Orduño, he would still be cruising the streets of Long Beach on a two-wheeler. But a few years back, Alicia insisted he add another wheel and get a tricycle. After all, he was 100 and beginning to lose his balance. He turns 103 on Monday, so he's probably the oldest cyclist in Long Beach. The city, which wants to make him an ambassador for biking, likes to call him "the oldest in the world." Orduño lives half a block from the beach. Nearly every day, he toddles from his third-floor condo to the garage where he keeps his red Torker tricycle. On it, he pedals around the neighborhood — to the park, the beach and the farmers market — in a ritual honed over nearly 40 years. Not long ago, the city's bike coordinator, a gregarious, gray-haired Texan named Charles Gandy, took notice. He befriended Orduño and shared his story online, posting two videos<http://acgallery.smugmug.com/Bike-Long-Beach/Octavio-Orduno/14894674_Lmmck%…>of him coasting down the bike lanes, propped up by his self-installed blue velvet backrest. And that's only the start of Gandy's plan, if the old man is game. He'd like to have him cut the ribbon at bike-friendly ceremonies and appear in television and radio ads. "He's our poster boy for healthy, active living around here," Gandy said, just what people need "to shake themselves out of a rut." Orduño loves the attention. But his riding around town isn't any sort of campaign. "It keeps me going," he said. "And it's better than sitting in the den all day watching cars go by." Alicia is right. With his glasses off, it's clear he can't see too much at all. No matter. He knows the six-block route to Bixby Park by feel. Aside from a few potholes that rock his hunched frame and make him yell "Ayyyy!," the voyage is smooth. "I can ride this bike all day long," he says as the world whizzes by in a blur: the grind of lawn mowers, the sour smell of garbage, two growling pit bulls — one black, one beige — and a pretty girl in a flowery skirt. The retired aerospace mechanic can't recall how old he was when he first started riding. He just remembers it took him a long time to persuade his father to buy him a bike. The two used to argue all the time over school, which Orduño found boring and pointless. So at 16 he ran away, hopping freight trains from Oregon to Wisconsin to Chicago. For years, he says, he labored on farms and laid railroad track, stashing his cash in an old tobacco tin. When the Great Depression struck in 1929, the trains he rode filled up with desperate men — former doctors and lawyers who had lost it all. His first marriage lasted 20 years and gave him four children — three boys, one girl. With Alicia, he had two more girls. Next year, the couple will celebrate their 60th anniversary. His kids, grandkids and great-grandkids are spread across California and as far afield as New Mexico, Indiana and Missouri. A few times a year, his son Eddie, 79, visits from his home north of Fresno. At the sight of him, Orduño lights up. "I don't know how many days he has left, how many months, how many years," Eddie said of his father. "But he's had a full life." Alicia wants him to keep having one. There are days she has to scold him. When he turned 100 and the state took away his driver's license, she thought he'd be safer. But he returns from his tricycle rides scraped up from falls. Not long ago, on his way out of the garage, his foot slipped going uphill and he flipped over. His face hit the concrete. The bike landed on his leg. He lay on the ground for half an hour before a neighbor came to his rescue. Once, he and the tricycle* *came home in a police car. "That time, I thought I was clear, so I let it roll," he says. "I think I was going about 30 miles an hour when I went over the curb and some guys came to help me." A day or two later, he was back on the street, "like nothing ever happened," Alicia said. A few minutes into his ride to Bixby Park, the grassy knolls come into view and Orduño proudly calls out: "We're here!<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media-industry/televi…> " He waits in a driveway for the light to turn green so he can cross busy Ocean Boulevard. Just then, a giant Suburban comes up behind him, waiting for him to move. But Orduño, caught uphill without momentum, can't get his ride to budge. The driver takes in the scene and laughs. "Puchenlo! Puchenlo!" he teases out the window. *Somebody push him!* At the park, Orduño speeds past the grass and the picnic benches, where seniors lounge in the sun. He goes straight to the back, to his favorite place: the skateboarding zone. There, on an open stretch of concrete, young guys with shaggy hair and saggy pants zoom around, grinding the ground with ollies and flips. Orduño hits his brakes and takes it all in. His mouth drops open in a smile. They return the favor, singing his praises. "Hey, sweet ride, man!" "Yo, check him out! He's down." Nick Tarrant, a 21-year-old with a stubbly goatee and a low-slung action bike, asks him his name, practically yelling so Orduño can hear him. "Hey, it's OK. I'm deaf too," Tarrant tells him, pointing to his own earpieces. The two talk bikes and hearing aids, and then Orduño says goodbye. He is ready to ride home, to Alicia and his usual dinner of beans, brown rice and vegetables. "Sometimes," Orduño says, as he reaches his block, "I feel stronger than the year before." With his birthday approaching, there's been talk of getting him an electric wheelchair. Alicia thinks it will make it easier for her husband to get around. But Orduño has grown attached to his three-wheeler and has no plans to give it up. "Why would I?" he said. As for the wheelchair, "I think she can use it and follow me when I ride." *esmeralda.bermudez(a)latimes.com*

1 0

Tearing down urban freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy
by Beth McKechnie 15 Mar '11

