- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Cycling Without Age: Why you should take a senior for a bike ride
by Beth McKechnie 18 Mar '17

18 Mar '17

If you need a smile and a good news story, read the whole article <http://ideas.ted.com/why-you-should-take-a-senior-on-a-bike-ride/>. Would be wonderful to pilot this in Winnipeg! * * * * * Copenhagener Ole Kassow launched a program to bring older Danes on bicycle outings. Now volunteer pilots in 29 countries are taking their passengers on the road. It all started with a friendly wave. In 2012, Copenhagen native Ole Kassow’s daily cycling commute took him past a nursing home. Every morning, the management consultant would see impeccably dressed 97-year-old Thorkild, who’d greet him from a spot on a bench, a walker by his side. Kassow wondered about the last time the man — and the home’s other residents — had been on a bike. “Because most Copenhageners love cycling, I assumed he’d love to go back out in his community, to interact with his neighbors, and do something he’d probably always done in his life,” he says. He received permission from home staff to take a senior for a ride in a rental trishaw — a cargo tricycle with a low passenger compartment that goes in front of the cyclist. This ride eventually led Kassow to create the nonprofit Cycling Without Age <http://cyclingwithoutage.org/>, an initiative that now includes more than 250 chapters in 29 countries. -- *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 green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Tomorrow, 5-7pm! Keynote & Panel: The Future of Workplace Commuting
by Beth McKechnie 14 Mar '17

14 Mar '17

*RSVP today for this complimentary event!* View this email in your browser <http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=b6cde79a89…> After Work Keynote & Panel Discussion *The Future of Workplace Commuting* *Wednesday, March 15, 2017* *5:00-7:00pm * (free entry, cash bar) *Prairie Theatre Exchange - Colin Jackson Studio* Portage Place, 393 Portage Ave <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> *Limited spaces are available for this complimentary event, and light refreshments will be served! A cash bar will be run by Prairie Theatre Exchange. Secure your seat <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> today. * *Brought to you through a partnership of Green Action Centre and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> *Copyright © 2017 Green Action Centre, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email as a result of previous interactions with Green Action Centre's Workplace Commuter Options Program. *Our mailing address is:* Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Add us to your address book <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f5…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Webinar Invite: AT in Rural Settings, Wed, Mar. 22nd, 2:30-3:30pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 14 Mar '17

14 Mar '17

Thanks to all who picked up on the date error – darn copying and pasting! The actual date of the webinar is *MARCH 22nd* from 2:30-3:30pm. cheers, Beth On Mon, Mar 13, 2017 at 2:20 PM, Beth McKechnie <beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca> wrote: > Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local > viewing of this month's APBP <http://www.apbp.org/> webinar. > > > The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 > Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications > for those who wish to stay. > > > *PLEASE NOTE: This is a different date and time than usual.* > > > RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! > > > cheers, > > Beth > > * * * * * > > > *AT in Rural SettingsWednesday, February 22 | 2:30 - 3:30 pm CDT * > > *Presenters*: > > > - Joe Gilpin, Alta Planning + Design > - Dan Goodman, FHWA > > The presentation will highlight the content and recommended use of the Small > Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide > <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/small_…> published > by FHWA in January 2017. Highlights of the guide include designing > mixed-traffic bicycle/pedestrian facilities, visually separated facilities, > and physically separated facilities. The guide also includes > recommendations for planning and linking to key community destinations. The > presenters will highlight case studies of small town and rural planning and > facility design throughout the webinar. > >

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Webinar Invite: AT in Rural Settings, Wed, Mar. 22nd, 2:30-3:30pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 13 Mar '17

13 Mar '17

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of this month's APBP <http://www.apbp.org/> webinar. The webinar viewing takes place in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) and will be followed by group discussion of local applications for those who wish to stay. *PLEASE NOTE: This is a different date and time than usual.* RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth * * * * * *AT in Rural SettingsWednesday, February 22 | 2:30 - 3:30 pm CDT * *Presenters*: - Joe Gilpin, Alta Planning + Design - Dan Goodman, FHWA The presentation will highlight the content and recommended use of the Small Town and Rural Multimodal Networks Guide <https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/small_…> published by FHWA in January 2017. Highlights of the guide include designing mixed-traffic bicycle/pedestrian facilities, visually separated facilities, and physically separated facilities. The guide also includes recommendations for planning and linking to key community destinations. The presenters will highlight case studies of small town and rural planning and facility design throughout the webinar.

