- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

a little humour
by Cyndi Otfinowski 28 Feb '14

28 Feb '14

Hi, I hope this is not an abuse of the network, but I thought a little humour about winter driving (or not) might be appreciated. Rick Mercer on: Rick's Rant: "Winter Driving". http://youtu.be/fgUosngyAu0 Sincerely, Cyndi

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Fwd: Invitation to Bid - Winnipeg Trail Signage
by Anders Swanson 27 Feb '14

27 Feb '14

FYI. See below. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Melissa Sitter <executive_director(a)trailsmanitoba.ca> Date: Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 11:34 AM Subject: Invitation to Bid - Winnipeg Trail Signage To: Cc: margaret(a)trailsmanitoba.ca Hi Everyone; Further to our meeting on January 6th, we have an opportunity to hire a consultant to develop a signage strategy for the Winnipeg Trail. The project description is included in the attached invitation to bid. The purpose of this project is to answer the preliminary questions that arose at our meeting, such as what types of signs should be used (e.g.: reflective or aluminum; TCT logo only or TCT logo with directional arrows or a customized sign), how many signs of each type, where should they go, and provide a cost estimate for the project. Please share the invitation widely. I'm available to answer questions about these projects. Thank you, Melissa Melissa Sitter Executive Director *Trails Manitoba/Sentiers Manitoba* 3-303 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3B 2B4 204-786-2688 www.trailsmanitoba.ca *"In every walk with nature one receives * *far more than he seeks."* - John Muir

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Fwd: A Dialogue on Public Health and its Relationship to Sustainable Development
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 26 Feb '14

26 Feb '14

Some of you may be interested in the content of these lectures and discussion. Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Tim Walker (Basecamp) <notifications(a)basecamp.com> Date: Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 1:13 PM Tim Walker posted this message on Basecamp. *For anyone who may be interested. A Dialogue on public health and its relationship to sustainable development in Winnipeg, in Manitoba, in Canada, and globally is happening soon..........* "I want to engage the audience in a dialogue on important, challenging and controversial issues of public health - and its relationship to sustainable development in Winnipeg, in Manitoba, in Canada, and globally". - Dr Joel Kettner Former Chief Public Health Officer for Manitoba Current Director of The Canadian Public Health Association *Public Health in the 21st Century. Presentation and Community dialogue every Tuesday in the Month of March. *in Convocation Hall at the U of W. 2nd floor Wesley Hall (the castle like building). Public Health | What is it? Who needs it? Tuesday, March 4, 2014 at *7:30 p.m.* Priorities for Prevention in Manitoba Our Provincial Profile Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at *12:30 p.m*. Public Health How can we prevent the threats that we do not see or know? Tuesday, March 18, 2014 at *12:30 p.m.* Principles, Power and Public Policy The Peculiar Ethics and Politics of Public Health Tuesday, March 25, 2014 at * 7:30 p.m*. "Manitoba has significant inequalities in health status, associated with racial, gender, socio-economic and geographic factors." "Dr. Kettner will explore how we can understand the related roles and opportunities of public health and social development in tackling big issues such as poor health status, poverty, and illiteracy - within Manitoba - and within and between countries." RSVP Appreciated by: Jennifer Ledoux je.ledoux(a)uwinnipeg.ca 204-786-9157 -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Free Commuting Ambassador Session THIS Wednesday, 1- 4:30pm
by Jessie Klassen 24 Feb '14

24 Feb '14

Just a reminder of a free half-day session coming up* this Wednesday* on becoming a Creative Commuting Ambassador at your workplace (info below). All are welcome, please RSVP by emailing <jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca> or calling 204-925-3772. Two related sessions that are coming up include creating baseline commuting surveys<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/creative-commuting-ambassador-training/>(March 12, 12:00 - 1:30) and behaviour change<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/creative-commuting-ambassador-training/>strategies(March 26, 1:00 - 4:30). [image: Inline image 1] I: Tools and hands-on training *Wednesday, February 26, 1:00 - 4:30pm* Become a Creative Commuting Ambassador at your workplace! Get the tools and guidance to support your co-workers to get the most out of their commutes. >From a basic primer on different types of bike infrastructure to transit tools, such as Navigo, BUStxt and transit apps, to understanding carpooling vs carsharing. *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca>| Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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WFP: In conversation with Bartek Komorowski [winter cycling conference] (Feb.22'14)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Feb '14

23 Feb '14

In Conversation with Bartek Komorowski By: Estefania Wujkiw *http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/in-conversation-with-bartek-komorowski-246651851.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/in-conversation-with-bartek-komorows…>* For the 170 delegates who attended last week's International Winter Cycling Congress, the challenges facing Winnipeg proponents couldn't have been more apparent. Frigid temperatures. Plenty of snowfall. Slippery streets. But Bartek Komorowski, who was one of the invited experts to the conference, believes the obstacles can be overcome. He works at Vélo Québec as the project leader in the research and consulting division. He has extensive experience on projects about active transportation and sustainable urban development for cities, including Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal.ã He sat down with Free Press intern Estefania Wujkiw and explained that biking is not about income, but about convenience. Biking is not only fast, but environmentally friendly and cheap, because it doesn't require any fancy gear. *FP: What do you hope to see in Winnipeg?* Komorowski: I would hope to see more cycle tracks hopefully, and maybe a cultural change as well. I think a lot of people are telling me here that Winnipeg is very much a car city and there is a bit of friction between cars and bicycles. But that can change. Right now in Montreal, it is better than it used to be. Apparently, the people that started, when they would go out and bike on the streets, they would get things thrown at them out of cars back in the '70s. *FP: What are the prejudices of winter cycling?* Komorowski: What really fascinates me is that Canadians generally have no issue with doing winter sports. We go skiing, snowshoeing and that's OK, yet cycling for some reason, it is too cold to cycle. If you are dressed reasonably, it is no different. The benefits of cycling in the winter are exactly the same as the benefits of cycling in the summer. In my case, I keep riding through the winter because it's the fastest option to get to work. I could drive, but there's no parking around where I work. I could take transit, but that would take about 45 minutes, or I could ride my bicycle and it takes me about 15 (minutes). *FP: What has been the craziest idea you've heard at this event?* Komorowski: The most out-there idea I've heard of was a presenter from Finland saying that they are working on a cellphone app which will track cyclists with a GPS. When a few cyclists are approaching an intersection, they will turn the light green. In Copenhagen, for example, they have green way, so they time the traffic light to the speed of a bicycle. But this is even better because this is dynamic. If there are unexpectedly a bunch of cyclists heading towards an intersection, that intersection will turn green for them. They are working on it, incidentally, in Oulu, which is actually where Nokia cellphones come from, so it makes sense that they would do that there. *FP: What best practices were discussed?* Komorowski:ã The key practices are building separated paths, also prioritizing. You have a network and then you have to decide what are you gonna maintain first, what are you gonna maintain second and third. If you try to do everything at once and you don't have a plan, then it doesn't work and nothing gets done. That's really a big message that a lot of people here had. Then there are technical things like different techniques, like using salt or sand, or scratching the surface to make grooves. Those all depend on the type of climate you have. By exchanging (ideas) we can avoid making mistakes. *FP: Is the overall experience different between winter and summer cycling, besides the obvious cold weather?* Komorowski: I heard that there's apparently a Norwegian saying that "there is no such thing as bad weather, there is only bad clothes." It's really not that different from cycling in the summer; you just have to dress appropriately. The only place where it's sort of painful is any part of your face that is exposed. In terms of your technique, you have to be a little more careful in the winter, and it's probably best to go a bit slower because there can be unexpected circumstances. If you have studded tires, you can stop on a dime, but a car might skid. In places where you are sharing the road with cars, you have to remember that. *FP: Do you have any advice for beginners?* Komorowski: It is possible to bike in the winter; it is not insane to do it. You dress the same way you would as if you were going cross-country skiing. Maybe if you have a road bike with slick tires, that's not the best. (Try) a slightly bigger tire or with a bit of tread or even a winter tire. Just do it. Go slow when you start just to get a feel for it. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 22, 2014 D3

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Protected intersections for bicyclists -- 6 minute video presentation
by Kevin Miller 21 Feb '14

21 Feb '14

http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/next-breakthrough-bike-friendly-world-pr otected-intersections-video.html

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Active Transportation-Canada
by Beth McKechnie 20 Feb '14

20 Feb '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, Feb 20, 2014 at 3:18 PM Subject: Active Transportation-Canada Active Transportation Listserv Members: It is past due for a reminder of the new articles that have been posted on Active Transportation-Canada. Since the last notice, on February 1, links to more than 65 new items have been added. We all have our favourites, but here are a few that I found worthwhile reading: 1. Brisk Walking Delays Cognitive Decline in Older Adults <http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/brisk-walking-delays…> 2. Calgary - 1st Street cycle track to be debated by city committee<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/calgary-1st-street-c…> 3. Montreal winter Tour de l'Île kicks off inaugural edition<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/montreal-winter-tour…> 4. Bike share program coming to Hamilton this summer<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/bike-share-program-c…> 5. Edmonton's bike-lane plan unproven and costly<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/edmontons-bike-lane-…> 6. Call for Proposals: Present at the 2014 Ontario Bike Summit<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/call-for-proposals-p…> 7. Cycling infrastructure more economic than for other transport<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/cycling-infrastructu…> 8. Bike lane removal and relocation peddled by Edmonton councillor<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/bike-lane-removal-an…> 9. Build it and they will come: Peak car culture<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/build-it-and-they-wi…> 10. Canada - The Federal Election and Cycling<http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/2014/02/canada-federal-elect…> Or, just visit the home page and explore for yourself: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.ca/. If you are interested in Active Transportation isssues, I suspect you will find something worthwhile among the more than 2,800 items that have been posted. Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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WFP: Leadership makes wheels turn - Political will a must to spur year-round cycling (Feb.18'14)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Feb '14

18 Feb '14

Leadership makes wheels turn Political will a must to spur year-round cycling in city ON ARCHITECTUREBy: Brent Bellamy http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/leadership-makes-wheels-turn-2459… Winnipeg played host last week to the second International Winter Cycling Congress. Nearly 200 delegates from across North America gathered to discuss the challenges of urban winter cycling and celebrate the benefits it can have for northern cities. The health and quality-of-life-benefits cycling as urban transportation can bring to the citizens of a city are obvious. Numerous studies show commuters who cycle are generally healthier; they feel less stress, sleep better and have more energy. Physically active employees often show improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and turnover. Beyond improving the well-being of its citizens, many cities that struggle to keep up with infrastructure deficits are beginning to understand the positive role investment in active transportation can have in building a sustainable city. As we construct sprawling suburbs, greater commuting distances increase vehicle time on the road, which, in turn, increases congestion levels. The response is often to build new roads or expand existing ones to accommodate higher traffic volumes at peak times. This increased capacity then drives new development even further out and the cycle begins again. By investing in initiatives such as public transit and cycling infrastructure, cities can begin to affect the urban-sprawl spiral, while incrementally reducing road construction and maintenance costs. At less than a tenth of the cost of a new road, construction of fully segregated bike lanes is an attractive option for cities interested in sustainable growth. For the first time, vehicle-ownership levels are declining in Canada and young people in particular are looking for alternative transportation options. Enticing even a small percentage of commuters to choose cycling can significantly affect overall traffic congestion. A study by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration indicated reducing the number of cars by only three per cent can lower peak rush-hour traffic by nearly 30 per cent. Realizing the benefits of reduced infrastructure spending through the provision of alternate transportation options is only effective if the strategy is successful year-round. A harsh winter climate is an obvious barrier to achieving these results. Delegates at the Winter Cycling Congress were inspired by the successful growth of four-season cycling in Minneapolis, a sprawling suburban metropolis that has been named the best cycling city in America, despite winter conditions similar to those in Winnipeg. Political leadership in Minneapolis has been dedicated to transforming the city's urban-cycling culture, making it a central component of overall transportation planning and a primary tool in its urban-design strategy. Widespread construction of dedicated bike lanes, urban zoning requirements for bike parking, rapid transit with bicycle-carrying capability and the implementation of a successful 170 station bike-share program has led to a 78 per cent increase in commuter cyclists since 2007. Despite being America's coldest major metropolitan area, winter cycling rates are growing three times faster than those in summer. Today, five per cent of Minneapolis residents bike to work (twice that of Winnipeg) and nearly 40 per cent of those cycle through the winter months. The most significant barrier to winter cycling participation is not temperature, but the perception of safety. Riders generally feel cold can be accommodated with proper clothing, but unsafe road conditions pose a deterrent that is difficult to overcome. The Twin Cities has addressed this issue by developing a system of paths that physically separate cars and bikes. Smaller street-side bike lanes connect to an innovative system of 'bicycle freeways' linking downtown and the suburbs along former rail lines. The eight-kilometre Midtown Greenway carries as many as 4,000 cyclists per day. The city has committed to clearing these paths within 24 hours of a snowfall, providing winter cyclists with a safe and efficient commuter path in all seasons. With winter participation rates growing, Minneapolis cyclists are experiencing safety in numbers as greater presence in the streets has heightened overall awareness and lowered accident rates. Similarly, in Montreal, a city that keeps 60 km of bike lanes clear from snow all winter, participation has grown by 70 per cent since 2009 with the number of accidents remaining constant. Winnipeggers often hide behind the excuse of cold winters to resist new ideas for improving our city's urban quality. Minneapolis should inspire us to embrace northern-city living and reap the benefits of becoming a year-round cycling community. The conditions for developing a four-season cycling culture in Winnipeg are more favourable than they were in Minneapolis. Our city is denser, it's smaller with far shorter commuting distances, a more highly concentrated downtown workforce and stronger initial participation levels. Both cities have ample sunshine and flat topography, each with rail lines and hydro corridors that could serve as 'bicycle freeways.' Climate and urban form are not the most important factors in developing an urban cycling culture. The common characteristic shared by all bike cities is political leadership that makes active-transportation policy a priority. These cities achieved high numbers of commuter cyclists through deliberate municipal-development decisions. They serve as a model for winter cities such as Winnipeg, demonstrating what is possible with strong political leadership committed to sustainable urban growth and healthy cities. Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group. bbellamy(a)numberten.com Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 18, 2014 B5

