Welcome to Twin Cities Streets for People
Our mission is to transform Twin Cities streets into community spaces that are inviting for people of all ages and abilities to walk, bicycle, socialize and play.
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US DOT Lahood's statement
Worth the read - from US DOT Secretary Lahood's blog (!):
To set this approach in motion, we have formulated key recommendations for state DOTs and communities:
Read more >
- Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
- Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
- Go beyond minimum design standards.
- Collect data on walking and biking trips.
- Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
- Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
- Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.
US DOT asks State DOTs to embrace bicycling & walking
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced a new federal policy that puts bicycling and pedestrian projects and planning on an equal footing with highways and transit in the use of federal funding. Read more >
Shrinking to Greatness
Ed Glaeser, the Harvard professor, explains what does it mean for cities to shrink. I find this article interesting since the twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul) have been shrinking for the past 50 years. The current foreclosure crisis and coming commercial collapse will make this a real decision process as our communities and neighborhoods need to decide what needs to stay and what needs to go.
Will right sizing help the Twin Cities as well? Read more >
From TLC: NYC DOT's Janette Sadik-Khan in Minneapolis
Via TLC and Bike Walk Twin Cities
21st Century Transportation - Cities at the Forefront
NYC is increasing mobility and reinventing urban streetscape at express speed. Once car-clogged, Times and Harold Squares are now interactive plazas. Innovative cycling designs traverse all boroughs and the goal is to double bicycle commuting by 2015. Bus shelters, bicycle parking, traffic calming, Summer Streets, new parking policies, bicycle way-finding, bus rapid transit, Safe Streets for Seniors, the landmark Street Design Manual...NYC is on fire to improve the quality of life through sustainable streets.
Join us for a presentation by New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, followed by the screening of two short films by Street Films.
Headlines -- February 24, 2010
Some streets news for you!
- Car hits, injures three people waiting for the bus (PiPress)
- StP sets up new multi-mode Transportation Committee (Strib)
- Potholes on Summitt dangerous for StP cyclists (SeeClickFix)
- New mixed-use project at 43rd and Upton (SWJournal)
New bike advocacy group: Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition
From the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition's website:
Our goal is to make Minneapolis better for bicycling. We are 100% volunteer driven, and we are always looking for new volunteers.
In 2010, we are focusing on four areas of advocacy:
- Improve the Minneapolis Bike Plan
- Advocate for better downtown biking
- Increase bike parking in Uptown and Longfellow
- Bring a Ciclovia to Minneapolis in 2010
Get involved! If you're interested in any of these topics or other ways to make Minneapolis better for bicycling, email us at info@mplsbike.org
Plus O' The Day: February 19, 2010
The recent dustup about the 'winter parking rules' in Minneapolis point to an added benefit (or curse) of winter: the way that snowbanks make slow traffic on city side streets.
You've all been there, stuck in a game of chicken with another driver down a snowy winter street. Cars have to pull off to the side to allow oncoming traffic.
The effect reminds me of the Dutch 'woonerf' streets, which are 'calmed by uncertainty.' Because drivers aren't sure what's going to happen next, they proceed with extreme caution. While it may lengthen your commute time from your house to Point B, it helps to calm traffic on these residential streets, and makes it safer for everyone around.
What do you think? Is there a silver lining to the snowy Minnesota winter?
Journey to Detroit
Sometime in the not too distant future, John wakes up in suburban Chicago on a Saturday morning and heads to a White Sox game...in Detroit. Join him on a 300 mile journey to Detroit's Comerica Park as he experiences the transportation options of the future: a neighborhood electric car share program, smart phone ticketing, high-speed rail, and connecting light rail. This clip is brought to you by America 2050 as part of its "A Better Tomorrow" project to visualize America's future communities and transportation systems.
Headlines -- February 18, 2010
Some streets news for you!
- Complete Streets bill making waves in legislature (MPR, FreshEnergy)
- Gov suggests $3M cut to transit budget, MetCouncil says fares & routes will not change (MPR)
- StP's Union Depot gets $35M Federal grant for renovation (MPR, Strib) Freeway expansion to WI unfunded (PiPress, PiPress)
- NW Suburbs push for $30M freeway expansion (MPR)
- Debate over Northstar rail stops, transit infrastructure (Strib)
- StP focuses on neighborhood infrastructure to help struggling schools (Strib)
Biking to Work with Seattle’s Mayor Mike McGinn
Streetfilms bikes to work with Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn.
When Seattleites elected a new mayor at the end of 2009, they really went for a breath of fresh air. In the general election, Mayor Mike McGinn, who rides a bike to work daily, was outspent nearly four to one. The race was very close, but with an energetic volunteer base -- and a campaign that emphasized many livable streets issues -- he pulled out the victory.
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