TLC is targeting Kingfield for a Mode Shift Campaign this summer—8 neighbors have already expressed interest in working on this.  The first meeting is May 31, 6 PM, MLK Park.  All are welcome to join us at this initial meeting!

RiverLake Greenway Opening is Saturday June 11—Kingfield is hosting a bike decorating station and partnering with another organization to offer a bike obstacle course.  We are looking for volunteers from 3-4 PM to staff a Bike Decorating booth on June 11.  We are also looking for volunteers in the days BEFORE June 11 to brainstorm a 40^th Street Pedestrian Bridge decorating project and to implement it!  Contact sarah@kingfield.org or 612.823.5980 to volunteer to participate in either activity!

Blaisdell and 1^st Avenue Bike Lanes will be built this year—a grand opening along this lines of the RiverLake Greenway one (multi-neighborhood, organized by the City) will towards the end of the project.

Bike Racks: KFNA is working with businesses to locate racks (at 50% off!) at many local businesses: Sunstreet Breads and Blackbird are two of the businesses locations that will be receiving new racks.  Thanks to a Federal Grant we have finally received a beautiful NEW RACK at the Kingfield Farmers’ Market too!

Ciclovia, otherwise known as Open Street Minneapolis, is Sunday June 12, 10 AM-2 PM from 22^nd to 42^nd Street on Lyndale—this biking/pedestrian  event will block-off Lyndale from car traffic.  By opening up the streets for people to walk, bike, run and skate for a day, we get an opportunity to experience our city in a whole new way. 

Cyclomaniacs: It seems there’s a summer camp for just about every sport, except for youth cycling. To fill that gap, a grassroots cycling club started in South Minneapolis two summers ago.  Take a bunch of kids, a handful of parents, our second-to-none trail system, and you’ve got a summer Friday that’s hard to beat!  A different 16-22 mile route is established for each week, with a fun food destination spot in the middle.  Rides usually start around 10am and finish about 2pm. Most depart from Lake Calhoun or Lake Harriet, with stops made along the way to pick up riders choosing abridged routes. There’s no cost to participate, other than your own wheels and treat money at the destination point. A website is being planned, but until that is up and running, contact Angela Gustafson at angela@ootbooks.com with questions or to be added to the email group list.

For more information visit http://kingfield.org/transportation/.  If you have questions on any of these or want to volunteer contact Sarah at sarah@kingfield.org or 612.823.5980.

We’d like to talk to neighborhood folks, show them the ideas we’re working with for the campaign, and talk about the opening of Riverlake as well as what we might plan for 1^st & Blaisdell and Bryant Ave. We’d like to think creatively and with the community about the barriers that still exist and how we could address them—who to reach, what forums, etc. As part of this work, we’ll also be doing a pre- and post-survey of residents, so we’re looking for volunteers who would be interested in doing this .

If you are interested in being a part of this conversation which will be pulled together in the next couple of weeks please contact KFNA at info@kingfield.org  ; KFNA will be passing a consolidated list of interested bikers onto Transit for Livable Communities to pull a meeting together in May 2011.

Hilary Reeves
Communications Manager
Transit for Livable Communities/Bike Walk Twin Cities

Background:

As I think you know, Minneapolis (and surrounding communities) is one of four locations around the country to get an infusion of federal dollars to try to increase  bicycling and walking as transportation (the other communities are Marin, Calif; Sheboygan, Wisc; and Columbia, Mo.) Bike Walk Twin Cities was created to run the Mpls pilot program. BWTC is a program of TLC. Some of the projects funded with this money are beginning to open. We had some new bike lanes and sidewalks finished last year, Nice Ride launched last year, as did the Sibley Bike Depot Community Bike Library. Now, in 2011, more projects are slated to be on the streets. In your neighborhood (and nearby), these include the Riverlake Greenway, 1^st & Blaisdell bike lanes, and the Bryant Avenue bike boulevard.

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The RiverLake Greenway is a bicycle boulevard/bicycle project from Lake Harriet to the Mississippi River, running primarily along 40th Street. The project was initiated in 1997 by residents, has involved dozens of community meetings, and has been approved by all area neighborhood associations. Construction will start in late September/early October.

You can learn more about plan details and construction timelines at: Community Open House, Wed Sept 22, 6:30 pm, Bethel Church, 4120 17th Ave S. You can view detailed project layout information at www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cip/riverlake/

What’s the same? Traffic along 40th Street will remain 2-way and parking is allowed on both sides of the street. All local access to driveways, alleys, and streets is preserved.

What’s new? Traffic calming measures like medians and bump-outs will help make 40th Street a preferred route for bicyclists and pedestrians – allowing local access but discouraging traffic from using 40th Street as a destination route or cut-through street. Share-the-road lane markings for bicycles and many newly planted trees are also featured on 40th Street.

Click here for more details of local changes on our RiverLake Greenway page.

Questions may be directed to: Don Pflaum, Project Manager, (612) 673-2129 or Donald.pflaum@ci.minneapolis.mn.us Councilmember Elizabeth Glidden, (612) 673-2208 or Elizabeth.glidden@ci.minneapolis.mn.us