- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: City seeks bids for Route 90 redesign (Jun29'17)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jul '17

01 Jul '17

City seeks bids for Route 90 redesign http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-wants-consultants-route-90-rede… CITY hall is taking steps to prepare for the long-awaited widening of Kenaston Boulevard and the rebuilding of the St. James bridges. A formal request for proposals (RFP) was issued recently, asking potential consultants to develop preliminary designs for the Route 90 project Winnipeg city council approved in principle in January 2012. Senior councillors denied the RFP has been issued in anticipation of a resolution to the dispute between Ottawa and First Nations over the Kapyong barracks property. Ward Coun. John Orlikow, chairman of the property and development committee, said concern over the structural viability of the St. James bridges prompted city hall to have designs in place. “The St. James bridges take so much traffic, it’s a crucial transportation link,” said Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry), adding it’s not necessary for the Kapyong barracks situation to be resolved before work begins on the bridges but it would be preferable. “We can work on that one project if we have to, but we’d like to see the whole thing done at once.” City hall has budgeted $2.5 million for the consulting contract. While the 2009 estimated cost of the project had been $129 million, the city acknowledged it was a rough estimate. The consultant’s final report will be expected to include revised cost estimates that would be accurate within a range of minus-20 per cent to plus-30per cent, known as a Class 3 estimate. The designs will be based on “Option 4,” one of five widening designs presented to the public during a series of open houses. It will widen the west side of Kenaston Boulevard between Taylor Avenue and Tuxedo Boulevard and the east side between Tuxedo and the bridges. According to the RFP document, the city will have to acquire 136 properties along Kenaston: 94 single homes and 21 duplex units; 52 of them are privately owned and 81 belong to the Department of National Defence. The plan to widen Kenaston provides for sidewalks on both sides, plus a three-metre-wide cycling and pedestrian pathway on the west side from Taylor to Wellington Crescent. The RFP advises potential consultants widening Kenaston will require closing several side streets. Option 4 also envisions a pedestrian bridge across Kenaston at Lockston Avenue. For the bridge project, the RFP states both northbound and southbound spans will be widened to four lanes and accommodate pedestrians and cyclists, and will tie into future cycling networks. The city wants a realignment of the eastward off-ramp to Portage Avenue, which cuts through the Viscount Gort Hotel property. For the southbound span, Orlikow said the city is going to require the roadway to be realigned and straightened. The RFP is requiring the consultant team to include at least one “industry recognized bicycle facilities design expert with extensive knowledge and experience in the design of complex bicycle facilities in North America.” The RFP closes at noon on July 21. The city expects to award a contract by the end of August and the winning consultant will be required to produce a draft preliminary design by Aug. 31, 2018. The tentative date for a public open house to review the preliminary designs is set for Nov. 1, 2018. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

Metro News & WFP: Council puts brakes on fast-tracking bike network (Jun28'17)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '17

28 Jun '17

Council puts brakes on fast-tracking bike network http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/council-puts-brakes- on-fast-tracking-bike-network-431231623.html COUN. Janice Lukes failed for a third time to convince a civic committee to consider fast-tracking the construction of a protected bike network in downtown Winnipeg. Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) appeared before the public works committee Tuesday with a proposal to have department staff prepare two plans that could be considered for implementation in 2019 — one following the approved piecemeal approach, the other following the fast-track method. “Councillors would have two plans and they could decide, do they want to support increasing safety in downtown cycling or do they want to continue,” with the current plan, Lukes told the committee. Lukes, who used to chair the public works committee until she was removed fromthe post by Mayor Brian Bowman in early November, had pitched a variation of the same concept twice before: in late November and again in May. Each time, it was rejected. Lukes had no better luck Tuesday, but it was close. Committee members voted twice — once to reject the plan and a second time to approve it — and each vote ended in a tie. Winnipeg adopted a pedestrian and cycling strategy in 2015 that includes the construction of 10 kilometres of bike trails throughout the downtown area. City hall has only approved the construction of two kilometres of the network but the plan is already behind schedule and that portion won’t be completed until 2019. It’s projected it could take five to seven years to construct the entire downtown bike network. Lukes said Winnipeg should follow the examples set by Calgary and Edmonton, which constructed entire downtown bike networks of similar distances using temporary structures — low-profile concrete curbs, plastic bollards, paint and decorative planters — in a matter of weeks. Lukes told the committee the public works department has previously said constructing protected routes using temporary materials was a practical and cost-effective method. Couns. Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) and Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) thought Lukes’ proposal was worth considering, while Couns. Marty Morantz (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge) and Matt Allard (St. Boniface) said the city should stick with its current plan of incremental path construction. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca * * * * * Proposed downtown bike grid for Winnipeg gridlocked at city hall Coun. Janice Lukes’ motion for a gapless network of bike lanes downtown denied for third time http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2017/06/27/downtown-bi ke-grid-gridlocked-at-city-hall.html *By:* Keila DePape For Metro Published on Tue Jun 27 2017 A motion to install a bike lane network downtown died (again) at city hall Tuesday. “It’s frustrating,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, who wanted the Infrastrucutre and Public Works Committee to direct city staff to cost out a rapid install of adjustable protected bike lanes. “We know we can do something cheaper, better, faster—why aren’t we?” Coun. Marty Morantz criticized the bike grid concept as a “dramatic” departure from the “award winning” Pedestrian and Cycling Strategy (PCS) council approved in 2015, which details active transportation infrastructure plans across the city. “If we decided to drop it (the PCS) and just do a downtown grid, projects all over the city would be in jeopardy for a temporary structure that would have to be made permanent at some point,” Morantz said, adding “adjustable elements” are already included in the current strategy. But that’s not enough for councillors who say a bike grid is key for the city’s connectivity. “We’ve already built some significant suburban routes that connect to downtown,” said North Kildonan Coun. Jefff Browaty, who spoke in favour of Lukes’ plan and the “final mile” connectivity it would offer. “That final stretch to get to people’s offices where people work and play, that’s what’s really missing right now.” Coun. Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) sided with Browaty, saying she’d “like administration to work on this,” and study it at least. But the fourth committee member, Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) sided with Morantz, questioning the merit in going for a temporary grid with a permanent plan already on the horizon. The committee’s 2-2 split on Lukes’ motion means a study to find out how much the downtown bike network would cost won’t happen anytime soon in Winnipeg. That's despite other Canadian cities offering a point of reference and successful examples. Edmonton introduced a $7.5 million bike grid plan in October and installed seven kilometres of lanes within the same three-month period it took Winnipeg’s public service to report on whether elements of that approach fit the PCS. Likewise, Calgary finished a 6.6-kilometre bike lane network within four months for $5.45 million. Lukes wanted the study to be included in the 2018 budget when she first advanced the motion in October, but she adjusted her expectations when it failed again in May. Now, blocked in her third attempt Tuesday, the forecast for 2019 isn’t looking good either. Lukes said she will continue to fight for the bike grid, but doesn’t yet know how to go about it at this point after being stymied at the committee level. “With this public works committee, I will not be able to make progress,” she said.

