August 2022 - AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Canadian eh E-Bike About Us – Mokwheel Bikes
by Terry Zdan 29 Aug '22

29 Aug '22

https://www.mokwheel.com/pages/about-us

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WFP: Cycle of gloom (Aug27'22)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Aug '22

28 Aug '22

Fewer bike-theft reports belies despairing reality that most victims don’t report to police Cycle of gloom https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2022/08/26/cycle-of-gloom SCOTT Atkinson’s heart sank when he stepped outside his home in Old St. Vital to find his garage door open. “I instantly knew: it’s gone,” Atkinson said, describing the moment he realized his $1,300 Kona Splice bicycle was now in the hands of a thief. On Tuesday, the 36-year-old joined countless other Winnipeg residents who have become victims of bike thieves in recent years. Bikes are a common target because they are valuable, easy to transport and can be stripped down for parts or parts can be converted into weapons, police say. In 2018, the Winnipeg Police Service received more than 2,000 stolen-bike reports. The number dropped to 1,555 last year, but a frustrated cycling advocate says the data is inaccurate and misleading. “They only have reported stats, so I would take that with a pinch of salt,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “There’s a feeling of hopelessness out there that might be giving the police the false impression (that bike crime is declining).” While Atkinson, who has lived in the neighbourhood for most of his life, is among those who reported his bike stolen, he knows he’ll probably never see it again. At one time, Old St. Vital was relatively free of property crime, but now, anything that isn’t bolted down is likely to be stolen, he said. “It’s so much more depressing than I thought it was going to be,” he said. “I don’t really have a way of doing anything or going anywhere, so that is kind of earth-shattering.… People that don’t really use a bike every day, they don’t really understand.” Atkinson’s story is typical. Some people go through the motions of filing a police report hoping to see their property returned, but many don’t bother. The result is rampant, but largely unreported, theft, Cohoe said. “There’s evidence that what we’re doing isn’t enough,” he said. “People have to feel like reporting it is going to have a result.” In an effort to gather more data, Bike Winnipeg produced a public bike-theft survey this April. About 300 cyclists responded. More than 90 per cent of participants had bikes stolen in the last five years, and the majority said the thefts happened at their homes. The data disputes the notion that bike theft is a crime of opportunity that only happens to unsecured bikes in public spaces. If the city wants to reduce bike crime, it needs to commit to policy and infrastructure changes, Cohoe said. A good first step would be updating Winnipeg’s bylaws to make it mandatory for new residential and commercial developments to include secure bike-storage areas. This would make it safer for cyclists to visit businesses, workplaces and residential buildings without fear of theft, he said. The city could also expand its bike registry program by sharing its data with other municipalities, he added. Since 1995, the city has collected bike serial numbers through its voluntary registry. When a bike is lost or stolen, WPS officers can reference the registry to track down its owner. In 2018, the city introduced an online version of the registry. Currently, there are 17,000 registrations, said Adam Campbell, a city spokesperson. Despite the fact that nearly half of the respondents in the Bike Winnipeg survey used the registry, only three per cent felt that it was helpful in solving theft. Stolen bikes sometimes make their way to other municipalities, provinces or countries. Cohoe believes if the city were to join an international registry, it could make the data more useful. Over the last three years, public interest in cycling in Winnipeg has surged, Cohoe said, adding the pandemic is partly responsible; many residents looked for new and healthy hobbies when various activities were restricted or shut down. Other factors, such as rising gas prices and climate awareness, have made people more aware of the benefits of active transportation, he said. That interest has led Winnipeg to the beginning stages of a cycling network. “(The city is) certainly becoming more bike-friendly. We are building out infrastructure — I’m not going to say we’re doing it at a rate I appreciate, and I would certainly like to see us accelerate that — but we are seeing more,” he said. In the early days, Winnipeg’s cycling infrastructure consisted of routes that travelled from “Point A to Point B.” The routes typically connected segments of individual neighbourhoods. Now, the city needs to fill gaps and connect the established routes, Cohoe said. “When you create those connections, the gaps that you’re filling in have multiple destinations and multiple connections across that you’re completing,” he said. A staff member at Bikes and Beyond in West Elmwood said she is pleased more people are becoming interested in cycling, but without secure storage, bike theft is inevitable. “There’s this assumption that people who are stealing things are kind of dumb, and they are not,” said Emily, who asked that her last name not be published because she believes thieves use social media to target potential victims. She advises cyclists to avoid storing their bikes outside in sheds or garages. She said the only way to ensure a bike’s safety is to keep it inside a home. If someone has no choice but to leave their bike unattended, she recommends using two locks: a steel U-lock around the frame and a cable lock restricting the wheels. She added that many thieves now use industrial tools including angle grinders, so even a double-locked bike is not entirely secure. Anybody who has become a victim of bike theft should report it to police, she said. “There is definitely a bit of discouragement in the public about the effectiveness of reporting,” she said. “(But) it is really important, regardless of whether people think it’s going to make a difference because, as we all know, decisions are made based on stats.” tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Public works chairman beets drum for winter road juice (Aug26'22)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Aug '22

