Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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Regional Trails Regional trail corridors are intended to provide for recreational travel along linear pathways throughout the metropolitan area. Ideally, they are selected to follow natural or linear features that traverse areas of scenic appeal and /or historical, architectural and developmental interest while assuring that the trail treadway will have no adverse effect on the natural resource base. The regional trails are selected to pass through or provide connections between components in the Regional Parks System. The regional parks and park reserves perform the important function of providing places for parking, comfort facilities and safe water supplies. Trails also are selected for their ability to intersect with local trail networks, with the regional trails functioning much like regional highways that interconnect with more local arterials and local streets. The regional trail network, especially in the urban areas, serves as commuting routes for bicyclists in addition to serving recreational purposes. As the regional trail and transit systems expand, opportunities to provide connections between these forms of travel should be explored. People can ride the bus or light rail to access a regional trail, and conversely, people can use regional trails to access transit. Regional trails can also be developed as greenways, or linear parks, where the trail itself is a destination. These greenways typically include wide corridors that provide opportunities for improving wildlife habitat, protecting natural resources, and providing recreational opportunities. People tend to prefer trails that are relatively close to where they live. Surveys conducted by the Metropolitan Council show that more than 75% of trail visitors live within 3 miles of the trails they used. However, trail users are traveling from one city or county to another. It is this inter - jurisdictional trail length that makes these trails regionally significant. As of 2014, there were 40 regional trail corridors, with a total of 340 miles open to the public, listed in Table 3 -4 and Figure 3 -4. Many trails are constructed in phases, some as part of roadway improvement projects or local development. Therefore, although a trail is listed as being open, some portions of the trail corridor may be developed in the future and are not yet open to the public. Table 3 -4. Regional Trails Open to the Public (2014) Regional Trails 1 Bunker Hills -Chain of Lakes Regional Trail 2 Central Anoka Regional Trail 3 Coon Creek Regional Trail 4 East Anoka County Regional Trail 5 Mississippi River Regional Trail (Anoka Co) 6 Rum River Regional Trail 7 Rice Creek North Regional Trail 8 Rice Creek West Regional Trail 9 Southwest Regional Trail 10 Dakota Rail Regional Trail 11 Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail Park Agency Anoka County Anoka County Anoka County Anoka County Anoka County Anoka County Anoka County /Ramsey County Anoka County /Ramsey County Carver County Carver County /Three Rivers Carver County /Three Rivers