Category Archives: Transportation & Streets

In the Obama-Era, Plans Revive for a Northfield-Twin Cities Rail Line

November 23, 2008 – 11:55 am

Logan Nash, a student in Doug McGill’s journalism class at Carleton College, has written a piece titled In the Obama-Era, Plans Revive for a Northfield-Twin Cities Rail Line (PDF - full text below).
See the Dan Patch commuter rail line/corridor web page on MNDOT’s site for more info, as well as the Northstar [...]

By Griff Wigley | Also posted in Government | Comments (34)

Why the knuckle-busting barriers on Mill Towns Trail bridge?

November 3, 2008 – 12:12 pm

Josh Rowan sent me this photo of barriers on one of the Mill Towns Trail bridges.
He notes that the barriers are very narrow, forcing bicyclists to put their feet down lest they risk scrunching their knuckles if one of their handlebar-mounted brake levers makes contact with the barrier as they pass through.
Anyone have details?

By Griff Wigley | Also posted in Non-Profits & Civic Orgs | Comments (3)

Smart Car in Northfield

November 3, 2008 – 8:30 am

I noticed this Smart car parked outside the Grand Event Center a few weeks ago and didn’t have my camera ready. Today, I caught it on film…or in pixels.
I saw my first Smart Car a little over five years ago. My family and I were traveling in Italy and we saw one pull up in [...]

By Ross Currier | Comments (3)

Much Ado About Autos

October 31, 2008 – 4:00 pm

An recent op-ed the Sacramento Bee had an interesting angle on some of the traffic and transportation issues facing many parts of the U.S., including Northfield.

We’re stuck with the landscape we’ve built over the past 60 years, much of which is literally uninhabitable without a car. Trying to make our communities less car-dependent simply by [...]

By Tracy Davis | Also posted in Community, Environment, Government, Health | Comments (8)

Round About Farmington

October 19, 2008 – 10:54 am

Over the past few years, a number of prominent Northfielders have raised the possibility of creating a roundabout in town. I seem to recall Jim Pokorney and Victor Summa suggesting that we could consider one for Third Street and Dahomey Avenue and Vern Ripley and Bruce Anderson advocating for one at Prairie Street and Woodley [...]

By Ross Currier | Comments (19)

Rediscovering the Human Scale

October 6, 2008 – 5:20 pm

I have no confidence whatsoever that this won’t be polarized into a partisan issue, but it certainly shouldn’t be.

By Tracy Davis | Also posted in Community | Comments (11)

Bicycle safety, laws: What’s needed? What’s reasonable?

September 13, 2008 – 7:10 am

The Northfield News ran a story last week titled Road rules, bicycle style. Eric Johnson, Bruce Anderson (blogger), and Bill Ostrem (blogger)– members of the City of Northfield’s Nonmotorized Transportation Task Force (NMTTF) — are quoted in the piece.
… as more and more bicyclists and pedestrians take to the streets as a result of [...]

By Griff Wigley | Also posted in Government | Comments (25)

Gravel on streets, city parking lots

August 6, 2008 – 10:48 am

I got this from a local resident a week or so ago:
The city has dumped tons of gravel on nearly new streets, including Jefferson Parkway and Maple and others branching off Jefferson. I’ve never in my life seen dry gravel poured on new blacktop streets. I just don’t get it. It kicks up dust and [...]

By Griff Wigley | Also posted in Government | Comments (14)

Major Transportation Meeting Tonight

July 31, 2008 – 10:54 am

Tonight’s the night (Thursday, July 31st) of the Open House on Transportation. The meeting will be held at the Northfield High School (1400 Division Street South) in the Upper Cafeteria, from 4 to 7 pm.
The purpose of this meeting will be to preview the recommendations for the City’s 2030 Transportation Plan. Information on both the [...]

By Ross Currier | Comments (3)

Listening to Rather than Talking at MNDoT Might be a More Productive Approach

July 8, 2008 – 2:28 pm

Okeh, I will begin by “revealing” that I am the brother-in-law of Ray Cox. However, Ray isn’t running for elected office now, so find something else to get you excited.
Ray had a letter to the editor published in the June 24, 2008. It was unfortunately titled,”Widening not best Hwy. 19 plan”. A more accurate, if [...]

By Ross Currier | Comments (26)

Do the pros of a narrow Jefferson Parkway outweigh the cons?

June 24, 2008 – 6:55 am

I bike the sidewalks along Jefferson Parkway between Bridgewater Elementary and the Northfield High School a lot more since we’ve moved.

I don’t remember what year it was revamped and made narrow. (Anyone?) And I don’t remember which city staffers were instrumental in the change. But I do remember hearing lots of complaints [...]

By Griff Wigley | Also posted in Government | Comments (29)

How is the price of gas changing your life?

May 29, 2008 – 6:09 am

As the price of gas keeps escalating, I’m starting to see a lot more bikes downtown, including more weird ones like the Xtracycle that I blogged about last week.
Left: the crowded bike rack in front of the Goodbye Blue Monday on Tues. morn around 7 am.Center: my wife’s Giant Revive, a super [...]

By Griff Wigley | Comments (15)

Let’s Stage a “Sit-Out”

May 22, 2008 – 4:53 pm

I’ve had it.
As I mentioned at the tail end of our podcast a couple of weeks ago, I’m thinking that a little civil disobedience might be in order in re the outdoor dining situation in Northfield.
Let’s pick a date and stage a “sit-out”! The restaurants in town could put out tables and chairs, citizens [...]

By Tracy Davis | Also posted in Arts & Culture, Businesses, Community, Government | Comments (35)

A new way to bike your groceries, kid, spouse, computer, laundry, kitchen sink around town

May 17, 2008 – 8:57 am

Someone has a new Xtracycle (sport utility bicycle) here in Northfield:
Imagine your favorite bike, with the rear wheel stretched out behind the seat, a big, stable platform for a load or a passenger, and elegant saddlebags on either side that are expandable when you need them and are cleanly out of the way [...]

By Griff Wigley | Comments (3)

Traffic Fatality Near NHS

April 29, 2008 – 12:10 pm

Some very sad news - a pedestrian was killed, and another injured, this morning at the intersection of Hwy 246 (Division Street) and Jefferson Parkway. Names have not yet been released. Both the Northfield News and the StarTribune have reported on the incident.
According to the Northfield News,

The intersection is under review as part of [...]

By Tracy Davis | Comments (17)