- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

AT and cardiovascular disease risk factors in US Adults
by Beth McKechnie 19 Nov '12

19 Nov '12

Active Transportation and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in U.S. AdultsGregg L. Furie<http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2812%2900602-2/abstract#>, MD, MHS | Mayur M. Desai<http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2812%2900602-2/abstract#>, PhD, MPH Download full pdf: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797%2812%2900602-2/abstract Background Evidence of associations between active transportation (walking and bicycling for transportation) and health outcomes is limited. Better understanding of this relationship would inform efforts to increase physical activity by promoting active transportation. Purpose This study examined associations between active transportation and cardiovascular disease risk factors in U.S. adults. Methods Using the 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), adults (N=9933) were classified by level of active transportation. Multivariable linear and logistic regression analyses controlled for sociodemographic characteristics, smoking status, and minutes/week of non-active transportation physical activity. Analyses were conducted in 2011. Results Overall, 76% reported no active transportation. Compared with no active transportation, mean BMI was lower among individuals with low (-0.9, 95% CI= -1.4, -0.5) and high (-1.2, 95% CI= -1.7, -0.8) levels of active transportation. Mean waist circumference was lower in the low (-2.2 cm, 95% CI= -3.2, -1.2) and high (-3.1 cm, 95% CI= -4.3, -1.9) active transportation groups. The odds of hypertension were 24% lower (AOR=0.76, 95% CI=0.61, 0.94) and 31% lower (AOR=0.69, 95% CI=0.58, 0.83) among individuals with low and high levels of active transportation, respectively, compared with no active transportation. High active transportation was associated with 31% lower odds of diabetes (AOR=0.69, 95% CI=0.54, 0.88). Active transportation was not associated with high-density lipoprotein level. Conclusions Active transportation was associated with more-favorable cardiovascular risk factor profiles, providing additional justification for infrastructure and policies that permit and encourage active transportation.

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(no subject)
by Dave Elmore 19 Nov '12

19 Nov '12

http://road.cc/content/news/70705-campaign-launched-nationwide-20mph-speed-l imit-road-safety-week-begins Campaign launched for nationwide 20mph speed limit as Road Safety Week begins Simon_MacMichael <http://road.cc/users/simon-macmichael> , November 19, 2012 <http://road.cc/content/image/834-20mph415x275jpg> http://road.cc/sites/default/files/imagecache/preview_500/images/%5bparent-n ode-gallery-title%5d/20mph_415x275.jpg A number of charities led by Sustrans have joined forces to launch a campaign calling for 20mph to be made the default speed limit on roads in built-up areas. The campaign, GO 20 <http://www.go20.org> , is launched today to coincide with the start of Road Safety Week, which continues until next Sunday 25 November. While some local authorities in England have already introduced 20mph speed limits on all or some of their roads - Oxford and Portsmouth, for instance, have city-wide limits, while Merseyside is introducing it on an area by area basis - Brake and the organisations that have joined it the campaign are calling for such a limit to be introduced nationwide. In the meantime, they are asking more local authorities to implement the speed limit, as well as appealing to motorists to reduce their speed to 20mph when driving near schools, shops and residential areas. A survey of 8,000 schoolchildren aged 7-11 years conducted by Brake, Brain Injury Group and Specavers ahead of Road Safety Week and the launch of GO20 found: Seven in 10 (70%) say they would be able to walk and cycle more if roads in their neighbourhood were less dangerous More than three-quarters (77%) say drivers need to slow down around their home and school Four in 10 (43%) say they have been hit or nearly hit while walking or cycling, and more than half (54%) worry about being hurt by traffic when out and about 72% said they would like to walk and cycle more than they do at present 75% would like more traffic-free cycle paths in their area, while 61% would like more footpaths, pavements and crossings, which they could use to get to school, the park, shops or to see friends 38% said they are not allowed to walk unaccompanied and 47% said they are not allowed to cycle unaccompanied. Brake and the other charities involved in the initiative, which besides Sustrans include Living Streets, the National Heart Forum, 20's Plenty for Us, Campaign to Protect Rural England and Ramblers, say that implementing the lower speed limit would result in: Fewer casualties: at 20, drivers have much more time to react, to help them stop in time if they need to, like if a child runs out. Studies show that when 20 limits replace 30, it means fewer casualties among pedestrians and cyclists. More walking and cycling: danger from traffic is a major barrier in enabling more people to walk and cycle. Town and city-wide 20 limits have resulted in more people walking and cycling. Healthier, happier people: More walking and cycling means healthier people, and more enjoyable outdoors activity for kids and adults. It helps communities interact and be communities. Less pollution: GOing 20 means lower emissions from vehicle journeys. Plus if more people can switch their commute or school run to foot or bike, it means less polluting traffic. Lower costs: Poor health from inactivity costs society dearly. Road casualties cost even more, due to the suffering and burden on health and emergency services. Preventing casualties and improving health means GOing 20 pays for itself many times over. It also helps people save money by choosing the cheapest ways to get about: foot and bike. Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of Brake, said: "GO 20 is all about enabling people to walk and cycle without fear or threat. "If we are to bring about a 2012 legacy of more active communities, we need to make our streets and communities safer places. "Fleet operators can play an essential role in bringing this about, by ensuring their drivers always put protecting people first, and understand the vital importance of slowing down. "Our main message in Road Safety Week is appealing to drivers to stay well within limits, and slow down to 20 around homes, schools and shops. "It makes roads safer for walking and cycling, and makes little difference to journey times. "It's great so many fleet operators are getting involved and helping to communicate this and other life-saving messages this year. "We urge other employers to register on the Road Safety Week website to get our free guidance on managing driver speed." The campaign will be formally launched at 1030 this morning with a walking and cycling street party at William Tyndale Primary School in the London Borough of Islington, the first in London to introduce a borough-wide 20mph peed limit. Malcolm Shepherd, chief executive of Sustrans, commented: "A 20mph national speed limit would save lives and make our streets better places to socialise, play, walk and cycle. "It would also improve our health, tackling obesity and heart disease as well as reducing the burden on the NHS. "A 20mph limit is already in place in many parts of the country, but a postcode lottery where children are safer in some areas than others is not acceptable. "A new national limit would save money for public health, education and transport budgets, and the Government should now act to lower speeds on streets where we live, work and play." Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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Kickstand SOLD OUT - Invitation: We Ride Here - Public Symposium at the Forks Friday Evening Nov. 23
by Anders Swanson 16 Nov '12

16 Nov '12

[ Although the kickstand Bicycle Policy Training Sessions are now sold out (and then some), we've added an exciting element that is made for to the public. This is a great opportunity for you to meet our out-of-town guests, get involved and celebrate. Space is somewhat limited, so arrive early. Please see the press release and poster attached (with text pasted below). Also, if you are a winter cyclist coming from the south end of the city, and would like to join us for a ride to the forks, there is a group leaving from the U of M's Welcome centre at 5:45. - Anders ] PRESS RELEASE *The World’s Love Affair with The Bicycle Comes to The Forks: European and Canadian Experts Share in Public Forum * Public “We Ride Here” Symposium at The Forks, Friday November 23rd, 7 pm – 9 pm Winnipeg, Manitoba -- Winnipeg is fast becoming one of our country’s bike-friendly cities and that fever is spreading throughout the province to towns like Morden, Thompson and Portage la Prairie. But, what would it take for our province to rival places like Denmark and the Netherlands where it’s ingrained in the culture and the psyche of its people? The “We Ride Here” symposium provides the answers. International cycling and city design gurus from Copenhagenize (Denmark) and Mobycon (Netherlands) are in Winnipeg to deliver a SOLD OUT two-day workshop, KICKSTAND, for professionals and leaders from across the Province. But, when the design workshop ends, participants and presenters will be heading to The Forks to celebrate and share what they’ve learned with the general public. “This is a great opportunity to come out and learn from some of the masters,” says Anders Swanson, local organizing committee chair, “They truly understand what it takes to plan and build a bicycle-friendly community that works for everyone. And, they understand how to do it in all seasons. They’re experts and we can learn so much from them.” “We’re excited by the enthusiasm and energy we’ve encountered in Winnipeg and look forward to contributing to making things happen,” says Angela van der Kloof of Mobycon. “Cycling is a perfect way to get around for children, adults, youngsters, and the elderly. It gives everyone independence, it saves everyone money and it is fun. Streets can be designed in such a way that it is safe for everybody to do so. Elderly people should not have to fear their lives on a bicycle. Children should once again be raised with bicycles and be able to use them all the time.” *The “We Ride Here” public symposium is an evening of culture, film, speeches, exciting announcements, refreshments, door prizes, and one lucky winner will get a grand-prize of a Dutch Van Gogh bike, courtesy of the Honorary Consul of the Netherlands.* “We are looking forward to not only hearing from the experts, but also to hearing ideas from our own community,” says Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike to the Future. “This is a chance for us all to learn, share, experience and make our cities and towns all that they can be for cyclists of all abilities and interest.” Open to everyone. Capacity is limited to 120 people. Parking for bikes (and cars) is free. -30- The Kickstand Sessions take place Thursday November 22nd & Friday November 23rd @ the University of Manitoba Event Centre. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of best practice bicycle-related implementations and how to market them, and an opportunity for a continued partnership with both Dutch and Danish experts. Mobycon is Netherlands-based independent research and consulting company with 25 years of experience in traffic, transport and mobility. Mobycon’s multi-disciplinary team consists of traffic planners and engineers, urban and rural planners, economists and human geographers. Copenhagenize is a Denmark-based consulting company specializing in urban cycling and liveable cities. They approach every job from the human perspective - using design, anthropology, sociology and common sense as their points of departure. For more information please contact: Anders Swanson Kickstand liaison in Winnipeg 204-797-1962 andersswanson(a)gmail.com

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AT Webinar: Road Diets and Ped Safety, Tues, Nov. 20, 1:00-2:30 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 15 Nov '12

15 Nov '12

Green Action Centre invites you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming FWHA / PBIC webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion of local applications.* *Detailed description provided below. *Road Diets and Pedestrian Safety** Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 | 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. CST* RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! Please note that this is a free webinar, so you can also register individually if you prefer (https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/893317730<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/3084cb0a2d/01de1edd15/cd2d73d7…> ).* * cheers, Beth 925-3772 * * * * * * * FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) and PBIC (Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center) Announce Webinar on Pedestrian Safety and Road Diets CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) announce a free webinar on “road diets,” which are one of the nine proven countermeasures<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/3084cb0a2d/01de1edd15/339b6599…>that FHWA is heavily promoting nationally. ** Road diets, or the reallocation of road space through reduction in the number of regular traffic lanes, are of interest to communities that may be seeking to reduce traffic speeds, reduce crashes, improve accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists, or achieve a number of other benefits. This webinar will present information about the safety benefits of road diets, particularly to pedestrians, and highlight examples of road diet implementation in the United States. Libby Thomas, a researcher at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, will provide a brief presentation on some of the research findings related to road diets. She will discuss many of the safety benefits of road diets, which have been shown to reduce crashes among all road users. Mike Sallaberry, Transportation Engineer at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, will discuss the road diet experience in San Francisco, California. San Francisco has implemented more road diet projects within its 47 square miles than any other city in North America. This portion of the presentation will give some brief background on the history of road diets in San Francisco, focusing on how and why they are used. Mike will discuss how road diets have been used to create space for bikeways, pedestrian facilities, and transit, as well as how they are used for traffic calming purposes and to add landscaping and storm water management features to a street. The presentation will touch on some of the benefits of road diets but will focus more on how to get them approved, especially when they are controversial. Gina Coffman, of Toole Design Group, will discuss the road diet experience in Seattle, Washington. The City of Seattle has successfully implemented over 30 road diets. Before and after evaluations have indicated up to 70 percent reduction in injury collisions and 90 percent reduction in aggressive speeders on corridors where such projects have been implemented. Gina’s presentation will explore the history, research, planning and design of road diets, offering tips to build stakeholder support through public process. Seattle case studies will include before and after data showing changes in traffic and bicycle volume, neighborhood diversions, speeding and collisions over the years. The presenters will also participate in a question and answer session to discuss how to address barriers to implementation and answer questions from the attendees. This webinar is one of the free webinars that FHWA offers quarterly as part of its Pedestrian Safety Focus States and Cities initiatives. FHWA's Safety Office is trying to aggressively reduce pedestrian deaths by focusing extra resources on the states and cities with the highest pedestrian fatalities and/or fatality rates. Webinar archives for this series, as well as listings of upcoming sessions, can be found at http://www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/pedfocus_webinars.cfm<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/3084cb0a2d/01de1edd15/a2c00bae…> .

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Cycling is good for business
by Dave Elmore 15 Nov '12

15 Nov '12

<http://bikeyface.com/> Bikeyface <http://bikeyface.com/2012/11/02/not-cyclists/> NOT-CYCLISTS There has been a move to build more infrastructure for cyclists here. However, with limited space on the road, this comes at a cost. which has local businesses concerned. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeyface/8146881645/> People But there is the issue. How can you tell how you tell a driving customer from a walking customer from a biking customer? Especially when a cyclist is not a "cyclist". <http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeyface/8146916476/> People .just like a driver is not a "driver." They are both customers. But drivers tend to pass through towns, and those on bike or on foot will spend time at local businesses. And the goal of business is to get more customers, and bike infrastructure will bring more of these not-cyclists down their particular street- with things to do, money to spend, time to stop. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeyface/8146881719/> People Ultimately it's not about biking, but creating a neighborhood where people will stop biking. and stay a while.

