Minneapolis Bike Master Plan: “Tier 1″ Projects

View Minneapolis Bike Master Plan in a larger map

The new Minneapolis Bike Master Plan has a long list of projects necessary to build out the system. 82, if I count correctly. However, only 6 of these are considered “Tier 1″ in the plan, which I think means that they are high priority and meet criteria necessary to qualify for funding sources. These six are shown in the map above. The Upper River Trails count as one project.

According to Don Pflaum, the project manager for the plan, much of the funding for these improvements will come from outside sources, such as SAFETEA-LU grants. So each project must be evaluated based on a number of criteria, and must meet these criteria before being eligible for consideration by the City. The criteria include the ability of the project to increase mode share, improve safety, and be cost effective, among others. The end of Chapter 7 contains a matrix of all the projects including their ability to meet each criterion.

This ranking doesn’t exactly prioritize projects, except to say what is and isn’t currently eligible for funding. After speaking with Don, I know the city wants more input on cyclists priorities for the system.

So what are your priorities? Should the six projects above be first? What projects do you think would bring the most benefit? You can add your top priorities right on the map. Click on the view larger link, then click on “save to my maps” and then you can draw right on the map. Ideally, you’ll want to check the project list in the plan to make sure your project is in there, but if you have something the plan doesn’t have, go ahead and add that too, just make a note so we all know it is something new. Also maybe add your name and a short description of the project so we know what it is.

http://www.ajfroggie.com Froggie

Why are Hiawatha and Cedar Lake on that list? They’re not all that old…

http://netdensity.net Brendon

The Hiawatha trail is on the east side, something which doesn’t exist most of the length of Hiawatha. I’m pretty sure the Cedar Lake one is resurfacing/maintenance.
Alex B.

Hopefully the Cedar Lake Trail reconstruction will find a way to widen the approx. 700 feet east of the Wirth Pkwy bridge. At about 11 feet for bidirectional bike travel and pedestrians, it’s waaay too narrow.

Thatcher

Mozaic project at Girard/Greenway received funds from Hennepin County TOD to help pay for a bridge/ramp at Girard, not Fremont. It will be built within next two years, probably before two years.

http://netdensity.net Brendon

So the Fremont ramp is an error? Or additional?

Thatcher

Never heard of a Fremont Ramp until I visited this website. The Mozaic ramp at Girard must be what the Fremont Ramp is referring to because both the County and the City support the Girard ramp.

http://netdensity.net Brendon

Ok, I’ve moved the ramp west on the map.

http://reubencollins.blogspot.com Reuben

I’m disappointed that I don’t see the reconstruction of the Dean Parkway Trail anywhere on the project list – not even Tier 2. It’s only a few hundred feet of trail between the Midtown Greenway Dean Parkway Entrance/Exit and the Dean Parkway/Cedar Lake Parkway intersection. It’s quite heavily used as a link between the Midtown Greenway and the Kenilworth Trail/Cedar Lake Parkway Trail. The existing trail is in very poor shape. It’s narrow and pavement quality is poor, and there are serious drainage issues. It’s not uncommon during wet seasons to find 6″ or more of standing water across the trail.
http://reubencollins.blogspot.com Reuben

As to the ranking system, the plan could do a better job defining the qualifying criteria. In particular, I don’t think it’s very clear what the “Operations and Maintenance” criterion means. This is especially important since this single criterion seems to be keeping more projects off the Tier 1 list than any of the other criteria.

As to my own prioritizing preferences:
Bicycle Detection qualifies as Tier 1. While I don’t want to minimize the importance of bicycle detection, I can think of quite a few paint & asphalt projects I’d like to see before spending money on detection. I think more/better lanes and trails will have a more positive impact on bike mode share and safety than signal detection. I would prefer that bicycle detection only be included as opportunities present themselves during regularly planned maintenance/reconstruction projects.
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tom jones

I say there should be no stopping for the green way bikers, The cars can wait.
Cars have the right of way in nearly every area over bikes and pedestrians, The bikers have the Green way, if the street is high traffic for auto’s then make it a yield sign with a flashing light or large sign, not so large it obstructs the view.
Also the Intersections are nearly indistinguishable when your going head down or at a quick pace.
when you get to st Louis park the cars do not yield, do to the high traffic area, but that should not make it necessary for bikes to have to stop a yield to traffic sign is just as good people most likely will not ride in to on coming traffic.
I can see the whole bike thing, turning into a legalistic money scheme for the cities.
next on the list is Bike Insurance, it will eventually be a desirable feature for the bikers that ride all roads.
the city or state should possibly get involved in that although they should first encourage private insurance companies to offer it as well.