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WFP: Transit backs taxi use of diamond lanes (May24'19)
by Beth McKechnie 24 May '19

24 May '19

*City to decide if pilot project should be made permanent* * Transit backs taxi use of diamond lanes * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/transit-supports-taxis-use-of-diamo… WINNIPEG’S public works committee will vote on whether a pilot project that allows taxis to travel in diamond lanes should be made permanent. Taxis were granted permission to use diamond lanes on March 1, 2018, which is the same date the city paved the way for ride-hailing services to hit the streets of Winnipeg. Diamond lanes are reserved for use by authorized vehicles during peak periods — mostly during weekday morning and afternoon rush hour. Prior to the start of the pilot program, only city buses and bicycles were allowed to use them. Throughout the pilot project, which was scheduled to last a year, Winnipeg Transit monitored whether allowing taxis to operate in diamond lanes — but not stop in them — had a significant effect on bus service. “Based on data analysis, as long as taxis continue to respect the ‘no stopping in the diamond lanes’ provision, the Transit department is supportive with taxis sharing the diamond lanes,” city employee Alex Regiec wrote in a report submitted to the committee. The pilot project was implemented as a concession to the local taxi industry, which organized efforts to block ride-hailing services, such as TappCar and Cowboy Taxi, from coming to the city. The decision to allow taxis to travel in diamond lanes was intended to increase industry efficiency and provide greater incentives for taxi use, the report reads. However, the report notes there could be issues if ride-hailing services seek permission to use the diamond lanes. “There is a risk that other personal transportation providers and private high-occupancy vehicles might desire the same access to, and use of, the diamond lanes as taxis,” Regiec wrote. “Expanding access to diamond lanes diminishes the effectiveness of a reserved lane originally intended to maintain and improve the operation of mass public transit in congested traffic areas.” During the year-long pilot project, there were 74 incidents in which taxis were reported to have stopped in diamond lanes. Early in the pilot project, Winnipeg Parking Authority employees met with the taxi industry to raise awareness about the issue, which led to a significant drop in the number of reported incidents. “Overall, the taxi industry has expressed an appreciation to the city for allowing their taxis to operate in the diamond lanes. They indicate this action has saved time and money for the consumer and increased efficiency,” Regiec wrote. “The Transit department will continue to monitor and collect data related to incidents of taxis stopping in diamond lanes and the parking authority’s vehicles-for-hire office will continue to liaison between Transit and the taxi industry.” ryan.thorpe(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe

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WFP: Cycling advocates seek to plot safer city routes online (May23'19)
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '19

23 May '19

*Cycling advocates seek to plot safer city routes online* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/cycling-advocates-seek-to-plot-safe… AN online tool designed to make cyclists feel safer while navigating Winnipeg streets is encouraging them to record collisions and hazards; and BikeMaps.org will make the locations public to help others identify more secure routes. The Winnipeg Trails Association and Bike Winnipeg partnered with BikeMaps.org to crowdsource the data and record incidents that aren’t always reported to police or filed as insurance claims. “You just hit the button and it leads you to a series of questions... that don’t get asked typically if you were reporting an incident to the police or if you make a claim,” association executive director Anders Swanson said Wednesday. The hope is, by making the streets safer, more people will start cycling. “If you look at your life expectancy, someone who rides a bike is going to live longer,” Swanson said. “But you’re (also) exposed to trauma, unnecessarily… There is a big barrier to people who would like to ride, but don’t feel safe.” BikeMaps.org offers cyclists the chance to tell the story of their close calls, Swanson said. People can report collisions, falls, near-misses and thefts on the website or via their smartphones, and cyclists can see where others have reported problems and take precautions, if need be. Eric Reder of Winnipeg had a scare Tuesday that he posted about in detail on Twitter, but the website’s data probably wouldn’t have helped him, he said. “I got hit by a semi while on my bike in downtown Winnipeg yesterday. I’m not hurt. But the semi did it on purpose and the police didn’t much care. So I’m angry,” Reder tweeted. In an interview, Reder said he was on Portage Avenue at Smith Street just before 11:30 a.m. when a trucker honked at him to get out of the way. Reder didn’t; instead, he yelled at the trucker. Reder said the trucker popped his clutch and ran over Reder’s bike — while he was on it. “I jumped off my bike... It’s just lucky it didn’t happen to someone more vulnerable, like my 11-year-old son I’m trying to teach how to ride the roads,” Reder said. Changing to a safer route isn’t an option as the incident happened close to his office, the environmentalist said. Designed by University of Victoria geographers to fill in the gaps in reports on collisions and falls for commuters navigating urban traffic, BikeMaps.org has collected 7,800 reports worldwide since it went live in 2014. Winnipeg is the latest Canadian city to sign on. Trail associations and bike groups have brought the online tool to Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton, Whitehorse, Lethbridge, Alta., Guelph, Ont., St. John’s, N.L., and Ottawa. It also used in Reykjavik, Iceland. “The data’s had an impact in cities where it’s used,” said Karen Laberee, executive director of BikeMaps.org at the University of Victoria. “There are some easy wins to be had,” Laberee said. “What we do notice in cities that have been using it is (that) some of them are using the data to identify places where they can make some fixes. Sometimes, they’ve been able to make some easy fixes.” An average of two cyclists are killed in the province each year, figures from Manitoba Public Insurance show. Winnipeg Trails hopes to take the data recorded to the city’s public works active transportation advisory committee to address any concerns. alexandra.paul(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Other cities have solutions to bike theft (May23'19)
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '19

