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Critiquing the Transportation-as-a-Service Model

By on February 11, 2019 in Cars, Transportation

There’s been a lot of talk about the potential upcoming disruption of self-driving-cars, including their effect on private vehicle ownership and travel. One of the most optimistic is the 2017 article “Rethinking Transportation 2020-2030.” Authors James Arbib and Tony Seba make some bodacious claims regarding Transportation as a Service (TaaS) — the idea that soon we’ll all […]

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Symptoms and Causes of Car Dependency on Lake Street

By on January 8, 2019 in Cars, Neighborhoods, Placemaking, Urbanism

I want to talk about Lake Street. Specifically, East Lake Street. More specifically, East Lake from about 35W to about 36th Ave S. There’s a ton I like about this stretch. Every tortilleria, taqueria, and independent grocery, for example. The proximity to Powderhorn Park, a jewel in the Minneapolis Park system. The Midtown Global Market. […]

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Cars Don’t Hit Pedestrians, Drivers Do

By on December 17, 2018 in Cars, Safety, Walking

This past week, several people were injured or killed in traffic collisions. The English language was also savaged by media organizations reporting on the incidents. Pioneer Press: “Minnesota pedestrians, age 71 and 83, killed in separate incidents Wednesday” It’s not just a headline, it’s a lede: “Authorities have identified two women who were killed in […]

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RRFBs: A False Sense of Protection

By on October 18, 2018 in Accessibility, ADA, Advocacy, Bicycling, Cars, Children, Infrastructure, Planning, Roads, Safety, Sidewalks, Signals, Streets, Traffic, Walking

When Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFBs) started appearing in Bloomington and Edina I thought they would be a huge improvement for pedestrian safety, but having used them numerous times I’ve realized they’re a compromise on safety and neither motorists or pedestrians are the winners. RRFBs are a safety device used at crosswalks in which a […]

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The Winter of Minnesota’s Transportation Discontent

By on September 26, 2018 in 2040 Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan, Bicycling, Cars, Streets, Transportation, Urbanism

  I was reviewing the comments to the Draft Minneapolis Comprehensive Plan, and I came across an unexpected theme: That’s a weird and surprising notion. I didn’t expect to come across someone who’d suggest a popular form of winter transportation and recreation was not feasible in the winter. I continued reading… Whaaat? Well, maybe this […]

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How to Drive Around Buses

By on September 21, 2018 in Buses, Cars

I’ve had a little cold and it’s been rainy, so after spending the summer months blissfully bike commuting, I’ve spent this week as I do the coldest parts of winter, riding the bus. Doing so, as always, is a reminder: none of you know how to drive around buses. Yes. You. You’re doing it wrong. […]

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Car-Free Day Car-toons

By on September 20, 2018 in Bicycling, Carfree, Cars, Environment, Freeways, Humor, Land use, Sketches, Transit, Transportation, Urban Design

Saturday, September 22 is World Car-Free Day! OurStreets Minneapolis, The Minneapolis Downtown Council and a few local groups are celebrating it on Friday, September 21st. In honor of this blessed event, I’m posting a few car-toons. The U.S.A. (including Minnesota) remain “The Land of the Cars!” Here’s a new American flag proposal so outsiders will […]

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Driverless Cars and the Cult of Technology

By on September 7, 2018 in Cars, Culture, Development, Environment, History, Traffic, Transportation, Trends

We constantly hear that driverless cars are just around the corner. We’re told they will revolutionize transportation and enable us to continue using our car-based transport and land-use system. If they’re made by Tesla, they’ll be powered by magic, solar-powered, super efficient batteries and we’ll all be able to keep living our hyper-mobile, hyper-consumptive lifestyles […]

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“Are you sure that road is for 2-way traffic?”

By on August 31, 2018 in Cars, Streets, Traffic

“Are you sure that road is for 2-way traffic?” asked KYMN News about the new and improved Division Street in Northfield. Social media commenters asked whether it was wide enough for school buses, how two trucks could pass, and where are the bike lanes among other questions. Yes indeed, Division Street remains 2-way (as City staff […]

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In 1923, You Could Buy Pedestrian Insurance for 75 Cents

By on August 21, 2018 in Bicycling, Cars, Health, History, Media, Safety, Streets, Walking

If you subscribed to the Minneapolis Daily Star in 1923, you could get a year’s worth of pedestrian insurance for an extra 75 cents.   The add-on deal was just what it sounds like: insurance coverage for injuries (including fatal injuries) you might incur while walking across the street. The offer, through the North American Accident […]

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