California Calls for $360 Million Worth of "Healthy" Transportation Projects

California Department of Transportation officials are calling for bike and pedestrian transportation project applications, for which Caltrans can award $360 million over the next three years. The funding comes from California's new Active Transportation Program, which was passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in September 2013. Read more.

Calgary - Eight new skateboard facilities planned across city

Skateboards are permitted on most city sidewalks and pathways, but are illegal on Calgary streets. Bylaws also prohibit skateboarding on sidewalks in the Central Traffic Zone. The city has one of the largest outdoor skateboard parks in the world but Shaw Millenium Skatepark, which opened in 2000, is beginning to show its age. Read more.

Atlanta selected for protected bike lane project

Out of 60 applicants, the city of Atlanta is one of only six national cities selected to participate in the Green Lane Project, which works with U.S. cities to speed the installation of protected bike lanes around the country. Read more.

City probes after Bixi cyclist killed by truck

The city is probing the death of a 33-year-old cyclist, who hit and killed by a truck yesterday while travelling under the Des Carrières overpass on St-Denis Street, just south of Rosemont Boulevard. By all accounts, the woman was obeying the rules of the road — she was wearing a helmet, she was in the right hand lane and she was using one of the city’s Bixi bikes. Read more.

Biking And Walking: A New Report Looks At The Numbers Behind The Increase

Ditching the car in favor or biking and walking seems to be more popular than ever, according to a new report that examines the hard data behind the trend. The report, “Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2014 Benchmarking Report” released earlier this month by the Alliance for Biking & Walking, collected and analyzed federal data and original research on all 50 states, 52 of the most populous cities, and 17 midsized cities with the goal to examine how biking and walking trends relate to public health, safety, and social and economic well being. Read more.

Video Release: It's Your Move Active Transportation Champion Susan Eng

The Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) releases today its 3rd video from the It's Your Move series, featuring Susan Eng, Director of Advocacy at CARP. “The momentum behind It’s Your Move continues to build as even more calls for investment in public transit and active transportation mount,” says TCAT’s Director, Nancy Smith Lea. Smith Lea joins a coalition of community leaders today who are making an urgent call for action for new transportation funding.

Huron Active Transportation Planning

The Huron County Health Unit is hosting two public meetings next week to gather input for a master plan for Active Transportation. The first meeting is at the ‘Y’ in Goderich on Tuesday, May 6th; the second meeting is at the Huron County Health Unit in Clinton on Thursday, May 8th. Both meetings start at 7:00 p.m. Read more.

Active transportation in Huron: What do you think?

The Huron County Health Unit is looking for your input on an active transportation plan for Huron County. Active transportation is any method of going from one place to another using your own body. This could include walking, cycling, kayaking, or cross-country skiing. An active transportation plan is a long-term strategy to create environments that encourage people to move more. Read more.

Alberta Transportation Survey - Support Active Transportation!

Alberta Transportation has recently released their second phase of public consultation regarding the 50 year Transportation Strategy for Alberta. This strategy will guide the Government of Alberta on transportation investments, policies and programs and will determine how people and goods are transported in the province until the year 2065. Alberta Transportation is looking for public input in the content of the draft Strategy to make sure all Albertans are represented. Read more.

Stratford - Active Transportation Advisory Committee

As part of the Stratford Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan – 2014, the City of Stratford established the Active Transportation Advisory Committee (ATAC) to address the need for active transportation systems for residents, businesses and visitors. ATAC will serve as a forum for the public to raise their viewpoints on particular active transportation issues and/or findings, and to bring these interests to the attention of Council. Read more.

Active transportation bylaw delayed, again

Letting cyclists use sidewalks instead of roadways could pose liability risks for the City, Peterborough councillors heard Tuesday (April 22). Read more.

