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WFP: Snow-cleared streets lure winter bike riders (Oct9'20)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

Snow-cleared streets lure winter bike riders Report shows demand for cycling routes in winter cold https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/snow-cleared-streets-lure-winter-bi… THERE is demand for accessible, snow-cleared winter cycling routes in Winnipeg, according to a report to be presented to the public works committee next week at city hall. The city conducted cycling counts on 10 streets recently upgraded to Priority 1 snow-clearing (maintained to bare pavement) between Jan. 31 and Feb. 13. A total of 1,633 cyclists were logged across all sites, equivalent to approximately 115 daily. According to the data, the majority rode on weekdays, and during slightly warmer weather. This is the first time specific data of this nature has been tracked in Winnipeg, according to Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface). In June 2018, the city approved some upgrades to active transportation pathway snow-clearing, and began designing a winter cycling network. According to the report, improved winter maintenance is intended to ensure key routes are cleared quickly after snowfall to provide “uninterrupted and effective connections” between neighbourhoods, Winnipeg Transit facilities, and downtown. “I want to stress that the lion’s share of the budget for this enhanced snow clearing is to clear the roads that lead to our active transportation facilities,” Allard explained in an interview Thursday. A November 2019 motion called for some monitoring of those cleared routes to determine how much demand there is for winter riding in the city. Across the 10 sites, the highest-trafficked route was Warsaw Avenue, which logged an average of 24 cyclists daily. One route, Clifton Street, recorded no cyclist activity. Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, attributed the low traffic on Clifton Street to its lack of connectivity to main cycle paths, and noted all 10 of the city’s tested routes are located in generally low-traffic areas. As it stands now, much of Winnipeg’s active transportation network is made up of existing roadways, Allard said, meaning enhanced snow-clearing benefits cyclists, pedestrians and motorists alike. “If you create a facility that people can use, people then start using it — and that’s exactly what we want when it comes to active transportation, when we’re building new facilities because every trip that someone takes on a bicycle or walking is another trip that they’re not taking using another mode,” Allard said. The city noted it was unable to provide figures for latent demand — which would indicate how many potential winter cyclists would ride if infrastructure and snow-clearing were improved — because the data collection processes are currently in early stages. More robust data sets are expected in the future. Cohoe indicated, in his experience, latent demand for winter cycling is substantial — so long as the paths and roads are cleared, and proper infrastructure is in place for accessibility. A 2018 poll conducted by Bike Winnipeg and CAA found a majority of respondents think the city’s snow-clearing on roads and pathways is neutral or poor. “The very basic one is: get that winter maintenance in place,” Cohoe said. “It’s also having protected facilities — it’s even more important through winter to have that type of facility to make those connections.” — with files from Joyanne Pursaga julia-simone.rutgers(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers

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Free webinar on Ottawa's recent e-scooter pilot
by Beth McKechnie 09 Oct '20

09 Oct '20

*Oct 15th, 12-1pm EST* *Register at **https:// <https://t.co/QVhp2TdGGC?amp=1>www.cite7.org/event/... <https://www.cite7.org/event/ite-ncs-october-webinar-e-scooter-pilot-in-otta…>* The webinar will cover the results and lessons learned of this summer's e-scooter pilot in Ottawa as well as highlight e-scooter operations elsewhere in Canada. A short Q/A will follow the presentations. *Presenter: Kathleen Wilker, City of Ottawa.* Kathleen Wilker leads the City of Ottawa's Transportation Demand Management Program. Her work centres on developing and implementing policies and programs enabling residents to enjoy using Ottawa's walking, cycling and transit networks more often. She has been instrumental in collaborating with colleagues, councillors, external stakeholders, e-scooter providers and residents to bring e-scooters to Ottawa this summer. *Presenter: Chris Schafer, Bird Canada.* Chris Schafer is Vice President, Government Affairs at Bird Canada. Prior to joining Bird Canada, Chris was a Senior Director at another micromobility start-up after almost five years at Uber Canada as their Senior Public Policy Manager in Canada. Previously, Chris did stints in media, at think tanks and as a regulatory lawyer with Gowlings in Ottawa.

