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I-694 NON-MOTORIZED CROSSING STUDY PAGE 9 <br />Local <br />Comprehensive plans for all of the local governments within the area have elements and policies related to <br />pedestrian and bicycle mobility which are included within transportation and / or parks and recreation chapters. <br />Though written policies were too numerous to include here, maps of existing and proposed pedestrian and bicycle <br />infrastructure from the comprehensive plans for all cities in the study area were analyzed and compiled in a <br />Geographic Information System (GIS). This exercise documented the long-range vision for pedestrian and bicycle <br />travel for each community. Updates of local plans are scheduled for 2018, providing an opportunity for cities to <br />incorporate recommendations from the Metropolitan Council’s Thrive MSP 2040, the TPP, Regional Parks Policy <br />Plan, the Ramsey County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, and this study. <br />EXISTING CONDITIONS <br />LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT CONTEXT <br />The study area includes the northern suburbs of Ramsey County with primary land uses shown in Figure 4. Single- <br />family residential development covers much of the study area with large tracts of parkland and lakes, and several <br />commercial nodes and employment centers. The many parks, lakes, Bethel University, and the employment node <br />between Hamline and Lexington provide a variety of destinations that residents of the area would like to access by <br />walking or bicycling for both recreational and transportation purposes. The downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul <br />lie outside of the study area but are accessible via transit connections and also are important destinations for those <br />bicyclists who ride longer distances for commuting or recreation. Most of the study area is fully developed with the <br />exception of a few large redevelopment sites. Rice Creek Commons (the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition <br />Plant site) in Arden Hills lies on the northern border of the study area. This 427 acre site has been purchased and <br />remediated by Ramsey County with plans for a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial uses.. The New <br />Brighton Exchange is another former industrial site that is currently undergoing redevelopment. This 100-acre site at <br />the northwest corner of I-35W and I-694 is envisioned to be an extension of New Brighton’s town center with various <br />forms of residential and commercial office development.