A New Plan for Our Neighborhhood-- What are the issues?

In Union Park, there is a primarily residential area on both sides of the Health East campus north of I-94 and south of University Avenue. As Snelling Avenue and University Avenue are so close, cut-through traffic is a big issue. Residents complain about commercial tractor-trailors speeding down Fry Avenue and breaking off the rear-view mirrors of parked cars and endangering children. Road detours, bad weather, congestion and light rail exacerbate this problem.

Another traffic issue is Snelling Avenue near Midway Center. The accident rate is highest in the state, and seemingly a concern of no one. The road is not designed for the amount of traffic.

Business encroachment is a third concern. HealthEast purchased then bulldozed several houses to expand their parking lot. The houses near Spruce Tree parking ramp are at risk now.

There is not enough on-street parking to handle residents and visitors. The rail line and higher density development makes the situation worse for both residents and businesses. Is there a plan to deal with this issue?

Is the plan to turn the area next to the rail into a zone for non-profits? If so, do we pay attention to the record of the non-profits that want to locate or expand here? Are we set up to police their activity to make sure their clients are treated professionally? Do neighborhoods want to be located next to large non-profit institutions or would they prefer shopping, services and residential areas instead?

Is affordable housing an issue in Union Park or is Union Park north of I-94 one of the few already affordable areas in Saint Paul?

The 16 bus service runs every ten minutes. With the rail, bus frequency is reduced and half of the stops are eliminated. Transit access has always been a strength of this neighborhood. Will transit improve with light rail? This is not an empty question.

Vested political interests and well represented non-profit groups had more influence than nearby business owners and nearby residents when the Met Council did Central Corridor planning. The anti-rail sentiment of the Rondo neighborhood is not so different from the sentiment of many of those most affected in Union Park. A majority on the Union Park District Council have supported rail and transit oriented development, but we typically respect neighborhood concerns.

The loss of business on University Avenue is counter to everyone's interests. Most people did not anticipate the construction impact-- 30% seems like a lowball estimate. Will University Avenue become business friendly? Or, will mixed use development and transit oriented design requirements keep locally owned business away, particularly smaller businesses? Per the Russian Tea House, fees for streetscaping could put them out of business. What is being done to promote locally owned business?

Businesses such as the fabric store, pet shop and Cambodian Restaurant are missed. Whether local or non-local, will there continue to be grocery stores and other business here or will the migration to Roseville continue?

Our job as a District Council is to make sure that those most affected by the plans we develop are given opportunities to voice their concerns. This is a civics exercise that we are capable of doing well.

Draft comments re: FEIS CCLRT

As an engineer who loves rail lines, my input is that the FEIS for CCLRT oozes competence, but lacks the vision that BART planners had in 1960.

The FEIS indicates that CCLRT will attract 1600 extra riders per day, about one half of one percent of those going past on I-94. Twin Cities percent transit miles will remain at two percent. Transit use in other cities, such as Oakland, California (as driveable as Saint Paul) will remain more than three times higher than transit use in the Twin Cities.

The Hiawatha line included park and rides and indeed, those using park and rides accounted for more than thirty percent of ridership. No park and rides are provided next to the CCLRT. (New bus routes are unlikely to draw a critical mass of ridership as the buses will be too infrequent to be useful if Hiawatha is predictive. Satellite lots rely on buses.)

Practical issues that could potentially impact ridership, such as those raised by Councilman Melvin Carter are not carefully studied, “All I want is a ticket booth and a toilet at each station.”

Benefits and costs of putting the line underground do not appear to be extensively studied. An underground line, given that the roadway is going to be destroyed and rebuilt anyway, may not be as incrementally expensive as forecast. Engineers can not know what they may find underground, so they conservatively guess costs will be high. What if costs of above ground mitigation are actually as high? The FEIS includes no calculation of how much more valuable a below grade line would be. What is the benefit if the rail line is twice as fast? (The FEIS indicates that the rail line will be “faster than current buses.” )

Design should be customer focused. Given the change in presidential administrations, cost myopia may be unfounded.

Based on neighborhood meetings, there is no mandate for CCLRT immediately adjacent to the proposed Snelling Avenue station. I suggest a non-binding vote at the ballot box in November to validate LRT planning and place the responsibility for this LRT investment where it belongs.

