Victory Neighborhood Celebrates Long-Awaited Pedestrian Improvements

 

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

 

Enjoying a more pedestrian-friendly Victory neighborhood. Photo credit: Val Escher.

 

A complex intersection in the Victory neighborhood in North Minneapolis has a safer, more community-oriented design. The new design was aided by a planning grant Transit for Livable Communities awarded back in 2011 through the federal Bike Walk Twin Cities program we administered.  

 

Long-awaited pedestrian improvements at Penn Avenue North, Osseo Road, and 44^th Avenue were the focus of a community celebration last month. New bike lanes on Osseo Road were added just a couple of weeks later. The center of the neighborhood is where these three roads come together. Victory 44 coffee shop and kitchen is there, along with The Warren art gallery.

 

 

Community members came out to celebrate a walkable intersection years in the making.
Photo credits: Val Escher. 

 

Previously, the double intersection and the diagonal nature of Osseo Road formed “a complex geometry,” to quote one planning study. Residents who wanted to get to businesses found it “unwelcome for walking,” with poorly marked or missing crossings, complicated traffic signals, and missing sidewalk segments. Pedestrians were actually prohibited from crossing the street in several important places, reducing access to an area with potential as an economic hub.

 

The intersection, before recent improvements. 

 

For years, the Victory Neighborhood Association pushed for a solution to the complicated intersection.  Various options had been under consideration since 2008. Local residents and business owners called for a redesign that worked better for people walking and for bus riders, bicyclists, and motorists. Community members also wanted an easier connection to the Grand Rounds trail, which is just a block north of the intersection. The Hennepin County Bicycle Plan included a bike route on Osseo and Penn.

 

At a 2012 community meeting, residents brought shovels to signify that they were serious about turning improvement plans into reality on the ground.

 

 

The intersection, after recent improvements! Photo credits: Val Escher.
 

New bike lanes on Osseo Road also were added a couple weeks after the community celebration. Thanks to TLC members Val Escher and Peter Bretl for attending, trying out the new infrastructure, and reporting back! Photo credit: Peter Bretl. 

 

Today, with support from the community and funding provided by Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis, Osseo Road is safer for all users. It has dropped from two travel lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction (a design treatment called a 4-3 conversion). The stop light at Osseo and 44^th has been removed and bike lanes and a pedestrian median have been added. Now, a person crossing the street has to deal with only one lane of traffic in each direction. Other pedestrian improvements include:

 

• Reconstructed pedestrian ramps at all corners of the intersection.
• New bump-outs at corners to shorten street crossings.
• Improved street lighting.
• More visible crosswalk markings.

 

Thanks to the City of Minneapolis for taking the lead on implementing this valuable project. Congratulations to the Victory neighborhood and to everyone who will safely bike, walk, and drive this much-improved intersection going forward.

 

Sunday on the Southern Connector

By Hilary Reeves, Strategic Advancement & Communications Director

Editor’s Note: This piece by TLC’s Hilary Reeves originally ran in the Southwest Journal on July 1 as part of her regular “Spokes & Soles” column. 

 

Thousands of bicyclists know that the Bryant Avenue Bicycle Boulevard is a great north-south route in southwest Minneapolis, near Lakes Calhoun and Harriet. Now, southeast Minneapolis bicyclists have a north-south route of their own. The newly finished 17th Avenue & 12th Avenue Bicycle Boulevard runs 4.75 miles from the Phillips neighborhood to Richfield, near Lake Nokomis.

In its planning stages, this route was called The Southern Connector, almost as if it was a new highway. Perhaps that’s because it provides a route over the Crosstown (aka Hwy 62) or because it provides a flat, bicycle-optimized route from the south metro — Richfield and Bloomington — to downtown Minneapolis.

If bicycles are to be a convenient form of transportation, a network of routes to connect neighborhoods and get across the cities really helps. Building an on-street network of bike lanes and bicycle boulevards was one of the chief goals of the federal Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, locally known as Bike Walk Twin Cities. The program is winding up, as the last projects such as the Southern Connector are completed. Overall, since 2007, the pilot added more than 100 miles of new bikeways and sidewalks, including 65.5 miles of bike lanes and 27.8 miles of bicycle boulevards.

A recent Sunday ride on the 17th  & 12th Avenue Bicycle Boulevard (as the Southern Connector is now known) proves that a pleasant north-south bike route is attractive for recreational and commuter riding.

 

Phillips Neighborhood to Lake Street 

On the north end, the route begins at East 24th Street, across from East Phillips Park. Bike lanes were added to East 24th as part of the Southern Connector project. This east-west route passes through East African and Latino neighborhoods. On a Sunday afternoon, there were many people on the sidewalks and East Phillips Park was busy.

