- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: Snow-shovelling relief on way for some
by Beth McKechnie 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

[See highlighted paragraphs at end of article regarding snow removal on pathways and AT routes...] Snow-shovelling relief on way for some City to improve lane plowing where front access lacking By: Jen Skerritt Posted: 09/14/2011 THE bad news is Winnipeggers with back lanes will still have to dig out of windrows this winter. The good news is relief may be on the way for some neighbourhoods in 2012. On Tuesday, city council's public works committee approved a plan to spend an additional $50,… [View More]

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Bicyclists top million commuting miles - Pedalling to, from work shows value
by Beth McKechnie 14 Sep '11

14 Sep '11

Bicyclists top million commuting miles Pedaling to, from work shows value 7:01 AM, Sep. 8, 2011 http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110908/APC0101/109080473/Bicyclists-t… For Neenah resident Gregg Warning, getting serious about bicycling this year has paid short- and long-term benefits. Since last spring, Warning, 50, has logged about 2,500 miles commuting to work by leaving his van parked at his home and biking nine miles to the UPS Center on the north side of Oshkosh. Two weeks after … [View More]starting his bike commute, Warning lost 10 pounds and found himself more alert and full of energy at work. He also noticed a difference in his wallet. "It's (saving) like the price of a gallon of gas per day — at least $20 a week in fuel," Warning said. He is among the nearly 4,600 bicyclists statewide who have logged more than 1 million miles going to and from work since May 16 as part of the Scott Get Up and Ride Wisconsin Bike Challenge. The challenge, which ends Sept. 30, surpassed the 1 million mile mark last week. All challenge participants and bicycling enthusiasts are invited to help celebrate the milestone and other biking-related successes in the Fox Valley at Fed Fest on Saturday at Appleton's City Park. It is one of several events scheduled across the state by the Bike Federation of Wisconsin to promote bicycling, recognize the bike challenge success and spread the word about Share & Be Aware, a statewide safety program sponsored by the state Department of Transportation. Scott Reilly, of Appleton, a BFW Share & Be Aware ambassador, has been attending public events such as farmer's markets, festivals and concerts while also teaching bike safety and skills classes to spread the word about the safety program launched earlier this year. There have been 32 bike and pedestrian fatalities in Wisconsin so far this year. The safety program's basic messages are: bicyclists and motorists must yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk; bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities on the road as a motorist, including stopping at red lights and stop signs; and motorists by law need to leave at least three feet of space when passing someone on a bicycle. "Our goal is to educate drivers, bicyclists and the general public on our shared responsibilities on the roads here in the state by attending public events and offering classes on bike safety with the hope of reducing the number of accidents involving bikes and automobiles," Reilly said. *— Michael King: 920-729-6622, ext. 33, or mking(a)postcrescent.com* Wisconsin Bike Challenge at a glance Official name: Scott Get Up and Ride Wisconsin<http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110908/APC0101/109080473/Bicyclists-t…>Bike Challenge Teams registered: 1,188 Riders: 4,546 Distance: 1,094,653 miles (as of Wednesday) Calories burned: 36.6 billion CO2 saved: 556,578 pounds Dollars saved: $275,553 On the Web: www.challenge.bfw.org Source: www.endomondo.com [View Less]

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The Promise x THREE
by Janice Lukes 13 Sep '11

