Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. Houston’s Mayor believes his way is the right way: A New York Times profile on Houston Mayor John Whitmire, a controversial figure to active transportation advocates, discusses how he th...| Streets.mn
Ever since the start of a second daily Amtrak train from Union Depot, St. Paul, to Union Station, Chicago, with the Borealis, I have been itching to take the train to visit my three cousins who live in the city of Chicago. This article is a diary of how this trip went and some of the observations along the way. Overall, I enjoyed traveling on the Empire Builder, but I do not know that I would recommend the Borealis unless you are choosing between train and intercity bus (I chose to forgo a pl...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published July 28, 2025, by the Minnesota Women’s Press. Two cities both intertwined and distinct, Minneapolis and Saint Paul have different approaches to solving similar housing problems — whether through city and county services, direct community aid, or both. Housing needs are a prominent issue in both the Minneapolis and Saint Paul mayoral races this year, as well as city council races. This story focuses on two major iss...| Streets.mn
Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. Creating a city to fight crypto noise: A community in Hood County Texas could vote soon to create a new city in order to regulate nuisances including noise from a nearby crypto mining opera...| Streets.mn
Editor’s Note: This is the second of two posts which chronicle Wolfie Browender’s October 4, 2024 ride. It continues the story of the Tri-Area Block Club grassroots work to improve the North End. A version of this post from appeared previously in the blog Saint Paul By Bike at SaintPaulByBike.com, which follows his quest to bike every block of every street in Saint Paul. Photos courtesy of Wolfie Browender unless otherwise noted. Macalester-Groveland, North End, East Side October 4, 2024 ...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published July 28, 2025, by the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota. More than 14,600 Minnesota residents applied for a rebate through the state’s e-bike rebate program when it launched in 2024. Established by the Minnesota Legislature to help reduce the cost of buying a new e-bike, the program was so popular that within minutes of opening in June 2024, the number of applicants overwhelmed the system a...| Streets.mn
On October 4 2025, Move Minnesota’s Livable Lyndale campaign hosted a “Stroll & Roll” rally to showcase what the experience will be like if Lyndale is reconstructed with a shared use path, as the current county design calls for. Here is a collection of testimonials from people in attendance. Video of testimonials along Lyndale Ave Links Sign the letter urging city council to withhold municipal consent Lyndale Ave project site Transcript [00:00:13] Elliott: My name is Elliott and I live ...| Streets.mn
The view and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of her organization. I became interested in local politics by accident when I started bike commuting in Minneapolis in 2011 (ask me about the exploding yogurt on the bike path incident). It wasn’t until well after COVID, however, that I had any awareness of the endorsement process for city-level elected officials, which came from the Wedge Live podcast. I recall referen...| Streets.mn
We talked to Genevieve Furtner, who Govenor Tim Walz called the “Queen of Walleye,” about all things fish: the DNR hatchery in Saint Paul, the State Fair fish pond, where baby walleye come from, what a “tiger muskie” is, why we stock lakes, and how much of an impact anglers have on the state economy. Links Egg harvesting demonstration video Walleye biology The almighty Muskellunge DNR State Hatcheries Saint Paul Hatchery Attributions Our theme song is Tanz den Dobberstein, and our int...| Streets.mn
Editor’s Note: This is the first of two posts which chronicle Wolfie Browender’s October 4, 2024 ride. A version of this post from appeared previously in the blog Saint Paul By Bike at SaintPaulByBike.com, which follows his quest to bike every block of every street in Saint Paul. Photos courtesy of Wolfie Browender unless otherwise noted. Macalester-Groveland, North End, East Side October 4, 2024 – 20.3 Miles Spotted in Macalester-Groveland, a fake snake and an unorthodox Halloween show...| Streets.mn
Editor’s Note: Max Hailperin is walking each of Minneapolis’ 87 neighborhoods, in alphabetical order. He chronicles his adventures at allofminneapolis.com, where the original version of this article was published August 31, 2025. Minneapolis’s North Loop neighborhood extends from the Mississippi River, between Plymouth and Hennepin Avenues, to the crotch of Interstates 94 and 394. Historically, it was settled in distinct areas, including a warehouse district and the exclusive Oak...| Streets.mn
Hello, Streets.mn readers! We need you to help support our organization. We’re always looking for new volunteers and contributors, but this time of year we’re kicking off …| Streets.mn
Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. Signal timing turned off in Houston: An unreported change in the signal timing system along Houston’s Red Line light rail has led to delays on trains and service bunching. Advocates are ...| Streets.mn
In early September of this year, the city of Brooklyn Park adopted a vision to guide the development of over 700 acres of undeveloped land in the northwest corner of the city. This came after many months of consultation with planners and community members since the fall of 2024. Akin to other large-scale development projects around the Twin Cities metro, like the Highland Bridge development in St. Paul, the Northwest Growth Area Plan will help guide the construction of the city’s Biotech ...| Streets.mn
Quite some time ago, a friend offered me an idea for an article. Reserve Block 40 — why the hell is that little park named that? No one (at least, no one who walks among the living) appeared to know. It was a mystery that had been allowed to be. Finding this all very interesting, I took up the suggestion of my friend. Working my way back through materials on the topic, I wound up tracing a circuitous path back home. The piece wound up becoming a kind of oblique auto-biography, and wound up ...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published Aug. 27, 2025 by the Minnesota Women’s Press Minnesota is poised on the brink of a precedent-setting situation as it comes to the future of the state’s water. A hyperscale data center is currently in construction in Rosemount, and projects are in various stages of approval in cities such as Apple Valley, Cannon Falls, Farmington, Hermantown, Lakeville, and Pine Island. There have been few protections in place so far abo...| Streets.mn
Hello Streets.mn community, Welcome to our biweekly newsletter, delivering the latest Streets.mn news and views directly to your inbox! In each issue, our editorial team will provide ongoing stories, news, updates and event information related to Streets.mn, city life and Greater Minnesota. Reading our newsletter for the first time? Subscribe here to get it in your inbox bi-weekly. New in Streets.mn: Cole Hanson’s recent piece, Why the Midway’s Suburban Design Is Killing Its Commerci...| Streets.mn
Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. Care infrastructure: In Flint, Michigan, a program called Rx Kids gives expecting mothers $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 per month for a year after birth. Researchers found the program sa...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published Sept. 23, 2025, by the Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) at the University of Minnesota. Access to job opportunities by driving and transit declined between 2022 and 2023 in most large U.S. cities, but it improved by walking and biking, according to new research from CTS’s Accessibility Observatory (AO). The ninth annual Access Across America (AAA) study uses the most current comprehensive walking, biking, trans...| Streets.mn
Key Info: What: Celebrate another year of fighting for safer streets and reparative justice with Our Streets! There will be food, friends and opportunities to win some sweet prizes. When: October 8, 2025 from 6 PM to 8 PM (or ride with us to the event) Where: Dual Citizen Brewing Co. 725 Raymond Ave, St Paul, MN 55114 Party on the way to the Party! Andy Lambert or Andy Lageson from Cyclehoop will be leading a party ride to the event: Meet at Humboldt and the Greenway @ 5:15 PM, Roll at ...| Streets.mn
In today’s book club episode, Parker Seaman and Ian R Buck discuss Bowling Alone by Robert D Putnam, in a conversation moderated by Stina Neel. Links Current book: Bowling Alone The Evolution of Trust (Explorable Explanation) MLMs are the mirror-world version of community organizing Next Book: The Lost Cause Attributions Our theme song is Tanz den Dobberstein, and our interstitial song is Puck’s Blues. Both tracks used by permission of their creator, Erik Brandt. Find out more about his b...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: A version of this story appeared as an opinion column in the Duluth News Tribune on September 6, 2025. A July 25 “Local View” column in the Duluth News Tribune concerning the ongoing development of the Northern Lights Express (NLX) argued that “Minnesota doesn’t need a high-speed train to nowhere.” But the article doesn’t cite adequate verifiable facts to support that view. First, the writer claimed that our Twin Ports are “nowhere.” Decades ago, my then-you...| Streets.mn
Top image: Hosmer Library at the Intersection of E 36th Street and 4th Ave South, 1940s. From the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development Records, Hennepin County Library. Imagine it is the spring of 1951, a weekday afternoon in May. You are nine years old, and you just got let out of Warrington Elementary School at 37th St. and 3rd Ave. for the day. It has been a strange school year, with the school strike and everything. You sniff the air outside, the smell of bread from t...| Streets.mn
An updated global map projection, using ancient technologies to combat rising temperatures, rainbow crosswalk outside of Pulse Night Club removed twice and more stories.| Streets.mn
In 2016, the City of Minneapolis adopted its first Complete Streets Policy. Between the approval of that initial version and the most recent update in 2021, the city also passed its Vision Zero Action Plan, 2040 Plan and Transportation Action Plan, all of which set ambitious goals for reducing car dependency and making our city safer and more accessible to people who use other modes of transportation. Despite this, there have been many obstacles to actually implementing these policies, with l...| Streets.mn
