7.2.B. PRSR 09-12-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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design architect for bicycle and pedestrian paths and trails, think Northstar has a "great opportunity"to attract young people if the train can lure more bicyclists. "The Mississippi River Trail is the backbone of our trail system, offering a great opportunity for fun, adventure and learning about the river--and it runs along the Northstar line,"Walton said. "Sure, the train was built for commuters," she said. "But this is an opportunity that's too good to pass up." The National Park Service hopes the Mississippi River Trail will ultimately become a "primary transportation facility," said Susan Overson, a landscape architect and park planner for the park service. "We're looking at bicycles, pedestrians, light rail, canoes, boats and, yes, Northstar," she said. "If the train can get people and their bicycles to the Mississippi River Trail, we need to explore that possibility." Metro Transit's website --www.metrotransit.orq-- offers tips for loading bicycles onto Northstar trains. Elk River may be the first city along the Northstar route to aggressively try to lure bicycle riders to the commuter trains. When last month's bicycle-loaded Northstar train stopped in Elk River, Michael Hecker, the city's new parks and recreation director, was waiting to greet the bicyclists. "There's a point here where the Elk River meets the Mississippi River that people driving north on 169 or west on Highway 10 never see," he said. "We have a quaint business district that you could miss completely, if you drive by. "But people tell me they never really appreciated Elk River until they rode through on bicycles," Hecker said. "We're a train city and we're a Mississippi River Trail city. You bring a bicycle on a Northstar train and you get the best of both worlds." Paul Levy •612-673-4419