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WFP: Electric scooter company interested in Winnipeg (Jul2'19)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jul '19

02 Jul '19

*Electric scooter company interested in Winnipeg * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/electric-scooter-company-interested… THE CEO of Bird Canada, a new subsidiary of California-based e-scooter company Bird, would love to expand to Winnipeg after it launches in Edmonton and Calgary. “We’re going to who raised their hands first,” Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons said. “Most provinces need an exemption in their highway traffic act because e-scooters were not thought of when the regulations were drafted.” Lyons said the company decided to launch in Alberta because it anticipates that exceptions to provincial regulations requested by the cities of Calgary and Edmonton will be granted soon, allowing the e-scooters to be operated on public roads. The company says Kelowna, B.C., will likely be the next city it will operate in. Lyons said Saskatoon and Charlottetown have also expressed interest, but the company “would love to come to Winnipeg.” He said the company will put between 500 and 1,000 e-scooters in Calgary. The size of the city dictates the number of scooters it gets. Generally, electric scooters have been praised as a welcome addition to public transit. Bird Canada customers would be able to use the vehicles at a cost of $1.15 to start and 35 cents per minute after, a rate that Lyons said makes the service competitive with public transit. Electric scooters, however, have been criticized for cluttering roads and sidewalks and being tossed into waterways. There’s also the potential for injuries and the issue of insurance liability. Temporary bans have also been placed on companies like Bird in U.S. cities such as Nashville, where a man was killed after being hit by a car. Lyons said the subsidiary company is more focused on safety and doesn’t anticipate any bans in Canada. In Winnipeg, theft is a concern. The city has a notorious reputation when it comes to bike thefts. Lyons realizes scooters are easy to carry, so there’s no guarantee that they won’t be stolen. But he said the scooters’ wheels can only be unlocked through the company’s app. “The wheels won’t move, but you could take it,” Lyons said. “It could make for a nice doorstop, or something in your garden.” In February, council’s public works committee voted to direct city staff to spend six months determining how scooter-share and bike-share companies such as Bird can operate here. A city spokesman said “changes to City of Winnipeg bylaws and policies may be needed to permit firms to share bikes, e-bikes, or other small transportation micro-mobility options.” Gord Spado of the Winnipeg Police Service’s traffic division said provincial legislation would not allow Bird Canada scooters to be driven in Winnipeg. Under the Highway Traffic Act, e-scooters would be considered motor vehicles, which means they would have to be driven on roadways. Manitoba Public Insurance said anything specified as a vehicle under the act would need to be licensed and insured. Spado said, however, that e-scooters “cannot be registered due to the fact they do not have safety equipment, and are not part of any registration class of vehicle. Therefore they cannot be operated on the roadway, under the (Highway Traffic Act).” He added that, even if the scooters did not have an engine, they could not be driven on roadways because push scooters must be driven on sidewalks. Spado said only electric bikes can be driven on roads right now because they are listed in the traffic act. Founded in 2017, Bird has grown to operate in 120 cities, mostly in North America and Europe. Lyons said the company negotiated the exclusive licence to offer device-sharing services in Canada. nicholas.frew(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @n_frew

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Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Risk and Equity: Implications for Street Improvement Projects
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jul '19

02 Jul '19

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Date: Tue, Jul 2, 2019 at 8:36 AM *Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Risk and Equity: Implications for Street Improvement Projects <https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0NTg1N…>* <https://odlinks.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTM0NTg1N…> The Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota has released a report that illustrates how estimates of pedestrian and bicycle crash risk and assessments of inequities may inform prioritization of street improvement projects. This report provides information about variations in crash risk across street networks to inform...

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CBC: 'There has to be something else': Winnipeg's car culture is unsustainable, say urban planning experts
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jul '19

