Fine paid, Rybak gets keys back

JIM GEHRZ, STAR TRIBUNE

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak

Last update: May 14, 2008 - 10:36 PM

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak says he can legally drive once again.

The mayor said he paid the remaining balance on a speeding ticket and a $25 license reinstatement fee on Friday.

"And with that fee, I also got a complimentary pizza cutter from the Hennepin County Service Center,'' Rybak said. "So along with my license, I have a pizza cutter to boot."

Rybak turned over his car keys last week when he learned he had been driving without a valid license for three months. His license was suspended Feb. 14 because he owed $80 of a $222 speeding ticket that he received in June 2006 in Olmsted County.

Rybak said last week that he didn't realize he still owed part of the fine and didn't remember receiving a letter from the state notifying him about the license suspension.

Rybak's license was reinstated Tuesday; in the meantime, he had biked and hitched rides with his wife and others. He drove his car Tuesday night. But on Wednesday, which was designated Bike Walk to Work Day in the Twin Cities, Rybak pedaled to work at City Hall.

"It's nice to have the option,'' he said.

MARY LYNN SMITH