National Links: Will Remote Work Mean More Driving?
Remote telework could mean more driving to meetings, plus righting the racial wrongs of transportation policy.
Category: Cars
Don’t Be ‘That’ Minnesotan
As climate change shifts weather patterns nationwide, let’s remember that we Minnesotans aren’t unique in our ability to withstand cold and scary storms.
E-ZPass Electronic Toll Collection Comes to Minnesota
Nationwide Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) Interoperability has been an elusive goal for some time. In practical terms that would mean you’d be able to use your MnPASS transponder to pay tolls on a road trip to Chicago or in your rental car in Florida, and in turn, residents of those states would be able to […]
Abolish the Police Car
Until we can change the city charter, we must pay the salaries of about 730 police officers. However, nowhere in there does it specify what is necessary equipment for the officers to have. I will argue here that police cars are not only unnecessary but also actively harmful, and should no longer be funded by […]
Drive-Thrus are Bad for Cities and Saint Paul Should Stop Permitting Them
Earlier this month, the Saint Paul Planning Commission approved another drive-thru in the urban core, confirming a conditional use permit (CUP) for a 1,800-square-foot, one-story Taco Bell restaurant on a 16,500-square-foot lot with the vast majority of the remaining land used for parking and a drive-thru lane. The location is just over 1,000 feet from […]
Old Shakopee and 98th: From Death Road to Multimodal Corridor
The Old ShakopeeRoad/98th Street Corridor is one of the east-west thoroughfares of Bloomington. It’s also an outdated roadway. Several segments are a four-lane death road, the sidewalks are narrow and buckling, and traffic typically goes 5 to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. The route has several high-traffic destinations, including the Mall of […]
Thoughts on SimCity
I’ve spent a lot of my life playing SimCity (and Cities: Skylines, which I’ve called “The SimCity we deserve”). I’ve always liked simulation games, where I have a sandbox in which to tinker, and can make something of my own. Even when relaxing, I still have the creative urge. Now, as I look around at […]
Market Street In San Francisco Goes Car Free
In January, San Francisco closed a near 2-mile stretch of Market Street to cars while I was in town recently. I wasn’t expecting it. I already finalized my plans to visit family for the Lunar New Year when I learned that San Francisco would be closing lower Market Street to cars while I was visiting. […]
Saint Paul By Bike: The Ever Evolving Midway
September 10, 2019 13.4 Miles Lexington-Hamline, Midway I’ve spent a lot of time in the Midway shopping, eating, walking, biking and waiting at stoplights over more than three decades in Saint Paul. Even so, I knew I’d spot many things on this ride that I’d never noticed. First thing to scout out was the new […]
Chart of the Day: US Fuel Consumption 1999-2018
Via the Federal Highway Administration Twitter account, today’s chart shows US fuel consumption continues to increase year over year. This represents the seventh straight year of increase. Specific information about commercial and personal use by state, including Minnesota, is available at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2018/mf21.cfm.