- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Government of Canada announces the country’s first-ever federal strategy and fund dedicated to building active transportation trails and pathways
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '21

28 Jul '21

Government of Canada announces the country’s first-ever federal strategy and fund dedicated to building active transportation trails and pathways https://www.canada.ca/en/office-infrastructure/news/2021/07/government-of-c… The Active Transportation Fund will invest $400 million over five years to help build new and expanded networks of pathways, bike lanes, trails and pedestrian bridges and undertake planning studies. This new Fund is part of an eight-year, $14.9-billion public transit investment to support communities as they build vibrant neighbourhoods where people can safely live, work, and play. Eligible recipients for the Active Transportation Fund are municipal, local, and regional governments, provincial and territorial governments, public sector bodies, not-for-profit organizations and various Indigenous Governing Bodies. More information about the Active Transportation Fund, details on eligibility, and how to apply may be found on the Infrastructure Canada website. <https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/trans/active-actif-eng.html>

1 0

The Metro: Campaign aims to drop speed limit to 30 km/hr in Bruce Park (Jul28'21)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '21

28 Jul '21

Movement to calm traffic picks up https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/metro/Movement-to-calm-tr… When the pandemic struck, Bourkevale Community Centre organizers decided to pivot their efforts to create a safe and active neighbourhood outside of the building’s four walls, said board president Daevid Ramey. To make this happen, Ramey helped launch Bourkevale 30, a grassroots campaign to drop the area’s speed limit to 30 km/hr. Bourkevale 30 officially kicked off on July 18. “This is a perfect opportunity to engage an entire community and get it done,” Ramey said. “We really want to develop a groundswell of support.” Many studies have reported that pedestrians have a significantly higher rate of survival if struck by a vehicle travelling 30 km/hr rather than 50 km/hr, he explained. “If you create space for folks just to wander around and feel safe from vehicles, they’ll come out and use that space in a really great way,” Ramey said. There are no main through-roads in the Bruce Park neighbourhood, Ramey explained. It’s bookended to the west by George Waters Middle School and Bourkevale Park and Assiniboine Children’s Centre and Jae Eadie Park to the east. The Assiniboine River caps the area to the south and Portage Ave. does the same to the north. “We thought we could make this one of the most livable communities in the city by just getting the speed limit lowered to ensure everyone felt comfortable and our streets were safe and accessible,” Ramey said. Some residents have taken to walking down back alleys to avoid walking where cars often reach the speed limit, he said. With a newly printed set of campaign signs in hand, Ramey and his family set out on a recent muggy July evening to drop them off to fellow Bourkevale 30 supporters. The first stop was the home of Robert Froese, who’s lived down the street from Bourkevale Community Centre for six years. Froese often rides his bike straight out of his garage to the trail systems bisecting the area. As an avid cyclist and self-described tree-hugger, Froese noted the area’s high level of active transportation. “Nobody coming by any of these streets is here for any other purpose than (to go to) a destination within this area. They’re either going to their home or their friends or their neighbours or the community centre,” he said. The city has designated the stretch of Assiniboine Avenue that runs through Bruce Park as a weekend and holiday bike route. Here, vehicle traffic is limited to one block from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Assiniboine Avenue, like a handful of other streets in the neighbourhood, doesn’t have sidewalks, forcing pedestrians, cyclists and drivers to share the road. “You’ve got seniors with walkers, people walking their dogs and entertaining their children ... you get a car coming by here at 50 km/hr, that’s a death trap, there’s no reason for it,” Froese said. Considering city workers must drop off and pick up the bike route barricades every weekend, Froese figures reducing the speed limit in the entire neighbourhood would save time and money. Those interested in supporting the cause can find more information and a petition at www.mybourkevale.com

1 0

WFP: Sidewalk cyclists face ticketing surge (Jul28'21)
by Beth McKechnie 28 Jul '21

