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7. WinSmart: Winnipeg for Sustainable Management Advancing Responsible – Final Report

WinSmart: Winnipeg for Sustainable Management Advancing Responsible – Final Report

City of Winnipeg, Manitoba, in partnership with the Province of Manitoba, Transport Canada, The Centre for Sustainable Transportation, Resource Conservation Manitoba and the University of Manitoba Transport Institute.

Introduction

The Winnipeg Capital Region (WCR) comprises the City of Winnipeg and 14 surrounding rural municipalities, for a total population of about 710,000 residents. Over the past two decades, the city's population has grown by 10% but transit ridership has fallen by one-third.

As a primary western transportation hub, the WCR faces transportation challenges similar to other mid-sized Canadian cities. In a recent city poll, for example, more than half (51%) of respondents indicated that they are more concerned about traffic congestion than they were two years ago.

The city's WinSmart showcase, launched in November 2006, aimed to encourage behavioural change, inspire public policy innovation, promote effective management, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase energy efficiency, and introduce or investigate new technologies.

Project results

The initiatives included in the WinSmart showcase achieved an estimated total calculated GHG emission reduction of 273 tonnes.

1. Biodiesel Fuelling Station

The Winnipeg Fleet Management Agency constructed a biodiesel fuelling station for the city's municipal fleet, including underground fuel tanks buried below the freeze line to keep higher-level blends of biodiesel from gelling at colder temperatures.

Forty vehicles were used in the study—20 that operated on biodiesel and 20 identical control vehicles that used conventional diesel. A total of 250,000 litres of biodiesel (B5 and B10 blends, 5% and 10% biodiesel respectively) were used; the city's municipal fleet uses 19.5 million litres of diesel fuel annually.

From November 2007 to March 2009, the city compared the use of the B5 and B10 blends to conventional ultra-low sulphur diesel with respect to vehicle maintenance, operation and performance, fuel efficiency and GHG emissions.

The use of B10 biodiesel resulted in an average decrease in GHG emissions of 11.47% and an average fuel efficiency increase of 0.55%. The use of B5 and B10 biodiesel blends during the trial period reduced total CO₂ emissions by 7.96% (the city's target was 8%).

No significant maintenance issues were directly associated with the use of either blend, and repairs associated with equipment fuel systems occurred only infrequently and nearly equally between both the biodiesel and control vehicles.

Operators reported no significant changes in the performance or operation of the vehicles with respect to horsepower, torque, startability, cold-weather operation, operator workload or vehicle maintenance. On average, operators rated the performance and operation of the biodiesel-fuelled vehicles as more than satisfactory.

2. Automatic Vehicle Location System (AVLS)

As of September 2009, AVLS had been installed in the complete transit fleet of 545 buses. The system provides automated next stop announcements and displays for passengers, displays continuous schedule adherence information to bus operators and provides for more efficient communications between bus operators and the Transit Control Centre. The system also reports schedule deviations to a central database so that real-time passenger information can be provided to transit users through TeleBus (a phone schedule information system), Winnipeg Transit's website, electronic signs at stops and mobile devices. In the future, the system will interface with Winnipeg's traffic signal controllers to provide active transit signal priority for buses at major intersections.
Survey results found that transit customers appreciated the stop announcements, especially when taking a bus to an unfamiliar area. Visually disabled customers also benefited significantly from this added service. The provision of real-time passenger information (see below), made possible by the AVLS, provided transit users with added certainty about the service and made transit more convenient to use.

3. Park and Ride Facility

The construction of a new Manitoba Hydro head office building prompted the city to build a park and ride facility to reduce the potential transportation impact that 2,000 new employees would have on the downtown.

The facility includes a bus loop, passenger platform area, heated shelter, illuminated signs, posted route and schedule information, and an electronic sign that provides real-time bus departure information. Manitoba Hydro also restricted parking spots at the new building and encouraged its employees to choose alternate forms of transportation, including transit.

