Bicycle issues in Winnipeg

As a big fan of a good bicycle infrastructure, I'd like to start this discussion with an upcoming live forum. I'm afraid I won't be able to attend, but if anyone can and can report results, please do.

2008 Fall Forum -- Why Not Winnipeg?

Wednesday October 15th
University of Winnipeg Bulman Centre
6:30 to 9:30 PM

Registration is from 6:00 to 6:30.

The opening address will be given by Mayor Sam Katz.

We will have an expert panel to answer your questions about cycling infrastructure and issues in Winnipeg and Manitoba:

• Kerri Irvin-Ross, Manitoba's Minister of Healthy Living.
  
• Marilyn McLaren, CEO of Manitoba Public Insurance.
  
• Jenny Gerbasi, Chair of City Council's Environment Committee.
  
• A high-ranking member of the Winnipeg Police Service.
  
• Janice Lukes, Winnipeg Trails Association Coordinator.
  

The panel will be moderated by Bartley Kives, City Hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press, and it'll be broadcast on CKUW 95.9 FM.

Please go to www.biketothefuture.org/panel_questions.html to submit your question for the panelists.

screw you bike to the future.
Going to apologize soon?

Deank wrote:screw you bike to the future.
Going to apologize soon?

Oh no...forgot about your issues with them Dean ).

Maybe you should go to that forum...and ask for a public apology .

tempting...
however that is not the format for that. Instead I am submitting the question ( via their website )

How do you feel about dealing with an organization that has lied to the public in the past?

I sincerely doubt that they will ask the attendees, but you never know.

Deank wrote:tempting...
however that is not the format for that. Instead I am submitting the question ( via their website )

How do you feel about dealing with an organization that has lied to the public in the past?

I sincerely doubt that they will ask the attendees, but you never know.

I would suggest Dean, to be a bit more fair to them today.

According to the information I've received, their administration has changed over the past year, new directors, new office staff, etc.
They are pursuing a topic which NEEDS to be addressed in the city...and if they can get the ear of enough people to make change, a mistake made in a survey is of little significance.

I think I mentioned to you before (oh..."somewhere else")...that if it was me in your position...I would probably be knocking on their door offering assistance in fixing things...with the support of the community...and asking them to ensure their information is accurate when publicizing...because in dealing with politicians...an omission can be read as a negative rather than a balance.

I have sent it in. Perhaps it will prompt them to be responsible and actually respond to me. Change the website information and offer and apology.

Deank wrote:tempting...
however that is not the format for that. Instead I am submitting the question ( via their website )

How do you feel about dealing with an organization that has lied to the public in the past?

I sincerely doubt that they will ask the attendees, but you never know.

Care to elaborate for those of us who aren't in the know?

During the last election, they said the sent out a questionaire to each candidate. They didn't but said they did and Dean caught them on it. They lied about his response and sending him the questionaire, as I remember it.

Gee just like real politics no offence Dean as it was wrong but look at all of the political organizations in the world most have bent or forgotten the truth when convenient for them to .

just because someone else does it.. and it happens all the time in politics... does not mean I am going to let them get away with it.

But like most is it worth the fight I don't know all of the details some times it is just not worth it though as things don't change . Take care

everything is worth fighting for, when you are right.

When a road is under construction should bikes be allowed on the sidewalk for there own safty . Regent for a number of weeks has been a mess and one morning a bike is going through it with not much room to spare between him and the cars . Personely if it had been me Sidewalk as I don't trust Winnipeg drivers to engage there brain in the morning in their rush to get 1005 in the line at Tims .

It seems that I am walking more these days and to be honest, I'm so f**king tired of having to dodge cyclists on the sidewalk. I'm not talking about little kids, but full grown adults, who give no quarter when approaching or coming up behind you. I even had one asshole yell at me from behind to get out of his way. I would love to start throwing a shoulder into these jerks and put them on their asses even at the risk of brain damage, cause there little chance of further injury.
I walked down Sherbrook from Cumberland to Sargent one day and had to step off the sidewalk 3 times to avoid getting hit cyclists and they were going the same direction as traffic on a 1 way street with 3 lanes. What crap.

Yes they have to respect peds but they are sometimes safer to be there then on the street with the buffoons.

Funny how it's always the motorists who are "buffoons", never the cyclists.
IMHO, there is as large a proportion of cyclist buffoons as their are motorist buffoons. I see at least 50% of cyclist have no idea that the HTA treats their bycicle the same as any other vehicle on the road and they are governed by the same laws as any other motor vehicle. Those 50% seem to have no idea that it is NOT ok to peddle through a stop sign or red light because they feel like it, or to ride around my car in the same lane during rush hour and then suddenly turn left or righ across my lane in front of me etc.
I drive through downtown twice a day at rush hour and it's appalling how many laws some cyclists break.
If drivers blew through half as many red lights/stop signs we'd have nothing but MVA's all day long.

Those are probably the bike couriers you see downtown violating every traffic rule in the book. I'm surprised they manage to stay alive. 

I'm amazed at the spectrum of bicyclists that completely ignore the rules o' the road. I was surprised today at both the number of cyclists I saw and the fact every one of them were breaking one rule or another. One was even riding South in the North bound curb lane on Main Street coming right at me. This was not for just a few feet. This was half the block!

Yes and i saw a car turn without a signal right into a bike today, the silliness is equal to go around.

Is not. Is too. Is not. Is too.

Let's not turn this into a pi$$ing contest. We all know that cyclists are evil people out to take over the world. Us motorists are innocent pawns that're reluctantly and unknowingly in their way. We are unwitting dupes, being sacrificed to the evil cyclist overlord.

The only way we can stave off assimilation is for me to eat brekkie every Saturday and Sunday. I'll keep doing my part...

grumpy old man wrote:We all know that cyclists are evil people out to take over the world.

No, they aren't. They're really under the control of the powerful
Pedestrian Lobbyist Organisation (PLO), of which I'm a member.

Not bad martini boy. But we all know the Cylists Benevolent Movement (Cyclists BM)is leading the destruction of all that is good in Winnipeg.

Personally, I thought the diamond lanes were an ill-advised
half-measure. Imagine, buses and bicycles sharing a dedicated
lane...

Ever been stuck in rush-hour traffic on a bus that's stuck behind an 80-year old man riding his bike at a nice leisurely pace?

Airt Mattrèssor wrote:

grumpy old man wrote:We all know that cyclists are evil people out to take over the world.

No, they aren't. They're really under the control of the powerful
Pedestrian Lobbyist Organisation (PLO), of which I'm a member.

How can Cyclists be part of a "Pedestrian" group? They aren't Pedestrians.

Precisely. He is misdirecting us with a typical cyclist diversionary tactic (DTs).