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WFP: Longer times for amber lights disappoint (Sep11'20)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Sep '20

11 Sep '20

Warning period still seen as too short *Longer times for amber lights disappoint * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winnipeg-extends-amber-light-times-… AMBER light times are now longer at some Winnipeg intersections — but the move still falls short, says an advocate who has fought for the change. Winnipeg’s amber lights previously lasted a uniform four seconds on all roadways before a traffic signal turned to red, according to a new city report. An update completed Sept. 4 changed the duration to 4.3 seconds on 70 km/h routes and 4.7 seconds on 80 km/h routes for about 110 intersections on flat-grade roads. Todd Dube, founder of WiseUp Winnipeg, a driver’s advocacy group that has for years lobbied the City of Winnipeg for more time in the name of safety and red-light ticket reductions, called the change a first step “in the right direction.” “This is a bare minimum, but it still will be enough time to expose that all of these years (the city was) unfairly ticketing people that simply didn’t have enough time to stop at four seconds,” he said Thursday. Dube argues the new warning period is still too short, since his research found 80-km/h intersections, such as Bishop Grandin Boulevard and River Road, should have an amber light time of at least 5.4 seconds. “(The new measure) is still an unnecessarily… and dangerously short amber time,” Dube said, adding, however, he expects the number of photo enforcement tickets doled out at such intersections to drop dramatically. According to the city report, the new signal timings are based on a roadway’s speed and slope, as well as driver perception and reaction time. No change was made to the amber lights on roads with speed limits set at 60 km/h or lower — which will ensure a minimum four-second warning remains in place at intersections on those routes, the report notes. Coun. Matt Allard, chairman of council’s public works committee, said he believes those calculations show the city is evolving its practices to improve safety. “I think (the times) were set up with the understanding that they made the roads safer and taking a closer second look we found that, yes, there was some room for improvement,” said Allard (St. Boniface). He also refuted the argument photo radar use at high-speed intersections was unfair in the past, noting he believes the program remains necessary. “The motivation is public safety, and the (photo radar) fine happens to be the one enforcement tool we have as a city.” *The city report states the new extended amber light times should help increase the separation between vehicles and pedestrians, which some research indicates will help prevent collisions. Uniform amber light times were initially meant to provide a predictable warning time for drivers, while the new system is based on more recent research,** the city says. The city says it is still reviewing an option to further extend amber light times for left-turning vehicles.* joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: City’s Open Streets initiative coming to a close (Sep6'20)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Sep '20

06 Sep '20

City’s Open Streets initiative coming to a close https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/citys-open-streets-initiative-comin… RUNNERS and cyclists, young and old, sped down Vialoux Drive Saturday morning with little disturbance from motor vehicles. They will soon have increased traffic to navigate through. The City of Winnipeg’s Open Streets initiative ends Monday at 8 p.m. The program, which was announced in April, blocks vehicles from stretches of residential roads so people can walk, cycle and physically distance. Ten routes through the city were limited to active transport users and vehicles of people living on the routes between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. seven days a week. The measures came to promote social distancing during the pandemic. Now, a motion at city hall proposes that Winnipeg keep some of its “Open Streets” open — but unless council votes for the changes, the city will return to its usual four routes that are exclusive to cyclists, runners and walkers on Sundays and holidays. Robbie Scott, 57, biked down Vialoux Drive for the first time in years on Saturday. But, Scott is no newbie — he’s been cycling for four decades, and he bikes a 40 to 45 km route daily in the summer. He said it’s been amazing seeing more people take up biking. “It’s families, it’s kids, old folks, all kinds of ages,” Scott said. “In terms of what (Open Streets) has done for the community, you just, you haven’t seen that.” Scott doesn’t spend all his time on blocked off residential streets, but some — portions of Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue — are part of his loop. He said he feels safer, and he’s seen others feel it too. “For cyclists, it’s always, ‘OK, what seems like the least risky (path) at this time,’” Scott said. He said he was shocked and disappointed to hear the active transportation routes were ending, especially in the midst of a pandemic, when many people use them to get exercise while staying safe. “People have learned, ‘Hey, I could actually bike to work or bike to school,’” Scott said. Anders Swanson, the executive director of Winnipeg Trails Association, said keeping the streets open would allow kids to bike safely to school instead of being driven by a parent or taking a bus. “You have the government telling people to drive their kids... We’re closing these open streets; it’s sending the message that there’s sort of a dark and unsustainable future ahead of us,” Swanson said. The city has a survey online where people can give feedback about Open Streets, including picking the best time of year to have the program, if at all. The survey ends Monday. The motion before city council aims to keep active transport routes until Nov. 1 at the Wolseley Avenue route and at Churchill Drive, from Hay Street to Jubilee Avenue. Council may vote on the matter at its Sept. 30 meeting. Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) said he’ll make his decision after receiving the survey’s results. “We have time,” Orlikow said, adding if council votes for extended active transport routes, the changes will probably last from October to November. Some people felt a bit relieved over the ending of Open Streets, including Amy Bruno, who lives on Vialoux Drive. She’s been yelled at for driving down the road in her car, which she needs to do when she leaves her house. “It’s like, well, how are people supposed to go to work if people read the signs (on the street) and assume, ‘Oh, you’re not supposed to drive down here,’” Bruno said. Most people are understanding once they realize people who live on the road can still drive on it, Bruno said. She added she likes the initiative because people have more access to walking around and social distancing. Others, like Matt Ullenboom, feel indifferent about the program’s end. Ullenboom, 33, went for a bike ride with his five-year-old son through Assiniboine Park and Vialoux Drive Saturday. “It’s definitely a good thing in the warmer months, when people can be out,” Ullenboom said. “In the winter and fall, it wouldn’t bother me if they changed it back to car traffic.” Beginning Sept. 13, Lyndale Drive, from Cromwell Street to Gauvin Street; Scotia Street, from Anderson Avenue (at St. Cross Street) to Armstrong Avenue; Wellington Crescent, from the west end of Academy Road to Guelph Street; and Wolseley Avenue, from Raglan Road to Maryland Street, will have limited motor vehicle traffic on Sundays and holidays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restrictions end Oct. 12. gabrielle.piche(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Extension of two ‘open streets’ sought (Sep5'20)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Sep '20

