- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Active School Travel Webinar Series
by Shoni Litinsky 01 Mar '13

01 Mar '13

Looks like our Walking and Wheeling webinar series<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/walking-and-wheeling-webinar-series/>was such a success that our Active and Safe Routes to School partners in Ontario will be doing one as well! We will not be able to host all of them here at the Eco-Centre, but when we can I will send a reminder and invitation. Please register with Sandra Jones to watch from your own computer: scjones(a)telus.net Please check your own access to the WALKS room on this link below. Click 'Allow' when promoted, or follow the instruction; for instance to update JAVA. Guest Link here<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001txjSoZpK2mCKvai5APqy9DIcNLkRylU3EDFTaS3mOGEE…> . *Wednesday March 6 - 11am-1:30pm CST * *THE REALITY OF WORKING WITH HIGH SCHOOLS* This active school travel webinar will include presentations and discussion of the rewards and challenges of working with high school students. These are the projects and presenters: *Adapting School Travel Planning for High Schools *Jamie Stuckless will present findings of a Green Communities Canada-directed pilot in Ottawa that took place between September 2010 and December 2012. *Experiences Engaging High School Students *Omar Bhimji with HASTe BC will share his insights. *Making Tracks With High School Students *Jen McGowan will present on programs offered through the Ecology Action Centre, Nova Scotia *Supporting Our High Schools *Share The Road representative Jamie Stuckless will update on their latest work. * * *Wednesday April 3 - 11:00am-12:30pm CST* *PROGRESS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES* We are pleased to have municipal planners and other community professionals join us to present on School Travel Planning and active school travel projects in: - The City of Vernon, BC - The City of Edmonton, AB - Rural Yukon communities - Bridgewater, Nova Scotia (to be confirmed) - Case study highlights from Ontario *Tuesday April 30 - 11:00am-12:30pm CST* *TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS IN STP AND ASRTS* Developers of unique active school travel apps for web and mobile devices will share their latest findings and updates. The presenters are: - Anders Swanson. Background information is at www.greenactioncentre.ca<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001txjSoZpK2mDWbaAyS3pX5W1K9BKtlMIkmvj_hKjj1VsQ…> Bike, Walk Roll Project mapping app development - Ken Martin. A link for app use is at iSchoolTravel: Active Travel and Emissions Calculator<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001txjSoZpK2mC4JuEOKTwu146CR934GtkXL2wN0_Seu2uD…> *Wednesday June 19 - 11:00am-12:30pm CST* *LOCAL AIR QUALITY AND CHILDREN'S MOBILITY* This session will provide results and highlights from the Hamilton, Ontario air quality monitoring project at St. Lawrence Catholic School. The project, a joint effort of Green Venture, Rotek Environmental, Clean Air Hamilton and Green Communities Canada, with support from Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index, has involved elementary students in the collection and analysis of air quality data around the school and in action planning. St. Lawrence has been an active participant in the Stepping It Up (School Travel Planning) project with Metrolinx as well as Share the Road and Green Communities' Wheeling to School pilot. Funding for the above webinar series is provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Thank you! -- *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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Whose Winnipeg?
by Beth McKechnie 01 Mar '13

01 Mar '13

Thought this might be of interest from an AT perspective, among others of course. Apologies for cross-postings. Please see attached, and circulate widely: *Whose Winnipeg? A forum to discuss public process and city decisions* Thursday March 14, 6-8pm Carol Shields Auditorium Millennium Library 251 Donald St Hosted by the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg in partnership with Planners Network Manitoba OURS Winnipeg For the Love of Winnipeg For more information, call the Social Planning Council: 204-943-256<204-943-2561>

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Stay safe, take transit
by Dave Elmore 01 Mar '13

