The trail will connect to the Minneapolis Grand Rounds trail system at Lake Nokomis, Three Rivers Park District’s Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail in Richfield, and the Mall of America in Bloomington. Future connections across the Minnesota River to Dakota County’s regional trail system and proposed Minnesota Valley State Trail also are considered.

Copies of the master plan are available at www.ThreeRiversParks.org (search for “Intercity” in the search box at the upper right corner of the home page)

The public has the opportunity to provide comments from April 2 through May 1; written comments may be submitted by e-mail to ICRT@ThreeRiversParkDistrict.org, by fax to 763-557-5248, or by mail to: Three Rivers Park District, Intercity Regional Trail, 3000 Xenium Lane N., Plymouth, MN 55441

In contrast to older National Wildlife Refuges that consist primarily of federally owned property, the new refuge would be a patchwork offering a variety of environments for wildlife, particularly birds that could move from site to site. This does seem to fit in with current thinking about conservation: rather than concentrating on preserving completely wild areas, find ways to support both wildlife and a variety of human activities.

Recently posted on the Root River Trail website:

Root River State Trail Report April 2, 2012: The bridge repair work is complete and the trail is open from Lanesboro going east to Whalan. Going west toward Fountain, the bridge near Riverside on the Root Restaurant is closed, however, you can access the trail west by starting at Lanesboro’s Bass Pond Parking Lot at the base of County Hwy 8.  The new trail segments will be widened and resurfaced for a fantastic biking experience. The trail is completely OPEN all Saturdays & Sundays and on weekday evenings.

Bikeverywhere offers two options for learning more about the Root River Trail. check out our book Bicycle Vacation Guide or get just the Root River Trail a PDF of the Root River Trail chapter in Bicycle Vacation Guide.

Sometimes a new piece of public infrastructure fits so neatly into a neighborhood that it appears to have been there forever. That’s what I felt when I checked out the new Mozaic Bridge and bike ramp near Hennepin Ave in Uptown. I first learned about the bridge when Andrew Dahl of the Ackerberg Group asked me to add it to the Twin Cities Bike Map.

During my brief visit I saw dozens of bike riders using the ramp and the bridge. The two amenities had become so integral to the neighborhood that I had to ask Andrew just how long they had been open. I questioned whether I had simply missed seeing them over the last year. Andrew assured me that the bridge is new and his colleague verified that it opened in January.

The bridge creates a nondescript, perfectly ordinary pedestrian crossing. Riders and pedestrians crossed over it and under it without comment. It didn’t draw attention to itself or inspire grand thoughts. The beauty of the bridge was in its pure functionality: You could get from one side of the Greenway to the other without dealing with the traffic or transit stations on Hennepin Ave, and the ramp connected a medium density neighborhood with the highly trafficked trail. In light of the recent failure of the Martin Sabo Bridge, further east on the Greenway, the simple sturdy design of the Mozaic Bridge is even more appealing.

If I have any complaint, it’s about the connection between the south side of the bridge and the rest of Uptown. The bridge empties onto a busway that feeds the transit station. The space around the station is uninviting for either bikes or peds. A walkway across the bus road runs past the Mozaic Art Park with it’s signature Colussus II head, but it doesn’t give the sense of a throughway for either bikes or pedestrians. As a matter-of-fact, it wasn’t until I had left the area, via the ramp and Greenway, that I realized that I didn’t even follow the walkway to see if it connected to anything.

The bridge, ramp and still developing Art Park were built by the Ackerberg Group as part of their new multi-use Mozaic Building. I’m not an architect, so I can’t comment intelligently on the design of the building, but I did note that it steps back from the trail as it rises, an intentional design feature that prevents the building’s shadow from blocking the sun on the trail. That design feature, plus the public bike and pedestrian amenities that came with the project, make Mozaic a great addition to the Uptown area.

The Mozaic Bridge and the bike ramp to the Midtown Greenway will be part of future Twin Cities Bike Maps but, like the bridge itself, the symbol for each will not stand out. They will be simple green lines on the map, but they will do their job when you get to the area.

Let me also make a pitch for joining the Rails to Trails organization that advocates for bike trails and worked hard to head off proposals to end federal funding of bike facilities.

From the Midtown Greenway going east, I suggest turning right at 28th street and crossing Hiawatha Ave at grade. You can pick up the Greenway on the east side of Hiawatha.

Riders who prefer to cross on a bridge can go north to 24th St, cross on the bridge, then turn south on Minnehaha Ave. Minnehaha Ave connects with the Greenway on the east side of Hiawatha Ave. Accessing 24th Ave will be tricky until the Sabo Bridge is stabilized. After it is stabilized, riders can turn off the Greenway at 28th and follow the bike path to Hiawatha Ave, then turn north on the path that runs parallel to Hiawatha.

“EEEE!” the woman in front squealed. ” A  hill!”  A hill? I looked up the street and realized the woman was referring to the 15 foot rise on the other side of the intersection. I felt envious. These two women were having more fun and adventure on the sidewalk by my house than I’ve felt on most rides for years. It was if the bikes had taken them back to a childhood age where the smallest adventure was a thrill.

To redeem one free admission with one paid admission, park your bike outside, and check in at the museum’s Visitor Service desk inside. This offer is valid June 1, 2011-September 30, 2011, and may not be used in conjunction with any other offers or discounts. Limit 4 free admissions with 4 paid admissions per group, per visit.