76th Street

At the November 28th meeting, in addition to showing bike path placement they also showed sidewalk placement. In a city of empty nesters that strongly oppose sidewalks, some because they do not have kids and don’t care if someone else’s kids have to use the street to get around, or others, because they hold on to an antiquated notion that no sidewalks = suburban living at its finest and only poor people walk (they do not know there is a tread in new suburban communities for sidewalks by young couples), I suppose I should be grateful for the pitiful few sidewalks proposed the the street scape plans. However the most egregious proposal of them is to only put sidewalks on one side (the north) of 76th street from Nicollet to Cedar. The statement by H.R. Green Consulting was that it wasn’t needed and that the neighbors there “valued” green space. I disagree, the value of the sidewalk – and green space, is in the whole of the 76th street project not just one section.

It would be insane to let the individual property owners decide whether they want a sidewalk in front of their property or “green space”, you would have the sidewalk starting and stopping making it worthless. In a sense that is what is happening here. They are devaluing the asset of the sidewalk by cutting it short to placate one or two people in the east section.

Privatizing of Public Space
The other problem I have with this is the give-away of public land. The road is being narrowed and the land is being handed over to private property owners. Yes the city will still own the land, which also means they will not be tax assessed for it as well. What a deal! The Richfield walkers and kids loose out and some complainers get tax free land.

If the city wants to make it fair, the city should bring back an option it dropped early on, it should move the green space to a center median which keeps it public (and I think looks very sexy). They could then move the road closer to the houses since sidewalks are not valued there.

The real story – Sidewalks are needed
If you ever have walked or biked that area, like I have, you will see that there is a real need for sidewalks on both sides of the street between Nicollet and Cedar even for so than between 35W and Nicollet. There are two major parks many kids walk and bike to, (Washington and Roosevelt) and two churches (Assumption and House of Prayer Lutheran Church) along that south section. I think H.R. Green Consulting’s assessment that a sidewalk isn’t necessary on the south side is incorrect and would be very sad for the community if that comes to pass.

So the scoop on the bike trail status after the last city meeting November 28th is – no bike trail. That is, there will be a bike path on 76th Street but not on 75th Street. Which means no bike trail at least connecting Minnetonka to the Mississippi River, which is what they are toteing this bike trail for. What they are doing on 75th Street is “saying” that there is a bike path without actually making one or making room for bike paths. The road way on 76th Street is 38′ wide with 12′ of the being designated as bike paths. The road on 75th Street is 26′ wide total with no space designated for bike paths. There is simply no room for bikes on this road with cars. Their stated reason – there isn’t enough traffic to justify a separate bike path – does not fly with their logic for deciding to narrow the road in the first place, which is as a traffic calming measure. If there is no traffic on that street why does it need to be calmed? Obviously it does need calming since it is being used by cars looking for a way to bypass congestion on 76th Street at Best Buy. So it does need a bike path.

It was interesting listening to some of the neighbors complaining about bikes even suggesting that they were toy of the rich and Richfield will never be THAT fancy. Again, biking is a very viable mode of transportation, and Minneapolis, the second biggest biking city in the nation is right next door. Richfield is biking distance to downtown and has a large business community that biking can access long 494, if Richfield is going to attract young professionals to live here, we need to make it attractive for them. It is a good community development decision.

Part one of a Richfield couple’s Bike Ride and their efforts to get to Uptown from Richfield. Found this on YouTube and thought it was quite funny given the anti-biking sentiment I felt at the last 76th Street Streetscape meeting November 28th and statements that biking just isn’t done in Richfield. Now we have video proving otherwise! Bikers in their natural Richfield habitat.

Really.

Given the controversy over the other two round-a-bouts on 66th Street and Portland and 17th Avenues, by a small yet vocal group of regulars, I think it would be great to put round-a-bouts on 76th Street and Lyndale, Nicollet, Portland, and 12th avenues just to get them going again. Otherwise, what would the Richfield Sun have to write about?

