Shaping the Suburbs for Cycling – Streets MN
When people think about the best places to cycle, they often focus the conversation on cities rather than suburbs. While this St. Paul resident would agree that Minneapolis is among the best cycling cities in the country (with its twin hoping to catch up, thanks to its new Bicycle Plan), it’s not as necessary to own a bicycle in much of Minneapolis or St. Paul thanks to walkable grids and public transportation.
A bike can be a means of transportation, exercise, and camaraderie, especially for families, and it’s great that there is choice. City dwellers can choose to bike, walk, or take transit, thanks to a largely uniform grid and old development patterns in both Minneapolis and St. Paul. In the suburbs, however, living without a vehicle of any type can be nothing short of a challenge. Growing up in Burnsville, I don’t recall my family ever taking cycling trips. We generally drove, and, occasionally, walked. In the suburbs, cycling is often a recreational activity.