01 Jul '19

*'There has to be something else': Winnipeg's car culture is unsustainable, say urban planning experts* *City needs transportation alternatives to 'a system that we allowed to be dominated by the automobile'* https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/car-culture-urban-planning-road-saf… If Winnipeg is to shift out of the well-worn rut of being a car-first culture, it's going to require two crucial elements: creativity and daring leaders, say urban planning experts. "That is the biggest challenge — the overwhelming scale of retrofitting a city to be something more, to reflect new ways of thinking about how we as citizens move within the urban environment," said Jino Distasio, director of the Institute of Urban Studies at the University of Winnipeg. "To create a sustainable city, to create a sustainable country, we need to look at alternative modes of transportation, and to get it right we need to have visionary leaders. "We cannot continue to build cities based on automobile use. There has to be something else." Winnipeg has taken some steps, such as adding bike lanes around the city, but their effectiveness is questionable. Many have no protection from cars, some are marked by symbols painted near curbs of lanes that were never widened for bikes, several end without notice and force cyclists into traffic, and others run between lanes of traffic and leave cyclists exposed. In multiple places, the city has dedicated lanes that are shared between bikes and buses — pitting the smallest, most vulnerable mode of transport against the largest. "It's a work in progress," said Mark Cohoe, executive director of cycling advocacy group Bike Winnipeg. But since the city adopted its pedestrian and cycling strategy <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-council-approves-bike-pede…> in 2015, there's been improvement from what was previously a random, disorganized system, he said. At the same time, Cohoe says it often seems like the city slapped together a section of the network just to say a cycling component was included in a project "rather than creating something that's built around the needs of the system … aimed at attracting the type of user we're hoping to convert, to get out of their car." There are new, concrete-curb-protected, bicycle-only lanes throughout the Exchange District and along part of Sherbrook Street (before it ends at Broadway, leaving cyclists in an unprotected lane). Those protected lanes take away a lane from cars, which is a good start, said Cohoe. "It's shown that you can do it but it takes a willingness," he said. "As the city grows we have to make some different choices and focus not on how to move cars, but how do we move people." Distasio signalled the Graham Avenue transit mall, created in 1995, as a positive change. That has relocated a number of buses off other roads in an attempt to ease congestion. It runs parallel to the city's major artery of Portage Avenue and hosts 1,800 buses and 100,000 riders every weekday, according to the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone. But that's not enough progress to make significant change, said Orly Linovski, assistant professor in the department of city planning at the University of Manitoba. "There's not a lot [that has been done], to be honest with you. They're going in fits and starts," she said. Distasio agrees, saying there needs to be "a massive shift" with a full commitment to change. "We're trying to retool a system that we allowed to be dominated by the automobile, and trying to retrofit all these other uses into it," he said. "It doesn't work." Chicken and egg Part of the hesitation in committing to that massive shift can be attributed to the city being in a chicken-and-egg situation when it comes to public transit, said Linovski. That being, which comes first — ridership or investment? "It's 100 per cent a chicken-and-the-egg thing. Obviously politicians don't want to put money into a system that's seen as failing, but also people won't take it if the service isn't good," Linovski said. Same goes for the bike network, said Cohoe, whose Bike Winnipeg commissioned a Probe Research survey that found <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-cyclists-poll-caa-1.4759579> 21 per cent of Winnipeggers ride a bike daily or a few times a week. "When we asked [how many people would ride] if we … create the facilities and the network to make cycling comfortable for you, that percentage of people who might be biking went up to 45 per cent," he said. Winnipeg is making strides in that direction with its rapid transit network — designed to cut down commuting time by having buses zip along exclusive corridors — though many people probably haven't noticed much change yet, said Distasio. The initial 3.6-kilometre stretch, from downtown to the Pembina Highway/Jubilee Avenue underpass, opened in 2012 at a cost of $138 million. "I think it's done well but it's such a small scale I don't think people get the full impact. As that second leg gets completed, I think Winnipeggers will get their first strong taste of how quickly you can move at a long distance without repeated interruptions by street traffic," Distasio said. Phase 2, a seven-kilometre extension from Jubilee to Bison Drive, near the University of Manitoba, is scheduled to be done in 2020 at a cost of about $470 million. I think the city is trying to take important steps forward," but it can't do it alone, Distasio said. "We need the enhanced political support from all levels of government, along with the citizens of this city, to realize investment in transportation benefits everybody. It's about creating a more efficient city that will take us into the next century." City originally designed around public transit Ironically, Winnipeg had it right a long time ago. In its early