City of Columbia Heights
Northeast of downtown Minneapolis in southern Anoka County, Columbia Heights is home to 19,000 residents. The City worked with the Bonestroo firm to produce a Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Plan to insure future development includes alternative-transportation infrastructure and features that provide residents healthier travel options. The route and plan information were incorporated into the City’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Plan requires that future development provide infrastructure and access for cyclists and pedestrians. The general goal for the plan is to determine and propose a comprehensive alternative-transportation network connecting essential elements within the city with existing trails and systems in the region.
The route and plan information were incorporated into the City of Columbia Heights’ 2030 Comprehensive Plan, also prepared by Bonestroo. During the initial stages of preparing the City’s new Comprehensive Plan, Bonestroo prepared a Background Report that includes an introduction to the comprehensive plan and process, a regional context, an assessment of the city today and in the future, as well as trends.
On May 9, 2008, the City conducted a half-day Health Impact Assessment Rapid Assessment Workshop to evaluate the health impacts of proposed improvements to the pedestrian and bicycle facilities in Columbia Heights. Workshop participants included staff members from the City’s planning department, public works, parks and recreation, and representatives from the school district and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). The outcomes of this workshop were incorporated into the Bicycle and Pedestrian Mobility Plan and the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
Final Plan: Columbia Heights Pedestrian and Bicycle Mobility Plan (no longer available online)