- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: City on Portage and Main: stay away (Oct26'24)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Oct '24

27 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City on Portage and Main: stay away Drivers can expect shifting lane closures as intersection is prepared for pedestrians https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/10/25/imminent-portage-… WINNIPEG’S public works chair has a warning for drivers and bus riders before major construction begins at Portage Avenue and Main Street to eventually reopen the intersection to pedestrians. “I’m telling everyone to find a different route, because lanes will be closed, lanes will be opened and more lanes will be closed,” said Coun. Janice Lukes. “It’s going to be a major headache for people who take that route.” Lukes, who drives through the downtown intersection to get to and from city hall, expects the seven- month project will add a “significant” amount of time to commutes when construction starts Nov. 15. “A lot of work will be happening at once,” the Waverley West councillor said. Mayor Scott Gillingham urged people to leave earlier than usual if they head downtown while the project is under way. Lukes hopes downtown employers will consider flexible schedules or work-from-home arrangements for eligible staff, if they don’t already, due to anticipated traffic jams at peak times. “The big thing is for people to plan right now,” she said, noting snowfall will probably slow traffic even more. Drivers began facing lane closures and delays when pre-construction work got underway earlier this week. “It’s not really that bad right now, but it’s really going to get intense starting in November,” Lukes warned. “It’s going to be intense construction, because it’s accelerated.” The city is aiming to finish construction by June 27, two days before the launch of Winnipeg Transit’s new primary network. The intersection is scheduled to reopen to foot traffic by July 1 for the first time since 1979. Details of specific lane closures and traffic impacts are expected to be released before Nov. 15. “We are working to minimize congestions and delays as best we can,” city spokesman David Driedger wrote in an email. “It’s also anticipated that some work may occur on weekends and during off-peak times on weekdays to help minimize potential disruptions.” He said drivers should use the Waze app to find the fastest route to their destination. Portage and Main closed to pedestrians 45 years ago, after the city struck a 40-year deal with a property developer who built an office tower and an underground mall. Debate over whether to reopen the intersection has gone on for years. Opponents feared a change would be too expensive and delay traffic. Supporters believed it could help rejuvenate and better connect downtown. In March, city council approved the reopening in an 11-3 vote and earmarked an initial $13 million, even though 65 per cent of voters opposed restoring pedestrian access in a non-binding plebiscite in 2018. The council vote was spurred by a staff report that said it would cost $73 million and cause up to five years of traffic disruption to repair a leaking membrane, or waterproofing layer, that protects an underground pedestrian concourse at the intersection. Additional costly repairs would be expected in 30 to 40 years. Council decided to study the cost and impacts of closing the underground concourse, which was initially proposed at an estimated cost of $20 million to $50 million. Before the March vote, a Free Press/ Probe Research poll of 600 residents found 61 per cent strongly or somewhat supported restoring pedestrian access, while 39 per cent were strongly or somewhat opposed. Gillingham said upcoming traffic delays will be a “short-term inconvenience,” compared with years-long disruption that would come with membrane replacement. Portage and Main would have to be ripped up to fix the layer. For the pre-construction phase, Gillingham said he is leaving home five to seven minutes earlier than usual when he heads to city hall in the morning. “That has been ample time right now,” he said, noting he may have to leave earlier or take a different route when construction “intensifies” next month. “I want to thank motorists in advance for their patience.” Crews are currently installing conduit at Portage and Main’s corners to prepare for new traffic signals, said Lukes. Sections of curb and median lanes will be closed intermittently. During the actual project, large concrete barricades will be demolished to make way for new sidewalks and curbs. Medians will be repaired and adjusted. Hoarding and heating will be used to pour concrete in cold weather. The city doesn’t run road construction projects 24-7 because it doesn’t have the money or volume of work to merit around-the-clock operations, said Lukes. An earlier study cited increased safety risks for workers and the public after dark, noise disruption for residents and higher costs. Lukes said “other players,” including contractors and public utilities, would also have to work or be on call if the city ran construction projects overnight. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Fixing The Forks’ bike, pedestrian span could cost $10M: report (Oct25'24)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Oct '24

26 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Bridge repair cost cuts like a knife Fixing The Forks’ bike, pedestrian span could cost $10M: report https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/10/24/forks-bridge-clos… IT could cost more than $10 million to repair the historic rail bridge at The Forks, a favourite with pedestrians and cyclists, which has been closed for 16 months. Preliminary repairs to remediate the counterweight that sits above the bridge is expected to begin next week, said Zach Peters, communications manager of The Forks. The price tag and timeline were outlined in engineering reports, which took longer than expected to conduct because of mild temperatures last winter. Peters said upon reviewing the assessment, The Forks leadership is looking at short- and long-term solutions for the bridge, which closed without notice in June 2023. “The bridge is a vital access point to and through The Forks,” Peters said in an email. “It’s certainly a priority for us to get it reopened.” Peters declined to discuss the findings in the engineering reports. A timeline for the bridge’s repair and reopening was not provided, with The Forks only saying it is in the process of determining a permanent solution. Construction work on the 110-year-old bridge could be seen Thursday afternoon. Active transportation advocate Mark Cohoe said with a $10-million price tag, The Forks should consider asking the city and province to chip in to fast-track the repair work. “When it’s out of commission, it puts a fairly big hole in our (transportation) network,” said Cohoe, who serves as executive director of Bike Winnipeg. The former railway structure, which allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross the Assiniboine River from South Point Park to The Forks, has been closed since a routine assessment revealed potential safety issues. The Forks has not released significant updates to the bridge’s future since December, to the frustration of some who use the crossing. Jas Patel once travelled the bridge regularly on his commute to work but now has to detour on sidewalks and streets. He now rides down St. Mary’s Road and through downtown side streets, a commute that is longer and less safe, the cyclist said. “The city already has few access points for bikes … it’s a pain to deal with,” Patel said while at The Forks Thursday. The city has not been approached about sharing in the cost of repairs and it isn’t currently being considered in the capital budget, spokesperson Kalen Qually said in an email. A provincial spokesperson declined to comment, saying the federal government holds jurisdiction over any funding for the bridge. Peters did not say whether The Forks would seek external funds to help pay for the bridge repairs. Patel said it could be worth tearing down the old bridge and building anew, but cyclists are anxious to have the access point reopened in any way. “We need something back,” he said. Meanwhile, another city bridge more than a century old remains closed to traffic. The Arlington Bridge, which links downtown to the North End, shuttered in November 2023 after an inspection revealed the structure was beyond the point of repair. Council is studying options to replace the 112-year-old bridge, including a $171-million bridge option that would involve closing Dufferin Avenue at Arlington Street. A second proposal would see a $180-million version travel over Dufferin, leaving it open for vehicle traffic. In 2019, a preliminary design estimated a new bridge could cost $319 million. nicole.buffie(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:nicole.buffie@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Ontario plans to make cities seek bike lane approval (Oct16'24)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Oct '24

16 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Ontario plans to make cities seek bike lane approval Cites gridlock for new veto over changes that remove lanes of vehicle traffic https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/2024/10/15/ontario-to-make-cities-… TORONTO — Ontario cities would have to seek the province’s permission to install new bike lanes that remove lanes of vehicle traffic under upcoming legislation, the transportation minister announced Tuesday. Too many drivers are stuck in gridlock as a result of bike lanes installed during the COVID-19 pandemic and the process is “frankly, out of control,” Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said at a press conference. “When strategically placed, bike lanes are a vital part of every city, offering residents a safe and reliable way to move around,” he said. “What cities should not be doing, however, is taking away lanes of traffic on our most congested roads.” The first government bill to be introduced when the legislature resumes sitting next week will focus on tackling gridlock, the province said. It is expected to contain a requirement that municipalities receive provincial approval for certain bike lanes and demonstrate the proposed bike lanes won’t negatively affect vehicle traffic. Premier Doug Ford, who lives in the west end of Toronto, has complained about bike lanes that were installed on Bloor Street West, saying the street is jammed and first responders are having a hard time getting through the congestion. “There’s a petition just in Etobicoke for 50,000 people signing to get rid of these bike lanes,” he said last month. “You might see four or five bikes as you see traffic lined up all the way down the road for kilometres and kilometres. … It’s an absolute disaster.” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she does not support limiting city powers. “It’s always better when we work together to get things right,” she wrote in a statement. “To tackle congestion and keep people safe on city roads we need all types of transportation. The province should focus on their job of finally getting the Eglinton Crosstown and Finch LRT open, which will have a huge impact on congestion in our city.” Sarkaria, who made his announcement Tuesday with the Bloor bike lanes as a backdrop, said the province is not ordering the removal of those lanes at the moment, but is asking for more data and pausing the installation of any new, similar bike lanes. A City of Toronto report on an earlier stretch of bike lanes on Bloor, which were added in 2016 as a pilot project, found that collisions and near misses with cyclists decreased, the number of cyclists increased by 56 per cent, customer spending at area businesses increased and vehicle volumes decreased, while drivers’ travel time increased. The city’s report said that travel time increased by up to 8 ½ minutes, depending on the section of Bloor, but after traffic signal adjustments were made, that went down to four minutes during afternoon rush hour. Sarkaria said data that cities have used to justify bike lane decisions don’t take into account low usage on rainy days, during periods of extreme heat, or in the winter months. One local bar owner’s security camera showed just nine cyclists in a 24-hour period in February, Sarkaria said. “I think all of that has to be taken into consideration,” he said. “But the data is in commute times. I hear it from every single person … those members on Bloor Street that use this road every single day, on University, on Yonge, travel times have gone up and we have to have a balanced approach.” The Green Party asked in a press release, “Is this government for real?” “The ‘evidence’ this government has based this decision off of is one man’s security camera outside his bar in Etobicoke,” deputy leader Aislinn Clancy wrote in the statement. “Is that how they make decisions for this province now?” The province is asking municipalities for data on any bike lane project launched in the last five years. Sarkaria also said the province is moving ahead with a plan to increase the speed limit to 110 kilometres per hour on all 400-series highways, where it is safe to do so. The government said it is developing a design standard that could allow vehicles to travel safely at speeds higher than 120 km/h on new highways. — The Canadian Press

