Communities around Minnesota are eyeing transportation changes, including changes focused on accessibility.
Ramsey County is developing a long-range plan that will guide future county transportation investment decisions, leading to projects that are accessible to people of all ages and abilities. The public is invited to join the All-Abilities 2050 Transportation Plan, led by Ramsey County Public Works. It will incorporate community feedback to shape roadway, pedestrian, bike and public transportation investments for the next 27 years, through the year 2050.
The All-Abilities plan will influence the investment priorities for future Ramsey County transportation projects in collaboration with Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Metro Transit, Ramsey County municipalities and Ramsey County transportation users. Engagement opportunities will take place online, virtually and in person, and will be available in multiple languages.
The planning process will take place over the course of the next year,
For more information about the plan and to learn about how to get involved, visit the project website ramseycounty.us/2050Transportation.
In west central Minnesota, the city of Willmar has received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, for the Safe Streets and Roads Program. The funding will allow the city to complete a citywide safety action plan to address safety, accessibility and equity concerns throughout the city’s transportation system.
Willmar received one of 12 grants awarded to communities in Minnesota, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation. There were 510 grant awards nationwide totaling $800 million.
The competitive grant program, established by President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law, provides $5 billion over five years for regional, local and tribal initiatives — from redesigned roads to better sidewalks and crosswalks — to prevent deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways.
The Willmar Safety Action Plan developed with the grant will use data and best practices to improve traffic safety and save lives. It will study safety concerns and barriers to opportunity that adversely affect low-income communities and communities of Black and Indigenous people of color on roadways, particularly while walking and biking. Thirteen percent of Willmar’s residents have a disability.
Other applicants receiving awards in Minnesota are the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa; Hennepin County; Rochester-Olmsted Council of Governments; the St Louis County Department of Public Works; and the cities of Columbia Heights, Eagan, Elk River, Monticello, Red Wing, St. Louis Park and Woodbury.
(Source: Ramsey County, West Central Tribune)