26 Aug '22

Public works chairman beets drum for winter road juice https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2022/08/25/public-works-chai… IT’S time to determine if using more beet juice can help Winnipeggers get a better grip on roads, lanes and sidewalks, one city councillor says. Beet juice is already used as part of the City of Winnipeg’s street de-icing arsenal. The city sprays a beet juice salt brine mixture directly on ring roads and bridges at times and may also use it to wet salt and sand being spread on streets. Coun. Matt Allard, the city’s public works chairman, thinks the product’s use could be greatly expanded. In a new motion, he’s calling on municipal staff to study the impact of applying beet juice de-icing mixtures throughout the city next winter. “I’m wondering… what it would look like to mandate it citywide. We would have substantially less salt on our roadways,” said Allard. The councillor is also pushing for a report on the environmental and cost benefits of switching to greater use of beet-juice-based mixtures to reduce the city’s reliance on road salt, which can damage trees, snow-clearing machines and concrete. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a holistic look at… the total cost benefit of salt versus other products in the life of our machines,” said Allard. City spokesman Ken Allen said it would be “premature” to comment on Allard’s motion, or how feasible it would be to rely more on beet juice next winter. At least some amount of beet juice de-icing mixture has been used since 2020, after proving successful in trial projects that began in 2015, Allen said. In an email, he said beet juice has been found to have several benefits. “Beet juice improves the adhesion of the sand and salt to the roadway surface at colder temperatures. Beet juice can make up to 60 per cent of the solution we are applying to the roads and is combined with a traditional sodium chloride-based brine. This lessens our chloride loading on infrastructure and the environment while producing a good quality melting solution effective to temperatures below -30 C,” he wrote. Allard’s motion also calls for the public service to report on the amount of beet juice versus sand and salt applied to city rights-of-way over the past five years and options to reduce the use of sodium chloride and other salts on city streets. The motion will be debated by the Riel Community Committee on Tuesday. Joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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NEXT Tue Sep. 6th FREE Webinar: Getting more People riding bicycles. More Often. Everywhere.
by Beth McKechnie 25 Aug '22

25 Aug '22

*From:* A Walk in the Park with Gil <paulao(a)gpenalosa.ca> *Sent:* Thursday, August 25, 2022 10:00 AM View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/9be31aeb0564/a-walk-in-the-park-with-gil-the-75-city-906…> *NEXT Tuesday Sep. 6th* FREE WEBINAR Getting more People riding bicycles. More often. Everywhere. *REGISTER NOW:* *https://bit.ly/3bpa2Jq <https://bit.ly/3bpa2Jq>* *Images courtesy of People for Bikes Register here for the free Webinar. Share & invite colleagues. <https://gpenalosa.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35e5b2692b0e3f52212a6d…> UPCOMING SESSIONS Always FREE. Please share, invite all you know who care about people and cities. Next: Sep. 20th. Videos: Making ‘mobility changes' understandable. Doable. Guest: Clarence Eckerson, producer of over 1000 videos! https://bit.ly/3OG4zfH PAST WEBTALKS: Watch again, share with colleagues, friends & students on Gil's YouTube Channel. Click here. <https://gpenalosa.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35e5b2692b0e3f52212a6d…> FOLLOW GIL [image: Twitter] <https://gpenalosa.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35e5b2692b0e3f52212a6d…> [image: LinkedIn] <https://gpenalosa.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35e5b2692b0e3f52212a6d…> [image: Website] <https://gpenalosa.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35e5b2692b0e3f52212a6d…> [image: YouTube] <https://gpenalosa.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35e5b2692b0e3f52212a6d…> [image: Instagram] <https://gpenalosa.us14.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35e5b2692b0e3f52212a6d…> *Copyright © 2022. A Walk in the Park with Gil. All rights reserved.* *For questions about A Walk in the Park with Gil, contact us at* paulao(a)gpenalosa.ca

