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Active Transportation Canada - New Posts June 3, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Fri, Jun 3, 2011 at 10:00 AM Subject: Active Transportation Canada - New Posts June 3, 2011 More than 20 new items have been posted on the Active Transportation-Canada Website over the past month. A complete list of titles may be found in the "Blog Archive" box, located on the right margin of the Website. Some sample new items: 1. Halifax - Active transportation plan stalls 2. ‘Cycle tracks’ in cities could save bicyclists lives 3. Nova Scotia Rural Active Transportation Summit Active Transportation Canada URL: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com A "Search" function is available on the site. You will find this at the bottom of the page. With more than 1,000 items posted on Active Transportation - Canada, there are links available to dozens of studies and hundreds of news items from communities across Canada and the world. If anyone has a problem reading this message, please let me know. I welcome suggestions for posts, so if you have news items featuring your community, please share them with the other subscribers from Canada, the US, and Australia on Active Transportation-Canada. Thank you. Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions

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Trails Day TOMORROW - NEW special event / invitation !
by Janice Lukes 03 Jun '11

03 Jun '11

TOMORROW is Trails Day in Winnipeg An unprecedented number of events are occurring throughout the city! - see link for details: http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/2011/05/09/june-4th-trails-day-celebration/ and end of day yesterday we just received final confirmation that a ribbon cutting ceremony will occur on the brand new Bishop Grandin Trail West with government dignitaries ( location of Bishop Grandin Trail West http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/trails-maps/bishop-grandin-trail-west/ ) JUST CONFIRMED: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Bishop Grandin Trail West - (also part of the Trans Canada Trail) 3:00 pm Crampton's Market - 1765 Waverly St (Corner of Bishop Grandin and Waverly) Join MP Rod Bruinooge, Honourable Kerri Irvin Ross (MLA Fort Richmond) and Mr. Phil Sheegl, CAO City of Winnipeg (TBC) in opening this new trail! The three levels of government have made significant investments in trail development over the past few years. IF you have some time on Saturday, join us at 3:00pm and congratulate / celebrate! thank you! Janice Lukes Manager, Special Projects - Winnipeg Trails Rivers West Red River Corridor Inc. 235-614 Des Meurons Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9 Cell (204) 952-4222 Fax (204) 237-4618 <mailto:jlukes@riverswest.ca> jlukes(a)riverswest.ca www.WinnipegTrails.ca <http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/> Member of City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Advisory Committee Chair, Province of Manitoba Active Transportation Advisory Group

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Free Webinar: Linking Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change and Health Impacts
by Jessie Klassen 02 Jun '11

02 Jun '11

(Apologies for cross postings) Hello All! * Green Action Centre will host a local viewing of the following PHAC webinar on Linking Transportation, Air Quality, Climate Change and Health Impacts on Wednesday, June 8th, from 1-2pm in the Eco-Centre Boardroom (303 Portage Ave, 3rd Floor, enter via the MEC elevator). We'd love it if you would join us! Please let me know at jessie(a)greenactioncentre.ca. Hope to see you then! Jessie Klassen | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/>| Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue | (204) 925-3772 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> * * * *The Public Health Agency of Canada is hosting this Fireside Chat to mark 'Clean Air Day' Join one of Canada’s leading environmental health scientists for a presentation describing the current status of air pollution effects on the health of Canadians and opportunities to reduce these impacts through healthy urban design. * Air quality management strategies have resulted in significant improvements in urban air quality in Canadian cities, yet there remains clear evidence of substantial public health impacts amongst Canadians. Linkages between climate change and air pollution through common emission sources and health impacts will require increased application of traditional health protection measures and climate mitigation approaches that do not compromise air quality. These interactions also suggest novel opportunities for climate, air quality and health co-benefits. Healthy urban design, in which active transportation is facilitated, can lead to emission reductions while providing further potential health benefits through increased physical activity. *Advisor on Tap: [image: image001]Dr. Michael Brauer Professor, * School of Population and Public Health The University of British Columbia *Michael Brauer* is a Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at The University of British Columbia. He also directs the Bridge Program – a strategic training program linking public health, engineering and policy. He is recognized internationally for his research on air pollution exposure and health impacts. He has participated in studies throughout the world and served on advisory committees to the World Health Organization, the US National Academy of Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, the International Joint Commission and governments in North America and Asia. * *

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FW: Science Matters | Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike
by Kevin Miller 27 May '11

27 May '11

There's probably nothing here that most of us don't know, but it's nice to see cycling as the topic of David Suzuki's weekly column (which appears in many newspapers). Kevin Miller <k.a.miller(a)mts.net> _____ From: David Suzuki Foundation [mailto:subscribers@davidsuzuki.org] Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:39 AM http://tinyurl.com/43ytvhy Having trouble reading this email? View it online <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd12cc612feadcd1b7a63f488a0612cc98 d649e7c36b86a320> . David Suzuki Foundation header <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/20thhead-04.jpg> Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike dtsbike <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/dtsbike.jpg> By David Suzuki A U.K. man recently built a bicycle entirely out of wood, with no plastic or metal parts. Everything, including the wheels, gears, and seat, are wood. Inventor Michael Thompson, who made the "SplinterBike <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdce389bca770edb6752f7f6a1bdc41d9f 35e16c218553dfda> " on a bet with a friend, says it can travel up to 50 kilometres an hour. What's amazing is that, almost 200 years after the first two-wheeler was made, people are still able to come up with innovative ideas for one of the simplest and most practical and efficient transportation devices ever invented. Even though I'm impressed by Thompson's wooden bike, and by those with bamboo or wood frames, I'll stick with my old metal-frame bike. I'm just happy that cycling is becoming more popular all the time, and that the city where I live, Vancouver, is making life easier for cyclists. After all, riding a bike is good for your health and the environment. As the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition points out in its promotion of Bike to Work Week (May 30 - June 5 in several Canadian cities), cycling to work is enjoyable, helps you get and stay in shape, and burns off stress. And when you consider gridlock and traffic, it's often as fast as or faster than driving. It's also way more efficient than car travel. According to the WorldWatch <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd7a725db2b7c0035cc5e8568a547e9fb3 e87e53732ceb4e0e> Institute, a bicycle needs 35 calories per passenger mile, while a car uses 1,860. Reducing your need to stop at the gas pump is both good for the environment and for your pocketbook, especially as gas prices continue to rise. Private automobiles create about 12 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, and road transportation in general creates as much as one quarter. Riding a bike doesn't create any emissions. And it's not just gas that costs money. Buying, insuring, and maintaining a car, not to mention paying for parking, costs thousands of dollars a year. Of course, cycling isn't practical for everyone, and it's not always possible to ride - although I've seen my share of die-hard cyclists even on rare Vancouver snow days. But with proper clothing and gear, many people can ride for most of the year in urban centres. And the money saved from not driving is often enough to pay for public transit or taxis on days when cycling isn't possible. Our cities will become more livable and our environment cleaner when more people get out of their cars and onto their bikes. But we still have a long way to go in Canada. Only about one per cent of trips are made by bike here (although Vancouver <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd26820283112d7780b1893af92005aeb0 0d3b140b853dd3af> is higher, at about four per cent), whereas in many parts of Europe, the number is more than 30 per cent. In Amsterdam, 38 per cent of trips are made by bike, thanks to pro-cycling policies adopted since the 1970s. Resistance to change is inevitable, and in Vancouver we've seen some backlash against the expanding network of bike lanes. Many people still believe we should be shelling out loads of money for pavement and parking lots so that individual people can propel themselves to work and shopping in a two-tonne emissions-spewing machine. Others have complained that, because the bike lanes were not immediately crammed with cyclists, they're a waste of money and get in the way of cars and business. But as Amsterdam shows, investing in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure eventually pays off in many ways. As more people take up cycling, it also becomes safer. Although, those who worry about the safety of cycling might be interested in a British Medical Association study that found the health risks of inactivity are 20 times greater than the risks from cycling. For employers <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd18962cc79cbfb44edd6629d4f4e47aac b0ab2a9f240d68dd> , the benefits of encouraging cycling are numerous. A Dutch study found that people who cycle to work take fewer sick days, and research has shown they are generally happier and less stressed. Cyclists can also avoid traffic jams and are not as likely to be late for work. And bike lock-ups cost far less than car-parking facilities. Whether your bike has a state-of-the-art bamboo frame or is a clunky old off-roader, why not try riding it to work, and not just during Bike to Work week? You'll be happy you did. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation editorial and communications specialist Ian Hanington share on: <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/share.gif> <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdfeeebf715c7180e2c4d72a8b17c14837 c1d3bf92d9cde3f9> facebook logo <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0596e0525fb80fdba85550434272265b 565a620db72b6f15> twitter logo This email was sent to k.a.miller(a)mts.net Take <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0753c23ff3e558a4b65865dbc3001936 669cfce2bc7fe7d9> Action | Donate <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd2f5e93a01523dcb6ee5e50f9f064ea68 507e3f7c6d0978ed> | Unsubscribe <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdb929c68e2ac708f820387bfee6deea15 1d862d4825a00e40> | Privacy <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd596b49828cbc680e758e630ea3e1747b f5cedf19ce9e178a> Policy David <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdc6237878403c8494ad6a4a2c265b10c5 d45d12a057533c3e> Suzuki Foundation 219-2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6K 4S2 604-732-4228 | contact(a)davidsuzuki.org <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/tagline.gif>

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FW: Science Matters | Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike
by Kevin Miller 27 May '11

27 May '11

There's probably nothing here that most of us don't know, but it's nice to see cycling as the topic of David Suzuki's weekly column (which appears in many newspapers). Kevin Miller <k.a.miller(a)mts.net> _____ From: David Suzuki Foundation [mailto:subscribers@davidsuzuki.org] Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 11:39 AM http://tinyurl.com/43ytvhy Having trouble reading this email? View it online <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd12cc612feadcd1b7a63f488a0612cc98 d649e7c36b86a320> . David Suzuki Foundation header <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/20thhead-04.jpg> Burn calories, not gas: Ride a bike dtsbike <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/dtsbike.jpg> By David Suzuki A U.K. man recently built a bicycle entirely out of wood, with no plastic or metal parts. Everything, including the wheels, gears, and seat, are wood. Inventor Michael Thompson, who made the "SplinterBike <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdce389bca770edb6752f7f6a1bdc41d9f 35e16c218553dfda> " on a bet with a friend, says it can travel up to 50 kilometres an hour. What's amazing is that, almost 200 years after the first two-wheeler was made, people are still able to come up with innovative ideas for one of the simplest and most practical and efficient transportation devices ever invented. Even though I'm impressed by Thompson's wooden bike, and by those with bamboo or wood frames, I'll stick with my old metal-frame bike. I'm just happy that cycling is becoming more popular all the time, and that the city where I live, Vancouver, is making life easier for cyclists. After all, riding a bike is good for your health and the environment. As the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition points out in its promotion of Bike to Work Week (May 30 - June 5 in several Canadian cities), cycling to work is enjoyable, helps you get and stay in shape, and burns off stress. And when you consider gridlock and traffic, it's often as fast as or faster than driving. It's also way more efficient than car travel. According to the WorldWatch <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd7a725db2b7c0035cc5e8568a547e9fb3 e87e53732ceb4e0e> Institute, a bicycle needs 35 calories per passenger mile, while a car uses 1,860. Reducing your need to stop at the gas pump is both good for the environment and for your pocketbook, especially as gas prices continue to rise. Private automobiles create about 12 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, and road transportation in general creates as much as one quarter. Riding a bike doesn't create any emissions. And it's not just gas that costs money. Buying, insuring, and maintaining a car, not to mention paying for parking, costs thousands of dollars a year. Of course, cycling isn't practical for everyone, and it's not always possible to ride - although I've seen my share of die-hard cyclists even on rare Vancouver snow days. But with proper clothing and gear, many people can ride for most of the year in urban centres. And the money saved from not driving is often enough to pay for public transit or taxis on days when cycling isn't possible. Our cities will become more livable and our environment cleaner when more people get out of their cars and onto their bikes. But we still have a long way to go in Canada. Only about one per cent of trips are made by bike here (although Vancouver <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd26820283112d7780b1893af92005aeb0 0d3b140b853dd3af> is higher, at about four per cent), whereas in many parts of Europe, the number is more than 30 per cent. In Amsterdam, 38 per cent of trips are made by bike, thanks to pro-cycling policies adopted since the 1970s. Resistance to change is inevitable, and in Vancouver we've seen some backlash against the expanding network of bike lanes. Many people still believe we should be shelling out loads of money for pavement and parking lots so that individual people can propel themselves to work and shopping in a two-tonne emissions-spewing machine. Others have complained that, because the bike lanes were not immediately crammed with cyclists, they're a waste of money and get in the way of cars and business. But as Amsterdam shows, investing in cycling and pedestrian infrastructure eventually pays off in many ways. As more people take up cycling, it also becomes safer. Although, those who worry about the safety of cycling might be interested in a British Medical Association study that found the health risks of inactivity are 20 times greater than the risks from cycling. For employers <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd18962cc79cbfb44edd6629d4f4e47aac b0ab2a9f240d68dd> , the benefits of encouraging cycling are numerous. A Dutch study found that people who cycle to work take fewer sick days, and research has shown they are generally happier and less stressed. Cyclists can also avoid traffic jams and are not as likely to be late for work. And bike lock-ups cost far less than car-parking facilities. Whether your bike has a state-of-the-art bamboo frame or is a clunky old off-roader, why not try riding it to work, and not just during Bike to Work week? You'll be happy you did. Written with contributions from David Suzuki Foundation editorial and communications specialist Ian Hanington share on: <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/share.gif> <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdfeeebf715c7180e2c4d72a8b17c14837 c1d3bf92d9cde3f9> facebook logo <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0596e0525fb80fdba85550434272265b 565a620db72b6f15> twitter logo This email was sent to k.a.miller(a)mts.net Take <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd0753c23ff3e558a4b65865dbc3001936 669cfce2bc7fe7d9> Action | Donate <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd2f5e93a01523dcb6ee5e50f9f064ea68 507e3f7c6d0978ed> | Unsubscribe <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdb929c68e2ac708f820387bfee6deea15 1d862d4825a00e40> | Privacy <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cd596b49828cbc680e758e630ea3e1747b f5cedf19ce9e178a> Policy David <http://cl.exct.net/?qs=5cea98a99a0e97cdc6237878403c8494ad6a4a2c265b10c5 d45d12a057533c3e> Suzuki Foundation 219-2211 West 4th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6K 4S2 604-732-4228 | contact(a)davidsuzuki.org <http://image.exct.net/lib/fe5c1570746c0d7a741c/m/1/tagline.gif>

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WFP: Teen cyclist killed
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '11

27 May '11

Teen cyclist killed AN 18-year-old cyclist has died after being hit by a semi-trailer in Steinbach Thursday afternoon. The crash happened at 2.45 p.m. at the junction of highways 12 and 52. The semi was hauling hogs and was travelling west on Highway 52 when the male driver hit the cyclist. The cyclist, a woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. RCMP continue to investigate. Alcohol was not a factor. *Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 27, 2011 A11*

