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CBC: Canmore will charge for downtown parking to keep bus service fare free (Dec8'19)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Dec '19

11 Dec '19

Canmore will charge for downtown parking to keep bus service fare free Parking downtown will cost $6 a day on weekdays starting summer 2020 ttps:// www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/canmore-parking-1.5388552 The Town of Canmore is hoping to alleviate congestion and fund its transit service by charging parking fees. Town council approved the change on Tuesday, which will affect those parking between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, starting summer 2020. Parking downtown will cost $6 a day, or between $1 and $1.50 per hour to park, depending on whether or not it's peak season. Residents who live in the area will be able to register for permits. Mayor John Borrowman said while the move has been controversial, he's urging residents to wait and see how it plays out. "Parking has never been free. It's always been a cost that has been borne by the local taxpayer: the cost of providing that infrastructure and maintaining it," he said. "With paid parking and those paid parking revenues going toward our transit fares, our visitors are helping to pay for those costs, rather than 100 per cent of them coming from local residents." The money is earmarked for Canmore's local transit service, Roam, which is fare-free. Borrowman hopes the parking fees might alleviate congestion — which has been an increasing problem in the Bow Valley. "I hear from residents that they simply don't come downtown anymore because it's too busy. I am anticipating that through this program, we'll find that residents start coming back into the downtown because it is easier and it's less congested," he said. Banff is also considering introducing parking fees.

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WFP: Winnipeg pedals into Top 10 (Dec9'19)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Dec '19

09 Dec '19

*Fully linked grid would move city higher up Canadian list* *Winnipeg pedals into Top 10 * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/winnipeg-pedals-in-at-no-9-56596… ASK a random Canadian about Winnipeg’s reputation, and they’re more likely to mention the cold or crime than cycling. But new rankings from online real estate brokerage Redfin put Winnipeg squarely in the Top 10 Canadian cities for biking, tied with Toronto and Richmond, B.C. The rankings don’t qualify Winnipeg as a “biker’s paradise” (for cities with a score of 90 and above) or even “very bikeable” (70 to 89 points). But Winnipeg’s 61-point score earns a modest “bikeable” status in Redfin’s view, a category for cities with “some bike infrastructure.” Redfin’s bike-score ratings are similar to its proprietary walk scores and transit scores, which are often mentioned on real estate listings. (The company acquired Walk Score in 2014. Winnipeg’s average Walk Score is just 53, while Toronto has a Walk Score of 71.) The company’s inaugural Canadian bike-friendliness ranking covered roughly 100 cities, Redfin’s lead economist, Taylor Marr, said. “We know from our years of experience that people really value walkability. They also value being close to transit increasingly... But also people really value bikeability, not only for the health benefits but also for the cost savings,” said Marr, who commutes by bike in his home city of Seattle. The bike-score rankings evaluated cities across four criteria — topography, cycling infrastructure such as bike lanes, the number of bikeable destinations and the share of the population that commutes by bicycle. Liz Shearer, co-chairwoman of cycling advocacy group Bike Winnipeg, said bike ridership is on the increase in Winnipeg, “and as infrastructure is built, so is ridership... When people feel safer, they ride more often, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.” But Winnipeg’s lack of a fully connected cycling grid keeps Manitoba’s capital from being a true leader in bikeability, she said. Shearer is concerned about the future of the 20-year active transportation strategy Winnipeg passed in 2015, saying the plan is being underfunded by the city. “We’ve gotten international recognition for this cycling and pedestrian plan, but words without action is just a dream,” Shearer said. “So if we’re not enacting and funding this type of plan properly, we’ll never reach its full potential.” The chilling spectre of Winnipeg winters is frequently invoked in public discourse around the city’s need for cycling infrastructure. Redfin’s Marr said the company’s scoring model didn’t account for weather directly, although the share of bike commuters serves as an indirect proxy, especially in North America. “(You) often see somewhat of a correlation in terms of places that are more weather-friendly for biking do have higher shares of people biking. What is really odd, though, is that you don’t necessarily see that relationship very strongly on an international scale,” he said, citing the cold weather cycling paradise of Copenhagen. Winnipeggers tend to wear their cold weather credentials as a “badge of honour,” Bike Winnipeg’s Shearer said. “So it’s surprising when I hear that people think we’re not able to embrace (winter cycling) as part of our lifestyles, and I do think that it is because there is a lack of infrastructure so that people can feel safe and protected,” she said. “If we were to be able to make cycling a safe and convenient option year-round, then the only barrier we’d have to face in taking our bikes out on a winter’s day is the same battle we already face every day that we leave our homes as Winnipeggers.” Shearer encouraged Winnipeggers to try winter cycling if they haven’t before, suggesting a test ride on a route that’s protected from traffic. “I don’t want anyone to feel like they’re pressured into trying something that makes them feel unsafe, but I would encourage people to try something new, and to see what routes are available to them — and if there isn’t a safe route to get them from A to B, who should they talk to, to make that happen?” Victoria led Redfin’s bike-friendliness rankings with a score of 80, followed by Vancouver (79) and Montreal (73). Redfin rates Minneapolis as the most bikeable city in the U.S., with a score of 84 points. solomon.israel(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sol_israel

