- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Mayoral Fast Pitch and Forum: The Environmental Needs of Winnipeg
by Beth McKechnie 19 Sep '18

19 Sep '18

Hi everyone, In case you missed last night's Mayoral Fast Pitch and Forum: The Environmental Needs of Winnipeg*, *you can watch it in full HERE <http://greenactioncentre.ca/winnipeg-election/>, and there was plenty media coverage (CBC <https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-election-forum-environment…> and Winnipeg Free Press <https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/civicelection2018/mayoral-candidates-tack…> ). Candidates spent 90 minutes talking about the environment and how they would transform Winnipeg into a sustainable city. They were each given an opportunity to share their 3 minute pitch, followed by 1-2 minutes to answer a series of questions. The evening wrapped up with a series of yes/no questions (*see results below*). The questions focused on organic waste diversion, water, *transportation*,* urban development and design*, single-use plastic, and Winnipeg’s climate action plan. The coalition of Environmental Organizations who hosted last night's event are compiling questions for an all-candidate (Mayoral and Councilor) survey to be posted by October 15th. [image: DaveElmore.png] *Support curbside organics collection*: Bowman: Yes Hayat: Yes Motkaluk: Yes Wilson: Yes Diack: Yes Machiraju: Yes Woodstock: Yes *Support $100M+ package of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure, making it a top priority for federal funding*: Bowman: Yes and no Hayat: Yes Motkaluk: No Wilson: Yes Diack: No Machiraju: No Woodstock: Yes *Maintain provincial pesticide ban:* Bowman: Yes Hayat: Yes Motkaluk: Yes Wilson: Yes Diack: Yes Machiraju: Yes Woodstock: No *Support winter maintenance of bike-lane infrastructure:* Bowman: Yes Hayat: Yes Motkaluk: No Wilson: Yes Diack: Yes Machiraju: Yes Woodstock: Yes *Support plastic bag ban:* Bowman: Yes Hayat: No Motkaluk: No Wilson: Yes Diack: Yes Machiraju: Yes Woodstock: Yes *Accept Our Winnipeg's sustainability principles:* Bowman: Yes Hayat: Yes Motkaluk: Yes Wilson: Yes Diack: Yes Machiraju: Yes Woodstock: Yes *Prioritize walking/cycling over vehicles:* Bowman: No Hayat: No Motkaluk: No Wilson: Yes Diack: Yes Machiraju: Yes Woodstock: Yes *Improve Winnipeg's tree canopy:* Bowman: Yes Hayat: Yes Motkaluk: Yes Wilson: Yes Diack: Yes Machiraju: Yes Woodstock: Yes -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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Invitation: AGM at the Forks on Thursday September 27th.
by Anders Swanson 13 Sep '18

13 Sep '18

Hello friends and supporters in the exciting world of active transportation, *We have a special invitation for you! *You are cordially invited to celebrate our *AGM at the Forks at 6:30pm on Thursday September 27th. * *Come meet some colleagues, join us for refreshments and stick around for little bike/hike to see an outdoor movie. * *All details here. <http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/annual-general-meeting-2018/> * This is a chance for us to share what we do and we would love to see you there. This AGM is particularly special for us because its our very first one as a standalone organization. As you may know, Winnipeg Trails has been active since 2003 and doing amazing things operating under the umbrella of our friends at Rivers West Red River Corridor. Last year, when Rivers West was dissolved, we were asked to continue as an incorporated non-profit . We now have our own volunteer board and have been up to some exciting new things ever since. Building on our last strategic plan, we've growing remarkably, enabling us to take on new activities, reach new areas and communities, build capacity for staff, and contribute valuable new research and ideas. Come see. *OPTIONAL TRAIL COUNT:* Join us a little earlier that afternoon for a fun and meaningful group activity. During the afternoon rush hour, we'll do a little citizen science. Starting at ~3:30 we'll be meeting up at the Forks, fanning out to capture a moment in time on Winnipeg's trails. We'll be looking at trails and roads with bike lanes - counting people on bikes, pushing strollers, wheelchairs, skateboarding, jogging hikers and more! You may be surprised by what's out there. This helps gets us a baseline and builds a picture of the "other" kinds of transportation in Winnipeg. What's measured gets managed. We'd love to reward you with a *FREE BEER *at the AGM party for your trouble. If you'd like to count with us, let our coordinator, Colby Deighton, know by emailing coordinator(a)winnipegtrails.ca and give you a little info. RSVPs appreciated. Email Coordinator(a)WinnipegTrails.ca. Thanks! Anders

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AT Webinar: Placemaking in the Burbs | Wed, Sept 19th, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 13 Sep '18

13 Sep '18

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre boardroom <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. cheers, Beth -- Webinar: Wed, Sept 19th, 2-3pm *Placemaking in the Burbs* This webinar will look at challenges the suburban communities of Newcastle, WA and Bellevue, WA face and recent projects to address them. Presenters will walk through existing conditions and challenges in the suburban environment, the impetus for the project, details on the public outreach process that engaged a wide-range of community members, the effort's final recommendations, and lessons learned. *Presenters:* - Sarah Saviskas & Kendra Breiland, Fehr & Peers - Thara Johnson, City of Newcastle - Kevin McDonald & Emil King, City of Bellevue -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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CBC coverage: Portage & Main Probe Poll
by Beth McKechnie 13 Sep '18

13 Sep '18

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-declini ng-support-for-opening-1.4818039 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-probe-poll-1.4818959 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/do-you-think-portage -and-main-should-be-reopened-to-pedestrians-1.4821170

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WFP: Don’t open Portage and Main: poll (Sep13'18)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Sep '18

13 Sep '18

Only 33 per cent of those polled support removing barricades at iconic intersection Don’t open Portage and Main: poll https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/civicelection2018/poll- finds-winnipeggers-opposed-to-opening-portage-and-main-to- pedestrians-493058361.html THOSE hoping for Winnipeggers to come out in droves to vote in next month’s referendum in favour of reopening Portage and Main to foot traffic shouldn’t hold their breath. Winnipeggers are resoundingly opposed to the idea, according to a new Probe Research survey commissioned by CBC News. Sixty-seven per cent of people interviewed for the survey— which employed statistical weighting designed to make the results representative of Winnipeg’s voting-eligible population — oppose reopening the iconic intersection. Only 33 per cent of those polled support removing the barricades that have kept the Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection shuttered to pedestrians since 1979. The poll has a four per cent margin of error, according to Probe Research. “We’ve tracked this over the years. There has always been a majority who reject the reopening. I would have been surprised had this survey shown otherwise, because I haven’t seen that in 20 years,” Probe Research president Scott MacKay said Wednesday. “But now, this enthusiasm for reopening has declined to an all-time low. It seems people have really dug in on this and their views have hardened.” While many commentators have tried to draw fault lines in the debate— people who live downtown versus people who live in the suburbs, for example — the poll shows otherwise. “There really is no demographic group where you will find a majority of people favouring the reopening. That includes groups you might expect to favour the reopening,” MacKay said. “People who work and play downtown, go to a lot of concerts, sports events, live there and work there – even that group is not in favour of the reopening. So you have to ask: if not them, then who?” Mayor Brian Bowman, who has long been a vocal proponent of reopening the intersection, said he wasn’t surprised by the results of the survey. It has long been a polarizing topic people feel passionate about, he said. On Wednesday, he took the opportunity to reaffirm his promise to respect the outcome of the referendum — even though it’s non-binding. If the ‘no’ vote wins, he won’t bring the matter up again over his next term, if re-elected, Bowman added. “Voters are always right. They’ll have their say, and I’ll fully respect that.” Most people surveyed indicated there was little that will change their mind prior to the Oct. 24 referendum. Seventy-six per cent of respondents said their views on the matter were firmly entrenched. That isn’t good news for the Coalition for Portage and Main, the volunteer group behind the campaign to get the intersection reopened to pedestrians. Adam Dooley, a coalition spokesman, said while the survey results are disheartening, those involved with the campaign knew they were fighting an uphill battle — it’s just maybe more steep than they realized. “We respect people’s opinions, but we’re hopeful people will come out and make an informed vote. We know that they’re smart and they want what’s best for the city. We’re going to do our best to get the information out there,” Dooley said. “We take hope in the fact that when we speak to people and lay out the facts, we tend to get people to change their minds on this issue. So, hopefully, we’ll swing some votes. There’s still a lot of time between now and (civic) election day.” Brent Bellamy, a local architect and coalition spokesman, questions the fairness of putting the matter to a referendum, as much larger and more costly infrastructure projects don’t get such treatment. “There are very few public works projects that we could single out and put to a public vote that would receive a majority of public support,” Bellamy said in an email to the Free Press. He also pointed to other projects, including The Forks, Bell MTS Centre and Esplanade Riel, which faced significant opposition, but which people now recognize provide public value. After reviewing the results of the survey, MacKay said one question posed to respondents cuts to the heart of the matter. Pollsters asked respondents for their take on the following statement: the smooth flow of traffic downtown is more important than pedestrian access. Eighty-five per cent of people opposed to reopening the intersection agreed with the statement, while 76 per cent who want the intersection reopened disagreed. “That’s a competing vision about what a downtown should be about. For better or worse, the prevailing view is that it should be about cars. That’s the whole battleground right there,” MacKay explained. “It’s all about whether the car is king or not.” — with files from Carol Sanders and Aldo Santin ryan.thorpe(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe

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CBC: Pedestrian mall experiment starts in Winnipeg's Exchange District (Sep8'18)
by Beth McKechnie 09 Sep '18

09 Sep '18

Pedestrian mall experiment starts in Winnipeg's Exchange District Part of Albert Street to be closed off to traffic on Saturday afternoons this September https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/pedestrian-mall-experiment-exchange… A new pilot project is being launched in the Exchange District to see if Winnipeggers will embrace the idea of pedestrian-only streets. For every Saturday in September, one block of Albert Street between McDermot and Bannatyne avenues will be closed to traffic, creating a pedestrian mall. The experiment is an initiative of the Exchange District Business Improvement Zone, after the city approached the organization to conduct it. David Pensato, the executive director of the BIZ, said the idea has been floated for decades. The plan is to just try different things and see if it's something people enjoy, he said. <http://www.gomanitoba.ca> "We're not programming it like an event, because we do want it be an honest experiment of what the conditions would be like if the street was for pedestrians," he said. "We're not trying to compete with any of the businesses on the streets around there. What we're doing is we're inviting the businesses that are on Albert to come out onto the street." The area will be closed off to cars from noon to 5 p.m., with furniture, buskers and games set up for people to enjoy.

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WFP: WRENCH says bring your bikes to them— not the curb (
by Beth McKechnie 09 Sep '18

09 Sep '18

WRENCH says bring your bikes to them— not the curb Don’t do the right thing the wrong way, city group advises https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-group-hopes-youll-donate-your-… KETTLES, clothes, toaster ovens, furniture, books and more will be piled on curbs and lawns Saturday and Sunday, free for the taking as part of the city’s biannual Giveaway Weekend. Pat Krawec, co-executive director of the WRENCH (Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub), hopes bicycles will not be among the items in the pile. He is attempting to educate Winnipeggers about the benefits of taking bikes that have outlived their usefulness — whether they’re old, broken or have been outgrown — to one of the city’s three 4R Depots, rather than leaving them on the curb. The depots — located at 1777 Brady Rd., 1120 Pacific Ave. and 429 Panet Rd. — forward all bikes to the WRENCH, a non-profit charity at 1057 Logan Ave. that offers programs for schoolchildren and adults in bike repair, teaches people to build their own bicycles, and offers off-site tune-ups in the community. Services are by donation on a sliding scale, or can be paid for with volunteer hours at the shop. It also sells refurbished bicycles at its retail location at The Forks. “Why is doing the right thing sometimes the wrong thing?” Krawec said. “Manitobans are generous, it’s true. But putting your bike at the curb can actually act as a buffer for bike theft in two ways.” First, when unwanted bikes are regularly left out for anyone to take — whether it’s during a Giveaway Weekend or not — it offers thieves plausible deniability. “Another way it really promotes bike theft is it devalues the bicycle,” Krawec said. “People say, ‘Well, they’re not important. People leave them lying around, so it’s no big deal if I take one.’ That really contributes greatly to the problem.” Krawec said the current methamphetamine abuse epidemic in Winnipeg has led to a spike in bike theft. “Because we have an addiction crisis, those people are very vulnerable, and they’re going to be preyed upon by dealers and the people who run chop shops — they’re the people who profit (from theft).” With nine community bike shops— including the Bike Dump (631 Main St.) and Co-Op Vélo-Cité (190 Avenue de la Cathedrale) — Winnipeg is an international leader in this kind of programming. The city is also the first jurisdiction in Canada to forge an agreement with community bike shops to handle recycling. “One hundred per cent of the children’s bikes that go in (to the depots) get reused,” Krawec said. “And about 70 per cent of the adult bikes get reused or at least sorted for parts… A bike for the city is worth about 70 cents in dirty scrap. A bike for a community bike project is worth a minimum of $25 per unit. “It’s an instant way to add value into your community.” jill.wilson(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @dedaumier

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WFP: Survey says, make city more bike-friendly (Aug30'18)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Aug '18

30 Aug '18

Survey says, make city more bike-friendly SWEEPING the streets in fall, painting roads with bike lanes and increasing public awareness of infrastructure developments to roads and bike lanes were among a list of recommendations Wednesday from CAA Manitoba, about a month and a half before October’s civic election. The recommendations stem from the concerns respondents found most pressing in a June survey conducted by Probe Research. In that poll, which surveyed 600 Winnipeg adults regarding cycling and driving issues, 59 per cent of respondents said road maintenance is poor and 36 per cent said lane-painting and signage needed improvement. Only three per cent said the city was doing a “very good job” maintaining road surfaces for vehicles, while only eight per cent were satisfied with lane paint and signage. “That’s not news to us,” said Liz Kulyk, CAA Manitoba’s corporate manager of government and community relations at a media event near the soonto- be-complete protected bike lane at the intersection of Ferry Road and St. Matthews Avenue. She said the poll results and recommendations are things “anybody who’s elected to city hall in October should be looking at.” Kulyk said the 2015 cancellation of the fall street sweep program has led to an accumulation of material along city curbs, creating a dangerous situation for cyclists and forcing them further into traffic. She also said such accumulation leads to pavement degradation. Reinstating that program would create a better situation for both cyclists and vehicles, she said. The organizations also suggested starting spring sweeping earlier. Regarding signage and road demarcations, the organizations recommend putting roads with bike lanes first when it comes time to repaint, painting directional arrows on all painted bike lanes, using more high-visibility green paint at high-volume intersections, more consistency in “drivers yield to cyclists” signs and adding an option for citizens to request road painting through the 311 app. Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said addressing safety concerns revealed in the survey means creating roads with protected bike lanes in mind. “We really want to see this city as a world-class city in terms of biking,” Cohoe said. In June, an Angus Reid poll found more than three-quarters of Winnipeggers thought separated bike lanes were a “good idea.” Other recommendations included a review of the past 10 years of snow-clearing budgets, revising next year’s budget accordingly and creating a reserve of funds set aside as a buffer for heavy snow years. One element present through all recommendations was an emphasis on regular, targeted education campaigns, as well as significant social-media presence in order to ensure the public is aware of proper road etiquette and that people share the road in a safe way. Cohoe and Kulyk also stressed the merit of consulting the public on infrastructure rehabilitation and reconstruction. Kulyk said the list of recommendations has been shared with the city and will be sharedwith all candidates in the upcoming election. She said the organizations didn’t calculate how much implementing the recommendations would cost, although she acknowledged it would be an expensive, yet worthwhile, endeavour. ben.waldman(a)freepress.mb.ca

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CBC: CAA, Bike Winnipeg push city for transportation improvements (Aug29'18)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Aug '18

