ST. PAUL — Minnesota’s new 188-mile bike route connecting St. Cloud to Moorhead now has a name – Prairie Lakes Bicycle Route.
A portion of the route runs through the Alexandria lakes area on the Central Lakes Trail.
The new name was announced by the Minnesota Department of Transportation Thursday, July 21, 2022. Prairie Lakes Bicycle Route received 34% of the 3,655 votes cast in response to MnDOT's invitation to the public to help pick a name for the route. The second closest name was Glacier Lakes Bicycle Route, with 33% of the votes cast.
Here’s how the other name choices fared:
- MiddleSota Bicycle Route (21%)
- Rivers to Prairies Bicycle Route (7%)
- Towns and Fields Bicycle Route (2%)
These names, which highlight geographic features along the bike route, were suggested by participants attending a MnDOT event last year. Voting closed July 12.
The U.S. Bicycle Route System is a network of numbered cross-country routes. Currently there are more than 18,000 miles of U.S. Bicycle Routes in 31 states.
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U.S. Bicycle Routes combine existing roads and shared-use paths to create routes that connect some of Minnesota’s most beloved places. MnDOT aims for these routes to be easy to follow, scenic in nature and on the safest available existing roads and paths. MnDOT's first choice is to locate routes on paths separate from car and truck traffic. If not available, road facilities with bicycle lanes or wide shoulders are preferred.
Learn more about U.S. Bike Route 20 and other Minnesota bike routes at mndot.gov/bike/routes-maps.html.
The Trust Project
