- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

FW: Pedal Power
by Reaney, Vicky (MLG) 28 Aug '12

28 Aug '12

Hi all - thought you would enjoy this article. Vicky Reaney Provincial Active Transportation Coordinator/Community Liaison (204) 945-8794 Vicky.reaney(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:Vicky.reaney@gov.mb.ca> http://dandyhorsemagazine.com/blog/2012/05/20/pedal-power-in-parliament-oli… Pedal power in parliament: Olivia Chow<http://dandyhorsemagazine.com/blog/2012/05/20/pedal-power-in-parliament-oli…> [cid:image001.jpg@01CD8446.965F5660]<http://dandyhorsemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Olivia-Chow-by-Reb…> Pedal power in parliament: Olivia Chow Driving change from the Hill Photos by Rebecca Baran; Story by Tammy Thorne This story is from our current Summer 2012 youth and employment issue of dandyhorse. Order it here<http://dandyhorsemagazine.com/blog/2012/05/20/pedal-power-in-parliament-oli…>. Youth apathy towards our political status quo is at an all-time high. Sixty-five per cent of 18 to 25-year-old Canadians didn't vote in the last federal election. Enter Olivia Chow. Chow is one of the most visible social advocates and politicians in Canada. And she's fed up with the status quo. In her current role as the NDP Transport and Infrastructure Critic, Chow is fighting for the mobility and safety of all Canadians across all modes of transportation. She recently tabled a private member's bill, which calls on the federal government to take a leadership role through the introduction of a National Public Transit Strategy<http://www.oliviachow.ca/2012/05/national-transit-strategy-join-the-team/>. Coordination and dedicated funding for transit on a federal level is something both experts and cities across the country are calling for - and that Canada alone lacks among its G8 peers. Chow is deeply rooted in her downtown riding of Trinity-Spadina in Toronto- she bikes or takes the ttc everywhere from her home in Chinatown - so she knows how bike lanes, safe roads and accessible and affordable transit make our communities liveable and vibrant. Trinity-Spadina is home to the University of Toronto and numerous other elementary and high schools. Since her election to federal government in 2006, Chow has pushed for a variety of high profile initiatives, including a universal national child care program and immigration reform. She's a veteran city councillor with decades of experience, having learned from cycling advocate and councillor Dan Leckie. Married in 1988, Olivia Chow and Jack Layton (or "Olivia and Jack" as they were known) both worked tirelessly to make Canada a better place: first as city councillors in Toronto and then in parliament. Jack's death last year made Olivia the touchstone for all the emotion that goes with fighting for a better country - and she is, without any doubt, determined to carry on the work he started as Leader of the Official Opposition. Layton said last year; "Cities like Toronto are grappling with how to balance an effective public transit system at the same time as keeping the property tax reasonable." (Municipalities have much more limited sources of revenue than provincial and federal governments, since the bulk of funding for the city comes mainly from property taxes.) Chow's Bill C-305 went through first reading on September 30, 2011. Her recommendations to the House Committee on Transport note that Canada is the only G8 country without a national transit strategy. The goals of the bill are to provide fast, affordable and accessible public transit; increase access and use; reduce commute times and congestion; enhance quality of life; reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. It states that to achieve these laudable and much needed results, coordination is needed between all levels of government to maintain and expand public transit. Sounds dandy. So, we asked Chow: What's the hold up with the national transit strategy? "Harper only knows how to look backwards," says Chow. "He doesn't understand what moving Canada forward is all about; it's old thinking... it's the status quo. Harper just doesn't want to take any leadership role, or have any kind of real partnership with municipalities or transit authorities." Chow continues, "Congestion is costing up to 6 billion per year in the GTA alone, so we know it's a fiscally conservative move to support transit." Now that the NDP is in the Official Opposition in the House of Commons, will the party be able to force transit on to the federal agenda? "The first study that we did at the House Committee on Transport is a transit strategy, so that shows they understand it's important - it's just a question of what they are going to do about it." Chow says the Conservatives want to control every detail, yet lack leadership when it comes to moving the country forward. "They don't want to give more money to municipalities [for transit] but they want to do all the ribbon cutting," she says. She suggests more funds could be found in the gas tax. Cycling is not without its politics, either. During her years at City Hall, Chow was chair of the cycling committee. Now, in her federal role, she has called for a national cycling strategy. In 2011, she said: "The federal government should take a leadership role to promote cycling by dedicating infrastructure investments to create bicycle lanes, paths and secured parking. Transport infrastructure projects should incorporate the needs of cyclists in their design. Side guards on trucks should be installed to reduce cycling fatalities. Bike racks should be available on buses and financial incentives should be offered to Canadians buying new bikes. After all, 82 per cent of Canadians support federal government spending to encourage safe cycling and a healthy lifestyle." Youth are arguably the demographic with the most to gain from progressive policies like these. Young people rely on transit and bikes, especially those saddled with student debt, pounding the pavement in search of decent jobs. Riding a bike is great way to keep personal costs low, while contributing to the local economy - or even just to get to that first job interview on time. This story is from our current Summer 2012 youth and employment issue of dandyhorse. Order it here<http://dandyhorsemagazine.com/blog/2012/05/20/pedal-power-in-parliament-oli…>. [cid:image002.jpg@01CD8446.965F5660]<http://dandyhorsemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DH9_FINAL_web_june…>

