North St. Paul / Gateway trail gets summer makeover

Bikers, joggers and horseback riders on the Gateway Trail will see some changes in the next few months.

[P45 hard to say]

Stimulus Money? of street cred for Wiger and Lilly?

[Nonsense]

Saw cyclists take part in some of the "commerce opportunities" available in N. St. Paul while filling my car today with non oxygenated gas at the station located at 7th and Century. Must have been about ten of them buying snacks and various cold drinks.

Didn't notice any of them bellying up to the bar of the various liquor establishments which make up the majority of the "commerce opportunities" in DTWN NSP. Also didn't notice any of them stopping in to bid on some period furniture at the local auction house. Neither was anyone stopping to buy a lawnmower at Carpenter's.

Unless your business involves selling snacks and soft drinks, don't get your hopes up that Gateway Trail users will bring economic nirvana to DTWN NSP. And the whirleygig wasn't turning so there wasn't an opportunity to ooh and aah at green power production.

[Edward]

Wait until the new Gateway parking lot is complete in North Saint Paul. The bike riders WILL flock to the main street to buy all kinds of stuff.

Just wait, I just hope the main street mechants have staffed up in order to keep the cash registers running. Maybe they will need to add new cash registers..

Those bikers are the biggest spenders out there.

[Humor]

When ya think about it this is so darned funny, a town couldn't do anything more stupid than what North Saint Paul does, it's to funny.

I'd say it qualifies for the 2010 "Stupidly" award to be presented by BHO in the spring of 2013.

[Polarbeach]

North Saint Paul wasted $4,000 on lobbying at he capital, it would keep the beach open for a month.

http://www.auditor.state.mn.us/reports/gid/20...

[nonsense]

Citizen input at Tuesday's council meeting complained about almost hitting a bicyclist who failed to stop at a stop sign on the present trail detour through the city. Councilperson Walzak stated that the MNDOT required a trail tunnel under Margaret St. during the Hyway 36 project because bicyclists on the trail don't stop for stop signs. Maybe the city could make some money by handing out violation tickets to these scofflaws.

If they won't stop for stop signs, who would think they will stop to fill the cash registers of N. St. Paul businesses?

[Humor]

nonsense wrote:

Citizen input at Tuesday's council meeting complained about almost hitting a bicyclist who failed to stop at a stop sign on the present trail detour through the city. Councilperson Walzak stated that the MNDOT required a trail tunnel under Margaret St. during the Hyway 36 project because bicyclists on the trail don't stop for stop signs. Maybe the city could make some money by handing out violation tickets to these scofflaws.
If they won't stop for stop signs, who would think they will stop to fill the cash registers of N. St. Paul businesses?

Bikers generaly don't obey the law. I have winessed a grown woman on a bike at 120 and 36 drive against the traffic light. She was obviously trying to cause a wreck. Why else would she drive back and forth across 36 against a green left turn arrow with many cars wanting to turn left.

It wasn't MnDOT demanding a tunnel under Margaret it was Chuck Wiger. An avid biker to this day tells me the tunnel was a waste of money AND the bike bridge over 120 under construction is not needed because the traffic lights at that intersection favor 36 an there is never a problem crossing 120 at 36.

The city cannot write tickets on bikers breaking the law, the Gateway is a state bike trail and IF the city was to try to enforce the law the would be sued by the state, ;-).

ONLY a complete fool would think the bikers will be visiting North Saint Paul to buy stuff. At most IF their bike breaks it MIGHT force them to buy maintainance stuff.

Of course city of North Saint Paul officials ARE NOT the proverbial "brightest bulbs on the tree".

These elusive rich bikers won't spend a dime in Polarville. In fact I have personally, from my condo, observed traffic on the Gateway trail and 99% of the traffic is kids just riding for recreation. There are some adults riding to North High but most are walking on te trail. The traffic on the trail could just as well take a route on a sidewalk along an existing road.

The Gateway is a waste of money.

[nonsense]

Humor wrote:

<quoted text>
The city cannot write tickets on bikers breaking the law, the Gateway is a state bike trail and IF the city was to try to enforce the law the would be sued by the state, ;-).

The stop sign violation occurred on the detour on city streets. If any connection with trail gives someone an invisible shield against receiving a ticket for a traffic violation from city gendearms, we are in big trouble.

You are right with stating a capital "IF". Council person Furlong attempted a defense of scofflaw cyclists by stating the pedals used by the high class cyclists clamp the foot into them and it is really tough to stop at stop signs, remove the foot and then have to reinsert the foot. Have pity on the poor cyclists.

[JON]

FUNNY

Of course city of North Saint Paul officials ARE NOT the proverbial "brightest bulbs on the tree".

When I here Furlong's name my A&S puckers up.

Take Wiger, Lilly, Kuehn and the rest and they were the ones having mud orgies back in the late 60's.

What can you expect from liberals.

[Magic]

nonsense wrote:

<quoted text>
The stop sign violation occurred on the detour on city streets. If any connection with trail gives someone an invisible shield against receiving a ticket for a traffic violation from city gendearms, we are in big trouble.
You are right with stating a capital "IF". Council person Furlong attempted a defense of scofflaw cyclists by stating the pedals used by the high class cyclists clamp the foot into them and it is really tough to stop at stop signs, remove the foot and then have to reinsert the foot. Have pity on the poor cyclists.

