Date: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 11:52:22 -0500
From: "Steve Brandt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Mpls] An idea for MN or Mpls
Wizard or somebody complained over the weekend about people riding the
wrong way
on the one-way bike lanes in her neighborhood. I'd like to see better cop
enforcement of the directions of the lanes, and also more aggressive
tagging of
cabs and delivery trucks and even cop cars that think they can use the bike
lane
for parking. Riders going the wrong way often force bikers following the
correct direction out into traffic lanes. It happens a lot on the
Portland/Park
lanes and also downtown, where most of the riders are old enough to know
better. It would help in the city repainted the directional arrows each
time that it
stripes the lanes.
This is a great idea and all, but before we start enforcing the direction of
the bike lanes it would be helpful to iron out some of the inconsistencies
and kinks.
For example, when I'm travelling north out of downtown on the Hennepin
lanes, my lane disappears at Washington and only a southbound lane remains.
This means that if I want to cross the Hennepin bridge to get home, I can
either continue down the bike lane the wrong way or I can cross three busy
lanes of traffic and then stick to the curb for a couple of blocks until I
get to the bridge, and cross back. (This is assuming that I want to be a
good rider and not use the sidewalks before reaching the bridge.)
What would you do in this situation? I choose to go the wrong way down the
bike lane for two blocks and simply be mindful of bicyclists going the
correct direction. Crossing heavy traffic twice--and especially in that
area--is just asking to be hit by one of the inattentive or aggressive
drivers others have mentioned here.
Jeremy Brezovan
Saint Anthony East
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