July 2020 - AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Global News: Downtown Winnipeg street turned into playground to encourage lower speed limits (Jul30'20)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jul '20

31 Jul '20

*Downtown Winnipeg street turned into playground to encourage lower speed limits* https://globalnews.ca/news/7237319/downtown-winnipeg-speed-limit-reduction-… A campaign aimed at slowing residential speed limits <https://globalnews.ca/tag/residential-speed-limits/> in Winnipeg turned a downtown street into a playground Thursday. Ellen Street was blocked off between Bannatyne and McDermot avenues in front of the Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba’s building from noon to 8 p.m. while kids and families played street hockey, hula-hooped and painted the road with chalk paint among workshops and other programming. The organizers of the #Love30for30 campaign, environmental non-profit Green Action Centre are in favour of reducing the default speed limit to allow pedestrians and cyclists to better share roads with drivers in Winnipeg. “We are asking for the default speed to be dropped from 50 kilometres per hour to 30 kilometres per hour — that does not mean that every street would be 30 km/h — it just means that we’re going to start at 30 km/h and raise speed limits above that where it’s safe,” said Denae Penner, the Green Action Centre’s sustainable transportation coordinator. Penner pointed to the lower risk of serious injury — World Health Organization data show a 90 per cent survival rate when pedestrians are struck by vehicles travelling 30 km/h — as part of the campaign’s reasoning for reducing speeds. “Pedestrian injury and cyclist injury is on the rise — safety concerns, in general, are growing, there is a lot of discussion right now happening at the city about making changes to policy and changes to street design to help fix that problem,” she said. “We want to have streets that function for cars, but also for kids who want to run and play.” The choice to close the specific street was intentional — IRCOM’s Ellen Street location is home to 65 immigrant families’ transitional apartments. “Many of our families don’t have vehicles and so they are the cyclists, they are the pedestrians, they are going to be walking across the streets to navigate a brand new community, go to school, go grocery shopping and make new friends,” said Dorota Blumczynska, IRCOM’s executive director. “The speed limits that are in place in this residential neighbourhood could compromise their safety, so we are doing our part in terms of educating our tenants and trying to help them understand how to be safe and street smart, but we need the city to meet us in the middle.” City council approved a pilot project that will see five residential streets speed limits reduced to 30 km/h last week, but Ellen Sreet was not one of them. The streets seeing reduced speed limits are: - Roch Street from Poplar Avenue to Arby Bay - Eugenie Avenue from St. Mary’s Road to Youville Street - Warsaw Avenue and Fleet Avenue from Nassau Avenue to Lindsay Avenue - Machray Avenue from Fife Street to Main Street - Flora Avenue from Sinclair Street to King Street

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WFP: Police investigate after cyclist killed in hit-and-run (Jul31'20)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Jul '20

31 Jul '20

Police investigate after cyclist killed in hit-and-run Two bicycle riders involved in crashes on Wednesday https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/police-investigate-after-cyclist-ki… A CRUISER bike was propped against an electrical pole on Grey Street and a black helmet was near the curb as Winnipeg police investigated a fatal hit-and-run in the Munroe neighbourhood Thursday morning. Around 10 p.m. Wednesday, police said emergency crews were called to the intersection of Moncton Avenue and Grey Street for reports of a crash between a vehicle and a cyclist. The driver of the vehicle fled the scene, police said, and the cyclist, who was identified as a 50-year-old man, was taken to hospital in critical condition, where he died. No other details were released on Thursday by police who investigated the area between Munroe and Moncton overnight and into the morning. Officers could be seen photographing evidence strewn across the street before 8 a.m. Thursday with numerous markers spread out on the pavement. Police had not yet identified the driver of the vehicle as of Thursday and asked anyone with information or witnesses to contact investigators at 204-986-7085 or call Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477. The fatal collision in the school zone on Grey Street was the second serious incident Wednesday involving a person on a bike. That morning around 7:30 a.m., first responders were called to a crash at St. Anne’s Road and Bank Avenue. A man who had been riding his bike was taken to hospital in unstable condition after being hit by a vehicle, but was later upgraded to stable, police said. Police did not provide additional details of that collision Thursday. Preliminary data from Manitoba Public Insurance show 35 people had been killed on public roads in Manitoba as of July 30. Last year, 77 people died. MPI said one cyclist has been killed so far this year. Preliminary data on injuries for the year was not available. MPI statistics indicate most bicycle-vehicle collisions happen in urban settings and, based on a 10-year average, two cyclists die and 129 are injured each year. Most collisions happen in the summer, MPI said, and from April to June this year there’s been a 60 per cent increase in speed-related driving offences. Clayton Rudy, board co-chair with Bike Winnipeg, said the organization is pushing for reduced speeds where people on bikes and vehicles cross paths. “A lot of Winnipeggers cycle in the city and the whole community is sad when there is an injury or fatality on the road,” Rudy said. “Unfortunately, it discourages some people from being on their bikes and being on their bikes more often. “It’s just really sad when somebody loses their life on the road.” Rudy said anecdotal reports indicate people are choosing to walk or ride bicycles more frequently this summer, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic, and he worries the number serious collisions may increase when school resumes in the fall. Bike Winnipeg is supportive of reducing residential speed limits to 30 km/hr citywide, he added. “For a long time, serious injuries and fatalities using the road system have been tolerated culturally,” the accredited level-two road safety professional and traffic operations engineer said. “We’ve started to see that culture shift and it’s beginning to be that losing your life walking or being on a bike is tolerated as much as it used to be. “We need to have far reaching policy-level decisions, made by the provincial and city government, to support that changing culture,” Rudy said. Seven pedestrians have been killed on public roadways this year in Manitoba, including one in Winnipeg, MPI said. On Wednesday, Brandon RCMP reported a 30-year-old female pedestrian died around 4:15 a.m. A driver travelling westbound on the Trans-Canada Highway hit the woman, who police said was lying on the road. Last year, Manitoba recorded one of its deadliest years for pedestrian fatalities in two decades, with at least 12 pedestrian deaths on public roadways in the first nine-months of 2019. Year end totals were not made available by MPI on Thursday. — with files from Sarah Lawrynuik danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Editorial: Slower speeds catch on quickly (Jul30'20)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jul '20

30 Jul '20

Slower speeds catch on quickly https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/slower-speeds-catch-on… A SUREFIRE way to spark spirited conversation among Winnipeggers is to mention 30 km/h speed limits. There are heartfelt arguments for and against such restrictions, but one fact is inarguable: drivers had better get used to the idea, because Winnipeg is part of a national trend of cities forcing drivers to ease up on the accelerator. A campaign to reduce the residential speed limit will close a section of Ellen Street from noon to 8 p.m. today as residents make their point by using open pavement for fun activities. This follows the approval by city council last week of a one-year pilot project to test a 30 km/h limit on sections of five residential streets: Roch Street, Eugenie Avenue, Warsaw Avenue/Fleet Avenue, Machray Avenue and Flora Avenue. What’s more — and what’s bound to be even more controversial — is council’s consideration of lowering speed limits on all residential roads. They plan to hire a consultant to study the impact of both 30 km/h and 40 km/h limits throughout the city. Such changes would extend the 30 km/h school zones that already exist during the academic year. The reduced-speed zones have been a consistent target of public complaint from some drivers, particularly those hit in the wallet by the photo enforcement contractors set up near schools. People who support lower speed limits — they include cyclists, pedestrians and parents of children — point to evidence that speed kills: pedestrians almost always die when hit by vehicles going 70 km/h, but 90 per cent of pedestrians survive after being hit by vehicles going 30 km/h. People who oppose lower limits insist vehicular traffic in some areas of Winnipeg is already clogged enough without making it worse with snail-like limits. Many of them suspect the city’s motivation for expanding 30 km/h zones is less about safety and more about a lucrative source of revenue from ticket fines. This polarizing disagreement is echoed in other Canadian cities that are also on the road to slowing down drivers. Toronto has reduced speeds on almost 50 streets, on arterial roads from 60 km/h to 50 km/h. It also introduced about 50 automated speed cameras to ticket drivers. Edmonton city council introduced a bylaw last month to decrease the citywide default residential speed limit from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. Hamilton is in the process of cutting the limit in residential neighbourhoods from 50 km/h to 40 km/h, and to 30 km/h in school zones. Vancouver is extending the enforcement period of its 30 km/h limit for schools around the clock, and testing the 30 km/h limit in areas without schools or playgrounds. The Canadian initiatives are variations of a concept called Vision Zero, which started in Sweden more than 20 years ago and has spread to Australia, England and cities, including Oslo, New York, Minneapolis and San Francisco. The goal is to eliminate 100 per cent of traffic fatalities and severe injuries. This is accomplished by rejigging traffic flow, enforcing road rules and educating drivers to respect an unequivocal tenet: pedestrians are paramount. Winnipeg drivers will have the opportunity in September to display their belief that pedestrians are paramount, especially young pedestrians. School buses will be sparsely occupied because of COVID-19 restrictions, which means an unusually large number of children and youth will be walking, pedalling, blading and skateboarding from their homes to their schools. If the threat of speed-limit fines is insufficient incentive to slow drivers, the safety of little lives should be.

