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Cycling Health and Safety - An overview of research
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '12

11 Dec '12

Cycling Health and Safety An overview of cycling health and safety research Prepared By: *Chris Cavacuiti BA, MD, CCFP, MHSc, ASAM* Staff Physician, St. Michael's Hopsital, Department of Family and Community Medicine Toronto, Ontario Introduction In my cycling-related research work with Share the Road and the St. Michael’s Dept. of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, I’ve been truly impressed with the breadth and quality of the studies that have been published on this topic. As anyone who has an interest in cycling health and safety research will tell you, there are some incredibly smart and dedicated researchers out there who have made this topic their life’s work. When I speak to other cycling researchers and advocates, one of the biggest challenges they tell me that they face is finding and organizing the wealth of data that is already out there. I am often approached by journalists, researchers and advocates who are looking for more information on a particular area of cycling research, but there was usually nowhere I could send them for quick and easy access to the information they wanted. These experiences made me realize that what I and many others needed was a well-organized, well cited and text-searchable overview of key cycling research that would contain many of the most important facts, figures and findings in this field. I approached Eleanor McMahon at Share the Road with this idea and asked her if Share the Road would be interested in helping to organize this overview and host it on their website. Share the Road thought this was a great idea and kindly agreed to help. So in the summer of 2012, Share the Road and I hired a very bright and capable young summer student (Matthew Cheah), to help us put together this overview. I’d like to personally thank Eleanor McMahon and Matthew Cheah for all their work in helping make this overview a reality. I’d also like to thank Cary Moretti for his IT input and support with this project (…and for putting up with me talking about this project on more than a few of our long rides together!) One final word - we’ve made every effort to keep the statistics and wording in this overview as close to the original documents as possible and to correctly cite each and every fact, figure and quotation we’ve included. However, this document is no replacement for reading the original articles and we’d encourage those who are using this overview to cross-reference our statistics with the original documents. Believe us - they are well worth the read! Happy searching! http://www.sharetheroad.ca/files/Cycling_Safety_Overview___2012_12_05.pdf

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(Presentation on The New Pedestrian Control Guide) Fwd: ITE Manitoba monthly lunch Presentation on Thursday, December 13th
by Anders Swanson 06 Dec '12

06 Dec '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Hello everyone, It is finally here, the first ITE Manitoba monthly lunch presentation will be on Thursday, December 13th! As usual, it will take place at 12 noon at The Round Table at 800 Pembina Highway. Our presenter this month is Dr. Jeannette Montufar, P. Eng., of the University of Manitoba. Dr. Montufar’s presentation is on The New Pedestrian Control Guide. Dr. Montufar is a professional engineer registered in Manitoba and Alberta, and Associate Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Manitoba. She is also Principal of Montufar Group, a transportation consulting firm specializing in road safety and freight transportation. Dr. Montufar has done extensive work in the U.S. and Canada on projects dealing with road safety, freight transportation, the application of advanced technologies to commercial vehicle operations, truck size and weight policy, goods movement in urban areas, traffic information systems, and the automation of data collection systems. She has worked for the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio; the Texas Transportation Institute in College Station, Texas; and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The cost for the presentation and lunch is $20 for members and guests, and $15 for students. This notice can also be found at www.itemanitoba.ca< http://www.itemanitoba.ca>. We hope to see you all there next week! Björn Rådström, BSc(CE), P. Eng. ITE Manitoba Secretary

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RFP - City of Winnipeg Cycling and Walking Master Plan NOW OUT
by Anders Swanson 05 Dec '12

05 Dec '12

Of interest to all planning/engineering/consulting firms with expertise in cycling/walking facilities: http://www.winnipeg.ca/MatMgt/FolderContents.asp?FOLDER_ NAME=891-2012&YEAR=2012

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Bicycling Infrastructure: Don't Let the Perfect Become the Enemy of the Good
by Dave Elmore 05 Dec '12

