Planned Bike Trail Would Connect Bloomington to Crystal

The Twin Cities northwest suburbs are a step closer to getting a bike trail connection to the south metro.

Plans for the Canadian Pacific Rail Regional Trail are set to enter the next phase. The trail would start in Bloomington and end near Becker Park in Crystal.

The north-south trail connection, however, won’t be complete for another five to 15 years. Stephen Shurson, landscape architect with the Three Rivers Park District, said trail connections for the final route are still being considered.

Shurson said the route will include a mix of new and existing trails through Plymouth, Golden Valley and New Hope.

Part of the trail will pass through St. Louis Park as it makes its way to the northwest suburbs.

Four Trail Segments

The trail plan consists of four segments. Segment A begins in Bloomington, B in Edina, C in St. Louis Park and D from Highway 55 to Crystal.

Shurson is responsible for segment C, which connects the Luce Line Regional Trail in Plymouth to the Cedar Lake Regional Trail in St. Louis Park.

He said it’s an opportunity for people to get out of their cars and into nature, whether it’s for a commute to work or some exercise.

“It really kind of helps fill in some of the voids that we have in our current trail system, because most of our trails currently are east-west orientation,” Shurson said. “This will allow for a lot of intersections and connectivity with those trails.”

The public engagement phase is complete. Cities will now look at the path options and vote on which paths work best for them.

Shurson said Three Rivers will meet with Golden Valley City Council members at its work session on Dec. 12.

Crystal | Golden Valley | New Hope | Plymouth