You got 6 days, Minneapolis.

I'm going to check the name of that valet company using the bike lane this weekend and complain to 1st precinct.

Another thing... don't federal regulations require new bike lanes to be 5 feet wide?

I've heard this before, but I think it's actually just a recommendation from the AASHTO guide. Anyone have any more info on this?

I don't know of any Federal regulations regarding bike lanes. The current state standards set a minimum of 4' wide for bike lanes. The City counts the gutter pan (I don't think they should, but they do) in the measurements so I'm pretty sure that the 1st Avenue bike lanes actually come out to 6' wide given all of this.



Really? The concept is known as a cycle track. This treatment is used all over the place in Europe and NYC and Portland, OR have recently begun using cycle tracks. Normally, there would be more of a separation between the parked cars and the cycle track than a double white line (and perhaps separate signal phases for bikes), but I don't expect the City to go all out on the first try. Hopefully, the shortcomings of this particular design will lead to improvements, rather than throwing a potential tool (well designed cycle tracks) out of the toolbox.

I can post some pics later of the cycle tracks in Paris that are better designed for reference.

Would some sort of sign work?

Where a "no turn on red" sign would be, perhaps some sort of diagram showing the lane of traffic, the parking lane, and the cycling lane, with a "RIGHT TURN MUST YIELD TO BICYCLES"?

Et voilà:

"What, a CONCRETE DIVIDER separating the bike lane? Just where do you think you are, Mr. bicycles everywhere guy? France?! Go bike on the sidewalk, dipshit -- or better yet, just grow up and drive a car already!"
\

omgmrj you are making me cry with those pictures

It was nice while it lasted. 10 years ago when I lived in Paris, none of the current bicycle infrastructure existed in France and, believe it or not, the French are pretty chauvinistic (the majority anyway) and love cars almost as much as Americans. If they can do this; we can do it!

Those looks pretty rad, but it's not quite the same situation as we have on 1st ave. Those concrete dividers, for one, put a good distance between the door zone and the bike lane, vs. the very thin strip of white lines on 1st Ave. Also, Paris doesn't get the kind of snowfall that Minneapolis does.

...that is the most awesome thing i've seen all month

As I was taking the last two pictures, a black SUV pulled up behind me and patiently waited for me to move so that he could park behind the road-sharing Volvo.

Good points eviljelly. While Paris doesn't get much snow, Paris does actually invest adequate funds into street maintenance programs unlike most places in the States, including Minneapolis. Paris does have vehicles of all sizes that clear the streets, the cycle tracks, and the sidewalks of debris on a very regular basis. Paris has almost as much litter as we have snow, for example, but the streets and the cycle tracks are cleared because the city has chosen that as a priority and has funded it.

We too can clear debris (snow) if we want to pay for it. That's the challenge. If the city can clear a sidewalk it's responsible for, than it surely can clear a cycle track if it wants to do so.

You have to realize that this is meant as a command to bikes, not a statement of support, in this case...

Ok I have a plan. Lets do this. Since they are allowed to illegally impede traffic. Lets all go over to Steefs shop and get a kickstand out of the box> Then we'll put them on our bikes.

Then we'll all go down first avenue and for every one car parked there like that lets have one bike take the middle of the right hand lane and put the bike on a kickstand and say were waiting for someone to out out of the building.

Seems fair enough.


Anyone?