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Twin Cities car-sharing organization HOURCAR simplifies rates
starting February 1. more...
Keep cars at an arm's length with these clever cycling jerseys. more...
7 ways to take charge of your commute and gas expenses.
more...
With this celebrated new technology for luxury cars we have to wonder,
wouldn't it be better to design safer streets for pedestrians to
begin with? more...
Massachusetts passed the Bicyclist Safety Bill prescribing new
rules for motorist and bicyclist interaction. more...
Fancy that! Auto insurance by the mile, and it's Texas leading the
way. more...
5 tips for riding the bus in the winter. Note: for tip #5, try
Metro Transit's NexTrip! more...
Steve Clark, St. Paul bike advocate, talks about the $20/mo. bike
commuter tax credit that employers can now offer. more...
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Credit: MPLS Public Library
We're reminded lately of another time when reducing trips was patriotic. See more posters...
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Cyclists treated to bike valet
at D.C. inauguration
Credit: Dero
Dero, a local manufacturer of commercial bike parking and regular partner
of ours, supplied the bike racks used in D.C. at the Obama inauguration.
Hear what it was like to bike that day...
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St. Paul Smart Trips
is a non-profit organization that works to reduce vehicle miles and
improve air quality in the City of St. Paul by promoting alternatives to
driving alone and advocating for a balanced transportation network.
www.smart-trips.org
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Save some
green with an innovative new parking rate
 If you rideshare or drive a vehicle
that's a "gas-sipper," chances are good that you can get the
new discounted monthly parking rate at the Smith Avenue Ramp (just a
block from the Xcel Energy Center).
We've partnered with the City of Saint Paul and Impark to announce a
new $70 monthly rate - discounted from the standard rate of $100 per
month. Bicycle lockers are available for downtown commuters and the
ramp is served by frequent bus service allowing you to easily get
around downtown for only 50 cents!
Sign up: Get in on the deal before March 1, 2009 and
receive a free pre-paid $10 Metro Transit Go-To card. Here's how...
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First
installment in our new Complete Streets series
Q: Can you spot 5 differences in these
drawings?
Renderings show a segment of University Ave. envisioned to be more
livable.
Credit: Community Design Group (c-d-g.org).
Answers:
1) Wider sidewalks
2) Bike path separated from vehicles (called "cycle tracks")
3) Sidewalks that extend (or "bulb") out, serving to:
· shorten
crossing distances for pedestrians
· allow buses to pull out of the way of traffic
4) More trees
5) More people and more activity!
Learn more: Streets that enable safe movement and crossing for
users of all ages and abilities (walkers, bikers, drivers and
transit riders) are called "Complete Streets."
How streets become complete: Action is underway at state and
local levels in Minnesota to adopt policies that guide future road
construction and design projects. We'll be letting you know how you can
participate in the coming months.
Attend a free webinar: On Tuesday, February 17 from 1-2:30pm
BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota will be giving an introduction to
Complete Streets policies and discuss what's happening in our state. Here's how to
participate...
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Welcome
our new Employer Outreach Specialist!
Please join us in welcoming Damian Goebel as our new
Employer Outreach Specialist. Damian first came on board this summer as
an intern and quickly made himself indispensable with his work on
mitigating the transportation impacts on employers during the
Republican National Convention.
We're thrilled to continue to have him as part of our St. Paul Smart
Trips team!
Watch: See Damian in action in this fun little video showing off our newly mobile
"bikes on buses" rack.
Learn: Find out more about the to employers.
Contact Damian
damian@smart-trips.org
651-224-8555 x24
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No time
like the present to think about the future
No shoulders on
the roads, muddy cow paths created by years of treading off the beaten
track, bridges nearly
impassable by any means other than a car... sound like the past?
The answer is: not yet. The photo below was taken recently on the Rice
St. bridge over State Highway 36 where conditions still make it
dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross safely.
Photo credit: Google Maps - Street View
Redesign
discussions for the Rice St. Bridge and interchange (above) are coming
up this week, and your involvement is sought. See details on how you
can participate below.
For shaping longer-range Mn/DOT projects your feedback is needed on the
new Minnesota Statewide Transportation Plan. The plan sets the
vision for projects for the next 20 years, and needs your comments to
ensure that we have a transportation system that is safe and accessible
by all modes.
Short term action: Discuss the redesign of the Rice St. bridge in
Roseville this upcoming Wednesday.
Long term action: Give your feedback on the Minnesota Statewide
Transportation Plan online now or in St. Paul February 12, 2009.
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Smart
Trips Profiles: Cassie McMahon
 Cassie
McMahon regularly commutes by bus to her job at the Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency on the edge of downtown St. Paul. When she found out
earlier this year that two stops that best served her workplace were
scheduled to be eliminated, she decided to organize.
She made use of an internal e-mail list of Metropass users to reach out to her colleagues and
urge them to let Metro Transit know how the service changes would
affect them. The results? Cassie saved the stops and even got some
transfer stopover times improved from connecting routes. Congrats,
Cassie!
Start your own e-mail list: Yahoo and Google both offer free online e-mail group lists.
Speak with your HR and or tech departments to obtain permissions if
necessary.
We'd like to profile you! Share your story by contacting Brady
Clark at brady@smart-trips.org
or 651-224-8555 x23.
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