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Sept AT webinars: NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Wed, Sept 5th, 2-3:30, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 28 Aug '12

28 Aug '12

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided below.* *2nd Edition, NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide *Wednesday, Sept 5th | 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. CDT* Also mark your calendars for these additional September webinars (details to follow closer to the date): *The Third Mode: Greenways, Trails and Active Mobility (American Trails)* *Wednesday, Sept 12th, 2:00 to 3:15 pm CDT* *Liability: Understanding and Managing Risk (APBP)* *Wednesday, Sept 19th, 2:00 to 3:00 pm CDT* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 * * * * * The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) and NACTO present: 2nd Edition, NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide *Wednesday, September 5th | 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. CDT* ACTO's Urban Bikeway Design Guide has quickly emerged as the preeminent resource for designing safe, protected bikeways in cities across the United States. NACTO will release the second edition of the guide in June, with updated graphic profiles for all of its bicycle facilities, a new subsection on bicycle boulevard planning and design, and a survey of materials used for green color in bikeways. The guide continues to build upon the fast-changing state of the practice at the local level; it responds to and accelerates innovative street design and practice around the nation. This 90-minute webinar on the second edition of the Bikeway Design Guide offers a unique opportunity to learn directly from some of the cities that compiled the guide. Gain a better understanding of the guide's contents, hear how to use and implement these designs, and find out what NACTO envisions as the next steps to adopt and deploy these tools and design guidelines. *Presenters*: Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator, Portland Bureau of Transportation; Joe Gilpin, Senior Planner, Alta Planning + Design; David Vega-Barachowitz, Sustainable Initiatives Program Manager, National Association of City Transportation Officials.

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BC group identifies, improves, and maps walking and biking routes around the province.
by Shoni Litinsky 28 Aug '12

