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Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25549789 Plans to build a network of cycle paths high above the streets of London are being put forward for consultation. SkyCycle is a 136-mile (219 km) route, with the first phase, proposed from east London to Liverpool Street Station, costing more than £200m. If approved, the 10 routes would be built above existing rail lines and would take about 20 years to complete. The plans will be sent out to interested parties for feedback before a planning application is submitted. Sir Norman Foster, the architect who designed London's Gherkin tower, has been working with Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax on the concept since 2012. He said cycling was one of his great passions, particularly with friends. "I believe that cities where you can walk or cycle rather than drive are more congenial places in which to live," he said. 'Lateral approach' "To improve the quality of life for all in London and to encourage a new generation of cyclists, we have to make it safe. "However, the greatest barrier to segregating cars and cyclists is the physical constraint of London's streets, where space is already at a premium. "SkyCycle is a lateral approach to finding space in a congested city. By using the corridors above the suburban railways, we could create a world-class network of safe, car free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters." He said early studies of a SkyCycle system indicated that it provided capacity at a much lower cost than building new roads and tunnels. The car-free cycle routes will be accessed via ramps at more than 200 points. Sam Martin and Oli Clark of Exterior Architecture Ltd said: "SkyCycle is an urban cycling solution for London. A cycling utopia, with no buses, no cars and no stress." A spokesman for Network Rail said they supported the plans. He added: "We are always happy to look at ways we can contribute to improving travel and transport in London. We will continue to liaise with all involved as the aspiration for this innovative scheme develops."

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WFP: One-metre Rule -- MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists (Jan.2'14)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

One-metre RULE MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists By: Bruce Owen http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/one-metre-rule-238408371.html It doesn't feel like bicycling weather now, but in a few months, thousands of cyclists will take to Winnipeg streets and resume the annual jostling between bicycles and vehicles. In a recent decision, the Public Utilities Board recommended Manitoba Public Insurance "reinforce" the message of a one-metre passing distance between motor vehicles and cyclists. The PUB also wants MPI to conduct detailed research, including mapping, of collision history in the province to present at a hearing expected later this year. Cycling advocates say the public regulator didn't specify how MPI should reinforce the message of safe passing distance. "It is good to see the order for mapping of pedestrian and cycling collisions, but it's disappointing to see that many items have been left as recommendations, not orders," Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said. "Personally, I had hoped for more, however, I am not terribly surprised," added Winnipeg CAN-Bike safety instructor Dave Elmore. "It moves some of our arguments a bit further, but not much. "The question is what does reinforce mean? MPI's reluctance to push this safety measure comes from the fact it is not a requirement of the Highway Traffic Act and thus not really enforceable." Elmore appeared on behalf of Bike Winnipeg, a cycling advocacy group, at the PUB. He argued in order to make city streets safer, MPI should improve its messaging and driver training to emphasize a safer passing distance of one metre between a cyclist and a motor vehicle, and this distance should be increased for speeds greater than 50 km/h. MPI has said between 2001 and 2010, 13 cyclists were killed, 68 were seriously injured and 2,144 were injured less seriously. Elmore also told the PUB it is not sufficient for a motor vehicle and cyclist to share a lane, given the standard width of a lane, adding the term "share the road" is often misinterpreted by motorists as sharing the lane. Bike Winnipeg wants changes to the Highway Traffic Act to make the one-metre guideline law. MPI has said it has met with cyclist groups to update the information it gives to the public about cycling safetyin brochures and on its website. The PUB also wants the province to consider a meeting to review whether MPI is doing and spending enough to promote road safety. In 2012-13, MPI's road-safety and loss-prevention expenses were $13.1 million, which was y $1.7 million less than initially forecast. Road-safety expenses are forecast to decrease to $12.4 million in 2013-14, to $11.5 million in 2014-15 and to $10.6 million in 2015-16. MPI CEO and president Marilyn McLaren said the corporation will continue to work to fulfil its road-safety mandate. "It is not immediately clear what more could be learned through a significantly larger investment in research and analysis about Manitoba vehicle collisions," she said. "Road-safety programming efficacy is a priority across the globe and we will continue to work with Manitobans to reduce risk on our roadways." Elmore said because the PUB has no jurisdiction over the province, a future meeting "is likely to fall upon what we have found, to date, to be deaf ears." Cohoe said research in other jurisdictions has shown many collisions go unreported and more has to be done between MPI, health authorities and police departments and the public to capture those unreported collisions. "This is especially true for collisions involving cyclists as no one agency has the mandate to capture all collisions," he said. "MPI only counts collisions that involve motorized vehicles." bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca *Safety programs put to the test* THE Public Utilities Board says because so little is known about the effectiveness of MPI's road-safety programs, it wants the Crown auto insurer to hit the books to minimize economic and social costs of collisions. "MPI is in the unique position of gathering the most driving and vehicle data in Manitoba. It can provide a leadership role in providing data and conducting research regarding road safety. It is the view of the board that MPI can -- and should -- facilitate or conduct more research and analysis regarding road safety issues," the PUB said in a recent order. For the next rate application next fall the board wants MPI to: A. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to pedestrian/motor-vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; B. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to cyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; C. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to motorcyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns. D. Conduct a summative evaluation/benchmarking analysis of its high-school driver education program, focusing on whether there is a difference in outcomes for drivers who have completed the program versus drivers who have not; E. Provide the results of the analysis in (d) above together with an update regarding the Autopac's plans for changes to the High School Driver Education program; F. Provide an independent review of the current road-safety portfolio with a view to optimizing it (and setting goals for outcomes) and minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions; and G. Provide an independent review of the optimal size of a road-safety budget portfolio for the corporation with a view to minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 2, 2014 A8

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New report: Cycling, Health and Safety (OECD)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Dec '13

28 Dec '13

http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/cycling-health-and-safety_9789282105… Many jurisdictions around the world are trying to retain or increase the share of cycling in urban traffic in order to benefit from the many health and transport efficiency benefits. Safety is a key concern and should be accounted for in these policies. This report of the International Transport Forum's Cycling Safety Working Group monitors international trends in cycling, safety and policy, and explores options that may help decision makers design safe environments for cycling. Key messages relate to strategic goal-setting for cycling policy and managing crash risks while increasing health benefits. The report also discusses how to better capture crash and bicycle usage statistics. The safety impacts of a wide range of pro-cycling measures are examined in detail.

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The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/No LMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html Conservatives' new enemy: Bikes The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. Even before Toronto Mayor Rob Ford became internationally famous for being videotaped smoking crack, he was known as a City Hall version of Bluto Blutarsky of "Animal House"-swearing in public, proudly overeating, guzzling booze. His boorishness is so conspicuous and well documented that it raises the question: Who elected this guy? And why? The answer, in large part, comes down to transit. Ford is famously pro-car, and his strongest support came from suburbs outside downtown Toronto, where voters drive into the city during the day and return by car in the evening. One political scientist found that the strongest predictor of whether someone voted for Ford in the 2010 mayoral election was the person's method of commuting: Car commuters were Ford voters; everyone else wasn't. Ford repaid their loyalty by declaring on his first day as mayor that the "war on cars" was over; he abolished the vehicle registration tax and announced a plan to kill light rail in the city simply because, he said, streetcars "are just a pain in the rear end." But Ford reserves special venom for the menace called the bicycle. He is perhaps the most antibike politician in the world. In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, "it's their own fault at the end of the day," he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks-"sooner or later you're going to get bitten." He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: "Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists." This all might seem kind of crazy-the rantings of an unmuzzled Canadian demagogue better known for his disastrous personal habits. But in his antipathy for bikes, Ford appears to be part of a trend. Particularly in America, the bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. In May, Wall Street Journal commentator Dorothy Rabinowitz called bicyclists "the most important danger in the city"; in Colorado's last governor's election, a Republican candidate said a local bike-sharing program "could threaten our personal freedoms." A columnist for the conservative Washington Times declared D.C. bike-sharing programs to be "broken-down socialism"; radio pundit Rush Limbaugh said he "won't care" if his car door knocks over a cyclist. Cyclists who have struggled for years to attract political attention might be surprised to hear themselves talked about as an insidious new social force. But they can also see it as a kind of welcome-a recognition that for better or worse, they have, politically, arrived. In some ways, the bicycle seems profoundly unsuitable as a political lightning rod. True, zero-emission transport is a kind of liberal dream, but the bike is also an icon of self-sufficiency, designed for use by individuals who rely on themselves for upkeep and mobility. Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush all were photographed on their bicycles. The bike has managed to stick around for over a century without joining the likes of organic vegetables and the Prius as symbols of holier-than-thou progressive snobbery. But as health and government officials have begun peddling bicycles as healthy, environmentally responsible alternatives to cars, and cities and towns spend money on new bike infrastructure, conservatives have started to sense a new target. They have begun to deploy "the bike" as a bogeyman in political debates-cast in a role anywhere from physical annoyance to a genuine threat to the American way of life. The most common target of critics has been the new city bike-share programs, an idea imported from Europe that has turned out to be wildly popular in Boston, New York, and elsewhere. In an antibike-share video commentary titled "Death by Bicycle," The Wall Street Journal's Rabinowitz described New York as "a city whose best neighborhoods are absolutely-begrimed, is the word-by these blazing blue Citibank bikes," while the reporter interviewing her helpfully offered that the bikes were also a "fire hazard" and observed that "New York is not London, or Paris, or Amsterdam." But Rabinowitz's deeper cavil is that bikes represent an assault on American freedoms. Her description of the bike lobby as an "all-powerful enterprise" might sound a little breathless, but is echoed elsewhere. Dan Maes, a Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010, declared efforts to boost cycling to be "part of a greater strategy to rein in American cities under a United Nations treaty." When Rush Limbaugh suggested that injured bikers deserve what they get, it was because they're victimizing auto drivers by forcing them to yield to others. Ford acted on his promises to crack down on the biking nuisance, ripping up existing bike lanes in an attempt to help return his supporters to the freer, pre-bike world he promised them. The removal cost the city $300,000, and, according to Canada's National Post, ended up saving commuters just an average of two minutes each way. There's an element of demographic realpolitik to the conservative antipathy to bikes. Cyclists-and especially bike commuters-are statistically more likely to be city residents, and thus more liberal than those living in suburban and rural areas. But as the commentators' language suggests, the bike fight is really just another proxy battle in the American culture wars. Washington Times columnist Charles Hurt declared D.C.'s bike-sharing program to be favored by "commune enthusiasts." The program's red bikes, he wrote, weren't suitable for manly men, only for "these so-called 'metrosexual' males everybody keeps talking about." As political ideas fracture along cultural lines, pundits and politicians are finding cyclists to be a convenient new "them" in the eternal us-them struggle. Even if conservatives don't all agree that riders are metrosexuals, they "see bikers as obnoxious, rude hipsters," says Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner. Conservative politicians know that simply opposing causes like environmentalism appeals to the base. At the extreme end, this leads to some positions that almost defy belief-"I love that smell of the emissions," said the former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, while riding a motorcycle-but bikes represent more of an everyday rebuke, a quiet reminder that your car isn't the only way to get around. In this respect, Rob Ford isn't just a mess. He is a visionary-perhaps the first candidate to win an election in part by fanning public annoyance at those reckless, entitled, tax-and-spend bicycle riders. As new bike lanes make their slow incursions into downtown traffic patterns, it's reasonable we can expect more such victories. It might seem frustrating for bike supporters, but there is one consolation: In politics, you get attacked because you matter. "There's been a huge increase" in the number of bikers, says Schwartz, who put in New York's first bike lane in 1978. "The love affair with the car is over for young people." After decades of unquestioned, highway-sponsored dominance of cars, bikes are finally becoming-even if just on the margins-something big enough to push against. Just ask Rob Ford. Or don't. He'll tell you anyway.

