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l[\^ <br />© transportation.JUNE, 198C <br />ORONO'S TRAIL SYSTEM PROVIDES RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS LdCAL <br />TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES. As part of our recreation-open space plan, <br />Orono is proposing an extensive road-side bi.ke-hike trail linking the <br />commercial area of Navarre with Spring Park, Tonka Bay (and Excelsior) <br />wayzata, Long Lake and most of Orono*s urban neighborhoods. Besides <br />offering walking and bicycle recreation, this trail system provides an <br />excellent local alternative to auto travel between home and shopping or <br />friends. In addition, the DNR's Luce Line Trail provides extended <br />east-west linkage between several other cities and between several of <br />Orono*s north-south bike trails. Taken together, these trails provide <br />a cohesive network of alternative local transportation -outes. <br />ORONO'S AIR TRANSPORTATION INVOLVEMENT IS LIMITED TO SEAPLANE OPERATION <br />ON LONG LAKE AND LAKE MINNETONKA. Orono is not within any metropolitan <br />airports search area and Orono is not within the normal landing or <br />takeoff flight pattern of any regular airport. Maple Plain has a small <br />field south of that City used by private planes that may fly over north­ <br />west Orono on one runway pattern, but there is no adverse effect from the <br />current usage level and the location is such that there are no special <br />land use or height restrictions necessary. <br />of Lake Minnetonka is open for sea plane usage except for the <br />restricted bays of French Lake, Forest Lake and Tanager Lake. Sea Pl^ne <br />usage has been generally very limited although the potential for conflicts <br />on crowded bays does exist. The most critical problem to date, however, <br />has been one of noise associated with sea plane takeoffs at odd hours. <br />This has been occasional enough so*as not to warrant any significan <br />policy formation in this Plan, <br />ROADWAY MAINT'i:NANCE CONCERNS ARE PERHAPS THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN <br />LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING FOR ORONO. Every level of government <br />has been increasingly faced with skyrocketing road maintenance problems. <br />Initial construction costs are significant, but the maintenance problem <br />is never ending. Vehicle weights have been increasing, speed has been <br />increasing, and winter safety solutions have caused rapid deterioration <br />of roadway surfaces and bridges. At the same time, maintenance budgets <br />are crimped by inflation, the rapidly rising cost ot asphalt, and _ <br />limited maintenance fund income. This crunch is most severe a e <br />level where levy-limitations prevent the hiring o-f sufficient maintenance <br />crews or the replacement of well-used equipment. Thus, the planning <br />concerns for new roadways include not only the initial cost- ene i . . <br />question, but also the worry about spreading future maintenance capability <br />beyond the reach of limited crews or limited budgets. <br />CMP 7-7 I