- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Winnipeg Trails Association UPDATE - December 2011
by Janice Lukes 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

Hi all - please pass this to anyone interested in AT in Winnipeg / Manitoba. While much can be said about AT and activities (and a lot was said a lot pre - election!) - I will aim summarize into three areas: 1. WINNIPEG TRAILS ASSOCIATION COORDINATOR UPDATE As mentioned in a previous update - the Winnipeg Trails Association currently has no funding to hire a coordinator. All funding WTA has received in the past is project based funding - related to specific projects. Partners and I are working to file an application to the Province of Manitoba in hopes of securing funding to 'Collect Baseline AT Data' related to trails, cycling and usage. Any updates / AT engagements I am involved in are in a volunteer capacity. Rivers West - Red River Corridor Inc. has contracted me to work on some of their special environmental projects. I am very appreciated of the support they have provided to the Winnipeg Trails Association over the years in the areas of finance, advice and administration. If any of you are interested in volunteering on some darn interesting trails projects - please feel free to contact me. If you would like to receive AT information, please consider signing up to: Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba List serve: http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network Bike to the Future: http://biketothefuture.org/get-involved/join-bike-to-the-future WTA updates will be limited to significant announcements going forward. 2. CITY OF WINNIPEG CAPITAL BUDGET 2012 http://www.winnipeg.ca/interhom/ The preliminary 2012 capital budget is currently in the approval process. You may recall in the 2011 budget - the 'recreational walkways and pathways' was cut in half from $1M to $500 / year - for the next 5 years. This year the budget remains the same, $500K / year for the next 5 years for 'recreational walkways and pathways' (fyi: 1km of asphalt = $400,000) AT Corridors (on road cycling infrastructure) also stays the same at $500K. Last year when questioned on the cuts to the 'recreational walkways and pathways' budget - Mayor Sam responded by saying while it APPEARED the budget was reduced - it really wasn't - it was merely the way finance was accounting for AT and he promised to better reflect AT expenditures in the 2012 budget. This year there is a page (page 3-2) showing projected AT projects for the next 3 years RELATED to roadway projects. This is great for a lot of reasons; transparency, planning, consultation, budgeting, etc. ALSO, in 2007, the Province provided the City of Winnipeg with $6 M over 5 years to put towards trail projects. That money has now been spent. Personally, I am still challenged on amount being spent on AT - but - that is another discussion. AT PROJECTS: The Active Transportation Advisory Committee recommended projects Feb / March 2010 to occur in the 2011 construction season. The list is reviewed by the Director of Public Works - and then goes to Standing Policy Committee / Public Works for approval. We are still waiting to hear from the Standing Policy Committee / Public Works for approval for the 2011 AT list of projects (yes, this is no typo- 2011) In theory, once the 2012 budget passes this month, ATAC recommends 2012 construction projects to Director of Public Works, which then goes to Standing Policy Committee / Public Works for approval - and work starts for the 2012 construction season. One AT coordinator working in the City in Active Transportation arena - combined with great demand - is presenting huge challenges in moving AT forward. On a good note - check out the attached photos of the brand new ped / cycle bridge under construction - located on the Northeast Pioneers Greenway and OVER the Chief Peguis expansion! AT ADVISORY COMMITTEES: Am volunteering my time to sit as an AT advisor on the following committees - and working with trail groups directly impacted. If anyone would like information / update - please contact me. - U of M Event Day Stadium Advisory Committee - Pembina Hwy AT Advisory Group - Red River Crossing from U of M to St. Vital Public Advisory Committee - CentrePort and Active Transportation 3. PROVINCE OF MANITOBA Many others along with myself clearly identified and ensured Provincial candidates were made aware of active transportation challenges & opportunities throughout Manitoba. Prior to the election, the Provincial Government requested recommendations on how to move AT forward. A report was put forward http://www.gov.mb.ca/conservation/pdf/atag_report6.pdf and Premier Selinger, once elected, yet again personally committed to me to continue moving forward on an Active Transportation Strategy. To date, I have heard nothing more on that commitment. Maybe others have. IN SUMMARY AT can tremendously improve our quality of life and health in Manitoba. We've all seen great strides forward. I am concerned we have heard nothing from our Provincial leaders on active transportation in since being re-elected - but, ever the optimist, I hold great hope for 2012 ! Check out this brilliant little video - of Sean Quigley, an Oak Park student playing his drums on the stunningly beautiful Harte Trail - way to go Sean!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrNcD34KFhM <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrNcD34KFhM&feature=email> &feature=email Happy Holidays! Janice Janice Lukes Manager, Special Projects Rivers West - Red River Corridor Inc 235-614 Des Meurons Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9 Cell (204) 952-4222 Fax (204) 237-4618 <mailto:jlukes@riverswest.ca> jlukes(a)riverswest.ca <http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/> www.WinnipegTrails.ca Member of City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Advisory Committee Chair, Province of Manitoba Active Transportation Advisory Group

