Local Schools Restore Lakeshore

The Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District has been working with local schools to restore the shoreline at Keller Lake. Here are photos of the students from  L'Etoile du Nord French Immersion School and Farnsworth Aerospace PreK-8 Magnet - Upper Campus (5-8)  on September 22 and 23 working with the Watershed District on this project.


Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District works with many community partners on the project, including Ramsey County Corrections, Ramsey County Master Gardeners, and MN Conservation Corps in addition to local schools.

Submitted by the Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District

Emerald Ash Borer Contractors...

Due to the recent finding of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) the City has received notice that an influx of vendors/contractors have begun going door to door again contacting residents claiming to have "correct or more accurate" information on the effects of the EAB infestation on Saint Paul's ash trees. These vendors/contractors are not authorized by the City of Saint Paul, or the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

Residents may be contacted or visited by these companies (that have an opportunity for financial gain), and those companies are acting on their own accord and have not been contracted by the City to go door to door. If contacted by one of these companies, residents can request identification, and if the company claims to work for the City of Saint Paul or identifies themselves as a contractor of the City of Saint Paul, please take their name and business they represent, and report them to City Forestry at 651-632-5129. All City Forestry staff carry identification, or can be confirmed by contacting the City Forestry office.

If the vendor does not identify themselves as working for the City, residents can certainly make their own decision on the products they may be selling for private use. Residents who wish to educate themselves on the alternatives for their private ash trees can visit www.stpaul.gov/eab for more information, and if residents wish to learn more about insecticide options visit the USDA's website: www.emeraldashborer.info 

To help ensure residents are choosing the best option for them, all work done on a homeowners property should be done by a certified arborist. Any questions or concerns can be directed to the City's Forestry hotline at: 651-632-5129 or email: forestry@ci.stpaul.mn.us

Submitted by the City Forestry department (Parks and Recreation)

Nominate a Neighborhood Hero!

Is there someone you know in our area who is doing good things to create a great neighborhood? We honor up to three residents (or businesses) each year for the Neighborhood Honor Roll. But we don't know everything that is happening and who is responsible.

So if you know a neighbor who shovels the walks of seniors every winter, or who volunteers at the library or a school, or who works with scout troops, or welcomes new neighbors whenever they move in... whatever!... contact us and nominate that person for the Honor Roll.

We hold a January celebration of all honorees city-wide, the honoree receives a certificate of appreciation and their name inscribed on a plaque outside city council chambers.

Let us know who makes our area a special place!

Reminder from Police

SPPD wants to remind you school is back in session - this means school buses and children will be on the road! Please remember to follow the laws: stop at school patrol stop walks, follow school speed zones, and always stop when approaching a school bus with their lights on.

Parents it is also a good idea to go over safety tips with your child including keeping hands and heads in the bus, following the bus driver instructions, standing back on the sidewalk while waiting, and watching for the bus driver to give permission before crossing the street.

Submitted by SPPD

Park and Ride Update

On Wednesday, September 21, local residents met with Metro Transit officials and with members of the Bdote Reconciliation Consortium to talk about the analysis of alternatives MTC did for expansion possibilities at the Lower Afton Park and Ride. Also present were City officials and State Representative Sheldon Johnson.

We looked at 5 different options and Metro Transit said that only three were viable for them in terms of impacts and cost - maintain the status quo, the original expansion plan (which would remove screening trees and come too close to the mounds), or a modification of the current situation (which would involve restriping and designating parking spaces along the street).

There was a good deal of discussion about the other two options - a new surface lot north of Lower Afton, or parking at the current Lower Battle Creek lot in the park. Metro Transit eliminated these possibilities because of cost (the first) and safety concerns (the second).

Another alternative was suggested by the group - using the money that had been earmarked for the expansion on removing the current lot and restoring the greenspace, and then studying an alternative location for the lot further south along Point Douglas Rd.

Metro Transit assured the group that they were not pushing any alternative and that they were now concerned that any expansion at the site would only exacerbate the problems that neighbors are currently having - congestion at the Point Douglas/Lower Afton intersection and parking that narrows the road.

So where do we stand now??

The District Council is looking at the broader issues that this planning and the station area planning for the Red Rock Corridor have raised. We will be investigating potential collaborations that can develop and propose a short and medium term solution to all the community issues here, that will move us toward the long-term vision that has developed AND that will respect the natural and spiritual features of this area.

We will keep people up to date here and via email, so if you want email updates, contact us at our email address.

High Speed Rail Funding in Minnesota

Despite legislative attempts to eliminate all funding for passenger rail projects, the Minnesota High-Speed Rail Commission and high-speed rail champions successfully fought to keep funding and make Minnesota a leader in the development of a national high-speed rail network.

Earlier this spring, the legislature proposed eliminating funding for the Passenger Rail office in the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and reallocating $26 million in bonding money for intercity passenger rail. Fortunately passenger rail funding was preserved during the July special session, sending a message to the federal government that Minnesota remains serious about developing a sustainable transportation plan for the future.

In the near term, MnDOT continues to press forward with its study to determine the best route connecting the Twin Cities to Milwaukee. An environmental impact study is currently underway, followed by preliminary engineering to be completed by 2013. Final design, engineering, and construction will follow, taking approximately two years to complete. 

The route for high speed rail would come through District 1 along the Canadian Pacific and BNSF lines along the river. This potential increase in future traffic has to be considered, along with potential Red Rock Corridor traffic and any commercial rail increases, with design of the lines. Ramsey County has undertaken an East Metro Rail Study to look at these issues.

Submitted by Tunheim Associates on behalf of Regional Rail Authority

Volunteer at the Rec Centers

Recreation Center Volunteer Opportunities.

There are many volunteer opportunities within City youth sports programs. The Parks and Rec Department is always in search of youth coaches and referees for the many sports that we offer. To fill out a volunteer interest form, click here.

Submitted by Parks and Rec Volunteer Coordinator

Online Bike Routing Tool

Cyclopath and Cycloplan: collaborative bicycle planning and routing Provided by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Loren Terveen, associate professor of computer science and engineering,  and James Andrew of the Metropolitan Council discussed how an online  routing tool for bicyclists has been enhanced for transportation planners and engineers. Cyclopath, a geowiki developed by a team of University of Minnesota researchers,  is an open content routing and social media tool for bicyclists. Users can search  for bicycle routes, share notes about roads and trails, enter tags about special  locations, and edit route maps by filling in missing or unofficial trails. For more information

Construction on I-94 to Begin

Additional lane planned for eastbound I-94 east of downtown St. Paul

ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Construction of an auxiliary lane on eastbound Interstate 94 between Highway 61 and White Bear Avenue in St. Paul is scheduled to begin early Saturday,
September 10. 

As work begins, the ramp from northbound Highway 61 to eastbound I-94 and the ramp from eastbound I-94 to White Bear Avenue will close.  Motorists should follow the signed detours or use alternate routes to avoid congestion and possible delays.  There will also be occasional lane closures on the interstate throughout the construction.

The project also includes construction of a new wall along the south side of eastbound I-94 to provide a visual barrier for the adjacent neighborhood.

When completed in mid-October, the new lane will help ease congestion by providing a separate lane for motorists traveling eastbound between Highway 61 and White Bear Avenue or who want to exit on White Bear Avenue from the eastbound interstate.

For travel information anywhere in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org or dial 511.


Submitted by MnDOT