01 Mar '13

http://www.theprovince.com/Stay+safe+take+transit+says+study+revealing+great er+risks+driving+cycling+especially+motorbikes/8032362/story.html Stay safe, take transit, says study revealing greater risks of driving, cycling and especially motorbikes By Ian Austin, The Province February 28, 2013 The lead author of a new study endorses Vancouver's efforts to make cycling and walking safer, with a growing network of greenways and separated bike paths. If you want to be safe, take the bus - and leave the motorbike on blocks. That's the conclusion from a new study on the relative safety of the car, bicycle and motorcycle as opposed to walking and public transit. Buses and public transit are much, much safer than any other mode of transport, while motorbikes are much, much more dangerous than anything else. Canada is about twice as dangerous as the model transportation nation - tiny Holland, with its hordes of cyclists - and considerably safer than the most dangerous nation, the car-crazed United States. Meghan Winters led a group of Simon Fraser University and University of B.C. researchers who found that 200 B.C. lives would be saved each year if we could emulate the safe streets of the Netherlands. "Lower speeds, and put in separate areas dedicated for cyclists and walkers," said Winters, when asked where she'd start to make Vancouver safer. "Public transit, cycling and walking are all sustainable modes of transport we should be encouraging." Buses and public transit were far and away the optimum choice for the safety conscious - 20 times safer than cars, bicycles and walking, which all scored roughly the same. For those who live on the wild side, riding a motorcycle is fully 25 times as dangerous as driving, cycling or walking. Rehabilitation facilities such as G.F. Strong are full of the victims of tragic motorbike crashes, with lengthy regimens for bikers who are particularly vulnerable to crashes. Winters endorses Vancouver's efforts to make cycling and walking safer, with a growing network of greenways and separated bike paths along with traffic calming roundabouts. Concerned about a spike in pedestrian deaths, Vancouver also recently lowered the speed limit to 30 km/h on a high-volume Downtown Eastside corridor as a pilot project. "Speed kills," said Winters, an SFU assistant professor of health sciences. "Reducing speeds lowers the severity of the injuries." - See more at: http://www.theprovince.com/Stay+safe+take+transit+says+study+revealing+great er+risks+driving+cycling+especially+motorbikes/8032362/story.html#sthash.lTV egH6n.dpuf

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Request for literature - built environment impact in rural, remote and northern communities
by Beth McKechnie 27 Feb '13

27 Feb '13

Request for Literature: We are conducting a literature review (academic and grey) on the impact of built environment features on physical activity and/or healthy eating and/or health equity in rural, remote, and northern communities. This project is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The final product will be a knowledge synthesis report that includes an annotated biography. This report has the potential to provide guidance in addressing the unique challenges and needs that these communities face in improving the health outcomes of their populations. In addition to conducting a search for peer-reviewed literature in databases (e.g. PsychoINFO, MEDLINE) we are also seeking practitioner and/or academic input. REQUEST: If you are aware of academic literature OR grey literature (reports, conference proceedings, dissertations and theses and white papers) on this topic, please send us a link or reference information to Kim Bergeron @ kim(a)buildingbetter.biz by March 8, 2013. Please disseminate this request widely. Sincerely, Kim Bergeron and Sue Cragg Research Consultants Kim Bergeron, Ph.D. Sue Cragg Bergeron Consulting suecraggconsulting.ca

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Invitation to participate in GMF's next webinar: Shifting Gears — The Road to Sustainable Transportation, Friday, March 1st
by Beth McKechnie 27 Feb '13

