Minneapolis leaders promote pedal pushing

I'm generally skeptical about promotional productions like this short, video love letter to the Midtown Greenway and the broader Minneapolis bike culture. Obviously, the filmmakers wanted to enhance their case by shooting footage during times when lots of people are out biking. But as someone who rides the Greenway frequently, I can verify that it gets a lot of traffic - even when the weather is not warm and sunny.

And there's more evidence that Minneapolis is serious about enhancing its status as a bike-friendly city. If you drive or ride on Minneapolis streets, you've probably noticed a lot more newly-painted bike lanes along major thoroughfares. I recently rode over a big "bike blvd" sign on Bryant Ave. S. and wondered, "What does that mean?" Apparently, so did Morning Edition producer Jim Bickal, who recently got Shaun Murphy, who coordinates non-motorized transportation projects for the city of Minneapolis, to speak with ME host Cathy Wurzer. Murphy told Wurzer the sign reminds drivers to share the road with the human-powered two wheelers and it encourages bikers to avoid the more car-heavy streets. Listen to the interview here.

If you're a true bike policy wonk, you'll want to check out the city's 2011 Bicycle Master Plan.

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