Hamline Ave. bike lanes approved to Minnehaha

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By JANE MCCLURE

IOC01_15BikeSignHamline Ave. between University and Minnehaha avenues will be striped for bicycle lanes this fall, the St. Paul City Council decided Aug. 17. A plan to extend the project from Minnehaha to Pierce Butler Rte. was laid over until Sept. 14, to give neighborhood residents and city staff more time to discuss parking issues.

The citywide bicycle plan, which won City Council approval in 2015, calls for Hamline Ave. to have a bicycle lane from the north city limits at Larpenteur Ave. to Montreal Ave. and Edgcumbe Rd. It would connect to area routes including Marshall, Snelling, St. Clair and Jefferson avenues. Advocates contend that there is a great need for a north-south bike route through St. Paul and that Hamline is a great option. Having the Hamline Midway section striped could be the first step toward a larger project.

Some affected Hamline Midway residents and business owners worry about the loss of on-street parking. Part of the route would be near Hamline University, which already generates spillover parking in the neighborhood.

Council President Russ Stark represents the area where the work will be done this fall. He said that with more support for the University to Minnehaha segment, work there can go ahead this fall.

More discussion with community members is needed before the Minnehaha to Pierce Butler Rte. area is striped. One issue to be addressed is parking near the Hamline High Rise, especially staff parking. Another issue is what can be done for homeowners with no alley and no off-street parking.

The re-striping will be done in conjunction with a mill and overlay project from University to Minnehaha said Luke Hanson of the St. Paul Department of Public Works. The city worked with neighbors and Hamline Midway Coalition on the plans, and did a series of parking counts. By Public Works’ estimate, there is plenty of available parking on east-side cross streets to accommodate vehicles.

The street width in the area south of Minnehaha is 40 feet, said Hanson. Plans for Hamline between University and Minnehaha call for two five-foot bike lanes, an eight-foot parking lane on one side of the street, an 11-foot travel lane in each direction and parking bans at all four corners of Charles Ave.

To accommodate the installation of bike lanes, parking would be removed on the east side of Hamline between Sherburne and Minnehaha, except for the northern half of the block between Van Buren and Minnehaha. Parking removal is also proposed for the west side of Hamline between Van Buren and Minnehaha. New time-limited parking, with a one-hour limit, is proposed on the south side of Thomas east of Hamline. That would accommodate businesses.

The street narrows north of Minnehaha, so parking would have to be banned on both sides of Hamline.

Almost two dozen people attended the Aug. 17 public hearing, with equal numbers of project foes and supporters. Some project foes said that the area already has north-south bike lanes on Griggs and Pascal streets and that another north-south route isn’t needed. Others suggested that Albert St. be considered for the connection north of Minnehaha.

Hamline Midway resident and longtime bicycle advocate Benita Warns asked the council to consider the high-rise residents, who are older and in some cases, disabled. She also asked that other routes be considered. “You spent half a million on Griggs,” she said. Warns said more community discussion is needed before the Hamline project goes ahead.

Other project foes said they would lose residential and business parking. Another concern is safety. Ann Finseth, who lives near Hamline and University, said the route isn’t safe.

But supporters, including Hamline Midway Coalition, and past and current leaders of the St. Paul Bicycle Coalition, said the bike lanes are needed. Supporters said the route would provide connections to area universities and k-12 schools, as well as a route to work. One speaker said that more than 50 students ride bicycles to Great River School on Pierce Butler Rte.

Highland resident and bicycle advocate Andy Singer said that while there are other shorter north-south routes, “Hamline is a direct route.” He noted that using the other routes would force cyclists to zig-zag through the neighborhoods.

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