- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Winnipeg Transit testing new Rapid Transit Corridor, public advised to stay off Transitway
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jan '12

11 Jan '12

If everyone could help share the word on this, it would be greatly appreciated. A lot of people used the actual Transitway for walking and cycling during construction but now need to stay clear as the buses are on the road. thanks! Beth ------------------------------ *From:* City-MediaInquiry *Sent:* Wednesday, January 11, 2012 10:47 AM *Subject:* City of Winnipeg News Release - Winnipeg Transit testing new Rapid Transit Corridor, public advised to stay off Transitway [image: Description: Description: Description: cid:image001.png@01CC88E0.FA0A1B80]**** ** ** For Immediate Release**** Wednesday, January 11, 2012**** ** ** *Winnipeg Transit testing new Rapid Transit Corridor, * *public advised to stay off Transitway* ** ** *Winnipeg, MB.* – The City of Winnipeg is advising the public to stay off the newly constructed 3.6 km Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor Transitway and to exercise caution at street intersections along the corridor. **** ** ** Winnipeg Transit officials are reminding residents to be safe and avoid trespassing on the Transitway, which is now an active roadway with test buses approaching speeds of 80 km/h. Pedestrians and cyclists are at risk if they enter the Transitway and are advised to stay on public rights-of-way adjacent to the corridor. Strict adherence to all Transitway signs and signals is equally important for motorists also, as they will be sharing intersections with the test buses at certain times of the day.**** ** ** Winnipeg Transit has been conducting driver training on the corridor since December 16, 2011. The Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor is scheduled to open on Sunday, April 8, 2012.**** ** ** For more information on Rapid Transit or the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor, visit http://winnipegtransit.com/en/rapid-transit/ **** ** ** - 30 -**** Media inquiries should be directed to the City of Winnipeg Media Inquiry Line at 204-986-6000 or via email at MediaInquiry(a)winnipeg.ca**** ** ** Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg<http://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> **** ** ** Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg<http://www.twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> **** ** **

1 0

Bike Challenge Volunteers Sought
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jan '12

10 Jan '12

Are you interested in helping out with the Actif Epica bike race from St. Malo to Winnipeg on February 18th? Volunteering is a great way to be a part of this unique event—your help will make this a fun and safe bike challenge for everyone. We’d appreciate your help with: - *Course setup* – set up a few signs and flags on the Friday before the race - *Checkpoint race officials* – timing and communications to race headquarters - *Checkpoint hosting* – helping riders with food and water, general oversight - *Roving support* – on-course support in a vehicle or on a snowmobile (we’ll cover your gas) No experience is necessary – we’ll train you up and various shifts and locations are available. Volunteer briefing meetings will be held from 4-5 p.m. on Saturday February 11 (St. Pierre) and Sunday February 12 (Winnipeg), please plan to attend one or the other. If you are interested in giving a couple of hours or more please contact Hal Loewen <halloewen(a)gmail.com> or Ian Hall <ian.hall.204(a)gmail.com>, we’ll find a way for you to be an important part of the Actif Epica experience and have some winter fun. http://actifepi.ca/2012/01/bike-challenge-volunteers-needed/

1 0

The Intersector: A traffic light that knows when bicycles are coming
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jan '12

10 Jan '12

[Not sure what happens with buses when there's transit signal priority but interesting concept. -Beth] The Intersector: A Traffic Light That Knows When Bicycles Are Coming *It’s time for some intelligent design in our traffic management. A new device can change light times to make things safer for oncoming bikes, and more convenient for impatient drivers.* It’s a problem even in the most bike-friendly cities: cars move faster than bikes, which means cyclists are put in danger when traffic lights change. To cut down on the danger of deadly crashes, a handful of California cities, including Pleasanton, Redding, and Monterey, are installing the Intersector<http://www.ci.pleasanton.ca.us/services/traffic/intersector.html>, a smart traffic signal that can differentiate between bikes and cars--and then times traffic light changes accordingly. The Intersector uses a microwave radar gun that can calculate the speed and length of approaching objects, so it knows whether a bike or car is rolling up. The device then decides how long the light should stay green so that both cars and bikes have enough time to pass through. Cars get four seconds to roll through, while bikes get 14 seconds. If a cyclist pedals through a light that’s already green when they arrive, the Intersector tacks on an extra five seconds of green. If no cars are coming, it can shorten the length of a green light to let people needlessly waiting at a red go ahead sooner. Check out a video of the Intersector in action and full story at: ** http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679087/the-intersector-a-traffic-light-that-kno…