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In some cities, not walking is as dangerous as walking
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '11

27 May '11

In Some Cities, Not Walking is as Dangerous as Walking<http://alttransport.com/2011/05/in-some-cities-not-walking-is-as-dangerous-…> by Joseph Cutrufo <http://alttransport.com/author/jcutrufo/> on Thursday, May 26, 2011 http://alttransport.com/2011/05/in-some-cities-not-walking-is-as-dangerous-… What’s more dangerous in your community? Walking or not walking? If walking isn’t a safe way to travel in your city, *not walking* may be just as dangerous. The American Colleges of Sports Medicine’s American Fitness Index<http://www.americanfitnessindex.org/quickview.htm>(AFI) and Transportaton for America’s Pedestrian Danger Index<http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/states/worst-metros/>(PDI) may not at first blush appear to have much in common with one another, except for the fact that they were both released this week. The American Fitness Index is a “scientific snapshot of the state of health and fitness at the metropolitan level,” while the Pedestrian Danger Index is a “measure of the relative risk of walking, adjusted for exposure.” So where’s the connection? The metropolitan areas that the AFI ranks among the healthiest and fittest, are by and large among the safest places for walking, while many of the unhealthiest, least fit metro areas are also some of the most dangerous for pedestrians. In other words, if you manage not to be killed trying to cross the street, you’re still at increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, asthma and obesity. Minneapolis, which got the top spot<http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/fitness/articles/2011/05/…>on the AFI’s list of 50 metro areas, was ranked the 48th most dangerous metro area out of 52 in the Pedestrian Danger Index. Boston<http://articles.boston.com/2011-05-25/news/29582658_1_pedestrian-danger-ind…>was named the least dangerous metro for pedestrians in the PDI, and was ranked third fittest in the AFI. The Pacific Northwest also had strong correlations between fitness and safety: Portland<http://www.oregon.statenews.net/story.php?rid=45627572>, San Francisco<http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2011/5/25/san-francisco-sacram…>and Seattle<http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2011/05/23/seattle-falls-in-healthy…>were all, not surprisingly, ranked in the top quintile for fitness and in the bottom quintile for danger. On the flipside, Tampa was ranked the second most dangerous metro for pedestrians, and was 40th in terms of fitness. While the PDI’s four most dangerous metros are in Florida<http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/25/us-florida-pedestrians-idUSTRE74O…>, many of the strongest correlations between fitness and pedestrian safety were more spread out geographically: The Inland Empire<http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/05/25/study-finds-inland-empire-region-among-…>region of Riverside and San Bernardino, California (5th most dangerous, 44th fittest), Las Vegas<http://www.8newsnow.com/story/14715691/las-vegas-6th-most-dangerous-for-ped…>(6th most dangerous, 43rd fittest), Memphis<http://www.memphisflyer.com/NewsBlog/archives/2011/05/24/memphis-bad-for-pe…>(7th most dangerous, 48th fittest) and Houston<http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/05/24/houston-in-top-10-on-ped…>(9th most dangerous, 42nd fittest). We’re quick to point the finger at the American diet and the US health care system for obesity and other chronic diseases, but these reports suggest the physical layout of our metro areas and how we move about within them are also to blame. Because of infrastructure that favors automobile travel over active transportation, the odds are stacked doubly high against people living in the least fit, least walkable places. Even those who want to start walking for health or transportation purposes struggle to do so because there’s nowhere safe to walk. The full American Fitness Index report and the Pedestrian Danger Index — part of T4America’s *Dangerous by Design 2011* — are available here<http://www.americanfitnessindex.org/docs/reports/2011_afi_report_final.pdf>and here <http://t4america.org/docs/dangerousbydesign/dangerous_by_design.pdf>.

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Walking on sunshine - 10 am today kick-off Commuter Challenge
by Beth McKechnie 26 May '11

26 May '11

*Looking for an excuse to get outside and enjoy some sunshine this morning? Walk, pedal, bus over to the official kick-off of the 2011 Commuter Challenge! * *When?* 10 a.m., TODAY *Where?* Manitoba Hydro Place outdoor plaza (corner of Edmonton and Graham) *What?* The Commuter Challenge, which takes place from June 5-11, is an annual friendly competition that encourages Manitobans to choose active and green commuting options. Individuals who bus, walk, cycle, carpool, telecommute or use any form of green commuting during that week are eligible to win great prizes! Manitobans can visit www.GreenActionCentre.ca<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/>to register as an employee with their workplace or as an individual, and log their green km during the week of the Commuter Challenge.

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City of Winnipeg Job Posting: Community Climate Change Coordinator (2 year term)
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '11

25 May '11

http://www.winnipeg.ca/resumeol/peoplesoft/job_req.asp?req=107422 Community Climate Change Coordinator (Planner 3) - Temporary 2 year Term *Posting NO.107422 *COMMUNITY CLIMATE CHANGE COORDINATOR (PLANNER 3) TEMPORARY 2 YEAR TERM PLANNING, PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT POSTING NO. 107422 The City of Winnipeg is currently accepting resumes to fill a temporary 2 year term Community Climate Change Coordinator (Planner 3) position for the Planning Property and Development Department. Under the direction of the Environmental Coordinator, the Climate Change Planner leads and facilitates the development of climate change action plans and coordinates corporate climate change actions across the organization. Engages and fosters relationships and partnerships with the community, various government departments, local agencies, community-based organizations and the private sector to achieve action on climate change priorities. Qualifications: 1. Bachelor's Degree in Planning, Public Administration, Environmental Studies/Science, Geography, Natural Resource Management OR Master¿s Degree in City Planning, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Studies/Science, Geography, Public Administration is desirable. 2. A minimum of three (3) years experience in planning/implementing environmental initiatives. 3. Demonstrated organizational, analytical and decision-making abilities. 4. Proven ability to build consensus, to inspire confidence and to lead. 5. Demonstrated ability to analyze complex issues and develop practical solutions. 6. Strong interpersonal skills, including communication (both oral and written), facilitation and collaboration skills. 7. Public presentation and formal report preparation skills. 8. Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective professional and working relationships with a wide variety of people (including elected and senior appointed officials). 9. Demonstrated political astuteness and sound judgment. 10. Positive, team oriented, confident attitude. 11. Ability to operate a personal computer and associated software (word processing, spreadsheet applications). 12. Demonstrated knowledge of local government issues and working knowledge of organizational change, theory and practice. 13. Knowledge of economic development issues as related to sustainable development at the community and neighbourhood level. 14. Knowledge of climate change. A Criminal Record Check will be required for the successful candidate, at their expense. A comprehensive salary and benefits package is offered. Interested applicants should submit a resume indicating Posting Number 107422 to: Competition Coordinator, Planning, Property and Development Department, Mezzanine, Unit 78 - 30 Fort Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 4X7 or apply online at www.winnipeg.ca/hr on or before 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2011. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. City of Winnipeg on-line: http://www.winnipeg.ca Online Application Form<http://www.winnipeg.ca/resumeol/peoplesoft/apply.asp> *THE CITY OF WINNIPEG IS AN EMPLOYMENT EQUITY EMPLOYER ABORIGINAL PERSONS, WOMEN, VISIBLE MINORITIES AND INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ARE ENCOURAGED TO SELF-DECLARE IN THEIR COVERING LETTER *

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Nova Scotia success: Province will lower speeds in school zones
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '11

25 May '11

Yesterday the Province of Nova Scotia announced that it will reduce speeds in school zones from 50 km/h to 30 km/h. The Ecology Action Centre’s Active & Safe Routes to School program has been asking for this change since last fall. Find the news release here: http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20110524004. Ecology Action Centre congratulates the Nova Scotia government for making this change. It will contribute to making streets in our school communities safer, especially for children and youth who walk or wheel to school. Here are two short media clips on the announcement: http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/local/article/869412--school-zone-speeds-to… http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1245137.html (scroll down to the third item). Janet Barlow, Coordinator Active & Safe Routes to School Ecology Action Centre 2705 Fern Lane, Halifax, NS B3K 4L3 asrts(a)ecologyaction.ca (902) 442-5055 www.saferoutesns.ca Follow ASRTS on Twitter: www.twitter.com/asrts Help us celebrate our birthday with 40 days of action! www.ecologyaction.ca/40days

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E-Bulletin - Recreation Connections Manitoba
by Beth McKechnie 25 May '11

25 May '11

FYI... ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Cory Jackson <recconnections(a)sportmanitoba.ca> Date: Tue, May 24, 2011 at 12:50 PM Subject: [Physical-activity-coalition-mb] E-Bulletin - Recreation Connections Manitoba *After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project * *Call for Applications Reminder* Applications for pilot program funding for After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project are being accepted until Friday, *May 27, 2011*. The pilot programs will focus on increasing physical activity, healthy eating and active transportation in existing after school programs. If you are interested in having your after school program involved please visit our website at www.afterschoolmanitoba.ca for more information and an application form. I would also like to point out an error in the Information Package – Appendix B – Blended Program Framework. On the chart there are two boxes with the heading “Recreation 30%”. The heading for the lower box (left hand side) should read “Learning 20%”. There are also two boxes with the heading “Health 20%”. The heading for the lower box (right hand side) should read “Local Content 30%” For more information, please contact Roy Mulligan, Project Coordinator at (204) 925-5751 or via email at recconnections.pro(a)sportmanitoba.ca . ** *RCM Provincial Conference 2012* *Call for Presenters* *February 29 - March 2, 2012* *Winnipeg, Manitoba* Recreation Connections Manitoba (RCM) is seeking qualified workshop and keynote presenters for the 2012 Recreation Connections Manitoba Annual Provincial Conference. The conference will be held at the Victoria Inn, Winnipeg, Manitoba February 29 - March 2, 2012. Those interested in presenting at the event are asked to fill out the Call for Presenters 2012 online form. Deadline to receive proposals is June 15, 2011. *Please click on the Call for Presenters button on the RCM home page.* For more information, please contact Jackie Onagi, Training and Event Coordinator at (204) 925-5747 or via email at recconnections.events(a)sportmanitoba.ca *Sogo Active*** The Sogo Active Program is a for youth by youth program executed by ParticipACTION Canada along with provincial and territorial partners to motivate young Canadian/Manitobans to get active. Sogo Active puts power in the hands of youth to take charge of their own lives, and to inspire their peers to get moving. It’s a national network that connects youth with their peers and with community organizations. Is your organization looking for funding to run, enhance, or initiate a physical activity initiative that would include or target youth between the age of 13 and 19? Register as a community host at www.sogoactive.com to get started and access funding grants for up to $500. For more information, please contact Jackie Onagi, Provincial Coordinator – Sogo Active at (204) 925-5747 or via email at recconnections.events(a)sportmanitoba.ca *Aquatic Facility Operators Course*** Recreation Connections Manitoba, together with Manitoba Healthy Living, Youth and Seniors is hosting a 3 day course for Aquatic Facility Operators, June 21st - 23rd in Dauphin. Only a few seats left. Register today. To register, visit the RCM website at www.recconnections.com and click on the Online Event Manager button on the home page. For more information, please contact Jackie Onagi, Training and Event Coordinator at (204) 925-5747 or visit the website at www.recconnections.com…then click on Training and Development….then Aquatics.

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Trails Day Celebrations - Saturday June 4th - 6 GREAT PARTIES !
by Janice Lukes 25 May '11

25 May '11

Good morning on a sunny day in Winnipeg! Here is your invitation to party! Pass this on to your friends / family and co workers! This is our 5th year of celebrating International Trails Day and wow we have lots to celebrate this year ! There are six great & unique parties occurring on six different trail systems in Winnipeg - full details can be found here: http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/2011/05/09/june-4th-trails-day-celebration/ Trails Day Poster is attached. Detailed trail maps can be found here (and more are being posted daily!): http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/trails-maps/ There will be all kinds of FREEBIES at the parties! - bike bells to alert pedestrian - brand new Winnipeg cycling maps, - local food samplings and refreshments, - in motion water bottles, - CBC Live Right now goodies, - massages for feet, bodies and more! The celebrations will occur on some of Winnipeg's classic trails - the Harte Trail, Bishop Grandin Greenway Trail, the Seine River Trail system AND on two of our newest stellar trail systems, the Yellow Ribbon Greenway Trail (be sure to stand under the incoming planes as this trail is right alongside a busy flight path) and the Bishop Grandin Trail West (part of Winnipeg's longest and BEST connected trail system)! See this great article in today's community newspaper (also posted below): http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Trails-Day-set-to -connect-communities--122526619.html Check out Crampton's Market (http://cramptonsmarket.blogspot.com/). Crampton's is located on the Bishop Grandin West Trail and is proving to be an ideal Winnipeg case study on the economic benefits of trails - Crampton's was only accessible by motorized vehicle before the Bishop Grandin Trail West was built. People walking / cycling from even the closest communities of Waverly Heights and Waverly West had to take a vehicle. Today, Crampton's is fully embracing the trail and promoting it - and reaping the economic benefits of being located beside Bishop Grandin West Trail, the east - west connecting AT spine in south Winnipeg! happy trails! Janice Lukes * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CANSTAR Community News article: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Trails-Day-set-to -connect-communities--122526619.html Trails Day set to connect communities by simon.fuller(a)canstarnews.com ( CANSTAR Community News, May 25, 2011) Winnipeggers will soon get the chance to become even more connected. June 4 is Trails Day, when there will be six multi-use trail events for individuals to explore across the city throughout the day. One brand new trail will be Bishop Grandin Trail West - a five-kilometre route that runs west from the Red River at Bishop Grandin Boulevard to McGillivray Boulevard.It was funded by all three levels of government under the banner of the Manitoba Rural Infrastructure Fund. A key event organizer says the new trail - which is also part of the Trans Canada Trail system - will help bring communities in southwest Winnipeg together. "This new trail is a stellar example of community connectivity," said Janice Lukes, manager of special projects for Winnipeg Trails. "It also enables access to the University of Manitoba on the east end and the Kenaston big box shopping centers and FortWhyte Alive on the west end." Lukes, who lives in St. Norbert, said the trail links the communities of University Heights, Waverley Heights, Waverley West, Linden Ridge and Whyte Ridge. On Trails Day, the new route will be showcased by the four-kilometre Cycle Tour - FortWhyte Alive to Crampton's Market, during which participants will get a guided tour of FWA before continuing on the trail for a trip to the market. Erin Crampton, who co-owns and operates Crampton's Market with her partner, Marc DeGagne, is excited about the new trail - not least because she hopes it will improve safety for local cyclists and pedestrians. "I've seen our customers, including mothers with young kids, dodging traffic when they cross the intersection at Bishop and Waverley," said Crampton, who lives in Waverley Heights. "I'm too scared to cycle on these routes. So, for me, the new pathway is absolutely necessary. There are the road warriors, who will nudge their way through traffic on their bikes. But for the rest of us, the new trail will make it safe and easy, which is lovely." When event participants arrive at Crampton's Market, they can expect to find a selection of locally grown produce, dry goods and baked goods, as well as the chance to score goody bags and receive bicycle and sports therapy advice from various organizations. "There will be a whole bunch of local food producers and we'll also be giving out swag bags. People will get a rewards card and receive a sticker at every station they visit. When they get five, they can collect a bag," Crampton said. Other Trail Day events will include Harte Trail's Paw Trek and Dog Show, which starts at Oakdale Street and Ridgewood Avenue in Charleswood and Discover Transcona's Many New Trails, which begins at the Transcona Historical Museum on Regent Avenue West. Crampton's Market is located at 1765 Waverley St. For more information, and downloadable maps, visit www.winnipegtrails.com. Janice Lukes Manager, Special Projects - Winnipeg Trails Rivers West Red River Corridor Inc. 235-614 Des Meurons Street Winnipeg, MB R2H 2P9 Cell (204) 952-4222 Fax (204) 237-4618 <mailto:jlukes@riverswest.ca> jlukes(a)riverswest.ca <http://www.winnipegtrails.ca/> www.WinnipegTrails.ca Member of City of Winnipeg Active Transportation Advisory Committee Chair, Province of Manitoba Active Transportation Advisory Group