30 Aug '18

CAA, Bike Winnipeg push city for transportation improvements https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-transportation-recommendat… CAA Manitoba and Bike Winnipeg have joined forces to ask the City of Winnipeg to make a number of improvements to the city's roads and bike lanes. A list of recommendations released Wednesday by the two organizations — one representing drivers, the other city cyclists — starts with calls to reinstate the cancelled fall street sweeping program and improve lane painting on roads with bike lanes. "Some of these things are small changes that really don't require a big financial impetus. It's just sort of changing some of the priorities," said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. The recommendations grew out of concerns identified in a poll conducted by Probe Research last June. The poll asked Winnipeggers about their cycling habits, problems they face and what they wish to see to improve cycling infrastructure in the city. Among those polled, 59 per cent said road surface maintenance in Winnipeg is poor, while 36 per cent said lane painting and signage needs improvement. The city increased its active transportation budget by 31 per cent in 2018, from $13.2 million to $17.3 million. It also budgeted $116 million for road renewals in 2018, an increase of $11 million over 2017. However, that increase was earmarked for a single project: rebuilding Empress Street between St. Matthews Avenue and Portage Avenue. Money set aside for new roads and bridges, major repairs and equipment purchases dropped by $74 million, to $246 million. While the CAA and Bike Winnipeg recognize that significant improvements to active transportation have been made, they don't want to lose momentum, said Liz Kulyk, corporate manager of government and community relations at CAA Manitoba. "I think the overall theme is they need to continue. They can't ever go down again," she said. Wednesday's list of recommendations was the final release in a three-part series on transportation from CAA and Bike Winnipeg. The first focused on cycling habits of Winnipeggers, while the second focused on safety concerns. The full list of recommendations from CAA and Bike Winnipeg is as follows: - Reinstate the cancelled fall street sweeping program "to address accumulation of material at curbs that create slippery situations for cyclists." This forces cyclists farther into vehicle traffic. Leaving the material on the road also creates issues for drivers, as it degrades the pavement faster, resulting in more repairs and financial investment over time, the organizations say. - Prioritize roads with bike lanes when deciding which ones need lane painting - Undertake a proactive community stewardship campaign, empowering citizens to request lane painting if markings are faded, damaged, missing or unclear. - Increase the number of locations with "high visibility" green paint that warns users of conflict points, such as sidewalks, driveways and intersections, by 25 per cent. - Commit to investigating and consulting with the public on options such as reducing residential speed limits or adding traffic calming measures on main cycling routes by 2019. - Commit to purchasing social media advertising about new facilities that require behavioural changes, such as the no-right-on-red signs installed along the McDermot/Bannatyne bike lane corridor. The recommendations have been forwarded to city administration and the mayor's office. City spokesperson Tamara Forlanski said the city is currently constructing multiple cycling improvements which include protected bike lanes.

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WFP Analysis: Investing in pedestrian movement pays off (Aug27'18)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Aug '18

27 Aug '18

Investing in pedestrian movement pays off https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/investing-in-pedestrian-… WALKING is good for you, and good for the economy. Cities across North America are investing in infrastructure to encourage walking in urban neighbourhoods as a way of improving health, accessibility, quality of life and safety while promoting urban renewal and economic growth. Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, cities that Winnipeg competes with for investment, tourism and immigration, all have official pedestrian strategies to guide policy, increase pedestrian numbers and make those cities better places to walk. In contrast, Winnipeggers are voting on the idea of keeping concrete walls, in the heart of our city, that have intentionally repelled pedestrians for four decades. The key principles of designing an urban area to be walkable are creating direct and simple pedestrian connections along a network of diverse destinations, as well as establishing physically interesting and comfortable places to walk that feel safe and promote social interaction. Walkability has been quantified by the website walkscore.com using a 100-point scale that measures pedestrian connectivity and distances to employment, education and other amenities. A significant body of research has proven that when neighbourhood walkability increases, so does desirability, and in turn residential property values and the tax base. A national study in the U.S., conducted by CEOs for Cities, found that a one per cent improvement in Walk Score resulted in a residential property value increase of up to US$3,000. It was found that in higher-density areas such as downtown, this benefit was even greater, as people attracted to urban living more often seek a lifestyle that allowswalking to be a central mode of transportation. In Winnipeg, we have recognized this trend and have spent a lot of effort over the past decade trying to improve active transportation and livability in downtown to create an urban neighbourhood that attracts residential development. We have constructed bike lanes, plazas and parks, installed public art and new lighting, narrowed side streets and widened and improved sidewalks. The strategy is working. The population of downtown is nearing 18,000, double what it once was, and the Exchange District population has grown from 250 at the turn of this century to more than 2,500 today. Increased walkability in urban centres has also been connected to growth in commercial property values. In a study conducted by the universities of Arizona and Indiana, it was found that a 10 per cent increase in the walkability of a business district was associated with an increase of up to eight per cent in commercial real estate values. A Brookings Institution study focusing on Washington, D.C., found that office buildings in areas of good walkability commanded on average almost US$9 per square foot more in commercial rent. In Winnipeg, a number of businesses relocating from Portage and Main to True North Square, a development centred around public space designed for pedestrians, is an example of how vibrancy and walkability can create an image and that is attractive to commercial tenants. The economic benefits of walkability also extend to the retail sector. The same Brookings study discovered an increase of almost US$7 per squarefoot in walkable-area retail rents. It has been found that pedestrians in urban centres shopmore often, more locally and spend more money over time than commuting drivers do. Numerous case studies from cities around the world demonstrate that making improvements in a city centre to promote growth in walkability and pedestrian numbers can significantly increase retail activity. Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, N.C., was once the state’s most dangerous street for pedestrians, and has now been transformed into a walkable, complete street, attractingmore than US$200 million in new development and increasing retail sales by more than 30 per cent. Design improvements to increase walkability and improve the pedestrian experience on Washington, D.C.’s struggling Barracks Rowattracted 44 new retail businesses and created 200 new jobs. Melbourne, Australia, implemented a 10-year plan to pedestrianize its downtown, which resulted in a 39 per cent increase in foot traffic, an 800 per cent increase in the downtown population and a 275 per cent increase in the number of sidewalk cafés. A final way in which walkability can be good for the economy was highlighted in an intriguing study completed in Auckland, New Zealand, which looked at the correlation between pedestrianconnectivity and business productivity. It studied the concept of agglomeration economies, in which businesses that locate near one another benefit from the cost reductions and gains in efficiency that result from this proximity. Pedestrian connectivity between businesses was shown to inspire more face-to-face contact, chance meetings, knowledge sharing and idea exchange outside of the office environment, stimulating greater business creativity and innovation. Improved pedestrian access to services, clients and complementary businesses, particularly for knowledge and creative industries, was found to be a key driver of labour productivity. The study mapped buildings, employment densities and pedestrian travel patterns to determine how well connected each business was to other businesses. This was then compared to each firm’s productivity (goods and services delivered per hour). The study concluded that there is a positive and significant correlation between walkability and business productivity. It determined that a 10 per cent increase in walkability for a business location resulted in a 5.3 per cent increase in labour productivity, and if downtown could be made one per cent more walkable overall, it would add NZ$42 million per year to Auckland’s economy. Cities around the world are looking at pedestrians as the drivers of modern urban economies. Those responding to this change today, by making planning decisions that remove barriers to pedestrians and effectively translate walking into economic growth, will be the leaders of tomorrow. *Brent Bellamy is a senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.* <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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WFP: Bike lanes peel after summer sunburn (Aug24'18)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Aug '18

24 Aug '18

Colourful Exchange District project shows signs of distress Bike lanes peel after summer sunburn https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/painted-bike-lanes-chipping-fading-… LESS than two months after artists put their mark on Exchange District bike lanes, and even before some of them have opened, the paint has started to peel. Some bike-lane paintings have already started chipping, and the bright blues, greens and pinks have faded. The City of Winnipeg and Exchange District BIZ partnered with artists to paint new bike lanes downtown this summer. The $5,000 price tag is part of the $4-million budget for the Bannatyne and Mc Dermot avenues protected bike-lane project. The city is paying 60 per cent, and the federal government is paying the rest. “The project is an example of ‘tactical urbanism,’ which aims to make urban areas more lively and enjoyable,” city spokeswoman Michelle Finley said. “The area was targeted for this project because of the Exchange District’s engaging arts and culture community, and it was deemed to be an excellent way to highlight the additional bike infrastructure in the area.” The industrial paint is similar to that of road-marking paint. A non-slip additive was mixed in so it wouldn’t endanger pedestrians or cyclists. Finley said it was expected to “last for some time.” When asked for a more specific life expectancy, she said a number of factors can influence a paint’s longevity, and the city will be monitoring the paint and its durability. “It would be premature to put a detailed time frame on it, other than to say we expect it will last more than one season.” Each artist had two days to complete their mural using buckets of industrial and exterior-grade paint in shades of blue, green and pink. The first group of artists finished their murals during the last days of June. The second set of artists completed the work in mid-July, BIZ director David Pensato said. “The idea was to have it be temporary and a thing to launch the bike lanes and the back-in angle parking,” Pensato said. It is unclear whether it is legal to use permanent paint on roads. Winnipeg artist Pat Lazo painted a strip of the bike lane on Bannatyne Avenue from King to Princess streets. Lazo said he was part of the first group of artists to paint the street murals. “It was a great opportunity; I think we need more projects like it, but I think they need to be better executed,” Lazo said Thursday, after taking a look at his chipped mural. The artist said he expected the paint to chip since his canvas was a street. However, Lazo was surprised to see the bike lane he painted was still surrounded by barricades on Thursday. “It would’ve been better if I painted (it) two days before it opened,” he said. Lazo, who was paid $500, said he normally paints murals on outdoor walls after doing more prep work, such as power-washing and degreasing. For the bike lane project, he washed and swept the surface. “It’s a street, it’s not going to last forever, but at the same time… there is prep that you can do so it’ll last longer.” Mark Penner was cycling on the street, parallel to the bike lane on Bannatyne Avenue on Thursday because Lazo’s colourful mural was blocked off. The cyclist, who is also a professional painter, said the paint job is “a really nice idea,” but the timing was off. Penner said he was somewhat shocked to see the paint already chipping, since he saw artists painting the lanes a few weeks ago. He said it would’ve made more sense to paint the lanes after construction. It would’ve helped had the lanes been painted in cooler weather, he said. “When you apply paint to a surface that’s too hot, it flash-dries and doesn’t have time to adhere,” Penner said, adding paint shouldn’t be applied outside the 10 C to 30 C range. The paint’s adhesive qualities are limited if there is dust on a surface, he added. On June 27, the day Lazo painted his mural, it was 28 C. The artist said there were also piles of dust on the lane that couldn’t be removed after several sweeps. Around the corner from the bike lane mural, Arnold Thiessen, manager of Interior Illusions on Princess Street, said Thursday he thinks the project was a “complete waste of money” and the money could have been better spent. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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WFP: Exchange redesign puts priority on cycling lanes (Aug22'18)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Business owners criticize changes Exchange redesign puts priority on cycling lanes https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/exchange-redesign- puts-priority-on-cycling-lanes-491428371.html A RECENT redesign in the Exchange District is making cycling in the city more accessible, but not all Winnipeggers are cheerful about the changes. In addition to new protected bike lanes, the City of Winnipeg has installed a number of no-right-on-red signs along Mc Dermot and Bannatyne avenues downtown. The installation of special traffic lights for cyclists along those two streets in the Exchange is also underway. The new infrastructure is part of the West Alexander to East Exchange Corridor project, an initiative to connect Winnipeg’s cycling network at a $2.6-million price tag. “We’re just relocating some of our road space to give people more options,” said Mark Cohoe of the Bike Winnipeg advocacy group. Cohoe said the new infrastructure isn’t only about drawing cyclists into the downtown core, it’s also about catering to pedestrians. The bike lanes make the streets less daunting to cross because there are fewer lanes and by making righton- red turns illegal, there will be fewer collisions with cars, cyclists and people on foot, he said. The no-right-on-red rule applies to almost 20 new intersections in the Exchange, and eight sets of traffic lights for cyclists will be installed over the next two weeks. The traffic lights will signal a phase for cyclists to proceed into the intersection before the light turns green for motorists. Pavement markings and signage will help both cyclists and motorists navigate the changes safely, city spokeswoman Michelle Finley said in a statement. “Visually, it’s very daunting right now. That’s my perspective as a driver,” said Clinton Skibitzky, co-owner of Across the Board Game Café at the corner of Main Street and Bannatyne Avenue. His perspective as a business owner, however, is the changes that have taken place in the Exchange this summer have been negative overall. “It’s been a very inconvenient summer.” Skibitzky said the majority of his clients aren’t cyclists, so the bike lanes that have replaced the parking spots outside his store and the roadway changes are all inconveniencing his customers. (The bike lanes have pushed the city to create two parking hubs and install angled spots on certain streets in the district.) Construction on the bike lane on Bannatyne Avenue started in early June and only recently ended. The city is also currently finishing up four other bike lane stretches in the area. For Skibitzky, it’s also been in with the bike lane and out a loading zone.That’s made incoming beer keg deliveries difficult to say the least, he added. A number of store owners in the Exchange said constant construction and parking spots being moved from in front of stores have affected profits throughout June, July and August. “In theory (bike lanes are) good, it’s a really positive thing with the area, but I don’t think it’s really that practical here,” said Mark Turner, owner of Amsterdam Tea Room. “I really want it to work, but I’m seeing it not be used very often and, half the time, I’m seeing cyclists use the road and not the bike lane.” It might take some time, but Cohoe said everyone will eventually adjust to the new infrastructure, adding he’s also optimistic foot traffic will increase in the Exchange going forward. Erica Mendritzski and some friends were walking down Princess Street for a lunch date Tuesday. The Winnipegger owns a studio space in the Exchange, and said she’s pro-bike lane. “(Cycling) is a healthy form of transportation, it’s better for the environment and honestly I think that’s the way most cities are headed,” she said. “It’s important for Winnipeg to catch up.” maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca

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CTV: Shopkeepers in Exchange claim lack of parking and accessibility harming businesses (Aug20'18)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

Shopkeepers in Exchange claim lack of parking and accessibility harming businesses https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/shopkeepers-in-exchange-claim- lack-of-parking-and-accessibility-harming-businesses-1.4060718 Businesses in the Exchange say they are taking a hit to their bottom line amidst new developments in the area. Exchange area store owner, Lennard Taylor said business has recently dropped off as much as 30 percent. "We're significantly down, this month and the month before," said Taylor. The culprit, Taylor said is a bike lane built in front of his store that has wiped away parking spots, driving away frustrated customers. “All the parking spots we lost in front of our business were crucial to the businesses in the neighbourhood," said Taylor. CTV News spoke to other businesses with similar concern, as well as drivers, too. Nikolina Mandusic found a spot on the street right away this time, but she said that’s not typical. "Usually it's pretty awful, especially with the bike lanes it takes a few circles around," said Mandusic. She said the lack of parking is a roadblock for shoppers. "I have friends who hate having to find parking and will actually not come," said Mandusic. City Councillor Mike Pagtakan says the problem has been addressed. More angled parking is being added around the exchange following a successful pilot project. The city says 170 new spaces are in place in two Exchange hubs. “While some people have lost parking in front of their establishments there is an overall net gain of parking within the Exchange District, it's a modest gain, not a lot. I think between 45 and 59 spots,” said Pagtakhan. The Exchange District Biz also said it's working with the city on educating drivers on how to find the new spots, including when the snow falls. “If we're asking people to park further away, then we need to get the sidewalks clear, we've purchased equipment, the city has helped us fund that.” said Biz Executive Director, David Pensato. Lennard Taylor believes the bike lanes will bring more business once they're all opened. He said the lost parking spots should be restored in the same area by using another lane for parking, turning some of the one-ways into single lane streets. Taylor supports the bike lanes he just wants people to park near his store. "Let's create a walking district and a bike friendly and parking friendly neighbourhood," said Pensato. The city says the bike lanes are expected to be up and running by late August.

