Results from the Minneapolis Community Workshop
Summary
The second Metro District Statewide Bicycle Planning Study Community Workshop was held at the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center at 2001 Plymouth Ave N Minneapolis, MN 55411 from 6-8 PM on March 30, 2012. Approximately 25 people participated in the workshop.
Findings
Workshop participants completed a S.W.O.T. (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of bicycling facilities in our State. Following the S.W.O.T. analysis, participants worked in small groups to organize their responses in themed categories. The themes were prioritized by the participants, unless otherwise noted, with theme prioritized as #1 being the most important.Strengths
Theme (noted as Priority #1): Rural or Suburban Trails
- M.P.R.B. did an outstanding job on trails
- Great trail network
- Good statewide trail system
- Great regional parks system (nothing to do with MnDOT)
- Our regional trails
- Fantastic bike paths throughout the state
- Dedicated bike trails
- Lots of trails – Mesabi, Central Lakes, Root River
- Brown Trail into Stillwater from Gateway should be a great help
- Excellent trail system in Rochester
- Good shoulders on many rural roads, many are paved
Theme (unranked by participants): Federal Funding
- T.E.A. money “enhancements” that’s paid for MnDOT staff and many projects
- Legacy Funds may help with trail building
Theme (unranked by participants): Staff
- Great staff – need more power to make real change in agency
- MnDOT has a great group of people on staff!
- Dedicated bike/ped section of staff
- All bike staff knowledgable
- City, county, regionals thinking and doing about bikeways now and future needs
Theme (unranked by participants): Other Jurisdictions (Local Initiatives)
- Local trails in Metro – Cedar Lake, Greenway plowed in winter sometimes before local streets
- Bicycle boulevards some good – not because of parked cars
- Already have significant engagement by many individuals and organizations around state. Good work!
- DNR on rail trails
- Minneapolis is a gold bicycle friendly community. St Paul is bronze. BFC
- I like bike racks on metro buses
- Good bike infrastructure in Twin Cities
- Lots of bike lanes
Theme (unranked by participants): Nice Ride
- Nice Ride – great concept, need to get people out to use
Theme (unranked by participants): Policies
- MN focusing on bicycling statewide
- MN getting more bicycle friendly – great
- Dedicated funds for bike paths
- Starting to recognize cycling as transportation and not just recreation
- Like the improved state bike map initiative – long overdue
- MnDOT’s adoption of Complete Streets policy
- Complete Streets policy has been passed at legislature and Context Sensitive Solutions has been adopted by MnDOT
- MnDOT policies and manuals are thorough
[Unthemed and Unranked]:
- Current laws (3-ft rule) protecting cyclists
- Statewide map project
- Pro-cycling culture
- Bicyclists are never turned away – will promote tourism
Weaknesses
Theme (noted as Priority #1): Coordination
- Does MnDOT have a rumble strip policy? Rumble strips on lane edge
- MnDOT staff are inconsistent in their implementation. No vision, no reason given for not doing something correctly
- MnDOT has no plan to engage city councils, mayors, and city staff in expanding non-motorized transportation
- Traffic signals not timed for any users, or so it would appear
- A lack of political will to install roundabouts
- Lack of connectivity with trails and bike lanes and bike paths
- Not enough education of drivers about sharing road with bicyclists
- Not clear enough definition for bicycle right-of-way
- Lack of funding
- DOT needs to coordinate with state parks, DNR, and county parks to include a hiker/biker site and cross state routes
- Hostility from drivers is a problem in metro areas – object to riding in street
- Connecting routes from outer circle suburbs to inner metro
- Bicycle coordinator lacks courage to be a voice for bicyclists
- MnDOT working in silos. Bike/ped experts aren’t advising project engineers
- Need city and county to coordinate some efforts now
- Lack of coordination among local governmental agencies
- Lack of coordination and/or connectivity regarding bicycle routes statewide
- Lack of education for cyclist and motorists safety/laws
- Lack of coordination between departments when implementing policy
- Bikeways non complete – missing segments
- Intersecting between bike facilities and freeway interchanges (Luce Line and Highway 169, 7th St and Interstate 94)
- Lack of connectivity/continuity of bike paths
- Road width standards could and should be different in urban setting. MnDOT-county-city. We as a subset of a subset often find lane width standards are not appropriate for the city
- Connectivity of routes (trails and lanes) especially inner-city (Twin Cities)
- Consistency of lane widths