1 0

Dec. 7th webinar: Integrated Sustainable Transportation in Saint John, NB (12:30-1:30 pm, EcoCentre)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

Friendly reminder regarding this Wednesday's webinar from Transport Canada. Please join us at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) for a group viewing followed by discussion. RSVPs not required but welcomed. thanks! Beth *Integrated Sustainable Transportation in Saint John, NB* *December 7, 2011, 12:30-1:30pm CST* Craig Campbell, City of Saint John In order to avoid building up to five new parking garages in the downtown core in the next few years, the City of Saint John has partnered with the Saint John Transit Commission and the Saint John Parking Commission to promote transit, ridesharing, cycling, and walking. The City's goals are to reduce the demand on their transportation infrastructure and increase the use of alternative modes of travel such as transit, carpooling, cycling, or walking. The City of Saint John is taking a multi-pronged approach to transportation demand management. Initiatives such as implementing a NextBus GPS system, expanding the RideShare carpooling program, and prioritizing active transportation users during road construction have proven successful in encouraging the shift to sustainable transportation. -- *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

[At-network] Webinar - AT Accessibility in Work Zones (Wed, Dec. 14, 2-3, EcoCentre)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar on* "Accessibility in Work Zones" *at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion. An important topic given the challenges pedestrians and cyclists faced this summer (and will do so again next year) with the work on Osborne Bridge, among other projects. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Accessibility in Work Zones Wednesday, December 14th • 2:00 to 3:00 pm CST High-quality pedestrian and bicycle accessibility in work zones begins with policy that is carried out consistently through planning, project development and construction. Attend this webinar to learn best practices[image: work-zone] for handling bicycle and pedestrian travel during construction operations. Attendees will hear how the Minnesota DOT has developed its standards for Temporary Pedestrian Access Routes (TPARs), including a workshop, demonstration project and focus group evaluation. Presenters from Boulder, Colorado, will discuss how that city worked with developers, contractors and decision-makers to develop a new work zone traffic control policy that establishes policies and procedures for pedestrian and bicycle travel during construction operations and identifies criteria for closing the PROW and designating alternate routes. -- *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

Help Develop a Vision for Cycling Facilities on the Pembina Highway Corridor
by Mark Cohoe 28 Nov '11

28 Nov '11

Hi, Sorry for the short notice on this. If you can't make this meeting, we'll be posting updates to the Bike to the Future <www.biketothefuture.org> website. Bike to the Future's Riel Community Sub-Committee will be meeting on Wednesday November 30th to discuss upcoming City of Winnipeg infrastructure projects and their potential to improve cyclist access along the Pembina Highway Corridor. The goal of the meeting is to help develop a vision for cycling facilities along the Pembina Corridor that will be part of a cohesive, direct, safe, and comfortable cycling network, and to develop strategies to ensure those facilities get built. Upcoming projects include: * Pembina Underpass Rehabilitation * Phase II of the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor * Various Pembina Highway Mill and Fill Rehabilitation Projects *When:* Wednesday November 30th; 7-9pm *Where:* Round Table Pub 800 Pembina Highway (just north of Jubilee at the Pembina/Stafford intersection) *Draft Discussion Papers:* Potential Cycling Facility Improvements <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1721/pembina-jubilee-intersecti…> Existing and Planned Cycling Facilities <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1722/pembina-jubilee-intersecti…> Potential Bike Boulevard/Neighbourhood Greenway Alignments <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1723/harrow-to-bison-map-bike-b…> *Proposed Agenda* 1 Adoption of Agenda 2 Pembina/Jubilee Intersection 2.1 Overview of Upcoming Projects 2.2 Key Connections/Existing Assets/Future Plans 2.3 Potential Options 2.4 Discussion of Benefits/Constraints/Costs 2.5 Developing an Evaluation Matrix 3 Pembina/Jubilee to U of M Connection 3.1 Overview of Upcoming Projects 3.2 Key Connections/Existing Assets/Future Plans 3.3 Potential Options 3.4 Discussion of Benefits/Constraints/Costs 3.5 Developing an Evaluation Matrix 4 Strategies to ensure Inclusion of Equitable Facilities for Cyclists/Pedestrians Along Pembina Corridor 5 Adjournment If you are able to attend, please RSVP <mailto:mark@biketothefuture.org>. Cheers, Mark

