Transportation Choices 2020 Nominated for Minnesota Environmental Initiative Award

The Transportation Choices 2020 (TC2020) initiative, headed up by Transit for Livable Communities, was nominated for a Minnesota Environmental Initiative award. The TC2020 initiative brought together numerous organizations to advocate for a fully-funded, region-wide transit system by the year 2020, and the Transit Partners coalition was integral in the passing of the 2008 transportation bill. The award has been given out annually since 2002 by the Minnesota Environmental Initiative to organizations who “have achieved extraordinary environmental outcomes by harnessing the power of partnership.”

For the TC2020 initiative, Transit for Livable communities partnered with the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability; Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1005; Fresh Energy; ISAIAH; League of Women Voters Minnesota; Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy; Minnesota Environmental Partnership; Minnesota Senior Federation; and Sierra Club, North Star Chapter. The initiative also included partnerships with local business leaders, including the Itasca Project and metropolitan Chambers of Commerce. Finally, the coalition was supported by elected officials, most notably House Representatives Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis), Ron Erhardt (R-Edina), Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), Shelley Madore (DFL-Apple Valley), Margaret Anderson-Kelliher (Minneapolis), and Bernard Lieder (DFL-Crookston) and Senators Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis), Alice Hausman (DFL-St. Paul), Katie Sieben (DFL-Newport), and Dan Larson (DFL-Bloomington).

Together, they secured funding that makes it possible for the Twin Cities region to start building out a region-wide transit system. The new revenue will also help Minnesota:

• Construct eight new dedicated transitways (i.e. light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit)
• Double bus ridership by 2020
• Create better transit facilities and new park & ride capacity
• Provide revenue to local governments for bicycle and pedestrian projects
• Expand transit in Greater Minnesota

This region-wide transit system will be a historic step forward in addressing environmental problems caused by an unbalanced transportation system. Changing Minnesota’s transportation patterns to include more opportunities to take transit will start addressing air quality, water quality, and wetland protection issues in our state. Increasing transit options will reduce car travel in the region by one million miles by 2020, helping to protect Minnesota’s great outdoors. 

The other finalists in the Energy and Climate Protection category are Global Warming 101 Initiative and Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center.

View the other finalists in all the categories this year.

Transit for Livable Communities Selected for Transportation 4 America Campaign

Transit for Livable Communities has been invited to serve on the Executive Committee of the newly formed Transportation 4 America (T4America) Campaign, a national effort to reform the federal transportation reauthorization bill, which is up for renewal in 2009. The Campaign includes national organizations including Smart Growth America, Surface Transportation Policy Project, Reconnecting America, Policy Link, and the Apollo Alliance. Campaign partners have come together with a shared interest, focusing on transportation and community-building as inter-related challenges that help communities address the pressing concerns of the country.

"We're very honored to participate in this national effort," says Lea Schuster, Executive Director of Transit for Livable Communities. "The federal reauthorization bill provides an opportunity to shape America's future transportation system, and we look forward to working with our partners to ensure that the bill addresses the growing transportation needs of communities across the country."

The T4America Campaign will focus on transportation investments nationally to:

• Preserve and create safe, healthy, accessible, fair, clean and green communities
• Address global warming and reduce dependence on foreign oil in order for our country to remain economically competitive
• Improve mobility and housing choices to reflect the changing demographics demands of communities
• Reflect national economic, environmental, and equity goals and increase accountability.

Executive committee members are working this spring to define the Campaign's platform and principles.

In addition, Michael Lander, founder of Lander Group and a board member of Transit for Livable Communities, will serve on the campaign's steering committee.

For more information on the T4America campaign, see T4America.org.

Bike Walk Streets in the Twin Cities!

People who live and work in the Twin Cities area will have a new, safe way to get where they're going. Thanks to Transit for Livable Communities’ Bike/Walk Twin Cities initiative, “bike/walk streets” are coming to the Twin Cities area.

These streets are like nothing seen before in Minnesota. Bike/walk streets accommodate auto travel but literally give priority to cyclists and pedestrians. These streets use traffic calming techniques, signage, lighting, and other amenities to provide a safe, quiet, and direct route for bicyclists and pedestrians to reach everyday destinations like schools and commercial centers. These streets especially cater to new, inexperienced, or young riders, helping them move from riding on paths and trails onto shared roadways.