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WFP: Property-tax spending drives city in wrong direction (Oct8'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Property-tax spending drives city in wrong direction OPINION https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2024/10/07/property-tax-spending-dr… SOMETHING’S got to give. This year has been — in my humble, anecdote-based opinion — one of the most challenging for driving in and around Winnipeg. Rush hour is more intense, starts earlier and lasts longer. Construction seems to be everywhere, choking off entire parts of the city during our overly short construction season. All the trend lines point to a near-term future where, despite our status as a medium- sized city, we will have traffic congestion worthy of much larger places. Once we accept that this is our future, we’ll have to accept the need to start doing things differently to avoid or at least mitigate the impending traffic apocalypse that’s headed our way. A good place to start would be to radically change the way we dedicate portions of annual property taxes to make a final, determined effort to de-emphasize roads and expand transit. Currently, Winnipeg property owners are facing a 3.5 per cent general rate increase this year. Of that total increase, two per cent will be dedicated to road repairs and only 0.33 per cent to public transit operations. None of the annual increase in property taxes is dedicated to expanding Winnipeg’s stunted rapid-transit system. The current approach to allotting property taxes is — literally and figuratively — a road to disaster. Ignoring transit to invest heavily in roads — whether it’s to repair, expand or lengthen — does nothing to encourage people to get out of their vehicles and use other modes of transport to get where they are going. This is particularly true when it comes to commuting to work. This creates a vicious cycle for the city: increasing investments are made in roads while transit is starved of needed money; transit continues to attract few new riders because of limited service; people continue driving, one person to a car in traffic that continues getting worse; as traffic volumes increase so, too, does the wear and tear on roads, which then require more frequent repair and reconstruction. Have you ever asked yourself why one of the major streets you use each day to drive back and forth to work is being repaired again, just a year or two after the last time it was torn up? It’s because traffic volumes have continued to escalate, causing more damage to road surfaces. It’s not hard to see how, eventually, we are going to have the worst of all worlds: crappy streets, crappy transit and worsening traffic jams. Think that’s an exaggeration? Consider that Winnipeg is already hitting way above its weight in traffic congestion. I recently wrote a newsletter on this topic, highlighting traffic data that showed we have the third-worst traffic of all Canadian cities. In short, the data showed that our average commuting times are going up and the distances we can travel in a 30-minute window are going down. And if you’re not depressed enough by that current snapshot, consider that increasing traffic volumes also translates into increasing carbon emissions that — in case you hadn’t noticed — are helping to warm the planet and trigger increasingly extreme weather events. There is a way to avoid this future, but many of us are not going to like it. We have to start now to make it increasingly unattractive to commute by car while, at the same time, making transit much more attractive. Next year’s reimagining of Winnipeg Transit — with new routes and schedules — may help in that regard. But we also need to dedicate more lanes of existing roadways to buses (both downtown and on major routes to and from the downtown) while expanding rapid-transit busways. In the short term, this will put a lot of pressure on traffic by compressing it into fewer lanes on feeder routes and making it harder for drivers to get into, out of and around downtown. And all this requires a new approach to property taxes. It can be done. Halifax, for example, dedicates roughly two-thirds of annual property tax increases to a “climate fund” that pays for improvements in things such as electric vehicle charging stations, the purchase of more electric buses and installation of solar panels on city buildings. Small gestures such as those can add up to significant changes, but it’s never going to be enough. Even if Winnipeg were to flip the way it divides up property tax increases, or push employers to subsidize transit passes, it would never generate enough money to build the transit system necessary to supplant vehicular traffic. The provincial and federal governments have largely focused their support on building or expanding rapid transit. However, just about every major city in this country is suffering from massive transit system operating deficits. Transit needs to be the No. 1 infrastructure funding priority for governments of all levels to ensure that we have sensible and climate-friendly alternatives to hopping in the car and driving to and from work. Even so, the city could send a strong message to citizens by starting with the way it divides up property tax increases. It won’t be enough to solve the problem, but it will represent one small step away from the traffic and climate apocalypse. dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com<mailto:dan.lett@winnipegfreepress.com>

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WFP Editorial: Blocking bike lanes — and writing tickets (Oct8'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Oct '24

08 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Blocking bike lanes — and writing tickets https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2024/10/08/blocking-bi… ANYONE who cycles regularly in Winnipeg has probably seen them: cars or trucks blocking bike lanes. It is illegal to park or stop a motor vehicle in a bike lane. Doing so is subject to a $70 fine. Trouble is, it is — at best — loosely enforced and overly reliant on public complaints. It is not a priority for the city. It should be. If the city is serious about promoting active transportation as a viable way of travelling to work, school and other destinations, it has to make bike lanes a priority. It also has to make safety in bike lanes a priority. That includes ensuring they’re not used as parking lots or loading zones by cars and trucks. The city handed out 70 tickets between January and August to motorists who were blocking bike lanes, which works out to about two tickets per week on average. It doesn’t seem like much considering how common it is to see vehicles blocking bike lanes throughout the city. Even the fine amount, $70, does not seem that high. A larger fine might help hammer the point home that it’s not OK to park a vehicle in a bike lane. Not only does it obstruct the path of cyclists, it is unsafe because it often forces cyclists off bike lanes and onto roadways. City officials say they rely primarily on public reporting to respond to blocked bike lanes. The problem with that is enforcement officers often arrive too late after a call is placed and the offending motorist may no longer be there. The city should be doing more patrolling as a proactive way of discouraging this practice. A public information campaign would also be useful. Many motorists see bike lanes as optional pathways for bikes. They think the paths, even the protected ones, are fair game for parking their vehicles. That culture has to change. An information campaign launched by the city, perhaps in collaboration with bike groups, might help more motorists realize that blocking bike lanes is not only an inconvenience for cyclists, doing so is dangerous. In Toronto, bicycle patrol officers are often tasked specifically with monitoring bike lanes across the city. They also recently raised their fine amount from $60 to $200. Toronto has made the safety of bike lanes a priority. Winnipeg should consider doing the same. Winnipeg has made good progress on expanding protected bike lanes across the city, including downtown. However, much more needs to be done to make the city’s bike network more interconnected. There are still far too many gaps in the network when travelling between certain destinations. Public opinion polls and surveys have shown consistently that people are more willing to cycle as a mode of transportation if they have access to safe, unobstructed protected bike lanes. While there are far more bike lanes in Winnipeg today than there were a decade ago (especially protected ones), the city still has a long way to go to expand that network. But more bike lanes alone are not enough. They must be kept safe, clean and unobstructed. They should be given at least as high a priority as roads — if not special attention for a period of time — if the city truly wants to encourage people to get out of their vehicles and onto bikes. It’s a culture shift that needs to happen. If Winnipeg is serious about fighting climate change, promoting active transportation should be a priority. Ensuring bike lanes are safe and accessible is an important part of that goal.

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Equitable Cities is next week!
by Mel Marginet 04 Oct '24

04 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, Green Action Centre and Peg City Car Co-op are excited to welcome Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities> on October 9th! Don’t have your tickets yet? If you are a student or representing a community organization or nonprofit, use ECStudent or ECCommunity at checkout to save! 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 in Winnipeg, like communities across the country, underserves and disproportionately harms those who are most vulnerable. By understanding inequities in our transportation system, Charles identifies potential strategies for action. Following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in two breakout sessions that bring the themes of Charles’ keynote into our local context. Breakout topics are: POINT DOUGLAS: A Neighbourhood of Opportunity Facilitated by: Sel Burrows Point Douglas is one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods. Like similar communities across North America, Point Douglas has suffered decades of disinvestment. For those who call Point Douglas home, they see endless untapped potential. Not only is this neighbourhood beautiful, with its canopy of trees and historic architecture, but also it is home to resilient people and organizations who want to see it thrive once again. The City of Winnipeg has committed resources to creating a neighbourhood plan for Point Douglas. This breakout session will give participants the opportunity to learn more about Point Douglas, and how neighbourhoods can thrive when everyone has access to what they need for health, happiness and opportunity. FREEDOM TO MOVE: How do we build an accessible city for all? Facilitated by: Sarah Manteuffel Winnipeg’s urban footprint ballooned after the second world war, spreading people and places further apart. At the same time, the city invested less in transit and active transportation, and more in roads for personal vehicles. We now live in a car-oriented city and the disability community often finds themselves on the margins, forcing the choice to use personal vehicles, or being reliant on infrastructure and transit that can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. This session will focus on what we all lose when our city is inaccessible, while also asking: how can Winnipeg become more inclusive for everyone? ARRESTED MOBILITY: Moving While Indigenous Facilitated by: Adrian Alphonso Winnipeg is home to the largest Indigenous population in Canada. Indigenous people are overrepresented as victims of traffic violence, policing and poverty. In this session, we examine Winnipeg’s transportation system to discover and discuss its long history of inequity, as well as opportunities for change. In this session we’ll ask: what can we gain when all people feel safe moving about our cities and towns? We look forward to welcoming Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities>, and we hope to see you at the Norwood Hotel on October 9th! Thank you to our sponsors Builder [45354-PC-PegCity-Logo-RGB-Release.png] Influencer [HTFC-CMYK.png] [Selkirk_logo_RGB.png] Advocate [image.png] [image.png] Supporter [Lankmark Logo - White on Green - JPG.jpg] [image001.png] 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: Cyclists call for enforcement as bike lane violations go largely unticketed (Oct3'24)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Oct '24

