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WFP: Zero-carbon visitor centre flagship of FortWhyte redevelopment plan (Jun19'23)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '23

19 Jun '23

Zero-carbon visitor centre flagship of FortWhyte redevelopment plan Buffalo Crossing to come alive https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/06/18/buffalo-crossing-to-c… LIZ Wilson sits down having freshly exchanged her high-visibility vest and steel toed boots for a tan blazer and stylish flats. The wooden bench she settles on was ironically dedicated to then-50-year-old Doug Harvey, a major donor of the Buffalo Crossing development at the FortWhyte Alive sanctuary in southwest Winnipeg. “I was just over at our new building site,” says the president and CEO of FortWhyte Alive. The footprint of the planned $25 million, two-storey, 18,000 square-foot-facility on McGillivray Boulevard already holds a visible impression on the south end of the 660-acre urban green space and wetlands, with the concrete foundation poured and asphalt spread where a large parking lot will be. Next is the mass delivery of timber — expected to arrive in early July — to assemble Buffalo Crossing, a visitor centre and flagship initiative in a six-project, $35 million capital campaign that will open a new entrance to FortWhyte Alive, offering some much-needed relief for the natural urban oasis and increasing its accessibility to the rest of Winnipeg. “All of a sudden, this building is going to be erected. It’s going to be almost like Lego, so that’s super exciting,” Wilson says. Buffalo Crossing, which broke ground in November, is expected to open in July of 2024. FortWhyte Alive has one access point on McCreary Road, a road that winds to the only entrance building on the property. Days with heavy flows of traffic, owing to the number of schools that use FortWhyte Alive as a destination for field trips, create a bottleneck in the existing parking lot, Wilson says. “It’ll take some of the pressure off our main entrance, we’ll be able to separate our youth programs from our public and tourism programs,” she says. “It allows us the opportunity to open up more of our property, expand our program offerings and increase the number of youth and school groups that can come here with our expanded capacity.” As with any project of this magnitude, Buffalo Crossing has come with its challenges, Wilson explains, Construction is slightly behind schedule, largely owing to supply-chain issues and the added task of building the facility to passive house and zero- carbon standards. Buffalo Crossing is the first commercial building to hold these energy-efficiency designations in Manitoba. “I hope that this is going to be a teaching tool for everyday Manitobans to be able to come in and see that sustainable, climate-resilient architecture is possible in our climate,” Wilson says. Last week, the city cleared one of the largest remaining hurdles in the plan to build a new access point on one of its busiest thoroughfares: how those travelling by foot will safely cross McGillivray to reach FortWhyte Alive. An update by Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West ) in June of 2021 detailed two possible options for pedestrians. The first included traffic lights and a crosswalk to be installed at the Brady Road and McGillivray intersection. The second was a controlled crosswalk that led from a new pathway at Front Street and McGillivray. Given the speed limit on that stretch of the road is 80 km/h and is often occupied by large vehicles such as construction trucks, semis and farm equipment, the city decided on a plan that closely resembles the first option. Four-way lights that also act as a controlled pedestrian crossing at Brady and McGillivray will be installed by May 2024. “What it also triggers are upgrades to the current pathway,” says Lukes. “The pathway south of McGillivray is horrible, it’s a little sidewalk. As fate would have it, development is occurring along McGillivray. They’re going to upgrade the pathway, the other development that comes along is going to upgrade the pathway and the city will be upgrading the pathway. “What this will do is the connectivity of separated sidewalks and bike paths is going to be incredible because the network that will get into FortWhyte Alive or out of FortWhyte Alive, into the south — from an active transportation perspective — is brilliant. And from transit, people will be able to get on the rapid transit corridor, take a feeder bus and zip into FortWhyte.” Indeed, possibly the grandest piece to the multimillion-dollar capital campaign will be a bus loop that allows public transit to reach a part of the city it’s never touched. “That is huge. That’s a game changer for us because accessibility has been a barrier for FortWhyte,” Wilson says. “Unless you live close and you can use active transportation, walk or bike or you have access to a vehicle, we really haven’t been able to attract those visitors.” FortWhyte Alive will also add a bridge for pedestrians that connects Buffalo Crossing to the other side of Muir Lake, which will be installed in the fall. jfreysam(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Residents of a Parking Benefit District in Columbus can ride free on public transit
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jun '23

18 Jun '23

Funding for the Short North C-pass program comes from a designation from the City of Columbus of local parking revenue generated within the Short North Parking Benefit District. These local parking revenues are reinvested into mobility programs in the Short North area after the city’s costs are met, Pandora said. Full story: https://www.dispatch.com/story/business/transportation/2023/06/16/short-nor…

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WFP: City moves forward on revamped bike registry report (Jun13'23)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jun '23

13 Jun '23

*City moves forward on revamped bike registry report* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/12/city-moves-forwar… THE City of Winnipeg will explore new options for bicycle registration, in hopes of reuniting more stolen bikes with their owners. On Monday, council’s executive policy committee cast a final vote to order a city staff report on replacing Winnipeg’s current bike registry with a multi-jurisdictional one that lets cyclists register for free, while also providing police and civic officials easy access to the key data. “The goal, ultimately, is to have more bikes registered and for residents to have confidence that, if… their bikes get taken or stolen, that this would make it easier to get bikes back to people… There’s just too much bicycle theft in the city of Winnipeg,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham. The current online bike registry comes with a $7.35 registration fee and, at times, requires police to email a request to city officials to find the owner of a stolen bicycle. The mayor suggests a replacement registration service could involve an app (such as Bike Index or 529 Garage) that can better share information across multiple jurisdictions. It would not be mandatory for cyclists to register. Up to 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg each year, with about 1,000 recovered and less than 10 per cent successfully returned to their owners, according to the mayor’s office. During Monday’s EPC meeting, one councillor floated the idea of requiring Winnipeggers to also obtain bike licences, with exceptions for small children. “A lot of people are using bikes as a legitimate form of commuting… I think having a licence plate on your bicycle is a way of making sure that you are less anonymous on your bike, as well,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan). The councillor said he thinks a licence requirement would help police enforce rules of the road for cyclists. “If you are found to be rolling through every stop sign down a street, if you’re found to be breaking other laws of the road, the licence plate would (link) at least back to the bicycle owner,” said Browaty. He did not raise a motion to call for licensing, and stopped short of suggesting how such a program could be implemented, stating he’s mainly seeking feedback. The mayor said he would not support such a move. “When you make something mandatory, then you really have to ensure that you have the enforcement mechanism, the tools and resources to ensure that it’s mandatory. I think we have other things to focus on as a city rather than enforcing mandatory registration or mandatory licensing of bicycles,” said Gillingham. Meanwhile, council’s most powerful committee also approved a few tweaks to the proposed Shaw Park lease for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. EPC voted in favour of listing the Goldeyes’ non-profit entity, Riverside Park Management, as the lease holder, instead of the baseball club itself. The team said the move is needed to obtain provincial grants. The Goldeyes also asked the city to ramp up the amount they would be compensated if they lose stadium parking stalls due to future rapid transit development. The city proposes to offer compensation that starts in the range of $50 per stall per year, while the company wants that to begin at $50 per stall per month. EPC stuck with the city’s offer, though council will have the final vote. Gillingham told reporters he thinks the deal, which awaits a final council vote, will succeed. “I’m confident that this will get things across the finish line so we can get this lease signed.” When asked if the Goldeyes will accept those exact terms, Mark Newman, the team’s legal representative, told the Free Press: “We consider (this vote) to be a step in the right direction. We’ll be considering the matter further.” Prior to the latest potential changes, the city and Goldeyes had come to what was believed to be a final deal in 2020, which determined annual rents and tax incentives. On Monday, EPC rejected a call to require applicants for new developments to appear in-person at East Kildonan- Transcona community committee public hearings for their projects, removing a remote video or telephone link option. Coun. Russ Wyatt argued it is needed to ensure a clear discussion, free of technical glitches, on substantial projects. EPC opted to take no action on the idea, though council will have the final say. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Free and secure downtown Bike Valet service debuts next week in Vancouver
by Beth McKechnie 12 Jun '23

