Join Kathy Sidles, a Friends of the Parks and Trails board member and longtime parks volunteer, for a tour of the Bruce Vento Regional Trail — parts of which are still slated for two-way travel lanes for the Purple Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
Kathy and some of her east side neighbors will join members of Friends of the Parks and Trails on Tuesday, July 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. for a trash pickup and to learn more about Ramsey County’s original plan to add BRT lanes to this wide corridor, once a railroad bed. Dairy Queen treats and water provided!
The group will clean up trash — a consistent problem, especially during the summer — as we walk west along the Bruce Vento trail; bags and gloves will be provided. Colin Owens, a community engagement rep from Metro Transit, will join us to hear feedback and answer questions as well.
Although the county is now considering a different option for the Purple Line route, conversation will focus on two questions:
- Could we imagine a way to add dedicated BRT lanes while keeping a safe and wildlife-friendly trail?
- If not, how could we advocate for the alternate route on White Bear Avenue?
RSVP to amy@friendsoftheparks.org or at 612-381-4110 (mobile) so we can plan for food and supplies.
Getting there
Meet on the trail at Johnson Parkway and Phalen Boulevard. Park in front of 1286 Magnolia Ave. E. or, if empty, the church lot across the street. Following the tour and trash pickup, the group will enjoy Dairy Queen treats!
- Drive: Interstate 35E to Maryland exit, east about 2 miles to Johnson Parkway, south/right one block to Magnolia Lane, west/right to parking.
- Metro Transit: Route 64 bus to Maryland and Johnson; walk two blocks south to the event.
Friends’ stance: past and present
In years past, Friends of the Parks and Trails came out against Bus Rapid Transit on the Bruce Vento trail. “Parks and trails should not be used as transit corridors,” the group said back in February 2015. Then known as the Rush Line, the proposed bus or rail transit was to extend between Forest Lake and Union Depot in downtown St. Paul.
Today, in 2023, the organization does support BRT but would like Ramsey County to follow through with its idea to move the Purple Line off the Bruce Vento trail and onto White Bear Avenue.
Photo on homepage courtesy of Tony Lloyd on Facebook
