Agenda Cycling Advisory Committee Committee of the Council of
The Corporation of the City of Brampton
Thursday, May 18, 2017 7:00 p.m. – Regular Meeting
Council Committee Room, 4th Floor, City Hall
Members: Kevin Montgomery (Co-Chair) Anthony Simone (Co-Chair) Alina Grzejszczak Stephen Laidlaw Dayle Laing Patrick McLeavey Gaspard Ndayishimiye Julius Pokol George Shepperdley Lisa Stokes Pauline Thornham Regional Councillor Martin Medeiros
For inquiries about this Agenda, or to make arrangements for accessibility accommodations for persons attending (some advance notice may be required), please contact:
Shauna Danton, Legislative Coordinator Phone (905) 874-2116, TTY (905) 874-2130, [email protected]
Note: Some meeting information may also be available in alternate formats, upon request
Agenda Cycling Advisory Committee
Note: Please ensure all cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and other electronic devices are turned off or placed on non-audible mode during the meeting
1. Approval of Agenda
2. Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
3. Previous Minutes
3.1. Minutes - Cycling Advisory Committee - April 20, 2017
The minutes are pending consideration by Planning and Development Committee on May 15, 2017, and approval by Council on May 24, 2017. The minutes are provided for information only.
4. Delegations / Presentations
4.1. Delegation from Erica Duque and Christina Bouchard, Active Transportation Planner, Region of Peel , re: Updates Regarding the Region of Peel Sustainable Transportation Strategy, Bike Month, and Bike to School Week 2017
Note: the presentation will be distributed prior to the meeting
4.2. Presentation by Lisa Stokes, Member, re: Community Rides
See Item 7.1
5. Reports / Updates
6. Active Transportation Ideas
7. Other/New Business / Information Items
7.1. Minutes - Community Rides Subcommittee - May 3, 2017
See Item 4.2
To be received
2017 05 18 Page 2 of 3 Agenda Cycling Advisory Committee
7.2. Update from Pauline Thornham, Member, re: Ontario Bike Summit
7.3. Discussion at the request of Dayle Laing, Member, re: 1. Downtown Streetscape Environmental Assessment Schedule 'C', Public Information Centre 2, Rose Theatre April 27, 2017 2. Queen Street Transit Master Plan and Downtown Mobility Hub Study
7.4. Discussion at the request of Kevin Montgomery, Co-Chair, re: Identifying a Province-wide Cycling Network
7.5. Update from Pauline Thornham, Member, re: Ted Talk – Jeff Speck; The Walkable City
note: this item is for information only
7.6. Update from Pauline Thornham, Member, re: GTHA Active and Safe School Travel Hub Meeting
note: this item is for information only
8. Future Agenda Items
9. Correspondence
9.1. Correspondence from Eleanor McMahon, Minister, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and Steven Del Duca, Minister, Ministry of Transportation, dated May 8, 2017, re: Provincial Cycling Infrastructure Investment - Update
10. Question Period
11. Public Question Period
15 Minute Limit (re any item discussed as part of this agenda)
12. Adjournment
Next Meeting: Thursday, June 15, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
2017 05 18 Page 3 of 3 3.1 - 1 Minutes Cycling Advisory Committee Committee of the Council of The Corporation of the City of Brampton
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Members Present: Kevin Montgomery (Co-Chair) Anthony Simone (Co-Chair) Alina Grzejszczak Stephen Laidlaw Dayle Laing Patrick McLeavey Gaspard Ndayishimiye Julius Pokol George Shepperdley Lisa Stokes Pauline Thornham Regional Councillor Martin Medeiros (arrived at 7:45 p.m. – personal)
Members Absent: nil
Staff Present: Nelson Cadete, Project Manager, Active Transportation, Planning and Development Services Shauna Danton, Legislative Coordinator, City Clerk’s Office
3.1 - 2 Minutes Cycling Advisory Committee
The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m. and adjourned at 7:59 p.m.
1. Approval of Agenda
CYC024-2017 That the Agenda for the Cycling Advisory Committee Meeting of April 20, 2017, be approved, as amended as follows:
To add:
7.2. Discussion at the request of Dayle Laing, Member, re: Committee Member Participation in Bike Month Activities
7.3. Discussion at the request of Kevin Montgomery, Co-Chair, re: City of Brampton Received Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community Award
Carried
2. Declarations of Interest under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act - nil
3. Previous Minutes
3.1. Minutes - Cycling Advisory Committee - March 16, 2017
The minutes were considered by Planning and Development Committee on April 3, 2017, and the recommendations were approved by Council on April 12, 2017. The minutes were provided for information only.
4. Delegations / Presentations - nil
5. Reports / Updates - nil
6. Active Transportation Ideas - nil
7. Other/New Business / Information Items
7.1. Minutes - Policy Subcommittee - April 1, 2017
2017 04 20 Page 2 of 5 3.1 - 3 Minutes Cycling Advisory Committee
Committee consideration of the matter included consensus to forward the policy items identified in the subject minutes to the City’s consultant, IBI Group Inc., for consideration in the development of the Active Transportation Master Plan.
The following motion was considered:
CYC025-2017 1. That the Minutes - Policy Subcommittee - April 1, 2017 to the Cycling Advisory Committee Meeting of April 20, 2017, be received; and,
2. That the policy items outlined in the Policy Subcommittee Minutes of April 1, 2017, be forwarded to IBI Group Inc., for consideration in the development of the City’s Active Transportation Master Plan.
Carried
7.2. Discussion at the request of Dayle Laing, Member, re: Committee Member Participation in Bike Month Activities
Dayle Laing, Member, noted that there are many opportunities and requests from outside organizations for Members to participate, as representatives of the Committee, in Bike Month activities. The activities include requests for speeches, presentations, information booths, and distribution of educational and promotional materials. Many requests for member participation in the events are received last minute and do not provide an opportunity to receive Committee approval first.
Committee consideration of the matter included consensus that where possible, Members participate in, and support Bike Month activities.
Nelson Cadete, Project Manager, Active Transportation, Planning and Development Services, requested that when time permits, requests for presentations be brought to the Committee first for approval. Last minute requests for member participation in Bike Month events should be brought to his attention directly to ensure that the message being provided at the event is within the Committee’s mandate, and delivered in a consistent and transparent manner.
The following motion was considered:
2017 04 20 Page 3 of 5 3.1 - 4 Minutes Cycling Advisory Committee
CYC026-2017 That Members of the Cycling Advisory Committee may participate in, and support, as representatives of the Committee, Bike Month activities.
Carried
7.3. Discussion at the request of Kevin Montgomery, Co-Chair, re: City of Brampton Received Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community Award
Kevin Montgomery, Co-Chair, announced that the City of Brampton received the Bicycle Friendly Communities bronze award from Share the Road Cycling Coalition.
Committee consideration of the matter included discussions regarding the efforts of staff and Members with respect to the award application process. The City’s pending development and adoption of an Active Transportation Master Plan, and the Committee’s superior cycling programming were noted as beneficial factors in achieving the bronze award. Discussions took place with respect to maintaining the bronze, and striving for the silver and gold Bicycle Friendly Community award.
8. Future Agenda Items – nil
9. Correspondence - nil
10. Question Period
Lisa Stokes, Member, noted that seven members are needed to volunteer at every Community Ride and requested that Members sign-up to participate in as many as they can.
11. Public Question Period
In response to questions from David Laing, Brampton resident, the following information was provided:
1. Committee may request that Members of Council include an announcement regarding cycling events and the Bicycle Friendly Community bronze award in their newsletters when the Cycling Advisory Committee delegation is considered at the May 15, 2017 Planning and Development Committee Meeting.
