Take a look at South Shore!

The South Shore segment of the Lake Links Trail is now ready and waiting for you! South Shore resident and Lake Links Association board member Greg Bartz reported this week that the only things left to be done are to remove the erosion mitigation tubes and finish up a bit of fencing. Walkers, runners, bicyclists, and strollers young and old are taking advantage of the opportunity to enjoy the fall foliage and fresh breezes off the lake without the complications that cars, potholes, narrow shoulders and unsafe sight lines provided in the past.

A huge thank you to all who were inconvenienced during the construction process. We will always be grateful for this great gift of safe recreation you gave to friends and neighbors today and for generations to come. And continued grateful thanks to the Minnesota Legislature for funding this project. Scroll through the slide show below to see the wonderful resource your generosity has brought to our community!

All told, the 10-mile trail around White Bear Lake is now nearly 80% complete.

Extensive resident input via consultant-led open house events and an interactive web page played an invaluable role in the successful design and implementation of South Shore. Residents were presented with ideas and options, and the back-and-forth ultimately revealed the direction the majority thought should be pursued by Ramsey County, the City of White Bear Lake, and White Bear Township.

The remaining unsafe segments to complete the trail network around the lake can benefit from the same approach. These are a 0.8 mile segment along the north shore of White Bear Lake in Ramsey County and a 1.5 mile segment of Highway 244 through Dellwood. Each is in the corridor of a state-owned highway the state does not wish to own. Each has multiple safety and right-of-way issues that have stalled implementation but can only find direction through organized public engagement. If you live in the communities of White Bear Lake, White Bear Township or Dellwood, urge your local officials and respective county commissioners to talk to each other and especially their residents via a structured information gathering process so the trail can be completed.