1 0

INVITATION: Plain Bicycle Pickup Party
by Anders Swanson 23 Jun '17

23 Jun '17

Happy Bike to Work Day! Next week, please join us as this party is going to go be spectacular. All welcome, but please RSVP with link below. Winnipeg meets Amsterdam for an evening. You don't have to be a customer to try one or compete in the Dutch Slow Biking Dinking (Doubling) Race or enjoy the music or have a beer and be merry. Kindly, Anders Plain Bicycle Party + Pick UpYou're invited to attend. Dear new plain bicycle owner and friends, The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here! The shipment has arrived from the Netherlands. We are finally going to see them on the streets of Winnipeg! The bikes survived their Atlantic journey, are being reassembled for you right now and are eager to meet their owners. Join us for a party to celebrate the achievement and pick up your bike. There will be live DJs, storytelling, a dinking* race, and more. Invitation and details on the next page. A huge thank you to the bike owners for your support, enthusiasm and endurance. For some, it has been almost a year and a half since you signed up. This project was only possible because of your patience and imagination. In buying a Dutch bike you are helping Winnipeggers (and North America) catch a glimpse of what the future of transportation looks like. Also a huge thank you to Torrin, Jan, Jamie, Mendert, Danny, Mikael, Fritz, Bas, Erwin, Charlton, Jon, Dan, Herbert, Michel, Ian, Keilewerf, Local Motion, Dave and The Forks crew, Give-A-Bike, Havensteder, Den Haag Fietspunt, Winnipeg Trails and everyone else in Rotterdam, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Den Haag and Winnipeg who helped make this possible. Sincerely, Leigh Anne and Anders The Plain Bicycle Project *PLAIN BICYCLE PICKUP PARTY* Wednesday June 28th, 2017 pop-up patio at The Forks (near the Atrium) All Welcome *Party:* 4pm-10pm; Bike Pickup: 7pm *Suggested dress code:* Semi-Formal or Business attire *Detailed Schedule:* 4:00pm: Registration begins (get your code) 4:30pm: Pre-event Media 5:30pm: The Plain Bicycle Story A presentation about how the bicycles were collected, where they came from, how to take care of them, how they can be used to help create an everyday cycling culture, Q&A, etc. 7:00pm - Get the Keys to Your Bike! (time at which you now officially own the closest thing to a magic carpet) 8:00pm - Group Photo 8:30pm - Slow Biking Race (Individual and Dinking*) Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd courtesy Natural Cycle Live DJs Music continue until 10 then the party moves inside to the Common. Please go here to RSVP <http://plainbicycle.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7da28f97a6eaedd38ba8…> (required). Note: If you cannot attend on Wednesday, please use the RSVP form <http://plainbicycle.us16.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=7da28f97a6eaedd38ba…> to let us know so we can make arrangements. If you already talked to an organizer about it, do it anyway. Please. *not sure about this? Don’t worry. You’ll find out what this means when you get here. :) June 2017 28 RSVP required <http://plainbicycle.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7da28f97a6eaedd38ba8…> <http://plainbicycle.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7da28f97a6eaedd38ba8…> FRIEND ON FACEBOOK <http://plainbicycle.us16.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=7da28f97a6eaedd38ba…> <http://plainbicycle.us16.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7da28f97a6eaedd38ba8…> FOLLOW ON TWITTER <http://plainbicycle.us16.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=7da28f97a6eaedd38ba…>

1 0

CBC: Bike Week sees pop-up lanes protect cyclists from vehicles (Jun20'17)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jun '17

22 Jun '17

Bike Week sees pop-up lanes protect cyclists from vehicles on Winnipeg streets City experiment comes after months of consultation with public on biking infrastructure in Winnipeg http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/bike-week-winnipeg-1.4169731

1 0

Fwd: MPI Cycling Media Event
by Jamie Hilland 20 Jun '17

20 Jun '17

Jamie Hilland Active and Safe Routes to School Program Green Action Centre 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue | (204) 925-3777 x103| Find us here Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member. Donate at CanadaHelps.org ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <BSmiley(a)mpi.mb.ca> Date: Jun 20, 2017 10:21 AM Subject: MPI Cycling Media Event To: Cc: *MEDIA INVITATION* Dozens of cyclists will be gathering at The Forks to visually demonstrate MPI’s new road safety campaign, involving vehicles and cyclists. The new campaign: ‘*Please* *Leave Space to Breathe*” will encourage motorists to leave 1-metre of space when passing a cyclist. *WHEN*: Friday, June 23 11 a.m. *WHERE*: The Forks Market Boxcar by North West Entrance Link to the site: https://www.google.com/maps/d/ viewer?mid=15CN-bcjJ_r_7-94loZJmKriCV5o&ll=49.887455438057884%2C-97. 13156190608214&z=20 *WHO*: Bike Winnipeg Green Action Centre (Active & Safe Routes to School Program) Winnipeg Police Service Manitoba Public Insurance [image: cid:6592D6FE-6D93-4FBE-BEC9-031ADABA75B6] For more information contact: Manitoba Public Insurance Media Relations Unit 204-985-7300 <(204)%20985-7300>

1 0

Webinar Reminder: Beyond Counting - Putting Data to Work
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jun '17

20 Jun '17

*** Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar and pop up protected bike lane tour *** 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. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Should be especially interesting to hear from Calgary about collecting data related to their downtown protected bike lane grid. You might want to consider taking in the pop up protected bike lane tour in the Exchange over the lunch hour and then join us for the webinar at 2pm. Here are details on the bike tour but you can find more info on the project here <http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkbikeprojects/westAlex…> : Join other interested cyclists at Old Market Square for a lunch hour ride to explore and discuss proposed design options for the pop-up protected bike lanes in the Exchange District. Take part in the ride and join the conversation and experience options to improve the existing painted bike lanes on McDermot and Bannatyne. This ride is part of the City of Winnipeg’s public engagement for the *West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor*. Join us at Old Market Square, the ride leaves at 12:00pm and will return by 12:30pm with some time for discussion before you head back to work. cheers, Beth * * * * * *Beyond Counting: Putting the Data to Work for Better Planning and EvaluationWed, June 21 | 2-3 p.m. CDT* The June webinar will be an exciting panel! PeopleForBikes will discuss their forthcoming network analysis tool. Its goal is to join policy with politics, making it relatively cheap and easy for cities to locate the weakest areas in their biking network — and, eventually, the easiest ways to make the network better. The team from HDR and the city and county of Denver, CO, will review several case studies and discuss how the outcomes of a recent study helped inform future capital expenditures as well as knowing the level of accuracy when reporting bicycle data sets and the context in which specific vendor equipment performs best. Presenters will discuss applying before and after data collection programs as part of a pilot two-way cycle track project and being proactive in applying initial data collection findings to tweak layout, designs, etc. They will also discuss applying before and after data collection as part of permanent installations to understand user experience, user understanding of new technologies and apply those lessons learned to future design projects. The City of Calgary will present and discuss their Center City Cycle Track Network Pilot. *Presentation Panel:* - Jennifer Boldry, People for Bikes - Rick Plenge, P.E., PTOE - HDR - Dan Raine, Denver, CO - Ryan Martinson, Stantec (Calgary) - Katherine Glowacz, City of Calgary -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

