- AT-Network - University of Manitoba Mailing Lists

Norway's EV subsidies; ... no country needs more cars...
by Charles Feaver 28 Nov '20

28 Nov '20

An column by Eric Reguly in the Globe: Norway's electric cars subsidies: a lot of money, not a lot of gain https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-norways-electric -car-subsidies-a-lot-of-money-for-not-a-lot-of-gain/ Like many countries in the West, Norway, an oil exporter, wanted to clean up its act. The centrepiece of that effort was the mass rollout of electric vehicles and the results have been spectacular - some 60 per cent of new car sales are EVs. That's the good news. The bad is that the sales of those EVs has come at great cost to the taxpayer, and will continue to do so as Norway pursues an all-EV fleet. Those billions of dollars of subsidies might have been put to far more effective use elsewhere in Norway's carbon-reduction effort.. Norway's lavish EV freebies have actually intensified the car culture, not diluted it. The less glam options, such as public transportation, got buried in the green plan.. Norway decided in the 1990s that EVs were the way to go as "global warming" entered the everyday lexicon and the country became acutely aware that its massive North Sea oil industry was part of the climate problem. Norway was rich - still is - and a cynic (not me, of course) would say that EVs became a luxury form of greenwashing for Europe's premier petro-state.. To make them affordable, the national and local governments in Norway rolled out incentive after incentive. Here are a few of them: exemption from the 25-per-cent value-added (VAT) tax on new car purchases; exemption from import duties; exemption from emission fees; no fuel taxes; cut-rate insurance; and ultra-cheap or free parking, road tolls and car ferry tickets. Many cities also gave EVs unfettered access to bus lanes.. As a climate change effort, Norway's embrace of EVs has worked, but only a bit. Road traffic emissions fell by about 10 per cent between 2014 and 2018, though the continued improvement in the efficiency of regular cars no doubt helped. But what if those billions in EV subsidies over the years had been devoted to other climate efforts, such as home insulation, the expansion of public transport or tighter emission controls on office buildings and factories? The drop in emissions might have been significant. As it is, Norway's EV subsidies look like a giveaway to the auto industry, an effort that is putting more cars on the road. Indeed, the total number of cars has climbed in recent years, partly because it appears that most buyers (such as my Norwegian friend) are not swapping their regular car for an EV; the EV is an addition to the regular car. No country, no city, needs more cars. What they need is fewer cars and credible reductions in carbon emissions. The Norway plan, so far, has done neither - at great expense.

1 0

A Review of Canadian Transport Plans
by Anders Swanson 27 Nov '20

27 Nov '20

A timely review out of McgIll for us as we develop our new transport master plan and pedestrian/cycling strategies. The pursuit of cycling equity: A review of Canadian transport plans https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966692320310048

1 0

FW: Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada | New TAC Report
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 26 Nov '20

26 Nov '20

FYI From: TAC-ATC Communications <secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca> Sent: November-26-20 9:35 AM To: Zdan, Terry (MI) <Terry.Zdan(a)gov.mb.ca> Subject: Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada | New TAC Report [Image] Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada The continued growth of cycling in Canada is leading to the development of infrastructure that better serves the safety and mobility needs of cyclists. A new report from the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) will help practitioners evaluate the potential safety performance of new facilities for cycling. Safety Performance of Bicycle Infrastructure in Canada<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> is a resource document that characterizes the safety performance of different types of linear bicycle facilities and intersection treatments. [Alternate text] The report and its technical appendices can be downloaded free from TAC’s website<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…>, thanks to support from the project’s funding partners. The report was developed by MORR Transportation Consulting, and is currently available in English with a French version coming soon. Browse this and other titles in TAC’s online Catalogue<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…>. [Rounded Rectangle: Read the Full Article] [Facebook]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> [Twitter]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> [LinkedIn]<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> TAC © 2020 www.tac-atc.ca<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> UNSUBSCRIBE<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…> Transportation Association of Canada 401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON K2C 3T2 613-736-1350 | secretariat(a)tac-atc.ca<https://u2306505.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=M3V7pKe308SQRDM8wYnXBQDPDzUpg…>

1 0

Availability and Use of Pedestrian Infrastructure Data to Support Active Transportation Planning | The National Academies Press
by Zdan, Terry (MI) 24 Nov '20

24 Nov '20

https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25995/availability-and-use-of-pedestrian-infras… FYI Happy Trails Terry Zdan

1 0

UK city launches ‘smart junctions’ that prioritize cyclists and pedestrians
by Beth McKechnie 23 Nov '20