28 Aug '12

Congrats to our Active and Safe Routes to School partners in B.C for getting the City of Vancouver on board in their efforts towards route mapping and walking school buses to improve the safety and participation of children on the way to school! http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/08/22/walking-school-buses-gain-traction… Walking or biking to school didn’t used to require an organizational team, but it’s come to that in urban North America and Vancouver’s getting on board this fall. The city recently joined New Westminster, Surrey and Langley in funding a project that identifies, improves and maps safe walking and biking routes to schools. The Okanagan City of Vernon has done the same. Vancouver will start out with six yet-t0-be-named schools. New Westminster is the leader so far, says Mike Smith, the school programs manager with the provincially funded Hub for Active School Travel or HASTe<http://www.hastebc.org/> which runs the mapping projects. That city has produced maps for every school <http://www.newwestcity.ca/residents/city_maps/best_walking_routes_to_school…>within its boundaries that include a distance scale for estimating walking and cycling times. New Westminster is also looking at enshrining safe school routes in its master transportation plan which is a huge step, he says. And HASTe is starting a bike-pool program in selected middle schools there this fall that will send a riding instructor along with student commuters for one week to get them familiar with local routes and talk about bike maintenance and theft prevention. The province created HASTe in 2008 after it identified walking school buses and bicycle trains as tools to combat the twice-daily traffic jams and exhaust fumes that plague most elementary and middle schools when parents in cars and minivans line up to drop their kids. But the idea for walking school buses — groups of children strolling to school with a volunteer adult supervisor — was originally a response to dangerous inner-city streets in Chicago. It morphed into a health program as teachers and parents throughout the U.S. and Canada observed a growing number of chubby kids who have almost no outdoor activities. HASTe couldn’t provide me with any figures on the total number of students who are turning down a lift to school — or perhaps being turned down — because it ebbs and flows with the seasons, parent volunteers and as kids move to higher grades, said Smith. And many arrangements are less formal such as parents or older siblings taking turns walking younger kids to school. But follow-up surveys in New Westminster found that traffic calming, an in-class Cool Routes to School Program along with mapping and safety education resulted in an 18-per-cent increase in walking at Richard McBride Elementary and a nine-per-cent increase at Glenbrook Middle school which has a large catchment area, says Sandra Jones, HASTe’s travel planning and mapping specialist. At Queensborough Elementary, the number of students driven to school dropped by 17 per cent. A Canadian coalition of groups working to get kids out of cars conducted a survey<http://www.hastebc.org/files/attachments/2012%20Executive%20Summary.pdf>earlier this year with 18,547 parents. It found that 13 per cent of today’s parents were driven to school, but 41 per cent of their kids get a ride. The most common reasons cited for driving children to school was time and convenience. In asking parents what would help them unleash their kids, only 10 per cent said a program like the walking bus would do it. Just under 50 per cent said physical improvements to make safer streets, such as bumped-out curbs that reduce the distance a child has to cross at a street corner, and safety education were more important. And 15 per cent said special school events helped their kids start walking and cycling to school. That’s all part of the planning in participating cities, explains HASTe’s community programs manager Kerry Hamilton. When parents, students, teachers, school administrators, urban designers and engineers get together, they look at the safest routes and then ways to improve them such as better visibility at corners, or perhaps barrier walls to allow kids to walk along busy streets. “It’s a process that you go through… In the end you get an action plan,” she says. If the so-called bubble-wrap generation is to get on its feet, there has to be a huge shift, Smith says, and he believes it has slowly started. “Parents want to do what is best for their kids and here is an opportunity to encourage their kids’ independence.” HASTe offers an array of information, tools and advice at http://www.hastebc.org/. It’s also co-sponsoring International Walk to School Week <http://www.hastebc.org/resources/iwalk-international-walk-school-week>from Oct. 8-12 and provides resource kits to schools that sign up. eellis(a)vancouversun.com -- *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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Kingston Tranist offers free bus pass to Grade 9 students
by Beth McKechnie 21 Aug '12

