Transportation : Buzz

Minneapolis-St. Paul was recently named one of the top 10 innovative cities in the U.S. by CNN Money.

"From technology and infrastructure, to job creation and sustainability," the article stated, the cities included are "leading the pack when it comes to creatively solving urban issues."

About MSP, the article stated, "June saw the opening of a new light rail line between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Experts from around the country praised it as an example of transportation infrastructure done right -- it integrated the needs of the affected communities and used the new line to drive economic development."

The Twin Cities were also selected as "early adopters of programs to help immigrants start businesses, artists buy real estate, and enlist local execs in solving community problems. The Cities also get high marks for their public health efforts, including smoking cessation programs, cancer screening and efforts to create walkable communities."
 

Minneapolis came in third in Bicycling Magazine's 2014 list of Top 50 Bike Friendly Cities.

"Minneapolis has long been an exemplary city for cycling—it topped our rankings in 2010 and was second in 2012. Even so, before she became mayor in 2014, Betsy Hodges said the city needed even better amenities for people like her who enjoyed biking but shied from traffic," the article stated.

Last winter, Hodges called out the "the city’s 4,000-plus year-round bike commuters" and "delivered a proclamation touting the city’s progress: 19 miles of bicycle boulevards installed since 2011; one of the country’s biggest bike-share systems per resident; and learn-to-ride classes that have spread the city’s bike culture to its large Somali community."

She also stated that "by 2020, Minneapolis would install 30 more miles of protected bikeways, so people like her, and thousands of others in the city, would feel more comfortable riding their bikes."

St. Paul came in 40th in the survey, and was lauded for "doubl[ing] the number of bike commuters betrween 2005 and 2012, and in 2014 unveiled a bicycle master plan calling for a loop of off-street bike paths downtown."
 

The League of American Bicyclists recently published an analysis of bicycling in U.S. cities for 2012.

The report, “Where We Ride,” examines “changing commuting patterns and transportation choices.”

Minneapolis is listed among cities with the most bicyclists on the street. 

When it comes to the number of bicycle commuters Minneapolis has, the city ranks second to Portland, the report shows.

The report also analyzes the impact of factors like population, bike/walk/transit-share programs, female bicyclists, age, college towns. and more. 

One finding is that “More and more Americans are realizing that bicycling is a practical, reliable, and economical means to get to and from work -- and it’s also healthy and fun,” the report states. 
  

Source: The League of American Bicyclists 

The October print issue of Bicycling magazine pays tribute to Minneapolis’ Midtown Greenway, a 5.5-mile bike and pedestrian path, in photos and words. Alongside a photo of a solo rider journeying down the Greenway in the wee morning hours, the piece reads, “Well-loved and heavily trafficked, the Greenway is an expressway of sorts for pedestrians and cyclists.”  

The Greenway, a former railroad corridor, has a scenic trail that “bypasses streets and highways and leads to the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes to the west and the Mississippi River to the east,” it adds.   
 

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport made the "World's Top 100 Airports" list, compiled by travel research firm Skytrax.
 
Coming in at number 71, down from 65th last year, the local airport is one of only 15 U.S. airports to make the list. The highest-ranked in the U.S. is Denver International Airport, at number 36.
 
Skytrax identified Singapore's Changi Airport, South Korea's Incheon International Airport, and Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport as the top three airports in the world.
 
The firm came up with its rankings through surveys filled out by over 12 million airline passengers over a nine-month period. The questionnaires covered almost 400 airports and asked respondents to rate aspects of service and performance, such as dining options, security procedures, baggage delivery, and cleanliness.

Travel research site TravelNerd recently noted that airports are increasingly providing kid-friendly amenities to appeal to a range of travelers, and released the results of a study that highlighted the best and worst airports for kids.
 
Based on the number of nurseries and play areas, as well as kid-friendly activities, Minneapolis-St. Paul made the top 10, squeaking in at number nine, just ahead of Seattle-Tacoma.
 
"In honor of the creator of Snoopy, a Minnesota native, there is a Snoopy statue in Terminal 1 near one of two kid play areas," the article notes about the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport. "To feed the baby, head to Terminal 1 Concourse C for a private mothers room. P.S. If you forgot extra diapers, a pacifier or sippy cup, there is a vending machine with kid essentials in Terminal 1’s kid play area."
 
The top three airports for kid-friendly amenities are San Francisco, Portland, and San Jose. Dubbed the worst airports for kids are Atlanta, Denver, and JFK.

DC.Streetsblog.org gives a shout-out to the Twin Cities’ Nice Ride bike-sharing program in a post, “Midwest Cities Race to Adopt, and Grow, Bike-Share.”

Recently, Pittsburgh announced it was adding a similar program, while several other cities plan to follow suit.

The post goes on to say, “And of course there’s the grandaddy of them all: Minneapolis’ Nice Ride. Launched in 2010, this system currently boasts more than 1,200 bikes. Late last year, the system surpassed half a million trips.”

The post also includes a photo of a local bicyclist taking advantage of the pioneering bike-sharing program.

Bicycling in Minneapolis increased by 56 percent over the past six years, and walking by 22 percent, according to the City of Minneapolis Bicyclist and Pedestrian Count Report 2012, released on March 1st.
 
The figures are based on annual counts conducted every September, at 30 different locations for bicyclists and 23 locations for pedestrians. According to the report, the top locations for both activities are near the University of Minnesota, in downtown Minneapolis, and along the Midtown Greenway and Cedar Lake Trail.
 
