Volvo Presents LifePaint – Car Safety Experts Show Cyclists How to Survive an Accident

Volvo Cars presents LifePaint. The best way to survive a crash, is not to crash. LifePaint is a unique reflective safety spray. Invisible by daylight, it shines brightly in the glare of car headlights. Making the invisible, visible. Find out more at http://www.volvolifepaint.com #volvolifepaint

 

 

stuffandnonsense Says at 9 Nov 2015 2:46 :

I placed black 3m scotch brite tape on my bike’s seat stays and forks, also on the dark parts on the rear of my helmet.
By day it isn’t noticeable on my black bike but at night under lights it really helps being seen.

 

Joey Schwartz Says:

Members of my bike club (tested it) about a week ago, on a ride from High Park, down to the city centre core. Here’s a report by fellow TBNer Ken Miller:

I did some more testing with Volvo Life Paint and got some interesting results.

The good: The reflective effect works regardless of what angle the light source is with respect to the bike. This is a big advantage over fixed permanent reflectors.

The not-so-good: The reflective effect is highly directional so that it can only be seen in a narrow cone between the light source and the bike. When I hold my bike light next to my eye Borg-style, I see the reflection. But if I move it as little as 3 degrees away from my eye, the effect almost entirely disappears. From these properties, I would surmise the reflective particles are little spheres.

The good: The reflective effect is noticeable and shimmery.
The not-so-good: The effect isn’t nearly as strong as what is displayed in flash photographs. This appears to be an artifact of the camera sensors being saturated. Life Paint’s reflectivity is weaker than permanent reflectors. My guess is that its effective range is about 50 meters before the reflective effect is too dim to notice, and that might be pushing it.
The good: Life Paint is easy to remove. The adhesive completely and instantaneously dissolves in water and it also flakes off completely. The adhesive is strong enough to deal with wind, as I went on a ride a couple of nights ago into a gusting headwind and didn’t seem to lose any of the effectiveness of Life Paint afterwards. In the absence of it getting wet or being rubbed off with significant physical contact, I think Volvo’s claim that it will last for a week is probably accurate.

The not-so-good: It’s useless in the rain, and will need to be completely reapplied afterwards. Areas on the bike subject to physical rubbing will quickly lose their reflectivity.

I think the bottom line is that Life Paint has promise as an adjunct to lights and permanent reflectors due to its 360 degree range and that the entire bike ‘lights up’. Its short range and very high directionality are points of concern, though. Real world testing will need to be done to give the full answer. Keep in mind, however, that quality lights are by far the most important factor in being visible at night. The benefits of adding reflectors are at the margin. Never rely on a reflector-based system to be seen at night! #volvolifepaint

The Guardian Says:
LifePaint promises great things in terms of saving cyclists’ lives, but our reporter is distinctly unimpressed by its glow-in-the dark claims
More Here

Helen Pidd tries out the hi-vis paint in Salford. Photograph: Gary Calton for the Observer

 

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How Can John Tory Re-Shape Toronto’s Traffic Troubles?

Toronto Mayor John Tory recently unveiled a six-point plan to fight traffic gridlock in the GTA. According to the official media release, Mayor Tory will be personally overseeing the implementation of this plan to battle traffic congestion…But why should Torontonians take any new hope from this political promise?

This plan’s objectives might remind some of Tory’s previous stewardship of  the Your32.com campaign while with Civic Action. However we now also see actionable items that promise to use a combination of technology and boots-on-the ground enforcement – to hopefully make a demonstrable difference to swelling commute times on our constricted roadways.

Yet these six, seemingly simple, steps (below) also carry an enormous amount of immovable mass and bureaucracy below their surface. Resources that will all need to be re-coordinated and mobilized to rise up in harmonic unison, in order for positive results to actually become visible in our surface traffic. Somehow, the clear scope of these specific points seem to represent more than just political posturing. It also provides us with clear points of comparison to the previous regime, and reminds us that foresight and planning seem to have been in short supply in our municipal affairs, for too long now.

This plan is far from a miracle cure, and will certainly see its share of snags along the way, but at least it’s a more responsible and realistic approach to the problem, in the sense that it doesn’t kick the can down the road, with high-handed calls for more roads or transit.

Instead it’s taking a hard and focused look at what City Hall can do immediately to start finding the pressure-relief valves in the existing situations. Starting with a single, month-long educational process, that reminds us that we’ve all had enough of endless and expensive studies and reporting periods that such issues would normally entail. This transparently demonstrated sense of expediency alone, should give many people renewed hope in the political processes at City Hall.

For now, if we leave aside the utopian dreams of building a fleet of 21st century Jetson Cars, or at least a network of 20th century rail-transit cars, we’re left to make the most of what we currently have to work with, as we try to foresee a better tomorrow.

