Proposal Aims to Increase Bicycle Safety on Franklin Avenue

Melanie Hoffman rides Franklin Avenue every single day. She treks from Uptown to the University of Minnesota. Hoffman says, that ride is like risking life and limb.

"When you get place like Cedar, Riverside, Franklin Avenue it becomes more difficult because there is so much traffic," Hoffman said.

To cut down on accidents and increase safety for bikers there's a proposal to add more bike lanes on Franklin Avenue.

The project is expected to start at the intersection of Franklin and Hennepin and head East Down Franklin the lane will be 2.3 miles long and then connect to an existing lane.

Bike Walk Twin Cities estimates that roughly 500 to 600 cyclist ride down Franklin Avenue each day. Steve Clark of Bike Walk Twin Cities says, the new lanes are an effective way of decreasing congestion.

"So what we are proposing is looking at either dropping a lane so we can have lanes for biking on both sides and then narrowing some of the lanes," Clark said.

Clark says, there would be no new construction. All they would have to do is repaint the road. He says, the new lanes would improve safety and access to the U of M and the Seward neighborhood.

Hoffman says, more lanes means the city is taking cyclists seriously.

"I think it's a great idea," Hoffman said.

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