- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

The Urban Transportation Monitor
by Beth McKechnie 10 Apr '12

10 Apr '12

Thanks to Bob Kurylko for sharing the following newsletter: http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103347168859-4/vol26n… Note the article on the new requirement for bike parking in commercial buildings in San Francisco on page 8. "San Francisco has joined a growing number of cities that require the accommodation of bicycle parking in buildings... 'This bill is a simple, cost-effective way to help San Francisco businesses meet the growing need for secure bicycle parking that employees crave…,' said Supervisor John Avalos who sponsored the measure developed with the San Francisco Bike Coalition and the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA)." Also interesting is the article on page 10 regarding the question of liability and pathways. cheers, Beth -- *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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Ride2Win Winnipeg Bike Helmet Promotion Campaign
by Beth McKechnie 10 Apr '12

10 Apr '12

*From:* Curtis, Janelle (HLYS) *Sent:* April-10-12 10:31 AM *Subject:* FW: Ride2Win Winnipeg Bike Helmet Promotion Campaign ** ** FYI & share with your contacts as you see fit. Thanks, Janelle**** ** ** *Ride2Win Bike Helmet Promotion Campaign* The WRHA is launching the *Ride2Win helmet promotion campaign and contest*on April 10, 2012. Teachers, students, and parents can find information by visiting www.ride2win.ca. Students can enter to win prizes by learning the *2-V-1 helmet fit rule* for properly fitting a bike helmet. **** *What are the campaign messages?* - Bike together! Younger children should always cycle with a parent. - Everyone wear a helmet. Parents too! This increases helmet use in kids. - Wear your helmet correctly: always use the 2-V-1 rule ** ** *How can a school participate?* - Have a 2-V-1 (helmet fit rule) contest: have students create an eye-catching poster or write a rap song to teach other kids about helmet fit - Start a “Caught You Using Your Helmet” campaign at your school: reward helmet users seen wearing their helmet with prizes or coupons - Record helmet use in students riding to school, graph the results, write a newspaper story - Have a parent or community partner (police, EMS, nurse) talk about preventing brain injuries *What resources are available?* - WRHA Helmet Campaign Website www.ride2win.ca. – is an interactive website that provides information and resources on bike and helmet safety. **** - 2V1 Helmet fitting cards – provides information on the correct way to wear a bike helmet as well as bike safety information.**** *To order resources: email injuryinfo(a)wrha.mb.ca (preferred) or call 787-1873.* Janelle Curtis**** Injury Prevention Consultant**** Manitoba Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs**** Healthy Living and Populations**** 2096-300 Carlton Street**** Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 3M9**** Phone: 788-6645**** Fax: 948-2366**** E-mail: janelle.curtis(a)gov.mb.ca**** Web: www.gov.mb.ca/healthyliving**** *Confidentiality Notice*: This message and any attachment to it are intended for the addressee only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, or copying is strictly prohibited. Please notify the sender if you have received this E-mail by mistake, and please delete it and the attachments (and all copies) in a secure manner. Thank you.**** *Message de confidentialité* : Ce message et tout document dans cette transmission est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé. Il peut contenir des informations privilégiées ou confidentielles. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution ou copie non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire de ce courriel, veuillez en informer l'expéditeur et effacer l'original (et toutes les pièces jointes) de manière sécuritaire. Merci. **** ** **

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Please welcome the A/T Women of Distinction!
by Shoni Litinsky 05 Apr '12