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A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2013/12/-and-after-guide-safer-stree ts/7867/ A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets In the past decade or so, New York has seen a considerable decline in traffic fatalities (30 percent since 2001) and an even more dramatic decrease in the risk of serious injury among cyclists (72 percent since 2000). At the heart of these public safety achievements is better street design. City streets are far from perfect, but as officials have reduced space for cars, they've improved mobility for everyone. Last month, the New York City Department of Transportation released a brief-but-handy guide [PDF <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dot-making-safer-streets.pdf> ] that uses before-and-after design renderings to illustrate five basic rules for street safety. The report calls its comparisons "the largest examination of the safety effects of innovative roadway engineering conducted in a major American city, or perhaps any city globally." That's a tall claim, but there's no question that the five lessons embedded in these images merit notice from urban communities near and far. 1. Make the street easy to use. The idea here is to reduce the complexity of a given intersection in the eyes of all travelers. A safer city street will trade long, indirect crosswalks for shorter crossings and pedestrian islands. Removing low-volume legs from the traffic cycle will reduce wait times for everyone and eliminate complicated (read: dangerous) turns. Clearer lane designations - for left-turns and through traffic alike - make the whole intersection more predictable. (See PDF for images) 2. Create safety in numbers. Counter-intuitive as it can seem, the safety-in-numbers effect suggests that more pedestrians and bike riders actually make streets less dangerous. Bike lanes are the obvious way to bring riders to an intersection, while islands, mid-block crossings, and direct pedestrian routes can do the same for walkers. Giving signal priority to pedestrians gets platoons of people in the streets before cars have the chance to turn. (See PDF for images) 3. Make the invisible visible. Clear sight lines can improve a street's safety significantly. Curbs lined with parked cars can make it hard for a turning vehicle to see what's in another part of the street. That problem can be addressed by removing some of the parking spaces closest to the corner - a process called "daylighting," which increases visibility considerably (so long as parking enforcement is strict). Curb extensions that bring pedestrians further into the street have a similar effect. (See PDF for images) 4. Quality over quantity. Street engineers like to give cars as much space as possible <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/12/transportation-planning-la w-every-city-should-repeal/636/> , but removing lanes to reduce the complexity of an intersection can actually improve traffic flow. A jumble of un-designated lanes with competing signals has the potential to become much more congested than an intersection that bans complex turns and creates right-angle corners. Pedestrian plazas that take the place of former lanes can enhance visibility and the safety-in-numbers effect. (See PDF for images) 5. Look beyond the problem. Expanding the area of traffic analysis can unlock solutions across a wider wedge of the street system. Redirecting traffic to another part of the local network, for instance, can help decongest crowded intersections without eliminating important routes. Sometimes the best street design is really a corridor design. (See PDF for images)

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FW: For Your Next Trip to Gimli
by Dave Elmore 18 Dec '13

18 Dec '13

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/home_family/mass-high-te ch-startup-launches-device-that-transforms-any-bike-into-an-electric-hybrid- 236330091.html Mass. high-tech startup launches device that transforms any bike into an electric-hybrid In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Assaf Biderman, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and Associate Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT, poses with his invention at Superpedestrian, his venture-backed company in Cambridge, Mass. The Copenhagen Wheel is a human/electric hybrid bicycle engine built into a bicycle's back wheel. Pre-orders for the Copenhagen Wheel are being taken with delivery expected by May 2014. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) In this Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013 photo, Assaf Biderman, co-inventor of the Copenhagen Wheel and Associate Director of the SENSEable City Laboratory at MIT, poses with his invention at Superpedestrian, his venture-backed company in Cambridge, Mass. The Copenhagen Wheel is a human/electric hybrid bicycle engine built into a bicycle's back wheel. Pre-orders for the Copenhagen Wheel are being taken with delivery expected by May 2014. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - A Massachusetts startup is launching a new device that transforms almost any bicycle into an electric-hybrid vehicle using an app on a smartphone. The device, called the Copenhagen Wheel, is installed as part of a rear hub of a bike wheel and is packed with a proprietary computer, batteries and sensors that monitor how hard a rider is pedaling and activate an onboard motor whenever support is needed. The device uses wireless connectivity to communicate with the biker's smartphone to track distance travelled and elevation gained, share with friends the number of calories burned and lock the wheel remotely as soon as the owner walks away from the bike. "The motor integrates itself with the rider's motion very, very seamlessly," said Assaf Biderman, who co-invented the device at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's SENSEable City Lab, where he is associate director. "It's almost like having a riding companion riding together with you, making the ride easier, simpler." The combination of power from the Copenhagen Wheel and the cyclist's energy can make an average biker move "almost like a Tour-de-France-level athlete in your daily commute," said Biderman, who founded Cambridge, Mass.-based Superpedestrian Inc. that secured an exclusive license for the technology from MIT. The Copenhagen Wheel packs sufficient power to propel a rider as fast as 60 kph (37.28 mph), but developers have put speed limits in software to meet local speed limits, effectively turning off the motor once the speed reaches 20 mph in the U.S. and 25 kilometres in Europe. The concept was inspired by a simple question: "How can we get more people to cycle?" Biderman said. The project received funding from the Italian ministry of the environment and office of the mayor of Copenhagen, a Danish city known as one of the most bicycle friendly locations in the world and whose tourism website says 55 per cent of its residents bike 1.2 million kilometres (750,000 miles) every day. The initial 1,000 units of the Copenhagen Wheel became available for pre-order through the Superpedestrian website earlier this month. Two weeks later, at least 810 had been sold for $699 each, the majority of them to customers in the U.S. Other orders went to Europe, Australia, Kenya, Madagascar and elsewhere. Shipping is scheduled for next spring. The Copenhagen Wheel does not replace a cyclist's existing bicycle. Consumers get the stylish hubcap-sized device already installed on a new rear wheel that fits their current bicycle. They remove the current wheel from their bike and install the souped-up unit and they are ready to go. The batteries are rechargeable. The Copenhagen Wheel seeks to tap into a lucrative and highly competitive market for electric bikes, also known as e-bikes. In a recent report, clean-technology consulting company Navigant Research estimated that worldwide revenue from electric bicycles will grow from $8.4 billion this year to $10.8 billion in 2020, fueled in part by desire for a viable alternative to increasingly congested city roads that makes crawling in car traffic less palatable. In the U.S., the trend is reflected in Census Bureau data showing the number of bicycle commuters rose 60 per cent in the decade ending in 2010. "Over the past few years we've seen a cycling renaissance throughout the world," Biderman said. "People are looking for alternatives."