2017 04 20 Page 4 of 5 3.1 - 5 Minutes Cycling Advisory Committee
2. Regional Councillor Martin Medeiros advised that the Region of Peel Advisory Board in his Ward may be used to advertise cycling events. Requests and inquiries regarding the advisory board may be directed to his assistant.
12. Adjournment
CYC026-2017 That the Cycling Advisory Committee do now adjourn to meet again on Thursday, May 18, 2017, at 7:00 p.m.
Carried
______Kevin Montgomery Anthony Simone Co-Chair Co-Chair
2017 04 20 Page 5 of 5 4.1
Request for Delegation Attention: City Clerk's Office, City of Brampton, 2 Wellington Street West, Brampton ON L6Y 4R2 Email: [email protected] Telephone: (905) 874-2100 Fax: (905) 874-2119 Meeting: □ City Council □ Planning & Development Committee □ Committee of Council □ Other Meeting Date Requested: Agenda Item (if applicable):______
Name of Individual(s): Position/Title: Organization/Person being Represented: Full Address for Contact:
Email/ Telephone No. Fax No.
Subject Matter to be Discussed
Action Requested
Note: a delegation is limited to not more than five minutes. Attach additional page if required. I am submitting a formal presentation to accompany my delegation: □ Yes □ No I will require the following audio-visual equipment/software for my presentation: □ Computer Notebook □ DVD Player □ PowerPoint □ Other - please specify______Note: Delegates are requested to provide to the City Clerk's Office well in advance of the meeting date: (i) 25 copies of all background material and/or presentations for publication with the meeting agenda and/or distribution at the meeting, and (ii) for PowerPoint and other visual presentations, an electronic copy of the presentation (e.g., DVD, CD, .ppt file) to ensure compatibility with corporate equipment. Once the above information is received by the City Clerk's Office, you will be contacted by a Legislative Coordinator to confirm your placement on the appropriate agenda. Personal information on this form is collected under authority of the Municipal Act, SO 2001, c.25 and/or the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.P.13 and will be used in the preparation of the applicable Council/Committee agenda and will be attached to that agenda. Questions about the collection of personal information should be directed to the Deputy City Clerk, Office of the CAO, 2 Wellington Street West, Brampton, Ontario, L6Y 4R2, tel. 905-874-2115. 4.2 - 1
Community Rides 2017 4.2 - 2 4.2 - 3 4.2 - 4 4.2 - 5 4.2 - 6 4.2 - 7 4.2 - 8 4.2 - 9
Community Rider Safety Briefing (usually the Leader of 15km will read the Briefing) “Welcome everyone, to the ...... (name of the Ride)...... Community Ride.
The goals of our Community Rides are to increase the presence of cyclists on city streets and to experience safe riding on streets, while cycling in a group. We hope that today's experience will boost your confidence in your ability to ride safely on streets while you are on your own as well. We would like for everyone to have fun while riding their bikes!
Our ride has two distances: about 5km and 15 km. Each group will be led by a Ride Leader, for today's 5km it is ...... (name of the Leader)...... , for 15km ...... (name of the Leader). We are all volunteers. Please make sure that you choose the Ride distance according to your ability. If you signed up for a certain distance and you feel it may not be the proper one for you, you can always change your mind and ride the other distance. The groups will be closed by a Sweeper, a person who rides at the very end and watches out, in case someone gets separated from the group. At the end of our ride, we will have snacks/desserts at (name of the snack place), courtesy of the City of Brampton.
To be safe during the ride, please keep in mind the following rules: • Even though you are riding in a group and with a group leader, you are the only one who is responsible for your safety. Make your decisions accordingly and use your own judgment. • Bicycles are vehicles. Cyclists have to obey the rules of the roads in the same way as motor vehicles drivers do. Ride straight, on the right side of the road, obey all traffic signs and light signals. • Stop at Stop signs and red lights. Don't worry if the other part of the group has passed through the intersection. They will wait for you and the rest of the group. • At All-way Stop intersection, more than one rider at a time can cross, to shorten time for the entire group. Be courteous to the drivers who give you the way. Let them cross if they appear anxious and were there before you arrived, as they have the right of way. • Use hand signals to communicate with other riders and car drivers: (demonstrate hand signals) right turn, left turn, slow down or stop. • Please do not ride in front of the Leader. This person who knows the route well and will watch in front for possible risks to the entire group. • Community Rides are not speeding competitions or races. • On narrow roads with one lane of traffic, we ride in a line (or single file). • Where there are two lanes of traffic in the same direction, we can take the right line as a group. Please stay within that lane of traffic, do not “spill over” to the other lane even if it's empty. Do not ride more than 2 side-by-side or abreast. • Watch out for the parked cars so you don't get hit by the suddenly opened car doors. Pass them at a 1 meter (3 feet) clearance. It is very dangerous and scary to get “the door prize”. • Watch out for debris and road hazards. Point them out to the riders behind you ....(demonstrate pointing down)..... to warn them. Pass back warnings to cyclists behind you. • Yell “Car back” if there is a car behind you that is trying to drive by or overtake the group. • Keep a safe distance (ideally two bike lengths) from other riders in the group, watch out so we don't bump into each other. If you are passing someone within the group, yell “Passing on left” to warn the other rider. • If the group has to stop, pull off the road in a safe spot. Don't block the sidewalks.
Let’s have fun and be safe! Thanks for coming to this ride and register for other rides as well. 7.1 Subcommittee Meeting - May 3, 2017
● Attendees: Nelson, Alina, George, Dayle, Lisa ● Second trailer on order, 5 hitches, available in a couple weeks ○ Lisa, Dayle to pick up at City Hall for first ride ○ Subcommittee to arrange for trailers to be with appropriate leader for subsequent rides ○ Return to City Hall after Community Rides complete ● Community Ride posters in all community centres ● Invite SNAPD to Ride #2 - Dayle ● Create standard Safety Briefing - Alina ● Laminate Safety Briefing (Dayle) and bring to ride (transfer with trailer) ● Post Safety Briefing to BikeBrampton webpage - Dayle ● Create standard reminder/roles document - Lisa ● Determine snack payment procedure - Nelson ● Nelson to let subcommittee know if we can have pathway decals and number ● If so, create list of pathway decal locations - Lisa, Dayle ● All Volunteers to register 7.2 - 1
ONTARIO BIKE SUMMIT
CHELSEA HOTEL, TORONTO
2017.04.11-12
Bicycle Friendly Community Awards This is a happy time for Brampton, as we were in the news for an accomplishment. Thanks to the collective effort of many people, particularly Nelson Cadete, for his application and advocacy, Brampton was one of nine communities to receive Bronze awards for Bicycle Friendly Community. Thank you, Nelson, and BCAC members! The awards were given to the following municipalities: the City of Belleville, the City of Brampton, the City of Cambridge, the Town of Collingwood, the City of Cornwall, the Town of Ingersoll, the City of Temiskaming Shores, the City of St. Thomas and the Town of Whitby. Brampton rounds out the five largest Ontario communities with awards, thus making Ontario a friendlier place to cycle, and moving it toward a cycle tourism destination. More infrastructure is needed, but the trend is encouraging. Congratulations, Brampton and the other eight communities! Keynote Address from Todd Scott, Executive Director, Detroit Greenways Coalition Mr. Scott gave an entertaining and inspirational slide presentation at dinner on the evening of April 11. He showed some of the plans and activities which have been completed by the Detroit Greenways Coalition. This is a group of organizations which has come together to create a healthy city and region where a network of greenways and complete streets is part of people’s day-to-day transportation and recreation, connecting people, places and nature. Extensive work is being done, to join up greenways and bike lanes, creating the necessary network which makes a city cycle-friendly. The reduction of population and traffic has actually eased the task, in a way, because there is less opposition to putting bike lanes onto the streets. It has proven to be good for neighbourhoods, and fun, new activities, such as creation of home-made bikes and guided tours of the Underground Railroad historical sites within Detroit. Support, education and encouragement by the Detroit Greenways Coalition have gone a long way toward making Detroit a cycling destination, as well as a sustainable, walkable and cycle-friendly city.