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WFP Analysis: Downtown must embrace winter, not hide from it (Mar.13'17)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Mar '17

13 Mar '17

*Downtown must embrace winter, not hide from it * http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/downtown- must-embrace-winter-not-hide-from-it-416000874.html AFTER enduring a week of arctic wind chill in the month of March, it might be a bad time to discuss Winnipeg’s downtown walkway system, but as one of the five coldest major winter cities in the world, how we design for climate is an important consideration. For many years, the North American response towinter has been to hide from it. In the 1960s, as downtowns started losing a battle to suburban shoppingmalls and office parks, civic leaders felt the only way to compete was to mimic this climate-controlled trend and consolidate interior spaces in the city centre. Montreal was the leader in this movement, beginning construction of the Underground City in 1962, growing to become a staggering 32 kilometres of subterranean tunnels and shopping centres beneath the city. Since that time, 17 indoor pedestrian systems have been developed in cities across North America. Minneapolis boasts the longest continuous network of elevated walkways at 15 kilometres, and Calgary has the largest total length at 18 kilometres. The idea for Winnipeg’s indoor walkway system began with the 1969Downtown Development Plan, which envisioned a futuristic city of towers and plazas, interconnected by a vast network of elevated and underground walkways to protect people from winter and allow vehicular traffic to flowmore efficiently. To discourage sidewalk use in the summer, the plan proposed “the secondstorey habit,” a strategy to pull all retail, commercial and social activities away from the ground level and into the corridors, so people could avoid cars and weather year-round. Five years later, Winnipeg’s first skywalk would appear, connecting the buildings of Lakeview Square to the Convention Centre. Several years later, the underground concourse at Portage and Main would be an attempt to realize the cosmopolitan dreams of 1969. Today, there is a movement beginning in many cities to reconsider the effects these indoor walkways are having on the vibrancy and prosperity of city centres. As it turns out, skywalks do precisely what was envisioned in Winnipeg’s 1969 plan: they remove people from the sidewalk. In low-density cities, this can have a significant effect. Skywalks take an already limited number of pedestrians and dilute them over two levels, seasonally and at different times of the day. For a few hours, particularly in winter, office workers populate the indoor shops or restaurants, and sidewalk retail struggles. On evenings and weekends and in the summer, this is reversed. With the market divided, the critical mass generally isn’t created to sustain prosperous businesses in either realm. This can be seen very clearly at Portage and Main, where almost 10,000 people spend every day, yet few ground-floor amenities exist and underground restaurants generally stay open for just a few hours around lunchtime, five days a week. Some planners also argue the skywalks create a social hierarchy between the raised, quasi-public space and the sidewalk. This combines with the lower pedestrian numbers and struggling retail storefronts to exacerbate the feeling that downtown streets are unsafe and uncomfortable, compounding the issue. It is generally understood that indoor walkways aren’t going anywhere — only Cincinnati has dismantled its network — so many cities are beginning to look at ways to reduce their impact. In Minneapolis, consideration is being given to removing retail in sections of their walkway, making them simply circulation thoroughfares that don’t compete for business. To complement this strategy, they are hoping to build more highly visible connections directly to the sidewalk. An excellent precedent for this is Winnipeg’s newest skywalk addition at the Delta Hotel on St. Mary Avenue, which incorporates a beautiful, transparent glass stair and elevator to the sidewalk, making pedestrian flow between levels more seamless and inviting. A key strategy to reducing the impact of walkways is to focus on improving the sidewalk experience, making it more comfortable for pedestrians in all seasons. Building elements such as awnings and overhangs can provide shelter from snow and rain. Small storefronts with several entrances allow pedestrians the opportunity to flow in and out of the cold. Design guidelines can be created to ensure new buildings reduce shadows and windtunnel effects on the sidewalk. Public spaces and restaurant patios can incorporate windscreens, gas fire pits and other heating sources. In Montreal, construction will soon begin on an in-ground heated sidewalk system along Sainte-Catherine Street that will be expanded to 2.2 kilometres in length in 2020. This idea, used for years in Oslo and Reykjavik, is also being considered in Saskatoon to melt snow and improve the pedestrian experience. Great cities, even cold cities, are defined by the vitality of their street life. To be an extraordinary winter city, Winnipeg must design to embrace the climate and not to hide from it. Winnipeg is one of Canada’s sunniest cities— and its temperature is typically above freezing 250 days per year — yet our priorities seem focused only on those harsh winter days. At two kilometres, the length of Winnipeg’s skywalk system is a fraction of that in other cities, but its effects can still be seen. Not only has it fundamentally altered the iconic view down Portage Avenue, it is partially responsible for its many empty storefronts. Winnipeg can learn from the experience of faster-growing cities and design its skywalk system carefully and sensitively, to reduce its impact. By building more visible, direct connections between levels, improving outdoor pedestrian comfort and focusing on support for ground floor retail to give people a reason to go outside and enjoy the city, we can bring people back to walk the sidewalks, like they did for a hundredwinters before the skywalks were built. * Brent Bellamy is chairman of Centre Ventu re ’s board and the creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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1 day left to register! The Future of Workplace Commuting
by Beth McKechnie 09 Mar '17