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Vancouver City Council approves study on eliminating minimum parking standards
by Beth McKechnie 07 Oct '20

07 Oct '20

Vancouver City Council approves study on eliminating minimum parking standards https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-city-council-approves-study-on-el… Vancouver City Council has directed city staff to perform a deep dive into eliminating city-mandated parking minimums in future building development projects <https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-parking-minimum-requirements-open…> . Instead, the intention is to have an Open Parking Policy method where market forces — developers and businesses — would decide on the amount of parking supply needed, and be required to implement transportation demand management (TDM) measures that encourage public transit use and active transportation. If city council approves a future staff recommendation to abolish parking minimums, Vancouver would follow in the footsteps of Edmonton, which approved the elimination of parking minimums <https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/edmonton-remove-minimum-parking-requirements> this past June. -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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WFP Analysis: Collective response is the best strategy (Oct5'20)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Oct '20

05 Oct '20

Collective response is the best strategy https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/collective-response-is-t… REMEMBER when we thought schools taking an extra week off at spring break would give us time for the COVID-19 pandemic to pass? It seems laughable in hindsight, but it was not a unique reaction. For decades, we have been racing toward a climate crisis with a similar “It couldn’t happen here” naiveté. This pandemic could well be a dress rehearsal for the main show, climate change — a far more catastrophic global emergency, with no hope of a vaccine to save us. The coronavirus has demonstrated that our world is a fragile ecosystem, and when we push it too hard, it breaks. It has proven that a global problem is everyone’s problem. Old tropes, such as the suggestion the climate crisis is the sole responsibility of major polluters like India, China or the United States, no longer fly. Like tackling a pandemic, the solution to climate change can only be realized through collective response. Global warming has been created through the cumulative effect of billions of small actions, and the only response is an equal number of small solutions. Canadian cities and provinces will be on the front lines of this effort. To provide context, if Manitoba were a country, it would sit within the top 15 highest per-capita emitters in the world. Manitoba’s emissions have increased by more than eight per cent since 2005 — the third highest growth rate among provinces. What’s driving much of the increase in Manitoba’s emissions is driving. The number of cars on Manitoba’s roads has grown by almost 50 per cent since 2005, and despite higher fuel efficiency, emissions from vehicles in the province have almost doubled since 1990. The story is much the same for the city of Winnipeg, where vehicles are responsible for half of all emissions, by far the largest contributor. More than 10,000 vehicles are added to Winnipeg’s roads every year, and with the city’s low density and sprawling growth, we are also driving farther. Winnipeggers drive a combined 5 1/2 billion kilometres per year, equating to every person over the age of 16 driving alone in a car 26 kilometers every single day. Compounding this, Winnipeg is the only major city in Canada to have lower public-transit ridership today than it did 20 years ago (pre-pandemic). The City of Winnipeg has a comprehensive Climate Action Plan that targets a 20 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 (relative to 2011 levels). It targets a 17 per cent reduction in transportation-related emissions, achieved in part by increasing public-transit use and tripling the number of people who walk and bike. So, how do we change 60 years of urban planning centred around traffic management, and begin to promote more sustainable transportation options? Coun. Matt Allard recently introduced two innovative ideas that could be part of a larger transformation. His first proposal introduces an ‘induced demand analysis’ for all new transportation projects. Induced demand is a concept that can best be described as “you get what you build for.” When cities build more roads, people drive more cars. A groundbreaking study from 2011 titled “The Fundamental Law of Road Congestion” demonstrated that there is a one-to-one correlation between a city’s road capacity and the number of kilometres residents drive. The phenomenon has many contributing factors. Increased road capacity initially reduces commute times, causing people to alter their driving patterns, either route, frequency, or time of travel, to take advantage of the higher capacity network. Greater convenience results in fewer people using public transportation and promotes more trips by car. It also inspires driving farther distances, which keeps cars on the road for longer times and stimulates urban sprawl, which further promotes an automobile-centred lifestyle as longer distances make alternate transportation options ineffective. These factors all work together to increase the number of cars on the road, which invariably grows to meet the road capacity, no matter how much was built. This leads to demand for even more roads, creating an unwinnable cycle. Allard’s proposal may allow us to understand how our road-building choices will be affected by induced demand, helping us to make smarter choices, reducing road construction spending, traffic congestion, the amount we collectively drive and, in turn, greenhouse gas emissions. The second motion introduced by Allard is to make the “open streets,” which were so popular during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, a permanent fixture in the city. His proposal is to close 15 streets to vehicles for six months per year. This move would represent a transformational shift in our traditional priorities by taking vehicle space and creating places for people. Open streets such as Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue saw high levels of use, regularly accommodating up to two hundred cyclists and almost as many pedestrians every hour. It changed how we experience our city. If the motion passes, open streets could provide the backbone for a new, connected, active-transportation network that fundamentally transforms how we move around. It would be a progressive and bold move for Winnipeg, one that might inspire us to think differently about our city and encourage investment in more sustainable transportation options such as walking, biking and transit. We have learned from the pandemic that change takes a collective effort. As we emerge from the crisis, we have an opportunity to channel this unprecedented global collaboration to focus on the even greater challenge moving toward us. These types of local, progressive ideas, implemented in cities across the world, can create a powerful cumulative effect that moves us toward flattening the global-warming curve, so our children and grandchildren inherit a future from us. *Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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FYI: Designs for Main Street released in new Playbook
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 05 Oct '20

