You know that grassy median that splits Snelling Avenue between Summit and St. Clair avenues? Another one might be coming to a different stretch of the busy St. Paul street.
The St. Paul City Council recently passed a resolution supporting the construction of a median that would run down the thoroughfare from Randolph Avenue to Ford Parkway, according to Joe Ellickson, a spokesman for the city’s public works department.
The street addition would help increase safety for pedestrians attempting to cross the well-traveled roadway and was asked for by the neighborhood’s Highland District Council, Ellickson said.
Some parking spots would be lost to accommodate it, though it’s still unclear where or how many.
“It’s an extremely wide street there and once a pedestrian gets in it they realize they don’t have any place to stop or get out of traffic,” said Joe Maczko, traffic engineer for St. Paul. “A median provides a safe haven so to speak so you can cross it halfway at a time.”
The project still has hurdles.
The city is waiting to hear if the Minnesota Department of Transportation will grant its request for $700,000 in state funding to help pay for the median. St. Paul would also need to kick in about $1.2 million to cover construction costs.
The Highland District Council is hopeful it will come to fruition.
The neighborhood body passed a resolution in April in support of the median.
Among other factors, the resolution points out that about 20,000 cars travel the stretch every day and that walkers face 65 feet and four lanes of “fast moving traffic” to traverse Snelling.
That can be a daunting task for some nearby residents, particularly young kids walking home from any of the area schools, the resolution states.
It also points out the challenge it creates for the elderly and people with disabilities.
The most current three-year crash data available indicates 61 crashes took place along Snelling between Randolph Avenue and Ford Parkway between 2012 and 2014, according to information provided by the city. Three involved pedestrians.
The “critical severity rate” and “crash rate” for portions of the roadway exceed statewide averages for four and five-lane urban streets, the city reported.
To accommodate the median, some parking would be lost. The district council reportedly requested preserving parking on the west side of the street and forgoing it on the east. It also asked that parking bays be created in various locations on the side of the street that loses parking.
Right now parking is allowed on both sides of Snelling.
A city study determined that there would still be “ample” parking available to meet the need even if the number of stalls was reduced to half, Mazko reported.
Still, loss of parking is a concern to some residents, particularly business owners, noted Kathy Carruth, executive director of the Highland District Council. Carruth said others are concerned that the median will push additional traffic and parking on to side streets.
The council’s resolution also stated it would only support a median with grass and trees, not a concrete one.
The median added between Summit and St. Clair avenues along Snelling has proven “very successful,” Ellickson said.
The city expects to hear back from MnDOT in December. Any final project plan would be subject to another vote by the city council.
If eventually approved, construction would likely take place in mid- to late-2017.