21 Aug '12

Kingston Transit Offers Free Bus Rides to Grade 9 Students Robert John <http://kingstonherald.com/author/robert> | 2012/08/21 Grade 9 students are being offered a free Kingston Transit Pass to encourage them to ride the bus to access recreational programs throughout the city as part of Kingston Gets Active’s Grade 9 Community Activity Pass program. “This pilot project is about encouraging young people to establish healthy, active habits including riding the bus, an active and sustainable form of transportation,” says Mayor Mark Gerretsen. “The free bus pass will help them experience Kingston Transit and offer them access to recreational programming all over the city.” Students starting Grade 9 at Kingston high school this September can obtain their complimentary Kingston Transit pass starting today (August 20), by presenting the following items at City Hall, 216 Ontario St. or the Information Desk at the Cataraqui Centre: A birth certificate and a 2012-13 Grade 9 high school timetable, OR A valid 2012-13 Grade 9 student photo i.d. card. To use the Kingston Transit service, students will be required to tap their valid transit pass on the fare box to board the bus. The transit pass is valid from September 1, 2012 until August 31, 2013. Kingston Gets Active, a community-wide partnership of organizations including school boards and the City, administers the Grade 9 Community Activity Pass program throughout Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) Counties. The program offers these students free access to recreation programs, such as swimming and skating. The free Kingston Transit pass is only for Grade 9 students attending a high school in the city of Kingston only: Bayridge Secondary School Frontenac Secondary School Kingston Collegiate & Vocational Institute (KCVI) LaSalle Secondary School Loyalist Collegiate & Vocational Institute (LCVI) Queen Elizabeth Collegiate & Vocational Institute (QECVI) Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School École Secondaire Publique Mille-Iles École Secondaire Catholique Marie-Rivier Ride Kingston Transit. Plan your bus trip at: kingstontransit.ca/tripplanner . http://kingstonherald.com/release/kingston-free-bus-grade-9-201039781

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Great webinar! Slides from today's Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces
by Jessie Klassen 15 Aug '12

15 Aug '12

For those who were interested but couldn't make it to today's webinar: Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces, the presentation slides and handouts can be found here <http://www.apbp.org/?page=Webinar_Downloads>. All three presentations were excellent, but the examples from Portland and San Fransisco were especially inspiring. Jessie * * * * * Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided below.* **Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces* *Wednesday, August 15th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.* * * * * * Innovative thinking can transform auto-centric streets into inviting public spaces. This webinar explores projects and programs in three communities that reclaim areas in the public right of way for people-friendly uses. Attend this webinar to learn how to turn transportation challenges into projects that build community and contribute to pedestrian and bicyclist safety, public health, and economic development. Speakers will discuss the barriers to implementing these projects, issues of planning, design, maintenance and cost, and lessons learned. Please note: this is a 75-minute webinar. Featured projects include: • The Uptown Roundabout in Normal, Illinois; • San Francisco's Pavement to Parks Program; • Portland's Intersection Repair Projects. Presenters: Mercy Davidson, Town Planner, City of Normal, Illinois; Greg Raisman, Traffic Safety Program Specialist, Active Transportation Division, Portland Bureau of Transportation; and Ilaria Salvadori, Project Manager, San Francisco Planning Department. ** *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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Webinar Reminder - Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 2-3pm, Ecocentre - Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces
by Jessie Klassen 14 Aug '12

14 Aug '12

** Friendly reminder regarding tomorrow's webinar ** Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a > local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 > Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description > provided below.* > > **Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces* > *Wednesday, August 15th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.* > > RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! > > Thanks, > Jessie > 925-3772 > > * * * * * > Innovative thinking can transform auto-centric streets into inviting > public spaces. This webinar explores projects and programs in three > communities that reclaim areas in the public right of way for > people-friendly uses. Attend this webinar to learn how to turn > transportation challenges into projects that build community and contribute > to pedestrian and bicyclist safety, public health, and economic > development. Speakers will discuss the barriers to implementing these > projects, issues of planning, design, maintenance and cost, and lessons > learned. Please note: this is a 75-minute webinar. > > Featured projects include: > • The Uptown Roundabout in Normal, Illinois; > • San Francisco's Pavement to Parks Program; > • Portland's Intersection Repair Projects. > > Presenters: Mercy Davidson, Town Planner, City of Normal, Illinois; Greg > Raisman, Traffic Safety Program Specialist, Active Transportation Division, > Portland Bureau of Transportation; and Ilaria Salvadori, Project Manager, > San Francisco Planning Department. > ** > ** > > *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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Recession-squeezed Greeks ditch cars for bikes
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