The best ever World Urban Forum – and cycling’s role in it

The World Urban Forum is  organized by UN-Habitat and focuses on urban issues. WUF7 took place in Medellin, Columbia, a city that has undergone vast transformation in the past decade. Bringing experts from around the world, WUF7′s core theme was Urban Equity in Development. And Medellin is a great example; it has prioritized accessible mobility and inclusive governance for vulnerable communities and has also established more public spaces and green areas. Read more.

The Easy Way to Fix Your City's Transportation System

The truth is there's no silver bullet. But cities can still do a better job providing mobility than they do now, and they can start by focusing on the "sticks" and "carrots" of transportation. That means improving alternative transportation options on one hand, and creating disincentives to driving alone on the other. Read more.

Walking to get fit is new again

With so many fitness trends, you might not think of walking as good exercise. If you’re not thrusting a kettlebell over your head, pushing a tractor trailer tire or shaking your hips to a Top 40 dance beat in a scheduled group class, you’re not cutting it, right? Read more.

Outcry from cyclists puts brakes on bike bill

A bill filed by state Rep. Wendy Nanney of Greenville would have banned youths from riding bikes on many public roads and would have required all cyclists to obtain a $5 permit from the Department of Transportation in order to ride on many public roads. The bill also would have required cyclists to carry liability insurance on their bicycles. Read more.

Have cycling groups become too big to share the road?

In the often fraught relationship between cyclists, drivers and pedestrians, there are concerns groups of cyclists have become too large for the roads. Read more.

In the U.S., a Quick Walk to the Store Is a Rare Thing Indeed

You realize you’re missing a key ingredient – garlic for the pasta, let’s say, or lettuce for your salad. Something without which you can’t get the meal on the table. How long would it take you to walk to a store where you can buy it? Read more.

Is There Such a Thing as a 'Feminine' Way to Ride a Bike?

A couple of months ago, the writer and bike advocate Elly Blue started a conversation on Twitter with this seemingly simple question: “What does "feminine" mean? I'm serious. It keeps coming up in the context of things women can do to feel that way on a bike, + I'm confused.” Read more.

Do You Walk Enough?

The American Heart Association says "the simplest, positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health is to start walking." For starters, they suggest exercising 150 minutes a week. The problem is—how do you know if you're walking enough? What's your baseline? Read more.

Municipal Active Transportation Policy Template

The purpose of the Municipal Active Transportation Policy Template is to provide a document that will guide a municipality in developing its own active transportation (AT) policy. The template is meant to provide a high-level policy which outlines the commitment the municipality has to AT. Read more.

Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation's response to "City should rethink building more bike lanes"

The Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation is supportive of the City’s work in facilitating equitable active transportation opportunities for residents throughout Kingston. Investments in active transportation are investments in health, quality of life, and economic and environmental sustainability. Read more.

Video - Communities Powered by Travel: Bicycle Tourism

The Communities Powered by Travel video series highlights participants in Oregon's Rural Tourism Studio training program. This robust training program is designed to assist rural communities in sustainable tourism development. Watch video.

Brandon - Plan could change city’s landscape

From pedestrian walkways to building facades, the city is moving toward new urban design standards. Currently, there are guidelines and suggestions when it comes to new developments, but the goal now is to make much of the newly created Urban and Landscape Design Standards manual mandatory. Link.

Bike Lanes Don’t Cause Traffic Jams If You’re Smart About Where You Build Them

New bike lanes certainly make life better for cyclists, but how do they affect drivers? This question is hotly debated, especially when a new bike lane replaces a lane used by vehicular traffic. It seems that unless a ton of people start commuting by bicycle, giving away a lane would cause increased car traffic. But is this really the case? Read more.

Seattle City Council approves 20-year Master Bike Plan

Over the next 20 years, the plan calls for a total of 474 miles of new or improved bike routes across the city.  The city plans to spend $20 million a year on these improvements. Read more.

Bikers, walkers make for healthier cities, report finds

Levels of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes are lower in cities where a higher percentage of commuters bicycle or walk to work, and cities where drivers get used to sharing the road with bikers and walkers generally have lower rates of pedestrian and bike fatalities. Read more.