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Bike to the Future's Annual General Meeting and Achievements Celebration
by Kevin Miller 14 Nov '12

14 Nov '12

All of Bike to the Future's members and supporters are invited to attend our 2012 Annual General Meeting & Achievements Celebration on Tuesday November 20 from 5:30 to 6:30 at the <http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=145+pacific+ winnipeg&sll=49.891235,-97.15369&sspn=30.739621,100.986328&ie=UTF8hq=&hn ear=145+Pacific+Ave,+Winnipeg,+Division+No.+11,+Manitoba&z=16> Sport for Life Centre. Our <http://biketothefuture.org/events/archives/2012/09/19/november-monthly- meeting> November Monthly meeting will commence immediately after the AGM. For AGM details (including the meal menu, the agenda, and the nominated slate of directors), see biketothefuture.org/events/archives/2012/09/19/2012-annual-general-meeti ng-and-achievements-celebration. Kevin Miller Bike to the Future, Secretary <http://biketothefuture.org> biketothefuture.org

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Call for Abstracts: Bicycle Urbanism
by Beth McKechnie 13 Nov '12

13 Nov '12

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS *The International Bicycle Urbanism Symposium will take place at the College of Built Environments, University of Washington, Seattle from June 19-22, 2013.* You are invited to submit abstracts for papers dealings with: Ways that cities can best encourage and accommodate bicycle use 20-30 years in the future Leading research that addresses bicycle use and effects of innovation in infrastructure and programs Best practices and how these can inform long-term planning for bicycle use. Intended participants include planning and design professionals, researchers, bicycle advocates, and public officials. Selected papers will be edited for one or more referred books. A fuller description of the Symposium and its program can be found at www.be.washington.edu/bicycleurbanism. Questions can be addressed at bikeurb(a)uw.edu.

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Transport Canada to look at bike safety benefits of truck side skirts
by Dave Elmore 13 Nov '12

13 Nov '12

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/transport-canada-to-look-at-bik e-safety-benefits-of-truck-side-skirts/article5040530/ Transport Canada to look at bike safety benefits of truck side skirts Renata D'Aliesio The Globe and Mail Published Wednesday, Nov. 07 2012, 1:14 PM EST Canada's transport regulator is assessing whether aerodynamic side skirts attached to trucks to boost fuel efficiency could also save lives in road crashes by preventing pedestrians and cyclists from falling beneath the bone-crushing big rigs. The question is a key one and adds a new twist to the long-standing debate about whether the country should follow the example of Europe and Japan and require truckers to install side guards, which are heavier than skirts and often a drain on fuel but are specifically designed to protect people. Ontario Chief Coroner Andrew McCallum made the case for these guards this summer and again in September after analyzing the circumstances of 224 cyclist and pedestrian deaths. The coroner pointed to a National Research Council (NRC) report, completed for Transport Canada, that noted cyclist deaths and serious injuries involving the side of trucks dropped substantially in the United Kingdom - deaths by 61 per cent and serious injuries by 13 per cent - after side guards were introduced. Transport Canada, for its part, has continually rejected calls for a side-guard regulation, saying there isn't adequate evidence to suggest the guards would significantly improve safety in Canada. Not long ago, though, the regulator had planned to study side guards as rigorously as it is now examining side skirts, show government documents obtained through access-to-information legislation. Those plans and several draft recommendations were shelved. According to Transport Canada spokeswoman Kelly James, the NRC study "did not provide sufficient justification to warrant further testing." Ontario deputy chief coroner Dan Cass finds the regulator's position on side guards disappointing. Still, Dr. Cass, who led the probe of cycling fatalities, is encouraged that Transport Canada is looking at the possible safety benefits of side skirts. Working with the NRC, Transport Canada plans to start a cold-weather analysis of skirts this fall, a test that is expected to span two winters. "This is an issue that obviously has grabbed a lot of people's attention," Dr. Cass said, adding he would support skirts if they prove as effective as guards. "Anything that's done to try and improve public safety and lessen the likelihood of more cyclists being caught under the rear wheels of trucks . is a positive step in my mind." The contentious side-guard debate flared up last Nov. 7 with the death of Toronto cyclist Jenna Morrison. Ms. Morrison, who was five months pregnant, was on her way to pick up her five-year-old son from school when her bike collided with a truck turning right. Falling beneath the gap between the truck's front and rear wheels, Ms. Morrison was crushed to death. Her family and friends believe a side guard could have made the difference between life and death. They're not alone. Between 2006 and 2010, 18 of the province's 129 cyclist fatalities involved heavy trucks, with half of the victims dragged, pinned or run over by rear wheels after striking a truck's side, the Ontario coroner review revealed in June. Side guards might have prevented these deaths, the coroner concluded. For now, however, Transport Canada has no plans to resurrect its shelved side-guard study. After completing a look at countries that regulate guards, the NRC, a government agency, was planning to do a second phase of study that involved testing the effectiveness of different types of guards, but Transport Canada nixed that review. The NRC had also proposed a series of "next steps" in its phase-one draft. Those recommendations, however, were dropped from the final March, 2010 report after a review by Transport Canada. According to the draft, also obtained through access-to-information legislation, NRC's recommendations included performing crash tests with dummies to determine whether side guards can prevent serious injuries to pedestrians and cyclists and evaluating how the guards perform in heavy snow and ice. Another recommendation proposed the creation of a green trailer program to offset the added weight of the guards. NRC declined to speak about its side-guard research, directing questions to Transport Canada. Ms. James of Transport Canada said the draft recommendations were not included in the final NRC report because "the draft report made it clear to Transport Canada that side guards were not demonstrated to be substantially effective or beneficial." There are other factors at play, too. The regulator is conducting a cost-benefit analysis of requiring side barriers on trucks. It has also raised the side-guard issue with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With thousands of trucks streaming across the border daily, the two countries have pledged to harmonize their truck regulations. The United States does not require side guards and is not pursuing research or proposing a regulation on this front, Ms. James noted. The Canadian Trucking Alliance, which is opposed to making side guards mandatory, won't comment on Transport Canada's study of side skirts until it is complete. The organization believes other safety measures, such as adding bike lanes and enhancing share-the-road education campaigns, would be more effective than regulating side guards. But for Ron Freeman, a cyclist whose pelvis was crushed by the rear wheels of a furniture-delivery truck, installing side guards is part of the solution. A dozen years after his accident in Toronto, he still wonders whether a guard would have reduced the severity of his injury. He has undergone 10 surgeries and expects he'll need another hip replacement soon. "Had there been a side guard in place on the trailer, I would not have been crushed," Mr. Freeman said. "My life would be different." Bicyclist and pedestrian casualties involving a heavy truck in Canada, 2004-2008 Cyclist fatalities Total: 53 Known side: 6 Possible side: 4 Cyclist injuries Total: 689 Known side: 114 Possible side: 166 Pedestrian fatalities Total: 145 Known side: 7 Possible side: 6 Pedestrian injuries Total: 1,080 Known side: 81 Possible side: 121 Source: Transport Canada

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Manitoba Capital Region Transportation Master Plan Open Houses
by Mark Cohoe 11 Nov '12

11 Nov '12

Hi, Just passing on information on the three scheduled open houses for the Manitoba Capital Region <http://www.manitobacapitalregion.ca/default.asp> Transportation Master Plan. You can view the newsletter for the Transportation Master Plan here <http://www.manitobacapitalregion.ca/downloads/Newsletter-November2012.pdf>. It does seem odd that no open houses have been scheduled in Winnipeg. To me, that indicates that the planners are focusing far more on how to move people living outside of Winnipeg into and out of the city, neglecting the impact that any additional traffic will have on residents of Winnipeg or the potential desire of anyone in Winnipeg without access to a care to visit a destination outside of the city. Location: Selkirk, Manitoba Date: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 Venue: Selkirk Recreational Complex Banquet Hall, 180 Easton Drive Time: 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Location: Lorette, Manitoba Date: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 Venue: Club Les Bles D'or 1254 Dawson Rd. Time: 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Location: Headingley, Manitoba Date: Thursday, November 22, 2012 Venue: Headingley Community Centre Auditorium, 5353 Portage Ave. Time: 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Note . All three events include the same content Mark

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Roundabout and Traffic Calming Circle Video
by Erik Dickson 09 Nov '12

09 Nov '12

Scatliff+Miller+Murray is very pleased to present a new educational video produced for the City of Winnipeg. The 3D animation video provides tips for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists for walking, cycling, and driving at intersections with roundabouts or traffic calming circles. The video is posted on the City's website here: http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/InformationAndResources/TrafficControl/Rounda bout.asp Please share this video widely with your networks. Feel free to send me any questions, comments or ideas; I'd love to discuss what we can do in future videos for you or your organizations. Have a nice weekend! Kind regards, Erik Dickson Suite 1120 - 201 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3B 3K6 ph: (204) 927-3444 ext. 242 fax: (204) 927-3443 web: www.scatliff.ca blog: http://scatliff.tumblr.com Please consider our environment before printing this message.

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Australian Planning Checklist for Cycling
by Mark Cohoe 09 Nov '12

09 Nov '12

Hi, I just came across this and thought it might be of interest. One of the things about it that I find most interesting is that "the checklist is based on the requirements of the Victorian Planning Provisions and associated engineering design guidelines." I'll have to look that up :) Planning Checklist for Cycling <http://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/bike-futures/94793/> Mark

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Fall 2012 Pedestrian Forum Newsletter
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

The most recent edition of the Pedestrian Forum Newsletter<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/> is now posted. In this edition you will find information on: Update on Efforts in Pedestrian Safety Focus Cities and States Spotlight on Proven Countermeasures: Road Diet<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s1> Road Diet Case Study: Valencia Street, San Francisco<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s2> MAP-21 Provisions for Pedestrians<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s3> Walk Friendly Communities<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s4> Bicycle Road Safety Audits<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s5> Recent NHTSA Publications<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s6> New Tools and Resources from USDOT<http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/pedforum/2012/fall/#s7> Tamara Redmon Pedestrian Safety Program Manager Federal Highway Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Room E71-303 Washington, DC 20590 Phone: 202-366-4077 fax: 202-366-3222 http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ To receive updates on our latest program information, please use our e-subscription service. Click on the above weblink, then click on "e-subscribe" in the upper right hand corner. From there, subscribe to the areas you are interested in.

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AT webinar: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform - Wed, Nov 14, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP and PBIC webinars at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* *Detailed description provided below.* * *Maps That Guide, Encourage and Inform* Wednesday, November 14th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 * * * * * * * The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) presents: Maps that Guide, Educate and Inform How are maps evolving to meet community needs? This webinar presents two case studies of maps developed for urban trip planning for cyclists. Arlington County, Virginia, recently published an updated paper map; learn how planners resolved decisions about the map's purpose and audience, edited map data to create a network and focus on connectivity, and coordinated with an adjacent jurisdiction. The second case study, from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), is an online map that consolidates data from 101 cities and towns in the Greater Boston area to provide both route planning and an internal resource for planners to prioritize improvements and create a regional network. The presenter will discuss how MAPC collected and merged data from a variety of sources, issues of data storage and format, and the tools available to publish maps online. *View the Arlington County map here*: http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/maps-rides/ *View MAPC's map here*: http://trailmap.mapc.org/ *Presenters*: David Goodman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs Manager, Arlington County, Virginia, manages the WALKArlington and BIKEArlington programs. In this role he oversees the built environment that directly affects walkers and cyclists. David designs and implements pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects such as sidewalks, accessible curb ramps, crosswalks, trails and bike lanes. His work also involves establishing design standards and specifications as well as reviewing new development proposals and transportation projects. He is a Certified Planner as well as a Licensed Architect. Christian Spanring is a GIS Developer with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). His focus is introducing innovative Open Source mapping and public engagement solutions to support MAPC's mission and projects. MAPC projects range from mapping tools (the MAPC Trailmap for pedestrian and bicycle facilities), engagement tools (the MBTA Budget Calculator) to a recreational park discovery application and data exploration tools like the MetroBoston DataCommon. Prior to MAPC, Christian worked as GIS Specialist for the Austrian Institute for Spatial Studies and Regional Planning and the Austrian Road Safety Board.

