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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS UPDATE | Anoka County Wins Court Challenge Over $6.2 Million in Active-Transportation Funding
The ruling blocks the diversion of county transportation money to a proposed pedestrian crossing in the City of Anoka, although additional legal proceedings remain possible.
ANOKA COUNTY, MN (August 26, 2026) Anoka County has prevailed in its court challenge against legislation that redirected $6.2 million in county active-transportation funding to the City of Anoka for a proposed pedestrian crossing over the Rum River.
According to an announcement released Tuesday by Anoka County, a Ramsey County District Court judge ruled August 21 that the funding provision approved during Minnesota’s 2025 special legislative session violated the Minnesota Constitution.
The disputed legislation transferred $4.9 million during the current funding period and another $1.3 million during the following year. The money was designated for the City of Anoka’s plan to construct a third pedestrian river crossing within approximately one-quarter mile of the city’s downtown area.
Anoka County filed its lawsuit in 2025, arguing that the Legislature had improperly reassigned money previously designated for countywide active-transportation priorities.
The case is identified in court records as Anoka County v. State of Minnesota, case number 62-CV-25-9279.
County officials said the restored money could support projects in several communities. Potential uses identified by the county include accessibility and Safe Routes to School improvements at Kordiak Park in Columbia Heights, a grade-separated Rum River Regional Trail crossing at Bridge Street in St. Francis, and transportation improvements serving Bunker Hills Regional Park in Andover and Coon Rapids.
The proposed St. Francis project would address a mid-block trail crossing that county officials consider dangerous. Bunker Hills Regional Park, meanwhile, attracts approximately 850,000 visitors annually, according to the county.
Anoka County Board Chair Scott Schulte said the county’s intention is to use the funding for improvements that benefit residents across the county and enhance safety and mobility.
The court ruling represents a significant development in a dispute previously reported by MinneapoliMedia. The litigation followed disagreements between Anoka County and the City of Anoka over the proposed crossing, the Rum River corridor and the intended use of state active-transportation money.
The City of Anoka’s response to the August 21 ruling was not available in the official material reviewed by MinneapoliMedia. The parties also had not publicly announced whether an appeal or another legal proceeding would follow.
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