There were 21 people in attendance at this meeting of the District 1 Board of Directors to hear about proposed bike plan and to get an update on Boys Totem Town.
Draft City-wide Bike
Plan – Reuben Collins (SP Public Works)
The City’s Comprehensive Plan (2010) specifies that a bike
plan should be developed with the intent to increase the bike share (the
percentage of people using bikes for transportation), and with specification
about spacing of bike facilities (that is distance between designated bike
routes.
Purpose of the plan is to designate streets for future
development of bikeways; and to recommend the bikeway type (off street, bike
lanes, shared lanes, etc.); City has had an issue when Public Works brings forward a project where streets are
being rebuilt and they have had to deal in each case with the question of
whether bikeways should be included. An approved plan allows them to think
systemically and strategically about where these facilities should be located. (The
draft plan was worked on from 2011 to 2013 during which time they held open
houses to get input. Now the draft is released and the public has until the end
of April to submit commits about it.)
Who rides bikes? – 1-2% are fearless riders, 5-10% are
enthused and confident, 60% are interested but have concerns; 30% say no way no
how will they get on a bike. This plan is not designed to compel riders but to
encourage those who are interested but have concerns. These are the large number of people who would
ride if they felt safer etc. – the plan helps that 60% to figure out that they
CAN ride if they choose.
There are 4 facilities types – off street paths, on-street
separated lanes, bicycle boulevards, enhanced shared lanes (these represent engineering
differences); city staff has proposed streets that should have a bicycle
facility (and the types) across the city looking at a variety of route
considerations (including cost, equity, user experience, key destinations,
potential for development, ROW width, traffic volumes and speeds and truck
traffic, etc …). The plan recommends substantial expansion of bikeways across
the city (144 miles now, add 214 miles).
The plan doesn’t address cost, funding, construction
timeline, policies or prioritization – but final plan should address each of
these to the extent possible – including prioritization. Comments from the
public are accepted through April 30, with a final draft expected in June, and adoption
by City Council by the end of 2014. Comments are taken at public meetings such
as this one, verbalize comments here, through written comments to Reuben at
Reuben.Collins@ci.stpaul.mn.us, and on Open StPaul
Questions from audience –The Eastside hasn’t been served
very well previously so eastside should be prioritized just to catch up – there
is limited access currently to Pigs Eye limited with a current proposal to come
in along Childs Road and cross highway 61 at Henry Park, but should also add
river crossings; Also plans for pathway from Battle Creek Park and Fish
Hatchery to Fish Creek along the ridge: How does this relate to Great River
Passage Plan? –ANSWER - this plan has a
unique relationship with Parks Planning – parks has been in the room the entire
time – this plan is not intended to influence Parks planning which focuses on
recreational biking within parks; this plan asks questions about how people get
to or from parks not how they circulate in a park.
Questions about McKnight Road – should there be an off
street path all the way?; currently parking is allowed in the shoulders but
little parking happens – do we restrict on-street parking or expand for off
street or leave it as is? Unpleasant biking because of traffic speed so
separated path makes sense – But this is a County road. The County is in
process of developing its own bike(and ped plan) and will take this plan into
account. Maplewood and county have both relied on Saint Paul to recommend
bikeways on streets; Community wants to emphasize safety and comfort; under the
freeway along McKnight is a problem – a tunnel there should be considered.
Margaret St is shown as a bicycle boulevard – It was
recently narrowed in a certain section - does that set it up as a problem for
bikeways – ANSWER no, narrow streets can be a preference for bikeways since narrowing
slows traffic down and slower traffic makes for safer bike facility.
Connecting to other parts of the community is a major
problem – like McKnight and freeway, key problem locations are Hiway 61 and
Burns, and the freeway crossings including the so-called bike/ped bridge –
bridges are a problem here. ANSWER – The District will be proposing a
relocation of the bike/ped bridge.
When making comments – don’t think about how unsafe you
think a route is now, but look at where people want to go and ask how routes
can be made safe.
Boys Totem Town
Update - Steve Poynter, BTT Director
Wanted to speak about the potential to rebuild of BTT. A
major report was done in past 2 years with recommendations about how to improve
the continuum of care for juveniles involved with the criminal justice system. Some
of the recommendations included rebuilding Totem Town at current site, or
combining with Juvenile Detention Center at that site or another, or developing
a partnership with Hennepin County. As of this time, no official decision has
been made, and no decision will be made without community input.
The research
being done now involves exploring the joint Ramsey/Hennepin County model;
Hennepin County has programs for girls and for juvenile sex offenders at Glen
Lake far to the west of downtown Mpls. The results of this research will be
reported back to County Board within 2 months. They are also currently looking
at the continuum of services for dealing with Juvenile corrections (stay in
home, to jail…). The recommendation is for a 38 bed Totem Town – trying to keep
youth out of the facility and better integrated with the community. (Now Totem
Town only uses 36 bed – 3 dorms of 12 beds each; Kohler Hall is day treatment
facility whereas it used to be a secure facility – with 14 boys in that program
currently.)
Totem Town has discontinued taking kids 14 years or younger (realizing
that confining such youngsters does more harm than good). Some of these
youngest offenders are in day treatment and some are at home, some going
elsewhere.
The other issue that came up previously was runaways –
previously in 2013 had been about 6 per month, now staff does a runaway risk
assessment, and they have normalized the feelings of wanting to run away. Currently
there has not been a runaway since October 19 2013 - a great improvement. An additional factor may
be that the younger kids were more likely to run away. Totem Town has been
working closely with SPPD on the run away issue (and others…).
Additional topics at the meeting included providing funding for volunteer and youth recognition, monthly financials and updates on efforts around inclusivity.
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