Twin Cities Region Research Articles

Understanding Party Size in Ride-Hailing: Solo Versus Group Travel

Emerging mobility technologies, like ride-hailing, are underrepresented in travel behavior surveys. Consequently, travel demand modelers have often resorted to simplistic solo-traveler assumptions or relied on aggregate trip size factors within activity- and agent-based models. To address this gap and help modelers understand ride-hail party size, this study analyzed data collected from a 2021 to 2022 household travel survey in the greater Twin Cities (Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN) region. Ride-hail trips were paired with person-, household-, and trip-level attributes to provide context for both single-party and multiparty ride-hailing. Binary logistic regression models indicated that shared micromobility users, households with more children, renters in large multifamily buildings, and individuals with at most a high school education were significantly more likely to use ride-hailing for group travel than for solo trips. A hurdle regression for party size count revealed that lower-income households, while less likely to use ride-hailing, were more likely to opt for group travel and form larger parties than other income cohorts. These findings offer insights into who takes ride-hailing for group travel, enabling policy makers to devise strategies targeting solo, unshared ride-hailing without negatively affecting large groups.

1988. Early Syphilis in Minnesota: Statewide and Regional Trends, 2018-2022

Abstract Background Cases of syphilis have been increasing in the US for several years. We assessed the epidemiology of syphilis in MN. Methods Syphilis cases are reported to MN Dept of Health through electronic laboratory reporting and are interviewed by disease intervention specialists. We reviewed early syphilis case data (primary, secondary, or early non-primary/secondary) and evaluated demographics, geographic region, HIV infection and substance use. Results From 2018-2022 there was a 108% increase in early syphilis with a total of 4,306 cases; 76% males, 65% of whom identified as men who have sex with men (MSM). Median age was 33 (IQR 27-42) years. The average 5-year rates of early syphilis in those who identify as American Indian (AI) (162 per 100,000) and Black, Non-Hispanic (66.9 per 100,00) were 22.2-fold and 9.2-fold higher respectively, compared to White (7.3 per 100,000). 25% of early syphilis cases occurred in persons with HIV (PWH), a 68% increase from 2018-2022 (165 cases in 2018 to 276 in 2022). Substance use was reported in 23% of cases. Cases in females rose 267% (97 in 2018 to 344 in 2022) and in males 81% (478 in 2018 to 866 in 2022). Among early syphilis female cases, 30% were AI and 19% were Black. Congenital syphilis cases also increased from 10 cases in 2018 to 20 in 2022 (rate 15.1 to 31.7 per 100,000 live births). Across 3 impacted MN regions over the 2018-2022 timeframe, case characteristics varied. In the Twin Cities Region (TCR: n=3154, 73% cases) 81% were male, of whom 73% identified as MSM. In the Duluth Region (DR: n=157, 4% cases), 71% were male of whom 54% identified as MSM. In TCR, 31% cases were PWH and in DR, 13% of cases were PWH. In the Northwest Region (NWR: n=352, 8% cases), 45% were male, of whom 6% identified as MSM. In NWR, 51% cases reported substance use, compared with 20% in TCR and 11% in DR. Conclusion Similar to other US areas, syphilis is increasing in MN and is disproportionately impacting AI and Black populations. These trends and the rise in female and congenital cases warrant accelerated public health action. Rather than one statewide syphilis approach, regional differences in epidemiology highlight the need for understanding root challenges, engaging effectively with communities to develop locally specific interventions, access to testing and prenatal screening, and access to care. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

The cost of working: measuring physical and virtual access to jobs

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the incentive to work-from-home (WFH) in many countries and well-developed information and communication technology (ICT) provides strong support to do so with no need to physically travel to workplaces. This paper defines the concept of physical (traditional) and virtual (online) access to jobs based on dual access theory, by analysing different job profiles to recognize those that are capable of working from home and those that are not. A theoretical framework is then built for physical and virtual access measures and applied to the Minneapolis – St. Paul (Twin Cities) region. The results show that virtual access is much more sensitive to its cost variables, like wage change or at-home working space, while physical is less affected accordingly. A suburban ring emerges, which enjoys better access to jobs when physical and virtual working are mixed over a week. The results provide insights for planners, managers, and policymakers.