27 Feb '13

We are not around to host this FCM Green Municipal Fund webinar at the EcoCentre on Friday afternoon but if you're interested in viewing it, you can register (for free) at the link below. cheers, Beth ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Stéphanie Bohdanow <sbohdanow(a)fcm.ca> Date: Wed, Feb 27, 2013 at 8:04 AM Subject: Invitation to participate in GMF's next webinar: Shifting Gears — The Road to Sustainable Transportation, Friday, March 1st Hello, Given your past participation in one of GMF’s transportation-focused webinars, I’d like to invite you to participate in our upcoming webinar entitled “*Shifting Gears — The Road to Sustainable Transportation*<http://fcm.ca/home/events/upcoming-events/webinar-shifting-gears-the-road-t…> *”*. The webinar will be taking place this *Friday, March 1, 2:30–4:00 p.m. EST*. A description of the webinar can be found below. Registration is free and can be done online by clicking *here*<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=N5dd7OTOVNSXu9qU_2foLBew_3d_3d> . I hope you’ll join us! Kind regards, Stephanie Voir la version française<https://vem.fcm.ca/elink.aspx?edb0457d-6180-e211-ba40-005056bc2614Q1JNUFJPR…>. | View email in your browser.<https://vem.fcm.ca/elink.aspx?eeb0457d-6180-e211-ba40-005056bc2614Q1JNUFJPR…> [image: cid:vem_e2efa84b-63ac-43d0-aa57-20ade57c6bd2] [image: cid:vem_cfc28f5f-d3f1-4ff6-826e-c76300043729]<http://www.facebook.com/pages/FCM/201746766534992> [image: cid:vem_b999b53e-1af3-46df-9e88-3201edbdc5a5]<http://www.linkedin.com/company/federation-of-canadian-municipalities> [image: cid:vem_dc6c16a7-0e9d-4b41-a0b1-03c5b80fc778]<http://twitter.com/#!/FCM_online> [image: cid:vem_aa9f2929-0bcb-4aaa-859a-9b452fea8615] February 26, 2013 Register for our March 1 webinar: Shifting Gears — The Road to Sustainable Transportation FCM is pleased to announce a new free Green Municipal Fund<http://www.fcm.ca/gmf>(GMF) webinar: *Shifting Gears: The Road to Sustainable Transportation** Part 4 of GMF’s Leading Trends in Municipal Sustainability webinar series* *Friday, March 1, 2012, 2:30–4:00 p.m. EST* *Speakers* - Damien Forbes, P.Eng., Senior Project Engineer, Toronto Transit Commission <http://www.ttc.ca/> - Erik Backstrom, Senior Planner, Transit Oriented Development Planning, City of Edmonton <http://www.edmonton.ca/> - Malcolm Shield, Climate Programs Engineer, Sustainability Group, City of Vancouver <http://www.vancouver.ca/> Communities of all sizes are encouraging the use of alternative transportation to help reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, promote active lifestyles, and ensure accessibility for citizens of all ages and abilities. This webinar will feature innovative municipal initiatives that support the transition to electric vehicles and help create built environments that encourage active living and increased use of public transit. Speakers will share the keys to their success and the insights gained from their experiences, and provide participants with valuable knowledge, which can be applied to their own communities. Register<http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=N5dd7OTOVNSXu9qU_2foLBew_3d_3dhttp://…>for this webinar online. You will receive a confirmation within one working day. *Questions?* Please contact Stephanie Bohdanow <sbohdanow(a)fcm.ca> at 613-907-6262. For more great sustainability resources, visit our website<http://fcm.ca/home/programs/green-municipal-fund/program-resources.htm> . ------------------------------ *What is a webinar? *A webinar is an interactive, web-based workshop that will inform and inspire you from the comfort of your home or office. *How much does it cost? *FCM’s Green Municipal Fund webinars are free of charge. *Learn with your colleagues.* Book a meeting room with a phone and an Internet connection and invite your colleagues to participate. Webinars are a great opportunity to discuss how the featured topics relate to your community. The Government of Canada endowed the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) with $550 million to establish the Green Municipal Fund™. The Fund supports partnerships and leveraging of both public and private-sector funding to reach higher standards of air, water and soil quality, and climate protection. [image: cid:vem_75c737af-06e8-4ff7-83a6-cc5b7234fb57] [image: cid:vem_6ba54ce8-d664-44c8-a766-f5b9e2fb932c] Green Municipal Fund Update is a publication of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities <http://www.fcm.ca/>. ©2013. Comments, inquiries and suggestions can be directed to Lorie Boucher<lboucher(a)fcm.ca> . 24 Clarence Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5P3 • T. 613-241-5221 • F. 613-241-7440 | Privacy Policy <http://www.fcm.ca/home/privacy-policy.htm> | Unsubscribe<velferink@fcm.ca?subject=Please%20unsubscribe%20me%20from%20your%20mailing%20list> [image: https://vem.fcm.ca/elink.aspx?efb0457d-6180-e211-ba40-005056bc2614Q1JNUFJPR…] Stéphanie Bohdanow Program Officer, Capacity Building | Agente de programme, Renforcement des capacités Green Municipal Fund Fonds municipal vert <http://www.fcm.ca> 24, rue Clarence Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5P3 T. 613-907-6262 | F. 613-244-1515

