Sunday Summary - November 10, 2019

There’s still one more week to apply to Join the streets.mn Board for Better Places in Minnesota. If you want some more information and/or to meet current board members before you apply Come to the streets.mn Happy Hour, Meet Board Members on November 14th at Venn Brewing. Also mark your calendar for the annual Winter Fundraiser on December 5; much more information will be forthcoming. Here’s last week on streets.mn:

Safety

Safety on Lyndale Avenue is Long Overdue writes Alicia Gibson. Ted Ferrara was killed after being struck by a driver while crossing Lyndale Avenue; the Wedge “community members ask that a temporary solution for improving pedestrian safety between Franklin and Lake be in place by January 2020, and after that a more permanent solution by June of 2020. We are eager to support our local and regional leaders in meeting these reasonable safety requests.”

Photo of a recent Lyndale Avenue demonstration by Tony Webster.

Bikes

The Case for an Ayd Mill Bike and Pedestrian Trail by Andy Singer catalogs the arguments for an Ayd Mill Road trail, looks at the opponents, and concludes, “We can have a debate, study and public process about how to implement the mayor’s proposal but not whether we’re going to implement it. We already have all the facts, council resolutions, studies, plans and data we need. It’s time to act.”

Now that cold weather is here, Alicia Valenti has practical Tips for Biking in Bad Weather: Snow, Ice — and Winter Generally (following up her previous tips for biking in the rain) including, of course, wool socks. And much more, plus some helpful additions in the comments.

Cross posted from Our Streets Minneapolis, Open Streets MPLS Participants Prefer Protected Bike Lanes 24-to-1 by Lila Franklin presents results gathered by Downtown Bikeways Work Group at Open Streets events this summer about the bike lane designs, saying, “While off street cycleways are clearly the favorite, I spoke with many people who didn’t think it was the only direction the City should pursue. Many people felt frustrated by the lack of protected bikeways on popular, direct routes, like Lyndale, Broadway, Franklin, and Lake Street to name a few. People stressed wanting to see more protected infrastructure on these roads in the form of curbs or other strong barriers.”

Target Field and US Bank Stadium (and bigger issues)

Will Target Field Station Ever be a Rail Hub? asks Eric Ecklund. The post considers several scenarios for rail development in Minneapolis and concludes, “Target Field Station already exists, so we should take advantage of that as best as possible. While not necessarily being a regional transit hub, it should still serve a purpose while the main regional rail hub is located somewhere else, preferably right in the middle of Downtown Minneapolis.”

Steve from Wayzata’s Long Fourth-Quarter Walk by Alex Schieferdecker analyzes a letter to the editor from a Wayzata Vikings fan bemoaning the loss of the Minneapolis of his youth which went viral to much ridicule saying, “But you also have to appreciate how fine a simulacrum it is of the cognitive dissonance that shapes the built and social environment of our cities.” The post considers.