News & Project Updates

Presidents Message, Dec 2018   By Dennis Lindeke

Happy Holidays all! I hope that everyone is out enjoying the winter beauty of the trails. My preferred method of winter locomotion is skis and snowshoes. I haven’t made the leap yet to a fat tire bike, but I’m thinking about it. I’d like to use my allotted space to update our members, and followers of the Assn, on significant happenings the past few months (in no particular order).

• Construction will begin in 2019 to realign the trail at Hadley Ave, just south of Fleet Farm with bridges, roundabouts, cloverleafs and a temporary detour in 2019 for trail users. More details here

• Also in 2019, a project will begin to replace and raise the old steel RR bridge at Westminster Ave in St. Paul. The project will also repair adjacent trail sections with poor underlying soils.

• The short interim trail section on the west side of Interstate 35E, between Arlington and Maryland Aves, had been in a sorry state for several years. The plan is to start design in 2019 for a 0.65 mile segment, with construction in 2020-2021. The project is funding dependent at this time, but it is very high on the DNR and legislative priority list.

• Very good progress continues on easement acquisition for the 15 mile Gateway Trail extension from Pine Point Park to the City of Scandia. The DNR staff is working hard to make this a reality.

• I’d like to welcome Everett Myers to the Board of Directors. Everett will be the new manager of our Facebook site and other social media venues. Along with Ian Harding, our website manager, the Association is taking active steps to reach out more effectively to our membership, as well as to attract new members.

• We have a very dedicated group of volunteers that do so much to make the trails the gems that they are. They do the unseen things like pick up trash, horse droppings, print and re-stock the trail maps, prepare this newsletter, and run the association. A couple new groups are working to inventory and update all the trail signage, build new benches and start painting over all the nuisance graffiti. Thanks much to all of these folks. When you catch these folks helping out, stop and say “Thanks”. That makes is all worthwhile.

• Bluebird update: 46 baby bluebirds were fledged this past summer from the 16 houses along the Gateway Trail, between Mahtomedi and Pine Point Park. The total number of fledglings for the past five years has been 235!

• There will be several events along the trails this winter and coming summer, like the DNR candlelight and snowshoe walks, the annual Assn Gasthaus ski/snowshoe event, and the summer 2019 first ever Assn bike ride event. Details on our events page

Thank you so much for being a member and contributor to our Association. If you are a lover of the trails, and not yet a member, we would love to have you join us.

Be Safe.

Dennis

Construction will begin in 2019 to realign the trail at Hadley Ave, just south of Fleet Farm. Hadley Ave will become a bridge at the trail junction, with the Gateway trail running under Hadley in an on-grade box culvert style tunnel. The traffic lights at Hadley will be replaced with a clover leaf interchange, and Hadley will be a bridge over Hwy 36.

In Spring 2019  a long trail detour will be added to bypass the construction area. The detour will use city streets, taking trail users about ½ mile south to the next I-694 underpass at Hadley Ave. and then back N  The project should be completed in 2020. The estimated project cost is $1,400,000 for the trail crossing project.

More details are at : https://www.co.washington.mn.us/HadleyInterchange

GBCTA Volunteers (Dennis Lindeke, Brian and Alex Jarstad, Dick Heine, Ken Gilmore, Barbara Halligan and Ian Harding) have constructed 2 benches for the Gateway Trail with lumber provided by the DNR . More benches will be built in 2019 by GBCTA volunteers and installed by the DNR on the Gateway to replace aging and non- ADA benches.

Thanks to our wonderful volunteers and enjoy the slide show

This is what an active and vibrant community looks like!

The DNR has installed permanent traffic counters on 5 of the state trails including the Brown's Creek trail near Stillwater.

GBCTA has been given a sneak preview of some of the raw data for summer and it shows between 600 and 1600 active folks each day on foot or on bikes on the trail during the summer. If they are like me they also probably visit the now pedestrian friendly downtown for something to eat or drink.

Thank you to our community leaders for their well laid plans for trails in the community that benefit all. We look forward to the Houlton loop trail completion in summer 2019.

Thank you to the DNR for setting up and collecting the data. The sensors count pedestrians vs bikes, and direction of travel. The data is automatically uploaded to the DNR daily so this will be an good tool for future decision making.

More data is here: Brown's Creek Trail Counting Data summer 2018.pdf

The heavy rainstorms of Sept 20th have damaged a section of the Gateway just N of the Manning bridge. Extreme water flow washed out a section of embankment and this has collapsed taking the edge of the trail with it. There is a small section of asphalt missing and a 10' or more sheer drop . There is orange safety fencing and the trail is still passable. Watch out for repair crews and possible trail closure to repair or if things develop further

. 

