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SAVE THE DATE! | The Confessions Tour: Transportation for a Strong Town
by Mel Marginet 16 Feb '22

16 Feb '22

SAVE THE DATE! On Wednesday, April 13th Green Action Centre will welcome Strong Towns’ Charles Marohn to Winnipeg. Registration will begin soon for The Confessions Tour: Transportation for a Strong Town. Tickets will be available from greenactioncentre.ca. Like many cities in Canada, Winnipeg has gone through a period of record growth, and yet our financial position has never been worse. Winnipeg also has the highest rate of injury and death of vulnerable road users in Canada. What did we get wrong, and what can we do now, and into the future, to ensure we have a successful transportation system that contributes to the quality of life of all residents? The lessons Charles shares will apply to those in Winnipeg as well as municipalities across the province. Whether you are a planner, developer, transportation engineer, municipal leader or community advocate, you will want to attend this important event. Following Charles’ keynote, attendees will be divided into groups to participate in a series of breakout sessions to bring the high-level concepts to the local reality around us. Be part of the transportation transformation in your town! ABOUT CHARLES MAROHN Charles Marohn, known as “Chuck” to friends and colleagues, is the founder and president of Strong Towns. He is a professional engineer and a land use planner with decades of experience. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning, both from the University of Minnesota. Marohn is the author of Strong Towns: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity (Wiley, 2019), And of Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town (Wiley, 2021). He hosts the Strong Towns Podcast <https://www.strongtowns.org/podcast> and is a primary writer for Strong Towns’ web content <https://www.strongtowns.org/>. He has presented Strong Towns concepts in hundreds of cities and towns across North America. Planetizen named him one of the 10 Most Influential Urbanists of all time. Thank you to our sponsors for making The Confessions Tour: Transportation for a Strong Town possible! [image: ad400345-7b39-4199-b4a4-72cbe6b11940.jpg] *Mel Marginet* | 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) 925-3777 x112 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> **Note: I work two days a week at Green Action Centre and it may take a few * *days to respond to you. * *We are located on Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The water we drink comes from Shoal Lake First Nation. * Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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OUT, DAMN SHARROWS: Vote For the Sorriest Bike Infrastructure
by Beth McKechnie 16 Feb '22

16 Feb '22

Active transportation infrastructure is one of the most important things a community can build, but some so-called “bicycle amenities” barely deserve the title. Last week, the good people behind the must-watch YouTube channel Not Just Bikes <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0intLFzLaudFG-xAvUEO-A> took to Twitter <https://twitter.com/notjustbikes/status/1491499943265284099> to ask their followers a critical question: what’s the worst “bike-centered” road project you’ve ever seen, and what, exactly, makes it so bad? The avalanche of lame lanes, shitty sharrows and substandard shared-use paths that followed is a testament to just how far communities around the world have to go to make streets truly accessible to people who walk and roll — especially considering that many of those monstrosities were built in perfect compliance with legal standards <https://twitter.com/MelbourneWay/status/1491509034213511172>, as a few submitters pointed out. “One of the things advocates for vehicular cycling <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicular_cycling> cite is that bicycle infrastructure is often bad, and it’s safer to cycle on the road than in bad bike infrastructure,” said Jason Slaughter, the creator of the channel. “And to be fair, it probably is. But the solution is not to make everybody learn to cycle like a car, because that is an ableist position that excludes the majority of people from cycling. The solution is to build safe cycling infrastructure that does not have these issues.” Here are a few of the most common themes in the thread. And just for fun, we’ll take a vote at the bottom to find out which is the worst of all; think of it as a mini-edition of the Sorriest Bus Stops <https://usa.streetsblog.org/category/sorriest-bus-stops-2021/> Bike Infrastructure contest. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2022/02/14/out-damn-sharrows-vote-for-the-sorri… /

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WFP: Taking a Nordic-style kicksled out for a spin is a pretty Swede ride (Feb9'22)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Feb '22