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WFP: Slower speeds urged after pedestrian injuries (Dec6'19)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Dec '19

06 Dec '19

*Slower speeds urged after pedestrian injuries * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/slower-speeds-urged-after-pedestria… HOPES for a safer, more pedestrian- friendly Winnipeg drew about five dozen people to the Old Grace Housing Co-op on Thursday night to hear local advocacy group Safe Speeds Winnipeg make its case for lower speed limits. Clayton Rudy, presenter and Safe Speeds Winnipeg member, said the organization was founded after “so many incidents where people have been injured or killed” on Winnipeg’s roads. “And that sparked a grassroots group to form to discuss the problem and explore some of the solutions.” Safe Speed Winnipeg’s key goal is convincing the city to reduce the default speed for Winnipeg roads from 50 kilometres an hour to 30 km/h unless otherwise posted. Back lane speed limits would be cut from 30 km/h to 15 km/h under the proposed policy. “Because there are thousands and thousands of kilometres of roads in the city, rather than going block-by-block through the whole city to see what needs to be lowered, the position of Safe Speeds Winnipeg is that the default should be lowered and then the city can raise the speed limits, or keep them as is in the case of higher-speed roads,” said Rudy, a private-sector transportation engineer whose presentation to the town hall focused on the science of pedestrian safety. “But it’s far more efficient and effective, to improve safety on the streets, to have a low default and then raise where it’s appropriate to do so.” Safe Speeds Winnipeg was among a number of groups that pushed Winnipeg’s public works committee to lower speed limits this past summer, after the provincial government allowed Manitoba municipalities to set speed limits on their own. Rudy said that effort didn’t succeed, although the public service has been assigned to study the matter. “Because of the amount of people and the frequency with which they’re injured or killed on the roads, it’s an urgent decision to make, and there’s no real need to wait for more reports and more studies to make that decision that the default should be lowered,” Rudy said in an interview before the town hall. Fellow presenter and Safe Speeds Winnipeg member Sylvia Buchholz believes the city’s willingness to at least reconsider speed limits is promising. “It’s a hard topic, right? People feel so passionate about it, but judging just by the tragedies that we’re reading in the news more and more, I think this is gaining public support,” she told the Free Press ahead of the event. In her presentation, Buchholz highlighted that her group’s proposal wouldn’t mean speeds would be limited to 30 km/h across the entire city, saying the policy would mostly affect residential areas. Cutting speed limits sounds like a good idea to attendee Allison Penner, a Wolseley resident who attended the meeting with her partner and nearly two-year-old son. She thinks improved infrastructure such as crosswalks and speed bumps would also help calm traffic in her neighbourhood. “Our kid is getting a little bit older, he’s going to be starting school in a couple years,” Penner said. “And we live right on Westminster, so we see how the traffic kind of just whips through, and it feels really unsafe.” Fellow meeting attendee Donald Swanson said he’s almost been hit by cars while crossing Portage Avenue, and also expressed concern about traffic on Sherburn Street where he lives. “On Sherburn Street, there’s a lot of kids, and they’re always playing in the front and people are whipping up and down,” he said. Coun. Scott Gillingham represents Winnipeg’s St. James ward, where two teenagers were injured Wednesday morning after being struck by a car at Ness Avenue and Woodlawn Street. He said he couldn’t attend the Thursday town hall but was open to the idea of reducing speed limits in residential neighbourhoods. “I don’t know if I support 30, but I’m certainly open to looking at something lower than 50 km/h on residential streets,” he said. MLA Lisa Naylor attended the event in her Wolseley constituency, and said pedestrian safety was an issue she heard about frequently while door knocking during the recent provincial election campaign. “The presentation tonight was really well done,” Naylor said. “I think they’re talking about a change across the entire city. I don’t feel like I have enough information to have an opinion on that, but I certainly think we would benefit by some lower speed limits in some areas of this neighbourhood, for sure.” solomon.israel(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @sol_israel

