Roads Archives

Seeking Comments on Proposed 2022 Transportation Projects

Posted on Feb 15, 2018Jun 4, 2018 by Rondi Watson

We’re working to line up funding for Duluth-Area projects four years from now

Federally-funded transportation projects can be big, expensive, and time-sensitive — which means they need to be planned in advance. In fact, we’ve received applications for Duluth-area projects to be funded in 2022.

The following projects have been proposed by eligible Duluth-area jurisdictions for construction in the year 2022. They will be submitted for review and approval by the MIC Policy Board and the Northeast MN Area Transportation Partnership for inclusion in the Draft 2019-2022 TIP, and we are seeking public input or comment by March 20:

MIC-Area Project Submittals (FHWA Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds)

The three proposed projects will be coordinated between two jurisdictions (St. Louis County and the City of Duluth) to achieve cost savings and reduce construction impacts:

Project: Snively Road – Roadway and Intersection Improvements
Description: Mill and overlay of Snively Rd. between Woodland Ave. and Glenwood St. and construction of a roundabout at Snively Rd./Glenwood St. Intersection
Jurisdiction: St. Louis County and City of Duluth (joint project)
Project Cost: $1,800,000 ($1,290,000 federal, $510,000 state)

Project: Woodland Ave – Roadway and Intersection Improvements
Description: Mill and overlay of Woodland Ave. between Arrowhead Rd. and Anoka St. and replacement signals at the intersections of Woodland Ave./Snively Rd. and Woodland Ave./Arrowhead Rd.
Jurisdiction: St. Louis County and City of Duluth (joint project)
Project Cost: $1,500,000 ($800,000 federal, $606,250 state, $93,750 local)

Project: Arrowhead Rd Preservation
Description: Mill and overlay of Arrowhead Rd. between Woodland Ave. and Dodge St.; ADA upgrades & spot repair to curb, gutter, and sidewalks.
Jurisdiction: City of Duluth
Project Cost: $ 737,500 ($ 590,000 federal, $ 147,500 state)

Total FHWA Funds: $2,680,000 / Total Cost: $3,581,250

MnDOT Project Submittals (FHWA Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds)

Project: Thompson Hill Reconstruction
Description: Reconstruction of north and south bound lanes on I-35 from the bridge over DMIR Railway to the north end of bridge 69879 over Trunk Highway 23
Jurisdiction: MnDOT
Project Cost: $13,000,000 ($11,700,000 federal, $1,300,000 state)

View project location

Project: Trunk Hwy 194 Mill & Overlay
Description: Medium mill and overlay of TH 194 from the intersection of TH 2 to the west junction of TH 53
Jurisdiction: MnDOT
Project Cost: $4,543,099 ($3,634,479 federal, $ 908,620 state funds)

Total FHWA Funds: $15,334,479 / Total Cost: $17,543,099

Duluth Transit Authority Project Submittals (FTA Section 5307 transit funds)

Project: Duluth Operating Assistance – Regular Route
Project Cost: $21,000,000

Project: STRIDE Operations
Project Cost: $1,450,000

Project: Operating and Preventive Maintenance
Project Cost: $1,000,000

Project: Bus Support Equipment/Facility Rehabilitation
Project Cost: $ 150,000

Project: Technology Updates
Project Cost: $ 100,000

Project: Bus Stop/Stations/Terminal Updates
Project Cost: $ 75,000

Total FTA Funds / Total Cost: $23,775,000

We want to know what you think!

Do these projects meet our area’s transportation needs, and make good use of our limited federal, state and local funds? Do you have any other comments or questions?

Call Chris Belden at (218) 529-7502

OR – Send Chris an email

OR- Stop in and talk in person at the ARDC/MIC office in downtown Duluth at 221 West First Street (skywalk level)

Last Call for Comments on 2019 Transportation Projects

Posted on Jul 7, 2015Dec 20, 2017 by Rondi Watson

Almost $10 million of federal funding is being programmed for Duluth area transportation projects in 2019, and you have the opportunity to review and comment.

