The mobile Twin Cities Bike Map_2014 has been updated to reflect the latest research in the area.

July updates include a new bike path and boardwalk around Keller Lake near Lake Phalen. Hwy 13 has a new bike path between the Transit Station and River Rd. Multiple changes in NE Minneapolis. St. Anthony Parkway bridge has been closed to motor vehicles, but bikes and peds allowed. It is now shown as a trail instead of a road. Multiple changes in Apple Valley.

If you have already purchased the 2014 version of the map, you can update it for free. Go to the Avenza store through your app and install the map again. You will not be charged.

If you haven’t purchased the map yet, follow these simple steps:

Get the App. Then get the Map.

1. Go to the App Store or Google Play and search for “Avenza.”
2. Download the free app.
3. Then go to the Avenza Map Store by opening the app and clicking the “store” icon at the bottom of the page.
4. Search for “Bikeverywhere.” Download any, or all, of the Bikeverywhere maps and start playing around.

Apple Valley is an auto centric suburb that is trying to be more bike friendly. It is only partially succeeding. The city has built a lot of miles of bike trails, but because the town is laid out in a cul-de-sac and arterial pattern, the only logical place to put the trails is along major auto through ways.  The result is a noisy and sometimes exhaust filled bike ride. It isn’t working so well for cyclists. I haven’t seen more than a couple of riders in several days of research. The riders I do see are either hard-core roadies or young teens who don’t have driver’s licenses.

That’s too bad, because the few through roads with little traffic are quite exceptional. Apple Valley has a pleasant mix of rolling hills and the bike routes south of the Zoo and Lebanon Hill Park (132^nd, Diamond Path, Evermoor Pky) roll through quiet residential neighborhoods with mature trees shading the road and well maintained houses and yards. Continuing east on Connemara Trail in Rosemount, the route moves into newer developments with younger trees and a wider road.

Connemara Trail now runs through to Akron (updates will appear on the Mobile Twin Cities Bike Map_2014 in July and on the 2015 printed version of the map). Turn right on Akron and drop south into U-More Park, a unique area owned by the U of M. More on that in the next post.

Black Dog Rd runs along the south side of the Minnesota River between Cedar Ave and I-35W. it has served the employees of the Blackdog Power plant, fishermen, birdwatchers, nature lovers and bicyclists for decades. It has always been a destination ride for me because of its close proximity to the river and it’s low traffic, paved surface.

Next month the road will be permanently closed to the public. The only vehicles permitted on the road will be employees of the power plant.

The beginning of the end began several years ago when heavy flooding washed out the road between the power plant and I-35W. The damage was never repaired and that section was closed to traffic. It was still possible to ride the closed section, but with each passing year the pavement crumbled more and weeds began growing in the cracks. Today, most of that section of road is potholed gravel.

The future, however, is not as bleak as it may seem. A path will run the length of the old road, providing access for bicyclists and pedestrians. Fishermen and bird watchers who depended on close access to their vehicles will have to stay closer to the public access points.

Cyclists looking for one last ride on the old Blackdog Road should make their pilgrimage soon, but come prepared for a gravel road experience.

I’ve been updating the 2014 version of the mobile Twin Cities Bike Map approximately once per month. In the June update:

• I added Riverside Rd near the West Bank. It now has striped bike lanes and offers a good connector to Franklin Ave.
• Revised routes in downtown St. Paul to reflect construction around Lowertown Ball Park.
• Removed Black Dog Rd. It’s private now.
• Changed road configuration around Home Depot in Richfield.
• Added new roads in north metro- mostly new subdivisions
• Added roads north of Hudson, WI.
• More readability changes.

The Gateway State Trail bridge spanning I-35E is closed permanently. Trail users will be able to cross I-35E using the new route that the Gateway State Trail follows, which is now across the new Arlington Avenue bridge.

The section of the Oak Leaf Trail south from Bluemound to 120th Street has been rebuilt as a trail, replacing the very potholed road.