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Parker lands BRT route news fails to mention AT benefits
by Beth McKechnie 26 Feb '13

26 Feb '13

(Please see message below) ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:48:14 -0600 Subject: Parker Lands BRT route news fails to mention AT benefits http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Committee-OKs-rapid-transit-corridor… -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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WFP: Walk this way - Pedestrian signals, street redesigns helping to make intersections safer (Feb.23'13)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Feb '13

23 Feb '13

Walk this way Pedestrian signals, street redesigns helping to make intersections safer By: Bruce Owen http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/walk-this-way-192666351.html It's been blinking for less than a year, but already it's being trumpeted as one of the best ways to make busy city intersections safer for pedestrians and drivers. It's called a pedestrian countdown signal and it sits at the corner of Portage Avenue and Donald Street across from the MTS Centre. Like its name, it counts down the number of seconds pedestrians headed to a Jets game or an arena concert have to safely cross the street before the traffic signal for the oncoming lane turns green. It was installed in June by the city as a way to introduce Winnipeggers to something more common in other cities. The countdown signal is just one tool traffic experts use to make streets safer, but how soon we'll see more of them in the city is unknown. They can only be installed where existing software and wiring can support them, and more importantly, when the city's budget process supports it. The cost of the countdown signal is about $10,000 per intersection. "There's no plan with timeline," Winnipeg traffic signals engineer Michael Cantor said of future installations. "We're trying to push for it. There's a benefit from them. It gives pedestrians an enhanced feeling of safety when they're crossing. They know exactly how much time they have to cross." Pedestrian countdown signals are now mandatory in the United States -- any new or replacement pedestrian signals being installed must include countdowns unless the pedestrian change interval (flashing upraised hand) is seven seconds or less. In Canada, they are not, but many cities (Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary) have installed them anyway, simply because of the safety benefit. Asif Iqbal, senior traffic safety engineer with the City of Edmonton, said the benefit of countdown signals is best seen in that city's downtown area, where there is a lot of foot traffic. He said Edmonton's policy is that any new interaction location or reconstruction is considered for a countdown signal. The city's first countdown signal was installed about five years ago. "Drivers like them too, because it gives them an idea on how much time they have before the light is going to turn amber," Iqbal said. "Our message, though, is that these are for pedestrians, and drivers should not rely on them." Cantor said the single countdown signal at Portage and Donald has already sparked several requests from city councillors and members of the public to have them installed at other locations, mostly in the downtown. He said there is mixed research on the cost-benefit of the signals -- do they reduce pedestrian collisions and costs to the health-care system? Cantor said the research isn't decisive and that in some jurisdictions, people get used to the countdown signals and their novelty runs out, so any safety benefit is temporary. "Different studies say different things," he said. "We want to put them in because we feel that it will give more of a safety component and better decision-making tool for pedestrians before they cross. It just feels safer when you know how many seconds you have to cross." Traffic engineers are also looking at other ways to make intersections safer but still maintain traffic flow. Edmonton's Iqbal said the most common crashes at intersections are rear-enders, mostly caused by the trailing vehicle following too closely. By re-engineering the geometry or design of some intersections, Edmonton has found it can lessen the chances of those collisions and also reduce the possibility of more severe right-angle or side crashes. Iqbal said a re-designed intersection makes it easier for drivers making right turns to turn their head sideways to see opposing traffic. "If the angle is such that when you