Announcing the formation of STRIDE....
******
STRIDE
Southside Traffic Reduction Initiative for Determining our Environment
STRIDE invites you to join us on bike, foot and bus. Our mission is to
work
with public officials, businesses, neighborhoods and individuals in
implementing the following goals of the Minneapolis Plan: "Enhance the
opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle movement", as well as to put
"Transit First!"
The Minneapolis plan advocates traffic reduction. This means seeing a
future
with less cars on the road and more bikes, peds and transit riders.
These
alternative modes of transportation help free our communities of
pollution
and facilitate livable, human-scaled land uses. In order to accomplish
two
things must happen. More people must opt personally for alternatives to
the
car. Secondly, we must not induce demand for driving by widening roads.
Rather, we must induce demand for alternatives by planning for excellent
transit, pedestrian and bycicle options.
Our first initiative: the I-35 Access Project
The current I-35 Access project proposes a southbound exit and
northbound
entrance at Lake Street. The new ramps will mean demolition of dozens
of
homes and businesses. Lake Street will be widened to as many as eight
lanes
in order to accomodate additional automobile traffic.
The project is several years old and has been largely driven by the
interests
of the major corporate employers of the near south side: Allina Health
Care,
Wells Fargo and others.
STRIDE invites you to join us in helping avoid this misguided step away
from
the goals of the Minneapolis Plan.
Therefore, STRIDE officially advocates what we call the "Transit/No
Ramps"
option for 35W. As a solution to congestion, we support a dedicated
busway
in the middle of I-35 with a state-of-the-art transit station at Lake
Street
as proposed by the I-35 Access Mitigation and Enhancement Committee. We
oppose any new ramps, as well as the widening of Lake Street. When Lake
Street is completely redone in the next ten years we favor strong
pedestrian
streetscaping, no more lanes for traffic, and a trolley or LRT in the
Midtown
Greenway corridor.
Come join us in working for a livable city!
******
Ken Avidor
Kingfield
_______________________________________
Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy
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