Category: Climate

Solar panels on a roof. Photo courtesy Vivint Solar under an Unsplash license.

National Links: Lessons from the Pandemic

Jeff Wood • October 20, 2023

In this week’s National Links: pandemic-era changes to work and commutes, designing with autism in mind and the gradual death of the “starter car.”

August 25, 2022-Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeg looks at Hennepin County plans to restripe Lake Street while onboard a Metro Transit bus. Hennepin County received $12 million from the Federal Highway Administration’s RAISE grant to restripe Lake Street with bus lanes. (H. Jiahong Pan/Minnesota Reformer)

Minnesota Projects Funded Through the Federal Infrastructure Bill

H. Jiahong Pan 潘嘉宏 • September 12, 2023

Signed into law in 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is funding transportation infrastructure across Minnesota, from Little Falls to St. Paul.

Minneapolis City Hall. Photo by Chad Davis, under CC BY-SA 2.0

Walk the Talk: Police Reform and Blue Line Public Process

Hawken Habig • August 18, 2023

Open house for the Livable Lyndale project, public comment for the Blue Line Extension, a preview of a climate-friendly picnic and more.

The Plant-Based Bike Crawl on August 12 will travel in part along the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis (Streets.mn file photo).

Vegan? Vegan-Curious? Climate-Conscious? This Bike Event Is for You!

Julie Reiter • August 2, 2023

Interested in learning how to combine your love of biking with a plant-only diet? Check out the first ever plant-based bike crawl in the Twin Cities.

Presenting City Climate Corner: Hopkins Urban Heat Island

Ian R Buck • August 1, 2023

Though Hopkins is one of the smaller Minneapolis suburbs, they have two really innovative programs to reduce the urban heat island effect.

A Circular Economy (licensed under Creative Commons)

Reduce, Reuse and Rental Could Solve a Growing Solid Waste Problem

Dan Gjelten • July 21, 2023

Nonprofit Reuse Minnesota has issued a new report on the statewide impacts of reusing what might otherwise wind up as waste. It’s called a “circular economy.”

Photo courtesy of Michael Marais on Unsplash

Minnesota Is Midwest Leader on Electric Vehicles, Report Says

Christopher Ingraham • July 13, 2023

The Minnesota Reformer highlights a report showing that Minnesota has “significant” electrical vehicle infrastructure on the horizon.

Metro Transit revenue worker Kevin Davis checks the Go-To card of a University of Minnesota student. Provisions in the Transportation bill allow civilian workers like Davis to conduct fare inspections and issue citations. (H. Jiahong Pan/Minnesota Reformer)

New Transportation Law Hopes to get Minnesotans Moving

H. Jiahong Pan 潘嘉宏 • June 1, 2023

Eight things you should know about the historic transportation bill and how it will affect drivers, cyclists, train users and walkers throughout Minnesota.

National Links: McMansions and National Randomization

Jeff Wood • May 18, 2023

The stubborn persistence of the McMansion, randomized tax pods for equity, New York City congestion pricing and more in this week’s National Links.

While summery weather in Minneapolis brought many out to their porches, national data suggests that porch use is declining overall. (Photo by Andy Monserud)

National Links: Sitting on the Porch

Jeff Wood • May 5, 2023

The Overhead Wire’s weekly compilation of national and global news: transportation and medicine, the power of porches and a drop in interactions within cities.