Case Study: Traffic Calming in Minneapolis by Michael O'Neal with Laura Olsen |
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Community Organization: Neighborhood Transportation Network (NTN) Contact Person: Michael O’Neal PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION NTN formed to oppose the expansion of Interstate 35W in South Minneapolis. If successful, this expansion would have had a major negative impact on the Phillips neighborhood, eliminating about 700 housing units and four blocks of land without providing the neighborhood with better access to transportation. As a network of neighborhood organizations and residents, NTN sought to educate the surrounding communities about the potential impact of the highway expansion, mobilize opposition to the project, and offer an alternative to the highway expansion. In the first few years, NTN spent most of its time and effort educating the public and organizing opposition to the project, due to limited time and funding. NTN is a volunteer run organization reliant on the dedication of its members. STATEMENT OF NEED NTN learned through its work with the neighborhood and from information provided by the Urban Coalition, a non-profit research/advocacy agency, that up to 35% of households in neighborhoods impacted by the proposed I-35W expansion did not own cars. The proposed highway expansion is purely auto-dominated, so these families without cars would not receive the benefits of additional transportation access. The expansion would, however, guarantee all residents the severe impact of traffic, noise, pollution and disruption. In fact, even though the "I-35W Preferred Alternative" originally included new light rail transit if a separate funding source could be found, the Metropolitan Council (MPO for the region) has since withdrawn its support for any new light rail service. Two communities that would be harshly affected by the plan are the Phillips and Central neighborhoods. CAMPAIGN SUMMARY The CEP provided the first dedicated staff time to a public education and community planning effort. NTN’s project included educational forums, planning workshops and leadership development. Instead of setting up an completely new effort, NTN worked with existing neighborhood groups and in many cases was able to "piggy-back" transportation/transit issues on to work already in progress. There were three phases to the neighborhood project: education, planning, and implementation. THE PLANNING PROCESS Currently, the proposed expansion of I-35W is on hold because of the lack of project funding. The original proposed expansion was projected to cost $2.2 billion and take over ten years to construct. Due to a lack of funds, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the MPO reclassified the proposed expansion in the regional Transportation Improvement Plan. It is currently listed as a project "needing additional study" to comply with the ISTEA requirement of fiscal constraint. This delay has provided NTN and neighborhood groups with an opportunity to develop alternative transportation and land use plans for the area. The groups hope to help the City of Minneapolis and neighborhoods to "build community, not a highway." The CEP offered NTN the opportunity and resources to organize a community planning process focused on transit accessibility and sustainability. Project Goal Recognizing the double impact of the proposed expansion on the Phillips and Central neighborhoods and the lack of community involvement in the local transportation decision making process, NTN sought to work with the neighborhood groups to facilitate a community education and planning process. The CEP offered NTN the resources to coordinate a comprehensive outreach, planning, and empowerment process within the Phillips and Central neighborhoods. Through the CEP, NTN aimed to move the neighborhood from simply opposing the proposed I-35W expansion to identifying an alternative community development plan. The CEP sought to define a neighborhood vision and develop a redesign plan for the neighborhood and the City of Minneapolis. In the spirit of community empowerment, NTN wanted to not only educate the community about their options and develop a community plan, they also wanted to identify individuals who would continue the effort in the neighborhood. Project Description NTN conducted educational forums in the neighborhoods that focused on the transportation planning and decision making process, the impacts of the highway expansion, alternative transportation options, and how residents can be involved in the process. NTN’s educational efforts reached beyond the boundaries of the Phillips and Central neighborhoods. Three other neighborhood groups, the Byrant, Field-Regina-Northrup, and Hale-Page-Diamond Lake neighborhood groups, came out in support of the redesign efforts along Park and Portland Avenues. NTN also worked with these neighborhood groups to educate their members about the project and to support a community design effort. During the planning stage, NTN conducted focus groups that allowed area residents to not only express their concerns about the current condition along Park and Portland Avenues, but also to develop viable options for their neighborhood. The main issues residents wanted to address in the planning sessions were the volume of automobile traffic, excessive car speed, and air pollution along Park and Portland Avenues in South Minneapolis. Several specific project ideas, ranging from bike lanes to housing redevelopment, were identified in the planning sessions. NTN’s neighborhood empowerment efforts gained the support of Jim Niland and Brian Herron, the two Minneapolis City Council Members representing this area. Their support leveraged assistance from the City’s Public Works and Planning Departments to further develop community based land use and transportation plans. In addition to direct work with the city agencies, both the Phillips and Central neighborhoods established environment/transportation committees within their Neighborhood Revitalization Programs to work on alternative land use and transportation plans. The Neighborhood Revitalization Programs provide neighborhood groups with funds to develop and implement project ideas generated by residents during community planning sessions. The implementation of the projects is still in process, and many hurdles in the redesign of Park and Portland Avenues remain, but notable progress has been made. Results The neighborhood groups are working with the City of Minneapolis to devise a redesign plan for Park and Portland Avenues that will include the streets, housing, and commercial/retail development. One of the major hurdles to implementing the community plan is the classification of Park and Portland as minor arterials. This classification is made according to both the size of the street and its traffic volume. The funding cost distribution between the city, county and the state for improvements on streets is also determined by the classification. Changes to the road could potentially alter its classification, a concern for the local government agencies. The available funding and future maintenance requirements for the streets may restrict the neighborhood’s options. What has emerged from the community meetings, the existing Neighborhood Revitalization Program and the Environment/Transportation Committee work to date is: · The Public Works Department of the City of Minneapolis is in the process of narrowing the lane width for the existing three traffic lanes by removing the existing painted lanes and re-striping both Park and Portland Avenues. The extra space will be used for north/south commuter bicycle lanes.
NTN has completed its formal grant work with the Phillips and Central neighborhoods within the City of Minneapolis. Although NTN’s formal work has been completed several NTN members are working with the neighborhood committees to realize implementation of the community’s alternative plans. CONCLUSION The CEP allowed NTN to organize a comprehensive outreach, planning and empowerment process to develop both a community vision and a plan for implementation. Direct community investment was critical to NTN’s capacity to develop a plan focused on transit accessibility and sustainability. As a volunteer run organization, NTN has citizens who understand community need and who feel invested in transportation planning. To help local groups address the problems they see in their neighborhoods, direct support must be continued. CONTACT INFORMATION Michael O’Neal
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