09 Mar '17

*Last day to sign up for this interactive workshop. Register today!* View this email in your browser <http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=b4395aae41…> “*Kelly Brough is an entertaining and inspiring speaker! She brings a fresh, business perspective to the commuting conversation, and offers solutions from a region that has had great success attracting new workplaces to more sustainable commuting modes*.” – Jessie Klassen, Transportation Planner, University of Manitoba Join us for the Future of Workplace Commuting: *Sustaining a Healthy Business* *Keynote Speaker:* Ms. Kelly Brough, President and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce *Wednesday, March 15, 2017* *9:00am - 1:00pm *($25, lunch included) *Radisson Hotel* 288 Portage Avenue (Ambassador B Room) <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> With demographics changing and new employees expecting their workplaces to offer commuting options beyond the automobile, employers face a competitive and rapidly evolving economy. Ms. Brough will share her experience working with business leaders as the President and CEO of the Denver Chamber of Commerce to offer the citizens of Denver a comprehensive range of transportation options to lower the drive-alone mode share, and increase use of transit and active transportation. During the interactive workshop, we will take a business perspective on the benefits, hurdles and essentials to make your workplace vehicle optional. Don’t miss your chance to learn about: - changing workforce demographics - what new staff members are looking for in terms of transportation and commuting options - opportunities and initiatives your business can take to gain a competitive advantage *Secure your seat today!* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> *Not able to attend the morning Keynote and Interactive Workshop?* Join us for an after work event from 5:00-7:00pm at the Prairie Theatre Exchange to hear Kelly Brough and a panel discussion with local business representatives. Or sign up for both! Learn more and register here <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . *Brought to you through a partnership of Green Action Centre and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.* <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> *Copyright © 2017 Green Action Centre, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email as a result of previous interactions with Green Action Centre's Workplace Commuter Options Program. *Our mailing address is:* Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Bike sharing programs
by ian_toal＠mymts.net 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

Ran across this a couple of weeks ago. Makes for interesting reading. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/feb/25/best-and-worst-city-cycle-sch…

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Bike Lanes & Bike Sharing article
by Jeremy Hull 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

I came across this study from NACTO (the National Association of City Transportation Officials) that concludes more bike lanes work together with bike share programs while reducing the risk of collisions for cyclists. The article says: "In cities that are building protected bike lane networks, cycling is increasing and the risk of injury or death is decreasing. Pairing appropriately-scaled bike share with protected bike lanes increases ridership and is essential to equity and mobility efforts." In looking at various safety issues they also conclude that "Mandatory helmet laws reduce bike share ridership and don’t increase safety." http://nacto.org/2016/07/20/high-quality-bike-facilities-increase-ridership…

