- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

CROW Design Manual - free webinars (Urban Cycling Institute)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '20

28 Mar '20

The CROW 'Design Manual for Bicycle Traffic' is widely regarded by experts as the best bikeway engineering guide in the world. In the coming weeks, the Urban Cycling Institute will offer a series of free webinars, each focused on one chapter of the book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-17vjmIkwG8

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WFP: UMSU votes yes on U-Pass
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '20

28 Mar '20

*VOTES YES ON U-PASS * THE University of Manitoba Students’ Union says Winnipeg Transit’s U-Pass program will continue at the school. The UMSU board of directors has voted in favour to “save” the U-Pass program, at an increased rate of $200/full-time student per term, up from $136.25/term — a hike the City of Winnipeg said is needed to cover costs.

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Globe & Mail: Coronavirus is reshaping the way we get around cities (Mar25'20)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Mar '20

26 Mar '20

Coronavirus is reshaping the way we get around cities https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/mobility/article-coronavirus-is-resha… The rising need for social distancing has been changing how we get around cities – and whether we get around at all. Right now, schools and some businesses are closed and more people are working from home to try to slow the COVID-19 outbreak. That means less traffic and fewer people taking transit. “There’s a huge reduction in traffic and urban personal travel,” says Lawrence Frank, a professor of public health at the University of British Columbia (UBC). In some places, the need to keep space between us is leading to a push, at least temporarily, for more active ways to get around. *Bogota, for instance, added 76 kilometres of temporary bike lanes to its 550-km bike network.* *“They took some of their transit lanes and gave them to cyclists – this is a smart idea and their weather allows it,” says Ahmed El-Geneidy, a professor at McGill University’s School of Public Planning. “When you cycle, you’re distanced from other people.”* *If the crisis continues for a longer period of time, El-Geneidy says he expects Canadian cities, including Toronto and Montreal, to look into temporarily adding more bike lanes.* “If you’re not sick, you can take a walk around the block – you can take a bicycle ride as long as you’re staying away from people,” El-Geneidy says. “I’m not an expert in public health, but if we have congestion on cycling routes, then it’s useless.” LONG-TERM CHANGES? But what happens after all this is finally over and we don’t need to keep two metres away from each other? “It will change something – what it will change, I don’t know for sure,” El-Geneidy says. “It can be a good time now to try biking and walking, and maybe in some places, we could see a return to more corner stores that people can walk to because people don’t want to take their cars or transit.” Although, it’s also possible that the roads could be more crowded, at least temporarily, with individual vehicles than ever because some people will be spooked off public transit. “Transit is not bad – we cannot allow this to be used to say that we shouldn’t be taking collective forms of transportation,” UBC’s Frank says. “That’s ridiculous. This is a short, unprecedented situation and we had time to react in advance.” REDUCTION IN POLLUTION? In China and Italy <https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/covid-19-air-pollution-1.5501810>, one side-effect of people staying home because of COVID-19 is a drastic reduction in air pollution, Frank says. According to the most recent Global Burden of Disease study, an estimated 3.4 million people worldwide died prematurely because of outdoor air pollution in 2017. During the lockdown, Frank expects China and Italy to see a drop in deaths from chronic diseases that are caused or worsened by pollution. “This shows us that how we get around has a dramatic effect on pollution,” Frank says. “We’re monitoring COVID-19 and it’s terrifying, but at the same time, it might be that more lives were saved because of the reduction in vehicle use and air pollution.” When these temporary restrictions end, this could be used as an opportunity for governments to change how we get around cities. They could invest more in transit, electrification and active transportation, including cycling , e-scooters and e-bikes, Frank says. That would mean more urban density instead of increasing sprawl out to the suburbs, Frank says. People who get around by walking or cycling instead of solely in vehicles are, generally. healthier overall. “You want to design a transportation system and lay out your cities so that there’s less vulnerability should something like this happen again,” Frank says. “We’d have to think past a contagious epidemic and make cities more conducive to biking and walking. It could have an incredible impact on chronic disease.”

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TOMORROW: Webinar on Public Health & Transportation
by Beth McKechnie 23 Mar '20