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Kick off the Commuter Challenge with us - May 26th, 10am
by Jessie Klassen 24 May '11

24 May '11

*Come and kick-off the 2011 Commuter Challenge!* *When?* 10 a.m., Thursday, May 26 *Where?* Manitoba Hydro Place outdoor plaza Corner of Edmonton and Graham (Rain location: Manitoba Hydro Place foyer) *What?* The Commuter Challenge, which takes place from June 5-11, is an annual friendly competition that encourages Manitobans to choose active and green commuting options. Individuals who bus, walk, cycle, carpool, telecommute or use any form of green commuting during that week are eligible to win great prizes! Manitobans can visit www.GreenActionCentre.ca to register as an employee with their workplace or as an individual, and log their green km during the week of the Commuter Challenge. Last year, over 8,100 employees at 197 workplaces participated, helping Winnipeg snag first place over other cities in our population category, including Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa. Join the Honourable Jim Rondeau, Minister of Healthy Living, Deputy Mayor Justin Swandel, Mr. Lloyd Kuczek, Vice President, Manitoba Hydro, and Green Action Centre to kick-off the 12th annual Commuter Challenge! The Commuter Challenge in Manitoba is organized by Green Action Centre, a non-profit, non-governmental hub for greener living based in Winnipeg. Sponsors of the 2011 Commuter Challenge include: the Government of Manitoba, The City of Winnipeg, Winnipeg Transit, MTS, Winnipeg Free Press, Manitoba Hydro, Investor’s Group, Great West Life, Manitoba Public Insurance, and Assiniboine Credit Union. For more information, please contact: Francine Carrier, Commuter Challenge Coordinator Green Action Centre Tel: (204) 925-3779 E: challenge(a)greenactioncentre.ca W: www.GreenActionCentre.ca **

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WFP: Floodway rec plan unveiled - Province reveals pedestrian-centred overpass, trail (May21'11)
by Beth McKechnie 21 May '11

21 May '11

Floodway rec plan unveiled Province reveals pedestrian-centred overpass, trail By: Bill Redekop BIRDS HILL PROVINCIAL PARK -- Former premier Duff Roblin dreamed not just of building a floodway but of developing the floodway corridor for recreational use for all Manitobans. The first one he got built in short order. The latter took 50 years. On Friday, the province gave a glimpse of the first phase of that floodway development that includes construction of a $3-million pedestrian overpass bridge spanning Highway 59, across from the Birds Hill Provincial Park entrance. The bridge is a key component in a 48-kilometre recreational trail for non-motorized travel being built along the west side of the floodway here. The bridge will also connect cyclists and others with Birds Hill Park, which has over 100 kilometres of additional trails, starting at the Cedar Bog Trail. The pedestrian bridge and a portion of the trail -- from about Garven Road to Lockport -- is expected to be completed possibly as early as August. Finishing touches are likely to continue until fall when a grand opening is scheduled. The entire trail, extending as far south as Duff Roblin Provincial Park, at a cost of $6 million in addition to the bridge's cost, will be completed by next summer. It will be open for four-season use including walking, jogging, cycling, in-line skating, cross-country skiing, even dogsledding. There will be a dedicated toboggan hill close to Kirkness Road, north of the Birds Hill Park entrance. There will be up to six staging areas where people can park and load their bikes. Janice Lukes, a director with the Winnipeg Trails Association, expects some people will be skeptical. "It's pretty hard for the average Joe to get the picture," she said. But Lukes has no doubt the trail system, once built, will attract hordes of users. "Just look at the usage that old rail line (the former CPR rail line between Gateway Road and Raleigh Street the city converted into a biking/hiking trail) gets. People are really getting into this," she said. The floodway project is just the north extension of the trail system being built through Winnipeg. You could soon be able to travel on a dedicated recreational trail from the University of Manitoba (following the Rapid Transit Corridor), through The Forks, along the old CPR line that divides Gateway and Raleigh, all the way to Birds Hill Park and beyond to Lockport. "Cycle tourism is a massive industry in Quebec, in Minnesota. We're flat here. We're perfect," Lukes said. The project -- which will also include landscaping and beautification, with the planting of thousands of trees and natural flowers and prairie -- is being undertaken by the Manitoba Floodway Authority. The steel bridge is necessary to hook up with the extensive trail system in Birds Hill Park, and because people are already crossing the highway there. "This is a major safety concern," said Ronuk Modha, floodway authority communications director. The bridge is 4.2 metres wide, from curb to curb. It will have an enclosure similar to wire fencing so people can't fall out or throw things down on traffic. There will also be a viewing area in the centre. About a six-kilometre stretch of trail between Dunning Road and Garven Road is asphalt and already completed. The rest of the trail will be crushed limestone. The floodway authority is also building a three-kilometre trail into Birds Hill Park to hook up to the Cedar Bog Trail. People can't cross the floodway from Birds Hill Park to the floodway's west side when it's full with flood water but that is only one to two months of the year, said Modha. Otherwise, people can cross at Dunning Road, west of the 59er Restaurant. This is just the floodway authority's first phase of development. The second phase will take place on the southern portion of the floodway near St. Mary's Road, Modha said. bill.redekop(a)freepress.mb.ca -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Bixi hits the streets in Ottawa
by Beth McKechnie 18 May '11

18 May '11

CAPITAL BIXI HITS THE STREETS IN CANADA'S CAPITAL http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/capital-bixi-hits-the-streets-in-ca… OTTAWA, May 18 /PRNewswire/ - The* *Capital* *BIXI bike share service officially kicked off today. Residents and visitors in the core of Canada'sCapital will have 24/7 access to 100 bikes located at 10 stations in downtown Ottawa and Gatineau. "The National Capital Commission (NCC) is proud to add another important building block to the cycling infrastructure in the core of Canada'sCapital," said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer at the NCC. "The NCC has been in the cycling business for over 40 years. We've come a long way since the early 1970s and we want to go even further. The Capital BIXI service not only represents a means of active transportation but also a means to build a greener Capital for all to enjoy." "The purpose of the program is to provide immediate access to public bikes as an alternative mode of transportation," said Alain Ayotte, President at the Public Bike System Company. "The BIXI bikes are designed to complement public transit, and as such, they are intended for one-way trips of less than 30 minutes. At the end of the trip, the bike can be dropped off at any of the 10 docking stations. We're convinced local residents and tourists will quickly embrace Capital BIXI." *PARTNERSHIPS* The NCC and the Public Bike System Company are proud to welcome TELUS as the major sponsor of the Capital BIXI bike share service. "TELUS is thrilled to help bring easy, accessible and economical bike sharing to Canada's Capital Region with Capital BIXI," said Michael Sangster, Vice-President at TELUS. "Support for healthier cities is an important part of TELUS' 'give where we live' philosophy, which our team members live every day. Initiatives like the Capital BIXI bike share further our mission by giving Canadians an opportunity to be good stewards of the environment while staying active in our day to day lives." The NCC is pleased to announce that Public Works and Government Services Canada will be adding a station to the Capital BIXI network. The NCC is also in discussion with Environment Canada for stations at their buildings. The NCC looks forward to the participation of public and private organizations who are interested in providing the bike share service to their employees and their partners. The NCC, the City of Ottawa and Ville de Gatineau continue to partner on significant cycling initiatives in Canada's Capital. *CAPITAL BIXI EXPERIENCE* Regular users can purchase a monthly ($28) or yearly ($78) Capital BIXI subscription which entitles them to a BIXI-key. Members then use their BIXI-key to take out a bike at any station in the network. Non-members can purchase a 24-hour pass ($5) or a 72-hour pass ($12) directly at the station. Users can take out a bike as often as they like for 30 minutes or less. Fees apply to longer trips, the second half-hour will cost $1.50 and the third half-hour will cost $3. General information and subscription details can be found at capital.bixi.com. The first 100 annual subscribers will receive founding member status and a distinctive dark purple BIXI-key to access the service. Subscribers can also take advantage of a $10 discount on a monthly pass, until June 30, 2011. *About the National Capital Commission (NCC) * The NCC is a federal Crown corporation whose mandate is to create pride and unity through Canada's Capital Region by making the Capital a meeting place that communicates Canada to Canadians. As the steward of federal lands, national landmarks, parks, transportation infrastructures and buildings, the NCC takes great pride in developing and planning a Capital that today's visitors will enjoy and that future generations will treasure. *About BIXI and the Public Bike System Company (PBSC) * PBSC is responsible for the implementation of the Capital BIXI service in Canada's Capital Region. PBSC offers a highly advanced bike sharing system on three continents, to private campuses and cities, such as London (UK), Melbourne (AU), Minneapolis, Washington and Arlington (USA). *About TELUS * TELUS is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.9 billion of annual revenue and 12.3 million customer connections including 7 million wireless subscribers, 3.7 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers and more than 350,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. For more information about TELUS, please visit TELUS.com<http://www.telus.com/>. To learn more about TELUS' commitment to the community, please visit TELUS.com/community <http://www.telus.com/community>. For more information regarding the bike share service Capital BIXI, please contact the Public Bike System Company at 1-855-CAP-BIXI or 1-855-227-2494 (toll free), or visit the website at capital.bixi.com. SOURCE BIXI - PUBLIC BIKE SYSTEM COMPANY -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Active & Green Spring 2011 E-Newsletter
by Jessie Klassen 17 May '11

17 May '11

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.<http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=32490864f8…> Let us help! *Looking to improve commuter options at your workplace?* Request resources<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> on cycling, carpooling, commuting surveys and tracking progress, among others. Book a presentation<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>on the various commuting options, as well as fuel-efficient driving, creating a commuter friendly workplace, and greening the workplace. Talk to us about implementing a Smart Trips<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>program at your workplace. ------------------------------ Upcoming Events: *Winnipeg Transit Bus Tutorial<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> May 24th <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>Trails Day Celebration<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> June 4th Commuter Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> June 5-11th Clean Air Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> June 8th Bike to Work Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> June 24th Ciclovia<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…> September 11th* ------------------------------ Green Action Centre staff whip up a bike blender smoothie on a sunny afternoon! Like what you read? Become a member<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>of Green Action Centre (membership is free!), visit our website at greenactioncentre.ca<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>, or make a donation<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>. Commuter Challenge It’s that time of year again – time to sign up your workplace<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>for the Commuter Challenge! Take part in this friendly competition to explore greener transportation options for personal, environmental, and community health, and for a chance to win great prizes<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>! If you are already signed up and looking to spread the word to other workplaces, send new recruits here<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>and you will both be entered to win a $75 gift certificate to the store of your choice. Motivate your coworkers with our list<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>of fun ideas compiled by past workplace coordinators. ------------------------------ *FREE transit to Folk Fest* (and sing this retro transit song along the way) Take the Festival Express<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>bus to the Winnipeg Folk Festival this year. It’s free and you won’t need to worry about parking or idling in a long line at the end of the night. Wagons, strollers and gear are welcome on all buses leaving from the Downtown area every 30 minutes and the McPhillips Station Casino every 60 minutes. Stay right to the end of the night and catch the last bus home before drivers even leave the parking lot. Before you catch the bus, watch this hidden gem of a video<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>encouraging Winnipegers to try transit in the 1980s. This might make a good song for the trip out to Birds Hill! ------------------------------ *All things bike-worthy!* Find your ride to work (and other destinations) with the 2011 Winnipeg Bike Map! Update your route to take advantage of the $20.4 million worth of new cycling and pedestrian infrastructure built last year. The bike map will be available at the end of May for FREE at bike stores and other retailers along with places like Green Action Centre. Not comfortable riding in traffic? Register for a Commuter Cycling Skills course through the City's Leisure Guide<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>(see page 81). Taught by CAN-BIKE certified instructors from Bike to the Future<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>, the next half-day course takes place Sunday, May 29. We could all learn a tip or two! Whether you're a seasoned commuting cyclist or new to the seat, join hundreds of other Winnipeggers biking to work during the Commuter Challenge<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>(June 5-11) and on Bike to Work Day<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>(Friday, June 24). Even CAA is joining the bike-olution with their new Bike Assist<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>program that offers roadside assistance 24/7 for cyclists. CAA is also attempting to broker some increased respect and safety amongst road users with their Watch for Bikes<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>campaign. ------------------------------ *Bus, walk, bike, carshare?* Need a car but only sometimes? Carsharing could be the answer and it's now in Winnipeg! Peg City Car Co-op<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>gives you easy and affordable access to zippy little cars without the hassle and cost of owning your own vehicle. With gas prices soaring, this is one solution that is easy on the pocketbook and can fit nicely into your life if you mostly get around by bus, walking or cycling. Peg City Car Co-op's first vehicles will be located in Osborne Village with plans to expand into neighbouring areas as the number of members and cars in the fleet grow. ------------------------------ *Commuting takes its toll* A recent U.S. survey<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>found that 4% of employees – a whopping 5 million people – called in sick because they couldn't face their commute to work. Almost half of respondents noted that the valuable time spent commuting has a significant impact on their job satisfaction, with a third saying it played a role in their decision of where to work. So how can employers help? The good folks at Grist magazine <http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…>have a few suggestions. For the local perspective, check out Green Action Centre's Workplace Commuter Options<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>program and ideas, including 7 steps<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>to get you started and making the business case<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a1…>for improving commuting options. You are receiving this email because you are an Active & Green subscriber. Unsubscribe<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage2.com/unsubscribe?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a…> jessie_klassen(a)hotmail.com from this list. Our mailing address is: Green Action Centre 3-303 Portage Ave. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B4 Add us to your address book<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/vcard?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f5…> Copyright (C) 2011 Green Action Centre All rights reserved. Forward<http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&id=324…>this email to a friend Update your profile<http://greenactioncentre.us2.list-manage.com/profile?u=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3…> [image: Email Marketing Powered by MailChimp]<http://www.mailchimp.com/monkey-rewards/?aid=af15a2f9f91ef9a183a3f55cc&afl=1>

