The National Bike Summit, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, is scheduled for next week — March 4-6, 2013 — in Washington DC. As happens every year, the NBS is the “most important one yet!” where attendees voices are needed to maintain the “momentum” of the bike movement. It’s the “advocacy event of the […]
We talk a lot about transportation and transit here at streets.mn. Trains are ever and always in the mix, what with Hiawatha and Central Corridor Light Rail, Northstar Commuter and Amtrak in late-stage construction or in operation — and with other lines under consideration. Trains are not toys. Yet, they are absolutely and totally toys. […]
As we’ve moved through our week-long streets.mn lovefest, a variety of human made and natural features have been lauded, ranging from the very human parks (Rice Park) and cities (St. Paul), and the very natural features of trees and the Mississippi River. Today, I’d like to laud that intersection of human and nature: the garden. […]
In the long-ago days of my misspent youth, I lived in an absolutely flat suburban community named for one of the seven hills of Rome. As children, we all walked to school, crossing two moderately busy streets along the way. On days when it unexpectedly began hailing sideways during the school day, a parent or […]
The sad, forlorn Macy’s in downtown St. Paul has announced its pending closure, having reached the end of its 10 year agreement to stay open. Mayor Chris Coleman says that the closing presents “tremendous opportunity.” We’re sure. The site is one of 4 downtown stops for the new Central Corridor light rail line. It’s also […]
The farmer’s market: Among the oldest forms of direct-to-consumer sales, these truly urban agoras bring the rural to the city, and exist all around the world in some form or another. They bridge the gap between city and country with commerce, and thus, it was inevitable we at streets.mn would ask readers where their favorite […]
As the Twin Cities and the Minnesota area recover from a “winter snow event,” it is time to pay tribute to those who make the streets and sidewalks of Minnesota interesting. First:We live in Minnesota. Why, oh why, do people forget how to drive on snow and ice annually? This is a life skill, much […]
Years after the semi-successful Share the Road campaign for bikes, MNDot is launching a new edition — Share the Road Pedestrians. The new program has some pluses, and some head-shaking moments: Yay: MNDot asserts that “Pedestrians and motorists are equally responsible for pedestrian safety.” Boo: Site does not mention the cases in which a bicyclist […]
In a taste of what the world would be like if a new boondoggle St. Croix River Bridge were never built, the Stillwater Lift Bridge closed on September 10 for a 3-month rehabilitation project. Thus far, the world has not ended. It should be remembered that one of the key arguments for the new bridge project […]
Today marks the kickoff of the National Women’s Bicycling Summit in Long Beach. Hooked up to the end of the Pro Bike/Pro Walk Conference, the scheduling is designed to try to capture some of the same audience and get them talking about women’s cycling issues in more depth than the agenda of a wider conference […]