Comments for Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition http://mplsbike.org/blog Ride Minneapolis: Enjoy, Engage, Empower Thu, 17 May 2012 13:26:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on And It’s Time to Say Thank You! by Glen James Hausfeld http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1997#comment-4023 Glen James Hausfeld Thu, 17 May 2012 13:26:05 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1997#comment-4023 Hi I forgot to say a big thank you.. Hi

I forgot to say a big thank you..

]]> Comment on First Franklin Avenue Public Meeting a Success by Glen James Hausfeld http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1991#comment-4022 Glen James Hausfeld Thu, 17 May 2012 13:20:17 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1991#comment-4022 I just want to be safe when I am on Franklin Ave. I ride my bike on part of Franklin Ave going west every day to go to work and then back going East home, And when on my way to the store or worship services I need to use Franklin a lot. It is way over do to have a safe bike path to use. Thank you, Glen James Hausfeld Biking way over 20 years in all kinds of conditions. . I just want to be safe when I am on Franklin Ave.
I ride my bike on part of Franklin Ave going west every day to go to work and then back going East home,
And when on my way to the store or worship services I need to use Franklin a lot.
It is way over do to have a safe bike path to use.

Thank you,

Glen James Hausfeld

Biking way over 20 years in all kinds of conditions.
.

]]> Comment on And It’s Time to Say Thank You! by Twin Cities Cycling News From Around the Web | Cycle Twin Cities http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1997#comment-3994 Twin Cities Cycling News From Around the Web | Cycle Twin Cities Wed, 16 May 2012 11:03:48 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1997#comment-3994 [...] to the efforts of the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition Uptown is now all bike parking’d-up with the Meter-signs.  They decided to post up a list of all of the folks involved in getting the area littered new [...] [...] to the efforts of the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition Uptown is now all bike parking’d-up with the Meter-signs.  They decided to post up a list of all of the folks involved in getting the area littered new [...]

]]> Comment on Time for change on Franklin Avenue by Knowles Dougherty http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1973#comment-3975 Knowles Dougherty Fri, 11 May 2012 21:49:22 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1973#comment-3975 I bike to and from 14th Avenue and Seward Coop (on Franklin) at least once a week. I bike to and from 14th Avenue and Nicollet (on Franklin) at least twice a week. I am amazed to read (above) so many bikers do it entirely on the road. I do a lot of it on the sidewalks. I realize it is tough on the pedestrians, but I notice few of them blame me as they appear to know biking on Franklin is really dangerous. Somewhat related to this topic, I notice (since I live at 14th Avenue and 21st Street) there are a lot of bikers who appear to be avoiding Franklin by using 21st Street, a better alternative now that it was re-paved last summer: from Chicago to 14th. I agree with everyone: that the new striping on Franklin east of Minnehaha is great! I bike to and from 14th Avenue and Seward Coop (on Franklin) at least once a week. I bike to and from 14th Avenue and Nicollet (on Franklin) at least twice a week. I am amazed to read (above) so many bikers do it entirely on the road. I do a lot of it on the sidewalks. I realize it is tough on the pedestrians, but I notice few of them blame me as they appear to know biking on Franklin is really dangerous.
Somewhat related to this topic, I notice (since I live at 14th Avenue and 21st Street) there are a lot of bikers who appear to be avoiding Franklin by using 21st Street, a better alternative now that it was re-paved last summer: from Chicago to 14th.
I agree with everyone: that the new striping on Franklin east of Minnehaha is great!

]]> Comment on Time for change on Franklin Avenue by Benjamin http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1973#comment-3974 Benjamin Fri, 11 May 2012 16:22:52 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1973#comment-3974 I completely agree that the stretch of Franklin under the 55/LRT bridge is atrocious (as is that intersection all around). Nonetheless, the stretch of Franklin from Chicago to 35W is, by a huge margin, the worst stretch to bike along. Thankfully, the stretch from Bloomington to Chicago is slow enough with enough space to bike comfortably. I completely agree that the stretch of Franklin under the 55/LRT bridge is atrocious (as is that intersection all around). Nonetheless, the stretch of Franklin from Chicago to 35W is, by a huge margin, the worst stretch to bike along. Thankfully, the stretch from Bloomington to Chicago is slow enough with enough space to bike comfortably.