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Please vote for Green Action Centre's WOW project
by Beth McKechnie 16 May '11

16 May '11

Hello friends and colleagues, Green Action Centre's WOW (We Often Walk to School and Play) program was selected by the Keg Foundation as a potential winner of $25,000 towards expanding/developing this project! We hope you will consider supporting us by voting for our project! Details on "We Often Walk to School and Play" can be found by clicking on the project picture on the link below. If you are so inclined, you can VOTE for our project ONCE PER DAY up till June 14 at : http://www.thekegthanksamillion.com/en/phase2/projects/show/r/19 Please share this link widely with others who might be willing to help. thanks! Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Montreal: City cycling network 'to keep getting better'
by Beth McKechnie 16 May '11

16 May '11

City cycling network 'to keep getting better' *Another $10M invested to expand, improve routes* By MICHELLE LALONDE, The Gazette May 13, 2011 Montreal cyclists will be cruising along 70 new kilometres of bicycle routes by next fall if the city follows through on a promise to invest another $10 million in its cycling network this summer. Michel Bissonnet, the city official responsible for bike paths, on Thursday unveiled the city's 2011-12 plan for expanding and improving the cycling network, which already offers 530 kilometres of lanes and paths. "We want our network of bike routes to keep getting better, more accessible and better-integrated, so that the bicycle becomes a real alternative to car use," Bissonnet said. The city has pledged the network will measure 800 km by 2015, but achievements over the last two years have fallen short because of bad weather and a change in the contracting process. Last year, the city completed 23.4 km of the 50 km that had been planned. In 2009, it was 42 km of 60. Nonetheless, cycling advocates welcomed Thursday's blueprint for summer, noting it includes many small extensions that connect gaps in the network, and a couple of promising pilot projects to improve safety at busy intersections. "Improvements can't always be measured in kilometres," said Jean-François Pronovost, who heads Vélo Québec. The city will try the "bike box" concept, popular in many European cities, at the corner of Milton and University Sts. A painted green box across the width of the road in front of the white line where cars must stop will allow cyclists to wait in front of cars and proceed through the intersection first. Also, new concrete medians will separate bike lanes from car traffic at three intersections along the busy St. Urbain St. bike lane (at Pine Ave., St. Cuthbert St. and Duluth Ave.) Other highlights: --The de Maisonneuve Blvd. bike path will be extended east from Berri St. to Dorion St. to give cyclists safer access to the Jacques Cartier Bridge. --Bicycle commuters from Laval will be able to take advantage of new bike lanes that link to the downtown bike path network, from the Viau Bridge down along Berri, Lajeunesse, Émile Journault, Henri-Julien, De Castelnau and St. Dominique Sts. --In LaSalle, cyclists will be able get from the Lachine Canal bike path to the path along the river by taking a new route down Senkus St. to Cordner St., then west along Cordner, Hardy, and Bédard Sts. to 90th Ave. ner St., then west along Cordner, Hardy, and Bédard Sts. to 90th Ave. An updated map of the bike path network, including Bixi stops, will be available by the end of May at Accès Montréal offices, libraries, and bike shops. Information on the new projects, as well as the bike network map, are posted on the city's website: www. ville.montreal.qc.ca mlalonde@ montrealgazette.com © Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

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Positive results for Walkable Edmonton's communities on foot map series
by Beth McKechnie 12 May '11

12 May '11

*Walkable Edmonton - Taking Steps E-News* http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/View.aspx?id=252445&q=312226532&qz=… While Walkable Edmonton has had lots of positive feedback around our Communities on Foot Map Series, we now are fortunate to have a study undertaken by the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta looking at the Avenue Communities Walking Map that was released this past summer. The study showed some really positive indicators around the maps encouraging people to get out walking and connect with their communities. * Executive Summary*: http://www.industrymailout.com/Industry/Home/2656/3801/link252445/FINAL%20E… -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Analysis of Bicycling Trends and Policies in Large N.A. Cities (Pucher, 2011)
by Beth McKechnie 11 May '11

11 May '11

Analysis of Bicycling Trends and Policies in Large North American Cities: Lessons for New York*Source: University Transportation Research Center (Region 2)* *Download*: http://fulltextreports.com/2011/04/11/analysis-of-bicycling-trends-and-poli… [Note: this is an extension of the "Bicycling Renaissance in North America" journal article that was distributed previously. -Beth] This research report reviews trends in cycling levels, safety, and policies in large North American cities over the past two decades. We analyze aggregate national data as well as city- specific case study data for nine large cities (Chicago, Minneapolis, Montréal, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington, DC). Cycling levels have increased in both the USA and Canada, while cyclist fatalities have fallen. The number of bike commuters in the USA rose by 64% from 1990 to 2009, and the bike share of commuters rose from 0.4% to 0.6%. Over the shorter period from 1996 to 2006, the number of bike commuters in Canada rose by 42%, and the bike share of commuters rose from 1.1% to 1.3%. >From 1988 to 2008, cycling fatalities fell by 66% in Canada and by 21% in the USA; serious injuries fell by 40% in Canada and by 31% in the USA. There is much spatial variation and socioeconomic inequality in cycling rates. The bike share of work commuters is more than twice as high in Canada as in the USA, and is higher in the western parts of both countries. Cycling is concentrated in central cities, especially near universities and in gentrified neighborhoods near the city center. Almost all the growth in cycling in the USA has been among men between 25-64 years old, while cycling rates have remained steady among women and fallen sharply for children. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Webinar: Using Social Media to Improve Bicycle & Ped Facilities, Wed, May 18, 2-3 pm, EcoCentre
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '11

10 May '11

* Green Action Centre will host a Winnipeg viewing of the following APBP (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals) webinar on Using Social Media to Improve Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities on Wednesday, May 18. If you would like to join us for a group viewing of this webinar, please let me know at beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca. See you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 ------------------------------ Using Social Media to Improve Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Wednesday, May 18 • 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT * *Location: EcoCentre boardroom, 303 Portage Ave, 3rd floor (enter via elevator inside Mountain Equipment Co-op)* Recent current events have demonstrated that social media offer serious and effective tools for change. Join this APBP webinar on May 18 at 2:00 p.m. CDT to explore different types of social media and their potential for helping bicycle and pedestrian professionals and advocates build powerful coalitions, foster community, and reach new audiences. A trio of presenters from three areas of practice—consulting, advocacy, and government—who are using social media and Web 2.0 tools creatively and successfully will share their insights and experience. The session will include a brief explanation of different tools and their uses, a discussion of policies and best practices for managing content, and case studies that showcase different real world examples of social media helping to improve bike/ped facilities and conditions: Bike|Walk|Idaho, the NE 125th Street road diet project in Seattle, and Cascade Bicycle Club's BikeWise.org project. Presenters are Brice Maryman, ASLA, SvR Design; Maureen Gresham, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, Idaho Transportation Department; and Chris Rule, Political Program Manager, Cascade Bicycle Club.

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Changing Lanes: Improving the Bike-Car Relationship on Canada's Roads (CAA)
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '11

10 May '11

*PLEASE NOTE*: The organizers have advised that there will be more details available by next Wednesday regarding the webcast, plus they are intending to record the conference for later viewing. We at Green Action Centre are interested in hearing some of the excellent speakers lined up for this conference, so will keep you informed as to a potential group viewing for those who are interested. [image: CAA_Changing_Lanes_503x384web-EN.jpg] CAA has always advocated on issues of concern to its members, and today that includes how bikes and vehicles can better co-exist on Canada’s roads. Millions of our members are both drivers and cyclists, and they see the debate from both sides. Our goal is to provide neutral information, tips and best practices so members can drive and cycle safely. CAA is putting its commitment to the bike-car relationship into action through the services we offer. For example, several CAA clubs offer Emergency Roadside Assistance to bicyclists year round as part of the CAA membership. As part of our commitment to further the bike-car discussion, CAA is hosting a national conference on the topic. Changing Lanes: Improving the Bike-Car Relationship on Canada’s Roads will be hosted on May 25th, 2011, in Vancouver, B.C. The conference will bring together leading international and domestic experts to discuss the latest thinking on bike/car safety, infrastructure, and the business opportunities and costs of increasing the presence of bicycles in our cities. *Conference topics include:* - “Building a Better Connection” – How can we build infrastructure that supports a smoother relationship for drivers and cyclists? - “A Safer Way Forward” - A discussion about strategies and actions that both drivers and cyclists can adopt to help make the road ahead a bit safer for us all. - “The Business Cycle” - Engaging proponents and opponents in the ongoing debate about the real costs and opportunities for business of more biking in Canadian cities. *Confirmed speakers include:* - Gil Penalosa, Executive Director, 8-80 cities, Toronto - Margaret Mahan, Executive Director, Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (B.E.S.T), Vancouver - Jean-François Pronovost, Vice-President, Development and Public Affairs, Vélo Québec, Montreal - Eleanor McMahon, Founder and C.E.O., Share the Road Cycling Coalition, Burlington, Ontario - Hans-Jurgen Becker, Velocities 2012, Vancouver - Jennifer Dill, Oregon Transportation Consortium , Portland … and many more! Email: For further information, please contact us at 613-247-0117 ext. 2006 or via email at changinglanes(a)national.caa.ca. Webcasting: Please join us on May 25th for simultaneous coverage of Changing Lanes. Please feel free to submit any questions you may have for our panellists to changinglanes(a)national.caa.ca or participate in our live chat on the day of the conference.

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After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project News
by Beth McKechnie 10 May '11

10 May '11

Recreation Connections Manitoba and Green Action Centre are pleased to announce the latest exciting developments in the After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project. *Website* We invite you to visit the new After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project website at www.afterschoolmanitoba.ca Officially launched as of May 6, 2011, the website includes information on the project; resources related to after school programs, physical activity, nutrition, and active transportation and will be used to keep stakeholders informed on the project and related topics. Interactive features to encourage information sharing and communication among after school program providers will be developed over the next while. *Call for Applications* The After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project has released a Call for Applications for after school providers interested in participating as a pilot site during the 2011 – 2012 school year. Funding of up to $10,000 will be provided to assist after school programs, for children ages 6 – 12 years, increase physical activity, healthy eating and active transportation within their program. A minimum of *6* sites from across the province will be selected to participate. The deadline for applications is *May 27, 2011*. For more information and to download the application form and an information package with background information, application process and eligibility criteria please visit www.afterschoolmanitoba.ca Roy Mulligan Project Coordinator After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project Recreation Connections Manitoba 317-145 Pacific Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3B 2Z6 Phone: (204)925-5751 Email: recconnections.pro(a)sportmanitoba.ca

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CAA Launches Bike Assist Road Side Assistance Program
by Shoni Litinsky 10 May '11

10 May '11

May 10/11 10:24 am - CAA Manitoba Launches Road Side Assistance & Awareness Programs Posted by *Editoress* on *05/10/11* CAA Manitoba is being proactive with bicycles; launching two new programs: *Bike Assist* CAA Manitoba members can now call for road side assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week when their bike chain breaks or a tire tube pops. Available beginning today, Bike Assist is an innovative new benefit that allows CAA members to use any of their four annually allotted service calls to receive road side assistance if their bike breaks down. Members can use the service to be transported home or to the bike repair shop of their choice. Mike Mager, President and CEO of CAA Manitoba, says with more than 198,000 members, it is important to recognize the changing transportation needs of all members - no matter how they chose to go. "For the first time in Manitoba, our always reliable roadside assistance is now available for bikes, too," Mager said. "Whether you're an avid cyclist who commutes to work to save money on gas, or a casual biker that runs into trouble on the trail, CAA now has all of your wheels covered." Jean-Francios Ravenelle, Owner and operator of Gord's Ski and Bike, says his customers are excited about the Bike Assist service. "It's a fact. Commuters are increasingly looking at alternative options for getting to work," said Ravenelle. "Our Donald location is especially busy most mornings in the summer when bikers and cyclists pop in for a quick tune up on their way into Downtown." A Fact Sheet on Bike Assist can be read Here<http://www.canadiancyclist.com/races11/Bike_Assist_CAA_Manitoba.pdf> . *Watch for Bikes* In an effort to increase awareness about how easy it is for cyclists and motorists to have accidents, CAA Manitoba is launching an awareness campaign that provides motorists with small plastic decals that say "Watch for Bikes" - specifically designed to be placed on their driver's side rear-view mirror. According to police-reported data, in 2009 there were 239 bicyclists involved in collisions with a motor vehicle in Manitoba. (Source: 2009 Traffic Collisions Statistics, published by MPI, Table 7-3, page 124). It's a statistic President and CEO of CAA Manitoba Mike Mager says could be lower if cyclists and motorists knew how to safely share the road. "A cyclist can be virtually invisible from inside a car," said Mager. "When motorists place this sticker on their mirror, it provides a constant reminder to check for cyclists and other traffic." Cam Lundgren, an avid cyclist who enjoys commuting to work, has had several close calls with cars. "When a driver opens their door without checking, it's what cyclists call the 'door prize'," said Lundgren. "Last summer I came within inches of getting this 'gift'. I'm an experienced cyclist - so I know it can happen to anyone!" Dan Vandal, City Councilor responsible for Infrastructure Renewal and Public Works, says the city is working hard to continually develop and improve the alternative infrastructure networks. He says education about how to safely share the road will always be important. "No matter how many kilometres of bike lanes and trails are built in Winnipeg, cars and bikes still need to respect each other and safely share the road," Vandal said. "With more bikes on the road during the summer - and even more on the road once school is out at the end of June, Watch for Bikes is a simple way to remind motorists to look twice before they change lanes or open their car door." -- *Shoni Litinsky* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Avenue* | *(204) 925-3773 Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/> Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/>

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Free bus service to 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival
by Beth McKechnie 06 May '11

06 May '11

MEET YOUR FRIENDS ON THE* FESTIVAL EXPRESS – * THE FREE BUS SERVICE TO THE 2011 FESTIVAL [image: Old Ladies] We have some really exciting news to share with you today! As you may know, we've been working hard to reduce the carbon footprint of the festival over the years – with everything from compostable cups at our taverns to our organized *Bike Ride to Site<http://smr.mm.ticketmaster.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEyNTI1OD…> *. And now, we're making it even easier for you to join us in our efforts to green the festival with our new and improved Winnipeg Transit service – the *Festival Express<http://smr.mm.ticketmaster.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEyNTI1OD…> *. *The Festival Express is... The QUICKEST, EASIEST way to get to and from the festival – even with your gear! And it's FREE with your festival ticket, wristband or pass. * - Downtown departures every 30 minutes; - Park & Ride departures every 60 minutes; - Wagons, strollers, all your gear – welcome! - Accessible buses for everyone’s use; - More buses than ever – enjoy Main Stage until the end! - FREE! with your festival ticket, wristband or pass. *For more information about the *Winnipeg Transit / Winnipeg Folk Festival Expres*s *visit our website*<http://smr.mm.ticketmaster.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEyNTI1OD…> .