- Lack of signs outside Minneapolis
- Keep shoulders in good repair – clean them, maybe by blower
Theme (noted as Priority #2): Road Planning
- Agency spends billions on highways: 700 million for Stillwater Bridge; 225 Million for I-35 MNPass lanes; god knows how much on Crosstown... but can’t find a few million to improve access and traversability of trunk highways and freeways in urban areas
- Cities have no compelling reason to adopt complete streets policies and it takes a mayor or city staff to move forward
- Any improvements for cycling in St. Paul by MnDOT had to be forced down its throat by local groups or state and federal statutes
- Lack of connectivity on bicycle routes
- MnDOT does not allow for experimental roadway configurations or equipment on state aid roads
- No vulnerable user law
- MnDOT prioritizes motor vehicles first. Seems to feel bicycling and walking should be responsibility of local units of government
- MnDOT not flexing enough of their flexible dollars
- Agency spends way too much money in the suburbs and exurbs. You have miles of trails and pathways in suburban Rosemount but nothing on trunk highways in the city of St Paul
- Project engineers are not multi-modal engineers – they’re experts in designing highways that get vehicles from point A to B the fastest
- Implementation of Complete Streets policy – current MnDOT projects not reflecting Context Sensitive Solutions
- The Agency does NO bicycle or pedestrian counts. These should be done before planning any urban roadway restoration or new construction project
Theme (noted as Priority #3): Signage and Treatments/Facilities
- Bridge needed on greenway trail across Beltline Blvd, St Louis Park – very hazardous
- Western Minneapolis suburbs that discourage bike trails
- Real facilities on projects only happening with massive pressure from bike community (Central, Snelling, etc) When will this change?
- Don’t understand the system City of Minneapolis is using with bike marking on roadway – doesn’t seem safe
- Dumping people from a bike friendly route into an area lacking infrastructure, signage, etc
- Need more signage, especially wayfinding signs
- Sharrows as an excuse for bike lanes
- State aid standards 30 years behind research. 10’ lanes safer than 13’! Bike lanes benefit everyone
- Excuse that bike improvements cannot happen because they don’t fit into the parameters of a particular project
Theme (noted as Priority #4): Road Conditions (Safety)
- Lack of enforcement of all users on the roadways
- Some trails were not plowed this winter! why?
- Safety is subordinated to capacity or speed of travel for motorist
- Snow removal
- Poor road conditions – fix it first
- Hwy 94/35W interchange area in Minneapolis is very difficult to get across – freeway mess
Theme (noted as Priority #5): Education
- Lack of cohesive vision does not seem to embrace bicycling as viable solution, but more as a special interest
- Getting more info out about bike trails across the state, eg. bike the Paul Benjamin Trail
- Drivers assume bicyclists should be on sidewalks
- Public not understanding benefits of biking
Opportunities
Theme (unranked by participants): Connect Organizations and Groups
- Bike/walk teams being (and are) formed – need to coordinate
- Connecting groups all working toward the same goal
- MnDOT needs to visit with and coordinate with existing groups. St Paul Bicycle Coalition, Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition, Bicycle Alliance, etc...
- Stakeholders are ready to provide input and guide discussion on city and county levels
- Outreach to city staff and city council
- Chance to attract new riders to an integrated system
- Coordinate better with the city (resurfacing streets, etc)
Theme (unranked by participants): Complete
- Resurfacing projects are huge opportunities for restriping but ignored by MnDOT – cross sections not even measured!
- Whenever new roads are constructed, add trails! Construct bicycle facilities/shelters fro the cold weather
- Rumble strips poorly positioned – little room for cyclists
- When improving roads, consider paved shoulders on roads heavily used by cyclists
- MnDOT must establish a policy for doing bike/ped assessments, analysis and planning for all MnDOT roadway restoration and new construction projects prior to scoping those projects so bike and ped needs can be incorporated. Consider traversability as well as access
- Integrating bicycle facilities into other projects (mill and overlay, reconstruction)
- Implement trails or lanes with all projects
- Educate all drivers on bicycle laws and require exercises for road tests
- Complete Streets policy support and integrates bikes into MnDOT projects
- Complete Streets every time a roadway is redone to incorporate bike/ped facilities
- Complete Streets
Theme (unranked by participants): Bike Racks
- Need more bike racks everywhere!