Other findings from the report include an increase in the number of routes for bicycling, which has attracted new cyclists and given existing cyclists more options. Minneapolis has added over 40 miles of bikeways in just the past two years.
 
The ongoing collection of data about bicycling and walking is done by the city to develop a more complete picture of overall traffic behavior in our communities, the report noted.

In a recent MarketWatch section, The Wall Street Journal named the best U.S. airports for business travelers, and Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport made the list of favorites.
 
Coming in at number four out of ten, the airport was singled out for its WiFi, a fitness walking patch, postal services, and FedEx availability. The newspaper also appreciated the soothing vibe of the airport, which features quiet seating areas for reading and resting, as well as meditation. Business travelers are also likely to appreciate the airport's massage chairs, shoeshine stations, and luggage delivery services.
 
The Journal's top pick for business travelers was Atlanta's airport, thanks to its "minute suites" that allow travelers to nap or watch TV during long layovers. The airport also has four Brookstone stores, a currency exchange, and a spa. Rounding out the top three were Chicago O'Hare and Dallas/Fort Worth.

In a Minnesota 2020 blog post titled “A tale of two bike cities,” guest blogger Amber Collett compares biking in Minneapolis to Portland, Ore., where she recently relocated.

She touches on how both cities have made a name for themselves with more and more bike infrastructure and a growing cycle culture.

Bike boulevards differ from place to place, with Minneapolis having roomier lanes, she says.

Portland has more of them, plus protective boxes at traffic signals that keep bicyclists from breathing in exhaust.

She turns to Steve Clark at Bike Walk Twin Cities to find out more about how the two cities compare bike-wise. He’s quoted saying, “Minneapolis has been trying to catch up to Portland in terms of on-street facilities where certainly Portland has led the way with some of the nation’s first and finest bike boulevards and miles upon miles of bike lanes.”

That being said, visitors from Portland “quickly become very envious of our off-street trails--particularly the Midtown Greenway which is basically a freeway for bicyclists and provides separate space for walkers and joggers too.”

Airports across the country are expanding their amenities in an attempt to set themselves apart from rivals, notes USA Today in a recent article about airport perks.
 
The story cites a survey by Airports Council International-North America, which gathered information on 89 airports in the U.S. and Canada. The survey found that hubs are featuring services that range from pet hotels and hair salons to rocking chairs and live jazz.
 
Minneapolis St. Paul airport got a nod for its children's play areas, indoor walking path, and salon services. In the article, airport spokesman Patrick Hogan says, "We believe if people enjoy the airport they're more likely to make connections through [here] as opposed to Chicago or somewhere else. There's a competitive advantage to providing a good airport experience quite apart from revenues."
 

Because of "excellent planning policies, high level of staff commitment to pedestrian safety and pedestrian campaigns and events," Minneapolis is a gold-level community for walking, according to Walk Friendly Communities.
 
As also reported in Southwest Journal, the city's extensive sidewalk network is an example of how Minneapolis is devoted to providing pedestrian facilities. Over 90 percent of streets in Minneapolis have complete sidewalks, and over 80 percent of streets have sidewalks on both sides of the street.
 
Walk Friendly Communities also noted the city's pedestrian street lighting, parking standards, and crosswalk practices as other indications of the walking friendliness of Minneapolis.

"Think it's futile to build up a massive cycling network because of frosty winter temperatures?" asks a recent news story in Winnipeg Free Press. "[Minneapolis] has proven a bit of snow and sub-zero winds don't mean a city can't be a top cycling spot."
 
The article notes that Minneapolis is among a handful of North American cities considered leaders in building a network of paths that encourage recreational and commuter travel. About 3.5 percent of Minneapolis residents bike to work, and the city is on track to increase that number to seven percent within the next couple of years, according to the newspaper.
 
Quoting Shaun Murphy, Minneapolis bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, the story added that half of the city cyclists don't ride their bikes during the winter, but there's been growing interest in winter biking. One draw is that Minneapolis works to have all bicycle trails plowed within 24 hours of a snowfall. 

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport ranks third in the country in on-time arrivals, coming in just behind Salt Lake City and Charlotte, and narrowly edging out Phoenix and Las Vegas. The Twin Cities airport also came in third for on-time departures, behind Salt Lake City and Portland.
 
Commenting on the report, the Associated Press (AP) noted that travelers "still have to put up with packed planes, rising fees and unpredictable security lines," but nearly 84 percent of domestic flights arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled time during the first half of 2012. That's the best performance since the government started keeping track in 1988, AP noted.
 
Also in the report: U.S. airlines are doing a better job of handling bags. Lost, damaged or delayed bag claims are at a record low.

Minneapolis and St. Paul made Sherman's Travel’s recent list of the country’s top 10 places for bicycling.

“The Twin Cities emergence as a bike-friendly superstar coincided with a general plan to make the area more livable,” the story states.

The story points to the Nice Ride bike-sharing program, and to bike-themed events that happen frequently here.

Just last year, the city of Minneapolis added 37 miles of bikeways, installed hundreds of bike-specific street signs, and created a citywide bike map for the first time, the story states.

Bill Dossett, who heads Nice Ride, is quoted saying,  “All of these things are happening at the same time that we’ve made this great investment in the last five years,” adding, “You bring all of that together and I think our future is very bright.”