Association of Project ECHO Training With Buprenorphine Prescribing by Primary Care Clinicians in Minnesota for Treating Opioid Use Disorder

Buprenorphine is an approved medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD); however, prescribing buprenorphine is limited by a requirement to obtain a waiver to prescribe it (hereinafter, "DATA [Drug Abuse Treatment Act]-waiver") and a lack of knowledge of the best practices among clinicians. To examine how Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) telementoring is associated with changes in DATA-waiver attainment and buprenorphine prescribing among primary care clinicians in Minnesota. In this retrospective matched-cohort study of 918 clinicians, ECHO-trained clinicians were enrolled on the date they first attended ECHO (January 3, 2018, to June 11, 2020); comparison clinicians were assigned an enrollment date from the distribution of the first ECHO sessions. The baseline period was 12 months preceding enrollment, with follow-up for 18 months or until June 30, 2020. The ECHO-trained clinicians were a population-based sample of primary care clinicians who treated Medicaid patients in Minnesota 12 months prior to the initiation of ECHO training. This analysis used propensity score matching to select comparison clinicians who were similar across demographic and clinical practice characteristics at baseline in a 2:1 ratio. Follow-up was available for 167 ECHO-trained clinicians (54.6%) and 330 comparison clinicians (53.9%) at 18 months. ECHO-trained clinicians attended at least 1 weekly, hour-long ECHO session. Comparison clinicians never participated in any ECHO sessions. DATA-waiver attainment, any buprenorphine prescribing, and the percentage of patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) who were prescribed buprenorphine. The final sample included 918 clinicians (ECHO-trained [306]; comparison [612]), of whom 620 (67.5%) practiced outside the metropolitan Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St Paul) region. The mean (SD) age of the ECHO-trained clinicians was 46.0 (12.1) years and that of the comparison clinicians was 45.7 (12.3) years. Relative to the changes among the matched comparison clinicians, the ECHO-trained clinicians were more likely to obtain a DATA-waiver (difference-in-differences, 22.7 percentage points; 95% CI, 15.5-29.9 percentage points; P < .001) and prescribe any buprenorphine (16.5 percentage points; 95% CI, 10.4-22.5 percentage points; P < .001) after 6 quarters of follow-up. ECHO-trained clinicians prescribed buprenorphine to a greater share of patients with OUD (a difference of 7.6 percentage points per month; 95% CI, 4.6-10.6 percentage points per month; P < .001), relative to that prescribed by the comparison clinicians. According to the findings of this matched-cohort study, ECHO telementoring may be associated with greater prescribing of buprenorphine by primary care clinicians. These findings suggest that Project ECHO training could be a useful tool for expanding access to MOUD.

Assessment of Spatial Location and Air Transport Patterns of Minnesota’s Medical Device Industry Cluster

Minnesota’s medical device industry cluster is not only one of the biggest driving economic forces in the state, but also a global leader in the development and distribution of medical devices. The study assessed the medical device industry’s spatial development and air transport implications, both in terms of industry cluster location and flow of products. The spatial analysis showed that most medical device companies are located within the seven-county Twin-Cities region, but that industries linked to the medical device industry cluster are much more dispersed throughout the state. Regarding products created, the supply chain of medical devices is highly dependent on Minneapolis-St Paul Airport (MSP), which plays a key role in their delivery of medical devices. Air Cargo analysis reveals the high value of medical devices. exports to various locations and raises issues about the future role of air cargo through MSP to the economic prosperity of the industry cluster.