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AT Webinar: Design for Cyclist and Pedestrian Comfort, Wed, Feb 19, 2-3pm, Ecocentre
by Beth McKechnie 18 Feb '14

18 Feb '14

*Apologies for the late notice regarding tomorrow's webinar due to being away at the excellent Winter Cycling Congress last week followed by the holiday Monday.* <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local applications. Description provided below. RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth / Jessie (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** Design for Cyclist and Pedestrian Comfort Wednesday, February 19 | 2:00-3:00 pm CT Learn what tools some communities are using to make qualitative assessments of cycling and walking facilities. Case studies include San Francisco's Bicycle and Pedestrian Environmental Quality Indices and the Traffic Stress model developed at the Mineta Transportation Institute. *Presenters:* - Conor Semler, Kittelson and Associates - Megan Wier, San Francisco Department of Public Health - Peter Furth, Professor of Civil Engineering, Northeastern University

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New report: Best Complete Streets Policies of 2013
by Beth McKechnie 18 Feb '14

18 Feb '14

*The Best Complete Streets Policies of 2013,* released today by Smart Growth America's National Complete Streets Coalition, highlights *15 communities that led the nation *in creating comprehensive Complete Streets policies last year. See the winning communities and download the full report: http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets-2013-analysis

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Now here is a bike trailer!
by Dave Elmore 15 Feb '14

15 Feb '14

http://cdn2.tinyhouseliving.com/wp-content/uploads/bicycle-micro-gypsy-wagon -8-700x611.jpg bicycle-micro-gypsy-wagon-3 bicycle-micro-gypsy-wagon-4

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Car Free Hamburg
by Dave Elmore 15 Feb '14

15 Feb '14

http://www.02b.com/en/notices/2014/01/hamburg_sets_out_to_become_a_car-free_ city_in_20_years_6403.php Hamburg sets out to become a car-free city in 20 years Hamburg is virtually to become a car-free city in 20 years Hamburg City Council has disclosed ambitious plans to divert most cars away from its main thoroughfares in twenty years. In order to do so, local authorities are to connect pedestrian and cycle lanes in what is expected to become a large green network. In all, the Grünes Netz <http://www.hamburg.de/gruenes-netz/> (Green Web) plan envisages eliminating the need for automoviles within two decades. By connecting the entire urban centre with its outskirts Hamburg is expecting to smooth inner traffic flow. In all, the northernmost city is to lay out new green areas and connect them with the existing parks, community gardens and cementeries. Upon completion of the plan Hamburg will pride itself on having over 17,000 acres of green spaces, making up 40% of the citys area. According to an official, the ambitious plan will reduce the need to take the car for weekend outings outside the city. The entire city centre is to be linked with its outskirts by an extensive network of pedestrian and cycle lanes Although vehicles are not to be banned from the main thoroughfares, the council expects residents and tourists alike to be able to explore the city exclusively on bike and foot. At the same time, the green ring will play a crutial role to help the metropolis fight against rising temperatures and urban flooding. The average temperature in Germanys second-largest city has risen by 9 degrees Celsius in scarcely half a century, experts warn. As regards to leisure, the interspersed patches of green areas will let residents "hike, swim, do water sports, enjoy picnics and restaurants, experience calm and watch nature and wildlife right in the city.

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Calgary Herald: Who rides a bike in winter? Study sheds light (Feb.11'14)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '14

11 Feb '14

Who rides a bike in winter? Study sheds light on thousands of urban winter cyclists in Calgary<http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2014/02/11/who-rides-a-bike-in-winter-study-…> February 11, 2014. 6:24 am * Section: Pedal<http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/category/calgary/pedal/> http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2014/02/11/who-rides-a-bike-in-winter-study-… The average winter cyclist in Calgary is a middle-aged man who rides almost every day, usually to work, and will brave temperatures down to -20 C and colder to do so. That's some of the initial findings of a project from the University of Calgary <http://www.ucalgary.ca/> that is shedding light on heretofore enigmatic winter cyclists in Calgary, those sometimes misunderstood and maligned people who ride their bikes through Calgary's long and ever-fluctuating dark season and have become a major part of the debate over cycling in Calgary. The project is being spearheaded by Dr. Farnaz Sadeghpour in the Schulich School of Engineering <http://www.schulich.ucalgary.ca/> and is designed to teach engineering students the importance of engaging with the community and users before designing solutions to real-life civic problems. The nice side-benefit to the project is that it gathers data on winter cycling in Calgary. Sadeghpour, a passionate professor, recently agreed to show me the data that has been collected so far, and work with me to present it here. It's still early in the process and she has yet to do much serious analysis, but after attending the world'sfirst winter bicycle conference in Finland <http://blogs.calgaryherald.com/2013/02/13/never-mind-the-plows-five-things-…>last year and seeing how little information has been collected about winter cyclists anywhere in the world, I don't think it's a stretch to say this may be the most advanced project of its kind in the world. This is the third year in which Sadeghpour will ask her students to stand at strategic places around the city and stop cyclists during the evening commuting hours with a survey that asks questions about themselves and their cycling habits. In the first year, the project was limited to about 100 cyclists on the then-newly painted bike lanes on 10th St. N.W. Last year, it was expanded throughout downtown and captured more than 2,000 different cyclists in all kinds of winter weather. This winter, the project will focus even more on downtown. Sadeghpour loves to speak about how the project gives her students a chance to tackle a pressing issue in the city -- she has even involved planners at City Hall to help judge students' final designs- but what grabbed me most was what the data revealed about winter cyclists in the city. These highlights were pulled from the 2013 data: * Most of the winter cyclists were male (more than 70 per cent). Most were over 35 years old, and the biggest segment was those older than 44. * More than 30 per cent said they ride when the temperature dips as low as -20 C, and nearly 25 per cent will ride no matter how cold it gets. That means about 55 per cent of them say they ride to -20 C or colder. * The most common distance travelled was 10 kilometres, but many cyclists travelled much farther distances. Nearly 30 per cent said their ride was longer than 10 kilometres, a distance Sadeghpour notes is farther than has been recorded in academic literature from any other city. * Fifty six per cent of survey respondents said they were on their bikes as part of their commute. The second most common reason for riding in winter was recreation and exercise. * The biggest safety concern of the 2,100 cyclists surveyed was ice and snow, which was cited by 30 per cent of respondents. Lane width (which also includes proximity to moving vehicles), poor pavement, and gravel were also areas of concern. * When asked where bike routes should be expanded, 38 per cent said downtown, 36 per cent said routes into downtown, and 25 per cent said communities. * A quarter of respondents said their bike trip was supplemented by another form of transportation. Among those, 44 per cent said their multimodal trip included a car, while 35 per cent said transit. * More than 75 per cent of winter cyclists said they own a car. What does all this mean? Sadeghpour is reluctant to read too much into the early data. It did, however, point out some intriguing things to me. The data contradicts some common perceptions of winter cyclists in many ways. The vision of cyclists being aggressive young men is only partly true. Yes, most are men, but they aren't necessarily young. The single biggest segment, 33 per cent of respondents, were 44-years-old or older. The data also suggests they are committed commuters who let little stop them from riding, including cold weather. In fact, I was surprised to see more than half will ride when the temperature reaches -20 C or colder. Assumptions are often made about northern cities being unsuitable for cycling because of the cold. Considering the temperature last winter reached -20 C or colder only four times, according to Environment Canada<http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climateData/dailydata_e.html?timeframe=2&Prov=…>, that means there aren't many days that would be considered too cold to ride for most winter cyclists. (So far this winter, 13 days have been colder than -20 C). A bigger challenge to those surveyed, however, is snow and ice, which was cited as the biggest concern. Cracks in the pavement, gravel and proximity to vehicles were also big concerns, which underscores the importance of road and pathway maintenance, snow clearing, and good-quality infrastructure. All of this is important information because Sadeghpour says it offers insight into one of the bigger questions facing civic leaders as they consider ways of making the city more bicycle friendly: In a city as cold as Calgary, is it worth investing in bicycle infrastructure? It's proving to be a contentious question these days, so this data may prove to be crucial. Sadeghpour says a great addition to the data would be querying people who don't ride in winter to find out what is stopping them. For now, however, she plans to repeat this project every year, building up our understanding of what motivates people to ride bikes in winter and how city leaders can accommodate them, if they choose to. This student assignment could wind up to be an essential resource as Calgary evolves.

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Calgary Herald: Cycle track deserves to get some traction (Feb.7'14)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Feb '14

11 Feb '14

Graham: Cycle track deserves to get some traction BY BRUCE GRAHAM, CALGARY HERALD FEBRUARY 7, 2014 http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/op-ed/Graham+Cycle+track+deserves+some… Calgary's proposed cycle track network has been creating quite a buzz around town lately and we wanted to weigh in on this issue. You may wonder why we, as Calgary's leading economic development organization, care about a cycle track network for Calgary. Well, as the promotional agency tasked with attracting and retaining the best talent, as well as promoting our business and lifestyle advantages around the world, a cycle track network will help us do just that. It may be less obvious than an increase in healthy lifestyle or taking tailpipes off the roads, but an inner city cycle track network can boost business. In Colorado, cycling brought more than $1 billion to the state's local economy, and in New York, after the installation of a protected bike lane, retail sales increased by as much as 49 per cent compared to a three per cent increase in sales citywide during the same period. When San Francisco optimized Valencia Street for cyclists and pedestrians, nearly 40 per cent of merchants reported increased sales and 60 per cent reported more area residents shopping locally due to reduced travel time and convenience. Travelling by bike encourages more frequent stops than travelling by car; a study of Toronto merchants revealed that patrons arriving by foot and bicycle visited the most often and spent the most money per month. It goes without saying that parking the car and jumping on your Trek is good for your health, but it's also good for the health of the community. Business owners would be interested in a study done by the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, which found that cycling reduced employee absenteeism -- specifically, the employees who cycled to work regularly missed less work, on average more than one day per year less than colleagues who didn't. And a Minnesota company that encouraged its employees to bike to work saved $170,000 in health care over three years and $301,000 through increased employee productivity every year. And then there's the social reputation factor: The "I didn't know the city built on energy invested in commuter bike lanes." And make no mistake, it is an investment. This is a prime example of the kind of selling feature we use when telling Calgary's story around the world. People want to live in a city that invests in making the lives of its citizens better. Sixty-two per cent of recent transplants to Portland, Ore., said that the city's bike friendliness was a factor in their decision to move there. By 2018, Calgary's population is expected to grow by more than 150,000 people. We'd love to add the cycle track network to our people-attraction tool kit before we see tens of thousands of new cars added to our morning commute. The major benefit of dedicated bike lanes is they help pedestrians, motorists, transit users and cyclists coexist safely. Even in Calgary's harshest weather, you'll see many diehard cyclists making their way to work, and these numbers would increase if we made their commute safer. After New York City installed their first protected bike lane (the first in the U.S.), they saw a reduction in injuries to all street users by 58 per cent. Calgary drivers will be the first to say that the unpredictability of cyclists sharing the narrow downtown roadways makes them nervous for the safety of the cyclists and themselves. A cycle track network in Calgary gives commuters a reliable alternative to driving, while ensuring the well-being of both cyclists and motorists. Calgary is already well suited to adopting a cycle track network and here's why. With the most expensive parking in Canada, our citizens have already shown us they would happily utilize this healthy and fun mode of transportation. The first leg of the cycle track network runs on 7th Street S.W., and over the course of a year (2012-2013), the number of bikes quadrupled per day. Pedestrians were happier too, as the number of cyclists riding on the sidewalk went down by 25 per cent. At 700 kilometres, Calgary has the longest paved urban pathway system on the continent. With the addition of a downtown cycle track (and Calgary Transit's recent announcement that all new buses will have bike racks), commuters can safely and efficiently travel from their homes in any quadrant of the city into the core. Calgarians may be surprised (and hopefully delighted) to learn that over the past five years, a multitude of downtown building owners have added up to 2,000 bike parking stalls in their buildings, telling their tenants and their employees they support their desire to embrace diverse transportation options. We realize adoption will take time and people want to be involved in the process to understand where the proposed network will go and how it impacts them. We encourage Calgarians looking for more information on the cycle track network, to stop by the CORE Shopping Centre, Plus-15 level, by Holt Renfrew, this Monday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to talk to the cycle track network team. Bruce Graham is president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development. (c) Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald

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Bicycle Safety Education for Children From a Developmental And Learning Perspective
by Terry Zdan 10 Feb '14

10 Feb '14

*Subject:* Children & Bicycling Research For your reference, NHTSA has just produced a new publication entitled Bicycle Safety Education for Children From a Developmental And Learning Perspective: http://www.nhtsa.gov/staticfiles/nti/bicycles/pdf/Bicycle_Safety_Education_… -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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WFP: Winter cycling focus of congress (Feb.10'14)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Feb '14

