Agenda - Council - 03/25/2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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is a designated Metropolitan Council Regional Trail in the Metropolitan Council's 2030 Regional Parks Policy Plan. Ultimately, this regional trail is part of the National Mississippi River Trail that will traverse 3,000 miles through ten states from the Mississippi River headwaters at Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. This particular trail segment will also connect Mississippi West Regional Park (eastern end) to 3/8 mile beyond the MnDOT Wayside Rest Area (western end). The modern rest area facility has 24 hour restrooms, wonderful picnic areas with views of the river, and is staffed from 8 AM to midnight - an added security and convenience for trail users. View downstream from picnic area View upstream from picnic area In addition, this trail project will overcome the barrier of travelling east -west through this portion of the City of Ramsey and Anoka County and provide a key trail connection within the community's existing and planned trail network. There are currently no bicycle/pedestrian facilities in the vicinity, on either side, of U.S. Highwayl0/169 in this segment of the corridor. With four lanes and average daily traffic volumes over 35,000 vehicles daily, the lack of pedestrian/bike facilities, biking and walking through this major transportation corridor is unsafe and unpleasant. ■ Project provides a high -demand facility or program. Relative levels of demand will be determined using population density and connections to significant travel attractors. Metropolitan Council staff will determine population density using 2009 residential population within one mile of the project. The applicant should also list below significant destinations that are near the facility or that the facility provides close connections to. Destinations can be recreation areas such as parks, beaches, rivers, lakes, etc; or commercial or mixed -use districts, major employment areas or other major cultural destinations. RESPONSE: This three mile trail project will provide a high -demand facility for recreational users of the Mississippi River Regional Trail. More broadly, it will provide a key bike/walk connection for people travelling to both recreational and community destinations in the vicinity of the U.S. Highway 10/169 corridor. A number of significant recreational destinations will be conveniently accessible from this trail including the Mississippi River, a proposed Mississippi River overlook, Mississippi West Regional Park, the MnDOT Wayside Rest Area, The Draw park and amphitheator, the future Municipal Plaza in The COR, Lake Itasca, Lake Itasca Park, Northfork Park, The Links @ Northfork golf course, and the Historic Oliver Kelley Farm, which is about one mile west of this trail project (and 19