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Why is Summit Avenue in danger?
The City of Saint Paul’s Summit Avenue Regional Trail plan redesigns Summit Avenue to create off-road bike trails. Their plan includes:
- Moves all curb lines which will destroy the mature trees and the shade they provide
- Remove historic granite curbs and historic light posts
- Remove parking and creating barriers for people with disabilities
- Requires rebuilding driveways and carriage walks which put construction on all sides of the boulevard trees, further damaging the roots.
Who is SOS?
Save Our Street (SOS) is a citizens’ group of walkers, bikers, residents, and neighbors that formed to protect Saint Paul’s treasured Summit Avenue. The impacts of the City’s plan will dramatically change the avenue’s tree canopy, historic character and safety for all users. The historic trees are the defining element of the historic district. We believe government is intended to work for the people, and that we must hold City Hall accountable.
Join us in the fight!
Summit Avenue’s strength is its simple, symmetrical design that has accommodated all ever since it was built in the 1870s: pedestrians, bicyclists, horses and carriages, motorists, and today’s new technology. People far beyond our capital city have enjoyed the shade and beauty of the 100-year-old trees complementing the historic architecture and vistas.
Now everything is in jeopardy because a flawed process resulted in an egregiously flawed design. The City’s intent to replace the popular on-street bike lanes with two narrow bike trails at sidewalk level – one on each side of the street – destroys trees and creates safety, access, and environmental problems.
The Latest News
Joe Soucheray: He wanted to know the Summit Avenue plan. He sued to get it.
Sept. 19, 2026 Twice now, because once apparently isn’t enough when the city of St. Paul wants its way, the courts have ruled that the city willfully broke the law by denying Bob Cattanach the plans for the Summit Avenue bike trail. He first sued last year and won. The city appealed his victory. Last week, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that St. Paul did, in fact, willfully violate the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. Just flat out ignored it. Cattanach was awarded $30,000 plus administrative fees.
Residents just need transparency about the Summit Avenue bike trail.
Sept. 23, 2026 The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Sept. 8 affirmed that the city of St. Paul refused to disclose damaging information about the proposed bike trail on Summit Avenue before the St. Paul City Council voted to approve it on May 24, 2023. The court stated: “The undisputed facts demonstrate that the city knew the [Minnesota Government Data Practices Act’s] requirements [and] knowingly decided to implement a policy that … would result in noncompliance … .”
“As a Minnesota Master Naturalist I am opposed to the destruction of mature shade trees and appalled at the callous disregard for the impact of removing yet more of the urban tree canopy. Obviously three years of drought which has severely impacted our heat island Twin Cities has not sufficiently opened the eyes of our city leaders who should have climate change at the top of their list when considering any alterations to our natural environment in the city.”
– Karen Jeffords-Brown