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Local artists have started painting temporary traffic calming measures on four summer bike routes
by Beth McKechnie 19 Aug '22

19 Aug '22

Painted traffic calming measures are coming to various locations on Lyndale Drive, Wellington Crescent, Kilkenny Drive, and Churchill Drive this month! Local artists will be painting curb bump-outs, median islands, and channelization of intersections to help further reduce speeds at a few locations where traffic counts showed us vehicles are still travelling too quickly. Watch for artists at work alongside some additional two-day traffic restrictions in place to keep them safe while working. Follow #paintthepavementwpg for updates and artist photos. https://winnipeg.ca/PublicWorks/pedestriansCycling/sundayHolidayBicycleRout…

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WFP Editorial: Improved bike infrastructure lacks connections (Aug17'22)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Aug '22

18 Aug '22

Improved bike infrastructure lacks connections THE main problem with Winnipeg’s active transportation network isn’t so much a shortage of bicycle routes throughout the city — it’s the lack of connectivity between them. Winnipeg has many shortcomings when it comes to cycling: a woeful lack of protected bike lanes, poorly cleared and maintained routes, and a car-centric culture that is often at odds with the development of a safe and reliable network of bike corridors. One of the most glaring weaknesses, however, is the patchwork of bike routes in the city that are largely disconnected from each other. Many designated routes end abruptly, leaving cyclists with no option but to switch to regular roads in busy traffic, or ride illegally on sidewalks. Public surveys have shown that a lack of well-connected, protected bike routes is one of the top reasons more people don’t commute by bike. The city has taken some steps to improve that connectivity. The most recent announcement will see River and Stradbrook avenues in Osborne Village fitted with one-way protected bike lanes in 2023. A two-way protected bike lane will also be added on River from Bryce Street to Fort Rouge Park. It’s good news, and it will expand the bike network in that area. But it’s not enough. Similar bike routes have been constructed in other neighbourhoods and, like Osborne Village, they are not connected to a city-wide grid of cycling corridors. While they enhance active transportation in those communities, they’re often disconnected from other parts of the city. Winnipeg has made significant progress over the past two decades in an effort to become a more cycling-friendly city. There are many examples where cyclists can travel long distances around Winnipeg on safe, reliable routes, away from snarling traffic (although many are not well advertised). But it’s hit and miss. Some areas of the city have good access to dedicated bike routes, others have virtually none. It’s particularly treacherous downtown, where cycling usually involves riding on regular roads alongside less-than-accommodating drivers. It’s hazardous, and few are willing to take the risk. The lack of protected lanes in and around the core area discourages many from commuting downtown by bike. Cycling from Osborne Village to downtown, for example, typically means crossing the Osborne Bridge alongside regular traffic, an adventure many deem too dangerous (even in diamond lanes, which are shared with transit buses). There is a proposal to build a cycling/pedestrian bridge across the Assiniboine River, from Fort Rouge Park to McFadyen Park. The proposed bridge would connect to a protected bike path along Assiniboine Avenue, which extends east to The Forks and west to the neighbourhoods of West Broadway and Wolseley. It would connect several parts of the city and significantly expand the bike network. Unfortunately, the proposal is on the “unfunded” list of infrastructure projects and its future is unknown. Active transportation gets a lot of lip service from politicians, but at budget time, projects such as protected bike paths and cycling/ pedestrian bridges tend to take a back seat to car-oriented infrastructure. Many Winnipeggers are willing to ditch their motor vehicles in favour of active transportation. One only has to look at the hundreds of bikes parked outside of Winnipeg Blue Bombers games at IG Field, or the many well-used, caged-in bike storage facilities around the city, to see the public’s desire to adopt a healthier and more environmentally friendly form of transportation. When the city builds safe and reliable bike routes, people use them. It’s time for city hall to make that a priority.

