on January 10, 2020

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Rent-a-Scooters More Popular Than Free Bikes in Rochester Trial Run

Written by Tom Steward

Somewhere along the line providing bicycles to the public evidently became an essential city service. What better vehicle for politicians to display their allegiance to carbon neutrality and healthy urban lifestyles. Rochester made nearly 50 bikes and helmets available to the riding public, free at least to the users, in 2019. The city website highlights the Bike Share Program program as part of the "micro-mobility initiative" associated with the $5.6 billion Destination Medical Center project's transit plan. The city even furnishes free use of electric bikes for checkout at the library to "ideally replace a few car trips around town." The program...

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on December 17, 2019

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The transit system lesson we can learn from The Simpsons

Written by Catrin Wigfall

in Culture, Television, Transportation

Today marks 30 years since The Simpsons debuted in 1989. In honor of the longest-running American primetime scripted series, I wanted to share a clip from one of my favorite episodes, “Marge vs. the Monorail.”...

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on December 12, 2019

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MN Taxpayers Would Spend $17 Million a Year to Subsidize Duluth Train

Written by Tom Steward

in Government Waste, Transportation

For years backward-looking bureaucrats and local officials have sought to revive the failed passenger rail line between the Twin Cities and Duluth. But a legislative hearing in Duluth this week designed to rally support for the proposed Northern Lights Express instead exposed an utter lack of justification for the boondoggle. The train offers no advantage over I-35, taking just as long to reach Duluth as going by car, roughly two and a half hours. Moreover, NLX would be operated by Amtrak, whose one line running through Minnesota--the Empire Builder--continues to lose riders and runs chronically behind schedule. Before anyone goes anywhere,...

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on December 09, 2019

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American Experiment Submits 27 Pages of Comments Opposing the California Car Mandates

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Transportation

Last Friday, Center of the American Experiment submitted comments opposing Governor Walz's attempt to force Minnesota to comply with California's Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) and Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) car mandates. The comments, which span 27 pages, highlight several reasons why the California mandates are bad news for Minnesota....

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on November 30, 2019

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Statewide View Column: Trump Can Stop Walz From Turning Minnesota into a Cold California

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy, Transportation

This article originally appeared in The Duluth News Tribune. In late September, Gov. Tim Walz announced he would circumvent the Legislature by using the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s bureaucratic rulemaking process to force Minnesota to comply with California’s regulations mandating the use of zero-emissions vehicles and low-emissions vehicles (“Minnesota to follow California auto standards,” Sept. 26). Proponents of these rules claim they will improve consumer options and the environment, but the truth is these mandates will raise vehicle costs for families and businesses with no measurable environmental benefit. Thankfully, the administration of President Donald Trump may preempt Gov. Walz’s attempt to let unelected...

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on November 27, 2019

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Governor Walz’s California Car Mandates Will Have No Meaningful Impact on Pollution

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Transportation

In September, the Walz Administration announced its intention to force Minnesotans to comply with low-emissions vehicle (LEV) and ‘zero’-emissions vehicle (ZEV) regulations developed by unelected bureaucrats on the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Instead of asking the legislature to approve this move, Governor Walz wants to impose these regulations by using the rule-making process of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Yesterday, I wrote about the implications these regulations would have on low-income and minority communities. While proponents of this rule argue it will reduce air pollution, Minnesota's air is already clean, and imposing these regulations will simply add extra cost while still...

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on November 26, 2019

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Are Governor Walz’s Proposed California Car Mandates Racist?

Written by Isaac Orr

in Climate, Energy, Environment, Transportation

In September, the Walz Administration announced its intention to force Minnesotans to comply with low-emissions vehicle (LEV) and 'zero'-emissions vehicle (ZEV) regulations developed by unelected bureaucrats on the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Instead of asking the legislature to approve this move, Governor Walz wants to impose these regulations by using the rule-making process of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). As part of this process, MPCA is seeking comments from the public to inform the rule-making procedure. I encourage you to submit your comments by emailing sheena.denny@state.mn.us to let the agency know what your thoughts are about the subject. One of...

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on November 22, 2019

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MIT Pumps the Brakes on Electric Vehicle Cost Decline Estimates

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy, Transportation

A new report from the MIT Energy Initiative warns that EVs may never reach the same sticker price so long as they rely on lithium-ion batteries, the energy storage technology that powers most of today’s consumer electronics. In fact, the research found it will likely take another decade just to eliminate the difference in the lifetime costs between electric vehicles and gas- and diesel-powered vehicles, even after higher fuel and maintenance expenses of standard cars and trucks are taken into account. Hopefully Governor Walz and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, who want to adopt California regulations mandating the use of electric cars,...

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on November 21, 2019

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Help Us Stop Governor Walz From Imposing California’s Car Rules on Minnesota!

Written by Isaac Orr

in Energy, Environment, Minnesota Economy, Transportation

In late September, Governor Walz announced that he would seek to impose California's mandates for zero emission vehicles and low emission vehicles on Minnesota. Rather than passing this proposal through the normal legislative process, Governor Walz is trying to impose these rules on Minnesotans by instructing the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to draft the mandates forcing our state to comply with regulations drafted by unelected bureaucrats on the California Air Resources Board. Why wouldn't Governor Walz want to go through the legislative process where legislators can weigh the pros and cons of the proposal and vote accordingly? Probably because these regulations...

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on November 15, 2019

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Riders React to Rep. McCollum’s Views on Green Line Violence

Written by Tom Steward

in Crime, Transportation

To be sure Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum recognizes "every transit rider deserves a positive experience." Still she insists "we must address the social issues that contribute to challenges," according to the St. Paul congresswoman's recent Star Tribune column on the increasing public safety threat to passengers on the Green Line. But McCollum's default to Democratic boilerplate rhetoric on the root causes of violence didn't sit well with many veteran transit riders of either political party. In fact, self-identified Minneapolis liberal Michael Brennan wrote a scathing counterpoint in the paper calling out McCollum's "troubling" views based on his first-hand experience on the...

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