15 Mar '11

Tearing down urban freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/member/386213> Grist Magazine 14 Mar 2011 9:31 AM [ http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-14-tearing-down-urban-freeways-to-make… ] *This is the second column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Part 1 was "How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it)<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-28-how-bicycling-will-save-the-economy>." * [image: bikenomics]Here's one way to fund bicycle infrastructure: Stop building freeways in cities. Better yet, tear down the ones we already have. Cities are starting to catch on that becoming bicycle friendly is one of the best investments they can make**<http://www.grist.org/article/2010-09-27-why-an-additional-road-tax-for-bicy…> . Cities are also starting to realize that removing freeways makes more economic sense than maintaining or expanding them. In the last year, with the help of federal and state funding, cities like Baltimore and New Haven have been demolishing<http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2011/0302/Downtown-need-a-makeover-More-cities…>the "highways to nowhere" that have divided their neighborhoods, drained their populations<http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/2009/09/the-cost-of-urban-freeways/>, and damaged their economies<http://www.azdot.gov/Highways/valley_freeways/Loop_202/South_Mountain/artic…>and their children's health<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR200701260…>since the 1970s. ** Finding room for safe bicycle infrastructure in already strained and contested budgets can be difficult. That's especially true in places where bicycling has no historical place in the transportation budget, and is still seen as either a whim of the elite or last resort of the poor. But the economic benefits of freeway removal make anything seem possible. Our freeway system is crumbling. Freeways in cities are vastly expensive, disastrous for public health and safety, and destructive of community. The damages disproportionately affect the poor<http://www.baltimorebrew.com/2010/09/24/highway-to-nowhere-coming-down-not-…> . Urban freeways are also ineffective as transportation solutions. Caught in the vicious feedback loop of induced demand<http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/2011/03/puncturing-myth-more-r…>, they cannot be expanded fast enough to keep up with increasing traffic -- yet each expansion lures yet more drivers who create yet more congestion and demand more lanes, ad infinitum. The maintenance and expansion of these roadways gobble up transportation funds that could create and maintain less costly and destructive alternatives. The numbers at play are almost too large to comprehend, but comparison is enlightening. Bike lanes cost anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 per mile<http://issuu.com/bikeleague/docs/economic_benefits_bicycle_infrastructure_r…>to add to an existing road. That includes everything from engineering and design to paint and concrete to traffic signals. Does that seem like a lot? Well, let's compare. Freeway construction in Michigan's countryside clocks in at $8 million per mile <http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-14011-28076--F,00.html>. In the state's cities, with their need for overpasses, underpasses, exits and entrances, and mitigation of construction impacts on health and commerce, the cost jumps to an average of $39 million per mile. And that's a bargain-basement rate compared to many parts of the country. On the other end of the spectrum, Boston has the most expensive urban freeway systems in the country, costing over $1 billion per mile<http://www-pam.usc.edu/volume2/v2i1a3s2.html> . In Portland, Ore., a single mile of urban freeway costs on average $65 million per mile to build; that's about the same dollar figure as the entire amount as the city spent in 20 years on the bicycle infrastructure that made it one of the most famous bicycle cities in the world<http://www.planetizen.com/node/42773>, with a bicycle economy worth far more than that amount every year<http://bikeportland.org/2008/09/11/report-bike-related-economy-worth-90-mil…> .* *For further perspective, it was just announced that $100 million has already been spent on planning for a contentious $4 to $10 billion freeway expansion project here that may never be built<http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/02/a_misfire_in_design_nee…> . Those sums don't include maintenance, which can cost nearly as much as building new miles of freeway, and which, thanks to our interstate system being largely built in a short period of time, is all starting to crumble at once<http://rightdemocrat.blogspot.com/2010/05/us-pirg-report-calls-for-fixing.h…>in the last decade -- just as federal transportation funding is running out fast<http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2011/Mar11/031111/031111-03.sh…> .* *(Remember that bridge in Minnesota<http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-08-02-minneapolis-bridge_N.htm> ?)* *As early as 2000, the amount of spending needed for basic, safe maintenance of our national freeways and bridges was 20 percent higher<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/2002cpr/ch24.htm>than the $30 billion that was spent that year. By contrast, according to a 2009 report by the League of American Bicyclists, for the $75 million spent repaving three miles of urban interstate, California could have installed<http://issuu.com/bikeleague/docs/economic_benefits_bicycle_infrastructure_r…>1,250 miles of some of the country's most expensive bike lanes. Cities that have chosen (or been forced by citizen groups<http://www.streetfilms.org/lessons-from-portland/>) to stop building or to remove freeways have been rewarded tremendously, and not just economically<http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/07/06/huh-4-cases-of-how-tearing-down-…> . [image: Woman on bike in SF.]<http://www.flickr.com/photos/martindavidsson/154575832/>The scene today on San Francisco's Embarcadero, where a freeway once loomed.Photo: Martin Davidsson <http://www.flickr.com/photos/martindavidsson/154575832/>Talk of removing San Francisco's Embarcadero Freeway began almost as soon as it was built. When it was taken out of commission by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, it quickly became clear that the predicted traffic snarls weren't happening; it was demolished and replaced with an arterial street and a now beloved linear park<http://www.streetfilms.org/lessons-from-san-francisco/>along the water. When the city of Milwaukee, Wisc. removed a contested, never-finished freeway spur in 2002, the estimated cost for needed safety repairs was $100 million. Removal cost $25 million, and the 26 acres of land freed up for redevelopment attracted over $300 million in investments<http://www.preservenet.com/freeways/FreewaysParkEast.html>. Mayor John Norquist, overseeing the project, famously said, "Highways don't belong in cities. Period." President Eisenhower, the father of the U.S. interstate system, agreed. He reportedly only discovered that freeways were being built in cities, rather than between them, in 1959. He wanted them to be eliminated<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/faq.htm#question23a>, but the march of progress had already left him behind. He was right: We don't need freeways in cities. And we can't afford them. Not every city has gotten that message. Right now in Seattle, the earthquake-damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct seems destined to be replaced by a costly freeway tunnel<http://www.grist.org/article/2010-12-15-seattle-car-centric-mega-tunnel-car…>along the city's waterfront -- despite the wishes of voters. In San Diego County, the $2.6 billion proposed for spending<http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/25/bicycles-big-part-future-tra…>on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure over the next 40 years has attracted more scrutiny than the $82 billion slated for roads<http://www.kpbs.org/news/2010/dec/17/sandag-approves-40-year-transportation…>in the same plan, including at least one highly contested freeway expansion project. In Portland, planning is underway for a new, widened freeway bridge that will bring more congestion into the center of the city. The ultimate cost of that project is estimated to be between $4 and $10 billion. There's a lot of criticism of the cost of bicycle infrastructure. But look at it this way: the simple act of choosing not to build one mile of urban freeway can buy you a world-class bicycle city with a thriving local economy. We can tear down these freeways and make sure that green spaces, equitable new development, and quality walking and bicycling infrastructure take their place. Soon, we may have no other choice. *Two weeks from today, we'll take on the health care crisis. With bikes, of course. * Elly Blue is a writer and bicycle activist living in Portland, Oregon.