days and into the beginning of the 1950s, the city was designed around the streetcar and public transportation. The automobile was almost secondary. "A lot of the neighbourhoods that are easy to cycle and walk in today is because of their built form that's historic," said Linovski. "Osborne Village was developed as one of the first streetcar suburbs, so its built form was based on people, not driving." The neighbourhood developed a healthy density because people wanted to live close to the streetcar line. That density also attracted businesses and services, which turned the area into a compact community, with many people walking and cycling. "That mix of uses is hard to replicate in a new community," Linovski said. But the city wants to try. It hopes to develop density along bus rapid-transit corridors <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/tower-stradbrook-transit-corridor-1…> with residences close to the stations. "We were at the leading edge and now we're sort of looking back at where we should be," said Distasio. The change came during the late 1950s and '60s as suburbs became popular and vehicles became a necessity to get around. That was the period where many North American became "hell-bent on punching freeways through inner-city neighbourhoods," said Distasio. Winnipeg also embraced the automobile "hook, line and sinker," building bigger parking lots and wider streets and became dominated by a car culture, he said. However, its growth didn't match that of other large Canadian cities and Winnipeg avoided the freeway frenzy — but not by choice. There were plans in place, including one that called for the demolition of much of the East Exchange District to make way for modernist buildings and expressways. However, Winnipeg is seeing a rebound. The city's population has grown by nearly 42,000 — or 6.3. per cent <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/census-manitoba-winnipeg-growth-1.3…> — since 2011, according to 2016 census data (the latest census profile available). In comparison, it added about 30,000 people between 2006 and 2011 — a 4.8 per cent change. And a report from the City of Winnipeg <https://www.winnipeg.ca/cao/pdfs/CommunityTrendsandPerformanceReportVolume1…> projects the population will surpass 1 million by 2040. The city has also seen rapid growth in its suburbs in recent years. As a result, Winnipeggers are facing more traffic congestion than they have in generations. "We're now at the point where, in the next 10 years, if Winnipeg's growth continues, people are going to face an even more significant traffic crunch and more interruptions by infrastructure renewal projects that are going to continue to heat up tempers," said Distasio. That is, unless pressure is taken off that road infrastructure by establishing a multi-modal network — whether that uses buses, subways, trains, or monorails — that respects bicycles, cars, and pedestrians, he said. "Now is the time. Every year that we hesitate on creating a sustainable transportation environment, the more critical it's going to be and the more expensive it will become." The tricky part is how to do it. "We can look at the great cities of Paris and New York and London and say that they have these wonderful transportation systems," Distasio said. "But we need to look at what would work for this city, this climate, our topography, our urban structure, and come up with a solution that fits the city not only today, but for the next 50 years." Some cities on the right track, he said, include Seattle, Ottawa and Minneapolis, all of which have seen their car culture evolve into a transportation system that combines buses and light rail transit <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/rapid-transit-a-tale-of-two-cities-…> . Winnipeg considered light rail when it first began plans for rapid transit. The city's executive policy committee recommended that route in 2010 but a new council nixed the idea in 2014. While Distasio likes what those other cities are doing, it doesn't mean Winnipeg can just use their template. "Those systems can't simply be transplanted here. We need to figure out, with our rivers and our existing patterns, what's going to make sense." Political will In addition to infrastructure changes, there need to be policy changes to discourage vehicle use, such as higher taxes on fuel and cars, Linovski said. "Other jurisdictions have car registration taxes, like in Quebec, [where] the car registration tax goes to fund public transit," she said. "But there isn't the political will to tax ourselves to pay for different types of improvements even though, historically, we have subsidized roads and cars, as well as gas, in a way that has made it very easy and very cheap to drive." The thing that has consistently proven to encourage people to drive less is making it easier to walk or cycle, or providing fast and convenient transit options. Period. That's the framework on which Winnipeg needs to build its system, Distasio said. "It's incumbent upon us to come up with a system that alleviates that pressure but does so in a manner that is sustainable," he said. "We're talking about a plan to continue to ensure that Winnipeg is a healthy, safe place to commute in — by any mode that anybody selects on any given day." ------------------------------ *Interested in making Manitoba streets safer? CBC created a new group on Facebook called Road to Safety <http://www.facebook.com/groups/860243351022929/?source_id=170300219399>.* Darren Bernhardt spent the first dozen years of his journalism career in newspapers, first at the Regina Leader-Post then the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. He has been with CBC Manitoba since 2009 and specializes in offbeat and local history stories and features. Story idea? Email: darren.bernhardt(a)cbc.ca