From the new facility, which opened in November 2008, a dedicated direct express bus route runs directly to the new head office with only a few stops.

By December 2009, nearly 1,800 employees had relocated to the new building. Many of those employees use transit, including the new park and ride facility, to commute to and from work. The facility is also available for the public to use.

A user survey found that, during the study period and had the facility not been available, 43% of those surveyed would have used a motor vehicle to commute to work, 45% would have used an alternative transit route, 6.9% would have used a combination of modes, and 5% would have used active transportation or some other form of transportation.

During the study period, the facility lowered GHG emissions an average of 25.6% for each user who would otherwise have travelled to work using a motor vehicle.

4. Downtown Wayfinding System (DWS)

The "W" system, as it's known, is a two-kilometre above and below grade weather-protected walkway system throughout the downtown. It provides employees, visitors, residents and shoppers access to a year-round climate-controlled pedestrian network.

Winnipeg's downtown is well served by public transit, including a series of free "Downtown Spirit" buses and a public water taxi system. This projected aimed to improve the links between public transit and the W system to encourage residents to leave their cars at home, take the bus and then travel by foot once downtown.

Between November 2006 and March 2009, the city installed new outdoor signs and information kiosks at transit shelters and streets along the W system.

In a survey conducted after all signs and kiosks had been installed, 54% of respondents said that they had noticed the new indoor signs and 66% had noticed the outdoor signs; 28% reported that they had referred to an information kiosk; 6% reported that they had changed how they navigated through the downtown because of they new wayfinding system; and 34% said that they were more aware of travel options in the downtown than they were a year ago.

5. Real-time Electronic Bus Departure Displays (EBDD)

To increase customer satisfaction and encourage greater transit use, Winnipeg Transit installed real-time electronic bus departure displays in the fall of 2008 at six locations along the Pembina Corridor, one of the fastest growing and most heavily trafficked areas of the city.

The EBDD works concurrently with the automatic vehicle location system (see above), which tracks the location of the bus and updates the EBDD with the bus route and time of arrival, to the minute.

To estimate GHG emission reductions, Winnipeg Transit measured passenger boardings at the EBDD stops using an automatic passenger counting system.

A survey of 292 users found that 86.6% had noticed the changes; 73.6% agreed or strongly agreed that the EBDD had improved the quality of the transit service; and 44.8% said that they would take at least one more trip per week specifically because of the addition of the electronic displays.

6. Active Transportation Path

An active transportation pathway was constructed to improve connection options for commuters traveling by alternative transportation means through the Pembina Corridor. The route was developed in consultation with neighbourhood associations, cycling groups and the Winnipeg Trails Association, as well as from additional public input at open houses.

The pathway consists of a bikeway, which connects to an existing path, and a new asphalt pathway along a quiet residential street. Traffic calming measures (street and lane closure devices) were also installed. The path was in use by October 2008 and fully completed with all signage in May 2009.

User surveys were conducted once the pathway was completed. Cyclists and pedestrians used the path the most, with 52% of survey respondents reporting that they used the pathway more than six times per week; 75% said that they used it between one and six times per week. Pedestrian and bicycle counts were also performed during peak morning and afternoon commute times and, over one 15-hour study period, a total of 294 cyclists used the pathway.

Had the pathway not been available, 14% of survey respondents said they would have used their car for transportation, 12% would have used transit, 45% and 22% would have cycled and walked, respectively, using another route, and 6% would have used a combination of modes.

7. Community-Based Travel Marketing (CBTM)

Approximately 1,500 households within specific neighbourhoods adjacent to the Pembina Corridor were approached to gauge interest in participating in the CBTM pilot project. Ultimately, 550 households participated in the program and completed both a baseline and follow-up travel surveys. The pilot project ran from August 2007 to March 2009.

To establish baseline conditions, each household completed a general transportation profile and a one-day trip diary, with each household member recording all trips taken that day along with the mode of transportation used, origin and destination, and time/distance.