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WFP: Dreaming of a bike Christmas - Cycle of Giving volunteers work 'round the clock (Dec.16'13)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Dec '13

17 Dec '13

Dreaming of a bike Christmas Cycle of Giving volunteers work 'round the clock to make Christmas more shiny for 250 kids By: Kevin Rollason http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/dreaming-of-a-bike-christmas-2359782… More than 250 children whose families wouldn't be able to afford to buy a bike will be getting refurbished ones under the Christmas tree thanks to an army of volunteers at a 24-hour bike-repair marathon. Volunteers organized by WRENCH, which stands for Winnipeg Repair, Education and Cycling Hub, were able to refurbish more than 250 bikes during its third annual Cycle of Giving bike-building marathon during the weekend. "It's nice to think of that child who will get a bike all shiny," volunteer Kate MacKay said Sunday as she put the final touches on a small, purple two-wheeler a young child could soon be riding. "There's few things as rewarding as teaching a kid to ride a bike. It's a confidence-builder and it is an important step. "I've been volunteering since noon and I will be here next year and the year after," MacKay said. For 24 hours starting Saturday at 6 p.m., the gymnasium inside the Orioles Community Centre at 448 Burnell St. was transformed into a bicycle repair shop. Pat Krawec, WRENCH's executive director, said 900 bicycles were taken out of the Brady Road Landfill earlier this year and brought to the community centre. The bikes included kids bikes, tricycles, 10-speeds, and mountain bikes. "The bikes that need the least work go first," Krawec said. "If you're going to put out 250 bikes that work well, you don't have time to work on something that's been in a landfill for a year-and-a-half already or used by someone's big brother." At one end outside the community centre, hundreds of bicycles sat in snow waiting to be worked on. At the other end of the centre, repaired bikes, cleaned and shined, were parked back into the snow before being picked up by several organizations, including Newcomer Employment Education Development Services (NEEDS Inc.), which will distribute bicycles to immigrant and refugee children, youth and families they support. Krawec said the volunteers include mechanics from bicycle repair shops and ordinary Winnipeggers who fix their own bikes. He said bicycles not repaired now will be taken to be fixed up by inmates at Headingley Correctional Centre and then distributed across the province. Nearby, Richard Helbig, a science and mathematics teacher at Hugh John Macdonald School, an inner-city junior high school -- who also runs an after-school bicycle repair club -- said it's great to be able to fix so many bikes. "I'm mostly making sure everything on it is tight -- it's probably better now than when the first owner took it home," Helbig said. Across from him, two students, 13-year-old John Nai and his 15-year-old brother, Jack, said they appreciate coming in to help other children get a bicycle. "It's great -- last year I got a bike so I know what it's like," John said. "It's fun -- I enjoy doing this and helping out," Jack said. On the other side of the room, past boxes full of bicycle seats and other assorted parts, Jayson Gillespie was using a special tool to tighten the spokes on the wheels of a tricycle. When not on his knees repairing a used tricycle, Gillespie is coach of the Manitoba Provincial Cycling team. "This is different than the high-end bikes we use," Gillespie said laughing. "These have had lots of wear and tear. But you can ride this in the basement -- you don't have to ride it outside." WRENCH is still accepting monetary donations at thewrench.ca or by mailing a cheque to the WRENCH, 1057 Logan Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3E 3N8. kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 16, 2013 B1

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Free Seminar: Dec.17 - WHO's Health Economic Assessment Tool
by Anders Swanson 12 Dec '13

12 Dec '13

[ Calling policy, health and/or active transportation professionals: If you are willing to stay up a bit late, (or get up a bit early) next Tuesday, you have a unique opportunity to participate in an online seminar on how to use the World Health Organization's Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT). In Europe especially, policy makers and planners are using HEAT as a go-to population-level health benefit assessment tool for determining the return on investment of various programs and capital projects. At VeloCity 2013 in Vienna, the importance of this tool was underscored numerous times, especially during the political panel, in discussions of budgeting. Thanks to the European Cycling Federation newsletter for sharing the opportunity. You can sign up to ECF's newsletter here: http://www.ecf.com/category/newsletter/ Kindly, Anders ] "*This tool is designed to help you conduct an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling by estimating the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of walking or cycling.* *The tool can be used in a number of different situations, for example:* - *when planning a new piece of cycling or walking infrastructure.* HEAT attaches a value to the estimated level of cycling or walking when the new infrastructure is in place. This can be compared to the costs of implementing different interventions to produce a benefit–cost ratio (and help to make the case for investment) - *to value the reduced mortality from past and/or current levels of cycling or walking*, such as to a specific workplace, across a city or in a country. It can also be used to illustrate economic consequences from a potential future change in levels of cycling or walking. - *to provide input into more comprehensive economic appraisal exercises, or prospective health impact assessments.* For example, to estimate the mortality benefits from achieving targets to increase cycling or walking, or from the results of an intervention project. - " *Tuesday December 17th 10:30am Central European Time* *Sign up here:* http://heatwalkingcycling.org/index.php?pg=training&id= *More info on how HEAT is used for walking* http://heatwalkingcycling.org/index.php?pg=walking&act=introduction *More info on how HEAT is used for cycling* http://heatwalkingcycling.org/index.php?pg=cycling&act=introduction

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FW: Why You Should Never Bike to Work
by Dave Elmore 11 Dec '13

11 Dec '13

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-leonard/biking-to-work_b_4426504.html? view=print Why You Should Never Bike to Work I have biked everywhere within 4 miles of my apartment in the past 5 years, including every job I've had -- I've never had to drive to work in Denver. I find riding a bicycle exhilarating, but that's no reason for you to think you should. In fact, here are 9 reasons you shouldn't bike to work. I'm sure you can think of others. 9. It's too dangerous. Can you imagine being out there on a bicycle with all these crazy drivers flying past you, nothing to protect you except a plastic and styrofoam shell on your head? You could get killed. The absolute best thing is to stay in the protective cage of your car, because no one's ever been killed when they're inside an automobile. Driving is safe. 8. You have to wear a tie to work. Or a suit. Or a skirt. Not only that, it's important to wear your tie/suit/business casual attire from the moment you leave your house in the morning until the moment you get home. There is no conceivable way you could leave some clothes at your office, and change into them after you ride your bike to work, two or three days a week. Plus, your suit/tie combination is so dialed, you can't just spread your tie collection out over two locations. Where the hell is my cornflower blue tie? I need to see if it looks good with these shoes. And like there's some way to ride a bike in skirt or a dress? <http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2009/06/cycling-in-skirts-and-dresses-cy cle.html> 7. You have to go to the gym after/before work. What, are you supposed to carry all your work materials and your gym clothes in a tiny little backpack on a bike? Please. I mean, what, bike to work, then bike to the gym, then get on the stationary bike for 45 minutes, and bike home? Ridiculous. What are you, Lance Armstrong? I guess you could just ride your real bike, and stop going to the gym, but we're Americans. We work out indoors. 6. You can't show up all sweaty and smelly for your job. It is a proven fact that once you have sweated from exercise, you can never recover until you get into a shower or bath and rinse it off. Also a fact: Human sweat is comprised of more than 90% fecal particles, which is why you smell like a hog confinement instantly after you start exercising, and afterward, when the people next to you on the Stairmaster are passing out like they've just been chloroformed. It's not like you could take a shower at the office, after all, or use Action Wipes to wipe off when you get to work to mitigate that smell. Your co-workers will be all, "Bob, what the hell did you do, bike to work today? It smells like somebody's gutting a week-old deer carcass in your cubicle." 5. You don't have the right bike for it. The only bike you own are your Trek Madone, and your single-speed 29er, neither of which will work. You'd have to go out and buy a dedicated commuting bike, which start at, what, $1,200? Ask those day laborer guys who bike to work every day on secondhand Huffys and Magnas -- they're not cheap. 4. You can't be wearing a bike helmet and messing up your hair before work. Fact: Hair products are not portable, and are not designed for use outside of your home bathroom or a hair salon. And let's face it: Your hairstyle is a work of carefully crafted art, not something that can be rushed in 5, 10 or even 30 minutes in some modern office restroom. You spend a long time on your hair, just like Tony Manero <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viCYkduSzaU> . You can't just throw it all away on a bike ride. 3. The route from your home to your office would be suicide on a bike. There are no bike lanes, no shoulders, no wide sidewalks, no nothing on the roads from your home to your office. What, are you supposed to find other roads to ride on, like lesser-traveled, lower-speed-limit roads through residential areas? Or detour way out of your way to get on a bike path? No thank you. You don't have time for that shit. 2. What if it rains? Yeah, Mr. Hardcore Bike Commuter, what if it rains? You're supposed to just ride a bicycle home from the office through a downpour? What are you supposed to do when you get home, looking like a sewer rat? This is a civilized society. Thanks to umbrellas, sprinting from your car to your office, and sometimes holding a newspaper above your head, you haven't gotten wet outside of your shower since 2007. Next thing, someone's going to tell you that you have to carry a rain jacket in your bike commuting bag -- maybe pants too. What the hell is this, a backpacking trip? You're just trying to get to work on time. 1. You would have to change your routine. Please. Give up your 45-minute drive into work, the drive that energizes you for the day ahead? Give up interacting with all those other fun, friendly, courteous drivers on the freeway? Sitting in traffic? Road construction? Merging? Not a chance.

