Kasson approves parking-restriction resolution to add a trial bike lane on 8th Avenue

Kasson City’s council approved a resolution that clears the way for a low-cost trial bike lane on 8th Avenue, converting a portion of the southbound parking lane to a 10-foot striped bike lane to connect a gap in the Sunset Trail.

The city engineer, Paul (S4), told the council staff coordinated with Dodge County, which will grind and re-stripe the roadway. “It’s a low-cost option to provide a more biking [and] pedestrian-friendly corridor,” Paul said, noting the plan avoids moving curb and gutter and uses existing roadway width to mark a bike lane adjacent to traffic.

The plan would stripe the southbound lane from roughly the north terminus at 8th/5th Street down past Main Street and provide a route that uses an existing driveway near the CHS water tower to place bicyclists back onto the trail system. The county agreed to perform its striping work and bill the city for any additional striping the city requests; the engineer recommended adopting a resolution so the city formally acknowledges parking restrictions along the corridor and assists enforcement.

Council members asked about parking impacts; the engineer said aerial imagery and on-the-ground checks show minimal parking use on the affected side and suggested sending letters to property owners and posting plans on the city website before construction. The council discussed the possibility of a future retrofit that would add curb and a protected cycle track if the trial striping proves successful.

A motion to adopt the parking-restriction resolution passed by voice vote. The city will notify adjacent residents and post project plans before striping begins; Dodge County will perform the grinding and initial striping, and the city will be billed for any additional striping ordered by the city.