www.lawsonhelp.com/wendy/bikes.html As a resident, parent, and consumer who frequently drives, bikes and walks on Hennepin, Lyndale, and Nicollet Avenues, often with a carload of kids, or several kids also on bikes or on foot, I find the frenzy of 45 mph SUV's and oversize pickups zooming in and out of unclear lanes on Lyndale Avenue terrifying. While we try to avoid being pedestrians on these corridors, we sometimes want to take advantage of businesses or other public facilities and are forced into the melee. You talked about encouraging business... it is frightening to cross the Lake Street/Lyndale intersection to go from one shop to another... doesn't that discourage business? You want all of Lyndale, Hennepin and Nicollet to be like that? I avoid that corner (and choose other locations)... even though we LOVE the restaurants, bike shop, theater, and other shops. I'll bet we spend easily $100 a week eating out (I'm not a very good cook)... and we don't spend it at that insane intersection because it is not a very nice place to be with rushing cars and exhaust fumes choked between buildings.
While we are not anti-car as a blanket ideology (both hubby & I own high-performance, 5-speed beauties), we do believe in slowing down and calming down those who seem oblivious to pedestrians and smaller vehicles while in residential areas. Traffic experts say that single lane traffic does just that. As far as "...crazy, militant, or desperate" goes, I personally really enjoy a brisk bike ride in the fresh winter air when roadway ice conditions permit. Is it really so different from someone who enjoys riding snowmobiles for hours in the winter cold? Every time I can ride my bike and leave my auto in the garage, I save on gas and maintenance, wear and tear, and have a healthy and fun experience. We both enjoy driving our vehicles, we also believe in balance and responsibility. The mindset that personal vehicles are the only way to get somewhere is just the easy and lazy way out. Making fun of or s" are the problem. Large one-ways are unfriendly and kill commerce and neighborhoods. They also are a cement ditch draining commerce from our neighborhoods and City. Two-way multi-lane streets create commerce, they are like a wetland compared to a "Ditch. The flow has a chance for a little bit of "nutrients" to settle out. Makes for a better, richer environment. But you do need some water flowing down it! Restricting two-way multi-lane traffic and other "cool planning" non-sense has killed more small towns and commercial corridors than Wal-Mart. In fact I sometimes think Wal-Mart, or some other Malls and "Dales" merchandiser hatched this scheme and paid Planning Departments around the country to implement it. A little cynical perhaps, but it has been so effective you have to believe it was a marketing idea of someone. Of course there are examples of dumb planning that I know are just dumb and not planned, so it being the result of "Dumb" luck is possible. Let's do smart growth not dumb planning. Jim Graham, Ventura Village ----- Original Message ----- From: Alan Shilepsky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 8:54 AM Subject: [Mpls] Hennepin and Lyndale two lane? > I recollect that in the last week's media overwash (here?) there was > mention that Hennepin and Lyndale Avenues south of Franklin Avenue might > be made two lane highways in the next five years. That is, these > roadways would have only one lane of automotive traffic in each > direction. I recollect that bike lanes would take up some of the > created space, and that there was a hope that this throttling down would > cause through traffic to divert onto 35-W. > > Can someone confirm or deny that this is a planned change, and what > agency is responsible for it. As a frequent driver on both those > streets I think it is a terrible idea. > > Alan Shilepsky > Downtown Minneapolis resident who likes to drive to Uptown occasionally > (and occasionally rides the bus) > > > > > _______________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
