Fun fact: etymonline traces the word “park” meaning “to put (a vehicle) in a certain place” directly back to the storage of military equipment on commons grounds. Car storage spots aren’t a human right, but housing is. The way building codes currently are, you must pay for this luxury that is a couple dozen square […]
On December 29, 2019, seven people met at Dual Citizen Brewery in St. Paul, and there we created the streets.mn Climate Emergency Committee. We had a few in-person writing meet-ups before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, and even though none of us could anticipate the events that followed throughout the year of 2020, we maintained […]
Despite its name, MNDOT’s project does not allow for “rethinking I-94,” it can only recapitulate I-94. And the community organizations’ letter, while we agree with its goals, does not push for the magnitude of change necessary. The urgency of our climate crisis requires more ambitious plans, and even the proposals by the community organizations will not manifest an I-94 corridor that has been sufficiently reconsidered.
The League of American Cyclists is responsible for putting out report cards that assign Bicycle Friendly rankings to communities, businesses, universities, and states. To receive a report card, all you have to do is fill out a 42-page application and await their review. Reviews are good for 4 years. There are a number of interesting […]
Until we can change the city charter, we must pay the salaries of about 730 police officers. However, nowhere in there does it specify what is necessary equipment for the officers to have. I will argue here that police cars are not only unnecessary but also actively harmful, and should no longer be funded by […]
Happy Earth Day, from the Climate Emergency Committee. When we established our committee a few months ago, one of the first items on our to-do list was to take a look at the carbon footprint of ourselves, as streets dot mn. Carbon emissions need to drop, and there’s no reason why we as an organization […]
The other day, I decided I had a favorite bridge across I-94: the 3rd Ave bridge in Minneapolis. I love it! The cedar-inspired light installations, the wide sidewalks, the nice railings, the feeling of being welcomed into the city center. So, obviously, I have to have a least-favorite bridge, right? There are a good number […]
Mary Ward was the first person to be killed by a vehicle that we would recognize as a car. The 150th anniversary of her death was August 31, 2019. She lived in Ireland, raised some children, and published scientific work about entomology and the wonders of microscopes, a developing field at the time. You can […]
Citing increasing crime on and near car storage sites in the Twin Cities, an urban Minnesota blog post writer plans to introduce several safety proposals that deserve serious consideration. Pine Salica, a leading voice on transportation issues, plans to ask a legislator to introduce their proposal during the 2020 session. Salica told a writer that […]
Lawful good: Sabo Bridge. High above the car traffic, Sabo Bridge provides a safe, comfortable, and extremely legal way to cross Hiawatha (as long as you’re not in a hurry). Neutral good: Nicollet Mall. Undeniably good, but for the light timing issues. Chaotic good: Crossing Snelling Ave in front of the Loons stadium […]