- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

2019 Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Action Plan
by Mark Cohoe 14 Nov '18

14 Nov '18

Hi everyone, The city has put out the 2019 Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Action Plan, which will go before the Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works Committee on November 20th. Its report #7 on the agenda. http://clkapps.winnipeg.ca/dmis/ViewDoc.asp?DocId=17409&SectionId=&InitUrl= Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca

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Minnesota College Becomes First to Offer Degree in Bike-Building
by Beth McKechnie 14 Nov '18

14 Nov '18

Minnesota College Becomes First to Offer Degree in Bike-Building STUDENTS AT MINNESOTA STATE COLLEGE SOUTHEAST CAN SOON EARN A TWO-YEAR DEGREE IN BICYCLE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING https://www.bicycling.com/news/a25013049/bicycle-design-manufacturing-degre… -- *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) 925-3777 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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WFP: City seeks feedback on bike lanes (Nov13'18)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Nov '18

13 Nov '18

*City seeks feedback on bike lanes* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-asks-wolseley-residents-for-in… IN a part of Winnipeg renowned for its environmental friendliness, a bike route shouldn’t be a hard sell. Still, residents of Wolseley are being asked by the city what they’d like to see. “What would a new bike route look like here?” new Wolseley-to-downtown walk-bike project signs posted by the city last week on Wolseley Avenue ask. They ask passersby to “tell us what you think.” Area resident Elena Howard-Scott likes the idea of Wolseley Avenue having a lane for bikes. “I think it’ll increase accessibility,” said Howard-Scott, who was walking her dog Ziggy in the area on Monday. The student, who works, said it might even persuade her to get back to riding her bicycle in the city. Cindy Gilroy, councillor for the area, said the goal is to make the traffic situation better for everyone, whether they’re walking, biking or driving. “What we are doing, is a greenway study looking at all modes of transportation on both Wolseley and Westminster,” Gilroy said. “It’s about finding ways we can all make sure that, holistically, we can live together with active transportation or driving a car,” said Gilroy, who was re-elected Oct. 24 in Daniel McIntyre. “Traffic’s been a big issue in Wolseley. It’s been pretty crazy,” said the councillor, who heard area residents’ complaints about it when she was campaigning door to door. She said the idea for the yellow and blue “Please Slow Down” lawn signs that she gives to people in her ward who request them came from a Wolseley resident that wanted to see traffic-calming measures taken. “How do we reduce traffic?” Gilroy asked. She said “traffic-calming” measures and active transportation can help. “It could be a variety of many different things,” she said, including making some residential streets one-way streets to eliminate cut-through traffic. “We do see a lot of cut-through traffic,” as more and more motorists use residential side streets to get where they’re going, rather than main traffic corridors, she said. The afternoon rush hour is especially bad, Gilroy said. “It’s piled up” with drivers trying to get onto the Maryland Bridge, she said. The traffic on Wolseley Avenue is especially frustrating on Sundays in the summer, when it is supposed to be closed to through traffic, said Shelagh Weedon. She’s lived in the area for nearly 30 years and said it’s not safe for her to walk her dogs on summer Sundays on the Wolseley Avenue roadway because so many drivers ignore the signs saying it’s closed to through traffic from dawn until dusk. She wondered what effect a bike lane there would have on vehicular traffic. “I’d like more clarification,” said Weedon, who planned to find out more online. “This is the first phase in public engagement,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. The advocacy group presents background information and bike-friendly recommendations to as many government agencies and related organizations as it can manage with its limited resources. “What they’re looking at is connections through Wolseley from Empress (Street) and Omand Park all the way through to Osborne Street and Assiniboine Avenue.” There’s an online survey Winnipeggers can take about the Wolseley-todowntown walk-bike project and opportunities to meet the planners in person at different times and locations in the neighbourhood. Even though it’s almost winter, Cohoe expects the city will receive a lot of public feedback from Wolseley residents. “The good thing about that neighbourhood is there’s a lot of people who cycle in that area of the city,” he said. “It has the highest cycling rates.” In 2018, the city budgeted $250,000 for the preliminary design of bike routes along Wolseley and Westminster avenues.

