- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Jane's Walk strolling into town!
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Matt <mgcarreau(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Apr 22, 2011 at 5:36 PM Subject: Jane's Walk strolling into town! Hi there, my name is Matt Koop-Pearce and I am a volunteer organizer for this year's edition of Jane's Walk. The organizing committee is making a big push to promote the fast approaching Jane's Walk on May 7 & 8 and we would appreciate your help. I am contacting you because you or your organization either has a community member leading a walk or because Jane's Walk is an event that yourself and folks in your community would most certainly be interested in hearing about and participating in. Can you please help us get the word out by forwarding the message below through your personal, professional, and community networks and email list serves? I have also attached a PDF of our media release and a poster that you are welcome to forward along with this message. Of course, word of mouth promotion is always the most powerful, so we hope you will take a moment to check out some of exciting walks planned for this year and convince your friends and neighbours to participate in Jane's Walk on May 7 & 8! Thank you sincerely, Matt Koop-Pearce ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shine your walking shoes Winnipeg: The fifth annual Jane's Walk festival is coming up May 7 & 8 ! On Saturday May 7 & Sunday May 8, join a walking tour in your community lead by your neighbours. Explore Winnipeg's diverse and vibrant neighbourhoods while walking, talking and sharing ideas. What is Jane's Walk? Jane's Walk is an annual celebration of sustainable cities, walkable neighbourhoods, and vibrant communities. Named in honour of Jane Jacobs<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs>--an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building--the first Jane's Walk was organized in Toronto five years ago and has since spread to more than 30 cities across Canada and 70 cities worldwide. Jane's Walk is now in it's fifth year in Winnipeg and includes walks on a range of themes and topics, including local history, urban biodiversity, city planning, design and transportation issues, social experiences of the city, and more. Jane's Walks are intended to create a space for citizens to talk about what matters to them in the places they live, work and play. How do I join a Jane's Walk? Participating in Jane's Walk is simple: local community members with a passion for urban issues and local history have organized walking tours in their neighbourhood; a list of confirmed walks is published on the Jane's Walk website <http://janeswalk.net/cities/landing/category/winnipeg/> and the public is invited to join any walk of their choosing—no registration or RSVP required. Simply meet your walk leader at the time and place indicated in the online listing. Remember, Jane's Walk is a "walking conversation" and we encourage walk leaders and participants alike to contribute to the conversation by asking questions and sharing their knowledge and passion for cities. What walks are being offered this year? Some of the walks confirmed for this year's Jane's Walk include: - *History Lives In North Point Douglas* with Robert Galston - *Winnipeg Modern: Explore Winnipeg's Modernist Architectural Heritage*with Serena Keshavjee - *The Rapid Tranist Walk* with Paul Hesse - *So You Thought You Knew the West End: Murals and More* with Gloria Cardwell-Hoeppner - *Discover Public Art in Downtown Winnipeg* with Tricia Wasney - *Sharing Cars and Gardens: An educational walk through Osborne Village *with Melissa Dupuis and Shauna Carmichael - Walks in *West Broadway, Selkirk Avenue, and Central Park* neighbourhoods are also planned! New walks are being confirmed everyday. For a complete listing of Jane's Walks check out our website: www.janeswalk.net I want to organize a Jane's Walk in my community! Awesome! Jane's Walk is presently accepting submissions from individuals or groups interested in organizing a walking tour in their community. To propose a walk, visit our website and send an email to our coordinator Matt Koop-Pearce at mgcarreau(a)gmail.com The deadline to submit a walk is May 6th. Contact Facebook: http://on.fb.me/janeswalkwinnipeg Matt Koop-Pearce, volunteer organizer mgcarreau(a)gmail.com (204) 421-2903

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Bicycling Renaissance in North America?
by Beth McKechnie 21 Apr '11

