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.
No comments:
Post a Comment