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WFP: Big-city feel to bendy bus (Jan.14'14)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jan '14

14 Jan '14

Big-city feel to bendy bus Articulated unit hits streets to glowing reviews By: Alexandra Paul http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/big-city-feel-to-bendy-bus-240048361… The best part? Everyone got a seat. Transit riders on the No. 54 St. Vital Express were in for a surprise Monday afternoon. One of the city's articulated "bendy" buses made its debut, picking up the first bus riders just before 4 p.m., eastbound on Portage Avenue at Langside Street. There were the obvious comparisons to other cities -- that Winnipeg was a big city now, like Toronto, Ottawa and countless American cities that have big buses and subways. The biggest practical difference was everybody got a seat on a rush-hour bus. Typically it's standing room only by the time the 54 Express makes the turn from Portage Avenue onto Main Street for the long run down St. Mary's Road into St. Vital. "That's pretty cool, first time on an articulated bus," said Jonathan Kos as he cast his gaze around the nearly empty bus. As one of the first passengers, along with a gaggle of university students, Kos and the kids were the first to get a good look inside. "I kept walking. I was so surprised, I just kept walking" past the fare box, University of Winnipeg student Kayla Goossen said. Her companion, Trevor Thomson, nodded beside her. Skipping the fare isn't something Goossen does. Later, the bus driver said he remembered the young student with the long hair. "Yeah, I called her (back)," he said. Goossen returned quickly to drop in her fare. "I really like the length of it, and you didn't really see it when it pulled up, how long it was. It's like two buses," Thomson said. >From the outside, lots of riders missed the fact the articulated bus is 20 metres long (60 feet) compared with a regular 13-metre (40-foot) transit bus. Inside, there was an initial disorienting split second before the eyes adjusted to the new reality, to take in the depth and the long walk back. And to count the three doors, instead of just two on regular buses. And so it went for just about everyone. "I just walked in with the (lineup)," chuckled Ron Ferguson. "No, didn't notice, not until I looked up," he said. Articulated buses have been spotted around the city in the last few weeks in a training role, but a city spokeswoman said the Monday-evening rush-hour run was the first time one of the vehicles had ferried passengers. Winnipeg Transit purchased 20 articulated buses that had been used in Ottawa previously. The vehicles were refurbished by New Flyer Industries, the manufacturer. The second-hand buses were a steal of a deal. Transit picked them up for far less than their new cost, which would have been $625,000 each. Winnipeg's price per bus came to $53,000 (plus GST), roughly the cost of a fully loaded pickup, plus $11,500 each for refurbishment. Winnipeg Transit will slowly integrate the vehicles, which can carry 40 per cent more passengers than a regular transit bus. The first of the new bendy buses arrived before Remembrance Day and were expected to be on city streets weeks earlier, but refurbishing at New Flyer, followed by tweaks by Winnipeg Transit to refit the refurbished buses to match the city's code, took some extra time. In November, Transit Tom picked four routes for the initial passenger runs: Routes 36, 54, 58 and 59, for their high-traffic routes through the St. Vital and Maples areas. The No. 54 Monday was the express from downtown to deep St. Vital. Bus driver Eric Genereux said it took him about half an hour to adjust to the extra space and the gentle accordion swing in the ride. "It feels a lot like a regular 40-foot bus," the transit driver said. "It's a longer bus, that's the difference, I guess. I've got 60 feet to pay attention to on either side and the third door." It's the riders who notice it more: "They all love the added space," the driver said. More than one passenger compared the bendy bus to a transit status symbol, rolling proof the gateway to the Prairies had graduated to a grown-up metropolis. Spin seats at the articulated middle spin gently as the bus makes a turn. Sitting there, passengers don't feel much of anything. But the swing looks cool and playful from other seats. That said, it's no surprise to learn the accordion middle widens and swings far less than, say, the 90-degree turn the bus makes on the street. "There are things to watch. It's like a regular 40-foot bus only it's 60 feet long. It's not the bus driver who does the work, it's the articulated (middle) that's got to work," Transit official Carlos Fernandes said. He said the bus design, with wheels on either side of the accordion middle, is what keeps the bus on track. Toronto, Montreal and Halifax already use articulated buses. alexandra.paul(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 14, 2014 A5