12 Jun '23

https://vancouver.ca/news-calendar/free-and-secure-downtown-bike-valet-serv…

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It's Time For Everyone to Stop Ignoring E-Bikes
by Beth McKechnie 11 Jun '23

11 Jun '23

[shared by @willnorman] Despite all the fuss, electric cars are still only 9% of sales and the e-car fleet is under 17 million worldwide, while e-bikes are at 275 million, In Europe, e-bikes are projected to outsell cars of any type by the middle of this decade. https://www.treehugger.com/stop-ignoring-ebikes-5324307

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WFP: Mayor pushes free bike registry to curb theft (Jun10'23)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jun '23

10 Jun '23

Potential overhaul of system would seek improvements to curb theft *Mayor pushes free bike registry* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/09/mayor-pushes-for-… A new, free-to-use bike registry could be rolling into Winnipeg amid concerns theft is posing a key deterrent to cycling. Mayor Scott Gillingham believes it’s time for a new bike registry without the $7.35 fee to record a serial number on Winnipeg’s online system. “Many, many bikes are not registered. What I’m proposing is what a lot of other cities are doing, providing free bike registry,” said Gillingham. The mayor plans to raise a motion at Monday’s executive policy committee meeting to order a staff report about overhauling the registry. A replacement, for example, could use an app, such as Bike Index or 529 Garage, that can easily share information between jurisdictions, he said. “If a bike was stolen in Winnipeg and showed up in Calgary, they can share this data,” he said. If council approves, Gillingham hopes the new system would make cyclists more confident they’ll be able to keep their bikes safe. “There’s too much bike theft in the city of Winnipeg and there’s too much theft that goes unreported. Individuals that had their bikes stolen just maybe feel there’s no hope.” As many as 2,000 bikes are reported stolen each year, with about 1,000 recovered and less than 10 per cent successfully returned to their owners under the current registration system, said a news release from the mayor’s office. The mayor stopped short of calling for mandatory bike registration, arguing it would be too difficult to enforce. Gillingham announced his call to explore a new registry, which he said would be done in consultation with Bike Winnipeg, the WRENCH and Winnipeg Police Service, shortly after concerns were aired about bike theft at Friday’s Winnipeg Police Board meeting. Charles Feaver, chair of the working committee on bike theft for Bike Winnipeg, told the board the frequency of theft is a key reason people don’t use their bikes more often, second only to road safety concerns. “The No. 2 reason is ‘I don’t feel it’s safe to leave my bike anywhere in the city,’” Feaver told reporters. The avid cyclist noted he’s had four or five of his bikes stolen over 40 years of frequent riding. During a presentation to the police board, Feaver called on police to partner with Bike Winnipeg and other groups to determine the best solutions, which he suggested could focus on improving bike registration, bike recovery and theft-prevention efforts. Without key changes, the concerns about theft will make it difficult for Winnipeg to meet a goal to combat climate change by enticing more people to use active transportation, said Feaver. “This will not be achieved if people are worried that their bike will be stolen while they are working, shopping or going to school,” he told the police board. Data from the city’s current bike registry doesn’t appear to be shared easily with police or the public, he said. Winnipeg police confirmed officers don’t have immediate access to the bike registry and sometimes need to email a request to the City of Winnipeg to find the owner of a stolen bike. Police data show there were 2,049 bike thefts reported in 2018, 1,823 in 2019, 1,471 in 2020, 1,555 in 2021, and 1,665 in 2022. Police Chief Danny Smyth said he agrees with the mayor and bike advocates the data on bike thefts may be skewed by under-reporting. “(For) a lot of property crime that’s on the lower end of the (price) spectrum, I don’t think people necessarily take the time to report it. There’s evidence of people talking about theft of their own property, but also making it clear they never reported it,” said Smyth. The chief said he’s open to the idea of exploring a partnership between cycling advocates and the service’s property crime unit. “It’s a no-brainer to work with any group that wants to address that,” said Smyth. Pending council approval, a bike registry report would be expected in about four months. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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CBC: Winnipeg mayor calls for new, free bike registry to help curb thefts (Jun9'23)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Jun '23

10 Jun '23

[Thanks to Terry Zdan for the share] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bike-registry-thefts-1.687… Winnipeg cyclists could soon have a new, free registration system as part of an effort to curb bike thefts. Mayor Scott Gillingham says he will bring forward a motion at the next executive policy committee meeting, asking the public service to study how other cities have overhauled their bike registries. "There's too much bike theft in the city of Winnipeg and there's too much theft that goes unreported," Gillingham said after a meeting of the Winnipeg Police Board on Friday. "And sometimes it goes unreported because individuals who have their bike stolen just maybe feel there's no hope, because it's too complicated and they don't think they'll get their bike back." According to the city, about 2,000 bikes are reported stolen in Winnipeg every year. About 1,000 are recovered, but only 10 per cent of those are returned. Charles Feaver, chair of the bike theft prevention committee with Bike Winnipeg, has had at least four bikes stolen. "We surveyed our followers who had experienced bike theft and found that 45 per cent had registered their bikes on the city system, but less than four percent thought that the registry was helpful in recovering their bikes," he told the board on Friday. Feaver says Vancouver dramatically reduced its bike theft by 42 per cent by assigning a dedicated detective to work with local cycling advocacy organizations. He asked the board for a new community partnership with Winnipeg police to tackle bike theft. One problem with the current system is that it is not publicly accessible, even to police officers. "[Police] can look at the stolen bikes. So if you report your bike stolen then that's entered in a database that the police can see, but they can't see the Winnipeg bike registry," Feaver said in an interview. Other cities in Canada, including Montreal and London, Ont., have used app-based registration systems like 529 Garage, which allows anyone to see if a registered bike has been reported stolen. Gillingham cited 529 Garage as one option for the City of Winnipeg to consider. Secure bike parking facility mulled Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth says he's open suggestions on how to improve the system. "The only way we're going to know it's stolen is if people have registered it, otherwise it ends up in a warehouse and gets auctioned off at the end of the year," Smyth told reporters. Bike Winnipeg and the Downtown BIZ are also in talks to create a secure bike parking facility. "We're still in the early stages but the hope is to find solutions for more bike infrastructure that make it easier for anyone who wants to bike downtown," Downtown BIZ CEO Kate Fenske said in an email statement. In the meantime, Feaver recommends all cyclists invest in a sturdy U-bolt lock, and always lock up through the frame, not just the front tire. A report on a new bike registration system for Winnipeg is expected to come to executive policy committee within about 120 days.

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WFP: Bike Week celebrates the big 1-0 with BIRTHDAY BASH
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '23

08 Jun '23

*Bike Week celebrates the big 1-0 with BIRTHDAY BASH* Sunday, 1-3 p.m. Manitoba legislative grounds Free GET on your bikes and ride: Bike Week 2023 winds up with an afternoon of family-friendly activities, games, culture and music in honour of its 10th birthday. Papa Mambo, James Culleton’s SuperFun Show and DJ Mama Cutsworth will supply the tunes. The best mechanics in the city will face off in the Bike Olympics. Photo booths, bike-themed crafts, obstacle courses, a gigantic slide, a mobile plant sale and a host of other games and activities will be on offer — plus free hotdogs for the first 100 attendees. The fun doesn’t stop at 3 p.m., though. Riders can join the Pinata Pedal Party from 3 to 4 p.m. — where your challenge, should you choose to accept it, will be smacking down pinatas while in the saddle — and the Bike Week After Party from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Beer Can (1 Granite Way), where the first 60 riders will receive a complimentary beverage and DJ Hunnicut will spin tunes. — Jen Zoratti

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WFP: ‘Monstrous hole’ trouble on Sturgeon Creek path (Jun8'23)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Jun '23