are going through that right turn, it moves you away from that stream of traffic, it becomes difficult to turn your head, because you have to turn your head almost 180 degrees so that you can see if someone is coming," Iqbal said of older intersections. What Edmonton has done at some of its intersections is reduce the size of the right-turning lane or eliminate it, making oncoming traffic more visible to drivers going right. "What we did was when you are making a right turn now, the angle is such that when you go into the intersection, you basically make a 90-degree right turn," he said. "We call it a high-entry angle." By its design, a high-entry angle not only improves visibility for drivers turning right, but forces them to slow down before entering the intersection, he said. "If you look at statistics for most major cities, intersections are overrepresented for most collisions," said Gerry Shimko, executive director of Edmonton's Office of Traffic Safety. "Typically, more than 50 per cent of all collisions are intersection-related." An example of a change of intersection design in Winnipeg is at Salter Street and Jefferson Avenue. Last year, the four-way stop signs were replaced by traffic signals. They were installed as a way to better control an increasing amount of traffic on both streets during rush hour. In the process, a right-turning lane northbound off Salter to go east on Jefferson was eliminated. A small pedestrian island also disappeared. That was done more to realign the intersection and facilitate the installation of the traffic signals, city road engineer Stephen Chapman said. However, the road change now makes it easier for drivers turning right onto Jefferson from northbound Salter to see oncoming traffic and pedestrians. The change has also "calmed" traffic down. Chapman said traffic signals were also installed at Sinclair Street and Inkster Boulevard at the same time to reduce right-angle crashes. "We had a pattern of westbound with southbound right-angle collisions," he said -- there were 19 over a three-year period. Chapman said other busy intersections don't get traffic signals -- they get turned into roundabouts, which also reduce the chance of right-angle collisions. The most recent examples are Grassie Boulevard at Molson Street, and Lakewood Boulevard at Beaverhill Boulevard. For the worst intersections in the city, such as Leila Avenue and McPhillips Street, they see more crashes simply because of the high volume of traffic. Most collisions are fender-benders, such as rear-end crashes. "That's not necessarily something that can be engineered out," Chapman said. Shimko said Edmonton is also targeting high-risk drivers as a way to reduce collisions. That includes identifying drivers with a high number of traffic violations -- 12 or more over a two-year period. It's those drivers, who also tend to have criminal records, who are typically involved in serious collisions. "There are high-risk drivers that need to be dealt with and identified for police intervention, because that will be the only thing that will basically deal with them," he said. "Police go out and target the registered owners of these cars to deal with the offending drivers. They've had some initial good success." What Edmonton also does is divert some of the proceeds from its automated or photo-enforcement program back into traffic safety, including road redesign to lessen right-angle collisions. In Winnipeg, photo-enforcement revenue goes into policing. "We made a conscious choice that traffic safety is important," Shimko said. *bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca* ** *TOP 10 worst intersections for vehicle collisions, June 2002-June 2012* Leila Avenue and McPhillips Street 1,736 Kenaston Boulevard and McGillivray Boulevard 1,719 Lagimodiere Boulevard and Regent Avenue 1,347 Grant Avenue and Kenaston Boulevard 1,343 Bishop Grandin Boulevard and St. Mary's Road 1,162 Bishop Grandin Boulevard and St. Anne's Road 1,077 Archibald Street and Marion Avenue 1,017 Portage Avenue and Moray Street 986 Portage Avenue and Main Street 943 Bishop Grandin Boulevard and Waverley Street 919 * * *TOP five worst intersections for vehicle-pedestrian collisions over five-year period 2007-11:* Portage Avenue and Cavalier Drive 9* Henderson Highway and McLeod Avenue 8 McPhillips Street and Jefferson Avenue 8* Isabel Street and William Avenue 7* Osborne Street and River Avenue 7 *denotes location of one of city's photo-enforcement intersection cameras *Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 23, 2013 A4 *