A method for estimating neighborhood characterization in studies of the association with availability of sit-down restaurants and supermarkets

BackgroundAlthough neighborhood-level access to food differs by sociodemographic factors, a majority of research on neighborhoods and food access has used a single construct of neighborhood context, such as income or race. Therefore, the many interrelated built environment and sociodemographic characteristics of neighborhoods obscure relationships between neighborhood factors and food access.MethodsThe objective of this study was to account for the many interrelated characteristics of food-related neighborhood environments and examine the association between neighborhood type and relative availability of sit-down restaurants and supermarkets. Using cluster analyses with multiple measures of neighborhood characteristics (e.g., population density, mix of land use, and sociodemographic factors) we identified six neighborhood types in 1993 in the Twin Cities Region, Minnesota. We then used mixed effects regression models to estimate differences in the relative availability of sit-down restaurants and supermarkets in 1993, 2001, and 2011 across the six neighborhood types.ResultsWe defined six types of neighborhoods that existed in 1993, namely, urban core, inner city, urban, aging suburb, high-income suburb, and suburban edge. Between 1993 and 2011, inner city neighborhoods experienced a greater increase in the percent of sit-down restaurants compared with urban core, urban, and aging suburbs. Differences in the percent of sit-down restaurants between inner city and aging suburbs, high-income suburbs and suburban edge neighborhoods increased between 1993 and 2011. Similarly, aging suburb neighborhoods had a greater percent of supermarkets compared with urban and high-income suburb neighborhoods in 2001 and 2011, but not in 1993, suggesting a more varied distribution of food stores across neighborhoods over time. Thus, the classification of neighborhood type based on sociodemographic and built environment characteristics resulted in a complex and increasingly varied distribution of restaurants and food stores.ConclusionsThe temporal increase in the relative availability of sit-down restaurants in inner cities after accounting for all restaurants might be partly related to a higher proportion of residents who eat-away-from-home, which is associated with higher calorie and fat intake.

Marginal Impacts of Park-and-Ride Facilities in the Twin Cities Region of the US

Understanding the marginal impacts of park-and-ride (P&amp;R) transit facilities can help in planning an efficient transit system. However, these marginal impacts are not well established in a U.S. context. This study helps to fill this gap using a survey of P&amp;R users from the Twin Cities region in which the questions were specifically designed to determine how respondents would react to the removal of a P&amp;R facility. The responses allow for an estimation of the net (or marginal) impact on ridership and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) directly attributable to the presence of P&amp;R facilities. Over 80% of the surveyed P&amp;R users would only use transit if they had access to a P&amp;R facility. They would generate an average of 19 additional VMT per round trip without a P&amp;R option. If access to their current P&amp;R facility was removed but they were given the option to choose an alternative facility, the respondents who would quit using transit dropped to 32% with an average of 10 additional VMT generated, although these numbers vary to some degree when broken down by specific P&amp;R facilities.

Is gardening associated with greater happiness of urban residents? A multi-activity, dynamic assessment in the Twin-Cities region, USA

As cities seek to become more livable and environment-friendly, activities like bicycling, walking, and urban gardening (household and community-gardening) are receiving much attention. However, few field studies have measured well-being of urban gardening, particularly during household gardening. Our study develops protocols to measure emotional well-being (EWB) reported during household gardening, comparing it with other leisure and day-to-day activities. We also explore how gardening EWB varies across gardener type (vegetable vs ornamental), demographics, neighborhood type, and companionship during gardening. Using a recently developed app-based Day Reconstruction Method, EWB was measured across 370 participants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Area, USA, wherein 118 (32%) reported engaging in household gardening. Innovatively, five measures of EWB were computed for each participant for each activity type: average net affect, average happiness, average meaningfulness, the frequency of experiencing peak positive emotions (happiness and meaningfulness). Among all three average EWB measures, gardening is among the top 5 out of 15 activities assessed, and, is not statistically different from biking, walking and eating out. All four of these activities fall behind other leisure/recreation activities, which ranks first. For frequency of experiencing peak happiness, only other leisure/recreation activities were statistically higher than all the remaining (14) activities. Average net affect of gardening was significantly higher for vegetable gardeners (vs ornamental), for low-income gardeners (vs higher income) and for women. Companionship while gardening at home, race/ethnicity and urban versus suburban location showed no significant difference. Livability and equity considerations based on these EWB findings, and their impacts on urban food plans, are discussed.

