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jAlk fief 50 Nook Optimize Connectivity with As efforts to bring more pedestrian and bicycle space Recreational Resources to current and future road corridors continues,the City should look for ways to fully leverage recreational trails Elk River has 16 miles of paved recreational trails in the as well.Implementation of the Trails MasterPlan will be community.These types of paths are ideal for all types key in closing gaps between recreational resources in the of active recreation including bicycling,jogging,in-line community.Connections between the more functional- skating,cross-country skiing,walking,etc.The City's ly-oriented street network and the recreational system hard surface trails can run in a closed loop,such as those will encourage more use of both systems and maximize within Lions Park,or be more linear like the one running the benefits derived from construction and maintenance parallel to Twin Lakes Road.The community also main- costs for multimodal facilities. There are many opportuni- tains 25 miles of natural surface hiking trails within its ties for funding trail projects at both the state and federal park systems.The Elk River Trails MasterPlan,adopted level,more discussion on how Elk River can support trail in 2018,provides guidance to elected officials,Parks and projects in the City is included in the Parks,Open Spaces 8 Recreation Commission,and City staff in the big picture Natural Resources chapter. decision-making,such as allocating resources for mainte- nance or building a trail,that will impact the system. The City's trails boast linkages to larger regional and national systems.The Great Northern Trail is a north-south route that meanders 4.75-miles through the City primarily along a former railroad right-of-way.It relies on this dedi- cated off-street path and to a lesser degree,an informal sidewalk system to traverse the community.Offering stunning viewsheds of natural amenities such as Wood- land Trails Park.The trail begins at CSAR 1 in Downtown Elk River and terminates at Lyoris Park in Zimmerman. The Mississippi River Trail(MRT)is designated through Elk River as well.As an east-west corridor running through the City,the larger MRT network connects Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota to the Gulf Coast in Louisiana.Within Elk River,the nationally recognized bicycle and pedestrian trail follows a combination of trails and local roads in the southeast corner before crossing over Highway 169 and Highway 10 on Main Street.The trail then exits Downtown by crossing the river into Otsego on the CSAR 42 bridge. Elk River Comprehensive Plan•Transportation&Mobility Plan 93 DRAFT FOR REVIEW ONLY