Every day, The Overhead Wire collects news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. They are national and international links, sometimes entertaining or absurd but often useful. In search of a “third place”: It’s not home and it’s not work. Your “third place” is where you gather with friends and acquaintances in a shared public setting. This idea was made famous by a 1989 bo ..read more

Editor’s note: This article appeared in MinnPost on May 16 and is republished with permission using a Creative Commons license. An e-bike is just what Amy Blumenshine needed to continue bicycling as she ages.  “I’ve been a bicyclist for 60-plus years. And here I am with a maturing body and in an urban setting where it’s really great to have a dependable mode of transportation,” she said, adding she can now take on a headwind, steep hill or long trip with confidence.  “I don’t have to fret. I don’t have any anxiety about being able to bike where I need to go,” Blumenshine said as she ..read more

The F Line arterial bus rapid transit (aBRT) project, planned to largely replace Route 10 between downtown Minneapolis and Northtown Transit Center in Blaine, has been delayed by three years. Construction originally planned to begin in 2025 now won’t start until 2028, with an opening date still to be announced. Metro Transit decided to push construction of the F Line to 2028 in order to coordinate with roadway and safety improvements made by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) on Central Avenue. Portions of the F Line on University Avenue and 53rd Avenue may still start construc ..read more

Every day, The Overhead Wire collects news about cities and sends the links to their email list. At the end of the week they take some of the most popular stories and post them to Greater Greater Washington, a group blog similar to Streets.mn that focuses on urban issues in the D.C. region. These are national and international links, entertaining, absurd or even useful. The policies that made cars so big: SUVs and trucks now make up 80% of vehicles sold in the United States. Some people say they prefer large vehicles — often citing safety — but government policies contribute to ..read more

When people think about the best places to cycle, they often focus the conversation on cities rather than suburbs. While this St. Paul resident would agree that Minneapolis is among the best cycling cities in the country (with its twin hoping to catch up, thanks to its new Bicycle Plan), it’s not as necessary to own a bicycle in much of Minneapolis or St. Paul thanks to walkable grids and public transportation. A bike can be a means of transportation, exercise and camaraderie, especially for families, and it’s great that there is choice. City dwellers can choose to bike, walk, or take transit ..read more

There is far more wildlife living in our cities than many humans realize. Meet a couple University of Minnesota researchers studying urban foxes and coyotes! Links Twin Cities Coyote and Fox Project (TCCFP) Urban Coyotes | Minnesota DNR Mapping habitat use and disease of urban carnivores Living With The Coyotes Among Us | Streets.mn 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 band, The Urban Hillbilly Quartet, on their website. This episode was produ ..read more

Following the recent reconstruction of Bryant Avenue — which included a major street reimagination with a two-way, off-street bikeway — the project was included in People for Bikes’ nationwide list of best new 2023 bikeways, which represents quite the glow-up compared to the previous award the bikeway was bestowed. In light of these changes and this well-deserved recognition, let’s examine why the bikeway works, the user experience and how we can get more similar bikeways built. What Makes Great Bikeways? First, what makes a great bikeway? Most importantly, one that meets the needs of people o ..read more

Editor’s Note: A version of this story originally appeared in Saint Paul By Bike on April 29, 2024 and is reprinted with permission. Highland Park, Frogtown, North End, Payne-Phalen, Railroad Island, Dayton’s Bluff, Lowertown, Downtown, West End September 19, 2023 – 30.7 Miles The streets of St. Paul were once paved with bricks and cobblestones. Perhaps you’ve spotted the old red brick on thoroughfares in the Macalester-Groveland and Summit Hill neighborhoods. The only place in St. Paul I know is still paved with cobblestones is about five blocks of Osceola Avenue in Summit Hill between St. C ..read more

This year at the Minnesota Legislature, housing and land use policy has received a brighter spotlight than ever before. A group of bills proposing to reform land use and zoning laws, and increase the varieties and quantities of housing that can be built, have received considerable air time in the media and legislature. A very broad coalition has shown up in support of these changes. Many of these proposed reforms won’t succeed this year. Though a couple of proposals have a solid shot at still passing — most importantly, a reform to state environmental law that would prevent lawsuits against pr ..read more

This article contains non-graphic references to a recent local murder. Small local businesses have a tremendous impact on quality of life in a neighborhood. They provide essential services, give people much-needed “third places” to be, and contribute to the community. Oak Grove Grocery was one of those businesses, and the impact of its current closure has been felt already.  Oak Grove Street is in the Loring Park neighborhood of Minneapolis, just southwest of downtown. It connects LaSalle Avenue to Lyndale and Hennepin near their messy junction with Interstate 94, and closely borders the ..read more