- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Transportation issues are social justice issues
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

*The Bicycle as a Vehicle of Protest* https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-bicycle-as-a-vehicle…

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Toronto expands bike share network as it looks to give residents more ways to get around during pandemic (Jun9'20)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

Toronto expands bike share network as it looks to give residents more ways to get around during pandemic https://www.cp24.com/toronto-expands-bike-share-network-as-it-looks-to-give… Toronto is adding 1,850 new bicycles and 160 new stations to its existing bike-sharing network as it continues to look to new ways to help residents get around during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor John Tory announced the expansion during a news conference in Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday morning, noting that the initiative will help provide more residents “with safe alternatives to get moving” in the era of COVID-19. The expansion will see the geographic area covered by Bike Share Toronto’s network double to 200 square kilometres and will also include the creation of pilot areas in North York and Scarborough that will each feature up to eight new stations. The total cost of the overall expansion is $11.25 million with nine million of that coming from the province as part of a previously announced commitment. “Residents are looking for different and yet safe ways to get around the city and as we continue to respond to the pandemic and make our plans for the post-pandemic period residents want to go outside, they want to be active and they want to have those transportation alternatives. It is our job to make that happen,” Tory told reporters in making that announcement. Bike Share Toronto charges members an annual fee and then allows them to check out bicycles for 30-minute increments from any of its stations. While the network was largely limited to the downtown core when the city took over the service from its bankrupt owners back in 2013 it has grown considerably since then and will now cover 20 of the 25 wards in the city. It will also feature 6,850 bikes spread across 625 stations. As recently as 2016, there were only about 1,000 bikes spread across 80 stations. “A big part of expansion is ensuring that all corners of this city will have access to bike share,” Tory said. “It will mean that people can use the bikes to come all the way down to the core if they choose to do so or they can use it as well to get to places within their own neighbourhoods.” The expansion of Bike Share Toronto comes as the city accelerates work on 40 kilometres of new bikes lanes as part of its wider response to COVID-19. The city has also been closing select major arteries to vehicular traffic on the weekends in order to give pedestrians and cyclists more space. “As the economy starts to reopen and people want to get out to their mom and pop shops and support their local businesses, active transportation is going to be a critical way to do that,” Beaches-East York Coun. Brad Bradford said during Tuesday’s press conference. “This is a 21st century approach and I think it is the perfect approach for the moment we are in right now.”

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Walk/Bike/Places 2020 is going online
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '20

11 Jun '20

We are moving the conference online for 2020. Display problems? View this in a browser. <https://mailchi.mp/b1938b061c5e/walk-bike-places-2020-1641846?e=8577dd457f> <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> Walk/Bike/Places 2020 Is Going Online We hope this conference update finds you safe and healthy. Our New York City based team and local Indianapolis partners have been working long and hard behind the scenes on our plans for Walk/Bike/Places 2020, so that we could bring you the best and safest event in response to the effects that COVID-19 has had on you and on us. Today, we are pleased to share that Walk/Bike/Places 2020 will now be presented *online* <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…>. This change in format allows our current program to continue, despite the personal, professional, and financial uncertainties facing so many people that will continue in the months ahead. <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> Biking and walking has been the mobility preference in many cities during COVID-19, as seen here in the empty streets of NYC. Updates on the Conference Program We will be sticking to our conference theme of *Implementation**—*a theme which has become even more relevant at this moment in time. This online gathering provides us with a time to step back and explore some of the incredible (and imperfect) work taking place right now in the realms of active transportation, public space and public health. Our program will still include *dozens of breakout sessions*, spread across the four-day event, and as a bonus, participants will have access to *view all sessions on their own time* for many months after the event. In response to the impact that COVID-19 has had on us all personally and professionally, we look forward to serving as a platform for *shared experiences, lessons learned, and practical solutions* that will be helpful to you for years to come. In the face of such hard times, we find some hope in knowing that our work will soon be more important than ever as we face challenges, new and old, like recovery, resilience, and inequality in our communities. We hope you will join us, and we look forward to sharing this new experience with you. ------------------------------ Articles & Resources Below are a few links to articles and resources that capture some of what is on our minds at this moment. We expect that these topics will fuel many of the conversations we have at this year's online event: - In our host city *Indianapolis*, a group of artists are turning plain plywood planks on downtown businesses into works of art (Nuvo <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - A new guide to adapting streets for pandemic response and recovery ( NACTO <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - A manifesto on how to create and protect places that recognize, affirm, and amplify Black agency, discourse, and thought (BlackSpace <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - Watch Oakland's open streets in action (StreetsBlogNYC <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - An article on how designers can work toward justice in alignment with the Movement for Black Lives (CityLab <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - A call to remake our sense of place post-COVID-19 (The Conversation <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) - Recovery will happen in public space (Project for Public Spaces <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> ) ------------------------------ Sponsorship & Exhibitors Interested in sponsoring Walk/Bike/Places 2020? Conference sponsorship is the perfect way to support the biking, walking, and placemaking movement. Learn more. <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> Please reach out to us to learn more about the many ways you can participate at program(a)walkbikeplaces.org <program(a)walkbikeplaces.org?subject=Exhibition%20and%20Sponsorship> ------------------------------ * Learn more about our conference at* *walkbikeplaces.org* <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Any questions?* *contact us at program(a)walkbikeplaces.org <program(a)walkbikeplaces.org?subject=Sponsorship%20for%20W%2FB%2FP%20Indy%20in%202020>* ------------------------------ *Hosted By* [image: Project for Public Spaces] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Co-presenters* [image: Indianapolis] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Spark Placemaking] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: APBP] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Program Partners* [image: America Walks] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Impact Sponsor* [image: People for Bikes] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Supporting Sponsor* [image: DERO] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Contributing Sponsor* [image: sportworks] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Toole Design] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: eco counter] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Saris Infrastructure] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Facebook] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Twitter] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: Instagram] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> [image: LinkedIn] <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a…> *Copyright © 2020 Project for Public Spaces, PPS, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website to receive updates about Walk/Bike/Places. *Our mailing address is:* Project for Public Spaces, PPS 740 Broadway, 11th Fl New York, NY 10003 Add us to your address book <https://walkbikeplaces.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee…>