21 Apr '11

[*Transportation Research A, Vol. 45, 2011*, in press] *Bicycling Renaissance in North America? An Update and Re-Appraisal of Cycling Trends and Policies *by John Pucher, Ralph Buehler and Mark Seinen http://www.8-80cities.org/Articles/Bicycling%20Renaissance%20in%20North%20A… *Abstract* This paper reviews trends in cycling levels, safety, and policies in Canada and the USA over the past two decades. we analyze aggregate data for the two countries as well as city-specific case study data for nine large cities (Chicago, Minneapolos, Montreal, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington). Cycling levels have increased in both the USA and Canada, while cyclist fatalities have fallen... The bike share of work commuters is more than twice as high in Canada as the USA, and is higher int he western parts of both countries. Cycling is concentrated in central cities, especially near universities and in gentrified neighborhoods near the city center. Almost all the growth in cycling in the USA has been among men between 25-64 years old, while cycling rates have remained steady among women and fallen sharply for children. Cycling rates have risen much faster in the nine case study cities than in their countries as a whole, at least doubling in all the cities since 1990. They have implemented a wide range of infrastructure and programs to promote cycling and increase cycling safety: expanded and improved bike lanes and paths, traffic calming, parking, bike-transit integration, bike sharing, training programs, and promotional events. Portland's comprehensive package of cycling policies has succeeded in raising cycling levels 6-fold and provides an example that other North American cities can follow. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Bike to Work Day - call for Volunteers
by Beth McKechnie 19 Apr '11

19 Apr '11

Hi everyone, *Bike to Work Day Winnipeg 2011* needs volunteers to help with tasks right away as well as on June 24th. It would be great if you could share the attached volunteer application form with your various professional networks, family and friends. many thanks! Beth

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Link to new literature review on policies to improve health through active transportation
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '11

16 Apr '11

*Environment International*<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01604120> Volume 37, Issue 4<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%2358…>, May 2011, Pages 766-777 * Improving Health through Policies that Promote Active Travel: A Review of Evidence to Support Integrated Health Impact Assessment* Abstract Background Substantial policy changes to control obesity, limit chronic disease, and reduce air pollution emissions, including greenhouse gasses, have been recommended. Transportation and planning policies that promote active travel by walking and cycling can contribute to these goals, potentially yielding further co-benefits. Little is known, however, about the interconnections among effects of policies considered, including potential unintended consequences. Objectives and methods We review available literature regarding health impacts from policies that encourage active travel in the context of developing health impact assessment (HIA) models to help decision-makers propose better solutions for healthy environments. We identify important components of HIA models of modal shifts in active travel in response to transport policies and interventions. Results and discussion Policies that increase active travel are likely to generate large individual health benefits through increases in physical activity for active travelers. Smaller, but population-wide benefits could accrue through reductions in air and noise pollution. Depending on conditions of policy implementations, risk tradeoffs are possible for some individuals who shift to active travel and consequently increase inhalation of air pollutants and exposure to traffic injuries. Well-designed policies may enhance health benefits through indirect outcomes such as improved social capital and diet, but these synergies are not sufficiently well understood to allow quantification at this time. Conclusion Evaluating impacts of active travel policies is highly complex; however, many associations can be quantified. Identifying health-maximizing policies and conditions requires integrated HIAs. Research highlights ► Active travel policies are growing in popularity worldwide. ► We review multiple benefits and potential risks associated with policies. ► Quantitative relationships for health impact assessments are discussed. ► Major health benefits are especially expected from physical activity outcomes. ► Well designed policies may enhance co-benefits and mitigate risks. LINK: http://bb4md8jw9n.search.serialssolutions.com//?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&ctx_ver…<http://bb4md8jw9n.search.serialssolutions.com/?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&ctx_ver=…>

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Interesting series from Grist
by Stacy Matwick 12 Apr '11

12 Apr '11

Bikeonomics by Elle Blue. http://www.grist.org/article/series/bikenomics "The economic case for on-street bike parking" This is the fourth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-04-11-the-economic-case-for-on-street-bike… cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

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A donkey cart without the cart - where you do the work of the donkey
by Erik Dickson 08 Apr '11

