Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
Anondson
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby Anondson » September 18th, 2015, 11:58 am

Edina update: The city has begun constructing a more complete sidewalk along the south side of Interlachan Blvd. This has been long needed. Plus Edina's change to allow bikes on sidewalks, Interlachan will now be less terrifying for bikes on a portion. Someday I hope the Blake/Interlachan deathtrap gets something.

Anondson
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby Anondson » September 21st, 2015, 1:44 pm

Public hearing for the next year of SLP sidewalks and trails, Connect the Park, on the 21st.

http://www.stlouispark.org/webfiles/fil ... f?d=150921

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jw138
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Re: Orange Line (35W BRT) & Lake St Transit Access Project

Postby jw138 » September 29th, 2015, 7:53 pm

CANDO hosted a community meeting with Minneapolis/MnDOT this evening focusing on the East 38th Street bridge work over 35W that will be done as part of the global 35W/Lake St transit access project. There's quite a number of smaller projects bundled up into the super-project and it sounded like the 38th St bridge work would be one of the earlier ones to begin when the whole thing gets started in 2017. Some notes I jotted down:

The 38th St bridge will get re-decked. Re-deck lifetime is in the range of 15-20 years so there's little chance of a bridge rebuild to accommodate an Orange Line infill station prior to 2035-2040.

The width of the bridge will not change. Today the configuration going in both directions is 5' walk, 10' shield, and 12' lane. The proposed configuration is 9' walk, 7' shield, and 11' lane without any turn lanes onto Stevens or 2nd. There was no explicit bike lane mentioned in the proposed bridge configuration. Here's the picture I snapped:

https://i.imgur.com/epwzCbZ.jpg

Sidewalk bump-outs will be added at 38th & Stevens and at 38th & 2nd Ave. If I heard correctly, they actually plan on adding painted bump-outs with sticks starting within weeks of today where the actual concrete bump-outs will be added sometime after 2017. There was voiced concern that traffic would back up on 38th St starting where cars turned left onto northbound 2nd Ave because the bump-outs and lack of turn lanes would prevent eastbound traffic from passing to the right.

A traffic light will be added at 38th & Stevens. There wasn't enough justification to add one at 38th & 2nd Ave.

The city presented a draft concept for biking along 38th St in general (not part of the bridge project). The general 38th St configuration is currently 22' parking + travel in each direction. The proposed draft presented was 9' parking, 6' bike, and 11' travel lanes in one direction. A parking lane all along 38th would be eliminated going in the opposite direction. There was voiced concern that the elimination of this parking would cause issues during snow emergencies. I snapped a picture of it here:

https://i.imgur.com/3wWOuej.jpg

The pedestrian bridge over 35W at 40th is now part of the larger 35W/Lake St transit access project and will be replaced between 2017-2021. MnDOT said it would be similar to the one proposed for 24th St over 35W.

This year there were seven sections along 35W lacking sound walls that were voted on by the surrounding neighborhood. Six of the seven were voted down. The only new sound wall will be along the east side of 35W north of Lake St (if I remember correctly).

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jw138
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Re: Orange Line (35W BRT) & Lake St Transit Access Project

Postby jw138 » September 29th, 2015, 7:56 pm

Some notes I jotted down:
Sorry about polluting with non-BRT related notes from the meeting. They crossed over several potential target threads.

LakeCharles
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Re: Orange Line (35W BRT) & Lake St Transit Access Project

Postby LakeCharles » September 30th, 2015, 7:19 am

Sidewalk bump-outs will be added at 38th & Stevens and at 38th & 2nd Ave. If I heard correctly, they actually plan on adding painted bump-outs with sticks starting within weeks of today where the actual concrete bump-outs will be added sometime after 2017.
They already have added the paint bump-outs. I noticed them over the weekend.

If I understand correctly from your post, there are talks for bike lanes on 38th, but are not being included in this bridge project? Why is that? Or am I misunderstanding?

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jw138
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Re: Orange Line (35W BRT) & Lake St Transit Access Project

Postby jw138 » September 30th, 2015, 8:08 am

If I understand correctly from your post, there are talks for bike lanes on 38th, but are not being included in this bridge project? Why is that? Or am I misunderstanding?
They sounded like separate projects that could potentially be done at the same time if ready when the bridge work begins. The MnDOT plans didn't explicitly call out bike lanes over the bridge but did state that there would be 7' "shield" lanes between the travel lanes and the bump-outs/sidewalks. When the city figures out precisely what they're going to do about bike lanes all along 38th St I'm guessing they'll carve them out of these "shield" lanes across the bridge. There were several neighbors upset that bike lanes would take away parking along 38th St and the city responded by saying that they wouldn't do anything until they got feedback from those living in the area. The bridge work could begin as early as 2017 so I've no idea if they can get it all wrapped up by then.

twincitizen
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby twincitizen » September 30th, 2015, 9:26 am

So not even a 4-way stop for 38th & 2nd? Or are traffic volumes too imbalanced to consider 4-way stops over stoplights? Did anyone suggest a 4-way stop instead of a new traffic signal at 38th & Stevens? It sure would be a lot cheaper.

