I have seen the future, and it is surrounded by lakes

As I mentioned earlier, I went to the Twin Cities for 4th of July weekend - one week before the Bicycle Film Festival (which sadly is not coming to DC/Baltimore) - and let me say that it is no mistake that Minneapolis was named a runner-up for most improved city according to Bicycling Magazine (How it ended up behind Chicago in 'Still the Best' I'll never know). As Bicycling points out

Among the 50 largest U.S. cities, Minneapolis is second only to Portland, Oregon, in the percentage of people who bike to work (2.4 percent compared with Portland's 3.5 percent, according to U.S. census data).

The city has fantastic facilities. In addition to the midtown bike center, it has an extensive bike network. With the weather so nice, we went everywhere by bike - somewhat to the chagrin of Mrs. Washcycle - and we were almost always on bike trails, and when we weren't we were usually in a bike lane. We went to the Guthrie - which hangs over a bike trail - to watch the fireworks and never left a bike trail the whole way.

Some highlights:

1. Every light rail car has a rack for bikes.

2. When you can't ride on the sidewalk, they tell you.

3. Bike trails have informational kiosks at several locations.

4. Across the Mississippi are two bike/ped only bridges, the beautiful old Stone Arch Bridge - an old railroad bridge south of St. Anthony Falls and the technically-named Northern Pacific Bridge Number 9 . Additionally, the Washington Avenue bridge is a double-decker bridge, with the top deck being the bike ped bridge - and that part is enclosed to save you from the wind on cold, winter commutes.

5. The Midtown Greenway is a fantastic new trail. It passes the Bike Center. It's around 17 feet wide with a separate area for pedestrians. It runs almost completely below grade in a cut and so there are few at grade crossings. To the south of it they left half the available space for a future streetcar or light rail system.  When a grain silo the old railroad supported closed down, the Greenway Association convinced the city to make it into a park. Above is the cool cable-stayed bridge (the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge) the trail uses to cross Hiawatha Avenue, the light rail and rail corridor.  It's well signed with it's own markers and directional signage. It connects with several other trails. On one end with the West River Parkway trail along the Mississippi, on the other end with the a rail with trail that takes you to either downtown or out to Hopkins, MN 15 miles away and at Hiawatha to a trail along the light rail that again goes to downtown or south to Fort Snelling. In fact the city's trail network is impressive in both its extent and luxuriousness. At times we were on a 15 foot wide trail - just for bikes going in one direction. Another 15 foot trail went the other way, and an 8 foot trail existed for pedestrians. Plans were to extend the Midtown Greenway across the underused Canadian Pacific rail bridge, but

That plan was problematic because the  Canadian Pacific had concerns about public use of

                                      

cycling and walking trail so  close to an operating freight rail line on the bridge, and because the County  felt that the bridge was not sound enough or repairable enough to support the  trails long term. 

It can support trains, but not bikes - CSX, you're not alone. Anyway, they're still looking for a solution.

6. Downtown, there was a two lane road that was only for bikes and buses - with the other space used for a wide sidewalk.

7. Bike2benefits.org Want to try bike commuting? Join Bike2benefits and they'll send you a personalized route map, a bike commuting booklet, information on safe and lawful biking and a reflective ankle strap. If you bike to work eight times over eight weeks and record it online you're entered into a yearly drawing for prizes including gift cards and gear. If you keep logging you get more incentives. That's nice.

Minneapolis definitely benefits from an extensive and underused railroad system. Many of their best trails are - like our best trails - rail-trails. They have more of them, so we can't really replicate that. But a bike/bus only street in downtown? That we could do. As well as several of the other things. In DC I say that in the old parts of DC and Alexandria and in much of the Orange line corridor in Arlington you will rarely be able to look around and not see a cyclist. In Mpls, it's practically impossible. People are riding all the time. The grocery store we went to had more bikes on the bike rack then cars in the lot. There was bike parking everywhere - and it was full.The cities even have their own set of bike posters.

It really is something to strive for.

Photos by Washcycle

Comments

[Bonzai Buckaroo]

WOW!!!

[Rich]

Ever heard of November to May in Minneapolis? Enjoy.

[ohmypolarbear]

Rich,

Those are the best months of the year!

I haven't lived in Minneapolis in the winter, but I bet it's fairly similar to Madison, WI in the winter - not too bad if you dress appropriately. Unlike DC (and Baltimore, which was much worse than DC when I lived there), we know how to clear (and drive in) our snow out in the midwest, so the streets usually aren't too bad. You won't see as many Madones or Orbeas out there, for sure, but getting around town is fine.

Biking in inclement weather isn't really that hard - it's all about preparation and having the right attitude. Instead of saying, "Should I commute by bike today?" Try, "I'm commuting by bike today - what do I need to do to make it happen?"

(And for all the public works folks out there - "What do I need to do to make it easier for people to ask the second question?" Maybe try some of Minneapolis's ideas!)

-pb

[norg]

Excellent post. This shows what a city can do when it really wants to commit to bicycles. BTW, there aren't many days in Mpls that are bitterly cold. Copenhagen is no tropical paradise either and it seems to draw multiple times the number of cyclists than any US city.