City reports $1.31M in 2024 Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Fund spending, previews 2025 projects and Roslyn Park bridge design

City staff reported to the Edina City Council on July 15 that the Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety (PACS) Fund spent about $1.314 million in 2024 on sidewalks, transit accessibility pads, and flashing beacons, and that the fund is paying preliminary design costs for the Roslyn Park pedestrian bridge and other projects in 2025. Why it matters: The PACS Fund is financed by utility‑franchise fees and is Edina’s dedicated funding source for non‑motorized transportation improvements; the report described where last year’s dollars were spent and how 2025 work will continue to close sidewalk gaps, upgrade flashers and support multimodal corridors. Public‑works staff said about 50% of 2024 spending went to new pedestrian and bicycle facilities; key projects completed included sidewalks in the Concord and Southdale neighborhoods, accessible bus‑stop pads, conversion of two pedestrian flashers to modern rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFBs), and reconstruction work that added sidewalks and bike boulevard resurfacing. The report said the PACS Fund also funded retaining‑wall work near an E‑Line station and aided sidewalk design on France Avenue. For 2025, staff highlighted contribution to the Vernon Avenue/Highway 100 interchange shared‑use paths, sidewalk completion on France Avenue segments, a road diet with buffered bike lanes in the Pentagon Park neighborhood, additional RRFB installations and design work continuing on the Roslyn Park pedestrian bridge with construction expected in 2026. Staff also noted the PACS Fund is serving as interim funding for a federally funded Safe Streets and Roads for All planning grant (reimbursable), and that community engagement for the Safe and Equitable Mobility Action Plan is open on the city’s BetterTogether page. Council members asked staff to clarify the bridge design’s sightline and stair options and to seek MnDOT coordination. Engineering staff said cladding and aesthetic choices had been approved at 30% design and that staff would report back with cost and stair/cladding options. Staff asked residents to complete a community safety survey posted online; PACS funds are available for matching grants and to support design and construction of walking and biking facilities in the city.