Designing safety features to improve and enhance pedestrian, bicyclist, and driver experiences

Commons Park Right-of-Way Improvements

Minneapolis’s revitalized Downtown East is growing and changing. This location—home of the new U.S. Bank Stadium—is also home to an expanding high-density residential community. Enjoyed by game day visitors and residents alike, Commons Park is a central feature of this growth, and we designed the infrastructure providing safe and appealing movement within the right-of-way adjacent to the park.

We worked with the City, the design architect for the park, and the adjacent private developers to fast-track the improvements and meet a tight opening deadline for the stadium. Our team designed municipal utility relocations, drainage improvements, curbing, pedestrian bump-outs, sidewalk, signing, striping, and an elevated cycle track.

A highlight of the improvements, the elevated cycle track improves bicycle travel along Portland and Park avenues, connecting riders to the city’s expanding bicycle network. The one-way track, elevated to sidewalk level, is accessed at intersections and reduces conflicts with motor vehicles, yielding a safer, more enjoyable experience for bicyclists and drivers alike.

Workers, visitors, and residents now enjoy improved movement in the area—plus the opportunity to experience Commons Park.