05 Sep '20

Extension of two ‘open streets’ sought Wolseley Avenue, Churchill Drive named https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/motion-seeks-extra-time-for-pair-of… A new motion proposes city hall extend some of Winnipeg’s temporary active transportation routes, also known as “open streets,” which are set to close Monday. The current 10 routes, which include four traditional Sunday/holiday bicycle routes, limit vehicular traffic to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily to provide extra space for pedestrians and cyclists. The new routes and extended hours were a COVID-19 pandemic response measure, intended to help Winnipeggers stay active while keeping at least two metres apart. The six routes added this year are slated to close Monday at 8 p.m., while the traditional bike routes will reduce the vehicle travel restriction to Sundays and holidays only, between Sept. 13 and Oct. 12. The city centre community committee passed a motion Friday that aims to instead keep the enhanced AT access until Nov. 1 at both the Wolseley Avenue traditional Sunday/Holiday route and the temporary AT route on Churchill Drive. The changes require council’s approval. While a final vote on the matter could have to wait until the Sept. 30 council meeting, Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) said she’s hopeful the motion could instead inspire a quicker policy change by the public service. Rollins said she supports extending the other routes as well. “I would like more routes added… I think we need a lot more tools in our toolbelts to get children to and from schools in a safe manner,” Rollins said Friday. Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry), however, said he won’t push for the Wellington Crescent active transportation route in his ward to be extended, stressing public feedback on that decision should come first. A survey on the routes is slated to end Monday. Orlikow said the city must consider the views of those who support and oppose the routes, noting he’s heard complaints the one-block vehicle travel restriction has made it inconvenient for some drivers to reach their homes. “We have to be careful about councillors deciding how to use streets arbitrarily. We’re not traffic engineers, there’s impact city-wide, so we have to be making sure that we listen to our administration and the public,” said Orlikow. Open streets were also placed on sections of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Egerton Road, Kildonan Drive, Kilkenny Drive, Rover Avenue and Vialoux Drive. The Lyndale, Scotia and Wellington sites are also slated to revert back to Sunday/holiday bicycle routes. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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CBC: City of Winnipeg to close 6 active transportation routes after Labour Day weekend (Sep3'20)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Sep '20

