6.3. SR 03-20-2017Request for Action
To Item Number
Mayor and City Council 6.3
Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by
March 20, 2017 Zack Carlton, Planning Manager
Presentations, Awards,
and Recognition
Item Description Reviewed by
Complete Streets Survey Results Cal Portner, City Administrator
Reviewed by
Action Requested
Receive presentation on the complete streets survey.
Background/Discussion
Tam Nguyen, MPCA Green Corps member, will present the results of the complete streets survey from
earlier this year.
Financial Impact
N/A
Attachments
Summary of Survey Findings and Comments
Complete Streets Survey 2017 Results
Are there off-road sidewalks near your home/work or in
walking distance (3 minute walk) from your home/work?
28.70%
Yes
No
71.30%
Figure 1. 157 responses
Are these sidewalks easily accessible (no physical barriers such
as highways or wide roads, busy roadways, crossing streets, no
street lights, construction, etc) by foot?
30.40%
Yes
No
Some
60.70%
8.90%
Figure 2. 112 responses
How often do you utilize sidewalks as a form of transportation?
30.00%
24.10%
25.00%
s
r
e
w
20.00%
s
n
A
f
o
14.30%
15.00%13.40%
s
e
g
a
t
n
8.90%
e
10.00%
c
r
e
P
5.00%
0.00%
NeverOnce a week2-5 times a weekDaily
Answers
Figure 3. 112 responses
Do you prefer having accessible sidewalks near your
home/work (not considering the cost of sidewalks)?
10.20%
13.40%
Yes
No
Maybe
76.40%
Figure 4. 157 Responses
The City of Elk River should have accessible sidewalks in
residential areas that connect to parks, commercial areas
such as downtown, and the schools?
65%
70.00%
s
r
e
60.00%
w
s
n
50.00%
A
f
o
40.00%
s
e
g
a
30.00%
t
n
e
17.80%
c
20.00%
r
e
P
8.30%
10.00%
4.50% 4.50%
0.00%
Strongly234Strongly Agree
Disagree - 1- 5
Answers
Figure 5. 157 responses
Do you own a bike or have access to one?
1.30%
13.40%
Yes
No
Sometimes
85.40%
Figure 6. 157 responses
Are there paved, off-road bike trails near your home/work or in biking
distance (5 minute bike) from your home/work?
43.90%
Yes
No
56.10%
Figure 7. 157 responses
Are these bike trials easily accessible (no physical barriers such as
highways or wide roads, busy roadways, crossing streets, no street
lights, construction, etc) by bike?
25%
Yes
47.70%
No
Some
27.30%
Figure 8. 88 responses
How often do you utilize bike trails as a form
of transportation?
60%
50%
s
50%
r
e
w
s
40%
n
A
31.80%
f
o
s 30%
e
g
a
t
17%
n
20%
e
c
r
e
P
10%
1.10%
0%
NeverOnce a week2-5 times a weekDaily
Answers
Figure 9. 88 responses
Do you prefer having accessible (easy to get to) bike trails near your
home/work (not considering the cost of bike trails)?
21%
Yes
No
11.50%
Maybe
67.50%
Figure 10. 157 responses
The City of Elk River should have accessible bike trails in residential areas
that connect to parks, commercial areas such as downtown, and the
schools?
60.00%
52.20%
s
r
50.00%
e
w
s
n
40.00%
A
f
o
s 30.00%
23.60%
e
g
a
t
15.30%
20.00%
n
e
c
r
6.40%
10.00%
e
2.50%
P
0.00%
Strongly Disagree234Strongly Agree - 5
- 1
Answers
Figure 11. 157 Responses
Are you employed?
1.30%
13.40%
Yes
No
Occasionally
85.40%
Figure 12. 157 responses
Do you commute to work?
18.40%
Yes
No
81.60%
Figure 13. 136 responses
How many miles do you commute?
12
10
s
r
8
e
w
s
n
A
f
6
o
r
e
b
m
u 4
N
2
0
01020304050607080
Number of Miles
Figure 14. 107 responses
Mean =19.31373, Median = 15, Mode = 30
Do you or anyone in your family have difficulty being active on foot?
11.50%
12.70%
Yes
No
Sometimes
75.80%
Figure 15. 157 responses
Which method(s) of transportation do you or your family member(s) utilize most
when traveling outside of your home?
