- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Cycle tracks planned for centre city in Calgary
by Beth McKechnie 24 Oct '12

24 Oct '12

Cycle Tracks Planned for Centre City http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5abad95f7660abd589fb03174&id=619cd0be4b… On Wednesday, City Council's Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit received an update on the Cycling Strategy<http://bikecalgary.org/node/3710>from Tom Thivener (and comments from Bike Calgary). The update included a plan for cycle tracks in the downtown core and the Beltline. Instead of previously-planned painted bike lanes along 6 and 7 Street, the Transportation Department has agreed to install innovative bike facilities that separate cyclists from both pedestrians and car traffic. There will be either two one-way cycle tracks along 6 and 7 St, or one two-way cycle track along 7 Street, as early as Spring 2013, connecting the 8 Avenue SW bike route to the Bow River pathway. In phase 2, 8 Avenue SW itself will get upgraded to a cycle track, and connected to the Beltline through the 5 Street SW underpass. The half-hearted attempt at a rush-hour only bike lane along 10 Avenue SW will be reviewed, and may be replaced either with a permanent bike lane or cycle tracks along 11 and/or 12 Avenues SW to provide connectivity through the Beltline. Phase 3 (2015) is yet to be determined. Bicycle facilities in the downtown core and the Beltline face opposition, especially from businesses concerned about hourly street parking. However, cycle track design options<http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/cycle-tracks/>include using parked cars as the physical barrier to moving traffic, as in the most famous example of a two-way cycle track in North America, Prospect Park West in Brooklyn<http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/prospectparkwest.shtml>. Moreover, on-street parking spaces may be added at the same time in other places. Detractors often cite the notoriously high monthly parking rate in downtown Calgary in this connection, but forget to mention that in hourly on-street parking rates, Calgary's rates are in line with Vancouver's and Ottawa's<http://www.collierscanada.com/en/%7E/media/Files/Research/2012/2012%20Parki…>, and well behind Toronto's or Montreal's. At the same time, we can expect significant benefits from installing bike infrastructure: reductions in collisions, speeding, sidewalk riding, more people riding bicycles (especially those not comfortable riding with traffic), as well as increased acceptance by pedestrians and businesses. In installing cycle tracks in the downtown core, Calgary would follow the successful example of Montreal<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=4577,84235570&_dad=portal&_…>, Ottawa<http://ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/planningprojectsreports/public_consult/bikela…>, and Vancouver<http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/separated-bicycle-lanes.aspx> .

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Comprehensive guide for implementing bike share programs
by Beth McKechnie 24 Oct '12

24 Oct '12

[Snipped from CenterLine <http://www.bikewalk.org/newsletter.php>s<http://www.bikewalk.org/newsletter.php>313 | BikePed News You Can Use] *COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTING BIKE SHARE PROGRAMS* On Sept. 7th, "The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and Toole Design Group released the results from their comprehensive national study of current bike sharing programs in the United States. "Bike Sharing in The United States: State of the Practice and Guide to Implementation<http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/promote/bikeshare.cfm?/bikeshare>" is designed to provide guidance on how to plan, implement and measure the success of bike share programs in communities of all sizes. "The 68-page Guide has been designed to serve as a resource for a broad audience, including transportation planning professionals, as well as public officials considering implementation of a bike share program... [It] is based on an exhaustive analysis of twelve existing and planned bike share programs from across the U.S., explores the evolution of bike sharing in the U.S., defines success factors, describes the step-by-step approach to implementing a bike share program, documents existing costs, examines the different models of provision and funding, and describes metrics for monitoring and evaluating program success."

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Reminder re: Creative Commuting Ambassador Training I and II
by Jessie Klassen 24 Oct '12

24 Oct '12

(Just a friendly reminder to sign up today if you are interested in attending either session 1 or 2!) ** > *Creative Commuting Ambassador Training I > * > You are invited to a FREE, half-day interactive workshop on becoming a > Creative Commuting Ambassador at your workplace! Get the tools and guidance > to help improve commuter options on-site and support your coworkers to get > the most out of their commutes. > > > *Hands-on training and resources you'll get at the workshop:* > > - Training in bike route planning > - Experience with all the latest Winnipeg Transit tools > > > - An evaluation of your workplace's existing commuter options > - A folder filled with tools and resources relevant to your workplace > - Ideas for a simple project to apply these tools and resources right > away > > *Workshop date:* Thursday, November 1st, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm > * > Workshop location*: EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) > Creative Commuting Ambassador Training II: Behaviour Change > > Do you want to sing the praises of creative commuting with your > co-workers, but no one seems to be listening? This FREE, interactive > half-day training session is for you! Explore the many facets of behaviour > change from a social marketing, transitions, and systems perspective. Walk > away with some strategies you can apply to create a more commuter friendly > and active workplace. > > *Hands-on training and resources you’ll get at the workshop:* > > - Tools and strategies to engage your co-workers more effectively > - Greater knowledge of behaviour change > - Local success stories > - Program and communication ideas you can begin to apply right away > > *Workshop date:* Thursday, November 8th, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm > > *Workshop location:* EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) > * > Register today by contacting Jessie Klassen at 925-3772 or > jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca. * > > > > ** > > *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options > > <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca>| Find > us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> > > 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 > > > > Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. > > Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> > >