09 Feb '22

Go with the snow Taking a Nordic-style kicksled out for a spin is a pretty Swede ride https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/go--with-the-snow-5761… WEARING a dusty pink snowsuit and a face mask emblazoned with colourful Dala horses, Sonja Lundstrom is excited. “This is going to be my 80th birthday present to myself,” she says, pointing to a nearby wooden kicksled poised for takeoff. “My grandma had one of these and my dad made me one out of hockey sticks for all my children… but these are the new modern ones and I haven’t had one of those.” But today’s frosty jaunt is less of a test drive and more of a diplomatic adventure. Lundstrom is the president of the Swedish Cultural Association of Manitoba and is at The Forks to give Urban Ahlin, the Swedish Ambassador to Canada, a little taste of home. “In my part of Sweden we use the (kicksleds) when we go out on the ice for ice fishing,” says Ahlin, who was in town recently with several other Nordic ambassadors to meet with the premier. “This is a very climate-friendly means of transportation and you can use it for lots of different reasons… it’s actually pretty fun to ride as well.” A kicksled is a simple winter vehicle made up of a chair mounted on two long skis. It can be pushed from behind with a kicking motion, like a scooter, or pulled by a dog. It’s been a popular mode of transportation in rural Nordic towns for decades and has been gaining traction among Winnipeggers in recent years. Today’s sleds have been provided by the Plain Bicycle Project, a social enterprise of the Winnipeg Trail Association. The organization got its start importing cargo containers of Dutch bikes to the city and has since opened two retail and repair shops while expanding its vision for multi-modal active transportation into the winter months. For Winnipeg Trails executive director Anders Swanson, kicksleds are the perfect entry point. “Kicksleds are kind of indicative of a culture that really understands winter, really understands how to plow and maintain their paths,” he says. Swanson first encountered kicksleds during a winter biking conference in Finland. While his personal sled is currently stocking the Plain Bicycle mobile ski library, he has used the apparatus locally for short trips to pick up groceries or grab beer from his neighbourhood brewery. Since the skis are designed for use on ice or packed snow, most people view kicksledding as a recreational activity rather than a viable way to get around Winnipeg. To make it more accessible, Swanson says better winter infrastructure is needed. “What we’re trying to bring here is a respect for snow… we’re a winter city, but we’re terrible at using snow as a building material and we have a very combative approach to snow,” he says, adding that he would like to see the city create a network of packed snow paths that could be used for biking, skiing, kicksledding and everyday active transportation. “There are systemic ways of designing this city that could really celebrate the human being in every season.” Working with the snow and prioritizing pedestrians over vehicles is a decidedly Scandinavian way of thinking. “The first thing we plow is actually the walkways,” Ahlin says of his home country. “We need to look at other things than the car’s needs.” Kicksledding is having a resurgence in Sweden as a direct result of changes to snow-management policies, says Ahlin. Many cities have cut down on their salt usage, leaving less bare concrete and more snow for residents to enjoy. “For a period of time it went away,” he says. “But nowadays we’re using less salt and the kicksled is coming back again into the Swedish tradition.” The country may have its winter walkways figured out, but Ahlin says Winnipeggers could teach Swedes a thing or two about dealing with extreme cold. “You have a much colder weather than we have,” he says. “I don’t think Swedes are experts when it comes down to winter, but it’s good to have an exchange of views and see how different kinds of cultures deal with stuff.” It’s one of those bitterly cold days when the convoy of kicksleds and Swedish flags pushes away from The Forks market and heads down to the Assiniboine for a tour of the river trail warming huts. The Nestaweya River Trail is also a favourite sledding spot for Dan and Viola Prowse, who purchased a kicksled last winter as a way to stay active and get outside amid the pandemic. The husband and wife duo are both in their 70s and try to take their sled out at least once a week for trips through local parks and winding rivers. “A huge part of it has been discovering the city from the vantage point of the river,” Viola says. “People are doing all kinds of things on the rivers — there’s skating rinks and they build these big ice patios with all sorts of furniture,” Dan adds. “We would maybe walk to see some of that stuff, but now we can just go so much further.” The Prowses own one kicksled, so they take turns walking and scooting. It’s an ideal situation because Dan — who is something of an exercise fanatic — can go as fast as he pleases and Viola can set her own pace. “It suits our different levels,” Viola says, adding that the kicking motion is easier on her knees than running. “It really gets my heart pumping and it has its moments of sheer fun.” “And it’s great if you have grandkids; they love the ride,” Dan says. The couple owns an Elsa-brand kicksled that can be folded down and transported in the back of their Toyota Corolla. The skis have a removable plastic cover for snow and thin metal blades for ice. While they have yet to come across another kicksledder in the wild, they’re often approached by curious passersby. “The first thing (people say) is, ‘Oh, you lost your dog,’” Dan says with a laugh. “It is kind of intriguing, especially if you see some old grey-haired people passing you.” Plain Bicycle has kicksleds for rent or purchase at its Sherbrook Street and Forks locations, with prices starting at $320. Sleds and dog harnesses are also sold by Canvasback Pet Supplies in Lockport and Prairie Dog Supply Co. near Selkirk. Snow Motion, a local winter dog sport club, has sleds available to rent for members and groups that meet regularly for kicksledding excursions. eva.wasney(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @evawasney

