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Globe & Mail: For healthy people, build a healthy City
by Beth McKechnie 07 Dec '11

07 Dec '11

[Wow, I found the "By the numbers" section at the end particularly compelling, e.g. 75% of factors that influence health occur outside the health care system. -cheers, Beth] For healthy people, build a healthy city david ebner <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/authors/david-ebner/> VANCOUVER— From Monday's Globe and Mail Published Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011 Trevor Hancock has always been ahead of the curve. A doctor and long-time public health expert, he was also the first leader of the Green Party of Canada in 1984, when he ran federally (finishing fourth) in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood. But his day job, in public health, turned out to have far more impact than his brief political career. Beginning as one of a small international cadre that promoted ideas about urban planning’s key role in human health, he is now watching his work over the past quarter-century start to explode into the mainstream. It’s a paradigm shift in the way urban planners and municipal leaders see the world: how we build and manage our cities directly affects the health of the populace. And with mounting research showing that cities where people walk more and drive less are healthier cities, the automobile is losing out to the pedestrian as the main focus of city-building. In Vancouver, already ranked as Canada’s healthiest city, they are nonetheless acting. “These kind of seismic changes in our understanding take a long time to work into the system,” said Dr. Hancock, who serves as a professor and senior scholar at the new School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria, while working as a public health and planning consultant. “It takes a generation for the old guard to die or retire, and a new way of thinking to take its place.” Urban planning, in its modern sense, started in the mid-19th century. Imagine animal carcasses and vegetables rotting in the streets, cramped housing and rampant spread of disease, belching smokestacks blackening the midday sky. These urban conditions in England moved civic planners to consider the health of the populace in the design of cities. Smarter design equalled healthier citizens. But the connection between health and planning unravelled not long after. The idea of separating neighbourhoods from industrial and commercial activities took hold and, with the rise of the automobile, urban planners divided cities up into zones for living and zones for working, with roads between them. The result is modern cities that make people sick. New research has found that cities designed for cars also foster obesity and diabetes. In studies from Atlanta to Vancouver, evidence shows that people who live in neighbourhoods that require cars to get around are fatter and less healthy than people who live near shops and grocers. A quarter of Canadians are obese, which imposes added burdens on the nation’s health-care system. Yet the solution to problems in health care is always more money for health care – even though research indicates that three-quarters of the factors that influence human health happen outside the health-care system. Wilbert Keon, the renowned heart surgeon and retired senator, estimates that the “obesity epidemic,” particularly among children, could cost billions in added medical expenses. “Diabetes, hypertension, organ failure, heart disease, you name it. It’s abhorrent,” said Dr. Keon. “It’s one big chunk of money that could be pulled right out of health care if we could just build healthy communities.” Dr. Keon believes momentum is building in favour of healthier cities, even though a report on a “healthy, productive Canada” he led in 2009 failed to garner much notice, or action. The challenges include co-ordinated action among different levels of government. Municipalities decide on zoning, allowing developers to build cul-de-sac suburbs kilometres from the nearest grocery store. Higher levels of government administer health-care dollars but have little say on what cities do with their road-building budgets. Because of such disconnects, efforts have been piecemeal. Atlanta created a program to vet and fund projects that make the city healthier. Bogota built one of the world’s best bike path networks. In Canada, Vancouver has taken the lead. Vancouver has seen old left-right political divisions over urban planning break down, with a consensus emerging on what constitutes a desirable city. On the right, Suzanne Anton was a Crown prosecutor and a soccer mom when she pushed a decade ago for more playing fields, work that led her to politics and a seat on Vancouver’s parks board. Ms. Anton this month lost her bid for mayor to Gregor Robertson, a greener incumbent. But as a city councillor, she was an important force behind the city’s adoption of “EcoDensity” – the promotion of greater housing density among the many single-family homes in the city, to combat sprawl. “Dense urban environments are good for human health, because people walk,” said Ms. Anton. In Vancouver’s ambitious goal to become the “world’s greenest city” by 2020, “improved health” is one of the top results expected from a more intelligently designed urban landscape. Ms. Anton describes herself as a “land-use geek,” arguing that zoning is the crucial lever to create a healthy city. One practical application is how to make neighbourhoods better suited to older residents as the number of seniors is set to double by 2025. Health care, Ms. Anton said, starts at home. Using her own south Vancouver neighbourhood, Kerrisdale, a typical single-family-home community, she points to the importance of “seniors housing” that is functional and within walking distance of real street life. “An 80-year-old lady, she goes down the elevator, walks to buy bread, buy milk, sees her friends, walks home,” said Ms. Anton. “That creates health for her.” Canada’s healthiest cities 1. Vancouver 2. Victoria 3. Calgary 4. Edmonton 5. Ottawa By the numbers - *25 per cent* of Canadian adults are obese - This costs Canada *$12-billion* annually, to treat chronic diseases connected with obesity - It costs the health care system *$1,500* more, each year, to treat obese Americans compared with people of normal weight - *75 per cent* of factors that influence health occur outside the health care system - Each grocery store within *1-kilometre* of a person’s home reduces the likelihood of being overweight by 11 per cent - Transit users are *3 times* more likely to meet daily minimum of recommended physical activity - A walkable neighbourhood with shops and grocers near homes slashes the probability of obesity by *35 per cen*t - Improving a neighbourhood’s “walkability” by just *5 per cent * gets people 32.1 per cent more active in their travel - A typical white male who lives near shops weighs *10 pounds* less than the same man in a suburb of cul-de-sacs - Young teenagers are *2.5 times* more likely to walk if there is a recreation destination within 1-kilometre of their home - Women are about *20 per cent* less likely to be obese, or suffer from diabetes, if they live in a nice neighbourhood with services compared with a poor neighbourhood *Compiled by David Ebner; Sources: Lawrence Frank/University of British Columbia; SMARTRAQ; Government of Canada, U.S. Department of Housing; Trust for Public Land; Best Health Magazine* * http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/health-news/for-healt… *