1 0

Active Transportation - Canada: March 14, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 14 Mar '11

14 Mar '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Mon, Mar 14, 2011 at 10:21 AM Subject: Active Transportation - Canada: March 14, 2011 Dear Listserv Members: Ten (10) new items have been posted on the Active Transportation-Canada Website, and for something different, all are from our neighbours to the south, the US and Mexico. There are some fascinating an surprisingly developments taking place in these countries, and as advocates of Active Transportation it might be helpful to be aware of a few of them. A complete list of titles may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. some highlights in this collection include: - San Diego - Billions proposed for bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly streets - Los Angeles plans 1600 mile cycle lane network - New York - Battle of the Bike Lanes Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com A "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. With more than 1,000 items posted on Active Transportation - Canada, there are links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and the world. 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 many subscribers to Active Transportation-Canada. Thank you. Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions

1 0

Bike to Work Day Winnipeg - Event Coordinator Posting
by Beth McKechnie 11 Mar '11

11 Mar '11

Hello! Please find attached an event coordinator posting for Bike to Work Day Winnipeg, which takes place this year on Friday, June 24th. It would be greatly appreciated if you could circulate it within your networks or forward to individuals who you think might be a good fit. thanks, Beth

1 0

Bike to Work Day Winnipeg, Event Coordinator
by Mike Tutthill 11 Mar '11

11 Mar '11

Bike to Work Day Winnipeg Event Coordinator Want to coordinate an exciting city wide event that celebrates cycling culture? The Bike to Work Day Winnipeg planning team is looking for an event coordinator to assist with Bike to Work Day Winnipeg 2011 (June 24, 2011). New ideas and approaches will be welcomed. In general, the individual will be responsible for: * Attending meetings of and reporting to the planning committee * Updating a sponsorship package and soliciting donations from previous and new sponsors * Assisting with the development and coordination of promotional materials, and liaising with the planning team, graphic designer and web developer * Assisting with overall coordination of pancake breakfast and coordinating rides from established Oases in the city, including the coordination of volunteers * Communicating with media and developing partnerships with other related community organizations * Preparing a report of the event and recommendations for events in future years * Performing other coordination duties as needed Required skills and experience * Creativity in event planning and promotion * Exceptional organizational and communication skills * Able to deliver commitments under pressure * Comfortable working with a volunteer-run planning team * Development of sponsorship packages and soliciting sponsors * Event coordination and promotion * Community engagement * Media relations * Volunteer coordination * Report writing This is approximately a 3-month contract, beginning April 4th until submission of a final report, for $7500 - $10 000 depending on experience and details of the final contract. The independent contractor will be responsible to provide their own office, office supplies and equipment. The successful applicant will be accountable to the volunteer planning committee. Interested candidates should forward a résumé, covering letter and references to relevant experience to mike.tutthill(a)biketoworkdaywinnipeg.org by March 28, 2011. Mike Tutthill Information & Access Coordinator HEALTH in COMMON 100-6 Donald Street Winnipeg, MB R3L 0K6 tel: 204.949.2002 1.800.731.1792 fax: 204.284.2404 email: <mailto:mtutthill@healthincommon.ca> mtutthill(a)healthincommon.ca web: <http://www.healthincommon.ca> www.healthincommon.ca +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ April E-Newsletter deadline is March 18. <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Health-in-Common/120069149875> Health in Common on Facebook * Please consider the environment before printing this email. Coming to Health in Common? By bicycle: Bicycle parking is located behind the building. By Winnipeg transit: Routes 62, 65, 66, 68, 70 By car: Two visitor parking spaces are available at the back of the building. Street parking (restrictions): Bell Avenue (1hr 9h00 17h30), Clarke Street (none); Lewis (none); Cauchon (none); River (none west of Clarke).

1 0

Thank you for cycling!
by Beth McKechnie 07 Mar '11

07 Mar '11

Great story from: http://www.torontocranks.com/?p=2363<http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/anonymous-gifts-say-thank-you-for-c…>(can we hold out hope for a Winnipeg benefactor?) -cheers, Beth Thank you for cycling! March 2nd, 2011 I was riding along the College Street bike lane heading east and was coming up to the red light at University Ave. and an older woman stepped out to the edge of the sidewalk and handed me an envelope saying “Thank You for cycling today”! I thought it might be a flyer or something so I stuck it into my pocket and started through the now green light. On the other side of the intersection another cyclist passed me and turned to say ” how much do you think is inside” as he waved his envelope, I said I don’t know maybe its a coffee coupon. A bit further ahead I thought I’d make a U-turn and go back and see who she worked for, but she was gone. When I got home I looked at the envelope. It’s hand lettered “Thank You ($ gift inside).” I opened it and inside was a letter and a new $5.00 bill. Wow! So I took the $5.00 and bought 2 lottery tickets for tonights 6/49 draw! You don’t think she works for Rob Ford’s office?? Tom Polarbear

1 0

Fwd: UWSA Ice Riders Bike Lab
by Beth McKechnie 03 Mar '11

03 Mar '11

Hi everyone, I’m part of a student group at the University of Winnipeg called the Ice Riders, and we are a non-profit organization there to help people have better access to the resources they need to bike all year round. We’re in the process of building a bike lab on the Downtown campus, which should be completed this spring, and it will be a base for anyone with a bike to come by for repairs, advice, or even to build a bike. Myself and close to fifty other students and non students are committed to volunteering our time to make this a success, but a real issue is funding. The link below takes you to a video which was created by a few members and friends and submitted to the TD Go Green Challenge, where the successful candidates will receive $100,000.00 to go towards implementing their project. TD is doing a people’s choice award of $2,500.00, which is where your vote counts for this. Take a look if you’d like, and if you are so inclined please vote for them. Any vote helps, and so far we’re ahead of the pack! Regards, Michael Chiasson PS please feel free to pass it on to anyone you like! http://www.tdgogreenchallenge.com/video/id/86/playid/86#

1 0

Why do people in cars hate people on bikes so much? (Grist & Outside articles)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Mar '11

01 Mar '11

Share the road rage Why do people in cars hate people on bikes so much? by Sarah Goodyear <http://www.grist.org/member/376533> 24 Feb 2011 4:10 PM [ http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-24-why-do-people-in-cars-hate-people-o… ] If you've ever been behind the wheel of a car, you've felt it: The dead certainty that everyone around you is a complete idiot who should get the hell out of your way. If you've spent much time riding a bicycle, you have been the target of that wrath. And without the protective metal-and-glass bubble that shields drivers (mostly) from each other's anger, it's easy to feel the hate. A horn honked in your ear by someone zooming past, an insult shouted out a window, the grit kicked up in your face by someone passing too close -- just to make a point. It's scary. The expression "road rage" apparently originated in America in the 1980s<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_rage>, and the concept was absorbed into our national DNA a long time ago. It's part of how we see ourselves, a danger so familiar it's become mundane, a cultural cliché. Driving a car does something strange to you. Tom Vanderbilt, author of the book *Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (And What It Says About Us<http://www.powells.com/biblio/9780307277190?&PID=25450> *), has explained it<http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/tom-vanderbilt/>this way: What happens to most of us, in most driving conditions, is that we're losing some of the key attributes that facilitate human cooperation and, in a larger sense, society. Eye contact, for example, has been shown in any number of experiments to increase the chance of gaining cooperation - that's why when drivers give you what was called on *Seinfeld* the "stare-ahead," your chances that they'll let you merge in ahead of them are greatly reduced. Then there's the anonymity in traffic - there's no one to spread rumors or gossip about you about how bad your behavior was -- not to mention the lack of consequences for acting like an idiot. It's all strikingly similar to the way we act on the internet, in what's called the "online disinhibition effect." Now Vanderbilt has written a terrific article in *Outside<http://outsideonline.com/adventure/travel-ga-201103-new-york-bike-commuting…> * about the way that people driving cars and people riding bicycles interact with each other -- and the psychology behind the "bikelash" that's taken hold as bicycles have become increasingly popular as a mode of transportation as well as recreation. People on bikes, of course, are not equal players in the battle for road space. They don't have a metal shell to protect them. Maybe that's why they are easy targets for road rage: Because they look a lot more human than people in cars do, and because they rely on eye contact and hand signals to express their intentions, rather than on blinking lights and sheer metallic muscle. Because they are more vulnerable. Vanderbilt writes about how the idea that "cyclists" are a group unto themselves, an "other," creates some of the problem: This dynamic appears on the road in all kinds of ways. "We know that merely perceiving someone as an outsider is enough to provoke a whole range of things," says Ian Walker, a researcher at the University of Bath who specializes in traffic psychology. "All the time, you hear drivers saying things like 'Cyclists, they're all running red lights, they're all riding on sidewalks,' while completely overlooking the fact that the group they identify with regularly engages in a whole host of negative behaviors as well." This social categorization is subtle but dominant, he points out. When people are given a piece of paper and asked to describe themselves, "men never write, 'I'm a man.' Whereas women will write 'woman' because being male is the 'default' status in society." And so it is with cyclists. In a country like the Netherlands, which has more bikes than people and where virtually the entire population cycles at one time or another, the word cyclist isn't meaningful. But in the U.S., the term often implies something more, in both a good and a bad sense. There's also a not-so-subtle class element in play: Yes, cultural politics are getting weird, which may also explain some of the tension, as Brian Ladd, author of the 2008 book *Autophobia*, argues. "Most Americans," he wrote in a December post on the urban-planning Web site Planetizen.com <http://www.planetizen.com/>, "know one thing about the bicyclists they see on the roads: they are losers, and you thank God you're not one of them." But wait, he says, noting the fashionability of cycling: Who's doing the sneering here? "It's harder to dismiss cyclists as beneath contempt," he says, "when you suspect that they might just be contemptuous of you." You should read Vanderbilt's article in full [note: pasted below], because it's packed with great stuff (he rides along with one guy who commutes 50 miles each way by bike twice a week, and talks with another who documents his interactions with angry drivers on video). Unlike a lot of the writing on this topic, it is well-reasoned and well-researched. In the end, Vanderbilt comes to a pretty simple conclusion: In thinking about how to improve driver-cyclist relations in America, the easiest thing is to simply get more people on bikes. Because that way, it won't be us vs. them. It'll just be us. -- [Warning: The next article is lengthy but well worth reading.] Outside Magazine, March 2011<http://outsideonline.com/travel/travel-ta-201103/table-of-contents/travel-t…> http://outsideonline.com/adventure/travel-ga-201103-new-york-bike-commuting… Rage Against Your Machine What is it about cyclists that can turn sane, law-abiding drivers into shrieking maniacs? The author ponders the eternal conflict with help from bike supercommuter Joe Simonetti, who each week survives the hostile, traffic-clogged rat race between the New York exurbs and Midtown Manhattan. By *Tom Vanderbilt * THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU DEFINES AN "EXTREME COMMUTER" AS SOMEONE WHO SPENDS MORE THAN THREE HOURS GETTING TO AND FROM WORK. This is usually understood to be by car. It's not clear, then, how the Census would categorize Joe Simonetti, a 57-year-old psychotherapist who lives with his wife in Pound Ridge, New York. His commute takes him from the northern reaches of exurban Westchester County to his office just south of Central Park. It's about three and a half hours each way. By bike. When I heard about Simonetti's commute—some 50-odd road miles as Google Maps flies—I was vaguely stupefied. It may or may not be the longest bike commute in America, but it's certainly the most improbable. In my mind's eye, there was the dense clamor of New York City, then a netherland of train yards and traffic-clogged overpasses, then an outer belt of big-box retail, and then you were suddenly in the land of golf courses and five-acre zoning—where middle managers crowd the bar car on Metro-North and hedge-fund analysts cruise in 7 Series BMWs down I-95. The idea that this landscape could be traversed on a bike struck me as fantastic. This is America, where 65 percent of trips under one mile are made by car. But at 7 A.M. on a mid-November Thursday—among the last of the year on which Simonetti was going to ride—I packed my bike into the back of a hired minivan and headed for Pound Ridge, noting with subtle alarm the ticking off of miles as we pushed north. Simonetti obviously isn't the typical bike commuter. For one thing, he does it only twice a week, weather permitting. For another, he doesn't ride home the same day; he has a crash pad in the city where he can shower and sleep. But in following this supercommuter, I wanted to open a window into what it means to be a cyclist in a country where the bicycle struggles for the barest acceptance as a means of transportation. Over the years and the miles, Simonetti has experienced just about everything a cyclist can on the roads today: honked horns, cramped bike lanes, close calls with cars, and even a few crashes—the last one landing him in the hospital. I was curious to ride with him for the sheer novelty of it, and also to get a handle on what seemed to be an increasingly prevalent culture war between cyclists and drivers, one that was claiming actual lives. At least for one beautiful morning, I wanted to move beyond the alarming headlines and toxic chat rooms and into the real world, to get a sense of how, why—and if—things had gotten so bad. My interest isn't because I'm a cyclist, though I am, in the loose recreational sense. Rather, the issue