![The walking trail on the west bank of the Mississippi River north of Plymouth Ave. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com Fifteen years after a sweeping plan to change the upper riverfront of Minneapolis was unveiled, much of even its first-stage projects for converting industrial land to parks and housing remain undone. Some projects are gaining momentum, such as extending trails up the river's east bank to match those on the west side, or creating a new river island for habitat a](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/4KC4GKNFMRHWQ6H4VOSUI32OIU.jpg?&w=1080)
Transportation is likely to be a big topic in the upcoming state legislative session — how to fund it, where to fund it and whether to fund it.
And what kind of transportation? Car? Bus? Light rail? Bike? Pedestrian?
A Minneapolis-based nonprofit, Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition, recently commissioned a poll of 1,000 people across the state to see how they ranked transportation options in their lives. The coalition comprises more than two dozen health care systems and nonprofits and emphasizes increased physical activity and decreased obesity in children.
Nearly a third of Minnesota preschool children are considered obese.
The poll, conducted by the Morris Leatherman Co. in Minneapolis, found that most rated the condition of the state's roads, bridges, public transit, bike and pedestrian trails as "good," but saw room for improvement. When asked whether they would favor additional funding for safe pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, 65 percent answered in the affirmative. (The study does not ask how much people would be willing to pay, however.)
"We know that a lot of communities throughout the state are interested in improving the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, but don't have the resources to do it," said Erik Petzel, coalition spokesman. "If Gov. Dayton and legislative leaders take up transportation funding in the next session, we wanted to show that support of this kind of funding was statewide, and not just in the Twin Cities metro area."
Not surprisingly, when asked how they get to work or to other activities, 87 percent of poll respondents said they drive. Forty-seven percent said they never ride a bicycle.
But 70 percent said they walk in their respective communities every day or at least once a week. Their wish list includes improved street lighting and safer pedestrian street crossings.