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FW: [EXTERNAL] 8 80 Cities School Streets Webinar & Workshop
by Kristine Hayward 09 Feb '22

09 Feb '22

From: 8 80 Cities <info(a)880cities.org> Sent: Wednesday, February 9, 2022 2:39 PM Subject: [EXTERNAL] 8 80 Cities School Streets Webinar & Workshop [https://mcusercontent.com/49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7/images/8dd7059d-020b-04…] Dear Colleagues, 8 80 Cities, along with Green Communities Canada<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>, is pleased to announce two learning opportunities designed for anyone interested in active safe travel to and from school, including municipal transportation staff, School Board Trustees and staff, school staff, non-profit organizations, active transportation advocates, community groups, parents and caregivers.  The webinar and workshop will equip participants with the right tools of action to pilot and run School Streets in their neighbourhoods. Our free ‘How To Run A School Streets Pilot Program’ Webinar is on March 10, 2022, from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST.  Register here for the webinar<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>. Our ‘How To Run A School Streets Pilot Program’ Workshop is on March 24, 2022, 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM EST. The cost is $ 100.00 CAD. Register here for the workshop<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>. Please feel free to forward this information to your network.  For questions about the webinar and workshop, please contact: Jiya Benni, Project Manager  jbenni(a)880cities.org<mailto:jbenni@880cities.org>,   647 800 5590 Thank you! Best, 8 80 Cities Learn More About School Streets Programs<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> [https://mcusercontent.com/49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7/images/8eb136f1-88b4-29…] PILOTING SCHOOL STREETS WEBINAR Join us for this webinar and learn the basics of School Streets. In this session, you will learn about the different elements of a School Streets program and the different steps you need to take to successfully pilot a School Street. Learn more about the Ontario School Streets Pilot and hear from teams in Mississauga, Markham and Hamilton as they plan their 2022 School Streets pilots. This webinar has been designed for anyone interested in active safe travel to and from school like municipal transportation staff, School Board Trustees and staff, school staff, non-profit organizations, active transportation advocates, community groups, parents and caregivers. What you will learn: * What is School Streets? * Benefits of School Streets * Key elements for piloting School Streets * Overview of Ontario School Streets Pilot * Learn from Mississauga, Hamilton and Markham as they plan their 2022 School Streets pilots, and Kingston whose School Street is already underway. Date: March 10, 2022. Time: 1:00 - 2:00 pm Register here<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>. [https://mcusercontent.com/49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7/images/4ac91566-40c0-17…] HOW TO RUN A SCHOOL STREETS PILOT PROGRAM Are you contemplating implementing a School Street in your community? Then, this workshop is for you! sign-up for this workshop and learn how to plan, implement, and evaluate a School Street pilot program. At this workshop, you will learn how to set goals for your School Street, how to measure its success, who needs to be involved and how to engage with the community. We will also touch upon various aspects of implementing School Streets such as permits, signage, volunteers, and other logistics, as well as how to evaluate your School Streets. Anyone interested in active safe travel to and from school can participate, for example, municipal transportation staff, School Board Trustees and staff, school staff, non-profit organizations, active transportation advocates, community groups, parents and caregivers. What you will learn: * An understanding of all the key elements of planning, implementation and evaluation of School Streets * Activities and tools to implement these key elements of School Streets * Opportunity to use some of the tools to get started on these key elements of School Streets Date: March 24, 2022 Time: 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Register here<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>. Image Samples To Share On Social Media [https://mcusercontent.com/49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7/images/0e75a9d0-d4b3-8c…] [https://mcusercontent.com/49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7/images/59633487-db39-2d…] [https://mcusercontent.com/49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7/images/05311974-8d52-55…] Social Media Copy Sample * Copy sample: It is time to go back to school! On March 10th and 24th, 8 80 Cities will lead a webinar and facilitate a workshop on School Streets programs. Sign up and learn how to implement a School Streets Pilot Program in your neighbourhood. Register now to save your spot! Details below! Webinar registration link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/252410966997 <https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> Workshop registration link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/252338610577<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> Learn more about School Streets here<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>. ####### Save the date and your spot now for 8 80 Cities webinar and workshop on How to Pilot and Program School Streets! Register here https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/252410966997 <https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> for the March 10 webinar. Register here https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/252338610577<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> for the March 24 workshop. Learn more about School Streets here<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>. * Hashtags & handles: #schoolstreets #righttomobility #righttopublicspace #880cities #creatingcitiesforall @880Cities @GreenCommunitiesCan [Facebook]<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> [Twitter]<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> [Link]<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> [Website]<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…> [https://mcusercontent.com/49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7/images/da76a362-6610-43…] Copyright © 2022. 8 80 Cities. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 364 - 401 Richmond Street West Toronto, M5V 3A8 Canada E: info(a)880cities.org<mailto:info@880cities.org> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/profile?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124fb7&…> or unsubscribe from this list<https://880cities.us10.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=49b51d71f0a96500f24124…>. Disclaimer : This email (including any attachments or enclosed documents) is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately, return the original (if applicable) and delete the email. Avis : Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé, et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels, privés ou protégés par un privilège juridique. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous avez reçu le présent courriel par erreur, veuillez en informer immédiatement l’expéditeur, retourner l’original (le cas échéant) et supprimer ce courriel.