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Metro News: City committee sets January 2015 date for U-pass
by Beth McKechnie 10 Dec '13

10 Dec '13

City committee sets January 2015 date for U-pass By Bernice Pontanilla <http://metronews.ca/author/bernicepontanilla/>Metro http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/879443/city-committee-sets-january-2015-d… A city committee has endorsed an amendment to the 2014 budget that would get the universal transit pass for post-secondary students, better known as the U-pass, back on track. The infrastructure renewal and public works committee held a special meeting on the preliminary 2014 budget on Monday, during which several students and councillors spoke in favour of the U-pass program. Both student associations at the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba held votes where a majority approved paying a maximum of $200 and $180 respectively for the September-to-April pass as part of their university fees. These supporters had been hoping the program would start in September of 2014, however, that date has been pushed back to January of 2015. Rorie Mcleod Arnould, vice president of the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association, said the U-pass would be an investment for the future, so waiting a few extra months isn’t a huge concern. “The U-pass program is a long-term investment in not only our post-secondary education system in Winnipeg, but our transit system in Winnipeg,” said Arnould after the meeting. “If we can get this done at the proposed term in January, then that would make me very happy.” The students still face an uphill battle, since both Dave Wardrop, director of Winnipeg Transit, and Coun. Russ Wyatt, who chairs the finance committee and attended Monday’s meeting, said a proposed semester pass is the better option. This semester pass, which will likely be over $200, would come into effect when the Transit system moves to the smartcard model. “I met with the students earlier this year as well, prior to the budget being released,” said Wyatt, who has encouraged the students to find dollars from sponsors. “The challenge we have is right now we as a city do provide below the national average post-secondary transit fares … our fares are very economical, very competitive.” Wyatt said as a municipal government, the city is not prepared to subsidize post-secondary education and “that’s what this would be.”

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Bike Share Planning Guide (for when Winnipeg is ready)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Dec '13

10 Dec '13

Though Winnipeg needs more connected bike infrastructure before contemplating a bikeshare system, here's an interesting guide on best practices and latest technologies, such as stationless systems. Check out the top 5 components of a successful system. http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/12/06/how-do-you-grade-a-bike-share-system/

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Fwd: Promo for event...
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 09 Dec '13

09 Dec '13

Please help spread the word about this exciting workshop! *apologies for cross-posting* -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Enrique Penalosa: Why buses represent democracy in action
by Beth McKechnie 08 Dec '13

08 Dec '13

[You may recall that Enrique Penalosa, with his brother Gil Penalosa, started the Ciclovia / carfree routes movement.] "An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport," says Enrique Peñalosa. In this spirited talk, the former mayor of Bogotá shares some of the tactics he used to change the system in the Colombian capital ... and suggests ways to think about building smart cities of the future. http://www.ted.com/talks/enrique_penalosa_why_buses_represent_democracy_in_…

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City of Winnipeg 2014 Capital Budget
by Beth McKechnie 07 Dec '13

07 Dec '13

Have your eyes glazed over already? I'm hoping not. In fact, I hope you will consider sharing this with your networks or speaking up through your organization about the following: *First – at a time when many of us are calling for an increase in City planning staff to work on AT issues, there are cuts instead. * We are about to lose a transportation planner position at the City that serves as a bridge between the planning department and public works. Given the City's commitment to integrating land use and transportation planning through OurWinnipeg <http://speakupwinnipeg.com/ourwinnipeg/>, Complete Communities<http://speakupwinnipeg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Complete-Communities.…>and the Transportation Master Plan <http://transportation.speakupwinnipeg.com/>, this is a serious blow. We need more people who understand Complete Streets<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/complete-streets/>, not fewer. As Winnipeg Free Press columnist Dan Lett<http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/blind-cuts-sign-of-cowardice-2341888…>described the staffing cuts at the City, it's like cutting off an appendage to lose weight. *Second – the Osborne underpass, a serious gap left unaddressed in the first phase of the Southwest Rapid Transitway, is now being pushed back till 2019.* It was previously in the budget for 2.5 million in 2015 and another 2.5 million 2017. It is now slated at 2.5 million for 2019. For more details on this and other aspects of the capital budget, please see Bike Winnipeg's written submission<http://bikewinnipeg.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Bike_Winnipeg_2…> . Finally, on a related note, the U-Pass<http://www.umsu.ca/22-general/u-pass>for students and transit is apparently not going ahead. If you share these concerns, please contact City Councillors and the Mayor. (http://winnipeg.ca/council/contact.stm) thanks, Beth

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Canadian Municipal AT Policy Map & webinar
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '13

05 Dec '13

[Interesting item courtesy of the PACM e-newsletter. Note that I have registered Green Action Centre for this webinar and booked the EcoCentre boardroom in case you care to join us here for a group viewing. Will send out a reminder invite closer to the date. -cheers, Beth] The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) has a new tool to help you find active transportation policies from across Canada. The *Canadian Municipal Active Transportation Policy Map *is a bilingual, customized, google map pre-populated with active transportation policies from the Prevention Policy Directory. To add your community's policy in 5 minutes or less . . . call Chris Politis at 1-416-915-9222 ext. 570 or email: christopher.politis(a)partnershipagainstcancer.ca *CPAC is hosting a free webinar on this new tool on January 16th/2 pm -3:30 pm EST.* Click here to register for this webinar<http://recconnections.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8de91dae132ff629742…>

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Fwd: Active Transportation Canada - New Posts - December 4, 2013
by Beth McKechnie 04 Dec '13

04 Dec '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Wed, Dec 4, 2013 at 9:22 AM Subject: Active Transportation Canada - New Posts - December 4, 2013 Active Transportation-Canada Listserv Members: The last notice for Active Transportation-Canada was sent on November 25. Since then, 45 new items have been posted. May I suggest you examine: 1. What Your Street Grid Reveals About Your City<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/what-your-street-gri…> 2. ‘Free’ streets, highway network an illusion<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/free-streets-highway…> 3. A Tale of Two Suburbs<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/a-tale-of-two-suburb…> 4. Walkable Cities are Good News for Small Business<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/12/walkable-cities-are-…> 5. Halifax cycling group pushing to make helmet laws extinct in Nova Scotia<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/halifax-cycling-grou…> 6. Why Correcting Misperceptions About Mass Transit May Be More Important Than Improving Service<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/why-correcting-mispe…> 7. Edmonton planning to ‘winter proof’ contentious 106 Street bike lanes<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/edmonton-planning-to…> 8. Council approves master plans for building the future Ottawa<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/council-approves-mas…> 9. One hour's driving costs 20 minutes of life, study says<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/one-hours-driving-co…> 10. Dad on Foot Arrested for Refusing to Wait in Line of Cars to Get Kids<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2013/11/dad-on-foot-arrested…> A complete list of all articles posted since the Websites creation may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. There are now *2,500+* news items, reports, studies, and articles posted on Active Transportation - Canada, with links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and around the world. Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com/ "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. If anyone has a problem reading this message, please let me know. I welcome suggestions for posts, so if you have news items featuring your community, please share them with the other subscribers from Canada, the US, and Australia on Active Transportation-Canada. Thank you. Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions

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An old-style new development
by Anders Swanson 02 Dec '13

02 Dec '13

[Land-use planning and residential block layout are at the heart of active transportation planning, but whereas bike paths make for sexy news, we rarely see examples/articles about the former. Here though is an interesting article on a new form of Manitoba Housing development planned for Winnipeg. From the article, and the accompanying graphic, I can't exactly work out how it is supposed to accomplish it, but according to the article "....it has that walkability aspect, where cars are kind of in the background and the focus is on pedestrians." - Anders] More: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/an-old-style-new-develo… >From today's free press.

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Fwd: News Release: Study Reveals More K-8 Children Are Walking to School
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 02 Dec '13