13 Sep '11

Hi AT folks I must share this news with you - can barely type it out! Pass this on to your members / friends / anyone interested in AT. Tonight I attended the CAA election forum on infrastructure, consumer and safety issues at the Free Press News Cafe. (photo attached) http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/elections2011/2011.09.02-PGA-0018_Electio nEblast.html - Dan Lett Free Press columnist moderated. - A lot of heavy weights were there asking questions - CAA President, MPI Insurance, … [View More]AMM President, and others. - Jeremy Hull from Bike to the Future also attended and asked a question on education / road safety. As a CAA member and WTA representative - I was able to ask a question of the three candidates - Goertzen, Mackintosh and Stewart. Fortunately Mackintosh - through previous questions from the audience - spoke multiple times of how the NDP were 4 years into an unprecedented $4B roadways investment and how CentrePort investment was going to be the 'jewel' of Canada from a transportation perspective - thus setting the stage for my question/s. I spoke as a 'vulnerable road user' (explaining the MPI term), articulating that we too pay taxes to use roads - spoke of current situation: - as these billions of roadways money were being spend - the complete lack of an AT policy meant there was no lens of active transportation being use to consider AT opportunities - not one single person in gov't solely dedicated to AT - simply no mechanism to gather public input on AT issues Then highlighted the Greater Strides report with 25 recommendations - a PLAN - which was released in a ditch in Southdale this June - and 500 printed copies were sitting in a closet in gov't offices and were not being distributed for purely political reasons (and gave them each a copy) - and asked the QUESTION: Within one year of becoming elected - would your government commit to: 1. developing a Provincial active transportation policy 2. dedicate full time resources to oversee implementation of policy, education and AT planning 3. ensure formation of an avenue to gather public input / advice? I did not highlight these are the three actions that are resulting in the City being so successful in moving AT forward - there is always a friction between the two levels of gov't. Each one of them, said yes - and as the first one started to ramble an answer ( I believe it was Mackintosh) I interrupted - articulating the question to get a black and white answer vs jargon - Dan Lett jumped in, drilled them a bit more on it - and YES - they all clearly said these were significant points in light of the increase in public's engagement of active transportation AND they would commit to these actions. POST FORUM I went up to each one of them to AGAIN confirm - and yes - Goertsen said it was in the PC health announcement from today - and exact details would be forthcoming soon Mackintosh said yes - for sure - but wasn't sure how the public input aspect would look exactly I thanked Stewart for being involved in tonight's event. VALUE OF AN ELECTION PROMISE: In last Provincial election - NDP promised WTA $1.8 M They delivered on every single penny (albeit with some heavy handed hounding) - WTA used the promise to leverage an additional $5M in trail funding from Feds / City and private for trails and trailheads. VALUE OF AN ELECTION PROMISE . . . x THREE: can it get any better ? the odds seem very good. Am now hoping we have a more 'official' AT announcement from each party - I expect it will occur. If I can get recording in an an MPwhatever format - I will pass it on also. this is almost surreal. Janice Lukes [View Less]

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Workshop: Filling the Gaps in St Boniface’s Cycling Network
by Mark Cohoe 13 Sep '11

13 Sep '11

Join Bike to the Future on Tuesday September 27th at the Norwood Community Centre for a community workshop to help refine the cycling network in St. Boniface. * learn more about the city’s cycling routes in your neighbourhood * discuss barriers to cycling in St. Boniface * discuss the best opportunities to overcome those barriers * help us fill in the gaps where existing routes don’t quite connect * free bike valet service <http://www.bicyclevaletwinnipeg.ca/> *When*: … [View More]Tuesday September 27th, 2011 6:00-6:15 pm—Registration (Bike Ride & Sessions) 6:15-7:30 pm—Neighbourhood Bike Ride (optional) 7:30-7:45 pm—Snacks/Late Registration (Sessions Only) 7:45-9:45 pm—Short Presentation & Breakout Sessions *Where*: Norwood Community Centre, 87 Walmer Street (see map <http://maps.google.com/maps?q=norwood+community+centre&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&h…>) We want to know where you cycle to and from, which routes you like best, which routes you avoid, and where you encounter barriers. Most importantly, we want to hear how you think barriers can be removed from the cycling network, and where the best opportunities exist to improve cycling connections in and around St. Boniface. We’ll start the evening with a short neighbourhood ride (see map <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1687/st-b-neighbourhood-ride-ma…>) highlighting existing infrastructure, barriers and opportunities (see map). Registration for the ride will run from 6:00 – 6:15pm in front of the Community Centre. We’ll head out at 6:15 sharp, traveling approximately 13km at a moderate pace. All ride participants must have a roadworthy bike, and should have the skills necessary to be confident riding in traffic. If you can’t fit the neighbourhood ride into your schedule, feel free to take advantage of the late registration from 7:30 until 7:45 and join us for the remainder of the workshop. After a snack and quick overview of cycling facilities being used in Winnipeg and other cities, we’ll break into groups and get down to the business of making St. Boniface a better place to bike. Each group will be asked to focus in on 2-3 three specific areas or issues, and will summarize their discussion and ideas at the end of the evening. Following the workshop, we’ll compile your ideas and discussion into a public report that we will bring forward to the city’s active transportation committee, where we will push for improvements to the cycling network in St. Boniface. If you can't make it to the workshop, please send you ideas to markc(a)biketothefuture.org Event Poster <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1686/st-boniface-at-network-wor…> Map of Neighbourhood Ride <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1687/st-b-neighbourhood-ride-ma…> [View Less]

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Provincial candidate forum on the environment - September 14, 7pm
by Jessie Klassen 13 Sep '11

