Organizations in the city of Park Rapids and Hubbard County are working to create a bike friendly community. Assisted by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota and both the Minnesota Departments of Health and Transportation, cyclists are one step closer to making these plans of creating a safer place for them a reality.

Park Rapids may be the next bikeable community in northwestern Minnesota. Thanks to the hard work of cyclists in the area, plans are currently in the early stages to make the roads and trails a safer place for those on their bikes.

Different organizations are working toward this goal of making Park Rapids the next bicycle friendly community. They include the Headwaters Regional Development Commission, Bike MN, Itascatur Outdoor Activity Club, Hubbard Bike Group, and even departments from the state level.

Benefits of creating a bikeable community will go past the trails and to the local businesses, as many bicyclists could visit the area if current ideas like expanding the Heartland Trail westward come to fruition.

If the Heartland Trail is extended, it can be used year-round, and during the winter it will be open for skiing and snowmobiles. The Minnesota DNR has a 2014 report available for further information.

By — Mary Balstad