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WFP Analysis: Parking minimums stifle development (Jan25'21)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

*Parking minimums stifle development * *https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/parking-minimums-stifle-development-573655122.html* <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/parking-minimums-stifle-…> FOR the next few weeks, the City of Winnipeg is seeking public feedback on the Winnipeg Parking Strategy, a five-year vision to manage vehicle parking across the city. It may not sound glamorous, but parking is quietly one of the most powerful forces shaping our cities, having a fundamental influence on cost of living, neighbourhood form and character, and building design. Six months ago, Edmonton became the first major Canadian city to eliminate parking minimums for new development. The new strategy presents an opportunity for Winnipeg to follow this lead. Parking minimums are municipal-government regulations that dictate the number of parking stalls a new development must include on its property. The ratio is derived from a decades-old formula based on building size and whether it’s a new house, apartment block, commercial building or other use. In Winnipeg, outside of downtown, 1.5 parking stalls are required for every residential unit, reduced to 1.2 in some inner-city areas. An important shortcoming of these blanket ratios is that they do not account for variables influencing the amount of parking actually required, such as vehicle ownership in the neighbourhood, adjacent amenities, transit access, suite sizes, demographics and evolving mobility trends. Mandated parking levels have resulted in significantly more parking being built than is required. Studies have found in the United States, there are as many as eight parking stalls for every vehicle, which is likely similar in car-dominant Canadian cities such as Winnipeg. Before Edmonton implemented its new policy, a thorough study was undertaken that found only seven per cent of parking lots city-wide are full at peak times and, overall, parking lots are typically no more than 40 per cent occupied. It was concluded that Edmonton has 50 per cent more parking than is needed. A 2018 study in metro Vancouver found that the rate of unused parking stalls in the region’s apartment buildings was between 35 and 40 per cent. The impact of this over-built parking is significant. The simple construction costs for parking can range from about $7,000 for a single surface stall to $40,000 for an above-ground parkade stall, and $60,000 or more for an underground stall. Knowing that range in cost, it is easy to understand why developers prefer suburban projects, surrounded by oceans of asphalt, over infill development with expensive enclosed parking. When parking minimums are required, it is effectively an incentive for urban sprawl. This high cost of parking is passed down to consumers, baked into rents and real-estate prices, the groceries we buy and the services we use. It can have a significant impact on housing affordability in a city. As an example, the little brick apartment buildings familiar to many inner-city Winnipeg neighbourhoods were often built with little or no parking. They provide valuable affordable housing opportunities in these neighbourhoods and are typically well leased. If one of those buildings burns down, it is impossible to replace because of mandatory parking requirements. For most of these buildings, filling the entire property with parking alone would not meet the requirements,and if parking is located underground, affordability is lost. Overbuilt parking pushes buildings farther apart, which has the cumulative effect of reducing urban density, increasing infrastructure needs and diminishing the walkability of a neighbourhood. The impacts of parking on the pedestrian quality of a street can be seen side-by-side on Winnipeg’s Corydon Avenue, where older buildings built to the property line with active storefronts along the sidewalk have created an attractive street to walk down. New developments have been set back from the sidewalk behind parking lots, increasing walking distances, reducing visual interest, and making the street feel less safe and less attractive to shoppers and residents. Eliminating parking minimums does not mean eliminating parking; it instead allows developers to build what they need. Developers have a strong incentive to find the balance between building as little parking as possible and building so little that their investment becomes impossible to lease. When the market, rather than government, decides how much parking should be built, developers can be more targeted, flexible and able to incorporate less impactful solutions, which generally results in more appropriate parking amounts being built. Parking minimums were established in the 1960s out of a fear from neighbourhood residents that new development would cause an increase in street parking. This is still a primary source of opposition to new development today. Cities that are eliminating minimums are dealing with this by taking a proactive approach to managing on-street parking. Requiring the purchase of neighbourhood parking permits, as an example, allows the city to control who is parking on the streets, ensuring that new development is not freeloading, as well as signalling to homeowners that on-street car storage does not come free with the purchase of their property. Cities that can balance strong parking management policies with elimination of parking minimums for new development will see more appropriate amounts of parking built in the future, resulting in higher levels of investment and development, greater housing affordability, higher density and more sustainable infill growth, as well as more vibrant and beautiful streets and neighbourhoods. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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WFP: EPC puts brakes on speed limit plebiscite (Jan21'21)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jan '21

