The City is creating a more sustainable future
Together we can make a difference
Environmental consciousness, energy conservation and sustainable objectives are nothing new in
Bloomington. Early efforts preserved one-third of the community as parks and open space. In so
doing, important, often fragile, rivers, bluffs, lakes, ponds and wetlands were protected from
development.
The City's history of good stewardship provides a foundation of leadership to sustainability.
Efforts today continue to move us toward an ever more sustainable future.
Alternative transportation information
- The
Alternative
Transportation Plan encourages development of walking, biking and other alternative modes of
transportation in Bloomington.
- The Complete Streets policy,approved by City Council and included in the Alternative Transportation Plan, guides transportation decisions that benefit users of many types of transportation.
-
Transportation
Demand Management promotes the efficient use of existing transportation facilities, reduction in traffic
congestion and mobile source pollution, and ensures that new developments maximize the
potential for alternative transportation usage.
- The
86th
Street Multi-modal traffic study will develop a preliminary design for balancing vehicles, pedestrian and
bicycle needs for the 86th Street corridor from Xerxes Avenue to East Old Shakopee
Road.
Alternative transportation links
Protecting our natural resources
These ongoing City efforts preserve and protect our natural resources:
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Conducting
a rain garden demonstration project, working with residents on Thomas Avenue South to
install rainwater gardens.
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Constructing
permeable asphalt parking lots and rain gardens to allow infiltration of rainwater into
existing soils, reducing runoff by as much as 90 percent.
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Converting manicured turf to
swathes of natural prairie, a landscape similar to 150 years ago.
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Testing low-maintenance fescue
grass with the hope of using it to reduce maintenance activities and cost.
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Employing well-trained forestry professionals, planting new trees throughout the city for
more than 25 years, encouraging residents to plant trees via an annual tree sale -- and, as
a result, receiving a "Tree City" designation for the last 20
years.
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Developing a comprehensive storm water quality improvement program.
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Upgrading the storm water system to improve capacity and water quality.
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Completing a comprehensive water and wetlands study that resulted in a wetland buffering
program.
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Requiring retailers selling fertilizer to offer phosphorus-free products.
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Increasing street sweeping to reduce runoff into water bodies.
Long-term stewardship
Stewardship leads to increased service and energy efficiency. The City's efforts include:
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Replacing major facilities with more energy-efficient buildings.
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Using a bio diesel blend in 100 percent of our total diesel consumption.
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Purchasing vehicles that use E-85 and hybrid vehicles.
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Enacting a vehicle idling policy for all City vehicles to address two major concerns facing
the City - air pollution and vehicle fuel expense.
Planning initiatives and projects that support sustainability
The Mayor on sustainability
What will a sustainable city look like?
How will the City accommodate new green technologies and building techniques to enhance our
quality of life? This video tour focuses on concrete examples of developers, businesses and
residents who embrace sustainability by using renewable materials, alternative
transportation and smart design in the South Loop
District.
-
Watch "The Tour"
video
- Quality Bicycle Products, one of the businesses featured in "The
Tour" video, offers eco-tours of its LEED Gold Certified distribution center. See how
they harness the sun's energy, save 45,000 gallons of water a year, and use landscaping
to destroy pollutants before they get into the ecosystem. Eco-tours take place at
3:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month and are free and open to the
public.
- To schedule a tour for your group, contact green@qbp.com or call 952-941-9778.
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