Peter Davison’s Post

I don’t have an elected municipal representative in my City of Toronto ward that will flex their #PoliticalWill to create a safer and more sustainable local environment for the constituents that live here. But hopefully where you live, you’ve got that type of person leading your community. It’s still #BikeMonth here in Toronto. We celebrated #BikeToSchoolWeek and #BikeToWorkDay. But if you missed the official #WorldBicycleDay clip from Chris Bruntlett watch it here. “So what we're finding is cycling is much more than just the tool for transportation, it's transformational policy making means to address a lot of the big challenges, that cities are facing in 21st century. That is the cost of living crisis, the climate crisis, public health crisis, a road safety crisis. These are all things that getting more people on bicycles, improving our cycling infrastructure, can help address. And it sounds simplistic to say this one 125-year old tool can solve a lot of those problems, and it can't do it individually. We need better public transport. We need lots of mobility options in our city. We need a revisioning of what our streets are for and who they can be used by. And we find in cities like Paris, like New York, like London that are doing exactly that, creating space for not just bicycles, but a wide variety of mobility devices. The more people can participate in society and our cities can be more livable and more healthy and more resilient too. On World Bicycle Day my message would be specifically the policy makers, that we have to build the infrastructure to enable the behaviour change that people are crying out for. We saw during the pandemic this latent demand of people to get out on their streets, to walk and roll and when the cars came back, those people disappeared again because the infrastructure wasn't there to support healthy, active sustainable travel. So we understand that this is controversial. The realocation of space is never easy. But we do have to do it It's urgent. It's inevitable. We have to push back against the controversy and give people choices to move their bodies, to meet their neighbours and to get around the city in an active and sustainable way. So we need the policymakers to lead on this. And my message to them would be: let's just do it.” #BeBold #LeaveTheCarBehind #SustainableUrbanVehicle 🚲#ThisMachineFightsClimateChange

When thinking about strong local economies, what does 'accessibility' actual mean? While it's common to think of a blunt 800m radius as a 10 minute walk, the reality is that most locations are much less walkable than this. It's no secret that "good accessibility" is key to a great place to live and a thriving local economy. In residential neighbourhoods, residents love to be able to access what they need locally - essentially: what can I access within a short trip from my home? And for destinations - such as main streets, parks or employment precincts the question is reversed: who can access this location within a short trip? Whether it's buying fresh food, meeting friends for dinner, or going to work, being able to meet your daily needs locally is a top lifestyle value in today's (post-lockdown) world. Last week I spoke at a Property Council of Australia event on future of the Great Australian Dream, where I shared these examples of accessibility across #Melbourne. Thanks to Frasers Property Australia for sponsoring the event, and Andrew Lowcock for facilitating a great discussion. And... for those you wondering about lower impact modes, such as #PublicTransport or #cycling: We are working on PT and cycling access maps (perhaps I'll share a seperate post about the complexities of reliable data in this space!!)... HOWEVER, our research has found that even people without cars will think about the 'drivability' of a location, because travel by car (car share, lifts, taxis etc) will always be the 'backup option' when the weather or time of day doesn't allow for cycling or PT trips. So 'drivability' remains important in non-car dependant communities. If you want to check out this data for any Australian location, you can create a free account on our website and play around: https://bit.ly/48RP1AP Victoria Walks, Roads Australia, Maroondah City Council, City of Stonnington, Hobsons Bay City Council

Personal post for once: Brian Caulfield asks this morning in the The Irish Times whether cars should monopolise so much space in Dublin city: the answer is clearly no. I have been living in Dublin for more than two years now and still cannot fathom why cycling is not more developed in what is a mostly flat and green city (wet? there is no bad weather, just bad clothing 😏). The article mention how making Capel Street pedestrian did rapidly change the way it is used for better (more pedestrians = more activity for retailers!). But there is other evidence everywhere, starting by how Paris has completely transformed itself : in 2010, cycling accounted for just 3% of trip within the city, it is now 11% - and cars is down to 4%. That didn't happen overnight, and boy did it creates frustration and heated debates. But Anne Hidalgo and David Belliard stuck to their guns. More polluting vehicles - including many older petrol and diesel cars - will be banned from Paris center from 2025. Parking spaces have been removed, roads pedestrianised and a vote in February of this year also saw Parisians approve a proposal to triple parking fees for large vehicles like SUVs (a real plague anywhere, but particularly in Dublin - how many times are we stuck in narrow streets because of cars twice the size of half the road?). There has also been significant investment in alternative forms of transport over the last few years. This includes around €250 million on a centralised plan to improve cycling infrastructure in the city by 2026 - to make Paris a “100 per cent cycling city”. When traveling back to Paris now, it is difficult to even remember how the streets looked like while crammed with cars. I don't think anyone can tell me that enjoying College Green or Exchequer Street with less pollution, noise and traffic is not an objective worth making an effort. Eamon Ryan James Geoghegan Dublin City Council https://lnkd.in/e8XaphZW.