23 Nov '20

Transport for Greater Manchester <https://tfgm.com/> (TfGM) has announced the rollout of 20 ‘smart junctions’ across the city. They use sensors to detect the type of road user at junctions and allow different modes of transport to be given priority. Developed in collaboration with AI firm Vivacity Labs <https://vivacitylabs.com/>, the scheme aims to accommodate and promote the use of active travel modes such as cycling and walking, which have become an increased priority for UK cities in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project first went live earlier this year, but is now being scaled up to cover 20 junctions in Manchester by the end of 2021. Speaking after its launch, the UK’s Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said: “Smart traffic technology is just one of the many ground-breaking areas the government is funding to pioneer new ways for artificial intelligence and 5G to transform our lives for the better. We’re backing this initiative in (Greater) Manchester to improve the city’s transport, reduce journey times, and cut pollution.” Full article: https://thenextweb.com/shift/2020/11/18/uk-city-launches-smart-junctions-th…

1 0

Forget electric vehicles. Post-pandemic cities don't need them - they are still cars
by Charles Feaver 21 Nov '20

21 Nov '20

Eric Reguly opinion piece in the Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-forget-electric- vehicles-post-pandemic-cities-dont-need-them-they/ . The hype around EVs and their offspring, self-driving e-cars, is dazzling and relentless, and anyone who thinks they should not be part of the new urban mix is treated as a Luddite. Some mayors are swayed by these arguments, especially the clean-air one. The few enlightened ones, such as Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, are not. Ms. Hidalgo and her like see an EV for what it is - a car. Cars take up public space. They need to be parked. They are a menace to pedestrians and bikers. They require roads and taxpayer funds to build and maintain those roads. The ideal city is not filled with sleek, silent, non-polluting e-cars; it is a city devoid of cars. Yet the tech lobby, the Wall Street machine behind it and Elon Musk, boss of Tesla, the world's most successful EV company, would have you think that buying an e-car is the morally correct and patriotic consumer choice. . Local and regional governments who push EVs might not realize that doing so commits themselves to a spending program they cannot afford. Making cities EV friendly would require digging up streets to create a vast network of unsightly charging stations. In a 2019 report, the International Council on Clean Transportation estimated that installing a single direct-current, 150-kilowatt fast-charging station, with two chargers each site, would cost more than US$38,000 in labour, materials, permits and taxes (the greater the power level, the higher the cost). . A 2018 report by Wood Mackenzie determined that charging 60,000 EVs simultaneously in Texas (which has 24-million registered vehicles) could bring down the electrical grid, assuming they were plugged into 100-kilowatt fast chargers. To accommodate hundreds of thousands of EV, Texas would have to build new peak-demand generating plants, probably coal burners. Cost aside, that would be a rather pointless exercise, since EVs are supposed to make the air cleaner. . Cities are run by politicians and the smartest politicians stick with what they know and what they can control. They know and can control public transportation. Most big cities around the world have a century or more of experience in this field. They have zero experience in building and managing vast networks of charging stations and all the supporting infrastructure. Public transportation will make a comeback once the COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out. The best way to reclaim cities from cars is to invest in subways, buses, rail and bike paths. .

1 0

How to get rid of parking minimums: Edmonton's experience
by Beth McKechnie 18 Nov '20

18 Nov '20

*If you missed yesterday's webinar on how Edmonton eliminated parking minimums, check out the recording and resources below. Highly recommended!* Thank you for joining the Strong Towns Team for "How to Get Rid of Parking Minimums." *You can watch (or re-watch) the webinar recording, or share it with others, here! <https://strongtowns.apms5.com/anywhere/m?s=strongtowns&m=s_8f218988-0cc5-42…>* Find tons of information about the process of eliminating parking minimums in Edmonton here. <https://strongtowns.apms5.com/anywhere/m?s=strongtowns&m=s_8f218988-0cc5-42…> And for Strong Towns coverage of Edmonton's success to read and share, check out "Will Edmonton Be the First Major Canadian City to Eliminate Parking Minimums?" <https://strongtowns.apms5.com/anywhere/m?s=strongtowns&m=s_8f218988-0cc5-42…> (Spoiler: It was!) and "Parking minimums are costing your city. For a way forward, look to Edmonton." <https://strongtowns.apms5.com/anywhere/m?s=strongtowns&m=s_8f218988-0cc5-42…> Thanks again for your hard work! —Lauren at Strong Towns

1 0

UMCycle winter cycling workshop
by Beth McKechnie 18 Nov '20

18 Nov '20

Winter cycling workshop UMCycle is hosting an online winter cycling workshop on Nov. 20. The free workshop is aimed at both those with experience and those new to winter biking. It will cover what to wear, what to keep in mind, and how to get the most out of your bike mechanically. Registration is required on EventBrite by noon on Nov. 19, and the event will take place on Zoom at 2 p.m. For more, see www.eventbrite.ca/e/winter- cycling-workshop-tickets-127498249697

