- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Designing cities for better health: If you build it, they will walk
by feaver＠mymts.net 30 May '13

30 May '13

A good article in the Globe & Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/designing-c ities-for-better-health-if-you-build-it-they-will-walk/article12240304/

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FW: International Trails Day
by Kristine Hayward 30 May '13

30 May '13

From: Julie Turenne-Maynard [mailto:exec_dir@riverswest.ca] Sent: Thursday, May 30, 2013 12:46 PM To: Rivers West Subject: International Trails Day Grab your bike, your running shoes or your rollerskates and join us June 1st, 2013 for International Trails Day. It's free, it's healthy, and it's fun! There will be workshops, geocaching, kids' activities and much more. See attachment for more information -- Julie Turenne-Maynard Executive Director Rivers West Red River Corridor Inc. T: (204) 925-2321 F: (204) 237-4618 C: (204) 771-5585 www.riverswest.ca<http://www.riverswest.ca> www.routesonthered,ca<http://www.routesonthered,ca> This email and/or any documents in this transmission is intended for the addressee(s) only and may contain legally privileged or confidential information. Any unauthorized use, disclosure, distribution, copying or dissemination is strictly prohibited. If you receive this transmission in error, please notify the sender immediately and return the original. Ce courriel et tout document dans cette transmission est destiné à la personne ou aux personnes à qui il est adressé. Il peut contenir des informations privilégiées ou confidentielles. Toute utilisation, divulgation, distribution, copie, ou diffusion non autorisée est strictement défendue. Si vous n'êtes pas le destinataire de ce message, veuillez en informer l'expéditeur immédiatement et lui remettre l'original.

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LCI Seminar in June- Register NOW - EUGENE
by Beth McKechnie 29 May '13

29 May '13

For more information see: http://lists.umanitoba.ca/mailman/admin/at-network/bounce ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Terry Zdan <tjzdan50(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, 29 May 2013 13:05:46 -0500 Subject: LCI Seminar in June- Register NOW - EUGENE Dear Active Transportation Enthusiasts, *This June (21st-23rd) the League of American Bicyclists<http://www.bikeleague.org> is holding an LCI Seminar in Eugene*. The last LAB Seminar in Eugene was over 5 years ago and annually there are fewer than a dozen around the country. Registration so far has been too low to hold this Seminar and *there are only a couple more days to register for this great opportunity*!* If you've ever wanted to take your cycling to the next level and wanted to share your knowledge of safe cycling skills with others this is a great opportunity!* * * Becoming a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certified to teach Smart Cycling is a great way to help cyclists in your community. Certified instructors can teach Smart Cycling classes (like Traffic Skills 101) to children as well as adults. Help bring the joy of safe cycling to others. If you are an experienced cyclist and would like to teach others please consider taking the next step towards certification. *Becoming a League member and taking Traffic Skills 101 are prerequisites for a certification seminar*. Instructors are trained at seminars held periodically throughout the year. The training is Friday, June 21 (5:30-9pm), Saturday, June 22 (8am-4pm), and Sunday, June 23 (8am-4pm). Cost for the three day training is $300. To register you can download the course registration form<http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/LCI_course_application.pdf> or go to the League's website, join <http://www.bikeleague.org/join/> and then register via their Events calendar by clicking on the Eugene LCI Seminar<https://bikeleague.secure.force.com/MN4__mnp_viewevent?id=a0kG0000001ZdfmIAC> . You must be a League member to register for the course (and to maintain the LCI certification). If you have any questions contact Shane MacRhodes ( rhodes_sh(a)4j.lane.edu). [image: LAB Logo] Shane MacRhodes League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor (#1050) 541-556-3553 shanerh(a)mac.com -- Terry Zdan 126 Duncan Norrie Drive Wpg MB R3P 2J9 CANADA tjzdan50(a)gmail.com <tjzdan(a)gmasil.com>