2019ProjectApps-ImageStrip550px

The programmed projects include:

Bridge preservation on the Blatnik bridge and the Mesaba Avenue bridge over Superior Street in downtown Duluth;
Mill and overlay of Highway 39 in Gary/New Duluth;
Resurfacing of Maple Grove Road (from Midway Road to Westberg Road) in Hermantown;
Pavement reclamation and storm sewer repairs on E 8^th St/E 9^th St in Duluth’s East hillside; and
Duluth Transit Authority operations (approx. $2 million in FTA funding programmed for continued public transit operations.

Additional project details are described in a post from March 5th, when they were first proposed. As noted in that post, because federal funding is public money, the public has the right for their comments to be recorded and reported on these projects.

The MIC will be taking official public comment on all projects included in the 2016-2019 Duluth Area TIP – from July 12 to August 13^th.

You may leave your comments in the section at the end of this blog post, and you are welcome to stop by the ARDC offices and speak with MIC staff directly during a couple of “Open House” days from 9am to 5pm on Thursday, August 12^th and Friday, August 13^th.

Look the projects over – do you have anything to say about them?<br></br>

How federal transportation dollars will be spent in Duluth…4 years from now

Posted on Mar 5, 2015Dec 20, 2017 by Rondi Watson

Although it fluctuates from year to year, about $8 million – on average– of federal transportation assistance comes in to the Duluth area. Of that amount, approximately $6 million is allocated for MnDOT projects, and $2 million goes to county and city projects.

Each year several new transportation improvement projects are proposed by these jurisdictions, for four years in advance. This allows the time needed to do the planning and engineering work before they can be implemented.

This year, five projects are being proposed to utilize the $8 million in federal funding estimated to be available in year 2019. These projects and their estimated costs are listed below.

Because federal funding is public money, the public has the right for their comments to be recorded and reported on these projects. Look the projects over – do you have anything to say about them?

E 8th Street/E 9th Street – Pavement Preservation
A mill and overlay of the existing pavement on the 1.6 miles of E 8th Street/E 9th Street between 6th Avenue E and Woodland Avenue. Repairs to storm water, curb and gutter, and sidewalk will also be part of this project.
Jurisdiction: City of Duluth
Project Cost: $1,300,000 ($860,000 federal funds; $440,000 local funds)

Maple Grove Road – Pavement Preservation
A mill and overlay of 3.5 miles of Maple Grove Road from Midway Road to Westberg Road. The project will include intersection improvements at Midway Road and at LaVaque Road.
Jurisdiction: St. Louis County
Project Cost: $2,000,000 ($1,600,000 federal funds; $400,000 local funds)

McCuen Street (State Highway 39) – Pavement Preservation
Resurfacing of 1 mile of highway from State Highway 23 to the Oliver Bridge.
Jurisdiction: MnDOT District 1
Project Cost: $900,000 ($720,000 federal funds; $180,000 state funds)

Mesaba Ave, Bridge # 6544 – Bridge Repainting (Preservation)
Repainting of the understructure of the bridge over Superior Street in Downtown Duluth.
Jurisdiction: MnDOT District 1
Project Cost: $1,500,000 ($1,200,000 federal funds; $300,000 state funds)

Blatnik Bridge – Bridge Repainting (Preservation)
Repainting the superstructure of the I-535 bridge over St. Louis Bay. This project includes a cost-share with WisDOT.
Jurisdiction: MnDOT District 1
Project Cost: $8,260,000 ($3,717,000 federal funds; $413,000 MnDOT funds; $4,130,000 WisDOT funds)

You may have noticed that what these projects have in common is preservation of existing roads and bridges. This is a trend that will continue as transportation funding becomes more scarce. In our area (and throughout the state) we will be seeing very little new construction in the coming years.

More information about the Duluth Area TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) and the projects being proposed for 2019 can be found on the MIC’s website at www.dsmic.org.

Meanwhile, if you have any opinions about these proposed projects, we welcome your comments.

What will our Transportation System Look Like in 2040?