Keynote Breakfast Barbara Gray, General Manager of Transportation for the City of Toronto, welcomed the conference attendees to Toronto, and to the OBS. Ms. Gray, originally from New York, is a city planner by education, and spent some time in Seattle's public sector, before coming to Toronto in December, 2016. Ms. Gray's two messages were: 1 – Seattle has lots of hills and lots of rain, but when a connected biking network was created, there was a huge increase in cycling there. 2 – In order to implement Vision Zero, we all – cyclists, motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians, elected and 7.2 - 2 city officials - need to partner. A big part of that is being civil and remembering that we all do good and bad things, not just the “other guy”. Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, gave a hopeful and inspiring keynote address, giving some of the historical background to the Ontario Bike Summit, Bike Friendly Communities, Greg's Law, and CycleON, which was launched through the cooperation of twelve Ontario government departments. Ms. McMahon announced the “Tour by Bike” which is designed to develop “cycling as a tourism and environmental heritage draw in Ontario communities”. The mission is to increase and support cycling tourism opportunities in the province and promote cycling as a tourism draw in Ontario communities by: 1. Positioning Ontario as a premier destination for cycling tourism; 2. Creating healthy, active and economically prosperous communities; and 3. Working collaboratively to develop and promote cycling tourism products that will enable Ontario to meet or exceed global growth over the coming years. 4. Dovetailing with the Trails Action Plan, CycleON, Ontario's Tourism Action Plan, and the Strategic Framework for Tourism in Ontario, Tour by Bike will promote: • economic growth • healthy, happy communities • improved cycling infrastructure • safer streets and roads • increased cycling tourism • increased awareness and behavioural shifts
Ms. McMahon is planning, as action items, to put cycling on display, by promoting it with marketing plans through the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation and the thirteen Regional Tourism Organizations in Ontario.
Ms. McMahon announced that 340 kilometres of trail will be opened between Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury in June 2017. The plan is to further connect the cycling trails, by adding infrastructure from Sudbury, through North Bay, along the Ottawa River, to Almonte, near Ottawa. This would create a near continuous bike loop around southern Ontario, along the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, up to Sudbury, and around, back to Ottawa. The access at Sault St. Marie would welcome American cycling tourists to northern communities.
The approximately 300 municipal leaders' letters to the government, asking to keep up the growth of cycling infrastructure and support for tourism, were spurred on by actions of Share the Road.
The question asked after Ms. McMahon's presentation, was “What can we do?” Her response was:
• Change the conversation first. - We have already changed from “Should we?” to “How, when, where?” • Stay positive, be nice, friendly, fair, accommodating. • Get politicians out, to public forums, and cycling, and share data, to convince them of the desirability of AT promotion and infrastructure • Cycling shouldn't be partisan, so we should support anyone who has good ideas. Ms. McMahon 7.2 - 3
has Bill 213 in legislature, to bolster fines for careless driving causing death. It has support from some NDP and Conservative Members of Provincial Parliament. http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/bill-proposing-increase-careless-driving-fines- tabled-soon-ontario-1004111101/ Action items from the government: • OTMPC will be airing ads about cycling, to create awareness • active and safe routes to school coming, at a later date • Share the Road wrote a letter to encourage ON150 to promote cycling • a survey was produced, with 360 responses, from five geographic regions, with 95% stating that momentum has been felt over the last three years, and that cycling is a hot topic • $50 million is being advocated • CycleON: 34 actions are complete, or under way • CycleON 2.0: coming by 2018 • Cycling Education: Ms. McMahon would like to ramp up cycling education and CanBike programs. There have been 17 recommendations for changes to CanBike.
Pierre Lafontaine, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General, Cycling Canada, stated that cycling is the new golf, in that it is a social activity. He recommended the creation of a complete program, such as Swim For Life, which has five modules, aimed at toddlers through adults, and ranging from how-to, to fitness. This should be replicated in cycling, to create a lifestyle change in our society. His suggestion, for example, was to give cycling licences to grade five students who successfully complete classes. We need to create a Canadian environment of expectation that all should learn to swim, ski, skate and cycle.
There is a need to develop instructors, and to increase the number of girls riding bikes, and disabled kids on bikes. Cycling Canada and Share the Road members need to be leaders. Cycling Canada is developing a steering committee, to improve CanBike.
Zagster, the bike share company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been growing very rapidly, and has found the following very interesting data: • biking is for sharing • biking is accessible to all, not just for rich and young people • adding bike lanes increases retail sales along the route by 30% • infrastructure creates cyclists -NOT a chicken or egg argument • however, a bike share CAN encourage the creation of infrastructure • there are 4 types of system: 1- bike library; 2- ad hoc; 3- kiosk (credit card and technology); 4- flexible (Zagster- mobile app and smart lock) https://www.zagster.com/
Concurrent Sessions and Panel Discussions
Just Add Bikes: Building Strong Communities
Yvonne Verlinden, of Ryerson University, has done a major research paper on complete streets, and cycled around the world for ten months. Her main points were: • Newcomers settle better with bikes, to gain familiarity with their new surroundings • Newcomers tend to live in postwar suburbs and apartment towers, making cycling less likely • The large distances in suburbia, without adequate public transit, are isolating 7.2 - 4
• Many services exist in these areas, but aren't known by newcomers • “Place-learning” is necessary, and made much faster and easier by bike, leading to faster settlement • Mentoring newcomers on bicycle use and neighbourhood services is a great way to have them explore, learn English and get involved in volunteering • A Photograph Project, involving 12 newcomers from other countries, had them take photos around Toronto, which were displayed at City Hall. The small-group discussions afterward centred around themes of utilitarianism, discovery and belonging. • Utilitarianism: Cycling is faster than walking and cheaper than transit, independent, less restrictive than walking, leading to more work opportunities. • Discovery: People were able to explore trails, prominent locations, find local useful information, such as mosques, as well as hidden streets. People not newly arrived also learned new information. • Belonging: The program made them feel at home, because the local neighbourhood became familiar. This was also true for those who were not newcomers. • Conclusions: Evidence is not only numbers – qualitative information is also important. Many people can use bikes, and partners to consider are health centres, Culturelink, recreation centres. WOULD PROVIDING BIKES TO CLIENTS HELP ACHIEVE SEVERAL GROUPS' GOALS?
Jennifer Juste, of the City of Guelph AT Design, is promoting Complete Streets, using lanes, adding infrastructure. Her aim is to bring communities on board. She stated that when provided with options for a particular infrastructure improvement project, the community, which had been introduced to several unpopular projects, didn't like any of the options.
The solution was to involve community members with walk-abouts with workbooks, listening to concerns, and addressing them. There were two interactive workshops, which yielded lots of data. The resulting plan had almost unanimous support.
The result was a strong community delegation to Council. This was because the approach was context- sensitive, with attention to the local history, collaboration, evidence-based decisions, and balanced needs and wants. The project received $1.5 million to complete the project this year.
Peter Topalovic, of the Hamilton Bike Share Program, reported that the SoBi bike program is growing fast in Hamilton. It is able, through its computerized data collection, to examine gaps in infrastructure, where and why people ride bikes, why and where cycle tracks are better than bike lanes, and how the system can be improved. SoBi is working in low-income areas, and working with partners in a program called “Everyone Rides Initiative”. This gives passes to low-income residents, to use the SoBi Bike Share bikes. One level trains people how to ride, how to use SoBi, and how to get around Hamilton. Two hundred people have been trained so far. Graduates become ambassadors, bringing different languages to the mix. This program is funded by five organizations. An idea which is being considered is to provide bike hubs, with places to eat, fix-it stations, benches, a bus stop, and way-finding signs. They are also looking into trikes for accessibility equity.
Note: Names make a difference! Road Diet is bad. Transportation IMPROVEMENT Study is better. Another idea is to provide children's bike-share bikes. An age limit might be necessary, and helmets. Right now the age minimum is 16 years, but 14-15 is feasible – grade 9. 7.2 - 5
The cost is $2-3 million for a bike-share program, and the operating cost is about $500, 000 per year, with about 70-75% recovered by the price of use.
Cycling and Complete Streets: Implementation
Jacqueline Hayward Gulati, of City of Toronto, and Jason Neudorf, of WSP-MMM Group made a presentation about the construction of the Bloor Street Pilot Project of a separated bike lane. It was titled “Balancing Demands and Building Support”. This project, a bike lane from Shaw Street in the west, to Avenue Road in the east, spans 2.4 kilometres along Bloor Street, has been planned for four decades. This initiative will inform other projects, some nearby, on streets which are due for upgrades. Questions which needed to be considered were: Safety – separation, parked cars, parking cars, turning cars, pedestrians, streetscape Operations – supply, times, loading/delivery, lack of alleys, bus service accommodation, waste/recycling collection, Wheeltrans vehicles, snow clearing, emergency vehicles.
A grid with five options for streetscapes was presented to the public. This opened minds to all of the issues that needed consideration. After public consultation, two options were removed. People liked the option with parking between the traffic and the bike lane.
Public consultation was very important. This took the form of online pre and post surveys, a mailout,, door-to-door interviews, and Public Information Centres. Businesses were asked about trucks loading. There was one day of deputations from all across the spectrum of stakeholders. A piano sales business owner was the sole negative deputation. The final vote of Council was 38-3 in favour. The mayor praised the comprehensive roll-out of the project.
Several studies have been conducted, with parking authority, including video analysis of near misses in traffic, Business Improvement Area economic study, traffic counts, and left-turn queuing studies. There has been a lot of support from the public and businesses in the area. The cycling count has gone up by 36%, while motor vehicle volume has decreased by 22%. Travel time through the route has reportedly increased by 2-8 minutes, although it may be actually less. Experiments are being done to adjust signal timing, to improve travel time.
Sue Sauve, of the City of Peterborough talked of quick, easy ways to implement cycling demand management. Cheap and easy ways to improve cycling generally engender less controversy, and provide multiple gains.
Many streets have been built, providing 10 metres per two lanes, though only 7 metres is required. This leaves 3 metres for possible bike lanes. Narrowing lanes has the added benefit of tending to slow or calm traffic.
Ms. Sauve stated that reconstruction or repair of streets is a fine opportunity for adding infrastructure. She recommends finding the reconstruction schedule and using it, to advocate for bike lanes. Abandoned rail lines provide an excellent base for bike or multi-use pathways, being solid, often raised, and level.
Such groups as the Rotary Club, as well as some entrepreneurs, are keen to support the construction of trails. It might be worth asking for sponsorship. 7.2 - 6
A quick win, as mentioned above, is traffic-calming (not to be called “Road Diets”), which reduces the width of streets, to slow down the vehicles. This provides extra space along the streets for bike lanes. Persistence and relationship-building will eventually win the day.
Ms. Sauve recommended the book, “Joyride: Pedalling Toward a Healthier Planet”, by Mia Birk, for more ideas. https://www.amazon.com/Joyride-Pedaling-Toward-Healthier-Planet/dp/0615384110
Zlatko Krstulic, of the City of Ottawa, told the story of Ottawa's Complete Streets initiative, on older, more constrained main streets of the city. These streets have a lot of retail businesses, with few options for parking, so it was not possible to remove parking on the street.
In the Transportaion Master Plan, provisions were made for measuring pedestrian and cycling traffic, as well as motor vehicles. The measurements after the changes revealed little increase in car congestion, but a great increase in pedestrian and cycling traffic.
Other cities' best practices were studied, to improve active transportation in Ottawa. For example, in Toronto, in order to check accuracy, surveys were done with shoppers as well as businesses, and areas outside the study area were also surveyed. Traffic delays were measured using GPS in sample cars, at different times of day.
Tactical urbanism, a collection of low-cost, temporary changes to the built environment, intended to improve local neighbourhoods, was used, with some improvement. Many small factors worked together, to create a huge change in Ottawa, warranting the Gold Bicycle Friendly Community status it enjoys.
Another book: “Tactical Urbanism: Short-term Action for Long-term Change”, by Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia. https://dirt.asla.org/2015/05/19/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-tactical- urbanism/ Keynote Lunch
Enforcing the 1M Safe Passing Law
Kale Brown, of Safer Roads, Ottawa, spoke about a variety of methods to help spread the word about the new 1 metre safe passing law. His list of methods was: • make print and video ads availableto download, from the provincial government, pooling government resources • education, via such organizations as Share the Road • enforcement – Safer Roads Ottawa has a new action plan to make it the safest city for all users: http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2011/12-14/cpsc/02%20-%20Safe %20Roads%20Document%201%20-%20Action%20Plan%20-%20English.pdf • “Stay Safe, Stay Back” stickers for trucks • 1-metre sonar device, placed on the end of the left handlebar, making a beep to warn car drivers that they are passing too closely to bicycles
Panel Discussion: Why Cycling Matters To Communities
The four panelists invited to discuss the above topic are: 7.2 - 7
• Steve Parish, Mayor of Ajax invited those present to have him address their local councils or cycling committees.
• Deb Doherty, Councillor, Town of Collingwood, stated that cycling has a long history in Collingwood. There are 60 kilometres of cycling infrastructure in Collingwood. Twenty-seven years ago, the Georgian Trail was built on an old rail bed, to Meaford. Now, cycling infrastructure is a mandatory part of the official town plan.
• Pat Hoy, Director of Transportation, Grey County commented that 137 kilometres of roads in Blue Mountain area of Grey County have paved shoulders, good for cycling and for maintenance, with 18 more kilometres on the way. This is the top initiative, now the 2018 shoulder policy.
• Dave Augustyn, Mayor of Pelham spoke of the influence of Steve Bauer, winner of the first Canadian Olympic medal in cycling, who is from Pelham. The Steve Bauer Trail goes through Welland, Ontario. Pelham is the highest point in Niagara. Dave said that the people in Pelham started doing a series of small projects, and then made a plan. Just doing a bunch of small things is a way to make progress. Understanding the importance of making connections is key. Dave came to this realization when on a bike ride, reflecting on his progress in promoting cycling. He finally realized his accumulated progress, after doing many little projects.