10 Feb '14

Winter cycling focus of congressWinnipeg welcomes experts, advocates By: Bartley Kives http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/winter-cycling-focus-of-congress-244… The coldest winter in decades has proven challenging to year-round cyclists in Winnipeg, but not because of the temperatures alone. In late December and early January, people who use bikes to get around uttered many of the same complaints motorists made about the condition of the city's streets. The heavy ruts that made driving difficult a month ago also made cycling frustrating and dangerous, especially on routes where cars and bikes are expected to share the road. Although road conditions have improved, Winnipeg's recent transportation headaches will provide a timely backdrop for a gathering of international winter-cycling advocates and experts known as the Winter Cycling Congress. Beginning this Wednesday, approximately 170 delegates and speakers will spend three days in the Manitoba capital, sharing ideas about making winter cycling easier, safer and more accessible. Conference director Anders Swanson said slightly less than half the participants are coming from outside the province, including delegates from European and North American cities and towns where the winter climate is similar to that of subarctic Winnipeg. "What we're trying to do is change the conversation in terms of what is possible for year-round transportation," said Swanson, who travelled to Oulu, Finland, for the 2013 conference before lobbying to bring the event here this year. "We're trying to connect places that know what they're doing with places that are learning to fully embrace the bicycle year-round." As recently as the 1990s, the only people who rode bikes year-round in Winnipeg were couriers and a handful of die-hard commuters. Now, both recreational cyclists and commuter cyclists are a common winter sight, albeit in modest numbers. The main obstacle is not cold, but road conditions. "On some of the colder days, you have to bundle up a bit more," Swanson said. "In my experience, in cities that take care of winter cycling infrastructure properly, the cold really doesn't matter." Swanson said several Scandinavian cities are among the world leaders in this capacity, but that's hardly surprising considering the immense popularity of warm-weather commuter cycling in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. The challenge in North America -- and in Winnipeg in particular -- is to convince cash-strapped municipal authorities to devote more resources to clearing bike paths and bike lanes. Swanson said he believes the City of Winnipeg is doing the best it can. "I have no interest in suggesting there's any problem this winter, when we've had a lot of cold and a lot of snow," he said. Still, delegates to the Winter Cycling Congress will hear from a range of Scandinavian and Canadian panellists about ways to improve winter street and bikeway maintenance. Other conference topics include sessions on the design of the perfect winter bike, winter cycling fashion and the creation of other modes of alternative winter transportation, from Winnipeg's river trail to a curb-side commuter-skating trail in Vancouver. The conference was timed to take place the same week as this Friday's Winter Bike To Work Day, the 130-kilometre Actif Epica winter race on Saturday and Sunday's Icebike race. The Forks also hoped to extend its river skating and walking trail to the University of Manitoba by this weekend, but the weather would not co-operate. "We came up against the worst conditions on the Red River we've ever encountered," said Paul Jordan, chief operating officer at The Forks. The presence of almost more than two metres of snow on the Red insulated the surface, creating dangerous slush that made the southern extension of the trail impossible, he said. Jordan nonetheless expects existing river trail sections to be visited by the roughly 75 out-of-province Winter Cycling Congress delegates as they explore downtown Winnipeg by bike. "This conference has really exploded," Jordan said. "There are a lot of cities looking at doing more (with active transportation) during the winter." bartley.kives(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 10, 2014 A6

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REMINDER! Sunny Saturday - Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th
by Janice Lukes 07 Feb '14

07 Feb '14

TOMORROW TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Huts / RAW:almond / frozen river trail / Sharon Blady / sunny Saturday morning - & Free Cocoa From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Janice Lukes Sent: Thursday, January 30, 2014 12:24 PM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [At-network] Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th And here is another winter event - for the walkers in the crowd! See attached poster - and those warming huts on the river are a must see! * * * * * * * * * * Come and join Sharon Blady, Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors, the Winnipeg Trails Assoc. and friends to walk on the Red River Mutual River Trail! DATE: Saturday, February 8th TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Calling all Winnipeg winter walkers! Walk and talk with the Minister, check out the architecturally designed warming huts, sip on free hot chocolate and make new winter memories with friends and families! We have ordered up a sunny mild day - so shake that cabin fever and come out for a winter walk!

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Workshop: Welcome to Canada - (Winter) Riding for Newcomers
by Winter Cycling Congress 2014 07 Feb '14

07 Feb '14

**Please forward this opportunity to anyone who works with newcomers and who may be interested in attending a workshop next Friday. Workshop is free. Conference registration is not necessary.** *Workshop: Welcome to Canada - (Winter) Riding for Newcomers* *Friday, February 14th - 1 - 4pm Manitoba Theatre For Young People (The Forks)* *(Free - coffee provided)* Do you work with newcomers to Canada? Do you get asked questions about transportation? Wonder how to use the power of the bicycle build self-esteem and create community? Whether its year-round or just when spring hits, bicycles can be a powerful tool. Learn how to make it easier for everyone to adopt. Join us for unique and exciting "train the trainers" workshop for those who work with new Canadians, refugees and others being run by Angela Van Der Kloof<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/speaker-lineup/angela-van-der-kloo…> an internationally-reknowned educator, specialist in newcomer issues and an expert on bicycle skills programming who is joining us from Delft, Holland. *All the details on the workshop are here <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/welcome-to-canada-winter-riding-fo…>. * *Please RSVP to local organizer Robin Ellis at volunteer(a)thewrench.ca <volunteer(a)thewrench.ca>. * Thank you. The Organizing Team *Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>* *Feb 12-14, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* [image: Inline image 1] phone: 1-204-797-1962 email. info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://facebook.com/Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg> twitter. @wccwpg <http://twitter.com/wccwpg>. #wccwpg #wintercycling

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Treat a cyclist like a horse?
by Dave Elmore 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

This UK commercial was banned because it showed a cyclist without a helmet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELId66LUupw Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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School Travel Planning Benefit Cost Analysis
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

Green Communities Canada, Metrolix and the University of Toronto have completed the first Canadian Benefit-Cost Analysis of School Travel Planning. Looking at 19 Ontario schools from varied urban, suburban and rural communities, the findings illustrate a benefit-cost ratio of 1.8. It's important to note that the estimated annual cost of $93,000 for the 19 projects is not the influx of all "new" money, but rather a re-prioritization of time and resources at a school, regional and provincial level along with some monetary investment. The one-year endeavour was estimated to garner $200,000 in annual health and societal benefits from car trip reduction and increases in walking. You can find the full-version of the report here<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…>; the executive summary here<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…> . Reposted from: http://www.greencommunitiescanada.org/blog/ School Travel Planning: The Way to Go <http://greencommunitiescanada.org/school-travel-planning-costs-and-benefits/> Posted on February 3, 2014<http://greencommunitiescanada.org/school-travel-planning-costs-and-benefits/><http://www.greencommunitiescanada.org/blog/> [image: Canada Walks Director Jacky Kennedy introduced School Travel Planning in Canada.]<http://greencommunities.nonprofitwebsites.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sch…> Canada Walks Director Jacky Kennedy introduced School Travel Planning to Canada. The results are in: School Travel Planning (STP) is a cost-effective way to increase walking and cycling to school. What's more, it provides economic, health and environmental benefits. School Travel Planning is designed to take active school travel to the next level by comprehensively addressing barriers and incentives that affect behaviour. The first benefit-cost analysis<http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/Costs_and_Benefits…> of STP projects in Canada was released in January 2014 and is a collaboration of Green Communities Canada, Metrolinx and the University of Toronto. Key findings, extrapolated for a full school year, show the 19 STP projects studied are estimated to have: - reduced 192,224 vehicle kilometres travelled; - reduced 41.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and 1.7 tonnes of air pollutants; and - increased physical activity, including 1.3 million minutes of walking, and 2 million minutes of cycling. Translated into dollars, this increase in walking and decrease in driving shows: - annual societal benefits of approximately $200,000; - net benefits of $1.8 million is STP if maintained for 11 years; and - an average benefit per student of approximately $221 over 11 years. Based on the average benefits versus the average costs per student, if STP programming was delivered across Ontario the benefit-cost ratio would be 1.8. In other words, benefits are almost double the costs. The STP model was introduced in response to studies showing the number of children being driven to school nearly doubled over the 20 year period between 1986 and 2006. Driving causes traffic congestion, safety concerns and increased air pollution around schools. STP promoted active and sustainable ways of getting to school at 71 elementary schools in Ontario between 2009 and 2012. -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Fwd: [RAIN] Snow patterns showing opportunities for depaving
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 06 Feb '14

06 Feb '14

Here are some interesting photos from Philadelphia using snow patterns to show what parts of roads are used and what parts aren't. This could be useful in terms of planning for enhanced pedestrian crossings and/or including storm-water management infrastructure as part of the inclusion of AT infrastructure in roadway redevelopments... Jackie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <cblakelock(a)greencommunitiescanada.org> Date: 6 February 2014 10:27 Subject: [RAIN] Snow patterns showing opportunities for depaving To: rain(a)greencommunitiescanada.org, depave(a)greencommunitiescanada.org In case you missed it on facebook and twitter, here's a cool series of photos from Philadelphia showing how patterns in the snow can show what parts of roads are actually used and what aren't. http://thisoldcity.com/advocacy/photos-what-snow-tells-us-about-creating-be… It could be a fun idea to see if you can see examples of this in your communities and take photos to post on social media! *Clara Blakelock* Coordinator of Water Programs, Green Communities Canada (705) 745 7479 ext. 159 www.greencommunitiescanada.org www.slowrain.ca www.depaveparadise.ca www.raingardentour.ca _______________________________________________ RAIN mailing list RAIN(a)greencommunitiescanada.org http://greencommunitiescanada.org/mailman/listinfo/rain_greencommunitiescan… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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New York's Cyclists Are Getting Better at Following the Rules
by Dave Elmore 05 Feb '14

05 Feb '14

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2014/02/new-york-more-cyclists-has- led-better-biking-habits/8299/ New York's Cyclists Are Getting Better at Following the Rules More New Yorkers are riding bicycles than ever before, on an ever-expanding network of bike lanes. The city's new bike-share system has had phenomenal early success, logging 40,000 trips daily on peak days in good weather, and even averaging nearly 9,600 in the cold and snowy month of January <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/nyregion/snow-ice-and-wind-no-issue-for-c iti-bikes-die-hards.html> . But it's not just the number of riders that is different from the past. A new study suggests that the way New Yorkers ride is changing - for the better. According to the research, conducted by Peter Tuckel and William Milczarski of Hunter College at the City University of New York, New Yorkers on bikes are measurably more law-abiding than they were just four years ago. They are also proportionally more female. The study, "Bike Lanes + Bike Share = Bike Safety" [PDF <http://silo-public.hunter.cuny.edu/62eaab1fad6c75d37293d2f2f6504a15adacd5c6 /Cycling_Study_January_2014.pdf> ], looked at the behavior of 4,316 bicyclists at 98 different locations in central and lower Manhattan. The researchers compared the resulting data to what they found in a similar, although not identical, survey in 2009. Since that year, the city has installed more than 200 more miles of bike lanes, for a total of 537 miles; launched a bike-share system with 6,000 bikes (in May 2013); and seen a pronounced increase in general ridership <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/bike-counts.shtml> . Cyclists have a legitimate right to the street. What has changed, with so many more people on two wheels? "There has been a significant improvement in bike safety," says Tuckel. More riders are stopping, or at least pausing, at red lights; riding in bike lanes; and wearing helmets. Fewer riders are pedaling against traffic. This, despite predictions <http://www.policymic.com/articles/12371/citi-bike-share-program-in-nyc-will -bring-total-carnage/186972> that the launch of the city's bike-share program last May would mean chaos, as inexperienced riders hit the city's notoriously contested streets. "Everybody had predicted with the Citi Bike riders that there would be a spike in the number of accidents," says Tuckel. "I think it was the same people that predicted that the Broncos were going to win the Super Bowl. It didn't materialize." In fact, the study found that Citi Bike riders were exceptionally law-abiding, and there have been relatively few, mostly minor injuries <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/nyregion/no-riders-killed-in-first-5-mont hs-of-new-york-city-bike-share-program.html?_r=0> in the first few months of the program. Here are a few of the findings that Tuckel and Milczarski gleaned from their research: * The proportion of women pedaling on the city's streets is still low, just 21.1 percent. But compared to the 2009 study, the proportion of female riders to male has doubled. Women made up 31.1 percent of Citi Bike riders observed. * Women tend to be much more law-abiding than men in every way, but male bike-share riders stop fully at red lights at a rate significantly higher than male general cyclists or male delivery cyclists. * In the recent study, 34 percent of riders were observed going through red lights without pausing or stopping, down about 10 percentage points from 2009. * Just 4.2 percent of cyclists were observed riding against traffic in the street and 3.2 percent were riding against traffic in the bike lane, for a combined total of 7.4 percent - well below the 13.2 percent recorded in 2009. * Helmet use rose from 29.9 percent to 49.8 percent, with much of that being driven by an increase in use by male commercial cyclists (the city passed a law in 2007 that requires businesses to provide their delivery riders with helmets), who wore them at a rate of 72.7 percent. Among general male cyclists, helmet use also went up dramatically, from 32.2 percent to 47.8 percent. * Citi Bike riders in general are more compliant with traffic laws and ride in bike lanes at a higher rate than other riders. As for helmets, 31.1 percent of male Citi Bike riders and 36.2 percent of female Citi Bike riders were wearing them. "They're taking advantage of the infrastructure," says Tuckel of the bike-share user. "That's important from a policy standpoint." Not only did the presence of more bike infrastructure literally pave the way for the bike-share program in New York, he says, the lanes have made a place for a more diversified ridership. Women and Citi Bike riders of both sexes are more likely to use bike lanes when they are available. Tuckel says that the most recent data reflects an evolving street culture in New York, one in which drivers no longer have a monopoly on the roadway and all users are adjusting to new infrastructure. "I think what is happening now in New York City is that drivers realize that even though they have had a dominant position on the road, the roads now have to be shared," says Tuckel. "Drivers are becoming more aware of cyclists, and cyclists are becoming more aware of drivers. It's going to result in safer habits for drivers and cyclists."