1 0

Webinar - Emerging Technologies for Ped and Bike Planning (Wed, Jan.18, 2-3:15, EcoCentre)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jan '12

10 Jan '12

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar* "*Emerging Technologies for Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning*" *at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Emerging Technologies for Pedestrian and Bicycle Planning Wednesday, January • 2:00 to 3:15 pm CST Through a series of short presentations, this webinar will survey several applications with the potential to help engineers and planners improve conditions for bicycling and walking. [image: gps]The examples covered in this session will offer an overview of a range of situations where technological advances can aid professionals in their work to develop plans and programs. Due to the number of examples, attendees should plan to be in the webinar for 75 minutes. The session will include: 1. An overview of the newest web and mobile apps and devices, with suggestions for their application to the 5 Es. 2. A description of Cycloplan, an application in development at the University of Minnesota that will leverage data collected in the geo-wiki Cyclopath to create a tool for analyzing cycling networks and managing bikeways. 3. An example from St. Louis' new Gateway Bike Plan of using technology to engage the public and help build a new regional bicycle master plan. 4. Information about GPS-enabled data collection equipment used for pedestrian access inventories, plus pedestrian access shed analysis methodology. Presenters are James Andrew, Senior Transportation Planner, Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul; Terra Curtis, MCRP candidate, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; RJ Eldridge, Director of Planning, Toole Design Group; and Julie Padberg-White, Principal, FPA Group. -- *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/>

1 0

Bike, Walk, Bus. And sometimes, Drive. Peg City Car Co-op Video Series
by Shoni Litinsky 09 Jan '12

09 Jan '12

Peg City Car Co-op <http://pegcitycarcoop.ca> is working to change the way people think about getting around Winnipeg. Bike, walk, bus, and use a vehicle only when you need it. Peg City recently received a grant from Assiniboine Credit Union to create four short videos that feature our co-op members and why they choose to carshare. Enjoy this video that features Amanda's story on how the car co-op supports her do the things she loves: http://vimeo.com/34035273 Stay tuned over the next four weeks to follow their personal stories. Co-ops build a better world - International Year of the Co-op 2012<http://www.copac.coop/iyc/index.html> . Thank you, Shoni

1 0

FW: Winter Use of Wheeled Mobility Devices survey please take part in this
by Anders Swanson 09 Jan '12

09 Jan '12

FYI. This is some timely and interesting research and they are looking for participants. See the request below. If you know anyone or any organization willing to share this survey with their members, please forward it along with the attachments. Hello, We are occupational therapy researchers at the University of Manitoba, who are interested in learning about how winter weather affects the ability of people who use wheeled mobility devices (i.e. wheelchairs and scooters) to take part in activities that are meaningful to them. The purpose of this study is to answer the question “What challenges arise with wheelchair/scooter use in cold weather climates?”, and to identify what aspects of wheelchair/scooter products, natural and built environments (e.g. public buildings and parks or the home), social attitudes, and policy-level environment are most problematic in the wintertime in Manitoba. The results will be used to guide future research and address change needed in these areas. As one part of a broader research study, we have developed the Winter Use of Wheeled Mobility Devices survey that takes about 35-40 minutes to complete. It will be available to for people to complete throughout the winter months (January - May 2012), and is available to be done on-line, on paper, or over the phone. We are using posters, hand-outs, mail-outs, and word-of-mouth advertising to recruit people to participate in completing our survey. We are looking for a variation of wheeled mobility types (manual and power wheelchairs and scooters), geographic locations, age, and employment status. We greatly appreciate any and all help in getting the word out about our study, helping us to reach a broad group of people to better represent this population with our research. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Pam Whaley by email at winterweather.research(a)gmail.com or by phone at 977-5617. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, The Winter Weather Research Team -- Anders Swanson Active Transportation Project Coordinator Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba | www.pacm.ca activetransportation(a)pacm.ca