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WFP: Campaign touts slower speeds, roads as shared spaces (Jul28'20)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '20

28 Jul '20

Campaign touts slower speeds, roads as shared spaces https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/slow-speed-ahead----campaign-touts-… A CAMPAIGN to reduce Winnipeg’s residential speed limit will shut down a section of Ellen Street to help others see its vision for “shared” roads. This Thursday, from noon to 8 p.m., Ellen Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between McDermot and Bannatyne avenues, as part of a local #Love30on30 event. That hashtag and campaign supports a permanent speed limit reduction for residential roads to 30 km/h. “It’s showing people that their streets can feel very different than they do right now. They don’t need to feel like they’re just dedicated to cars,” said Denae Penner, one of the event’s organizers. Penner, who also serves as the Green Action Centre’s sustainable transportation program co-ordinator, said the Ellen Street site will become an outdoor gathering space for various events, including zumba, street hockey and a bike clinic. She said slowing down traffic is especially important for children, those who live in central neighbourhoods and people of colour. Penner said those groups are all more likely to be seriously injured in a traffic collision. The reduced-speed campaign is drawing increased support, she said, noting the change wouldn’t apply to key commuter routes, such as Portage Avenue. Speed reduction advocates say drivers must be required to slow down to prevent traffic-collision deaths. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pedestrians have a 90 per cent chance of survival when struck by a car travelling at 30 km/h or slower but that chance drops to less than 50 per cent when the car travels at 45 km/h. “Pedestrians have almost no chance of surviving an impact at 80 km/h,” the WHO states. Last week, Winnipeg city council approved a pilot program of 30 km/h speed limits on five residential streets. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said that trial should help gauge Winnipeggers’ thoughts on a potential permanent change. The city will also hire a consultant to study a broader speed limit reduction next year, if council approves the funding in its 2021 budget. “There’s going to be a robust discussion in the coming year or two,” said Allard, council’s public works committee chairman. However, some Winnipeggers are convinced a speed limit reduction isn’t necessary. A petition against lowering the residential speed to 30 km/h has gathered more than 7,000 signatures. Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) said he personally believes there are better ways to improve road safety than reducing the speed limit. Browaty said it’s more important to enforce current maximum speeds, arguing the default 50 km/h limit is appropriate. “I think that’s the right default speed limit… If people just drive prudently, when there’s people on the streets, you simply slow down,” he said. The councillor said he’s concerned even the speed reduction pilot project could have unfortunate side effects, by leading more drivers to converge on the remaining regular-speed routes. “I think it’s going to move traffic to other parallel streets that don’t have these trials,” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: One sprawling city | Missing the target for emissions reduction measures (Jul25'20)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '20