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A ray of hope - Vancouver's experience
by Beth McKechnie 22 Aug '18

22 Aug '18

There seems to be a lot of negative perspectives published recently about walking and cycling in Winnipeg, so thought I'd share a snippet from Vancouver's experience. There will always be push back but it can be overcome. There wasn’t exactly a love fest over biking in the early days. “Bike lanes were controversial from day one,” Reimer says. “One of the things I’ve is learned is that people can agree on policy and direction, but the minute a piece of land comes into play, no matter how small, they get into personal arguments. I’ve sat in on meetings where people say I believe in childcare facilities, just not near me. And bike lanes are the environmental expression of that.” The bottom line, after years of tough conversations: Vancouver reached its 2020 “active transportation” goal five years early — 50 percent of commuters now walk, bike or take public transit, up from a baseline of 15 percent in 2007. According to Doug Smith, the city’s director of sustainability, that progress has fostered a ‘we can do better’ mindset. “Almost immediately [after reaching the 2020 target] the engineering department and the transportation team said we need to think longer term,” says Smith. The city now has a 2040 Transportation <http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/transportation-2040-plan.pdf> plan with a goal of getting to at least two-thirds of all trips by active transportation. One way the city intends to achieve this goal is by committing to zero expansion of car capacity, despite projections that another million people will be living in Greater Vancouver by 2040 (adding to the current population of 2.5 million). “All of that growth has to be through, walking, biking and transit. So, if you’re going to drive, you’re going to be stuck in your car,” says Smith. -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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WFP Analysis: Neighbourhoods influence health; we should plan accordingly (Aug15'18)
by Beth McKechnie 21 Aug '18

21 Aug '18

Neighbourhoods influence health; we should plan accordingly KEVIN LAM AND JEAN WANG SINCE John Snow mapped out the large cholera outbreak in London in 1854 relative to where people lived, it has been known that where we live, work and play strongly influences people’s health. The way our cities and towns have been built plays a large role in many of the health conditions Canadians develop. Cities such as Montreal and Vancouver have been working to create better cycling infrastructure and public transit, with the goals of improving the quality of life and health of their citizens. It’s a good start, but is it enough? We need a systemic collaboration between physicians, public health departments, developers and urban planners to help Canada design the cities we want — ones that can keep us healthy. Let’s take obesity as an example. Among Organization for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD) countries, Canada has one of the highest prevalence rates of obesity, with an alarming one in five Canadian adults affected. Yet despite all Canada is doing to address the lifestyle factors that contribute to obesity, many public health goals are stubbornly hard to reach and nowhere near close to targets. Ninety per cent of Canadian children don’t reach the physical activity recommendations, despite physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles being flagged as a priority focus for the Public Health Agency of Canada. It can be difficult tomake healthy choices in certain contexts. If our daily lives are surrounded by cities without green spaces to play or where public transit is difficult to access, it can be hard to make healthy choices in spite of all the health promoting. So what can be done? Current solutions are heavily focused on changing individual behaviour. A great deal of funding is spent on promoting exercise, the food guide, community weight loss programs — all with a focus on individual behaviour. But evidence demonstrates that social marketing campaigns surrounding healthy eating and exercise aren’t sufficient to address the problem. Instead of simply telling people to spend more time exercising, we can incorporate it into their lives. We could encourage stair use instead of elevators by making stairs easier to access. We could integrate walking and biking to work — forms of active transport — or make cities more walkable in general. This is an area where physicians and public health departments can collaborate with builtenvironment experts to influence health. Urban planners are the experts at improving the livability of towns, cities and regions. Meanwhile, physicians see the downstream effects of a poorly built environment in their clinics, operating theatres and emergency rooms every day — from chronic diseases to motor vehicle collisions. The future of chronic disease and obesity prevention involves professions working together to generate collaborative solutions — to create better places to live, play and work. Many studies have demonstrated that active transport is associated with a decreased risk of developing chronic illness. Physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, including a reduction in heart attacks, strokes and heart failure, by up to 11 per cent. Systematic reviews, which pool the results of multiple studies, also demonstrate that active transport is associated with a reduced risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. With the many health benefits that can be realized from encouraging more active transport, health workers have an important role in advocating for and working with their urban planning colleagues to implement these ideas. How can we take action? It’s time for health workers to speak up and get involved to help improve neighbourhoods for everyone. Urban planners can also help with determining the health impact of land-use and transport decisions by working with public health departments. The good news is that this collaboration is already starting to happen in some places. Various areas across Canada, including in Toronto, Vancouver and the Region of Peel, are employing urban planners to examine the impact of different developments on the health of a community. This means new developments are being built to encourage more active transportation and existing ones are being altered to the same end. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment has started a campaign advocating governments to adopt a national active-transport strategy. Such a strategy was one of the main recommendations in a reported released by the CPHA-Lancet Countdown Briefing for Canadian policy-makers. The future of chronic disease and obesity prevention involves working together to generate collaborative solutions. We need to fight together for better places in which to live, play and work. *Jean Wang is a second-year medical student at the University of Ottawa who has been involved in chronic disease management and prevention research. Kevin Lam is a second-year medical student at Mc Master University who has an interest in public health and its intersection with emergency medicine, with a special focus on improving health through urban design. They are both contributors to Evidence Network.ca, which is based at the University of Winnipeg.* — Troy Media

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Webinar Reminder: Moving Beyond the Centerline - Advisory Bicycle Lanes, Best Kept Secret | Wed, Aug. 15th, 2-3pm
by Heather Mitchell 14 Aug '18

14 Aug '18

*** Friendly reminder about tomorrow afternoon's webinar *** Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg on August 15th for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre boardroom <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Best, Heather -- *Webinar: Wed, August 15th, 2-3pm* *Moving Beyond the Centerline - Advisory Bicycle Lanes, Best Kept Secret* Don't miss this exciting webinar from the experts on advisory bike lanes (ABL). Michael and Steve will give an introduction to ABLs where you'll learn what an advisory bike lane looks like and how it works. Then, learn how communities are using ABLs by hearing from Simon with the city of Minneapolis and Adam with the city of Ottawa. *Presenters*: Michael Williams, Michael Williams Company Steve Durrant, Alta Planning + Design Simon Blenski, City of Minneapolis Adam Hortop, City of Ottawa -- *Heather Mitchell * Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue (204) 925-3777 ext 107 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 <https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/green-action-centre/>. <http://canadahelps.org/> <https://www.gomanitoba.ca/Public/Home.aspx>

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Winnipeg's $10M question is more about politicking than Portage and Main | CBC News
by Beth McKechnie 13 Aug '18

13 Aug '18

An interesting read: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-referendum-winnipeg-1.…

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WFP: Report says pedestrians crossing intersection will have minimal effect on traffic (Aug10'18)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Aug '18

10 Aug '18

Report says pedestrians crossing intersection will have minimal effect on traffic Reopening Portage & Main not such a pain https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/word-on-the-street-490504321.html There's undoubtedly a fortune to be made for the individual who can put together at Portage & Main for Dummies ahead of the fall civic election. It’s been 35 years since Winnipeggers were asked to vote on a ballot question and having access to an easy-to-understand background briefing could prove invaluable when it comes time to vote Yes or No to the question of reopening the famous downtown intersection to pedestrians. “I hope people will get themselves informed on this as much as possible before they vote on it,” said Coun. Jenny Gerbasi, the longest-serving council member and a strong supporter of the Yes vote. City hall had commissioned an analysis on the effect of having pedestrians use the intersection. The 95-page report from Dillon Consulting, titled Portage and Main Transportation Study, was released in October 2017. (A copy can be found online at wfp.to/KSA). The Dillon report relies on a great deal of technical jargon, maps and drawings, but the document best summarized the effect of pedestrians in two pages (36 and 37), comparing travel time for pedestrians, vehicles and transit through the intersection in 2016 with what it projected to be with pedestrians in the mix, using what it calls micro simulation models. “Overall roadway operations are relatively unaffected (with the introduction of pedestrian crossings) with (delays) generally contained to the individual turning movements,” the report states among its conclusions. “There will be an increase in travel time through the area after the crosswalks are restored, primarily to the turning movements at the Portage and Main intersection as they must yield to pedestrians. “This poses a risk to cross-city travel as congestion and variability will increase on average. This, however, should be balanced with the improvements to mobility for non-auto users and progress towards the city’s goal of a multi-modal and sustainable transportation system.” Dillon proposed only minor changes to the intersection to accommodate pedestrian access, including pedestrian crossing at all four intersections; avoiding scramble crossing; forbidding righthand turns from Northbound Main onto Portage Avenue East; and reducing Portage Avenue East to one lane to accomodate pedestrian crossing. The study found that people can — and do — cross the intersection via a circuitous underground route that is about 400 metres long. The report estimated it takes an able-bodied individual about four minutes to manoeuvre the underground route (assuming they know where they are going) but nine minutes for an individual in a wheelchair (again, assuming they know where they are going and the elevators and escalators are in working order, which they always aren’t, especially those located in private buildings during evenings and weekends). The study found that the at-grade crossing for able-bodied pedestrians would be shortened, compared with the underground route, as they have to wait for the lights to change. While the report considered five options, it recommended one — Option 4 — which had the least impact on traffic while providing the greatest degree of safety to pedestrians. The Dillon report was clear at the outset that introducing pedestrians would negatively affect traffic flow. “It can be seen from the tables that in all cases, the introduction of at-grade pedestrian crossings to the intersection will have a negative impact on vehicular traffic,” states the report. “This is logical and to be expected as the traffic controls must be adjusted toprovide safe crossing for pedestrians of all levels of mobility, whereas existing conditions prohibit crossings by pedestrians and prioritizes efficiency of vehicle movement over everything else.” The report concluded that introducing pedestrians will have minimal impact on traffic flows — traffic north and south on Main Street will see minimal delays, if any, and the greatest impacts will be vehicles turning left and right at the intersection, with greater delays for transit. The chart on pages 36 and 37 laid out the differences in vehicle travel times through the intersection as it was in 2016 and how it’s projected to be for the recommended Option 4: peak morning traffic delay would average about 30 seconds; peak afternoon traffic delay would average about 52 seconds; there would be no delay for northbound and southbound traffic on Main Street; Transit will experience some delays: Morning travel times through the intersection, in all directions, are projected to be unaffected but afternoon travel times will see delays for left- and right-hand turns through the intersection varying from under two minutes (eastbound Portage right onto Main) to 4:39 (west-bound from Portage Avenue East). Dillon estimated the cost of allowing pedestrians to cross the intersection to be $11.1 million, but advised the dollar amount is based on “a high conceptual design” and considered a Class 4 estimate, which means it could be 30 per cent lower or 60 per cent higher. City hall was expected to obtain a more realistic estimate and a more detailed design through another consulting contract that was to be awarded in July but, as a result of the ballot question, it will not be awarded until after the Oct. 24 election. Dillon said its estimate was for barebone streetscaping, but suggested the intersection’s iconic status warrants more decorative and landscaping elements in the final design, which will increase the cost. That $11.1 million included $3.8 million for construction, $2.3 million for possible construction over-runs and $5.5 million for the purchase of 11 additional transit buses to offset transit delays. Dillon said city officials informed it that Winnipeg Transit could expect to see an additional $1.8 million in annual operating costs due to the hiring of 12.5 equivalent full-time drivers and other staff as a result of adding the buses. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca * * * * * Highlights of the Dillon Consulting report A copy of the Dillon report can be found online at: wfp.to/KSA Traffic delays through the intersection ● Average vehicle delay time, for all directions, based on the recommended design and 2016 data: Mornings: 30.6 seconds; Afternoons: 52.6 seconds ● No delay for afternoon traffic in either northbound or southbound Main street ● A projected 15-second delay for morning southbound Main Street traffic ● Afternoon eastbound Portage Avenue traffic turning right onto Main: 2:42 delay ● Afternoon eastbound Portage Avenue traffic turning left onto Main: 1:59 delay ● Afternoon westbound Portage Avenue traffic turning right onto Main: 5:06 delay For Transit ● Morning travel times through the intersection, in all directions, is projected to be unaffected ● Afternoon travel times will see delays for left- and right-hand turns through the intersection varying from less than 2 minutes (east-bound Portage right onto Main) to 4:39 (west-bound from Portage Avenue East) ● Afternoon buses travelling north and south on Main through the intersection are not projected to experience any delays Costs A Class 4 estimate (considered accurate to within 30 per cent under and 60 per cent over), based on “a highly conceptual design” ● $11.1 million, including: $3.8 million construction, $2.3 million for possible construction over-runs, $5.5 million for the purchase of 11 additional transit buses to offset transit delays ● $1.8 million: additional annual operating costs to Winnipeg Transit for the hiring of 12.5 equivalent full-time drivers and other staff Intersection changes ● Pedestrian crossings at all four intersections ● Scramble crossing will not be allowed ● No right-hand turns from northbound Main traffic onto Portage Avenue East ● Portage Avenue East reduced to one lane to accommodate pedestrian crossing

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WFP: Thieves target bike repair stations (Aug10'18)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Aug '18

10 Aug '18

Thieves target bike repair stations REPEATED theft from the bike repair station outside the Broadway Neighbourhood Centre has left the community no choice but to keep the tools inside. At least 15 public repair stations are available in Winnipeg 24-7. The free stations differ in colour and style — they look like random coloured poles, either red, yellow or green, from a distance — but they usually have a stand so users can lift a bike up to work on it, as well as a pump and a range of multi-tools. There are a handful downtown, including one in West Broadway that only consists of a single metal stand because the tools and pump have been stolen. The station was installed last summer. It had to be replaced one month later. And now, the tools are gone again. “It’s unfortunate because there are a lot of families — not just bikers, moms who are pushing a stroller around and want to put air in their stroller tires,” said Lawrence Mulhall, director of the community centre. He blamed bike theft rings in the neighbourhood. Mulhall said they’re going to leave the stand outside and keep the tools and pump inside the centre, so people can take their bikes inside or sign out tools to do repairs at home. Meanwhile, the station outside thedowntown Millennium Library is going to be moved because of repeated theft, said Currie Gillespie, a cycling advocate and the general manager of Rackworks, a company that builds and sells made-in-Manitoba bike-repair stations in Winnipeg. Gillespie said the problem isn’t isolated to downtown; tools are stolen from stations all over the city. “All the (Rackworks) locations that are opento the public have been vandalized at least once,” he said. Those include the BNC pit stops, two on the Bishop Grandin Greenway and two in Transcona — the most recent targets. The Transcona BIZ installed two repair stations earlier this summer, one at the corner of Pandora Avenue and Bond Street and another at 135 Regent Ave. The cost to purchase and install the stations was $3,000. (The BIZ funded the project with part of an active transportation grant from the city; other pit stops have been installed thanks to private donations and city councillor budgets.) Both east end stations have been vandalized twice, said Alex Morrison, executive director of the BIZ. The latest robbery took place on the long weekend. “The idea is to bring your bike to the tools, don’t bring the tools to your bike,” Morrison said. “It’s frustrating. I don’t know if it’s maliciousness or someone who has beefagainst biking and this is their way of making their feelings known.” She said the BIZ set aside $400 in its annual budget for service stop maintenance. If needed, the general maintenance fund can be used for fixing things such as broken benches. “We’re creative, we could do a lot with $400 to improve the community if we didn’t have to set that aside for stupid things like replacing tools that have been stolen.” The latest Winnipeg Police Service report says theft of items worth $5,000 or less in Winnipeg increased 15 per cent in 2017. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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WFP Analysis: For women, opening Portage and Main is a safety issue (Aug10'18)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Aug '18

