- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

CBC: Waterloo to reduce speed limits to 30 km/h on city streets (Jun13'22)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jun '22

15 Jun '22

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/waterloo-speed-limits-low… Waterloo will reduce speed limits on city streets to 30 km/h. In a 5-3 vote, councillors approved the move Monday during a council meeting. Staff had recommended lowering speed limits from 50 km/h to 40 km/h on most streets with a drop to 30 km/h around schools, but Ward 2 Coun. Royce Bodaly introduced a motion to lower limits on collector and residential streets to 30 km/h. "In short, it works," Bodaly said of lowering speed limits to increase pedestrian and cyclist safety. "Somebody going 75 km/h in front of a neighbourhood park or a school or just on any residential street, in my opinion, they should be subject to a stunt driving charge, and they would be if we went to 30, but would not if we went to 40." He said he'd like to see Waterloo "drive the culture change" on city streets and accept a Feb., 2020 Stockholm Declaration on Road Safety recommendation <https://www.who.int/news/item/17-05-2021-streets-for-life-campaign-calls-fo…> to lower speed limits to 30 km/h globally. Jason Thistlethwaite, who is co-president of the Uptown West Neighbourhood Association, told councillors the association did consultations with residents and people were supportive of the idea of lowering speed limits. "Reduction to 30 km/h made sense as a deterrent against excessive speed. People felt that there was a difference between driving 60 in a 40 zone and 60 and a 30 zone," he told council. "The overwhelming response was the slower, the better." Hard decision for council: Mayor Ward 4 Coun. Angela Vieth said 30 km/h is "too inhibiting, too slow" and did not support Bodaly's motion. She said the city needs to be consistent with Kitchener, which has lowered speed limits to 40 km, and that there are other ways to slow vehicles down. "I think if we're animating the sidewalks, if we have interesting front yards and and we allow kids to play hockey or to walk on the street if they have to," Vieth said. "Add more activities rather than putting up signs all over the place. Mayor Dave Jaworsky also voted against the motion and explained after the vote that a split vote of council "is simply an indicator of how hard the decision actually was for council." He said his vote was to make sure for the next term of council "which will have a number of fresh faces," the decision would be more "palatable." "You never know what next council might do," he said. Waterloo is not alone to drop speed limits to 30 km/h. Banff, Alta., did it earlier this year <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/town-of-banff-drops-speed-limit-to-3…> and Ottawa lowered some streets <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-city-council-approves-30-km-h-…> in 2017. Staff will now work on a plan to phase in implementation over the next four years. It will cost an estimated $500,000 to changeover signs, a cost that will be brought before the new council when capital budget deliberations for 2023 get underway late this year.

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Green Action Centre hiring 2 sustainable transportation coordinators
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jun '22

14 Jun '22

*** Please share widely. Thanks! *** Green Action Centre is hiring two Sustainable Transportation Program Coordinators, one at full time (35 hours/week) with Active and Safe Routes to School and one part time (24 hours/week) with Workplace Commuter Options. Find details for both postings here <https://greenactioncentre.ca/featured/join-the-green-action-centre-team/>. *Apply by June 30, 2022, *to be part of a great team! cheers, Beth -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *Green Action Centre is located on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anishininiwag, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of* *the Métis Nation. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and that our hydro is sourced from numerous First Nations here in Manitoba**. * Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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Put sound devices on bicycles too AKA bells.
by Terry Zdan 13 Jun '22

13 Jun '22

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/electric-vehicles-sound-blind-pedestr…

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Link between AT paths and public health
by Charles Feaver 10 Jun '22

10 Jun '22

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WFP: Planner seeks deep dive into pedestrian fatality data (Jun10'22)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jun '22

