Sunday Summary - March 23, 2014

Now that it is really, or at least officially, Spring, streets.mn writers have been busy this week. Fewer charts, but more longer posts. The Big Theme this week is: the ways we frame issues and positions matters (or, it’s not “just rhetorical”)

Hot button issues:

Development politics and policy: What if Minneapolis Enacted a Moratorium in 1895? is a nudge away from the polarizing all or nothing development thinking toward thinking about incremental change in cities. Combating Anti-Development Hysteria Hysteria hits a few buttons (many discussed in the comments) about the pro/anti development rhetoric accompanying recent Big Projects before getting to the core message: how the messengers present the development message and advocate for change makes a difference (see also AAA Jaywalking Film: “Dick Wakes Up” 1954 for more on demonizing particular positions).
Incentives, perverse or otherwise: The Dirty Truth Behind Park & Rides tries to unpack the incentives and subsidies at play in this kind of initiative.
Cars vs. Bikes: Memo to Bikers: Follow the Law does not admonish cyclists not to jump stop signs but asks why cyclists are so hated; read the comments for examples and many thoughts on the problem (see also AAA Jaywalking Film: “Dick Wakes Up” 1954 on demonizing particular positions).

Particular places/projects

Nicollet Mall: A Welcoming Nicollet Mall? and A Final Flourish for Nicollet Mall? Don’t Believe It respond critically to Friday’s Star Tribune commentary by Minneapolis Mayor Betsey Hodges and Minneapolis Downtown Council President Steve Cramer promoting the $50 million redesign of Nicollet. Although from different perspectives, both posts ask whether the redesign gets at what’s needed to bring more life to Nicollet Mall (and downtown Mpls) to make it a place people want to be.
University Avenue: We Should Try a Two-Lane University Avenue proposes a detailed road diet redesign.
St Anthony: Northeast’s Public Realm Needs a Makeover with more street redesign propoals

Series:

1^st part of a series Complete Streets from Policy to Project presents findings from a report of the same name by the report authors about best practices for implementing Complete Streets policies.
2^nd installment of 2014 EU BICI (European Union Bicycling Information Collection Initiative) following last week’s post on Seville: Is Ferrara’s (Italy) Bicycle Success Not IN the Water but BECAUSE of the Water?

Short stuff and regular features:

Charts of the Day: Minnesota traffic fatalities on all state and local roads (fewer), MSP International Destinations (reachable by direct flight – for Delta/KLM flyers you’ll go to London or Amsterdam on your way to everywhere else in Europe, and my anecdotal experience is Icelandair has the best one-way ticket deals to Europe via Reykjavik’s Keflavik airport for when you really want to get away), and Park and Ride System Growth (along with The Dirty Truth Behind Park & Rides)
Photos: Photo Bar Hopping in Rural Minnesota and Friday Photo (showing Crazy Daze in New Ulm ca. 1975– still a small town summer shopping tradition); Videos: AAA Jaywalking Film: “Dick Wakes Up” 1954 is an example of how marketing campaigns can create persistent public perceptions about pedestrians, drivers and our behavior on and near streets while What are the economics of congestion? explains in 54 seconds
Other: Tesla Re-draws the Map for EV Travel follows Tesla’s route of Supercharger stations for their Model S electric vehicle across the country (including MN stops). The Story Behind “The Street Where You Live” is an interview with the author of The Street Where You Live, a book about place names in St. Paul.