1 0

AT Webinar Invite: Beyond Counting - Putting Data to Work
by Beth McKechnie 15 Jun '17

15 Jun '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. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. Should be especially interesting to hear from Calgary about collecting data related to their downtown protected bike lane grid. You might want to consider taking in the pop up protected bike lane tour in the Exchange over the lunch hour and then join us for the webinar at 2pm. Here are details on the bike tour but you can find more info on the project here <http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkbikeprojects/westAlex…> : Join other interested cyclists at Old Market Square for a lunch hour ride to explore and discuss proposed design options for the pop-up protected bike lanes in the Exchange District. Take part in the ride and join the conversation and experience options to improve the existing painted bike lanes on McDermot and Bannatyne. This ride is part of the City of Winnipeg’s public engagement for the *West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor*. Join us at Old Market Square, the ride leaves at 12:00pm and will return by 12:30pm with some time for discussion before you head back to work. cheers, Beth * * * * * *Beyond Counting: Putting the Data to Work for Better Planning and EvaluationWed, June 21 | 2-3 p.m. CDT* The June webinar will be an exciting panel! PeopleForBikes will discuss their forthcoming network analysis tool. Its goal is to join policy with politics, making it relatively cheap and easy for cities to locate the weakest areas in their biking network — and, eventually, the easiest ways to make the network better. The team from HDR and the city and county of Denver, CO, will review several case studies and discuss how the outcomes of a recent study helped inform future capital expenditures as well as knowing the level of accuracy when reporting bicycle data sets and the context in which specific vendor equipment performs best. Presenters will discuss applying before and after data collection programs as part of a pilot two-way cycle track project and being proactive in applying initial data collection findings to tweak layout, designs, etc. They will also discuss applying before and after data collection as part of permanent installations to understand user experience, user understanding of new technologies and apply those lessons learned to future design projects. The City of Calgary will present and discuss their Center City Cycle Track Network Pilot. *Presentation Panel:* - Jennifer Boldry, People for Bikes - Rick Plenge, P.E., PTOE - HDR - Dan Raine, Denver, CO - Ryan Martinson, Stantec (Calgary) - Katherine Glowacz, City of Calgary

1 0

Police bikes
by ian_toal＠mymts.net 15 Jun '17

15 Jun '17

Not sure what to make of this: https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jun/15/the-new-horsemen-why-america… Ian

2 1

Iranian women and girls defy cycling fatwa
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '17

13 Jun '17

Some perspective on our own challenges... https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/jun/12/girls-ride- bikes-iranian-women-defy-cycling-fatwa-tehran

1 0

Fwd: **Correction** Let's Party! Saturday June 10th is International Trails Day
by Anders Swanson 09 Jun '17

09 Jun '17

FYI. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Winnipeg Trails <info(a)winnipegtrails.ca> Date: Fri, Jun 9, 2017 at 2:52 PM Subject: Let's Party! Saturday June 10th is International Trails Day To: andersswanson(a)gmail.com Saturday, June 10, 2017 Join us tomorrow for International Trails Day! On Saturday we celebrate International Trails Day all over Winnipeg with a stellar lineup of events including a SLOW ROLL BIKE JAM and Pop-Up BBQ winding its way through some of Winnipeg's special places. Bring friends and family! Share the event on Facebook <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed0…>, Twitter <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed…>or Instagram <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed…> . Bringing the party to a trail near you. Some highlights: - 9am - Meet up at The Forks for free coffee and Donuts. At 9:20, the Bike Jam starts heading south. - 10:30am - BenchMARK - Unveiling Pothole Bench - 11:40am - BenchMARK - Unveiling Scattered Spheres - 12:15pm - Henteleff Park - BBQ, Discussion & Explore - 2:00-6:30pm - SLOW ROLL BIKE JAM ALL OVER WINNIPEG! Join in the morning or *find us on the map* <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed0…>to meet up anywhere along the way. Stay for a short time, or join the whole thing! Our mobile slow roll bike jam will be exploring the city, stopping along the way to see some special places, doing some chalk street art, firing up the pop-up BBQ, showing off our brand new technology from Google . . . and more! - 7:00pm - 9:00pm Fools + Horses (379 Broadway) *Blazing Trails - The Past, Present and Future of Winnipeg Connecting People Through Transportation and Identity.* This evening is all about Winnipeg, who we are, who we want to be and how we get there. We have very interesting evening panel lined up with 3 very interesting perspectives. Talks and a panel featuring Michael Champagne, Heather Hinam and Anders Swanson. Moderated by Leigh Anne Parry. Licenced. *Help this event grow. Share it Facebook <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed0…>, Twitter <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed…>or Instagram <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed0…>. * *Raining? Who cares! We aren't made of sugar. We are bringing a bunch of umbrellas and tents. If its raining come dance with us. Learn more about the event <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed0…> <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed…> <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed0…> <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed…> <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage.com/track/click?u=128342d81c494f9ed0…> *Copyright © 2017 Winnipeg Trails Association, All rights reserved.* You asked to receive updates from the Winnipeg Trails Association. *Our mailing address is:* Winnipeg Trails Association 235–614 Des Meurons Street Winnipeg, Mb R2H 2P9 Canada Add us to your address book <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage2.com/vcard?u=128342d81c494f9ed0578c1…> Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage1.com/profile?u=128342d81c494f9ed0578…> or unsubscribe from this list <http://winnipegtrails.us10.list-manage1.com/unsubscribe?u=128342d81c494f9ed…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

1 0

Come ride the City's pop-up bike lanes during bike week!
by Shoni Madden 05 Jun '17

05 Jun '17

Thrilled to be a part of the team working on the City of Winnipeg's West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor project. As bike week approached's you will all get a chance to provide some feedback on the proposed design options at a number of events. Details are on the Bike Week event page, but I have pasted them below as well. Hope to see a few of you on the bike ride :) - *June 20 - 11:00am-1:30pm - City of Winnipeg Public Engagement and Pop-up Protected Bike Lane* As part of the *West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor*, the City of Winnipeg is looking at options to improve the existing painted bike lanes on McDermot Avenue and Bannatyne Avenue to protected infrastructure so that they are comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. The city is looking to continue the conversation and get input on proposed design options. The public engagement on this project began back in February 2017 and has documented input from stakeholders. The event will take place at Hugh John MacDonald School, 567 Bannatyne Ave. starting at 11:00 am. Come experience a pop-up protected bike lane demonstrating a potential design option and provide feedback. Attend the June 20, 2017 pop-up to win a free bike! (Bike provided by Hugh John MacDonald School and the WRENCH) For more information visit the website <http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkbikeprojects/westAlex…> . *June 21 - 10:00am-2:00pm - City of Winnipeg Public Engagement and Pop-up Protected Bike Lane * As part of the *West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor*, the City of Winnipeg is looking at options to improve the existing painted bike lanes on McDermot Avenue and Bannatyne Avenue to protected infrastructure so that they are comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. The city is looking to continue the conversation and get input on proposed design options. The public engagement on this project began back in February 2017 and has documented input from stakeholders. The event will take place at at Old Market Square, Exchange District. starting at 10:00 am. Come experience a pop-up protected bike lane demonstrating a potential design option and provide feedback. For more information visit the website <http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkbikeprojects/westAlex…> . *June 21 - 12:00pm-12:45pm - Lunch Hour tour of the Exchange District Pop-up Bike Lanes* Join other interested cyclists at Old Market Square for a lunch hour ride to explore and discuss proposed design options for the pop-up protected bike lanes in the Exchange District. Take part in the ride and join the conversation and experience options to improve the existing painted bike lanes on McDermot and Bannatyne. This ride is part of the City of Winnipeg’s public engagement for the *West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor*. Join us at Old Market Square, the ride leaves at 12:00pm and will return by 12:30pm with some time for discussion before you head back to work. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! Happy Commuter Challenge week to all :) -- *Shoni Madden* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3773 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> * Please note that my regular office hours are Monday/Friday. I will respond to your communication at this time.

