Green Median Will Make Community Safer, More Connected
by KatieBy Art Allen, Media Relations and Communications Intern, Transit for Livable Communities
An Op-Ed in the Star Tribune last weekend says, “It’s worth going green on Snelling Avenue”—and it’s right. A green median along the proposed six-block stretch of Snelling—bringing the street from three to two lanes each way and likely eliminating parking along the stretch–would do wonders to improve the sense of community in the area with the natural beauty of a green space. But equally important, the median would serve to slow traffic, making the area safer for bikers and pedestrians.
Before an action alert was issued to the area residents by Transit for Livable Communities, public comments on the issue were stacked two to one against the median. After the alert was issued, telling residents they had a say in the matter, the comments swung overwhelmingly in the other direction: according to the Star Tribune, 161 of the 204 asked approved of the project—that’s a margin of three to one in favor of the proposal.
And as the author of the Star Tribune article points out, this is a cheap way to do some real, long-lasting good: “With many multimillion- and billion-dollar transportation projects underway, this effort may seem like small potatoes. Yet, small changes like this can reap big benefits in neighborhood safety and livability.”
