Minneapolis pilots mobility hubs

The City of Minneapolis has launched a mobility hub pilot programme to increase access to convenient, low- or no-carbon transportation options, including transit, shared scooters and Nice Ride bicycles – the local area’s bike-sharing service.

The three-month pilot programme will inform a long-term plan to implement a larger mobility hub network in Minneapolis. The city has collaborated with Metro Transit, Hennepin County, mobility service providers and neighbourhood organisations on the pilot.

Ambassadors from the city and partner organisations will be at the mobility hubs at select times to collect feedback and provide education on the transportation options. The hubs will be marked with a “Go” sign and feature street furniture, such as benches and wayfinding signs to points of interest, bus stops, and parking for bikes and scooters.

Currently, just 13 per cent of people in the Minneapolis take public transportation to their jobs, according to 2018 data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. About seven per cent walk to work, three per cent ride a bike and two per cent use other means, such as scooters, the survey found.

The city’s mobility hub pilot programme is supported by the city’s participation in the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ American Cities Climate Challenge, a two-year programme that provides cities new resources to tackle carbon reduction goals.

Lessons learned from both pilot programmes will inform work on the Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan, which is a 10-year plan to implement the transportation visions outlined in the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan.