Policy:

Pedestrian Safety and Traffic Calming

This initiative, undertaken in partnership with the Capital City Traffic Calming Alliance (CCTCA), Transit for Livable Communities, and  Biking and Walking Solutions, focused of creating local neighborhood-scale models that inform regional policy discussions on traffic calming and pedestrian safety.

The project explored issues of pedestrian and bike safety at a number of levels:

Safe Routes to School: in the fall of 2002, St. Mark's School in the Merriam Park Neighborhood of St. Paul served as a local demonstration site for the national Safe Routes to School Program.  Safe Routes is a federally-funded effort that encourages walking and biking to school by mapping "safe routes" and organizing and educating families and administration.

ProBike/ProWalk: the initiative coordinated local attendance at the national ProBike/ProWalk Conference held in St. Paul in September 2003. The conference drew together national and international pedestrian and bike safety advocates and experts for a broad range of informational and advocacy activities.  In conjunction with this event, The Center for Neighborhoods and Transit for Livable Communities cohosted a panel presentation and special working session that applied national expertise to Twin Cities metro-area conditions and issues.

Regional Policy Initiative:  through 2002, a Steering Committee made up of representatives from MN-DOT, MN Department of Safety, MN Department of Health, the Met Council, Hennepin County Commission, State House and Senate, MN Safety Council and other interested agencies and organizations met to coordinate a regional dialogue that identified ways to strengthen or create policies that enhance pedestrian/bike safety and traffic calming.  In conjunction with this effort, Transit for Livable Communities researched local and national examples of existing policies and analyzed barriers to effective policy.  The resulting report, Sharing the Road: Encouraging Biking and Walking in Minnesota, is now available.

On November 17, 2003, the Center for Neighborhoods and Transit for Livable Communities presented results from Sharing the Road at a public meeting at Open Book in Minneapolis.