05 Apr '12

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to spread some exciting (!!!) news...Three inspirational women from our community have been recognized this year as YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction<http://www.ywinnipeg.ca/documents/Meetour2012Nominees-GeneralCategories.pdf>for the *endless* hours they have dedicated to the programs and policies that help meet Winnipeg's/Manitoba's active transportation needs. With incredible vision and passion Janice Lukes, Beth McKechnie, and Jan Schmalenberg have contributed to almost everything A/T you can find around these parts, if you have not met them already, please take a minute to read their details below. Congratulations to all of you, and thank you for all of the amazing things you do! It is also very exciting to see that this award category is filled with Active Transportation this year! For additional information visit: http://www.ywinnipeg.ca/documents/Meetour2012Nominees-GeneralCategories.pdf *Janice Lukes* Trailblazing is actually a literal description of Janice’s accomplishments increasing safe active living, recreation and transportation opportunities in Manitoba. Over the past decade, she has been directly involved in securing upwards of $56 million towards trail and cycling infrastructure in Winnipeg. Janice’s advocacy for active living started shortly after she found out she would be expecting triplets – she tells the story of being petrified with fear over the pending arrival of three boys, knowing the unbridled energy they would unleash, while living on a street that didn’t even have a sidewalk. She can often be found, triplets in tow, at City Hall or the Legislature educating about the importance of having safe places to walk and ride bikes. She routinely provides advice and recommendations on active transportation to the City of Winnipeg and Province of Manitoba, and is also an advocate for the development of innovative natural playgrounds. *Beth McKechnie* Beth is a leader in the area of active transportation (AT), working tirelessly to improve opportunities for all aspects of cycling and walking in our community. She is an integral part of the City’s active transportation advisory committee, a member since its inception in 2007. Virtually every AT initiative has her stamp on it – from the Cyclist Map of Winnipeg that she first developed in 1999 to the growing success of the annual Commuter Challenge, to the sections of the Trans-Canada Trail in her neighbourhood – Beth’s work has meant many thousands of Winnipeggers are better able to enjoy walking and cycling for recreation or commuting. Beth is also a co-founder of Peg City Car Co-op, which emphasizes AT through its tagline: "Bike. Walk. Bus. And Sometimes, Drive." *Jan Schmalenberg* Jan has a vision for a more active Winnipeg, and as the Manager of Physical Activity Promotion for the WRHA, it is a vision that she realized through the development of Winnipeg in motion. Winnipeg in motion represents a collaboration of the WRHA, the University of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg and Jan’s leadership in bringing these partners and other organizations together to share resources, knowledge and expertise has helped all Winnipeggers. Her focus is on building the capacity of groups and communities to support sustainable change through the promotion of physical activity and healthy lifestyles. Jan also embodies active living, which all of her colleagues point to as something that really sets her apart – from finding time in her hectic day to work out to holding walking meetings or leading others in true activity breaks – she is someone who walks the walk. -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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South Osborne Bike Hub - Job Posting for Summer Intern
by Shoni Litinsky 04 Apr '12

04 Apr '12

See attachment for details. SOBH is looking for a summer intern, application is due April 13th. The posting is for 6 hours per week at $14 per hour. Please share widely. Cheers, -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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City of Winnipeg News Release - Update on Sherbrook Street closure
by Beth McKechnie 01 Apr '12

01 Apr '12

_____________________________ From: City-MediaInquiry Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 11:01 AM Subject: City of Winnipeg News Release - Update on Sherbrook Street closure For Immediate Release Friday, March 30, 2012 Update on Sherbrook Street closure Winnipeg, MB – The public is advised that on Thursday, March 29, one lane of traffic reopened in each direction on Sherbrook Street, allowing for two-way traffic between Elgin Avenue and William Avenue. Since Wednesday, March 21, Sherbrook Street was completely closed to vehicular traffic between Elgin Avenue and William Avenue as a safety precaution due to collapsed excavation shoring at the Health Sciences Centre worksite. Pedestrian access is now available on the east side of Sherbrook Street, but there is no access on the west side. Cyclists will share traffic lanes with vehicles. Motorists are urged to allow additional travel time and to use Balmoral Street and Arlington Street as alternative routes while the temporary road closure is in place. Transit service has returned to regular route. Please check www.winnipegtransit.com for further route updates. More information will be provided to the public as it becomes available. -30-

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The Great Hike Kickoff 2012
by Beth McKechnie 30 Mar '12

30 Mar '12

------------------------------ *From:* Margaret Boyechko [mailto:margaret@mrta.mb.ca] *Sent:* Thursday, March 29, 2012 2:12 PM ***Subject:* The Great Hike Kickoff 2012**** ** ** Check out the attached and come join us on April 12, 2012 – it’s a fun thing!! No registration required – hope to see you there.**** ** ** Margaret Boyechko**** Administration Assistant/Bookkeeper**** ****Manitoba**** Recreational Trails Association**** 1007 Century Street**** ****Winnipeg**, **MB** **R3H 0W4******** 204-633-9879**** 204-945-1365 (fax)**** www.mrta.mb.ca**** *"In every walk with nature one receives ***** *far more than he seeks."* - John Muir****

