Second Ward, Minneapolis

This is a public policy forum that was established in 2006 by Minneapolis Second Ward (Green) City Council Member Cam Gordon and his policy aide Robin Garwood to share what they were working on and what life in City Hall was like. After serving 4 terms Cam lost his relection in 2021 but has continued to be involved in local politics and to use this forum to report and share his perspective on public policy. Please feel free to comment on posts, within certain ground rules.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan - Open House

The City's open house to get public input for the new Bicycle Master Plan is today. I wish I could make it but it looks like I will be too busy elsewhere.

The 2008 plan will include goals, policies, and design guidance in addition to a map of future facilities. It focuses on what folks are calling "the 6 E's of making a city bicycle friendly:" Education, Enforcement, Engineering, Encouragement, Evaluation, and Equity.

The plan reportedly includes a prioritized list of projects and initiatives. Public ideas and suggestions will be solicited at this event. A brief presentation will be given at 5, 6, and 7 p.m. Members of the City of Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee will be present to answer questions. The open house will be held from 4:30 - 8 p.m. in Room 319 of the Minneapolis City Hall.

If any of you get to go I would love to hear some feedback directly about what you think.

posted by Cam Gordon @ 8:22 AM

2 Comments:

At 8:49 AM, Blogger Matty Lang said...

Hi Cam and Robin,

Thanks for all of your great work on bicycling issues in Minneapolis. My main gripe with the City's bicycle planning process is that the work is being done by an engineering firm that does not seem to well understand bicycling as a mode of transportation.

There are many planning firms (including my own locally) who are Members of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Planners who would be much more qualified to do the work of bicycle planning for the City of Minneapolis. I fear that the current process will result in meaningless public participation most of which will be discarded out of hand as "infeasible" based on current state policy and engineering practices.

If this plan is to guide us for the next 20 years, it should not be limited by current, outdated, auto-centric transportation policy. The Minneapolis Bicycle Plan should be done by Bicycle Planners, not an engineering firm. The engineering firms should be doing the detailed engineering on projects recommended by the plan.

Thanks,

Matthew Lang
Community Design Group

 
At 9:03 AM, Blogger Matty Lang said...

Hi again Cam and Robin,

As an addendum to my previous comment, I want to make a clarification. It's the Hennepin Avenue and Central Avenue Planning projects that were funded by NTP money that are being done by an engineering firm, rather than by a bicycle planning firm. As far as I know, the City's Master Plan is being done internally by Public Works, which is an engineering department.

Thanks again!

Matthew Lang
CDG

 

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