Proposed Minneapolis-Hennepin Environmental Center

Since 2005, representatives from the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County have been discussing the potential of the City and County partnering on a household hazardous waste facility in the City of Minneapolis. Currently Hennepin County operates facilities in Bloomington and Brooklyn Park.

However, participation data collected by Hennepin County has shown that only approximately 5% of Minneapolis residents utilize these facilities on a regular basis. Both the City and the County felt that more convenient access would increase participation by Minneapolis residents, to reduce the amount of improperly disposed of waste ending up in the river, ground and air.

In June 2010, the City began the process of evaluating the environmental and public purpose of the property at 340 27th Ave NE as a potential location for a Minneapolis-Hennepin Environmental Center. The evaluation includes environmental investigations and a traffic study to analyze traffic flow in the area.

There have been three public information meetings about this proposed site over the summer. Upcoming meetings will review the traffic study. In addition, the City of Minneapolis is in the process of developing a website so that the public may be further informed about the proposed site, environmental study, traffic study and details about further public meetings. For information about upcoming meetings, the traffic study and/or the website, please feel free to contact the Ward 1 office.

Council Member's Message

Traffic safety has always been one of the paramount concerns of First Ward residents and businesses. Everyone, myself included, would like to see safer streets and fewer crashes. And to that end, I'm proud of the work we've already done to create a better environment for pedestrians, bikers and vehicles alike. One example is the innovative program we launched this year to upgrade our crosswalks citywide with more visible durable markings. Another is the traffic calming work we continue to do on Johnson Street, including new lane markings and a pedestrian island. We have a curb-separated ped/bike path coming on 18th Avenue and have seen a record number of ADA installations and curb bump-outs across the Ward. However, more needs to be done. 

This September the Transportation & Public Works Committee that I chair will take the first steps to establish a Vision Zero policy, aimed at eliminating fatalities and serious injuries while expanding safe and equitable mobility for everyone. This exciting and innovative approach has the potential to dramatically reshape our response to traffic safety.

Vision Zero was first implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, has had impressive results in Europe and is now being considered in a number of major US cities. It utilizes cross-disciplinary collaboration between traffic engineers, transit planners, public safety and public health professionals, policymakers, and the community to address the complex issues of traffic safety and it employs data-driven strategies and community input to craft solutions.

The first step in the process will be a resolution committing to Vision Zero, followed by the development of an action plan. The goal is the elimination of fatalities and serious injuries from crashes within our city by 2027. Stay tuned for more about this initiative which will greatly enhance work moving forward in our Ward and across the city.

Camden Bridge Work

The Camden Bridge, which is the 42nd Avenue North 37th Avenue NE crossing over the Mississippi River and Interstate 94, was built in 1975. The bridge has now deteriorated to the point that it is in need of repairs to maintain public safety and will be closing to traffic on April 15 for a complete rehabilitation. It will remain closed through approximately July. During that time period major structural work will be done, including replacing the expansion joints, the bridge deck, the drainage system, approach panels, vehicular crash railing, sidewalks, pedestrian railings and lighting. The structural steel will be repainted after the bridge is re-opened to traffic. The work that has been planned will add 35 years to the life of the bridge and will save Minneapolis maintenance costs in the future. Currently, city crews spend approximately one month each year on deck patching and painting the bridge.

During the period in which the bridge is closed, vehicular traffic will be detoured to the Plymouth Bridge. Bicycle traffic will be detoured to the I-694 Mississippi River crossing area. For Vehicle & Bicycle Detour Maps, please Click here.

Some of you have asked why the City of Minneapolis is beginning work on the Camden Bridge at the same time that the Lowry Bridge is down. The City of Minneapolis requested $10 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funding to rehabilitate the bridge and there are specific timeframes within which the money must be used. This project is also expected to create approximately 90 construction jobs, which enhance our local economy.

