The MMDC can help your community address multiple facets of transportation planning to ensure safety and promote healthy living. We use funds granted by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to keep our costs to a minimum. Often, the cost of our work is fully-funded by our MnDOT Transportation Planning grant.
Our transportation planning services include:
Safe Routes to School
MMDC can help your community apply for grants from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and then work with you to prepare a plan that will improve safety for your students who walk or bike to school.
Walkability Studies
MMDC can objectively measure how friendly your community is to walkers based on distance to amenities, pedestrian safety, and other criteria, and can often be completed concurrently with your Safe Routes to School Planning Project.
Active Living Transportation incorporates physical activity into daily routines.
Walking or biking to work or school is an example of Active Living Transportation. The MMDC can help your community promote active living by:
- Updating municipal plans to incorporate sidewalks and crosswalks into street development
- Increasing access to connected walking and biking networks
- Connecting and promoting trail systems
- Incorporating street landscaping and signage
- Taking other effective approaches to calm traffic and improve safety along identified routes
Sidewalk and Trails Planning
Sidewalks and trails provide critical links in your transportation network by providing pedestrian access to commercial districts, schools, businesses, government offices, and recreation areas. They should be designed to meet the needs of the maximum number of potential users, including users with disabilities.
MMDC will work with your community to prepare a sidewalk and trails plan that will ensure the best use of your pedestrian-focused dollars.
MMDC Transportation & Community Planner
Blake Barnard can be reached via email at blake.barnard@mmrdc.org or by phone at (651) 605-1091