Posted on Sep 1, 2014Dec 20, 2017 by Rondi Watson

Updating the 25-year Vision for Transportation in the Twin Ports

You are invited to attend one of the four public meetings on Connections 2040 – the Twin Ports Long Range Transportation Plan.

The Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council (MIC) is updating its Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) to provide policy guidance, goals and strategies for jurisdictions within the greater metropolitan area of Duluth, Minnesota and Superior, Wisconsin. It covers a twenty-five year planning horizon and is updated every four years.

The over-arching purpose of the LRTP is to provide a planning foundation for jurisdictions to work cooperatively to provide a well-maintained, integrated, accessible and multi-modal transportation system to safely and efficiently move people and freight for the next 25 years, within the constraints of funding the region can reasonably expect to receive.

The heart of the Plan is a listing of proposed federally-funded transportation projects, as well as transportation initiatives underway within the region, to be implemented from 2015-2040. You can view an interactive map of the projects here.

To learn more about demographic trends for this area, projections, transportation priorities and planned projects, you have three opportunities for input:

1. Attend a Public Meeting

Thurs. Sept 11, 2014
5:00-7:00pm
Community Action Duluth, 2424 W 5th Street, Duluth, MN 55806

Thurs. Sept 18, 2014
4:00-6:00pm
Superior Public Library, 1530 Tower Avenue, Superior, WI 54880

Thurs. Sept 25, 2014
4:00-6:00pm
Arrowhead Regional Development Commission (ARDC)
221 W First Street, Duluth, MN 55802

Mon. Sept 29, 2014
4:00-7:00pm (drop-in)
214 West Superior Street
221 W First Street, Duluth, MN 55802

2. Visit our Connections 2040 web page at www.dsmic.org/lrtp for more information about the plan and to view the interactive map of proposed projects. You can use the “layers” tab in the upper right corner to toggle on and off views of information about environmentally sensitive areas, low-income and minority populations, etc.

3. Contact MIC Senior Planner James Gittemeier by phone at (218) 529-7556 or by email at jgittemeier@ardc.org.

New Federally Funded Projects for 2018

Posted on Jun 28, 2014Dec 20, 2017 by Rondi Watson

An average of $86 million in federal transportation dollars is spent on transportation projects throughout the northeast region of Minnesota.

How that money is allocated

These funds are allocated according to a federal formula and managed by the state. Most of this money (about $78 million) goes to MnDOT and is used to maintain the freeways, state highways and bridges in the region. Approximately $5 million goes towards county highways, local streets, and transit in the,the MIC area. A small allocation is also made for non-roadway projects, such as paved trails, through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP).

Separate processes are conducted for the Duluth metro and the rest of the Arrowhead region. The MIC administers the urban-area share of the funds and the Northeast Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership (NE MN ATP) is responsible for administering the rest.

Both the MIC and the NE MN ATP solicit, evaluate and select the specific roadway, transit and trail projects that will utilize the funds in those areas. These processes have been underway since the start of the year.

Programming those funds in the TIP

As the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for this area, we are now finalizing the roster of all transportation projects slated to receive federal funding in the MIC area for the next four years.

This list is called the “TIP” (Transportation Improvement Program) and it must include all federally-funded transportation projects in the Duluth metro for the coming four years. As projects in the current year get built, we add new ones to the outer year. This time around, the outer year is 2018.

MIC Projects

It is our job to work with local communities to determine how our (increasingly scarce share of) federal transportation dollars are spent.

In a selection process that began in January, we solicited applications from local jurisdictions. These potential projects were then published for public comment, evaluated and prioritized by the MIC’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and recommended by the MIC Policy Board, submitted for consideration to the NE MN ATP, and, in June, approved for inclusion in the draft version of the Duluth Area TIP 2015-2018.

The following Duluth-area projects are being proposed for 2018 funding by the MIC:

Decker Road Preservation

Resurfacing of Decker Road from Piedmont Avenue to Mall Drive. Repairs to storm water, curb and gutter and sidewalk systems. ADA improvements and bike lanes/shoulders.

