The new Green Municipal Fund application is now online as of Dec.1st, and is accepting applications for transportation projects:
The fund has been redesigned somewhat, but has kept all the good elements. Municipalities of all sizes looking to apply for active transportation planning and capital projects, can take advantage of the ongoing intake date, ensuring that no one misses the chance to apply. For a local government, it means you can start developing plans and ideas whenever you are ready, and have the potential of funding support to look forward to - without necessarily being rushed. Of course, as always, the sooner the better! Here's an example of the kind of project they are willing to consider:
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improvements to active transportation infrastructure around transit nodes, such as sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, pedestrian links from park and ride, bike paths and bike crossings, and end-of-trip bike facilities such as bike parking and shower facilities
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development or completion of walking and cycling networks and systems planned around travel to work, school, shopping or culture, that promote safety, accessibility and viable alternatives to car travel
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development of complete streets (roadways designed and operated to enable safe, attractive and comfortable access and travel for all users - pedestrians, cyclists, transit, high-occupancy vehicles and private and commercial vehicles)
The U of W is hiring for two positions at its new Bike Lab:
Transport Canada?
Good things come in threes . . . or will they? At the beginning of December, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, launched a formal engagement process that will bring together the Government of Canada, provinces, territories, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and other stakeholders to develop a new long-term plan for public infrastructure beyond the expiry of the Building Canada Plan in 2014. Read the Free Press article. If you remember, 1/3 of Winnipeg's large 2010 investment in cycling and walking infrastructure came from the federal government.
Of note: Neither cycling or walking are mentioned as forms of transportation in Transport Canada's Long Term Investment Plan: Key Areas for Investment page online . . . and cycling and walking are barely mentioned, only once under "supporting communities" section, in the recently produced booklet. Yet, there is a truly astonishing amount of work going on across the country in the realm of active transportation planning and capital investment that needs federal support. (see the appendix below for your reference). I hope municipalities aren't discouraged in bringing ideas forward. The federal government can. does (and should) play a critical role in funding major projects. FCM's fund is great, but they don't have Canada's billions or Canada's responsibility for healthcare affecting their bottom line. Our cousins to the south illustrate that Canada could certainly do more.
Municipal Active Transportation Plans
An ongoing list I started creating a few months ago of jurisdictions that have bicycle/walking plans that are either explicitly called "active transportation plans" or detailed enough to reasonably be referred to as such.
(One of these days I am going to go back over them and provide updated links to the plans themselves, but they could each be googled right now, if you want to check.)
Armstrong, BC
Brandon, MB
Bridgewater, NS
Burns Lake, BC
Bella Coola, BC
Cape Breton, NS
Calgary, AB
Chemainus, BC
Yorkton, SK
Dufferin County, ON
East Gwillimbury, ON
Edmonton, AB
Fredericton, NB
Golden, BC
Halifax, NS
Hamilton, ON
Invermere, BC
Kent, BC
Ladysmith, BC
Kamloops, BC
Kingston, ON
Minden, ON
Moncton, NB
Montreal, QC
Nanaimo, BC
Nelson, BC
North Cowichan, BC
Oakville, ON
Ottawa, ON
Prince George, BC
Qualicum Beach, BC
Quesnel, BC
Quebec City, Qc
Red Deer, AB
Revelstoke, BC
Rossland, BC
Shuswap,BC
Sparwood, BC
StJohns, NFLD
St.Malo, MB
Terrace, BC
Thomspon, MB
Thunder Bay, ON
Toronto, ON
Vancouver, BC
Victoria, BC
Warfield, BC
Wells, BC
University of Waterloo
University of Dalhousie
Winnipeg, MB
Some Canadian National Active Transportation-Specific Advocacy Organizations
CanadaWalks.ca
note: No national cycling as transportation organizations in Canada.
Regional/Municipal Active Transportation-Specific Advocacy Organizations
Canadian National Organizations Seeking Adherence Universal-Design Principles and Requiring Changes to the Built Environment
Cycling Plans in Major Canadian Cities
Municipal Walking Initiatives