Bicycle Infrastructure

[seanrichardryan]

Well, if Minneapolis starts funding bicycle bridge projects in St. Paul I'll let you know.

[talindsay]

Like a dedicated bike bridge over 35E on the gateway trail?

Winner winner chicken dinner!

[ProspectPete]

Different pot of money?

[talindsay]

Yes, of course it's not actually feasible to take money from this and do the 35e bike bridge, at the most basic level because they're already building this. And they are different jurisdictions. But to me this project demonstrates the sunk-cost fallacy really well - they have a tunnel that was built with federal dollars several years ago and they think they need to spend the new money to get use of it, but aren't considering that the money they are committing, while less than total project cost, is still money that could more effectively be spent elsewhere.

[Anondson]

Not so much infrastructure, but Edina has begun a pester cyclists campaign telling them to behave and follow the law. Along Valley View from 62 to Wooddale) and along Wooddale (from 50th to Valley View) tiny signs too small to be read in one passing are about four signs telling cyclists in the cycling lane how to behave.

[grant1simons2]

Well that's absolute sh*t. I nearly got hit there when I had to get to the East side of Eden Prairie fast from uptown. Those luxury cars are hugging the corners like no tomorrow nearly killing me

[PhilmerPhil]

I was out pedicabbing tonight on 1st Ave, hanging out in the parking lane with the regular cabbies waiting for passengers. A cop was going down the line shooing the cabs out of the lane, and when he got to me, he also shoo'd me out, explaining that the lane was currently a through lane and that we were obstructing traffic. Then he told me I could park my pedicab in the bike lane. SMH.

On the plus side, 1st Ave turns into a woonerf Fridays and Saturdays starting after around 1am!

[mplser]

a cop actually encouraged you to block a bike lane? wow. I wonder what other laws they are ignorant of...

[ECtransplant]

More than you might expect

[Anondson]

The city of Edina votes to reverse its ordinance and allow bicycles to be ridden on sidewalks.

http://current.mnsun.com/2014/06/bicycl ... -in-edina/

Considering the state of roads around there, I've always taken the chance to ride on sidewalks because the roads there are dangerous as hell (France, 70th, 50th). I never knew Edina had banned it all this time.

[bubzki2]

I still think there's a big portion of the population, in general, that thinks that bikes should ONLY ride on a sidewalk where it's available. Education is key. I like Uptown's painted indications that bikes shouldn't be ridden on the sidewalks there, as most people don't seem to really know what they're supposed to do, from my experience. Edina has improved its infrastructure, but it's still heavily, heavily car-dominated.

[mattaudio]

Can someone revoke Edina's bike-friendly community award already?

[Anondson]

They do make head fakes in the pedestrian-/bike-friendly direction. But they do seem to have an institutional bias towards half-measures when better options are possible.

In this though, finally allowing biking on sidewalks where sidewalks are available... well, finally!

[ProspectPete]

At the west end of Bridge #9 today they were paving the path under 35W. At first I thougth that they were black topping it with asphalt, but no! As I got closer I saw the concrete guys pouring *black* colored concrete for the cycling portion of the path. Wow! ($$$)

[ECtransplant]

They do make head fakes in the pedestrian-/bike-friendly direction. But they do seem to have an institutional bias towards half-measures when better options are possible.

In this though, finally allowing biking on sidewalks where sidewalks are available... well, finally!

http://youtu.be/3tIl4Y8HMUU

[orangevening]

Is the west end of bike route in gateway park still getting redone?

[go4guy]

As there seem to be a lot of cyclists on this forum. Quick question. Do you follow the rules of the road? Nothing annoys me more than when cyclists think they own the road and dont obey any traffic law or general courtesy on the road. (going thru red lights. At a red light, passing all the cars that are stopped so then they have to try and pass the slow biker once the light turns green) I just dont get it.

[Anondson]

Eh. Like drivers are angels, rolling through stop signs faster than bikes ride, not signaling merges and lane changes and turns, driving above the speed limit, driving and parking on bike lanes, driving at all intoxicated ...

Not trying to turn this into a tit for tat, and I do get peeved at cyclists behaving badly. I have far more intolerance for drivers misbehaving because of the consequences of errors are so much graver than a cyclist flaunting a rule.

[go4guy]

Drivers are absolutely awful. And a lot of it now has to do with cell phones. Almost t-boned a guy in a minivan by MIA because he went thru a red light because he was on his phone with both hands not paying attention. And had kids in the car.

[LakeCharles]

As there seem to be a lot of cyclists on this forum. Quick question. Do you follow the rules of the road? Nothing annoys me more than when cyclists think they own the road and dont obey any traffic law or general courtesy on the road. (going thru red lights. At a red light, passing all the cars that are stopped so then they have to try and pass the slow biker once the light turns green) I just dont get it.

I bike to work everyday. I'll admit I go through red lights sometimes when no one is coming. I pass all the cars that pass me as well, but since I'm usually in a bike lane I don't feel that is a bad thing. Even when I bike on Bryant I pass all the cars at a red light. I don't feel bad about it at all though. It's a bike boulevard, if you're in a huge hurry, take another street. But I will say most drivers are great on Bryant, very courteous. Otherwise I think I follow most of the rules. I stop at stop signs (maybe only a rolling stop, but I let cars follow the proper order, etc.), signal my turns, etc.