The recent 9 inch rain fall around Duluth, Minnesota has damaged the Willard Munger Bike Trail between Carlton and Duluth. The trail will remain closed in this area until further notice. The trail from Carlton to Hinckley is open but the bridges in Willow River and Rutledge have been closed until flood waters recede and DNR inspects them for safety. The Willard Munger Trail is featured in Bicycle Vacation Guide and used annually by the MS150 charity bike ride.
Mountain bike trails in the Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area were heavily damaged by the rain, but all trails except Sidewinder and Miner’s Mountain Road will open today. The Cuyuna trail system has become a favorite destination for mountain bikers since opening about a year ago.
This spring we had an unexpected run on the Women’s Bikeverywhere t-shirts, causing a three-week outage. They’re back in stock. The shirts are Gildan model 64000 Ladies Soft style Ts. They’re soft, fit well and printed with Eco-friendly water based ink. Tell the world that you are a bicyclist with these stylish t-shirts.
New Belgium Brewery has hosted Tour de Fat bicycle festivals around the country for 13 years. Celebrating bikes, beer and fun, the festival highlight is always the car for bike trade, where one local resident hands over his or her car keys and promises to go car free for one year. In exchange the rider gets to spend $2,250 on the bike of their choice at any local bike shop.
On July 14, Milwaukee will celebrate its third year of the festival. All festivities begin and end at McKinley Marina on the shore of Lake Michigan in Veteran’s Park. Festivities include a costumed bicycle parade, New Belgium beer, food, entertainment, bike contests and other fun activities. The festival is free. Funds from beer and merchandise sales help fund efforts by the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation to make Wisconsin a better place for bicyclists.
The City of Minneapolis Bike and Pedestrian Department has issued the following closure notices:
Hiawatha LRT Trail between 11th Avenue South and Norm McGrew Place
The Hiawatha LRT Trail between 11th Avenue South and Norm McGrew Place will be closed from Monday, June 11 at 7:00 a.m. through Tuesday, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. The official bicycle detour will follow 11th Avenue South, South Second Street and Chicago Avenue South. Pedestrians are encouraged to use Washington Avenue South instead of South Second Street.
The closure is related to work on the Central Corridor LRT line. During the closure crews will be constructing OCS foundations that will support light rail catenary lines. This closure is in addition to the existing long-term closure of the Hiawatha LRT Trail between 11th and 15th avenues.
Midtown Greenway Ramp at Bryant Avenue South
Beginning Tuesday, June 12 the eastern portion of the Midtown Greenway ramp at Bryant Avenue South will temporarily close. The closure will last through December of 2012. The western portion of the Midtown Greenway ramp at Bryant Avenue South will remain open and serve as the official detour route.
The closure is related to the construction of the Track 29 Lofts. This construction will also result in temporary sidewalk closures along the 2800 blocks of Bryant and Aldrich avenues and along West 28th Street between Bryant and Aldrich avenues. The sidewalk closures will continue through the end of June of 2012.
On May 7th, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill that combined the two transportation policy bills that BikeMN lobbied for this spring. The Governor signed it into law on May 10, 2012. The language may be found in Session Law Ch. 287 (HF2685).
The law:
Creates (but does not fund) a state safe routes to school program.
Authorizes the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) as the first state bikeway.
Makes it legal to use studded tires on a bicycle.
Makes it legal to use a flashing white headlight on a bicycle.
Makes it legal to ride a low-speed electric-assisted bicycle on trails and on the street without most of the motorcycle requirements.
These new laws will go into effect August 1, 2012 unless otherwise noted in the bill.
The Martin Sabo Bridge is open for bicyclists and pedestrians!. The bridge has temporary supports and the deck has been repaired. Bicyclists no longer have to dodge across Hiawatha Ave, a welcome relief for bicyclists and drivers alike. The bridge will be closed again at some time in the near future when new cables are strung and the temporary supports are removed so the bridge is once more supported with the repaired towers and cables.