Governing Dockless Bike Share: Early Lessons for Nice Ride Minnesota

Dockless bike share systems present an opportunity to expand access to bike share in cities by lowering costs and geographic barriers, but they also create additional challenges in the areas of maintenance, parking, and right-of-way management. Most dockless providers are private, venture-capital funded entities, representing a significant departure from current public and non-profit approaches. In several cities, municipal authorities have encountered challenges in securing cooperation from these operators in areas such as data transparency. This raises a key question: To what extent can municipal authorities use contracts and governance to exchange use of the public rights of way for operating requirements that advance equity, accessibility, innovation, and other goals? Using case studies from other U.S. cities and drawing insights from the wider “smart mobility” literature, this research presents recommendations for regulating dockless bike share in cities and ties these approaches to the implementation of Nice Ride Minnesota’s dockless pilot. It also examines prominent challenges in coordination and implementation and highlights novel approaches with an eye towards the future of bike share in the Twin Cities region (Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN). It concludes that providers of shared mobility services should expect to be regulated in exchange for use of public rights of way, while city authorities should provide transparent and proactive regulation, maintain an environment of iteration, define their own metrics for success, place planning goals before innovation, and strive for regional collaboration.

Unexpected versus expected network disruption: Effects on travel behavior

This paper discusses the observed evolution of traffic in the Minneapolis-St Paul (Twin Cities) region road network following the unexpected collapse of the I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River. The observations presented within this paper reveal that traffic dynamics are potentially different when a prolonged and unexpected network disruption occurs rather than a preplanned closure. Following the disruption from the I-35W Bridge's unexpected collapse, we witnessed a unique trend: an avoidance phenomenon after the disruption. More specifically, drivers are observed to drastically avoid areas near the disruption site, but gradually return after a period of time following the collapse. This trend is not observed in preplanned closures studied to date. To model avoidance, it is proposed that the tragedy generated a perceived travel cost that discouraged commuters from using these sections. These perceived costs are estimated for the Twin Cities network and found to be best described as an exponential decay cost curve with respect to time. After reinstituting this calibrated cost curve into a mesoscopic simulator, the simulated traffic into the discouraged areas are found to be within acceptable limits of the observed traffic on a week-by-week basis. The proposed model is applicable to both practitioners and researchers in many traffic-related fields by providing an understanding of how traffic dynamics will evolve after a long-term, unexpected network disruption.

Accessibility Scenario Analysis of a Hypothetical Future Transit Network: Social Equity Implications of a General Transit Feed Specification–Based Sketch Planning Tool

Accessibility analysis can have important implications for understanding social equity in transit planning. The emergence and the increasingly broad acceptance of the general transit feed specification (GTFS) format for transit route, stop, and schedule data have revolutionized transit accessibility research by providing researchers with a convenient, publicly available source of data interoperable with common geographic information system (GIS) software. Existing approaches to GTFS-based transit analysis, however, focus on currently operating transit systems. With major transit expansions across the nation and around the world increasing in number and ambition, understanding the accessibility impacts of proposed projects in their early planning stages is crucial to achieving the greatest possible social benefit from these massive public investments. This paper describes the development of a hypothetical transit network based on current GTFS data and proposed 2040 transit improvements for the Twin Cities region of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota, as well as its use as a sketch planning tool in exploring the proposed system’s impacts on access to job vacancies from historically disadvantaged areas. This research demonstrates the importance of accessibility analysis in planning a transit system that increases opportunity for marginalized workers and concludes by calling for broader, easier access to accessibility analysis for practitioners and community groups to refine the early stages of the transit planning process and democratize an increasingly crucial transit planning tool.

The City is flatter: Changing patterns of job and labor access

This study measures accessibility by automobile for the Minneapolis - Saint Paul (Twin Cities) region from 1995 to 2005. In contrast to most previous analyses of accessibility, this study uses travel time estimates derived, to the extent possible, from actual observations of network performance by time of day. A set of cumulative opportunity measures are computed with transport analysis zones (TAZs) as the unit of analysis for 1995 and 2005. Analysis of the changes in accessibility by location over the period of study reveals that, for the majority of locations in the region, accessibility increased over this period, though the increases were not uniform. A “flattening” or convergence of levels of accessibility across locations was observed over time, with faster-growing suburban locations gaining the most in terms of employment accessibility. An effort to decompose the causes of changes in accessibility into components related to transport network structure and land use (opportunity location) reveals that both causes make a contribution to increasing accessibility, though the effects of changes to the transportation network tend to be more location-specific. Overall, the results of the study demonstrate the feasibility and relevance of using accessibility as a key performance measure to describe the regional transport system.