Turning onto 17th Avenue, it’s a few short blocks to the ramp to the Midtown Greenway. Along the route, there also are improvements for people walking, such as new curb bump-outs at East 26th and East 28th streets. When the route hits Lake Street, there is an easily accessible button for cyclists to push to get a green light. On Lake Street, the Heart of the Beast Theater is just a few blocks west, while a few blocks east is the busy Hiawatha-Lake intersection, with a Blue Line LRT stop, Minneapolis Community Education GED and English classes, and the Midtown Farmers Market. Access to Hi-Lake by bicycle is arguably best via the Midtown Greenway and Hiawatha LRT Trail.

 

 

Lake Street to Minnehaha Parkway  

Along the bicycle boulevard south of Lake Street, there are several residential traffic circles, which tend to slow down motorized traffic and make it possible for people on bicycles to keep moving without having to come to a full stop. On the Sunday of my ride, a few guys were playing pickup basketball while a bicyclist looked on. Given the lack of a hoop, their game was mostly dribbling and defense, but the ability to play in the street is an indication that 17th Avenue is a low-traffic street, good for cycling.

A few blocks farther south, a family of five was out for a ride, dad with trailer carrying a toddler, mom watching two older kids on bicycles. Together, they rode through the median at 42nd Street. The median keeps cars from using 17th Avenue as a through-street and it provides a place for people walking or on bikes to wait mid-crossing for traffic to clear.

 

 

Minnehaha Parkway to Richfield and beyond 

At Minnehaha Parkway, a new curb cut provides easy access to the off-road bike path along Minnehaha Creek that is part of the Grand Rounds. Take the path a few blocks east to Lake Nokomis. Take it a few blocks west to 12th Avenue South, where the bicycle boulevard continues south to Richfield. On my Sunday ride, part of the bike path was flooded but westbound it was easy to ride a few blocks on Minnehaha Parkway to pick up another entrance to the off-road bike path. And plenty of cyclists were out for a Sunday ride.

Heading south, the bikeway passes Hale School and Our Lady of Peace Church and School. These are just two of several schools and churches along the 17th and 12th Avenue Bicycle Boulevard, including Bethlehem Lutheran Church & Jacob’s Well, Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Lake Nokomis Presbyterian. Other schools on or near the route include South High (just south of Lake Street) and El Colegio Charter School, a Spanish-English high school.

At East 60th Street, the route turns east for a few blocks (sharrows mark the route), before turning on Bloomington Avenue South, which crosses over Hwy 62. As I rode by Taft Park, I could hear the announcer for a baseball game. There were a lot more cars than bikes at Taft Park, suggesting that this new north-south route has yet to be discovered by everyone. Yet, I saw cyclists on every segment of the route. In Richfield, bike lanes (also funded through BWTC) continue on Bloomington Avenue South to Diagonal Boulevard to East 73rd Street and south along 12th Avenue to East 76th Street.

 

All photos courtesy of Transit for Livable Communites.

 

New Bike Boulevard among Projects Opening this Summer

By Hilary Reeves, Communications Director

Updated: June 3, 2014

 

Bicyclist on Stone Arch and Presidents’ Bike Boulevard in Northeast Minneapolis.

The federal Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTPP)—implemented locally under the name Bike Walk Twin Cities—was the brainchild of Minnesota’s longtime Congressman James Oberstar. Sadly, Oberstar died in May, but his vast legacy of accomplishments in transportation continues to expand. In the case of the Bike Walk Twin Cities (BWTC) pilot, there are several bike/ped improvement projects yet to open in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Richfield, and Fridley. Some of these new BWTC-funded routes will be opening in June and July:

• Fridley: Main Street bike and walk connections to Northstar commuter rail
• Saint Paul: Charles Avenue bikeway from Aldine to Park Street
• Minneapolis:  Stone Arch and Presidents’ Bike Boulevard in Northeast, from the Stone Arch Bridge to St. Anthony Boulevard
• Minneapolis:  Southern Connector, from East 24^th to East 60^th Street
• Minneapolis:  Bluff Street extension of the Dinkytown Greenway, from the west bank of Bridge 9 to the Minneapolis Riverfront, near Gold Medal Park

 

We’ll be profiling these exciting projects for you this summer. First up: a new route in Northeast Minneapolis!

 

Stone Arch and Presidents’ Bike Boulevard

Distance:  The Stone Arch and Presidents’ Bike Boulevard runs 3.6 miles from Stone Arch Bridge to St. Anthony Boulevard, along 6^th Avenue SE, across East Hennepin Avenue, then along Pierce, Fillmore, Polk, and Tyler Avenues NE. The route extends north along Tyler to 37^th Avenue NE.

 

Bike routes it connects to:  Mississippi River trails; bike lanes on University Avenue SE and 4^th Street SE; 5^th Street Bicycle Boulevard, 22^nd Avenue Bicycle Boulevard, St. Anthony Parkway (Grand Rounds). The Diagonal Trail is not far away. 

