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Metro News: Vision Zero forum to be hosted in Winnipeg (Dec.5'16)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Dec '16

05 Dec '16

Vision zero forum to be hosted in WinnipegRebecca Peterniak, a Winnipeg-based road-safety specialist with an interest in accommodating vulnerable road users, said evidence drawn from best-practice shows “injuries and fatalities are preventable.” http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/12/05/councillor-hosts-vision-ze… Sometimes vehicles hit people, and sometimes those people are either badly injured or killed—but it doesn’t have to be that way, according to one local expert who will speak on a road safety panel in Winnipeg on January 30. Rebecca Peterniak, a Winnipeg-based road-safety specialist with an interest in accommodating vulnerable road users, said evidence drawn from best-practice shows “injuries and fatalities are preventable.” It may seem farfetched, given the innate fallibility of all road users, but Peterniak said that’s old-school thinking. “It’s the responsibility of transportation system providers to allow for that error and build a road system that (minimizes) the outcome of mistakes so they don’t result in people dying,” she said. “Basically, wherever people might fail, the road system shouldn’t.” That sentiment is at the core of Vision Zero, a road safety concept from Sweden that takes a zero tolerance approach to traffic deaths, effectively cutting them by half since the late ‘90s. Peterniak has authored two papers on Vision Zero and held a workshop on the subject at the 2016 Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Conference in June. She said Vision Zero cities accept road safety issues as nothing less than a “health epidemic,” and then addresses them accordingly through a proactive approach. “How you’re building your roads, maintaining your roads, what types of modes of transportation are prioritized… how you’re protecting (vulnerable users)… there are a lot of things you can do for road safety,” she said. “There is always more that can be done.” She said Vision Zero thinking is relatively new to Canada, but “gaining traction rapidly.” The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) worked Vision Zero ideals into *Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025* in January 2016, which Peterniak said provided a “framework municipalities can use to develop their own strategies locally.” Major Canadian cities including Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver have all since publicly attached their own safety strategies to Vision Zero, but each still has work to do. “Becoming a ‘Vision Zero jurisdiction’ happens on a spectrum,” Peterniak said. “Adoption is the first phase … that comes with developing a policy statement to say, ‘we support this vision,’ but implementation is later, that’s what it looks like in practice.” The implementation part is where Vision Zero really starts to matter, according to Vision Zero Canada’s executive director, Graham Larkin, who cautions against claiming Vision Zero sympathy to be “trendy” without really investing in the goal. “Nobody wants traffic deaths, we all want to eliminate them, the question is: ‘Are we willing to go big and make the necessary changes?’” Larkin said. He explained those necessary changes in a Vision Zero city would mean “civic officials taking responsibility for road safety, putting the onus on themselves, and using proven methods to establish fail-safe systems.” Larkin said the status quo of most cities is relying on education, engineering and enforcement, pillars that survive in a shift to Vision Zero thinking, but in totally new ways. “Engineering for one tends to come from this old fashioned idea that roads are devoted to level of service, throughput for cars,” he said. “I’d rather talk about design, that’s sort of a more suitable term for describing what is basically the street as the best possible interface for all of the different users.” Separating vulnerable users from cars, “clever signalization like advanced green for bikes,” pedestrian-initiated cross-walks, lower speeds, traffic-calming measures like speed humps and other innovations that are “compromises” that may irritate some drivers, Larkin said--but it won’t kill them. He said the great part about Vision Zero is that in Europe, where the concept took hold decades ago now, it’s already proven, meaning Canadian cities needn’t reinvent the wheel. “Just emulate the world leaders, do what they do, I’m talking about Sweden, Denmark… If you’re Winnipeg, it’s reasonable to look at those places,” he said. “Go with proven data-driven methods, don’t do what you think is politically expedient so you can sell it to voters… we don’t need to do that.” Peterniak will present her thoughts on the progressive approach at a public forum and panel discussion Coun. Janice Lukes has planned for January 30 at the Millennium Library. She said it’s too early to tell what kind of support Vision Zero could have in Winnipeg, among its citizenry or leaders, but regardless it’s “encouraging” the discussion has started. “I hope it will lead to action, road injuries and deaths are preventable so the more we get together and talk about it, the closer we get to that end.

