St. Paul City Council approves sweeping update to 2015 bike plan

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press
Updated ·1 min read

With little fanfare, the St. Paul City Council adopted a sweeping update to the city’s 2015 bicycle plan on Wednesday, setting the stage for a growing focus on installing off-street bike lanes protected by curbs or parking.

The council approved the plan 5-0, with council members Nelsie Yang and Rebecca Noecker absent.

The goal is to cut transportation-related carbon emissions by adding up to 163 miles of new bike lanes and related amenities — a 75% increase in St. Paul bikeways by 2040. Most of it would be rolled into what’s dubbed in the plan as a “low-stress network” of off-street bike corridors appropriate for riders of all ages.

The council members, who shared some comments immediately after a public hearing on the proposal a week ago, did not debate the particulars on Wednesday, though Council President Mitra Jalali called the plan a long-awaited addition to the city’s climate efforts.

Portions of the Capital City Bikeway, a curb-protected bicycle loop through downtown, are under construction this season, including Kellogg Boulevard between St. Peter and Wabasha Street, as well as Minnesota Street from Seventh Street to 11th Street. Kellogg Boulevard between St. Peter and West Seventh is scheduled to get underway in 2025.

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