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Just a little something for the list on this dark wet day
by Stacy Matwick 23 Oct '12

23 Oct '12

With nasty rainy dark days upon us I thought I'd share this with you all for a smile. Warning do not try this at home :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTLsAnxUwzQ via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com Cheers Stacy Matwick

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Introducing the Walking and Wheeling Webinar Series
by Shoni Litinsky 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

** Please share widely! ** Join Green Action Centre's Active and Safe Routes to School Manitoba <http://greenactioncentre.ca/programs/asrts>team as we host our first ever webinar (online seminar) series this November 2012-January 2013. Our team has put our heads together and come up with 5 great sessions that will address some of questions we get asked most from parents, schools, communities, and municipalities! Please click here to see full descriptions and to register<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/walking-and-wheeling-webinar-series/>for the free sessions which will take place in our online WIMBA learning classroom (ie - from the comfort of your own computer!). Note: If you cannot attend the time of a session you would like to see, please register anyway as we will be sure to circulate the recorded archive following the event. *How to Start a Bike Repair Program & Shop in Your School or Community* *Date and time:* November 23, 2012 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter: *Geoff Heath – the WRENCH <http://http://thewrench.ca/> *5 Key Bike Safety Tips for Kids (Ages 9-11)* *Date and Time:* November 30, 2012 at 12:30pm-1:00pm *Presenter:* Dave Elmore – Green Action Centre *Winter Walking Activities for your Classroom or After School Program* *Date and Time:* December 7, 2012 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter:* Shoni Litinsky and Lea Grzenda – Green Action Centre *Building a Culture of Walking and Cycling* *Date and Time: *January 10, 2013 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter:* Lea Grzenda and Masha Giller – Green Action Centre *Pedestrian and Bicycle Engineering 101 for School Travel* *Date and Time:* January 18, 2013 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter:* Anders Swanson – Green Action Centre We hope you will join us! -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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GLOBE AND MAIL: Separated bike lanes make cyclists safer, study says
by Anders Swanson 19 Oct '12

19 Oct '12

[ source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/separated-bike-lanes-make-cycl…] Separated bike lanes make cyclists safer, study says One of the most ambitious studies of bicycle injuries ever conducted in Canada has reach a conclusion that won’t surprise anyone who rides to work: It is far safer to travel on a physically separated bike lane than on busy city streets. The research, led by Prof. Kay Teschke of the University of British Columbia’s school of population and public health, involved interviewing hundreds of victims of bike accidents in Toronto and Vancouver, and then studying the location where the accident took place. More Related to this Story - Bicycle Data Toronto falling behind pack in averting bicycle collisions, data reveals <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-falling-behind-pack-in-…> - Helmets can prevent bicycling deaths, study finds <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/helmets-can-p…> - Toronto's Jarvis bike lanes to be removed by end of year <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/torontos-jarvis-bike-lanes-to-b…> <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/explore-the-data-toronto-bicycl…> Interactive Data Explore the data: Toronto bicycle collisions mapped over 25 years<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/explore-the-data-toronto-bicycl…> The analysis, published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows that a cyclist is ten times as likely to be injured on busy street with parked cars than on a cycle lane alongside the street, separated by a physical barrier. It is also much safer to bike on less busy local streets, major streets without parked cars, and on bike lanes through parks, the study found. On those routes, the risk of injury is about half what it is on a busy street with parked cars. The study shows there is a “dramatic reduction” in accidents when separated bike lanes exist, Prof. Teschke said. And it underlined how much more likely bike accidents are to occur if there is construction, steep hills, or, in the case of Toronto, streetcar tracks. Indeed, nearly one-third of the accidents studied in Toronto occurred on streetcar tracks, either with bike wheels getting caught in the tracks or slipping on the slippery rails. Prof. Teschke said the results jibe with earlier studies of route preferences that indicate people don’t like to ride on busy streets. This research shows “there is a reason for that [attitude]. People’s gut reaction is the correct reaction.” The study could bolster the action being taken in many large North American cities, where separated bike lines are now being constructed. Vancouver and Montreal already have many kilometres of separated lanes, and the first one in Toronto is now being built along Sherbourne St. on the east side of the downtown core. While there are enough separated bike lanes in Montreal to form a connected network throughout the downtown core, Vancouver is not at that point yet, and Toronto is years away from anything similar, said Toronto bicycle consultant Yvonne Bambrick. “If you have one little space that [has separated lanes] and everywhere else is regular, it doesn’t make any sense,” she says. She also notes that the design of separate lanes is crucial in making them safe and functional. The new bike lane on Toronto’s Sherbourne Street has been criticized because its barrier is so low that it will still allow delivery vehicles to pull into it and park. The UBC study interviewed 690 people who were injured in bike accidents, 414 from Vancouver and 276 from Toronto. Almost three-quarters of the accidents involved collisions with motor vehicles.

