- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

WFP: Vote on studying Portage & Main reopening postponed to fall (May9'23)
by Beth McKechnie 09 May '23

09 May '23

Vote on studying Portage & Main reopening postponed to fall https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/05/08/vote-on-studying-… THE City of Winnipeg won’t explore the impact of opening a street-level pedestrian crossing at Portage Avenue and Main Street just yet. On Monday, council’s public works committee postponed a vote until October on ordering city staff to study the option. Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman, said she believes council should wait until public consultation is completed on a consultant’s recently released options to revamp the intersection, which propose everything from basic pavement enhancements to a sixth-floor-level circular walkway. “Right now, we’ve got this public consultation going on. We don’t want to cloud the waters,” said Lukes. While the consultant’s ideas don’t include an option to reopen Winnipeg’s most famous intersection to surface- level pedestrian traffic, Lukes said she expects many people who support that change will share their views. Lukes said she expects foot traffic will one day be allowed at street level and she is personally open to the idea. Coun. Sherri Rollins, who raised the motion to study that option now, noted a street-level crossing is notably absent from the “fanciful” designs on which the city is seeking public feedback. “We don’t have the basics of costs and impacts for the option of opening up the intersection and that seems to me, through the course of time, to be a big omission that I’d like you to fix today,” Rollins told the public works committee. She suggested the new study should offer details on construction requirements, accessibility improvements, navigation, traffic impact, cost and other aspects of street-level access. Rollins, whose ward stretches close to Portage and Main but doesn’t include the intersection, said downtown residents deserve to have easy access to cross the street near their homes, as many folks in other parts of the city do. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

WFP: City eyes prioritizing active transportation route cleanups (May9'23)
by Beth McKechnie 09 May '23

09 May '23

City eyes prioritizing active transportation route cleanups https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/05/08/city-eyes-priorit… THE City of Winnipeg will explore options to prioritize spring cleanup on active transportation routes over clearing the same sand and grit off roads. On Monday, council’s public works committee ordered a staff report to determine what it would take to make the seasonal cleanup on multi-use pathways, protected bike lanes and sidewalks the higher priority of the two. “This would mean some of the streets not getting done as fast but prioritizing the active transportation network… because it’s much more hazardous if you wipe out on gravel on a bike or (while) walking or on a mobility device than it is in a vehicle,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, committee chairwoman. Since Winnipeg tends to have lengthy, snowy winters that require crews to repeatedly spread sand to improve traction, a cycling advocate said the debris left behind once the snow melts has triggered concerns. “I hear lots of complaints about it. I imagine that the councillors hear lots of complaints (too). People are definitely having issues out there… The gravel, especially on turns, can really take you down,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. “At some point, I’ve definitely had the tire come out from under me.” Cohoe said he believes quicker spring cleanup on active transportation routes would support the city’s goals to encourage more people to walk and ride bikes. “It improves safety, it improves comfort, but it also makes you feel a little bit more valid in choosing (a transportation option) that isn’t just an afterthought.” Cohoe said his group has previously asked for the change. Jim Berezowsky, Winnipeg public works director, said the sanding of sidewalks has increased considerably in recent years, a service that was traditionally restricted to freezing rain events in the past. Berezowsky said far more traction material is added now, following demands from citizens and councillors to address slick winter conditions, which may be difficult to remove from the narrow paths. “A lot of the challenges that I see (are linked to) the amount of material being applied… Our policy doesn’t state (that we should do) continuous sanding of the sidewalks.” He said sweeping sand off residential sidewalks was also not part of traditional spring cleanup. The report is expected back in about six months. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

CTV: 'Part of a worldwide trend': E-bikes becoming more popular in Winnipeg (May7'23)
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '23

08 May '23

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/part-of-a-worldwide-trend-e-bikes-becoming-more…

1 0

WFP: Breaking the cycle - bike theft (May6'23)
by Beth McKechnie 07 May '23

07 May '23

BREAKING THE CYCLE Bike theft is far from a uniquely Winnipeg problem, but other Canadian cities are having more success reducing numbers and reuniting owners with their wheels https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/05/breaking-the-cycle-4 JEN Sjodin never expected to be sending her 13-year-old son pedalling down a criminal path. But the Winnipeg mom was out of luck when it came to retrieving his $400 bike with the help of city police, so she and her husband took matters into their own hands, and their son Dawson’s legs. He’d saved for months to buy the grey and neon-green Giant Talon last fall. Not long after getting his new wheels, he rode to the Walmart on Taylor Avenue and locked his bike to the rack near the front doors. He was in and out of the store in about 15 minutes, and found his cable lock cut. The bike was gone. Sjodin filed a police report with the Winnipeg Police Service, posted a notice on Facebook and scoured online classified ads in hopes of finding the bike. Six days later, Dawson spotted it on Kijiji. “We called the police non-emergency line and talked with someone after hours,” she says. “They suggested to call back the next day, provide any updates to the police report and the police would check it out.” The next day was going to be too late. Instead, Sjodin, her husband and two brothers concocted a plan to steal the bike back. She messaged the seller and posed as an interested customer. When they met up, Dawson took the bike for a test ride and pedalled directly to his uncle’s house. Dawson got his bike back, but the experience left him shaken. “For my son, it has made him much more afraid to lock up his bike,” Sjodin says. “He doesn’t think it’s safe to lock it up anywhere.” ❏❏❏ The experience is one thousands of Winnipeg cyclists — from young kids to seniors — are all too familiar with, some repeatedly. Police say 1,665 bikes were reported stolen across the city in 2022. The real number, however, is likely many times higher; multiple studies suggest “small” property crimes often go unreported. Many victims won’t bother to involve police because of the time involved and minuscule odds of getting their stuff back. And although the city launched an online bike registry in 2018, it has proven mostly ineffective at reuniting owners and their rides — particularly when compared to measures implemented in other Canadian cities — say cycling advocates, bike-shop owners and even police. About 400 cycles are recovered in Winnipeg annually, but less than 10 per cent of them make their way home. In 2022, 386 bikes were recovered, and 15 were returned to their owners, according to the city’s community services department. In Edmonton, 23 per cent of recovered bikes are returned to their owners. More than 17,000 bikes are registered in the Winnipeg system, which combined existing paper registrations from 1995 with web records. Of that number, more than 7,500 went on the registry between 2018 and 2021. ❏❏❏ Tom Babin, a Calgary author, active-transportation advocate and “cyclist in chief” at online magazine Shifter, says bike theft breaks trust in communities, creates economic difficulties and fuels other crimes. “There isn’t a lot of trust between citizens and police when it comes to bike theft. There’s an assumption everywhere that the cops will do nothing about it, and they’re probably right. The police are busy,” he says. When filing police reports and registering bikes fail to show results, people such as Sjodin may take drastic measures when they see systems not working. “Can you imagine celebrating other crimes for stealing something back? Stealing your bike back might be good at the moment, but for society, it’s a terrible way of approaching it,” Babin says. Police say they understand that people may turn to vigilantism when they feel the police aren’t helping in their time of need. “I don’t blame people for doing that. Of course, we can’t recommend that people take matters into their own hands. But I understand the frustration,” says WPS Sgt. Yvan LeTourneau. Winnipeg cyclists can pay $7.35 and input their bike’s serial number, make, model, year, value and three images to add a bike to the city’s online registry. Any recovered bikes are taken to a city bike-storage facility and cross-referenced with the registry to try finding their rightful owners. A nondescript warehouse in a Winnipeg industrial district houses hundreds of bikes, likely bound for auction or the scrap pile. The city’s 2023 auction of recovered bikes ended Wednesday. Associated Auto Auctions, which conducted the weeklong online sale, had 428 bikes listed, an 11 per cent increase from 2022. All 428 were sold, the proceeds of which go into the city community services department’s coffers. Winnipeg has a single bike-recovery officer who is responsible for the warehouse, recovering reported bikes, communicating with the police, providing promotional materials and returning bikes back to owners. Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe says only three per cent of 300 cyclists surveyed found the online registry useful for recovering their property. ❏❏❏ Before he retired last spring, Rob Brunt worked as the Vancouver Police Department’s first-ever bike detective. He says in 2015, about one per cent of the 3,000 stolen bikes reported to the police were getting back to their owners. That year, he reached out to other cities and developed a partnership with Project 529, an online bike registration system. “This system allows anybody to search the stolen database. The cops can use it, the bike stores can use it and the community can use it,” he says. In the first year after Vancouver joined Project 529, police saw a 30 per cent decline in reported bike thefts, along with improvements in recovery efforts. That number is now a staggering 60 per cent, compared to the number of thefts in 2015. It’s free for bike owners to register their rides with Project 529, and the international database is available to anyone, not just law-enforcement agencies. Const. Kenny McKinnon of the Edmonton Police Service wanted to address Edmonton’s bike-theft crisis in a similar way. “For The EPS, bike recovery was abysmal,” he says. “When we worked in the downtown core, frequently we would stop people on bikes, and it was well known that they were known bike thieves. But being able to prove that the bike was stolen was the most difficult thing that we ran into.” McKinnon says it was important to partner with the community. Since 2019, all 18 bike shops in Edmonton offer point-of-sale registration for every sale, free of charge. EPS says more than 100,000 Edmonton bikes are registered through the Bike Index. When the system was first implemented, 1,200 bikes were sent to auction or destroyed annually. In 2021, that number fell to 774. Winnipeg’s online registry was developed by ePly, a company focused on event registration. The city is ePly’s first and only client for bike-registration purposes. LeTourneau has unsuccessfully pitched Project 529 and the Bike Index to the city. “(ePly) was never on our radar as a solution,” he says. “Why are we creating something that’s already been created elsewhere?” ❏❏❏ In April 2019, the community services department launched Bicycle Registry at the Time of Purchase Project, a stakeholder engagement survey. Of the 21 surveyed bike retailers who participated, 15 supported point-of-sale registration. Tim Woodcock, owner of Woodcock Cycle Works, says the city approached him and other shops to register bikes at the point of sale. Through the shop’s own database, Woodcock keeps a record of serial numbers for every sale. “It’s not that much extra work for us. I said to (the city) that I’m on board, and then we never heard anything back,” he says. “I don’t view selling a person a bike because their bike was stolen as a sale. If people get multiple bikes stolen, we lose them as cyclists.” City spokesperson Adam Campbell says the city annually provides shops with promotional materials for registration that can be included in paperwork when someone buys a bike. “During a consultation with stakeholders conducted in 2019, we found that not all bike shops or larger retailers support or have the resources to do a point-of-sale bike registration,” Campbell says. WPS Sgt. Todd Martens says the registration system needs to change. “If the system isn’t working to the best of its capability and you have evidence to prove it, let’s pivot,” he says. fpcity(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

WFP Editorial: Walking it back - Portage & Main (May3'23)
by Beth McKechnie 03 May '23

03 May '23

Walking it back https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/05/02/walking-it-… PORTAGE and Main has long been considered Winnipeg’s most famous intersection. Infamous may be more appropriate. Since 1979, Portage and Main — the confluence of this city’s two main non-river arteries — has been closed to pedestrians. Crossing at the intersection involves navigating a confusing underground concourse populated by businesses that close at 6 p.m., and is accessed by poorly maintained, poorly lit stairwells. Traversing Portage and Main is an accessibility nightmare for those with disabilities, and a baffling ordeal for tourists and newcomers to the city. The word iconic gets bandied about a lot when describing Portage and Main. What, exactly, is “iconic” about crumbling concrete barricades? The intersection is a reliable source of debate and, once, a go-nowhere plebiscite. And that’s about it. But now, the city is being presented with a rare opportunity to reimagine our most infamous intersection into something that could, perhaps, be worthy of the “iconic” designation. The current barricades need to come down, owing to necessary repairs above and below ground, and the city is soliciting public feedback on potential replacements, including a circular “sky garden” that would allow pedestrians to move across the intersection — suspended six storeys above traffic. Other ideas at street level include lookout towers, lighting poles, canopies, and “monumental public art.” Maybe we should revisit former mayor Susan Thompson’s laser-pyramid-and-hot-tubs idea while we’re at it. Most of these ideas do not involve improved street-level pedestrian access. Making Portage and Main more attractive to residents and visitors alike is a fine goal, but it shouldn’t be the only goal. What if — and hear us out — people could just cross the street? What if Portage and Main was accessible to everyone, every day, in their daily lives? While a balance can certainly be struck between the practical and the beautiful, what we’re talking about, at the end of the day, is an intersection. Perhaps we should improve its function before we talk about its form. The thing that makes cities feel alive is vibrancy at street level, the feeling of being part of a larger, kinetic energy that comes from being around a crush of other people — which is why pedestrian-only corridors and squares in other, larger cities tend to be popular tourist attractions. We can’t erect a concrete fortress around our supposedly iconic intersection and then turn around and wonder why our downtown practically has tumbleweeds rolling across it after 6 p.m. Vibrant city centres need people in them. Not just cars. A pedestrian scramble-style crossing — in which vehicles are stopped in all directions and pedestrians can move any way, including diagonally, to get where they need to go more quickly and efficiently — could be a potential solution for Portage and Main. Arguably the most famous scramble crossing in the world is Shibuya Crossing, which, in addition to being functional, is actually worthy of the designation “iconic.” Many cities have them. Oxford Circus in London features a pedestrian scramble; so does Yonge and Dundas in Toronto. Vancouver is looking at installing them as well. When they are navigated properly, scramble crossings — despite their moniker — are safer for pedestrians, according to City of Winnipeg engineers who started looking at them as part of a road safety strategy back in 2019. Re-erecting the barricades at Portage and Main — even prettier, more Instagrammable versions — only cements our image as a pedestrian- hostile, car-centric city. Sky gardens, discs, towers, orbs… it doesn’t really matter what you call them. A barricade by any other name is still a barricade.

1 0

WFP Analysis: Coun. Browaty? Meet Joe Downtown; he rides a bike, doesn’t like coffee and — surprise! — he’s a Winnipegger, too (May2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 May '23

02 May '23

*Coun. Browaty? Meet Joe Downtown; he rides a bike, doesn’t like coffee and — surprise! — he’s a Winnipegger, too* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/01/coun-browaty-meet-joe-do… WINNIPEG, we have a Jeff Browaty problem. In this city’s ongoing efforts to build a better, more progressive and more sustainable city — for those of us here now and future generations — the veteran North Kildonan councillor has emerged as a major impediment. Now, let me say that I respect the fact that Browaty puts his name on a ballot every four years and — if election results are any indication — has done an excellent job of representing his ward. His current position as chair of the finance committee of council proves he has the respect of at least some of his fellow councillors. However, I cannot be alone in squirming any time Browaty ventures out of his suburban enclave to engage on citywide issues. That was certainly my reaction when he almost single-handedly triggered the 2018 plebiscite on reopening Portage and Main. Browaty weighed into an issue that didn’t really affect his constituents, screwed over the people who live and own businesses downtown and then scurried back to the ’burbs. If that were his only crime against progress, it would be tolerable. But he’s at it again, this time at the April 26 meeting of the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee. One of the delegates at that meeting was Marianne Cerilli, founder of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, an advocacy group that supports progressive and sustainable urban planning. The TLUC is well-informed, well-supported and regularly makes a valuable contribution to discussions on the future of the city. Cerilli told the committee the city’s plan to spend $1 billion widening Kenaston Boulevard and extending Chief Peguis Trail — projects that Browaty passionately supports — are inconsistent with the principles expressed in the city’s proposed strategic priorities action plan. Cerilli is hardly the first person to make this observation, and she is not wrong in her assessment. At a time when the city is struggling to maintain existing infrastructure, and the world is trying to slow climate change, spending a billion dollars on bigger, longer roads is harmful. Perhaps it was because Cerilli is a former NDP MLA, and Browaty is a true-blue Tory. Perhaps it’s Cerilli’s contempt for suburban sprawl, for which Browaty is Winnipeg’s self-proclaimed poster boy. Whatever the reason, Browaty launched into a rant about how advocates such as Cerilli “do not represent most Winnipeggers.” Who, you may ask, are “most Winnipeggers?” They are, according to the councillor, the people who “want their street lights timed well so they can get to work as fast as possible. They want to drive their SUVs through the Tim Hortons drive-thru to get their coffee on the way to hockey practice.” Browaty then proclaimed that delegations at committee are “not relevant” and “not representative of Joe Lunchbox Winnipeg who work all day long, who pay taxes, to provide for their families and make a life for themselves.” Browaty is hardly the first politician to play the Joe Lunchbox card or to disparage lobby groups. Former NDP premier Gary Doer regularly referenced the perspective he gained at his daughter’s soccer games, and called lobby groups “one-trick ponies.” But there’s no evidence he ever insulted any of them face to face. There’s a ton of offensive stuff to unpack here. First and foremost, it’s not Browaty’s job to disparage the people who go before committee or council to express their concerns. Or to label them as representative or unrepresentative. He is an elected official and part of the job is listening to citizens, particularly those of the informed variety, such as Cerilli. More important, however, it is very hard not to gag over Browaty’s absurd description of a typical Winnipegger. No doubt some people living in his ward fit the image of a Tim Hortons- clutching, SUV-driving hockey mom or dad complaining about the timing of traffic lights. But surely Browaty has travelled outside his ward enough to realize the city is so much more than that. Let’s remember that Browaty represents about 45,000 people out a community of more than 750,000 people that has become infinitely more diverse and multicultural in the last 20 years. Even in his own ward, you can bet more people do not own a car or truck, or drive smaller vehicles, than those who pilot SUVs. And perhaps most important, there are a lot of people in this city who “work all day long, who pay taxes to provide for their families and make a life for themselves” who also want to see the city take a more progressive approach to urban planning. Some of them might even agree that extending Chief Peguis Trail is not warranted. Perhaps Browaty has been stuck in his SUV in the drive-thru too long to notice how much the city has evolved. Or, he simply hasn’t learned how to make friends outside his peer group in North Kildonan. Either way, it’s time for Browaty to start showing some respect to the people who take the time to engage with him and broaden his understanding of what it really means to be a Winnipegger. Or, alternatively, find another line of work. Heck, maybe he could ask Joe Lunchbox where he works and try to get a job there. dan.lett(a)winnipegfreepress.com

