Finance and Commerce reports on plans to study the construction of a bike path on busy Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota. Now designated as State Highway 51 and a Truck Route, the road is scheduled for a $2 million resurfacing project this spring.
"Complete Streets" advocates want the state to install bike lines as part of the process. The F&C article declares, without support or attribution, that the “Complete Streets” philosophy is "increasingly popular." We'll see how popular the philosophy becomes once speeds are reduced, street parking disappears, and trucks begin navigating 10-foot-wide lanes.
Get ready, Central Avenue in Minneapolis and Highway 96 in White Bear Lake are next.
Showing posts with label Complete Streets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Complete Streets. Show all posts
Friday, January 6, 2012
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Complete Streets on Libertarian Viewpoint
Here are the links to my TV interview last month by Sue Jeffers on Libertarian Viewpoint. Subject: Complete Streets in Minnesota.
St. Cloud and Complete Streets
Just like the European Union and local school districts, "Complete Streets" advocates insist that the voting continue until the correct result is reached. They won't take "no" for an answer, but once "yes" is reached, the question is closed.
Case in point, the City of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Back in September, the City Council voted down a "Complete Streets" policy, but that result was not allowed to stand. Yesterday, the City Council finally voted the right way and passed the policy on a 4-3 vote.
Warning to St. Cloud residents: now that "Yes" is official, good luck getting a bad project reversed.
Case in point, the City of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Back in September, the City Council voted down a "Complete Streets" policy, but that result was not allowed to stand. Yesterday, the City Council finally voted the right way and passed the policy on a 4-3 vote.
Warning to St. Cloud residents: now that "Yes" is official, good luck getting a bad project reversed.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
More "Complete Streets" in St. Paul: Goodbye Parking!
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports on major street work planned for the City's Raymond Avenue in 2013. And yes, "complete streets" is on the job.
"About 50 of the existing 112 parking spots along the avenue would be eliminated to add bike lanes and other improvements." Comments at the hearing were split evenly, 7 to 7. In baseball, a tie goes to the baserunner. In Urban Planning, it seems, a tie goes to the bike rider.
"About 50 of the existing 112 parking spots along the avenue would be eliminated to add bike lanes and other improvements." Comments at the hearing were split evenly, 7 to 7. In baseball, a tie goes to the baserunner. In Urban Planning, it seems, a tie goes to the bike rider.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
An Update on St. Paul's Complete Streets Project
Minnesota Public Radio has an update on the Jefferson Ave. "complete streets" project in St. Paul. It seems that many local residents are still not happy and considering a lawsuit. MPR quotes a local resident,
"When we start talking about narrowing our roadways, putting up roadblocks, eliminating stop signs or lights, things that would make it unsafe for pedestrians or other cars just to accommodate this very small minority of bikers on essentially a roadway system that already exists from one end to the other, and to then put a million dollars into it and call it a bikeway, is insulting."
"When we start talking about narrowing our roadways, putting up roadblocks, eliminating stop signs or lights, things that would make it unsafe for pedestrians or other cars just to accommodate this very small minority of bikers on essentially a roadway system that already exists from one end to the other, and to then put a million dollars into it and call it a bikeway, is insulting."
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Minnesota Complete Streets Update
Since my first post on the subject, a number of developments have occurred in Minnesota's "Complete Streets" scene.
Most notably, the City Council of North St. Paul voted (4-1) to kill the controversial 15th Avenue complete streets project. Coverage from the St. Paul Pioneer Press before and after the vote. Look for another project to take its place as, "City officials have said they still believe in the Living Streets plan and will consider using it for future street projects."
Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune carries a commentary on another complete streets project: the Bryant Avenue bike boulevard ("Finding room for bike-car coexistence"). It describes a novel complete street project with the bike lane running down the center of the road. Of course, that will slow down cars trying to use the same lane, but no matter, as "people who want to move fast should be over on Lyndale Avenue, according to defenders of the new lanes."
That's the real problem, isn't it? The cars aren't going away, they are finding a different route. So what may be good for Bryant Ave. will be bad for Lyndale Ave., as traffic, like water, finds its own level. Supporters who want a quiet, bike-friendly street are just inflicting more traffic on the next road over.
Not new, but here (from Minnesota Public Radio) is a photo of my least favorite complete streets application:
It is First Avenue in Minneapolis, near the Target Center/Target Field sports stadia complex. What was curb side, metered parking is now a dedicated bike lane. Parking has now moved to what was a driving lane, so we have parked cars in the middle of the street. How does this promote safety?
