[0:00] Haila Maze: Welcoming you. [0:02] Haila Maze: The meet. By the way, the meeting is being recorded. [0:05] Just for for purposes of making surethat those who are not able to attend [0:09] can view in the future. [0:10] The discussion that happens later in the meeting will not be part of the recording. [0:13] Haila Maze: I am speaking on behalfof myself, Haila Maze. I'm on the consultant team [0:18] and leading on that side, and will be doing much of thepresentation along with the rest of the team here. [0:22] Also acknowledging Nick Fisher,our project manager at Ramsey County, [0:26] and Anna Potter, our lead at the city of St. Paul,who are integral to the leadership of this project. [0:33] Haila Maze: Next slide. [0:35] Haila Maze: So welcome. [0:37] Haila Maze: I am going to turn it over to oneof our fantastic artist team members, Malik Curtis. [0:42] One feature here we'll talk about a little bit lateris artists being part of this process is key because [0:47] of the wonderful insights they bring, and becauseof the authentic connections to community. [0:52] So I'll let Malik speak for himselfin terms of his spoken word piece. [0:56] But take it away for us. [1:00] Malik Curtis: Hi! Good afternoon, everyone.My name is Malik Curtis. [1:05] I’m an artist from the Twin Cities,and you know from St. Paul specifically. [1:12] And you know I'm happy to be here.This piece I got today, [1:18] Malik Curtis: it's been a while since I got in my poetry [1:21] bag, but it's from the heart. [1:24] It's called “A Field of Dreams.”Here it goes. [1:27] Malik Curtis: Like roses, like roses that grow from concrete. [1:31] Rice Street has a Field of Dreams. [1:34] For many kings and queensroam and call home. [1:37] Through hardship and differences, the love has grown. [1:41] Long live Bones! [1:43] Malik Curtis: Rice Street's very own. [1:44] Malik Curtis: When I think of Rice Street.I think of my youth, [1:47] the community that nurtured and guided us [1:50] innocent children throughthings we were oblivious to. [1:53] Martial arts at Washington, where kids with dreams went to school. [1:57] Batting cages where the wind fields [1:59] gave space for us to swing through [2:02] the trauma or things we face. [2:05] Malik Curtis: Mamas and coffee cup fed us, and with each meal we gave thanks. [2:10] Malik Curtis: Rice street has a Field of Dreams. Better yet, dreamers that simply need more resources and places where the creators and community can plan. [2:19] Malik Curtis: Time is always flying each time we blink, so let's water the land, so the roots don't dry out and the garden can expand. [2:28] Malik Curtis: a Field of Dreams or dreamers in Rice Street advance? [2:34] Malik Curtis: Yeah. [2:39] Malik Curtis: Hopefully that was cool. [2:42] Haila Maze: That was fantastic. Thank you. [2:46] Malik Curtis: Yeah. [2:48] Haila Maze: Well. [2:49] Haila Maze: I appreciate that, and I think that you set a high bar in terms of that. Nothing we will follow will be as poetic or as heartfelt. But, please keep in mind, that is the thought here. And certainly when we're working through this, we want to make sure we're really connecting with the people who matter. The people of the community. So. [3:06] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Yes, thank you. Yes, thank you so much, Malik. That was beautiful, and it really speaks to the heart of the project, and thanks for sharing a bit of, of your heart with us as well. [3:17] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So on. A less cool note, talking about meeting considerations, just a reminder to please stay on mute as we go through our presentation, and please use the chat if you have questions throughout. So if something pops up, go ahead and just throw that in the chat, and we will address those at the end of the meeting, and just a catch all reminder to please respect [3:38] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: different ideas and perspectives throughout this meeting, because when we listen to others we can grow, so please remain respectful and open as we continue our discussion. [3:50] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: With that, I'll turn it back over to Haila. [3:53] Haila Maze: Thanks, Nicole. I'm going to talk through some of the overview of this project. Sort of where this project came from, what we're trying to accomplish here. Don't worry. A little bit later we'll get into actually what the project is in terms of the details. But this is to help us all understand what we are trying to accomplish here together. Again, This really is about a project that benefits the people of Rice Street, and I'm grateful that we get to work on a project with Ramsey, County. [4:17] Haila Maze: city of St. Paul, and other partners in the area that are looking at this as not just a bunch of pavement. This is about a place that has to work for the people here. The list of goals here is pretty lengthy, but we are embracing that as the challenge of this project. [4:31] Haila Maze: Making this a safer place to walk around to improved transit that service, the needs of the community, improved safety, make it a safer road for all travelers, [4:41] Haila Maze: thinking about development opportunities along the site of the area. What are vacant sites? What are sites that could use investment? Again, community serving, not for somebody else, for people here, but acknowledging that. Improved bike connections. Actually, bike connections since there's kind of a gap in the network here. A mobility hub - we'll talk about what that means a little bit later. But some