There is a new protected bikeway on Blaisdell Ave. S. in my neighborhood and I am ecstatic!
On my way home from work a couple weeks ago I exited the greenway and started heading south on Blaisdell … the street had been restriped for a few weeks but on this particular day the plastic bollards finally appeared. I got giddy when I saw them. And then I did some fist pumps. The other people on bikes and I exchanged words of excitement and smiles. There were families hanging out and playing in their front yards. The positive energy was palpable.
I continued on my ride, picked up my one-year old from daycare, and we circled back up to Blaisdell to do a celebratory ride, dinging the bike bell, waving, and laughing. We stopped and talked to the person installing the bollards and took some photos. A man walking his dog called out to me, ‘’I bet you feel a lot more safe biking here now.”
And yes, that’s quite true.
For the first time ever I feel comfortable biking with my daughter on Blaisdell, north of 36th St.
I also feel safer walking and driving on this street.
I now incorporate Blaisdell into my neighborhood walks. Before the protected bikeway, I typically avoided walking here because of speeding cars and dangerous intersections. It is such a beautiful street with many historic homes, lush gardens, and good people. I love that the street is now more quiet and less rushed. I've also driven on Blaisdell and traffic is slower, but still moving. In addition, to cross Blaisdell, you no longer have to navigate two one-way lanes. This makes me feel much more safe and I think it will enable kids, elderly people, and families to cross more safely too.
The Blaisdell protected bikeway is an enormous asset to my neighborhood and I'm excited about its potential to help create safer streets in Minneapolis.