1 0

If you build it...?
by Beth McKechnie 09 Jan '12

09 Jan '12

[Thanks to Ian Hall for sending this along...] ** "More Twin Cities residents than ever are getting around by bike or on foot. Bicycling in the Twin Cities has increased by 52 percent since 2007, and walking by 18 percent. Twin Cities bicycling, in particular, experienced a sharp year-over-year increase - up 22 percent from 2010 to 2011." http://www.bikewalktwincities.org/news-events/bicycling-and-walking-counts-…

1 0

A Traffic Engineer's Lament
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jan '12

06 Jan '12

Engineering News-Record (ENR.com) - From the Transportation Front... * A Traffic Engineer's Lament* *Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner and head highway and bridge engineer, is chief executive of Sam Schwartz Engineering in New York City. He writes about everything related to transportation and engineering practice.* Traffic engineers are being marginalized and viewed as anachronisms, like Mad Men from a bygone age. As Christopher B. Leinberger, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution and professor of planning at the University of Michigan, writes in a recent *NY Times* op-ed<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/26/opinion/the-death-of-the-fringe-suburb.ht…>, “traffic engineers dismissively call [bus and light-rail systems, bike lanes and pedestrian improvements] ‘alternative transportation.’” In saying so, he, and planners around the world, are being dismissive of me and my profession. We are the GEICO Neanderthals of society. And who’s to blame? Yes, we deserve a lot of it. We, as a profession, continued to build more roads, wider roads, and faster roads while knowing full well we were running out of capacity and making transport systems less efficient. An example I've used time and time again in New York City is that the Brooklyn Bridge, when it was largely a rail and walking bridge, handled 430,000 people daily. In the 1940’s, we ‘modernized’ it by removing the rail; its daily person carrying volume dropped to 180,000. During my lifetime, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge between Brooklyn and Staten Island was built with 12 car lanes but no bikeway, walkway or transit right-of-way. As a teenager I was able to bike from Brooklyn to Staten Island by taking a ferry. Once the bridge opened, the ferry stopped running and driving was the only choice—here in transit-rich New York City. Most of the Interstate System built in the past half-century had no provisions for walkers, bike riders or transitways. Why weren’t we as engineers screaming, “This is folly!”? It’s no wonder the transportation leadership of cities around the country is no longer in the hands of transportation engineers. In fact, we haven’t had an engineer at the helm of USDOT in nearly 20 years. Now is the time to re-assume a leadership role in planning of our future for cities, towns and suburbs. We can do it by joining the medical professionals by demanding and designing healthy communities. It turns out that healthy neighborhoods are transportation efficient and safe. I stumbled across the field of Active Transportation a couple of years ago and now I preach it. Here’s what it’s about: Active transportation is any method of travel that is all or partly human-powered. The term refers to transportation that supports walking, stair use, cycling, and transit. It includes long-term land use and transportation planning to encourage alternate (non-motor vehicle) forms of transport. The proven health benefits of active transportation are overwhelming: prevention of weight gain, lowered risk of type-2 diabetes, lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, decreased risk of colon and breast cancers, and increased life expectancy. We as engineers have the technical know-how to implement active transportation. The methods are deceptively easy: Build good transit systems and integrate them into existing infrastructure. Design transportation systems with pedestrians and cyclists in mind. Construct multiple, direct connections within dense, mixed land-use developments. Coordinate transit, walking, cycling, and automobile networks. For far too long, we’ve considered these concerns outside of our job descriptions, even though we know better. If we continue to stand by when politicians like Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., deride pedestrian and bicyclist funding as wasteful extravagances<http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ContentRecord_id=2feae725-00…>, we deserve all the derision that planners like Leinberger can throw at us. Worse yet, we risk getting pushed out of the transportation planning process entirely. * * Co-written with Laura MacNeil http://enr.construction.com/opinions/blogs/schwartz.asp?plckController=Blog…