03 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Battle of the bike lanes Cyclists call for enforcement as bike lane violations go largely unticketed https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/10/03/battle-of-the-bik… WHETHER it’s moving vans, food delivery services or everyday drivers, vehicles stopping in bike lanes aren’t an uncommon sight in Winnipeg. While it is illegal — and subject to a $70 fine — city data shows it isn’t always being ticketed. There were 70 tickets handed out between January and August. Most of those tickets (43) were given out in January and February while the other months saw fewer than 10 tickets handed out. There was a single ticket for parking in a bike lane given out in May. Similarly, in 2023, there were fewer than 10 tickets sent out monthly from April to October. Andrew Kohan, a father of two who describes himself as a “utility cyclist” who uses his bike to transport him and his family as much as possible, said those numbers don’t match the reality on Winnipeg roads. “I see people parked in unprotected bike lanes all the time, often with their hazards on, treating it like it’s just a place you can stop and in the protected bike lanes as well — if it’s a wide enough lane, people will fit their car in it, and will get upset with you if you mention to them that that’s not a place to park,” he said. “It’s incredibly frustrating to hear that the city isn’t prioritizing enforcement of parking bylaws in bike lanes, because it’s so dangerous when a car is blocking that space.” He’d like to see proactive bike infrastructure that would make it harder for drivers to circumvent the rules. “For me, it’s a family safety issue, it’s a life-and-death issue, potentially, and I don’t want to be in that position where I’m forced out of that small amount of safe infrastructure we have,” he said. This year, most tickets have been handed out on Bannatyne Avenue, Notre Dame Avenue and Arthur Street. While parking in a bike lane has been a bylaw offence since 2016, the city’s bike infrastructure was integrated into the Winnipeg Parking Authority’s enforcement mapping system to include them in regular officer patrols in late 2023, after a “peak in non-compliance” and a spike in complaints, said Lisa Vermette, the authority’s manager of regulation and compliance. The parking authority also moved away from issuing tickets through the mail and instead focused on handing out tickets — and tow orders, which she said were included with every ticket handed out in 2024 — on site. “Compliance rates are sometimes a very tricky thing to measure,” she said. “The ticket data tells one side of that story.” Vermette said she hopes compliance is increasing — data over the past few years shows more tickets were handed out in winter months (25 tickets were given out in January 2024, compared to seven in March), which may mean drivers are unknowingly stopping in bike lanes without curbs and avoiding them in other months. What has decreased, she said, are complaints to 311 about cars in bike lanes. In 2023, the city received around 60 complaints, and there have been less than 20 calls made this year so far. While there are 13 to 15 vehicles patrolling in Winnipeg at any given time, she said, the parking authority still relies heavily on public reporting. “If a cyclist says, for example, ‘Every morning I travel this path, there are vehicles parked almost every morning,’ we can also set up more routine patrols and a more concentrated effort in those areas, rather than try to cover the whole bike infrastructure throughout the city to try to really minimize the rate of non-compliance in one or several specific areas,” she said. The complaint system isn’t enough to hold drivers to account, argued Patty Wiens with advocacy group Bike Winnipeg, as the city’s standard 90-minute turnaround time for complaints isn’t always quick enough. “The way it works is we call 311, and maybe by the time that the parking authority gets there, they’re still there … they are not actively seeking this,” she said. She pointed to Toronto, where bicycle patrol officers are, at times, tasked specifically with monitoring bike lanes across the city and recently raised the fine for parking in a bike path from $60 to $200. “Here — one, we can’t even get bike lanes, and two, we can’t get the officers to come out,” she said. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP Analysis: Building a city to keep the next generation here (Oct1'24)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Oct '24

01 Oct '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Building a city to keep the next generation here https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2024/09/30/building-a-ci… WHEN the Jets play a road game in another Canadian city, the familiar “True North” chant can always be heard loud and clear as ex-pat Winnipeggers celebrate their former hometown. The chant is an expression of pride from those who have moved away, but its prevalence might also be an indication that Winnipeg is losing a different competition against other Canadian cities — the battle to attract and retain its young people. Every year Winnipeg loses thousands of people to other cities, many of them young, educated adults looking to establish their roots elsewhere. The inability of Winnipeg to retain its young people has always been a problem, but in the face of changing demographics, it’s an issue that has today become even more pressing. Our country is aging quickly. Fifty years ago, the median age in Canada was 25 years old, today it’s 41. This demographic shift is making young people more important to cities than ever before, needed to backfill an aging workforce and drive social vitality and economic innovation in our communities. Young people have grown up in an interconnected, technology-driven world. Their digital fluency and focus on social and environmental priorities make them a key demographic in the knowledge-based economy that creates modern, prosperous cities. The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and Canada West Foundation recently released an important study called, Finding Their Place: Manitoba Youth Mobility. It takes an in-depth look at why young people leave Winnipeg and Manitoba. As expected, many of the conclusions focused on jobs and economic opportunity in bigger centres, but the study revealed a fascinating and often overlooked factor that deserves much more public attention. A large percentage of young people consider vibrancy and urban quality a key factor in their desire to move to other Canadian cities. The study showed that almost 80 per cent of young people in Winnipeg would consider moving to another Canadian city if it offered a higher quality of life. This was the same percentage as those who would consider economic factors. When the study looked deeper into what defined quality of life for young people, the answers were not larger backyards, more big box stores or less vehicle traffic, it was the ability to live a socially connected urban lifestyle. The most important factor that was identified by 53 per cent of all respondents was a desire to live in a walkable neighbourhood. Across North America, today’s young adults have consistently demonstrated a generational shift toward urban living with a greater preference for diverse, higher density communities, generally closer to the city centre, with shops, restaurants, services, entertainment, employment, and education within walkable access from their home. Many young people in Winnipeg are no different. The next most desirable factors that young people are looking for in the city they choose to call home, followed this urbanist trend. Easy access to urban parks ranked second and high-quality public transportation was third. Almost 20 per cent identified much-maligned bike lanes as a top quality-of-life factor when considering a move to another city. These findings are backed up by real world evidence in Winnipeg. Compared to the city average, almost twice as many young adults live in walkable, urban neighbourhoods such as Osborne Village, Corydon-Earl Grey and Broadway-Assiniboine. Residents in these areas use public transit almost twice as much as the city average and walk or bike to work three to four times more often than average — seven times more than those living in suburban neighbourhoods like North Kildonan or Linden Woods. The top destinations for Winnipeg’s young people are Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, together attracting more than all other cities combined. Despite housing costs being far higher in those cities, young people are attracted to the socially connected, urban lifestyle they offer, something that is largely unavailable to them in Winnipeg. If we want to slow the exodus of our young people to other Canadian cities, we must begin by asking ourselves, who are we building our city for? The answer to this question should define the lens through which we view our city-building decisions. We have largely been using the priorities of older generations to guide policy, which has created an overwhelmingly suburban and vehicle-dependent city, offering fewer urban lifestyle options that are attractive to many younger people. The study clearly describes what many young people are looking for, unfortunately, building that type of city often meets with resistance and opposition from older generations. When we prioritize our residential streets for vehicle traffic, oppose bike lanes, fight reduced speed limits and traffic calming measures that help create more connected, urban and walkable neighbourhoods, we are rejecting the type of city that many young people want. When homeowners protest higher density and mixed-use infill development in mature neighbourhoods, they are fighting against the ability for young people to access to the communities they want to live in and are pushing them to other cities where they can find those lifestyle opportunities. When we contemplate spending three-quarters of a billion dollars to expand Kenaston Boulevard for cars, we might consider that Winnipeg will soon be the only city of Canada’s ten largest without light rail rapid transit. Understanding that we compete against these cities for our young people, we might instead prioritize mobility investments that are more attractive to the next generations. If we want our children and grandchildren to choose Winnipeg as the place they call home, we must begin by building a city that responds to their priorities and dreams, not only to those of their parents and grandparents. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.