 

 

The Route: Stone Arch and Presidents’ Bike Boulevard, Northeast Minneapolis.

 

Notable infrastructure:

• Mini traffic circles at two intersections along the route
• Median at Polk Street NE and Lowry Avenue NE
• Stop-light detection for bicycles
• Overhead ped/bike flasher and crosswalk at Hennepin Avenue

 

The project includes new traffic circles at Fillmore and Spring and at Polk and 28th.

 

Things to watch out for:  The bicycle boulevard runs along Hennepin Avenue for a block to get between 5^th Street SE and Pierce Street NE. The crossing at Hennepin Avenue is not ideal, but the best solution that could be found for now, given the narrow road bed under railroad tracks. Bicyclists are instructed to ride along the north sidewalk of Hennepin Avenue. As noted above, there is an overhead flashing sign alerting motorists to yield to bikes and pedestrians in the crosswalk to 5^th Avenue SE. Hennepin Avenue is two lanes in both directions, so cyclists could choose to take one of these lanes.

 

 

Overhead flashing sign at East Hennepin crossing (note: crosswalk markings not yet added).

 

Amenities for people walking: There are sidewalks all along the route. The medians at Lowry make it easier to cross, whether you’re walking or riding your bicycle. The median is wide enough to wait in the middle for motorized traffic to clear. The overhead flasher at Hennepin also works for people walking.

 

The new median at Polk and Lowry improves crossing conditions for people on foot or in a wheelchair.

 

Why here?  This new bike boulevard provides a quiet, easy, flat, north-south route on the east side of Northeast Minneapolis. After it crosses Hennepin Avenue, the bicycle boulevard runs parallel to Central Avenue, which is packed with restaurants, shopping, and services. It is also parallel to and a few blocks west of Johnson Street NE, where there are businesses and restaurants (such as Sarah Jane’s Bakery and Hazel’s Northeast). The route runs very near several parks, including Beltrami Park, Northeast Athletic Fields, Deming Heights Park, and (across Central) Columbia Golf Club. It connects easily to restaurants and shopping in Nordeast and along Central Avenue (e.g., Holy Land, East Side Coop, Recovery Bike Shop), as well as (via 22^nd Avenue Bicycle Boulevard) the Northeast Library, Edison High School, and the Quarry.

 

Bus, Nice Ride, HOURCAR connections: There are Nice Ride Stations (seasonally) at 6^th Avenue SE and University Avenue (not far from the Stone Arch Bridge), at Hennepin and Central Avenues NE (in the Nordeast commercial district), and at 22^nd Avenue NE and Central Avenue NE. There are HOURCAR hubs in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood and at Mill and Main by Father Hennepin Park and St. Anthony Main.

Several Metro Transit routes intersect the bicycle boulevard, making bike-bus connections possible to places all over the metro. Bus routes cross the bicycle boulevard at:

• University and 4^th Street (several express routes and Route 6, serving U of M, Hennepin, Xerxes, France, and Southdale)
• 8^th Street SE (Route 2, serving Franklin Avenue, Riverside Avenue, U of M and 8^th Street SE; and Route 4, serving New Brighton, Johnson Street, Bryant Avenue, and Southtown)
• East Hennepin (Route 25, serving Northtown, Silver Lake, Stinson, Lake of the Isles and Route 61, serving E Hennepin Avenue, Larpenteur Avenue, Arcade Street)
• Broadway Street NE (Route 30, Broadway Crosstown and Raymond Avenue)
• Lowry Avenue (Route 32, Robbinsdale, Lowry Avenue, Rosedale)
• Nearby on Central Avenue (Route 10, Central Avenue, University Avenue, Northtown)

 

Route 10 and other easily accessible Metro Transit routes make it easy to combine bike and bus trips.

 

Project cost:  $335,570 (construction) + $116,930 (preliminary engineering) = $452,500

 

Expected completion:  We’ll look forward to riding the completed Stone Arch and Presidents’ Bike Boulevard by the end of June 2014. Hope to see you out there! 

 

 

Remembering a Transportation Champion

 

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

 

 

It is a seismic moment in the transportation world when a leader of the stature of James Oberstar dies. Oberstar was a long-serving representative from Minnesota, but he was also an international giant in the world of transportation.

 

In his decades in Congress, Oberstar worked in a bipartisan way to forge a new vision for transportation that recognized how transportation underpins so much of our lives, how goods get to market, how people get to work, how children get to school. He set in motion and in policy a comprehensive, multimodal view of transportation that impacts the nation and world in positive ways every day.

 

At Transit for Livable Communities, we supported Congressman Oberstar’s vision for transportation. And we were specifically involved in carrying it out as administrators of the federal Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program he championed. Through this program, Congress charged four communities across the nation to test the potential of bicycling and walking to move people, improve health, and reduce air pollution.