28 Jul '21

Fines disproportionately target certain demographics Sidewalk cyclists face ticketing surge https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/special/coronavirus/number-of-tickets-han… AS the number of cyclists increases on Winnipeg streets, more tickets are being handed out for riding on sidewalks. Winnipeg police handed out more than double the number of tickets to people for riding bikes on the sidewalk last year, issuing 87 in 2020 compared to 43 in 2019, said spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon. So far this year, police have handed out 38 tickets, which ding a rider $113. Anders Swanson, cycling advocate and executive director at Winnipeg Trails Association, believes people shouldn’t get fined for such an infraction. “Fundamentally, we should be giving out tickets to anyone who does a road without putting in bike lanes — that’s who should be getting the sidewalk tickets because it’s not the fault of the people who are doing it. The people who are doing it are trying to save lives,” he said. The Winnipeg Trails Association warns people they could be ticketed for taking to the sidewalks on bikes, but Swanson thinks it’s often necessary for them to do so at times because of dangerous stretches or intersections where traffic squeezes out cyclists. “The reality is when you’re giving tickets like that, the message it’s sending is that you should be doing something else, and that something else is usually driving, which is far more dangerous for everybody for all kinds of reasons, whether it’s for health and environment or road violence and trauma. There has to be a better way, because there are places around the world that have figured that out,” Swanson said. Orly Linovski, who researches transportation equity at the University of Manitoba, said there’s another issue: cycling tickets disproportionately target certain demographics. Linovski and other researchers acquired ticketing data through a freedom of information request for the years 2018 through 2020. The data include all cycling tickets, which Linovski has mapped out but has yet to publish. “The vast majority were in probably four or five different census tracts in the downtown core, but also north of it,” she said. Data showed a few hundred cycling tickets in those areas, including downtown and the neighbourhoods bordering Main Street north to Higgins Avenue, she said. Tickets were almost non-existent outside central Winnipeg, with most neighbourhoods registering either zero or one ticket for all three years. “There’s a few reasons for this: there’s no cycling infrastructure in some of those neighbourhoods. You know what Main Street is like. On top of having an underpass, in some places there’s four lanes in each direction of very fast moving traffic. It makes sense that people would cycle on the sidewalks,” she said. Linovski doesn’t believe the frequency of sidewalk cycling is specific to those neighbourhoods. “I think the level of policing in that neighbourhood is higher. You see cyclists on the sidewalk everywhere, but they’re not ticketed,” she said. While the ticketing data didn’t include racial or socioeconomic information, the areas with higher ticket counts generally have populations with lower incomes and higher rates of visible minorities than the rest of the city, Linovski said. When asked for the city’s stance on sidewalk cycling, a spokesman for the public works declined to comment, instead referring the Free Press to the Winnipeg police, who said they were unable to respond before publishing time Tuesday. cody.sellar(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

Wales suspends all future roadbuilding
by Beth McKechnie 21 Jul '21

21 Jul '21

Wales Suspends All Future Roadbuilding <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> (The Guardian) Reports the Welsh government has suspended all future road-building plans as part of plans to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Money saved by not building new roads would be used to improve existing ones, including creating new bus and cycle lanes and infrastructure for sustainable transport.

1 0

WFP Analysis: Reduced speeds won’t expand travel time (Jul17'21)
by Beth McKechnie 17 Jul '21

17 Jul '21

Reduced speeds won’t expand travel time https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/analysis/reduced-speeds-wont-expa… I DRIVE a car that spends almost all its time on the streets of Winnipeg. Thanks to the vehicle’s trip computer, I know my average speed — 31 kilometres per hour. So, the current debate over lowering speed limits on some city streets comes as a bit of a surprise. There is some opposition as the City of Winnipeg begins a yearlong experiment with reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 km/h on sections of four local streets. Do opponents of the move realize how fast they really travel? The simple fact is that lowering speed limits to 30 km/h on many residential streets is not going to change how quickly you get around town — and it will save lives in the process. It is well known that the actual speed vehicles travel in an urban area is governed by such factors as traffic volumes, the road system, accidents and construction — and not so much by posted speed limits. A study in New York a few years ago famously found that the average travelling speed of a vehicle in Manhattan was 7.5 km/h, which means you can just about keep up to cars on foot at a brisk walking pace. Winnipeg rarely has gridlocked traffic, but try crossing the city on Route 90 during morning or afternoon rush hours. Sure, the signs say 50 km/h, 70 km/h or even 80 km/h, but try achieving that on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. I am about as average a motorist as can be, driving to work and other activities over a series of residential streets, neighbourhood collector roads and highways, all within city limits. I rarely venture outside the Perimeter Highway. Over thousands of kilometres every year, the trip computer comes up with the same average of 31 km/h in the stop-and-go traffic I encounter across the city. That’s not going to change if I have to slow down to 30 km/h on some residential streets. In fact, like most drivers, I spend very little time on residential streets and rarely drive the speed limit on them in any event. They are usually the first leg or the last leg of a journey, as they are intended to be. The focus on speed limits shows a lack of knowledge about how fast people really drive, and also about how speed limits fit into the bigger program of road safety. The stated goal of many cities now is to achieve “Vision Zero,” a concept that eliminates traffic fatalities entirely. Lower speed limits play a role in this. But the concept is much broader. Its goal is a safe transportation system in which the needs of street users, vehicles and the transportation network have to be addressed in an integrated manner, through a wide range of interventions. It can involve redesigning roads, redirecting traffic, creating separate routes for pedestrians and cyclists, improved driver training and many other features. The whole system must work together and cannot have elements that are at odds with the bigger picture. That is where lower residential speed limits come in. The design of most residential streets makes them perfectly safe if vehicles travel at 30 km/h. Drivers can stop quickly if, for example, a child runs onto the street. Motorists and cyclists can safely share the road, with lots of time to react, move over and drive around. Speed things up to 50 km/h and the dynamics change. The motorist expects to travel at that speed. The child is in danger. The cyclist and motorist get into conflict because the motorist must slow down or stop to avoid a collision. My River Heights street has speed bumps, stop signs and yield signs, all within a distance of a few hundred metres. The only thing that makes it dangerous is a motorist racing to get up to the 50 km/h speed limit for a few seconds on the oneblock, 400-metre unimpeded stretch in front of my house. A street for vehicles going 50 km/h needs separate lanes for motorists and cyclists, more traffic lights and crosswalks, more safety measures. There are lots of streets like this in Winnipeg, nearby the residential streets, and the speed limits on them are not changing. Neither is the time it is going to take you to get across the city, travelling at the real average speed you go on city streets. *Bob Cox is the publisher of the Winnipeg Free Press*.