13 Sep '11

Apologies if you've already seen this! *Provincial candidate forum on the environment * This Wednesday, candidates from the NDP, Progressive Conservatives, Liberals and Greens square off for a provincial environment forum. The event is organized by the Manitoba Eco-Network, Green Action Centre, the Provincial Council of Women and the Green Action Committee of the First Unitarian Church. Candidates from all parties intending to run candidates across the province were invited to participate. The … [View More]

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How young is too young to bike with your kid?
by Beth McKechnie 10 Sep '11

10 Sep '11

How young is too young to bike with your kid? madeleine white From Friday's Globe and Mail Published Thursday, Jul. 28, 2011 4:54PM EDT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/young-children/children-trend… Biking has always been a big part of Todd Beernink’s life. The Vancouver resident has worked as a bike courier, competed in cycling races and uses a bicycle as his main mode of transportation. Then his son Tayo was born. Mr. Beemink wanted to start riding with his baby as soon as … [View More]possible. “I would get so excited thinking about my son enjoying something I enjoy too,” he says. But his in-laws weren’t so excited. In fact, they were terrified. To allay their concerns – and his own – Mr. Beernink reconfigured an old bike trailer to hold his son’s car seat. He knew that most cycling safety sites warn against infants under one wearing helmets, since a baby’s neck is too weak to support the weight. So he improvised and put toques and blankets around Tayo so that his head was cushioned and didn’t have much room to move. It was his imperfect solution: All cyclists and passengers are required to wear a helmet under B.C. law. By the age of three months, Tayo was hooked into his five-point harness in the car seat and fastened into the trailer. His father still vividly remembers their first ride together, in January. “I rode so slow that my fingers froze because my heart rate was so low,” he said. “There were dogs passing us.It took us an hour and a half to go five kilometres.” The ride was a success, and he’s been cycling with Tayo since. But having been in a few accidents before he had a child, he’s well aware that biking comes with risks. And given that, beyond city safety by-laws, there are no federal guidelines for cycling with kids, he and other parents are left to answer for themselves a critical question: How young is too young to bike with a baby on board? One vocal opponent to parents riding with their babies is Pat Hines, founder and executive director of Safe Moves, a safety organization in the United States. In an online video, Ms. Hines flatly states: “There is no age when a child should go on a bicycle with a parent … Who would want to take a chance of the child falling? Even if you weren’t in danger of being hit by a car, just a slip, the baby goes down and the baby would go down very hard.” Jennifer Gruden, a Toronto mother of two boys, shares Ms. Hines’s fear of falling, especially since she was in a serious crash when she was 25. It took two years of physiotherapy to fully recover from the accident, caused by a dog rushing up and clipping her wheel . A doctor told her that if she hadn’t been wearing a helmet, she would have cracked her skull. So when she became a mother, Ms. Gruden decided against biking with her son Noah, now 5, until he was old enough to wear a helmet. Ms. Gruden is now looking forward to biking with her second baby, who’s six months old. This time around, though, she expects to try a bike trailer – generally considered the safest way to transport kids, since it’s low to the ground in the case of a fall – rather than the front-facing bike seat that Noah rode in. “It is a sliding scale for me,” she says. “From zero to 12 months, it’s not worth it to me to put him on a bike. From one to three, I think it’s about picking the time and place and using a trailer. But after that, I feel that the risks turn around – if you’re not as a family doing [physical] activities, then there are long-term health risk that are too easy to ignore.” But the health benefits of cycling are limited to safe roads, she says. Without bike lanes, Ms. Gruden said she would be too nervous to commute on busy roads with her sons. She admits that she probably wouldn’t ride daily with her older son if they lived downtown. Cycling advocate Todd Litman, Executive Director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, says many people overestimate the risk of riding with children. “There is no greater risk to biking with children than there is taking them in a car,” says Mr. Litman, who rode a bike with his sons (now university-aged) when they were three weeks old. Statistics Canada does not collect data on how many parents bike with their kids. But it does monitor cycling fatalities involving young children. According to StatsCan, no children aged zero to four died from being on a bike with their parents from 2001 to 2007. That reassures Edmonton mom Sarah Chan, who rigged a platform on her Madsen cargo bike for her son Dexter’s car seat when he was four months old.“There is a whole culture of fear around parenting, and it doesn’t begin or end with a bike,” says Ms. Chan. “If parents are careful on their bikes, it isn’t that dangerous. It’s actually fun.” Especially for Dexter who, now age two, sits up in her cargo bucket, pointing and waving to passers-by. And much to his mom’s delight, he copies her hand signals when they’re out in traffic. [View Less]