Collectively, here are several important concepts in making progress in cycling: Real progress starts when cycling is in the official plan, and part of the long-term capital budget. At this point, it becomes more resistant to changes in personnel. The viewpoint changes from “This is nice!” to “This is what we do.”
When a key gap is filled in a trail, the trail system will turn a corner, so to speak. Make sure the project is built-in, so it is part of what we do. It becomes a paradigm shift, when residents start to park the car from Friday to Monday. Paved shoulders are a big deal with road maintenance people. It is a positive for them, as well as cyclists.
Elect good people on Council in 2018. Look for cycling champions. Put signs up for the 1-metre law. Change engineering standards to Complete Streets standards. Open Streets – shut streets to cars on a regular basis, as in Sarnia's Art Walk, which is very popular. After 10 years, it has grown to a huge event. In Collingwood, during the Elvis Festival, Main Street is closed for 3 days - also, during Side Launch Days. All in all, the conversation on cycling has changed a lot since 2010.
Bikes Bring People Together: Emerging Partnerships
Marlaine Koehler, of Waterfront Regeneration Trust, spoke about the Lake Huron North Channel Cycling Route, part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail stretches from the Quebec border, along the St. Lawrence, to Windsor, following the lake shores, and up along Lake Huron, towards Sarnia. The section from Sault Ste. Marie will be complete this summer, and then the only connections remaining in southern Ontario will be up the rest of the Lake Huron route, and from Sudbury to Almonte, through Ottawa to the St. Lawrence. 7.2 - 8
This huge project is possible with the cooperation of the partners, CAA, TransCanada Trail, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Government, Heart and Stroke Foundation, St. Lawrence Parks Commission, Ragnar Relay Series, Share the Road Cycling Coalition, Ontario by Bike, Ontario Trails Council, Ontario Provincial Parks, and many community, agency and conservation authority partners. Municipalities own and maintain the trail. The job of the partners is to bolster success and community confidence, make it easy for staff to do their jobs, promote community champions and staff. If the partners work with the willing, once the momentum has been established, the not-so-willing will soften.
The Ministry of Tourism is a key partner in the development of destinations.
Arthur Lo and Brandon Quigley, of the Region of Peel, work in planning on various projects in Peel. They work with several other partners, to bring many different activities to fruition. Some of the projects and participants are: • School Travel work – Peel Safe and Active Routes to School involves Peel Police, OPP, school boards, City of Mississauga, City of Brampton, Town of Caledon, Peel Public Health nurses, and others. • Bike to School Week – an event involving as many schools as will sign up (129 so far this year), in conjunction with Metrolinx. • Active Transportation promotion in schools – Peel Public Health nurses assigned to each school. • Bike Parking Program – Peel school boards, Active Living Department of the Region of Peel, donating bike racks (90 so far) to schools, developing deeper relationships with the school boards. • Infrastructure: water mains and bike lanes – adding bike lanes to Dixie Road, from Lakeshore to the QEW, in Mississauga, partnering with Region of Peel Waterworks and City. • Hurontario LRT AT links – Metrolinx, Cities, pushing for multi-use trail development. • Multi-use trail: 10 kilometres along Lakeshore, plus the crossing of Credit River – Ministry of Transport Ontario
Creating a sustainable transport strategy and coordination of the cities with the regional governments, along with the various stakeholders, will get people out of their transportation bubble, to help solve social, environmental and economic problems with an integrated approach.
Darrell Blakely, of Cornwall Community Police Service, talked about finding the right people to act as partners.
One project he was involved with was Bikes and Badges. In the first year, 50 helmets, along with bells, lights and rules of the road, were given out. Last year, the atmosphere was more positive, and 90 helmets were given out. This year, Mr. Blakely is hoping for 100. It is important to make an appearance in schools to talk about cycling and safety, but it must be more than once a year. Some of the important factors for successfully promoting cycling with young people are: • pride • promotion • planning and project management • listening and learning 7.2 - 9
• a staged approach • measurement
Just Add Bikes: Building the Movement
Julie Sawchuk, of Huron County, is a change maker, and she spoke about how she became one, and how others can do it too. Ms. Sawchuk was a high school teacher, and an avid cyclist. She was training for a triathlon when she was hit by a car near Goderich, and paralyzed. She became the lightning rod for change in her community, and the creation of the Huron Coalition. This coalition has partnered with local stakeholders and Share the Road, to create the Huron County Cycling Strategy, which is intended to improve cycling safety and enjoyment in Huron County. https://www.huroncounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/3-2-17-UPDATED-Cycling-Strategy- FNL.pdf . In the next five years, a rail trail from Goderich to Guelph is planned.
If you have a plan, you need to: • Decide. What is your experience? What is your expertise? • Secure funding. • R and D – Rip off and Deploy, or borrow and use good ideas from others, as Ms. Sawchuk and the Coalition did, from surrounding municipalities and cycling groups. • Petition, to gain support. • The question of whether riding two abreast is recommended, it is necessary to make the law very clear, so everyone understands it. If we tell families and friends that kids will be out there on the road, maybe they will be more careful.
Hon. Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation
Minister Del Duca began his remarks with a brief story. He went to Hamilton, to give a speech, in which he was to make an announcement about the LRT. On his way, he was told not to give the speech in his binder, because there were changes, and a revised speech would be given to him. He gave his speech from the loose pages that were given to him, and afterward, he was asked by an aide, why he hadn't mentioned the LRT. It was then that he realized that he had only read the front of each page, but that the speech was printed double-sided. He had only read half of the speech. Mr. Del Duca was amazed that the speech had flowed so well, missing half of its content. The lesson he learned was that at least 50% of speeches is unnecessary!
Mr. Del Duca has been in the job for less than 3 years, and still, he has been the Minister of Transportation for the longest time since 1994.
In the present Liberal government, there are 3 important champions for cycling: Premier Kathleen Wynne, Minister Glen Murray, and Minister Eleanor McMahon. He asked those present to keep pushing him on cycling. He needs us to keep the advocacy coming, as there are so many pieces to transportation in Ontario.
As a lifelong resident of the GTHA, Mr. Del Duca has seen a lot of change, and so much is changing right now, that we need to keep pushing the levers of government, to get what we want. 7.2 - 10
One change is in attitude toward driving. Mr. Del Duca grew up in Etobicoke. He turned 16 in July 1989, and a week later, got his “365” driver's licence. In the fall, he got his full licence, just as all his friends did, when they turned 16. However, this is not the way it is today. Many students do not get their licences for years.
We need to provide options for students at an early age, to set habits for life. Where we need to be, is what cyclists are pushing for. We need to respect all road users, especially the most vulnerable.
Last year, the government committed $10 million for new and improved cycling facilities, such as new cycling paths around York University, and another $15 million, for routes along provincial highways, such as the Thousand Islands, Highways 33 and 17.
The recent Cap and Trade auctions and program may yield as much as $225 million for cycling infrastructure, including local, provincial infrastructure and bike parking. There is to be new funding for this later this year.
Minister Del Duca stated that he had just, earlier in the day, posted a draft province-wide cycle path network, to be found at http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/province-wide-cycling-network.shtml There are to be 8000 kilometres of cycling routes to connect different areas of Ontario. Over 70% of Ontario's residents live within 5 kilometres of the cycling network.