10 Aug '18

For women, opening Portage and Main is a safety issue https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/for-women-opening-portag… WOMEN often experience the city differently than men. Many women who regularly occupy the urban environment consider their navigation of the city carefully and avoid areas with a higher potential for a dangerous situation to arise. The reopening of Portage and Main to pedestrians would have a positive impact on safety in downtown Winnipeg, especially for women, and most notably at night. Hollaback! is a non-profit organization that combats street harassment in cities. Its 2013 study noted that more than two-thirds of Winnipeg women experience harassment, including honking, leering, whistling and comments of a sexual nature, at least once a month, and more than one-third experience street harassment at least once a week. These occurrences limit a woman’s right to safe and harassment-free public space. Winnipeg became the first Canadian city to join the UN Global Safe Cities Initiative in 2013. This initiative aims to reduce harassment and sexual violence againstwomen and girls in public spaces. An equitable city is a city in which all people — regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, race, physical ability or age — have equal access to the city. Downtown should be the heart of a vibrant modern city; however, there is a lack of actual and perceived safety at Portage and Main that prevents much of the population from engaging with ourmost famous intersection. A 2014 study conducted by Winnipeg Safe City concluded that 27.5 per cent of reported sexual offences in Winnipeg occur in the northwest area of downtown. Between 2011 and 2015, 22.9 per cent of assaults in this area occurred in South Portage, a zone which includes Portage and Main. How physical environments are designed can affect a sense of safety and limit or enhance a woman’s access to the city. The public entrances to the Portage and Main underground are unsafe, especially for women at night. The dark, unsupervised stairwells are beyond the sightlines of the adjacent streets and sidewalks. Once a pedestrian reaches the underground crossing, they are met by a privately owned mall with shops that close shortly after 5 p.m. The underground concourse after hours is sparsely supervised and difficult to navigate. Clear sightlines, navigation and views are important for safe movement throughout the city. The concrete walls above ground at Portage and Main create blind corners and limit visibility to the sidewalk for nearby motorists and pedestrians. While avoiding the underground stairs, a pedestrian at street level must still navigate a path that offers limited opportunities to exit if an unsafe situation arises. Adding pedestrian crossings at Portage and Main will provide alternate paths of travel, allowing individuals to avoid dangerous situations and find refuge more quickly when needed. Surveillance technology and professional supervision can aid safety; however, these measures are costly and do less to increase perceived comfort than the presence of others. The simplest and most cost-effective way to make an urban environment safer is to increase the amount of foot traffic by encouraging pedestrian activity. Increasing the number of pedestrians improves safety, prevents street harassment through accountability and provides immediate access to assistance if an incident occurs. A pedestrian-friendly environment that includes restaurant patios, storefronts, entertainment, green space, public seating and lighting has made the Exchange District more attractive to people throughout the day. In contrast, the design of Portage and Main repels pedestrians, forcing them underground or towards alternative routes. This calculated reduction in pedestrian activity creates a dead zone, with few pedestrians, storefronts or building entries, which heightens the feeling of isolation and lack of security. In 2017, a poll conducted by Mainstreet/Postmedia revealed Canadians believe Winnipeg is the least-safe city in the country. We can begin to change this negative perception by implementing a design that encourages more pedestrians to be on the sidewalk, creating strength in numbers during the day and night. The Forks, downtown theatres, Old Market Square and Bell MTS Place are visitor hotspots. A direct and obvious connection on foot between these places will provide a safer and more enjoyable experience for the 110,000 people who are downtown each day. Everyone should feel safe in their own city. Removing the walls and inviting more people back to Portage and Main will increase the sense of safety in the area and improve navigation and movement through the downtown. Perceived safety can have a large impact on the livability of a city forwomen and girls. Women should be afforded the same right to evening mobility in the city as men, free from the concern of harassment and violence. Reopening Portage and Main will help Winnipeg’s downtown feel more comfortable at all times of day, for all genders. *Erin Riediger is an architectural graduate student and interior designer.*

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Vision Zero: New York bucking trend of ped/cyclist deaths
by Beth McKechnie 09 Aug '18

09 Aug '18

Helpful 7:53 min video from CBC summarizing what makes New York's Vision Zero program so effective. "Queens Blvd, which used to be the most deadly area in the city, has had zero deaths since Vision Zero was implemented." http://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/vision-zero-new-york-s-changing-traffic-… Thanks to Jaymi Derrett for the share! 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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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AT Webinar: Moving Beyond the Centerline - Advisory Bicycle Lanes, Best Kept Secret | Wed, Aug. 15th, 2-3pm
by Heather Mitchell 08 Aug '18

08 Aug '18

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg on August 15th for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre boardroom <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Best, Heather -- Webinar: Wed, August 15th, 2-3pm *Moving Beyond the Centerline - Advisory Bicycle Lanes, Best Kept Secret* Don't miss this exciting webinar from the experts on advisory bike lanes (ABL). Michael and Steve will give an introduction to ABLs where you'll learn what an advisory bike lane looks like and how it works. Then, learn how communities are using ABLs by hearing from Simon with the city of Minneapolis and Adam with the city of Ottawa. *Presenters*: Michael Williams, Michael Williams Company Steve Durrant, Alta Planning + Design Simon Blenski, City of Minneapolis Adam Hortop, City of Ottawa -- *Heather Mitchell * Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue (204) 925-3777 ext 107 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 <https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/green-action-centre/>. <http://canadahelps.org/> <https://www.gomanitoba.ca/Public/Home.aspx>

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WFP Analysis: Shedding light on Portage and Main (Aug8'18)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Aug '18

08 Aug '18

Shedding light on Portage and Main https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/shedding- light-on-portage-and-main-490327721.html FOR 40 years, we have been arguing over adding 18 seconds in the morning and 54 seconds in the afternoon to a daily Winnipeg commute that averages 24 minutes each way. The idea of letting people cross the street at Portage and Main has long evoked images of gridlocked cars lined to the Perimeter Highway, but with a public r eferendum n ow foisted upon us, it is time to investigate the facts. Last year, the respected engineering firm Dillon Consulting completed the Portage and Main Transportation Study, a comprehensive 95-page document which looked at the effects of introducing pedestrians at each corner, during both the morning and afternoon rush hours. Dillon compiled extensive, real-world data and used it to create precise computer simulation models, with cutting-edge software that is considered a global leader in accuracy and precision. The study found that the greatest impacts to traffic will be experienced in the peak of afternoon rush hour, when the average time it will take for cars to get through the intersection will be 33 seconds longer than today. When the impact of this is telegraphed across downtown, the average time of an overall commute will increase by a total of 54 seconds (cumulative delay for all cars/ number of cars). The two largest routes, Main Street northbound and southbound through traffic, representing 50 per cent of all cars entering the intersection, will experience no change from current travel times, because pedestrians will cross parallel with drivers. Eastbound traffic on Portage Avenue, representing 25 per cent of all vehicles, will experience the most notable increases, adding an average of about 2½ minutes to a total commute in afternoon peak hours. The conclusion for the morning rush hour states that “the overall experience for drivers will not be significantly different.” Cars will take an average of only 10 seconds longer to get through the intersection, and the average overall commute across downtown will increase by just 18 seconds. The minimal impact that introducing pedestrians at Portage and Main has on car traffic can be explained by the fact the intersection doesn’t exist in isolation. As an example, there are 10 pedestrian crossings on the one kilometre of Portage Avenue between Memorial Boulevard and Main Street. The study shows that adding one more does not significantly change average vehicle commuting times across downtown. Of 20 transit routes studied, one saw a delay of more than two minutes, and six were delayed by more than a minute. These time delays seem insignificant, but because every bus carries so many people, there would be a compound effect on transit capacity, so further study of transit times and routing would be needed to address the issue. It should be noted that the study did not examine opportunities to look at managing the effects on traffic through downtown m ore holistically, including signal-timing co-ordination, transit routing or changes in driver habits as conditions evolve. Interestingly, the model uses adjacent crosswalk volumes to predict the number of pedestrians that will use Portage a nd Main, revealing a reasonable balance, with 6 ,000 cars and 2,000 pedestrian crossings per hour at peak times. The Dillon study also addresses the cost of reopening the intersection by providing a detailed breakdown of work required to remove the barricades and restore the corner to a level typical of other city intersections. A $3.8-million construction cost has been identified, with a significant contingency of $2.3 m illion to cover any cost overruns or unknowns that could be found when digging up 4 0-year-old infrastructure. If the purchase of new buses is to be contemplated, a cost of $5.5 m illion was included as a separate line item in the budget. To put the $6.1-million overall constructioncost into perspective, the city currently has 82 capital projects underway that each cost more than $5 million. The study did not look at the cost of repairing the barricades and stairwells that are currently crumbling, with rusting steel rebar exposed in many locations. The cost of these longoverdue repairs, if the barricades were to remain, might begin to rival the expense of removing the walls completely. The study addresses pedestrian safety by proposing the use of signal timing that allows pedestrians to get a head start into the intersection, a technique currently proving effective at Broadway and Main Street. The study states that “while the risks of a collision with pedestrians will undoubtedly increase from zero, they will not be any greater than at other major intersections in Winnipeg.” Portage Avenue at Memorial Boulevard a nd Main Street at Broadway are intersections with similar ranges of vehicle traffic volumes and significant pedestrian numbers. The Dillon study touches on accessibility by indicating people who use wheelchairs or have limited m obility can currently t ake m ore than nine minutes to cross the street through the underground, and when the private office towers close after the workday, it is not accessible to people who are unable to navigate stairs. This requires an above-ground crossing, which for two of the four directions is a journey of about 400 m etres. The Dillon report provides an important resource of factual information to help inform the debate as w e m ove toward a public vote. The study alleviates fears of significant traffic congestion by demonstrating that most expected commuter delays will b e m inimal. It also makes some other important conclusions, stating that reconfiguring Portage and Main will improve the pedestrian experience, encourage a shift from single-occupant vehicles, ensure wheelchair accessibility exists at all times, improve area safety by b ringing m ore people to the sidewalks and make urban living more attractive. *Brent Bellamy is a senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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WFP Analysis: A wrong turn for mayoral candidate [Portage & Main] (Aug7'18)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Aug '18

07 Aug '18

A wrong turn for mayoral candidate Motkaluk’s Portage and Main conspiracy theory does little to advance debate LAST week, we got to see the first serious week of campaigning in the referendum on whether to reopen Portage and Main. In short, it was a frequently rough-and-tumble, horrendously misinformed thrill ride. Facebook and Twitter were alight with debate between citizens in favour and opposed to pedestrian traffic at Portage and Main. Opponents suggested the return of pedestrians would cripple traffic and endanger lives; proponents countered with engineering studies showing commuters would, at worst, face delays of up to 50 seconds. In general, the debate has been well conducted: citizens exchanging ideas and background information on a pressing issue of public concern. Lamentably, there were a few participants determined to drag the discourse down into the gutter with all manner of incendiary allegations. Mayoral candidate Jenny Motkaluk was at the head of the pack that sought to divert the debate from the impact of reopening the intersection to political conspiracy theories. In an Aug. 3 post on her campaign website, Motkaluk said there was a “rumour” Mayor Brian Bowman was having trouble raising money for his re-election campaign. As a result, Motkaluk expressed concern Bowman was going to misuse taxpayer resources to support his bid for a second term. That’s an incendiary allegation, and one that Motkaluk did little to back up with evidence. What proof she did claim to have focused more on the lack of rules governing the referendum, and how that might end up benefiting Bowman. On that one point — the issue of the lack of guidelines — Motkaluk is not wrong to raise a red flag. The referendum motion tabled by Coun. Jeff Browaty and Coun. Janice Lukes on July 18 made no attempt to define the rules for campaigning. This was a problem because Manitoba is one of only three provinces that does not have legislation governing plebiscites and referenda. An opponent of the referendum, Motkaluk said she is concerned there will be “unchecked third-party spending” that could affect the civic election. Again, on that point she has a valid concern. At the same time they were building support for a referendum, Browaty and Lukes certainly should have proposed a bylaw to outline the rules of engagement. But they didn’t and, as a result, we are facing a potential free-for-all referendum campaign. However, rather than question the wisdom of those who brought forward the referendum, Motkaluk seems to be consumed with an elaborate conspiracy theory about how “unchecked spending on the Yes side would be an important element to (Bowman’s) reelectioncampaign.” If the ‘Yes’ campaign sticks to the issue of Portage and Main itself and does not get into the business of endorsing any candidate for public office, then the allegation that it supports Bowman’s re-election campaign is a long bow to draw. Yes, Bowman wants to reopen Portage and Main. And yes, citizens who support that view may choose to support Bowman. But it’s a stretch to say the ‘Yes’ campaign is a ‘re-elect Brian Bowman’ campaign. And the same could be said about the ‘No’ campaign. Any resources that go into that effort would, in essence, support Motkaluk’s bid for the mayoralty. Although it’s unclear that a fully operational ‘No’ campaign will materialize, this is a level playing field for the most part. Motkaluk also alleged that city-funded agencies supporting the ‘Yes’ campaign were effectively using taxpayer money to support Bowman’s campaign. In particular, Motkaluk called out the Downtown BIZ and Exchange District BIZ, both of which have publicly argued in favour of reopening Portage and Main for years and now are providing operational support to the ‘Yes’ campaign. The Business Improvement Zones were created as advocacy organizations, supported primarily through a levy charged to business owners in each zone. The city does collect that money, but it is remitted entirely to the appropriate BIZ. The BIZs also earn some revenue by providing other services to the city, such as security and litter control. “I think Jenny has the right to express her concerns,” Stefano Grande, CEO of the Downtown BIZ, said in an interview. “But the truth and facts are that the Downtown BIZ, and others, have been already expending resources on this issue for several years now. We have the data and research to educate our members and the public on the importance of opening up Portage and Main. This is our role.” The conspiracy theories offered last week by Motkaluk did not stop at the BIZs. She also went after architect Brent Bellamy, spokesman for the ‘Yes’ campaign. In addition to fronting the ‘Yes’ campaign, Bellamy is a member of a number of architecture and planning organizations and a regular contributor to the Free Press. Plus, he was appointed by Bowman as the chairman of Centre Venture, the city’s downtown development agency. “Brian Bowman is the honorary chairman (of Centre Venture),” Motkaluk wrote in her post. “Hmmm. That’s interesting.” No it’s not. As is the case with the two BIZ organizations, Bellamy was a well-known advocate for reopening Portage and Main, and was appointed to the Centre Venture board long before the referendum was proposed. To suggest Bellamy is doing something wrong by supporting the ‘Yes’ campaign is a brutal bit of logic. Still, it’s easy to understand why Motkaluk is upset. She has worked hard to create contrast between herself and Bowman, and clearly believed she would have the upper hand in any debate on Portage and Main that took place within the confines of the mayoral campaign. Now, she is concerned about having to wage war on a second front against the forces behind the ‘Yes’ campaign who can operate without any constraints. Unfortunately, Motkaluk’s concerns are coming out as poorly grounded innuendo. If you follow her logic, you might even be willing to believe Browaty and Lukes conspired with Bowman to create the referendum, thus giving the incumbent mayor a huge advantage over challengers. Anyone who knows the lay of the land at city hall knows Browaty and Lukes have no interest in aiding Bowman in any way, shape or form. They are easily among Bowman’s greatest council foes. When it comes down to it, Motkaluk’s beef is not with Bowman, who has argued that his 2014 election win gave him a mandate to reopen Portage and Main, but rather with Browaty and Lukes, who unleashed a referendum — which has no rules or guidelines — on the city just 90 days before Winnipeggers go to the polls. Council might want to consider an emergency meeting this month to set some of those guidelines. These might include, but not be limited to, spending limits for official campaigns, a requirement to reveal the identity of donors and most importantly a directive that any referendum-related advertising should steer clear of endorsing any one candidate. These are guidelines all council members should embrace. Even Bowman, who could kill any future allegation that he wants a lawless referendum campaign by leading the charge to introduce firm rules. Until that happens, all candidates seeking election in the fall would be well advised to pick their fights more carefully. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Uber, Lyft creating more congestion, not reducing it: study (Aug4'18)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Aug '18