1 0

WFP: City lags behind Calgary, Edmonton in cycling lane construction (Jun3'17)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jun '17

03 Jun '17

City lags behind Calgary, Edmonton in cycling lane construction Winnipeg stuck in slow lane http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winnipeg-stuck-in- slow-lane-426052613.html CIVIC leaders often compare our city’s progress to Calgary and Edmonton but when it comes to building bike networks, the experts say Winnipeg has a lot to learn from its western counterparts. Calgary has been cited for the speed with which it built a world class, 6.6-kilometre bike lane network through its downtown — four months in the spring of 2015 at a cost of $5.45 million. Edmonton is on pace to do an even bigger network (7.1 km) in three months, with a price tag of $7.5 million. Meanwhile in Winnipeg, city officials are boasting about how they will build 2.2 km of separated bike lanes in downtown over a three-year period. Construction on the first leg, along Garry Street, is expected to start later this month. Work is to be completed in 2019. A civic spokeswoman said it was unable to provide the cost of the downtown network as it’s part of an overall upgrade to several streets and water mains and separate costs for the bike lanes are not available. “I’m just really impressed with the Calgary network more so than almost anywhere,” said Tom Bertulis, a Boston-area traffic engineering consultant and an expert in multi-modal transportation design. “It’s one of the most impressive projects in North America. Even when compared to places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen — you look at Calgary and say ‘wow, this is really amazing what they’ve done.’ “If there’s any model to follow for Winnipeg, I recommend the Calgary model.” Bertulis, manager of traffic engineering for Design Consultants Inc. of Somerville, Mass., said the traditional approach to constructing bike networks has been to do them piecemeal, a branch at a time, over several years — an approach that Winnipeg is taking. But the lighting speed with which Calgary built its network — and is now being duplicated in Edmonton — has shown municipalities there is a more cost-efficient and timely method. Instead of digging up roads and pouring new concrete curbs to separate bike lanes from vehicular traffic — a labour- and time-consuming process that slows traffic flows during construction and leaves no room for design errors — Calgary opted for a lighting quick approach: design the network on paper, paint lanes on the streets, put down pre-cast concrete curbs inside the painted lines, and then place green plastic bollards on top to highlight the bike lane to motorists. To make it look nice, add a few decorative planters at key locations and intersections. Adjust traffic signal timing, where necessary, to lower the chance of collisions between riders and motorists. Highlight troublesome spots — intersections, driveways — with green road paint. “You can do a lot of planning and design to estimate what the usage and behaviour (of a bike network) might be but once it’s in place there might need to be tweaks,” said Tyler Golly, a member of the Stantec consulting team that designed the Calgary downtown network and the network now being built in Edmonton. Golly dubbed it the “test and tweak” method. “Using these adjustable materials allows municipalities to implement something fairly quickly because it doesn’t take a lot of time to construct and you can make adjustments by moving the barriers and changing signal timing to make it operate better for everyone,” Golly said. “Ultimately, when you’re rebuilding those roads, you can upgrade the network with permanent materials.” Calgary originally put its network in place in what was then an-unheardof- record pace of four months in the spring of 2015 on a 18-month pilot basis, arguing that since it used “adjustable materials” they could be taken out if the public didn’t like it. Bertulis said the disadvantage of building a network on the traditional piece-meal basis is that it usually fails to connect to the rest of the community, fails to attract the number of riders anticipated and then is branded a failure unless there is a strong political will to maintain it. Over the 18-month test period, ridership on all legs of the Calgary network increased. There were 100 adjustments made to the layout of the corridor based on feedback from riders, the public and adjacent property owners. The network attracted more women cyclists and more children. Some civic politicians who were initially opposed to the test program switched their votes when Calgary council voted in December to make the pilot permanent. The “adjustable” materials will remain for now and might be upgraded in the future with permanent fixtures when the roadways or underground infrastructure are upgraded. “I was a person that didn’t support this in the beginning,” Calgary Coun. Diane Colley-Urquhart told the Calgary Herald following the Dec. 19 council vote. “I thought this was madness. But to see how it’s evolved, and how it’s working and to see how people are starting to get the fact that this is shared public space.” After trying the traditional, one-legat- a-time approach, Edmonton hired the Stantec team to design and implement its downtown bike network. Work on a 7.1-km network started April 5 — of this year — and is scheduled to be completed July 17. “We are poised to be one of the fastest implemented bike networks in Canada,” said Olga Messinis, Edmonton’s downtown bike network project manager. Messinis said Edmonton council had relied on the traditional approach to building a bike network, installing permanent lanes when rebuilding or upgrading roadways or underground infrastructure, but it was taking too long and failing to attract the expected ridership increase. “That failed for us miserably,” Messinis said, adding that Edmonton politicians were convinced to follow the Calgary model and gave the goahead in October 2016 and construction began in April. Messinis said the $7.5 million price tag for Edmonton’s downtown bike network is misleading, explaining that $4.2 million is being spent to upgrade and modernize the city’s downtown traffic signal network — which leaves the bike network cost at $3.3 million. The success of what’s happened in Calgary and Edmonton is frustrating for St. Norbert Coun. Janice Lukes, who was unsuccessful in convincing either the public works department or her council colleagues on the public works committee to simply study what those two communities have done and determine if it can be done here. Lukes said she was convinced Winnipeg could do better after safely riding through downtown Vancouver on its elaborate bike network while attending a conference in September. When she heard of what had been done in Calgary, she proposed a similar approach be studied here. Winnipeg adopted its cycling and pedestrian strategy in 2015, which outlines a 30-year plan to construct cycling routes across the city. Council approved the traditional, piece-meal approach for the bike network, approving routes each year. Lukes suggested following the Calgary model for the downtown segment, pointing out the city’s own 2015 strategy had recommended something similar — quickly building a complete downtown network — but public works staff ignored that portion of the report and Lukes’ proposal. Coun. Marty Morantz, chairman of the public works committee, earlier this week defended the decision to ignore Lukes’ proposal, incorrectly stating her idea is a breach of the city’s adopted strategy. “I thought we were all about innovation and new ideas and adopting best practices,” Lukes said. “It’s beyond frustrating.” aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 1

