Hennepin County plans bicycle trail expansion

Published 10:24 am Thursday, October 16, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS — Hennepin County is asking for residents’ feedback on a plan to nearly double the area’s 650 miles of bike lanes and trails by 2040.

The county’s 2040 Bicycle Transportation Plan calls for 536 more miles of bikeways, with an average of 20 miles added each year. Nearly half of the proposed paths are separate from roads. It would rely on funding from county, state and federal programs.

The county estimates it has approximately 12,000 bicycle commuters. The 2040 plan aims to quadruple that number to 48,000. Officials also aim to keep a 50 percent ridership level during winter months.

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The county also will work to create a downtown Minneapolis bicycle transportation center.