Jurisdiction: City of Duluth

Project Cost: $1,412,500

Federal funds: $ 900,000

Local funds: $ 512,500

Highway Ramp Reconstruction

Reconstruct US Hwy 2 / I-35 southbound freeway ramps

Jurisdiction: MnDOT

Project Cost: $495,670

Federal funds: $383,720

State funds: $ 95,930

Regular Route Bus Purchase

Purchase of three regular route vehicles to maintain existing fleet to safety, comfort, and efficiency standards.

Jurisdiction: Duluth Transit Authority

Bus Purchase Cost: $ 435,000

Federal funds: $ 250,000

Local funds $ 185,000

TAP Projects

In addition, the following Transportation Alternatives Program projects within the MIC have been forwarded for inclusion in the 2017 TIP projects list by the NE MN ATP:

Construct 2 miles of sidewalk along Rice Lake Road

From Central Entrance to Arrowhead Road

Jurisdiction: St. Louis County

Project Cost: $400,000

Federal funds: $320,000

Local funds: $ 80,000

Construct paved Lakewalk connection

Construct shared use path (Lakewalk) along Water St between 20th Ave East and 23rd Ave East

Jurisdiction: City of Duluth

Project Cost: $231,809

Federal funds: $185,447

Local funds: $ 46,362

We want to know what you think!

Transportation projects are public facilities and services funded with taxpayer dollars. Do you have any opinions about the importance of these proposed projects to our area?

Since they have been chosen for funding in 2018, is there anything you have to say about these specific projects?

Read the draft document

You can learn more details about these projects, as well as those lined up for years 2015, 2016 and 2017 from the draft TIP document, which is open for public comment from now until July 31.

Talk to us in person

Contact Senior Planner Robert Herling by phone at (218) 529-7573 or by email (INSERT EMAIL LINK), or…

Attend an Open House

You are invited to stop by in person to talk with us:

Wed, July 2, 7:00am – 1:00pm

Holiday Center (2^nd floor skywalk level), 207 West Superior Street in downtown Duluth

Thurs, July 10, 8:00am – 5:00pm

MIC Office, 2^nd floor skywalk level of the ARDC building, 221 W. First Street, Duluth.

Leave a comment at the end of this post

As we let you know on OpenMIC every year…there are three ways to have your say.

Public comments are being taken through Thursday, July 31, 2014.

Lincoln Park Multimodal Study (2016)-2

Posted on Apr 21, 2013Jan 17, 2019 by Rondi Watson

This plan identifies issues and makes recommendations to improve safety and connectivity for all modes of transportation in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Duluth, Minnesota.

Complete document (75 MB)

Executive Summary (95 kb)

Document is presented here in sections (to reduce PDF size):

Part 1 (10 MB / 22 pp)
Summary / Table of Contents /
Introduction / Stakeholder Involvement

Part 2 (19 MB / 38 pp)
Land Uses / Demographics /
Growth Scenarios / Road Network

Part 3 (22 MB / 27 pp)
Freight Network / Transit System

Part 4 / (10 MB / 32 pp)
Active Transportation–Bicyclists and Pedestrians /
Multimodal Integration / Safety

Part 5 (18 MB / 29 pp)
Recommendations and Appendix

The New Normal?

Posted on Mar 29, 2013Dec 20, 2017 by Rondi Watson

As the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for this area, it’s our job to work with local jurisdictions to identify, plan for and program how federal transportation funds get used in the region. We’re already working to line up funding for construction projects that won’t begin until 2017.

Those funds, not surprisingly, have become a lot more scarce.

Last year, as part of developing the TIP, (Transportation Improvement Program), a document that allows Duluth Area communities to use federal transportation dollars, we were talking about divvying up about $7.5 million in federal highway transportation funds for local roadway projects throughout Northeast Minnesota.

This year, the funding allocation for the same area is about $5 million. Of that amount, $2.1 will go for projects to improve roads and transit services throughout Duluth, Hermantown and Proctor.