Safe Routes to School & Waite Park Patrol

In February the City of Minneapolis’ Public Works department applied for a federal Safe Routes to School grant for an infrastructure project aimed at traffic-calming around Waite Park School. The Waite Park School student patrol recently invited Council Member Reich to meet with them to discuss traffic concerns. Demonstrating a commendable sense of civic responsibility, they communicated their observations about sight lines, traffic levels and speeds on Johnson and other streets surrounding their school. The aforementioned grant will address these issues.

Waite Park School Patrol Supervisor Extraordinaire Steve Holm Retires

Just about every elementary school has a school patrol to assist students with street crossing before and after school. But for the past 23 years, under the direction of Fourth Grade teacher Steve Holm, Waite Park School has taken school patrol to a level of professionalism rarely seen.

Holm says Kindergarteners and First Graders routinely come up to him to tell him they plan to be patrols when they get to Fourth and Fifth Grade. When they do, they'll have to go through an application process, including a staff review, for one of the thirty elite positions. After the patrols are selected, they go through several trainings during the year. Young people who want to be Patrol Captains face even more rigorous selection and training, including attending a safety training camp at Legionville School Patrol Safety Training Center in Burnsville.

The hard work of being on the Waite Park Patrol has its perks also. The members get rewarded with four fieldtrips over the course of the year, including a visit to Valley Fair and a laser tag/bowling/pizza outing.

These young people take their jobs seriously. A few years ago they contacted Council Member Reich and asked for a meeting to discuss traffic and safety issues at the intersection of 34th and Johnson Street NE. After explaining their concerns and discussing various traffic calming options, it was decided to install curb bump outs at the corners. Holm said that this design feature, which allows patrol flags to extend out into the traffic lane, has reduced his patrols' reports of safety concerns significantly.

Steve Holm just retired from supervising the school patrol, although he'll continue teaching Fourth Grade.

Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

My second term representing the First Ward began this January 6 with the swearing in of the new City Council, including seven new members, and Mayor Betsy Hodges. I look forward to working with my Council colleagues old and new and the Mayor as we continue to collaborate to strengthen Minneapolis’ economic vitality, livability and inclusivity. My committee assignments this term include Executive Committee, Zoning & Planning (Z&P), Community Development & Regulatory Services (CR&RS), Public Safety, Civil Rights & Emergency Management (PSCR&EM), Claims, and Transportation & Public Works (TPW) Committee. I am very pleased to assume leadership of TPW, as I believe basic infrastructure and service delivery issues are a core function of municipal government. This committee has oversight of infrastructure improvements, traffic and traffic-management issues, special service districts and related assessments, bicycle and pedestrian plans and initiatives, recycling and solid waste disposal issues, and is responsible for considering appeals relating to block events and encroachment permits. In addition to these committees, I have been assigned to a number of sub-committees, boards and commissions, including Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO), Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership (MRP), Metro Cities’ Transportation Advisory Board (TAB), Downtown Minneapolis Transportation Management Organization (TMO), Meet Minneapolis, Water Advisory Board, Rail Policy Group, NRP Policy Board and Metro Cities’ Grant Evaluation & Ranking System (GEARS) board. I am very pleased to assume these assignments since many of them align closely with my interests in transportation, public works and water issues. 2014 marks my second year as chair of the MWMO board. As many of you know, this organization has located their new headquarters in the First Ward, in a beautiful facility on the banks of the Mississippi at Marshall Street. I look forward to working with this dynamic organization to implement initiatives to protect our river in the upcoming year.

Proposed City-County Environmental Facility Update

The City of Minneapolis now has a web page for information related specifically to the proposed City-County Environmental Facility at 340 27th Ave NE. The web page contains an overview of the proposal, site map and Frequently Asked Questions. Other information, such as the traffic study, environmental test results, etc., will be posted as it becomes available. To check out the web page, go to http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/solid-waste/solid-waste_city-county

City staff will present the results of their traffic study of the Lowry and University Avenue area at the Holland Neighborhood Improvement Association (HNIA) general meeting on Thursday, October 14, 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Firefighters’ Hall & Museum, 664 22nd Ave NE.