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Nov 14 webinar: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

All APBP members are receiving this message. Sign in to www.apbp.org with your username (shelyon) and private, case-sensitive, password. If you don't know your password, click here<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> to generate a reminder. Register now for APBP's November webinar: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform Wednesday, November 14 | 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time $50 per site for APBP members; $75 per site for non-members Register here: http://www.apbp.org/event/Nov-14_webinar<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> [http://www.apbp.org/resource/resmgr/images/nov-12_boston_map_sample.jpg]How are maps evolving to meet community needs? This webinar presents two case studies of maps developed for urban trip planning for cyclists. Arlington County, Viriginia, recently published an updated paper map; learn how planners resolved decisions about the map's purpose and audience, edited map data to create a network and focus on connectivity, and coordinated with an adjacent jurisdiction. The second case study, from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), is an online map that consolidates data from 101 cities and towns in the Greater Boston area to provide both route planning and an internal resource for planners to prioritize improvements and create a regional network. The presenter will discuss how MAPC collected and merged data from a variety of sources, issues of data storage and format, and the tools available to publish maps online. View the Arlington County map here: http://www.bikearlington.com/pages/maps-rides/<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> View MAPC's map here: http://trailmap.mapc.org/<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…> Presenters: David Goodman, Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs Manager, Arlington County, Virginia, manages the WALKArlington and BIKEArlington programs. In this role he oversees the built environment that directly affects walkers and cyclists. David designs and implements pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure projects such as sidewalks, accessible curb ramps, crosswalks, trails and bike lanes. His work also involves establishing design standards and specifications as well as reviewing new development proposals and transportation projects. He is a Certified Planner as well as a Licensed Architect. Christian Spanring is a GIS Developer with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). His focus is introducing innovative Open Source mapping and public engagement solutions to support MAPC's mission and projects. MAPC projects range from mapping tools (the MAPC Trailmap for pedestrian and bicycle facilities), engagement tools (the MBTA Budget Calculator) to a recreational park discovery application and data exploration tools like the MetroBoston DataCommon. Prior to MAPC, Christian worked as GIS Specialist for the Austrian Institute for Spatial Studies and Regional Planning and the Austrian Road Safety Board. This webinar will be recorded; a link to the recording will be e-mailed to participants within 48 hours after the live session. APBP has applied to the AICP for one Certification Maintenance credit for this session. APBP will provide an attendance certificate to APBP members who document their professional development hours. Each site license includes one phone connection (toll charges apply, or use VoIP), one Internet connection, one set of handouts for unlimited attendees in the same location, and access to the recording. (You may be required to download free software from Citrix GoToMeeting in order to participate in the webinar.) For more information, contact Debra Goeks (262-228-7025 or info(a)apbp.org). Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals PO Box 93 * Cedarburg, WI * 53012 262.228.7025 * info(a)apbp.org<mailto:info@apbp.org> www.apbp.org<http://www.apbp.org/link.asp?e=Sheila.A.LYONS@odot.state.or.us&job=752295&y…>

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Cardboard bike: YouTube
by Zdan, Terry (MIT) 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txSboSNQINs he wears a helmet...could be cardboard too From: at-network-bounces(a)lists.umanitoba.ca [mailto:at-network-bounces@lists.umanitoba.ca] On Behalf Of Dave Elmore Sent: November-08-12 9:44 AM To: at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca Subject: [At-network] Cardboard bike http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/11/cardboard-bicycles Cardboard bicycles Re-cycling Nov 7th 2012, 17:47 by The Economist online [cid:image001.jpg@01CDBD95.8A07B4B0] THE first bicycles were made of wood. After that, manufacturers used steel tubes. These days, for high-end bikes where weight is at a premium, they turn to aluminium alloys or even to carbon fibre. But Izhar Gafni, an amateur cyclist who owns a number of such high-end bikes, wonders whether the original inventors had a point. He proposes to go back to using wood-or, rather, a derivative of wood, namely cardboard. Mr Gafni, who is based in Ahituv, Israel, spent years trying to work out how to make a cardboard bicycle able to support the weight of a human being. The trick is twofold. First, he folds the cardboard-commercial-grade material, made from recycled paper-to increase its strength. (He worked out the exact pattern of folding for each of the machine's components using the principles of origami.) Then, once it is folded, he treats the result with a proprietary resin that holds it in shape and stiffens it, before cutting it into the form of the component required. A second application of resin renders the component waterproof, and a lick of lacquer makes it look good. The result, Mr Gafni claims, is stronger than carbon fibre. The bike's frame, wheels, handlebars and saddle are all made of cardboard in this way, and then fitted together. The tyres-again harking back to the early days of cycling-are composed of solid rubber, recycled from old car tyres. That makes the ride a little harder than if they were pneumatic, but means they cannot be punctured. The chain, whose design is based on the timing belt of a car, is also made from car-tyre rubber. The pedals are plastic recycled from bottles. And the brakes are also recycled materials, though Mr Gafni is not yet ready to disclose exactly what. The finished product weighs 9kg and can carry a rider weighing 220kg. Mr Gafni's target market is the poorer countries of the world. Since manufacturing the cardboard bike will, he reckons, cost $9-12 a unit, his velocipedes should find demand which metal bikes cannot. But people in rich countries may be interested too. In Tel Aviv, the commercial capital of Mr Gafni's native land, 2,000 stolen bikes were recently put on display by police, for their owners to claim. If bicycles cost less than the locks that chained them to lampposts, it might cease to be worthwhile stealing them.

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Cardboard bike
by Dave Elmore 08 Nov '12

08 Nov '12

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/11/cardboard-bicycles Cardboard bicycles Re-cycling Nov 7th 2012, 17:47 by The Economist online http://media.economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full-width/images/ 2012/11/blogs/babbage/20121110_stp504.jpg THE first bicycles were made of wood. After that, manufacturers used steel tubes. These days, for high-end bikes where weight is at a premium, they turn to aluminium alloys or even to carbon fibre. But Izhar Gafni, an amateur cyclist who owns a number of such high-end bikes, wonders whether the original inventors had a point. He proposes to go back to using wood-or, rather, a derivative of wood, namely cardboard. Mr Gafni, who is based in Ahituv, Israel, spent years trying to work out how to make a cardboard bicycle able to support the weight of a human being. The trick is twofold. First, he folds the cardboard-commercial-grade material, made from recycled paper-to increase its strength. (He worked out the exact pattern of folding for each of the machine's components using the principles of origami.) Then, once it is folded, he treats the result with a proprietary resin that holds it in shape and stiffens it, before cutting it into the form of the component required. A second application of resin renders the component waterproof, and a lick of lacquer makes it look good. The result, Mr Gafni claims, is stronger than carbon fibre. The bike's frame, wheels, handlebars and saddle are all made of cardboard in this way, and then fitted together. The tyres-again harking back to the early days of cycling-are composed of solid rubber, recycled from old car tyres. That makes the ride a little harder than if they were pneumatic, but means they cannot be punctured. The chain, whose design is based on the timing belt of a car, is also made from car-tyre rubber. The pedals are plastic recycled from bottles. And the brakes are also recycled materials, though Mr Gafni is not yet ready to disclose exactly what. The finished product weighs 9kg and can carry a rider weighing 220kg. Mr Gafni's target market is the poorer countries of the world. Since manufacturing the cardboard bike will, he reckons, cost $9-12 a unit, his velocipedes should find demand which metal bikes cannot. But people in rich countries may be interested too. In Tel Aviv, the commercial capital of Mr Gafni's native land, 2,000 stolen bikes were recently put on display by police, for their owners to claim. If bicycles cost less than the locks that chained them to lampposts, it might cease to be worthwhile stealing them.

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UPDATE - Pembina Hwy Buffered Bike Lanes
by Janice Lukes 07 Nov '12

07 Nov '12

Monday morning there was paint on Pembina identifying the north bound buffered bike lanes. The attached photos are self-explanatory. Lots continues to happen - lots still needs to happen for southbound bus stops / paving / paint! And was assured that yes, the poly posts will be installed this year - and attempts to clean snow around poly posts will occur. A phenomenal amount of underground work / logistics / etc. is occurring to install these buffered bike lanes. Unbelievable amount of manpower and work. Janice Lukes

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Webinar: Pedestrian Safety and Road Diets
by Shoni Litinsky 07 Nov '12

07 Nov '12

Please join Green Action Centre to watch the following webinar followed by discussion. Feel free to bring your lunch. RSVPs appreciated but not necessary. FHWA and PBIC Webinar on Pedestrian Safety and Road Diets *Road Diets and Pedestrian Safety** Tuesday, November 20, 2012 2:00 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. EDT* Road diets, or the reallocation of road space through reduction in the number of regular traffic lanes, are of interest to communities that may be seeking to reduce traffic speeds, reduce crashes, improve accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists, or achieve a number of other benefits. This webinar will present information about the safety benefits of road diets, particularly to pedestrians, and highlight examples of road diet implementation in the United States. Libby Thomas, a researcher at the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, will provide a brief presentation on some of the research findings related to road diets. She will discuss many of the safety benefits of road diets, which have been shown to reduce crashes among all road users. Mike Sallaberry, Transportation Engineer at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, will discuss the road diet experience in San Francisco, California. San Francisco has implemented more road diet projects within its 47 square miles than any other city in North America. This portion of the presentation will give some brief background on the history of road diets in San Francisco, focusing on how and why they are used. Mike will discuss how road diets have been used to create space for bikeways, pedestrian facilities, and transit, as well as how they are used for traffic calming purposes and to add landscaping and storm water management features to a street. The presentation will touch on some of the benefits of road diets but will focus more on how to get them approved, especially when they are controversial. Gina Coffman, of Toole Design Group, will discuss the road diet experience in Seattle, Washington. The City of Seattle has successfully implemented over 30 road diets. Before and after evaluations have indicated up to 70 percent reduction in injury collisions and 90 percent reduction in aggressive speeders on corridors where such projects have been implemented. Gina’s presentation will explore the history, research, planning and design of road diets, offering tips to build stakeholder support through public process. Seattle case studies will include before and after data showing changes in traffic and bicycle volume, neighborhood diversions, speeding and collisions over the years. The presenters will also participate in a question and answer session to discuss how to address barriers to implementation and answer questions from the attendees. This webinar is one of the free webinars that FHWA offers quarterly as part of its Pedestrian Safety Focus States and Cities initiatives. FHWA's Safety Office is trying to aggressively reduce pedestrian deaths by focusing extra resources on the states and cities with the highest pedestrian fatalities and/or fatality rates. Webinar archives for this series, as well as listings of upcoming sessions, can be found at http://www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/pedfocus_webinars.cfm<http://cts.vresp.com/c/?UNCHighwaySafetyRese/3084cb0a2d/01de1edd15/a2c00bae…> . -- *Shoni Litinsky* | 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/> _______________________________________________ AT-Network mailing list AT-Network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/listinfo/at-network -- *Shoni Litinsky* | 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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WFP: Law on bicycle helmets soon (Nov.5'12)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Nov '12

05 Nov '12

Law on bicycle helmets due soon First offenders get off with quiz By: Steve Lambert WINNIPEG -- Manitoba's bicycle-helmet law will take effect within a few months, and first-time offenders will be able to avoid paying a fine by taking a new online safety quiz. Healthy Living Minister Jim Rondeau is finalizing the details of the law, which the legislature approved last spring. The aim, he said, is to promote helmet use while using penalties as something of a last resort. "Our goal is to actually not collect fines. Our goal would be for people to understand the law and put helmets on their head right away," Rondeau said in an interview. The law will require anyone under 18 to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle or face a $50 fine. But young cyclists caught in a first offence will be allowed to skip the fine by completing a test that will educate them about bicycling safety. "We're going to develop -- are developing -- a question-and-answer on bike safety that people can do as an alternative to paying a fine," Rondeau said. The law will come into effect before spring, he said, and be accompanied by a public-education campaign to make cyclists don helmets as automatically as motorists wear seatbelts. When the law takes effect, Manitoba will join provinces such as Ontario, where minors are also required to wear helmets. But Manitoba's approach stops short of laws in Nova Scotia and British Columbia that apply to adults as well. Physicians, the opposition Liberals and many cyclists have criticized the exemption for adults, who say kids watch what their parents do. "If I look at parents, they're going to be the example that kids will follow. And I think if you don't bring it in for everybody, you're going to wind up getting a bad example," said Charles Burchill, an avid cyclist who commutes by bicycle to his downtown job every day. Doctors Manitoba, the provincial medical association, has said a broader law would reduce the number of severe head injuries cyclists suffer every year. Rondeau is not ruling out an extension of the law to adults at some later time. "Those are discussions we'll have on the compliance and we will talk about further measures as we see compliance move forward. But right now, this is the next logical step -- to apply to children. Let's see what happens." -- The Canadian Press http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/law-on-bicycle-helmets-due-so…

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Bicycling Means Better Business
by Dave Elmore 04 Nov '12

