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Week in review: May 23, 2018

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Consultations, feedback, and events

Transit

The president of the KW Chamber of Commerce declares transit the dominant issue of this provincial election. Meanwhile, ION testing is ramping up, Regional Council votes to keep advertisements off the outside of trains, and they’re hiring drivers!

Don’t forget to submit your feedback on the new proposed Stage 2 ION route by May 24.

  • What about the bus?
    • Love the bus, save your city (CityLab)
    • Five breakthroughs that could make you love the bus (CityLab)
    • U.S. transit systems are shedding riders. Are they under threat? (The Transport Politic)
    • Transit agencies must sell freedom (Remix)
    • Four things for transit agencies to remember in a world of driverless car hype (TransitCenter)
  • Farewell to fares
    • Estonia will roll out free transit nationwide (CityLab)
    • Paris gets serious about free transit (CityLab)

Sidewalks

Kitchener is readying plans to test different sidewalk clearing options. Beyond a moral obligation to ensure all people are able to get around in winter, our cities now have new provincial regulations for keeping sidewalks and bike lanes clear of snow and ice. Next week, Kitchener councillors will be asked to approve sidewalk infill in the Centreville neighbourhood.

Cycling

  • Province to foot bill for active transportation bridge in Cambridge (CBC)
  • Aiming for the bare minimum: why cycle tracks are the only way forward (Robin Mazumder)
  • Six secrets from the planner of Sevilla’s lightning bike network (Streetsblog)
  • When a bike lane battle goes nuclear (CityLab)
  • Don’t get too excited about Bike to Work Day (CityLab)
  • Planning for cycling in the dispersed city: establishing a hierarchy of effectiveness of municipal cycling policies (Transportation)
  • Five ground rules to help cities get the most out of dockless bike share (Streetsblog)

Vision Zero

  • Why Kitchener has started using ‘flexible delineators’ in the middle of roads (CBC)
  • Save lives with smarter, slower streets – not self-driving cars (Wired)
  • Study links rise of SUVs to the pedestrian safety crisis (Streetsblog)
  • How big data can help prevent deaths by speeding (Streetsblog)
  • Using road markings as a continuous cue for speed choice (Accident Analysis & Prevention)

The shape of our cities

  • New land needs assessment methodology for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (Ministry of Municipal Affairs)
  • Controversy over tower pushes city to review approvals process (The Record)
  • Kitchener’s $28,000 piece of real estate (The Record)
  • Parking diets for healthier cities (CNU Public Square)
  • The dream of a big home in the city is dying, and that’s okay (Globe and Mail)
  • Why Toronto (and Waterloo Region) needs more townhouses (TVO)
  • Green building isn’t enough; we need green zoning (Treehugger)