You know that voting and contacting your legislators are two of the best ways to support cleaner transportation options like transit, biking, and walking. But have you ever thought about the power of voting with your feet?

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In 1995, only 6.2 percent of trips in the U.S. were made by walking or biking. In 2009, that percentage was 11.9 percent - a 92 percent increase! Over that time, there has also been a decline in the number of pedestrian and bicycle injuries and deaths. In 1993, a staggering 5,638 pedestrians and 814 bicyclists were killed in crashes with cars and trucks. In 2008, those numbers had dropped to a still-much-too-high 4,378 pedestrians and 716 bicyclists-a combined decrease of 21 percent.

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The Gulf oil spill probably has you thinking about ways to use less oil. But if you need even more motivation to leave that car in the garage, Bike Walk Week is for you. It's seven days of activities throughout the Twin Cities designed to get you out and about under your very own person-power. Check the Bike Walk Week website for events, workshops, courses, and more.

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Great news for those interested in being able to safely walk and bike in their neighborhood! On May 15, Governor Pawlenty signed the transportation policy bill, which included a state Complete Streets policy. The new Complete Streets policy calls for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) to build roads with all people in mind--regardless of age or ability or whether traveling by car, foot, bus, or bike.

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With Target Field now open, how to get to a Twins game? At least for the half dozen regular season games that have been held to-date, the answer for many folk is to take transit. Hiawatha light rail and Northstar commuter rail both come directly to Target Field, and Metro Transit has added a special express bus route (Route 679) from stops along I-394 directly to the field.

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Ameriprise, IBM, Fresh Energy. Not exactly three Minnesota organizations that most folks would expect to read together, but the three of us were recently named for the same award--Bronze Status as a "Bicycle Friendly Business" by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).  We beat out companies the likes of Union Pacific Railroad, Assurant Health, and (ironically) Live Green Apartments to become one of 51 organizations nationwide to be recognized. 

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If you've been keeping up with Fresh Energy's Transportations Connections Department, you've probably heard about its push for a state Complete Streets policy. The measure aims to make streets safer and more accessible through various planning measures. This includes sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and shoulders. But as far as understanding how exactly these road changes would equal improved safety and a cleaner environment, it's a little bit difficult to get from point A to point B--no transportation pun intended. I didn't have a clear understanding of it, myself, until I actually saw it last week.

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Complete Streets means that our roads are designed and operated to be safe and accessible for pedestrians, transit riders, bicyclists, and drivers - all users, regardless of age or ability. Why is this important? Because too often we build roads that simply aren't safe for pedestrians, people with disabilities, bicyclists, transit riders, and older drivers. Everyone is impacted by "incomplete" streets, which lead to more injuries, fatalities, and very real barriers in our transportation system.

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Last Thursday, 40 people came out for an introductory meeting that hailed the beginning of the Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition. Complete Streets means that our streets and roadways are designed and operated to be safe and accessible for pedestrians, transit riders, bicyclists, and drivers-all users, regardless of age or ability.

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Last night, the Hennepin County board unanimously passed a Complete Streets policy (pdf) that "will enhance safety, mobility, accessibility and convenience for all corridor users including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, motorists, commercial and emergency vehicles, and for people of all ages and abilities by planning, designing, operating, and maintaining a network of Complete Streets." Hennepin County joins the City of Rochester as the first two jurisdictions in Minnesota to pass explicit Complete Streets policies. St. Paul has also passed a Complete Streets resolution and will have a full policy in place by the end of the year.

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