Where were you at 6:05 p.m. a year ago today? How soon did you hear the news? And will you hear the church bells at 6:05 tonight?

Roadguy is required to inform you when he alters a photo, so, newsflash: the above photo is altered. And now it’s time for Roadguy to alter his mood — by taking a vacation. I expect to be back in a week or so; in the meantime, stay safe out there. And keep those e-mails coming.

A few of Roadguy’s alert readers are itching to talk about the new Hwy. 212, among them alert reader Brian:

Don’t forget about the west metro! The final leg of the new 212 is open (although the project isn’t finished). Take a drive out west and maybe post few pics on your blog.

… and alert reader Joe G.:

A new major freeway segment has now been open for three days, and no posts, references, or CrapCam pictures yet? I assumed you’d be all over that…. Being a road geek myself, I just had to drive it on the first day.

I know, we seem to get new freeways only every half-decade around here. But if I told my many bosses that I was going to take a few hours to drive to Chaska to have a look at a road, I’m pretty sure there’d be frowns of disapproval. If some rusty gusset plates turn up in the greater Carver area, however, I’ll be dispatched to the scene immediately and can enjoy 212 along the way.

Meanwhile, alert reader Mike also wants me to fire up my camera — last week he sent me a quick e-mail with the subject line “Something for you to take a picture of”:

If you are heading north on 35W, after Lake Street, a portable light sign is displaying that 35W at 65 is going to be closed. Thought it was interesting to mention a trunk highway that is now gone.

He included a link to this Roadguy post, the one about how Hwy. 65 no longer goes through downtown Minneapolis. There’s still a detached part of 65 south of downtown, between 11th Street and roughly the 24th Street pedestrian bridge, but the only indications that it’s called 65 are on the mile markers. Nobody except MnDOT thinks of it as 65, but here’s one of the signs announcing the closure:

(Added fun: It’ll be shut down this weekend, too.)

If you have thoughts or photos of 212 to share, are losing your mind every time 35W closes, or want Roadguy to take a picture along some other freeway, please make use of the comments below.

Friday night’s storm seemed to have moved on: The revelers at the Basilica Block Party were emerging from the transportation infrastructure that had sheltered them from lightning (they’d gathered in a parking garage and under I-94), and the sun, previously blotted out by inky clouds, was making a quick reappearance just before setting. For a few hours, wild weather had rattled Minnesota, but the worst had passed, and it seemed relatively safe for Roadguy to head out and grab a late dinner.

The first bit of driving excitement was an unexpected moment of hydroplaning along W. Lake Street, where water had pooled along the curb. The puddles and the pavement looked exactly the same — shiny black — so I moved over a lane and continued on my way.

The second, bigger excitement started on the western edge of Lake Calhoun: power failure. In other words, no functioning stoplights on a stretch of road with multiple intersections and a 35-mile-per-hour speed limit. Eyeing the first set of defunct signals through my wet windshield, I eased off the gas and into a feeling of doom.

But as has been suggested here before, the trappings of civilization may not be the key to discouraging uncivil behavior. With the traffic lights out, chaos did not ensue; instead, the instincts of self-preservation kicked in. Every car, from every direction, stopped or nearly stopped at all the intersections I went through. There were awkward pauses and moments of confusion as to whose turn was next — understandable when there are eight lanes of traffic at what had suddenly become an unmarked four-way stop. But overall, it was a painless drive — everyone was on good behavior.

Obviously we’re a long, long way from just being able to turn off the traffic lights, but I was reminded of the ideas behind the shared-space movement (click here for a previously mentioned Washington Post story) and the fact that more law-abiding pedestrians than jaywalkers are killed each year in New York City (a factoid from the author of this blog and reinforced by my experience here). Taking a superdefensive approach to self-transport definitely has its upside.

If you have a tale about storm-crossed stoplights or fresh thoughts on whether less can be more in the world of traffic regulation, please share below.

The following news release was issued today by the Minneapolis Police Department. It’s almost as if they’ve been reading our recent conversations:

SHARE THE ROAD, SHARE THE TRAIL
The truth about seven common bike safety myths

Jul. 14, 2008 (MINNEAPOLIS) More people in Minneapolis take to the streets and trails on bicycles during summer. This year the cost of gasoline has made biking to work and biking for fun more attractive than ever. But with more people on bikes on our City streets and trails, it’s really important to separate truth from myth when it comes to bike safety and laws. Some biking accidents can be avoided when you know the facts. Here are seven common myths about bike safety and laws — dispelled!

MYTH: Bikes must use the right lane on the road.
FACT: Cyclists are required to stay to the right in most cases, but may ride in the lane that is appropriate to their destination. That means bikes may use the left lane to turn left, to pass, and to avoid road hazards or parked cars.

MYTH: Bikes don’t have to stop for traffic lights or stop signs.
FACT: Cyclists are responsible for following all traffic laws on the road and on trails, including signaling for turns, stopping for lights and stop signs, using headlights and rear reflectors, and yielding to pedestrians at corners and crosswalks.

MYTH: Cars have the right of way at crossings.
FACT: Both drivers and cyclists are required to follow all signs and pavement markings at each trail crossing. Cars have to stop for a bicyclist or pedestrian in a trail crossing.

MYTH: Bicyclists have to ride in the bike lane, or on a trail when provided.
FACT: Cyclists do not have to ride in a bike lane if it is not safe due to surface hazards and parked cars. Cyclists also do not have to ride on trails. Most Minneapolis trails have a speed limit of 10 mph. As a result, many bicyclists who want to travel faster use the road.

MYTH: Cars can drive as close as possible to a bike lane without entering it.
FACT: Passing cars must provide a minimum of three feet clearance from a bike at all times even when a bicyclist is in a designated bike lane.

MYTH: Bikes must use the street.
FACT: Cyclists may ride on sidewalks except in business districts or where posted. Studies have shown that it is often safer to ride on the street.

MYTH: Bikes and pedestrians don’t mix.
FACT: It’s easy for cyclists and pedestrians to share trails and sidewalks when everyone is respectful. Cyclists should slow down when passing pedestrians. Bicyclists, be sure to give a polite warning and pass on the left with as much clearance as possible. Pedestrians should stay or move to the right when being passed or use a designated pedestrian path when available.

Minnesota biking law gives cyclists the same rights and responsibilities as motorists. Minneapolis is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. How bike-friendly are you? For questions about traffic laws concerning bike riding and safety call 311. To find more information on biking in Minneapolis online, explore http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles.

We’ve had quite a bit of bike talk the past week or so, but hey, ’tis the season, so here are a couple more related links.

The first is to a fellow Strib blog, BodyTalk, which looks at a Blue Cross program to give bicyclists discounts on some merchandise if they bike a certain number of miles; the post is here, and Josephine would love your comments.

The second link is from the New York Times; yesterday’s paper had this story about the huge success of Paris’ bike-rental program. More than 20,000 bikes, 1,450 rental stations, 120,000 rides a day, millions of euros for the city. On the less-rosy side, bike-car tensions are rising (surprise), and there have been three fatalities among bike renters. Overall, it’s going vastly better than our local yellow bike experiments of past years. We’ll have to see whether any U.S. cities try this on a grand scale.