Minneapolis has a Complete Streets Policy that states that people walking and biking should be prioritized ahead of people driving in transportation maintenance. Yet the City continues to prioritize cars over more vulnerable road users when it comes to winter maintenance.
There are two ways we want City Council to act to make our streets better places to bike, walk, and roll in the winter:
1. Prioritize winter maintenance for biking, walking, and rolling in the 2021 budget
2. Add a strategy to the Transportation Action Plan to evaluate city-led clearing of snow and ice on the pedestrian priority network
The 2021 Budget
Mayor Frey’s 2021 draft budget proposes a “winter service level reduction for trail and protected bike lanes.” Impacted performance measures say this will impact sidewalk snow and ice maintenance, too.
We are alarmed by the Mayor’s proposed 2021 budget cuts to service levels that keep sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and trails clear of snow and ice. We strongly oppose these cuts.
The Transportation Action Plan
Even before these proposed cuts will go into effect, our current system of clearing snow and ice has not worked well. Much of the city is inaccessible during winter to those biking, walking and rolling because of uncleared snow and ice on sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes.
Over the past three years we’ve been organizing around improved winter sidewalk maintenance. On Wednesday November 18th the City Council Transportation & Public Works Committee will vote on the final Transportation Action Plan. We ask that City Council Members include an amendment to the plan to evaluate city-led clearing of snow and ice on the pedestrian priority network.
Inaction on winter maintenance amplifies disparities
The proposed budget service level cuts will disproportionately affect folks who are already marginalized—especially people who rely on biking, walking, and rolling to get to their essential jobs. They are more likely to be people of color, and people with disabilities.
Failing to evaluate city-led sidewalk clearance also disadvantages the same groups while upholding a system where car lanes are cleared by the city without question.
During the COVID-19 pandemic it is even more important that biking, walking and rolling infrastructure is prioritized. Yet the City continues to prioritize clearing snow from streets and roads, while proposing to reduce service for those who bike, walk and roll.
Contact your council member today
Let them know that you are a resident of their ward. Here are some talking points you can use:
- I am surprised and disappointed to hear that the City of Minneapolis is continuing to de-prioritize people biking, walking, and rolling in the winter.
- Failing to act on winter maintenance will have a devastating impact on folks who rely on biking, walking and rolling to get around. They are disproportionately people of color and people with disabilities.
- I ask that you:
1. Remove proposed cuts to bike lane and trail winter maintenance in the 2021 proposed budget
2. Support including a strategy to evaluate city-led clearing of snow and ice on the pedestrian priority network in the Transportation Action Plan.
City Council Members:
Find your representative using your address here.
Ward 1: Kevin Reich, kevin.reich@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2201
Ward 2: Cam Gordon, cam.gordon@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2202
Ward 3: Steve Fletcher, steve.fletcher@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2203
Ward 4: Phillipe Cunningham, phillipe.cunningham@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2204
Ward 5: Jeremiah Ellison, jeremiah.ellison@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2205
Ward 6: Jamal Osman, jamal.osman@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2206
Ward 7: Lisa Goodman, lisa.goodman@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2207
Ward 8: Andrea Jenkins, andrea.jenkins@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2208
Ward 9: Alondra Cano, alondra.cano@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2209
Ward 10: Lisa Bender, lisa.bender@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2210
Ward 11: Jeremy Schroeder, jeremy.schroeder@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2211
Ward 12: Andrew Johnson, andrew.johnson@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2212
Ward 13: Linea Palmisano, linea.palmisano@minneapolismn.gov, (612) 673-2213