The idea intrigued local media, including Minnesota Public Radio, which featured it in a morning drive-time newscast recently. WCCO radio, KFAI, and the Southwest/Downtown Journals also featured pieces.

Bike boulevards, a variation of bike/walk streets, are used with great success in many cities around the world. In Portland, Oregon, bicyclists can ride on 30 miles of dedicated bike boulevards, many of which have recorded zero crashes over the last decade. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance in Portland plans to expand this network of bike/walk streets by dozens of miles in coming years.

As part of the Bike/Walk Twin Cities initiative, Transit for Livable Communities brought bike/walk street expert Mia Birk to speak in the Twin Cities. At least 50 people, including government officials, engineers, planners, students, advocates, and other concerned residents attended the presentation.  You can also view a video featuring Mia Birk here.

These streets are great neighborhood assets – calmer, quieter yet very functional. Residents in other cities have clamored for their streets to be designated for such treatment. They are also very cost effective for communities, adapting existing resources with minimal construction, to enhance the travel potential of low-traffic volume streets.

"Bike/walk streets will change how people get around the Twin Cities area," says Joan Pasiuk, Program Director of the Bike/Walk Twin Cities initiative for Transit for Livable Communities. “Many people already bicycle and walk to reach their destinations, but these bike/walk streets will be welcome mats for cyclists and pedestrians.”

Bike/Walk Twin Cities is an initiative of Transit for Livable Communities that aims to increase walking and bicycling and reduce driving by 2010. As part of this initiative, Transit for Livable Communities administers a $21.5 million federal grant making investments in planning, infrastructure, and public education to increase rates of bicycling and walking, and documenting the best strategies. Using this funding, Transit for Livable Communities is currently soliciting proposals for new bike/walk street locations in the Minneapolis area.

Governor Threatens Minnesota's Future With Slashes to Bus and Rail System

In February 2008, advocates for a balanced transportation system secured a major victory: over $100 million in dedicated funding to build out a region-wide transit system. Legislators gave metropolitan counties the opportunity to opt into this new funding stream, and Anoka, Ramsey, Dakota, Hennepin, and Washington counties all voted to levy the funding. As expected, Scott and Carver counties voted no, but those counties may opt in at a future date.

Shortly afterwards, Governor Pawlenty attacked this victory. The Governor slashed almost 40 percent of the general fund allocation to metro-area transit, a cut nearly 10 times greater than cuts to other general fund allocations. This month, the Governor vetoed the Central Corridor light rail transit line, as well as funding for nearly every transit project outlined in the Metropolitan Council’s regional transit plan.

The end consequence of these actions? Potential service cuts and fare hikes for bus users, and an indefinite delay of light rail. 

“These attacks are made even more perplexing by the Governor’s public statements of support for transit and reducing the impacts of global climate change,” says Dave Van Hattum, Policy and Advocacy Program Manager at Transit for Livable Communities. “We can only conclude that the Central Corridor and our region’s transit system are unfortunate pawns in his political game with legislators. It’s a shame that Minnesota’s needs are left out of the equation.”

The Central Corridor is the third line in a long-planned regional transit system that would connect communities across the seven-county metro area. Every year Minnesota waits to fund this line, its cost goes up by $40 million. In turn, every passing year pushes back deadlines for other projects in the transit system plan, increasing those costs as well. On top of all this, Minnesota stands to lose half a billion dollars in matching federal funds. The Twin Cities region would be pushed to the bottom of the federal funding pile, while at least half a dozen other states clamor to take Minnesota’s place in line for this money.

“The Governor’s continued attacks on Minnesota’s transit system are the height of fiscal irresponsibility,” says Lea Schuster, Executive Director of Transit for Livable Communities. “By delaying projects and cutting funding, the Governor is placing a direct financial burden on Minnesota families, who are seeking alternatives to high gas prices and sitting in traffic.”

Members of Transit for Livable Communities’ action network have been calling, emailing, and writing letters to the Governor, asking him to restore funding for Central Corridor and the rest of Minnesota’s transit system. Transit for Livable Communities still encourages you to contact the Governor, and ask him to stop attacking our transit system. The Governor can be reached at 651-296-3391 or tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us.