04 Sep '20

City of Winnipeg to close 6 active transportation routes after Labour Day weekend 4 remaining pedestrian, bike routes will be closed to vehicle traffic only on Sundays, holidays after Sept. 8 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-open-streets-closed-labour… More than half of the active transportation routes throughout Winnipeg will be closing after the long weekend, the city announced in a news release Thursday. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the city designated 10 roadways as "open streets," limiting vehicle traffic to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. The city usually limits vehicle traffic to one block on four of those streets on Sundays and holidays, from the Victoria Day long weekend until Thanksgiving, but expanded the closures in an effort to create bike- and pedestrian-friendly routes during the pandemic. As of Sept. 8, the program will end for six of the current routes. Vehicle traffic will be limited on the remaining four only on Sundays and holidays after the Labour Day weekend, the city said in its release. Motor vehicle traffic will continue to be limited on these routes from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Sundays and holidays until Oct. 12: - Lyndale Drive – Cromwell Street to Gauvin Street. - Scotia Street – Anderson Avenue (at St. Cross Street) to Armstrong Avenue. - Wellington Crescent – Academy Road (at Wellington Crescent) to Guelph Street. - Wolseley Avenue – Raglan Road to Maryland Street. Signs informing people they are entering or leaving an active transportation route will be posted at each end of the route. Barricades marking the ends of the routes will also be in place during operational hours, the city said. Violating the motor vehicle restrictions can result in a fine under Winnipeg's traffic bylaw, the city added. The vehicle restrictions will end after Sept. 8 on these routes: - Churchill Drive — Hay Street to Jubilee Avenue. - Egerton Road — Bank Avenue to Morier Avenue. - Kildonan Drive — Helmsdale Avenue to Rossmere Crescent, and Larchdale Crescent to Irving Place. - Kilkenny Drive — Burgess Avenue to Patricia Avenue and Kings Drive. - Rover Avenue — Hallet Street to Stephens Street. - Vialoux Drive — Alcrest Drive to Wexford Street. The city launched an online survey <https://engage.winnipeg.ca/enhanced-active-transportation-routes-open-stree…> last month to gauge reaction to the program. Residents can still provide feedback for future consideration via that survey until Monday, the city's news release said.

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WFP: Bicycle Garden - Bike shop pop-up hopes to get city rolling on two wheels (Sep1'20)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Sep '20

01 Sep '20

Bike shop pop-up hopes to get city rolling on two wheels A Bicycle Garden grows on Sherbrook https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/a-bicycle-garden-grows-on-sherbr… THIS spring, with some freedoms put on hold, many people in Winnipeg found — or rediscovered — the freedom of riding a bicycle. Vendors, manufacturers and mechanics could hardly keep up with the reinvigorated interest as the global supply chain was interrupted and demand outpaced supply. “It’s like selling Coca Cola and you’ve run out of Coke,” Lifesport owner Walter Jozwiak told the Free Press in May. Under those circumstances, Leigh Anne Parry and Anders Swanson got their wheels turning on a new idea, a pop-up bike shop called the Bicycle Garden, where they could peddle Dutch-built pedals to riders young and old. The shop opened last week on the main floor of the Sherbrook Flats building (267 Sherbrook St.). “We’d heard during the pandemic there was a shortage of bikes (particularly women’s bikes),” said Parry, who along with Swanson is co-founder of the Plain Bicycle Project. “And we had a source to get them in.” The project is a social enterprise that brings bicycles from the Netherlands, where they’re more popular than the Toyota Camry, to Winnipeg. The bikes are Dutch-style, featuring mudguards, skirt guards, and upright seating, which makes them practical for daily use regardless of athletic ability or the clothes you’re wearing. “It’s like you’re sitting in an armchair, floating in the clouds,” said Swanson, the director of the Winnipeg Trails Association, whose summer office is now in the shop. While the pop-up is selling leftover stock from previous shipments, it also features six pallets worth of bicycles and accessories — child seats, bells, lights, bags, baskets — that arrived from the Netherlands earlier this summer; another order is already being planned for later this week. The bikes range in cost from $350 (used) to over $1,000. Cycling had been rising in popularity in Winnipeg long before the pandemic: a 2018 poll conducted by Probe Research found over one fifth of respondents cycled weekly. While data related to the COVID-19 era is not yet available, Swanson said anecdotal evidence shows the mode of transportation has become an increasingly attractive option for many as habits changed during the pandemic. In April, when the city designated certain stretches for active transportation and restricted vehicle use, roadways were filled with cyclists, rollerbladers, or pedestrians. Elsewhere, vehicular traffic fell, leading to a minor reclamation of pavement by cyclists. “When the roads were empty, people were falling in love with (cycling),” Swanson said. Adding to the demand have been changes to the ways residents exercise. While gyms are open, many are struggling to regain members, and recreational sports, though ongoing, are dealing with similar reluctance. As well, bike ownership and maintenance is considerably cheaper than car ownership — a key consideration during a time of economic instability. As the school year nears, parents are also looking for active options for their kids to get to and from class, Swanson said. So far, the response from the community has been strong: the Bicycle Garden’s most recent harvest is nearly half-picked. AT other shops around the city, demand remains high, however supply continues to be an issue. “The biggest thing for us is that when a customer walks in the door, we’ll likely have a bike for them, but options are still limited,” said Mac Wood, the assistant sales manager at Woodcock Cycle. “In a typical spring or summer, that doesn’t happen.” “It’s certainly more difficult to forecast availability to our customers,” he said. “We, as an industry, are as much at the mercy of restrictions as any other.” The pop-up shop — which could go until October or beyond — is the commercial tenant on the main floor of the Sherbrook Flats. “When (the pop-up) came to us with a proposal, I was very excited,” said Sotirios Kotoulas, the building’s designer and part-owner. “For us, the most important thing is to activate the street,” he added. “It takes time to transform a streetscape or find the right fit, but obviously a bicycle shop is an amazing fit.” Outside the shop, there are a few tables and chairs, meant to evoke the bikes’ Dutch vibe. Repairs are also being offered on the boulevard, which borders an unprotected bike lane on Sherbrook. Since opening, Parry said the interest from the public has been obvious. “Day one, we had a lineup outside mostly of older people looking to get around independently,” she said. “There are a lot of people walking and biking by, which is really good for us.” ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