 

In the Minneapolis area, the pilot program, known as Bike Walk Twin Cities, led to an expansion of the network for bicycling and fostered innovation, from bike sharing to community bike/walk centers. It contributed significantly to huge increases in bicycling and walking from 2007 to 2013. Congressman Oberstar was there at the beginning of Bike Walk Twin Cities, leading a bike ride at the University of Minnesota campus, and with the vision to see what this pilot could inspire. His leadership in creating this program has engendered a new commitment—by elected officials, transportation professionals, and communities—to making sure our transportation systems serve everyone.

 

Congressman Oberstar’s legacy and passion for transportation also extends beyond Bike Walk Twin Cities. He spoke excitedly and in fluent French about the TGV high-speed trains in France. Under his leadership, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee initiated the federal New Starts Program that has funded many new rail lines across the US, including our own Hiawatha (Blue Line) and Central Corridor (Green Line) light rail. Congressman Oberstar helped to secure early funding for the renovation of Union Depot in Saint Paul, which will begin serving Amtrak trains this week. The wildly popular Safe Routes to School program was one of the programs of which he was most proud.

 

We are saddened by the death of such a great leader and a good friend. We also are committed, like so many others he inspired, to working toward the vision of transportation as pivotal to health and prosperity for all. As people travel this state’s and this county’s growing network of bike routes, we hope they will tip their helmets to Congressman Oberstar for his vision and leadership.

 

The Economics of Bicycling

By Whitney Lawrence, Senior Organizer/Membership Engagement

 

This summer, TLC member and allies gathered in Minneapolis to take a closer look at the economics of bicycling. Over 40 people attended the Transportation on Tap event, which featured presentations and discussion from TLC’s Joan Pasiuk and Steve Clark. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us!

As we discussed at Transportation on Tap, it is hard to dispute the fact that bicycling is good for you— it’s good for your health, and easy on your pocketbook. It is also getting harder and harder to dispute the fact that bicycling is good for the community at large. The economics of bicycling tell us a few key things: bicycles are cheaper to own than cars, bicyclists tend to spend more money in their local communities, property values rise with increased bicycling infrastructure, and more bicycling leads to more health savings.

Health Savings

Bicycling for transportation is a convenient way to build physical activity into your daily life. Getting active is essential to healthier living and reducing health care costs. One study shows that obese workers lowered their annual health care costs $400-$500 by being physically active 1-2 days a week. Locally, Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) estimates that they saved $170,000 in health care costs over three years by implementing bike-to-work incentives for their employees.

Additionally, an analysis of the nonmotorized transportation pilot program (which includes the Bike Walk Twin Cities program in the Minneapolis area) found that increases in bicycling resulted in nearly $7 million in savings in one year from extended length of life (ie. avoided “economic cost of mortality”) across four pilot communities.

Personal Savings

Cars are expensive—expensive to buy, and expensive to maintain. There are oil changes, flat tires, filling the tank up with gas, and much more. Estimates suggest that owning a car costs the average household around $8,500 per year. For low-income households, the cost burden is very high. In contrast, the average annual operation of a bicycle is just $308. This means that the average American only has to work 16 hours a year to pay for their bicycle.

Benefits for Business

When cities invest in bicycling infrastructure, it is good for business. First, there are property valued increases--properties within 150 feet of bike paths sell for $8,800 more than their counterparts. Second, bicyclists tend to spend more money in their local economies than folks who arrive by car. An Oregon study showed that for all businesses except supermarkets, bicyclists, transit users, and pedestrians spend more, on average, than those who arrive by car. Here in the Twin Cities, businesses near Nice Ride Minnesota bike-share stations saw an estimated $150,000 increase in customer revenue over the course of a season. These increases in spending are substantial and help explain why some businesses (including Birchwood Café and Northbound Smokehouse Brewpub) are happy to give up one or two car parking spots to install bike corrals and other increased bicycle parking.

Comparing costs

Investing in bicycling infrastructure is a cost-effective way to get people from A to B, while also fostering the economic benefits above. Putting in one mile of bike lane costs an average of $50,000 (often much cheaper). In contrast, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, one mile of highway costs $30 million on average. This cost varies by project. Highway 36, for example, cost $25 million per mile, while Highway 100 cost $100 million per mile.

Minnesota communities deserve investments in bicycling and walking infrastructure and the significant benefits these investments bring. During the next legislative session, TLC and allies will once again fight for increased investments in safe, accessible bicycling and walking as part of transportation funding.

More on the economics of bicycling:

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1680611/bikes-arent-just-good-for-you-theyre-good-for-the-economy-too

http://www.nbm.org/intelligentcities/topics/city/city-essay.html#full

http://grist.org/biking/2011-02-28-how-bicycling-will-save-the-economy/

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2013/03/08/bicycling-means-business-how-cycling-enriches-people-and-cities/

The Trend of Less Driving Continues

By Barb Thoman, Executive Director

New data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) show the average American drove 9,360 miles in 2012—44 fewer miles than they drove in 2011. More surprising is that the peak in miles driven per person (aka vehicle miles traveled, VMT) occurred back in 2004, when Americans, on average, drove 10,118 miles. Driving per person is down 7.5 percent over the last 8 years. This persistent decrease in driving is occurring as transit ridership, bicycling, and walking are all increasing (e.g. The American Public Transit Public Association just announced a record 10.5 billion rides on US public transit in 2012; the 2012 Bike Walk Twin Cities Count Report shows that in the Twin Cities over the last 6 years bicycling is up by 51 percent and walking by 24 percent).

Looking at this trend in a different way, the FHWA also reports total miles driven in the US rose slightly in 2012, but the percentage of the increase was less than the increase in population for the year. Total miles driven in the US peaked at 3 trillion in 2006 and 2007, and hasn’t hit the 3-trillion-per-year mark again since.  

A recent article from the State Smart Transportation Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Madison offers some reasons for this decline:

A variety of factors have been cited for the decline, including retiring Baby Boomers; less enthusiasm for cars among Millennials; a move in many places toward more compact and mixed-use development; and demand-side policy efforts, including TDM [travel demand management], tolling, and market-pricing of parking. In addition, some trends that fueled VMT growth in the last century have eased: The transition toward women working outside the home is essentially complete, car-ownership has gone from rare to common, and people’s time budgets for car travel may have reached their maximum.

As we await the release of Minnesota’s own 2012 numbers this May or June, what might the national decline in driving tell us about the future?

It’s good for the air, public health, and community livability. 

This decline in driving should give us pause about adding to the size of our state highway system. Minnesota already has a large road network (the 5^th largest road system in the US, and 8^th largest regional highway system in the US), and in the future we could have trouble maintaining a highway system that doesn’t align with driving trends.

Our state should also consider and respond to the preferences of residents as we make investments. A recent statewide poll found widespread agreement among Minnesotans that transit is a good investment for the state, and also that building more roads will not solve traffic congestion alone.

We hope these changing travel patterns will mean a greater focus on investment in transit service and repair of the roadway system we have. The trends also reinforce the goal of retrofitting more of our roadway networks as complete streets—safer for people who are choosing different ways to get around.

For more on driving trends in Minnesota see information from MnDOT here (PDF).

 Updated 4-19-13.

Clean air and transportation

From Barb Thoman, Executive Director

The air in Minnesota is cleaner than it was 40 years ago, when cars without catalytic converters burned leaded gasoline and industry smokestacks had fewer controls. Yet, over that same period, we’ve also found out more about how air pollution affects people’s health and the environment.  In short, we’ve found that lower levels of air pollution affect our health more than we had previously thought.

Based on this new knowledge, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has tightened federal air quality standards for lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, small particles, and sulfur dioxide in recent years.  Even more stringent standards are now proposed for ozone and small particles. 

Why are elevated levels of ozone and small particles in our air of such concern that stronger regulation is necessary? Because ozone and fine particles contribute to many health problems.

• OZONE. The health effects from elevated concentrations of ozone include “breathing problems, lung tissue damage, and premature mortality” (California Air Resources Board). Even persons who are otherwise healthy may experience health effects when ozone levels increase.  A recent study also shows that ozone contributes to cardiovascular events like heart attacks.  (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, http://www.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/air/air-quality-and-pollutants/general-air-quality/be-air-aware.html)
• FINE PARTICLES. These particles enter the deep lung and are transferred into the bloodstream where they can travel to and affect other organs.  Fine particles have been shown to increase heart disease, respiratory disease, lung damage, cancer, and mortality. They also make asthma worse and lead to increased hospitalizations and deaths. People with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children are the groups most at risk. Fine particles are also major contributors to reduced visibility (haze). (California Air Resources Board, http://www.arb.ca.gov/adam/aqfaq/index.html#1 and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, http://www.pca.state.mn.us/gloss/glossary.cfm?term=Particulate_Matter,_Fine_(PM2.5)).  

Currently in Minnesota, our air pollution levels fall within EPA standards. But if, as expected, the standards become more stringent, we’re likely to exceed the new limits and be “out of compliance” with the Clean Air Act. Non-compliance would trigger a mandatory multi-year planning process and implementation of programs and actions to reduce pollutants. Exactly what will be required depends on the specific sources of pollution.  The costs of nonattainment would spread throughout the economy and could be very large. 

There are many sources of harmful air pollutants, including factories, homes, and other places where fuel and wood are burned, as well as farms where crop and livestock dust are generated. Vehicle tailpipe emissions contribute significantly to the creation of ground-level ozone and diesel emissions along interstate highways contribute to elevated levels of particles adjacent to those corridors.

