Active Living in Bemidji
A comprehensive approach to incorporating physical activity into the daily
lives of residents of the Bemidji Area
Policy
Physical
Projects
Collaboration
Marketing
Education &
Awareness
July 2009
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. i
Chapter 1 – Introduction ......................................................................................................1
Chapter 2 – Public Engagement ...........................................................................................3
Active Living Themes..............................................................................................3
Chapter 3 – Inventory of Policies and Practices ..................................................................5
Review of Local Policies .........................................................................................5
Review of Other Public Entity Policies ...................................................................9
Review of Private Entity Employee Wellness Practices........................................13
Review of Active Living “Best Practices”.............................................................16
Summary – Major Themes.....................................................................................19
Chapter 4 – Inventory of Physical Assets and Barriers .....................................................20
Assets .....................................................................................................................20
Barriers ...................................................................................................................26
Summary – Major Themes.....................................................................................28
Chapter 5 – Community Assessment .................................................................................29
Opportunities..........................................................................................................29
Challenges ..............................................................................................................36
Summary – Major Themes.....................................................................................37
Chapter 6 – Active Living Plan .........................................................................................38
Active Living Vision..............................................................................................38
Goals ......................................................................................................................38
Objectives and Strategies .......................................................................................38
Chapter 7 – Implementation...............................................................................................45
Overview of Implementation .................................................................................45
Implementation Matrix ..........................................................................................47
Appendix A – Summary of Public Engagement ................................................................51
Appendix B – Useful Websites ..........................................................................................70
Acknowledgements
“This Active Living project is supported by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue
Cross) as part of Prevention Minnesota. Prevention Minnesota is Blue Cross’ long-term health
improvement initiative funded by tobacco settlement dollars to tackle the root causes of
preventable heart disease and cancer.”
This effort would not have been possible without the support of several committed individuals
and organizations, with special thanks to key partner organizations:
B-WELL
City of Bemidji
Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board
Headwaters RDC
ISD 31 Community Education
MeritCare Clinic
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Acknowledgements
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Chapter 1 – Introduction
What is Active Living?
“Active living is a way of life that integrates physical activity into daily routines.”
Active Living MN
As part of an effort to encourage more physical activity, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Minnesota (Blue Cross) selected eight Minnesota communities to receive its Active Living
Minnesota funding. The Bemidji Area was one of the selected communities, with a contract
awarded to Beltrami Wellness Education for Long Life (B-WELL). B-WELL subcontracted
with the Headwaters Regional Development Commission (HRDC) to complete the planning
process.
The purpose of Active Living Minnesota (ALM) community funding is to support communities
in Minnesota working to implement a comprehensive approach to support active living, with a
focus on environmental and policy change efforts. The emphasis is on changing the policy
environment and the built environment in Minnesota counties, municipalities and neighborhoods.
This funding will increase organizational and community capacity, readiness, and advocacy for
environments that help make physical activity a routine part of daily life.
Blue Cross is supporting communities that are pursuing a comprehensive approach to promoting
active living based on the 5P Community Action Model developed by Active Living by Design
(www.activelivingbydesign.org).
Preparation is essential to success. It is important to foster and develop interdisciplinary
partnerships that include representatives from fields such as public health, city planning,
transportation, and parks and recreation. Together, a partnership must assess existing policies
and environmental conditions, engage stakeholders, develop a strategic action plan, and identify
additional resources.
Promotion of active living messages occurs through multiple channels, such as traditional mass
media, listservs, and newsletters. Messages should highlight the importance of active living in a
variety of built, natural, and social environments.
Programs are necessary to heighten the demand and create social support for physical activity in
the community. Some programs may help raise awareness of active living issues, while others
will mobilize the public to advocate for policy change.
Policy Influence ensures that key decisions affecting environments and policy infrastructure are
conducive to active living. Legislators and other policy makers play a key role in determining
community design and transportation options.
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Physical Projects such as parks, trails, bikeways, and sidewalks are a necessary component of
an integrated approach to increasing routine physical activity.
This particular model was developed by Active Living by Design, who has used this model in
funding 25 communities across the United States. This model is a comprehensive approach to
increasing physical activity across communities. Working independently, no single organization
can successfully implement the comprehensive approach outlined in the 5P Model. An
interdisciplinary partnership can eliminate the design and policy barriers that reduce
opportunities for active living.
Scope
This planning effort is includes both comprehensive and strategic components. The inventory
(chapters 3 and 4) and assessment (chapter 5) provides a comprehensive look at Bemidji from an
active living perspective, including a review of existing policy, infrastructure, assets and barriers,
and opportunities and challenges. The plan and implementation approach (chapters 6 and 7
respectively) provide a strategic focus that will lead to real change in the community over the
next 4+ years. This planning effort falls under the Preparation “P” as defined above. The
subsequent phases will comprehensively incorporate all five P’s.
Planning and Steering Committees
Collaboration among several entities was an important part of the planning effort. B-WELL and
the HRDC developed a Planning Committee and a Steering Committee to guide the development
of the plan. The Planning Committee was comprised of 20 community members representing
wide-ranging interests. The purpose of this committee was to provide strategic direction on
project planning, serve as a champion, and be resource experts. The Steering Committee was a
smaller group that guided decision making and project planning.
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Chapter 2 – Public Engagement
Public engagement was a significant element of this plan. Staff from the HRDC worked with the
planning committee to identify key stakeholders in the community, including the following
interests/entities/organizations:
 City of Bemidji Staff (Community Development, Parks and Recreation, Engineering, and
Public Works)
 Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board Staff (Planning)
 Members of the Bemidji City Council (2)
 Bemidji Leads! (including the Livability Team)
 Health Professionals
 Business Community
 Bicyclists
 Walkers
 High school and college students
 Seniors
 Transit
Active Living Themes
A variety of methods were used to engage the various groups, including interviews, focus
groups, presentations, and on-line surveys. While many topics were addressed, the following is a
brief summary of three major themes that emerged from the public engagement efforts: quality
of place, connectivity, and policy change. A detailed summary of public engagement can be
found in Appendix A.
Quality of Place
Quality of place is an important consideration for active living. A place where physical activity
is a safe, convenient, and enjoyable option is a place where people want to live. Bemidji is a
popular place to live and visit because of such amenities as a walkable downtown, access to
natural resources, and high quality parks and trails. Bemidji is also a unique regional center with
access to high quality healthcare, a State university, regional shopping opportunities, and a
variety of other amenities. Creating a community that is truly active living friendly will only add
to the charm of Bemidji.
The population in the Bemidji Area is aging and will continue to do so over the next twenty
years. Staying healthy will have wide ranging benefits. First, an active lifestyle is vital for
optimal health and well-being to prevent disease and manage health. Physical activity also helps
with both emotional and mental health. Finally, people simply enjoy being able to get outside
and enjoy the natural resources that the Bemidji Area has to offer. Eliminating barriers will
allow people to be more physically active and live better lives.
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Connectivity
While Bemidji boasts high quality natural resources, parks, and trails, there is also a general
consensus among individuals and groups that there is a lack of safe connections between
destinations. Two notable concerns included safety for children walking to area schools and
crossing Highway 197. It will be important to think about density and development patterns in
the Bemidji Area. It will also be necessary to address the lack of sidewalks in new and existing
residential areas.
Policy Change
Policy is a major component of the active living initiative. Policy development surrounding
active living will be critical to achieving sustainable change. There will be a need for the Greater
Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board to develop specific policy direction for active living from a
land use perspective. As a part of policy development, collaboration among different entities in
town will be very important. This includes local units of government (i.e. City of Bemidji,
townships, Beltrami County), Minnesota Department of Transportation, and partner
organizations.
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Chapter 3 – Inventory of Policies
and Practices
The Inventory of Policies and Practices chapter provides an analysis of local policies, private
employee wellness practices, and active living best practices. The focus is on policies or
programs that affect, either positively or negatively, the average person’s ability to engage in
physical activity in the community. Chapter 4, Inventory of Assets and Barriers, describes
existing facilities in the Bemidji Area.
Review of Local Policies
This section is comprised of a review of local policies with implications for active living in the
City of Bemidji and the Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board (JPB).
City of Bemidji
The following is a review of the four City planning documents and ordinances that have
implications for active living in Bemidji:
 Bemidji City Center Plan
 Lake Bemidji Non-Motorized Loop Route
 City of Bemidji Parks, Open Space, and Trail System Plan
 Bemidji Code of Ordinances
The Bemidji City Center Plan
The City of Bemidji has been working with RDG Planning and Design to prepare a
Master Plan for improving downtown and the surrounding areas in Bemidji. The plan
will add value to the community by enhancing the downtown experience for residents
and visitors, and by linking people with places. The plan outlines the need and desire for
complimentary efforts between downtown and the South Shore, including the one way
pairs on Highway 197.
An important component of the plan is connectivity. There are several existing and planned
trails in the City of Bemidji. The plan will include linkages between BSU, downtown, the
lakefront, and the South Shore. A way-finding system that includes primary and secondary
destinations is also an important component. The signage will have a distinct theme, which
allows for consistency. It will also include linkages to the trail network.
The heart of downtown was clearly an important component of the plan, with alleyways and
pedestrian safety being a critical piece. Traffic calming with different materials at alley and
sidewalk intersections will promote safety. Streetscape improvements such as benches, trash
receptacles, trees, planters, and bike racks will enhance walkability in downtown.
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Addressing several issues on Highway 197, on the one way pairs south of downtown, is another
important piece of the plan, including the connection to the South Shore. Improving pedestrian
crossings will allow for safer pedestrian movements and provide access to the businesses.
Lake Bemidji Non-Motorized Loop Route
The City of Bemidji completed the Lake Bemidji NonMotorized Loop Route planning document in January
2007, which outlines specific strategies to complete a trail
around Lake Bemidji. The vision is to create a safe and
functional multi-user path that circumnavigates Lake
Bemidji, serving as a backbone for the area’s bike and
pedestrian trails system. The Lake Bemidji Loop Trail
Route calls for both on-road bike lanes and grade
separated paths, depending on the development
constraints for each segment. There are also plans for
safety improvements and specific design standards for
signage.
The route was designed to fulfill an unmet need in the
Bemidji community for a safe and attractive nonmotorized route around Lake Bemidji. People currently
utilize local streets to complete the trip around the lake in
places where there is no designated route. A key route,
which is currently under construction, is from 3rd Street downtown (at the statues of “Paul and
Babe”) to Lake Bemidji State Park.
City of Bemidji Parks, Open Space, and Trail System Plan
The vision of the City of Bemidji Parks, Open Space, and Trail System Plan (Parks Plan)
is to provide a comprehensive, balanced, and sustainable system of parks, open
space/natural areas, trails, and support providers of recreation-oriented
activities/programs for the local and regional community in as fair and cost effective
manner as possible.
An important component of the plan is the recognition of the need for a vibrant parks,
trails, and open space system in Bemidji. The plan further acknowledges that Bemidji
hosts many regional assets that serve a local and regional population, as well as tourists.
This plan also coined the concept, “City as a Park,” which acknowledges that parks and
open spaces serve as primary factors in shaping the character of the community.
Similar to other local plans, connectivity is an important component of the plan. The
system includes various types of trails, some of which connect to the state trail system
and provide relatively uninterrupted way to get around the City. Other trails are safe
routes within existing street right-of-way and feed into the larger trails. There is also
acknowledgment of the recreation value of the trail system.
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The following are the top two strategic priorities for implementation:
1) Upgrade/redevelop key cornerstone parks – top priorities are Diamond Point,
City, and Paul Bunyan/Library Parks
2) Develop key trail corridors – top priorities are to complete Paul
Bunyan/Midway/Washington Avenues, West Shore, South Shore, and East-West
Trails
Bemidji Code of Ordinances
The Bemidji Code of Ordinances outlines requirements for the maintenance and repair of
sidewalks within City limits. The Ordinance states that “it is the primary responsibility
of the owner of property upon which there is abutting any sidewalk to keep and maintain
such sidewalk in safe and serviceable condition.” It further states that “any accumulation
of snow or ice upon public sidewalks is declared to constitute a public nuisance which
shall be abated by the owner or occupant of the property abutting such sidewalk within
12 hours after such snow or ice has ceased to be deposited upon such sidewalk.”
Failure to remove snow accumulation in a timely manner is considered a public nuisance
and the City has the ability to remove the snow and assess the cost against the property
which benefited from such action. The City may initiate a civil suit as alternative to the
assessment procedure. For specific language regarding sidewalk maintenance and repair,
see the Bemidji Code of Ordinances.
Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board
The Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board (JPB) is a new and unique organization
providing planning and zoning services for three governmental units within a 72 square mile
geographical area, including Bemidji Township, the City of Bemidji and Northern Township.
The purpose of the JPB is to work together to manage growth and development consistent with
community values. Included in this effort are a land use plan, a transportation plan, a zoning and
subdivision ordinance, and an orderly annexation agreement that stabilized the geographical
growth and/or loss for each governmental unit for the next twenty years.
The following is a review of three JPB documents that have implications for active
living:
 Greater Bemidji Area Land Use Plan
 Greater Bemidji Area Transportation Plan
 Greater Bemidji Area Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance
Greater Bemidji Area Land Use Plan
The Land Use Plan outlines several values that are important to residents of the Greater Bemidji
Area (GBA), including references to maintaining the “north woods character,” promoting
individual choice, and distributing resources with equity in mind. The plan also has a wide
variety of goals for the GBA, one of which notes the importance of providing recreational
choices for residents.
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Greater Bemidji Area Transportation Plan
The Greater Bemidji Area Transportation Plan was adopted on February 12, 2007 and is closely
tied to the Greater Bemidji Area Land Use Plan. The vision and the goals are the same for both
plans. The purpose of the Transportation Plan is to guide road-related investments in the
Bemidji Growth Area over the next 15 years.
The plan calls for all travel lanes on new roads to be paved, with encouragement to pave
shoulders whenever possible. This is referring to locally funded roads, in which the local road
authority has more discretion. Roads that are part of the State Aid System are subject to Chapter
8820 of Minnesota State Aid Rules.
The Transportation Plan also includes an objective to “ensure the provision of multi-modal
transportation services within the Greater Bemidji Area.” This will be accomplished by
supporting high level public transit services, providing bicycle-friendly shoulders, signing and
safety improvements on all collector and arterial roads, and designating bicycle lanes where
feasible.
Greater Bemidji Area Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance
The GBA Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance is a tool to guide future growth and development
of the Greater Bemidji Area in accordance with the Transportation Plan and Land Use Plan. The
ordinance does not require that sidewalks be included in new developments.
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Review of Other Public Entity Policies
The following is a review of policies of other local entities in Bemidji, including the
Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), Independent School District No. 31
(Bemidji Area Schools), and Bemidji State University (BSU).
Minnesota Department of Transportation
The following is a review of three instances where Mn/DOT has worked with Bemidji on
transportation issues:
 Transportation Enhancements
 Trunk Highway 197 Access Management Assessment
 Safe Routes to School
Transportation Enhancements
Bemidji is located in Mn/DOT District 2, which encompasses all of northwest Minnesota. The
Transportation Enhancement (TE) program is a sub-target of the District’s funds intended to
strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, and environmental aspects of the transportation system. There
are 12 eligible activities for enhancement funds. The activity that has historically generated the
largest amount of projects is the construction of facilities for pedestrians and bicycles. The
program provides funding for 80 percent of the construction costs. The local entity is
responsible for 20 percent of the construction costs plus all engineering and right-of-way
acquisition.
The City of Bemidji has been very successful in receiving TE funds, which has a very
competitive application process. The East-West Trail, connecting 5th Street to 1st Street, received
$157,600 in TE funds in 2008. The Lake Bemidji West Shore Trail is currently under
construction and was awarded $300,000 to build a multi-use trail from Paul & Babe through
Library Park and into Diamond Point Park where it will connect with the existing trail system.
It will then continue as an on-road trail/shoulder north along Birchmont Drive. Finally, the City
of Bemidji received TE funding to renovate the historic bridge over the Mississippi between
Lake Irving and Lake Bemidji, which is also part of the East-West Trail.
Trunk Highway 197 Access Management Assessment
Trunk Highway 197 is a State highway within Bemidji City limits. Parts of Highway 197 are
above statewide average for crash and severity rates when compared to similar roadways.
Operational problems will also grow as traffic volumes increase in the future. Proper access
management will improve safety and capacity of the roadway.
The Highway 197 Access Management Assessment was created to accomplish the following
goal: “Develop a corridor plan that preserves and enhances mobility and safety, provides
reasonable and viable access and fits together with the area’s comprehensive land use plan.”
The document includes both a long term vision and an interim implementation plan. The former
outlines the ideal future condition of the corridor. This includes developing the supporting road
system, a variety of spot improvements, roadway realignments, and other important
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improvements. The latter addresses specific driveway locations and the most pressing safety
problems. Priorities include the adoption of the plan, working with the JPB to adopt a new
Highway 197 Overlay Ordinance, conduct a speed study, and other important actions.
The document includes a variety of other measures to improve safety and mobility along the
corridor. Examples include limiting the amount of access points, minimizing left turns onto the
roadway by constructing center medians, adding right turn lanes for exiting vehicles at key
intersections, spot improvements for safety, and improving supporting roadway connections.
Safety improvements appear to be geared towards reducing accidents involving vehicles and not
necessarily pedestrians or bicycles.
Safe Routes to School
The desired outcomes of the national Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program are far reaching
and provide a great deal of benefit to society. The purpose of the SRTS program is:
 To enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and
bicycle to school
 To make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing
transportation alternative, thereby encouraging a healthy and active lifestyle from
an early age, and
 To facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and
activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air
pollution in the vicinity of schools.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recommends that SRTS efforts incorporate,
directly or indirectly, five components – often referred to as the “5 E’s:”
 Engineering – Creating operational and physical improvements to the
infrastructure surrounding schools that reduce speeds and potential conflicts with
motor vehicle traffic, and establish safer and fully accessible crossings, walkways,
trails and bikeways.
 Education – Teaching children about the broad range of transportation choices,
instructing them in important lifelong bicycling and walking safety skills, and
launching driver safety campaigns in the vicinity of schools.
 Encouragement – Using events and activities to promote walking and bicycling.
 Enforcement – Partnering with local law enforcement to ensure traffic laws are
obeyed in the vicinity of schools (this includes enforcement of speeds, yielding to
pedestrians in crossings, and proper walking and bicycling behaviors), and
initiating community enforcement such as crossing guard programs.
 Evaluation – Monitoring and documenting outcomes and trends through the
collection of data, including the collection of data before and after the
intervention(s).
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The HRDC, in partnership with the School District, is
working with Mn/DOT on a SRTS Planning Grant in
Bemidji to develop and implement an evaluation tool
to assess the physical and perceived barriers that keep
students from walking or biking to school. This
effort will include the following:
 Scoping existing and potential walk zones and
identifying advantages and obstacles for each
zone.
 Surveying parents within the school zones to
identify physical and social barriers to their children walking or biking to school.
 Conduct an official “Bike or Walk to School Day” as a means to raise awareness of the
opportunities for non-motorized transportation to school.
 Develop strategies for reducing or eliminating physical and social barriers to walking or
biking to school within the identified school walk zones.
Independent School District No 31 (School District)
The following is a review of policies for the School District:
 Student Transportation Safety Policy
 Physical Education Curriculum
Student Transportation Safety Policy
The School District’s Student Transportation Safety Policy outlines the bussing practices for
students for each school and outlines safe walking distances for students. In accordance with the
Board of Education Pupil Transportation Policy, the Bemidji Area Schools are committed to
providing equality in transportation of school children who reside in the School District and are
required to attend school.
The School District’s policy states that “pre-kindergarten through sixth grade students who live
beyond one mile from school” are eligible school bus riders. “Seventh through twelfth grade
students who live beyond two miles from school” are also eligible to ride the school bus. There
are exceptions made to this policy when there is safety or other concerns.
Physical Education Curriculum
The Minnesota Department of Education has a requirement that physical education instruction be
given to all students each year, from kindergarten through eighth grade. The State does not
require physical education tests, but the local School District can provide assessments.
Elementary schools in the School District require children to participate in daily physical
education classes that last for 25 minutes. These classes are yearlong, and a cornerstone of the
curriculum is to ensure that students are participating in regular physical activity through a
variety of different activities depending on grade level.
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The elementary schools in the District also require 25 minutes for recess. This is in addition to
the physical education requirement described above. Recess is generally held outside unless
there is bad weather. In such cases, the students are brought indoors to the gyms to have free
time for physical activity.
The Bemidji Middle School policy requires students to participate in physical education classes
one hour per day for half of the school year, which is part of their elective curriculum. The other
half of the year the students elect to take a health class. Students can choose from physical
education, health, and seasonal outdoor activities to satisfy this portion of their electives. The
Middle School also has open gym for students available every morning before classes begin.
The Bemidji Middle School also allows students free time for physical activity. At the Middle
School students are given a 10-15 minute recess around the students lunch break. Similar to the
elementary schools, the Middle School requires participation in recess and allows students to go
outside or use the school gyms.
The requirements for high school graduation from Bemidji High School include one full credit in
physical education, which can come from a number of different electives that are all worth onehalf of a semester credit. It is suggested that students take one-half of a credit their 9th grade
year, and one-half of a credit their 10th grade year. All entering freshman are required to take
Lifetime Fitness, where students learn and practice health-related fitness components, muscular
strength, muscular endurance, cardio-respiratory endurance, and flexibility through physical
activity. Beyond this, there are 14 additional physical education classes that students can choose
from. The High School also provides open gym and access to the weight room before and after
school. This is a popular option in which many students choose to participate.
Bemidji State University
Physical Education Requirements for Students
Physical activity is not specifically required for students at Bemidji State University. Students
have the option of taking physical education as an elective. There are a wide variety of options
for interested students to be active via other mediums, including reduced or free rates for
recreational facility use and providing a large number of extracurricular activities relating to
physical activity.
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Review of Private Entity Employee Wellness Practices
The following is a review of private entity employee wellness practices, including MeritCare of
Bemidji, Beltrami County, the City of Bemidji, Bemidji State University (BSU) and Northwest
Technical College (NTC), and Whelan Properties.
MeritCare of Bemidji
MeritCare of Bemidji has an extensive employee wellness program that promotes physical
activity and wellness among their more than 400 MeritCare employees in the Bemidji Area.
This is one of the most effective employee wellness programs in the community, with over threequarters of their employees choosing to participate.
This program identifies criteria each year that measures the health of each employee. These
criteria can change on a year-to-year basis, but generally include:
 completing a health profile that identifies health risks
 completion of a lab screening to measure cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and Body
Mass Index (BMI)
 participating in regular physical activity
 being a non-tobacco user or working to quit
 agreeing to wear a seat belt at all times
 completion of a comprehensive fitness assessment
 participation in community health events
This criterion is outlined specifically for employees at the beginning of each year and prizes are
identified based on a points system. Prizes of gift cards and cash for certain levels of
participation in the program have shown to be effective incentives for employees.
MeritCare also coordinates 6 wellness challenges per year for their employees as a piece of this
program. Participants in the wellness program can substitute achieving one of the above criteria
for the participation in a wellness challenge.
To support employees in this program MeritCare has created a fitness facility, free for use to
employees, that includes free weights, weight machines, treadmills, elliptical machines,
stationary bicycles, and additional smaller fitness related equipment. It is important to note that
this facility is open to the public for $15 per month, which is substantially less expensive than
other fitness facilities in the area. Employees also have free access to a personal trainer, tobacco
cessation programs, and physical therapy. Employees not participating in the wellness program
also have access to the fitness facility and can take part in the wellness challenges.
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Beyond providing an extensive wellness program for their own employees, MeritCare has also
extended this service to the broader business community through the MeritCare Bemidji
Wellness Program. Any employer in the Greater Bemidji Area can contract with MeritCare for
the following services:
 Educational sessions can include, but are not limited to, stress management, behavior
modification, nutrition, exercise, and tobacco dependence.
 Health risk and fitness assessments allow each employee to identify risk factors and
establish targets for improvements.
 Individualized wellness programs that allow employees to target their risk factors through
personal training, nutritional analysis, meal planning or tobacco dependence counseling.
These services have been contracted by many employers in the community including Beltrami
County, The City of Bemidji, Beltrami Electric, Kraus-Anderson, Super 8 Motel, Knife River
Materials, Lutheran Social Services, Potlatch, and Anderson Fabrics.
Beltrami County
Beltrami County houses an on-site fitness facility in the Beltrami County Administration
Building which includes two treadmills, an elliptical machine, bicycles, step machines, weight
machines, free weights, exercise balls and shower rooms. This facility is solely for employees of
Beltrami County and was free for use during the first year of availability.
This facility was funded in conjunction with the funding of all the new administrative buildings
in downtown Bemidji. A portion of this funding allowed for the facility to be free for use to
employees for the first year. The facility is no longer free to employees of the County, but can
be accessed for $23 per month. For legal reasons, the County cannot provide incentives for their
employees to exercise. County staff are eligible for a $20 per month incentive from their health
insurance carrier, Blue Cross Blue Chile, if they exercise 12 or more times per month.
Beltrami County has also contracted with MeritCare of Bemidji for wellness consulting. A
group of ten County staff called the Active Wellness Committee was formed to help target the
wellness activities that MeritCare helps to coordinate. Some past events include a health-risk
assessment day, cholesterol check-ins, a health fair, and a regular health news letter. The
committee meets monthly and generally focuses on organizing quarterly wellness events.
City of Bemidji
The City of Bemidji has created an informal wellness program that generally promotes employee
wellness. The City annually applies for a small amount of grant dollars from the Northwest
Service Cooperative to promote wellness and continue their program. The grant dollars allow
for the City to engage in about two wellness events per year, most of which are organized
through MeritCare. There are, however, no major incentives for participation. The non-union
employees have Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance that encourages them to exercise 12 times a
month to receive some compensation. This program has not received a high level of buy-in
among City employees at this point.
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Bemidji State University/Northwest Technical College
Bemidji State University (BSU) and Northwest Technical College (NTC) have begun to
implement an employee wellness program that has a mission to encourage, empower, and
support employees as they strive to live well and work well. Goals of this program are to make
the university system known as a healthy work place that will attract and retain new employees
through fostering a culture of wellness. Beyond this, the program will strive to support
employees to be well in every aspect of their life (social, physical, spiritual, environmental,
intellectual, emotional, and occupational) and emphasize positive daily lifestyle-related
behaviors and choices.
BSU and NTC are in the initial phases of this program and are currently working on conducting
a needs assessment using surveys to determine the type of support needed for employees. Other
steps will include identifying employee wellness best practices, developing a program and
measuring the program’s success. Potential components of the program include incentives for
employees to be active, education lunches, seminars about wellness, and raising general
awareness of wellness through the sharing of resource in the community and on campus.
Whelan Properties
Whelan properties are working to make an impact on wellness in Bemidji through their
employees and their business practices. At their office on Anne Street, this company has an inhouse fitness facility that includes treadmills, elliptical machines, machine weights, free weights,
general fitness equipment, a spa area with a steam room, hot tub, and men’s and women’s locker
rooms. The facility was primarily built for their small staff of nine and is free for use to
employees.
Whelan properties also offer incentives to employees to promote the use of the facility. In the
past, they have included gas coupons for exercising four days per week in a month, or an end-ofthe-year bonus for using the facility an average of 3 days a week throughout the year. Office
culture has also improved as a result of employees working out together.
Whelan Properties builds and rents properties, both commercial and residential. Whelan
Properties has strived to make their wellness effort broader than their 9 person staff. The use of
their fitness facility has been extended to all those employed in one of their commercial rental
spaces. This means that any company, including all employees, that rents a commercial space
from Whelan Properties is allowed free access to the fitness facility, spa and locker rooms.
Furthermore, this opportunity is also extended to the spouses of employees working in one of
their commercial rental properties. Whelan properties currently rents 12 commercial properties
with an estimated 60 employees combined.
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Review of Active Living “Best Practices”
This section of the plan outlines some active living “best practices.” These are not simply good
ideas, but are techniques or methods that have proven to deliver a desirable outcome.
Policy Change
Included in this section are two examples of communities that have incorporated active living
concepts into land management tools to reflect a policy commitment to promoting physical
activity in daily life. The examples come from two cities in Massachusetts. The first is a
“Regulatory Analysis – Holyoke Food and Fitness” from Holyoke, Massachusetts. The second
example is the “Springfield Land Use Regulations – A Public Health Perspective on the
Springfield Land Use Regulations” from Springfield, Massachusetts. Also included is a brief
analysis of the complete streets initiative, which is an emerging hot topic in national, state, and
local transportation policy.
Regulatory Analysis – Holyoke Food and Fitness
The City of Holyoke reviewed existing regulations and assessed specific language that either
promotes or prohibits physical activity. The result was an analysis outlining specific
opportunities and challenges. The following are some key themes that emerged from the
assessment:
 Land management tools can provide creative ways to allow public use of land for
community purposes, such as recreational space or temporary public art.
 It would be helpful to educate the public during the subdivision process about the many
advantages of sidewalks to overcome resistance.
 Consider making flexible development “by right” so developers use it more, thereby
creating additional open space.
 Consider expanding zoning districts that encourage mixed use so people can live within
walking distance of retail, conveniences, and services.
 Promote, develop, upgrade and maintain public indoor recreation facilities, so people
don’t need private establishments.
 Examine if PUDs are allowed in appropriate places and/or zoning districts.
Springfield Land Use Regulations – A Public Health Perspective on the Springfield Land Use
Regulations
The City of Springfield reviewed their zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations from a
public health perspective to plan for a healthier future through the built environment and
community design. The result was specific recommendations and action steps to improve land
management tools in the context of promoting physical activity and improving health. The
following are some key themes from the study:
 Need to improve access from residential to commercial areas – with grocery stores being
particularly important
 Need to minimize cul-de-sacs and dead end roads
 Discourage drive through windows and fast food establishments near schools
 Promote safe, inviting, and efficient routes and trails for walking and cycling
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

