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Thanks
by Dave Elmore 19 Oct '23

19 Oct '23

The City of Winnipeg put this survey about residential speed limits and the neighbourhood pilots. Please share widely! https://www.winnipeg.ca/news/2023-10-18-winnipeggers-invited-talk-residenti… Thanks Dave o _ ( \ _ (X)\ /(X)

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WFP Editorial: Cities must adapt to new bike tech (Oct17'23)
by Beth McKechnie 18 Oct '23

18 Oct '23

*Cities must adapt to new bike tech* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/editorials/2023/10/17/cities-must… IT’S a bike, it’s a car, it’s something in between. If you spent any time travelling around Winnipeg this summer, you probably noticed some new vehicles whizzing around the city’s roadways and active transportation routes. Electric bicycles and scooters have accelerated into common use recently with riders of all stripes jumping on the bandwagon. The battery-powered vessels have seen a surge in popularity thanks to their environmental advantages, accessibility and fun factor. But their presence isn’t beloved by all. Last week, the city’s public works committee agreed to commission a report on the viability of establishing speed limits on active transportation paths for bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other devices. The motion, raised by Coun. Shawn Dobson last month, argues speed restrictions are necessary to protect all path users from collisions. The department has 300 days to report back. As in other jurisdictions, the issue is proving to be a contentious one, with some Winnipeggers expressing safety concerns about mingling with the speedy personal vehicles on pathways and others raising questions about the effectiveness of speed limit enforcement. All are valid viewpoints, which is why the city needs to take an holistic approach to regulations. With every new form of transportation technology, governments have had to grapple with their application on roadways. When horses and buggies were the norm, they were barred from being “driven at a gallop” on New York streets or risked incurring a hefty fine. Alberta introduced its first speed limits in 1906, capping automobile travel at 32 and 16 km/h on highways and within city limits, respectively. Road safety has improved as speed limits have increased thanks to a combination of regulation, enforcement, infrastructure and public education. The city must acknowledge each of these factors when drawing up new rules around e-bikes and scooters. Doing too little will create undue tension between users on active transportation routes. Doing too much will impede e-bike and scooter use, which has the potential to take vehicles off the road and reduce carbon emissions. Speed limits are a good starting point, but they need to come with cost-effective enforcement strategies. In the absence of a fleet of bicycle bylaw officers, signage and public education campaigns can encourage self-policing. Currently, Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act restricts “power-assisted” bicycles to speeds of 32 km/h with an electric motor of up to 500 watts. That’s faster than vehicles are allowed to travel in school zones — a regulation designed to protect young pedestrians from death or injury. In Calgary, most active transportation routes have a maximum speed limit of 20 km/h for all path users. The bylaw also requires users to use a bell or vocal signal when passing others and denotes which vehicles are allowed on which pathways. Fines range between $100 and $400. The rules are clearcut and fair, while setting a standard for decorum on shared roadways. The latter is likely more important for e-rider and pedestrian safety than speed limits. Recent studies from Europe and the United States found that while e-bike users suffer higher rates of more severe injuries than traditional cyclists, rider behaviour and user error were the main culprits of collisions, followed by road conditions, such as speed limits. E-bikes and scooters are not a passing trend. While city councillors are busy mulling speed limits, they should also be thinking about how these increasingly popular modes of transportation will fit into future infrastructure and active transportation developments. Giving residents many different options to get where they need to go offers a direct path to improving Winnipeg’s livability.

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CTV News: New bike lanes cause close quarters driving along Goulet
by Beth McKechnie 15 Oct '23

15 Oct '23

https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/near-impossible-new-bike-lanes-cause-close-quar…

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WFP: Speed limit proposed for bike paths (Oct6'23)
by Beth McKechnie 07 Oct '23