10 Jun '22

*Planner seeks deep dive into pedestrian fatality data * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/deep-dive-into-pedestrian-fatality-… IN the wake of dozens of pedestrians and cyclists killed in Winnipeg crashes between 2012 and 2019, a new push to pinpoint the exact circumstances behind those deaths has emerged. The call to explore the grim details follows an analysis of the fatalities, shared during a presentation at the city’s public works committee Thursday. Jairo Viafara, a professional transportation planner, noted his analysis of city and Manitoba Public Insurance data found an average of four pedestrians were killed per year between 2012 and 2016 in Winnipeg, which rose to 5.6 per year for 2015 to 2019. During the same period, average collision deaths for cyclists fell to one from 2.2, while an average of 12.7 people within motor vehicles died due to crashes in each of those years. Viafara told the Free Press he believes active transportation safety efforts have focused heavily on cyclists in recent years. Protecting bike riders is a major priority but the City of Winnipeg must ensure that effort doesn’t distract from work needed to keep pedestrians safe, he added. “Our streets are not as safe (for pedestrians) as we are led to believe,” said Viafara. “We are being lulled into a (false) sense of safety.” His report notes the increase in pedestrian fatalities seems to be occurring as roads generally become safer for others. “In Manitoba, historically, traffic fatalities have been in steady decline over past decades. The significant increase in pedestrian fatalities seen within Winnipeg runs counter to the overall trend, and as such warrants significant attention,” it states. The planner was educated in Winnipeg and worked in his chosen field in the United States before returning to the Manitoba capital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reading about local pedestrian safety concerns, Viafara said he was inspired to analyze the numbers. Multiple Free Press articles this year delved into several key safety concerns, as highlighted by traffic safety activist Christian Sweryda. For example, Sweryda noted he’s lobbied the city for more than a decade to add more eye-level lights at pedestrian crosswalks, claiming these are more visible to drivers. On Thursday, Viafara urged the city to take several steps to make travel safer for pedestrians,such as: evaluating alternative crossings at some intersections; identifying “unsafe pedestrian behaviours” to target with education; and considering adding pedestrian leading intervals to crosswalk signals (which would give pedestrians a head start of a few seconds to walk before a green light signals for vehicle traffic to begin travelling in the same direction). “We need to afford people the opportunity to actually walk safely in the city from the point of origin to their destination, (including) school children, senior citizens or people going to work,” said Viafara. Coun. Matt. Allard, chairman of the public works committee, said he agrees the increase in pedestrian fatalities poses a major concern. On Thursday, he shared a motion at public works committee that calls city staff to request monthly collision, death and injury data from MPI and the Winnipeg Police Service to share with councillors. It would also direct city staff to prepare two reports per year, along with monthly verbal reports, on detailed collision data. For each collision, that would aim to include the location, roadway surface, weather, fatality number, traffic volume and signal types, among other details. “We see pedestrian deaths on the rise… in this third-party report, so that’s concerning. And if you start adding up deaths and injuries, it becomes a much bigger issue. I think what’s being asked for here is more information, more quickly and more granularity on what happened, when,” said Allard. The motion notes city data shows at least 51 pedestrians and cyclists were killed in 2012-19 crashes, which Allard said may not include all incidents, such as some matters recorded by MPI. Allard said his goal is to get much more information on the circumstances surrounding collisions to support better informed decisions on how best to prevent them. The committee delayed the vote on the motion until next month. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Living near multi-use paths brings heart health boost, study says (Jun9'22)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Jun '22

09 Jun '22

*Living near multi-use paths brings heart health boost, study says * CITIES that build safe and easy-to-access paths for walking, running and cycling can improve the heart health of residents who live nearby, a study led by the University of Manitoba suggests. The study looked at four multi-use paths that were built in Winnipeg between 2010 and 2012 in neighbourhoods that were already largely established. It examined provincial health data covering several years before and after, and found that after the trails were built, people who lived within 400 metres of the paths had lower rates of risks to cardiovascular health such as diabetes and high blood pressure. In essence, one of the study’s authors said, people are more likely to go for a walk, run or bike ride — and maybe ditch the car for a commute — if you give them dedicated space away from vehicle traffic to do so. “More and more people are living in urban centres, and we’re really interested in understanding which aspects of the environments that we build in these centres have health-promoting potential,” said Jon McGavock, a professor of pediatrics and child health at the university who is also an investigator with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba. The study relied on the city’s electronic counters along the paths and found that the busier the path, the greater the reduction in cardiovascular risk factors. Overall, areas within 400 metres of the paths saw an eight per cent reduction in those factors. Near the Bishop Grandin Greenway — the busiest of the four paths — the reduction was close to 15 per cent. The paths that connect residential areas to schools and shopping centres saw the most use. The Bishop Grandin Greenway links high-density neighbourhoods and sprawling suburbs to the University of Manitoba, the football stadium where the Canadian Football League Winnipeg Blue Bombers play, and a large shopping centre. “Because they’re so connected to other things, people use them to go to work, go to school, go do groceries, that sort of thing,” McGavock said. “That would be the… thing that we would try to promote to other cities is, take a look at — when you’re doing your next build — what are the destination points that people are going to (go to).” The study was funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and done in conjunction with the City of Winnipeg and the non-profit Winnipeg Trails Association. — The Canadian Press

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WFP Community Review: Options for modernization of Henderson Highway (Jun8'22)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '22