10 Cities You Should Explore On Two Wheels

This only profiles U.S. cities, but is interesting to scan even so. Read more.

The top 5 bike trails in Toronto

While Toronto is also endowed with a healthy number of bike paths, the idea here is to focus in on unpaved places to ride your bike, where you can sometimes fool yourself that you've left the city altogether. Read more.

NCC sells Ottawa bike-share service to US-based CycleHop

US-based CycleHop will run Ottawa’s bike-share service as it takes over from the National Capital Commission, the NCC announced Thursday. Read more.

The 2014 Alliance for Biking and Walking Benchmarking Report

In conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Healthy Community Design Initiative, the Alliance publishes the biennial Benchmarking Report to collect and analyze data on bicycling and walking in all 50 states, the 52 largest U.S. cities, and a select number of midsized cities. Read more.

Ontario’s paradigm shift in cycling policy

After many years of talk, debate and persuasion, we are finally seeing some real action on cycling policy at the provincial level. Along with proposed cycling legislation announced last month, this week Transportation Minister Glen Murray revealed $25 million in dedicated funding for cycling infrastructure in Ontario. Read more.

Our future depends on active lifestyles, and reengineered cities, says public health official

Until physical activity is engineered back into our daily lives the overall health of Canadians will continue to suffer. So says Peel Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Mowat. He urges more active transportation as he, and other public health advocates, attempt to enlist support for more municipal walking and cycling improvements. Read more.

Parry sound - Forest Street to receive new bike lane

Although town staff received largely negative comments from residents regarding the bike path at a public meeting on March 20, they hope that the redesign will please area homeowners. Read more.

It's Time For a Real War on Cars

In railing against everything from bike lanes to transit spending, pundits and politicians often raise the spectre of a "war on cars." Of course, there is no war on cars -- but there should be. Read more.

Kids need to offset 'screen time' with 'nature time'

There's growing evidence that lack of time in nature is linked to rising rates of depression, attention deficit disorder and other health conditions, Louv says. "An emerging body of scientific evidence suggests not spending much time outdoors connected to the natural world can be connected to rising rates of depression, attention deficit disorder, Vitamin D deficiency (an epidemic in the world), and child obesity." Read more.

Calgary - City invites cycle track input at committee meeting

Calgarians can tell a city council committee on Wednesday (April 16) what they think about plans for a downtown cycle track network. Read more.

Avoid fast cars and ride a bike instead, Pope tells trainee priests and nuns

Pope Francis revealed that it pains him when he sees a nun or priest driving an expensive car, and he praised the beauty of the bicycle, noting his 54-year-old personal secretary, Msgr Alfred Xuereb, gets around on a bike. However, he admitted that with work to be done and distances to be covered, cars are a necessity. Just “get a humbler one,” he said. Read more.

3 Reasons We Should Pay Attention to Medellín

The "City For Life" has become a powerful vision and rallying cry for a people-focused approach to all planning and design. More and more public places are being created or rediscovered for community-based revitalization, and in particular, greater efforts are being dedicated to streets as places for civic life rather than just for cars. Many streets are still seen as dangerous for walkers - but that's something the new "corridors for life" design strategy for a connected system of walking streets will seek to change. Read more.

Cyclists expect downtown network to improve safety

Cyclists ride in the bike lane on 7th Street S.W. downtown on Tuesday. A one-year pilot project to begin next summer will see the 7th Street lane extended and connect with other routes to ease the commute for cyclists. Read more.

Calgary cycling tracks unveiled

The proposed downtown cycle track network was unveiled Tuesday with plans calling for it to be introduced as a one-year pilot program at a cost of $11.5 million. Costs would include the construction of temporary barriers — which will be low enough that a car door can be opened without hitting it — as well as esthetic measures like planters and the installation and re-timing of traffic lights to allow for separate turning signals for bikes, said transportation engineer Blanka Bracic. Read more.

