- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: Proposed downtown bike lanes would slash on-street parking: report (July18'24)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jul '24

18 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Proposed downtown bike lanes would slash on-street parking: report Cycling advocate says changes would make streets safer https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/17/proposed-downtown… NEW bike routes proposed for downtown Winnipeg could result in the removal of nearly 150 parking stalls. The City of Winnipeg is sharing options for routes on St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue, Notre Dame Avenue and Cumberland Avenue and William Stephenson Way, as part of the Centre-Plan 2050 vision to transform the city centre. A cycling advocate said the proposed changes appear positive. “These are pretty important east-west routes to get in, both the Notre Dame and Cumberland and the York/ St. Mary. So, it’s really critical that we do get those… it adds a fair bit of connectivity,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. City staff recommend one-way protected bike lanes on both St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue, which a report predicts would be easier for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to cross safely and have less impact on traffic flow than a two-way route. The design would keep three vehicle lanes on each street. The city also recommends a two-way protected bike lane for each of the north side of Cumberland Avenue and Notre Dame Avenue, which would lose one vehicle lane. “One of the things I’m definitely happy to see in it is we’ve got enough width in there for people to be able to pass each other safely and that’s really critical, especially as we see more and more electric bikes… (add) more variation in speed,” said Cohoe. Combined, the changes would remove 148 parking stalls from St. Mary, York, Notre Dame and Cumberland avenues. Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said he is concerned small retail businesses and restaurants could lose customers due to the proposed parking stall reduction, as some folks seek closer parking elsewhere. “For those businesses that really depend on short visits… like retail businesses, I really do think this would impact them,” said Browaty. While he acknowledged the city wants Winnipeggers to rely more on active transportation and less on trips in their personal vehicles, the councillor said he’d prefer the city add more temporary, seasonal bike lanes from May to September and remove the barriers for the rest of the year. “I really don’t believe a lot of the population are going to become winter cyclists… I don’t believe (enough) people are using these pieces of infrastructure in the fall or winter. So put the parking back (then),” he said. However, council’s public works chairwoman welcomed the changes, noting the city’s Transportation Master Plan calls for more bike lanes and sidewalks. “We’ve got a lot of missing gaps (in active transportation routes) downtown, so I think this is great,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). Lukes said reduced downtown parking could help attract new residents to the area as the city tries to make it more accessible by foot and by bike. “Downtown needs to be a neighbourhood… It needs things like other neighbourhoods have, like bike lanes and connectivity and parks,” she said. A city spokesman said Winnipeg’s active transportation planner was not available for an interview on Wednesday. In an email, spokesman Kalen Qually noted 150 parking stalls would remain on St. Mary and York avenues after the proposed changes, along with “numerous off-street surface parking lots and parkades.” Qually said there’s less demand for parking than in the past. “Our analysis shows there are still less people driving (and parking) downtown for work and meetings now compared to five years ago due to remote-work options, and that has, in part, created opportunities to reallocate space within the right of way,” he wrote. Since road reconstruction projects are planned for both St. Mary Avenue and York Avenue between 2025 and 2027, finalized bike lanes are expected to be included in that work. There is no timeline or funding approved for bike lanes on Notre Dame or Cumberland at this point. The city has also completed designs to widen several sidewalks along William Stephenson Way and Waterfront Drive to become multi-use pathways, though the proposal also lacks dedicated funding and a target timeline. Further study is needed to address traffic concerns at the intersection of William Stephenson Way and Waterfront Drive, the city report notes. The city is seeking public feedback on the changes before a final plan is approved. Winnipeggers can attend pop-up events to weigh in, including one at 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at True North Square’s outdoor plaza (223 Carlton St.) A second event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at Central Park (367 Ellice Ave.), while residents can also register online to attend a Zoom event from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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Equitable Cities | Early Bird Deadline Approaches
by Mel Marginet 17 Jul '24