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Toronto Star: Munich’s biking culture offers ideas on integrating cars and bikes safely (Aug16'22)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Aug '22

18 Aug '22

Studies show that cyclists break rules with similar <https://trid.trb.org/view/1491424> or less <https://www.vejdirektoratet.dk/udgivelse/cyklisters-adfaerd-i-signalreguler…> frequency than drivers. But there is no equivalence in risk. According to Toronto Police Service <https://data.torontopolice.on.ca/pages/ksi> data, since 2006 there have only been nine incidences where a cyclist was at fault and seriously injured someone (none were in High Park). And not a single death. In that same time, 507 pedestrians and cyclists were killed on Toronto streets. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2022/08/16/munichs-biking-cult…

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Peg City Car Coop - We're hiring a Member Services Coordinator!
by Beth McKechnie 16 Aug '22

16 Aug '22

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: info(a)pegcitycarcoop.ca <info(a)pegcitycarcoop.ca> Date: Mon, Aug 15, 2022 at 12:01 PM Subject: We're hiring a Member Services Coordinator! Dear community, Peg City Car Co-op is hiring a full-time Member Services Coordinator to join our small but growing team! Member Services is the first line of contact with our members and community. The person who fills this dynamic position will maintain member satisfaction, retention, and growth through consistent brand messaging and quality member care. The role includes answering email and phone calls and assisting with evening and weekend on-call duties, as well as administrative tasks and record keeping. To see the full job description and posting, click here <https://www.pegcitycarcoop.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Member-Services-Co…> . If you, or someone you know, are interested in being part of a growing consumer co-op, please email a cover letter and resume to hiring(a)pegcitycarcoop.ca and write *Member Services Hire* in the subject line. The deadline to apply is *September 18, 2022, at 11:59 pm*. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Thanks for sharing this in your network! -- *Member Services, Peg City Car Co-op* 204.793.3912 | info(a)pegcitycarcoop.ca 402-460 Main St, Winnipeg MB R3B1B6 *www.pegcitycarcoop.ca <http://www.pegcitycarcoop.ca/>* Sharing the road (and cars) for more than 10 years. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsDCxr4tR4Q>

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WFP: Province to fund projects to improve, develop trails (Aug15'22)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Aug '22

15 Aug '22

*Province to fund projects to improve, develop trails * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2022/08/15/province-to-fund-… THE provincial government will fund 30 projects to improve and develop trails across Manitoba. The province announced Friday it will spend nearly $970,000 on projects approved through the Trails Manitoba grant program. The annual grant program supports the development of new recreational trails, and maintenance, enhancements and amenities for existing trails. “This investment is being made in communities across the province, benefitting all Manitobans as well as visitors here,” Trails Manitoba president Erik Dickson said. “We’re very happy for this project.” More than 70 non-profit groups and municipalities applied for trail funding during the 2022 intake, Dickson said. Assiniboine Forest will be among the first recipients, with a $50,000 investment in trail navigation enhancements and increased signage. Other funded projects include the Wally Chryplywy Nature Park trail enhancement in Beausejour, Squirrel Hills Trail Park in the Minnedosa area, and the Victoria Park trail extension and stairs project in Souris. Approved projects are expected to be completed within two years. The funds, which come from a $10-million provincial investment, are intended to support trails that facilitate both motorized and non-motorized recreational activities. By 2025, half of the $10 million will finance development projects, while the other half will remain in a longterm fund to generate annual revenue and pay for ongoing maintenance and enhancements. Trails Manitoba conducted a pair of province-wide surveys to decide which projects would qualify for funding. It released its findings in a report Friday. More than 2,000 people participated in the survey, with more than half indicating they lived in Winnipeg. Respondents identified inadequate signage as the most significant issue on Manitoba’s trails. Climate and Parks Minister Jeff Wharton announced the funding alongside Dickson and other stakeholders during a press event at Assiniboine Forest. “Our government is committed to continued building, maintaining and expanding the trails network,” Wharton said. “This report will help guide the developments… across Manitoba for the years ahead.” A full list of the 2022 grant recipients is available on the Trails Manitoba website. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Osborne Village bike-lane plans a start, not solution: advocate (Aug13'22)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Aug '22