23 May '19

*Winnipeg’s plan to improve public education falls flat* * Other cities have solutions to bike theft * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/while-bike-thefts-soar-city-spins-i… WHAT, you may ask, is the City of Winnipeg doing to combat bike theft? Interesting question. Unfortunately, to date we mostly know what the city is not doing. Last week, city administrators recommended against a mandatory bike registration program at the point of sale. The city already has an online bike registry, but it is optional. A city committee will still consider making it mandatory, but the thumbs-down from administrators does not bode well for this idea. Of greater concern is the fact the six-page report tabled last week contains virtually no ideas for combating bike theft other than “improving public education.” Given the size and nature of the problem, that is a weak response. Bikes are easy to steal, even easier now that cordless grinders and saws have given thieves the ability to carve through almost any lock, chain or fixture being used to secure a bike. More than 3,000 bikes are reported stolen every year; about 1,000 are recovered, but less than 10 per cent find their way back to rightful owners. The broader concern is bicycle theft is directly connected to the meth crisis. Addicts looking for cash steal and sell bikes because they are relatively easy to grab and unload. Some end up in scrap metal yards, while others are sold in face-to-face transactions or through online classified sites. Faced with these conditions, it’s no wonder hardcore cyclists are frustrated. “It’s a very tough issue to deal with,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “There’s a convergence of things that have made it easier to steal and sell stolen bikes. We really need to do a bit more to deal with this problem, because it will create other problems down the road.” One of the most frequent concerns expressed by cyclists is the apparent indifference of the Winnipeg Police Service. Even when a bike has been registered, and when there is clear evidence suggesting it has been put up for sale in an online classified ad, police lack the resources to pursue the theft. A friend experienced this two years ago after his 18-year-old son’s $400 bicycle was stolen. The day after the bike went missing, my friend and his son found it for sale on Kijiji. It seemed like a slam-dunk opportunity to bust some crime. But after visiting the local community police office, my friend found out that in most instances, there are no resources to track down individual stolen bikes. In my friend’s case, it meant police declined his request to confront the person who had posted the stolen bike online. It should be noted the police service does undertake a number of measures to combat bike theft. It runs a sting program where bikes equipped with GPS trackers are left in high-risk areas. Once stolen, police track the bike’s location and make an arrest, which has happened several times. The police service is also heavily involved in public education, encouraging cyclists to register and lock their bikes and report thefts. However, when it comes to investigating an individual theft, resources run thin. A police spokesman noted that with dramatically increasing call volumes, many of them involving elevated risk to someone’s well-being or life, crimes such as this are constantly pushed down the list of policing priorities. “We can only help when resources allow for it,” the spokesman said. That is not a cop-out, if you’ll pardon the pun. In fact, when you look at all of the things police are asked to do, it’s easy to see how bike theft is given a lower priority. That does not mean there are no solutions. For example, most online classified sites do not require anyone selling a bike to post a registration number with the advertisement. All bikes have a unique, engraved number somewhere on their frames. Being required to include a registration number, or rejecting ads that do not have them, could make it tougher to fence a stolen bike. Rather than create its own online registry, Winnipeg could follow the example of other cities that employ free, third-party apps to create a community watch system for bicycles. Vancouver relies heavily on Garage 529, a free app developed by a private company in the U.S. that allows cyclists to register their bikes on a continent-wide database. For $13, the app sells you a “shield,” a decal that tells would-be thieves your bike is registered. If your bike is taken, you can notify the entire app community, and people can help provide information to aid in its recovery. Proponents believe the app not only allows more stolen bikes to be returned to their owners, but also acts as a deterrent to thieves. Law enforcement and other interested parties agree; hundreds of police services, schools and pro-bike groups across North America support Garage 529 by publicizing it and selling shields. The Brandon Police Service is the only participating agency in Manitoba. It appears to be working. In Vancouver, public education by police and Garage 529 has been credited with a 30 per cent drop in bike thefts. Another possible solution would be for the police service to occasionally track down and punish people who sell stolen bikes online. As is the case with the bike-bait program, a single, well-publicized arrest of an online fence would make for a powerful deterrent. Which brings us back to a single administration report produced for a single civic committee. The city cannot rely solely on the police, and needs to go beyond “public education” to address this problem. Fortunately, there are good ideas out there just waiting to be found. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca

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New NACTO Guide - Don't Give Up at Intersections - Designing All Ages and Abilities Bike Crossings
by Mark Cohoe 22 May '19

22 May '19

Hi, NACTO has released a nice, slick guidebook on intersection design for bikeways. Goes into a lot of detail with detailed graphics and photos. https://nacto.org/publication/urban-bikeway-design-guide/dont-give-up-at-th… Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca

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New Bike Cage to Help Curb Theft from Point Douglas School
by Beth McKechnie 22 May '19

22 May '19

New Bike Cage to Help Curb Theft from Point Douglas School https://www.chrisd.ca/2019/05/21/bike-cage-stanley-knowles-school/ Students and teachers who ride their bikes to Ecole Stanley Knowles School now have a new place to safely lock up their rides. A new enclosed bike rage in Stanley Knowles Park officially opened Tuesday in Point Douglas. The K-8 school has seen an increase in bicycle theft and vandalism, so officials are hoping the new cage alleviates some of the risk linked to bringing a bike to school. “With the recent construction of the active transportation routes directly connected to Ecole Stanley Knowles School, there has been an increased need for a safe locking facility for the students and teachers,” said Point Douglas Councillor Vivian Santos. The bike cage is located on city land at 2286 Inkster Boulevard just south of the school. The $15,000 project includes a 15’ x 30’ enclosed cage, a community bike repair stand and new granular path and pad.