17 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, A reminder about the early bird tickets pricing on until July 31st for Equitable Cities! We hope to see you at this event on October 9th. Use ECEARLYBIRD to receive your discount. Are you a student, or do you work for a non-profit? We also have discount codes for you! ECCommunity ECSTUDENTS [Ticket banner.png]<https://greenactioncentre.ca/healthy-travel/equitable-cities/> GET YOUR TICKETS!<https://3common.com/equitablecities> On Wednesday, October 9th Green Action Centre and Peg City Car Co-op will welcome Arrested Mobility’s Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg. Tickets are now on sale for Equitable Cities: How to liberate those caged by our transportation system. Charles T. Brown is the founder and principal of Equitable Cities, a minority- and veteran-owned urban planning, public policy and research firm focused at the intersection of transportation, health and equity. He is also an adjunct professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He is the host of Arrested Mobility<https://arrestedmobility.com/>, a podcast that asks: What can we do to change the outcomes when people of colour step out their door to exist in the world? In this keynote presentation, Charles addresses how our transportation system underserves and disproportionately harms those who are most vulnerable. By understanding inequities in our transportation system, Charles identifies potential strategies for action. The audience for this presentation will leave the event with a greater understanding of the history of our transportation system across North America, and be inspired to correct past injustices to bring better health, equity and freedom to all. Following the keynote, attendees will be invited to participate in discussions to bring the themes of the keynote into our local context. Equitable Cities' Builder and Influencer sponsors: [https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdo9Z7GoDB3X58oWKn6RV_nOoKz…] Thank you to our Advocate and Supporter sponsors: The Johnston Group, the City of Winnipeg & Councillor Janice Lukes Would you like to support Equitable Cities? We are still in need of sponsorship and would love your support. We have various levels available. Please reach out to gohappy(a)greenactioncentre.ca<mailto:gohappy@greenactioncentre.ca> for details. Mel Marginet | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 300-286 Smith Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 1K4 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *Note: I work two days a week at Green Action Centre and it may take a few days to respond to you. We are located on Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The water we drink comes from Shoal Lake First Nation. [https://mail.google.com/mail/images/cleardot.gif] Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org<http://canadahelps.org/> [https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4xnHIzg-oNAxItLMxFnB1HS5HGb…]<http://gomb.ca>

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WFP: City unveils vision to cut residents’ car trips by half (Jul16'24)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jul '24

16 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City unveils vision to cut residents’ car trips by half https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/15/city-unveils-visi… THE city is reimagining how Winnipeggers will move in the next 26 years and has set a goal for people to walk, cycle, take transit or rideshare for half of their trips by 2050. Details of the ambitious target were shared in a new transportation master plan released Monday. The city expects Winnipeg’s population to increase by 200,000 residents, to about one million, as of 2050 and says transportation priorities need to shift in response. New sidewalks, a bike network, road and bridge improvements, expanded road capacity, multimodal corridor improvements, and changing how and where trucks move throughout the city are proposed in the plan. Though walking, cycling and transit are more sustainable options for getting around, the plan acknowledges daily trips will continue to be made via personal vehicles. As per the city’s recent pedestrian and cycling strategy, most trips in Winnipeg in 2021 (83 per cent) were made via a personal vehicle, with less than 10 per cent made by transit, and cycling or walking accounted for under seven per cent. By 2050, the city wants to see the share of all trips in personal vehicles reduced to 50 per cent, with the remaining half split between ridesharing (21 per cent), transit (15 per cent) and walking/cycling (14 per cent). “That’s a big bite. The only way we’re going to do that is (by) making it desirable,” public works committee chair Janice Lukes said. “It’s not forcing people, it’s making it more desirable to take the bus, to walk, to bike and to do ridesharing.,” Environmental concern is partly responsible for the shift in priorities since the 2011 master plan, but Lukes said money is the main motivator. “It’s very expensive to design a city and operate a city all around personal vehicles,” she said, adding tax dollars from senior governments will be needed to realize the new plan, especially when it comes to transit. The city is also updating truck routes and aims to reduce by 20 per cent the number of fatal or serious injury collisions come 2026. It also seeks to provide accessible and affordable transportation options for all. “Many streets and intersections are at capacity today,” the plan’s overview states. The infrastructure can’t support movement or serve modes of transit and active transportation unless it receives “major investments,” the overview says. Meanwhile, the city is contending with a “lean financial position” and would opt to maintain current infrastructure rather than building new, the overview states. Everything in the plan is guided by priorities surrounding land use, moving people and goods, and emergency service access. What could all this look like practically? Housing along transit routes, more roads shared by vehicles and cyclists, truck-only lanes, better winter sidewalk maintenance, transit service to city outskirts, maximized road capacity, and bridge repairs were just some of the suggestions in the plan. “It is a visionary plan, but it is a guiding document for making a lot of decisions,” Lukes said. Feeding into the plan are a goods movement study, a road safety action plan — both presented in 2022 — and a 2024 pedestrian/cycling strategy. Success, according to the plan overview, would mean solving “Winnipeg’s biggest transportation problems” and making “transportation safe and efficient for all.” The city wants to get the word out about the proposed plan before a final version and a report go to council in the fall. Six info sessions are scheduled July 17 to 25 for residents. A telephone town hall, requiring registration in advance, is also planned for July 24. jordan.snobelen(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:jordan.snobelen@freepress.mb.ca> Review the plan The city is inviting residents to attend a pop-up event to review the Transportation 2050 plan, talk to members of the project team and share feedback. ● Tuesday St. Vital Centre, near kids’ play park, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● Wednesday Outlet Collection, near Old Navy, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● Thursday Garden City Shopping Centre, centre court, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● July 22 Kildonan Place, near H& M, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● July 23 Polo Park, centre court, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. ● July 25 The Forks, first floor food hall, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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TRANSPORTATION 2050: Reimagining Mobility
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jul '24