28 Jul '20

Winnipeg’s suburban development, long ago linked to public transit routes, is now driven by a desire to live further away from the city centre; the result is more vehicles, longer commutes and growing greenhouse-gas emissions ONE SPRAWLING CITY! https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cover-crisis-what-crisis-inside-one… THE main arteries of this city tell the story of how Winnipeg grew into a metropolis. Pembina, Portage, Main, Henderson Highway — all of these streets snaking their way through a growing city — used to act as principal corridors connecting the downtown core to bedroom communities that, once upon a time, stood on their own. They tell the story of how urban sprawl was virtually carved into the DNA of the city as far back as the early 1900s. “We really couldn’t avoid it — because of the way we were set up, because there were individual cities and municipalities set up surrounding the downtown core,” says Winnipegfocused historical consultant Murray Peterson. “The city was moving in all directions outward… you naturally had sprawl.” The nature of urban sprawl in Winnipeg has changed over that time, he says. In the beginning, it was driven, ironically, by public transport. “Wherever the street car went, you could get development,” he says. Now it’s driven more by low-density suburban housing development, which is cheaper to build in the sticks than it is to redevelop sites within the city. New builds are “fairly significant” in several areas, says Christopher Storie, the director of the University of Winnipeg’s Institute for Urban Studies. Continuous development can be seen north of Garden City, as well as in the southwest and in the vicinity of the Island Lakes neighbourhood in the southeast, he says. The result is a city that is still pushing the outer boundaries further from the downtown core. Based on city census data, the number of people living in Island Lakes grew from 510 in 1986 to 7,465 in 2011. In the same time period, Riverbend, located off Main Street inside the Perimeter Highway, grew from 780 people to 5,390. Even communities with more established neighbourhoods, such as Richmond West, grew from 2,995 in 1986 to 8,240 people by 2011. These neighbourhoods are outpacing the growth rates of the city as a whole. And the sprawl continues to the edges of the Perimeter Highway. The Waverley West development in south Winnipeg, which was given the green light in 2005, was designed for 40,000 residents by 2020. Sage Creek, where the first home in the development to the east of Island Lakes was built in 2005, will be home to 12,000 by 2028. “We have continued to sprawl in a classic sense — the single-family or light-density residential housing — towards the perimeters of the city,” Storie says. ●●● These patterns of development do more than increase infrastructure spending for the municipality and lengthen the time it takes to drive from one end of the city to the other. The way a city develops creates the patterns in which its people live. And when it comes to climate change, they create entrenched behaviours that make lowering greenhouse gas emissions a herculean task. Statistics Canada did a side-by-side comparison of data gathered in 1996 and 2016 to look at how continued sprawl — not only in Winnipeg but across the country — was changing the dynamics of how far people travelled to reach work. The study of long-form census data found that in Winnipeg the most concentrated place of work is in the downtown core, with 47.5 per cent of jobs within five kilometres of city hall, while another 40.4 per cent of jobs are between five and 10 kilometres of city hall. But fewer people are living in areas with short commutes to this high-density employment zone. In 1996, 36.8 per cent of Winnipeggers lived within five kilometres of the city centre. Two decades later that number had fallen to 28.4 per cent, which is still the highest percentage of people located in close proximity of the urban core when compared to the seven other Canadian cities studied. But every city saw an increase in dispersal of people away from the city core. During that 20-year period, Winnipeg saw an increase of more than 20,000 people using a vehicle as the primary means of transport to get to work, which is now the preferred mode of 78.8 per cent of the city’s roughly 345,000 commuters. So, it is no surprise then when emissions reports show residents’ passenger vehicles are responsible for approximately one-third of all the emissions generated in the city. HIGH-DENSITY BUILDS PICKING UP STEAM In Winnipeg since 2000, more than 28,000 new building permits have been issued for single-family homes, with peaks in construction coming in 2012 and 2017. In the same period, medium density options saw meagre advances with only 2,100 semi-detached home permits issued, and 4,700 row house permits issued. Higher-density options advanced on par with single-family residences. The city issued permits for 25,000 apartment- style units to be constructed. And while permits for single-family dwellings have remained remarkably stable since 2000, permits for apartments have been increasing steadily. In 2000, permits were issued for 119 units. In 2019, permits for 3,145 units were issued. Storie says it is good to see progress on more density development, but it still doesn’t mitigate the continued pressure on the city to continue its outward expansion. While it was a pattern developed very early in Winnipeg history, it was further cemented in the postwar years, Storie explains, wherein the inner-city housing was the more affordable option, and thus was often where new immigrants would live. But as the family began to generate more wealth, they typically moved out to single-family homes in the suburbs with more space, and they did this likely at the same time they were able to afford a car for transport into the core, he says. In the postwar years, sprawl and its connection and reliance on transit systems was effectively severed as suburbanites became car-bound for their commutes. The flip side of ambition is the prospect of falling short. Vancouver has failed to meet its 2020 goal, and Calgary similarly missed its previously set 2020 target. Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman says this is a case where the good need not be the enemy of the perfect. “We did change the targets in 2018,” Bowman says. “The targets were done to make sure they were more achievable. And so, we want to make sure that if we’re setting these targets we’re actually achieving them.” Or, at least, that is the hope. Cities are well-positioned to act on climate change because they’re a large source of emissions, thanks to the number of cars on the streets and the aggregation of buildings and people. “(Municipalities) are the form of government that are closest to the people, so in terms of engagement, they’re the ones who could engage key decision-makers, the public, key sectors, and have more tailored approaches to climate-change mitigation and adaptation,” says Dave Guyadeen, an assistant professor at the University of Guelph’s School of Environmental Design. Guyadeen says cities, in many ways, have the most at stake when it comes to coping with the fallout of a changing climate, since there is such a large concentration of people, infrastructure and businesses. And when extreme weather events happen, for example, the damage costs are staggering. “The most important part is cities have access to land-use and zoning controls and regulations, which the federal and provincial levels don’t necessarily have,” he says. “So, cities — in land-use planning — they can influence development by specifically targeting things such as mixed-use development, compact development, looking at infill/brownfield (development), green building and infrastructure.” Winnipeg has begun setting modest targets for 2030, aiming to have 50 per cent of development be infill, which helps create more urban density, but the city continues to grow outward. “Even transportation — you can promote active transportation, transit-oriented development, building pedestrian- friendly communities, which would reduce our reliance on vehicles for movement,” Guyadeen says. And this will be critical to Winnipeg’s plan, since sprawl and the accompanying transportation emissions account for a significant amount of the city’s overall output. WHERE DO EMISSIONS COME FROM? Emissions in Winnipeg fall into three large categories: transportation, natural gas and waste disposal. Local calculations haven’t been made available by the city since 2011, but this year council agreed to allot money for a new inventory. The 2011 data demonstrated that nearly half (49.7 per cent) of emissions are generated by transportation, one-third from burning natural gas and 14.9 per cent in the waste-disposal process. Winnipeg, powered principally by hydroelectricity, does have a leg up when it comes to emissions generated to create electricity, which make up less than one per cent of the total. Transit and wastewater both also generate less than one per cent of the total. TRANSPORTATION Of the emissions generated by transportation, 65 per cent is by residents driving. And while the overall goals are slightly more ambitious, the aim is to lower transportation emissions by only 17 per cent by 2030. This includes a target for eight per cent of vehicles on the road to be electric by 2030. “Eight per cent by 2030? No. That’s a bit low,” says Eric Bibeau, an associate professor in the department of engineering at the University of Manitoba. Bibeau was one of the authors of the federal strategic road map for electric vehicles released in 2009. Bibeau says Manitoba has lagged behind in electric vehicle sales — less than one per cent of new registrations in the province in 2018 accounted for EVs or hybrids, according to Statistics Canada. That compares to provinces leading the way, such as Quebec and British Columbia where those vehicles accounted for only 5.2 per cent and 6.1 per cent, respectively. However, Bibeau believes that in the coming decade, the move for manufacturers to create electric-powered trucks will change things for Manitobans, and Winnipeggers, specifically. “It’s going to be pretty idiotic to buy a gasoline truck by 2025,” he says. “The eight per cent — I’m not surprised that somebody from Winnipeg would say that, I’m not surprised. It’s low and it shows the culture of not understanding what is going on (in the global context).” The climate plan also sets out a goal of creating 800 kilometres of pathways for an active transportation network by 2030. Approximately 290 kilometres have been built so far, city officials say. By 2030, the plan states that 14 per cent of people will need to have adopted either walking or biking (or another means of active transport) in order to achieve the 17 per cent emissions-reduction targets. Fifteen per cent will need to take public transit. According to Statistics Canada, based on the 2016 census, 4.7 per cent of Winnipeg’s commuters walked, 1.7 per cent cycled and 14 per cent used public transit. Bowman says this is an area where citizens can step up, incorporating active or public transportation into their lives as demand will spur more development. Another piece of the puzzle is analyzing the continued growth of the commuter communities surrounding the city and he expects that will be a part of the capital region plan. “One of the things we’re scrutinizing is the kind of growth that happens in and around Winnipeg,” he says. NATURAL GAS Buildings are Winnipeg’s second-largest source of emissions, with 99 per cent produced from burning natural gas, the climate report says. Natural gas has been long considered a clean solution for heating needs, given that it emits approximately 27 per cent less than burning heating oil for the same purpose, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says. The only ways to mitigate emissions from natural gas are to change mechanisms for heating to renewable sources, or electric (which could put considerable strain on the province’s electric grid) or to invest in building efficiency. The city’s plan for mitigation relies entirely on the first and third options. The city aims to decrease emissions from heating buildings — both residential and commercial — by eight per cent by 2030. This includes an increase (yes, increase) in the amount of natural gas burned, compared with 2011 levels by about 24 per cent; the plan expects that will be offset by eight per cent of homes switching to renewable sources of energy, or having made significant energy-efficiency improvements. Meanwhile, 12 per cent of commercial or industrial buildings will be expected to do the same. The city will make an effort to motivate the switch — especially for commercial owners — by creating energy benchmarks for properties so that each building is rated based on its carbon footprint. The climate plan also discusses the possibility of using solar energy for water heaters, or possibly investing in geothermal heat pump technology, which is more efficient and generally uses renewable energy sources. WASTE DISPOSAL The Brady Road Landfill is one of the top single-source emitters of greenhouse gases in the province. “While waste generation is similar to other Canadian cities, diversion rates have been comparatively poor in Winnipeg,” the climate plan states. Approximately 15 per cent of emissions come from waste disposal, generated principally by the decomposition of organic matter in a landfill. A compost program would alleviate and mitigate emissions. A two-year pilot project is finally set to get underway in the fall after nearly a decade of discussions. “I think I was one of the people who didn’t want to move quickly on compost. Some people blame me on this, I don’t think I deserve all the blame, but my view has shifted on compost,” Coun. Brian Mayes says. “We should be trying to move that forward if we can get some help from the province. I’d like to pick up the pace right now on this pilot project.” Winnipeg is the largest city in Canada without a compost program. The city could have learned from pilot projects conducted in other municipalities and fast-tracked the initiative, but chose not to pursue it. “It’s not like this is tricky technology, like some of the stuff at the North End sewage treatment plant, no,” says Mayes, the St. Vital councillor who chairs the Standing Policy Committee on Water and Waste, Riverbank Management and the Environment. “There’s a bin, you put the bin at the end of your driveway. I think it came down to cost.” Bowman agrees that council was not receptive to moving forward with curbside organics in the last term. “One of the reasons we wanted to get the pilot is there are localized costs that have to be quantified so that we can properly budget,” he says. The city — with the help of the federal government — has invested $3.2 million in drilling 81 gas wells in the landfill to collect the methane that would otherwise be emitted. Instead of using it for heating or other useful purposes, the methane is being burned to simply turn the emissions from methane to less-potent carbon dioxide. The city’s project web page says the practice will reduce emissions annually by the same amount as if 21,700 passenger vehicles were taken off the roads. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION The city has plans and targets, but without a local inventory conducted since 2011, knowing where the city stands is difficult. The closest number that can be used to track progress is the federal government’s inventory report that considers the province’s emissions from 2018. The report, released in the spring, indicated that Manitoba’s emissions have continued to grow, reaching their highest point ever. Between 2005 and 2018, emissions in the province grew by 8.3 per cent. Keeping track of progress and reporting it publicly is a critical piece of the emissions-reduction puzzle. The Carbon Disclosure Project, an international not-for-profit organization, has become the go-to source for governments and businesses alike to report their emissions-reduction goals and actions. “Cities that don’t both measure and manage this information are not as readily prepared to withstand the systemic shocks from either extreme weather, or from other types of disruptions,” says Bruno Sarda, president of CDP North America. “So the motivation these days is that it really is considered to be a standard practice.” The CDP grades any city government that has voluntarily participated. Winnipeg was not among the seven Canadian cities that received an A-grade, the only score posted publicly. Winnipeg has not updated its inventory report with CDP since 2011. >From that data, Sarda says the city may be on the right path in terms of planning, but has not progressed to the same levels as other Canadian communities. He says council should be seeking inspiration from places such as Windsor, Ont., which is investing in home retrofit incentives to maximize energy efficiency. Or Toronto, where idling laws are being enacted and the city transit fleet is being switched over to electric. Or Vancouver, where a clear commitment has been made to utilize more renewable energy sources. All three are A-grade cities, along with North Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton. “The thing we find with A-list cities is that they have about double the number of actions to adapt to climate change versus non-A-list cities, and about five times as many (emission) mitigation actions,” he says. “So Winnipeg is certainly on the right path, at least they have these emissions targets that they put out in 2018, you know, not super ambitious — 20 per cent reduction by 2030, relative to 2011 — we see that certainly as being behind the mark compared to a lot of the climate science, which says it should probably be a 50 per cent reduction by 2030. “Eighty per cent by 2050, that used to be pretty good, now it’s considered a little bit insufficient when it’s really about net-zero by 2050.” Bibeau is far more critical. “The city is nowhere near on the ball on anything. They have no active policy on climate change,” he says. “It reflects the (policy of) the provincial government. So, there’s nothing really serious going on in Manitoba.” Mayes says there are other actions to consider, such as the city’s creation of a food council to consider ways to create locally sourced food networks. “Maybe we’re just inching along, but at least we’re moving forward. At least we’re doing something,” Mayes says. “I am OK with our efforts.” At roughly 28 per cent, Winnipeg’s emissions are a fraction of Manitoba’s, which account for only three per cent of the country’s total, which make up roughly 1.5 per cent of the global total, Environment and Climate Change Canada says. But the premise of all developed countries acting together to solve the problem is the foundation for global mitigation efforts and it’s not a responsibility to be shirked, Bowman says. “There are politicians in the world who don’t believe climate change is real and they don’t believe that it’s caused by humans. And fortunately, in Winnipeg, we’re not of that view. City council, I believe, to a person, appreciates the fact that we need to meet these (greenhouse-gas) targets and we are in a meaningful way trying to make a difference.... I want to meet the (emissions) targets and I’m going to continue to be aggressive at looking at different measures we can do to achieve them,” he says. “We know that we’ve got more work to do, and we’ll continue to do so. But we need all levels of government doing their part, and we need citizens pitching in.” sarah.lawrynuik(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @SarahLawrynuik ______ MISSING THE TARGET City has a modest climate-change plan in place but is seemingly in no hurry to implement reduction measures THERE are many instances where municipal governments find themselves hamstrung, victims to the whims of larger governments with bigger spending power and more expansive jurisdictions. But in the case of one of the biggest looming threats to cities — climate change — municipal governments have an overwhelming amount of power to make meaningful policy moves. Yet, the City of Winnipeg is dragging its feet on consequential action. In 2018, Winnipeg adopted a climate-action plan aimed at lowering greenhouse-gas emissions generated within the city limits by 20 per cent by 2030, using 2011 levels as a baseline. By 2050, the goal is to have reduced emissions by 80 per cent. This is below what the federal government committed the country to in the 2015 Paris Agreement; Canada pledged to lower emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, below 2005 levels — a greater percentage on a lower benchmark year. Following those commitments, the federal government also committed to pursuing net-zero emissions by 2050. When compared with other Canadian cities, Winnipeg’s goals are modest. Vancouver’s aim was to lower emissions by 2020 by 33 per cent, and by 2050 by 80 per cent, using 2007 as a baseline. One might expect emissions reductions would at least be more ambitious in Winnipeg than in the heart of oil and gas country, but Calgary has outstripped Winnipeg in committing to the same emissions reduction percentage by 2050, but using 2005 as a baseline. “And then as we sort of added a highly consumer lifestyle to the mix, the need to not only house the humans within the family, but then the stuff that comes with the shifting lifestyle, the move towards disposable, cheap items. And it all just begins to group together, and the cost of building housing, and large housing… is much more affordable building on land at the perimeter compared with infill and redevelopment in the interior,” Storie says. ●●● The city, as part of its climate strategy passed by council in 2018, has begun addressing urban sprawl and has committed to infill making up 50 per cent of all residential development by 2030 in order to increase the city’s density. “We want to be considering that as the city spreads out more, then we would expect to see that the number and length of person vehicle (trips) are increasing and other (transportation) options may become less viable or more costly for the city to implement,” says Lindsay Mierau, manager of the city’s Office of Sustainability. “And that has direct implications for addressing greenhouse-gas emissions.” The city plans to focus infill development in strategic areas close to transit corridors, and it will also move focus away from single-detached residences that are more energy intensive than their denser counterparts, Mierau says. This is one aspect of the city’s climate plan that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent by 2030, when compared with 2011 emissions. In order to limit global warming to 1.5 C this century, emissions need to be reduced by 7.6 per cent every year between 2020 and 2030. Storie says the kinds of goals the city is laying out for infill will require policy changes since it is often a secondary choice for developers because it is typically more costly, given land acquisition costs. Coun. Brian Mayes, chairman of the Standing Committee on Water and Waste, Riverbank Management and the Environment, says he thinks focusing on density alone is an oversimplification of the problem. There has already been focus on reimagining suburbs to be more complete communities that people don’t have to leave as often, he says. Then, there is the problem that if single-family homes end up being in short supply in Winnipeg, there’s nothing stopping people from buying in neighbouring communities and taking their tax dollars with them, he says. “It’s all billed as if we just need to build up,” he says. “Well that’s a bit simplistic. We do need to have people living downtown, but there’s tens of thousands of people who don’t want that.” he says. ●●● Winnipeg is far from the only city to struggle with urban sprawl. It’s a question that’s been raised in towns and cities across North America, in large part because there is no shortage of land. New, imaginative approaches to sustainable neighbourhood development are being considered across the country and around the world. For example, in Edmonton, the city is undertaking a first-of-its-kind community — called Blatchford. Planners are attempting to reimagine the concept of a neighbourhood with pedestrian streets, relegating cars to back lanes. The community will be collectively powered using geothermal heat-pump technology to provide more efficient heating and cooling systems. And local businesses and recreational facilities will be integrated within the community in an attempt to bring services to residents, instead of forcing them to travel to find those services which, the theory goes, lowers their reliance on personal vehicles. But at the same time, bedroom communities across Canada are growing at alarming rates as sprawl in major cities hits certain thresholds. Cochrane, 40 kilometres northeast of Calgary, saw a growth rate of 47.1 per cent between 2011 and 2016, Statistics Canada says. That was second only to Warman, Sask., just north of Saskatoon, which grew by 55.1 per cent. Manitoba hasn’t seen the same explosion in growth rates of bedroom communities that’s been witnessed in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan, but the Rural Municipality of Ritchot, just south of Winnipeg, did make the top 20 list for 2011-2016, with a growth rate of 21.9 per cent. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives reported last fall that more than half of the residents living in communities surrounding Winnipeg commuted into the city on a daily basis — from Springfield, Headingley, St. Clements and East and West St. Paul. Sprawl has been looked at from every which way, Storie says — the effect it has on infrastructure spending, on the provision of services, on the socioeconomic inequality between neighbourhoods. As climate change becomes a major action item on cities’ agendas, however, transportation needs of people living further from work and services really is the biggest challenge. “My biggest concern here, in terms of urban development, is the balance between sprawl and transportation and efficiency of transportation,” he says. “We have a very strong car culture in this city, so there needs to be incentive, either through a rebate program or through a provision of services, whereby we get people out of their vehicles and into transit, and reduce that demand on the car.” sarah.lawrynuik(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @SarahLawrynuik