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Today! Kick-off Commuter Challenge - 11 am, MB Hydro Plaza
by Beth McKechnie 29 May '13

29 May '13

*Join us TODAY to... * *Kick-off the 2013 Commuter Challenge!* *11 a.m., Wednesday, May 29 * *Manitoba Hydro Building (Outdoor Plaza on Graham Ave)* Celebrate the start of the 2013 Commuter Challenge with the Honourable JimRondeau, Minister of Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs; Stefano Grande, Executive Director of the Downtown Winnipeg Biz; Lloyd Kuczek, Vice President of Customer Care and Energy Conservation, Manitoba Hydro; Commuter Challenge participant Maureen Peniuk; along with Ace Burpee and Green Action Centre. Walk, bike, bus or carpool -- let's celebrate a better way to get to work!

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Edmonton approves Complete Streets Policy
by Beth McKechnie 27 May '13

27 May '13

*Edmonton approves Complete Streets Policy* The Complete Streets Policy was approved by City Council on May 22, 2013. The policy and accompanying guidelines will encourage a holistic approach to roadway design in order to develop a network of roadways that are safe, attractive, comfortable and welcoming to all users. Designing New Neighbourhoods, Edmonton’s Future Residential Communities Policy was approved at the same time. The guidelines for this policy will influence the physical structure and layout of our new neighbourhoods. The Complete Streets Guidelines will be used for planning, designing and constructing streets in new neighbourhoods. They will also guide the design and reconstruction of streets in existing neighbourhoods. Next steps for the Complete Streets projects team will be the implementation of several complete streets pilot projects over the next few years. Three pilot projects have already been identified as priority; including one in a greenfield, a neighbourhood renewal and an arterial renewal. http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_vision_and_strategic_plan/compl…

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Fwd: Invitation: Winter Cycling for Everyone - Film and Discussion
by Anders Swanson 27 May '13

27 May '13

[Hi, if you already received a personal message, sorry for any cross-postings....and for accidentally not sending this to the network last week. Note that your first chance to attend is today at lunch. See details below. cheers! anders] ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Anders Swanson <andersswanson(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, May 23, 2013 at 10:15 AM Subject: Invitation: Winter Cycling for Everyone - Film and Discussion This week, you're "warmly" invited to attend a fun event about magical places and making the most of winter. See details below. Poster attached. * * * * * * * * * * * *WINTER CYCLING * *FOR EVERYONE* * * *Lunchtime Monday May 27th* MPI Theatre downtown in City Place (2nd floor, east side, door north of elevators). 12:00 noon - 1:00pm *OR* *Evening Thursday May 30th * Winnipeg Free Press Cafe in The Exchange. Arthur @ McDermot. Doors at 6:00pm. 6:30pm - 8ish. *Both events feature: * - a short film about experiencing and exploring a landscape full of people and bikes and snow. - "Oulu and the top winter cycling cities of the world": a short presentation by Timo Perälä remote from Oulu, Finland. Mr. Perälä is the CEO of Navico ltd., a small consulting firm specializing in mobility management. He holds a masters degree in civil engineering (construction economics) and has completed several studies and projects related to winter cycling and winter maintenance throughout Finland. Timo directed the 2013 international winter cycling congress - the only event of its kind bringing together experts in the field from around the world - and goes regularly by bike year-round himself (no lycra, just a cruiser). - Refreshments provided. *Thursday Evening Only* - Panel discussion: A big-ideas panel featuring Paul Jordan, COO of the Forks, Councillor Justin Swandel, design whiz Andrea Tetrault and speaker Timo Perälä. Moderated by Bartley Kives. - Exciting event announcements. - Hors d'oeuvres provided. Alcohol available. ---- Seating is limited. RSVPs appreciated but not required. Hope to see you there! Anders Swanson

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NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide Webinars
by Bike to the Future 26 May '13