15 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. After nearly five years of researching, talking to Winnipeggers, and drafting strategies, we are now ready for you to view the final draft plan as part of TMP2050. Both what we heard during Phases 1& 2 public engagement and further technical analysis helped us refine our strategy into TRANSPORTATION 2050: Reimagined Mobility. TRANSPORTATION 2050: Reimagining Mobility is the product of our nearly five-year TMP2050 project. It is our master plan for moving Winnipeg’s transportation system forward. The plan is a comprehensive strategic document that outlines the methods and means to move our city and people into the future. TRANSPORTATION 2050 provides a roadmap that will allow us to: * Prioritize maintaining existing infrastructure over building new infrastructure * Make strategic investments to move more people and goods using the roads we have * Support development of complete communities where people can access their daily needs within a short distance * And empower people to travel by their preferred mode We have developed a plan that could solve Winnipeg's biggest transportation problems and make transportation safe and efficient for all of us, regardless of how we move or where we are going. We have balanced priorities and needs to build a plan that will benefit pedestrians, cyclists, goods movement, emergency vehicles, and cars together. Now, we want to: * Help you understand what the plan could mean for you * Answer your questions * And get a temperature check on whether reimagining mobility will deliver what Winnipeg needs from our transportation system We’re inviting people to learn more by: * Reviewing our bite-sized Guide to TRANSPORTATION 2050<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> * Downloading the larger TRANSPORTATION 2050 policy document<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> * Taking a deep-dive into one of the two draft subsidiary plans moving forward to Council with TRANSPORTATION 2050 (Goods Movement Study<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> and the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies Framework<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…>) * Joining us at one of six public pop-up events<https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> between now and July 26 to talk to the project team, ask your questions, and tell us whether you think the plan will move transportation in Winnipeg into the future * Signing up for a July 24 telephone town hall <https://emails.engagementhq.com/ls/click?upn=u001.T-2FP2-2BORqk2KtRtthp-2B-…> where thousands of Winnipeggers will be on the line to hear about the plan, ask questions, and learn what others think [Winnipeg 150 logo]<https://winnipeg.ca/150years> Julie Horbal Dooley (she/her) Communications Coordinator Director's Office Public Works City of Winnipeg Telephone: 204-391-5498 Email: juliedooley(a)winnipeg.ca<mailto:juliedooley@winnipeg.ca> Website: winnipeg.ca<https://winnipeg.ca/> Address: 1155 Pacific Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P1 Vacation alert: June 28-July 2; July 26-August 6 Connect with us: [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> [X (Twitter)] <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> [YouTube] <https://youtube.com/thecityofwinnipeg> [LinkedIn] <https://linkedin.com/company/city-of-winnipeg> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/thecityofwinnipeg/>

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WFP: A Jane Jacobs moment for the post-pandemic world (Jul15'24)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jul '24

