Bradly Campbell of City Pages Magazine has compiled a list of the 10 most dangerous intersections in Minneapolis for bicyclists. The list, determined by accident statistics and discussions with local cyclists, is pretty much dead on, if you will pardon the pun. The list doesn’t venture far from downtown and many of the intersections can easily be bypassed by moving over one block, but that’s quibbling. Bicyclists are riding through these intersections and they’re getting hurt.

The irony is that many of the worst intersections are there because of “improvements” done by the city for the sake of bicyclists. All of Hennepin Ave, for example, gets a thumbs down. Hennepin is the street with the two way bike lane down its middle, right between the fast moving and left turning northbound traffic lane and the counterflow bus lane. “There are almost two accidents each year for every block of the Hennepin Lane,” writes Campbell. City engineers plan to change Hennepin from a one way to a two way street. Rather than address the universally disliked bike lane, one of the proposals most favored by city engineers is to put a two-way bike path in the middle of the two-way road. Continue…

In 2009, Hennepin Avenue will be converted from a 1-way street to a 2-way street for vehicular traffic. A public meeting will be held Wednesday, October 8th in the Central Library at 5:00 pm. Several alternatives will be presented for the placement of the bicycle lanes. Bicyclists are invited to share their opinion on the alternatives. For more information read the meeting flyer (pdf) and visit the project website.

Join Aaron Isaacs for a laid back bike ride and history lesson on the Dakota Rail Trail. Ride starts at 10:00 a.m. October 8 from the parking lot just west of the Wayzata Sunsets Restaurant 700 East Lake Street, Wayzata.

Saris Cycling Group, makers of bike racks for automobiles, is hosting the Wisconsin Bike Fed’s annual fundraiser on Friday, October 17 from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. The gathering of bike riders and activitsts features Special Guest Christian Vande Velde, former support rider for Lance Armstrong and 1999 winner of the UCI World Cup in Individual Pursuit. Host for the event will be local Triple M radio voice and Wisconsin Ironman finisher Pat Gallagher.

Added bonuses include the chance to win a trip for two to anywhere in the United States by Trek Travel and a Trip for Two to Italy from the Cannondale Sports Group. The Italian prize includes the opportunity to ride in the Liquigas team car during a stage of the 2009 Giro d’ Italia.

The annual fundraiser is a popular event that draws cyclists from around the state and northern Illinois. The Bike Fed recommends signing up early to avoid the long lines. To register, or learn more, click here.