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The Headliner: Inmates learn skills in bike shop (Jun10'20)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jun '20

10 Jun '20

Gearing up for success Inmates learn skills in bike shop https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/Gearing-up-for-… A broken bike abandoned at the Brady Road Landfill may look like a piece of junk, but it could make a big difference in at least one person’s life. Sheryl Reid-Corrales, Headingley Correctional Centre’s Winding River Community unit manager, said that bike could become one of the 2,000 bikes repaired by inmates and donated to The WRENCH (Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub) to distribute to community groups serving immigrant and other Winnipeg residents in need. “We go and get the bikes from the Brady Road Landfill,” Reid-Corrales said. By repairing bikes, inmates learn valuable job skills as part of an addiction program offered at the special unit, which houses up to 150 men. Winding River is based on the model of Guthrie House Therapeutic Centre at Nanaimo Correctional Centre in British Columbia, she said. It is a self-contained unit that offers counselling and behavioural modelling to keep inmates fighting addictions out of the main prison system. “We’re an addiction program with a positive environment,” Reid-Corrales said. Two correctional officers oversee the bike shop, teaching inmates to repair bikes. Reid-Corrales said 16 inmates at a time work for a half-day, and the other part of their day is devoted to counselling and programs supporting their desire to kick an addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. “It takes a year for them to go through the program,” she said. “Working in the bike shop is a practice run for when they get out (of prison). In the bike shop, they are treated like an employee.” This puts the onus on inmates to show up on time and call in if they are sick and unable to come to work. Reid-Corrales said giving inmates personal responsibility for their success or failure in the bike shop and Winding River program is important. “They’re learning confidence.” She said working on bikes, especially children’s bikes, leads inmates to reflect on their own families and how their actions that brought them into Headingley Correctional Centre impacted their loved ones and others in the community. For example, they might have stolen bikes to sell for profit and purchase substances. “It’s important that they give back to the community,” Reid-Corrales said The WRENCH recently gave away 320 bikes repaired by Winding River inmates. Reid-Corrales said the inmates also make bike seats that are available at The WRENCH’s office at 1057 Logan Ave. in Winnipeg.

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WFP - Future of AT routes
by Kristine Hayward 10 Jun '20

10 Jun '20

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/future-of-city-active… Kristine Hayward Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Telephone 204 232-7546 Fax 204 940-2690 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo Metred street parking and pay lots in the area - please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Follow Winnipeg in motion on Twitter - @wpginmotion<https://twitter.com/search?q=wpginmotion&src=typd> Check out our videos on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/Winnipeginmotion Scent Free Facility - visitors are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes/colognes/heavy-scented lotions/oils This email and/or any documents in this transmission is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original. Ce courriel et tout document dans cette transmission est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé. Il peut contenir des informations privilégiées ou confidentielles. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie, ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire de ce message, veuillez en informer l'expéditeur immédiatement et lui remettre l'original.