Important: There are 30 days for comment online. The network needs to be identified and finalized. With the upcoming CycleON 2.0, they will refresh the website, and provide one-stop cycling information. The government NEEDS our INPUT. Please go to the website! 7.3 7.4 7.5 - 1
Jeff Speck: The walkable city
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wai4ub90stQ
TED.com
America's worst idea is suburban sprawl, or the reorganization of urban land use around cars. The car has changed from an instrument of freedom to a gas-belching, time-wasting and life-threatening prosthetic device. Jeff works to make cities more walkable. The most effective arguments for doing this are from Economists, Epidemiologists (distribution and determinants of health issues) and Environmentalists.
Economists Typical expenditure on transportation 1970s – 0.10 of income 2010s – 0.20 of income, 2x the roads Families with income from $20 -50,000 spend more on transportaion than on housing, because of “drive till you qualify”, commuting from affordable housing to jobs. Portland, Oregon – In the 1970s, made a bunch of good, different planning decisions: 1 urban growth boundary 2 skinny streets program 3 investment in AT: $60 million, over 30 years (half the price of the one cloverleaf that was rebuilt there) Vehicle miles per person peaked in 1996, and has been dropping since then. Portlandians now drive 20% less than the rest of the US. They save 3.5% of their income, in time and miles driven. They are spending this saved money on recreation, and on their homes – i.e., spent locally, rather than sending money away, to car companies and oil companies. Young, educated people are moving to Portland. It is cool to live there. Millennials tend to decide where they want to live, then get a job there, so if it's a pleasant place, the people will come.
Epidemiologists In the 70s, one in ten North Americans was obese. Now, it's one in three, and the second of three is overweight. One in three children born after 2000 WILL get diabetes. This is the first generation of children who are predicted to have shorter lives than their parents. 7.5 - 2
The healthcare crisis may be an urban design crisis. Inactivity, born of our landscape, where there is no such thing as A USEFUL WALK is driving our weight up. Studies tie weight to inactivity, and where people live. “WALK SCORE” measures walkability. Neighbourhoods with lower walkability are now being called “obesogenic environments”. Asthma is 3x what it was in the 90s, and almost all coming from car exhaust, because North American pollution doesn't generally come from factories anymore, but from traffic. Urban Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) is a good indicator of a city's asthma rate. Car crashes are the single largest killer of healthy adults. This should not be taken for granted. US: 12/100,000 deaths/year from car crashes UK: 7/100,000 deaths/year from car crashes Japan: 4/100,000 deaths/year from car crashes However, the cities vary greatly in their car crash death rates, depending on whether they're designed for walkability or for cars. The car-friendly cities have much higher death rates.
Environmentalists The ideal for environmentalists changed in the last ten years, from rural living, to urban living. Instead of measuring CO2 emissions en masse, they started to measure them per household, and found that the people in cities emitted much less that those in the countryside. “If you love nature, stay the heck away from it, and move to a dense area – the denser, the better.” The densest cities, like Manhattan, perform the best. Canadian cities consume half the gasoline of American cities, and European cities, half again. We're all trying to be green, but maybe in the wrong way, focusing on gadgets, and adding to what we have. The gadgets save as much in a YEAR as moving to a walkable city does in a WEEK. Instead of marketing GREEN choices as a change of LIFESTYLE, maybe an improvement in QUALITY OF LIVING is more appealing. The MERCER SURVEY, the gold standard of quality of life rankings, rank nations worldwide, according to ten quality of life criteria: 1 Political and social environment 2 economic environment 3 education 4 housing 5 Consumer goods 6 Medical and health considerations 7 Natural environment 7.5 - 3
8 Public services and transport 9 Recreation 10 Socio-cultural environment The cities where people are burning the least fuel, mainly in northern Europe, are highest on the quality of life list, while cities where they burn the most fuel, are low. The same thing is causing both phenomena: walkability.
Four Ways to Make a City Walkable Jeff Speck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cL5Nud8d7w&feature=em-uploademail TED.com
“General Theory of Walkability” Average North American cities are built for cars, so in order to get people to walk, you have to offer them a walk that is as good as a drive. How? Offer four things simultaneously: 1 proper reason to walk Planning profession formation: In the 19th Century, people decided, “Let's move housing away from factories, to improve health.” Thus was born Euclidian Zoning, dividing land into large areas of single use. This is common now, and guarantees a lack of walkability, because nothing is near anything else. So the only two ways of organizing cities are: Neighbourhoods, where you can walk from home to work, to shopping, to recreation, to school, generally with a street grid, and smaller streets Suburban/Euclidean sprawl, where nothing is close, with few through streets, and the existing through streets are large and unsafe for walking; including larger and larger schools, with huge parking lots, all of which leads to freeways and car-only landscapes
2 safety, and a feeling of safety Essential, but not enough on its own. The difference between walkable and un-walkable cities is the size of their blocks: a city with 200-foot/60-metre blocks is walkable, with mixed use in each block=2-lane city a city with 600-foot/180-metre blocks is un-walkable, with mixed use in each block=6- lane city 7.5 - 4
2x the block size = 4x the fatal accidents on non-highway streets “INDUCED DEMAND” IS IMPORTANT: When you widen streets to accommodate additional anticipated trips, in congested systems, they fill up again, and so the car cannot be satisfied. However, many city streets in North America have streets that are too wide for the amount of traffic. Redesigned, they can find room for medians, bike lanes and How wide should the streets be? The standards widened from the '60s to the '80s, but the truth is that wider streets make traffic faster and less safe. In some cities, “Skinny Streets” are being demanded by residents, and instituted by such cities as Portland, Oregon. Cycling is a revolution underway in some North American cities. “Where you build [cycling infrastructure], they come.” Bicycle population is a function of bicycle infrastructure. Some examples are green-painted lanes, cars on one side, bikes on the other, and car parking between car lanes and bike lanes, giving added protection to cyclists. If, however, every lane is a bike lane, then NO lane is a bike lane. 3 comfort Curb height, trees, size of curve radius, and many other little details, make an area comfortable for walking. All animals seek simultaneous prospect and refuge – openness to see predators, and protection. People are drawn to places with good EDGES. The good ratio of height to width is between 1:6 and 6:1. Filling empty lots makes an area more comfortable, if the structure is appealing. 4 interest Signs of humanity – make the scenery people-friendly. An example given is the bridge over a highway, which was open and cold, made of concrete. The north side was struggling, with no commerce, while the south side prospered. When the bridge was redesigned to include shops ON the bridge, it drew people onto and over the bridge to the north neighbourhood, and made it spring to life. 7.6 - 1
GTHA ASST REGIONAL HUB MEETING
METROLINX HEAD OFFICE
UNION STATION, TORONTO
2017.04.27
WELCOME Jessica Stronghill welcomed attendees to the meeting, both present and on the phone. RESEARCH FINDINGS Jessica introduced Professor Ron Buliung, of UTM, who was invited to share research findings made by himself, Linda Rothman, of Toronto Sick Children's Hospital, and Tim Ross, a PhD student. The title of the research is “A Systematic Review of Factors Influencing the Decline in ASST”. The objectives of the study were to look at all literature on Active School Travel, to discover the reasons for the decline in AST in North America, to create a universal statement, and to show all the factors in AST decline in North America. The study synthesized the findings of 63 peer-reviewed North American articles, weeded out from 14,000 articles retrieved. It excluded European idealized cities, and focused only on quantitative papers, rather than qualitative ones. The study will be published soon on the Metrolinx ASST website. The study was organized beginning with individuals, then social environment, built environment, and last, policy. Individuals Male children are more likely to use AST than female. AST use increases with age and grade level. Racial diversity in a school increases likelihood of AST use. Social Positive attitude of children toward AT increases likelihood of AST use. Parental education has a negative correlation to children's AST use, likely because higher education indicates higher income. There is a negative correlation with household income and children's AST use. Positive parental attitude to AST increases likelihood of children's AST use. A question raised by the research is: Considering the fact that low-income children use AST, what is being done to facilitate their travel to school? Built Environment The built environment on the route to school can affect children's AST use. Wide streets, vacant lots, broken windows, highways, and traffic all affect levels of AST use. Perceptions of danger and high traffic are often different from reality. Also, “walkability” is measured in a number of different ways, in different studies. Another question arising from the study is “Who decides the walking/busing distances?” Between 1986 and 2006, the walking distance has shortened by 50%. 7.6 - 2