 

 

Our transportation system and our personal transportation choices can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. Shifting trips from driving to transit, walking, or bicycling could play an important role in protecting air quality by reducing vehicle tailpipe emissions.

 

According to US EPA, a single passenger car emits nearly one pound of carbon dioxide per mile driven. Transit saves space on the road and emits a fraction of the pollution of driving alone.

 

Transit emits just a fraction of the air pollution of driving alone. More bicycling and walking also reduces emissions. We know this first hand from the combined efforts of TLC’s Bike Walk Twin Cities non-motorized transportation pilot program and the Volpe Center at the US Department of Transportation.

Since 2007, our BWTC program has been measuring the rate of bicycling and walking in the Twin Cities. Using the data from 2010, which showed bicycling up 33% since 2007 and walking up 18%, USDOT calculated the impacts on levels of driving and emissions. The results: in 2010 alone, more than 7 million miles were covered on bike or foot rather than in a car. From 2007-2010, more than 14 million miles shifted from driving to bicycling and walking.

And what’s the impact of less driving on air quality. Here is the chart from Volpe, showing that every day in the Minneapolis area, more bike/walk trips and less driving meant less carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and hydrocarbons.

USDOT Volpe Center CONVERSIONS for Minneapolis-area pilot.
Based on 7,260,877 averted vehicle miles travelled (VMT) in 2010
and 14,521,754 averted VMT for 2007-2010.

Other transportation options that can protect air quality by reducing tailpipe emissions include increasing use of car and bicycle sharing, telework and telecommuting programs, van pooling and carpooling.

So, what’s next with air quality issues in the Twin Cities? The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency manages compliance with the federal Clean Air Act in Minnesota. Currently, the MPCA is collaborating with the Minnesota Environmental Initiative, a nonprofit organization, to oversee an 18-month study process, called the Clean Air Dialogue, to identify options to reduce air emissions and reduce the risk of falling out of compliance with new air standards.

Transit for Livable Communities is one of the invited participants in the Clean Air Dialogue. If our region commits to building out our transit system (bus and rail) and keeps working to make bicycling and walking safe and convenient options across the metro, we can show how emissions from transportation can be reduced – contributing to cleaner air and better health.

For more information on:

The Clean Air Dialogue process

http://www.environmental-initiative.org/projects/minnesotas-clean-air-dialogue/minnesotas-clean-air-dialogue-meetings

Bike Walk Twin Cities Count report

http://www.bikewalktwincities.org/sites/default/files/bike_walk_twin_cities_2011_count_report.pdf

Non-Motorized Pilot Program report to Congress

http://www.bikewalktwincities.org/news-events/news/us-dot-more-investment-bicycling-and-walking-pays

 

Jefferson Avenue: A Project in Context

From Hilary Reeves, Communications Manager

My employer, Transit for Livable Communities (TLC), awarded funds to a project along Jefferson Avenue in Saint Paul. The project was proposed by the City of Saint Paul and the funds are from the federal nonmotorized transportation pilot program that TLC administers. The project has been the subject of recent news articles: here and here.  Here is some context. 

Why TLC?
TLC is an organization focused on increasing transportation options for Minnesotans with the goals of improving health and economic opportunity, strengthening community, fostering a sound economy, and preserving our natural resources. Based on its transportation-related expertise, TLC was appointed by Congress to administer the Minneapolis-area pilot location of the nonmotorized transportation pilot program funded in the 2005 federal transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU. TLC created Bike Walk Twin Cities (BWTC) to run the program. BWTC and TLC are accountable to the Federal Highway Administration and Mn/DOT for the use of these funds. Funding for projects has been awarded on a competitive basis.

A big picture approach to transportation options.
The Jefferson Avenue project is one of 37 infrastructure projects in the Twin Cities funded by TLC through Bike Walk Twin Cities. Several of these projects have opened in the last year and many more are opening in the next few weeks, with more to come in 2012. These include bike boulevard projects like the one proposed along Jefferson. Check out this video about the RiverLake Greenway. Here is a schedule of Fall 2011 openings of new projects, including two more bicycle boulevards. In Saint Paul, two projects have already opened: The Marshall Avenue connection, from Cretin Ave. to the River, and new bike and pedestrian facilities along Como Avenue, creating a connection from the U of M campus to the Capitol. These new routes are filling in a network of routes to make it easier for people to choose getting around on bicycle or on foot, including in combination with transit.