My favorite quote about this line, “This is not Paris.”

Neighborhood LRT Meeting, May 4

Grid 8 Central Corridor LRT/Snelling Station Update
May 4, Central Baptist Church

Presenters:
Robin Caufman, Met Council
Dan Soler and Hue Pham, Central Corridor Project Office

Answering Questions:
Ken Haider, Ramsey County
Samantha Henningson, Ward 4
Mike Klassen, City of St. Paul

Unlike Hiawatha, which mostly goes at 50 mph, the Central Corridor LRT will go 30 mph and stop at lights.
No left turns or crossing University for autos on intersections without signals
Lose signal at Albert.
Heating elements and possibility for District Energy heat.
Bike storage facilities in median next to the rail
A 6" median separates the rail platform from traffic

From Marshall to University, Snelling is at edge of being full.
51 second delay on University at Snelling. Will be 61 second with LRT.

MNDOT study determines Snelling future... currently on hold for lack of staff (additional stimulus projects)... will be done before 2014

Parking solutions report now available: here
Parking Improvement Districts proposed for Raymond, Snelling

Neighborhood Concerns:
not enough time for pedestrians to cross intersection (at Fry)
cars through residential areas (losing mirrors to trucks on Fry when traffic congestion diverts commercial vehicles away from Snelling or I-94)
hot rod cruising on University
Spruce Tree buying up neighborhood, neighborhood is losing owner occupied property
More buses actually mean more parking need for the neighborhood-- need structured parking on E. Snelling/St. Anthony corner.
History of Midway employees parking in neighborhood
Pedestrian friendliness, easy bus transfers and access to/from stores, design that takes weather conditions into account

Upcoming:
Grid 8 Neighborhood Crime Meeting
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
436 Roy Street N.
May 18, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm

Crime trends in the area, prostitution at Qwest, noise, cruising, other summer issues.

-Invited to the table:
Union Park residents, Union Park District Council, St Paul Crime Prevention Coordinator, St Paul Western District Police Commander

Neighborhood Meetings, May 4 and May 18

Upcoming Grid 8 Neighborhood Meetings
Please attend and help to publicize these neighborhood events.

1. Snelling/University/LRT Overview
Central Baptist Church, 420 Roy Street N.
Monday, May 4, 7-9pm

Centered around a general overview of LRT, including parking, development changes affecting the neighborhood, business mitigation, construction timeline, snow removal once the LRT is in, and traffic concerns on the Snelling/University corner. Include a Q&A session after the presentation.

Presenters:
Samantha Henningson, Ward 4
Mike Klassen, City of St. Paul
Robin Caufman, Met Council
Dan Soler and Hue Pham, Central Corridor Project Office
Ken Haider, Ramsey County

-Invited to the table:
Union Park community, Union Park District Council, Met Council, state representative (Snelling), Hamline Midway community, St Anthony community


2. Crime Meeting
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
436 Roy Street N.
May 18, 6:30 pm-8:30 pm

-Invited to the table:
Union Park residents, Union Park District Council, St Paul Crime Prevention Coordinator, St Paul Western District Police Commander

-Discussion:
Crime trends in the area, prostitution at Quest, noise, cruising, other summer issues.

Other Follow-up from our March 30 neighborhood meeting:
***Here is the link to the St Paul Vacant building list. It's easiest to "View by District" "District 13".

*** Saint Paul currently has no budget, so the proposed “traffic calming” meeting is postponed for now.

Contacts: Julie Oley Union Park District Council, info@unionparkdc.org, 645-6887

David Rasmussen
Grid 8 Representative
http://davetravels.blogspot.com/search/label/D13

Neighborhood Meeting Results

Notes from Julie Olney:

Three Meetings Suggested
1. Snelling/University/LRT Overview
-To occur ASAP on a Monday evening at Central Baptist, Bethlehem Lutheran,
or Hamline Midway Library
-Invited to the table:
Union Park community, Union Park District Council, Met Council, state
representative (Snelling), Hamline Midway community, St Anthony community
-Discussion:
Centered around a general overview of LRT, including parking, development
changes affecting the neighborhood, business mitigation, construction
timeline, snow removal once the LRT is in, and traffic concerns on the
Snelling/University corner. Include a Q&A session after the presentation.
***-Julie will email a current zoning map of Grid 8 and the vacant housing
list to residents before this meeting occurs.
***-Residents should collect a list of neighbors' contact info to make
communicating this and other upcoming meetings a more efficient process.

