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New at streets.mn: Safe Routes to Schools Messaging

I’m happy to announce that I’ve become an occasional contributor to StreetsMN, a blog devoted to discussing transportation infrastructure and planning throughout our fair state. My first contribution, Safe Routes to Schools: Getting the Message Right, talks about the challenge faced by Safe Routes in going beyond marketing the program as a health program and making [...]

February 22nd, 2012 | Category: children on bikes, education, encouragement, engineering, marketing, minnesota, safe routes to schools, share the road, suburbs, transportation options, urban planning | Comments are closed

Not In My Front Yard: Safe Routes Stalls in Blaine Council

Nothing quite like suburbia to make you want to grind your teeth.

In September 2011, MNDOT awarded several Safe Routes to Schools grants to Anoka County suburbs to help encourage kids to walk to school. One of the projects was to improve walkability to Westwood Intermediate and Middle Schools by constructing a six-foot sidewalk on 91st Avenue NE [...]

February 13th, 2012 | Category: anoka county, bicycle advocacy, bicyclists, biking with kids, blaine, children on bikes, common sense, complete streets, education, engineering, minnesota, pedestrian access, public meetings, safe routes to schools, sidewalks, suburbs, transportation options, urban planning | 5 comments - (Comments are closed)

Advocates, Advocate. Harder.

I’ve been on a wee bit of a spree lately about the continual state of Defcon 11 every time there is federal hiccuping about restricting funds for Transportation Enhancements, or cutting Safe Routes to Schools, or classifying bicycles as vegetables instead of vehicles.

Here’s the thing: These are serious issues. We should be concerned about them. But [...]

January 28th, 2012 | Category: bicycle advocacy, bicycle commuting, bicycle safety, bicyclists, biking with kids, children on bikes, education, encouragement, environmentalism, evaluation, federal funds, legislation, minneapolis, pedestrian access, politics, roadway design, roadway use, safe routes to schools, share the road, transportation options, urban planning | One comment - (Comments are closed)

On the Sidepath to Nowhere

In Anoka County, work has been being done on County Road 14, especially in the segment from US 10 to the west to Central Avenue to the east. A big overpass was built over Central a year or two back, and now lots of repaving and road improvement has been going on. I was out there [...]

August 2nd, 2011 | Category: bicycle facilities, bicycle routes, bicycle safety, bicyclists, children on bikes, complete streets, engineering, minnesota, pedestrian access, road construction, roadway design, share the road, suburbs | 4 comments - (Comments are closed)

True Tales of Planning Breakdowns: Blaine Lakeside Park

I’ve talked quite a bit recently about how incremental change to encourage active transportation is very much dependent on working to improve existing poor development that can’t just be blown up with a do-over.

I offer today a tale from close to (my) home of good intentions gone awry.

Blaine, Minnesota has been a fast-growing burbclave for some [...]

March 12th, 2011 | Category: bicycle facilities, bicycle routes, bicycle safety, bicyclists, biking with kids, blaine, children on bikes, complete streets, encouragement, engineering, environmentalism, evaluation, health, minnesota, parks, roadway design, roadway use, suburbs, taxes, transportation options, urban planning | Comments are closed

Women & Bicycles

On this International Women’s Day, I thought I’d address one of the skeletons in the room when we discuss bicycle-friendly infrastructure and the interested-but-hesitant cyclist: A pretty good portion of that 60% is female.

Data suggests that men outnumber women on bicycles in the United States by a ratio of two-to-one. In many European nations, the ratio [...]

March 8th, 2011 | Category: bicycle advocacy, bicycle facilities, bicycle routes, bicycle safety, bicyclists, bike education, bike lanes, bike trails, biking with kids, children on bikes, common sense, complete streets, distracted driving, education, encouragement, enforcement, environmentalism, europe, evaluation, health, minneapolis, minnesota, pedestrian access, roadway design, roadway use, safe routes to schools, statistics, survey, transportation options, urban planning, vehicular cycling, women | Comments are closed
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