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New report: Public Health and Transportation Paper (US)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '20

28 Jul '20

Our latest research report is now available! The Role of Transportation in Improving America's Health View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/abd5cf71c153/webinar-dockless-data-2029874?e=f1a7e782fb> Eno is proud to announce the publication of our latest research report: *Increasing Access to Essential Health Functions: The Role of Transportation in Improving America’s Health.* Transportation access is one of the fundamental objectives of the public sector as a means to provide access to jobs, services, recreation, and all other elements of the movement of people and goods. It is also one of the most important ways government can enable residents to live healthy, productive lives. In this report, Renee Autumn Ray discusses recommendations on how public sector agencies can work together to improve policy and programming, provide a more equitable environment, and enable better health outcomes and a higher quality of life. *Click below to read the full report and sign up for the upcoming webinar that will break down the report's key concepts.* LEARN MORE <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: Twitter] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: Facebook] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: Website] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: LinkedIn] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Copyright © 2020 Eno Center for Transportation, All rights reserved.* *Our new mailing address is:* 1629 K St., NW Suite 200 Washington, DC 20006

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NACTO guide on speed limit setting in urban areas
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '20

28 Jul '20

[From Jessica Roberts on the TDM listserv] NACTO released a new guide <https://nacto.org/safespeeds/> on how to set speed limits in urban areas. The TL;DR version is: *City Limits* outlines a three-method approach to speed limit setting that provides an alternative to percentile-based speed limit setting: 1. *Setting default speed limits* on many streets at once (such as 25 mph on all major streets and 20 mph on all minor streets), 2. *Designating slow zones* in sensitive areas, and 3. *Setting corridor speed limits* on high priority major streets, using a *safe speed study*, which uses conflict density and activity level to set context-appropriate speed limits. -- 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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The Guardian: Residents to get new decision-making powers in England cycling 'revolution' (Jul27'20)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '20

28 Jul '20

*Residents to get new decision-making powers in England cycling 'revolution' * Residents will get powers to banish through-traffic from local streets and councils will be prevented from building substandard cycle lanes under what Downing Street has billed as a revolution for cycling and walking in England. The plans will see the creation of a watchdog to ensure new cycle and walking routes are up to standard, intended to act as a transport equivalent of the schools inspectorate, Ofsted. Active Travel England, to be led by a yet-to-be-appointed commissioner for walking and cycling, will refuse to fund paint-only bike lanes – without physical barriers or protection from cars – or routes where cyclists and pedestrians have to share space. It could also cut budgets in other areas for highways departments which fail to deliver on active transport. The plans, led by Boris Johnson, will be funded by a previously announced £2bn in new funding over five years, with a pledge of longer-term money. They include cycle training for every child or adult who seeks it, a pilot scheme for GPs to prescribe cycling to improve patients’ health, and thousands of miles of protected bike lanes. Local people will be given a chance to choose whether residential side streets should be closed to through motor traffic to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists, under plans to be put out for consultation. Another proposal could see some main roads, for example in cities, kept as through-routes for pedestrians, cyclists and buses, with other motor traffic allowed access only. Also on the table are grants to help people with the cost of electric-assist bikes, which can encourage cycling, particularly on longer or more hilly commutes. However, these tend to be more expensive than traditional bikes, often costing well over £1,000. It has not yet been specified how much assistance might be offered. Following Monday’s announcement of a new strategy to combat <https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/web-ads-for-junk-food-could…> obesity <https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jul/27/web-ads-for-junk-food-could…>, the push for more active travel is a parallel strand of Downing Street efforts to improve public health, an issue highlighted by worse coronavirus outcomes faced by many people with chronic conditions connected to weight and inactive living, such as type 2 diabetes. More active travel will also relieve pressure on the roads and on public transport, where capacity has been cut due to social distancing measures. Since May, people have been urged to walk or cycle to work or elsewhere when possible. Johnson, who will formally launch the initiative on Tuesday, said it was “the time to shift gears and press ahead with our biggest and boldest plans yet to boost active travel”. He said: “From helping people get fit and healthy and lowering their risk of illness, to improving air quality and cutting congestion, cycling and walking have a huge role to play in tackling some of the biggest health and environmental challenges that we face.” The plans were welcomed by campaigners, who nonetheless warned that their effectiveness would depend on proper implementation and necessary funding. Chris Boardman, the former cycling champion who is now policy adviser to British Cycling <https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/cycling>, said the plans showed “the level of ambition required to transform the country”. He added: “Many will focus on the health benefits of more people getting around by bike or on foot, but we know that these are changes which reap dividends in all walks of life, not least the quality of the air we breathe, the congestion on our roads and the economic benefit for shops, cafes and bars.” Matt Mallinder, director of influence and engagement at the campaign group Cycling UK <https://www.cyclinguk.org/>, said the plan was “a truly comprehensive and far reaching set of measures”, but warned about the levels of funding. “To truly shift gears so that everyone can feel the transformative benefits of cycling the £2bn of funding already announced will not be enough,” he said. “However, with a forthcoming spending review, now’s the time for the chancellor to invest in the future and make the prime minister’s vision of a golden age of cycling come true.” The new standards for cycling and walking routes will be fully spelled out in updated official guidance to be published on Tuesday. The proposals include more cycle racks at stations and other transport hubs, as well as in town and city centres, and for protected bike hangars allowing safe storage for people who cannot keep a bike at home. Others cover areas such as strengthening the Highway Code to protect pedestrians and cyclists, giving councils new powers to tackle traffic offences, and pilot schemes for local authorities to give contracts in areas such as waste disposal to cycle freight companies. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/27/residents-to-get-new-decisi…