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[At-network] Ticketing blitz seeks rapport between cyclists, drivers
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

Ticketing blitz seeks rapport between cyclists, drivers CORBETT HANCEY From Saturday's Globe and Mail Published Friday, Apr. 29, 2011 10:27PM EDT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ticketing-blitz-seeks-… As warmer weather brings out more cyclists, Toronto police have started a ticketing blitz in a bid to persuade downtown cyclists and drivers to respect each others’ rights on the road. Police say most cycle-related accidents in the downtown core happen when drivers open car doors without first looking for cyclists. They also said residents have complained about cyclists driving on the sidewalk and not obeying traffic signals. Urban cycling consultant Yvonne Bambrick agrees that it’s the job of the police to enforce cycling-related traffic laws, but thinks police should focus more on public education for cyclists. “Not everybody knows the rules or how they apply to cyclists. People do need to know,” she said, adding, “and ideally they would be wearing lights on their bike at night and obeying the stop signs and giving right of way to pedestrians.” As the ticketing began on Friday, cycling advocates from across Canada and the world met at a downtown cafe to talk about strategies for promoting cycling to municipal politicians. It was part of the Complete Streets Forum, a conference organized by the Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation. The group’s website says the goal of the conference was to “embrace and protect cyclists and pedestrians while accommodating all road users, including transit and cars.” “The most important issue is creating excellent bikeways and encouraging people to bike, to get out there and do it, enjoy it, take it seriously and smile while you're doing it,” said Mia Birk, a speaker at the conference, and president of Alta Planning and Design, a Portland, Ore.-based firm that works with cities across North America to promote biking, walking and mass transit. “That’s far more important than focusing on enforcement,” she added. She said less attention should be paid to the negative aspects of cycling like ticketing for violations and more on the positives, such as the city-wide bike-sharing program that launches next week. The program starts May 3 and will put 1,000 bikes at the disposal of Torontonians. “Having all these bikes is going to be a big moment for Toronto,” she said. But not everyone at the event shared Ms. Birk’s enthusiasm. The police campaign comes after council voted to stop work on the Fort York pedestrian and cycle bridge, and Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee voted to dissolve the cycling advisory panel, along with 20 other citizen advisory groups. Toronto Councillor Mike Layton said he worries that eliminating the advisory committee shuts down an important line of communication between Torontonians and their municipal government. He said he hopes it’s not a sign of things to come under Mr. Ford. “The cycling committee is made up of people who actually bike and are dedicated bike activists,” he said, adding, “We need to have their opinion when we’re making decisions.” The advisory committees will be shut down after the next council meeting unless something is done to save them, Mr. Layton said. More related to this story - Rob Ford could become a champion of cycling<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/marcus-gee/rob-ford-co…> - Ford’s committee criticized for vote to cancel citizen panels<http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/fords-committee-critic…> - Ford pedalling away from downtown bike-lane network <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/ford-pedalling-away-fr…>

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Shine your walking shoes - Jane's Walk Festival May 7 & 8
by Beth McKechnie 29 Apr '11

29 Apr '11

** please share widely - thanks! ** Shine your walking shoes Winnipeg: The fifth annual Jane's Walk festival is coming up May 7 & 8 ! On Saturday May 7 & Sunday May 8, join a walking tour in your community led by your neighbours. Explore Winnipeg's diverse and vibrant neighbourhoods while walking, talking and sharing ideas. What is Jane's Walk? Jane's Walk is an annual celebration of sustainable cities, walkable neighbourhoods, and vibrant communities. Named in honour of Jane Jacobs<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs>--an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building--the first Jane's Walk was organized in Toronto five years ago and has since spread to more than 30 cities across Canada and 70 cities worldwide. Jane's Walk is now in it's fifth year in Winnipeg and includes walks on a range of themes and topics, including local history, urban biodiversity, city planning, design and transportation issues, social experiences of the city, and more. Jane's Walks are intended to create a space for citizens to talk about what matters to them in the places they live, work and play. How do I join a Jane's Walk? Participating in Jane's Walk is simple: local community members with a passion for urban issues and local history have organized walking tours in their neighbourhood; a list of confirmed walks is published on the Jane's Walk website <http://janeswalk.net/cities/landing/category/winnipeg/> and the public is invited to join any walk of their choosing—no registration or RSVP required. Simply meet your walk leader at the time and place indicated in the online listing. Remember, Jane's Walk is a "walking conversation" and we encourage walk leaders and participants alike to contribute to the conversation by asking questions and sharing their knowledge and passion for cities. What walks are being offered this year? Some of the walks confirmed for this year's Jane's Walk include: - *History Lives In North Point Douglas* with Robert Galston - *Winnipeg Modern: Explore Winnipeg's Modernist Architectural Heritage*with Serena Keshavjee - *The Rapid Tranist Walk* with Paul Hesse - *So You Thought You Knew the West End: Murals and More* with Gloria Cardwell-Hoeppner - *Discover Public Art in Downtown Winnipeg* with Tricia Wasney - *Echoes of Our Past: Walk the Historic Seine & Red Rivers in St. Boniface and visit of Fort Gibraltar* with Jean-Pierre Brunet - *New Central Park* with Designers from: Scatliff Miller + Murray Inc. Landscape Architects, David Penner Architect, Cohlmeyer Architecture Ltd. - *West Broadway* with Robert Shaw - *The Heart of Fort Rouge Tour: Riverview a Place with it all* with Jino Destasio - *Sharing Cars and Gardens: An educational walk through Osborne Village *with Melissa Dupuis and Shauna Carmichael - *Urban Wildlife in Winnipeg *with Laurel McDonald - *Transcona Remembers with ** Transcona Historical Museum* - Matthew Komus - *Winnipeg Modern: Explore Winnipeg’s Modern Architectural Heritage* with Serena Keshavjee New walks are being confirmed everyday. For a complete listing of Jane's Walks check out our website: www.janeswalk.net Contact Facebook: http://on.fb.me/janeswalkwinnipeg Matt Koop-Pearce, volunteer organizer mgcarreau(a)gmail.com (204) 421-2903

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Join the Commuter Challenge!
by Jessie Klassen 28 Apr '11

28 Apr '11

*Join the Commuter Challenge!* Sign up to bike, bus, carpool or walk to work for the Commuter Challenge running June 5-11! Sign up by stopping in at one of Downtown Biz's conveniently located kiosks or register online! Wednesday, May 4 from 11:30 to 1:30 in the walkway by the Millennium Library stairs, Thursday, May 5 from 11:30 to 1:30 in Portage Place, Edmonton Court, or on Friday, May 6 from 11:30 to 1:30 in Portage Place, Edmonton Court. Free mini muffins and cinnamon buns from Tall Grass Prairie Bakery will be available for those who stop by. Also, enter to win a $100 gift certificate to Sydney's and a $50 gift certificate to Mountain Equipment Co-op. This is an initiative of the Green Action Centre and Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. For more information, please contact Francine at 204-925-3779 or challenge(a)greenactioncentre.ca. **For more information on the Commuter Challenge, go to: http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/commuter-challenge/

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Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Active Transport lab UBC
by Beth McKechnie 28 Apr '11

28 Apr '11

Postdoctoral position in Health and Community Design - *Employer:* Bombardier Active Transportation Lab, University of British Columbia<http://jobs.phds.org/employer/jobs/5376/university-of-british-columbia> - *Location:* Vancouver, BC, Canada<http://jobs.phds.org/in-vancouver-bc-canada?location=Vancouver,%20BC,%20Can…> - *Posted:* Apr 26, 2011 *Expires:* May 31, 2011 Description: *Full Time Postdoctoral Research Fellowship(s) in Health and Community Design Research* *Active Transport lab -- University of British Columbia (UBC)* The Active Transportation Lab (ATL) at the University of British Columbia, directed by Dr. Lawrence Frank, invites applications from accomplished researchers in the fields of environmental health, epidemiology, health promotion, urban planning, geography, engineering, and others. The Lab’s mission is: *assessing and conveying how community design, including the location and form of transportation investments and land development actions, impacts travel, time use, and activity patterns; air quality; climate change; energy consumption; and public health*. The lab is positioned between the Schools of Environmental Health and Community and Regional Planning at UBC. Postdoctoral fellow(s) will be encouraged to traverse health and environmental impacts of community design with a direct focus on comparative work across socio-demographic sub-groups. This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate with strong quantitative skills to play a leadership role in cutting-edge research that has societal implications for health, environmental and economic sustainability, and overall quality of life. The Vancouver region is a wonderful setting for this work with several very progressive and supportive organizational partners at the municipal, regional, and provincial level along with a growing transit system. Canada is making several advances in promoting healthy communities that offer unique research opportunities. Postdoctoral Fellow(s) will participate in recently funded longitudinal studies and conduct original research and publishing drawing upon several recently completed large scale observation studies (4 NIH funded Neighborhood Quality of Life Studies see www.nqls.org – Sallis, Saelens, Frank, King and others); the King County (Seattle) Healthscape Study; and the NEWPATH Study which integrates travel diary, dietary, and objectively measured physical activity and built environment data including pedestrian infrastructure. Data include objectively measured physical activity, sedentary time, and features of the built environment in GIS at the parcel level, transit and roadway accessibility, and most have in field collected micro scale features of the pedestrian environment. We have also audited parks and food establishments and collected dietary data. Applicants should have a sound theoretical and practical understanding of the linkages between the built environment and travel behavior, including relationships with secondary outcomes such as physical activity, obesity, air pollution, and access to food. Strong research design skills are desired. Applicants are requested to provide a cover letter detailing their research interests and expertise. The application should also include a current CV, representative publications, and contact information for three references. Please submit these documents as pdf files to andrea.procyk(a)ubc.ca by May 31, 2011. Source: http://jobs.phds.org/job/28492/university-of-british-columbia/postdoctoral-…

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New report on Complete Streets
by Beth McKechnie 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

*Complete Streets - New Report* The National Complete Streets Coalition in the U.S. has just released a new report updating and comparing the skyrocketing number of Complete Streets policies that have been implemented in the past couple of years. Waterloo, ON became Canada's first community to implement a Complete Streets policy last week. The report can be downloaded from: http://www.completestreets.org/news-blog/blog/ If you're not sure what this is all about, here's a quick explanation from the report: "Complete Streets policies formalize a community’s intent to plan, design, and maintain streets so they are safe for all users of all ages and abilities. Policies direct transportation planners and engineers to consistently design and construct the right-of-way to accommodate all anticipated users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, and freight vehicles. Complete streets can be achieved through a variety of policies: ordinances and resolutions; rewrites of design manuals; inclusion in comprehensive plans; internal policies developed by transportation agencies; executive orders from elected officials, such as Mayors or Governors; and policies developed by stakeholders from the community and agency staff that are formally adopted by an elected board of officials..." The report identifies the strongest policies existing today and provides guidance on the key elements that should be included. cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Canada gets a failing grade for childhood fitness
by Beth McKechnie 27 Apr '11

27 Apr '11

Canada gets a failing grade for childhood fitness ANDRÉ PICARD, PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER— From Tuesday's Globe and Mail Published Tuesday, Apr. 26, 2011 6:00AM EDT Canadian children spend a mere 14 minutes of their after-school hours being physically active, a new study shows. “The days of biking home from school and putting the nets out for a game of road hockey are long gone,” said Mark Tremblay, chief scientific officer with Active Healthy Kids Canada. In its annual report card on physical activity, published Tuesday, AHKC identifies a number of factors that contribute to the sedentary behaviour of kids in the key 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. time period, including: * After-school programs do not see activity as a priority; * Lack of supervised programs, particularly for older children; * Schoolyards that are devoid of play structures; * Transportation policies that result in kids being whisked away as soon as the bell rings; * Latch-key children who come home and plunk themselves down in front of the TV; * Parental fears about community safety that keep children inside. “We need a fundamental rethink of how we deliver after-school programs,” said Elio Antunes, chief operating officer of ParticipACTION. “Getting kids outside needs to become a priority.” While it is often argued that modern children are overwhelmed by homework and that the pressure to succeed takes precedence over activity, Mr. Antunes does not buy that argument. “If they can find hours a day to watch screens for entertainment, they can find time to be active,” he said. “Besides, we know that kids who are physically active do much better in school.” Canadian research shows that young people aged 5 to 19 who spend time outside after school take about 2,000 additional steps a day – the equivalent of walking two kilometres. The new data reveal that that 72 per cent of children do not have access to after-school programs, which are geared principally to young kids. Further, less than half the after-school programs focus on physical activity. “Essentially, it’s babysitting – sedentary babysitting,” Dr. Tremblay said. The children who are on their own after class is dismissed seem to fair even worse. “Screen-time is replacing after-school activity. We have to find a way to turn that around,” Dr. Tremblay said. Active Healthy Kids Canada is a charitable organization that advocates the importance of physical activity for children and youth where they live, learn and play. It has published an annual report card for the past five years. The group now assigns 23 grades related to childhood physical activity. This year’s grades include: * F for overall physical activity: Only 9 per cent of boys and 4 per cent of girls meet guideline recommendations of 60 minutes daily of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; * F for active play: Only one in eight children engage in play every day after school; * F for screen-related behaviour: Canadian kids spend, on average six hours daily in front of TV, computer and game screens; * D for active transportation: One in four children get to and from school under their own steam, such as walking or biking; * C- for physical education: One in four children get no gym classes; half get one to two gym periods a week and; one in four gets three to four periods; * C for organized sport: 75 per cent of parents say their children participate in organized sport in the past year; * A- for proximity and availability: 95 per cent of parents polled say that parks and outdoor spaces are available locally. Dr. Tremblay noted that the grades have remained fairly consistent over the years - “consistently and uniformly grim” - but that will not change until there is a concerted effort to improve the situation. “We talk a lot about all this stuff, about childhood obesity and lack of physical activity, but we don’t seem to do anything about it,” he said.

