The Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department of Transportation will hold a series of open houses to collect ideas from public on how to improve on-road and off-road bicycling facilities.

The goal of the Bicycle System Master Study is to explore ways of linking regional destinations with urban and suburban work centers.

The two agencies are looking to get answers to the following questions:

What are some important bicycle trip origins and destinations?

Werere are there gaps and barriers to bicycle travel?

What routes do people use today?

What trips would people like to be able to make by bicycle?

Since planners have plenty of data about bicycling patterns in the core cities, the study will focus more on needs in the outer-ring suburbs.

Meetings were held this week in White Bear Lake and Apple Valley. Next week's meeting will be:

Wednesday April 24: 6-8 p.m., Plymouth Library, 15700 36th Av. N., Plymouth.

Thursday April 25: 6-8 p.m., Chanhassen Recreation Center, 32310 Coulter Blvd., Chanhassen.