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WFP: Tired of falling, councillor wants to give icy sidewalks the slip (Dec4'20)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Dec '20

04 Dec '20

Tired of falling, councillor wants to give icy sidewalks the slip https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/tired-of-falling-councillor-wants-t… HE has fallen multiple times on pavement so slick that even thick winter boots couldn’t keep him upright. “I can remember two total wipeouts. Just falling onto the ground and ending up horizontal,” said St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard. Now Allard, chairman of city council’s public works committee, is searching for ways to make sidewalks and active transportation routes less slippery. The councillor, who has tried to rely on Winnipeg Transit and active transportation as much as possible since January 2018, said he’s fallen a few times over the past two years, including one incident that damaged his computer. In November, he said he slipped twice in one walk while turning right onto Main Street near city hall, at one point grabbing a building to avoid hitting the ground. “The sidewalk was icy and slippery and the road was pristine, bare pavement,” said Allard. After he raised the issue on social media, Allard said he heard from hundreds of Winnipeggers who also want the city to find a way to make sidewalks and paths less treacherous. The councillor said he’ll raise a motion at a council committee in January, which would require city staff to study how to improve the condition of sidewalks and active transportation paths. The motion will call on the public service to study the health costs linked to slips and falls on sidewalks and how changes to snow clearing and ice treatments could make the surfaces safer. “I think there are always ways to make things better, so I’m asking the questions,” he said. Allard said he wants the city to consider factors such as increasing sand and salt treatments to add traction, new snow and ice control equipment, and an altered snow clearing schedule. Southdale resident Mary McWilliams said she agrees there’s room for improvement, especially on the Vermillion Road sidewalk she avoids walking on each winter. “There’s just a sheet of ice,” said Mc-Williams. “I’m a senior, and I had a hip replacement a couple of years ago, so I would not even try to walk on it for fear of falling.” Last winter, the city implemented some sidewalk and active transportation snow-clearing improvements, which cost about $800,000 annually. Michael Cantor, Winnipeg’s manager of streets maintenance, said those changes ensure that snow is cleared from entire active transportation routes to avoid gaps and that top-priority sidewalks (typically the most used ones) are cleared each time at least five centimetres of snow accumulates on them. “Before, some of those paths weren’t cleared on a priority basis and they were more cleared based on whether resources are available. Now… it’s defined based on usage,” said Cantor. Cantor said that’s triggered a “dramatic improvement” in snow clearing, while ice control is still performed on an as-needed basis, following sidewalk inspections and 311 complaints. Cantor said the city could explore additional work to remove ice, though changes would largely depend on how much council is willing to pay for the service. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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The WRENCH launches fundraiser for new building
by Beth McKechnie 02 Dec '20

02 Dec '20

The WRENCH is on the move Non-profit bike shop launches fundraiser for new building https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/times/The-WRENCH-is-on-th… The WRENCH is launching a fundraising campaign in tandem with its annual Cycle of Giving event in hopes of finding another home. The Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub, a bike shop that offers programs aimed at educating youth and empowering volunteers, is located in the basement of the Animal Services building on Logan Avenue. Overwhelmed by hundreds of bikes, tools and parts, the WRENCH wants to add some square-footage to its cycling hub and is searching for an additional space. “We’re busting at the seams and we’re constantly having to dance around piles of bikes that are kind of edging into walkways,” Kate Sjoberg, executive director, said. “The WRENCH has been a part of creating a culture of cycling in Winnipeg for a long time, and creating physical infrastructure that can help cyclists like community bike shops … So, we really see this move towards establishing an above-ground space as a part of that story of Winnipeg embracing cycling, and Winnipeg creating the spaces needed to support cyclists in the city, whether they are new to cycling, or have been cycling for a long time.” The Moving On Up campaign will begin Sat., Dec. 5, the same day the WRENCH is celebrating the 10th annual Cycle of Giving. Every year, volunteers come together to build as many bikes as possible within 24 hours using bicycles and parts saved from local landfill and recycling sites. The WRENCH partners with local organizations, schools and families to subsequently distribute the bikes to kids. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers have been building bikes in their home-based or private shops since the beginning of November. “This decentralised build will culminate on Dec. 5, a day of simultaneous bike building at shops throughout the city,” a news release said. “We’ve got more than two dozen people, individuals, and also bike shops, building bikes as we speak,” Sjoberg said. “On the day of Dec. 5, we’re treating it as a celebratory kind of day where everyone’s building at the same time. And so, we’re going to encourage people to be connecting over social media and sharing what they’re doing in their homes. And then we’ll distribute the bikes after Dec. 5.” Leading up to that Saturday, the WRENCH will be posting on its social media pages stories and histories of Winnipeg bike culture and activism. Also different this year, the WRENCH is gifting individuals items for their donations. If someone donates $30 or more, they will receive a screen-printed WRENCH t-shirt with artwork by Sarah Thiessen, the organization’s volunteer co-ordinator. Someone who donates $60 or more will receive a WRENCH t-shirt and raffle ticket for one of three hand-painted helmets by Graffiti Gallery-affiliated artist Marco Muller. A donation of $100 or more will earn the donor a WRENCH t-shirt and raffle ticket for a hand-painted bike by Art City-affiliated artist Kiana Fontaine. More information can be found online at thewrench.ca

