Bike/Walk Related:

• R.T. Rybak wins the Great Commuter Challenge on his bike, beating out the Ramsey County Commissioner who walked/took public transit and Roadguy who drove a car. I did not bike to work today for Bike Walk to Work Day, but I give my potential bike commute a dry run on Monday evening and may do it yet this week, since Bike Walk to Work Day is just one part of Bike Walk to Work Week.
• Minneapolis and St Paul mayors unveil community bike program. The program is called “Freewheelin” and is sponsored by insurance company Humana. “Solar-powered kiosks will be stationed throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul during the [Republican National] convention, which will be Sept. 1-4. People will be able to take bikes from these kiosks, travel anywhere and drop them off when they’re done. The only requirements will be online registration and a credit card number — not to be charged, but to hold people accountable when bikes are damaged or go missing.” 70 bikes will be left behind to continue the program after the convention and the program may expand for the following spring. IMO, going into the winter is not the best time to fire up the program, but at least it’s there.
• Cycling in the city. vita.mn on bike culture in the TC. (via east-lake)
• Bike2Benefits is a Metro Transit program somewhat similar to the commuter challenge (but focusing on biking, obviously). (via twin_cities)

The Rest:

• You know that big bronze (kind of scary) rabbit sculpture on Minnehaha Parkway at Portland? This Saturday at 10am there will be kids out there planting clay bunnies around it. Not sure why, though… (via @nxt)
• The Rake has a new Call for Artists section. Current listings are for actors for a Fringe show and exhibitions to display at various Hennepin County Library locations in Minneapolis. (via @RakeMag)
• In case you just moved here and aren’t sure what the white lights on the traffic signals are. I find it extra confusing that the white lights also blink along Hiawatha when the train is coming. Is LRT an emergency?
• Bon Iver on Pitchfork.tv (via east-lake)
• Taylor Carik = Bon Iver (I so told Taylor that months ago.) And, yeah, they do both look like every guy that hangs out at the 331 Club.
• Least Dangerous Game, everyone’s favorite Twitter hide and seek game, starts again on May 24 after its winter hiatus.
• Living on the Minnehaha Homestead has a multimedia presentation on the May Day Parade.
• Localized job boards that are not Monster/CareerBuilder/etc.
• Strib blog: “Patent Pending will provide you the latest information and commentary on the people, companies, and trends driving innovation in Minnesota. From visionary entrepreneurs to game changing technologies, this blog will offer a window into the future of Minnesota’s economy.”
• Graffiti = Killing Puppies
• Firsthand account of the immediate aftermath of an armed robbery in the parking lot of the E Lake Street Cub Foods.
• Local crazies. Fun to discuss unless they’re actually crazy.
• Best Buy sucks the big schlong.

As if the price of gas wasn’t enough to piss you off at the gas station, you will soon get to hear why it’s all the Democrats’ fault:

The House GOP caucus plans to buy advertising at locations with gas pump video monitors. The message will criticize Democrats for supporting a transportation funding plan that raises Minnesota’s gas tax.

According to Twin Cities Gas Prices Dot Com, gas prices in Minnesota are consistently below the national average. If the DFLers tacked an extra dollar per gallon, sure, let’s holler about it. But y’know what? The gas tax hadn’t gone up in something like 20 years. This is money we need to maintain our roads and bridges. Get over it.

I plan to avoid gas stations with TVs at the pump through November. As far as I know, pump TVs are only at Holiday stations. Has anyone seen them elsewhere?

Reported this morning via Twitter:

Traffic on 494 caused by banner on Xerxes overpass “Mike Ratelle: Prom? <3 Maddy”.

Okay, that’s kinda cute. But for real, you know those electronic signs that display traffic and emergency information? Just lighting up one of those that’s often dark will slow traffic down in and of itself, even if there’s no actual traffic delay or emergency. Keep moving, people!

Oh yeah, the rest of the Twitter message?

I’d like to kick Maddy’s ass.

Although the NTSB previously cited too-thin gusset plates and construction project weights as factors in the collapse, yesterday’s update included drawings and tables that pinpointed the locations of those heavy loads on the structure. According to news reports this afternoon:

The Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis collapsed last August after construction workers had put 99 tons of sand on the roadway directly over two of the bridge’s weakest points, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.

and

More than 191 tons of construction material had been piled over the weakest areas of an interstate bridge that collapsed last August, according to federal investigators.

In a followup to a preliminary report released in January, the National Transportation Safety Board report that the piles of rock and sand were placed over steel plates that were thinner than they should have been.

Calculations by the agency have determined that the bridge in Minneapolis was carrying a 630-ton load at the time it fell into the Mississippi River. About half of that load was sitting on the center span.

