Title
Requesting a variance from Minnesota Municipal State Aid Rules for the Kellogg Boulevard Capital City Bikeway Project from W 7th Street to St. Peter Street.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul plans to reconstruct portions of Kellogg Boulevard, construct pedestrian curb ramps compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and construct a two-way bike facility; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota State Aid Rules apply for all streets designated as Municipal State Aid Streets (including Kellogg Boulevard from W 7th Street to St. Peter Street), for which the City of St. Paul receives formula funding for the maintenance and operation of these streets; and
WHEREAS, Minnesota State Aid Rule 8820.9936 Minimum Design Standards, Urban; New or Reconstruction Projects provides dimensional standards for four-lane undivided roadways; and
WHEREAS, Kellogg Boulevard is classified as a minor arterial street between W 7th Street and St. Peter Street, with an average daily traffic volume 14,700 vehicles per day, and a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour, and
WHEREAS, Kellogg Boulevard between Market Street and St. Peter Street is a four-lane undivided roadway; and
WHEREAS, there are fewer vehicle conflict points in this segment of roadway because Kellogg Boulevard between Market Street and St. Peter Street doesn’t allow left turns from the inside lane due to St. Peter Street being a one-way southbound street and Market Street being a “tee” intersection with no roadway on the southern leg; and
WHEREAS, the narrowed lanes may help support the lower desired vehicle speeds in a downtown multi-modal environment; and
WHEREAS, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) highlights the benefits of narrower travel lanes on lower-speed urban streets, including a reduction in pedestrian crossing distance, and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) had found no statistically significant relationship between lane width and crash rate on arterial streets; and
WHEREAS, reducing the width of the inside lanes on Kellogg Boulevard between Market Street and St. Peter Street to 10-feet would require a variance from Municipal State Aid Rules subject to the approval of the Minnesota Department of Transportation; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that we do hereby authorize the Director of Public Works to request a variance from the State Aid requirement that Municipal State Aid Kellogg Boulevard have 10-foot inside lanes from Market Street to St. Peter Street, so that the city has the ability to construct a two-way bicycle facility and sidewalk that meet the minimum width requirements for two-way bikeways and downtown sidewalks; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Department of Public Works will not initiate these changes until after it has received variance approval for the lane width reduction from the Minnesota Department of Transportation; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council hereby indemnifies, saves and holds harmless the State of Minnesota and its agents and employees of and from claims, demands, actions, or causes of action arising out of or by reason of the granting of the variance. The city further agrees to defend at its sole cost and expense any action or proceeding commenced for the purpose of asserting any claim arising as a result of the granting this variance.