They simply insert foot in mouth!

I have ridden bikes with toe clips and you can pedal them without having your toes in the clip. Instead they can operate like a regular non-toe clip pedal.

IF there are bikes in use with toe clip only pedals they should be written up for defective equipment because bikes are required by law to obey traffic laws just like a motor vehicle, STOPPING FOR STOP SIGNS AND STOP LIGHTS. How can a biker NOT stop at a stop light with traffic crossing the road in front of them.

Furlong is a bit silly..

[nonsense]

Furlong's descri[tion of the trials and tribulations of cyclists encountering a stop sign brings to mind the the visual picture of Arte Johnson's skits on the old program, Laugh In, where he would be riding a tricycle and would tip over at the end of the skit. I get the picture of areas on the trail with stop signs, littered with cyclists who failed to remove their feet from their toe clips before stopping, floundering on the ground like beached fish.

Bottom line is, North St. Paul will do nothing to rein in these scofflaws because they don't want to offend them and as a result keep them from spending their extra cash in NSP as they pedal through. It is the same with the ordinance not allowing an angle parker in beautiful DTWN NSP from backing out and heading in the opposite direction. Any tickets given out will guarentee the person will never return as a customer.

I have never understood that ordinance because if a general rule, you would only be able to head in one direction when backing out of your driveway

[JON]

@ nonsense
That's funny.. but you kinda dated your self.
Good obscure reference, my first laugh today.

[Polargreen]

North Saint Paul is GREEN, so build more blacktoped parking lots.

Don't they understand blacktop and concrete cause Global Warming. Don't they understand Global Warming IS a "Green" issue?

North Saint Paul REQUIRES blacktop driveways, don't they understand blacktop causes Global Warming?

NSPs motivation is higher property taxes caused by blacktop/concrete driveways.

The green stuff is the cash coming to NSP in the form of property taxes. NSP is very greedy and will stop at nothing to get more cash, even thou NSP property taxes are 30% higher than Oakdale.

[Door Knob]

So now we have had an actual injury wreck at Hadley and the Gateway Trail.

We are getting a new bridge over 120 at 36 for the Gateway Trail and there have NEVER been an injury wreck at 120 and 36 involveing a biker or pedestrian.

We need a bridge over Hadley for the Gateway Trail!!!!

NOW!!!!!!!!!!

Not next year!!!!!!!!!!

[Twenty fifth nationaly]

WOW, Senator Wiger and Rep Lillie get a $3,000,000 bike bridge built because THERE WERE CLOSE CALLS at the intersection.

Now we have an injury accident at Hadley and the Gateway trail and there is NO BRIDGE over Hadley!!

Why not?

This is another case of Gobernut (Wiger and Lillie) FIXING a non-existant problem at 120 and 36 by spending 3 million dollars on a stupid unneeded bridge. Meanwhile injury accidents occur at Hadley and the Gateway Trail.

Have you seen a better example of Gobernut wasting revenue?

[Loren]

Twenty fifth nationaly wrote:

WOW, Senator Wiger and Rep Lillie get a $3,000,000 bike bridge built because THERE WERE CLOSE CALLS at the intersection.
Now we have an injury accident at Hadley and the Gateway trail and there is NO BRIDGE over Hadley!!
Why not?
This is another case of Gobernut (Wiger and Lillie) FIXING a non-existant problem at 120 and 36 by spending 3 million dollars on a stupid unneeded bridge. Meanwhile injury accidents occur at Hadley and the Gateway Trail.
Have you seen a better example of Gobernut wasting revenue?

You are correct!

$3,000,000 on an unneeded bridge that fixes NO PROBLEM.

$0 on a needed bridge over Hadley that has had injury accidents.

Does anybody see the connection?

[Magic]

Loren wrote:

<quoted text>
You are correct!
$3,000,000 on an unneeded bridge that fixes NO PROBLEM.
$0 on a needed bridge over Hadley that has had injury accidents.
Does anybody see the connection?

Gobernut is incapable of spending money with correct priority.

[JJ Charles]

Bikes suck!!
Don't build a bridge over Hadley so more can get run over by women drivers.

[Avid Biker]

There needs to be a bridge built over Hadley. Either that or simply move the trail so bikers can take adventage of the stop light. Move the trail right next to highway 36 like it is at 120 and 36.

Once the trail is near 36 bikers can use the stoplight to negotiate across Hadley.

There has NEVER been a wreck at 120 and 36 because the trail crosses at the light allowing bikers to use that light.

Government needs to do something as the current position of the trail makes it difficult to cross without being exposed to drivers that cannot see the bikers in the crosswalk. It is NOT the drivers fault but the design of the crossing where it's away from the stoplights.

[Wait]

The "Crosswalk" this biker was hit in was designed as a "Crosswalk" NOT for bike traffic.

IF it was designed for bike traffic it would have a sign with a bike on it warning of potential bike traffic!

It is called a "Crosswalk" because people crossing are WALKERS!!!!!

NOT BIKERS!!!!!