Streets.mn is excited to announce that we are seeking writers, storytellers, photographers to research and write articles for a recently-awarded Minnesota Historical Society grant. The grant seeks to deepen our community reporting on highway development and how the named highways have impacted the communities they are built through. There are four topic areas we are seeking story ideas for, but we’re open to others you may have in mind, as long as they are highways built through a city ...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published Aug. 27, 2025 by the Minnesota Women’s Press Anne Mavity has decades of experience in housing policy, advocacy and practical execution. There is no doubt in her mind what the housing problem is: “We need more housing, of every type, in every corner of the state. Period.” Mavity, who serves as executive director of Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP), noted that “we are short 100,000 homes for what we need to just ke...| Streets.mn
The Hamline-Midway neighborhood in St. Paul — the crucial stretch between University Avenue and Interstate 94 from Snelling Avenue to Lexington Parkway — sits at the intersection of two major transit lines and should be thriving. Instead, it’s littered with empty big-box shells, struggling strip malls, and businesses that seem to exist in spite of their locations rather than because of them. The problem isn’t just vacancy or disinvestment. It’s that developers and property owners ha...| Streets.mn
Hello Streets.mn community, Welcome to our biweekly newsletter, delivering the latest Streets.mn news and views directly to your inbox! In each issue, our editorial team will provide ongoing stories, news, updates and event information related to Streets.mn, city life and Greater Minnesota. Reading our newsletter for the first time? Subscribe here to get it in your inbox bi-weekly. New in Streets.mn: With federal bike funding potentially on the chopping block, Streets.mn contributor Aust...| Streets.mn
For the 1,800 bicyclists who used to travel to southern Minnesota every October to ride the Mankato River Ramble, memories of the picturesque ride endure: Stunning fall colors along the off-road wooded trails. A 40-foot waterfall and energy-boosting homemade snacks (peanut butter-oat balls, bumps on a log) at the Minneopa State Park rest stop. A warm small-town spirit, whatever the fall temps might bring. Best of all, flaky-crust pie from the Rapidan Dam Store (which has reopened in downtown ...| Streets.mn
Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. Light rail begins bridge tests: Sound Transit began full testing of the light rail on the I-90 floating bridge in Seattle, signaling the start of a new era in the region. The 2 Line extensi...| Streets.mn
For many years, Naomi Kritzer has compiled the most comprehensive collections of information about candidates in Twin Cities races. We sat down with her to find out her process, how it started, and what advice she has both for campaigns and voters! Links Naomi’s blog Some insight into St Paul city council drama Attributions Our theme song is Tanz den Dobberstein, and our interstitial song is Puck’s Blues. Both tracks used by permission of their creator, Erik Brandt. Find out more about hi...| Streets.mn
Researchers propose a three-tier framework—individual, community, systemic—to reframe urban transport as a social construct influencing equity, culture, power, and future mobility.| Streets.mn
Digging up writing from your past can be excruciating work. You have aged, and those gratuitous semicolons that once rang so profound and sure to impress are now rendered desperate. There is one writing, however, that continues to claw at me, and begs for another opportunity to showcase. It comes out of my senior thesis project, that, despite the semicolons, is something I ultimately remain proud of. The snippet from my thesis that I intend to resurface here requires some contextualization. I...| Streets.mn
Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. A new electric company: Ann Arbor Michigan is creating a power company that would build renewable energy inside the city limits through microgrids and rooftop solar. The existing power com...| Streets.mn
Brian Mitchell writes this as a resident of The Wedge near LynLake, and as a volunteer for Move Minnesota’s Minneapolis volunteer team and the Livable Lyndale campaign. These thoughts are his own and not made on behalf of either group. On August 14, Hennepin County released their final plan concept for the Lyndale Avenue South reconstruction project (though they are looking for more feedback). This plan was released months late after the comment period closed last fall, following the releas...| Streets.mn
If you’re inclined to dismiss the term “modal filter” as esoteric civil engineering technical jargon, hear me out: This is one of the most important pieces of urban infrastructure in a planner’s toolbox. When used correctly, modal filters allow communities to build a transportation system that’s better for all users. Whether you’re biking, walking, or yes— even driving — you should want more modal filters. What is a modal filter? The term “modal filter” refers to infrastru...| Streets.mn