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WFP: Portage gears up for Bike Week
by Beth McKechnie 22 May '19

22 May '19

*Portage gears up for Bike Week* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/News-briefs-510… Portage la Prairie cyclists are invited to join in the fifth annual Bike Week from May 25 to 31. Portage Active Transportation Committee member Maureen Owens said she hopes that many will join in at least one of the week’s activities. Bike Week kicks off with a scavenger hunt, used bike sale and barbecue on Sat., May 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Greasy Chain, a bike repair workshop at the corner of 1st Street NW and Fisher Avenue. Yoga in the Park is featured near the bandstand at Island Park on Sun., May 26 at 11 a.m. Cyclists can ride out to Fort la Reine Museum (2652 Saskatchewan Ave. E) between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to receive a homemade cinnamon bun and free admission to the museum. A public art tour is set for Mon., May 27 at 7 p.m. and the Junk Yard Dogs Bike Trails will meet at the dump hill at 7 p.m. Families can take part in a cookie ride on Tues., May 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. with cookies available at Portage elementary schools. The cycling grub crawl is being held on Thurs., May 30 starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Splash Island parking lot. Tickets are $25 and are available at the Portage la Prairie Regional Library, 40 Royal Rd. N. Portage students are encouraged to bike to school on Fri., May 31. The full schedule of events is available at facebook.com/activetransportationplap <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/headliner/facebook.com/ac…>

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WFP: Mandatory bike registration unwieldy: city (May17'19)
by Beth McKechnie 17 May '19

17 May '19

*Further coverage on the bike registry...* *Mandatory bike registration unwieldy: city * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/little-support-for-mandatory-bicycl… A CITY committee will vote next week on implementing a mandatory bicycle registration program at the point of purchase, a measure the city’s administration opposes. In January, the protection, community services and parks committee directed city staff to study the feasibility of operating a mandatory municipal bicycle registry. The city already operates a voluntary bike registry — which aims to help police return recovered stolen bicycles to rightful owners — but it isn’t widely used. In an average year, less than 10 per cent of the roughly 1,000 recovered stolen bicycles are registered. Following consultations with the Winnipeg Police Service, 21 retailers and three cycling organizations, administration staff determined it wouldn’t be feasible or beneficial to force people to register their bikes. “While the inherent value of a bike registry is widely recognized, our engagement with stakeholders pointed to significant challenges related to implementation and enforcement of a mandatory bike registry,” city bylaw officer Winston Yee wrote in a report that was submitted to the committee. “Therefore, the public service is recommending that mandatory bike registration at the time of purchase not be implemented.” The report notes mandatory registration and licensing programs have been scrapped in other cities because the cost outweighs the benefits. The majority of retailers that were consulted were concerned about collecting personal information from customers, adding to their workload and the logistics of passing the information on to the city. Meanwhile, police suggested mandatory registration would add barriers to cycling, in addition to placing extra burdens on retailers. Many of the bicycle retailers surveyed for the report said there was value in the voluntary registry and some said they provide information about the program. The police service said it has identified opportunities to enhance its efforts to curb bike theft, including improving available resources. The report will be voted on at Wednesday’s meeting.

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WFP: Councillor calls for speed reduction (May17'19)
by Beth McKechnie 17 May '19

17 May '19

*Nason wants to slow residential traffic as concerns mount over pedestrian deaths* * Councillor calls for speed reduction * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/councillor-moves-to-reduce-winnipeg… PEDESTRIAN safety took centre stage at city hall as councillors discussed lowering residential speed limits and expanding school-zone driving restrictions. Councillors clashed over whether Winnipeg is doing enough to develop a comprehensive road-safety plan. In the shadow of a deadly first half of 2019 — six pedestrians have been killed in the city thus far — Coun. Shawn Nason (Transcona) said he plans to table a motion on Monday, seeking to reduce residential speed limits throughout Winnipeg. The rookie councillor is also planning to call for an expansion of school-zone driving restrictions that would result in reduced speed limits year-round for 12 hours per day. “With regards to residential (neighbourhoods), I’m open to having dialogue on either reducing it to 40 or 30 (kilometres per hour),” Nason told reporters following Thursday’s monthly city council meeting. “I think that’s a good dialogue to have, and I think that would go towards reducing risks on residential streets and not having a major impact on people getting around the city.” Research shows dropping the speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 km/h would add an additional 48 seconds for every kilometre travelled during a commute, Nason said. That’s not an unreasonable delay, he said. Other Canadian municipalities are looking at similar measures. Vancouver is in the process of piloting 30-km/h speed limits in residential zones, while Edmonton city council is discussing the possibility of lowering its limits in such neighbourhoods. Nason said Winnipeg council has repeatedly looked at it over the years, yet no action has been taken. “I get tired when people use reports as a crutch. As a council, it sounds like we can say, ‘Let’s go this route.’ The reports have been done. I think it’s high time we take some action on this and show some leadership,” he said. So far this year, eight pedestrians have been killed in Manitoba. In an average year, there are 12 pedestrian deaths in Manitoba, officials said. On Wednesday night, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle in an alleged hit-and-run on Portage Avenue near the Viscount Gort Hotel. The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition, but was subsequently upgraded to stable. The Winnipeg Police Service said a suspect turned himself in shortly after the collision. During Thursday’s meeting, Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) repeatedly questioned Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), chairman of the public works committee, about when the city will have its own “comprehensive road safety strategy.” Three attempts by Lukes to have the question answered — and to get a firm timeline nailed down — were sidestepped. Instead, Allard repeatedly pointed to the fact the city subscribes to the province’s “Towards Zero” strategy, while highlighting piecemeal initiatives the municipal government has been implementing in the past year. Efforts aimed at getting people to drive slower and safer weren’t limited to city hall. Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler held a news conference Thursday to warn motorists to slow down while passing construction sites and crews that are working outside. “A lot of pedestrians are becoming fatalities on our roads, and it is a really serious issue that we have to address. We just had two fatalities again on a road in just the last 48 hours,” Schuler said. A man and a woman were struck and killed while crossing Nairn Avenue at Panet Road on Tuesday. kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca ryan.thorpe(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Wpg Sun: Mandatory bike registry unlikely for Winnipeg: report (May15'19)
by Beth McKechnie 16 May '19