The bumpouts will help with visibility for sure (for all modes, even cars).

38th absolutely does not need parking on both sides throughout the corridor, outside of select few commercial nodes. I would want to retain parking on both sides in a few areas, like maybe between Grand & Nicollet, and a little section at Chicago, maybe Bloomington for future businesses. I'm guessing the bike lanes wouldn't extend east of Minnehaha Ave (connecting to that bike facility). Traffic drops off significantly east of there.

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jw138
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby jw138 » September 30th, 2015, 10:46 am

There was no mention of 4-way stop signs at either intersection.

mattaudio
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby mattaudio » October 3rd, 2015, 10:17 pm

Anyone know how much a RRFB costs?

PhilmerPhil
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby PhilmerPhil » October 3rd, 2015, 10:34 pm

IHNFI.

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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby trigonalmayhem » October 6th, 2015, 6:57 am

Did the city get sued for ADA violations recently? Because I've noticed they're tearing up corners everywhere to install ADA compliant curb cuts and patching over dangerous sidewalk cracks. They never used to care so I can only assume it's because they got in trouble.

Anondson
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby Anondson » October 6th, 2015, 8:40 am

The city of SLP made a video to inform people on who gets right of way at the Cedar Lake Trail crossings.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 5702136583

intercomnut
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby intercomnut » October 13th, 2015, 8:45 am

Public Works is currently removing the pedestrian medians on 26th/28th.

https://twitter.com/MerplesMN/status/653916658843582464

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FISHMANPET
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby FISHMANPET » October 13th, 2015, 9:24 am

And they've stopped removing it. Lisa got PW to wait on removing it, but a foreman was out of town and the stop work order didn't get to the right place, so they started removing, but now that work has been stopped.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1405160 ... %22R%22%7D

grant1simons2
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby grant1simons2 » October 16th, 2015, 5:42 pm

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/cip/future/WCMS1P-150295
Project consists of construction of ADA pedestrian ramps, countdown timers and durable crosswalks at 19 intersections, along with the addition of landscaping and pedestrian-level lighting features.
Image

Better map: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 150339.pdf

mattaudio
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby mattaudio » October 16th, 2015, 8:26 pm

Sounds like an excellent opportunity for some major bumpout action.

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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby Silophant » October 16th, 2015, 9:06 pm

Yeah. Probably out of scope, but since there's now a curb extension on 7th on the north side of Nicollet for the Transit Advantage project, and since you can't turn right onto Nicollet anyway, is there any reason (besides money) not to continue that extension for the whole block between Nicollet and Marquette? There's not really any storefronts on that part of 7th to take advantage of it, but more pedestrian space = more better.
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PhilmerPhil
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby PhilmerPhil » October 16th, 2015, 10:39 pm

It's just going to more missed opportunities and beg buttons. They've just rebuilt lots of corners in DTE and the Powderhorn area with basically no meaningful pedestrian improvements. Beg buttons everywhere.

https://twitter.com/philmrphil/status/6 ... 5843618816
https://twitter.com/nickmagrino/status/ ... 2475109380

Mdcastle
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby Mdcastle » October 17th, 2015, 10:32 am

Pedestrian push-buttons are an ADA requirement now, so even if it's programmed for a Walk signal every phase (like a lot of them in the city are) they need to install the buttons if they want an intersection to meet standards (Countdown timers, those metal bumps, and specific curb cut locations and slopes being among the other requirements).

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woofner
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Re: Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Improvements

Postby woofner » October 17th, 2015, 11:38 am

Disgusting, but not surprising, how this project got watered down from its original scope, which did include sidewalk widening and bump-outs. It is clear that pedestrians continue to be the lowest priority in Minneapolis.

There is a difference, BTW, between beg buttons and auditory signal buttons. If the button is required for the phase to include a walk signal, it's a beg button. Hopefully those aren't required by ADA but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of public works agencies don't know or care about the difference. (Edit: oh I guess that's more or less what you wrote, sorry)
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