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Montreal & Vancouver make Top 20 cycling cities in world list
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '19

28 Jun '19

https://www.wired.com/story/most-bike-friendly-cities-2019-copenhagenize-de… -- Beth McKechnie (she/her/hers) *| *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: E-scooter rental company plans Alberta launch (Jun28'19)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '19

28 Jun '19

*E-SCOOTER RENTAL COMPANY PLANS ALBERTA LAUNCH * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/calgary-and-edmonton-targeted-fo… CALGARY — A company backed by Toronto Raptors founder John Bitove says it will bring e-scooter rentals to Calgary and Edmonton in early July. Newly founded Bird Canada says Alberta will be the launching point for its line of dockless electric-powered scooters, but it plans to expand to eventually offer scootersharing and other “commuter solutions” across the country. The company says Kelowna, B.C., is likely to be the next city to see its products. Bird Canada CEO Stewart Lyons says it negotiated the exclusive licence to offer device-sharing services in Canada from California-based Bird, which was founded in 2017 and has grown to operate in 120 cities, mainly in North America and Europe. Lyons says the company decided to come to Alberta first because it anticipates that exceptions to provincial regulations requested by the cities of Calgary and Edmonton will be granted soon, thus allowing the e-scooters to be operated on public roads. He says customers will be able to use the machines at a cost of $1.15 to start and 35 cents a minute after, a rate which he says makes the service competitive with public transit. The company expects to put between 500 and 1,000 e-scooters in each city. The devices have attracted complaints in some cities of littering sidewalks and being tossed in streams, but Lyons says his firm is committed to have enough staff to track and return wayward e-scooters. — The Canadian Press

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Low income transit pass – Survey live
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jun '19

27 Jun '19

*Un message en français suivra.* Good day, Thank you to all those who have provided input and perspectives on the low income transit pass program so far. Your feedback has been invaluable in identifying areas in need of greater focus. Since we last met, Council approved the low income transit pass. Once implemented in spring 2020, eligible adults will be able to purchase a monthly transit pass at a 30 percent discount. We are currently seeking your feedback on the implementation of a low income transit pass, including criteria for eligibility to improve the success of the program. Please complete the survey *before July 10* and share with your networks and community partners. Complete the survey now <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52Y925J>. A report on stakeholder feedback will be included with a report to Council on the program’s proposed implementation in fall 2019. Once the low income transit pass is introduced, we will be consulting with those who are using it to gather their feedback and improve implementation over time. Focus groups and interviews will be held to determine the lived experience of those using the low income transit pass and how the program could be improved. Information on the low income transit pass is available online at winnipeg.ca/lowincometransitpass <http://www.winnipeg.ca/lowincometransitpass>. If you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss further, please do not hesitate to contact me at lowincometransitpass(a)winnipeg.ca. Bonjour, Merci à toutes les personnes ayant fait part de leurs commentaires et points de vue sur le programme de laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu. Vos rétroactions sont essentielles pour déterminer les domaines ayant besoin de davantage de travail. Depuis notre dernière rencontre, le Conseil a approuvé le laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu. Une fois le programme mis en œuvre en 2020, les adultes admissibles pourront acheter un laissez-passer d’autobus mensuel en jouissant d’une réduction de 30 %. Nous vous demandons vos rétroactions pour la mise en œuvre d’un laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu, notamment en ce qui concerne les critères d’admissibilité, et ce, pour améliorer la réussite du programme. Veuillez remplir le sondage *avant le 10 juillet* et le faire suivre à vos réseaux et à vos partenaires communautaires. Répondre au sondage maintenant <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5C269WW>. Un rapport sur les rétroactions des parties prenantes sera inclus aux côtés d’un rapport soumis au Conseil concernant la mise en œuvre proposée à l’automne 2019. Une fois le laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu présenté, nous consulterons les personnes qui s’en servent pour recueillir leurs rétroactions et améliorer la mise en œuvre au fil du temps. Des groupes de consultation et des entrevues seront organisés pour déterminer l’expérience des personnes à faible revenu utilisant le laissez-passer ainsi que les façons d’améliorer le programme. Vous trouverez des renseignements sur le laissez-passer d’autobus pour personnes à faible revenu en ligne à winnipeg.ca/laissezpasserpourfaiblerevenu <https://www.winnipeg.ca/laissezpasserpourfaiblerevenu>. Si vous avez des questions ou si vous souhaitez prendre un rendez-vous pour en discuter davantage, n’hésitez pas à m’écrire à lowincometransitpass(a)winnipeg.ca. Regards/Cordialement, [image: City of Winnipeg logo] <https://winnipeg.ca/> *Neil Bailey* Public Engagement Officer City of Winnipeg *Office of Public Engagement* *Customer Service and Communications* *TELEPHONE: *204-451-2591 *EMAIL: *neilbailey(a)winnipeg.ca *WEBSITE: *winnipeg.ca *ADDRESS: *4th Floor, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1B9 *CONNECT WITH US:* [image: Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> [image: Twitter] <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> *Confidentiality Notice:** The information contained in this message is intended solely for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any use, dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure of this message and attachments, in whole or in part, by anyone other than the intended recipient is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and permanently delete the complete message and any attachments. Thank you.*

