Cycle track in Long Beach, CA (orange20bikes.com)

The Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee agreed that they would urge the City to develop more cycle tracks in the Minneapolis bikeway network.  The BAC met last night for their monthly meeting and cycle tracks were a dominant topic of discussion.  Cycle tracks are a type of a segregated cycle facility and they can be designed in various forms. Committee members argued that cycle tracks have been shown to encourage bicycling as a transportation mode and that they will be a necessary investment in order to meet the City's goal of increasing the share of bike commuters to 7% by 2014 and the goal of 15% by 2025 as suggested in the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan draft.

Shaun Murphy, Minneapolis Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, began the meeting by presenting some definitions and examples of cycle tracks.  Murphy cited several cycle track design guidebooks and research in his presentation, including the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide which was recently referenced for the re-striping on Park and Portland Avenues.  He also referred the audience to some research by Alta Planning and the University of British Columbia to learn more about best practices for cycle track design and the impact that cycle tracks can have on the perception of safety by riders.

Later in the meeting, the BAC took action to support the implementation of bike lanes on 46th Street, a proposal that raised opposition among nearby businesses and residents.  The proposed route on 46th Street is included in the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan.