ARDC Planning

09/25/2026

The draft Minnesota Department of Transportation Statewide Bicycle+ System Plan is now available for public comment through Friday, October 23rd, 2026.

Minnesota has a long and proud history as one of our country's most bicycle friendly states. The Statewide Bicycle+ System Plan (Bike+ Plan) is a guiding document to help Minnesota continue to improve.

Learn more here and submit comments here:

https://talk.dot.state.mn.us/statewide-bicycle-system-plan

Northeast SHIP MnDOT | Northeast Minnesota

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

Share your experiences of bicycling in Minnesota, including the opportunities you see and the challenges you face, in the Statewide Bicycle+ System Plan survey.

09/16/2026

The results are in! More than 200 people shared their thoughts through the Tower-Breitung Comprehensive Plan survey!! Now, everyone connected to the City of Tower or Breitung Township - MN is invited to review the results and help identify goals and priorities for the future.

🚚 Breitung Township Pop-Up Event — New Location
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
4:00–6:00 p.m.

In conjunction with Big Truck Night at Soudan Town Park, 10 Church Street, Soudan
Stop by the planning table to review survey highlights, ask questions, and share ideas while enjoying Big Truck Night.

🏘️ Tower Community Open House
Thursday, September 24, 2026
4:00–6:00 p.m.
Herb Lamppa Civic Center
402 Pine Street, Tower

A brief presentation of the survey results will be offered. Stop by anytime and stay for as long as you would like.
People from both communities and the surrounding area are welcome to attend either event—or come to both!
Learn more: ardcplanning.org/TowerBreitung

Please help spread the news!
Tower-Soudan Lake Vermilion Area Events Board
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Lake Vermilion Cultural Center
Prospector Loop ATV Trail System
Vermilion Country School
Tower Soudan Golden Eagles

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

09/09/2026

Regional transportation partners across Northeastern Minnesota—including the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC), and Minnesota Department of Transportation's District 1—announce the opening of the 2026–2027 federal grant solicitation cycle for three major transportation programs: PROTECT, Carbon Reduction Program (CRP), and Transportation Alternatives (TA).

On behalf of the Northeast Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership (NEMNATP), ARDC and MnDOT staff invite elected officials, local government staff, tribal governments and other agency representatives are encouraged to join this hybrid event to learn about program eligibility, funding availability, and program timelines.

The Federal Grant Workshop will be held in the Lake Vermillion Room at the St. Louis County Public Works–Highway Maintenance Building, located at 7823 MN-135, Virginia, MN 55792, on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, from 2:30 to 4:00 PM.

This is a free event.

An RSVP is required to participate in this workshop virtually. Please complete the survey found at the following link to register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ATP2026workshop

For updates on federal grant solicitations, visit our website at https://nemnatp.org/

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

09/04/2026

Minnesota volunteer drivers give older adults, people with disabilities, and others access to healthcare, delivered meals, and other key services.

ElderCircle is a valued member of the Arrowhead Regional Coordinating Council and part of the mission to improve access, availability, and options for transportation services in northeastern Minnesota.

See the comment section below for more resources on being a volunteer driver with ElderCircle or other organizations in the Arrowhead!

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

09/03/2026

Have you heard about Minnesota Department of Transportation's new toolkit for helping teachers, school staff, families, and communities support safe walking and rollin' to school!

On My Way! can help schools meet state requirements for active transportation safety education. There is also technical assistance available for educators, schools and school districts as they roll out On My Way! to students.

Check it out below!

ARDC Planning is a division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

Backpack? Check. Notebook? Check. New walking and biking education tools? Check!

We recently launched On My Way! This new education program helps schools meet the state requirements for active transportation education. Students in grades K-2 learn safe walking skills, and grades 3-8 learn both walking and biking safety skills. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qSoCvM

09/02/2026

Check out this great interview with one of our Arrowhead Regional Transportation Coordinating Council (RTCC) members!