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Free Creative Commuting Ambassador Sessions
by Jessie Klassen 05 Feb '14

05 Feb '14

Green Action Centre has some free upcoming Creative Commuting Ambassador Training<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/creative-commuting-ambassador-training/>sessions that may be of interest to many of you. Also, just a friendly reminded to strap on your skates, skis, snowshoes or otherwise for the Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/bougeons-en-hiver-the-jack-frost-challe…>starting this Saturday! [image: Inline image 3] *Creative Commuting Ambassador Training* Want to support your co-workers to bike, bus, walk or carpool? Does employee health and wellness or benefits fall under your responsibilities? Perhaps you simply want to improve green commuting options at your workplace. Sign up for one of our FREE workshops to increase your knowledge, answer questions and grow your toolkit of resources. *I: Tools and hands-on training* *Wednesday, February 26, 1:00 - 4:30pm* Become a Creative Commuting Ambassador at your workplace! Get the tools and guidance to support your co-workers to get the most out of their commutes. >From a basic primer on different types of bike infrastructure to transit tools, such as Navigo, BUStxt and transit apps, to understanding carpooling vs carsharing. *II: Baseline commuting surveys* *Wednesday, March 12, 12:00 - 1:30pm* Understanding how your co-workers currently get around will help inform your next steps. This 1-1/2 hour workshop will help you plan and create a basic online survey to determine existing commuting habits and what programs, policies or incentives could have the biggest impact on commuting choices at your workplace. *III: Creating change over time* *Wednesday, March 26, 1:00 - 4:30pm* Do you want to sing the praises of creative commuting with your co-workers but no one seems to be listening? Explore the many facets of behaviour change from a social marketing, transitions and systems perspective. Walk away with some strategies you can apply to create a more commuter friendly and active workplace. *Location: *All workshops are held in the EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). *Register today: *Email beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca or jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca today or call us at (204) 925-3772. *Jessie Klassen* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca>| Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3772 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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Sunday Review: When Pedestrians Get Mixed signals
by Beth McKechnie 02 Feb '14

02 Feb '14

SundayReview <http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html#sundayreview> |OPINION When Pedestrians Get Mixed Signals By TOM VANDERBILTFEB. 1, 2014 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/opinion/sunday/when-pedestrians-get-mixed… A FEW years ago, I was waiting to cross the street in Los Angeles. And kept waiting. I watched several cycles of traffic go through the intersection. I checked my iPhone. I admired the distant Hollywood Hills. But the indication to walk never came. I was contemplating a four-lane dash when a man appeared who told me I had to press the "Walk" button. I did, and at the next signal change for cars, my signal appeared as well. At first, I applauded this municipal beneficence, which I encountered during a visit while researching my book. Los Angeles is looking after its pedestrians! In New York City, by contrast, the once-functioning "Walk" buttons were left to go dormant, then largely removed. But in my subsequent visits to Los Angeles, my feelings have shifted. The reason the buttons were rendered obsolete in New York is that there was no need for them. There were always pedestrians waiting to cross. In Los Angeles, the working button came to seem a rare and feeble plea: May I *please* cross the street? Let's put aside the tired trope that no one walks in Los Angeles -- Ray Bradbury nailed that one with his 1951 short story "The Pedestrian," about a man picked up by the police for the suspicious activity of walking. In fact, Los Angeles has many places that are quite pleasant for walking. Take the Silver Lake neighborhood: It does not even rank among the city's top 20 "most walkable" areas, according to the website Walk Score<http://www.walkscore.com/CA/Los_Angeles/Silver_Lake>, yet still wins 75 points ("most errands can be accomplished on foot") -- a number that puts many American cities to shame. In 2012, the city hired its first "pedestrian coordinators." But then came the surest indication of a walking resurgence in Los Angeles: It suddenly had a pedestrian problem. As The Los Angeles Times reported<http://articles.latimes.com/2013/dec/18/opinion/la-ed-jaywalking-20131218>, the Police Department was targeting people for a variety of pedestrian violations in downtown Los Angeles -- an area that once featured as an emptied post-apocalyptic wasteland in the 1971 science fiction movie "The Omega Man," but has of late enjoyed a renaissance of life, much of it occasioned by foot traffic. "We're heavily enforcing pedestrian violations because they're impeding traffic and causing too many accidents and deaths," said Lt. Lydia Leos<http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/police-crackdown-on-jaywalking-means-tic…> of the Los Angeles Police Department. Thus a familiar pattern reasserts itself: The best way to reduce pedestrian deaths is to issue tickets to pedestrians. A similar dynamic can be seen<http://www.newstimes.com/news/us/article/I-m-walkin-here-NYC-takes-aim-at-j…> in recent weeks after a spate of pedestrian deaths in New York City, where Mayor Bill de Blasio has endorsed more aggressive enforcement by the New York Police Department against jaywalkers. Enforcement against jaywalking varies between states, but it is an infraction in most, even a misdemeanor in some. The international picture is mixed: Crossing the road at other than a designated spot is also an offense in Canada, Spain, Poland and Australia, among other countries. Singapore is especially harsh -- jaywalking can earn a three-month prison sentence. As you might expect, Scandinavian countries are less punitive. In Britain, the term is rare, and the presumption is that crossing the road safely is a matter of personal responsibility. But neither enforcement nor education has the effect we like to think it does on safety. Decades of graphic teenage driving safety films did not bring down teenage driving deaths; what did was limiting the age and conditions under which teenagers could begin to drive. Similarly, all the "awareness campaigns" on seatbelt usage have had a fraction of the impact of simply installing that annoying chime that impels drivers to buckle up. If tough love will not make pedestrians safer, what will? The answer is: better walking infrastructure, slower car speeds and more pedestrians. But it's easier to write off the problem as one of jaywalkers. Nowadays, the word connotes an amorphous urban nuisance. In fact, the term once referred to country bumpkins ("jays"), who came to the city and perambulated in a way that amused and exasperated savvy urban bipeds. As the historian Peter Norton <http://virginia.academia.edu/PeterNorton> has documented, the word was then overhauled in the early part of the 20th century. A coalition of pro-automobile interests Mr. Norton calls "motordom" succeeded in shifting the focus of street safety from curbing the actions of rogue drivers to curbing rogue walkers. The pedestrian pushback was shortlived: An attempt to popularize the term "jay driver" was left behind in a cloud of exhaust. Sure, we may call an errant driver, per the comedian George Carlin, an "idiot" or a "maniac," but there is no word to tar an entire class of negligent motorists. This is because of the extent to which driving has been normalized for most Americans: We constantly see the world through what has been called the "windshield view." Those humans in Los Angeles who began walking a second or two after the light was blinking were, after all, violating the "Vehicle Code." Note that cars, apparently, do not violate a "Human Code." As for pedestrian safety, which is the typical stated purpose of jaywalking crackdowns, more pedestrians generally are killed in urban areas by cars violating their right of way than are rogue pedestrians violating vehicles' right of way. Then there are those people struck on sidewalks, even inside restaurants. What do we call that? Jay-living? I routinely jaywalk across one-way streets with my young daughter in our Brooklyn neighborhood. I do this not as an act of vigilante pedestrianism, but simply because the times we came closest to being hit by cars were when we had the "Walk" signal and a driver attempted to make a turn. Pedestrians, who lack air bags and side-impact crash protection, are largely rational creatures. Studies have shown that when you shorten the wait to cross a street, fewer people will cross against the light. When you tell people how long they must wait to cross, fewer people will cross against the signal. When you actually give people a signal, more will cross with it. As the field of behavioral economics has been discovering, rather than penalizing people for opting out of the system, a more effective approach is to make it easier to *opt in*. The Los Angeles Police Department may be patrolling on foot in downtown Los Angeles, but it is still looking through the windshield. Tom Vanderbilt is the author of "Traffic" and a visiting scholar at New York University's Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management.

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These 15 stories show exactly how great bikeways help local economies
by Dave Elmore 01 Feb '14

01 Feb '14

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/these-15-stories-show-exactly-how-g reat-bikeways-help-local-economies These 15 stories show exactly how great bikeways help local economies January 15, 2014 Michael Andersen, Green Lane Project staff writer It's time for American bicycling advocates, government leaders and the public at large to permanently retire an idea that's been hurting our economy, preventing equitable development and generally holding our country back. Here's the destructive, mistaken idea: that great biking is something a city pays for if it can afford it. The truth is just the opposite. In the modern United States, creating protected bike lanes and other great bikeways are something a city does to help create prosperity. Great bikeways are things people make so they and their governments can afford to do all the other important things they want to do. Great biking, in other words, is wonderful. But for cities, it's not the end goal. Great biking is the means. The reason that not everyone already thinks this way - even many of us who passionately support bicycling - is that until recently, it wasn't nearly as true. In a major report being released today <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/Protected%20Bike%20Lanes%20Mea n%20Business.pdf> , the national research and advocacy groups PeopleForBikes <http://peopleforbikes.org> and the Alliance for Biking and Walking <http://peoplepoweredmovement.org> consider four megatrends that are transforming the U.S. economy in ways that are only now being widely understood, only now being integrated into the conventional wisdom of American communities and businesses. Here they are: * Skills are scarcer: Companies are scrambling to attract the most skilled Millennials and Gen X-ers, who increasingly prefer downtown jobs and commutes that don't involve a car. * Cities are more popular: Americans are flocking to urban areas, creating demand for solutions that increase traffic flow without adding congestion. * Unhealthy lifestyles are more expensive: With health care costs near an all-time high, employers are scrambling to encourage active living. * We are literally running out of room for all our cars: In the country's newly thriving urban shopping districts, physical space is at a higher premium than ever before. In today's report, we use 15 stories from thriving businesses in Texas, Illinois, Oregon, California and Washington DC, backed with up-to-the-minute research from academic and government studies, to show with concrete examples and personal stories how bicycles, and the protected bike lanes that are proven to put more people on bicycles, are solving each of these problems and creating economic growth for the cities that are using them. We'll also be covering these issues over the next week here on the blog. But you can start by checking out the full report <http://peopleforbikes.org/page/-/uploads/GLP/Protected%20Bike%20Lanes%20Mea n%20Business.pdf> , and maybe sharing it with someone else who might be interested. Neither of you may think about better biking the same way again.

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Cold Campus Cycling - FREE Winter Cycling Congress Panel & Workshop at University of Manitoba - February 14, 2014
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '14

01 Feb '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ian Hall <Ian.Hall(a)umanitoba.ca> Date: Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 3:49 PM Subject: Cold Campus Cycling - FREE Winter Cycling Congress Panel & Workshop at University of Manitoba - February 14, 2014 Hi friends, You're invited to join us for Cold Campus Cycling<http://umanitoba.ca/campus/sustainability/events.html>at the University of Manitoba - a free, open-to-all panel discussion and facilitated workshop focused on winter cycling in a campus environment. Four experts from around the world will share their perspectives on the planning, design, culture, and engineering keys to great cold campus cycling. Join us for the panel (1 p.m.), a coffee break (2 p.m.), the workshop (2:30 p.m.), or all three. For those attending the main Winter Cycling Congress at The Forks, a group ride option from downtown to the university on a bike route is planned (alternatively, the University is well served by Transit <http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo>). I'd be grateful if you could share this invitation with your networks. Thanks, Ian

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WTA News
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Rivers West <info(a)riverswest.ca> Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 16:20:47 -0600 Good day, Winnipeg Trails Association (WTA) through Rivers West continues to work on behalf of all Winnipeg Trails groups. We will communicate the activities & events that are happening in the city, what we are doing on your behalf, and we will assist you with some events. Limited funding is currently available through Rivers West to provide trails associations with honoraria and assistance with expenses for community trail events, Jane's Walks and International Trails Day. Read more on this subject in the attached newsletter. We look forward to working with all of you in 2014! -- *Sylvie Fouasse* Rivers West info(a)riverswest.ca (204) 925-2320 ext 108

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Repeat webinar by demand: Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and Walking, Thurs, Feb.6th, noon-1:30, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

Given that many people interested in this APBP webinar were not able to attend the original airing a couple of weeks ago, we are holding a repeat viewing next week. Please see the attached slides for reference. Join Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg in the boardroom at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) next Thursday at noon for this 90-minute webinar. Very timely issue and a nice lead-in to the International Winter Cycling Congress <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>happening in Winnipeg the week following. Also mark your calendar for the next APBP webinar on Wed, Feb. 19th, 2-3pm, on the topic of "Designing for Pedestrian and Cyclist Comfort". Details to follow closer to the date. cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and Walking *Thursday, Feb. 6th | 12:00-1:30 p.m.* Winter conditions vary across a range of temperatures and precipitation, but in all cases communities must find ways to provide safe, accessible conditions for winter cycling and walking while balancing competing priorities. This webinar offers examples of policies and practices that are used to ensure timely snow removal from sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes and cycle tracks. Presenters in this session will discuss: - An overview of different types of winter climates and how facilities and maintenance should be adapted to local climate - Different policy approaches to snow removal from sidewalks - The importance of prioritization and predictability of snow removal in encouraging winter cycling - A pilot program to determine operation and funding requirements to achieve improved snow clearing and street sweeping along on-street bike routes. Presenters include: - Tyler Golly, General Supervisor - Sustainable Transportation, City of Edmonton, Alberta - Marc Jolicoeur, Research Director, Velo Quebec - Nicole Losch, Bicycle/Pedestrian/Environmental Planner, City of Burlington, Vermont - Arthur Ross, Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator, City of Madison, Wisconsin

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Winter Walking Day - Saturday, Feb 8th
by Janice Lukes 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

And here is another winter event - for the walkers in the crowd! See attached poster - and those warming huts on the river are a must see! * * * * * * * * * * Come and join Sharon Blady, Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors, the Winnipeg Trails Assoc. and friends to walk on the Red River Mutual River Trail! DATE: Saturday, February 8th TIME: 11:00 am MEET: At the central canopy in front of the Forks Market building! Calling all Winnipeg winter walkers! Walk and talk with the Minister, check out the architecturally designed warming huts, sip on free hot chocolate and make new winter memories with friends and families! We have ordered up a sunny mild day - so shake that cabin fever and come out for a winter walk!