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CBC: Extending Winnipeg active transportation routes until fall gains support but has critics (Jun9'20)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Jun '20

09 Jun '20

*Extending Winnipeg active transportation routes until fall gains support but has critics* Calls to tweak location of routes, change hours and provide better communications on closures https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-active-transportation-rout… A push to extend the temporary closure of nine Winnipeg streets to vehicle traffic got plenty of support Tuesday, while others want city council to slow down and examine what's already in place. The nine streets were closed earlier this spring to provide active transportation options to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vehicle traffic is limited to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the routes, seven days a week. The temporary closures are set to end on July 6, but on Tuesday, the city's infrastructure and public works committee heard from several councillors and a dozen delegations about extending the closures for another two months. St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard has a motion that would extend the active transportation routes until the September long weekend. "The majority of people I have heard from in my ward supports keeping them open," Allard said on Tuesday. Several councillors appeared in front of the committee in full support of the motion, but others say changes should be made before the life of the routes is extended. Mynarski Coun. Ross Eadie says he has "no real problem" with the routes, one of which — Scotia Street — is in his ward. But he did inject a note of caution about the interaction between pedestrians, cyclists and drivers on the routes. "There is tension on all sides," Eadie said, adding the restrictions bring out the "aggressive nature" in people while attempting to share the road. Assiniboine may not be right fit for route The councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood says there was little advance notice to residents when five more routes were added <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/city-winnipeg-more-active-transport…> in early May to the four that had opened up in April <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/city-winnipeg-active-transportation…> . "There was no information given to residents.… It was just done," Kevin Klein told the committee. Assiniboine Avenue from Bedson Street to Westwood Drive, which is in Klein's ward, was among the routes added in May. He says there are six bus stops on the street and no proper signage was put in place to explain the changes to residents. Klein says perhaps the route could remain closed to vehicles on the weekends or evenings, but whatever happens with the motion to extend the routes until the fall, residents and the local councillors should be consulted first. Westwood resident Darlene Van Ruiten agreed with Klein on both the concerns about the bus stops on the route, and the lack of consultation. "There wasn't any time to speak to residents that this was coming," Van Ruiten told the committee. She says the barricades on the street have created a potential danger, as transit buses attempt to manoeuvre around them. The Green Action Centre appeared in support of extending the routes beyond the current nine streets, urging councillors to follow the lead of other cities around the world. "Create a pop-up network routes accessible by foot and bikes," urged the Green Action Centre's Mel Marginet. After hearing from some councillors and delegations, Allard allowed there may be a need to tweak some routes. "I want to acknowledge there have been a number of concerns raised by residents and councillors," Allard said. Allard believes the motion going to council has the flexibility in it to allow area councillors to adapt the routes in each ward. The infrastructure and public works committee is expected to vote on Allard's motion later Tuesday. It also has to pass executive policy committee before a full vote of city council.

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WFP: Future of city active transportation routes draws debate (Jun10'20)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Jun '20

