New online tool provides updates on plow status of Minneapolis park trails, sidewalks

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minnesotans will take advantage of the weather whatever comes their way, and their wheels don't stop spinning just because the snow is falling.

The city of Minneapolis consistently ranks as one of the best biking cities in the country, but it's traditionally been a bit of a gamble if your trail is clear or not when it's time to hit the road in the winter.

New this year, a tool from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board aims to tackle that problem. Their Trail Plowing Status Map shows when, where and what park trails and sidewalks have been plowed. You can check the status in real-time on their website.

"Our goal is to get everything within the first 24 hours," said Chris DesRoches, Project and Systems Manager with Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. 

As of Tuesday night, DesRoches says they have about 75% of their trails plowed and the rest will be finished on Wednesday morning.

"We also wanted to be really transparent with where we were plowing how we were plowing and how that was working across the city," said DesRoches.

It also allows the Park Board to collect data to analyze and improve their operations. If you run into some unplowed trails, there's a spot on the website to report any problem areas.

The map will be updated when there's two inches or more of snow, helping bikers and walkers get to where they're going in any weather conditions.