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One man’s quest to include bike commuting reports on MPR’s morning programming
by Beth McKechnie 09 Feb '22

09 Feb '22

(Wish this could happen with CBC Winnipeg!) G. Travis Norvell, aka @pedalingpastor on Twitter, found himself annoyed that commuting information focused exclusively on those getting around by car. https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2022/02/one-mans-quest-to-include-bike-c…

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Forbes: Lifetime Cost Of Small Car $689,000; Society Subsidizes This Ownership With $275,000
by Beth McKechnie 08 Feb '22

08 Feb '22

Cars can be convenient, but they are also incredibly costly, both to owners and society in general. New academic research has calculated that the lifetime cost of a small car—such as an Opel Corsa—is about $689,000, of which society pays $275,000. (A Mercedes GLC costs $1+m over an owner's lifetime.) The research focused on Germany, but lead author Stefan Gössling told me the guiding principles work for other countries, too. Writing in *Ecological Economics* <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800921003943?via%3Di…>, Gössling stated that “the car is one of the most expensive household consumer goods, yet there is a limited understanding of its private and social cost per vehicle-km, year, or lifetime of driving.” Motorists, he added, underestimate the total private costs of car ownership, “while policymakers and planners underestimate social costs.” Cars are expensive because of their high ticket price and depreciation and the additional costs incurred by insurance, repairs, and fuel purchases. Mass motoring’s social costs—known to transport wonks as negative externalities—include carbon emissions from burning petrol and diesel, congestion, noise, deaths and injuries from crashes, road damage, and costs to health systems from sloth. Other subsidies, such as the copious provision of free off-street car parking, are often mandated in building codes. America’s 250 million cars are oversupplied with an estimated 2 billion parking spots (think Wal-Mart at Christmas) yet spend 95% of their time going nowhere. Gössling based his cost calculations on an individual driving 15,000 kilometers per year over 50 years. Previous studies using different parameters have reached similar conclusions. In his 2007 book, *Deep Economy*, environmental author and activist Bill McKibben concluded: “Households can save as much as $750,000 over a lifetime if the bus system works well enough to enable people not to buy a second car.” And “Mr. Money Mustache”—real name Pete Adeney and who blogs to 350,000 regular readers, advising them how they can retire when young and yet still live comfortably—has stated <https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2019/01/11/money-gurus-1-tip-for-h…> that a typical American couple who commute to work in separate cars and who spend $19 per day in direct driving and car ownership costs would have paid $125,000 each after ten years. Living closer to work and bicycling there would land the couple a cool $250,000. Cars suck Cars suck more cash than most people imagine. On an average income, half of a working week goes on paying for the costs associated with running an automobile, calculated philosopher Ivan Illich in his 1974 book *Energy and Equity*. “The typical American male devotes more than 1,600 hours a year to his car,” wrote Illich <http://www.ecotopia.com/webpress/energyequity/energy_and_equity.txt>. “He spends four of his sixteen waking hours on the road or gathering his resources for it.” And working out the labor required to buy and fuel the car to travel 7,500 miles equated to an average speed of less than five miles per hour, said Illich. Wealth Counting the total and actual cost of a more-expensive-than-understood form of transport is a calculation that can hurt. The bruise was first poked in the 1850s by American essayist Henry David Thoreau who urged citizens to think about the real costs of railroads <https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2019/08/thoreaus-view-of-the-railroad-th…> via the labor used to build them. “We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us,” he explained in his simple-living book, *Walden*. More recently, Adam Ozimek, chief economist at Upwork, tweeted <https://twitter.com/modeledbehavior/status/1303051417897390090> that mass-market car ownership doesn’t make economic sense. “Spending $40,000 on a car seems like the kind of thing to me that, intuitively, you do when you have like a couple million in wealth and make $400,000 a year,” he wrote. “But absolutely normal people do it all the time! Blows me away.” Gössling—a German academic working for the business school at Linnaeus University in Sweden—is also staggered by the acceptance that costly car ownership is considered normal, even for low earners. Yes, much of the built environment entrenches car use, but, famously, many people drive pitifully short journeys when it would be just as easy—and certainly cheaper and healthier—to walk. Getting people out of cars isn’t something that most politicians want to broach, Gössling told me. “It’s a transport taboo; you can’t touch it