Active transportation workshop for Digby

Cara Sunderland wants to help you walk more. Or bike, or skate. She has organized an active transportation workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 30 to get people in the Digby area thinking. Read more.

Ottawa - Bikeway plans miss the mark, residents say

Sandy Hill resident and cyclist Tom Barber said he can't understand why the bikeway isn't proposed to follow a more obvious, direct route over the Mackenzie-King Bridge to Albert and Slater streets, which currently form the downtown spine of the bus Transitway. Another city study called Downtown Moves is looking at possibilities for more active transportation modes on those streets when most buses are removed when the city gets its underground light-rail line completed in 2018. Read more.

Kamloops - Residents want more trail connections

Surveys show Kamloops residents love their trails and walkways. They love them for walking, for cycling and for running. Read more.

Toronto - Transportation Mobility Seminar

Due to an unforeseen scheduling problem, we have changed the date of our Integrated Mobility Seminar with Michael Glotz-Richter to Friday, October 26, from 2 to 4pm. We apologize for this change -- and this extra email - but hope that you'll register today!

As we tackle a myriad of transportation challenges across the GTA and beyond, there is much to learn from Michael's decade of trailblazing mobility work with the City of Bremen in Germany. Some of the key questions we’ll be answering include:

• What political, institutional, cultural and financial arrangements has Bremen used to promote and integrate public transit, taxis, cycling and car-sharing?
• Can the GTA draw inspiration from Bremen to implement and ultimately build on Metrolinx’s Big Move plan?
• What mobility pricing measures and other funding tools should be part of the mix?

For more information and to register, see http://www.transportfutures.ca/seminar. Please note that Governance Summit delegates are admitted free but must register for this event as well.

Kelowna - Catch a ride to work, reduce car emissions and win prizes

“We are encouraging residents of The Central Okanagan to give carpooling a try,” said Mike Kittmer, Active Transportation coordinator for the City of Kelowna. “Carpool.ca is funded in part by the City and its partners, to provide a tool to help you find a carpool match.” Read more.

Ottawa - Two-Day Professional Training Session on Bicycle-Friendly and People-Friendly Cities

This November and December, a team of internationally known experts from The Netherlands, Denmark, Canada and the United States are traveling across North America with an innovative training program called "The Kickstand Sessions".

 

Customized training sessions take European expertise and an understanding of North American context to develop solutions that suit the unique characteristics of each city. Trainers coach participants to discover local solutions in planning, policy, culture and marketing which will permit people of all ages, abilities, genders and ethnicities to bicycle more often.

 

For more information, go to the Kickstand website.

Winnipeg - Traffic Circles

The City of Winnipeg said it plans to update five traffic circles along Grosvenor Avenue to boost safety for cyclists and pedestrians, but some residents worry the changes won't help. Read more.

Edmonton - Study suggests city’s new ‘sharrows’ are ineffective

 A new study out of British Columbia suggests the use of shared bike-car lanes on major roads doesn’t actually increase safety for cyclists and may pose a greater risk if they add confusion to the streets. Read more.

Towns planning bike route between New Glasgow, Trenton Park

The planned route would create a safe bike lane on the side of the road so New Glasgow and Trenton residents can travel via bike to and from Trenton Park and not have to worry about cars. Read more.

Bike helmets help prevent fatal head injuries

Cycle without a bike helmet and you make yourself three times more likely to die of a serious head injury, says a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal Monday. The findings represent the first time that a link has been established between the wearing of a helmet and protection against a serious head injury, said lead author Dr. Navindra Persaud of the family and community medicine department at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. Read more.

Link to CMAJ research available at full article.

Hamilton can improve pedestrian safety with more 'complete streets'

Hamilton does have a Pedestrian Mobility Master Plan that is in the process of development. The plan, which is soon to be put before City Council for approval, was initiated in 2010. [I]t does address many concerns surrounding safety and offers a “toolbox” to city planners for reducing collisions and improving pedestrian safety, said Steve Molloy, project manager of the Master Plan. Read more.

Adelaide plan puts people before cars

A report from Danish architect Professor Jan Gehl urges major streets be closed off during lunchtime trading, the public have access to the Government House gardens and that a public bath be built on the River Torrens. Read more.

Collingwood [ON] Active Transportation Plan

The draft of the Collingwood Active Transportation Plan wil be presented to Council on [October 15, 2012]. You can read the plan online at this link: http://goo.gl/5Hxgl 

Haliburton streetscape to benefit pedestrians

It’s hard to ignore the delays and the noise caused by the construction on the downtown streets in Minden and Haliburton. However it’s a small price for a better future for everyone. It is an integral step for pedestrian safety and greater economic prosperity, said Communities in Action Committee chairwoman Sue Shikaze. Read more.

How Bicycling Creates Economic Impact: A Tale of Two Cities

The conventional wisdom assumes that massive transportation projects are far more economically strategic than bike lanes. But the release of two studies from two very different cities – Portland, OR and New York City – reveals that bicyclists and pedestrians may spend more than their peers who arrive at the same neighborhoods via automobile or public transportation. Read more.

ParticipACTION October Newsletter

Read here.

Edmonton - Kids encouraged to walk, cycle to school

The Edmonton Public schools board of trustees asked all Edmonton schools to implement active transportation plans to encourage safe, non-motorized transportation to school. Read more.

Huntsville ON - Online survey helps plan for active transportation boost

Residents have a chance to get in on the ground floor of a new active transportation study in Huntsville. The town has partnered with Ryerson University on a study to identify where residents want to walk or ride their bikes in Huntsville. The study will help highlight where the town can link existing trails or create new ones to make it easier for people to move around town without a car. Rebecca Francis, sustainability co-ordinator for the town, said part of the study includes a survey to find out what residents are looking for in active transportation. Read more.

Parking rates rise with Calgary leading Canadian cities

Here's more fuel to add to the argument for ditching the car and using public transit or pedal power. Read more.