Author: Joe Harrington

Joe Harrington

Joe is a student in Saint Paul, studying Geography and Environmental Studies. Joe writes on urban planning, environmental policy, and transportation in Minnesota and beyond. Joe also works at Our Streets Minneapolis as a GIS specialist, aiming to create an equitable and multi-modal future in the Twin Cities. Joe is a member of the board of directors at Streets.MN and in his free time loves exploring Twin Cities restaurants, cooking, and finding good places to swim.

Amtrak has added a new train line between St. Paul and Chicago, stopping throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. This success was presaged by failures, one of which benefited a city across the globe. Photo courtesy of Amtrak.

From the Midwest to Nigeria: An Unlikely Rail Saga

Joe Harrington • June 14, 2024

The arrival of the Borealis line provides an opportunity to look back on a project that didn’t make it this far, but found a new home in Africa.

A reconnected Near North community in Minneapolis with community development space and multimodal transportation. Credit: Our Streets Minneapolis

Reconnecting Communities Grants to Study Minnesota Highway Removal

Joe Harrington • April 8, 2024

Federal funding provides key support for restoration of communities, but further efforts are needed to follow through with these opportunities.

Rendering courtesy of Our Streets Minneapolis

Rethinking I-94: Two Meetings, Two Steps Forward

Joe Harrington • March 7, 2024

Two recent meetings in the Legislature and at MnDOT point toward the need for a multimodal, more equitable future for the I-94 corridor.

Sixth Avenue in 1922. Courtesy Hennepin County Libraries

How Freeway Construction Reshaped Two Vibrant Twin Cities Neighborhoods

Joe Harrington and Jessie Merriam • February 14, 2024

Highway expansion has severed Twin Cities neighborhoods from one another. Can new planning proposals begin to heal these historic harms?