prabbit

Here's a story that is uplifting. Bicyclists were considered.


Story at https://www.startribune.com/stories/1557/4779474.html. You probably have to be registered, so here it is.

Crossing to the other side
Richard Meryhew, Star Tribune
May 17, 2004

From the seat of a tour bike, Trudy Kapaun takes in the beauty of the scenic St. Croix River.

On most weekday mornings from spring to fall, the 48-year-old dietitian from Lakeland, Minn., pedals across the Interstate Hwy. 94 bridge to the hospital in Hudson, Wis., where she works. Each afternoon, she makes the return trip home, admiring the view of the majestic river valley as she scoots across the bridge.

"It's just glorious," Kapaun said of the half-mile ride across the bridge that spans the St. Croix and connects the states. "If it's a real calm day, and the river is almost like glass, I have more freedom to look around. And that is gorgeous. It is very pretty."

But this spring, Kapaun's view of the river valley comes from a different vantage point -- the front seat of a tow truck.

Bike shuttlingRichard SennottStar TribuneWhen Wisconsin transportation officials closed and dismantled the westbound bridge deck last month as part of an $8 million, seven-month reconstruction project, they took the bike lane with it, forcing Kapaun and other cyclists to find other ways to cross the river until the deck work and a new bike lane are completed this fall.

To ease the pain and encourage cyclists to keep crossing the river, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) has established a free, on-call shuttle service for cyclists hoping to get to the other side.

Last month, the department placed telephone call boxes at two park-and-ride lots. When a bicyclist needs a lift, he or she simply dials the number on the call box. Within 30 minutes -- and most cases, sooner -- a tow truck or shuttle van stationed in Hudson is dispatched to pick up the caller.

The boxes are in lots near I-94 in Lakeland and at the public boat launch in Hudson.

"It's absolutely great," said Kapaun, one of several cyclists who use the shuttle service almost daily. "It's called service."

Said Art Doyle, who also lives in Lakeland and works in Hudson, where he owns a bicycle shop, "I've been impressed. They've been very dependable."

Doyle was one of several cyclists who expressed concern about bridge access for pedestrians and bikers when he learned about the reconstruction project more than a year ago.

"I ride year 'round," he said. "And I know pedestrians and runners use it year 'round also."

Wendy Maves, a civil engineer for the Wisconsin DOT and a former manager on the bridge work, said DOT officials were sensitive to the concerns, but weren't sure how many cyclists traveled the bridge or whether it made sense to find other ways to help them cross the river.

Towing firm hired
So the agency dispatched an employee to count daily foot and bike traffic along the route. After spending several days at the site, the DOT found that, on average, about 30 people biked or walked the bridge daily.

After considering transporting cyclists across the river by boat, project planners hit on the over-the-road shuttle idea. The DOT eventually hired a local towing company -- Alwins Northside Service in North Hudson. Drivers working for Mike's Standard, located off I-94 in Hudson, also help out, providing rides in a van or on tow trucks. (The contract for the service will cost Wisconsin taxpayers $44,000.)

"Those little things are things that can make or break a project," Maves said. "Everybody thinks we just deal with the roads. And [most] of our work is the roads. But we are charged with looking at other modes of transportation, including bicycles. With that in mind, we put the shuttle out there."

So far, nearly 100 cyclists have used the shuttle since it started up in mid-April. Doyle and others, however, predict that the number will rise as the weather warms and word spreads.

"I didn't know about it until I ran into Art," said Carol Skinner, an attorney in Hudson who frequently cycles to Afton and back over the lunch hour. "I was actually lamenting the fact the bridge was going to be gone and saying 'How are we going to get to Afton?' I was really happy when Art told me about this."

Frequent user

Several cyclists, such as Kapaun and Doyle, are regulars, and have gotten to know the drivers. Kapaun is such a frequent user that she now has the cell phone number of one of the tow truck drivers -- Taylor Flattum, a mechanic at Mike's.

To save time, Kapaun calls Flattum before she leaves her house each morning and tells him when she'll be at the park-and-ride lot about a mile away. Once there, Flattum slides Kapaun's 21-speed bike into the back seat of the truck for the ride across the river, up the big hill in Hudson and on to the hospital.

When her work day ends, she calls ahead again, then pedals about a half-mile from the hospital to Mike's Standard, where Flattum or another driver puts the bike back in the tow truck for her return trip to Lakeland.

"They were telling us about a year ago that there would be some form of shuttle system for us, but I didn't have any idea of what it would be," Kapaun said. "And we weren't sure they would have anything that would work for me.

"But this works beautifully. I've been very impressed."

There've been a few glitches.

One morning, Kapaun called and waited on the Minnesota side of the river for a ride to Hudson. Trouble was, the tow truck was waiting on the Wisconsin side.

And one night after work, Kapaun waited about 20 minutes for a ride because the demand was so great.

"But those were the only two things that have been of any problem," she said. "Mike's station has been absolutely awesome. They have been wonderful."

Gonzo Bob

Wow! They actually set up the shuttle service when the average peds/bikes per day is only 30?!? That is uplifting! But $44,000!!! What is that, about $10 per crossing?

prabbit

You saw the same things I did.

Wasatch_commute

I agree with the high cost per crossing. However, it might be a smart way of investing into more bike commuters in the future. The city will benefit from it in many ways. Just a thought.

naisme

You missed that with the weather warming there will be more riders using the service. That ride is a fantastic ride, that would be missed.

HereNT

Not on my route, but I was happy to see it in the paper. Good to see stories about commuters that don't involve accidents.