September 2019 - AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

CTV News: City councillor wants better solution for sidewalk being narrowed in Exchange District (Sep15'19)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Sep '19

16 Sep '19

City councillor wants better solution for sidewalk being narrowed in Exchange District https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/city-councillor-wants-better-solution-for-sidew… The city councillor for Winnipeg’s Exchange District would like to see a better solution for a Main Street sidewalk being narrowed to make way for a loading zone. Vivian Santos, who represents the Point Douglas ward, said she learned about the construction on social media this week. “It didn't come across my desk,” Santos said a phone call with CTV News Sunday. The sidewalk in question, which appears to be shrinking to about half its size, is located on Main Street near the corner of Bannatyne Avenue. In an email to CTV News, the city said the new version of the sidewalk is about 2.2 metres wide and within acceptable accessibility standards for a downtown sidewalk. “The project was undertaken as a result of a unique situation identified through feedback received from 211 Bannatyne and its users to ensure a safe pick-up and drop-off location for families and children using the facility for music and dance lessons,” the city said. “Transportation planning in the downtown, given the limited space within the existing public right-of-way, is a matter of balancing the needs of all users including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, and sometimes involves making compromises to achieve an acceptable solution for all users,” the city said. Located inside 211 Bannantyne Avenue is a dance school, restaurant and offices. Santos said the issue about a lack of space in the area stems back to 2018 when some on-street parking and loading zones were removed to create bike lanes. Santos said she is familiar with the area and believes other options could have been explored. She said she would like to meet with the public works department about the project. “Safety is always my concern,” Santos said. The city said the loading zone on Bannatyne was removed in June 2018 when construction started on the bike lane. It is anticipated the project will be completed by the end of October, the city said. *‘Backwards priority system’: Winnipeg Trails Association* Winnipeg Trails Association executive director Anders Swanson said the move to narrow the sidewalk is as a result of a ‘backwards priority system’. “I was really surprised in 2019, Winnipeg is taking away any space for pedestrians at all. We have a massive wide street, very fast moving cars,” said Swanson. “We’ve created a city where machines are more important than people walking around.” He said the association plans to raise the issue at the city’s next active transportation advisory committee meeting. “It means you can’t have bike parking, and it makes it more difficult for people two people to walk side by side,” said Swanson. “It should be designed for two people in wheelchairs going somewhere,” he said. *‘A practical issue’: The School of Contemporary Dancers* Faye Thomson is the co-director of The School of Contemporary Dancers, which moved into 211 Bannatyne in the early 2000s. She said until the bike lanes on Bannatyne were installed in 2018, people coming to the school used the loading zone on Bannatyne. When the drop-off disappeared, she said the school requested a meeting with the city, which was sympathetic to its concerns. “The solution has nothing to with us. We just have hundreds of kids who need to unload in a safe unloading zone,” said Thomson in a phone call with CTV News Sunday. She said over 100 students a day come to the school because there are rehearsals up to seven days a week, and some of the students are as young as two-years-old. CTV News asked Thomson about the city councillor for the area wanting a better solution. “I think our view is, we need a safe loading zone that’s on the side of the building. How they come to that is for their planning department to come up with.” Thomson said many of the students are supportive of bike lanes. “This is not a philosophical issue. It’s a practical issue,” Thomson said.

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Bikelash & how to reduce it
by Beth McKechnie 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

*Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share...* *Globe & Mail: Bike lanes could ease gridlock – so why do drivers hate them so much? * https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-the-bikelash-is-real… *Civic crowdfunding reduces the risk of 'bikelash'* http://theconversation.com/civic-crowdfunding-reduces-the-risk-of-bikelash-…

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WFP: Narrow sidewalk sparks pedestrian-vehicle conflict (Sep14'19)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

