Title
Approving intersection safety improvements for the Johnson Parkway Regional Trail.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul Department of Public Works will be constructing an off-street trail for walking and biking along Johnson Parkway between Burns Avenue and Phalen Boulevard in 2020; and
WHEREAS, the trail along Johnson Parkway is a component of the Saint Paul Grand Round and provides direct connections to Indian Mounds and Lake Phalen Regional Parks; and
WHEREAS, the trail project will eliminate a nearly mile-long gap in north-south walking facilities along Johnson Parkway; and
WHEREAS, Public Works is proposing to close seven minor intersections along Johnson Parkway at the following locations to support the safety and comfort of all users of the corridor:
• Reaney Avenue, east of Johnson Parkway
• 5th Street, east of Johnson Parkway
• Fremont Avenue, east of Johnson Parkway
• English Street, south of 3rd Avenue East
• Conway Street, west of Johnson Parkway
• Euclid Street, east of Johnson Parkway
• Wakefield Avenue, east of Johnson Parkway; and
WHEREAS, additional information and details of the proposed intersection closures are referred to and listed in the Johnson Parkway Trail Intersection Safety Memorandum dated 9/23/2019; and
WHEREAS, test closures and a traffic study were performed in 2018 at all locations identified for closure to analyze the impacts on traffic; and
WHEREAS, the Johnson Parkway Test Closures Impact Study, dated 3/1/2019, found that the proposed intersection closures are feasible and traffic impacts be effectively mitigated; and
WHEREAS, the intersection closures are consistent with the recommendations for Johnson Parkway in the Grand Round Design and Implementation Plan, adopted into the Saint Paul Bicycle Plan (RES PH 17-150) on 7/19/2017; and
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Saint Paul approved the Saint Paul Bicycle Plan (RES 15-476) on 3/18/2015; and
WHEREAS, the Johnson Parkway Regional Trail project is consistent with the recommendations of the Saint Paul Bicycle Plan; and
WHEREAS, parking removal is proposed for the east (boulevard) side of the west Johnson Parkway frontage road, and the west side (boulevard) of the east Johnson Parkway frontage road to promote improved circulation along the corridor; and
WHEREAS, parking occupancy counts, included in the Johnson Parkway Summary of Engineering Recommendations, were performed at representative time periods to measure parking utilization along the corridor; and
WHEREAS, community meetings were held on 1/17/2019 and 7/9/2019 to present information and receive feedback on the project as proposed; and
WHEREAS, The Transportation Committee of the Planning Commission has reviewed the proposed project and has recommended approval; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul does herby authorize Public Works to implement intersection safety improvements, including intersection closures, to improve safety and comfort for all users along Johnson Parkway as a component of the trail project scheduled for construction in 2020.