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WFP: New York state of mind needed for downtown (Nov12'18)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Nov '18

12 Nov '18

*New York state of mind needed for downtown * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/new-york-state-of-mind-500254872.ht… THE envy washed over me like a bucket of cold water. It was a hauntingly temperate Wednesday evening, and New York City’s legendary Times Square was fulfilling my every expectation. It buzzed and throbbed and shimmered and glowed. Panhandlers in Marvel and Disney costumes lurched about, attempting to lure tourists into costly photo opportunities. Spoken-word artists pleaded their case as well, asking for any denomination of donation in exchange for some spontaneous free verse. Amateur photographers mixed with working stiffs passing through the intersection trying to escape the working day. In case you haven’t visited NYC lately, Times Square is no longer just an intersection. It’s a pedestrian plaza where automobiles are limited and pedestrians dominate. The result is a potpourri of humanity, strangers loitering, strolling and consuming the heartbeat of one of the world’s great cities. The pedestrian plazas started out in 2009 as an experiment by then-mayor Michael Bloomberg, who announced several lanes of traffic on Broadway from 42nd Street to 47th Street would be closed on a trial basis. The same thing was done in Herald Square, at the intersection of Broadway and Sixth Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) between 33rd and 35th streets. Bloomberg’s plan was part urbanist nirvana, part environmental statement, with a dash of traffic safety thrown in. The famed intersection had become a giant parking lot, where motor vehicles sat in endless gridlock. When traffic did flow, it was often interrupted by a violent meeting between pedestrian — forced from the overpopulated sidewalks into traffic — and vehicle. It was one of the most unsafe intersections in the city. Rather than fence or wall in the pedestrians, Bloomberg went all-in on another solution: limit traffic and give the intersection back to the pedestrians. His theory was that by making Times Square less of an option for cars and trucks, it would be safer for pedestrians, and in the process create a more engaging meeting place for visitors and residents. Initially, lanes of Broadway were just blocked off. The city put clutches of plastic patio furniture at various spots along the deactivated roadway to function as makeshift meeting places. After a period of initial skepticism, more and more New York decision makers bought into Bloomberg’s vision. Starting in 2010, Bloomberg started a five-year, US$50-million project to permanently transform Times Square into the pedestrian plaza. Today, the asphalt has been replaced by art deco-inspired concrete stones. Small metal discs embedded in those paving stones help reflect the luminous glow of the enormous video and neon signs that encircle the intersection. Fifteen-metre-long polished granite benches create small pockets of respite for visitors trying to escape the torrent of pedestrian traffic. Open-air cafés and restaurants have added to the ambience. It truly is a marriage of practical infrastructure and urbanist art. There are lingering concerns: aggressive panhandling by costumed characters; security concerns about exposing pedestrians to vehicle-assisted terrorist attacks; pedestrian traffic that has exceeded even the wildest estimates. Still, I couldn’t help but wish that Winnipeggers could somehow find their way into the mindset that led New York to this audacious statement. There is still an ugly stench surrounding the plebiscite result from last month’s civic election, which killed plans to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians. The plebiscite result has not, however, settled the future of the intersection. Major concerns exist about the state of the underground concourse. Repairs to the membrane that separates above ground precipitation from below ground concourses may turn out to be so significant that pedestrian barriers will have to be removed as part of the repair process. It will take years to figure out what has to be done, how much it will cost and what will happen to the barriers. If we’re lucky, the mayor and council will use that as an opportunity to rethink the intersection and surrounding neighbourhood. This isn’t about taking another run at reopening the intersection. Winnipeggers drove a stake through that idea, although “no” votes were mostly predicated on misunderstanding, or outright misinformation, about the consequences of reopening the intersection. Even so, that does not mean city council should not consider some other ideas of Bloombergian magnitude. I wrote a column some time back about cities around the world that have created pedestrian malls, platforms and bridges above busy intersections. Although much more expensive than the simple streetscaping the Team Open forces advocated in the plebiscite campaign, it is a project that could be more transformative for all of downtown. And if Portage and Main proves to be a no-go zone for transformative change, then perhaps local government could look at creating a permanent pedestrian mall west of Main that encompasses Albert and Arthur streets from Notre Dame north to McDermot, and ultimately to Bannatyne and Old Market Square. It does not solve the nagging ugliness of pedestrian barriers at our signature intersection, but it would still be cool. The most important point here is for city hall to continue to look for ideas to enhance and transform downtown. The plebiscite result was disappointing for all those who saw an opportunity to change downtown for the better. That defeat should not become an excuse for neglecting the future of the intersection and the neighbourhood that surrounds it. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Event - Active School Travel Community Night: These Boots Were Made for Walking
by Heather Mitchell 09 Nov '18

