Implement traffic calming policy/measures, including lane conversions (road diets), roundabouts, low-speed streets, shared space and depaving, in at least one street redevelopment project.
The Small Town and Rural Design Guide (Center for Prevention, MN: 2017) provides information on bicycle and pedestrian facilities specifically applicable to small towns and rural communities.
The traffic calming database (Institute of Transportation Engineers, 2023) provides a series of factsheets for several traffic calming measures.
The MN Dept. of Transportation provides resources on roundabouts.
A Roundabout Database (Kittelson & Associates, 2023) is an online inventory tracking roundabouts since 1999 across the world.
One approach to traffic calming relies more on changing the psychological feel, rather than the physical geometry, of the street. See MnDOT’s Demonstration Project Implementation Guidance and examples of quick-build/demonstration projects in Minnesota that allow agencies, partners and people walking, bicycling, taking transit, and driving to evaluate potential infrastructure improvements before potentially investing in permanent changes.
Retention of a gravel road (Strong Towns, 2016), or conversion of a paved road to a gravel road, usually has traffic calming and financial benefits but the effect on nearby surface water is site-specific and can negate the benefits. See gravel road maintenance resources from the Minnesota Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).
Reduced Speed Limits:
Reduce posted speed limits on municipal-owned streets as allowed by a state law passed in 2019.
Learn more about 4 to 3 lane conversions/road diets and see Minnesota case studies developed by the GreenStep Cities program for Albert Lea, Battle Lake, Parkers Prairie, Richfield, and Saint Paul/Ramsey County.
Note also that streets with fewer than 1000 average annual daily trips at peak hour generally need only two lanes, and that generally no street handling fewer than 10,000 AADT should qualify for left-turn lanes or a center turn lane.
The Urban Street Design Guide (National Association of City Transportation Officials, 2023) is a blueprint for designing streets that are safer, more livable, and more economically vibrant.
Measures such as streetscaping, bump-outs, raised crosswalks, intersection markings, medians and narrower lane widths, and elimination of slip lanes (deemed inherently unsafe by FHWA) at 1 or more local/arterial intersections. Report temporary or permanent parklet installations under BPA 14.1.
Measures such as roundabouts, and road reconfigurations (road diets) where 3 lanes replace 4 lanes of a road with under 20,000 average annual daily traffic counts; adopt a traffic calming policy; reduce posted speed limits paired with design changes that lower the design speed; conduct a city-wide pedestrian fatality study.
Become a Vision Zero Community; pedestrian-centered road planning/implementation; measures from street reclaiming, naked streets, shared space, woonerfs, and Paint the Pavement approaches; implement lane width reductions as encouraged in MnDOT's training course: Advanced Flexibility in Design; diverging diamond interchange, J-turn lane, reverse diagonal parking; a multi-modal Level of Service metric developed and applied to road projects; conversion of underused/redundant roads to gravel roads, stormwater management, energy generation, etc.
Who's doing it
Lakeville - 3 star
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2014
Implementation details:
The City of Lakeville implemented traffic calming measures during two street reconstruction projects in 2014 and 2016. The challenge in the first project was to make a speed transition from 40 mph to 30 mph as a collector roadway moved from a rural section to a residential section. The City worked with residents to install dynamic speed display signs on both the north and southbound lanes of the residential portion of the roadway and reconstructed that segment with bump outs to narrow the roadway. The second project involved slowing traffic as it approached the intersection of a high-speed, high-volume county road. Again, working with residents, the City reconstructed a quarter mile section of the street with bump outs to create a dramatic narrowing of the roadway as it approached the intersection with the county road. The City has also converted two land to three lane roadways, to improve traffic safety in areas shared between residential users and commercial districts. The City has also partnered with Dakota County over the last five years in the construction of four roundabouts at high volume intersections with both county roads and City streets. As the City reviews and develops its transportation capital improvement plan annually, traffic calming measures and locations for roundabouts are a part of the planning process and implemented where they will have the most benefit.
Restripe: 12 to 11 width dropped from 4 lanes to 3 (opposing left) on 11th Ave, 72nd Street, 76th Street, Portland Ave, and 66th St.
Roundabouts: 4 on 66th St. and 3-5 proposed in future projects.
Richfield’s Guiding Principles used in every transportation project emphasize multi-modal design as the community’s top priority – a concept also seen in internal planning practices which start with land use considerations and then, in order, pedestrian, transit, bicycle, and vehicle performance measures. This is seen in the recent 66th Street construction which now has:
• Safer roads with raised concrete medians
• New turn lanes in key areas
• New sidewalks and trails with a boulevard buffer
• New paths to use when bicycling
• Better stormwater management
• Improved accessibility for people with disabilities
The city of Sartell along with partner projects (MNDOT, Stearns County) in 2013 became the first in the state of MN to complete a diverging diamond interchange. The interchange is located at the intersection of CO Rd 120 and State Highway 15.