21 Jan '21

*EPC puts brakes on speed limit plebiscite * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/epc-puts-brakes-on-speed-limit-pleb… WINNIPEGGERS will not get to vote on whether they support lowering the default 50 km/h speed limit on residential streets. Coun. Shawn Nason’s call for the city to hold a plebiscite during the 2022 municipal election, or a mayoral byelection, was rejected by the executive policy committee Wednesday. Council’s most powerful committee decided to receive the idea as information, which means no action will be taken on it, a decision only Coun. Jeff Browaty opposed. Mayor Brian Bowman, along with councillors Matt Allard, Scott Gillingham, Cindy Gilroy, Brian Mayes and Sherri Rollins voted not to pursue the change. Nason argued a plebiscite would be a fair way to seek feedback from all residents before deciding if a major change should take place. “My (request)… is to engage our community on a question that touches, I believe, every member of this city,” Nason told EPC members. Several Winnipeggers spoke out against a plebiscite at the committee hearing, arguing that lower speed limits would reduce the risk of a serious or fatal injury in a crash, making the matter a safety issue that should be guided by research. “The issue of safety should not be up for debate... these things should not be in the realm of, nor be swayed by, the public opinion of the day. Instead, decisions on such issues must remain firmly in the hands of those with the knowledge and expertise to make those decisions,” said Kira Coulter, who spoke on behalf of the advocacy group Safe Speeds Winnipeg. Prior to the decision, Rollins argued that letting Winnipeggers vote on the topic would amount to shifting responsibility for what should be a policy decision made by elected officials. The mayor said he rejected the motion because it would tie city council’s hands and prevent it from taking any action on the file. “I think city hall needs to be open to the topic of lowering speed limits. We’re doing some policy work right now and I’m looking forward to reviewing that work… I’m trying to be guided by the input of road safety engineers and I’m trying to look at it through that lens,” said Bowman. The mayor noted the city has not decided whether to lower the default speed limit. In July, council approved a pilot project to test a 30 km/h speed limit on five residential streets in a one-year period. It’s not clear when that will begin. For many months, advocates have repeatedly lobbied the city to reduce the default residential speed limit to 30 km/h. However, an online petition against that proposal has gathered almost 9,000 signatures. Winnipegger Ray Hignell said he’s among those who don’t think a reduced speed limit is justified. He said he’s disappointed the plebiscite won’t occur. Hignell said he believes crashes that kill pedestrians tend to happen on busier streets, not residential ones, so he’s not convinced a speed limit reduction is warranted. “This city seems determined to slow down traffic, impede people’s progress and there’s no facts that I have seen... that suggest there really is a problem,” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb <joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca>.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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PSU Study Evaluates Impact of Speed Limit Reductions on Driver Speeds
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jan '21

21 Jan '21

PSU Study Evaluates Impact of Speed Limit Reductions in Portland, OR on Driver Speeds In 2015 the City of Portland adopted a Vision Zero plan. Crash data revealed that speed was a contributing factor in 47% of fatal crashes in Portland. In 2018, the City Council reduced the speed limit on all residential streets to 20 mph. Funded by the Portland Bureau of Transportation and conducted at PSU by Monsere, Kothuri and Jason Anderson, this study looked at the before and after the speed limit changes at 58 locations and found that the change likely reduced driving speeds by small but significant amounts. The speed reduction in the percentage of vehicles faster than 30 mph and 35 mph on residential streets are larger in magnitude than other observed impacts. https://trec.pdx.edu/news/effect-residential-street-speed-limit-reduction-2…

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WFP: City drops plan for bike-share program (Jan20'21)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jan '21

