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New 1st Ave parking and valet lanes

Fri, 10/16/2009 - 6:44pm | by amrosell

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by Anonymous (not verified) | Fri, 10/16/2009 - 9:16pm

Where is the MPD?

Where is the MPD?

by Anonymous (not verified) | Sat, 10/17/2009 - 1:13pm

Nice pictures. They are

Nice pictures.

They are going to have to physically separate the lane either with bollards or a concrete curb AND paint the lane. Is that in the plans?

I'd predict this will work pretty well if that happens. I just don't see how they expected this current configuration to work at all.

by Joe Radosevich (not verified) | Sat, 10/17/2009 - 9:54pm

Advocacy

Thanks for putting this up. I agree that the new Hennepin and 1st Avenues aren't a great success for complete streets and bikers, but as Lisa wrote about on Wednesday it's "what happens when cyclists are relegated to the least priority when planning our streets."

The slideshow you put up was good. It was a more aggressive form of communication. TC Streets for People is a great site, but this is an example where we could do more as a community. We have Transit for Livable Communities, we have the organizations needed to push for reform, but everyday people in favor of complete streets in Minneapolis-St.Paul haven't been fully mobilized.

Now, I know this is ALL of our responsibilities, but I think this site in particular could take up a more agressive political role. Encourage everyone to take pictures of cars in bike lanes and write letters to the editor. Put up information about municipal election debates, community hearings, and other public venues where we can push for greater reform.

TC Streets for People is a good site, it should reach a little higher to work toward a Minneapolis where pedestrians and cyclists are no longer "relegated to the least priority when planning our streets."

by lisap | Sun, 10/18/2009 - 8:37am

Minneapolis Bike Advocacy Meeting

Joe and others -- thank you for your comments!  We agree and are teaming with a reader from Minneapolis Bike Love to host a meeting about Minneapolis-specific bike advocacy. Everyone is welcome to the kick-off, and then we are looking for people who have some time to commit to a regular (probably monthly) meeting to keep things moving forward. (All meetings are kid-friendly).

Why do we need a meeting?  It is important to us to hear from cyclists, and, as you've mentioned, it is most important to work to engage the greater cycling community.

Your specific suggestions are great ones, and we have been working to keep our calendar updated with meetings and opportunities for public comment.  We are a 100% volunteer organization, so we can always use more help to keep track of meetings and opportunities for people to comment.  Send us links and tips through the comment form.

Your comment about candidate forums is important, and I will add any I can find to the calendar.  In cities with really robust bicycling advocacy, elected officials answer specific questions about how they will improve conditions for cyclists during the election cycle.  The new cycle track in Portland and other improvements there are the result of an election promise from Portland's mayor.  The transformation of New York City for cycling is the direct result of increased political will.  Together, we can move towards that kind of accountability in Minneapolis. 

Keep the ideas coming, folks.

by Anonymous (not verified) | Mon, 10/19/2009 - 4:44pm

crap

It is very clear MLPS took the cheapest way possible.

Here are things they could have done but didn't on first ave
One narrow the parking/ travel lane with loading zones placed on cross streets.
In crease buffer zone width
use parking meters as bollards in buffer zone
Remove sign clutter
remove the curb and add a rolling curb
Color the bike portion of the road