Move Minneapolis - Newsletter
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Best Workplaces For Car-Free Commuters
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Downtown employers and commuters celebrated
World Car-Free Day
on Friday, September 22. Instead of driving alone, participants pledged to commute via transit or by biking, walking, carpooling, or teleworking. For one day, over 1,600 downtown Minneapolis commuters pledged to go car-less!
Ten downtown employers competed for the title “Best Workplace for Car-Free Commuters” based on the percentage of their downtown workforce that commuted car-free on September 22. Move Minneapolis provided employer kits and transportation coaching while employers energized their teams.
Contenders competed for the top three rankings, but, due to a stunning tie for 1st place, four trophies were awarded.
Amazon
and
When I Work
both exceeded 70% staff participation to tie for top honors.
CenterPoint Energy
took 2
nd
place and
Minnesota Orchestra
honored with third. Each of these employers offer transportation benefits and promotes a culture of sustainable commuting. Their employees benefit by saving money on gas and parking, saving time not sitting in traffic gridlock and being more active through walking and biking.
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World Car-Free Day Individual Prize Winners
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Francis Lu is a brand manager for
When I Work
, a software developer that recently relocated in the North Loop. With the move, Francis worried that commuting into Minneapolis from his home in Woodbury would be long and difficult. His employer, however, offers transportation benefits that encourage sustainable commuting. Francis enrolled in the company subsidized MetroPass program and now rides the #355 express bus.
Francis catches the bus at a park & ride close to his home. He enjoys the roomy coach bus with comfy seats and free wi-fi that takes him within a block of work.
When I Work, as a company, participated in World Car-Free Day. Francis was one of more than 70% of employees who pledged to commute car-free on September 22
nd
. He was happy to learn that his name was picked in the drawing for a 4-month unlimited Go To pass from Metro Transit. Francis plans to commute for the next four months for free!
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Just three months ago, Nicole Kennedy started a new position providing customer support at
Hargrove & Associates
, a company that specializes in data processing and business analysis based in Butler Square. Her forward-thinking employer encourages their dozen employees to commute sustainably. They offer
MetroPass
for transit, support carpooling, and provide a bike room.
Nicole drives from Golden Valley to a park & ride in St. Louis Park. From there she hops the #645 bus into downtown. She likes her easy commute and the money she saves by not parking downtown.
Nicole was thrilled to learn that her name was picked in the World Car-Free Day drawing of a Bianchi bicycle from
One On One Bicycle Studio
.
She explained that her old bike needed repair, so the timing of the Bianchi was perfect. Now she can join her two sons on bike rides. Next spring she’s eager to try bicycle commuting into downtown.
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World Car-Free Day was pretty easy for Korine - it’s been a way of life for her since high school. She teaches preschool at St Paul’s Childhood Center and lives in the nearby Frogtown neighborhood. She uses transit, bikes, or walks the couple miles to her job.
Korine found that she saves a lot of money by being car-free; no car payments, insurance, repairs, gas, or parking fees. Walking and biking provide great exercise as she lowers her carbon footprint. For Korine owning a car just does not make sense. As an educator, Korine likes setting an example for her young students. She teaches them about healthy living, bike safety and caring for the environment.
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Open Streets is back with the first-ever
Winter Open Streets at Holidazzle event!
After two years of construction the barriers and roadblocks are coming down on Nicollet Mall. What better way to celebrate than to hold a street party...during winter!
Winter Open Streets
is a celebration of our streets and winter in Minneapolis along the newly reopened Nicollet. The one-mile route in the heart of downtown will be full of opportunities to explore the new Nicollet Mall on foot, bike, sled or by skiing. Welcome the Mary Tyler Moore statue back to the corner of 7th St and Nicollet Mall, enjoy the new LED colored mall lights and art installations. Follow along the route that leads to the Holidazzle winter market in Loring Park. Winter Open Streets at Holidazzle is presented by Our Streets Minneapolis, the City of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Downtown Council.
Winter Open Streets at Holidazzle is Saturday, December 16th, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. The route runs on Nicollet Mall from 5th Street to Grant Street and then to Loring Park.
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Exploring Minneapolis By Electric Water Taxi
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Until recent years, the banks of the Mississippi above St Anthony Falls were lined with scrap yards, factories and concrete channels. Minneapolis is experiencing river revival as heavy industry relocates and barge traffic has halted. Parks on the riverbanks are being renovated and trails expanded. Urban adventurists are rediscovering the city’s backyard waterway with
rented canoes
and a
kayak-share
. This season a new form of boating joined the human-powered watercraft – the solar-powered
Minneapolis Water Tax
i
.
Weather permitting, the shiny white taxi operates every day between 11 a.m. and dusk right up until the freeze. The 6-person watercraft, with its signature solar paneled roof can been seen chugging up and down the Mississippi between Nicollet Island,
Boom Island
and the docks of the
The Sample Room
near the Lowry Ave bridge. Captain Corey entertains passengers by sprinkling in bits of history, showing the grey heron rookeries and sharing a few old river tales.
Minneapolis Water Taxi
is $10 per passenger for an hour-long cruise. Bring your own snacks and beverages. Gliding along effortlessly with just the hum of the electric motor makes for a pleasant river journey. The Mississippi still runs wild in places while the downtown skyline pokes through the trees. Plans are underway to expand number of docking locations for next season along with hours of operation. The river could become part of a daily commute into downtown in the not too distant future.
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35W@94 Project Update: Bridge & Ramp Closings
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Stage One of the four-year
35W@94
project is moving forward with the replacement of the Franklin Avenue bridge over I-35W and the closure of the Portland Avenue bridge over I-94. While the Franklin Avenue bridge will not reopen until spring of 2018, the Portland bridge is having some supports moved and is set to reopen mid-November. The bridge is still open to
pedestrians, bicyclists, and emergency vehicles. Drivers are detoured to 14th Street, Chicago Avenue and Franklin Avenue. The 5th Avenue ramp to Eastbound I-94 is also schedule to reopen by the end of this month.
Construction
will continue throughout winter on a limited basis to prepare for Stage Two this spring.
Avoid construction congestion
by seeking alternative routes and travel modes to commute downtown. The
Blue Line LRT
offers free park and ride lots at the 28th Avenue Station Ramp in Bloomington (1598 spaces) and at the Fort Snelling Station lot (1073 spaces). Trains run every 12 minutes during peak hours.
Buses and carpools use the express lanes on I-35W for a faster direct route into downtown. There are also five major bike routes leading into downtown from the south. For more information on how to
Get Around The Construction Gridlock
,
Move Minneapolis work with employers, commuters and downtown residents to find the best commuting solutions.
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Move Minneapolis is made possible by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant in partnership with the United States Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Council, the City of Minneapolis, MnDOT, and the downtown community.
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