Transit for Livable Communities working to better Midway Como

For Executive Director Jessica Treat, definition of ‘transit’ is about movement

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
A trip to Europe planted a seed that grew into a planning career for Midway resident Jessica Treat.
Treat grew up in suburban Bloomington, MN and then attended college in Tempe, AZ, a place of massive urban sprawl. When she had the chance to travel to Europe, she saw how things could be different.
Photo left: When Treat bicycles with her six-year-old daughter from their home on Snelling to her sister’s house in Falcon Heights she heads all the way over to Lexington because she doesn’t feel safe biking on Snelling. (Photo submitted)
Back home, she enrolled in a planning class. “I learned that the environment we have around us is of our choosing,” Treat observed. “If you want to have a place that’s oriented towards cars that’s what you’ll get, but you don’t have to.”
She also learned it takes a community to agitate for change.
Treat brings those lessons to her position as the executive director of Transit for Livable Communities (TLC), 2356 University Ave. W. She was named to the position this past January.
“Transit for Livable Communities is very enthusiastic about this next chapter for our organization,” said board chair Adam Welle. “Jessica Treat is a smart, strategic leader and a passionate advocate for transit, bicycling, and walking in the region. Under her direction, Transit for Livable Communities will be well-positioned to advance our mission, grow our impact, and create positive change in Minnesota.”
Different level of vitality in the streets
Treat comes to Transit for Livable Communities from St. Paul Smart Trips where she had served as executive director since 2007. In addition to her eight-year tenure at St. Paul Smart Trips, she previously worked at the Midway Transportation Management Organization and served as the executive director of the Lexington-Hamline Community Council.
It was during her stint with the community council that she was propelled into the discussion about Twin Cities transit. Residents were debating what should be built at the southwest corner of Lexington and University. They wanted something that would work well with future transit. In the end, the Wilder Foundation building was constructed.
For Treat, the definition of “transit” is a broad one. While some think of transit as being about trains and buses, Treat defines it as “movement.”
She pointed out that big box stores are spread out and by their nature don’t lend themselves to tight-knit communities. But when you have bus stops and train stops that people are walking or biking to, they rub shoulders with strangers with whom they might not otherwise interact.
“There’s a difference,” Treat insisted. “There’s a different level of vitality in the street.”
Health and equity benefits
Treat is also passionate about transit because it offers her the ability to impact climate change directly. When she bikes, when she walks, when she rides the bus or the train, she’s able to limit her footprint and be kinder to the environment.
“The impact of personal transportation on the environment is important,” Treat stated.
Then there are the health benefits of transit that are important to her. “We live very sedentary lives in the United States and have significant problems with obesity and diabetes,” she pointed out. Transit offers a way for people to build physical activity into their day. “If you take the bus, you have to walk or bike a bit,” she said.
There’s also the equity side to transit. Owning and operating a car costs about $8,000 a year, which isn’t affordable for many, she observed. Transit gives people options to get to jobs and school.
Gaps in the Midway Como transit system
As a 12-year Midway homeowner, Treat has seen the big transit changes that came with the Green Line. She is looking forward to the start of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) A Line down Snelling in June. (Watch for article in next Monitor on the A Line.)
“It’s a significant change and the first in the region,” pointed out Treat.
But there are still some gaps in the system where things need to be buffed up. In particular, there are some bus lines that would benefit from greater frequency, especially at night and on the weekends.
Treat is paying attention to changes that will come with the proposed soccer stadium and hopes that it will include bicycling improvements.
There are also places where there are no sidewalks, such as in the industrial areas.
There’s a significant gap in one’s ability to get from the Midway to downtown Minneapolis via bicycle. The industrial areas and rail lines create real challenges there, according to Treat.
Snelling presents a barrier for those trying to cross it, despite the recent improvements of curb cuts and a wider median. The biggest problem is simply that vehicles don’t stop at crosswalks, she pointed out. That’s a city-wide issue.
When Treat bicycles with her six-year-old daughter from their home on Snelling to her sister’s house in Falcon Heights, she heads all the way over to Lexington because she doesn’t feel safe biking on Snelling.
And she gets nervous when she bikes along Pierce Butler or Energy Park Dr. because there aren’t designated bike lanes, and she can hear the cars close by.
Charles Ave., however, is a great roadway to bike on, and Treat would like to see more bicycle boulevards like it in the city. The roundabouts at intersections help slow cars down and allow bicyclists to avoid stopping.
“As a woman and a mom who rides, I’d like to see protected bike lanes,” Treat remarked, such as those in Minneapolis with some kind of barrier between cars and bikes. She’s not alone. TLC has heard from other women who feel the same way.
Lobbying efforts
Founded in 1996, Transit for Livable Communities is dedicated to transforming Minnesota’s transportation system to strengthen the community, improve health and opportunity for all people, foster a sound economy, and protect natural resources. TLC is the largest transportation advocacy organization in the state, with nearly 10,000 advocates and members, and a staff of 8 employees. TLC promotes a balanced transportation system that encourages transit, walking, bicycling, and thoughtful development.
TLC has been active this spring lobbying at the 2016 legislative session, pushing lawmakers for new investments in all modes of transportation in the Twin Cities, suburbs, and Greater Minnesota.
They’ve partnered with groups pushing for better streets and bridges. “I don’t like potholes anymore than a driver does,” Treat stated.
She added, “It’s an exciting time for the work we’re doing.”
Lutheran Social Services honored as transport leaders
Earlier this year, TLC recognized a number of organizations, including Lutheran Social Services (2485 Como Ave.), for their work as Transportation Leaders. Through a variety of ways, Lutheran Social Services is supporting transit, biking, and walking.
The benefits for companies are many, according to Treat. When employees are physically activity, they are healthier and more productive. Transit, biking and walking help people save money, as well.
Some companies certified as transportation leaders offer transit passes at discounted rates. Others make sure they have a place to store biking gear and have a shower available. Others make a point of stating on their websites how to get there via car, bike and transit.
Treat pointed out that millennials want to live in a place where they don’t necessarily have to own a car. “How you get around is part of the benefits package,” said Treat.
Learn more at www.tlcminnesota.org.

Article appeared in the May 2016 Monitor Saint Paul.