So let’s temporarily put aside our pressing needs for new transit, roadway and cycling infrastructure, along with any other social-engineering projects that the future might hold. Instead, let’s take a cue from Mayor Tory focus on what strictly needs to happen right now, out on our existing roads at this moment, in order to help things move a bit better asap – at least according to the following base requirements set out in the mayor’s initial plan:

1. Strict enforcement of “No Stopping” regulations on major roads
2. Enhanced road closure reporting
3. Launch of a multi-organizational Traffic Enforcement Team
4. Accelerate the 2015 Traffic Signal Re-timing Program from 250 signals to 350 signals
5. Establish more stringent criteria and higher fees for the closure of lanes/roads by Private Development Projects
6. Speed up Public Sector construction projects by extending work hours and reducing duration of construction on major roadways.

If you want to see some specifics around any of these points?
…Then just Tweet your request HERE!

Keep in mind that the mayor also told the media that he’ll launching this fight against traffic congestion with a new “zero-tolerance” policy, which will be rolled out after a month-long education period.

“Traffic is strangling this city and costing us millions in lost productivity. We need to take immediate action to get Toronto moving so people can get to work on time and home to their families sooner,” said Mayor Tory. “I believe this issue is so important to the everyday lives of Torontonians, I will be working with city staff to get this one as soon as possible.”

This leaves many Torontonians wondering a few things…What can actually be done within the constraints of existing resources, and why it’s taken so long to start moving things forward on the many underlying issues to begin with, and finally, what kinds of barriers this latest initiative might face as it gets out of the starting gate.

At the very least, what we get from this announcement is that we have our first policy initiative to track with our new mayor, in order to gauge if and how such plans are actually implemented, and followed through on. It’s good to see that the new City Hall has its initial priorities in order, at least.

Comment, Tweet, or Subscribe to get timely updates on any of the following key issues and considerations – as they each get developed to see what barriers they face, and what benefits they could possibly yield…

• Traffic Control Systems & Optimizations:
  What are they, and how are they being modernized/optimized for better results
• City Planning and Public Works Projects
• Real-Estate Development & Construction
• Transit & Commuting Issues and Initiatives
• Pedestrian’s Rights & Responsibilities
• Communications Initiatives: Breaking through departmental walls and info-silos to allow one hand to work with the other
• Police Work: The age of the cop who walks the beat on the street is long gone, but what does it take to make better use of paid-duty police standing around construction sites,
• Work-Shifting & Tele-Commuting
• Commercial Transport & Delivery
• Optimizing Construction Zones & Times
• Mandating Delivery Windows & Enforcing No-Idle Regulations
• Re-shaping Traffic Patterns with Directional Roads
• Regulations & Law Enforcement
• Others?

Russell Security is Seizing Bikes – But is it LEGAL ?

Yesterday, an incident at Yonge and Bloor has cyclists asking everyone “Have you had a bike stolen at Yonge and Bloor in front of The Bay?” Perhaps it wasn’t stolen at all, at least not in the eyes of the thieves. Perhaps it was removed by security!  Before jumping to conclusions, let’s look at the key facts first. One thing that seems certain is that Brookfield Properties owns the building facing the post where bikes have been removed, and Russell Security (RSSI) is contracted by them. RSSI was allegedly instructed to remove bikes from this pole. A TTC pole which at least ‘appears’ to be on public property. Incidentally, Brookfield Properties is a division of the same Brookfield that was implicated in the infamous Zucotti Parc eviction threats during Occupy Wall St. But don’t let that colour your opinions of this incident…too much.

Just the Facts Ma’am

The TTC has already stated that although the sign is indeed theirs, it’s not on their property, nor have they instructed the removal of any bikes. Head of TTC Communications Brad Ross was also very helpful in connecting the dots with City of Toronto officials for more info.

@JoFergs  Just found out. It is our sign, but it’s not our property.
TTC is not giving direction to remove bikes

— Brad Ross (@bradTTC) August 14, 2014

For it’s part, the City of Toronto, was not only prompt in their responses and assured that “the matter has been reported to Right of Way Management and is being looked into” – but they also immediately processed “a request to Public Realm for installation of bike/post rings at this location”.

@TTChelps @JoFergs I’ve sent a request to Public Realm for installation of bike/post rings at this location. Thanks. ^sw

— 311 Toronto (@311Toronto) August 14, 2014

Preserving Jenna Morrison’s Legacy of Personal Health and Public Safety

Jenna Morrison Reflexology FootPath at Dufferin Grove park – Courtesy of the City of Toronto

Jenna Morrison’s tragic fall under the wheels of a truck in 2011 didn’t mark the end of her personal legacy within all of the communities that she touched while alive. In fact, that one terrible moment seems to have marked the spread of even wider awareness for all the matters of health and well-being that she held close to her heart. This lasting legacy took tangible form on Saturday July 26, 2014, with the opening of a commemorative Reflexology Footpath at Dufferin Grove park. As Torontonians, we now have a wonderfully serene new space in which to reflect upon ourselves, our personal well-being, and our collective place within the city around us. But again, this should just be another beginning.

