I completely get the hype about East Bush Lake. The water clarity is insane, albeit, you'll be seeing and feeling the seaweed versus just feeling them at Cedar Lake. On my ride home, there was a biker riding in the opposite direction also hauling his paddle board. Bonus: saw a scooter rider scootering home a TREE. Y'all are some real micro-mobility homies!
....also swam from one side to the other and back after I docked my paddle board. don't be like me and get there so late and have to swim back across in the dark. it was truly a do or die (of embarrassment) moment.
I'm balancing my grumblings about poor infrastructure (looking at you Bryant Ave north of Lake St) with sharing my appreciation to the folks responsible for some of my favorite bike facilities (Hennepin Ave, Bryant Ave, Plymouth Ave).
I visited Florida recently to see my family and checked out some of the bike infrastructure in Central Florida. It is Florida, so most of it was recreational trails. However, there was a particular trail that does go directly to a fairly dense area with housing, recreational facilities, and plenty of restaurants. I emailed the mayor and county reps afterwards to compliment them on the intentional planning with my usual advocacy (eliminating parking minimums would do wonders for that area). I got a hopeful response from the mayor and it turns out she sets a goal for herself to bike at least four days a week for transportation and she's supportive of eliminating parking minimums but going up against a city council that isn't.
Anyways, I wanted to share this just in case there's others out there who likes to yap and send emails like me. HAPPY NATIONAL BIKE TO WORK DAY Y'ALL!
Update: Wow! Did not expect the overwhelming positive response. I thought I was the only one in this community. Thank you!
Public transit in America is absolutely horrendous, and this is not compliment.
I do own a car, but I am grateful that there is public transit service near my home.
It is definitely not convenient, and requires research and planning. If planned really well, its actually timely, but will never beat the time when driving in car-dependent city.
Waiting for the bus though absolutely sucks, and there were a few times I was stranded for almost an hour because I miss my transfer.
The nearest bus stop is about a 15 minute walk from my home, and the bus frequency is only every hour, but it does take me to my destination (work, gym, grocery stores, post office, doctor's office, mall).
However, its the positive things that I'm surprised with. Not only I save on gas and wear & tear on my car, but I feel a little bit more pleasant, less angry, less tired, and somewhat fulfilled at the end of the day.
I get my steps and the actual bus ride itself is relaxing to the point I catch a quick power nap. I also don't road rage at all when the bus is stuck in traffic, its annoying but not rage-inducing.
For folks lamenting high gas prices, explore your public transit options.
I biked to piano lesson after work and then to Cedar Lake to paddle all three lakes. The birds were chirping, it was warm, the wind wasn’t about to blow me away - life is worth living. People who hate on Minneapolis are truly missing out on the (affordable) daily wonders of this excellent city.
After years of yearning for a paddle board, I finally bit the bullet and made the purchase. I wasn't going to pay the $85 of oversized shipping fee to REI so I was a little bummed thinking I had to drive to the Bloomington REI to pick it up. Lo behold, the 4 has a stop near the REI. It was me and my Burley cargo trailer against the world but we made it!!!
I am crossing my fingers and wishing upon the stars that Metro Transit is going to choose the 4 for the L line BRT. I want to see less headway going to and from the suburbs.
Gas price was (and continues to be) out of control so while visiting my family in Orlando, I ventured out on my bike to explore. I rode the Cady Way Trail and connected to the Cross-Seminole Trail to end up at the Oviedo Aquatics Center (excellent pool btw). I was blown away by the amenities situated within a 2 mile radius of Center Lake Park. Not only is the massive pool and gymnasium there, the library is also within a biking/walking distance plus a ton of other healthcare facilities. The restaurants were more diverse than I was used to in a similar part of town to me (Baldwin Park). Furthermore, there were so many other bikers like me and I saw many bikes parked on racks. There's also a gigantic plants nursery situated right by the trail.
I'm curious about what others' experiences have been like moving from Orlando to Oviedo. The housing prices seem to be lower than Otown / Orange County. My parents are aging and will be retiring in the next few years. I want to think more seriously about moving them to a different area where they don't need a car for daily activities.
Some good stuff happening over at Bike Streets for the Twin Cities map. Come chat about routes and track your commutes. NE folks - we could use your help to expand the NE portion of Minneapolis. I know for me as an Uptown resident, NE is kind of a mystery to me despite the many businesses I'd like to visit there.
You can add suggestions via the web-app or the mobile app. Click on "Suggestions" tab to see the current routes suggested.
Hey y'all, I'm hoping to visit your beautiful city sometime this summer and bike tour along the North Shore. I was wondering if anyone can give me further context into the bike facilities along the North Shore - specifically about if there were ever a point when there could've been a fully connected bike path from Duluth to Grand Marais? I was doing research into the Gitchi-Gami State Trail, but unfortunately, the segments are disconnected. Furthermore, the start of the trail doesn't connect to Duluth. It feels like a missed opportunity to not have built out the entire facility since there are so many beautiful camping spots along the way for bike-touring. With the high cost of fuel, I would imagine more people will turn to local / in-state travels this summer, and it's a bummer for what could've been here.
Are you tired of the city of Orlando calling that gutter strip a "bike lane" on Semoran Blvd where the speed limit for cars is 45 MPH?
