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From the Kingfield Neighborhood Association
I-35W Access Project
October, 2002
Background
The Project Advisory Committee (PAC) of the I-35W Access Project
is scheduled to vote on a package of recommendations, a Preferred
Build Alternative, regarding new ramp access at Lake Street and
38th Street, on October 29. The recommendations are the accumulation
of more than four years of study to determine the need for and design
of new interchange ramps at Lake Street and 38th Street. The Preferred
Build Alternative includes:
- A new northbound entrance and southbound exit at Lake Street
- A flyover northbound exit ramp to 28th Street
- Relocation of the 35th/36th Street ramps to 38th Street
- New auxiliary lanes in the I-35W/I-94 commons area and between
31st and 38th Street ramps
- Reconfiguration of the 5th Avenue entrance ramp
- A widened Lake Street and a rebuilt I-35W bridge, with a center
transit station
- Bridge and freeway re-construction to support future High Occupancy
Vehicle (HOV) expansion
The project is sponsored by the Phillips Partnership, a consortium
of businesses (including Allina Health Systems, Children's Hospitals
and Clinics and Wells Fargo) the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin
County County. The PAC is comprised of representatives of the Phillips
Partnership and representatives from impacted neighborhoods and
some nonprofits (including the Minneapolis Art Institute, St. Mary's
and Urban Ventures). The current study phase, referred to as the
preliminary design phase, is funded by a grant from the federal
government. Hennepin County is the lead government agency and Tom
Johnson, from the Smith Parker law firm, is the project manager.
Jeanne Massey represents the Kingfield neighborhood on the PAC.
Several public meetings regarding the project have been held, including
open houses, meetings to review alternatives to the proposed 38th
Street interchange and, most recently, update meetings in the Kingfield
neighborhood.
The Kingfield neighborhood has officially opposed the Preferred
Build Alternative from its inception due to the disproportionate
traffic impacts it would have in the 38th Street area. The Kingfield
neighborhood is in the minority, with only Phillips West (then represented
by Council Member Lilligren, voting against the Preferred Build
Alternative. Lyndale neighborhood has supported the basic plan because
it believes the changes would provide better access and alleviate
traffic on residential roads. Despite this difference, Kingfield
and Lyndale formed a joint ad-hoc committee of residents to develop
recommendations to mitigate the negative impacts of the project
and to enhance the infrastructure and landscape of the impacted
areas in the two neighborhoods, regardless of the final design plan.
The group met for nearly two years and most of its recommendations
have been incorporated into the PAC Mitigation and Enhancement final
proposals.
The preliminary design phase will result in a recommendation by
the PAC on a Preferred Build Option (or possibly a No Build option).
The recommendations will go out to the public at open houses, scheduled
tentatively for the end of the year. The Environmental Review study
will be completed in winter, with public hearings anticipated in
the spring. Once completed, the recommendations will be acted on
by MN/DOT, the Minneapolis City Council, Hennepin County and the
Metropolitan Council. If approved, the project will undergo a final
design phase.
The project has a current price tag of $150 million, including
$40 million to rebuild the freeway to accommodate MN/DOT's proposed
HOV lanes. This amount will increase if the freeway needs to be
rebraided to eliminate weave problems created by the new Lake Street
ramps. It may also increase if additional mitigation measures are
needed.
MN/DOT has committed to paying for the largest share of the cost,
but has no money. It has said that it will only fund the project
if new transportation dollars are provided by the legislature (e.g.,
gas tax increase), meaning that project funding is far from a sure
thing. Hennepin County may, however, bond to provide up-front funding.
Recommendations
The following are the key recommendations from the PAC representative,
Jeanne Massey, and KFNA Transportation Committee to the KFNA board
in anticipation of the PAC vote on the Preferred Build Alternative
at the end of October.
These recommendations relate primarily to the Access Project and
its impacts in the Kingfield neighborhood. Related projects - the
reopening of Nicollet Avenue and the redevelopment of the Lake Street
and Nicollet Avenue area - further impact the Kingfield neighborhood,
but are outside of the scope of the Access Project.
1. KFNA continues to oppose the proposed Access Project Preferred
Build Alternative and, alternatively, supports a No Build option.
2. KFNA further supports the City of Minneapolis' transit first
policy and recommends that the current mitigation and enhancement
proposals be modified and applied to the existing interchange infrastructure
in the project area.
3. KFNA opposes any new HOV lanes on I-35W and, alternatively,
supports a Bus Rapid Transit or Light Rail Transit lane only.
4. In the event the Access Project is approved and funded, KFNA
supports the following key mitigation and enhancement preliminary
design phase proposals, with the understanding that all proposals
will involve further community input and detailing in design in
the final design phase:
a. The ellipse-about interchange design for 38th Street to reduce
the number and severity of traffic accidents and improve traffic
flow, on the condition that the design provide for pedestrian
right-of-way and protection. The 38th Street bridge features include
a gateway, 15-foot sidewalks, landscaping and aesthetic treatments
(to be finalized by the neighborhoods).
b. The replacement of stop lights with two-way stop signs at
1st Avenue if needed to improve the functioning of the ellipse-about.
This, in effect, may decrease commuting traffic on 1st Avenue.
c. The designs for the 35th and 36th Street bridges as community
connectors, with 11-foot lanes, 15-foot sidewalks, pedestrian
buffer, plants on bridge and Minneapolis ornamental railing, colored
crosswalk treatments.
d. The conversion of 35th and 36th Streets to two-way streets
to reduce the displacement of ramp traffic to 38th Street and
provide a better balance of traffic volume on all three streets.
To illustrate, traffic forecasts show that 2020 Average Daily
Traffic (ADT) at 38th and Stevens Avenue would be 21,800 with
ramps at 38th Street and 35th/36th Streets remaining as one-way,
but would be reduced to 17,000 if 35th/36th Streets were two-way.
Between Garfield and Harriet Avenues on 38th Street, ADT would
be similarly reduced from 10,500 to 7,500 if 35th/36th Streets
were two-way.
e. The street scaping plans for 36th Street to include two 11-foot
through lanes, parking on both sides of the street and a (non-striped)
bike lane. A parallel bike lane on 34th Street and the construction
of a pedestrian bridge at 34th Street across I-35W.
f. The pedestrian amenities for 38th Street and their application
to 36th Street. These amenities include burying utility lines,
ornamental lighting and a system of ornamental structures and
landscaping.
g. The extension of these amenities beyond the project boundaries
- from Blaisdell Avenue to Lyndale Avenue - as 36th and 38th streets
are highly impacted by the project through Lyndale Avenue.
h. The rebuilding of the 40th Street pedestrian bridge as designed
by the 40th Street Greenway project.
i. The provision of traffic signal incentives to encourage commuting
traffic between 36th and 38th Streets to use Nicollet Avenue as
the first route of choice and Lyndale Avenue as the second route
of choice, as these two streets are the most commercial of all
north-south streets in the Kingfield neighborhood and, with the
understanding that any parking restrictions on Nicollet Avenue
would not be applied until 2020, giving the community time to
resolve parking limitations at the Nicollet and 38th Street business
node. The proposed traffic signal changes include:
a left turn arrow for southbound Nicollet to eastbound 38th
Street
a left turn arrow for westbound 38th Street to southbound
Nicollet Avenue
a left turn arrow for northbound Nicollet Avenue to westbound
36th Street
a left turn arrow for westbound 36th Street to southbound
Nicollet Avenue
j. The building of intersection bumpouts throughout the project
area where residential and community or commercial streets intersect
to deter traffic from turning onto residential streets and to
slow traffic speed.
k. The conversion of 2nd and Stevens Avenues to parkways, with
one narrow through lane and wide boulevard, with planting and
other treatments.
l. The construction of the Lake Street transit station to serve
as a primary transit hub in South Minneapolis area.
m. The general bridge and street-scaping plan for Lake Street,
including the addition of turn lanes at signalized intersections.
It recommends that the proposed additional through lane of traffic
on Lake Street be a transit-only lane.
5. Whereas, the Access Project will eliminate 17 units of housing
in the project area, KFNA recommends that the City of Minneapolis
develop and enforce a one-to-one replacement housing policy.
6. KFNA recommends further study and community input during the
final design phase regarding:
- The conversion of 1st and Blaisdell Avenues to two-way streets,
and traffic calming measures on these streets
- The placement and replacement of noise walls and/or noise wall
alternatives
- Transit improvements to reduce forecasted traffic volumes
- The use of speed bumps on targeted residential streets to deter
and calm traffic
- forwarded by the Kingfield Neighborhood Assn. email list
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