08 Jun '23

*‘Monstrous hole’ trouble on Sturgeon Creek path* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/07/monstrous-hole-lo… A massive, water-filled hole where the busy Sturgeon Creek active transportation route meets a playground path has posed a safety hazard for several weeks, according to those hoping to speed up repairs. Randall Hull said he first complained to 311 on April 23, about the roughly 75-centimetre-deep depression he estimates stretches at least six metres. A barricade posted by city staff at each of its ends isn’t enough to alert people to the danger, he said Wednesday. “It is deep enough that if a child fell into it (they could be hurt). The one side of the hole is lined with bricks that are all exposed, so somebody could fall into the hole, hit their head on a brick and drown in the water, or accidentally bike into it because the barricade doesn’t completely cover it,” said Hull. “It’s just a public safety thing and the fact that it’s a path that leads up to a playground, it’s even more troubling that it’s not being attended to.” While most of the damage is concentrated on the path leading to a playground on Amarynth Crescent and the main Sturgeon Creek path is still passable, Hull said many residents routinely walk and bike in the area, raising the risk of potential injury. He recalled seeing some children standing in the water-filled hole at one point. The space appears to have been washed out during high water levels this spring. Erosion has been an issue at the spot, with less extensive damage last summer, Hull said. If the City of Winnipeg lacks resources to repair it quickly, it should do more to block off the area, said Hull. “I understand there’s probably 101 different issues to deal with in 101 different parks around Winnipeg. (But if the city is) not going to repair it, then put a snow fence around it, so it’s safe.” Coun. Shawn Dobson, whose ward includes the path, visited the site Wednesday. “That’s horrible. That’s not a pathway by any means. I absolutely share the concern. This should be fixed right away, otherwise our pathway network is incomplete now because of this monstrous hole,” said Dobson. The councillor said he immediately submitted a request that the city completely surround the hole with some form of barricade. The extent of the damage could be linked to issues beyond flooding, so the repair may be more extensive than it first appears, Dobson said. “It’s been getting progressively worse every year. Time to get it fixed right.” A request to interview someone from the city’s public works department was not granted Wednesday. In a brief emailed statement, spokesman Kalen Qually did not answer questions about how long the city expects it will take to repair the problem or why it has not been able to do so by this point. “The site is currently barricaded and staff are looking into making more permanent repairs to the area,” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Brandon Sun: Group to study public spaces, active transportation (Jun6'23)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Jun '23

07 Jun '23

https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2023/06/06/group-to-study-public-spaces-tr… A new study done in partnership between Brandon University, the City of Brandon and Prairie Mountain Health has received approximately $68,000 in federal funding to explore how public spaces in the city are used. “Walking the Walk in Smaller Cities” in Brandon is one of four municipalities that have received funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to investigate how active transportation options like biking and walking as well as public spaces can be better supported. Other participating cities include Guelph, Ont., Oshawa, Ont., and Saskatoon, Sask. On the team for the project are representatives of all three organizations: Brandon University professor Rachel Herron, director of communications Grant Hamilton and research assistant Jared Friesen, Mayor Jeff Fawcett, City of Brandon director of planning Ryan Nickel and Prairie Mountain Health medical officer of health Dr. Amy Frykoda. Presenting on the project was Hamilton, who said he believes the city has a chance to find world-class solutions to active transportation in smaller cities. He said the project and Brandon team had been assembled in less than a month. This summer, the project will consult with residents about how they walk and bike in Brandon’s public spaces as well as the reasons why they don’t. This will include online consultations as well at smallercities.ca, focus groups and in-person pop-up consultations throughout the summer. A council of representatives from groups like the Brandon Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation, the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council and Westman Immigrant Services is also being formed to make sure people from different backgrounds and experiences are accounted for in the study. This fall, once data has been collected, Herron told council that the Brandon team will meet up with the other Canadian teams at a global workshop in Copenhagen, Denmark. Following that, the Brandon team will meet up with local focus groups to explore ideas inspired by that visit to Copenhagen and how they can be translated to Brandon. Then, next summer, the team will pick an active transportation or public spaces project to implement in Brandon with the intention of inviting people from other smaller Canadian cities to help share what was learned. » cslark(a)brandonsun.com » Twitter: @ColinSlark

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St. Boniface Walk Bike project survey (closes July 6)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Jun '23

06 Jun '23

The St. Boniface to Downtown Walk Bike project is exploring options to improve travel choices, accessibility, and connectivity between the Esplanade Riel Footbridge / Provencher Bridge and the multi-use path on Archibald Street south of Nairn Avenue. The study also includes connections to the Southeast Corridor, Taché Promenade, and Notre Dame Street pedestrian bridge over the Seine River. Phase 3 of public engagement is here, and we want to hear from you! Based on what we heard during Phases 1 and 2 engagement, technical knowledge, and other planning considerations, we are proposing a route on Provencher Boulevard. https://engage.winnipeg.ca/stboniface-walk-bike

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Job Posting at UMCycle
by Jessie Klassen 05 Jun '23

05 Jun '23

Hi all, Happy Bike to Work Day and Commuter Challenge week! UMSU has a position available for an UMCycle Coordinator. Posting attached and also pasted below. While the posting date says May, the position is still open until filled. Please share widely. Thanks, Jessie Klassen Job Opportunity: UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA STUDENTS' UNION UMCYCLE COORDINATOR ONE YEAR TERM University of Manitoba Students' Union (UMSU) is a non-profit organization which advocates on behalf of its memberships' best interests to internal and external stakeholders. Our primary objectives are to serve students and strive to enhance student life and the quality of education through consultation, representation and advocacy. Position Summary This is a one term position (with the possibility of renewal) within the operations of UMSU. Reporting to the Manager the coordinator is responsible for day to day store operations, training new staff, assisting staff, ordering of new parts and inventory as well as, managing the overall success of the business. In addition, the incumbent will be responsible for keeping the premises safe and clean for workers and customers. This position operates on a full time basis Monday - Friday from 8:30am - 4:30pm. Skills and Qualifications * Experience repairing bicycles - installation and repair of all systems of the bike (brakes, drive, steering, wheels, accessories) as well as experience with bicycle fitting; * Organize and facilitate bicycle workshops on safety & riding skills, repairs and maintenance; * Recruit and coordinate volunteers for the kiosk and workshops; * Organize events such as bike builds, group rides, tours, and riding buddy programs for campus and community; * Accepting incoming shipments, verify against ordering invoices; * Oversee the work of service attendants to ensure excellent service delivery; * Oversee service policies and procedures, concentrating on service excellence; * Assist customers in choosing the right bikes and accessories by providing expert opinion; * Create work orders for repair and maintenance offerings; * Ensure that all service processes are quickly and efficiently carried out; * Oversee thorough and accurate bike building and accessory installation work; * Create and maintain liaison with vendors and dealers in order to ensure quick delivery of parts and accessories; * Oversee bike and accessories inventory, and communicate low stock situations to manager; * Supervise shop support staff to ensure continuous cleanliness and maintenance of the premises; * Take responsibility for opening and closing the bike shop in a timely manner; * Assist in ensuring proper daily operations of the shop including order supplies, sales and high-quality customer management; * Equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered. UMSU promotes Employment Equity and is strongly committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce reflective of Canadian society. Therefore, we promote employment equity and encourage candidates to voluntarily self-identify on their application if they are members of the underrepresented group (woman, Indigenous person, a person with a disability or a visible minority). We offer competitive benefits package and pension plan. We wish to thank all applicants in advance for their interest; however, only those applicants considered will be contacted for an interview. Please provide a cover letter, resume, and three (3) professional references and identify how you meet the desired qualifications listed by May 23, 2023 to: The Human Resource Department, 101 UMSU University Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, or email to: hiring(a)umsu.ca<mailto:hiring@umsu.ca> Jessie Klassen (she/her) Sustainability Projects Coordinator Office of Sustainability University of Manitoba 89 Freedman Crescent Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 431-997-1013 jessie.klassen(a)umanitoba.ca<mailto:jessie.klassen@umanitoba.ca> [cid:image001.png@01D997A4.37B9E260] The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene peoples, and on the homeland of the Métis Nation.

