Walk like a penguin to prevent falls on ice

A University of Prince Edward Island professor is sharing some tips on how to avoid slipping on icy sidewalks and streets this winter. Kinesiologist Rebecca Reed-Jones, who teaches applied human sciences, said people can take a lesson from penguins when it comes to avoiding falls on slippery surfaces. Read more.

This is the World’s First Suspended Bicycle Roundabout

Designed by Ipv Delft, Hovenring comprises of a 70-metre (230 ft) tall central pylon, 24 steel cables and a circular bridge deck made out of circa approximately 1,000 tons of steel. The cables are attached to the inner side of the bridge deck, right where the bridge deck connects to the circular, concrete counter weight. This helps prevent torsion within the 72-metre (236 ft) diameter bridge deck. To further ensure stability, concrete was added to sections of the bridge deck along with M-shaped supports near the approach spans.

The Day We Lost Atlanta - How 2 lousy inches of snow paralyzed a metro area of 6 million

On Tuesday, snowfall of just over 2 inches shut down metropolitan Atlanta’s roads, schools, churches, government offices and businesses. People who didn’t camp out in supermarket aisles and hotel lobbies were trapped in cars for 10, 16, 20 hours as they tried to make commutes that normally take just 30 minutes.
Since the 1950s, the car—and the highway—has dominated Atlanta’s transportation system. The transit that eventually was built does not serve the whole region. Metro voters rejected transit relief in a 2012 referendum. Read more.

The EU’s new Urban Mobility Package

About 250 million EU citizens, half of the population, are cycling. That’s one of the key results of the Eurobarometer on urban mobility that was published by the European Commission in December 2013. 12 % of the respondents replied that they cycle “at least once a day” – this makes 61 million daily cyclists in the EU. 17 % replied “a few times a week” (=86 million); 20 % said “a few times a month or less often” (=101 million). Read more.

For the first time, EU report recognizes Pedelecs as innovative transport solution

What’s the most exciting innovation in low-carbon transport ? Pedelecs, says the EU Commission. For the first time, a study mandated by the Commission’s DG Climate confirms that electric bikes are an excellent zero-emission transport choice. Read more.

Cycling activist will carry Liberal banner in Burlington

The provincial Liberals have landed a high-profile activist to try and wrest one of the safest Conservatives seats in Ontario away from Tim Hudak. The party acclaimed Eleanor McMahon its Burlington candidate at a meeting attended by more than 150 Thursday night at the Central Library. Read more.

Edmonton puts brakes on new bike lanes for 2014

There won’t be any additions to Edmonton’s network of bicycle lanes this year as city staff plan future projects and seek council direction on the sometimes controversial project. “There’s been a lot of kerfuffle, press, pushback, whatever you want to call it,” Rhonda Toohey, acting transportation planning branch manager, said Thursday. Read more.

Roundabouts’ design worries Halifax cycling group

The Halifax Cycling Coalition says city hall’s preliminary designs for the North Park Street roundabouts could be dangerous for those tackling the intersections on two wheels. While the group’s chairman said he is happy with some recent policy decisions — the Windsor Street Crosstown Connector bike lane being one of them — he said he was disappointed the redesign of two North Park Street intersections had no lanes dedicated to cyclists. Read more.

The Largest Free Mass Transit Experiment in the World

Last January, Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, did something that no other city its size had done before: It made all public transit in the city free for residents. Read more.

The Fuzzy Logic of a Jaywalking Crackdown in New York

The image was shocking: An elderly man, face covered in blood, being restrained by burly New York police officers on an Upper West Side corner. What had the visibly frail Kang Chun Wong, 84, done to merit being forcefully handcuffed and arrested? Well, if you believe the cops, he had been engaging in a most typical New York behavior. He had been jaywalking. Read more.

Cycling safety advert showing cyclist without helmet banned

Cycling Scotland told the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) that wearing a cycling helmet was not a legal requirement in Scotland but a personal choice for the individual — a fact it considered was reflected in the advert with footage of various cyclists both with and without helmets.


But five viewers complained that the advert was irresponsible and harmful because it showed a cyclist without a helmet or any other safety attire riding down the middle of the road. Read more.

York Region - Sanderson blazed trail for active transportation

The idea of an effective trail system in East Gwillimbury is to help move people effectively. Mr. Sanderson pointed to the Nokiidaa trail that people can use to get from Holland Landing to East Gwillimbury Go Station as an example of what an effective trail system looks like.
                            

