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Together We Cycle | Architecture & Design Film Festival
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '21

16 Apr '21

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here's a film on the history of Dutch cycling as part of the Architecture & Design Film Festival at Cinematheque (online): https://adff.ca/films/2021/together-we-cycle/ cheers, Beth -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *Green Action Centre is located on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anishininiwag, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of* *the Métis Nation. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and that our hydro is sourced from numerous First Nations here in Manitoba**. * 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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City Climate Plan lagging
by Charles Feaver 16 Apr '21

16 Apr '21

Glad we got coverage on this issue; it is shocking that the city was going forward to long term planning with a climate plan that did not meet the national standard, and nobody was raising a red flag. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/bike-winnipeg-takes-aim-at-citys-25- year-plan-574217822.html A local community cycling advocacy group is asking the City of Winnipeg to align municipal plans moving forward with climate change targets in step with the rest of Canada and the world. Charles Feaver, a volunteer with Bike Winnipeg, says the group has submitted a lengthy criticism of a draft municipal planning document, OurWinnipeg 2045. According to the city's website, the document, "is the city's 25-year development plan which is intended to guide everything the city does. It provides a vision, goals and policies intended to influence leadership and good governance, priority setting, delivery of city services, how residents get around in the city, and decisions about how the city grows." The problem, Feaver says, is the planning document draft is built upon Winnipeg's current climate targets, which are out of line with Canadian climate targets and international goals that hope to constrain global warming to 2 C above pre-industrial levels. The City of Winnipeg aims to reduce carbon emissions by 20 per cent by 2030 over 2011 levels, and by 80 per cent by 2050. Both targets fail to meet the thresholds needed to meet the Paris Agreement targets, or more ambitious targets that would constrain warming to 2 C.

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WFP Analysis: ‘Speeding’ can have different meanings (Apr16'21)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '21

16 Apr '21

‘Speeding’ can have different meanings https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/speeding-can-have-differ… EMMA DURAND-WOOD WHAT does it mean to be “speeding”? Does it mean you’re exceeding the posted speed limit? Driving too fast for conditions? Travelling at a speed that makes people outside your vehicle nervous or uncomfortable? Judging by the number of requests for traffic calming over the last several years, speeding is a huge problem throughout Winnipeg. Often, those requests result in a traffic study being approved. What happens next? The city comes and sets up equipment to measure speeds over the course of a certain period. The findings are almost always the same: few drivers are actually exceeding the legal speed limit. Nevertheless, residents say there is a “speeding problem” on their street and they’re worried about it. Their concerns go unanswered because technically, there is no problem to address. People aren’t speeding. Nothing to worry about. No traffic calming is warranted. But lay people — everyday citizens in a neighbourhood — are trying to communicate feelings of concern about comfort and safety, but the only way to describe those feelings is with words such as “speeding” and “too fast” — concepts traffic engineers will measure in concrete numbers and compare against the posted speed limit. When neighbours say there’s a speeding problem on their street, what they are really saying is that the posted speed limit, which drivers are following, is too high. Just a few weeks ago, my youngest child mastered the two-wheeler. She’s now keen to spend every waking moment enjoying her newfound freedom. It’s a joy to witness, and fun that we can ride bikes together as family. But sadly, as parents, as we move throughout our neighbourhood, that enjoyment is tempered by a constant state of high alert as we try to anticipate every car’s movement, speed, direction and intention. As a driver, you might think to yourself, “I see that family riding bikes up there – I’ll be careful.” But as the parent outside the vehicle, with three kids in tow, I have no idea whether you see us, whether you’ll slow down, whether you’ll give us room to pass. It’s of zero comfort to me to know that you’re not going over the 50 km/h speed limit. The knowledge that “no one has died on this street” does not reassure me. The pandemic has unlocked an enormous appetite and enthusiasm for spending time in our own neighbourhoods. Bike sales are through the roof. Running shoes, too. We want to be outside and we want not just to be safe, but to be comfortable. We want to feel at ease going for a walk or a bike ride with a friend, with our senior parents, with our children, with our pets. Opponents of speed-limit reductions like to point out that residential streets aren’t where people are getting killed anyway. They suggest lowering speed limits tries to solve a problem that doesn’t exist, and will bring the city to a standstill because all the cars will have to drive around at a snail’s pace. Reality says otherwise. Most commuting is done on major arterials (or should be), not on residential streets. Lower speed limits will result in negligible increases in travel time. To the point of solving a problem that doesn’t exist, surely we’re not just waiting for tragedy to occur to prove otherwise? In truth, slower neighbourhood speeds are about so much more than just preventing collisions. Winnipeg’s adopted Climate Action Plan requires us to change the way people get around the city, given that nearly one-third of emissions come from personal vehicle use. Yet from Waverley West to St. Boniface to Weston, people say their neighbourhoods are a hostile place for walking or biking. How do we expect to convert more than one in every four car trips to other modes when people don’t feel at ease outside a vehicle? Imagine neighbourhoods with fewer exhaust fumes and cleaner air. Neighbourhoods where pavement lasts longer because more of the traffic involves bikes and people, not heavy vehicles. Imagine, too, quieter neighbourhoods where you can hear birdsong and have a chat with a neighbour from across the street without yelling: a reduction of 10 km/h in vehicle speeds results in a 40 per cent reduction in noise. Right now, many people seeking a pleasant and safe environment for walking must hop in the car and drive to a regional park. But if people simply drove more slowly, every neighbourhood in the city could have that calm and comfortable feeling. We also know from study after study that there’s a huge contingent — close to 45 per cent — of potential bike riders in the “interested, but concerned” category. They would like to ride, but are wary of existing conditions and therefore don’t. Those are the kinds of problems lower speed limits would solve. *Emma Durand-Wood is a volunteer with Safe Speeds Winnipeg, a grassroots group of people of all ages that are concerned about safety, comfort and sustainability in our neighborhoods.*

