Next big Snelling road project: Hewitt Ave. to Midway Pkwy.?

By JANE MCCLURE

Improvements to better accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians on Snelling Ave. have been discussed for many years. Some area residents and business owners may remember serving on, or attending meetings of, a task force to discuss that issue on various parts of Snelling. Those meetings were part of a larger multi-modal study released in early 2013. But a lack of action in Hamline-Midway and Como neighborhoods has left some people asking, what’s next?

Because Snelling is Minnesota Trunk Highway 51, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has jurisdiction over what changes are made. Many people turned out Apr. 26 for two open houses at Ginkgo Coffeehouse to share their ideas and listen to MnDOT proposals to make Snelling safer for bicycles and pedestrians traveling between Hewitt and Midway Pkwy. Ramsey County and St. Paul also had public works staff on hand.

The coffeehouse meeting gave community members another chance to weigh in about what they like and don’t like, and what is still missing in the design. Several people said they appreciate the proposals thus far but would like to see even more done to keep bicyclists and pedestrians safer, especially since the area has so few north-south connections for biking and walking. Concerns were also raised about motor vehicle speeds on that stretch of Snelling, which is a series of bridges over other streets and railroad tracks.

This latest MnDOT project began in April 2016 and is to wrap up later this spring. MnDOT has worked to meet with stakeholders, gather data and work on the preliminary design. Even after a final design is released, it’s not clear when a project could move ahead as funding would have to be obtained.

The changes proposed would vary from area to area. At Snelling and Hewitt, pedestrians and bicyclists would have widened sidewalks, one-way, seven-foot bikeways and dedicated spaces separate from motor vehicles. A median there could be removed.

At Snelling and Pierce Butler Rte., there would be a higher-visibility bike and pedestrian crosswalk, with elevated bikeway and sidewalks adjacent to the intersection. Bike and pedestrian refuges within the intersection and a traffic signal that includes crossing warnings and prompts for bicyclists would also be included. The changes, including extensive pavement markings, were outlined as a way to add to visibility and comfort for everyone using that stretch of Snelling.

Another dangerous area for bikes and pedestrians is at Energy Park Dr. and Snelling. That area would be transformed with high visibility bikeway and pedestrian crosswalks, an elevated bikeway and sidewalks adjacent to intersections, bikeway and pedestrian refuge areas within the intersection, and a traffic signal that includes crossing warnings and prompts for bicyclists. The protected sidewalks and two-way bikeway would extend onto the bridge.

At Como and Snelling, pedestrians and bicyclists would have widened sidewalks, one-way, seven-foot bikeways, and dedicated spaces separate from vehicles along Snelling at Como avenues. One goal of improvements here is to improve transit access, as the A Line rapid bus service and other bus lines connect here.

Final design would be ready in November. To see ideas and look at an interactive map, go to www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/snellingstudy/documents.html.