15 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. A Jane Jacobs moment for the post-pandemic world https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/2024/07/15/a-jane-jaco… JANE Jacobs is the most famous name in the history of urban planning, but she wasn’t an urban planner, and was often critical of the profession. She didn’t draw maps or write zoning policy. Her unique skill was observation. She watched how people interacted with their cities, neighbourhoods, and streets, extracting her theories from the complexity of human movements and interconnected relationships that she would call the sidewalk ballet. Her home on Hudson Street in New York’s Greenwich Village would be her classroom, the people living their lives on the sidewalks in front of her would be her study. She went on to become a writer, releasing her most influential book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, in 1961. The book was a reaction to the explosion of car ownership and suburban growth happening across North America that hollowed out many urban centres. She despised the grand megaproject schemes that promised urban renewal solutions by wiping away older neighbourhoods and replacing them with overscale new buildings, parking lots, and bigger roads for suburban commuters. She challenged the ideas of top-down planning and celebrated the value of unplanned organic growth, and the social connectivity, local economic diversity and architectural complexity of the traditional city. She observed that community fabric was woven most tightly in walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods with diverse streets, where apartments, houses, parks, schools, corner stores, and shops were all mixed together. This contrasted with the ideals of modern planning that segregated uses into different areas of the city, requiring a private vehicle to access them. She believed that by rejecting what had made cities successful in the past, planners were dooming them for the future. In this post-pandemic world, we arrive once again at a Jane Jacobs moment as cities across North America search for solutions to redefine their downtowns in a work-from-home era. Winnipeg city council votes this week on CentrePlan 2050, a downtown plan that will form an important part of our city’s response to the challenge. Previous renewal schemes have always looked at downtown as a destination whose success hinges on an ability to draw visitors from other areas of the city, often relying on megaproject attractions and promising silver bullet solutions. CentrePlan 2050 differs from this ideal, finally heeding Jane Jacobs’ 60-year-old advice, saying “You can’t rely on bringing people downtown, you have to put them there.” With office work patterns evolving, the traditional drivers of downtown are changing, and we can no longer rely on it being primarily a transient destination. The path to future prosperity will support these destination attractions but within a downtown that is primarily an urban, mixed-use residential community that many people, from all walks of life, call their home. Achieving this goal will be about more than simply building housing. We must more importantly build the type of urban neighbourhood that people want to live in, and in turn developers want to invest in. While Jacobs’ landmark book is most wellknown, her first published work — a 1958 article in Fortune Magazine called, Downtown is for people — has important lessons for cities like Winnipeg as they implement these plans. Although Jacobs was critical of the planning profession, it has an important role to play in creating a framework that allows the kind of places she loved to organically grow over time — the goal of CentrePlan 2050. Jacobs’ article delivers a strong message that successful downtown neighbourhoods should be designed from the viewpoint of the pedestrian eye, lamenting designers’ fascination with scale models and bird’s-eye views. She expressed the importance of diversity and texture in a streetscape that pulls pedestrians along by continually offering new visual experiences, saying, “a sense of place is built from many little things, some so small people take them for granted, and yet the lack of them takes the flavour out of the city.” Jacobs went on to celebrate the value of old buildings, not only for their architectural character, but their ability to offer lower rent opportunities for new and local business that create walkable streets and provide amenities that support an urban lifestyle. She also lamented the often placelessness of modern architecture, designed without individuality, whim or surprise, believing that cities should take advantage of what makes them unique, capitalizing on and enhancing their own particular history, climate, and built traditions. She believed that to attract pedestrians, streets should be narrow and human scale. Cars can be present in a successful downtown, but they can no longer be the dominant force whose priorities overwhelmingly inform the design and experience of the city. Dense and diverse neighbourhoods, with streets that prioritize human experience will naturally bring people to the sidewalks, creating “eyes on the street” that helps improve safety and security in the neighbourhood. Winnipeg’s CentrePlan 2050 is not a megaproject solution. It’s instead a visionary document that creates a planning framework that nurtures and guides private and public development of all sizes and types towards the common goal of creating a vibrant, safe, and prosperous mixed use downtown neighbourhood. A place that Jane Jacobs would have been proud of, and one that all Winnipeggers fall in love with. It will be important as we move forward that we continuously uphold the values and goals of CentrePlan 2050, through supporting policies, project approvals, budgets and design review processes. Expediting new housing is important, but we must have the self-confidence to say no to low quality and incongruent development, demanding all new projects be a quality worthy of our downtown, responding to the plan with beauty, durability, elegance and a seamless connection to the pedestrian experience. As Jane Jacobs said, “designing a dream city is easy; rebuilding a living one takes imagination.” Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.

