The City has promised residents for years that it would take immediate action to construct high-quality protected bikeways downtown. For people getting around the city or recreating on bikes, it is difficult to get anywhere without going through downtown.

The first leg of the loop, along Jackson St, opened in 2017. The next leg, on 9th and 10th Sts, will open in late 2020. The City promised that St. Peter or Wabasha would be next in 2021.

St. Peter is the key leg of the loop. Without this leg of the loop, neighborhoods from the West Side to Como and Frogtown to Union Park will remain cut off from downtown. St. Peter would connect directly (via John Ireland Blvd) to extremely popular bike lanes on Summit Ave, Charles Ave, and Como Ave. Without this critical connection, none of these routes can access--or are accessible to--downtown Saint Paul and the entire East Side.

Wabasha and St. Peter will both be resurfaced next year. If the bikeway project is not funded for 2021, it may be many years before the City has another cost-effective opportunity to implement this bikeway.