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Fwd: Conference Program Updates and Other Exciting News
by Beth McKechnie 30 Jan '14

30 Jan '14

In case you're not receiving these messages, some really fantastic activities happening with the upcoming conference. If you haven't registered yet, sign up today<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/register/>! See you there. cheers, Beth ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 < info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org> Date: Thu, Jan 30, 2014 at 10:00 AM Subject: Conference Program Updates and Other Exciting News <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> Why hello there! Just under two weeks to go! This is the second in a series of e-newsletter updates about the Winter Cycling Congress 2014. Major announcements only. This one is a doozie. Please read carefully. Join us on Twitter<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> , Facebook<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> or LinkedIn<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> for up-to-the-minute updates and other fun stuff. *1.* *See who is speaking*. Go here to learn a bit more about all of the talented speakers that are making this event special.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> *2. You can be a speaker too! Tell everyone your story on Thursday night! *Be a part of an exciting public event where delegates, speakers and the people of Winnipeg are invited to mix at the St.Boniface Research Centre to exchange stories! With a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear from guests from around the world, we are inviting everyone involved in the conference to consider submitting a short, image-based presentation to be presented rapid-fire style in the Samuel N. Cohen Auditorium. Based on the popular *Pecha Kucha* presentation format, *"Betcha Couldya: **Reflections on Human Powered Winter Travel"* is a fun event with music, drinks, DIY workshops, mingling and a succession of stories from at home and around the world. Speaking slots are limited. Topics are open ended. Entry is free or by donation to local bike education programs. Go here for more information, and to sign up to speak.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> Made possible by Alta Planning + Design. *3.* *Do you need a bike?* Courtesy of Winnipeg's local volunteer-run bikeshops and others, there will be a limited number of bicycles available for "rent" to conference guests. Rental is by donation. Bikes vary in size/type. Bring your own lock (mandatory) or helmet should you choose to wear one. First come first serve. To help us gauge interest, please go here to fill out a brief form<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>. Made possible by the WRENCH<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> . *4. Hungry? Sign up for the Moveable Feast . . . Winnipeg's one-of-a-kind Winter Cycling Restaurant Tour.* Thursday evening, just before the Betcha Couldya, this one-of-a-kind opportunity features a stop on the now-famous Raw: Almond restaurant right on the frozen river, warm drinks in a snow maze, dessert on a winter patio and more. Come see and taste Winnipeg for yourself! Spaces are reserved for conference-goers, but is very limited. Sign up now.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> Made possible by The Downtown Winnipeg Biz and Freig and Associates. *5. Sign up for the Winnipeg Cultural and Architectural Icons Tours.*Also Thursday evening, just before the Betcha Couldya. Featuring special access for conference delegates, speakers and volunteers only, this is your chance to visit the newly built Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the inimitable Winnipeg Art Gallery. Culture buffs will not want to miss this one. Go here for more info and to sign up.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=abc…>Thanks to Freig and Associates and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ for organizing. *6.* *Winter Cities Bicycle Infrastructure Design Course.* Tuesday all day. There is still room left for participants in this important pre-conference session<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> being held at the Millenium Library on Tuesday, February 11th. The design course costs extra, but is heavily discounted for conference participants. Sign up now!<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>Kudos to our friends at Urban Systems for making it happen. *7. U of M Post Conference Session - Cold Campus Cycling.* Friday afternoon, just after the conference. Typically university campuses exhibit some of the highest numbers of winter cyclists. The U of M may not be the University of Madison or the University of Oulu, but they have big plans. Our biggest University is undergoing some significant and exciting changes and they are keen to get feedback on what is possible. Come down and hear from 4 experts who know how it works and participate in some lively discussion and workshops. Go here for more info.<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> Brought to you by the U of M. *8. Can't make it to the conference? Have to work? There is still plenty of **time to commit to riding on Winter Bike to Work Day on Friday, February 14th, 2014.* Celebrate winter riding the simplest way. There are numerous communities participating (From Alaska to Winnipeg to Finland) - or just sign up as an individual. Everything you need to know is here: Winter Bike to Work Day<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> . *9. A Few Good Causes.* Faced with the slight possibility that this non-profit conference may have money left over once we cover expenses, any additional money raised will be donated to local and international causes working to improve cycling conditions for everyone. Specifically, The WRENCH<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> (local volunteer bike repair for at-risk youth), Bike Winnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> (local volunteer bike advocacy) and the Winter Cycling Federation<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> (for the development of future conferences). *10. Music, Fancy Dress and More. *The next update will feature information on after-parties, local bands, the banquet at one of Winnipeg's oldest and most beautiful hotels and much more. Thanks again for staying connected to a very special conference. Contact us anytime for questions or comments! We would sincerely like to thank our partners the City of Winnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>and the Province of Manitoba<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>. Thanks also to our major sponsors Mobycon<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Urban Systems<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Vélo Québec<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Downtown Winnipeg BIZ<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Rivers West Red River Corridor<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> /Winnipeg Trails Association<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, University of Manitoba<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Green Action Centre<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Tourism Winnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=abc…>, The Forks<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Alta Planning + Design<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>, Eco-Counter<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>, Stantec<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>and everyone else<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…>who has have helped make this conference a success. This could not have happened without you. Feel Free to Share this Message Widely. Sincerely, *The Organizing Team* *Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…>* *Feb 12**-14, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* phone. 1-204-797-1962 facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> twitter. @wccwpg<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=abc…> . #wccwpg #wintercycling Sign up for our newsletter here<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=abcb…> . This email was sent to beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca *why did I get this?*<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/about?u=abcb7e25b4…> unsubscribe from this list<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=abcb…> update subscription preferences<http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.us7.list-manage.com/profile?u=abcb7e25…> Winter Cycling Congress · c/o Rivers West Red River Corridor · 235 - 614 Des Meurons Street · Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9 · Canada [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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Fwd: Active & Green: IISD is 'Gold'en, Take on Jack Frost, Winter Cycling Celebration
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jan '14

28 Jan '14

Hope you enjoy the latest issue of Active & Green! If you would like to subscribe directly or check out past issues, you can do so here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/active-green/> . cheers, Beth Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=530a28a91d…> *Looking to add some GOLD to your workplace?* Request resources<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>on cycling, carpooling, commuting surveys and tracking progress, among others. Book a presentation<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>on green commuting options and creating a commuter friendly workplace. Become a Commuting Ambassador! Sign up today for a FREE training session<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> : *1) Commuting Tools and Hands-On Training *(Wed, Feb. 26th, 1-4:30pm) *2) Baseline Commuting Surveys *(Wed, Mar. 12th, 12-1:30pm) *3) Behaviour Change *(Wed, Mar. 26th, 1-4:30pm) ------------------------------ *Upcoming Events* *Snow Trek*<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> *Feb. 2 - Harbourview* Feb. 9 - Living Prairie The Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> *February 8-14* *Winter Walk Day <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> Saturday, February 8* *International Winter Cycling Congress <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>* *February 12-14* *A Moveable Feast: Cycling Tour of Restaurants <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Thurs, Feb. 13, 4:45-8:00pm* *Winter Bike to Work Day <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Friday, February 14* *F <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>amily Winter Cycling Celebration <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> Friday, Feb. 14, 4-7pm* *Commuter Challenge <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> June 1-7, 2014* ------------------------------ *Mark your calendar! Rapid Transit Stage 2 - Open Houses* Set aside an hour on *February 24 or 25* to attend the public open houses for Stage 2 of the Southwest Rapid Transitway<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>in Winnipeg. This leg will run from Pembina and Jubilee to the U of M and the football stadium. Stay tuned for more details on our website<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . ------------------------------ *What's up with the Ped/Bike Strategies?* Looks like it will be at least another month or two before Public Open Houses will be held for the Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Word has it the City and consultants are busy drafting what will be presented. Stay tuned for updates<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>through our regular Green Action Centre newsletter, which comes out every three weeks. ------------------------------ *'Walkmobile' claims equal space for pedestrians* Austrian engineer Hermann Knoflaccher demonstrates in his 'walkmobile'<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>how much space a pedestrian would take if they were in a car. Pictures truly speak a thousand words. (Photo courtesy of Dr. G. Emberger) ------------------------------ *Carpooling stories* When a group of ACU employees started sharing a ride to work, they gained more than convenience and extra savings. Most importantly, they became fast friends. Read their full story here<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> . ------------------------------ *Share Active & Green* Like what you read? Share with your friends and family. Show your support: become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>or make a donation<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> to Green Action Centre. Thanks! *[image: Twitter] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> [image: Facebook] <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>* *IISD is 'GOLD'en* Imagine working in a place where 87% of staff take the bus (thanks to an EcoPass discounted bus pass program), where secure bike parking and showers are available when you arrive, where work-from-home options and compressed work weeks are normal, and where taxi vouchers are available if you need to get home in a hurry. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) has turned this ideal into a reality. IISD was awarded the 2013 GOLD Commuter Friendly Workplace Award<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> by Green Action Centre at a staff celebration held in December. Congratulations, IISD! ------------------------------ *Take on Jack Frost Feb 8-14* Stay active this winter! Sign up your friends, family, co-workers and classmates to glide, swish, pedal and crunch your way to 130 km of fresh air, fun and 'cool' prizes. Register<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>your team of five today, then get ready to take the Bougeons en hiver: Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>from February 8 to 14. ------------------------------ Back on Track If one of your New Year's Resolutions involved getting a little more active or adding more green to your life, Green Action Centre might have what you're looking for. Sign up you and your friends for the Jack Frost Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Survey<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>your co-workers on how they get to work and how they'd like to get to work with better infrastructure and policies. Become a Commuting Ambassador<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>at your workplace by taking one of our free upcoming training sessions. Or subscribe to Green Action Centre's general e-newsletter<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>and receive practical tips on greener living and environmental issues in Manitoba. ------------------------------ *Winter Cycling Celebration* It's all about getting on your bike in Winnipeg from Feb 12-14th (and beyond). Start with the 2nd International Winter Cycling Congress<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> being held in our fair city. Really, where better to hold a winter conference? (Oulu, Finland, took the honour last year.) Follow that up Thursday evening with A Moveable Feast cycling tour<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>of restaurants in the heart of the city. Continue riding the next morning for Winter Bike to Work Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>. Then top it off with an entire family celebration of winter cycling at The Forks<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> Friday afternoon, co-hosted by our very own Active and Safe Routes to School program staff here at Green Action Centre and the good folks at MEC. Whew! That's a lot of cycling. ------------------------------ *Bendy buses a big hit* Had a chance to try out one of the new 'bendy' buses yet? Winnipeg Transit introduced the 60-foot articulated buses on January 13th on the St Vital Express Route #54. A full 20 feet longer than regular buses, these behemoths can accommodate 40% more passengers. Seeing is believing -- the inside of the bus seems to go on forever. For extra fun, choose the swing seat in the middle! Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Canada Add us to your address book<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f…> Copyright (C) 2014 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. Forward<http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=530…>this email to a friend Update your profile<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

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(no subject)
by Dave Elmore 28 Jan '14

28 Jan '14

Hard to believe but apparently true http://www.sfgate.com/news/crime/article/Cyclist-Driver-didn-t-see-me-stuck- in-windshield-5161867.php#photo-5753097 Cyclist: Driver didn't see me stuck in windshield Updated 6:41 am, Friday, January 24, 2014 Steven Gove of Manitowoc, Wis., talks about how lucky he was to escape serious injury after he was stuck in the windshield of a moving car, Monday, Jan 20, 2014. Gove says he was struck Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014 night while riding his three-wheeled bicycle. Gove says he was wearing an overcoat with a reflective vest and he had front and rear flashers on. He says he's not sure why the driver didn't see him. Photo: Sue Pischke, AP MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin man who became lodged in the windshield of a car that struck him said he turned to the driver and said, "Hello, I'm the guy you hit on the bicycle." The driver did not respond, but continued on, running a stop sign and hitting another vehicle before he arrived home, the cyclist, Steven Gove <http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fc rime&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Steven+Gove%22> , told HTR Media about the Saturday incident (http://htrne.ws/1bI58jh ). The man finally noticed Gove when he stopped the car outside his home. "He looked at me and said 'Who are you? What are you doing in the car?'" Gove said. "He started freaking out: 'I'm going to jail, I'm going to jail.'" The man then locked the car doors and went into his home. Gove, whose body had gone most of the way through the windshield, then pulled his knees and feet into the car. "I righted myself and got out," he said. "I unlocked the passenger's side door and started walking down the street." A witness had called police, who found Gove as he was walking and took him to a hospital. Doctors removed glass from Gove's eyes and treated him for other cuts to the head and leg. The driver, a 20-year-old Manitowoc man, was found at the home and treated at a hospital for a serious cut to the hand. He hadn't been formally charged as of Tuesday morning, but he was facing several preliminary charges, including suspicion of drunken driving, suspicion of hit-and-run causing injury and suspicion of failing to render aid. Gove, a 56-year-old newspaper carrier, was shocked that the driver didn't see him on his three-wheeled delivery bike. "I was wearing my blue overcoat with my neon reflective vest," said Gove. "I had my front and rear flashers on. I have no idea why he didn't see me." A 50-year-old Green Bay man died in a similar accident in 2007. Steven Warrichaiet <http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fc rime&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Steven+Warrichaiet%22> was sentenced to 15 years in prison for hitting Tyrone Ware, driving home with Ware's body lodged in the windshield and leaving Ware in the garage while Warrichaiet went inside and fell asleep on the couch. An autopsy showed Ware died instantly of spinal injuries.