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Ciclovia: Coming September 11!
by Jessie Klassen 08 Sep '11

08 Sep '11

*Ciclovia* is back for the third year *Sunday, September 11th from 11am to 8pm*! Ciclovia is a huge street festival and active transportation celebration! There are street closures from Assiniboine Park to The Forks, with many activities, kiosks, and displays on Broadway Avenue. Ciclovia info <http://www.downtownwinnipegbiz.com/home/events/ciclovia/>(including a route map and a list of activities/kiosks/displays) Ciclovia needs over 200 volunteers to make the day a success. If you are … [View More]able to give some time, sign up to volunteer<http://manyfest.volunteerhub.com/SignIn.aspx?ReturnUrl=/Default.aspx>and receive a free T-shirt, meal voucher, and more. *Also, we are in huge need of marshals for the Ciclovia route. This position was not posted on the Ciclovia hub, given the need for a specific type of volunteer. Please call Stephanie at 958-4621 if you can help with marshalling!* *If you know anyone that would like to take part in our free block-long garage sale on Sunday between 11am-8pm, please have them call Rose at 958-4636.* Also, if you would like to like us on Facebook and share with your contacts, that would be awesome - plus there's a chance to win! *Like us on Facebook…and win!* Like ManyFestWinnipeg on Facebook and enter to win a Downtown Star Treatment. *Like CicloviaWinnipeg on Facebook and enter to win a* *$500-value prize package at Mountain Equipment Co-op.* *http://www.facebook.com/manyfestwinnipeg* *http://www.facebook.com/CicloviaWinnipeg* Thanks for your help and I hope to see you there! ** ** ** ** **** * * *SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11* * * *part of * *MANYFEST: ALL TOGETHER DOWNTOWN!* *SEPTEMBER 9 TO 11 ON BROADWAY!* Join downtown’s biggest street party! Enjoy many events over one weekend this September, with music, light, art, dance, wine, food and fun on Broadway in the heart of downtown ****Winnipeg****! Bring a tin for the bin for Winnipeg Harvest. Cash donations gratefully accepted in support of Change for the Better, providing jobs to the less fortunate. *Last year it was* *Lights on Broadway: Five Events, One Weekend, *this year it's Many Events - ManyFest! The north side of Broadway will be closed to traffic. www.manyfest.ca**** ** ** ** ** *Ciclovia * *Sunday, Sept. 11, 11am-8pm* Walk, jog or cycle all the way from ****Assiniboine** **Park**** to The Forks during this eco-friendly festival. Stop at Broadway to enjoy a farmers’ market, music, fitness demos, kids zone, bike show, garage sale and more!**** ** ** *Featured Ciclovia Actvities* - A Soap Box ****Derby**** by Ace Art **** - RBC Blue Water Zone, with 1,500 collapsible water bottles to give away in their zone **** - 2nd annual Tweed Ride - Wear your newsboy or slouch hat, bring your parasol, knickers, pipe, vest, pantaloons and anything tweed circa early 1900s for a bike ride in Winnipeg! (Departure at 2pm) **** - Bike Show: bring out your old bikes, fancy bikes, pretty bikes! **** - Community groups still wanted for displays! Call Rose at 958-4636. **** - Bike Valet: Leave your bike or stroller for free! (Memorial Park, Broadway at Osborne). Hours: Friday and Saturday: 11:30am – 11:30pm; Sunday: 7:30am – 8:30pm. Location: In Memorial Park on Broadway at ****Osborne Street****. **** ** ** (Music in orange; fitness in black.)**** *Memorial Stage* 11:00am Enjoy Your Pumas**** 11:45 Prenatal/Postnatal Fitness **** 12:30 Fire & Smoke**** 1:15 Belly Dancing**** 2:00 Tom Foolery**** 2:45 Zumba**** 3:30 Craig & Ash**** 4:15 Zumbatonic**** 5:00 Retro Rhythm Review**** 5:45 Body Combat**** 6:30 Mike & The Eastwood Gang**** 7:15 Cha Cha**** ** ** *****Carlton****** Stage* 11:00am Zumba**** 11:45 Flying Fox & Hunter Gatherers **** 12:30 Spin Class**** 1:15 Melissa Plett & These Guys**** 2:00 Spin Class**** 2:45 Drum Cafe**** 3:30 Zumba**** 4:15 Les Jupes**** 5:00 Spin Class**** 5:45 The Kathy Kennedy Blues Band**** 6:30 Zumba**** 7:15 Tree**** *After party at the Pony Corral Downtown!* ** ** **** *SCHEDULE OF MANYFEST EVENTS * ** ** *Giant Movie in the Park – **NEW THIS YEAR!*** *Friday, Sept. 9, starting at sun down, approx 8pm* Roll out your blanket in Memorial Park and watch a movie on a giant outdoor screen under the stars! The movie is Toy Story 3. Sponsored by S&J Construction. **** ** ** *Lights on Broadway * *Saturday, Sept. 10, starting at sun down, approx 8pm* Stroll beneath Broadway’s lit elm trees, and add your own touch of warmth with a complimentary candle – while supplies last! Get a glimpse of what the final permanent, year round tree lighting design could look like, courtesy of Epic Production Technologies, winner of last year’s lighting design competition. Sponsored by ****Manitoba**** Hydro.