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WFP: Review of speed limits planned - Province to soon begin wide probe seeking consistent, safe standards (Feb.14'13)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Feb '13

21 Feb '13

Review of speed limits planned Province to soon begin wide probe seeking consistent, safe standards By: Bruce Owen http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/review-of-speed-limits-planned-19117… The Selinger government is days away from announcing a provincewide review of speed limits on Manitoba's roadways. Infrastructure and Highways Minister Steve Ashton said Wednesday the goal of the review is to devise more consistent standards of how speed limits are set on Manitoba's highways and streets, including in Winnipeg and Brandon. That includes addressing the "patchwork-quilt" application of speed limits by municipalities and taking into account newer, better-designed roadways that can handle higher speeds. "You're not going to get one-size-fits-all," Ashton said. "But there are certain basic parameters that do apply and there are ways of dealing with things. "What we're trying to get here, and the balance of the review will reflect that, is making sure that we get the recognition of local realities, but at the same time have some consistent speed limits and guidelines." He said the two basic speed-limit guidelines in Manitoba are that when driving in the city, the speed limit is 50 km/h unless otherwise posted and when driving on the highway, the speed limit is 90 km/h or 100 km/h unless otherwise posted. "We'll look at all those elements," he said. "We're going to look at the general parameters in terms of speed limits and a combination of everything from the convenience side of it to safety. Safety will always be paramount." CAA Manitoba and the Manitoba Trucking Association welcomed the upcoming review, saying it's badly needed to address inconsistencies in how speed limits are determined. "A lot of development has been done over the last 10 to 20 years and as they've added roads, Bishop Grandin and Kenaston, I don't think there's been a lot of consistency," CAA Manitoba vice-president of marketing and sales Tim Scott said. "A lot of roads have been developed from single lanes to two lanes and that makes a big difference. "But the litmus test is always safety." Terry Shaw, general manager of the Manitoba Trucking Association, said more consistent speed limits would mean better efficiencies for the trucking industry. "Efficiency comes through setting speeds based on an informed decision, which comes from a legitimate study," Shaw said. "Our concern is the inconsistencies -- the 60 to 50, the 70 to 50, items like that, the inconsistencies without legitimate reasons or legitimate purpose or inconsistent signage." Ashton said the review -- which will include public consultation -- will not alter the province's position on reduced speeds in school zones. Last year, Ashton introduced legislation to give local authorities the power to create reduced-speed zones for schools. Last August, Winnipeg city council voted unanimously to reduce the speed limit to 30 kilometres per hour in elementary school zones. Last month, a city committee rejected a call to reduce the residential speed limit in Winnipeg from 50 km/h to 40 km/h. A city report said many studies conducted throughout North America showed driver speed is affected by the road conditions and not by speed-limit signs. Ashton said the provincial review is separate from the work of the province's Highway Traffic Board, which is considering raising speed limits on selected stretches of city streets, including sections of Dugald Road, Grant Avenue, Pembina Highway and Waverley Street. The board held public hearings late last fall. However, he added the provincial review will examine the role of both the Highway Traffic Board and the Motor Transport Board. The boards were amalgamated more than a decade ago and serve different functions: The wHighway Traffic Board is responsible for the administration of speed limits, and the Motor Transport Board is responsible for the licensing of truck operations and intercity buses, plus regulating rates for intra-provincial bus operations. The province last increased the speed limit on certain sections of twinned roadways in Manitoba to 110 km/h in July 2009, including the Trans-Canada Highway from the Saskatchewan border to Virden and Highway 75 from the Emerson border crossing to St. Jean Baptiste. bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca *A DRIVING FORCE*: CAA Manitoba recently questioned 8,628 of its members on driving and speeding *How acceptable do you personally feel it is for a driver to drive above the speed limit on a highway?* Completely acceptable 5.8% (498) Somewhat acceptable 43.6% (3,755) Somewhat unacceptable 25.1% (2,161) Completely unacceptable 25.0% (2,155) I don't know 0.04% (34) *How acceptable do you personally feel it is for a driver to drive above the speed limit on a residential street?* Completely acceptable 2.0% (169) Somewhat acceptable 4.7% (400) Somewhat unacceptable 17.2% (1,478) Completely unacceptable 75.8% (6,496) I don't know 0.3% (29) *When on a residential street, how often do you drive over the speed limit?* All the time 0.6% (49) More than half the time 1.5% (130) On occasion 13.8% (1,172) Very rarely 48.0% (4,080) Never 36.0% (3,064) Not applicable 0.1% (12) *When on a highway, how often do you drive over the speed limit?* All the time 6.2% (525) More than half the time 23.6% (2,006) On occasion 38.4% (3,266) Very rarely 24.0% (2,045) Never 7.5% (636) Not applicable 0.4% (34) *Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 14, 2013 A3 *

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WFP online: Lower vehicle speeds, separated bike lanes lower risk of cyclist injuries - study (Feb.20,13)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Feb '13

