Minneapolis is one of the best cities for biking in the U.S., and it wants to get better. Last week the city released a plan to build 30 miles of protected bike lanes over the next five years and a total of 48 over 10 years.
Minneapolis has an expansive, widely used trail system, and its 4.5 percent bike commute mode-share is second among major American cities, after Portland, Oregon. Still, it currently has fewer than two miles of on-street protected bike lanes.
"Biking is part of our identity. It’s part of what makes Minneapolis a great place to live and protected bike lanes are the next step forward," said Ethan Fawley, director of the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition. "It’s investments in quality of life, it’s investment in health and access that helps attract people here."
The 30-mile plan is expected to cost about $6 million, with funding coming from city, county, and federal budgets. Minneapolis will also save money by folding bike lane construction into regularly scheduled road resurfacing projects, according to the Star Tribune. The paper notes the entire plan will cost less than building a single mile of roadway.
The city has tentatively identified 19 corridors that will get protected bike lanes. About half are in downtown or the University of Minnesota area. The other half are in outlying neighborhoods that aren't currently well-served by bike infrastructure, said Fawley.
Fawley says the plan will undergo a public comment period but he doesn't expect there to be much resistance or major changes. The city had hoped to install 8 miles of protected bike lanes this year, but it doesn't look like it will quite reach that goal, due to some construction delays.