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Japan: Out of disaster, a burst of enthusiasm for bicycling
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Out of Disaster, a Burst of Enthusiasm for Bicycling By MIKI TANIKAWA Published: April 18, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/business/global/18iht-rbog-bicycle-18.htm… TOKYO — Whenever Shigeki Kobayashi spots a salaryman on a bicycle with his bag in the front basket, he knows that he is watching a novice bike commuter: putting the heavy load up front makes steering harder, an elementary mistake. Mr. Kobayashi also realizes that someone is new to street cycling when the rider is on the sidewalk. “Some people mistakenly think it is safer on the sidewalk,” he said. “That’s wrong, because on the sidewalk there is greater chance you’d bump into someone or something.” Mr.Kobayashi is director of the Bicycle Usage Promotion Study Group, a nonprofit organization that promotes usage of bicycles in Tokyo. Since March 11, when an earthquake devastated northern Japan and rattled the Tokyo metropolitan area, the streets of Suginami ward, where he lives, have teemed with wobbly bikers pedaling their way to work. “The increase was sudden and visible,” he said during an interview. Over the past 20 years, more commuters in urban areas like Tokyo have been switching gears and choosing to bicycle to work instead of using trains and cars, citing concerns for health, environment, costs and an escape from packed trains. The catastrophe last month has now converted some of the holdouts by proving one more benefit to cycling: you have a means to go home when the trains stop moving. On that fateful day, millions of workers were stranded in the middle of the city when virtually the whole Tokyo train and subway system — which together shuttle nine million people in and out of the megalopolis daily — ground to a halt. Railways stopped trains for fear of aftershocks. While most of the trains and subways resumed service toward midnight, hundreds of thousands walked home or took shelter in their offices or public halls. Amid worried colleagues wondering how to get home, Masataka Isashiki, 32, a government worker in downtown Chiyoda ward, wowed his colleagues when he announced he was going like he always did: He put on his helmet and headed for his bike. The street was jammed with traffic, “but I simply found my way between cars which were stuck,” he said. “My colleagues were impressed.” That night, hordes of workers trailing home, sometimes as far as 20 kilometers, or 12 miles, on foot, swarmed any bicycle shops they found on their route. “There were many, many people who bought a bike on their way home,” said Kenji Tanaka, secretary general of a bicycle retailers’ association in Tokyo. “Many stores went empty that night.” Since then, “sales have been steadily growing and orders have been pouring in,” he added. Reflecting that, “there are more people on a bike on the road in the morning” now than a month ago, Mr. Isashiki said. “I also see more bicycles parked in the premise of the building I work in.” Mr. Kobayashi, director of the bicycle advocacy group, regularly counts the number of bikers passing by a busy boulevard that leads to downtown Tokyo. On a day last November, he counted 105 bicycles from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. That rose to 243 on March 14, three days after the earthquake and to 330 on March 30. “The quake has clearly changed the number of bike commuters,” he said. “It resembles the sudden spike in bike commuters in London after the 2005 bombings when public transportation was suspended for a while.” People who try biking to work quickly discover that finding their way on the meandering Tokyo streets is neither as daunting nor as exhausting as they expected. “With smartphones and Google<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/google_inc/index.html…>map, the task is made easy,” Mr. Kobayashi said. “They also notice it is quite a pleasant experience cycling. All together, the earthquake may have triggered a change in lifestyle for many.” Mr. Isashiki, the government worker, rides 10 kilometers each way — a 40 minute trip — on his silver Bianchi, an Italian-made bike for which he paid 80,000 yen, or $960. “It just feels good on the bike, generally,” rather than being squeezed into a train, he said. Riding lowers stress, said Takayuki Maruyama, 51, an executive with an information technology company in downtown Tokyo, who cycles to work once or twice a week. “Some people say you might get exhausted on the bike,” he said. “But I feel refreshed. The only snag is parking. There is no dedicated bicycle park, so I leave it on the sidewalk.” For most metropolitan riders, the mental and cardiovascular benefits outweigh the perceived environmental gain, since most have switched from train commutes rather than cars. “Since around 2002, people began talking about the metabolic syndrome and so forth for middle-aged people, which gave birth to the initial boom in bicycling,” Mr. Kobayashi said. According to the Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute, a government affiliated agency, bike ownership in Tokyo rose to 8.99 million in 2008, the most recent available yearly figure, from 7.07 million in 2000. Recently, electric-powered bicycles have also seen something of a boom in demand, particularly in the aftermath of the March temblor. Tooru Miyake, manager of the sales planning team at Panasonic<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/matsushita-electric-i…>Cycle Technology, based in Osaka, said that, probably as a result of the earthquake, the company’s sales of electric bicycles rose about 30 percent in March from that month last year. In February, the increase was just 10 percent, he said. The company would not say how many bikes it had sold, but it said total electric bike sales in Japan were running at about 380,000 a year, of which Panasonic holds a 40 percent market share. *This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:* *Correction: April 19, 2011* * An earlier version of this article stated that bicycle ownership in Tokyo rose to nearly nine million in 2008 from 7.07 million in 1990. The 7.07 million figure was for 2000, not 1990. *

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Research shows biking, walking can thrive in suburbia
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Research shows biking, walking can thrive in suburbia<http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/26/research-shows-biking-walking-can-thrive…> Posted by Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)<http://bikeportland.org/author/jonathan-maus/>on April 26th, 2011 at 8:47 am http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/26/research-shows-biking-walking-can-thrive… It's a somewhat generally accepted concept in urban planning circles that there's no hope for suburbia. Cinderblock walls, cul-de-sacs, and wide arterials all make for a car-centric lifestyle. But new reseach shows that among suburban multifamily housing — the fast growing housing type in the U.S. — biking and walking can thrive. In *Overlooked Density: Re-Thinking Transportation Options in Suburbia<http://otrec.us/project/216> * Nico Larco <http://otrec.us/research/researcher/larco/>, an assistant professor of architecture at the University of Oregon, focuses on suburban multifamily housing, which he calls a "widespread and overlooked example of density." "Dispelling commonly held beliefs about the amount of walking and biking occurring in suburbia, our study shows that more than a third of all trips to the LCA [local commercial area]... are active travel trips." His findings show that, not surprisingly, site design and connectivity to commercial areas are major factors in whether or not residents choose to walk or bike. Among developments in the study that were well-connected to commercial areas, more than 44% of residents choose to walk or bike to them — a rate that's nearly twice as high as multifamily developments that lack connectivity. But what is surprising is that, contrary to our popular perception of suburbia, "Across *all* studied developments, more than a third of all trips to nearby commercial strips are taken on foot, with a total of 38.7 percent taken on foot or by bicycle." Nico Larco, AIA Larco writes that there may be, "additional latent active transport in suburbia," but it will only be realized if developers and planners make connectivity and "pass through" between their units and commercial areas a top priority. For those that get it right, here's what they have to look forward to (taken from chapter 2 of the study): "The latent potential in proximity of residences and commercial areas can reduce residents’ reliance on automobiles and increase active modes of travel such as walking and biking, especially for short trips under a half mile. Increasing active travel might reduce vehicle miles traveled, which has positive impacts on the environment as it reduces carbon emissions. In addition, walking and biking can have a positive effect on residents’ physical and mental health and can provide economic savings." Especially significant in Larco's field of study are the health, economics, and equity implications. As he notes in the study, the typical demographic of suburban multifamily housing includes the elderly and lower-income individuals. "Increasing active travel for these populations," Larco writes, "can have an economic effect as residents do not need to have access to automobiles or pay for additional fuel for these short trips." Larco's study was funded by the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC). Learn more and download the final report at the OTREC website<http://otrec.us/news/entry/suburban_developments_can_build_in_walking_and_c…> .

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Active Transportation - Canada: April 26, 2011
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Haynes <activetransportation(a)rogers.com> Date: Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 10:26 AM Subject: Active Transportation - Canada: April 26, 2011 Active Transportation - Canada features a regular posting of news articles, studies, reports, and other items that have relevance in this field, with previous postings available in an archive. In addition, pictures of existing Active Transportation infrastructure from communities across Canada will be profiled each week. Twenty new items have recently been posted to the Active Transportation - Canada Blog. To view in more detail, go to: http://activetransportation-canada.blogspot.com **************************************************************************************************** 1. A dreadful accident, a wake-up call on street safety 2. City of Waterloo Adopts Canada's First Complete Streets Policy 3. The Federal Election and Cycling 4. Toronto - 2011 Complete Streets Forum 5. Guerilla Urbanism: North Oak Cliff residents create their own Complete Street ************************************************************************************* A reminder e-mail of new postings will be sent no more often than once per week. To continue to receive these updates, you need take no action. Should you not wish to receive updates, please return this e-mail with "Unsubscribe" in the Subject area. Interested in an AT workshop in your community? For more information, please contact: Michael Haynes Director TransActive Solutions **activetransportation(a)rogers.com<http://ca.mc883.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=activetransportation@rogers.com> 613.424.2803

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WFP: Pedestrians risk life and limb - Dodge traffic after pathway submerged (Apr.26'11)
by Beth McKechnie 26 Apr '11

26 Apr '11

Pedestrians risk life and limb Dodge traffic after pathway submerged By: Melissa Martin High water and heavy construction have choked off key walkways through one of Winnipeg's busiest downtown routes, triggering a jaywalking jam many fear is a disaster waiting to happen. On Monday afternoon, as the first waves of southbound rush-hour traffic started to flow south down Osborne Street from downtown, dozens of pedestrians and cyclists gingerly picked their way between oncoming cars to make it to Osborne Bridge's single open sidewalk. "This is what passes for planning in this city," said Paul Hesse, who walks or bikes every day from his Osborne Village home to his downtown law office. "It's terrible. Something has to be done." The problem: Since Monday morning, the east side of the Osborne Bridge sidewalk has been closed to accommodate the bridge's year-long rehabilitation. The city expected pedestrians and cyclists crossing the bridge from Osborne Village to use a path underneath the bridge's north side to get to the legislature grounds or the Assiniboine Avenue bikeway. But with that walkway deep under the swollen Assiniboine River and no temporary crossing from Mostyn Place to the legislature grounds, pedestrians walking downtown are forced to either walk north to Broadway -- or, as hundreds of people did on Monday, nip across three lanes of bustling Osborne Street traffic. Until the underpass reopens, Hesse worries, a scheme that pushes dozens of people an hour across Osborne Street traffic risks tragedy. "People haven't been warned about this," he said, minutes after a construction worker in a bright orange vest helped escort an elderly woman through the traffic. "Will people have to risk lives crossing illegally through Osborne's traffic?" Monday was a holiday for city employees, who were not available to discuss the issue in-depth. But in an email to Hesse on April 21, a city bridge engineer acknowledged the concern and said the city had "considered installing a temporary crossing at street level but determined that it is not safe to do so." The letter also noted that once the Assiniboine River water level retreats, the city will raise the walking path so it isn't impacted by future flooding. The bridge-level sidewalk will not re-open until October. The bridge project will also add a permanent pedestrian crosswalk between Assiniboine Avenue and Mostyn Place, the city said, but that will not be open until October 2012. At the impromptu crossing on Monday, some pedestrians scooting between cars were taken aback by the city's decision. "It's too dangerous (to put a temporary crossing)? Oh, that's good," said Kendall Hinds, an Osborne Village resident, on his way to toss a Frisbee on the legislature grounds. "They really thought this one through -- this is the major access point into the village." On the flip side, drivers seemed to understand that too, as they slowed down and stopped on Monday to let pedestrians and bikers cross. "It's a little inconvenient, but for the most part motorists have been really considerate," said bike commuter Bonnie Van Steelandt, waiting for an opening in traffic to pedal across to the west side of Osborne Street. "But it would be nice to have a crosswalk here. I don't know the right answer -- I just hope it doesn't last long." melissa.martin(a)freepress.mb.ca -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Employment opportunity: Bike to the Future Office Administrator / Bicycle Valet Winnipeg Project Coordinator
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

The Bike to the Future Office Administrator / Bicycle Valet Winnipeg Project Coordinator will report to Bike to the Future's Board of Directors and provide administrative support to the organization. This person will also be the primary leader and executive director of Bicycle Valet Winnipeg, a project of Bike to the Future. Find the job posting and more details here: http://biketothefuture.org/news/archives/2011/04/23/employment-opportunity-… For more info, or to submit a resume, please email contact(a)biketothefuture.org.

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AASHTO withdraws objection to stronger bike-ped rules
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/04/25/under-pressure-aashto-withdraws-object… Under Pressure, AASHTO Withdraws Objection to Stronger Bike-Ped Rules by Angie Schmitt <http://dc.streetsblog.org/author/angie-schmitt/> on April 25, 2011 The Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is withdrawing its opposition to an important federal policy change that puts cyclists and pedestrians on a more equal footing with motorists. Active transportation groups were outraged earlier this month when AASHTO requested<http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/04/12/aashto-new-rule-makes-it-too-hard-to-i…>that the FHWA revert to an old standard that required state DOTs show only that “due consideration” had been given to the needs of cyclists and pedestrians in federally financed transportation projects. *A newer requirement increased the standard to “due accommodation,” shifting the burden on transportation agencies to demonstrate that extreme circumstances prevent the inclusion of bike and pedestrian infrastructure.* In his statement Friday, AASHTO Executive Director John Horsley said the agency’s request was meant “to streamline the effort and paperwork required to justify why bicycle or pedestrian facilities may or may not be appropriate on a given federal aid project.” But he added that the group would withdraw the request in light of opposition that emerged after the League of American Bicyclists<http://www.bikeleague.org/blog/2011/04/aashto-wants-to-weaken-us-dot-bicycl…>, this blog<http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/04/12/aashto-new-rule-makes-it-too-hard-to-i…>and other bike advocates<http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/19/odot-expresses-disappointment-in-aashto-…>took up the issue. Horsley said that since that time several state DOT chiefs also came out against the request, including Matthew Garrett of the Oregon DOT<http://bikeportland.org/2011/04/19/odot-expresses-disappointment-in-aashto-…> . “In response to the concerns expressed by several members of AASHTO’s Board of Directors, President [Susan] Martinovich has directed AASHTO for the time being to withdraw its request that FHWA rescind its guidance on the meaning of ‘due consideration’ of bicycle and pedestrian needs,” said Horsley. “This will give AASHTO an opportunity to meet with bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups on May 19 to discuss this issue.” Andy Clarke of the League of American Bicyclists is planning to attend the meeting. He says he’s glad AASHTO is warming to the idea that all transportation projects should begin with the idea of including bicycles and pedestrians in the plan “rather than ‘we’re not going to include bike stuff unless someone makes us.’” Clarke said AASHTO’s backpedaling is an important demonstration of the collective power of bicycle and pedestrian advocates. “I’m glad we called them on it,” he said. “I’m glad they heard a good deal of dissent.” -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Illinois tracking 'dooring' crashes involving cyclists
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

State begins tracking ‘dooring’ crashes involving cyclists SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE Apr 25, 2011 11:50AM Gov. Pat Quinn on Monday announced the state will begin tracking “dooring” crashes — accidents involving bicyclists struck by opened doors from parked cars. The change will help determine locations where road improvements and public outreach efforts may be necessary to protect cyclists, a release from the Active Transportation Alliance said. The new policy is the result of a collaboration between the Illinois Dept. of Transportation and the Active Transportation Alliance. Before the change, dooring collisions went unrecognized in IDOT’s annual reporting of traffic statistics because a moving vehicle was not involved. The data will be used to plan for improved roadway designs and additional communication with motorists in areas with high concentrations of cyclists, the release said. IDOT’s Division of Traffic Safety is also reaching out to law enforcement agencies with instructions on how to begin recording dooring crashes. Police departments that have already begun tracking them, including Chicago, will have their data included in the state’s statistics retroactive to May 2010. http://www.suntimes.com/5014213-417/state-begins-tracking-dooring-crashes-i… -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Jane's Walk strolling into town!
by Beth McKechnie 25 Apr '11