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AT webinar (Wed, Jan 15, 2-3:30, EcoCentre) - Strategies to Enable Witner Cycling and Walking
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '14

13 Jan '14

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local applications. Detailed description provided below. Please note this webinar is 90 minutes (rather than the usual one hour). RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and Walking *Wednesday, Jan.15th | 2:00-3:30 p.m.* Winter conditions vary across a range of temperatures and precipitation, but in all cases communities must find ways to provide safe, accessible conditions for winter cycling and walking while balancing competing priorities. This webinar offers examples of policies and practices that are used to ensure timely snow removal from sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes and cycle tracks. Presenters in this session will discuss: - An overview of different types of winter climates and how facilities and maintenance should be adapted to local climate - Different policy approaches to snow removal from sidewalks - The importance of prioritization and predictability of snow removal in encouraging winter cycling - A pilot program to determine operation and funding requirements to achieve improved snow clearing and street sweeping along on-street bike routes. Presenters include: - Tyler Golly, General Supervisor – Sustainable Transportation, City of Edmonton, Alberta - Marc Jolicoeur, Research Director, Velo Quebec - Nicole Losch, Bicycle/Pedestrian/Environmental Planner, City of Burlington, Vermont - Arthur Ross, Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator, City of Madison, Wisconsin *Mark your calendar for the full year of APBP webinars coming up in 2014* January 15 Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and WalkingFebruary 19 Design for Cyclist and Pedestrian Comfort March 19 All In: The Value of Investing in Complete and Green Streets April 16 Public Health Benefits of Active TransportationMay 21 Best Planning and Engineering Practices for School Zones June 18 Calming Arterial Streets for Safer Walking and Cycling July 16 >From Fast to Safer: Best Practices Where Road Speeds Change August 20 Transform Bicycling and Walking Outside the Urban Context September 17 Optimize Signals for Pedestrians and Bicyclists October 15 Design Treatments to Transition from Trails to Roadways November 19 E-bikes, Electric Assist Bikes and Transportation Policy December 17 Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement

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Summary of FHWA (U.S.) Pedestrian and Bicycle Research and Program Activities
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '14

13 Jan '14

Comprehensive summary from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the U.S. on their Pedestrian and Bicycle Research and Program Activities: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/overview/trb_summari… (Thanks to Terry Zdan for circulating.)

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Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25549789 Plans to build a network of cycle paths high above the streets of London are being put forward for consultation. SkyCycle is a 136-mile (219 km) route, with the first phase, proposed from east London to Liverpool Street Station, costing more than £200m. If approved, the 10 routes would be built above existing rail lines and would take about 20 years to complete. The plans will be sent out to interested parties for feedback before a planning application is submitted. Sir Norman Foster, the architect who designed London's Gherkin tower, has been working with Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax on the concept since 2012. He said cycling was one of his great passions, particularly with friends. "I believe that cities where you can walk or cycle rather than drive are more congenial places in which to live," he said. 'Lateral approach' "To improve the quality of life for all in London and to encourage a new generation of cyclists, we have to make it safe. "However, the greatest barrier to segregating cars and cyclists is the physical constraint of London's streets, where space is already at a premium. "SkyCycle is a lateral approach to finding space in a congested city. By using the corridors above the suburban railways, we could create a world-class network of safe, car free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters." He said early studies of a SkyCycle system indicated that it provided capacity at a much lower cost than building new roads and tunnels. The car-free cycle routes will be accessed via ramps at more than 200 points. Sam Martin and Oli Clark of Exterior Architecture Ltd said: "SkyCycle is an urban cycling solution for London. A cycling utopia, with no buses, no cars and no stress." A spokesman for Network Rail said they supported the plans. He added: "We are always happy to look at ways we can contribute to improving travel and transport in London. We will continue to liaise with all involved as the aspiration for this innovative scheme develops."