05 Oct '20

From: Canadian Urban Institute <communications(a)canurb.org> Sent: October-05-20 10:14 AM To: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Subject: Designs for Main Street released in new Playbook [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/657964b0-48cb-47…]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/a695f5ca-36d5-4b…]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> October 5, 2020 / canurb.org Main Street Design Challenge Playbook released to help Bring Back Main Street [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/9d56b8bd-e663-45…]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> Today, the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) are proud to release the Main Street Design Challenge Playbook<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, a collection of design solutions that can be implemented during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Main Street Design Challenge invited all Canadian residents interested in place-making and design to develop solutions that can help build the resiliency of Canada’s main streets. Over the past four months, 47 designs were submitted from a wide range of sources, ranging from well-known architects and urban designers to students, planners, community animators, and artists. The Playbook showcases a range of creative and practical interventions, from masterplans to art installations to modular street furniture. [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/6ff8a114-8ead-46…] [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/914ff868-90cc-4e…] The Main Street Design Challenge reflects the importance of design in revitalizing our streets, including kickstarting the economy, fostering vibrant, liveable, and healthy communities, increasing public safety, reducing social isolation, and restoring the public’s confidence to return to streets and public spaces. All designs are free to use, though contacting the creators is encouraged. The Playbook contains links to implementation details and other information on the CUI website. [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/3c582126-3820-4a…] [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/b0f4b3f4-8e2e-4e…] The Main Street Design Challenge is an initiative of Bring Back Main Street, a nationally coordinated research and action campaign by the CUI to ensure the people, businesses, and organizations that call Canada’s Main Streets home can recover and emerge from the crisis more resilient than ever. Read The Playbook<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> CUI and RAIC gratefully acknowledge the following Supporting Partners: Canadian Institute of Planners<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, Council for Canadian Urbanism<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, ICOMOS Canada<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, National Trust for Canada<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, OCAD University<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, Rues principales<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, STEPS Initiative<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>, Trinity Centres Foundation<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>. Don't Miss! [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/5656e2fa-926b-44…]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> Register<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> Thank You to Our Partners We are grateful to all of our partners for supporting us in building a stronger urban Canada. Donors and Program Funders Bring Back Main Street is supported by Business Improvement areas and Economic Development organizations across Canada, Vancity and Vancity Community Investment Bank Partners Black Business and Professionals Association, Bloor-Yorkville BIA, Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council, Canadian Business Resilience Network, Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, Canadian Institute of Planners, CGLCC: Canada's LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, City of Calgary, City of Edmonton, City of Toronto, City of Vancouver, Develop Nova Scotia, Downtown Halifax, Downtown Halifax Business Commission, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, Downtown Yonge BIA, Environics, Financial District BIA, National Preservation Council, National Trust for Canada, Ontario Business Improvement Area Association, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Regina Downtown BID, Retail Council of Canada, Royal Architecture Institute of Canada, Rues principales, Save Canadian Small Business, St. Lawrence BIA, Tamarack Institute, The Waterfront BIA, Toronto Entertainment District BIA, Trinity Centres Foundation, Vancouver Economic Commission Main Street Design Challenge Partners Canadian Institute of Planners, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, Council for Canadian Urbanism, ICOMOS Canada, National Trust for Canada, OCAD University, Rue principales, STEPS Initiative, Trinity Centres Foundation Research Team 360 Collective, Happy City, Simon Fraser University, Fathom Studio, JC Williams Group About CUI CUI is Canada's Urban Institute. We are the national platform that houses the best in Canadian city building – where policymakers, urban professionals, civic and business leaders, community activists and academics can learn, share and collaborate with one another from coast to coast to coast. Copyright © 2020 Canadian Urban Institute | Institut urbain du Canada Canadian Urban Institute | Institut urbain du Canada 30 St. Patrick Street, 5th Floor Toronto, ON M5T 3A3 Canada Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/profile?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&id=9…> or unsubscribe from this list<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>. [https://mcusercontent.com/f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182/images/6e88ba12-8734-45…] [Facebook]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> [LinkedIn]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> [Twitter]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…> [Website]<https://canurb.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f47fe5ecd01cfe0eeeec18182&…>