26 May '13

Bike Winnipeg and Green Action Centre would like to invite you to join us in the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave) for a three-part webinar series on the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide<http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/> . Each webinar will be followed by group discussion of local applications. This is a great opportunity to learn more about this fantastic resource on cycling design and discover how cities across North America are embracing the designs and advice laid out in this guide to improve their cities cycling experience and encourage an ever increasing number of their residents to choose their bikes over their cars. As the city is currently in the process of developing its first cycling and pedestrian strategies, the timing for these webinars could not be better. RSVPs are appreciated but not necessary. Hope to see you then! *#1, Bikeway Design at Intersections* Wednesday, May 29 | 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. CDT Safe, effective intersection design requires visibility and predictability among all street users. In unpredictable urban environments, achieving these goals can be difficult. Bikeway Design at Intersections provides an overview of the intersection treatments in the NACTO guide, including bike boxes, bicycle signals and mixing zones, and analyzes how to resolve and mitigate several complex intersection design problems that commonly arise. Presenters: Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator, City of Portland Jamie Parks, Senior Transportation Planner, City of Oakland *#2, Bikeway Design in Context: Determining the right facility for the right street* Wednesday, June 5 | 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. CDT As bikeway design options have multiplied and evolved, the decision-making process for practitioners has become increasingly complex. What kinds of streets are best suited to cycle tracks? When should an engineer use a buffered bike lane rather than a conventional bike lane? Are shared lane markings appropriate for busy streets or only on local roads? This session will analyze the decision-making process that different cities go through when answering such questions, looking beyond speed and ADT to consider elements as varied as context, parking, transit routes and street width. Presenters: Joshua Benson, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Director, New York City Department of Transportation Nathan Wilkes, Associate Traffic Engineer, Neighborhood Connectivity Division, City of Austin *#3, Next Generation Bikeway Design: Raised cycle tracks * Wednesday, June 26 | 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. CDT While many cities have relied primarily on signs and markings to radically transform their streets, a growing number of bikeways around the country have been improved and made permanent using higher cost materials, curb relocation and complex engineering. This session will look at two facilities that embody long term solutions for city streets. How can cities effectively move the curb without creating drainage problems? What "green” infrastructure solutions can be incorporated into these new bikeways? What are the highest and lowest cost alternatives to these designs? Presenters: Wendy Cawley, Engineer, City of Portland Karen Haley, Executive Director, Indianapolis Cultural Trail Jennifer Tower, Engineer, City of Portland Cheers, -- Mark Cohoe Executive Director Bike Winnipeg (formerly Bike to the Future)

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Millennials lead the trend to less driving, but what happens as they get older? (Atlantic Cities)
by Beth McKechnie 22 May '13