25 Apr '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Matt <mgcarreau(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Apr 22, 2011 at 5:36 PM Subject: Jane's Walk strolling into town! Hi there, my name is Matt Koop-Pearce and I am a volunteer organizer for this year's edition of Jane's Walk. The organizing committee is making a big push to promote the fast approaching Jane's Walk on May 7 & 8 and we would appreciate your help. I am contacting you because you or your organization either has a community member leading a walk or because Jane's Walk is an event that yourself and folks in your community would most certainly be interested in hearing about and participating in. Can you please help us get the word out by forwarding the message below through your personal, professional, and community networks and email list serves? I have also attached a PDF of our media release and a poster that you are welcome to forward along with this message. Of course, word of mouth promotion is always the most powerful, so we hope you will take a moment to check out some of exciting walks planned for this year and convince your friends and neighbours to participate in Jane's Walk on May 7 & 8! Thank you sincerely, Matt Koop-Pearce ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shine your walking shoes Winnipeg: The fifth annual Jane's Walk festival is coming up May 7 & 8 ! On Saturday May 7 & Sunday May 8, join a walking tour in your community lead by your neighbours. Explore Winnipeg's diverse and vibrant neighbourhoods while walking, talking and sharing ideas. What is Jane's Walk? Jane's Walk is an annual celebration of sustainable cities, walkable neighbourhoods, and vibrant communities. Named in honour of Jane Jacobs<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs>--an urbanist and activist whose writings championed a fresh, community-based approach to city building--the first Jane's Walk was organized in Toronto five years ago and has since spread to more than 30 cities across Canada and 70 cities worldwide. Jane's Walk is now in it's fifth year in Winnipeg and includes walks on a range of themes and topics, including local history, urban biodiversity, city planning, design and transportation issues, social experiences of the city, and more. Jane's Walks are intended to create a space for citizens to talk about what matters to them in the places they live, work and play. How do I join a Jane's Walk? Participating in Jane's Walk is simple: local community members with a passion for urban issues and local history have organized walking tours in their neighbourhood; a list of confirmed walks is published on the Jane's Walk website <http://janeswalk.net/cities/landing/category/winnipeg/> and the public is invited to join any walk of their choosing—no registration or RSVP required. Simply meet your walk leader at the time and place indicated in the online listing. Remember, Jane's Walk is a "walking conversation" and we encourage walk leaders and participants alike to contribute to the conversation by asking questions and sharing their knowledge and passion for cities. What walks are being offered this year? Some of the walks confirmed for this year's Jane's Walk include: - *History Lives In North Point Douglas* with Robert Galston - *Winnipeg Modern: Explore Winnipeg's Modernist Architectural Heritage*with Serena Keshavjee - *The Rapid Tranist Walk* with Paul Hesse - *So You Thought You Knew the West End: Murals and More* with Gloria Cardwell-Hoeppner - *Discover Public Art in Downtown Winnipeg* with Tricia Wasney - *Sharing Cars and Gardens: An educational walk through Osborne Village *with Melissa Dupuis and Shauna Carmichael - Walks in *West Broadway, Selkirk Avenue, and Central Park* neighbourhoods are also planned! New walks are being confirmed everyday. For a complete listing of Jane's Walks check out our website: www.janeswalk.net I want to organize a Jane's Walk in my community! Awesome! Jane's Walk is presently accepting submissions from individuals or groups interested in organizing a walking tour in their community. To propose a walk, visit our website and send an email to our coordinator Matt Koop-Pearce at mgcarreau(a)gmail.com The deadline to submit a walk is May 6th. Contact Facebook: http://on.fb.me/janeswalkwinnipeg Matt Koop-Pearce, volunteer organizer mgcarreau(a)gmail.com (204) 421-2903

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Bicycling Renaissance in North America?
by Beth McKechnie 20 Apr '11

20 Apr '11

[*Transportation Research A, Vol. 45, 2011*, in press] *Bicycling Renaissance in North America? An Update and Re-Appraisal of Cycling Trends and Policies *by John Pucher, Ralph Buehler and Mark Seinen http://www.8-80cities.org/Articles/Bicycling%20Renaissance%20in%20North%20A… *Abstract* This paper reviews trends in cycling levels, safety, and policies in Canada and the USA over the past two decades. we analyze aggregate data for the two countries as well as city-specific case study data for nine large cities (Chicago, Minneapolos, Montreal, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington). Cycling levels have increased in both the USA and Canada, while cyclist fatalities have fallen... The bike share of work commuters is more than twice as high in Canada as the USA, and is higher int he western parts of both countries. Cycling is concentrated in central cities, especially near universities and in gentrified neighborhoods near the city center. Almost all the growth in cycling in the USA has been among men between 25-64 years old, while cycling rates have remained steady among women and fallen sharply for children. Cycling rates have risen much faster in the nine case study cities than in their countries as a whole, at least doubling in all the cities since 1990. They have implemented a wide range of infrastructure and programs to promote cycling and increase cycling safety: expanded and improved bike lanes and paths, traffic calming, parking, bike-transit integration, bike sharing, training programs, and promotional events. Portland's comprehensive package of cycling policies has succeeded in raising cycling levels 6-fold and provides an example that other North American cities can follow. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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Bike to Work Day - call for Volunteers
by Beth McKechnie 18 Apr '11

18 Apr '11

Hi everyone, *Bike to Work Day Winnipeg 2011* needs volunteers to help with tasks right away as well as on June 24th. It would be great if you could share the attached volunteer application form with your various professional networks, family and friends. many thanks! Beth

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Link to new literature review on policies to improve health through active transportation
by Beth McKechnie 16 Apr '11

16 Apr '11

*Environment International*<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01604120> Volume 37, Issue 4<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_tockey=%23TOC%2358…>, May 2011, Pages 766-777 * Improving Health through Policies that Promote Active Travel: A Review of Evidence to Support Integrated Health Impact Assessment* Abstract Background Substantial policy changes to control obesity, limit chronic disease, and reduce air pollution emissions, including greenhouse gasses, have been recommended. Transportation and planning policies that promote active travel by walking and cycling can contribute to these goals, potentially yielding further co-benefits. Little is known, however, about the interconnections among effects of policies considered, including potential unintended consequences. Objectives and methods We review available literature regarding health impacts from policies that encourage active travel in the context of developing health impact assessment (HIA) models to help decision-makers propose better solutions for healthy environments. We identify important components of HIA models of modal shifts in active travel in response to transport policies and interventions. Results and discussion Policies that increase active travel are likely to generate large individual health benefits through increases in physical activity for active travelers. Smaller, but population-wide benefits could accrue through reductions in air and noise pollution. Depending on conditions of policy implementations, risk tradeoffs are possible for some individuals who shift to active travel and consequently increase inhalation of air pollutants and exposure to traffic injuries. Well-designed policies may enhance health benefits through indirect outcomes such as improved social capital and diet, but these synergies are not sufficiently well understood to allow quantification at this time. Conclusion Evaluating impacts of active travel policies is highly complex; however, many associations can be quantified. Identifying health-maximizing policies and conditions requires integrated HIAs. Research highlights ► Active travel policies are growing in popularity worldwide. ► We review multiple benefits and potential risks associated with policies. ► Quantitative relationships for health impact assessments are discussed. ► Major health benefits are especially expected from physical activity outcomes. ► Well designed policies may enhance co-benefits and mitigate risks. LINK: http://bb4md8jw9n.search.serialssolutions.com//?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&ctx_ver…<http://bb4md8jw9n.search.serialssolutions.com/?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&ctx_ver=…>

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Interesting series from Grist
by Stacy Matwick 12 Apr '11

12 Apr '11

Bikeonomics by Elle Blue. http://www.grist.org/article/series/bikenomics "The economic case for on-street bike parking" This is the fourth column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-04-11-the-economic-case-for-on-street-bike… cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

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A donkey cart without the cart - where you do the work of the donkey
by Erik Dickson 07 Apr '11

07 Apr '11

Hopefully the author's tongue is firmly planted in their cheek! Have a great day and happy cycling! Erik Dickson Scatliff+Miller+Murray Emailed to me today from the other side! By P.J. O'ROURKE Getty Images Cyclists ride over the Brooklyn Bridge. 'Although the technology necessary to build a bicycle has been around since ancient Egypt, bikes didn't appear until the 19th century. The reason it took mankind 5,000 years to get the idea for the bicycle is that it was a bad idea.' A fibrosis of bicycle lanes is spreading through the cities of the world. The well-being of innocent motorists is threatened as traffic passageways are choked by the spread of dull whirs, sharp whistles and sanctimonious pedal-pushing. Bike lanes have appeared in all the predictable placesAmsterdam, Copenhagen, Berkeley and Palo Alto. But the incidence of bike lanes is also on the rise in unlikely locales such as slush-covered Boston, rain-drenched Vancouver, frozen Montreal and Bogotá, Colombia (where, perhaps, bicycles have been given the traffic lanes previously reserved for drug mules). Even Dublin, Ireland, has had portions of its streets set aside for bicycles onlysurely unnecessary in a country where everyone's car has been repossessed. Then there is the notorious case of New York City. Not long ago the only people who braved New York on bicycles were maniacal bike messengers and children heeding an abusive parent's command to "go play in traffic." Now New York has 670 miles of bike lanesrather more than it has miles of decently paved streets. The proliferation of New York's bike lanes is the work of the city's indomitable transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-(Genghis)-Khan. Her department has a horde of 4,500 employees and a budget nearing a billion dollars. The transportation commissioner's job isjudging by rush-hour cab and subway rides and last December's blizzardto prevent the transportation of anybody or anything to anywhere in New York. Bicycles are the perfect way to go nowhere while carrying nothing. The bicycle is a parody of a wheeled vehiclea donkey cart without the cart, where you do the work of the donkey. Although the technology necessary to build a bicycle has been around since ancient Egypt, bikes didn't appear until the 19th century. The reason it took mankind 5,000 years to get the idea for the bicycle is that it was a bad idea. The bicycle is the only method of conveyance worse than feet. You can walk up three flights of stairs carrying one end of a sofa. Try that on a bicycle. View Full Image The Image Works A French racing cyclist, in 1912 Almost everything that travels on a city street, including some of the larger people in the crosswalks, can crush a bicycle. Everything that protrudes from or into a city streetpot holes, pavement cracks, manhole coverscan send a bicycle flying into the air. When the president of the United States goes somewhere in Washington, does he ride an armored bicycle? Given that riding a bike in a city is insane and that very few cities need more insane people on their streets, why the profusion of urban bike lanes? One excuse for bike lanes is that an increase in bicycle riding means a decrease in traffic congestion. A visit to New Yorkor Bogotágives the lie to this notion. You can't decrease traffic congestion by putting things in the way of traffic. Also, only a few bicycles are needed to take up as much space as my Chevrolet Suburbanjust one if its rider is wobbling all over the place while trying to Tweet. And my Suburban seats eight. The answer to traffic congestion is lower taxes so that legions of baby boomers my age can afford to retire and stay home. Bike lane advocates also claim that bicycles are environmentally friendly, producing less pollution and fewer carbon emissions than automobiles. But bicycle riders do a lot of huffing and puffing, exhaling large amounts of CO2. And whether a bicycle rider, after a long bicycle ride, is cleaner than the exhaust of a modern automobile is open to question. If drops in pollution and traffic congestion are wanted and if discomfort and inconvenience are the trade-offs, we should be packed into tiny circus clown cars. These fit neatly into bike lanes and provide more amusement to bystanders than bicycle wrecks. In fact, bike lanes don't necessarily lessen car travel. A study by the U.K. Department for Transport found that the installation of "cycle facilities" in eight towns and cities resulted in no change in the number of people driving cars. Bike lanes don't even necessarily increase bike riding. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the Dutch government spent $945 million on bicycle routes without any discernible effect on how many Dutch rode bicycles. The bicycle is a parody of a wheeled vehiclea donkey cart without the cart, where you do the work of the donkey. But maybe there's a darker side to bike-lane advocacy. Political activists of a certain ideological stripe want citizens to have a child-like dependence on government. And it's impossible to feel like a grown-up when you're on a bicycle if you aren't in the Tour de France. All but the most athletic among us get on and off a bicycle the way a toddler goes up and down stairs. Wearing bicycle shorts in public is more embarrassing than wearing Depends. Exchanging briefcases for backpacks takes us from the boardroom to the schoolyard. And it's hard to keep a straight face when talking to anyone in a Skittles-colored, Wiffle ball-slotted bike helmet that makes you look like Woody Woodpecker. Bike lanes must be intended to foster immaturity or New York would have chosen instead to create 670 miles of bridle paths. Being on horseback has adult gravitas. Search plazas, parks and city squares the world over and you won't fine a single statue of a national hero riding a bike. This promotion of childishness in the electorate means that bike lanes are just the beginning. Soon we'll be making room on our city streets for scooter and skateboard lanes, Soapbox Derby lanes, pogo-stick lanes, lanes for Radio Flyer wagons (actually more practical than bicycles since you can carry a case of beerif we're still allowed to drink beer), stilt lanes, three-legged-race lanes, lanes for skipping while playing the comb and wax paper, hopscotch lanes and Mother-May-I lanes with Mayor Bloomberg at the top of Lenox Hill shouting to the people on Park Avenue, "Take three baby steps!" A good, hard-played game of Mother-May-I will make us all more physically fit. Fitness being another reason given for cluttering our cities with bike lanes. But why is it so important that the public be fit? Fit for what? Are they planning to draft us into forced labor battalions? Bike lanes violate a fundamental principle of democracy. We, the majority who do not ride bicycles, are being forced to sacrifice our left turns, parking places and chances to squeeze by delivery trucks so that an affluent elite can feel good about itself for getting wet, cold, tired and run-over. Our tax dollars are being used to subsidize our annoyance. Bicycle riders must be made to bear the burden of this special-interest boondoggle. Bicycle registration fees should be raised until they produce enough revenue to build and maintain new expressways so that drivers can avoid city streets clogged by bike lanes. Special rubber fittings should be made available so that bicycle riders can wear E-ZPass transponders on their noses. And riders' license qualifications should be rigorous, requiring not only written exams and road tests but also bathroom scales. No one is to be allowed on a bicycle if the view he or she presents from behind causes the kind of hysterical laughter that stops traffic. Bike lanes can become an acceptable part of the urban landscape, if bicycle riders are willing to pay their way. And if they pay enough, maybe we'll even give them a lift during the next snow storm. Mr. O'Rourke's many books include "Don't VoteIt Just Encourages the Bastards."