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WFP Editorial: A step backward for Open Streets initiative (Apr16'21)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '21

16 Apr '21

A step backward for Open Streets initiative https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/a-step-backward-for-op… HAS the Open Streets pilot project arrived at a “Don’t Walk” sign for city pedestrians? The concept for seasonal active transportation across Winnipeg that began in 2020 restricted motor vehicles to travel for only one block on 10 different routes every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the spring, summer and fall, allowing for cyclists and pedestrians greater and safer access. It was a pandemic-inspired expansion of a similar plan that has been in use for many years on summer weekends on Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue. Open Streets proved to be welcome relief for Winnipeggers stuck at home during the COVID- 19 crisis. Walking or pedalling on Churchill Drive or Scotia Street along the Red River, or Egerton Road beside the Seine River, became a way to get some fresh air and exercise while enjoying the city’s scenery without having to dodge a procession of trucks and cars. The concept allowed for physical distancing for pedestrians, keeping sidewalks from getting crowded and becoming potential pandemic hot spots. The city’s public works committee will vote today on a proposal to extend the pilot project for a second year. If it receives approval from city council, it would begin May 3, on 14 streets around the city. While the cycling aspect of Open Streets is expected to roll on, the pedestrian part of the plan has stepped squarely into an administrative mud puddle. On Monday, city staff reminded councillors that allowing pedestrians to use roadways that have “reasonably passable” sidewalks, such as Wolseley Avenue and Wellington Crescent, contravenes the province’s Highway Traffic Act. They recommend pedestrians be excluded from these “enhanced summer cycling routes,” and should stick to sidewalks. However, crowding on sidewalks remains a COVID-19 concern, especially considering new information regarding outdoor transmission of the virus’s highly contagious variants. Excluding pedestrians from Open Streets flies in the face of the reasoning that launched the project in the first place. Apparently, the city either didn’t know about the provisions in the Highway Traffic Act or overlooked them when it gave the project the go-ahead last year. Public works director Jim Berezowsky said the city was looking out for Winnipeggers’ best interests when it launched the Open Streets project during 2020’s state of emergency. A year later, a provincial state of emergency remains in place, but legalities seem to have forced pedestrians’ best interests to take a step back. The recommendation also fails to recognize that pedestrians have walked on Wellington Crescent and Wolseley Avenue for years without facing enforcement or penalties when similar rules restricted motor vehicles on weekends. The notion of excluding pedestrians from Open Streets is bound to create resentment in those who strolled or jogged on those streets last year. They will no doubt be struck by the irony of a provincial act intended for motorists adding restrictions on those who choose to travel on foot. City officials are lobbying the province to amend the HTA to allow for Open Streets’ pedestrian plans, but legislative procedures, including a new bill and debates, are hardly a walk in the park. The city and province could take a forward step together by agreeing on an interim measure that would allow both cyclists and pedestrians to use Open Streets’ designated roads this year while providing motorists the restricted one block access to the streets. It would give city council and administration more time to gather information on whether Open Streets could become a permanent feature of Winnipeg summers, and grant pedestrians another opportunity to enjoy one of the few improvements on city life the pandemic has presented.