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Kickstarter -Walk Your City: Guerrilla Wayfinding
by Shoni Litinsky 30 Mar '12

30 Mar '12

This video has been getting a lot of attention over the past few days. The Walk Your City project is trying to raise money to build an opensource Guerrilla Wayfinding website that will allow people to print off walkability wayfinding signs. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cityfabric/walk-your-city An interesting watch and inspiration as a creative idea to raise funding and the profile of active travel needs. S

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WFP: Rubber could fix sidewalks, put bounce in our steps (Mar.27'12)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Mar '12

29 Mar '12

Rubber could fix sidewalks, put bounce in our steps By: Benjamin Gillies http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/rubber-could-fix-sidewalk… Winnipeggers were eager to get out of the house to take advantage of the nicer weather in recent weeks, only to find the freezing and thawing -- and the presence of pushy tree roots -- caused many sidewalks to fracture and shift over the winter, making them not only a nuisance to replace, but also a potential danger. Almost exclusively, concrete and asphalt have traditionally been used for sidewalk construction in North America. Yet, neither is particularly well-suited to the task. Both materials are brittle, prone to cracking when trees grow beneath them and vulnerable to weather damage. Their lack of porosity deprives the soil of groundwater and increases runoff problems. In the early 2000s, entrepreneurs in the United States sought to better meet pedestrian needs by finding a type of pavement less likely to break. Searching for a malleable material, they ground up discarded tires and designed resilient rubber panels that are harder than a running track but softer than concrete or asphalt. This solution proved extremely effective. Not only did the rubber bend to accommodate tree growth, but when roots became too unruly, the individual panels could be removed, the path re-graded, roots trimmed and the same panels re-laid. In fact, city workers discovered roots actually grew more slowly beneath rubber as water could seep through the seams between the panels, reducing the need for roots to spread in search of sustenance. It was also realized that once installed, the ease with which the panel sidewalk could be disassembled and reassembled made it faster and less expensive for utility companies to complete any maintenance or other underground work than having to dig up or drill into concrete slabs. Best of all, the alternative material was good for its users, as walking or running on a rubber, shock-absorbing surface is easier on one's joints and more forgiving when someone falls. Cities using the rubber sidewalks often experienced a reduction in liability claims from pedestrians tripping, as broken and uneven concrete sidewalks were no longer a hazard. Recognizing these benefits, in the past decade rubber walkways have been put down in nearly 100 American municipalities. Canadian cities, however, have been slower to explore their potential. A handful, including Kelowna, Vancouver and Calgary have launched pilot projects. Yet, with Canada's extreme temperatures, a material less susceptible to weather damage may be even more advantageous here than it is down south. After all, the annual freezing and thawing process can force the replacement of concrete walks in as few as three years. Tests have shown rubber stands up well against excessive heat and cold, and the panels are estimated to last up to two decades without cracking. Additionally, where installed, the panels remain undamaged by snow-clearing equipment and have been designed so as not to be slippery in winter. This means that while they're about a third more expensive than concrete initially, over the long run they are very likely the most cost-effective and safest option. It is often said Winnipeg has only two seasons: winter and construction. To curb the disturbance and costs of this second season, the city should do what it can to find building materials that withstand our climate without frequent replacement. To that end, rubber-panel sidewalks seem a highly promising alternative for future development. With rubber proving itself so favourable elsewhere, the municipal government ought to consider launching its own pilot project to see if it could be a good fit here. The result could be fewer injuries and fewer scarce funds devoted to maintenance. Like the new sidewalks themselves, that is bound to put a little spring in anyone's step. *Benjamin Gillies is a political economy graduate from the University of Manitoba, where he focused on urban development and energy policy.*

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Copenhagen Economics: Cars are a Net Loss, Bikes a Benefit
by Shoni Litinsky 29 Mar '12

