February 2015 - AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Biking Is Safest in Nations With the Most People on Bikes
by Dave Elmore 27 Feb '15

27 Feb '15

http://usa.streetsblog.org/2015/02/27/safety-in-numbers-biking-is-safest-in- nations-with-the-most-people-on-bikes/ Safety in Numbers: Biking Is Safest in Nations With the Most People on Bikes <http://usa.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/B-jBsAjCQAAn9rR.png> Countries with high cycling rates also have low rates of fatalities per distance biked. Graph: International Transport Forum [PDF <http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/transport/cycling-heal th-and-safety_9789282105955-en#page118> ] via Amsterdamize The more people get around by bike, the safer it is, according to the <http://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/9/3/205.abstract> "safety in numbers" rule first popularized by researcher Peter Jacobsen. This chart from the International Transport Forum [PDF <http://www.keepeek.com/Digital-Asset-Management/oecd/transport/cycling-heal th-and-safety_9789282105955-en#page118> ] shows how the safety in numbers effect plays out at the national scale. As you can see, biking is safer in the countries where people bike the most. There was, however, some variation country to country. The report noted that Korea's cycling fatality rates were greater than what its biking rates would suggest. Researchers speculated that might be due to a rapid recent growth in cycling. Perhaps, they write, "neither cyclists nor other transport participants have had time to assimilate each other's presence." Meanwhile, in some nations with high cycling rates, biking has become even safer over time. That was the case in Denmark, where cycling rates have been high but fairly stable for the last decade, but fatality rates have dropped 40 percent during the same period. The safety in numbers has been observed at the scale of cities too. Recently, for example, bicycle injury rates in Minneapolis have declined <http://streetsblog.net/2013/01/18/the-safety-in-numbers-effect-surfaces-in- minneapolis-bike-crash-data/> as total ridership has risen. The same trend has played out in New York <http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/06/05/safety-in-numbers-its-happening-in-ny c/> , as cycling has increased while total injuries and fatalities have not. Do more people on bikes cause cycling to become safer, or does safer infrastructure attract more people to bike? There's no conclusive evidence either way, but the answer is probably a mix of both. Safer infrastructure entices more people to ride, and more people riding instill greater awareness on the part of motorists and increase the demand for safer infrastructure.

1 0

Report: Livable Streets for All, 30 km/h Speed Limits in Urban Neighbourhoods
by Jackie Avent 25 Feb '15

25 Feb '15

This report by 8-80 Cities highlights the health, economic, environmental and social benefits of slower speeds in urban areas and provides international case studies that prove safer streets are possible with the right policies and leadership. The purpose of this report is to advance the discussion and compel all cities to take action to reduce speed limits. http://8-80cities.org/images/res-walking-cycling-articles/livable-streets-3… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

1 0

How a "complete street" works in the real world
by Dave Elmore 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/a-model-for-stephen-avenue-how-a-c… A model for Stephen Avenue? How a "complete street" works in the real world There’s a buzzphrase about urban transportation these days. “Complete streets.” You’ve heard it. Cites are making it their goal to change many roads from the way they exist now, basically as smooth delivery platforms for cars, into something that works for everyone, not just drivers. For many people, myself included, this always seemed like a nice notion that was difficult to visualize. Does it mean adding bike lanes? Expanding sidewalks? More space for street hockey? I think a lifetime in Canada made it difficult for me to truly understand what a complete street was supposed to be. That’s probably why I’ve been, like many Calgarians, nervously anticipating plans to introduce bikes onto Calgary’s pedestrian-only Stephen Avenue Walk later this year, worried about conflicts and potential accidents. After attending the third Winter Cycling Congress in the Netherlands recently, I can officially say I now get what a complete street really is. I was invited to speak at the event (full disclosure: organizers paid for my plane ticket to attend), which took place in Leeuwarden, a northern city of about 100,000 people that may be most famous as the birthplace of Mata Hari. But what I’ll remember most is seeing a complete street in action. Of course, nobody there called it a complete street. It was just a street. But the way people used the road was a real eye-opener. This idea didn’t exist on all of the roads. The fast and busy multi-lane roads and highways didn’t look much different than those in North America, except for the presence of weird brands of North American cars (Ford Ka? Wha?), and of course, for the ever-present cycle tracks and bike routes running alongside. You know the Dutch and their bikes. But on roads with slower speeds and less traffic, that separation was thrown out the window. Onto the road, everybody mixed. I mean everybody. People on bikes, cars, trucks, mopeds, strollers. And what was perhaps most surprising to me: they did this on streets nearly devoid of road signage. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. “Great idea, hippie. Throw everybody together with no rules and somebody’s gonna get killed.” I thought the same thing, especially the first time a car squeezed past me as I strolled down the middle of the road pulling my suitcase. But after a few hours in the city, I got used to the idea, felt safe, a little exhilarated (in a city-nerd kind of way) and I realized that people approached the road in a fundamentally different way. It’s almost as if the idea of a road was different. Rather than fighting for space, with signage and a handbook telling everyone how to behave, people simply got along. I’m reluctant to say they “shared” the road, because of all the connotations that term has picked up in recent years, but that really was how people behaved. Drivers went slow, and manoeuvred around the eye-popping number of cyclists. Moped drivers slowed (most of the time) for pedestrians. Delivery trucks backed up in the middle of a street, and people simply went around. As one Dutch delegate to the conference said: “It’s based on relationships instead of rules.” What he meant was that people on the street made their way around by communicating with the people around them, with eye contact and social cues and body language. That’s a high falutin’ way of saying that people were just being people. The roads seemed to function based on patience and respect as well. At one point, a large group of delegates gathered in the middle of the road for a photo and traffic in both ways stopped and, amazingly, waited. Us North Americans felt sheepish about stopping cars and were cringing in anticipation of an assault of car horns that never came. The Dutch carried on arranging people for the photo as if they, well, owned the road. This doesn’t always work. Near the NHL University building (don’t get excited, Canadians, it has nothing to do with hockey. NHL stands for Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden), the city had recently converted a large section of roadway to a “shared space,” which looked, basically, like a wide road with a bus stop on one side. Our group strolled to the middle of the space and hung out, but cars and buses came by rather quickly for my taste. Another delegate from Leeuwarden confessed the shared space hadn’t been a complete success. It was too wide, he felt, which gave a cue to car drivers that it was safe to go quickly. The city had recently installed a planter in the middle of the road in an attempt to slow the traffic, but he grumbled that it still wasn’t quite right. The point is that what makes shared space and complete streets work is making everybody feel safe and welcome. That doesn’t mean we all have to hold hands around a campfire – most of it comes through design. What does all of this have to do with Stephen Avenue? I still share some of the consternation about the impact of adding bikes to what has been Calgary’s premier (and only) meaningful pedestrian street, but Leeuwarden showed me how people can get along when they are left to just be people. And without cars there to further complicate things, the process should be smoother still. I expect there may still be problems from time to time, but hopefully, this move will make one street in Calgary a little more complete.