Kitchener - Cycling group questions award

"They're first steps," said Mike Boos, a member of the Tri-Cities Transportation Action Group. "But the amount of money pledged isn't a huge amount, especially when you consider Waterloo Region wants to spend something on the order of more than $10 million per year on walking and cycling infrastructure over the next 10 years." Read more.

American Public Health Association - Transportation and Public Health Newsletter

 Remember to visit our public health, equity and transportation website at http://www.apha.org/transportation for various reports, fact sheets, free archived webinars and other items of interest. Read more.

Can Land Use Plans and Transportation Policies Help Improve Health?

Could land use plans and transportation policies help to improve people’s health? Recent studies are predicting that they can, especially if those plans and policies promote walking, biking, and reduced vehicle use. In its newest peer-reviewed study, Active Travel Co-Benefits of Travel Demand Management Policies that Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, the Mineta Transportation Institute predicts specific outcomes based on its forecasting models for California’s five major regions. Read more.

Video Release: It's Your Move Active Transportation Champion Dr. David Mowat

The Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) releases today its 2nd video from the It’s Your Move series, featuring Dr. David Mowat, Medical Officer of Health for the Region of Peel. Read more.

Cycling in Markham Centre

In Markham Centre, the cyclist will gain equality with the automobile. Well defined streets, architectural design, parks and trails will create an accessible downtown. Dedicated bike lanes throughout the plan will offer easy access and mobility for the cyclist. Read more.

Winnipeg - Cyclists, pedestrians asked to weigh in on active transportation

Winnipeggers will be able to review draft recommendations on the city's hopes to encourage walking and cycling. City says growth of cycling in Winnipeg is second only to Toronto. Read more.

Popularity of wheelchair skateboarding is on a roll

Wheelchair skateboarding is gaining momentum in the world of action sports and is rolling in San Diego. “Three months in rehabilitation does an amazing job of teaching you how to survive, but it’s being around other people like you that really teaches you how to live,” said Challenged Athletes Foundation program director Carolyn Odom. Read more.

Toronto - Bike Lanes on Eglinton!

Members of Public Works & Infrastructure Committee unanimously approved staff recommednations for Eglinton, including protected bike lanes, at their April 9th meeting. Read more.

Skateboarding establishes its place among healthy activities in Northeast Florida

Golf? Check. Running? Check. But when it comes time to list sports that count Jacksonville as special ground, don’t forget to leave space for skateboarding. Read more.

Video - Around Stockholm on a bicycle

Gulf News visits the Swedish city of Stockholm to experience its cycling culture. (Just to make you envious and disgruntled with our own road and city use choices.) See video.

Winnipeg - Cyclists, pedestrians asked to weigh in on active transportation

Winnipeggers will be able to review draft recommendations on the city's hopes to encourage walking and cycling. The city is holding an open house at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People at the Forks. Read more.

'Copenhagen' cycling can create jobs, save lives

According to a new study, over 76,600 people could become employed by green transportation businesses, and 10,000 lives would be saved, if major EU cities adopted Copenhagen's bicycle sharing system.


The publication by the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and UNECE, Unlocking new opportunities, states for the first time that investing in green and healthy transport is also economically profitable. Read more.

Toronto Star - Ontario commits $25M for cycling infrastructure

Transportation Minister Glen Murray has announced that the province will provide $25 million for cycling facilities on provincial highways and municipal roads over the next three years in an effort to make Ontario Canada’s premier cycling province. Read more.

Welland ON - Province wheels out bike-friendly funding plan

Few details were available about how Ontario’s program would be delivered as part of its first “Cycling Action Plan.” A news release did say the province will also dedicate $15 million over three years to build cycling infrastructure on provincial highways and bridges, such as paved road shoulders, all part of #CycleON, a 20-year vision for cycling in Ontario. Read more.

The Death and Life of Great American Cities, 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago, we began to learn about city planning and living in a different way. The publication in 1961 of “Death and Life of Great American Cities” by Jane Jacobs turned a corner in the way we think about cities. The book still resonates with those who think and plan about the future directions of cities. Read more.