23 Mar '20

******************************************************** Caution: This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ******************************************************** Join us on tomorrow at 2pm ET to discuss ways urban planners can collaborate with transportation and public health professionals. WEBINAR Urban Planning, Transportation, and Public Health Collaborations March 24, 2020 from 2:00pm - 2:30pm ET <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Join us TOMORROW at 2pm ET for the latest webinar in our series! If you haven't registered yet, be sure to save your spot as space is limited. After the immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred, there are ways transportation agencies could benefit from better collaboration with public health agencies in the future. *This webinar will describe several ways in which urban planners are working with data sources and colleagues in public health and healthcare. Case studies show how collaboration is being used to improve planners’ ability to make data-driven decisions, measure the outcomes of a program that expands transit access, and broaden their understanding of how well the built environment and transportation access are helping to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of residents. This webinar will inform planners, DOTs, and researchers of existing resources that can be used in new ways. *Speakers:* *Renee Autumn Ray,* *Strategy and Innovation Leader, Conduent Transportation* *Alice Grossman, Ph.D,* *Senior Policy Analyst, Eno Center for Transportation* March 2020 24 REGISTER <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Connect with us and don't miss out on other great resources!* [image: Facebook] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> Facebook <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: Twitter] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> Twitter <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> [image: VIEW UPCOMING WEBINARS] <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> VIEW UPCOMING WEBINARS <https://enotrans.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d2579cc7754f7b743881bff9…> *Copyright © 2020 Eno Center for Transportation, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you opted in to our email list. *Our mailing address is:* Eno Center for Transportation 1629 K St. NW Ste 200 Washington, DC 20006

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WFP: The Unicycle Guy relishes being the most noticeable commuter on the road (Mar21'20)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Mar '20

21 Mar '20

******************************************************** Caution: This message was sent from outside the University of Manitoba. ******************************************************** The Unicycle Guy relishes being the most noticeable commuter on the road ‘A WEIRD KIND OF FAMOUS’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/a-weird-kind-of-famous-568977702.ht… EACH morning, to get to work, most of the city climbs into sedans or minivans, a fair number sit on the bus, some bike, others who live close enough to do so walk — every trip moves along with the flow of traffic, and every commuter somewhat disappears into the thrum of urban movement. Not Daniel Voth. For one thing, he’s deceptively gangly, standing six-foot-three, often towering over the people he meets. And then, there’s that thing he’s sitting on to get to work every winter morning: a 36-inch high unicycle, decked out in neon green decals, in case you weren’t already staring. He wants you to stare. He dares you to smile. He loves your attention. “I call myself Dan, but people can call me the Unicycle Guy,” he says. So we will. The Unicycle Guy lives in an apartment on Garry Street, with his cat Jam Jams and five unicycles, a collection he’s been accruing for nearly three years. Every morning, around 8 a.m., he descends, wheel in the air, passing tenants who know him if not by name, then by his mode of transport. He started riding a unicycle three years ago, when he saw a man riding one along the Assiniboine Park walking bridge. The Unicycle Guy, who was then strictly a Car Man, was intrigued. The next day, he called every bike shop in the city, and bought the cheapest ’cycle he could find. His mother, Debbie-Lee Olfert, is no unicyclist herself — she says she can barely ride a bike. But she was not surprised to find out her son was picking up such a peculiar talent. “He is the most quirky person you’re going to meet,” she says. “And as the mother of grown-ass men, you stop telling them what to do and hope they make choices that aren't illegal, immoral, or life-threatening,” she says. “I say have fun, be safe, be smart.” At the time a Charleswood resident, the Unicycle Guy was determined to learn. He wouldn’t stop practising that first day until he could reach the bottom of the driveway without bailing, and soon enough, he could. “The origin to my interest is that riding a unicycle has always seemed like an impossible task, and I always liked the idea of doing something often perceived as undoable,” he says before a commute one March morning. “I always describe this as the easiest thing to learn that looks the hardest to do.” The Unicycle Guy isn’t wrong: from a distance, and up close, it seems like every moment not spent falling is a miracle, but ultimately, the pursuit of one-wheeled balance is one grounded in patience and trust. When talking about the unicycle, the Unicycle Guy takes on a somewhat spiritual tone: if you will it, you can ride. Soon after he got down the driveway, he aimed higher, and further: he wanted to ride to work. So, last summer, he sold his rattly car, forwent his $100 per month parking expenses, and rode away. The commute was 20 minutes by car, and though Google Maps doesn’t have a unicycle option, it took about an hour from Point A to Point B, an office on Market Avenue. In the summer, the ride was smooth, if not slightly scary. The unicycle shared lanes with its two- and four-wheeled brethren harmoniously, aside from a few heckles from the seatbelted population. Some passersby rolled down their windows to sing circus music — da da dada dada da da dada. The Unicycle Guy was unperturbed. In fact, he was delighted. He started riding his unicycle in even more unconventional ways. To the arena, he lugged his hockey bag. While eating sushi with chopsticks, he pedaled around. Jam Jams has joined him for a ride here and there. “I’m trying to stick out like a sore thumb, because I think the image is funny,” he says. “The looks I’ve gotten — I get a kick out of it.” Later in the year, he moved to Garry Street, where his daily commute shortened to 15 minutes, but the amount of recognition he’s received expanded ten-fold. A woman waiting with her children for the school bus says her kids look forward to seeing him every day. A bus driver on Waterfront Drive waves to him daily. On Broadway, one woman says she’s begun to text friends whenever she sees him roll by. “My friends in the Exchange speak of a unicycle guy,” she says. “He’s sort of a weird kind of famous.” His route shifts, but on this day, he darts across Main, and at the Via Rail station, makes a sharp left turn. As cars sit and wait, jammed bumper to bumper to bumper, the Unicycle Guy floats above it, zooming past a stationary Kia Soul and an idling Volkswagen Golf at nearly 20 kilometres per hour. Soon, he arrives at work, storing his wheel at his desk. This summer, he plans to ride to Kenora on his unicycle to raise money for charities of his choosing; he’s starting to figure out which now. Upon hearing those plans, his mom was once again unsurprised. “It’s such an absurd thing, but if it’s what he wants to do, I am not going to talk him out of it,” she says, adding that she’s proud he’s cut down his carbon footprint. As for riding to work in the winter, “All the power to him,” she laughs. “I always tell people, if I die or get hurt on the way to Kenora, I accept it,” the Unicycle Guy says, taking a serious turn. “But if I’m not doing the things that I enjoy in life, then what am I doing?” “I could just stay at home all day every day and not go out into the world, but if something’s going to happen, something is going to happen doing what I love,” he says. “I don’t walk anywhere unless I have to.” ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Study (US): Most car owners wish they didn't have to drive
by Beth McKechnie 20 Mar '20