improvements for people walking and biking here. [5:05] Haila Maze: A better public rail. Greener, better spaces along the corridor. And certainly a partnership model, which is, as we've already seen, different agencies, different partners, different community members working together for common goals on the corridor. The map here shows basically the extent of this partial Rice Street project from John Ireland at the south [5:26] Haila Maze: all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue west at the northern end of the corridor. As a reconstruction project, this is an opportunity to completely rethink the street because all the pavement out there everything between the buildings is going away, and it'll be replaced. [5:41] Haila Maze: Next slide. [5:45] Haila Maze: This is a project timeline that walks through the steps of where we stand from. From when this project was first initiated last year through when you'll actually see construction out there. So, last fall/winter, some of you may have been involved in our engagement at that point because we talked to the community about what is important. What are the priorities, and the goals you saw on the prior slide were informed by those. [6:06] Haila Maze: We're sitting here now in spring or summer of 20, because it's spring still, of 2025, to talk about potential designs, some options for what this corridor can look like. [6:15] Haila Maze: You can see us again later this fall, when we'll be narrowing it down further to get more of a recommended design, and to start thinking more detailed of what that looks like, filling in some of the details that matter about how this will look and feel, and how people will use the space. By late 2026, we'll have worked through the design to the extent that by spring 2027, we anticipate starting construction. I should say I believe the intent is to complete, start and complete the construction within one season. [6:44] Haila Maze: So that it's not multiple seasons. But there's certainly other construction in the area that we can talk about as well. [6:51] Haila Maze: We are coordinating with a number of other projects around this area. Looking at the different opportunities to make sure that when all these things are happening, they're adding up and providing something that's more than the sum of its parts. We want to make sure that hopefully, in the public perspective, it feels well coordinated, and that things are working the same direction rather than coming in and flying it from different angles. [7:15] Haila Maze: I won't claim that we're an expert on all these projects, but we certainly are talking to the people involved in them pretty regularly. I'll talk very briefly of what each of these means. We can answer again general questions. But again, we're not the subject matter experts on these, that there are other project people involved. [7:30] Haila Maze: The MLK, sorry, can you? Back? I would talk really briefly through each. MLK Junior boulevard and Community Commons. That's the improvement around the Capitol Mall itself. We're working with the Cap board and other partners. How the improvements are being made to the Capital Commons area into the broader area connecting to the area to that district. [7:50] Haila Maze: The Cap Board is an active partner at our table in many of these meetings [7:54] Haila Maze: Metro Transit G line. The corridor which will run down Rice and Robert on New BRT. Bus. Rapid transit facility is on the same timeline as our project, and we have an overlapping team, so that, the stations being designed, and the plans for how that will function are being closely coordinated with the Rice, and also with the Robert Project, which is a different project. [8:15] Haila Maze: The John Ireland Bridge, over I-94, which is a near term project through MnDOT, is also part of the discussion here. You'll hear from Cody later, our lead on the design team, how that is being integrated into the idea around Rice and John Ireland. [8:31] Haila Maze: the Rice Street Reconstruction Project north of here, which you'll see is 4 on the map, Rice being, that portion of Rice is under construction this year, and if you're if you're in that area, you'll see construction zone aspects, some of the same team members. So certainly a continuation of the conversation, and certainly a precedent for what happens here is what that's underway. [8:51] Haila Maze: Capital City Bikeway Phase 3 on the map. You'll see multiple legs because it is a multi-leg process. City of St. Paul lead. You're getting a premium bikeway facility experience being built into the downtown. And we're thrilled that this project will connect the dots. So you'll have a connection, a high-quality connection, all the way up to the northern suburbs at this rate. And probably beyond at some point, right? Nick. [9:15] Haila Maze: Sears site redevelopment and other developments. We literally talked to the Sears site staff [9:20] Haila Maze: earlier today, and we will be talking to them regularly. There certainly is a lot of questions about the timeline of that, but we want to make sure that it again is aligned with the project goals, and that we have a good understanding of how they work well together. [9:34] Haila Maze: And the Wabasha Capital City Bikeway. Again, part of the bikeway network being built out downtown, which we connected with this as well. [9:43] Haila Maze: Next slide. [9:44] Haila Maze: I mentioned earlier the construction timeline. You can see that we will be impacting your corridor for the next few years. Starting with this year, all the way through 