Most notably, the City Council of North St. Paul voted (4-1) to kill the controversial 15th Avenue complete streets project. Coverage from the St. Paul Pioneer Press before and after the vote. Look for another project to take its place as, "City officials have said they still believe in the Living Streets plan and will consider using it for future street projects."
Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune carries a commentary on another complete streets project: the Bryant Avenue bike boulevard ("Finding room for bike-car coexistence"). It describes a novel complete street project with the bike lane running down the center of the road. Of course, that will slow down cars trying to use the same lane, but no matter, as "people who want to move fast should be over on Lyndale Avenue, according to defenders of the new lanes."
That's the real problem, isn't it? The cars aren't going away, they are finding a different route. So what may be good for Bryant Ave. will be bad for Lyndale Ave., as traffic, like water, finds its own level. Supporters who want a quiet, bike-friendly street are just inflicting more traffic on the next road over.
Not new, but here (from Minnesota Public Radio) is a photo of my least favorite complete streets application:
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Follow the Money: Complete Streets
Most of these "Follow the Money" posts have dealt with private foundation grants to non-profits (NGO's), but the flow of taxpayer funds to non-profits should not be ignored.
Case in point: Minnesota environmental non-profit Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) is administering a 7-year, $28 million federal grant to fund biking and walking projects in the Twin Cities area. Not all of these projects have been well-received by the local community. One controversial project, on St. Paul's Jefferson Avenue, has attracted a good deal of attention. The City of St. Paul has pulled back from the Jefferson Ave. project, because of complaints from local residents that they were not involved in the planning process for a $1 million project that would have rerouted traffic and converted a road into a "bike boulevard."
In fact, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that local residents "have said that Transit for Livable Communities has come across heavy-handed. In discussions with the city, the nonprofit at times has threatened to block funding for a [second] proposed $400,000 bicycle boulevard".
Local radio host Joe Soucheray, also writing in the Pioneer Press, asks the common sense question, "They're our streets. It's our money. So why isn't it our decision?"
Soucheray adds,
"Let us understand our civics, shall we? The people who pay the bills, the taxpayers, watch, seemingly helplessly, as millions of dollars in federal funds - their money - is won by outfits like TLC to finance projects that the residents not only do not want but that also apparently circumvent the electoral process."
In this instance, we have a non-profit corporation (TLC) spending taxpayer dollars in ways that, literally, transform neighborhoods. How I live my life, get to work, walk around, interact with my neighbors will be impacted by whatever this non-profit decides is best for me.
Here is my concern with this funding approach. If I don't like the way in which a city is administering federal funds, I can complain to the city council and the mayor (and I have). If it's a county, I can go to county commissioners. The state, it's my local representative or senator. The local office of a federal agency? I call my congressperson or Senator. The local school district? A school board member. Each of these persons will be held accountable to voters (like me) in the next election.
If I don't like the way a non-profit is administering funds, to whom do I complain? To whom is the non-profit accountable? Where on the November ballot does the non-profit appear?
Case in point: Minnesota environmental non-profit Transit for Livable Communities (TLC) is administering a 7-year, $28 million federal grant to fund biking and walking projects in the Twin Cities area. Not all of these projects have been well-received by the local community. One controversial project, on St. Paul's Jefferson Avenue, has attracted a good deal of attention. The City of St. Paul has pulled back from the Jefferson Ave. project, because of complaints from local residents that they were not involved in the planning process for a $1 million project that would have rerouted traffic and converted a road into a "bike boulevard."
In fact, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that local residents "have said that Transit for Livable Communities has come across heavy-handed. In discussions with the city, the nonprofit at times has threatened to block funding for a [second] proposed $400,000 bicycle boulevard".
Local radio host Joe Soucheray, also writing in the Pioneer Press, asks the common sense question, "They're our streets. It's our money. So why isn't it our decision?"
Soucheray adds,
"Let us understand our civics, shall we? The people who pay the bills, the taxpayers, watch, seemingly helplessly, as millions of dollars in federal funds - their money - is won by outfits like TLC to finance projects that the residents not only do not want but that also apparently circumvent the electoral process."
In this instance, we have a non-profit corporation (TLC) spending taxpayer dollars in ways that, literally, transform neighborhoods. How I live my life, get to work, walk around, interact with my neighbors will be impacted by whatever this non-profit decides is best for me.
