Move Minneapolis knows the car is still king for many, but the nonprofit transportation management organization is piloting one-on-one conversations to make it easier and less threatening for people considering going multi-modal who don’t know where to start.
Called Customized Consultations, the 15-minute virtual or phone sessions are designed to help the uninitiated become comfortable with making sustainable trips by taking the bus, carpool, bike, scooter — or hoofing it.
“We don’t imply that nobody should ever use a car to get anywhere,” said outreach specialist Catherine Windyk. “Sometimes they need to drive, and alone. We want people to know their options and what would work best for them.”
The free service is available to anyone who lives or works in downtown Minneapolis. It also can be used by people in the suburbs who need to come downtown for appointments, want to take in a show, see the Timberwolves or for any other reason. There has to be a connection to downtown, Windyk said.
In the webinar “How to Plan a Multimodal Trip in the Twin Cities” Move Minneapolis held last week, Windyk, with help from four panelists who get around mostly without a car, highlighted several tools for multimodal trip planning.
Among them is Google Maps. Many use the app for driving directions, but it’s loaded with features for transit users to plan trips by bus or train. Cyclists can compare suggested routes and avoid things like hills or click on the “layer” tab to find bike lanes, trails or bicycle-friendly streets.
Windyk drew attention to the Metro Transit website, the popular Transit app and the lesser-known Pointz app for bicyclists.
“We live in a top-10 biking city, but people don’t know where to go,” Windyk said.