Hello Streets.mn community, Welcome to our biweekly newsletter, delivering the latest Streets.mn news and views directly to your inbox! In each issue, our editorial team will provide ongoing stories, news, updates and event information related to Streets.mn, city life and Greater Minnesota. Reading our newsletter for the first time? Subscribe here to get it in your inbox bi-weekly. New in Streets.mn: Artist Hend Al-Mansour (left) poses with the artwork at Target on East Lake that, with he...| Streets.mn
A four-block long bike infrastructure demonstration near downtown Rochester installed this summer does more than create four blocks of protected bike lanes. It also makes an already existing and heavily used bike route safer. The City of Rochester partnered with the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to set up a four-block demonstration corridor west of downtown along 11th Avenue West. The project created protected bike lanes and added protection to a key bike and pedestrian cross...| Streets.mn
Federal rollbacks on bike and pedestrian funding expose the weaknesses of Minnesota’s fragmented transportation system, making the case for unified regional governance.| Streets.mn
Every day, The Overhead Wire collects national and international news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they post some of the most popular stories to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. World’s smartest city: After gaining a reputation as being a rural outpost, Etteln, Germany, has stepped into the modern age. A digital communication strategy has connected every part of ...| Streets.mn
At a moment of transition between managing editors and editors-in-chief, let’s take a look back at how Streets.mn got started, how we have evolved, and where we are headed in the future. Links Earliest Streets.mn post that Ian could find Twin Cities Streets For People, the site that Tony Rossell was hosting before Streets.mn was formalized Greater Greater Washington Urban MSP forums Gleeman and the Geek, the Twins baseball podcast that inspired Bill An early podcast episode that Bill is pro...| Streets.mn
Editor’s Note: This is the third in an ongoing series of articles touching on aspects of the City of Minneapolis’ planned reconstruction of 35th and 36th streets in South Minneapolis. We encourage residents and users of these streets to weigh in with city officials. When it comes to streets, the devil’s always in the details. As the City of Minneapolis plans its full reconstruction of 35th and 36th streets, one of the more under-the-radar policy considerations bearing on the project i...| Streets.mn
On Saturday, May 7, Scott and I walked a stretch of the Midtown Greenway, a 5.5 mile bicycle and pedestrian trail that runs parallel to Lake Street. Traffic was heavier than usual because of the Bi…| Streets.mn
Hello, Streets.mn community, I’m so excited to introduce myself as the new managing editor here at Streets.mn. Writing, editing and community journalism education have been at the heart of my work for many years. I feel deeply honored to be able to step into this role, because I believe that conversations about transportation and land use are at the center of whatever justice and equity conversations we have. We know that historically, decisions about land use have been shaped by systems of...| Streets.mn
Some of you may have already seen local coverage of new six-unit homes being proposed near the University of St Thomas campus. You also may have heard about some pushback from neighbors in that area — specifically an ask for a moratorium on all multifamily housing construction in the area. The two multi-unit structures would replace two single-family homes at 2143 and 2149 Selby Avenue (both owned by Elliot Capital Group in Eden Prairie, according to Ramsey County records). The houses, one ...| Streets.mn
Hello Streets.mn community, Welcome to our biweekly newsletter, delivering the latest Streets.mn news and views directly to your inbox! In each issue, our editorial team will provide ongoing stories, news, updates and event information related to Streets.mn, city life and Greater Minnesota. Reading our newsletter for the first time? Subscribe here to get it in your inbox bi-weekly. New in Streets.mn: First-time contributor Jack Riely embarks on an odyssey to track down a six-pack of beer...| Streets.mn
I recently attended the open house where St. Paul city staff presented the plans for the reconstruction of Pelham Boulevard. The open house was well-attended, and I saw many familiar faces, including others wearing face masks like my own in light of the unhealthy air quality on the day of the event. In summary, the reconstruction plans include converting the current flexpost-separated bikeway along this section of the St. Paul Grand Round into an off-street trail, similar to those along Como ...| Streets.mn
A recent study suggests that improving infrastructure may be key in allowing more kids to experience the benefits of walking and biking to school.| Streets.mn
With the uncertainty of federal funding, Minnesota has an opportunity to step up and provide local funding for public transit, including trains.| Streets.mn
Shared streets legalized in Washington State, the Highway Trust Fund goes broke and how a friend group developed its own apartment building.| Streets.mn
A first-time Streets.mn contributor shares the joys, challenges and lessons learned from 10 years of running for transportation in Minneapolis.| Streets.mn