Although this impressive memorial offers closure and comfort to her family, in the final realization of one of Jenna’s great dreams as an aspiring health practitioner, it also represents the start of an ongoing journey. This beautiful new park feature is formed around a carefully designed walkway that follows the path of an ‘infinity’ symbol. Reminding us of the ongoing journey that we all experience as a collective of citizens in a great city. A reminder that the healing power within ourselves is also supported by the city around us – and that there’s so much more to explore in this ongoing journey.

So despite the closing of this particular chapter for Jenna’s bereft family, the commemoration ceremony reminded us that there’s still so much more work to be done around the terrible circumstances of her death as well. Not only for those who continue to raise public awareness around cyclist and traffic safety, but most especially those who are also seeking out clear, realistic and actionable solutions to these very complex issues, in order to actually effect positive change once a critical mass of awareness is achieved.

Can Issues be De-Politicized for Greater Effect?

In Jenna’s memory, it behooves us to not simply let these issues turn into political footballs, rally-cries for advocates, or simply historical footnotes. Rather we could also expand their utility, and hold them as ongoing focal points that guide us through the complexities and more meaningful forms of debate and action that could possibly lead to results.

City of Toronto road-safety campaign “Stay Alert – Stay Safe”

Of course, everyone realizes that achieving greater road safety in a over-congested city isn’t as simple as proposing a new law, or putting signs or paint-marks on a road. Torontonians are seeking ways to live in a more healthy and sustainable city, and we already know that we need to look more carefully for the actual sources of issues, rather than just trying to mitigate the negative effects wherever they arise to prominence.

To do so in this case, we’ll need to open up the scope around traffic and safety issues to include the needs and challenges of all stakeholders, not just the special interests of vocal groups or individuals. Using our communications channels to present and consider the types of options that can enable governments, industry, and communities to all come together around usable info and shared ideas. Presenting the smaller tactics that can support bigger strategies, without getting road-blocked behind things like stalled parliamentary bills, or the limited effects of street-demonstrations.

Not only looking at what’s been done, but what’s also still required to enact meaningful change. Councillor Ana Bailao speaks to this from the point of view of liveable cities and municipal government to start the inauguration ceremony, as she presents both Jenna’s dream, as well as a larger civic vision that we can all take part in collectively.

As Councillor Ana Bailao said in her opening speech last Saturday, we have to be more conscious and alerted to our surroundings. This type of shared awareness and responsibility extends far beyond road safety, into the very nature of civic life and our engagement as citizens. It’s not enough to wait for politicians to move a ball down-field, or for industry to discover a business case that can benefit us all.

“Today we’re putting together another dream of another citizen of ours, and that’s what cities need to make sure they continue to do, we need to facilitate that…Today we open the doors to have more of those dreams come true”    ~ Toronto City Councillor Ana Bailao

Unfortunately, the dialogue around truck-safety on our city streets is at risk of becoming silo’d into competing interests. Politicians curry favour with inflated claims of “wars on cars” being waged, or with token gestures for cyclists and pedestrians. Others simplistically claim that big business resists any change that raises costs. Pundits assert that our regulators are more responsive to corporate interests than the needs of citizens.  Meanwhile the businesses who operate the engines of our economy need to see clear info, useful reporting and sustainable models – not emotional appeals, or easy comparisons to countries who’s circumstances don’t match our own.  So rather than getting into camps over these tough issues, let’s consider looking for the common ground among all stakeholders, and working towards clarity and consensus that can be built upon. Rather than getting entrenched in the rhetorical positions that usually only serve one side of multi-faceted issues.

Councillor Ana Bailao stands with Jenna’s partner Florian Schuck and their son Lucas.

 

Where Should We Look
for Answers on Road Safety?

• Grassroots Advocacy
• City of Toronto
• Federal Politics
• Trucking Industry
• Personal Safety Initiatives

 

( WORK IN PROGRESS )
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Happy Birthday Toronto!

Today the City of Toronto turns 180, so let’s take a quick peek at how far ‘Toronto the Good’ has come, by looking at historical snapshots of what has happened on this day in our shared heritage as Torontonians.

On this day in 1834, what had been the town of York incorporated itself under its original name. This was derived from the portage route called “Passage de Toronto” used by early French-Canadian traders to reach Lac Taranteau, which was later called Lake Simcoe. The phonetic equivalent ‘Toronto’ was a Huron word for the fishing weirs in the narrows connecting Lake Simcoe to present day Lake Couchiching.

