Author: Anne White

Anne White

Anne White lives in the Merriam Park neighborhood of Saint Paul. She is currently the Land Use Chair for the Union Park District Council (District 13) and serves on the Governing Council of the District Councils Collaborative of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (DCC). After moving to the Twin Cities in 2003, she retired from her work as a professional photographer and began working to ensure that community concerns were fully considered in planning for the Green Line LRT. Now that the line is up and running, including stations at Hamline, Victoria and Western, her main focus is on walkability, making sure that people of all ages and levels of mobility have safe, pleasant walking routes to LRT and other destinations. She was recently appointed to the St Paul Transportation Committee of the Planning Commission as the Active Living community representative.

The dangers of texting while driving

Texting While Driving is Illegal and Dangerous, but People Still Do It

Anne White • November 20, 2015

As Minnesota works to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to traffic crashes, one of the biggest challenges is the growing number of crashes caused by distracted driving, especially texting and driving. In the last four years, almost a quarter of all crashes that resulted in a death or serious injury were attributed to […]

Sidewalk demonstration: Volunteers cross the street with signs

Pedestrian Crosswalk Demonstrations Show Need for Vision Zero Saint Paul

Anne White • October 29, 2015

I was up bright and early Tuesday morning — actually it was DARK and early — to join a group of Highland Park residents in a demonstration of the state’s pedestrian crossing law at a mid-block crosswalk on Montreal Avenue. The roadway has recently been reconfigured, reducing the number of traffic lanes from four to three, […]

America’s Love Affair with the Automobile: Not much Change in 100 Years

Anne White • October 16, 2015

As I was beginning to draft a new article about pedestrian safety and the need to change the car culture in Minnesota, including drivers’ sense of entitlement to roadway use to get to their destinations as quickly as possible, my husband brought me this article written by his grandmother, Sara Hirshfield Kessel, for the Buffalo (NY) […]

Ending pedestrian deaths will require a cultural shift

People on Foot: Step Up to Stop the Carnage!

Anne White • October 12, 2015

The tragic death of Kunlek Wangmo last week clearly struck a nerve with many people, especially those who live along West 7th Street in Saint Paul, where she was hit and killed by a car while crossing Saint Clair Avenue on her regular daily walk with her husband. For Nicole Mardell, the incident brought back a […]

“It Never Should Have Happened.” But What’s Being Done About It?

Anne White • June 3, 2015

“Fatal crash ‘never should have happened‘”. That headline, on the front page of the Minnesota section of the Star Tribune on June 1st, referred to a fatal crash that occurred a year ago in rural Rock County, when a driver in a pickup truck, going 55 miles an hour, looked down at his cell phone to make […]

Sidewalk art by Skyline Tower at Griggs and Saint Anthony

Walking in Saint Paul – Books, Statues, Poetry and Planning

Anne White • May 18, 2015

Last Friday I wrote about walking in Saint Paul with a focus on safety. Today, I want to share some thoughts on the pleasures and benefits of walking as I have experienced it. I’ll also talk briefly about how a Saint Paul Pedestrian Plan might help get more people walking. Until recently, most of my explorations have been […]

At Snelling and University, your choices include walking, taking the bus, taking the train, or driving.

Walking in Saint Paul — What Will It Take to Make It Safe and Pleasant?

Anne White • May 15, 2015

In the last couple of years, I have begun walking pretty much every day. I walk to go to nearby meetings or to buy fresh produce, bread or fish. I walk to the bus or the Green Line to reach more distant destinations. I walk for exercise aiming to reach 10,000 steps a day, and […]

Walking routes to the Snelling station

Green Line Tragedy a Wake-up Call

Anne White • May 5, 2015

When I first heard about the fatal Green Line crash at Snelling Avenue Station last Thursday morning, I was shocked and dismayed. And as additional reports gave the name of the victim–Lynne Thomas–and focused on how highly she was valued for the role she played as receptionist at the Minnesota Senate research department, I became even more upset and saddened. Finally, I […]

Walking Saint Paul

Anne White • April 27, 2015

While many streets.mn writers focus on the pleasures and challenges of bicycling in the Twin Cities, I bring the same kind of passion to walking. So I was delighted to open up my Sunday New York Times and find a special issue of the NYT Magazine devoted to Walking New York. The issue presents many perspectives on walking in New York, […]

The Disability Community is “Making Strides” Toward Better Transit Access

Anne White • March 23, 2015

The recently released Making Strides 2014 Accessibility Survey provides a wealth of data about the challenges faced by members of the disability community as they seek to access the Green Line. The report also makes clear why it’s so important to make sure that people with disabilities can get to the station safely and easily. Background data drawn from Minnesota Compass research […]