Nicollet Avenue Reconstruction

The reconstruction of Nicollet Avenue from 31st to 40th is currently scheduled to begin in 2012 and take two years to complete. The construction process will involve a complete street reconstruction, similar to what took place on Lake Street.  The reconstruction of Nicollet Avenue will be both a challenging time for neighborhood businesses and residents as well as an important opportunity to plan for the future and to encourage investment in the community.

See the City’s Nicollet Ave Paving page for history & updates on the process

Jessica Laabs is overseeing the public involvement process throughout the project. She will be available to field questions at any time from the public and her contact information will be on the website, newsletters, meeting notices, etc. jessica.laabs@kimley-horn.com 651-643-0437

Nicollet Avenue Construction Community Meetings Wednesday, October 12th

Two meetings – 9:30 am and 5:30 pm
Minneapolis Police 5th Precinct – Community Room
3101 Nicollet Ave

The focus of the meetings will be on construction staging, lighting, and landscape elements (e.g., trees, boulevard grass, public art), as well as providing an update on the roadway design. The same information will be presented at both meetings. The format will be similar to the previous meetings, with a presentation by the project team, followed by time to review project information and ask questions.

Nicollet-Newsletter-3_2011-09-23

August 2011 Update for Residents

Dear Nicollet Residents: We would love to hear from you, in favor of the design or with concerns, over the proposed Nicollet roadway design outlined below. All comments should be directed to the project consultants: Jessica.Laabs@kimley-horn.com or 651-643-0437.

Background: After intense community engagement, including multiple meetings with residents and business owners and transit providers on Nicollet, the proposed design serves the diverse needs on Nicollet. While not perfect in the eyes of every stakeholder, the design will give the community a much improved Nicollet Avenue that looks better, is safer for vehicles and pedestrians, and is “streetcar ready.”

Proposed Roadway Changes from Current Situation:

  • Roadway width is reduced from 50-52 ft to 44 ft, providing one-way 11 ft drive lanes and 11 ft parking lanes. Width of 44 ft is common in many similar streets including sections of 46th St, 42nd St, and Bloomington – all of which have bus and heavy vehicle traffic and many small businesses just like Nicollet. Please note that none of these 44 ft streets were limited to one sided parking during the last two heavy winters. Studies show that narrower streets encourage slower driving and require drivers to pay more attention to the road
  • Boulevards of 5 ft will be added, a critical improvement for pedestrians, transit users, residential and commercial property owners. Boulevards at 5 ft provide the right amount of space for storing streetscape out of the sidewalk area and support healthy tree growth.
  • Sidewalks remain at 6 ft, as per city policy, but with the addition of 5 ft boulevards pedestrians will have comfortable space for strollers and wheelchairs. Even more critical, a boulevard will provide space for snow storage, improving winter sidewalk safety.
  • Nicollet Avenue will be widened at select intersections, for data-driven reasons. o Lake-31st is widened to allow for future turn lane and higher vehicle volume o 36th Street is widened to allow implementation of a turn lane now o 38th Street is widened to accommodate truck traffic turn movements and a potential for future turn lane
  • An option discussed but rejected was adding bumpouts at intersections. While typical benefits of bumpouts include street narrowing and providing a safer street crossing for pedestrians, bumpouts can also reduce on-street parking, impact snow removal, and lose other benefits dependant on surrounding conditions.
  • Additional safety improvements for pedestrians will be added to Nicollet, including countdown timers at every signaled intersection.
  • Unused and unnecessary driveways onto Nicollet will be eliminated, improving pedestrian safety and adding on-street parking

Next step: The Minneapolis City Council will approval process for road width design (full council vote anticipated September 2nd).

7/27/2011 Download/read a memo from Councilmembers Glidden & Tuthill regarding boulevard and road width issues: Nicollet-Road-Width-Boulevard-Issues_2011-07-27-1

Nicollet Avenue Reconstruction Community Meeting

July 12, 2011
9:30 AM – Minneapolis Police Department 5th Precinct, Community Room – 3101 Nicollet Ave
6:30 PM – Martin Luther King Recreation Center – 4055 Nicollet Ave

The focus of the meetings will be on streetscape elements and construction staging, as well as providing an update on the roadway design. The meeting format will be similar to the June 6th meeting with a brief presentation followed by time to review project information and ask questions of the project team.

Why is this project being done? Nicollet Avenue from Lake Street to 40th Street was originally constructed in 1954 and an asphalt overlay was completed in 1977. The existing pavement has served its useful life, is in poor condition, and needs to be reconstructed. In addition to removal and replacement of the pavement, existing curb and gutter, driveways, sidewalks, and storm drain inlets will also be replaced, street lighting is proposed to be installed, and streetscape elements may be incorporated. Utility companies (gas, telephone, electric, and cable TV) may also use this opportunity to upgrade/repair existing services.

What is the proposed street width? Why is Nicollet Avenue proposed to be narrowed? Nicollet Avenue is currently approximately 50 feet wide along the length of the project corridor. A majority of the street is proposed to be narrowed to 42 feet (except in areas where turn lanes or bumpouts are being added). The proposed street width will accommodate one 11’ lane in each direction and 10’ wide on-street parking lanes on both sides of the street. The narrower street will provide additional boulevard and sidewalk space, help to calm traffic, and make Nicollet Avenue a more pedestrian friendly environment. The proposed lane widths and roadway design are similar to the recently reconstructed segment of Chicago Avenue between 8th Street E and 28th Street E.

