Revisiting bicycle (and pedestrian) planning and the 6th 'E': equity and the City of Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan

After last year's Bicycle Summit, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, I wrote an entry ("Equity as the sixth "E" in bike and pedestrian planning") on the presentation by Nicole Freedman of the City of Boston Bikes initiative and how they position Equity alongside the standard five "E's" of bike planning: Engineering; Education; Encouragement; Enforcement; Evaluation (planning).

But in looking at the 2011 edition of the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan, Minneapolis also lists Equity as a sixth E, specifying three areas of focus:

• Need for Geographic Equity: Geographic equity ensures that all parts of the city will see the same types of facilities at the same density and quality.
• Need for Demographic Equity: Demographic equity ensures that people of all age, race, ethnicity, and gender are treated equally.
• Need for Modal Equity: Modal equity is achieved when bicycling is treated as an equal mode of transportation alongside autos, trucks, motorcycles, buses, and pedestrians.

Probably, there is even a city earlier than Minneapolis that has pioneered this.  And if I had the time, I would check other Minnesota bike plans to see if they address equity, following the lead of Minneapolis.  For example, the Hennepin County 2040 Bike Transportation Plan does not address equity in a systematic manner.

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There's much to learn from the organization and content of the Minneapolis Bike Plan, for example, the chapter on the history of biking in Minneapolis.