2027. With this segment being 2027. [9:56] Haila Maze: This staging is being done very intentionally, the goal. We cannot speak to the specifics of that today. It's too early, except for, of course, the portion already under construction. But we will be mindful that this is a significant impact to the community, and the detour routes and the planning around, that will be done thoughtfully. And it's again another reason to sign up for updates so that the updates will continue past the construction phase, [10:18] Haila Maze: and past the design phase into construction as well. [10:22] Haila Maze: Next slide, turning it back over to Nicole to talk about prior engagement. [10:27] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Yeah, thanks, Haila. So, engagement is a really fundamental part of our process here, as we're connecting with the community because we know that your feedback is going to help shape this beautiful project that we're building, and we really want it to be community informed. So in our prior phase of engagement. We really wanted to get out with the public to discuss [10:49] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: existing conditions data. And that's really a technical way of just saying what is working out there today. And what isn't. So we did a number of different outreach methods to connect with the community during this phase. [11:03] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Getting our project website updated, connecting with a lot of great community stakeholder groups and newsletters. We also did a mailing and did several door hangers to businesses and residences along Rice Street. [11:18] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: We also sent out a number of email and text updates and social media posts. And really, the cornerstone of that engagement was our open house on November 19th, last fall. Actually, that should say 2024. Excuse that typo there. And, we had a good conversation with the community at this event, and heard a lot of great feedback, so I won't go through each comment here in particular. But some of the key themes that we heard [11:46] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: really revolved around traffic and transportation improvement. So, there was a general desire to make crossing safer, make speed slower, and kind of addressing some very pointed things, such as [12:00] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: you know, the Pennsylvania commonal left turn, desire. The intersection of 12th John, Ireland, and Rondo. How that intersection is a little bit cumbersome. Looking at what we can do there. So, heard some great feedback in that regard. We also heard a lot of comments for safety and security enhancements, whether it's adding better lighting, or cameras in the area, and really addressing some of those safety concerns was another priority that we heard from the community. [12:30] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: In addition, cleanliness and maintenance was another desire just to make sure that this portion is cleaned up, trash is picked up and really improving our accessibility in the area. [12:42] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And then, finally, a general call for community and business development. So really wanting to draw in more folks to this area, whether it's restaurants or other places of business or people in general, and really beautifying the space with nice green space or benches, or other amenities that would make this area even more welcoming and inviting for the public to come and stay and gather as a community. [13:12] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And as you heard from Malik here, and we have several other artists on board during this current phase, we do have an artist team that will be connecting with the community through a number of pop-ups this June, more information coming on that later in the presentation. But that will be another great thing that we're doing during this phase to continue to connect with you all so we can learn what matters most to you. [13:42] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And with that I'm going to pass it over to Cody to talk through our different design concepts for Rice Street. [13:50] Cody Christianson: Perfect. Thanks, Nicole. So if you can go to the next. So, [13:54] Cody Christianson: just starting off talking about Rice Street today. So, Haila mentioned, we are looking at Rice Street from [14:02] Cody Christianson: John Ireland Boulevard on the south, and up to Pennsylvania Avenue, on the north end, and in the middle there is University Avenue, and that kind of becomes a critical point along the corridor for a few different reasons. One. The [14:20] Cody Christianson: area kind of transitions from the north to the south, and we have some different right of ways or width of that transportation system. Two, is it's a county roadway to the north, and it's a city street to the south. [14:36] Cody Christianson: But again, here on the left side is Rice Street, north of University. [14:42] Cody Christianson: It's largely a a 4-lane roadway. Some parking available on both sides and some sidewalks. [14:50] Cody Christianson: Pretty urban nature buildings on the right of way. So, in that section you can think of that right of way with as building-face to building-face. [15:00] Cody Christianson: And then, as we go south of University, the right of way does widen out a little bit. It's largely a, a 5-lane roadway. So you have 2 lanes in each direction, plus some left turn lanes. [15:13] Cody