The 17 Avenue Round-a-bout has more sidewalks than just about anywhere else in Richfield, another reason anti-around-a-bout activists are probably angry…

Don’t get me wrong, I am happy to see the citizen participation, however, its the disingenuousness about their reasons that gets me. Much of their argument against round-a-bouts is that is is unsafe for the children having to bike and walk around it. What the real issue is they are to embarrassed to admit is that they are afraid is as the saying goes… “an old dog can’t learn new tricks”. I believe most are afraid of it because it is new and different. Some of these same people are great activists against the city government “wasting” money on more sidewalks and on bike paths. So much for ‘who will protect the children…’

In addition to the 76th and Pleasant/Lyndale developments, the city of Richfield will be redeveloping the 76th Street street-scape, downgrading it from a four lane to a two lane road because with the completion of 77th street as the main artery 76th no long carries as much traffic and does not need to be as wide as it is. The reconstruction at this time is being prompted by having to do sewer work under most of 76th.

What’s it going to do with all that extra road? The city has come up with five comprehensive plans reducing the road and adding green space and possibly bike paths and sidewalks. However, at a meeting of the Commission on City Services which will be making a recommendation to the city council, and at public meetings about the issue, several complained about how no one uses bikes for commuting and bikes are for kids and recreation. Considering that Minneapolis is the number two biking city in the nation I would beg to differ on that issue. While what is needed in Richfield more are north-south bike routes, a east-west bike route is very welcome, Many businesses such as Best Buy, MOA, Northwest Airlines as well as hotels and retail are along 494 which runs parallel to 76th Street making the idea of a supporting commuting bike traffic a reality.

I fear that “bikes are for kids” is a prevailing view in Richfield (remember this is a city that fights building sidewalks for pedestrians). The several options that have been presented, some have commuting bike paths on the street, some have bikes relegated to extra wide sidewalks and one has street parking and no bike paths all together. Unfortunately, it appears there are no advocates for commuting bike paths in Richfield and the city is saying that it is either the Metropolitan Council or the Three Rivers Park District  advocates having the bike paths off the street and  on a combined bikepath/sidewalk which I find hard to believe. My experience with combined walkways/bikeways is that pedestrians do not make room for bikes and commuting bicyclists wind up going on the road anyways, but in this case the road will be narrowed so much it will make on road biking a danger. This a  great opportunity to create a commuting bike trail that parallels 494 along Richfield. The next meeting on November 28 at Richfield CIty Hall 6700 Portland Ave at 6pm.

Options/opinions…

Option A: the same folks that were trash talking the bike paths were most happy about this plan With limited sidewalks and bike paths but lots of parking. Given the chronic shortage of parking in Richfield I can see why they were salivating over this plan. I can never find parking by my house and often have to park blocks away from my home. Actually there might be a need to add parking by Lyndale and by the two churches but all along 76th Street is simply over kill.

Option B: Probably the best option for the creatively challenged. However it is a good solid design that has its benefits. It separates bike from sidewalks, and it adds a boulevard buffer zone separating the street from the houses. This would work as long as the city and neighbors actually grow grass and trees instead of the asphalt boulevards that are all the rage in Richfield.

Option C: I am a sucker for boulevards. Any one that has visited Highland Park and seen Ford Parkway or Highland Parkway amongst housing styles similar to Richfield will see how a boulevard in the middle can class up a neighborhood. However, it combines bike and walkways instead of putting it on the street. BTW: I tend to think it is a good idea to keep young bikers and kids with training wheels off the bike path used by adult bikers. Little biker kids will still rule on the sidewalk while the adults take to the street.

Option D: A plan I can love. Again, the city and neighbors have to get over their fetish for asphalting over boulevards though.

Option E: This on the surface it is very appealing until you realize a few things. First, bike AND sidewalk are combined and only on one side of the street. Second, in some instances that road will actually bring traffic closer to the houses. Third, again more of the parking that we can’t get enough of. Fourth, privatization of public space. Not problem for libertarians that find pubic parks appalling anyways, but I find it a bit disconcerning and frankly given that many do not maintain the side yards or boulevards along 76th street anyways what makes anyone think they will groom an extra 10 feet any better?