2040 Comprehensive Plan: Envision Shakopee

PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS TO DESTINATIONS Residents engaged through the public involvement process observed that Shakopee already has a wealth of parks, outdoor recreation facilities and natural areas. While trails connect to nearly all of these destinations, safe connections are not always direct or intuitive. Several factors contribute to circuitous walking and bicycling routes in Shakopee. Safe crossing opportunities across the community’s multilane thoroughfares are few and far between, with many major intersections operating under two-way stop control. A child seeking to access a park in a neighboring subdivision may need to divert a quarter mile or more to the nearest signalized crossing and then double back the same distance to reach their destination. The figure below shows the time it takes Shakopee residents to access the nearest park. These figures are also illustrated in the neighborhood Parks Walkshed Map. Walking and bicycling connectivity is further limited by circuitous routes through developments—street networks designed to prevent cut-through vehicular traffic have the unintended consequence of confining people walking and bicycling to paths alongside busy, higher-speed roadways. Circuitous and unappealing walking and bicycling routes limit park access and cause many residents to drive to access outdoor recreation when they may not prefer to do so. This limitation especially affects Shakopee’s young and older residents, who stand to benefit the most from access to outdoor recreation. Residential Walksheds to Shakopee Parks

Running Header Place Holder

270 Running Header Place Holder 2 1 3 4 6 7 8 Walkshed 5 Minute Walk 10 Minute Walk 20 Minute Walk Transportation 5 Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder Running Header Place Holder

Percent of Residents

Number of Residents

14% 45% 83%

5,595

18,341 33,253

Note: Walksheds source from ESRI Business Analyst

ENVISION SHAKOPEE | SECTION IV: BUILT ENVIRONMENT