04 Nov '12

http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx? newsletter=1 <http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx ?newsletter=1&utm_content=11.02.12+Science+and+Technology&utm_campaign=2012+ ENEWS&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email> &utm_content=11.02.12+Science+and+Technology&utm_campaign=2012+ENEWS&utm_sou rce=iPost&utm_medium=email Bicycling Means Better Business <http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx > bike lane "Biking is definitely part of our strategy to attract and retain businesses in order to compete in a mobile world," says Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak as we glide across the Mississippi river on a bike-and-pedestrian bridge-one of two that connect downtown to the University of Minnesota. "We want young talent to come here and stay. And good biking is one of the least expensive ways to send that message." As we turn onto to a riverside bike path to inspect another span the mayor wants to convert to a bike-ped bridge, he recounts a recent conversation. "I was having dinner with a creative director that a local firm was eager to hire for a key post. He was an American living in Europe, and we spent most of the evening talking about the importance of biking and walking to the life of a city," Rybak says, smiling. "He took the job." Minneapolis has invested heavily in biking-creating a network of off-street trails criss-crossing the city, adding 180 miles of bike lanes to city streets with plans to double that, launching one of the country's first large-scale bikeshare programs, and creating protected lanes to separate people riding bikes from motor traffic-which is why it lands near the top of all lists ranking America's best bike cities. That "ratchets up" the city's appeal to businesses in many fields, Rybak says. "We moved from the suburbs to downtown Minneapolis to allow our employees to take advantage of the area's many trails and to put the office in a more convenient location for commuting by pedal or foot," explained Christine Fruechte, CEO of large advertising firm Colle + McVoy, in a newspaper op-ed. "Our employees are healthier, happier and more productive. We are attracting some of the best talents in the industry." David A. Wilson, who directs 1,600 employees at the Minneapolis office of the Accenture management consulting company, says good biking opportunities are important to the well-educated 25-35 year-olds he seeks to hire. "Five years ago, I don't think business people were even thinking about bikes as a part of business. Today it's definitely part of the discussion." He notes that Accenture recently relocated their Boston and Washington, D.C. offices from suburbs to the city to offer employees better opportunities for biking, walking and transit. A Creative Generation Loses Its Car Keys Young people today are driving significantly less than previous generations, according to a flurry of recent reports. Even Motor Trend magazine notes that young professionals flocking to cities today are less inclined to buy cars and "more likely to spend the money on smartphones, tablets, laptops and $2,000-plus bikes." Annual miles traveled by car among all 16- to 34-year olds dropped 23 percent from 2001 to 2009 according to a study from the "Frontier Group" think tank-and that does not even count the past three years of recession and $4 gallon gas. The Federal Highway Administration found the miles traveled by drivers under 30 dropped from 21 percent to 14 percent of the total between 1995 and 2009. These young people represent the "creative class" talent pool that many companies covet. That's why civic, business and political leaders in cities around the country are paying attention to the next generation's wishes for lively, livable places to work and play. This means diverse cultural opportunities, plentiful cafes and restaurants, a tolerant social climate, a variety of housing choices and ample transportation options like biking-not only for commuting to work, but also for recreation after work and, in some cases, over the lunch hour. Richard Florida, the economic forecaster who coined the phrase "creative class," recently described these sought-after workers in the Wall Street Journal <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444914904577619441778073340.h tml> as "less interested in owning cars and big houses. They prefer to live in central locations, where they can rent an apartment and use transit or walk or bike to work." Florida sees bicycling as critical for thriving cities, which is why he joined New York City's heated debate last year about the proliferation of bike lanes across the city. "New York has became a haven for creative-class professionals," he wrote in the Daily News, which makes good biking facilities important to the city's future. He added that biking remains important to workers in creative fields even as they grow older. "When they put their kids in child seats or jogging strollers, traffic-free bike paths become especially important to them." Thirty-three executives at New York high-tech companies-including Foursquare, Meetup and Tumblr-also weighed in on biking issues, urging Mayor Bloomberg to "support a bikeshare system as a way to attract and retain the investment and talent for New York City to remain competitive in the fast growing digital media and internet-oriented economy." Bloomberg agreed, and the bikeshare program begins next March with 7,000 bikes for rent. The City That Bikes Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was elected last year on an aggressive platform of bringing new tech and creative businesses to the city. When he scored a major coup this summer with Google-Motorola Mobility's announcement that it was moving more than 2,000 jobs from a suburban campus to the heart of the city, Emanuel explained," One of the things that employees look [at] today is the quality of life and quality of transportation because of the ease that comes with it. And that ease is having trains as a choice, buses as a choice and bikes as a choice getting to and from work." The City of Chicago's Chief Technology Officer John Tolva says it's no coincidence that Google-Motorola Mobility's new home in the Merchandise Mart is right next to Kinzie Street, the city's first green lane-where bike lanes are physically separated from rushing traffic to make riders feel safer and more comfortable on the road. This idea of creating protected space for people on bikes, borrowed from Northern European countries where bikes account for 10-30 percent of trips, is now spreading throughout the U.S. Martha Roskowski-director of the Green Lanes Project, which promotes protected bike lanes across the country-explains, "Cities that want to shine are building these kind of better bike facilities as part of a suite of assets that attract business. And they find that bike infrastructure is cheap compared to new sports stadiums and lightrail lines, and can be done much faster." George Washington University business professor Christopher Leinberger, a leading authority on real estate who predicted the current urban boom in a series of articles for the Atlantic magazine, points out "Biking is no longer just a niche for the macho guys. It's for a lot of people now. Ideally, we should have a 20-25 percent mode shift for bikes in cities. Great urban spaces are all about choices, including in transportation." Leinberger marvels at how bicycles are changing Washington, D.C., where he lives. "Bikes have been a critical part of D.C.'s turnaround. They are putting in protected bike lanes which does a lot more to encourage riding than just a white line of paint between people and a one-ton vehicle." Ellen Jones, director of Washington's Downtown Business Improvement District, says, "It's just crazy how biking has taken off here, especially the new bikeshare system which a lot of people are using for commuting." We spoke after she returned from an appointment with managers of a high-tech company wanting to rent an old warehouse downtown. "A lot of their employees bike to work and they were concerned about whether they could easily get their bicycles upstairs. When bicycling is part of the final decision on where a company relocates, then we know its impact." The boom in biking is also creating opportunities in the real estate sector. Jair Lynch, founder and CEO of a DC real estate development and construction company, declares, "We don't work in places that aren't near bike lanes." Even in the slow economy, $200 million in new apartments are currently under construction adjacent to the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, a bike "freeway" cutting through the south side of the city. Another benefit businesses see for locating in bike-friendly locations is a break on health insurance costs. QBP, a bike parts distributor in the Minneapolis area employing 600, offered a series of incentives for employees to commute by bike and discovered an unexpected bonus-a 4.4 percent reduction in health care costs, totaling $170,000 a year. Tracy Pleschourt-partner at Carmichael Lynch, an ad agency in downtown Minneapolis that promotes biking-is excited about the possibilities of the just-launched Zap program, which electronically documents bike trips using on-bike RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices and trail-edge sensors. Right now the program offers only gift certificates and discount gear as prizes for frequent biking, but insurers are looking at it as a way to reward health-conscious companies with lots of employees riding bikes. Boosting the Business Climate Beyond Big Cities & Bike Meccas Bikes are improving the business climate even in cities not ranked as bike capitals or large metropolitan regions. Mayor Lee Leffingwell of Austin, Texas, said, "I certainly recognize the environmental, public health and quality of life benefits that more bicycling can bring our city, but I also value the contribution to the economy that comes with the provision of smart transportation options that attract major employers to Austin." Austin is ambitiously expanding its bike infrastructure; its first green lane opened last spring, one of 10 planned for the city. Cirrus Logic, a computer chip company that depends on specially trained engineers, moved to downtown Austin last summer from an outlying location "to become more attractive as an employer," says PR director Bill Schnell. "We can't just pluck anybody for our jobs. The people we want are mostly younger, and biking is part of the equation for them." CEO Tyson Tuttle relocated Silicon Labs, which designs integrated circuits for computers, to downtown Austin five years ago to be close to the city's bike trail system. It was one of the first of many tech companies that are now in the area. Tuttle, who himself sometimes rides to work, says it was a smart move. "Biking on the trails is something a lot of employees enjoy, and when people think about joining the company it's a big draw. It also helps with wellness and fitness." You might think that Memphis would be the last place in America to believe bikes can take us down the path to prosperity. In 2008, with not a single bike lane inside the city limits, Memphis was named one of the three "Worst Cities for Cycling in America" by Bicycling magazine (alongside Dallas and Miami). That prompted the city to stripe a few lines of bike lanes, but it landed on the three worst cities list again in 2010 (this time joined by Birmingham and Jacksonville). This year Bicycling honored Memphis as the "most improved" city for bicycling. It was also named as one of six cities (along with Portland, Ore., San Francisco, Washington, Chicago and Austin) to receive support from the Bikes Belong Foundation's Green Lane Project in creating a network of protected bike lanes to serve as best practices for other cities to follow. What happened? For one thing Mayor A C Wharton became a champion of biking, announcing, "We believe in the power of bicycle facilities to enhance the health, economy and safety of our community." He hired a bike-pedestrian coordinator for the city and put plans into motion that led to more than 60 miles of bike lanes. Memphis business leaders began talking about the importance of biking to city's future. Shepherd Tate-an attorney at the large Bass, Berry & Sims law firm-puts it plainly. "There's no question about it. Biking makes a difference in attracting talent." Eric Matthews, CEO of Launch Memphis and two other initiatives to nurture and attract new businesses, notes, "Biking correlates with entrepreneurs." The city, already home to the world famous St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, is positioning itself to become a center for new biomedical firms. "My job is to convince emerging companies that they can get the workers they want to come here," says Dr. Steven Bares, President of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation, an initiative to bring emerging health companies to Memphis. "The bike is part of the overall strategy to compete for talent." Jay Walljasper, author of The Great Neighborhood Book and All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons, chronicles urban life for a variety of publications. His website: www.JayWalljasper.com <http://www.jaywalljasper.com/> . This article was originally published on GreenLane Project <http://greenlaneproject.org/blog/view/198> . Photo courtesy Spencer Thomas <http://www.flickr.com/photos/spencerthomas/> , licensed under Creative Commons <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en> . Read more: <http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx #ixzz2BINaPSdr> http://www.utne.com/science-technology/bicycling-means-better-business.aspx# ixzz2BINaPSdr

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Bike benefit calculator
by Leah Goertzen 03 Nov '12

03 Nov '12

Follow this link to find an interesting to calculate what biking may be worth to you: http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/biking/ Leah Goertzen Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba info(a)pacm.ca

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Vancouver cycling stats
by Charles Feaver 03 Nov '12

03 Nov '12

Vancouver has some impressive cycling numbers: According to the October 30 Vancouver Metro, http://metronews.ca/news/vancouver/421260/vancouver-breaks-away-from-the-cyc ling-pack/ Vancouver is a tour de force when it comes to cycling in the region. According to new bike use statistics released by TransLink for Bike to Work Week Monday, 12.1 of every 100 trips taken in the City of Vancouver are now on bicycle. Behind the pace setter, Richmond leads a tightly packed peloton with a much lower rate of 3.1 trips per 100. "The numbers seem very impressive," said Vision Vancouver Coun. Geoff Meggs. "We did what everybody said we needed to do to make it work, and that's build safe cycling infrastructure." Vancouver has more than 400 kilometres of bike lanes, about 10 of which are separated. That number is expected to grow substantially as the city hopes to make cycling, walking or public transit account for two thirds of all trips in the city. Those modes accounted for 40 per cent of trips in 2008. Transportation 2040 Plan, which outlines those goals and strategies, will be presented to city council Tuesday morning. ... Overall, TransLink says the number of bike-only trips in the region have increased 26 per cent between 2008 and 2011, 106,500 trips from 84,300. In Vancouver, the amount of trips increased 35 per cent during the same period, 55 per cent of which were to and from work. ... Interestingly, men make up the vast majority of cyclists - 71 per cent. TransLink's vision, outlined in the Regional Cycling Strategy, is a 10 per cent cycling mode share by 2040. Its mode share is currently the highest recorded, at 1.8 per cent of all trips.

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WFP: A bridge too fine - Riverton gets snazzy replacement (Nov.3'12)
by Beth McKechnie 03 Nov '12

03 Nov '12

A bridge too fine Riverton gets snazzy replacement By: Bill Redekop RIVERTON -- The previous four bridges here, dating back 120 years, were all wiped out by floods. Those bridges spanning the Icelandic River were built in 1892, 1910, 1932 and 1974 -- the last one knocked out by flood and ice floes in 2011. So when the fifth bridge -- it and the previous one have been pedestrian bridges -- was unveiled last week, people had to put it to the test. At the opening ceremony, 157 people got onto the new Riverton footbridge at once. Then it started to sway. Mayor Colin Bjarnason said at that point his son, Kevin Johnson, toting his two boys, decided against being the 158th, 159th and 160th persons. "It never bothered me," said the mayor of the slight movement in the bridge, which was not considered in danger. You have to see this bridge. Stantec engineers stop short of saying it's indestructible -- that's what people said about a certain ocean liner -- but claim it will "withstand whatever the river can throw at it." It's a $2-million state-of-the-art pedestrian bridge that lights up like a chandelier at night. LED lights are embedded in all the cross girders and into every second post along the decking. So at night, said resident Peter McCabe, "It's like you're in New York or someplace." This isn't New York. It's a town of 560 people that was originally settled by Icelandic pioneers, 105 kilometres north of Winnipeg. Riverton couldn't raise $20,000 for a bridge on its own, never mind $2 million. Its contribution to the bridge is $2.50 per capita, or about $1,500. The province pays the rest under the Disaster Financial Assistance program, with the understanding the federal government will cover 85 per cent of those costs under its disaster assistance program. Bridges have been a good-luck, bad-luck story for the community. The bad luck is their bridges keep being knocked out by flood ice every generation or so. The good luck is every time the bridge gets rebuilt, the town gets an upgrade paid for by the federal and provincial governments. Each new replacement bridge is built bigger and stronger to meet new building codes. The result is the magnificent $2-million footbridge. Rivertonians have voted right. Provincially, they are represented by NDP MLA Peter Bjornson (Gimli). Federally, their MP is Conservative James Bezan (Selkirk-Interlake). However, it seems more a case of first in, first out. Bjarnason said he was on the phone to government officials about obtaining a replacement bridge the same day the old one was destroyed. Stantec came forward with a design proposal and the town council submitted it almost directly to government. Bjarnason said council didn't hold public meetings and ask for public input on various designs like Souris has. Souris, with three times the population of Riverton, is still waiting for a less expensive footbridge to replace its famous suspension bridge lost in the 2011 Souris River flood. It's not like Riverton doesn't have a regular bridge for vehicle traffic. There's one half a kilometre away. The new footbridge just reconnects the east side of town, where fewer than half the residents live, considered old Riverton, to the west side for pedestrian traffic. It is also a tourist attraction and a community-enhancer. Last year's flood knocked out two of the four bridge piers. During the rebuilding, Stantec engineers took out a third pier to remove another target for ice floes. Engineers just kept a single centre pier but braced it with four anchors, burrowed 21 metres into bedrock, on each side. Stantec said the pier will withstand river ice one metre thick. Stantec also bevelled the pier into a point so it can either split ice floes or at least deflect them away. Sperling Industries built the 90-metre-long bridge in the village of Sperling, just southwest of Winnipeg. Bjarnason said he feels the bridge helps put Riverton back into the tourist game. In earlier times, Riverton was a more important hub for Icelandic Canadians than Gimli. Plus, a town heritage group recently erected a bronze statue of Sigtryggur Jónasson, known as the Father of New Iceland. "(Gimli town officials) have been blowing their whistle an awfully long time. We're proving we've got something here and we're going to start letting people know about it," said Bjarnason. bill.redekop(a)freepress.mb.ca http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/a-bridge--too-fine-177072891.html* *

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Live streaming of Sustainable Mobility Summit Nov. 5-7th!
by Jessie Klassen 02 Nov '12