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Metro Wpg: Bike lanes, not helmets: Winnipeg city staffer saws we need more protected paths (Mar.6.17)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

Bike lanes, not helmets: Winnipeg city staffer says we need more protected paths http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2017/03/06/no-new-rules-on-bike-safet… The city's active transportation coordinator believes the city could do more to improve cycling safety by building more protected bike lanes and promoting education, rather than forcing adult cyclists to wear helmets. Adult cyclists in Winnipeg won’t be forced to strap on a helmet anytime soon. On Monday, the city’s protection, community services and parks committee voted 3-1 to accept a review on local cycling safety measures. Written by Stephanie Whitehouse, the city’s active transportation coordinator, the report lists the merit of helmet usage, bike lights and bells, but recommends no change to the current rules or enforcement approach. Last summer, committee member Coun. Russ Wyatt requested a review on the requirement for all cyclists to wear helmets. The best thing for reducing injury, according to Whitehouse's report, is “designing cycling routes separated from vehicles.” She believes the city could do more to improve cycling safety by building more protected bike lanes and promoting education, rather than force adult cyclists to wear helmets. “We are, again, focused on improvements to prevent incidents from happening in the first place,” said Whitehouse to reporters, underlining the need for protected bike lanes, design improvements to intersections and more education around road safety. She explained that to look at the issue of making helmets mandatory, a more in-depth study would be needed. Besides the Winnipeg Police Service and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, the city’s legal services department and members of the public would need to be consulted on the matter, said Whitehouse. She added that councillors would also have to approve funnelling away funds from active transportation to pay for such a review. Committee chairman Coun. Mike Pagtakhan agrees with Whitehouse’s stance that cycling should be made safer through better infrastructure, like dedicated bike routes. He pointed to the work being done through the 20-year $334-million pedestrian and cycling strategy. “What our challenge is is to create safe cycling routes within the city for citizens,” Pagtakhan said. Wyatt said he felt Monday’s report was lacking and side-stepped his initial request. To him, a bigger issue was the public works department’s decision to hire a consulting firm owned by Jeannette Montufar, whose marriage to transportation manager Luis Escobar and past tweets about Wyatt prompted a conflict of interest investigation by the city’s auditor at the same time the report was bring prepared.

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Report on cycling doesn't deal with helmet laws (recommends infrastructure) (Mar.7'17)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Mar '17

07 Mar '17

*Report on cycling doesn’t deal with helmet laws * http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-report-on-bike- helmets-didnt-consider-bike-helmets-415499574.html THE councillor behind a proposal for a mandatory bicycle helmet law said he’s puzzled by an administrative report’s failure to consider the issue. Coun. Russ Wyatt said he’s discouraged after public works staff hired a consultant and spent months preparing the report, which doesn’t consider the issue of whether wearing helmets should be mandatory. “There’s no doubt they sidestepped the issue, but that’s something we’re getting used to from this administration,” the Transcona councillor said. Councillors on the protection, community services and parks committee voted 3-1 to take no action on the report, which is a summary of existing provincial legislation and city hall’s recent efforts to expand its cycling lane network. The result is that city hall will neither consider nor take any efforts to implement a mandatory helmet law. Stephanie Whitehouse, the city’s active transportation co-ordinator, said the report concludes the two best ways to improve safety are through better infrastructure and public education. Whitehouse said she believes the report complied with the committee’s request, adding that studying the issue is a complicated process that would have required consultation with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, MPI, police, public engagement and lawyers. On June 16, 2016, the committee directed the administration “to review and report back on the following: 1. The requirement for all cyclists to wear helmets. 2. The requirement for all bicycles to have a sound device (bell, horn, etc.), and proper lighting from dusk until dawn.” The committee also required the report to include information on public education, as well as best practices of other jurisdictions. The administration, which was given 60 days to compile the report, requested a 180-day extension. Coun. Mike Pagtakhan, the committee's chairman, said he’s satisfied with the report and its recommendation to maintain the status quo. “What our challenge is, is to create more safe cycling routes within the city,” Pagtakhan (Point Douglas) said. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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