16 May '19

Mandatory bike registry unlikely for Winnipeg: report https://winnipegsun.com/news/news-news/mandatory-bike-registry-unlikely-for… [For tips, check out / share: https://greenactioncentre.ca/healthy-travel/how-to-avoid-bike-theft/] The city’s public service is advising council not to add a mandatory bike registry. Back in January, council ordered a study of mandatory registration at the point of bike purchases, with the goal of returning more stolen bikes to their owners. But the public service now recommends that idea be scrapped, arguing it would be too expensive and too complicated to implement. “Our engagement with stakeholders pointed to significant challenges related to implementation and enforcement of a mandatory bike registry,” Marcia Fifer, the city’s licensing co-ordinator, writes in a report headed to council’s protection, community services and parks committee. In a follow-up interview, Fifer said smaller retailers were concerned that adding registration to each bike purchase would demand too much staff time. “We didn’t want to put a burden upon our retailers,” said Fifer. She said a scan of bike registries in other Canadian cities found all who had tried mandatory ones, which at one point included Winnipeg, have since abandoned them. Fifer said the cost to administer and enforce such programs was found to exceed the potential benefits. “The cost definitely outweighed any money the program was bringing in,” she said. The public service does plan to find new ways to better promote the city’s voluntary bike registration system, which has grown to list 12,000 bicycles, Fifer said. “That’s significant because we used to get only a few hundred new registrations a year, now in the last year we’ve gotten about 3,000,” she said. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski), who lobbied for the mandatory registry, said he’s disappointed by the report. Eadie said reuniting owners with stolen bikes is especially important in his ward, where cycling is a key means of transportation. He fears maintaining the status quo means it will remain difficult for police to return stolen bikes to their rightful owners. “They’re not considering the burden on the officer on the street, who will also face the frustration of the people,” said Eadie. Coun. Sherri Rollins, who chairs the protection and community services committee, agreed bike theft is a pressing concern, noting her own three children’s bikes were all stolen last year. “Winnipeg has particular challenges with respect to bike theft, so I think there is an imperative to always see … if there is any innovations that we could be doing,” said Rollins. The chair said she was pleased by the report’s extensive consultation efforts and will wait to hear her colleagues’ responses to it before weighing in on its recommendations. The protection committee will consider the report on May 22. jpursaga(a)postmedia.com Twitter: @pursagawpgsun

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WFP Editorial: Manitoba needs better road-safety strategy
by Beth McKechnie 16 May '19

16 May '19

*Manitoba needs better road-safety strategy * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/manitoba-needs-better-… A NUMBER of high-profile pedestrian deaths resulting from collisions in Winnipeg this year has road safety on the minds of many. The question is, what to do about it? Manitoba’s Road Safety Plan 2017-2020 highlights a grim statistic: despite the fact some progress is being made — traffic-related deaths declined to 80 in 2015 from 120 in 2006 — motorvehicle collisions are the province’s fifth-leading cause of injury-related deaths. Clearly, action is required. Public awareness campaigns are one approach, to encourage safer driving practices and better awareness for motorists and pedestrians who use our streets and sidewalks. MPI’s “Save the 100” advertisements highlight individual responsibilities for making our roads safer, with emphasis on factors such as distracted driving, impaired driving and speeding. Actually making the most dangerous sections of road safer, however, is a stickier proposition. City Coun. Janice Lukes has pushed for a traffic safety initiative since 2016, aiming to get traffic fatalities down to zero. The initiative, Vision Zero, was developed in Sweden in 1997 and focuses on the design of infrastructure and how it is used, analyzing data to create safer spaces. And it’s working: Sweden has one of the lowest annual rates of road deaths in the world, at three per 100,000. Pedestrian fatalities there were reduced by half within five years. Other jurisdictions have adopted this outlook: in 2014, New York City launched a plan employing traffic data and improved engineering to get traffic deaths to zero within 10 years. Clearly, investing in our roads, walkways and other infrastructure with a view to safety is critical. Here’s another question: how do we pay for it? In this, the province has a role to play. The previous New Democratic government floated a proposal to devote funds from MPI to improve high-risk spots. That went nowhere, thanks to vocal opposition over the prospect of the insurer funding infrastructure upgrades rather than returning surplus funds to ratepayers. The fact that safer intersections reduce the risk of accidents and save lives must not have been enough justification for those opposed, but — if money is the issue — the additional knowledge that reducing the number of collisions also reduces the number of claims and thus lowers premiums should have been. It’s also worth noting that decreasing accident and injury numbers lessens the financial burden on the taxpayerfunded health-care system. Other jurisdictions have taken this approach. The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia partners with local government to pay for safetyrelated road improvements. A 2015 evaluation found that the initiative led to an average 24 per cent decrease in severe collisions over a threeyear period. Manitoba has taken a lot of flak for not devoting more money to road and highway repair. Yet, the much-criticized increase to the provincial sales tax under the NDP was intended to fund infrastructure, something the opposition Progressive Conservatives attacked at the time. Even if the Pallister government were not philosophically opposed to spending PST income on roads, the revenue loss created by its promised-anddelivered one percentage point PST cut (effective July 1) would make such an investment difficult to achieve. We use our roads, highways, sidewalks and intersections every day, and pointing fingers doesn’t make any of those routes safer. It’s time to take a long-term approach, as Sweden did, and learn from what other jurisdictions, such as B.C., are doing. Because as the various safety campaigns make clear, the only number of traffic deaths we can all live with is zero.

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Washington, DC creates protected bike lane barriers from downed trees
by Beth McKechnie 15 May '19

15 May '19

Hmmm, perhaps a good use for Winnipeg's downed elm trees? *WASHINGTON, DC CREATES CYCLE TRACK BARRIERS FROM DOWNED TREES* -> The AASHTO Journal reported the District Department of Transportation in Washington, DC, is testing whether "re-purposed timber" gathered from trees removed due to damage can be used to build cycle track barriers. This timber is much less expensive than concrete barricades, and DDOT can create and fabricate these barricades in house. See the brief video: http://bit.ly/2LH1lwP <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…> -- Beth McKechnie* | *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/> 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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AT Webinar: Engaging Youth to Choose Car-free Mobility, May 22, 12-1pm
by Beth McKechnie 14 May '19

14 May '19

Please join Green Action Centre in the EcoCentre <https://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-…> boardroom for a group viewing of the following webinar (or register here <https://trec.pdx.edu/events/professional-development/webinar-05-19> to watch it at your desk). *Engaging Youth to Choose Car-free Mobility* *Wed, May 22nd, 12-1pm* Today’s youth are tomorrow’s riders, bikers, walkers, voters, and transportation planners. As more transit agencies begin to offer free fare passes to public middle and high school students, it is important to have good communication strategy in place to encourage transit usage so they don't miss out on the potential to affect behavior change. Thus, transit agencies need to develop age-appropriate messaging strategies and tactics that promote youth car-free mobility. This webinar will present results from a NITC research project that sought to create and evaluate communication messaging that fosters more positive attitudes, intentions, and behaviors related to transit and other car-free transportation options among Portland youth. While there is no "one size fits all" approach, the Portland-based findings may yield insights that could be adapted for application in other regions. KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES - Understand the car-free mobility-related attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of teens in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area; - Identify communication channels and settings that could be most effective with youth in regards to transportation system information and promotion; - Study the data to learn how strategic themes promoting car-free mobility were perceived by Oregon youth.