Participants were offered incentives to support a travel mode switch, such as personalized trip planning assistance, customized maps and other resources. Additional incentives such as bike lights, reflector straps and pedometers were provided to those who requested resources or assistance, and a "Green Your Travel" neighbourhood map was created that showed local destinations within walking or cycling distance and which highlighted transit stops. Households that were already using sustainable modes of travel received an umbrella as a reward and encouragement to continue their sustainable travel behaviour.

Trained travel ambassadors delivered all resources and incentives by bicycle. This personal connection allowed the travel ambassadors to engage further with the households and answer any additional questions that participants had.

One year after the baseline survey, participating households completed a follow-up survey and the data from the two surveys was compared to identify shifts in travel behaviour and to quantify reductions in emission and vehicle kilometres travelled.

The project exceeded its goals, with a 54.3% relative increase in cycling, a 3.4% relative increase in walking and an 8% increase in carpooling. Transit use declined by 7.8% and this was attributed to the fact that the majority of people who used transit in the baseline survey opted to change to an active mode in the follow-up survey. Overall, the project obtained a reduction of 11.7% in drive-alone mode share.

The initial project target was a 2% reduction in CO₂ emissions. Once again, results exceeded the target, with CO₂ emissions reduced by 18.2%.

8. Innovative Freight Practices

The University of Manitoba Transport Institute (UMTI), conducted a literature review and conducted a complementary social marketing and promotional campaign to introduce freight companies to innovative practices in the areas of trip scheduling, load matching, idle reduction, vehicle maintenance and operation, and driver education programs. Over 40 best practices, suitable for implementation in any urban environment, were selected on their potential to optimize truck routing, reduce the number of part-empty running vehicles or total distance traveled (or both), make better use of transportation infrastructure, reduce congestion and improve roadway safety.

Public outreach strategies and materials included seminars held in various locations in the city, a poster and an Innovative Freight Practices Summary Notebook. In addition, an informal poll of seminar participants assessed the applicability of the proposed practices, evaluated learning opportunities for participants, and suggested ways that information on the major logistic concerns affecting flow of goods and services throughout the WCR could be shared.

The program was instrumental in providing five local companies with the opportunity to implement efficient routing, fuel consumption and emission reduction practices. A partnership was also developed between a local company and a bicycle courier cooperative to distribute parcels on foot or by bike in the downtown area in Winnipeg.

UMTI's final report recommended the following activities to build upon the interest generated by the this initiative:

• Establish urban freight partnerships to address all logistics factors affecting operational efficiency of fleets in the "last mile" of the supply chain.
• Incorporate freight into the planning process to assess the combined impact of roadway construction, including expansion and rehabilitation works required to facilitate access and mobility in and around newly proposed transportation facilities in the city.
• Monitor progress of key performance indicators to improve fleet and vehicle efficiency in the areas of fuel consumption, freight matching, routing and driver education.

9. Truck Routing

This program aimed to encourage trucking companies to adopt more efficient delivery routes to decrease emissions and vehicle kilometres traveled.

Potential participants were approached and encouraged to participate based on the financial and productivity benefits they would receive through more efficient travel routes. Firms that opted to participate provided their current travel routes, pickup and/or delivery points and total travel distances.

A digitized map of Winnipeg was created to highlight new routes, designated trucking routes and major roadways. Using a geographic information system (GIS), the map calculated the shortest paths between origin and destination points. The model used for the map was also capable of incorporating vehicle type, size and weight, as these factors affect how vehicles travel along the roadway networks.

Only one trucking firm, which operates two mini-vans, was able to provide accurate data over the entire 18-month project period. The new travel routes generated by the digitized map reduced the company's vehicle kilometres travelled by 16% and the company is enthusiastic about how it can integrate these findings into its entire delivery network. The company has also implemented some suggested changes to several of its other routes.

10. E-Commerce Delivery

The MTI administered this project—a delivery system in which one vehicle would deliver all online purchases made by residents from local stores—with an eye toward reducing vehicle traffic and GHG emissions.

