urbanMSP

And I guess I don't really get your issue with the roundabouts. You have instant right-of-way, and far less delay than a regular bike lane at a signal. And way less stress than having to merge into the roundabout traffic like a regular bike lane at aroundabout.

Will be even better after they get the green paint down this year for the "crossbike"

I wrote a post proposing buffered bike lanes in DT St. Paul of 5th and 6th. I wasn't sure beforehand whether to propose them on the right side (the bus side) or the left side (sometimes parking lanes). Any thoughts?

https://streets.mn/2019/01/24/downtown- ... and-bikes/

As much as I dislike the left-hand bike lanes on 9th and 10th in DT Minneapolis, dodging out of the bike lane to get around a stopped bus is much worse. Left-hand lanes would be my vote. There's plenty of parking in DT St Paul, it wouldn't be missed. (Though it would be argued about endlessly)

I hope public works will take a look at this. I was thinking of just swapping out with a traffic lane because there seem to be extra. Also seems less politically difficult than swapping out parking. Some of the parking is bookended with bumpouts which wouldn't allow bike lanes (can't remember how many blocks this is true).

I just discovered a MetroGIS resource (via their tweet a couple days ago) that is a dataset from the Metro Trails and Bikeways collaborative of every bike trail and route in the Twin Cities region. This pretty much is exactly what I was asking for a few months back! Thought I’d share.
https://twitter.com/MetroGIStweets/stat ... 6657845249
The blurb on the webpage:

This dataset was created by the Metro Trails and Bikeways Collaborative, a joint collaborative project involving the technical and managerial GIS staff from the Seven Metropolitan Counties (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington). Data were gathered from local, state, and federal partners by the project team and put into the metro data model.

https://gisdata.mn.gov/dataset/us-mn-st ... rails-bike

The dataset includes an ArcGIS online viewer that allows you to view in a web browser.

Here’s a survey on the 2017 Washington Ave cycle tracks.

https://www.menti.com/dbcab010

Tell them what you think!

I've had a few close calls with turning traffic when coming off the cycle tracks to pass through intersections. I reflexively look over my shoulder before all intersections to check for turning cars but I'm concerned that these might be giving less experienced cyclists a false sense of security.

I think those right-turn lanes are the problem. I don't like merging zones either--or those bike lanes that run between through lane and right-turn lane--but at least there the expected behavior of both parties is fairly clear. The right-turn lanes on Washington Ave allow cars to take those turns pretty much at speed, and at that point I don't think they're very interested in or likely to stop for bikes going straight.

The signals make no sense. What does a flashing yellow bike symbol mean? Flashing yellow left turn arrows mean yield if you're turning. Are bikes supposed to yield to cars when it's flashing yellow? Why? And why do the pedestrian indicator and car green turn before the bike signal? Are bikes supposed to wait a fraction of a second to go? Why?

That said, I rode it this morning, was detected at the intersection and got a green bike with a "no turn on red." Nice, but so much overkill.

Should be solid green bicycle signal, and flashing yellow for cars, to show motorists need to be looking out for cyclists & pedestrians at all times.

Why have a solid green for cars at all?

Midtown Greenway Coalition won a grant to continue the extension planning- https://www.railstotrails.org/our-work/grants/doppelt/

Also, June 6 they will release their engineering report for old shortline bridge- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0c4a ... f85-extend

Extending the Greenway across the river (and to the University of Minnesota via the Soo Line/CP spur) would be a quantum leap for bicycling in Minneapolis (and eventually St. Paul). It should be the city's top transportation priority.

I don’t know about top priority but still very important. Me personally I’d like them to focus on building the trail on the other side! From east river parkway to midway and downtown St. Paul on a bike trail!! ( funneling to bike lanes and calling it a day!) Then building/renovating the river crossing will be a top priority. Heck the trail could connect to the Ady Mill trail concept we heard about too! It’s cheaper to build trails instead of bike bridges right the local area would benefit with focusing on the build out of those trails first then the river connect to the midtown greenway. Maybe I think that because I’m not confident a river bike trail crossing is needed because I’m not sure they would build anything worth the investment. Still I’m hopeful, so much potential to build such a massive bike highway/greenway that would be incredibly massive in size and allow for fast mobility.

Is this the report?

https://midtowngreenway.org/files/mgc/c ... -12%20.pdf

https://finance-commerce.com/2019/06/st ... ject/?ep=1

...the city of St. Paul plans to begin construction later this summer on the Robert Piram Trail, a key bicycle and pedestrian corridor that will fill several gaps in the regional trail system.

Eagan-based Max Steininger recently submitted the apparent low bid of $8.397 million to build the 3.7-mile trail, which will connect Harriet Island and Lilydale Regional Park to other trails in St. Paul and to the Kaposia Landing Park in South St. Paul.

Could there be a sales tax on bikes and bike parts that's dedicated 100% to bike infrastructure? If the answer to that is yes, how much revenue could be gained from it?

I ask this since some drivers love to complain about bikers not paying their fair share for trails and bike lanes even though drivers don't pay the full cost for roads and bridges. However I realize sales of bikes and bike parts is probably pretty small so I feel like any revenue from a sales tax described above would only be enough to cover maintenance on a certain percentage of bike lanes and trails in the state.

Bikes and bike parts are subject to state and local sales taxes, which add to the general fund.
Cars and gasoline have specific taxes directed to roads (and some transit, in the case of the MVST) but are exempt from the sales tax.

According to the Tax Foundation, a conservative think tank, user fees on motorists (gas tax, mvst, and all other user fees combined) pay for well under half of roadway expenses in Minnesota. The general fund makes up the vast majority of roadway spending in Minnesota.

Therefore, the complaint that some drivers have about bicycle infrastructure spending is completelty unfounded and it seems fair to say that the opposite is somewhat true (bicyclists are cross-subsidizing motorists).

Related, Alex Cecchini had a proposal to apply the regular sales tax to gas and car purchases: https://www.minnpost.com/minnesota-blog ... -gasoline/

A 2014 study estimated retail sales for bikes and bike-related accessories in Minnesota to be a little under $100 million per year. It would take a pretty significant sales tax on that to generate meaningful money for bike projects, especially divided statewide.

I've thought it would be nice if Bike MN or the Our Streets Mpls had a membership program like MPR where you pay a monthly sum or etc and it gets aggregated and is used for grants to help biking. If these were sold at shops and offered in some form when people buy bikes they might have some impact on a lesser level.

Protected bike lanes are planned for 46th Street, between the Ford Bridge and Hiawatha Ave.

https://www.hennepin.us/-/media/hennepi ... 5FAD37A493