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WFP: One-metre Rule -- MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists (Jan.2'14)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

One-metre RULE MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists By: Bruce Owen http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/one-metre-rule-238408371.html It doesn't feel like bicycling weather now, but in a few months, thousands of cyclists will take to Winnipeg streets and resume the annual jostling between bicycles and vehicles. In a recent decision, the Public Utilities Board recommended Manitoba Public Insurance "reinforce" the message of a one-metre passing distance between motor vehicles and cyclists. The PUB also wants MPI to conduct detailed research, including mapping, of collision history in the province to present at a hearing expected later this year. Cycling advocates say the public regulator didn't specify how MPI should reinforce the message of safe passing distance. "It is good to see the order for mapping of pedestrian and cycling collisions, but it's disappointing to see that many items have been left as recommendations, not orders," Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said. "Personally, I had hoped for more, however, I am not terribly surprised," added Winnipeg CAN-Bike safety instructor Dave Elmore. "It moves some of our arguments a bit further, but not much. "The question is what does reinforce mean? MPI's reluctance to push this safety measure comes from the fact it is not a requirement of the Highway Traffic Act and thus not really enforceable." Elmore appeared on behalf of Bike Winnipeg, a cycling advocacy group, at the PUB. He argued in order to make city streets safer, MPI should improve its messaging and driver training to emphasize a safer passing distance of one metre between a cyclist and a motor vehicle, and this distance should be increased for speeds greater than 50 km/h. MPI has said between 2001 and 2010, 13 cyclists were killed, 68 were seriously injured and 2,144 were injured less seriously. Elmore also told the PUB it is not sufficient for a motor vehicle and cyclist to share a lane, given the standard width of a lane, adding the term "share the road" is often misinterpreted by motorists as sharing the lane. Bike Winnipeg wants changes to the Highway Traffic Act to make the one-metre guideline law. MPI has said it has met with cyclist groups to update the information it gives to the public about cycling safetyin brochures and on its website. The PUB also wants the province to consider a meeting to review whether MPI is doing and spending enough to promote road safety. In 2012-13, MPI's road-safety and loss-prevention expenses were $13.1 million, which was y $1.7 million less than initially forecast. Road-safety expenses are forecast to decrease to $12.4 million in 2013-14, to $11.5 million in 2014-15 and to $10.6 million in 2015-16. MPI CEO and president Marilyn McLaren said the corporation will continue to work to fulfil its road-safety mandate. "It is not immediately clear what more could be learned through a significantly larger investment in research and analysis about Manitoba vehicle collisions," she said. "Road-safety programming efficacy is a priority across the globe and we will continue to work with Manitobans to reduce risk on our roadways." Elmore said because the PUB has no jurisdiction over the province, a future meeting "is likely to fall upon what we have found, to date, to be deaf ears." Cohoe said research in other jurisdictions has shown many collisions go unreported and more has to be done between MPI, health authorities and police departments and the public to capture those unreported collisions. "This is especially true for collisions involving cyclists as no one agency has the mandate to capture all collisions," he said. "MPI only counts collisions that involve motorized vehicles." bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca *Safety programs put to the test* THE Public Utilities Board says because so little is known about the effectiveness of MPI's road-safety programs, it wants the Crown auto insurer to hit the books to minimize economic and social costs of collisions. "MPI is in the unique position of gathering the most driving and vehicle data in Manitoba. It can provide a leadership role in providing data and conducting research regarding road safety. It is the view of the board that MPI can -- and should -- facilitate or conduct more research and analysis regarding road safety issues," the PUB said in a recent order. For the next rate application next fall the board wants MPI to: A. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to pedestrian/motor-vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; B. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to cyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; C. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to motorcyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns. D. Conduct a summative evaluation/benchmarking analysis of its high-school driver education program, focusing on whether there is a difference in outcomes for drivers who have completed the program versus drivers who have not; E. Provide the results of the analysis in (d) above together with an update regarding the Autopac's plans for changes to the High School Driver Education program; F. Provide an independent review of the current road-safety portfolio with a view to optimizing it (and setting goals for outcomes) and minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions; and G. Provide an independent review of the optimal size of a road-safety budget portfolio for the corporation with a view to minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 2, 2014 A8

