A Minnesota Daily article reported April 22 that the Minnesota Student Association is pushing for the establishment of a bike lane on Washington Avenue, the same street where the light-rail line is currently under construction. 

Prior to any development of the light rail on Washington Avenue, bikers were only able to bike on the top part of the Washington Avenue Bridge, as they are now. Installing a bike lane on Washington Avenue would hopefully alleviate some of the biker and pedestrian congestion by the Science Teaching and Student Services building, as well as the crowded spaces by Amundson Hall and Moos Tower.

We support the installation of a bike lane on Washington Avenue running from Stadium Village to downtown Minneapolis. However, we understand there are serious questions of safety that must be taken into consideration, and the engineers of the light-rail line must be consulted before this measure can make real progress.

As the Daily article reported, University Parking and Transportation Services gave cautionary optimism to the bike lane’s development, saying that its establishment was “feasible.”

As long as the creation of a bike lane on Washington Avenue will not risk the safety of students or light-rail passengers, we would encourage MSA and the student body at large to continue to push for its installation and for additional designated biking areas throughout campus.

With the new addition to the Recreation Center and ongoing developments of several other buildings on campus, the creation of any new bike routes that make students’ commutes to class easier and less hazardous are welcomed investments.