New bike lane uphill from Mississippi River on Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul

Goals of the nonmotorized pilot program
Congress recognized the value of bicycling and walking to improve health, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality. The goals of the pilot program are ambitious – to increase bicycling and walking as a means of transportation and to document health and other benefits – all in about five years. Only four communities have been given this extraordinary opportunity. In this pilot location, when all projects are complete, the funds will have brought more than 75 miles of new bikeways and sidewalks, provided the majority of startup funding for Nice Ride Minnesota bike-sharing (in a public-private partnership) and the Sibley Bike Depot Community Partners Bike Library. The funds have brought a new Bike Center to the University of Minnesota, including the biggest installation in the nation thus far of an RFID system to track bicycle commuters to provide wellness and other benefits. The pilot program is also funding one of the nation’s most robust efforts to actually count the number of people bicycling or walking—as one means of finding out how these investments pay off. Data from 2007-2010 show a 33% increase in bicycling and a 17% increase in walking.

Jefferson and Griggs.
TLC did not propose these projects. The City of Saint Paul proposed both the Jefferson and Griggs projects. The original deadline for completing them was 2010. By the summer of 2011, with the City’s inability to move their Jefferson project forward and with no work completed on Griggs, TLC indicated that if the City could not follow through on the projects they would need to be cancelled so the funds could be reprogrammed elsewhere in the pilot area. Community leaders interested in the Griggs project argued that its fate should not be linked to progress on the Jefferson project. In August, in response to assurances from the City that the Griggs project would be accelerated, the TLC board reaffirmed that Griggs and Jefferson would proceed independently.

The Jefferson and Cleveland diverter.
The proposal from the City of Saint Paul, funded in 2009, called for making Jefferson Avenue a bikeway from River to River. Several improvements in the section of Jefferson east of Lexington have already been added –there are now bike lanes and the speed limit has been reduced to 30 mph. A sidewalk will be added with pilot funding. The City proposed to make the segment west of Snelling a bicycle boulevard. A bicycle boulevard is a residential street to which certain features are added to make bicycling and walking safer, while also discouraging non-local automobile traffic. The City’s proposal for this section of Jefferson included a combination of traffic circles, stop-sign removal, curb bumpouts, and medians. The City conducted public meetings about their proposed plans for Jefferson Avenue. During this process, most of the bicycle boulevard elements were rejected, leaving just the median, or diverter, at Cleveland. However, as indicated at the public meeting on September 27, 2011, the City of Saint Paul has now reopened the process and will re-consider all the options they originally proposed for this segment of Jefferson Avenue.

New features on the streets.
Both Saint Paul and Minneapolis have worked to become cities where bicycling and walking are real options for getting around. The nonmotorized pilot program has helped make that ambition more of a reality. Minneapolis and surrounding communities are seeing new features on the streets, such as bicycle lanes, bike boxes to improve safety for cyclists at complex intersections, bicycle-detection stop lights, curb bump outs, and medians. Some of these features have been around for a while, some are totally new to our region. These are features that have been shown to work well in other communities to make bicycling and walking safer and more convenient. In addition to infrastructure, Bike Walk Twin Cities has funded efforts to help people learn about and use these new features, incorporate the expanded network of bicycle routes into their travel choices, and have access to bicycles.  

What about you?
Have you seen any of the new projects funded through this pilot program? If you’re interested in checking them out, please join us—there are several openings in the next week.

Bicyclist along the RiverLake Greenway, Minneapolis

Construction workers add Bike Boulevard markings to Bryant Avenue South. Credit: Leslie Foreman

Bike Boxes at intersection of Franklin Avenue & East River Parkway

 

Curb improvements on RiverLake Greenway

Traffic circle under construction on 5^th St NE bicycle boulevard

Nice Ride Minnesota expands to Saint Paul, summer 2011

Bike Walk Twin Cities Project Openings --Fall 2011

During September and October, new bicycle routes funded through Bike Walk Twin Cities will open in Minneapolis. These projects, and others that opened last year as well as some due for 2012, are expanding the network for cycling, especially on-street cycling. The new projects include three bicycle boulevards, advisory bike lanes, and the state's first bicycle stop light. Some of the project openings will be celebrated as part of October Bike Walk Week October 3-9.

Please mark your calendars for these openings. More details will be shared as plans become complete.

Bryant Avenue Bicycle Boulevard- Grand Opening Thursday, September 22  

This is the longest of the new bike routes in Minneapolis, providing a north-south route from West 58^th Street to downtown Minneapolis, via the bicycle/pedestrian bridge over Lyndale Avenue and the bike path to Loring Park. The route includes new medians at Franklin Avenue to make crossing easier for bicycles and people walking. There also will be easier access for bicycles to the Minnehaha Parkway bicycle trail. The route runs roughly parallel to Lyndale Avenue.

 University of Minnesota Bike Center-Grand Opening week of September 27

The new bike center in the Oak Street ramp will include retail sales and repair from the Hub Bicycle Coop, and (with membership) 24-7 key-card access to showers, changing rooms, and secure bike parking. The Center also offers classes and meeting space. With 70,000 students and faculty at the Twin Cities campus, there is great opportunity to get around more smoothly by riding bicycles (including Nice Ride bicycle-sharing), walking, and using transit.The University Bike Center will also offer the option to sign up for RFID (radio frequency identification) tags to track bicycle usage and be eligible for prizes.