1 0

WFP: Seeking calm amid traffic chaos (May2'23)
by Beth McKechnie 02 May '23

02 May '23

River Heights group pushes city for changes after vehicle volumes spike on residential street Seeking calm amid traffic chaos https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/05/01/seeking-calm-amid-the-tr… WINNIPEGGER Tim Fennell counted more than 4,200 vehicles driving past his Cambridge Street home in just 24 hours last month. While calling for traffic calming measures, he said an average of 175 vehicles per hour on a “narrow” residential street is far beyond what should be considered safe. “I believe that the City of Winnipeg has engineered a dangerous situation by continuing to direct more and more traffic on a street that they know was never designed to handle the volume,” he told the Free Press on Monday. Fennell, a founding member of a residents group called Calm Cambridge, has raised concerns with city hall and council members about a spike in vehicles using the street between Corydon and Academy avenues in River Heights. He said drivers treat it as a shortcut during construction projects on Harrow and Stafford streets. “We’d like to see some action taken to calm the traffic, at least slow the traffic down,” said Fennell. City spokesman Ken Allen said staff are aware of “renewed interest” in calming measures due, in part, to construction leading to more traffic on Cambridge. “We are currently investigating the situation to determine potential options to address traffic concerns,” he wrote in an email. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said traffic volumes are a concern on several streets near the River Heights/ Crescentwood boundary. She hopes staff, who receive many requests, will be able to conduct a community traffic calming study. Lukes said a community plan would be more effective than individual changes. “When you change something on one street, it’s a domino effect on other streets,” said the councillor for Waverley West. “Traffic is like water. It’s just going to go somewhere else.” Lukes acknowledged there has been an “incredible” amount of traffic on Cambridge due to road work. She said traffic calming measures are a priority for city staff. Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) said he is working with city employees to address the issues raised by residents. Fennell has been conducting his own traffic counts on Cambridge, north of Corydon. He uses a motion sensor and digital camera. He counted 4,214 vehicles when he went through all the images taken April 26. Much of the traffic was recorded during the morning and afternoon commutes. Fennell said the section of Cambridge between Corydon and Academy shouldn’t be handling so many vehicles in a single day because it is narrower than the stretch south of Corydon. He believes thousands more vehicles per day were using the street to avoid congestion around nearby construction projects last summer. “That’s when we started pushing and saying something has to be done,” said Fennell. In addition to a long-term solution, his group asked for temporary traffic calming measures in a bid to improve safety and livability. Fennell is concerned about the safety of his two children and others who live on or use the street. “We help them cross the street because there are too many cars and they’re going too fast,” he said of his kids. The speed limit outside his home is 50 km/h. When he watches vehicles pass by, most drivers appear to be travelling at or just below the limit. Fennell is in favour of reducing speed limits on residential streets to 30 km/h. In March, the city lowered speed limits to 30 or 40 km/h on four streets in residential areas as part of a pilot project. The city will look at whether drivers slow down and whether the change affects livability and quality of life. In his neighbourhood, Fennell wants the city to consider making physical changes to roadways or turning some into one-way streets. Speed humps were previously installed on Cambridge between Academy and Kingsway. Ian Walker, chair of Safe Speeds Winnipeg, said he observed a lot of traffic when he visited Cambridge on a recent Friday afternoon. “It was like it was being used as a collector or arterial street,” he said. Safe Speeds Winnipeg has lobbied the city to reduce speed limits to 30 km/h in residential areas in a bid to reduce the risk of fatal or serious injury collisions. The group believes the change would help neighbourhoods thrive and encourage residents to be more active. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching

1 0

WFP: Calming traffic by design (Apr29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

CALMING TRAFFIC BY DESIGN THE City of Winnipeg will study ways to calm traffic through design. Council has approved a motion to order a city staff report on methods to add traffic-calming design elements whenever a street is selected for reconstruction. The potential changes could include narrowing roads, adding speed tables (sections of raised road) and/or installing curb extensions to create more space for pedestrians. A report on the matter is expected back in about eight months.

1 0

WFP: Councillor pushes for Portage, Main plebiscite (Apr29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

*Councillor pushes for Portage, Main plebiscite* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/28/councillor-pushes… IF the city wants to reopen Portage Avenue and Main Street to pedestrians in the future, all Winnipeggers should get another vote on the idea first, according to one city councillor. Coun. Russ Wyatt will push for a policy that requires a plebiscite prior to opening the city’s most famous intersection to foot traffic and for council to follow the results. Wyatt said he will raise a motion to that effect at the May council meeting, primarily over road safety concerns. “When you open this intersection to pedestrians, you can expect injuries and fatalities and that’s my biggest concern. I want the citizens of Winnipeg to have a right to weigh in on this issue as they did before. And that will be council policy before any decision,” he said. Plebiscites are typically considered non-binding votes, which is why Wyatt wants the policy to commit city council to respect the results. In 2018, 65 per cent of Winnipeggers who participated voted “no” to reopening the intersection to pedestrians; council has not taken action to permanently reopen it since. Wyatt said he is concerned there may be a new appetite to restore pedestrian access. Debate has raged on for years about allowing pedestrians to cross the street at the surface level of the intersection, something they haven’t been able to do since 1979. Supporters argue pedestrian access would help connect and revitalize downtown, while opponents argue it would snarl traffic and pose safety concerns. The matter was thrust into the spotlight again this week as the city began seeking public feedback on options to enhance the intersection. An online survey and open houses will seek input on a wide variety of ideas, including a sixth-floor-level “sky garden” circular walkway, “monumental” public art, a set of four lookout towers and multi-media lighting poles, along with simpler upgrades that would add trees and/or enhance paving. None of the options would give pedestrians permanent access to cross the street at ground level. While those ideas from a city consultant don’t include cost estimates, Wyatt said he is also concerned about the potential price tag. “I don’t see why the ratepayers of Winnipeg should be subsidizing fancy lights and whatnot that could cost millions. I think there’s higher priorities in our city,” he said. Others argue a policy that guarantees voters a say in the matter wouldn’t make sense. “I think that’s preposterous. I think it’s an abrogation of their duties as elected councillors. We don’t have a plebiscite over the Chief Peguis (Trail) extension. We didn’t have a plebiscite over (building) Bridgwater. It’s just ridiculous,” said Adam Dooley, a spokesperson for the Vote Open campaign in 2018. The city council process already allows the public to provide input on council and committee decisions through a delegation process, he said. A Winnipeg-wide vote would also prevent the city from focusing on feedback from the intersection’s immediate neighbours, Dooley said. “I think if this were a regular public works project, then the residents in the area would have a larger say than what they are having because they overwhelmingly want this to happen: pedestrian access at Portage and Main. And they’re being told they can’t have that because of votes from, mostly, the suburbs.” Coun. Sherri Rollins said she doesn’t support the use of more plebiscites, stressing elected officials shouldn’t shirk their duty to make informed decisions on voters’ behalf. “A simple yes/no (public) vote is just artificially narrow, so I’m not a fan of plebiscites in general. I really feel that they are anti-democratic. They don’t underline or emphasize the accountability that most of us believe is part of being in elected office,” said Rollins. In a brief written statement, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he won’t support Wyatt’s motion. “I don’t think the city needs another plebiscite on Portage and Main.” joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

WFP: Special-interest groups don’t represent most Winnipeggers, says Coun. Jeff Browaty (May1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

*Special-interest groups don’t represent most Winnipeggers, says Coun. Jeff Browaty* *Advocates’ relevance questioned* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/28/special-interest-… CITY council’s most senior member has caused outrage after telling members of special interest groups their views are out of step with what most Winnipeggers want. “I appreciate your advocacy, but I don’t think a lot of these opinions are relevant,” North Kildonan Coun. Jeff Browaty, who was first elected in 2006 and is currently finance committee chairman, told Marianne Cerilli, a former MLA and mayoral candidate, after she made a presentation to councillors. “I appreciate everybody who comes to city hall, and takes time out of their day to make presentations — people are very passionate,” Browaty said during the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee Wednesday. “(But) the people who present here really do not represent most Winnipeggers, in my opinion. Each one of us on council represent 45,000-ish people. They’re not looking to blow things up. They don’t have time to come and make presentations all day. They want their street lights timed so they can get to and from work as fast as possible. Or drive their SUVs through Tim Hortons drive-thru to get their coffee on their way to hockey practice. “The consultation we get is not as relevant as the consultation we get as elected officials going door to door every four years to talk to people… it’s not at all as representative of Joe Lunchbox Winnipegger, the people who pay taxes and work all day long to provide for their families, to make a life for themselves.” On Friday, Browaty made an attempt to explain his comments, saying he knew Cerilli had been a politician, so she would have a “thicker skin because of the business we’re in.” But there was little in the way of contrition. “I’m not sending her an apology card today, but all Winnipeggers have the right to have their views and ideas heard. I still do maintain that some of the delegations we hear on budgets are from special interest groups and aren’t representative of the majority of Winnipeg,” he said. “Just because you’ve come to council, your opinions aren’t more important than residents submitting letters to the editor, calling in to talk-radio shows, posting in online community forums or talking directly to elected officials.” Mayor Scott Gillingham said he wasn’t at the meeting, and he doesn’t know everything that was said, so any questions about it should be directed to Browaty. But Gillingham said all councillors work hard to have a good sense of the views of the people they are representing. “We do have an open process at the City of Winnipeg. I appreciate the knowledge and passion that delegations bring to their presentations, and I have learned a lot from this process, but Coun. Browaty is correct that delegations are just one tool that council uses to make its decisions,” he said. “From what I saw (on a social media posting) I didn’t see anything that concerned me, as far as decorum.” Cerilli, a founder of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, said Browaty’s comments were offensive. “This is not about personal opinion. This is about research and evidence. I was telling (councillors) the city has policy on this and for the city to follow the policy. I think he needs to be more concerned about his conduct with a city committee about following public policy. His ideas about urban development are from the 1950s. That’s where he is,” she said. “I don’t care if he apologizes or not.” Marc Cohoe of advocacy group Bike Winnipeg has been making presentations to councillors since the days when cyclists asking for bike paths were considered members of a fringe group. The city now spends millions of budget dollars to build, maintain and clear them. “I was shocked to hear him. I’ve heard presentations that have changed my mind on things and I’m sure others have, too,” Cohoe said. “It’s important in the democratic process for people to listen. I know this is not the whole process, but we bring in expertise and ideas which are valuable to the city. If you sit and dismiss that public-engagement process, what are you telling people?” Longtime Point Douglas advocate and social activist Sel Burrows said he is likely considered “a special interest delegation” by councillors. “It is important for politicians to hear from others,” Burrows said. “Delegations showing up at city council is part of gradually changing councillors’ thoughts on issues. It is particularly important for suburban councillors, who aren’t aware of inner-city issues where most of the homelessness and crime happens.” Mel Marginet, co-chair of the Transportation and Land Use Coalition, said she believes Browaty’s comments are so serious the mayor should remove him as finance chair. “His comments were deeply shocking. It was deeply insulting to his residents and the city as a whole. He should be pulled from the committee,” Marginet said. Coun. Matt Allard said he not only has no problem with delegations, he welcomes appearances from more of them. “I believe that it is important to encourage and welcome delegations from the public and any organization that has an interest in making the city better and wants to share their ideas about it,” Allard said. — With files from Joyanne Pursaga kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

WFP Analysis: Portage and Main has to be people-friendly (May1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 May '23

01 May '23

Portage and Main has to be people-friendly https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/05/01/portage-and-m… Is it too soon? Can we talk about Portage and Main again? It’s been almost five years. The vote was clear, but 2018 feels like a different lifetime, doesn’t it? We’ve been through a lot since then, and a lot has changed. The pandemic was devastating for downtown, and its legacy is lasting. Significantly fewer people are now coming downtown to work. Office buildings are sitting empty. Shops, restaurants, and the last movie theatres have closed. Tax incentive programs that were eagerly snapped up by developers in the past, now sit unsubscribed as they shy away from new residential construction in the city centre. As the social, cultural, and economic heart of our city, downtown needs as much help as it can get right now, because no city flourishes without a prosperous and healthy core. Another thing that has changed is we now know what’s going to happen at the city’s storied intersection. The waterproofing membrane that protects the underground concourse at Portage and Main needs to be replaced and the barricades we so passionately fought over are coming down as part of a multi-million-dollar construction project. If we are removing the barricades, what should we put back? A design team was hired to answer that question, and their proposals were recently unveiled for public feedback. The goals for the design are to improve accessibility, increase safety, enhance the pedestrian experience, and attract people back to the intersection, restoring it to a vital public space and needed a catalyst to help bring downtown back to life. Of course, they must do this while maintaining the pedestrian blockades that prevent people from using the intersection if they are not driving in a vehicle. The designers face the daunting task of trying to attract people while at the same time actively repelling them. Attempting to overcome this dichotomy, the proposals made are dramatic, a ring of sky gardens floating six storeys in the air, lookout towers on each corner, or monumental public art that we can drive under. The scale and grandeur of the proposals are striking and demonstrate just how important Portage and Main is in our collective psyche. Portage and Main is not just an intersection. It’s where we come together in celebration, in protest and in mourning. It has always been seen as the heart of the city, even when hidden behind concrete walls. There is significant irony in the fact that we believe Portage and Main is important enough to invest in a big idea that brings it back to life, but we voted so clearly to say we are not willing to spend a few seconds longer in our cars to accomplish this goal organically, and at low cost. The designs presented are beautiful, and would be exciting additions to our city, but without allowing functional day-to-day use of the intersection by pedestrians, creating attractions to draw people is unlikely to find success. The fact that attractions are felt to be necessary to overcome the impacts of our choice to value driving faster over quality of place, accessibility, and economic vibrancy, means they would stand as monuments to our city’s unwavering dedication to the vehicle, even more than the concrete walls are today. These grand gestures would be the embodiment of the gymnastics our city is willing to put itself through to avoid the easy solution, and ensure it remains subservient to vehicles above all else, even in our downtown. Despite the difficult times downtown Winnipeg is going through, Portage and Main is seeing some important sidewalk-level growth. Restaurants like Earls, OEB, 529 Uptown, and Hy’s are opening or expanding, a Goodlife gym has been built, 300 Main and soon 138 Portage East will bring 550 new residential homes to the area, and the MMF is transforming the Bank of Montreal into an important heritage centre. These developments, and the more than 10,000 people working within a block of the intersection, provide more than enough pedestrian gravity to create a vibrant public space simply by inviting people to freely cross the street, restoring Portage and Main to the powerful neighbourhood connector it once was. Despite the post-pandemic need for downtown to be given every opportunity to find new life, it is unlikely we will seize the simple solution, and settle for prettier barricades that can be enjoyed from our cars as we drive past. Thankfully, the distant future of Portage and Main has been cast and it will be as a vibrant public space and downtown focal point. Paired with the redevelopment of Union Station, the Transportation Master Plan envisions a major downtown rapid transit station at Portage and Main, anticipated to serve more than 50,000 people every day. It seems impossible to imagine a major transit hub without reintroducing pedestrians. Portage and Main is really just an intersection. Its traffic volumes, weather, width and whatever else has created its mythological status, isn’t wildly different from Main and Broadway, Portage and Colony, Kenaston and Sterling Lyon, or many large intersections across the world with pedestrian crossings. Until we treat it like it is a normal intersection, it won’t matter how many floating doughnut gardens or elevators to the sky we build. Portage and Main will never successfully attract people if it is simultaneously designed to repel them. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group.*

1 0

WFP: Urban expert staying out of Portage and Main fray as new city planning, property, development director (Apr28'23)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Apr '23