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Vancouver passes motion on 30km/h limit pilot project
by Beth McKechnie 14 May '19

14 May '19

A Vancouver City councillor’s motion for a pilot project on reducing the speed limit <https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-city-speed-limits-side-streets-bc…> on the city’s side streets and residential areas to 30 km/h passed unanimously on Tuesday. https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-30km-h-speed-limit-side-streets-r… -- Beth McKechnie* | *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/> 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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How We Talk About Drivers Hitting Cyclists
by Beth McKechnie 14 May '19

14 May '19

*How We Talk About Drivers Hitting Cyclists * *What the media gets wrong, and why, says a lot about how our society views vulnerable road users* Hardly a week goes by without an article about a crash in which a driver hits and kills a rider... Almost as troubling as the rise in deaths is the media coverage of these crashes... News stories often play a key role in shaping public understanding of traffic safety. And when news stories victim-blame or fail to convey the larger context in which these crashes take place, they do deep injustice to the victims and the conversation about road safety in general. Two new studies on inaccuracy and subtle bias in mainstream-media reporting about driver-cyclist crashes highlight the extent of these issues. What they show make clear just how deeply rooted the problem is—and how difficult it will be to fix. Full article: https://www.outsideonline.com/2392955/lets-talk-about-drivers-hitting-cycli… -- Beth McKechnie* | *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/> 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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CanStar (The Lance): Exciting active transportation improvements (May13'19)
by Beth McKechnie 14 May '19

14 May '19

Exciting active transportation improvements https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/lance/correspondent/Excit… The new pedestrian and cyclist tunnel beneath Fermor Avenue, east of St. Anne’s Road, is now visible — and light can be seen from the other end. As well, several other exciting new pieces of active transportation infrastructure in Old St. Vital are complete or are about to be completed. The new tunnel will form the linchpin of an active transportation corridor reaching from Southdale, Royalwood and other southeast neighbourhoods up through Old St. Vital into St. Boniface and ultimately the core. "The tunnel creates a connection from the southeast across Niakwa footbridge to Des Meurons — it is a major improvement for cycling in St. Vital," says Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital). The tunnel will link the southern end of Des Meurons Street with the Niakwa Place and Alpine Place neighbourhoods. For walkers and cyclists, these communities, the most densely populated areas in St. Vital, are presently only connected to their northern neighbours via a detour to St Anne’s Road. The newly rehabilitated St. Anne’s and Fermor intersection features two high-quality bicycle lights and pathways through the signalized section. There are also new, elevated speed-table-style safe crossings over yield lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. A new, at-grade, bridge-level multi-use pathway across the Fermor bridge is also now operational. It provides an alternative route across the Seine River in the event —as is true at the time of writing — the trail to Niakwa Park is flooded. The City of Winnipeg’s active transportation strategy identifies several north-south routes through the Southdale area, as well as a north-south corridor along St. George Street, Worthington Avenue and then Grey Street to the Bishop Grandin Greenway. Passing, as it does, by St. George School, this project could represent a tremendous opportunity to calm traffic in front of the school. Speed tables, a narrowed road, and improved sidewalk would not only provide a safe north-south bike route for St. Vital but a safer and more pleasant experience for parents at that school. To the north, given that St. Anne’s and St. Mary’s roads are narrow and in great demand for both rush-hour vehicle traffic and day and evening parking, Des Meurons Street through Glenwood and then Norwood seems the logical place to continue a safe and pleasant bicycle pathway into St. Boniface and the core. These projects and future visions represent an amazing leap forward for St. Vital. *Ryan Palmquist is a community correspondent for St. Vital. *

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AT Webinar: Maintaining Green Infrastructure, May 15th, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 09 May '19

09 May '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the May 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, May 15th, 2-3pm* Maintaining Green Infrastructure: Hints for Success Now that you've got your green bicycle, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure, what's your plan to maintain it? How can green infrastructure elements be planned for, designed, and operated to ensure quality maintenance of these community assets. *Presenters:* - Morvarid Ganjalizadeh, District Department of Transportation, Washington D.C. - Ken Sides, Sam Schwartz Engineering -- Beth McKechnie* | *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/> 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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New B.C. study links chronic disease, health care costs to where you live
by Beth McKechnie 07 May '19

07 May '19

*Direct health-care costs for diabetes, hypertension and heart disease are lower for those in walkable neighbourhoods and close to parks. * https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/new-b-c-study-links-chronic-diseas…

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WFP: Victoria aims to eliminate public transit fares (Apr26'19)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '19

