Twin Cities Streets for People

Policy Link’s Executive Director, Angela Glover Blackwell, puts it best, “Transportation policy is, in effect, health policy – and environmental policy, food policy, employment policy and metropolitan development policy.” (The Transportation Prescription) Read more >

From Amber Collett at Bike Walk Twin Cities

More Twin Cities residents than ever are getting around by bike or on foot. Bicycling in the Twin Cities has increased by 52 percent since 2007, and walking by 18 percent. Twin Cities bicycling, in particular, experienced a sharp year-over-year increase - up 22 percent from 2010 to 2011.

The new data comes from an official count of bicyclists and pedestrians passing 42 designated locations in Minneapolis and Saint Paul on weekdays in September 2011, and comparing this data with identical counts conducted each September since 2007. The counts were conducted by volunteers, who were trained based on a federal protocol.
 
Thank you, volunteers! We could not do this you without you.   Read more >

Target Corp. confirmed this week that they will be moving 2,400 employees and 1,500 contractors from downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park within the next two years into a new suburban office.

 Target will be moving a good portion of its workforce out to Brooklyn Park (with the help of a large subsidy). This move, tax subsidies and all, is yet another example of regressive local cannibalistic ”economic development” policies. This situation is the worst of both worlds – it spends taxpayer money to shift jobs (not create them) AND its shifting them to a less efficient, less centralized and less environmentally-friendly suburban office park.

Read more >

Our current system of attracting jobs and growth to our region is fundamentally flawed, unsustainable and damaging our urban environment. Policies at the state, regional and local levels are not creating jobs, but merely juggling them from one municipality to the next; and doing so at great expense to taxpayers [and we’re destroying our urban environments in the process].While subsidizes can further public policy and promote efforts of downtown revitalization, they can also shift scarce tax dollars away from necessary public services [e.g. local fire stations]. In particular, Mankato has been good at providing one subsidy that has often gone unnoticed: free, convenient and abundant parking.In the case of Mankato, government subsidies shifted jobs from point A to point B at a great cost to taxpayers while simelentously damaging the urban environment. I wish I could say this was an anomoly. I wish I could say it was the exception. It’s not. It’s the norm. Read more >

On a daily basis we interact with the living history of urban renewal through our local roads. Roads, streets, corridors, highways, and interstates are a great example of the many faces of history that shape the story of our communities. Read more >

via Streetfilms.

On Sunday, October 2nd, the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition is hosting a "Joy Ride" celebrating the #1 Bicycling City in America while looking to the future of bike amenities in Minneapolis. The ride is free, open to all, and moderately paced with activities and fun events at stops along one of two routes. There is a roughly 17 mile route and a second, shorter family route of just under 10 miles, so bring your family, friends, and neighbors and join them as they highlight what makes riding a bike such a great experience in Minneapolis!

Date: Sunday, October 2, 2011 - 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Location: Gold Medal Park 1000 2nd Street South Minneapolis,MN

For more information, please see: http://mplsbike.org/content/minneapolis-joy-ride Read more >

Nearly time to blast off: two major deadlines on the same day. September 1st is looming. What was I thinking? Read more >

Consider it decided. I'm committed. The ball's rolling.

Beginning in September, I will ride 1000+ miles from Montana to Minnesota as an effort to raise need-based scholarship money for the fully online Sustainable Design program that I direct at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) as well as to raise awareness about sustainability challenges and opportunities that we face today. Read more >

From the City of Minneapolis Bicycle Program:

Bike Walk Week begins this Saturday, June 4th and lasts through next Sunday, June 12th. Bike Walk to Work Day takes place Thursday, June 9th. You can start a team or attend an event. And be sure to bike and/or walk! If you do, join up so that you have a chance to win prizes.

Bike Walk Week will end with Minneapolis’ first ever Open Streets Cicolvía on Sunday June 12th. Lyndale Avenue S will be closed between 22nd Street and 42nd Street between 10am and 2pm. Learn about more details and see a map of the route.

In addition, the RiverLake Greenway Grand Opening will take place on Saturday, June 11th from 1pm to 5pm.