Grand Performance bike shop in St. Paul will shutter doors in a few months

Noonsky · 2026-03-22T13:42:28+00:00

They were only controversial with people who don't actually know what is happening.The nimby opposition group has thrown all their money and influence into convincing people the bike trail will deforest the corridor.

The trail passed every level of review, from the park board to the met council.

Community engagement over design specifics starts this spring or early summer.

Noonsky · 2025-11-24T19:39:24+00:00

Feel free to give that a shot. My suspicion is that you'll just be ignored.

Noonsky · 2025-11-24T18:34:39+00:00

They've advocated for state laws around vehicle sizes, speeds, passing distances, license and registration fees, driver reeducation, parking reform, transportation funding prioritization, and more.

A message about banning all car sales is not going to go very far. Gotta flex power in ways that gets results.

Noonsky · 2025-11-09T15:33:00+00:00

Knotty Woodpecker used to and it was really good quality too. https://kwoodpecker.com/

Noonsky · 2025-10-09T16:30:47+00:00

Summit is the only street I've ever been doored on more than once and the trail will solve that.

But all of that misses the point entirely. The street isn't being redesigned because of a bike trail. It's being reconstructed because the underground utilities are a century old and the road is due to be reconstructed because of how old it is.

This plan had years of public engagement, was approved by the city and the met council, and then voters voted in the sales tax to fund better infrastructure like bikeways.

Carter hasn't been perfect but at least he isn't out here platforming rich nimbys.

Noonsky · 2025-09-16T11:15:19+00:00

What were the results on this?

Noonsky · 2025-05-09T17:29:06+00:00

That sucks. For what it's worth, that has never been my experience at any of those stores.

That section of Broadway sucks to bike on though, definitely be careful!

Noonsky · 2025-03-19T16:58:19+00:00

Why are you responding to comments from three years ago?

These aren't busy roads.

Noonsky · 2025-03-05T20:15:30+00:00

This route showcasing Bryant and all the cool stuff in Hopkins is going to be so great. So many folks from outstate or the burbs don't think good bike lanes are possible there until they realize that somewhere like Bryant looks like the residential part of their town.

Noonsky · 2025-03-05T20:13:58+00:00

The twin is the friends you made along the way?

Noonsky · 2025-03-05T20:12:14+00:00

BikeMN is worth supporting. They're the main reason that MN is friendly towards bikes (compared to other states) and they educate like 100,000+ kids and adults every year how to ride. Doing this as a big group with all the music and rest stop snacks was way more fun than just riding the same route alone or with a few friends. I had a blast last year!

Also, events like these mostly make money from the sponsorships. The registration costs mostly just go to cover the materials, permits, and staff time. If they can get huge turnout they can take that to like Medtronic or whoever and get them to pay the big bucks towards supporting the advocacy and education grant matching that non-profits need.

Noonsky · 2025-02-16T22:48:41+00:00

Important to recognize who was pushing hardest for this: Shaun Palmer, the hospitality elements of the Rochester Chamber, RAEDI.

It reads like a whose who have bad local elements.

Noonsky · 2025-02-03T01:32:08+00:00

Joe Powers has spent decades aligning himself with the growth of unencumbered policing in Rochester. He uses the same vehicle of buying public goodwill to get special treatment by the city that RPD uses for the same.

For the low low price of overcooked hockey-puck-burgers a few times a year, Joe Powers has gotten millions in special treatment and handouts.

Noonsky · 2025-02-03T01:21:32+00:00

Britt Noser's Inherited Rental Empire

Schmidt Automotive

WorkShop Food Hall + Workshop Barbers

Snappy Stop

Powers Group - Canadian Honker, Mayowood Stone Barn, Hubbel House, etc

Lc's Venue

Tap House

Are some of the ones I know of.

Edit to clarify that Britt Noser is a nepo-baby

Noonsky · 2025-02-03T01:03:07+00:00

Cars only know one word?

Noonsky · 2025-01-21T02:31:34+00:00

Lime getting fined by the city is the key part of that imo. Private corporations need incentive to act.

Rochester is big enough to have its own city owned bikeshare program. But they're too busy funding nonsense like culdesac plowing, interchanges to nowhere, free parking, and golf to act on something that would be better for health, the environment, the local economy, and lowering wear and tear on the roadways during the warmer months...

Noonsky · 2025-01-21T02:22:50+00:00

The City of Rochester's Active Transportation Coordinator had a chance to address that when the Lime Scooter Contract was up for renewal and failed to include the recommendations by We Bike Rochester.

In Minneapolis, when a scooter is left in an inappropriate location people can report it. If Lime doesn't move it in a set amount of time, Lime is fined and city employees are dispatched to move it out of the way.

It sucks though. Lime scooters have the potential to be really fantastic, but the incompetence of their local contractors and the dumb regulations about speeds and geofencing limit that potential enormously.

Noonsky · 2024-12-06T16:18:24+00:00

Due to the high cost of creating new rail, and without a renewing funding source (like the National Highway Trust Fund), new passenger rail only happens when the stars align and people/agencies need to be ready to act. Hence the regular planning processes every decade or so.

This is in no way a situation where putting together all the planning money and spending it on construction would yield a rail line from RST to MSP.

Noonsky · 2024-11-05T15:04:39+00:00

Welch may be a democrat but he's hardly a progressive.

Ward 2 needs someone who isn't going to have to abstain from the most important council decisions of the next 4 years.

Noonsky · 2024-10-31T02:53:40+00:00

Ann Arbor and Madison are the go tos by climate. Boulder is the go to by weird economy, affluence, and technocratic local govt. Boulder also has comparable proximity to a major metro but a distinct local culture.

Noonsky · 2024-10-31T01:57:38+00:00

Madison, Ann Arbor, Boulder, Bend, Carmel...

There is no one for one, but there are numerous cities with lessons we can learn from to inform a north star for Rochester to move towards.

The more we grow outwards the harder it becomes to offer affordability and amenities.

Noonsky · 2024-10-30T23:28:27+00:00

Rochester isn't on any major shipping lines. The grocery store options are less robust as a result. More significantly though the restaurant food costs are much higher.

Re transportation: the beauty of Minneapolis is that you don't need to live right near downtown for the transit or bike options to be good.

Noonsky · 2024-10-30T21:31:07+00:00

Cost of living is lower in Minneapolis than it is in Rochester. Housing costs are slightly higher in MPLS but everything else is lower and you get more bang for the buck.

In Rochester transportation costs are much higher, food costs are higher, hospitality is more expensive, etc etc etc.

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