28 Apr '23

New planning, property and development director advocated for re-opening intersection *Expert stays out of Portage & Main fray* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/27/urban-expert-stay… A ONCE-VOCAL advocate for reopening Portage and Main to pedestrian traffic will be staying out of the debate on the future of the historic intersection in her new position. The city announced Wednesday that urban planning expert Hazel Borys will become director of planning, property and development at the end of July. Borys, an engineer with an MBA and president of Placemakers, an international city planning firm, was a leading voice for the Yes side in the campaign to remove the concrete barriers before the 2018 municipal election, where the issue appeared as a non-binding plebiscite question on the ballot. “Keeping this corner closed signals to Winnipeggers and the world that we are a car city,” she told the Free Press at the time. “Keeping the intersection closed hurts our economy and well-being.” A majority of residents disagreed, voting to leave things as they are. Borys intends to leave advocacy to others when she begins her new role. “My past opinion hasn’t changed at all, but what has changed is Portage and Main is a political decision now,” she said Thursday. “For it to change, it would be a political decision.” Earlier this week, the city released a discussion paper outlining the issues surrounding the intersection, including a massive project to repair the membrane under the street protecting the Winnipeg Square concourse, which has been in place since the underground mall opened in 1979. The paper also revealed several concepts for improving pedestrian movement and the area’s physical appearance. The city has asked for public input. Borys said the planning department will help city council get the information it requires during public consultations and, eventually, arrive at a decision. Mayor Scott Gillingham said Thursday he wasn’t concerned that the department will be led by someone who advocated to open the intersection. “I think hiring Hazel Borys is good for our downtown development plans,” he said, noting her reputation as “an innovator.” “She has an extensive record of working with cities across North America and working on densification… I think the work she has done will serve us well.” Borys, who is married to Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq director and CEO Stephen Borys, has helped cities reduce red tape in order to make development processes easier, while also assisting in guiding governments through zoning reforms. She said she will be able to do both in her new position, just from a different vantage point. “I’ve spent the last 19 years on the other side of the desk,” she said. “I’m super-excited. I’m looking forward to going much deeper than on my consultant side.” Coun. Jeff Browaty, who helped lead the battle to keep Portage and Main closed to pedestrians, said he’s looking forward to working with the new planning department head. “While we clearly disagree on the opening of Portage and Main to pedestrian crossings, I actually support a lot of the planning principles she has been involved with,” Browaty said. “I came to respect her work many years ago when she successfully led the public consultation for the private developer of the controversial Edgewood Estates towers at Chief Peguis Trail and the Red River. While the majority of the time elected officials and public servants see eye to eye on issues, when we don’t, it’s understood council’s direction needs to be implemented.” Browaty also noted, as an aside, he is partially responsible for getting Borys to Winnipeg. “I was the city rep on the Winnipeg Art Gallery board of governors when we hired her husband… as director,” he said. Borys said she will be mothballing her company and expects the first weeks and months in her new position to be part of a “big learning curve.” “I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “I can’t wait.” kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

WFP: Businesses have mixed feelings about proposed pathways at Portage & Main (Apr27'23)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Apr '23

27 Apr '23

*Businesses have mixed feelings about proposed pathways* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2023/04/27/businesses-have-mixed… Businesses below Portage and Main have mixed feelings about proposed pathways above the iconic intersection. On Tuesday, the City of Winnipeg released ideas to revitalize the downtown crossing, seeking public feedback. One rendering displayed a “sky garden” — a circular walkway six storeys above ground level with potential bridge connections to adjacent buildings. Glass elevators would connect to the street, the plaza and the underground concourse. “They already have the connection down below,” said Mike Publicover, owner of Stonework’s Bistro. Publicover opened his Winnipeg Square eatery last year. Connecting to Winnipeg’s skyscrapers, including the new 300 Main, was a major consideration before settling, Publicover said. “So now (people are) going to start walking over and above,” he said. “Will they come down?” Already, businesses below struggle to get customers when the workday ends. Publicover’s feelings would be different if the underground network, which covers Portage and Main and extends outwards, didn’t exist. “The added cost to the city of doing it, I don’t know that there’s value when there’s already something here,” Publicover said. The city is preparing to replace the waterproof membrane protecting the underground concourse. It could cost between $15 million and $20 million to excavate the intersection’s surface for membrane repair, according to one engineering report. More connections above ground could be good for business, said Melani Bastians. “Down here, we do have a lot of folks who are Monday to Friday,” said Bastians, who owns two restaurants in Winnipeg Square. When the weekend hits, customers leave and everything shutters, Bastians said. Taste of Sri Lanka, one of her businesses in the underground concourse, closes after 4 p.m. during the week and doesn’t open Saturdays or Sundays. “I want more customers, always, and avenues of which they can get here,” Bastians said. “If we had overpasses, then it would support the general public.” She’s now doubly invested in Winnipeg Square. Bastians opened The Green Eatery beside Taste of Sri Lanka three weeks ago. “People don’t really know that there are places like this in Winnipeg Square,” added Adanna Hanniford, The Green Eatery’s manager. If overpasses will bring people downtown, that’s good news, she said. The nearby GoodLife Fitness and the 300 Main residences are already positives for the restaurant, which has vegan and gluten-free products, Hanniford said. Above-ground changes to Portage and Main likely wouldn’t affect Cookies by George, predicted Lasha Yaeger. “We get business from there,” she said behind the counter, pointing to the Portage and Main concourse. “They’re coming here anyways. It’s not like they’re going to avoid us.” Still, she worried businesses in the concourse might see fewer visitors if overpasses became concrete. The proposed sky garden’s effect on underground businesses is hard to forecast, according to Loren Remillard, president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. New infrastructure could draw people to the area, he noted. “Right now, I think our bigger concern isn’t skywalk/underground, it’s ‘How do we get more people downtown?’” he said. Once traffic has increased, the focus becomes guiding people to shops and vendors downtown, he said. “Some of the initial concerns were about costing and city priorities — all legitimate concerns. We really want to be creative, we really want to be innovative, and this is an opportunity to engage Winnipeggers in a conversation around ‘What kind of downtown do we want?’” Remillard said. A public survey to give feedback on potential Portage and Main changes is open until May 26 at winnipeg.ca/portageandmain. The city will also host two events about the ideas in May. — with files from Joyanne Pursaga gabrielle.piche(a)winnipegfreepress.com

1 0

CBC: Winnipeg hires CEO of urbanist consulting firm as new planning, property and development director (Apr26'23)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '23

26 Apr '23

Hazel Borys to divest herself of Placemakers, take on helm of city department https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/hazel-borys-planning-director-1.682… The City of Winnipeg has chosen an urban planner who runs a binational consulting firm to be its new director of planning, property and development. Hazel Borys, the CEO of Placemakers in Canada and the United States, will take over the city department responsible for land use at the end of July, Winnipeg chief administrative officer Michael Jack announced on Wednesday. She will succeed Marc Pittet, who's served as Winnipeg's acting planning, property and development director since John Kiernan retired in 2022. Borys said Wednesday she feels like she's taken on the job at "a really critical moment" in Winnipeg's history. "I think we have a number of significant challenges that we'll need to address together and that's really similar to many Canadian cities right now," Borys said in an interview. "But I think we also have both the opportunity and the responsibility to become a more resilient, livable and inclusive place. One of those challenges will involve stemming a burgeoning trend where Winnipeg is starting to lose development opportunities to several of its immediate neighbours. An increasing concentration of industrial, commercial and residential developments have sprouted up just outside city limits in municipalities such as Macdonald, Rosser, West St. Paul and Springfield. Borys said she plans to work with other municipalities to ensure both the city and its neighbours benefit from a new regional planning framework ordered by the provincial government. "My focus as the director of planning, property and development won't be about fighting over the existing pie that the region has, but how when we all work together, we can grow that pie quite a bit," she said. "So I'm not terribly concerned about where today's development capacity is going." Modernizing land use Borys said she believes development can intensify in existing Winnipeg neighbourhoods if the city modernizes outdated rules that govern land use. "What the development community most struggles with is our zoning bylaw hasn't yet caught up with the policies that we have in place to help do those things," she said. "That means that development takes longer — and time is money, from a developer's perspective." Borys suggested the city must focus on densification to achieve its development goals. "I think we have to get back to our agricultural roots and instead of thinking about dollars per new development, we need to be thinking about dollars per hectare and jobs per hectare," she said. "So how we can use our land more productively, just like a farmer looks at how to use her land more productively as well." Winnipeg's mayor, a centrist conservative who hired a number of urbanists to his own staff, referenced the incoming property director's progressive leanings when he welcomed her to the city. "Hazel has an incredible reputation as an innovator, placemaker and community builder and I look forward to working with her in this new role," Scott Gillingham said in a tweet on Wednesday. Borys, however, chose not comment on several hot-button issues facing Winnipeg's planning, property and development department, including the revitalization of Portage and Main and a pending decision in a lawsuit against the department by developer Andrew Marquess. Born in Alabama, Borys was educated in Ohio before she moved to Winnipeg in 2008 with her husband, Stephen Borys, who runs the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq. Borys has worked in the urban planning field for 19 years. With Placemakers, she consulted for both developers and governments. She helped the City of Winnipeg develop its long-term planning framework and also sits on the Manitoba Municipal Board. Borys said she has tendered her resignation from the municipal board, whose powers have been expanded to include the ability to overturn City of Winnipeg land-use decisions. She also said she will divest herself of an ownership stake in the U.S. side of Placemakers and dissolve the Canadian company of the same name.

1 0

WFP: ‘Sky garden’ among ideas floated for Portage & Main (Apr26'23)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '23

26 Apr '23

City seeks public input on concepts to improve pedestrian access, enhance appearance at reimagined intersection *‘Sky garden’ among ideas floated for Portage & Main* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/04/25/sky-garden-pedestrian-pl… THERE’S a chance Winnipeggers could finally be able to cross the street again at the city’s most famous intersection… but they’d be doing it six storeys above traffic. A “sky garden,” with a plant-adorned circular walkway, potential bridge connections to adjacent buildings and glass elevators connecting the street, plaza and underground concourse, as well as an option to add a set of four lookout towers with viewing platforms (one at each corner), are among several ideas to revitalize Portage Avenue and Main Street the city is now seeking public feedback on. “The City of Winnipeg sees Portage and Main as an iconic, historic destination and worthy of a little bit of extra attention… and that’s why we’ve looked at ideas that are somewhat conventional, as well as some that are more bold,” said Kurtis Kowalke, a principal planner for the city. The changes — advanced by a city consultant — could allow for temporary pedestrian access at ground level, such as for special events. However, the vision doesn’t pursue a long-debated call to permanently restore surface-level pedestrian crossing. The intersection has been closed to pedestrians since 1979, and Winnipeggers voted down a non-binding plebiscite to reopen the corners in 2018. The new vision is being considered as the city prepares to replace an ailing waterproof membrane that protects the underground concourse, which has been deemed beyond its useful life. A deal struck by the city in 1976 to construct the concourse and an above-ground building guaranteed the developer a barricaded intersection for 40 years, forcing pedestrians into the underground mall. Crews must excavate the intersection’s surface to repair the membrane, which an engineering report once estimated would cost between $15 million and $20 million. Kowalke said public input will help the city narrow down design ideas to reimagine the public space, and the crumbling concrete barriers will likely be replaced with more-attractive fencing or bollards. Other options to revamp the site could add “living art” (a raised garden ring with no pedestrian access) or “monumental public art,” such as a large, dome-like structure above the street (depicted as an example in the city survey). Multimedia lighting poles could also be added with or without canopies. At street level, the city could add public art to building walls, plant trees and spruce up the site’s paving. Cost estimates for the new options were not provided. Mayor Scott Gillingham declined to offer an opinion on which, if any, of the ideas he supports. “It has to be something that is reasonable but also exciting. It’s our most iconic intersection,” said Gillingham. The idea of simply reopening pedestrian access at street level has triggered intense debate for years, with supporters arguing the change is needed to help revitalize and better connect downtown. Opponents say allowing foot traffic would snarl vehicle traffic, cost millions of dollars and increase road-safety concerns. In the 2018 plebiscite, 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted against removing the barriers. Advocates for pedestrian traffic argued most of the no votes were cast by people living in the suburbs who did not want to be inconvenienced by longer stop-light waits at the intersection that would be required for walkers to cross the street. One advocate who urged residents to “vote open” at the time questions the logic of diverting pedestrians upward, instead. “I don’t know if you need to invest as much as some of these designs are going to cost. I think we can have a really great intersection if we have a pedestrian crossing at grade and some nice, artistic, culturally relevant designs going on at street level,” said Adam Dooley. Pedestrian access at an overhead walkway could perhaps be seen as a compromise keeping vehicle and foot traffic apart, but a grade-level crossing remains his first choice, he said. The president of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce said the new options to enhance the site are worthy of discussion. “It elevates the conversation that we’ve been having for far too long around this intersection… from one of barricades or removing barricades to one… (about what) kind of downtown centre… we want to have for our community,” said Loren Remillard. Kate Fenske, chief executive officer at the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said street-level access remains her organization’s top priority. “Allowing pedestrians to cross the street at Portage and Main would have a minimal impact on drivers but drastically reduce the time for pedestrians to get across…. A good design is one that encourages more people at street level. That’s critical for economic activity, for improving safety and for vibrancy of downtown,” said Fenske. She also questioned how adding a raised circular walkway would stack up against other priorities for limited city dollars. Some city councillors agree the primary focus at Portage and Main should be to add a ground-level pedestrian crossing. “Before we start contemplating the budgets involved (with) pedestrian overpasses that might be pretty and might involve greenery… I’d like to just ask that basic question… (of) how to make it accessible at grade,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins. Rollins is backing a new motion at city hall, which calls for staff to study options to add surface-level access at Portage and Main. The public works committee is expected to consider ordering that report next month. On Tuesday afternoon, folks in the Portage and Main area shared mixed views on the ideas. Adam Enns said paving and tree improvements make sense but an above-ground circular walkway isn’t realistic. “What’s the function of it, just to look nice?…. It seems like a waste of money to me,” said Enns. Jennifer Olson feared the “sky garden” walkway may not best serve downtown residents. “It looks nice but what is in it for the people who live here? I’d like to see a grocery store, some more services… not necessarily some elevated walkway. And I would like to see Portage and Main reopened (to pedestrians at the surface level),” said Olson. Jay Rodgers said he liked the “sky garden” at first glance, though its potential cost must be considered. “I think it’s very attractive,” Rodgers said. “It looks modern and I think it would increase traffic circulating in the area.” A survey at winnipeg.ca/portageandmain will seek public feedback until May 26. The city will also host two events on the ideas, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 10 at the lobby of 201 Portage Ave. and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 11 at Portage and Main’s underground concourse (near Scotiabank). joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

Nature article: Suburbs are a climate disaster, but they can be redeemed
by Jackie Avent 25 Apr '23