07 Oct '23

Speed limit proposed for bike paths https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/10/05/speed-limit-propo… A WINNIPEG councillor’s bid to create a speed limit for bicycles, electric bikes and scooters on active- transportation pathways is raising questions of whether such a restriction would be adequately enforced. Coun. Shawn Dobson argued a speed limit is necessary for the safety for all path users. “I’m trying to be proactive on our pathways because we have a number of bicycles, e-bikes, etc., that are going too fast,” the St. James councillor said Thursday. “I could see this getting much worse.” The potential for collisions increases with speed, he said, noting the growing use of e-bikes and scooters. A motion raised by Dobson at city council’s Sept. 29 meeting asks city staff to study the matter and report back. The motion was referred to the public works committee’s Oct. 10 meeting for consideration. “I just thought it made sense. We can’t turn them into raceways,” he said. Dobson wants staff to look at what other cities are doing. Calgary has a speed limit of 20 km/h for its paths and sidewalks. Fines range between $100 and $400. Dobson’s motion doesn’t recommend a specific speed limit or fine for Winnipeg. “It could be 10, 20 km/h,” he said. The limit would apply to bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other devices, according to the motion, which states many Winnipeggers are afraid to use pathways because they fear being in a collision. Manitoba’s Highway Traffic Act sets a restriction of 32 km/h when power-assisted bicycles are using an electric motor of up to 500 watts. The minimum driving age is 14. Helmets are required. Only bicycles with a rear wheel diameter of 410 millimetres or less are allowed on sidewalks. Enforcement of a city-imposed speed limit on pathways could be an issue, according to some cyclists and e-bike users, as well as public works chair Coun. Janice Lukes. “The police have more important things to do,” said Jeff Bowes, manager of retailer EBike Winnipeg. He thinks a speed limit is a good idea. Bike Winnipeg executive director Mark Cohoe said a speed restriction shouldn’t be viewed as the only solution for matters such as safety. “It’s something we have to consider, but we have to consider carefully,” he said. “We have to look for solutions that are going to work for us and be enforceable and manageable and fair.” He would like cities to consider ways to integrate e-bikes into current and future active-transportation networks. The bikes exploded in popularity when many of Winnipeg’s paths were already in place or designed. Bowes agreed Winnipeg must be more bike-friendly. He and Cohoe said a majority of people who would be affected by a speed limit ride responsibly. Ian Walker, an e-bike user and spokesman for Safe Speeds Winnipeg, believes the increase in electric bicycles, coupled with limited space on paths, is leading to more complaints about speed. There is a need for wider and more pathways, he said. “Our paths are small. There is not a lot of space for passing, which is a problem,” said Walker. He encouraged people to slow down when passing. Lukes, who supports a speed limit on paths, recently discussed e-bikes with police after some residents contacted her with questions. “It is definitely time to take a look at this and make a decision on what we’re going to do,” the deputy mayor said. Whatever the city chooses to do, it must not discourage people from using bicycles or e-bikes, she said. Lukes believes an effective education campaign would encourage a large majority of people to comply with a speed limit. “I think, sometimes, things can self-enforce,” she said. Safe Speeds Winnipeg has lobbied city council to reduce the speed limit for vehicles to 30 km/h on all residential streets. Doing so would reduce the risk of fatal or serious injury collisions, while encouraging more cyclists or e-bike riders to use the roads, it argues. That proposal should be a higher priority for council than speed restrictions on paths, Walker said. Dobson does not support lowering the speed limit for all residential streets. “There’s no way people would follow that,” he said. Last March, the city turned four streets into 30- or 40-km/h zones as part of a pilot project. chris.kitching(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @chriskitching

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WFP: Assiniboine Avenue closure considered (Oct5'23)
by Beth McKechnie 06 Oct '23

06 Oct '23

ASSINIBOINE AVENUE CLOSURE CONSIDERED VEHICLE traffic may lose access to a key section of Assiniboine Avenue if a proposed pilot project to enhance the area for pedestrians is approved. On Oct. 10, council’s public works committee will consider a call to order a report on a pedestrian-prioritized pilot project that would close Assiniboine Avenue to vehicle traffic between Fort and Main streets. Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works, said shutting down vehicle access at this stretch of Assiniboine Avenue would improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. “Vehicles would not have a right or left turn onto Assiniboine Avenue (from Main Street), basically closing Assiniboine Avenue,” said Lukes. A pilot project could help determine how best to use the space and to study its impact on traffic and safety. Lukes suggested the area could include more green space and/or a plaza in the future. The motion also calls for options to eliminate the right turn lane at River Avenue and Osborne Street and consider adding a pedestrian scramble in that area. At a pedestrian scramble, all vehicle traffic has a red light at the same time in order to let pedestrians cross in all directions at once.

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WFP: City spring cleanup crews to make on-road active-transportation routes a priority (Oct4'23)
by Beth McKechnie 05 Oct '23

