Here’s all the goodies from streets.mn this week. Just like Halloween candy, you can select only the fun size Snickers® bars and leave the other stuff for your little brother, savor each and every post one at a time, or just snarf it all down in a transpo-land use binge.
Ideas to talk about
Road Re-Purposing’s Political Spectrum identifies five levels of progress toward reallocating road space for bikes, pedestrians and transit. Thoughts on Minneapolis’ Proposed ADU Ordinance critiques the Minneapolis law, but also provides a handy primer on Accessory Dwelling Units generally with some excellent graphics. The runaway comment winner of the week Why Hierarchical Road Systems Are Good challenges some New Urbanist principles about roads and gets a lot of debate in return.
Equity
Equity and inclusion are continuing themes this week and in recent months. End of the Road for the TIGER Trail in Northfield details the demise of one project, but notes the shift in conversation to highlight transportation equity. Transpo Convo: Francine With Her Daughter is the latest conversation in the Transpo Convo series. Aging Baby Boomers Could Help Push Walkable Infrastructure suggests the silver tsunami might be a powerful advocacy group for better pedestrian accommodation. Podcast #74 – Explaining the Transportation Equity Formula with Russ Stark looks at Metro Transit’s formula with the St Paul City Councilmember and Metro Council Transportation Advisory Board member. Although the event has passed, Saint Paul Healthy Transportation for All: A Growing Reality promotes a gathering intended to empower community leaders to create a healthy and equitable transportation system in St. Paul from the grassroots.
Transit
Bus plan comment window ends Nov. 30 so click over to have your say on Metro Transit’s draft bus Service Improvement Plan. Looking at how the current system is working, The Effectiveness of Non-Downtown Transit Hubs provides numbers of riders plus analysis on a hub by hub basis; commenters provide additional on-the-ground perspective. Making Transit-Oriented Development Great at Lake and Hiawatha reviews that area and offers some suggestions. Transit policy and decision-makers on the Metro Council don’t actually use transit, so Transit Usage of Metropolitan Council Probably Relevant.
Highly visual material: Charts, maps, photos, and video
Seeing Green (1937) Inside Traffic Lights is vintage video proclaiming “speed with safety is the temple of modern transportation” plus details about signal timing and operation from 1937. Friday Photo – Big Lake Side Eye which you’ll have to see to get the title. Charts of the Day tell us about Gas Prices Over Time, Effect of Parking Benefits on Commute Mode, Perceived Comfort for Varying Bike Facilities, and Growth in Post-College Residency. Map Monday: Places and Non-Places in Phoenix gives a graphic representation of places (public gathering places like parks, plazas, people-scale streets) and the non-places (the padding between the places like roads, freeways, and parking lots)
Fun and functional ideas
Ideas for Twin Cities Bike Builders has outlandish cartoon bikes, plus some thoughts about the practicality and possibility of locally sourced cargo bikes.
By the next Sunday Summary, we’ll have finished Halloween and Daylight Savings Time. Have a great week!