08 Apr '11

Hopefully the author's tongue is firmly planted in their cheek! Have a great day and happy cycling! Erik Dickson Scatliff+Miller+Murray Emailed to me today from the other side! By P.J. O'ROURKE Getty Images Cyclists ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. 'Although the technology necessary to build a bicycle has been around since ancient Egypt, bikes didn't appear until the 19th century. The reason it took mankind 5,000 years to get the idea for the bicycle is that it was a bad idea.' A fibrosis of bicycle lanes is spreading through the cities of the world. The well-being of innocent motorists is threatened as traffic passageways are choked by the spread of dull whirs, sharp whistles and sanctimonious pedal-pushing. Bike lanes have appeared in all the predictable placesAmsterdam, Copenhagen, Berkeley and Palo Alto. But the incidence of bike lanes is also on the rise in unlikely locales such as slush-covered Boston, rain-drenched Vancouver, frozen Montreal and Bogotá, Colombia (where, perhaps, bicycles have been given the traffic lanes previously reserved for drug mules). Even Dublin, Ireland, has had portions of its streets set aside for bicycles onlysurely unnecessary in a country where everyone's car has been repossessed. Then there is the notorious case of New York City. Not long ago the only people who braved New York on bicycles were maniacal bike messengers and children heeding an abusive parent's command to "go play in traffic." Now New York has 670 miles of bike lanesrather more than it has miles of decently paved streets. The proliferation of New York's bike lanes is the work of the city's indomitable transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-(Genghis)-Khan. Her department has a horde of 4,500 employees and a budget nearing a billion dollars. The transportation commissioner's job isjudging by rush-hour cab and subway rides and last December's blizzardto prevent the transportation of anybody or anything to anywhere in New York. Bicycles are the perfect way to go nowhere while carrying nothing. The bicycle is a parody of a wheeled vehiclea donkey cart without the cart, where you do the work of the donkey. Although the technology necessary to build a bicycle has been around since ancient Egypt, bikes didn't appear until the 19th century. The reason it took mankind 5,000 years to get the idea for the bicycle is that it was a bad idea. The bicycle is the only method of conveyance worse than feet. You can walk up three flights of stairs carrying one end of a sofa. Try that on a bicycle. View Full Image The Image Works A French racing cyclist, in 1912 Almost everything that travels on a city street, including some of the larger people in the crosswalks, can crush a bicycle. Everything that protrudes from or into a city streetpot holes, pavement cracks, manhole coverscan send a bicycle flying into the air. When the president of the United States goes somewhere in Washington, does he ride an armored bicycle? Given that riding a bike in a city is insane and that very few cities need more insane people on their streets, why the profusion of urban bike lanes? One excuse for bike lanes is that an increase in bicycle riding means a decrease in traffic congestion. A visit to New Yorkor Bogotágives the lie to this notion. You can't decrease traffic congestion by putting things in the way of traffic. Also, only a few bicycles are needed to take up as much space as my Chevrolet Suburbanjust one if its rider is wobbling all over the place while trying to Tweet. And my Suburban seats eight. The answer to traffic congestion is lower taxes so that legions of baby boomers my age can afford to retire and stay home. Bike lane advocates also claim that bicycles are environmentally friendly, producing less pollution and fewer carbon emissions than automobiles. But bicycle riders do a lot of huffing and puffing, exhaling large amounts of CO2. And whether a bicycle rider, after a long bicycle ride, is cleaner than the exhaust of a modern automobile is open to question. If drops in pollution and traffic congestion are wanted and if discomfort and inconvenience are the trade-offs, we should be packed into tiny circus clown cars. These fit neatly into bike lanes and provide more amusement to bystanders than bicycle wrecks. In fact, bike lanes don't necessarily lessen car travel. A study by the U.K. Department for Transport found that the installation of "cycle facilities" in eight towns and cities resulted in no change in the number of people driving cars. Bike lanes don't even necessarily increase bike riding. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the Dutch government spent $945 million on bicycle routes without any discernible effect on how many Dutch rode bicycles. The bicycle is a parody of a wheeled vehiclea donkey cart without the cart, where you do the work of the donkey. But maybe there's a darker side to bike-lane advocacy. Political activists of a certain ideological stripe want citizens to have a child-like dependence on government. And it's impossible to feel like a grown-up when you're on a bicycle if you aren't in the Tour de France. All but the most athletic among us get on and off a bicycle the way a toddler goes up and down stairs. Wearing bicycle shorts in public is more embarrassing than wearing Depends. Exchanging briefcases for backpacks takes us from the boardroom to the schoolyard. And it's hard to keep a straight face when talking to anyone in a Skittles-colored, Wiffle ball-slotted bike helmet that makes you look like Woody Woodpecker. Bike lanes must be intended to foster immaturity or New York would have chosen instead to create 670 miles of bridle paths. Being on horseback has adult gravitas. Search plazas, parks and city squares the world over and you won't fine a single statue of a national hero riding a bike. This promotion of childishness in the electorate means that bike lanes are just the beginning. Soon we'll be making room on our city streets for scooter and skateboard lanes, Soapbox Derby lanes, pogo-stick lanes, lanes for Radio Flyer wagons (actually more practical than bicycles since you can carry a case of beerif we're still allowed to drink beer), stilt lanes, three-legged-race lanes, lanes for skipping while playing the comb and wax paper, hopscotch lanes and Mother-May-I lanes with Mayor Bloomberg at the top of Lenox Hill shouting to the people on Park Avenue, "Take three baby steps!" A good, hard-played game of Mother-May-I will make us all more physically fit. Fitness being another reason given for cluttering our cities with bike lanes. But why is it so important that the public be fit? Fit for what? Are they planning to draft us into forced labor battalions? Bike lanes violate a fundamental principle of democracy. We, the majority who do not ride bicycles, are being forced to sacrifice our left turns, parking places and chances to squeeze by delivery trucks so that an affluent elite can feel good about itself for getting wet, cold, tired and run-over. Our tax dollars are being used to subsidize our annoyance. Bicycle riders must be made to bear the burden of this special-interest boondoggle. Bicycle registration fees should be raised until they produce enough revenue to build and maintain new expressways so that drivers can avoid city streets clogged by bike lanes. Special rubber fittings should be made available so that bicycle riders can wear E-ZPass transponders on their noses. And riders' license qualifications should be rigorous, requiring not only written exams and road tests but also bathroom scales. No one is to be allowed on a bicycle if the view he or she presents from behind causes the kind of hysterical laughter that stops traffic. Bike lanes can become an acceptable part of the urban landscape, if bicycle riders are willing to pay their way. And if they pay enough, maybe we'll even give them a lift during the next snow storm. Mr. O'Rourke's many books include "Don't VoteIt Just Encourages the Bastards."

