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?
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.
Posted by: Ruth Patton in walking, biking on
Jun 1, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It has been just over 120 days since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus) was signed into law. A big portion of the stimulus dollars went to transportation infrastructure with a focus on "ready-to-go" projects that could begin work quickly. Minnesota received about $600 million and had unprecedented flexibility to use the funds on many types of projects ranging from walking, biking, transit, rail, road repair, and more.
Posted by: Ethan Fawley in walking, transportation, transit, policy, planning, legislation, land use, global warming, driving, biking on
Jun 16, 2009
Last Thursday, the Minnesota Environmental Partnership hosted the first forum for the 2010 gubernatorial race, and transportation and land use were key issues in the discussion. Two gubernatorial candidates explicitly mentioned (and others echoed the sentiments) the need to finalize the Building Sensible Communities bill as an important part of simultaneously addressing global warming pollution and other quality of life issues such as air pollution, congestion, personal transportation costs, and dwindling open space.
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