politically because you’ll get burnt.” A good case in point is road pricing. The U.K. parliament’s transport committee tweeted last night that “it’s time for an honest conversation on motoring taxes” and, in a meaty new report <https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-committee/news/160…>, suggested that the time is right for pay-per-mile motoring. Cue “war on motoring” slurs from shock-jocks. It’s an emotive topic. In 2007, 1.8 million U.K. motorists signed a petition against road pricing, fearing the cost of motoring would rise. To head off such arguments, the transport committee’s report stressed that road pricing wouldn’t be used as a mechanism for reducing miles driven. Rather, MPs soothed, most motorists would end up paying the “same or less than they do currently.” Who picks up the shortfall? We all do. Society pays in the form of motoring subsidies, which is unfair for those who don’t drive. “One in five households in Germany doesn’t have a car,” points out Gössling, “yet all are subsidizing car travel.” “For someone earning a lot of money, none of this is that relevant,” said Gössling. “Where the difference is, is for those on low incomes, because for them [paying huge sums over a lifetime for car use] can really hurt.” Instead, he argued, countries and cities should be designed so that “people can be mobile without a car.” However, he warned, “car manufacturers are very anxious about people getting ideas about not owning cars.” “In our research, we’re not saying you should start taking away cars from people, we’re just saying it’s probably more prudent, economically, to invest in those infrastructures that are less costly—such as for active mobility—and where people will make a switch voluntarily.” “Cycling is growing fast in Germany,” volunteered Gössling. “It wasn’t forced on people, it’s what people want. People want to be healthier. Many studies show how active travel is not just physically healthy; it’s also beneficial for mental health. And cycling is ideal for cities; it’s often much faster than driving.” “Change can come quickly,” he said. And the change could be hastened by a better understanding of the total costs of motoring, especially for those who can ill afford such profligacy. “Most lower-income and many moderate-income households are harmed overall by policies that favor automobile travel over more affordable and resource-efficient modes,” concludes Gössling’s study. “Such policies force many households to own more vehicles than they can afford, and imposes large external costs, particularly on people who rely on walking, bicycling and public transit.” https://www.forbes.com/sites/carltonreid/2022/02/04/lifetime-cost-of-small-…

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Feb. 25 webinar. Dream ● Play ● Build: Hands-On Community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places
by Beth McKechnie 03 Feb '22

03 Feb '22

[image: Bookmark and Share] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVy…> FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, AT 1:00 P.M. EST ------------------------------ [image: Dream Play Build: Hands-On Community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVy…> Dream ● Play ● Build: Hands-On Community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places *Friday, February 25, at 1:00 p.m. EST* *Participants of this live webinar are eligible for 1.5 AICP CM credits.* For two decades, James Rojas and John Kamp have been looking to art, creative expression, and storytelling to shake up the classic community meeting. Join the Maryland Department of Planning and the Smart Growth Network as these two authors share their insights into building common ground and inviting active participation among diverse groups. Their approach, “Place It!,” draws upon three methods: the interactive model-building workshop, the pop-up, and site exploration using the senses. They will offer their lessons learned distilled from workshops held around the world and a deep dive into the transformational approach and results from a community in southern California. *Find out more and register for this free webinar via the link below.* Register for "Dream ● Play ● Build: Hands-On Community Engagement for Enduring Spaces and Places" <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVy…> ♦ Upcoming Smart Growth Online Webinars ♦ ------------------------------ [image: Multimodal tool excerpt] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVy…> Thursday, February 3 From Complete Streets to Complete Networks: A Data-Driven, Performance-Based, Multimodal Planning Tool Get more information about this webinar <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVy…> ------------------------------ *Subscribe to Smart Growth Online Weekly Twitter Updates* <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVy…> *Smart Growth Information Clearinghouse | 410-767-4949 | SmartGrowth.org* [image: SGIC Logo] <https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVy…> The Smart Growth Information Clearinghouse is a project of the Smart Growth Network and is partially funded by the U.S. EPA, Office of Community Revitalization, and managed by the Maryland Department of Planning ------------------------------