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Winners of $1m prize for sustainable city transport announced
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

Full story: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/02/winners-of-1m-prize-for… Ten months after cities around the world were offered the chance <https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2022/oct/10/cities-around-the-world-offe…> to bid for up to $1m (£800,000) to build or expand new cycling and walking schemes, the money has been awarded to designs in Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, New Zealand and Albania, among others. The money was put up by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the philanthropic arm of the media conglomerate set up by Michael Bloomberg <https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/michaelbloomberg>, during whose terms as mayor of New York the city sprouted a rapidly expanding network of cycle lanes. Bids were assessed in conjunction with Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), an urban design NGO founded by Janette Sadik-Khan, who was New York’s traffic commissioner <https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2022/oct/10/cities-around-the-world-offe…> under Bloomberg. As well as the money – $1m for the winner and $400,000 apiece for the other nine cities – GDCI will help the cities with things such as design and local engagement. The top prize went to a plan to build more than 110 miles of protected cycle routes in Fortaleza, a city in Brazil’s tropical north-east, with a focus on helping children and older people use bikes, and promoting cargo bike delivery.

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Winnipeg needs you: Canada-wide Pedal Poll bike count next week
by Anders Swanson 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

Friendly reminder Pedal Poll - the cross-Canada bicycle count organized by Velo Canada Bikes - is happening again next week. Go here to sign up <https://signup.com/Group/117695512080/> if you can spare a couple hours on a Tuesday morning or Saturday. For 3 years now, thousands of volunteers across the country have been doing a coordinated count. Here is more general info. <https://velocanadabikes.org/pedalpoll/> There are dozens of participating cities and spaces are filling up! You can help make sure Winnipeg gets counted. We could use a few more folks here. There are 45 counting slots in Winnipeg, so far 10 are filled. Check it out. <https://signup.com/Group/117695512080/> Thank you! Anders Volunteer Chair, Vélo Canada Bikes

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WFP: Province commits to share cost to study Route 90 design (Jun2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

Province commits to share cost to study Route 90 design https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/06/01/province-commits-… MANITOBA taxpayers will foot half of the $1.4-million bill to conduct a design study for an expanded Route 90. Premier Heather Stefanson announced Thursday that the Manitoba government will contribute $700,000 to the City of Winnipeg to move the proposed project into its next phase. “Infrastructure corridors like Route 90 support new housing and business development in Winnipeg and promotes industry and trade, allowing for quicker access to business areas, such as CentrePort and the Winnipeg airport,” Stefanson told reporters gathered in a field just west of Kenaston Boulevard. The funding covers 50 per cent of the city’s identified costs for the project’s next phase, the province said. Widening Route 90 between Taylor and Ness Avenues was identified as a strategic infrastructure priority by the city council in 2011. An estimated 40,000 vehicles use the stretch of road each day. City hall has proposed widening the street to offer three lanes in each direction, add active transportation pathways on both sides and update aging infrastructure, including sewers and the St. James Bridge. A preliminary estimate predicts the project will cost about $550 million, with the majority of that budget dedicated to bridge and road renewal and sewer upgrades to prevent spills into the Assiniboine River. However, final design and analysis work could change the price tag. On Thursday, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham shot back at critics of the project, saying the infrastructure upgrades are critical to improving active transportation and Winnipeg Transit networks to meet growing traffic demand, and to the development of Naawi-Oodena at the former Kapyong barracks site. “There has been a lot of misinformation about this project shared online and in editorial pages over the past few weeks,” said Gillingham, who campaigned on a pledge to expand the roadway so long as a business case exists. However, the proposal has received pushback from sustainable transportation advocates who argue the development will increase the use of personal vehicles and undermine efforts to combat climate change. “Some of the information that I’m hearing out there… it’s incorrect,” he said. The federal government has also acknowledged the importance of the project, he said. An updated business case analysis and cost estimates are expected to be completed this calendar year, he said. “With the help of the Province of Manitoba, we will do the work necessary to improve the project ahead and to move this project forward,” he said. Stefanson said she supports the project moving forward but appropriate analysis must be conducted before any additional provincial dollars can be committed to the expansion. danielle.dasilva(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Analysis: The evidence says we need fewer cars (Jun2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jun '23

02 Jun '23

The evidence says we need fewer cars https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/06/02/the-evidence-… RAY Kohanik puts forward in the May 29 edition ( It’s time to make better transportation decisions) that our city missed out by not building freeways in the 1970s, and that we should do it now. He supports this idea with arguments that might instinctively “feel” right, but that are entirely refuted by the city’s own data. I understand why Kohanik, or anyone else for that matter, might hold these views. It has been the predominant narrative around transportation in North America since the Second World War that the continual prioritization of car travel, at the expense of nearly everything else, is the key to economic prosperity and a higher quality of life for all. I used to hold these views. After all, it’s all we’ve ever been told since before many of our parents (or grandparents!) were even born. But despite this continent-wide, decades-long experiment in car-oriented transportation, we now have the benefit of hindsight and data. Loads and loads of data. So rather than make major infrastructure decisions based on what “feels” right, most Winnipeggers would agree that we should make evidenced-based decisions instead. On the economic side, it’s important to understand that while cars can be extremely useful, a transportation system built around everyone using one every time for every trip is prohibitively expensive. Simply maintaining the 8,300 lane-km of roads that city reports tell us we already own would require an extra $600 million per year. Every year. To get it, we’d need to eliminate the entire police department, the entire fire and paramedic department, and the entire Community Services department (the one in charge of pools, libraries and rec centres). Or we could double our property taxes. And no matter if Justin, Heather or Scott is collecting it, that money is all ultimately coming from the same pockets. Ours. It’s not just more than the city can afford. It’s more than we can afford. And that’s the problem. Many of us may say we prefer to drive for every trip, but that’s only because we’re choosing from a menu with no prices. And prices affect preferences. It’s why we don’t all live in 1,000-room mansions and fly a helicopter to work every day. We may prefer it, but when we are confronted with the reality of prices, our choices reflect that reality. So here’s some reality. Many of us worry about the cost of transit to the taxpayer, but the $38.7 million per year we’re planning to spend to “improve” driving on what amounts to 0.19 per cent of our road network could fund 27 per cent of our entire transit operations. And the numbers are even starker with active transportation: all the bike infrastructure in the city combined has a replacement value of less than $47 million. Many other cities are figuring that out already. Cities that we are losing young people to every year, like Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton, are following the data and building more efficient, economical transportation systems. Vancouver, the poster child for transit and active transportation in Canada, doesn’t have any freeways. And they aren’t building any. Calgary is spending $5 billion today to expand its light rail system. Meanwhile, Edmonton, a winter city like ours, is spending $100 million over the next four years to expand their cycling infrastructure. Edmonton’s Mayor Sohi says they’re doing it because “active transportation is the cheapest way to move people around.” Despite all this, there are still some who say we should be bold and expand Kenaston anyway. After all, Duff Roblin was ridiculed for his grand idea, and look how well that turned out. But in drawing comparisons to the floodway, it would be wise to remember that a cost-benefit analysis done at the time showed an expected positive return of nearly $3 for each dollar spent on the flood-proofing megaproject, whereas the cost-benefit analysis we have for the Kenaston widening expects us to lose nearly 90 cents on the dollar. Maybe Duff Roblin wasn’t a visionary, maybe he was just good at math. I agree with Ray Kohanik when he says that an efficient transportation system based in reality is needed. But the reality is that while we may wish prioritizing car travel on ever wider roads was financially sustainable, the numbers consistently show it simply is not. Any way you slice it, the future is in getting more people to walk, bike or take transit on more trips, more times. It’s the only way to pay for all of this. In the end, Kohanik laments that “the city is broke, broke, broke” but that “that’s another story.” We now know that it’s the same story. Cities that don’t figure that out soon will go bankrupt, bankrupt, bankrupt. *Michel Durand-Wood lives in Elmwood and has been writing about municipal issues since 2018.*

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WFP Letters to the Editor: Better options, fewer cars (Jun1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Jun '23

