Minnesota cyclists are a hardy bunch, but ice and snow-blocked trails can put the brakes on many commutes and rides. Again this year, ready for winter weather, the Minneapolis Trail Plowing Status Map App is live and worth checking when it snows. In the app’s fourth year, transponders mounted on the city’s snow removal equipment continue to show in real time which trails have been cleared. With the app, users can track more than 70 pieces of city equipment as they plow over 150 miles of trails across Minneapolis.
Trail plowing status gains momentum
According to a recent U.S. Census American Community Survey, Minneapolis is one of the top cycling cities in America. With an extensive trail network, nearly 12,000 people commute by bike here each year.
That number declines significantly during winter, especially when snow is in the forecast. The Trail Plowing Status app aims to remove the mystery of whether your route to work is safe to ride, walk, or roll. The MPRB hopes this will encourage more active transportation enthusiasts to use the trail network all year.
The app also allows the Park Board to collect data for analysis and to improve its operations. If you encounter unplowed trails, you can report the problem areas on the website.
A final note – excuses not to ride
When discussing bicycle infrastructure in Canada, the number one excuse is “winter.” Many North American cyclists consider the cold and snow a fundamental barrier to year-round biking. But one city, Oulu, Finland, with winter weather worse than most cities in northern North America, shows that winter cycling has nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with safe cycling infrastructure. “People will ride a bicycle in the winter if the city is designed for it.”
Here is a comparison video explaining why Canadians can’t bike in winter, unlike people in Finland.