1 0

AT & Obesity in Europe, NA and Australia
by Beth McKechnie 25 Nov '11

25 Nov '11

While the conclusions are intuitive, i.e. a statistically significant inverse relationship between Active Transportation and obesity prevalence, it is always helpful to have a study to confirm what we know! In particular, I found the following paragraph from the attached pdf compelling: "In the 1980s, few households in China owned automobiles, but 14% of Chinese households acquired an automobile between 1989 and 1997. Bell et al.5 conducted a longitudinal study of 2,485 adults (aged 20 to 45 years) during this time period. They found that Chinese men who acquired a car averaged a 1.8 kg weight gain and were twice as likely to become obese, compared to men whose vehicle ownership remained unchanged. These findings held even after adjusting for diet." cheers, Beth -- *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

new video from Winnipeg
by Anders Swanson 24 Nov '11

24 Nov '11

Hi, This one isn't researched-based or particularly groundbreaking, just some nice camera work, with a soundtrack that mixes honest opinions and not-cheesy music (I suggest headphones if you are at the office): http://sustainablesouthosborne.com/smart-trips-video/ Thanks to Shoni at the Green Action Centre for sending this to me. Thought it deserved some more distribution and that it might inspire. Maybe it's just me: I am currently outside of Canada, visiting a city where 50% of the households don't own cars and where the bike counts almost equal the car counts, yet this one succeeded in making me homesick and providing some hope. Anders

1 0

Caltrans Seamless Travel Study
by Beth McKechnie 22 Nov '11

22 Nov '11

Caltrans Seamless Travel Study *Download the Executive Summary or full report at*: http://www.altaplanning.com/caltrans+seamless+study.aspx Alta Planning + Design teamed with the Traffic Safety Center of the University of California Berkeley to develop a model for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand for Caltrans Division of Innovation and Research. The project, Seamless Travel, in coordination with the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, is the largest and longest combined count and survey effort in the United States focusing only on bicyclists and pedestrians. Using San Diego County as a case study, the Seamless Travel Project is the first of its type to develop an extensive database of count and survey data for use in analyzing and identifying factors that influence bicycling and walking. While the modes were studied together, it was recognized that they are distinct from one another and were always counted, surveyed, and analyzed separately. The project methodology included bicycle and pedestrian counts and intercept surveys over a two-year period throughout the county and evaluating the effects that socio-demographic, land use, and other variables have on walking and biking rates within the county. The report provides a review of the methodology along with count and survey results, development of predictive models, and model results. -- *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

Sharing time: Tracking the 'sharrow' on city streets
by Beth McKechnie 22 Nov '11

