03-27-1990 PTRC Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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■ Trails to You An insert for the Friends of St. Paul and Ramsey County Parks 1621 Beechwood Avenue, St. Paul, Minnesota 55116 698-4543 Volume 1, Number 1 February 1991 Task force Charged with formulating a long term plan for parks,trails and open space,the St.Paul recommendations and Ramsey County Parks Task Force met for two years,issuing their final report in late 1989. Among their key recommendations was the need to use trails to link neighbor- spur action, network hoods,parks,and other scenic features. Citing the Minneapolis lakes trail network as formed a model to emulate,the task force recommended improvements in planning,linkage, safety and coordination. To carry out the trail recommendation,the Trails Advocacy Network has been formed. Included in the Network are representatives of each of the 15 Ramsey County communities plus organizations active in promoting trails and bikeways. Representa- tives include representatives of the public works and parks departments,state agencies and various user advocacy groups. "We do not expect the Network to have regularly scheduled meetings. It is primarily a means to communicate technical information,user needs,trail plans/status,funding methods,etc. Communication and collaboration are our goals. Just knowing who the key contacts are in various agencies will be a big help," said Bill Frank,Ramsey County Parks Commission member and trail booster. "There is a huge public appetite for improved and expanded trail systems yet there is no organized county-wide trail plan in place and no central organization to function as a clearinghouse or coordinator. Trails programs have proceeded in most communities but in a haphazard fashion with little coordination among the county and the 14 other communities," said Frank. "We hope to change that." Trails inventory under- Updating the county wide inventory of trails/bikeways including trail construction plans is the first task of the new Trails Advocacy Network. Larry Holmberg,Planning and Wad/ Development Supervisor for Ramsey County Parks and Recreation Department is compiling the information from each municipality. When the base map is updated,the Network will coordinate development of a county-wide comprehensive trails plan. In-line Skating, the new Call them Roller-Blades, Ultra-Wheels, or Switchit Skates, in-line skates have been kid on the block invading the urban trail scene. The sport has been growing by leaps and bounds to the point that on some trails,especially on the Minneapolis Lakes loops,they are almost as commonplace as bikers. Over one million in-line skaters plied the trails in the US in 1990 with sales more than doubling in the last four years.Men and women participate about equally in this growing sport but it is most popular among the 18 to 30 year old age group. When Dome Skating was made available this winter,the sport's popularity was obvious. Though four dollars a time,about 300-400 skaters use the Dome during the three evenings each week that it is open.