was forced upon me by the publication of my 2008 book *Traffic*, which looked at the oft-peculiar psychology of drivers. Cyclists were among the book's most devoted readers, although I'm still not sure if it's because they found my dissection of drivers' foibles educational or cathartic. After all, the little things that drivers think are excusable—forgetting a turn signal, weaving a bit as they fumble for their Big Gulps—can range from frustrating to life-threatening for a cyclist. Simonetti's house, a cozy ranch that he jokes is the smallest in Pound Ridge, sits on a twisting country lane. The walkability-measuring Web site Walkscore.org <http://www.walkscore.org/> gives his address a rating of zero, meaning, basically, that you can't get around without a car. Tall and trim, with a professorial salt-and-pepper beard, Simonetti is waiting with his LeMond Buenos Aires, a 50th-birthday gift that, he jokes, makes him look "like a real cyclist." Clad in a helmet, gloves, and a blue cycling jacket, he fills our bikes' bottles with a mixture of juice and water, checks that his back pouch has spare tubes (I've forgotten mine), and clicks his shoes into his pedals. On a still-brisk morning—it's 8:30, and Simonetti's first appointment is at noon—we push off onto a route that Simonetti has refined over the years. It was, in fact, a bike ride that brought him here from the city. After a ride across America for charity in 1998, he returned to New York feeling "a bit midlifey." His daughter was already a teenager, and he craved nature. He and his wife, Carol Goldman, a social worker, were searching for a house that "felt country" but was still within cycling reach of Manhattan. "I never want to commute five days a week by train," he says. He is surely the only person in the history of Westchester County to arrive for a house showing by bike from Manhattan. "They thought I was pretty weird," he says of the realtors. He stresses that he is purely a "functional" cyclist: he rides when he needs to get somewhere, be it the hardware store or Midtown. Our route snakes through preternaturally quiet daytime suburbs whose streets seem plied primarily by women in SUVs and tradesmen in pickups. A Latino landscaping crew smiles at us as we ride through the leaf storm they've blown up in Greenwich, Connecticut. We don't see any other cyclists until New Rochelle, and even then it's two young girls riding on the sidewalk. In the town of Rye Brook, a little after 10 A.M., we pause at a deli for Simonetti's traditional pit-stop fare: an egg-white omelet with Swiss on a whole-wheat bagel. They all know him here, and a clipping from a local paper detailing his commute is stuck on the wall, behind a picture of the clerk's daughter. Here, Simonetti is not some "Lycra lout," some "Lance wannabe," or any of the other epithets often hurled at cyclists. He's simply Joe. He's the guy who rides his bike to work. And, thanks to me and my questions and my questionable pace, he's late. SOMEWHERE SOUTH of Pelham, Simonetti tells me of a crash last summer, in the Bronx, that left him with a broken collarbone. It was a "right hook," one of the most common crash types for cyclists: a driver, traveling in Simonetti's lane ahead of him, suddenly turned right—without signaling—directly into Simonetti's path. An ambulance responded quickly, but the police did not. The paramedics told Simonetti the police would deal with the driver when they arrived, he says. "But the guy left. I don't blame him." When the police, investigating what was now a hit-and-run, came to the hospital, they asked him if he'd gotten the license-plate number. "I was laid out on the ground," he laughs. The driver was never found. Judging by recent headlines, it's not hard to believe that riding a bike has become a little like entering a war zone. No story blew up more than that of Steven Milo, a prominent New York anesthesiologist who was struck near Vail, Colorado, last July 3 by Martin Erzinger, a Denver money manager who specializes in "ultra-high-net-worth individuals." After veering off the road and hitting Milo from behind, throwing him off his bike, Erzinger drove to a Pizza Hut parking lot and called Mercedes roadside assistance. Milo, meanwhile, sustained spinal injuries, lacerations, and, according to court documents quoted by the *Vail Daily*, "bleeding from the brain." When the district attorney, citing "job implications" for Erzinger should he be convicted of a felony, downgraded the hit-and-run charges to a misdemeanor, the cycling blogosphere went off like a supernova. Erzinger had told police that he'd never seen Milo; among the more outlandish of his lawyer's later defenses was that "new-car smell" had impaired his client. Ultimately, the judge accepted the prosecutor's misdemeanor plea deal and sentenced Erzinger to probation, a suspended jail term, and community service. Last September, in Maryland, Natasha Pettigrew, a Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate, was training at dawn for a triathlon when she was fatally struck by a Cadillac Escalade. No charges have yet been filed against the driver, who said that she thought she'd hit an animal until she got home and found Pettigrew's bike lodged under her car. In Florida, the country's deadliest state for cyclists—119 deaths in 2007, ten more than California despite having half the population—two riders participating in last year's annual Memorial Day ride were stabbed by a driver after words were exchanged on the road. In 2009, the last year for which records are available, 630 cyclists were killed by cars in the U.S. (compared with 4,092 pedestrians). That's arguably a big improvement over the 1,003 cyclist fatalities that occurred in 1975, when, as Census data hint, far fewer people were commuting by bike and still fewer wore helmets. And yet, even if things have gotten safer, at least in terms of absolute deaths (which are easier to measure than where or how much people are actually cycling), a sense of hostility—and sometimes outright violence—seems to be on the rise. When accidents do happen, they can generate as much vitriol as concern, as drivers circle their station wagons and trot out now familiar arguments: that the roads are meant for cars, or that cyclists don't pay for the roads—a particularly unwarranted charge, given that local streets are paid for primarily by sales and property taxes. There's a feeling among many drivers that cyclists, either by their ignorance of the law or by their blatant disregard for it, are asking for trouble. "If the door opens into a bicycle rider," opined Rush Limbaugh on his radio show in 2009, "I won't care." In one sense, the so-called bikelash has little to do with transportation modes. In the late 1960s, a pair of British psychologists set out to understand the ways in which we humans tend to split ourselves into opposing factions. They divided a group of teenage schoolboys, who all knew each other, into two groups and asked them to perform a number of "trivial tasks." The boys were then asked to give money to fellow subjects, who were anonymous save for their group affiliation. As it turned out, the schoolboys consistently gave more money to members of their own group, even though these groups had just formed and were essentially meaningless. "The mere division into groups," wrote the psychologists, Henri Tajfel and Michael Billig, of the University of Bristol, "might have been sufficient to have produced discriminatory behavior." Though not exactly *Lord of the Flies*, the experiment was a demonstration of the power of what's called "social categorization"—and the penalties inflicted on the "out-group." This dynamic appears on the road in all kinds of ways. "We know that merely perceiving someone as an outsider is enough to provoke a whole range of things," says Ian Walker, a researcher at the University of Bath who specializes in traffic psychology. "All the time, you hear drivers saying things like 'Cyclists, they're all running red lights, they're all riding on sidewalks,' while completely overlooking the fact that the group they identify with regularly engages in a whole host of negative behaviors as well." This social categorization is subtle but dominant, he points out. When people are given a piece of paper and asked to describe themselves, "men never write, 'I'm a man.' Whereas women will write 'woman' because being male is the 'default' status in society." And so it is with cyclists. In a country like the Netherlands, which has more bikes than people and where virtually the entire population cycles at one time or another, the word cyclist isn't meaningful. But in the