1 0

Webinar — Make Biking Better in Your City
by Beth McKechnie 16 Nov '20

16 Nov '20

[image: The Advocacy Academy provides city leaders, local advocates and retailers with a better understanding of our PlacesForBikes City Rating program.] <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTpgjHEFB…> The Advocacy Academy provides city leaders, local advocates and retailers with a better understanding of our PlacesForBikes City Ratings program. Learn how to make local improvements that boost your score and discover the secrets of success from the world’s best bicycling cities. Join us on *November 17* at *2 pm MT* for a 30-minute presentation, followed by a 15-minute Q&A. <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTpgjHEFB…> Can't make the webinar? *Register now <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTpgjHEFB…>*, and we'll send you a recording later. <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTphxVtOE…> [image: Facebook] <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTpqJQESe…> [image: Twitter] <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTpkfMZIE…> [image: Instagram] <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTphuqGaA…> [image: YouTube] <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTpifo-2F…> How many people in your company know about our campaign to help new riders *Keep Riding* <https://u8232924.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=-2FQ23vsRKP4fdjLiX7FqTprculua…> into 2021? © 2020 PeopleForBikes Coalition Business Network 501(c)6. All rights reserved.

1 0

The 15 minute city
by Charles Feaver 14 Nov '20

14 Nov '20

Good article in the weekend Globe about European cities becoming bike-friendly In Europe, cycling caught on in a big way this year as COVID-19 discouraged cars and crowded public transit. Some cities' leaders hope to make the habit permanent and make congestion a thing of the past Biking went mainstream virtually overnight, and cities such as Paris and Milan pushed the notion of the 15-minute city, where all of lifes necessities are within a 15-minute reach by foot or bike. Pontevedra is a Galician city of about 83,000 on the Atlantic, just north of the Portuguese border. When Mr. Fernández Lores, now 66, was elected mayor in 1999, he inherited a pretty but ailing little metropolis. The historic centre was plugged with cars, and its narrow streets were filled with fumes and drug dealers. The street in front of his office saw 14,000 cars pass by a day. In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, he said he found the centre dead." Within a month, he and his team swung into action. The entire historic centre was made a car-free pedestrian area. Surface parking spots were eliminated, opening up almost 1,700 spots for public use, and underground ones were built on the periphery. In the outer zones, they replaced traffic lights with roundabouts to ease traffic flow and end the gunning of engines at green lights, and brought speed limits down to 30 kilometres an hour. Footpaths, bike lanes and green space were added. It wasnt supposed to work, but it did. He got some pushback from motorists, who thought they had the right to park two tonnes of metal and rubber next to medieval buildings, but only some. Years before the pandemic persuaded other mayors to follow a similar route, Pontevedra was lauded as an urban renewal model and has won several international awards, including the UN-Habitat award in 2014. Most children now walk to school alone, and the streets have become alive and filled with people, the UN said. The city claims zero traffic deaths since 2008, a 70-per-cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, 12,000 new inhabitants (no small achievement in a country whose towns are depopulating fast), a drop in crime and a 30-per-cent increase in business revenues. Ms Hidalgo, 61, is a member of Frances Socialist Party and was first elected Paris mayor in 2014. She came in with a vision a clever one. Instead of launching a war against cars and climate change per se, she went after air pollution, a quality-of-life issue that ensured broad buy-in. Who could be against breathable air? By 2016, she had introduced Paris Respire days that eliminated cars from most areas of the centre on the first Sunday of each month and made public transportation free on those days. Later, she turned the busy highway that runs along the north side of the River Seine into a riverside park. European cities, like Paris, were smart to focus on air pollution rather than climate change, says Mr. Toderian. Air pollution is real for people. You can see it, smell it. People liked what she did. Before the pandemic hit, Ms. Hidalgo ramped up her effort to reduce pollution, which meant getting Parisians out of cars and onto bikes and pedestrian walkways. She is creating 1,400 kilometres of bike lanes throughout Paris almost every street will have a lane and has removed thousands of surface parking spots. Her plan is to get rid of 60,000 of them, or about 70 per cent of the total. The major east-west artery, Rue de Rivoli, went car-free when Paris emerged from lockdown in May. From 2024, diesel cars will be banned More than a few European cities are emulating, or hope to emulate, the Paris model. One is Milan, Italys commercial capital, which is also discouraging car use by handing over streets to cyclists and pedestrians. The Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, where a former mayor once used an armoured military vehicle to crush a car parked in a bike lane, is doing the same. But it wont work everywhere. Athens botched its Great Walk project, conceived only last year, to turn car-clogged streets in the centre into gracious, tree-lined pedestrian boulevards. The project was poorly designed, executed and marketed to the public. Edinburgh, one of northern Europes best-preserved old cities, is struggling to add bike lines and pedestrian-only streets. Anthony Robson, an Edinburgh solicitor and bike-lane lobbyist, says Conservative factions and motorists are resisting the idea of adopting a strategy similar to Pariss. The Conservative councillors equated more cars with more shopping, he says. They said, No cars, no commerce.' Weve been trying to debunk this notion. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-bikes-pedestrians-and-the-15- minute-city-how-the-pandemic-is/

1 0