Conclusions Distance is the main deciding factor in school travel mode, though the walkable distance has shrunk over the last generation. Densification has an impact on AST, and should be considered in the planning process. Diversity is also an area that needs to be further studied, as it relates to AST. Convenience is mentioned among the top five factors in several studies as a reason for not using AST, although it is complex, and not well-defined. The way distance and environment interact is complex, and affected by multiple levels of government, as well as real estate, zoning, et cetera. Planning needs to consider future housing developments, when deciding the future of a neighbourhood school. The importance of walkability is not fully appreciated by city planners and developers, leading to closing schools for low attendance, only to build new developments later, requiring busing for new residents' children. More forethought is needed. Research found that children in low-income areas suffer more pedestrian-vehicle collisions, while, in the TDSB jurisdiction in particular, children from high-income areas have more crossing guards. METROLINX UPDATE List Serve Jessica informed the group that all members of HUB are welcome to use the list serve, with no permission required. Metrolinx is prioritizing ASST initiatives for 2017-18. The steering committee is to prioritize GTHA- wide initiatives. Bike-to-School-Week has registered 265 schools in the GTHA (299 schools, as of May 2) for Bike-to- School-Week. This is up from 50-60 schools at this time last year. The total for 2016 was 301 schools in the GTHA, and the total for 2015 was 144 schools. ASST Curriculum Support Lesson Plans Kristin Schwartz reported that the sets of three grade 1, 5 and 9 lesson plans are being piloted by teachers, and the feedback is expected by the end of May. This information will be used to refine the lesson plans, and the final version of the nine lesson plans will be completed over the summer, in time for the 2017 school year. The curriculum topics to which the lesson plans are linked are Matter and Energy for grade 1, Social Studies and Civics for grade 5, and physical and health education for grade 9. Eglinton Crosstown AST Support Project This is a project to support AST for schools along the Eglinton Crosstown LRT route, to help with students' access to school. The upcoming report will include lessons learned over the two-year project, and what can be done to support future LRT projects. Regional Transportation Plan Review Kyle Kellam of Metrolinx reported that the review of the Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan is in its final phase. A draft of the review will be presented at the end of June, with the final review being published by December, and the “how”, or methods, to be presented in January of 2018. A program for ASST in the region is upcoming, which will attempt to highlight the decline in AT modeshare, as well as the need for mobility in all people, from eight to eighty years old, especially using AT. A twenty-five year vision is the goal of the updated plan. Reach out to Kyle with any ideas that may help. When asked about updated data, considering the data in the report is five years old, Kyle said that new data would be available by fall. It is hoped that the AT modeshare will be greater than 1%. It was also suggested to ask businesses to help in tracking and changing the modeshare of AT, to which Kyle replied that AT data collection is a NEED, which has been expressed. 7.6 - 3
Smart Commute Program Becky Upfold, of Smart Commute, reported that there is a new relationship with the regions, in order to integrate with the municipalities' priorities. Most money is being targetted at custom projects, while some money is held back until results are seen. Some money is being given for stations, and so on. New materials are being provided for all modes of travel, including AT. It was pointed out that the voluntary membership of businesses has not proven to be very successful, considering very few businesses have signed up to participate in promoting AT or transit use to get employees to work. There are also intermunicipal gaps in AT infrastructure that need to be filled, in order to create a regional cycling network. One of the issues with Metrolinx funding is that Metrolinx can only give funding to projects that involve capital assets that Metrolinx owns. Corridor access by AT may be in the new plan. REGIONAL PLANNING FOR SCHOOL TRAVEL UPDATE Jessica Stronghill stated that this was begun over a year ago, in order to obtain the background data on what is being done in all six regions. The aim was to build capacity and knowledge, as well as support ASST in each region. It was also aimed at documenting all stakeholders already involved, and engage new ones. The five steps in each region were: 1- pre-planning; 2- workshop confirmation; 3- workshop; 4- review of information; and 5- presentation of report. Metrolinx will give out the reports to the regions, and ask for and answer questions and clarifications. The same general format was used for each region. Ryerson interviewed stakeholders, and then needs for ASST were explored, as well as methods for monitoring and evaluating progress. After the six workshops were held between September 2016 and March 2017, the reports were created and the final individual regional reports will be given out in May 2017, along with a summary of all six regions. Jessica Stronghill will make herself available to visit each region, to help with follow-up activities. The reports can be used in creating an action plan, and in making presentations to regional and municipal councils, for example. A Work-to-Date table can be created for each region, and could be stored on Google Drive, with a detailed list of comments. This table could be used to help the other regions, as a reference. Yearly updates to each regional report are to be done by one or two regional representatives. Stakeholder maps will be provided, with more detail, including contact information of stakeholders. This information will belong to each individual region, not Metrolinx. The GTHA report will be published online this September, including Ryerson research, best ASST practices, priorities, challenges, and potential indicators for measuring success. Regional reports will not be published. This will be left to the regions to publish, not on the Metrolinx website. A steering committee will discuss the HUB, going forward. BIKE TO SCHOOL WEEK UPDATE Kristen Schwartz of Culture Link reported that B2SW begins on the last Monday of May, May 29 this year. Some of the aids that have been created are a downloadable poster with space for individual school name and message, 45,000 stickers (most going to Peel Region), and a large poster for the stickers to be attached to, tracking the cycling of students. It is thought that laminating a simplified AT poster and using dry-erase markers would help with costs, as it could be used for a variety of events 7.6 - 4 and activities throughout the school year, and possibly for multiple years. A draft copy of the certificate of participation was shown. This will be given to each school after Bike to School Week. A pledge card for teachers to fill out re active school travel was discussed. Suggestions were to have teachers bike the last 2 kilometres, for example. Other jurisdictions with good ideas are: Vancouver Bike to School Week – https://bikehub.ca/bike-to-school University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center Bike to School Day – www.walkbiketoschool.org May 2 is the official deadline for online registry. As of May 3, the number of schools signed up for B2SW is 304, surpassing last year's 301. It is expected that there will be a few late registrants. PEEL SHOOL BIKE PARKING PROGRAM Brandon Quigley and Erica Duque of Region of Peel reported that 41 schools have been given bike racks so far. The first round of racks were donated by Region of Peel, with the installation being provided by the school boards. The delay in installation of some of those racks was a problem. In 2016, the whole cost was borne by the Region of Peel. The shared cost with schools was a barrier in last year's project. The impact of giving the racks to the schools was a rise of 21% in bikes parked on school property. The importance of school champions and crossing guards was mentioned. This year, 100 schools applied for racks, and 90 racks are planned for installation at over 60 schools in spring 2017. The installation is being done by the same vendor that the PDSB uses, while a special arrangement is being made with the DPCDSB. The installation is, by far, the most complex part of the project. ROUND TABLE REGIONAL UPDATES Hamilton 1 – Dr. Dennis Corr arranged a Fresh Air for Kids event, with public health monitoring the air quality around schools, using a van with air monitoring equipment in it. 2 – One school arranged a BLOCK PARTY, in which the streets around the the school were closed for one block and the students had to walk or bike a block. Toronto Toronto Centre for Active Transportation, a nonprofit organization, has produced a new book, “Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools”, which can be found on the TCAT website. There will be a webinar on May 9, with ASRTS Canada. This can be promoted on social media. There is capacity for 90 callers, with 60 spots taken, so 30 are left. Brampton Bike Brampton has obtained a new teardrop style banner, to advertise “Do the Bright Thing - Be Heard, Be Seen, Be Predictable”, from an MTO Road Safety Challenge grant. Niagara Municipalities are re-forming advisory committees, to meet twice a year. The public health nurses are starting to engage with schools re AT, but more is needed. They are holding bike rodeos for grade five students, and offering CanBike training for adults. 7.6 - 5