01 Jun '23

Better options, fewer cars I read Ray Kohanik’s opinion piece *It’s time to make better transportation decisions* <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/05/29/its-time-to-m…> (May 29) with interest. His analysis is correct that widening Kenaston Boulevard is a project out of our budget, whether or not cost-sharing comes through this time from other levels of government. (For those keeping score at home, Kenaston has been twice rejected. Third time’s the charm?) As it stands, by the city’s own analysis, traffic will have returned to Kenaston, and our commute times will be longer than they are now, before we have paid off the bill. The reality is we already have far more roads than we can properly afford to maintain given our tax base. Unless we want to double our property taxes and cut basically all of our services, we need to find a way to use our transportation infrastructure more efficiently if we want to give future generations a fighting chance for financial sustainability. I note that Kohanik points to Norway’s investment in EVs as a solution. While he highlights Norway’s similar climate and sprawl, he missed what is being done in cities. For example, Oslo has committed to radically reducing vehicle trips through investment in transit and its walk/bike infrastructure. They might have been inspired by Finland, where Oulu sees thousands of children biking to school through their cold and snowy winters (and a note that Oulu is quite a sprawling city, much like Winnipeg). As for being “unable to imagine” how people could possibly drive less, I’d encourage Kohanik to reach out to one of the 3,000-plus members of Peg City Car Co-op, which is seeing demand to expand further and faster. It seems like having the choice to drive less is something many Winnipeggers are already doing, or want to do. I sold my vehicle over seven years ago and am happier, healthier and saving a profound amount of money by walking, biking, busing and, when I need to, driving a shared Peg City vehicle. But I could only do this by living in a neighbourhood with services within walking distance, good bike routes, decent transit and access to the car-sharing co-op. We don’t need more lanes, we need better neighbourhood design and more transportation choice so more Winnipeggers can drive less if they want to. Mel Marginet Winnipeg Ray Kohanik’s question: “Finally, can someone please explain to me how someone with a bike picks up their kids from daycare and gets them to sports/activities and then home again on a bike?” Answer: on bikes. Our family did just this until middle school, when kids could bike alone. It was faster than driving. Heidi Klaschka Winnipeg

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WFP Analysis: It’s time to make better transportation decisions (May29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 29 May '23

29 May '23

*It’s time to make better transportation decisions* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/05/29/its-time-to-m… ARCHITECT Brent Bellamy comments in the May 23 edition ( Need more congestion? Route 90 plan is the $500-M ticket) that improving Kenaston Boulevard will be, in total, more than just the $500 million construction cost, that the bill won’t be paid for up to 30 years, that greater capacity will create further congestion as this becomes a preferred route, and that we should consider the impact on future generations. In all of these points, Mr. Bellamy is correct, although I think he should have mentioned that for something like this, there is cost sharing with the province/feds which typically reduces the cost to the city. The reality is we could have avoided a lot of this pain had we made better decisions 50 years ago. Around 1970, Plan Winnipeg decided that, with minor exceptions, we would be a city without freeways. Today, for a city of our size, we have significant traffic congestion and an inefficient transportation system. Rather than expediting travel from one part of the city to another, it seems like it is more designed to spread the pain, as most routes take about the same time. On that point, traffic is bad enough on major routes at rush hour that we now have restrictions on travel through residential areas because commuters would rather take the “scenic route” than fight traffic on a “major route” studded with light signals (which, by the way, the Kenaston expansion won’t deal with — it still incorporates stop lights). If there is more traffic on a widened Kenaston, there will be less through River Heights. The simple fact is that if we had not made the decision to avoid freeways in 1970, the cost of implementing them would have been significantly less than the cost today. Consider the issue of the Red River Floodway, the initial cost of which was significantly less than $100 million in the mid-1960s. To give you an idea of the cost of deferring capital expenditures, Fargo, N.D., is currently implementing a “floodway- style” Red River diversion. Although it has some more complex details than our own floodway, the cost: US$3.2 Billion. Bellamy, among others, has touted the benefits of active and mass transportation. At the urging of special interest groups such as Bike Winnipeg, politicians have dedicated millions of tax dollars to creating an “active transportation” network — including bike paths — and are considering expansion of the mass-transit system. The reality is these solutions are not realistic for our climate and the busy North American lifestyle of most families. On the matter of bike paths for commuting, I have never heard a convincing argument for this. Someone needs to stand up and say this will never work for the vast majority of people. As it is, the existing system of bike paths are largely unused, let alone considering expanding the system further. While this is a feel-good story, it doesn’t make sense for us for a variety of reasons. Essentially, commuting by bike will work only for those who can shower when they get to work, for people who don’t need a vehicle to make calls out of the office on a given day, who can keep separate attire at work and don’t have a busy family life. If you need to use your vehicle for work, live in the suburbs or don’t have facilities to shower/ change, this will never work. Furthermore, given our climate, this is barely workable for four to five months of the year. Finally, can someone please explain to me how someone with a bike picks up their kids from daycare and gets them to sports/activities and then home again on a bike? Some will say improved mass transit is an answer. The existing system loses a fortune every year, and the ongoing cost of providing frequent and efficient mass transit to overcome climate and distance is unimaginable. As a first step, we need to make the existing system safe. Until we confront that issue, ridership will be limited to those who have no choice or for whom the cost of commuting with a vehicle is prohibitive. Also, building a mass-transit system forces the assumption of where planners think people will want to go in 10, 20 or 30 years. That’s a tough call. It’s a good thing we didn’t build mass transit out to Polo Park to serve the Jets and Bombers. Perhaps an alternative is to accept the fact that personal vehicles are and likely will be the preferred form of transportation for the foreseeable future. In the same manner, single-family homes are likely to remain the preferred form of residence. To try and reconcile these issues, could we perhaps embrace the move to electric vehicles instead and accept the need for an improved traffic system? In Norway, a country with a winter climate and a small population spread over a wide area, the majority of vehicles sold are now electric. Manitoba has the current and potential power resources to be self-sufficient in energy as well as an even more significant exporter. Further development of this resource would allow Manitobans to maintain our lifestyle and help address climate change through export of clean electricity. An expansive charging network would remove one of the main concerns of potential vehicle owners and do so at a fraction of the cost of mass-transit expansion. Either way, an efficient transportation system based in reality is needed. It’s unfortunate that we are where we are, though this is the cost of poor decision making in the past. It’s even more unfortunate the city’s finances are so messed up that we absolutely can’t afford to take this project on, regardless of any benefit. The city is broke, broke, broke. But that’s another story. *Ray Kohanik writes from Winnipeg.*

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WFP: Coalition urges pause on Kenaston, Chief Peguis projects (May27'23)
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '23

