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WFP: Opposition kills Omand's Creek bridge (Apr.5'10)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '10

05 Apr '10

Latest News Opposition kills Omand's Creek bridge By: Melissa Martin A beloved neighbourhood sledding hill may live to see many more winters, as the city shies away from a proposed $1-million bridge over Omand's Creek. Last week, Wolseley residents received word that the city's active transportation planners won't push for the bridge to be part of the city's $20-million active transportation initiative. This came after 500 area residents crammed into a March 18 community meeting at Portage Avenue Mennonite Church to voice their concerns about the bridge, which would cover part of a popular sled hill in Omand Park. A final decision will be made by city council in the coming weeks, but the city's active transportation co-ordinator agreed that the bridge isn't exactly the most popular item right now. "It's really important that all these projects fit into the neighbourhood," Kevin Nixon said. "We're not about to jam something into the neighbourhood that the neighbourhood can't accept." Of the original five options on the table for Omand's Creek Park, upgrades to lighting and pathways were favoured by more people at the March 18 meeting than any of four bridge-related plans, one of which would have improved the existing footbridge. Only four per cent approved of the hilltop-spanning bridge. melissa.martin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Editorial: Cycling his way to a legacy (Apr.5'10)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '10

05 Apr '10

Editorials Cycling his way to a legacy Legacies are a funny thing. You never know how or for what you will be remembered after you're gone. Often it's for something completely unforeseen. The late Winnipeg mayor Steve Juba is still famous for championing something that was never even built, a Jetsons-cool rapid-transit monorail system. Former mayor Glen Murray was scorned for his "million-dollar toilet" on the Esplanade Riel, but then again, the elegant bridge has become one of Winnipeg's most beloved landmarks. Mr. Murray is also renowned -- or reviled, depending on one's perspective -- for his $100,000 Get Together Downtown events, which drew thousands to Portage and Main for fun. Mayor Sam Katz's legacy remains to be seen. But curiously enough, it may be for something he, too, could never could have envisioned. Over the last five years, an "active transportation" lobby in the city has slowly gained ground. The goal is to create throughout the city a network of cycling commuter trails. It's a pretty basic philosophy. Create better and safer ways to travel through the city on two wheels, or two feet, and fewer people may drive. That in turn leads to less traffic on the roads, better air quality, healthier people. Winnipeg has been way behind on this trend, despite its easily cycled (i.e. flat) terrain. Calgary has some 900 kilometres of bike routes. Until recently, Winnipeg had about 100. But under Katz's watch, the city has extended that network to some 275 kilometres. Only four years ago, the city's spending on active transportation was $200,000. It's now up to $3.5 million, a huge increase on trails, bike lanes and pedestrian path upgrades. Did the mayor launch his first election campaign in Spandex and a bike helmet, vowing to transform the city into a less car-dependent, more active-transportation mecca? Well, no. He took office in 2004 and immediately cancelled a proposed rapid-transit system. But Mr. Katz has come a long way since then. He has changed his tune on rapid transit; after years of debate, construction for the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor finally began last summer. And just three months ago, the city pledged $6.8 million (matched by the province and the federal government's infrastructure fund, to a total of $20.4 million) to create dozens more people-friendly routes in Winnipeg. One of these projects made the news recently when Wolseley residents opposed the size and scale of a proposed bridge over Omand's Creek. Judging by the debate that ensued, there's a growing passion for active transportation. It's relatively new, and it's nowhere near critical mass, but it's gaining momentum. Mayor Katz's city doesn't hold expensive Get Togethers. But it did sponsor a Ciclovia last year, a $50,000 bike-and-pedestrian street festival that was such a hit, four more Sunday festivals are planned this summer. It started sponsoring Bike to Work Day in 2008, in which thousands -- including Mr. Katz -- proudly participated. And trail advocates were both pleased and surprised last fall when the mayor boldly vowed to buy up more abandoned rail lines to transform into bike trails. "They make ideal active-transportation routes," he said. Mr. Katz has never been regarded as a visionary. His reputation is that of a pragmatist and a promoter rather than a leader. But there is no doubt the wheels have started to turn at city hall -- inspired, no doubt, by a growing number of Winnipeggers bent on making the city a more bike-friendly place. So it's a funny thing that the man who's taken so much heat over things like rapid transit or Assiniboine Park condos may find himself with a surprising legacy years from now. A greener, cleaner city, built one kilometre at a time.

