Editor’s note: Walk the Talk is Streets.mn’s carefully curated, highly partisan collection of both serious and fun-loving events, community meetings and opportunities for engagement that we think will interest our readers. Email your ideas to Hawken Habig, one of our daily editors, at [email protected].
Member Survey: Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition — ongoing
The Saint Paul Bicycle Coalition (now an official chapter of the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota) wants to hear from its members and other cyclists about their priorities for the coming year. Click here to take the quick survey (less than a minute !)
Rethinking I-94 PAC Meeting — Friday, January 17, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
After years of “rethinking” the purpose, form and function of the I-94 corridor between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Minnesota Department of Transportation decided last month to discard the most transformative option for the highway’s future: conversion to an at-grade boulevard. Despite popular support and plenty of historical and data-driven justifications, MnDOT is planning to formally remove the two at-grade options, choosing to prioritize motorists over transit, active transport and the wellbeing of those living along the corridor. MnDOT will provide updates to the project’s Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) in a virtual meeting this Friday morning, and Our Streets – the main proponent of the at-grade Twin Cities Boulevard concept – and other at-grade advocates are encouraging people to show up in support of the boulevard option. Find more information here, where you may also sign up for a two-minute public comment; you may also provide feedback to [email protected].
Boost the Bus with Move Minnesota — Saturday, January 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Local transportation advocacy organization Move Minnesota’s ongoing effort to Boost the Bus continues, this time with canvassing with transit riders in downtown St. Paul! Participants will meet at the George Latimer Central Library at 11 a.m. for canvassing to collect signatures in support of a more fast, reliable and frequent bus system. More information on volunteering — and the Boost the Bus campaign — may be found here.
Nicollet Mall Study — Open Houses January 21, 22 & 28
Minneapolis’ notorious transit mall may no longer host buses after the city has expressed its intention to fully pedestrianize the corridor, moving all transit onto adjacent streets. The project certainly has precedent: the corridor is one of the region’s busiest, but the median speed for buses is a beleaguered five miles-per-hour, in part due to the enormous number of stoplights and high pedestrian traffic that help keep Nicollet more pedestrian-friendly. The project is slated to move forward sometime next year, but one important question remains: where will Nicollet Mall’s daily 654 buses and 11,700 passengers go? Minneapolis has three draft concepts:
- Move some Nicollet buses onto Marq2’s existing infrastructure
- Reconfigure Marq2 to provide two-way bus service on both streets, with BRT/local on Marquette and express service on 2nd
- Move some Nicollet buses onto 3rd Avenue, accompanied by a full street reconstruction that includes a bikeway.
All three concepts involve moving the 11 and 25 onto Hennepin Avenue, which itself was recently retrofitted. In an effort to engage the public on the subject, Minneapolis will be hosting three open houses this month; date, time and location are listed below, while further info may be found by clicking here:
- Tuesday, January 21, 12-1:30 p.m. over Microsoft Teams
- Wednesday, January 22, 4-6 p.m. at the Minneapolis Central Library
- Tuesday, January 28, 12-1:30 p.m. at the IDS Center’s Crystal Court
Lake Harriet Art Shanty Projects — Weekends, Saturday, January 18 through Sunday, February 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Art Shanties will return to Lake Harriet for four weekends beginning Saturday, January 18. The project features art shanties constructed on icy Lake Harriet, as well as dozens of artists and performers showcasing throughout the day. A full program of shanties and events may be found here!
Additionally: The Lake Harriet Kite Festival will take place concurrently on Saturday, January 25, 12-4 p.m. Click here to go to the event page, where you can also find photos from years past.
E-Bike Policy Summit — Wednesday, February 12, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
As the popularity of e-bikes on Minnesota’s streets grows, and sales continue to be encouraged by (somewhat flawed) state programs and new public bike infrastructure, it is worthwhile reflecting on how we influence e-bikes through public policy. That is why statewide organization BikeMN — alongside several local sponsors (including Streets.mn!) — is hosting the E-Bike Policy Summit, a daylong gathering with an in-depth focus on all things e-bike. The summit will take place at the McNamara Alumni Center on the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities campus, beginning with a keynote speech by Anna Zivartis at 9 a.m. and continuing until 4 p.m., with several talks and activities throughout. Click here to register, where you can also find a full listing for the day.