Bike-walk greenway proposed for St. Paul

Bicycles, pedestrians and a light-rail train took over a downtown St. Paul street today Thursday to help visualize a future without car traffic.

Some downtown boosters are pushing to turn Fourth Street into a bike-walk greenway to be shared with the new Green Line train.

Bike-lane decals and sidewalk tables popped up for the day. One of the organizers, executive director Jessica Treat of St. Paul Smart Trips, says Fourth Street isn't included in the city's recently released plan for a downtown bike loop, but some building owners and businesses are pushing for it.

"They get that it's about economic development and place-making," she said. "They want to have cafes in front of their businesses. They want to have an enlivened street. And they think doing that doing it with biking and walking would be really great."

The city's bike plan currently calls for placing the loop along St. Peter, 10th and Jackson streets and Kellogg Boulevard.

The Green Line opens June 14th.