02 Nov '12

Hello Everyone! Green Action Centre will be hosting a local viewing of the Sustainable Mobility Summit on Monday, November 5th, and Wednesday November 7th, right here in the Eco-Centre boardroom. This is a fantastic conference, taking place this year in Hamilton, Ontario. We will be streaming live: Monday, November 5th: 9:30am - 4pm Wednesday, November 7th: 12:30pm - 4pm Find out more about the Sustainable Mobility Summit here<http://www.actcanada.com/EN/Conference2012/Default.aspx>. View the program schedule here<http://www.actcanada.com/EN/Conference2012/pdf/SustainableMobilitySummit201…>(pp. 16-17). Please let us know if you are planning to join us by emailing jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca or calling 925-3772. Hope to see you here! ** *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/memberships/>

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BttF's Submission to Charleswood Transportation Study
by Mark Cohoe 31 Oct '12

31 Oct '12

HI, I thought I would share with you the submission that Bike to the Future has made to the consultants undertaking the Charleswood Transportation Study. It is available here <http://biketothefuture.org/attachments/0000/1824/2012-10-26_bttf_charleswoo…>. Our next steps will be to contact as many organizations within the study area as possible and ask them to join us in asking for the improvements we have identified. If you can help out in that regard, please feel free to contact me at 204-894-6540. Cheers, Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike to the Future

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WFP: MPI, PUB split over safety fund (Oct.31'12)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Oct '12

31 Oct '12

[Though it's disappointing (but not surprising) to hear such vocal backlash to MPI's proposed contributions to improve the safety of road infrastructure, it's encouraging that it's now on the table. For years, we have heard the great ways ICBC has used this approach to address poorly designed road infrastructure, especially intersections. The result has been greatly improved safety for everyone, including pedestrians and cyclists. Plus it has saved everyone money through reduced claims. Not mentioned but included would also be health care savings from those hurt in collissions. Sounds like a win all around! -cheers, Beth] MPI, PUB split over safety fund Regulator backs idea but doesn't want premiums to pay for it By: Bruce Owen The Public Utilities Board has not given a green light to Manitoba Public Insurance's plan to help fund road-improvement projects. But there are indications the panel that regulates automobile insurance rates is on the same road as MPI with regard to funding road-safety projects. MPI and the PUB are divided over how the Crown insurer is to pay for such projects. Money for a new road-safety program, which could include rumble strips or new merging lanes, would come out of basic insurance premiums, MPI spokesman Brian Smiley said, the same as it does now for MPI's current road-safety programs. Funding would not come out of MPI's rate-stabilization reserve, which stands at about $156 million, MPI's 2011-12 annual report states. The PUB has been after MPI for about two years to take about $20 million out of its rate-stabilization reserve and create a separate road-safety program to pay for initiatives that would reduce collisions and costly claims, such as when a car hits a deer. How soon a plan gets put on the PUB's table -- MPI officials have been mulling this for more than a year -- depends on what a yet-to-be-announced independent consultant recommends. "We are in the very, very early stages of this," Smiley said Tuesday. "We told the PUB we are looking at this. This is very preliminary." News the insurer is looking at expanding its road-safety program was reported last week by the Free Press and soundly criticized by the Opposition Progressive Conservatives. The Tories say it's the government's job to spruce up infrastructure. "Manitoba Public Insurance has a specific mandate and that is to provide Manitoba drivers with insurance, period," Brandon MLA Reg Helwer, the party's critic for MPI, has said. MPI is eyeing the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia's road-improvement program, which began in 1989. ICBC splits the cost of road projects -- such as roundabouts, pedestrian signals, rumble strips, medians, sign upgrades and intersection improvements -- with municipalities and the B.C. government. ICBC says a recent evaluation of the program found two years following a project's implementation, there is on average, a 20 per cent reduction in severe crashes and a 12 per cent reduction in property damage crashes. The evaluation also found for every dollar spent on a project, ICBC and customers saved $5.60 over two years and $12.80 over five years in reduced claims costs. CAA Manitoba spokeswoman Liz Peters said the auto association wants to see MPI's plan before it passes judgment. "While we acknowledge a similar endeavour has been successful for ICBC, we disagree that this is a strategy that Manitobans would likely support," Peters told the PUB at a hearing last week. "We definitely believe that infrastructure is the role of the government and should remain that way." Byron Williams, who represents the Manitoba branch of the Consumers' Association of Canada, told the PUB his clients believe infrastructure spending should also be paid through tax dollars, not insurance premiums. "But our clients want to emphasize that they're open to persuasion on this, but open to persuasion based upon sound empirical evidence," he said. "There's also risk that they're dissipating the corporation's energies on too many roles, minimizing the positive contribution it can make." bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/mpi-pub-split-over-safety-fun… <bruce.owen(a)freepress.mb.ca>

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Support Peg City Car Co-op in the National Co-op Challenge
by Shoni Litinsky 30 Oct '12

30 Oct '12

For Facebook users only: For those of you who would like to see more biking, walking, busing, and sometimes driving in Winnipeg - please take a moment of your time to support your local carshare co-op. The Cooperator's Insurance company is hosting a National Co-op Challenge, and Peg City is the only Manitoba finalist! We have a 50% chance of winning $30,000, $15,000 or $10,000 to help us grow the co-op....but we need your help because the competition is tight! Please follow this link to watch our video and vote for our group! Feel free to share it with your friends and co-workers :) https://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/291687/voteable_entries/60151… -- *Shoni Litinsky* | 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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[At-network] Reminder - AT Webinar: Green Lane Project, 2-3 pm, Wed, Oct. 31st, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 30 Oct '12

30 Oct '12

*Friendly reminder about tomorrow afternoon's webinar. A more detailed description was also just provided this morning (pasted below)...* * * * * Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* * *The Green Lane Project* Wednesday, October 31st | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT [image: image]Join us for an informative webinar about the innovative Green Lane Project. Martha Roskowski, Green Lane Project Director, discusses the project's scope and goals and shares the results of a recent inventory of the lanes. She'll also discuss the challenges and opportunities of protected lanes and how they fit into the emerging concept of low-stress networks as the key to encouraging more people to make short trips by bike. She will provide an update on the progress being made by the six focus cities in the project (Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, San Francisco and Washington D.C.), as an introduction to detailed presentations from Chicago and San Francisco. Mike Amsden's presentation about Chicago's Protected Bike Lane Initiative will focus on two recently installed protected bike lanes (cycle tracks) in Chicago: Elston Avenue and 55th Street. Elston Avenue is a popular commuter route for bicyclists that travels through several industrial areas. This mix of industrial uses and bicycle traffic presented unique design, operational and outreach challenges. 55th Street is the northern border of the University of Chicago. Before installation of a road diet with protected bike lanes, four lanes of motor vehicle traffic created a barrier for people walking or bicycling to campus from neighborhoods to the north. Mike's presentation will describe the purpose, safety benefits, design details, and challenges of each project. Seleta Reynolds of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will focus on the JFK Drive bike lanes with results to date and lessons learned. San Francisco implemented its first parking-buffered cycletrack on JFK Drive in Golden Gate Park in May, 2012. The presentation will cover lessons learned in every aspect from the outreach method to the construction staging, and finally early evaluation, which includes both quantitative measures and qualitative measures including field surveys of users. Presenters: - Martha Roskowski, Director, Green Lane Project - Mike Amsden, Senior Planner, T.Y. Lin International - Seleta Reynolds, Section Leader, Livable Streets Sustainable Streets Division, SFMTA

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Incentives to encourage cycling to work
by Beth McKechnie 30 Oct '12

30 Oct '12

Incentives would encourage cycling to work 30 October 2012 | By Jennifer Paterson<http://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/jennifer-paterson/6.bio> http://www.employeebenefits.co.uk/benefits/tax-efficient-benefits/bikes-for… Almost half (48%) of respondents would cycle to work more often if there were extra incentives or rewards for them to do so, according to research by innovation foundation Nesta. The research, which surveyed more than 4,000 UK adults, found that, among employees who already cycle to work, the factors most likely to get them to cycle more include: safe storage (40%), access to bike maintenance (31%) and shower facilities (29%). A further 14% said they would welcome training sessions, such as road safety courses. However, among employers surveyed in another piece of research by Nesta, only 13% of HR decision makers said that they currently offer incentives and rewards to encourage employees to cycle to work. Its *Human resources decision makers and business leaders survey*, which polled 507 HR decision makers, found that 23% of respondents said there would be no benefit to their organisation if more employees cycled to work. Almost half (48%) of respondents said employee cycling would give them healthier staff and lead to fewer sick days, while 49% said it would help towards meeting their environmental targets. A lack of employee demand was the most commonly perceived barrier to setting up a bikes-for-work initiative, with 39% of respondents citing this reason. On the back of this research, Nesta has introduced a Workplace Cycling Challenge, which encourages employers to submit innovative ideas for getting more of their workforce commuting by bike. The challenge is open to all employers with 10 or more employees. Geoff Mulgan, chief executive at Nesta, said: “Through our Workplace Cycling Challenge, we hope to remove some of the barriers to cycling and get more people on their bikes. “Our research shows that many people would be keen to give cycling a go if only the right incentives were put in place and this presents organisations with a huge opportunity to reap all the benefits associated with an active, cycling workforce.”

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INVITATION: North American Kickstand Training Sessions
by Anders Swanson 29 Oct '12

29 Oct '12

[Apologies in advance for any cross-postings. Hope to see you there! - Anders] *Two-Day Professional Training Session on Bicycle-Friendly and People-Friendly Cities Winnipeg* *Nov.22nd and 23rd* Bicycle-friendly cities are people-friendly cities. Building a city that accommodates the bicycle means building an economically viable, sustainable and socially vibrant city. This November and December, a team of internationally known experts from The Netherlands, Denmark, Canada and the United States are traveling across North America with an innovative training program called "The Kickstand Sessions". Customized training sessions take European expertise and an understanding of North American context to develop solutions that suit the unique characteristics of each city. Trainers coach participants to discover local solutions in engineering, planning, policy, culture and marketing which will permit people of all ages, abilities, genders and backgrounds to bicycle more often. *Two Day Workshop* Thursday, Nov 22nd (8:30am - 5:00pm) Friday, Nov 23rd (9:00 am – 5:00 pm) Space limited to 36 participants. *Location:* University of Manitoba Events Centre<http://umanitoba.ca/admin/campus_planning_office/Event%20Centre.html> 100 One Research Road (in Smart Park) Complimentary bike parking for 20 and vehicle parking for 75 *Workshop Fees and Registration*: $800 / pp for two day workshop (taxes, lunch and refreshment breaks included) *Register Now. <http://copenhagenize.eu/kickstand/signup.html>* For more information, visit to the Kickstand website<http://kickstandsessions.com/>. All training fees are processed through PayPal. Spaces are limited to ensure a high quality learning environment. *PLEASE NOTE:* We are also coordinating an opportunity for the general public to hear / see / learn from our European friends. Details coming soon. * * * * * * * * * * * * *FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS* *Is this a training session just about applying European best practices in North America?* No. We know that European best practices cannot be directly applied in the North American context. We have heard the argument about how large and spread out North America is, and of course the winters! This training session is unique as it brings together experts from The Netherlands, Denmark, Canada and the United States. Our training team will inspire and coach participants in devising local solutions that build on local conditions. The Kickstand Sessions provide a unique opportunity for professionals to work alongside international cycling experts. Spaces are limited to ensure a high quality learning environment with 4 trainers and a maximum of 36 participants. * TRAINING HIGHLIGHTS * -Focus on the local conditions that need to be in place for the bicycle to work as a catalyst for creating people-friendly cities -Learn how to create the cultural and political support that is necessary to incorporate bicycle infrastructure into your city's transport system -Understand the most strategic and cost-effective approaches for integrating bicycle routes and facilities with other forms of transport -See how to incorporate bicycle planning into pedestrian planning and why this creates safe street designs that work for all road users -Learn what it means to accommodate the needs of women, children, the elderly, low-income families, immigrants and people with disabilities (All of these groups use bicycles heavily in The Netherlands and Denmark) -Uncover the leading-edge approaches used to market and promote urban cycling and why it works -Be motivated by international best practices and lessons that matter to your community -Dispel common barriers to cycling like weather, topography, funding, political will and car-oriented planning -Discover how cycling is central to building livable, modern, resilient and active cities -Find out the characteristics of bicycle culture and how this can be inherited and supported locally -Set a roadmap of key action items that are proven in cities around the world -And much more! * Who should attend this professional training session? *-Transportation engineers and planners -Professionals and business leaders in development, architecture, planning and design -Local economic development officials and tourism professionals -Public health promoters and professionals -Community groups and business improvement associations -Organizations that support women, children, the elderly, new Canadians, low-income families and other key groups -Champions of resilient and liveable communities * * * * * * * * * * * * *SOCIAL MEDIA* Join the discussion on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/kickstandsessions> and Twitter <https://twitter.com/kickstand_bike>! *CONTACT* If you have any questions about the training session, please do not hesitate to contact: *in Manitoba:* Anders Swanson (204) 797-1962 andersswanson(a)gmail.com *Canadian Coordinating Chair:* Elizabeth Allingham Community Engagement Manager, The Kickstand Sessions - North America (613) 216-2332 kickstandcanada(a)copenhagenize.eu *THANKYOU* to representatives from government and non-government organizations for helping to coordinate logistics and spread the word esp. the University of Manitoba, Manitoba’s Dutch and Danish Consuls, Portage la Prairie's bicycle committee, The University of Manitoba Institute for Transportation Engineers Student Chapter, Bike to the Future, the Winnipeg Trails Association, Manitoba Professional Planners' Institute, MPI, Green Action Centre, the Physical Activity Coalition of Manitoba, the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba Local Government and more.

