skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Minnesota's Transportation Troubles on the Table for 2015

play audio
Play

Monday, November 17, 2014   

ST. PAUL, Minn. - A new two-year budget will be at the top of the agenda when Minnesota lawmakers reconvene in a few months, but another key target for the session will be transportation. Legislation to be introduced in 2015 will focus on improving the state's crumbling roads and aging bridges.

Erik Petzel, spokesperson with Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition, says it's also critical that any package incorporate the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists.

"We see the built environment as having a tremendous impact on how much physical activity people get," says Petzel. "So we're interested in supporting pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that makes those transportation modes a real option for individuals."

A new poll from the coalition shows that sentiment is widely shared, with 65 percent of Minnesotans favoring a road and transportation package that includes additional funding for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

The survey also found the main reason for the strong support is because an increasing number of people are getting around on foot and by bike in both urban and rural settings. Jodi Gertken, BLEND Project Coordinator with the CentraCare Health Foundation explains.

"What this poll actually shows us is what many of us in Greater Minnesota have long believed," Gertken says. "It's really emphasizing that Minnesotans, no matter where we live, whether a community of 2,000 or 200,000, understand the benefits of walking or bicycling."

The greatest needs for related improvements in communities include street crossings and intersections, lighting and additional sidewalks, trails and bike lanes.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021