MNDot Proposes I35E/Cayuga Road Project Establishes visual quality advisory committee Meetings...

MNDot Proposes I35E/Cayuga Road Project

Establishes visual quality advisory committeeMeetings commenced February 2011 and continued until fall of 2012

Late in the committee process the neighborhoods (5,6 and 7) were surprised to learn a part of the

dedicated state trail (underpass) on the eastside of I35 was being eliminated with no eastside

mitigation trail route

MNDot Proposes to accept trail extension on eastside of I35 only

to Maryland Avenue bridge

Cost-$41,000MNDot owns right-of-wayWill have plantings

MNPASS proposed to serve those who can pay more to have a

congestion-free, faster and/or more convenient way to ingress

and egress the capital city to Little Canada

Total expenditure of projected I35E/Cayuga/MNPASS to Little

Canada

Cost--$261,000,000MNPASS only--$80-$100,000,000

District 5, 6 and 7Census Tracts 305, 306.01, 314,

309, 428, 330While trying to work with MNDot on I35E and MNPASS, four requests were made to

address livability, connectivity, healthy options, a recreational pathway that will also

serve access to jobs, education and destinations of distinction

Air Quality Monitoring Requested

Ramsey County’s high density population, businesses, roads and point sources puts it at high

risk for pollution problems that affect health of residents

Ramsey County website states $84 million was spent in 2004 for hospital charges for respiratory

health problems like asthma

REQUEST 1

No, we do not do monitoring as part of our projects

Research shows the I35E road project will not affect the current air quality

MNDot’s Answer

Amenities and aesthetic qualities requested

Eastside has pride in their community and its involvement in beautifying the neighborhoodNorth End/South Como is a great place to

work and call homeFrogtown welcomes and protects its history

of a tapestry of diversities

Request 2

Request of MNDot to show graphics of amenities found within these three

neighborhoods

A tree=a park

Trails= destinations

Water=swimming, boating, etc

There will be electronic signage to occasionally announce activitiesNo money for amenities unless city or county paysNo amenities for art or aesthetics unlike Central Corridor and Union Depot projects where a certain percentage of the budget was devoted to neighborhood vitality

MNDot’s Answer

No Noise Walls

Replace noise walls with 2-4 rows of varying ages of trees that will act as a wind row, add beauty and improve air

quality

Request 3

No

MNDot’s Answer

If there will be walls, make them concrete as depicted in Visual

Quality Manual

Compromise

NoWood walls are the standardMaybe someday concrete will be the standard, but not now

MNDot’s Answer

If there will be walls, then the neighborhoods want MNDot to

maintain them

Maintenance requested is on both sides of the wall-the I35 side and the

residential side

Compromise 2

We don’t maintain

MNDot’s Answer

Is this the last thing you should see before leaving or first thing you should see when entering the

Capital City?

The trail extends to Arlington on east side of I35

MNDot proposal is to extend the trail only to Maryland for access to jobs, school and other destinations as well as use of trail for

recreation

Request 4

No sidewalk on L’Orient looking north

No sidewalks on L’Orient going to places of employment and the #1

K-Mart in Minnesota

Traffic on Maryland, according to RC Public Works, is one of the most dangerous spots

in Ramsey County

Where is the trail access? Via Maryland

I know that Gateway Trail is there, but where do I gain access?

Request for extending the trail to Arlington is the solution to trail

access

As referenced in September 4, 2012 Ramsey County Resolution

Only two lanes of traffic

Maintained sidewalks on both sides of Arlington

At Arlington on the north side, Gateway will connect to Vento Trail going north

At Arlington, the Gateway literally crosses and provides connectivity to the Vento Trail access

Arlington provides a pathway to the Ramsey County portion of the Trout Brook Trail that

leads to Lake McCarrons

Sidewalk leading to northeast corner of Arlington Jackson and Trout Brook Trail