Christianson: Sidewalks, and then on the west side is some open space, or the Sears site and on the east side is some parking garages, MnDOT building, state office building. [15:27] Cody Christianson: So those are kind of the two area contexts we're looking at. [15:32] Cody Christianson: If you go to the next slide. [15:34] Cody Christianson: You know the large piece that is carried forward in all of the concepts is [15:41] Cody Christianson: putting in Rice Street as a 3-Lane roadway. So again, north of University, this would be a 4 to 3-Lane conversion, [15:51] Cody Christianson: you know. [15:52] Cody Christianson: Instead of having 2, 2 lanes of traffic going in each direction, they'd have one lane in each direction, with a, a 2-way left turn Lane, or a distinctly one direction or the other left turn lane. [16:07] Cody Christianson: You know some, some benefits to that include some crash reductions especially reducing rear end or left turn crashes. [16:17] Cody Christianson: It does provide fewer lanes that bicycles and pedestrians have to cross, especially when you're at unsignalized intersections. [16:26] Cody Christianson: That does leave more space in the right of way for the inclusion of bicycle facilities. Street parking bus stops. [16:37] Cody Christianson: Other curve extensions or other uses, including greening space. [16:42] Cody Christianson: It also simplifies some of the left turns, especially from side streets. And having those dedicated left turn lanes to get onto the side streets. [16:51] Cody Christianson: And does provide some, some smoother traffic flow as you eliminate the weaving that you get as cars are turning left or turning right, and the cars behind them weave around them, which it leads to a lot of those rear [17:06] Cody Christianson: end crashes. [17:10] Cody Christianson: Go to the next one. So that was the roadway section for the, the bicycles and pedestrians [17:17] Cody Christianson: a couple of different options we're looking at one. [17:24] Cody Christianson: One would be a shared use area behind the curb, outside of the roadway, that's shared by both the bicyclists and the pedestrians. The benefits to that is, it takes up less space, having that one combined facility. That leaves more space for other amenities, such as more greening or tree space or other amenities. The challenges as you increase the number of pedestrians and/or bicyclists, [17:53] Cody Christianson: that can create some issues with [17:57] Cody Christianson: folks knowing where they should be on the path when others are passing. Also, [18:02] Cody Christianson: give some issues for people that have some [18:07] Cody Christianson: low vision or, or are blind disabilities on, on how they navigate that space. [18:13] Cody Christianson: So the other option then, [18:15] Cody Christianson: would be a 2-way cycle track or 2-way bikeway. So again, this is [18:23] Cody Christianson: a bicycle facility that is both separated from the roadway behind the curb, but also separated from the sidewalk through a number of amenities or other installations. [18:37] Cody Christianson: So obviously the, the benefit to that is, you have [18:42] Cody Christianson: clearly dedicated spaces for both the bicyclists and the pedestrians. [18:47] Cody Christianson: In doing that, that does take up more space. So, there are some trade-offs on how that cross section of the roadway and bikeway and sidewalk end up, and what, what can fit into that space, and what may have to fall out to get that separated facility. [19:08] Cody Christianson: So, that brings me to getting into the actual design concepts for Rice Street, and I will add to online, there is a virtual comment tool that has the full [19:23] Cody Christianson: layout, 2-dimensional layout of these concepts that gets into more of the details on how all of the different intersections or driveways, properties look like along the corridor. So, this is the high level. [19:39] Cody Christianson: So, concept one is taking that that two-way bikeway or cycle track and running it along the entire corridor from John Ireland. [19:48] Cody Christianson: up to Pennsylvania. [19:51] Cody Christianson: Critically. This connects into down at the south end. The future [19:58] Cody Christianson: St. Paul. Capital City Bikeway that's coming up Wabasha, Saint Peter, and over on 12th Street, and connecting into this project at that 12th Street/ [20:07] Cody Christianson: /John Ireland/Rice Street intersection. [20:11] Cody Christianson: So, you can see here the 3-Lane roadway to the left or to the west would be that 2-way cycle track [20:19] Cody Christianson: and separate than the sidewalk area. And again, as [20:26] Cody Christianson: right-of-way changes, and if you, this cross section will change a little bit as you go along the corridor. But this is the general thought process there. We also are also looking at [20:40] Cody Christianson: medians, both at Charles Avenue, and then another one south of Fuller Avenue, [20:48] Cody Christianson: and then that does leave some boulevard space for trees and greening. I'll add to that the Median south of Fuller Avenue aligns with the future Metro Transit BRT Gene Line Station there. [21:05] Cody Christianson: And then the,the meeting up at Charles is kind of [21:10] Cody Christianson: bike Boulevard crossing with very few left turns coming in or out of Charles. [21:19] Cody Christianson: So, concept 2, then, would be our shared use path. [21:23] Cody Christianson: So, here's a section North University, and how that would that come together. [21:30] Cody Christianson: Again. 