KARE11: Bicyclists and pedestrians get equal footing on new 'Bike Walk' streets
From KARE11 | By Dana Thiede, KARE 11 News
It's not the 'physical' differences that will be striking in the coming changes to a two mile stretch of Oliver Avenue in Richfield.
It's the change in attitude that will be hard to miss.
Already a road that carries a low volume of automobile traffic, this section of Oliver Avenue is about to become a 'Bike Walk' street, where bicyclists and pedestrians are given priority over cars.
Lanes will be painted, cross traffic limited, and a raised crosswalk will be built over busy 66th Street.
"It's a dream, and it's also a vision," gushed Richfield Mayor Debbie Goettel.
"This will be a safe place for not only people who want to get to work, but kids who want to get to school, parents who want to ride with their kids to do errands. We're talking about wellness, getting people out to move, well, this is the way to do it."
Richfield's Oliver project is one of five funded by a one point eight million dollar federal grant to Bike Walk Twin Cities.
It's part of a pilot project to encourage a switch to non-motorized transportation.
"These projects that we're funding today are going to give drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians a new way to share the road," said Lea Schuster, executive director of transit for liveable communities.
Other projects will target a section of Richfield Parkway; a four mile Bike Walk street on Fillmore through Northeast Minneapolis; Three and a half miles of Highland Parkway up to, and over the Ford Bridge into Minneapolis; and a bike-pedestrian corridor that links Falcon Heights, Lauderdale, Roseville, and the University of Minnesota.
"What we need to do is build our version of the interstate highway system for those who bike and walk," insisted Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak, whose city already has 100 miles of bicycle trails. "We're going to do it right here in this region."
Video: http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=7...
Star Tribune also covered the press conference
Star Tribune video of the TLC press conference in Richfield is here http://www.startribune.com/video/24333749.htm...
And Ron Way of Minnpost.com
Pedal power: Bike ridership up as grants improve trails
If it seems like there are more bikes around the urban area lately it's probably because there are — a lot more, at least in Minneapolis.
The number of bikes counted on trails at three locations was up 30 percent during April, May and June from the same period last year, said Don Pflaum, the city's bicycle coordinator who termed the number "staggering."
http://www.minnpost.com/ronway/2008/07/11/253...
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