29 Mar '12

>From the Sustainable Cities Collective<http://sustainablecitiescollective.com/pmlydon/38206/copenhagen-economics-c…> : A study commissioned in 2010 by Bo Asmus Kjeldgaard, Mayor of Copenhagen found that *driving cars offers up a $0.20 net loss for each mile driven*. But the major form of transportation in this city of 1.2 million is not the car, but the bicycle. This leads us to what is perhaps the more amazing fact from this study…* bicycles offer a $0.35 net benefit to the economy per mile ridden*. *Math Note: 1 DKK = 18 cents (2010 currency rates) | 1.61km = 1mi* Other neat facts about Copenhagen from this study: - *Sixty-Eight Percent* - An astounding 68% of residents bicycle at least once a week - *Most Popular Commute Choice* - Citywide, 35% of residents bicycle to and from work/school, more than any other transportation method - *Sorry Cars, You’re Outnumbered* – When taking trips of under 6 miles, bicyclists outnumber cars 3 to 1 - *Rain, Sleet, or Snow* – Most commuters cycle year-round, even with an average low of 28-degrees Fahrenheit during snowy winter months and 2.5 inches of rain during summer months - *Kids Rule* – A full 98% of children in the city own a bicycle See full study here<http://www.kk.dk/sitecore/content/Subsites/CityOfCopenhagen/SubsiteFrontpag…> -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Why bicyclists are better customers than drivers for local business
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '12