Recession-squeezed Greeks ditch cars for bikes Published on Wednesday August 08, 2012 * Karolina Tagaris | *Reuters ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's dire economic plight has forced thousands of businesses to close, thrown one in five out of work and eroded the living standards of millions. But for bicycle-maker Giorgos Vogiatzis, it's not all bad news. The crisis has put cash-strapped Greeks on their bikes - once snubbed as a sign of poverty or just plain risky - and Greek manufacturers are shifting into fast gear. The high cost of road tax, fuel and repairs is forcing Greeks to ditch their cars in huge numbers. According to the government's statistics office, the number of cars on Greek roads declined by more than 40 percent in each of the last two years. Meanwhile, more than 200,000 bikes were sold in 2011, up about a quarter from the previous year. Shops selling bicycles, and equipment ranging from helmets to knee pads, are spreading fast across the capital, popping up even between souvenir shops on the cobbled pedestrian streets of the touristy Plaka district. "They're sprouting up like mushrooms," said Vogiatzis, who designs and builds tailor-made bicycles in his workshop on the Aegean island of Rhodes. A former cyclist on Greece's national team, Vogiatzis opened his business in the mid-80s, combining his love for drawing and mathematics, but only recently watched sales boom from a modest 40 bikes a year to over 350. "There's no more money for luxuries and that helps," said Vogiatzis, who works away furiously with two other staff to meet demand for all sorts of bikes - some lavishly hand-painted in glitter, others flaunting the Greek flag. "People who were never interested in cycling are buying bikes," he added. Vogiatzis now exports to seven countries including Germany and the United States, and opened shops across Greece, including in Athens where competition is fierce. A far cry from the shuttered shopfronts in the capital that have become a painful reminder of the country's worst downturn since World War Two, bike shop owners estimate that at least one store opened every month in 2011. Vogiatzis laughed: "Every neighbourhood has its bike shop just as it's got its kebab shop." POTHOLES, TRAFFIC JAMS In austerity Greece, the once lowly bike is winning new fans every day, from middle-aged commuters who relied on their cars to those who poked fun at former prime minister George Papanadreou's penchant for cycling as not being macho enough. The new national fashion has even prompted the Athens mayor to start working on a public bike hire scheme similar to those in other European capitals - a first for a city where the few cycling lanes are often dotted with pine trees or parked cars. The lack of infrastructure and Athens's mountainous landscape have not deterred Greece's new cyclists who have begun pedalling through traffic jams, up and down steep hills and over potholed roads. "This is not Berlin. Here it's risky but you need to start thinking what you'll cut back on - taxis, the metro," said Elena Koniaraki, 39, a music saleswoman who joked about sticking a learner's sign on her back for the first few bumpy rides. A pay cut two years ago forced Koniaraki to give up her car under a "cash for clunkers" scheme as she could no longer afford to pay the road tax or fill up her tank. She also moved from her house in a leafy northern Athens suburb to the centre. And to get through a cash squeeze in March, she picked up a second-hand bike for the first time since childhood. "At first my friends would laugh at me and say: Oh, poverty!" said Koniaraki, who now cycles to work from the foothills of the ancient Acropolis, past shop-gazing tourists in Plaka and through the bustling Syntagma square. "We've never had a bike culture in Greece. Sometimes I'll leave my local street market on my bike, loaded with bags of tomatoes, and people will stop and wave at me," she said. THE ONLY WAY IS UP With fuel prices catapulted by tax rises to about 1.72 euros per litre in July - one of the highest rates in Europe - a bike culture may just develop. "A lot of people are starting to see it as an alternative," said Tolis Tsimoyannis, a cycling aficionado who imports fold-up bikes from Taiwan. Tsimoyannis, who opened his business in 2006, said he saw a steady increase in demand in the previous two years, many of his customers students and people in their 40s who were struggling to make ends meet. Lately, his business has started to level out - not because of a drop in demand but because the opening of so many bike shops means they each get a smaller piece of the pie. But even as prospects of Greece's recession-mired economy remain glum and many fear the pain from the crisis will only intensify in the days ahead, bike enthusiasts are optimistic that the appeal of the bicycle will only grow. "The only way is up," Tsimoyannis said. www.thestar.com/business/article/1238625--recession-squeezed-greeks-ditch-c…

