City Council Meeting Date: January 6, 2026
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: David E. Bennett - Public Works Director/City Engineer
Sean M. Simonson - Engineering Manager
Subject:
TITLE
Consider Resolution Approving Sponsorship of the MnDOT Transportation Alternatives Grant Application for the funding year 2030 - Lincoln Parkway Walking and Biking Improvement Project.
BODY
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council approves the attached Resolution sponsoring the 2025/26 Transportation Alternatives Solicitation for the funding year 2030.
Summary Report:
For the 2025/26 application cycle, MnDOT is conducting a solicitation for Transportation Alternatives (TA) projects (Attachment 2). The TA funding available through this solicitation is for project construction in fiscal year 2030. TA funding requires a 20 percent local match. Maximum funding awards are set by each Area Transportation Partnership.
The Transportation Alternatives Solicitation is a competitive grant opportunity for local communities and regional agencies to fund projects for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, historic preservation, Safe Routes to School and more. Minnesota will be soliciting projects for approximately $12.5 million in available grant funding across the state where the total is sub-targeted to the seven area transportation partnerships (ATP). The City of Northfield is in the Southeast Minnesota ATP, where $2,100,000 is available for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2030.
The City of Northfield completed a Corridor Analysis on Lincoln Parkway (Attachment 3), and City Council accepted this study at the February 20, 2024, City Council Meeting via Resolution 2024-019. This resolution also authorized staff to explore grant opportunities and funding partnerships for the improvements. The corridor analysis identified a preferred roadway improvement option for the entire corridor, which included four phases of construction. This grant application would address Phase 2 of the corridor analysis on Lincoln Parkway from Cannon Valley Place to Dresden Avenue. The proposed improvement includes:
• Pavement Mill and Overlay
• Off-street bikeway (north side/west side/east side)
• Curb extensions
In addition to the proposed work approved with the corridor analysis, this grant application is proposed to include an off-street bikeway on Lincoln Parkway from Cannon Valley Place to Greenvale Avenue, and on Spring Street from Dresden Avenue to Greenvale Avenue. This off-street bikeway would be built in what is the current parking lane on Lincoln Parkway/Spring Street (Attachment 1).
City Plans & Policies Relevance:
The proposed Lincoln Parkway safety improvement project is strongly aligned with both the City of Northfield’s adopted 2045 Comprehensive Plan and the 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, which together establish a clear policy direction prioritizing pedestrian safety, multimodal accessibility, infrastructure sustainability, equity, climate resilience, community engagement, and responsible financial stewardship.
The Northfield 2045 Comprehensive Plan emphasizes “connecting people to places” and “designing streets for safe access,” with specific direction to improve sidewalks, crossings, bicycle facilities, and Safe Routes to School, and to design streets as public spaces that safely serve people of all ages and abilities. The Plan further calls for transportation investments that enhance equitable access to schools, parks, and essential services, particularly in areas where residents have expressed concerns about unsafe crossings, speeding traffic, and limited bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The Lincoln Parkway Corridor Analysis directly implements these adopted policy priorities by addressing documented safety challenges near Greenvale Park Elementary School and Northfield Community Education Center (NCEC), including difficult pedestrian crossings, lack of bicycle facilities, speeding vehicles, and disorderly school pick-up and drop-off operations, while proposing multimodal improvements that improve safety, connectivity, and neighborhood livability. The other public elementary schools including Bridgewater and Spring Creek have had substantial improvements to address similar concerns that are contextually relevant to their locations and operations.
The project also advances Strategic Priority 3 - Achieve Infrastructure Sustainability in the City’s 2025-2028 Strategic Plan, which includes specific performance targets for improved pedestrian safety, expanded pedestrian crossings, completion of Safe Streets planning, and implementation of pedestrian and biking improvements. In addition, the project strongly supports the Comprehensive Plan’s core principles of economy, equity, and environment by improving safe access to schools, strengthening multimodal connectivity, and proactively reinvesting in existing neighborhoods to avoid higher long-term maintenance and public safety costs.
Importantly, the proposed funding strategy directly advances the City’s adopted goals for financial stewardship and fiscal responsibility. If awarded, grant funding combined with the City’s annual state transportation aid for regional roadways would fund 100 percent of the estimated $3.7 million project cost using non-local revenue sources, resulting in no impact to local property taxes. This approach aligns with both the Comprehensive Plan’s direction to seek grants and external funding to offset capital costs and manage long-term infrastructure expenses, and the Strategic Plan’s priority to improve financial strength and deliver infrastructure improvements in a fiscally responsible manner. By leveraging external funding sources to deliver a critical safety project with no property tax impact, the City is advancing its commitment to equitable service delivery, responsible use of public resources, and long-term financial sustainability.
This project is also rooted in extensive community and stakeholder engagement, consistent with the Comprehensive Plan’s emphasis on inclusive, community-driven decision-making and equitable investment. The initial impetus for the Lincoln Parkway Corridor Analysis originated from neighborhood concerns regarding speeding traffic, difficult pedestrian crossings, and safety challenges for children traveling to and from Greenvale Park Elementary School and the Northfield Community Education Center (NCEC). These resident-identified issues prompted City Council to authorize a corridor study to better understand conditions and develop appropriate safety-focused solutions. The study itself incorporated structured opportunities for neighborhood feedback, public engagement, and direct coordination with Northfield Public Schools, school staff, and families, ensuring that lived experiences and daily travel patterns informed the design concepts. This engagement-driven approach reflects the Comprehensive Plan’s guiding values related to equity, connectivity, and community partnership, and helps ensure that the proposed improvements respond directly to documented community needs while building public trust and accountability in City infrastructure investment.
Alternative Options:
Council could not elect to submit for this project grant.
Financial Impacts:
The total project costs are estimated to be $3,660,730. for this project. This grant requires a 20% local match commitment to receive the grant. The City of Northfield would propose to use its State-Aid Funding to cover the City of Northfield’s portion of the project costs. See the table below for the proposed project costs and project funding. This current funding plan, subject to awards and final details in the future, estimate no property tax impact at this time of application.
|
Estimated Project Costs |
|
Construction Subtotal |
$2,910,730 |
|
Admin and Engineering |
$750,000 |
|
Total Project Costs |
$3,660,730 |
|
Estimated Project Funding |
|
Proposed 2030 Grant |
$1,978,744 |
|
City Funding (State-Aid) |
$1,681,986 |
|
Total Project Costs |
$3,660,730 |
Tentative Timelines:
Council Action for Grant January 6, 2026
Grant Application Due January 9, 2026
Grant Award Notice March 30, 2026