1 0

"Gaining Ground" - Manitoba Conference on Active Transportation and Recreation - March 21 in Portage La Prairie
by Cara Fisher 06 Jan '12

06 Jan '12

Hello AT Network, Please share this with your colleagues and networks. We will have more information on the PACM website <http://www.pacm.ca> and registration open late next week. Apologize if this was already sent to the list. - Cara * * *Gaining Ground: Connecting People and Knowledge * *Portage La Prairie, March 21, 2012* * * *A Provincial conference on Active Transportation and Recreation* The conference is bringing together leaders, experts and people with a passion to share knowledge, ideas, challenges and successes. IF you are a municipal leader, parks and recreation practitioner, health professional, trail advocate, cycling enthusiast, pedestrian, planner, engineer, elder, community volunteer or resident of Manitoba – YOU have something to share and to learn! - PACM is putting the spotlight on 3 smaller Manitoba communities who are gaining ground in their pursuit to increase the quality of life in their community. Hear how distinctly different, tailor-made solutions are being developing and put into action. - *You* are invited to submit, present & share your own community’s success stories in our ‘5 slides / 5 minutes/5 highlights’ session! - Connect *coast to coast* with leaders who are working directly in communities with local, provincial and national governments to integrate active transportation, recreation, and and development with research and the very critical funding component! ~British Columbia – *Dr. Larry Frank*, Professor & J. Armand Bombardier Chair in Sustainable Urban Transportation Systems, University of British Columbia ~Nova Scotia – *Mike Arthur*, Manager of Physical Activity, Provincial Dept. of Health & Wellness Hear key recommendations from the Manitoba Active Transportation Advisory Group report: *Greater Strides: Taking Action on Active Transportation * **Round trip shuttle service from Winnipeg to Portage La Prairie for conference attendees** For info visit www.pacm.ca or contact Cara Fisher, PACM Project Assistant by email at conference(a)pacm.ca or by phone at 204-294-7027 REGISTRATION OPENS IN EARLY JANUARY PLEASE SHARE THIS INVITATION WIDELY WITH COLLEAGUES, STAFF AND COMMUNITY. Conference hosted by PACM and funding assistance provided by Manitoba in * motion*

1 0

NYC Bike Share
by Beth McKechnie 04 Jan '12

04 Jan '12

What is New York City Bike Share? Introducing NYC Bike Share, a revolutionary new way for you to get around New York City, scheduled to launch summer 2012. Bike sharing expands your transportation options; it empowers you to go your own way. NYC Bike Share is a self-service system that provides members with easy access to a network of thousands of bicycles. Pick up a bike close to home or work, ride, then return it to any of the hundreds of stations to be located throughout the city. NYC Bike Share will consist of 600 stations, 10,000 bikes in Manhattan and Brooklyn, potentially stretching to Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. It will be privately sponsored, privately launched and privately operated, with no public funding. Additional information for interested potential sponsors is available at www.nycbikesharesponsorship.com. It’s more than just a different way to get to work. 54% of all trips New Yorkers make are less than two miles. Bike sharing is a great mobility choice for short trips that are too far to walk, but too short for a cab or subway ride. Sustainable, convenient, expeditious and safe – NYC Bike Share will benefit you and your community. Find more: http://nycitybikeshare.com/

1 0