- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Cycling route working session - June 2
by Beth McKechnie 22 May '09

22 May '09

[Forwarded on behalf of Erik Dickson, Marr Consulting Services] Please see below an invitation to a Working Session on developing cycling route improvements in Winnipeg for June 2, 2009. Please note the registration deadline of May 31, 2009.

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Globe & Mail: A battle of wheels
by Beth McKechnie 22 May '09

22 May '09

Andre Picard's Second Opinion A battle of wheels The leisurely Tour de l'Île has been criticized for not aligning itself with a charity. Is the promotion of physical activity - in this case cycling - a worthy cause in itself? Of course it is http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/a-battle-of-wheels/article114516… Andre Picard Monday, May. 18, 2009 04:24PM EDT On June 7, more than 30,000 cyclists will take to the streets for the annual Tour de l'Île, a leisurely 50-kilometre jaunt around the Island of Montreal. The event, organized by the non-profit group Vélo Québec, is designed to promote cycling as a healthy family activity and an alternate form of transportation. But, above all, it's supposed to be fun and liberating, the one day of the year when bikes can roll through the city streets unencumbered by cars. Not surprisingly, the Tour de l'Île has had to deal with a backlash from motorists. While the event closes only a fraction of Montreal's streets, and it does so on a quiet Sunday in June, it does lead to some delays for drivers. As a result, some municipalities (the Island of Montreal is home to an incomprehensible mix of boroughs, towns, cities and political fiefdoms) and surrounding suburban communities have banned the Tour de l'Île. It is not coincidental that the most vocal opponents of the activity are commuter havens, where cars rule the roost. But organizers and supporters of the Tour de l'Île have seen through these self-serving complaints and soldiered on, adjusting the course route in deference to the anti-cycling lobby. But now the Tour de l'Île is dealing with a new line of attack: Complaints that the event is not associated with charitable fundraising. Murray Levine, founder of the Philanthropic Athletes Foundation, has led a dogged campaign against the Tour de l'Île, arguing, among other things, that the event should not get tax dollars and taxpayer-supported services (namely police and street cleaners). He argues that this investment - about $600,000 a year - is unfathomable. Mr. Levine wants the Tour banned, unless it aligns itself officially with a charity and promotes fundraising. This line of attack conveniently ignores the fact that taxpayers - even the cyclists - pay billions of dollars each year to maintain the road network and that the only thing car drivers donate daily is air pollution. Just as curious is that Mr. Levine has targeted the Tour de l'Île and not made a big stink about other state-supported, traffic-disrupting events like the Montreal Marathon, the Jazz Festival, the Santa Claus parade, the St-Jean Baptiste parade and so on that do not actively raise money for charity either. Regardless of his ulterior motive - Mr. Levine is, after all, a professional fundraiser - the gadfly raises an intriguing philosophical question. Is the promotion of physical activity - in this case cycling - a worthy cause in itself? Of course it is. Further, should the promotion of physical activity and alternative forms of transport get state support? Again, in a society where obesity and lifestyle-related chronic illnesses are epidemic and where our reliance on fossil fuels is destructive, it is indeed a good investment. Charities play an important role in Canadian society and they have found many creative ways of raising funds. The marriage of healthy activities like biking and raising money for cancer research (the Ride to Conquer Cancer) or running marathons and raising awareness of childhood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma (Team in Training) is often inspirational. Charity - the giving of one's money or time - is, by definition, voluntary. It should not be mandatory. Many people participating in the Tour de l'Île will use the event as an occasion to raise money for charity and that's wonderful, and they are in no way prevented from doing so. But people should be able to lace up their shoes and saddle up on bikes without setting out to cure cancer or save the world. To suggest that the Tour should not have access to Montreal streets and to city services if they do not actively promote charitable giving is preposterous. What Mr. Levine is suggesting, while no doubt well-intentioned, reflects a much larger problem: The commodification of daily life. Not every activity of daily living needs to have a commercial purpose. Every breath we take need not be associated with the generation of economic activity, either commercial or non-profit. We don't need ads plastered on every sidewalk and subway platform. We can have city parks that are not festooned with the ads of their corporate sponsors. We can have buildings in our public institutions that do not sell off their naming rights in the name of charity. We can run marathons for the sheer masochistic pleasure without having to pester our friends for sponsorship. We can walk our dogs without it being a protest march against dog fighter Michael Vick. And we can bike around the Island of Montreal for a day without it having to be a guilt trip. In our high-octane society, there is, in fact, a refreshing purity to the Tour de l'Île. Cars run riot in the city 3641/2 days a year. Charitable fundraising takes place every single day of the year, and at a furious pace. But on June 7, on the streets of Montreal, there will be a welcome respite: Cycling for the sake of cycling; breathing for the sake of breathing. Families hanging out together without, as a prerequisite, the systemic badgering of friends and relatives for sponsorship. The Tour de l'Île is the type of investment we should make in ourselves and our cities far more often and far more purposefully.