09 Nov '18

*Please share with your networks! Thank you!* *Link*: *https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/active-school-travel-community-night-these-boots-were-made-for-walking-tickets-52280819338 <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/active-school-travel-community-night-these-boot…> * -- [image: Social Media Photo.png] Green Action Centre invites parents, guardians, and community members to join them for a free information session on active school travel and independent mobility by their Active and Safe Routes to School program and two guest speakers, Katharina Nuss (Free Range Parenting Petition) and Tanya Hoover. Guests will learn about the Active and Safe Routes to School program, the benefits of walking and cycling to school, strategies for overcoming common barriers, and more. Approximate Timeline - 6:00-6:45 pm – doors open, refreshments served, and community networking - 6:45-8:00 pm – presentations by Green Action Centre, Tanya Hoover, and Katharina Nuss, followed by Q&A - 8:00-8:30 pm – Final discussion and community networking - 8:30 pm – Event concluded Encouraging your child to walk or bike to school is an important part of living a healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle. We strongly encourage you to join us in this movement! The space is limited to 40 participants. If you have any questions regarding the event, please contact Heather at (204) 925-3777 ext 107 or heather[at]greenactioncentre.ca. REGISTER HERE <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/active-school-travel-community-night-these-boot…> -- *Heather Mitchell * Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue (204) 925-3777 ext 107 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 <https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/green-action-centre/>. <http://canadahelps.org/> <https://www.gomanitoba.ca/Public/Home.aspx>

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AT Webinar: Ten Years of Safe Routes to School (Wed, Oct 17th, 2-3pm)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Nov '18

09 Nov '18

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. cheers, Beth *AT Webinar: Wed, Oct 17th, 2-3pm* Ten Years of Safe Routes to School - Where do we go from here? It’s been over a decade since the Safe Routes to School movement launched in the US and times have changed, but Safe Routes to School initiatives are continuing to improve safety and get more kids walking and rolling to school. Join this webinar to hear about continued successes from state and local level programs. You will also hear thoughts on the exciting future of the movement from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership. *Presenters:* - Sara Zimmerman, National SRTS, Program and Policy Director - Katie Alexander, Michigan Fitness Foundation, Director of SRTS - Bryan Armstrong, Michigan DOT, SRTS Program Manager - Katherine Swidarski, Columbus, OH SRTS Program Manager -- *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) 925-3777 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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Winter Cycling Congress Calgary this Feburary
by Anders Swanson 01 Nov '18

01 Nov '18

FYI: The 7th Annual Winter Cycling Congress is coming to Calgary February 6-8, 2019. We invite all interested participants to submit a proposal to help us create an exciting conference program. This year we want to explore how winter cycling contributes to building an accessible, equitable and resilient city. Northern cities have a lot to learn from one another and we look forward to sharing best practices and learnings (success and failures) on how to support winter policies for transportation, recreation and overall citizen wellbeing. We have a number of session formats including: - Breakout Sessions (practitioner and academic) - Workshop or Panel Discussion - Mobile Tour - Pecha Kucha Important dates: November 16, 2018- Deadline to submit proposals December 7, 2018- Presenters notified Learn more and submit a conference proposal at calgary.ca/wcc2019 <http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Pages/Cycling/Winter-Cycling-Congre…> .

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WFP: NY Times takes notice of P&M referendum (Oct29'18)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Oct '18