U.S., the term often implies something more, in both a good and a bad sense. On the one hand, cyclists have a strong group affiliation, with clubs, group rides, and a flourishing network of bike blogs. And yet the oft-invoked idea of "bike culture" itself betrays cycling's marginal status in America, observes Eben Weiss, creator of the blog Bike Snob NYC, in his book *Bike Snob: Systematically and Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling*. "The truth is," he writes, "real cultures rarely call themselves cultures, just like famous things rarely call *themselves* famous." The dark side of the "cyclist" label is that it becomes a shortcut to social categorization. Suddenly, that messenger who cut in front of you becomes the face of an entire population. And the next time you have an unpleasant encounter with a cyclist, it isn't just a matter of his (or your) carelessness: it seems intentional. Simonetti sees this type of reaction all the time, on the road and in his practice. "As a couples therapist, I tell people that we take things so personally," he says as we near the Whitestone Bridge, on the first dedicated bike path we've seen in more than two hours. It's easy, when a car edges too close or cuts him off, to "go to that paranoid place where they're just trying to fuck with me. We're so worried that someone else can steal our sense of self that we fight for it at every turn." But it could have been just that the driver didn't see him. Under the spell of what's called "inattentional blindness," people have been known to miss obvious things simply because they're not looking for them. Either that or what seems inconsequential in a car—passing by within a foot or two—can be terrifying to someone on a bike. One way to find out what drivers are thinking, of course, is to actually stop and ask them, which is precisely what one Wisconsin cyclist has been doing, with interesting results, for the past few years. THE FIRST THING Jeff Frings wants you to know is that he's not out to get drivers. (He is one, after all.) The second thing is that he doesn't have a persecution complex. "The majority of drivers go out of their way to give me room, and are decent and good drivers around cyclists," says Frings, a news cameraman and avid rider who lives in the suburbs of Milwaukee. "The problem is, it only takes one mistake to end your life or put you in a wheelchair." A few years ago, Frings found out what happens when you encounter someone who isn't a good and decent driver. Out on a weekday ride, he was nearly sideswiped. Heated words followed. The driver accelerated away, then screeched on his brakes right in front of him. "I said, 'This is out of control,'" says Frings. "I called 911." This wasn't the only time. A similar incident ended not with a reprimand of the driver but with a threat by the responding officer to book Frings for disorderly conduct. Rattled by these experiences and dismayed by the lack of evidence, Frings mounted two small video cameras: one on his helmet, one rear-facing on the handlebars. Frings started filming every one of the 100 to 250 miles he rides in a week, to provide proof against the claims of drivers, who are typically the only ones left standing after a serious bike-car crash. He posts the worst encounters on his Web site, bikesafer.blogspot.com<http://www.bikesafer.blogspot.com/>, which could provide grist for a reality show: *America's Douchiest Drivers*. The incidents tend to follow a pattern: 1. Driver cuts him off or nearly runs him off the road. 2. Frings catches up to driver at red light. 3. Frings points out error of driver's ways. 4. Driver says something like "Get on the sidewalk where you belong, jag-off!" 5. Thus ensues what Frings calls "the Conversation," in which he notes (sometimes to police officers) that it's in fact illegal for him to ride on the sidewalk, and that while the law dictates that he be "as far to the right as practicable," that doesn't mean the shoulder, and so forth. Typically, this goes about as well you'd expect. "I'm trying to be less confrontational," says Frings. He's embracing politeness. "Can I just ask you one favor?" he will say. "Can you give me a little more room next time?" He takes his victories in handshakes, promises to do better, and the occasional ticket police give a driver after seeing Frings's evidence. And while he's not optimistic about converting the "haters"—those who believe bikes have no place on the road—he hopes that if he can just get one driver to be more empathetic toward cyclists, it's worth it. "Because the next time," he says, "could be my time." The confusion over the laws pertaining to cyclists unfortunately echoes throughout the entire legal system, argues Bob Mionske, a two-time Olympic cyclist and Portland, Oregon–based lawyer specializing in cases involving bikers. "Enforcement is really where it all starts," he says. "If the police don't respect your mode of transportation, don't expect the rest of society to." Laws are often unenforced. In researching a case in Tennessee where a driver hit a cyclist (who was "lit up like a Christmas tree," says Mionske) while passing, he found that the driver hadn't been given a ticket for violating the state's three-foot passing law—in fact, he couldn't find a case where a ticket had ever been given. Even worse, laws are sometimes used against cyclists. In 2008, a cyclist in Madison, Wisconsin, who'd been hospitalized after being "doored" was actually ticketed for riding less than three feet away from parked cars—even though, as most state traffic codes note, it's the driver's responsibility not to obstruct traffic of any kind when he opens his door. But the biker had only bad choices: ride too far into traffic and risk getting hit, or ride to the right and risk getting doored. Wisconsin has since changed the law. In Mionske's view, justice for cyclists is often invisible, handled with civil settlements that rarely draw public attention. And criminal justice often hangs on a knife-edge. When a 14-year-old teenager in Connecticut was fatally struck by a speeding driver, Mionske notes that it was the driver's prior convictions—including multiple DWIs—that helped land him in jail. For anything but the most egregious cases, Mionske says, a driver who strikes a cyclist—even fatally—is rarely even brought to trial. In the case of the Vail hit-and-run last July, what changed things was that the victim was a successful doctor. "He wasn't going to sit down on this," Mionske says. "Can you imagine if the guy had been collecting aluminum cans?" Like many cyclists, Mionske would like to see some version of the liability system used in the Netherlands and other European countries, in which the burden of proof in a car-cyclist crash is on the driver—the idea being to encourage the user of the far deadlier vehicle to act more cautiously around the more "vulnerable road users," as cyclists are called in road-safety parlance. Of course, if calling cyclists "vulnerable" makes it seem like they're never to blame, that's not true, either. It's not just those hipsters on fixies sealed off from the world by earbuds who give bikers an image problem. Plenty of well-meaning bike commuters aren't aware of the laws, or fail to use bright flashing lights at night, or turn without giving hand signals. Statistically, some studies show cyclists running more red lights than drivers—for a number of complicated reasons, whether to conserve momentum, to get ahead of traffic and be more visible, or, more profoundly, perhaps because their out-group status leads them to act that way. But the red lights may be a red herring. The way cyclists get hurt seems to have less to do with their own culpability and more to do with getting hit by cars—either from behind or when a car turns right, the way Simonetti was struck. Echoing research in the UK, a recent three-year study by Australia's Monash University found that in 54 recorded crashes among a sampling of cyclists, drivers were at fault nearly nine out of ten times. Regardless of fault, there's another twist here. As various studies have found, the more cyclists and cycling infrastructure a town has, the safer it becomes statistically, not just for cyclists but for drivers and pedestrians alike. When New York City put a protected bike lane on Ninth Avenue, some protested it as unsafe for people on foot. But since the lane's opening, pedestrian injuries on Ninth have dropped by 29 percent. Last year, as miles of bike lanes were added, New York had its best pedestrian-safety record ever. While Mionske is generally positive about recent initiatives like Oregon's Vulnerable Road