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TONS Seeks Urban Transportation Consultant
by Beth McKechnie 31 Aug '20

31 Aug '20

From: Samantha Rodeck <info(a)tonsmb.org> Date: Mon, Aug 31, 2020 at 10:09 AM Transportation Options Network for Seniors (TONS) is looking to hire an Urban Transportation Consultant to help fulfill its mandate of informing and educating Manitobans on transportation options that enhance quality of life and promote age-friendly communities. Attached is the job description to be shared within your networks and to those who you know would be interested in applying. The *application deadline is 3:00pm on September 11*, 2020. If you have any questions, please email Samantha at info(a)tonsbmb.org Thank you, Samantha Rodeck Executive Director (204) 799-1788 [image: signature_349093641]

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WFP: Bike Dump - Volunteers pedal passion at bike shop (Aug31'20)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Aug '20

31 Aug '20

*Volunteers pedal passion at bike shop* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/finding-life-with-wheel-meaning-572… FOR someone who spent the first 33 years of life in California, it seems odd that Edward Cloud would enjoy riding a bicycle in frigid winter temperatures. “I remember the first time I rode in -45 weather for 10 or 15 kilometres. I just felt so vibrantly alive — more alive than I ever felt,” said Cloud. “I’ve never found anything to be enjoyable in that way.” Cloud’s love of cycling turned into a volunteer role at the Bike Dump, a volunteer-run, community bicycle shop. Started in 2005, the Bike Dump strives to make cycling accessible to all by offering access to tools and a space where people can fix their bikes for free. People can also use recycled bike frames and parts to build their own bike. Volunteers are available at the shop, which is located at the back of Red Road Lodge at Main Street and Logan Avenue, to help guide people through repairs and bike-building projects. Cloud, who lives in the North End, is committed to making the community a better place. “I’ve made it my personal mission to try to spend most of my life making things better for people. Volunteering at the Bike Dump is one of the ways I do that.” Darcee Lytwyn began attending the Bike Dump’s women, queer and trans night on Mondays in 2017 so she could learn how to repair her bike. She started volunteering last winter and says it’s “the grit and the passion” that she loves about being involved. “Everyone’s enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge with you,” Lytwyn said. “It’s a great space for discovery and for learning all together.” Riley McMurray has volunteered at the Bike Dump for almost 10 years and enjoys it because he can immediately see the effect of his efforts. “You’re actually working with someone and you see them ride out with the bike they just built with you that day. You can really tell how much it means to them,” he said. “Sometimes they’ll tell you they need that bike to get to work tomorrow. It can really be a lifeline.” The Bike Dump is currently closed to the public as a result of the COVID- 19 pandemic. It’s disappointing to all of the volunteers. The shop is hoping to offer limited hours soon. In the meantime, volunteers are helping folks by appointment on a limited basis. The Bike Dump is always looking for volunteers, Cloud says. They are expecting to hold some shop clean-up nights in the coming weeks, which is a great way for new volunteers to learn about the Bike Dump’s methods. Anyone interested in volunteering can email winnipegbikedump@gmail. com. No experience is necessary. Although the pandemic has weighed heavily on Bike Dump volunteers at times, Lytwyn says that interacting with the group online has reminded her what a special place the bike shop is. “As we’ve been organizing in our Zoom calls and our emails, it’s just been evident how our volunteers have the biggest hearts,” she said. “They care for the community and they care so much for each other.”