What are bumpouts? Why are they being considered? Bumpouts (sometimes also called curb extensions) are an extension of the curb into the on-street parking lane at intersections that improve pedestrians’ ability to cross the street by shortening the crossing distance, improving sight lines between vehicles and pedestrians, and providing additional space for accessible curb ramps. Nicollet Avenue is being designed to accommodate various forms of existing and future transportation (auto, truck, bus, streetcar, pedestrian), and bumpouts are identified in the Minneapolis Pedestrian Design Guide as a tool to improve the pedestrian environment. Bumpouts have been constructed on recent street reconstruction projects in Minneapolis, including Chicago Avenue S, Lake Street E, and Lyndale Avenue S. The possible addition of bumpouts is being evaluated at many of the intersections along Nicollet Avenue.

What streetscape and lighting elements will be part of the project? Trees and boulevard grass will be installed as part of the project. Street lighting will also be installed and assessed to property owners based on the outcome of the street lighting petition process. Additional streetscape elements, such as stamped or scored sidewalk, street light banners, benches, and bike racks, require that a Special Service District be established in order to maintain the enhancements. By State Law, only commercial properties can be assessed for maintenance in a Special Service District, so the business owners along the corridor have to petition to establish a Special Service District. This process will be ongoing during late summer/early fall of 2011. There will be additional information regarding streetscape options and costs at the July Community Meetings.

Where will bus stops be located during construction and after the project is completed? Options for construction staging are still being evaluated and more information will be presented at the July Community Meetings. Depending on the construction staging option chosen, the project team will work with Metro Transit to maintain bus service on Nicollet Avenue or establish detour routes and temporary bus stops during construction. When construction is completed, all existing bus stops will be re-established and new bus shelters will be installed where there are existing shelters.

What about accommodations for bicycles? On-street bike lanes are being installed on Blaisdell Avenue and 1st Avenue S in 2011, one block east and west of Nicollet Avenue. Due to the proximity of these facilities, bike lanes will not be placed on Nicollet Avenue.

What is the project schedule? When will decisions be made? The Nicollet Avenue project is still in the early stages. Community and small group meetings have been held to present some design options and solicit input on decisions such as roadway width, curb bumpouts, and on-street parking. A preliminary design for Nicollet Avenue that includes the location of curbs, parking, bumpouts, and turn lanes is planned to be presented to the City Council for approval in late July 2011. Establishing the design for these items now is critical to keep the project moving forward, while still allowing adequate time for community input on other project aspects. Decisions on streetscape, lighting, and construction staging will need to be made by late summer in order for the design to be completed prior to the start of construction in spring 2012.

There will continue to be opportunities for individual property owners to meet with project staff during the design process to discuss specific issues or concerns. There will also be a community meeting in October 2011 to review the final design of the project and another meeting in early 2012 to property owners prior to the start of construction.

Questions? Project Team Contact: Jessica Laabs at Kimley-Horn and Associates jessica.laabs@kimley-horn.com or 651-643-0437

More information on the project can be found here: www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/public-works/cip/nicollet31-40

Summary of comments received June 6 Nicollet-Open-House-1_Public-Comments_2011-06-06

Presentation with draft plans from Public Information Meetings, June 6, 2011–to be modified based on input received: Nicollet-Open-House-1_Presentation_2011-06-06

Description & FAQ June 2, 2011 Nicollet-Newsletter-2011-06-02

For more info and background, see http://www.lyndale.org/current-issues/nicollet-avenue-construction and you can also visit the City’s project website at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/public-works/cip/nicollet31-40/

The Nicollet Avenue Reconstruction Steering Committee is organized by the Lyndale and Kingfield Neighborhood Associations in partnership with the City of Minneapolis in order to ensure the community is involved in the planning and construction process for the design and reconstruction of Nicollet Avenue.  The purpose of the Steering Committee is to be the connection between the community and the design process, and to solicit and organize input from community members, property owners, business owners and managers, and other users of the Nicollet Corridor. The Steering Committee will help shepherd the project through the planning and construction process and strive to be honest brokers between the different ideas and interests for the project.  Additionally they will work to identify and communicate ways to support businesses and residents who will be impacted during the construction.

The Steering Committee heldthe first public meeting in late May concerning the Nicollet Avenue Reconstruction.  The purpose of that meeting was to gather input from residents and business owners about the avenue’s issues and each person’s vision for the future Nicollet.  Nicollet property owners and tenants received an invitation to this meeting.  The Steering Committee hopes you will continue to give us your input on this incredibly important community project throughout the process. Steering Committee Notes 4/5/10

Public information meetings were held June 6, 2011. [See above for presentation.] Draft plans incorporating input received will be posted above when available.

Background Documents:

Nicollet-Avenue-Small-Area-Plan-2000

Nicollet-Avenue-Urban-Design-and-Transportation-Plan

See also http://www.lyndale.org/current-issues/nicollet-avenue-construction

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