1 0

Next national series event - Bike To The Future
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jul '21

16 Jul '21

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Shaun Loney <info(a)encompass.coop> Date: Fri, Jul 16, 2021 at 1:52 PM The role of bikes in designing cities for people. Getting from here to there. [image: Logo] <https://encompass.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f8c78844735ab51e913e66…> Upcoming series event:Bike To The FutureRole and impact of bikes in designing cities for people. Thursday July 22nd at 1:00 - 2:30 EDTSeries: What If the Ways We Build Back Better Rewrite the Social Contract? During the pandemic Canadians started biking more than ever, and it became apparent to many people that so far city planning has focused on moving cars around efficiently. As part of a larger discussion on active transit, this week's series seeks to ask “what could the impact be of instead centering our designs on moving people? Specifically, what if biking was fast, easy, safe, and maybe even the most fun way of getting around? What needs to happen to get us from here to there? (pun intended!) Join us with special guest Mel Marginet of the Green Action Centre in Winnipeg, as we continue this generative series about shooting for better than “normal” as we come out of the pandemic. Mel, who is prolific on twitter <https://encompass.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f8c78844735ab51e913e66…>, is focused on what individuals can do to live sustainably, while also advocating for governments to do their part to make healthy, green choices the most convenient, appealing and affordable for all. We look forward to having her as part of this timely conversation. By re-writing social contract we mean the rules, written and unwritten, that hold society together. Is there a better time than now to question societal norms and assumptions? In the series so far, we’ve explored how everyday people can invest in non-profit real estate through community bonds and we learned about complementary currency. Before we take a break in August, we’ll get together from coast to coast to talk bikes. Encompass Coop and Axiom News invite you to park your bike and jump on Zoom and join a highly participatory conversation….. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIENCE: - Being lit up by new ideas that bring more love, compassion, and kindness into the world. - Aha moments that excite you. - A tangible ways of approaching city design that could: - Increase livability, environmental action, affordability, and maybe our own physical and mental health. - How about some confidence and inspiration? Then this might be the conversation for you! YOU MUST REGISTER <https://encompass.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f8c78844735ab51e913e66…>TO RECEIVE THE LINK FOR THE CALL. *See you there!* Lucas and Shaun Register at Eventbrite <https://encompass.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9f8c78844735ab51e913e66…> *Copyright (C) 2021 Encompass Co-op. All rights reserved.* You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. [image: Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp] <http://www.mailchimp.com/email-referral/?utm_source=freemium_newsletter&utm…>

1 0

WFP: Bike-building event to put discarded rubber back on road (Jul16'21)
by Beth McKechnie 16 Jul '21

16 Jul '21

Bike-building event to put discarded rubber back on road https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/bike-building-event-to-put-discarde… IT’S a venture that combines cycling with recycling. Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub, a non-profit, is set to hold the first of two events that will get more bikes on the road at the very time cycling has experienced a resurgence. At “empty the fill” events (the first one takes place this weekend), volunteers collect discarded bikes from Winnipeg 4R depots and make them roadworthy. They sort, disassemble and reassemble the bikes, deliver them to volunteer builders and shops so they can be donated to people who need a set of wheels. Executive director Kate Sjoberg said the rising popularity of cycling means there’s a greater opportunity to make bicycles and bicycle repairs more accessible to schools, non-profits and the greater community. “Bikes are such a source of joy for so many,” she said. “So, to be able to divert this waste from the landfills and make them really useful to communities that really want them, that’s really exciting.” This weekend’s event involves parts collected at the Brady Landfill recycling depot. To account for COVID-19 safety measures, some volunteers will take the bikes into their own homes to put together. Using this socially distanced system, the charity was able to fix almost 600 bikes last December during its annual Cycle of Giving event. This weekend’s event will gear itself more towards children’s bikes, which will go to schools along with weekly giveaway events in different locations. The shop has added events to its schedules, including pop-up bike repair stands and bike giveaways at pop-up COVID-19 testing sites. WRENCH depends on volunteers, such as longtime core volunteer and bicycle advocate Dave Elmore. Years ago, bicycle parts were wasted, but during his time, Elmore has been able to recycle the parts so they “find their way back into the hands of people who need them,” he said. gillian.brown(a)freepress.mb.ca