In 2012, the town passed the active transportation and trails master plan to ensure you will have even more trails to enjoy during the next 25 years. It was estimated the total cost to implement the plan will be close to $24 million. Read more.

Renfrew County is supporting active transportation

After much debate, Renfrew County will move forward with an active transportation plan. At a Jan. 22 budget workshop in Pembroke, county councillors voted unanimously to spend almost $190,000 on active transportation once staff returns with policy framework in March. Read more.

Cyclist and driver square off in Vancouver streets

A Vancouver cyclist is furious police have not laid charges against the driver who allegedly drove him off the road and assaulted him last week in what appears to be a case of road rage. Read more.

Walk-in closets or walks to the coffee shop?

Is life better in the burbs or more desirable downtown? The divide between urban and suburban has been around as long as cities themselves. As The Spectator’s Jon Wells discovers, in Hamilton it plays out in unique ways. And perception is everything. Read more.

Pathways to Better Community Wayfinding

When thinking about wayfinding—the process of finding our way from place to place—it’s useful to consider that we are all “wayfarers” and have been so since the beginning of time. Knowing that we can find our way is pretty basic to our sense of self. Read more.

Why Do the Smartest Cities Have the Smallest Share of Cars?

What do NYC, DC, Boston, and Philadelphia have in common? For one, they're old, crowded cities with good (okay, decent) public transit. “The five cities with the highest proportions of households without a vehicle were all among the top five cities in a recent ranking of the quality of public transportation," Michael Sivak, director of Sustainable Worldwide Transportation at Michigan, told WSJ. Read more.

HRM looks at fix for bike lane at Halifax end of Macdonald bridge

Halifax city hall’s on-again, off-again attempt to correct the much-maligned bicycle lane design on the Macdonald bridge may be back on track. Read more.

Has Cycling Hit A Speed Bump?

There are few recent trends in urbanism that have received such widespread support as cycling: many consider cycling the best way for cities to reduce congestion and pollution, make cities more dense and vibrant, and increase the activity and therefore health of citizens. Thus, it’s no surprise a number of schemes have been proposed worldwide to promote cycling as an attractive way to get around. However, recently it seems that many cycling schemes are running into bumpy ground. Read more.

St. Pete city council discusses lifting downtown skateboarding ban

According to council member Karl Nurse, who has been leading the effort, the city council approved the introduction of the ordinance repeal and sent it to committee to discuss the details. "We’ve got several thousand college students downtown now and they use these to get around," Nurse said. Read more.

Long Grove plan may pave way to privatize public roads

Facing an annual funding gap of more than $1 million, Long Grove trustees have twice in recent months affirmed a plan that could privatize nearly half of the village's public roads — transferring the cost of upkeep and plowing to the residents in the process. Read more.

Walking program to be established in Glace Bay

Municipal recreation officials are hoping to get people to step up their physical activity and get out and walk in Glace Bay. Read more.

The Government Is Really Bad at Predicting Americans' Driving Habits

These projections come from a report, Sundquist notes, that is widely referenced by Congress in setting funding levels for highway infrastructure. That means we dramatically overestimate car use as the default setting for federal policy. This chart suggests that we need to get better at projecting future automobile use, because that's how we're going to get better at funding the future transportation infrastructure that people actually need. Read more.

You can't walk straight while texting, study confirms

Researchers found that healthy people who read or send texts while hoofing it show subtle but potentially hazardous changes to their gait. As pedestrians busily tap and flick, they swerve more, walk more slowly and move their heads, arms and torsos in a stiff, graceless fashion that makes them more prone to falling when confronted with an obstacle. Read more.

National Open Streets Summit - April 4 – 6 in Los Angeles

The Summit will be co-hosted with CicLAvia, Los Angeles’ Open Streets initiative and one of the premier programs in North America. The Summit will feature sessions for both novice and experienced Open Streets organizers, led by experts from the Open Streets Project, CicLAvia and other local organizers. The weekend will also have plenty of time for participants to network with one another and participate in and observe CicLAvia on Sunday afternoon. Read more.

E-Bikes Boosts Bike Usage Among Elderly

A striking effect is coming to light in a recent survey on mobility in The Netherlands. As there are now 1.3 million electric bicycles in use in the country the elderly (60+) that own an e-bike ride twice as much compared to the 60+ cyclists with a regular bike. Read more.