05 Dec '12

http://www.chicagonow.com/easy-as-riding-a-bike/2012/12/perfect-become-the-e nemy-of-the-good/ Bicycling Infrastructure: Don't Let the Perfect Become the Enemy of the Good By Brent Cohrs, Monday at 10:19 am When it comes to safe and efficient bicycling infrastructure, few nations can rival the Netherlands. It really seems that the Dutch have thought of everything. As this video shows, a transportation system that gives equal consideration to those choosing to travel under their own power by bike and purposely addresses the differences of speed and mass between bicycles and motor vehicles can result in a win-win for all road users. We need only look at the number of fatalities to see the proof. The Netherlands experiences 1.1 deaths per 100 million kilometers traveled versus the US average of 5.8 for the same distance. I pointed out in last week <http://www.chicagonow.com/easy-as-riding-a-bike/2012/11/wearing-a-bike-helm et/> 's post about helmet usage that the remarkable aspect of Dutch bicycling being five times safer is that their number of trips taken by bike is also twenty-seven times greater than ours. Success like this heartens bicycle advocates who truly believe in the Field of Dreams approach; "if you build it, they will come." In a perfect world - or more precisely a perfect United States - citizens would come together and demand a transportation system that accommodates all users equally. Whichever mode an individual chose for him or herself - personal vehicle, mass transit, bicycle, or own two feet - would be equally safe by design. There would still be trade-offs and sacrifices among choices, but personal safety wouldn't be one of them. As we cycling advocates talk amongst ourselves and admire the Dutch (and the Danes), we're all painfully aware that they didn't become ultra bike-friendly overnight. Political will for major changes began in the 1970s when the nation became fed up with the number of children killed by automobiles, the leveling of historic buildings to create parking spaces, growing traffic congestion, and worsening smog. They vowed to nip their problem in the bud and today have a much different flower to show for their efforts. We're not so lucky in the US. Our love affair with the car grew unabated through two oil shortages and volatile swings in gasoline pricing over the past 40 years. Vehicles didn't shrink in size like they did in Europe, they grew larger! Mass transit has had to fight tooth and nail for federal transportation funding. Bicycling and pedestrian advocates have only held a seat at the table for the past decade and we're still sitting on folding chairs. As much as we bicycling advocates would like to achieve the perfect, we'll be lucky if we can attain the "good enough". Not that we won't keep striving and pushing the general public toward that tipping point when not riding a bike will be viewed as more hazardous to one's health than riding a bike. We just need to stay patient, remain persistent, and continue to win little battles, savoring our victories and inspiring our troops. But we also have to be realistic. We need to acknowledge that right now and for the foreseeable future, we have an incomplete infrastructure. Too few protected bike lanes. Too many lanes that end abruptly or deliver us to unsafe intersections. Too much inconsistency with sharrows <http://gridchicago.com/2012/cdot-fast-to-build-new-bikeways-but-needs-to-re ctify-existing-ones/> , bike lanes, and cycle tracks. Lanes that put us in the door zone or subject us to the hazard of the right-hook. We all know the system's shortfalls. In the meantime, we still need to ride the streets we have and stay safe doing so. The best thing we Illinois cyclists have going for us is Public Act 095-0231 <http://ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=095-0231> or as I like to refer to it, the Three-Foot Law. In this 2008 transportation act, motorists must give a minimum of three feet of clearance when passing a bicycle traveling in the same direction. We are not only required to stay as far to the right as is practicable, but as is safe. This means that we may pass other cyclists on the left, move left to avoid potholes, ride clear of the door zone, cross to the left turn lane, and move to the left of the right turn lane at intersections. This is the law and these are our rights. While we wait for the good to become the perfect through the efforts of our advocacy groups, we can all learn to adjust our riding to the incomplete infrastructure we have in place right now.