02 Dec '13

New research from the US shows that the rates of K-9 students walking to and from school are increasing across the border. It's interesting to note the significant importance of the schools being supportive of and encouraging walking and cycling, as well as the importance of investing in infrastructure, safety education and safe routes to school programming to help the shift occur. Between 2005 and 2009 the federal US government established a National Safe Routes to School program and dedicated $612 million to programming in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: National Center for Safe Routes to School <news(a)saferoutesinfo.org> Date: 2 December 2013 08:01 Subject: News Release: Study Reveals More K-8 Children Are Walking to School To: asrts(a)greenactioncentre.ca New research from the National Center for Safe Routes to School shows that more K-8 students are walking to and from school across the country. Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=b0420f1cf7…>. [image: SafeRoutes, National Center for Safe Routes to School]<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a403489…> Go to SafeRoutes website<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a4034895…> News Release Study Reveals More K-9 Children Are Walking to School *School support of active transportation a critical component* *CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (Dec. 2, 2013) – *New research from the National Center for Safe Routes to School – based on parent survey data collected by nearly 4,700 U.S. schools from 2007 to 2012 – shows that more K-8 students are walking to and from school across the country. According to the data, the percentage of K-8 children who walked to school in the morning increased from 12.4 percent to 15.7 percent (representing a 27 percent increase). Similarly, the percentage of K-8 children who walked from school in the afternoon increased from 15.8 percent to 19.7 percent (representing a 24 percent increase). “We have heard anecdotally that more families are choosing active transportation for everyday trips, and this first-ever large dataset provides evidence that this is indeed the case for the trip to and from school.” said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. “This encouraging news illustrates the importance of continuing to invest in building safer infrastructure, promoting safety awareness and continuing programs like Safe Routes to School.” Another significant finding of this research was that the percentage of parents who reported that their child’s school supporting walking and bicycling for the school commute rose from 24.9 percent to 33 percent. “School support for walking and biking is an important element in parents’ decisions to allow or to encourage their children to make this transportation choice,” Marchetti continued. “And, as nearly 15,000 schools have benefited from Safe Routes to School funding across the country, this is an exciting finding. Together, schools, families and communities can help integrate physical activity into daily life.” The full report, *Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School from 2007 to 2012*, analyzed parent survey data collected by nearly 4,700 schools located in all states and DC from 2007 through 2012. The surveys represent more than 525,000 K-8 school children across the country. Parent surveys are not considered representative of all households, instead they give insight into communities where walking to school was slightly more feasible than average (for example, rural schools are under-represented in the study). Surveys came from schools with ranging amounts of SRTS activity, from those seeking SRTS funds to get started to those actively conducting SRTS programs. The complete study and a companion piece for practitioners, *Trends in Walking and Bicycling to School: Takeaways for Building Successful Programs*, is available online at www.saferoutesinfo.org/program-tools/school-travel-trends-2007-to-2012<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a4034895…> . *Additional findings* - Although walking increased among students who attended low-, medium- and high-income schools, walking increased especially among students who attended low-income schools (schools where at least 75 percent of students were eligible to receive free or reduced price meals). - Although schools located in suburbs, towns, and rural areas showed higher rates of walking over time, walking increased especially at schools located in cities. - There was a small but statistically significant decrease in bicycling to school between 2007 and 2012, from 2.6 percent to 2.2 percent in both the morning and afternoon. - Using the bus decreased significantly between 2007 and 2012. Within one mile of school, the largest shift between travel modes occurred between busing and walking, with busing decreasing significantly and walking increasing significantly. Marchetti added, “While the study does document a small decrease in bicycling, there are reasons to believe that bicycling is gaining traction among children and families. The first National Bike to School Day was held in 2012 and the number of events grew 80 percent in 2013. As this support for bicycling to school continues to grow, we think we’ll see the numbers go up. And we do plan to examine the numbers again in 2014.” # # # *About the National Center for Safe Routes to School* Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists states and communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center serves as the information clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Part of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, the National Center also provides technical support and resources and coordinates online registration efforts for U.S. Walk to School Day and facilitates worldwide promotion and participation. For more information, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org. *Media Contact:* Doug Nicholas 919-843-8854 Nicholas(a)hsrc.unc.edu like us on Facebook<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=55978ef31b4a4034895…>| forward to a friend<http://us2.forward-to-friend1.com/forward?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=b0…> *Copyright © 2013 National Center for Safe Routes to School, All rights reserved.* You are currently subscribed to receive periodic information from the National Center for Safe Routes to School, such as news releases, updates and our e-newsletter Safe Routes Matters, because you opted in at www.saferoutesinfo.org/newsletter-sign. *Our mailing address is:* National Center for Safe Routes to School 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Suite 300, Campus Box 3430 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3430 Add us to your address book<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8…> - unsubscribe from this list<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage1.com/unsubscribe?u=55978ef31b4a403489…> - update subscription preferences<http://saferoutesinfo.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3…> - view email in browser<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=55978ef31b4a403489524d3b8&id=b0420f1cf7…> -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Fwd: FW: Living Green: The Holiday Edition
by Beth McKechnie 29 Nov '13

29 Nov '13

Hope you don't mind if I share the Holiday Edition of our newsletter. It has a few items that I thought might be of interest to folks on this list. (But I won't make it a habit!) And if you would like to subscribe to the general Green Action Centre e-newsletter, sign up here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/support/>. thanks, Beth * * * * * Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=135473c034…> *November 28, 2013* Santa praised for climate-friendly travel Canadians could achieve major GHG reductions by switching to flying reindeer as a regular mode of transportation, according to a study by Green Action Centre. With his eco-friendly travel, Santa is not only reducing emissions, he's saving thousands of dollars to boot<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . ------------------------------ Unique holiday gift baskets for sale! Place your order today for a holiday gift basket filled with delicious and useful homemade goods. It makes a perfect present and also supports Green Action Centre! Learn more or purchase a basket here<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . Limited numbers available. We're also giving away a basket: become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> between November 26th and December 20th for a chance to win! ------------------------------ *Which Christmas tree is better – real or fake?* Oh, those holiday decisions. Natural tree or artificial? Go for a walk or eat another piece of shortbread? We can't help with the latter but here's the lowdown on Christmas trees along with other greenery options<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . ------------------------------ *Share Green Action Centre* Like what you read? Share it with your friends and family! *[image: Twitter] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> [image: Facebook] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> * *Green Action Centre News* ------------------------------ *Be merry and green through the holidays* Must we empty our pockets to fill our hearts with joy? We think not. From gift wrapping to decorations and lighting to entertaining, here are 10 eco-friendly ways to keep the holidays merry and bright.<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> ------------------------------ *The year-end cometh – make your gift count* Making year-end charitable donations<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>? Please donate now<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>to Green Action Centre – it's secure, easy and online through Canada Helps. Your gift will support down-to-earth, practical solutions for greener living in Manitoba. Thank you! ------------------------------ Dear Santa, please bring us a greener 2014 Here's what we're asking Santa for this year – gifts from the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, and the City of Winnipeg among others<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Fingers crossed he's in a giving mood in 2014. ------------------------------ Sustainable strategies for the holiday hoopla It's a stressful time of year (no kidding!). Need help surviving the holidays while keeping your energy and pocketbook balanced? Here are some creative coping strategies from someone who can relate<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> . ------------------------------ Sign up for Membership Green Action Centre is your voice for advocating and educating about important environmental issues in Manitoba. Become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>to help make our voice even stronger You are receiving this email as a supporter of Green Action Centre. Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Add us to your address book<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f5…> Copyright (C) 2013 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. Forward<http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=135…>this email to a friend Update your profile<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Speed Limits - Right Here at Home
by Anders Swanson 27 Nov '13

27 Nov '13

*[ AT Network: Further to the last post about speed limits from NYC, the same discussion is happening here. Tomorrow evening, in fact. See the message below from the West Broadway Community Organization. If you live, work in or commute through the West End, this may be of particular interest to you. Apologies for late notice. - Anders ] * Hello friends, Each year the West Broadway Community Organization holds a town hall meeting in November to discuss local issues that have particular relevance to our community. In the wake of several troubling accidents on our streets involving pedestrians and in response to ongoing calls from community members asking for information on how to reduce vehicle speeds, improve cycling infrastructure, and make West Broadway safer for pedestrians, WBCO’s town hall this year will focus on finding solutions to ongoing transportation concerns<http://www.westbroadway.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/2013-Town-Hall-Pos…> . *Thursday, November 28th* *Multi-purpose room at Gordon Bell Collegiate* *6:30pm until 8pm* *Snacks and refreshments served* Too often, community meetings bring residents and stakeholders together to ‘consult’ or merely ‘talk about’ problems, our hope for tomorrow night’s meeting will be to offer solutions, document concerns and provide community members with concrete strategies for improving the livability of this neighbourhood. It is no secret that over 60 percent of residents in West Broadway commute without the use of automobile and that a large percentage of residents are committed pedestrians, transit riders and cyclists; in this context, with one of the highest population densities in the city, the need to consider local concerns and work together on solutions is significant. Please feel free to share this invitation with anyone who lives, works or volunteers in the West Broadway community. Best, Greg MacPherson Executive Director West Broadway Community Organization 608 Broadway Winnipeg, MB R3C 0W8 Phone - 204.774.7201 ext 5 Fax - 204.779.2203 www.westbroadway.mb.ca

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NYC Council working to reduce speed limit on city streets
by Beth McKechnie 27 Nov '13

27 Nov '13

<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>[Thanks to Terry Zdan for sharing. -cheers, Beth] * * * * * Council Working to Reduce Speed Limit on City Streets By Jill Colvin <http://politicker.com/author/jill-colvin/> 11/26 4:03pm http://politicker.com/2013/11/council-working-to-the-reduce-speed-limit-on-… The New York City Council hopes to pass legislation that would reduce the speed limit on most residential and side streets to 20 miles per hour, Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced today. “We are actively working on that bill and our goal is to pass it before the end of the year,” Ms. Quinn said during an unrelated press conference this afternoon before the month’s final council meeting. “We’re actively working on it right now.” The bill, introduced by Councilman David Greenfield, is aimed at reducing serous pedestrian injuries and traffic fatalities. Last year<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/nyregion/more-traffic-fatalities-in-new-y…>, 148 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents and crashes. “We are working to fine-tune this life-saving legislation that will slow down automobiles on narrow residential streets. I am hopeful that we can get consensus on this important legislation, which will literally save lives once it is enacted here in New York City,” he said in response to the speaker’s comments. But there are complications. The city’s Department of Transportation has argued the proposal would conflict with state law, which only allows limits that low if other traffic-calming devices are used. Last Friday, Councilman Jimmy Vacca, chair of the council’s transportation committee, told WNYC<http://www.wnyc.org/story/d-i-y-20mph-speed-limit-signs-line-brooklyn-stree…> the bill was being “tweaked a little bit” and that members were “aiming for 25 miles per hour on narrow, one-way streets.” Currently, the speed limit on most city streets is 30 miles per hour, unless otherwise posted. The new regulations would be a boon to advocates–including those who installed their own<http://www.wnyc.org/story/d-i-y-20mph-speed-limit-signs-line-brooklyn-stree…> 20-mile limit signs in Park Slope this week–but have drawn grumbles from some drivers who feel the city’s notoriously gridlocked streets are slow enough. According to the group Transportation Alternatives, pedestrians have an 80 percent chance of surviving being hit by a car traveling 30 miles per hour and a 98 percent chance of survival if the car is traveling 20 miles per hour. The measure is just the latest of several recent efforts aimed at making streets safer for pedestrians. Later today, the council is expected to pass another bill, introduced by Councilwoman Debi Rose, aimed at slowing speeds near public and private schools. The rules would require the city to install speed humps near at least 50 schools. “Speeding is the number one cause of deadly crashes in New York City and we must do everything we can to prevent fatalities,” Mr. Quinn said in a statement touting Mr. Rose’s bill. A spokeswoman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not immediately comment on whether the mayor supports the bill.