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CTV: A new active transportation route could link St. Boniface and Downtown (Aug27'20)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Aug '20

29 Aug '20

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/a-new-active-transportation-route-could-link-st… WINNIPEG -- The City of Winnipeg is seeking the public’s feedback on an active transportation route linking the St. Boniface and Downtown neighbourhoods. Through this initiative, called the St. Boniface to Downtown Walk Bike Project, the city would aim to improve travel options, accessibility, and connectivity between the Esplanade Riel footbridge/Provencher Bridge and the multi-use path on Archibald Street, south of Nairn Avenue. The city’s pedestrian and cycling strategies, which city council has approved, identify a connection between these two areas as a priority. As part of the first phase of the preliminary design study, the team working on the project is looking for Winnipeggers to provide information on how they travel through this area, and what type and routing of infrastructure would best meet their needs. To provide feedback online, <https://engage.winnipeg.ca/stboniface-walk-bike> Winnipeggers can conduct an online survey or use an online mapping tool on the project’s website. These tools will be available until Sept. 23. The city is also providing walking tours of the area, where residents can identify barriers and opportunities. These tours leave from the St. Boniface City Hall at 219 Provencher Boulevard and take place on two dates in September. The walking tours are on Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Tuesday, Sept. 22, with the north tours taking place from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the south tours taking place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. During these events, project team members will be at St. Boniface City Hall to talk to anyone who wants to give input, but doesn’t want to or can’t participate in the walking tour. If the weather doesn’t allow for the walking tours, they will be cancelled. Instead, the project staff will stay inside St. Boniface City Hall to answer questions and discuss the initiative. Participants must register for the walking tours by contacting them at stbtodowntown(a)winnipeg.ca.

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WFP: Study urges traffic changes in school zones (Aug29'20)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Aug '20

29 Aug '20

*Study urges traffic changes in school zones * * Calls for reducing speeds all day on more streets* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/study-urges-traffic-changes-in-scho… A REPORT on school zone speeding in the East Kildonan-Transcona area has prompted the city’s public works department to make recommendations to get more drivers to obey school-zone speed limits. Tasked with investigating speed violations in the neighbourhood, the city department delivered a report to the East Kildonan-Transcona Community Committee, which found 11,195 tickets were issued in the neighbourhood’s reduced-speed school zones in 2018. The majority of tickets were issued through photo enforcement while 237 were issued through traditional police enforcement. Of the photo enforcement tickets, more than 90 per cent involved reduced speed zones at three schools: River Elm with 6,390 tickets, The King’s School with 2,276 tickets and École Riviere Rouge, where 1,367 tickets were issued. The report recommends expanding school zones beyond streets immediately bordering schools to ensure all parents and children within the 1.6 km walking zone of the school have access to safe streets, increasing the 30 km/h rules to a 24-hour, seven days a week schedule to reduce confusion about holidays and evenings, and expanding school zones to middle and high schools. It recommended removing the requirement that school zones be implemented on non-regional streets in favour of a policy based on road classification, fencing, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure and other factors. Also, it recommended following the City of Calgary in implementing reduced- speed zones near playgrounds. There are 240 reduced speed school zones throughout Winnipeg. These zones have a maximum speed of 30 km/h which are in effect from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday to Friday from September to June. In an email statement Friday, Winnipeg Police Service said “reduced speed school zones throughout the city see fluctuations and variances in detected offences.” Though the study was only conducted for East Kildonan-Transcona, the city confirmed a wider study on road safety is underway, and will review reduced speed school zones efficacy in other areas of the city. Despite high levels of infractions in some school zones, police data found motorists generally reduce speeds to comply with school zones, and typically drive below the 50 km/h limit in effect during non-school hours. Feedback from six school districts in the city overwhelmingly indicated that the reduced-speed school zones improve student safety, according to the report. Further evidence from a study conducted in Edmonton found that reducing speed from 50 km/h to 30 km/h resulted in a 45 per cent reduction in fatal and non-fatal injury collisions and a 55 per cent reduction in injuries to vulnerable road users. The report comes in the midst of other municipal investigations into street safety measures, including a possible 30 km/h speed limit on all residential streets. If this limit were to come into play, reduced-speed school zones may not be necessary, the report said. julia-simone.rutgers(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Job Posting - Managing Director position @ The WRENCH
by Anders Swanson 29 Aug '20

29 Aug '20

Morning. Please pass on this exciting opportunity <https://thewrench.ca/tag/job-posting/> to anyone you think might be a great fit for a great organization! Anders

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