Renfrew ON - County passes active transportation motion

Renfrew County will move ahead with developing an active transportation corporate policy. During their budget workshop Wednesday in Pembroke, county councillors voted unanimously to spend $189,274, representing 35 per cent of the current value assessment, on active transportation once staff have come back with a policy framework in March. Read more.

San Francisco test pilots electric bike share program, in Berkeley

Last August City CarShare announced that it was adding an electric bike sharing service to its lineup. The non-profit was waiting for some grant funding (the program is reportedly to cost $2 million for a three-year pilot), and has now gone ahead with what it calls a 'pre-pilot' program. Read more.

Cycling: Cometh the hour cometh the centurion

French cycling phenomenon Robert Marchand, 102, will attempt to break his own hour record at the new national velodrome on January 31. Read more.

New Evidence That Walking Speed of Senior Citizens is Predictor of How Long They Will Live

A large study of people 60 and older has found that those who enjoy life are more likely to maintain better physical function in their daily activities and a faster walking speed as they age. Previous work by the researchers found these happy seniors were also most likely to survive for another eight years. This supports which supports another study suggesting walking speed is a good predictor of longevity. Read more.

Bixi Files for Bankruptcy, But Bike-Share Goes On

Bixi, also known as Public Bike System, is based in Montréal, but its reach extends around the globe, with systems in place in more than a dozen cities in North America, Europe, and Australia, mostly operated by third parties. Mia Birk, vice president of Alta Bicycle Share, which operates eight Bixi-provided bike-share systems in the United States and Melbourne, Australia, said in an email shortly after the bankruptcy announcement that operations of those systems would be unaffected. Read more.

Bike-sharing bankruptcy puts Vancouver program in jeopardy

The impending bankruptcy of Montreal-based bike-sharing company Bixi has one Vancouver city councillor questioning the City of Vancouver's plans for a multi-million-dollar bike-sharing program. Read more.

Halifax - Money for crosswalk infrastructure debated during budget discussions

2014 has been no better than 2013 when it comes to people crossing the road getting struck by cars.
On the same day couple more people were hit, there were discussions at City Hall during budget debates about how much money should be set aside for crosswalk infrastructure. Read more.

Ottawa Bixi program still a go despite bankruptcy protection

The National Capital Commission says it's planning to continue Ottawa's Bixi bike-sharing program this year, despite the fact the Montreal-based company responsible for maintaining and running Capital Bixi filed for bankruptcy protection Monday. Read more.

Victoria - Cycling map to keep riders on the trails

Helping direct them to some of the region’s more popular routes is a new map drawn up by Daniel Cammiade, president of the South Island Mountain Biking Society. He’s also a cartographer and owner of FreakMaps in Victoria. Read more.

Yellowknife's Municipal Services Committee talks bike lanes

Members of the Yellowknife's Municipal Services Committee discussed a number of pressing issues at city hall on Monday afternoon. One of the hottest topics was a memorandum to support bike lanes and active transportation on the city's streets. Read more.

Saskatoon - Separated bike lanes win support at city council

City council heard a plea Monday night to install segregated bike lanes on two downtown thoroughfares. Currently, those streets include painted lanes for bicycles, located directly next to parked cars. Read more.

Irate Kits residents protest closure of Point Grey Road

Kitsilano residents, wielding homemade signs, staged an early morning rally to protest the traffic leaking over into their neighbourhood from the city's closure of Point Grey Road to facilitate construction of a controversial new bike route. Read more.

BIXI owes $50M, files for creditor protection

Montreal's BIXI bike-sharing service has applied for protection from its creditors. BIXI owes $50 million to various creditors, including $31 million to the City of Montreal, which it is unable to pay. Read more.

League of American Bicyclists - A New Mission and Vision for the League

At this exciting moment, the League board and senior staff was writing the prologue to the next chapter of our 134-year history. The deliberate and repeated focus on "everyone" speaks volumes to our commitment to inclusivity. Listening and learning emerged as key words in how we define leadership, alongside an internal commitment to being more intentional about the role we play (and sometimes don't play) in the broader bicycling movement. Read more.

A Suburb that Makes Walking to School a Priority

It's no accident that the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood is one of the few school districts in Ohio without buses. Choices made by planners, parents, and school officials have preserved the inner-ring suburb as a “walking school district.” Read more.

Toronto - Lanes, chains, and automobiles

Biking in Toronto is a relatively up-and-coming phenomenon. The first bike path in the city, the Beltline Trail, was reluctantly built in the shadow of the Belt Line Railway when it halted operation in the early 1970s. The first marked bike lane was not installed until the late 1970s under the supervision of Parks Commissioner Tommy Thompson. It was not for another 40 years that the first separated bike lane was built in 2012, running north-south on Sherbourne Avenue. Read more.