05 Oct '23

City spring cleanup crews to make on-road active-transportation routes a priority https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/10/04/city-spring-cleanup-crew… Starting next spring, some Winnipeg active transportation routes will be cleared of winter sand and grit before other roads, with the goal of making them accessible sooner. A new city staff report notes the city’s on-road active transportation network will be prioritized for cleaning first in the spring. The prioritized routes include bike paths, active transportation priority routes, seasonal bike routes and neighbourhood greenways. (The city defines neighbourhood greenways as on-street routes that typically use reduced speeds and traffic-calming measures to safely move cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles.) The off-road network of sidewalks and pathways will continue to be cleared based on the priority level of associated streets. “It is anticipated that the on-road active transportation network can be cleaned within two weeks (as opposed to the larger network’s five to six weeks), providing a safer environment to users earlier in the season,” Michael Cantor, city manager of streets maintenance, writes in the report. An active transportation advocate welcomed the change Wednesday, suggesting it will reduce the risk of injuries on routes where cyclists travel at higher speeds. “What it means is that if you’re on your bike, there’s less risk that you’re going to be crashing because there’s loose gravel out on the roadway,” said Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg. Since Winnipeg tends to have lengthy, snowy winters that require the repeated spreading of sand to improve traction, Bike Winnipeg has advocated for the change in the past. Cohoe said the on-road routes tend to collect more sand than other active transportation ones, partly because nearby motor vehicle tires can push excess debris into curbside spaces designated for bikes. He would like the city to also prioritize spring cleanup for separated sidewalks and paths, in order to encourage more people to use active transportation routes. Coun. Janice Lukes, head of council’s public works committee, said she would also like to see all active transportation routes prioritized for spring cleanup, but considers this change an important first step. “We’re starting with the roads for the vulnerable road user… It’s just to try and get more people to use active transportation and to have it presented to them (earlier in the year) and in a safe manner,” said Lukes. Since the change mainly adjusts the schedule of existing spring cleanup efforts, the city councillor said it’s not expected to cost more money. Street sweeping typically starts in mid-April, weather permitting. joyanne.pursaga(a)freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga

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WFP: Speed limits sought for active pathways (Sep30'23)
by Beth McKechnie 01 Oct '23

01 Oct '23

SPEED LIMITS SOUGHT FOR ACTIVE PATHWAYS https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/09/29/councillor-suggests-spee… THE City of Winnipeg should study the merits of imposing a speed limit for bikes, electric bikes, scooters and other devices on active transportation pathways, according to one councillor. Coun. Shawn Dobson raised a motion at Friday’s council meeting that seeks a staff report on the potential change, which states collisions and injuries are more likely when speed increases. “Many residents are afraid to use our pathways for fear of being struck and injured by speeding bikes, e-bikes, scooters and other devices,” the motion states. The matter was referred to council’s public works committee, which will consider it next month.

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WFP: Cyclist injured in apparent road rage incident with truck (Sep20'23)
by Beth McKechnie 20 Sep '23

20 Sep '23

Cyclist injured in apparent road rage incident with truck https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2023/09/20/cyclist-injured-i… A cyclist is recovering after an alleged road rage incident in which a motorist attempted to ram him with his truck, severely damaging his bike and sending him sprawling to the pavement. “I’m still processing this in a really big way,” Elliot Long said, describing how a seemingly innocent interaction with a motorist allegedly turned hostile. “I’m really shaken up. I would like to continue cycling, but it is really scary.” Long, a student at the University of Winnipeg, said he was cycling northbound on Roslyn Road near Osborne Street around 9 a.m. Monday when a car cut him off and stopped at a red light. When he gestured for the driver to give him more space, an unrelated motorist behind the wheel of a burgundy truck began shouting at him. “I don’t even know why he got involved,” Long said. “He started foaming at the mouth, screaming all kinds of stuff, just completely losing it at me.” Long stepped off his bike and turned to face the incensed motorist. When the light turned green, the man in the truck “backed up a little bit and crashed right into me,” he said. Long said he managed to dive away in order to avoid being run down, and watched from the ground as the truck sped off with his bike trapped beneath. The bike broke loose a few metres away with its rear tire, chain and gears reduced to a twisted wreck. Shaken up and sore, but relatively unharmed, the cyclist got to his feet and took note of the truck’s licence plate. He went immediately to Winnipeg Police Service headquarters and filed a report, he said. Numerous witnesses approached him in the aftermath of the crash, including a staff member at a nearby convenience store who said they had video footage; that evidence has since been submitted to police, Long said. On Tuesday, WPS confirmed it received the report but did not provide additional details. “They asked me if I want to press criminal charges,” Long said. “(I said) yes. This is not OK. There are cyclists killed often and you cannot behave that way. It’s completely inappropriate.” Manitoba Public Insurance data shows an average of four cyclists are killed and 78 are injured in collisions annually throughout the province. While every situation is different, claim reports suggest fault is often shared between drivers and cyclists. In June, a 63-year-old man was struck on his bike and sent to the hospital in critical condition after a hit-and-run incident near Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue. In May, a cyclist in his 30s was critically injured after being struck by a garbage truck near Erin Street and Sargent Avenue. Javed Musharraf, 22, died late last year after colliding with a front-end loader while riding his electric bike near the intersection of Mission and Plinguet streets. A separate 2019 MPI report found roughly 30 per cent of drivers admit to committing acts of road rage, including shouting, cursing, making rude gestures or — in extreme cases — forcing other motorists off the road. Long estimates the cost of damage to his bike, helmet and eyeglasses will exceed $1,000. The number does not account for physical or emotional damage suffered as a result, he said. He intends to file a claim with MPI. “Everybody I know who is a cyclist has been in an accident at some point,” he said, “Drivers seem to think cyclists are supposed to ride on the sidewalk sometimes, which is not the law and is much more dangerous. I wear my helmet, I follow the rules of the road, but it is scary.” tyler.searle(a)freepress.mb.ca