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ITE Pedestrian and Bicycle Council Newsletter: Request for Articles
by Beth McKechnie 08 Aug '12

08 Aug '12

Any ideas for articles to submit? Deadline is September 5th. Thanks to Bob Kurylko for sharing. cheers, Beth ** ** *From:* Institute of Transportation Engineers [mailto:info@ite.ccsend.com] *On Behalf Of *Institute of Transportation Engineers *Sent:* Wednesday, August 08, 2012 6:00 AM *To:* Kurylko, Robert *Subject:* ITE Pedestrian and Bicycle Council Newsletter: Request for Articles**** ** ** [image: A Community of Transportation Professionals]**** * * *Fall 2012 Newsletter: Request for Articles* August 2012**** The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Pedestrian and Bicycle Council (PBC) is currently soliciting contributions for the Fall 2012 edition of the PBC e-newsletter. We are looking for current news, journal articles, or other items of interest to share with the membership. Please feel free to forward this solicitation to your colleagues. We welcome submissions from non-ITE members. Please refrain from marketing companies, products, or services.**** ** ** The PBC e-newsletter is a quarterly publication for ITE members designed to keep transportation engineers involved in, and informed about, bicycle and pedestrian transportation best practices. Criteria for submissions are flexible, but should be related to bicycle and pedestrian planning/engineering, policy, or advocacy. Previous editions of the newsletter have included academic research, updates on recent changes to MUTCD design standards, solicitations for public comment on MUTCD standards, "how to" guides for community groups and transit agencies, project case studies, data collection and education efforts, and news items related to pedestrian and bicycle projects. All of these topics (and others) are suitable for submission.**** ** ** Submissions should not exceed 1,000 words in length. If submitting original academic research, please include an abstract of no more than 200 words and a link to the full article. If submitting graphics, please submit them separately from the Word documents (e.g., jpg, tiff, or gif files).**** The deadline for submissions for our Fall newsletter is *September 5th, 2012 *.**** ** ** Please send your questions and submissions to the editors via e-mail: ite.pbc.news(a)gmail.com.**** ** ** *Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=umc9fycab&m=1102470515092&ea=…> * <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001kkqO0FxDKZT4vX7yz6nMv4DYC…> **** <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?pn=buynow&cc=news08>**** This email was sent to robert.kurylko(a)stantec.com by info(a)ite.org | **** Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001kkqO0FxDKZT4vX7yz6nMv4DYC…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. **** Institute of Transportation Engineers | 1627 Eye Street | Suite 600 | Washington | DC | 20006**** ****

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WFP: Beloved bike brought back - Police recover property after seven years (Aug.2'12)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Aug '12

