The Minneapolis Bike Master Plan is now out in draft form.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycle ... -plans.asp

Comments are due by October 1, 2010.

what do you think?
what do you like?
what could use improvement?

I'm trying to figure out what it thinks about non-designated streets, such as Lyndale Avenue S at 54th. Would it endorse leaving space for bikers upon reconstruction?

They are really trying to do this pretty quickly, it's already been through the 'receive and file' process.



(emphasis added)

This document sets the plan and the stage for at LEAST the next ten years of bicycle facility design in Minneapolis.

Ten more years of stuff like Hennepin?

From an email from the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition:



Dunno, it seems like this could be really important, making it a global, just because I can

I don't see any new sections of "shared bus/bike" (looking at p. 14 of the document) - although I think that's a little stretch of orange on Washington Ave through the U of M campus?


Interesting things I spotted:
"Bicycle Detection - At all actuated signals - In funding Pool? Yes Tier 1"
Midtown Greenway Bridge over Mississippi
Bike Center at U of M

-g

I was thinking more in terms of 'let's take some portions from innovative treatments that work in other cities, but throw them together in stupid ways that don't work, and in fact make things more dangerous for cyclists while spending tons of money'

Not saying there are other plans for exactly what they put on Henn coming, but saying that the document informs the planners on _how_ _to_ _think_ and if it's thinking the same way they have been lately, maybe we need something a little better.

(I still haven't had a chance to read this, just got a walk through when Don showed it to the MBC a few months ago, that was just 'this chapter is' and 'so we have this, this and this' - it seemed OK, but I'm still seeing some seriously, seriously dumb stuff coming out of dept of public works where bicycles are concerned. Maybe this document fixes that, maybe not, but really, people should be concerned and looking at this. IT IS IMPORTANT.)

Just a quick comment, for those who haven't read a lot of city plans before, they often use these plans to inform and justify whatever improvement they're looking to make. So they may use it to help prioritize locations to fund projects, to justify making or not making a bike improvement to a road that is being reconstructed, etc. (see the post on Lyndale/54th in the Advocacy section for how past land use plans indicated a support for bikers on Bryant and how they're using that to say Lyndale doesn't need any facilities between 58th and Minnehaha Creek.)

It's also to be expected that they will miss things that the public may think is important. It also may have sections that are under developed or have small details that you don't like because it could result in someone arguing that bikers shouldn't be using a nearby street because there's another bike lane nearby, etc. So it's important to be critical and then offer constructive feedback. The more constructive the feedback and description of the concern with a specific portion of the document, the more likely you will be in changing it.

Such as, on page X, it says "It is important to connect neighborhoods to business districts" but it doesn't go into any further detail. Perhaps it should be more clear on providing bike lanes/etc to connect bikers to businesses because often business districts are congested and bikers shouldn't bike on sidewalks. ...... or Page X has a map of recommended bike facilities and it doesn't have X street labeled as recommended. It is an important connection between x and y so it really ought to have some improvements. ....Things like that.....

I am going to start a new thread on this topic in the General Discussion so that more people see this and to spur more discussion (right now the topic is in the announcement section).

Who is on the bicycling advisory committee?

Ignore my previous posting, I see that this topic does in fact come up in the general discussion area now.

Here is some additional information. The city will be hosting 5 public open houses to present the plan and to listen to public comment. The meetings will be in each planning sector of the city (North, NE/SE, SW, South, and Downtown):

• Monday, August 30th, Edison High School Auditorium, 700 22nd Avenue NE, 6:30
to 8:30pm
• Wednesday, September 1st, Roosevelt High School Auditorium, 4029 28th Avenue S, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
• Wednesday, September 8th, Washburn High School Auditorium, 201 W 49th Street, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
• Monday, September 13th, Minneapolis Central Library, Pohlad Hall Auditorium, 300 Nicollet Mall, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
• Wednesday, September 15th, University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center, 2001 Plymouth Avenue N, 6:00 to 8:00pm

There is also an opportunity online to submit comments to the city at the following website: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycle ... -plans.asp

Comments are due on October 1, 2010. The Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee and Public Works staff will evaluate every comment before a new draft is presented to the City Council T and PW Committee on November 30, 2010. The plan needs to be done by the end of the year so that it is approved in time for the next city, state, and federal funding cycles.

The city does not post blogs on its website so this is the best forum to have an online discussion about what is good about the plan and what needs improvement or change. The city is also looking for help in identifying mistakes or inconsistant statements in the plan.

The members are on the second page of the report.

The BAC list can be found on page 2 of the Cover and Table of Contenst section of the plan.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycle ... ntents.pdf

The BAC is in the process of being reorganized and a new committee will be formed the beginning of 2011. The new committee will include a mix of citizens and staff and will likely meet in late afternoon instead of the morning.

Actually, it appears at the top of every area of the site now

The first session is scheduled for this evening in NE (Edison HS 6:30-8:30). Is anyone else planning on attending?

I've looked through a couple of parts of the document so far but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by it all. I'm wondering if it would make sense to try to get together to review this outside the context of a public meeting. (I'm not quite sure how to organize but if people show interest...) If we came up with joint recommendations/feedback would we present this as individuals or somehow associated with mplsbikelove? (paging HereNT)

Here's my list:

0. Are paper copies of the plan available? I'd be willing to pay a reasonable amount for it but my printer would use a lot of ink to print this out.

1. Pavement quality for bike facilities.

2. Increasing the speed limit on trail facilities (Minneapolis has a 10 MPH limit on most city trails). Perhaps trails need to be designated either transit (MDT where the 10 mph limit is wholly inappropriate) or recreational (around the lakes where 10 mph might make sense--at times anyway)...

3. Maintenance of existing bike facilities. (Repainting and patch quality)

What is on your list?

Oh and perhaps I'll see you tonight...

Kurt

I'm kind of retired / out with an injured brain at the moment...

I was thinking about it, it feels very much like the advocacy stuff is like my art and my music, just a totally burnt out fuse and something I can barely even focus on anymore...

Hoping I can get back to it in a few months, but really, this document is important to everyone _else_ in town, not so much to me. I've been taking the bus.

I went to the one at Washburn tonight. Very low turnout (about 8 residents) but the conversation was great.

I actually found it surprisingly to hear myself say that I don't believe ALL street need to be bicycle friendly to have a bicycle friendly city. But the more I thought about it the more it makes sense. Not all streets are necessarily auto friendly either.

I also said I supported funding project with advertising along high bicycle traffic areas like the Greenway. Naming rights I'm okay with provided they aren't permanent.

I thought that was you Ted. I agree that the conversation was great, despite the low turn out.