Want to get active in a transportation-related, sustainability focused or equity-driven cause but aren’t sure where to begin? Do you like events or organized physical activities that contribute to a greater understanding of your community?
We do, too. That’s why Streets.mn — in lieu of an events calendar — will start publishing an occasional curated list of activities that we think may interest our readers.
We’re calling it “Walk the Talk,” and we invite your ideas, local knowledge and expertise. Submit your ideas to the managing editor at [email protected].
Here are our favorites in St. Paul and Minneapolis over the next week or so:
Community Cycling: “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” That quote from author, speaker and community worker Margaret Wheatley is on the website of Frogtown Neighborhood Association in St. Paul, one of the city’s 17 district councils and a group whose Small Area Plan (SMaPl) centers residents in decisions about development. Knowing that bike riding helps people discover a neighborhood’s culture and character, the Frogtown association sponsored its first Community Slow Roll of the summer this past Wednesday. Upcoming slow rides are Wednesday, July 20, July 27 and August 3 at 10 a.m., with a limited number of bikes available for use. Call 651-236-8699 or see the Facebook event for details.
- Across the river: A “rolling dance party with a live DJ” and, yes, bikes, will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday, July 17 at Graze North Loop (520 N. Fourth St.) in Minneapolis. The all-are-welcome ride is sponsored by Perennial Cycle and the aptly named Joyful Riders Club, with DJ Dev providing the drum and bass.
Transit Canvass: If you’ve never visited the eclectic Moon Palace Books on Minnehaha and Lake in Minneapolis, you’ll get to do that along with chatting up riders on the #7 and #21 bus lines at a transit canvass on Saturday, July 30, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cause is Boost the Bus, Move Minnesota’s effort to ensure that bus service is faster and more efficient throughout the Twin Cities, crucial for those for whom long, slow commutes are a hindrance to full employment. Dedicated bus lanes and signal priority — the ability of traffic lights to remain green when a bus is approaching — are among the system-wide fixes that Move Minnesota organizers believe should be done now. Dress for the weather, bring water and wear comfortable shoes; training will be provided. And save time to browse at Moon Palace, where the group will convene.
- Another Boost the Bus event will be held Saturday, July 16, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Pedro Park in downtown St. Paul. Same training, same goal: Talk with Metro Transit riders, this time on the #68 route, about supporting faster, more reliable transit.
Neighborhood activism: Who could argue with an organizational mission to “champion abundant housing, low-carbon transportation and sustainable land use”? The July 20th In-Person Networking Event for Sustain Saint Paul, a group whose values sync with those of Streets.mn, will be a social hour and neighborhood stroll that starts and ends at the historic Saint Paul Brewing. Meet and mingle starting at 5:30 on the grounds of the former Hamm’s Brewery, take a brief walking tour at 6 p.m. and then repair to the brewery for a discussion of essential urban questions: What is a traditional neighborhood in St. Paul? Should city leaders restore traditional neighborhood development patterns? What does that have to do with public transit and missing middle housing?
- Cedar-Isles Master Plan: CIDNA, the Cedar-Isles-Dean Neighborhood Association, is helping to promote the Minneapolis Park Board’s open houses about the Cedar-Isles Master Plan. Water quality of Cedar Lake, invasive species and adequate tree coverage are among the issues that CIDNA is watching. The last of the open houses will be Saturday, July 16, 9-11 a.m., at Lakes of the Isles Parkway and Euclid Place. Streets.mn writer Matt Clark will be covering the event.
Submit your ideas for “Walk the Talk” (events, meetings, gatherings) to [email protected]. Photo at top courtesy of Frogtown Neighborhood Association in St. Paul.