2. Traffic Calming
-To occur when it is warmer
-Invited to the table:
City transportation representative, City Council Ward 4 Representative,
Union Park residents, Union Park District Council
-Discussion:
Traffic calming options and extended parking permit options.

3. Crime Meeting
-To occur when it is warmer
-Invited to the table:
Union Park residents, Union Park District Council, St Paul Crime Prevention
Coordinator, St Paul Western District Police Commander
-Discussion:
Crime trends in the area, prostitution at Quest, noise, cruising, other
summer issues.

Neighborhood Pitch: Draft

A Union Park Grid 8 meeting is planned for Monday March 30 at the Bethelehem Lutheran Church. These are my planned remarks. Any neighborhood input is appreciated.

David Rasmussen, Grid 8 Representative, david@unionparkdc.org



In the San Francisco Bay area, BART is sometimes elevated, sometimes below ground, and sometimes at ground level, but nowhere does it compete with traffic, so it goes up to 80 mph. SF/Oakland has the fifth most successful transit system in the United States because the rail system is fast, safe, reliable, easy to access and offers 44,000 parking spaces. The designers showed amazing foresight in 1960 as they developed a system that people with cars would choose to use. Even today, something like BART would be an amazing investment for the Twin Cities.

So, I went to Central Corridor rail meetings in 2005, joined the District Council as neighborhood representative, and suggested that the Snelling rail station be underground so that it would not compete with traffic, and for pedestrian safety, and that there should be parking. As an individual, I had little impact.

To join the District Council requires the signatures of residents, so when I knock on doors for the signatures, I try to ask what is important to residents. A few people always say “crime. “ Sometimes, I hear “pedestrian safety.” This year, I heard “permit parking.” Bus riders are one of the reasons many of us live on streets with permit parking, so if we are going to have rail, we should make parking available for rail users. I knocked on twenty doors on Roy, Fry and Herschel. Everyone I talked to signed the petition (1), and I felt confident about neighborhood support for a park and ride at Snelling Avenue.

In total, over 1000 people signed the petition, mostly people who use the park and ride to go to the State Fair. The signatures became part of the Supplement Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Central Corridor rail project, and copies went to the mayor and to the Metropolitan Council chair. I wanted it to be part of the plan for the City of Saint Paul, so I introduced the petition as a resolution at a District Council meeting. There was some support and others felt that more discussion was needed. A view I feel is wrong-headed was that this idea was in conflict with plans for “transit-oriented development.” How better to support transit than to make it accessible to thousands more people, I felt. The resolution was voted down.

Transit oriented development (TOD) is in the city plan and it is not about making transit more accessible. TOD puts tall buildings and high density development next to the rail. Portland is the model for TOD that Saint Paul is trying to copy. I have actually visited Portland and tried to get on the rail. Because parking is not available, I was unable to access the Portland rail. If there were any places to park, I could tell you more. Sustainlane.com says Portland has the 19th most successful transit system in the United States. This would be more impressive except that Minneapolis/Saint Paul ranks 21st without TOD. The graph (2) shows transit use for Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland, and San Francisco/Oakland. The data suggests that parking impacts transit use more than TOD. Nonetheless, according to the Snelling Station Area plan, the Midway/Bus barn area is planned to become a TOD test site.

The rail is coming down University, like it or not. I do not think we have the power to stop it, even though we, as neighbors, saw issues with street parking on University well before University United, the District Councils, or the city acknowledged them. We still may have the power to help define what is meant by the “TOD test site” in the Station area plan for Midway Center. We also might still have power to put in parking, if that is what we want.

The Onion had an article,headlined “98% of Commuters favor transit for others”:
"With traffic congestion, pollution, and oil shortages all getting worse, now is the time to shift to affordable, efficient public transportation," APTA director Howard Collier said. "Fortunately, as this report shows, Americans have finally recognized the need for everyone else to do exactly that."