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WFP: Replacing Arlington Bridge could come cheaper (Sep26'24)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Sep '24

26 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. New proposals tens of millions less than original $319-M estimate Replacing Arlington Bridge could come cheaper https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/09/25/replacing-arlingt… THE city has studied two proposals to replace the Arlington Bridge that could cost tens of millions of dollars less than previously expected, a city councillor says. A few months ago, city officials told councillors they were considering two key options to replace the decaying bridge, after the vital transportation link to the North End suddenly closed 10 months ago. “They’re talking about replacing it, on the same trajectory as it sits today, with slight differences,” said Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie. The councillor said a $171-million bridge option would involve closing Dufferin Avenue at Arlington Street, while a $180-million version would travel over Dufferin, leaving it open for vehicle traffic. Winnipeggers will need to wait at least another month to read final options to address the structure that was shut down in November 2023. Eadie said he was told the options are much cheaper than previous estimates to replace the bridge because a past option accommodated three lanes of traffic, while these versions would only have two. Past designs also included more property expropriations, adjustments to rail lines below the bridge and separated spaces for bike and pedestrian paths, which also contributed to the higher cost, he said. Eadie said the new options would have one shared active transportation path. In 2019, a preliminary design estimated a new bridge could cost $319 million. Eadie stressed the bridge’s replacement is critical. He plans to buy ads that urge Winnipeggers to push all city council members to support funding for the project. “The first step is to fund the removal of the old bridge because it’s very dangerous right now,” said Eadie. In 2016, city engineers deemed the Arlington Bridge, which opened to traffic in 1912, to be near the end of its life. Eadie said the bridge is in urgent need of replacement, describing it as a critical link used by several communities and a common route used to reach Health Sciences Centre, prior to its closure. “It’s more than just my ward… the Arlington Bridge should be the No. 1 project for this city, in terms of major infrastructure. Yeah, the St. James Bridge needs work but it’s still open,” he said. Coun. Janice Lukes cautioned against banking on either of the options becoming final proposals, calling both “preliminary” and noting both prices and options could change before a final report is released. “We don’t have the final facts yet because the report’s not done. It may change. It’s just not finished yet,” said Lukes (Waverley West), the chairwoman of council’s public works committee. “It’s an option that was presented to us, yes. … Really, we’re looking at a wide range of designs and options and that brings a wide range of prices. They have not, to my knowledge, decided on anything yet. What Coun. Eadie is (talking about) is a concept but they’ve got multiple concepts,” she added. Lukes expects a final council-ordered report on rehabilitation options for the bridge, which was expected in October, will now be released publicly in November. She warned the actual replacement of the bridge, should council find a way to fund it, would take years. “Even if we come out with (the decision) we’re going to replace it, we’ve still got to take the old bridge apart. So, it’s still going to be at least another two or three years … bare minimum,” she said. Lukes said she’s “optimistic” the bridge will be replaced but that would likely require funding from other levels of government. The city announced the sudden closure of the bridge on Nov. 21, 2023, after a condition assessment found steel corrosion had accelerated, raising the risk involved with keeping it open. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he wants the final options to cope with the bridge as soon as possible. “The consultants and our staff do need to take the time to get the report finalized … but I am eagerly anticipating that report,” said Gillingham. This summer, the city budgeted $1 million to replace multiple bearings on the bridge to prevent it from falling on the rail yard below it, work that did not help reopen or demolish it. A spokeswoman said that work was “completed as planned.” As they wait to learn the bridge’s fate, some residents say its absence is creating frustrating traffic delays. “It’s very important (to fix) … (On) McPhillips, Salter and Main, the traffic is just crazy now,” said Darrell Warren, president of the William Whyte Neighbourhood Association. Warren said he’s frustrated that no decision on the bridge’s future has been made, years after the city acknowledged it was nearing the end of its useful life. “They’ve known for years that bridge is going to need replacement and they kept putting it off and putting it off,” he said. — with files from Gabrielle Piché joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Work at Portage and Main starts Nov. 15 (Sep21'24)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Sep '24

21 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Famous intersection closed to pedestrians in 1979 Work at Portage and Main starts Nov. 15 https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/09/20/work-to-reopen-po… CONSTRUCTION to reopen Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrian access appears set to begin in two months — 45 years after it was cut off. The City of Winnipeg is seeking a contractor to begin construction by Nov. 15 and reopen the intersection to foot traffic by July 1, 2025, as per tendering documents released Friday. Mayor Scott Gillingham said he’s received mostly positive feedback on the idea since council voted to reopen it in March, despite 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voting “no” to opening the intersection to pedestrians in a 2018 plebiscite. “Not everyone is in agreement but there has been a lot of people who have said to me, ‘This is the right decision. It’s time to treat this intersection like every other intersection,” said Gillingham. Debate over letting people cross the intersection on foot has raged for years. Opponents feared the change would be costly and delay traffic, while supporters argued it could help rejuvenate and better connect downtown. Pedestrian access was cut off at the crossing in 1979. In a press release, the city notes construction is needed to support the safe movement of traffic when pedestrians return. The construction will include: demolishing barrier walls; installing new traffic signals and street lights; adding a curb extension on the southeast corner to allow for shorter pedestrian crossing distance across Portage Avenue and more pedestrian space at the corner; repairing and adjusting the medians; and installing new curbs and sidewalks to accommodate pedestrian crossings on all four corners. “Certainly, our staff are focused on improving the intersection, changing the intersections to make it safe for everybody… There will be a real focus on maximizing movement and traffic flow,” said Gillingham. However, a councillor who has long opposed the reopening remains concerned it will delay traffic. “I do think it will slow traffic down, particularly those p.m. rush-hour movements,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan). “Winnipeg does not have freeways… so, in terms of getting through the city, we use major arterial roadways and… making sure that those work efficiently is important.” Originally, the mayor proposed closing the intersection’s underground concourse as part of the plan but council voted to study the idea further before acting on it, said Browaty. He said next year’s budget might include funding to study the cost and impact of that change. “I still think the underground concourse plays a very important part of… the way people move around and work and live downtown in the winter,” he said. The councillor said the city should explore whether property owners at the intersection would cover the difference between the price of closing the concourse and the cost of repairing it and keeping it open. In March, Gillingham said it would cost $73 million to repair the leaking membrane to protect the concourse, while closing the city’s portion of the site could cost roughly $20 to $50 million. Multiple business leaders noted the closure cost was vaguely defined and stressed that many people rely on the underground connections to travel between businesses, especially in winter. Loren Remillard, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, said his organization looks forward to the street-level pedestrian access but the city must study any underground changes before acting on them. “We need to understand exactly how that functions, in terms of the connectivity into the walkway system, into servicing the various towers… The underground is a vital connection point for so many,” said Remillard. Gillingham said there’s no target timeline for the potential closure of the underground. “The underground won’t be closed this year nor next year,” he said. In March, council earmarked $13 million to pay for the initial reopening of the intersection to foot traffic. Additional design work for the intersection is expected to be part of a rapid transit design study, which is expected to begin in 2025. The pedestrian access is timed to resume shortly after a new primary transit network begins operating on June 29, 2025. While most of the construction period to prepare for that falls in the winter, Coun. Sherri Rollins said the timeline appears realistic. “The demo and removing of the barriers, the traffic signals, this is work that we do all year round,” said Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry). She noted she’s excited to see the pedestrian barriers come down. “They are an eyesore. It’s long overdue,” she said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: City carpooling program jump-started (Sep13'24)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Sep '24

13 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. City carpooling program jump-started https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/09/12/carpooling-progra… A WINNIPEG non-profit is encouraging Manitobans to save money — and curb pollution — with what it calls “the Kijiji of carpooling.” Members of the Green Action Centre joined provincial Environment and Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt at the Seel transit hub in south Winnipeg on Thursday to announce the reboot of GoManitoba. The online platform connects users looking to share a ride to work, school, appointments or special events. “In Manitoba, our leading cause of (greenhouse gas) emissions is transportation,” Mel Marginet, the Green Action Centre’s lead for workplace commuter options, said. “Manitobans often rely on single-occupancy vehicles to get them to their destinations … This has resulted in communities where it’s difficult to live your life without access to a personal vehicle.” The GoManitoba tool aims to help reduce single-passenger drives by helping users find carpool partners for frequent commutes or one-off trips. The service also encourages users to ride the bus, walk or cycle by providing route maps and connections with other active transportation travellers. Similar to Kijiji or Airbnb, the platform allows users to find and message other commuters who log similar trips. Once a connection is made, users can choose to swap contact information and build a network of commuting buddies. “We believe everyone should have the opportunity to choose transportation modes that don’t harm the environment, that are affordable and good for our health and, at the same time, modes that create connections and build communities,” action centre executive director Josep Seras-Gubert said. GoManitoba was first introduced in 2017 and amassed nearly 3,000 users before COVID-19 social distancing protocols came into effect. The pandemic lockdowns and work-from-home policies led to a drop-off in GoManitoba users, Marginet said, but also triggered a “bike boom” and prompted Manitobans to start thinking differently about how they travel. With more Manitobans back to their regular commutes, “We thought this was a really good time to do a relaunch with some more user- friendly tools,” she said. GoManitoba was upgraded this year to streamline the digital experience and — hopefully — reach more users. Marginet said she would like to see the user base grow to 5,000 Manitobans, including more rural and northern carpoolers. The action centre is also looking to work directly with businesses, schools and other organizations to create dedicated ride-sharing networks for staff members through the GoManitoba platform. The upgrades have come with a little help from the province, which provided $30,000 to cover technology costs. The NDP government announced in April it would restore nearly $400,000 in annual funding for environmental non-profits, including $230,000 for the action centre, which had been cut under the previous Tory government. “Finding greener transportation options is critical to reduce our (greenhouse gas) emissions, and we believe that Go Manitoba will not only help reduce our transportation emissions, but will also help folks have a bit more money in their pockets,” Schmidt said during the launch event. julia-simone.rutgers(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca>