Spending to Meet Performance Goals

So, working within the “new normal” of funding restraints, it’s more important than ever to decide on projects that will fix critical maintenance needs. (Not to mention, new construction is pretty much off the table). These federal dollars do have strings attached: they need to be spent on projects that will meet performance goals, i.e., to improve safety and traffic flow, in measurable ways.

Every year, jurisdictions in the Duluth metro (the Cities of Duluth and Hermantown as well as St. Louis County) tell us which projects they’d like to use federal funds for and we work with our Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Policy Board to decide which ones are the most important.

We Want to Hear from You

Transportation projects are public facilities and services funded with taxpayer dollars, and therefore local citizens have a right to weigh in on such decisions, along with the planners, engineers and elected officials.

This year, the following transportation projects are being proposed by the City of Duluth, St. Louis County and the Duluth Transit Authority for our area:

Mesaba Ave Repairs – Concrete and joint repairs from Central Entrance to I-35 and repairs to bridges over Superior Street and 2nd Ave West
East 4th Street Repairs – Mill & overlay, safety improvements and ADA improvements (pedestrian ramps) from 6th Avenue East to Wallace Avenue
DTA STRIDE Buses – Purchase of three STRIDE replacement buses to maintain existing fleet to safety, comfort, and efficiency standards

Do you have any opinions

…about the importance of these proposed projects to our area?

Talk to Us – Online, In Person or by Phone:

Make a comment, below, or
Stop by our office at 221 West First Street, ARDC entrance on the Skywalk level, or
Call me with questions or comments–Robert Herling at (218) 529-7573.

Although it’s only March 2013, NOW is the time to give us your input on these proposed projects before funding decisions are made for 2017.

You have three ways to let us know.

Central Entrance Survey Results Are In:

Posted on Jan 13, 2012Dec 20, 2017 by Mike Wenholz

Let’s Make Life a Whole Lot Easier for This Guy

The City of Duluth has an interesting long-term vision for Central Entrance. They, along with area residents and businesses, see it as having the potential to be an inviting and attractive destination within the City. They would like it to function as the “main street” of the Duluth Heights neighborhood and become more walkable with better access to area businesses.

Which is almost hard to imagine, if you agree with the many other residents who currently regard Central Entrance as basically unpleasant—as a road to be tolerated while running errands or going to work, if not outright avoided.

And there’s a reason for this. Central Entrance is classified as a principal arterial roadway, meant to efficiently move high volumes of traffic between urban areas. Although a vital cog in Duluth’s transportation system, Central Entrance is simply not conducive to modes of travel besides driving—to people walking or biking, as you would expect along a true “main street.”

The Transportation Experience

Our Central Entrance Corridor Study, currently underway, aims to identify ways to improve the transportation experience for everyone, drivers and non-drivers alike, who travels along that roadway.

Specifically, we are examining the transportation network in this area and identifying changes that will make the corridor more compatible with the vision for the future land use. The ultimate objective is to maintain traffic mobility and flow, while improving safety and that sense of livability that a “town center” or “main street” implies.

As part of our planning process, some of the data we’ve collected so far includes information about the roadway such as sidewalk locations, bike routes, transit routes and stops, driveway access points, traffic counts, traffic control locations and types, and crash information.

Traveler Survey – Baseline Attitudes

We also conducted a survey to assess people’s attitudes toward traveling on Central Entrance. Postcards were mailed to 3000 residents and businesses in the area, inviting them to go the MIC website and take an online survey and more than 100 people responded.

We asked them to rate the following characteristics— traffic congestion, passing other vehicles, pedestrian safety, speeding traffic, making turns and accessing local businesses— on a scale of very bad, bad, acceptable, good and very good.

Here’s what we learned.

How do you travel along Central Entrance?

An overwhelming number (95%) travel the corridor by car and over 90% make at least two trips through the corridor per week. Over 55% make at least six trips per week and 28 % make 10 or more trips per week.

What are your destinations on Central Entrance?

Many people traveling through the corridor have multiple purposes for their trip. Access to shopping and services was the top weekday trip purpose chosen by 85% of respondents. Work and social activities were destinations identified by just over half of the respondents.

