About 30 people attended a virtual open house on March 25 to discuss three options for a new intersection at Montreal Avenue and Elway Street as part of Ramsey County’s plan to extend Lexington Parkway from West Seventh Street to Shepard Road beginning in 2022. The public can view the alternatives and comment on them until April 15 at https://zan.mysocialpinpoint.com/lexington-parkway-open-house.
Last year, Lexington was rerouted through the Lexington Landing senior housing development on the former Riverside School property and was extended to Adrian Street behind Highland Nursery. A traffic signal was recently installed, and sidewalks will be completed this spring.
The second phase of the project will continue the Lexington extension through county-owned property and down a reconstructed Elway to Shepard Road. For bicyclists and pedestrians, it will also provide a more direct connection to local trails.
The Highland and West Seventh/Fort Road district councils have been reviewing the project for the past several years. Their representatives on March 25 cited what had previously been a very dangerous intersection at West Seventh-Montreal-Lexington.
The county has three options for the intersection of Lexington/Elway-Montreal. One is a two-way stop on Montreal, which would not take adjacent property but would make it harder to cross on foot or by bike.
A second is a raised roundabout in the middle of the intersection, which would provide better bike and pedestrian accommodations and promote smoother traffic flow. However, it would require taking what is now private property at some corners.
The third option is a “mini-roundabout,” a smaller, slightly raised structure. It would be designed so that emergency vehicles, buses and large trucks could drive over it. There would also be a raised pedestrian island.
No one design had a clear majority of support, according to the project team. There was agreement that Lexington and Elway should have one traffic lane in each direction. The option of a center median rose to the top, with an access opening for housing along Elway.
Meeting participants raised questions about property acquisition, intersection design and how larger vehicles would navigate either roundabout option. Neighbors also asked about costs. Those have not been determined yet, but could range from about $2,000 for the two-way stop to $500,000 for a mini-roundabout and $2 million for a full roundabout.
The county is also looking at how to rebuild Elway, which is in a deteriorated condition. Lexington is a county road, but Elway is a city street, which requires working with the Saint Paul Department of Public Works. Elway might be renamed Lexington, but no decision on the name has been made.
The Lexington extension to Montreal would bring the street very close to some homes. It would also affect access to the Montreal Hi-Rise apartment building.
Ramsey County project manager Nick Fischer said the county will be looking at property acquisition and will be in discussion with the residents and commercial property owners who would be affected. Those discussions will happen after an alternative is chosen.
The county recently wrapped up a survey on the design for the rest of Lexington and Elway. Four designs were presented online, and almost 200 people weighed in. The designs had different configurations for traffic lanes and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
No one design had a clear majority of support, according to the project team. There was agreement that Lexington and Elway should have one traffic lane in each direction. The option of a center median rose to the top, with an access opening for housing along Elway.
Both of the preferred options offered off-road bike and pedestrian paths. One has a sidewalk on the east side of the street. Work on street design options is continuing, with a final design expected to be announced in the future.
— Jane McClure
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