27 May '23

*Coalition urges pause on Kenaston, Chief Peguis projects* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/05/26/coalition-urges-p… THE City of Winnipeg should pause any new spending on two major road projects expected to cost a combined $1 billion, until it determines if they are worth their financial and environmental price, according to a sustainable transportation advocate. On Friday, the Transportation and Land Use Coalition urged city council to avoid committing funds to widen Route 90 (Kenaston Boulevard) and extend Chief Peguis Trail, aside from money needed to complete a cost-benefit analysis and environmental assessment of each project. “We just want to be sure that no money is spent in the upcoming budget until that (analysis and environmental review) is received and assessed,” said Mel Marginet, co-chair of the organization. Marginet accused city council of rushing the approval process by listing the two projects within its strategic priorities action plan, which is expected to help guide the city’s 2024-27 multi-year budget. The coalition fears the city could lose money on the projects and the developments could undermine the municipal government’s efforts to combat climate change. “It’s going to induce the continued reliance on personal vehicles within our transportation system… The bike routes that are included as part of the Kenaston project… are very inadequate and it’s unrealistic to expect that the cycling trips that they will generate will in any way mitigate the induced demand for personal vehicles,” said Marginet. The group also claims the projects are unrealistic, since the federal government already rejected at least one application to help fund the Kenaston work. The city confirmed the senior government declined a request to fund Route 90 improvements in 2017, though the design was different at the time. The Chief Peguis Trail extension would extend from Main Street to Brookside Boulevard, pending council approval and funding. The Kenaston proposal would widen the boulevard to offer three lanes in each direction between Ness and Taylor avenues, while adding transportation paths on both sides. The city is now seeking public feedback on the latest Kenaston design. That project has also drawn complaints from some area residents. Carol Styles said she’s concerned about a lack of information on how the city will assist folks whose homes are removed to create room for the project and those who will be left to live next to a major construction zone. “What is the plan for the people that they’re expropriating and the people they’re leaving behind? There’s… little talk about noise mitigation during the construction, as well as afterwards,” said Styles. While she agrees the road is in desperate need of repair, Styles said some residents have been hesitant to make home improvements since they still aren’t sure when the long-discussed widening project will happen. “Having lived through the process for 15 years and three iterations of these community engagement sessions, as they call them, (my concern) is really about the process… People want to know (what’s happening). Make a decision, let’s do it or not do it.” When asked if the provincial government now expects to fund the two projects, Manitoba Municipal Relations Minister Andrew Smith repeatedly said: “Stay tuned.” Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal, federal minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, called both projects “very important,” but stressed it’s up to the city to set its own infrastructure priorities. Coun. John Orlikow said the city has conducted extensive consultation on the Kenaston project, and is continuing to seek feedback. However, he agreed it should commit to a clear plan forward soon. “Unfortunately, there are some homes that need to be expropriated… but these people have been living in limbo for the last 15 years… So, it really is time to move this project forward, one way or another.” Orlikow noted the Kenaston project would also improve a sometimes “dangerous” St. James Bridge, crumbling roads and Transit access, while sewer repairs incorporated into the road work would help reduce combined sewer overflows. “The value isn’t just (for) the road, it’s many, many layers,” he said. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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Webinar Recording - Rapid implementation of bikeways for healthy, safe, equitable & more sustainable communities
by Kristine Hayward 25 May '23

25 May '23

Hi AT folks – see below a link to the webinar recording of NCCEH Healthy Built Environment Webinar Series held on May 24, 2023: Title: Rapid implementation of bikeways for healthy, safe, equitable and more sustainable communities Presenters: Brian Patterson, Urban Systems; Matt Craig, TransLink The recording of the presentation and slide deck are now available here<https://ncceh.ca/content/webinar-recording-rapid-implementation-bikeways-he…> Kristine Hayward (she/her) Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Population & Public Health MB Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<mailto:khayward@wrha.mb.ca> Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo__;!!IqQd2s…> Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Disclaimer : This email (including any attachments or enclosed documents) is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately, return the original (if applicable) and delete the email. Avis : Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé, et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels, privés ou protégés par un privilège juridique. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous avez reçu le présent courriel par erreur, veuillez en informer immédiatement l’expéditeur, retourner l’original (le cas échéant) et supprimer ce courriel.

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WFP Analysis: Need more congestion? Route 90 plan is the $500-M ticket (May23'23)
by Beth McKechnie 23 May '23

23 May '23

Need more congestion? Route 90 plan is the $500-M ticket https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/23/need-more-congestion-rou… THE projected cost of the city’s plan to widen Route 90 is equivalent to a 6.9 per cent property tax increase for every Winnipeg homeowner. It will take 30 years for Winnipeg taxpayers to pay off the new road, and in the long run, traffic congestion will get worse. The City of Winnipeg is currently asking for public feedback on a new design for widening Kenaston Boulevard between Ness and Taylor avenues, including related sewer upgrades and an expansion of the St. James Bridge. The city is hoping that other levels of government will share the cost, but Ottawa has already rejected applications twice before, in 2015 and 2018, and the province’s Multi-Year Infrastructure Investment Strategy makes no mention of the project. This likely leaves Winnipeg taxpayers to foot the bill on their own. The cost of widening Kenaston is typically reported to be $500 million, but a 2019 city document, Unfunded Major Capital Projects Detail, provides a more accurate picture of the total costs. Using the $500 million construction value, it projects that when borrowing and operating costs are included, the project will require annual payments of $38.7 million, (6.9 per cent of the city’s operating budget) amortized over 30 years. This represents a true project cost of $1.2 billion, and is predicated on construction values not increasing further, having already risen steadily from $129 million in 2009, to $375 million in 2015 and $450 million in 2018. The formula’s operating costs include projected increases in maintenance required for the larger infrastructure. For 20 years, the city has earmarked $100,000 annually for the maintenance of Kenaston Boulevard. The state of the road is evidence of how woefully inadequate that number is, but it’s also evidence of how strained our city’s finances are. The application to the Building Canada Fund in 2015 revealed that additional operating and maintenance costs for an enlarged roadway were projected to be $1.9 million per year, a significant addition to the city’s already stretched road-maintenance budgets. The costs are staggering, but Kenaston is congested and many people believe that needs to be addressed. This is the other bit of bad news found in the city’s reports. The 2023 Route 90 Improvements Study indicates that even after increasing road capacity, traffic congestion will eventually be greater than it is today. The study projects that over several years, driving times between Ness and Taylor will increase to 8.7 minutes in the morning peak and 9.2 minutes in the evening peak, compared with eight minutes and 7.2 minutes today, respectively. The study predicts that if we don’t enlarge the road, those times will increase by several minutes, but this might be challenged, because despite significant growth in south Winnipeg, the number of cars travelling on Kenaston every day (measured at the bridge) hasn’t increased since 1995. People find alternate routes. The traffic study seems counterintuitive, but it reflects something many cities have already learned. You can’t build your way out of congestion. A bigger road always attracts more cars, eventually consuming any additional capacity. This concept is known as “induced demand.” The increased capacity of bigger roads will immediately reduce commuting times. To take advantage of the higher capacity network, drivers divert from different routes, are less strategic with the times they travel and are less likely to use public transportation or carpooling. All of this increases the number of vehicles on the new road. Greater convenience also results in more people willing to commute longer distances, incentivizing suburban sprawl, increasing car dependency and further increasing traffic volumes. Almost invariably, within a few years of a road expansion, traffic congestion begins to return and, as the Route 90 study demonstrates, may get worse than it was before. This large increase in the number of vehicles on Kenaston will also have important impacts on surrounding neighbourhoods, pushing significantly more traffic to adjacent feeder streets such as Academy Road and Corydon Avenue. The design carves a vehicle canyon, lined with concrete acoustic walls, through existing mature neighbourhoods. Large intersections will decrease walkability and pedestrian safety, reducing connectivity between neighbourhoods, and inhibiting any ability for the future development on the former Kapyong Barracks land to integrate with surrounding communities. It’s often suggested that enlarging Kenaston will generate economic growth as a long-haul trucking route that opens new international trade opportunities, but without a marked long-term improvement in congestion, it’s unclear why a road through residential neighbourhoods would inspire new trade and commerce. Currently, only four per cent of vehicles on Kenaston are large trucks, and the road’s role as a trade route was significantly diminished when the CN Intermodal Terminal moved to Symington Yards, replaced by the outlet mall. Provincial investments in CentrePort Canada Way and the Perimeter Highway are more appropriate catalysts to this growth. With all of Winnipeg’s post-pandemic challenges, widening a single road may not be the best way to spend such a staggering amount of money. There are so many more impactful quality-of-life improvements that could be made. We could invest in the tree canopy, neighbourhood parks and community centres. For that same money, we could build 7,000 new affordable homes as an impactful way to address homelessness and poverty. Winnipeg’s full 25-year rapid transit plan connecting the entire city — an investment that might actually reduce congestion — could be built for the same projected cost. We could even just fix the pothole-blighted roads we already have. As we evaluate widening Kenaston, we should remember that we are not making a choice just for ourselves. Our children and grandchildren will be paying for it as well, and we should ask ourselves if they will believe we spent their money wisely. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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Globe column on EV reality
by Charles F 21 May '23