20 Jan '21

City drops plan for bike-share program https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-drops-plan-for-bike-share-prog… THE city has hit the brakes on a bikeshare pilot project after a request for expressions of interest failed to find anyone willing to operate the program. Winnipeg had planned to spend $80,000 on a trial project that would allow traditional and electric bikes to be shared as a transportation alternative. Instead, it will back out of that option after officials concluded it would cost too much for the city to run the project on its own. While the effort began as an innovation project in 2019, it was cancelled before the city spent any money on it. “It would be a nice thing to have but it’s just not one of those super-feasible things to do without a large amount of public or private funding,” said innovation committee chair Coun. Jeff Browaty. A civic report noted there had been one expression of interest, but the company asked the city to purchase bikes and other equipment and, as a result, was rejected. Browaty (North Kildonan) said he expects the program would simply cost too much to pursue alone. However, a local cycling group is continuing to explore the option. Mark Cohoe, the executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said his organization is conducting a feasibility study on bike-share programs. “People are looking for less reliance on private automobiles… (Bike shares) create a more equitable transportation system and you’re also creating something that involves a lot more climate-friendly options,” said Cohoe. He believes the city would benefit from the change, since bicycle travel could place less wear and tear on local roads and help Winnipeggers connect to Winnipeg Transit routes. Cohoe said bike-share programs can allow members to rent bikes for short periods or lease them on a monthly basis. He said that could include traditional and electric bikes. Cohoe said the city might be asked to invest in any program proposed by his group. Meanwhile, the city has also opted against expanding a solar trash-compacting pilot project after it deemed an initial test with 15 “Bigbelly” trash receptacles too limited to prove effective. Jim Berezowsky, the city’s public works director, said it would cost $1 million to install enough of the containers to cover one high-volume trash collection route. The innovation committee instead opted to let the current solar-powered bins remain in use until they need to be replaced. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Reclaiming Public Space for People Beyond COVID-19
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jan '21

20 Jan '21

Examples of public space changes can be found around the world in some of the largest cities, but here in Canada, smaller cities have demonstrated that they too can take positive action. Lessons can be learned from three Canadian cities that have successfully modified their downtowns and made a case for permanent changes well beyond the pandemic. https://mobycon.com/updates/reclaiming-public-space-for-people-beyond-covid… <https://mobycon.com/updates/reclaiming-public-space-for-people-beyond-covid…>

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WFP: Studying slippery sidewalks (Jan16'21)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jan '21

18 Jan '21

STUDYING SLIPPERY SIDEWALKS OPTIONS to make sidewalks easier to travel on during winter will be considered by city council. Council’s public works committee has ordered city staff to provide recommendations on how to make sidewalks and active transportation routes less slippery, despite our often lengthy season of ice and snow. The report is expected to study the health costs and outcomes linked to slips and falls on sidewalks. It’s also expected to consider how snow-clearing changes, ice treatments and other changes could improve the surfaces. Finally, it will also explore ways to improve walking conditions on roadsides where sidewalks aren’t available. The report is expected back in about six months.

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Free Webinar (January 21st) - Achieving Equity in Transportation
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jan '21

12 Jan '21

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Elliot Siemiatycki <Elliot(a)rideshark.com> Date: Tue, Jan 12, 2021 at 9:49 AM We are excited to start 2021 with a great free webinar on January 21st. We will have Dr. Steve Farber, a leading transportation researcher from the University of Toronto discussing equity and accessibility issues. *You can register **HERE* <https://rideshark.webex.com/rideshark/onstage/g.php?MTID=e1ff93dca6405a0d5a…> and feel free to share with any colleagues that might be interested. Best regards, Elliot Elliot Siemiatycki, PhD Vice President of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives Email: Elliot(a)RideShark.com www.RideShark.com <http://www.rideshark.com/> ------------------------------

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Webinar: Building Better Bike Friendly Communities Jan. 14
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jan '21