What does Ontario province have against bike lanes in Toronto? Recent legislation suggestion in Ontario province of Canada led by Premier Doug Ford suggests to put on hold any new bike lanes, review existing ones and even remove specific ones from several streets of Toronto. While the legislation is receiving support by some business owners, Toronto's mayor, Olivia Chow, is continuing her plans for future cycling lanes in the city. While Premiere Ford is quoted saying to Global News that bike lane reversals is a “popular” measure, here are 5 cities we suggest Premier Ford visit and probably won't be stuck in that much traffic: 🇩🇰 Copenhagen, Denmark - With 41% of commutes being done by bike, the city saves up to $2.17M daily(!!!) in economic benefits from reduced traffic congestion 🇳🇱 Amsterdam, Netherlands - The city probably most known for being bike friendly and some really good fries. City locals ride about 2 million km every day according the city council, with about 58% of residents who cycle daily. 🇨🇦 Montréal, Canada - A city the Premier might be familiar with. has over a 1000km of bike lanes going through the city. 600,000 people cycled as a primary form of transportation, leading to significant environmental and health benefits. 🇳🇴 Oslo, Norway - Since 2015 implemented new bike lanes, removed parking spaces equivalent to 4,250 cars removed from the city streets, placed 500 speed humps, and lowered speed limits which led to zero or colse to non pedestrian and cyclist fatalities. 🇫🇷 Paris, France - Anyone visiting the city in recent years has probably seen the change. With over 1000km of bike lanes in the city, over 15% of city journeys are now made on bikes, leading to reductions in CO2 emissions and traffic congestion. While it's true that not everyone can cycle, visit any of the cities above and see how infrastructure, priority for bike lanes, not only makes it accessible for almost everyone, but saves traffic time, CO2 and benefits local businesses. See article for Global News by Colin D'Mello and Isaac Callan in the comments Doug Ford City of Toronto #Ontarioprovince #Paris #Amsterdam #Oslo #Copenhagen #Montréal #CO2 #carbonfootprint #Canada #bikelane #sustainble #commute #trafficjams Just to be clear and remove any doubt, The Sustainable Digest is a big fan of the Canadian outdoors, hockey, the wonderful people and Original Canadian maple syrup! Image credit for video - Danique Veldhuis

Canada's Bike Sharing Market Set to Grow by 5% Annually Through 2030 Get Free PDF: https://lnkd.in/dSt-cz8Q The Canada Bike Sharing Market, valued at $58.8M in 2023, is poised for significant growth. Projected to expand at a 5% CAGR, the market is expected to reach $82.73M by 2030. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of public bike share programs, which alleviate common barriers to bike ownership like theft fears and storage issues. Major cities like Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver are leading this trend, offering thousands of bikes to urban commuters. #CanadaBikeSharing #SustainableTransport #UrbanMobility #BikeShare #MarketGrowth #IndustryForecast #SmartCities #Sustainability

