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For Winona commuters, a troubled bridge is better than none

Katie Derus, Winona Daily News via Associated Press

A state trooper directs traffic waiting to cross the newly reopened Mississippi River Bridge today in Winona.

By JIM FOTI, Star Tribune

Last update: June 14, 2008 - 10:29 PM

I realize it's Father's Day, but our first item today is from an alert reader we'll call Roadguy's Mom. She's been following the saga of the Hwy. 43 bridge in Winona, and when I told her that it was being reopened, her first question was: Will people feel comfortable driving on it?

For some perspective, I called up another mom, Karla Patzner, who lives on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River and works in Winona. She used the temporary bus-and-ferry system each workday last week -- and she did so with her two kids in tow.

To make it to day care and work, they were out of the house by 5:30 a.m., and they got back home after 8 p.m. Her kids were real troupers, she said, but with the bridge now open to cars and SUVs, "I can tell you that getting up at 5:15 is going to feel like sleeping in."

Patzner told me she isn't worried about the bridge's soundness. In the wake of the Interstate 35W tragedy, she said, "Anybody who's willing to sign their name on the document saying 'this bridge is safe' has to be 100 percent sure it's safe."

Before Saturday's reopening was announced, "We were all glued to the radio just waiting for news," she said.

"... I'm going to go over it with a smile."

A driver's ed rule

A few days ago, I ran into Sen. Scott Dibble (metaphorically, not with my car), and the Minneapolis DFLer mentioned a little-noticed provision in this year's transportation legislation: Driver education classes in Minnesota will now be required to include "instruction on the duties of a driver when encountering a bicycle, other nonmotorized vehicles, or a pedestrian."

Over the long term, that might reduce the number of drivers who don't know that they're supposed to give bicycles a 3-foot berth or understand that bikes have the right to use vehicle lanes even if there's a bike path along the road.

Of course, Dibble has already heard from drivers who wish some sort of vice-versa provision could be applied to the education of bicycle riders (stop signs, anyone?). Alas, no such formal curriculum exists.

Plate precision

Last week's column mentioned the license plate "GLBLWMR," the meaning of which seemed clear to alert reader Paula, who sent it in. But Roadguy heard from several people who were confounded, including alert reader Shelly, who suggested "Glib liberal white male Republican." Another reader guessed "gay/lesbian/bisexual lawn mower."

Paula's interpretation -- "global warmer" -- still seems the most probable. But if you own the BMW bearing the plate and have a different answer, do let Roadguy know.

Jim Foti can be reached at 612-673-4491 or roadguy@startribune.com.

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