05 Aug '18

Uber, Lyft creating more congestion, not reducing it: study CAR TROUBLE https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/car-trouble-490052261.html THE explosive growth of Uber and Lyft has created a new traffic problem for major U.S. cities and ride-booking options such as Uber Pool and Lyft Line are exacerbating the issue by appealing directly to customers who would otherwise have taken transit, walked, biked or not used a ride-hail service at all, according to a new study. The report by Bruce Schaller, author of the influential study Unsustainable?, which found ride-hailing services were making traffic congestion in New York City worse, constructs a detailed profile of the typical ride-hail user and issues a stark warning to cities: make efforts to counter the growth of ride-hail services, or surrender city streets to fleets of private cars, creating a more hostile environment for pedestrians and cyclists and ultimately making urban cores less desirable places to live. Schaller concludes that where private ride options such as Uber X and Lyft have failed on promises to cut down on personal driving and car ownership— both of which are trending up— pooled ride services have lured a different market that directly competes with subway and bus systems, while failing to achieve significantly better efficiency than their solo alternatives. The result: more driving overall. Ride-hailing has added about 9.2 billion vehicle kilometres to nine major urban areas over six years, the report says, and the trend is “likely to intensify” as the popularity of the services surges. (The study notes that total ride-hailing trips in New York increased 72 per cent from 2016 to 2017 and 47 per cent in Seattle over that time. Revenue data from the D.C. Department of For-Hire Vehicles showed the ride-hailing industry’s growth quadrupled in the District from late 2015 to 2017.) The nine cities studied were New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle. Schaller found that while options such as Uber X add 2.8 new vehicle kilometres for each kilometre of personal driving they eliminate, the inclusion of options such as Uber-Pool and Lyft Line adds to traffic at only a marginally lower rate: 2.6 new kilometres for every kilometre of personal driving reduced. The findings are based on published trip mileage data and the companies’ own claims about the share of solo and pooled rides. “Shared rides add to traffic because most users switch from non-auto modes,” the report says. “In addition, there is added mileage between trips as drivers wait for the next dispatch and then drive to a pickup location. Finally, even in a shared ride, some of the trip involves just one passenger (e.g., between the first and second pickup).” Schaller synthesizes data from surveys in eight cities and the state of California to conclude 60 per cent of ride-hail users would have otherwise used transit, walked or biked, or stayed home were it not for the availability of services such as Uber and Lyft. “It’s people getting out of the bus and metro getting into sedans,” said Schaller, a former deputy commissioner for traffic and planning at the New York City department of transportation. Lyft disputed Schaller’s findings, pointing to its own sustainability efforts, its urban mobility focus and claims from passengers who report giving up their cars — though the locations where those reductions took place were not immediately clear. “We strongly disagree with Schaller’s claims regarding shared rides,” Lyft spokeswoman Campbell Matthews said. “Since Lyft’s founding, we’ve been focused on increasing car occupancy and eliminating the need for car ownership. That focus has paid off. “Just last year, over 250,000 Lyft passengers gave up their personal cars because of the availabilityof ride-share,” Matthews said. “We are continuingto focus on our goals by redesigning the Lyft app to integrate with public transit and introducing bike and scooter sharing to the Lyft platform. We are committed to ensuring passengers have access to a spectrum of transportation options that serve our cities best.” Uber said in a statement that it supports several of the policies Schaller proposes, including the expansion of dedicated bus and bike lanes and congestion pricing. The company argued that contrary to Schaller’s conclusions, Uber saved more than 500 million global vehicle kilometres in 2017 by shifting riders to its pool service. Schaller never argued, however, that pool services were less efficient than solo rides. He concluded that at the rate the services are expanding— and with appeals to transit users — the effects of any such reductions are negligible and the growth is untenable. Schaller’s conclusions cast doubt on notions that ride-hail services will ultimately reduce private vehicle ownership and challenge arguments that they do not compete with mass transit. Based on a profile of the average ride-hail user, he concludes that the more services such as Uber Express Pool resemble transit, the more they will draw riders away from urban rail and bus systems, resulting in an increasing number of transit users turning to private cars to get around. But sedans don’t have the capacity to match the modes they are pulling from, he says. “When you look at the numbers, what you see is that what is more sharing for them is less sharing overall,” Schaller said. Stewart Schwartz, executive director of the pro-transit Coalition for Smarter Growth, pointed to another one of the report’s conclusions. Lyft says that today, a third of its rides in major markets are shared. The company has outlined a goal to make half of its ride shared by 2022. “Even if Lyft managed to meet its 50 per cent shared ride goal, you still increase (vehicle kilometres travelled) by 120 per cent,” Schwartz said, citing the report’s finding that 50 per cent shared-ride adoption would still add about 3.5 vehicle kilometres to roads, or a 120 per cent increase in driving overall. Schwartz called the conclusions “pretty sobering.” Schaller’s analysis is “one of the first studies to really look at (Uber and Lyft’s) impacts from across a national spectrum,” said Adam Stocker, a staff researcher with the Transportation Sustainability Research Center, who is part of a team pursuing a study on the impacts of Uber and Lyft across three North American cities. But individual cities face challenges in discerning how the findings apply to them, Stocker said, because of a dearth of available data from the companies themselves. “The main limitation of it is that mainly due to the sample size, the city-by-city differences, some of that detail doesn’t stand out because nine cities were put together,” he said. “Due to data limitations... you can oftenmiss a lot of the nuance in the usage or the impacts between cities themselves.” Part of his team’s focus is to discern how the “mode replacement profile” differs between those who use the pooled options versus solo riders. He wouldn’t give away any of the findings, but suggested that the portrait of a pool user aligns closely with those who use transit services. “My overall sense from reading the entire report is this is the exact reason why we need more data transparency on this,” Tomer said. “My hunch is... the immediate reactions from both Uber and Lyft... They’re gonna suggest, well, ‘This isn’t what our data says.’ And the reality is we don’t know.” — Washington Post

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WFP: No charges in crosswalk death of eight-year-old boy (Aug1'18)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Aug '18

05 Aug '18

No charges in crosswalk death of eight-year-old boy https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/no-charges-in-crosswalk-death-of-ei… THERE will be no charges in the death of an eight-year-old boy who was hit by a vehicle at a St. Vital crosswalk in February, Winnipeg police say. Surafiel Musse Tesfamariam, a Grade 3 student at École Varennes, died in hospital after he was struck crossing St. Anne’s Road near Varennes Avenue. He was on his way to school with his mother. “Ultimately, speed was not a factor and the investigation revealed no criminal culpability,” Winnipeg Police Service traffic division Staff Sgt. Sean Pollock said Tuesday. Police would not elaborate further on the cause of the collision or whether the driver’s view was obstructed. The driver of the pickup truck remained on scene until emergency responders arrived and co-operated with investigators, a police spokesman told the Free Press in February. In his obituary published in the Free Press in February, family remembered Surafiel as an active boy who loved to swim. “(He) offered to the world his unconditional love,” his obituary reads. He was survived by his three siblings and parents. Surafiel’s death wasn’t the first at that St. Anne’s Road crosswalk. In September 1981, 10-year-old Daniel La France was killed by a vehicle at the same crossing; in 2006, a 34-yearold woman died in hospital two days after she was struck at the same location. Surafiel’s death renewed calls for improved safety at the pedestrian crossing. In 2012, St. Vital Coun. Brian Mayes asked City of Winnipeg traffic administration to consider installing a traffic light at the crossing (following a request from a constituent). The requested change wasn’t recommended, because traffic on the side streets was too low to warrant it. After Surafiel’s death, Mayes yet again asked the city to study the crossing, as part of an already-planned study of traffic safety on St. Anne’s Road. In May, councillors on the public works committee unanimously approved the administration plan for the installation of eye-level warning lights and possibly strobe-like flashing LED lights at the crosswalk before the start of the 2018-19 school year. The city’s transportation manager, David Patman, also said tree branches that might obscure the existing flashing amber lights at the crossing will be pruned in order to improve driver vision. Those safety improvements are on track to be completed before the start of the school year, a city communications staffer said. — with files from Aldo Santin erik.pindera(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: More bike repair stations for cyclists popping up (Aug1'18)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Aug '18

05 Aug '18

Need to make a pit stop? More bike repair stations for cyclists popping up https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/city-funding-network-of-new-bike-re… WITHOUT a personal bike pump or tool kit packed for a ride, Winnipeg cyclists who needed a pit stop a decade ago were out of luck. “If we go back to five years ago, there may have been one repair station,” said Currie Gillespie, a cycling advocate who co-owns Rackworks, a company that builds and sells made-in- Manitoba bike repair stations in Winnipeg. Today, there are at least 12 repair stations throughout the city, the latest Winnipeg Cycling Map shows. Published in spring 2018, circles marked with the letter R appear near Winnipeg libraries, parks and schools all over the city map. However, Gillespie said some stations are missing from the map — including the newly installed Academy Road and Transcona service stops. He estimates at least another five new repair stations (atop the map’s 12) will be available to the public by the end of the summer. Two of his stations are going in at Fort Whyte, he added. The free stations differ from location to location, but they usually have a stand so users can lift a bike up to work on it, a pump and a handful of multitools. The pit stops allow Winnipeggers to make “a quick correction” if something happens to their bike during a commute, said Mark Cohoe, executive director at Bike Winnipeg — such as inflating low tires, changing an inner tube and raising handlebar and seat heights. Cohoe said the on-the-go facilities are especially important for cyclists who can’t afford to buy a bike stand, tools or take their bike into a shop, and Winnipeggers who live in apartments and don’t have room to work on their bikes at home. Another benefit is the stations are available at all hours of the day, he said. The stations, which Gillespie said started appearing in Winnipeg in 2013, have been funded by private businesses, the local Business Improvement Zones and area councillors. They can cost up to $4,000, a City of Winnipeg spokesperson said on Monday. Rackworks has “easily” doubled production each year, Gillespie said. The company charges $1,500 for both the product and installation. That’s what the Transcona BIZ paid for each of its new stations: at the corner of Pandora Avenue and Bond Street and at 135 Regent Ave. The BIZ used part of its $10,000 active transportation grant from the city towards the new stations to encourage cycling in Winnipeg’s east end neighbourhood, executive director Alex Morrison said on Monday. She said she hasn’t received a single negative comment about the stations. “We really want to encourage people to use their bikes and use our trail system,” Morrison said, adding the new infrastructure seems to be doing just that. “It’s been pretty popular. I often see people using them.” A recent study conducted by Bike Winnipeg and CAA found 21 per cent of Winnipeggers identify as regular cyclists; the highest self-reported figure Bike Winnipeg has recorded. “I think it’s becoming a part of the lifestyle here in Winnipeg,” Cohoe said, echoing the findings. Gillespie said he and Cohoe both agree there seems to be more bikes on the road today than there was several years ago. “We’re thinking that because there are more racks, more repair stations, more infrastructure, the people who are riding their bikes are riding them more.” There is a station as far north as the Health Sciences Centre, as far east as Transcona, as far south as the University of Manitoba and as far west as Assiniboine Park. While there’s more bike infrastructure around the city, Cohoe said there still isn’t a huge density of repair stations. However, it doesn’t look like Winnipeg will return to the bike repair station desert it once was. Along with the new Rackworks stations popping up this season, Red River College plans to install a new station at its downtown campus by the start of the fall semester. “We’re adding one more thing that might be that deterrent for people cycling to campus, the fear of, ‘What happens if my bike needs adjustments?’ Or not wanting to be stranded with a flat tire,” said Sara MacArthur, sustainability director at the college. maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @macintoshmaggie

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WFP Opinion: To realize mayor's vision, Portage and Main is going to need some help from its friends (Jul24'18)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Jul '18

26 Jul '18

*To realize mayor's vision, Portage and Main is going to need some help from its friends* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/referendum-489057871.html Winnipeggers who want to see Portage and Main re-opened to pedestrians have a right to feel a bit disappointed that Mayor Brian Bowman was one of 14 members of city council to vote in favour of a proposal to hold a referendum on the matter in this fall's election. After all, Bowman campaigned in 2014 on a promise to re-open the intersection and his ringing electoral victory gave him a mandate to do just that. All those who want to free Winnipeg's most famous intersection believe Bowman at the very least should have opposed the referendum on that basis alone. Has the mayor abandoned cause of Portage and Main? The short answer is yes, and no. Yes, in failing to oppose the referendum, Bowman was demonstrating a greater interest in getting re-elected than pursuing an open intersection. Mayoral challenger Jenny Motkaluk has pledged to stop the city from re-opening Portage and Main. Although it is unclear that Portage and Main was going to make or break anyone's campaign, the prospect of a referendum more or less defuses one of Motkaluk's sharpest points of attack. This is not a risk-free strategy for the mayor. If Winnipeggers vote to keep the intersection closed, Bowman will have to bear some of the responsibility. Whether or not that will happen is, however, anyone's guess at this point. Given the hastiness with which Coun. Jeff Browaty raised the prospects of a referendum — at the last council meeting before the fall election — there is very little time for 'yes' and 'no' sides to mount a formal campaign. Even the motivation for holding the referendum has been muddy and poorly defined. A constant source of political non-sequiturs, Browaty actually argued that referendum was necessary to give those people who voted for Bowman but do not support him on this issue a chance at a do-over. "This is an opportunity to have a real debate on the matter and for the public to say which way they go and, hopefully, we never have to discuss it again," he said. And in that ridiculous context, no, Bowman is not entirely abandoning the cause. He is, however, reaching out to the citizens for some help. And if social media is any indication, Browaty and his collaborators may only have provoked the #TeamOpen constituency. That will be important if Bowman's vision is to survive the irreconcilable gulf that separates core area Winnipeggers from those who live in the suburbs. Poll results show that a slim majority of Winnipeggers oppose the re-opening of Portage and Main. However, dig deeper and you can see the real fault lines. The people who want the intersection re-opened generally include younger Winnipeggers, those who live downtown, citizens with mobility issues, most urban planners and architects with an interest in downtown development, entrepreneurs who own businesses downtown and — perhaps most importantly — those who own property right at Portage and Main. Opposition to a barrier-free intersection includes many older Winnipeggers, people who live outside the core and only drive through the centre of the city on their way to work or on their way somewhere else. With those lines of demarcation, the debate comes down to a battle between those for whom downtown is a daily and significant presence in their lives, and those for whom it is mostly an afterthought. And that is a potentially dangerous scenario given that there is so much disinformation surrounding the issue. Browaty, Coun. Janice Lukes and even Motkaluk would have people believe that this is largely a fiscal issue, a waste of money on something that will only delay the afternoon commute for people who hate going downtown in the first place. In fact, in relative terms, it's a pretty frugal project. All told, the city is committed to spending about $3.5 million on street-level upgrades and planning the re-opening of the intersection. We do not know the final cost of tearing down the barriers. However, the existing barriers are falling apart and removing them could very likely be less expensive than rebuilding them. There is also the fact that private land owners at Portage and Main need to do repairs to the underground infrastructure that supports Winnipeg Square, the underground shopping mall. That work will require the removal of some of the barriers. Rebuilding them seems a pointless endeavour. Traffic is often cited as a concern, even though a survey of the existing patterns at Portage and Main reveal some very long delays between green lights. For those who need to get across the intersection, there will be time. Pedestrian safety is also raised as a concern, although there is nothing to suggest that this intersection will be any more dangerous than any other. In fact, it's quite likely it will be safer than using a cross-walk on Pembina Highway during the morning rush hour. By deferring to the will of the people who vote in the referendum, Bowman has clearly passed the buck to citizens who share his vision of a barrier-free Portage and Main. That is bad news for those people who believe he earned the mandate to re-open the intersection four years ago. The good news is that the referendum also serves as an opportunity to get the intersection re-opened with a promise that — in Browaty's words — we never have to discuss the legitimacy of the issue ever again. dan.lett(a)freepress.mb.ca