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New report: Cycling, Health and Safety (OECD)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Dec '13

28 Dec '13

http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/cycling-health-and-safety_9789282105… Many jurisdictions around the world are trying to retain or increase the share of cycling in urban traffic in order to benefit from the many health and transport efficiency benefits. Safety is a key concern and should be accounted for in these policies. This report of the International Transport Forum's Cycling Safety Working Group monitors international trends in cycling, safety and policy, and explores options that may help decision makers design safe environments for cycling. Key messages relate to strategic goal-setting for cycling policy and managing crash risks while increasing health benefits. The report also discusses how to better capture crash and bicycle usage statistics. The safety impacts of a wide range of pro-cycling measures are examined in detail.

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The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/No LMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html Conservatives' new enemy: Bikes The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. Even before Toronto Mayor Rob Ford became internationally famous for being videotaped smoking crack, he was known as a City Hall version of Bluto Blutarsky of "Animal House"-swearing in public, proudly overeating, guzzling booze. His boorishness is so conspicuous and well documented that it raises the question: Who elected this guy? And why? The answer, in large part, comes down to transit. Ford is famously pro-car, and his strongest support came from suburbs outside downtown Toronto, where voters drive into the city during the day and return by car in the evening. One political scientist found that the strongest predictor of whether someone voted for Ford in the 2010 mayoral election was the person's method of commuting: Car commuters were Ford voters; everyone else wasn't. Ford repaid their loyalty by declaring on his first day as mayor that the "war on cars" was over; he abolished the vehicle registration tax and announced a plan to kill light rail in the city simply because, he said, streetcars "are just a pain in the rear end." But Ford reserves special venom for the menace called the bicycle. He is perhaps the most antibike politician in the world. In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, "it's their own fault at the end of the day," he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks-"sooner or later you're going to get bitten." He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: "Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists." This all might seem kind of crazy-the rantings of an unmuzzled Canadian demagogue better known for his disastrous personal habits. But in his antipathy for bikes, Ford appears to be part of a trend. Particularly in America, the bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. In May, Wall Street Journal commentator Dorothy Rabinowitz called bicyclists "the most important danger in the city"; in Colorado's last governor's election, a Republican candidate said a local bike-sharing program "could threaten our personal freedoms." A columnist for the conservative Washington Times declared D.C. bike-sharing programs to be "broken-down socialism"; radio pundit Rush Limbaugh said he "won't care" if his car door knocks over a cyclist. Cyclists who have struggled for years to attract political attention might be surprised to hear themselves talked about as an insidious new social force. But they can also see it as a kind of welcome-a recognition that for better or worse, they have, politically, arrived. In some ways, the bicycle seems profoundly unsuitable as a political lightning rod. True, zero-emission transport is a kind of liberal dream, but the bike is also an icon of self-sufficiency, designed for use by individuals who rely on themselves for upkeep and mobility. Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush all were photographed on their bicycles. The bike has managed to stick around for over a century without joining the likes of organic vegetables and the Prius as symbols of holier-than-thou progressive snobbery. But as health and government officials have begun peddling bicycles as healthy, environmentally responsible alternatives to cars, and cities and towns spend money on new bike infrastructure, conservatives have started to sense a new target. They have begun to deploy "the bike" as a bogeyman in political debates-cast in a role anywhere from physical annoyance to a genuine threat to the American way of life. The most common target of critics has been the new city bike-share programs, an idea imported from Europe that has turned out to be wildly popular in Boston, New York, and elsewhere. In an antibike-share video commentary titled "Death by Bicycle," The Wall Street Journal's Rabinowitz described New York as "a city whose best neighborhoods are absolutely-begrimed, is the word-by these blazing blue Citibank bikes," while the reporter interviewing her helpfully offered that the bikes were also a "fire hazard" and observed that "New York is not London, or Paris, or Amsterdam." But Rabinowitz's deeper cavil is that bikes represent an assault on American freedoms. Her description of the bike lobby as an "all-powerful enterprise" might sound a little breathless, but is echoed elsewhere. Dan Maes, a Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010, declared efforts to boost cycling to be "part of a greater strategy to rein in American cities under a United Nations treaty." When Rush Limbaugh suggested that injured bikers deserve what they get, it was because they're victimizing auto drivers by forcing them to yield to others. Ford acted on his promises to crack down on the biking nuisance, ripping up existing bike lanes in an attempt to help return his supporters to the freer, pre-bike world he promised them. The removal cost the city $300,000, and, according to Canada's National Post, ended up saving commuters just an average of two minutes each way. There's an element of demographic realpolitik to the conservative antipathy to bikes. Cyclists-and especially bike commuters-are statistically more likely to be city residents, and thus more liberal than those living in suburban and rural areas. But as the commentators' language suggests, the bike fight is really just another proxy battle in the American culture wars. Washington Times columnist Charles Hurt declared D.C.'s bike-sharing program to be favored by "commune enthusiasts." The program's red bikes, he wrote, weren't suitable for manly men, only for "these so-called 'metrosexual' males everybody keeps talking about." As political ideas fracture along cultural lines, pundits and politicians are finding cyclists to be a convenient new "them" in the eternal us-them struggle. Even if conservatives don't all agree that riders are metrosexuals, they "see bikers as obnoxious, rude hipsters," says Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner. Conservative politicians know that simply opposing causes like environmentalism appeals to the base. At the extreme end, this leads to some positions that almost defy belief-"I love that smell of the emissions," said the former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, while riding a motorcycle-but bikes represent more of an everyday rebuke, a quiet reminder that your car isn't the only way to get around. In this respect, Rob Ford isn't just a mess. He is a visionary-perhaps the first candidate to win an election in part by fanning public annoyance at those reckless, entitled, tax-and-spend bicycle riders. As new bike lanes make their slow incursions into downtown traffic patterns, it's reasonable we can expect more such victories. It might seem frustrating for bike supporters, but there is one consolation: In politics, you get attacked because you matter. "There's been a huge increase" in the number of bikers, says Schwartz, who put in New York's first bike lane in 1978. "The love affair with the car is over for young people." After decades of unquestioned, highway-sponsored dominance of cars, bikes are finally becoming-even if just on the margins-something big enough to push against. Just ask Rob Ford. Or don't. He'll tell you anyway.