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France Forces Auto Advertisers to Encourage Less Driving
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '22

01 Feb '22

On Dec. 28, the French government ordered <https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000044590170> automakers to prominently feature one of three approved messages aimed at decreasing vehicle miles traveled in the nation: “For short journeys, prioritize walking or cycling,” “Think about carpooling,” or “Use public transport every day.” Advertisers will also have to use the hashtag #SeDéplacerMoinsPolluer, which roughly translates to “Pollute less when you move.” https://usa.streetsblog.org/2022/01/05/france-to-car-buyers-driving-is-bad-…

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USDOT releases new National Roadway Safety Strategy - Green Car Congress
by Terry Zdan 28 Jan '22

28 Jan '22

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2022/01/20220128-nrss.html

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L.A. Just Ran (and Ended) the Biggest Free-Transit Experiment in the U.S.
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jan '22

27 Jan '22

In March 2020, Los Angeles’ public-transit agency, Metro, stopped collecting fares on its buses as a COVID-19 safety precaution. For the next 22 months, Metro waived fares for anyone who wanted to keep riding its buses, anywhere they wanted to go (as long as they wore a mask, of course). And people did keep riding. Outside of the initial stay-at-home order in the spring of 2020, Metro’s ridership never dipped below 50 percent of before-times ridership, with buses eventually recovering to within 10 to 15 percent of pre-pandemic numbers <https://xtown.la/2021/12/01/free-transit-los-angeles/>. While the agency doesn’t know exactly how many people were riding fare-free buses during this time — because fare collection is one of the ways to track ridership — a spokesperson says that from April 2020 to December 2021, it’s safe to say Metro’s buses provided about 281 million fare-free boardings. This means the agency has inadvertently been conducting what may be the biggest free-transit experiment in U.S. history. Fare collection restarted last week after two unprecedented years in which transit agencies learned a lot about how people moved (or didn’t) around their cities, and now Metro is using some of this information to game out improvements and pilot other free- and reduced-fare programs. ...(According to that same data, New York’s MTA has yet to surpass 60 percent of its pre-pandemic ridership.) That at least suggests that free fares were a factor. Bus ridership also recovered at a faster rate than rail, where fares continued to be collected, says Oscar Zarate, assistant director of organizing with Strategic Actions for a Just Economy: “I don’t think that’s by coincidence. I think it’s because most of the people who ride the bus depend on it because they’re workers and that’s their primary transportation. And because they didn’t have to pay for it, it was really easy to get on and benefit from our public transportation system.” ...L.A.’s Metro is unique among large U.S. transit agencies in that its budget doesn’t rely heavily on the fare box, which made the decision to temporarily waive fares a bit easier in the first place. A ride costs only $1.75, and the total funds collected make up only 6 percent of total revenue — about a third of which goes right back into fare enforcement (although that doesn’t include contracts with law-enforcement agencies <http://allianceforcommunitytransit.org/metro-as-a-sanctuary/>). Adding to Metro’s relatively comfortable financial situation is a local sales tax, Measure M, which was approved by voters in 2016 to generate $120 billion for the system over 40 years. Aside from L.A.’s experiment, the largest permanent free-transit program in the U.S. is run by Kansas City <https://archive.curbed.com/2019/12/6/20998617/kansas-city-missouri-free-pub…>, which is providing free rides <https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-05-31/everyone-gets-a-seat-on-the-bus-for-fr…> for 30,000 to 40,000 passengers a day. Boston is trying it on some dedicated bus routes <https://www.boston.gov/news/mayor-wu-takes-steps-expand-fare-free-bus-servi…>. But New York’s MTA has argued that fares, which bring in $6 billion during a non-pandemic year, are too critical to waive, and is instead cracking down harder on fare evasion, even on buses <https://www.amny.com/lifestyle/travel/mta-wants-to-put-more-cops-on-buses-t…> . Full story: https://www.curbed.com/2022/01/los-angeles-metro-free-transit-buses.html

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