Chelsea’s Parks and green spaces and Active Transportation Master Plan

Public Consultation for Parks and Green Areas Master Plan and Active Transportation Master Plan is still on-line, Deadline is April 18, 2014. Read more.

Ontario - Province Building Cycling Infrastructure

Ontario is proposing to invest $10 million over three years to help municipalities improve cycling infrastructure. As part of its first Cycling Action Plan, the funding would help municipalities expand their local cycling routes and support connections for a future provincial cycling network. Municipalities can also use the funds to pilot innovative cycling improvements such as new types of lane markings or cycling-specific signage, which could be applied in other communities across the province. Read more.

Eastern Ontario Active Transportation Summit

Thursday, May 29, 2014 to Friday, May 30, 2014 - Almonte Old Town Hall, 14 Bridge St, Almonte.

There will be information for a variety of people involved in active transportation including municipalities (economic development, recreation & road planning), businesses, residents, health and community agencies.  The event will provide success stories about making communities more bikeable and walkable through trails, sidewalks, parks, pathways. Read more.

Video - Metro Vancouver Melds Bikes and Transit

Vancouver city government is not alone -- it has a great partner in the regional transportation agency, TransLink, which provides transit service for 22 regional municipalities, plus funding for a network of major roads and cycling infrastructure and programs. TransLink views cycling as a complement to the agency's trains, buses, and ferries. In this follow-up, Streetfilms got to speak to TransLink officials about their vision for a transit system that works in tandem with active transportation, and to see some of the ways they're using bike infrastructure to bolster transit ridership. See video.

Motor Vehicle-Pedestrian Collisions and Walking to School: The Role of the Built Environment - Study

Pedestrian collisions are more strongly associated with built environment features than with proportions walking. Road design features were related to higher collision rates and warrant further examination for their safety effects for children. Future policy designed to increase children’s active transportation should be developed from evidence that more clearly addresses child pedestrian safety. Read more.

Walking the walk: How cities can make it safe for kids en route to school

Photo radar near schools? Red-light cameras, traffic circles and more parks? Cities can be designed in a way that children are less likely to be hit by a vehicle on the walk to and from school. In Ontario, traffic injuries are the leading cause of child death, although only half of that province’s children walk to school. Read more.

Calgary - Wrong Track for Calgary Cycle Tracks

The Tour de Nuit Society is not convinced that the $11.5 million cost will significantly improve bike commuter access and safety into the central business district and consequently the expenditure is a poor investment by Calgary taxpayers. Read more.

Thunder Bay cyclists petition for Memorial Ave. bike route

A group of cycling advocates in Thunder Bay is pushing for a protected bike lane along the Memorial Avenue/May Street corridor. One of the people behind the campaign, Dean Stamler, said it's not just for existing cyclists. "The goal of this project is to make it safe for anyone to ride a bike across the city,” he told CBC News. Read more.

Kids’ rates of walking to school not linked to crashes: study

Toronto's chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, says that "when you have a gaggle of children walking along the side of the street, everyone slows down," making it safer for those kids who are pedestrians. Read more.

Penticton, a cycling destination

A proposal to make Penticton a premier cycling destination was heard by council at a committee of the whole meeting on Monday. Colleen Pennington, the city's economic development officer, outlined community interest in making the area a cycling mecca, as well as what's in it for local residents. "When we talk about biking opportunities, we clearly have a lot of resources, whether it's terrain or races," she said. "What's clearly missing is the marketing piece."


She further discussed world renowned trails already in existence including the Waterfront Trail In Ontario,  La Route Verte in Quebec, the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton and existing South Okanagan bike businesses. Read more.

Toronto - Complete Streets Forum 2014

The Toronto Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) is holding its 7th annual active transportation policy conference - the Complete Streets Forum - on October 6, 2014 in Toronto. Read more.

