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WFP: Vehicle restrictions to remain in place until start of May (Apr7'20)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Apr '20

07 Apr '20

Vehicle restrictions to remain in place until start of May https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/city-imposes-half-day… THE return of sunny weather came just in time for new motor-vehicle limits starting today in hopes of making it easier for people getting out of the house to safely maintain social distancing. As of Monday, Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue will limit motor-vehicle traffic daily to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The new restrictions, originally announced by City of Winnipeg emergency operations manager Jason Shaw on March 31, is an expansion of designated bicycle and active transportation routes that are in place on Sundays and holidays from June to September. Signage warning motorists of the restrictions began going up on Scotia Street Monday, which saw its own share of walkers, some of whom took to the roads. Derek Dexter, a Luxton resident, called the restrictions “a great idea.” “My wife and I actually thought of it about two days before the city implemented it,” he said. “In the summer this is always closed on Sundays, so people are used to using it as a bike path and a walking path.” While he said he had seen “the odd group” still mingling, the neighbourhood seemed to have picked up the message of physical distancing. “For the most part, I’ve seen people changing sides of the street and jumping from the sidewalk to the street to keep their distance,” he said. He said he hoped the restrictions would expand beyond a few Winnipeg streets. “I think they could implement this on other streets in the city as well, just to give you that space to walk,” he said. “We often find we’re walking and trying to zig-zag from one side to the other to keep that social distancing, and if the whole street is closed down it just makes that easier.” Shaw said in the original announcement that expanding routes eventually was not off the table. “We need to balance this approach out to make sure that it works first, and we know these routes are familiar,” he said. Andrea Janzen, a school psychologist out for a walk on her lunch break, said that familiarity would likely mean the restrictions wouldn’t affect the traffic activity on the street. “I don’t know what the people feel like who live here on this particular street,” she said. “This street doesn’t get a lot of traffic anyways, I don’t know that it will really change a lot.” However, she said she hopes it sends a message to drivers. “I’m going to walk this street regardless, whether there’s a road blockade or not,” she said. “I think it’s probably just good for people who are out driving who are not from the area to be aware that they need to be more cautious.” Jane Casey, an instructor at the University of Manitoba, said she hadn’t heard about the blockades going up but was used to them in the neighbourhood. “If people can walk down the middle of the road, and be able to have that comfortable distance, that would be a good thing,” she said. The restrictions will be in place until the beginning of May, when they’ll be re-evaluated and possibly extended. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_

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WFP Analysis: Rethinking infrastructure after the pandemic (Apr6'20)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Apr '20