The Onion could also write an article headlined “98% of Advocates favor TOD outside of their neighborhoods.”
"With bike paths and TOD going in, the freeway becomes superfluous," American Association of Advocates director Howard Collier said. "Fortunately, as this report shows, activists have finally recognized the need for everyone else to give up their cars and live/work in TOD neighborhoods."

But, there is no reason to become cynical and to not work within the system. The Union Park District Council does an excellent job at negotiating conflicts to satisfy neighbors. Glen McCluskey, current Union Park president, and Jim Marti, past Union Park president, helped to negotiate with Health East to satisfy neighbors when new parking lots were built. Eric Mohlo, the chair of the Union Park Land Use Committee recently worked with neighbors near Lexington in a similar situation toward an agreement with Common Bond. When it is understood how neighborhoods feel, neighborhoods have been supported by the District Council.

So, now is an opportunity for the neighbors of Midway Center to express their opinions.
-- How do we feel about the undefined “Transit Oriented Development Test Site” at the Midway Center/ bus barn site in the station area plan?
-- Are we for transit user parking ramps (not yet in the station plan) near the rail at the Midway Center/bus barn site?
-- Do we want University Avenue to be a one lane street, as University United recommends?
-- Do we back the Snelling Station Area plan, as the Land Use Committee recommends, or does this plan need to be fleshed out further with more involvement from residents of Grid 8?

My proposal is attached (3), but more importantly, what would you like to see happen? As a neighbor recently said, “this plan is not Paris.” This plan is not San Francisco/Oakland , either. But, we can do better.

Please let me know your ideas, or if you want to present your ideas in a public forum, attend the Union Park District Council meeting, Wednesday April 1, 7 p.m., Concordia University, in the Library/Theater complex, Room 218.

Footnotes:
(1) Petition, August, 2008:

We support a 1000 slot park and ride at the bus barn site and under Midway Center (Snelling Avenue and Saint Anthony Blvd./Snelling Avenue and University Avenue) to serve State Fair goers, the I94 bus route, the 84 bus route, the 21/53 bus route, the 16/50 bus route, the 144 bus route, the future Central Corridor rail, a future Snelling Avenue rail line, and small businesses and local residents who lose parking with construction of the rail. This park and ride should serve parkers and those transferring between buses with safe pedestrian and bicycle access under the very busy streets of Snelling Avenue and University Avenue, as Snelling Avenue in this neighborhood has the highest traffic accident rate in the state. Ideally, the park and ride will exit under Snelling Avenue, directly to I-94 ramps to avoid further traffic congestion on Snelling Avenue. The park and ride does not preclude development of the bus barn site and the neighboring lot, because the park and ride can be relocated below ground.

(2) Effectiveness of Transit Oriented Development:


Portland is the model for transit oriented development (TOD)
San Francisco/Oakland (SFO) supplies 44,000 parking spaces and per the advocates does not have TOD


(3) Proposed Grid 8 Neighborhood Resolutions to Union Park District Council:
The Metropolitan Council should pursue marketing toward a post-RD Management Midway Center/bus barn era. Issues to be fleshed out in order to maximize the long-term benefit to the community and the selling price of the area include:
1) Green spaces
2) Enclosed transit station at Snelling and Saint Anthony intersection with parking ramp, bus transfer stations, taxi stands
3) Pedestrian and bike routes to the transit station and local bus/rail stops (21/53/94/84/16/50)
4) Improved freeway access to Midway Center/Target complex-- get them there, get them out design to support regional use of the area, but to not further congest Snelling.

The Grid 8 neighborhood should be offered the opportunity to vet University United proposals prior to Union Park District Council approval, and Grid 8 should become a “go to” participant to proactively develop further proposals toward refining the Snelling station area plan and the appropriate city plans for the area.

Snelling Avenue Light Rail Station, continued

Have you ever shopped at Midway Shopping area? Why or why not?: Live Journal Discussion
(My wife posted the question. I did not participate here.) There are substantial differences between the vision expressed by the community (above) and the vision expressed by Brian McMahon of University United to the D13 land use committee.

