The Dinkytown Greenway opened to bike traffic on Aug. 4, providing cyclists with a mostly car-free path from the suburbs to downtown Minneapolis.

The bikeway, which runs from TCF Bank Stadium to the Mississippi River near campus, goes through an old railroad trench beneath Dinkytown and  connects the University transitway with downtown Minneapolis bike paths. Bike paths will now be available from downtown to St. Paul and some suburbs.

There is currently one exit on the trail, but Mayor R.T. Rybak plans to allocate money to add a staircase up from the trail at the intersection of 15th Avenue Southeast and 4th Street in Minneapolis' 2014 budget, according to a news release. 

Discussion of building the greenway to provide a protected option for cyclists began in the 1990s, but construction didn't begin until 2012 as money became available and support grew.