A Bicycle-Powered Moving Company's Sales Pitch: We're Just Faster

The idea of a bicycle giving a monster oil-tanker a run for its money might be laughable. But a Swedish start-up has proved transporting smaller amounts of goods on two wheels can be practical as well as green. Read more.

Study - Measuring Sprawl and Its Impact, 2014

Measuring Sprawl 2014 updates research originally conducted in 2002 and analyzes development patterns in 221 metropolitan areas and 994 counties in the United States as of 2010, looking to see which communities are more compact and connected and which are more sprawling. Researchers used four primary factors—residential and employment density; neighborhood mix of homes, jobs and services; strength of activity centers and downtowns; and accessibility of the street network—to

evaluate development in these areas and assign a Sprawl Index score to each. This report includes a list of the most compact and most sprawling metro areas in the country. Read report.

A Ranking of the Most Sprawling U.S. Metro Areas, and Why You Should Care

Why is it better to find your city at the top of the rankings, rather than at the bottom – where Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Hickory, North Carolina, rank as most sprawling among their respective cohorts? The researchers found that sprawl correlated with higher rates of obesity, traffic fatalities, ozone pollution, lack of social capital, vehicle miles traveled, physical activity, and residential energy use. Read more.

Report - Has Motorization in the U.S. Peaked?

In the first three parts in this series of reports, I examined the changes from 1984 to 2011 in the number of registered light-duty vehicles (Sivak, 2013a), and the corresponding changes in distance driven (Sivak, 2013b) and fuel consumed (Sivak, 2013c). The units of the analyses were both the absolute numbers and the rates per person, per driver, per household, and (where appropriate) per vehicle. The main finding of those three reports is that the respective rates all reached their maxima around 2004. I argued that, because the onsets of the reductions in these rates preceded the onset of the recession (in 2008), the reductions in these rates likely reflect fundamental, noneconomic changes in society (such as increased telecommuting, increased use of public transportation, increased urbanization of the population, and changes in the age composition of drivers). Therefore, these maxima have a reasonable chance of being long-term peaks as well. The present report provides a brief update on these measures through 2012. Read report.

Cars are just so 2004. Get with the times

For several years now, Americans have been driving less, a trend that started before the financial crisis and has continued even as the economy recovered. After decades in which distance traveled by car per capita in the United States increased reliably year after year, the decline is good news. Read more.

Will a World of Driverless Cars Be Heaven or Hell?

In a FAV world, where we won't actually need to be doing the driving ourselves, each and every errand whim we might dream of is now a reality. If single-occupancy vehicles are the bane of our congested highways and cities right now, imagine the congestion when we pour in unfettered zero-occupancy vehicles. Read more.

What's stopping you from cycling?

What is stopping Britain from becoming a cycling nation? The proportion of people cycling to work has remained almost static for a decade, with 741,000 working people cycling to work in 2011. Though an increase of 90,000 from the previous census, the increase in the working population means the proportion of cycle commuters remains on 2.8%. Read more.

Car commuting down, cycling up, according the Dublin City Council

The number of commuters driving into Dublin city during the morning peak has reached its lowest level in 15 years, while the number of cyclists is at its highest according to Dublin City Council. Read more.

Webinar – Public Health Benefits of Active Transportation

Green Action Centre and Bike Winnipeg invite you to join us for a local viewing of the APBP webinar Public Health Benefits of Active Transportation at the EcoCentre (3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave). The webinar will be followed by group discussion of local applications. Read more.

Oakville to Add 31 km of New Pedestrian and Cycling Way

Town Council’s approval of the 2014 Active Transportation Capital Program just made getting around Oakville on foot or by bike even easier. By the end of this year, implementation of over 31 kilometres of new cycling and pedestrian paths will have started for a number of different uses. Read more.