Encourage construction and proper maintenance of playgrounds and athletic fields
Implement a complete streets initiative
Complete Streets
Complete streets is a concept that has gained a lot of national attention recently. This concept is
not simply about taking a particular street and making it “complete” by adding biking lanes,
trees, or curb ramps. Instead, it is a fundamental shift in mindset about transportation. It is about
making streets work for all users, including transportation modes (transit, biking, walking, motor
vehicle) and all users (i.e. children, elderly, or disabled). The purpose of adopting a complete
streets policy is to ensure that all future transportation projects take into account all users.
The benefits of adopting and implementing a complete streets policy are tremendous. One of the
reasons people choose not to bike or walk is often because they do not feel safe, which is
compounded if they have children. Complete streets encourage more walking and bicycling by
providing safe connections to destinations in the community. More bicyclists and walkers also
make economic sense and are good for air quality.
Developing a complete streets policy is very complicated and requires community buy-in and
political support. The key is to create a policy that makes sense for the community. An ideal
complete streets policy includes the following:
 Sets a vision
 The vision is very important and should reflect the values of the community
 Includes all modes of transportation
 Includes transit, walking, biking, and motor vehicles
 Emphasizes connectivity
 The key to success is how well facilities and destinations are connected, not in
quantitative measure such as the amount of sidewalks or trails built
 Applies to all transportation projects and phases
 This includes planning, design, and construction, reconstruction, repair or expansion
of transportation facilities
 Specifies and limits exceptions, with management approval required
 There are some cases, such as when non-motorized vehicles are prohibited or when
there is no need, that exceptions to the complete street policy would be waived.
 Uses latest design standards and is flexible
 There is no one way to approach design standards. There are a variety of resources
available to assist. The key is to set policy that matches the community’s vision and
provide flexibility and context sensitive solutions when needed.
 Is context-sensitive
 Not every road is created for the same purpose. Context is very important, for
example, you would not need to have the highest level of roadway design with
separated trails, sidewalks, landscaped medians and pedestrian scale lighting on a rural
road where wide shoulders would be adequate.
 Sets performance standards (including measures)
 Performance measures are a quantitative way to track progress. This could include a
wide variety of measures. The following are a few possible measures: total miles of
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
on-street bicycle routes, linear feet of new pedestrian accommodations, number of
curb ramps installed, or number of new trees planted along streets.
Includes implementation steps
 Be specific about how the complete streets policy will be implemented. This should
include the incorporation of complete street principles into all of the relevant
transportation plans and projects.
Programs Promoting Active Living
The following are two examples of programs that were implemented to educate, promote, and
facilitate active living in different communities. The first example is “North Carolina Mutual
Stairwell Initiative” from Durham, North Carolina. This program addresses point-of-decision
prompts and promotes activity among employees. The second is titled “Commuter Alternative
Program” from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and addresses shifting mode share in a university
community.
North Carolina Mutual Stairwell Initiative – Durham, North Carolina
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance, a large employer in Durham, formed a partnership with
Wake County Human Services and the Durham County Health Department to reduce
cardiovascular disease by encouraging workplace physical activity. The partnership focused
initially on creating buy-in among employees and management by forming a NCM Stairwell
Committee, which consisted of an employee from each floor of the building and representatives
from the management team. This committee met on a regular basis to design and implement an
assessment on the current stairwell use in the building through surveys, focus groups and
electronic stairwell counts.
Intervention strategies to increase stairwell usage consisted of improving the physical
environment of the stairwell and encouraging its use through point-of-decision prompts.
Physical improvements included painting stairwell walls a different color for each floor,
carpeting each stairwell flight, and commissioning a local artist to create paintings featuring
vibrant physical activity to be hung in the stairwell.
Although physical improvements did increase stairwell usage, alone they could not encourage
people to take the stairs. Therefore point-of-decision prompts with motivational messages were
added to encourage stairwell usage. Examples of messages included, “Fight fat… Feel fit…
Frequent these flights” and “No waiting… No lines… Take the Stairs.”
This program was effective at creating a workplace environment that facilitates physical activity,
but it is important to note that the support of the management staff from the start was
instrumental in the success of this program. Stairwell usage by employees has doubled since the
inception of the program and the general awareness about the importance of physical activity has
increased. This program can serve as model for both point-of-decision prompts and promoting
wellness among employees.
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Commuter Alternatives Program – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
In the university community of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a successful program was initiated
called the Commuter Alternatives Program (CAP) that was designed to reward University
employees and students who use alternative modes of transportation instead of driving a motor
vehicle.
Those who wanted to participate in the program first filled out an online registration form and
then all materials for participation were mailed directly to them. Materials provided included
free park-and-ride decals, occasional use permits for restricted university parking areas,
emergency rides home, discount cards for use at local stores, and entry into monthly prize
drawings.
Many factors had to align in order for this program to be successful, including:
 CAP utilized existing bus routes, biking paths and walking paths.
 Off campus parking facilities needed to increase capacity to allow for increase in vehicle
volume at those locations.
 University parking permits increased in cost by 20 percent and will continue to increase
on a sliding fee scale.
 Part of the revenue generated through the increased parking permit fees was to go toward
funding alternative transportation and the capital costs of CAP.
 University departments and local merchants needed to support the program. Merchants
provided discounts at the establishment for CAP participants. Both university department
and local merchants donated gifts for monthly drawings.
 The UNC Department of Public Safety expanded the emergency ride service to CAP
participants.
 UNC and local government made a commitment to offer a fare-free bus transit system.
All of these factors, combined with the online registration, resulted in an extremely user-friendly
program. This program has been effective at reducing the number of motor vehicles in the
campus community. After one year of the program being active, over 1,800 people were
participating with 224 walkers, 229 cyclists, and 1,404 using park-and-ride or mass transit.
A key to the success of this effort were the partnerships formed between UNC, the Department
of Public Safety, local government officials, and local merchants. This, coupled with adequate
infrastructure needed to switch mode share at a high rate, were instrumental in making this
program effective.
Summary – Major Themes from the Inventory of Policies and Practices