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Free webinar: Organizing for equitable, walkable communities - Angie Schmitt
by Beth McKechnie 05 Oct '20

05 Oct '20

So many webinars to choose from! [image: Twitter] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> [image: Facebook] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> [image: YouTube] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> [image: Make a gift to Island Press today!] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/6aa1e9fbdcb1/free-summer-e-book-503709?e=c14836d4ab> ISLAND PRESS | ASU [image: ASU Sustainability Series] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> Equitable Energy and Affordable Housing *Oct. 29 • Nov. 19* ------------------------------ Arizona State University's (ASU) School of Sustainability and Island Press are partnering on a fall speaker series featuring Island Press authors and Urban Resilience Project contributors. All events are free, hosted by ASU, and promise to inspire. Our upcoming webinars include: - Shane Phillips: The Affordable City; Thursday 10/29 1pm MST <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> - Shalanda Baker: Revolutionary Power: An Activist’s Guide to the Energy Transition; Thursday 11/19 1pm MST <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> LEARN MORE <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> FREE WEBINAR | ioby & ISLAND PRESS [image: In Conversation with Angie Schmitt, Author of ‘Right of Way’ October 14, 2020 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> Organizing for equitable, walkable communities *Wed. October 7 • 1:00-2:00 PM EDT* ------------------------------ In this live webinar, hear about some of the causes of the disproportionate impacts of traffic violence, and learn about some of the programs and movements that are beginning to respond. You'll also hear from everyday neighbors who stepped up to address pedestrian safety in their communities, and see how you could do it too. *This webinar is in partnership with ioby <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>.* REGISTER <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> ASU EVENT | SHANE PHILLIPS [image: ASU Stardust Center Event -- The Affordable City] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> A conversation with Shane Phillips *Thurs. October 29 • 1:00-2:00 PM PDT* ------------------------------ Arizona State University’s (ASU) School of Sustainability and Island Press are partnering on a fall speaker series featuring Island Press authors and Urban Resilience Project contributors. All events are free, hosted by ASU, and promise to inspire. Join Shane Phillips, author of *The Affordable City* <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>, for a discussion moderated by ASU urban planner and sustainability scientist Deirdre Pfeiffer. *This event is in partnership with Arizona State University <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>.* REGISTER <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> ANGIE SCHMITT | RIGHT OF WAY [image: In Conversation with Angie Schmitt, Author of ‘Right of Way’ October 14, 2020 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> In conversation with Angie Schmitt *Wed. October 14 • 5:00-6:00 PM PDT* ------------------------------ Join SPUR and Walk San Francisco in diving into the research and realities behind why pedestrians are dying, and how we can imagine and demand safer, equitable cities in the Bay Area. Moderated by Marta Lindsey, Walk SF’s communications director. *This webinar is in partnership with Walk San Francisco <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> and SPUR <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>.* REGISTER <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> GET THE BOOKS Enter *WEBINAR* at checkout for 30% off [image: Right of Way by Angie Schmitt | An Island Press book] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> *Expendable people?* ------------------------------ *Right of Way* <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> exposes the crisis of traffic violence that is plaguing our cities, inspiring regular citizens to action. *$19.60* $28.00 <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> [image: The Affordable City by Shane Phillips | An Island Press book] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> *Brings opposing sides together* ------------------------------ *The Affordable City* <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> is an essential tool for professionals and advocates working to improve affordability and increase community resilience through local action. *$22.40* $32.00 <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> *It's time for a revolution* ------------------------------ "[*Revolutionary Power*] <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…> is an inspiring guide that makes energy and energy justice easy to understand and radical ideas doable." —Denise Fairchild <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>, President/Chief Executive Officer, Emerald Cities Collaborative *$22.40* $32.00 <https://islandpress.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bd33456aa62e826309ba…>

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Impact of e-cycling on travel behaviour
by Beth McKechnie 05 Oct '20

05 Oct '20

(Thanks to Michelle Porter for the share) In case you are interested: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32904492/ The impact of e-cycling on travel behaviour: A scoping review - PubMed <https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32904492/> pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov This review suggests that the personal use of e-bikes is associated with a reduction in motorized vehicle use, which has potential positive impacts on the environment and health. The impacts of e-bike share schemes and workplace initiatives are less well understood. Evidence describing the purposes …

