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Tuesday Transpo Bill Update!

Yeah, up the defcon level and shake your panic maker. Today’s the day the proposed Transpo Bill gets published.

Turns out it may be even worse than previously rumored.

A few points:

Transportation Enhancements become optional.
Safe Routes to Schools gets axed.
Eliminated bike/ped coordinators in state DOTs — while presumably, they could still be funded at the state level,it wouldn’t [...]

A Bike Route on Snelling Avenue?

Shouts out to @reubencollins on ze Twitter for tweeting this article about people looking to have the resurfacing project on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul include bike lanes.

This is a reasonably good article, with some gaps. The main gap is really surrounding the concept of Complete Streets, and I’m not strictly certain that’s on the author [...]

Update: Senate Commerce Committee Approves Complete Streets Language

In a follow-up to yesterday’s post seeking supportive contacts to Senate Commerce Committee members considering an amendment concerning Complete Streets to be considered today, the Commerce Committee unanimously approved the language.

Now, of course, it will move on to the full Senate, where it will be subject to the ongoing Legislative Theatre that all transportation discussion has [...]

Senate Committee to Consider ‘Complete Streets’ Language Wednesday

This Wednesday, December 13, 2011, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will consider an amendment offered by Alaska Senator Mark Begichto provide safe and adequate accommodations for all users in all federally-funded street projects.  The Amendment is S. 1950, “safety for motorized and nonmotorized users.”

You may recognize this language as a phrasing much like [...]

Bicycling in Minneapolis: A Slightly Contrarian View

So, there’s been a bunch of buzz about Minneapolis and bicycles lately. Grist is all a-flutter about Minneapolis as a bicycle town. There’s the kerfuffle about the Minneapolis bicycle coordinator hiring, as evidenced in this Star-Tribune story (and the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition’s recommended response). There was a bunch of gushing praise about bike-sharing and infrastructure following [...]

Fridley: Maybe We’ll Actually Use that Grant Money, Eh?

So, in this week’s news, Fridley is “considering adding bike lanes and sidewalks to three blocks on Main Street near the Northstar Station.”

To which I can only say: Seriously?

For those of you paying attention, during the 2011 Minnesota Bicycle Summit, Fridley was given a $110,000 grant from Bike Walk Twin Cities to do just this. At [...]