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"Green man" signal gives priority to pedestrians
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jul '18

25 Jul '18

Very cool! https://usa.streetsblog.org/2018/07/23/new-traffic-signals-in-london-will-t… Streetsblog USA reports "Green man" authority will prioritize pedestrians over cars in parts of London, England as part of the Mayor's ambitious plan to get a million more walking trips by 2041. (Walking Action Plan: Making London the World's Most Walkable City: http://bit.ly/2A7z0Kp <https://pps.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c803e70a8ad33c13a95a1ee6&id=…>) To help meet its goals for "pedestrian time saved," the transportation agency will begin using smart traffic signals with "Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique" to detect the number of pedestrians waiting at an intersection and automatically adjust timing to minimize their wait and ensure they have enough time to cross. At 10 other intersections, they want to use traffic signals to give pedestrians the right-of-way by default. They call it the "green man." -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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WFP: Cyclists want safer streets: poll (Jul25'18)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jul '18

25 Jul '18

Cyclists want safer streets: poll https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/more-than-a-third- of-winnipeggers-hungry-for-bike-friendly-commute-to-work- survey-489040481.html CAA and Bike Winnipeg are attempting to steer cycling infrastructure out of the margins and into the centre of political debates in the leadup to the civic election inOctober. And if the result of a new Probe Research poll conducted for the agencies is any indication, their message is likely to resonate with at least a third of Winnipeggers. The poll, conducted June 5-19, asked 600 adults a series of questions about cycling, finding 21 per cent of residents are regular cyclists and 35 per cent said they would cycle more if the city was more bike friendly. “With 21 per cent of people out there biking on a regular basis, it means it’s an issue for them. It’s definitely something I think is going to come up at the door, and if you’re a wise candidate you’re going to make sure it’s part of your platform,” Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said Tuesday. The 21 per cent of regular cyclists identified in the poll is the highest self-reported figure his group has seen to date, he said. According to Probe Research, the random phone poll — landline and cellphone numbers were called — offers 95 per cent certainty the results are within a plus or minus four percentage point range of what they would be if Winnipeg’s entire adult population had been queried. In the 2016 Statistics Canada census, 6,200 Winnipeggers (0.87 per cent of the city’s population) reported cycling was their main mode of commuting to work. In the poll, a regular cyclist was defined as someone who pedals to work daily or several times a week for transportation. The data released Tuesday was the first instalment in a three-part series focused on the city’s appetite for cycling and the obstacles currently in place preventing people from hittingthe road on twowheels, rather than four. Liz Kulyk, CAA’s corporate manager of government and community relations, said the release of the poll results were purposefully timed to coincide with the run-up to the municipal election. The next two instalments in the series will take a closer look at the safety concerns raised by cyclists (Aug. 8) and will also call on council and mayoral candidates to make improved cycling infrastructure a part of their campaign platforms (Aug. 29), she said. “Of all the issues facing our city, this is the one where we can really capitalize and move our city forward. There’s lots of things, visionary ideas, that you’re going to hear from various candidates in the election — ‘do this, don’t do that,’” Kulyk said. “What we can tell you is if we want to move Winnipeg forward to a city of one million (residents) and continue to grow and be an economic hub, we can’t not tackle this one headon.” When respondents were asked what the biggest barrier to becoming an active cyclist was, the issue of protected bike lanes on major routes quickly jumped to the top of the list. Nearly half of the Winnipeggers polled (47 per cent) also said building protected bike lanes in the downtown core should be the city’s top priority. Kulyk believes that too often the issue of cycling infrastructure pits cyclists and drivers against each other, when — in reality— what’s good for one is good for the other. “More people cycling and leaving their car at home means better roads. We’re seeing record construction in our city right now and we’re doing a lot of wholesale changes to some pretty main thoroughfares,” she said. “There should not be a single decision made about those wholesale changes to roads without also considering what is the best way forward to ensure cyclists and drivers and everybody using the road gets to use it in the most efficient and safe way possible.” ryan.thorpe(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe

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Fwd: NEWS RELEASE - CYCLING BECOMING MORE MAINSTREAM: CAA, BIKE WINNIPEG SURVEY - July 24, 2018
by Mark Cohoe 24 Jul '18

24 Jul '18

Cycling is becoming more mainstream in Manitoba’s capital city, but we are really just scratching the surface of our city's cycling potential. Research commissioned by CAA Manitoba and Bike Winnipeg also shows that Winnipeggers have an appetite to bike even more often – if infrastructure conditions are right. Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca *CYCLING BECOMING MORE MAINSTREAM: CAA, BIKE WINNIPEG SURVEY* *First of three-part series focuses on Winnipeggers’ appetite to bike & obstacles preventing use to commute* WINNIPEG, July 24, 2018 – CAA Manitoba and Bike Winnipeg have partnered on a survey, conducted by Probe Research, to delve deep into the problems and the potential regarding Winnipeggers cycling to get around town. The surprising results reveal that not only is cycling becoming more mainstream in Manitoba’s capital city, but that Winnipeggers have an appetite to bike even more often – if infrastructure conditions are right. “CAA and Bike Winnipeg have been talking about how to make our city more bike-friendly for years,” said Liz Kulyk, corporate manager of government and community relations at CAA Manitoba. “Yet we kept coming back to the same questions, which is why we needed to hear directly from Winnipeggers about their needs, desires and the obstacles that are keeping them from getting on their bike.” A solid 21 per cent of Winnipeggers polled said they are already cycling daily or a few times a week for transportation – the highest self-reported usage that Bike Winnipeg has seen to date. “It’s fantastic to hear more people are choosing to use two wheels to get around than ever before,” says Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “But we’re even more excited about the fact that there’s still room to grow that mode share - 35 per cent of people saying they would cycle a few times a week or more if the conditions were optimal would put us on par with some European cities. Winnipeggers have told us loud and clear that they’re willing to bike, if there’s a way.” When asked to consider and rank options that would get them moving, literally and figuratively, from an aspiring cyclist to an active user, one improvement quickly rose to the top of the list: more protected bike lanes on major routes. Additionally, in a related question, almost half (47 per cent) of respondents said building protected bike lanes downtown should be the city’s priority. “When it comes to infrastructure, it’s clear that what’s good for cyclists is good for drivers. Safety for all road users increases when we separate cars and bikes,” says Kulyk. “Winnipeggers obviously feel the same way, and this is not the first time they’ve spoken out in favour of separated infrastructure <https://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/strategiesActionPlan…>. ” Both advocacy groups agree that with a civic election just around the corner, city council candidates should prepare to have discussions with Winnipeggers about their plans to address active transportation. “Record construction is great because every project is an opportunity to build for the future – not just with fresh pavement on an old outdated design, but to do what the young Winnipeggers who will inherit our city want and need,” Cohoe says. “We need to be considering improved designs that provide options for people of all ages and abilities to get around on foot or on bike as well as well as by car.” The next release in the series delves deeper into the top safety concerns of local drivers and cyclists. The third instalment discusses Winnipeggers’ views on how the City of Winnipeg and elected officials must move road design and maintenance forward to benefit citizens and all road users for years to come. Probe Research surveyed a random representative sample of 600 adults residing in Winnipeg between June 5 and 19, 2018. The survey sample size offers 95 per cent certainty that results are within plus or minus 4.0 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population of Winnipeg had been studied. *About CAA Manitoba:* * Since its inception in 1904, CAA Manitoba has been a non-profit, member-driven organization that advocates for road safety and the Canadian traveler, however they choose to commute.* *About Bike Winnipeg:* * As a non-profit, volunteer-run organization, Bike Winnipeg advocates for increased cycling awareness in Manitoba and works to make cycling in Winnipeg a safe, convenient, accessible and enjoyable transportation choice year-round.* – 30 – *For more information, please contact:* Erika Miller, Communications Consultant 204.797.4326 • erikam(a)caamanitoba.com This communication (including all attachments) is intended solely for the use of the person(s) to whom it is addressed and should be treated as a confidential CAA communication. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, distribution, printing, or copying of this email is strictly prohibited. If you received this email in error, please immediately delete it from your system and notify the originator. Your cooperation is appreciated.

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Old-fashioned warnings against women cycling sparks theme for new play: Bikeface
by Beth McKechnie 23 Jul '18

23 Jul '18

A little Monday humour (sort of)... cause we need it more on a Monday than on a Friday! https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/article-old- fashioned-warnings-against-women-cycling-sparks-theme-for-new-play/

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The impact of young peoples' choices on traffic planning
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jul '18

19 Jul '18

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Sivak <sivakappliedresearch(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, Jul 19, 2018 at 2:34 PM Subject: Re: [At-network] The impact of young peoples' choices on traffic planning Beth, The second publication has data through 2016. A corrected link is below. • *Has motorization the U.S. peaked?* http://www.umich.edu/%7Eumtriswt/PDF/SWT-2018-2.pdf Regards, Michael Michael Sivak, Ph.D. Managing Director Sivak Applied Research Web: www.sivakappliedresearch.com Email: sivakappliedresearch(a)gmail.com On Thu, Jul 19, 2018 at 11:29 AM, Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> > wrote: > > • *Recent decreases in the proportion of persons with a driver's license > across all age groups* > > http://www.umich.edu/~umtriswt/PDF/UMTRI-2016-4.pdf > > > > • *Has motorization the U.S. peaked?* > > http://www.umich.edu/~Eumtriswt/PDF/SWT-2018-2.pdf > > > > happy trails > > TZ > > > > *From:* at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca < > at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> *On Behalf Of *Charles Feaver > *Sent:* July-19-18 10:47 AM > *To:* at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > *Subject:* [At-network] The impact of young peoples' choices on traffic > planning > > > > A good piece in the BBC about the impact of the younger generation’s > decreased interest in cars on traffic growth. > > > > https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44849381 > > > > …In the 1990s, 80% of people were driving by 30; now this marker is only > reached by 45. > > > > Men under 30 are travelling only half the miles their fathers did. > > > > The Commission on Travel Demand says this should lead to a government > re-think about travel priorities. > > It points out that people in general are driving much less than expected: > > > > · People are travelling 10% fewer miles than in 2002 and spending > 22 hours less travelling each year than a decade ago. > > · There has been a 20% reduction in commuter trips per week since > the mid 1990s > > · Growth in car traffic has slowed. In the 1980s, it grew by 50% > whereas in the decade to 2016 it grew by 2% > > > > Yet BBC News has learned that next week the government is likely to > forecast a rise in traffic of between 20% and 60% by 2040. … > > > _______________________________________________ > AT-Network mailing list > AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca > http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network > >

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The impact of young peoples' choices on traffic planning
by Charles Feaver 19 Jul '18

19 Jul '18

A good piece in the BBC about the impact of the younger generation's decreased interest in cars on traffic growth. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-44849381 .In the 1990s, 80% of people were driving by 30; now this marker is only reached by 45. Men under 30 are travelling only half the miles their fathers did. The Commission on Travel Demand says this should lead to a government re-think about travel priorities. It points out that people in general are driving much less than expected: * People are travelling 10% fewer miles than in 2002 and spending 22 hours less travelling each year than a decade ago. * There has been a 20% reduction in commuter trips per week since the mid 1990s * Growth in car traffic has slowed. In the 1980s, it grew by 50% whereas in the decade to 2016 it grew by 2% Yet BBC News has learned that next week the government is likely to forecast a rise in traffic of between 20% and 60% by 2040. .

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WFP: People to get final say on Portage& Main (Jul19'18)
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jul '18

19 Jul '18

[Sadly, it looks like this will keep Portage and Main closed to anyone but motorists, as the issue is pretty much guaranteed to fail in a referendum. Winnipeg solidly remains a car-centric city well into the 21st century (my two cents). Sigh.] Mayor throws support behind making pedestrian access to famous intersection a ballot-box question People to get final say on Portage& Main https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/mayor-throws- support-behind-proposed-referendum-on-reopening-portage-and-main-488556851. html AFTER ardently campaigning in 2014 to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrians, Mayor Brian Bowman has agreed to let Winnipeggers have the final say. On Wednesday, the mayor (who is standing for re-election in October) announced he will support a motion at today’s council meeting proposing a referendum on the future of the historicintersection be added to the ballot. “I see no reason why we wouldn’t let Winnipeggers voice their views on this issue,” Bowman told reporters. “If the feedback from Winnipeggers on a referendum is not to open it up to pedestrians at this time, then I’ll respect that in letter and spirit. “I’ll treat a referendum as binding, either way.” Bowman’s decision disappointed Allen Mankewich, who lives and works downtown and uses a wheelchair. “If we put everything to a referendum, nothing would change in our city,” said Mankewich, who supports reopening the Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection that’s been closed to pedestrian traffic since 1979. “We live in a city where wewill spend $150 million at the drop of a hat on an underpass to help people get home five or 10 minutes quicker by car, but we don’t show the same level of decisiveness on a project like this, which will help pedestrians move through Portage and Main a little faster and connect neighbourhoods close to downtown,” he said. To cross the street via the underground concourse, he has to rely on a series of elevators that are, at times, out of service. The intersection and underground concourse have suffered from decades of decay and neglect. The city has set aside $3.5 million for repairs, including rebuilding and repairing sidewalks and curbs, Bowman said. It’s working with the private sector to address surface drainage, water leakage, asbestos abatement and ventilation modifications, in conjunction with upgrades planned at the Richardson Building plaza, he said. Putting the referendum on Portage and Main on the ballot in October won’t cost the city anything, the mayor said. However, it might cost Bowman some support. Backing a referendum put forward by suburban Couns. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) and Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg-St. Norbert) may be seen as giving in to the mighty suburban motorist vote — drivers passing through downtown who don’t want pedestrian crossings to slow them down. “I think, obviously, he’s received some push back on the issue, in terms of public opinion,” Mankewich said. “I’m disappointed that the mayor is backtracking on the issue. He was the only candidate who said he would open Portage and Main to pedestrians.” Bowman said, however, he’s not backtracking. “My campaign commitment when I ran for election was to ensure that I work collaboratively with the property owners and engage the community. We’ve done that,” he said, noting all the affected property owners support opening the intersection. “When I ran for office, I talked about the benefits of opening it up and I’ll continue to do so.” A rival for themayor’s seat said Wednesday she wants the discussion shut down. “I don’t believe this plebiscite should go forward,” candidate Jenny Motkaluk said. “We should not spend another minute talking about the issue.” She called reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians Bowman’s “vanity project,” adding she’s worried thirdparty advertising spending on a referendum will influence voters. “There will be all kinds of interest groups spending money on both sides of the issue and we don’t know where they’re coming from,” she said. “My opinion is if we open this up to thirdparty spending, we’re going to have the wild west.” A third party can advertise on a civic issue, provided there is no mention of a candidate in the materials, said a spokesman for the City of Winnipeg. For example, a third party could say: vote yes on this issue, but not support candidate X on this issue. carol.sanders(a)freepress.mb.ca -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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STRIDE Report: Using crowdsourcing to prioritize bicycle route network improvements
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jul '18