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Trading clunkers for electric bikes: France moves to offer financial incentive
by Beth McKechnie 15 Apr '21

15 Apr '21

https://www.reuters.com/technology/trading-clunkers-electric-bikes-france-m… France is offering the owners of old, exhaust-belching cars the opportunity to hand over their vehicles for scrap in return for a 2,500 euro ($2,975.00) grant to buy an electric bicycle. Lawmakers in the National Assembly have just approved the measure in a preliminary vote. It was an amendment to a draft climate bill passing through parliament that aims to reduce greenhouse emissions by 40% in 2030 from 1990 levels. If adopted, France will become the first country in the world to offer people the chance to trade in an ageing vehicle for an electric or folding bicycle, the French Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB) said. "For the first time it is recognised that the solution is not to make cars greener, but simply to reduce their number," said Olivier Schneider of the FUB. -- Beth McKechnie (she/her) *| *Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> *Green Action Centre is located on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anishininiwag, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of* *the Métis Nation. We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and that our hydro is sourced from numerous First Nations here in Manitoba**. * 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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More media coverage of Open Streets closed to pedestrians
by Beth McKechnie 14 Apr '21

14 Apr '21

https://globalnews.ca/news/7754372/city-considers-extending-active-transpor… https://winnipegsun.com/news/news-news/pedestrians-will-have-to-keep-off-ro…

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WFP: Open streets may prohibit pedestrians (Apr13'21)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Apr '21

13 Apr '21

Second pilot project to test seasonal active transportation routes Open streets may prohibit pedestrians https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/open-streets-plan-to-sideline-pedes… WINNIPEG’S next round of “open streets” may be closed to foot traffic. A proposal calls for council to approve a second pilot project testing seasonal active transportation routes. Last year, the city limited vehicle traffic to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily on 10 different sections of streets to create space for cyclists and pedestrians to engage in physically distanced exercise. This year, the change would apply from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily on sections of 14 streets, from May 3 to Nov. 5, if council approves. However, pedestrians will not be invited this time, since doing so could violate the Highway Traffic Act. The act prohibits pedestrians from walking on roadways where a “reasonably passable” sidewalk is present. Jim Berezowsky, Winnipeg’s public works director, said the city wasn’t aware of the legal issue when it moved to quickly offer “open streets” last year. “We tried to operate in the best interests of (Winnipeggers) … under a state of local emergency,” Berezowsky said. City staff are now asking council to exclude pedestrians from what would be deemed “enhanced summer cycling routes,” though officials are also in talks with the province to try to amend the act so foot traffic can eventually resume. “What we would like to see is a safe opening with pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles,” said Berezowsky, who warned that may not occur in time for this year’s pilot project. Public works officials also refrained from making the routes a permanent, seasonal addition, since the “open streets” concept has only been tested since traffic plummeted due to the pandemic. Those who’ve lobbied for more active transportation options say cutting off pedestrian access would ignore a large portion of Winnipeggers the routes were meant to serve. “This again will force pedestrians to crowd on to very narrow sidewalks, so it misses that reallocation of (travel) space, which was the point of the open streets … This is very disappointing,” said Mel Marginet, a co-ordinator with the Green Action Centre’s sustainable transportation team. Marginet said she’s seen many residents safely use open streets to walk and run. “I experienced many of these streets as a pedestrian myself… Last year I went on multiple times a day and I didn’t get that sense (of a safety risk),” she said. The executive director of Bike Winnipeg, a group that conducted cyclist and pedestrian counts at open streets last year, said he’s also concerned about cutting off pedestrian access. “That will have a pretty big impact on the open streets. A lot of the counts we did showed, especially on … Wellington Crescent, there were really some huge uptakes from people walking on those corridors,” said Mark Cohoe. Cohoe said he hopes the province can provide the city with interim permission to allow pedestrians access to the routes during the pilot project. Coun. Matt Allard, the chairperson of council’s public works committee, said he ultimately wants the seasonal routes to return every year and include pedestrians. Still, he believes the current proposal offers an important step forward. “If I had my (way, the routes) would be permanent. But I think this is a step in the right direction. They were a tremendous success last year,” said Allard (St. Boniface). Other councillors said the pedestrian component is a critical aspect of the program. “It’s definitely disappointing that pedestrians are not included and, in fact, I think it changes the program altogether,” said Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan). In an email, Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler said changing the Highway Traffic Act would require a new bill and legislative debate. He didn’t directly answer whether or not the province supports the city’s specific request. “The province remains open to exploring amendments to The Highway Traffic Act if a permanent and long-term need is identified that benefits all Manitobans,” said Schuler. Council’s public works committee will cast the first vote on the proposal on April 16, which also requires full council approval. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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CBC: Open streets return in Winnipeg pilot project, but routes closed to pedestrians (Apr12'21)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Apr '21