25 Apr '23

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01369-3 How to create liveable suburbs <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The sprawling outer areas of US cities are the physical embodiment of unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity, argues urban-design researcher Dana Cuff. Rigid and often absurd planning rules prevent the construction of blocks of flats <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, shops, schools, health facilities and workplaces. “It will take many creative solutions to redeem suburbs,” Cuff says, such as building housing for teachers on underused school land or offering loans for constructing affordable housing. Nature | 5 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Nature Briefing <briefing(a)nature.com> Date: Tue, Apr 25, 2023 at 1:04 PM Subject: First close-up images of tiny Mars moonlet To: <Jackie.avent(a)gmail.com> What matters in science | View this email in your browser <https://us17.campaign-archive.com/?e=4e0751221c&u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Tuesday 25 April 2023 [image: Nature Briefing] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Hello *Nature *readers, Today we discover that researchers have sequenced the genomes of more than 10,000 ancient people, find out why parrots like to video call each other and marvel at the first close-up images of Mars’s tiny moonlet Deimos. [image: A bleached human skull lies on its side on mossy ground. The skull’s lower jaw has become detached, lying separately in front of the skull. More bone fragments and broken skulls are visible in the background.] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> These 2,000-year-old human remains were found in a stone chambered cairn in Greenland. There has been an ‘ancient-DNA gold rush’, with the number of ancient-human genomes exponentially increasing since 2018. (Ashley Cooper/Getty) Ten thousand ancient genomes sequenced <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> More than 10,000 ancient-human genomes have now been sequenced. In 2010, the first ancient-DNA sequence was published, of a man who lived 4,000 years ago. Since 2018, thanks to technological advances, there has been an explosion in the number of ancient genomes sequenced. The vast majority come from people who lived in Europe, Russia and the Middle East <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. “We need to shift that focus and obsession with numbers” and look at genomes from other parts of the world, says palaeogenomicist María Ávila-Arcos. Nature | 4 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Reference: bioRxiv preprint <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> (not peer reviewed) [image: A line chart showing the quantity of genome data from ancient-human remains. The data set has grown rapidly since 2018, owing to advances in DNA sequencing, and extraction and has risen to 10,067 in 2023.] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Parrots call each other to be less lonely <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Giving pet parrots the opportunity to video call other birds helps to counter isolation and boredom <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> in the intelligent animals. Researchers trained 18 pet parrots, ranging from macaws (*Ara*) to cockatiels (*Nymphicus hollandicus*), to phone a friend using Facebook Messenger. “All caretakers reported perceived benefits, some arguably life-transformative, such as learning to forage or even to fly by watching others,” write the authors in their paper, which includes some well-worth-watching video <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> of parrots chatting. The Guardian | 4 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Reference: *CHI '23: Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> paper <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Reader poll [image: Pie chart illustrating poll results to the question “What do you think about the commercial space age?”] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Today, a lunar lander built by the Japanese firm ispace will touch down on the Moon’s surface <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. It will be the first private company to land on the Moon, and the first of several commercial lunar trips flying this year. Briefing readers had mixed feelings about this burgeoning commercial space age: more than half of the respondents to our poll last week said they preferred when space exploration was led by governments only. Another 40% welcome private space missions. Many readers felt the money pumped into space missions — both private and public ones — could be better spent on Earth, for example on addressing climate change. There were concerns about the amount of space debris that missions would create, and about the environmental impact of rocket launches. “There should be an international agency to regulate who can send what into space and clean up afterwards,” writes librarian Penelope Bulloch. “I think we should reframe the conversation altogether,” suggests sustainability project manager Joan Suris. “Every time we have started mining resources on Earth we have created more environmental and social problems than we have solved. What are the unforeseen consequences of ‘commercial exploitation’ of the Moon?” Features & opinion Deep ocean exploration isn’t about science <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Attempts to reach the bottom of the sea have a surprisingly long history, as Jeff Maynard recounts in *The Frontier Below*. The book is a brisk tour of diving and submersibles <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, heavy on engineering and light on science. “That’s fitting, because the endeavour was hardly ever about science,” writes reviewer and *Nature *reporter Alexandra Witze. Instead, it was about retrieving goods from wrecked vessels, military interests or finding a ‘lifeless’ place to dump nuclear waste. Nature | 6 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> [image: Nature Special: Nature+] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> ACCESS *NATURE* AND 54 OTHER NATURE JOURNALS <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Nature+ gives you immediate online access to *Nature* and 54 other journals. Nature+ is a flexible monthly subscription and is currently available only to personal users in the United States <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> and in the United Kingdom <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> . Learn more about Nature+ in the US <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> or in the UK <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> How to create liveable suburbs <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The sprawling outer areas of US cities are the physical embodiment of unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity, argues urban-design researcher Dana Cuff. Rigid and often absurd planning rules prevent the construction of blocks of flats <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, shops, schools, health facilities and workplaces. “It will take many creative solutions to redeem suburbs,” Cuff says, such as building housing for teachers on underused school land or offering loans for constructing affordable housing. Nature | 5 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The far-reaching impacts of melting ice <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> How does melting ice contribute to destructive wildfires in the western United States? And how does ice loss lead to extreme floods in Nepal? A sobering yet hopeful quiz, accompanied by stunning visuals <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, clarifies how the shape of coastlines, the weather and the survival of communities are all tied to ice. NPR | Interactive 5-min scroll <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Image of the week [image: The moonlet Deimos, looking like a small grey space potato, floats serenely in front of the giant red shape of Mars in the background.] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> The first up-close images of Mars’s little-known moonlet Deimos have revealed that it is made of the same material as the red planet. The tiny, 12.4-kilometre-wide moon probably formed together with Mars <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>, rather than as an asteroid that was captured in the planet’s orbit. (Nature | 4 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>) (Emirates Mars Mission) Quote of the day “I often have a nightmare with my tombstone that reads: ‘What did she think she was doing?’ Because all of us have to reckon with the fact that the future will look back on us with new tools and a new framing.” <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Neurologist Helen Mayberg hopes that deep brain stimulation — invasive surgery that helps people with severe depression — will eventually be seen as outdated. (Nature Careers Podcast | 25 min listen or 15 min read <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> ) As we celebrate World Penguin Day, spare a thought for what the word ‘penguin’ actually means to you <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Psychologists found that even such simple words can signify wildly different concepts for people — and we’re often oblivious to these variations. Send me your definition of the word ‘penguin’, alongside any other feedback on this newsletter, to briefing(a)nature.com. Thanks for reading, *Katrina Krämer, associate editor, Nature Briefing <briefing(a)nature.com>* *With contributions by Flora Graham* We’ve recently launched two new e-mails you might like. They’re free, and of course you can unsubscribe at any time. - *Nature Briefing: Cancer* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> — a new weekly newsletter written with cancer researchers in mind. Sign up here <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> to receive the next one. - *Nature Briefing: Translational Research* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> covers biotechnology, drug discovery and pharma. Sign up here <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> to get it free in your inbox each week. [image: nature] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Join our community [image: twitter] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> [image: Facebook] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> You received this newsletter because you subscribed with the email address: Jackie.avent(a)gmail.com Please add *briefing(a)nature.com <briefing(a)nature.com>* to your address book. Enjoying this newsletter? You can use this form to recommend it to a friend or colleague <https://us17.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d&id=9…> — thank you! Want to switch to the weekly edition? Update your preferences <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Had enough? Unsubscribe from the *Nature Briefing* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Fancy a bit of a read? View our privacy policy <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Forwarded by a friend? Get the Briefing straight to your inbox: subscribe for free <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Want to master time management, protect your mental health and brush up on your skills? Sign up for our free short e-mail series for working scientists, *Back to the lab* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Get more from *Nature*: Register for free on nature.com to sign up for other newsletters specific to your field and email alerts from Nature Research journals <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Would you like to read the Briefing in other languages? Sign up for the weekly round-up e-mail in Arabic, curated and translated by the editors of *Nature Arabic Edition* <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. هل تود أن تقرأ هذا الموجز باللغة العربية؟ سَجِّل الآن لتصلك نشرة العلوم الموجزة أسبوعيًّا، التي يختار محتواها ويترجمه فريق محرري "نيتشر الطبعة العربية" <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. Follow Nature Portfolio on WeChat for a weekly round-up post in Chinese, curated and translated by our team in China <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…>. 关注Nature Portfolio官方微信订阅号，每周二为您推送Nature Briefing精选中文内容——自然每周简报。 <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> [image: QR code for Nature Portfolio on WeChat] <https://nature.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c6057c528fdc6f73fa196d9d…> Nature | The Springer Nature Campus, 4 Crinan Street, London, N1 9XW, United Kingdom Nature Research, part of Springer Nature. © 2023 Springer Nature Limited. All rights reserved.

1 0

CBC: Circular walkway, massive orb, towers among Portage and Main redesign options (Apr25'23)
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '23

25 Apr '23

Circular walkway, massive orb, towers among Portage and Main redesign optionsCity seeks public feedback on designs that would see existing barricades come down — without pedestrian access https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/portage-main-redesign-options-1.682… A circular walkway above Portage and Main, a massive orb and a quartet of lookout towers are among eight potential and in some cases fanciful redesign options for Winnipeg's most famous intersection. The City of Winnipeg is seeking public opinions about new designs that would see the existing concrete barricades at Portage Avenue and Main Street be replaced by a more esthetically pleasing streetscape that would still bar pedestrians from crossing at street level. The city must remove the barricades as part of a multimillion-dollar repair job at the intersection, where a leaky membrane allows surface runoff to damage the underground pedestrian concourse. The barricades are to be replaced as part of a broader redesign. The city has launched a public opinion survey <https://engage.winnipeg.ca/portageandmain> and will hold a pair of public events in May to solicit feedback on the options. They include an above-ground walkway called a "sky garden," a hanging garden with no pedestrian access, lookout towers, a row of lights, a row of lights mixed with trees, new paving, both with and without trees, and a "monumental" orb at Portage and Main reminiscent of the laser pyramid floated by former mayor Susan Thompson after she left office. None of the options are costed out in the survey, which is open until May 26. The survey asks whether respondents live or work downtown. The public events will be held May 10 in the lobby of 201 Portage Ave. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and May 11 in the underground concourse, also from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The survey also asks what other amenities Winnipeggers wish to see at Portage and Main, such as food trucks and Indigenous programming. The City of Winnipeg will make officials available to speak about the project this afternoon. Portage and Main closed to pedestrians in 1979. Winnipeggers voted against reopening the intersection in a non-binding plebiscite in 2018.

1 0

WFP: Residents weigh in on Portage and Main proposals (Apr22'24)
by Beth McKechnie 24 Apr '23

24 Apr '23

*Residents weigh in on Portage and Main proposals* Report renews debate over iconic intersection https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/22/residents-weigh-i… A report regarding the future of Portage Avenue and Main Street has renewed discussions surrounding the contentious intersection, with residents weighing in on the potential of street-level pedestrian crossing. On Tuesday, the city will release the findings of a study it commissioned in 2021 to assess upgrades for the iconic intersection. Current plans involve removing and replacing the concrete barriers that bar pedestrian passage, but future designs may be adaptable, allowing people to cross at street-level for special events, or during designated times, city documents show. “The debate over Portage and Main has been a perennial discussion in Winnipeg for more than 40 years,” Winnipeg transportation planner Jairo Viafara said by phone Saturday. “If we are to open it, there must be a balance.” The intersection, which spans up to eight lanes at some points, presents a particular challenge for city planners. While keeping the intersection closed to pedestrian traffic compromises accessibility, opening it will likely impact traffic flow and may frustrate stakeholders who’ve made significant investments in and around the underground concourse, he said. Among possible solutions is a suggestion from Coun. Jeff Browaty to allow pedestrians to cross outside of peak traffic times, possibly between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. when the underground passage is closed. Viafara was hesitant to endorse this idea, citing safety concerns because the area is surrounded by several bars and restaurants. “I do not want pedestrians who have drinking and dancing their way through the night to step out on the street in their merriment and (be struck by a vehicle),” he said. Pedestrian safety and economic development must be paramount concerns as the city deliberates how to improve the intersection, he said. City officials are not exploring permanently opening the intersection, but promised to allow residents to weigh-in on the design options through an online survey. People passing though the underground concourse Saturday afternoon voiced mixed opinions on the subject. “It is a bit of a nuisance to have to come down particularly because… downtown has gotten a lot sketchier in the last few years,” said Francine Martin. “It doesn’t always feel (safe) and it’s dirtier than it used to be.” Martin, who described herself as a “non-motorist” pointed to a 2018 plebiscite in which 65 per cent of people in Winnipeg voted against reopening street-level crossings at the intersection. According to voter demographic data released at the time, people in suburban areas felt most strongly that the intersection should remain closed. “Maybe they should survey people in the core areas who actually use this intersection as non-motorists,” Martin said. “If we’re the ones using it, or perhaps more likely to use it, then maybe our vote should count for a little bit more.” Others passing through felt the opposite. “I don’t think its a good idea to take the barriers down. It’s going to snarl traffic even more than it is now. It will be a complete hassle,” said Lisa, an Exchange District resident who asked to withhold her last name. “Yeah, its a hassle to come down here, but I’d rather have that hassle (than open the intersection),” she said. “If you live (downtown), you understand why the barriers are there… We’re going to find out real fast if they allow pedestrian traffic up there how inconvenient it is.” Another group of men, who declined an interview but paused long enough to offer their opinion, agreed. “There’s just way too much traffic on Portage and Main,” one said. Corey Yantha, a visitor from Halifax who found himself lost in the underground concourse, said he’s encountered similar underground crossings in other Canadian cities, but found navigating Winnipeg’s confusing. “I think it’s pretty annoying… I don’t really know which way to go,” he said. “It should be a lot easier to get to the other side of the street.” Others passing through had similar experiences, with one group saying they paused several times to check if they were heading the right direction. Regardless of the proposal report, the intersection is likely to see significant construction in the near future. A waterproof membrane surrounding the underground concourse needs to be replaced and it can only be accessed from above. Preliminary estimates suggest the project could cost between $15 million and $20 million. tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

WFP: New vision for Portage & Main coming next week (Apr22'23)
by Beth McKechnie 22 Apr '23

22 Apr '23

*Survey to allow input into options for intersection* *New vision for P&M coming next week* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/21/new-vision-for-po… A LONG-AWAITED vision to revamp the iconic Portage Avenue and Main Street intersection will be released to the public Tuesday. In 2021, the City of Winnipeg hired a consultant to provide options to improve the above-ground crossing and its “pedestrian environment.” A request for proposal noted the design should also be adaptable to potentially let pedestrians cross at street level on a temporary basis, such as for special events, without permanently restoring that access (which was blocked in 1979). On April 25, the city will release design options for the site, along with an online public survey. “We’ve known for a lot of years that there needs to be repairs to Portage and Main, and we did call for a report to come back two years ago, so we’re going to get it soon,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham, who declined to share further details. The consultant was also tasked with providing options to replace a waterproof membrane that separates the underground concourse from the road above, which has been deemed beyond its useful life. A preliminary estimate found it could cost between $15 million and $20 million, according to a 2019 engineering report. Since the 40-year-old membrane is located two to three metres below the pavement and can only be accessed from above, “any investment in streetscape design enhancements will need to be co-ordinated with membrane renewal work,” the RFP notes. Coun. Jeff Browaty said councillors expect to receive updated cost estimates for replacing the membrane later this year — though there is now some sense of what the intersection might look like after current barricades at the surface are replaced. “Subject to what the public comes back with (as input), I think the thinking is that the new barricades… will be more visually appealing,” said Browaty. He expects it could include options for a transparent material that can be altered to allow foot traffic during special events. Browaty, who has been a vocal opponent in the sometimes heated debate on reopening Portage and Main to pedestrians, said he remains concerned doing so full-time would wreak havoc with traffic. “I have zero appetite to the opening of the intersection to regular pedestrian crossings during the day.” However, Browaty said, he is now open to exploring whether pedestrians could cross the intersection at the surface overnight, when traffic volumes are lower. In the middle of the night, when the traffic impact isn’t going to be material… there’s really no cost, in terms of… making physical changes to the intersection (once it is altered).” The North Kildonan councillor said there may be a growing need for overnight pedestrian access because the underground concourse at Portage and Main was open 24-7 before the COVID-19 pandemic, but is now restricted to daily hours of 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. “So, in the middle of the night, you literally do have to go and walk several extra blocks to get through that intersection,” said Browaty. Supporters of reopening the intersection to pedestrians argue doing so would better connect downtown, making it more walkable and vibrant. The consultant was not asked to create a plan for a permanent reopening of the intersection to pedestrians. The report notes 65 per cent of Winnipeggers voted against the reopening in a 2018 plebiscite. Meanwhile, a councillor whose ward includes part of downtown, said she fears the feedback of residents who live closest to the intersection won’t be privileged over other public input — even though consultations on intersections outside downtown focus more on immediate neighbours. “It can be very frustrating, as a downtown councillor, to… understand there are shared interests there, but… watch your residents take back seat to the discussions of whether or not they can cross a street near where they live,” said Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry). joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

Road Safety week - May 15-21
by Kristine Hayward 17 Apr '23

17 Apr '23

The UN Global Road Safety Week is coming up – May 15-21. #RethinkMobility is the theme. See additional information and resources - https://www.roadsafetyngos.org/news-events-orig/events/un-global-road-safet… Kristine Hayward (she/her) Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Population & Public Health MB Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<mailto:khayward@wrha.mb.ca> Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo__;!!IqQd2s…> Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Disclaimer : This email (including any attachments or enclosed documents) is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately, return the original (if applicable) and delete the email. Avis : Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé, et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels, privés ou protégés par un privilège juridique. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous avez reçu le présent courriel par erreur, veuillez en informer immédiatement l’expéditeur, retourner l’original (le cas échéant) et supprimer ce courriel.

1 0

WFP: Council to consider sidewalk snow-clearing cost study (Apr15'23)
by Beth McKechnie 15 Apr '23

15 Apr '23

Council to consider sidewalk snow-clearing cost study https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/14/council-to-consid… FOLLOWING repeated complaints that snow isn’t cleared off sidewalks quickly enough, the city may study an option to speed up the service. An annual snow-clearing report could be tasked with determining a cost estimate to clear snow off all sidewalks and active transportation paths within 72 hours after a significant snowfall. That measure would be reached when an inspection finds clearing is needed following a five-centimetre snowfall or equivalent drifting. A motion passed by public works committee this week calls for that element to be explored in the report, though the change requires a full council vote. “I think it’s important that people understand the cost and the requirements (to ramp up service this much). Dozens of machines would have to be purchased, dozens of staff would have to be hired,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, the committee’s chairwoman. The motion, raised by Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt, also calls for the city to study how the increased service level could be phased in. Wyatt’s motion states the current frequency of clearing sometimes forces pedestrians to walk on roads and suggests the proposed change would improve quality of life. Under city policy, plowing on all sidewalks on major routes and collector streets should be completed within 36 hours after an average storm ends. Sidewalks on residential streets should see plowing completed within five working days after it begins. Lukes (Waverley West) said she expects continuing to clear sidewalks by priority may better fit the city’s budget. “(It) would be better for the taxpayer to realign the priority system versus making everything a (top priority for clearing). I think we need to do a better analysis on where high density is, where high needs are,” said Lukes. Council will vote on the matter later this month. The annual snow-clearing report is expected in June. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

new date - Rapid Implementation of Bikeways webinar
by Kristine Hayward 13 Apr '23

13 Apr '23

[cid:image003.png@01D96E1A.5F3F2880] More information and to register - https://ncceh.ca/hbe-forum#webinar1 Kristine Hayward (she/her) Physical Activity Promotion Coordinator Population & Public Health MB Health and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority 2nd floor - 490 Hargrave Street Winnipeg, MB R3A 0X7 Telephone 204 232-7546 Fax 204 940-2690 Email khayward(a)wrha.mb.ca<mailto:khayward@wrha.mb.ca> Bike racks are available in front of the building at the corner of Hargrave and McDermot. Plan your Winnipeg Transit trip: http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://winnipegtransit.com/en/navigo__;!!IqQd2s…> Metered street parking and pay lots in the area – please note designated loading zones and spots requiring a disability permit. Disclaimer : This email (including any attachments or enclosed documents) is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this email in error, please notify the sender immediately, return the original (if applicable) and delete the email. Avis : Le présent courriel (y compris toute pièce jointe) est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé, et peut contenir des renseignements confidentiels, privés ou protégés par un privilège juridique. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous avez reçu le présent courriel par erreur, veuillez en informer immédiatement l’expéditeur, retourner l’original (le cas échéant) et supprimer ce courriel.

