The primary objective of this study was to develop safety indices to allow engineers, planners, and other practitioners to proactively prioritize intersection crosswalks and intersection approaches with respect to pedestrian and bicycle safety. The models in this study use easilycollected, observable characteristics of an intersection to produce safety index values. Practitioners will be able to use these models on a small or large scale to determine where best to focus efforts to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
Study: www.tfhrc.gov/safety/pedbike/pubs/06125/
Monday, February 25, 2008
Report - Toronto: Traffic and Health Report
Dr. David McKeown, Toronto's Medical Officer of Health, released a report stating that traffic related air pollution contributes to about 440 premature deaths and 1,700 hospitalizations per year in Toronto.
This study estimates that mortality-related costs associated with traffic pollution in Toronto are $2.2 billion each year. Based on policies in place in other jurisdictions, implementation of comprehensive, integrated policies and programs could reduce total vehicle travel by 30 to 50%. A 30% reduction in motor vehicle emissions in Toronto could save nearly 200 lives and result in 900 million dollars in health benefits annually.
Enabling greater use of public transit and active modes of transportation such as walking and cycling are of significant benefit to the public’s health and safety. This study provides a compelling health rationale for investing in City Council’s action plan to combat smog and climate change, and for vigorously pursuing implementation of sustainable transportation policies and programs in Toronto.
Full Article: http://www.toronto.ca/health/hphe/air_pollution_burden.htm
Article - Canadians prefer to watch sports, not participate
A Statistics Canada study found that barely three in 10 Canadians aged 15 and over participated regularly in at least one sport in 2005, down dramatically from nearly half in the early 1990s.
The study blamed the aging population for much of the decline. In 1992, people aged 35 and over represented 60 per cent of the adult population and about 36 per cent of them participated in sports, it said. By 2005, two-thirds of Canadians were in this age group, and their participation rate was down to 22 per cent.
Full Article: www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/02/07/sports-statscan.html
The study blamed the aging population for much of the decline. In 1992, people aged 35 and over represented 60 per cent of the adult population and about 36 per cent of them participated in sports, it said. By 2005, two-thirds of Canadians were in this age group, and their participation rate was down to 22 per cent.
Full Article: www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/02/07/sports-statscan.html
Article - People turning on technology, tuning out nature: study
As people spend more time communing with their televisions and computers, researchers say it's also resulting in less contact with nature and less interest in conservation and parks.
Full Article: www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/02/06/tech-nature.html
Full Article: www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/02/06/tech-nature.html
Article - Bicing, Barcelona’s Bike Sharing System
Since March 2007, the citizens of Barcelona, Spain, have been riding and sharing 3,000 cute white- and red-coloured bicycles throughout the city. There are now more than 100,000 subscribers riding the bikes, from high-heeled women to men in business-suits, cutting across all generations. The service has been used more than 3,000,000 since its launch. The name of this bike sharing system: Bicing.
The Blog, "Tree Hugger" tried to find out more about this new phenomenon that makes Barcelona a world-class bike city and conducted a series of interviews. The first is an interview with Mayra Nieto from the Mobility Division of B:SM, the Barcelona Municipal Service.
Full Article: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/01/the_th_intervie_28.php
Program - University Free Bike Loan Program
The Purple and Yellow Bike Project is a fleet of used bikes that are available for use on the University of British Columbia campus. Bikes are locked with same keyed locks. Whenever a prospective user sees a bike, he/she is free to unlock it and ride it away; the person that left it there will have to find another one.
More Information: http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/bikecoop/p&y.htm
More Information: http://www.ams.ubc.ca/clubs/bikecoop/p&y.htm
Paper - Sustainable Transportation Indicators
This paper, a cooperative effort by the Transportation Research Board’s 'Sustainable Transportation Indicators Subcommittee', discusses how to develop a standard set of indicators for sustainable transportation evaluation. It describes sustainable transportation definitions and concepts, discusses factors to consider when selecting indictors, recommends specific sustainable transportation indicators, and discusses issues of data quality. The goal is to lead to the development of a standardized set of sustainable transportation indictors for worldwide use.
Paper: www.vtpi.org/sustain/sti.pdf
Article - EU: Public Bike Systems Turning into Big Business
Banks and private equity firms are eyeing a growth market for the bike industry: the public bike systems. London, Geneva, Barcelona, Roma, Chicago, Moscow, Washington, Beijing, Sidney are all showing interest in installing such systems. Final decisions on implementing rental bikes have recently been made by the cities of San Francisco, Caen and Dijon.
Article - Australia: Bike lanes dangerous, cyclists warn
The state of New South Wales spends less per person on cycling than any other state, resulting
in cycleways that were poorly planned and often dangerous, bike lobby groups warned yesterday as the Government denied that under-used bicycle lanes were a waste of money.
in cycleways that were poorly planned and often dangerous, bike lobby groups warned yesterday as the Government denied that under-used bicycle lanes were a waste of money.
The motoring group NRMA has accused the Iemma Government of wasting millions of dollars on building cycleways that attract few cyclists, including a new bicycle lane on the choked Epping Road, which the NRMA says will in effect cost $300,000 for every cyclist who uses it.
Report - US: Transportation for Tomorrow
Transportation for Tomorrow: Report of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, prepared by a specially convened Commission, released its final report today. "The Report includes detailed recommendations for creating and sustaining a pre-eminent surface transportation system in the United States."
You can download the report at http://www.transportationfortomorrow.org/final_report/
Please be advised that the complete 258 page final report is 124 MB and will take time to download but you can download by chapter.
You can download the report at http://www.transportationfortomorrow.org/final_report/
Please be advised that the complete 258 page final report is 124 MB and will take time to download but you can download by chapter.
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