Walking reduces heart disease in people at risk

The news is actually based on the results of a large international study, but it focussed on adults with a high risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The researchers found that for this specific group of people, every extra 2,000 steps per day at the start of the study was associated with a 10% lower risk of a “cardiovascular event”, such as a heart attack. Read more.

Do Electric Scooters Belong in Bike Lanes?

Electric bicycles certainly make sense in a bike lane. They're the same size as bikes, require similar rider behavior, and are just as susceptible to the safety hazards of neighboring car traffic. And Transportation Services seems to have limited the scope to "power-assisted" bikes — meaning those that require some degree of pedaling to get the motor going, which keeps the "human-powered" spirit of the bike lane in place. Read more.

Cycling in the rain: How to survive it

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up so here's a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it.
Read more at http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/542062/cycling-in-the-rain-how-to-survive-it.html#fJb8zp3WU8C8bRt4.99

The rain this winter shows no sign of letting up, so here are a few tips on how you can keep riding through the worst of it. Read more.

Pembroke - Support active transportation, says PAN-RC

Supporters of active transportation are calling on Renfrew County councillors to move forward with initiatives to ensure safe roadways for cyclists and walkers. County council will debate active transportation next Wednesday in advance of the budget workshop. While the concept is part of the county's strategic plan, some mayors and reeves have voiced their reluctance to support it. Read more.

These 15 stories show exactly how great bikeways help local economies

 In the modern United States, creating protected bike lanes and other great bikeways are something a city does to help create prosperity. Great bikeways are things people make so they and their governments can afford to do all the other important things they want to do. Read more.

City cycling 'could do damage to heart' due to polluting chemicals, new research claims

The problem for cyclists is that when they exert themselves breathe more heavily than pedestrians, meaning their exposure to miniscule particles of polluting chemicals is increased. The Scientists who have studied cyclists in Dublin say that these chemicals reduce the ability of the heart to respond to different rates of exertion (a similar finding to the 2011 Ottawa study). Read more.

Britain's new cycling minister calls for more 'everyday' riders

Britain needs more everyday cyclists, the sort who pedal a short distance in ordinary clothes with a basket on their bike, as opposed to a dedicated minority who speed along in Lycra, according to the new minister for cycling, Robert Goodwill. Read more.

HRM, bicyclists differ on funding

Halifax Regional Municipality plans to spend about $2.6 million less on transportation and public works this year, although there’s a push from certain community groups and some councillors to invest more in active transportation. Read more.

Nova Scotia - Winter Walk Day

 Schools, youth groups and others are invited to walk to school, have an intentional walk or go for a hike on Winter Walk Day. Don’t let cold, wind, snow or rain keep children and youth from heading out for a walk. If they dress properly and practice winter safety, they’re ready to go! Read more and register.

Velo-city Global Adelaide 2014 program is LIVE...

With an overall theme of ‘Celebration of Cycling’ the Velo-city Global Adelaide 2014 program features high profile plenary speakers from almost every continent, and people with a huge diversity of expertise and great stories to tell from more than 40 countries. To check out the conference program and associated activities and to register visit www.velo-city2014.com.

U.K. - Let cyclists go on pavements if roads are dangerous, minister tells police

Cyclists should not be fined for mounting the pavement to escape dangerous sections of road, a transport minister has told police amid claims officers are ignoring official advice. Read more.

Cycling safety at core of Kitchener bylaw review

Requiring a metre's distance between cars and cyclists is at the top of a list of proposed bylaw changes aimed at improving cycling safety in Kitchener. "The city of Kitchener did commit to being a leader on cycling issues," said Peter Dedes, the new chair of the city's cycling advisory committee. "I'm confident that council wants to see this through." Read more.

County council considering active transportation liability

Should Renfrew County proceed with an ambitious active transportation strategy, their liability will also increase. That was the verdict staff delivered to the operations committee Monday as county council prepares to deliberate on the possible implementation of active transportation infrastructure throughout the region. Read more.

The Problem With Elevated Bike Highways

It’s no surprise that many non-Londoners were envious of the city’s latest urban design fantasy: a network of elevated bicycle highways above the city’s rail network. But urban planning experts—including one of the project’s lead designers—say most cities should keep their cyclists grounded. Read more.