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After School Program Survey
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '11

05 Apr '11

Recreation Connections Manitoba is pleased to partner with Green Action Centre to coordinate a new two year initiative - *After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project.* The initiative, funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada Healthy Living Fund and the Province of Manitoba until March 2013, is focusing on promoting and supporting increased access and opportunities for children and youth aged 6-12 years to engage in physical activity and healthy living practices in the critical after school time period (3 – 6 p.m.). The project goals include: 1) Increasing capacity for children’s physical activity and healthy eating in the after school time period. 2) Improving access and reducing barriers to physical activity opportunities and facilities. 3) Promoting active and safe routes to and from school. One of our first steps is to collect some basic information about what is currently happening in Manitoba in regard to after school programming. If you provide programming for *children aged 6 to 12 years* during the *3 – 6 p.m.* time period, we would appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete the on-line survey by clicking on the link below, no later than *April 14, 2011*. A draw for an activity/game equipment & resource kit with a value of approximately *$200* will be made from all completed surveys meeting the deadline date. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/After_School_Recreation_Project_SURVEY We are attempting to make this provincial survey as inclusive as possible and this request is being sent out to various organizations across the Province. However, we are aware that our mailing list does not include all after school providers. If you represent an organization/network with a number of service providing entities, we would ask that you either complete the survey on their behalf, if appropriate, or forward the request to the various members. If you are aware of additional after school programs that may have been missed, please forward the request to them as well. Please be aware that we have distributed the survey to the following groups with multiple programs/sites - Boys & Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, City of Winnipeg Community Services Department, General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres, YMCA-YWCA, Youth for Christ, Lighthouses, Coalition of Community Based Youth Serving Agencies, Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres. We apologize in advance to any service providers who receive multiple copies of this request. We are in the process of developing a web site related to the After The School Bell Rings project. It is anticipated that survey results will be posted on the web site. Thank you for your assistance in providing information on your programs and sharing the survey with other providers. Roy Mulligan Project Coordinator After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project Recreation Connections Manitoba 317-145 Pacific Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3B 2Z6 Phone: 925-5751 Email: recconnections.pro(a)sportmanitoba.ca