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A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2013/12/-and-after-guide-safer-stree ts/7867/ A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets In the past decade or so, New York has seen a considerable decline in traffic fatalities (30 percent since 2001) and an even more dramatic decrease in the risk of serious injury among cyclists (72 percent since 2000). At the heart of these public safety achievements is better street design. City streets are far from perfect, but as officials have reduced space for cars, they've improved mobility for everyone. Last month, the New York City Department of Transportation released a brief-but-handy guide [PDF <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dot-making-safer-streets.pdf> ] that uses before-and-after design renderings to illustrate five basic rules for street safety. The report calls its comparisons "the largest examination of the safety effects of innovative roadway engineering conducted in a major American city, or perhaps any city globally." That's a tall claim, but there's no question that the five lessons embedded in these images merit notice from urban communities near and far. 1. Make the street easy to use. The idea here is to reduce the complexity of a given intersection in the eyes of all travelers. A safer city street will trade long, indirect crosswalks for shorter crossings and pedestrian islands. Removing low-volume legs from the traffic cycle will reduce wait times for everyone and eliminate complicated (read: dangerous) turns. Clearer lane designations - for left-turns and through traffic alike - make the whole intersection more predictable. (See PDF for images) 2. Create safety in numbers. Counter-intuitive as it can seem, the safety-in-numbers effect suggests that more pedestrians and bike riders actually make streets less dangerous. Bike lanes are the obvious way to bring riders to an intersection, while islands, mid-block crossings, and direct pedestrian routes can do the same for walkers. Giving signal priority to pedestrians gets platoons of people in the streets before cars have the chance to turn. (See PDF for images) 3. Make the invisible visible. Clear sight lines can improve a street's safety significantly. Curbs lined with parked cars can make it hard for a turning vehicle to see what's in another part of the street. That problem can be addressed by removing some of the parking spaces closest to the corner - a process called "daylighting," which increases visibility considerably (so long as parking enforcement is strict). Curb extensions that bring pedestrians further into the street have a similar effect. (See PDF for images) 4. Quality over quantity. Street engineers like to give cars as much space as possible <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/12/transportation-planning-la w-every-city-should-repeal/636/> , but removing lanes to reduce the complexity of an intersection can actually improve traffic flow. A jumble of un-designated lanes with competing signals has the potential to become much more congested than an intersection that bans complex turns and creates right-angle corners. Pedestrian plazas that take the place of former lanes can enhance visibility and the safety-in-numbers effect. (See PDF for images) 5. Look beyond the problem. Expanding the area of traffic analysis can unlock solutions across a wider wedge of the street system. Redirecting traffic to another part of the local network, for instance, can help decongest crowded intersections without eliminating important routes. Sometimes the best street design is really a corridor design. (See PDF for images)