06 Apr '20

Rethinking infrastructure after the pandemic https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/rethinking-infrastruc… IN our desperate battle to slow the spread of the coronavirus, almost four billion people, half the world’s population, are living under stay-at- home orders. In a rare united effort, governments, industry and citizens alike are working together to combat a common global enemy. The scale and speed of societal change left in its wake would have been unthinkable only a few weeks ago. As we move through and out of this fight, the power of this new social cohesion presents us with an opportunity to boldly rebuild a country that is more economically resilient, environmentally sustainable, socially just and physically healthier. Cities will be at the front lines of this opportunity, and rethinking the way we move around them will be fundamental to these goals. We have suddenly learned the importance of physical distancing, and with more people out walking, we are also learning how little pedestrian space there actually is in our cities. Across the world, streets are being closed to cars, as cities scramble to create temporary public space for people to access sunlight and fresh air while maintaining safe distances from each other. As the increased need for easily accessible space to walk and ride a bike becomes more permanent, so will these solutions. With everyone at home, increased pedestrian and cycling space is important for exercise and public health, but as time goes on, it will become increasingly vital for connectivity, to access employment, education and recreation. The coronavirus pandemic will likely have long-term impacts on transit use, and we must find a way to replace that mobility. In Winnipeg, people take a combined 170,000 trips every day on the bus. The social, environmental and economic impact of losing any part of that could be devastating. Creating infrastructure that allows people to safely walk and bike to access their daily needs can be a big part of the response. Winnipeg is well prepared to quickly implement a bold new mobility plan. The city’s 20-year Pedestrian and Cycling Strategy provides a visionary blueprint which, if implemented, would respond to many of our immediate needs, and make Winnipeg an active-transportation leader in North America as we move forward. The design includes 80 kilometres of protected bike lanes crossing every neighbourhood in the city, including a 13-lane downtown grid, as well as hundreds of kilometres of new sidewalks, sidewalk widening and renewal, and off-street pathways. The plan also includes several active transportation bridges. With typical construction costs being 80 to 90 per cent less than a vehicle bridge, they could affordably introduce a new network of connectivity between Winnipeg’s divided neighbourhoods. Strategically located bridges could provide easy walking and cycling access to greenspace between communities — for example, connecting St. Vital Park to Pembina Highway, or Kildonan Park to Henderson Highway. With well-located pedestrian bridges, shops on Wolseley’s Westminster Avenue could be a nine-minute walk from the shops on Academy Road; the Osborne strip could be a seven-minute walk from Norwood Flats, or a 10-minute walk to the restaurants on Sherbrook Street. The estimated cost to build the entire 20-year plan is pegged at $330 million, which sounds daunting, but within the scope of current and future federal stimulus initiatives, doing it all at once is bold but not unrealistic. Rebuilding our economy after the pandemic will be critical, and active transportation construction has proven to be one of the best infrastructure investments possible, in terms of job creation and economic return. A comprehensive study at the University of Massachusetts showed that because they use more labour and fewer materials, and the materials they do use are more often locally produced, bicycle infrastructure projects can create up to 11.4 jobs for every $1 million invested — 46 per cent more than car-only road projects, with pedestrian-only projects falling somewhere in-between. A comprehensive active-transportation network could be implemented quickly on a temporary basis, following the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategy, and then transitioned to permanent as the pandemic slows and economic stimulus is prioritized. Reduced driving would lower greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution, a potential carrier of airborne viruses, and improve physical health, which can strengthen immune systems and reduce pre-existing conditions. The coronavirus pandemic is a stark warning that we are part of a delicate, interwoven ecosystem, and if we push it too hard, it breaks. Our response requires both immediate solutions, and preparation for a long fight. We must also consider future pandemics and, most importantly, this must be a wake-up call to finally address the looming climate crisis, before it becomes a similar global emergency. Governments can work together now to make active transportation an important part of the solution across Canada, helping to get us through this crisis today and helping to meet our economic, environmental and public-health needs in the world we build when it is over. *Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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NZ encourages (and funds) tactical urbanism
by Beth McKechnie 06 Apr '20

06 Apr '20

Covid-19 is having a significant impact on our transport systems and services. The Innovating Streets programme can make a contribution by providing councils with an opportunity to adapt their streets to better support active and safe transport needs, while following official advice about people movement. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roads-and-rail/innovating-streets/about/pilot-fund/

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WFP: No way to cross Portage and Main (Apr5'20)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '20