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After School Program Survey
by Beth McKechnie 04 Apr '11

04 Apr '11

Recreation Connections Manitoba is pleased to partner with Green Action Centre to coordinate a new two year initiative - *After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project.* The initiative, funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada Healthy Living Fund and the Province of Manitoba until March 2013, is focusing on promoting and supporting increased access and opportunities for children and youth aged 6-12 years to engage in physical activity and healthy living practices in the critical after school time period (3 – 6 p.m.). The project goals include: 1) Increasing capacity for children’s physical activity and healthy eating in the after school time period. 2) Improving access and reducing barriers to physical activity opportunities and facilities. 3) Promoting active and safe routes to and from school. One of our first steps is to collect some basic information about what is currently happening in Manitoba in regard to after school programming. If you provide programming for *children aged 6 to 12 years* during the *3 – 6 p.m.* time period, we would appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete the on-line survey by clicking on the link below, no later than *April 14, 2011*. A draw for an activity/game equipment & resource kit with a value of approximately *$200* will be made from all completed surveys meeting the deadline date. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/After_School_Recreation_Project_SURVEY We are attempting to make this provincial survey as inclusive as possible and this request is being sent out to various organizations across the Province. However, we are aware that our mailing list does not include all after school providers. If you represent an organization/network with a number of service providing entities, we would ask that you either complete the survey on their behalf, if appropriate, or forward the request to the various members. If you are aware of additional after school programs that may have been missed, please forward the request to them as well. Please be aware that we have distributed the survey to the following groups with multiple programs/sites - Boys & Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, City of Winnipeg Community Services Department, General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres, YMCA-YWCA, Youth for Christ, Lighthouses, Coalition of Community Based Youth Serving Agencies, Manitoba Association of Friendship Centres. We apologize in advance to any service providers who receive multiple copies of this request. We are in the process of developing a web site related to the After The School Bell Rings project. It is anticipated that survey results will be posted on the web site. Thank you for your assistance in providing information on your programs and sharing the survey with other providers. Roy Mulligan Project Coordinator After The School Bell Rings: A Manitoba After School Recreation Project Recreation Connections Manitoba 317-145 Pacific Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3B 2Z6 Phone: 925-5751 Email: recconnections.pro(a)sportmanitoba.ca

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Spring tune-up time
by Stacy Matwick 30 Mar '11

30 Mar '11

Found at http://www.BoingBoing.net "It's spring! Time to watch some videos that will teach you how to tune-up and repair your own bike<http://bicycletutor.com/>. (Not that I would need a pre-spring tune-up, of course. I've totally been riding all winter. Yeah. Totally.) - Maggie<http://www.boingboing.net/author/maggie-koerth-baker/> " http://bicycletutor.com/ The purpose of this site is to help people learn how to fix their own bikes. With over 200 videos you're sure to find what you need. Cheers Stacy Matwick Information Centre International Institute for Sustainable Development 161 Portage Ave. E., 6th floor Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3B 0Y4 Voice: (204)958-7755 Fax: (204)958-7710 Email: smatwick(a)iisd.ca<mailto:smatwick@iisd.ca> IISD Research Library web page: http://www.iisd.org/ic SD-Cite: IISD Research Library database: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://sd-cite.iisd.org/> GENERata web-magazine: http://www.iisd.org/generata/ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx

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Grist: Pedaling away from the health care crisis
by Beth McKechnie 29 Mar '11

29 Mar '11

Pedaling away from the health care crisis by Elly Blue <http://www.grist.org/people/Elly+Blue> 28 Mar 2011 11:36 AM [ http://www.grist.org/biking/2011-03-28-pedaling-away-from-the-health-care-c… ] *This is the third column in a series focusing on the economics of bicycling. Part 1 is "How bicycling will save the economy (if we let it)<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-02-28-how-bicycling-will-save-the-economy>." Part 2 is "Tearing down freeways to make room for a new bicycle economy<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-14-tearing-down-urban-freeways-to-make…> ."* * *In the United States, we have the most expensive health care system in the world. We collectively invest more than 15 percent of our GDP<http://www.visualeconomics.com/healthcare-costs-around-the-world_2010-03-01/>-- that's around $2 trillion, or $5,700 per person -- into health care every year. The tragedy of these enormous numbers is that they fail to stem the tide of our increasing ill health. "Most of the money we're spending on health care is going to treat preventable chronic diseases," Michael Pollan told Grist<http://www.grist.org/article/2009-11-06-michael-pollan-on-agriculture-and-h…>in 2009. Our poor diet, he added, is responsible for most of those illnesses. But it's not just about what we eat. The other part of that equation is our national and increasingly desperate need for physical activity. We need to rethink our transportation system and built environment on the same scale as Pollan and others have reconsidered our agricultural system. It has become obvious that we can't afford to keep doing things the same old autocentric way. For a fraction of the cost of the world's most expensive health care system, we could all enjoy the world's best bicycling and walking infrastructure -- and with it much, much better health than we enjoy now. Even minor investments in quality bicycle and walking transportation infrastructure, particularly at bottlenecks like bridges, leads directly to increased physical activity<http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2008/may/12/bridge_pedestrian_lane_raise>for people who live nearby. A recent analysis of the health savings resulting from the bicycle infrastructure in Portland, Ore, came up with stunning results<http://bikeportland.org/2011/02/04/research-by-2040-portlands-bikeway-inves…>. If the city builds out only the infrastructure it currently plans, the researcher found, it will break even by 2015. By 2030, Portland will have saved $800 million -- partly in fuel costs but primarily in health care and the value of reduced mortality. For every $1 we spend, $5 is saved. And that doesn't take into account a multitude of other factors. It's been shown again and again that the benefits of bicycling outweigh the risks<http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/info:doi/10.1289/ehp.0901747>, that not bicycling is more dangerous<http://www.ecovelo.info/2008/06/06/the-dangers-of-not-cycling/>in the long run, and that being sedentary is worse for your health than nearly anything else<http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2009/05/05/sitting-death-rate.html>. When kids, particularly, don't get enough physical activity and good food, they are set up for a lifetime of ill health<http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2011/March/22/Obesity-Type-2-Diabet…> . Then there's the mental health factor. People who bicycle and walk to work love their commutes<http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/11-008-x/2006004/pdf/9516-eng.pdf>[PDF], whereas everyone else is stressed <http://www.vtpi.org/traveltime.pdf> [PDF], even pathologically<http://www.grist.org/article/2011-01-20-new-report-quantifies-just-how-much…>so. * *Stress is often overlooked as an indicator and instigator<http://scopeblog.stanford.edu/archives/2011/03/stress-may-alte.html>of poor health. And bicycling isn't just good for your personal health. There's also a significant public health benefit to having fewer people driving. Air quality is a big one. Cars produce secondhand smoke that none of us can avoid. A parade of studies over the last few decades have steadily linked living near freeways to heart disease<http://www.justmeans.com/Freeway-proximity-can-put-you-on-road-heart-health…>, lung cancer <http://www.ehjournal.net/content/6/1/23>, asthma<http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/11614.html>, impaired lung development<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/26/AR200701260…>, and even autism<http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/16/health/la-he-autism-20101217> . Even being sealed in a car doesn't protect you<http://www.velorutia.ro/blog/util/1281-road-user-exposure-to-air-pollution.…>from the perils of concentrated car exhaust <http://www.icta.org/doc/In-car%20pollution%20report.pdf> [PDF]. Car crashes cost the country $230 billion<http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=130350&page=1>in 2000 alone. Only $33 billion of that was spent on medical costs -- but to put that in perspective, that's the same amount as that year's federal highway budget. Worse, in 2009 car crashes caused nearly 34,000 deaths and 2.217 million injuries <http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2010/dot16510.html>, many of them serious enough to prevent victims from navigating our car-oriented landscape in anything *but* a car. What do we do about this? How do we address the health care crisis through reforming our transportation system? We'd be much healthier, we're always being told, if only we could get more physical activity. Bicycle transportation is uniquely suited to fill this requirement. Bicycling is uniquely suited for quickly and flexibly getting around a city designed for cars. And riding a bike for transportation is as good a workout as exercising at the gym<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10694139>. The cost, time, stress, and inconvenience of exercise evaporates with the bicycle. If only we all could take advantage of it. We are blessed in this country with a chorus of voices urging people to exercise more and try riding a bike -- but very little is being done to make that option safe and comfortable for everyone. I know, because I grew up in suburbia, that people don't eat unhealthy food and sit on the couch all day out of laziness. They end up falling into those behaviors because the options aren't there, or the cost -- in money, time, and stress -- of living differently is simply too high. Of course we want better options<http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/05/qa-transportation-secretary-on-bi…>. As many as 60 percent of Americans would like to ride more<http://streetsblog.net/2010/12/20/wooing-the-hesitant-cyclist/>, and most of us already have bikes stashed in the basement or garage. But we don't feel safe, and often that's because there aren't safe or convenient routes for us to take. Fortunately, that doesn't stop everyone from getting on a bike. And the more people out there riding, the safer *everyone* becomes<http://bikeportland.org/2011/01/27/not-just-safer-for-bikes-fatal-car-crash…>, whether or not bicycling is an option for them individually. It would be absurd to suggest that bikes will solve our health care crisis or that they can eliminate the political and economic machinations that continue to deepen it. But bicycling, like food, is one of the few areas where people can directly and concretely address the health care crisis in the context of our community. By improving our own health and working towards healthier cities, we're also taking money from a health care system that doesn't improve our health. In this light, bicycling for transportation isn't so much a lifestyle choice as it's a form of civic action.

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Wed, Mar.30 webinar: How to increase the number of women cycling for transportation, 2-3:30 CST
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '11

28 Mar '11

Green Action Centre will be hosting a local group viewing of the following APBP (Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals) webinar on how to increase the number of women cycling for transportation. If you would like to join us, please let me know at *beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca*. Hope to see you then! cheers, Beth 925-3772 p.s. Sorry for the late notice -- we just heard about it this morning. ------------------------------ Webinar: * How to increase the number of women cycling for transportation *Date: *Wednesday, Mar. 30th, 2:00-3:30 p.m. CST * Location: *EcoCentre boardroom, 303 Portage Ave, third floor* (enter via elevator inside front doors of MEC) *Description* Learn how to increase the number of women cycling for transportation in your community. This webinar builds on last year's APBP session, "Writing Women Back into Bicycling". Five speakers offer compelling insights about cycling projects run by inspiring women, illuminate what women told APBP they want in a cycling environment, and suggest best practices to help you make a difference in your community. Don't miss the stories of some of the wonderful women leading the cycling movement, and results of APBP's 2010 survey on Women Cycling.

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Costs and Benefits of Cycling Investments in Portland, OR
by Beth McKechnie 28 Mar '11

28 Mar '11

*Journal of Physical Activity and Health 2011, 8(Suppl 1), S49-S58 Costs and Benefits of Bicycling Investments in Portland, Oregon Thomas Gotschi* http://journals.humankinetics.com/jpah-pdf-articles?DocumentScreen=Detail&c… *Background: *Promoting bicycling has great potential to increase overall physical activity; however, significant uncertainty exists with regard to the amount and effectiveness of investment needed for infrastructure. The objective of this study is to assess how costs of Portland’s past and planned investments in bicycling relate to health and other benefits. *Methods:* Costs of investment plans are compared with 2 types of monetized health benefits, health care cost savings and value of statistical life savings. Levels of bicycling are estimated using past trends, future mode share goals, and a traffic demand model.* Results:* By 2040, investments in the range of $138 to $605 million will result in health care cost savings of $388 to $594 million, fuel savings of $143 to $218 million, and savings in value of statistical lives of $7 to $12 billion. The benefit-cost ratios for health care and fuel savings are between 3.8 and 1.2 to 1, and an order of magnitude larger when value of statistical lives is used. * Conclusions: *This first of its kind cost-benefit analysis of investments in bicycling in a US city shows that such efforts are cost-effective, even when only a limited selection of benefits is considered. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre<http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here<http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member<http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/memberships/>

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New Yorkers support bicycle lanes, poll finds
by Beth McKechnie 21 Mar '11

21 Mar '11

Nice to see this article given some recent backlash by a select few in NYC where they are setting new standards in bike infrastructure for other cities in N.A. -Beth [ http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/new-yorkers-support-bicycle-la… ] * NY TIMES - City Room March 18, 2011, 4:55 pm* New Yorkers Support Bicycle Lanes, Poll Finds By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/author/michael-m-grynbaum/> Daniel Acker/Bloomberg News The Bloomberg administration’s new bicycle lanes, the subject of one of the more heated civic controversies in recent memory, are supported by a majority of New Yorkers, according to a poll released on Friday<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=1569>by Quinnipiac University. More than half of registered voters — 54 percent — said they believed the expansion of bicycle lanes had been a positive development for the city. The only demographic groups opposed were Republican voters and, by a smaller margin, residents of Queens. Over all, 39 percent of respondents said they were unhappy with the lanes, and 6 percent said they had no opinion on the matter (or did not answer). The survey question was fairly stark: either that the bike lanes are “a good thing because it’s greener and healthier for people to ride,” or “a bad thing because it leaves less room for cars, which increases traffic.” The poll asked which statement was closer to the respondent’s point of view. “On balance, people like it,” said Maurice Carroll<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x2011.xml>, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute<http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x271.xml>. “It’s not overwhelming, but it’s a plus.” Support for the lanes was strongest in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Voters in Queens disapproved of the lanes, but by 48 to 45 percent. Only 35 percent of Republicans supported the lane, while 59 percent of Democrats approved. Support for the bike lanes seemed to wane with age. Voters between ages 18 and 49 supported the lanes by wide margins, but support fell below 50 percent among voters older than 50. Still, supporters outnumbered opponents in each age group. The poll, which surveyed 1,115 registered voters earlier this month, had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Hundreds of new bicycle lanes have been installed since 2007, part of the administration’s plan to encourage environmentally friendly modes of transportation that cut down on traffic congestion. Arguments for and against the bike lanes typically go into more detail than the survey’s questions. The city’s Department of Transportation, led by its commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/nyregion/06sadik-khan.html>, argues that carving out street space for bicycles has resulted in slower car traffic and, in turn, fewer accidents. Critics of the lanes complain about lost parking spots, additional difficulty in driving in the city, and the risk to pedestrians from bicyclists who disobey traffic laws. Some opponents have also faulted the Transportation Department for installing the lanes without sufficient community outreach, and not disclosing all the relevant data related to the lanes. Those are among the arguments in a lawsuit filed last week<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/08/nyregion/08bike.html>by a group of well-connected Brooklyn residents who have called on the city to remove a two-way bike lane along Prospect Park West. Biking advocates cited Friday’s poll as evidence that the city should continue expanding its bicycle network. “Whether they drive a car, ride a bike or get around by train, this poll shows that New Yorkers understand that bike lanes make our streets better for everyone,” Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, wrote in a statement. The survey also found that New Yorkers were unhappy with a plan to rename the Queensboro Bridge<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/nyregion/09bandt.html>for former Mayor Edward I. Koch. Nearly two-thirds of voters opposed the plan, proposed last year by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, with opposition particularly pointed in Queens.

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