Re: [At-network] Debunking John Forrester & Vehicular Cycling
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jun '17

01 Jun '17

What I really should have said is that we (apparently, for Morantz) need to debunk John Forester's premise that there should never be any cycling-specific infrastructure. On Wed, May 31, 2017 at 3:35 PM, Curt Hull <curthull(a)mymts.net> wrote: > Hear! Hear! Very well said Jeremy. > > Councillor Morantz needs to understand this. > > *Curt* > > Phone: 204.233.0545 <(204)%20233-0545> > Cell/text: 204.803.5436 <(204)%20803-5436> > E-mail: curthull(a)mymts.net > > On May 31, 2017, at 1:56 PM, Jeremy Hull <hull.jeremy(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > I would suggest a different approach. Granted, John Forester is a > single-minded and sometimes combative advocate for "effective cycling" or > "vehicular cycling." His motto is "Cyclists fare best in traffic when they > behave and are treated as vehicles." His approach is the basis for the > CAN-BIKE cycling courses and works well as many of us who have taken > CAN-BIKE training can attest. If you follow that approach you will be safer > than you would be on sidewalks, for example, or on multi-use trails or on > some bike lanes, depending on how they are designed. The problem with his > approach is that most cyclists are unwilling to ride in traffic and haven't > taken the training that would give them the confidence and skills to do so > safely. So to really increase the numbers of cyclists you have to make it > more comfortable for them to bike by creating separated infrastructure > which, if well designed, can also improve safety. > > But for the foreseeable future cyclists will still need to use the streets > to get around. I would like them to do so safely, so my response to Marty > Morantz is that he and the city should be actively promoting cycling > education, a la Forester, as well as building safe new cycling > infrastructure. We also need to educate drivers about how to drive safely > when there are bicycles on the road. And we need to educate everyone about > how to use the new cycling infrastructure safely. > > In short it's not either/or - we need both both public education programs > and good infrastructure. Marty Morantz is not taking this seriously, he is > only using the Forester reference as a red herring. Let's not buy into the > false controversy. > > > On Wed, May 31, 2017 at 12:20 PM, Beth McKechnie < > beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca> wrote: > >> Hello everyone, >> >> In case you are looking for a solid piece on debunking the idea of >> 'Vehicular Cycling', as put forward by Councillor Morantz yesterday, I >> would recommend the following piece: >> >> http://shifter.info/heres-what-happened-when-one-city-reject >> ed-vehicular-cycling/ >> >> >> <http://shifter.info/heres-what-happened-when-one-city-rejected-vehicular-cy…> >> cheers, >> Beth >> >> -- >> *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options >> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre >> <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> >> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> >> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here >> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> >> >> Green Action Centre is your green living hub >> Support our work by becoming a member >> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at >> CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> AT-Network mailing list >> AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca >> http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network >> >> > _______________________________________________ > AT-Network mailing list > AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network > > > -- *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/>

1 0

Debunking John Forrester & Vehicular Cycling
by Beth McKechnie 31 May '17

31 May '17

Hello everyone, In case you are looking for a solid piece on debunking the idea of 'Vehicular Cycling', as put forward by Councillor Morantz yesterday, I would recommend the following piece: http://shifter.info/heres-what-happened-when-one-city- rejected-vehicular-cycling/ <http://shifter.info/heres-what-happened-when-one-city-rejected-vehicular-cy…> cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

3 2

Join us Tomorrow for the Commuter Challenge Kick-off!
by Heather Mitchell 31 May '17

31 May '17

Greetings, *Join Green Action Centre to kick off the most popular green commuting event in Canada!* [image: Inline image 1] *What:* The annual Commuter Challenge is a national celebration of healthy and sustainable transportation taking place during the first week of June. Close to 8,000 Manitobans participate every year by taking the bus, carpooling, walking or cycling to work. Winnipeg has won the past 12 out of 13 years as the top performing city in Canada. *When:* *Thursday, June 1st at 12:00-12:45 pm.* *Where:* Red River College, Paterson GlobalFoods Institute (Bijou Park, 504 Main Street). *Who:* Green Action Centre is pleased to welcome guest speakers The Honourable Cathy Cox, Minister of Sustainable Development, Councillor Brian Mayes, and Paul Vogt, President of Red River College. Trevor Dineen of CBC will host. *Why Participate?* It's great for the planet, saves money, promotes a healthy lifestyle, and you have the opportunity to win great prizes! This is also a great opportunity to *Challenge Your Co-workers To Be Green <http://greenactioncentre.ca/healthy-travel/challenge-your-coworkers-to-be-g…>* ! *** If you haven't done so yet, be sure to register your workplace <https://commuter.commuterchallenge.ca/register/workplace> and yourself <https://commuter.commuterchallenge.ca/register/individual> for the Commuter Challenge <http://greenactioncentre.ca/module/commuterchallenge/participate-in-commute…>, starting June 4th! *** Happy Commuting, *Heather Mitchell *| Workplace Commuter Options Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue (204) 925-3772 Green Action Centre is your green living hub. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/green-action-centre/>. <http://canadahelps.org/>

1 0

Metro Wpg: Winnipeg mayor weighs in on adjustable bike grid idea (May31'17)
by Beth McKechnie 31 May '17

31 May '17

'Playing catch-up': Winnipeg mayor weighs in on adjustable bike grid ideaCoun. Janice Lukes has been trying to get her council colleagues on board with a plan to catch up to other major cities quickly with a downtown bike grid. *By:* Braeden Jones <http://www.metronews.ca/authors.jones_braeden.html> http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2017/05/30/winnipeg-mayor-weighs-in-o… Winnipeg’s Mayor Brian Bowman is setting off for the Big City Mayors’ Caucus meeting in Ottawa this week, where he’ll sit on a panel with his colleagues from the west, Mayors Gregor Robertson, Don Iveson and Naheed Nenshi. They’re not meant to discuss cycling, but among that company, Bowman is the lone leader who hasn’t fast-tracked the expansion of downtown bike lanes. On Tuesday, after the current and former chair of Winnipeg’s public works committee traded jabs over the former’s attempt to get a downtown adjustable grid fast tracked — in vain — Bowman weighed in on the concept, and whether or not Winnipeg is late to the game Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary are already playing. “I don’t agree we are falling behind, we are actually playing catch-up significantly,” Bowman said. He explained this current council “inherited” poor active transportation (AT) infrastructure, and said it’s “going to take time to play catchup,” but noted progress has already been made during his tenure. “It’s a 20-year long-term plan, but let’s even look at this year,” he said. “This year we increased the AT budget by 57 per cent, a sizeable improvement from the previous year.” He also lauded the council-supported pedestrian and cycling strategy. But even with that plan, AT upgrades in Winnipeg are tied to road renewal in most cases, far from the quick turnaround pushed for by big-city mayors he’s meeting with this week. Innovative solutions like Edmonton’s efforts to install adjustable pre-cast curbs to rapidly build bike lanes downtown, which is still underway but was just initiated last fall, are exactly what former public works chairperson Coun. Janice Lukes tried to get current chair Coun. Marty Morantz to consider Tuesday. Bowman said he’d look at “any opportunities” the city has “to do things more efficiently,” but he wouldn’t voice support for the idea, even in principle. “It would be nice to fix all of the roads, to build all the bike paths, and fix everything with transit all in one year, but we are committed to a thoughtful plan that is an award winning plan, and pursing its implementation,” Bowman said.