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Distance driven per person still down from maximum in 2004 (US)
by Beth McKechnie 04 Dec '19

04 Dec '19

Would be interesting to see similar breakdown for Canada. The US numbers are trending upward but still below the max in 2004. See full article (with charts!) here: https://www.greencarcongress.com/2019/12/distance-driven-per-person-is-stil… - An increase of 40.9% from 1984 to 2004 (from 6,612 miles to 9,314 miles). - A decrease of 9.0% from 2004 to 2013 (from 9,314 miles to 8,472 miles). - An increase of 4.5% from 2013 to 2018 (from 8,472 miles to 8,855 miles). [image: Untitled] <https://bioage.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c4fbe53ef0240a4a4239b200c-pi>

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Request for Proposal for Professional Consulting Services for Winnipeg Area Transportation Master Plan - Core Framework Study
by Mark Cohoe 04 Dec '19

04 Dec '19

Sorry, that last email got sent before I wanted. The city has released an RFP <https://www.winnipeg.ca/matmgt/bidopp.asp#1243-2019>( https://www.winnipeg.ca/matmgt/bidopp.asp#1243-2019) for the Core Framework Study of its Transportation Master Plan. Project Milestones Task Milestone Date Project Work Plan February 16, 2020 Background, Existing Conditions, Challenges & Future Options August 31, 2020 Transportation Modelling of Future Options October 30, 2020 White Paper outlining key findings November 30, 2020 Development of Draft TMP Core Framework Study January 29, 2021 Development of Cost Estimates, Benefit / Cost Analysis February 26, 2021 Final TMP Core Framework Report March 31, 2021 Final Transportation Master Plan By others by (June 30, 2021 ) Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca

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Request for Proposal for Professional Consulting Services for Winnipeg Area Transportation Master Plan - Core Framework Study
by Mark Cohoe 03 Dec '19

03 Dec '19

The city has posted an RFP for the Transportation Master Plan. Project Milestones: Task Milestone Date Project Work Plan February 16, 2020 Background, Existing Conditions, Challenges & Future Options August 31, 2020 Transportation Modelling of Future OptionsOctober 30, 2020 White Paper outlining key findings November 30, 2020Development of Draft TMP Core Framework Study January 29, 2021 Development of Cost Estimates, Benefit / Cost Analysis February 26, 2021 Final TMP Core Framework Report March 31, 2021 Final Transportation Master Plan By others by (June 30, 2021 )

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WFP: Bike-building marathon brings community together to help children in need (Dec2'19)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Dec '19