The NTSB has uploaded investigative reports, photos and information submitted by the parties involved in the collapse here. Go to that link and check out all the data and reports.

I’m really fascinated by the photos in this particular report (pdf) especially with all the plates labeled and aerial (satellite?) photos of the bridge just hours before the accident.

Btw, where did those photos come from? Am I being photographed right now?

As seen on US-169. Originally uploaded by swirlspice.

A bill to adopt California emissions standards in Minnesota [HR 863/SF 481] was introduced by DFL Rep Melissa Hortman from Brooklyn Park and passed the House Committee on Environment and Natural Resources yesterday. Concerns expressed in the legislature are:

• Having tougher standards than surrounding states makes Minnesota less competitive.
• Adopting California’s standards means Minnesota would be “turning over Minnesota’s decision-making to bureaucrats in California”. (As opposed to bureaucrats here?)

I understand the concern about giving up the control, but I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be moving to adopt tighter standards, especially considering a number of states have already done it. Way to be a leader, Minnesota! I’m sure there’s a way to do it without tying ourselves directly to decisions made in California. I understand that states need a waiver from the EPA to enact tighter standards than EPA demands, and as such the only way to do that right now is to adopt California’s program. Which seems a little silly, but the more states that do it, the more likely a different way is possible.

Obviously auto industry folks are opposed to the idea, especially dealers that sell a lot of trucks up north. Friendly neighborhood environmental-activist-for-hire Bob Moffitt drops a link to DontTakeMyTruck.com in the comments at MNspeak. No surprise that a group of dealers is responsible for it.
(more…)

If you don’t like Twitter, stop reading now.

…

Okay, now that it’s just us, let me tell you about Commuter Feed.

You know all those traffic tweets you send when you have time to text because you’re parked on the highway? Send them to Commuter Feed over Twitter and it’ll aggregate everything for the metro. Five easy steps:

1. Sign up for Twitter.
2. Follow @commuter. Note: Any tweet that starts with “@commuter” will be public, even if you’re private, so folks can actually use the info..
3. Determine your city code, which is your nearest airport code. (MSP, duh.)
4. Send your traffic tweets in the following format: “@commuter MSP traffic message here”. That’s @commuter[space]MSP[space]incident. Syntax is important. Then be patient; it takes a few minutes for tweets to show up in the feed. It appears to only accept about 70 characters worth of incident report.
5. Read the Feed.

Now what would be sweet would be a Google Maps/Traffic mashup, so tweets appear from the location of the reported incident. Maybe someone out there tweeting knows why that one section of 35E is red. That might take some more complex geotagging mixed in with Twitter.

Since this is the question that always comes up, I know I know I know that this is more entertaining than useful. Takes some critical mass to see worthwhile results, though, so if you’re on Twitter, try it out.

(While you’re at it feel free to follow me.)

Fall down go boom! (Click to embiggen.)

An 18-wheeler tipped over on the ramp from westbound I-94 to westbound I-394 and spilled a bunch of gasoline all over. The gas all went into the storm sewer system and they’re working on keeping it from draining into the Mississippi River.

That’s kind of a shitty interchange anyway. I’m sure trying to maneuver a semi on that steep skinny ramp when the ground could possibly be icy is no picnic.

Surrounding highway entrances were closed off but many are reopening right about now. The Lowry Tunnel is now open as well. MnDOT traffic cams show very little traffic on 94 and 394 in those areas. Granted, it’s 2:30 in the afternoon. But if you commute through that area, it’s probably still going to suck more than usual.

I’m hearing on Twitter that the surrounding area smells strongly of gasoline. Bust out your respirators.

(via mnspeak)

Google Maps has introduced its 360 degree street view function. Not sure when it debuted, but the Google car definitely drove over the 35W bridge prior to collapse. The bridge is alive and well on Google Maps’ street view. Much like it is in the normal satellite view.

Also, my car has now been immortalized in Google Maps. Check out your address!

Dare I say: Google Maps is the best, true that, Double True

(side note- the SNL Digital Short Lazy Sunday debuted two years ago yesterday.)

Starting at 5:30pm, until approximately 11pm.

The streets affected will be Fifth Street from 11th Avenue to Park Avenue, Chicago Avenue between Third and Sixth Streets, Fourth Street from Park Avenue to Interstate 35W, and Norm McGrew Place between Third and Fourth Streets.

I don’t know if this will have much effect on downtown traffic during rush hour. I’m less worried about that than about the reasoning that this is a security measure. How is this different from a Sunday afternoon game? Is it the timing? The opponent?

The last time I drove to Minneapolis the traffic was so over whelming that we were not able to get off at our exit. I ended up crossing the Mississippi into St.Paul before we could turn around and try again to get where we wanted in Minneapolis. Needless to say I haven’t been back in 7 years.

RUBE!