Streetsblog Capitol Hill, a daily news source on national transportation and infrastructure issues, states that the Twin Cities are ahead of the curve when it comes to regional transportation policy.
In a forward-looking move, the Twin Cities are opting for more transit options and not more highways, it states.
Streetsblog cites the Twin Cities 2030 Transportation Plan, which "strives to maximize existing freeways by adding bus lanes or priced traffic lanes in shoulders wherever possible and increase emphasis on transit and other non-automotive modes," it reads.
The plan calls for compact, transit-oriented development to be promoted along these corridors, with an emphasis on mixed-use projects and clustering jobs near transportation centers.
A network of transitways will help alleviate water and air pollution and prevent sprawl from swallowing farmland, according to Jim Erkel, director of the land use and transportation program at the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, who is referenced in the piece.