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WFP: Drive to lower speed limits hits bump (Jun26'19)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jun '19

26 Jun '19

*Drive to lower speed limits hits bump* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/drive-to-lower-speed-limits-hits-bu… THERE appears to be growing support in favour of reducing the speed limit on all Winnipeg residential streets to 30 km/h. Six groups and individuals attended a public works committee meeting Tuesday, calling on city hall to follow the example of hundreds of cities across Europe that have already made the move. “We envision a city where all children and youth have the opportunity to walk, bike or roll to school safely and, at times, independently,” Denae Penner of the Green Action Centre told councillors. “The streets in Winnipeg are unsafe for children to travel to school or to their friends’ houses or other activities because of high speeds (and) high volumes of cars on those roads.” The speed limit for the city’s residential areas is 50 km/h, unless otherwise posted. Penner and others — including representatives of the Winnipeg Trails Association, Safe Speeds Winnipeg and Bike Winnipeg — urged the committee to dramatically alter the city’s streetscape with lower speed limits, accompanied with road alterations to encourage slower speeds, including narrowing roadways, adding more bike lanes and a switch to angle parking. The presentations were prompted by a proposed bylaw the administration has drafted in response to the Pallister government’s decision to allow all Manitoba municipalities to set their own speed limits — a function which had previously required the approval of the Highway Traffic Board. City staff have proposed maintaining all current speed limits, as they were March 1. The new bylaw, once approved by city council, will take effect Sept. 1. David Patman, City of Winnipeg transportation manager, said the administration will later develop a process for speed-limit change requests. The committee Tuesday voted 3-1 to support the proposed new bylaw. Coun. Vivian Santos, the lone dissenting vote, urged the others to lower the speed limit to 40 km/h on residential streets. “Look at the pedestrians and cyclists who are dying. We need to do something now,” Santos later told reporters. Coun. Matt Allard, chairman of the committee, said while he recognized the growing support for a lower speed limit, he said it wouldn’t be fair for the committee to impose it without consulting other councillors and the community — and allowing those in opposition to speak on the issue. The presentations Tuesday appear in stark contrast to a Probe Research study from mid-October 2018, which found nearly two-thirds of Winnipeggers it polled were opposed to a lower speed limit. Patman said a move to 30 km/h would be expected to encounter resistance from many motorists and would require increased police enforcement. He suggested a pilot study be conducted, with one neighbourhood chosen to study the public response and implementation issues. Santos countered a pilot study was unnecessary, arguing Winnipeggers have become accustomed to lower speeds as a result of the 30 km/h limit in school zones. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Wpg Sun: City looking at rerouting active transportation during construction interruptions (Jun25'19)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jun '19

25 Jun '19

*City looking at rerouting active transportation during construction interruptions* https://winnipegsun.com/news/news-news/city-looking-at-rerouting-active-tra… City guidelines will be updated early next year to consider how best to address active transportation routes, when construction projects interrupt their use. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), who chairs council’s public works committee, moved a successful motion Tuesday that calls to update a civic construction manual with considerations around the interruption of AT routes. “The issue of AT is, if you do close a street, you are closing a much bigger section of the network than you would be in the case of vehicle traffic where you can just go to the next street, in some cases you might have to take a significant (AT) detour if you’re staying on the network,” said Allard. The updates are expected to return to council’s public works committee in February 2020.

