Northfield’s Greenway Corridor Plan (adopted 2007) identifies a connected system of protected natural areas and cultural resources and proposes action.
Category Archives: Focus: Transportation
Transportation at Northfield Middle School
Environmental Studies students investigated the after-school commute through surveys and interviews with middle school students. The project was intended to supplement the findings of the 2009 Safe Routes to School study. The final report is available here: Middle School Transportation Study.
Contact: Kim Smith, ksmith@carleton.edu
Northfield Retirement Center Transportation Study
Environmental Studies students investigated transportation needs at the Northfield Retirement Center during Spring 2014. Their final report is available here.
Contact: Kim Smith ksmith@carleton.edu
Northfield Safe Routes to School Plan
Adopted in 2009, the Safe Routes to School Plan implicitly recognizes the connection between land use, transportation and safety in the context of non-motorized transportation to school.
Northfield Transportation Plan
The Northfield Comprehensive Transportation Plan balances the need for mobility with a thoughtful approach to quality of life in Northfield. The Plan’s assumptions about design speed, design vehicles and street types are critically important for the physical development of the city and for environmental and financial sustainability.
The Northfield-Minneapolis Dan Patch Passenger Rail Line
A local initiative that aims to persuade the Minnesota Legislature to lift a 2001 Legislative Moratorium on state discussion/study of the Northfield-Minneapolis ‘Dan Patch’ Passenger Rail Line, an extant rail line between Northfield/Fairbault and the Twin Cities. (Web site under development: February 2014).
Carleton Electric Car Charging Station
In August 2013, Carleton College installed the first electric vehicle charging station in Rice County. The station is open to the public and part of the ChargePoint network. For more information,visit: www.chargepoint.com
Save the Depot Fundraising Campaign
The threatened 1888 Union Pacific depot must be moved or it will be torn down. Save the Northfield Depot aims to restore this station to its former glory as the centerpoint of a local transportation hub. The organization must raise $293,000 to move and renovate the depot by summer 2014 to assure its preservation. Over $100,000 has been raised so far, but there remains a $193,000 gap that needs to be met.
Donations can be made using the “Donate Today” button to the right or by mailing a check to Save the Northfield Depot, 712 4th St. E., Northfield, MN 55057. Questions and offers of in-kind materials/labor donations are also welcome and accepted at info@northfielddepot.org.
City of Northfield Greenstep Cities Program
Northfield is a member of Minnesota GreenStep Cities, “a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability and quality-of-life goals. The Northfield City Council voted to become part of the GreenSteps Cities Program in 2011 and has since been using pursuing the green “steps” matrix to develop more sustainable practices on the part of the City.This free continuous improvement program is sponsored by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and based upon 28 best practices. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more actions at a 1, 2 or 3-star level, from a list of four to eight actions. These actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage civic innovation.” (http://greenstep.pca.state.mn.us/)