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Green Action Centre is hiring Sustainable Transportation Coordinators
by Denae Penner 23 Jul '20

23 Jul '20

Hello, Please share this job opportunity. Green Action Centre's Sustainable Transportation team is hiring Sustainable Transportation Coordinators! See excerpt from the posting below. Full job posting can be found online here <https://greenactioncentre.ca/featured/were-hiring-sustainable-transportatio…>, and is also attached. _____ Sustainable Transportation Program Coordinators Title: Sustainable Transportation Coordinator Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba Term (Two openings): 1 full-time, 1-year term position at 35 hours per week; 1 part-time, 1-year term position at 14-21 hours per week. Potential extension for both positions beyond the term. Application Deadline: 4:00 p.m. CDT on August 7, 2020. Program Areas: Sustainable Transportation programs at Green Action Centre include Active and Safe Routes to School, Commuter Challenge, and Workplace Commuter Options. Green Action Centre seeks two independent, energetic and well-organized individuals to fill roles within our sustainable transportation team, supporting a range of program delivery and coordination. Position Description These positions will focus on engaging schools, students, workplaces, employees and community organizations to make active and green transportation options both appealing and within reach, ultimately reducing Manitoba’s GHG emissions from personal vehicles by increasing walking, cycling, public transit and carpooling as preferred modes of travel. Key activities include organizing the following annual events: Bike to School Month in May, Commuter Challenge in June, Walktober in October, and The Jack Frost Challenge in February. It will also include assisting with the delivery of our Workplace Commuter Options program (WCO), specifically the province-wide ridematching tool, GoManitoba. *Denae Penner *(she/her/hers) Active and Safe Routes to School, Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 204-925-3777 ext. 114 | 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/>

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WFP: Empty roads enticed more Manitobans to just floor it: MPI (Jul23'20)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jul '20

23 Jul '20

Empty roads enticed more Manitobans to just floor it: MPI THE number of people driving at least 50 kilometres above the speed limit skyrocketed during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba. There were 148 speed-related serious driving offences reported to Manitoba Public Insurance’s registrar of motor vehicles from April till the end of June. That’s a 60 per cent jump from the 93 speed-related serious driving offences recorded in the same period last year. MPI has never recorded such an increase in speeding, said spokesman Brian Smiley. He attributed it to fewer vehicles on the road because people stayed home during the pandemic. “In some situations drivers were, I suppose, taking advantage of the lack of other vehicles on the roadways, picking up their speeds significantly,” he said. The most serious case of speeding during that period involved a driver going 98 km/h over the limit. The motorist was doing 178 km/h in an 80 km zone. The average serious speeding incident for the three-month period was 59 km/h over the posted limit. Although more motorists are back on the road, the high-risk speeding continues, Smiley said. “There are far too many drivers who have absolutely no regard for the safety of themselves, their passengers or other innocent motorists,” he said. MPI’s data show serious driving offences aren’t exclusive to a specific region of the province — they occur across Manitoba and at all hours of the day. "Drivers, for the most part, are not equipped to travel at these speeds safely,” Smiley said. “Police officers, ambulance drivers — these are people who are professionally trained to drive at high speeds. The ordinary citizen does not have that training, nor should they be going that fast.” People get serious driving offences after being pulled over by police. Photo radar installations only capture licence plates, so those tickets don’t count as offences. After receiving a notice, drivers have five business days to schedule a show cause hearing with MPI. About 90 per cent of those hearings result in licence suspension, MPI statistics show. The suspension is based on the speeding ticket and the plaintiff’s driving history. Drivers are more likely to get into a collision while driving at high speeds, Smiley said. Speeding increases the risk of losing control of a vehicle and affects reaction time and stopping distance. Speed contributed to about one in five deaths on the road in Manitoba last year, MPI said. “(Chronic speeders) need to do a self-evaluation and adjust accordingly, not only for their own safety, but the safety of everyone on the roadways,” Smiley said. He said collision rates in Manitoba are normal now, but that’s not surprising since there’s no ice or snow on streets. Passengers play a role in keeping roads safe, especially when they’re in a vehicle with someone who’s speeding, Smiley said. “Do not be afraid to speak up,” he said. “Tell that driver to slow down.” gabrielle.piche(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Lower speed limit for student safety: councillor (Jul22'20)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jul '20

23 Jul '20

Lower speed limit for student safety: councillor https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/lower-speed-limit-for-student-safet… CHILDREN are set to face a pandemic- caused “mobility emergency” when school resumes in September, sparking the need for immediate action to support active transportation alternatives, according to the Winnipeg Trails Association. “We’re looking forward to a September where there is a lot of uncertainty for parents. They’re being told to find (alternative modes of transportation to school buses) and really the alternatives that are mostly being (pointed to are) essentially the private automobiles,” said Anders Swanson, the association’s executive director. If all school bus demand shifts to personal vehicles, it could fuel major congestion and pollution around schools, said Swanson. In late June, Manitoba Education Minister Kelvin Goertzen said parents will be asked to drop off and pick up children from school every day to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 on school buses. Students whose parents are unable to provide any other transportation to school will be given priority bus seating. Swanson called on the city to quickly reduce the speed limit on all residential streets to 30 kilometres per hour, add traffic-calming measures and create neighbourhood cycling networks. He said those steps are critical to ensure kids can safely walk and cycle to their schools before classes resume. City council is set to vote on a 30 km/h speed reduction pilot project on at least five local streets this Thursday. Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) said she also supports the call for city-wide 30 kilometre-per-hour residential speed limits. “There are going to be more children walking to school and riding their bikes to school. In order to make them a lot safer, we have to plan and act now,” said Rollins. The councillor, who chairs council’s protection and community services committee, promised to continue to lobby for a widespread speed limit reduction and more traffic-calming measures. She did not announce specific new steps to accomplish that goal on Tuesday. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP Metro: Traffic calming measures on Furby defeated (Jul22'20)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jul '20

22 Jul '20

Traffic calming measures on Furby defeated The motion to install traffic calming measures on Furby Street has failed, as the standing policy committee on infrastructure renewal and public works voted against it on July 7. If passed, the motion directs public works to collaborate with several community organizations, such as the West Broadway Community Organization and Winnipeg Trails Association, to install garden planters along Furby Street. The planters were a pilot project aimed at making the street safer for pedestrians. According to the motion, public works would deliver a report about the project at the end of July. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) voted for the motion, with Coun. Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) and Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) voting against. During the meeting, public works was concerned over the timing of the project. Wolseley has several ongoing projects in the area, including consultations for the Wolseley Walk/Bike Downtown Project. Public works is concerned that the two projects could be misconstrued as being related, which could be seen as underhanded by the public. Councillors Sharma and Browaty cited these reasons for voting no. “I understand the councillor’s intentions ... I feel a little bit uncomfortable with what I just heard from public service. They’re meeting tonight, they’ve got a big project underway, now there’s this other big project coming forward. They’re not tieing together and communicating,” Sharma said. The planters would have been community gardens, residents would be able to grow herbs and vegetables, which would also remind drivers to slow down on the residential street. The WTA and the WBCO had already created a prototype of a planter, which would have been presented to public works. The motion was approved by the city centre community committee at its June 19 meeting. To view the meeting minutes, visit winnipeg.ca

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Streetsblog: How to Build Safe Routes to School During COVID-19
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jul '20

21 Jul '20

Outdoor transportation should be one of the safest ways to get to school this fall — but we need to make some design and policy changes first. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/07/20/how-to-build-safe-routes-to-school-d…

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Times: Should the speed limit on residential streets be lowered? by MLA Marcelino (Jul20'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jul '20

20 Jul '20

Should the speed limit on residential streets be lowered? By: Malaya Marcelino - MLA for Notre Dame Posted: *07/20/2020 9:29 AM* | https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/forum/Should-the-sp… In Notre Dame there are far too many traffic accidents and collisions. Pedestrians are often seriously injured and there have also been fatalities, including those of young children. Our community is ready to make the streets safer for all of us, especially for our kids. That’s why I am working with Safe Speeds Winnipeg and promoting its #Love30on30 campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of lowering residential speed limits in our city. Our community has been very active in campaigning to reduce the residential speed limit. Many of you may have been seeing a team of dedicated volunteers out canvassing in the neighbourhood every Friday. There has been a fantastic response from the community. Signs have been put up to raise awareness and there are more folks wanting to promote this issue than Safe Speeds Winnipeg has signs. If you want one, please visit love30on30.org <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/forum/love30on30.org> As part of the campaign, an event will be held on the 30th of every month to involve community members in the conversation. Last month, on June 30, a zumba class for seniors was held at Autumn House. It was a great day of socially distanced dance, exercise and music outdoors. This month, on July 30, a bike clinic is being offered at the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba on Isabel Street. The clinic will discuss bike and street safety and will also involve a giveaway from the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub. WRENCH takes used bikes from the landfills and restores them to their former glory so that they are not going waste. The Green Action Centre, as part of its commitment to raising the profile of active transportation, also supports a 30 km/h default speed in residential areas. Volunteers from the GAC have developed an app called ETA, which enables you to punch in your route to see how long it would take you to travel to a destination if a reduced speed limit is put in place. In many cases, your trip by vehicle would only take one to two minutes longer with a reduced speed limit. Visit www.love30on30.org/eta/ to try it out. What are your thoughts on a 30 km/h default residential speed limit? Get in touch with my office at Malaya.marcelino(a)yourmanitoba.ca or call 204-788-0800. Stay safe and have a great summer.

