The Northfield City Council has voted to move forward with the Jefferson Parkway West mill and overlay and Mill Towns Trail improvements Ppoject, while pushing for tweaks to make the design at a major intersection more cyclist-friendly.
Councilor Kathleen Holmes pulled the item from the council’s consent agenda, due to concerns about the mini-roundabout at Jefferson Parkway and Jefferson Road, which would be the first mini-roundabout in Northfield and would incorporate Mill Towns Trail as well.
The project is part of the city’s contribution to the overall Mill Towns Trail project, for which about $8 million in state bonding dollars was secured last year. Once complete, the trail would allow cyclists to travel clear from Red Wing to Mankato along state trails.
In order to give the public an idea of how the mini-roundabout design might work, City Administrator Ben Martig noted that videos of other similar designs in the area, including in New Prague and St. James, have been posted on the city’s project website .
Still, Holmes said the stakes of getting the safety aspect of the project just right are especially high, given that it will be Northfield’s first mini-roundabout. If the design doesn’t provide enough visibility, she said that cyclists would forge their own path on the grass area next to the trail.
“It’s important for us to build it correctly and build it safely,” Holmes said. “I know that everyone on this council and previous councils has been about a commitment to safety for all ages and all abilities.”
Holmes has been far from the only city official to raise concerns about the safety of the intersection design. Members of the Transportation Committee, Planning Commission and the general public have also encouraged the city to consider alternate designs.
Two potential concept designs were shown to the council, with an eye toward maximizing visibility for drivers and encouraging bikers to slow down as they reach the mini-roundabout. City Engineer David Bennett said the city is not committed to either.
“I don’t think we have the exact option identified,” Bennett said. “We (will) develop it, find the option that works best for that corner within the right of way limits to try to soften that curve and balance the safety and approach of that intersection.”
Under both plans, rectangular rapid flashing beacons are added to the south and east sides of the intersection. However, option 1 is focused on creating a “longer runway” for bicyclists to see the crossing, while option 2 focuses on increasing the width of the trail next to the intersection.
Mayor Rhonda Pownell said that evaluating the safety and appropriateness of an intersection design can be tricky from a concept plan. She said any final design should have plenty of room to ensure proper visibility for multiple bicycles of varying sizes.
“For myself, I don’t know what is truly necessary here,” Pownell said. “Ensuring there’s adequate space not only for turning radius but for multiple people to be in the space at the same time is really important.”
Despite uncertainty surrounding the final design, Bennett said the topic was originally added to the consent agenda, because staff was confident it could find the solution and wanted to get out for bids soon, so as to be well positioned for work to start in the summer.
Holmes expressed confidence that the intersection could be modified without significantly delaying the bidding and construction process, just as the other construction project reviewed and approved by the council at its meeting, the College Street and Water Street area reconstruction, was “tweaked” to address resident concerns.
In his presentation, Project Engineer Jason Malecha discussed various modifications made to the College/Water reconstruction project, which largely sought to protect existing trees in the area with meandering sidewalks and varying boulevard widths.
Designs were also tweaked to ensure that residents were able to maintain adequate driveway length, even with the addition of sidewalks and bike paths. Along one small stretch of Fremont Street S., parking was eliminated to accommodate two already short driveways.
Councilor Jessica Peterson White raised concerns from a constituent who was unsure of how a stretch of bike lane included in the project would enter Riverside Lions Park and how this particular addition would dovetail with future riverfront improvements.
Bennett explained that the design would include a dual-purpose access to Riverside/Lions Park on the west end of Eighth Street, enabling those parked on the street and bikers to enter the park, where in the future they could connect with the Mill Towns Trail.
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