2040 Comprehensive Plan: Envision Shakopee

NON-MOTORIZED ISSUES

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266 Running Header Place Holder 2 1 3 4 6 7 8 Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder DISCONNECTED TRAIL SYSTEM Shakopee is considered a regional recreation destination, and the trail system is on its way to being part of this recreational draw. However, disconnections in the trail system can lead to confusion, and many bicycle riders are not comfortable shifting to riding with vehicle traffic on-street when they reach a gap in the trail system. Similarly, people on foot are less likely to divert out of their way, since additional travel distances are more significant at a walking pace. Transportation 5 BICYCLING ENVIRONMENT Bicycling is especially useful for expanding access in suburban and small-town contexts like Shakopee where civic resources, recreational opportunities, transportation hubs and other destinations are often too widely dispersed to be easily reached by foot, yet are close enough to existing trail networks for bicycle access to be appealing. Shakopee features an extensive trail network, with trails bordering many of the community’s thoroughfares on either or both sides. The community is connected to the regional bikeway network at multiple locations. Outreach and review of the existing network identified a handful of gaps and discontinuities in the network, including a need for improved routes through Shakopee’s historic core and for more direct safe crossing opportunities across Highways 169 and 101, particularly on the eastern side of town. ENVISION SHAKOPEE | SECTION IV: BUILT ENVIRONMENT