The Winter of Minnesota’s Transportation Discontent
Why do so many people think it’s unthinkable to go outside during the winter — and better yet, to revel in active transportation?
Category: Cars
How to Drive Around Buses
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. […]
Car-Free Day Car-toons
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 […]
Chart of the Day: Per Capita Vehicle Miles Traveled, 2018 Update
Time once again for another update on the big picture of driving in the United States: Vehicle Miles Travelled, per person. Long-time wonks who have been following this key stat might remember that it “peaked” fifteen years ago, and VMT (overall and per capita) had plateaued and was declining… … until gas prices went way […]
Driverless Cars and the Cult of Technology
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 […]
“Are you sure that road is for 2-way 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 […]
In 1923, You Could Buy Pedestrian Insurance for 75 Cents
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 […]
Charts of the Day: Commuting Habits of Minneapolis Residents
Via the Metropolitan Council, today we look at the commuting habits of Minneapolis Residents. Source data is the Census, and the American Community Survey, as well as Met Council forecasting models. Share of telecommuters has increased over time, but carpool is down from a peak in the 2000 Census. “Other Means” is also up over […]
‘One Killed Here’: Early 20th-Century Minneapolis Traffic Safety Campaigns
The advent of automobiles and accompanying pedestrian casualties shook up Minneapolis. Over the first half of the 20th century, the city saw a series of public awareness campaigns led by municipal government and local newspapers, with slogans that evolved from “Safety Over Sorrow” and “One Killed Here” to “Traffic Victims” and “Safest Big City … […]
Biking Through a Circus
On Sunday my children and I were meeting friends at Minnehaha Park and then planned to stop for ice cream and some book shopping in Highland Village. It is only a nine mile round trip and parking at Minnehaha Park is difficult so we decided to ride our bicycles. My six-year old rode on the […]