Coalition
At the most recent Bicycle Advisory Committee Engineering Subcommittee meeting were advocates from the Midtown Greenway Coalition, asking for support for maintaining safe access to the entrance ramp to the greenway from Park Avenue S.
In addition, the BAC also provided recommendations for bike lanes on Harmon Place and connecting biking facilities from Portland Avenue S to Richfield past Highway 62. Here are some specific updates:
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Midtown Greenway and Park/Portland Avenues: The Midtown Greenway Coalition requested support from the subcommittee to create a safe, accessible connection between the Park and Portland thoroughfares and the Midtown Greenway. Hennepin County will be resurfacing Park and Portland Avenues this fall and is considering moving the bike lane to the right side of the street. The Midtown Greenway Coalition supports moving the bike lane to the right side of the street but wants to ensure safe access to the ramp, which is on the left side of Park Avenue S. The BAC recommended bike lanes on either both sides of the street from Lake to 28th street, with one or two upgraded crossing complete with way-finding. -
---An update after the full BAC meeting last Wednesday: The full BAC took a less specific position on Greenway access from a right-sided Park Avenue bike lane. Instead of listing a specific solution, the full BAC’s position calls for the County to upgrade the access to the Greenway and offers several potential solutions discussed to date--- -
Harmon Place: The BAC solidified a resolution regarding Harmon Place as a “quieter alternative” to the bustling Hennepin Avenue facilities. Specifically, bike lanes were recommended to be incorporated into the City’s repaving project for Harmon Place. The project will take place this summer, and is considered a better utilization of the wide right-of-way on Harmon Place. -
Connecting Portland Ave S to Richfield: Another recommendation was passed, following the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan’s calls for bike facilities on Portland Avenue S all the way to Highway 62. The City of Richfield already has connecting infrastructure south of Highway 62 and they have plans for future street bike routes on Portland from 69th Street north to Highway 62. Hopefully, with a bit of collaborative effort, this facility can be implemented, increasing the ever-growing connectivity of biking facilities with neighboring communities.
Want More Bike Parking in Minneapolis?
Last night at the Longfellow meet-up, we received spontaneous appreciation for the new parking-meter-to-bike-rack conversions in Uptown. That gave us the opportunity to tell those folks that we're back on the job advocating and organizing for more conversions in other parts of Minneapolis. Of course, being an all-volunteer organization, we need your help to get to our goal of 180 meter conversions in 2012. (180 is as many as the City can do this year.)
Do you know five businesses in Downtown, Stadium Village, or Dinkytown that you'd be willing to ask to install bike parking? Businesses like you favorite pizza joint, bookstore or where ever else you need to lock your bike?
The Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition continues to work with the City to turn what used to be parking meters into safe places to lock your bike. So far, we've gotten 111 meters converted to bike parking, but our goal is 180 by the end of the year. Through this program, businesses can get a new bike rack installed on a parking meter pole for only $50. And that’s 2 more places to lock your bike to!
Celebrate our current success and join us to plan for the rest of this year's parking meter conversions at a happy hour on Tuesday, July 31st at 6 pm at Stella's Fish Cafe, 1400 West Lake Street. Bring a list of five businesses in Downtown, Dinkytown or Stadium Village that you'd be willing to ask to participate. Coalition volunteers will have fliers and will talk about how to effectively ask businesses for their support.
See you at Stella's on the rooftop patio! Let’s toast our success!
