So I got a ticket last week for riding my bike across the Washington Ave bridge. If you're not from Minneapolis, or aren't familiar with the area, the Washington ave bridge crosses the Mississippi river and is a marvel of transportation engineering. It is a two layered bridge - four lanes of car traffic on the bottom layer, and over that is a top layer for pedestrians and bikes. Another nice feature is an enclosed tunnel-like shelter that spans the length of the bridge and is convenient when weather is bad (as sometimes is the case in Minnesota). The bridge also has two lanes designated for bike traffic and space for pedestrians on both sides of the enclosed tunnel, with a grand view of the river.

Though I haven't traveled it recently, I've been using this bridge for years - biking outside when the weather is fine, and in the enclosed tunnel when the weather is nasty (the wind can get very bitter up above the river during the winter). So last week I found myself in Northeast Minneapolis, which I sometimes have occasion to visit, and as I biked toward my home in S. Minneapolis I discovered that changes have been made at the Washington Ave Bridge! I hadn't been this way in a while and I was surprised to see that the exterior path on both sides of the tunnel is completely fenced off. The enclosed tunnel is still open, but many ominous signs advise cyclists to dismount and walk. Well, it was getting dark and it was slightly raining, plus the tunnel was nearly empty , PLUS I had ridden inside thousands of times in the past and seen countless others do the same (not to mentions innumerable skateboarders and rollerbladers) - surely no one would mind if I biked through slowly? How wrong I was! I hadn't made it 20 feet into the tunnel when a young University of MN student cop stepped out in front of me and asked for my ID. I was so surprised that I complied - though later I kicked myself for not just turning around and riding away. But, I guess the tunnel was posted and I guess I was violating the ordinance. He gave me a ticket and said that the fine would likely be $80!! Well, I thought this was simply too much. This morning I went downtown to the government center to contest the ticket - the lady there told me that the fine was only $24 dollars, but she was nice enough to reduce my fine to $10. I paid the fine, but vowed to never submit to this silly rule of WALKING my bike through the tunnel!

There is a happy end to the story! Since I absolutely refuse to walk my bike through the tunnel, I consulted my maps and discovered an alternate and superior route! Less than a mile away from the Washington Ave Bridge is "Bridge No. 9", an old railroad crossing that has since been converted into a superlative biking a walking bridge. The bridge is almost hidden from both sides of the river and I've only seen a couple of other people using it so far. I never would have discovered this secret bridge if not for my ordeal as described above. Who needs the Washington Ave Bridge? Hooray for Bridge No. 9!

Sorry for the extremely long post - anyone else have any stories/news about the wash. ave bridge? Why is it closed or when will it open? How about Bridge No. 9 - how long has that been there?