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FW: For Your Next Trip to Gimli
by Dave Elmore 18 Dec '13

18 Dec '13

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/home_family/mass-high-te ch-startup-launches-device-that-transforms-any-bike-into-an-electric-hybrid- 236330091.html Mass. high-tech startup launches device that transforms any bike into an electric-hybrid In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Assaf Biderman, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and Associate Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT, poses with his invention at Superpedestrian, his venture-backed company in Cambridge, Mass. The Copenhagen Wheel is a human/electric hybrid bicycle engine built into a bicycle's back wheel. Pre-orders for the Copenhagen Wheel are being taken with delivery expected by May 2014. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Assaf Biderman, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and Associate Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT, poses with his invention at Superpedestrian, his venture-backed company in Cambridge, Mass. The Copenhagen Wheel is a human/electric hybrid bicycle engine built into a bicycle's back wheel. Pre-orders for the Copenhagen Wheel are being taken with delivery expected by May 2014. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A Massachusetts startup is launching a new device that transforms almost any bicycle into an electric-hybrid vehicle using an app on a smartphone. The device, called the Copenhagen Wheel, is installed as part of a rear hub of a bike wheel and is packed with a proprietary computer, batteries and sensors that monitor how hard a rider is pedaling and activate an onboard motor whenever support is needed. The device uses wireless connectivity to communicate with the biker's smartphone to track distance travelled and elevation gained, share with friends the number of calories burned and lock the wheel remotely as soon as the owner walks away from the bike. "The motor integrates itself with the rider's motion very, very seamlessly," said Assaf Biderman, who co-invented the device at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's SENSEable City Lab, where he is associate director. "It's almost like having a riding companion riding together with you, making the ride easier, simpler." The combination of power from the Copenhagen Wheel and the cyclist's energy can make an average biker move "almost like a Tour-de-France-level athlete in your daily commute," said Biderman, who founded Cambridge, Mass.-based Superpedestrian Inc. that secured an exclusive license for the technology from MIT. The Copenhagen Wheel packs sufficient power to propel a rider as fast as 60 kph (37.28 mph), but developers have put speed limits in software to meet local speed limits, effectively turning off the motor once the speed reaches 20 mph in the U.S. and 25 kilometres in Europe. The concept was inspired by a simple question: "How can we get more people to cycle?" Biderman said. The project received funding from the Italian ministry of the environment and office of the mayor of Copenhagen, a Danish city known as one of the most bicycle friendly locations in the world and whose tourism website says 55 per cent of its residents bike 1.2 million kilometres (750,000 miles) every day. The initial 1,000 units of the Copenhagen Wheel became available for pre-order through the Superpedestrian website earlier this month. Two weeks later, at least 810 had been sold for $699 each, the majority of them to customers in the U.S. Other orders went to Europe, Australia, Kenya, Madagascar and elsewhere. Shipping is scheduled for next spring. The Copenhagen Wheel does not replace a cyclist's existing bicycle. Consumers get the stylish hubcap-sized device already installed on a new rear wheel that fits their current bicycle. They remove the current wheel from their bike and install the souped-up unit and they are ready to go. The batteries are rechargeable. The Copenhagen Wheel seeks to tap into a lucrative and highly competitive market for electric bikes, also known as e-bikes. In a recent report, clean-technology consulting company Navigant Research estimated that worldwide revenue from electric bicycles will grow from $8.4 billion this year to $10.8 billion in 2020, fueled in part by desire for a viable alternative to increasingly congested city roads that makes crawling in car traffic less palatable. In the U.S., the trend is reflected in Census Bureau data showing the number of bicycle commuters rose 60 per cent in the decade ending in 2010. "Over the past few years we've seen a cycling renaissance throughout the world," Biderman said. "People are looking for alternatives."

