Although free pizza remains the industry standard for enticing students, this year’s first-year students hopped on board a generous transit offer.

Auggies enrolled in Augsburg Seminar (or AugSem) received a Metro Transit Go To card loaded with $20 at student orientation. Those who loaded $10 on their card by October 1 gained an additional $45 on their card.

Ann Garvey, vice president of student affairs, said nearly 200 students (about 40 percent) took advantage of the offer, which was designed to introduce students to the ease of the Twin Cities’ transit system of buses, light rail, and commuter rail. The pilot project emerged from a collaboration between Metro Transit and the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership—a group of colleges, universities, hospitals, and health care organizations invested in the health and vitality of area neighborhoods.

“Augsburg is committed to its urban location and our Green by 2019 statement,” said Garvey, celebrating Augsburg’s involvement with Central Corridor. “We benefit from being at the crux of the two light rail lines, and we encounter the reality of a small campus footprint. A car-related solution to transportation cannot be our first step.”

Through curriculum, organizations, and overall mission, Augsburg is committed to engaging its neighbors through partnerships and service. Garvey said incorporating the transit offer into the AugSem excursion on City Service Day made sense.

“As we were discussing how best to introduce this idea to new first-year students, we quickly realized that all first-years have the Augsburg Seminar and all Augsburg Seminars have the embedded curricular commitment of engaging Minneapolis,” Garvey said. “It was a perfect fit to show how we integrate what we do with the city, and faculty were stunned with how wonderful it was, as they would sometimes encounter financial barriers in getting their classes out to the city.”

Garvey said another element of success was student involvement. Communications major Sulin Phat and history major Anisa Sharif helped shape a communications campaign to market the Go To card offer by sharing personal experiences and emphasizing the benefits of sustainability and connecting with the community.

“I loved this part,” Garvey said. “Students listen to other students and students bring the reality of their experience in coordinating the outreach that makes these efforts so much more effective. Plus, it gave two current students jobs and hands on experience for their growth and development.”

Results from student surveys, Garvey said, will inform Metro Transit’s offers to students in 2016. The overwhelming success of the project, she added, has certainly renewed interest in the Metro among the rest of the Augsburg community.

Dimension 3, Goal 7, Strategy 7: Engage anchor partnerships in developing, improving, and sharing resources that serve Augsburg, our neighborhood, and our wider community.

—by Kate Elliott

Augsburg is known for maintaining strong relationships with nearby communities. Whether it be supporting local businesses or serving our neighbors, Augsburg students, faculty, and staff take full advantage of our urban location. However, connection to one nearby neighborhood is made more difficult by the the divide—both physical and perceived—created by I-94.  

Directly south of Augsburg’s campus on the other side of I-94 is the eclectic and vibrant Seward neighborhood. Despite its relatively close proximity to campus, Seward seems much farther away than it really is. The existing pedestrian bridge over I-94, located between 22nd Avenue and 24th Avenue, is narrow, dark, and hidden behind the freeway soundwall on both sides. It is also disconnected from the street grid. It feels remote and unsafe and, as a result, diminishes the connection between Seward, the Augsburg campus, and the broader Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.

Augsburg College and Seward Redesign (a nonprofit that provides community development services) are partnering to pursue the design and construction of new pedestrian bridge that will provide an inviting, safe, accessible, and visible connection between the two neighborhoods.

In addition to activating economic, social, and environmental growth for the two areas, the bridge will also serve as a tangible example of an anchor institution like Augsburg, partnering with a community development corporation on a project of shared value.

The benefits of a new, pedestrian-friendly land bridge over I-94:

• It will strengthen Augsburg’s connection to the Seward neighborhood for service-learning opportunities at local organizations such as Bethany Lutheran Church, Seward Montessori School, and Northern Clay Center, among others.
• It will provide convenient access to the Seward neighborhood’s many amenities, such as restaurants, retail shops, arts and community organizations.
• It will encourage greater use of Murphy Square Park by Seward residents, as the closest public park in an area without much green space.
• It will draw more people into the Seward neighborhood for business and retail transactions, which will help support the neighborhood economy.
• It will help provide Seward residents with easier access to services and jobs at Augsburg, Fairview Health Services, and the University of Minnesota.
• It will create a model for how neighborhoods that have been divided by freeway construction can reestablish physical connections over the freeway to build community, stimulate economic development, and improve pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Crossing boundaries to pursue design and construction of a cutting-edge bridge

Oslund and Associates and Linda Figg of FIGG Engineering, have been retained to complete a feasibility assessment for a new bridge, including a conceptual design. In February, a design charrette was held with community stakeholders to inform the planning and design process. In addition to providing a wider pedestrian and bicyclist crossing, the bridge may feature green elements such as plants and vines, innovative lighting features, gathering space, and an iconic structure visible from the freeway to serve as the gateway into Minneapolis. It would be accessible and inviting to all.

The concept of a new pedestrian/bike bridge has been endorsed by the Seward Neighborhood Group, Seward Civic and Commerce Association, West Bank Community Coalition, and the Cedar-Riverside Partnership, and is widely supported by the community.

Dimension 3, Goal 7, Strategy 7: Engage anchor partnerships in developing, improving, and sharing resources that serve Augsburg, our neighborhood, and our wider community.