3-Lane roadway, some opportunities for parking [21:35] Cody Christianson: along one side or the other. [21:38] Cody Christianson: Same idea on the Medians at Charles, and full and south of Fuller. [21:44] Cody Christianson: Again, some more opportunities for, for greeting with that consolidated bicycle and pedestrian space on the west side. [21:54] Cody Christianson: and then our 3rd concept is, oop, [21:58] Cody Christianson: is a hybrid of the two. So, [22:00] Cody Christianson: south of University. So, John Ireland Boulevard up to University, would be that 2-way cycle track that you see in the bottom image and then north of University up to Pennsylvania Avenue would be the shared use path. [22:15] Cody Christianson: So, this would connect [22:17] Cody Christianson: the Rice Street cycle track to the city's Capital City Bikeway. It would also connect the [22:25] Cody Christianson: shared use path [22:27] Cody Christianson: north of University up to the shared use path that's being constructed on that separate Rice Street Reconstruction project. [22:36] Cody Christianson: So that's kind of how the two facilities would get blended together. With University Avenue again kind of being that transition point between the two. [22:45] Cody Christianson: The right of way south of University is a little wider, so you can get some of the same amenities with having the same separated cycle track, [22:51] Cody Christianson: while we get a little more constrained North. [22:55] Cody Christianson: So, in this concept, we're able to give space for other things by consolidating the bikes and peds into the shared use path. [23:05] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right. I will lead us through a series of questions now, so we would love to know what you're thinking off the top of your head. I know that, you know we just introduced some of these to you, but we would love to get your feedback on some of these concepts. So, I'm going to launch a poll here that you'll see pop up on your screen. And we're asking you to rate concept one, which is the 2-way cycle track [23:31] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: for some different categories. So how does this concept meet your needs in terms of driving safety and access? You can go ahead and vote on that on a scale of 0 to 5 - 5 being amazing and 0 being not so great, where does that fall for you? [23:49] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: The next would be bicycle safety and access. How well does concept one meet your needs there and then pedestrian safety and access. [23:59] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And finally transit safety and access. [24:03] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So that poll should be up on your screen now, so go ahead and vote and share your thoughts on concept one which once again is the, the 2-way cycle track [24:17] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: as you can see on the screen. [24:21] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: We'll give folks a second here just to fill that out. I know there's a series of questions for them here. So we'll just make sure people have enough time to [24:29] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: share their thoughts. [24:33] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And I will mention that we do have a survey available on the project website with the same questions. So if you're not sure in the moment, or don't want to vote, you could always take that survey online later. [24:51] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Give folks just another couple seconds here [24:58] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: to share their feedback on concept one. [25:04] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right, I'll close this poll. All right. [25:12] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So those results I'm sharing on your screen now. So, in terms of driving safety and access, it looks like concept one is a little bit spread out between 2 to 5, so [25:26] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: not horrible, and some rating it rather favorably. [25:30] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Then, as we get to the bicycle safety and access once again, maybe leaning more towards mid to [25:38] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: good there with our ratings. Pedestrian safety and access, similar ratings, and transit maybe more of the middle, middle ground. [25:50] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So, thanks for sharing your thoughts on concept one. [25:56] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Now we'll go to concept 2 [25:59] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: and do a similar exercise. Let me pull up that poll for everyone. One moment. [26:10] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right, same questions. But now you're considering concept 2. [26:15] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: How well does concept 2 meet your needs in terms of driving safety and access, bicycle safety and access, [26:24] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: pedestrian safety and access, and transit user safety and access. [26:30] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Once again, focusing on concept 2 for this one, which is the shared use path. [26:49] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Give just a little bit more time [26:52] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: for folks