High quality planning, with positive implications for active living, has been completed
in the Bemidji Area over the past several years
Safe connections and routes between destinations are a key component of local policies
The City of Bemidji has made a commitment to improving its parks and trails system
The Bemidji area is ready to take advantage of a Safe Routes to School infrastructure
grant and Transportation Enhancement funding
The Bemidji Area has the capacity to build off existing employee wellness programs
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Chapter 4 – Inventory of Physical
Assets and Barriers
The Inventory of Physical Assets and Barriers chapter provides a description of facilities that
promote physical activity (assets) and obstacles that inhibit physical activity (barriers). The map
on page 25 displays the physical assets.
Assets
Independent School District No. 31
Facilities
The School District is a major provider of indoor recreational facilities for the Bemidji Area.
The high school and middle school each have two gyms and a pool. The elementary schools also
have gyms. Lincoln Elementary has a small climbing wall as well. Although these facilities
include rental fees, Community Education and School District sponsored sports teams utilize
these facilities extensively allowing residents easier, more cost-effective access.
The School District also has several outdoor recreational facilities. The high school has baseball,
softball and football fields, an outdoor track, and tennis courts. The middle school also has
baseball and softball fields. Finally, the elementary schools have playgrounds for children.
School Property Facility Use
The School District’s philosophy is that the public schools are owned and operated by and for
community residents, and that the schools are an integral part of the community. While the
primary use of their facilities is for education of young people, the School Board welcomes and
encourages the public use of school facilities. There are a wide range of facilities available for
public use through the School District that relate to physical activity including baseball and
softball fields, football fields, indoor gyms, an ice arena, two pools, and tennis courts.
Priority in the use of School District facilities is given to school sponsored events. Beyond this,
different organizations can use the facilities. There are a variety of discounts for certain groups,
ranging from free (for School District sponsored events) to full price (for businesses that are
strictly for-profit).
Community Education: Bemidji Area Schools
Community Education’s mission is to provide a continually improving life-long learning
program that compliments and supports School District and community learning efforts by
envisioning every community member as both a learner in the system and a resource to it.
Community education plays a large role in assessing and identifying community needs, then
links school and/or community facilities and resources to meet those needs.
Programs offered through Community Education allow many Bemidji residents to utilize School
District assets at a reduced cost. Classes are offered in a variety of different subjects, time slots,
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and locations to accommodate for different schedules and ultimately reducing barriers to
accessibility.
The wide variety of programming provided via Community Education comprehensively
addresses the needs of a diverse population, including programming for adult basic education
and GED testing, aquatics, Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE), family learning,
activities for the disabled, school age child care, and enrichment classes, activities and trips for
both adults and youth. The goal of the youth enrichment activities, which includes organized
youth sports, is to create a safe, non-competitive, fun and caring environment in which youth can
enhance their physical, emotional, and intellectual development.
Community Education provides a large number of classes and programs that help promote and
enhance physical activity in the Bemidji community. Classes are part of four categories:
 Health Fitness and Recreation
 Body Sculpting
 Power Volleyball
 Recreational Volleyball
 Aerobics
 Walking
 Fencing
 Recreational Basketball
 Yoga
 Pilates
 T’ai Chi
 Outdoor Recreation
 Archery
 Downhill Skiing
 Snowboarding
 Golf
 Dance and Music
 Social Dance
 Mid-East Belly Dance
 Aquatics
 Water Aerobics
 Senior Swimming
 Scuba
 Snorkeling
 Youth Swimming Lessons
 Synchronized Swimming
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Bemidji State University
Gillett Recreation-Fitness Center
The Gillett Recreation-Fitness Center includes numerous facilities to choose from, including four
activity courts adaptable for basketball, tennis, volleyball and badminton, a six lane 200 meter
indoor track, a weight room, five racquetball courts, and a state of the art climbing wall. In
addition, there is a six lane, 25 yard pool, a large spacious dance studio and numerous pieces of
cardiovascular equipment. There are many classes available for students and community
members, including abdominal workouts, cardiovascular circuit training, high-intensity aerobics,
cycling, Pilates, water workouts, and Tae bo.
Students of the University are allowed to use the facility for free. There are a variety of membership
types for community members. A daily pass is $5.00, a monthly pass is around $50, and a semester
pass is over $200.
Outdoor Program Center
The BSU Outdoor Program Center (OPC), located within Diamond Point Park, is dedicated to
providing the community with outdoor experiential learning opportunities which allow people to
enjoy the outdoors, explore personal potential, and develop a respect and understanding of the
Earth's natural systems and responsibilities within them.
The OPC offers a broad range of equipment rental for activities including canoeing, kayaking,
sail boating, pontooning, camping, hiking, winter hiking, and winter camping. Although
equipment rental has a small fee attached to it, the OPC also offers classes in many different
areas, such as cross-country skiing, kayaking, fishing, ice fishing, and rock climbing. Most
classes are free to both students and community members. The OPC also organizes numerous
trips to different in-state and out-of-state locations for reasonable fees.
Extra Curricular Opportunities for Physical Activity
BSU offers students many different opportunities for organized physical activity at multiple different
skill levels, including Varsity, Club and Intramural. Most activities require little or no fees, but the
student body as a whole pays an athletic fee.
City of Bemidji
Parks
The City of Bemidji has an outstanding park and trails system. The Parks and Recreation
Department maintains approximately 19 parks and 205 acres of parkland or open space within
the City. The programming and use of the parks varies from a woodland preserve with a few
informal trails to high traffic pedestrian/use depending on the park.
City parks fall into three general categories: Cornerstone Park, Neighborhood Park, and Natural
Open Spaces. The City parks are free to use, unless renting a major facility.
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Cornerstone Parks. There are three cornerstone parks in the City of Bemidji including Diamond
Point Park, Bemidji City Park, and Paul Bunyan and Library Park.

