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TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN
DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS HAS SOME
DRIVERS PLACING THE BLAME ON
BICYCLISTS.
BIKE LANES BLOCKED OFF CITY
STREETS ONCE USED BY CARS.
ONE PERSON WENT AS FAR AS TO
BLAME WHAT ONE THINK TANK CALLS
BAD POLICY.
THE SPENDING OF BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS ON BIKE LANES.
WE CYCLED THROUGH THE STXHURMS
FOUND STRONG BELIEFS ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE -- THROUGH THE
BELIEF AND IS FOUND STRONG
BELIEFS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
ROAD.
HERE'S ANOTHER BIKE RIDER ON
THE SIDEWALK.
LET ME GUESS THIS BIKE RIDER
DOESN'T FEEL SAFE IN THE BIKE
LANE.
TO SAY BARBARA HAS SOME BEEF
WITH BICYCLISTS.
HE JUST CAME TO A RED LIGHT,
SLOWED DOWN.
IS A BIT OF AN
UNDERSTATEMENT.
AND HE'S PROCEEDING THROUGH A
BUSY INTERSECTION AND THERE HE
GOES.
I THINK THEY'RE ARROGANT IN
NOT FOLLOWING THE RULES.
A SELF-DESCRIBED STUBBORN
SWEDE.
I'M SORRY I'M JUST HONEST.
SHE'S SPENT 80 YEARS LIVING
WITHIN A 5-MILE RADIUS OF
DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS.
HE'S GOT HIS CELL PHONE OUT
LOOKING AT IT.
I BET HE'S EVEN TEXTING.
A BACKGROUND SHE RELIES ON
WHEN SHARING HER APPROACH TO
URBAN PLANNING TO HER OP EDS
THAT APPEAR REGULARLY.
YOU WANT BUSINESSES TO COME
DOWNTOWN, YOU WANT THEM TO
EXPAND THEIR BUSINESSES
DOWNTOWN, MAKE THEIR COMMUTE
PLEASURABLE, NOT A NIGHTMARE.
IT'S A NIGHTMARE SHE BELIEVES
IS ONLY GETTING WORSE WITH EACH
NEW MILE OF BIKE LANES.
SHE QUESTIONS A NUMBER OF WHAT
SHE CONSIDERS BAD DECISIONS.
LIKE THE BIKE LANES ON MAJOR
MINNEAPOLIS ARTERIES, PARK AND
PORTLAND, EAST 26TH AND 28TH
STREETS.
AND THE PROTECTED BIKE LANES ON
BLAZEDALE AVENUE SOUTH THAT TOOK
AWAY ONE LANE FOR CARS.
RIGHT NOW MINNEAPOLIS HAS 235
MILES OF BIKE LANES.
THE MOST PER SQUARE MILE OF ANY
CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
STILL THEY WANT MORE WITH 402
MILES OF BIKE LANES.
THE US CENSUS BUREAU ESTIMATES
ABOUT 12 THOUSAND USE THEM
EVERYDAY.
OR ABOUT 5% OF MINNEAPOLIS
WORKERS.
WCCO WATCHED THE MORNING AND
EVENING COMMUTES AT BLAZEDALE
AND 36TH STREET.
ON A THURSDAY MORNING WE COUNTED
TEN TIMES THE AMOUNT OF CARS
THAN BIKES.
104-9 IN A HALF HOUR'S TIME.
IN THE EVENING IT WAS DOUBLE
THAT.
287 CARS AND 16 BIKES WENT
PASSED OUR CAMERA.
SOME WOULD SAY WHY CATER TO
SUCH A TINY POPULATION?
WELL IT'S BEEN GROWING A LOT.
THREE TIMES AS MUCH BIKING TODAY
AS 15 YEARS AGO.
THAT'S BECAUSE OF INVESTMENT
WE'VE MADE.
THE GRIPES ARE NOTHING HE
HASN'T HEARD BEFORE AS EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF OUR STREETS
MINNEAPOLIS.
THEY HIGHLIGHT SOME DIFFERENT
STATS TO MAKE THEIR POINT.
40% OF PEOPLE WHO COME TO
DOWNTOWN MINNEAPOLIS GET THERE
IN SOME WAY OTHER THAN DRIVING.
SO WITHOUT BIKES OR MASS TRANSIT
IT'S OBVIOUS HOW MUCH WORSE
CONGESTION WOULD BE.
HE BELIEVES THE REAL CULPRIT
THIS SUMMER IS CONSTRUCTION.
MAKING IT WORSE FOR EVERYONE IN
THE MIDDLE OF IT.
HE'S ON THE SIDEWALK, GO
FIGURE.
GO FIGURE.
IT'S THE SAME THING THAT HAS
BARBARA ALL FIRED UP.
HEARING A NEW PROJECT ON 35W
FORCING MORE CARS TO SIDE
STREETS TO SHARE WITH
BICYCLISTS.
THEY MUST BE GIVING AWAY
LOLLIPOPS IF YOU RIDE ON THE
SIDEWALK.
I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT
WE WORK REALLY HARD TO FIND THE
BALANCE AND THE COMPROMISE.
HE DOESN'T THINK THE DEBATE
SHOULD BE ON BIKE VERSUS CAR
SINCE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND
HEALTH BENEFITS ARE CLEAR.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT
WORKING WITH OUR COMMUNITY
MEMBERS AND TRYING TO FIND
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TOGETHER.
HE'S EVEN OKAY TO LOOK FOR
SOLUTIONS FROM SOMEONE LIKE
BARBARA.
I WOULD PAY THEIR FINE IF I
COULD FIND A POLICE OFFICER TO
WRITE THEM A TICKET.
OR ANYONE ELSE SLIGHTLY SET
IN THEIR WAYS.
BY GOLLY, HE'S SIGNALLING.
HE'S ACTUALLY SIGNALLING.
LIZ COLLIN, WCCO4 NEWS.
A CITY SPOKESPERSON SAID THEY