05 Apr '20

*City closes downtown skywalks, underground concourse due to COVID-19 pandemic* * No way to cross Portage and Main * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/no-way-to-cross-porta… CROSSING the street at Portage and Main just became an even bigger obstacle. As of Friday evening, the city shut the doors to the entire downtown overhead walkway system, along with the underground concourse at Portage and Main until further notice as a health precaution due to COVID-19. To make it to the other side of the windy intersection, pedestrians will be required to locate the nearest street level crossing. People voiced their opinions on social media over the weekend, with a common argument being everyone should be staying home anyway so the added restrictions at Portage and Main is a non-issue. Brent Bellamy, a senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group, couldn’t disagree more. “We may be in a crisis situation, but people still need to access medical appointments, fill prescriptions, buy groceries, get exercise, air and sunlight,” Bellamy said. “Many are still working in essential services. Many of these people need to catch the bus, or walk to their employment. We have very deliberately made the choice that even when the 70,000 workers and 25,000 students are not downtown, the 17,000 people who live there must cross the city’s central intersection by going underground. If we are going to live with that choice we must ensure that option is available to everyone, always, first and foremost for those with mobility challenges, because the alternatives are unrealistic and quite honestly shameful in a modern city like ours.” Forcing people to go outside and walk an extra block or two to get to a crosswalk might not be a major inconvenience for some, but for seniors and people with disabilities, it can make a simple errand difficult, especially with this week’s snowfall. With the snow buildup and the construction going on outside the office building at 201 Portage Ave., it’d be nearly impossible for someone in a wheelchair to navigate around the building and for people to stay six feet apart. “When you actually look at how far it is just to cross the street ‘one block over,’ it is the equivalent of walking between two and four-and-half lengths of a football field, depending on which direction you are coming from,” Bellamy said. “If you are in a wheelchair, or a senior, or just about anyone actually, that is an unreasonable distance.” Bellamy adds these obstacles are nothing new. Even when the skywalk and underground are open, it isn’t easy for people to get around. “The intersection being inaccessible right now is news because it is caused by a pandemic, but the fact that it is inaccessible is the reality almost more often than not. The ramps inside the concourse have been closed for the last month because the roof is leaking across them. Before that, one of the elevators was broken and took months to repair. Before that, the sprinkler system in the concourse burst and an elevator was closed off. Every day after business hours and on weekends, the elevators in the office buildings required to access the concourse are closed. Every single day,” Bellamy said. “If we are going to force people in a wheelchair to use four elevators and two ramps to get across the street, they should at least work.” The barriers at Portage and Main have been the great debate in town for years. Oly Backstrom, the president and CEO of SCE LifeWorks, said issues like this one wouldn’t exist if people would simply be allowed to cross the street. But to him, bringing light to the city’s recent decision goes much further than making another point as to why the barriers should be gone. “I don’t want to get bogged down in that specific issue because Portage and Main is a bit of a lightning rod. But to me, it’s symbolic of how society views accessibility, and even how people are viewing accessibility issues during this pandemic,” said Backstrom, who asked his Twitter followers to remember the current scenario the next time there’s a Portage and Main debate. “Some comments and responses to my original tweet seem to indicate that ‘Buddy, there’s a pandemic going on. Why are you tweeting about this?’ Kind of implying that concerns around accessibility should take a back seat to the pandemic. (The pandemic) has got us all sick with worry, but my argument would be the stakes are even higher during emergencies like this pandemic when it comes to accessibility.” In the 2018 civic election, opening up Portage and Main was put to a vote. The answer was a resounding “no” with 65 per cent of voters wanting to leave the downtown hub as is. “The people most impacted by the barriers, whether it be people with disabilities, or people who live downtown, for the most part, were pretty clear about how they felt about opening it up,” Backstrom said. “But it was put to a vote for all Winnipeggers, including those who are not directly impacted by that negatively on a day-to-day basis. So, I look forward to the day when a leader reassesses and makes the right decision and makes Portage and Main accessible.” taylor.allen(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

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Eco-Counter webinar: Using bike data
by Beth McKechnie 02 Apr '20

02 Apr '20

*Eco-Counter Webinar Invite, April 2020* View this email in your browser <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/alk-about-data-693113-e-UNIQID/39xcn…]> *Taking the conference virtual - join us for a webinar!* As many of you know, last month's National Bike Summit <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/summit/39xcq/78701155?h=m36sN4VvgxH0…> in Arlington, Virginia, was cancelled due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The conference, however, has gone virtual! We were supposed to host a *breakout session on applying bike data* during the second day of the conference. The good news is that this session will now happen as a *webinar - free and open to anyone!* *So you have bike data, now what?* *Tuesday April 7th, 2020 - 3-4PM (ET)* Click here to register for the free webinar <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/register-2632832675602503435/39xcs/7…> *About the webinar:* >From automated counters to GPS trace data, demographic surveys to crash statistics, data plays an increasingly pivotal role in cycling planning. What can transportation professionals, researchers and advocates actually do with all of that data? Where is a good place to start? What are some quick wins? During this data session, learn from industry experts, advocates and practitioners about ways in which bike data can be leveraged in order to achieve meaningful, tangible changes in your community. We look forward to seeing you there! [image: Facebook] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/EcoCounter-/39xcv/78701155?h=m36sN4V…> [image: Twitter] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/Eco-Counter/39xcx/78701155?h=m36sN4V…> [image: Website] <https://info.eco-compteur.com/e/685233/2020-04-02/39xcz/78701155?h=m36sN4Vv…> Copyright © 2020 Eco-Counter. 3981 Saint-Laurent Blvd, Suite 604 | Montreal, QC | H2W 1Y5 Office: 1-514-849-9779 | Toll Free: 1-866-518-4404

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Metro Vancouver State of Cycling Report
by Beth McKechnie 02 Apr '20