22 Nov '11

Sharing time: Tracking the ‘sharrow’ on city streets <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/people/Elly+Blue> <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=ra-4dc04d5824…> <http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=ra-4dc04d5824…> <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on…> 17 Nov 2011 7:06 AM http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-11-17-sharing-time-tracking-the-sharrow-on… Visiting Seattle last weekend, it was impossible not to notice that its streets are absolutely covered in sharrows. "It's almost like they polluted the streets with them," said Tom Fucoloro, proprietor of the Seattle Bike Blog <http://seattlebikeblog.com/>, who took me on a walk through the city's Central District, pointing out its transportation features. [image: Bike sharrow.]A sharrow in Baltimore. Photo: Elly Blue<http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellyblue/3201689952/in/photostream/> A "sharrow" -- the word is an amalgamation of "arrow" and "share the road" -- is a larger-than-life thermoplastic symbol of a bicycle topped by two chevrons pointing the way forward. More technically known as "shared lane markings," they're intended to remind two-wheeled and four-wheeled road users alike to share with each other, and also to encourage people on bikes to take the lane<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-10-25-dont-hate-me-because-im-a-smart-biker>when it's too narrow to ride side-by-side with car traffic. Sharrows have been increasing in popularity nationwide, and got a boost in 2009 when they were officially entered<http://www.vabike.org/new-mutcd-released-now-with-sharrows/>into the federal transportation engineering canon. Seattle got a head start, writing them into its 2007 Bike Master Plan. Other cities began earlier, but I've never seen such a profusion as in the Emerald City. Like many experts on transportation bicycling, Fucoloro wasn't enthusiastic about them. Sharrows are spread so indiscriminately on Seattle streets, he said, that "they mean nothing now." He has noticed that there seems to be "slightly less aggression" from drivers when they're in place. "But does that mean all the streets without sharrows are worse?" In other words, with sharrows everywhere, do drivers assume that cyclists don't belong on streets without them? Fucoloro is not the only one to express that concern, but he and others seem to be watching and waiting as cities feel out how best to use them. Some early adopters, including Sacramento and Baltimore, initially put sharrows on busy roads all the way to the right, where riders would be squeezed between fast car traffic and parked cars -- right in the dreaded "door zone <http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-09-01-the-dangers-of-the-door-zone>." Federal regs now say that sharrows must be at least four feet from the curb if there's no parking, 11 feet from the curb if there is. Seattle has its own brand of sharrow growing pains. Riding and walking around town, it's hard to see a logic to the streets chosen for sharrow treatment. Some are on relatively quiet back streets, others are on breathtakingly fast arterials where the symbols are worn and rutted by the daily flow of cars and trucks speeding over them. Sharrows are popular because they are politically easy -- you can almost hear city officials sigh with relief when sharrows are mentioned. On the surface, they seem like a way to please the increasingly vocal bike lobby without ruffling feathers by putting in a bike lane at the expense of car parking or traffic lanes, which are often perceived as being for cars only. And they're cheap: Sharrows cost only $229 each<http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2010/07/02/sharrow…>to install, including labor and materials, while a full-blown bike lane can cost between $5,000 and $60,000<http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-03-14-tearing-down-urban-freeways-to-make-…>per mile. But do sharrows work? One recent study<http://www.sfmta.com/cms/uploadedfiles/dpt/bike/Bike_Plan/Shared%20Lane%20M…>says sharrows slow car traffic slightly, and make bicyclists a little safer. But they are even better at keeping drivers at a distance from parked cars -- once again, bike infrastructure benefits more than just people on bikes. Fucoloro's conclusion about sharrows: "They're better as wayfinding signs" rather than safety tools. Portland's take on the sharrow meme bears this theory out. Last summer, my hometown experienced a sudden sharrow explosion, as an influx of federal stimulus money was used in part to paste them en masse on an extensive network of low-traffic, neighborhood streets in our northeast quadrant. Laid out smack in the middle of the road, they're meant to show all road users where people on bikes can ride most safely -- but in practice their main usefulness has been to map out bikeable routes across town. And this, Fucoloro said, points the way to sharrow's ultimate future, at least in Seattle. They are helping pave the way, politically and on the ground, for the next big thing: neighborhood greenways<http://neighborhoodgreenwayssea.wordpress.com/>-- designated networks of residential streets that ease walking and biking by discouraging fast car traffic and calming areas where pedestrians cross streets. "We have a lot of busy streets separating schools and parks, and there's a need for families and kids to have a safe way to get around," Fucoloro explained. Greenways fulfill this need. Neighborhood groups have been demanding them, he said, and "lots of them aren't bikers at all." A recent ballot measure in Seattle would have raised car registration fees by $60 per year to fund active transportation projects, including thousands of dollars a year in neighborhood greenways, Fucoloro said. But the initiative was defeated. "I think the city was going to take bike infrastructure to the next level, and Prop 1 was going to give us a push," Fucoloro said. "Now I don't know what we're going to do -- we'll just keep half-assing it, I guess." Half-assed or not, sharrows are a feasible right-now hack for Seattle's -- or any other city's -- streets in a time when the mere mention of bicycle transportation in a public forum can produce an upswell of anti-bike grumbling and threats of vehicular violence. Done wrong or inconsistently, they can make streets slightly more dangerous for bicycling. Done right, they can point the way to the future. *Elly Blue is a bicycle activist living in Portland, Oregon. She has been the managing editor of BikePortland.org, the lead coordinator of the Towards Carfree Cities conference in Portland in 2008, and has been an active bike funnist since 2005. She publishes a feminist bicycle zine called Taking the Lane <http://takingthelane.com/zine>. *

