Our Streets Minneapolis Shovel-A-Thon

As you may know, I serve on the board of Our Streets Minneapolis, an advocacy organization committed to making our city streets safer for those of us who bike, walk, and roll.

I joined the board late last year because I'm committed to creating a safer environment for people choosing to bike, walk, and roll in their daily lives. After spending five years carless in Washington, DC, I know Minneapolis has a long ways to go to make that a convenient reality for more residents. The work of Our Streets Minneapolis will help our great city realize a future where a car is an accessory, not a necessity.

One of Our Streets' goals is to make winters walkable. Though the city does a good job clearing snow for vehicles, these solutions often make walking and cycling more dangerous in the winter. Living on the 18th St bikeway in Northeast, I watch pedestrians and bikers choosing to walk and ride on the well-plowed road rather than a poorly plowed bike path.

That's why I am joining my fellow board members this winter in a Shovel-A-Thon fundraiser for Our Streets. Through the rest of the year, I am committing to shoveling out curb cuts along the 18th street bike path from the snow piles left behind from city plows to create a better walking and biking path for neighbors.