Saturday, September 01, 2007

Volunteers needed and other bike info

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 to arrive approximately 10-15 minutes before their shift. Please contact Shaun Murphy at shaun.murphy@ci.minneapolis.mn.us or 612.673.2335, and leave your e-mail address, phone number, and a preferred time slot.

6:30 am to 8:30 am
8:30 am to 10:30 am
10:30 am to 12:30 pm
12:30 pm to 2:30 pm
2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
4:30 pm to 6:30 pm

There are two additional announcements; the first being the launch of a new Twin Cities website for bicyclists and pedestrians. An initiative of Transit for Livable Communities, www.bikewalktwincities.org is intended to serve as a resource for new and existing bicyclists in Minneapolis and the surrounding communities.

The second announcement pertains to two upcoming bike tours in the Twin Cities. The 13th Annual St. Paul Classic Bike Tour will take place on Sunday, September 9th. The inaugural Minneapolis Bike Tour will take place the following Sunday, September 16th. Each tour largely follows the scenic and historic parkway systems of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Date: August 24
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Premis
August mileage: 321
Year to date mileage: 2680

Date: August 25
Mileage: 30
Ride type/Bike: Hiawatha/Suburban
August mileage: 351
Year to date mileage: 2710

Date: August 29
Mileage: 12
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Jamis
August mileage: 363
Year to date mileage: 2722

Date: August 31
Mileage: 26
Ride type/Bike: Commute/Jamis
August mileage: 389
Year to date mileage: 2748

1 comment:

Bill Connell said...

I don't know if i can make it to volunteer, but how many times do you think i can ride past to be counted before someone recognizes me and stops counting? :-)