Shakopee aims to gain 'bicycle friendly' label

Shakopee has 78 miles of paved trails, 35 miles of paved roadways with wide shoulders and more than 1,000 bicycle racks. But city officials say that when it comes to making a community that's attractive to bicyclists, they're just getting started.

The city is in the early stages of building bicycle infrastructure intended to serve residents' needs for years to come. A seven-member Bicycle Advisory Committee has met twice so far, and the city is applying for recognition as a "bicycle friendly community" from the League of American Bicyclists.

The designation has multiple levels, recognizing communities that already have a lot of bicycle infrastructure in place and those that are just starting out. It's intended to send a message to people in Shakopee and elsewhere that the city is dedicated to building up its resources for cyclists, said senior planner Kyle Sobota.

"We're a suburban community and there are parts of town [where] riding a bike is challenging," he said.

Some of the city's challenges are geographic, including limited Minnesota River crossings and the gash of Highway 169 through the middle of the city. Others are smaller things that Shakopee is simply lacking — designated bicycle lanes, for example.

Ian Young, who chairs the Bicycle Advisory Committee, said he moved to Shakopee in 2008 because he liked the balance between small-town charm and proximity to the urban core. As a road cyclist, he has found that the city's Minnesota River Valley location offers plenty of scenic routes.

"Honestly, it's gorgeous out there to bike," he said.

"I think one of the biggest issues right now that we're dealing with is we have a lot of really nice trails in Shakopee, but they're not connected," Young said. "Or at least, you have to cross busy roads to go from one to the other."

New bicycle racks are set to arrive in the spring, thanks to a recent Statewide Health Improvement Program grant, Sobota said. The grant may also allow the city to add bicycle route signs or lane striping.

The Bicycle Advisory Committee has plans to increase its outreach efforts through participation in community events.

Young said there's a hope that new bicycle infrastructure will attract residents both for recreation and for commuting, particularly as the city continues to grow.

"Shakopee is an old city, but it's also newly booming, so we do have a lot of young families," he said. "And there is a lot of biking out there."