I have been asked a few times why I so frequently mention disabled folk in the same breath as bicycle folk. It’s quite simple. I’ve seen how difficult getting about is for people with disabilities in the U.S. and how well they and bicycle folk share Dutch bikeways. Actually, I get exceptionally frustrated seeing how […]
Minneapolis 1, St Paul 0 — While driving around in Minneapolis and St Paul the other day, the differences in street life were enormous. Massively more people were riding bicycles (and walking) around Minneapolis than St Paul. Or, there were a lot of people riding in Minneapolis and nobody in St Paul. If I were […]
The other day my wife was behind a Tesla and commented they used their brakes a lot more than other drivers. Last summer I’d thought somewhat the same thing when driving behind a BMW i3. Was this our imagination or is there something to this? Regenerative braking The answer, I found, lay in the regenerative […]
Transport For London (TfL) serves a role similar to our Metropolitan Council except only for transportation. TfL coordinates transportation and road design across the boroughs and cities of greater London and operates or coordinates services such as their subway, red buses, and ferries. TfL also operate the city-wide Oyster card system. TfL has been increasingly […]
The qualities of sidewalks, or lack thereof, immensely affect the pedestrian experience. Some local examples.
Bike path along Hodgson Road in Shoreview, January 2014. Sometimes a bit of historical perspective is a good thing.
Our roads have historically been for transportation by whatever means someone had available. For several centuries this meant feet, horse, or donkey. Bicycles were added to the mix about 1870 and cars some 30 years later. By the 1970’s, however, our roads had become car-only thoroughfares. Other modes were largely banished—to sidewalks or increasingly to nothing. […]
If you happen to be free the 10-12 of February and would like to head to The Netherlands for a bit there is a great conference that will be happening in Leeuwarden. Winter Cycling Congress 2015 This is the third congress focused specifically on bicycling during the winter. The three day conference features speakers from […]
I’m optimistic and excited about 2015. We have a whole new year of opportunity laid out before us and it looks to be a good year for bicycling in MN. We’ll likely see some new and better bicycling facilities around the Twin Cities and elsewhere in Minnesota. That will mean a few more people walking and […]
In a 7-0 vote, the St Paul City Council recently approved a somewhat controversial liquor license for The Salt Cellar restaurant on the NW corner of Selby & Dale in Cathedral Hill. The controversy and lots of gnashing of teeth was over Bill Lindeke’s favorite sport—parking. The Salt Cellar has 13 spaces while city code […]