12 Apr '21

Open streets return in Winnipeg pilot project, but routes closed to pedestrians Public works department says Highway Traffic Act prohibits walking on future active transportation streets https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-bicycle-streets-open-route… A report from the city's public works department says pedestrians should not be allowed to use any of the streets closed to vehicles for a coming pilot project aimed at extending Winnipeg's Sunday/holiday active transportation routes. The city has plans to reboot the popular program at the beginning of May with vehicular restrictions on 14 streets, but only cyclists — not pedestrians — can take advantage. The report from public works, made public Monday, says allowing pedestrians on those routes contravenes section 143 (1) of Manitoba's Highway Traffic Act (HTA). "The HTA currently prohibits pedestrian use of a roadway when a sidewalk is present on the street in question," reads the report. Thousands of Winnipeggers got some physically-distanced fresh air last year on several streets that were closed to most vehicular traffic. The city expanded its Sunday vehicular restrictions on four streets to seven days a week, and last spring added five more routes. Enthused by the response, last September city council directed public works staff to look at making some of the streets year-round active transportation routes <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-city-open-streets-active-tr…> and expanding the program to other areas of the city. The recommendations from public works staff say a new pilot program in May 2021 could be undertaken "that excludes pedestrians on the streets," and says to communicate the change in policy, it should be "re-branded" as the enhanced summer cycling route pilot. Closures last year were a quick decision: Director The director of the city's public works department, Jim Berezowsky, says the streets were closed last year under the spectre of the COVID-19 pandemic and a desire to give residents some physically distanced exercise. "Things were happening where we had to make decisions on a daily basis to try and operate in the best interest of the public, and keeping people close to home and those considerations were our number one focus while we under that local state of emergency," Berezowsky said. The city will appeal to residents to obey the law and keep off the streets while on foot. "We are asking pedestrians to cooperate in a safe and efficient manner as it stands, while we work on a solution. We're reaching out to the public on that. We really do want their support on this so we can find a viable solution here," Berezowsky said. The chair of the infrastructure and public works committee was repeatedly asked if the proposed pilot would stop residents from walking on the designated routes, and repeatedly Matt Allard gave a similar answer. "I know that there are circumstances where pedestrians are legally allowed to engage the street," Allard said. Allard, who has championed the active transportation routes, acknowledged he's liked having the streets open to both cyclists and pedestrians. "Ideally, that would be the case. The director [of the public works department] has has an opinion on the matter. We're branding these holiday cycle routes in part based on that opinion from the director," Allard said. Allard said he would have more to say about the issue at a meeting of the committee on Friday. The popularity of the open streets project last year was highlighted in a survey done by the city. It found 65 per cent of the 5,600 respondents were positive about the routes. Berezowsky agreed monitoring the streets for breaches of the HTA would be the responsibility of the Winnipeg Police Service, and says if there are safety issues that are raised as the pilot project moves forward, his department will look at those locations "on a case-by-case basis." The 14 streets designated as part of the enhanced summer cycling route pilot program are: - Lyndale Drive – Cromwell Street to Gauvin Street. - Scotia Street – Anderson Avenue (at St. Cross Street) to Armstrong Avenue. - Wellington Crescent – Academy Road (at Wellington Crescent) to Guelph Street. - Wolseley Avenue – Raglan Road to Maryland Street. - Churchill Drive – Hay Street to Jubilee Avenue. - Egerton Road – Bank Avenue to Morier Avenue - Kildonan Drive – Helmsdale Avenue to Rossmere Crescent & Larchdale Crescent to Irving Place - Kilkenny Drive – Burgess Avenue to Patricia Avenue and Kings Drive. - Rover Avenue – Hallet Street to Stephens Street. - Youville Street – Eugenie Street to Haig Avenue. - Alexander Avenue – Arlington Street to Princess Street. - Ravelston Avenue – Plessis Road to Wayota Street. - Linwood Street – Portage Avenue to Silver Avenue. - Harbison Avenue West – Henderson Highway to eastern terminus.