User law, which stiffens penalties for striking a pedestrian or cyclist, and the bicyclist bills of rights passed in a number of other states, he believes that laws are not enough. "Until the public attitude changes, you're not going to change the experience everyone has out there in the world," he says, "whether it's other kinds of discrimination or modism—discriminating against people because of their mode of transportation." THERE ARE TIMES, however, when the gulf seems too wide to span. On one of his rides, Frings was hailed by a man standing in his front yard. The man announced he had passed him earlier in his car. He told Frings he had almost hit him, because he was riding too far into the road. "I tried to explain to him the concept of 'taking the lane'—that the lane's too narrow for us to be side by side, and drivers would think they could pass me even when there's oncoming traffic," Frings says. "That concept, before I talked to him about it, was completely foreign to him. He couldn't understand how it would be safer for me to ride farther out." Hence one of the major fault lines of driver-cyclist relations. While virtually every cyclist in America is also a driver, relatively few drivers are also cyclists. "People either don't know how to handle you," says Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists, "or they don't want to handle you." There's an empathy gap that, as you know if you've spent much time on cycling blogs, can cut both ways. In one study in which drivers were asked how they feel about cyclists, one of the recurring labels was "unpredictable." When asked to elaborate, drivers often blamed the "attitudes and limited competence" of the cyclists themselves, rather than the "difficulty of the situations that cyclists are often forced to face on the road." When asked to describe their own actions or those of other drivers, however, they blamed only the situation. Psychologists call this the "fundamental attribution error." So drivers, perhaps already stressed out from being late for work or stuck in traffic, then have to negotiate their way around a vehicle they essentially don't understand, causing even more stress, which they tend to attribute to something about cyclists. It's a vicious cycle—most vicious, in terms of actual harm, for cyclists. Cyclists, too, can be as susceptible as anyone to "modal bias," thinking that one's mode of travel is the "normal," even superior, one. After researching my book, there may be no more conscientious—or paranoid—driver on the American road than me. But I am still occasionally flummoxed by some wrong-way night rider wearing black. I want to tell them, "Don't ruin it for everyone!" Then again, I wouldn't tell a rude fellow driver not to ruin the image of drivers. Yes, cultural politics are getting weird, which may also explain some of the tension, as Brian Ladd, author of the 2008 book *Autophobia*, argues. "Most Americans," he wrote in a December post on the urban-planning Web site Planetizen.com <http://www.planetizen.com/>, "know one thing about the bicyclists they see on the roads: they are losers, and you thank God you're not one of them." But wait, he says, noting the fashionability of cycling: Who's doing the sneering here? "It's harder to dismiss cyclists as beneath contempt," he says, "when you suspect that they might just be contemptuous of you." In thinking about how to improve driver-cyclist relations in America, the easiest thing is to simply get more people on bikes. Growing up in the small Wisconsin town of Twin Lakes, Mionske notes, he "didn't see more than two road bikes in my entire childhood." Now, he jokes, "you've got packs of 40 guys riding around pissing people off." But with each new cyclist, he says, it's no longer "the Other; it's us." Few American cities have done a better job of getting people on bikes than Portland, Oregon, where around 7 percent of the population bikes to work and children cycle to school in huge "bike trains." And yet, last year, like many recent years, no cyclist was killed. (By comparison, Tampa, Florida, a city where fewer than 1 percent of the population commutes by bike, had nine cyclist fatalities in four months in 2009.) Greg Raisman, a traffic-safety specialist with Portland's Bureau of Transportation, says one key to getting people biking is providing infrastructure—actual or symbolic. The city features "bicycle boulevards" and bike-only traffic signals, and it's planning new six-foot-wide bike lanes. It recently put some 2,100 "sharrows" bike symbols on 50 miles of residential streets. He says the symbols send messages to motorists and are, as many Portlanders have told him, changing "people's mental maps of the city." "We need to get people to change the way they think about transportation," Raisman says. While all road users need to step up in terms of behavior, he believes, calling for cyclists to be licensed, as some critics have lately done, isn't the right place to start. "I recently got my driver's license renewed," he says. "They just asked me if my address was the same." Among the things he was not asked was whether he was aware of traffic-code changes like the 2007 Vulnerable Road User law or a new Oregon rule that makes it legal for cyclists to pass on the right so they can filter to the front past queues of cars stopped at traffic lights. THE GREENWAYS of Portland seem very far away as Joe Simonetti and I pedal down a street in the Bronx that looks like the nightmare underbelly of America's car culture. In front of myriad body shops sit subcompacts with mashed-in crumple zones and SUVs with spidery shattered windows. A billboard urges auto-accident victims to dial 1-800-I-AM-HURT. Cars honk and weave, delivery trucks wait parked in the bicycle lane. "The Bronx is lawless," says Simonetti. "It's the Wild West, dog eat dog—or car eat car." We cross the Madison Avenue Bridge into Manhattan and a few minutes later reach the Central Park loop, one of the few car-free spaces of the day. Our ride has gone off without conflict, not that it's always so. "It's hard to ride ten years without some incident," Simonetti says. There's a crash—not always major—every season or so, not to mention logistical concerns like bathroom breaks. He says he enjoys two-thirds of the ride but admits to having to "push myself" through the final third. But the benefits are clear. For one, Simonetti, despite being nearly two decades my senior, seems ready to keep riding, whereas I'm struggling from an old knee injury that's come wriggling up like worms after rain. For another, knee notwithstanding, I feel fantastic. In a study by the University of Surrey, car commuters reported having the "most stressful" commutes, while cyclists saw their journeys as "interesting and exciting." Indeed, where driving into New York City always leaves me feeling edgy and irritable, I now feel curiously alive. To cycle in America today is to engage in an almost political act, but what's often obscured is the simple idea of pleasure. Andy Clarke notes that bike-component maker Shimano, in some research it conducted with the design firm IDEO, found that when you talk to adults and ask them about their earliest childhood memory, "it invariably involves a bike—exploring their neighborhood, careening down a hill, ditching the training wheels." We need to rediscover that, he says. "They don't want to feel like they have to be Lance. People want to be normal, and they want cycling to be a part of normal life." Returning from a visit to Cape Cod last summer, I was staggered to see a traffic jam stretching for dozens of miles, heading to the beaches. Almost every car had several bikes lashed to it. You could almost feel the collective urge to escape traffic and get on a bike. I thought: *This is the country that hates cyclists, that sees them as a road menace?* Simonetti and I draw to a stop outside his office building, two people on bikes amid Midtown gridlock. I ask him why he does it. "I have a tremendous feeling of accomplishment," he says. "No matter what else happens in the day, I can feel good about the ride. There aren't many other things that make me feel that way." How many people can say that about their commute? After saying goodbye to Simonetti, I head home myself, riding over to the Hudson River Greenway, that jewel of New York's expanding—and controversial—bicycle network, where none of the larger thoughts about cycling in America intrude. I'm just enjoying the breeze off the river and thinking about that final climb over the Brooklyn Bridge. -- And the last word goes to Goofy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZgiVicpZGk

1 0

Systematic Review of Interventions Promoting Active Transportation to School
by Mike Tutthill 28 Feb '11

28 Feb '11

A <http://politiquespubliques.inspq.qc.ca/url.php?i=2386&f=News&l=En> systematic review of interventions for promoting active transportation to school This first-ever systematic review of interventions designed to promote active transportation to school among young people was published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. It looks at 14 intervention studies related to active school transportation undertaken in the U.S., Australia and the U.K. to identify approaches that were most successful and issues that should be addressed in future research. Mike Tutthill Information & Access Coordinator HEALTH in COMMON 100-6 Donald Street Winnipeg, MB R3L 0K6 tel: 204.949.2002 1.800.731.1792 fax: 204.284.2404 email: <mailto:mtutthill@healthincommon.ca> mtutthill(a)healthincommon.ca web: <http://www.healthincommon.ca> www.healthincommon.ca +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ April E-Newsletter deadline is March 18. <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Health-in-Common/120069149875> Health in Common on Facebook * Please consider the environment before printing this email. Coming to Health in Common? By bicycle: Bicycle parking is located behind the building. By Winnipeg transit: Routes 62, 65, 66, 68, 70 By car: Two visitor parking spaces are available at the back of the building. Street parking (restrictions): Bell Avenue (1hr 9h00 - 17h30), Clarke Street (none); Lewis (none); Cauchon (none); River (none west of Clarke).

1 0

Active Transportation - Canada: February 17, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 22 Feb '11

22 Feb '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Thu, Feb 17, 2011 at 5:33 PM Subject: Active Transportation - Canada: February 17, 2011 Twenty (20) new items have been posted on the Active Transportation-Canada Website during the month of December. A complete list of titles may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. some highlights include: - Measuring the Global Health Impact of Transportation Reform - Active Transportation Planning Videos - Video - Walking and Texting Woman Trips Into Mall Fountain Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com A "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. With more than 1,000 items posted on Active Transportation - Canada, there are links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and the world. 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 many subscribers to Active Transportation-Canada. Thank you. Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions 613.424.2803

1 0