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Friday morning laugh
by Stacy Matwick 22 May '09

22 May '09

Just a little something something that made me smile - thought you'd all enjoy. http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/21/howto-plant-a-handle.html Posted by Cory Doctorow, May 21, 2009 9:42 PM "Instructables user FriendOfHumanity has a little HOWTO for installing a windowbox planter on the handlebars of your bike. I dunno, I'd be worried about doing a faceplant (worse yet, if you planted chickpeas, you might falafel your bike) (I did that once and I falafel about it)." http://www.instructables.com/id/Bicycle-Window-Box--For-the-transient-garde… 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 Library website: http://sd-cite.iisd.org<http://www.iisd.org/> "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read" Groucho Marx "Life is like a bicycle, to keep your balance your must keep on moving" Albert Einstein

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Bike Parking in Chicago
by David Wieser 21 May '09

21 May '09

WOW, check out the bike parking facility they have had in Chicago since 2005. Could this be something similar to what is going to be built at the University of Winnipeg? Could this be what could be designed into the new Bombers stadium at the University of Manitoba for a bike valet? http://www.streetfilms.org/archives/bike-parking-respect-in-chicago-mcdonal… David Wieser

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NYC's streets are to behave - New York Times, May 21, 2009
by Beth McKechnie 21 May '09

21 May '09

In the Future, New York Citys Streets Are to Behave Imagine narrow European-style roadways shared by pedestrians, cyclists and cars, all traveling at low speeds. Sidewalks made of recycled rubber in different colors under sleek energy-efficient lamps. Mini-islands jutting into the street, topped by trees and landscaping, designed to further slow traffic and add a dash of green. This is what New York City streets could look like, according to the Bloomberg administration, which has issued the citys first street design manual in an effort to make over the utilitarian 1970s-style streetscape that dominates the city. Article online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/nyregion/20streets.html?_r=2&ref=todayspa… NYC street design manual at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/streetdesignmanual.shtml

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NYC report - bringing back pedestrian streets
by Beth McKechnie 12 May '09

12 May '09

Interesting summary of New York City's experience in closing streets to cars and opening them to pedestrians and other AT users. Find the full report (55 pages, publ. March 2009) at: http://www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/reports/2009/walk_in_my_street.pdf -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Executive Summary In the summer of 2008, thousands of New Yorkers took a walk in the street. For a handful of weekends strung throughout the summer, several streets around New York City were opened to people instead of cars, bringing the idea of pedestrian streets back into the sun after a three-decade exile in history's dustbin. Transportation Alternatives studied this effort to reintroduce pedestrianization to the streets of New York, documenting three community-driven street events-Summer Space on Montague Street in Brooklyn, the 78th Street Play Street in Queens, and Williamsburg Walks on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. The results paint a picture of a New York desperate for more public and community space, and New Yorkers ready to make the most of what they have: * Opening the street to people is a boon to local retail: Montague Street retailers experienced 26% higher sales during Summer Space than on comparable days in 2007, on average. * People who have experienced a pedestrian street want more: before the closure, 42% of respondents said they would visit Montague Street if it were closed to auto traffic; during the closure this number jumped by an additional 30%. * Pedestrianization improves visitors' perceptions of a street: the percentage of respondents who rated the pedestrian experience of Montague Street as "Good" or "Very Good" increased from 79% before the closure to 97% during. * Opening the street to people builds community: 100% of those surveyed at the 78th Street Play Street felt that the event "enhanced the park and farmers' market". * Pedestrian streets encourage walking: during the Williamsburg Walks event, 47% of those surveyed said that they had walked to the event, a 14% improvement over normal levels. The experiences of these three events points to a clear conclusion: thirty years after political expediency killed pedestrian streets in New York City, they are making a comeback. And with the help of dedicated, savvy community organizers, they are successfully bringing new open spaces into the communities that need them most.