22 May '13

Millennials Lead the Trend to Less Driving, But What Happens As They Get Older?Emily Badger <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/authors/emily-badger/>| May 14, 2013 Find full article and graphs here: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/05/planning-our-transportatio… It is unquestionably true that Americans are driving less today than we did just a few years ago. Sometime around 2004, our addiction to driving – expressed on a graph in the decades-long steep expansion of “vehicle miles traveled” – took a turn in the opposite direction. Per capita, we began to drive fewer miles each year than we had the year before. As the U.S. population has continued to grow, our collective miles traveled by car has begun to stagnate. It’s not entirely clear, though, exactly why this has happened or whether the downturn will continue, two questions intimately tied to the behavior of Millennials as they age. Twenty-something Americans drive about 20 percent less today than their parents did in *their* 20s. But is that because of the recession? High gas prices? A lasting shift in consumer demand? What will happen to today’s 20-year-olds as they enter their 30s, raise families, and consider moving to the suburbs? This question lurks behind every celebrated trend story about the Millennial generation: Will this group really push systemic change (as the baby boomers did) in how Americans live, work and relate to each other (sharing cars, for instance, as opposed to owning them)? Or is this moment – with its associated driving patterns – a hiccup in history? "We've basically assumed in transportation planning for decades upon decades that the amount of vehicle travel and per capita VMT can go in only one direction, and that's up," says Tony Dutzik, a senior policy analyst for the Frontier Group <http://www.frontiergroup.org>, a public interest think tank. "And we have been planning our transportation system based on that assumption." Data from the last few years clearly show that this axiom is no longer true.So what happens next? In an effort to at least sketch out some of the possible scenarios, the Frontier Group and the US PIRG Education Fund<http://www.uspirgedfund.org/>today released a report outlining three alternative futures <http://uspirg.org/reports/usp/new-direction> for America's relationship to the car. One assumes that Millennials will eventually revert to the driving patterns of their parents (the blue "Back to the Future" scenario on the below graph). The second assumes that America is in the midst of an enduring shift toward less driving, brought about in large part by the permanent new preferences of Millennials. And the last scenario assumes that the recent decline we've seen in driving will continue apace. Notably, all three scenarios project car usage well below the status quo we might expect based on the last 50 years of driving trends (even with a growing population). "Thus far in the transportation community, the question of declining vehicle miles traveled and declining gas tax revenues has been thought of as a revenue problem. There’s not enough money coming in to deal with the needs that we think we have," Dutzik says. "There's another important part of that question that we really haven’t addressed: What is it we think we're actually going to need for the future?" What if we don’t need to find funding to for quite so many highway expansions? "If the Millennial trend continues to play out," Dutzik says, "the amount of highway capacity we’re going to need in the future looks far different than it looked in government projections from just a few years ago." Dutzik and report co-author Phineas Baxandall constructed these scenarios by trying to "layer on the unknowable over the knowable." Namely, we don’t how Millennials will behave in the future. But we do know that their parents, from the baby boom generation, will soon begin aging out of the workforce in massive numbers. And when you no longer have to drive to work, that cuts a sizable chunk out of your car consumption (the 2009 National Household Travel Survey estimated that commuting trips accounted for 27.7 percent of household VMT). With these underlying demographic trends in mind, the "Back to the Future" scenario makes the assumption that Millennials will drive about as much at age 35 as their parents did at that same age, and so on as they get older. The other two scenarios are built on something of a mystery. Researchers have not yet been able to disaggregate how much of our current decline in driving has been attributable to gas prices, or the economy, or changing attitudes toward car ownership or urban living. But it’s been driven by * something.* And in these two futures, Dutzik says, “whatever constellation of things it is that has caused the shift in per capita driving over the last decade – we think that’s a real thing.” The way we work has also been changing, alongside the demographic shape of the workforce itself. And this trend, which the report did not address, could drive down VMT even further, as more people telecommute or join the freelance economy. In all of these scenarios, Dutzik assumes that we're unlikely to ever surpass our 2004 peak in per capita driving. Today, we individually drive about 7 percent less than we did in 2004 (or at levels comparable to 1996). It’s plausible we could return to that peak, but many of the factors that drove us there no longer exist: cheap gas, the growing baby boom workforce, women entering the workforce for the first time. Millennials will inevitably wind up driving more than they do today as they age. This is virtually always true of people in their 20s as they enter their 30s and beyond. Certain stages of life demand more use of a car than others. But the question is: by how much? And by how much compared to their parents? Emily Badger is a staff writer at The Atlantic Cities. Her work has previously appeared in *Pacific Standard*, *GOOD*, *The Christian Science Monitor*, and *The New York Times*. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area

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WFP: Remember walking to school? Well, your kids probably don't (May22'13)
by Beth McKechnie 22 May '13

