urbanMSP

Yeah, this is totally fine, but why not include a stair or ramp on each end facing 6th St in addition to the ramps from 5th?

I've noticed a ton of markings for future zebra stripe crossings downtown. Anyone know anything about this project? Is it just transition from parralel lines?

Also, bumpouts have popped up along 9th!

Learned this morning that a fellow transit rider on my daily commute was struck by a car on Highway 55 and roughly Eagandale Blvd in Eagan. Anyone have any suggestions on how I might be able to find out his status? I heard he was conscious and talking when the ambulance arrived, so I am hopeful that he will be OK.

As I have been taking MVTA buses to work nearly every work day since October of last year to this part of the Twin Cities I have become more familiar with the awful conditions that transit riders and pedestrians face in these parts. I know I am preaching to the choir, but holy crap this needs to change. I cringe every time we come up to a stop on Highway 110 and about Lexington. Those are brave souls who wait for the bus along that highway, especially in the winter. There are so many bus stops at intersections with no crosswalks, or maybe just across only one road of the four at the intersection. I need to do something to help change this, but I feel inconsequential and very frustrated right now.

Plymouth City Council voted 6-1 to keep Schmidt Lake Road as a four lane death road instead of making the road safer for pedestrians to cross.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2017/05/30/plym ... lake-road/

It currently carries between 5,000–10,000 cars per day.

The crossings that Minneapolis is doing to replace the parallel lines are just paint. That's a disappointment

They're repainting 3,000 intersections with the zebra markings this year—and 120 of them will be the more durable non-paint material (a plastic, right?). http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis- ... 423451693/

I dunno. I'd rather have them paint these everywhere now and slowly replace them with more durable material rather than leave them as-is and install when the cash is available.

I agree. As long as the city really means it this time. There are some crossings that have been painted and slowly forgotten about. If paint is phase 1, I'm happy. But there are some crossings like in North Loop, that really should be durable. Especially along Washington.. That's what's disappointing.

I'm not sure that the "more durable" thermoplastic applications are actually more durable. True, they don't fade away, but they do get scraped and peeled back by plows. I suspect that the city would probably be better off just committing to a very robust annual repainting program.

Do the thermoplastic applications offer more traction? The paint is very slippery when wet. I avoid stepping on the paint in the winter.

The "more durable" ones are falling apart already. I'll get some pics later, but they're twisted, pulled back and generally crappy looking in a few places already.

Does anyone know why the sidewalks on Hennepin in uptown have spray paint markings? I tried to search online but could not find any info.

Little white < > marks? If so, those are for panel replacement.

Depending on color, could also be marking locations of water, gas, fiber, electrical, etc.

Thanks, seems like a lot of different markings. There are a lot of the white < > marks, but I can't believe they would replace all of Hennepin sidewalks so maybe the other markings you mentioned are mixed in too. I will have to pay more attention to what the marking are.

I know there is an official term for the pedestrian signs with flashing lights but I don't remember. Anyways, I have used them a number of times and the majority of motorists will stop for me. However today I decided to try the lights at Old Shakopee & Kell while on my bike to see how many people will stop. Only one motorist went through when the lights were flashing. Then I tried the lights on France & Heritage Hills. I've used them often since I usually get off the 539 bus there. However when crossing westbound there was a lot of traffic approaching. I pressed the signal and thankfully everyone started to slow down. I was continuously looking right and left just in case, and sure enough a pickup truck with a trailer going northbound in the left lane wasn't slowing down (from a distance it appeared he was, but as it got closer I knew for sure he wasn't). I hit the brakes and so did he. I look at him and shout at the top of my lungs "LOOK. FOR. PEDESTRIANS!" and biked away. From his facial expression it appeared he knew he had no argument against me and accepted it. So while these flashing lights are a major upgrade over just a sign and markings, perhaps there are some streets where flashing lights aren't enough, especially suburban county roads where drivers are going 40+ miles per hour. I know for trains its difficult to judge their speed from far away, but perhaps the same is true for cars (or at least semis). Of course in our fast paced, car centric world in the suburbs a regular traffic light for pedestrians will probably get a lot of opposition ("I have to wait twenty more seconds in my car while that good for nothing gets the right of way?! That's against my rights!"). I'm okay with the flashing lights at roundabouts since motorists have to slow down anyways, but on county roads where cars are going 40+ miles per hour I do wonder if its enough. Rant over.

Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon (RRFB) is the name I think you were looking for.

In my experience they don't work that well in the city either. People just aren't paying attention or don't care.

Kingfield Neighborhood Association is opposing a refuge median at 43rd and Nicollet (the corner with a hit and run death last year). Instead, they want to see the city install bumpouts at the corner (Public Works proposed either design). "A large majority of residents and business owners providing feedback preferred bumpout/curb extensions, as opposed to the median option." Safety shouldn't be put to a popularity contest.

KFNA's own position statement cites a city gap analysis showing one acceptable gap every two minutes for a slower walker. A refuge median would split this gap into two, significantly reducing crossing gaps (likely by over half) while also increasing safety in a number of other ways that a bumpout does not.

Email CM Glidden and others if you disagree with KFNA on this!

An idea that just popped in my head; What if instead of the RRFBs or regular traffic signals dedicated for crosswalks there were rotating stop signs and flashing red lights when a pedestrian or biker pushes a button? Probably one of those ideas that looks good on paper but in real life is a different story, but I got the idea from school buses with their red lights and stop sign arm and the old Griswold railroad crossing signs that used to dominate Minnesota-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3i6YJZuBo8

Though considering there are motorists who ignore or don't see these, I guess nothing will be idiot proof.

Take the survey to make North Loop safer!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... A/viewform

Take the survey to make North Loop safer!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIp ... A/viewform

The crossing at 8th and Washington, good lord is that dangerous. They need one of those "stop for ped" signs in the middle and flashers or something. I can't believe they're not addressing this. There will be a fatality eventually.