Second Class Citizen

Today, I discovered "my" commuter route has been closed south of downtown Saint Paul.

Let me digress. The new residential development along the river has been the bane of my commute for an entire year. In the morning, they frequently irrigate the bike lane. There is simply no avoiding the water- which mostly ends up on the pavement, rather than in the grass. Secondly, it was construction debris that ultimately precipitated my crash last August. Today, in the middle of the commuter trail, nowhere near an intersection, the entire path was closed and fenced off from Shepard Road to the river. There was no detour, no rerouting across the street, nothing. It would be like closing a freeway (with no warning signs like "road close ahead") in the middle of nowhere- with no exit or intersection. My choice was to spill across the grass and hop the curb onto Warner Road where there is no shoulder at all and cars flying by a 60mph, inches away, or plan B.

I opted for plan B, and moved the barricades, thereby moving the fence. At least in Minneapolis they create marked detours for construction across bike lanes. I guess in Saint Paul they'd prefer we ride against traffic? Of course, the city's indifferent neglect of what could be a valued city resource has resulted in a gauntlet of broken glass, presumably from phantom chronic inebriates who haunt the riverfront. At least in Minneapolis, they maintain commuter trails. I'd call city hall, but I live on the wrong side of the river.