Travel times during the week were heavily weighted toward morning (6-9am) and afternoon (4-6pm) peak travel times for work destinations and toward evening times (4-10pm) for those heading to social activities. Weekday shopping travel was evenly spread throughout the day.

Weekend users of the corridor indicate that shopping, social activities and recreation were the primary destinations. Travel times on the weekend were mostly during the daytime hours of 9am – 6pm.

Do you ever avoid traveling on Central Entrance ?

80% of respondents replied that they did. When asked why, almost 90% listed congestion as the primary reason and 72% had concerns with excessive travel time.

Biggest Issues?

Pedestrian safety was rated the lowest—between “Very Bad” and “Bad”. Traffic congestion, speeding traffic and making turns were three other areas that ranked low.

Overall rating of Central Entrance?

Almost 65% chose “bad” or “very bad.” Only 6% chose good or very good and almost 30% chose acceptable.

It’s fair to say that those surveyed do not view Central Entrance in a favorable light.

So our job—finding ways and making recommendations to make pedestrians (like the fellow in the picture, above!), bicyclists and transit users, as well as drivers, feel more comfortable along that corridor.

Are these survey results consistent with your view of that roadway? Do you share the City’s future vision for the corridor as a neighborhood center—not place to be avoided but an attractive destination?

Transportation Funding: From Neutral Ground to Battleground

Posted on Dec 16, 2011Dec 20, 2017 by Ron Chicka, AICP

As I discussed in an earlier post, there’s a growing local and national backlog of critical transportation infrastructure projects—with no funding in sight.

Consensus Actually Exists

You might be interested to know that all branches of the federal government, from both sides of the isle, agree that we are not investing properly now for the transportation needs of the future.

To put this in perspective, the U.S. is spending approximately 4 to 5 times less on infrastructure than other countries are, including developing nations like China and India.

Since our interstate highway system was built in the 1960s, government expenditures on infrastructure have fallen to just 2.4 percent of GDP. In contrast Europe invests 5 percent of its GDP on infrastructure and China 9 percent.

As a result, the United States Is now ranked twenty-third overall for infrastructure quality, between Spain and Chile.

Political Will Does Not

Not so long ago, spending tax dollars on infrastructure was not nearly so political and divisive as it is today. Roads, bridges and railways used to be neutral ground on which the parties could come together to support the country’s growth. In 1991, the federal transportation bill (the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, termed ISTEA for short), passed both branches of Congress by nearly a 5 to 1 margin.

Fast forward twenty years.

Today’s gridlock in Washington has resulted in years of legislative limbo. Transportation funding has been limping along under a series of short-term extensions and appropriations because Congress can’t agree on what should be included in the new transportation bill—and hasn’t figured out how to pay for them either.

The consequences of this inaction are severe. Crumbling bridges and roadways and increased congestion will not only be expensive problems to solve in the future, but will also have a cost in the increased amount of time we spend on substandard roads.

Our nation’s economic future relies on its ability to deliver goods and services, a task that is increasingly more difficult as our highway system falls into disrepair. Without action, our nation’s economic competitiveness will diminish.

While the urgency of the problem is plain to all – the political will to fix it isn’t there.

It Will Get Personal

And the hard part is, it’s not just our politicians who will need to make some attitude adjustments. All of us, as users of the transportation network, will need to be willing to make a shift in how we think about paying our way.

Mileage-based fees, not motor fuel taxes, are the fairest way to assess the costs and benefits to the users of the system. BUT…

Solutions Exist

There are many options, ideas and technologies available to us to pay for the transportation system we need, now and into the future.

But they will take some getting used to. I’ll talk about them in my next blog post. Stay tuned.

Pothole photo credit: David Erickson

I-35 photo credit: Marion Doss

Roads, Trails, or Both?

Posted on Jun 23, 2011Dec 20, 2017 by James Gittemeier, BPAC Vice-Chair

Priorities for Duluth’s Transportation System

As discussed in our previous blog, approximately $45 million in federal funds are being programmed for Duluth area transportation projects for 2012-2015.

The draft Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) spells out costs and timeframes for a total of 36 high-priority projects over four years and is now open for public comment.

