Vernon Ave. Roadway Improvements
If you were underwhelmed by the "bike friendly" infrastructure included in the Vernon/Highway 100 interchange project completed this year, join the club! The city is now planning to expand that infrastructure on Vernon Avenue from Interlachen Boulevard to Eden Avenue through a 2027 construction project. We need your help to improve bike infrastructure in this corridor.
Background. Below is a picture of the new "shared use paths" on Vernon Avenue over Highway 100. The city installed 10' sidewalks on each side of the street.
Our Stance: Cycle Track > Shared Use Path. Below is a picture of what we are advocating the city build on Vernon from Interlachen to Eden. This photo is from Cedar Lake Road in St. Louis Park.
We are advocating for a cycle track (like the one above) instead of a shared use path because:
Design guidance calls for separating cyclists and pedestrians on this stretch of Vernon.
The current design of the shared use paths is not welcoming to cyclists. It looks and feels like a wide sidewalk, not a dedicated bike path.
Creating a cycle track on this section of Vernon could set a precedent for reconstructing the remainder of Vernon in the future.
A cycle track does not increase the project's cost or overall scope. We are not asking the city to expand the width of the planned paths, we are simply asking for different colored concrete for the cycle track.
The Edina Transportation Commission emailed Chad Milner on July 16, endorsing a cycle track on Vernon.
Action Step. Email Chad Milner (cmillner@EdinaMN.gov), Public Works Director & City Engineer, and Andrew Scipioni (ascipioni@EdinaMN.gov), Transportation Planner. Advocate for a cycle track on Vernon.
Reminder: Sign up here for our family-friendly group ride, which will take place on Sunday, September 27. We will meet at the Bredesen Park parking lot at 9:00 AM and roll out at 9:30, biking five miles to The Lobby Coffee & Leisure. City Council candidate Patrick Gage will meet us for coffee from about 10:00 to 11:00, then we will bike back to Bredesen Park. You can find the route here.
Best,
The Edina Bike Alliance Team