13 Aug '22

‘Not a great place for riding a bike’ *Osborne Village bike-lane plans a start, not solution: advocate* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2022/08/12/osborne-village-b… MEL Marginet is the definition of an avid cyclist: she travels around Winnipeg almost entirely by bike and spends her days working as a sustainable transportation advocate. Despite living in South Osborne, Marginet rarely visits Osborne Village — the streets are too chaotic for her to feel safe on two wheels. “There is no infrastructure, and there are so many vehicles, and they’re just going so fast,” she said. “It’s not a great place for riding a bike.” That’s likely to change next year; the city is beginning consultations on protected bike lanes in the Village. Stakeholder meetings with Osborne Village BIZ, Bike Winnipeg and small business owners in the area are scheduled next week. Chris Baker, a senior active transportation planner for the city, told the Free Press two bike infrastructure projects are planned: a one-way protected lane on River and Stradbrook avenues and two-way protected lanes on River from Bryce Street to Fort Rouge Park. A walking and cycling bridge connecting Fort Rouge and McFayden Parks is also being tabled. The city plans to have the work done by next summer. “It’s a pretty big step forward for the bike network,” said Mark Cohoe, the executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “With protected bike lanes, we get an opportunity to develop a network so you’re not in mixed traffic.” Sherri Rollins, the city councillor for Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry, said she’s among many in the area for whom bike safety is a top concern; she suffered a significant knee injury while cycling on a busy road. “The calls are twofold: slow down traffic for pedestrians, and make sure things are safer for cyclists,” Rollins said. She believes the protected lanes will enhance plans to revitalize the Village and make it more pedestrian-friendly. “Osborne Village BIZ welcomes the opportunity to develop a healthier neighbourhood,” executive director Lindsay Somers said in a statement to the Free Press, adding she looks forward to the consultation sessions with local businesses next week to “develop a plan and path forward that is satisfactory to all our needs.” Marginet said the protected lanes in the east and west corridors of the Village are a welcome addition but they won’t solve what she believes is the main issue: Osborne Street itself. Osborne Street is what Marginet describes as a “stroad”— somewhere between a street and a road that has heavy traffic and is hostile to cyclists and pedestrians. “Everything that’s really fun and interesting to go to is along Osborne,” she said. “For me, living in South Osborne, new bike lanes won’t be beneficial in any way because I would want to go straight up Osborne.” Corydon resident Mia Duchamp recently got rid of her car to cycle full time. To avoid busy routes in Osborne Village, she’ll often take side streets to avoid narrow traffic lanes. “If I’m going through the village, that Osborne underpass is not the best. I try to go around it as much as I can, but it’s really frustrating and there’s a lot of detours,” Duchamp said. Through her work with the Green Action Centre, Marginet hears from many Winnipeggers who want to commute actively, but feel the city lacks the infrastructure to do so. “If you look at how people say they want to get around, most people say they have no choice but to drive,” she said. “We have to start prioritizing the comfort and safety of those who are getting around in sustainable and healthy ways if we want to see any kind of improvement.” Rollins believes investing in bike infrastructure is connected to a greater shift in consciousness in city planning. “The project that’s going on in Osborne Village is a game-changer,” she said. “It is that step forward to build a culture of, not only the connectivity we need, but also the culture of a healthier, more sustainable city.” cierra.bettens(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Police Officer Ticketing Cyclists in Park Hits Cyclist in Bike Lane with His SUV
by Terry Zdan 12 Aug '22

12 Aug '22

https://www.bicycling.com/news/a40837493/toronto-cyclists-injured-by-police/

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WFP: Virtuous cycles (Aug11'22)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Aug '22