*Building gets loading zone back after bike lane built on side street* * Narrow sidewalk sparks pedestrian-vehicle conflict * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/narrowed-sidewalk-site-of-pedestria… THE shrinkage of a single sidewalk has led to concern from urban planning experts and confusion at city hall. The width of the sidewalk — located at the southbound corner of Bannatyne Avenue and Main Street, in front of the McKim Building — will be reduced to 2.2 metres from 4.9 metres to make way for a vehicle loading zone. In 2018, the building’s former loading zone on Bannatyne was converted to separated bike lanes, leaving tenants without adequate loading space, said Faye Thomson, co-director of the School of Contemporary Dancers, which occupies the building’s main floor. The school reached out to the city’s public works department, stating it needed a loading zone for vehicles to drop off and pick up students. “It’s not that we don’t support bike lanes, and I’d like to make that clear,” Thomson said, adding her organization wasn’t consulted about the bike lanes or removal of the loading zone. “Philosophically, it wasn’t an issue, but it was a practical one.” “The goal of this loading zone is to ultimately ensure a safe pickup and dropoff location for families and children attending music and dance lessons at 211 Bannatyne,” a public works department representative wrote to Coun. Vivian Santos, in a message shared with the Free Press. “While the impact to the existing sidewalk may seem extensive today... the finished loading zone will leave the sidewalk with a width that still exceeds the minimum allowable measurement for the area (1.5 metres).” However, Santos said she wasn’t notified about the reduced sidewalk width. If she had, she’d have voiced her concerns. “This is not what I have been promoting the Exchange District to be: a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly neighbourhood,” she said, adding, as area councillor, normally she is notified about changes to streets and back lanes. “You don’t see anywhere else in the Exchange with (sidewalks this narrow) along a main street. “I hope it doesn’t set a precedent.” Richard Milgrom, head of the University of Manitoba department of city planning, agreed: “The message to downtown pedestrians is they aren’t as important as vehicles. That’s pretty clear.” Milgrom said sidewalks must be wide enough to not just serve as places for people to walk: they can be used as social places, with benches or art work to create more comfortable settings for pedestrians. “It’s even more complicated for people who use wheelchairs or mobility scooters,” he added. Marnie Courage, an occupational therapist and chief executive officer of Enabling Access Inc., said the loading zone could enhance accessibility for people with mobility concerns who have access to vehicular transport, but the reduced width will make it more difficult for wheelchair or mobility aid users. While Winnipeg’s minimum width for sidewalks of this kind is 1.5 metres, the City of Edmonton’s complete streets design and construction standards states main street sidewalks should be no narrower than three metres wide. Milgrom said neither 2.2 metres nor 1.5 metres are wide enough. “Minimum standards are rarely about quality. They’re usually about making things tolerable at best. I would argue this is reducing the tolerability.” A city spokesperson said the restructured sidewalk meets civic standards, adding: “Transportation planning in the downtown, given the limited space within the existing public right-of-way, is a matter of balancing the needs of all users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, and sometimes involves making compromises to achieve an acceptable solution for all users.” The School of Contemporary Dance and fellow tenant Across the Board Game Café say the loading zone will help their businesses. “Basically, we see it as a positive for us,” said Nicholas Mann, the café’s manager, who says he didn’t reach out to the city to request the change. “Having the loading zone here for deliveries (will be helpful).” Mann said, however, he hopes the city did due diligence in assuring the new sidewalk will be sufficient from pedestrian and accessibility standpoints. “We as a business would love to see more infrastructure for bikes and having it accessible for pedestrians, but it’s a tough balancing act because everything is so congested.” Santos has requested another meeting with public works about the issue. ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Webinar: From Yellow to Green: Reducing School Transportation's Impact on the Environment
by Beth McKechnie 15 Sep '19

15 Sep '19

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Date: Fri, Sep 13, 2019 at 1:39 PM WEBINAR From Yellow to Green: Reducing School Transportation’s Impact on the Environment September 25, 2019 from 3:00pm - 3:30pm <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> School transportation is often a necessity for students and families, but daily trips to and from school have significant environmental effects for students and their communities. All of these vehicles emit millions of tons of greenhouse gases per year into the environment — contributing to global warming — and expose children to harmful pollutants that can affect their health and academic performance. In a new policy brief, “From Yellow to Green: Reducing School Transportation’s Impact on the Environment <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…>,” Bellwether Education Partners analyzed how school transportation affects the environment and what steps states and districts can take to provide more environmentally friendly transportation services. This webinar, hosted by the brief’s co-author Phillip Burgoyne-Allen, will provide an overview of the school transportation policy landscape, school transportation’s environmental impact, and the costs and benefits of a number of impact reduction strategies. *Speakers:* * Brianne Eby,* *Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation* *Phillip Burgoyne-Allen,* *Policy Analyst, Bellwether Education Partners* *September 2019* *25* *REGISTER* <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Connect with us and don't miss out on other great resources!* [image: Facebook] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Facebook* <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: Twitter] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Twitter* <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: VIEW UPCOMING WEBINARS] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *VIEW UPCOMING WEBINARS* <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Copyright © 2019 Eno Center for Transportation, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you opted in to our email list. *Our mailing address is:* Eno Center for Transportation 1629 K St. NW Ste 200 Washington, DC 20006 Add us to your address book <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff96&id=d…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff96&id…> or unsubscribe from this list <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> . -- 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: Pedestrian scrambles boost safety: city (Sep13'19)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Sep '19