How New York's Outgoing Chief Of Transportation Made The City Richer And Healthier

In her six-year tenure, Sadik-Khan has made a lot of changes. She focused on reducing the number of cars on NYC streets. She built hundreds of miles of bike lanes, introduced a hugely successful bike share program, created pedestrian plazas, and transformed Times Square. Read more.

The Challenge of Selling Bike-Share in a Hilly City

Beyond a very compact central grid, streets in Portugal's capital are notoriously steep. Winding up hillsides and down into unexpected dips, the charming irregularity of these streets requires cyclists to navigate narrow lanes and bone-shaking cobbled surfaces. Read more.

Portland Sets Another Bicycle Milestone

A 657-apartment project planned for Portland's Inner East neighborhood will have a whopping 1,200 bike parking spaces, an acknowledgment of the city's cyclo-centric culture. Read more.

The Best Walks in the 10 Most Walkable U.S. Cities

More than just get you from Point A to Point B, a good walk can provide exercise, exposure to fresh air and nature, and—bonus—even up-close-and-personal views of landmarks, if you plot your route well. Read more.

Clearing the Way for Winter Riders

To increase the number of winter riders, cities across North America are working to make routes more accessible through snow clearing and developing connected, protected infrastructure. Read more.

Active Transportation NS January 2014 Newsletter

Active Transportation NS is an e-newsletter produced by the Ecology Action Centre with support from the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness. Its aim is to support the active transportation (AT) movement in Nova Scotia and share local walking and cycling news, events and resources with interested folks all over the province. Active transportation is walking, cycling, skateboarding, in-line skating and other active, non-motorized forms of transportation. Read more.

Four Reasons Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business

In a new report from PeopleForBikes and the Alliance for Biking & Walking, 15 entrepreneurs and business leaders from major U.S. cities explain how protected bike lanes — on-street lanes that are physically separated from automobile traffic by curbs, planters, parked cars or posts — has meant big benefits for their companies. Read more.

Calgary - Coun. Chu prefers bike lanes take over sidewalk space

Coun. Sean Chu, who has emerged as a sharp foe of Calgary’s cycling strategy, reasoned Monday that it makes more sense for new cycling space to chew into pedestrian space rather than limiting room for a road’s majority users: motorized vehicles. Read more.

Saskatoon - Councillors, cyclists upset over lack of public consultations, long-term planning for cyclists

The city of Saskatoon's cycling program came under fire Monday as both councillors and taxpayers challenged the program's priorities. “We’ve been disappointed with the cycling infrastructure in the city,” Cathy Watts, co-chair of Saskatoon Cycles said. Read more.

Calgary - Downtown cycling spikes since track installed

Tom Thivener, the city's cycling co-ordinator, says before the track opened, about 250 people per day used that route to get into the core. “Since putting in cycle track — which is a barrier separated bike lane — ridership has gone up to over 1,100 cyclists a day. So it’s about a 430 per cent increase on this one facility alone.” Read more.

Yarmouth - Achieve your physical activity goals with active transportation

From ParticipACTION, here are some quick tips to put active transportation into your routine. Read more.

What makes a campground bicyclist friendly?

Over the past few years, many hotels have made efforts to increase their bike friendly status by adding various, sometimes superfluous, services and facilities.  The result has generally been positive for the hotels and cyclists alike. Aren’t camps inherently bike friendly? Read more.

'Cyclists are more intelligent, charitable and cool than the average person' says study

The research, commissioned by the British Heart Foundation to mark their 39th London to Brighton Bike Ride, found cyclists are considered to be 13 per cent more intelligent and ‘cooler’ and ten per cent more charitable than other people. Read more.

Annapolis County embarks on active transportation plan; meeting in Nictaux January 23

The County of Annapolis is looking to improve and/or connect neighbouring communities with safer walkable/bikeable solutions, and the public is being asked to share their ideas. An open discussion is being held on January 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Nictaux Fire Hall (9349 Highway 10, Nictaux) to talk about an Active Transportation (AT) Plan. Read more.

Skateboards can coexist with cars on our roads

Victoria, apparently, is a city on the forefront of alternative, green transportation in Canada. Yet little has been done to protect one of the most convenient forms of transportation: the skateboard. Read more.

LAPD misses the mark on strategies to improve safety on our streets

You might have noticed the story on the LAPD’s jaywalking crackdown that’s been featured in the Downtown News, KPCC, and, most recently, the New York Times. Tickets are being issued for jaywalking, even at marked intersections, if the pedestrian leaves the curb after the “countdown” begins. Los Angeles Walks finds the new LAPD strategy of targeting and ticketing pedestrians who are jaywalking deeply troubling. Read more.