Do we want collaborative marketing between Met Council and RD Management? Everyone wants to see development, and marketing is certainly a desirable goal to validate concepts in the Station area plan and elsewhere. However, given that RD Management's business model may be incongruent with City of Saint Paul's plans for the area, why not do marketing internal to the Met Council, toward agreements with other developers? Now is indeed the time to do marketing. But, under no circumstances should extensions or further agreements with RD Management be signed, given the history. The best outcome is to encourage RD Management to sell to a developer with a different mission.

The Metropolitan Council should pursue marketing toward a post-RD Management Midway Center/bus barn era. Issues to be fleshed out in order to maximize the long-term benefit to the community and the selling price of the area include:
1) Green spaces
2) Enclosed transit station at Snelling and Saint Anthony intersection with parking ramp, bus transfer stations, taxi stands
3) Pedestrian and bike routes to the transit station and all local bus/rail stops (21/94/84/16/50)
4) Improved freeway access to Midway Center/Target complex-- get them there, get them out design to support regional use of the area, but not further congest Snelling.

A "Transit Oriented Development Demonstration Site, " as proposed in the Snelling Station Area Plan (Section 6) lacks the foundation of public understanding and support.

My Snelling/University Rail Station Input from January contains some supporting data regarding transit: Google Docs

Grid 8 Neighborhood Issues (with Park and Ride Proposal)

While collecting twenty signatures for renomination as Union Park, Grid 8 representative, I ran across a delegate to the Democratic national convention, a professor, and many other politically engaged people. A reasonably large percentage recognized me from meetings pertaining to light rail or Health East. The level of engagement was just as high in the urban part of the neighborhood as in the single family homes. People found the blue Union Park District Council flyers to be helpful. One older home owner would not talk to me, but everyone else would.

The top issue this year was light rail, and the most positive comment about the the rail was "I have mixed feelings about it." Several streets are already "permit only, " which causes residents to support a park and ride for bus riders, even before the rail is built.

My priority for 2009 is to start the planning process for a permanent 1000 slot park and ride at the bus barn site and under Midway Center (Snelling Avenue and Saint Anthony Blvd./Snelling Avenue and University Avenue).



Some representative comments from the grid partition process:
William on Fry-- supports a park and ride so that fewer people will park on his street, currently "permit only" 12-4 p.m.
Jeff on Roy Street-- opposes light rail
Rebecca on Shields-- feels apartment residents are treated as "transients" by Union Park District Council
Mario on Roy Street-- "a lot of stuff" happens in the alley next to Snelling and Saint Anthony; concern over security issues
Tom on Roy-- impressed by Rock-Tenn progress (anaerobic digestion)

8/24/2008 Update: Today, I knocked on doors in my neighborhood and collected signatures for a petition. I spoke with twenty neighbors and received twenty signatures. Based on our conversations, there is no doubt about the neighborhood support. One thousand signatures in support of the following statement are in the public record (pages 147- 247). The resolution is as follows:

We support a 1000 slot park and ride at the bus barn site and under Midway Center (Snelling Avenue and Saint Anthony Blvd./Snelling Avenue and University Avenue) to serve State Fair goers, the I94 bus route, the 84 bus route, the 21/53 bus route, the 16/50 bus route, the 144 bus route, the future Central Corridor rail, a future Snelling Avenue rail line, and small businesses and local residents who lose parking with construction of the rail. This park and ride should serve parkers and those transferring between buses with safe pedestrian and bicycle access under the very busy streets of Snelling Avenue and University Avenue, as Snelling Avenue in this neighborhood has the highest traffic accident rate in the state. Ideally, the park and ride will exit under Snelling Avenue, directly to I-94 ramps to avoid further traffic congestion on Snelling Avenue. The park and ride does not preclude development of the bus barn site and the neighboring lot, because the park and ride can be relocated below ground.

8/27/2008 Update:
Q: I am curious to know who you think should pay for this facility?

A: We all agree that Snelling Avenue, between University Avenue and Concordia Avenue, functions poorly for cars, transit users, pedestrians and bikes. Figuring out exactly how to fix it is the hard part.