1 0

WFP: Icy sidewalks create shut-ins, city told (Apr12'23)
by Beth McKechnie 12 Apr '23

12 Apr '23

Delegate tells committee obstructed, slippery paths a human rights issue Icy sidewalks create shut-ins, city told https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/11/icy-sidewalks-cre… THE mounds of ice and snow that can bury sidewalks in winter too often put people with mobility issues at risk of isolation or dangerous slips and falls, multiple delegates told council’s public works committee on Tuesday. Any effort to clear more sidewalks to “bare pavement” would mark a good first step to ensuring active transportation routes are accessible throughout every season, they argued. Marika Prokosh, who is visually impaired and not able to drive, said the condition of sidewalks is declining, making it increasingly difficult to get around on foot and by bus. “Every year, it’s getting a little harder… It has an effect on how often I choose to go out (and so) it limits the scope of my life,” said Prokosh. Unexpected dips and inclines created by uneven snow clearing can be tough to avoid, she told reporters. Prokosh said she understands many factors, including cost, influence snow-clearing policies. But she stressed the city must also view the service through a disability lens. “What I’m looking for, ultimately, is for the city to figure out a way logistically, economically to ensure that, the majority of the time, the pavements are clear enough that wheelchairs and strollers and people with canes and walkers can pass them with minimal difficulty,” said Prokosh. Sidewalks covered in ice and snow can prove daunting to seniors, said Connie Newman, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Senior Communities. “Many seniors become shut-ins in winter because venturing out onto the sidewalks is just too dangerous,” said Newman. She told the committee the matter is a human rights issue, as mobility should be possible for people of all ages. “We should all feel safe to walk on our sidewalks… For many, six months of icy sidewalks limits us from getting to the grocery store, to the drug store, to exercise. Access to food is a basic human right,” said Newman. Coun. Matt Allard is making his fourth attempt to have the city explore clearing more sidewalks to bare pavement; three previous motions failed. Allard’s latest recommendation calls for city staff to report on options for a pilot project that would clear snow off sidewalks to a “bare pavement” standard on one street that connects to a bus stop in each council ward. He wants that report to review several options to achieve that, including: testing various de-icing material; plowing efforts specific to snow drifts and windrows; and reducing snow banks at intersections and crosswalks. Allard told the committee Tuesday the matter is an urgent human rights issue. “Do we need someone to bring the City of Winnipeg to the Manitoba human rights tribunal to demonstrate that their human rights have been violated… because they were not able to participate in society like any other able-bodied person could?” he asked. Under city policy, downtown sidewalks adjacent to major routes and collector streets are plowed to a paved surface “whenever conditions allow,” while such sidewalks outside downtown are maintained to a compacted snow surface. Plowing on all sidewalks on major routes and collector streets should be completed within 36 hours after an average storm ends. Sidewalks on residential streets should normally be maintained to a compacted snow surface, with plowing completed within five working days after it begins, the policy states. Some council members stressed work is underway to improve snow-clearing on active transportation paths. Mayor Scott Gillingham said a neighbourhood action team, whose tasks will include sidewalk snow clearing, will be hired by the end of this year. He noted city staff will report back in June on more options to improve snow clearing. “We need to do all we can to assist people to navigate our sidewalks and our streets. I want to see people able to get around,” said Gillingham. When asked if the city could pursue the bare pavement pilot project, the mayor suggested it could come at a significant cost. “We don’t know the price. I think the average person could… (imagine) what it may cost to clear snow to (bare pavement) on all sidewalks across the city,” said Gillingham. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of the public works committee, said she expects the June report to help enhance winter sidewalk clearing. “When you are harnessing Mother Nature… you’ve got to use many tools in your toolkit to get to the end result… The public service is looking at all kinds of things. New technologies emerge, new machines emerge, new approaches emerge. Winnipeg really leads the way in snow and ice removal,” said Lukes. Last year, council approved $3 million to buy 15 additional sidewalk-clearing machines to ramp up the city’s resources. Due to supply chain delays, those are expected to arrive around June and help improve clearing next winter. The public works committee voted to receive Allard’s motion as information, which means taking no immediate action on it. Council will cast the final vote on the matter. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

CBC: Committee rejects motion to study plowing Winnipeg sidewalks to pavement (Apr11'23)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Apr '23

11 Apr '23

Committee rejects motion to study plowing Winnipeg sidewalks to pavement https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/sidewalk-snow-clearing-motion-1.680… The city's public works committee rejected a proposal on clearing sidewalks to bare pavement for the fourth time this term. St. Boniface Coun. Matt Allard brought forward a motion asking council to approve a study of a pilot project that would clear one sidewalk in each of the city's 15 wards down to bare pavement. On Tuesday, Allard told the committee the way the city clears sidewalks — leaving a layer of compacted snow that turns to slush and ice during the spring freeze-thaw cycle — hinders Winnipeggers' right to freedom of movement, particularly for seniors and people with disabilities. "People have the right to participate equally in society," Allard told the committee. Numerous delegates spoke to the committee in favour of Allard's motion. Marika Prokosh, who is visually impaired, said the icy sidewalks are dangerous. "Maybe there's like a two-inch drop down where they've shoveled, and if you don't see very well, as I don't, and you miss that, you can twist an ankle on that," she said in an interview. Seniors advocate Connie Newman said the uneven walking surface keeps many people in their houses and limits their ability to stay healthy. "We wanna continue to walk and sometimes during November to April, it's difficult. And we become isolated," said Newman, executive director of the Manitoba Association of Senior Communities. Allard has criticized some of his council colleagues, including public works chair Janice Lukes and Mayor Scott Gillingham, for rejecting it. "My criticisms of Coun. Lukes, and of the mayor, have been based on their comments not supporting this particular idea and not proposing any other solutions," he said. The committee unanimously voted to receive Allard's motion as information, meaning they are taking no action on it. Before the vote, Lukes told reporters the public works department is preparing a report evaluating the city's snow-clearing operation will come to council in June. It will look at alternative ways to clear ice on sidewalks. "I know for a fact that they're looking at a lot of data points right now for high-frequency use. I know that they're looking at possibly changing priorities," Lukes said. "I wish there was one silver bullet … but [the public service is] looking at a lot of different things and then they will be coming forward in June." Gillingham campaigned on creating neighourhood action teams that will look for issues in communities, including icy sidewalks, he said. "I've been working to, and will continue to work to improve snow clearing in this city, our winter city. I think the neighborhood action teams are really going to help," he said. Council will hold a final vote on the matter at its meeting later this month.

1 0

WFP Analysis: Winnipeg winter shouldn’t translate to lower quality of life (Apr11'23)
by Beth McKechnie 11 Apr '23

11 Apr '23

*Winnipeg winter shouldn’t translate to lower quality of life* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/2023/04/10/winter-should… FALLING is the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations in Winnipeg, and more than one-third of the province’s direct health-care costs are accounted for by injuries related to falls. The financial costs, however, are far less impactful than the personal effect on health and well-being that falls can have, particularly for older adults. A fall can often trigger a downward health spiral for seniors, where injuries limit mobility and independence, and a fear of falling again leads to anxiety, depression and social withdrawal. According to the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, 20 per cent of falls that require hospitalization are the result of slipping on ice and snow. In Winnipeg, a typical winter month can see more than 300 people, more than 10 per day, visit urgent care or an emergency room to treat injuries from a fall caused by snow and ice. Understanding these impacts has many people in Winnipeg lobbying to improve our city’s sidewalk snow-clearing policies. This includes Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface), who has introduced a motion to be debated today at city hall, to establish a pilot project studying the challenges of clearing sidewalks to the bare pavement throughout the winter. The City of Winnipeg’s policy on snow clearing and ice control dictates sidewalks outside of downtown be maintained to a compacted snow surface, meaning a layer of snow several centimetres deep is left on sidewalks all winter. This layer creates significant challenges for pedestrians and can be an impassable barrier for people using wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. There is a common misconception the condition of city sidewalks is inevitable because it’s caused by water from adjacent melting snowbanks. Most regular sidewalk users, however, understand this “compacted snow surface” is what creates the most significant safety issues, and it’s a problem not only in the spring but throughout the winter. As long as the surface remains frozen and compacted, it’s fine; but on warmer days throughout the winter, it becomes soft and, as people walk over it, the surface breaks up, becoming pitted and uneven with slush and water filling the crevices that form in the layer of snow. When the temperature drops again, it freezes in place, creating a slippery and unstable surface that can remain until it’s re-compacted during the next significant snowfall. This cycle is compounded in the spring months, as temperatures fluctuate daily. Allard’s motion to address this issue by keeping sidewalks snow-free has been presented many times in the past and is always met with opposition claims it’s not possible to clear to pavement because it’s too costly and sidewalk conditions are too poor to allow it. Other cities, however, have successfully used pilot projects to experiment, innovate and establish a greater understanding of the issues and costs involved. In Ottawa and Montreal, ice-breaker machines that resemble small steamrollers with spike-studded drums were tested for two years, before large numbers were purchased and are now in successful use. Machinery such as rotating brushes being used in other cities could also be tested to see if they can alleviate the sidewalk condition obstacle. In Edmonton, a pilot study investigated the use of a calcium chloride solution instead of salt, finding it was highly effective at removing ice even at low temperatures, reducing falls and accidents, and actually saved money by reducing the need to plow. The cost of sidewalk clearing represents only 10 per cent of the overall Winnipeg snow-clearing budget, so understanding the scale of any increases might allow us to devise a strategy that is manageable. If sidewalk condition is a limiting factor, accelerating sidewalk renewal would be an important solution. Extrapolating public works’ estimates, the cost of replacing all 3,400 kilometres of sidewalk in Winnipeg would be about $500 million, a similar price tag to the Chief Peguis Trail extension the mayor made as a campaign promise. Of course, there is no need to replace every sidewalk, but the comparison demonstrates the things we can and can’t afford are defined more by priority than economics. Even if we decide complete sidewalk snow-clearing isn’t feasible citywide, we might make targeted changes. In many mature neighbourhoods, sidewalks are vital arteries of mobility, essential to life in the community. They connect people to things such as work, school, shopping and public transit. As an example, in the Osborne area, more than 11,000 trips per day are taken on foot, with 22 per cent of the neighbourhood walking or biking to work. Another 23 per cent walk to the bus. In Wolseley, 27 per cent commute on foot or bike, and 20 per cent by bus. In St. Boniface, 19 per cent walk to work, and 8,500 pedestrian trips are made every day. In most newer communities, less than one per cent of the population walks or bikes to work, and even in older areas such as North Kildonan, only four per cent do. A study that allows us to create data-driven policy that at least ensures sidewalks are safe in areas where they are most used and are most important to quality of life, would have valuable societal impacts. The fact Winnipeg is a winter city shouldn’t mean its residents accept a lower quality of life. We should be driven to become the most livable winter city in the world. Central to this goal is ensuring sidewalks are safe and accessible to all people of all ages and abilities in all seasons. Innovative cities set ambitious goals and through testing, research, and experimentation, work to achieve them. They look for solutions, not excuses. *Brent Bellamy is senior design architect for Number Ten Architectural Group*

1 0

WFP Editorial: Speed reduction first step toward safer streets (Apr10'23)
by Beth McKechnie 10 Apr '23

10 Apr '23

Speed reduction first step toward safer streets https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/04/10/speed-reduc… WINNIPEG’S residential speed-reduction pilot program is crawling along and the early results appear to be getting the green light from community members. “It’s nice,” Shannon Shields told the Free Press recently of the speed reduction in Bourkevale. “It just gives it a little bit of a different vibe that other neighbourhoods don’t have.” Bourkevale, a St. James subdivision along the banks of the Assiniboine River, is one of four neighbourhoods in which speed limits have been temporarily reduced to see whether drivers adjust accordingly and how those changes impact local livability. Speed limits have been lowered from 50 km/h to 30 km/h in Bourkevale and Tyndall Park; and to 40 km/h in Worthington and Richmond West. Signage was erected in March and will remain in place for one year. This pilot project has widespread potential to rewrite how our streets are designed and how drivers interact with people and infrastructure around them — for the better. It’s no secret that Winnipeg is a car city. Urban sprawl and lacklustre public transportation make it nearly impossible to navigate life without a vehicle. This hierarchy puts human beings at the bottom and creates an adversarial relationship on the road. Perhaps it should be a little more difficult for drivers to get around, especially in residential neighbourhoods where vehicles and pedestrians often mingle more closely. Research shows the likelihood of death or serious injury for a pedestrian struck by a vehicle is greatly reduced when speed limits are lower. Winnipeg is grappling with a major uptick in traffic fatalities. Last year, 28 people died in vehicle collisions, including 12 pedestrians, compared with nine fatalities in both of the previous two years. This is a horrific and unacceptable trend. Vision Zero is a road safety movement, popularized by the Swedish government, that aims to eliminate all traffic-related deaths and injuries. The campaign has been gaining traction in North America and is a stated goal of the Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan released in 2022. While the document cites research, infrastructure and policy as ways to move “towards zero,” it also points to the need for a culture shift. Could a culture shift be achieved through speed reduction and physical roadblocks? The aforementioned “vibe” described by Ms. Shields can be summed up as a sense of mutual respect between drivers and other road users. The simple act of travelling at a lower rate of speed signals care for those who aren’t protected by thousands of pounds of steel. Care and respect make for closer communities and safer streets. Transcona Coun. Russ Wyatt recently raised a motion to include traffic-calming measures in street-renewal projects. If approved, road repairs could involve the addition of speed bumps, curb extensions and road narrowing. These design elements would make it harder to speed and force drivers to pay closer attention while behind the wheel — beneficial outcomes for everyone involved. At the same time, if we are to make driving more difficult, we need to make alternative modes of transportation more accessible. Sweden is now “moving beyond vision zero,” an initiative that seeks to eliminate road fatalities while also creating a strong multi-modal system that prioritizes public transit, cycling networks and walking paths. While roundabouts and 30 km/h speed limits won’t make sense for every neighbourhood, it’s imperative that the city explore every opportunity to improve road safety. Everyone has the right to get where they’re going safely. It’s encouraging to see citizens and politicians moving (carefully) towards the same goal

1 0

Fwd: [BW_Advocacy] Halifax's bike mayor reflects on end of 3-year term
by Dave Elmore 07 Apr '23

07 Apr '23

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-bike-mayor-reflects-on-e…

1 0

WFP: Councillor seeks speed-reduction in street-fix plans (Apr5'23)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Apr '23

05 Apr '23

*Councillor seeks speed-reduction in street-fix plans* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/04/03/transcona-council… WHEN Winnipeg residential streets are torn up for repairs in the future, some civic leaders hope they may also be redesigned to slow down drivers. A new motion calls for city staff to study how traffic-calming measures could be added during the local street-renewal process. “You don’t need to (slow traffic) through (speed) enforcement, which is next to impossible, because you can’t put a police car on every street. You can do it from design… make the streets tighter in some places and it allows folks to naturally slow down,” said Coun. Russ Wyatt, who raised the motion. Wyatt (Transcona) said he supports efforts to slow down drivers on local streets to reduce the risk to pedestrians. However, he believes changing the way streets get built would be more effective than simply lowering speed limits. Last month, council voted to reduce speed limits to 30 km/h from 50 km/h on 14 Winnipeg streets, an effort supporters say will make them more “livable” and welcoming to pedestrians and cyclists. Those speed limits will be gradually implemented over the next two years. Reduced speeds are also being tested in a one-year pilot project in four neighbourhoods, which began in March. Wyatt said he understands the impetus behind those changes. But he expects designing roads differently would be more effective. He said he would call for public consultation on any changes. Coun. Janice Lukes, council’s public works chairwoman, said she also believes traffic-calming measures would have a lasting impact on drivers. “Yes, we can drop speed limits, sure, that helps. But what really changes driver behaviour is the built environment,” said Lukes (Waverley West). “And when you can change the built environment, that is where you succeed with really effective traffic calming.” Lukes said the potential changes could involve narrowing some roads, adding speed tables (sections of raised road) and/or installing curb extensions that create more space for pedestrians. “This would be having the department — instead of just ripping up and replacing (roads) — actually think about a different design,” she said, adding plans for new developments, such as Bison Run in Waverley West, include some traffic-calming measures but implementing them during road repair would slow traffic on existing streets. Lukes said the public has mixed views on the matter, noting she receives complaints when traffic-calming measures are installed but also receives demands for the features to be added. Wyatt’s motion will be considered at next Tuesday’s public works committee meeting. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

