Ride Boldly!

Bikes, bicycling, and road safety.

August 2, 2011
by julie
4 Comments

On the Sidepath to Nowhere

In Anoka County, work has been being done on County Road 14, especially in the segment from US 10 to the west to Central Avenue to the east. A big overpass was built over Central a year or two back, and now lots of repaving and road improvement has been going on. I was out there checking it out.

The road previously had okay shoulders for riding, although once you pass US 10 it’s no shoulders, and straight through a retail district with multiple driveways in every block. In the newly paved sections, the shoulder is slightly narrower, but in better shape thanks to new pavement. In addition, as you pass Coon Creek Boulevard, there is now a sidepath.

I can be anti-sidepath for safety reasons, but in semi-residential areas they can have a lot of value relative to giving kids a slightly better place to be than a sidewalk, which is generally narrower than a sidepath. In this instance, the sidepath basically starts in someone’s driveway not far past the big Lowe’s on Main/County 14, and then dies an abrupt death at Hanson Boulevard. New road pavement continues up to University Avenue, after which the road is closed for major work.

The issue with this sidepath is it really doesn’t GO anywhere. Hanson is okay in sections for riding, but most parents are probably not going to be keen on their kids using the street there due to speed and general conditions. Main keeps going and goes up to Bunker Hills, which is a nice destination including a park and a water park. But the sidepath doesn’t go there. Once you get past Hanson going east, your choice is a narrow shoulder (it might be a full 4-foot, but it doesn’t look that way by eyeball). It doesn’t look as though there are plans (or right-of-way) to extend the sidepath further east; I haven’t found more info as yet. Still looking.

I understand issues with easements and right-of-way. But at the same time, I have a hard time calling roads like this complete streets, even though I see it happen. When your sidepath goes nowhere, what purpose does it serve?

July 13, 2011
by julie
Comments Off on Uplifting Advice: Check Your Seat Height

Uplifting Advice: Check Your Seat Height

The League of American Bicyclists teach the ABC quickCheck as though it were a religion. And, to be honest, it’s a good routine. It provides a solid basic bike check that can be customized to be used on nearly every bicycle by every rider, preschool age and up.

Something that is never mentioned explicitly in the ABC quickCheck, but which more riders need to do: Check your seat height.

You can have your seat at a perfect height, and a few rides later, it will sink. The only bike I’ve ever owned where regular readjustment hasn’t been an issue is the bike with a carbon fiber seatpost in a carbon fiber frame — probably something about the construction and relative friction of the material versus the friction of aluminum or steel, which are far more common as seatposts and frame materials.

The seat needs to be high enough so that you fully extend your leg when on the pedal downstroke. Not bent, extended. Not locked, but extended. Full extension is easier on your knees and puts more power into the pedalstroke, helping you go farther faster on the same effort. Having the seat properly adjusted helps you handle your bike more effectively, too.

So check that seat and adjust it, because it is good to do so, and it makes me happy when you do so.

July 12, 2011
by julie
Comments Off on Minneapolis: Where Women Ride More

Minneapolis: Where Women Ride More

I’ve written previously about the issues involved in putting more women on bikes. There are many theories and studies indicating why women typically represent a fraction of the cycling population, but most of the findings make sense — from a higher risk aversion among women to greater responsibility for things like shopping  and childcare. In general, women are considered an indicator in most environments — the more cycling-friendly a place, the more women who ride, with the ideal being women riding in equal proportion to their representation in population.

New data is out that indicates that Minneapolis has a higher percentage of female riders than the average — between 31 and 45% of riders are female, versus a national average of 26.4%. Theories as to why include the extensive off-road commuting options, such as the Midtown Greenway and other ‘commuter trails.’

The impact of the Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program — which in the current economic and transport climate is unlikely to be extended or funded to other cities — is also cited as a potential factor.

While the investments of the NMTPP and the bike route configuration in Minneapolis almost certainly plays a role in increasing participation, this only addresses the risk tolerance theories of why women bike less. The social and economic factors aren’t measured in this data, and I think discounting their impact on participation is risky, given the many studies about free time and spare time relative to women, especially women with families.

However, it’s nice to see Minneapolis with a high participation rate among the ladies.

July 7, 2011
by julie
2 Comments

New Transportation Bill Proposed

After months of saying it would come, and numerous field hearings, the new Transportation Bill has been offered up in the US House.

And wow. It’s bad. It’s worse than many had feared.

Some key things to know about this bill:

  • The bill eliminates dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects.
  • Transit hangs on to a 20% share of funding.
  • Spending goes down 33% compared to the last multi-year transportation bill.

Streetsblog and the LAB have more information on the bill, which is scheduled for a hearing on July 12 but is otherwise not scheduled in the present legislative session, which is going to be focused on larger budget issues and the debt ceiling.

The proper advocate thing to do here is to say that people who support funding for bike/ped projects, as well as funding that reflects the crumbling state of our national infrastructure, should write their Congressional delegates. And so I’m saying it. But I have to admit, the whole situation both in the state of Minnesota and federally depresses me. It’s hard to say that the voice of the people is important in a time of entrenched partisanship, economic hardship, and zeal for budgetary cutbacks (that in many cases do not meet an economic sniff test). In addition, Minnesota’s delegation is pretty set to either side — Ellison, McCollum, and Walz are typically pro-bike/ped funding and recognize the issues with infrastructure funding as critical. Collin Peterson, of Minnesota’s Seventh District, typically focuses more on roads and agriculture than on bike/ped. Kline and Paulsen are budget hawks, Bachmann is gung-ho for budget cuts, and Cravaack is a junior congressman who will do the bidding of his party.

But it’s what we can do. So, write your congressman or something. And if you feel the need to have a stiff one as you read the details of the transpo bill, don’t drink and drive, and don’t drink and bike.

July 5, 2011
by julie
1 Comment

Continuous Parking Shenanigans in Blaine

Previously, I have covered the challenge faced by the suburb of Blaine in managing parking for its newest city park, Lakeside Commons Park.

The city has decided, after some debate, not to buy a very large new parking lot and slap down yet more pavement… this year, at least. Instead, starting in June, Blaine residents could get a free parking permit for the existing lots. Non-residents could get either a single-day parking pass for $5, or a full-season pass for $20. To park at the park, you must have a permit. But having a permit does not guarantee you a parking spot.

The city hopes that this system will allow them to measure if demand is truly Blaine residents — this is a city park — or non-Blaine residents, treating it more as a regional park.

Parking policy is only being enforced from 10AM – 6PM.

The whole thing is pretty ridiculous, as can be seen if you read coverage of the council meeting in which this plan was developed. The park is hard to access via any means but car, because while Blaine asked developers to set aside this land for park use, Blaine itself is a very difficult city in which to cycle or walk between destinations. There are some very random bike paths that go pretty much nowhere, and much of the city lacks sidewalks. Several major roads also create challenges for even experienced adult cyclists.

It’s another fine example of how poor development choices — even those driven by good intention, such as having housing developers set aside parkland — and an emphasis on vehicular traffic create new issues for cities. By subsidizing parking, even in places intended for active enjoyment, we’re creating a self-reiforcing system of stupid.