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Equitable Cities is less than one month away!
by Mel Marginet 12 Sep '24

12 Sep '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Greetings, Green Action Centre and Peg City Car Co-op are excited to welcome Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities> on October 9th! Don’t have your tickets yet? Don’t delay! From now until September 20th you can take advantage of our September Sale, saving yourself $25 per ticket. Just use ECSeptSale at checkout. 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 in Winnipeg, like communities across the country, underserves and disproportionately harms those who are most vulnerable. By understanding inequities in our transportation system, Charles identifies potential strategies for action. Following the keynote, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in breakout sessions that bring the themes of Charles’ keynote into our local context. Topics include: FREEDOM TO MOVE: How do we build an accessible city for all? Facilitated by: Sarah Manteuffel Winnipeg’s urban footprint ballooned after the second world war, spreading people and places further apart. At the same time, the city invested less in transit and active transportation, and more in roads for personal vehicles. We now live in a car-oriented city and the disability community often finds themselves on the margins, forcing the choice to use personal vehicles, or being reliant on infrastructure and transit that can be inconvenient and uncomfortable. This session will focus on what we all lose when our city is inaccessible, while also asking: how can Winnipeg become more inclusive for everyone? POINT DOUGLAS: A Neighbourhood of Opportunity Facilitated by: TBA Point Douglas is one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods. Like similar communities across North America, Point Douglas has suffered decades of disinvestment. For those who call Point Douglas home, they see endless untapped potential. Not only is this neighbourhood beautiful, with its canopy of trees and historic architecture, but also it is home to dedicated people and organizations who want to see it thrive once again. The City of Winnipeg has committed resources to create a neighbourhood plan for Point Douglas. This breakout session will give participants the opportunity to learn more about Point Douglas, and how we can think about transportation as a way to bring freedom, opportunity and wellness to those who call it home. We look forward to welcoming Charles T. Brown to Winnipeg for Equitable Cities<https://3common.com/equitablecities>, and we hope to see you at the Norwood Hotel on October 9th! Thank you to our sponsors Builder [45354-PC-PegCity-Logo-RGB-Release.png] Influencer [HTFC-CMYK.png] [Selkirk_logo_RGB.png] Advocate [image.png] [image.png] Supporter [Lankmark Logo - White on Green - JPG.jpg] [image001.png] 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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FW: Design Guide for Bus Steps Adjacent to Cycling Infrastructure - Free Webinar for CARSP and ITE Members / nominal fee for non-members
by Michelle Porter 05 Sep '24

05 Sep '24

Hi all! Here is a webinar opportunity that you might be interested in. Please note there is a nominal fee for non-members. Michelle Michelle M. Porter, PhD, Professor | Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management | Director, Centre on Aging | 338 Isbister Building | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg, MB CANADA | R3T 2N2 | (204) 474-8795 michelle.porter(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:michelle.porter@umanitoba.ca> | www.umanitoba.ca/aging<http://www.umanitoba.ca/aging> | https://twitter.com/coaporter | linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150<https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-porter-639890150> From: CARSP/ACPSER <brenda.suggett(a)carsp.ca> Sent: September 5, 2024 9:02 AM To: Michelle Porter <michelle.porter(a)umanitoba.ca> Subject: Design Guide for Bus Steps Adjacent to Cycling Infrastructure - Free Webinar for CARSP and ITE Members / nominal fee for non-members Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals L'Association canadienne des professionnels de la sécurité routière [https://gallery.mailchimp.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/9f1c3699-299…] <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…>[https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/84da7771-4df5-31…]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…><https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Free Webinar for CARSP & ITE members! Oct 8, 2024, 12pm-1:00pm ET As part of our partnership agreement, CARSP and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Canada are pleased to present our second joint webinar. The topic will be of interest to anyone involved in road safety, as well as those focused on promoting equity and accessibility for all users. TransLink, in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI), recently retained Urban Systems to create the Design Guide for Bus Stops Adjacent to Cycling Infrastructure to provide province-wide guidance to develop “island platform bus stops” or “floating bus stops” in British Columbia. The Design Guide provides a comprehensive set of planning and engineering guidelines offering solutions for the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of bus stops adjacent to protected cycling infrastructure in a range of contexts and applications throughout British Columbia, along with guidance for education and engagement. This Design Guide is the first of its kind in North America and addresses a significant gap in knowledge on how to design bus stops to meet the needs of people with disabilities while also being comfortable for cyclists of all ages and abilities. The Design Guide was developed with extensive stakeholder engagement, including pilot projects in five municipalities in British Columbia. This session will provide an overview of the Design Guide as well as lessons learned from municipal staff from two case study communities. The Design Guide was awarded both the ITE Canada Stan Teply Outstanding Technical Project Award and the ITE International Transportation Achievement Award – Planning Award in 2024.. SIGN UP QUICKLY - SPACE IS LIMITED! [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/3ce72de7-a440-9c…: Brian Patterson, RPP, MCIP, PMP, RSP1 Brian is a senior transportation planner and brings over 20 years of experience in active transportation planning and design, multi-modal transportation planning, and safety and accessibility. Brian has developed over hundreds of plans, designs, and studies for communities of all sizes across Canada and has been recognized with numerous industry awards. Brian led the development of the Design Guide for Bus Stops Adajcent to Cycling Infrastructure and has led numerous other design guides, including the BC Active Transportation Design Guide. [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/b68fd8a2-33d1-db… Therrien, MPH Suzanne is an Active Transportation Planner at the City of Kelowna. Her work focuses on programs, resources and partnerships to promote more trips by active modes. She holds a Master degree in Public Health with specialty in population health and has over decade experience in active transportation research. [https://mcusercontent.com/abd86bfa37a97091490314c26/images/e9adb3ba-ae94-e1… Bot, RPP, PMP Mo is a collaboratively-minded project manager specializing in multimodal transportation policy development, infrastructure design and construction. Mo has worked across Canada on everything from big city major transit projects to site specific high impact public realm and active mobility improvements. They are always keen to hear all perspectives and strive to support physical and social spaces where learning and justice are centred. Rather than give everyone a space at the table, Mo invites you to smash the table to pieces and build something new that explores the collective experience together. Registration is open until Oct 7th. Space is limited, so sign up soon to reserve your spot! Register Now!<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [Twitter]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Twitter<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [LinkedIn]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> LinkedIn<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [YouTube]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> YouTube<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [Facebook]<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Facebook<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Copyright © 2024 CARSP-ACPSER, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email as you have chosen to be on the CARSP email distribution list. Our mailing address is: CARSP-ACPSER 2846 Arrowsmith Court Stevensville, ON L0S 1S0 Canada Add us to your address book<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=b56b…> unsubscribe from this list<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> update subscription preferences<https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=b5…> [Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp]<https://login.mailchimp.com/signup/email-referral/?aid=abd86bfa37a970914903…>

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WFP: Changes urged to make central intersections safer (Aug31'24)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Aug '24

