As you probably know, a lot of protected bike lanes are being installed in Minneapolis this year. If you didn't know that, check out our handy list of 2015 protected bikeways. Anyways, I've been asking around the office seeing which of these bikeways the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition staff is most excited about.
I'll start off with Beth Wagner, our volunteer & program coordinator.
Tyler: So, Beth, what protected bike lanes are you most excited for this year?
Beth: I'm most excited about the new 26th and 28th Street protected bikeways. I frequently bike to the Phillips neighborhood and I think this will make riding much safer and easier to around, while also hopefully calming traffic for surrounding neighbors.
T: How will you use this new bikeway?
B: I will bike to my favorite place in the whole city: the Mashkiikii Gitigan community farm in Phillips! Gotta have those delicious Monday Night Karma Market veggies.
T: Did you feel safe biking in Phillips before these protected bike lanes were installed?
B: Before the bikeways were put in, I'd bike on 26th and 28th on my way to and from work in Phillips because it was the only option I had. It felt so unsafe to ride close to speeding cars and I'd get off as soon as I was able. That added a lot of time to my commute, but it was either that or risk getting hit. As both a driver AND a cyclist, I feel much more excited to share the road and use these two streets because of the new protected bikeways.
T: Thanks for talking to me Beth!
B: No problem!
Want to learn more about the 26th and 28th Street protected bike lanes? Check out Bikeways for Everyone to see what the protected bikeways look like.
So, what bikeway are YOU most excited for? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter. You can also contact us directly.
And look forward to hearing more about what bikeways our staff is excited for every week.