1 0

Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2012 conference
by Beth McKechnie 20 Nov '11

20 Nov '11

If this newsletter does not seem to be displaying properly, try viewing it in your browser<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> . Issue: 1 | November 16, 2011 Mark your calendar for September 10-13, 2012 and plan to be in Long Beach, California for the 17th gathering of Pro Walk/Pro Bike®. Like any Pro Walk/Pro Bike®, you will be joining a broad array of people who share a common belief that more bicycling and more walking leads to communities that are more cohesive, more economically sustainable, healthier, and happier; unlike conferences of recent memory, this will take place against the backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and long beaches, which will you send you home with a head start on happiness. Those of you who have attended previous Pro Walk/Pro Bike® conferences understand very well that the work—more than any individual—is the star. That tradition will continue in 2012, but seeing how we’re in the LA area, we thought it couldn’t hurt to sprinkle in a few stars. *Some of the featured speakers at Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012 in Long Beach, California:* [image: Picture of Mikael]*Mikael Colville-Andersen* *Copenhagenize Consulting, CEO* A rising international star who is often referred to as Denmark's Bicycle Ambassador, Mikael is an urban mobility expert and "bicycle anthropologist." He lectures around the world on how cities can - and should - re-establish the bicycle as a respected and accepted transport form. The "bicycle anthropologist" draws lessons from observing the 500,000 people who daily choose to navigate the streets of Greater Copenhagen on bicycles. Mikael challenges us to think of them not as cyclists, nor as environmentalists, but simply as people choosing to ride because the bicycle is the simplest, quickest way to get through the city. With his unique combination of anthropology and marketing, Colville-Andersen explains how regular citizens can be encouraged to choose the bicycle. Go on a guided tour of Copenhagen with Mikael: http://youtu.be/ZtX8qiC_rXE<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> -> Mikael’s appearance at Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012 is thanks to the generosity of the League of American Bicyclists. Thanks! [image: Picture of Fred]*Fred Kent* *Project for Public Spaces, President* Fred Kent is a leading authority on revitalizing city spaces and one of the foremost thinkers in livability, smart growth and the future of the city. As founder and president of Project for Public Spaces, he is known throughout the world as a dynamic speaker and prolific ideas man. Traveling over 150,000 miles each year, Fred offers technical assistance to communities and has given talks across the U.S. as well as internationally. Each year, he and the PPS staff train 10,000 people in Placemaking techniques. Fred studied with Margaret Mead and worked with William H. Whyte on the Street Life Project, assisting in observations and film analysis of corporate plazas, urban streets, parks and other open spaces in New York City. -> Check out Fred's recent interview in *The Atlantic Monthly*: http://bit.ly/sUKXrW<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> [image: Picture of John]*John O. Norquist* *Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), President and CEO* John Norquist's work promoting New Urbanism as an alternative and antidote to sprawl's social and environmental problems draws on his experience as a big-city mayor and prominent participant in national discussions on urban design and transportation policy. Norquist served as Mayor of Milwaukee from 1988-2004. Under his leadership, Milwaukee experienced a decline in poverty, saw a boom in new downtown housing, and became