to fill in their answers for concept 2. [27:03] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Okay, alright. Couple more seconds here. [27:12] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right, I'll end this one. [27:16] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: I'll flash the results on screen quickly here. So, we're getting [27:22] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: roughly, a 3 is getting the most here with 63%. [27:27] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: For bicycle safety, looks like a poor rating on this one with 1, 1 being the most popular answer. [27:35] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Pedestrian safety, a higher rating at 3, and then transit safety, [27:44] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: a 3 pretty much won out for this one. [27:48] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Great. Thank you for that one and last poll here on the concepts, we'll talk through concept 3. [27:56] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Whoops, which is the hybrid option. So that is both a mixture of the 2-way cycle track on the south end, and then the shared use path on the north end. [28:11] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So same questions here. How well does concept 3 meet your needs. [28:16] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: looking in terms of driving, biking, pedestrian, and transit. [28:24] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So, this is the hybrid option that would include both, both options. [28:31] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: 2-way cycle track to the south, and then the shared use path to the north. [28:45] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right, just a few more seconds here. [28:58] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Last couple of results are trickling in. Don't forget to scroll and complete them all. [29:05] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right. I'll end this one. And once again, if you didn't get to vote. We do have a survey online with these same questions. So, with concept 3, looks like [29:16] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: kind of getting some similar responses with it being a 2 through 5, so good to great, I guess rating for that one. Bicycle safety, it's a little bit lower of a rating, at 2 with half the people voting, voting on a 2 for that one. [29:31] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Pedestrian safety looks like pretty solidly a 3 right in the middle. [29:36] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And then transit looks like more favorable with this option with a 4. [29:44] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right. Thank you so much for your feedback on those, and just sharing a bit of your initial insights on the concepts. [29:52] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: With that I'll turn it over to Haila to talk through some of the key areas along Rice Street. [30:02] Haila Maze: Thanks, Nicole. [30:29] Haila Maze: buy buildings, you know, widen this road, tear things down, make this a wider footprint than it already is Where there might be small adjustments here and there. It's largely using the space that's out there right now is, is the primary goal. [30:43] Haila Maze: This. This segment here calls out to the question that there are two different segments of this corridor, north and south, and there's a 10-foot difference here between the average width north [30:56] Haila Maze: and the average was south. This doesn't sound like a lot, but it does change how we have concepts out there. Do we have, we have more room in the southern end to have space for more generous planting areas, for wider sidewalks, for separated facilities, whereas the northern end it gets tighter, and there's more trade-offs and more decisions we have to make about what actually can fit in that corridor. [31:17] Haila Maze: So just calling that out to realize that you'll see different design concepts for those, and it's very much reflecting how much space we can use with the intention that we're not making the road suddenly wider on the northern side. [31:32] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Yes, so with that said we would like to understand some of your needs you'd like to see along the road. So, if you only had a prioritize 2. So, in the spirit of having a little bit more limited space, if you had to only pick 2 of these features, which would you prioritize? So, the poll should be on your screen. Feel free to select 2 items that you would prioritize [32:00] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: in a tighter space. [32:03] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So, the options are public space, 2-way bikeway, a shared use path, benches and tables, or on street parking. [32:13] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So, if you all had to only pick 2, which would you pick? [32:22] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Seeing the numbers ticking up here. [32:28] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Okay, all right, give it just a few more seconds. [32:39] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right. We'll end this one and share the results. [32:42] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So, it looks like of all these needs, the need for public space was rated the most highly [32:50] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: followed by shared use