What happened at the second Minnehaha public meeting? And what' next?
The July 17 Public Meeting on the Minnehaha Avenue Reconstruction was lively and informative. Many in attendance expressed a preference for a cycletrack design. There was also some discussion about pedestrian bump-outs and new green space where intersections are being redesigned, but the majority of the discussion focused on the cycletrack. Coalition volunteers distributed the following document, in response to some of the claims that have been made about cycletracks. (Myths-vs-Facts document)
A common theme of the public comments was that people do not feel comfortable bicycling themselves, or with their families on Minnehaha as it is now. The route includes many destinations such as restaurants, retailers, a movie theater, a brewery, and coffee shops, and residents are excited by the potential for a safer bicycling facility along the corridor. A cycletrack would make it much more inviting for the average resident to visit local businesses by bike, would provide safer commuting options, and would create a more direct connection between the Midtown Greenway and Minnehaha Park (and the surrounding trails).
County's cycletrack design needs work
Several people pointed out that the cycletrack as currently designed is not as safe as it could be. Many safety features are missing from the County’s draft design, including raised speed tables at minor intersections, and curb bump-outs to reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians and bicyclists crossing east-west streets.
The County (through its representative from LHB) made it clear that this is the first step in the process, and that after a preferred facility type is selected, there will be time to make improvements to the design. Both design options were presented as rough drafts.
While the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition prefers a cycletrack design, we want to be clear: Refinements are needed in the County’s current design to maximize safety and minimize impacts to trees and parking.
Near the end of the meeting, County staff spent a few minutes explaining why they preferred the existing bike lane configuration to a cycletrack design. Speaking generally, staff acknowledged the safety benefits of cycletracks, but stated that in the specific context of Minnehaha Avenue, they preferred a bike lane. Judging by the reaction from the crowd, the staff explanation was unconvincing to many meeting participants. The explanation from County staff failed to address the following issues:
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The harrowing near-miss experiences in the current bike lane configuration, as shared by people attending both public meetings -
The public health advantages of a cycletrack design that encourages more bicycling -
The safety-in-numbers advantages of a cycletrack design that encourages more bicycling -
The desire for a bicycle facility that prevents the 20 percent of collisions that occur mid-block by putting more than painted stripes between fast-moving motor vehicles and bicyclists -
Why safety elements that had been suggested by the Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee were not incorporated into the County's draft designs
Please contact the following elected officials to ask about their position on the Minnehaha Avenue cycletrack design. To date, none of them have offered their positions. You can contact them using the following information:
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Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, [email protected], (612) 348-7884 -
Councilmember Sandy Colvin Roy,[email protected], (612) 673-2212 -
Councilmember Gary Schiff, [email protected], (612) 673-2209
On biking from Downtown to Uptown
Last week, I saw Hennepin Avenue through new eyes, and it changed me. I was waiting to cross the Hennepin/Lyndale bottleneck when a group of three young women in sundresses and large sunglasses, each straddling a Nice Ride bike, got my attention. "Excuse me," one said. "Where's Hennepin? We wanna get to Uptown. Like Urban Outfitters?"
That's when they expected me to say something. I had a few options.
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"You want the quickest way? This is Hennepin right here. Just cross these eight lanes of highway-speed traffic, take a left, and keep going until Lake Street. It's 1.5 miles and a straight shot, but there's a sizable chance you'll get hit by a speeding, wheelie-popping motorcyclist going up that hill." -
"You want to avoid cars? If you guys aren't comfortable riding with traffic, then maybe you should keep to the trails. There's a path that goes by the Blake School and connects to the Cedar Lake Trail. Take the Kenilworth Trail down to the Greenway, which has exits one block off of Hennepin. This is 4.3 miles, if you don't get lost. If you do get lost, you might end up in Hopkins with late fees from Nice Ride." -
"Here's how I would go. Keep going on the Loring Greenway until it shunts you onto a bike bridge. You'll curl around on the bike bridge, and then you'll get dumped onto Bryant Avenue. Keep riding on Bryant down to 31st St, where you'll take a right to get to Hennepin. This might seem complicated, but it's only 2 miles, and the car traffic is minimal."
I suggested the third route, because the first route might have resulted in tire tracks covering their flattened, sundressed bodies, and a missed turn on the second route might have sent the ladies to South Dakota.
But while I was describing the Loring Greenway-to-Bryant connection, I noticed — through their sunglasses — that the young women's eyes were glazing over. "They're right," I thought. "This is pretty complicated." And then I thought, "WHY is there no simple, pleasant way to ride a bike from Downtown to Uptown?"
It's not a matter of getting people more comfortable riding bikes on city streets. I cut my teeth riding around Merriam Park in St. Paul in 2006, and I've been a year-round bike commuter for years, but I'll still avoid Hennepin whenever I can. I expect only to get more cautious as I enter my thirties. Many cars on Hennepin speed, honk, and pass too close to cyclists, only to stop in front of them at the next red light. It's gotten to the point where I'm surprised if I ride for two blocks on Hennepin without something dangerous happening.
As one gets used to the way things are, one loses sight of the way things could be. Talking to some traffic engineers, you might get the idea that low bike ridership is an immutable fact of nature. But sometimes a shockingly sensible question, like "Where's Hennepin? We wanna get to Uptown," can reveal a profound flaw in bike infrastructure and the latent demand for something better.