Developers' perspectives on transit-oriented development

The success of transit corridors in promoting sustainable regional growth hinges on location decisions made by private-sector developers. This paper centers on a series of interviews with 24 residential and commercial developers in the Twin Cities region. Developers were recruited for interviews using random sampling by residential/commercial and urban/suburban specialty. The authors analyzed interview transcripts using close readings and computerized content analysis focused on word frequency analysis and topic co-occurrence statistics. Recommendations for promoting transit-oriented development include reforming zoning and development regulations, broadening the focus of TOD to include frequent bus routes, providing greater certainty of future transit improvements. Recommendations for integrating TOD with affordable housing development include pursuing affordable-by-design solutions and engaging with affordable housing specialists.

The relationship between Monte Carlo estimators of heterogeneity and error for daily to monthly time steps in a small Minnesota precipitation gauge network

AbstractPrecipitation quantile estimates are used in engineering, agriculture, and a variety of other disciplines. Index flood regional frequency methods pool normalized gauge data in the case of homogeneity among the constituent gauges of the region. Unitless regional quantile estimates are outputted and rescaled at each gauge. Because violation of the homogeneity hypothesis is a major component of quantile estimation error in regional frequency analysis, heterogeneity estimators should be “reasonable proxies” of the error of quantile estimation. In this study, three Monte Carlo heterogeneity statistics tested in Hosking and Wallis (1997) are plotted against Monte Carlo estimates of quantile error for all five‐or‐more‐gauge regionalizations in a 12 gauge network in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. Upper‐tail quantiles with nonexceedance probabilities of 0.75 and above are examined at time steps ranging from daily to monthly. A linear relationship between heterogeneity and error estimates is found and quantified using Pearson's r score. Two of Hosking and Wallis's (1997) heterogeneity measures, incorporating the coefficient of variation in one case and additionally the skewness in the other, are found to be reasonable proxies for quantile error at the L‐moment ratio values characterizing these data. This result, in addition to confirming the utility of a commonly used coefficient of variation‐based heterogeneity statistic, provides evidence for the utility of a heterogeneity measure that incorporates skewness information.

Co-ops and Collective Impact

First paragraphs: The nonprofit Cooperative Development Services (CDS), a cooperative that offers business consulting services to co-ops, just released an incisive report showing how co-op groceries in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area grew over the past 40 years into a US$180-million commercial cluster (Stockinger & Gutknecht, 2014). This is strong growth for an upstart sector amidst established competitors in an often-hostile economic climate. While they still represent only two percent of the region's grocery trade, food co-ops have built a solid membership base. Their stores define the cutting edge of grocery retailing in the Twin Cities (where I live), and have had a profound influence on the ways groceries are sold here. The growth of this co-op sector offers important insights into collective impact — an approach that advances the notion that even discrete steps taken by a given initiative will have importance across sectors, creating synergy and larger impacts over time — now widely in use by food initiatives across the U.S. Let’s start with some basic facts from the CDS report. Today there are 15 food co-ops operating 17 stores in the Twin Cities region (with plans underway for adding three new outlets). These co-ops have enlisted 91,000 members and attract an estimated 50,000 additional shoppers annually. Combined, the stores offer food items from more than 300 farmers located within 250 miles (400 km) of the metro region, who earn an estimated US$31 million of farmgate revenue by selling to the co-ops through various channels. About 60 percent of this revenue was earned by selling directly to each co-op store.. ..

Doing Business around Transit Corridors

Major transit projects can have profound effects on nearby businesses. Although much research has investigated physical neighborhood changes and neighborhood demographic changes driven by transit projects, little is known about the perceived effects of transit projects in business communities. In a direct response to this knowledge gap, a random-sampled survey of 160 businesses was conducted along four existing and planned transit corridors in the Twin Cities region in Minnesota. With the survey responses, ordered logistic regression models of business perceptions of transit corridor projects were estimated. It was found that responding businesses generally expect positive effects from transit corridors in the future, but the likelihood of positive perceptions differs significantly according to business location, size, and sector, as well as employees’ and customers’ demographics and customers’ travel behavior. These findings provide insights into the types of businesses to target for special outreach efforts as well as strategies for mitigating negative effects and maximizing positive effects perceived by station area businesses.