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WFP: Crosswalk cams eyed (Jan.25'14) & Metro Winnipeg: Wpg Police to study ped cameras (Jan.27'14)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Jan '14

27 Jan '14

Crosswalk cams eyed Chief accepts proposal from councillor on concept By: Aldo Santin *http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crosswalk-cams-eyed-241935001.html <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/crosswalk-cams-eyed-241935001.html>* WINNIPEG police will examine the feasibility of installing photo-radar-like cameras and other safety measures at pedestrian corridors. "We have to be open to look at anything that would improve safety for our citizens," Chief Devon Clunis said. The Winnipeg Police Board met Friday morning and agreed to the proposal from Coun. Ross Eadie to study measures to bring motorists into compliance with traffic laws. "Bad motorists are doing this all the time," Eadie (Mynarski) said. "They're blowing through pedestrian corridors because they know they can and they know it's against the law." The board instructed the WPS to look at all aspects of installing cameras, including possible locations, costs and benefits. The report will be brought back in 60 days. The WPS will also consider adopting other measures that will improve pedestrian safety and bring motorists into compliance. Eadie said he's pleased with the board's response and the willingness of Clunis to look into the issue. "This is an issue of police enforcement," Eadie said, adding he believes the most violations are occurring on busy regional routes, including Main Street and Pembina Highway. In Manitoba, motorists who fail to stop for a pedestrian at a pedestrian corridor face a fine of $175.30. Motorists can also be fined an additional $143.75 for passing another vehicle stopped for a pedestrian. Washington, D.C., is the only major municipality in North America with pedestrian cameras, having installed them in November at 16 crosswalks near schools and recreation centres. Clunis told the board installing similar cameras would likely require the approval of the province. Clunis said the WPS had already been looking at the issue of pedestrian safety and driver violations but was not prepared to release any results before a comprehensive report is brought back to the board. "In principle, it sounds like an excellent idea but... you have to look at the practicality of implementing it," Clunis said. aldo.santin(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 25, 2014 B4 * * * * * Winnipeg police to study proposed pedestrian corridor cameras http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/920848/winnipeg-police-to-study-proposed-… A report on the feasibility of red-light-type cameras at pedestrian corridors will be delivered in 60 days, said Winnipeg Police Chief Devon Clunis. “I’m looking at the impetus behind this, it’s about safety,” said Clunis following Friday’s Winnipeg Police Board meeting. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) said the cameras are necessary because drivers are blowing through the crossings. As to how big the problem is, Clunis said the police’s admin will be checking their stats. “We need to go back and look, ‘OK, is this really a primary concern?,’” he added. “Certainly we know that at pedestrian corridors people have been killed in the past, and one death is one too many, but is it a very serious problem? We need to go back and look at that.” Coun. Scott Fielding (St. James-Brooklands), who chairs the police board and is known for his opposition to the photo radar program, said he’ll reserve his judgment until the police report is delivered. “My concern with the photo radar program in the past that it has been more about revenue than it has been about safety,” said Fielding. “(But) from my point of view, I think it doesn’t hurt to listen to ideas.” Should the pedestrian corridors cameras idea garner support, Chief Clunis said any implementation would require changes to provincial legislation.

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The City of Calgary - Bicycle Program Yearbook
by Beth McKechnie 25 Jan '14

25 Jan '14

The Bicycle Program Yearbook<http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Documents/cycling/cycle-yearbook.pdf> is a new tool to help measure, track and report progress on The City’s effort to improve conditions for cycling. The City of Calgary is one of only a few cities world-wide to have published this type of document, also known as a Bicycle Account. Bicycle Accounts are a recommended practice of the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community Program. The Yearbook includes the most recent information on: - The many ways that bicyclists are counted - Tracking the number of bikeways built over the last decade - Photos and descriptions of new bikeway projects - Collision and safety trends - Summary of education and encouragement efforts A snapshot of bicycle data in the Yearbook<http://www.calgary.ca/Transportation/TP/Pages/Cycling/The-Bicycle-Program-Y…>

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Montreal Gazette: Bixi files for bankruptcy protection (Jan20'14)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Jan '14

22 Jan '14

[Sad news! Hopefully there's a solution to be found.] Bixi files for bankruptcy protection Service will roll in Montreal this year, Coderre says BY ANDY RIGA, GAZETTE TRANSPORTATION REPORTER JANUARY 20, 2014 http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Bixi+files+bankruptcy+protection/94… MONTREAL — Bixi was not supposed to cost them a cent but Montreal taxpayers could be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars, the city admitted Monday. The bike-sharing service's debt is almost $50 million. Citing Bixi's "grim financial portrait," Mayor Denis Coderre announced he had forced the city-controlled non-profit company to enter bankruptcy protection. Though he wants Bixi out of the international bike-sharing business, Coderre said he would like to see Bixi continue to roll in Montreal. "We will have Bixi in Montreal this summer," he said, noting many users have purchased memberships. Keeping Bixi operating in the city in 2014 could cost taxpayers a further $1.5 million. Coderre was less definitive about whether Montrealers will have access to bike-sharing beyond 2014. Bixi is unable to neither "meet its financial obligations nor find a viable short-term solution," Coderre said. That was causing "uncertainty regarding the possible recovery of the sums injected by the city." Bixi owes the city $31.6 million on a $37-million city loan. Montreal also guaranteed a line of credit on which Bixi owes $6.4 million. That means Montreal taxpayers could be stuck with a $38-million bill, though the city hopes a sale of the international part of the business will cut that amount. Bixi also owes its suppliers $9 million. In total, then, Bixi's total debt is at least $47 million. Bixi is also embroiled in multimillion-dollar lawsuits with a former software supplier. Montreal's auditor general had warned the city about Bixi's precarious situation. In September, Jacques Bergeron expressed "serious doubts about Bixi's ability to continue operations." At the time, the city denied Bixi was on the brink of bankruptcy. Bixi has operated Montreal's popular bike-sharing service since May 2009. Though backed by the city, the company has refused to make public basic information about its operations. For example, Bixi's 2012 financial statements have yet to be disclosed. For 2013, all Bixi would say is that it had 41,000 Montreal members and that it operated with a deficit of about $4.5 million. Coderre, who took power in November, promised his administration will "keep Montrealers informed about any new developments regarding Bixi." The mayor said "if Bixi can be saved," it is through bankruptcy protection, which will allow Bixi to restructure and give it time to sell its international arm. But Coderre admitted previous attempts to sell off that part of the business have failed. On Monday, he disclosed that for the second time, a potential buyer walked away from a deal after taking a closer look at Bixi's books. Under former mayor Gérald Tremblay's plan, devised in 2007, the sale of the Bixi system to other cities would completely finance bike-share operations in Montreal. It did not work out that way. Bixi was stymied by legal disputes, software glitches, upgrade delays and, most recently, by New York City and Chicago withholding payments, claiming Bixi was not fulfilling its end of the bargain. Since 2012, Bixi has been in a legal dispute with 8D Technologies, the Montreal firm that provided the software for initial Bixi stations. The dispute arose after 8D refused to sell all the rights to the software. Bixi hired a company to build software to replace 8D's in future systems. That software, initially plagued with bugs, is now used by several cities. The latest problems involve back-end software under development by Bixi. It is used by cities to track and analyze usage, among other things. Bixi admits it has been late in providing promised updates, angering New York and Chicago. Bixi chief executive Michel Philibert said Chicago owes Bixi $2.6 million. New York City owes $3 million. In addition, Alta Bicycle Share, the company that operates New York's service, has told Bixi it wants $11 million in damages for software delays. Such disputes are common in business. But Coderre said a city should not be involved in commercial enterprises. He called the international expansion "a mistake." The city "embarked on commercial operations that it should not have been involved in. ... It is not up to taxpayers to assume the financial risk involving a business plan." The opposition at city hall backed Coderre's move. Projet Montréal leader Richard Bergeron said when the dust settles, the system could end up costing taxpayers $25 million or more. He blamed wrong-headed decisions by the Tremblay administration, which shovelled money into Bixi to create an innovative system that would sell internationally. Instead, it should have focused on developing a basic, inexpensive system for Montreal. Bergeron said Montreal's transit authority, the Société de transport de Montréal, has already drawn up a contract that would see it take over Bixi's Montreal operations, though it wants nothing to do with the service's debt. Whether the STM or a private company runs the system, "Bixi will be in the streets in 2014 and there's no reason why it shouldn't be on the streets in 2015, 2016 and so on," Bergeron said. But "it will be a public service, as it should have been from the very beginning." That means an annual city subsidy, which Bergeron estimated would range from $1.5 million to $2 million. "That is not too much for such a service, with more or less 2 million trips a year," he said. "If you pay $1.5 million for 2 million trips, it's 75 cents per trip. That's perfectly acceptable and affordable." Bergeron compared Bixi to public transit: Bixi users pay a fee but not the full cost. The bankruptcy protection process gives Bixi an initial 30 days to restructure. That period can be extended for up to six months, the city said. Bixi employees 66 people. "No job losses are expected at this time," the city said. *BIXI BY THE NUMBERS* *$31.6 million:* Amount Bixi still owes the city of Montreal on $37-million loan. *$6.4 million:* Bixi line of credit, guaranteed by Montreal taxpayers. *$1.5 million:* Estimated amount it could cost the city to ensure Bixi service operates in Montreal this year. *$4.5 million: *Bixi's estimated deficit for 2013 (financial results have not been made public). *$9 million:* Amount Bixi owes to suppliers. *$3 million:* Overdue amount owed by New York City to Bixi. *$11 million:* Amount that Alta Bicycle Share, the company that operates New York's bike-share service, has told Bixi it wants in damages for software delays. *$2.3 million:* Overdue amount owed by Chicago to Bixi. That city, too, is unhappy with software delays. *37,000:* Number of Bixi bikes in operation around the world. *15:* Number of cities that have adopted Bixi, including London and New York. *5,000:* Number of Bixis on Montreal streets in 2013 <ariga(a)montrealgazette.com> <ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com><ariga(a)montrealgazette.com> ariga(a)montrealgazette.com © Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette BY ANDY RIGA, GAZETTE TRANSPORTATION REPORTER JANUARY 20, 2014

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Alternative signage on London Underground
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 22 Jan '14

22 Jan '14

Someone hacked the London Underground signage... If you need a morning smile to warm your bones, here's some persuasion... http://prosign.tumblr.com/post/33766157596/someone-has-made-fake-london-und… Enjoy! Jackie -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 *|* Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>

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List of Bike Share Programs Around the World
by Anders Swanson 21 Jan '14

21 Jan '14

*[ One more. Further to the two recent postings on bike sharing... Companies come and go all the time. Even banks. For anyone looking for a bit more context on the bankruptcy of one bike sharing company, consider the fact that there are now more than 535 the public bike sharing systems around the world and more opening every day. The amount since 2008 has more than doubled. See the link below, for example. Even more interestingly, bike share programs around the world are now starting to stay open all winter, see recent stories in New York, Denver and Chicago. - Anders ]* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_bicycle_sharing_systems

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Guide to using policy to create bicycle friendly communities
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jan '14

21 Jan '14

Stumbled across this policy guide for bicycling that (at an initial glance) looks useful (US document). http://changelabsolutions.org/sites/default/files/Getting_the_Wheels_Rollin… cheers, Beth

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Toronto Star editorial: Urban sprawl is sickening, as well as ugly
by Beth McKechnie 20 Jan '14

20 Jan '14

Urban sprawl is sickening, as well as ugly: Editorial Urban sprawl is sickening, say researchers at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, who found obesity and diabetes higher in suburban areas that discourage walking. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/01/19/urban_sprawl_is_sicken… Published on Sun Jan 19 2014 Urban sprawl is ugly, inefficient and bad for the environment. It’s also – quite literally – sickening. The unhealthiness of spread-out, car-dependant neighbourhoods is clearly spelled out in a new study by St. Michael’s Hospital researchers. Urban planners, municipal leaders and city residents would be wise to pay close attention. Scientists from the hospital’s Centre for Research on Inner City Health found risk of obesity and diabetes was elevated<http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/01/15/more_obesity_diabetes_in_less_wa…>by as much as 33 per cent in suburban areas of Toronto with poor “walkability.” Simply put, the layout of a neighbourhood has a big impact on the health of the people who live in it. The findings were published this past week<http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0085295> in the online journal PLOS One. Older, downtown areas are more walking-friendly because they’re divided into shorter city blocks. There’s a higher population density, so residents aren’t as spread out. And there are more places to go (such as stores and services) within walking distance. In contrast, many outlying Toronto neighbourhoods don’t even have sidewalks. Furthermore, in contrast to sedentary suburbanites, people in walkable communities don’t just stroll more often, they also cycle and use public transit more frequently and are significantly less likely to drive. All that translates into solid health benefits. It’s important to note that other factors, beyond walkable neighbourhoods, do affect risk of obesity. Affluence and ethic origin play a big role too. And it’s possible that walking-friendly neighbourhoods don’t so much inspire residents to use their legs as attract people who were walkers in the first place. None of that should deter city planners and urban activists from pushing to cut sprawl and create walkable communities. Canada is facing an obesity epidemic. And rather than throw up their hands and lament that there’s not much that can be done, policy-makers can play an active role by promoting neighbourhoods specifically designed as healthier places to live. An emphasis on creating fewer single-family homes, and more multi-unit residential buildings, is fundamental. So are zoning initiatives aimed at developing more easy-to-walk-to mixed use areas, expanded public transit lines, and bicycle paths. Sidewalks would be nice, too. Discouraging driving and broadening opportunities for strolling, cycling, and using public transit don’t constitute a “war against the car,” as Mayor Rob Ford calls it, but part of a battle for better health. Urban sprawl is the real foe. And a determined effort is required in order to defeat it.