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WFP: Bike lanes, trails popular, poll says (Oct.29'12)
by Beth McKechnie 29 Oct '12

29 Oct '12

Bike lanes, trails popular, poll says Strong majority supports healthy initiatives By: Mia Rabson Winnipeggers may hate change, but thus far, the slew of new bike lanes and trails in the last two years have been met with a thumbs-up from most people. A Probe Research poll for the Free Press found 71 per cent of Winnipeggers see the new bike paths and trails as very or somewhat successful for cyclists, and 60 per cent said they were very or somewhat successful for motorists. Most people fell into the slightly happy crowd, with 50 per cent calling them somewhat successful for cyclists and 51 per cent calling them somewhat successful for motorists, compared to 21 per cent and nine per cent who said they were very successful for cyclists and motorists, respectively. "When all is said and done, people think they are starting to do what they're supposed to do," said Probe Research president Scott MacKay. MacKay said he "honestly didn't know what to expect" when the question was asked, so he wasn't surprised by the results. More than $20 million was spent to build or improve more than three dozen bicycle paths, including dedicated bike lanes on major streets and multi-use trails. Much of the money came via the federal government's economic-stimulus plans, but required contributions from provincial and municipal governments. The poll did not ask whether people are more likely to use bikes since the addition of the new trails and paths, but MacKay said this poll will be a good baseline for comparison in the future. Bike to the Future, an advocacy group for cycling in Winnipeg, estimates the number of cyclists in downtown Winnipeg has gone up 47 per cent since 2011, to about 13,000 people a day. Mark Cohoe, Bike to the Future's executive director, said the new paths and bike lanes have greatly contributed to that increase. He said he is not surprised people like the new paths because they have been a great addition to the city's cycling community. "There is a definite improvement in how motorists and cyclists interact," said Cohoe. He said while there is still animosity between cyclists and drivers, the trails have helped make everyone safer. Most of the bike paths were built in 2009 and 2010. MacKay said the poll question came about because there was a lot of chatter on radio call-in shows and even around the water cooler in the Probe offices, about cycling in Winnipeg. "There's always been this debate between car people and the bike people," he said. On a personal level, he's seen many more cyclists on his way to work each day, and he himself was sometimes confused by the new signs marking bike lanes. He wanted to know whether the new paths were working for cyclists, for motorists, or neither. Cohoe said there are still major gaps, such as Pembina Highway. However, once the second rapid-transit phase is completed, and the cycling upgrades as part of the Pembina Underpass project are finished, it will give cyclists a safe trail to connect them all the way to the University of Manitoba. He said another priority for cyclists right now is for the completion of the trail between Grant and Wilkes near Shaftesbury Boulevard. mia.rabson(a)freepress.mb.ca *Probe Research poll questions* *Overall, how successful would you say these bike lanes, trails and paths have been in making travel around the city better for Winnipeg cyclists?* Very successful: 21 per cent Somewhat successful: 50 per cent Somewhat unsuccessful: 15 per cent Very unsuccessful: six per cent *Overall, how successful would you say these bike lanes, trails and paths have been in making travel around the city better for Winnipeg motorists?* Very successful: nine per cent Somewhat successful: 51 per cent Somewhat unsuccessful: 20 per cent Very unsuccessful: 13 per cent The poll of 600 Winnipeg adults was conducted randomly by phone between Sept. 19 and Oct. 14. It is considered to be accurate within 4.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/bike-lanes-trails-popular-poll-says-…

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City's Active Transportation Advisory Committee - Seeking Citizens to Serve - or not
by Janice Lukes 26 Oct '12

26 Oct '12

I've notice on the City's website front page - the City is <http://www.winnipeg.ca/clerks/docs/boards/boards.stm> 'Seeking Citizens to Serve' on boards and commissions with a deadline to apply of November 16th, BUT - nowhere is there a listing for the City's Active Transportation Advisory Committee. This past May, the City chose to 'relieve' all representatives (both city representatives and volunteers) from their duties on the Active Transportation Advisory Committee. As a volunteer member at the time, we were told they would be 'reformatting' the committee and posting the opportunity to serve on the committee in the near future. As Mark Cohoe noted in a previous 'Charleswood Transportation Study' posting to this list serve- there were many AT omissions in the Charleswood Transportation plan that: ' . . . had the City maintained the AT Advisory Committee, these errors would have been spotted prior to the public information display.' An advisory committee is an invaluable asset - for both the citizens and the City. An advisory committee provides insight and guidance to the City's one Active Transportation Coordinator and Public Works Department - and assists in ensuring costly AT errors and omissions do not occur. I encourage you to email the Mayor and your city Councillor <http://winnipeg.ca/council/> and ask them where folks can apply to serve on the Active Transportation Advisory Committee - in light of the November 16th deadline. Janice Lukes

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New report - evaluating protected bike lanes, traffic calming, parklets, etc.
by Beth McKechnie 26 Oct '12

26 Oct '12

*Measuring the Street: New Metrics for 21st Century Streets* New York City’s streets are constantly called on to the meet new and varied needs of a growing, dynamic, 21st Century city – and to do this in a complex environment where there is little opportunity to expand the existing footprint. How do city leaders address these challenges and measure their success? This report discusses key approaches to street design projects, and how results can be measured against goals for safety, serving all users and creating great public spaces while also maintaining the flow of traffic. Using a cross-section of recent NYCDOT street design projects, this report details the metrics NYCDOT uses to evaluate street projects, and illustrates how measuring results can show progress toward safe, sustainable, livable and economically competitive streets. http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2012-10-measuring-the-street.pdf

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INVITATION: Have your say on Manitoba Roads
by Janice Lukes 26 Oct '12

26 Oct '12

See invitation below This is the second public forum CAA and the Manitoba Heavy Construction industry are hosting on ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE issues. Some of you many recall the first forum – held during the last Provincial election – which led to key active transportation election commitments. These forums are super opportunities to gain perspective and have open dialogue with key folks. As we move tiny steps closer to a broader public understanding that roads are not solely for motorized vehicles, but to be shared – any insight brought forward from the active transportation community would be of significant value for sure; funding allocations / impact of users on roadways / etc. City Councillor and Chair of Finance – Scott Fielding will be in attendance Minister of Local Government AND Minister Responsible for Active Transportation - Ron Lemieux will be in attendance I am unable to attend - if you are interested in attending – please RSVP below. This event is open to the public. Janice Lukes Having problems viewing this email? CLICK HERE <http://www.elabs5.com/c.html?ufl=4&rtr=on&s=jazgg,i4je,yvv,j4dd,hf6t,60i2,1…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_01…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_02…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_03…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_04…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_05…> <mailto:angelef@caamanitoba.com?subject=Manitoba%20Roads%20Public%20Forum> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_07…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_08…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_09…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_10…> <http://www.elabs5.com/c.html?ufl=4&rtr=on&s=jazgg,i4je,yvv,huwq,i0q5,60i2,1…> <http://www.elabs5.com/c.html?ufl=4&rtr=on&s=jazgg,i4je,yvv,2u0t,5e0o,60i2,1…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/Infrastructure-forum_13…> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/spacer.gif> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/spacer.gif> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/spacer.gif> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/spacer.gif> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/spacer.gif> <http://www.caamanitoba.com/eblasts/roadforum/images/spacer.gif> <http://www.elabs5.com/images/mlopen_post.html?rtr=on&siteid=32425216&mid=84…> To unsubscribe, click here <http://www.elabs5.com/functions/mailing_list.html?mid=845690&submitaction=2…> Confidentiality Notice: This email message, including attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient and may contain confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender by reply email, delete this transmission and any attachments immediately, and destroy all copies. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited.

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[At-network] AT Webinar: Green Lane Project, 2-3 pm, Wed, Oct. 31st, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 25 Oct '12

25 Oct '12

Green Action Centre and Bike to the Future invite you to join us for a local viewing of the upcoming APBP webinar at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) followed by group discussion.* * *The Green Lane Project* Wednesday, October 31st | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT Learn about the scope and progress of the Green Lane Project, the Bikes Belong initiative aimed at building support and advancing best practices for separated, protected on-street bicycle facilities. The session includes detailed case studies of new protected bike lane installations in Chicago and San Francisco. RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772* *

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UPDATE: Pembina Hwy Buffered Bike Lane CONSTRUCTION
by Janice Lukes 24 Oct '12

24 Oct '12

Lots of interesting cross Canada information out on Cycle tracks and Buffered Bike Lanes - Time for another update - lots occurring since the last Pembina update 9 days ago! See the detailed construction at the BUS STOPS on the east side of Pembina (northbound traffic) occurring in front of CanadInns. See detail prepping for concrete - and after concrete is poured. Bricks are to be inlaid into the concrete. I have put a blue line where I believe is to be the 'bike lane' and the route it maneuvers through the bus stops. The construction team has completed 2 of 4 bus stops on the east side of Pembina today. There are 4 bus stops that I see on the west side of Pembina - so, another 6 in total to be constructed / concrete and bricks laid before snow falls! Then the remaining asphalt on the east side - THEN the poly post installation on the road itself. Super exciting - Janice Lukes

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Cycle tracks planned for centre city in Calgary
by Beth McKechnie 24 Oct '12

24 Oct '12

Cycle Tracks Planned for Centre City http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=5abad95f7660abd589fb03174&id=619cd0be4b… On Wednesday, City Council's Standing Policy Committee on Transportation and Transit received an update on the Cycling Strategy<http://bikecalgary.org/node/3710>from Tom Thivener (and comments from Bike Calgary). The update included a plan for cycle tracks in the downtown core and the Beltline. Instead of previously-planned painted bike lanes along 6 and 7 Street, the Transportation Department has agreed to install innovative bike facilities that separate cyclists from both pedestrians and car traffic. There will be either two one-way cycle tracks along 6 and 7 St, or one two-way cycle track along 7 Street, as early as Spring 2013, connecting the 8 Avenue SW bike route to the Bow River pathway. In phase 2, 8 Avenue SW itself will get upgraded to a cycle track, and connected to the Beltline through the 5 Street SW underpass. The half-hearted attempt at a rush-hour only bike lane along 10 Avenue SW will be reviewed, and may be replaced either with a permanent bike lane or cycle tracks along 11 and/or 12 Avenues SW to provide connectivity through the Beltline. Phase 3 (2015) is yet to be determined. Bicycle facilities in the downtown core and the Beltline face opposition, especially from businesses concerned about hourly street parking. However, cycle track design options<http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/cycle-tracks/>include using parked cars as the physical barrier to moving traffic, as in the most famous example of a two-way cycle track in North America, Prospect Park West in Brooklyn<http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/prospectparkwest.shtml>. Moreover, on-street parking spaces may be added at the same time in other places. Detractors often cite the notoriously high monthly parking rate in downtown Calgary in this connection, but forget to mention that in hourly on-street parking rates, Calgary's rates are in line with Vancouver's and Ottawa's<http://www.collierscanada.com/en/%7E/media/Files/Research/2012/2012%20Parki…>, and well behind Toronto's or Montreal's. At the same time, we can expect significant benefits from installing bike infrastructure: reductions in collisions, speeding, sidewalk riding, more people riding bicycles (especially those not comfortable riding with traffic), as well as increased acceptance by pedestrians and businesses. In installing cycle tracks in the downtown core, Calgary would follow the successful example of Montreal<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=4577,84235570&_dad=portal&_…>, Ottawa<http://ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/planningprojectsreports/public_consult/bikela…>, and Vancouver<http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/separated-bicycle-lanes.aspx> .

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Comprehensive guide for implementing bike share programs
by Beth McKechnie 24 Oct '12

24 Oct '12

[Snipped from CenterLine <http://www.bikewalk.org/newsletter.php>s<http://www.bikewalk.org/newsletter.php>313 | BikePed News You Can Use] *COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR IMPLEMENTING BIKE SHARE PROGRAMS* On Sept. 7th, "The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and Toole Design Group released the results from their comprehensive national study of current bike sharing programs in the United States. "Bike Sharing in The United States: State of the Practice and Guide to Implementation<http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/promote/bikeshare.cfm?/bikeshare>" is designed to provide guidance on how to plan, implement and measure the success of bike share programs in communities of all sizes. "The 68-page Guide has been designed to serve as a resource for a broad audience, including transportation planning professionals, as well as public officials considering implementation of a bike share program... [It] is based on an exhaustive analysis of twelve existing and planned bike share programs from across the U.S., explores the evolution of bike sharing in the U.S., defines success factors, describes the step-by-step approach to implementing a bike share program, documents existing costs, examines the different models of provision and funding, and describes metrics for monitoring and evaluating program success."

