Ride, roll, relax: The future City Loop

Improving options for year-round transportation is key to the DMC Development Plan.

From walking and biking in the summer to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, people are looking for fun ways to get fit, stay healthy, and – as a bonus – leave their cars parked in the garage.

The future City Loop is an ideal way to safely connect residents, employees, visitors, patients, and companions to places and spaces throughout the DMC District all year long.

Pedal pushing

Nice Ride Rochester is a local bike rental program designed to offer bikes for all types of riding, from running errands around the neighborhood to longer trail or recreational rides.

Kim Edens, manager of Nice Ride Rochester, has seen the increased demand since the program’s second season began in May 2017. “We’ve tracked over 200 hours of Nice Ride biking per month this year,” Edens says. On sunny days, the bike rentals at both the People’s Food Co-op and Peace Plaza locations saw increases of 600%, with most rentals being from out-of-state visitors.

Nice Ride has also seen success in its partnership with the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau to offer Nice Ride biking as an active group option for conference attendees. A recent co-led effort with Art4Trails was especially successful. “We offered a group ride for the League of Minnesota Cities [a group of municipal leaders from across the state],” says Edens. “The visitors got to enjoy the trails as well as the many art installations along the way.”

Edens says two additional rental sites will be announced soon.

Roll on

Travel along the City Loop will differ vastly from existing transportation options in and around downtown. Landscaping, wayfinding, and a textured pathway will augment the low-stress, high-quality experience for users. The shallow, gradual grading of the City Loop will also accommodate those who require

The shallow, gradual grading of the City Loop will also accommodate those who require the use of wheelchairs or other devices that assist with mobility, making it a great way for more patients to get around downtown as well.

As a defining investment that will prove its value for decades to come, the City Loop will spur development along its route, offer an attractive recreational and mobility option, and extend the City’s existing 85-mile trail system into the heart of America’s City for Health.

Learn more about the City Loop and the many ways it will benefit Rochester in this Post-Bulletin article.