21 May '23

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-stellantis-ev-b… government is enchanted – obsessed even – with the idea of building batteries for electric vehicles on home soil. Already, Volkswagen is soaking up about $14-billion in public subsidies to build a battery factory in Southwestern Ontario, and Stellantis, owner of Jeep and Fiat, and LG Energy Solution are demanding equal treatment for their joint venture.The mission to make Canada (well, Ontario) part of the global EV supply chain was inevitable and, from a purely industrial point of view, makes some sense, even though the per-employee job creation bill may emerge as the most expensive in Canadian history.But on so many other levels, the decision to lunge into the EV supply chain lies somewhere between irresponsible and crazed; it locks us into an ever-expanding car culture for generations when we should be downgrading the car as a transportation tool, as some European cities are doing. EVs, and hybrid cars to a lesser extent, enjoy a global image that is entirely unjustified. The pitch – buy an EV and save the planet – is just nonsense.Never mind that EVs are still cars that need to be parked. Their presence will still disfigure cities, pushing politicians and developers to build new parking lots, roads and highways to gratify the endless swarms of drivers (see Ontario’s proposed Highway 413, an assault on the wetlands, waterways and farmland in Southern Ontario’s Greenbelt).And never mind that EVs are hardly “clean,” even if they have no tailpipe emissions. The EV supply chain is notoriously ugly and carbon-intensive. Yes, EVs can make urban air more breathable, but at what cost to the greater environment?Cleaner air in cities does not mean climate change will slow down. The EV revolution could even accelerate global warming as forests in sub-Saharan Africa, Indonesia and elsewhere are razed to make way for the mines and smelters that produce the nickel, copper, cobalt and lithium required to build EV batteries. The Washington Post recently reported that the high-pressure, acid-based nickel-leaching process used in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of the metal, generates 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of nickel. After a slow burn, there is no doubt that EVs will sound the death knell for diesel- and gasoline-powered cars. European Union law requires all new cars to have zero carbon emissions from 2035. In the United States, President Joe Biden wants the Environmental Protection Agency to tighten car-emission standards to the point that two-thirds of new cars and light trucks will have to be electric by 2032. Canada is considering an even more aggressive zero-emissions mandate, backed by the lavish investments in battery production.The debate virtually worldwide is the speed at which governments should banish internal-combustion engines; it is rarely about the need to banish cars regardless of what power source they use. EV production could actually increase the number of cars on the road, since families will probably buy them initially as second cars – urban runabouts – while they keep their longer-range fossil-fuel cars for as many years as possible.As EV use soars, so will the demands on regional and national power systems. Already, there are fears that plugging in millions of cars at night could blow grids in areas where there is barely enough electricity to meet peak demand. Last September, California asked residents to avoid charging EVs during a brutal heat wave, when all the juice was needed to keep the lights and air conditioning on. As the planet heats up, so will the battle to find enough power to keep EVs charged up and homes running.More power plants will have to be built and, in many countries – perhaps most – that means building coal and natural-gas plants. The International Energy Agency says that about two-thirds of global energy comes from fossil fuels and that ratio is unlikely to change much any time soon, since nuclear plants are costly and renewable energy is unreliable and rolling out slowly, if steadily.It may make sense to plug in an EV in Ontario or Quebec, where zero-emissions energy is the dominant power; it makes little sense to plug in an EV in Alberta, where almost 90 per cent of the electricity is generated by fossil fuels. EV owners in Alberta are merely transferring emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack.In some enlightened cities, the debate is not whether EVs are a net benefit but whether cars of any size, shape or power source are. In Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo doesn’t want her streets cluttered with fossil-fuel or battery-powered cars. The city has banned heavily polluting diesel cars, added bike lanes to most of the streets in the centre, eliminated most cars from a few main roads like the Rue de Rivoli and is expanding the metro network. The result is that car trips in Paris have fallen by almost half since 1990, according to a study by Les Cahiers Scientifiques du Transport.Which brings us to Canada. If there is one project that would create thousands of jobs, improve business productivity, clean up the air, reduce the output of greenhouse gases and cut the demand for endless highway construction, it would be high-speed electric rail between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, where population densities are high enough to make the project sensible. Cost estimates are all over the map. The University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy put the price tag at about $12-billion, which is $2-billion less than the bucks being thrown at the Volkswagen battery plant alone. But forget it – the Canadian government wants more cars, not fewer. Canadian cities will remain car sewers forever.Sent from my phone.

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Brandon Sun: City hears calls for active transportation (May19'23)
by Beth McKechnie 20 May '23

20 May '23

*City hears calls for active transportation* https://www.brandonsun.com/local/2023/05/19/city-hears-calls-for-active-tra… Despite some opposition, Brandon residents showed overwhelming support for active transportation and community growth during Thursday evening’s city plan event. More than 70 residents filled the Brandon Curling Club’s upper lounge at the Keystone Centre for the first city plan event since March, when a confrontation between attendees and city staff at a previous session led to the temporary cancellation of consultations for the project. A group of citizens confronted staff and accused them of trying to implement elements of a conspiracy theory surrounding 15-minute cities. The concept of 15-minute cities proposes communities be designed in a way that allows residents to access all necessary amenities and services in 15 minutes or less of travel time. The conspiracy theory alleges a plan to assign people to zones within their community they’re not allowed to leave. The first member of the public to speak was Rick Macl, part of the group that confronted city staff in March. He criticized the city for pursuing growth and trying to attract new residents without working harder to reduce the cost of living. He said originally coming from Winnipeg, the property taxes in Brandon were “insane” and decried upcoming increases to Brandon’s water utility rates. Macl brought up 15-minute cities while speaking, saying they aren’t a conspiracy theory and the city’s actions show it is pursuing that goal. While kicking off the meeting, Brandon’s director of planning and buildings, Ryan Nickel, said when the process to design a new city plan started, thought was given to how to generate engagement from the public. Nickel thanked those attending for their time and consideration, and said he hoped people had come because of a variety of interests and opinions. He said he hoped the event would be a safe environment for everyone to address their concerns. “We want to acknowledge that we had a pause,” Nickel said. “We know there was a lot of passion.” After an introduction to the concept of a city plan and how it’s made, city planner Sonikile Tembo and Nickel gave a series of short presentations on elements of the plan broken up by opportunities for attendees to ask questions. On top of the prudence of planning for the city’s future, Tembo said Brandon is required by the province to complete plans like this every so often. Nickel said in recent years around 74 per cent of Brandon’s growth has come from “emerging” areas in the southwest and the North Hill, with 26 per cent coming in more established neighbourhoods. One challenge to industrial growth, Nickel said, is while Brandon plenty of industrial land, only some of it is fully serviced with utilities and infrastructure. During consultations, the city has heard residents ask for a greater variety of housing and a bigger emphasis on mixed-use zoning to allow services to operate near residential areas. While the city has identified a desire for more active transportation routes around town like bike paths, Macl questioned the value of doing so given how many people drive to work and the number of months where biking is inaccessible due to winter weather. He said he’d like to see members of Brandon City Council walk to work every day and see how that suits them. Addressing some of those concerns about active transportation, Nickel said it’s not about restricting vehicles, it’s about providing safe options for people who are travelling on foot, by bike or other methods of movement. “It’s about taking the space we already have and using the space a little bit differently,” Nickel said. In response, Macl argued against the potential cost of maintaining more bike paths and said he hasn’t heard any safety concerns from pedestrians or cyclists. Brandon Police Service Chief Wayne Balcaen, sitting on the panel of city representatives, said there are several motor-vehicle collisions and bicycle accidents every year and it is the city’s goal to prevent them. Macl challenged Balcaen to say how many fatalities he’s seen over his 30-year career, to which a fellow member of the public said: “One is too many.” Cycling advocate Grant Hamilton, who lost a finger and suffered a permanently separated shoulder last year when he was struck by a car while riding his bike, said it is “absolutely wild to hear that people like me don’t exist.” He said he didn’t speak up to complain about himself, but to say he doesn’t want any motorists to feel the guilt the person who hit him did. That, he said, is why Brandon should pursue safety for all road users. Another resident said that while she doesn’t intend to get rid of her vehicle, she appreciated road safety issues being looked at so she and other people can more easily choose to walk if they want to. She pointed out that by making more accessible walking and cycling infrastructure, it will also make it simpler for people using scooters or other mobility aids to get around. Multiple people spoke about how they either bike during the winter or would if the city had the proper infrastructure in place. While speaking about movement, Nickel acknowledged that residents have made it clear they’re unhappy about the current state of Brandon Transit and said city council has identified improving the service as a priority. The city’s community housing and wellness co-ordinator, Shannon Saltarelli, said in working with the city’s most vulnerable population, she’s found how important active transportation options are for them. More information on future city plan events and the feedback generated by the public can be found online at brandon.ca/cityplan. » cslark(a)brandonsun.com » Twitter: @ColinSlark