Balancing the needs of all users

It seems we easily divide ourselves into those who drive versus those who ride the bus versus those who bike and so forth….an “us versus them” scenario.

Well, in reality the transportation system—and the public spaces they are a part of—are used by people in a much more complex way. You might drive to your job or to shop, but there will always be some amount of walking involved, from car to final destination and back again. You might use the sidewalks for walking from place to place, but also for stopping to talk to your neighbor in a common space. You might ride your bike down the big hill but put it on a DTA bus for the trip back up.

Looking through this lens, from the perspective of the users of the transportation system, you can see how this TIP has a major focus on how to really connect people in the safest and most efficient way possible.

Continuing to fix the highways

Preservation work on the two major bridges is needed to refurbish the Blatnik (I-535) in 2012 and the Bong (US Highway 2) in 2014. These TIP projects not only have the highest price tags and but also will receive the most attention—yes, just when the I-35 reconstruction “megaproject” is finished, there will be several more years of high-profile road construction projects, on the bridges this time!

Improvements for those who walk, bike, or take the bus

While the highway projects are devoted solely to cars and trucks, funding is also included to provide a safe alternative to driving. A paved pedestrian and bicycle pathway, running parallel to I-35, will connect the whole city from west to east. The Munger Trail will eventually extend all the way to the Lakewalk by constructing short segments of a new Cross-City Trail each year. The popular Duluth Lakewalk will in turn be extended from 60th Avenue East to Highway 61, and then out to Brighton Beach up the north shore.

Funding for the Duluth Transit Authority will purchase new buses and provide operating support for both its regular route and STRIDE bus service.

And thanks to recent Complete Streets efforts in Duluth, local street projects will take into account how the roads are being used by people every day and will be designed accordingly.

The projects funded in the draft 2012-2015 Duluth area TIP balance the need to move vehicles efficiently with the needs of all people who use these public spaces, including those who utilize public transportation, those who traverse the roads by bicycle and those who are on foot.

Which makes sense to us – what do you think?

Detour Ahead: Find Out Exactly Which Streets You’ll Have to Avoid This Construction Season

Posted on Apr 29, 2011Dec 20, 2017 by Ricky Sarran

Congratulations, you have survived another winter in Duluth-Superior!

Coming soon…the construction season.

Work has already resumed on the I-35 Mega Project, but many other city, county, and state projects are scheduled for the Duluth-Superior area this year, including:

Midway Road (U.S. Hwy 2 – MN HWY 194)
West Skyline Parkway around Enger Park
21^st Avenue East;
Arrowhead Road from Kenwood to Rice Lake Road
Martin Road from Howard Gnesen Road to Rice Lake Road
U.S. Hwy 2/Belknap Street from Hill Avenue to East 2^nd Street

Click on the “plus” sign on the map, below, to zoom in and then click on the traffic cones for details about specific projects:

View Larger Map

Give it a try and tell us what you think.

Guiding the Future of Transportation and Planning – With Your Input

Posted on Apr 8, 2011Dec 20, 2017 by Rondi Watson

We need your input to help us accomplish our mission: ”Guiding the Future of Transportation for the Twin Ports Area.” Our job is to think ahead and plan for ways that federally-funded infrastructure investments can improve the ways we travel around this area — not just on roads, but also on foot, by bike, and on the bus.

Part of what we do is to seek out and incorporate ideas and information from area residents, elected officials, planners and engineers from all local jurisdictions (city, county, state and township). With your input we can encourage good local policy decisions and put forward projects for federal transportation funding that will enhance livability and optimize the movement of people and goods within the Duluth and Superior metropolitan area.

That’s where this blog comes in. We’re looking forward to speaking with you about everything transportation-related going on in the Twin Ports. If you want to be alerted when we start posting content later this month, just drop your e-mail into the slot on the right that says “Want This Blog Via Email?”

And we’re already talking with you on Facebook. To join us there, just click on the link here.http://www.facebook.com/dsmic

Bye for now. Hope you’ll stay tuned and become part of the conversation.