1 0

Bike Week invitation to host an event
by Dave Elmore 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

Please forward to any organizations/communities/individuals that you feel might be interested in hosting an event during Bike Week 2015. Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

1 0

FW: Bike Valet Manager ad
by Dave Elmore 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

Please pass along to your networks Bicycle Valet Winnipeg Manager: Contract Opportunity About Bicycle Valet Winnipeg <http://www.bicyclevaletwinnipeg.ca/> Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is a project of Bike Winnipeg that offers a bicycle valet parking service at events around Winnipeg. Bicycle valet parking reduces traffic and parking congestion while encouraging active transportation. The service is free to cyclists and is paid for through contracts with various events and organizations. Bicycle Valet Winnipeg has been in operation for five years and has successfully established itself as an important service at many public events including sports and entertainment events, community festivals, fundraising events and others. Bicycle Valet Winnipeg has an established network of clients and volunteers, an inventory of equipment, and an established set of services, pricing policies and operating procedures. About the contract Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is looking for a Manager who will operate the bicycle valet service as a social enterprise, and who has a passion for active transportation, and a commitment to making Winnipeg a bike-friendly city. The Manager is the leader of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg and the primary point of contact for sponsors, event promoters, media, volunteers, and the public. The Manager is responsible for all aspects of the enterprise, including negotiating contracts and sponsorship agreements, drafting grant applications, recruiting and coordinating volunteers for events, and ensuring materials are delivered, set-up, torn-down, and returned safely to storage. This is a contract position and the Manager’s net income will be based on revenue generated through contracts, grants, donations and sponsorships net of expenses. Past experience suggests that the Manager may generate $12,000.00 or more in net income per year. The work of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg is primarily completed during the months of May - November and a flexible work schedule is required as many events occur on the weekend or in the evenings. Applicants should provide a resume and cover letter describing their skills and experience in the following areas: * volunteer recruitment and management, * financial and business management, * event coordination, and * working as a self-employed contractor. Please send resume and cover letter to Jeremy Hull, at jeremy(a)bikewinnipeg.ca <mailto:jeremy@bikewinnipeg.ca> . For more information visit: http://bicyclevaletwinnipeg.ca/ Application Deadline: March 6, 2015

1 0

AT Webinar (Thurs, Feb 26, 2-3pm): New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand
by Beth McKechnie 24 Feb '15

24 Feb '15

*Friendly reminder regarding this Thursday's webinar...* Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar: *New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand. * This webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * New Tools for Estimating Walking and Bicycling Demand *Thursday, Feb. 26th, 2-3pm, EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Boardroom* NCHRP project 08-78 developed new methods for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand for planning and project development. The project’s final report is NCHRP 770, a guidebook that presents an array of methods for a variety of planning applications, with context and instruction on their selection and use. This webinar will focus on a new tool outlined in NCHRP 770 that enables practitioners to estimate demand from the interaction of land use and transportation. The new *multimodal accessibility tool *allows planners to include all modes of travel in an analysis that also examines changes in the pattern of land use or the travel network to determine which strategy, or combination of strategies, provides the greatest return. This session will review the limitations of current models for estimating demand, describe the research behind the development of the new tool, and give examples of how the model is being used at regional, corridor, and neighborhood levels. *Presenter:* - J. Richard Kuzmyk, Principal, Renaissance Planning Group