02 Dec '19

*Putting the pedal to the metal * * Bike-building marathon brings community together to help children in need* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/putting-the-pedal-to-the-metal-5656… STAFF and volunteers at a community bicycle repair shop are aiming to make Christmas special for hundreds of children by giving them the gift of cycling. The WRENCH (Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub), an organization dedicated to making bicycles and cycling accessible to everyone, is holding its ninth annual Cycle of Giving event on Dec. 7. The 24-hour event will bring volunteer mechanics together to build more than 350 bicycles that will be distributed to children in need. The bike-building marathon takes place at the Orioles Community Centre at 448 Burnell St. Longtime WRENCH volunteer Robert Schulz Sr. looks forward to volunteering at Cycle of Giving each year. For Schulz, it’s an opportunity to do something meaningful with his two children, Robert Jr., 14, and Chanel, 11. “This whole Cycle of Giving has allowed me to be a good dad… by spending time with (my children) and interacting with them doing the same activity,” Schulz says. “It’s drawn us closer together in a lot of ways.” A dedicated cyclist, Schulz is proud to say that each bicycle his family owns has been built at the WRENCH. His children are avid cyclists, something Schulz has encouraged because it contributes to environmental sustainability. Schulz is a teacher at École Luxton School, an elementary school in the North End. He works with a small class that’s typically made up of about eight boys, and his volunteerism at the WRENCH has influenced his work in the classroom. Each year, Schulz’s students build bicycles for themselves. They also build an additional bicycle that is gifted to a student they have never met. “It’s a magical day here at Luxton when the bikes are given out,” Schulz says. “What a great way to teach empathy, humility and sustainability.” Like Schulz, Kim Segal is looking forward to this year’s Cycle of Giving. Each year, the self-employed massage therapist tries to spend as many hours at the event as possible. “You meet so many different people from all walks of life,” Segal says. “I love the fact that at the WRENCH, everybody is equal.” Watching the pile of finished bikes grow during Cycle of Giving is exciting, she adds. “It’s emotional when you think of all the people that are benefiting from this. I can’t think of many things I have been involved with where it’s such an incredibly good feeling of giving back.” In addition to volunteer bike mechanics, Cycle of Giving relies on volunteer bike cleaners, card makers, food servers and site crew who help set up, maintain and tear down the workshop. Anyone interested in volunteering can visit thewrench.ca/cycle-ofgiving- 2019 for details. In conjunction with the event, the WRENCH is raising $30,000 for its year-round programming, says Patrick Krawec, the organization’s managing director. People can donate at thewrench.ca. Donations of children’s bicycles and parts are also welcome. Cycle of Giving is a joyful celebration for those who participate, Krawec says, adding that the gift of a bicycle can help the recipient imagine a better tomorrow. “The impact of these bicycles in the community cannot be overstated,” he says.

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New Online Snow-Clearing Portal Launches (Nov30'19)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Dec '19

01 Dec '19

WINNIPEG - A new online portal was launched today, designed to make accessing snow clearing information easier for Winnipeggers. Winnipeg.ca/snow <https://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/snow/default.stm> includes winter parking ban information, a comprehensive FAQ, and – most notably – a new snow clearing status map for major snow plowing operations. Residents can now check on crews’ progress during major plowing operations and residential plowing operations by searching an address and viewing the percentage completed. During a major plowing operation, residents will be able to search an address, and view the percentage completed by geographic area for Priority 1 and 2 streets, as well as sidewalks and pathways. During a residential plowing operation, residents will be able to search an address, and view the percentage completed by snow zone. Residents can also view street priority by searching an address on our street priority map, in addition to viewing snow routes on a searchable map. The new resource also features information about the new winter maintenance improvements for identified Active Transportation (AT) priority routes that will be implemented city-wide, including a searchable map displaying the routes. Under this new system, identified priority AT routes will be cleared within 36 hours after three or more centimeters of snowfall. Prioritization occurred as part of a greater maintenance strategy developed over the last few years in consultation with various active transportation user groups; it supports making daily walking and cycling more convenient and accessible year-round travel modes for people of all ages and abilities. https://www.manitobapost.com/winnipeg-news/new-online-snow-clearing-portal-…

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Global News: Exchange District business owners fed up over ‘piecemeal’ development in the area (Nov29'19)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Nov '19

30 Nov '19

Exchange District business owners fed up over ‘piecemeal’ development in the area https://globalnews.ca/news/6234378/exchange-district-business-owners-fed-up… A group of Exchange District business owners are calling for a moratorium on development in the area, telling the city there needs to be a better plan in place for things like bike lanes, parking, and loading zones in the neighbourhood before work starts up again. The group, which includes former Blue Bomber and Shawarma Khan restaurant owner Obby Khan, say recent changes made to the streets — in particular new bike lanes that have taken over parking spots and loading zones — have been bad for business. Khan says many are reporting a 20 to 30 per cent drop in business and he’s personally lost “six figures” since losing street parking across from his McDermot Avenue restaurant two years ago. “What are we trying to do? Are we trying to create a community or are we trying to create one way roads to get people out of the downtown core?” he said. “Do we want to make active transport or do we want to throw bike lanes in the middle of busy streets and get people out of the downtown core — What is the plan? What is the vision? “Us as business owners are feeling the squeeze right now without this plan.” Khan, along with the owners of King + Bannatyne and Bodegoes, canvassed the Exchange, getting signatures from a total of 67 local business-owners who echo their concerns. In a letter presented to Winnipeg’s mayor and council last week, the group calls for an end to “one-off interventions around parking, transportation, construction or development” in the Exchange until a comprehensive plan is created. They also want parking prices to drop from $3.50 to $2.50 in the area and to see recent street changes reversed. Khan stresses the group is not opposed to active transportation — in fact they welcome it — but want to see a plan put forward and more consultation with area businesses before work is done “We love the bike lanes, we are pro active transportation,” he said. “What we are not pro for is the design, implementation and roll-out without any real consultation of business and how the bike lanes were executed. What was the plan? What was the vision? Or did you just throw bike lanes down? “Stop doing piecemeal, stop putting in a loading zone here, stop putting in a light here or back-in parking here — what is the whole vision for the Exchange?” Khan said the group has gotten a good response from the city, and Mayor Brian Bowman said he is listening to the group’s concerns. “I appreciate the dialogue,” Bowman said Friday, telling 680 CJOB he’s working with business owners and the Exchange District BIZ to find solutions. “There’s been a lot of investments made in the downtown, including the Exchange, over the last few years and obviously we want to make sure that we’re doing our best to ensure that the businesses are as successful as possible. “We have some more work to do… finding the right balance is obviously key” In the meantime, Khan says if nothing changes, some businesses — including his — may look at leaving the Exchange District. “Everything needs to be looked at together to come up with a solution,” he said. “The Exchange is a vibrant, fun, beautiful area — we need to come up with a plan with the city, with urban designers, with residents, with business owners to make this work for everyone.”