1 0

CBC News: Winnipeg city councillors exchange barbs over bike lanes (May31'17)
by Beth McKechnie 31 May '17

31 May '17

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/downtown-winnipeg-cycling-grids-1.41… Winnipeg city councillors exchange barbs over bike lanes Former public works chair accuses successor of ignorance after he quizzes her on urban-cycling theory By Bartley Kives, CBC News <http://www.cbc.ca/news/cbc-news-online-news-staff-list-1.1294364> The question of whether bike lanes help or hinder traffic safety generated a cycle of barbs at city hall in a dispute between council's current and former public works chairs. On Tuesday, Coun. Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) appeared before the committee she used to oversee to express concern that the city is about to delay the construction of an adjustable grid of downtown bike lanes. This prompted her successor, public works chair Marty Morantz (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Whyte Ridge), to suggest bike lanes do not protect cyclists from traffic accidents at intersections. Morantz also asked Lukes if she is familiar with the work of 87-year-old U.S. cycling activist John Forester, who lobbied in the 1970s for cyclists' right to use the road and argued against keeping bicycles separated from motor-vehicle traffic. Lukes, the former director of the Winnipeg Trails Association, asked Morantz if he was familiar with anything about cycling before he became public works director. Outside the committee room, Lukes called Morantz ignorant. "I think he just doesn't understand. He doesn't follow this," Lukes said. "It's just ignorance." Lukes said she remains upset that Morantz amended her request to ask the city to study the idea of installing an adjustable downtown bike grid as a means of quickly creating more room for cyclists. Morantz, she said, amended that motion to simply find out whether the grid is consonant with city active-transportation guidelines. "Had he read it in the first place, he would have seen that it was in there, but this was more of a delay tactic," Lukes said. "This probably won't happen in two or three years or longer. The only way it will happen sooner is if it's the mayor's priority." Morantz said he has conducted his own research into urban cycling and he believes there is an alternative to what he described as the "conventional wisdom" about protected bike lanes. "I don't think any debate is ever settled," Morantz said. "I think it's important for people to know that there's another school of thought." Morantz said city hall should be lauded for spending more on cycling infrastructure "than we ever had before" and denied he is attempting to scuttle an initiative favoured by Lukes, who was removed from the city's executive policy committee last fall by Mayor Brian Bowman. Bowman, for his part, said he believes protected bike lanes do serve cyclists well. "That's what the experts tell us," the mayor said. "When we developed our pedestrian-cycling strategies, it contemplates protected bike lanes in many cases." The city plans to spend $4.7 million this year on conventional bike-and-pedestrian infrastructure, plus another $3.6 million to extend buffered bike lanes along Pembina Highway between DeVos Road and Killarney Avenue and $1.6 million to create protected bike lanes on Empress Street between Portage Avenue and St. Matthews Avenue.

1 0

ON spending up to $42.5M this year on cycling infrastructure out of cap-and-trade fund
by Beth McKechnie 30 May '17

30 May '17

Good to see Ontario using their cap-and-trade monies on cycling infrastructure and other GHG emissions reduction projects. Would like to see the same approach for future carbon tax revenues in Manitoba. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/05/29/ontario-to- spend-up-to-425-million-this-year-on-cycling-infrastructure.html -- *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/>

1 0

Metro Wpg: Bike grid discussion returns to City Hall Tuesday
by Beth McKechnie 30 May '17

30 May '17

Bike grid discussion returns to City Hall TuesdayCoun. Janice Lukes says she plans to reiterate her call for city staff to look into the feasibility of fast tracking a downtown bike grid, Tuesday. http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2017/05/28/winnipeg- still-lags-behind-on-protected-bike-grid-talks.html In the time it took Winnipeg’s public service to report back on whether an adjustable grid of bike lanes would fit the city’s existing plans, Edmonton has installed nearly 7 km of protected cycling infrastructure <http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2017/05/10/edmonton-downtown-bike-gri…> in its downtown. That really frustrates Coun. Janice Lukes, who last fall pitched a similar idea <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/10/13/winnipeg-forum-planned-for…> of adjustable infrastructure to expedite the bike-lane build <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/10/winnipeg-councillor-pushin…> out locally, around the time councillors out west unanimously supported fast-tracking their version by this spring. She hosted a well-attended info session with experts involved with bold cycling infrastructure projects in Calgary and Edmonton on a panel, then tried to get the Infrastructure and Public Works committee (IRPW) to order a report on what it would take to follow suit in Winnipeg. <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/29/winnipeg-pumps-breaks-on-b…> But rather than research cost and feasibility, the committee asked administration to take 120 days to report back on whether the concept aligned with existing pedestrian and cycling strategies (PCS). “Surprise,” Lukes said Sunday. “They’ve come back and said it is in the plans. Imagine that.” An administrative report going to the IRPW committee Tuesday confirms what Lukes said about half a year ago, council had already looked at the roads a downtown “grid” would go on, and “adjustable methods” are already “considered as an implementation method at some locations.” The report notes “adjustable” bike lanes are a deployment method of protected cycling facilities, and concluded with “this being the case, adjustable methods for the implementation of a protected bike facility fits within the goals and objectives of the PCS.” Administration recommends the committee accept the report for information—there is no further action advised. “I guess what I am going to have to do then is come back with my original motion… direct the department to study it again,” Lukes said. “Now that we see it is in fact in the strategies, hopefully (the committee) will say, ‘okay, let’s study what it’ll cost to implement downtown in a short window.’” While she is pleased IRPW committee members will now know the public works department is acquainted with her preferred implementation method, and hopeful it can gain traction, she’s less happy with how the process has been delayed. “We need to start it now, then refine it, that’s the whole idea with an adjustable grid,” she said. Lukes explained that a protected bike grid allowing people to travel safely around the heart of a city is part of a bigger picture, with growth, civic pride, place making, bolstering the economy, and attracting new businesses and workers all in the frame. Without that bigger picture in the equation, she thinks it’s worth moving quickly on this item “for safety” at the very least. But she worries the IRPW committee, whose chairperson said “taking a baby step forward on this is a good idea” when her motion was changed in November, will concur with the administrative report to the point that there is no action taken, and no appetite for catching up to similar cities rolling out grids across the country. Even if the committee does support her original motion, she still has little hope that a new report would be ready in time to get a plan into the 2018 budget by the fall, pushing the whole idea back to 2019 at the earliest. “It’ll never get in unless the mayor made it a priority,” she said.