29 Apr '19

*Victoria aims to eliminate public transit fares * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/greenpage/victoria-aim… VICTORIA wants to eliminate public transit fares for everyone in the region to encourage more ridership and reduce the effects of climate change. Mayor Lisa Helps will bring a motion to the regional transit commission today, asking it to embrace a policy of phasing out user fees and expanding bus service to meet an anticipated increase in demand. Coun. Ben Isitt, who introduced the motion that was passed Thursday by council, said it would begin with the elimination of fares for youth under 19 next year and the broader community would be phased in. Isitt said there’s almost no more space in the city for expanding roads or parking. “Driving is only going to get more challenging, so I think as we make transit more convenient and cheaper, that provides a further incentive for people to leave their cars at home.” The transit system currently depends on $40 million in annual revenue from fares but is primarily funded through taxation in the form of provincial subsidies, gas taxes and property taxes. Isitt said the proposal would see the fare revenue loss replaced with an expansion of the existing tax formula. Similar policies have been adopted in jurisdictions such as Luxembourg and Estonia’s capital city Tallinn. Other places offer free fare for certain demographics or in geographic areas, such as Madison, Wis., where fare is free in the city’s core. In Toronto, children under 12 ride for free, and in Kingston, Ont., high schoolers can too. The City of Kingston said the objective of the program launched in 2012 was to expose students to the transit system, building habits they may continue after graduation. Jeff Casello, a transportation professor at the University of Waterloo, said eliminating fares can encourage ridership, including for those who avoid public transit because they don’t know how the fee structure works. “The idea of free public transport has been talked about in many cities,” he said. “What many public transport systems are trying to do is increase people’s accessibility.” It can be an unpopular policy for municipalities that expect to recover operating costs. Aside from some exceptions in megacities in Asia, Casello said few public transit systems actually break even, so every dollar counts. In North America, user fares typically support between 40 and 60 per cent of the operating budget, he said. Fare incentives also aren’t enough to make many people change their habits. Those who already depend on transit will continue to use it and high-income earners who don’t use transit won’t be incentivized by a fare change from something like $2 to zero, he said. There is a larger group in the middle that has some price sensitivity and can shift habits depending on fare, but price isn’t typically the most important factor, Casello said in an interview on Friday. “It’s often the quality and the calibre of the public transport system. So in a city where I can drive and it will take me 10 minutes and I have hourly transit service that takes 30 minutes, reducing their fare is not going to change people’s habits, at least not those discretionary users,” Casello said. But if transit is competitive and people are considering the option, then making it free can shift behaviours where it will generate new riders, he said. In Victoria, Isitt said an important part of the proposal involves both electrifying the fleet and expanding bus routes and service to meet the anticipated demand. — The Canadian Press

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Build infrastructure and they will ride...
by Charles Feaver 28 Apr '19

28 Apr '19

Guardian article on results of biking infrastructure in the UK; https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2019/apr/26/if-you-build-… Cycle lanes are one of the most efficient and healthiest ways of moving people. A single bike lane can transport five times as many people as a motor traffic lane, without the air and noise pollution. This is good news for everyone, whether you drive, walk or cycle – or breathe. What’s clear from the data, though – despite occasional bizarre claims to the contrary, and attempts to have lanes removed – is that to reap cycling’s benefits you have to build proper infrastructure. But if you build it, they will come – and the cycle counters prove it. 2018 was a record year for cycle lane usage in the UK, thanks to the construction of new, high-quality cycle tracks, the growing popularity of existing routes and good networks that feed into those routes. ..... The country’s big hitter for cycling, problems with data collection have hampered publication of digital counts on its two major cycle superhighways, which opened in April 2016. In February 2018, digital counters were installed and soon started displaying prodigious numbers By August, 574,304 cycle trips had been logged on CS6, the north-south cycle superhighway, and by October 1,654,441 trips on CS3, the east-west route. After that, both counters failed and were switched off, but the CSH counters blog estimates they would have logged more than 3m cycle trips by Christmas. Using manual counts, Transport for London has recorded up to a 200% increase in cycling on the east-west route, and 124% on the north-south route, compared with numbers pre-construction. The city’s walking and cycling commissioner, Will Norman, announced on Tuesday that the counters were fixed again. Closure of streets to through motor traffic – filtering – also boosts cycling. Goldsmiths Row in Hackney, where more people commute by bike than by car, was filtered in 2013. The cycle counter has logged 6.28m rides so far – an average of 3,917 on weekdays and 1,854 on weekends. It is estimated 1.4 million people used the route in 2018; in 2017 it was 1.1 million. ...

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Functional Transit: AGM & 101 Years of the Bus
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '19

26 Apr '19

Interested in helping to improve transit service in our city? *Functional Transit Winnipeg (FTW) is seeking applicants for board director positions. *See attached for details. Also, check out the upcoming FTW events: *1) Functional Transit Annual General Meeting* The AGM will take place on Monday, May 6th at 7:00 PM at St. Boniface Library. This is a great opportunity for everyone to learn more about FTW and what's been accomplished and what is upcoming. See (and please share) attached poster. *2) 101 Years of the Bus ft. Glen Murray and Dr. Orly Linovski* This FREE event will take place on Wednesday, May 29th from 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM at The Good Will Social Club. For more info, please visit FTW's event page and please share with anyone you feel would be interested. https://www.facebook.com/events/1989911237805011/

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Vancouver sees record low in trips made by private automobile: report
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '19