**** ** ** *Big Dance on Broadway * *Saturday, Sept. 10, 4pm-11pm* It's a dance party like no other with two stages playing various genres of music. Jive, swing, bop and groove beneath a canopy of light. Sponsored by * ***Winnipeg**** Arts Council.**** ** ** *Music on Memorial* 4:00pmTed ****Kernoski Square**** Dancers**** 5:15 Sol James featuring Heitha Forsythe**** 6:45 Tune Raiders**** 7:45 Paradize Band**** 9:15 Big J **Harrison** Big Band **** *Dance on Carlton* 4:00pmTwo Dollar Pistol**** 5:15 Hip Hop lessons with Loa Olafson**** 6:15 Tye Dye Adam**** 7:45 Viva Brasil Capoiera**** 9:00 DJ Penny Lane**** ** ** *After party at the Pony Corral Downtown!* ** ** *****Winnipeg****** 10 & 10 & 5 Race* *Sunday, Sept. 11, 8am-11am* Lace on those runners and enjoy the scenic route of a 5 km, 10 km or 10 mile **** run that starts and ends in Memorial Park. Group discounts of 10% for groups of 6 or more. *NEW THIS YEAR: 5 km run or walk, perfect for families! *Presented by Investors Group.** ** ** *Cost:* 5 km: $25 (to Sept 8), $35 (on Sept 9 & 10); 10 km: $30 (to Sept 8), $40 (on Sept 9 & 10); 10 miler: $35 (until Sept 8), $45 (on Sept 9 & 10)**** *Register: www.events.runningroom.com* *Sept 11, Race Day:* 8:30am - 10 Miler; 9:00am - 10 Km; 9:15am - 5 Km**** ** ** *Broadway Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market * *Saturday, 4pm-11pm & Sunday, 11am-8pm* Stroll among dozens of vendors, browse handmade jewellery, and pick up some fresh home-grown veggies. Sponsored by ****Portage Place****.**** ** ** *Kids’ Zone * *Saturday, 4pm-11pm; Sunday, 11am-8pm* Bring out the whole family to enjoy bouncers, clowns, giant sand boxes, inflatable slides, crafts, buskers, pony rides, bike rodeo by MPI, activities, and much more on Memorial Blvd! Sponsored by Fido.**** ** ** *Taste of Downtown Winnipeg Wine & Cheese Festival **- ALL WEEKEND LONG!* *Friday, Noon-11pm; Saturday, Noon-11pm; Sunday, Noon-8pm* Sip cabernets and chardonnays during this wine and cheese event held in Memorial Park. Free admission. Tasting tickets sold at the event in support of Winnipeg Harvest. Hosted by the Downtown ****Winnipeg**** BIZ. Presented by the Independent Specialty Wine Stores of Manitoba in collaboration with the Manitoba Chefs Association. Also sponsored in part by the Bay Downtown.* *** ** ** *Wine Merchants Include:* • Kenaston Wine Market **** • Fenton’s Wine Merchants**** • De Luca Fine Wines**** • La ****Boutique** **Del**** Vino**** • Banville & Jones Wine Co.**** *Gourmet Foods and Cheese Sponsors:* • Bothwell Cheese • City Bread**** • De Luca’s Specialty Foods**** • Piazza di Nardi**** • Fenton’s Gourmet Foods**** ** ** *For more information, visit www.ManyFest.ca. * ** ** The Downtown BIZ, City of Winnipeg, the Running Room and the Independent Specialty Wine Stores of Manitoba are hosting the festival along with many other partners and sponsors: Investors Group, S&J Construction, Portage Place, Winnipeg Arts Council, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Fido, Manitoba Hydro, Travel Manitoba, Fusion Group, Dental Designs, RBC Blue Water Project, Best Western Charterhouse Hotel, Audioworks, The Bay Downtown, East India Company, the Pony Corral, MPI, MTS Centre, Johnson Waste Management, Bee Clean, Assiniboine Credit Union, Lawton Partners, Neptune Properties, Brad’s Window Cleaning, Winnipeg Parking Authority and the Prolific Group. Media sponsors include the ****Winnipeg**** Sun, CTV, 92 CITI, 102 Clear FM and CBC Radio One 990.**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *Stephanie Voyce* Project Manager,* *Image & Transportation *Downtown **Winnipeg BIZ *204.958.4621 office 204.958.4630 fax Visit our website at www.downtownwinnipegbiz.com! This email is intended for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and the contents may contain private and confidential information to which rights are claimed. If you receive this email in error, the review, copy, distribution, or otherwise use of the contents is prohibited and we ask that you notify the sender immediately to advise of the error. Thank you.**** ** ** -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ciclovia Winnipeg" group. To post to this group, send email to ciclovia-winnipeg(a)googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to ciclovia-winnipeg+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/ciclovia-winnipeg?hl=en. [View Less]