31 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Changes urged to make central intersections safer https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/31/changes-urged-to-… The City of Winnipeg is being urged to ramp up road safety in central neighbourhood intersections, where a report finds pedestrians have been more at risk of getting injured or killed in collisions. The planning consultant’s report on intersection collision data from 2012 to 2020 found 44.9 per cent of 39 fatal pedestrian-vehicle crashes at intersections were located within or near the city centre or downtown. “Most fatalities happen in the same areas around downtown or in the neighbourhoods surrounding downtown, like Point Douglas or West Alexander … but also most prominently around (the Winnipeg) School Division. If we pay attention to those areas, in my opinion, it’s a good beginning for us to start (making streets safer),” Jairo Viafara, who wrote the report, said. His transportation equity analysis focused specifically on crashes that took place at intersections, for which the most specific geographic data is available. Viafara found 1,118 (61.3 per cent) of the 1,822 pedestrian-vehicle crashes that caused major and minor injuries took place within the catchment area of the school division. About one-third of the fatal pedestrian collisions he studied took place in the downtown east, downtown west, North Point Douglas and South Point Douglas areas, he said. “In certain neighbourhoods, residents continue experiencing a persistent lack of safe pedestrian facilities,” he wrote in the report. Viafara suggests a lack of progress to improve the most collision-prone intersections “may indicate to the public that pedestrian safety is not being considered a priority concern by local decision-makers.” The head of a local residents committee said she’s seen several road safety hazards in her neighbourhood. “I’ve wanted to go walk my dog around the Louise Bridge. It’s impossible to get across there safely … You just take your life in your hands and run,” Catherine Flynn, chairwoman of the Point Douglas Residents Committee, said. Flynn said there are also too few controlled crossings to help pedestrians cross key sections of Main Street and Higgins Avenue, where many folks jaywalk. “I’m not an urban planner, but I think when you’ve got a city that (can get) so cold, one of the things you’ve got to think of is what is the number of safe crossings … It could be -30, -40, windy … of course (pedestrians are) going to run across the street (wherever they are),” she said. Viafara said the affected neighbourhoods appear more likely to rely on walking to get around. Many of the residents have lower incomes than other Winnipeggers, he said. His transportation equity analysis focused specifically on crashes that took place at intersections, for which the most specific geographic data is available. Viafara found 1,118 (61.3 per cent) of the 1,822 pedestrian-vehicle crashes that caused major and minor injuries took place within the catchment area of the school division. About one-third of the fatal pedestrian collisions he studied took place in the downtown east, downtown west, North Point Douglas and South Point Douglas areas, he said. “In certain neighbourhoods, residents continue experiencing a persistent lack of safe pedestrian facilities,” he wrote in the report. Viafara suggests a lack of progress to improve the most collision-prone intersections “may indicate to the public that pedestrian safety is not being considered a priority concern by local decision-makers.” The head of a local residents committee said she’s seen several road safety hazards in her neighbourhood. “I’ve wanted to go walk my dog around the Louise Bridge. It’s impossible to get across there safely … You just take your life in your hands and run,” Catherine Flynn, chairwoman of the Point Douglas Residents Committee, said. Flynn said there are also too few controlled crossings to help pedestrians cross key sections of Main Street and Higgins Avenue, where many folks jaywalk. “I’m not an urban planner, but I think when you’ve got a city that (can get) so cold, one of the things you’ve got to think of is what is the number of safe crossings … It could be -30, -40, windy … of course (pedestrians are) going to run across the street (wherever they are),” she said. Viafara said the affected neighbourhoods appear more likely to rely on walking to get around. Many of the residents have lower incomes than other Winnipeggers, he said. “So, there is a connection between … fatalities and traffic accidents involving people of low income,” Viafara said, noting that appears to be common across Canada. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of council’s public works committee, is calling for city traffic experts to review the report. “The city does know that there are a lot of collisions in the downtown because anywhere where there’s more density, there’s more collisions … It’s (about) putting the spotlight on the vulnerable road user.” The Waverley West councillor said the city has four staff members devoted to implementing a road safety action plan, who prioritize new projects using an “equity lens.” “It’s a huge pillar in what we do,” Lukes said. The city expects to spend $30 million on road safety improvements over the next six years, she said. Viafara is urging the city to make several changes to make core-area intersections safer. The recommendations include prioritizing pedestrian safety countermeasures for downtown and adjacent neighbourhoods, conducting “walkability assessments” near frequent collision sites, improving collision data collection and preparing safe route to school plans. He said countermeasures could include adding lights, medians and other road treatments to help minimize the risk of crashes. “Transportation (needs) to be part of the revitalization effort,” Viafara said.

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New machines have sights set on tracking City sidewalk conditions
by Beth McKechnie 23 Aug '24

23 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Released: August 23, 2024 at 10:01 a.m. Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeggers – don’t be alarmed if you see a futuristic-looking quad out on Winnipeg sidewalks this month. It’s not a real-life Transformers moment – it is a new-to-us data collection tool designed to help the City of Winnipeg better assess, maintain, and improve sidewalk and pathway conditions. Two sidewalk surface testers will collect data on nearly 3,200 km of asphalt and concrete sidewalks and pathways over the next few months. “This new technology will make a real difference in how we keep sidewalks in good shape,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. “By using these advanced tools, we’re improving how we assess and maintain our infrastructure, which means better service for all Winnipeggers. This is a practical step toward ensuring our sidewalks are safe and accessible for everyone.” We have previously collected data on surfaced street, back lanes, and pathways, but not sidewalks. The machines will record information about: * Sidewalk length and width * Surface material * Tripping hazards and cracks * Steepness * Factors that could reduce the sidewalk’s usable width “For the first time ever, we’re collecting citywide baseline data on the conditions of our sidewalks,” said Janice Lukes, Chairperson of the Standing Policy Committee on Public Works. “This data will help us determine what we’re working with now, what we may need to do to keep sidewalks serviceable in the future, and how much money we require to keep Winnipeggers moving on them.” Once the sidewalk surface testers have inventoried the whole city, we will segment the sidewalk network and assign each a general condition (new, good, fair, poor, very poor), similar to our existing street conditions assessments. The data will help us plan renewals and maintenance activities, including helping determine whether funding amounts are adequate to meet our future service level targets. The City plans to collect the same data in 2027 and every three years after. https://www.winnipeg.ca/news/2024-08-23-new-machines-have-sights-set-tracki…

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Green Action Centre seeks Bike Education Instructor
by Beth McKechnie 19 Aug '24

19 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Position: Bike Education Instructor Contract: During months of September-October and May-June Rate: $250-$300 per day based on experience, for total of 75 days Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Application Deadline: August 26, 2024 Details: Bike Education Instructor<https://greenactioncentre.ca/jobs-bike-education-instructor/>

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WFP Traffic lights turned on near FortWhyte at McGillivray (Aug17'24)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Aug '24

17 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. TRAFFIC LIGHTS TURNED ON NEAR FORTWHYTE A NEW set of traffic lights is now working at McGillivray Boulevard and Brady Road, near FortWhyte Alive. A new entrance to the wildlife preserve and recreation area is expected to open next to the intersection this winter. “These four-way lights increase safety and connectivity in Winnipeg’s active transportation network and will provide much-needed crossing controls for pedestrian, cycling and vehicular traffic at this very busy intersection,” Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the City of Winnipeg’s public works committee, said in a news release Friday morning.

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WFP: Canada’s public transit in crisis (Aug17'24)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Aug '24

17 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Operating costs sinking transit systems: report Canada’s public transit in crisis https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2024/08/16/broke-and-broken-repo… OTTAWA — A new analysis warns that Canada’s major cities — including Winnipeg — are struggling to keep their transit systems running and says public transit is heading for a “downward spiral” unless major new streams of operating revenue open up. In a report published in late May, Leading Mobility Canada said the $120-billion in expansions planned for those transit systems won’t help cities that are struggling to keep the buses and trains running at current levels. David Cooper, the principal at Leading Mobility and the study’s co-author, said the majority of transit is funded through passenger fares and property taxes and cities have very limited options for other sources of revenue. The federal government is allocating billions to expand transit. “It’s great we’re getting these investments but you actually can’t materialize the benefits of these investments if the cities actually can’t afford to run it,” he said. The analysis looked at the budgets, revenue sources and long-term plans for eight transit systems in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. Most of them are already reporting budget shortfalls. Calgary’s shortfall was $33 million in 2023, the same year Toronto reported a $366-million gap. Montreal anticipates its budget shortfall will exceed $560 million in 2025 and grow to $700 million by 2028. Halifax expects it will be up to $22 million short in 2026 — more than 15 per cent of its total transit budget — while Vancouver warns of a structural deficit of $600 million by the same year. All of them say the planned expansions, such as new light rail lines in Ottawa, bus rapid transit in Halifax and subway expansions in Toronto, will incur operating costs well above what they can afford. Vancouver estimated bus and light rail expansions will cost $1.2 billion extra. Calgary said in 10 years its operating budget will be $127 million higher. Edmonton said by 2033 its budget deficit will grow to $174 million a year, while Winnipeg estimated its expansion plans will add $37 million in annual costs. The provinces and federal government are only offering limited operating funding to go with the growth and even that is temporary. For example, Ontario has agreed to provide $1.2 billion to help Toronto run two new LRT lines for a three-year period. In late July, Vancouver’s TransLink warned that it will have to make significant service cuts if its structural deficit isn’t solved, including cancelling 145 of its 245 bus routes and reducing service on the SkyTrain and SeaBus. The result would push more than half a million people out of walking distance from a transit stop or station. On Aug. 8, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe sounded the alarm about a “transit crisis” because of a $9-billion hole in OC Transpo’s long-range financial plan, including the opening of the nearly $5-billion second phase of light rail. “It’s nice to dream of building more light rail but we don’t even have the money we need to operate our existing system,” Sutcliffe said. “If we don’t get the help we need, it won’t even make financial sense to open Phase 2 of light rail. We’d be better off from a financial perspective not to open and run the system.” The report makes clear that COVID-19 hastened some of the structural funding problems plaguing transit systems when work-from-home policies took a massive bite out of ridership. Leading Mobility said before COVID-19, passenger fares covered an average of 59 per cent of the costs of transit in Canada, far higher than the 38 per cent in the United States. By 2023, fares covered as little as 23 per cent of costs in Ottawa and as much as 43 per cent in Toronto. Most cities have seen ridership return — though not quite to pre-pandemic levels — but people are using the system differently, with fewer people buying monthly passes, and in some places, more using subsidized transit passes or tickets. Property tax is most often the second-biggest source of revenue for public transit but inflation and affordability have put massive pressures on cities and there is limited ability for transit to get more money from property taxes. Vancouver’s TransLink gets a share of gas tax funding but with B.C. drivers adopting electric vehicles more rapidly than anywhere else, that funding source is shrinking fast. Gas tax revenues were down $34 million in 2023 from the year before. Halifax has a benefit area tax, a surtax on properties located within a certain distance of transit, which in 2023 accounted for almost half its total revenues, or $58.6 million. Montreal gets about five per cent of its operating revenue from a vehicle registration levy. Vehicle levies and benefit taxes are among the suggestions the Leading Mobility report makes for cities. It also suggests considering a tax on electric vehicle charging, or adding congestion pricing that taxes vehicles in the busiest parts of cities, similar to what’s in place in London and New York City. The report calculated what may work best in each jurisdiction but also notes that many cities need permission from their provincial governments for such changes. It recommends provinces make legislative changes to allow transit systems to raise new money. The report also calls for a national commission on transit operating funding, bringing together provinces and municipalities to determine the best way to save their systems. Cooper said cutting service is a death knell because people will only use transit if it is reliable and affordable. If ridership drops, revenues drop, and then more cuts follow. Marco D’Angelo, president of the Canadian Urban Transit Association, said he feels there is a will to solve this problem and it is not insurmountable. He noted that when ridership plummeted during the pandemic, federal and provincial governments stepped up to help. “We had leadership when it was needed to keep Canada’s transit systems running,” he said. “This is a different scenario but it was handled before by provinces and the federal government recognizing the national importance of public transit.” — The Canadian Press