Diamond Point Park was recently renovated in 2007. Improvements included a
swimming beach, boat launch, parking area, picnic shelters, picnic facilities with grills
and playground equipment. A trail loops around the park to highlight walking space,
look out points, and Adirondack chairs on the water front. Diamond Point also houses
the Outdoor Program Center of BSU.

Bemidji City Park includes three lighted softball fields, one baseball field, Neilson-Reise
Ice Arena, outdoor ice rink, curling club, Montebello cross country ski trail, and a ninehole Frisbee disc golf course. A plan was recently completed by Frizzell Winter
Associates to identify the necessary improvements. This park will be the next one to
undergo major improvements in the near future.
Located in the Bemidji City Park, the Neilson-Reise Ice Arena is an indoor recreational
amenity provided by the City for physical activity. This building houses both the Ice
Arena and the Bemidji Curling Club. The facility is utilized by specific organizations,
such as the Bemidji Figure Skating Club and Bemidji Youth Hockey, and the general
public during open hockey or open skating time.

Paul Bunyan and Library Park are major tourist attractions because of the Paul and Babe
statues and Visitor’s Center. Also included in this park is a playground area and shelter
with picnic tables. This park is home to many popular community events including the
Dragon Boat Festival.
Neighborhood Parks. There are nine neighborhood parks that serve different sectors of the
community and contribute to the outdoor recreational opportunities in the Bemidji Area. The
following is a description of four neighborhood parks. The other five are generally unimproved
at this point.

Cameron Park. Amenities include a swimming beach, bath house, boat launching and
parking area, picnic facilities with grills, playground equipment, and a sliding hill. This
park serves a well-established neighborhood and is very popular due to the lakefront
access and beach facilities.

Gordon Falls Park. This park is a neighborhood asset that includes a playground,
basketball court and picnic facilities. This park is located in a high density residential
area with a substantial number of sidewalks surrounding it.

Roger Lehman Park. Tucked in a corner of South Lake Irvine Drive Southwest, this park
includes tennis courts, a basketball court, shelter, grills and playground equipment.

Nymore Park. This neighborhood asset consists of tennis courts, a basketball court,
playground equipment, picnic facilities, grills, outdoor ice rink and warming house. This
park is located close to both Lincoln Elementary and Northwest Technical College.
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Natural Open Spaces. The City of Bemidji also maintains the two natural open spaces of
Brinkman Park and the East Lake Bemidji Preserve.

Brinkman Park is located off of Power Dam Road and provides an open space for
community residents.

East Lake Bemidji Park Reserve is the second open space that the City maintains and is
only accessible by foot or non-motorized vehicle using the trail along the east side of
Lake Bemidji.
Trails
The City of Bemidji has shown a commitment to developing high quality trails. The City
recently completed the East-West Trail in 2008, and is currently building the West Shore Trail
section along Lake Boulevard NE. Plans to complete a functional trail around Lake Bemidji
include extending the Paul Bunyan State Trail through the South Shore development and
connecting to 1st Street East. A missing element in the existing multi-use trail system is local
connections between the existing trails.
Cross country ski trails are also very important to active living in Bemidji. There are about 45
miles trails within 11 miles of town. They are groomed by the Bemidji Area Cross Country Ski
Club.
Community
Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji
The Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji is located on 15th Street near J.W. Smith Elementary. This
facility houses a gym that is available for community use for a $40.00 rental fee. Club members
pay an annual fee of $10.00 (scholarships are available). This fee allows people to use of all of
the facilities, including the open gym. It is also important to note that the Club has partnered
with the School District to allow for after school busing to their facility.
Based on the interests and needs of the boys and girls they serve, the Club offers diverse program
activities in five areas: Character and Leadership Development, Health and Life Skills,
Education and Career Development, Arts, and Sports, Fitness and Recreation.
Privately Owned Fitness Clubs
There are four privately owned fitness clubs in the Bemidji community: Anytime Fitness, Snap
Fitness, Health Quest for Women and Curves.
Paul Bunyan Transit
Regular scheduled stops Paul Bunyan Transit include multiple BSU and NTC stops, downtown
destinations, and retail locations in the community. The Dial-a-Ride service is a curb to curb service
that runs around, and in conjunction, with the scheduled stops. This allows people to request specific
pick-up and drop-off between the hours of 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5
p.m. on Saturdays. Service also includes weekly trips to the Fargo/Moorhead area, as well as other
destinations. Any student with a valid student ID card from BSU or NTC is allowed free rides with
Paul Bunyan Transit Service through both the scheduled stops as well as the Dial-a-Ride service.
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Barriers
Connectivity
What good are the assets listed above if everyone has to drive to them? One of the most
significant barriers for bicyclists and walkers is a lack of safe connections to and between
destinations in the City, including schools, shopping areas, downtown, etc. The following are
several destinations in Bemidji that lack safe and/or convenient connections for bicyclists and
pedestrians:

The Middle School: 15th Street lacks
pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

The High School: 5th Street has wide
shoulders for the most part but narrows
significantly near the Highway 2 Bypass.
Biking or walking under the bypass is a
significant barrier.

Businesses on Highway 197, Between the
One Way Pairs: There are multi-use trails
on either side of the one way pairs south
of downtown, but no way to safely reach
the large amount of businesses inbetween. Dairy Queen, for example, is a
popular destination for bicyclists, walkers,
and people on rollerblades in the summer.
Getting there safely is a barrier. Crossing
other portions of the highway, where it is
five lanes wide, can be particularly
challenging for disabled individuals,
families with children, and the elderly.
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
Shopping mall and big box retailers:
There are areas of high density multifamily residential development north of
Paul Bunyan Drive. There are very few
options for accessing the Paul Bunyan
Mall, the grocery store, or other
destination without driving their
personal vehicle.

First Street East: There are wide, striped, and appropriately signed bike lanes on either
side of First Street. The problem is that there are no accommodations for bicyclists to
make a safe right hand turn onto Highway 197 (from the east) or to hook up with the
multi-use trail. This is a large safety concern for bicyclists because of the potential for
accidents as both bicyclists and vehicles merge into the right turn lane. People have
instead created an indirect path (“goat trail” or “desire path”) from First Street to the
multi-use trail along Highway 197 to avoid risking an accident.
Winter
Whether we like to admit it or not, winter is a barrier for an active lifestyle for many people in
northern Minnesota. People simply exercise less during the winter because they want to be
inside more. When people do get out, however, there are barriers with snow removal of
sidewalks, streets, and trails. It is required by ordinance that property owners clear snow
accumulation from their own sidewalks within 12 hours after such snow accumulation has
ceased. The problem, however, is that enforcement is not always a realistic or feasible option for
the City.
Financial
It is important to note that the cost associated with many recreational opportunities in the
Bemidji Area is a barrier for many individuals and families. Local athletic facilities, including
school facilities, the Gillette Recreation Center, indoor skating rink, etc., have fees that not all
families can afford. This problem is compounded in the winter, when people are less likely to
take advantage of the opportunities that the outdoors provides for free. Bemidji Community
Education programming and the Boys and Girls Club are two organizations that have made
physical activity opportunities more affordable.
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Summary – Major Themes from the Inventory of Physical Assets and Barriers





