Park and Portland Avenues

[fehler]

And dropped to 30mph.

[mattaudio]

SRSLY? I must be WFH too much to realize this change. Good to hear!

[MSP]

Park has been restriped to 2 car lanes and a buffered bike lane, Portland is next.

From where to where?
The Park/Portland bridges over 94/35W will be redecked next summer and I know they will remain 3 lanes each way at that location, with the bike lanes on the outside if remember correctly.

[dmdhashw]

Park has been restriped to 2 car lanes and a buffered bike lane, Portland is next.

From where to where?
The Park/Portland bridges over 94/35W will be redecked next summer and I know they will remain 3 lanes each way at that location, with the bike lanes on the outside if remember correctly.

If I recall correctly from the last time I drove down Park, the 94/35W bridge is where it jumped back to three lanes.

[PhilmerPhil]

They generally go from two to thee lanes around Lake St. and in downtown.

[ztr421]

About a month ago I was driving on Park north of Lake Street and saw all the new lines for the left driving lanes and right bike lane/turning lanes. An older woman (70s to 80s) was merrily driving along in the right side lane reserved for bikes. Thank goodness there wasn't a biker in the lane, although she probably would have seen them...

I love these kinds of improvements, but there really should be clearer signs to let the drivers know!

[mattaudio]

Or something that physically blocks part of the lane every couple blocks. I've seen lots of trucks and SUVs using this right lane as a passing lane so they can go 40+ MPH around other cars between 42nd and 46th.

[PhilmerPhil]

A layout like this would have been better by separating the bike lane with a row of parked cars. I haven't been to these streets since the snow. How is it biking on them now? Is the bike lane completely ignored, with cars forming three lanes? Are the parked cars fully encroached on the bike lanes like they had been in winters past?

[MNdible]

I'm rarely on these streets during rush hour, but off-peak, they seem to work quite well. There is ample space for the bike lane.

As in other places, the biggest issue I've seen are cars waiting or loading in the bike lane.

[web]

Until bicyclists follow traffic laws like stop signs,stop lights etc they will never be treated equally period.

[Nathan]

Until bicyclists follow traffic laws like stop signs,stop lights etc they will never be treated equally period.

Do I have to repeat that until motorist do the SAME things, they shouldn't get privilege just because they feel entitled? Most cars roll stop signs at the same speed that bikes roll through intersections. That car was supposed to stop at the sign (before the sidewalk) and slowly roll forward before crossing the intersection. Does that happen? No. Bicycles can technically legally run red lights if they've stopped at them first and the coast is clear. So you present no legal argument against bikes that can't be made against autos. Plus drivers are often distracted (illegally) eating, texting, calling, shaving... SPEEDING... So yes, bikes should be treated equally until Auto drivers follow all the rules, it takes two to tango.

[web]

thats bs just today a bicyle drove into an intersection on a red light in front of me as I was stopping for said red light.......caused an accident with crossing traffic and just kept riding like nothing happenned. I stop for every sign and maybe roll a few but I still look both ways and never do I caually just run a red light and assume people will stop for me as if I am a pedestrian. Also bicylists have no license plate or license to even find then as they ride away from the scene of accidents. I believe in seperate bike paths/roads whatever. So the next time a bicycle runs a stop sign when I have the right of way I have no issue showing them how stupid they are.

[mplser]

thats bs just today a bicyle drove into an intersection on a red light in front of me as I was stopping for said red light.......caused an accident with crossing traffic and just kept riding like nothing happenned. I stop for every sign and maybe roll a few but I still look both ways and never do I caually just run a red light and assume people will stop for me as if I am a pedestrian. Also bicylists have no license plate or license to even find then as they ride away from the scene of accidents. I believe in seperate bike paths/roads whatever. So the next time a bicycle runs a stop sign when I have the right of way I have no issue showing them how stupid they are.

it's a good thing you never have right of way over a bicycle when you are in a car, then!

[Nathan]

thats bs just today a bicyle drove into an intersection on a red light in front of me as I was stopping for said red light.......caused an accident with crossing traffic and just kept riding like nothing happenned. I stop for every sign and maybe roll a few but I still look both ways and never do I caually just run a red light and assume people will stop for me as if I am a pedestrian. Also bicylists have no license plate or license to even find then as they ride away from the scene of accidents. I believe in seperate bike paths/roads whatever. So the next time a bicycle runs a stop sign when I have the right of way I have no issue showing them how stupid they are.

I don't know you or your driving ability, so I pass no judgement to you, but your argument that bikes shouldn't get any special treatment until they start following the rules is a terrible argument coming from a group of commuters in vehicles that knowingly break the rules all the time, from use of blinkers to driving slow in the fast lane... we're all guilty of stuff like that, but no one is saying drivers should have to ride on gravel side roads and on shoulders and only get to drive on certain streets. Imagine how outraged drivers would be solely because they feel entitled to these road spaces the city/state/country has provided for them. Bikers deserve some of that pie too, and the amount spent on biking infrastructure is miniscule compared to the amount spent on the roads so I'm just not interested in hearing that particular argument.

[Matt]

I stop for every sign and maybe roll a few

???

[web]

lets just agree to disagree. although today yet another bicycle rode right thru the same red light I mentioned before and viola a cop pulled him over. Not too bright running a red light with a cop driving thru the intersection. I felt better even though who knows what eventually happenned. off soapbox

[PhilmerPhil]

Can't believe I'm wasting my... uhh... keystrokes on this guy, but I've always noticed the bike haters have an exceptional amount of extreme stories of bikers breaking the law. Up until a few months ago, my job was essentially driving around the city all day, and rarely did I encounter such incidents. The worst offenders were sidewalk riders suddenly popping out of nowhere when I was pulling out of an alley.

[David Greene]

Come over to Hennepin and 28th. You'll see all kinds of lawbreakers using all kinds of modes.

I've been nearly T-boned too many times to count.

[web]

yep riding sidewalks.....dont see many cars doing that or riding against traffic in a bkie lane no less

[the other scott]

I haven't been to these streets since the snow. How is it biking on them now? Is the bike lane completely ignored, with cars forming three lanes? Are the parked cars fully encroached on the bike lanes like they had been in winters past?

After the big storm a couple weeks ago, it was pretty bad on Park by my house. The bike lane was covered with uneven, compacted, rutted snow/ice which made riding very difficult. I think the two driving lanes were clear because there was more traffic breaking up the compacted snow. The county came by a about 5 days after the storm and cleaned up the bike lanes. The only spots where parked cars encroach on the bike lanes are around Lake St where the bike lane narrows and the traffic lanes expand to three lanes.

The Monday and Tuesday after the storm, traffic was backed up on Park pretty bad during rush hour. A few people took the liberty of driving in the bike lane, but not as many as I thought. The markings for the bike lanes were covered with snow, so unless you knew about them already, you wouldn't have known they were there. It's hard to say whether the drivers using the bike lanes were clueless about their existence or if they were simply frustrated by slow traffic and decided to take the lane.