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Midtown Greenway Regional Trail Plan approved by Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Commissioners
 A view of the Midtown Greenway as it travels past the Cepro site, a new neighborhood park the MPRB took ownership over in 2019.
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Commissioners voted to approve the Midtown Greenway Regional Trail Plan at their regular meeting on Dec. 4, 2024.
The Midtown Greenway Regional Trail Plan (Midtown Greenway Plan) will direct policy and design for parkland along the trail for the next 20-30 years. This plan will also guide how regional capital funding is spent throughout the entire regional trail boundary in accordance with a Cooperative Agreement between the MPRB, City of Minneapolis, and Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority.
Three amendments to the plan linked above passed on Dec. 4 and will be reflected in the final document:
- Remove warming shelter from the low cost amenities list (page 45)
- Add portable restroom enclosure to low cost amenities list (page 45)
- Add an additional land acquisition area for the Met Council property on the east side of the Sabo bridge. (Property is shown on page 41)
Next Steps
Next, the MPRB will submit the plan to Met Council for approval. If the plan is approved by Met Council, the Midtown Greenway would become an official regional trail, which would spur several actions:
- Regional trail use counts will be conducted in summer 2025
- The Midtown Greenway will be incorporated into the MPRB's Capital Improvement Program for regional parks and trails starting with the 2026 budget process
- The trail will be eligible for additional funding for amenities like seating, drinking fountains, wayfinding signs, and ecological enhancements.
- The MPRB will add the Midtown Greenway to its maps, statistics and website.
Project Background
This work stems from Resolution 2023-127, in which MPRB Commissioners directed staff to prepare a regional trail plan for the Midtown Greenway.
The underlying landowners of the Midtown Greenway are the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) or the City of Minneapolis, depending on the trail segment. The City of Minneapolis owns the trail and both the HCRRA and City operate and maintain the trail.
The MPRB has not formally been involved in the Midtown Greenway since its inception; however, the MPRB is the only agency within the City of Minneapolis that is eligible for regional park and trail funding. Therefore, the MPRB's involvement was requested to obtain regional trail status for the Midtown Greenway and use some of that funding on the trail.
This trail planning process resulted in a written and graphic document that fulfills regional plan requirements outlined by the Metropolitan Council. It also includes an Agreement between the City of Minneapolis, HCRRA, and MPRB focused on ownership, operations and use of regional funding for the Midtown Greenway if it receives status as a regional trail.
The regional trail plan document builds on design work, community engagement, analysis, recommendations and completed projects from other agencies, organizations, and the community since the inception of the Midtown Greenway. The document includes MPRB-adopted park plans for applicable locations being incorporated into the regional trail boundary.
Community engagement focused on areas with low-cost amenities, wayfinding, and ecological enhancements through the trail. This plan reflects the feedback from prior plans as well as recommendations from the projects advisory committees, operations workgroup, and trail users.
If the Plan is approved by the Metropolitan Council, the Greenway would receive regional trail status and be eligible for regional funding sources. Additionally, as part of the regional park system, the Midtown Greenway would be incorporated into the Metropolitan Council’s Annual Use Estimates, Visitor Study, and potentially other Council research.
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
2117 West River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55411
612-230-6400 | info@minneapolisparks.org
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