Running reds and amber light durations

Buried within this Winnipeg Free Press article about photo radar at intersections is the mention of Winnipeg's shorter than average amber lights.

The best piece of journalism in the Free Press' story is actually in the comments section (much to the dismay of this writer who has not been shy to voice his distaste for comments on news sites).

Todd Dube:¹

The City of Winnipeg is the only city in Canada that does not adhere to the formula for determining minimum, safe amber times. Winnipeggers "run" red lights at our 80kph camera intersections at a rate of 600% more than the other camera intersections - for the simple reason that those ambers should be 5.5 seconds and not 4 seconds. That is not only profitable but dangerous. The increase in collisions is due to the unnecessary crisis presented to drivers due to the short amber itself. Winnipeggers must read the facts to learn that our true safety has been traded for profit.

As a pedestrian I witness drivers speeding through amber lights and running reds on a daily basis. The southbound lane of McMillan / Corydon Ave. at Osborne St. is one of the worst intersections I've seen. Stand there for five minutes and you'll likely witness more than one car blow through the red.

Frankly I'm shocked their haven't been more accidents involving pedestrians who started crossing when the pedestrian light came on without first checking to make sure there wasn't a car still barreling through the intersection. I personally have become accustomed to waiting a couple seconds after the light to start crossing, even still I've had several close calls where speeding vehicles have disregarded the already red light.

I'm not sure if it's actually as nefarious as some City Hall plot to increase profits, but it is another example of the City's disregard for pedestrian safety.

UPDATE: The City published a report a year ago on March 8th, 2011 that states

Today, the Public Service recommends maintaining the current practice of having four seconds of amber light time and adopting a formula to calculate the all-red light time, as this provides a safer scenario than having a longer amber light time.

They go on to reference research from the State of Georgia legislation. Why are decisions being made based on data from a foreign State, especially one that is geographically different than Manitoba?

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¹ It should be noted that Todd Dube is no stranger to this issue, he runs the site WiseUp Winnipeg which is dedicated to "publicly expose the deception within the photo enforcement program and to draw attention to Winnipeg’s traffic infrastructure inadequacies (including amber times, speed limits and signage) that are being deliberately exploited by the program to generate maximum “violations” from otherwise safe driving behaviours."

Urban outdoor hockey

Edward Keenan, writing at The Grid:

During the winter in Toronto, you can find pick-up hockey virtually any time of day on one of the city’s free outdoor rinks. Shinny is a freewheeling version of the game played without a timer, referee or scoreboard. There are no fees, no registration and no need to be particularly skilled. The game is reduced to its essentials: the crunch of skates digging into the ice, the feel of the wind in your face, the weight of the puck on your stick. And then there’s the instant connection that comes when a collection of neighbours is transformed effortlessly into a team.

The same is true for Winnipeg, head to any community rink in the city and you're bound to find a group of people looking to play shinny.

Despite professional hockey's reputation for violence, shinny is the most egalitarian sport I've ever played. I've played with guys 10+ years older than me and kids just learning to skate (boys and girls). No one complains about being placed on the team with the kid who can't skate and always passes the puck to an opposing player, they have fun anyway and hopefully the kid will learn a thing or two.

Sociologists could make an interesting study of your local rink. It's truly amazing that people manage to assemble without advance notice and manage to make teammates out of strangers. Rules are rarely discussed in detail, instead it seems they are instinctively known. It's the closest thing to an anarcho-collectivist organization I've ever encountered. There are no politics, no egotistical squabbles, just a desire to work up a sweat and maybe score a goal.

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*Photo by Jory Hasselmann

Don't confuse anarchy with apathy

David D'Amato, writing at South Coast Today:

The way to change society is not to willingly allow yourself to be folded into the systems of political authority, but to counterbalance and neutralize the importance of those systems through the way you live your life. There's nothing apathetic about that.

I hate to quote only the last paragraph of an article, but D'Amato really does a nice job of summarizing his premise. His conclusion articulates what I believe are my own core values. Be the world you want to be.

The Loneliest Astronauts

The Loneliest Astronauts via Agreeable Comics

Astronauts Dan and Steve are stuck in a distant alien solar system, the last survivors of a mission that went horribly wrong and left the rest of their ten-strong crew dead. They’re light years from home on an airless moon, living on carefully-rationed supplies, and unable to contact Earth. The worst part of all this? They hate each other’s guts.

I don't know how I hadn't heard of Kevin Church and Doyle's darkly funny web comic until tonight. I just spent the past hour reading it and can't get enough.

Independent music at its best

Friday night I attended the CKUW Fundrive wrap-up event at the Lo Pub here in Downtown Winipeg. It was a great night of local music featuring the bands of the new Winnipeg record label, Disintegration Records, cofounded by Greg MacPherson and Cam Loeppky.

The room was packed when I showed up fashionably late. I missed Slow Dancers but Nova was just getting started. Unfortunately I was distracted by friends and procuring beer and forgot to take any photos of them, but I can assure you they rocked.

The room was already buzzing, but when Cannon Bros. took the stage everyone in the crowd took note. The two piece consisting of Cole Wood and Alannah Walker always seem to stand out despite their quiet personas. They played most of their recently released album, Firecracker/Cloudglow. If you've never seen them live, Cole and Alannah take turns on guitar and drums, switching off every couple of songs depending on the set list. Alannah's singing has a hint of Tegan and Sara, whereas Cole's reminds me of Stephen Carroll's work in the long defunct Painted Thin. Cole usually steals the show with his stage presence, whether he's pounding on the drums like John Bonham, or making up awkward dance moves.

After stepping outside for some much needed fresh air it was back up to the front of the stage for my friends Haunter. If you've been to any local shows in the past couple of years, especially at Lo Pub, you've probably heard Matt Williams belting out over the microphone with a guitar in one hand and a beer in the other. You may also recognize some of his bandmates from earlier on in the evening (Cole as mentioned earlier in Cannon Bros./Slow Dancers, and Marie France of Slow Dancers). The guitar section lead by Jory Hasselman makes frequent use of vibrato, and exploit the distortion and feedback of their amplifiers. Like so many rock bands before them, I think Haunter's goal is to be the loudest band in town. But they aren't just about volume, Haunter is a hard working band that make honest music. Their late night anthems compel you to down your drink, raise your glass in the air and then have another for the road.

Conclusion, it was a great night of local independent music in one of the best venues in town. If you dig music with a bit more meaning and heart than whatever's being recycled on the Top 40 you should support community radio like CKUW.

Support our troops — or else

Tyler Shipley, writing at Uptown

It seems even the mildest deviations from the ‘support the troops’ mantra are disciplined quickly and intensely. Ironic, since we’re routinely told those troops are fighting for our ‘freedom.’

You may remember Shipley's reaction to the new Winnipeg Jets military inspired branding, also featured in Uptown. Tyler, along with other advocates for social justice such as John K. Samson, and myself, were all at the receiving end of the status quo's guffaws when we expressed our discontent with the co-opting of sports by a pro-military agenda.

It's easy to brush off Shipley and Samson's opinions as sensitive liberals who want the whole world to hold hands and sing Kumbaya, but I believe the type of criticism being directed at them is indicative of Canada's growing role as a jingoist nation, much like our neighbours to the South.