The area used for the State Fair park and ride could be used as a year round park and ride, serving the bus routes now, and without major capitol expense. The cost to Metro Transit would be minimal-- install gates and a fence, paint lines, unlock the area, occasionally spray the dirt with water. I believe that Metro Transit offered to do this when the I-35 bridge collapsed, but do not remember the exact details.

I assume this park and ride will function similarly to other park and rides operated by Metro Transit.

I do not take a stand on fees, but it is common practice to charge at peak times, if the park and ride is being used to near capacity. I do not think it is realistic to charge fees until construction of a new facility is completed.

There are serious safety issues with Snelling Avenue and Midway Center. I would envision that highway funds pay for the road construction aspect of this-- such as if additional ramps to I-94 are built, or if new bus lanes are constructed as part of the project.

Given the odd economics of Metro Transit, I do not assume that making the Central Corridor light rail accessible to thousands more people will pay for capital expenditures. However, making the rail accessible to thousands more people justifies the expense as part of the Central Corridor light rail project.

A plan that resolves safety and gridlock issues, and makes the area function for cars, transit users, pedestrians and bikes makes the bus barn site and Midway Center more valuable for further development, so it is conceivable that construction of an underground park and ride increases the value of the Metro Transit property enough to pay for itself. People talk about the rail line spurring economic development. This is an opportunity to test whether economic development can be spurred.

9/6/06: Opposition at the 9/6 Union Park District Council Meeting was interesting. Somehow, having a park and ride is in opposition to Merriam Park plans supporting Public Transit. (I can think of no stronger way of supporting Public Transit than to make it available to those who are not within walking distance of a line. ) The suggestion that more discussion was needed makes sense, though I believe the City Council is finalizing plans for the Snelling Station area now, rather than later.

Grid 8 Neighborhood Issues

National Night Out:
Thank you to those who signed the grid petition at the neighborhood block parties. I attended the event Friday at the Lutheran Church (Spruce Tree and Roy), which attracted more than 400 people. I also attended last night in front of Bill Oetting’s house on Hershel, and met quite a few of you. The signatures enable me to continue to vote at the Merriam Park neighborhood council, which due to consolidation, is now District Council 13, Inc. Since you left me with your e-mail addresses, I will summarize my activities over the past year for you. I promise not to bother you much.

Crime:
My house feels safe to me. I live across from a church with plenty of lighting and activity 24 hours a day. I also live next to a sheriff. But, I am aware that there are crime issues in the neighborhood. The police department summarizes the crime report for District 13. Theresa Heiland helps community members from District 13 deal with specific crime issues. I suggest you contact her with your crime issues.

Light Rail:
I have strong feelings about the proposed light rail for University Avenue, and have weighed in as much as I can. To summarize, I support transit oriented development and the zoning overlay, since I believe strongly in public transit. But, I believe building public transit stations at street level is a bad idea. In Kyoto, a city of 1.5 million, they have been replacing street cars with subways for the past thirty years! I will continue to attend meetings and advocate for doing it right.
Update 3/20/2009: I no longer support "transit oriented development" because its supporters hypocritically seem to be supporting development that they would not live in and transit that they would not ride.

Snelling Avenue Safety:
Public works presented a Snelling-University Capacity study with options for funneling more traffic through Snelling Avenue. I opposed this because no attention seems to have been paid to safety. I would like to see proposals for dealing with the intersections of Snelling Avenue and the two I-94 frontage roads, which have the number one and number two highest accident rates in the State of Minnesota.

HealthEast Parking Lot:
Last year, when HealthEast proposed to bulldoze four houses to add a parking lot, this issue came before the neighborhood council. Jim Marti (president), Glen McClusky (vice president), Theresa Heiland (paid staff) and I attended the meetings at HealthEast with a number of residents from Hershel. The neighborhood was not happy about the houses getting demolished. At least, HealthEast listened to neighbors regarding ugly fences, snow plowing, lighting and security cameras.

Land Use:
New construction and zoning proposals come up routinely at the Land Use Committee meetings. If you have strong feelings about the proposed Walgreens drive-through or the proposed Home Depot, please let me know or attend a Land Use Committee meeting.

There are plenty of ways to get involved if you are interested in impacting these or other neighborhood issues, and desire that our area north of I-94 have more of a voice.