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MINNESOTA MRT MARKETING TOOLBOX <br />What is the MRT relationship to the Great River Road? <br />The Great River Road National <br />Scenic Byway and the MRT <br />bikeway share significant <br />alignments, but are two separate <br />routes guided by the same river. <br />The two routes can offer a wider <br />range of river access, recreation <br />and opportunity than either one <br />individually. Photo provided by <br />Explore Minnesota Tourism. <br />SUMMARY VISION SETTING <br />RELATIONSHIP TO THE GREAT RIVER ROAD <br />NATIONAL SCENIC BYWAY <br />The Great River Road (GRR) is a unique partner route to the <br />Mississippi River Trail bikeway. Although both courses are guided <br />by the river and are sometimes combined on the same road, they <br />are ultimately two different routes with planning, promotion, and <br />management partially independent of each other. The factors that <br />make a memorable road trip and a high quality bicycling journey <br />have led to separate alignments. Alternate routes may be <br />advantageous, as they expand opportunities and travel modes to <br />explore the Mississippi River. <br />There are many ways in which the MRT and the GRR are already <br />interconnected. The MRT bikeway and the GRR: <br />Share much of the same alignment However, the GRR <br />consists of roads where bicycles are not allowed, and the MRT <br />consists of existing off -road trails, where users are not allowed. <br />• Celebrate the river. In the GRR Development Study, the <br />authors state that it is the river, and not the road, that is the <br />attraction. However, in the community meetings soliciting input <br />on the MRT, most participants ranked safety, river experiences, <br />beauty, and community access as their respective highest <br />priorities. These findings imply that for the MRT, the overall <br />bicycling experience may be the primary attraction —an <br />essential difference between the two travelways. <br />• snare many or me same community assets. <br />• Many tourists already combine a road trip on the GRR <br />with bicycling, hiking, kayaking, and boating. The GRR is a <br />way to access, not just the river, but other modes of travel <br />along the river. <br />• Shciu a ba ie `ec, Both the GRR and the MRT <br />define and reinforce the same destination areas as regional <br />identities and attractions. <br />MARKETING PRODUCT AUDIENCE STRATEGY IPARTNER1 SUPPORT <br />Minnesota Mississippi River Trail Bikeway Page 7-13 <br />