At their meeting on July 5, the full Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board (MPBR) of Commissioners voted to approve the development of a regional master plan for the Midtown Greenway. See previous updates here, and see the approved resolution here.

Introduced by Commissioner Becky Alper, whose district includes the Powderhorn Park Neighborhood, the new resolution (2023-127) allows park staff to prepare a "regional trail long-range plan" for the Midtown Greenway. The resolution requires MPRB planning staff to engage the community when developing the plan and incorporate community feedback about amenities along the Greenway, such as seating, picnic tables, and kiosks.

Once the long-range plan is complete, it would need to be approved by the MPRB and the Met Council. If approved, the Greenway would be given regional trail status and would be eligible for additional Met Council funding sources, including:

• Parks and Trails Legacy Fund Program

• Regional Parks Bonding Program

• Park and Trail Acquisition Opportunity Fund

• Regional Parks Competitive Equity Grant Program

Responsibilities for operating the Midtown Greenway was established by the Bikeways Project Final Report, published in October 2000. MPRB Commissioners have asked staff to present an overview of MPRB's responsibilities as outlined in the 2000 report. Staff will share this presentation at either the July 19 or August 2, 2023 Board meeting. You can watch those meetings here: https://www.youtube.com/@MinneapolisParks/streams