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The Economist on Cycle Safety in North America
by Charles Feaver 07 Sep '11

07 Sep '11

A blunt assessment of our safety v. European cyclists, from The Economist: Calm down With a very few exceptions, America is no place for cyclists Sep 3rd 2011 | SEATTLE | from the print edition * DYING while cycling is three to five times more likely in America than in Denmark, Germany or the Netherlands. To understand why, consider the death of Michael Wang. He was pedalling home from work in Seattle on a sunny weekday afternoon in late July when, witnesses say, a brown SUV made a … [View More]left turn, crunched into Wang and sped away. The road where the 44-year-old father of two was hit is the busiest cycling corridor in Seattle, and it has clearly marked bicycle lanes. But the lanes are protected from motor vehicles by a line of white paint-a largely metaphorical barrier that many drivers ignore and police do not vigorously enforce. A few feet from the cycling lane traffic moves at speeds of between 30 miles per hour, the speed limit for arterials in Seattle, and 40 miles per hour, the speed at which many cars actually travel. This kind of speed kills. A pedestrian hit by a car moving at 30mph has a 45% chance of dying; at 40mph, the chance of death is 85%, according to Britain's Department of Transport. Had Mr Wang been commuting on a busy bike route in Amsterdam, Copenhagen or Berlin, his unprotected exposure to instruments of death-namely, any vehicle moving at 20mph or more-would be nearly nil. These cities have knitted together networks for everyday travel by bike. To start with, motor vehicles allowed near cyclists are subject to "traffic calming". They must slow down to about 19mph, a speed that, in case of collision, kills less than 5%. Police strictly enforce these speed limits with hefty fines. Repeat offenders lose their licences. Calmer traffic is just the beginning. In much of northern Europe, cyclists commute on lanes that are protected from cars by concrete buffers, rows of trees or parked cars. At busy crossroads, bicycle-activated traffic lights let cyclists cross first. Traffic laws discriminate in favour of people on bikes. A few American cities have taken European-style steps to make streets safer for cycling, most notably Portland, Oregon, which has used most of the above ideas. The result: more bikes and fewer deaths. Nearly 6% of commuters bike to work in Portland, the highest proportion in America. But in five out of the past ten years there have been no cycling deaths there. In the nearby Seattle area, where cycling is popular but traffic calming is not, three cyclists, have been killed in the past few weeks. [View Less]

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WFP: Walking the walk - Winnipeg's trail system thriving thanks to volunteers
by Beth McKechnie 07 Sep '11

07 Sep '11

Walking the walk Winnipeg's trail system is thriving thanks to volunteers who have jumped in feet first By: Shamona Harnett http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/walking----the-walk-129285178… They are hidden worlds in your own city. >From the giant snapping turtles that you might encounter in St. Vital's enchanted Bois-des-Esprit trail; or the colourful wild flowers that will fill your senses on Charleswood's Harte Trail; or even the thrilling roar of landing planes on St. James'… [View More] Yellow Ribbon Greenway Trail, Winnipeg's system of recreational pathways is thriving. Follow Shamona on Twitter. Have an interesting story you'd like Shamona to write about? Contact her at shamona.harnett(a)freepress.mb.ca Blazing the trails *What's the purpose of Winnipeg's trails?* Trail advocates want Winnipeggers walking, running, cycling, in-line skating, skipping and wandering down city trails. Ideally, the trails will help Winnipeggers become more active and, therefore, fitter. (According to a Active Transportation Advisory Group report, 55 per cent of Manitoba's people are overweight and 45 per cent considered inactive.) Trail proponents hope the trails' increasing connectivity make them a viable, safe way for people to get from one neighbourhood to the other without their cars. *How much money is the government putting into trails?* In the last five years, more than $40 million has been spent on trails and cycling infrastructure around Winnipeg -- $20 million just last year alone. *How many trails are in Winnipeg?* It depends on what you define as a trail. There are many bits and pieces that are too small to have an official name. The Winnipeg Trails Association has mapped out nearly 40 city trails. *How is the trail system organized?* In 1993, the city came up with the idea to divide the city into six parkways -- essentially consisting of land along both sides of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. The goal is to hook up the parkways to form a continuous trail system. This web of parkways joins one park to another. Trails mainly curve around the riverbanks and, when necessary, wind onto residential streets. *What is the Trans Canada Trail?* A project the federal government touts as the world's longest network of trails. Today, more than 15,500 kilometres' worth of Trans Canada trail has been developed nationwide, 1,400 kilometres of which is in Manitoba. *Is there a way for the city to profit from its trails?* Advocates say Winnipeg's trails will attract tourists and lead to growth in the city's economy. *How do I find out more about Winnipeg's trails?* Log onto the Winnipeg Trails Association Website at www.winnipegtrails.ca *How do I help bring a trail to my community?* Contact local trail associations, your city councillor and your MLA. What makes these magical places what they are? One reason is the legion of tireless volunteers. There are hundreds of trail volunteers in Winnipeg -- some who, for 20 years, have worked to create the interconnected network of paths you see today. Here are four inspirational volunteers who help make it happen: LEONE BANKS *Claim to fame:* Co-founder of the Prairie Pathfinders, a trail-exploring walking group that now boasts around 500 members. Twice a week, Banks and her colleagues take Winnipeggers on treks that help them get to know the most beautiful trails, pathways and green spaces in their own city. Banks, 76, is also co-author of Winnipeg Walks, a book she wrote 12 years ago with Kathleen Leathers, Sheila Spence and Wendy Wilson. The book has since sold more than 10,000 copies. *How she fell in love with Winnipeg's trails:* It happened when she would walk from her home in Wolseley to her job at St. Boniface Hospital and back again. "I started thinking about walking in Winnipeg," says Banks, who now lives in Fort Garry. *On identifying her favourite Winnipeg trail:* "There are just so many of them," says Banks, who loves forest trails such as Bois-des-Esprit. "It's pretty nice. It is so truly wild. You can walk along the Seine River or you can go through the forest." *On her recent Friday-night group walk:* She took more than 70 people out to the Bridgwater Forest Trails, a new development in Waverley West. "The purple gentian -- there were about 12 of them just along the trail (as well as high bush cranberry). (The developers) just left wonderful pieces of the forests," says Banks. "When there's a new development and you have any influence on it, tell people you want it to look like Bridgwater Forest." *On seeing someone purchase her book:* "If I'm at a bookstore, I've hardly seen anybody ever buy one," says the retired grandmother. "It gives me a big thrill the few times I have." *On her pet peeve:* "I don't like the world trails. I hate it. It's a word that's being used for so many different types of places people might go," says Banks, who prefers the term "pathways." *On what makes her work so worthwhile:* Many people in her group "believe it or not, have been to more places in the world than most people," explains Banks. "They have learned to value their own city and appreciate it more. I think our books have done that for people." PAUL JORDAN *Claim to fame:* Chief executive officer of the Forks Renewal Corporation. For a decade, headed the Winnipeg Trails Association (WTA). Now, advises every trail group in the city. Many consider him a trail "visionary." *On when he first discovered Winnipeg had a trail system:* It was 2000 when he was asked to chair the WTA. "Lo and behold, I met all of these people -- these volunteers -- who had been working away on their trails for years. I thought there were no trails in Winnipeg until I met these folks," says Jordan. *How often does he use the trails?