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WFP: Exchange District businesses petition city for master plan (Nov29'19)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Nov '19

29 Nov '19

*Issues with** parking, transportation, construction, development brought forward* *Exchange District businesses petition city for master plan * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/exchange-district-business-owners-p… DOZENS of Exchange District business owners frustrated with bike lanes popping up, loading zones taken away, and rising street parking rates have signed a petition asking the City of Winnipeg to hit the brakes. The group of 67 is asking the city put in place a moratorium on any more changes for parking, transportation, construction or development before a comprehensive plan is put into place for the area, and following full consultation. As well, they are asking for pay parking to be rolled back to 2017 rates and the city to commit to “immediately modify the recent, radical, physical street changes” by looking at impact on businesses, traffic circulation, parking, and safety concerns. Ibrahim (Obby) Khan, one of the leaders of the petition and owner of Shawarma Khan restaurants, said Thursday he has seen business drop at his Exchange District location about 20 per cent in the past two years. “It’s almost a six-figure loss,” Khan said. “We’re all local businesses which have put our passion and money on the line in the city and we need city council to help us... We need to get back to having a master plan for the area.” The businesses to sign the petition include: Toad Hall Toys, Pan Am Boxing, King and Bannatyne, Warehouse Artworks, Mayberry Fine Art, King’s Head, Deer + Almond, Into the Music and Parlour Coffee. At a civic committee meeting earlier this week, Khan was even more blunt about the changes outside the doors of his restaurant. “I feel betrayed,” he told city councillors on the innovation and economic development committee. “I feel hurt and I put so much into my store and it is dying a slow death. “You said you wanted to revitalize our downtown core, and we feel though you have turned your backs on us.” Khan said area businesses are fully supportive of bike lanes, but there should have been an overall plan for the area before they were put in. “No rights on reds because of bike lanes implemented on these lanes,” he said. “I love the idea of bike lanes, but the rollout, design, implementation... is a catastrophe — it is killing businesses. “Was there thought put in to how it’s going to affect the business owners?” Former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray, who lives, works and owns a business in the downtown, said he signed the petition because he believes the city needs an updated plan for the Exchange District. “I’m a 12-months-of-the-year cyclist,” Murray said. “We do want bicycling infrastructure in the area. But we need to have it better designed and organized... We are asking the mayor and council to put up a planning group. “Right now, it really looks like an evacuation plan there.” David Pensato, executive director of the Exchange District Business Improvement Zone, said the owners group is also concerned about the price of street parking in the area. Currently, the price set by the Winnipeg Parking Authority is $3.50 per hour in a large portion of the Exchange, but the city is looking at hiking it further. “It’s not supposed to be for revenue,” he said. Jeremy Davis, a spokesman for Mayor Brian Bowman, said the mayor has received the group’s letter and petition. “Mayor Bowman has met with area businesses and the Exchange District BIZ to discuss their concerns,” Davis said. “The mayor will continue to be actively engaged with the Exchange District BIZ to find solutions that can be acted upon for everyone’s benefit.” kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

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