13 Sep '19

*Touted as ideal measure for road strategy* * Pedestrian scrambles boost safety: city * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/pedestrian-scrambles-on-road… PEDESTRIAN scrambles, which are intersections where traffic is stopped in all directions to allow people to cross any way, including diagonally, would make Winnipeg streets safer, city traffic engineers say. Scrambles are used in cities with heavy foot traffic, including Banff, Alta., and Toronto. The idea is one of several being considered by the City of Winnipeg as part of its road safety strategy. “We think this will have an effect on removing the conflict between pedestrians and motorists,” David Patman, manager of transportation in the public works department, said during a committee meeting Thursday. Patman told the public works committee his department has shortlisted a number of intersections that would be good matches for a scramble. The city has yet to make location details public or provide a timeline for the completion of such projects. However, Patman said short-term engineering safety projects are changes that can be made “right away.” The cost would be covered by the city’s $2.5-million budget for road safety measures in 2019. Pedestrian scrambles aside, Patman said Thursday his team wants to divvy up funds for strategic planning, data collection, public engagement campaigns and other engineering projects. The money would pay for installing more cameras to monitor safety hazards at high-priority intersections, as well as new flashing countdowns at crosswalks and protected left-turn lanes. “At many locations in the city, when you want to do a left turn, you sit in the intersection at the green phase and you wait for a gap,” Patman said. “This can be very frustrating when there’s very few gaps in the traffic and people get frustrated. They’ve got people behind them that are sort of glaring at them, they can see in their rear-view mirror that they want them to go, they start honking (horns), and people start taking chances.” The budget would include a request for proposal to develop a five-yearsand- beyond plan to assess road safety in the city. It would expand on the Manitoba Road Safety Plan, which expires in 2020. The deadline for applications for the $275,000 contract is Oct. 8. The city’s road safety is under scrutiny this year after the deaths of nine pedestrians and one cyclist. In 2017, the city started actively working towards adopting the principles of Towards Zero (fatalities), a national traffic safety approach that recognizes pedestrian deaths are preventable and driver error is unavoidable, meaning infrastructure must be forgiving of that. Of the total Winnipeg collisions reported from 2012 to 2015 — the latest traffic data compiled over a fouryear period — less than 0.1 per cent resulted in a fatality, while about 0.3 per cent resulted in a major injury. About 36 per cent of the fatal collisions involved a pedestrian. The cause of 40 per cent of those fatal pedestrian collisions is unknown. A pedestrian crossing with the right of way or running onto a roadway resulted in some of the deaths (18 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively). Fatalities that involved a pedestrian walking along a roadway against traffic, at an intersection without the right of way or on a sidewalk, median or safety zone each accounted for six per cent of the total count. The city’s latest report on collisions shows streets with 60 km/h speed limits are overrepresented in fatal and major collisions, followed by 80 km/h areas. Todd Dube, founder of traffic advocacy group Wise Up Winnipeg, said he supports the city’s pedestrian scramble idea — even though it might cause more congestion for vehicles downtown. “If you have 90 seconds of red (lights) every direction, you’re going to move less traffic, but you’re going to move more pedestrians more safely because they can cross at all points,” he said. Dube said the first ideal intersection that comes to his mind is Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard, near the University of Winnipeg. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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New study on effectiveness Bristol, UK's shift from 30mph to 20mph default speed
by Sean Carlson 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

