Title
Establishing Wabasha Street as the west corridor of the Capital City Bikeway downtown bike network.
Body
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Saint Paul approved the Capital City Bikeway Network Study and Design Guide and adopted it into the Saint Paul Bicycle Plan on July 19, 2017 (RES 17-150); and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul Department of Public Works was directed to re-evaluate and determine the preferred route and conceptual design of the west corridor of the Capital City Bikeway downtown bike network as part of the Capital City Bikeway Interim Design Study; and
WHEREAS, improving the network of safe bikeways across the City of Saint Paul is consistent with the Transportation Chapter of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan; and
WHEREAS, improving access for safe bicycling in downtown Saint Paul will make it easier and safer for people to choose to bicycle for transportation and recreation, which helps to promote a healthier community; and
WHEREAS, Public Works is planning a reconstruction of Wabasha Street between Kellogg Boulevard and 6th Street in 2022; and
WHEREAS, Public Works is planning a mill and overlay of Wabasha Street between 6th Street and 11th Street in 2022; and
WHEREAS, Public Works has gathered input, presented information, and received feedback on the Capital City Bikeway Interim Design Study project through three community meetings, a virtual presentation, online surveys, and small group meetings; and
WHEREAS, multiple interim and full build design concepts were developed for the west corridor of the Capital City Bikeway and presented to the community, and revised in response to community feedback; and
WHEREAS, the Wabasha Street corridor Summary of Engineering Recommendations dated May 5, 2021 provides documentation of the Capital City Bikeway Interim Design Study project process and recommendation; and
WHEREAS, Public Works has identified the west side of Wabasha Street between Kellogg Boulevard and 10th Street, the south side of 10th Street between Wabasha Street and St. Peter Street, the west side of St. Peter Street between 10th Street and 12th Street, and the south side of 12th Street between St. Peter Street and John Ireland Boulevard as the recommended route for the west corridor of the Capital City Bikeway downtown bike network; and
WHEREAS, with implementation of the above described bikeway, parking removal is anticipated for the west side of Wabasha Street between Kellogg Boulevard and 10th Street and the west side of St. Peter Street between 10th Street and 11th Street; and
WHEREAS, with implementation of the above described bikeway, Public Works anticipates reducing 12th Street between John Ireland Boulevard and St. Peter Street from two eastbound lanes to one eastbound lane, reducing Saint Peter Street between 12th Street and 11th Street from two southbound lanes to one southbound lane, and removing the left turn lane from Wabasha Street to 7th Street; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul does hereby authorize Public Works to implement the Capital City Bikeway on the west side of Wabasha Street between Kellogg Boulevard and 6th Street as part of the Wabasha Street Reconstruction project, scheduled for 2022; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul does hereby authorize Public Works to implement the Capital City Bikeway as either an interim or full build implementation on the west side of Wabasha Street between 6th Street and 10th Street, the west side of St. Peter Street between 10th Street and 12th Street, and the south side of 12th Street between St. Peter Street and John Ireland Boulevard when funding for the bikeway implementation is identified; and, be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Saint Paul directs staff to incorporate this change in the Capital City Bikeway alignment and any other related Capital City Bikeway network modifications into a future update of the Saint Paul Bicycle Plan.