“Metropolitan Council staff told us they use one set of assumptions (based on historical state and local funding) when preparing their federal transportation financial plans, and different assumptions (based on…
Drivers in Minneapolis continue to have a rough time of it, as more car lanes go the way of bike lanes. Our recent report on traffic congestion highlighted one case…
The Met Council admits it has not won the argument.
A critical stretch of Highway 35W, the Twin Cities’ main North-South route, has been closed for the weekend. This closure caused howls of outrage from many Twin Cities residents, because…
Gov. Mark Dayton hit the panic button this week. He expressed “serious concerns” and apologized for MnDOT’s untimely closure of 35W into downtown Minneapolis this weekend on game days. The…
Look on the bright side Minneapolis: the wall could be passed off as an expansion of the nearby Walker Art Museum’s Sculpture Garden. Think of the wall as a giant…
When the Governor talks about attracting a new Amazon distribution center to Minnesota, does he tout our great bike paths? Er, bike roads?
It’s not your imagination. It’s not your fault. There’s a deliberate campaign by city, county and state transportation planners to get more cars off our freeways and streets. See “Twin…
SWLRT has hit several walls: a structural operating deficit brought on by the Council favoring LRT expansion and bike lanes over a well-run bus system, a Legislature that has refused…
DFL Governor Mark Dayton’s plan, like many “blue state” governors, uses “transit oriented development” or TOD, to pull money out of the suburbs and greater Minnesota to fund and re-enforce…
This Summer, American Experiment has had a great group of interns. Among many other duties, they have frequently held up a “Stuck In Traffic” banner on a pedestrian crosswalk across…
“In the Council’s mind, it’s like a high-stakes poker game. The Council is betting that by spending hundreds of millions of dollars, they can pressure Congress and the FTA into…
Surly Brewing Company sends out periodic emails about product launches, etc. Today’s email included an entertaining rant about traffic congestion in the Twin Cities. First Surly’s email, then a few…
So why did the Council step up and make a reasonable rate increase now? Answer: They are flying out to DC to lobby Congress and the FTA/DOT on a regular…
Peter McLaughlin is a Hennepin County Commissioner and perhaps Minnesota’s foremost advocate for wasteful spending on fixed rail transit. He is a member of the Metropolitan Council’s Southwest Light Rail…
Clogged roadways are the calculated consequence of policies to drive people to mass transit.
“Stuck in Traffic? Blame Dayton’s Met Council!” That’s the message on American Experiment’s six electronic billboards scattered around the Twin Cities’ freeway system for another week or so. If you’re…
MnDOT and the Met Council intentionally increase congestion to move people on to bikes, buses or light rail.
It isn't true that building more roads will simply lead to more congestion
Our report showing that Twin Cities traffic congestion is no accident but the result of state policy continues to drive media coverage. Pat Kessler picked up the controversy on WCCO-TV,…
The chairman of the controversial Metropolitan Council plans to step down at the end of July. Adam Duininck’s surprise announcement comes as the nation’s largest unelected regional government agency faces…
The Star Tribune peddles 'alternative facts' about Twin Cities transit
Contrary to what you might have heard, driving is safer than light rail
One common argument in favor of mass transit is that it is "more environmentally ethical". In truth, Twin Cities transit about the same greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than…