11 Aug '22

It’s been a long and winding road for these married cycling enthusiasts who are peddling adaptive, electric and traditional bikes at their Wolseley shop *VIRTUOUS CYCLES* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2022/08/10/virtuous-cycles WHEN the flowers are out, the doors are open. Open to the Wolseley resident bringing their bike for repair. Open to the Treherne family buying their first electric bikes. Open to the person in a wheelchair wanting to test an adaptive bike. “It’s all about getting people to ride, from whatever health and body situation they have,” said Suzanne Druwé, co-owner of Prairie Velo. She and Brian Szklarczuk, her husband, have planted their business at 967 Wolseley Ave., formerly known to locals as the Kit Kat building. Gone are the freezers, linoleum floors and shelves of candy. Now, rows of adaptive, electric and traditional bikes line the 1,800 square-foot space. Outside, cyclists traverse a bike path. “Cycling is such a simple, core thing that everyone should be allowed to do,” Szklarczuk said. The pandemic, the rising cost of fuel and a shift towards environmentally friendly practices have put cycling in the spotlight, Prairie Velo’s owners noted. However, the activity isn’t a recent passion for the couple. Szklarczuk raced in Europe in the early ’90s as a young adult. He did so with a hearing impairment. Even when Szklarczuk returned to Winnipeg — pursuing grad school and a career as an economist — cycling was top of mind, he said. He and Druwé met on a blind date. Their trips abroad required a “cycling component” for Szklarczuk, where he’d go on hours-long rides and then shorter ones with his partner. The couple visited friends in Sweden around six years ago and were intrigued at how cycling was incorporated in Scandinavian daily life, Druwé said. “We felt that it was something permanent,” she said. “People were rethinking the way they go about their business.” The two imagined they could enter the corporate side of cycling back home. Then, Druwé’s employer at the time — a francophone tourism company — asked Szklarczuk to create Manitoba bike tours. He did. And, he published an article called Prairie Velo Tour 2019 on bikepacking.com. Readers and tour-goers would ask where to purchase bikes, Szklarczuk said. “I was sending people to buy bikes everywhere else,” he said. “We realized, ‘Why are we sending people to go shop there when we can do something?’” Their e-commerce site launched in 2019. Szklarczuk said he used European connections to secure foreign bike companies’ stock, including adaptive models. “Every year it was kind of a slow growth,” Szklarczuk said. The company transitioned from delivering via a mobile van, to solely online during the pandemic’s early phases, to a storefront venture that began in December of 2020. Renovations and permitting paused the shop’s opening until last fall, where a nearly non-existent soft launch happened, Szklarczuk said. Meantime, the couple has distributed electric and adaptive bikes across Canada. “You put e-assist on bikes and suddenly it changes everything,” Druwé said. “Someone can actually take someone on a wheelchair out and cycle and not kill themselves.” THE bikes are not cheating, she noted — people use them to battle strong winds in Manitoba’s rolling hills, to exercise despite joint pain, to keep up with a spouse and to replace car use. “We really wanted (Prairie Velo) to be appealing to a segment of society who doesn’t naturally go into bike shops,” Druwé said. Adaptive bikes cost thousands of dollars — north of $10,000, depending on the model. “These are huge purchases for people,” Druwé said. The rides largely come from overseas, driving up the price, she said. The motor for electric assist adds to the cost. Some families get funding for adaptive bikes through Jordan’s Principle or the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation. Charities including the Knights of Columbus and Make-A-Wish also buy bikes, Druwé said. “We wish they didn’t cost so much, but they do,” she said, adding the products are built to last. “Many people with disabilities live on limited income… Buying a bike is not often affordable,” said Kaye Grant, operations manager for the Manitoba League of Persons with Disabilities. There needs to be more affordable ways for folks with disabilities to obtain bikes, like government subsidies, Grant said. “Handi-Transit isn’t the answer to everything,” she said. Prairie Velo also sells hand bikes, where users pedal with their arms instead of their legs. The company is beginning to make its own. “I realized there was a gap in the market for affordable hand bikes and variety,” Szklarczuk said. “That’s where we really started thinking about manufacturing.” Some parts, including bike frames, will come from South American partners. Much of the constructing will happen in Manitoba, Szklarczuk said. “This is going to be a huge thing for us this winter,” said Druwé, looking at a hand bike in the works at her Wolseley shop. “We’re really going to be doing the whole nine yards on these this winter because… there’s a real demand for them.” The bikes will likely come to market in the spring, Druwé said. They’ll be more affordable than imports, said the entrepreneurs, who hadn’t finalized prices. There’s an increased need for hand cycles, according to Jaylene Irwin, Manitoba Possible’s supervisor of recreation and leisure. Adaptive bikes in general have gained more popularity in recent years; they were introduced to Manitoba Possible around four years ago, Irwin said. “There is such a high need (for them),” she said. Such bikes increase independence, mobility, strength and social connections, Irwin said. Getting people on bikes for the first time is among the best parts of the job, Szklarczuk and Druwé agreed. “It’s gratifying knowing that we’re… making a little difference in the world, one set of wheels at a time,” Szklarczuk said. gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com

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WFP: Light rail rolls into city conversation (Aug9'22)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '22