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WFP: Pedalling through a pandemic (Jul20'20)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jul '20

20 Jul '20

Spike in bike use saps supply, sees wannabe cyclists fixing up old rides Pedalling through a pandemic https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/pedalling-throu… AMID the darkness of the COVID-19 crisis, there has been a small bright light for many of us: bicycles. People are buying new ones, tuning up old ones and riding more than before. Bike shops have reported booming business, far above even the normally busy spring selling season. As people are venturing out in the warmer weather, commuters and recreational cyclists — even faithful riders who’ve been biking for years — are encountering a world they’ve never seen before: streets with less traffic and which are sometimes closed to automotive traffic altogether. COVID-19 has cancelled summer festivals, sports and travel. With so many activities no longer possible, people are turning to cycling and the pandemic has prompted commuters and families to go on bike-buying binges. Affordable bikes are in high demand right now. Entry-level bikes — anything under $1,000 — are pretty much sold out. “I’m down to less than 100 bikes in my building and most of them are over $3,000,” says Phil Roadley, owner of Bikes & Beyond, the Henderson Highway mainstay. The last time Roadley had fewer than 100 bikes in his building? “Um, never,” he says. “The lowest level of bikes I’ve ever gotten down to is maybe 350 or 400. I need 200 bikes for my store sales floor to look full.” Physical distancing has sparked an explosion in cycling as people are seeking alternative modes of transportation to stay mobile and active. Pandemic restrictions have finally given people the time and motivation to take up a new hobby. As a result, bike shops across North America, Europe and Australia are seeing record sales and facing supply shortages. “Sales were up 30 per cent through April and May, and 15 per cent up through June,” Roadley says. “Suppliers don’t have any inventory to ship me until August.” It’s fun, physically distant and good for you — no wonder cycling has soared in popularity. Since March, Roadley has sold about 1,500 bikes. It was around mid-May that inventory really started to thin out. “Kids’ bikes went first,” he says. “And then your basic mountain and commuter bikes under $1,000.” The room for growth in terms of new cyclists is massive. Prior to the pandemic, a small percentage of people biked or walked to work in Winnipeg, according to the 2016 census. The Statistics Canada data shows that “active transportation,” defined as walking or cycling to work, was used by 6.2 per cent of people in Winnipeg, just slightly behind Toronto at 6.7 per cent. But since our lives have been turned upside down, cycling has taken on a critical, sanity-saving role — a way to exercise when gyms are operating with limited hours and an inexpensive means of getting around in order to avoid crowded public transportation. Going for a bike ride has replaced grabbing a drink in a bar and has been used to persuade kids to go outside while parents are on conference calls at home. Bike sales aren’t the only things skyrocketing. So are requests for bike service, as riders are pulling old, neglected bikes out of garages and basements. Married couple Heather and Bill Quinn hadn’t been on their bikes in years — five years for Heather and more than a decade for Bill. “My sister donated me her bike a couple years ago,” Heather says. “It went into the garage and was never touched since.” But back in May, they got tired of walking the same route outside every day — so they decided to tune up their bikes that had been collecting dust in storage. Since then, they’ve become avid cyclists in their neighbourhood. “We started riding pretty regularly because we got tired of walking along Wellington Crescent and doing the same route into the park,” Bill says. “We also found that our ankles and hips were getting sore from walking on concrete all the time. Riding a bike has been easier on our bodies.” As new and returning cyclists venture outside, they’re noticing a different riding environment. A spike in biking has led some Canadian cities, such as Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and Ottawa, to reduce traffic lanes and close off portions of roadways altogether. In Winnipeg, traffic restrictions from the City of Winnipeg on several streets have transformed roads into pedestrian- and cycling-friendly destinations. “With Wellington Crescent being used for active transportation, that really inspired me to do it,” Bill says. “We just saw so many people. I don’t know if I would have been as ready to hop on my bike if we didn’t have Wellington so close to us that we could do it without getting knocked over by a car.” The active transportation routes in Winnipeg, first announced in April, limit vehicular traffic to one block to create more room for pedestrians and cyclists while maintaining physical distancing. Recently, city council extended these temporary cycling and walking routes until Sept. 7 to accommodate the increased demand during the health crisis. The safety of the active transportation routes is also a draw for Bill’s wife. “We know a lot of people our age, in their 60s, who have taken up biking,” Heather says. “There have been broken shoulders and fractured ankles. Yes, we have designated bike lanes, but it’s kind of tricky. On Wellington Crescent, it’s so safe.” Canada isn’t the only country making changes. Expansive public safety and environmental measures have been announced in cities across the globe, including hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in Milan and Mexico City, as well as widening pavements and putting pedestrians first in neighbourhoods in New York and Seattle. While it has been hard to meet the demand for bikes, those who have access to one have also been reaping the health benefits. “Bike riding is another way to exercise. We’ll be in and out of the city all summer so we decided to freeze our gym memberships until September,” Bill says. “We were kind of doing the same thing at our own gyms and now we have something we can do together that takes us a little farther than walking, and we can exercise at the same time.” The retired couple spends a few weeks at a lake community every summer — this year, because of their new hobby, they were able to see more of it. “We’ve been going to Victoria Beach for years,” Bill says. “But because we have bikes this year, we’ve gone to places we’ve never been before because we can access it on our bikes.” They now go riding every other day and outings have become an adventure. “It’s kind of exhilarating to feel the wind in your hair and the bugs in your teeth and you can go farther and see more,” Heather says. “My next goal is the Harte Trail in Assiniboine Forest.” Whatever one’s reasons for getting back on a bicycle, it’s a pastime that offers many benefits during this turbulent time. “It’s something we can do together,” Bill says. “And it really does give you freedom to go places that you may not normally go.” Whether this is a temporary surge in cycling’s popularity or the start of a future where bikes become a more prominent form of transportation, the experiences cyclists have enjoyed over these last several weeks can’t be undone. “To bike to work requires a lot of bravery in our city; I admire those people. We’re new bikers so we haven’t explored all the cycling routes yet,” Heather says. “I’m sure there are a lot of possibilities of places to go and I’m looking forward to checking them all out.”’ sabrinacarnevale(a)gmail.com @SabrinaCsays

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Slowing down cars
by Charles F 17 Jul '20

17 Jul '20

Good editorial in the globehttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-want-a-bett… across Canada are slowing down cars. Forty is the new 50. It is a win for people....Toronto is also moving to rein in drivers. Last year, it cut speeds on stretches of arterial roads to 50 km/h from 60. And this month, 50 speed cameras went live around the city near schools or other designated “safety zones.” These cameras were first installed late last year, but until now only dispatched warnings to offending drivers. The 50 cameras may only be a first step – there are about 800 schools in Toronto – but research shows automated enforcement causes drives to slow down...People are dying because urban planning has long overvalued cars and undervalued pedestrians. National data for 2018, released last week by Transport Canada, shows yet another year when drivers and their vehicles killed more than 300 people on foot....Zero pedestrians died in Helsinki and Oslo last year. The policy measures that achieved that feat are varied, but all centre around battling the primacy of the car. Lowering speed limits is key. Other changes include safer street design, road tolls, more expensive parking, and replacing much of the street parking with wider sidewalks and bike lanes. Investment in transit has spurred ridership. While Toronto has put up speed cameras around 6 per cent of the city’s schools, Oslo is testing “heart zones” where driving around schools is banned....The move toward automated enforcement, however, is key. Some critics believe drivers simply will not slow down, even if limits are lowered. But the threat of a costly speeding ticket surely is ample inspiration for many drivers to ease up on the gas pedal, making the city a safer and better place for everyone, at the most minor of inconveniences with fractional increases in travel time...Sent from my phone.

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Steal This Idea: Scottish E-Bike Program
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jul '20

16 Jul '20

Scotland just re-upped its investment in e-bikes as part of an effort to boost pandemic-era mobility and flatten the COVID-19 curve — and smart U.S. states would be wise to follow its lead. The nation recently authorized a *fourth *round of funding to the E-Bike Grant program, which provides a raft of financial incentives to get Scots to replace car and transit commutes with bike rides. The allocation totals £900,000, or about $1.1 million. *Full story*: https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/07/08/steal-this-idea-states-should-imitat…

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WFP: Henderson Highway block to get makeover - #ReimagineElmwood (Jul16'20)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jul '20

16 Jul '20

Henderson Highway block to get makeover https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/henderson-block-to-get-makeover-571… ELMWOOD community groups are joining forces to show residents the potential of a stretch of Henderson Highway. On July 25, Henderson between Noble and Hart avenues will be transformed to include bike lanes, parking, planters and seating for pedestrians. Glenelm Neighbourhood Association co-chairman Michel Durand-Wood said more than 1,500 people were surveyed about a five-year plan for the neighbourhood in 2018. “One of those priorities was addressing the difficulty experienced in getting around our own neighbourhood, especially for the many who get around on foot, bike, transit and with mobility aids or strollers,” Durand-Wood wrote in an email. The project, called #ReimagineElmwood, cost the eight community groups involved less than $400. Durand-Wood said a project that transformed Toronto’s Danforth Avenue last summer inspired the Elmwood project. “That was the a-ha moment that led to developing this project, that we could work in small steps, testing things out on a temporary basis, and building on what works,” he said. “There were quite a few locations that were specifically identified by the neighbourhood as troublesome to navigate, and we plan to work on them all. This is just the first of many projects.” He said the project will inspire people to make positive changes in the neighbourhood despite no municipal funding or influence. “Just by having neighbours working together, identifying what we want to improve, and taking small steps to try possible solutions out, we can make our neighbourhood better for the people who live here, even one block at a time,” he said. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_

