City Parks and Recreation Department Project websitehttps://engagestpaul.org/summit

Summit Avenue Regional Trail Plan

  • To build a new paved bike trail separated from the roadway. The trail will be up to 12 feet wide taking boulevard, trees and/or street parking.
  • To run from Kellogg Blvd to Mississippi River Blvd
  • The goal is to connect other Regional Trails to the Mississippi Trail
  • Current schedule:
    • Finalize Plan – June 2022; City Council vote – Fall 2022
  • Pushing for quick approval to be added to the planned road maintenance on Summit between Lexington and Victoria in 2023
  • Proponents claim current bicycle usage on Summit is about 1 bike per min
    • 800 – 1000 per day using a ~15-hour window during warm months calculates to 0.88 – 1.1 bicyclist per minute
  • Proponents also claim it will be maintained for year-round use

Questions and Objections

  • Why is connecting Regional Trails taking precedence over preserving the character of Summit Avenue, which is the longest stretch of Victorian Architecture in the nation?
  • Why aren’t other routes being considered?
  • Trails already can connect to the Mississippi Trail via Shepard Road
  • Wouldn’t more frequent road & existing bike path maintenance improve the safety for both vehicle drivers and bike path users?
    • Wouldn’t this be a less expensive option?
  • The claimed daily average bicycle usage numbers are an exaggeration. This rate of use cannot be observed on Summit, much less for a daily average.
  • What is the plan to maintain such a trail? Where would the ongoing funding come from?
  • Based on how well St. Paul plows its side streets, it is unlikely that snow will be removed from this paved bike trail sufficient for year-round bike use.
Postcard Flyer

Summit Avenue Residential Preservation Association (SARPA) website’s info on project