Fixing Lyndale (And All the Rest of Our Terrible, Unlivable, Deadly Streets)

John is joined by guests Ash Narayanan and Elissa Schufman to talk about what's wrong with Minneapolis streets and how to fix them. Ash is educated as a civil and traffic engineer, but decided to use those powers for good, as the executive director of Our Streets Minneapolis. Our Streets is an organization that "works for a city where biking, walking, and rolling are easy and comfortable for everyone." Elissa (who is also a board member at Our Streets) has a day job in transportation advocacy. Among the topics: What's a 4-to-3 lane conversion and why is it better and safer? Why do we value moving tens of thousands of cars at high speed through very dense neighborhoods like the Wedge and Whittier, instead of creating livable streets for the tens of thousands of people who live there? What government entity (city vs. county) is in charge of our most dangerous streets and how do we know who to hassle (elected official or unelected public works official) to get them fixed? How do we get the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County to stick to some of the truly impressive transportation/climate plans and policies they've adopted in recent years? Why is it important that Minneapolis hire a visionary public works director to fill the position currently occupied by an interim director? What do you say to a person who shouts angrily at a public meeting, "electric cars are coming online!" as an argument against a less car-centric transportation system? Also: John debunks the myth of the $900 million bike lane. Elissa introduces us to the concept of "human infrastructure" and talks about Minnesota's status as a nation leader in road miles per person (and by land area).

Episode recorded on May 28, 2021.

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