Word on the Streets

Happy Hour Discussion: Engaging New Cyclists

Join the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition as we continue our series of bicycle happy hours with a panel discussion!

This month's discussion will center around the theme of engaging new cyclists - specifically cyclists who aren't necessarily represented by traditional bicycle advocacy groups. "Engaging" is an open term, and could mean anything from helping cyclists feel comfortable and competent on a bike, to being engaged in advocacy - including identifying barriers to cycling or highlighting solutions or initiatives.

A discussion between panelists from Cycles for Change, Full Cycle and Grease Rag Ride & Wrench will be facilitated by Janne Flisrand from the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition.

Panel Discussion: Engaging New Cyclists

Tuesday, April 17th, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

The Republic, 221 Cedar Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55455

(Arrive early if you want happy hour pricing, which ends at 6.)

Panelists:

Crystal Brinkman - Full Cycle Shop Manager and Instructor

Laura Kling & Eleonore Wesserle - Grease Rag Ride & Wrench Co-organizer

Jason Tanzman - Cycles for Change Outreach and Development Coordinator

The pictures they shared are so great, that you'll have to scroll past another couple to learn more about the organizations. It's worth it - you'll want to scroll to the end!

About the organizations:

Cycles for Change - Cycles for Change (formerly the Sibley Bike Depot) is an open, accessible space to educate and empower people to use bicycles as transportation, helping to build a sustainable environment and community.

cyclesforchange.org

Full Cycle - Full Cycle is a nonprofit bicycle shop in south Minneapolis that employs and trains homeless youth, teaching them bike repair and business skills.

fullcyclebikeshop.org

Grease Rag Ride & Wrench - Grease Rag is a group of women/ transgender and femme cyclists whose mission it is to encourage and empower each other in a collaborative and fun learning environment through rides, discussions, shop nights and educational seminars.

greaserag.org

Please RSVP to our Facebook event.

posted by | April 04, 2012

Bike-friendly business districts: would you go?

Bike-friendly business districts

Last week, I sat in on the monthly meeting of the Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee. While they covered a lot of important ground, a particularly exciting agenda item was a "show and tell" from the recent National Bike Summit held in D.C. We viewed a short clip about Long Beach's Bike-Friendly Business Districts and were left dreaming about many "what if's" for Minneapolis. Piloted in 2010, Long Beach Bike-Friendly Business Districts encourage customers and merchants to replace their cars with bikes, and offer many benefits. Here are some of the perks (source: www.bikelongbeach.org):

Creation of the Bike Saturdays discount program, which offers bicyclists a discount or deal every Saturday at more than 145 businesses

Cross-promotion with the nationwide Small Business Saturday shop local event

Free bike tune-ups of more than 195 bikes at 19 clinics

Free bike racks and corrals

Free bike valets at events

'Walk Your Bike’ sidewalk stencils to reduce bike-pedestrian accidents and educate bicyclists about the illegality of riding on Long Beach business district sidewalks

Community rides in the districts and to neighborhood events, like Park(ing) Day Long Beach and the DENGUE FEVER ride in Cambodia Town

Free pedicab rides at neighborhood events

Special bike events with famous bike advocacy speakers, kids' bike rodeos, BMX rideable art installations, and more

Free bike portraits

So far, Long Beach has piloted 4 Bike-Friendly Business Districts.

Would you spend time in these districts if they existed in Minneapolis? Where is the ideal district location?

Other Bicycle Advisory Committee news

In other news, the Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) passed several resolutions in support of the following bike-friendly street improvements and policies. Many of these projects are initiatives of the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition. To get involved, contact [email protected].

Park and Portland Avenues (reconstruction scheduled for 2012): The BAC supports right-side bike lanes on both streets and encourages Hennepin County to install the widest bike lanes possible, explore a painted buffer or protected bike lane, and consider signal timing changes to reduce overall traffic speeds.

Penn Avenue South (reconstruction scheduled for 2013): The BAC supports the following bike-related improvements as part of the Penn Avenue South reconstruction project: way-finding signs to connect Lake Harriet and Richfield using a side street along Morgan and Newton Avenues; street name signs with bicycle symbols along the new bike route; a curb cut at the intersection of 52nd Street and Morgan Avenue so that bicyclists can access the pedestrian bridge connection between Newton and Morgan Avenues; widening of the sidewalk between Penn and Oliver Avenues to at least 6 feet; and improvement of curb ramp and sidewalk at NE corner of Penn Avenue and Highway 62 to that bicyclists can make a northbound to eastbound turn without riding through the yard of the property at 6137 Penn Avenue.

Bike-friendly policies: The BAC supports prioritizing implementation of the following bike-friendly policies in 2012: Open Streets event permitting; low-volume street to greenway conversion; and Complete Streets policy development.

posted by | April 03, 2012

Steady Improvement Slated for Hennepin County

Repainting the Roads for Sharrows

Hennepin County transit officials attended the March meeting of the BAC Engineering Subcommittee to discuss this Summer’s paving and reconstruction projects on county roadways. The majority of projects discussed were described as “relatively easy,” requiring only painting or re-striping to develop new biking facilities or reconfigure existing ones.

Below is a list of projects recommended by Hennepin County officials for implementation this year:

Park Avenue/Portland Avenue (redesign): It was recommended that the bike lanes, currently on the left side of each of these one-ways are shifted to the right side, a move supported by the BAC Engineering Subcommittee. Each lane would stretch over 3 miles, with Park Avenue stretching from 46^th Street to the I-94 Bridge and Portland extending further from 46^th Street to the Washington Bridge.

Portland Avenue (new): A bike lane from 46^th Street to Highway 62, expanding upon the redesign cited above to give an additional 2 miles of bike facilities.

Penn Avenue North between Dowling and Broadway: County staff are exploring options for a bike facility. The 44-foot width in some locations may make the addition of a bike lane challenging.

Marshall Street: From Broadway Street to Lowry Avenue, this road adjacent to the River will see the addition of sharrows this summer.

Washington Avenue: The sharrows west of I-35W will be maintained, while east of I-35W needs further review pending final design decisions on pedestrian-improvements at the intersection of Washington, 15^th Avenue South and Cedar (7-corners).

1^st Ave NE between Central and 2^nd St NE: This reconstruction originally included plans for bike lanes. The potential future addition of streetcar to this street has lead the County to determine that bike lanes are no longer feasible.

42^nd Street South: Roughly one mile of sharrows will be implemented between Nokomis Avenue and Cedar Avenue. Potentially, the sharrows could be upgraded to bike lanes, depending on whether local parking demand requires parking on both sides of the street. The option of removing parking and adding bike lanes is being explored by Shaun Murphy.

Glenwood Avenue: From Xerxes Avenue to 12^th Street North/Roylaston Avenue, Hennepin County will restripe to change the configuration of the road, adding bike lanes to most of Glenwood. The County is proposing sharrows for a short stretch where the street narrows.

There was some discussion of the layout of Park/Portland project, because some BAC members would like to explore a curbside bike lane that is buffered from traffic by the parking lane, similar to the design on First Avenue downtown. Hennepin County staff opposed this, citing the impossibility of maintaining a bike facility in this configuration during the winter, and the challenges with getting approvals for a change of this magnitude. Hennepin County staff expressed openness to continued dialogue on their maintenance projects. Members of the BAC noted that having a chance to review projects in a systematic way before the construction season starts is very helpful.

posted by | March 30, 2012