Dear List,
Please join myself, our neighbors, and fellow bikers of Minneapolis at 6
p.m. Wednesday, July 6, as the Eastside Bicycle Task Force gathers mid-river
and mid-bridge with the Northside Bicycle Task Force for a brief meeting.
We'll meet at the railroad bridge near Ace Mailing, Marshall Street NE at
17th Avenue NE. We then head out to the middle of the bridge over the
Mississippi River to join our Northside neighbors for a commemorative photo
launching formal efforts to buy the bridge to complete a much-anticipated
bike route joining North Minneapolis and Northeast/Eastside Minneapolis.
This is an important event. It is vital to the City of Minneapolis Bikeways
Master Plan that this connection be made as to literally bridge the diverse
communities of North and Northeast. The bottleneck: Canadian Pacific
Railway currently uses this bridge about once per day, and they would have
to reroute their line for about a half mile and then share a rail line with
a competing Railway. A a key transportation component in our campaign is a
bike-friendly city. I state (website) that I support: "City of Minneapolis
Bikeways Master Plan, Northeast Quadrant (2001) by authoring, advocating,
and passing matching fund request to ensure 2010 completion plan. This also
includes the key component (where Council leadership is crucial ) of working
with Canadian Pacific Railway on rerouting the limited use railroad bridge
over the Mississippi river to create path connection to the Northside."
Public support is needed to urge them towards the reroute, and visibly show
support for this connection. A tid-bit: Federal matching funds flow freer
when connections like this one happen. Let's not miss out on this great
opportunity!
Of personal note, I was jumped on this bridge entrance area on the Northeast
side in April of 2004 by a gang calling themselves the Gansta Disciples.
About 5 guys, around 11pm, brass knuckles and all. A neighbor came to my
rescue, and the cops actually arrested two of the youth involved. In fact,
I got a chance to meet one perpetrator through the Restorative Justice
Program and actually talked about the event and our lives, and then forgave
him (as well as advocated for a lighter sentence of probation). It was
quite powerful, and he is now on a much, much better path in life. Public
Safety is more than a policy position for me. I have a personal connection
to gang violence and am deeply committed to a just, sustainable and peaceful
Minneapolis that our grandchildren can enjoy. This bike-path connection is
all about that.
So please. bring your friends, family, neighbors and kids of all ages, and
come on your bikes. The meeting will be brief (one hour or less) so that
we'll have plenty of time to get out and enjoy some bicycling and our
riverfront! See you there!
Aaron Neumann
Candidate for Minneapolis City Council Ward 3 (Green)
Neighbors for Neumann!
1828 Marshall St. NE #18
Minneapolis, MN 55418-4211
612.788.1284
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://VoteNeumann.org
"Bridging Diverse Communities/Standing with People"
Effective Government * Healthy Environment * Safe Communities * Arts
Advocacy
"Politics isn't about big money or power games; it's about the improvement
of people's lives." - Paul Wellstone
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