First ever Southern Minnesota Active Transportation Summit

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Since the pandemic, walking and biking around southern Minnesota grew in popularity.

With this renewed demand, community leaders will meet this weekend to consider redesigning local roads.

Region Nine, Bike MN, and other state organizations have all partnered to host the first Southern Minnesota Active Transportation Summit.

The summit will give local transportation professionals and the public economic research and strategies for redesigning streets.

Anyone can attend to share any challenges they’ve faced in regards to transportation.

Organizers say public input is crucial, as they will use that information to focus their efforts.

“One of the misconceptions about bicycling in this area that we’re really always fighting against is that the bike is a recreational tool,” said Mark Plotz. “It’s all that, but it’s also people who commute to work. When you start to look at that population and really broaden our notion of who are our customers, you start to realize that, hey, you know, if we had a good route between Saint Peter and Mankato that people could bike a lot more people could actually ride and feel safe.”

The summit takes place this Friday and Saturday, and the registration fee is $25, which includes a lunch.

For more information and to register for the event, check out https://thesmallestcog.com/bikewalksominn/

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