1 0

Connecting cities' scattered bikeways
by Beth McKechnie 24 May '17

24 May '17

*Excellent article and resources on StreetsBlog:* For 20 to 30 years now, many cities have been laying down bike infrastructure where it’s cheap and easy.. ...cities are now looking systematically for possible connections between their existing bikeways. These examples [in Austin, New York City, Tallahassee, Seattle and Vancouver B.C.] demonstrate the value in shifting away from focus on the “low-hanging fruit” of bike infrastructure – streets with excess auto capacity or unused parking – and toward the most important roads for bicycle connectivity, even if they require difficult tradeoffs. These changes may be more politically difficult, but if chosen well they promise bigger payoffs in ridership and safety. http://usa.streetsblog.org/2017/05/22/connecting-cities-scattered-bikeways-…

1 0

Metro Wpg: Racks, corrals and cages - Winnipeg adding more bike parking (Apr.27'17)
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '17

23 May '17

Thought others might also have missed this article published last month (or was it just me?)... Racks, corrals and cages: Winnipeg adding more bike parkingCyclists will have more parking options this summer, especially downtown where the downtown BIZ has plans for three eight-spot corrals. http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2017/04/27/winnipeg-adding-bike-racks… Considering the plethora of parking lots in Winnipeg, it can be hard to believe that some commuters struggle to find a spot – but that's often the reality for cyclists. And that's why Mark Cohoe said it was a good thing that city council approved a grand total of $185,000 in grants to create more bike parking Wednesday. "There's some areas where (bike parking) is better… but if you get into other areas it drops off significantly," said Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. "There's definitely some spots where it's really hard to find." Stephanie Whitehouse, the city's active transportation coordinator, said the money allocated this week "is a culmination of two years of budgets," as 2016 grants "hadn't gone out." She explained the grants follow the city's approved strategies by giving groups like business improvement zones (BIZ's) funding to increase their area's bike parking. "They hear from local businesses and people where the demand is and then they facilitate and install the facilities," she said, adding it often factors into "beautification" efforts. Once the group decides what they'd like to install and where, the public works department reviews the plan prior to installation. Grants approved this week include $45,000 to the Downtown BIZ, $15,000 for the Exchange District BIZ, $5,000 for the Old St. Vital BIZ, and $10,000 each for the Corydon, South Osborne, Transcona, West Broadway and West End BIZ's. Melanie Andrushko, the acting transportation project manager for the Downtown BIZ, said the plan is to spread new bike racks "throughout the downtown and the Exchange District in 2017." "We will be looking to add to the current inventory of bike racks situated on the sidewalks, but we would also like to try and add two on-street bike parking locations." Known as "bike corrals," the on-street parking is meant for high traffic locations and can fit eight bikes or more–the grant approved for the Downtown BIZ is for three corrals, worth approximately $32,000, as well as other short-term racks. Andrushko said 400 responses to a recent BIZ-led transportation mode survey found "most respondents would like to use cycling more as their preferred mode of transportation," so the new racks and corrals are helping make that feasible. Whitecourt said she's eager to "get the ball rolling" on the corrals, which could be permanent fixtures. "We did have some in the past but they had to be installed then removed, they were seasonal… they don't always weather well," she said. "We're looking for a durable one." Council also approved $30,000 for Bike Winnipeg to install racks in areas without a local BIZ, and $30,000 for the Green Action Centre to install racks and bike cages at schools. Whitehouse said the bike cages, which are exactly what they sound like, are a response to bike theft happening "repeatedly," which is "particularly traumatic for children." "To lose such a valuable piece of equipment for them is hard… also we are looking to encourage more kids to bike to school," she said. For anyone adding it all up on their calculator who noticed that all amounts to just $175,000, kudos, the final $10,000 is for the Winnipeg Public Service itself to install a bike cage downtown at 180 King St. for city staff to use. That installation follows the city's pedestrian and cycling strategy goals, which binds the city to demonstrating "leadership in providing short-term bicycle parking for visitors to the City of Winnipeg facilities and secure long-term parking and end of trip facilities for employees at municipal buildings."

1 0

Sustainability Planner: City of Winnipeg
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '17

23 May '17

*Sustainability Planner (Temporary)City of WinnipegPlanning & Land Use* https://careers.winnipeg.ca/psc/cgext/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_ HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST&Action=U&FOCUS= Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=115282&PostingSeq=1 *Closing date: June 1, 2017 *The Sustainability Planner works collaboratively with City Departments, other levels of government, and the community to achieve the City’s goals of sustainability and environmental quality as directed by the Mayor and Council by providing the administrative support and coordination appropriate to develop, maintain and enhance sustainability initiatives. In addition to sustainability initiatives, under the direction of the Principal Planner, this position also participates in divisional projects and tasks related to mid- and long- range planning as required. *As The Sustainability Planner You Will Be* - Assisting the Environmental Coordinator in prioritizing and supporting the sustainability goals and actions of the City of Winnipeg. - Developing detailed action plans, including project scope, key stakeholders, timelines and budgets. - Working collaboratively with other departments, community agencies, levels of government, community groups, etc. and represent the Planning, Property and Development Department on working groups and community groups dealing with sustainability initiatives. - Drafting briefing notes, Council reports, memos, discussion papers and other written communication on proposed sustainability policy and initiatives and presents to the Environmental Coordinator. - Participating in major planning initiatives, such as the preparation of local area plans and the review of Plan Winnipeg (OurWinnipeg). *Your Education And Experience Includes* - Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Environmental Studies/Science, Geography, Natural Resource Management or Planning with a demonstrated knowledge of municipal environmental issues, or an equivalent combination of academic and experience (critical). - Master’s Degree in Natural Resource Management, Planning, Environmental Studies/Science, Geography, Public Administration would be considered an asset. - A minimum of twelve (12) months experience in planning/implementing environmental/sustainability initiatives. - Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective professional and working relationships with a wide variety of people (including elected and senior appointed officials). - Demonstrated highly developed oral and written communication skills. *Conditions Of Employment* - Applicants will be required to undergo testing to determine their knowledge, abilities and skills as they relate to the qualifications of the position. If YOU are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application, including a detailed resume, online at winnipeg.ca/hr . OR, by mail quoting *Posting #: 115282 Sustainability Planner by June 1, 2017* to: Mark Laubmann, Recruitment Clerk, Planning, Property & Development, 2nd Floor - 65 Garry St, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4K4. We have great benefits and competitive salaries, and we are committed to ongoing learning and career development! For more information on this opportunity and other careers within the City, visit: *www.winnipeg.ca/hr <http://www.winnipeg.ca/hr>*. WE SEEK DIVERSITY IN OUR WORKPLACE. INDIGENOUS PERSONS, WOMEN, VISIBLE MINORITIES, AND PERSONS WITH A DISABILITY ARE ENCOURAGED TO SELF-DECLARE. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Requests for Reasonable Accommodation will be accepted during the hiring process.