path. [32:53] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: That's very insightful. Thank you for sharing your feedback on that. [33:05] Haila Maze: Thanks, Nicole. Again, as we were looking at this corridor. if anyone's been there, which I'm guessing, most of you have, you know that there is this area. This corridor has a lot of sub areas that have a very unique character that requires a special treatment. While we have the General Cross section seen earlier that says we're applying that, it's going to vary a lot based on location. [33:27] Haila Maze: The slides are going back and forth. Which one should I go with? [33:30] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Sorry I, I don't know what happened there. We're on the mobility hub. [33:34] Haila Maze: It, it clicked a little bit. [33:36] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Yeah. [33:37] Haila Maze: We will talk about both of those. But I will start with the mobility hub. [33:40] Haila Maze: We have 3 locations along the corner that have special focus areas, where it's going to need additional analysis and additional treatment to make sure that we have the right solutions. And this is including looking at areas outside of the footprint of the project to make sure it makes sense. The slide you're looking at now refers to the first one and one that's of primary concern to us. The Rice and University intersection, if you can picture it, [34:05] Haila Maze: it includes a, the right near the Green Line LRT. Station, there will be a [34:11] Haila Maze: new G-Line BRT. Station near here. League of Cities, Capitol Grounds and Capital Facilities, and the Sear site all kind of converge around this intersection. With the guidance from City plans and from the Cap board plans, there is guidance to make this a special mobility hub area, which means enhanced treatments and enhanced design for a facility that meets multiple mobility needs for people traveling to and from this district. [34:40] Haila Maze: We have a discussion right now ongoing with the partners around the table and with others to talk about what are the most important features in this space. What do people want? What will people use in this area? This is a busy area, and frankly, an area where safety improvements will be key. So, we want to make sure people can walk, [34:58] Haila Maze: bike, ride, transit, and do other activities that are supportive in this district, including [35:05] Haila Maze: accessing the many destinations in the Capitol grounds. The pictures you see on the screen are some of the ideas, not even all of the ideas, of what are being considered for this area, using existing public space, not just within the right of way, but also on adjacent land owned by the State of Minnesota. Some different ideas around here, trees and greenery, greening the area up. [35:27] Haila Maze: Public art. What are opportunities? You see a mural, but it could be other types of art, other types of treatments. Wayfinding, just better signage to point towards downtown, towards the capital, towards other destinations. Ride haring through automobiles or other ways of different traveling through the area. [35:47] Haila Maze: Different places, to sit and and even hang out in this area, Improved pedestrian-friendly lighting, and bike and scooter parking, and other sort of amenities associated with that. These are all just different ideas of how this could be a place that works really well for the community and helps people who are walking, biking, [36:07] Haila Maze: working, going to school, or otherwise traveling through the area. And I think we have a poll, Nicole, right? [36:13] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Yes. [36:13] Haila Maze: About what people would really like to see in the Rice and niversity area. [36:17] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Yes, so in that spirit you have the options here on screen. If you would like to please vote for the top 2 features, you'd like to see from this list, at the Rice and University intersection. [36:34] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So once again those options, trees and greenery, public art, wayfinding [36:39] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: rideshare, tables, chairs, and benches, and improved lighting. [36:52] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Give a few more seconds here as the final results trickle in. [37:00] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: All right. Let's take a look. [37:03] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So as you're seeing here, improved lighting is our top contender here, with 60% of the votes, [37:13] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: followed by trees and greenery. So those are the, the 2 favorite options based on this group. Thanks for sharing. [37:26] Haila Maze: Thanks, Nicole. I'll move on to the next focus area along the corridor, the triangle area. This is where Pennsylvania, Como, and Rice all kind of converge. [37:38] Haila Maze: And I will say, this area also is, we've flagged this in our safety analysis, as an unsafe location. There will definitely be traffic safety improvements in this area, based on just the amount of activities. I think, for anyone who's navigated this, you know, with the angles and with traffic coming from different directions and with a lot of driveways, this is a complicated area. [37:58] Haila Maze: So, goals for this area are thinking about how this fits together, thinking about the arrangement, the streets about the access points, and about other improvements in the