Wellington, we need to have a conversation about parking and cycleways As a resident of Wellington, I deeply appreciate our city’s commitment to becoming greener and providing safe travel options for cyclists. Our efforts to promote sustainability and reduce our carbon footprint are commendable and necessary for a better future. However, major changes by the city council to remove car lanes and parking spots outside of businesses, including popular attractions like the Wellington Botanic Garden, have raised significant concerns by almost everyone I speak to about the topic. While the intention behind these changes is clear, the impact on our local businesses and viability as a dynamic city cannot be overlooked. Many businesses in Wellington are struggling to survive and thrive in an already challenging economy. The removal of parking spaces has made it difficult for customers to access these businesses, resulting in a drastic drop in revenue. It’s perplexing to see empty cycleways while cars are restricted to narrow lanes, adding to the frustrations of both business owners and residents. With our weather patterns and the geography of the city, cycling is not for everyone and it's dangerous going in many places. Trying to social engineer the population to ride bicycles and punish them for wanting to drive in their own warm and safe cars, seems punitive and undemocratic. To be honest, I'd like to understand the rationale behind making such decisions when so many businesses are suffering, and we need to bring more tourists and industry into the city? Is there a way to find a balance that supports both our sustainability goals and the economic vitality of our local businesses and tourism industry? Be interested in people’s thoughts? #wellington #wellingtoncouncil #business #tourism #economicgrowth

🚦70% of Londoners Back More Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs)! Recent data published by Cyclomedia in its annual Urban Road Safety Index report reveals a significant rise in public confidence regarding road safety in London. Over 70% of Londoners now support more Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), and a majority agree that all roads across the city should have a 20mph speed limit. This is a substantial increase from 50% in 2022, reflecting growing trust in the city’s safety initiatives. Londoners also feel safer on cycle paths, and the 20mph speed limits have notably reduced collisions. Despite this positive shift, there are ongoing concerns about accommodating new urban transport modes and improving lane separation. To read the full blog post, click this link: https://lnkd.in/ewy8XJUA 📢 Stay Informed Next week, ECF will launch its new monthly newsletter with updates on LTN and Active Travel news across England. Interested in receiving the latest insights? Sign up by emailing us at info@engagecf.co.uk. #RoadSafety #ActiveTravel #LTNs #UrbanTransport #London #LiveableNeighbourhoods

I was recently in Amsterdam and if you have ever been there, you know that there are bikes, bikes, bikes everywhere! How vastly different than the United States so I got to wondering how most of the world gets around transportation wise. I came across this interesting infographic that looks at the popularity of different transportation types in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, calculated by modal share. This data is sourced from ‘The ABC of Mobility’ by Rafael Prieto-Curiel and Juan P. Ospina, published in Environmental International (Volume 185, 2024), accessed through ScienceDirect. The authors of this study gathered data through travel surveys. They determined the primary mode of transportation a person employed for each trip they took during a typical weekday. This is called modal share. Data from 800 cities from 61 countries was collected for this study. The key takeaways are that in the U.S. & Canada, people heavily rely on cars to get around, no matter the size of the city. There are some exceptions: New York, Toronto, and smaller college towns across the U.S. North America’s share of public transport and active mobility (walking & biking) is the lowest amongst all surveyed regions by a significant amount. In Asia, South America, and Europe, regional differences are apparent, but at least one in four trips in every region occurs on public transport. © Visual Capitalist, 2024. All Rights Reserved, used with permission. 

Nine out of 10 of the world’s most walkable cities are in Europe! A report by Compare the Market Australia analysed walking distances, safety scores, public transport costs and other factors to identify the best cities to get around without a car, with the list topped by Munich and followed closely by Milan, Warsaw and Helsinki. Can you guess which is the only non-European city to make the list? 👇 #europeofcities #europe #walkablecities #walking #citywalk #smartcities #munich #milan #warsaw #helsinki

In modern developments, lifestyle features such as footpaths, cycling routes, and walkable access to stores are becoming increasingly important. These elements not only enhance the day-to-day experience of residents but also boost the investment value of properties within the precinct. Here's why: 🏘 Increased demand: Buyers today prioritise health and convenience. Properties that offer easy access to green spaces, walking paths, and nearby stores are highly sought after, ensuring continued demand. 🏘 Future-proofing your investment: As cities grow, areas that encourage active, sustainable living will hold their value and even appreciate, making them smart long-term investments. 🏘 Quality of life: Footpaths and cycling routes promote a balanced, active lifestyle, while walking-distance amenities reduce the need for driving, enhancing overall well-being for residents. Riverfields is strategically and proudly being developed with these points in mind. Invest today: https://riverfields.co.za/. #riverfieldsgrow