France’s Plan For Universal Cycle Training Is A Win For Equity. Here’s How It Works.
by Beth McKechnie 03 Apr '23

03 Apr '23

France has implemented a nationwide effort to get young students comfortable on bikes. In priority school districts, this program could help lead to long-term equality. Full story: https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/frances-plan-for-universal-cycle-trainin…

1 0

WFP: Design unveiled for Osborne Village bike route (Mar31'23)
by Beth McKechnie 31 Mar '23

31 Mar '23

*Design unveiled for Osborne Village bike route* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/03/30/design-for-osborn… THE City of Winnipeg has unveiled the final design for a key cycling route. In June, the city will begin building protected bike lanes on River and Stradbrook avenues (from Harkness Avenue to Wellington Crescent), and Wellington Crescent (between River and Stradbrook), as part of a larger road renewal project. A cycling advocate says the link will add a key connection to the city’s bike route network and help many people commute. “We’re really happy to see this moving through. We think it’s a big part of the city network moving forward and it’s something that we feel is going to get used right from the start,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. Cohoe noted the route could help cyclists from parts of St. Vital and Fort Garry head downtown and will serve riders in densely populated Osborne Village. The city’s website says the project will make travel for cyclists safer and more convenient by using a raised curb to separate bikes from vehicles. “It’s definitely a safety improvement. Right now, if you look at both Stradbrook and River, it’s mixed traffic. So, if you’re riding your bike on those roadways, you’re mixing in with vehicles and parked cars. You’re more likely to get into a collision in that kind of situation,” said Cohoe. “Mixed traffic with parking on roads like River and Stradbrook with the heavier volumes of traffic is the thing that people find the least friendly to ride on. It’s the thing they fear most.” The plan includes “two-stage” leftturn areas where space outside of bike and traffic lanes allows cyclists room to stop outside of the flow of traffic and wait for a safe moment to turn. The new safety features are meant to help ensure riders of all ages and abilities can travel safely, said Chris Baker, the city’s active transportation co-ordinator. “This protected bike lane will separate those on bikes from those in a car by a concrete curb. This really increases the comfort of cycling there. What that does is attract riders who might not be comfortable riding in a different condition, riding on a painted bike lane or riding in mixed traffic,” said Baker. This particular route is a priority in Winnipeg’s pedestrian and cycling strategy and should help the city meet a few different goals, he said. “Creating a safe and comfortable and high-quality cycling network is critical to encourage more people to use… this mode of transportation. Getting more people on their bikes can reduce traffic congestion (and) it helps the city meet its climate change goals,” he said. The city does not yet know the cost of the project since it’s part of larger road renewal contracts that are still open for companies to bid on. Nearly all of the bike route will be protected from traffic, except for a short, narrower segment of River Avenue west of Harkness Avenue, Baker said. At that spot, the city proposes to eventually reduce the vehicle speed limit to 30 km/h and possibly add traffic- calming devices. The routes will also be made safer for pedestrians, Baker said. “This (project) has some major pedestrian improvements… (including) five new crosswalks that will be upgraded to (a) flashing beacon (to be more visible),” he said. A survey on the final design has been posted on the city’s website (engage. winnipeg.ca). Construction on the protected bike lanes is expected to wrap up in October. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

WFP Community News: Fort Rouge Yards proposal approved (Mar29'23)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Mar '23

30 Mar '23

*Fort Rouge Yards proposal approved * https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/west/2023/03/29/fort-roug… The City Centre community committee considered several development and re-zoning proposals at its March 17 meeting. First up, the committee voted to approve Sunstone’s plans for construction of a new multi-unit building at 15 Walker Court, in the Fort Rouge Yards development, just west of Argue Street. The approved design is for a four-storey residential multi-family building containing 100 residential units, with 116 parking stalls (69 underground, 47 surface, 12 guest) and *92 bicycle parking stalls. It will also be serviced with pedestrian connections to the nearby active transportation pathway and rapid-transit station.* The committee then concurred with a public service recommendation to reject an application by J. Wintrup Consulting for subdivision and rezoning of 963 Centennial St. to allow for construction of a multi-family dwelling. Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry) cited concerns about the number of proposed units in the back lane, the objections of neighbours and the possible removal of several trees that currently sit on the property in moving to reject the application. The committee also heard an application for subdivision and rezoning from Cambridge Health for lots at 90 Wellington Cres., and 586 and 588 River Ave, three adjoining properties situated at the southeast corner of the junction of Wellington Crescent and River Avenue. If approved, the rezoning and subdivision would allow for the construction of two four-storey buildings with a combined 51 supportive-housing units. Cambridge Health wrote in a supporting document that the buildings will provide non-medical, community home care support for adults aged 50 to 65 “who display complex behaviours, such as people who have complex mental health conditions.” Most of the units would be considered affordable housing and 20 of them will be accessible units. The committee adjourned its hearing on the application to its next meeting, on April 25.

1 0

A feature interview with the teacher who started Portland’s bike bus
by Beth McKechnie 30 Mar '23

30 Mar '23

Sam Balto is having a moment. What, you don’t know Sam? Well, this Portland, Oregon-based physical education teacher has become something of an internet sensation thanks to a bike bus he established at his school Alameda Elementary. The bike bus is a major local happening every single Wednesday when more than 100 students join the two-wheeled parade on the way to class. And it could be inspiring others in the United States and beyond to do the same thing. So, we tracked Sam down to ask him just what happened and what others can do to start a bike bus in their neighbourhoods. Full story: https://momentummag.com/a-feature-interview-with-the-teacher-who-started-po…

1 0

WFP: Early days of pilot program’s reduced speeds finding support from residents in affected neighbourhoods (Mar30'23)
by Beth McKechnie 30 Mar '23

30 Mar '23

*Early days of pilot program’s reduced speeds finding support from residents in affected neighbourhoodsSlowing winning fast approval* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/03/30/slowing-winning-f… A PILOT project to slow traffic in four neighbourhoods is being met with generally positive reviews from residents in its early stages. New signs installed during the first two weeks of March reduced the speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 in the Bourkevale and Tyndall Park South neighbourhoods and to 40 km/h from 50 in Richmond West and Worthington. Shannon Shields, whose son attends school in Bourkevale, said the reduced speed appears to be a good fit for the neighbourhood. “It’s a very, very busy walking area…. It’s nice to see the official signs go up and it kind of just matches what the community wanted,” said Shields, noting some residents previously posted their own signs that urged drivers to slow down. “It’s nice. It just gives it a little bit of a different vibe that other neighbourhoods don’t have.” Mike McMullen said he hopes the Bourkevale change becomes permanent. “I think it’s a good idea, especially with a school nearby and all the kids,” said McMullen. Josh Dyck said he also supports the change in Bourkevale but feels a 30 km/h limit would prove too slow and disruptive for larger residential thoroughfares. “I would be fine if (on busier residential routes drivers) slowed down to 50. As long as they’re paying attention and being responsible, I think that’s reasonable,” said Dyck. “I understand people’s concerns about slowing down to 30 in certain neighbourhoods.” Another driver, who did not want her name published, said the focus should not solely be on drivers to improve safety. She said more effort is also needed to teach pedestrians to travel cautiously, such as by looking both ways before crossing a street. The pilot project is expected to have widespread implications. “The reduced-speed neighbourhood pilot is the first step in determining the future of speed limits in Winnipeg’s residential areas,” city spokesman Ken Allen said in an emailed statement. Allen said the test will help determine how reduced maximum speeds affect neighbourhood livability and driver behaviour. “The pilot will help us determine if changing the posted speed limit changes how fast vehicles actually travel,” he said. In Bourkevale’s case, many community members urged the city to reduce the speed before the pilot began. Daevid Ramey, who helped launch the group Bourkevale 30 to advocate for the change, said desire to slow vehicles grew during the pandemic. He said the vast majority of his neighbours felt the standard 50 km/h residential speed limit didn’t mesh well with increased pedestrian and cycling traffic. Ramey said the new lower speed limit is a better fit. “It’s 30 km/h all the time. That makes our neighbourhood safer, it makes it quieter and it’s clear for drivers,” said Ramey. Many supporters of reduced speed limits believe they make streets safer. Studies show that a pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling 50 km/h is much more likely to be killed or seriously injured than if the vehicle were travelling 30 km/h. While noting serious collisions typically occur on busier traffic routes, Coun. Janice Lukes said she supports reduced residential speeds for a separate reason. “It really will improve neighbourhood livability, (creating) calmer traffic, less noise, a more peaceful neighbourhood,” said Lukes (Waverley West), council’s public works chairwoman. She said the changes will also offer a potential method to address an “outcry” for traffic-calming measures on many neighbourhood streets. Lukes, whose ward includes Richmond West, said she received initial pushback on the reduced-speed pilot project in the form of a few dozen emailed complaints, which mostly alleged the program amounts to a tax grab or wastes city money. However, she said she also received plenty of positive feedback over the last few weeks. Coun. Shawn Dobson, whose St. James ward includes Bourkevale, said the 30 km/h speed limit makes sense for that area but he doesn’t believe the city should impose it on all residential routes. “In an isolated area like this, it would probably work but (in some other) residential areas I don’t think it would…. It would be just too slow for (thoroughfares),” said Dobson. The reduced-speed neighbourhood pilot project is scheduled to last one year. Once it concludes, a city report will recommend next steps. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

WFP: Freeze-thaw cycle reignites public efforts to clear bike lanes (Mar28'23)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '23

28 Mar '23

*Freeze-thaw cycle reignites public efforts to clear bike lanes* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/03/27/freeze-thaw-cycle-reigni… DOWN a stretch of Assiniboine Avenue, a bike lane switches from being underwater to a sheet of ice and back again, depending on the time of day. It’s a brief but dangerous time of year to be using active transportation in Winnipeg, caused by the freeze-thaw cycle of warmer temperatures zig-zagging with cold ones. It’s the city’s responsibility to ensure bike lanes and sidewalks are usable, but Hillary Rosentreter knows how it feels to take matters into her own hands. The Winnipeg resident was the organizer of several public snow- and ice-clearing efforts — initially under threats of fines — earlier this winter. When she fell while cycling a few days ago, and later saw a pair of older women struggling to support each other while navigating an icy walkway, she knew it was time again to pick the shovel up. “For me, although I’m young and able-bodied, I know that at some point, I’m going to be there, my mom is going to be there, all the people I love are going to be there, in a position where the city’s just not treating us to the kind of standard that we all deserve,” she told the Free Press on Monday. “And for a lot of people, that’s already the case.” Rosentreter took to social media looking for allies to help clear a bike lane along Assiniboine Avenue, which she said experiences a lot of use but had gotten dangerous to traverse. By Sunday afternoon, she and six other people were working, shovels and ice-breaking tools in hand, to clear the pathway to the pavement. The group even drew in the efforts of a passerby. “Losing that really crucial corridor, that just makes it that much more difficult at this time of year to actually avoid using your vehicle to get around, which shouldn’t be the case,” Rosentreter said. It feels a bit like déjà vu. Just months ago, Rosentreter was warned by the city of a potential financial penalty for clearing bike lanes. (After being publicly questioned, officials quickly said it would not happen.) It’s not a fear she has this time around, and Rosentreter is actively trying to ensure streets maintenance workers know where and when organized ice-clearing efforts are being made. “I think it’s kind of important to keep the city in the loop when we do intend to go out and do this kind of thing. I have no intention of cutting the city out of the picture, in fact, I would love if they would take over, so that we didn’t have to do it,” she said. “But the problem is the policies are what they are, and it’s just not conducive to the freeze-thaw cycles that we experience.” Communications co-ordinator Ken Allen said the city is still not considering issuing fines to vigilante ice clearers, adding early spring is a typically treacherous time for pedestrians and cyclists. “Under such conditions, plowing the ice that refreezes onto sidewalks each night is problematic, given that the ice is firmly adhered to the pavement surface, and the fact that there are over 3,000 kilometres of sidewalks and pathways across the city,” he said in an email. “Plus, the next-day thawing temperatures causes more water to accumulate and again refreeze overnight, which causes icy conditions to reoccur on almost a daily basis.” However, that explanation isn’t good enough for some at city hall. Coun. Matt Allard (St. Boniface) has put forward a proposal for a pilot project testing the feasibility of clearing sidewalks all the way to the pavement (by clearing one in each of the city’s 15 wards) but said the idea has been consistently shot down. Currently, only downtown sidewalks are required to be plowed to pavement. Sidewalks along major routes, non-regional bus routes and collector streets are required to be cleared to a compacted snow surface, following about five centimetres of snow. Allard said considering the efforts of winter cities such as Edmonton, where service level requires many roadways be plowed to bare pavement within less than five days, Winnipeg should create a civic report to see if it would be able to do the same. “I struggle to understand why we wouldn’t ask for a report. It doesn’t mean that we’re doing it, it means the public service would write a report saying, ‘If we were to do it, this is what it would look like.’ There’s zero expense,” he said. At a council meeting March 23, Mayor Scott Gillingham said he was firm on his stance on the idea, but looked forward to debate on the motion. “I think that the councillor has brought the motion that’s about to be introduced, to refer it to public works, he’s brought it several times,” Gillingham said last week. “My position has been clear on that: I don’t think clearing snow on sidewalks to pavement is realistic across the entirety of the city… We have a very strong snow-clearing policy, as it is already.” Allard, however, plans to persist: the motion will be discussed at the standing policy committee on public works April 11. “I want to look at the snow-clearing bylaw to find out if it’s providing the right level of service, and from what I’m hearing from the community of those who use sidewalks is that it’s not to the right level of service,” he said. malak.abas(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

WFP: City council approves more 30-km/h speed limits (Mar25'23)
by Beth McKechnie 27 Mar '23

27 Mar '23

City council approves more 30-km/h speed limits https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/03/24/city-council-appr… DRIVERS must prepare to slow down, permanently, on 14 Winnipeg streets. On Thursday, city council cast the final vote to reduce the speed limit on four “neighbourhood greenways” to 30 km/h (from 50 km/h), along with 10 of the 2022 enhanced summer bike routes. The new speed limits will apply at all hours, once they are gradually implemented over the next two years. All 14 routes will be permanently declared neighbourhood greenways: on-street routes that typically use reduced speeds and traffic-calming measures to “comfortably and safely move cyclists, pedestrians and motor vehicles.” Supporters say this improves safety for active transportation options at a much lower cost than constructing separated bike lanes. Winnipeggers appear to have mixed views on the change. City consultations about a pilot project that tested the reduced speed on the four initial neighbourhood greenways found 59 per cent of residents who lived on an affected street supported making the speed reduction permanent. That number dropped to 48 per cent among nearby residents, while 70 per cent of other road users opposed a permanent speed reduction.

