In a meeting on Tuesday, City Council member Sandy Colvin Roy delayed a vote on the reconstruction of Minnehaha Avenue so Hennepin County engineers could improve the plan. Council member Colvin Roy is the chair of the council's transportation and public works committee (TPW) and her ward covers about half of the reconstruction project. She cited input from community members and the Longfellow Community Council when she moved for the delay.
Colvin Roy said she hopes the County can come back with a plan for Minnehaha that will allow protected bike lanes to be added at a later date. The Federal High Administration (FHWA) recently issued a memo encouraging city planners to use treatments in the Urban Bikeway Design Guide, like protected bike lanes. The FHWA itself hasn't provided engineering standards for protected bike lanes yet, and according to Hennepin county that could take years.
It's an interesting development. It's good to see the local council member and community council speak up for safe bike facilities. Personally, I'd love to see a protected bike lane on Minnehaha before the year 2070. If you'd like a more exhaustive and jocular take on the meeting, check out Bill Lindeke's blog post.