40
35
30
s
r
e
w
25
s
n
A
f
20
o
r
e
b
15
m
u
N
10
5
0
CarBusWalkingSchool busBikeServiceWheelchair
Methods of Transportation
Figure 16. 38 responses
Do you have children?
36.30%
Yes
No
63.70%
Figure 16. 157 responses
How old are your Children?
18
16
14
s
r
e
12
w
s
n
A 10
f
o
r
8
e
b
m
6
u
N
4
2
0
0102030405060
Age of Children
Figure 17. 69 responses
Mean = 9.793651, Median = 10, Mode = 10 (Data from age 0 to 25).
Do you have any children attending primary or secondary school
(e.g. elementary, middle, and high school) in Elk River?
39.40%
Yes
No
60.60%
Figure 18. 99 responses
What method(s) of transportation do your children use to travel to and from
school? (check all that apply)
60.00%
49.50%
50.00%
s
r
e
38.10%
40.00%
w
s
n
A
f
29.90%
o
s 30.00%
e
g
a
t
n
e
c
20.00%
r
e
P
12.40%
10.30%
10.00%
1%
0.00%
School Bus WalkCarBikeNot ApplicableOther
Methods of Transportation
Figure 19. 97 responses
What do you identify as?
1.90%
1.90%
Male
46.50%
Female
Prefer Not To Say
49.70%
Other
Figure 20. 157 responses
How old are you?
80
71
70
s
56
r
60
e
w
s
50
n
A
f
40
o
r
e
30
b
21
m
u
20
N
7
10
2
0
0-10 11-18 19-25 26-40 41-60 61+
Age Groups
Figure 21. 157 responses
What is your Zip Code?
146 (91.8%) out of 157 survey participants responded that 55330 is their zip Code.
1. I push my son in a stroller while walking my dog and would love to have more sidewalks and
safe places to walk along busy roads. We become a little isolated when I can't push my sons
stroller to many places because we would have to be on busy roads with no sidewalk. It's
not worth the risk of being hit so we don't goo or we go back home and drive somewhere
that is close enough where we could have walked.
2. Streets are streets, sidewalks where it makes sense, but unless you're planning on creating a
golf cart community, don't you dare start thinking about taking away driving lanes for bike
lanes. We don't need light rail, we don't need all the planned non-sense the Met Council
would push. Just keep the roads in good condition and we're fine.
3. I live off of Meadowvale Rd on the north side of Lake Orono and that road has no bike or
walking accessibility. Pretty much no shoulder to walk on and you upped the speed on a
road that shouldn't have been. Its scary on that road to be a pedestrian or on your bike. My
kid wanted nothing more than to ride bike to school and we said no way because he'd have
to be on that road to get to the paved path which you have on the other side of the railroad
tracks. Would be nice to have a better trail to that paved one and something better to get to
the paved trail you have on Hwy 10.
4. The frequency of use is for when the bike trails are not snow covered.
5. Completely support biking and walking trails! We have so many awesome parks, and trails, it
would be fantastic to be able to get to them safely without having to drive! Any chance you
can put a bike trail next to the railroad tracks from Big Lake to Ramsey? Think of what that
alone would connect, so many people would be able to access the center of town, trails to
parks and the NorthStar!
6. Please provide a trail/sidewalk connection from the neighborhood behind Coborns to Trout
Brook. You have to walk/bike along Twin Lakes Road or Tyler Street which does not have
a trail/sidewalk between 193rd Ave and Twin Lakes Parkway.
7. We have a short bike path in our neighborhood that is heavily used. It would be nice if it
connected to other bike paths or sidewalks. The streets in our neighborhood are curved and
have hills. Some houses purposefully park cars in the street in what appears to be an attempt
to get people to slow down, this puts bikes and pedestrians farther into the road making it
unsafe.
8. I can get to paved trails but have to go on busy county road to get to them first. also
difficult to navigate downtown due to not legal to be on sidewalk but very dangerous on
street with parked cars etc. you almost have to use the sidewalk to be safe
9. There are paved bike/walking trails that end at the frontage road on Hwy 10 west. Would
be nice if these continued west to at least County Road 15. We have to bike along the
highway on the shoulder of the road to get to these trails. We often ride with smaller
grandchildren, so would be nice to be able to access them at the end of our street!