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WFP: Dreaming of a bike Christmas - Cycle of Giving volunteers work 'round the clock (Dec.16'13)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Dec '13

17 Dec '13

Dreaming of a bike Christmas Cycle of Giving volunteers work 'round the clock to make Christmas more shiny for 250 kids By: Kevin Rollason http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/dreaming-of-a-bike-christmas-2359782… More than 250 children whose families wouldn't be able to afford to buy a bike will be getting refurbished ones under the Christmas tree thanks to an army of volunteers at a 24-hour bike-repair marathon. Volunteers organized by WRENCH, which stands for Winnipeg Repair, Education and Cycling Hub, were able to refurbish more than 250 bikes during its third annual Cycle of Giving bike-building marathon during the weekend. "It's nice to think of that child who will get a bike all shiny," volunteer Kate MacKay said Sunday as she put the final touches on a small, purple two-wheeler a young child could soon be riding. "There's few things as rewarding as teaching a kid to ride a bike. It's a confidence-builder and it is an important step. "I've been volunteering since noon and I will be here next year and the year after," MacKay said. For 24 hours starting Saturday at 6 p.m., the gymnasium inside the Orioles Community Centre at 448 Burnell St. was transformed into a bicycle repair shop. Pat Krawec, WRENCH's executive director, said 900 bicycles were taken out of the Brady Road Landfill earlier this year and brought to the community centre. The bikes included kids bikes, tricycles, 10-speeds, and mountain bikes. "The bikes that need the least work go first," Krawec said. "If you're going to put out 250 bikes that work well, you don't have time to work on something that's been in a landfill for a year-and-a-half already or used by someone's big brother." At one end outside the community centre, hundreds of bicycles sat in snow waiting to be worked on. At the other end of the centre, repaired bikes, cleaned and shined, were parked back into the snow before being picked up by several organizations, including Newcomer Employment Education Development Services (NEEDS Inc.), which will distribute bicycles to immigrant and refugee children, youth and families they support. Krawec said the volunteers include mechanics from bicycle repair shops and ordinary Winnipeggers who fix their own bikes. He said bicycles not repaired now will be taken to be fixed up by inmates at Headingley Correctional Centre and then distributed across the province. Nearby, Richard Helbig, a science and mathematics teacher at Hugh John Macdonald School, an inner-city junior high school -- who also runs an after-school bicycle repair club -- said it's great to be able to fix so many bikes. "I'm mostly making sure everything on it is tight -- it's probably better now than when the first owner took it home," Helbig said. Across from him, two students, 13-year-old John Nai and his 15-year-old brother, Jack, said they appreciate coming in to help other children get a bicycle. "It's great -- last year I got a bike so I know what it's like," John said. "It's fun -- I enjoy doing this and helping out," Jack said. On the other side of the room, past boxes full of bicycle seats and other assorted parts, Jayson Gillespie was using a special tool to tighten the spokes on the wheels of a tricycle. When not on his knees repairing a used tricycle, Gillespie is coach of the Manitoba Provincial Cycling team. "This is different than the high-end bikes we use," Gillespie said laughing. "These have had lots of wear and tear. But you can ride this in the basement -- you don't have to ride it outside." WRENCH is still accepting monetary donations at thewrench.ca or by mailing a cheque to the WRENCH, 1057 Logan Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3N8. kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 16, 2013 B1

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