Street, Road and Highway Projects

Roads - Rails - Sidewalks - Bikeways
SurlyLHT
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1262
Joined: February 21st, 2017, 3:50 pm

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby SurlyLHT » March 3rd, 2020, 1:47 pm

Does anyone know what the story is with Theodore Wirth Parkway? It's beginning to look like the moon even outside the Trailhead where the city is hosting and international ski event in a couple weekends. Who has jurisdiction over it? Given that it's a Mpls Parkway in Golden Valley and etc?

bubzki2
Foshay Tower
Posts: 811
Joined: September 19th, 2012, 5:38 pm
Location: Snelling-Hamline

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby bubzki2 » March 3rd, 2020, 3:05 pm

I've completely stopped using those bikeways/trails on the parkway. It's much safer to take the lane, particularly with the hilly topography. This parkway needs some serious love!

SurlyLHT
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1262
Joined: February 21st, 2017, 3:50 pm

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby SurlyLHT » March 3rd, 2020, 3:11 pm

I run along here often, sometimes I feel like I'm out running the cars. Theo Wirth Parkway is also getting more traffic with all of the improvements to the park.

phop
Landmark Center
Posts: 207
Joined: May 28th, 2013, 8:58 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby phop » March 5th, 2020, 12:40 pm

Big day for various streets news.

http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis- ... 568524002/
Leaders in Minneapolis and St. Paul agree: Drivers on city streets need to slow down. So with new authority from the Legislature, they’re collaborating to lower speed limits from the current 30 mph.

They’re not saying yet how low, but officials from both cities will announce the new limits and unveil signs at an event at Minneapolis’ Prospect Park neighborhood Thursday, March 12.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby Anondson » March 5th, 2020, 1:16 pm

I thought the limit to lower to was 25. Wrong?

BoredAgain
Union Depot
Posts: 321
Joined: July 3rd, 2014, 1:38 pm
Location: Lyndale Neighborhood

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby BoredAgain » March 5th, 2020, 1:33 pm

I thought the limit to lower to was 25. Wrong?
Many people like to say " Twenty is plenty". Possibly because it rhymes .

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby Anondson » March 5th, 2020, 1:59 pm

Right. But didn’t the Minnesota law change to only allow down to 25?

EOst
Capella Tower
Posts: 2424
Joined: March 19th, 2014, 8:05 pm
Location: Saint Paul

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby EOst » March 5th, 2020, 2:04 pm

There were two separate authorities granted. One allows the city to set all "residential roadways" at 25mph without an engineering study. The other allows cities to set any speed limit on roads they own, provided that they "must establish procedures based on a city’s safety, engineering, and traffic analysis. This analysis must consider national urban speed limit guidance and studies, local traffic crashes, and methods to effectively communicate the change to the public. Speed limit changes must be made in a consistent and understandable manner and must be posted on the affected street."

amiller92
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1983
Joined: October 31st, 2014, 12:50 pm

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby amiller92 » March 5th, 2020, 2:23 pm

I thought the limit to lower to was 25. Wrong?
Many people like to say " Twenty is plenty". Possibly because it rhymes .
Isn't 20km/hr the Dutch rule for where cars mix with others?

I'd love to see a downtown (and other commercial node??) speed limit of 20mph.

talindsay
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1533
Joined: September 29th, 2012, 10:41 am

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby talindsay » March 5th, 2020, 3:11 pm

Maybe it's because I grew up in a terrible outer suburb of Saint Louis at the height of sprawl, but I can't imagine a speed limit below 25 mph would be even vaguely achievable. Even 25 won't be enforced until the driver gets close to 10 over.

rhettcarlson
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 159
Joined: May 19th, 2015, 10:50 pm
Location: Downtown

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby rhettcarlson » March 5th, 2020, 3:25 pm

Bender said lowering speed limits would also help guide future street renovations, such as lane widths and the timing of stop lights.
This statement by Bender packs a huge punch... If this helps usher in 10' lanes and quicker signal cycles, this is much bigger and more impactful than just speeds.

Article says the county and state roads will not change. Does that mean Lyndale, Lake, and the most critical corridors are exempt?

amiller92
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1983
Joined: October 31st, 2014, 12:50 pm

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby amiller92 » March 5th, 2020, 3:30 pm

Article says the county and state roads will not change. Does that mean Lyndale, Lake, and the most critical corridors are exempt?
Yup.