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WFP: Driver tried to flee after hitting boy (Aug14'24)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Aug '24

14 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. DRIVER TRIED TO FLEE AFTER HITTING BOY: POLICE A driver is facing charges after he allegedly struck a young boy riding a bicycle and tried to flee the scene. An officer with the Winkler Police Service was on patrol in the area of Pembina Avenue and Main Street when he saw the collision at about 1:06 p.m. Monday. A red Chevrolet Silverado turned east onto Pembina from southbound Main and struck a small child who was crossing the intersection on a bike. The truck briefly stopped in the roadway before the driver accelerated eastbound in an apparent attempt to leave the scene, the police service said later that day. The officer was able to stop the suspect before trying to give the victim first aid. An off-duty local doctor approached the scene and gave the boy medical care. The boy was transported to hospital by paramedics in stable condition with undetermined injuries. The driver of the truck, a 50-year-old Plum Coulee man, is facing charges of dangerous driving causing bodily harm, failure to stop after a collision causing bodily harm and driving without a licence.

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WFP: One pedestrian killed, two injured in three accidents (Aug12'24)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Aug '24

12 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. One pedestrian killed, two injured in three accidents https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/10/one-pedestrian-ki… A 49-year-old woman is dead after she was struck by a vehicle while reportedly lying down on the Harry Lazarenko Bridge, while two other people are in hospital in critical condition after they were hit while crossing Winnipeg streets in just over six hours. Winnipeg Police Service officers were called to the bridge, which connects Redwood Avenue with Main Street, about an injured woman at about 1:45 a.m. Saturday. Police found the woman with serious injuries, but she died before paramedics were able to arrive to try to revive her. Traffic investigators, in a preliminary probe, found the woman was lying on the road when she was hit by a driver headed west. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and spoke with officers, police said. Investigators have identified the victim and informed her family of her death. Police are also still investigating another serious collision between a vehicle and pedestrian on Pembina Highway at Adamar Road, which also occurred overnight. Officers were called to the intersection at about 4 a.m., where they found a man with serious injuries. Paramedics took the man to hospital in critical condition. The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and spoke with police. Police have determined the man was walking eastbound across Pembina near the intersection when he was hit by a driver headed east. Earlier Friday, at about 9:45 p.m., police were called to Smithfield Avenue and Main Street, where a 57-year-old man was in critical condition on the road. He was rushed to hospital. Investigators believe the man was crossing Main Street against a red light when a vehicle, travelling south, hit him. The driver stayed at the scene. Police have asked anyone with further information, including video or dash camera footage from the areas near the collision scenes, to call the traffic division at 204-986-7085<tel:204-986-7085> or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204786-8477<tel:204786-8477>. The death of the woman on the Harry Lazarenko Bridge is the second fatal collision between a pedestrian and a vehicle this week. A man was struck near Queen Elizabeth Way (Main Street) and Mayfair Avenue near The Forks at about 3:30 a.m. on Thursday by a driver that fled the scene. He was taken to hospital in critical condition, but later died. Police have said investigators were closing in on the kind of vehicle that hit the man on Thursday. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:fpcity@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: City seeks stronger analysis of traffic data (Aug9'24)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Proposal request aims to improve road safety City seeks stronger analysis of traffic data https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/08/city-hopes-enhanc… A new system to collect traffic counts and collision data is on the way to Winnipeg in an effort to improve road safety. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said the addition is great news. “If we have better data and better ability to sift, sort and analyze the data, then it becomes clear to us where we need to make changes and investments to improve the system. At a punch of a few buttons, we can see sooner where the collisions are, we can analyze when they happen,” said Lukes (Waverley West). A request for proposals seeks a company to implement the new system for Winnipeg’s traffic monitoring program. “The City of Winnipeg has greatly expanded their traffic-monitoring program in the last five years and needs a solution that will support the acquisition, validation, analysis and dissemination of all its data sources,” the document notes. It states the city’s current tracking program has “major limitations,” since it lacks a central database and information is difficult for the public to access. “Short-duration studies are currently managed through a series of disconnected excel files that result in poor scheduling, duplication of efforts, and data entry error,” the RFP notes. The new system is expected to let the city make better use of Manitoba Public Insurance collision data that municipal officials already receive. “(With this system) if we see a particular intersection is always either getting bogged down or there are collisions on a regular basis and then we can analyze it in a more rapid manner, then we can fix it sooner,” said Lukes. A request to speak with a city traffic official was not granted on Thursday. In an email, a city spokeswoman said the system will make better use of vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian counts, which are gathered through radar, intersection video cameras, pneumatic road tubes (tubes laid across the road to gather data) and other devices. “More than 40 permanent count stations have been installed across Winnipeg in the past five years and hundreds of other traffic studies have been collected with portable equipment as part of the traffic-monitoring program,” wrote spokeswoman Pam McKenzie. “The (new system) will help the city consume all of the data from these devices and present it in an easy-to-digest format that will help… derive more meaningful insights.” Lukes said ensuring all of the data can be quickly assessed to support safety decisions will help the city more efficiently select the changes most likely to reduce collisions. She said she hopes Winnipeggers will eventually see fewer collisions as a result. “If we can have a better technology to capture and monitor and analyze this data, it really helps us make better decisions,” she said. The RFP notes council approved a road safety strategic action plan in 2022, which this system would support. “Several of the 67 actions identified in the (plan) relate to the need to improve and better integrate safety data into divisional practices,” the document notes. For example, city officials expect the new system will help track performance toward a municipal goal to reduce fatal and serious injury collisions by 20 per cent between 2022 and 2026 and conduct road safety reviews with detailed collision analyses. In an email, Mayor Scott Gillingham’s communications director said the system is part of a renewed focus on road safety. “It started with council adopting the road safety strategic action plan in 2022, then we created a new unit to oversee the plan last year, and now we’re looking to improve our systems to make better use of traffic count and collision data,” wrote Colin Fast. The winning bidder is expected to implement the data system for four years, with a possible three year extension. The city expects to spend $200,000 on the contract. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca> X: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Police using video to zero in on suspect involved in fatal pedestrian collision (Aug9'24)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '24

09 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Driver can hit, run but can’t hide Police using video to zero in on suspect involved in fatal pedestrian collision https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/08/police-zero-in-on… POLICE said they are closing in on a suspect in a hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian near The Forks early Thursday as officers canvassed the area for witnesses and additional surveillance footage. Although police haven’t identified the person responsible, investigators have “a good idea on the general type of vehicle that was involved, based on surveillance video and some roadway evidence,” Patrol Sgt. Brian Neumann said. “Ultimately, there will be evidence on that vehicle of this collision, so when we obtain that vehicle, we should be able to gather the evidence necessary to complete our investigation.” Officers responded to Queen Elizabeth Way (Main Street) and Mayfair Avenue at about 3:30 a.m. A seriously injured man was found and taken to hospital in critical condition but later died. The preliminary investigation indicated the man was walking across Queen Elizabeth Way when he fell and was struck by a southbound vehicle as he struggled to get up. The driver took off, police said. Neumann, who co-ordinates collision investigations, said officers rerouted traffic to gather evidence from the scene. Investigators have yet to release information about the vehicle involved in the collision but will provide an update to the public when they are ready, the patrol sergeant said. “What we are having to do is just expand our knowledge of what we have so far, so that when we want to be able to take that action, we have sufficient (evidence) to effect an arrest or bring a person in for an interview,” he said. “I’ve got investigators out who are viewing video and compiling their opinion on what they are finding… Especially in an urban environment, we tend to be able to follow them throughout their movement in the city until we get (the suspect) identified.” Speaking generally, Neumann said suspects identified in hit-and-run investigations can range from motorists with a clean driving record to people with criminal records. In some cases, drivers panic after a collision and flee the scene. Later, they turn themselves in to the police. Other times, motorists try to cover their tracks by destroying evidence or getting their vehicles washed, he said. Impairment can be a contributing factor that leads to a collision or influences a person’s decision to flee, he said. He urged anybody involved in a hit-and-run collision to do the right thing and come forward to police. “You may be wrong and you may be (held) accountable but you have to step up and take that. Just like you would expect someone else to do that if it happened to you or someone in your family,” he said. “In the case of something like today’s incident… you’re just compounding the problem. It’s not going to get easier.” Investigators ask anybody who was travelling near Mayfair Avenue and Queen Elizabeth Way around the time to call investigators, particularly if they have video footage, Neumann said. Investigators can be reached at 204986-7085<tel:204986-7085> or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477<tel:204-786-8477> (TIPS). Manitoba Public Insurance recorded 384 reports of hit-and-run collisions that resulted in injuries in Winnipeg since 2022, including 92 incidents as of July 31. Nine people were killed in hit-and-runs during the same period, including three this year. The numbers do not include Thursday’s fatality, MPI said. One hit-and-run investigation in which a person was injured remains unsolved from 2023, Neumann said. A cyclist was crossing Notre Dame Avenue and Isabel Street on the evening of June 30. The vehicle fled the scene before the police arrived. An empty but heavily damaged grey 2007 Pontiac G6 was later found in the 100 block of Juno Street. It was subsequently learned that four men were observed fleeing the vehicle, police reported. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca>