18 Jul '18

This one is for the real data nerds out there! Some of you may recall the OTTO cycle study done in Winnipeg years ago. This study is somewhat similar but using smartphones and the Strava, CycleDixie and Cycle Atlanta apps. https://stride.ce.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/STRIDE_Report_2013-083… In a nutshell, here are the research objectives: - Collect crowdsourced cycling data through smartphone applications - Compare and analyze measures describing the quality of bicycle facilities, in terms of level of service and level of stress - Model the factors affecting bicycle route choice in urban and suburban areas - Develop route suitability score and route preference models If you want to skip to the conclusions, go to page 138 of the pdf, though the conclusions are not particularly surprising; it's the methodology that is likely of most interest (to those so inclined), in particular the Bicycle Level of Service (LOS) and Level of Stress discussion. Thanks to Michelle Porter for the share. 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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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NACTO guide: How cities should regulate the scooter and dockless bikeshare surge
by Beth McKechnie 17 Jul '18

17 Jul '18

How cities should regulate the scooter surge This article from Curbed discussed a new report by the NACTO, “Guidelines for the Regulation and Management of Shared Active Transportation <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001hpCMF90qxHIrXECg_jUiBq7mo5rCns1PNYXt4tdGNWmM…>,” which lays out potential rules and regulations for the fast-growing world of electric scooters and dockless bikeshare, collating current examples from more than a dozen cities with existing policies, permitting fees, and ideas for equity programming. In many respects, the NACTO report offers common-sense recommendations, beginning with the not-so-radical idea that cities—which have the financial and legal responsibility to build, maintain, and protect the local transit system—should have a say in deciding what vehicles are allowed to use said streets. The report comes down hard on the common practices of tech transit companies, that tend to beg for forgiveness as opposed to asking for permission. Due to differing and sometimes incomplete regulations, ebikes, scooters, and electric scooters “exist in a regulatory grey area, regulated in a limited fashion on an individual or recreational level but not envisioned en masse or in an automated rental scenario.” The NACTO report also offers a few starting points for cities that want to design pilot programs to help these companies expand. These proposed rules of the road offer a pretty easy template for cities to adopt. Most importantly, they should take control of the street and the curb. New startups also should require legal permission, which can cap the number of vehicles in operation, and be subject to fines or expulsion if rules or regulations are flagrantly or repeatedly violated. Cities should push for data-sharing, transparency, and safety. Agreed-upon rules to clear disabled or downed vehicles from right-of-ways should be strictly enforced, cities should be aware of staffing and operations plans, protocols for extreme weather or natural disasters should be clearly laid out. Additionally, companies should be rewarded for pushing equity and access to underserved neighborhoods. For example, in St. Louis, dockless bike companies will be allowed to expand past an initial 2,500 vehicle cap, but only if they present and implement a social equity plan and meet other ridership requirements. I -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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AT webinar reminder: Safety Manuals - the Good Stuff | Wed, July 18th | EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 17 Jul '18

17 Jul '18

*** Friendly reminder about tomorrow's webinar *** Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg on *Wednesday, July 18th*, for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. *AT Webinar: Wed, July 18th, 2-3pm* *Safety Manuals – The Good Stuff* FHWA Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) Program: Selecting Countermeasures for Uncontrolled Crossing Locations APBP is hosting a webinar to share information about a new guide and tech sheets promoting the use of countermeasures for uncontrolled pedestrian crossing locations. The “Guide for Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations” follows a six-step process and provides tools that help agencies select countermeasures for uncontrolled crossing locations based on roadway characteristics and pedestrian safety issues. This guide was developed as part of the FHWA Every Day Counts - Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) program. In addition to this new guide, the STEP program released a series of new tech sheets highlighting the safety benefits of the STEP countermeasures. The tech sheets provide conceptual visualizations, best practices for installation, and cost considerations for each of the countermeasures. The new STEP guide and tech sheets are posted to the program website: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_4/step.cfm *Presenters*: - Lauren Blackburn, VHB - Charlie Zegeer, UNC Highway Safety Research Center -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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Job Posting - Trails Manitoba
by Erik Dickson 13 Jul '18

13 Jul '18

FYI Please see the attached job posting for Trails Manitoba Executive Director. Note the deadline to submit resumes is July 17, 2018. Have a nice weekend! Regards, Erik Dickson, MCIP, RPP Planner [solid_smm_logo] 204.927.3444 | edickson(a)scatliff.ca<mailto:edickson@scatliff.ca> | www.scatliff.ca<http://www.scatliff.ca/> 1120-201 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 3K6

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AT Webinar: Safety Manuals - the Good Stuff | Wed, July 18th | EcoCentre
by Heather Mitchell 12 Jul '18

12 Jul '18

Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg on *Wednesday, July 18th*, for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. Best, Heather -- *AT Webinar: Wed, July 18th, 2-3pm* *Safety Manuals – The Good Stuff* FHWA Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) Program: Selecting Countermeasures for Uncontrolled Crossing Locations APBP is hosting a webinar to share information about a new guide and tech sheets promoting the use of countermeasures for uncontrolled pedestrian crossing locations. The “Guide for Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations” follows a six-step process and provides tools that help agencies select countermeasures for uncontrolled crossing locations based on roadway characteristics and pedestrian safety issues. This guide was developed as part of the FHWA Every Day Counts - Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) program. In addition to this new guide, the STEP program released a series of new tech sheets highlighting the safety benefits of the STEP countermeasures. The tech sheets provide conceptual visualizations, best practices for installation, and cost considerations for each of the countermeasures. The new STEP guide and tech sheets are posted to the program website: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_4/step.cfm *Presenters*: - Lauren Blackburn, VHB - Charlie Zegeer, UNC Highway Safety Research Center -- *Heather Mitchell * Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> | 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue (204) 925-3777 ext:107 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 <https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/green-action-centre/>. <http://canadahelps.org/> <https://www.gomanitoba.ca/Public/Home.aspx>

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Winnipeggers more linkely to blame drivers than cyclists for conflict
by Wendy Chapman 28 Jun '18

28 Jun '18

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/poll-winnipeg-cyclists-drivers-blame… Wendy Chapman Injury Prevention Coordinator Injury Prevention Program Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3A 0X7 Phone: (204) 391-0949 Scent Free Facility - visitors are asked to refrain from wearing perfumes/colognes/heavy-scented lotions/oils This email and/or any documents in this transmission is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original. Ce courriel et tout document dans cette transmission est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé. Il peut contenir des informations privilégiées ou confidentielles. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie, ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire de ce message, veuillez en informer l'expéditeur immédiatement et lui remettre l'original.

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WFP: Residents want more bike lanes: survey (Jun28'18)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '18

28 Jun '18

Advocates say city is shortchanging active transportation budget Residents want more bike lanes: survey https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/residents-want-more-bike-lanes-surv… MOST Winnipeggers say there are too few separated bike lanes in the city and they want more of them, according to a poll released Thursday by the Angus Reid Institute. The poll examined a randomized sample of 5,423 people from eight major Canadian urban centres — Winnipeg, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Halifax, Toronto and Mississauga, Ont. — regarding cyclist-traffic issues, focusing largely on separated, protected bike lanes. Two-thirds of Winnipeg respondents said there were too few separated lanes (compared to 46 per cent of total respondents), while 76 per cent called the lanes “a good idea” (second only to Montreal’s 80 per cent). In July 2015, the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies were approved by Winnipeg city council and the 20-year plan for accessible, convenient transportation got underway. The city estimated a cost of $334 million for the plan, in addition to $3.7 million in annual operating costs. Since then, the city has slowly worked toward establishing an active transportation network, rolling out painted, buffered and protected bike lanes; however, many cycling advocates have been critical of the pace. This year, the city’s capital funding for the pedestrian and cycling program totalled $5.4 million, not including $12 million earmarked for projects such as the Empress Street overpass rehabilitation. The executive director of the city’s active transportation advisory committee, Bike Winnipeg, said Wednesday the city is spending less than it should be in order to align with the plan, putting the figure at closer to $13million to get on track. “The funding we’re putting in is between one-third and one-half of what we need annually,” Mark Cohoe said. Winnipeg’s 2008 budget allocated only $150,000 for recreational walkway and bike path projects, he said. “The city is making progress, but we’re starting from far behind.” Mel Marginet, the workplace program co-ordinator at Green Action Centre, a sustainable commuting organization, said more money should go toward protected bike paths to convince more people to take up cycling. “Right now, it’s only really accessible to people who are brave and willing to bike with traffic,” she said. “It’s really hard to convince someone who’s never tried (biking in the city) to try it.” Manitoba Public Insurance data from 2017 says no cyclists were killed in the city last year. On average, according to MPI, two cyclists die in the province each year, while 144 are injured in collisions. Melanie Ferris, who lives in the Crescentwood neighbourhood, worries when her 12-year-old son goes cycling. “There really is no safe place for him to ride,” she said. “I won’t let him ride on Corydon and Grant, so he tells me he rides on sidewalks there. He may be on the street though. He wants to go fast and the sidewalk is slow.” Danielle Moore, who moved to Winnipeg in October, said cycling is her main method of transportation. She’s lived in Halifax and Toronto, where since June 2016, nearly 100 pedestrians and cyclists have died in traffic accidents. “I would say Winnipeg is probably the least accessible city for bikes that I’ve lived in,” she said. “Protected bike lanes could really help ease the pressure off both drivers and cyclists.” The report released Thursday also asked respondents about conflict between drivers and cyclists. In Winnipeg, nearly two-thirds of respondents said there’s “quite a bit,” and more than half placed the blame on drivers. Winnipeg was the only city polled in which a majority blamed drivers, not cyclists. Winnipeg Trails Association executivedirector Anders Swanson said he doesn’t believe any party deserves more blame, however, he thinks adding more protected lanes will benefit anybody on the road. There are currently about 1.15 kilometres of protected lane along Assiniboine Avenue, but by the end of this year, the city hopes to have about 5.5 km of protected lane developed within the downtown grid, in addition to almost 3.2 km along Chevrier Boulevard and St. Matthews Avenue. However, Swanson said, more can be done. “One lane means nothing. To do it properly, you need one on every street.” Not just cyclists support bike lanes, the poll found — of the 4,226 respondentswho drive cars frequently, 72 per cent said the lanes make a community a better place to live and 44 per cent said there weren’t enough of them. Swanson said Winnipeg should budget more money sooner for cycling and pedestrian infrastructure development, especially on major streets. “There’s really no reason for cycling to be the poor cousin in transportation,” he said. “Every single mayoral and council candidate should take a real hard look at those numbers before beginning their (2018 election) campaigns.” bwaldman(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @benjwaldman

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WFP Editorial: Portage and Main plebiscite pitch premature (Jun28'18)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jun '18

28 Jun '18

Portage and Main plebiscite pitch premature IN the Late Middle Ages, when meat was scarce, some consumers found they’d been scammed when they purchased an unopened bag containing an animal. It was their understanding that the bag, which was known to them as a poke, contained a delicious suckling pig. But when they opened the poke, they found it actually contained a dog or cat, which were very common and much less desirable as a dinner dish. The lesson of the pig in a poke could provide guidance, as two city councillors want Winnipeggers to vote in a plebiscite on whether to reopen Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic. They want the public to vote before knowing what’s in the bag. Setting aside for the moment the bigger issue of plebiscites and referendums — forms of populism that can cause regrettable decisions when used rashly — the most immediate problem with asking Winnipeg voters about Portage and Main is they haven’t been given enough information to make an informed decision. Councillors Jeff Browaty and Janice Lukes want to put the non-binding question on the ballot in the October civic election. City council will decide at its July meeting whether to let Mr. Browaty and Ms. Lukes have their way. By October, however, the public won’t know important details of the project. What is the entirety of the proposed design? What above-ground work will be necessary to make it pedestrian-friendly? What are the plans to upgrade the underground concourse? What’s the expected final cost of the entire project? Many of these questions will be answered by consultants chosen by the city in response to requests for proposals that were issued earlier this month, but the reports of the consultants who submit thewinning bid won’t be publicly available before the proposed October plebiscite. Unless voters have completeinformation to informtheir decision, the plebiscite sought by Mr. Browaty and Ms. Lukes would be an exercise in ignorance. While the principle of letting the public vote on political decisions might initially seem like an attractive form of power to the people, it is often misused. An example of a jurisdiction in which direct democracy has run amok is Switzerland, which has hosted nearly 600 referendums that led to binding decisions, such as a universal basic income, banning the Islamic towers atop mosques and the expulsion of foreigners convicted of minor offences. Fortunately, Manitoba has been more judicious in its use of direct democracy. One hesitates to think of the consequences if the public had been allowed to decide in 1962 whether then-premier Duff Roblin should be allowed to spend the equivalent of $505 million in 2018 dollars to build a ditch around the city, or whether voters in the late 1980s had been allowed to block the vision of returning an industrial-ugly rail yard at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers into a lively hub of social activity which now attracts four million visitors a year. With rare exceptions, decisions on big issues should be left to leaders who are elected on the basis of their campaign pledges. For instance, Mayor Brian Bowman has made reopening the intersection to pedestrians one of his signature issues, both as a candidate and an elected official, and he is running for reelection. One could fairly suggest Mr. Bowman’s pursuit of a second term could serve as the referendum his council colleagues are seeking. Citizens who care deeply about the Portage and Main issue can make their views known on Oct. 24, when they enter the voting booth and choose Winnipeg’s next mayor.

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WFP: St. Vital crosswalk upgrades OK’d by councillors (Jun27'18)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jun '18

27 Jun '18

St. Vital crosswalk upgrades OK’d by councillors https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/councillors-approve- safety-upgrades-at-st-vital-crosswalk-where-boy-struck-killed-486597551.html UPGRADES have been approved for the St. Vital pedestrian crossing where an eight-year-old boy was struck and killed in February. Councillors on the public works committee Tuesday unanimously approved the administration plan for the installation of eye-level warning lights and possibly strobe-like flashing LED lights at the St. Anne’s Road and Varennes Avenue crossing. David Patman, the city’s transportation manager, said the lights will be installed on a longterm basis to determine if they should be installed at other pedestrian crosswalks across the city. Surafiel Musse Tesfamariam, a Grade 3 student, was with his mother at the crosswalk at Varennes Avenue when he was struck by a vehicle. The boy’s death was the third at that crossing since 1981. The department had already been studying traffic safety improvements along St. Anne’s Road when they were asked to include the crossing following the boy’s death. “We did the analysis and we’re looking for a solution to be implemented for the new school year in the fall,” Patman told the committee. “Staff in the traffic management branch worked very hard to get this report to you in a timely fashion.” Residents had proposed the installation of traffic lights or a lower speed limit, but those suggestions were not accepted by the public works department. Patman said tree branches that might obscure the existing flashing amber lights at the crossing will be pruned to improve driver vision. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP Analysis: Transit can be an economic catalyst (Jun25'18)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jun '18

