In October, I took the bus out to Afton State Park, which is located on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border due east of the Twin Cities. But wait, you might think. That’s impossible. There’s no bus service out that way. The nearest Metro Transit route is the 294, which goes to Stillwater and only runs during rush […]
Winter in Minnesota can be delightful, gorgeous, fragile, challenging, and sometimes far too gray. In January of 2018, Melissa Wenzel issued herself a challenge to a winter-weather version of April’s “30 Days of Biking.” Fellow winter bicyclists in Minnesota and around the world joined Melissa in her pledge to bike every day in January. In 2019, […]
[This is part of streets.mn’s “transpo convo” series, which aims to to be an oral history of getting around the Twin Cities, one person at a time.] One Friday night, my family and I had the luck of catching the Holiday bus. As we rode, we noticed other holiday lights and decorations along the route. […]
It is time once again to honor Festivus with decor and activities befitting the day, as we do each year. The Festivus Pole We shall start the observance with a pole. While we have done this before and so you may think us lazy, we are going with a bollard once again for our pole, […]
Summer’s recent resurgence has bummed me out since I’m not exactly a fan of hot weather, but the bright side is that it means this post (which I procrastinated on writing for about two months) can be published and still be somewhat timely even as the first signs of autumn appear. As global warming continues […]
In honor of International Car-Free Day (September 22), here’s a few recent cartoons on the subject of transportation and urban planning. A lot of folks, including myself would like to see cities and towns get rid of parking requirements for new building construction. The goals are to reduce traffic and increase density and the supply […]
During the NCAA Final Four, Nicollet Mall achieved what the planners had only dreamed of. It was a packed, vibrant hive of pedestrian activation with visitors shooting hoops, dining outside and even riding a Ferris wheel. The festivities ceded the 24-foot-wide bus lanes to pedestrians, and the activities and outdoor dining attracted crowds. Months later, […]
If you’re an urban planner or someone curious about the field, you’ve probably heard of transit-oriented development (TOD). It’s an important consideration for transitway projects like Metro Transit’s Green Line and Blue Line, but probably isn’t of much interest to most people. Several other TODs may have more appeal, such as Tangerine-Orange Daiquiris, Tacos on […]
I regularly wave at a trail-friend or observe an animal-friend in the woods as I bike to work. It’s one of those little things that highlights how different bicycling is compared to driving. I move more slowly, I have the opportunity to see more things, and there’s no windshield to obscure a smile or wave. […]
Here’s an alphabetical list of Saint Paul sights. Enjoy! Asian Main Street, between Marion Street and Lexington Avenue Art Moderne Storefront on early 20th century building, 2556 West University Ave, STP Assumption Catholic Church, 1874 downtown STP Bandana Square, five former railroad buildings, STP Best city Councilperson: Jane Prince, 7th Ward, STP Bungalow Court, […]