Print Icon
 

Missed Our Traffic Model Study Webinar?

💻 Watch the Replay

Last week we hosted a Get in the Know! Traffic Model Study webinar featuring our partners at SRF Consulting, where we broke down how traffic modeling helps us understand current conditions along I-94 and what future changes could look like.


During the session, the team walked through how data is used to analyze traffic patterns, forecast future scenarios, and evaluate different design options. This work plays a key role in ensuring that future decisions are grounded in both data and community impact.


If you couldn’t join us live, you can still catch the full conversation on our YouTube channel.

Air Check: A Continued Update on PurpleAir Sensors in Rondo

Over the past few months, we’ve been sharing updates on our efforts to better understand air quality in Rondo—and that work is continuing to move forward.


As a reminder, ReConnect Rondo is introducing PurpleAir sensors across the neighborhood—small, community-based monitors that track air quality in real time, right where people live, work, and gather.


These sensors measure fine particulate matter—tiny particles from traffic, construction, and other sources—giving us a clearer, block-by-block understanding of the air we’re breathing. It’s one more way we’re working to ground this work in real, lived experiences—not just citywide averages.


This effort continues to support broader conversations around the future of the I-94 corridor. By combining real-time data with technical analysis, we’re building a more complete picture of current conditions and what different scenarios could mean for community health.

The process:

This work is guided by five key components:

  • Collaboration: We’re working alongside technical experts and state partners like the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
  • Data Collection: We’re gathering existing air quality data while also installing PurpleAir sensors to track pollution in real time.
  • Community-Based Monitoring: These sensors measure particulate matter, helping us understand air quality at a neighborhood level—not just citywide averages.
  • Modeling & Analysis: Using the Environmental Protection Agency’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES), we’ll analyze current conditions and model future scenarios, including different design options for the I-94 corridor.
  • Education & Transparency: Throughout the process, we’ll share updates, explain findings, and keep the community informed every step of the way.

Where things stand now:

We are actively identifying and confirming locations for PurpleAir sensors across Rondo. This includes partnering with schools, churches, and community organizations to ensure strong, representative coverage throughout the neighborhood.

What’s next:

  • Install PurpleAir sensors and begin collecting real-time data
  • Compile and compare existing air quality data from state agencies
  • Model current air conditions using motor vehicle emissions simulator
  • Analyze future scenarios—including “no-build” and potential project alternatives
  • Translate results into Air Quality Index (AQI) data to make findings easy to understand
  • Share a final report and continue engaging the community with clear, accessible updates

We’ll be sharing more soon—including where sensors will be placed and how you can follow along as data begins to come in.


This work is about more than data. It’s about making informed decisions, centering community health, and ensuring the future of Rondo is shaped with clarity, care, and accountability.

     

Partnering with the Next Generation of Changemakers

This spring, we’ve had the opportunity to partner with students from the University of St. Thomas through their Writing for Advertising and Public Relations course—and it’s been an energizing experience for our team.


Right now, students are actively working on their campaign presentations, bringing fresh ideas and new perspectives to how we tell the story of ReConnect Rondo and restorative development. From the very first session, they’ve leaned in—asking thoughtful questions, digging into the history of Rondo, and really working to understand the people, culture, and legacy at the heart of this work.

It’s been especially powerful to see students connect the dots between past and present, and to think creatively about how to communicate the importance of reconnecting communities. Their work is helping elevate key efforts like the African American Cultural Enterprise District, while also pushing us to think in new ways about storytelling and engagement.


We’re excited to see where their ideas land in the coming weeks and grateful for the energy, curiosity, and care they’re bringing to this partnership. It’s a reminder that the next generation isn’t just learning about this work—they’re already contributing to it.

     

Get in the Know! National Environmental Policy Act

May 19th, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:00 pm | Zoom

Join us for an upcoming webinar to learn more about the next phase of ReConnect Rondo’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Our NEPA Study Team has begun the Environmental Assessment, a federally required process that evaluates potential environmental, community, and infrastructure impacts and helps determine the project’s path forward.


During this session, we’ll introduce the draft Purpose & Need statement—a key early step that outlines why the project is being proposed and the challenges it aims to address. This framework will guide future design options and how they’re evaluated.


We invite you to review the draft, learn what’s ahead in the NEPA process, and share your feedback to help shape the future of this project.

     

Stay Connected