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Fwd: Four Reasons Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jan '14

16 Jan '14

Friend - It's easy to see that we're living in a changing country. The economy is rebounding after the biggest slowdown since the Great Depression. Americans are moving to cities in record numbers. And more and more people want to be in places where bicycling is easy and comfortable. City leaders and businesses are taking note of these trends. In response, they have discovered an unexpected tool to create opportunities in growing downtown economies: the protected bike lane. In our new report with PeopleForBikes, 15 business leaders explain how protected bike lanes benefit their companies. We break down the latest research to find out how these new lanes make an impact. Keep scrolling for a summary of the four biggest findings -- and click here to read the full report.<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> *1. Americans - especially young people - are driving less and biking more.* Employers say their headhunters get a competitive edge by locating in areas with great biking networks, so savvy companies are locating near protected bike lanes to attract and keep Millennials and Gen X-ers. *2. Americans are flocking to urban areas, congesting city streets and creating market demand for solutions that increase street flow without adding gridlock. * Studies show that homes near bicycle infrastructure appreciate in value more than equivalent houses away from bike lanes. *3. With health care costs at an all-time high, companies are scrambling to get more employees exercising regularly. * Newsflash: healthcare is expensive. Companies benefit when more employees find it pleasant to bike to the office, because workers who exercise regularly are less expensive to insure. *4. In shopping districts, the most valuable customers are those who stop by often. * People who shop by bike tend to buy less in a single visit, but stop by more often. When space is at a high premium, these regulars make for great customers. To learn more, check out the report: Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> . If you like what you see, will you help us spread the word by sharing it?<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001i4M3sOZNJUy-puZDH0qUeSY2pqfGe9zfyQusMWYJQZSq…> Thanks -- happy riding, walking, and transit-taking, Mary Lauran Hall Communications Director Alliance for Biking & Walking <http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001fVXok0jsw3t7yu4AtMBC1w%3D%3…> <http://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp?cc=TEM_Basic_209> This email was sent to beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca by info(a)peoplepoweredmovement.org | Update Profile/Email Address<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=oo&m=001fVXok0jsw3t7yu4AtMBC1w%3D%3…> | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe<http://visitor.constantcontact.com/do?p=un&m=001fVXok0jsw3t7yu4AtMBC1w%3D%3…>™ | Privacy Policy <http://ui.constantcontact.com/roving/CCPrivacyPolicy.jsp>. Alliance for Biking & Walking | PO Box 65150 | Washington | DC | 20035

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Indianapolis bike network built with philanthropic dollars...
by Jackie Avent (ASRTS) 16 Jan '14

16 Jan '14

Very interesting model! Jackie http://www.treehugger.com/cars/biggest-bicycling-infrastructure-achievement… -- *Jackie Avent* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Fwd: Let's bolster the BOLD discussion...
by Winter Cycling Congress 2014 15 Jan '14

15 Jan '14

[FYI. The focus of this discussion is walking, cycling and other modes of winter physical activity. See below.] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Alana Odegard <aodegard(a)winnipeg-chamber.com> Join the conversation and attend the Winnipeg Chamber’s BOLD Breakfast Wednesday, Jan. 22 | 7:30-9:00 am |Radisson Downtown Hear our panel talk about “Winterpeg” and some BOLD ideas on embracing an active winter lifestyle. Tickets: https://winnipegmbcoc.wliinc31.com/events/BOLD-Breakfast-Winterpeg-%28and-p… Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser<http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=3a4a7e5892b132c1c2e330e81&id=41c2bcd691…> . <info(a)winnipeg-chamber.com?subject=BOLD%20Breakfast%20-%20Jan.%2022&body=Please%20register%20me%20for%20this%20event.> To register, please contact Marissa Schluter at (204) 944-8484 or info(a)winnipeg-chamber.com. * <http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com>* *Alana Odegard* Policy & Communications Manager The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce aodegard(a)winnipeg-chamber.com Office: (204) 944-3316 Cell: (204) 297-5703 [image: Description: cid:image001.png@01CEC981.B5FFFDE0]<http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com/>[image: Description: cid:image002.png@01CEC981.B5FFFDE0]<http://www.winnipeg-chamber.com/BOLD/> Confidentiality Warning: This message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the intended recipient(s), are confidential, and may be privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, retransmission, conversion to hard copy, copying, circulation or other use of this message and any attachments is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, and delete this message and any attachments from your system. Thank you. *Winter Cycling Congress Winnipeg 2014 <http://wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org/>* *Feb 12-14, 2014* *Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada* [image: Inline image 1] phone: 1-204-797-1962 email. info(a)wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg.org facebook. /Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg<http://facebook.com/Wintercyclingcongresswinnipeg> twitter. @wccwpg <http://twitter.com/wccwpg>. #wccwpg #wintercycling

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WFP: Big-city feel to bendy bus (Jan.14'14)
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jan '14

14 Jan '14

Big-city feel to bendy bus Articulated unit hits streets to glowing reviews By: Alexandra Paul http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/big-city-feel-to-bendy-bus-240048361… The best part? Everyone got a seat. Transit riders on the No. 54 St. Vital Express were in for a surprise Monday afternoon. One of the city's articulated "bendy" buses made its debut, picking up the first bus riders just before 4 p.m., eastbound on Portage Avenue at Langside Street. There were the obvious comparisons to other cities -- that Winnipeg was a big city now, like Toronto, Ottawa and countless American cities that have big buses and subways. The biggest practical difference was everybody got a seat on a rush-hour bus. Typically it's standing room only by the time the 54 Express makes the turn from Portage Avenue onto Main Street for the long run down St. Mary's Road into St. Vital. "That's pretty cool, first time on an articulated bus," said Jonathan Kos as he cast his gaze around the nearly empty bus. As one of the first passengers, along with a gaggle of university students, Kos and the kids were the first to get a good look inside. "I kept walking. I was so surprised, I just kept walking" past the fare box, University of Winnipeg student Kayla Goossen said. Her companion, Trevor Thomson, nodded beside her. Skipping the fare isn't something Goossen does. Later, the bus driver said he remembered the young student with the long hair. "Yeah, I called her (back)," he said. Goossen returned quickly to drop in her fare. "I really like the length of it, and you didn't really see it when it pulled up, how long it was. It's like two buses," Thomson said. >From the outside, lots of riders missed the fact the articulated bus is 20 metres long (60 feet) compared with a regular 13-metre (40-foot) transit bus. Inside, there was an initial disorienting split second before the eyes adjusted to the new reality, to take in the depth and the long walk back. And to count the three doors, instead of just two on regular buses. And so it went for just about everyone. "I just walked in with the (lineup)," chuckled Ron Ferguson. "No, didn't notice, not until I looked up," he said. Articulated buses have been spotted around the city in the last few weeks in a training role, but a city spokeswoman said the Monday-evening rush-hour run was the first time one of the vehicles had ferried passengers. Winnipeg Transit purchased 20 articulated buses that had been used in Ottawa previously. The vehicles were refurbished by New Flyer Industries, the manufacturer. The second-hand buses were a steal of a deal. Transit picked them up for far less than their new cost, which would have been $625,000 each. Winnipeg's price per bus came to $53,000 (plus GST), roughly the cost of a fully loaded pickup, plus $11,500 each for refurbishment. Winnipeg Transit will slowly integrate the vehicles, which can carry 40 per cent more passengers than a regular transit bus. The first of the new bendy buses arrived before Remembrance Day and were expected to be on city streets weeks earlier, but refurbishing at New Flyer, followed by tweaks by Winnipeg Transit to refit the refurbished buses to match the city's code, took some extra time. In November, Transit Tom picked four routes for the initial passenger runs: Routes 36, 54, 58 and 59, for their high-traffic routes through the St. Vital and Maples areas. The No. 54 Monday was the express from downtown to deep St. Vital. Bus driver Eric Genereux said it took him about half an hour to adjust to the extra space and the gentle accordion swing in the ride. "It feels a lot like a regular 40-foot bus," the transit driver said. "It's a longer bus, that's the difference, I guess. I've got 60 feet to pay attention to on either side and the third door." It's the riders who notice it more: "They all love the added space," the driver said. More than one passenger compared the bendy bus to a transit status symbol, rolling proof the gateway to the Prairies had graduated to a grown-up metropolis. Spin seats at the articulated middle spin gently as the bus makes a turn. Sitting there, passengers don't feel much of anything. But the swing looks cool and playful from other seats. That said, it's no surprise to learn the accordion middle widens and swings far less than, say, the 90-degree turn the bus makes on the street. "There are things to watch. It's like a regular 40-foot bus only it's 60 feet long. It's not the bus driver who does the work, it's the articulated (middle) that's got to work," Transit official Carlos Fernandes said. He said the bus design, with wheels on either side of the accordion middle, is what keeps the bus on track. Toronto, Montreal and Halifax already use articulated buses. alexandra.paul(a)freepress.mb.ca Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 14, 2014 A5

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AT webinar (Wed, Jan 15, 2-3:30, EcoCentre) - Strategies to Enable Witner Cycling and Walking
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '14

13 Jan '14

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the following APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). This will be followed by group discussion of local applications. Detailed description provided below. Please note this webinar is 90 minutes (rather than the usual one hour). RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth (204) 925-3772 ** * * * ** Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and Walking *Wednesday, Jan.15th | 2:00-3:30 p.m.* Winter conditions vary across a range of temperatures and precipitation, but in all cases communities must find ways to provide safe, accessible conditions for winter cycling and walking while balancing competing priorities. This webinar offers examples of policies and practices that are used to ensure timely snow removal from sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes and cycle tracks. Presenters in this session will discuss: - An overview of different types of winter climates and how facilities and maintenance should be adapted to local climate - Different policy approaches to snow removal from sidewalks - The importance of prioritization and predictability of snow removal in encouraging winter cycling - A pilot program to determine operation and funding requirements to achieve improved snow clearing and street sweeping along on-street bike routes. Presenters include: - Tyler Golly, General Supervisor – Sustainable Transportation, City of Edmonton, Alberta - Marc Jolicoeur, Research Director, Velo Quebec - Nicole Losch, Bicycle/Pedestrian/Environmental Planner, City of Burlington, Vermont - Arthur Ross, Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator, City of Madison, Wisconsin *Mark your calendar for the full year of APBP webinars coming up in 2014* January 15 Strategies to Enable Winter Cycling and WalkingFebruary 19 Design for Cyclist and Pedestrian Comfort March 19 All In: The Value of Investing in Complete and Green Streets April 16 Public Health Benefits of Active TransportationMay 21 Best Planning and Engineering Practices for School Zones June 18 Calming Arterial Streets for Safer Walking and Cycling July 16 >From Fast to Safer: Best Practices Where Road Speeds Change August 20 Transform Bicycling and Walking Outside the Urban Context September 17 Optimize Signals for Pedestrians and Bicyclists October 15 Design Treatments to Transition from Trails to Roadways November 19 E-bikes, Electric Assist Bikes and Transportation Policy December 17 Getting to Better Outcomes from Public Engagement

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Summary of FHWA (U.S.) Pedestrian and Bicycle Research and Program Activities
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jan '14

13 Jan '14

Comprehensive summary from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the U.S. on their Pedestrian and Bicycle Research and Program Activities: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/overview/trb_summari… (Thanks to Terry Zdan for circulating.)

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Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

Plans for 'cycle utopia' above London's rail lines http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-25549789 Plans to build a network of cycle paths high above the streets of London are being put forward for consultation. SkyCycle is a 136-mile (219 km) route, with the first phase, proposed from east London to Liverpool Street Station, costing more than £200m. If approved, the 10 routes would be built above existing rail lines and would take about 20 years to complete. The plans will be sent out to interested parties for feedback before a planning application is submitted. Sir Norman Foster, the architect who designed London's Gherkin tower, has been working with Exterior Architecture and Space Syntax on the concept since 2012. He said cycling was one of his great passions, particularly with friends. "I believe that cities where you can walk or cycle rather than drive are more congenial places in which to live," he said. 'Lateral approach' "To improve the quality of life for all in London and to encourage a new generation of cyclists, we have to make it safe. "However, the greatest barrier to segregating cars and cyclists is the physical constraint of London's streets, where space is already at a premium. "SkyCycle is a lateral approach to finding space in a congested city. By using the corridors above the suburban railways, we could create a world-class network of safe, car free cycle routes that are ideally located for commuters." He said early studies of a SkyCycle system indicated that it provided capacity at a much lower cost than building new roads and tunnels. The car-free cycle routes will be accessed via ramps at more than 200 points. Sam Martin and Oli Clark of Exterior Architecture Ltd said: "SkyCycle is an urban cycling solution for London. A cycling utopia, with no buses, no cars and no stress." A spokesman for Network Rail said they supported the plans. He added: "We are always happy to look at ways we can contribute to improving travel and transport in London. We will continue to liaise with all involved as the aspiration for this innovative scheme develops."