a leading center of education and welfare reform. He oversaw a revision of the city's zoning code and reoriented development around walkable streets and public amenities such as the city's 3.1-mile Riverwalk. Named a *Governing Magazine* "Public Official of the Year" during his tenure, Norquist also received widespread recognition for championing the removal of a 0.8 mile stretch of elevated freeway. In 2008, he received the Bacon Prize, named for visionary Philadelphia planner Ed Bacon. -> We're very excited about the participation of CNU's members in Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012. For more about the work they're doing relating to planning and walkable neighborhoods see papers from their June 2011 conference: http://www.cnu.org/nuresearch<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> [image: Picture of Charlie]*Charlie Gandy* *PWPB® 2012: Local Host Coordinator* Directing local efforts in Long Beach is the one (and only) Charlie Gandy. Charlie is a nationally recognized expert in active community design, and has been at the epicenter of national and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy for nearly two decades. Charlie is one of our best innovators and translators, often moving outside bicycle and pedestrian circles to get our message across to elected officials, business leaders, and other non-traditional audiences. As the Mobility Coordinator for Long Beach, California's Bike Long Beach program, Gandy played a lead role in the award winning "sharrow" experiment, the 3rd and Broadway national "protected bike lane" pilot program, and collaborated on the nation's first Bicycle Friendly Business Districts. Prior to moving to Long Beach, Charlie was Director of Advocacy Programs for the Bicycle Federation of America (NCBW's precursor) from 1994 to 1998. At the Bicycle Federation, he organized and launched citizen based advocacy groups for walking and cycling in thirty states and metropolitan areas, and coached and trained advocates in all fifty states. Gandy developed and launched the "Walkable Community Workshops," which have traveled to more than 1,200 communities nationwide. Charlie is President of Livable Communities Inc. Pictured above: Charlie (left) talks with Gary Toth (PPS) about an intersection redesign in Long Beach. -> Fans of Charlie: Don't miss the Charlie Gandy Honorary Roast that will take place at PWPB® 2012. Time: TBD. ------------------------------ Next in our December edition -> Our Call for Proposals -> A Sneak Peak at the Program! ------------------------------ Thanks to our conference sponsors <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…><http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> If you are interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor at Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012, please contact: Mark Plotz Conference Director Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012 202.223.3621 phone 202.223.3477 fax mark(a)bikewalk.org conference website<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&et=1108637759142&s=11728&e=001qKwyk…> ------------------------------ National Center for Bicycling & Walking | 1612 K Street, NW | Suite 802 | Washington, DC | DC | 20006 *Forward email<http://ui.constantcontact.com/sa/fwtf.jsp?llr=sflbpacab&m=1101674884274&ea=…> * **<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001Fn1fHTcb0koJrY6Q8eE_USQ3W…> ** ** ** This email was sent to beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca by newsletters(a)bikewalk.org | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&mse=001Fn1fHTcb0koJrY6Q8eE_USQ3W…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&mse=001Fn1fHTcb0koJrY6Q8eE_USQ3W…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. ** National Center for Bicycling & Walking | 1612 K Street, NW | Suite 802 | Washington, DC | DC | 20006

