Politics & Government

UPDATED: Public Weighs in on City's Trail and Sidewalk Needs

At a public forum held Wednesday night at Veterans Memorial Community Center, members of the public had their say about the city's trail network.

Ric and Pat Briese bike at least once or twice a week in the summer, but their neighborhood along Inver Grove Trail — a 45 mph road — isn’t as bicyclist-friendly as the couple would like.

Which is why the Brieses chose to attend a public hearing on the city’s sidewalk and trail network at Veterans Memorial Community Center on Wednesday night.

At the hearing, Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc., an architectural firm hired by the city to study its trail and sidewalk needs, presented a draft of their findings in a 20-minute presentation. The short meeting was also an opportunity for city planners to gather community input from the public on which local trails or sidewalk routes need improvement. The firm’s final recommendations on trail and sidewalk improvements are due in April.

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The public forum is just the latest step in a months-long review process the city has conducted with Hoisington Koegler. A draft of the firm’s “Trail Gap Study” identifies 15 deficiencies in the city’s current trail system.

Among the firm’s preliminary recommendations? Establishing connecting trails between Simley High School, Inver Glen Library and Inver Hills Community College, a trail extension along Upper 55th Street from Hwy. 3 to South Robert Street and improved pedestrian access along 70th and 80th Streets from Babcock Trail to Hwy. 3, among other improvements.

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To identify and prioritize those gaps, the firm weighed several different factors, including pedestrian connections to key destinations in the community, areas where increased pedestrian safety is needed, the feasibility and cost effectiveness of possible trail improvements, and whether those improvements could be coordinated with planned road projects.

A well-developed trail system, Hoisington Koegler Landscape Architect Lillian Leatham said during the presentation, can attract residents and businesses, make a city more environmentally friendly and enhance residents' exercise and outdoors options, among other benefits.

For the growing elderly population in Inver Grove Heights, the trail system could also be a boon, city officials have said. Rather than driving to stores or other destinations, older residents could simply walk.

Tim Clark, another Inver Grove Heights resident who attended the meeting, advocated for connecting 65th Street with trails in North and South Valley Park. Clark, who rides as much as 20 miles in a day, said the city should work on improving the connectivity of its current trail network.

“We already have all these trails, and they kind of dead end,” Clark said. “It’s connecting that whole pre-existing trail system.”

Connectivity is on the mind of Parks Superintendent Mark Borgwardt, who also attended the metting on Wednesday. The city has roughly 24-26 miles of trails already, Borgwardt said, but some of those segments are disconnected or empty into streets. Improving connections within the system, he said, would make the city safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

Borgwardt was "pleasantly surprised" by the turnout and comments at the meeting. Funding for the trail gap study, Borgwardt said, was provided through a $16,000 grant from Dakota County.

"There seems to be some momentum building to do something about some of the obvious gaps in our trails," Borgwardt said.


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