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

10 Aug '18

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

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

10 Aug '18

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

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

09 Aug '18

Helpful 7:53 min video from CBC summarizing what makes New York's Vision Zero program so effective. "Queens Blvd, which used to be the most deadly area in the city, has had zero deaths since Vision Zero was implemented." http://www.cbc.ca/news/thenational/vision-zero-new-york-s-changing-traffic-… Thanks to Jaymi Derrett for the share! cheers, Beth -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3777 x102 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> <http://www.gomanitoba.ca>

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

08 Aug '18

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

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

08 Aug '18

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

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

07 Aug '18

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

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

05 Aug '18

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

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

05 Aug '18

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

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

05 Aug '18

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

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

26 Jul '18

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

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