National Night Out is August 2

National Night Out is an annual nationwide event that encourages residents to get out in the community, holding block parties and getting to know their neighbors as a way to encourage crime prevention. It's a great way to promote community-police partnerships and enjoy a Minnesota summer evening surrounded by friends and family. For more information, see the Minneapolis NNO mission statement.

If you are hosting a National Night Out event, you can also apply to close the street for it. Registering your NNO event and applying to close your street/alley is a single online process. Apply to register your event or to register your NNO event and apply for a block event permit to close down your street/alley. Note: Not every street can be blocked off depending on the traffic flow. Generally, bus routes and high traffic streets cannot be used for block events.

You will need permission of 75% of your neighbors to be approved for street closure —keep their names and addresses handy in the event your permit application needs to be reviewed. If you register by July 19 you can block your street for free. If you register from July 20 through July 27, there is a $100 fee. You will not be able to block off your street if registering after July 27.

It is free to participate in National Night Out. When you register your event, you will get free Mystery Point Passes for Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America.Registration also places you on the official list of NNO events that gets distributed to police and other departments. However, there’s no guarantee police will be able to visit your event.

New Bicycle & Pedestrian Connection in Northeast Minneapolis

A new trail crossing at New Brighton Blvd NE & Stinson Blvd NE became operational Friday, September 13th. This new crossing connects the Diagonal Trail (east of the intersection) to Minneapolis’ larger bicycle and pedestrian network and key NE Minneapolis destinations (west of the intersection).

This complex intersection required a unique solution to create a better connection for biking and walking. The solution is a more direct crossing through the middle of the intersection that is approximately 1/3 of the distance of previous routes (Figure 1). This dedicated bicycle and pedestrian crossing includes a pedestrian signal complete with countdown timer, and pending Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approval the crossing will soon include a bicycle signal, similar in appearance to the bicycle signal at 5th St NE & Broadway St NE.

How does this new crossing affect me?

Bicyclists and Pedestrians
To use the new crossing you must push the pedestrian button located on the signal post for this crossing, to make your presence known. The walk signal will not turn on unless you push the pedestrian button. You MUST WAIT for the walk signal to turn on and then proceed with caution using the new crossing.

Drivers
When the traffic signal is displaying the walk signal for bicyclists and pedestrians using the new crossing, drivers will have a red light at all legs of the intersection, with one exception – cars traveling north-bound on Stinson waiting to turn left onto southwest-bound New Brighton will receive a green left turn arrow at the same time bicyclists and pedestrians are using the new crossing (Figure 2).

When driving north-bound or south-bound on Stinson Blvd NE and preparing to turn right onto southwest-bound or northeast-bound New Brighton you will see a new sign posted. This sign reads “Turning Vehicles STOP for Pedestrians” (Figure 3).

You MUST STOP completely for all red lights when preparing to turn right, and must stop for pedestrians and bicyclists using the new crossing. You MUST STOP for pedestrians and bicyclists using the adjacent crosswalks when preparing to turn on green lights.

All Users
Always behave predictably and follow the rules of the road.

Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

The City of Minneapolis’ Regulatory Services has traditionally been one of the city’s largest departments, charged with oversight responsibilities ranging from Animal Control and Housing Inspections to Business Licensing and Development Review. Beginning in 2012, the City has undertaken a significant restructuring of this department with the goal of creating efficiencies and optimizing services. An appointed Transition Committee, of which I am a member, has spent the past year working with staff to create what is now a substantially leaner and more focused organization. Several previous responsibilities have been transferred to other departments. Environmental Management, for example, is now under the purview of the Minneapolis Health Department (MHD). Construction Code Services, Development Review and Business Licensing will come under the umbrella of Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED). The new Reg Services Department focuses on the following functions: Housing Inspections, Problem Properties, Animal Control, Fire Inspections Services and Traffic Control.

The Regulatory Services Department also has a new director. Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde, who was appointed this past May, brings 15 years of executive experience in compliance and regulation in both the public and private sectors. She spent nearly 10 years in various roles with the government of Puerto Rico to improve and reform the delivery of healthcare in the Puerto Rican correctional system. She was also a founding partner and president of Indigo Enterprises, a Minnesota-based consulting firm that specializes in judicial and regulatory compliance, as well as environmental codes and
statutes.