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Job posting: Operations Manager, Peg City Car Co-op
by Beth McKechnie 01 Dec '16

01 Dec '16

*** Please share widely – thanks! *** *Peg City Car Co-op seeks Operations Manager* We are looking for someone who is entrepreneurial, a strategic thinker, and passionate about the role that carsharing can play in sustainable transportation in Winnipeg, yet who is willing and able to be hands on with the daily operations of a small but growing organization. https://pegcitycarcoop.ca/v1_5/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Operations-Manage… *About the Position* The Operations Manager oversees the day-to-day activities of Peg City Car Co-op, and is directly responsible for data management and metrics tracking, monthly invoicing, fleet management, corporate account management, and strategic planning. Starting salary is $45,000 per year plus $120 per semi-monthly pay period for on call duties and 3 weeks paid vacation. *Primary Responsibilities* - Prepare monthly invoices and manage accounts receivable; - Maintain booking software integrity and data quality; - Manage fleet including the acquisition and set up (or disposal) of vehicles; securing parking sites and signage; coordinating repairs and maintenance; and processing and managing MPI claims; - Recruit and manage corporate accounts; - Prepare quarterly reports on key metrics; - Ensure appropriate compliance, sound financial management, and accountability; - Streamline operating procedures to support growth and efficiencies; - Identify opportunities for growth and increased revenue; - Build or maintain strategic partnerships with government, businesses and community leaders; - Mentor and provide direction and support to the Member Services Coordinator; - Prepare for and participate in board and committee meetings as appropriate; - Provide succinct information and analysis to the Board to inform its key policy decisions; - Assist the Treasurer to develop the annual budget for Board approval; and - Represent the Co-op in public, cultivating strong media relations and political goodwill. *Requirements:* - Hold a valid Manitoba Class F driver's licence and clean driving history - Possess a strong self-starter personality - Able to work independently and find solutions - Desire to learn new things and able to adapt quickly - Able to work a varied schedule including evenings and weekends - Able to respond to time-sensitive vehicle issues *How to Apply* Email your cover letter and resume to info(a)pegcitycarcoop.ca and indicate "Operations Manager Application" in the subject line. *Deadline for Submission*: Review of applications will start December 8, 2016, and will continue until the position is filled.

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Metro News: Winnipeg committee pumps brakes on fast-tracked bike grid (Nov. 29'16)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Winnipeg committee pumps brakes on fast-tracked bike gridThe infrastructure and public works committee did not support a lengthy pitch to figure out what it would take to roll out a downtown bike grid quickly. http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/29/winnipeg-pumps-breaks-on-b… An ambitious plan to study a fast-tracked, adjustable grid of protected bike lanes <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/10/winnipeg-councillor-pushin…> is not moving forward—at least not yet. After a well-attended info session <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/10/19/winnipeg-hungry-for-bike-n…> in Winnipeg – including industry experts with experience implementing bike grids in other cities – Coun. Janice Lukes tried to get the infrastructure renewal and public works (IRPW) Committee to order a report on what it would take to follow suit locally. Instead, IRPW chairperson Coun. Marty Morantz accepted her report—and the enthusiastic support from active transportation advocates, the business community, <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/24/winnipeg-chamber-of-commer…>and other councillors alike—for information, and asked administration to take the next 120 days to determine if an adjustable downtown grid fits with the city’s existing plans. “I think that taking a baby step forward on this is a good idea,” Morantz said. He took contention with the mention of the infrastructure being “adjustable” and “temporary,” and said words like “expedite” put him off during Lukes’ presentation. “Sometimes in our haste we can make mistakes,” he said. Morantz also expressed concern that the city’s 2015 pedestrian and cycling strategy has “not a word” about adjustable bike paths, and wondered whether Edmonton or Calgary’s did before they went with the adjustable grid plan. Transportation Manager Luis Escobar cleared it up, explaining each of those cities were in a similar “piecemeal” <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/23/winnipeg-bike-path-plans-s…> development mode as Winnipeg, building bike networks out during road renewal as per their respective plans before realizing the approach is “not an actual concerted effort to build a cycling network.” Those cities, like Winnipeg, were years from having a gapless transportation network for cyclists that is both safe and convenient. “So what they did is they (installed) something to fill in that space in-between,” Escobar said. Also, to dissuade fears that Lukes’ idea could in any way defy the existing cycling strategy, Escobar said the department would have to find a way to make the two plans compatible, as it “cannot undermine a policy that has been adopted.” Lukes further rebutted Morantz’s concerns, saying the strategy clearly identifies building out the downtown network as a key priority. It’s a choice, she says, between taking a decade to have a safe cycling network downtown, or having one by 2018 “for a fraction of the cost.” She contends her preferred method is a “new innovative approach” the consultants who developed Winnipeg’s active transportation plan simply hadn’t considered or weren’t familiar with at the time. “Technology and innovation in (the active transportation field) is constantly evolving,” she said. “It used to be just painted llines with sharrows, but we realized people weren’t getting out… this is a very evolving field.” Lukes said the motion that replaced her own is a “delay tactic,” but only a minor set-back. She explained how, leading up to the IRPW meeting, she learned there is “tremendous demand” for the downtown grid, and she believes pushing it back means “people’s safety is put on the line,” so she’ll be working to make it happen. “We’re here to make change,” Lukes said. “Change isn’t easy.

