From the City of Minneapolis

Really good news -- the path along the river is done and we're the first loser in cities that commute by bike!

Bicycling Update Subscribers,



Several bike-related announcements are listed below:



* The West River Parkway bike path under the south side I-35W Bridge has reopened. 2nd Street SE under the north side of the bridge has also reopened.
* Minneapolis has retained its spot as the #2 location for the percentage of commuters who bike to work, among the 50 cities with the most workers. The recently released US Census Bureau figures show that Minneapolis bicycle mode share increased to 3.8%, a substantial gain over the 2006 figure of 2.5%. That means an estimated 7,200 Minneapolis residents regularly rode bicycles to work last year. The survey has a 0.8% margin of error. Minneapolis is also closing the gap with #1 Portland, which has a bicycle mode share of 3.9%. Read more in the Census 2007 Report (pdf).
* There are two local events this weekend. The first is a Ghost Bike Memorial Ride, to commemorate those who have recently died in bicycle-vehicle crashes. The second is the Unite Bike group photo. Both grassroots events take place on Saturday and are open to the public.
* In 2009, Hennepin Avenue will be converted from a 1-way street to a 2-way street for vehicular traffic. A public meeting will be held next Wednesday, October 8th in the Central Library at 5:00 pm. Several alternatives will be presented for the placement of the bicycle lanes. Bicyclists are invited to share their opinion on the alternatives. For more information read the meeting flyer (pdf) and visit the project website.



Happy Riding,



City of Minneapolis Bicycle Program