09 Jun '20

Future of city active transportation routes draws debate https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/future-of-city-active-transp… Some Winnipeggers fear a route restricting vehicle access to make more room for pedestrians and cyclists has created new safety concerns. The city introduced nine active transportation routes as an option for socially distanced exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic, where vehicle traffic is limited to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. While that was slated to end July 6, city council is now considering a motion that would keep the paths open to Sept. 7. Coun. Kevin Klein (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) opposed the extension, however, after the Assiniboine Avenue route (from Bedson Street to Westwood Drive) triggered complaints. "There’s buses and there’s a lot of turns and dips on that road, so it’s difficult to see pedestrians and cyclists," Klein said Tuesday, noting there are also multiple bus stops along Assiniboine. "It creates a diversion of traffic that’s not expected in the community." The councillor said the vehicle restrictions also fuel notable traffic increases in a nearby back lane, as drivers search for alternative routes. "Right now, it’s creating division among the street, it’s creating issues. I don’t want to see a child get hit in the back lane because a ball went out of their yard (and they weren’t expecting the traffic)," he said. Klein said some of his constituents do support the AT route. However, he urged city staff to conduct consultations to determine if other nearby alternatives may be better suited to active transportation. He said each ward councillor should be invited to provide input on route placement before any extension occurs. If that doesn’t happen, council could also consider restricting the vehicle limits to Saturdays, Sundays and weekday evening hours. Darlene Van Ruiten, a resident of the ward, told the committee she’s also concerned about heavy bus traffic forced to move around the route’s barricades. "The barricade causes this bus, this full-sized bus, to go (switch lanes) to make those corners… It causes a potential danger to either hit a car or a child that’s not paying attention," said Van Ruiten. On Tuesday, the public works committee voted to support the extensions, which means the AT access for sections of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Assiniboine Avenue, Churchill Drive, Egerton Road, Kildonan Drive and Kilkenny Drive will be extended. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), committee chairman, noted the motion does call for all councillors to be consulted to see if any changes to the routes are required. Allard said that should ensure ward concerns can be addressed without AT routes getting shut down to do so. "By design, this motion is meant to include the area councillor," he said, adding he’s heard plenty of support for the route extension. By late Tuesday afternoon, more than 8,000 Winnipeggers had signed an online Winnipeg Trails Association petition to support the extension and call for more permanent AT routes. The public works committee also heard clear support from many delegates at Tuesday’s meeting. "A small inconvenience for some folks to limit their driving to a block during designated hours in exchange for all of the benefits of movement and fresh air is an incredibly simple trade-off for the city to champion," said Mel Marginet of the Green Action Centre. Marginet said the routes must be expanded, however, since many Winnipeggers live too far from the current ones to easily access them. If council approves the changes as proposed, the city’s public service would also study the addition of permanent, year-round active transportation routes. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Building active transportation routes on a tight budget possible, councillor says (Jun9'20)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

Building active transportation routes on a tight budget possible, councillor says https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/building-active-transportation-rout… As more residents make biking and walking an essential part of their day through the coronavirus pandemic, one city councillor says supporting active transportation might not necessitate big-budget investments. "The nine active transportation corridors we’ve opened, we were able to do that with very small financial implications, so perhaps there’s ways of expanding active transportation in the city without spending a whole lot of money," Coun. Matt Allard said. "Part of it is investment, but part of it is what do we want to do as a city? How do we want to use the spaces that we have?" Allard’s remarks came Monday as city officials cut the ribbon on the latest multimillion dollar piece of infrastructure built with pedestrians and cyclists in mind. The new $2.5-million underpass connecting Niakwa Trail to Des Meurons Street beneath Fermor Avenue saw plenty of people jogging, cycling and walking past news crews gathered Monday morning to cover the opening. The pathway, located about midway between St. Anne’s Road and Archibald Street, and not far from the Windsor Park Golf Course and St. Vital Outdoor Pool, was part of the city’s $29.6-million Fermor Avenue reconstruction project. The underpass allows easier access to active transportation corridors connecting to downtown from southeast Winnipeg. "This brings us a step closer to the dream, which is a completely connected separated network from the road," said Allard (St. Boniface), who is chair of the city’s infrastructure renewal and public works committee. "I’m cycling much more since being elected to city council and understanding the value of these facilities, but as the father of an 11-year-old girl, I can tell you protected facilities are essential to get people to make the choice to use their bicycles and active transportation — to make the switch." In April, the city extended four Sunday and holiday bike routes to allow for pedestrians and cyclists to use the routes seven days a week with vehicle traffic restricted to one block between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., as part of its COVID-19 response. Five additional residential streets were added in the following weeks, with vehicle restrictions in place until July 6. Allard said use of these active transportation corridors has been significant and, overall, more people are choosing to leave their vehicles at home or find alternatives to using the bus. "With COVID-19 we’ve seen some trends and one trend that we expect, and are actually encouraging, is bus ridership is down," Allard said. "We’re asking people to ride the bus only if they have to… that’s a big part of the mode shift in Winnipeg." The standing policy committee on infrastructure renewal and public works will vote Tuesday on a motion to extend the initiative to Sept. 7. The motion also calls on the public service to report on the results of the program and the feasibility of establishing permanent year-round active transportation routes. A petition by Trails Winnipeg to keep the routes in place had received more than 7,800 signatures by Monday afternoon. "In terms of a culture change, I think that’s just happening now," Allard said. "It’s going to have an impact on what the public demands of city hall." St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes, whose ward residents will also benefit from the Fermor Avenue underpass, said he wants to see the city upgrade existing, well-used active transportation infrastructure and assets. "I’ve been on this campaign to upgrade all these running tracks across the city and we could fix some of those up pretty cheaply, and we haven’t," Mayes said. "So we should have a balancing act here. "I think we should keep building and cycling walking paths but also we’ve got some old running and walking infrastructure; people can use those and we need to put some money into that, too." danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Editorial: Extend active-transportation routes (Jun8'20)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

