The Ellipse-about at 38th
Street is definitely a significant part of the I-35W Access Project. I
invite everyone to access the Phillips Partnership website (www.phillipspartnership.org).
Click on Infrastructure, and find the list of chapters for the Mitigation and
Enhancement Report. The Ellipse-about is in Chapter 5 on page 5-3.
Figure 21A is the ellipse-about concept that has been approved by the Project
Advisory Committee (on November 26, 2002) after the mid-November public
meetings/open houses. Please then look at the cost breakdown listed under
I-35W Access Project documents. Scroll down to the section pertaining to
the 38th Street interchange and you will see that the basic construction for the
bridge is estimated at $1,203,000 and the mitigation estimate it $3,682,000,
totaling $4,885,000. The reason that the bridge mitigation is 3 times the
cost of the basic construction is that the Project proposes the ellipse-about
concept that is currently illustrated on page 5-3.
If you then look at page 5-4 of
the Mitigation/Enhancement Report you will see a roundabout currently in place
near Baltimore in Towson, Maryland. The difference here is that it's
design is oval shaped. Reports from the Maryland Department of
Transportation state that this roundabout handles a growing level of traffic
very efficiently, actually reducing congestion and back-ups, and the accident
rate is lower now than previously when standard intersections with signals were
in place.
The actual shape of the 38th
Street bridge structure will need to be decided during the Project's detailed
design phase. The Project Advisory Committee will be closely involved and
will need to approve the final design. The ellipse-about may actually take
a form closer to a roundabout or maybe something else. Mr. Avidor refers
to the meeting at Horn Towers where I said that the current ellipse-about
concept may need to be refined, taking another shape. I probably also
mentioned that some neighborhood residents are concerned that at pedestrian
crossings at the 2nd Avenue/38th Street and Stevens Avenue/38th Street
intersections and signals may need to be provided for pedestrian safety.
If this occurs, the function of the ellipse-about or roundabout could
change. A specific traffic analysis will be prepared at these
intersections during the detailed design phase to help respond to this
concern. I apologize if my comments concerning this matter were confusing
at the Horn Tower meeting.
I want to be very clear in
stating that the ellipse-about/roundabout concept will be designed and will be
constructed at 38th Street as a part of the Access Project when the
proposal moves forward into final design and construction.
We have met with Mn/DOT, Federal Highway Administration staff, City
Public Works staff and County designers to seek their views regarding the
ellipse-about. They have said that they know of no reason why it should
not be approved. A legitimate concern on the part of City Public Works
staff regards long-term maintenance. As you see on pages 5-3 and 5-4 of
the Report there are a variety of landscape plantings and pedestrian walkways
and bicycle lanes that will require maintenance. It has already been
pointed out that ponds and water fountains may be a bad idea since they will
attract people to play in the bridge median. As we move forward into the
design work we will need to suggest some other way to provide community and
neighborhood identity without creating safety concerns. The water element
was only included in the concept to provide an identity for Minneapolis as "the
City of Lakes". In conjunction with the Project Advisory Committee and the
four neighborhoods decisions will be made in final design regarding how
community and neighborhood identities are conveyed. But, let me state it
again, the Project Advisory Committee has approved the ellipse-about concept and
the budget that includes a healthy sum for it's design and mitigation. The
opportunity to establish this bridge, the bridge at Lake Street, and other
bridges as landmarks for the neighborhoods and a gateway system into downtown
Minneapolis will not be lost. And yes, transit components will be designed
into these bridge structures at the appropriate locations and they will be safe
and comfortable pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists.
There was a channel 4
report on the evening of December 3 discussing new roundabouts in Medford and
Maplewood. I can provide anyone with a transcript if they were not able
to see it. These reports are providing further encouragement that we
will be successful in South Minneapolis. If anyone has any questions,
please contact me. Thank you.
Tom Johnson
Transportation Consultant
SMITH PARKER P.L.L.P
Phone: 612-344-1400
Fax: 612-344-1550
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
