urbanMSP

And here's a post from the city on 31st st:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/bicycles/p ... S1P-137450

North Minneapolis getting a 2-way protected cycle track (basically) on 26th Ave N http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/295090211.html
layout: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 137121.pdf

If the North Mpls greenway is built, this could really be something great.

The way I read that layout, it looks to me like a sidepath instead of a cycletrack.

Interesting that they bring the bike path right down to the river. I'm presuming that's in anticipation of some eventual future extension of West River Pkwy north of Broadway.

There is hope to someday use the train trestle to connect with the 18th ave bikeway in NE.

Has anyone noticed that MPS school buses tend to pass people on bikes dangerously close? It's extremely nerve wracking to have a huge, loud, 10' tall vehicle lumber by you at full speed with just a couple feet to spare. State law requires a 3' passing clearance, and to my knowledge Metro Transit buses follow their own policy of a 4' minimum. It almost seems that buses are worse at following the 3' rule than your average motorist out there. I've called MPS and reported specific incidences over the past couple years, but it's still a serious issue. Is it time to organize an aggressive push for MPS to train their bus drivers on how to behave around people on bikes?

http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 25851.html

Couple more PBLs coming. The downtown 9th St one will be especially useful, though would it be just a one-way?

The MPRB is considering repealing the (totally unenforceable) 10mph speed limit on their bike paths.

Good to see. Maybe St. Paul will follow suit and remove their (8mph?) limit as well.

Never mind.

Sigh.

I'll continue to ride at speeds appropriate for the circumstances. 18 mph is totally appropriate for an empty path through
Minnehaha Falls Park at 6:15 am but is absurdly dangerous at 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon.

http://mplsbike.org/blog/posts/draft-pr ... new-miles/

That Third Ave PBL would sure be nice. Would be amazing if they could put that in place before Nicollet is closed. Would require the removal of the median and the left turn lanes, though, so I doubt it.

Also, this is infuriating:

Franklin from Bloomington to 20th (underneath the light rail station): A buffered bike lane is recommended. Protected bike lanes are feasible in the existing condition; however, additional parking is planned along the median in conjunction with a pedestrian plaza recently constructed.

This section is a nightmare; even as a confident biker, I go on the sidewalk. A buffered lane really isn't enough.

I'll continue to ride at speeds appropriate for the circumstances. 18 mph is totally appropriate for an empty path through
Minnehaha Falls Park at 6:15 am but is absurdly dangerous at 2 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon.

Is there any enforcement of these speed limits? I regularly run on the River Road and think of passive aggressive comments I could say to people using the paths wrong, but I've never seen a cop there.

I've never seen trail speed limit enforcement. I do recall reading about Minneapolis cops stopping speeding bikers on the Greenway at Irving and Humboldt. Of course there is no speed limit on the Greenway but there is plenty of dangerous fast riding on the stretch between the lagoon and Hennepin.

I am passive with speeding or dumb drivers when I'm on my bike. Bikers have a somewhat deserved reputation of having a short fuse. I don't want to reinforce that perception. I will shoot dirty looks and comment on driver behavior when on foot.

3rd Ave S in downtown is getting a 2 way, 1 mile, protected lane!!

(hopefully)

Not so much about infrastructure here, but thought this was pretty interesting to see a piece like this running in a prominent newspaper.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/postevery ... them-over/

And no, I’m not saying there shouldn’t be cars. Hey, I have a car. It’s just that cars are like white people and Wall Street — they don’t need any more defending from anybody.

Soooooo... My friend and I locked up our bikes on the 2200 Block of girard earlier this week, to some young trees, over night, and then the next afternoon the trees looked like they had been trimmed and the bikes were gone... So I guess it's not a great idea to lock your bike to a tree, but seriously there were no signs or anything to lock up to around. Is there like a place that bikes get taken? A bike impound and can they be gotten back?

So me and the wife are in the market for two bikes. Can anybody recommend a good place to purchase a couple at a reasonable price? They would just be for recreational use like in parks or around the lakes. Nothing hardcore. Neither of us have been on bikes in quite a few years. Thanks in advance.

Shameless plug to sunrise cyclery. We have a ton of different kinds of bikes. Wide wide ranges of used bikes. We fix the bike and add the required parts onto it for free if you purchase a bike!

Is there like a place that bikes get taken? A bike impound and can they be gotten back?

If the bike was taken by the MPD, it'll eventually make it to their warehouse at 60th and Harriet. I'd go to the 5th precinct and try to ask them.

So LaSalle Ave in downtown Minneapolis is getting a bike lane. On one side...

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 138427.pdf

But hey, it's six feet wide and has some buffers, so it's much better than what was there before!

Sidenote/question: I've been trying to find out what the layout of the new 9th St S protected bikeway will be. In the draft bike master plan, it showed 2 options: 1) 3 full-time car travel lanes, 1 parking lane, and a 5' bike lane with a 2' buffer or 2) 2 full-time car travel lanes, 1 parking (travel during peak) lane, and a 7' bike lane with a 3' buffer.

There will be no protected bike lane on 9th st this summer. From public works:

"Hi Tyler,

Public Works has decided not to pursue the 9th St protected bikeway project in 2015. The resurfacing provided an opportunity to implement a project; however, the resurfacing schedule did not provide adequate time for community engagement. The design of the bike lane will be informed by community feedback in addition to other technical considerations.

Thank you,

Simon