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WFP: Pedestrian safety key to Portage and Main reopening (Nov.30'16)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Nov '16

30 Nov '16

Pedestrian safety key to Portage and Main reopening ALDO SANTIN www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/re-opening-portage-and- main-could-take-years-403621966.html IT will take two years of planning before work can begin on reopening the Portage and Main intersection to pedestrians, a senior city official said. Lester Deane, director of public works, told reporters Tuesday that a consulting firm hired to carry out a traffic analysis found no obstacles or concerns that would prevent foot traffic at the iconic intersection. But Deane said measures would have to be taken to ensure pedestrians are safe when crossing and accessibility is achieved for everyone. “We believe we can open the intersections, it’s just a question of having a good plan going forward and working with the owners so they’re comfortable with the overall picture,” Deane said. “We know we can do it, it’s just a question of painting the big picture and getting costs associated with delivering that.” Deane said the analysis found that there would be delays to traffic flows through the intersection for both private vehicles and transit buses, but he added that was expected. However, no funds have been set aside in the preliminary 2017 city budget for work that would lead to reopening the corner. Mayor Brian Bowman said last week, when he tabled the budget that funds weren’t included because the city is still talking to the property owners. “Some of the issues that have been raised (by the property owners) is a desire for more investments — for the city to do its part — while the property owners have been investing millions of dollars in upgrades to their exterior and interior,” Bowman said. The famous intersection was closed to pedestrians in 1979 in a deal between city hall and developers to facilitate the construction of the underground concourse and adjoining underground Winnipeg Square shopping mall. Deane said the most problematic area for pedestrians would be near the Bank of Montreal, at the intersection’s southeast corner, explaining there is little land available for the infrastructure needed to accommodate pedestrians. The boulevard in front of the bank building also poses accessibility issues, he said, as it is a two-metre drop to the street. Deane said the city would likely have to acquire some of the property from the bank before work could proceed. “It’s the most difficult corner to introduce pedestrian access,” Deane said. “To make things safe and to meet our accessibility requirements, there is a lot of additional work that would have to be done.” Deane said the study, which has not been made public, contained early estimates for some of the work involved, but he added more analysis and designs would be required to determine an accurate cost. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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APBP Webinar RFP for 2017
by Beth McKechnie 29 Nov '16

