Portland’s bike share, utilizing the Social Bicycles system, opened in July of this year. I got to try it out for a few days this past September. My initial experience wasn’t so great. The BikeTownPDX website did not provide a very good explanation of how things work for Single Ride or Day Passes. I called and […]
I recently enjoyed several days exploring Portland, Oregon by foot, bicycle, and tram. Given their high rate of bicycling, often without helmets, and many years now of decriminalized recreational use of marijuana (and now fully legal to grow and purchase) I expected the carnage and debauchery that we’re so often warned about with both of […]
This is the intersection of 3rd Street and 5th Avenue in International Falls. Overwhelmingly for me, the best of this is the NE corner where Coffee Landing is located. These buildings are enjoyable to walk by and to view from across the street. They have a great connection to the street inside and out (though […]
MnDOT is accepting comments on three key plans through October 14. Your input is important. Share your thoughts on the draft Statewide Multimodal Transportation Plan Share your thoughts on the draft Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan Share your thoughts on the draft Greater Minnesota Transit Investment Plan For more information, visit www.minnesotago.org.
There’s been a lot of news (and misinformation) over the past few days about Tesla Autopilot (AP). Primarily about the NHTSA opening a Preliminary Evaluation of AP performance in relation to a crash on May 7 in Florida that resulted in a man losing his life. More recently there was a crash in Pennsylvania with […]
St Paul and Highland District Council are proposing to add left turn lanes and a 10’ median to Snelling Avenue between Randolph and Ford Pkwy. The stated purpose is to slow traffic, reduce left turns, and improve safety for pedestrians. Unfortunately, this project will make this neighborhood less pleasant, with increased and faster traffic, and […]
Part I: Gas Stations: Not So Long For This World? Part II: Gas Stations: Will They Survive The Rise Of Plug-In Hybrids? Sidebar: Econ 101: Why I’ll Never Buy A Gas Car Again. Lifecycle Changeover: Legacy ICE Giving Way To Early Majority PEVs Tesla expects to be producing 500,000 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) per year […]
Unless really necessary I wouldn’t buy a new gas-only car—one with an internal combustion engine, or ICE. I’d either purchase something with a plug or wait until there was a plug-in option for what I want. This isn’t a green decision, but a financial one based on operating costs and resale value. A plug-in electric […]
Continued from an earlier post on gas stations. Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) like the Chevy Volt and Volvo XC90 may have a greater impact on the demise of gas stations than pure electric BEVs. PHEVs will play a transitional role as they are not as big of a mental leap for car buyers as […]
In my post about some redevelopment in Shoreview I mentioned the likely closing of the Hill Blacksmith shop in the coming years. Some took exception, saying that they didn’t think it very likely, especially since it was built only recently in 1883. We’ve used horses for centuries and they’ve served us well. I do think […]