Because of the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange, the section of the Hank Aaron State Trail west of 94th Place has been closed and is not projected to reopen until 2018. There is a well-marked detour south of the trail. For more information go to this site.

Construction on the Cedar Ave Bridge across the Minnesota River will begin this year. Representative Ann Lenczewski of Bloomington, a long time advocate for the bridge, obtained funding to restore the existing bridge. No timeline for completion to date.

Representative Lenczewski has also sponsored a bill to complete the Minnesota Valley State Trail through Bloomington. The proposed legislation will create two corridors: a paved trail and an off road trail. The outcome of the legislation is still unknown.

Wolfie Browender decided in the summer of 2011 that he would ride his bike on every block of every street in St. Paul. He doesn’t just ride the streets. He posts a blog about each ride. The blog posts, which he claims take much longer to write than the rides; combine history, photography and interviews with local residents.

Even a cursory look at his posts reveals a man with a high level of curiosity, and the ability to draw a story out of just about anyone he meets. In his most recent posts he’s interviewed a piano tuner who works out his home, a school teacher who teaches in the one room Mattocks School Building, now located on the campus of the Highland Park Senior High School, a woman who searches out old grave sites in her local cemetery, and a Hamline University student working a parking lot during the State Fair. He also photographed three old cars, apparently abandoned in a weedy parking lot, a variety of Little Free Libraries with unique designs and an album’s worth of gravestones.

The idea for this grand project began with bike rides.

“As I traversed Saint Paul a few years ago, I saw various interesting, curious and cool things.  It was entertaining to visit parts of the city to which I didn’t often or ever get.  I also noticed sights while biking that I would have otherwise missed.

“This got me to thinking-what would I experience if I were to bike every street in Saint Paul?  How long would it take?  What fascinating people would I meet?  What interesting things would I see?”

Wolfie has completed two full seasons of riding and will soon start his third. He started the project expecting it to take 10 years to complete. That seems like a stretch. My guess is that this is a lifetime project at best and may have to be carried on by the next generation. Wolfie is just too fascinated by St. Paul to hurry through the ride. By the time this project is finished, we’ll not only have a complete and personal picture of St. Paul, we’ll also have a series of set pieces that capture the city as it evolves over the years.

One word of caution: Wolfie’s blog is called “St. Paul By Bike- Every Block of Every Street. Its Sights. Its People. It’s History.” The title alone should tell you that Wolfie doesn’t write Twitter Feed or Facebook Post type blogs. He writes and photographs everything he sees, he adds historical notes and writes up entire interviews. He doesn’t stop until he’s documented everything.

The Milwaukee and SE Wisconsin Bike Map is now available for your phone or tablet. Called the SE Wisconsin Bike Map, it covers bike routes and trails in SE Wisconsin from the Illinois border to Port Washington and as far west as the South Kettle Moraine. With this map you can comfortably navigate from Milwaukee’s Downtown to the upscale tourist town of Lake Geneva or the Kettle Moraine.

Explore the Oak Leaf Trail, Glacial Drumlin Trail, Ozaukee Interurban Trail, Hank Aaron Trail plus dozens of smaller trails and hundreds of miles of bicycle friendly roads.

Version 1.0 is a prototype. The routes and trails are current, but it still needs some tweaks and design work. This version is free for testing and feedback. Please send comments through bikeverywhere.com.

Get the App, Get the Map.

1. Go to the App store or Google Play and search for “Avenza.”
2. Download the free app. You only have to do this once.
3. Then go to the Avenza Map Store by opening the App and clicking the “store” icon at the bottom of the page.
4. Search for “Bikeverywhere” in the search box. You will see all the maps developed so far by Bikeverywhere.

Problems? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me through this site or on Facebook. I’m looking to make this the best bike map you will ever use on your phone. Your feedback will help me make the improvements that you want the most.