Photo credit: Dennis Lindeke

Please take care during and immediately after rain and windstorms since there may be trail washouts, downed trees or downed powerlines. Please report such incidents  to the DNR on 651-259-5736. It is also helpful if you move smaller branches off to the side of the trail and out of everyone's way . Happy trails ! 

There are now 2 options to get from downtown Stillwater to the new St Croix crossing and a new trailhead with parking.

From the riverside trail in front of the Dock Café in Stillwater the newly completed trail proceeds S past parking to a split . The lower trail stays along the river (flooding in times of very high water) and then climbs steeply to highway 95 and a new parking lot . The upper trail (some fencing work ongoing) climbs gradually to highway  95 and proceeds along the E side of highway 95 to the same parking lot where the upper and lower trails combine. Another 150 yards of combined trail takes you to the trail across the bridge to enjoy the views and possibly rides on roads in WI.

So now we have 100% asphalt separated trails linking the Gateway Brown's Creek Trail network with the St Croix crossing bridge .  The completion of the final segment (down the hill from Houlton and across the old Stillwater lift bridge) is expected some time in Sept 2019. Watch this space for updates. 

More information about the loop  http://www.dot.state.mn.us/stcroixcrossing/design.html#loop

The Parks and Trails Council of MN (a 501 c3 non profit group supporting parks and trails throughout Minnesota) is undertaking another survey of the condition of MN State Trails. Having a comprehensive understanding of the condition of Minnesota State Trails is essential to the goal of ensuring trails are maintained and vital new trail connections continue to the built.

They have an e-bike with some fancy electronics and cameras on board. Smile if you see it !

More information at https://www.parksandtrails.org/news/researchbike-adventure-underway/

E Bikes and Electric scooters have been in the news around the Twin Cities recently. There are some fundamental differences in their design, function and the rules that apply to them for use in public areas.

E-Bikes are allowed on the Gateway and Brown's Creek trail if they meet the requirements of the MN Statutes 169.011 subdivision 27  (< 1000W motor, fully operating pedals for pedal assist, limited to 20 mph) . More details at: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/other_trail_uses.html

Electric scooters typically do NOT meet the requirements of the MN Statute  169.011 subdivision 27 because of one or more of the following conditions : 1) motors > 1000W, 2) lack of pedals for pedal assist, and 3) lack of 20 mph speed limiting) . Electric scooters that do not meet the requirements above should not be used on the Gateway and Brown's Creek trails .

Segways (2 wheeled non tandem personal assistive mobility devices) have their own set of rules Minnesota Statutes 169.011 Subdivision 26 . They are allowed on the Gateway Brown's Creek Trail.

More details at : https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_trails/other_trail_uses.html

In general E bikes and E scooter regulations vary widely across the USA and other countries.  Regulations are still being formulated in many places. Before considering a purchase or a rental it is recommended that you understand fully what laws will apply to your use in each location you plan to use one of these devices. 

Remember whatever your mode of travel , practice good trail etiquette and everyone will enjoy the day on the trail.

For those wanting to extend their Brown's Creek trail experience to the S of Stillwater along the 'paved' bike path along the river South  to the new St Croix bridge and beyond:

The bad news : The trail is closed because of flooding and construction from about 200 yards S of the Dock Cafe/Nelson Street. It is passable (rough dirt ) to the Oasis Cafe . Then to proceed S you need to ride on the very busy and "narrow to zero" shoulder of hwy 95 to the Sunnyside marina turning where the paved trail restarts on the E side of hwy 95. Coming N there is a better shoulder on the E side of hwy 95 until parked cars line the road .

The good news:  

A new paved trail right next to hwy 95 on E side (so should be no flooding issues) is under construction from the Oasis Cafe to Sunny Side marina turning. According to construction crew blacktopping is schedule for Aug 24th (.UPDATE (8-2-2018) Blacktopping is done. Crews are doing some finishing work (retaining walls, grading etc). Trail is passable if construction crews are not actively working on it.

    On the Wisconsin side the trail head on the E side of Houlton has a very nice new parking lot and a building under construction so the Houlton - Stillwater loop is starting to take shape ..

So this Brown's Creek link trail route is a work in progress.  This is based upon my bike tour today July 16th and 1 update of Aug 2nd

A very nice article about Bluebirds along the Gateway Trail and the efforts of some key Gateway Browns Creek Trail Association members is here at the Press Publications . Thank you Dennis and the Holy Rollers bike group !