What’s the Best Way to Get Around the Twin Cities?  
Bicyclist, Transit Rider, and Car Driver Travel an Urban Obstacle Course of Errands to Vie for Honor at Finish Line

MINNEAPOLIS—What’s the best way to navigate the Twin Cities during morning rush hour? Would a bicycle get you to work more quickly? Are the bus and light rail more relaxing? Is driving really all it’s cracked up to be?

Three celebrity contestants traveled an urban obstacle course of errands to find out: Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak rode his bike, Ramsey County Commissioner Toni Carter walked and took transit, and Star Tribune Roadguy blogger Jim Foti drove his car. Their verdict? Well, it depends on your priorities.

Mayor Rybak came in first place, followed four minutes later by Commissioner Carter. Foti came in last, arriving five minutes later after a string of unplanned delays which included a broken gas pump, a train crossing, and difficulty finding parking spots.

“People are looking for alternatives to spending their money on high gas prices and sitting in traffic,” says Lea Schuster, Executive Director of Transit for Livable Communities. “The Great Commuter Challenge shows that Twin Cities residents have transportation options that are convenient, affordable, and timely. Although we can always improve our transportation system, residents have a great starting point for exploring alternatives to driving.”

The Great Commuter Challenge was the kick-off event for Twin Cities Bike Walk Week. Sponsored by Jazz 88, Bedlam Theater, and the Mississippi Market Co-op, the event featured three commuters traveling by bike, walking and transit, and driving from the Merriam Park Community Center in St. Paul to the Minneapolis Central Library in downtown Minneapolis. Each participant stopped to pick up a Wall Street Journal at the Lake Street light rail station, two complimentary tickets to Romeo + Juliet at the Bedlam Theater, and dropped off library books at the Central Library. The driver and bicyclist also had to stop for fuel—the driver for gas, and the bicyclist for a quick bite to eat.

Minneapolis recently received silver status in the Bike-Friendly Communities contest, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. Among the 50 cities with the most workers, Minneapolis has the second highest percentage of people who bike to work. It is also the pilot site for the Bike/Walk Twin Cities initiative, which is a federally-funded program to increase walking and bicycling in the city. The $21.5 million program is administered locally by Transit for Livable Communities.

Demand for transit, meanwhile, is increasing. Metro Transit closed 2007 with 77 million rides, the highest annual ridership total since 1982. Buses and light rail trains are routinely packed, and suburban park and rides are often overflowing.