Every day at The Overhead Wire we collect news about cities and send the links to our email list. At the end of the week we take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the DC region. […]
There are many reasons to oppose Tim Walz’s proposed gas tax increase. When a DFL governor last tried to increase the gas tax in 2015, Charles Marohn of Strong Towns wrote two excellent pieces detailing all the ways that The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s road building policies are hurting Minnesota’s cities and towns, fueling suburbanization […]
We know that Minneapolis and it environs have a historically, dangerously low vacancy rate. The proportion of homes that are for sale or for rent is far less than a healthy five percent, so renters and buyers compete for empty units, and sellers and landlords make more money than they would otherwise. We need more […]
On semifinal Saturday, as the game between Virginia and Auburn was about to begin, I followed the streaming crowds backward to Nicollet Mall, where the other half of the fan base was enjoying our new pedestrian mall, now vehicle-free! Traffic was relatively light, and visitors were taking to the sidewalk pretty well. One Final Four […]
The Final Four has taken over downtown Minneapolis and you could write a post about how well the city managed its latest crowd scene. Before riding the ferris wheel on Nicollet Mall and other Final Four activities, I hope you attended the Writers Workshop in Saint Paul; we’ll report on that more next week. Top […]
NiceRide Minnesota is launching 500 #eBikes in Minneapolis this spring. I got a chance to ride one of the new bikes at the eBike Challenge. The new electric-assist bikes use the same frame as the blue dockless bikes, introduced at the end of last season. This includes the traditional low step-thru design that means you […]
Cheerier weather, a broader age range of development, and the inclusion of a commercial area differentiated this second visit to the Lind-Bohanon neighborhood from the prior, more northerly walk. Although this walk’s area overlaps with both that prior walk and the one yet to come, it avoids both the most northern and the most southern portions […]
I am a sucker for energy use and intensity charts. Looking at CO2 emissions is one thing, but total energy use is an even broader way to think about how our society gets around. That’s why I think energy charts are fascinating, and you should too. Just check out this one or this one or […]
Are you a streets.mn contributor? Have you ever wanted to contribute, but want to learn more, get ideas and meet other writers? This Saturday, we will be hosting our annual Spring Workshop for all contributors and prospective contributors. The event will be from 11AM to 1PM, at Cocreatz, 2388 University Ave W, St. Paul. As […]
Have you ever looked both ways before crossing a street? The idea has been drilled into our heads since we were children. Drivers pose a significant threat to pedestrians in the United States, so it’s natural to be wary of them while walking. Let’s ask an even simpler question: why do we do this? That […]
On March 27, we posted about the numbers surrounding the proposed $600 million investment to bring Amtrak rail service along a corridor between Minneapolis and Duluth. Many of you shared your stories of rail and bus travel, and many expressed a deep appreciation for the comfort and conveniences of travel by rail. In an effort […]
Have you wanted an opportunity to listen to and discuss quality transit with an urban planner, transit board member, and transit enthusiast? Then join Christof Spieler, author of “Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit,” at Eastlake Craft Brewing, this Friday, April 5, starting at 6:30 PM! I had a chance to peruse […]
The Metropolitan Council has put out a call for feedback on its proposed changes to the census tracts and blockgroups for the seven-county region. As former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg famously said, “If you can’t measure, it you can’t manage it and fix it.” The U.S. Census Bureau is a common way we […]
Faced with a cash-strapped Public Works budget, an endless supply of potholes, property tax unrest and a non-profit laden tax base, the City of Saint Paul is looking to a new policy approach to maintaining its streets. Using municipal technology grant from the Bloomberg Foundation, the city is set to debut a new road funding […]
April 1, Bloomington — The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has announced an exciting new effort in its campaign to fight the dangerous epidemic of distracted walking, by targeting one of the metro area’s most dangerous areas for distracted pedestrians: the Mall of America. “Distracted driving claims thousands of lives each year,” noted MnDOT Commissioner […]
Farewell to March! Posts last week started to look Springier with nothing about winter problems, but a look at post-winter flooding and the prospect of electric bike share in Minneapolis. And don’t forget, the streets.mn SPRING Writers Workshop is next weekend, April 6, 2019, at CoCreatz in Saint Paul; the venue is transit-friendly (details at […]
Via Barry Ritholz’s blog, here’s a chart showing the US Federal gas tax relative to other nations: Ritholz cites US Chamber of Commerce pressure to increase the Federal gas tax, but also the Congressional dysfunction that makes such an increase unlikely. Here’s a quote from his conclusion: This may be a symptom of national […]
Every day at The Overhead Wire we collect news about cities and send the links to our email list. At the end of the week we take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the DC region. […]
When you regularly walk, ride transit, bike, or use any combination of those modes, you often have stuff to carry with you, and a previous streets.mn post about packing for the walking + transit commute included robust discussion in the comments about needs and preferences for life outside a personal vehicle. Does the forecast include […]
A recent Star Tribune post on a new bus service starting at $9 to Duluth got me thinking about all the recent talk about having a government-sponsored, commuter rail service to Duluth. Amtrak recently announced that it was interested in investing $600 million to develop a rail service from Minneapolis to Superior and Duluth, using […]