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The future of driving - seeing the back of the car (The Economist)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

*The future of driving - seeing the back of the car* *In the rich world, people seem to be driving less than they used to* For transportation geeks, this comprehensive article from The Economist about driving levels and car ownership includes some compelling statistics. For example: * At Canary Wharf, a business district in east London, 100,000 jobs are supported by only 3,000 parking spaces. * Space is already at a premium in dense centres such as Jakarta, where the number of cars is growing ten times faster than the roads available for them to roll on. Read the full article: http://www.economist.com/node/21563280

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[At-network] WFP View from the West: We could learn from Copenhagen, Moscow (Oct.17'12)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

[Nice to see these columns about Copenhagen and other bike friendly cities keep popping up in the Free Press...] We could learn from Copenhagen, Moscow By: Michael Czuboka My wife and I recently spent three days in each of the cities of Copenhagen St. Petersburg, Russia and Moscow. As Winnipeggers, we could not help but make comparisons. Returning to Winnipeg, after viewing and travelling over the excellent streets in these European cities was like coming to a third world country insofar as road maintenance and quality are concerned. We love Winnipeg. Our city has many fine qualities, but our roads are rough, uneven, patched, in some cases dangerous, and in general an absolute disgrace. Copenhagen was especially impressive because of the wide and clearly marked bicycle paths that are a feature of many of its major streets. Copenhagen has a population of about 528,000, so it is similar in size to Winnipeg with our population of about 684,000. We learned that about 40 per cent of Copenhagen's citizens bicycle to work or school on a system of paths that run for about 400 kilometres. How much would 400 kilometres cover in Winnipeg? The combined lengths of Portage, Pembina, Main, Henderson, St. Mary's, St. Anne's, McPhillips and Regent, according to Sherlock's map of Winnipeg, is less than 200 kilometres. It is obvious that 400 kilometres of bike paths would cover all of our major streets very adequately. Each bicycle path in Copenhagen is about the width of an automobile lane. Motor vehicles seldom intrude on bicycle paths and cycling is relatively safe for cyclists of all ages and abilities. We watched in awe as hundreds of bikers filled the streets every day. St. Petersburg often is referred to as the most beautiful city in the world and it is certainly very attractive with many beautiful buildings and parks. Its major streets, like those of Moscow, seemed to be absolutely perfect and without blemishes of any kind. Apologists claim that Winnipeg's cold weather is to blame for many breaks and potholes that occur, but that excuse does not hold up when Winnipeg's weather is compared with that of Russia. Winnipeg has an average January temperature of -13.2 C; St. Petersburg's is -6 C, and Moscow's is -9 C. Both Russian cities, like Winnipeg, have winter temperatures that often plunge to -30 or -40 C. It appears the Russians, perhaps because of their tendency toward authoritarian leadership, spend whatever it takes to make perfect roads in their major cities. Winnipeg's mayors and councils, on the other hand, seem to base their decisions mainly on the prospect of upcoming elections. "What do I need to do to get re-elected?" they seem to ask themselves. "Keep taxes down, of course," is the answer. Our engineers probably know as much about building good roads as their compatriots in Russia, but the limited funds allocated to Winnipeg's roads results mostly in patching and inferior paving that results in limited longevity. The bright side of our poor roads is it provides our vehicle repair shops with a lot of extra business. We did not see any graffiti or beggars in St. Petersburg or Moscow. It appears that the police and courts are much less forgiving than those in our country. Ugly overpasses were not evident in the three cities we visited. Is the Disraeli Freeway really necessary? A tunnel, similar to those of major cities, would have been much more preferable. Was a tunnel ever considered? Are our civic leaders lacking in creativity and imagination? Although we travelled on many streets in St. Petersburg and Moscow, we did not see even a single road barrier or construction project. The major streets appear to be in perfect condition and apparently rarely need patching or new paving. Travelling the streets of Winnipeg, after we returned, came as a shock. Almost every street seems to have construction of some kind in progress. A major problem, however, is not just the construction itself, but rather how it is organized. Barriers, which restrict the flow of traffic and create hazardous conditions, often go up for several days or even a week or more before any construction takes place. There seems to be very limited communication or co-ordination between those putting up the barriers and those doing the actual construction. We were also very impressed by the cleanliness of the streets of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Looking out of our hotel room window in Moscow early one morning, we witnessed, much to our amazement, several orange trucks pouring large quantities of water on the sidewalks and streets. According to the Moscow News, an English-language publication, thousands of tons of water are used daily. Winnipeg's streets, by way of comparison, are generously speaking, unclean. We live in Osborne Village, which recently was judged to be the best neighbourhood in Canada. We live here, and we love the place, but street washing in Osborne Village and elsewhere in Winnipeg takes place only when it rains. Winnipeg is a great city, but we could improve greatly by studying and implementing some of the practices of places such as Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. Let's keep this in mind the next time we have an election for a mayor and councillors in Winnipeg. *Michael Czuboka, former superintendent of schools in Manitoba, is the author of Why It's Hard To Fire Johnny's Teacher; Juba; They Stopped at A Good Place; and Ukrainian Canadian, Eh.* http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/we-could-learn-from-copen… * *