11 Jan '21

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Lauren Gabuzzi <lauren(a)downtownithaca.com> Date: Fri, Jan 8, 2021 at 3:38 PM Subject: [Transp-tdm] Webinar: Building Better Bike Friendly Communities Jan. 14 You are invited to join GO ITHACA for the Building Better Bike Friendly Communities Webinar on Thursday, January 14th from 12-1:30 pm EST. Registration is required. To Register Click Here <https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJItcO6urT4iE9K6afdxbpmwHuwnFmV-JIcD>. Feel free to eat your lunch while the presenters wow you with important ways to make our community (buildings, buildings, campus and more) bike-friendly! *Agenda* *Roughly 90-minute Webinar * Introduction Presentation Q&A *Presentations by * Bike Walk Tompkins: Hector Chang Bikes for All / Bikes Make Life Better: David L. Allen American League of Cyclists: Amelia Neptune *Our presenters will cover several topics including* Bike Walk Tompkins' Bicycling for Everyone Action Plan, American League of Cyclists' Bike Friendly Business program, Bike Friendly Community Program, and Bike Friendly University Program & Bike Back to Work strategy and Better Bike Infrastructure. Please make sure to register and send this invite to anyone you feel is interested in building better biking communities. We look forward to seeing you there! Best wishes, The GO ITHACA team Lauren Gabuzzi She/Her/Hers Downtown Ithaca Alliance TDM Program Manager Goithaca.org Cell: (607) 391-1389

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FW: TAC Learning Program | Upcoming Webinar
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 11 Jan '21

11 Jan '21

From: TAC-ATC Communications <secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca> Sent: January-11-21 9:14 AM To: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Subject: TAC Learning Program | Upcoming Webinar [Image] LEARNING PROGRAM | UPCOMING WEBINAR [Image] Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada Tuesday, February 2 1:00-2:00 PM ET FREE The growth of cycling in Canada is spurring the development of infrastructure intended to better serve the safety and mobility needs of cyclists. This webinar will provide an overview of TAC’s new publication<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> on the safety performance of bicycle infrastructure in Canada, including key findings related to: * The safety performance of different bicycle facility types * The factors that affect observed and perceived safety * Related data and knowledge gaps The webinar will also present a bicycle facility selection flowchart developed through this project. [Rounded Rectangle: More Info & Register] [Facebook]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> [Twitter]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> [LinkedIn]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> TAC © 2021 www.tac-atc.ca<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> UNSUBSCRIBE<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> Transportation Association of Canada 401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON K2C 3T2 613-736-1350 | secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…>

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Automobile Dependency: An Unequal Burden
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jan '21

08 Jan '21

*Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute analyses the unfair burden an auto-dependent transportation system places on lower income households, especially in the face of any disruption (such as a pandemic). Here's a sample:* https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/111535-automobile-dependency-unequal-burden <https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/111535-automobile-dependency-unequal-burden> Described differently, typical lower-income households can afford housing expenses (rent or mortgage) *or* vehicle expenses, but not both, and owning two vehicles is financially stressful for most households. Of course, many households own more vehicles and spend more on transportation than is considered affordable. This leaves them vulnerable to financial shocks, such as a vehicle failure, traffic collision, or reduced income, which explains why so many families must drive to food banks or require other types of financial assistance. For vulnerable households, a small vehicle problem can turn into a major financial and legal crisis. For example, a high-interest car loan for an unreliable vehicle, a vehicle crash, being caught driving unlicensed or uninsured, or an unpaid traffic citation can quickly expand to a morass of debt, injury, unemployment, legal strife, and sometimes jail. Default rates on high-risk, high-interest auto loans are increasing, leaving many low-income households with no vehicles, no money, and no credit. <https://www.planetizen.com/blogs/111535-automobile-dependency-unequal-burden> Ten Common Policies that Increase Automobile Dependency and Sprawl 1. Transportation planning that favors traffic speed over other goals (affordability, public health, social equity, community livability, environmental protection, etc.). 2. Roadway design that gives little consideration to walking, bicycling and public transit travel demands. 3. Zoning codes that limit density and compact housing types, such as townhouses and apartments. 4. Development policies that favor urban expansion over compact infill. 5. Parking minimums which mandate abundant parking supply. 6. Public facilities (schools, post offices, courts, etc.) located to maximize automobile access. 7. Dedicated roadway funding, which favors roadway spending over investments in other modes. 8. Fuel production subsidies and low fuel taxes. 9. Transportation planning that undercounts, overlooks and undervalues non-auto travel. 10. Travel models that ignore induced travel impacts, which exaggerates roadway expansion benefits. cheers, Beth -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *We are located on Treaty 1 Territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The water we drink comes from Shoal Lake First Nation. * 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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