1 0

Compost Courier (Driver/Cyclist) Employment Opportunity - Compost Winnipeg
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '17

23 May '17

*** Please share widely. Thanks! *** *Green Action Centre seeks Compost Courier (Driver/Cyclist) for Social Enterprise Operations* *Position Description: * Green Action Centre seeks an independent and energetic individual who is a proficient driver and cyclist to assist the weekly operations of our social enterprise, Compost Winnipeg. *Background: * Green Action Centre is non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in Winnipeg and serving Manitoba. We promote greener living through environmental education and encourage practical green solutions for homeowners, workplaces, schools and communities. We recently launched the social enterprise Compost Winnipeg, a fee for service operation that offers compost collection services to offices, food vendors and households in Winnipeg. *Responsibilities: * In cooperation with other Green Action Centre staff, the Compost Courier has the following duties and responsibilities: - Pick-up, weighing and tracking of organic waste from Compost Winnipeg customers; - General customer service; - Cleaning and maintenance of compost collection bins as required; - Transportation of organic waste to composting facilities; - Promotion of Compost Winnipeg services to potential customers; - Regular communication and logistics planning with the Compost Winnipeg project manager; and - Other duties, as assigned. *Qualifications: * Must be reliable and able to work without close supervision. Key qualifications include: - Organized, punctual, responsible and self-disciplined; - Good communication skills; - Able to work well with others; - Valid driver’s license; - Competent driver with clean driving record; - Competent cyclist; - Ability to consistently and safely lift 25 kilograms; - Available to work Tuesday - Friday 8:00AM – 3:30PM; and - Knowledge of composting or willingness to learn. *Date: * Starts Tuesday June 20, 2017. *Term: * This is a permanent position with the possibility of increased hours. *Remuneration: * Begins at $15 per hour (28 hours per week). *Additional Information:* This position reports to the Compost Winnipeg Project Manager. A criminal record check will be required. *Deadline: * Resume and cover letter must be received by 4:00 PM CDT, Tuesday June 6, 2017. *To Apply:* Submit a resume and cover letter to Kelly Kuryk info(a)compostwinnipeg.ca. Digital applications are preferred. Printed applications can be dropped off or mailed to our office (Green Action Centre 303 Portage Ave, 3rd Floor, Winnipeg MB, R3B 2B4). *No phone calls please.* *Visit: * www.compostwinnipeg.ca and www.greenactioncentre.ca for more information. -- *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/>

1 0

WFP: Jubile Underpass closed 56 hours to allow for Transitway construction (May19'17)
by Beth McKechnie 19 May '17

19 May '17

Jubilee Underpass will be closed 56 hours to allow for Transitway construction Interchange takes a long weekend www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/stay-away-from-jubilee- interchange-this-long-weekend-423050933.html WINNIPEGGERS aren’t the only ones going on holiday this long weekend — a key portion of Pembina Highway is also taking the weekend off. For 56 hours, all four traffic lanes underneath the Jubilee Underpass will be closed to motorists as construction crews continue to build a crucialpiece of the next stage of the Southwest Rapid Transitway. That means an estimated 150,000 vehicles will be scrambling and looking for othernorth-south routes in this area of the city starting at 8 p.m. today and ending at 4 a.m. Tuesday. For the first time since the Jubilee interchange opened in November 1969, no regular motorists will be allowed through one of the busiest traffic routes in the city for an extended period. The city says about 70,000 vehicles travel northbound and southbound there every weekday. Saturday’s traffic is about 56,000 vehicles and Sunday’s is about 50,000. Scott Payne, manager of asset management for Winnipeg Transit, said the only exceptions will be emergency vehicles, transit buses and the special shuttle service vehicles the city has organized for pedestrians walking north and south on Pembina Highway. “We couldn’t safely do the work with numerous motorists and pedestrians going through,” Payne said Thursday. Having pedestrian shuttles “doesn’t happen very often, but we appreciate a pedestrian will have to go quite a distance because of the closure. They would have to go all the way to Waverley (Street) or Osborne (Street) because of the rail lines. These shuttles will go through the underpass, and they will stop construction when the pedestrian (shuttles) are there.” Payne said there won’t be as many transit buses going through the site as there are most days because they will be on weekend schedules. The city is recommending motorists use alternative routes including Osborne, Waverley and Kenaston Boulevard. Coun. Jenny Gerbasi (Fort Rouge — East Fort Garry) said the road closure may result in short-term pain for motorists and long-term gain for bicyclists, bus riders — and even motorists— when the next stage of the rapid transitway is completed. “This will be a fantastic transportation route,” Gerbasi said. “It is dark and narrow there now for bicyclists and pedestrians, but (this) will open paths in both directions of Pembina. Everyone you talk to about the bike paths say this is fantastic.” Gerbasi said while the new bus route and bikes will dog-leg off Pembina, it will soon become the route of choice for students in this area cycling to and from the University of Manitoba. “You’ll have a consistent, separate bike lane here — it’s completely separate from cars — and it will be plowed all winter,” she said. “When people are safe from cars, people will go on it.” Gerbasi said she’s also pleased that while the construction is ongoing on this project, the city is already getting feedback for the next route to the east side of the city from downtown. “We really need to build this system,” she said. “We only have 1.4 kilometres of rapid transit now.” When the Jubilee interchange was officially opened, provincial transportation minister Joe Borowski drove a 1901 Oldsmobile over the span, followed by other antique vehicles carrying municipal and U of M officials. The interchange over Pembina was designed to link with the thenproposed Southern Expressway from downtown to Pembina Highway south. It was also intended to reduce the traffic bottleneck produced by the thousands of vehicles turning off and on to Pembina from Jubilee Avenue. The cost was $1.25million. The city has said the current Southwest Transitway project will cost $467 million and include not just the changes at Jubilee and Pembina, but also other overpasses or bridges, nine rapid-transit stations, and a new bus roadway and active transportation path running from Jubilee to the University of Manitoba. The Jubilee work is expected to be done by 2019 and the entire Transitway project will be open in 2020. Payne said thework being done on the underpass this weekend is extensive, with construction crews knocking out some of the supports between the northbound and southbound lanes as well as the six-metre high retaining walls. “They’ll take a good portion out... and then the new piers will go up (in the weeks ahead),” he said. Payne said the east-side sidewalk will also be demolished, but a temporary replacement pathway will be put in at the same place, at a lower elevation. He said asphalt will be put down to facilitate lane changes as the construction progresses, so some northbound or southbound traffic lanes may sometimes be shunted over into another lane. “When it is all completed, it will look like new,” Payne said of the underpass. “There will be a significant number of improvements for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.” Payne said there will be an extra traffic lane in both directions, bringing the total to three lanes each way; each lanewill be wider than it is now; rapid transit buses will get their own bridge, with bike lanes next to them; bicyclists and pedestrians will have sidewalks and paths on both sides of Pembina connecting to newand proposed trails; and trains will also get a newbridge cost-shared by the city and CN Rail. But Payne said this won’t be the only time all lanes of Pembina will be closed at this site. “There will be additional weekend closures,” he said, including when bridge girders are lifted into place. “We will give advance notice. We want to minimize the closures.” kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

Smog sucking bikes?
by ian_toal＠mymts.net 19 May '17

19 May '17

An interesting (if theoretical) way to remove smog from cities. https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/may/19/anti-smog-bikes-china-air-da… Ian

1 0