02 Apr '20

>From HUB Cycling: We recently released our State of Cycling report <https://bikehub.ca/research/the-state-of-cycling-in-metro-vancouver> on Metro Vancouver in BC, which comprises 23 Jurisdictions/municipalities. This report was developed in partnership for our regional transportation authority, TransLink. The report looks at cycling rates, safety, gender balance, supportive policies, network change, accessibility of safe routes and more for each area. Some highlights: - The report classifies every bike facility (over 15K GIS segments) across all 23 municipalities by level of comfort ranging between comfortable for most, some, few or very few - A bicycle type classification system was developed with input from all member municipalities, TransLink and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (similar to a DOT), providing the framework to classify each facility type - 46% of the network is comfortable for most people, and 65% of people live within 400m of a comfortable bikeway - The length of the bikeway network has nearly tripled in 10 years from 1,700 km (2009) to 4,600 km (2019) - This is meant to be a benchmarking report, allowing us to measure progress against this baseline with each new iteration

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WFP: Sunday bike routes open daily next week (Apr1'20)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Apr '20

01 Apr '20

Sunday bike routes open daily next week SEASONAL Sunday and holiday bike routes will open to cyclists and pedestrians seven days a week as part of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The four city roadways typically reserved for bicycle traffic and active transportation use on Sundays and holidays throughout the summer will have limited motor vehicle traffic beginning April 6. Lyndale Drive, between Cromwell Street and Gauvin Street; Scotia Street, between Anderson Avenue and Armstrong Avenue; Wellington Crescent, between Academy Road and Guelph Street; and Wolseley Avenue, between Raglan Road and Maryland Street will be restricted to through-traffic daily between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Signs will be posted on all approach roadways and exits to notify motorists they are entering and exiting an active transportation route and vehicle traffic is limited to one block throughout the designated area. While traffic volumes are lowered, the city is reminding cyclists and pedestrians that roads are not closed and to use caution and follow the rules of the road. The expanded active transportation route schedule is in effect until May 3. The public’s adherence to physical-distancing recommendations to maintain two metres of separation between individuals on these routes will be monitored by the city officials. City-owned athletic fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, ball diamonds and skate parks will remain closed until further notice, in accordance with the provincial public health order to limit gatherings of people to no more than 10 individuals. Community centres are also being told to discourage programming on their properties.

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WFP: BLUE line brings rapid transit to southwest
by Beth McKechnie 31 Mar '20

31 Mar '20

*BLUE line brings rapid transit to southwest* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/BLUE-line-bring… Starting April 12, a dedicated 11-kilometre transitway will open in the southwest, giving bus riders a faster, easier commute. BLUE is a new rapid transit line that will provide frequent, reliable, high-speed service between Winnipeg’s downtown, the University of Manitoba and St. Norbert, according to Adam Budowski, a transit planner with Winnipeg Transit. The idea of rapid transit was first introduced in Winnipeg in the 1970s, with city council acting on it in the early 2000s when a task force was established. The first stage was opened in 2012 with the 3.6 km-long rapid transitway running from Queen Elizabeth Way to Jubilee Avenue. Planning for stage two of the transitway began in 2012, with most of the construction completed by the end of 2019. "A big piece of this has been route planning," Budowski said. "We started developing route plans for the transitway about two years ago and started doing public engagement in the spring of 2019." Transit "hollowed out" a retired bus, equipped it with poster boards and drove this Ideas in Motion bus to transit hubs and community events to catch people during their daily activities, according to Budowski. They also received responses via email, for a total of around 1,000 responses. "We’ve designed a high frequency line in a well-planned area, with 14 new community feeder routes. People can wait at heated shelters which also feature digital displays for real-time bus information. The transitway is designed to move large numbers of people to where they want to go, quickly and in a way that avoids congestion on Pembina Highway," Budowski said, adding that there will still be buses running on Pembina for those needing local transportation. The City of Winnipeg has been working on weekends to change the bus route signs in the southwest. The transit stops now feature a blue sign showing the new route numbers, and an orange, temporary sign showing the old route numbers. "We want people to know that their current bus is still coming, and get them used to the new routes that will launch April 12," he said, adding there are around 1,500 bus stop signs being changed. Funding for the BLUE line included $163.8 million from the City of Winnipeg, $93.3 million from the province and $163.3 million from the federal government.The BLUE line will feature 28 new articulated buses, which can carry around 100 passengers each. Each bus will feature a front rack that can carry two bikes. There will also be bike lockers at each station and bike racks. "The buses will run approximately every four to five minutes during rush hour," Budowski said. Passengers will be able to park their cars and hop onboard a bus, thanks to more than 1,000 park and ride spots installed at Seel Station and Clarence Station. The parking spots are available for special events at attractions along the BLUE Rapid Transit Line, including Investors Group Field, and are provided free of charge for anyone using Transit services. For those interested in active transportation, such as biking or walking, a protected and accessible path runs the full length of the transitway, connecting to existing active routes. It will be illuminated at night to enhance safety and visibility. Winnipeg Transit mailed information brochures to 75,000 households in the southwest, as well as putting up information signs at 86 bus stations in the downtown regarding route changes. For more information on the BLUE transitway and route changes, see winnipegtransit.com/en/service/blue-rapid-transit/ To start planning bus routes, use the Navigo Trip Planner at winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo and type in April 12 as the date you want to make a trip.

