A recent Streets.mn piece attempts to make the case that Minneapolis policies, including but not limited to the draft Comprehensive Plan, are part of a broader war on cars, driven by the “privilege” of people who cannot or choose not to drive. I feel like I have a responsibility to respond, because I’ve worked for transportation […]
This post is in conversation with Carol Becker’s post. I decided to write a post instead of a comment. My name is Pine Salica and I ride a bike. I know that I have encountered negative consequences for saying this. I don’t ride a bike because I especially like biking. I bike because I have […]
To quote law professor and recent mayoral candidate Nekima Levy-Pounds, Minneapolis has “the best parks system for white people.” To some, the implication that Minneapolis parks do not adequately serve people of color may sound like a surprising claim for a city whose identity is based in part around its lakes and green spaces, and […]
Via Planetizen and Governing, here’s a map released by the Federal Government Accountability Office that shows the “economic impacts of climate change.” Minnesota (or northern Wisconsin) appears on the map, listed as a place with “decreased cold-related mortality”: Personally, I’m a dubious that cold-related mortality is a huge economic problem for northern Minnesota, […]
Here’s an a propos chart on this, the first day of dealing with actual below-freezing precipitation on Twin Cities streets. That said, I can’t pretend to really understand what’s going on here, other than that the trend is worsening. First, I should say that chloride is salt, and salt in this case refers to the […]
Electric cars like the Tesla Model S are an amazing technological leap forward, but by themselves don’t change the automobility picture. Here’s a chart from a recent Financial Times story [subscription only!] about a “lifecycle” carbon footprint study, which looks at CO2 from production and recycling of cars in addition to their emissions while they […]
Earlier this year, Minnesota was chosen as one of three finalists in the bidding to host Expo 2023. Every five years, some city hosts a World’s Fair, and sometime in between those five year events is a smaller expo. That’s what Minnesota is bidding to host. The other finalists are Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Łódź, […]
Metro Transit has been working hard to become greener, with quite a bit of success. The results were recently presented in a staff report to the Met Council, excerpted below. Increasing bus MPG from 4.1 to 4.7 may not seem like much, but it’s a 15% improvement. Buses aren’t the only area of improvement. Metro […]
In honor of the new Stillwater freeway grand opening, here’s a chart for you from some periodical called “Science.” It shows the results of a new meta-study of 39 other studies on carbon impacts. Here is the chart: The key idea here, from the Science blog: Many commonly promoted options, such as washing clothes in […]
Photo Courtesy of Samuel Geer The release of 30 goats onto the bluffs of Indian Mounds Park was like a red carpet affair. Their tenders called out the name of each goat as they stepped out of their trailer, only to be met with the excited shrieks of children and the snapping of pictures. The […]