07 Aug '12

Beloved bike brought back Police recover property after seven years By: Gordon Sinclair Jr. <gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca> Feeling lucky today? Probably not as lucky as Wayne Selby or, for that matter, the Winnipeg Police Service. Back in mid-June, I wrote a series of columns that centred on how police don't seem to treat bike theft as a priority. The columns, three in succession, landed like body blows to the police service's image. The last one included a question that rhetorically asked how much police really care about finding and returning your stolen bike. It was a question, and an issue, thousands of bike-theft victims could relate to and did. Among them was a semi-retired teacher named Wayne Selby, who was "intrigued" by the series. At first it was because, like all those others, he knew what it was like to have a bike stolen; in his case from a locked shed in the backyard of the Norwood Flats home where he lived at the time. A rider on Wayne's home-insurance policy allowed him to recover $600 of the original $1,000 cost and, perhaps fearing the seemingly inevitable next theft, he used some of the money to buy a less-expensive model. But, just as if he were a little boy and that was his first bike, Wayne never got over the loss, or the feeling of riding it. Even though he was 54 when it was stolen and now he is 61. Even after all those years. As I was saying, the columns on bike theft brought that feeling shared by so many victims of bike-theft crime. But, it was the timing of what police would soon bring back to Wayne that prompted a less common feeling. And outcome. Within a matter of days after he had finished reading that last column on how little police seem to care about recovering stolen bikes, Wayne received a phone call. The voice on the other end of the line belonged to Det.-Sgt. David Clayton, the head of the police pawn shop detail. Later, Wayne recalled how Clayton started the conversation. "He said, 'Did you have a bike stolen on June 5, 2005?' I said, 'I sure did.' " Then the detective asked if he wanted it back. "I said, 'Absolutely.' " What Wayne doesn't remember is exactly when Clayton added the bonus that made a great story into an amazing one. The bike had been brought into the Atlas Pawn Shop on June 5. Seven years to the day after Wayne had reported it stolen. "I was thrilled," a still thrilled Wayne Selby recalled week. So was Clayton, and constables Glenn McConnell and Glen Zelenewich, who comprise the rest of the police pawn shop detail. I suspect it's a story Atlas Pawn Shop owner Jason Schinkarik is proud to tell, too, because of his own part in the remarkable recovery. Pawn shop owners are required by a city bylaw to take a photo of all items received and provide police with a full description, including the serial number. Clayton explained how it works. "These reports are electronically sent to our unit every day, loaded into our computer system, and then checked against the CPIC system and the WPS computer system. Serial number hits are then investigated by the pawn unit." It was because Wayne had recorded his bike's serial number he got it back. Although it wasn't quite as simple as that. The insurance company that had paid him $600 when it was stolen was the legal owner of the bike, and they wanted Wayne to pay $150 for it in its depreciated state. It was Clayton who told him that sounded like too much. Try $100. So he did. And with the extra effort of police property evidence technician Tim Mikolash -- who expedited the filling out of forms -- the insurance company accepted the $100 and Wayne was able to take his bike home, all in one day. "I was very impressed with our police service, Sgt. Clayton, the property evidence department and with our system of justice," Wayne said. He was also impressed with the shape the bike was in, given all the years they spent apart, because as soon as he got it home, he took his long lost companion for a ride. Like a little boy with his first bike. Which brings me to why I'm so pleased Wayne contacted me. It's a wonderful feeling when that bike wheel of fortune lands on your space. Especially an extra lucky seven years to the day, later. But it's also a wonderful feeling to be able to give police the credit they deserve, when they deserve it. And they deserve it way more often than any of us will ever know. gordon.sinclair(a)freepress.mb.ca Being wheel careful with your new bike Things people should do when buying a bike to protect it from being stolen and help with its recovery if it is: -Record the make, model and serial number. -License your bike through the City of Winnipeg. -Take a picture of the bike and a second picture of the serial number. -Buy a good "U" lock. -Don't leave your bike unattended, even for a minute. -If the bike does get stolen, report it to the police immediately. -- source: Winnipeg Police Service http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/beloved-bike-brought-back-164727946.…

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Webinar - Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 2-3pm, Ecocentre - Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces
by Jessie Klassen 07 Aug '12

07 Aug '12

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided below.* **Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces* *Wednesday, August 15th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! Thanks, Jessie 925-3772 * * * * * Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: *Transforming Streets into Inviting Public Spaces* *Wednesday, August 15 | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST* Innovative thinking can transform auto-centric streets into inviting public spaces. This webinar explores projects and programs in three communities that reclaim areas in the public right of way for people-friendly uses. Attend this webinar to learn how to turn transportation challenges into projects that build community and contribute to pedestrian and bicyclist safety, public health, and economic development. Speakers will discuss the barriers to implementing these projects, issues of planning, design, maintenance and cost, and lessons learned. Please note: this is a 75-minute webinar. Featured projects include: • The Uptown Roundabout in Normal, Illinois; • San Francisco's Pavement to Parks Program; • Portland's Intersection Repair Projects. Presenters: Mercy Davidson, Town Planner, City of Normal, Illinois; Greg Raisman, Traffic Safety Program Specialist, Active Transportation Division, Portland Bureau of Transportation; and Ilaria Salvadori, Project Manager, San Francisco Planning Department. ** ** *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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