OttoCYCLE Winnipeg is now complete, the report will soon be available on the members' page. If you volunteered for this project, you can access the report with your complementary membership. Check your inbox for a message from us or email the CST's membership coordinator for more information.
The OttoCYCLE project allows the City of Winnipeg to see where citizens are currently cycling and how we can improve bikeway infrastructure to make cycling easier, safer and more accessible for all Winnipeggers.
– Kevin Nixon
Active Transportation Coordinator, City of Winnipeg
UNIVERSITY, COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NEEDED!
Make sure the routes to and from your school are counted. It could mean more and better bike paths, leading to a safer commute. Call (204) 899-2453 or email ottocycle@uwinnipeg.ca to volunteer.
Volunteer today
Cyclists, just imagine: bike lanes, parking, and other improvements right where you need it most!
Join the CST as we work to help you build better bikeways in Winnipeg. Volunteering is easy!
WHO: Anyone who cycles in Winnipeg more than once a week.
WHAT: Just take Otto, a small GPS device, along with you as you cycle as usual. (Our staff will show you how to mount and use the device.)
WHEN: For two weeks between May and the end of October, 2009.
WHY: To have your say in how and where bikeways should be improved in our city.
HOW: The data collected will be analyzed by the CST and submitted to the City of Winnipeg. This analysis can then be used to help determine where potential cycling infrastructure should be built, as a part of the city's Active Transportation Network.
To sign up for a two-week period, email ottocycle@uwinnipeg.ca or call (204) 899-2453 with your name, email and phone number.
OttoCYCLE Distribution Schedule
Various dates. Riddell Atrium, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg Manitoba
A CST OttoCYCLE representative will be located at the Riddell Atrium at the UW (see map) to distribute and collect Otto devices and surveys on the days and times listed below. You will be contacted by a CST representative to confirm your scheduled two week block. If you have any question, please contact our OttoCYCLE project manager with your name, email and phone number at ottocycle@uwinnipeg.ca or by phone at (204) 899-2453.
| OttoCYCLE Pick-up dates | OttoCYCLE Return dates |
Thursday Sept. 17 and Friday Sept. 18 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
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Monday Sept. 21 and Tuesday Sept. 18 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
Thursday Oct. 1 and Friday Oct. 2 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
Monday Oct. 5 and Tuesday Oct. 6 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
Thursday Oct. 15 and Friday Oct. 16 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
Monday Oct. 19 and Tuesday Oct. 20 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
Thursday Oct. 29 and Friday Oct. 30 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I participate in this project?
You can volunteer for a two-week block throughout the summer, from May to October. Contact the CST's OttoCYCLE coordinator at ottocycle@uwinnipeg.ca or by phone at (204) 899-2453 to arrange a block that works with your schedule. Then, pick up your GPS device and ride your bike as usual. It's that simple!
What is required from volunteers?
Volunteers pick up the GPS device from the CST OttoCYCLE coordinator at The University of Winnipeg's Riddell Hall atrium (see map), which is also right outside the cafeteria. Spence street is the one that is closed to vehicle traffic and has a red awning on top. At pick-up, volunteers will be given brief instructions on using the device.
During your two-week period with the Otto, turn it on and take it with you whenever you are cycling. The device is easily mounted to a backpack or on saddle bags (panniers). For one of these days, you would keep a trip journal of all the cycling trips that you took. Additionally, you will complete a four page (about 10 minute) survey on your cycling habits and opinion of the city’s existing infrastructure.
When your period with the Otto is done, you must return it to the CST along with the trip journal and survey.
What do I get for volunteering?
In addition to having the opportunity to provide input into how the City of Winnipeg should invest in cycling infrastructure, you will be rewarded with a complimentary Winnipeg city bike map and a one-year membership to the CST.
What will be done with the information gathered from the study?
The data collected from Otto will be used to make cycling maps based on the routes participants have cycled. Together with information gathered from the survey, these maps will help identify frequently used cycling routes in Winnipeg. The CST will collect and analyze the data from this project and submit it to the City of Winnipeg.
The City of Winnipeg may then use this information to advance its Active Transportation Network. It will establish priorities for cycling infrastructure upgrades, create a better understand of cycling habits in Winnipeg's cycling communities, and highlight other active transportation needs.
Why is this project important?
Currently, there is no record of where, when, who and how often actual routes are cycled in Winnipeg. The information the City of Winnipeg uses is limited to origin and destination data and only counts cyclists at specific locations. This study will provide information the City of Winnipeg needs to improve cycling infrastructure in areas where it is actually needed.
Is this project occurring in other locations?
No, at this time the OttoCYCLE project is unique to Winnipeg.
What if I have more questions?
Call us with your questions at (204) 899-2453 or send an email to ottocycle@uwinnipeg.ca.
OttoCYCLE in the News
Cyclists Map Best Routes Sun Media, 04/30/09
The CST's new OttoCYCLE project is money well spent, according to City councilor Russ Wyatt, "We want to know the priorities..." Read more...
Cyclists Sought for Project on Improving Winnipeg's Pathways CBC news, 04/30/09
A call for volunteers for the CST's new cycling project, OttoCYCLE. The online story includes comments from readers, including one from Saskatchewan. Read more...
Winnipeg Unveils Three Bike-Friendly Initiatives Winnipeg Free Press, 04/29/09
The City reveals its plans to help improve cycling in Winnipeg, including the CST's OttoCYCLE project. Read more...