June 14, 2008
by julie
Comments Off on More MN43 Bridge Follies
Today, the MN43 bridge over the Mississippi River in Winona re-opens. As previously reported, no bicycles or pedestrians will be allowed, upon pain of… something.
There IS an update on that:
Pedestrians and bicyclists are also restricted from crossing, but a cab service will be available for 75 cents per person each way.
So, these cabs… have bicycle racks?
I’ll believe it when I see it.
June 12, 2008
by julie
1 Comment
Per the MN DOT, the Highway 43 bridge over the Mississippi River in Winona is going to re-open.
But, mysteriously, they’re not allowing bicycles. Per the Star-Tribune:
Judy Bodway, assistant city manager for economic development, said state transportation officials decided that the bridge will reopen Saturday at 8 a.m. to passenger vehicles but not commercial trucks, pedestrians or bicycles. Also, no vehicles can be pulling trailers, even to transport boats.
This does include pickups. It would kind of have to in that area, else the reopening to traffic would be laughable. Everyone and their dog owns a pickup down there, it seems.
Because, yeah, those pedestrians and bicycles? The straw that will break the gusset plate’s back!
They do claim the continued closure to pedestrians and bicyclists is because that part of the bridge needs repair. Uh, what? This can’t just be the gusset plates, which means it probably needed it before the closure, huh?
Bodway said the bicycle and pedestrian traffic remains banned because improvements are needed on that part of the bridge.
MNDOT and Winona are looking for options for pedestrians and bicyclists, although the ferry service will end June 20. Beyond the gusset plate work, they plan to replace the sidewalks.
Which still doesn’t explain to me the bicycle ban, since sidewalks are for pedestrians. But, whatever. I don’t know what enforcement is going to be in place and plan to check it out later this month when I’m in Winona to scout WOW routes.
May 28, 2008
by julie
1 Comment
Two state legislators (who happen to be cyclists) have proposed a new statute that would permit bicyclists to roll stop signs and red lights when traffic conditions permit.
The proposal is based in the idea that without traffic, a rolled stop sign is no big deal, and that bikes do not always trip the pressure plates to get a red light to change in the absence of a car. In the latter instance, I know many bicyclists who apply Minnesota Statute 169.06, Subd. 9:
Affirmative defense relating to unchanging traffic-control signal. (a) A person
operating a motorcycle who violates subdivision 4 by entering or crossing an intersection
controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light has an affirmative defense to that charge if
the person establishes all of the following conditions:
(1) the motorcycle has been brought to a complete stop;
(2) the traffic-control signal continues to show a red light for an unreasonable time;
(3) the traffic-control signal is apparently malfunctioning or, if programmed or engineered
to change to a green light only after detecting the approach of a motor vehicle, the signal has
apparently failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle; and
(4) no motor vehicle or person is approaching on the street or highway to be crossed or
entered or is so far away from the intersection that it does not constitute an immediate hazard.
(b) The affirmative defense in this subdivision applies only to a violation for entering or
crossing an intersection controlled by a traffic-control signal against a red light and does not
provide a defense to any other civil or criminal action.
I have not seen this statute tested in terms of law enforcement, ticketing, or any sense of legality. The new statute would be bicycle-specific, so it wouldn’t have the doubt factor of trying to apply the motorcycle statute on a vehicular basis (ie: a motorcycle is a vehicle, a bicycle is a vehicle, and if a motorcycle can’t trip the sensor, a bicycle surely can’t, eh?).
The chief worry I have about allowing rolling stops in certain circumstances – which is presently permitted in Idaho – is that it relies on the cyclist’s awareness of surroundings. I worry that misuse of the statute could simply continue the perception of cyclists as traffic scofflaws. However, the people who will roll stops and blow reds in the presence of traffic really don’t care about statute and are already doing this.
The full text of the proposed statute can be found on the Minnesota House of Representatives site. To express your support (or opposition) to this proposal, contact your Representative.
May 23, 2008
by julie
1 Comment
Buried in all the coverage of the Minnesota transportation and bonding initiatives is the news that replacement of the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge in Bloomington has finally been funded!
The bonding bill contains $2 million to handle the replacement. The need to replace the bridge has been something of a problem, as the bridge exists in multiple jurisdictions, and goes through an environmentally sensitive area.
The bridge was closed in 2002 because it became structurally unsound, and had probably been so for some time at the time of closing. Without it, crossing the Minnesota River from the south metro takes some creativity on a bicycle, particularly to connect to places like the Mall of America transit station to execute a mixed commuting option (bike to train).
Yay!
May 22, 2008
by julie
Comments Off on Chicago Tribune Gets it Right
Amidst my complaints about bad media coverage of cycling in general, the Chicago Tribune goes and publishes an article that gets it right.
While sensationally titled, as a communicator I can’t really argue that kind of title – it’s what gets attention, it’s what gets submitted to social news sites, etc. The Tribune’s 8 Steps to Ensure You Survive Your Bike Ride hits the high points:
These are valid tips. They also seem to me obvious, but a lot of the people who fear street riding and vehicular cycling don’t see them as such. The people who blow stop signs and weave also clearly don’t see these tips as obvious.
So, hooray for a major media outlet publishing something positive.