Vancouver among Cities Still Waiting for Bike Sharing

When Vancouver officially chose a company to provide its bike-share system two years ago, public optimism about this popular new system of mass locomotion was at a high. New York City and Chicago were about to kick off their systems, while London and Paris were steaming along. Since then, Vancouver, along with the rest of the bike-share world, has been on a roller-coaster ride. Read more.

48 Madcap Hours in the Life of Citi Bike

Someone in New York City hops on a Citi Bike; within minutes they could be blocks away in any random direction. But pile thousands of such rides together, and patterns in the country's largest bike-sharing system leap out. Read more.

This Bike Elevator Makes Steep Hills a Little More Manageable

CycloCable works very much like a ski lift. But most of the design structures are placed just below the street surface for a safer and more seamless integration into the road. Read more.

Want a Healthier City? Prescribe Biking

If an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, how much health can riding a bicycle deliver? A program just launched by Boston is betting it's a significant amount. Prescribe-a-Bike, as it's being called, will allow doctors at Boston Medical Center to write low-income patients prescriptions for a one-year membership to Hubway, the city's bike-sharing system, for just $5. That’s $80 less than the usual charge for an annual subscription to the service. Read more.

The World's Greenest Cities

What this infographic rightly points out is the idea that cities must be the “green leaders” – with the global population tipping the scale towards a urbanite majority, cities are the nuclei for positive green action. So which cities are impacting in the right ways? 6 in total are mentioned. Read more.

Meeting of North York Cycling & Pedestrian Committee / Cycle Toronto - North York

Date:  Wednesday, April 9, 2014 - 19:00 - 21:00

Location: North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St., Toronto

Organisation:  North York Cycling & Pedestrian Committee

Contact name: Ron Hart

Phone: 416-781-3848

Additional details

Millennials Don't Care About Owning Cars, And Car Makers Can't Figure Out Why

Auto manufacturers today are scratching their heads, trying to figure out why the millennial generation has little-to-no interest in owning a car. What car makers are failing to see is that this generation’s interests and priorities have been redefined in the last two decades, pushing cars to the side while must-have personal technology products take up the fast lane. Read more.

Engineering Assistant IV (Senior Active Transportation Engineering Assistant) - City of Vancouver

Job Vacancy: The Active Transportation Branch is a leader and partner in creating and promoting a world-class active transportation network in Vancouver. The Senior Engineering Assistant serves as the Branch’s senior technologist. Responsibilities include acting as a technical staff liaison with partner groups and agencies, participating in the planning, design and implementation of active transportation improvements, preparing technical reports, developing design guidelines, documenting best practice and conducting research on making walking and cycling safe, comfortable and convenient for people of all ages and abilities. This position reports to a Senior Transportation Engineer. Read more.

Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation Comments on Speedvale improvements

The City of Guelph is in the process of making improvements to Speedvale Avenue as it is nearing the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. GCAT is very interested in the type of infrastructure chosen since Speedvale Ave. is an important east-west corridor in Guelph. There are currently no bike lanes or other safe way to travel from north-east end of the city. This lack of infrastructure is a significant impediment to the choice of cycling as a method of active transportation in Guelph. Read more.

Copenhagen - Is Cycling Up or Down or What?

It's all so confusing. Numbers indicating rise and falls in cycling levels. Although perhaps not as much as we think. Read more.

ECF’s campaign to leverage cycling policy in upcoming European Parliament elections

What has Europe to do with cycling? More than you might think. By 2050, the European Commission wishes to phase out the use of conventionally fueled cars.  ECF sees the niche for replacing cars by bicycles in the process of achieving this target – and that is only one of the many European policies that cycling can be a part of! Read more.

Simcoe County updates its Transportation Master Plan

The County of Simcoe is working on updating its 2008 Transportation Master Plan - a document that will set priorities for Roads, Transit, and Active transportation, to the 2031 planning horizon. Read more.

Ontario Bike Summit 2014: New and Improved

This year's Ontario Bike Summit is all about providing you with new and innovative ways to improve cycling in your community. We're focused on best practices, and giving you the tools you need to make the case for cycling in your community. We're also about making our collective voices heard at Queen's Park at a critical time for our province with the possibility of a spring election looming. Read more.

