By Maya Betti, News Intern
Editor’s Note: Here on KYMN, we’re taking a closer look at transportation, parking, and infrastructure in Northfield. This is part two of our series, Transportation in Northfield, where we continue to explore how the city and its colleges are navigating current challenges and planning for the future.
In this part, we look into the concerns facing the community as students’ and residents’ needs collide.
At a recent City Council meeting, the Council voted to approve a request from St. Olaf College for a conditional use permit to expand its Lincoln Street parking lot by 26 spaces—a proposal aimed at alleviating parking congestion in the area. But not everyone was in support of the plan.
The approval came against the advice of city staff, which had advised the Council to deny the request, citing that the project would be insufficient in “meaningfully addressing neighborhood concerns about the use of on-street parking.”
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The pure volume of parking along Lincoln St., as well as other streets bordering St. Olaf and the neighborhoods, has been a building point of contention as enrollment numbers for the college increase. Furthermore, some individuals, including Council Member Jessica Peterson White, find the behavior of student drivers to be disruptive.
“There are currently —and its not only specific certain times of years, this is going for months and months and months — that we have a lot of cars being parked on the street in ways that are very disruptive to residents of the neighborhood.” – Jessica Peterson-White, Northfield City Councilor at the 7/22/2025 Northfield City Council Meeting
One concerned resident submitted a letter to the Council urging them to deny the request. The resident described the difficulties of navigating Lincoln Street during busy times, saying they routinely back into their driveway to avoid reversing into traffic. They also noted how the street becomes “lined with vehicles” during home events at nearby Manitou Field.
However, with the waitlist for parking permits sitting at around 300 people, St. Olaf students say alternative transportation options just aren’t accessible currently.
In an email to KYMN, St. Olaf Secretary of Student Affairs Anna Grace says there are many reasons why college students would need access to a vehicle, such as if they have off-campus work or academic programs that require them to commute to the cities.
According to Grace, more frequent bus routes would be ideal, but it isn’t a complete swap. After all, cars can travel further.
Check back in with KYMN as we continue to explore what the future could hold for transportation in Northfield.
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