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FW: Lead a Jane's Walk in your neighbourhood
by Lisa Scharf 31 Mar '10

31 Mar '10

Invitation - lead a Jane's Walk in your neighbourhood! http://janeswalk.net/ Be part of a celebration of walking, getting people out of their cars, and sharing stories about our vibrant neighbourhoods - please find more details pasted below. Please also pass on the word to anyone you think might be interested in leading a walk in their neighbourhood or favourite area/aspect of Winnipeg. The walks take place the weekend of May 1 & 2 and are typically around 1-1/2 hours long. The time slots are set up so that participants have time to get from one to another, as many folks go to at least a couple in one day (10-11:30, 12:30-2:00, and 3:00-4:30). Evening walks are also possible although no one in Winnipeg has done that yet. As a budget-free, 100% volunteer effort, we rely on viral promotion and earned media to get people out to the walks (about 500 total each of the past 2 years for our 10-12 walks). thanks! Beth 925-3772 ________________________________ ************************************************************************ **** Checked by MailWasher server (www.Firetrust.com) WARNING. No FirstAlert account found. To reduce spam further activate FirstAlert. This message can be removed by purchasing a FirstAlert Account. ************************************************************************ **** </CENTER

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FW: Volunteers needed - Spring Bicycle Counts
by Lisa Scharf 31 Mar '10

31 Mar '10

Volunteers Needed for Spring Bike Counts For the past three years, volunteers from Bike to the Future have been counting cyclists, and to a lesser extent, pedestrians, at key locations in Winnipeg during morning and afternoon rush hours. The counts take place during the first week of April, May and June. If anyone is able to help out by volunteering to do a two hour shift during at least one of these time periods, please let get in touch with Jeremy at prolog(a)mts.net <mailto:prolog@mts.net> and he will fill you in on the details. Each year Bike to the Future produces a report on the numbers of cyclists and posts it on their web site. These counts have proved to be very useful. This year, for example, the bike and pedestrian counts were used in public meetings concerning the rehabilitation of the Osborne bridge. We were able to show the public and the planners how many cyclists travel across the bridge, how many use the sidewalks, which direction they go, and even how many pedestrians use the bridge. They were also used when City Council recently decided to add cycletracks along a key stretch of Pembina Highway. With many upcoming cycling infrastructure projects this year and in future years it is important to continue to have good baseline data on the numbers of cyclists. - Jeremy Hull, Bike to the Future ************************************************************************ **** Checked by MailWasher server (www.Firetrust.com) WARNING. No FirstAlert account found. To reduce spam further activate FirstAlert. This message can be removed by purchasing a FirstAlert Account. ************************************************************************ **** </CENTER

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Year 2 report - Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business
by Lisa Scharf 31 Mar '10

31 Mar '10

The Clean Air Partnership recently released "Bike Lanes, On-Street Parking and Business - Year 2 Report: A Study of Bloor Street in Toronto's Bloor West Village". Year 2 Report: http://torontocat.ca/main/sites/all/files/BikeLanes_Parking_Business_Blo orWestVillage.pdf If you haven't already seen the intial report, here's the link: Initial Report (Feb 2009): http://www.cleanairpartnership.org/pdf/bike-lanes-parking.pdf cheers, Beth Green Commuting Initiatives Resource Conservation Manitoba www.resourceconservation.mb.ca ************************************************************************ **** Checked by MailWasher server (www.Firetrust.com) WARNING. No FirstAlert account found. To reduce spam further activate FirstAlert. This message can be removed by purchasing a FirstAlert Account. ************************************************************************ **** </CENTER

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City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Open Houses and Drop-in Workshop
by Erik Dickson 31 Mar '10

31 Mar '10

Good Morning Everyone, There are several upcoming Public Open Houses and Community Drop-Ins scheduled as part of the Active Transportation Infrastructure Stimulus Project. For more information regarding the upcoming open houses as well as previous open houses, please visit: http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/HikeIt BikeItLikeIt.asp 5 events listed below: Public Open House: East Kildonan / Elmwood This session is an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas on proposed changes to Brazier and Roch Streets. Tuesday, April 6 6 pm - 8 pm Miles Macdonell Collegiate 757 Roch Street Public Open House: Jubilee / Hay Wednesday April 7 4 pm - 8 pm Fort Rouge Leisure Centre 625 Osborne Public Open House: New routes in the Transcona area: Thursday, April 8 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm St. Michael's Parish Hall 400 Day Street * Transcona Trail * Dugald * Pandora Public Open House: Nassau: Thursday, April 8 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Crescent Fort Rouge United Church 525 Wardlaw Ave Community Drop-In Workshop: North End Bikeway System Thursday, April 15 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm Ralph Brown Community Centre 460 Andrews Street The open house will be drop-in format (come any time between 5:00 and 8:00) but the workshop will follow this schedule: * 5:00 Powers (Sutherland to Leila) * 5:45 Manitoba / Pritchard / Flora (Keewatin to Main) * 6:30 Church / Machray (Keewatin to Main) * 7:15 King / Charles / Flora (King to Selkirk) If you have any questions please feel free to call me. Have a good day! Regards, Erik Dickson B.Sc. (Hons) Marr Consulting Services 8th Floor - 136 Market Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0P4 Phone: (204) 927-3456 ext. 242 Fax: (204) 927-3443 Please consider our environment before printing this message.