The Bemidji Area has an excellent system of parks and trails
There are a wide variety of facilities and activities available in the community for
physical activity
Safe and convenient facilities providing direct routes between destinations is the primary
barrier to active living
Winter weather is a barrier to outdoor physical activity for many people
The financial burden associated with many indoor facilities in the Bemidji Area is a
barrier to active living
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Chapter 5 – Community
Assessment
Why is it important to build a community where
biking and walking are safe and convenient options?
Some of the top problems at the national level include
the rising cost of healthcare, global warming,
dependence on oil, and the rising cost of replacing
aging infrastructure. Building communities that
support safe biking and walking opportunities is the
best way to solve these problems.
Active living is more about building communities
where people are intrinsically more active than building recreational trails for bicyclists that want
to go 20 miles before breakfast. The thought is that the avid cyclists and runners will be active
and find opportunities, while less active individuals need facilities that are convenient, close, and
accessible.
The Community Assessment provides a description of opportunities and challenges to becoming
an active living community. There are three overriding themes:
1) Local connections – what facilities need to be in place to make walking and bicycling
safe, easy, and accessible for all users?
2) Destinations – Where do people need to go? (School, work, grocery shopping, parks?)
3) People – Who needs to get there? (Children, youth, adults, seniors?)
Opportunities
Quality of Place
While the direct benefits (and purpose) of a successful active living campaign tend to include an
increase in the community’s overall health
and safety, a less obvious result is an
increase in quality of place. People enjoy
their community more when they are able to
get outside and walk or bicycle to a park or a
lake. Physical amenities, such as parks and
trails, are important considerations for
people when determining where they want to
live and work. Other activities add to the
distinct quality of place that Bemidji has to
offer, such as the annual Dragon Boat
Festival, Paul Bunyan Trail Ride, Bike
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Bemidji, lighted speed skating in the winter, etc. Finally, Bemidji is a special place in northern
Minnesota, functioning as a regional center with many recreation assets in close proximity,
including Lake Bemidji State Park, Itasca State Park, Big Bog State Park, Lake of the Woods,
Chippewa National Forest, and many others (see map on page 31). There is a great opportunity
to make Bemidji an even better place by providing excellent opportunities for physical activity
and alternative modes of transportation.
Parks and Trails
Developing a high quality parks and trails system is a
huge opportunity and is vital to building an active
living friendly community. As mentioned in previous
chapters, Bemidji has made a strong commitment to
their parks and trails system over the years.
Having an outstanding parks system does nothing for
increasing physical activity if the only way to get to
the parks is by car. Providing safe and convenient
routes to all parks will encourage more people to walk
or bike. Accommodating all segments of the population – from young children to seniors – will
be important as the parks and trails system continues to improve.
Trails can also be an important part of community life. An avid bicyclist or a long distance
runner will utilize regional trails that span many miles. The average person, however, will only
utilize trails if they are aligned close to destinations. Trails should not be measured in the
amount of miles paved, but in the level of connectivity to key destinations.
Existing Plans
If all of the top priorities from the existing planning documents were implemented, and nothing
else, Bemidji would be a very friendly place for biking and walking. There is an opportunity to
highlight the priorities from existing plans that would add the most value from an active living
perspective.
The following are four specific examples from existing plans that would greatly increase active
living in Bemidji:
 Provide a safe pedestrian crossing on the one way pairs along Highway 197
 Complete improvements to City Park
 Complete a full trail around Lake Bemidji
 Construct short trail connections
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
30
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
31
Infrastructure/Physical Changes
One of the best ways to promote an increase in physical activity is to provide infrastructure that
is safe and accessible. There are a variety of physical changes that range from low cost
improvements, such as striping on an existing roadway, to the complete reconstruction of a
roadway.
Providing accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians is an important opportunity. A popular
approach is to build multi-use trails separated from the roadway. This is especially popular in
northern Minnesota due to the high quality natural amenities. A particularly important
opportunity is to submit an application for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to
School for local trail connections. A costeffective alternative to a multi-use trail is to
utilize existing right-of-way for pedestrian and
bicycling accommodations wherever possible.
The following are some examples of
opportunities to provide accommodations, such
as signage and striping, for bicyclists and
pedestrians on existing key routes (accompanied
by the Opportunities Map on the page 35):
 5th Street (need pedestrian and biking
facilities for access to high school)
 15th Street (need on-road facilities for safe access to middle school)
 Lake Avenue (on-road striping)
 Norton Avenue and 23rd Street – (off-road or on-road facilities)
 Anne Street (County Road – need support from Beltrami County)
 30th Street (stripe bike path and provide signs)
 Birchmont Drive (put in “share-the-road” signs)
 Park Avenue (candidate for sidewalks)
 South Shore (opportunity for feeder trails into future development)
 Other (connections from residential areas to commercial and recreation facilities)
Downtown is one of the best places in the community for pedestrians once they get out of their
car. The City Center Plan outlines several physical changes that would improve active living.
One particularly important priority is crossing the one way pairs on Highway 197. Another is
crossing Highway 197 to access the waterfront.
Another opportunity worth exploring is back-in parking in the downtown area. Traditional angle
parking that currently exists poses a hazard for biker’s downtown because it is difficult for the
driver to see them when backing out. Back-in parking is a safer option, although it is often met
with resistance when presented to the public.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
32
Policies
Land use has a tremendous impact on shaping active living opportunities. Ideally, future land
use patterns would include the sidewalks, bike lanes, short blocks with grid patterns, and access
to nearby parks and trails. There are opportunities to utilize local policies to promote active
living.
One opportunity that the JPB could benefit from is an active living component of a future
comprehensive plan. This would articulate the future policy direction for active living over the
next twenty years. In conjunction with the active living component of a comprehensive plan,
there is an opportunity to strengthen the language of the zoning and subdivision ordinance to
reflect the future active living vision. This could be done by reviewing the existing JPB Zoning
and Subdivision Ordinance for indicators that promote or inhibit active living.
Another opportunity is to pursue a complete streets policy. Formal adoption of a complete
streets policy is a complicated process that requires a large degree of input from stakeholders in
the community, buy-in from the public, and careful analysis. There are typically complete
streets workshops early on in the process, where experts, policy makers, staff, and the general
public work together to establish the potential direction of the policy. The intent of a complete
streets policy is to make streets work for all users. As an alternative to an official complete
streets policy, there is an opportunity to address multiple users’ needs for all transportation
projects.
Collaboration Among Jurisdictions
There is an important opportunity for jurisdictions to collaborate on active living issues. This is
particularly important on road projects and developments that will affect traffic flows. It is
important to begin conversation before design begins. One example of an opportunity for
collaboration will be the implementation of the Highway 197 Access Management Assessment,
which should include discussions between Mn/DOT, the City of Bemidji and the JPB.
Education and Awareness
There is an opportunity to educate the public about active living in Bemidji. It will be important
to incorporate education into the development of policy, physical projects, and promotional
efforts. One such opportunity is to educate the public about bicycle laws. It is very important
for bicyclists and drivers to understand how bicyclists are supposed to behave. This will increase
safety by creating fewer accidents due to biker or driver error.
Another opportunity is to increase the number of companies that have employee wellness
programs. This can be done by educating employers about the benefit of such programs or by
providing businesses incentives for engaging in the programs. Businesses can also offer
incentives to their employees for walking or biking to work.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
33
Marketing
As mentioned several times in this document, the Bemidji Area is full of opportunities to enjoy
the outdoors. There is an opportunity to increase physical activity by marketing the area to
tourists who are eager to find quality places to visit. Thousands of visitors come to Bemidji to
take a picture with Paul and Babe. Both residents and tourists utilize the Paul Bunyan Trail and
Diamond Point Park. Information kiosks at various locations would let people know how to get
to key destinations in Bemidji.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
34
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
35
Challenges
Policies
In addition to providing opportunities for active living, local policies can provide challenges.
Policies with no teeth will not do any good. There has to be a firm commitment to active living.
It is easy to get a trails group excited about active living concepts, but not everybody shares the
same level of enthusiasm.
The Highway 197 Access Management Assessment provides some challenges to active living.
One of the main goals of the assessment is to preserve and enhance mobility. A variety of
actions will accomplish this goal, but success in this area inherently will increase the speed on
the road due to less conflict points. There is not a lot of emphasis on improving conditions for
bicyclists and pedestrians.
Lack of Sidewalks
There is a significant lack of sidewalks in residential areas in Bemidji. This poses a huge barrier
for active living. The existing zoning and subdivision ordinance does not require sidewalks in
new subdivisions. An interesting point is the City of Bemidji has received opposition in the past
from property owners that would be impacted by the sidewalks. Developers are generally not
going to build sidewalks in new development unless they are required by ordinance.
Political Will
Political will can be a barrier to active living if elected officials are not on board. Improvements
that will support active living will cost money and likely need to be maintained by the City in
many cases.
Climate
Winter poses a variety of challenges that go
beyond cold temperatures. Plowing the roads
generally results in difficult conditions for biking
and walking. Lack of consistent enforcement of
the City Ordinance that requires property owners
to clear sidewalks in front of their property also
creates barriers.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
36
Summary – Major Themes from the Community Assessment









Improvements to the community need to be long term solutions – not just a band-aid
approach.
There is a large need for safe and convenient connections and direct routes to destinations
in the community.
There is a need for an active living component of a future comprehensive plan for the
Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board.
There is a great opportunity to pursue trail connections via Transportation Enhancements
and Safe Routes to School funding.
There is an opportunity to examine and improve land management tools that either inhibit
or promote active living in the Greater Bemidji Area.
There are several options for low cost improvement within the right-of-way on existing
roads.
It is important to accommodate all segments of the population, including children, casual
walkers, avid cyclists, seniors, and everyone in between
The City of Bemidji would benefit from maintaining a commitment to implement high
priorities in existing planning documents.
Multi-agency collaboration is needed to incorporate walking and biking into the
implementation phase of the Highway 197 Access Management Assessment.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 5
37
Chapter 6 – Active Living Plan
Active Living Vision
Through deliberate, collective action, Bemidji will be a place:
 where there exists a mutual respect among all modes of transportation
 that has been recognized nationally as a safe and healthy place to live
 that is as accessible for bicyclists and pedestrians as it is for motor vehicles
 where physical activity is safe, easy, accessible, and a common occurrence for residents
 that has strong connections – allowing people to comfortably navigate to and from
destinations in the community
 where children can safely walk and bicycle to school
Goals
The Active Living Partnership (Partnership) developed the following five goals based upon
community discussion and engagement, an analysis of local policies, assets and barriers, and
opportunities and challenges in the Bemidji Area:





Improve the overall health and safety of residents in the Bemidji Area, particularly
children and senior citizens
Promote policies that reflect a local commitment to active living
Provide essential infrastructure that makes physical activity an easy, accessible, and
enjoyable option
Raise awareness in the community about the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle
Market assets and high quality destinations in the Bemidji Area to inform residents about
opportunities for physical activity
Objectives and Strategies
There are five main objective categories for active living in the Bemidji Area:
 Collaboration
 Education and Awareness
 Marketing
 Physical Projects
 Policy
The objectives below describe what will be done in the community to address active living. The
associated strategies outline how the objectives will be completed. Chapter seven outlines an
approach to implement the strategies.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 6
38
Collaboration
Objective 1: Utilize the Partnership to drive change in the community
Strategy 1.1 – Hold semi-annual or quarterly meetings of the full Partnership
Description – The purpose of these meetings will be to make sure
that everyone is on the same page, evaluate progress, and guide
future action.
Strategy 1.2 – Develop sub-committees around specific active living topics
Description – Sub-committees can include members of the full
Partnership and/or other individuals with certain expertise or
passion for active living concepts. Sub-committees can elicit a
greater level of focus and detail around a particular topic and have
the potential to produce successful outcomes. Possible subcommittees include (but are not limited to) a policy group, a
pedestrian and bicycle group, an infrastructure group, a marketing
group, and an education/awareness group.
Strategy 1.3 – Develop a close partnership with local units of government,
Mn/DOT, area schools, and businesses to work on increasing
opportunities for physical activity.
Education and Awareness
Note:
Objectives and Strategies under this heading are aimed at informing or educating
residents about active living. It is important that people be aware of the
importance of incorporating physical activity into their daily routine as a part of a
healthy lifestyle. There are also specific skills, techniques, and laws that people
need to be aware of when bicycling, driving, walking, or running.
Objective 2:
Support programs that encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle
Strategy 2.1 – Create visual “point-of-decision” prompts to encourage or remind
people of healthy behaviors
Description – A popular point-of-decision prompt is a sign near an
elevator alerting people of the health benefits of taking the stairs.
This can serve as a catalyst for inactive individuals and a reminder
of the option for active individuals.
Strategy 2.2 – Work with local businesses to implement employee wellness
programs
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 6
39
Strategy 2.3 – Organize an annual “alternative mode of transportation to work”
day
Objective 3:
Utilize local media to highlight successful active living initiatives
Strategy 3.1 – Provide positive coverage and publicly recognize an action or
decision by a developer, designer, organization, or local
government whose work creates active living opportunities
Strategy 3.2 – Utilize national experts in the field of active living to gain media
attention and inform the public
Objective 4:
Provide a forum to increase resident’s skills, techniques, and understanding of
laws for bicyclists, pedestrians and motor vehicles
Strategy 4.1 – Utilize national experts in the field of active living to educate
residents and gain media attention
Strategy 4.2 – Promote bicycle education classes for all residents
Description – The Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota trains bicyclists
of all ages how to bicycle safely. There is an opportunity to
organize classes in Bemidji in the summer. The Partnership could
help with logistics (meeting location, advertising, and finding
people to enroll in the class).
Strategy 4.3 – Encourage people to take driver education classes
Marketing
Note:
Objectives and Strategies under this heading are aimed at “selling” the active
living concept in Bemidji. It is about drawing people’s attention to all the great
activities and destinations in Bemidji.
Objective 5:
Create and execute an active living marketing strategy
Strategy 5.1 – Investigate and create and Active Living Bemidji brand, which can
be used on websites, promotional material, official business of the
Partnership, etc.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 6
40
Strategy 5.2 – Place an information kiosk at various locations in the Bemidji
Area
Description – The information in each kiosk will be tailored to the
respective location, but should generally include information about
destinations in the community that bicyclists or walkers would
enjoy visiting. Possible locations include the Chamber of
Commerce, downtown, and the trailhead for the Paul Bunyan State
Trail.
Strategy 5.3 – Create information pamphlets to market opportunities for physical
activity in the Bemidji Area
Description – Students in the Department of Technical Studies at
Bemidji State University create promotional pamphlets as part of a
class project. An effective pamphlet could include a map of
bicycle routes and key destinations in the community.
Strategy 5.4 – Partner with Visit Bemidji to implement a marketing campaign
Physical Projects
Objective 6:
Provide facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists that improve connections to
important destinations (i.e. schools, new government center, downtown,
businesses, parks)
Strategy 6.1 – Pursue Transportation Enhancement (TE) funding for a trail
connection project
Description – The Mn/DOT District 2 Area Transportation
Partnership solicits applications for TE grants. The active living
partnership could assist the City of Bemidji in selecting the most
appropriate connection project as a part of the application process,
which will likely take place in late 2009. The funding to
implement the project would be available in 2014. The City of
Bemidji has a history of success with TE funding. Trail
connection projects have also been successful throughout District 2
in previous funding cycles.
Strategy 6.2 – Install striping and signage for bicyclists and pedestrians on
existing key routes
Description – This is a low cost/high benefit strategy. The
assessment in Chapter 5 outlines opportunities to provide
accommodations, such as signage and striping, for bicyclists and
pedestrians on existing routes.
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 6
41
Objective 7:
Create (and maintain) infrastructure that makes bicycling and walking the safe
and convenient option
Strategy 7.1 – Design and develop pedestrian crossings on Highway 197
Description – Work with Mn/DOT and the City of Bemidji to
implement pedestrian crossings. There are several locations along
the corridor that are in need of improvements for pedestrian
crossings. One noteworthy location is south of downtown on the
one way pairs. There are multi-use trails on both sides and a
variety of businesses in the middle, yet there is no safe way to
cross. There are a variety of possible solutions, one of which is to
install a red flashing light that is activated by pedestrians when
they intend to cross.
Strategy 7.2 – Install “Share-the-Road” signs on key routes in the community
Description – This strategy is intended to make drivers aware of
the presence of bicyclists and pedestrians. Share-the-road signs are
not synonymous with a designated bike route, although they could
be used together in appropriate locations. Birchmont Drive, from
Bemidji State University to Bemidji State Park, is an example of a
location where the signs would be used solely for education and
awareness.
Strategy 7.3 – Install mile markers and signage identifying distances to various
destinations in the community
Description – This strategy would target recreational trails in the
community. Mile markers allow users to track how far they have
gone, or how far they have left to go. The destination signs can
serve as a dual purpose of marketing businesses and making people
aware of places such as the Bemidji State Park or other natural
amenities.
Strategy 7.4 – Implement back-in angle parking on an experimental basis on
segments of roads downtown
Description – Back-in angle parking is a relatively safe and
inexpensive strategy. All that is required is paint and a little
political will. The existing lines for angle parking would be
switched so vehicles can back-in to their parking spot. There are
many safety benefits to this approach. Particularly important is
that bicyclists and motorists are able to see each other better, thus
avoiding accidents. Also included in this strategy is the need for a
marketing campaign before implementation and also have
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 6
42
“trainers” onsite to educate people about the process. If this
strategy turns out to be a popular success, it could be expanded
into a more permanent option.
Strategy 7.5 – Construct sidewalks in high priority areas
Description – High priority areas including residential areas,
school zones, new subdivisions/developments, downtown, Bemidji
State University, near medical facilities, completing missing
segments of existing sidewalks, etc.
Strategy 7.6 – Provide bicycle racks at key locations in the City, including
downtown, BSU and NTC, in front of businesses, schools, parks,
and other destinations
Strategy 7.7 – Install bicycle racks on the front of all buses operated by Paul
Bunyan Transit
Strategy 7.8 – Work with Mn/DOT and local road authorities to increase
crosswalk timing in appropriate locations to make intersections
more walk-able for seniors, families with children, and individuals
in wheelchairs
Strategy 7.9 – Develop a partnership between the Boys and Girls Club and the
Senior Activity Center to address snow removal on sidewalks for
seniors
Objective 8:
Implement high priority strategies outlined in existing planning documents
Strategy 8.1 – Upgrade and/or redevelop cornerstone parks and develop key trail
corridors as outlined in the Parks and Open Space Plan
Strategy 8.2 – Develop a wayfinding system as outlined in the City Center Plan
Policy
Objective 9:
Promote policies that provide clear framework for active living in the Bemidji
Area
Strategy 9.1 – Review the JPB Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance for indicators
that promote or inhibit active living
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 6
43
Strategy 9.2 – Incorporate active living concepts into the development of a
comprehensive plan for the JPB
Description – Staff of the JPB are exploring the development of a
comprehensive plan. This is the perfect time to include active
living in the long range vision of the Bemidji Area. Particularly
important will be defining a link between land use and
transportation priorities.
Strategy 9.3 – Pursue Safe Routes to School infrastructure grants based on results
of the SRTS planning grant
Strategy 9.4 – Explore the opportunity to develop a complete streets policy in the
City of Bemidji
Description – This will include extensive public engagement and
working sessions with elected officials and City staff to determine
the proper approach. Context is very important when creating a
complete streets policy. It is important to tailor the policy to the
needs of the community. There are a wide variety of available
resources to get started on complete streets, including Blue
Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of
Transportation, the National Complete Streets Coalition, and a
variety of others.
Strategy 9.5 – Revisit parking policies
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 6
44
Chapter 7 – Implementation
The timing is right for an active living initiative in the Bemidji Area. While the term “active
living” is a relatively new and exciting idea, the broader concept has been incorporated in
planning efforts in various ways. Citizens and public officials increasingly understand the value
of trails, safe connections to destinations, and other pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The
addition of health benefits of an active lifestyle will likely be a new and refreshing concept to
many people. This Chapter articulates a clear path forward for Bemidji as an active living
community.
An important aspect of this process is that Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota will play a
critical role in providing funding for certain areas of implementation. This is a great opportunity
for the community, although it should not be seen as the sole source of funding for
implementation. It will be important to consider funding from BCBS as only a piece of the
overall funding package.
Overview of Implementation
The purpose of this section is to articulate an implementation approach. Implementation efforts
will largely depend on the desires of key partners. Successful implementation may include the
following elements:
 An intentional combination of the five core areas: policy, physical projects, education
and awareness, marketing, and collaboration – A balance of the five areas is important to
produce the greatest impact in the community. It may also be important to engage in
activities that are related to each other to generate a buzz! Separate activities that have no
relation to each other should be avoided when possible.
Consider the following example that could incorporate all five functional areas:
Implement the following strategy (Policy): Incorporate active living concepts into the
development of a comprehensive plan for the JPB
Policy
Collaboration
Marketing
Active Living in Bemidji
Physical
Projects
Education &
Awareness
Complementary efforts:
 Provide a forum for officials from the City,
townships, Beltrami County, Mn/DOT, and the JPB
to discuss active living issues (Collaboration)
 As part of the public participation process,
inform the people about the health benefits of an
active living lifestyle and what problems can
accompany a sedentary lifestyle (Education and
Awareness)
 Utilize local media to highlight the
development of the multi-use trail segment on the
west side of Lake Bemidji and a successful
campaign to install “Share-the-Road” signs
(Marketing &Physical Projects)
Chapter 7
45