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Cycle of Giving
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '11

05 Dec '11

* * *Bicycle mechanics spread holiday joy with Cycle of Giving* *Saturday December 16th & Sunday December 17th, 2011** * ** *Cycle Of Giving* is bringing volunteer mechanics together to build over 150 bicycles for Winnipeg children in need. We hope to raise $15,000 to purchase lights and locks for kids and provide free bikes and bike programing across the city. On *December 17th – 18th the Atomic Centre @ 167 Logan* will be transformed into a magic workshop where salvaged and donated used bicycles are turned into holiday dreams come true. Bicycles will then be distributed between ten different community organizations who work with families and/or children. You can help by: ñ *Donating online (*thewrench.ca*), at the WRENCH *(1057 Logan Ave Sundays1-5pm Mondays 1-6pm) *or donate to the WRENCH at any Assiniboine Credit Union.* ñ *Make a pledge online @ *thewrench.ca** ñ *Donate kids bicycles (8″- 20″ wheels)*. Bicycles can be dropped off at the *WRENCH 1057 Logan Ave* 1-5pm Sundays or 1-6pm Mondays. At the *Bike Dump 631 Main* (behind the Red Road Lodge) Mondays – Thursday 6-9pm, Saturday and Sunday 3-6pm ñ *Volunteer!* Sign up at cog(a)thewrench.ca or call *296-3389* *Tell a friend about Cycle of Giving!* For more information: www.thewrench.ca Phone: 296-3389 Email: cog(a)thewrench.ca -- *Cara Fisher*, Program Director The Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub 1057 Logan Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3E 3N8 www.thewrench.ca <http://www.TheWrench.ca/> # 296-3389

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

05 Dec '11

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

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

05 Dec '11

Friendly reminder regarding this Wednesday's webinar from Transport Canada. Please join us at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) for a group viewing followed by discussion. RSVPs not required but welcomed. thanks! Beth *Integrated Sustainable Transportation in Saint John, NB* *December 7, 2011, 12:30-1:30pm CST* Craig Campbell, City of Saint John In order to avoid building up to five new parking garages in the downtown core in the next few years, the City of Saint John has partnered with the Saint John Transit Commission and the Saint John Parking Commission to promote transit, ridesharing, cycling, and walking. The City's goals are to reduce the demand on their transportation infrastructure and increase the use of alternative modes of travel such as transit, carpooling, cycling, or walking. The City of Saint John is taking a multi-pronged approach to transportation demand management. Initiatives such as implementing a NextBus GPS system, expanding the RideShare carpooling program, and prioritizing active transportation users during road construction have proven successful in encouraging the shift to sustainable transportation. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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

05 Dec '11

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar on* "Accessibility in Work Zones" *at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion. An important topic given the challenges pedestrians and cyclists faced this summer (and will do so again next year) with the work on Osborne Bridge, among other projects. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Accessibility in Work Zones Wednesday, December 14th • 2:00 to 3:00 pm CST High-quality pedestrian and bicycle accessibility in work zones begins with policy that is carried out consistently through planning, project development and construction. Attend this webinar to learn best practices[image: work-zone] for handling bicycle and pedestrian travel during construction operations. Attendees will hear how the Minnesota DOT has developed its standards for Temporary Pedestrian Access Routes (TPARs), including a workshop, demonstration project and focus group evaluation. Presenters from Boulder, Colorado, will discuss how that city worked with developers, contractors and decision-makers to develop a new work zone traffic control policy that establishes policies and procedures for pedestrian and bicycle travel during construction operations and identifies criteria for closing the PROW and designating alternate routes. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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

28 Nov '11

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

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

25 Nov '11

While the conclusions are intuitive, i.e. a statistically significant inverse relationship between Active Transportation and obesity prevalence, it is always helpful to have a study to confirm what we know! In particular, I found the following paragraph from the attached pdf compelling: "In the 1980s, few households in China owned automobiles, but 14% of Chinese households acquired an automobile between 1989 and 1997. Bell et al.5 conducted a longitudinal study of 2,485 adults (aged 20 to 45 years) during this time period. They found that Chinese men who acquired a car averaged a 1.8 kg weight gain and were twice as likely to become obese, compared to men whose vehicle ownership remained unchanged. These findings held even after adjusting for diet." cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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new video from Winnipeg
by Anders Swanson 24 Nov '11

24 Nov '11

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

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Caltrans Seamless Travel Study
by Beth McKechnie 22 Nov '11

22 Nov '11

Caltrans Seamless Travel Study *Download the Executive Summary or full report at*: http://www.altaplanning.com/caltrans+seamless+study.aspx Alta Planning + Design teamed with the Traffic Safety Center of the University of California Berkeley to develop a model for estimating bicycle and pedestrian demand for Caltrans Division of Innovation and Research. The project, Seamless Travel, in coordination with the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, is the largest and longest combined count and survey effort in the United States focusing only on bicyclists and pedestrians. Using San Diego County as a case study, the Seamless Travel Project is the first of its type to develop an extensive database of count and survey data for use in analyzing and identifying factors that influence bicycling and walking. While the modes were studied together, it was recognized that they are distinct from one another and were always counted, surveyed, and analyzed separately. The project methodology included bicycle and pedestrian counts and intercept surveys over a two-year period throughout the county and evaluating the effects that socio-demographic, land use, and other variables have on walking and biking rates within the county. The report provides a review of the methodology along with count and survey results, development of predictive models, and model results. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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

22 Nov '11

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

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