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City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Open House
by Erik Dickson 08 Mar '10

08 Mar '10

Hi everyone, Please see the attached poster regarding an upcoming Active Transportation Public Open House. If you can't open the attachment please see below. Regards, Erik Dickson B.Sc. (Hons) Marr Consulting Services 8th Floor - 136 Market Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0P4 Phone: (204) 927-3456 ext. 242 Fax: (204) 927-3443 Please consider our environment before printing this message. Public Open House Thursday, March 25, 2010 4 pm - 7 pm Portage Avenue Mennonite Brethren Church ~ 1420 Portage Avenue New routes in the Downtown / West End / St. James areas: Yellow Ribbon Trail (Silver Avenue) Moray Sherwin Berry Sherbrook / Maryland St. Matthews York / St. Mary This session is an opportunity to view information on the proposed plans for new active transpiration facilities in the Yellow Ribbon Trail (Silver Avenue), Moray, Sherwin, Berry, Sherbrook / Maryland, St. Matthews,York / St. Mary areas. The Active Transportation Infrastructure Stimulus Program involves the creation of 35 routes that range from multi-use pathways to bike boulevards.When they are completed by the end of this year,Winnipeggers will be able to access 375 km of active transportation routes.The $20.4 million program is funded equally by the Federal, Provincial and City governments. For more information about the 2010 Active Transportation Infrastructure Stimulus Program, or to provide feedback on the Active Transportation Blog, please visit: www.winnipeg.ca

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It's here: The Reel Green Film Festival!
by Beth McKechnie 08 Mar '10

08 Mar '10

TICKETS NOW ON SALE Manitoba Eco-Network is proud to host Winnipeg's first environmental film festival March 12 & 13 Red River College (Downtown Campus, 160 Princess Street) Join us for powerful and beautiful films that highlight the perils and the hope for our Earth. FRIDAY MARCH 12 (7-10 pm) Film premiere of NO IMPACT MAN and a low-impact reception with refreshments, eco-prizes, cash bar and great conversation. Watch the trailer for No Impact Man SATURDAY MARCH 13 (9 am - 4:30 pm) Feature Films, including Dirt! the Movie, H2Oil, A Sea Change, A Chemical Reaction and many more PLUS a REEL Discussion with local directors about film-making, the environment, the future... PLUS Eco Displays by local organizations working on these issues TICKETS a.. Friday only: $10 b.. Saturday only: $12 c.. Full event: $20 Available online at www.mbeconetwork.org or ,while quantities last, at McNally Robinson (1120 Grant Ave) and Mountain Equipment Co-op (303 Portage Ave). **Some films will be shown for free** For more information: 947-6511 or www.mbeconetwork.org Event Sponsors: Assiniboine Credit Union Canadian Environmental Network CUPE Local 500 Kendrick Quality Printing Prairie Architects Sustainable Solutions t: 204-947-6511 | f : 1-866-237-3130 e: info(a)mbeconetwork.org | w: www.mbeconetwork.org

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Improving Transportation Options in Rural and Small Communities
by Beth McKechnie 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

Improving Transportation Options in Rural and Small Communities (Transport Canada) Anyone working outside Winnipeg or Brandon knows how difficult it can be finding relevant information that isn't focused on large urban centres. While I haven't had a chance to review this recently released publication from Transport Canada (hot on the web though it's dated April 2009), it at least attempts to provide ideas and solutions for smaller communities. You can find it online at: http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/urban/guidelines/practitioners/imp… cheers, Beth

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Fw: Active Transportation - Canada: February 14, 2010
by Beth McKechnie 16 Feb '10

16 Feb '10

----- Original Message ----- From: Michael Haynes Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2010 7:09 PM Subject: Active Transportation - Canada: February 14, 2010 Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com Twenty (20) new items have been posted on the Active Transportation-Canada Website today. A complete list of titles may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website: 1.. Walkability increases home values 2.. One hour of driving could reduce life by 20 minutes: Study 3.. The School Travel Planning (STP) Winter 2010 newsletter 4.. Walkolution News - January 2010 5.. Trails program links County of Simcoe and local municipalities 6.. Skateboarding - Tunebug shows off Vibe and Shake sound generators 7.. Group wants better transit, cycling and walking 8.. Bike lane funding sought 9.. City protects pedestrians 10.. Engineer recommends three-lanes for River Road West 11.. Brockville needs a Recreation Director 12.. Midtown Footbridge now part of City, Lansdowne plans 13.. A pedestrian-friendly city 14.. Nelson transportation plan presented 15.. Active transportation gets going 16.. New York City - Active Design Guidelines 17.. Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2010 Benchmarking Report 18.. Portland promotes urban cycling, but costs will be high 19.. First Lady Launches Childhood Obesity Push With Nod to Biking & Walking 20.. Yes, Chairs in Times Square Will Be a Permanent State A "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. With more than 600 items posted on Active Transportation - Canada, there are links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and the world. If anyone has a problem reading this message, please let me know. I welcome suggestions for posts, so if you have news items featuring your community, please share them with the more than 500 subscribers to Active Transportation-Canada. Thank you. Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions 613.424.2803

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