08 Jun '22

Options for modernization of Henderson Highway The City of Winnipeg is looking for input into its modernization of Henderson Highway north of Chief Peguis Trail, which aims to improve safety, traffic flow, and livability from Gilmore Avenue to the north city limit at Glenway Avenue. According to the city, recommendations are sought on a number of items, including: introducing a median on Henderson Highway to manage access and improve safety; improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure; and replacing the existing Bunn’s Creek crossing structure. According to the city, “the designs presented … are based on technical analysis and traffic studies, as well as what was heard through stakeholder meetings and public participation in a mapping tool that looked at what matters most to road users and residents in terms of safety, efficiency, and accessibility along the corridor.” For more information, or to provide feedback, visit winnipeg.ca/henderson

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Wirld bike day last week
by Terry Zdan 07 Jun '22

07 Jun '22

https://electricautonomy.ca/2022/06/03/e-bike-canada-world-bike-day/

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WFP: Never too old to learn to ride a bike (Jun6'22)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jun '22

06 Jun '22

*Life-changing program gets parents pedalling* Never too old to learn to ride a bike https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/never-too-old-to-learn-to-ride-a-bi… FOR Jubril Adeyemoh, it’s never quite worked to say that anything in his life is as easy as riding a bike. The 39-year-old immigrant, who moved to Winnipeg two years ago, never got a chance to learn how to ride a bike in his home country of Nigeria. Arriving in Canada, he was struck by the many paths and trails Winnipeg had to offer. “Where I live, there is a lawn, there is a walkway at the back of my house, and I see a whole lot of people ride bicycles,” Adeyemoh said. “I’ve always wanted to also learn so that at least I can ride and enjoy the trip as well.” He and his family were settling down and making community connections when Adeyemoh received a fateful email advertising a free eight-week course, provided by the Louis Riel School Division’s René Deleurme Centre and the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (WRENCH), for parents and caregivers who wanted to learn to ride a bike. As the father of two young kids — one seven, one four — who regularly ride their bikes, he would jog alongside them or keep an eye on them in the park. They’d asked why he couldn’t ride with them, and he never had a proper answer. Joining the cycling course, he realised he wasn’t alone. “I won’t lie to you — a whole lot of other people came like me, that have not rode a bike in the past. And I was wondering if an eight-week period would be sufficient for us to learn,” he said. By the third week, Adeyemoh said a measure of progress was evident. When he surprised his kids with his new bike (provided by the program) and his new skills, they were delighted. “Even though I am still not that very good yet, considering we’ve had about five or six weeks with it, I’m sure with much more practise I’ll get much better,” he said. “But at least my children are very happy.” The program, funded through a federal community health initiative grant, has been a success. WRENCH and the Louis Riel School Division put up posters but had no idea what the level of interest would be, school division spokesperson Melissa Brown said. “Learning things as an adult is a little bit trickier, right? It’s a little harder. You have to get out of your comfort zone to take that chance and be vulnerable, and so we were really proud and happy that our community trusted us to take part in that experience,” Brown said. “That has been a little bit surprising, but very exciting.” There are 30 adults signed up for the program, who started with striders — bikes with the pedals removed to build balance and confidence — and are now working on brief leisure rides. Two other programs are in place for more intermediate riders. One is a bike mechanic course, also offered to parents and caregivers. The other is a leisure ride — meant to help encourage caregivers that are new to the community, or Winnipeg in general, to take to the St. Vital community trails. Participants are mainly newcomers, but range from young parents to seniors, and everyone goes home with a bike and helmet to keep. “Just seeing the response from our community has really just sparked our interest in how we can continue building on programming in the future and offer programs in the future years for our community,” Brown said. “When you see an adult take a chance and learn a new skill and have that pride and there’s something so liberating about riding a bike, it’s just such a rewarding program.” Adeyemoh is now looking into more advanced bike riding programs for adults. He’s taken to bike riding, but the chance to meet new people after pandemic-era social distancing while in a new country has been life-changing. He said he knows other adults who would love to take part in a similar program, and hopes it expands to fit more people’s schedules and reaches more people like him. “It was soft, it was gentle, it was fantastic. It was easy to learn,” he said. “And I will say I have grown as a person, not to even add the fact that I made a couple of friends also by converging every Tuesday morning.” Adeyemoh continues getting up bright and early Tuesday mornings to strap on his helmet and work on bike basics. What he’s gained goes far beyond pedals and wheels. “I don’t know how I can actually express how I feel about it,” he said. “But I’m so glad that I got that email, and I took the steps to take advantage of it.” malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Shared street Bill 21 receives royal assent
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jun '22

03 Jun '22

Included in the bills that received royal assent Wednesday in Manitoba: ● Bill 21 (Highway Traffic Amendment and Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Amendment Act) authorizes municipalities to designate a street as a shared street in which drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and other users have equal priority and must share the road with a speed limit of not more than 20 km/h -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *Green Action Centre is located on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anishininiwag, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of* *the Métis Nation. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and that our hydro is sourced from numerous First Nations here in Manitoba**. * Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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