Matt Entenza’s claim rejected by three-judge panel

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The 2000 election was probably won by Al Gore. But George Bush was put into office anyway. Imagine what this world would be like had Gore been ensconced in the white house? The Tea Party would probably have emerged sooner and madder, but less organized; global climate change would have become a widely accepted issue to do something about within a couple of years, instead of much later (cuz, you know, that hasn’t even happened yet). We probably wouldn’t have had this war in Iraq. If Gore had continued Clinton’s policy dealing with Al Qaida and Osama Bin Laden (no relation) there probably wouldn’t have been a 9/11. I’m sure we’d have other problems, but none of those problems. Continue Reading

Transpo Convo with Bill: Bike lanes are where the snow goes

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Transpo Convo is an ongoing series in which I interview people about their transportation use. This second installment features highlights from my conversation with Bill D., in which we chat about icy winter riding, revamping roads for greater cycling infrastructure, and how to build effective cycling advocacy. Continue Reading

Coupon parking for Minneapolis and Saint Paul

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Parking is a quintessentially local issue. There is nothing more local than wanting to park close to your destination, and caring about the parking spot in front of your house. Attend any meeting about new development in the Twin Cities, and the unique “parking issues” of a particular location will be related. Yet “parking issues” in the Twin Cities today are always about too many cars chasing scarce kerbside spaces. Continue Reading

Transit budgets expose hidden costs of roads

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Transit projects make for easy political targets because of high construction costs. They have prices in the many millions of dollars, and occasionally tip into the billions, which brings critics out of the woodwork. It’s difficult to know whether certain projects are justifiable or not, particularly because different modes of transportation concentrate and spread out their costs in different ways. Continue Reading

It’s not a bottleneck, it’s a turkey neck

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Around these parts, it’s not an unpopular belief that the Hennepin-Lyndale Bottleneck is a bit – ah, how to put it? – oversized. The City of Minneapolis’ Public Works Department does not appear to share this belief, as they’ve submitted a design for the Bottleneck that retains its massivity. When a loved one has a weight problem and he or she doesn’t want to admit it, Dr. Oz might recommend using the neutrality of facts to make a case. So can we use numbers to determine whether there are too many lanes in the Bottleneck? Continue Reading

Dog Park detective: Alpine Off-Leash Dog Park

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The Day: Sunday, July 13th, a cool and breezy 66 degrees

The Dog: Snuggly Buggly, a Border Collie mix

The Park: Alpine Off-leash Dog Park (off of Sunfish Lake Boulevard and Alpine Drive in Ramsey)

The Amenities: Large fenced-in park with a doggie drinking fountain, dog duty pick-up bags, and picnic benches Continue Reading

Neighbors put pedestrians first on West 29th Street

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For the folks who missed the West 29th Street Reconstruction Open House in May, you missed the ultimate rarity: a public meeting in which everyone seems to agree on something! 29th might in fact be the most pot-holed and least attractive street in the city, but this didn’t seem to sway folks’ decidedly pro-pedestrian enthusiasm. Planners from Minneapolis’ CPED greeted the crowd with a completely open mind for the street’s future. In response, nearly everyone in attendance named ‘walkability’ as their top priority for the street’s redesign. Continue Reading

Transpo Convo with Mohamed: Learning about rider experience from Nairobi’s matatu culture

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Welcome to the very first Transpo Convo! This is a brand new ongoing series in which I interview people about their transportation use. In this first installment I share a few highlights from my conversation with Mohamed F., where we gab about bike lanes, transit pricing, and what Metro Transit could learn about rider experience from Nairobi’s matatu culture. Continue Reading