Washington County previews Battle Creek–St. Croix regional trail plan to Maplewood; council urges local outreach

Washington County planners on Feb. 23 briefed the Maplewood City Council at a workshop on a long-range plan for the Battle Creek–St. Croix River Regional Trail, an approximately 13-mile east–west corridor intended to link Maplewood, Woodbury and Afton.

Andrea Rame, a planner with Washington County Public Works, told the council a regional trail is designed to attract users across cities and counties and to connect destinations such as parks and downtowns. Rame said the county’s standard is a 10-foot paved trail with a 10-foot buffer from vehicle traffic where possible, and that an approved long-range plan is often required to qualify for certain state and Metropolitan Council grants and for operations and maintenance reimbursements. “A regional trail is distinct from other types of trail in that its purpose is to serve a regional audience,” Rame said.

Connor Schafer, senior planner for Washington County Public Works, described the project’s evaluation process: an initial broad “spaghetti at the wall” brainstorming…