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CBC: Vancouver to temporarily close streets alongside 3 schools to encourage active transportation (Apr11'21)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Apr '21

12 Apr '21

*Vancouver to temporarily close streets alongside 3 schools to encourage active transportation* https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/school-street-closures-vanc… The City of Vancouver will be closing the streets in front of three elementary schools starting Monday to encourage parents to use active transportation to pick up and drop off their children. One street running alongside each of Hastings, Lord Roberts and Van Horne elementary schools will be closed for 30 to 45 minutes during peak pick-up and drop-off times. During that time, no motor vehicles will be allowed to enter or exit the affected block. The pilot starts Monday and will be in place until May 7. The city chose streets that allow nearby residents to still access their homes. It also has ensured reserved parking or designated pick-up and drop-off spots for parents or students with disabilities. 'We're really excited' Ian Rowe, chair of the Lord Roberts parent advisory council, says he and most parents were glad the city was trying something new to discourage driving. "School congestion, traffic and safety has been an issue every single year," Rowe said. "And so we're really excited." The pilot wasn't most parents' preferred option, Rowe says, in large part because it requires parent volunteers twice a day, every day, for it to work. Rowe says parents at the West End elementary school wanted permanent infrastructure changes instead, like continuing the separated bike lane along Comox Street in front of the school in order to make cycling a safer option. A few parents objected to the pilot, Rowe says, but the parent advisory council has been working with them to encourage use of the other two streets that flank the school where vehicular traffic will still be allowed. - Vancouver drivers now need to slow to 30 km/h in school zones, around the clock <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-drivers-now-need-…> "We're always going to have parents who need to drive," Rowe said. Health researcher Mariana Brussoni previously told CBC News <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bike-to-school-1.5495851> that parents face many challenges trying to get their kids to school by foot or bike — including busy schedules, multiple drop-offs and schools that are too far away. School streets around the world Less than 25 per cent of students <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bike-to-school-1.5495851>across B.C. use active transportation to get to school, according to a written statement from the Ministry of Transportation last year. According to the city's webpage for the pilot <https://vancouver.ca/people-programs/school-streets.aspx>, so-called school streets are popular in several places around the world and they have been shown to create a safer environment for children, improve air quality and encourage active transportation. - Vancouver pilots 30 km/h 'slow zone' in Grandview-Woodland neighbourhood <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-pilots-slow-zone-…> In London, England, nearly 350 school streets have been implemented. The city says 81 per cent of parents there were supportive of the measures, which reduced nitrogen dioxide air pollution by 23 per cent. As a result, 18 per cent of parents reported driving less. The city says school streets were also implemented in Toronto and Edinburgh.