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CBC: Bike sharing is growing fast in Canada's cities
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jul '24

11 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/what-on-earth-bike-sharing-1.7260301

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WFP: City bylaw change first stop on Pedal Pub route to on-board liquor licence (Jul3'24)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jul '24

03 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City bylaw change first stop on Pedal Pub route to on-board liquor licence https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2024/07/02/city-bylaw-change-fir… A POPULAR boozy Winnipeg trek is seeking to take alcohol on the road — and is the force behind new legislation. Pedal Pub cycled into Winnipeg in 2022. Its quadricycles — four-wheeled vehicles that users pedal — has since been traversing down Exchange District streets. Co-owner Brandon Guenther estimates Pedal Pub has pushed more than 500 tours in the last two years. A quadricycle holds 15 people, though the average group books 13 to 14 seats. People travel from bar to bar, drinking at each destination before hopping back on the bike. Pedal Pub hopes the sipping will soon be able to continue on the road — after all, the quadricycle has cup holders. Guenther and his partners applied for a liquor licence through the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Authority of Manitoba in early 2023, he said. The LGCA wouldn’t comment on whether it had received an application on the matter; it only says if a licence is approved, spokeswoman Lisa Hansen wrote in an email. However, other government agency licences and permits must be in place before the LGCA will issue a liquor service licence, she highlighted. Pedal Pub didn’t fit any vehicle registration class, nor did it need a City of Winnipeg licence in 2022. So in early 2023, Pedal Pub reached out to the provincial government to create laws targeted at quadricycles, Guenther said. A provincial spokesperson did not confirm the relationship, but said Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure “consulted with stakeholders throughout its development” of the regulation. Fast forward to July 31: Manitoba will launch pilot project regulation for large quadricycles. “We’re fairly excited about it,” Guenther stated, adding he doesn’t expect anything to change with Pedal Pub; it’s just a more legitimate way to operate to get a liquor licence. There’s one catch — the City of Winnipeg must adopt the regulations or Pedal Pub will have to close. The city’s public works committee is set to discuss the bylaw change today. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairperson of the committee, figures the change will be approved. “They’re great. They’re a lot of fun,” she said of Pedal Pub, adding it’s good for government to look into quadricycle regulation. Guenther plans on speaking at the meeting. He doesn’t foresee issues, given past clearance from the city. “If it doesn’t pass, that’ll be a huge deterrent to other unique small businesses trying to start in Winnipeg,” Guenther said. “It will also be a huge detriment to downtown Winnipeg tourism.” Pedal Pub employs around 20 part time staff. Each tour elicits an average $1,200 in spending at local businesses, Guenther highlighted. The company has 10 bar, restaurant and distillery partners in the Exchange District. Brock Coutts, Patent 5 Distillery’s cofounder, called Pedal Pub “amazing.” The Alexander Avenue hub is in its third year working with Pedal Pub; it saw 368 cyclists in 2023, Coutts recalled. Most riders are new customers. “Lots of people who … don’t go downtown are quite happy to go downtown in a group, like the Pedal Pub,” Coutts said. “I think … they find a whole area of Winnipeg that they probably don’t frequent very often and are usually shockingly surprised how nice it is. “It’s a great boost for all businesses on the route.” Pedal Pub is a franchise with at least 45 locations. Many of those, including in Alberta and Saskatchewan, allow drinking on their quadricycles. There’s no risk to safety, Guenther maintained — a sober staff member has control of the bike’s steering and they’re trained to ensure customers don’t get out of hand. Patrons can be removed if they’re too rowdy, Guenther added. The quadricycle is equipped with an electric motor, a backup if legs fail. It’s a “great idea,” Paul Larson, a University of Manitoba supply chain management professor, wrote in an email. “I’m not a fan of excessive regulations, but perhaps there should be rules regarding routes and hours of operations — and seat belts.” Pedal Pub will follow any rules necessary to operate responsibly, Guenther told the Free Press. He didn’t answer whether Pedal Pub has seat belts; the quadricycles seemingly don’t. Winnipeg’s Pedal Pub moves slowly and travels through areas often trafficked by pedestrians. The partiers slowing other vehicles is a benefit to the streets, Guenther asserted. He called the past two years in business “very good.” It’s been privy to hundreds of gatherings, including bachelorettes and corporate team building sessions. Pedal Pub offered an Osborne Village route in 2022, but cancelled it because of difficulties transporting the bike, which is stationed in the Exchange District. The Manitoba government isn’t aware of any large quadricycles being used outside of Winnipeg, a spokesperson wrote in an email. The province’s quadricycle pilot project regulation is set to be revoked Jan. 31, 2029. gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP: City lengthens crosswalk times for pedestrians (Jul2'24)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jul '24