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WFP: Peg City puts faith, new fleet into free-floating service (May18'23)
by Beth McKechnie 18 May '23

18 May '23

Peg City puts faith, new fleet into free-floating service https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/05/17/peg-city-car-co-op-pu… IT’S a new era of car sharing in Winnipeg — one without city parking fees, advanced bookings and precise dropoff locations. Peg City Car Co-op’s free-floating car-share program, nicknamed Flo, will launch June 7. “I really feel the wind is behind our backs,” Philip Mikulec, Peg City chief executive officer, said Wednesday, standing near one of 35 Toyota Corollas set to join the program. The vehicles won’t have a permanent home. Instead, they’ll stay in prescribed zones when not being used, untouched by City of Winnipeg time limits and, for the user, street parking fees. It is “more flexible, but it’s more last-minute” than Peg City’s typical structure, Mikulec said. Currently, Peg City vehicles must be booked for at least one hour and returned to the same spot from where they were picked up. The round-trip program — now nicknamed Fix — will continue alongside Flo. “The two will complement one another,” Mikulec said. Free-floating vehicles must be booked within a half-hour of use. Available cars will appear on a map, real-time, on Peg City’s app for users to book. Members can drive those vehicles without a predefined end, and they don’t have to return the Corollas to the trip’s starting location. However, the car must be parked in one of 12 designated zones throughout the city. When Jared Kozak exits his home base of Osborne Village in a Flo car, he can leave it in a designated zone in River Heights, Crescentwood, Corydon, Riverview, Lord Roberts, Norwood, St. Boniface, West Broadway, Wolseley, St. Matthews or the West End — or back in River-Osborne. “(This will) revolutionize the way that we do last minute bookings,” said Kozak, a Peg City member. The cars, which are decorated with Flo labels, can disregard city time limits and parking fees in designated zones highlighted on Peg City’s app. “It’s, like, brilliant,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, who also serves as deputy mayor. City council unanimously approved a bylaw change allowing for free parking of the co-op cars in the 12 zones. It follows a pilot project in which certain parking spaces were reserved for car-sharing vehicles. Five spots became permanently reserved for car shares in early 2022. Lukes couldn’t say Wednesday how much street parking revenue the city will lose because of the zones. Peg City Car Co-op will spend $875 annually on Flo car parking permits ($25 per vehicle). For Lukes, the program’s gains outweigh the money lost. “It’s doing far more than revenue generation,” she said. “It reduces the wear and tear on our streets, it reduces the greenhouse gases, it’s good for the environment.” Cars are expensive, and this is an alternate form of transport, Lukes added. “It’s… really cheap,” agreed Zephyra Vun. She sold her vehicle in 2019, and got a Peg City membership. She pays $4.50 monthly for a casual spot. A regular membership (with cheaper vehicle rental rates per hour) requires a $500 refundable share. Members are set to pay 35 cents per minute while using Flo vehicles. The price caps at $10/hr and $50/day, with subsequent days costing $40. For a casual user such as Vun, the daily rate is $56. There are nine Flo drop-off spots in clusters of three downtown and in the Exchange District. The cars can also be taken out of province. “The cars are communicating with us,” Mikulec said. “If there’s something going wrong, and the vehicle has been suspiciously out of the zone for a long time and stationary, it’s going to alert us.” Members will be asked to leave the keys in the vehicle after ending a trip in a designated zone. Once alone, the vehicle automatically locks itself down. If it’s in a Flo zone, it will reappear as available on Peg City’s map, Mikulec said. The company has attracted more than 3,000 members since its 2011 launch. Communauto, Canada’s largest car-sharing business and a Peg City partner, assisted the local co-op in launching its app last month. “I’m sure (free-floating cars) will be a big boost in membership and usage (for Peg City),” said Marco Viviani, Communauto vice-president for strategic development. A similar program has been in Montreal for 10 years. Since then, the flexible model has spread to Quebec City, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Hamilton, Ont., Viviani said. In Montreal, usage of the flexible model nearly matches usage of the station- based model Peg City Car Co-op is known for, he added. One car-sharing vehicle takes up to 15 privately-owned cars off the road, according to Peg City Car Co-op. Three-quarters of its members bus or take active transport to work. Lukes (Waverley West) said she wants to see the new program model expand: “I just think that we need to have these (zones) all throughout the city.” Meantime, Peg City Car Co-op also launched a new logo Wednesday, a green circle with white lettering. It will hold its annual general meeting May 31. It has a fleet of more than 130 vehicles. gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com

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WFP Editorial: A tale of two roadway plans (May18'23)
by Beth McKechnie 18 May '23

18 May '23

* A tale of two roadway plans * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/05/17/a-tale-of-t… CONSIDERING the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and motor vehicle use, it is instructive to compare two approaches to urban planning in Winnipeg: one along Route 90 between Ness and Taylor avenues and the other in Osborne Village. The former is a plan to widen a busy roadway, a move that will ultimately attract more vehicles and, in all likelihood, fail to achieve its primary goal of reducing traffic congestion. The latter is an attempt to discourage motor vehicle use by prioritizing pedestrian traffic, public transit and active transportation. The City of Winnipeg is planning to spend some $500 million to widen Route 90 and separate combined sewers along the roadway. The plan includes upgrades to the St. James bridges and would add new, dedicated walking and cycling pathways. The main objective of the mega project is to improve traffic flow for motor vehicles. To achieve that, the city plans to add a lane northbound and southbound and standardize the speed limit at 60 km/h (it currently varies between 50 km/h and 70 km/h). Proponents of the plan argue widening the roadway is necessary to reduce traffic congestion and to prevent it from getting worse as Winnipeg’s population grows. Without the added lanes, commute times along Route 90 for northbound vehicles during morning rush-hour would nearly double over the next 18 years to about 14 minutes, the city projects. Southbound commutes would increase from around eight minutes to 11 minutes during afternoon peak periods. The added lanes would keep both commute times at about seven to nine minutes. What the city’s analysis does not address, however, is that adding more lanes will induce demand for vehicle traffic and create more gridlock over time. What urban centres all over the world have discovered is that building larger, wider roads only serves to attract more vehicles, and does not actually solve the problem of traffic congestion. The analysis also fails to consider how alternative options — including a vastly improved public transit system, enhanced active transportation and the use of other strategies to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles (such as more ride sharing) — could reduce traffic congestion and eliminate the need for wider roads. Meanwhile, a few kilometres to the east, Osborne Village is looking to create a more livable neighbourhood by actively discouraging motor vehicle use. Instead of seeking ways to accommodate more vehicles, the Osborne Village BIZ’s “Blueprint for a Vibrant and Healthy Neighbourhood” is proposing less space for cars and trucks and more room and flexibility for pedestrians and cyclists. It is a unique and forward-looking approach. The plan proposes to narrow each of Osborne’s four traffic lanes within the village from 3.25 metres to three metres to allow for wider sidewalks. It also proposes to lower the speed limit and bring in a “pedestrian scramble” at the corner of Osborne and River Avenue, where all vehicles would temporarily stop to allow pedestrians to cross in all directions at the same time. It would be the first such pedestrian crossing in Winnipeg. By favouring pedestrians and cyclists over motorists, the Osborne Village proposal seeks to achieve the opposite of what the Route 90 plan would likely bring: more single passenger, carbon- emitting vehicles to the area and ultimately, more traffic gridlock. Perhaps it’s time to reimagine how the Route 90 corridor could look with less emphasis on motor vehicles and a greater focus on alternative forms of transportation.

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