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WFP Analysis: Research supports reduced-speed initiative (Apr12'21)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Apr '21

12 Apr '21

*Research supports reduced-speed initiative * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/research-supports-reduce… OVER the last 10 years, six million vehicles have been added to Canadian roads, an increase of almost 20 per cent. Since the 1990s, the average vehicle horsepower has almost doubled, average vehicle weight has increased by 26 per cent, cars are 17 per cent larger and 80 per cent of vehicles sold in Canada today are trucks and SUVs. In Manitoba, more vehicles and larger, faster vehicles has led to a 50 per cent increase in collisions resulting in injury during the past decade. On Winnipeg streets in 2019, the last available statistics, every second day a pedestrian or cyclist was struck and injured by a driver seriously enough to be reported. Every third day a pedestrian or cyclist was sent to hospital, and almost once a month one was killed. Across the country, nearly one out of every five people killed or seriously injured in vehicle collisions is not in a vehicle. All these statistics are inspiring a wave of change across Canada, as cities are one by one lowering speed limits on residential streets to make neighbourhoods safer for all road users, and more comfortable for pedestrians and cyclists. Montreal led the way in 2019 by making sweeping speed-limit changes across the city. Main streets were reduced from 50 km/h to 40 km/h and all residential streets were changed to 30 km/h. Edmonton and Calgary, famous for their car culture, followed suit and reduced residential speed limits to 40 km/h. Quebec City recently announced it will match Montreal and go to 30 km/h on most residential streets. Lowering speed limits to improve road safety is simple physics. The energy transferred in a collision increases with both mass and velocity — bigger vehicles moving faster cause more damage. In general, if a pedestrian is struck by a car travelling at 50 km/h, there is a 50/50 chance of survival, but when speeds are reduced to 30 km/h, almost all pedestrians survive and 30 per cent will not even suffer an injury, making that speed a magic number for advocates. Slower speeds also reduce stopping distances, from 28 metres at 50 km/h to 20 metres at 40 km/h and 13 metres at 30 km/h, which makes roads safer by reducing the likelihood of collisions. The City of Calgary predicts that by reducing residential speed limits to 40 km/h, as many as 450 vehicle collisions will be avoided each year. Research in several cities has proven that the science has real-world effects. A study in Toronto showed that between 2013 and 2018, lowering posted residential speed limits from 40 km/h to 30 km/h reduced pedestrian collisions by 28 per cent and severe injuries fell by two-thirds. In Edmonton, implementing 30 km/h school zones has reduced severe pedestrian collisions by almost half. A 20-year study in the U.K. demonstrated that 30 km/h zones were associated with a 42 per cent decrease in road casualties. Travelling 50 km/h protected by a 2,000-kilogram metal box may not feel fast, but for a pedestrian or cyclist, sharing the road with large, fast-moving vehicles can be unnerving; so much so that it’s a significant deterrent to active transportation for many people. Slower residential street traffic not only makes neighbourhoods safer; it also makes them comfortable and livable, inviting more people to engage in walking and biking. In response to mounting pressure for change in Winnipeg, Coun. Jeff Browaty recently commissioned a public survey to ask people if they want to drive slower. Not surprisingly, more than half of respondents said no. Coun. Browaty has been using the results as proof that Winnipeggers are opposed to this change. Digging beyond the headlines, however, those who support safer streets might see the results as a victory. Certainly, they provide reason for optimism. Even with the poll offering little context or background, 44 per cent of respondents supported reducing speed limits and only one-third were strongly opposed. In mature neighbourhoods where people walk and bike far more than they do in the outer suburbs, support was about twice as high. Without context, people hear reduced residential speed limits, especially 30 km/h, and picture themselves crawling around the city at a snail’s pace. In response to this misconception, Edmonton launched a successful public engagement process to outline the impacts. The city even created an app that allows people to input their destination and see the travel time difference with the new speed limits. In most cases trips were minimally affected. Consider that in Winnipeg, 25,000 vehicles per day are driven down Grant Avenue, and it has the same speed limit as the cul-de-sac your kids play street hockey on. Portage Avenue downtown is eight lanes wide and has the same speed limit as the two-lane street you back onto when pulling out of your garage. Presented with context, it seems illogical not to change the speed limits. Public-safety policy is not a popularity contest, and should be based on data, engineering and science, but Coun. Browaty’s recent poll shows there is a significant base of support for calmer streets. We take pride in our city of great neighbourhoods; by using this new polling information as a springboard to public consultation that broadens support even further, we can follow the lead of other cities and reduce residential speed limits to make those great neighbourhoods even better. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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