02 Jul '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City lengthens crosswalk times for pedestrians https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/07/01/city-lengthens-cr… PEDESTRIANS now have more time to safely cross the entire street at a few signalled crosswalks, while more crossing time limits could be lengthened in future. The City of Winnipeg has upgraded three signalled pedestrian crossings to make them safer and will assess whether additional upgrades are needed during routine maintenance checks at other sites. So far, improvements have been made to the crosswalks at: Jarvis Avenue and Main Street; Dearborn Avenue and Henderson Highway; and Carriere Avenue and St. Mary’s Road. “I really think anything we can do to improve safety for the vulnerable road user, being a pedestrian or cyclist, is really important… We can always do more,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works. The changes include extending the crossing time by one second to 29 seconds, adding lower flashing amber lights and removing buttons on the median at Dearborn and Henderson. Lower lights were also added, with median buttons also removed at Jarvis and Main. At Carriere and St. Mary’s, the changes included adding lower flashing amber lights, removing median buttons and increasing the crossing time from 22 to 26 seconds. Lukes (Waverley West) said she’d like to see broader work on the issue but that effort is limited by budget constraints. “We should (continue to do) this where we can and where the budget allows. So, they’ve picked priority crosswalks and that’s a good thing,” she said. City traffic specialists say removing crossing buttons at crosswalks with narrow medians is meant to deter people from stopping in the middle of a crossing, while added crossing time helps them cross the whole road. Pedestrians using the Carriere and St. Mary’s crossing generally welcomed the added time given to pedestrians to cross on foot as well as the lower lights. “We need more of them. I like that the lights are more in your line of vision, so you’re not looking up (for drivers.) That’s a real plus,” said Vicki Harris-Clarkson. Jay Nault said he also found the improved lighting easier to spot but didn’t like the removal of the median light activation buttons. “It doesn’t seem safer at all to me. …My grandma (who is 77), there’s no way she’d make it fully across in 26 seconds, it would never happen… You’ve now lost the control of hitting that light (in the middle),” said Nault. Requests to speak with city traffic experts were not granted. In an email, city spokeswoman Julie Horbal Doole said making pedestrians less likely to stop at narrow medians would address multiple safety issues. “Some medians are quite narrow, so the risk of a vehicle-pedestrian collision increases. Others are wide enough for a single pedestrian to stop, but simply are not large enough for groups of people, wheelchair users, people with strollers, etc. Additionally, someone stopping on a median in winter has a greater risk of slipping into traffic. To keep everyone safe, we want people to change their habits and avoid stopping on the median,” wrote Horbal Dooley. At locations with wider medians, the city could replace some dual-button poles (one pole with a button for each direction of travel) with two poles that clearly show the direction each controls. It’s not clear how many crosswalks will be updated or when that will take place. “At this time, there is no timeline or budget for the change to be implemented as we are still determining where these changes are appropriate as we examine each intersection as part of our routine reviews,” wrote Horbal Dooley. She said the changes aren’t a response to crashes or road safety incidents but are based on “an observation of human behaviour and evolving knowledge of how we can make things easier, safer and more efficient.” An advocate, who is lobbying the city to reduce speed limits on all residential streets to 30 km/h and add pedestrian safety measures, welcomed the changes, though he’d prefer a commitment for all crosswalks to be assessed and improved. “Some people are slower than other people, especially with an aging population… They’ll need a little bit more time to cross the street,” so I think (that change is) great,” said Ian Walker, chairman of Safe Speeds Winnipeg. Walker said he expects motorist safety to improve as well, since pedestrians who are less rushed would be more likely to double-check if vehicles have come to a stop before proceeding into an intersection. “Just allowing time for traffic to stop (helps),” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Feds give $1M for active transportation, transit upgrades in rural Manitoba (Jun29'24)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Jun '24