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Close passing and edge hazard zones for cyclists (Gutierrez)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '12

05 Dec '12

Hello everyone, The link below takes you to a series of slides that clearly articulate the space required for cyclists on the road. Thanks to Bob Kurylko for forwarding. Please note that it was identified as "a work still in progress by Dan Gutierrez." In my mind, Dan's diagrams and explanations perfectly capture why so many people are too scared to cycle in traffic. Being trapped riding in the edge hazard combined with the close pass zone creates a scary and dangerous situation that current standards for bicycle facilities don't address adequately. https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B-Gu4I2V0ZScbTR0MHhoZHh2RzQ<https://docs.google.com/a/greenactioncentre.ca/file/d/0B-Gu4I2V0ZScbTR0MHho…> cheers, Beth

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FW: AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities [ including Bicycle Transportation Networks]
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 03 Dec '12

03 Dec '12

FYI In my opinion much better than the Canadian TAC document “...1.1. PROBLEM STATEMENT AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVE The objective of this project was to prepare a comprehensive update to the 1999 AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities. The Guide is recognized and accepted throughout the United States as the national guideline for bicycle facility planning and design. It has evolved over time - the 1981 edition of the Guide was 31 pages long and had only four pages of guidance on designing on‐road bicycle facilities. By the time the 1999 edition was published, the Guide had more than doubled in length, with considerably more information on planning, on‐road bicycle facility design, shared use path design, and operations and maintenance. Usage of the Guide has grown rapidly as nationwide spending on bicycle facilities has increased. Each successive federal transportation bill since ISTEA in 1991 has increased funding for bikeway construction in the U.S. Despite its popularity and utility, however, the 1999 edition of the Guide lacks important information, and does not reflect significant research findings of the past decade. Additionally, parts of the Guide need to incorporate changes from updated national references such as the "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices" (MUTCD) and the AASHTO "Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets," (AASHTO "Green Book"), among others. In 2004, the NCHRP Task 187 Report entitled "Updating the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities" conducted initial research, interviews, and a literature review to determine the recommended scope and content of the next edition of the Guide. That report made recommendations for numerous changes to the 1999 Guide. The new draft of the Guide incorporates these recommendations, along with new guidance and research, and practical experience gained through the design and construction of bikeways throughout the United States....” http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP_15-37_FR.pdf 204.488.8988

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Bikeway traffic control guidelines for Canada - Second edition (2012)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Dec '12

03 Dec '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: "Zdan, Terry (MIT)" <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 08:55:27 -0600 Subject: Bikeway traffic control guidelines for Canada - Second edition (2012) Top of Form**** *Bikeway traffic control guidelines for Canada - Second edition (2012)***** **** Product Code: PTM-BIKEGD2-E**** *Bikeway Traffic Control Guidelines for Canada* outlines the appropriate traffic control for the installation of signs and pavement markings on bikeways and contains diagrams of typical installations. Many of the guidelines may be applicable to both on-road and off-road bikeways. **** This 118-page document was produced with the intention of providing guidance in the application of bicycle-related traffic control devices on bikeways that are within the public right of way. Signs and pavement markings must be designed carefully and installed properly to maximize their effectiveness. It is important that agencies responsible for the application of these guidelines use sound engineering judgement and principles when implementing bicycle-related traffic control devices. **** These guidelines are expected to evolve over time, depending on prudent engineering judgement, experimentation and testing which is anticipated to take place in an effort to continue addressing the needs of cyclists in Canada. **** Member Price: $150.00 *Regular Price: $199.50***** Bottom of Form**** ** ** ** ** Thank you and regards**** ** ** Terry Zdan BA MEDes**** ** ** Policy & Service Development**** Manitoba Infrastructure & Transportation**** 1520 215 Garry Street**** Winnipeg MB R3C 3P3**** P 204 945 7381**** C 204 227 3724**** E Terrry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca**** ** ** ** **

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Ontario seeks public input for cycling improvements
by delmore＠mymts.net 01 Dec '12

