Metro Transit offers Free Ride to Living Green Expo
News from Metro Transit:
Learn about sustainable living at the Living Green Expo, set for May 7-8 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The Living Green Expo is a family-friendly event featuring workshops, exhibitors and activities on green living.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 7, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 8.
Share the ride to the event and reduce your impact on the environment. Leave your car at home and hop on a Metro Transit bus or light rail FREE between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day with your Go Greener Pass. Download and print your pass now!
The free-ride offer is not available on Northstar trains.
Midwest High Speed Rail Association Recommends Twin Cities/Rochester/Chicago HSR Line
A report examining potential Chicago high-speed passenger rail routes recommends Rochester be part of a preferred route for a Chicago to Twin Cities line.
The report, released recently by the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, is significant because it positions a Chicago/La Crosse/Rochester/Twin Cities route as having one of the best opportunities for success among all Midwest high-speed rail routes.
According to the report, the Zip Rail alignment was recommended because the existing Chicago-Twin Cities Amtrak route is not suitable for speeds greater than 90 mph and a route to St. Paul via Eau Claire, WI would require new bridges over the protected St. Croix River and Bruce Vento Park.
Among the routes studied, the report said that 220 mph service (i.e. true high-speed passenger rail) between Chicago and the Twin Cities would have the greatest estimated ridership with nearly 16 million riders a year. The route is also expected to raise annual revenues near $850 million.
Rochester’s inclusion in this report means our region is well-positioned for future high-speed rail investments. It also means greater potential for our region to participate in the economic, jobs and other benefits that true high-speed passenger rail delivers.
Free Bicycle Education Courses
Commuter Connection is pleased offer free bicycle education courses for downtown commuters interested in bicycling to work. Contact Bill Andre if you would like to host a session at your office location!
Basics of Bicycling for Transportation
Minneapolis is the #1 cycling city in the U.S. according to Bicycling Magazine – come see what it’s all about! This presentation will help you to develop the skills you need to use your bicycle for more of your trips – including your trip to work. Participants will learn about riding a bicycle as a vehicle, safety, riding comfort, and good tips for getting into and around downtown. Join fellow employees and learn about how to become part of the cycling wave in Minneapolis.
Basic Maintenance Course
One of the fun things about bicycles is that with a little know-how, most people can keep them running with their own hands. This course covers basic maintenance techniques, including keeping a bicycle clean and lubricated and fixing a flat tire. If time permits, we’ll also cover basic brake and derailleur adjustment.
Bicycle Skills
Haven’t been on a bicycle in a while? We offer a parking lot course where you can hone your skills and learn to be a confident and safe bicycle commuter. We cover the basic skills of starting and stopping, scanning, signaling & maintaining a straight line, dodging small objects on the road, and stopping quickly. If you don’t have a bicycle, the Bike Walk Ambassadors have a fleet of bicycles available to borrow for this course.
Riding With Traffic
Put into practice what you learned in the Basics of Bicycling for Transportation! Take a ride through downtown Minneapolis with two certified instructors as your guides. We’ll practice roadway positioning, scanning, signaling and turning and changing lanes. We’ll also show you how to get to and from the major trailheads that surround downtown Minneapolis using recommended bicycling routes.
Bicycle Tune Up Events
Commuter Connection in partnership with Freewheel Bike Shop is pleased to host an onsite tune-up event at your worksite. Employees drop their bikes off in the morning and they are tuned-up by the highly skilled Freewheel mechanics in their Mobile Repair Unit. Tune-ups cost $70. Employers can choose to subsidize a portion of the tune-up or pass the cost on to their employees. Contact Bill Andre if you would like schedule a tune-up event.