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Spring tune-up time
by Stacy Matwick 30 Mar '11

30 Mar '11

Found at http://www.BoingBoing.net "It's spring! Time to watch some videos that will teach you how to tune-up and repair your own bike<http://bicycletutor.com/>. (Not that I would need a pre-spring tune-up, of course. I've totally been riding all winter. Yeah. Totally.) - Maggie<http://www.boingboing.net/author/maggie-koerth-baker/> " http://bicycletutor.com/ The purpose of this site is to help people learn how to fix their own bikes. With over 200 videos you're sure to find what you need. Cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

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Grist: Pedaling away from the health care crisis
by Beth McKechnie 30 Mar '11

30 Mar '11

Pedaling away from the health care crisis by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/people/Elly+Blue> 28 Mar 2011 11:36 AM [ http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-03-28-pedaling-away-from-the-health-care-c… ] *This is the third column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Part 1 is "How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it)<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-28-how-bicycling-will-save-the-economy>." Part 2 is "Tearing down freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-14-tearing-down-urban-freeways-to-make…> ."* * *In the United States, we have the most expensive health care system in the world. We collectively invest more than 15 percent of our GDP<http://www.visualeconomics.com/healthcare-costs-around-the-world_2010-03-01/>-- that's around $2 trillion, or $5,700 per person -- into health care every year. The tragedy of these enormous numbers is that they fail to stem the tide of our increasing ill health. "Most of the money we're spending on health care is going to treat preventable chronic diseases," Michael Pollan told Grist<http://www.grist.org/article/2009-11-06-michael-pollan-on-agriculture-and-h…>in 2009. Our poor diet, he added, is responsible for most of those illnesses. But it's not just about what we eat. The other part of that equation is our national and increasingly desperate need for physical activity. We need to rethink our transportation system and built environment on the same scale as Pollan and others have reconsidered our agricultural system. It has become obvious that we can't afford to keep doing things the same old autocentric way. For a fraction of the cost of the world's most expensive health care system, we could all enjoy the world's best bicycling and walking infrastructure -- and with it much, much better health than we enjoy now. Even minor investments in quality bicycle and walking transportation infrastructure, particularly at bottlenecks like bridges, leads directly to increased physical activity<http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/may/12/bridge_pedestrian_lane_raise>for people who live nearby. A recent analysis of the health savings resulting from the bicycle infrastructure in Portland, Ore, came up with stunning results<http://bikeportland.org/2011/02/04/research-by-2040-portlands-bikeway-inves…>. If the city builds out only the infrastructure it currently plans, the researcher found, it will break even by 2015. By 2030, Portland will have saved $800 million -- partly in fuel costs but primarily in health care and the value of reduced mortality. For every $1 we spend, $5 is saved. And that doesn't take into account a multitude of other factors. It's been shown again and again that the benefits of bicycling outweigh the risks<http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info:doi/10.1289/ehp.0901747>, that not bicycling is more dangerous<http://www.ecovelo.info/2008/06/06/the-dangers-of-not-cycling/>in the long run, and that being sedentary is worse for your health than nearly anything else<http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2009/05/05/sitting-death-rate.html>. When kids, particularly, don't get enough physical activity and good food, they are set up for a lifetime of ill health<http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/March/22/Obesity-Type-2-Diabet…> . Then there's the mental health factor. People who bicycle and walk to work love their commutes<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2006004/pdf/9516-eng.pdf>[PDF], whereas everyone else is stressed <http://www.vtpi.org/traveltime.pdf> [PDF], even pathologically<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-01-20-new-report-quantifies-just-how-much…>so. * *Stress is often overlooked as an indicator and instigator<http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/archives/2011/03/stress-may-alte.html>of poor health. And bicycling isn't just good for your personal health. There's also a significant public health benefit to having fewer people driving. Air quality is a big one. Cars produce secondhand smoke that none of us can avoid. A parade of studies over the last few decades have steadily linked living near freeways to heart disease<http://www.justmeans.com/Freeway-proximity-can-put-you-on-road-heart-health…>, lung cancer <http://www.ehjournal.net/content/6/1/23>, asthma<http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/11614.html>, impaired lung development<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR200701260…>, and even autism<http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/16/health/la-he-autism-20101217> . Even being sealed in a car doesn't protect you<http://www.velorutia.ro/blog/util/1281-road-user-exposure-to-air-pollution.