30 Oct '18

*‘No’ vote goes against global trend towards walkable downtowns* * NY Times takes notice of P&M referendum * ttps:// www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/citys-quixotic-decision-on-portage-and-main… IT’S not surprising the New York Times took notice of Winnipeg’s Portage and Main plebiscite because it’s a debate fomenting across North America, said a campaigner to reopen the famous intersection. “At a time when many Canadian cities are moving to make themselves more amenable to pedestrians, it seems a perhaps quixotic decision,” the New York Times said of the vote against opening the intersection. The article lamented that Winnipeggers voted two to one against its opening. International interest shouldn’t come as a surprise, said local Yes campaigner Hazel Borys, “because (the No vote) was such an anomaly. North American cities are making massive strides to become more walkable and accessible to cyclists.” Some cities such as London and Paris are even banning cars from some parts of the city. Winnipeg’s plebiscite was not about anything nearly so drastic. It was not a war against cars but rather an effort to reinvigorate the heart of the city, she said. “Cities are making big moves to make their cities and downtowns more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, and car friendly as well,” said Borys. The New York Times article, titled On Foot and Underground at Canada’s Crossroads, said Winnipeg’s debate may have reflected “tensions between drivers, pedestrians and cyclists that are bubbling up throughout Canada.” The original decision to close the intersection 40 years ago was part of a development deal to get an office tower built on one corner, the article said, thereby funneling people through an underground shopping mall. Aswell, it came at a time when the fashion in urban centres was to keep cars and pedestrians as separate as possible. However, the idea that vehicle traffic and pedestrians should be kept separate is being rethought, said Borys, an engineer who helped build many roads and bridges. “We thought if we removed things like street trees and parked cars and anything that a car might run into that we would create safer places,” she said. “Instead, what we did is create racetracks out of our urban streets and made very deadly environments.” Borys said some people may have viewed the debate as one of cars versus pedestrians but opening Portage and Main would have benefited both sides. “The more of us who walk or cycle to our daily needs, the easier it is on cars because we’re taking cars off the road and reducing traffic,” she said. Walking and cycling also promote a healthier lifestyle at a time when obesity has become a major issue in the Western world, she said. It’s really about making streets more user-friendly to all modes of transportation, Borys said. Proponents of reopening the intersection didn’t provide residents “with enough information to make a meaningful choice.” Asking property owners in the vicinity of the closed intersection to redevelop their lots “is like asking them to build on a limited intersection of a limited access roadway. We’ve created a limited access roadway at the heart of our city.” Borys said all property owners in the four blocks surrounding the intersection were in favour of opening Portage and Main to pedestrians. bill.redekop(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: NY Times takes notice of P&M referendum (Oct29'18)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Oct '18

29 Oct '18

*‘No’ vote goes against global trend towards walkable downtowns* * NY Times takes notice of P&M referendum * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/citys-quixotic-decision-on-portage-… IT’S not surprising the New York Times took notice of Winnipeg’s Portage and Main plebiscite because it’s a debate fomenting across North America, said a campaigner to reopen the famous intersection. “At a time when many Canadian cities are moving to make themselves more amenable to pedestrians, it seems a perhaps quixotic decision,” the New York Times said of the vote against opening the intersection. The article lamented that Winnipeggers voted two to one against its opening. International interest shouldn’t come as a surprise, said local Yes campaigner Hazel Borys, “because (the No vote) was such an anomaly. North American cities are making massive strides to become more walkable and accessible to cyclists.” Some cities such as London and Paris are even banning cars from some parts of the city. Winnipeg’s plebiscite was not about anything nearly so drastic. It was not a war against cars but rather an effort to reinvigorate the heart of the city, she said. “Cities are making big moves to make their cities and downtowns more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, and car friendly as well,” said Borys. The New York Times article, titled On Foot and Underground at Canada’s Crossroads, said Winnipeg’s debate may have reflected “tensions between drivers, pedestrians and cyclists that are bubbling up throughout Canada.” The original decision to close the intersection 40 years ago was part of a development deal to get an office tower built on one corner, the article said, thereby funneling people through an underground shopping mall. As well, it came at a time when the fashion in urban centres was to keep cars and pedestrians as separate as possible. However, the idea that vehicle traffic and pedestrians should be kept separate is being rethought, said Borys, an engineer who helped build many roads and bridges. “We thought if we removed things like street trees and parked cars and anything that a car might run into that we would create safer places,” she said. “Instead, what we did is create racetracks out of our urban streets and made very deadly environments.” Borys said some people may have viewed the debate as one of cars versus pedestrians but opening Portage and Main would have benefited both sides. “The more of us who walk or cycle to our daily needs, the easier it is on cars because we’re taking cars off the road and reducing traffic,” she said. Walking and cycling also promote a healthier lifestyle at a time when obesity has become a major issue in the Western world, she said. It’s really about making streets more user-friendly to all modes of transportation, Borys said. Proponents of reopening the intersection didn’t provide residents “with enough information to make a meaningful choice.” Asking property owners in the vicinity of the closed intersection to redevelop their lots “is like asking them to build on a limited intersection of a limited access roadway. We’ve created a limited access roadway at the heart of our city.” Borys said all property owners in the four blocks surrounding the intersection were in favour of opening Portage and Main to pedestrians. bill.redekop(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: On our streets, there’s safety in numbers (Oct22'18)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Oct '18