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WFP: Montreal-area police equip school kids with backpacks that display speed cameras (Sep7'23)
by Beth McKechnie 08 Sep '23

08 Sep '23

Montreal-area police equip school kids with backpacks that display speed cameras https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/2023/09/06/montreal-area-police-eq… MONTREAL — Children in the Montreal area are becoming living speed cameras to get drivers to slow down in school zones as the city charges ahead with efforts to increase road safety. On select dates, police in the metro area will equip a handful of schoolchildren with backpacks that display passing vehicles’ speeds. The concept, developed in Quebec by police in the suburb of Laval, north of Montreal, in 2021, spread to Longueuil on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River last year. On Wednesday, the Montreal police force presented its first “living radars.” The striking demonstrations are part of a series of measures municipalities are deploying to better secure school zones this year — an effort that took on renewed urgency last December when a seven-year-old girl who had recently arrived from Ukraine was killed in a hit-and-run on her way to school east of downtown Montreal. “Living environments are not shortcuts, and they must guarantee safe travel for everyone,” Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said in a statement this week. “Road safety is everyone’s business. Every motorist must prioritize safety over speed.” Police in Montreal, Laval and Longueuil have all announced operations to crack down on dangerous driving around school zones this month. Montreal is reshaping its streets to better protect children, ramping up work to envelop school zones with pedestrian safety and traffic calming measures, such as raised crosswalks, enlarged sidewalks, speed humps and lane size reductions. The program — the first of its kind in Quebec, according to Plante — has made 92 schools safer since its launch in 2020, the city says. Eighteen more projects are underway and scheduled to wrap up by the end of the year. Longueuil is following suit, with its own school zone safety plan coming shortly, the city’s mayor, Catherine Fournier, promised last week. On Tuesday, Plante pointed to the rising number of serious road collisions as motivation to push forward with the urban redesign. Quebec’s public automobile insurance corporation counted 38 fatal accidents in the Montreal region, including the city and on-island suburbs, in 2022, compared with 29 in 2021. “Our aim is to do more, faster,” the mayor said. — The Canadian Press

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WFP Community Review: Mobility fair for older adults to be held Sept. 13
by Beth McKechnie 07 Sep '23

07 Sep '23

*Mobility fair for older adults to be held Sept. 13* https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/east/2023/09/06/mobility-… Options to help some of the city’s more senior citizens get out and about will be explored at an upcoming free community event. Green Action Centre, in collaboration with the Transportation Options Network for Seniors, will hold a mobility fair for older adults on Wednesday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Corydon Community Centre, River Heights site (1370 Grosvenor Ave.). The fair, which will be held in a drop-in format, will include presentations, information and resources provided by a number of organizations, including the two host organizations, such as Winnipeg Transit, Bike Winnipeg, Easy Street Rehabilitation, Peg City Car Co-op, Plain Bicycle, and Freedom Concepts. Organizers say the goal of the event is to showcase a selection of local transportation options that older individuals can utilize to maintain a healthy, independent and sustainable lifestyle. “It’s very exciting for us to do this,” Ariel Desrochers, a sustainable transportation co-ordinator at Green Action Centre, said. Desrochers, who lives in Wolseley, said the organization tends to serve younger audiences — with initiatives such as its Active and Safe Routes to School program — and individuals across the board with any number of active transportation initiatives, so it’s especially satisfying to be tailoring the upcoming fair to an older demographic. She said the event will be helpful to community members with a cross-section of different needs and interests, whether it’s those who are looking for different transportation alternatives, such as people potentially looking for more sustainable alternatives to cars; folks who want to maintain their independence as they age; or maybe those with mobility issues that are seeking prudent options. “It’s something I’m looking forward to. When we talk about sustainability and environmental initiatives, maybe older folks sometimes get left out of the conversation. I really hope this event can be inclusive to this age group and help expand their horizons,” Desrochers said. “Accessible travel isn’t always sustainable, so we’re looking forward to bringing these options to older individuals in the community.” According to Green Action Centre’s website, limited refreshments will be provided. As well, many of the vendors will be stationed outside, so attendees are encouraged to wear comfortable footwear and dress according to the weather. There will be limited bicycle and vehicle parking, as well as street parking. Desrochers said the fair’s drop-in format will allow visitors to pick and choose what they’d like to see and do. Go online at greenactioncentre.ca for more information.

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