Last summer, I witnessed a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle. I knew it was ...
If my math is right, this year’s picnic will be our fourth annual. In an unusual show of organization, we are announcing this event six weeks ahead of time! Come celebrate everything we’ve accomplished since last summer (oooh, a new comment policy). Critical info is: Saturday. July 15 Boom Island Park, Shelter B Picnic – 3:00pm […]
National Summit Showcases Health, Economic and Social Justice Benefits of Walkable Communities Many things leap to mind when someone mentions walking: fitness, fun, fresh air, relaxation, friends and maybe your most comfortable pair of shoes. But a word that rarely arises is “power”. That will begin to change after the 2017 National Walking Summit (held […]
Using the Metropolitan Council’s Travel Behavior Inventory, which is data from surveys of trips people actually make in this region, we can look at how travel differs based on housing type – and there are noticeable differences. This chart looks at all trips (not just a commute) made by residents of the central cities – […]
Mark your calendars, the streets.mn Summer Picnic is July 15! You can come to Boom Island Park just for the fun or come early for an informal meeting with streets.mn board members to learn what the board has been working on over the last year and to give streets.mn your input on future directions (and maybe […]
The Columbia Park neighborhood of Northeast Minneapolis is located at the far north of the city, butting up against the city of Columbia Heights. Indeed, the area I walked was historically considered part of Columbia Heights, even after incorporation into the city of Minneapolis. See, for example, Plate 70 within the 1914 atlas. I walked […]
This week’s episode of Here to There looks at the rapidly changing transportation economy and the opportunities and challenges it presents for the over 5 million professional drivers (which include truck, taxi, school bus, and transit bus) in the United States. Au courant services like ride-hailing (Uber, Lyft) and car-sharing services (Car2Go, ZipCar) are already disrupting traditional labor markets […]
The intersection of Cedar/Franklin/Minnehaha is the second most dangerous intersection in Minneapolis, with the second most bicycle crashes. It is also one of the most dangerous intersections in Hennepin County, with vehicle crash rates more than two and a half times the “critical rate.” Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, and other local groups worked […]
The Urban Planning “S” Words It seems in urban planning there’s no shortage of locker room talk to describe development and infrastructure you personally don’t like. For example, the epithet “sprawl.” Some may say “I know it when I see it,” but too often it’s just an insult with no objective definition; perhaps just a […]
We were pleased to receive responses to our Saint Paul mayoral questionnaire from Dai Thao on the eve of the city convention. 1. How do you get around in Saint Paul? Driving, walking, light rail, and biking. 2. In your opinion, what is Saint Paul’s greatest transportation challenge? How would you plan to address it […]
The streets.mn board and editorial team developed a short series of questions for Minneapolis mayoral candidates related to transportation and land use designed to give voters more information and expand the conversation about these topics. Surveys were sent to all candidates and responses will be posted as they are received. Here are Jacob Frey’s responses: […]
Last week, we received the first Saint Paul mayoral candidate response from Green Party candidate Elizabeth Dickinson; stay tuned for more candidates from the local elections in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul as the weeks go by. All our election-related content will be collected in our 2017 Voter Guide: candidate questionnaire responses, podcasts with candidates […]
A few years ago, like many other young Americans, I ventured to Europe for a study abroad experience. In my case, I spent half a year in the city of York, England. What I saw in York thrilled me: a city that was actually a place for people rather than cars. What an idea! I […]
Hope everyone enjoyed the first three episodes of the Here to There podcast last week. This week’s new episode asks the question: what do we need to not just live but to be truly alive? It’s more than just a stable 9-to-5. Quality of life is effected by our ability to safely, affordably, and conveniently access […]
The first Saint Paul mayoral candidate to submit a response to our questionnaire is Elizabeth Dickinson. 1. How do you get around in Saint Paul? I get around by walking, biking, driving a Prius, and by using light rail and bus. 2. In your opinion, what is Saint Paul’s greatest transportation challenge? How would you […]
It’s no longer news that business incentive programs are controversial. A landmark New York Times investigation back in 2012 found that state and local governments gave up more than $80 billion each year to companies. Further back but closer to home, a 2008 report from Minnesota’s Office of the Legislative Auditor concluded that the now-defunct […]
A front porch wasn’t necessarily on the “must have” list for our house when we were shopping in 2015. But, as we looked into housing, it moved further and further up the list. The house we bought has a full length porch on the front. It is long and it is DEEP. It’s about 12 […]
My wife, Roberta, and I have been reading about the Indianapolis Cultural Trail since it was completed in 2013. Last week, we rode Amtrak down to the capital of The Hoosier State to see for ourselves what all the excitement was about. After two days riding and walking the trail, we are happy to report […]
The young man and woman locking up their bikes across from Orchestra Hall looked respectable enough on Friday, June 9, an evening of Mozart, Debussy — and a 50 percent off coupon for a subsequent concert in downtown Minneapolis provided cyclists were sporting a helmet or other gear. The woman had thrown a jersey dress over her […]
According to a Star Tribune op-ed that’s already been heavily covered by streets.mn, we’re in for a summer long bombardment of messaging financed by local partisan think tank Center of the American Experiment. Despite reams of research that argues otherwise, motorists will see billboards, bumper stickers, and radio ads proclaiming that the only way to fix […]
Every day at The Direct Transfer we collect news about cities and send the links to our email list. At the end of the week we take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the DC region. […]
Hello streets.mn community! My name is Angelina and I recently joined the streets.mn board. I am a resident of the Northside – Near North/Old Highland neighborhood. I grew up most of my life here in North Minneapolis and I am a North High School Alumni. Go Polars! In 2015 my family was proud to make […]