 New routes in Downtown Minneapolis-Grand Opening Wednesday, October 5 (tentative)

Getting into downtown Minneapolis on bicycle is now easier due to two new projects. Cyclists have long waited for a better connection into from the Hiawatha LRT trail (which ends at 11^th Avenue South). A new bike path now exists adjacent to the Valspar parking lot, connecting to westbound bicycle lanes on 3^rd Street South and eastbound lanes on 4^th Street South. Another new project, on East 14^th, 15^th, and 16^th Streets, brings "Advisory Bike Lanes" to the United States for the first time (though Portland, Ore., also has plans for them: http://bikeportland.org/2009/10/21/bikeway-design-focus-advisory-bike-lanes-24880) Advisory bike lane streets are low-traffic narrow streets with bike lanes in each direction and one center lane for autos. If no bikes are present, cars can drive on top of the bike lanes (this is not legal for other bike lanes). If cyclists are present, cars use the center lane (wide enough for cars) to pass.

 New routes in Northeast Minneapolis-Grand Opening Thursday, October 6 (tentative)

Northeast Minneapolis has had few routes for a growing population, but that is about to change with three new routes (and a fourth in 2012). The new 5^th Street Bicycle Boulevard, featuring the state's first bicycle stop light and bicycle signal detection, runs from Dinkytown through the Nordeast shopping area and up to 26^th Avenue North. (Much of the route runs parallel to University Avenue.) Two new east-west bike ways intersect it-the 22^nd Avenue bike way and a new off-road bike path on 18^th Avenue (not funded by BWTC). In 2012, the Presidents Bicycle Boulevard will provide another north-south route on Fillmore and 6^th Avenues.

 New Bike Lanes in North Minneapolis-Grand Opening, Saturday, October 8-A Bike Walk Week October Event

The new bike lanes on Emerson & Fremont Avenues provide a great north-south route, connecting many great destinations, from North Regional Library (at the intersection of Lowry and Fremont) to the businesses along West Broadway (The Cookie Cart and Avenue Eatery are just down the block from Emerson) to Plymouth Avenue not far from UROC and the Urban League. The Emerson/Fremont lanes connect to bike lanes along 7^th Street North and 10^th Avenue North , making it easier to connect to downtown and Northeast Minneapolis.

 1^st and Blaisdell Bike Lanes-Grand Opening, Sunday October 9-A Bike Walk Week October Event

These new bike lanes connect downtown Minneapolis (via LaSalle heading southbound and Marquette heading north) to the RiverLake Greenway at 40^th Street in South Minneapolis. The route features buffered bike lanes along 1^st Avenue (between 40^th and 33^rd) and bike lanes on Blaisdell, with green paint at the high-traffic intersection at Lake Street to make bicyclists and motorists aware of each other.

Mississippi Market Joins Bicycle Benefits Program

From Amber Collett, Communications Associate

Manager Kari Binning outside
Mississippi Market at Selby and Dale, St. Paul.
(Photos by Amber Collett)

On June 1, the Mississippi Market kicked off summer by becoming the first Minnesota business to offer a Bicycle Benefits discount to shoppers. The Bicycle Benefits program is a nationwide progressive bicycling program that rewards cyclists for their commitment to physical activity, a healthy environment, and encourages increased helmet use.

“We’re excited to promote not only bicycling, but helmet use and cyclist safety,” said Kari Binning, Marketing and Media Manager at the Mississippi Market. “We think this program is a great fit for the Twin Cities community and hope that other businesses participate as well.”

Here’s how it works:

• Purchase a Bicycle Benefits sticker for $5 from a participating business
• Put the sticker on your helmet and be sure to wear it –no discount without the helmet!
• Show the cashier your Bicycle Benefits sticker to receive a five percent discount off your groceries

As an added benefit, your 1 ½” by 1” all-weather resistant helmet sticker enables you to get deals across the country. Other notable communities participating in Bicycle Benefits include Burlington, VT, Bozeman, MT, Madison, WI, and Seattle, WA –and the program is growing rapidly!

“I am excited to participate in this program! I really enjoy biking to the Market and I think it’s awesome that they are recognizing and rewarding the bicycling community here,” said Anna Cioffi, a regular shopper at Mississippi Market.

The Bicycle Benefits program is free for businesses to participate and the national program provides a “Business Start-up” package for purchase. Bicycle Benefits business members receive a decal for their storefront and a counter card to help inform customers about the program.

You can find out more at www.bicyclebenefits.org and join the movement to use pedaling energy to create a more sustainable community.

 

**This blog was originally published by Twin Cities Daily Planet