On February 8, streets.mn, in partnership with Nexus Community Partners’ Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute, is hosting a free event — Safe Streets: Narratives of Pedestrian Advocacy. This is an evening of education, and sharing experiences of being a pedestrian. Come hear examples from local advocates and government about how we have or could incorporate the voices and […]
In my youth, after leaving the omnipresent gaze of supervising adults, but before having regular access to a car, I explored the world on a red single speed bike called the Hawthorne. When I found it, the Hawthorne had been stripped down, abandoned, and thrown into the creek near my home. It had no fenders, […]
As I walk across Minneapolis’ lakes, my pace slowed* both by the resistance of snow and wind and by my fascination with every sight and sound, I think about scale a lot. There are drivers on the bridges above me, caged up in steel, bikers and wind surfers zipping past me, skiers who half […]
What do a father and daughter do to make the most of their morning commute? Riding bikes of course! Our morning routine is pretty typical of anyone. We struggle to wake up — well, Dad does. Daughter has been up for the past hour, carting stuffed animals and toys into Dad’s room and piling them […]
When controversy happens….when tempers flare….we read the comments, so you don’t have to. On Sunday, as teased on Twitter by our own @streetsmn account, the Star Tribune posted an article It’s not your imagination — parking is disappearing in Minneapolis. The subhead and picture on the article gave a taste of what was to come, with a […]
A year or so ago, I was invited to a “greet your local legislator” gathering at the Minnesota State Capitol. A casual, brown-bag affair over a weekday noon hour, it seemed designed to draw working types from my politically progressive district. Surprising, then, that the otherwise detailed instructions included parking information only. Not a word […]
A few years ago, like many other young Americans, I ventured to Europe for a study abroad experience. In my case, I spent half a year in the city of York, England. What I saw in York thrilled me: a city that was actually a place for people rather than cars. What an idea! I […]
It’s been almost nine months since the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition first announced its expansion to including walking in their advocacy. In that time, staff and volunteers have been working hard to get the organization up to speed to actively include the diversity of people who get around our city on foot, in wheelchairs, with strollers, using canes, […]
After a friend first told me about the Minneapolis Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) a few years ago, it took another two or three gentle suggestions before I was willing to seriously consider applying. Despite being car-free by choice and a Minneapolitan for my entire adult life, I saw myself as neither a pedestrian nor someone […]
I have structured my life so I can live without a car. That choice may seem impossible, and, at times, it is impractical. Like any counter-cultural behavior, it initially requires effort to adjust. I can attest, however, that car-free living is a healthful, fiscally responsible and even joyful pursuit in later middle age. When I […]