1 0

Colin Fast: Hit the Gas on Slowing Down
by Beth McKechnie 23 Feb '15

23 Feb '15

[In case you missed this piece, as I did, when it appeared in the print version of Metro Winnipeg on Feb 3/15.] Slow down Winnipeg: Lowering the speed limit to 40 km/h is a no-brainer http://metronews.ca/voices/policy-frog/1277917/slow-down-lowering-the-speed… If this is an average week in Winnipeg at least a half-dozen pedestrians and a couple of cyclists will end up in hospital after being hit by a car or truck. Yet despite the fact hundreds of residents are being injured or killed every year, the city has refused to take the most basic step toward improving road safety: reducing the default speed limit. Ignoring the issue not only creates a real danger for pedestrians, but it leaves Winnipeg in the dust on an emerging public policy trend toward slowing traffic down. New York, London and Paris all lowered their speed limits last year to between 32 km/h and 40 km/h. Edinburgh just approved lowering its limit to 32 km/h and San Francisco — already at 40 km/h — is looking at doing the same. Within Canada, campaigns are underway to lower speed limits in some Calgary neighbourhoods, Victoria recently cut the speed to 40 km/h on several streets, and the Ontario government announced last week it will hold public consultations on reducing the default speed limit to 40 km/h across the entire province. Politicians like Ottawa’s mayor Jim Watson and Thunder Bay’s mayor Keith Hobbs have already backed the proposal and said they want lower limits in their communities. “You see some cars going 60 and 70 km/h down a residential street and you cringe at what could happen — a child hit or killed, a pet, a senior citizen,” Watson told Metro Ottawa. But when 40 km/h speed limits were raised at Winnipeg city council in 2013, the administration dismissed the idea and councillors pretty much shrugged and moved on. To be fair, council did approve 30 km/h school speed zones around the same time, but those might be more confusing than effective. In addition to providing only part-time protection (7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, September to June), they also create a patchwork of speed limits in residential areas. For example, along Kingsway in River Heights the speed limit changes four times in seven blocks as the road passes two elementary schools. While “keep ’em on their toes” is one way to deal with speeders, it might not be the best option for creating long-term behavioural changes. A consistent 40 km/h speed limit on all residential streets — secondary roads, not major thoroughfares — would only delay drivers by a few seconds, but it would significantly improve safety and quality of life in Winnipeg’s residential neighbourhoods. Let’s hope our civic leaders speed up and get on board the slow-down movement. *Colin Fast is a communications specialist and freelance journalist in Winnipeg. He drives at 40 km/h through his neighbourhood and doesn’t care how much you honk. Find him on Twitter(a)policyfrog.*

1 0

Another good reason to walk and bike
by Beth McKechnie 23 Feb '15

23 Feb '15

Interesting to see that physical inactivity is even way more damaging than obesity, and that even "healthy weight" individuals would greatly benefit from walking or cycling. (Okay, nothing shockingly new but it might motivate some.) * * * * * *Lack of exercise responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity * A brisk 20 minute walk each day could be enough to reduce an individual’s risk of early death, according to new research published today. The study of over 334,000 European men and women found that twice as many deaths may be attributable to lack of physical activity compared with the number of deaths attributable to obesity, but that just a modest increase in physical activity could have significant health benefits. See more at: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/lack-of-exercise-responsible-for-twice-a…

1 0

Halifax advocates hand their city an entire protected bike lane plan on a platter
by Beth McKechnie 20 Feb '15

20 Feb '15

Halifax advocates hand their city an entire protected bike lane plan on a platter February 18, 2015 For biking believers both inside and outside of government, the playbook has become familiar. Lobby city planners to make a bike network plan. Get it funded. Make it as forward-thinking and ambitious as possible. Once you've drawn a bunch of lines on the city's official map, select the most important projects and start to fight political battles street by street, compromising every step of the way with those who argue that biking facilities don't need to be *that* common or *that* comfortable or *that* direct — forcing elected officials to weigh the needs for this parking lane or that turn lane one block at a time. It's a time-tested strategy, and it can certainly get results. But this winter in Halifax, a handful of volunteer biking advocates decided to try turning the process upside down. Read article <http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/advocates-hand-halfiax-an-entire-p…> -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

1 0

Peg City Car Co-op job posting
by Beth McKechnie 19 Feb '15

19 Feb '15

*** Please share widely *** *Peg City Car Co-op seeks Member Services Coordinator* To help with our growing membership and network of carshare vehicles, we need a dependable person who gets carsharing and how it works. Someone who is committed to and understands the individual, environmental and community benefits of "Bike. Walk. Bus. And Sometimes, Drive." The Member Services Coordinator is the main point of contact for Peg City Car Co-op members and is responsible for ensuring that members are satisfied with the carshare service as a practical, convenient and cost-effective alternative to private vehicle ownership. *Find details here.* <http://pegcitycarcoop.ca/2015/02/peg-city-car-co-op-seeks-member-services-c…> Deadline for submission:* 9pm, Thursday, March 5th*

1 0