29 Nov '16

Hello everyone, APBP is inviting proposals to present one of the 2017 monthly webinar series topics. It would be great to hear a webinar with presenters from Winnipeg. Please see the RFP link below for the list of topics. Perhaps there is enough local knowledge on winter walking/cycling and maintenance-related issues to suggest an addition to the 2017 webinar calendar? http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.apbp.org/resource/resmgr/ 2017Webinars/APBP_2017_Webinar_RFP.pdf cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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WFP: City earmarks $15 million for 44 ped, cycling projects (Nov.26'16)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

City earmarks $15 million for 44 pedestrian, cycling projects http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-hall-has-plans-to-spend-big-on-… City hall plans to spend $4.7 million on new pedestrian and cycling paths and sidewalks in 2017, with another $10.8 million on similar projects during the following two years. Councillors on the public works committee will get their first look at the city’s pedestrian and cycling action plan for 2017 at a meeting Tuesday. An administrative report from the public works department details 44 projects it wants to undertake over the next three years. If the committee approves the $4.7 million planned for 2017, the administration wants councillors to give the director of public works the authority to prioritize which projects will be completed in 2017. The administration has identified 13 projects, with a combined price tag of $67.9 million, that it is proposing be constructed in the years 2019-21, but only if additional funding can be provided by other levels of government. The cycling and pedestrian paths and corridors were approved by council for a long-term strategy, but council required the public works committee to approve the projects that will be constructed each year after consultations with area councillors. Public works is proposing for the next three years: • $2.7 million to install sidewalks in more than a dozen locations • $5.2 million for bicycle corridors • $6.5 million on 10 recreational walkways and bicycle paths • $1.1 million on public education, awareness and promotion projects The department’s $67.9 million wish list of projects for 2019-2021 includes: • $31 million on construction of four new pedestrian/cycling bridges: Fort Rouge to McFadyen Park Bridge over the Assiniboine River (2019); Bishop Grandin Greenway over Pembina Highway (2019); Maple Street through-pass of the CPR Mainline (2020); a new crossing over the Seine River (2019) • $15 million for McDermot/Bannatyne protected bike lane and road renewal (2020) • $10 million for Ruby/Banning neighbourhood greenway construction and road renewal project (2020) • $5 million for Chief Peguis Greenway, from Henderson Highway to Main Street, along the Kildonan Settlers Bridge (2020) aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Metro Wpg: Bike grid would boost business - Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce (Nov.24'16)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Nov '16

28 Nov '16

Bike grid could boost business: Winnipeg Chamber of CommerceCoun. Janice Lukes will try to keep the downtown bike grid plan alive with a pitch at the Nov. 29 infrastructure and public works committee meeting. http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/24/winnipeg-chamber-of-commer… It’s time for Winnipeg to embrace a more bike-friendly future, according to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. President Loren Remillard doesn’t mince words when discussing the potential of a fast-tracked bike grid <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/10/winnipeg-councillor-pushin…>, as Coun. Janice Lukes will try to move one forward at the city’s next infrastructure committee meeting, Tuesday. “We’re very supportive of all measures to promote active transportation (AT) in our city” Remillard said. “A downtown bike grid is part of that conversation, one I think Winnipeg should embrace.” Although the chamber hasn’t surveyed its members on the specific plan Lukes has put forward, Remillard said there is near-unanimous “recognition of value in AT and a desire to see Winnipeg move forward as quickly as possible.” He explained the business community feels increasing transportation options through offerings like bus rapid transit (BRT) and AT make Winnipeg a more attractive destination and aids in talent retention. “From an employer standpoint… employers out there are trying to compete for the best and brightest, and particularly among the millennial generation they’re actively pursuing (transportation) options,” Remillard said. “If you have AT infrastructure they can actively engage in it makes attracting that talent easier.” Bike Winnipeg has vocally supported Lukes’ plan <http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2016/11/23/winnipeg-bike-path-plans-s…> for similar reasons, with executive director Mark Cohoe saying the current AT offerings of Winnipeg’s present and near-future are a “bit scattered” and lack the “connectivity people want.” Remillard also thinks a downtown grid would be a boon for business by increasing pedestrian traffic. “In many other cities where their downtowns have an energy and a vibrancy, that’s not from traffic flow of cars, that’s feet on the street, people engaging on sidewalks, physical personal presence,” he explained. “Bikes really in this case allow for that in a much more robust way by getting people out of their cars. “Instead of driving by many of these shops, again that bike allows you to interact with offerings in the downtown in a more immediate and physical way—it definitely adds to that sense of vibrancy.” Remillard and the chamber will not speak in favour of the bike grid at the Nov. 29 committee meeting, but he said he hopes Lukes’ plan gets support because it would send “a message about what our city is like and where it is going in the future.” “’We are a modern city, we offer our citizens a multitude of options, not just a vehicle option.’”