Effective leadership – Implementation will be a complex process because of the
involvement of multiple parties. A typical planning process is geared towards one entity
or organization. This process has an added level of complexity because implementation
will involve multiple entities with wide ranging values, skills, and capacities. A brief list
of entities or organizations interested in active living in the Bemidji Area include: BWELL, the City of Bemidji, the Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board, the HRDC,
Bemidji Community Education, MeritCare of Bemidji, and Bemidji State University. It
is important to note that residents are interested in this topic as well. Success may look a
little different for each entity involved.
Celebrate early successes while working on the “tough” issues – Some strategies will be
rather complex and time consuming. Other strategies may be relatively inexpensive, easy
to implement, and provide a high level of value. Some of these early successes, i.e. “low
hanging fruit”, may provide some inertia for the more difficult policy and infrastructure
initiatives.
Effective facilitation and group process – Planning and executing meetings of the full
partnership and subcommittees is another critical piece of implementation. The existing
partnership should be maintained and strengthened where possible. Subcommittees
should be strategically created and eliminated to maximize the enthusiasm and effort of
interested individuals. The people selected to work on specific issues should have a
particular interest/expertise in that area. Once a particular issue is successfully
implemented, the subcommittee should be dissolved, or find a new issue to champion.
Capitalize on opportunities as they arise – It is impossible to foresee all opportunities
before they are available. It will be important to maintain flexibility in the work plan.
Implementation Matrix
The Implementation Matrix, which begins on page 47, is intended to guide the efforts of the
active living partnership. The first phase of implementation will begin in late summer/early fall
(2009) and run through December 2010. It will be necessary to edit the matrix for subsequent
phases of implementation based on work completed. The matrix adds a greater level of detail
and provides the following guidance for each strategy:
 Category (Which category the strategy falls under)
 Priority Level (either “high” or “moderate”)
 Responsible Party (identifies lead contact and support)
 Timeline (short term or long term)
o “Short term strategies” are intended to be completed in the first phase of
implementation
o “Long term strategies” are intended to be considered after the first phase is
completed, but the active living partnership can elect to begin work if it is deemed
to be appropriate
 Notes
Active Living in Bemidji
Chapter 7
46
Implementation Matrix
Category
Collaboration
Education and
Awareness
Active Living in Bemidji
Strategy
Priority
Responsible Party
Lead Contact
Develop a close partnership with local units of
government, Mn/DOT, area schools, and
businesses to work on increasing opportunities
for physical activity
Hold regularly scheduled meetings of the full
Active Living Partnership
Develop sub-committees around specific
active living topics
Promote bicycle education classes for
residents
High
HRDC
High
HRDC
High
HRDC
High
B-WELL
Work with local businesses to implement
employee wellness programs, with an
emphasis on an active living component
Provide positive coverage and publicly
recognize an action or government whose
work creates active living opportunities
Utilize national experts in the field of active
living to educate residents and gain media
attention
Create visual “point-of-decision” prompts to
encourage or remind people of healthy
behaviors
Encourage people to take driver education
classes
High
B-WELL
Moderate
Organize an annual “alternative mode of
transportation to work” day
Support
*ST or LT
Details
ST
On-Going
ST
On-Going
B-WELL
ST
On-Going
Bicycle Alliance of
Minnesota, League of
American Bicyclists,
etc.
Active Living
Partnership
ST
July, 2009 - OnGoing
ST
Begin in Fall 2009
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
ST
On-Going
Moderate
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
ST
On-Going
Moderate
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
ST
On-Going
Moderate
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
ST
On-Going
Moderate
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
ST
Begin in Fall 2009
Chapter 7
Active Living
Partnership
Timeline
Notes
47
Implementation Matrix
Category
Marketing
Strategy
Priority
Lead Contact
Create web-based marketing promotions to High
highlight opportunities for physical activity in
the Bemidji area
Place an information kiosk at various locations Moderate
in the Bemidji area
B-WELL
Investigate and create and Active Living
Bemidji brand, which can be used on
websites, promotional material, official
business of the Partnership, etc.
Partner with Visit Bemidji to implement a
marketing campaign
Pursue Safe Routes to School infrastructure
grants based on results of the SRTS planning
grant (Combine with Education and
Awareness)
Identify, design and develop pedestrian
crossings on Highway 197 (Two Parts:
Advocacy and Implementation)
Moderate
Support
Timeline
*ST or LT
Details
Notes
Active Living
Partnership, Bemidji
State University
Active Living
Partnership
ST
On-Going
ST
Begin
consideration in
Fall 2009
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
LT
Moderate
B-WELL
LT
High
City of Bemidji Parks Department
Active Living
Partnership
HRDC, Community
Education, School
District
High
HRDC
(Advocates) Jerry
Downs, Business
Owners, etc.
ST
Application
process likely will
take place in late
2009
On-Going
Advocacy Piece!
High
ST
On-Going
High
City of Bemidji
(Community
Development and
Engineering
Departments
HRDC
ST
Begin in Fall 2009,
On-Going
Install “Share-the-Road” signs on key routes in High
the community
City of Bemidji
Parks Department
ST
Immediately - OnGoing
Physical Projects
Install striping and signage for bicyclists and
pedestrians on existing key routes
Active Living in Bemidji
Responsible Party
John Winter
Chapter 7
(Advocates) Jerry
Downs, Tony Walzer,
Gerry Johnson, etc.
(Advocates) Jerry
Downs, etc.
ST
Implementation!
48
Implementation Matrix
Category
Strategy
Pursue Transportation Enhancement (TE)
funding for a trail connection project
Physical Projects
(Continued)
Active Living in Bemidji
Priority
High
Responsible Party
Lead Contact
City of Bemidji
Parks Department
Support
HRDC, Parks and
Trails Commission
Timeline
*ST or LT
Details
ST
Application
process likely will
take place in late
2009
Summer/Fall 2009
Develop a wayfinding system as outlined in the High
City Center Plan
Construct sidewalks in high priority areas
High
City of Bemidji
ST
City of Bemidji
On-Going
Work with Mn/DOT and local road authorities High
to increase crosswalk timing in appropriate
locations to make intersections more walkable for seniors, families with children, and
individuals in wheelchairs
Develop a partnership between the Boys and High
Girls Club and the Senior Activity Center to
address snow removal on sidewalks for
seniors
Upgrade and/or redevelop cornerstone parks High
and develop key trail corridors as outlined in
the Parks and Open Space Plan
HRDC
JPB Staff, Active Living LT
Partnership, etc.
Active Living
LT
Partnership
Boys and Girls Club
Staff
ST
Winter
LT
In accordance with
the City's Parks
and Open Space
Plan
Install mile markers on and signage identifying Moderate
distances to various destinations in the
community
Provide bicycle racks at key locations in the Moderate
City, including downtown, BSU and NTC, in
front of businesses, schools, parks, and other
destinations
Install bicycle racks on all buses operated by Moderate
Paul Bunyan Transit
City of Bemidji
Active Living
Partnership
LT
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
LT
Paul Bunyan Transit Active Living
Partnership
LT
B-WELL
City of Bemidji
Chapter 7
Notes
The Active Living
Partnership may work
with the City to
determine the best trail
connection project
A reason to be excited
for the snow!
49
Implementation Matrix
Category
Policy
Active Living in Bemidji
Strategy
Priority
Responsible Party
Lead Contact
Support
Timeline
*ST or LT
Details
Notes
Incorporate active living concepts into the
development of a comprehensive plan for the
GBAJPB
Advocate for the development of a complete
streets policy in the City of Bemidji
High
JPB Staff
HRDC
ST
Begin in 2009
TOP Policy Priority
High
HRDC
Active Living
Partnership, etc.
ST
In Conjunction
with the
development of the
comprehensive
plan
Focus on education at
first (workshops,
community events,
etc.)
Develop a requirement for sidewalks in the
GBAJPB Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance
(Two Parts: Advocacy and Implementation)
High
B-WELL
Active Living
Partnership
ST
On-Going
Advocacy Piece!
High
JPB Staff
ST
Begin in 2009
Implementation!
Review the GBAJPB Zoning and Subdivision High
Ordinance for indicators that promote or
inhibit active living
JPB Staff
HRDC, Active Living
Partnership, etc.
HRDC, Active Living
Partnership, etc.
LT
Subsequent to the
development of a
comprehensive
plan
Revisit parking policies
Implement back-in angle parking on an
experimental basis on segments of roads
downtown
City of Bemidji
City of Bemidji
High
Moderate
Chapter 7
HRDC, Active Living
Partnership, etc.
LT
ST
Consider timeline
in Fall 2009
50
Appendix A - Summary of Public
Engagement
Public engagement was a critical piece of the development of this plan. The Summary of Public
Engagement provides views from a wide variety of stakeholders in the community. The
following is the breakdown of focus groups and meetings that were conducted over the 10 month
planning process:
Planning Process Meetings
Active Living Kick-Off Meeting
Mark Fenton Visit
Steering Committee
Planning Committee
Professional/Policy Focus Groups
(Active Living Priorities - List)
City Staff
City Councilors
Bemidji Leads and the Livability Team
Health Professionals
User Groups
Bicyclists
Walkers
High School Students
College Students
Business Community
Seniors
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
51
Active Living Kick-Off Meeting
Description
The intent of the first meeting was to get people excited about active living in Bemidji and
explain the details of the project. This meeting brought together a wide variety of community
members, including representation from the City, School District, B-WELL, BSU, the Boys and
Girls Club, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the business community, health
care, and interested citizens.
General Themes – Walk Audit
The group also conducted a “walk audit” of downtown, which was intended to begin the process
of identifying assets and barriers to active living in the community. The first piece was a 45
minute walk in downtown. The map below is the route, with five locations identified for
participants to consider. This was followed by small group discussion.
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
52
The following are the major themes from the walk audit:
Positive and negative indicators of active living along the route
 4th Street and Irvine Avenue
 Positive
o Wide sidewalks
o Clean
o Nice curb ramps at the intersection
o Bike rack near the 4 West Building
 Negative
o No light to cross Irvine
o Safety/Convenience concerns regarding access to Post Office
 3rd Street and Beltrami Avenue
 Positive
o Attractive benches, flowers, trees, brick pavers (on sidewalk), sculptures, bike
racks, etc.
o Convenient crossings due to slower speeds, stop signs, bump outs and painted
crosswalks
rd
 3 and Bemidji Avenue (Highway 197)
 Negative
o There is a perception that it is difficult to cross Bemidji Avenue, creating a
barrier between downtown and the waterfront.
o It is difficult to determine the proper way to take a left turn into downtown
coming from the south (i.e. heading north on Bemidji Avenue, attempting to
take a left into downtown). Some participants felt forced to become a
pedestrian and cross at the crosswalk, while others felt the best way was to take
their place in the lane and turn left as a vehicle, in which they felt was awkward
at best.
o There are places where you have to take a position in the lane, which lends the
bicyclist to pressure from vehicles trying to pass or becoming irritated behind
them.
o There is not enough signage indicating the presence of pedestrians and bicycles.
o There is a general issue of safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, of which
nighttime safety is the most urgent.
th
 5 Street and Bemidji Avenue
 Negative
o There is a barrier when crossing because there is a signal post in the curb ramp
leading up to the Arts Center
o There is no separation between the sidewalk and parking and/or entering the gas
station.
th
 5 Street and America
 Negative
o There is potential for conflict between pedestrians and vehicles exiting the
alleys.
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
53
Community-wide active living issues
 General comments
 Mindset – we need to change how drivers view and interact with bicyclists and
pedestrians
 Inattentive driving – i.e. cell phone use
 Trash areas on trail – reuse bags receptacles
 Pedestrian lighting downtown a positive
 Could have an awareness day for pedestrians, bicycling and driving safety
 Positive – lay down curbs, benches
 Nice art downtown
 “Needs” for active living
 Facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians
o Share the road signs
o More bike paths, bike lanes, painted crosswalks and bike racks
o Ramps – expand semicircle circumferences
o Signage –directions – mile markers – stretching
o Sidewalks to schools
o Maintenance of sidewalks, curbs, and parking lots
o Take advantage of alleyways, clean them up, utilize them as a pedestrian
resource
 Change behaviors
o Driver of vehicles as well as bicycles
o Incentive programs – walking, maintain parks and trails
o Slow traffic down on Bemidji Avenue
o Education – bike rules, car rules, education
 Other
o Trim trees and shrubs
o Several jurisdictions – communicate collaborate, plan, etc
o Safety barriers on high traffic intersection
o Adopt-a-trail
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
54
Active Living
Mark Fenton Visit
Description
Mark Fenton, a national expert on active living, host of the PBS television series “America’s
Walking”, and champion walker (U.S. National Racewalking Team and coached the U.S. team in
the World Cup in Beijing, China) was in Bemidji January 22-23, 2009 to help the community
explore assets and barriers to active living. Mark Fenton joined members of the active living
partnership on a van tour of the City. He also spoke about active living at the American Indian
Resource Center on the BSU campus. Finally, he joined the planning committee for a meeting to
discuss our planning effort.
General Themes
Van Tour
The van tour covered a large portion of the City of Bemidji. The following are comments and
observation from Mark Fenton and other participants:
 There is no safe pedestrian facilities to the middle school
 There are relatively wide shoulders along the stretch of 5th Street from downtown out to
the high school. However, there is no signage for bicyclists and the road gets very
narrow approaching the Highway 2 bypass.
 Highway 197 is not a pleasant place to walk
 There is a lot of pedestrian traffic to the mall and other regional commercial
establishments from the college and high density residential development in the area
 Sidewalks have no separation from the roadway and the streetscaping is unpleasant
 Diamond Point Park is a showcase park in Bemidji and is a large regional destination
 Highway 197 (one-way pairs south of downtown)
 No safe way to cross and access businesses that are attractive to pedestrians and
bicyclists (i.e. Dairy Queen, Dunn Brothers, etc.)
 Nymore neighborhood
 Lack of sidewalks and narrow roadways are not conducive to pedestrians
 Bemidji City Park
 Huge asset in the community, although there are no safe connections to surrounding
development
 Downtown
 Very walkable – great destination
 Trails
 Bemidji is home to a large amount of high quality regional and State trails, however
there is a lack of short trail connections.
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
55
Planning Committee Meeting (with Mark Fenton)
 Top national issues:
 Healthcare
 Global warming
 Oil dependence
 Aging infrastructure
 What is the answer to all of those problems?