Niagara Navigator http://www.regional.niagara.on.ca/exploring/navigator.aspx is producing maps for parents to find routes to school for their children. Culturelink Kristin Schwartz reported that they are using the Region of Peel's Bike Rodeo kit. They are developing adjustments, such as a strong evaluation system, with Ajax's teachers, and reached 11,000 students in Toronto last year. It is an all-day program. They will share these developments with the other regions. TDSB and Culturelink have a safety and cycling promo, with 61 schools involved. Ontario EcoSchools Eleanor Waslander said that next year's focus will be well-being. EcoSchools acts as a resource, or network connector. Next year, EcoSchools will be connecting to local organizations and events. EcoSchools' Twitter links are available and should be shared. EcoSchools will be encouraging school boards to set targets, rather than mandating participation. However, mandating increases reciprocal support among schools and the boards. Many schools are submitting applications for ASST. Better data collection will be available, with more participants, and better collection methods. Eleanor is willing to share data. CAA Christine asked for submissions of proposals for the School Safety Conference in Toronto on October 2. The deadline is May 15. Region of Peel Other upcoming events are PEYA's Amazing Green Race and the Peel Children's Water Festival. 9.1 - 1 Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Sport Transportation
Minister Minister
9th Floor, Hearst Block 3rd Floor, Ferguson Block 900 Bay Street 77 Wellesley St W. Toronto, ON M7A 2E1 Toronto, ON M7A 1Z8
Monday, May 8, 2017
Dear Valued Cycling Partners:
On April 27th, Ontario tabled the 2017 Budget. This budget returns the government to balance while continuing to make investments that make everyday life easier for people all across Ontario.
We are very proud that our budget includes an investment of $50 million for commuter cycling infrastructure in 2017–18 to give Ontarians a safe and low‐cost commuting alternative between residential communities, workplaces, major transit stations and other destinations and while enhancing their safety and well-being through investments in infrastructure. This will enable people to take bikes and transit for their daily commute instead of personal vehicles, effectively reducing GHG emissions.
Your advocacy contributed to the creation of #CycleON -- Ontario's cycling strategy -- which serves as a blueprint to help us create healthy, active and prosperous communities that have better cycling infrastructure and safer streets and highways.
At the recent Share the Road Cycling Coalition annual Ontario Bike Summit, we reiterated our government’s commitment to implement Ontario's Cycling Strategy, #CycleON. Through #CycleON, the province is working to identify a long-term network of cycling routes across Ontario that will:
Promote recreational cycling and cycling tourism; Connect municipal cycling routes and places of interest; Identify areas of provincial infrastructure that should accommodate cycling; and, Prioritize future cycling infrastructure investments on provincial highways.
The draft network we’ve identified includes over 8,000km of cycling routes that connect the regions of the province – and the people that live there providing access to major communities and destinations. We invite you to view and submit comments on the draft network at www.ontario.ca/cycling. The comment period has been extended until May 26, 2017.
Over 70 per cent of Ontario’s population resides within 5km of these cycling routes. The province-wide network has the potential to enhance tourism and recreation opportunities across the province. And in urban areas, the network is also an opportunity to look at developing routes that will serve both recreational and commuter routes in the years to come.
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9.1 - 2
It was around this time last year that our government announced our commitment to provide $10 million under the Ontario Municipal Cycling Infrastructure program to 37 cities and towns across the province that are working to build new or improve their existing cycling infrastructure in ways that make sense locally. This includes urban, suburban and rural communities like Brampton, Niagara, Ottawa, Chatham-Kent, Kingston, and Thunder Bay among others.
In 2015, we also announced an additional commitment of $15 million for routes along provincial highways so that cyclists have a connected and continuous network.
The cycling investment in Budget 2017 builds on the recent cycling initiatives that the government has made. This unprecedented investment promotes cycling and walking as part of a healthy, active lifestyle while making commuter cycling easier and safer.
Last month, we were pleased to introduce Ontario’s first Cycling Tourism Plan: Tour by Bike. It’s no secret that cycling tourism in Ontario is experiencing rapid growth as more people realize what a fun and healthy form of transportation cycling can be. Ontario is home to an extensive cycling and trails network that stretches across the province, connects our communities and offers unique views of our urban and rural landscapes. Through this plan, we will continue to work to increase and promote cycling as a tourism draw in Ontario communities. Tour by Bike builds on the work we began with the Tourism Action Plan and the Strategic Framework for Tourism in Ontario.
We all have the same goal. We want to continue making Ontario a safe place to cycle, and to stand out as a world-class cycling destination. Our work to date has positioned us well as we move forward with the Tour by Bike and our new commuter cycling infrastructure investment. Of course, your input and collaboration is invaluable to this process. We are excited to keep working with you, and look forward to continuing to grow cycling in Ontario together.
All our best,
Eleanor McMahon Steven Del Duca Minister Minister
2 4.1 Region of Peel Sustainable Transportation Strategy
IBI GROUP Prepared for Region of Peel Region of Peel Sustainable Transportation Strategy May 18, 2017 SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Sustainable Transportation Strategy (STS)
• Active Transportation Infrastructure Implementation Plan (ATIP)
• Transportation Demand Management Policy and Program Implementation Plan (TDM)
• Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy 2 SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Region of Peel Mode Share Trends
• STS Mode Share Targets should be ambitions but realistic
• STS vision is to achieve 50% Sustainable Modes
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy 3 Cycling Network
IBI GROUP Prepared for Region of Peel Peel Region Sustainable Transportation Strategy May 18, 2017 SUSTAINABLE Network Progress since 2011 TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy SUSTAINABLE Network Progress since 2011 TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Proposed Long-Term Cycling Network
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Population and Employment Density
Analysis identifies where origins and destinations are close to each other in the Region of Peel
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy 8 SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Short Trips
Short trips are the easiest to convert to walking or cycling. Trips up to 2km in distance are considered to be “short trips”
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy 9 SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Combining “Short Trips” with Population and Employment Density
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy 10 SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Capital Plan Projects
Regional Population/Employment Density, Automobile Short Trips (5km), Proposed Cycling Facilities (2011) and
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy 11 SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION Indicators of High Propensity for Cycling STRATEGY
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy NetworkSUSTAINABLE Planning TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Dixie Road
Kennedy Road
Queen Street
Steeles Avenue
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION STRATEGY
Proposed Cycling Network “Infill and Upgrade” Projects
0-5 year upgrade project
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION ThankSTRATEGY you!
Region of Peel IBI GROUP May 18 2017 Sustainable Transportation Strategy 16