1 0

WFP: Allard opposes both budgets, pans major road projects (Mar23'23)
by Beth McKechnie 23 Mar '23

23 Mar '23

*Capital, operating budgets get thumbs-up* *Allard opposes both, pans major road projects* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/03/22/majority-of-counc… A DECISIVE majority of council members cast a final vote to approve the City of Winnipeg’s 2023 budget Wednesday, amid concerns about climate change and calls for more community safety hosts at the Millennium Library. The city’s capital and operating budgets passed in separate 14-2 votes. Mayor Scott Gillingham said the financial plan funds both social services and economic initiatives. “I think that this 2023 budget offers a balanced approach,” said Gillingham, making note of funds for 24-7 safe spaces, the downtown public washroom and key roads. Coun. Matt Allard, the only councillor to oppose both the capital and operating budgets, argued paying for preliminary work on widening Kenaston Boulevard and extending Chief Peguis Trail doesn’t make sense in the midst of a climate-change crisis. Past estimates indicate those projects would each cost more than $500 million. “We have roads we can’t fix and this budget says we should spend $2.8 million in imagining a billion-dollar road project. It is so much money relative to all of the other things… we could do with that kind of money, the transit we could invest in. We could build (out) the entire active transportation (strategy),” said Allard (St. Boniface). Allard raised an unsuccessful motion to amend the budget, which called upon council to increase the St. Boniface Street Links grant to $220,000 from about $119,000, spend $240,900 on a city-wide community garden strategy and hire a consultant on reducing Winnipeg Transit fares to $1. It also called for the city to devote $600,000, and seek another $600,000 of external funds, to replace the Winakwa Community Centre wading pool with a spray pad. Allard told media the Street Links funding would have been enough to persuade him to support the 2023 budget, since he deems it essential to helping folks cope with homelessness and addictions, though he will continue advocating for priorities to address climate change. Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) joined Allard to oppose the operating budget over concerns it didn’t offer enough investment in recreation and other city services, while Coun. Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-East Kildonan) cast the second vote against the capital budget over concerns it fails to properly account for construction inflation. The vote followed one last collective plea from social service organizations to add four more full-time community safety host positions at the Millennium Library, based on previous success. “Our community safety hosts have de-escalated 209 out of 260… events that they’ve been involved with at the Millennium Library. That’s 80 per cent of the interactions that they’ve had where police did not need to be called,” said Michael Redhead Champagne, a board member with Fearless R2W, which trains the specialized security staff to provide trauma-related crisis work and connect vulnerable folks with resources. Champagne said the community safety hosts have secured shelter for eight people and given naloxone (to reverse opioid drug overdoses) to nine people. Champagne believes the hosts could replace security staff at other civic buildings, as well. “There are many other municipal spaces, such as community centres and (the council building) where community safety hosts would be more appropriate than traditional security,” he told reporters. He said two community safety hosts currently work at Millennium Library, though both of their terms will end in the next few months. Council didn’t alter the budget to grant the request on Wednesday. However, community services chairman Coun. John Orlikow said he also wants to see more of the specially trained hosts replace standard security staff at the downtown library in the near future, potentially even before the city approves a long-term safety strategy for the facility. “It’s a good program. It has people that really can connect with people… so I do really think the program has lots of merit,” said Orlikow (River Heights-Fort Garry). Gillingham said he’s “certainly open” to the idea of adding more community safety hosts but expects that would be considered after a report is released on long-term safety options at the library. “The conversation is, by no means, over with this budget. It’s just the timing of this budget is such that we still don’t have that report back,” he said. There is no set date for the report’s release. Efforts to improve safety at Millennium Library were thrust into the spotlight after 28-year-old Tyree Cayer was stabbed to death on the main floor on Dec. 11, leading the library to close. It reopened most services on Jan. 23, with metal detectors and police on site. Meanwhile, the budget received praise from members of the business community Wednesday, partly due to its funding to extend city water and sewer service to help develop CentrePort South, as well as the plans to expand Chief Peguis and Kenaston. “These decisions tell our trade partners continentally and globally that Winnipeg is a trade hub and we are open for business,” said Chris Lorenc, president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association. The 2023 budget also includes a 3.5 per cent property tax hike and a $1.50 per-foot frontage fee increase, which will cost the average single-family homeowner $142 more. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

Report: US Pedestrian Death Rate Increased 9x Faster Than Population During COVID
by Beth McKechnie 22 Mar '23

22 Mar '23

*Sadly applies to Winnipeg too...* Pedestrian deaths are continuing to skyrocket even as the pandemic wanes — and since 2019, the death rate for walkers has eclipsed the rate of population growth by a factor of at least nine, analysts say. https://usa.streetsblog.org/2023/02/28/report-us-pedestrian-death-rate-incr…

1 0

Urban Mobility Summit: The future of transportation in Canada | Tuesday, March 28 @ 12:30pm ET
by Beth McKechnie 16 Mar '23

16 Mar '23

Thanks to Jackie Avent for the share! FREE Webcast | Strategies to create safer, more inclusive and sustainable transportation | Speakers include: BC Hydro Manager of Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning Alec Tsang, Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium President and CEO Josipa Petrunić and more Trouble viewing this email? Read it online <http://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/e7a4-2na9de--12uhyv-8s04yjh4> [image: The Globe and Mail Presents Globe Drive Urban Mobility Summit: The future of transportation in Canada | FREE VIRTUAL EVENT | Tuesday, March 28, 2023 12:30 P.M. - 2:30 P.M. ET [ REGISTER NOW ] | Presenting Sponsor: Toyota] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz30-8s04yjh5/> How should urban mobility evolve in view of climate change, health and safety, and changing societal norms? What solutions will support the movement of people and goods in cities? Join The Globe and Mail, alongside industry leaders, as they explore strategies for leveraging new opportunities to create safer, more inclusive and sustainable transportation. LEARN MORE > <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz31-8s04yjh6/> *FEATURED SPEAKERS INCLUDE:* [image: CHARLES BOULANGER] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz32-8s04yjh7/> *CHARLES BOULANGER <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz33-8s04yjh8/>* CEO, LeddarTech [image: BRENT HARTMAN] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz34-8s04yjh9/> *BRENT HARTMAN* <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz35-8s04yjh0/> Director, Standards, Fuels and Transportation, CSA Group [image: JOSIPA PETRUNIĆ] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz36-8s04yjh1/> *JOSIPA PETRUNIĆ <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz37-8s04yjh2/>* President and CEO, Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium [image: JAY PITTER] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz38-8s04yjh3/> *JAY PITTER* <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz39-8s04yjh4/> Award-Winning Placemaker, Author and Urban Planning Lecturer, Planner-In-Residence, University of Waterloo [image: JAMIE STUCKLESS] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3a-8s04yjh4/> *JAMIE STUCKLESS* <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3b-8s04yjh5/> Owner and Principal Consultant, Stuckless Consulting Inc. [image: ALEC TSANG] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3c-8s04yjh6/> *ALEC TSANG <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3d-8s04yjh7/>* Manager, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning, BC Hydro *MODERATED BY:* [image: PETRINA GENTILE] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3e-8s04yjh8/> *PETRINA GENTILE <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3f-8s04yjh9/>* Contributing Writer, Globe Drive, The Globe and Mail *Space is limited—Reserve your spot today! * *REGISTER NOW* <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3g-8s04yjh0/> [image: Powered by The Globe and Mail Events] <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3h-8s04yjh1/> Unsubscribe <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3i-8s04yjh2/pmreg33oorqwg5boivug…> | Privacy Policy <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3j-8s04yjh3/> | Terms & Conditions <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3k-8s04yjh4/> | Contact Us <https://trk.cp20.com/click/e7a4-2na9de-b4hz3l-8s04yjh5/> © 2023 The Globe and Mail Inc. 351 King Street East, Suite 1600, Toronto, ON M5A 0N1 Phillip Crawley, Publisher

1 0

CTV: ‘It’s obviously very high’: Winnipeg traffic levels remain steady during pandemic (Mar12'23)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Mar '23

13 Mar '23

*Winnipeg traffic levels remain steady during pandemic* https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/it-s-obviously-very-high-winnipeg-traffic-level… City traffic counters show that while vehicle levels on Winnipeg streets saw a brief drop at the beginning of the pandemic, they bounced back quickly. An expert in green commuting says this is indicative of a larger problem in our city. The City of Winnipeg monitors how many vehicles drive on our roads through a series of traffic counting stations <https://legacy.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/trafficControl/trafficData/trafficCo…> installed in high-traffic areas around the city since December 2019. The numbers show that while traffic levels did dip during the first few months of the pandemic, they quickly returned to current levels. Just before the beginning of the pandemic - in February 2020 - traffic counters show an average of 19,466 vehicles on Winnipeg streets. That number jumps in February 2021 to 21,495 traffic counts, and remained steady at 21,409 counts last month. Mel Marginet, part of the sustainable action team at the Green Action Centre (GAC), said she’s not surprised by those traffic numbers. “In the early phases obviously everything in the world shut down, so we experienced this massive change where we sort of noticed how much space we were giving to personal vehicles on our streets,” she said. Marginet said the drop in vehicle traffic didn’t last long because people in Winnipeg don’t have a lot of options when it comes to getting around town. “Because we had cut transit service, we hadn’t offered practical solutions for people to get from A to B … we just very quickly saw this ballooning of our traffic volumes.” She said Winnipeg’s traffic levels remained high even at a time when many businesses were still closed. Marginet said Winnipeggers feel that they have no other choice as far as personal transportation goes. “That’s what we hear over and over again,” she said. “Whether we do a transportation survey with an organization in the suburbs or in the city … a question we always ask is how people are currently travelling, and it’s obviously very high for personal vehicles.” She said more than 80 per cent of trips within Winnipeg are made by personal vehicles, a very high number compared to other cities. However, Marginet said that driving is not everyone’s favourite way of getting around. “You ask that follow up question of ‘what’s your preferred way to get around?’ and we see travelling by personal vehicle just falls sharply. People would rather bike, take the bus, carpool, those sorts of things.” She said the current state of Winnipeg Transit is part of the problem. “Open comments like ‘I’d love to take the bus, but it’s going to take me three times as long, I have to transfer two times, I tried taking the bus but then I just got passed up all the time, or I was squished in there like a sardine,’” said Marginet. “It’s such a shame because we just have this really low hanging fruit of people that really don’t want to make all of their trips all the time in a personal vehicle, but they have no choice,” she added. Rising fuel costs and inflation has led to more interest in the GAC’s Go Manitoba program, which helps people find carpool partners, bus and bike routes, and other green commuting options. “As soon as those gas prices were rising, we really started to see an increase of people coming to Go Manitoba,” said Marginet. She said it is going to take a lot to change people’s transportation habits, starting with better city planning in general. “It really is going to take a push I think for the public to start to demand better,” Marginet said. She added that the City of Winnipeg already has some plans that have yet to be executed. “We have amazing transportation plans in this city and strategies, and things that have been developed with so much community consultation. “Public officials need to start following the evidence.”

1 0

NCCEH Webinar - Rapid implementation of bikeways for healthy, safe, equitable and more sustainable communities
by Beth McKechnie 08 Mar '23

08 Mar '23

Thanks to Kristine Hayward for the share. Looks interesting! *From:* National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health < contact(a)ncceh.ca> *Sent:* Wednesday, March 8, 2023 7:24 AM March 23, 2023 @ 12 - 1pm Pacific Time Click here to view this newsletter in your browser <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=Edt2UQjur4mog_YPc7G63MmJm_j70…> [image: National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health |] <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=wCy03Om9bbLmBsfeLoBizazqH9Wv-…> Healthy Built Environment Webinar [image: Webinar: Canada’s New Impact Assessment Act: Opportunities for Intersectoral Action in Public Health] <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=9MbpUN0UAgXHtSX7pJ51A60iZkO2g…> *Rapid implementation of bikeways for healthy, safe, equitable and more sustainable communities <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=puNkOglgKXODtyTi2x7xXaOR38-E9…>* *March 23, 2023 @ 12 - 1pm Pacific Time (PT)* * Cost: FREE* *Matt Craig* Director, System Planning, TransLink *Brian Patterson* Senior Transportation Planner, Urban Systems Register <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=puNkOglgKXODtyTi2x7xXaOR38-E9…> Over the past several years, cities across Canada and throughout the world have increasingly shifted their approach to delivering bikeways by following a rapid implementation or quick build approach. This approach enables the delivery of safe and comfortable cycling facilities—as well as comprehensive cycling networks—all at once and at a lower cost compared to traditional methods. The flexibility embedded in this process also enables fast and responsive design adjustments, ensuring that as facilities are made permanent over time, they meet the needs of a broad range of users and contribute to the creation of vibrant, prosperous, and resilient communities. Rapid implementation facilitates an urgent response to a range of critical issues facing our communities, including public health, the climate emergency, social inequity, road safety, congestion, and increasingly constrained municipal budgets. For this reason, this approach became a key strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic, with cities around the world re-allocating road space to meet physical distancing requirements and accommodate changing mobility patterns. The COVID-19 pandemic has created generational changes in how people move around urban areas with a significant increase in active transportation in communities around the world. TransLink, with the support of Urban Systems, recently developed the Rapid Implementation Design Guide for Bikeways in Metro Vancouver <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=CDx6aarbFaGNq9_VrfUIFZU-dRS4y…>. This session will provide an overview of the Guide and how rapid implementation of cycling facilities can help create more healthy, equitable, and sustainable communities. *Join our eNews List* *Join our e-Newsletter List <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=qIEOVNH7UEW3Kr1kOOF0hs5b_sp5W…>* and get monthly updates on the latest environmental health and COVID-19 resources delivered directly to your inbox. *Follow us! * Don't miss the latest news + resources [image: Facebook] <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=khUCqhKW64VLnDHG3L0EZoHlH4mMU…>[image: Twitter] <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=WRBDMGCRG2TAp3UIyyhgGtBIbVRCL…>[image: LinkedIn] <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=2Qkw9vXDGrjvKDDaKXVXrHYQHgv8l…>[image: YouTube] <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=B1h039mPZZkiJchJR4a6MVFvHx3W3…> *HAVE FEEDBACK? *Your feedback helps us to ensure our products and resources will continue to meet your needs. Please *share your thoughts with us <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=gmRc-nhfq1tlFpa-qVAKQTHKnKnkc…>* . ------------------------------ *>> Version française: *Si vous préférez recevoir nos bulletins en français, s'il vous plaît *cliquez ici <contact@ccnse.ca?subject=Je%20pr%C3%A9f%C3%A9rerais%20recevoir%20les%20bulletins%20en%20fran%C3%A7ais&body=Veuillez%20modifier%20mes%20pr%C3%A9f%C3%A9rences%20de%20langue.%20>* *.* ------------------------------ This email is compliant with Canadian Anti-Spam legislation. For more information please visit the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation page <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=YlPP-8aPbwrDpqhFLQ5TrYfyZX1OA…>.Production of the NCCEH eNews has been made possible through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada through the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health. NCCEH is one of six *National Collaborating Centres for Public Health <https://app.cyberimpact.com/click-tracking?ct=j-WKxQySASQHKpnYM9y_2mHc0TYEj…>* . National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health 655 W. 12th Avenue Vancouver, British Columbia | V5Z 4R4 | Canada 604-829-2551 | contact(a)ncceh.ca Anti‑spam policy <https://app.cyberimpact.com/anti-spam-policy?l=en_ca> | Report an abuse <https://app.cyberimpact.com/report-an-abuse?ct=ogCcyqD3H3bKgHXHzNHXENAP1N7R…> | Unsubscribe <https://app.cyberimpact.com/unsubscribe?ct=ogCcyqD3H3bKgHXHzNHXENAP1N7RRT3z…> [image: Try Cyberimpact for free] <https://www.cyberimpact.com/en/?utm_source=cifooter&utm_medium=email&utm_ca…>

1 0

Sustainability Night - March 8
by Beth McKechnie 27 Feb '23

27 Feb '23

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Christie Nairn <Christie.Nairn(a)umanitoba.ca> Date: Mon, Feb 27, 2023 at 12:00 PM *Please distribute widely.* Join us for *Sustainability Night 2023* at the University of Manitoba on March 8 to connect with other sustainability-minded members of the UM campus community. Enjoy an evening of sharing sustainability ideas, learn about ways to get involved, and take part in a panel discussion on gender equality and sustainability. Cap off the night by meeting and sharing ideas with other sustainability-conscious community members during the networking wine-and-cheese. The evening’s panel discussion will complement International Women’s Day on March 8, by examining the links between sustainability and the UN Sustainability Development Goal #5 — gender equality and empowering all women and girls. 6 PM – Doors open 6:30 – 7:30 PM – Speed networking 7:30 – 8:30 PM – Panel discussion Moderator: *Adele Perry*, Director, Centre for Human Rights Research Panelists: - *Tracey Peter*, Vice-Provost (Academic Affairs) - *Larissa Kanhai*, Research Lead ‘Bridging the Gender Gap’ - *Mekenna Coldwell*, undergraduate student, UM Engineering Society group and executive member for the Women of Manitoba Engineering Network (WOMEN) - *Vanessa Lillie*, Director, Cultural Integration (Indigenous) 8:30 PM – UM Sustainability Award winners announced 8:45 PM– Networking wine and cheese *Tickets are $5 each. **Purchase your ticket now!* <https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/um-sustainability-night-tickets-547764878497>

1 0

CTV: Winnipeggers share active transportation route snow clearing concerns (Feb25'23)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Feb '23

26 Feb '23

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/makes-cycling-really-difficult-winnipeggers-sha…

1 0

WFP Editorial: Winnipeg finally embracing ‘winter city’ tag (Feb20'23)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Feb '23

20 Feb '23

Winnipeg finally embracing ‘winter city’ tag https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/02/19/winnipeg-finally-… WINTER has always defined Winnipeg. Mountains of snow, icy roads, biting windchill and temperatures that plunge to dangerous lows. It’s a season that prompts residents to question their life choices and causes whole flocks of people to opt out entirely and head south for warmer climes. In recent years, however, Winnipeg has started to define winter in new terms. This year, the city has seen an unprecedented number of events encouraging citizens to get outside and embrace the cold. It’s a positive trend with promising and wide-ranging societal implications. While there have always been pockets of people who look forward to winter for its seasonal activities — skiing, skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, ice fishing — for many, the months between November and April were to be endured, not enjoyed. Attitudes seem to be shifting among the general population. The Forks can take some of the credit. The organization has offered winter programming for decades, but receiving a Guinness World Record designation for longest naturally frozen skating trail in 2008 sparked a newfound sense of seasonal pride. Today the Nestaweya River Trail attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every winter. The free and accessible skating, walking and skiing paths are used for pleasure and as active transportation routes. The temporary landmark has become a site for world-class dining and creative public art installations. Festival du Voyageur is another trailblazer. Since 1970, the francophone arts and culture festival has been offering Winnipeggers a reason to celebrate the season with snow sculptures, maple syrup taffy and music. This year’s event, which is currently underway, boasts new programming and more than 200 artists. Yet nothing has impacted attitudes more than the COVID-19 pandemic. With indoor spaces posing serious health risks, the population was forced to venture outside. Socializing en plein air became the norm year-round and ushered in a new era of cold-weather community-building. Residents in Wolseley banded together to create a community park on the Assiniboine River, ice rinks and snow castles cropped up in yards across the city and the municipal government promised better winter maintenance of pedestrian and cycling pathways. This year, even as public health orders have lifted, the urge to enjoy winter remains. An expanded licensing program has allowed restaurants and bars to keep their patios open year-round, if they so desire. Business improvement zones in Osborne Village and Downtown have hosted ice-sculpting competitions, public art showcases, outdoor concerts and frosty beer-athalons. The Manitoba Marathon saw hundreds of people take part in its inaugural Hot Chocolate Hustle on one of the coldest weekends of the year thus far. A Maze in Corn has added a fine-dining snow restaurant to its roster of winter activities. All these innovations are proof that if you build it — especially out of snow — they will come. Last week, Winnipeg played host to the Winter Cities Shake-up Conference, a gathering of experts designed to highlight how northern cities can make the most of winter and tap into economic opportunities through urban design, public policy and novel experiences — something local businesses and individuals are already capitalizing on. Edmonton has a dedicated strategy to make winter more enjoyable for residents through better snow management, city-wide outdoor events and accessible recreation. The City of Winnipeg would do well to pursue a similar vision to make this place livable and vibrant year-round. Winnipeg will always be a winter city. The way residents and officials approach this polarizing season could make that a selling point, rather than a disadvantage.