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The Herald: Interest in AT strong in East St. Paul (Jun21'19)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '19

22 Jun '19

Interest in AT strong in East St. Paul https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/Room-to-improve-on… North of the Perimeter, the RM of East St. Paul is also home to a network of paved and unpaved active transportation pathways that continues to grow. “Anytime we have development coming forward, we’re always looking for that connectivity,” mayor Shelley Hart said. “We continue to upgrade our trail system.” The TransCanada Trail runs through the RM, and a paved AT path runs parallel to Hoddinott Road from Henderson Highway to Birds Hill. “That path gets a ton of use,” Hart said, adding that lights were recently added along the route. Currently, Hart said the municipal council is looking to pave the path that would connect Hoddinott to the Northeast Pioneers Greenway. “There’s a lot of room there,” Hart said. “We’re looking to turn it into a linear park, with places for people to stop and be engaged in different activities.” While Hart could not specify a date of completion for the project, she did say that council is eager to see it move along. “I’d like to see some progress this year. We’re just looking at costs and possibilities for funding to allow us to do more sooner.”

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The Herald: Room to improve on strong cycling foundation (Jun21'19)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '19

22 Jun '19

Room to improve on strong cycling foundation Northeast Winnipeg’s cycling infrastructure: the good, the bad, the ugly https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/herald/Room-to-improve-on… They say that "if you build it, they will come." But how do you get there in the first place? For Bike to Work Day on June 17, Transcona city councillor Shawn Nason cycled the 14 kilometres from his home in the Park City to City Hall at the urging of Robb Massey. "I survived," Nason said with a smile on the steps of 555 Main St. "I’m probably 15 to 20 years removed from being an active cyclist. This was fun. It’s rejuvenating. I’m arriving here at a reasonable hour, and reasonably awake. We’ll see how I’m doing around three o’clock when I have to start thinking about the ride home." Massey, a cycling advocate who ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Elmwood-East Kildonan councillor Jason Schreyer in the civic election last year, reached out to Nason as a means of highlighting how inconsistent cycling infrastructure is in northeast Winnipeg is. "It was a nice ride," said Massey, whose daughters Olivia and Sinéad joined the ride on their way to school. "We didn’t see too many cyclists out there, which I think speaks to some of the challenges we have riding from the northeast to downtown." The wide, tree-lined avenues in northeast Winnipeg are inviting to cyclists. The area is also home to an array of active transportation projects and pathways — from the Disraeli Active Transportation Bridge to the Transcona Trail — that residents and City staff alike can look to with pride. But getting from one route to another safely can be challenging. That lack of connection is a constant complaint among cycling advocates and enthusiasts. Nason acknowledged as much. "It was a fairly disjointed ride," Nason admitted. "We saw the greater part of Elmwood-EK to get here, but overall it felt fairly safe." The good The Northeast Pioneers Greenway, which runs parallel to Gateway and Raleigh from Talbot Avenue in Elmwood north to East St. Paul, provides a sheltered, scenic thoroughfare for cyclists and pedestrians. The 6.5-kilometre paved pathway is a former CPR rail line and is often touted as a successful example of active transportation infrastructure. "The Greenway is wonderful," said Emma Durand-Wood, a member of the Glenelm Neighbourhood Association who joined Massey and Nason on their ride in Elmwood. "But the problem is there’s not a lot to get to on the Greenway. It’s a great way to get to Superstore, or the park way up north. It’s a great piece of cycling infrastructure, but it doesn’t get us to the library, or the drug store, or Sobeys." While the Greenway does connect to a number of east-west on-street routes that the City’s Public Works department lists as low- to medium-stress routes for cyclists, there are some outstanding issues, particularly in connecting to AT paths in St. Boniface to the south. "Finishing some of those connections aren’t necessarily huge capital costs, but they’re important," Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) admitted. "Those small improvements would go a long way." Coun. Schreyer agreed, adding that he believes that repurposing the aging Louise Bridge as an active transportation bridge is an idea that council should at least consider. "Sooner or later they’ve got to deal with it," he said. The Chief Peguis Trail in North Kildonan runs east from Main Street over the Kildonan Settlers Bridge to Lagimodière Boulevard, connecting to the Northeast Pioneers Greenway and the Bunn’s Creek Trail at Gateway Road. The extension of the Chief Peguis Trail west to McPhillips includes a major active transportation link to northwest Winnipeg. Transcona, meanwhile, is home to over 22 kilometres of paved active transportation trails, many more limestone