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Active & Green Spring 2009
by Jessie Klassen 08 May '09

08 May '09

Hello All and Happy Spring! (Apologies for cross-postings) Our new issue of Active & Green is out. Visit the link at: http://www.resourceconservation.mb.ca/news/pdfs/Active%20&%20Green%20Spring% 202009.pdf We hope you will share it widely with your colleagues, family and friends. Here are a few highlights from the Active & Green Spring 2009 issue: * Commuter Challenge and Be a Winner! * Clean Air Day on the Bridge * Take the Green Leap Forward * How to Host a Webinar * The Evidence is Mounting: New Studies Released * New City Bike Map Released * Let Otto Come To * Power to the Pedals Contest * Green Commuting Highlights from Elsewhere If for some reason you are not able to access the link, please contact us and we will email the pdf file directly or provide a hard copy for posting at your workplace. Stay Active & Green, Jessie Klassen Green Commuting Initiatives, Workplace Transporation Demand Management Tel: (204) 925-3772 Email: jessie(a)resourceconservation.mb.ca Resource Conservation Manitoba 303 Portage Ave, 3rd Floor Winnipeg, MB R3B 2B4 Fax: (204) 942-4207 web: www.resourceconservation.mb.ca

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CFLRI resources: Making the Case for AT
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '09

08 May '09

http://www.cflri.ca/eng/active_transportation/index.php Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute: Making the Case for Active Transportation Information bulletins have been developed for professionals and community members who want to build a case for active transportation in their community. Academic, government and non-government sources are used to build a strong case for implementing active transportation opportunities at the local level. Canadian sources are used whenever available. All bulletins are available in English and French. Each bulletin includes evidence that supports the investment of time and resources for active transportation opportunities at the local level. They focus on designing communities for moving people and not cars. Recommended actions to increase and strengthen collaborative partnerships for active transportation are also included. Making the Case for Active Transportation: a.. # 1 - Health Benefits (download now) b.. # 2 - Barriers to Active Transportation (download now) c.. # 3 - Economic Benefits (coming soon) d.. # 4 - Environmental Benefits (coming soon) e.. # 5 - Built Infrastructure (coming soon) f.. # 6 - Safety (coming soon) g.. # 7 - Increasing Social Capital (download now) h.. # 8 - Role for Municipal Decision Makers (download now) Other AT resources from CFLRI: . Research File - Active Transportation (09-04): http://www.cflri.ca/eng/research_file/index.php . Lifestyle Tips - Active Transportation (2009 series): http://www.cflri.ca/eng/lifestyle/index.php

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Bike article round-up
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '09

08 May '09

Bixi bikeshare launched in Montreal: http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/628997 NOW Magazine: It's a bike-friendly world http://www.nowtoronto.com:80/daily/story.cfm?content=169259 Globe and Mail: Pedal Power to the People: Ride on! http://www.theglobeandmail.com:80/servlet/story/LAC.20090502.STLEAH02ART134… CBC News: City to convert 1 traffic lane on Burrard Bridge for bicyclists (Vancouver) http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/05/07/bc-burrard-bike-…

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MB News Release: Rondeau Appoints Members to New Active Transportation Advisory Group
by Beth McKechnie 08 May '09

08 May '09

Manitoba News Release ............................................................ May 7, 2009 RONDEAU APPOINTS MEMBERS TO NEW ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP Science, Technology, Energy and Mines Minister Jim Rondeau today appointed 11 people to the Active Transportation Advisory Group which will make recommendations for improving Manitoba's active transportation policy and infrastructure. "Having a strong active transportation policy improves our environment, complements our transportation systems, provides better recreation opportunities and enhances our personal and public health," said Rondeau. Appointed to the board are Janice Lukes (chair), Terry Zdan, Anders Swanson, Russell Wychreschuk, Tim Deacon, Marcela Rivera, Mark Cohoe, Pat Locken, Gary Ewen, Murray Haukaas and Steve Paulson. "The creation of the Active Transportation Advisory Group illustrates the province's recognition of the importance of investing in varied transportation choices," said Lukes. "Having transportation choices will have a positive impact on the health, environment and social aspects of our communities." Rondeau noted the group will look at provincial bicycle policy, development of multi-user recreational trails and ways to incorporate both recreational and commuter trails into an overall network. It will also make recommendations on improved signage, bicycle safety, cycling tourism and assess to the economic benefits of active transportation infrastructure. - 30 -

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