World Cycling Alliance

The World Cycling Alliance (WCA) is an initiative to build a global network of non- governmental organizations with a substantial interest in promoting cycling. The main objective of the network is not only to advocate for cycling as a means of transport within international institutions – such as UN, OECD/ITF, World Bank- but also to promote and support the exchange of knowledge, expertise and co-operation of cycling associations and organizations worldwide. Read more.

Velo-city Global Adelaide 2014

The program for Velo-city Global Adelaide 2014 is now live! It has an exciting mix of keynote speakers, concurrent session topics involving more than 170 presenters, social activities, tours and workshops. Our e-zines will highlight features of the program, starting today with snippets about the conference artist-in-residence and the involvement of Cirkidz. Program.

Ontario Planners Push for ‘Active Transportation’

Building on the direction of Ontario Professional Planners Institute’s (OPPI) previous report on active transportation, the OPPI’s new report calls on planners, the provincial government, municipalities, and members of the public to make active transportation a core mode of transportation for people of all ages across Ontario.


The report—Call to Action: Healthy Communities and Planning for Active Transportation – Moving Forward on Active Transportation in Ontario’s Communities (PDF)–continues to advocate moving forward on a province-wide active transportation system that is safe, secure, efficient, convenient, and equitable.

Active and Safe Routes to School in Manitoba - April Newsletter

View here.

Winnipeg - Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies Open Houses

The City of Winnipeg is developing strategies to encourage walking and cycling as attractive, convenient and accessible transportation choices for people of all ages and abilities in Winnipeg. These strategies will lead to healthier, more livable communities with social, environmental, land use and economic benefits for all. The Pedestrian and Cycling Strategies, the first of their kind for Winnipeg, spring from the City’s 2011 Transportation Master Plan, which calls for making continuous improvements to the City-wide cycling network and making walking a more attractive choice for travel. Read more.

Wahoo Fitness Adds Android App, Turns Billions More Smartphones into Cycling Computers

Wahoo Fitness, which has built its marketing around being an iPhone powered fitness equipment provider has just expanded its bag of tricks with a new Android OS app. It’ll work on any device running Android version 4.3 or newer and that allows Third Party App Access to the device’s Bluetooth 4.0 (Smart) radio. Read more.

Big Move plan needs to go bigger on walking and cycling, Metrolinx told

There’s no new money yet but Toronto active transportation experts want Metrolinx to spell out how much municipalities should get for walking and cycling improvements. Read more.

Beaconsfield plans to resurface pedestrian overpass

Beaconsfield has hired a construction firm to prepare plans for the resurfacing of the pedestrian overpass across Highway 20. Last week, the city awarded a $11,300 contract to Construction et Expertise PG Inc. to prepare plans and specification for the surface rehabilitation of the Westcroft Overpass, near Beaconsfield High School. It straddles Highway 20, providing a link from the south side of the autoroute to Elm Avenue on the north side. Read more.

BIKE LAB MONTRÉAL 2014 | JUNE 2-3

Bike Lab Montréal is an intensive, two-day workshop aimed at transportation planners, engineers, architects, designers, decision-makers and students. Participants will experience Montreal's bicycle infrastructure and culture and explore the conditions that make everyday use of bicycle so attractive. Read more.

Regina sidewalk upgrades cancelled after residents sign petitions

The city doesn't say why the residents want the projects cancelled, but several residents have told CBC News that cost was the big factor. Many of them are facing a bill of between $4,000 and $10,000 to get the work done. Homeowner Bob Gawley told CBC News he'd like to get his section of the McKee Crescent sidewalk fixed, but doesn't want to pay $7,000 for it. Read more.

Walkers clamour for better Thunder Bay route connections

Making Thunder Bay more pedestrian-friendly was the focus of a community forum in Thunder Bay Tuesday night. Read more.