After researching various e-commerce delivery practices in other national and international jurisdictions, the MTI identified potential industry partners to assist in the development of a pilot delivery site. Although considerable time and effort were devoted to the project, in the absence of any tangible financial benefits for industry representatives, it was not possible to recruit a viable working group.

However, as a result of the feedback from the industry on the e-commerce project, focus shifted to examining other technologies and practices that affect emissions resulting from freight traffic (e.g., nitrogen tire inflation, expanding the use of diamond traffic lanes to energy-efficient vehicles, and the infrastructure required to support the emerging electric vehicle market). Based on these technologies, the MTI made recommendations to the city as an alternative to the e-commerce project as a way to reduce emissions from the transportation sector.

Lessons learned

The WinSmart showcase allowed the city to assess the viability of a range of sustainable transportation project, but that having such a large complement of unique projects presented greater logistical and data requirement challenges for management and for the implementation of the initiatives.

That being said, conducting interim data analysis early on and throughout each of the showcase projects allowed project managers to assess potential data shortfalls and fill any gaps at an early stage in the trials.

The city also recognized the importance of partnering with local organizations, and the provincial and federal government, who all participated to successfully deploy the WinSmart projects.

For other municipalities that may be considering similar initiatives, the city advises that:

• Where feasible, using larger sample sizes and longer trial periods provides better insight into the effectiveness and overall environmental benefit of a project. This is especially true in regions like Winnipeg that have extreme seasonal weather variations. At least one full year of data is required to properly assess the merit of a project.
• Evaluation processes can be improved greatly by testing the evaluation process prior to project deployment.

Future Enhancements

The WinSmart showcase contributed towards, initiated, or otherwise leveraged numerous projects that continue today.

For example, Winnipeg Transit continues to make improvements to its AVLS and real-time electronic departure displays. A total of 95 displays will be located at major bus stops.

With new funding sources, Winnipeg has begun to expand and improve the active transportation infrastructure in many areas of the city. In the 2010 fiscal year, Winnipeg allocated $20 million to its active transportation budget to create new pathways. During the delivery of WinSmart, the city also created a dedicated active transportation staff position.

The city is now in the process of developing a green fleet plan aimed at reducing emissions from its corporate vehicle and equipment fleet.   The successful trial of biodiesel-blended fuels in the showcase generated increased confidence in its application in Winnipeg's extreme cold climate and the use of biodiesel has now been included in the green fleet plan. A provincial biodiesel blend mandate of B2 was recently announced and the city will begin using the B2 blend. Due to the success of the biodiesel trial, the city will also consider higher-level blends in the future.

Summary and Conclusions

The WinSmart initiatives resulted in increased energy efficiency and reduced GHG emissions from transportation in the city's downtown and the Pembina Corridor. The showcase looked at the local transportation system as a whole, encouraging behavioural change, inspiring public policy innovation, promoting effective management and introducing and investigating new technologies.

The showcase initiatives worked together to achieve an overall reduction in GHG emissions of 273 tonnes and enhanced public transit, cycling and pedestrian services and infrastructure.

The lessons learned during the showcase also contributed to the planning and implementation of other sustainable transportation projects in Winnipeg, such as the city's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Working Group and additional improvements to cycling and public transportation infrastructure. In particular, WinSmart helped the city focus its efforts on initiatives that provided the greatest benefit in terms of GHG reductions, while the community-based travel marketing campaign proved effective in building social capacity and creating behavioural change.

In 2007, the city achieved a 20% reduction of its corporate GHG emissions from 1998 levels and has now committed to a further 20% reduction. By measuring GHG emission reductions throughout the WinSmart showcase, the city now has a much stronger knowledge base on which to effectively measure future reductions.

For more information
Ajaleigh Williams
Project Coordinator
Winnipeg Fleet Management Agency
City of Winnipeg
Tel: (204) 986-7879
Email: awilliams@winnipeg.ca

Date modified:

2010-07-21

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