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Reminder re: Creative Commuting Ambassador Training I and II
by Jessie Klassen 24 Oct '12

24 Oct '12

(Just a friendly reminder to sign up today if you are interested in attending either session 1 or 2!) ** > *Creative Commuting Ambassador Training I > * > You are invited to a FREE, half-day interactive workshop on becoming a > Creative Commuting Ambassador at your workplace! Get the tools and guidance > to help improve commuter options on-site and support your coworkers to get > the most out of their commutes. > > > *Hands-on training and resources you'll get at the workshop:* > > - Training in bike route planning > - Experience with all the latest Winnipeg Transit tools > > > - An evaluation of your workplace's existing commuter options > - A folder filled with tools and resources relevant to your workplace > - Ideas for a simple project to apply these tools and resources right > away > > *Workshop date:* Thursday, November 1st, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm > * > Workshop location*: EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) > Creative Commuting Ambassador Training II: Behaviour Change > > Do you want to sing the praises of creative commuting with your > co-workers, but no one seems to be listening? This FREE, interactive > half-day training session is for you! 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. > > *Hands-on training and resources you’ll get at the workshop:* > > - Tools and strategies to engage your co-workers more effectively > - Greater knowledge of behaviour change > - Local success stories > - Program and communication ideas you can begin to apply right away > > *Workshop date:* Thursday, November 8th, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm > > *Workshop location:* EcoCentre boardroom (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) > * > Register today by contacting Jessie Klassen at 925-3772 or > jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca. * > > > > ** > > *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/memberships/> > >

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Just a little something for the list on this dark wet day
by Stacy Matwick 23 Oct '12

23 Oct '12

With nasty rainy dark days upon us I thought I'd share this with you all for a smile. Warning do not try this at home :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTLsAnxUwzQ via Laughing Squid http://laughingsquid.com Cheers Stacy Matwick

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Introducing the Walking and Wheeling Webinar Series
by Shoni Litinsky 22 Oct '12

22 Oct '12

** Please share widely! ** Join Green Action Centre's Active and Safe Routes to School Manitoba <http://greenactioncentre.ca/programs/asrts>team as we host our first ever webinar (online seminar) series this November 2012-January 2013. Our team has put our heads together and come up with 5 great sessions that will address some of questions we get asked most from parents, schools, communities, and municipalities! Please click here to see full descriptions and to register<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/walking-and-wheeling-webinar-series/>for the free sessions which will take place in our online WIMBA learning classroom (ie - from the comfort of your own computer!). Note: If you cannot attend the time of a session you would like to see, please register anyway as we will be sure to circulate the recorded archive following the event. *How to Start a Bike Repair Program & Shop in Your School or Community* *Date and time:* November 23, 2012 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter: *Geoff Heath – the WRENCH <http://http://thewrench.ca/> *5 Key Bike Safety Tips for Kids (Ages 9-11)* *Date and Time:* November 30, 2012 at 12:30pm-1:00pm *Presenter:* Dave Elmore – Green Action Centre *Winter Walking Activities for your Classroom or After School Program* *Date and Time:* December 7, 2012 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter:* Shoni Litinsky and Lea Grzenda – Green Action Centre *Building a Culture of Walking and Cycling* *Date and Time: *January 10, 2013 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter:* Lea Grzenda and Masha Giller – Green Action Centre *Pedestrian and Bicycle Engineering 101 for School Travel* *Date and Time:* January 18, 2013 at 12:30pm-1:30pm *Presenter:* Anders Swanson – Green Action Centre We hope you will join us! -- *Shoni Litinsky* | 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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GLOBE AND MAIL: Separated bike lanes make cyclists safer, study says
by Anders Swanson 19 Oct '12

19 Oct '12

[ source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/separated-bike-lanes-make-cycl…] Separated bike lanes make cyclists safer, study says One of the most ambitious studies of bicycle injuries ever conducted in Canada has reach a conclusion that won’t surprise anyone who rides to work: It is far safer to travel on a physically separated bike lane than on busy city streets. The research, led by Prof. Kay Teschke of the University of British Columbia’s school of population and public health, involved interviewing hundreds of victims of bike accidents in Toronto and Vancouver, and then studying the location where the accident took place. More Related to this Story - Bicycle Data Toronto falling behind pack in averting bicycle collisions, data reveals <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-falling-behind-pack-in-…> - Helmets can prevent bicycling deaths, study finds <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/helmets-can-p…> - Toronto's Jarvis bike lanes to be removed by end of year <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/torontos-jarvis-bike-lanes-to-b…> <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/explore-the-data-toronto-bicycl…> Interactive Data Explore the data: Toronto bicycle collisions mapped over 25 years<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/explore-the-data-toronto-bicycl…> The analysis, published in the American Journal of Public Health, shows that a cyclist is ten times as likely to be injured on busy street with parked cars than on a cycle lane alongside the street, separated by a physical barrier. It is also much safer to bike on less busy local streets, major streets without parked cars, and on bike lanes through parks, the study found. On those routes, the risk of injury is about half what it is on a busy street with parked cars. The study shows there is a “dramatic reduction” in accidents when separated bike lanes exist, Prof. Teschke said. And it underlined how much more likely bike accidents are to occur if there is construction, steep hills, or, in the case of Toronto, streetcar tracks. Indeed, nearly one-third of the accidents studied in Toronto occurred on streetcar tracks, either with bike wheels getting caught in the tracks or slipping on the slippery rails. Prof. Teschke said the results jibe with earlier studies of route preferences that indicate people don’t like to ride on busy streets. This research shows “there is a reason for that [attitude]. People’s gut reaction is the correct reaction.” The study could bolster the action being taken in many large North American cities, where separated bike lines are now being constructed. Vancouver and Montreal already have many kilometres of separated lanes, and the first one in Toronto is now being built along Sherbourne St. on the east side of the downtown core. While there are enough separated bike lanes in Montreal to form a connected network throughout the downtown core, Vancouver is not at that point yet, and Toronto is years away from anything similar, said Toronto bicycle consultant Yvonne Bambrick. “If you have one little space that [has separated lanes] and everywhere else is regular, it doesn’t make any sense,” she says. She also notes that the design of separate lanes is crucial in making them safe and functional. The new bike lane on Toronto’s Sherbourne Street has been criticized because its barrier is so low that it will still allow delivery vehicles to pull into it and park. The UBC study interviewed 690 people who were injured in bike accidents, 414 from Vancouver and 276 from Toronto. Almost three-quarters of the accidents involved collisions with motor vehicles.

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The future of driving - seeing the back of the car (The Economist)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Oct '12

18 Oct '12

*The future of driving - seeing the back of the car* *In the rich world, people seem to be driving less than they used to* For transportation geeks, this comprehensive article from The Economist about driving levels and car ownership includes some compelling statistics. For example: * At Canary Wharf, a business district in east London, 100,000 jobs are supported by only 3,000 parking spaces. * Space is already at a premium in dense centres such as Jakarta, where the number of cars is growing ten times faster than the roads available for them to roll on. Read the full article: http://www.economist.com/node/21563280

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[At-network] WFP View from the West: We could learn from Copenhagen, Moscow (Oct.17'12)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

[Nice to see these columns about Copenhagen and other bike friendly cities keep popping up in the Free Press...] We could learn from Copenhagen, Moscow By: Michael Czuboka My wife and I recently spent three days in each of the cities of Copenhagen St. Petersburg, Russia and Moscow. As Winnipeggers, we could not help but make comparisons. Returning to Winnipeg, after viewing and travelling over the excellent streets in these European cities was like coming to a third world country insofar as road maintenance and quality are concerned. We love Winnipeg. Our city has many fine qualities, but our roads are rough, uneven, patched, in some cases dangerous, and in general an absolute disgrace. Copenhagen was especially impressive because of the wide and clearly marked bicycle paths that are a feature of many of its major streets. Copenhagen has a population of about 528,000, so it is similar in size to Winnipeg with our population of about 684,000. We learned that about 40 per cent of Copenhagen's citizens bicycle to work or school on a system of paths that run for about 400 kilometres. How much would 400 kilometres cover in Winnipeg? The combined lengths of Portage, Pembina, Main, Henderson, St. Mary's, St. Anne's, McPhillips and Regent, according to Sherlock's map of Winnipeg, is less than 200 kilometres. It is obvious that 400 kilometres of bike paths would cover all of our major streets very adequately. Each bicycle path in Copenhagen is about the width of an automobile lane. Motor vehicles seldom intrude on bicycle paths and cycling is relatively safe for cyclists of all ages and abilities. We watched in awe as hundreds of bikers filled the streets every day. St. Petersburg often is referred to as the most beautiful city in the world and it is certainly very attractive with many beautiful buildings and parks. Its major streets, like those of Moscow, seemed to be absolutely perfect and without blemishes of any kind. Apologists claim that Winnipeg's cold weather is to blame for many breaks and potholes that occur, but that excuse does not hold up when Winnipeg's weather is compared with that of Russia. Winnipeg has an average January temperature of -13.2 C; St. Petersburg's is -6 C, and Moscow's is -9 C. Both Russian cities, like Winnipeg, have winter temperatures that often plunge to -30 or -40 C. It appears the Russians, perhaps because of their tendency toward authoritarian leadership, spend whatever it takes to make perfect roads in their major cities. Winnipeg's mayors and councils, on the other hand, seem to base their decisions mainly on the prospect of upcoming elections. "What do I need to do to get re-elected?" they seem to ask themselves. "Keep taxes down, of course," is the answer. Our engineers probably know as much about building good roads as their compatriots in Russia, but the limited funds allocated to Winnipeg's roads results mostly in patching and inferior paving that results in limited longevity. The bright side of our poor roads is it provides our vehicle repair shops with a lot of extra business. We did not see any graffiti or beggars in St. Petersburg or Moscow. It appears that the police and courts are much less forgiving than those in our country. Ugly overpasses were not evident in the three cities we visited. Is the Disraeli Freeway really necessary? A tunnel, similar to those of major cities, would have been much more preferable. Was a tunnel ever considered? Are our civic leaders lacking in creativity and imagination? Although we travelled on many streets in St. Petersburg and Moscow, we did not see even a single road barrier or construction project. The major streets appear to be in perfect condition and apparently rarely need patching or new paving. Travelling the streets of Winnipeg, after we returned, came as a shock. Almost every street seems to have construction of some kind in progress. A major problem, however, is not just the construction itself, but rather how it is organized. Barriers, which restrict the flow of traffic and create hazardous conditions, often go up for several days or even a week or more before any construction takes place. There seems to be very limited communication or co-ordination between those putting up the barriers and those doing the actual construction. We were also very impressed by the cleanliness of the streets of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Looking out of our hotel room window in Moscow early one morning, we witnessed, much to our amazement, several orange trucks pouring large quantities of water on the sidewalks and streets. According to the Moscow News, an English-language publication, thousands of tons of water are used daily. Winnipeg's streets, by way of comparison, are generously speaking, unclean. We live in Osborne Village, which recently was judged to be the best neighbourhood in Canada. We live here, and we love the place, but street washing in Osborne Village and elsewhere in Winnipeg takes place only when it rains. Winnipeg is a great city, but we could improve greatly by studying and implementing some of the practices of places such as Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. Let's keep this in mind the next time we have an election for a mayor and councillors in Winnipeg. *Michael Czuboka, former superintendent of schools in Manitoba, is the author of Why It's Hard To Fire Johnny's Teacher; Juba; They Stopped at A Good Place; and Ukrainian Canadian, Eh.* http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/we-could-learn-from-copen… * *

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Sou'Wester - Bike, Walk and Roll in Fort Richmond
by Shoni Litinsky 17 Oct '12

17 Oct '12

The article below can be found in the Sou'Wester and provides a great overview of the Green Action Centre project - Bike, Walk, Roll Fort Richmond. The project is funded through the Neighbourhoods Alive - LIFT program and aims to increase awareness and expand education on A/T in the Fort Richmond community. Live in Fort Richmond? Our public open house is next Tuesday October, 23rd from 7-8:30pm at the Acadia Junior High School library, located at 175 Killarney Ave. See more project details at: fortrichmondat.ca Bike, walk and roll in Fort Richmond<http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Bike-walk-and-ro…> A brand new active transportation initiative is hitting the streets of Fort Richmond. Bike Walk & Roll Fort Richmond is a project that aims to increase awareness and expand active transportation opportunities and safety in the community. Active transportation includes walking, cycling, in-line skating or any mode of self-propelled transportation. The project was initiated by local community residents, but is being spearheaded by the Green Action Centre, a non-profit environmental education hub that does work throughout the province. Bike Walk & Roll builds on the Green Action Centre’s Active and Safe Routes to School program, which works with Fort Richmond schools to increase the number of students who walked or cycled to school. Through the program, the Green Action Centre had the opportunity to apply for the Bike Walk & Roll grant which will allow them to offer the program to the entire community, not just students. "It’s helping us to work more broadly with all ages and abilities to increase the education and awareness of active transportation around the whole community," said Shoni Litinsky, co-ordinator of the Active and Safe Routes to Schools program. Litinsky said the project will include different community events, including cycling education and public open houses. The first open house will be held Tues., Oct. 23 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Acadia Junior High School library, located at 175 Killarney Ave. The open house will be an opportunity for residents to learn more about active transportation and discuss how the conditions in the community can improve for cyclists and pedestrians. "If you look at the area, it’s a classic representation of a lot of old neighbourhoods with lots of bays, and a shortage of sidewalks. It’s really hard to navigate on foot," Litinsky said. She said one of the key components of the project will be to work with the community to develop a map to highlight walking and cycling routes in the neighbourhood. "We’re trying to highlight the key destinations and routes people can take," she said. Fort Richmond resident Jennifer Watt said such a map would be useful tool for people living in the neighbourhood. Watt said the neighbourhood is full of cut-through paths that go from one bay to another, but that many residents don’t know where they are. She thinks a map might encourage residents to get out and walk more. "A map is a very practical step that gives people options to go through residential bays where there’s not much traffic." Watt stressed other solutions will still be needed. She’s hoping to see a walking and cycling path installed near Ecole St. Avila, where her children attend school. "Walkers and bikers don’t really have a safe path to get to get to school," said Watt, who said one of the main concerns for residents in the area is the lack of sidewalks. "My daughter is in Grade 3 and she’s at the age where she should be able to bike to school by herself, but it’s really difficult to (allow it) because... the traffic... can make it quite dangerous. "With a few modifications we can make this a safer and more sustainable neighbourhood." For more information on the Walk Bike & Roll Fort Richmond initiative go to FortRichmondAT.ca. -- *Shoni Litinsky* | 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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AT webinar CANCELLATION: Wed, Oct. 17th, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 15 Oct '12

