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MnDOT's 2017 state bicycle map is now available. Bicyclists can get the new map at the Minnesota State Fair at the Kick Gas exhibit inside the Eco Experience Building on Randall Avenue or at MnDOT’s booth in the Education Building on Cosgrove Street.
The free map is also available at MnDOT’s Central Office Building, 395 John Ireland Blvd, St. Paul, or at most of MnDOT’s district offices. Request the map by going to MnDOT’s webpage at www.mndot.gov/bike/maps.
The Department of Natural Resources and Explore Minnesota, the state’s department of tourism, will also distribute maps at city visitors’ centers, campgrounds and rest areas.
About the map
The map shows some road characteristics including traffic volumes and existing paved, bikeable shoulders and gravel roadways, all factors that make planning long-distance bicycle trips easier.
Changes to the map include:
- The addition of a second U.S. Bicycle Route System, the North Star Route, or U.S. Bicycle Route 41. This new system joins the Mississippi River Trail as the two national routes in the state.
- Bikeable roads are color-coded based on the average daily traffic volume.
- Roadways with paved shoulders 4 feet and wider.
- The addition of the newest Bicycle Friendly Communities, bringing the total to 21 in the state. The communities are designated by the League of American Bicyclists.
The map already includes shoulder widths, pavement type, state and regional trails, state historic sites, parks, points of interest and safety tips.
This is the first time MnDOT produced the bicycle map using Geographical Information Systems, or GIS, tools. Previously, the map was designed using Computer-Aided Design, or CAD, technology.
The map is printed every two years.
Visit: www.mndot.gov/bike/maps
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