Ride Boldly!

Bikes, bicycling, and road safety.

August 26, 2008
by julie
5 Comments

U of M Pedestrian Bridge Use Restrictions

In the department of ‘all bad bridges, all the time!’ –

In a move that will create near-certain chaos as the University of Minnesota gathers for fall classes, Hennepin County and U of M officials have closed the exterior sidewalks on the upper deck of the Washington Avenue bridge to traffic.

The upper deck is solely for the use of pedestrians and cyclists, and is a key connector of the East and West Bank campuses at the U.

Pedestrian traffic will be allowed only on a 14-foot-wide portion of the covered inner section of the bridge. New braces will be installed under the sidewalks on the exterior. Given that pedestrians aren’t precisely heavy (even with the rise in adult obesity rates in Minnesota), how bad is the decking?!

Repairs will reportedly cost about $400,000.

August 26, 2008
by julie
Comments Off on Status: MN43 Bridge in Winona

Status: MN43 Bridge in Winona

They have finally started work on the sidewalk on the MN43 bridge in Winona, hoping for favorable weather to complete the project by October.

Signage still says bikes are legally unwelcome on the bridge. However, enforcement seems lax – when I’ve been in Winona, I did see some cyclists using the roadway. MN43 is a 4-lane bridge with plenty of room for a bicycle and a car to travel efficiently over the rider alongside one another.

Not that I am advocating illegal behavior. I’m just observing.

August 16, 2008
by julie
3 Comments

Wrong-Way Riding

Riding the wrong way – against traffic – is one of the most hazardous acts for a cyclist. Yet, many inexperienced cyclists do it, chiefly because they believe that being able to see traffic oncoming will allow them to react better.

This is, of course, false. Two objects moving toward each other at any speed will have a more forceful collision than two objects traveling in the same direction. It is also illegal road use in Minnesota.

Which doesn’t explain why when I saw a dude on a bike going the wrong way in the shoulder of Central Avenue shortly after it crosses under US10 in Blaine the cop he rode by had no reaction. That part of Central is a crapshoot at best, but going against traffic there is like waving a neon sign that says I WANT TO DIE K THX.

August 11, 2008
by julie
Comments Off on I35W Bridge Update

I35W Bridge Update

As they continue to build the I35W bridge – while also doing construction work on MN36 and MN280, completely making my commute near-impossible, and helping me go through my THIRD windshield this year – a Colorado paper has an interesting ‘outside’ perspective on the bridge project. The bridge is being built by a Colorado company, so this coverage is more on the mechanics than on the aftermath of the bridge tragedy.

July 23, 2008
by julie
Comments Off on LCI Seminar Announced for Minneapolis

LCI Seminar Announced for Minneapolis

The League of American Bicyclists will be holding a League Certified Instructor seminar in Minneapolis October 16-18.

LCI training is open to anyone who has passed the League’s popular and useful Road I course. One such course was recently taught in Minnesota, graduating 10.