Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published by Move Minneapolis on November 11, 2025. As anyone who has attended a community meeting about bike infrastructure in the Twin Cities region can likely attest, there is an oft-made claim that “nobody bikes in the winter.” While the number of trips by bike certainly drops with the temperature, more and more people seem to be using active transportation year-round, particularly with subjectively “milder” and shorter w...| Streets.mn
In my previous piece on the Midway’s suburban design problem, I focused on the area south of University Avenue: the big-box graveyards, the empty At Home (former Wal-Mart) building, the struggling Midway Marketplace. That stretch between University and I-94 represents everything wrong with trying to force suburban retail patterns onto urban, transit-rich land. But walk north across University Avenue on Snelling, and you’ll find something entirely different happening. It’s scrappier, mes...| Streets.mn
In 2027, Hennepin County will reconstruct Nicollet Avenue in Bloomington between American Boulevard and Old Shakopee Road. This corridor on the east side is a vital connection between three schools, the Valley View Park complex, a clinic and small, local businesses offering everything from boots to candy to music. People of all ages and backgrounds—families, children, lifelong residents, and immigrants—live, work, learn, and play here. That’s why it’s so important that we ensure Nicol...| Streets.mn
Hello, Streets.mn readers! It’s been a busy fall for many of us, so we’re extending our board recruitment for the 2026-2027 term to Sunday, November 23rd and adding an additional chance to talk with current board members! Meet the Board Event – Saturday, November 15th, 11am-2pm at Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis. Drop-in event, so come whenever you’d like. Look for people with Streets.mn nametags in the central seating area. Bike parking available on the sidewalk. Nearby transi...| 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. States advance single stair legislation: Lawmakers in states across the country are looking for ways to tackle the affordability crisis and housing shortage. One reform is to allow small an...| 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. Featured Stories from Streets.mn: Longtime Streets.mn writer and downtown Minneapolis resident Conrad Zbikows...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published by the Minnesota Women’s Press on August 25, 2025. At a recent public meeting hosted by the Minnesota Women’s Press, about 50 residents, legislators, and advocates invited by the Coalition for Responsible Data Center Development gathered to discuss the rapid growth of hyper-scale data centers. The conversation centered on a proposed facility in Farmington — a project that could use as much as 2.93 million gallons of...| Streets.mn
Every Saturday I hustle out of bed first thing in the morning. I get up before the sun and make my way to the St. Paul Farmers Market. I take the METRO Green Line to the market and I like to get there when there’s still a chill in the air — Saturdays in October at the farmers market are my favorite tradition. Recently, the St. Paul Farmers Market announced that it would be expanding its offerings. The longstanding farmers market has opened a year-round indoor market at the former Black ...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published by the Center for Transportation Studies on October 8, 2025. After a big rainstorm has sent water rushing down the street, you may have noticed the oily sheen left behind. Unfortunately, this everyday scene—caused by contaminants such as metals and fossil fuels that collect on road surfaces—is a major source of water pollution in Minnesota. But new research from the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources...| 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. Giving up equity for long term community: The Douglass Community Land Trust in Washington DC has put together a program that allows home sellers to keep homes affordable into the future. In...| Streets.mn
Many people are moving to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area recently for good-paying jobs and better social freedoms than other parts of the United States. A question first-time arrivals sometimes ask is, “how do the trains work and where do they go?” The Twin Cities’ Metro Transit has two METRO light rail lines named “Blue” (started service in 2006) and “Green” (started service in 2014). There are other color lines, like Orange and Gold, but those are Bus Rapid Transit...| Streets.mn
The Midtown Greenway opened 25 years ago, so let’s hear from the folks who pushed for it to happen! George Puzak envisioned the Greenway, Tim Springer was the Midtown Greenway’s first Executive Director, and Soren Jensen is the current Executive Director. Links Midtown Greenway trench history by Brian Mitchell: Part 1 & Part 2 Donate to the Midtown Greenway Coalition Attributions Our theme song is Tanz den Dobberstein, and our interstitial song is Puck’s Blues. Both tracks used by permi...| Streets.mn
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a version published June 2, 2025, by the Minnesota Women’s Press. Housing security and justice are big issues in most Minnesota communities. Rising construction costs — and a lack of investment and renovation funds going back decades — means that communities statewide do not have enough affordable housing. We reached out to seven housing experts, each with unique perspectives. What problems can we solve together with innovation and colle...| Streets.mn
Transit riders and cyclists converged on Fort Snelling’s Whipple Federal Building as Secretary Noem spoke, highlighting accessibility gaps and multimodal routes to protest.| 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. 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
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
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
With the uncertainty of federal funding, Minnesota has an opportunity to step up and provide local funding for public transit, including trains.| 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
