NORTH MANKATO — For North Mankato residents who feel stuck driving when they’d rather not, the city has a plan — one where getting around doesn’t always mean getting into a car.
The North Mankato Active Transportation Action Plan aims to make it easier and safer for North Mankato residents to walk, bike and roll to everyday destinations while reducing reliance on cars. The plan was unanimously approved by the City Council last month.
The 107-page report developed over eight months from June 2025 through January 2026, outlines strategies to improve safety, expand transportation options and better connect neighborhoods. City planner Matt Lassonde presented the plan to the City Council during an April 6 work session, describing it as a toolkit to guide future investments and policy decisions.
Lassonde said the plan focuses on active transportation, defined as walking, biking and rolling for people of all ages and abilities, including those using wheelchairs and strollers. The approach is intended to complement, not replace, vehicle travel while improving overall street safety and accessibility.
“The major goals for this process were that mode shift, being able to choose, or comfortably choose biking and walking as an alternative to driving, having a system that serves all ages and abilities equally or to the best of its ability, improve the health and well-being of citizens, improve that connectivity and a system that’s sustainable and resilient,” he said, noting the city’s trail system has a strong foundation to jump from.
The planning process included walking and biking audits, public surveys, online mapping feedback, community listening sessions and coordination with regional partners like Greater Mankato Bike and Walk Advocates.
Cindy Winters is a member of the local advocacy group and serves on the state-level Active Transportation Advisory Committee, working to improve walking and biking conditions. Through that role, she said she was already familiar with the Active Transportation Planning grants and had even contributed to a work group that provided input on the application process.
Survey results showed 89% of participants want to walk or bike more often, while 60% said they would like to use those modes for errands but now feel unable to do so. Safety was identified as the top concern, with health as the primary motivation.
The plan identifies key gaps in the existing network despite what city staff described as a strong foundation of trails and facilities. Audits highlighted issues such as wide high-speed roads, limited dedicated bike infrastructure, narrow or missing sidewalks and inadequate ADA-compliant curb ramps. Specific problem areas include the Lor Ray Drive bridge over Highway 14 and nearby intersections, which were described in the audit as difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate.
“We still have gaps in the connectivity as we discussed, the safety of intersections, that accessibility and like I mentioned, the network does largely serve those who are really competent bicyclists. And they’d like more protection on the roadways,” Lassonde told the council at the work session.
During the planning process, Winters participated in regular monthly meetings with a core group that included city staff and consultants. Broader community engagement happened periodically through activities like the walk and bike audits, which she said were opportunities to better understand community needs and identify practical improvements.
“Even though I’ve been doing this kind of work for over 20 years, I still learn something every time I participate, and I think it’s important for other cities to experience what’s possible in their community,” she said.
City data cited in the plan shows that 95.3% of commuters in North Mankato drive, while 3.3% walk, 1.3% bike and 0.1% use transit, based on 2023 American Community Survey estimates. The plan links improvements in active transportation to broader goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering vehicle miles traveled and supporting public health.
The document aligns with Minnesota’s climate targets, which call for an 80% reduction in transportation-related emissions and a 20% reduction in vehicle miles traveled by 2050. It also builds on the city’s existing Complete Streets policy, which prioritizes safety and multimodal access in street design.
Priority projects outlined in the plan include improved crossings and traffic calming measures, expanded trail connectivity, protected bike infrastructure and upgrades to lighting and signage. Specific infrastructure recommendations include enhancements along Lor Ray Drive, improvements to the Commerce Drive intersection and potential future construction of a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Highway 14.
The plan organizes implementation into short-, mid- and long-term phases. Near-term actions include low-cost demonstration projects such as temporary traffic calming installations. Mid-term efforts focus on corridor redesigns, while long-term projects involve major infrastructure investments requiring additional funding.
Lassonde told the council the plan is intended to serve as a living document regarding street design and the impact it has on the public’s decision-making process on traveling throughout the community.