Published July 13, 2019, positive outcomes of the city-wide speed limit reduction in Bristol, UK: https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/early/2019/07/25/injuryprev-2019-0… Amazingly, these positive changes "did not involve the introduction of any physical traffic calming measures" ( https://travelwest.info/project/ee-no-185-the-effectiveness-of-a-20mph-spee… ). That being said, *roadway design is still understood to be the most effective way to reduce speeds*; this study just suggests that the posted limit alone can have a significant impact, and that the general behaviour change from a city-wide shift is greater than reducing limits in only designated areas. Key takeaways: - After implementing 20mph default speeds, *speeds decreased city-wide, even on streets whose limits were unaffected: "**This suggests that city-wide 20 mph speed limits could be an effective strategy for reducing injuries, as it encourages safer driving behaviour that is not restricted to 20 mph roads. * - In support of a city-wide change vs. traffic-calmed zones: *"Interestingly, the reductions in fatalities in Bristol are larger than the 46% reduction in London associated with the introduction of traffic-calmed 20 mph zones,...Therefore, this finding goes some way to supporting city-wide 20 mph speed limits as an intervention to reduce road injuries*."; *The policy recommendation that would follow from this is to implement city-wide 20 mph limits, rather than 20 mph limits in restricted areas of a city* *.*" *Sean Carlson* (he/him/his) Active and Safe Routes to School Program, Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 103 | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB *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/>. Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/GreenActionCentre/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/greenactionctr> | Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/greenactioncentre/> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-action-centre/> ᐧ

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AT Webinar: Building support for controversial projects | Sept 18th 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Sounds like a good one! Can We Talk About the Street? Building Support for Controversial Projects <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001x1YOLu77Uyo5cnpRKTXz9-v27NxkhfaEA3ktalQh7peu…> Wed, Sept 18th, 2:00-3:00pm CDT Proposing solutions that call for reallocating roadway space can stir up controversy. This webinar will examine innovative approaches to building support for innovation in the public right-of-way. How do we manage the conversation in a way that both educates and inspires our stakeholders? Presenters: - Mary Stewart, Alta Planning + Design - Jeff Fuchs, PE, City of Tualatin - Dave Brokaw, Wallis Engineering

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Road Safety ModeShift in 3 weeks - program update
by Anders Swanson 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

AT-Network, With the exciting announcement in the paper <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-seeks-road-safety-strategic-ac…> about a new Road Safety Strategy for Winnipeg, I wanted to take a moment today to highlight some important road safety themed speakers and events happening during ModeShift Festival 2019 <http://ModeShift.ca> happening Sept.30-Oct4 (with a plenary conference on October 3rd). *Built for Walking: Youth Mobility MasterClass delivered by Dr.Linda Rothman (Toronto, ON) and Dr.Marie-Soleil Cloutier (Montreal, QC) (*with intro by Denae Penner) Both are renowned experts in road safety. They specialize in the analysis of the built environment for issues that affect youth specifically. They look at big data for patterns in mobility seeking out the barriers and injury-prone areas and drawing causation. Dr.Rothman is most well known recently in the international media for her work analysing socio-economic equity issues in traffic injury among youth during her time at Sick Kids Hospital. Dr. Cloutier is former chair of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals board and brings an innovative approach to GIS and youth mobility. Join them for a walkabout with a mixed group of all ages and learn how Linda, Marie-Soleil and kids in Winnipeg's inner city see the world! *Dutch Road Design - a Vision Zero MasterClass by Herbert Tiemens (City of Utrecht, NL)* (with intro by Chris Baker) Formerly working at the regional level, where he was an advisor to the Kingdom of Netherlands and ambassador for the Dutch Cycling embassy, Herbert is now in a new position as senior policy advisor on walking and cycling for the City of Utrecht. Utrecht has "problems" like needing to find overflow routes for some of the multiple main arteries that experience 50K+ people on bicycles a day . . or determining whether or not people whould be allowed to park on the street next to the world's largest bike parking garage. A leader in the country that developed the Safe Systems approach, Herbert will be leading workshop participants in an innvovative exercise looking at an area of Winnipeg that has long required attention. Don't miss it. *Tactical Traffic Calming MasterClass by Jen Malzer (City of Calgary)* (with intro by Rebecca Peterniak) Jen Malzer is a leading light in transportation engineering in Canada, hometown hero and has an incredibly interesting job involving community members directly in how Calgary rethinks their streets. <https://modeshift.ca/events/> Other related events: The Forks will be helping us announce a very exciting public talk by a special guest from the USA shortly. (I will let The Forks, who is making that event possible, spill the beans on that next week.) You will also not want to miss the masterclass by Amina Yasin about dementia-friendly cities and equity. Amina is a highly-regarded planner who will be discussing a range of equity-related issues and why ultimately, who you are ends up being a road safety issue. Scan the whole program at a glance. <https://modeshift.ca/events/> There is something of interest for everyone -whether a public health practitioner, engineer, advocate or artist! More speakers and panelists are being added to the website and details on evening events will appear shortly. Don't miss your chance to be part of this unique photo-op either and stay tuned for a lot more. You can register for the whole thing here. <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mode-shift-2019-a-festival-of-human-scale-citie…> Student, underemployed, on a budget? Mode Shift has been made affordable for anyone who wants to attend thanks to generous sponsors. By donation pricing is available. If you know someone who is interested, do not hesitate. Join us! Thank you, Anders Swanson Mode Shift Conference Program Director