EOst
Capella Tower
Posts: 2424
Joined: March 19th, 2014, 8:05 pm
Location: Saint Paul

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby EOst » March 5th, 2020, 7:36 pm

^And have to be, btw. County/state roads are not covered in last year's legislation so the only way most of those roads can be changed is via a speed study, and that might go the wrong way.

karlshea
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 132
Joined: July 14th, 2014, 10:28 am

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby karlshea » March 6th, 2020, 3:56 pm

Bender said lowering speed limits would also help guide future street renovations, such as lane widths and the timing of stop lights.
This statement by Bender packs a huge punch... If this helps usher in 10' lanes and quicker signal cycles, this is much bigger and more impactful than just speeds.

Article says the county and state roads will not change. Does that mean Lyndale, Lake, and the most critical corridors are exempt?
This is sort of the issue with the speed limits and signal cycles: they don't seem to match. For example downtown is 30mph, but if you're driving north on 3rd Ave starting from 11th all of the lights are timed for 35-40mph almost all the way to the LRT. So either you speed or wait for 6 more reds than you "need" to.

UrsusUrbanicus
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 127
Joined: February 13th, 2014, 2:08 pm

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby UrsusUrbanicus » March 9th, 2020, 1:32 pm

This is sort of the issue with the speed limits and signal cycles: they don't seem to match. For example downtown is 30mph, but if you're driving north on 3rd Ave starting from 11th all of the lights are timed for 35-40mph almost all the way to the LRT. So either you speed or wait for 6 more reds than you "need" to.
Yeah, much of Minneapolis is pretty borked in this regard. I have seen at least one very good green wave in St. Paul: Wabasha Street appears to be set for exactly 21mph, at least during evening rush. Even when I'm in a car, I'd much rather that than continual bouncing between 30 and 0: less gas for me, lower and more-consistent car speeds for nearby pedestrians.

Silophant
Moderator
Posts: 4470
Joined: June 20th, 2012, 4:33 pm
Location: Whimsical NE

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby Silophant » March 9th, 2020, 3:28 pm

According to the draft TAP, the plan is to adjust signals citywide in 2020 to comply with the newly lowered speed limits.
Joey Senkyr
[email protected]

bubzki2
Foshay Tower
Posts: 811
Joined: September 19th, 2012, 5:38 pm
Location: Snelling-Hamline

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby bubzki2 » March 10th, 2020, 11:03 am

Anyone have thoughts on the 36/Manning proposed grade-separated intersection? A lot of collisions at this light (and Lake Elmo is even worse) so grade separation seems appropriate. The design could be better though. Wish we could just be done with porkchop slip lanes.

https://www.twincities.com/2020/03/03/d ... on-county/

Tcmetro
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1767
Joined: May 31st, 2012, 8:02 pm
Location: Chicago (ex-Minneapolitan)

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby Tcmetro » March 10th, 2020, 11:35 am

Seems like standard for an exurban project unfortunately.

Hopefully they go through with the freeway conversion of 36. Adding a bridge at Century will really help traffic and safety. The three lights in Oak Park Heights should be reconsidered as well (seems like another 169-Eden Prairie situation).

Mdcastle
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1209
Joined: March 23rd, 2013, 8:28 am
Location: Bloomington, MN

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby Mdcastle » March 11th, 2020, 3:50 pm

I guess I don't see why pork chops are a problem here. There's only one of them and it's a place where no pedestrians will cross because the MUP is on the opposite side of Manning.

As for the signals, partly it's another Eden Prairie / US 169 (Or Brooklyn Center / MN 252) situation. Which illustrates why Minnesota's municipal consent law is bad, because cities can and do hold projects hostage until their every last whim and fantasy is catered to, nevermind what's in the interest of the statewide motoring public. But in this case it was also partly punting due to lack of money and at the time signals were sprouting up like weeds all over the highway system and weren't seen as big enough problems to devote money to fixing them (that ended with the c2000 Interregional Corridor study followed by the Moving Minnesota program that started building interchanges instead of new signals on expressways ). I recall seeing a layout at an open house in the early 1990s that showed two buttonhook pairs with three overpasses; this was gone by the 1995 FEIS.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Street, Road and Highway Projects

Postby Anondson » April 2nd, 2020, 4:36 pm



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 49 guests