1 0

Macleans: Canada's best cycling schools
by Beth McKechnie 20 Nov '11

20 Nov '11

Canada’s best cycling schools By Macleans.ca <http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/author/macleansca/> | November 7th, 2011 | 9:46 am *From the 21st Maclean’s University Rankings—on newsstands now. Story by Jason McBride.* If you were to design the perfect bicycling environment, it would include safe, well-maintained and lit streets. It would have almost no car traffic, dedicated bike paths and ample secure parking and storage. It might even have showers purpose-built for sweaty commuters and a well-equipped repair shop where cyclists can get help fixing a flat tire. In short, it would look quite a bit like the campus of McMaster University. McMaster is located in blue-collar, largely car-centric Hamilton, Ont.—an unlikely champion of the bicycle. But in the past two years, the city has been in the vanguard of sustainable travel, expanding cycling infrastructure, improving regional transit and adding carpooling programs. Municipal support has, in turn, emboldened the university, and encouraged both students and faculty to take up, in great numbers, alternative modes of transportation. According to Kate Whalen, manager of McMaster’s office of sustainability, a 2010 campus survey revealed that 37 per cent of students walked or cycled to school. “We have a very engaged population,” she says. And the university is very responsive to the needs of that population. Just one example: after a civil engineering student did a systematic geographic information survey of the use of university bike racks, underutilized racks were relocated to more optimal spots on campus. Ten additional racks are installed each year, Whalen says. Biking has always been an if-you-build-it-they-will-come culture. It’s a no-brainer: the easier and more convenient it is to bike, the more likely people are to use their two-wheelers. And there are no better candidates for cycling than university students: largely able-bodied young people, with tight budgets and, usually, an awareness of the fitness and environmental benefits cycling offers. In recent years, students and faculty have been encouraged even more to ride to school—with universities struggling with the demands of their own growth. Congestion and parking have, meanwhile, become pressing concerns. In 2008, a Transport Canada report highlighted ﬁve post-secondary institutions—McMaster, the University of Ottawa, McGill, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Victoria—and their respective, campus-based “Transportation Demand Management” initiatives. These initiatives all seek to reduce the number of students and university staff that take single-occupancy vehicles to school, offering alternatives from universal student transit passes, carpooling and, of course, improved cycling facilities. Those five universities still offer the best cycling experiences in the country. Each boasts its own cycling co-op where students can rent or borrow bikes, get their bikes fixed, share ideas and work together to better life on campus for all cyclists. And each school adds new services or facilities almost every year. The University of Ottawa, for example, started a bike-share program in the spring of 2011. McGill has had such a program in place for almost a decade, but the newish BIXI system, operated by the City of Montreal, and with many hubs on campus, has expanded this fleet of bikes for rent. The school also aims, in the next year, to double the number of bike racks. The University of Victoria and UBC have long been cycling pioneers. Obviously, the gentle B.C. climate is a major factor, but both schools have created, over the past decade, the most robust and comprehensive bike infrastructure in the country. At UVic, where the percentage of people travelling to and from campus by bike increased 67 per cent in the last four years, there are 3,000 parking spaces and 96 bike lockers. UBC’s bike co-op offers numerous repair and safety courses, including some specifically geared to women, and a nascent cargo bike-share program. The inclusivity and diversity of the programs, as well as the planning and design of Vancouver itself—there are no highways through the city, and all buses can carry bikes on their front racks—have all contributed to an increase in biking. Jean-François Caron, a graduate student in physics and a former president of the co-op, says, “Cycling is no longer a symbol of poverty or low status; it’s just something people do.” And they’re doing it in increasing numbers on more surprising campuses as well. Students at the University of Calgary were delighted that their much beloved volunteer-run community bike shop, the Bike Root, found a new home this fall after its temporary campus location closed; the city’s progressive mayor, Naheed Nenshi, and his own new municipal bicycling strategy, have put more wind at their backs. Even at the University of Windsor, in a city where Fords are a far more common sight than Schwinns, a growing community of cyclists has made its presence felt. “People are waking up to the fact that Windsor’s a great place to cycle,” says Christopher Waters, the associate dean at Windsor’s law school. “It’s flat, the climate’s mild relative to the rest of Canada, and we have a beautiful waterfront trail from one side of town to the foot of campus.” Waters, a member of the Windsor cycling committee, proudly makes a point of riding to school no matter the season or weather: “I, quite literally, did not miss a day last year.” *Canada’s top five biking schools* *University of Victoria:* Victoria is Canada’s cycling capital. UVic offers tons of parking, lockers—even a bike bursary program where old bikes are refurbished and lent to students. *University of British Columbia:* UBC’s famous purple-and-yellow bike-share program and good number of end-of-trip facilities (with lockers and showers) make cycling in Vancouver easy and accessible. *University of Ottawa:* Parking doesn’t come cheap in the nation’s capital (or its university) but upgraded cycling amenities—including an effective theft-prevention program—and 500 km of bike lanes in the city are quickly reducing car use. *McMaster:* The school’s Sustainability Office monitors and improves biking infrastructure, bolstered by Hamilton’s increasing municipal efforts on alternative transportation. *McGill:* A Danish urban planning authority recently named Montreal North America’s top cycling city. McGill even has its own Bicycling Research Centre. http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2011/11/07/canadas-best-cycling-schoo…

1 0