HF 3594 Summary

• Expands pedestrian mall authority from cities of the first class to all cities (home rule charter or statutory cities) in Minnesota.

• Permits city councils to designate any property within city rights-of-way to be improved for pedestrian uses by ordinance, removing the previous requirement that such designations be limited to central business districts.

• Requires commissioner of transportation approval for pedestrian mall ordinances affecting state highways and county approval for county roads, with mandatory collaboration with relevant state and local governments.

• Exempts county highways and municipal state-aid streets that are designated as pedestrian malls from the county and municipal state-aid highway systems.

• Repeals the definition provision in section 430.01, subdivision 4, while maintaining provisions for cities of the first class to designate land for streets, parks, and parkways through concurrent resolution.