Other Peoples Money

Back when I worked in downtown Saint Paul, I commuted down Summit Avenue.

There’s a bike lane down the entire length of the street. And while the condition of the lane is the same as the condition of the street itself (I’m looking at you, Summit and Oakland) it’s already one of the most beautiful urban corridors in the city.

Let’s review: for the price of the paint it took to create it, two-way bike lanes co-exist with two lanes of traffic each way, down a gorgeous parkway. It’s how biking should be.

“The City of Saint Paul” wants to spend $`12 million to build raised lanes on both side of Summit, reducing the street to one lane each way. And by “the City of Saint Paul”, I mean a thin, entitled, smug, innumerate veneer of smug upper-middle-class members of the laptop class – the peolple who run the city.

The city can’t hire cops. Its streets are a disaster. Every year, we hesitate to call the snow-plowing “the worst ever” because that merely temptes the next year.

And, make no mistake – the fact that this story is being publicized means the decision has been made. Oh, here will be “public hearings” and “listening sessions” – which are stamps on the procedural ticket to show they’ve done their due diligence before doing what they wanted to do anyway.

But speaking as a biker, I’d like to have a word with Zack Mensinger.

12 thoughts on “Other Peoples Money

  1. During my 29 years in St Paul, if a “listening” session was announced, it meant the deal was done.

    They don’t care what the general public thinks. St Paul is run by certain elite groups of activists. And they know what’s best for you.

  2. I find it interesting that so few are apparently bothered by the actions of this thin, entitled, smug, innumerate veneer of smug upper-middle-class members of the laptop class – the peolple who run the city. Or at least bothered enough to do anything about it.

    I mean, the Kavanaugh Option, although extreme, is always available, yes?

  3. You aren’t encouraged to speak at a listening session, any more than you would be at a struggle session.

  4. My wish list includes $12 million for a city to construct a golf course I can play on for free. Not going to happen, for obvious reasons. Whenever I’ve driven up Ayd Mill Road with its new bike trail I count the number of bikers. Zero to three. I wouldn’t walk there without carrying a firearm either. And you’re right, the decision has been made already.

  5. Do they have state or federal money for this? Or does it all come from the serfs in St. Paul. One thing I know, it ain’t gonna cost 12 million. And once the its built will it get better maintenance than the actual street?

  6. You aren’t encouraged to speak at a listening session, any more than you would be at a struggle session.

    Or during a car-jacking or mugging, which also have certain similarities to a “listening session”.

  7. I am so happy to hear that St Paul can afford this project when they haven’t kept up the cratered streets in St. Paul, crime is high and schools are terrible. FWIW, they can’t even clear the streets, let alone a bike trail. But, hey, do a pork barrel project for about 100 people. Maybe the huge property tax increase in St. Paul is being used for projects like this vs paying for more teachers and police officers.

  8. Zack Mensinger: “With any plan, there is going to be some controversy, and some sacrifices, but in the end I think what we get back will be worth it. (tee hee)”

    What ever sacrifice it takes, it’s worth it to keep simpering manlets like Zack in Minnesota to everyone in the civilized states he might someday be tempted to relocate to.

  9. Agree with you- for the 25+ years that I have lived here, Summit has been the Sunday afternoon bikeway to the Mississippi River. It has been the nice, easy bike ride towards downtown, away from the hustling, bustling cars on University. Wide enough areas to stay clear of drivers unlike Selby. I cannot figure out for the life of me why it needs to be “fixed.” Probably those Summit Ave residents didn’t support/donate to the correct city council members, thus they’re going to show them, much like how Marshall Avenue residents overwhelmingly supported CM Jalali’s opponent and she’s been out for their blood ever since.

  10. golfdoc50,
    Same thing happened in Bloomington. Back in 2002, the city reduced 90th Street past France on two lanes, making bike lanes on both sides. 90th becomes 94th St after crossing Normandale and terminates at the trail entrance of the Hyland Park Reserve. This action was a result of relentless lobbying by Quality Bicycle Products on the other side of the park. Initially, there were a lot of their employees that biked too on from work, but the number of riders has steadily declined since. I usually head out of my subdivision for work about 7:15, the prime time for those employees. Last summer, I saw maybe 2 or 3 riders. The bike lanes we a waste of money.
    Along the same lines, Bloomington caved to a few loud mouths and spent almost $3 million to renovate the Old Cedar Avenue bridge to use for walkers and bikers over the lake. In 2019, I was between jobs between July and September. I went down to the end of Lyndale Avenue where the bridge begins, for three hours every day for two weeks. The total count was 89 bikers and less than 100 hikers. Another huge waste of taxpayer dollars.

  11. Kinda cold to bike in your weather, no? Shouldn’t the price be doubled due to the fact bike lane is useless half of the year so real investment is 2x? Also, wouldn’t it be harder to clear snow half the year incurring extra cost and/or specialized equipment?

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