What if you knew how to stop cycling deaths. Would you do anything?

The report concluded that road conditions were such that cyclists have to choose between safety and being legal, and often (and correctly) chose safety. They authors suggested that we must fix this, and came up with four simple, cheap and effective recommendations. Read more.

The unstoppable rise of bikes

Bicycling’s recent rise to the spotlight isn’t just a passing fad, argues writer and bike activist Elly Blue. Instead, she says, growing numbers of people are beginning to recognize the tangible benefits — to themselves and to their cities — of trading in cars for self-powered transportation. Read more.

The Winter Cycling Congress has been extended!

The 2014 Winnipeg Winter Cycling Congress Team has received interest from more than 50 speakers throughout Canada, the United States, Finland, and Denmark! Therefore, the congress has been extended from a two-day to a three-day conference. Read more.

word wars: urbanism, urban

I use urbanist routinely to mean "people who care about sustainable cities and the livability of dense cities in particular." I haven't found another good word for this, and on reflection, I think urbanism deserves a vigorous defense. Read more.

Europe's Most Congested City Contemplates Going Car-Free

If the city’s new mayor gets his way, Central Brussels will soon be essentially car-free. Socialist Party mayor Yvan Mayeur, sworn in last month as mayor of the Brussels City district, wants to turn the Belgian capital's central axis into a pedestrian zone. Read more.

Defining the Worst Type of Street Design

The STROAD design -- a street/road hybrid -- is the futon of transportation alternatives. Where a futon is a piece of furniture that serves both as an uncomfortable couch and an uncomfortable bed, a STROAD moves cars at speeds too slow to get around efficiently but too fast to support productive private sector investment. The result is an expensive highway and a declining tax base. Read more.

How Montreal tracks cyclists

Montreal consistently is ranked as the best bicycling city in North America and among the most cycling-friendly cities in the world. One reason is because bicycling as a means of transportation has moved out of a niche culture and into the mainstream, especially since bicycle sharing became a regular feature of the city's streets. Read more.

Google helps Parks Canada offer virtual walking trails

Making parks more accessible, this service expected to be used by armchair travellers, trip planners and teachers as they develop lesson plans. Read more.

Winnipeg Cycling Map

The best part?  It’s free!  We find the print version most helpful as an aid while actually riding, but if you’d prefer to use your desk top or tablet check out the PDF version or the Google Maps interactive version.

Kuala Lumpur To Have Monthly 'Cycling Day'

The first Sunday of the month will be 'Cycling Day' in the city of Kuala Lumpur. Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said today several roads would be closed for two hours from 7.30 am to make way for the pedal power in keeping with the city's desire to promote a smoke-free environment. Read more.

Why Is Walking So Dangerous: How To Maintain Sidewalk Safety

You may think that as a pedestrian you are safe on the sidewalk. However, there are a lot of potential risks that you might not be aware of. Read more.

Why cycling is so dangerous in the United States (and Saskatoon)

Americans are not only among the world’s least avid cyclists; they are also among the most likely to get killed. Here are a few interesting—if morbid—takeaways. Read more.

The bicycle highway: Plans unveiled for £220m 'Skycycle' that lets riders commute far above the railways of London

Plans for a network of cycle pathways high above the streets of London have been unveiled by one of the world's most prominent architects. Read more.

Should Distracted Cycling Be Banned?

By now, most American states have some law in place against distracted driving, but those rules are reserved for a moving motor vehicle. Laws against distracted cycling have failed to break through at the state level. A few individual cities have established rules against riding a bike and using a cell phone (without a hands-free device), but such regulations are far from sweeping. Read more.

‘Walking is fundamental to our survival’: Chief city planner aims to make Toronto more pedestrian-friendly

This isn’t a made-in-Toronto plan, it’s part of a North American movement. Municipalities once needed to force walkability on developers by regulation, said Alexander Fleming of Crozier Engineering. But his developer clients now consider walkability a selling point with customers. “The ecoboom generation wants to walk to work, take transit and cycle,” Ms. Keesmaat said. Read more.

Vancouver cycling policies work, despite grumbling

Not all Vancouver residents are happy with new bike lanes, but city says data doesn’t lie. Read more.

Stuck in traffic

Our rush hours rank with the world’s worst. Andrew Coyne has the solution. Read more.