26 Apr '19

*Vancouver sees record low in trips made by private automobile: report* A new report released by the City of Vancouver illustrates the extent to which city residents have taken up to modes of active transportation, specifically walking, cycling, and public transit. In Fall 2018, the municipal government commissioned Mustel Group to conduct an extensive survey of the transportation patterns of residents living in Vancouver. It found that 52.8% of all trips were made by walking, cycling, and transit — up from 48.4% in 2017. Compared to the survey conducted in 2017, there was a 4% decrease in private vehicle trips in 2018, with the automobile mode share falling from 52% to 47% during this one-year period. The distance travelled using an automobile also fell by 2.9% compared to the previous year. But car sharing increased to 34% in 2018, an increase from 31% in 2017 and 29% in 2016, and access to private vehicles remained steady at 87%. Overall, city residents had an “all-time low” for automobile trips, while the share of those who walked increased from 25.1% to 28.5% year-over-year. The downtown peninsula had the highest walking mode share, with 30% in the Central Business District and West End getting around by foot and 31% in False Creek. The Central Broadway Corridor’s walking mode share is 14% in comparison. The area with the lowest walking mode share was the southeast quadrant of the city at just 2%. The mode share for cycling remained relatively constant compared to the previous three years, with the mode share in 2018 at 7.3% — up from 6.7% in 2015 and 4.4% in 2013. According to the data, interest in biking is two times higher during fair weather conditions than cold and wet conditions. Cycling in fair weather is highest in the Strathcona and Grandview-Woodlands areas (43%), followed by Kitsilano and Point Grey (38%), and Central Broadway and Mount Pleasant (32%). The cycling mode share for residents living in the downtown peninsula is roughly half those of Central Broadway and Mount Pleasant. Although regional transit ridership growth has been high in recent years <https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/translink-ridership-october-2018>, the citywide transit mode share was relatively constant at 17% in 2018, with the prior five-year period seeing a high of 18% and a low of 15.9%. Kitsilano and Point Grey saw the highest level of transit use (41%) for people travelling to work, and in most areas of the city over 50% of students reported transit as their usual mode of travel. Interestingly, the proportion of those who used transit passes was highest amongst residents in the West End and the eastern half of Vancouver. The vast majority of Vancouver residents regularly travelled within the city; about 77% of trips originate and end within city boundaries. These findings are based on 2,600 randomly-selected respondents who completed trip diaries throughout the fall. But it identified some challenges with the under-sampling of the 15 to 35-year-old age group and the over-sampling of the 55+ age group, as the younger age group typically does not have a landline and smartphone lists do not provide the home location of cell owners. Look here for charts: https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-active-transportation-mode-share-…

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WFP: Ciclovia cycling event cancelled
by Patman, David 18 Apr '19

18 Apr '19

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/ciclovia-cycling-event-cancelled-50… Ciclovia cycling event cancelled By: Geralyn Wichers Posted: 04/17/2019 5:21 PM Ciclovia, the annual Winnipeg cycling event, is on an indefinite hiatus, Bike Week organizers announced Wednesday. Ciclovia began 10 years ago, when a section of Broadway was closed on a Sunday in September so cyclists could ride unimpeded by cars. The event was part of ManyFest and was run by the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. It was patterned after a weekly event in Bogota, Colombia, where, on Sundays, miles of road are closed to all but cyclists and pedestrians. The event "has never really been able to achieve what was originally envisioned," Bike Week chairman Dave Elmore said, adding it became more about the street festival than a celebration of cycling. Last year, Ciclovia was held during a cycling celebration event called Bike Week, which is held annually in June. "We had a vision of building it into a true Ciclovia event," Elmore said, but explained closing roadways would involve city permission and a lot of funding. Until they can do Ciclovia right, they won't do it at all, said Elmore. He wasn't able to give details on what a revamped event would look like. geralyn.wichers(a)freepress.mb.ca<mailto:geralyn.wichers@freepress.mb.ca>

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Fwd: [Vision Zero]: Re: Webinar - Parachute's Vision Zero Network - REGISTER TODAY
by Anders Swanson 16 Apr '19

16 Apr '19

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Julie Taylor <jtaylor(a)parachutecanada.org> Date: Tue, Apr 16, 2019 at 2:57 PM Subject: [Vision Zero]: Re: Webinar - Parachute's Vision Zero Network - REGISTER TODAY To: VisionZero(a)lists.parachutecanada.org < VisionZero(a)lists.parachutecanada.org> Hello Parachute Vision Zero network members, Some of you may be interested in registering for the below Vision Zero workshop taking place next Wednesday, April 24, 11am-12pm MST. Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals L'Association canadienne des professionnels de la sécurité routière *Webinar Series* *CARSP* and *City of Calgary - Roads* have joined to bring you a series of free webinars on a variety of topics focused on safety in transportation. This is part of CARSP's Knowledge Sharing Initiative. Stay tuned for more webinars on other important road safety topics. *Parachute’s Vision Zero Network* Free Webinar to CARSP Members *April 24, 2019, 11am-12pm MST* Vision Zero is a road safety initiative that was developed in Sweden and can be summarized in one sentence: No loss of life is acceptable. The road system that keeps us moving everyday should be designed to protect us when we make mistakes. Numerous cities across the world, including many in Canada have adopted Vision Zero or are in the process of developing their own strategic plans to create thriving, healthy, and safe communities. Join Parachute’s Interim CEO to hear about how Parachute Vision Zero is supporting Vision Zero and Safe Systems approaches in Canada. The first part of the webinar will look at concepts and basic tenets of Vision Zero. The second part of the webinar will focus on evidence based, knowledge translation tools and resources that Parachute produces with the support of Vision Zero champions across Canada and internationally. *SIGN UP EARLY - SPACE IS LIMITED!* *Presenter: *Pamela Fuselli, MSc is the Interim CEO at Parachute. Prior to this, she was the Vice President, Knowledge Transfer and Stakeholder Relations at Parachute. She was also Executive Director at Safe Kids Canada and one of the four leaders that led and co-founded the Injury Alliance that, through a process of national consultation and visioning, created a plan to move from collaboration to amalgamation of operations of the four NGOs, resulting in the formation of Parachute. Pamela received her BSC in Psychology from the University of Toronto in 1992, her BHA (2002) from Ryerson University and MSc (2010) in Creativity and Change Leadership from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. *Early registration for CARSP members only is until **Wednesday April 10th**, after which registration is also open to Roads Partners. Space is limited, so sign up soon to reserve your spot!* *Register Now!* <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> *Questions?* - *Webinar Content Questions:* *pfuselli(a)parachutecanada.org* <pfuselli(a)parachutecanada.org?subject=CARSP%20Webinar%20Question> - *Technical Difficulties **(either during registering or during the webinar): **ewan.macpherson(a)calgary.ca* <ewan.macpherson(a)calgary.ca?subject=Webinar%20Question> - *about CARSP** - **Brenda.Suggett(a)carsp.ca* <Brenda.Suggett(a)carsp.ca?subject=Questions%20about%20CARSP%20> [image: Image removed by sender.] <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> Twitter - #CARSP2019 <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> [image: Image removed by sender.] <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> CARSP - LinkedIn <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> *Copyright © 2019 CARSP-ACPSER, All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you are a current member of CARSP. *Our mailing address is:* CARSP-ACPSER 17 Meadowbrook Crescent St Catharines, ON L2M 7G8 Canada Add us to your address book <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=247b…> unsubscribe from this list <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&i…> update subscription preferences <https://carsp.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=abd86bfa37a97091490314c26&id=24…> [image: Image removed by sender. Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…> [image: Image removed by sender.] ------------------------------ ================================= You received this email because you are a member of the Parachute Vision Zero network email list. To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to: visionzero-unsubscribe(a)lists.parachutecanada.org Note that unsubscribing from this list does not otherwise affect your membership in the network, or prevent you from receiving the regular Vision Zero newsletter and other related items – it only unsubscribes you from this members’ discussion list. The Parachute Vision Zero network email discussion list is hosted by: Parachute - Leaders in Injury Prevention 150 Eglinton Ave. East, Suite 300 Toronto, ON M4P 1E8 www.parachutecanada.org Send all administrative and/or technical inquiries related to the list serve to the List Administrator: admin(a)parachutecanada.org

