Finding a Green Way to Govern

See here for the Bridge Newspaper story on this topic. Morningstar Coffee has received two $200 fines from the City's Environmental Management staff. Until the afterburner that Morningstar's management committed to install on July 16 is installed, they face fines that will double every two weeks ($400, $800, $1,600, up to a maximum of $2,000). The good news is that the fines seem to be working. I have heard from Environmental Management staff that they have been in communication with a contractor that Morningstar has hired to install the odor control equipment next week. Note that this is later than the date of August 31 that Morningstar owner Jose Vido gave Bridge reporter Liz Riggs for when the equipment would be "up and running." Our office's experience with this issue prompted a meeting earlier this week with high-level staff within Regulatory Services, to talk about possible improvements to their enforcement processes. I believe we're making progress...

From the Minneapolis Bicycle Update e-list: On Tuesday, September 11th, the Department of Public Works will be conducting bicycle and pedestrian counts, and we need your help! Volunteers will be asked to count the number cyclists and pedestrians at several mid-block locations in the downtown area, in 2-hour shifts from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm. The purpose of the counts is to assess the historical trend of non-motorized travel in the downtown core. This year, for the first time, the Department of Public Works will exclusively count bicyclists and pedestrians. These counts will help to measure the effects of the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTP), a $21.5 million federal program which was created to increase biking and walking in Minneapolis. The City of Minneapolis is partnering with Transit for Livable Communities, who will be organizing similar counts on the same day. If you are interested in volunteering please choose from a 2-hour time slot below. We need volunteers ...

The Department of Public Works are proceeding with a plan to open the 10th Ave Bridge by end of day Friday, August 31 . The bridge will open to peds, bikes, and two lanes of traffic. A decision has not yet been made about opening to transit only or to general traffic but Public Works will decide soon after one more conversation with MetroTransit. They are installing a supplemental fence on the railing on the upstream (35W) side to raise its height to meet standards, to improve safety for the pedestrians that will undoubtedly come to view the 35W site, whether or not we permit them to be there. Concrete barriers will be installed to separate pedestrians on the upstream side of the bridge from the traffic lanes. Concrete barriers will remain in place until demand for viewing slows down to a point that opening the bridge to four lanes of traffic will not cause a safety hazard due to peds in traffic lanes. The total cost is estimated to be not more than $120,000. The minimum safe option o...

This just in from Public Works: "We are proceeding with a plan to open the 10th Ave.SE bridge by end of day Friday, August 31: The bridge will open to peds, bikes, and two lanes of traffic. A decision has not yet been made about opening to transit only or to general traffic but we will decide soon after one more conversation with MetroTransit. We are installing a supplemental fence on the railing on the upstream (35W) side to raise its height to meet standards, to improve safety for the pedestrians that will undoubtedly come to view the 35W site, whether or not we permit them to be there. Concrete barriers will be installed to separate pedestrians on the upstream side of the bridge from the traffic lanes. Concrete barriers will remain in place until demand for viewing slows down to a point that opening the bridge to four lanes of traffic will not cause a safety hazard due to peds in traffic lanes."

MnDOT will hold 3 public open houses in the next two weeks about the design of the proposed new I-35W bridge over the Mississippi: •Tuesday, Aug. 28 at the McNamara Alumni Center on the east bank campus of the U of M from 4:30 - 7 pm. The open house will be held in Al Johnson Room. •Thursday, Aug. 30 at the Humphrey Institute Atrium , west bank campus, from 4:30 - 7 p.m. The open house will be held in the Atrium. •Wednesday, Sept. 5 at the IDS Center in the Crystal Court from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.