22 May '13

[Follow up to Erik and Shoni's postings yesterday about the Physical Activity scorecard.] Remember walking to school? Well, your kids probably don't By: Lauren La Rose http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/remember-walking-to-sch… TORONTO -- Fewer Canadian kids are commuting by walking or biking as a new report reveals a marked decline among young people using active modes of transportation. Active Healthy Kids Canada released its annual Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth on Tuesday, assigning a "D" grade in the category of active transportation. A "D minus" grade was given for overall physical activity levels. Children who use active transport for commutes to and from school can accumulate up to 45 additional minutes daily of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity compared to kids travelling by car, train or bus. Yet in Canada, a recent survey revealed that while 58 per cent of parents walked to school when they were children, only 28 per cent of their own kids were doing the same today. "That's a reduction of 50 per cent in one generation. That's substantial by any estimate," said Mark Tremblay, chief scientific officer of Active Healthy Kids Canada. >From 2000 to 2010, the percentage of youth aged 5-17 using only inactive modes of transportation for school commutes increased from 51 per cent to 62 per cent. The report found many data sources in different age groups suggested only 25 to 35 per cent of Canadian kids and youth use active transport to and from school. Among youth aged 15 to 17, time spent walking daily dipped from 17 minutes to 11 minutes between 1992 and 2010. Tremblay said active transportation is among "a whole bunch of pieces" that contribute to physical activity levels, along with other key components such as active play, organized sports participation and physical education. Tremblay said there may be instances where schools are too far away for youngsters to commute by their own power. But research shows many examples where high numbers of kids are being ferried to destinations within a walking or biking distance, he noted. "There are kids that live 25 kilometres from the school. They can't walk or bike. And so we get that," said Tremblay, director of Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. "But can those kids walk or bike to other things that are going on in their community? To their friend's house? To the baseball (diamond), which might be a couple of kilometres down the road? "This isn't just about to and from school.... We're talking about any trips." If kids walked for all trips less than one kilometre in distance, it would translate, on average, to 2,238 additional steps each day -- or around 15 to 20 minutes of walking, the report said. Tremblay said living in an auto-dependent society has made the process of commuting by car the norm. "It's not even part of our consciousness. We just hop into the car and it's not like we ever thought: 'Why didn't we walk there?' Because our frame of reference of distances to walk has reduced so much over time that we don't consider it a possibility. "A kilometre, two kilometres, three kilometres, which are totally walkable (distances) and can be very enjoyable... it just doesn't cross our minds -- and so we don't think of it for our kids, either." Time, money and safety are the three key barriers to kids being more physically active, said Kelly Murumets, president & CEO of ParticipAction. Active transportation offers a simple, cost-effective, accessible way for parents to help ensure kids are getting the activity they need without having to pay for organized sport, she noted. In instances where kids are able to travel on foot, using pedal power or some other means of active transport, Murumets said parents can organize walking school buses or bicycle caravans with a volunteer adult or group of parents convening with youngsters to commute en masse. "Kids are getting physical activity, they have social time, they're with other kids, they're safe because they're supervised, (and) some of the parents who do work are able to make their way to the office," Murumets said. *-- The Canadian Press* *Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 22, 2013 D4*

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Children driven around too much, Canadian report suggests
by Erik Dickson 21 May '13

21 May '13

A very interesting report as we enter the home stretch of the school year. I did not realize that there was such a thing as a "D minus"; I thought after a D there was only F. "Fewer Canadian kids are commuting by walking or biking as a new report reveals a marked decline among young people using active modes of transportation. Active Healthy Kids Canada released its annual Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth on Tuesday, assigning a "D" grade in the category of active transportation. A "D minus" grade was given for overall physical activity levels." CBC News Story: http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/05/21/physical-activity-children-wa lk-bike.html?cmp=rss Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card: http://dvqdas9jty7g6.cloudfront.net/reportcard2013/AHKC-Summary-2013.pdf Regards, Erik Dickson Suite 1120 - 201 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3B 3K6 ph: (204) 927-3444 ext. 242 fax: (204) 927-3443 web: www.scatliff.ca blog: http://scatliff.tumblr.com Please consider our environment before printing this message.

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