Bicycling Saint Paul July Newsletter

City of St. Paul sent this bulletin at 07/01/2011 02:48 PM CDT

Bicycling Saint Paul

July 2011 • www.stpaul.gov/bikes

Bike Share

Nice Ride has arrived in Saint Paul! After much anticipation, stations have landed along western University Avenue. This milestone was celebrated with a fun ride with the Mayors from Minneapolis to Saint Paul. All told, Nice Ride will install 20 stations this summer in Saint Paul -- along Grand Avenue, Marshal/Selby Avenues, and University Avenue. For updates on what stations are installed and operational, check Nice Ride's online station map.

Bike Rental

Bike share and bike rental coming to Saint Paul the same week? You becha! We love transportation options here in Saint Paul, so we're excited to welcome Wheel Fun Rentals, who opened a franchise at the Saint Paul Hotel this week. Bike rental offers a great option for folks wanting to take longer rides and seeking to enjoy our vast parks and off-road trails network.

Bike Parking

Staff are busy working on site plans for the Bike Walk Twin Cities Bicycle Parking Program. These bike racks will be in public places throughout Saint Paul, particularly parks and recreation centers. Want in on the bike rack-tastic action? Businesses have their very own program to add bicycle racks through the City’s 50/50 Cost Share Bicycle Rack Program.

Citywide Bicycle Plan

The Citywide Bicycle Plan planning process is well underway. Staff have been working diligently behind the scenes to set the process in motion and this month hit the milestone of having our work plan given the go-ahead by the Transportation Committee. We’ve also established a project webpage, to help you stay up to date on the latest.

Construction Update

We're busy this construction season adding to our bike network. Among other projects moving forward this year, the construction plans for the Cherokee Regional Trail are complete and will be out for bids soon to enable construction to begin late this summer or early fall. When complete, the trail will provide 1.9 miles of new trail that will connect Cherokee Regional Park with Harriet Island Regional Park. Also on track is the project to fill a gap in the bikeway network on John Ireland Boulevard by providing on-street bike lanes between Kellogg Boulevard and Selby Avenue as well as make the corridor more pedestrian friendly. Preliminary layout is complete and design is progressing toward construction in 2011.

"That was one short bike ride for a Mayor, but one giant bike leap forward for transportation in the Twin Cities."

—Mayor Christopher B. Coleman, on the Mayors' journey from Minneapolis to Saint Paul on Nice Ride bikes. June 27, 2011.