28 Mar '12

Why Bicyclists Are Better Customers Than Drivers for Local Business by Tanya Snyder <http://dc.streetsblog.org/author/tanya-snyder/> Friday, March 23, 2012 http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/03/23/why-bicyclists-are-better-customers-th… <http://dc.streetsblog.org/author/tanya-snyder/> Do local and state officials tune out when you try to talk to them about bicycling? Are they unconvinced by arguments about public health, transportation options, or clean air? Do business leaders send you packing when you suggest building new bike lanes and bike parking, fearing that the loss of car parking will keep customers away? Then show them the money. Bikes can mean big business, and businesses are beginning to realize it. At a Bike Summit panel Wednesday on the economic boost cycling can provide cities, speakers highlighted another strong message cyclists can bring to politicians when making their case for investment in bike/ped facilities. Far and away, the biggest reason business owners resist the addition of bike infrastructure is that they’re afraid it will limit parking. Once they realize they can get 12 bike parking spaces for each car spot, sometimes they begin to change their tune. Even better, they begin to discover that cyclists can be their best customers. “We tend to shop closer to home and shop more often,” said April Economides, a consultant who helped the city of Long Beach, California build bicycle-friendly business districts<http://www.bikelongbeach.org/Planning/Read.aspx?ArticleId=20>. Rather than jumping in the minivan and heading to the suburbs to go to the big shopping malls, cyclists patronize the businesses in our neighborhoods. Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster understands the value of bikes: “I see parts of the city on my bike that I would never even notice if I was just driving,” he said. “It’s a way for me personally to get closer to the city.” That closeness has a dollars-and-cents value. Cyclists travel at what Portland Bike Coordinator Roger Geller calls a “human-scale speed” that allows them to “stop and buy something.” Besides, Economides said, if you’re car-free you’ve got an extra $6,000 jangling around in your pocket that you otherwise would have spent on gas and car maintenance (actually, $8,776 if you believe AAA<http://newsroom.aaa.com/2011/04/cost-of-owning-and-operating-vehicle-in-u-s…>). According to researchers with Intelligent Communities, a program of the National Building Museum, only 16 percent of household car expenses stay within the local economy<http://www.govtech.com/e-government/IBM-City-Forward-Launched.html> . The four bicycle-friendly business districts Economides helped develop in Long Beach provide a model of how to encourage cycling without adding infrastructure. Local businesses see bike access as a boon for local shopping and dining. They have an informal merchant bike-share program, so the business owners themselves can enjoy the benefits of biking around town. The program created the nation’s largest citywide bike discount program <http://www.bikelongbeach.org/Events/Read.aspx?ArticleId=48>, where customers get better prices if they arrive by bike. The program also brought the districts community bike rides, free bike repairs, bike valets at local events, and even free bike portraits, where you can get your picture taken with your bike (see left). The programs have brought a flood of new customers into participating stores. Two of the four districts didn’t even have a lot of good bike infrastructure to begin with – but there’s more demand for it now, even from businesses that used to be bike-averse. Long Beach got a stimulus grant to create the districts, and the term of the grant expired just last week. But Economides said participating merchants are now so jazzed about cycling that they’ll carry on the work. And it’s a diverse group of businesses: Organizers reached out to Spanish- and Khmer-speaking merchants in the area and got their full participation. They also left paper flyers and postcards on people’s doorsteps, since not everyone is wired. “Open Streets,” or ciclovias – events where streets are closed to motorized traffic and become the domain of bicyclists, pedestrians, skateboarders, rollerbladers, jugglers, dog-walkers – are another way to bring money to local businesses. Washington University in St. Louis was able to quantify the economic benefit <http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/23216.aspx> of Open Streets programs: 73 percent of Open Streets participants spent money at a restaurant or store on the route, and 68 percent became aware of a restaurant or store that was new to them. Business Improvement Districts are another good place to seek support for pro-bike policies, said Andy Hanshaw of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition. Local shopping and dining is what they’re all about, and they might be happy to sponsor community bike rides and new bike parking. After all, in downtowns turning car lanes over to people can be a great moneymaker. Its most stunning success, perhaps, has been Times Square, “the ultimate end vision of how to pedestrianize the most pedestrian-heavy place in America,” according to Mike Lydon of the Street Plans Collaborative. According to a recent study commissioned by the local BID, Times Square helps generate more than one-tenth of the city’s economic activity<http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/times-square-lights-up-citys-e…>– on less than one percent of its land. >From park(ing) day<http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/09/16/parking-day-once-again-sweeps-the-glo…>, where people create ephemeral parks in parallel parking spaces, to parklets that make those tiny parks more permanent, to pop-up cafés<http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/08/12/dot-unveils-new-pop-up-cafe-in-financ…>, adding outdoor public space draws people and adds life to the street. Those spaces also often become de facto additional seating for nearby establishments, giving them more capacity for free. “Bicycling, just like walking, helps make a Main Street more vibrant,” said Economides. “It adds more eyes and ears to the street, so it makes it safer. So think about a mom pushing a stroller. She’s going to want to walk down a block that has more people walking and bicycling; she’ll feel safer. And you do want to attract women and moms. We’re a pretty important shopping base.” Rory Robinson of the National Park Service found many other examples<http://www.miamivalleytrails.org/benefits.htm>of bicycling spurring economic revitalization, like the opening of the Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville, Colorado, which led to a 19 percent increase in sales tax revenues, helping the city recover from a mine closure in 1999. The 45-mile long Washington & Old Dominion Trail in the D.C. suburbs brings an estimated $7 million into the northern Virginia economy, nearly a quarter of that from out-of-towners. And downtown Dunedin, Florida was suffering a 35 percent storefront vacancy rate until an abandoned CSX railroad track became the Pinellas Trail. Storefront occupancy is now 100 percent, Robinson found. “Business is booming.” And the economic benefit of bicycling for communities doesn’t end with cyclists’ expensive cappuccinos and impulse buys. Properties near bike paths increase in value 11 percent, said Economides. Realtors and homebuilders consistently find that access and proximity to walking and biking facilities, especially greenways, makes homes easier to sell. A reporter for the Indianapolis Star said it best<http://saveourtrails.ca/money/property_values.htm>in 2003: “It may not have sand and crashing waves, but the Monon Trail is the equivalent of beachfront property in the Indianapolis area.” Add to that the fact that bike lane construction creates about twice as many jobs<http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/01/07/combat-joblessness-stripe-a-bike-lane/>as road-building for the same amount of money, and you’ve got yourself a great economic argument to take to local leaders and politicians when you ask them to support walking and biking – even (or especially) in tough economic times. Tanya Snyder <http://dc.streetsblog.org/author/tanya-snyder/> became Streetsblog's Capitol Hill editor in September 2010 after covering Congress for Pacifica and public radio. She lives car-free in a transit-oriented and bike-friendly neighborhood of Washington, DC.

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