09 Aug '22

Councillor resurrects timeworn notion of bringing LRT system into Winnipeg Light rail rolls into city conversation https://ground.news/article/light-rail-transit-pushed-back-into-city-conver… THE decades-old debate on building light rail transit in Winnipeg may have some spark left in it. While noting city council may be seen as “going boldly into the past,” Coun. Brian Mayes wants his colleagues to “seriously consider” adding light rail construction in the future, following the lead of many other cities. “I feel like we may have missed the generation in which to do bus rapid transit. The city is growing… and I just feel like, why put in a network of BRT lines and then, the day you finish, start tearing them out because now you’re up to a million people and you want LRT?” said Mayes. Winnipeg city council has debated the best way to ramp up its public transportation for decades, debating a light rail rapid transit option off and on since at least the 1970s. Eventually, the city settled on a bus rapid transit system and completed one dedicated corridor in 2020. The southwest rapid transitway was a two-phase project with a combined cost of $556 million. Last year, council approved a 25-year Transit Master Plan that aims to create a network of six rapid transit corridors, which are again expected to rely on buses. Since the city has only completed one rapid transit line so far, Mayes said it makes sense to re-evaluate how best to move forward, noting Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton all have light rail transit. “(Light rail) would attract more people. I think some people who wouldn’t ride on a bus would ride on a train. You can use electric power and (Manitoba is) rich on electric power,” said Mayes. The councillor doesn’t have a current cost estimate for a light rail system, but said the city could seek provincial and federal funding to help cover it, while the construction could also eliminate the need to add another lane of traffic for the oft-congested St. Mary’s Road. While he’s not sure LRT would be feasible for all future rapid transit routes, Mayes suggests a St. Mary’s Road to Main Street line, as well as a Portage Avenue to Point Douglas or Portage Avenue to Provencher Boulevard line, may make sense. A Winnipeg Transit spokeswoman confirmed the city’s main reason to not pursue light rail transit was to save money. However, the BRT system also benefits from creating routes that can be shared with other buses, while the smaller vehicles may also allow more frequent pickups than some LRT systems, Alissa Clark said in an email. Clark said each kilometre of an LRT route would be expected to cost two to four times more to build than a BRT kilometre. While the Winnipeg Transit Master Plan calls for bus rapid transit infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels, to be designed to fit trains in the future, “there would remain a significant cost to retrofitting the line,” wrote Clark. However, the potential cost shouldn’t stop Winnipeg from considering the idea, according to Jino Distasio, a professor of urban geography at the University of Winnipeg. “We have fallen decades and decades behind other cities… that aren’t necessarily that much bigger than what we’re going to be… The traffic is going to continue to get worse and worse and worse, unless we have a credible alternative to the automobile, paired with good planning,” said Distasio. While he acknowledged a complete light rail system would require a “generational capital investment,” the professor said it may be warranted. “If Winnipeg truly wants to be a competitive city, we at least have to have a very vigorous debate again about this… The fundamental difference from all the previous discussions, going back even into the 1970s, is the fact that the last 20 years have been like no other for this city (with substantive growth).” Coun. Matt Allard, chairman of council’s public works committee, said he’s open to the discussion — though he stressed the current blueprint must remain the top priority. “I’m certainly open minded to the idea, but also mindful that we need to charge ahead with the master plan,” said Allard. “If there was a light rail transit project to be considered, it’s got to make sense in terms of our tax dollars, in the staging and where we’re at (with) the plan, citywide.” Coun. Jeff Browaty, finance committee chairman, said he is convinced the current plan is the best option. “To build a (light rail) network that would actually be serviceable, that would actually go far enough out to be useful, it’s too expensive,” said Browaty. “I still think a better investment in time and resources is to provide more frequent service to more places throughout the city network.” joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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The Government of Canada launches consultations on establishing permanent public transit funding
by Beth McKechnie 02 Aug '22

02 Aug '22

OTTAWA, ON, July 29, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, announced the launch of public consultations on the design and implementation of Permanent Public Transit funding in Canada. Feedback will inform a long-term transit investment strategy that aims to build complete, sustainable and inclusive communities and unlock opportunities to address other challenges, including housing affordability. Investments in public transit will work toward reducing commute times and improving Canadians' quality of life, aid in providing access to meaningful employment, services and recreation and will help tackle traffic congestion and cut air pollution. *Interested stakeholders can share their feedback through Infrastructure Canada's web page <https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=3607932-1&h=2725479515&u=https%3A%2F%2F…> until September 30, 2022*. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-government-of-canada-launches-con…

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