10. The trails that exist are nice, however there are too many that dead end. For example, the
trail that starts near my house at Twin Lakes Parkway and 188th Ave dead ends in the
middle of the woods. I, and I think others as well, would be much more likely to use these
trails if they could ride somewhere in a more continuous fashion, instead of having to piece
together a ride, with much backtracking.
I would love to be able to get on the trail at Twin Lakes Parkway, and end at main St, and go
across the street for a mountain bike ride at Hillside Park. Right now, its just easier to use the
roads and not the trails that exist.
11. We live close to Lake Orono, and downtown Elk River. Our kids have asked many times
permission to walk or ride bikes with friends to both locations, unfortunately the answer is
always no because it would involve either crossing or riding on the side of highway 10, there
are numerous families with kids in our neighborhood that face the same issue. It would be
so wonderful if there was a safe way for kids/adults to have access to both locations! A huge
safety concern is crossing highway 10 at the Upland intersection, there is only a crosswalk,
but cars constantly run the red light, there should be a footbridge or something to access the
other side other than a crosswalk. That is a very dangerous intersection for pedestrians, but
the only option to have access to Lake Orono or Downtown on bike or foot, it's just a
matter of time before someone is hit and killed trying to cross.
12. We definitely need more sidewalks especially to get to parks
13. Would love to see more effort put into Hillside mountain bike trails.
14. Would like to see actual bike trails for the MRT.
15. although there are bike trails in the neighborhood they do not connect or you must cross a
busy street. also stretches without any sidewalk.
16. All these trails are nice, but how much can the taxpayer afford to pay for all of these . It
takes maintenance/equipment and manpower to maintain. That means $$$$$. Priorities first
like roads/safety etc. Thank you!
17. We cannot afford to add walking and bike trails in a rural community, and the questions
posed are designed to bypass economic realities and therefore are not reliable!
18. Priority should be put on connecting neighborhoods West of Co Rd 1 to Woodlands trail
system and having safe off road trails connecting neighborhoods on East and WEST of 169.
Navigating across 169 and 10 corridors are primary detractors for making this city bike
friendly. Imho.
19.There NEEDS to be a crosswalk across twin lakes Rd connecting trout brook south
neighborhood to the sidewalk on the other side. Especially if spectrum school continues to
operate in that industrial park.
20. Would be nice if crosswalk were better marked. Can't tell you how many times I have has
someone pull right out in front of me when I have walk or bike.
21. I'm a very avid bicyclist throughout Elk River. I bike to commute and for recreation. I have
seen some GREAT improvements lately, all over town. Some critical thinking is needed at
HWY 10 @ Main St. Especially by the railroad tracks. I'm glad my ride to Hillside feels
safer!! Keep up the good work
22. I think what the city did in my neighborhood to go against the majority of residents survey
and add residential sidewalks is inexcusable.
23. sidewalks need smoother,flatter transition from road/crosswalk to other sidewalk
24. It would be super nice to have a sidewalk or cross walk at the four way stop at Main and
Gates- getting from Gates to Main is nearly impossible! It's also hard that only part of Gates
has a sidewalk, coming from the road by the daycare to a walk to the movie theater is
dangerous because there's no sidewalk
25. we have wasted enough money on trails and parks
26. Would like to see trail from holulton consevation area to concord st. It's very close as the
crow flies but a long walk down a busy road to the access.
27. Please build a better bike trail down the river from downtown to the Northstar Station
28. Biking downtown ER is impossible with pavers and no bike lanes. Keep up the bike paths
love it. Bridge from Otsego to DT ER is impossible to bike.
29. The intersection where the back of Cub Foods is and the apartments should either have a
light or a pedestrian walkway. I know there are so many students from Salk that use that and
have to run across do to oncoming traffic. I know I'd like to walk to downtown more, but
get worried myself about that intersection.
30. Would like an easier and safer way to cross Hwy 10 to go easy on Main Street on foot
31. The downtown area is messed up enough, do not put a bike lane in!!!!!!! Also, we need more
attention to the off road bike park as well!!! Non paved single track. Hill side is a great draw
for the area!! The Holten land would be a great place for more paved and non paved trails
32. Would love it if the neighborhood trail connected to the greater trail system, too much
traffic on CR 33 &1 to bike with kids.