15 Oct '12

*Please note that this Wednesday's AT webinar is CANCELLED:* ** *FHWA Experimentation for Advancing Best Practices Wednesday, October 17th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT* The content appears too U.S.-focused to be of value for us in Winnipeg. However, please plan to join us next month to hear about: Maps that Guide, Encourage and Inform Wednesday, November 14th | 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CST Details will follow closer to the date. cheers, Beth * *

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Happy International Walk to School Month
by Shoni Litinsky 15 Oct '12

15 Oct '12

Green Action Centre's Active and Safe Routes to School Program<http://greenactioncentre.ca/program/asrts/>would like to wish everyone a happyInternational Walk to School Month<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk>! Currently more than 70 schools in Manitoba are participating in IWALK, and encouraging students to walk to and from school. IWALK presents a chance for schools to celebrate our environment by keeping our air clean, to share walking safety skills with children, to bring safety to our neighbourhoods, address traffic congestion and speed around our schools. <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk-reg/> Schools can still sign up here.<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk-reg/> Last Wednesday was International Walk to School Day - and several schools held their own events to celebrate. See below for details! ----------------------------------- mysteinbachonline <http://www.steinbachonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id…> Niverville Elementary Places Emphasis On Walking To School Written by Sawyer Klassen on Saturday, 13 October 2012 [image: 2012 10 nes walk1]*One of the groups of students leaves for NES.* On Wednesday, students from Niverville Elementary School (NES) joined over 3,500 schools in North America in participating in International Walk to School Day. Students met at a church one block from NES before school started, and walked to the school from there in groups. Students who were bussed to school also participated by walking laps around the school playground. Matthew Fast, a grade five teacher at NES, explains why they chose to participate in I-Walk to School Day. "We're starting to try to change things around our community and make it safer for kids to walk to school. So in an effort to promote walking or biking to school and less driving, we want to be part of events like I-Walk to School Day." World-wide, schools in 40 different countries participated in the event. Fast notes that at NES, the majority of students also chose to take part in I-Walk to School Day. "I think we're close to about 65% participation. I'm not quite sure about the numbers yet as I'm still waiting for results from a few classes to come in, but I would say upwards of about 200 to 250 students at least." Fast adds this was the second year in a row they have taken part in the event, and he notes several other schools in Hanover School Division also participated. ----------------------------------- Green Action Centre Blog<http://greenactioncentre.ca/2012/a-successful-iwalk-day-celebrated-by-maple…> A successful IWALK Day celebrated by Mapleton School & Green Action Centre!<http://greenactioncentre.ca/2012/a-successful-iwalk-day-celebrated-by-maple…> **Despite the chilly weather in the morning, International Walk to School Day 2012 was a great success with approximately 150 students, teachers, and the school principal all joining in the walk together on October 10th! This year, Mapleton School in St. Andrews <http://www.lssd.ca/maple/> was selected as the recipient for a walk to school with Green Action Centre along with Councillor Russ Garvie. The event focuses on getting more kids active by walking and biking to school and over 65 schools in Manitoba and 40 countries worldwide will be participating over the month of October this year. It was great to see the excitement among the students and staff there to participate on IWALK day, since every single student was out there walking. Mapleton School also committed to doing this walk the entire week to show students that it’s fun to participate! Since some of the students at Mapleton live farther away, this morning walk is also meant to show the school that even though busing is a reality for some, they can still join in with those who walk and bike in this event. The morning walk started just after 8:30 am in the school yard where the staff and students began the walk on the track laid out around the school. Everyone was happy to celebrate IWALK day, especially the students who had fun playing and chatting with their friends along the way. When everyone completed their walk around the track and arrived back at the school, Councillor Russ Garvie said a few words on why it’s important to be active and participate in International Walk to School Month. For participating in the event, every student in the school also got a small prize and sticker! Thanks to Mapleton School and Mrs. Bouchard, the school’s IWALK coordinator, for celebrating the event with Green Action Centre this year and setting a great example for schools all across Manitoba! If your school would still like to participate, don’t worry, there’s still time! Register for IWALK here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/iwalk-reg/>and your school will receive a kit with all the resources, posters and stickers you need! This event is a chance to promote active transportation to students over a *day*, a *week*, or the *entire m**onth of October.* In addition for participating, your school can be entered great prizes including *great active transportation gear from Bikes&Beyond, Mountain Equipment Co-op, Healthy Schools in Motion and MPI! *Just remember to send in your tally sheet before *November 9*th! Happy Walking! By Lea Grezenda -- *Shoni Litinsky* | 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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Economic Impacts of AT Backgrounder (Toronto Centre for Active Transportation)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Oct '12

15 Oct '12

On Oct 11, 2012, the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) released its latest backgrounder, *The Economic Impacts of Active Transportation*. This backgrounder discusses some of the economic impacts related to walking and cycling within an urban environment, in terms of impacts on businesses and real estate, personal and public finances, and indirect impacts such as health and productivity. It also includes figures from recent surveys and studies to introduce the wide array of economic benefits that investments in walking and cycling can return to governments, business owners, and individuals. *http://tcat.ca/sites/all/files/Backgrounder_Economic_Impacts.pdf* This backgrounder is the third in TCAT's periodic backgrounder series, the first focused on Bikeway Options currently under consideration in Toronto<http://tcat.ca/node/1686>and the second on Designing Off-Road Paths for Pedestrians and Cyclists <http://tcat.ca/node/1751>.

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UPDATE - Pembina Buffered Bike Lanes
by Janice Lukes 15 Oct '12

15 Oct '12

Hello! The below comments are made purely from observations made on Saturday, October 13th - I'm not aware of any updates from the City on the project -these are solely my observations and comments on the Pembina buffered bike lane project. If anyone else has observations - consider sharing them with this posting! PEMBINA MEDIAN (between Plaza Dr and Chevrier): Narrowing of the centre median between Plaza Dr and Chevrier, and construction of the curbs and roadway on both sides of the median is now complete. This aspect of the buffered bike lane project took about 3 months - undoubtedly creating new roadway lanes is a big component of the project. On Saturday, new topsoil was being installed on the medians and expect the salt resistant grass will be sprayed on shortly. In this last month of construction - the project is going to become really interesting as the detail for the buffered bike lanes is starting! BUS STOPS: Safe access on / off busses for transit users was a key aspect of the design of the buffered bike lane project. Transit users could not be in the 'line of cycling traffic' when waiting for or exiting a bus. The Bus Stop Treatment <http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/Pembi naBufferedBikeLanes/PDF/PembinaBufferedBikeLane-ChevrierBusStop.pdf> enables transit users to have a 'landing area' as they wait to enter / exit busses. The landing area has a point where they can then safely check for cycling traffic and cross the buffered bike way to the sidewalk. Southbound Pembina: You may recall that last year - new asphalt surfacing was placed on southbound Pembina between Chevrier and Plaza Drive ($890,000) as part of the City <http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/Streets/StreetsProgram.asp> 's street maintenance program. Now, as part of the buffered bike lane design, construction is starting on the southbound Bus Stop treatments. Sections of asphalt are being cut out of the roadway at all the bus stops between Chevrier and Plaza Drive (see southbound Pembina jpg) to provide 'enhanced bus stop design <http://winnipeg.ca/publicworks/MajorProjects/ActiveTransportation/PembinaBu fferedBikeLanes/default.stm> '. Not sure if the bus stop will be identified with raised surfacing or colored surfacing and expect the bike lane to transition into the existing sidewalk curbs. This will be interesting to watch unfold. Northbound Pembina: This year, as part of the City's street maintenance program, northbound Pembina (between Chevrier and Plaza Drive) was scheduled for new asphalt surfacing. This new asphalt surfacing is occurring simultaneously with the buffered bike lane project on the northbound side of Pembina. See the attached north bound Pembina jpgs highlighting the new roadway asphalt surfacing, bus stops awaiting enhanced design and soon to be constructed new sidewalk sections. PAINT & POLY POSTS: The final touches - once all asphalting / concrete is complete, there are to special paint markings installed on the roadway to provide a 'buffer' from vehicular traffic and the bike lane AND what I consider the most important part of this project - the installation of poly posts (upright posts) to create a 'visual separation' between vehicular traffic and the bike lane. SIGNAGE & PROMOTION: In theory - this new bike facility is to be 'intuitive' related to how it is used. (Wasn't the thought that traffic circles were 'intuitive'??!) I'm hoping there will be some kind of AWARENESS campaign about the buffered bike lanes. I really believe a lot of folks still think Pembina is being widened for vehicles - all in preparation for the new stadium. Last year saw upwards of $6 M worth of roadway improvements in the Pembina and Bison / Chancellor area related to the new stadium. COST for BUFFERED BIKE LANES: I've not heard what the final cost for the bike lanes will be - noting it is incorporated with the northbound Pembina new roadway asphalting project. (~ $1M) All very exciting for sure! Janice Lukes

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New 40 km/h speed limit on local residential streets (Montreal)
by Anders Swanson 14 Oct '12

14 Oct '12

*[Stumbled upon this today. Text copied below. To see associated schematics and images, see the original source: City of Montreal<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5957,54865598&_dad=portal&_…>- A.S.] * Introduction of the 40-km/h speed limit in Montréal's boroughs On December 14, 2009, Ms. Manon Barbe, executive committee member responsible for transportation, and Mr. Claude Trudel, executive committee member in charge of public safety, announced measures to introduce the reduced 40 km/h<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=5957,55187595&_dad=portal&_…>(from 50 km/h) speed limit on local residential streets. New signage by sector was implemented first in 2009 in Lachine, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Rosemont-La Petite Patrie, Saint-Laurent and two parts of Ville-Marie. The new speed limit is being introduced gradually in all of Montréal's boroughs between now and the end of 2010. The city will consult the other 15 reconstituted cities on the island of Montréal to coordinate the introduction of the new speed limit across the Montréal agglomeration. *...* In boroughs where there are already streets with a 40 km/h speed limit, the new signage by sector wuill be installed in order to harmonize this measure across the city. Drivers develop a number of automatic behaviours that make driving easier. Setting the same speed limits in similar road environments helps drivers to understand the desired behaviour more easily, which helps to improve safety. Furthermore, the new signs are more reflective, which makes them more visible. *How does it work?* As a rule, the speed limit will remain at 50 km/h along the main arteries. This limit will apply also to industrial zones, as well as roads where transit priority initiatives are in effect (reserved lanes, bus rapid transit service). The 30-km speed limit will apply to school zones and near parks, as posted. The *sector* concept was used as part of the introduction of the 40-km/h speed limit, to reduce the number of signs which would have to be installed. Signs that read MAXIMUM 40 – SECTEUR will be posted at the entrance to a residential sector. Motorists must obey the speed limit until they see another speed-limit sign. When SECTEUR does not appear on a speed-limit sign, the speed limit is only in effect along the road on which the sign is posted. The new by-law comes into force 90 days after adoption by the borough council: - Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve : September 14, 2010 - Ahuntsic-Cartierville : August 1, 2010 - Saint-Léonard : August 1, 2010 - Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension : August 2, 2010 - Le Sud-Ouest: July 5, 2010 - Le Plateau–Mont-Royal: July 5, 2010 - Saint-Laurent: December 30, 2009 - Two sectors in Ville-Marie (see map): December 28, 2009 - Lachine: December 27, 2009 - Pierrefonds-Roxboro: December 27, 2009 - Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie: December 27, 2009 At all times, motorists must obey signs and speed limits in force. ... *Where does the 40-km/h speed limit apply?* The reduced speed limit has been implemented in Lachine, Le Sud-Ouest, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont - La Petite-Patrie, Saint-Laurent and two sectors of Ville-Marie. The maps below show speed limits for each borough. will be implemented first in the Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Saint-Laurent, Lachine and Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie boroughs, as well as in two sectors in Ville-Marie. - Ahuntsic-Cartierville<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8C8D79A08F446018E0430A93013…>[778,6 ko - 1 page] - Lachine<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,19 Mo - 1 page] - Le Sud-Ouest<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8AE917C457ADD078E0430A93013…>[1,9 Mo - 1 page] - Le Plateau–Mont-Royal<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8AE870629B63B090E0430A93013…>[1,4 Mo - 1 page] - Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/90CB00709933A0DCE0430A93013…>[628,1 ko - 1 page] - Pierrefonds<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[2,12 Mo - 1 page] - Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,34 Mo - 1 page] - Saint-Laurent<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,88 Mo - 1 page] - Saint-Léonard<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8F2554EEBDE220B6E0430A93013…>[1,5 Mo - 1 page] - Ville-Marie<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/docs/page/transport_v2_fr/media/docu…>[1,26 Mo - 1 page] - Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension<http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/ITEM/8C8D14B4910B106AE0430A93013…>[522,6 ko - 1 page] The new speed limit will be gradually extended to the rest of Montréal boroughs by the end of the year 2010, and measures will be taken with the 15 related municipalities to harmonize the new speed limit throughout the urban agglomeration. *Why is Montréal reducing the speed limit?* The Transportation Plan aims to reduce accidents by 40 per cent by the year 2018. Several measures have already been implemented as part of the 17th annual workshop, which included improving safety at intersections, introducing countdown displays at pedestrian crossings and emphasizing road safety awareness campaigns. These measures have helped significantly to reduce the number of accidents within the urban agglomeration since 2007. In fact, 13 per cent fewer deaths were reported at the end of 2008, all categories included. The 40-km/h speed limit is one of several measures to improve the quality of living for Montrealers. It will help to reduce the probability and severity of injuries, since the odds of motorists fatally injuring a pedestrian with their vehicle are 70 per cent at 50 km/h and 25 per cent at 40 km/h. The impact of the new speed limit will be reviewed closely to determine if the goals regarding motorist behaviour and fatality reduction have been achieved. Other appropriate measures may be introduced as per the results and conclusions of this review.

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