20 Mar '20

Most people who get behind the wheel every day don’t want to be there. More than half of drivers wish they had another option for getting around besides their cars, according to a new poll from Data for Progress <http://filesforprogress.org/memos/gnd-for-transit-polling.pdf> — a startling revelation that busts the stubborn myth that most Americans simply *prefer *driving to greener modes of transportation. In fact, the survey suggests that when we put cars at the center of our planning decisions, we’re not truly serving the will of the people. Read article: https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/03/19/study-most-car-owners-wish-they-didn…

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EOI for bikeshare/e-bikeshare in Winnipeg
by Patman, David 19 Mar '20

19 Mar '20

City of Winnipeg has released an EOI looking for firms operating bikeshare and e-bikeshare systems. https://www.merx4.merx.com/mbgov/solicitations/open-bids/Bicycle-and-E-Bicy… David Patman, P.Eng. Manager - Transportation Public Works City of Winnipeg Sent from my iPhone

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BMJ: People who cycle to work have higher rick of injury but benefits offset this risk (Mar11'20)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Mar '20

18 Mar '20

Commuters who cycle to work are at higher risk of injury compared to those who walk to work, use a car or take public transport. The findings are released today in a study by the University of Glasgow and published in the *British Medical Journal (BMJ)*. Overall, commuting exclusively by bicycle was associated with a 45% higher risk of injury that required a visit to hospital, and cycling commuters were also at a 3.4 fold higher risk of injury where the cause was listed as a transport accident. The risk of injury was higher still in those that cycled longer distances to work. However, the researchers found that the risk of injury is counterbalanced by the lower risk of cancers, heart disease and deaths seen in cycling commuters. Senior author of the study, Dr Paul Welsh, from the University of Glasgow, said: “We know there is a perception that cycling in commuter traffic is dangerous, and that this perception may be putting people off actively commuting by bike to work. “Now, as a result of this research, we can to some extent quantify the risk associated with this form of commuting. If 1000 people incorporate cycling into their commute for 10 years we would expect 26 more injuries, but 15 fewer cancers, 4 fewer heart disease events, and three fewer deaths. So, the benefits offset the risks, and this should be encouraging, but more needs to done to make commuter cycling safe.” https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_714428_en.html

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A Surge in Biking to Avoid Crowded Trains in N.Y.C.
by Beth McKechnie 16 Mar '20

16 Mar '20

A growing wave of New Yorkers are embracing cycling to get to work and around the city as their regular subway and bus commutes have suddenly become fraught with potential perils, from possibly virus-tainted surfaces to strangers sneezing and coughing on fellow passengers. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/14/nyregion/coronavirus-nyc-bike-commute.ht…

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AT Webinar: Implementing Bicycle Infrastructure Quickly in Edmonton & Bellingham (March 18th, 2-3pm)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Mar '20

16 Mar '20

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom. This will be followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Will be interesting to hear what Edmonton is doing! * * * * * Implementing Bicycle Infrastructure Quickly in Edmonton & Bellingham *Wed, March 18th | 2:00-3:00 PM* Presenters: - Chris Comeau, Public Works Engineering, Bellingham, WA - Daniel Harman Vriend, City of Edmonton - Olga Messinis, City of Edmonton -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 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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