Minneapolis clears hurdle for 48 miles of protected bikeways

The Minneapolis City Council's Transportation and Public Works Committee has approved an update to the city's bicycle master plan, which includes 48 miles of new protected bikeways.

The update is a big victory for biking advocates who have lobbied to support expanding the city's bicycle network. The full council will vote on the bike plan update on July 10.

A protected bikeway is a bicycle facility that is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic. They may be one-way or two-way facilities. In street corridors, they may be at street-level (inside the curb) or at sidewalk level (behind the curb).

"The plan update focuses on near-term priorities, not a long-term vision, for protected bikeways," the City of Minneapolis stated in their updated plan. "The majority of recommended protected bikeways are located in downtown or connecting to downtown where bicycle demand is high and there are few low-stress bikeway options, such as trails, bike boulevards, or quiet residential streets."

Minneapolis recently made it on a Copenhagen company's list of the 20 most bike friendly cities in the world -- it was the only city in the United States to make the list.