During the 2015 reconstruction of Pinecone RD a major artery within the city the city completed 3 roundabouts. The roundabouts are located at the following intersections: Pinecone Rd N & 2nd ST; Pinecone Rd & Heritage Dr; Pinecone Rd and Scout Dr. The city also has plans to implement more roundabouts within the next couple of years. See link: http://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2014/12/09/sartell-plans-roundabouts-pinecone-road/20169301/
The City of Bemidji implemented traffic calming measures in the South Shore Development project by installing two roundabouts on the roads near the Sanford Center (along Event Center Dr and Grant Ave).
In 2016 we did a project on W 98th Street between Nesbitt and Normandale that included many elements listed. The project was to reconstruct the existing parkway and in that project we narrowed the road (reduced amount of pavement) and increased the green space in the center of the parkway and added on-street bikeway by eliminating one vehicle lane in each direction.
Curb bump-outs and streetscaping were part of the downtown renewal project implemented in 2008. The rebuilt College Drive, completed in 2013, included streetscaping and roundabouts.
Columbia Heights between 2004 and 2007 the City redeveloped and old industrial area into a town home residential district. This was projected to increase traffic considerably at the corner of Jefferson and 39th Ave (now called Huset parkway). A roundabout was designed and built to improve traffic flow for the area. This was in accordance with the Comprehensive plan (Chapter 6 page 2)
GOAL: Provide for safe and efficient roadway transportation.
1. Review and analyze high traffic crash locations on a biannual basis.
2. Work with MnDOT and Anoka County to provide means for low-cost traffic congestion mitigation.
The City implemented a road diet on Evergreen Blvd in 2016, reducing the overall pavement width by 16 feet. Coon Rapids also completed a traffic calming project on Foley Boulevard in 2019. The Foley Boulevard project included installing bump outs, narrowing traffic lanes, and adding sidewalks. The Port Riverwalk redevelopment project narrowed some public streets. 24-foot street widths were used on private streets. The project also included numerous sidewalks and trail connections for enhanced walkability.
70th Street roundabout was installed summer 2013 at Highway 19. Double round abouts installed at East Point Douglas Road/Highway 61 and jamaica Ave.
Construction of the Ravine Parkway includes medians throughout as well as raised crosswalks.
2019 Update: The Cross City Trail Phase 1 involved a conversion of W Superior Street from 4 lanes to 3 lanes to fit the bike trail in on the south side of the street. Phase 4 extended the trail from 63rd Ave W to the zoo on the old DWP line.
The City of Duluth implemented traffic calming measures at the reconstructed intersection at Jefferson Street and 17th Ave East.
Installation of two roundabouts: intersection of Diffley & Rahn and intersection of Denmark & Central Pkwy. Eagan also encouraged implementation of radio transmitted traffic signals, installation of flashing yellow left turn signals to reduce idling, for example, along Yankee Doodle Rd. Chokers/narrowing on Ashbury Drive, Blackhawk Lake Road, Deerwood Drive, Denmark Avenue (added sidewalk). Speed display signs on Daniel Drive, Deerwood Drive, Denmark Avenue.
A variety of traffic calming approaches such as traffic circles and pedestrian islands are used in concert with safety, transportation and striping projects.
As a part of the Tower Road and Bridge project, a roundabout was added to this area. When Friberg Avenue was reconstructed, narrower roadways with a turning lane were established. This roadway goes by the 6-12 school buildings, YMCA and residential areas.
During the project open house for Fridley's 2015 Street Reconstruction project, staff heard concerns regarding vehicle speeds on 3rd Street between 49th Avenue and 53rd Avenue. The City received funding from the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization (MWMO)to reduce pavement area along 3rd street through the installation of seven bump outs which reduced street width from 40 feet to 24.
Staff hosted two onsite meetings with residents to discuss proposed changes and gather input on design. In advance of the first meeting, the City placed traffic delineation to mimick the impacts of the bump outs.
In 2017, the bumpouts were excavated into bioswales and planted with pollinator plants. These bioswales perform co-benefits of treating stormwater and calming traffic.
The Douglas Drive corridor project will incorporate streetscaping, sidewalks, bike lanes and roundabouts at Sandburg Road and Golden Valley Road intersections for improved traffic flow. Construction will be completed in 2017. Reconstruction of Winnetka Avenue South and Xenia Avenue South incorporated perennial, shrub, and tree plantings in medians and boulevards. Xenia Avenue was constructed with curves to induce slower traffic speeds.
The City supported road diets implemented on three County Roads where four lanes were reduced to three. Almost every street reconstruction project the City has completed for the last 15 years has narrowed roadway widths.
When reconstructing streets, the City always looks for opportunities to remove redundant roadways and reduce impervious surfaces. In 2004, the City converted a segment of the Olson Memorial South Frontage Road to trail and greenspace. In 2010, the City converted a segment of road to a biofiltration basin (rain garden) and trail in Paisley Park. In 2017, the City converted a segment of Rhode Island Avenue to greenspace and flood storage. A redundant segment of road that was located in the floodplain at Scott Avenue North (near Minnaqua Pond) was converted to trail and native buffer.
Completed reconstruction of 1st Street (one of the city's primary commercial spaces) with bump-outs, expanded pedestrian sidewalks, streetscaping, and improved storm sewers.