33.I think it's important to have good sidewalks around schools and parks. I am not concerned
about the lack of sidewalk in my residential area. I also don't find it extremely important to
connect cities (like Zimmerman) with trails. I do however enjoy a limited trail (like the park
near the country club).
34. We don't need to waste money on bike trails that are maintenance e intensive e and of use to
so few.
35. This city needs a new rink!!!!!!!!
36. I want to see a walking/bike path on the Lake Orono bridge to get to the park without
having to walk along why 10
37. Please don't take away any traffic/parking to build bike lanes. I like bike paths but it is very
irratating when you build a bike path and people still ride on the road
38. It would be great if the city could also improve traffic trying to get from one side of town to
the other. Please put in left and right turn lanes at all major intersections (Proctor & School
Street, Hwy 10 & Proctor, School Street and Jackson), and also add LEFT TURN ON
GREEN to all left turn lanes that are signaled. BIG LAKE allows this, why can't Elk River
also allow them. It takes everyone 15 minutes just to get to the other side of town when you
are not on the highway. As residents, we should not be required to use the highway every
time we get on the road.
39. keep up the good work but keep enhancing our streets and trails
40. The trail on Mississippi Road needs to be connected to the sidewalk to keep pedestrians and
bikes off of the shoulder/road, it is very dangerous!!!!!
41. My road has no shoulder so to get to the one accessible trail in the first place is unsafe if I
choose to bike. That trail also forces me to go out of my way as there is no direct route to
any business district. Another way is on a busy road with tiny shoulders and is too
dangerous. An alternative is to backroad-it on less busy residential streets adding
considerable time to any commute sometimes doubling back depending on where I plan to
go.
42. Would like to see easier access to snowmobile trails through town
43. I ride a bicycle for transportation. Elk River is a difficult place to bike. Many streets do not
have shoulders. 169 is difficult to cross on Main Street because of all the traffic and lack of
space. Bike trails are expensive, but some main ones like the Woodland Trails area are
worthwhile. Just a little room on the streets would help a lot. I recently semi-retired and
used the train for work. I'm glad the bike path to train station was completed, now that I
don't need it. I hated that stretch.
44.I am not employed because I retired in Aug 2015, but am a very active biker. Though we do
not have young children, we have grandchildren that live with us so I answered the school
bus question in the survey. I bike 3-5 times per week from April through September. About
once in 2 weeks I ride to Zimmerman and back along Hwy 1 shoulder (with my eyes glued
constantly to a rear view mirror). I may start biking in the winter as well if I get a Fat Bike.
We've lived here for 22 years and I worked in New Brighton until retirement.
To get to the closest trail, I must cross the RR tracks before getting to the first part of the
bike/walk trail that runs parallel to Meadowvale. It stops about a quarter mile before
reaching Hwy 1. There is not enough shoulder on Meadowvale to safely bike so I usually
cross Meadowvale to the west where the trail ends and then pass through the community
streets to get to the Hwy 1 trail. At Hwy 1, I continue on the trail system that passes by the
golf course. At that point I connect to the Northern Trail system which is a nice system and
well maintained. It would be nice if the paved system continued a little further north. It
would meet up with a cross road about 1/2 mile north of where the paved trail stops. I have
explored nearly all of the side trail loops in this system. Its well done. Our family priorities
would be a bike/walk path (even wider shoulder) on Island View Drive that could connect
to the residential streets through a short path at the end of Island View. It would also be
nice to see the trail alongside Meadowvale continued to Hwy 1, and a trail along the entire
Meadowvale - Upland Ave streets leading to Hwy 10. Doing this would allow residents to
quite easily connect to the streets and sidewalks on the south side of Hwy 10. We've heard
that the new bridge work scheduled for Hwy 10 where it crosses Orono will include a
bike/walking trail. This will be nice.
45. Need to have more connectivity. We have plenty of sidewalks in the development but they
don't connect to too much. Would like to see sidewalk extended on Co Rd 12 at Nixon St
NW to Fillmore St and from Fillmore and Co Rd 12 to 175th Ave. Connectivity to other
developments is very important.
