Question: Describe a welcoming and thriving urban corridor. What are the ingredients for a healthy and vital streetscape?
Awed: I am in favor of Safe Streets and this Hennepin Avenue project area will begin to get Minneapolis started in the right direction when it comes to being environmental, safe and user friendly for pedestrians, bicycles, walkers and transit users. Hennepin Avenue is now more catered to traffic while businesses and universities are not as accessible as they could be. I am in favor of Option 1 and the access given to residents, wheelchair accessibility, pedestrians, families, children biking, scooters, skateboards and vehicles. A safe and welcoming streetscape should function with no fatalities that can be prevented. A separate bus line accompanied by a pedestrian/bicycle corridor will minimize transit and increase friendly, neighborly community driven transport and minimize carbon emissions and vehicular accidents that harm our citizens.
Question: Climate change is an existential threat. What are the city’s primary tools for addressing climate change, and how would you use them as mayor?
Awed: I am a strong advocate of being 100% renewable and instilling ways to tackle all the issues that are contaminating our environment due to climate change. Sustainability is hard to maintain when our government is one of the largest violators. Minneapolis took measures with a climate emergency in 2019 by igniting a price on carbon emissions, developing efficiency resolutions, and installing solar arrays. I support the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. As the Mayor of Minneapolis I will strive to reduce global warming emissions, urge state and federal governments to enact further policy to reduce emissions and urge Congress to pass bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation that establishes national emissions trading systems.
Question: Considering that transportation is a leading source of carbon emissions in Minneapolis, do you support reconstructing Hennepin Avenue South with a full-time bus lane and protected bike route (as is called for in adopted city policies, such as the Transportation Action Plan)?
Awed: Reducing transportation is a no brainer to reducing emissions. There is an incredulous need to have more hybrid vehicles and safer streets with bike or pedestrian highways and separate bus lanes. I support the transportation action plan for Hennepin Avenue and utilizing this for each new construction urban plan for our city streets. It is imperative that the funding and action of the Transportation Action Plan be implemented. I would put my trust and research under the advice of Dr. Samuel Myers from the University of Minnesota and the environmental agencies who helped develop the plan