Here is my concern with this funding approach. If I don't like the way in which a city is administering federal funds, I can complain to the city council and the mayor (and I have). If it's a county, I can go to county commissioners. The state, it's my local representative or senator. The local office of a federal agency? I call my congressperson or Senator. The local school district? A school board member. Each of these persons will be held accountable to voters (like me) in the next election.
If I don't like the way a non-profit is administering funds, to whom do I complain? To whom is the non-profit accountable? Where on the November ballot does the non-profit appear?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Complete Streets = Complete Nonsense
Update: North St. Paul Kills Project
On Sunday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press published an article about the efforts of a St. Paul suburb, North St. Paul (home of the giant snowman), to redo one of their fine burg's thoroughfares (15th Avenue) using the "Complete Streets" model.
To give you an idea of how radical a makeover is planned, here is the diagram published in the paper,
Although it may be too tiny to see clearly, notice how much of the existing street width is being seized to make room for sidewalks, two bike paths, and "rainwater gardens". For $1.9 million and $60 to $70 per foot assessments of the local residents, here is the result: parking will be prohibited on one side, restricted on the other, and the driving lanes narrowed by 10 feet to slow down traffic.
Needless to say, the local residents didn't ask for this solution, so where did this idea originate? The "Complete Streets" movement is the thin wedge of "smart growth", trying to save us from the scourge of global warming by getting us to abandon our automobiles.
Here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Complete Street Coalition, who are pushing this agenda, was founded two years ago by, among others, the environmental non-profits Fresh Energy and Transit for Livable Communities. These groups are funded, in part, by out-of-state foundations, which I have documented as part of my Follow the Money series.
Local residents in North St. Paul are correct in asking " why their street has to be the one to test-drive the initiative". The good citizens of 15th Avenue are being volunteered as the test subjects for a radical experiment in urban planning.
In North St. Paul, the project is part of the City's "living streets plan" an effort to address "livability and environmental needs." Smart Growth critic Wendell Cox has written about the livability issue, pointing out,
" 'Livability' is the latest rallying cry for planners who want to draw lines around urban areas and force people out of their cars and into denser housing...a serious alternative to the car – hopefully a far cleaner, more efficient version–does not loom on the horizon. For all but a privileged few, cars and the quality of life and cars will remain 'joined at the hip'. This is why research shows a strong correlation between the automobile access in an urban area and economic growth."
The residents of 15th Avenue are correct to resist this intrusion. We should all hope that they succeed.
On Sunday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press published an article about the efforts of a St. Paul suburb, North St. Paul (home of the giant snowman), to redo one of their fine burg's thoroughfares (15th Avenue) using the "Complete Streets" model.
To give you an idea of how radical a makeover is planned, here is the diagram published in the paper,
Although it may be too tiny to see clearly, notice how much of the existing street width is being seized to make room for sidewalks, two bike paths, and "rainwater gardens". For $1.9 million and $60 to $70 per foot assessments of the local residents, here is the result: parking will be prohibited on one side, restricted on the other, and the driving lanes narrowed by 10 feet to slow down traffic.
Needless to say, the local residents didn't ask for this solution, so where did this idea originate? The "Complete Streets" movement is the thin wedge of "smart growth", trying to save us from the scourge of global warming by getting us to abandon our automobiles.
Here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Complete Street Coalition, who are pushing this agenda, was founded two years ago by, among others, the environmental non-profits Fresh Energy and Transit for Livable Communities. These groups are funded, in part, by out-of-state foundations, which I have documented as part of my Follow the Money series.
Local residents in North St. Paul are correct in asking " why their street has to be the one to test-drive the initiative". The good citizens of 15th Avenue are being volunteered as the test subjects for a radical experiment in urban planning.
In North St. Paul, the project is part of the City's "living streets plan" an effort to address "livability and environmental needs." Smart Growth critic Wendell Cox has written about the livability issue, pointing out,
" 'Livability' is the latest rallying cry for planners who want to draw lines around urban areas and force people out of their cars and into denser housing...a serious alternative to the car – hopefully a far cleaner, more efficient version–does not loom on the horizon. For all but a privileged few, cars and the quality of life and cars will remain 'joined at the hip'. This is why research shows a strong correlation between the automobile access in an urban area and economic growth."
The residents of 15th Avenue are correct to resist this intrusion. We should all hope that they succeed.
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