46. Would like to see more safe sidewalk/bike crossing to go east to west/ west to east across
highway 169. Also to be able to go from 169 across Highway 10 from Elk River to Otsego.
47. There is an incomplete section of a walking/biking path parallel to Co. Rd. 30 starting at
Troy St. eastward to Queen St. Can something be done to connect the two dead-end
points?
48. Bicycle riding should not be permitted on pedestrian sidewalks; too many near collisions.
49. Use of atv's and golf carts licensed to get around the city would be helpful.
50. Elk River should consider investing heavily into their trail system to connect the community,
it's neighborhoods, schools, and businesses. A developed trail system will increase the
overall health of Elk River's residents, reduce greenhouse emissions, and spark economic
activity. Additionally, trails are a great way to connect residents to their community adding
to the value of the city.
51. It would be beneficial and greatly rewarding to see a bike trail on the east side of town.
52.More trails the better!
53. love the bike trails and parks near our home. Big part of why we live in Elk River
54. A bike path along side of hwy 10 from Steve's nursery to down town elk river would be
great, also connecting to parks
55. Need more bike trails in Elk River
56. Sidewalks and paved bike trails are great for walking, and some biking, and a good start. But
there is a lot more that could/should be done to make Elk River an easier, safer place to get
around for pedestrians and bicyclists, while not inconveniencing drivers. My focus is
primarily on biking. Studies have shown that on-road bike lanes are often safer than off-
road bike trails. Motorists often aren't expecting to see bicyclists when they need to cross or
enter a roadway from a trail. Also, a public education program would help tremendously out
here, I believe. I bike frequently from March to November and I cannot count the times I
have been exposed to harassing, dangerous behavior from motorists in the Elk River area. I
feel much safer biking in the Twin Cities than I do near home, primarily because there is
better infrastructure to support biking. I think there is also a critical mass of bicyclists so
motorists have learned watch for us and accept that roads are not for cars only. Up here, I
have been honked at, told to "get off the road," or "get on the sidewalk where you belong"
(which is actually illegal in most municipalities). I have had cars swoop over to pass within
inches of me in an intimidating manner. I have had things thrown at me. I have almost
given up on biking around town. Locally, I also often see bicyclists riding in ways that are
not safe or legal (e.g., riding on the wrong side of the road instead of with traffic, not
stopping at stop signs) so a good public education effort would be aimed at everyone,
motorists AND bicyclists so everyone knows their rights and responsibilities. I love seeing
the Elk River police officers out on their bikes! Maybe increasing their presence would help?
It would also be helpful to offer some kind of incentive for businesses to provide bicycle
racks. I try to commute and do as many of my errands as possible on my bike instead of
driving (again, March to November) and a common deterrent is my inability to safely lock
my bike up at my destination. I always try to be respectful and not just lock it up to a railing
or something else the business owner might not appreciate. There are all kinds of interesting
racks available, so a business could find a design that makes an design statement, if they
didn't want just a basic, utilitarian rack. (I think Dero, is a Minneapolis-based manufacturer,
for one). Also, I know cities can earn a "Bicycle Friendly Community" designation through
the League of American Bicyclists (www.bikeleague.org). They have staff who can provide
technical support on what kinds of things need to be in place. I think it would be a
worthwhile goal for the City of Elk River to earn this designation. It would be a great way to
tie in with the city's "Powered by Nature" tagline. What would be better than encouraging
people to power their own transportation by walking and biking? Thanks for doing the
survey and for providing an opportunity for input!
57. Please add a path on Mississippi Road between Denver and Orono Pkwy before someone
gets hit while walking, running or biking.
58.the snow plowing has been terrible this year,we have cars and children and when the circle is
not plowed till the next day is unacceptable,not mention if we ever need emergency vehicles
to respond.
59. There are some trails near my house but they are not continuous. Would need to connect
trails, specifically on Mississippi boulevard.
60. City has done a great job with their trails and parks. Much better than most.
61. It would be great to have more trails/sidewalks that connect neighborhoods to schools as
well as to major parks like Woodlands.
62. Wherever there are sidewalks with curb cuts (indicating a route) the street should be painted
with a ped crossing and have pedestrian alert signage for vehicles - this feature is missing
along 193 at Baldwin and eastward. Would be ideal to have flashing lights that trigger when a
ped is at corner - similar to other neighborhoods in the state.
63. Because of the possibility of encountering a texting driver, I am less and less likely to walk or
ride my bike along the river road and will often drive in to town to do so.
64. There is no shoulder and no sidewalks on our road, which makes it extremely dangerous for
us to walk to connect to the sidewalks or park trails. There is a sidewalk on meadowvale, just
north of the rail road tracks that connects up to proctor. But then there is no crosswalk or
safe way to cross that street to continue on the sidewalk. Horrible planning! We would allow
our children to walk or bike to business off school street if there was a safer connection.
Also, at the end of Island View there is a park path but you can't get far on it, you quickly
end up on a dangerous road with no sidewalk. Bad planning again! We recently moved here
and are very disappointed in the lack of sidewalks. It's unfortunate that we cannot safely bike
to Main Street (Meadowvale doesn't have sidewalks heading south toward highway 10 either)
nor can we bike to the businesses off school street.
65. I am retired. My children have separate families in the Twin Cities, tho they feel the same as
I do about these matters, even if I don't bike myself.
66. I strongly feel we need sidewalks from Proctor back to Ivan Sand and crosswalks. I see kids
walking on Proctor and its scary. Many people cross over during special events etc. When
parking in Athletic complex. We live right there and need to cross Proctor often to go to
parks etc.
Complete Streets Survey 2017 Results
Minnesota Projects: Green Transportation at the City of Elk RiverEV projects with Municipal UtilitiesComplete Streets project with Parks & Rec GreenCorps
more connectivity157 Majority supports having trails and sidewalks and participants.reported to have a 55330 zip code..
Complete Streets 2017 Survey Results
0.00%Daily2-5 times a weekOnce a weekNever30.00%25.00%20.00%15.00%10.00%5.00%13.40%14.30%24.10%8.90%Percentages of AnswersAnswers
Figure 3.
How often do you utilize sidewalks as a form of transportation?
YesMaybeNo76.40%10.20%13.40%
Figure 4.
Do you prefer having accessible sidewalks near your home/work (not considering the cost of sidewalks)?
0.00%Strongly Agree - 5432Strongly Disagree - 170.00%60.00%50.00%40.00%30.00%20.00%10.00%17.80%4.50%8.30%4.50%65%Percentages of AnswersAnswers
Figure 5.
schools?
areas that connect to parks, commercial areas such as downtown, and the The City of Elk River should have accessible sidewalks in residential
0%Daily2-5 times a weekOnce a weekNever60%50%40%30%20%10%31.80%1.10%50%17%Percentages of AnswersAnswers
Figure 9.
How often do you utilize bike trails as a form of transportation?
YesMaybeNo67.50%11.50%21%
Figure 10.
Do you prefer having accessible (easy to get to) bike trails near your home/work (not considering the cost of bike trails)?
0.00%Strongly Agree - 5432Strongly Disagree - 160.00%50.00%40.00%30.00%20.00%10.00%15.30%52.20%23.60%6.40%2.50%Percentages of AnswersAnswers
Figure 11.
schools?
areas that connect to parks, commercial areas such as downtown, and the The City of Elk River should have accessible bike trails in residential
08070605040302010012108642Number of AnswersNumber of Miles
Figure 14. Mean =19.31373, Median = 15, Mode = 30
How many miles do you commute?
0.00%OtherNot ApplicableBikeCar WalkSchool Bus60.00%50.00%40.00%30.00%20.00%10.00%49.50%29.90%12.40%38.10%10.30%1%Percentages of AnswersMethods of Transportation
Figure 19.
What method(s) of transportation do your children use to travel to and
from school? (check all that apply)
0 61+ 41-60 26-40 19-25 11-18 0-10807060504030201056217127Number of AnswersAge Groups
Figure 21.
How old are you?
Focus: Making the Oschool. which encourages students to bike or walk to and from Other valuable benefits include Safe Routes to School, infrastructures.Master This walkable. Plan)
tied & School Street communities more Planin with the approved Parks and Recreation —showing a significant support for trail ld Town (Mississippi Connection bikeableand
Complete Streets Project
Parks and Recreation Master Plan