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WFP: City hall issues call for strategic action plan on road safety (Sep12'19)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Sep '19

12 Sep '19

*City hall issues call for strategic action plan on road safety * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-seeks-road-safety-strategic-ac… THE same day a 37-year-old female pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on William Avenue — the ninth such fatality this year — the City of Winnipeg issued a request for proposal, for the development of a road safety strategic action plan. The RFP announced Tuesday, which seeks to develop a five-yearsand- beyond plan, is aimed at assessing the state of road safety in the city and to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement through public engagement and analysis, city hall says. The document notes previous endeavours — including the Manitoba Road Safety Plan developed in 2017 — didn’t go far enough to address the unique issues Winnipeg faces. “In order to achieve the long-term vision of Towards Zero (fatalities), there is a need to develop a road safety strategic action plan that is specific to the City of Winnipeg.” Nine cyclists and 27 pedestrians were killed in collisions on Winnipeg streets, from 2013 to 2018, Manitoba Public Insurance statistics show. MPI has run an aggressive advertising campaign aimed at reducing motorvehicular fatalities provincewide. So far in 2019, nine pedestrians and one cyclist have been killed in Winnipeg. While individual incidents spur media attention and draw concern from politicians and public figures, cycling and pedestrian advocates say the numbers only tell part of the story. “The reality is it’s a pattern,” Anders Swanson, executive director of Winnipeg Trails Association, said Wednesday. “Every single incident is a failure of the system in place. And behind every one of those ‘numbers’ is a person, and their families.” The Towards Zero ideology has been on the city’s radar since 2017, when a city committee requested the delivery of a road safety strategy. Swanson is optimistic the new strategic plan request could spark change and prevent future injuries or fatalities. “I think it’s a really important step, and gives a framework to operate under where we start off by saying, ‘We haven’t gotten this right, but we envision a city where people don’t get killed in traffic,’” he said. “(The RFP’s) main purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of what we’re already doing and find other things we need to do. “If it does that, it will be hugely beneficial.” Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe agreed. “They seem to have adopted a safe systems approach, and they’re really underscoring those as the principles a road safety plan would follow,” he said. “I think it’s a recognition that we’re seeing too many collisions, too many injuries and too many fatalities on Winnipeg streets.” Mayor Brian Bowman reiterated that pedestrian and road safety is a priority for his government. He cited the city’s 20-year cycling and active transportation strategy and $43 million in federal gas tax revenue earmarked for pedestrian and road safety improvements as proof. In April, city council approved $2.5 million in spending in 2019 on road safety measures to be determined by public works, as well as $750,000 in funding for three active transportation studies. This fall, in response to calls from advocates, council will also review the proposed lowering of the residential speed limit of 50 km/h to 30 km/h. “The numbers show we have a problem,” Cohoe said. “I think everyone agrees we want to see those fatalities and injuries disappear. We have to culturally recognize there’s an imperative to do that.” The RFP says the deadline for consultants to apply is Oct. 8, and the city will award a contract Oct. 29. The budget for the contract is $275,000. The public works committee will be briefed about the road safety strategy today. ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Bid Opportunity for City of Winnipeg Road Safety Strategy
by Mark Cohoe 11 Sep '19

11 Sep '19

The city has listed a bid opportunity for the Road Safety Strategy. It can be found at https://www.winnipeg.ca/finance/findata/matmgt/documents/2019/635-2019/635-… Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca

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