01 Dec '12

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Province+seeks+public+input+cycling+i… seeks public input for cycling improvements The Ontario government wants to hear from you about how to improve cycling in the province. At a news conference Friday in Ottawa, Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Bob Chiarelli said the province is looking for public input to form the basis of a draft cycling strategy. The public has until Jan. 29, 2013, to offer comments on such things as improvements to cycling infrastructure, public education and legislation.Chiarelli said that starting in January, municipalities can also apply for funds under the new Municipal Infrastructure Program as it pertains to supporting the development of local cycling networks. Cycling infrastructure funds were not available to municipalities under the program in the past, but now they can apply for funds up to $2 million, he said.The draft cycling strategy will also look to create a provincial cycling network to connect destinations and recreational cycling and tourism routes, run public education campaigns with groups such as Share The Road, update the Driver’s Handbook to include better guidelines for cycling and sharing the road with other vehicles, and provide cycling safety and bike maintenance information with new bikes sold. “This means that what was in some respects a series of ad hoc initiatives that existed in Ontario by various stakeholders or municipalities and sometimes the province is (now) going to be much more comprehensive,” Chiarelli said in an interview.“It’s going to be better funded and it’s going to make a significant difference for cyclists, they’re going to be safer on the road, they’re going to have better infrastructure, and cycling will be more exciting for a lot of people because part of the policy is related to tourism so that we’re going to be connecting regions with cycling paths.”Chiarelli sad Ontario has “the safest roads” in North America, although cycling fatalities still do happen in the province. He said he hopes the new initiatives will help reduce the number of cycling fatalities in Ontario. “We’re going to have better infrastructure, more bike lanes and we’re going to have better educated drivers and cyclists. We think of cyclists becoming more educated, but automobile drivers need to be more educated and they need to know where the cyclists have the right to go on the road — they’re not only restricted to driving along the curb. They have access to the road under the appropriate circumstances and there are lot of drivers who don’t understand that,” he said.The announcement was welcomed by the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, a provincial cycling policy and advocacy organization, adding it was Ontario’s first cycling policy update in 20 years. “I think you are seeing a quantum leap forward in terms of parties in the legislature supporting this in each of their different ways,” Eleanor McMahon, founder of Share The Road Cycling Coalition, said at the news conference held at retailer Bushtukah. She founded the coalition after her husband, an OPP officer, was killed in 2006 by a motorist while cycling.“This is not the time for partisanship, it is the time for focusing on the safety of our most vulnerable citizens and making sure that there is clarity on our roadways so that motorists and cyclists can share the road in a safe way,” McMahon said. She said the coalition’s 2010 green paper on bicycling in the province, which was based on the responses of 1,200 people, outlined priorities on how the government could make Ontario more bicycle friendly. The coalition also endorsed the 2012 Coroner’s Review of Cycling Deaths in Ontario which called for cycling infrastructure and education investments.She said she hopes the province can meet municipalities “halfway” in coming up with a comprehensive cycling strategy.“Some of this stuff can seem quite mundane but it affects everybody in our day-to-day lives, if we want to cross an intersection and it doesn’t feel safe, or as cyclists we don’t have the proper turning opportunities,” McMahon said. “We’re taking about signage, infrastructure, bike lanes, and sometimes segregated bike lanes if at all possible. I know that any change creates opposition, but (public) education is important,” she said. Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/Province+seeks+public+input+cycling+imp…

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Metro Wpg: Idea to reduce residential speed limits gets more time (Nov.27'12)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Nov '12

29 Nov '12

Idea to reduce residential speed limits gets more timeBy Bernice Pontanilla | Metro Winnipeg http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/455414/idea-to-reduce-residential-speed-l… A City committee has ordered more study into a motion requesting a decrease to 40 km/h on Winnipeg’s residential streets. Councillors on the infrastructure renewal and public works committee voted in favour of a 60-day extension on the motion, which was originally brought to the July city council meeting by Coun. Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre) and Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski). Cycling and walking advocate Anders Swanson delivered a detailed PowerPoint presentation to committee members, stating that in collisions between cars, pedestrians and cyclists, speed is a huge determinant of the outcomes. “What chance do you give people?,” Swanson said. “Pedestrians have a less than 50% chance of surviving an impact at 45 km/h, pedestrians have almost no chance of surviving an impact at 80 km/h.” Swanson used pictures from his travels in Europe to demonstrate different methods of handling traffic, be it vehicles, bikes or pedestrians. He also showed what a street beside a Winnipeg school would look like if these European methods were used. Committee member Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) said she’d like the City’s administration to do a cost benefit analysis, with ideas on phased-in approaches or pilot projects. This motion has no bearing on the speed limit in school zones, which is 30 km/h.

