La Crescent, Minnesota
Perseverance, partnerships, and balance between big dreams and practical planning, have made La Crescent (pop. 5,000) one of the most active small cities in Minnesota in terms of making biking and walking improvements. In 2011, the Wagon Wheel Trail will link the city to the Mississippi River by the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and eventually to LaCrosse, Wisconsin. This and other pedestrian improvements were made possible by a Trail Enhancement Grant, appropriations from the State Legislature, and a federal safety grant for railroad crossing improvements. Federal Safe Routes to School funding helped the City construct new sidewalks. The National Park Service assisted with grant applications and a trail feasibility assessment.
Photo: Walkers enjoy a stroll along the Goodhue Pioneer Trail in Minnesota.
– NPS