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WFP Analysis: Pedestrians needn’t die in city traffic (Apr12'19)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Apr '19

12 Apr '19

*Pedestrians needn’t die in city traffic * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/pedestrians-neednt-die-i… ON April 1, a 57-year-old woman died after she was hit by a half-ton truck in the parking lot of Garden City Shopping Centre. On March 26, a 41-year-old man died after he was hit by a vehicle on March 20 while he was crossing Osborne Street at Morley Avenue. On March 19, a four-year-old girl died a day after being hit by a vehicle while using the crosswalk with her mother at Isabel Street and Alexander Avenue. Those are examples of the many recent traffic deaths that cause grim concern when newsroom editors gather to discuss Winnipeg issues. Meanwhile, at city hall, councillors learned last week that the administration seems unable to develop a plan to make streets safer. The public works department was directed in January 2017 to produce a road-safety strategy. More than two years later, the department hasn’t started the plan. David Patman, the city’s transportation manager, blamed the procrastination on turnover in two senior positions. Coun. Janice Lukes expressed dismay, which was unsurprising because she’s pushed since 2016 for Winnipeg to implement Vision Zero, a traffic safety initiative created in Sweden that gets its name from its mandate of achieving zero fatalities on roads. It’s working wonders in Edmonton. To be fair, it should be noted that, even without a plan, Winnipeg has tried to improve traffic safety in recent years. Examples include pedestrian countdown signals at busy intersections, traffic signal poles with breakaway bases so hitting them will cause less damage, new bike lanes, traffic-calming devices such as traffic circles, and speed limits around schools reduced to 30 km/h during the school year. The problem is that such changes seem random, not part of a comprehensive strategy. The public has no way of evaluating how these isolated improvements fit together, which ones are working to improve safety and what’s ahead for the future. If Lukes had her way, the department would adopt the Vision Zero plan. There was confusion on this matter Tuesday when Mayor Brian Bowman said the city has already produced a plan, but the mayor was mistakenly thinking of the similarly named provincial road safety plan called The Road to Zero: Manitoba Road Safety Plan 2017-2020. If this city had a true Vision Zero plan, everyone, including the mayor, would remember it because the plan’s premise — no loss of life is acceptable — would require a revolutionary change in Winnipeg’s car culture. No longer would pedestrians, cyclists, school kids and senior citizens be only an afterthought. The safety of these vulnerable people would be the city’s top priority, ahead of the convenience of vehicles. Since it originated the strategy in 1997, Sweden has cut its number of traffic deaths in half. They did it with an all-in commitment to redesigning roads, mandating changes to vehicles and changing the behaviour of drivers. Jurisdictions around the world took notice. “The countries with the lowest levels of road violence have adopted a radically different paradigm of traffic safety, in which the state assumes full responsibility and the focus is on implementing fail-safe roads and vehicles,” reads a mission statement on the website of Vision Zero Canada. To understand real-life implications of a Vision Zero commitment, it’s instructive to scan the City of Edmonton’s 2018 annual traffic safety report. Since Edmonton adopted Vision Zero three years ago, traffic deaths have decreased by 40 per cent, collisions involving pedestrians have dropped 21 per cent and collisions involving cyclists have fallen 27 per cent. The report gives a comprehensive list of upgrades in 2018 alone: 20 new pedestrian signals; 65 new driver feedback signs that display a vehicle’s speed; 27 school zones got safety improvements; 21 intersections where turning safety was improved; and the introduction of five new pedestrian scrambles, which are intersections where traffic is stopped in all directions to let pedestrians cross laterally or diagonally. To get drivers to slow down, Edmonton uses a controversial blitz of cameras, laser and photo radar devices that move to different locations. In 2018, they gave out 379,000 tickets. They’re currently debating whether to implement a blanket speed limit of 30 km/h in residential areas. Would it work in Winnipeg? Vision Zero depends on results-based policies and practices, so it would likely flop in a city where the public works department is allowed to ignore for two years a directive to produce a road-safety strategy. Implementing Vision Zero here would require strong leadership to change the culture of Winnipeg drivers. We would need to drive as if every pedestrian and cyclist were one of our loved ones. It would also require a substantial investment of public money to change infrastructure in a city designed to be the domain of motor vehicles. Is it worth it? Ask the families of the people killed on Winnipeg streets. *Carl DeGurse is a member of the Free Press editorial board.* carl.degurse(a)freepress.mb.ca

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AT Webinar: Designing streets for the speeds you want (Wed, Apr 17th, 2-3pm)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Apr '19

10 Apr '19

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the recorded April 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, April 17th, 2-3pm* Designing streets for the speeds you want Should 85th-percentile speeds determine the design and operation of streets in your community? How can we lower speeds to improve safety if we don’t have the right tools and policies? This webinar will examine the relationship between posted, design and target speed in designing safer streets. -- Beth McKechnie* | *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/> 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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