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Sou'Wester - Bike, Walk and Roll in Fort Richmond
by Shoni Litinsky 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

The article below can be found in the Sou'Wester and provides a great overview of the Green Action Centre project - Bike, Walk, Roll Fort Richmond. The project is funded through the Neighbourhoods Alive - LIFT program and aims to increase awareness and expand education on A/T in the Fort Richmond community. Live in Fort Richmond? Our public open house is next Tuesday October, 23rd from 7-8:30pm at the Acadia Junior High School library, located at 175 Killarney Ave. See more project details at: fortrichmondat.ca Bike, walk and roll in Fort Richmond<http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Bike-walk-and-ro…> A brand new active transportation initiative is hitting the streets of Fort Richmond. Bike Walk & Roll Fort Richmond is a project that aims to increase awareness and expand active transportation opportunities and safety in the community. Active transportation includes walking, cycling, in-line skating or any mode of self-propelled transportation. The project was initiated by local community residents, but is being spearheaded by the Green Action Centre, a non-profit environmental education hub that does work throughout the province. Bike Walk & Roll builds on the Green Action Centre’s Active and Safe Routes to School program, which works with Fort Richmond schools to increase the number of students who walked or cycled to school. Through the program, the Green Action Centre had the opportunity to apply for the Bike Walk & Roll grant which will allow them to offer the program to the entire community, not just students. "It’s helping us to work more broadly with all ages and abilities to increase the education and awareness of active transportation around the whole community," said Shoni Litinsky, co-ordinator of the Active and Safe Routes to Schools program. Litinsky said the project will include different community events, including cycling education and public open houses. The first open house will be held Tues., Oct. 23 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Acadia Junior High School library, located at 175 Killarney Ave. The open house will be an opportunity for residents to learn more about active transportation and discuss how the conditions in the community can improve for cyclists and pedestrians. "If you look at the area, it’s a classic representation of a lot of old neighbourhoods with lots of bays, and a shortage of sidewalks. It’s really hard to navigate on foot," Litinsky said. She said one of the key components of the project will be to work with the community to develop a map to highlight walking and cycling routes in the neighbourhood. "We’re trying to highlight the key destinations and routes people can take," she said. Fort Richmond resident Jennifer Watt said such a map would be useful tool for people living in the neighbourhood. Watt said the neighbourhood is full of cut-through paths that go from one bay to another, but that many residents don’t know where they are. She thinks a map might encourage residents to get out and walk more. "A map is a very practical step that gives people options to go through residential bays where there’s not much traffic." Watt stressed other solutions will still be needed. She’s hoping to see a walking and cycling path installed near Ecole St. Avila, where her children attend school. "Walkers and bikers don’t really have a safe path to get to get to school," said Watt, who said one of the main concerns for residents in the area is the lack of sidewalks. "My daughter is in Grade 3 and she’s at the age where she should be able to bike to school by herself, but it’s really difficult to (allow it) because... the traffic... can make it quite dangerous. "With a few modifications we can make this a safer and more sustainable neighbourhood." For more information on the Walk Bike & Roll Fort Richmond initiative go to FortRichmondAT.ca. -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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AT webinar CANCELLATION: Wed, Oct. 17th, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 15 Oct '12

15 Oct '12

*Please note that this Wednesday's AT webinar is CANCELLED:* ** *FHWA Experimentation for Advancing Best Practices Wednesday, October 17th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT* The content appears too U.S.-focused to be of value for us in Winnipeg. However, please plan to join us next month to hear about: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform Wednesday, November 14th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST Details will follow closer to the date. cheers, Beth * *

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