Create more walkable, bicycle friendly communities!
 Factors affecting physical activity
 Destinations within walking and biking distance
 Sidewalks, trails, bike lanes, marked crossings
 Inviting settings
 Safe and accessible facilities
 Land use considerations
 Compact neighborhoods and open space
 Networks encourage active travel with presence of sidewalks, pathways, bike lanes,
shorter blocks, cul-de-sac cut-throughs, more intersections, access to trails, park,
greenways, and transit
 Lessons – trails
 Lots of connections
 Trail alignment close to destinations
 Trail can be an integral part of community life
 Don’t measure in miles, measure in connectivity
 Climate – what does indoor active living look like?
 Lack of sidewalks
Ideas to improve active living in Bemidji
Solutions that improve active living need to be “sticky,” meaning that they will not just be quick
fixes, but will last for the long term. We need to build communities where people are
intrinsically more active. We need to make the good option the easy option. The following are
several solutions of varying difficulty.
 “Easy” solutions
 Businesses could support their employees who choose to walk to work
 People can take advantage of the blue cross health discount for working out
 Mini-circles are smaller versions of roundabouts. They could be effective in the
downtown and eliminate several stop signs.
 Back-in Parking – this is where you back into a diagonal parking spot and then drive
straight out, as opposed to the traditional pull-in parking spots. This method would
require education and patience, but has proven to be effective.
 Education and awareness is important so people understand the importance of
incorporating physical activity into their daily lives.
 Information kiosks and a wayfinding system are great tools to let people know how to
get to key destinations.
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
56


Hard Stuff
 Complete Streets – take into account all 4 users: transit, bicycles, pedestrians, and
personal vehicles
 Adopt an island
 Mid Block Crossings on One Way pairs
 Multimodal transportation study instead of a traffic study
Big Scary Stuff
 General question – what is the likelihood of changing Highway 197, south of the
Mississippi River (feeding into Lake Bemidji, south of downtown) to incorporate two
way vehicle traffic on one side and non-motorized on the other?
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
57
Steering Committee Meeting
Development of Broad Objectives and Strategies
Description
The Steering Committee met on March 9 to start to develop a list of broad objectives and
priorities based on information emerging from the inventory and assessment work. The list is
comprised of five themes: policy, infrastructure/physical changes, marketing, education and
awareness, and collaboration. The list was utilized as a discussion point with staff of the City of
Bemidji, City Councilors, and others.
Policy
 Complete Streets
 Active living component of a comprehensive plan
 Review the JPB Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance for indicators that promote or inhibit
active living
Infrastructure/Physical Changes
 Back-in parking
 Completing pieces of existing plans
 Other parking downtown
 Trail Connections (Enhancement Project)
 Improved street crossings (with emphasis on Highway 197 between the river and
Holiday)
 Signage for biking and pedestrians on existing key routes
 Mini-circles in downtown to remove some stop signs
 Wayfinding system
 Sidewalks
 Bike racks
Marketing
 Information kiosk at Chamber, downtown, elsewhere identifying trails and destinations
 Marketing class at BSU to create a pamphlet of some sort
 Visit Bemidji
Active Living Education and Awareness
 Biker and motor vehicle laws
 Bicycle education classes
 Back-in parking education
 Employee wellness programs
Collaboration
 Collaboration among local jurisdictions, groups, and entities – including the City, JPB,
Mn/DOT, B-WELL, HRDC, and the active living partnership
 Collaborative effort to leverage money and resources as much as possible, utilizing
partnerships and planning efforts to receive grants, bonding, lobbying, etc.
 Political buy-in for active living initiatives
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
58
Planning Committee Meeting
Prioritization of Strategies
Description
The planning committee met on April 23, 2009 to develop the active living vision, goals,
objectives, and strategies. A key element of the meeting was prioritizing strategies, which will
ultimately guide the implementation efforts. Once all of the strategies were defined and
clarified, each member “voted” on their top strategy and two other very important strategies.
The voting was accomplished by using dots (a blue dot represented a person’s top priority, and
an orange dot represented other top priorities).
The following is a list of prioritized strategies based on the results of the group discussion and
voting:
 Pursue Safe Routes to School infrastructure grants based on results of the SRTS planning
grant – 13 points
 Construct sidewalks in high priority areas – 12 points
 Incorporate active living concepts into the development of a comprehensive plan for the
JPB – 8 points
 Design and develop pedestrian crossings on Highway 197 – 7 points
 Install striping and signage for bicyclists and pedestrians on existing key routes – 5 points
 Create information pamphlets to market opportunities for physical activity in the Bemidji
Area – 5 points
 Provide positive coverage and publicly recognize an action or decision by a developer,
designer, organization, or local government whose work creates active living
opportunities – 5 points
 Explore the opportunity to develop a complete streets policy in the City of Bemidji – 4