The City is Flatter: Changing Patterns of Job and Labor Access in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, 1995-2005

This study describes the measurement of accessibility by automobile for the Minneapolis - Saint Paul (Twin Cities) region over the period from 1995 to 2005. In contrast to previous analyses of accessibility, this study uses travel time estimates derived, to the extent possible, from actual observations of network performance by time of day. A set of cumulative opportunity measures are computed with transportation analysis zones (TAZs) as the unit of analysis for 1995 and 2005. Analysis of the changes in accessibility by location over the period of study reveals that, for the majority of locations in the region, accessibility increased over this period, though the increases were not uniform. A flattening or convergence of levels of accessibility across locations was observed over time, with faster-growing suburban locations gaining the most in terms of employment accessibility. An effort to decompose the causes of changes in accessibility into components related to transportation network structure and land use (opportunity location) reveal that both causes make a contribution to increasing accessibility, though the effects of changes to the transportation network tend to be more location-specific. Overall, the results of the study demonstrate the feasibility and relevance of using accessibility as a key performance measure to describe the regional transportation system.

Transportation Finance, Congestion, and Equity: Some Policy Perspectives

Traffic congestion continues to be a major concern for policy makers and transportation professionals in most large U.S. metropolitan regions. While demand for travel continues to increase, traditional sources of revenue used to finance transportation at the state and local levels are yielding fewer resources (or at least slowing in their rate of growth). As a result, transportation decision makers continue to seek new sources of revenue to finance expansive highway and transit plans. While much effort is expended in seeking adequate revenue sources, little effort is given to determining the equity effects of these new revenue sources, much less the policies they are designed to support. This paper investigates one particular aspect of equity, vertical equity, in relation to transportation finance and policy. Through the use of sets of data (travel demand, financial, and operational) from Minnesota and specifically from the Twin Cities region as illustrations, the authors argue that current policies toward transportation finance and congestion do little to further the interests of low-income individuals and may in fact benefit others at their expense. The authors conclude with some recommendations aimed at redistributing more equitably the burden of financing transportation programs among users and nonusers.

Transportation Finance, Congestion, and Equity

Traffic congestion continues to be a major concern for policy makers and transportation professionals in most large U.S. metropolitan regions. While demand for travel continues to increase, traditional sources of revenue used to finance transportation at the state and local levels are yielding fewer resources (or at least slowing in their rate of growth). As a result, transportation decision makers continue to seek new sources of revenue to finance expansive highway and transit plans. While much effort is expended in seeking adequate revenue sources, little effort is given to determining the equity effects of these new revenue sources, much less the policies they are designed to support. This paper investigates one particular aspect of equity, vertical equity, in relation to transportation finance and policy. Through the use of sets of data (travel demand, financial, and operational) from Minnesota and specifically from the Twin Cities region as illustrations, the authors argue that current policies toward transportation finance and congestion do little to further the interests of low-income individuals and may in fact benefit others at their expense. The authors conclude with some recommendations aimed at redistributing more equitably the burden of financing transportation programs among users and nonusers.

Table of Contents

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse WeeklyVolume 17, Issue 25 p. 1-8 Table of Contents First published: 19 August 2005 https://doi.org/10.1002/adaw.20201725AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Pharmacists Becoming Positive Ally in Efforts to Treat Heroin Addiction Substance Abuse Counselors Seeing More Patients with a PTSD Diagnosis Pharmacists and Prescription Opioids NAADAC and IC&RC Take Next Step Toward Unification Methamphetamine Maintains Grip on Twin Cities Region Adult Antisocial Syndromes Common Among Substance Abusers Survey: Fathers Need to Talk More to Kids About Drugs Briefly Noted Coming Up… Volume17, Issue2527 June 2005Pages 1-8 RelatedInformation