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The Guardian: How safe are the world's cities for cyclists?
by Beth McKechnie 23 Nov '13

23 Nov '13

Fascinating look at cycling in 12 cities around the world – from Delhi to Berlin to New York, Beijing, Rome, Paris, and many more. While some focus is on the number of cyclist deaths or injuries, what I found most interesting to hear is the different personal experiences riding in these major centres. -cheers, Beth * * * * * How safe are the world's cities for cyclists? The deaths of six cyclists in the past two weeks have highlighted the dangers of taking to London's busy streets. But what is it like to cycle in other major cities around the world? From Amsterdam to Delhi, our writers report from the bike lanes http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/nov/20/how-safe-are-worlds-cit… - Richard Orange <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/richard-orange>, Anu Anand, Philip Oltermann<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/philip-oltermann> , Jonathan Kaiman <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonathan-kaiman>, Pete Jordan, Kim Willsher<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/kim-willsher> , Shaun Walker <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/shaun-walker>, Lizzy Davies <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/lizzydavies>, Patrick Kingsley<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/patrick-kingsley> , Matt Seaton <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/mattseaton>, Harriet Sherwood <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/harrietsherwood>, Rory Carroll <http://www.theguardian.com/profile/rorycarroll> and David Byrne<http://www.theguardian.com/profile/david-byrne-contributor> - - The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian>, Wednesday 20 November 2013 [image: Malmo cycling] Malmö, with its dedicated cycle paths and huge take-up, is something of a cycling heaven. Photograph: Alamy Malmö When I arrived in Malmö two years ago, it was the free bicycle pumps, installed in convenient places on cycle paths, which showed me that, when it comes to cycling <http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/cycling> in Sweden <http://www.theguardian.com/world/sweden>, Malmö leads the way. Sweden's third-largest city is laced with 500km (310 miles) of cycle lanes, more even than in Copenhagen, a short hop across the Öresunds Bridge<http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2012/12/19/135…>. About a quarter of all journeys in the city are already made by bike. That is an estimated 100,000 trips a day for the its 307,000 inhabitants. Stockholmers, by contrast, use bikes for fewer than 10% of trips. When I take my daughter to day care in the morning on the back of my bike, the cycle lanes are packed with parents and commuters. Almost all my friends own cargo bikes<http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2013/7/25/1374…>, which they use to ferry their young families to day care, or to do the weekly shop. Remarkably, in the 10 years from 2003 to 2012, the city has seen only 16 cyclists killed in an accident involving a car. Olle Evenäs, a traffic planner for Malmö, puts this down to the way the city has built its cycle lanes. "In Malmö we have two-way cycle lanes, every single track, which isn't the case in Copenhagen. We never have painted lanes as cycle tracks; we always have a dedicated surface which is separated from the car traffic by a divider and up a level from car traffic." The law-abiding nature of the people also helps cut down on fatalities. For Swedes, cycling in the wrong direction on a cycle path or, worse still, on a pavement intended for pedestrians, elicits the sort of outrage people in the UK reserve for those dumping their rubbish on the pavement. The city continues to try to cut car use, aiming to increase cycling's share of journeys to 30% by 2018. To do this it has earmarked at least 400m kroner (£37m) to be spent on various cycling programmes in the years 2012-19. "This is the money we know we have for sure, but we are going to be spending even more than that," says Evenäs. *Richard Orange* [image: Dehli cycling]Cyclists in Delhi must compete with rickshaws and the city's seven million cars. Photograph: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty ImagesDelhi Size is power on India <http://www.theguardian.com/world/india>'s roads and in the caste system of transport, cyclists rank just a notch above pedestrians and stray animals. Buses and SUVs rarely, if ever, give way to lesser mortals. Indeed, pedestrians attempting to cross a road here, even with children in tow, are invariably honked at while drivers speed towards them. By and large, cycling is not a lifestyle choice for the middle classes. Rather, it is the default mode of transport for those who cannot afford anything else. Labourers, deliverymen and semi-skilled workers such as plumbers and carpenters use bicycles. They are India's struggling masses, not its moneyed elite. In 2012, according to India's National Crime Records Bureau<http://ncrb.nic.in/>, a total of 168,301 people died on its roads. In New Delhi, that includes 78 cyclists and 501 pedestrians. There are nominal cycle lanes on some of the capital's main thoroughfares, but with seven million cars jostling for space, those lanes are often cannibalised by motorised rickshaws and scooters, leaving no safe space for bicyclists. Cyclists rarely wear helmets and there are no viable emergency services to ferry accident victims to hospitals. In recent years, some intrepid middle-class Indian and foreign expatriate cyclists have begun to brave Delhi's roads. Recognisable by their expensive bicycles, helmets and high-visibility vests, they can sometimes be spotted along the quieter avenues of colonial New Delhi. One company, Delhi by Cycle<http://www.delhibycycle.com/>, has even set up two-wheeled tours through the narrow, twisting lanes of the old city. But they start before dawn, before cars, motorbikes, cycle rickshaws, pushcarts, cows and the ever-present crush of pedestrians appear. If cycling in London <http://www.theguardian.com/uk/london> is dangerous, Delhi is like having a near-death experience every single time. *Anu Anand* [image: Berlin cycling]Cyclists are well-catered for in Berlin, but it still saw 15 cyclist deaths in 2012. Photograph: Adam Berry/Getty ImagesBerlin In many ways, Berlin is a cyclists' paradise. Most major roads have clearly marked cycling lanes, either on the pavement or on the road itself. The age range of cyclists is broader than in London: with old ladies and kids sharing lanes with bike couriers in Lycra, road behaviour tends to be less aggressive. Some major junctions even have a special set of traffic lights for cyclists, allowing them a head start ahead of motorists. That doesn't mean there are no problems. Fifteen cyclists died in 2012, seven of them through collisions with lorries; 4,533 more were injured over the same period. According to the German Cycling Club (ADFC), one of the most common causes of accidents are cars turning into side streets at high speed and cutting off cyclists in the lanes to their right. Berlin's many tram lines can also be a hazard: the track grooves are perfect for trapping the wheel of your average city bike. In spite of being notoriously cash-strapped, Berlin has taken steps to make cycling safer. This month, the city authorities launched an online survey in order to help identify trouble spots. On radsicherheit.berlin.de, users can mark dangerous junctions, blocked paths and road potholes, as well as recording "near-misses" that they didn't log with the police at the time. But Berlin also expects its cyclists to stick to the rules more than London does. One reason for this is self-policing: try going down a cycling path on the wrong side of the road, even in an alternative district such as Kreuzberg, and you will soon be bellowed at by other cyclists or by pedestrians. Cycling offences are not just punished with on-the-spot fines: any fine over €45 (£37.50) also comes with points that show up on your driving licence (which means that, in theory, you can end up with points on your licence before you have even passed your driving test). And, unlike Britain, Germany <http://www.theguardian.com/world/germany> has a drink-drive limit for cyclists: a blood alcohol content of 0.16%, though some regions have recently tried to lower the limit to the same as that for cars (0.05%). This also explains the German word for a shandy: *Radler* or "cyclist", because it just about keeps you sober enough to stay on your bike. *Philip Oltermann* [image: Beijing cycling]Beijing hopes to have a quarter of its residents cycling by 2015. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images Beijing Beijing was once a city of bikes. Now it's a city of traffic. There are more than 5m cars in Beijing, and they have transformed its once-generous thoroughfares into a noxious, honking mass. Cycling helps me rise above the noise. I bike 5km (3 miles) to work every day, weaving through Ming dynasty-era alleyways, gliding past shadowy government offices, darting among flatbed tricycles hauling mysterious metal tanks. The Chinese capital is notorious for its air pollution, and my commute isn't always pleasant. But when the smog lifts and the city snaps into focus, it's the highlight of my day. Along with the freedom comes a fair amount of risk. According to official statistics, cyclists were involved in more than 10,000<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3595633/> of China <http://www.theguardian.com/world/china>'s 67,759 traffic accident-related deaths in 2009. Scooters blast through red lights; cars park on the pavements. Nobody wears a helmet. Last winter, I was riding to work when I collided with an auto-rickshaw. They are the sharks of the city's bike lanes – vault-sized motorised boxes that are almost as powerful as small cars, but are not required to play by the same rules. It was on the wrong side of the road. I veered left; the driver veered right; I hit the side of the carriage and fell over. The driver, a middle-aged man with oily hair, decided to play the defensive – he was clearly from the countryside, and if the accident was serious, my medical bills could have wiped out his savings. He pointed his finger at me, yelling. A crowd began to gather. I shot him a middle finger and pedaled away, my right knee bleeding, my handlebars askew. In 2010, the Beijing government announced hopes that by 2015, nearly a fourth of the city's residents would use cycling as their primary mode of transportation. It doesn't seem likely. The city is too much of a sprawl, its traffic too unruly. There are other reasons, too. On Monday night, I returned to a restaurant where I had parked my one-speed Giant overnight, only to find it missing. A passerby saw me looking, and asked how long I'd left it outside. "Too long, I guess," I said. "You should know better," she replied. "This is China." *Jonathan Kaiman* [image: Amsterdam cycling]Amsterdam has long had a reputation for 'traffic anarchy', but if it's chaos, it works extremely well. Photograph: David R. Frazier Photolibrary/Alamy Amsterdam Over the course of my 11 years of daily biking in Amsterdam, I have never worn the helmet I brought with me from the US. No one needs a helmet here. Instead of putting the onus on the cyclists to protect themselves, in Amsterdam the onus is on society to provide a safe environment to ride in. Here, everyone bikes: the young, the old, the tourists. It usually takes me less than an hour to spot three pregnant cyclists. I had never realised how stressed I was while biking in America until I biked with relative ease in Amsterdam. Despite the decades-old reputation of Amsterdam's cyclists for being "traffic anarchists" – riding through red lights, biking without lights at night, and so on – it is a chaos that works incredibly well. Most motorists here are also cyclists, which enables them to better anticipate the behaviour of cyclists in traffic. Driving instructors teach new motorists to use their right hand to open their door, which forces the driver to turn, putting them in a better position to see if a cyclist is approaching from behind. Amsterdam is by no means perfect. Cycling fatalities do occur – estimates say about six a year - but on nothing like the scale that they do in the British capital. And the Dutch do not rest on their laurels with the infrastructure they have created over the past 30 years. I am always pleasantly amazed by how the city continues to be improved. *Pete Jordan* [image: Paris Cycling]Paris has taken its Vélib' scheme of hire bikes to its heart. Photograph: Christopher Thomond for the Guardian Paris<http://www.theguardian.com/world/paris> Paris is extremely proud of the fact it was the first capital to introduce a city-wide free bicycle scheme. Known as Vélib'<http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2008/oct/18/cyclingholidays-ethicalholida…>, a combination of the words *vélo* (bike) and *liberté* (freedom), it was introduced in 2007 by Socialist mayor Bertrand Delanoë. Now approaching retirement, Delanoë considers it one of the great triumphs of his term in office. By 2012, when Vélib' was celebrating its fifth birthday, there were around 23,000 of the heavy grey bicycles in circulation, more than double the number when it was launched. There are now 1,700 bicycle "stations" – 1,400 of them in Paris itself and 300 in surrounding towns. In 2007, there were just 750. Under the Socialists, the French capital has installed 652km (405 miles) of dedicated cycle routes for the 224,000 Parisians who have signed up to Vélib', a figure that will rise to 700km by the end of 2014. Launching several thousand bicycles onto the city's roads in 2007 caused widespread safety concerns, but they have proven largely unfounded. While cycling around the Arc de Triomphe can be a perilous exercise, with cars coming from all directions following the now largely outdated "priorité à droite" <http://www.vendee-guide.co.uk/priority-a-droite.htm> rule, the number of accidents involving cyclists between 2007 and 2012 was relatively low: 12 have died, eight of them while using a Vélib'. More than 660 have been injured, according to police, though most of the injuries were reported as "not serious". In 2010, 43 people died in accidents on Paris's streets and boulevards: two cyclists, 18 pedestrians, 17 motorcyclists and scooter riders and six vehicle drivers or passengers, according to the Paris Préfecture de Police. In 2011, not a single cyclist died<http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/19/boris-johnson-london-cyclist…>. Accident investigators say because there are more cyclists around, other road users have become more used to them and are giving them "greater respect". The rules of the road – "I don't ride on the pavement, I respect traffic lights and stop signs, I don't carry passengers and I don't ignore no entry signs" – are posted on each Vélib' bike. *Kim Willsher* [image: Moscow cycling]Moscow's bike-hire scheme works well in summer – but is mothballed for the harsh winter months. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images Moscow With 10-lane highways cutting through its centre, roads covered in snow and ice for much of the year, and drivers who – to put it charitably – do not always obey the letter of the law, Moscow has never been much of a city for cyclists. Those who can afford a car brave the legendary traffic jams, while those that cannot use the ruthlessly efficient metro system. In recent years, however, as the chaos of post-communist wild capitalism has subsided and thoughts have turned in some quarters to issues such as quality of life and urban planning, bicycles have become a more visible part of Moscow's fabric. This year, a local equivalent of Boris bikes was even introduced, with the Bank of Moscow funding 1,000 bikes and 74 rental points across the centre of the city. It was free to use them for up to half an hour, and just 60p for an hour after that, for those who paid an initial registration fee. The bikes have been removed with the onset of winter, but over the summer season nearly 50,000 Muscovites registered for the scheme. Nevertheless, the bikes were still mainly used for cycling along Moscow's embankments, through its newly renovated parks and along the pedestrianised boulevard ring that runs through the centre. Actually using a bike as a means of getting from A to B along normal roads is still a matter for the brave and the foolhardy, and cyclists on the roads are a rare sight indeed. *Shaun Walker* [image: Rome cycling]Rome's cyclists hope that their bike-friendly mayor can deliver. Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images Rome With its fabled seven hills, cobbled streets and notoriously chaotic traffic, Rome is not an obvious cycling paradise. A bike-sharing scheme launched in 2008 has been an abject failure. And, for what it's worth, helmets and hi-vis have never been included in any Italian's definition of*bella figura*. Despite the risks to both health and image, however, many Romans are choosing to brave the roads and get on their bikes. For the first time in decades, more bikes were sold than cars in the recession-hit Italy of 2011, a trend reflected predominantly in the north but also on the traffic-clogged streets of the capital. Many of those who do brave it insist the city's off-putting image is unfair: it is hard for cars to speed around the narrow, winding streets of the historic centre, they say. Moreover, Roman motorists, whatever their other defects, are used to looking out for people on two-wheels - it's just that those wheels tend to belong to a Vespa or Piaggio. But tragedies, of course, do happen. Last year, five people died in accidents involving bicycles, according to the city authorities; one person the year before that; three in 2010, and four in 2009. In July, a 60-year-old man called Domenico Calabrò was fatally injured in a collision with a car on the city's south-eastern outskirts. The man who now finds himself at the centre of the city's cycling future is the mayor, Ignazio Marino, who was elected in June and has repeatedly spoken of the need to make Rome a more bike-friendly capital. He says he is considering various projects in order to boost cycle use, including the creation of parking lots for 10,000 bikes, a new, more successful cycle-sharing scheme, and 20km more cycle paths to add to the patchy existing network. Marino is himself a keen cyclist, often seen whizzing around town, security staff in tow, on a white Lombardo. Even for him, however, it hasn't been straight-forward: in July, he fell off. Cycling activists are pleased that their new "first citizen" is a bike-lover, but are still waiting to see if he will keep his promises, says Fausto Bonafaccia, president of the BiciRoma association. "The cycle path situation is improper for a city like Rome, the capital of Italy, where vegetation, disjointedness and potholes represent daily obstacles for those who want to travel by bike," he says. "Road safety <http://www.theguardian.com/world/road-safety> … does not meet the minimum standards befitting a civilised country and cyclists are always at risk of having an accident in the Roman traffic." *Lizzy Davies* [image: Cairo cycling]Cairo's most fearless road users must be its bakery delivery cyclists. Photograph: Carsten Koall/Getty Images Cairo Tell a local that you cycle in Cairo, and more often than not you will be met with a wide-eyed stare. Driving a car is dangerous and frustrating enough, with 42 annual road deaths per 100,000 Egyptians, according to the World Health Organisation<http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_traffic/countrywork/egy/…>. Britain has just 2.75. Cairo's roads are chaotic<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8029015.stm>, with cars paying little attention to road markings, and gridlocked streets common by mid-afternoon. Lane discipline is not a recognised concept, drivers often reverse down multi-lane highways, and cars will not stop for pedestrians seeking to cross a road until they step out into the speeding traffic. In this environment, there is little concept of cycling as a means of getting across the city. Needless to say, there are no cycle lanes. Many deliverymen do use bikes to pedal around their neighbourhoods – perhaps Cairo's most fearless road-users are the cycling bakers who careen through traffic jams balancing vast trays of bread on their heads. But very few commuters cycle, put off by the perceived danger and the lack of infrastructure. For some professionals, bikes are associated with the working class, and so have a social stigma – while some female cyclists report harassment from passersby. But the city's few energetic bike advocates say that cyclists are slowly on the rise. When the Cairo Cycling Club was founded five years ago, it had just four members. Now it organises weekly recreational group rides<http://www.cairobike.com/group-rides> through quieter districts that have sometimes attracted hundreds of cyclists. In two provincial cities near Cairo, the authorities are planning to encourage more cycling<http://stpegypt.org/images/NGO%20Fayoum%20workshop_apr2013.pdf> along some main roads. There are no exact figures, either for the number of Cairene cyclists or the number of annual cycling-related fatalities. But Ahmed el-Dorghamy, one of Cairo's most vocal cycling proponents, says there are more than 20,000 users of Egyptian online cycling groups. "The idea we want to get across is that it's not just a sporting activity," hetold the BBC <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21629907> last year. "It can also be a means of transport in some areas of Cairo." *Patrick Kingsley* [image: New York cycling]New York's busy streets might seem daunting, but things are improving for cyclists. Photograph: Joseph Mcnally/Getty ImagesNew York If you commute by bike in New York City, you are still regarded by colleagues as something of a daredevil. And if you don't wear a helmet, they frankly think you are reckless. Mind you, this is a country where they wear helmets for the game they call football (which, actually, does have a serious head-injury problem). But perceptions lag behind reality. New York has become a much more cycle-friendly city over the past decade or so of the Bloomberg administration. Cyclist fatalities have held steady over that time: in a good year, perhaps just a dozen; in a bad year, double that number. But bike use has tripled since 2000 and, with several hundred miles of new bike lanes put in, it is still growing fast. So, according to the City's "cycling risk indicator", the danger of serious injury has plummeted by 73% (between 2000 and 2011). And New York is truly a bikeable city. Manhattan and the other boroughs are reasonably flat, and car ownership is the lowest of any American city. The views can be spectacular, whether you are flying down one of the big avenues in a canyon of Gotham skyscrapers or taking the riverside bike path along the Hudson on the west side. Earlier this year, the city got the Citibike bike-share scheme, our equivalent of Boris bikes. Despite teething troubles, the five-month-old rollout is mostly judged a great success – not least because it has not yet resulted in a single fatality. Not everything is rosy. Transportation Alternatives<http://www.transalt.org/>, NYC's leading pro-bike campaign, has worked hard recently to make more of an issue of how poorly fatal accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists are often investigated by the NYPD. Just last weekend, an article in the New York Times asked provocatively: "Is it OK to kill cyclists?" But I take heart simply from the fact that the question is being asked: the mindset is changing. My main tip from the mean streets: just watch out for the yellow cabs – they never pull over to drop people off, and passengers will fling the doors open on either side. *Matt Seaton* *is the Guardian's former cycling columnist and is now an editor at the New York Times.* [image: Tel Aviv cycling]Tel Aviv's flat, wide-open spaces are ideal for cycling. Photograph: Bloomberg via Getty Images *Tel Aviv* It is flat, sunny and boasts a sweeping promenade hugging long golden beaches. There are 120km of cycle paths threading throughout the city, 1,500 public bikes for hire at an hourly rate, and 3,000 bicycle parking slots. Welcome to Tel Aviv, cycling heaven. That, at least, is the city council's vision. As part of a plan to turn Tel Aviv into a car-free city, it has promoted two-wheel transport, with the introduction two years ago of Tel-O-Fun, an Israeli version of Boris bikes, available for hire at around £8 for two and a half hours. A network of cycle paths has been established along roads and through parks, and an annual city bike ride attracted 20,000 participants in September (though 42 cyclists were injured). Helmets are encouraged, but not a legal requirement. According to a poll last year, 14% of residents say it's their main form of transport. But not everyone is in heaven. "A lot of the cycle paths are just painted areas of the pavement, interrupted by bus stops and with pedestrians wandering over them," says Ruthie Pliskin, a PhD student who cycles to university every day. "Even the paved ones along the roads are often blocked by parked cars. They're very narrow, and sometimes it's not even clear which direction you are supposed to cycle." Despite the city council's efforts, Pliskin says cycling is still a dangerous activity in Tel Aviv. "But it has the potential to be a great cycling city – even if you do need eight showers a day in the summer." *Harriet Sherwood* *Los Angeles <http://www.theguardian.com/world/los-angeles>* Drivers rule Los Angeles, yet on balance the city is surprisingly safe for cycling. An expanding network of bicycle lanes is slowly making parts of LA friendlier to two wheels, turning a once eccentric form of transport almost hip. About two cyclists are killed in traffic-related collisions in LA county each month, out of a total population of 10 million. Per capita, that is a lot better than many other big population centres in the US and elsewhere. The bad news is that 3% of road accident fatalities are cyclists, way above the US's national figure of 1.7%. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa became evangelical after he fell and broke his arm swerving from a taxi that cut him off on Venice boulevard in 2010. Within two years the city built 123 miles of new bikeways, nearly eight times the rate of the previous 40 years. There are now more than 430 miles of bike paths across the city. Not all cheered. Hollywood complained that a bright green, 6ft-wide lane, which runs for 1.4 miles through downtown's historic core, ruined the area's utility as an Anytown, USA, location. Worse, camera lights reflected the green on to everything else, including actors' faces. California's governor, Jerry Brown, rejected a law obliging motorists to give cyclists at least 3ft of room while passing, or slow down. But advocacy groups such as the LA County Bicycle Coalition, and rider packs known as Midnight Ridazz and Wolfpack Hustle, and programmes such as CicLAvia, appear to be slowly winning the argument. LA's new mayor, Eric Garcetti, has pledged to continue bike-friendly policies. You still need strong nerves to cycle here. About 22 cyclists a year are killed or badly hurt in LA's epidemic of hit-and-runs – there are 20,000 cases annually. Veterans warn that one of the most perilous places is Beverly Hills: few lanes and inconsiderate drivers. *Rory Carroll* [image: David Byrne cycling]David Byrne riding his bike in New York. Photograph: Sam Polcer Why I like cycling in New York City By David Byrne I ride everyday in New York City unless it's pouring rain or snow or the roads are icy – and that's actually not often. I now know where the protected bike lanes are and I will go a block or two out of my way to use them. The protected ones make a huge difference, though the occasional delivery or municipal vehicle parks in them. Even the non-protected lanes<http://bikingrules.org/biking/laneprimer> – the ones in green and white paint that run alongside the traffic – feel much more secure. Having used bikes in London, I'm used to a lack of road space being allocated to cyclists. But it is, yes, a little scary sometimes back in London. We used to do scary quite well in NYC, but we've mostly gotten over it. One does have to beware of limo and hire-car drivers who feel they are carrying people more important than us, and watch out for New Jersey plates, as they've rarely seen cyclists and pedestrians where they come from. Bike delivery guys riding the wrong way are another hazard, but maybe they'll fall in line eventually as well. NYC is easy – it's dense and fairly flat. The new bike-share program needs to expand and is already hugely popular. I see men in suits using it, so for me that means the whole thing has passed the tipping point and resistance is futile – best now to figure out how to make it all work.