1 0

Transit's Rider Happiness Benchmark survey results & webinar
by Beth McKechnie 14 Jul '21

14 Jul '21

Hi everyone, Please see the link below to access a webinar recording below (which I haven't listened to yet) and here's the link to the Rider Happiness report for Canada: https://blog.transitapp.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/RHB-Report_CAN.pdf *Note*: This data is from Transit app users and the goal is to get transit agencies to subscribe to the service for reports. Still, it provides some potentially helpful information. cheers, Beth ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Elizabeth Resta <elizabethresta(a)gmail.com> Fellow transportation enthusiasts, I wanted to share the results of Transit's April 2021 Rider Happiness Benchmark survey. Findings could be helpiness as you're thinking about building out your organization's post-COVID transportation plan. https://blog.transitapp.com/case-study/rider-happiness-benchmarking-survey-… There will be a webinar Thursday, May 27th, 2pm PT if you're interested in diving deeper into the results. There's also a link to the full report. Some takeaways: - Transit riders are incrementally returning and feeling optimistic about riding more. - They’re getting vaccinated at an even higher rate than the general population. - Transit riders' overall satisfaction with their agency has increased since November (but some agencies have risen in the rankings, while others have fallen). Happy reading, Beth --- Beth Resta elizabethresta(a)gmail.com

1 0

Upcoming Webinar on Rails-with-Trails
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '21

13 Jul '21

*Webinar Announcement* Upcoming Webinar on Rails-with-Trails *Thursday, August 19, 2021* 1:00 - 2:30 pm Eastern Time Register Here <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> Many communities across the United States recognize the benefits of developing shared use paths and other trails to make transportation network connections for bicyclists and pedestrians and to increase physical activity and improve health. A new report from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Rails-with-Trails: Best Practices and Lessons Learned <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…>, examines safety, design, and liability issues associated with the development of shared use paths and other trails adjacent to active railroad and transit rights-of-way. It explores lessons learned from the experience of rails-with-trails, and suggests best practices to enhance safety and security for railroads, transit, and trail users. During this webinar, the authors will share findings, recommendations, and lessons learned. Following the presentations, the panelists will respond to questions from webinar participants. Panelists include: - Shari Schaftlein, Director, Office of Human Environment, Federal Highway Administration - Mike Long, Director, Regional Operations, Office of Regional Operations and Outreach, Federal Railroad Administration - Frank Frey, General Engineer, Federal Railroad Administration - Michail Grizkewitsch, Transportation Analyst, Federal Railroad Administration - Jared Fijalkowski, Community Planner, U.S. DOT Volpe National Transportation Systems Center - Kelly Pack, Senior Director of Trail Development, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Christopher Douwes, Community Planner, Federal Highway Administration ------------------------------ PBIC offers free, public webinars approximately every month. To register for upcoming webinars and to access archived presentations, please visit www.pedbikeinfo.org/webinars <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> . Follow the PBIC on Twitter <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> and Facebook <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> and join the discussion [image: https://twitter.com/pedbikeinfo?lang=en] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> [image: https://www.facebook.com/pedbikeinfo] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> [image: http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/index.cfm] <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> ------------------------------ Since its inception in 1999, PBIC's mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center is maintained by the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ------------------------------ Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 730 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Suite 300 Chapel Hill, NC 27599 Add us to your address book <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/vcard?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e453ab5d&…> Phone: 1.888.823.3977 Fax: 919.962.8710 www.pedbikeinfo.org <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…> View this email in your browser <https://pedbikeinfo.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7ae385fc8506278c2e45…>

1 0

WFP: City speed pilot project lifts off on select streets (Jul13'21)
by Beth McKechnie 13 Jul '21

13 Jul '21

CITY SPEED PILOT PROJECT LIFTS OFF ON SELECT STREETS TRAFFIC on some Winnipeg roads will soon need to slow down. The City of Winnipeg will reduce the speed limit to 30 km/h from 50 km/h on sections of four local streets known as “neighbourhood greenways,” with the first changes starting Monday. Between July 12 and 23, city crews will install new speed limit signs, speed humps and intersection controls along the routes to support the slower speed limit for a one-year pilot project. The changes will begin this week along Machray Avenue (between Fife and Main streets) and Powers Street (between Dufferin and Partridge avenues). The speed will begin to drop during the week of July 19 on Eugenie Street (from St. Mary’s Road to Youville Street) and Warsaw Avenue (from Thurso Street to Pembina Highway). Once new speed limit signs are posted, they will take effect immediately.

1 0