The unpassable bike lane
Hey @stpaulpublicw: where’s my bike lane? from mhartford on Vimeo.
Snow and ice cover the bike lane all along Summit Avenue; this is the lane as it appeared today, 12/18, just east of the intersection of Summit and Snelling. Note the helpful arrow pointing cyclists into the snow.
I rode on the dry pavement in the car lane, avoiding the ruts and slush for the most part; a couple times I was forced to move into the lane and found it slippery and dangerous.
A little scraping just a foot into the lane would do wonders for bicyclists on this popular route to downtown St. Paul (surely I’m not the only person still riding a bike on this stretch of road!).
Of course, bicycle commuting in the winter is not just grim battle with ice and snow. One of the nice things about riding a bike instead of traveling by car or bus is that you can pause and enjoy the sights. Here’s one that I pass every morning, and always enjoy: the morning light on the Cathedral of St. Paul:
[...] I’ve noted before, I wish that the Twin Cities would dedicate a little more effort to maintaining the bicycle [...]