1 0

WFP Editorial: Bizarre backlash greets 15-minute-city proposal (Feb16'23)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Feb '23

17 Feb '23

*Bizarre backlash greets 15-minute-city proposal* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/02/15/bizarre-bac… IT has often been said that good ideas are hard to find. What isn’t difficult these days, however, is locating darker corners of the internet in which conspiracy-minded dispensers of misinformation are working overtime to turn any idea they seize upon — good, bad or indifferent — into the central premise of yet another soon-to-be-widely-spread theory that casts any progressive plan or proposed development as part of a sinister plot by government or “the deep state” to control people’s lives by stripping away freedoms and rights. Such has been the experience of late for some Edmonton city councillors and planners who have touted a shift in urban-development philosophy that favours walkable neighbourhoods offering residents convenient access to everyday goods and services. Under the banner of Edmonton as a “15-minute city,” the plan proposes to make the Alberta capital a city in which employment, entertainment, recreation and retail amenities would all be available within a quarter-hour’s walk or bike ride from anyone’s front door. It’s a common-sense idea, particularly at a time when many urban dwellers are looking for ways to live in a more sustainable and time-efficient manner. But it’s hardly a groundbreaking notion; the idea of creating walkable neighbourhoods and incorporating a “town square” ethos in city planning has been bandied about for at least a couple of decades. In its most recent comprehensive city plan, released in 2020, Edmonton (pop. 1.1 million) seeks to prepare itself for a population of two million, with 50 per cent of new housing being infill development and 50 per cent of residents’ trips being made by public transit or active transportation. In that pursuit, the 15-minute-city concept and the notion of “a community of communities” are core elements of the plan. The plan does not, however, include any reference to restrictions on how and where residents move about the city, as several online conspiracy theorists have attempted to suggest. One went as far as to distribute a colour-coded city map with the attached claim that residents would not be allowed to drive their vehicles into other zones. “You’re going to have to apply for a … permit to leave your zone,” claimed another misinformed commentator. As is typical with such online nonsense, the claim was untrue and the map did not even depict the city whose wildly imagined restrictions it was attempting to outline (the map was, instead, of Canterbury, England, which had released its own 15-minute-city plan several years earlier). Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi sought to downplay the online backlash, stating the majority of Edmontonians “are a very smart and sophisticated people who will not believe this conspiracy theory being promoted online.” But here’s the thing: there clearly exists a not-insignificant minority of Edmontonians — and Winnipeggers, and Canadians in general, and residents of every other constituency in which internet access is readily available — who are drawn into such cyber-spread silliness and, having unwittingly plunged down a wormhole of misinformation, become convinced that what they have found in the course of “doing their own research” is true. Sometimes, the outcome of the dissemination and embrace of online misinformation is as benign as a loopy claim about a city-planning concept. Other times, it’s as sinister as an armed insurrection that seeks to block the peaceful transfer of power after a democratic election in a major world power. These are not issues that can, or should, be blithely waved away. It would be a very good idea to recognize they are symptoms of a much larger, and growing, ill that must be confronted if civil societies hope to remain intact.

1 0

[Transp-tdm] Explore transportation research with Out of My Lane, a CUTR podcast
by Beth McKechnie 16 Feb '23

16 Feb '23

Hi everyone, thought some of you might also be interested in this podcast series. -cheers, Beth ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Philip Winters <winters(a)usf.edu> Date: Wed, Feb 15, 2023 at 7:31 AM Subject: [Transp-tdm] Explore transportation research with Out of My Lane, a CUTR podcast To: <TRANSP-TDM(a)listserv.usf.edu> In collaboration with the National Institute for Congestion Reduction (NICR) <http://www.nicr.usf.edu/> and the University of South Florida’s Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications <https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/departments/zimmerman-school/>, CUTR’s first podcast, *Out of My Lane <https://anchor.fm/center-for-urban-transportation-research>*, began production in late 2021. Hosted by award-winning journalist and USF professor Wayne Garcia, *Out of My Lane* explores the world of transportation. From research innovations to community outreach, join *Out of My Lane* to learn more about improvements to your daily commute. *Our latest podcast features CUTR’s Jodi Godfrey discussing Women in Transportation: Trends and Outlook with our host, Wayne Garcia. * See below for the links to all 11 podcasts, including several that should be of particular interest to the TDM community. *Available on* <https://open.spotify.com/show/0PHy9vrSwdzRDngHp2qct9> <https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy85ZGNiYzE0OC9wb2…> <https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHegvWhuNbegnYDcay_NtBwra5k7C30BQ> Season One – transcripts and show notes *AirDate* *Episode* *Guests* Monday, August 1, 2022 1. What are CUTR and NICR? <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/07/s1e1-what-are-cutr-and-nicr/> Xiaopeng “Shaw” Li, Ph.D., current NICR Director, Susan A. Bracken Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor; Fred L. Mannering, Ph.D., CUTR Executive Director, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Monday, August 15, 2022 2. Putting the "Smart" into the Tampa Bay Smart Cities Alliance <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/08/s1e2-smartcities/> Brandon Campbell (City of Tampa) and Sean Barbeau, Ph.D. Thursday, September 1, 2022 3. Will this app get me in the carpool lane? <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/08/s1e3-carpoollane/> Sara Hendricks Thursday, September 15, 2022 4. Forward to the future: connected vehicles <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/09/s1e4-connectedvehicles/> Xiaopeng “Shaw” Li, Ph.D., Susan A. Bracken Faculty Fellow, Associate Professor; Sisinnio Concas, Ph.D. Saturday, October 1, 2022 5. Bus 54, where are you? The OneBusAway app <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/10/s1e5-onebusaway/> Sean Barbeau, Ph.D. and Kari Watkins, Ph.D. Saturday, October 15, 2022 6. What we know about motorcycle risks and safety <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/10/s1e6-motorcyclesafety/> Fred L. Mannering, Ph.D., CUTR Executive Director, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chanyoung Lee, Ph.D. Tuesday, November 1, 2022 7. I share, you share, we all share: micromobility on roads and sidewalks <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/11/s1e7-micromobility/> Jason Jackman, MPA Tuesday, November 15, 2022 8: What makes a Best Workplace for Commuters? <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/11/s1e8-bestworkplacesforcommuters/> Julie Bond, MPA, and Tom Harrington of Intuit Thursday, December 1, 2022 9. How the news talks about crashes makes a difference <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/12/s1e9-mediacrashes/> Julie Bond and Erin Scheffels, Ph.D. Thursday, December 15, 2022 10. Tools for determining transportation equity, diversity and inclusion <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2022/12/s1e10-equityandinclusion/> Tia Boyd Thursday, January 19, 2023 11. Women in transportation: trends and outlook <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/2023/01/s1e11-womenintransportation/> Jodi Godfrey *PHILIP L. WINTERS *Director, TDM Program Center for Urban Transportation Research <https://www.cutr.usf.edu/> University of South Florida Tampa Campus 813.974.9811 winters(a)usf.edu [image: logo of Best Workplaces for Commuters] www.bestworkplaces.org Follow us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/CUTRUSF/> | Twitter <https://twitter.com/CUTRUSF> | LinkedIn <https://www.linkedin.com/company/27012080/> | Newsletter <https://usf.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=c3b2561719f02cfb61009c74f&id=5…> *Due to Florida’s broad open records law, email to or from university employees is public record, available to the public and the media upon request.*

1 0

Public discussion Feb 25th | Snow & Ice Removal on the AT Network
by Beth McKechnie 13 Feb '23

13 Feb '23

*Please share widely!* Apparently bike parking will be provided on the ground level under hall C. (Thanks to Kristine Hayward for the heads up.)

1 0

City of Winnipeg's Reduced-Speed Neighbourhood Pilot
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '23

01 Feb '23

The City of Winnipeg’s Reduced-Speed Neighbourhood Pilot website is now live: https://engage.winnipeg.ca/reduced-speed-neighbourhood-pilot The website contains: - Information on the pilot - Information on what we already know about speeds on residential streets in Winnipeg - Case studies from select Canadian jurisdictions that have reduced speed limits - Highlights from previous research on the impacts of reduced speed limits - A travel time estimator tool - A mechanism to sign up for project updates or ask the project team a question

1 0

WFP: Councillor pitches pilot project to scrape snowy sidewalks (Feb1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '23

01 Feb '23

Councillor pitches pilot project to scrape snowy sidewalks https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/01/31/councillor-seeks-… ONCE winter conditions set in, Tom Jones rarely leaves home, unless he’s headed to work. If sidewalk snow and slush threaten to trap his wheelchair in place, the Winnipeg resident prefers to avoid the risk of travel. “I stay home all weekend. I just won’t venture out because you just can’t take that chance of getting stuck. If I wanted to walk over to the store, half the time I can’t get there because the sidewalks aren’t cleared properly,” said Jones. Friends and family regularly help him run errands during the winter; however, if the city could clear sidewalks right down to the pavement, getting around independently would be much easier, Jones said. “(Then) I could still travel without having to worry. If it was complete concrete, I would have no problems. I could go out in -20 C weather because I could just dress for it.” Ideally, he would love to see the city raise its snow-clearing standards to that level for all walkways, all winter. Jones believes any added cost would be worth the benefit for all Winnipeg pedestrians to travel safely. “Even a healthy person (without mobility challenges), with the way sidewalks are, you even see them slip and slide. Everybody has fallen or slipped on this ice,” he said. Lori Ross, who also uses a wheelchair, said snow- and ice-covered sidewalks create a major impediment to getting around with any kind of mobility device. “The reality is that this is one of the barriers to people with disabilities functioning in the community,” said Ross, noting even crossing the sidewalk outside her condo to reach a Transit Plus stop can prove challenging on some days. A Winnipeg councillor hopes a new pilot project could mark the first step toward making the city more accessible for anyone who uses sidewalks. If council approves, Coun. Matt Allard’s motion would have city crews clear one sidewalk per council ward to bare pavement next winter then report back on the benefits, challenges and costs of doing so. Allard also wants city staff to then provide options to expand the pilot project using city equipment and staff. “Currently, the standard for streets is (snow clearing to the) pavement. I would like to see a city where a person can safely walk on a sidewalk all year round, without fear of slipping and falling,” he said. The St. Boniface councillor said convincing more Winnipeggers to walk instead of drive could pay off through improved health and reduced vehicle emissions. Allard began to call for a higher standard of sidewalk clearing a few years ago after some of his own walks proved treacherous. “I don’t have a mobility issue and I was making the choice to walk on the street more often than not because the snow-clearing bylaw wasn’t being respected,” said Allard, who believes sidewalks are often cleared long after city policy dictates. “In terms of level of services, if we want people making choices other than driving, then we need to create the conditions in which it’s desirable to not drive.” The former public works committee chairman noted conditions can become even more treacherous following freeze-thaw cycles that lead compacted snow to melt into odd, uneven layers before refreezing. Allard said he believes his request for the small pilot project can be funded within the city’s existing budget. “This would be a special assignment per ward that I believe the public service could handle internally.” Last year, Allard proposed a pilot project that would have had city crews clear all sidewalks deemed to be in “good” condition to bare pavement. That motion was rejected. Winnipeg policy calls for sidewalks along major routes, non-regional bus routes and collector streets to be cleared to a compacted snow surface following about five centimetres of snow. Such sidewalks in the downtown are cleared to a paved surface whenever conditions allow. Snow-clearing officials declined to weigh in on the feasibility of Allard’s new motion Tuesday, deeming it premature to comment on the impact or cost of the potential pilot project. The proposal would require full council approval. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

1 0

WFP: Congestion, safety concerns outside school pickup zones prompt calls for change (Feb1'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Feb '23

01 Feb '23

Congestion, safety concerns outside school pickup zones prompt calls for change ‘An accident waiting to happen’ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/02/01/an-accident-waiti… VEHICULAR traffic concerns outside a Winnipeg elementary school — in no way an outlier in a city with sprawling suburbs, inconsistent sidewalk infrastructure and frigid winters — is reigniting calls for more 30 km/h streets to promote safe and active transportation. Throughout the last three months, Pat Burgess has reported the issues she witnesses daily after the final bell rings at 3:30 p.m. at Westdale School to anyone willing to listen. The grandmother has contacted school leaders, trustees and City of Winnipeg officials — but she said no one is willing to intervene and rectify the situation she describes as “an accident waiting to happen.” “I hold my breath every day when I see students running out between parked cars onto the roadway,” said Burgess, who has been picking up students from the Betsworth Avenue middle school for the last five years. “I know this situation is not unique to Westdale, but there has to be a better solution for the safety of our students.” A portion of the parking lot was historically designated for caregivers to use during pickup and drop-off. Citing local traffic being a safety hazard to students, school administration closed the concrete pad to the public at the start of the 2022-23 school year. The shift has simply moved danger from the lot to surrounding streets with faster-moving cars and few sidewalks, Burgess said, noting the decision was made without consulting drivers and she has obtained recommendations from the city that promote on-site school pickup. The grandmother noted her safety concerns have heightened after hearing a J.H. Bruns Collegiate student was taken to the hospital after being struck during morning rush-hour two weeks ago. Westdale staff have urged families to drive part-way and have students walk the rest of the route to school, and try dropping off or picking students up outside of peak times, among their advice to reduce congestion. Following dismissal Tuesday, middle schoolers climbed over snow banks and dodged a combination of parked, double- parked and moving motorists to locate their rides. Many of them failed to check both ways before running across the roadway, whose visibility was obscured by the exhaust of idling cars. Several irritated drivers shook their heads as they squeezed between the lines of cars stopped on either side of Betsworth Avenue, despite the south-facing stretch being a no-park zone. One motorist honked at the backup of illegally-parked drivers. Ian Walker of Safe Speeds Winnipeg said the major impediment to more students commuting on foot and via bicycle is parent fears about car-pedestrian collisions, which ironically prompts them to drive children to class and increase the total fleet on the street. “We need to make driving harder. We’ve made driving so easy that everybody does it,” said the parent, teacher and chairman of the local advocacy organization. While noting many neighbourhoods do not have sidewalks, Walker said installing traffic-calming measures and reducing speed limits to 30 km/h on all routes near schools is critical so drivers, pedestrians and cyclists can share the road. “There’s no shared responsibility when cars are going 50 km/h. It just doesn’t work,” he said, adding school divisions and trustees should be advocating for changes to protect children and youth in their care. The Pembina Trails School Division indicated it has worked with city officials to reduce speed zones on Betsworth Avenue, instituted stop-and-go areas with signage and ensured an adult monitors the flow of traffic during busy times of the day. Superintendent Lisa Boles said “some close calls” in the school lot prompted Westdale administration to make a change to drop-off and pick-up routines. “The division takes all concerns about safety seriously and has engaged in an extensive review,” Boles said in a statement, which noted the division has used both internal and external resources to observe activity on surrounding streets and within the school parking lot. City communications officer Ken Allen said municipal officials are aware of traffic concerns and “actively working with the school.” maggie.macintosh(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

2021 Census Mode Share Maps
by Mark Cohoe 05 Jan '23

05 Jan '23

Hi, I've been trying to learn QGIS, so I did some work with the 2021 journey to work census data over the last few days. Here <https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PzXWIcBoVNkCpyoTfzU0FDeA0whuXnRf/view?usp=…>is a set of maps showing mode share by census tract, plus the difference in mode share between the 2016 and 2021 censuses. I did a breakdown of the bicycle mode share data for 2021 by dissemination area as well, which can be found here <https://drive.google.com/file/d/13tTpZ6gcgCNRSqFxpu7M7WWW6SEq2RP8/view?usp=…>. I'm thinking that I will put together some maps showing the work from home rates as well, as they seem to have a pretty drastic effect on everything. I'll forward those along when I've gotten them done. Cheers, Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg t: 204-894-6540 e: mark(a)bikewinnipeg.ca

1 0