21 Feb '13

Lower vehicle speeds, separated bike lanes lower risk of cyclist injuries; study By: The Canadian Press http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/reduced-vehicle-speeds-separated-bi… TORONTO - Some simple changes to the infrastructure of Canadian cities could go a long way towards keeping the country's biking enthusiasts safe from harm, a team of researchers suggested Wednesday. Erecting physical barriers between traffic and bicycle lanes, ensuring relatively flat commuting surfaces and regulating vehicle speeds all have the potential to curtail cycling injuries on city streets, they said. The findings came from a cross-country team of researchers and was published in the Journal Injury Prevention. The team's objective was to explore the factors that contribute to Canada's strikingly high rate of cycling-related injuries, according to the study's lead author. Anne Harris, assistant professor with Ryerson University's school of Occupational and Public Health, said several previous studies have established that North American cyclists are eight to 30 times more likely to be injured on the road than their counterparts in European countries such as Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands. The figures could not simply be chalked up to cycling volumes, she added. "In the cycling countries of northern Europe, you see a much larger proportion of trips taken by bicycle and much lower injury rates," Harris said in a telephone interview. "We thought one of the reasons that there might be differences is because of the availability of bicycling infrastructure." Harris and her team interviewed 690 cyclists who were injured badly enough to require a trip to a hospital emergency room between May 2008 and November 2009. The injuries came on either the streets of Vancouver or Toronto. Researchers compared the point at which the interview subject got hurt with earlier intersections along the route that were passed without incident. The findings, Harris said, allowed the team to draw some conclusions about potential safety innovations for Canadian city streets. One comparatively simple measure would be the introduction of bike lanes that are physically separated from the street, she said. "Just as we know that separating pedestrians from motor vehicle traffic is a really important thing to do with sidewalks, we're seeing evidence that we need to separate bicyclists from motor vehicles with the use of segregated facilities." Those facilities need not be elaborate or expensive, she said, adding rows of planters are often enough to provide a protective barrier between cars and bikes. Such lanes are the norm in Europe, she said, adding designated bike paths marked out only by a painted line do not offer the same degree of protection. Regulating traffic speeds could also prevent injuries, Harris said, adding accidents were 50 per cent less likely to take place at intersections where traffic moved at 30 kilometres an hour or less. Traffic circles also posed additional dangers to cyclists, the study suggested. Harris said researchers also noted certain types of terrain that were more likely to result in a trip to the hospital. Upward slopes were safer than downward ones, she said, adding flat surfaces offered the most protection of all. Canada's naturally hilly cities would be powerless to address this concern, she conceded, but added centres such as Toronto are ideally equipped to implement infrastructure changes that could have benefits beyond road safety. Increased cycling use, she argued, could have positive ramifications on everything from gridlock to the environment. "Much of the infrastructure changes that would make things safer are also attractive to bicyclists, so it would encourage more people to ride," she said. "It's a public health issue."

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AT Webinar: Municipal Bicycle Parking Programs, Wed, Feb 27, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 21 Feb '13

21 Feb '13

Green Action Centre and Stantec Consulting invite you to join us for a local viewing of the *second* of four APBP webinars on bicycle parking. It takes place at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications. * Municipal Bicycle Parking Programs** Wed, Feb. 27, 2013 | 2:00-3:00 pm CST* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 * * * * * * * Municipal Bicycle Parking Programs This session focuses on the application of the basic principles to develop a municipal or regional bicycle parking program. A particular point of the presentation involves the development of an on-street parking program with both sidewalk and high capacity components. The APBP guide to development of codes and policies is discussed, as are funding and delivery methods for public bicycle parking programs. The session also covers differing requirements for residential, civic, commercial and industrial programs and the impact of bike share programs on bicycle parking. Who should attend? Municipal staff, transit agency staff, managers of educational, corporate and healthcare campuses, and members of Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committees (BPACs), as well as elected officials and staff of bicycle advocacy organizations. Both the experienced agency manager and those new to developing bicycle parking solutions will benefit. *For future dates and topics in the Bicycle Parking Webinar series, see: * http://greenactioncentre.ca/event/apbp-bicycle-parking-webinar-series/

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