29 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Feds give $1M for active transportation, transit upgrades in rural Manitoba https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/27/feds-give-1m-for-… THE federal government is injecting more than $1 million to fund transportation upgrades for rural Manitobans. The money will be used to build active transportation infrastructure and improve accessible transit service in rural communities throughout the province, the government announced in a news release Thursday. “By investing in transportation infrastructure and services in rural communities in Manitoba, we’re broadening access to essential resources and helping Manitobans get to where they need to go more quickly,” Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal, the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, said in a statement. The Town of Niverville will use its portion of the funding to build a new sidewalk and extend sections of an asphalt bike path that connect the community’s residential and commercial areas. The municipalities of Glenboro-South Cypress, Oakland Wawanesa, Teulon, Argyle and Piney, as well as Buffalo Point First Nation, will purchase new transit vans and accessible buses. The vehicles will help people with mobility issues travel within their communities. Elsewhere, the municipalities of West Interlake, Grahamdale and Coldwell will purchase a new vehicle and construct a garage to enhance existing transit services and expand the medical shuttle network. Further studies and transit plans are being funded in Berens River First Nation and for a group of municipalities in southwestern Manitoba, including Piney and La Broquerie, the release said. The funding totals $1,051,329 and is sourced from the federal government’s active transportation fund and the rural transit solutions fund. Municipal governments are contributing $159,496, and the Province of Manitoba is providing $7,500. Other sources are providing an additional $160,064, the release said. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:fpcity@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: City could plow ahead on clearing sidewalks sooner (Jun27'24)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jun '24

27 Jun '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City could plow ahead on clearing sidewalks sooner https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/06/26/city-could-plow-a… RESIDENTIAL sidewalks could be cleared of snow days sooner this winter in an effort to improve accessibility. A proposed policy change would require the city to “normally” complete plowing on its “Priority 3” (residential) sidewalks within 36 hours after the work begins. The current completion target is set at five working days after clearing starts. “That’s huge … We’re hearing what the people want. They want more accessibility on walking with (enhanced) snow clearing and we’re delivering on that,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee. The Waverley West councillor said the changes will make it easier to walk around during the winter, following repeated requests from residents to ramp up plowing efforts. The work will be funded through money approved during the 2024 to 2027 multi-year budget process, which added $551,803 in 2024 and similar amounts in each of the following three years, according to a city staff report. The city’s total snow-clearing budget is set at $40.45 million for 2024. The new report reveals exactly how much more quickly sidewalk clearing can be completed as a result of that funding, estimates that were not previously available. Some residents say they would love to see the city clear snow off residential sidewalks that much faster but fear the target won’t actually be achieved. “I think if it (proves) true, that would be great. I find it hard to believe that it’s true that they’ll do it in 36 hours,” said Lori Ross, who uses a wheelchair. Delayed sidewalk clearing has triggered complaints in the past, with snow sometimes staying put for several days after a snowfall ends. Ross said the wait can strand people with mobility challenges at home on the worst winter days, especially those who rely on wheelchairs, walkers and other devices. “For a lot of people, that means they don’t get out to get to work, they can’t get out to the doctor’s, they can’t do anything because it’s not like we can levitate over the snow,” she said. City staff tracked sidewalk clearing operations last winter to help determine the new target. Since last winter saw lower-than-average snowfall, the report cautions snowier weather could yield different results. “I will be the first one to cheer if it actually works,” said Ross. The report also highlights the city’s struggles to cope with repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which climate change has made more common in Winnipeg winters. “The mild winter season of 20232024 introduced challenges in keeping sidewalks passable during prolonged melting periods. The melting and lack of proper drainage traps water on the sidewalk, which then freezes again when temperatures drop and causes slippery conditions,” writes Michael Cantor, the city’s manager of streets maintenance. Lukes said she’ll call for a report on how to cope with that problem, which would include gathering feedback on how other winter cities address it. Meanwhile, the city is also set to enhance its online snow-clearing map, which would offer live updates on parking bans and track snow-clearing progress on streets and paths. Lukes said the information for sidewalks and pathways will be updated every 10 to 15 minutes, while road status will be updated at least twice a day, starting sometime this winter. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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