points
Review the JPB Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance for indicators that promote or inhibit
active living – 2 points
Revisit parking policies – 2 points
Implement back-in angle parking on an experimental basis on segments of roads
downtown – 2 points
Pursue Transportation Enhancement (TE) funding for a trail connection project – 1 point
Install “Share-the-Road” signs on key routes in the community – 1 point
Develop a wayfinding system as outlined in the City Center Plan – 1 point
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
59
Meeting with City Staff
Description
This focus group included expertise in planning (JPB staff), community development, parks,
engineering, and public works. The meeting with City staff provided a great deal of value,
including identifying specific assets, barriers, opportunities, and challenges.
General Themes
 It will be important for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, B-WELL, the HRDC,
and other agencies to provide the right forum for public engagement and awareness.
 Political buy-in for active living issues is very important. This includes Mn/DOT, the
City Council, and the Joint Planning Board. Coordination among these entities is
particularly important. The group felt that Mn/DOT is a particularly important
stakeholder that is currently left out of active living discussions.
 It is important to note that not everyone is in favor of sidewalks. There was opposition to
sidewalks in the Nymore neighborhood. It can also be tough to enforce the requirement
for people to clear their own sidewalks in the winter. Assessments for new construction
of sidewalks can also be an area of contention.
 It is important to work with what we have now. We don’t have to focus solely on
building new facilities. For example, there are many roads in the City that have enough
right-of-way to provide accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists. We would find
and capitalize on low cost/high benefit solutions whenever possible.
 There was a general discussion about the emerging priorities for active living, including
the merits of back-in parking, additional parking downtown, crossing the one-way pairs
on Highway 197, a wayfinding system, and mini-circles downtown.
Top Priorities
 Complete an active living component of a Comprehensive Plan for the Greater Bemidji
Area Joint Planning Board (JPB)
 Review the existing JPB Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance for indicators that promote
or inhibit active living
 Improve active living by completing priorities in existing City and JPB planning
documents
 Complete a trail connection project by submitting an application for Transportation
Enhancements to the District 2 Area Transportation Partnership
 Implement signage and striping for biking and pedestrians on existing key routes in the
City
 Implement back-in parking downtown, at least on an experimental basis
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
60
City Councilors
Description
This focus group included a discussion with Ron Johnson and Jerry Downs. The purpose was to
informally (as opposed to a formal City Council meeting) gauge what may be important to the
City’s public officials.
General Themes
 Bicycle education is very important
 Showers near, or in, professional settings is a good way to encourage active living
 Focusing on sidewalks should be a priority for the City
 Visit Bemidji could be a great resource for marketing active living
 The Parks and Trails Council could be a great resource for advocacy, education,
awareness and excitement in the community
Top Priorities
 Safe crossing of Highway 197 (One way pairs, overpass at the intersection of Highway
197 and 1st Street, and near the Chamber of Commerce)
 Signage and striping
 Complete Streets initiative
 Collaborative effort to leverage money and resources as much as possible, utilizing
partnerships for grants, bonding, and lobbying
 Wayfinding system and information kiosks identifying destinations and other things
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
61
Bemidji Leads! Meeting
Description
Bemidji Leads!, a stewardship partnership where Bemidji community leaders come together
regularly, has identified livability as one of their focuses during their second phase of strategy
development. Pedestrian friendly design is a component of livability. The key question that
Bemidji Leads! was asked to consider was: What can our role be?
General Themes
 Indoor activity will be important for our community when it comes to active living.
Although there are places to recreate inside there is a financial barrier to the use of
facilities. One idea was to identify and market the low cost indoor recreation
opportunities like walking around the new event center, morning walking in the high
school, and morning swim at the high school, all free activities to the public.
 In the winter sidewalks are hard to use. Snow removal is an issue.
 Our community is lacking pedestrian scale signage.
 Intersections connecting the downtown to the waterfront are in need of some attention to
make them more pedestrian oriented. Traffic moves quickly and creates a barrier.
Role for Bemidji Leads!
 Leads! can be an advocate and work to raise the profile of this issue in our community.
 Leads! is a compilation of people/leaders from many different organizations. The active
living concepts, especially relating to employment, can be incorporated through these
individuals.
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
62
Livability Team (of Bemidji Leads!)
Description
The Livability Team’s (a sub-set of Bemidji Leads!) charge is to build quality of place assets that
positions the Bemidji community as the best place in northern Minnesota to live and raise a
family. We thought it would be great to gain their perspective on active living…not just what is
important, but why success in this area is so important from a community standpoint.
General Themes
 This project will have wide ranging benefits for the community as a whole. Not only will
the overall health of the community improve, but people will have better options for
transportation and will enjoy this community more. This is really about economic
development and improving the overall sense of community.
 Improve health and well-being of the community, which will be particularly important as
our residents continue to age.
 Provide alternative modes of transportation – i.e. get people out of their car and enjoy the
Northwoods atmosphere.
 We have a wide variety of assets in this community that need to be easily and safely
accessible.
 Tourism is a huge part of this community. People come here and enjoy all the natural
amenities Bemidji has to offer. We need to provide existing residents and tourists the
best facilities to enjoy our community.
 It is unsafe to bike and walk in several areas. This is particularly important with children.
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
63
Health Professionals Survey
Description
Ten health professionals were selected to take part in a survey, of which three responded. This is
a particularly important piece of public participation because it is important to understand how
health is impacted by a lack of opportunities for physical activity in our community.
General Themes
 An active lifestyle is vital for optimal health and well-being to prevent disease and
manage health.
 Obesity and diabetes are huge issues in our area. These opportunities would play a big
role for reducing the numbers of these instances.
 Physical activity is proven to help with emotional and mental health. We have one of the
highest suicide rates in Minnesota. Physical activity could help decrease this statistic. It
is also one of the best ways that family can connect and children learn some of the basics
in negotiating, win/lose, team concept, etc. “Families who play together, stay together”.
 Ingrain a norm of leading an active lifestyle into families starting with parents/caregivers.
 Role modeling for children to create an internal “value” for physical activity as part of a
healthy lifestyle
 Do more promoting of the activities that are available.
 Streamless accessibility for handicap persons. For people with physical handicaps one of
the most important things is that they are able to maintain some independence, which
decreases their needs for other services, i.e., health care aids, drivers, etc.
 Making physical exercise easy and accessible is important.
 Improve connectivity and continuity with the bike paths and sidewalks
 Costs of indoor activities may be a significant barrier.
 A free indoor place to go to walk or play is needed.
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
64
Active Living Focus Groups
Bemidji Walkers and Bicyclists
Description
One of the major themes of active living is to improve opportunities for walkers and bicyclists to
get around the community. Focus groups were separately held with walkers and bicyclists. It
should also be noted that many members of the active living partnership are avid bicyclists and
walkers.
General Themes
 Convenient connections and safety are important themes for walkers
 Nighttime safety is of particular concern if there is a lack of lighting or adequate
facilities (i.e. a sidewalk or trail)
 Crossing Highway 197 is another major concern, particularly on the one way pairs
south of downtown
 Educate parents on why walking/physical activity is important for their children
 Bicycling in Bemidji can be challenging, with many areas of high traffic
 It is particularly difficult to move north and south
 Some often used routes that could use improvements include:
 Irvine Avenue
 Bemidji Ave.
 5th Street to High School
 15th to Middle School
 Jefferson/Carr Lake Road
 Lake Ave.
 Norton Ave.
 Roosevelt Rd.
 South Lake Irvine Drive SW to Rako St.
 Highway 197 is a “no man’s land” and is not suitable for bicycling
Top Improvements Needed
 Need driver education/public education
 Also need to enforce it, laws and education are pointless without enforcement
 Trail maintenance is an issue (including loose gravel)
 Completing non-motorized loop route around Lake Bemidji
 Signage, educational signs for drivers, wayfinding
 Striping where trails cross roads, especially on the trail near the Hampton
 Routes north and south
 Snow removal on trails and on the BSU campus
 Many sidewalks are very narrow
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
65
High School Students
Description
The Bemidji Youth Advisory Committee is an organized group of area high school students that
help to advise the City on issues from the youth and teenage perspective. This committee
regularly hosts listening lunches at the high school to discuss different issues with students who
are willing to attend. For the month of March the topic of Active Living was chosen.
General Themes
 Bemidji’s strength is the natural environment and outdoor recreation; including lakes,
outdoor activities, changing seasons, hunting, ski trails, disc golf, etc.
 At the same time, Bemidji’s weakness is that there is not always enough organized
activities for young people. Other comments include:
 Development in the Bemidji Area is sprawling
 Bemidji is not very close to other large cities
 The Recreation Center is not always a convenient option for high school students for
financial reasons
 The community is not very walkable
Top Improvements Needed
 Reduce the sprawl, limit fringe development
 Develop more bicycling (and dirt biking) trails
 Develop a skate park
 Indoor recreation and sports
 Soccer and/or baseball complex
 Indoor and outdoor pools
 Indoor athletic center
 More open gyms/free basketball
 More outdoor activities
 Water activities, utilize the lake more often
 Start an outdoor activities club
 Better public beaches, with items to rent
 Beach volleyball court open to the public
 Public transportation is a must
 Do something with the old roller rink/Smart Skate, which used to be really popular
among youth in the community
 Keep businesses downtown open after 6:00 pm
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
66
Bemidji State University’s Student Senate
Description
Bemidji State University has a huge presence in the community. It is important to understand
students’ needs and perspectives for active living in Bemidji.
General Themes
 There are several assets that make Bemidji a great place to go to school, including:
 Outdoor recreational opportunities
 Existing multi-use trails around Lake Bemidji
 Small town feel in a regional center – downtown has a small town charm
 Ability to walk on campus and proximity to Lake Bemidji
 Frisbee golf
 Parks
 Some barriers to active living include:
 Strip commercial on the west end of town is geared towards motor vehicles
 Stores downtown close early
 Not a lot for students to do outside of college activities
 Cold weather – walking and physical activity is less appealing in the winter
 Loop around the lake is unfinished, gets dangerous around the north side
 Lots of parks and amenities, but not very connected
 Not many places to eat within convenient walking distance of BSU campus
 Transportation to the cities/out of town is extremely difficult if you do not have a car.
The Greyhound bus schedule is inconsistent and it can take days to get a bus.
 One student commented, “Even if the mall was easy to walk to I wouldn’t walk to it.
The shopping in this town, especially for men, is terrible. I do all of my shopping in
the (Twin) Cities.”
Top Improvements
 More places to eat within walking distance of campus
 Expand on our parks and trails so that we have something you can’t get anywhere else
(i.e. revitalize Paul Bunyan Park)
 Finish the loop around the lake
 When developing the event center make it possible to utilize the shore for lake activities
during both summer and winter
 The Outdoor Program Center is a huge asset, but it could serve the broader community
better.
 Improve regional transit
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
67
Active Living Survey
Business Community
Description
The Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce sent out a survey link (via Survey Monkey) to
Chamber businesses. Twenty-one businesses responded. The purpose of the survey was twofold:
1) Determine how important health and physical activity is to the business community.
2) Are businesses currently engaged in employee wellness programs?
Themes
 There is a need in the community to support employers to make it easy for them to
promote wellness among their employees
 Many employers in the Bemidji Area do not have a formal employee wellness program
in place
 All employers surveyed had never been approached by an employee about their role in
employee wellness
 Half of employers surveyed felt like a wellness program was needed
 A majority of employers surveyed would welcome help from a community
organization to create and implement an employee wellness program
 Many surveyed indicated that their location is not safe to access by foot or bicycle
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
68
Active Living Focus Group
Seniors
Description
The HRDC met with the Silver Stretchers, a group that gets together two times a week for low
impact exercise/stretching, cardio (marching in place), and socializing. They also provide blood
pressure tests and senior nutrition.
General Themes
 Quality of life in Bemidji is an important strength and reason to live here
 The population is aging and we need to be ready to accommodate their needs
 Staying healthy has wide ranging benefits as people age
 Attracting people is very important to the success of the area
 Busing service to the grocery store is a very popular service for seniors
 Many seniors enjoy walking
Top Improvements
 Number 1 – provide more handicap parking, particularly in downtown and at the hospital
 Allow for longer parking times in downtown (this could be achieved through a voucher
or ticketing system that is used for events)
 Increase the length of time for crosswalk signals
 Make essential street and traffic signs larger (to make them easier to read), but also
control unnecessary billboards!
 Improve lines of sight at intersections (so motorists and bicyclists have a better chance of
seeing each other)
 Accommodate both seniors and fast moving bicyclists (develop trail accommodations
specifically for seniors (and other pedestrians)
 Build more public bathrooms (make them accessible, have raised toilets with rails)
 Develop a program to assist seniors and other individuals in removing snow from
sidewalks during the winter
 Work with public officials to get them “on-board” with the concept of active living
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix A
69
Appendix B - Useful Websites
Active Living Resources
Active Living by Design
 www.activelivingbydesign.org
Active Living Resource Center
 http://www.activelivingresources.org/index.php
Design for Health
 www.designforhealth.net
Prevention Minnesota (BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota)
 http://www.preventionminnesota.com/
The Community Guide – What works to promote health
 www.thecommunityguide.org
Partner Organizations (Active Living Partnership)
Bemidji State University
 http://www.bemidjistate.edu/
Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area
 http://www.bgcbemidji.com/
B-WELL
 http://www.smokefreebeltrami.org/
City of Bemidji
 http://www.ci.bemidji.mn.us/
Community Education (Bemidji Area Schools)
 http://www.bemidjicommunityed.com/
Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Commission
 http://www.jpbgba.org/
Headwaters Regional Development Commission
 www.hrdc.org
Meritcare
 http://www.meritcare.com/
Other Local Organizations/Entities
Bemidji Leads!
 http://www.bemidjileads.com/
Bemidji and Northern Township
 http://www.bemidjitownship.com/
 http://www.northerntownship.com/
Visit Bemidji
 http://www.visitbemidji.com/
Beltrami County
 http://www.co.beltrami.mn.us/
Northwest Technical College
 http://www.ntcmn.edu/
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix B
70
Bemidji Regional Airport
 http://www.bemidjiairport.org/
Bemidji Area Schools
 http://www.bemidji.k12.mn.us/
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
 www.nwmf.org/
Other Useful Websites
Blue Zones (Vitality Compass)
 http://www.bluezones.com/
Complete Streets
 www.completestreets.org
 http://www.dot.state.mn.us/planning/completestreets/
Federal Highway Administration – Design Guidance for accommodating bicycle
and pedestrian travel
 http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/design.htm
Governors Fit City
 http://www.health.state.mn.us/fitcity/
Share-The-Road
 www.sharetheroadmn.org/index.html
Active Living in Bemidji
Appendix B
71