area that can make this a safer, better, more livable space, [38:11] Haila Maze: by considering the alignment of streets and public spaces. [38:15] Haila Maze: and thinking about what are different alternative strategies for this area. Reducing the number of driveways is on the table, retrofitting it with new green space, making room for new development, consistent with the City and Cap, board plans, and other intersection improvements to make better access and crossings are all things being considered for this location. [38:43] Haila Maze: I think I'm noticing there's some questions in the chat, but I think we'll, we will probably get to those at the end, right, for now, correct. [38:50] Haila Maze: The final focus area. The Rondo Avenue/John Ireland/Rice intersection, or intersections, depending on how you're counting, is a complicated area. If you can picture this, this is at the southern end of our study area, right next to I-94, where you cross over into downtown. [39:09] Haila Maze: This is again, a place where multiple streets are coming together in a very complicated intersection, and we want to rethink how this works and how this is reconfigured. Cody and team are exploring a lot of different design options for this location. [39:23] Haila Maze: Just to think about how this will be phased, the spacing, the intersection, how bikes and peds will safely navigate this intersection or intersections, [39:31] Haila Maze: and just other improvements that could make this work better and just be a more functional location on the corridor. As mentioned earlier, I think, by Cody, probably and me as well, There are also the projects, Bikeway on 12th, the John Ireland Bridge, and other projects, where we're needing to talk to one another and make sure that everything all adds up. [39:55] Haila Maze: Next slide. [39:57] Haila Maze: And I think we're moving over into next steps, and Nicole. [40:01] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Yes, thanks for that, Haila. [40:03] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So, to summarize kind of our next steps. [40:07] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: We've been talking about this a little bit throughout the meeting, but we do have an online survey available for folks to take to share their feedback on these design concepts, and we'll paste that in the chat now for everyone to access. So, that survey will be open until the end of June, so please do go and take that survey, so we can hear from you on what's working with these concepts or what isn't. [40:32] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And once again that will be open through the 30th. [40:35] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: In addition, we also have our comment map, which lays out in detail each of the different design concepts. So, it isn't just a photo of what it could look like, it's the actual engineering layout, and that was pasted in the chat earlier. So please do click there. You can select which concept you'd like to see, you can zoom, it kind of works like Google [40:57] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: Maps, where you can zoom in/zoom out. You can also place comments. So that will be another great tool for you all to use to share your feedback on these concepts. [41:09] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And then we do have some upcoming opportunities for engagement. So we have 3 different pop-up events scheduled in the month of June. First, starting with our Triangle Park [41:22] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: social hour on June 7th. That’s this Saturday from 1 to 4. That will be at the corner of Rice and Como in that triangle area that we had discussed just a few slides ago. And our artist team, as you can see here, are helping host all these different meetings. [41:40] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: We will also be at the Community Peace Celebration on June 20th. If you would like to come and learn more. And then the Little Mekong Market on June 28th and June 29th. [41:54] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: If you'd like to attend any of those events, it'd be a great way to connect with our artist team, learn a little bit more about the project and do some fun arts-based activities as well. [42:06] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And then, finally, once we've collected all this feedback from the public, we will be analyzing that and sharing with the project team to help make their recommendation for the recommended design. So, that will be coming out sometime this fall, maybe early winter on that recommended concept, and we will be hosting another meeting to share out what we heard and what was decided, and get some feedback on that as well. [42:39] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So please stay up to date on this project. You can bookmark our website and sign up for email updates. That's usually the best way to learn about upcoming events or opportunities to share your feedback, so please do sign up for those updates. [42:54] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: And then, if you do have questions, or would like to talk to someone about this project more, you can contact Nick Fisher, our project manager from Ramsey County. His number is listed here, and then Anna Potter as well, who is from the city of St. Paul, can also help answer your questions on this project. [43:15] nicole.krause@bolton-menk.com: So, with that I'm going to stop our recording so we can begin our group discussion.