CW Transportation Services LLC, along with the other regional non-emergency medical (NEMT) providers in our region, have played a large role in ARDC’s partnership with CTS’s Empowering Small Minnesota Communities program.

Special thanks to University of Minnesota Duluth Professor David Beard for connecting Fox 21 News to our local providers to showcase the need for a strong NEMT system in our region.

Established in 2017, the Arrowhead RTCC’s mission is to improve access, availability, and options for transportation services in northeastern Minnesota through improved communication, coordination, and collaboration.

We are working with the University of Minnesota on a project called Research, Maps, and Storytelling: Tools for Identifying and Responding to the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Needs of the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota.

https://www.fox21online.com/news/local/superior-man-helps-non-emergency-medical-ride-shortage-with-transportation-service/article_952dbae2-dedf-4824-b758-f26fbec0404b.html

ARDC Planning is a division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

🚐 🩺🚌

Warren Little of Superior has worked in healthcare from nursing homes to hospitals, he saw a recurring issue, the lack of non-emergency medical transportation.

08/25/2026

Save the date!

Join us September 24th for the DAWN Business Resource Summit & Pitch Competition in northeastern Minnesota. A day of funding panels, expert connections, and a live pitch competition featuring up to 10 local entrepreneurs.

RSVP: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/Ld1QuRbLRA
Apply to Pitch: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/AXmaWN5rmm

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission. We are proud to be an advisory committee member supporting NORTHSPAN on this great project.

08/07/2026

ARDC Planning is excited to be working alongside City of Tower and Breitung Township - MN to update their shared Comprehensive Plan.

We invite everyone with a connection to Tower and Breitung to participate by taking a community survey, and attending a community meeting!

Survey link here: surveymonkey.com/r/tower-breitungplan

And learn more on the project website at: www.ardcplanning.org/towerbreitung

Please help spread the news!
Tower-Soudan Lake Vermilion Area Events Board
Bois Forte Band of Chippewa
Lake Vermilion Cultural Center
Prospector Loop ATV Trail System
Tower Soudan Lake Vermilion Lions
Vermilion Country School
Tower Soudan Golden Eagles

ARDC Planning is a Division of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

A Comprehensive Plan is a long-range guide for local decisions about land use, housing, transportation, infrastructure, economic development, natural resources and community facilities. Community i…

07/23/2026

We are proud to share that Arrowhead Regional Development Commission was recently been recognized with a 2026 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for its leadership and collaboration with many partners whom together have formed the Northland Climate Resilience Collaborative.

ARDC Planning's Climate Resiliency Planner Deanna Geelhoed who helps lead the Collaborative says:

“Climate impacts don’t stop at jurisdictional boundaries, and neither should our response. This project is helping local governments, Tribal Nations, agencies, and organizations build the relationships needed to coordinate action across the region.”

Thanks to BusinessNorth for sharing an article about this award, and the many partners that have been working together in a regional collaboration on climate resilence, increasing staff capacity, and building a shared understanding of one another's work.

https://www.businessnorth.com/newsmakers/ardc-honored-with-2026-impact-award/article_fd35e5ff-55cd-4880-8b02-ef5937e77d6e.html

07/17/2026

ARDC is proud to partner with Discover The Range in support of the Arrowhead Coalition of Trails (ACT) and the Trail Town model for regional economic development.

This project is funded through a Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Regional Trails Grant, made possible by taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and to our partners across the region for their commitment to strengthening our trail communities, expanding outdoor recreation opportunities, and helping local towns explore the benefits of the Trail Towns model.

Together, we’re building momentum, supporting local economies, and celebrating the incredible trail assets of the Arrowhead.

Check out this article from the The Timberjay Newspapers about our recent meeting in Soudan, MN.

https://www.timberjay.com/stories/trails-as-economic-development,34941

ARDC Planning is a Divison of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission.

SOUDAN- A newly formed group is hoping to help area communities recognize the value of area trails in building the region’s tourism economy. The Arrowhead Coalition of Trails (ACT) began with the …