The historic site for Fort Rouillé, on the south side of Exhibition Place, marks the location of what was more commonly known as Fort Toronto, built in 1750-51. It was established by order of the Marquis de La Jonquière, Governor of New France, to help strengthen French control of the Great Lakes and was located here near the important “Toronto” portage route to entice trade with natives travelling southeast toward the British fur-trading centre at the mouth of the Oswego River in the present day state of New York.

Almost a century later in 1852, a group of Toronto brokers formalised “a code of Rules and Regulations” that would underpin the formation of the Toronto Stock Exchange later on that year. No records survive of transactions conducted by this early group known as the Association of Brokers, though perhaps they might have traded in furs as well.

This day in 1884 also marks the opening of the first free public library in Toronto that would later become today’s Toronto Public Library. The newly created board was chaired by John Hallam (after whom Hallam Street is named), who opened this first library in the former “Mechanics Institute” at Church and Adelaide.

In 1889 we see a clear indicator of Toronto’s rigid and conservative upbringing, when Toronto Customs officials destroy novels by the French author Emile Zola on the grounds that they were “obscene”. Zola who was a major figure in the political liberalisation of France, would later be nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize for Literature in 1901 and 1902.

It’s great to see how much Toronto has loosened up in 180 years!

Cézanne’s Paul Alexis Reading a Manuscript to Zola

TTC Subway Upgrades Signal the Future Of Transit in Toronto

The TTC is finally addressing the enormous challenges of an ageing subway signalling system. Today, the TTC released a really good video that clearly explains not only the current track signalling system, used to manage the flow of trains, but also an outlook on the latests technology that’s being installed  – which promises to finally bring the TTC’s subway system into the 21st century. Or at least finally leave technology from the 1950’s behind.

Key Points:

• The current ‘Fixed Block‘ system cannot allow for any more capacity and is limited to only one train per block, resulting in unused “headway” in front of trains, and large stretches of reserved track behind trains
• The new Automatic Train Control (ATC) using Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) to create a dynamic or ‘moving block’ that expands or shrinks depending on the trains speed and location (measured and re-calculated many times per second) for maximum safety and efficiency
• ATC will also result in faster service with fewer delays resulting from signalling system failures or issues

This leaves us to wonder a few things about the future of subway transit in Toronto

• If trains can travel faster and closer together, does that allow for more trains to be in service during rush-hour, or just that they can bunch-up tighter during delays, and the infamously regular “passenger assistance alarm” episodes.
• When is the ATC project expected to be completed, and at what cost?
• If more trains can operate, at what point would the costs outweigh the service benefits?
• What is the ideal ‘sweet-spot’ of increased ridership and service levels vs. the costs required to provision increased ridership

As we look forward to seeing tangible benefits of this ATC project, we’ll likely continue to wonder what the ideal ridership level is for a transit system that was clearly not built to handle the current rush-hour load.

Perhaps we can consider other solutions, alleviating measures, and even other forms of optimization such as:

• Reconfiguring train-sizes, speeds, and frequency
• Addressing the methods of dealing with “Passenger Assistance Alarms” since they are clearly greatest source of system delays
• Looking at social factors like workday schedules and time-shifting options to alleviate the rush-hour crush, and spread out passenger loads

Stand-By for further updates…

Here’s to the the New TTC Subway Map….Same as the Old Map

The newly announced updated subway line mapping scheme may have exposed the TTC’s penchant for spending money, everywhere except for where it’s needed most.

However this notoriously stagnant transit system is showing some slow and very subtle signs of growth…Finally!

Take, for example what we find hidden behind the new illuminated maps in the still-spanking-new “Toronto Rockets”

The six lights rising to the left from Downsview Station are definitely a prescient sign of things to come. Though Unless you count isolated screw-holes, there isn’t much to see in our immediate future. At least until we get some new maps, at least.

Oops…It seems that we have an interim vision after all.

Stand-By for more updates, and a better looking system.

…On paper at least.

CycleBall is the Bomb!

Words won’t do this spectacle justice…
So if you can appreciate sport and cycling (even in the slightest) just keep an open mind, and watch this for a few minutes…You won’t regret it ;-]

Favourite comment:
” Before Watching: WTF is this shit ”
” After Watching: WTF, this is THE shit! “

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I got excited when I caught a glimpse of this picture…Thinking that it was a geared flywheel that could transfer the energy in braking, into usable force for acceleration and/or adding to cruising speed. Alas it’s just an insanely large chain-ring designed to demonstrate the size of the nuts carried by this French rider.

Bike Helmet Meets Airbag

A couple of very clever Swedes have invented a new type of bicycle helmet that borrows from automotive airbag technology to offer urban cyclists abit more peace of mind. The Hovding is being presented as an ‘invisble bike helmet’ which can sense abnormal movement and inflate to protect the cyclists head in a collision. According to the images provided, it’s also being offered as a fashion accessory of sorts, since it boasts a variety of exterior linings to match any cycling outfit…
Including cycling dresses?