Minnehaha-Hiawatha
Community Works focuses on pedestrian/bicyclist safety at 32nd St., 38th St.
and 46th St.
by Tesha M. Christensen
Frustrated crossing Hiawatha Avenue either on foot or on
bike? You’re not alone.
After learning this is a safety concern of local residents, Minneahaha-Hiawatha
Community Works (MHCW) began working to do something about it.
The plan is to target three intersections: 32nd St., 38th
St., and 46th St. A number of changes will be made, according to Robb Luckow of
Community Works.
The timing of lights will be adjusted so that people have
more time to cross the wide street. Federal standards have recently changed,
and these new recommendations will be followed. This project will tie into the
traffic signal changes that will be done this year to help traffic flow better.
The area between the north and south lane will be widened so
that those who haven’t had time to cross will have enough space to safely wait
for the next opportunity.
Bump-outs will be added to not only make motorists more
visibly aware of pedestrians and bicyclists, but also to narrow the width of
the crossings so that it doesn’t take as long.
Several of the crosswalks are crooked; these will be
straightened out and widened. The intersections will also be upgraded to meet
standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Luckow acknowledged that often people aren’t using the
intersections to get to the light rail transit stations, particularly at the
46th Street station where the station is located north of the intersection. The
hope is that when the intersection is improved, people will walk down there to
cross because it will be much safer and more convenient.
“Biking on Hiawatha is not a pleasant experience not only
from the high speed traffic, but the way cars stop and enter from the side
streets,” observed DeWayne Townsend, co-chair of the Longfellow Community
Council Environment and Transportation Committee. “Cars block bike lanes by pulling out to far and turn
without looking for bikes.” He added that all the intersections are dangerous
because of the high traffic on Hiawatha but he thinks the higher bike and
pedestrian usage at the LRT stops make 38th and 46th the most likely to have an
accident.
“Anything that improves pedestrian use and safety is a good
thing,” observed Longfellow Community Council (LCC) Executive Director Melanie
Majors. She noted that the biggest complaint she hears from residents is the
traffic timing at the lights on Hiawatha.
Townsend believes that when the timing on the lights is
changed, it will cut down on folks crossing against the light because they are
tired of waiting.
“If the changes bring about the improvements that are
expected it will significantly improve transportation in and out of the
community,” Townsend stated.
The success of commercial and residential development is
closely tied to whether people can get around by bike, car or foot, Majors
pointed out. If people can’t access an area, they won’t go there. She applauded
the county for pre-planning rather than treating pedestrian improvements as an
afterthought, especially in light of the pedestrian safety concerns that will
come this year with the new commercial/residential development on the southeast
side of the 38th/Hiawatha intersection.
“Hennepin County is essentially heading those off by moving
on the pedestrian improvements,” Majors said.
In mid-March, Hennepin County, Longfellow Community Council,
the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization, and Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood
Association hosted three open houses to talk about recommendations to improve
pedestrian crossings along Hiawatha Avenue.
The next step for Community Works is to identify potential
funding sources to implement this project. According to Luckow, the total cost
will be $500,000.
Once the funds are obtained, the work will begin.
WHAT IS COMMUNITY WORKS?
A project of Hennepin County, Minnehaha-Hiawatha Community
Works collaborates closely with the city of Minneapolis, Met Transit and the
Minnesota Department of Transportation -- all the entities that have
jurisdiction along Hiawatha. “It’s a nice partnership between these four
organizations,” Luckow stated.
The pedestrian improvement project is one of 16 projects laid
out in the MHCW Strategic Investment Framework that was recently adopted by the
Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. These infrastructure investments aim
to:
• Improve the
ability to walk, bike, drive, and travel to and through the corridor;
• Support business vitality and job creation;
• Create a diverse set of housing, commercial, and employment
opportunities to serve the community;
• Enhance the sense of community while honoring its history;
and,
• Promote environmental sustainability.
There are several positions open on the steering committee,
which will oversee implementation of these projects. For more information, contact
Robb Luckow at 612.348.9344 or Robb.luckow@co.hennepin.mn.us.
The project area includes 28th Street south to Minneahaha
Creek. The three intersections where changes will be made to improve pedestrian
safety were identified as the top priority by residents at a variety of
meetings over several years. Input was gathered at the Midtown Farmer’s Market,
LCC annual meeting, Longfellow corn feed, light rail stations, door-to-door,
and via the web site.
“People are looking forward to the opportunity to make changes
in the area,” stated Luckow.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment