Title
Requesting a variance from Minnesota Department of Transportation Municipal State Aid Rules to implement 10-foot wide travel lanes during the reconstruction of Arlington Avenue from W Wheelock Parkway to Payne Avenue.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul plans to reconstruct Arlington Avenue between W Wheelock Parkway and Payne Avenue using Common Cent Sales Tax funds, Surface Transportation Block Grant Program funds, and property assessments; and
WHEREAS, Arlington Avenue is classified as a major collector street with a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour and an average daily traffic volume between 2,000 and 6,000 vehicles per day between W Wheelock Parkway and Payne Avenue; and
WHEREAS, Arlington Avenue is part of the Municipal State Aid (MSA) Network (MSA Street #109) for which the City of Saint Paul receives formula funding for the maintenance and operations of these streets; and
WHEREAS, Municipal State Aid Rules apply for all streets designated as Municipal State Aid (MSA) Streets (including Arlington Avenue from W Wheelock Parkway to Payne Avenue), for which the City of Saint Paul receives municipal state aid funding; and
WHEREAS, Municipal State Aid Rules 8820.9936 and 8820.9941 pertaining to the reconstruction of Municipal State Aid streets state that eleven-foot travel lanes are required and that ten-foot travel lanes may be considered; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul proposes to reconstruct Arlington Avenue with ten-foot travel lanes in order to provide needed space for street parking, snow storage, street lighting, street signs, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and boulevards wide enough to support street trees and a healthy tree canopy; and
WHEREAS, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) highlights the safety benefits of narrower travel lanes on lower-speed urban streets, such as reduction in pedestrian crossing distance; and
WHEREAS, MnDOT requires an indemnification guar...
Click here for full text