* For the past decade, Jordan has walked to work and back everyday. In the winter, the Corydon Village resident, and father to four grown sons, often skates to work and back down the frozen river walk trail. *What it's like to skate down the frozen Assiniboine River:* "It's cool because in the dead of winter, it's darker in the mornings than in the afternoons. Once you get moving you're not cold," says Jordan, who relishes the serenity of the route. "As you go under the car bridges -- they're all backed up with rush-hour traffic and people fearing the elements -- you realize just how pleasant winter can really be, how peaceful it is down at the river level." *On the fact that the river walk at the Forks has been underwater for the whole year:* "It's just beyond frustrating," says Jordan, who is used to it being flooded out in the spring, but never for this long. *On how trail volunteers give him the zeal to fight for the cause:* "They are a very dedicated lot. I remember two years ago we called a meeting and it turned out there was a massive blizzard on that night so I expected no one to show up. More than 100 people showed up in this blizzard," says Jordan. *Why trails are here to stay:* "I think recreational trails and bike commuting will become more and more important. Never mind the economics -- just for health reasons. It's a way of building that exercise into your daily routine so you don't have to go to the gym." JANICE LUKES *Claim to fame:* An outspoken trails activist who is a co-ordinator with the Winnipeg Trails Association and advisor to many other trail committees in the province. *How often does she use Winnipeg's trails?* Every day in the summer. "Trust me. When you have nine-year-old triplets, you do everything you can to get out and get moving. It's cheap and it burns the energy off," says Lukes, 50, who likes to trail-hop from neighbourhood to neighbourhood with her kids and husband. *How she got started advocating for trails:* It happened a decade ago when the St. Norbert resident was pregnant with her sons. "We didn't have a trail close by. That's when I started knocking on the neighbours' doors. I said, 'Look, people are walking on the road. And it's dangerous to walk on the road. There's no lights,'" recalls Lukes, who ended up raising $200,000 to build the Sentier Cloutier Trail. *On the obstacles of trail advocacy:* "At the time, there were days when I was bawling, 'Why does the government move so slow? Why does everything take 52 phone calls?' I didn't get it." *What are her favourite trails?* "I don't know. It depends on the season. It depends on the temperature of the day. My favourite trails are the ones that don't make me feel like I'm in the city," says Lukes, who grew up on a farm in rural Manitoba. On the most satisfying part of trail building: "No one knows the blood, sweat and effort that goes into building a trail. But when you see other people enjoying it and using it and pushing their kids and jogging 24/7 around the clock... that's a very rewarding feeling." SIGRUN BAILEY *Claim to fame:* A North Kildonan mother, wife and retired government worker who, since 2005, has helped build the Northeast Pioneers Greenway, a 5.5-kilometre trail built over the Marconi Spur rail line. The long stretch of smooth asphalt in the middle of the Gateway Road is now one of Winnipeg's most used trails. *What prompted her to care about trails?* For 30 years, Bailey cycled to work from her home in North Kildonan to her downtown office. She also took her kids for bike rides down Wellington Crescent when they were young and before Winnipeg had official trails. A few years ago, she donated money to helped build part of the Trans Canada Trail near the Chief Peguis Bridge. When she discovered it hadn't been completed, she decided to find out why. Later, she joined a group dedicated to building the Northeast Pioneers Greenway. *What drives her?* Her mother's lack of fitness. "My mom had a hard time making it across the street. She was breathing heavy and she was in her 60s. And I thought, 'Oh my God. That's ridiculous," says Bailey, who moved to Canada with her parents from Germany when she was just a baby. "If people are active and they are doing things, then they will stay healthier into their older age." *Her pet peeve:* "The bottom line is when I see these people driving around, one person in a car, it just drives me nuts," says Bailey, who limits her driving time in favour of walking, cycling or taking the bus. "We have to get out of that mindset. People complain about parking. Well, why are you taking your car and parking in the first place?" *A source of pride:* As soon as the asphalt went down on the Northeast Pioneers Trail four years ago, people started using it. "There was still steam coming off it and there was people out there. It was just amazing. People are using it. They feel safe and it's convenient," says Bailey, who raised $150,000 to help build the canopies and benches located at every kilometre of trail. She's also proud that her grown sons and husband use the trail often. [View Less]

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Active & Green Fall: Relationship killer, commuting with kids, and more
by Jessie Klassen 06 Sep '11

06 Sep '11

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=d604aef282…> *Looking to improve commuter options at your workplace?* Request resources<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/request-information-presentation-or-mee…>on cycling, carpooling, commuting surveys and tracking progress, among others. Book a presentation<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/request-information-presentation-or-mee…>on the … [View More]

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