MRT Missouri / MRT Minnesota

Have you ever seen this sign before?

That uninformative sign with the bike is a mystery isn't it?  What could MRT stand for?  What is that upsidedown acron supposed to mean?  MRT isn't mass rapid transit here.  MRT is Mississippi River Trail. 

Check out the full map,

The Mississippi River Trail has a long way to go before it is complete, but sections of it have been built.  It should run from Minneapolis all the way to New Orleans.  Google Maps now has bike routes, and I've put together a few of the major cities it goes through here,

(click to expand)

Memphis doesn't have much at all.  St. Louis is notable for the Katy Trail running off along the Missouri River, but doesn't have much along the Mississippi.  The Quad Cities have a good trail.  The Twin Cities are amazing though.  Both sides of the river!

Bicycling Magazine published a list of the most bicycle friendly cities in America and it was a big upset.  Portland was dethroned by Minneapolis.  The Twin Cities are number one in America for biking.  St. Louis weighs in at number 38.

St. Louis,

doesn't quite look like what we're aiming at,

It just doesn't compare does it?  We'll get there! 

Check out the Twin Cities,

We're building, but so are they.  Twin Cities Greenways has plans for more greenways.

As we both share the Great River Road and the MRT, this is good news.  We'll build together and meet up in Iowa.

There's a bike share program called Nice Ride Minnesota that's starting up.  The bikes are going to look like this,

See that blue section and the word, Do?  That's the program's main sponsor.  Health care companies that care about people's health???  Impossible, but true.  This is a bold new America that we're living in. 

Perhaps you've heard of Dan Buettner?  He's a native of St. Paul.  He researches Blue Zones and has partnered with the AARP to make a Blue Zone in southern Minnesota.  The big mystery is if and when the Twin Cities will attempt to become one giant Blue Zone.

What is a Blue Zone?  Watch,



St. Louis has something like that.  Trailnet calls them Healthy, Active, and Vibrant Communities.

I believe the cities along the Mississippi can learn from and help each other.  We've got some of the same goals.