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RE: [At-network] City Infrastructure Announcement Blazes Trails for Winnipeg School Children
by Janice Lukes 21 Nov '13

21 Nov '13

A precedent setting announcement supporting active transportation corridors for schools. Hopefully we will hear more announcements like this city wide! I compiled a two page backgrounder on history of AT initiatives in Fort Richmond. (attached) A lot of work is occurring in the community- as has been city wide. Great news! PLEASE NOTE: While not 'officially announced' yet - the Green Action Centre and communities of Fort Richmond / University Heights and U of M were involved in the development of a Community Walking and Cycling map: http://fortrichmondat.ca/Map.pdf The format is almost identical to the Winnipeg cycling map - except with far more detail (ie: locations of crosswalks / lights / heated bus shelters / sidewalks, etc) Hard copies are available at the Green Action Centre and at many locations in Fort Richmond / south Pembina businesses. The map was supported by the Province / City / Green Action Centre and many other organizations. It is my hope that many communities will want to develop their own detailed AT map! Janice From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Jackie Avent (ASRTS) Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 1:20 PM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [At-network] City Infrastructure Announcement Blazes Trails for Winnipeg School Children Today's Active Transportation infrastructure announcement is a promising step forward in creating safe, active corridors for students to travel actively to and from school. The investment in school-based infrastructure is precedent setting and exciting - highlighting the benefit of wide-spread community engagement and consultation done by Green Action Centre through the Bike Walk Roll Fort Richmond Project. This was on the coat-tails of the School Travel Planning pilot project where we worked with all neighbourhood schools. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Katz-releases-details-on-2014-active- transportation-budget-232868741.html http://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2013/nr_20131121.stm#1 -- Jackie Avent | Active and Safe Routes to School <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> Green Action Centre 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue | (204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options /> Find us here

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City Infrastructure Announcement Blazes Trails for Winnipeg School Children
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 21 Nov '13

21 Nov '13

Today's Active Transportation infrastructure announcement is a promising step forward in creating safe, active corridors for students to travel actively to and from school. The investment in school-based infrastructure is precedent setting and exciting - highlighting the benefit of wide-spread community engagement and consultation done by Green Action Centre through the Bike Walk Roll Fort Richmond Project. This was on the coat-tails of the School Travel Planning pilot project where we worked with all neighbourhood schools. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/Katz-releases-details-on-2014-active… http://winnipeg.ca/cao/media/news/nr_2013/nr_20131121.stm#1 -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Webinar slides: Is there safety in numbers for cyclists and pedestrians?
by Beth McKechnie 20 Nov '13

20 Nov '13

Hi everyone, While slides from a webinar are not always helpful without the recording to go with it, today's APBP webinar on "Is there safety in numbers for cyclists and pedestrians?" is an exception. It all seems to be common sense conclusions but they provide the research to back up the important role that larger volumes of cyclists, road design and the presence of bike infrastructure play in reducing crash rates. Two clarifications to note: first, crashes here refer only to motorists and peds or cyclists (not bike/bike or bike/ped) and second, there is an error in Luis M.'s conclusion slide (63 of 85). The blue line should read "Rates without refuge island" and the red line is "Rates with refuge island". cheers, Beth

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