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WFP Editorial: Giving green light to e-scooter pilot (Jul16'20)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jul '20

16 Jul '20

Giving green light to e-scooter pilot https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/giving-green-light-to-… EVIDENCE that the pandemic has increased the need for low-cost transportation options can be seen through the windows of any passing Winnipeg Transit bus, where what’s immediately apparent is an unusually large number of empty seats. Ridership has dropped dramatically, as many virus-wary Winnipeggers now view buses as potential COVID-19 cocoons because passengers are seated closely, breathing the same air and touching the same poles, seats and doors. Alternatives to bus transport would be greatly appreciated by those reluctant former riders who don’t own personal vehicles, perhaps for budget or environmental reasons, but still have to get around town. A possible alternative might arrive in the form of electric scooters. City administration is currently studying the issue and recommended council ask the province to alter the Highway Traffic Act to allow a trial of e-scooters in Winnipeg. Council and the province would be well advised to approve the proposal, allowing the trial should proceed full speed ahead (or, at least, at the 30 km/h that is top speed for e-scooters). A novel transportation alternative for Winnipeg, e-scooters are already allowed in dozens of North American cities, including Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton. The experiences of these cities show the advent of e-scooters is not universally welcomed. In fact, for some people, it’s hate at first sight. Social media, including the popular Instagram account Scooters Behaving Badly, reveal that many automobile drivers resent sharing road space with the tiny motorized machines that tend to navigate traffic in unfamiliar ways. Some pedestrians also feel e-scooters create danger on sidewalks. Despite the many who sneer at e-scooters, however, others acknowledge that this new technology has advantages. E-scooters hardly pollute, they’re less expensive than traditional motorized vehicles and they take up far less space on streets in cities where they’re allowed on roadways. Calgary’s e-scooter pilot project, launched last July, limits e-scooter use to sidewalks, pathways and bike lanes. In Edmonton, authorized e-scooters are allowed on bike lanes, shared paths and streets with speed limits of 50 km/h or less, but not on sidewalks. Another possible source of irritation involves the ways in which idle e-scooters are left unattended in cities served by scooter-share companies such as Lime or Bird, which make e-scooters available to people who download an app. Customers use GPS technology to find an e-scooter near them, use their app and credit-card information to unlock the vehicle and, after reaching their destination, leave the e-scooter where it can be used by another rider. Special protocols are required during the pandemic. In Edmonton, the city’s 200 scooters are brought to five corrals nightly and sanitized, and there is an advertising campaign urging e-scooter riders to sanitize their hands before and after they use the machines. Winnipeg city administrators had earlier pondered whether the e-scooters in the trial would be supplied and managed by the city or by a third party company. It’s a wise course to leave the trial to an experienced company that knows how to deal with related issues, such as how to protect against theft and vandalism and what to do with e-scooters once the snow falls. Would Winnipeggers use e-scooters to a degree that makes them feasible in this city? The answer lies in a trial period that temporarily gives e-scooters the green light.

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OurWinnipeg 2045 available for feedback
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jul '20

14 Jul '20

*[Please share widely! Submit your feedback to the City by August 10th.]*Planning for our shared future: City of Winnipeg seeking input on strategy for the sustainable growth of our city Released: 2:06 p.m. July 13, 2020 Engage Winnipeg website (for duration of engagement activities): *https://winnipeg.ca/OurWinnipeg2045 <https://winnipeg.ca/OurWinnipeg2045> | https://winnipeg.ca/notreWinnipeg2045 <https://winnipeg.ca/notreWinnipeg2045>* Winnipeg, MB – With Winnipeg on pace to grow by over 160,000 people in the next 20 years, the City of Winnipeg is determining how our city should grow in a way that builds community, improves quality of life, and ensures sustainability for the environment. The blueprint for how Winnipeg should grow has been detailed in strategic planning initiatives that the City is now looking for Winnipeg residents to share their views on. The City has developed its strategy for sustainable growth in two interconnected planning initiatives: *OurWinnipeg* – The City’s 25-year development plan, which provides a vision, goals, and policies intended to influence leadership and good governance, priority setting, the delivery of City services, how residents get around the city, and decisions about how Winnipeg grows. *OurWinnipeg* is required by the City of Winnipeg Charter, which requires the City to adopt, by by-law, a development plan that sets out long-term plans and policies. The current update of *OurWinnipeg* has been guided to this point by earlier public consultation, as well as input by the Community Advisory Committee. Complete Communities – Building on policies set out in *OurWinnipeg*, Complete Communities is a citywide secondary plan that guides growth, development, and land use in Winnipeg. Information and feedback opportunities for these initiatives are being presented together in order to provide a complete picture of how these planning documents propose to achieve the City’s goals for sustainable growth as the population of Winnipeg continues to climb. *The opportunity to engage online with the City of Winnipeg on these important initiatives will continue until Monday, August 10, 2020.* In light of current restrictions on in-person events, online discussion sessions will be held for both projects to present some of the main topics of discussion, and allow for questions to be asked of the project teams at the following times: Topic: OurWinnipeg: Sustainable Development Goals Format: Zoom meeting Date: Wednesday, July 22 Time: 7p.m. – 8:30p.m. (90 min) Topic: Complete Communities: Growing Sustainably Format: Zoom meeting Date: Wednesday, July 29 Time: 7p.m. – 8:30p.m. (90 min) To register and attend one of these sessions, please email city-engage(a)winnipeg.ca at least one day before the event you would like to attend. For more information on *OurWinnipeg* and Complete Communities, and to view the draft documents, please visit winnipeg.ca/ourwinnipeg <https://winnipeg.ca/Interhom/CityHall/OurWinnipeg/default.stm>. *To share your thoughts on how Winnipeg’s future is envisioned through these initiatives, please visit: winnipeg.ca/ourwinnipeg2045 <https://winnipeg.ca/OurWinnipeg2045>.*

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Free Webinar on Applying Dutch Cycling Principles in the U.S.
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '20

13 Jul '20

*Webinar Announcement* Upcoming Webinar on Applying Dutch Cycling Principles in the U.S. *Translating Dutch Cycling Ideas to an American Context Tuesday, July 28, 2020* 11:30am-1:00pm Eastern Time Register Here <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> U.S. transportation planners and advocates have long admired the Netherlands’ cycling infrastructure and culture, and some make the trip across the Atlantic to observe its bustling bike lanes and traffic-calmed streets. But coming from a more sprawling, auto-oriented environment, it’s difficult to imagine replicating their success, where the average resident now pedals over 600 miles per year. Discover the key principles that were developed by the Dutch over those fifty years, draw out concrete lessons for America to follow their lead, and learn how some of these ideas are already being implemented in U.S. cities, as they face a crisis forcing many of them to reevaluate how they allocate space on their curbs and streets. This webinar is being organized by the Dutch Cycling Embassy, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Office of Infrastructure and Water Management, the League of American Bicyclists, and the Federal Highway Administration. ------------------------------ PBIC offers free, public webinars approximately every month. To register for upcoming webinars and to access archived presentations, please visit www.pedbikeinfo.org/webinars <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> . Follow the PBIC on Twitter <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> and Facebook <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> and join the discussion [image: https://twitter.com/pedbikeinfo?lang=en] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> [image: https://www.facebook.com/pedbikeinfo] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> [image: http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/index.cfm] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> ------------------------------ Since its inception in 1999, PBIC's mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ------------------------------ Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 300 Chapel Hill, NC 27599 Add us to your address book <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/vcard?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e453ab5d&…> Phone: 1.888.823.3977 Fax: 919.962.8710 www.pedbikeinfo.org <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> View this email in your browser <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…>

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CTV News: The idea that could make Winnipeg more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians (Jul8'20)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '20

13 Jul '20

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/the-idea-that-could-make-winnipeg-more-accessib… WINNIPEG -- Several groups have joined forces to ask all levels of government to help make Winnipeg more accessible to cyclists and pedestrians. The Green Action Centre, Winnipeg Trails, Safe Speeds Winnipeg, and Bike Winnipeg are calling on the government to create a pop-up connected cycling network in Winnipeg. This would mean Winnipeg cyclists and pedestrians could access a safe route to get where they’re going no matter where they are in the city. “Right now in Winnipeg we do have some cycle routes and some of them are protected, but there’s giant gaps in that infrastructure,” said Mel Marginet from the Green Action Centre. “So for most folks, they can take a leisurely trip on their bike, maybe do a weekend trip with their kids, but the idea is that of being able to get to your essential services, to be able to get to your job, in the fall when the kids go back, for them to get to school." Marginet added, “There’s usually parts of the trip where they feel comfortable, but there’s always an intersection or perhaps a strip that’s a little bit scary and very intimidating, and because of that getting there on a bike or foot just seems inaccessible and impossible.” The groups sent out a letter in June -- addressed to Mayor Brian Bowman but also provided to the provincial and federal governments – asking for the connected network for walking and cycling. Marginet noted the letter was specifically addressed to Bowman as he has the most power in this situation. “It’s the municipal government that really has to champion and really has to prioritize this initiative,” she said. On Thursday, representatives from each of the groups will be delivering the letter to Bowman at Winnipeg City Hall, Minister Rochelle Squires at the Manitoba Legislative Building, and then the Office of MP Dan Vandal. Bowman has been invited to speak on the request, Squires will be available for comment, and Vandal won’t be available for comment but welcomes receiving the letter. “Right now always the go-to is just to build roads and highways and we just need to get beyond that,” Marginet said. *- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace*