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City News: Calls for bike safety in Winnipeg continue after girl hit by vehicle in Wolseley neighbourhood (Aug7'24)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Aug '24

08 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. https://winnipeg.citynews.ca/2024/08/07/calls-bike-safety-winnipeg-latest-i…

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WFP: Cyclist dies after crashing into parked semi (Aug7'24)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Aug '24

07 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. Man riding at high speed when collision occurred Cyclist dies after crashing into parked semi https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/08/06/cyclist-dies-afte… A 67-YEAR-OLD male cyclist died after crashing into the back of a parked tractor-trailer on the side of Kenaston Boulevard, near Waverley Street, on Friday. The cyclist was riding at high speed when he collided with the rear of the trailer, which had its hazard lights activated on the northbound shoulder, shortly before 2:30 p.m., the Winnipeg Police Service said. “It’s always tragic. You feel for the family,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, which advocates for increased cycling awareness and safety in the city. “The bottom line is it’s just tragic,” said local Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West). The WPS provided limited information in a news release Tuesday. Police would not provide more details about the cause of the crash, which is being investigated by the traffic division. The cyclist’s name was not released. His family has been notified, police said. He is at least the second cyclist to be killed on Winnipeg’s roads in as many months. Police wouldn’t say if the man was wearing a helmet. The crash happened on a stretch of Kenaston that has one separated cycling route (on the west side) north of Waverley, and none to the south between Waverley and the Perimeter Highway. While details are limited, the incident points to a gap in Winnipeg’s active transportation network, and the importance of separated lanes for cyclists, said Cohoe. “You don’t have a pathway in that section,” he said. “It just showcases that we want to have a separation on those roadways.” There are plans to build a separated lane on the east side of Kenaston north of Waverley, said Lukes, chair of city hall’s public works committee. She said there are currently no plans for bike routes on Kenaston between Waverley and the Perimeter, given the province’s previously announced plans to build a bypass in the area. “When the St. Norbert bypass comes into play, then stuff like (bike lanes) will happen,” said Lukes. In 2015, the former NDP government said construction of a new $400-million route bypassing St. Norbert — by linking Kenaston and Highway 75 — would begin in five years and be completed within 10 years. The proposal included a cloverleaf interchange at Kenaston and the Perimeter. Almost 10 years later, no construction has taken place. The NDP lost the 2016 provincial election to the Progressive Conservatives, who ordered studies and held public information sessions while in government. The Tories lost last year’s election to the NDP. A provincial spokesperson said a 2020 design study proposed an interchange at Kenaston and the Perimeter as part of the long-term Winnipeg One Million Perimeter Freeway Initiative. Active transportation routes were considered in the study, the spokesperson said. Cyclists rallied in Winnipeg last month to call on the city to make streets safer for them, following a fatal collision in June and a separate crash that injured a teenage girl. Both collisions occurred on Wellington Crescent. Cohoe wants Winnipeg’s road-safety strategic action plan, passed by council in 2022, to be fully funded and implemented to help reduce fatal and serious injury collisions involving all road users. “The goal of the city really needs to be that we don’t see people dying in collisions,” he said. The plan comprises 67 actions for improved safety for all road users, and a goal of reducing fatal and serious collisions by 20 per cent over five years. Each year, Winnipeg averages 13 fatal collisions and 145 crashes resulting in serious injuries, according to city data. Across the province, an average of four cyclists are killed and 78 are injured in collisions per year, Manitoba Public Insurance’s website stated. A helmet was not worn in almost 90 per cent of cases in which a cyclist was killed in a collision with a vehicle, according to MPI. The WPS, meanwhile, is asking anyone with information about Friday’s crash or video from vehicle dashboard or home surveillance cameras to call investigators at 204-986-7085<tel:204-986-7085> or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477<tel:204-786-8477>. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca>

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WFP: Festival brings together active transportation and environmental performance art (Aug6'24)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Aug '24

06 Aug '24

Caution! This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ROLLING CIRCUS Festival brings together active transportation and environmental performance art https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2024/08/06/rolling-circus IT’S an outdoor adventure that combines the thrill of live performance with the charm of nature. Bike and Circuses, returning for its second year from Aug. 7 to 11, promises a blend of theatre, music and dance set against the backdrop of Whittier Park. “Bike and Circuses is about combining physical adventure with being a participant in a theatrical event,” explains Daina Leitold, executive director of Green Kids Inc. and co-producer of Bike and Circuses. “We wanted to experiment with the way we tend to take in the arts — quietly and passively. We are talking about taking action for the health of this planet. This is no time to be passive.” “And also, just breaking down this kind of theatre convention where everyone’s inside and they’re watching a play,” adds co-producer Brenda Mc-Lean. “We want more engagement and more of a feeling of the audience being participants in the theatre spectacle.” The inspiration for Bike and Circuses came when McLean visited Quebec City and saw an outdoor circus event by Cirque du Soleil. “The energy was incredible, with so many people from the city and surrounding areas coming out to watch. I thought, ‘Why not bring that kind of vibrant outdoor circus festival to Winnipeg?’ We needed more of that festival atmosphere in Winnipeg and to bring these great events to our city,” she says. The event is carbon neutral, prioritizing eco-friendly materials and transportation. Costumes, sets and props will be made from mostly salvaged or second-hand items and travel will be by foot, bike or transit as much as possible. The show takes audiences on a tour of the park, stopping to take in various performances along the way. Green Kids has partnered with community organizations, environmental NGOs and local businesses to create an interactive outdoor lobby where audiences can learn about environmental advocacy and active transportation, says McLean. Circus performer Lil Borger is excited about the show. “I specialize in something called cyr wheel. It’s like a big metal hula hoop that I spin in, kind of like when a coin spins on the ground,” says Borger, who has been performing since the age of seven. “I’m working with an amazing accordionist from Winnipeg named Anne-Marie (Williot), who’s going to be doing live accompaniment. My act also involves some spoken word.” Borger and Williot have been co-ordinating via Zoom as Borger currently lives in Montreal, attending McGill University. The performance tackles the theme of economic growth and its impact on the environment. “It goes into themes of overconsumption tied to overproduction and overuse of our planet and natural resources,” says Borger. “It shows the tension between nature, which I play, and our human economic system of production, which is represented by the wheel and the accordionist.” ANOTHER performer featured is Charlene Van Buekenhout, a Métis/Belgian/Canadian theatre artist, who will use a crankie machine — a moving panorama — to create an immersive storytelling experience. “I’m doing something that I have not done before. My whole piece is based around the concept of an ultrasound, connecting people to what’s inside themselves and the world around them,” Buekenhout says. Luekenhout was inspired by an exercise she learned from an elder at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. “You sit in the environment, notice the things around you and connect those things to yourself. It’s all about personalizing our world and recognizing that we are made up of the world around us,” she says, adding she will invite audience participation in a gentle and engaging manner. “I will be the ultrasound wand, and you can place your hand on my head while I turn the crankie machine. You’ll see what’s inside yourself. It’ll be very pain-free and non-invasive, just a fun and sweet way to engage with the audience.” Other performances include butoh dancer Tanja Faylene Woloshen, theatre artist Loc Lu and musical theatre performers Brittany and Mario Lagassé. THIS year’s event aims to be more inclusive than the first, with different routes and accessibility options. The event offers three versions to accommodate various audience needs: one for those on bicycles, one for those walking or slow rolling and a more physically-accessible route. “Knowing right away we wanted to do a show that was on bikes, our first thought was ‘That’s awesome, but is that for everybody?’” Leitold says. “We’ve been working with accessibility consultants. We offer the show for people walking as well as for people on bikes, and we have a physical show with an accessible path for folks who prefer not to walk too much but still want to experience being in the park.” Despite some challenges, the team is committed to making Bike and Circuses a recurring event, she says. “There was no Bike and Circuses in 2023 due to funding issues but we hope to make it a yearly event with enough community support. We want to show that being out in your city and taking time away from your cell phone, computer and car to go to a park and walk or ride a bike is a good way to get in touch with nature. The closer you are to nature, the more you might care about being environmentally responsible.” Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-choose pricing model: $10, $20 or $30 plus fees, with children four and under free. thandi.vera(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:thandi.vera@freepress.mb.ca>

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