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WFP: No money for Portage and Main but mayor hopeful (Nov.23'16)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Nov '16

23 Nov '16

No money for Portage and Main, but Bowman hopefulDraft budget doesn't include any cash for initiative http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/portage-and-main- unlikely-to-be-open-to-pedestrians-by-summer-2017-402522565.html Mayor Brian Bowman's dream of seeing Portage and Main opened to pedestrians by the 2017 Canada Summer Games is all but dashed after the city's preliminary budget didn't allocate any money for the project. Bowman made removing barriers at the intersection one of his chief campaign pledges in the last municipal election and in June expressed a desire to see it open before the two-week event opens in July. However, continued financial wrangling with owners of the buildings at the intersection prevented the city from including the project in the budget, Bowman told reporters Tuesday. "It is premature to put anything in the budget when those discussions are happening with the property owners," he said. "It is not in the budget because we are not at the stage yet where there is something for council to consider... some of the issues that have been raised (by the property owners) is a desire for more investments — for the city to do its part — while the property owners have been investing millions of dollars in upgrades to their exterior and interior." Budget documents outline more than $20 million in projects either cancelled ($10.6 million) or deferred ($9.5 million) to a later date. The deferrals include a $2-million plan for fire and paramedic station maintenance, $300,000 for land acquisition, $500,000 for library refurbishment and $600,000 of library technical upgrades. "The (preliminary) budget maps what we want to spend money on; the asks far surpass what are you are going to see in the (final) budget," Bowman said. The city signed a 40-year agreement with property owners at Portage and Main in 1979 closing pedestrian traffic at street level, forcing people into the underground shopping mall. The estimated cost of opening the intersection remains unclear. A traffic study prepared by Dillon Consulting has been in the hands of the city's administration for months. Bowman isn't ready to throw in the towel for a summer opening. "If we aren't able to do it by that date, we will try and get it done as soon as possible... it is being driven by discussions with the property owners," he said. kristin.annable(a)freepress.mb.ca

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Ped and Cycling highlights from 2017 City Budget
by Beth McKechnie 23 Nov '16

23 Nov '16

*AT highlights & lowlights from 2017 budget:* - Invests $13.5 million in active transportation, including $3.6 million for new, buffered bike lanes along Pembina Highway, over $2.8 million for bicycle corridors, $1.6 million for protected bikes lanes along Empress Street and an investment of $1 million in the Transcona Trail walkway - $4.3 million toward Tache Promenade, a pedestrian promenade along the Red River in St. Boniface between the Provencher and Norwood bridges - No money allocated for opening Portage and Main to pedestrians http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/bowman-unveils-city- budgets-this-afternoon-402473505.html -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

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Pedestrian safety
by c_feaver＠mts.net 22 Nov '16

22 Nov '16

Globe and Mail editorial: “Hey driver, check your privilege. Pedestrians have rights, too” Says; The killing of pedestrians is an overlooked tragedy in a car-centred culture that prefers to regard road deaths as both accidental and inevitable. They are neither – at least not if you’re determined to make our cities safe places where people can go for a walk without fear of sudden death or disability. ... It is time to undo this destructive choice – by dropping speed limits, narrowing roads, extending curbs at crossings, and providing safety islands on broad, busy streets. Politicians must find the courage to resist the crude war-on-the-car arguments that will inevitably result. Pedestrians already have priority under the law. It is time they had it in reality. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/hey-driver-check-your-pri…

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