The cold is beginning to raise the hair on our BACs so it’s time to start thinking of bike lane related Halloween costumes. But, in any case, grab your pumpkin flavored everything and settle in for this month’s review of upcoming bike projects.
On The Docket:
- 2017 Bikeway Resurfacing and Sealcoat Projects
- Lake Calhoun (Bde Maka Ska) & Lake Harriet Prefered Trail Concepts
- Seward Bike Boulevards
2017 Bikeway Projects
The City has a myriad of bikeway projects planned for the 2017 construction season. These projects all work within the current curbs and conditions of the street, only requiring new striping and markings. These segments were identified in the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan.
The City plans to narrow the car travel lanes to ten feet, remove parking on the south side, and add a six foot bike lane on both sides of the street with no buffer between Central Ave NE and 15th Ave SE. 
The Subcommittee prefers for parking to be removed on the north side as well. It would allow for enough space to create buffered or even protected bikeways. The bike lane intends to connect several existing and planned bikeways in the area.
The plans will reduce the travel lane widths and remove parking on the southside of the street between Minnehaha Avenue to West River Parkway. Two six foot bike lanes will be added to each side of the street, each with a foot and a half buffer. 
A handful of parking spots will be maintained near the 42nd Avenue intersection as the street is wider there and it will accommodate an existing bus stop. This will add a better bike connection to the Blue Line LRT for the neighborhood. There is a public meeting to collect neighborhood input on the proposal planned on November 30th.
This project only spans two blocks from Bryant to Lyndale Avenue but will be a piece of a future 4.5 mile bikeway along 38th St W/E. As with the previous two, travel lanes will be reduced to ten feet, parking will be removed on the south side, and six foot bike lanes will be striped on both sides with no buffer.
The plans here are to add Bike Boulevard signing. The project will follow 43rd St W going east from Lake Harriet Parkway, turn north on Pleasant Ave, then continue on 42nd St W east to Nicolet (it will flow both ways). 
The route will connect existing bikeways on Bryant and Nicollet, in addition to a planned route on Pleasant. Wayfinding will be added to help people navigate the route and no parking will be hurt in the making of this bikeway.
This project stretches from Chicago Ave S to Bloomington Ave S. Parking will be removed on both sides of the street and replaced with a striped six foot bike lane (between Chicago and 14th Ave S). Where space allows, a seven foot bike lane and a two foot buffer will be added (between 14th Ave S and Bloomington). Parking data shows that it is underutilized along the corridor and adjacent parking availability will be sufficient to accommodate the displaced demand. The bikeway will connect several existing facilities: Chicago, 12th, Bloomington, and the intercity trail.
Buffered bike lanes will be added to both directions of traffic on Bloomington between East Minnehaha Parkway and 54th Street E.
Parking will have to be removed from at least one side of the street in order to create dedicated bike lanes.
Richfield Road/ 39th Street West
This project spans a small section of the street between William Berry Parkway and Sheridan Avenue South. Parking will be removed from the southwest side of the street and two six foot bike lanes will striped on, sandwiching two ten foot car lanes. The street will become more accessible to all users.
The Subcommittee supported all the designs as presented while urging for parking removal where there may be hesitation.
Lake Trail Improvements
Holy guacamole! I thought I could try to wrap my head around all of the designs and write something short of a thesis paper trying to describe them to you but I have come to the conclusion that pictures will be better than words. Take a look at the Open House # 1 Graphics for the Trail and Access Improvements to see what the Park Board is currently considering. Any questions you may have can be sent to the project manager, Dan Elias. There is a second Open House coming up on November 9th (Vote on November 8th!) at the Lyndale Farmstead Recreation Center from 6-8pm. The Subcommittee prefers Option A for the Lake Street bridge adjustment, leans toward Option B for the Calhoun, Lake, and Lagoon adjustments (though they prefer the design north of Lagoon in Option C), and they prefer the two-way trail segments included in Option B and C (not a bike boulevard) for the southeast Lake Harriet adjustments. If you’re confused by all this, well so am I. Please attend the next Open House meeting if you feel you have a stake in the designs of these trails.
Seward Bike Boulevards
This project is part of the Safe Routes to School. Bike Boulevards will be established on 29th Avenue S, between Franklin and Lake Street, and 24th Street, between Hiawatha and West River Parkway. This will provide a bike connection to the Midtown Greenway, Hiawatha Trail and the W River Parkway Trail. Bike Boulevards are a simple blend of bicycle and car traffic through residential neighborhoods. Along with way finding and signing/striping additions, the city plans to construct new curb bumpouts and roundabouts through the project area that will help slow speeds and enhance the pedestrian environment through the corridor. The Subcommittee moved to support the project as it was presented. The 29th and Greenway closure is not part of this project and must be acted upon separately. The Subcommittee urged Public Works to propose a permanent design because the closure would significantly enhance this project and reduce traffic volume.
Attn: The next Engineering Subcommittee meeting is November 8th (Election Day) in order to move the Whole Committee meeting the week before Turkey Day.
The Subcommittee meetings are open to the public, and occur every third Tuesday of the month, 4:00-6:00 p.m. at the Colonial Warehouse Building, 212 3rd Ave N, Suite 404. If you will be attending a future meeting or have questions or you are interested in being included on the email list for the subcommittee, which includes updates on meeting dates and agendas for each meeting, contact Kurt Wayne, the committee staff member.
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