The Downtown Mobility Plan will examine all the needs that downtown’s street network must serve and determine the best way to fit the many pieces together. Our work will analyze options to address how Downtown’s transportation system can best connect people safely and comfortably, prioritize the pedestrian experience and how people feel on the street, and reduce automobile dependency.
Fall 2024 through Winter 2025: Launching the Process, Visiting Downtown and Gathering Early Community Input
Winter 2025 to Spring 2025: Documenting Conditions and Creating Planning Goals
Spring 2025 to Summer 2025: Creating and Evaluating Street Network Scenarios, Additional Community Input
Summer 2025 to End of 2025: Designing and Engaging on Early Implementation Corridors
Fall 2025 to Spring 2026: Authoring, Publishing, and Celebrating the Downtown Mobility Plan
Gather community input on transportation and mobility issues and opportunities in Downtown Saint Paul
Develop goals and evaluation criteria to guide decisions about priorities and projects
Identify a public realm and transportation network that creates better connections to businesses, community destinations, homes, and family and friends, and works for all people no matter how they travel
Design multiple corridors and projects within the network to expedite implementation
Identify partnership, process, funding, and/or maintenance changes that need to happen to operate the network identified in the Plan
The Saint Paul Climate Action and Resiliency Plan identifies a goal of reducing single occupancy vehicle commuters by 40%. As a historic regional employment center poised for evolution, downtown Saint Paul’s transportation system plays a large influence in reaching this goal. Recent multimodal transportation investments in downtown streets include the Capital City Bikeway, Green Line LRT, Gold Line BRT, and others, which have begun to lay the groundwork for a multimodal downtown that relies less on single occupancy vehicles and has a complete network of efficient and low-stress alternatives.
Additionally, the Saint Paul Downtown Alliance’s recent ‘Downtown Investment Strategy’ envisions future growth in residents, employees and visitors with three aspirational goals:
To attract 20,000 more residents
To create 20,000 more jobs
To generate a 20% increase in visitation
The Downtown Investment Strategy identifies three key strategies to collectively meet these goals, one of which is to “Invest in pedestrian-oriented streetscape improvements guided by a public realm framework”.
To that end, Public Works recognizes the need to balance regional mobility, local access, and non-transportation functions all within the constrained rights-of-way of downtown. We must be bold and take this opportunity to shape Downtown Saint Paul’s mobility networks with an eye toward resiliency, sustainability, equity and social justice, and flexibility. Now, more than ever, our community needs innovative mobility options that support overarching social, economic, and environmental goals.
The study area limits for the Downtown Mobility Plan are loosely defined as the area bounded by University Avenue on the north, Highway 52/Lafayette on the east, Shepard Road on the south, and Chestnut Street on the west. The area includes all of Planning District 17 (the Capitol River Council) as well as the gateway connections and corridors to each of the adjacent districts and neighborhoods.
The Downtown Mobility Plan is led by the Saint Paul Department of Public Works and is guided by a Technical Advisory Committee composed of local and regional agencies and community organizations. We also want to hear from you!
The feedback we gather about Downtown Saint Paul’s transportation needs will shape the project’s vision and goals. We’ll work with you to identify the most important streets and connections for people walking and rolling, biking, taking transit, and driving. And then we’ll create new projects, programs, and policies to help get you to the places you need to go.
Learn more and share your ideas through:
Pop-Up Events
Online Surveys
Mapping Activities
Last Edited: January 23, 2025
Project Manager
Anna Potter
Anna.potter@ci.stpaul.mn.us