…>from the perils of concentrated car exhaust <http://www.icta.org/doc/In-car%20pollution%20report.pdf> [PDF]. Car crashes cost the country $230 billion<http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130350&page=1>in 2000 alone. Only $33 billion of that was spent on medical costs -- but to put that in perspective, that's the same amount as that year's federal highway budget. Worse, in 2009 car crashes caused nearly 34,000 deaths and 2.217 million injuries <http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot16510.html>, many of them serious enough to prevent victims from navigating our car-oriented landscape in anything *but* a car. What do we do about this? How do we address the health care crisis through reforming our transportation system? We'd be much healthier, we're always being told, if only we could get more physical activity. Bicycle transportation is uniquely suited to fill this requirement. Bicycling is uniquely suited for quickly and flexibly getting around a city designed for cars. And riding a bike for transportation is as good a workout as exercising at the gym<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10694139>. The cost, time, stress, and inconvenience of exercise evaporates with the bicycle. If only we all could take advantage of it. We are blessed in this country with a chorus of voices urging people to exercise more and try riding a bike -- but very little is being done to make that option safe and comfortable for everyone. I know, because I grew up in suburbia, that people don't eat unhealthy food and sit on the couch all day out of laziness. They end up falling into those behaviors because the options aren't there, or the cost -- in money, time, and stress -- of living differently is simply too high. Of course we want better options<http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/qa-transportation-secretary-on-bi…>. As many as 60 percent of Americans would like to ride more<http://streetsblog.net/2010/12/20/wooing-the-hesitant-cyclist/>, and most of us already have bikes stashed in the basement or garage. But we don't feel safe, and often that's because there aren't safe or convenient routes for us to take. Fortunately, that doesn't stop everyone from getting on a bike. And the more people out there riding, the safer *everyone* becomes<http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/27/not-just-safer-for-bikes-fatal-car-crash…>, whether or not bicycling is an option for them individually. It would be absurd to suggest that bikes will solve our health care crisis or that they can eliminate the political and economic machinations that continue to deepen it. But bicycling, like food, is one of the few areas where people can directly and concretely address the health care crisis in the context of our community. By improving our own health and working towards healthier cities, we're also taking money from a health care system that doesn't improve our health. In this light, bicycling for transportation isn't so much a lifestyle choice as it's a form of civic action.

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Wed, Mar.30 webinar: How to increase the number of women cycling for transportation, 2-3:30 CST
by Beth McKechnie 29 Mar '11

29 Mar '11

Green Action Centre will be hosting a local group viewing of the following APBP (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals) webinar on how to increase the number of women cycling for transportation. If you would like to join us, please let me know at *beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca*. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 p.s. Sorry for the late notice -- we just heard about it this morning. ------------------------------ Webinar: * How to increase the number of women cycling for transportation *Date: *Wednesday, Mar. 30th, 2:00-3:30 p.m. CST * Location: *EcoCentre boardroom, 303 Portage Ave, third floor* (enter via elevator inside front doors of MEC) *Description* Learn how to increase the number of women cycling for transportation in your community. This webinar builds on last year's APBP session, "Writing Women Back into Bicycling". Five speakers offer compelling insights about cycling projects run by inspiring women, illuminate what women told APBP they want in a cycling environment, and suggest best practices to help you make a difference in your community. Don't miss the stories of some of the wonderful women leading the cycling movement, and results of APBP's 2010 survey on Women Cycling.

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