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The Dangers of Elite Projection
by Beth McKechnie 02 Dec '20

02 Dec '20

Worthwhile read (or refresher): *Elite projection* is the belief, among relatively fortunate and influential people, that what those people find convenient or attractive is good for the society as a whole. Once you learn to recognize this simple mistake, you see it everywhere. It is perhaps the single most comprehensive barrier to prosperous, just, and liberating cities. https://humantransit.org/2017/07/the-dangers-of-elite-projection.html

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New PSU study: 20 MPH speed signage
by Beth McKechnie 02 Dec '20

02 Dec '20

[shared from the TDM listserv] Hi all, a really interesting study just came out of Portland State University. They looked at vehicle speed before and after the city re-signed certain designated streets to 20 MPH (from 25 MPH). They found that average speed did not change *but *the highest speeds were reduced. And those highest-speed vehicles are disproportionately responsible for injuries and fatalities, so this change is meaningful in the Vision Zero landscape. I think it's really interesting to see that signage changes alone do, in fact, appear to change driver behavior. And this gives me the chance to plug one of my favorite (paywall free!) academic articles <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140517307302>, which explores possible theories of change - aka mechanisms by which a 20 MPH speed limit may affect safety outcomes. Study here <https://bikeportland.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/pbot-20-mph-speed-study…>, and overview article on Bikeportland here <https://bikeportland.org/2020/12/01/report-citys-new-20-mph-signs-have-redu…> . -Jessica *JESSICA ROBERTS* *Pronouns: she/her* Principal | *Alta Planning + Design, Inc.* *Working remotely: c**:* 503.752.4144 Portland, OR | altago.com

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Shared Micromobility Replacing Car Trips
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 30 Nov '20

30 Nov '20

From: DOE Vehicle Technologies Office <eere(a)service.govdelivery.com> Sent: November-30-20 12:31 PM To: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Subject: Fact of the Week #1162 [Bookmark and Share]<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVy…> View in browser<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVy…> [Energy dot gov Office of Energy Efficiency and renewable energy]<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVy…> Vehicle Technologies Office <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVy…> Transportation Analysis Fact of the Week #1162<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVy…> [Divider] November 30, 2020 Shared Micromobility Replacing Car Trips In a 2019 survey of seven cities, 45% of those using shared micromobility (bikes and scooters) said that they would have completed their trips using a personal vehicle or rideshare vehicle if the bike/scooter was not available.* Another 9% would have used transit for their trips. Bikes/scooters replaced walking trips for 28% of respondents and 18% would have used other modes or not taken the trips if shared micromobility were not available. [Mode Used if Shared Micromobility Not Available, 2019] * Survey data includes respondents in Santa Monica, CA, Alexandria, VA, Bloomington, IN, Brookline, MA, Hoboken, NJ, Oakland, CA, and San Francisco, CA. Note: Shared micromobility refers to small fleets of fully or partially human-powered vehicles including bikes, e-bikes, and e-scooters. Source: National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), Shared Micromobility in the U.S.: 2019<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVy…>, Summer 2020. View the supporting data<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVy…> for this Fact of the Week DOE Facebook [Facebook] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDcsInVy…> EERE Facebook [Facebook] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDgsInVy…> Energy Saver Facebook [Facebook] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDksInVy…> DOE Twitter [Twitter] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTAsInVy…> EERE Twitter [Twitter] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTEsInVy…> Daniel R Simmons' Twitter [Twitter] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTIsInVy…> DOE YouTube[Youtube]<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTMsInVy…> DOE LinkedIn[LinkedIn]<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTQsInVy…> EERE LinkedIn[LinkedIn]<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTUsInVy…> Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTYsInVy…>. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please contact support(a)govdelivery.com<mailto:support@govdelivery.com>. This service is provided to you at no charge by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE). Visit the website at energy.gov/eere<https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMTcsInVy…>. ________________________________ This email was sent to terry.zdan(a)gov.mb.ca<mailto:terry.zdan@gov.mb.ca> on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy * 1000 Independence Ave., SW * Washington DC 20585

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Norway's EV subsidies; ... no country needs more cars...
by Charles Feaver 28 Nov '20