22 Oct '18

*Facts show roads are less dangerous, despite residents’ belief otherwise* * On our streets, there’s safety in numbers * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/on-our-streets-theres-safety-in-num… IN the face of obvious signs of progress, why would people be so skeptical? A recent Free Press- Probe Research poll, which is part of a series of polls on civic election issues, showed that 40 per cent of Winnipeggers believe they are less safe on or around city roads than they were 10 years ago. In contrast, only 14 per cent of respondents said they feel safer. It’s a remarkable result, considering that by all reasonable measurements, we’ve never been safer. On average, five Winnipeg pedestrians die each year in traffic collisions and another 14 die behind the wheel of their cars. Losing nearly 20 lives every year is still worrisome, although both are down considerably from previous decades. It’s part of a national trend. In 1997, Transport Canada figures show that 2,660 people died in traffic collisions; by 2016, that number had fallen to 1,717. Again, a horrible loss of life, but a glimmer of hope in terms of the trend line. It all adds up to progress. Why, you might ask yourself, would people feel less safe? That’s really hard to tell. In the final analysis, it’s an age-old triumph of intuition over hard numbers. Psychologically, we somehow can’t connect the dots between advances in automobile safety technology (airbags, lane departure and collision warning systems) and improvements in infrastructure and planning (breakaway light poles, improved safety curbs, active transportation and dedicated bike lanes, school-zone speed limits) and overall traffic safety. It doesn’t mean our roads are safe, per se. But we’re moving in the right direction. That having been said, more could be done. Traffic-safety advocates have pointed out that the city needs to be more aggressive in pursuing improvements through the Vision Zero initiative. This Swedish-made, now-international advocacy campaign is aimed at convincing elected officials at all levels to adopt leading-edge road-safety innovations. Local advocates for Vision Zero (referred to as Toward Zero in Winnipeg) believe there has been progress, but would like to see the city move more quickly to implement changes. Resources for those changes, however, remain a challenge. The former NDP government did toy with the idea of using money from MPI for road-safety infrastructure. The theory was that fixing dangerous stretches of roadway or intersections would prevent collisions and reduce insurance rates. It’s a strategy that private insurers have used for decades. In the end, however, the NDP caved to political pressure and shelved the idea. They found out what city councillors already knew: voters would prefer to see their tax money spent paving roads than fixing dangerous intersections. And therein lies the problem for the elected officials who are supposed to make progress on an issue such as road safety. Citizens feel less safe on our roads, despite evidence to the contrary. But when you introduce an initiative that could save lives, those same citizens rail against it and force you to back down. Politicians rarely get any sympathy from voters. But fora moment, couldn’t we all feel sorry for them for this damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t dilemma? You can be sure that the dozens of people vying to fill a seat on Winnipeg city council have already figured out that on many issues such as road safety, you just can’t win. Road safety has not been a high profile issue in the civic election campaign, and perhaps it should have been. However, there is almost no benefit for an incumbent to raise the issue. Anyone running for re-election knows that confronting road safety would force them to spout meaningless statistics about the slow decline in fatalities or highlight unconvincing improvements to infrastructure and traffic design, exactly the kind of things that do not give voters any comfort in the face of their intuitive, but unfounded, fears. Mayor Brian Bowman said as much last weekend in a story on road safety. In his bid for re-election, Bowman admitted he hasn’t been motivated to raise road safety because he supports Toward Zero and nothing has changed his commitment. Why wouldn’t Bowman trumpet his support for Toward Zero and pledge to do more? Although he did not have the Free Press poll results in hand, it seems he had already figured out that voters feel the roads are less safe and no amount of fact is going to change that. The poll results do, however, show that challengers may have missed a glorious opportunity to attack Bowman and incumbent councillors. They certainly use that strategy on just about every other issue. Challengers in civic elections are constantly telling voters to forget the numbers and what they show us about the city’s finances (which have steadily improved) or the infrastructure deficit (down $3 billion in the last term), or the state of the city’s population and economy (both growing above national averages). Challengers want you to give in to your deepest-held preconceptions about civic government, which is that it is bad at everything. There are lots of things that need improving at city hall. But there are also a good number of things that have improved. It’s the same story for every level of government. In case you were wondering, this is not the kind of scenario that ensures we are getting the best people elected. Our own refusal to take comfort in facts leaves us open to being manipulated by negative hyperbole. It’s also what discourages so many citizens from voting. This is a situation that will never improve until voters leave their guts out of the equation, and begin to base their decisions about who to vote for, and whether to vote at all, on hard facts. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca

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