Welcome to December! In streets.mn news/business/events, although prices have gone up, you can and should buy a ticket to the streets.mn fundraiser this Thursday for an evening of urbanist fun including an “epic trivia battle” and more.
And this is my Sunday Summary Summation, as I’ve been recapping streets.mn posts since 2014 and as I leave the streets.mn board, I’m also leaving this role. This means you – yes you – can write it. It’s a good gig for keeping current on everything on the site, keeps you writing even if you have no ideas for your own posts, and people tell me it’s a useful feature. If you’re interested contact streets.mn.
Here’s last week on streets.mn:
Safe Passage by Charles Youel gives us the bike-rider’s-eye view of the intersection of 12th St N and Linden Ave W where Alex Wolf was killed by the driver of a semi-trailer on November 20, 2019, an intersection which “is a living Venn diagram of all the worst and most cynical ideas in urban transportation infrastructure and planning.” After a tour of the issues in this location for people riding bikes, the broader point is made: “If your only experience with traffic is from the perspective of traveling inside a vehicle, you take being seen, being given space and feeling safe for granted, even in the most hectic situations. Those assumptions don’t apply to people on bikes or on foot – especially in intersections like this one.”
Overhead view of the intersection of 12th St N and Linden Ave W in Minneapolis: Image from Google Maps
Following a Strib editorial making recommendations to bolster safety for light rail passengers (after reporting on increases in crime on light rail trains), Pine Salica writes their own take with Big Ideas to Bolster Car-Commuter Safety highlighting the risks involved in car-storage sites – both ramps and street-level – and suggesting some legislative fixes. “Nobody is tracking the number of assaults that take place at car storage sites, probably because they’re so ubiquitous.”
Parking without paying the meter in Minneapolis is currently punishable with a $42 fine. Train ticket infractions are $180. Let’s get those aligned.
Adopt a Shelter! urges Alex Tsatsoulis. Metro Transit has more than 960 transit shelters and relies on transit users to report problems; “they also have an Adopt-a-Shelter program, which encourages local residents, businesses, and other groups to “adopt” the shelter they frequent or are near, and regularly monitor its condition.” Alex reports rapid responses from Metro Transit when notifies of problems and gives an overview of how the adoption process works.
Alex Tsatsoulis at his adopted shelter: The day they put the sign up on the shelter.
Regular features:
Transit: The Quarterly Transit Report – November 2019 from Aaron Isaacs with the latest updates from Metro Transit including service changes and new developments (like the Mall of America transit station)
Chart: Chart of the Day: Federal HUD Funding for Saint Paul, 1978 – 2019 trends down.
Bike: Wolfie Browender was Hightailing It to Highwood in August and this post takes us to Boys Totem Town for its closing ceremonies, but much much more along the way.
Stay warm and cozy