]]> Comment on Time for change on Franklin Avenue by Janne http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1973#comment-3970 Janne Thu, 10 May 2012 19:35:29 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1973#comment-3970 I often ride Franklin, and your post reminds me of what I see. Now - I don't mind it all that much, but that's because I take the lane. Or, maybe I should say Take The Lane! Part of why the people I observe look so uncomfortable (and it sounds like part of what's so uncomfortable for you in this post) is being squeezed where there isn't enough space for you to be safe between curbs or parked cars and zipping cars. I find that when instead of moving right I move left (the uninstinctive way), cars yield to me and are MUCH less likely to squeeze past me. I'm signaling loud and clear "There it NOT enough space to pass - WAIT!" And, they do. That said, it takes some gumption. I'm mostly surprised how infrequently they zip past when they can pass and how they never honk. That said, most riders share your "move right" instincts, and not my learned "move left and demand space" habit. It needs fixing! I often ride Franklin, and your post reminds me of what I see.

Now – I don’t mind it all that much, but that’s because I take the lane. Or, maybe I should say Take The Lane! Part of why the people I observe look so uncomfortable (and it sounds like part of what’s so uncomfortable for you in this post) is being squeezed where there isn’t enough space for you to be safe between curbs or parked cars and zipping cars.

I find that when instead of moving right I move left (the uninstinctive way), cars yield to me and are MUCH less likely to squeeze past me. I’m signaling loud and clear “There it NOT enough space to pass – WAIT!” And, they do. That said, it takes some gumption. I’m mostly surprised how infrequently they zip past when they can pass and how they never honk.

That said, most riders share your “move right” instincts, and not my learned “move left and demand space” habit. It needs fixing!

]]> Comment on Time is now to start transforming Park and Portland Avenues by An alternative design for Park and Portland | streets.mn http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1950#comment-3969 An alternative design for Park and Portland | streets.mn Thu, 10 May 2012 15:11:42 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1950#comment-3969 [...] these streets, see here and here).  Full disclosure: I helped with the street rendering. From the Bike Coalition blog: Key [...] [...] these streets, see here and here).  Full disclosure: I helped with the street rendering. From the Bike Coalition blog: Key [...]

]]> Comment on Time is now to start transforming Park and Portland Avenues by EthanF http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1950#comment-3867 EthanF Fri, 04 May 2012 10:58:52 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1950#comment-3867 Great question Justin. In some situations, left-sided bike facilities can make sense, depending on the local conditions. In this case, I'm guess that there are lots of buses, which would create conflict points in the loading and unloading zones with a right-sided bike lane). So, to eliminate those conflicts, they decided to locate the bike lane on the left side. Park and Portland only have a few buses a day (and none south of Lake Street)--certainly not enough to warrant a left-side bike lane. If you want more info on left-side lanes, you can see the NACTO Bikeway Design Guide... http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/bike-lanes/left-side-bike-lanes/ Great question Justin. In some situations, left-sided bike facilities can make sense, depending on the local conditions. In this case, I’m guess that there are lots of buses, which would create conflict points in the loading and unloading zones with a right-sided bike lane). So, to eliminate those conflicts, they decided to locate the bike lane on the left side.

Park and Portland only have a few buses a day (and none south of Lake Street)–certainly not enough to warrant a left-side bike lane.

If you want more info on left-side lanes, you can see the NACTO Bikeway Design Guide…
http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/bike-lanes/left-side-bike-lanes/

]]> Comment on Time is now to start transforming Park and Portland Avenues by Justin http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1950#comment-3865 Justin Fri, 04 May 2012 08:51:52 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1950#comment-3865 Yeah, a four-lane two-way road would be even worse :( Looking at the 9th Ave. (NY) picture, why did they put the bike lanes on the left of this one-way street, where drivers aren't accustomed to looking? Yeah, a four-lane two-way road would be even worse :(

Looking at the 9th Ave. (NY) picture, why did they put the bike lanes on the left of this one-way street, where drivers aren’t accustomed to looking?

]]> Comment on Help Make Franklin (Bike) Friendly by Two Stops for Bike Advocacy | BikeMinneapolis http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1921#comment-3833 Two Stops for Bike Advocacy | BikeMinneapolis Thu, 03 May 2012 23:52:47 +0000 http://mplsbike.org/blog/?p=1921#comment-3833 [...] and volunteers who got together and organize their efforts to advocate for the implementation of bike lanes on Franklin Ave, from Hennepin Ave to Minnehaha Ave. A couple of the volunteers arrived after biking on Franklin [...] [...] and volunteers who got together and organize their efforts to advocate for the implementation of bike lanes on Franklin Ave, from Hennepin Ave to Minnehaha Ave. A couple of the volunteers arrived after biking on Franklin [...]

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