I hope you will join Ms. Rivera-Vandermyde and me at a First Ward Community Forum on Wednesday, August 28 to learn more about the new Regulatory Services Department. This event will be held at the Firefighters Hall & Museum, 664 22nd Ave NE at 6 p.m. and will include a light meal.

311 Online

Many 311 services are now available online or through mobile apps. Click HERE to find out how to report: Graffiti Pothole Abandoned car Broken streetlight Environmental violation Water service issue Sidewalk issue Housing code violation Traffic Signal issue

Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

In May of this year Bicycling magazine named Minneapolis America’s best bike city. They singled out our more than 120 miles of bikeways, many bike amenities and strong, vibrant bicycling community as key factors in their designation.

It’s great to see our City acknowledged as a bicycling hotspot, but it doesn’t mean the job is done. Much work remains to enhance and increase our bikeways. As an example, 2010 and 2011 promise to be big years for Eastside bicycling. Five bike boulevard projects are coming our way – 5th Street NE and the 5th Street SE Bikeway, 22nd Avenue NE, the 18th Ave NE Bikeway and the President’s Bike Boulevard. These bikeways will employ a variety of curb and pavement changes, including landscaped traffic circles, lane striping, pedestrian lights, curb extensions and speed bumps. There will also be some innovative new technologies employed, such as bicycle counters and a new stoplight with bicycle signals. These projects will add approximately 10 new miles to Minneapolis’ bikeways.

Public input remains an essential piece of developing bicycle plans and policies. A draft of the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan was released a few weeks ago. This plan establishes goals, objectives, and benchmarks to improve safety and mobility for bicyclists and also increase the number of trips taken by bicycle. It’s available online at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/bicycle-plans.asp. The first of five public meetings was held at Edison High School on August 30.

If you were unable to attend that meeting, you can still make your voice heard by completing the online survey about the Draft plan at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MinneapolisBicycleMasterPlan.

Message from Council Member Kevin Reich

Looking back on 2012, a significant highlight for the City and the 1st Ward is the Public Safety story. Violent crime and property crime combined (identified as Part I crime) were flat citywide, at levels comparable to the mid-1960s, while burglary fell 6% citywide compared to 2011. The numbers for the 2nd Precinct tell an even better story. Our Precinct led the City in declining rates in Robbery (down 21%) and Burglary (down 6%), as well as the overall lowest Part I crime rate, down 6%. At the same time, the 2nd Precinct also leads the City in officer productivity, with a 66% increase in 2012. A good example of this work was the response to a crime spike in the Logan Park and Holland neighborhoods this past summer. The 2nd Precinct, in concert with strategic partnerships that have been fostered, put in place initiatives that led to an 80% drop in robbery within a couple of months. The ability to respond swiftly and successfully to crime issues speaks to the effectiveness of the leadership and personnel of our Precinct. In terms of leadership, we will see what I expect to be some significant but not disruptive changes for 2013. After 3 ½ years at the 2nd Precinct, Insp. Bryan Schafer will be heading up the 1st Precinct. His successor is Insp. Kathy Waite, who has worked at the 2nd Precinct leading the Investigation Unit, Community Response Team and the Crime Prevention Specialists. Insp. Waite has an impressive management history, most recently with the Special Operations Division, managing the Canine Unit, Traffic Unit and Disaster Strike Team. Additionally, she has been a SWAT Crisis Negotiator since 1999 and has been in charge of managing the Logistics Team for special deployment. In February I am co-hosting an event with the NE Chamber of Commerce and 2PAC to bid farewell to Inspector Bryan Schafer and introduce Inspector Waite to the community. This family-friendly event offers an opportunity to hear about 2nd Precinct crime statistics in more detail, thank Inspector Schafer for his service and learn about plans for the future of the precinct. Stay tuned for more details. ~ Kevin Reich --- Contact Kevin Reich 350 S. 5th Street Room 307 Minneapolis, MN 55415 612-673-2201 Kevin.Reich@minneapolismn.gov