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Which really is more deadly: cycling or sitting down watching TV?
by Dave Elmore 28 Nov '12

28 Nov '12

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/nov/28/deadly-cycling-s itting-watching-tv Which really is more deadly: cycling or sitting down watching TV? New scientific guidance about the 'invisible danger' of inactivity puts cycle safety in perspective Sometimes, it seems, to get some perspective on the vexed issue of cycling <http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/cycling> and particularly cycle safety you need to chat not to a transport expert, let alone a government official, but a scientist. This occurred to me earlier this week as I watched three fairly eminent scientists with a specialism in public health unveil new recommendations by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence <http://www.nice.org.uk/> . Our news story on it is here <http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/nov/28/cycle-walk-maintain-health-ad vises-nice> , but in essence it calls for walking and cycling to become the norm for short trips as a way to combat the increasingly desperate extent of health problems connected to inactivity and obesity <http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/obesity> . After they'd introduced the report the floor was open for questions. One of the first was on cycle safety: had they taken into account the potential perils of riding a bike? The answer from Dr Harry Rutter <http://www.noo.org.uk/about/NOO_team> , lead author of the report and an adviser at the National Obesity Observatory - they gather data on obesity, as opposed to peering at the big-boned from a very great distance - is worth quoting in full: All activities carry a risk. For some reason there seems to be strong focus on the risk of injury associated with cycling. Clearly, when deaths do takes place that's tragic, and we need to do all we can to avoid them. But I think there is a perception that cycling is much more dangerous than it really is. This focus on the dangers of cycling is something to do with the visibility of them, and the attention it's given. What we don't notice is that if you were to spend an hour a day riding a bike rather than being sedentary and driving a car there's a cost to that sedentary time. It's silent, it doesn't get noticed. What we're talking about here is shifting the balance from that invisible danger of sitting still towards the positive health benefits of cycling. It's something most cyclists know about but it's worth reiterating. Plus, I like the notion of an "invisible danger". People go on at exhaustive length about the perils of cycling because cycling remains niche. Sitting around on one's arse watching EastEnders and eating Pringles is, however, a national pursuit, and not enough people make the connection between that and an impact on health which is, the scientists told us, now on a par with that from smoking. In the collection of quotes assembled for the press pack there was a good one on this point from Philip Insall, head of health for the active transport charity Sustrans <http://www.sustrans.org.uk/> : If a virus was this deadly it would fill the front pages and dominate debate in parliament. The second point that caught my attention came in response to a slightly carping question from me. Such advice, I asked, is all very well but will it really change much in the absence of concerted government action over safe walking and cycling routes? Professor Mike Kelly <http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/whoweare/seniormanagementteam/professormik ekelly.jsp> of Nice sighed very slightly and presented me with a parallel: efforts to curb smoking. It took a full 60 years after the proof of cigarettes' harm to reach the relative nirvana of a ban on smoking in public places. View the report, he said, not as an end in itself but as "one further accumulation of the evidence", part of a long-term process, albeit one he hopes will take less than 60 years. Good advice, particularly for a semi-professional cycle policy malcontent such as me. Perhaps the best point, however, came again from Rutter as he was asked what more could be done to promote active travel. He replied: There are two interventions that we know increase walking and cycling: living in the Netherlands and living in Denmark. Behind the half absurd statement lies this central truth: there's no magic behind getting people on their feet or on their bikes, it just takes sufficient political will. If the Dutch and Danish did so in the 1960s and 70s, so can we now.

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