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WFP: Active transportation changes seen as part of virus response (Mar31'20)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Mar '20

31 Mar '20

Active transportation changes seen as part of virus response https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/active-transportation-changes-seen-… BARRICADES for seasonal Sunday and holiday road closures could go up early this year to make space for pedestrians and cyclists struggling to keep their distance as Winnipeggers head outdoors amid the COVID-19 crisis. A spokesman for the City of Winnipeg said Monday that officials are considering whether to provide pedestrians access to roadways and enhanced active transportation routes as physical distancing becomes a challenge on sidewalks in some communities. “There’s just no way possible in areas where there is density on beautiful days that we can maintain the physical distance,” Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said. “We didn’t have a wicked winter, but we want to get outside, the sun is shining, the snow is melting.” Lukes says she’s formally asked the mayor’s office and the city’s interim chief administrative officer to implement road or lane closures for people to get outside and maintain the two metres of distance between individuals recommended by public health officials. “We’ve got thousands and thousands of kilometres of roadway in the city, the traffic volumes are down: take to the streets, take to the residential roads,” she said. The city did not accommodate a request for an interview Monday but said in an email that more information on road closures and pedestrian access will be released this week. City owned playgrounds, recreation centres and picnic shelters have been closed as part of the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but parks remain open at this time. On Friday, Mayor Brian Bowman said city officials are reviewing what outdoor recreation options can be made available to the public. “We’re trying collectively as governments to ensure that while we’re telling people to get outside and social distance, we’re not shrinking the available public spaces that they can spread out,” he said. Over the weekend, the City of Calgary closed vehicular lanes alongside popular pedestrian corridors to traffic in anticipation of people heading outdoors to take advantage of warm weather. The locations of the temporary closures were not promoted to avoid crowds of people congregating at select spots. Each May, the city restricts through-traffic on four roads on Sunday and holidays and give cyclists priority. The restrictions are in place for Lyndale Drive, Wolseley Avenue, Scotia Street and Wellington Crescent from Academy Road to Guelph Street. “We’ve already got a framework, let’s put it in play seven days a week for now,” Lukes said. “The thing is, people are going to go outside whether you want them to or not. So we need to make it safe for them and we need to reinforce social distancing.” Winnipeg Trails executive director Anders Swanson said enhancing the city’s overall active transportation network throughout the duration of the COVID-19 response will be critical to ensure the safe movement of people across the city. “If you have to take half the people off the bus to maintain physical distancing for the next however many months, we’re going to need some sort of system,” Swanson said. “We’ve been calling for this for decades, but this is a life changing moment,” Swanson said. “The space is there and it would be not just impractical to not rededicate that space to people so that they can move, but it would be rude to not do that now.” Separated and dedicated lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, addressing “mode gaps,” and speed limit changes should all be considered as quickly as possible, he said. “The simplest message is to stay home if you can,” Swanson said. “We’re not trying to say the most important thing is for everyone to go out for a jog. “But what we’re voicing is the concern that when you make rules to recognize walking and cycling is very competitive with a transit trip, if necessary, given the right infrastructure,” he said. danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Today: Virtual Cycling conference with great speakers - Digital Worldbike
by Anders Swanson 31 Mar '20

31 Mar '20

Good morning, Apologies for the late notice, but there is a conference with some terrific speakers happening today from 1-6pm Central European time. Organized pre-pandemic, its perfect timing for a virtual conference on a topic that offers a rare glimmer of hope. You can see the program here (skip to section 3 for the urbanism/transport stuff): https://twitter.com/DigiWorldBike/status/1244897866046484480 You can register here, free, to enter the virtual conference: https://t.co/k1BFYPvSC7?amp=1 Or check out the a live stream: https://t.co/yEDKeBfYXi?amp=1 As I send this, Marco te Brömmelstroet (fietsprofessor and head of the urban cycling institute at the University of Amsterdam) is talking about the language of mobility. Again, apologies for the short notice. Enjoy! Anders

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