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MINUTES OF THE ORONO CITY COUNCIL MEETING Monday, April 25, 2011 7:00 o'clock p.m. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Page 2 of 25 (4. THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT - DAKOTA RAIL TRAIL PARKING, Continued) 12 foot right-of-way. The main focus was development of that 13 mile trail corridor from downtown Wayzata out to St. Bonifacious. In 2006 a master plan was developed, which recognized that there are property limitations. Three Rivers solicited input from each of the communities along the trail to help identify where some of the trail amenities should be located. Amenities include such thing as bathrooms, signage, water fountains, and kiosks. The design task force also identified that there should be some parking provided as part of the trail and recommended that up to six parking spaces in each community should be provided. The task force also identified areas where they may be able to develop some new parking on available city property near the trail. In 2006, when the project was commenced, it was felt the trail would be popular and it has, in fact, surpassed those estimates. In 2010, which is really the first full season of operation, it is estimated that there were a total of 300,090 visits to the trail. During the 2010 season, extensive user surveys were conducted to find out how people were utilizing the trails. The primary activity on the trail is biking, followed by walking, skating, and skiing. Of the people that are accessing the Dakota Trail, approximately 46 percent are driving to the trail, parking, and then utilizing the trail as part of their recreational experience. They also arrive in a variety of other methods such as by foot, in-line skates, and bikes. The majority of the users are coming from the Cities of Mound, Minnetrista, St. Bonifacious, Orono, Spring Park, Wayzata, and Minnetonka Beach. There are also a small number of people that are from greater Minnesota, out of state, and other metro cities. The majority of the people traverse the trail from Minnetrista to Mound, followed by Mound to Spring Park, Minnetonka Beach, and then up to Wayzata. The least used section is from St. Bonifacious to Minnetrista. Carlson indicated that one of the changes that will occur in the coming years is a pedestrian bridge that will travel over Highway 7, along with a secondary bridge near Highway 92, which will connect to the portion of the corridor that is located in Carver County. The trail in Carver County will be opening up this May. Three Rivers is anticipating that there will be a different disbursement of the users after those bridges are completed. Carlson illustrated the locations of the different kiosks and current parking. There are six parking stalls within the City of Wayzata that are specifically designated for regional trail use only. In addition to the designated stalls, Wayzata also sells parking passes to a nearby parking lot. The City of Orono does not have any identified parking in the eastern portion of the city and the City of Minnetonka Beach has indicated they cannot support any parking within their community. The Navarre area has no recognized or identified areas of parking but some people are parking in the business area. The City of Spring Park has some parking located near their city hall and Three Rivers is looking to expand that parking. Users of the trail also utilize the park-and-ride area located in Mound. In addition, Three Rivers is working with Mound to transfer an old railroad depot building and convert it into a bathroom. That facility will be open this season and will also have water and potentially some vending machines. As you travel further to the west, there is some parking in the Gale Woods Park area, which offers some parking next to the trail. A little further west to the south side of County Road 110, Three Rivers has some unidentified parking available at the ball field parking lot. There is a small six car parking lot located in St. Bonifacious and the City is interested in expanding that area. With the development of the Item #02 - CC Agenda - 05/09/2011 Approval of Council Minutes 04/25/2011 [Page 2 of 25]