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Mississauga adopts new framework to keep peds and cyclists moving safely
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '20

13 Jul '20

City Adopts New Framework to Keep Pedestrians and Cyclists Moving Safely July 10, 2020 The City of Mississauga is moving forward with an Active Transportation COVID-19 Recovery Framework following approval of a report <https://pub-mississauga.escribemeetings.com/FileStream.ashx?DocumentId=2412…> that was brought to Council this week. Starting this summer, the City will introduce more short-term and long-term active transportation options for cyclists and pedestrians that allow for safe physical distancing. Residents can look forward to Quiet Streets that limit vehicle traffic, temporary road closures that provide more space for cyclists and pedestrians and 17.9 km of new separated and on-road bike lanes that will be installed by the end of the year. “Our efforts continue to build cities for people and ensure our residents can continue to travel safely and comfortably around our city while respecting physical distancing,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie. “It’s especially important now that we are in Stage 2 and are further reopening our economy that we provide residents with more ways to move. During this pandemic, communities like ours have seen cycling increase by as much as 60 per cent. This framework responds to those needs and will work to provide our residents with more options to travel around our City comfortably while providing relief for our busy sidewalks, multi-use trails and enhancing access to local amenities.” Throughout the spring, the City installed temporary active transportation lanes in Wards 4, 7 and 9 to give local pedestrians and cyclists more space to practise physical distancing. The framework allows for the introduction of more short-term options in the form of temporary road closures and Quiet Streets. Temporary road closures will help reduce crowding in Mississauga hotspots, particularly on weekends. Quiet Streets, which temporarily limit vehicle traffic to local traffic only, will provide more space for cyclists, walkers and runners to safely and comfortably use the road. “Active transportation will shape how residents move around Mississauga during recovery and beyond,” said Geoff Wright, Commissioner, Transportation and Works. “We’ll be expanding Mississauga’s cycling network long-term. By adding 17.9 km of new on-road bicycle lanes and separated bicycle lanes by the end of the year, we permanently increase the City’s on-road bicycle lane network by 30 per cent.” Based on data from Peel Public Health and the City’s transportation planning teams, locations for the projects outlined in the framework have been selected using criteria that includes: population density, vehicle ownership per household, commute distances and potential risk of COVID-19 exposure. Locations were also chosen to help fill gaps in Mississauga’s existing cycling network. In addition to consulting Peel Public Health, several key City strategic initiatives support the rapid expansion of the cycling network in Mississauga, including the Cycling Master Plan <https://yoursay.mississauga.ca/cycling-master-plan>, the Climate Change Action Plan <https://yoursay.mississauga.ca/climate-change>, the Transportation Master Plan <https://yoursay.mississauga.ca/transportation-masterplan> and Vision Zero. The Mississauga Cycling Advisory Committee was also consulted in the development of the framework. “Staff from across the organization have listened to residents and we recognize the immediate need for more options to travel safely by bike or foot, in both the long-term and the short-term,” said Helen Noehammer, Director, Infrastructure Planning and Engineering Services. “We’re reprioritizing our work plans and using relatively simple materials, available budget and existing contracts in order to accelerate this work.” No new funding is required for the projects identified in the framework. Estimated to cost $1.3 million, budget for the projects will come from existing funding sources, with $830,000 coming from the Federal Gas Tax Reserve Fund and $470,000 coming from the Development Charges Reserve Fund. Noehammer added, “The installation of additional cycling infrastructure will lead to operational impacts. We’re continuing to finalize what dedicated year-round maintenance of this infrastructure will look like, especially in the spring and winter.” To stay up-to-date on COVID-19 impacts on City services, visit mississauga.ca/recovery <https://web.mississauga.ca/city-of-mississauga-news/covid-19-recovery/> and follow the City on Twitter @citymississauga <https://twitter.com/citymississauga>. https://web.mississauga.ca/city-of-mississauga-news/news/city-adopts-new-fr…

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The Metro: Making Furby Street safe for pedestrians (Jul8'20)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jul '20

08 Jul '20

Making Furby Street safe for pedestrians https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/metro/Making-Furby-Street… A new initiative aims to make Furby Street safer for pedestrians. The Winnipeg Trails Association and West Broadway Community Organization have partnered to introduce “traffic calming measures” to the block of Furby Street between Westminster Avenue and Broadway. They will install a mobile planter on the street, which encourages drivers to slow down on their commutes home. The organizations are working with public works to design the measures, pending council approval. The City Centre community committee approved the project, which went to the infrastructure renewal and public works committee on July 7. While the motion works its way through council, the WTA has designed a prototype which it will present to the city. Anders Swanson, executive director of the WTA, said the prototype will serve as a visual reminder for drivers that they are moving through a residential street and they need to be mindful of pedestrians. “‘Traffic-calming measures’ is a very technical sounding term, what it really means is we’re helping to make our streets into a community asset. It’s a way to remind drivers that ‘hey, you’re entering a place where people are living, so maybe slow down,’” Swanson said. The WTA’s prototype is a wooden planter, placed along the side of Furby Street. Residents will be able to grow herbs and vegetables in it, with the bright greenery serving as a deterrent for speeding. Drivers will still be able to use the road, the WTA hopes that the increased greenery will catch their eye and remind them to be cautious. The proposal is part of their Healing Trails Program, a partnership with the West Broadway Community Organization to create a more walkable and accessible city. Greg MacPherson, executive director of the WBCO, is excited about the proposal. He said residents in West Broadway have been pushing for a more accessible city. “Our mandate is derived from public consultations, our biggest one being the five-year community plan. Through all of our surveys and consolations, residents in our neighbourhood want more infrastructure for active transportation,” MacPherson said. “That block of (Furby Street) is very busy, it’s one of the most densely populated streets in the area. There’s a lot of seniors, people with chronic health issues … They walk wherever they go. Having a bunch of cars speed through there is a huge concern for them.” MacPherson said in the 2018/2019 census, around 60 per cent of West Broadway residents community primarily by cycling or walking. The WBCO did a huge survey in 2016, going door to door asking residents what they want from their neighborhood. According to their survey, 90 per cent of residents wanted traffic calming measures of some kind. The City of Winnipeg has seen a push for active transportation routes throughout the city. Recently, council extended its Sunday/ holiday bicycle routes, closing some streets off to vehicle traffic until September. Organizations like the WTA and WBCO have been pushing for a more walkable city for years. MacPherson said Winnipeg is lagging far behind other cities when it comes to accessibility. “I’ve been to several other cities in Canada and around the world. I’m sorry to say, but Winnipeg is a little behind on this. You see cities everywhere that are starting to take active transportation more seriously, all the studies we have show it benefits our society,” MacPherson said. “I’d love to live in a city where I wasn’t reliant on motor vehicles to get from A to B. Not everyone can afford a car.” >From left: Janell Henry, Healing Trails’ program manager and Anders Swanson, Winnipeg Trails’ executive director, standing beside one of the planter box traffic-calming devices.

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The Lance: Underpass beneath Fermor Avenue opens (Jul8'20)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jul '20

08 Jul '20

City of Winnipeg opens underpass beneath Fermor Avenue Press release from June 8th: https://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2020/nr_20200608.stm#2 On June 8, Save Our Seine joined city councillors Matt Allard (St. Boniface) and Brian Mayes (St. Vital) and Bike Winnipeg’s Mark Cohoe) at the official opening of the new Fermor Tunnel. This was a day to celebrate. The tunnel allows people to walk or ride safely under Fermor Avenue. Just east of the tunnel, new trails under the refurbished bridge allow deer, other wildlife, and people to cross under the bridge and access the river. The new tunnel and river trails will enhance movement along the Seine River corridor. Canada’s history was built around its rivers. Indigenous people, voyageurs, fur traders, and European settlers used rivers to travel across the vast Canadian landscape. In Manitoba, people travelled on the rivers using canoes or paddlewheel steamboats to carry heavy goods. They walked and drove carts on muddy trails beside rivers. The rivers were transportation corridors that belonged to everyone. The long lot settlement pattern recognized the need for public movement along rivers. The land along the river’s edge was considered to be “common land.” During the development of our city, we lost sight of this history. We overlooked the value of rivers as travel corridors. We built roads, bridges, and buildings that now limit public access and block movement along river corridors. Save Our Seine’s goal is to enhance the Seine River as natural corridor for wildlife, active transportation, recreation, and tourism. The dream is to create a continuous trail from the Red River to the floodway. Today, disconnected trail fragments along the Seine River are interrupted by significant barriers. Fermor Avenue was one barrier. Highway 100 is another. Thanks to another transportation project, Highway 100 will not remain an obstacle. As part of a massive 25-year project to improve traffic flow and safety along the south perimeter, the province has agreed to replace the box culvert over the Seine River. This culvert is too narrow for the river channel. It is often blocked by debris or beaver dams that prevent canoes from passing. Terrestrial wildlife must walk or swim through the culvert or cross the busy highway. The new culvert will have room for a riverside trail. Just imagine, people will be able to walk, bike, or canoe along the river between Royalwood and St. Norbert. Deer will have a way to move safely under the highway. Although the timeline for the culvert replacement is still uncertain, we are already counting the days. Michele Kading is a community correspondent for St. Vital and the executive director of Save Our Seine.

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