28 Nov '20

An column by Eric Reguly in the Globe: Norway's electric cars subsidies: a lot of money, not a lot of gain https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-norways-electric -car-subsidies-a-lot-of-money-for-not-a-lot-of-gain/ Like many countries in the West, Norway, an oil exporter, wanted to clean up its act. The centrepiece of that effort was the mass rollout of electric vehicles and the results have been spectacular - some 60 per cent of new car sales are EVs. That's the good news. The bad is that the sales of those EVs has come at great cost to the taxpayer, and will continue to do so as Norway pursues an all-EV fleet. Those billions of dollars of subsidies might have been put to far more effective use elsewhere in Norway's carbon-reduction effort.. Norway's lavish EV freebies have actually intensified the car culture, not diluted it. The less glam options, such as public transportation, got buried in the green plan.. Norway decided in the 1990s that EVs were the way to go as "global warming" entered the everyday lexicon and the country became acutely aware that its massive North Sea oil industry was part of the climate problem. Norway was rich - still is - and a cynic (not me, of course) would say that EVs became a luxury form of greenwashing for Europe's premier petro-state.. To make them affordable, the national and local governments in Norway rolled out incentive after incentive. Here are a few of them: exemption from the 25-per-cent value-added (VAT) tax on new car purchases; exemption from import duties; exemption from emission fees; no fuel taxes; cut-rate insurance; and ultra-cheap or free parking, road tolls and car ferry tickets. Many cities also gave EVs unfettered access to bus lanes.. As a climate change effort, Norway's embrace of EVs has worked, but only a bit. Road traffic emissions fell by about 10 per cent between 2014 and 2018, though the continued improvement in the efficiency of regular cars no doubt helped. But what if those billions in EV subsidies over the years had been devoted to other climate efforts, such as home insulation, the expansion of public transport or tighter emission controls on office buildings and factories? The drop in emissions might have been significant. As it is, Norway's EV subsidies look like a giveaway to the auto industry, an effort that is putting more cars on the road. Indeed, the total number of cars has climbed in recent years, partly because it appears that most buyers (such as my Norwegian friend) are not swapping their regular car for an EV; the EV is an addition to the regular car. No country, no city, needs more cars. What they need is fewer cars and credible reductions in carbon emissions. The Norway plan, so far, has done neither - at great expense.

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A Review of Canadian Transport Plans
by Anders Swanson 27 Nov '20

27 Nov '20

A timely review out of McgIll for us as we develop our new transport master plan and pedestrian/cycling strategies. The pursuit of cycling equity: A review of Canadian transport plans https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692320310048

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FW: Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada | New TAC Report
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 26 Nov '20

26 Nov '20

FYI From: TAC-ATC Communications <secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca> Sent: November-26-20 9:35 AM To: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Subject: Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada | New TAC Report [Image] Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada The continued growth of cycling in Canada is leading to the development of infrastructure that better serves the safety and mobility needs of cyclists. A new report from the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) will help practitioners evaluate the potential safety performance of new facilities for cycling. Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> is a resource document that characterizes the safety performance of different types of linear bicycle facilities and intersection treatments. [Alternate text] The report and its technical appendices can be downloaded free from TAC’s website<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…>, thanks to support from the project’s funding partners. The report was developed by MORR Transportation Consulting, and is currently available in English with a French version coming soon. Browse this and other titles in TAC’s online Catalogue<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…>. [Rounded Rectangle: Read the Full Article] [Facebook]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> [Twitter]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> [LinkedIn]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> TAC © 2020 www.tac-atc.ca<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> UNSUBSCRIBE<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> Transportation Association of Canada 401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON K2C 3T2 613-736-1350 | secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…>

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Availability and Use of Pedestrian Infrastructure Data to Support Active Transportation Planning | The National Academies Press
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 24 Nov '20

24 Nov '20

https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25995/availability-and-use-of-pedestrian-infras… FYI Happy Trails Terry Zdan

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UK city launches ‘smart junctions’ that prioritize cyclists and pedestrians
by Beth McKechnie 23 Nov '20

23 Nov '20

Transport for Greater Manchester <https://tfgm.com/> (TfGM) has announced the rollout of 20 ‘smart junctions’ across the city. They use sensors to detect the type of road user at junctions and allow different modes of transport to be given priority. Developed in collaboration with AI firm Vivacity Labs <https://vivacitylabs.com/>, the scheme aims to accommodate and promote the use of active travel modes such as cycling and walking, which have become an increased priority for UK cities in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project first went live earlier this year, but is now being scaled up to cover 20 junctions in Manchester by the end of 2021. Speaking after its launch, the UK’s Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said: “Smart traffic technology is just one of the many ground-breaking areas the government is funding to pioneer new ways for artificial intelligence and 5G to transform our lives for the better. We’re backing this initiative in (Greater) Manchester to improve the city’s transport, reduce journey times, and cut pollution.” Full article: https://thenextweb.com/shift/2020/11/18/uk-city-launches-smart-junctions-th…

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