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Minneapolis bike lanes --
4th Street South

John S. Allen

The bike lane on 4th Street South runs in the opposite direction from the bus lane, unlike on Marquette Avenue. In the photo below, on 4th Street South at 2nd Avenue South, a sign (under the traffic light at the right side of the photo) indicates that traffic may not turn left. 2nd Avenue South is indeed one-way southbound, except for a bus lane -- and (I'm fairly sure -- it's marked on the map as paired with Marquette avenue) a contraflow bike lane, entering which would require a left turn.

Left turns by motorists across the 4th Street bike lane are permitted into northbound one-way streets, including Marquette Avenue -- and right turns into these streets are prohibited, although Marquette avenue carries a contraflow southbound bike lane. To make a lawful right turn from the center bike lane on 4th Street south into the Marquette Avenue bike lane, cyclists have to merge across two lanes of traffic, turn the corner, and then merge across the bus lane. The photo below looks down Marquette Avenue, showing a car turning left from 4th Street S. while a bus waits in the bus lane on Marquette Avenue. As when I took a similar picture on Hennepin Avenue, I kept back behind the rear wheels of the bus in case it might turn left.

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Contents © 2003, John S. Allen.
Last modified 18 July 2003