Extend active-transportation routes https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/extend-active-transpor… AS Winnipeggers adjust to the new normal in the age of COVID-19 — whatever that may be — there is opportunity to change how roads are used in the future. Sections of multiple streets were designated as active transportation routes early in the wave of changes brought by physical-distancing recommendations. Motorized traffic was restricted to one block along parts of Lyndale Drive, Scotia Street, Wellington Crescent, Wolseley Avenue, Assiniboine Avenue, Churchill Drive, Egerton Road, Kildonan Drive and Kilkenny Drive. Some of these routes, such as Wolseley Avenue, already had such restrictions in place — but only on weekends and only during summer months. City council extended the initial period of the closures to July 6. A motion by Coun. Sherri Rollins, seconded by Brian Mayes, would extend the designation to Sept. 7. The Standing Policy Committee on Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works is scheduled to vote on it June 9. As more people who were working from home return to commuting in some form, there may be more pressure on the city to again allow motorized traffic on these streets. But the new normal need not be the car-centric normal that dominated Winnipeg previously. With a usually busy Manitoba summer suddenly emptied by multiple event cancellations, more people now find the time to dust off their bicycles or don a sturdy pair of walking shoes. These people will get a nod of approval from their doctors because, when it comes to preventative health, active living is an effective prescription. The risk of being exposed to COVID-19 is currently low, but the means by which it spreads remain the same. Joggers, cyclists, roller-skaters — anyone using the roads to get a bit of exercise — still need space to maintain distancing, and such space can be provided by allowing some or all of these road areas to be used for active transportation. It’s a timely topic because the city is already working on a long-term active transportation network. Community consultations are ongoing as to where bike routes and dedicated paths should go. Other Canadian cities have experimented with temporary barriers to add such lanes to city streets, to see whether people will eschew their vehicles and take to their bikes. Creating such spaces here, as the city has done, presents an opportunity to see how Winnipeggers would use active transportation. Some areas may not prove popular with enough commuters, or residents, to justify making permanent changes to the infrastructure. This is something the city should collect information on, and something Winnipeggers should tell their councillor about. What kind of city do we want to live in when we’re through the COVID-19 pandemic? It’s time for active transportation to be more than an afterthought in Winnipeg. The pandemic offers a rare opportunity to try expanded, and healthier, ways to use pavement.

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Portage la Prairie Active Transportation Committee to Host Bike Week
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '20

08 Jun '20

Transportation Committee to Host Bike Week <https://portageonline.com/local/transportation-committee-to-host-bike-week> https://portageonline.com/local/transportation-committee-to-host-bike-week The Portage la Prairie Active Transportation Committee is bringing back Bike Week for the sixth annual year. The Committee has a full week of bike-related events for you to take part in from June 15-21. Chair of the Bike Week Committee Heather Bruce says their most popular event, the Cookie Ride, has been altered because of the pandemic. "This year, it's going to be a freezie ride so we can hand out freezies, and we will hand other things out as well. It's very popular because it makes families get out after supper to go for a bike ride. That's part of what we're trying to do, encourage people to get out and about." Other activities planned for Bike Week include Bike & Yoga, bike trails, and a public art bike tour. Bruce says they've taken safety into mind when planning the activities. "Because we're outside the social distancing thing will be easy, and we're on bikes. For instance, our Grub Crawl is on Thursday this year. Last year, we went to three different places and had something small to eat at each place. This year, we're only having it at Cafe on Prince." The Transportation Committee strives to hold the event as a way to showcase Portage's many biking paths and bring awareness to active transportation. Bruce says Bike Week has a new event this year, the Bike Jam. "Even the route is kept a secret right until the last minute. There will likely be music blaring. It's just a nice slow-moving ride throughout the city, and people are encouraged to ride in costume, or decorate their bikes." Bruce wants you to get outside and enjoy the Manitoba summer. "We know that during COVID, there's been a lot of talk about people's mental health, so bike week fits in getting people outside, active and in the fresh air with other people, but socially distant." You can keep up to date with Bike Week on their Facebook Page. <https://www.facebook.com/activetransportationplap>

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