We finally have the report on SAFETEA-LU’s Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program! The FHWA released the report today, and it is now available to all for their delight and edification (PDF). This final report has been being promised since 2009 or so, with delivery dates being pushed later several times. This report has been of great [...]
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Why urbanists (and others) should love the coming of the robot car (Part 1)
Much has already been written on the robot car, but streets.mn’s own Bill Lindeke posits that they “will not save us“, citing three problems. While I agree that we probably can’t be saved (from what exactly I can’t say, there are many options), but in my opinion Bill and other urbanists should welcome the robot [...]
Cycletracks on Park and Portland: The Single Best Idea to Improve Minneapolis’ Streets
[Following on up Brendon's call for ideas about Park and Portland, my suggestion for the best way to improve these streets!] Anyone who walks or bikes around the Twin Cities will have a head full of ideas about ways to improve the experience. These mental lists quickly grow long: a crosswalk here, a spot for [...]
3/20/12 Minneapolis Transportation & Public Works Committee
The Transportation & Public Works Committee of the Minneapolis City Council discusses a lot of interesting stuff but seems to either use too many or not enough words to describe what they’re talking about. Here is an attempt to add some context to the dry but vital meeting topics. I’ve been summarizing them here at [...]
2/28/12 Minneapolis Transportation & Public Works Committee
The Transportation & Public Works Committee of the Minneapolis City Council is a not-very-interesting meeting where a lot of interesting stuff is talked about. Here is an attempt to add some context to the dry but vital meeting topics. I’ve been summarizing them here at streets.mn since the beginning of the year; here’s a list [...]
From Vacant Places to Growing Spaces: Making the Twin Cities a leader in the local food movement
Urban farming is a hot topic right now. From figuring out the policies and politics around backyard beekeeping or chicken rearing, to full-on community garden spaces, there is no denying that urban agriculture is being rediscovered. So where is this push coming from? And what resources exist for newbies to the urban farming trend? I sat down [...]
Get involved in regional planning
If you’re paying attention, you’ll notice the Metropolitan Council, the Twin Cities regional planning agency, is stirring. They’re getting ready to update the Regional Development Framework. The RDF provides the basis for pretty much everything the Metropolitan Council does around four “systems”: transportation, aviation, water resources (including wastewater collection and treatment) and regional parks and open [...]
2/14/12 Minneapolis Transportation & Public Works Committee
If you need an intro, please see the last three summaries. 1-4. Street Resurfacing in Linden Hills and Ventura Village, plus three blocks of 1st St S This meeting contained public hearings on street resurfacings reported here earlier. The owners of 25 properties on or near Linden Hills Blvd will be removed from the assessment [...]
Using bikes for serious emissions reduction
According to the European Cycling Federation, if the whole of the EU cycled like the Danes, they could achieve significant emissions cuts. If the EU cycling rate was the same as it is in Denmark, where the average person cycles almost 600 miles (965km) each year, then the bloc would attain anything from 12% to 26% of its [...]
Taking local action
Over at Grist, David Roberts lays down the brutal logic of climate change: With immediate, concerted action at global scale, we have a slim chance to halt climate change at the extremely dangerous level of 2 degrees C. If we delay even a decade — waiting for better technology or a more amenable political situation or [...]
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The Magic of Streetcars, The Logic of Buses
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Urban Highway Removal in Minneapolis?
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The Problem of Hiawatha Avenue
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A Typology of Beg Buttons
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Time for a change on Park and Portland
