Local Nonmotorized Transportation Advocacy and Events
July 26th, 2006,Fellow Northfield blogger Ross Currier recently wrote about a meeting he and I attended on promoting bicycle and pedestrian issues in our hometown. He’s joking when he uses the word “cabal,” though. Really, he is! Anyone interested in promoting the cause is welcome to join us. I’m doing this advocacy as a volunteer with RENew Northfield, a great nonprofit run by Bruce Anderson.
In coming weeks we’ll be promoting an upcoming talk by Steve Clark, Walking and Bicycling Program Manager for Transit for Livable Communities (TLC). TLC is the Twin Cities non-profit that was instrumental in bringing light rail to the region. Steve will be talking about what we can do to improve nonmotorized transportation in the Northfield area.
We’re still working out a title for Steve’s talk in Northfield, but it will take place Thursday, September 28 October 5, 7 pm at the Northfield High School. Steve has also generously agreed to do an analysis of the biking and walking infrastructure in the Northfield area. He’ll take some digital photos and share his findings with us.
Steve is a national leader on these issues and is currently working to implement a $25 million dollar federal government grant that Minneapolis received under the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program — a program that Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.) has backed. Steve was also the first biking and walking program manager for the city of Boulder, Colorado and has served as president of the League of American Bicyclists. He has written bike/pedestrian plans for a number of cities.
Steve recently told me that he will be traveling to Europe this summer to visit cities such as Munster, Germany, and Amsterdam. He’ll learn about the great strides they’ve made in nonmotorized transportation. I know that in Munster over 30 percent of trips within the city are made on bicycle. The Marin County Bike Coalition, another participant in the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program, is funding the trip.
Save this date as well — Saturday, August 5, 9 am — for the Tour de Art, a bike ride with the mayors of Northfield and Dundas that will take in local sculpture.
September 8th, 2006 at 11:52 am
Please note the date change for Steve Clark’s public lecture in Northfield. Now he will be coming October 5.
September 8th, 2006 at 1:53 pm
[...] I’ve been working hard to promote the upcoming visit of Steve Clark to Northfield, discussed in my July 26 entry (see that entry for more on Steve also). Steve’s visit will be October 5, a week later than previously planned. He graciously agreed to change the date when a local conflict emerged. He’ll be giving a public talk at 7 pm at the Northfield High School Auditorium entitled “How Biking and Walking Will Renew the Northfield Area.” See the upcoming.org listing for more info. [...]