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WFP: One-metre Rule -- MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists (Jan.2'14)
by Beth McKechnie 02 Jan '14

02 Jan '14

One-metre RULE MPI told to reinforce message to drivers, cyclists By: Bruce Owen http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/one-metre-rule-238408371.html It doesn't feel like bicycling weather now, but in a few months, thousands of cyclists will take to Winnipeg streets and resume the annual jostling between bicycles and vehicles. In a recent decision, the Public Utilities Board recommended Manitoba Public Insurance "reinforce" the message of a one-metre passing distance between motor vehicles and cyclists. The PUB also wants MPI to conduct detailed research, including mapping, of collision history in the province to present at a hearing expected later this year. Cycling advocates say the public regulator didn't specify how MPI should reinforce the message of safe passing distance. "It is good to see the order for mapping of pedestrian and cycling collisions, but it's disappointing to see that many items have been left as recommendations, not orders," Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said. "Personally, I had hoped for more, however, I am not terribly surprised," added Winnipeg CAN-Bike safety instructor Dave Elmore. "It moves some of our arguments a bit further, but not much. "The question is what does reinforce mean? MPI's reluctance to push this safety measure comes from the fact it is not a requirement of the Highway Traffic Act and thus not really enforceable." Elmore appeared on behalf of Bike Winnipeg, a cycling advocacy group, at the PUB. He argued in order to make city streets safer, MPI should improve its messaging and driver training to emphasize a safer passing distance of one metre between a cyclist and a motor vehicle, and this distance should be increased for speeds greater than 50 km/h. MPI has said between 2001 and 2010, 13 cyclists were killed, 68 were seriously injured and 2,144 were injured less seriously. Elmore also told the PUB it is not sufficient for a motor vehicle and cyclist to share a lane, given the standard width of a lane, adding the term "share the road" is often misinterpreted by motorists as sharing the lane. Bike Winnipeg wants changes to the Highway Traffic Act to make the one-metre guideline law. MPI has said it has met with cyclist groups to update the information it gives to the public about cycling safetyin brochures and on its website. The PUB also wants the province to consider a meeting to review whether MPI is doing and spending enough to promote road safety. In 2012-13, MPI's road-safety and loss-prevention expenses were $13.1 million, which was y $1.7 million less than initially forecast. Road-safety expenses are forecast to decrease to $12.4 million in 2013-14, to $11.5 million in 2014-15 and to $10.6 million in 2015-16. MPI CEO and president Marilyn McLaren said the corporation will continue to work to fulfil its road-safety mandate. "It is not immediately clear what more could be learned through a significantly larger investment in research and analysis about Manitoba vehicle collisions," she said. "Road-safety programming efficacy is a priority across the globe and we will continue to work with Manitobans to reduce risk on our roadways." Elmore said because the PUB has no jurisdiction over the province, a future meeting "is likely to fall upon what we have found, to date, to be deaf ears." Cohoe said research in other jurisdictions has shown many collisions go unreported and more has to be done between MPI, health authorities and police departments and the public to capture those unreported collisions. "This is especially true for collisions involving cyclists as no one agency has the mandate to capture all collisions," he said. "MPI only counts collisions that involve motorized vehicles." bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca *Safety programs put to the test* THE Public Utilities Board says because so little is known about the effectiveness of MPI's road-safety programs, it wants the Crown auto insurer to hit the books to minimize economic and social costs of collisions. "MPI is in the unique position of gathering the most driving and vehicle data in Manitoba. It can provide a leadership role in providing data and conducting research regarding road safety. It is the view of the board that MPI can -- and should -- facilitate or conduct more research and analysis regarding road safety issues," the PUB said in a recent order. For the next rate application next fall the board wants MPI to: A. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to pedestrian/motor-vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; B. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to cyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns; C. Produce an updated map of collisions and fatalities related to motorcyclist/motor vehicle accidents in Winnipeg and in rural Manitoba and report on any patterns. D. Conduct a summative evaluation/benchmarking analysis of its high-school driver education program, focusing on whether there is a difference in outcomes for drivers who have completed the program versus drivers who have not; E. Provide the results of the analysis in (d) above together with an update regarding the Autopac's plans for changes to the High School Driver Education program; F. Provide an independent review of the current road-safety portfolio with a view to optimizing it (and setting goals for outcomes) and minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions; and G. Provide an independent review of the optimal size of a road-safety budget portfolio for the corporation with a view to minimizing the economic and social costs of collisions. Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 2, 2014 A8

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New report: Cycling, Health and Safety (OECD)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Dec '13

28 Dec '13

http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/transport/cycling-health-and-safety_9789282105… Many jurisdictions around the world are trying to retain or increase the share of cycling in urban traffic in order to benefit from the many health and transport efficiency benefits. Safety is a key concern and should be accounted for in these policies. This report of the International Transport Forum's Cycling Safety Working Group monitors international trends in cycling, safety and policy, and explores options that may help decision makers design safe environments for cycling. Key messages relate to strategic goal-setting for cycling policy and managing crash risks while increasing health benefits. The report also discusses how to better capture crash and bicycle usage statistics. The safety impacts of a wide range of pro-cycling measures are examined in detail.

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The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2013/12/15/conservatives-new-enemy-bikes/No LMjnocHg28jZ4hw3F4oI/story.html Conservatives' new enemy: Bikes The bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. Even before Toronto Mayor Rob Ford became internationally famous for being videotaped smoking crack, he was known as a City Hall version of Bluto Blutarsky of "Animal House"-swearing in public, proudly overeating, guzzling booze. His boorishness is so conspicuous and well documented that it raises the question: Who elected this guy? And why? The answer, in large part, comes down to transit. Ford is famously pro-car, and his strongest support came from suburbs outside downtown Toronto, where voters drive into the city during the day and return by car in the evening. One political scientist found that the strongest predictor of whether someone voted for Ford in the 2010 mayoral election was the person's method of commuting: Car commuters were Ford voters; everyone else wasn't. Ford repaid their loyalty by declaring on his first day as mayor that the "war on cars" was over; he abolished the vehicle registration tax and announced a plan to kill light rail in the city simply because, he said, streetcars "are just a pain in the rear end." But Ford reserves special venom for the menace called the bicycle. He is perhaps the most antibike politician in the world. In 2007, he told the Toronto City Council that roads were designed for only buses, cars, and trucks. If cyclists got killed on roads, "it's their own fault at the end of the day," he said. He compared biking on a city street to swimming with sharks-"sooner or later you're going to get bitten." He once summarized his views in City Hall succinctly: "Cyclists are a pain in the ass to the motorists." This all might seem kind of crazy-the rantings of an unmuzzled Canadian demagogue better known for his disastrous personal habits. But in his antipathy for bikes, Ford appears to be part of a trend. Particularly in America, the bicycle is emerging as a new conservative front in the culture wars. In May, Wall Street Journal commentator Dorothy Rabinowitz called bicyclists "the most important danger in the city"; in Colorado's last governor's election, a Republican candidate said a local bike-sharing program "could threaten our personal freedoms." A columnist for the conservative Washington Times declared D.C. bike-sharing programs to be "broken-down socialism"; radio pundit Rush Limbaugh said he "won't care" if his car door knocks over a cyclist. Cyclists who have struggled for years to attract political attention might be surprised to hear themselves talked about as an insidious new social force. But they can also see it as a kind of welcome-a recognition that for better or worse, they have, politically, arrived. In some ways, the bicycle seems profoundly unsuitable as a political lightning rod. True, zero-emission transport is a kind of liberal dream, but the bike is also an icon of self-sufficiency, designed for use by individuals who rely on themselves for upkeep and mobility. Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush all were photographed on their bicycles. The bike has managed to stick around for over a century without joining the likes of organic vegetables and the Prius as symbols of holier-than-thou progressive snobbery. But as health and government officials have begun peddling bicycles as healthy, environmentally responsible alternatives to cars, and cities and towns spend money on new bike infrastructure, conservatives have started to sense a new target. They have begun to deploy "the bike" as a bogeyman in political debates-cast in a role anywhere from physical annoyance to a genuine threat to the American way of life. The most common target of critics has been the new city bike-share programs, an idea imported from Europe that has turned out to be wildly popular in Boston, New York, and elsewhere. In an antibike-share video commentary titled "Death by Bicycle," The Wall Street Journal's Rabinowitz described New York as "a city whose best neighborhoods are absolutely-begrimed, is the word-by these blazing blue Citibank bikes," while the reporter interviewing her helpfully offered that the bikes were also a "fire hazard" and observed that "New York is not London, or Paris, or Amsterdam." But Rabinowitz's deeper cavil is that bikes represent an assault on American freedoms. Her description of the bike lobby as an "all-powerful enterprise" might sound a little breathless, but is echoed elsewhere. Dan Maes, a Colorado Republican gubernatorial candidate in 2010, declared efforts to boost cycling to be "part of a greater strategy to rein in American cities under a United Nations treaty." When Rush Limbaugh suggested that injured bikers deserve what they get, it was because they're victimizing auto drivers by forcing them to yield to others. Ford acted on his promises to crack down on the biking nuisance, ripping up existing bike lanes in an attempt to help return his supporters to the freer, pre-bike world he promised them. The removal cost the city $300,000, and, according to Canada's National Post, ended up saving commuters just an average of two minutes each way. There's an element of demographic realpolitik to the conservative antipathy to bikes. Cyclists-and especially bike commuters-are statistically more likely to be city residents, and thus more liberal than those living in suburban and rural areas. But as the commentators' language suggests, the bike fight is really just another proxy battle in the American culture wars. Washington Times columnist Charles Hurt declared D.C.'s bike-sharing program to be favored by "commune enthusiasts." The program's red bikes, he wrote, weren't suitable for manly men, only for "these so-called 'metrosexual' males everybody keeps talking about." As political ideas fracture along cultural lines, pundits and politicians are finding cyclists to be a convenient new "them" in the eternal us-them struggle. Even if conservatives don't all agree that riders are metrosexuals, they "see bikers as obnoxious, rude hipsters," says Sam Schwartz, former New York City traffic commissioner. Conservative politicians know that simply opposing causes like environmentalism appeals to the base. At the extreme end, this leads to some positions that almost defy belief-"I love that smell of the emissions," said the former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, while riding a motorcycle-but bikes represent more of an everyday rebuke, a quiet reminder that your car isn't the only way to get around. In this respect, Rob Ford isn't just a mess. He is a visionary-perhaps the first candidate to win an election in part by fanning public annoyance at those reckless, entitled, tax-and-spend bicycle riders. As new bike lanes make their slow incursions into downtown traffic patterns, it's reasonable we can expect more such victories. It might seem frustrating for bike supporters, but there is one consolation: In politics, you get attacked because you matter. "There's been a huge increase" in the number of bikers, says Schwartz, who put in New York's first bike lane in 1978. "The love affair with the car is over for young people." After decades of unquestioned, highway-sponsored dominance of cars, bikes are finally becoming-even if just on the margins-something big enough to push against. Just ask Rob Ford. Or don't. He'll tell you anyway.

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A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets
by Dave Elmore 22 Dec '13

22 Dec '13

http://www.theatlanticcities.com/design/2013/12/-and-after-guide-safer-stree ts/7867/ A Before-and-After Guide to Safer Streets In the past decade or so, New York has seen a considerable decline in traffic fatalities (30 percent since 2001) and an even more dramatic decrease in the risk of serious injury among cyclists (72 percent since 2000). At the heart of these public safety achievements is better street design. City streets are far from perfect, but as officials have reduced space for cars, they've improved mobility for everyone. Last month, the New York City Department of Transportation released a brief-but-handy guide [PDF <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/dot-making-safer-streets.pdf> ] that uses before-and-after design renderings to illustrate five basic rules for street safety. The report calls its comparisons "the largest examination of the safety effects of innovative roadway engineering conducted in a major American city, or perhaps any city globally." That's a tall claim, but there's no question that the five lessons embedded in these images merit notice from urban communities near and far. 1. Make the street easy to use. The idea here is to reduce the complexity of a given intersection in the eyes of all travelers. A safer city street will trade long, indirect crosswalks for shorter crossings and pedestrian islands. Removing low-volume legs from the traffic cycle will reduce wait times for everyone and eliminate complicated (read: dangerous) turns. Clearer lane designations - for left-turns and through traffic alike - make the whole intersection more predictable. (See PDF for images) 2. Create safety in numbers. Counter-intuitive as it can seem, the safety-in-numbers effect suggests that more pedestrians and bike riders actually make streets less dangerous. Bike lanes are the obvious way to bring riders to an intersection, while islands, mid-block crossings, and direct pedestrian routes can do the same for walkers. Giving signal priority to pedestrians gets platoons of people in the streets before cars have the chance to turn. (See PDF for images) 3. Make the invisible visible. Clear sight lines can improve a street's safety significantly. Curbs lined with parked cars can make it hard for a turning vehicle to see what's in another part of the street. That problem can be addressed by removing some of the parking spaces closest to the corner - a process called "daylighting," which increases visibility considerably (so long as parking enforcement is strict). Curb extensions that bring pedestrians further into the street have a similar effect. (See PDF for images) 4. Quality over quantity. Street engineers like to give cars as much space as possible <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2011/12/transportation-planning-la w-every-city-should-repeal/636/> , but removing lanes to reduce the complexity of an intersection can actually improve traffic flow. A jumble of un-designated lanes with competing signals has the potential to become much more congested than an intersection that bans complex turns and creates right-angle corners. Pedestrian plazas that take the place of former lanes can enhance visibility and the safety-in-numbers effect. (See PDF for images) 5. Look beyond the problem. Expanding the area of traffic analysis can unlock solutions across a wider wedge of the street system. Redirecting traffic to another part of the local network, for instance, can help decongest crowded intersections without eliminating important routes. Sometimes the best street design is really a corridor design. (See PDF for images)

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