Inaugural summit to focus on biking, walking options
Sep. 26—The Free Press
NORTH MANKATO — Demographic and economic reasons for community investment in bicycling and walking will be discussed during the inaugural Southern Minnesota Active Transportation Summit Friday and Saturday at South Central Service Cooperative, 2075 Lookout Drive.
The summit starts 9 a.m. Friday with sessions on how population shifts due to climate change and resource scarcity will drive growth in the Upper Midwest over the coming decades. Success stories of Minnesota communities that have invested in active transportation also will be presented.
Afternoon sessions will focus on advocacy and Minnesota Department of Transportation programs and plans to support active transportation. Safe Routes to School and food security will be discussed and attendees will be informed of the latest research and best practices being used to design streets for all users.
The summit also is to provide the public with an opportunity to share the challenges they have faced in regard to transportation. The input will be used by organizers to help make decisions on where to focus their efforts.
Infrastructure to support biking, walking and transit use will be discussed during a workshop 9 a.m. Saturday at 10 Intergovernmental Plaza in Mankato. Participants will be invited to hop on e-bikes at 9:30 a.m. for a tour of Mankato's various bike facilities.
The summit's partners are Region Nine Regional Development Commission, Minnesota Department of Health's Statewide Health Improvement Program and Bike MN.
Registration for in-person attendees costs $25 plus tax and fees. The virtual option costs $15 plus tax and fees.
Registration and the full program are available at: thesmallestcog.com/bikewalksominn.
