Hi,
Quite a number of cities have strong pedestrian advocacy organizations;
some cities even have pedestrian boards that function as a part of city
government to review projects and policies for their impact on
pedestrians. More than 20 % of Minneapolis households are carfree, so
this should be important here as well.
I recently saw a report from Phoenix Arizona about that city's work to
make construction areas pedestrian friendly. All construction projects
that need to vacate a sidewalk are required by city statute to make an
alternative path for pedestrians, whether in the street (a lane of
traffic is blocked to make a temporary path for pedestrians) or through
the construction zone itself.
Minneapolis has many great walkable places but walking here can be very
lonely. A couple weeks ago I took a lunchtime stroll from downtown to
where I work on the East bank of the river. After I passed the central
library I encountered exactly three other pedestrians in the next 20
minutes of my walk through Gateway Park, across the Hennepin Avenue
bridge, Boom Island, and down Main Street to St. Anthony Main. This was
during the noon hour on a sunny day!
John Akre
Sheridan Neighborhood
Ward 3
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> I was wondering if I am the only one that thinks that efforts should be made
> to make Minneapolis a more pedestrian (ped) friendly city.
>
> I have always thought that having sidewalks and places that you can walk to
> was one of the greatest strengths of city living.
> 4. Construction that is being done needs to better accommodate peds and not
> just vehicles. Like Shel Silverstein's book "Where the Sidewalk Ends," far
> too many (in my opinion once is too many) peds are forced to scramble for a
> safe place to walk because of construction. We don't live in the suburbs, we
> have sidewalks and people use them, let them continue to do so after
> constructions begins in area.
>
> Let us make the city a livable and in many ways very different community than
> the suburbs. Let us promote behavior and designs that encourage pedestrian
> traffic.
>
> Josh Kroll
> Powderhorn - Ward 9
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--
John Akre
http://www.sloppyfilms.com
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