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Study: We Can’t Fix Transportation-Related Climate Emissions With EVs Alone
by Beth McKechnie 03 Oct '20

03 Oct '20

*Why EVs can’t get dirty to go ‘green’* *In order to maintain our [US] national car addiction and stay within a national transportation-related emissions “budget” that scientists agree is necessary to maintain the planet at temperatures our ecosystems can survive, the United States would need to replace a whopping 90 percent of gas-powered cars on the roads with zero-emissions electric vehicles by 2050, researchers at the University of Toronto <https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-00921-7> found.Right now, just 1.5 percent <https://www.eei.org/issuesandpolicy/electrictransportation/Documents/FINAL_…> of new vehicle sales in the U.S. are electric cars, and roughly 99.7 percent <https://phys.org/news/2020-09-electric-vehicles-wont-climate.html> of cars on the road today are powered by fossil fuels.The study was careful to note that EVs are not a lost cause, and are, of course, “likely to reduce emissions in the United States when compared with conventional gasoline vehicles.” But the researchers cautioned of the dangers of policies that over-focus on electric cars, especially if they come at the expense of investments in proven strategies for which we have the technology in place today to significantly curb emissions.Those strategies include massive public transit adoption, mass construction of active transportation infrastructure, and fundamentally redesigning our cities to make car-free or car-light living possible for more people.*

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WFP: 'Open Streets' to be further explored (Oct2'20)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Oct '20

02 Oct '20

‘OPEN STREETS’ TO BE FURTHER EXPLORED THE City of Winnipeg could soon prioritize seasonal pedestrian and cyclist access on parts of a dozen streets every year. Council unanimously approved a motion late Wednesday to have its public service study whether to continue 10 sections of “open streets” that the city tested out this year. A report is expected around November. Coun. Matt Allard, chair of the public works committee, hopes to make the active transportation routes permanent, seven days a week between the May long and Thanksgiving weekend. The streets would limit vehicle traffic to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

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WFP: City makes changes to traffic lights at intersections to improve pedestrian safety (Oct2'20)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Oct '20

02 Oct '20

*City makes changes to traffic lights at intersections to improve pedestrian safety* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/in-a-flash-they-were-gone-572606212… THE city has put a stop to traffic light cycles that combine flashing amber and red lights at Winnipeg intersections. The change, which took effect Thursday, affects 185 intersections throughout the city, which used the flashing amber and red light signals at night, in the early morning and on weekends when traffic volumes are low. The majority of these intersections now has a standard light cycle: solid green, amber and red phases at all hours. Flashing yellow lights warn some directions of traffic to slow down before proceeding through an intersection, while blinking red lights direct drivers to treat the crossing like a stop sign. The city says the change is meant to make it safer for people crossing the street, since pedestrian visual walk signs and audible crossing sounds were inactive during flashing light periods. Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) called for the change a few months ago. Nason said he grew concerned about the practice after a visually impaired resident reported feeling unsafe while walking late at night through the intersection of Plessis Road and Kernaghan Avenue, when it was in a flashing light mode. “Hopefully, (this change) will result in the ability for pedestrians and/or active-transportation users to be able to safely cross the road at these intersections with minimal impact on the driving public,” said Nason. “I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s another step to ensure an inclusive city,” he added. Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital) also welcomed the change, noting he expects it could also reduce safety risks for drivers. Mayes said he has personally driven through one set of flashing lights that suddenly switched to a solid red while his vehicle was still in the intersection of Worthington Avenue and St. Anne’s Road. “A third of the way through the intersection, you look up (and) it’s a hard red you’re facing now because the clock has shifted to 7 o’clock (in the morning)... I altered my route in the morning because I thought, I’m going to get a ticket here or, worse, I’m going to get in a collision,” said Mayes. “That dangerous situation has now been eliminated.” The flashing lights were previously meant to reduce driver delays during times when roads saw low traffic volumes. Coun. Matt Allard, council’s public works chairman, said he expects the safety benefits of the change will outweigh any inconvenience for drivers. “There certainly is a trade-off there. Motorists, who in the past may have been able to (enter) the intersection at their own discretion, will have to wait for the signal to change. I think on a balance, though, if you’re considering the vulnerable road users... I think it’s the right thing to do,” said Allard (St. Boniface). The city says eight intersections with especially low traffic volumes will still have a light cycle that flashes red lights in all directions during set hours, which drivers should treat as a four-way stop. City officials also plan to “fine-tune” overnight traffic signal patterns over the next few months, as new traffic data is collected. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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