25 Jun '18

Transit can be an economic catalyst https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/time-to- think-different-about-transit-486417301.html THE City of Winnipeg is seeking public input on the proposed alignment for its next bus rapid transit line. The eastern corridor will connect Plessis Road in Transcona with Harkness Station on Stradbrook Avenue, where the existing Southwest Transitway terminates. Two routes are being presented, one running through Point Douglas and one through St. Boniface. The plans begin by proposing an exciting option to locate the transitway on the elevated rail line between The Forks and Main Street, using Union Station as a magnificent transit stop. This creates the potential for the historic structure to become a multimodal transportation centre for downtown, operating as a central hub for such things as cycling and transit, water-bus, taxi, airport shuttles and tourist trolleys. The spectacular central hall of Union Station once again bustling with activity represents an opportunity to stimulate growth around south Main Street, by bringing pedestrian traffic to the sidewalks and drawing the vibrancy of The Forks and its future railside community into the rest of downtown. Beyond Union Station, the two proposals diverge. The Point Douglas option either continues up Main Street or passes through the Exchange District to Higgins Avenue, before crossing the river on a new bridge. The St. Boniface alignment crosses the river on the existing Provencher Bridge and then runs down Provencher Boulevard to Archibald Street and Nairn Avenue. A key justification of BRT investment across North America has been its ability to influence the patterns of development in cities, through transit-oriented development (TOD). As ridership increases, commercial and residential growth is attracted to the pedestrian density generated at major nodes along the system. Urban planners can use this to target growth by strategically placing transit lines and stations. Instinctively, the Higgins Avenue option would seem to be the more logical choice because it runs through an area that might benefit more from the TOD economic catalyst. It has been found, however, that TOD is not a silver bullet solution in urban areas, and wouldn’t typically have the power to transform an industrial road such as Higgins into a neighbourhood high street, particularly in a slow-growth city such as Winnipeg. Increased connectivity can be an economic catalyst, but it is most effective at generating the next level of growth in neighbourhoods that are already places where people are. The traditional build-it-and-they-will-come strategy for TOD has been found to be less effective than placing transit where development is already happening, where people already are, and connecting it to other places with similar conditions. Transit is only successful if it is frequent and accessible to a large population, and will only be a catalyst for growth if it has ridership levels sufficiently high to inspire the activity that is attractive to development. Relying on new projects to create the market for transit is rarely as successful as connecting to an existing population and using transit to intensify its density. Understanding the true capacity of transit as a development tool, the St. Boniface alignment for the eastern corridor becomes an attractive option. Provencher Boulevard doesn’t need to be transformed; it only needs an injection of incremental growth to be prosperous. It has the physical characteristics of a neighbourhood high street but currently functions as a six-lane commuter road, serving the outer suburbs and the adjacent industrial park. The single-family neighbourhoods surrounding it are not dense enough to support many neighbourhood services, shops or restaurants, resulting in the strip that has the potential to be a primary business street being predominantly destination services or underdeveloped properties. Coun. Matt Allard is championing a vision for Provencher Boulevard and St. Boniface that could use investment into a transit corridor to fulfil many long-standing community goals. He envisions Provencher as a multimodal, complete street, designed to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities. He is proposing to transform one vehicle lane in each direction into a transit priority lane for electric buses. The plan would also slow vehicle traffic and eliminate truck traffic while developing protected bike lanes, enhanced sidewalks and centre boulevards. This newly defined corridor could become the catalyst for appropriately scaled infill development that creates enough residential density and sidewalk activity to attract the businesses, restaurants and sidewalk cafés that have long been envisioned as amenities for the neighbourhood but have not quite had the conditions to support it. The second-largest francophone community in Winnipeg is Osborne Village, because it offers the vibrancy, connectivity and affordability that young people are seeking, but is not available in St. Boniface. With increased mobility options and a direct rapid transit line between L’Université de Saint-Boniface and the University of Manitoba, young people would not have to leave their neighbourhood to find more convenient access to education and employment. New transit-inspired infill development along Provencher could provide the affordable housing options that are able to keep francophone youth, immigrants and seniors in the community. Significant new investment to transform Provencher Boulevard into a transit corridor could restore its place as a bustling commercial street that is the vibrant centre of a rejuvenated and stronger francophone community. The eastern corridor is an opportunity to think differently about rapid transit and transit-oriented development in Winnipeg. Instead of looking to bypass existing communities, the last few kilometres could be treated more like a streetcar system that is fully integrated into its neighbourhoods. With strategically located stops along the main streets of St. Boniface and even extending into the old town centre of Transcona, there is an important opportunity to become a model for future lines, using transit to inspire incremental infill growth that helps to densify and reinvigorate Winnipeg’s mature neighbourhoods. *Brent Bellamy is a senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

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Webinar reminder: Roundabouts that Work for Cyclists and Pedestrians | Wed, June 20th, 2-3pm
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '18

19 Jun '18

*** Friendly reminder about tomorrow afternoon's webinar *** Please join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg on June 20th for a group viewing of the monthly APBP webinar in the EcoCentre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/uncategorized/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-o…> boardroom followed by discussion for those who wish to stay. cheers, Beth -- *Webinar: Wed, June 20th, 2-3pm* *Roundabouts that Work for Cyclists and Pedestrians* Panelists: - Alek Pochowski, Kittelson & Associates - Bastian Schroeder, Kittelson & Associates Bicycle activity and the use of roundabouts for intersection control within the United States have both increased dramatically in recent years. Since its publication in 2010, NCHRP Report 672: Roundabouts, an Informational Guide, Second Edition, has served as a national guide on the different aspects of roundabouts, including planning, analysis, design, and construction. However, since 2010, a significant amount of bicycle-related design material has been released, including FHWA's Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide (2015), and NACTO's Urban Bikeway Design Guide (2012), both of which do not address bicycle facilities at roundabouts. The first part of this webinar will provide a summary of current and potential design best practices for bicycles at roundabouts using domestic and international examples, and provide an overview of the available guidance available for practitioners designing or reviewing roundabouts for cyclists. The second half of the webinar will focus on pedestrians at roundabouts, with a discussion of the most recent research efforts which led to the development of NCHRP Report 834. NCHRP Project 834 presents guidance for the application of crossing solutions at roundabouts for pedestrians with vision disabilities. The guidebook provides an accessibility assessment framework and a methodology for evaluating treatment alternatives for a proposed crossing, as well as wayfinding accommodations. Guidance is provided based on the feasible range of geometric and traffic operational conditions under which similar treatments have been demonstrated to enhance accessibility. -- *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) 925-3777 x102 | 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/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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Safety for Cyclists and Pedestrians on Manitoba Highways
by Beth McKechnie 19 Jun '18

19 Jun '18

From: Manning, Jeana (MI) <Jeana.Manning(a)gov.mb.ca> Date: Tue, Jun 19, 2018 at 12:18 PM Subject: Safety for Cyclists and Pedestrians on Manitoba Highways The Manitoba Infrastructure website provides safety information and a map to inform safe route planning decisions for pedestrians and cyclists on the provincial highway network. http://www.gov.mb.ca/mit/active/index.html Thanks for your help in spreading the word. Jeana Manning

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Bike Week in the Exchange District :)
by Shoni Madden 18 Jun '18

18 Jun '18

A nice summary of the variety of active transportation events taking place in the Exchange this week. Just a reminder to come check out our panel on Wednesday (details below), we will have picnic blankets for you, so just bring your lunch and join us! https://www.exchangedistrict.org/2018/06/15/active-transportation-in-the-ex… Active Transportation in the Exchange District Jen McDonald June 15, 2018 Blog<https://www.exchangedistrict.org/category/blog/> Bike Week 2018 starts next week and here in the Exchange District we have lots going on! With over 100 historic buildings within a 30-block radius the Exchange is one of the most walkable areas in the city. We are filled with unique shops, inspired local restaurants, arts and culture, and it's such a stunning walk through our area to take it all in. With new bike lanes currently under construction we are excited about the potential to make this area more walkable and bikeable than ever before! Here are some of the things we are doing to help support your active transportation to the Exchange District.... Bike Week Activities Bike Pit Stop Our Exchange District Bike Pit Stop will be located in Stephen Juba Park, at Waterfront and Bannatyne, and we are excited to be joined by many of the great local businesses in the neighbourhood. Natural Cycle - bike tune ups Acorn Café at Generation Green - Matcha Lemonade Bronuts - Bronuts, coffee, water Anchor Massage - on the spot massages AVEDA - helmet hair touch ups Number Ten Architectural Group - watermelon, granola bars, bananas Exchange District BIZ - cycling maps, map and tour brochures, information about the area *Music provided by Natural Cycle's bike jam audio system. When: June 18, 6:30 - 9:00am For more information about Bike Week Pit Stops click here.<https://www.bikeweekwinnipeg.com/bike-to-work-day/pit-stops/> Bike Week Transportation Panel: Getting Around in the Original Downtown Getting Around in the Original Downtown: Bring your ideas (and your lunch) to our bike week transportation panel! In celebration of Bike Week (June 18-24), we'd like to take some time to reflect on how transportation networks have evolved in the Exchange District, and discuss ideas and opportunities for active transit and to build a supportive environment for all modes of transportation used in the area. What: Bring your lunch, and join us for a summer picnic to chat transportation! Our picnic panel will kick-off the discussion, and open the conversation around walking, cycling, and transit in the Exchange. We will explore what is needed in the area to support a culture of sustainable transportation for businesses, residents, and the areas many cultural events. We will also discuss how can the BIZ can continue to support you to move around via whatever mode you choose. Where: Stephen Juba Park When: Wednesday, June 20th 12:00pm-1:00pm (Panel) 1:00pm-1:30pm (Ideas Exploration) Panelists include: Will Belford - Natural Cycle/Bike Jams Thom Sparling - Creative Manitoba Phil Mikulec - Peg City Car Co-op Bob Somers- Scatliff Miller Murray Lynne Stefanchuk - Jazz Fest Winnipeg Angela Mathieson - Centure Venture David Pensato - Exchange District Biz What to Bring? We'll have picnic blankets for you to sit to eat your lunch, chill out and relax on. All you'll have to do is come on down to Stephen Juba park, bring your lunch and your ideas. Active Transportation Initiatives First Fridays Bike-In Ever thought you'd like to bike into the Exchange District but weren't sure if there was a safe and easy route to get there? You don't actually have to be a major cycling person to do it! On the First Friday of July, August, and September, we'll be biking in from three different locations to show you the best route that takes you out of traffic and into the City's most culturally rich monthly event. In partnership with Natural Cycle, we'll be leading three, low-key rides on the First Friday of July, August, and September to show you how you can get into the Exchange District while almost entirely avoiding motor vehicle traffic- and we'll share the tips and tricks that can make riding your bike into the Exchange District a really enjoyable experience along the way. With pick up stops along the route, you can meet the group where it is most convenient for you and join the ride! July 6th: Starting from Assiniboine Park August 3rd: Starting from Crescent Drive Park September 7th: Starting from Gateway at Chief Peguis All rides start at 7pm. Once in the Exchange you can enjoy First Fridays in the Exchange, grab a bite to eat, explore the shops and galleries, and take in the area. A group will ride back out at 10pm, for those who want some help on their way back home. First Fridays is one of the most exciting monthly events in the City, with artists and galleries throughout the Exchange District opening their doors into the evening, and even local businesses getting into the act! The Exchange District is already a remarkably walkable area filled with art galleries, shops, local restaurants, pubs, cocktail bars- not to mention some of the most popular summer events in the City. And with new cycling infrastructure being installed this summer, it's well on its way to becoming the City's most bike-friendly area. Wayfinders We've hired two new staff that will be here all summer to answer questions and help you navigate the area. Keep an eye out for them on their bikes! Shoni Madden Sustainable Transportation Planner [cid:image001.png@01CE8F6A.A4C607F0] #201 - 179 McDermot Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0S1 204-227-1080 smadden(a)urbansystems.ca<mailto:smadden@urbansystems.ca> urbansystems.ca

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The Star: Long a Canadian cycling mecca, Montreal’s future looks downright Scandinavian
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jun '18

18 Jun '18

While other Canadian cities debate dedicated cycling lanes, Montreal is planning highways for its many residents who get around on a bike. Such is the distance that lies between a city like Toronto, which has suffered nearly 100 cycling and pedestrian deaths two years after adopting the Vision Zero plan to eliminate fatalities entirely, and Montreal, where such incidents are extremely rare. Read full article: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/06/15/long-a-canadian-cycling-mecc…

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The Guardian: We designed Canada's cities for cars, not people – and the people are dying
by Beth McKechnie 18 Jun '18

18 Jun '18

[Interesting article from Jennifer Keesmat, former Chief City Planner in Toronto on the need to fundamentally redesign our streets and lower speed limits...] We designed Canada's cities for cars, not people – and the people are dying https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/14/canada-toronto-cyclin… In the last two years, 93 pedestrians or cyclists have died violently on the streets of Toronto. Just out running errands. Off to the doctor. On their way to work. Then without warning, human flesh encountered metal. The latest example on Wednesday, in which a woman on a bike was killed in front of the University of Toronto, reflects a state of emergency. If this sounds like a war zone, well, it can feel that way on city streets the world over. Anxiety has begun to permeate everyday urban life: parents stress about their kids walking home from school; office workers check and double-check the street before rushing to a nearby cafe; cyclists act erratically when their truncated bike lanes dump them into fast-moving traffic. People are on edge everywhere. So we designed our cities and our streets for them. And the two-hour commute has become normalized to a public that spends the equivalent of 22 days a year just getting to and from work. Meanwhile, others are seeking a new way to live. It doesn’t take long to expose the environmental, social and health costs of sitting in traffic. It is nothing like freedom. But the power of the idea that cars bring us freedom – despite the mountains of evidence to the contrary – is so pervasive that active resistance to change is fierce.Meanwhile, automobile companies brand their vehicles with names like Explorer, Escape, Liberty and Journey. Cars are designed to look like birds and rockets, and are sold to us via multi million-dollar ad campaigns complete with slogans such as “Hand of the free”, “Choose freedom” and “Adventure is calling”. After 100 years of marketing, we have continued to believe – and *want* to believe – that the car gives us unfettered personal liberty. Some cities are fighting back, adding density, pursuing revitalisation through infill buildings, and creating complete, mixed-use communities where it is possible to live close to work. This may sound like land-use planning, but it’s really all about how we get around the city – the crux of our urban quality of life. When we design our cities differently, when we get the densities and the mix of uses right, then you can choose to forgo the long commute – you can walk or cycle. But the tragic rise of cycling and pedestrian deaths in a city such as Toronto, the biggest city in one of the world’s most progressive countries, demonstrates that we are caught in the transition. We are adding density and pedestrians and cyclists without transforming the design of our streets, and in many cases refusing even to lower speeds limits, which tends to reduce deaths dramatically <https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/hl/bgrd/backgroundfile-46483.pdf>. As Richard Florida has noted <https://medium.com/@Richard_Florida/torontos-deadly-car-crisis-c84ccbc99407>, Canadians like to criticise Americans’ inability to deal with gun deaths – but their own unwillingness to do anything about cycling deaths seems based on a similar myopia, and more Torontonians are killed by cars than guns. Some will argue that road deaths are inevitable – that even if drivers follow the rules, humans will make mistakes, wander into traffic and die, and therefore we need to tolerate it. That is wrong. Humans will make mistakes – which is precisely why the environment should be designed with them in mind. If someone wanders into traffic – a child, a senior citizen – they don’t “deserve” to die. We must design our cities knowing that people make mistakes. Two fundamentally contradictory visions are bumping up against each other. In the old model, if driving is the key to freedom, then cyclists and pedestrians need to get out of the way. They are audacious, misplaced and – even worse – entitled. Who and what are streets for, anyway? They are places to get through*, *and fast. Lowering speed limits to ensure pedestrians are safe makes no sense. In the new model, however, streets aren’t just for getting through – they are places in their own right, designed for people, commerce, lingering and life. It’s the people, the human activity, that should come first. Cycling <https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/cycling> isn’t just for radicals and recreation, and lower speed limits make sense: they protect and enhance quality of city life. In Oslo, for example, where cars move slowly, an easy sharing of space takes place. Inspired by the Norwegians, as well as the Dutch and the Danish, some urbanists on this side of the Atlantic have been trying to introduce the idea that, as the city gets denser, cycling and walking can become a great transportation option. But a choice must be made. The two models are based on competing philosophical assumptions. To straddle the two – as Toronto and so many other cities do – will continue to lead to tragic outcomes. The promise of the car is a myth, and we cannot stay stuck between two worlds. It’s time to reclaim our freedom, our sense of adventure in our everyday lives by embracing the walkable, cycling city. To do so, we need to embrace a fundamental redesign of our streets. Anti-cycling advocates are right about one thing: in walkable cities, pedestrians don’t follow rules. They can move informally, with ease. That’s true freedom. - *Jennifer Keesmaat <http://twitter.com/jen_keesmaat> is CEO of Creative Housing and former chief planner of Toronto*

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