- More carriers on buses to bring bike on board
- Encourage buses to install bike racks or other ways of accommodating bikes
Theme (unranked by participants): Education
- Use drivers license manuals/test to state/educate drivers on rights and responsibilities of bicycles riders
- Education/awareness programs/campaign on making it easy to commute [not by car]
- Early engagement of well organized bicycling community
- Train district MnDOT staff on bike planning/facility design – get them on bikes!
- Awareness of bike repair facilities/bike shops
- Increase awareness of biking opportunities in MN
Theme (unranked by participants): Facilities
- Many outstate towns have no bike racks
- Have counties and cities have policy about when they are going to open bathrooms and turn on water if x number of days above x temperatures instead of a certain date
- In State Parks have a separate campsite for bicyclists like in California and Oregon at reduced price, less than $10
Theme (unranked by participants): Stakeholder
- Leverage CSAH and MSAS funding to improve bike and ped facilities
- Stakeholder engagement with employers to support cycle commuting by providing facilities, especially for female employees, to shower, change, store clothes, etc
- We have to get involved on a community level on input to plans
Theme (unranked by participants): Street Infrastructure
- Agency needs to prioritize routes/improvements that will benefit the greatest number of cyclists, i.e. urban or inner suburban projects that close gaps
- Agency needs to identify gaps in inventory and bike access, particularly in urban areas, 99% of those gaps are caused by MnDOT freeways or trunk highways
- Complete Munger Trail between St Paul and Duluth – started in 1970 – still not much progress in connecting to Gateway
- Wayfinding signs on bike facilities
- Adding countdown timers at signals on MnDOT roads – allow bikes to see if they can cross before signal turns red
- Use more modern detection at signal lights so bikes can trigger a green light
- Embracing separated on-road facilities to increase the feeling of being safe while cycling
- What are policies for adding original bike lanes/shoulders?
- Chance to build a statewide system correctly before it’s built wrong
Theme (unranked by participants): Mapping
- Connectivity between statewide bicycle advocates
- Make connections to enable one to bike across the state
- Creating statewide digital map that can be updated easily will identify gaps in connectivity
- Fill in the bikeway gaps
- Tourism by bike will be made easier by the route planning project
- Map – statewide should be printable for more than just short (under 50 mile) trips. Need to consider riders over 200 miles and multiple days
- Hiker/biker sites in state, county parks on bicycle routes
- Statewide bicycle map – put national bike routes and state through routes on the map. Should include MRT and Northern Tier Route clearly marked. Northshore should also be on there since it’s being developed
- Several parks, lakes and rivers throughout the Twin Cities and the state for future trails
- Ramsey County on-line system
- Leverage Cyclopath development
- Promoting bike tourism through updated state bike map
- Statewide numbering system for bike routes
[Unthemed and Unranked]:
- Promote bicycles with elect assist to expand riders and longer trips
- Get more people riding
Threats
Theme (noted as Priority #1): Funding
- Lack funding options to improve alternative transportation
- Land needed for bikeway gap fill-ins
- Potholes on city streets not being filled
- Federal cuts to non-motorized transportation
- Lack of $
- Lack of funding from federal government/Washington
- Political climate and funding
- Funding?
- $ – not flexing enough flexible $s
- Not enough funding due to the importance of other transportation means and facilities
- Segment of public that opposes any non-automotive funding
- Funding issues
- Funding for new programs may be difficult
- Not enough money allocated for infrastructure repair of roads
Theme (noted as Priority #2): MnDOT and Other Agencies
- We ignore laws, signs, etc
- Crazy highway expansion projects (MYOPIC!)
- Engineers who don’t ride bike or, at the very least, consider new bike safety improvements. It helps if they experience it first-hand
- MnDOT is auto-dominated culture not conducive to valuing bikes
- MnDOT may not have say in local plans
- Lack of coordination between MnDOT, Met Council, counties and municipalities
- Implementation – how is MnDOT going to put these ideas into action? How do we know cities and counties will implement?
- Local/city governments that see bike trails as a luxury not a necessity or priority
Theme (noted as Priority #3): Policy/Partisan Politics
- Bicycle defined as 2 or 3 wheeled vehicle. Need to be defined as wheeled vehicle to allow one wheel, 4 wheeled or more
- Ignorance of our evidence-based reality in making policy for alternative transportation
- Law enforcement should give bicyclists who run red lights and stop signs tickets
- Drivers training needs to include bicycle consideration
- Partisan politics at all levels of government
- Republicans
- Legislative push back for progressive transportation options
- MnDOT complete, organized, on-line bikeway policy needed
Additional comments may also be provided to Greta Alquist through March 30, 2012.