neighbourhood trails, and a number of low- to medium-stress street routes for cyclists. "We have a lot of multi-purpose trails, we’re very fortunate," said Val Cousineau, president of the Transcona Trails Association. "Because so much new development is happening now we have a chance to get a really amazing system in there." "We have a lot of new subdivisions, especially in Transcona, where it’s part of the development agreement that AT is built in," Nason explained. The bad While designated active transit pathways like the Transcona Trail and the Northeast Pioneers Greenway offer ideal conditions for cyclists, the reality is most cyclists need to use city streets to get where they’re going. "When people don’t feel safe on the roads, or when motorists feel squeezed or frustrated, that creates challenges," Massey said. Sometimes, the streets the City has designated as a bike route don’t make sense to commuters, Massey argued. "We’ve designated Roch (Street) as a bike route, but it’s not connected," he said by way of example. Instead, commuters favour Brazier Street. Wayfinding signage directing cyclists to AT pathways and designated on street bike routes is an issue Cousineau and Nason would like to see improved. "I think what City needs to do now is wayfinding for cyclists," Cousineau said. "There should be safe cycling routes throughout the city." Durand-Wood and her husband have three children between the ages of two and nine years old. They recently sold their car and rely on public transportation, cycling, or walking to get around. "We tend to try to find routes that allow for the adults to ride on a low-traffic street and the kids to ride on the sidewalk, which is doable," Durand-Wood said. "But the crossing at the major streets like Henderson and Johnson are very scary." Durand-Wood said she would like to see more separated bike lanes on major streets, or at least have active transportation considered when major streets like Johnson and Munroe are up for renewal. "If it’s not safe enough for me to ride with my children, it’s not that safe," she said. "I don’t really foresee being able to increase the amount of cycling until that happens." "There are all sorts of little things that don’t have to cost a lot of money that would make people safer," Massey suggested. "Like painting green lines through the intersections, cars would be aware that there could be cyclists." "Having protected, designated bike lanes on some of our major streets would be well supported," Nason said "(But) these are all projects that take considerable capital. It has to be a priority of council and the budget working group, of which I am currently not a part of. In the meantime, hopefully they’ll see the way and continue to improve our cycling network." The ugly Although Transcona boasts a series of active transportation paths that would be the envy of many neighbourhoods in the city, getting out of the Park City itself can be difficult — if not downright daunting — for cyclists. "There are short gaps in cycling infrastructure throughout the city, but they’re key gaps," Cousineau said. "It’s those little key links between communities that are so important." "We have to make sure that these ATs are connected to something," Nason added. "We have to find a way there." Lagimodière Boulevard separates Transcona from the rest of the city, as do the CN rail line that runs parallel to Regent/Nairn Avenue in the south and the CPR, which cuts southwest from Gunn Road to Panet Road. As a result, opportunities for safe, low-stress cycling routes are limited. "We’re advocating to complete the Transcona Trail, over to Panet and Mission," Cousineau said. "That’s a high priority for us. Those links to Elmwood and East Kildonan are important." According to Nason, an AT connection along that route had been included in an early draft budget for 2019, but was cut. "I’ve asked (council) to go back, to see if there’s a way we can do it, to find a separated bike path," Nason said. "I have patience for the system on this," Schreyer said regarding connecting Transcona to East Kildonan. "It’s not simple, but it’s not off the agenda. Those routes are being developed fairly, I believe." The Chief Peguis Trail and AT paths in and around Kilcona Park are separated only by Lagimodière. Though controlled, the intersection is listed by the City’s Public Works department as an area of caution. Browaty said that while a better connection between the Chief Peguis Trail and Kilcona Park has been discussed over the years, it was not a high priority of his. "There are a number of things in Kilcona Park that need improvement first," he said. "But it would be nice." A higher priority for Browaty is improving or adding sidewalks on routes like DeVries Avenue or Henderson Highway north of Chief Peguis. "It’s not easy to add active transportation on Henderson," Browaty added. "The saving grace is there are some parallel routes that have had some active transportation additions to them." "Sidewalks are 90 per cent of the active transportation system," Schreyer added. "If we’re serious about active transportation, we have to maintain our sidewalks in the winter time." *Sheldon Birnie* *Community journalist — The Herald* Sheldon Birnie is the community journalist for The Herald Email him at sheldon.birnie(a)canstarnews.com Call him at 204-697-7112

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