Also reduced posted speed limit in a section of road adjacent to the city's major manufacturing facility (Mann Lake Ag and Bee Supply) to address pedestrian and forklift safety concerns.
Hutchinson has implemented roundabouts in high traffic areas as traffic calming methods. Most recently, a project on South Grade Road in 2019 input a round about as a traffic calming method. Hutchinson also recently underwent construction on Main Street with a road diet as a method of traffic calming on one of the main roads that traveled through town. This has also been implemented on other streets in town with road diets, giving more room to pedestrians and calming traffic in areas.
Inver Grove Heights constructed a roundabout in 2009. The City of Inver Grove Heights has been working with the MnDOT and Dakota County to construct a second roundabout. The preliminary layout was approved in January 2017 and construction is planned to start in Spring 2018.
Streetscaping was implemented in the design of Cahill Road, a highly utilized road with the City. A raised cross walk was implemented outside of Gertens to increase safety for pedestrians. The City of Inver Grove Heights also promotes development of medians and narrower streets to developers.
Year action initially completed: In practice we have worked toward traffic calming measures in city projects and plans. The new Comprehensive Plan was adopted in June 2018. Discussion have been underway with the State DOT on the Highway 57 project since 2017.
Implementation details:
Yes, 16th Steet and Highway 57 corridor. We're always looking at access management and magnitude of proposed development projects.
Linden Manor Project (example). Hwy 57 reconstruction roundabout at CR34 and Main St.
During the reconstruction of Beam Avenue, the street was narrowed and bump-outs were constructed.
A round-about has been added to the Gladstone area to slow traffic and prevent congestion during recent redevelopment projects.
The living streets policy also has design measures that reduce street width, raised cross walks, dynamic speed display signs, chicanes, bump-outs, and differentiated pavement surfaces (including pervious pavement). All of which work to calm traffic in residential and commercial areas.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Narrowing the street and creating bump-outs help reduce speed and help the flow of surface water to rain gardens located on the side of the road.
The city adopted a Complete Streets resolution in January of 2011. Examples of streets that have been altered to follow the complete streets philosophy include Boone Ave N & 49th Ave N and Xylon Ave N & 45th Ave N (2015). Lanes have been narrowed to allow for bike lanes, sidewalks, and parking. Medicine Lake Rd and 36th Ave N were changed from 4 lanes to 3 lanes. Cones were added to narrow a pedestrian crossing at Boone Ave N near Sonnesyn Elementary.
In 2017, the city partnered with MnDOT and Alta Planning + Design to develop Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plans for the three elementary schools in New Hope. The SRTS plans include an assessment of existing infrastructure and non-infrastructure barriers and opportunities for each participating school site. Planning is completed in close coordination with school-based teams to support a clear path to implementation. For each school, detailed action plans for specific short- and long-term infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects that support the overall vision of enabling more students to access their schools and communities on foot or bicycle were developed.
For a City of just over 8,000 people, New Prague has constructed eight roundabouts, with the last roundabouts being installed in a 2020-2021 Main Street (MN-19) improvement project. As New Prague continues to grow and redevelop older areas of town, we continue to look for ways to improvement transportation for all users.
Bump-outs have been incorporated within the city. Attached is a bump-out located at Johnson Park (baseball field) and further up the street at Johnson Field (football field) to help crossing the street safer for pedestrians by narrowing the crossing distance and increasing visability for a person and vehicles. Additionally, vegatation was included at the Johnson Park bump-out for enviromental benefits such as water run-off.
Three round-abouts have been installed within city limits. The first is located on HWY 14 and attaches to the bike trail. The other is located on Oak St. and N. Highland and was installed due to the construction of a new public high school in that area. The third location was installed HWY 14 south of New Ulm due to city expansion.
The Tartan Crossing Redevelopment has implemented several traffic calming measures as it is a busy, mixed-use area that is also home to a senior living community. A road diet was implemented for the main road that serves the site, with two lanes for traffic and a shared turn lane in the middle. There is also extensive streetscaping with trees and concrete planting areas to separate the road traffic from the sidewalks throughout the site.
The City's Neighborhood Traffic Program lists bump outs, raised crosswalks, pavement/crossings markings, and narrower lanes as traffic management strategies.The city has implemented 2 roundabouts and completed road diets.
St. Cloud proactively utilizes a number of traffic calming measures when developing or reconstructing streets including narrower width (32'), speed hump, gateway island, roundabout, and diversions such as a straight curb, bollards or landscaped medians among others. In the past few years, five roundabouts were built in the St. Cloud area. In a residential development, Westwood Parkway was constructed at a width of 32'.
The City of Saint James implemented traffic calming measures in Downtown St. James by installing two roundabouts on First Ave South.
The City of Saint James also implemented traffic calming measures in the 2022 Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Project by installing curb bump-outs on 10th Ave North in front of the St. James High School.
The City has numerous traffic calming measures in place which includes: roadway bump outs, painting crosswalks, boulevard trees; intersection marking, medians, curvier roads; and stripping crosswalks.
The City of West Saint Paul takes traffic and pedestrian safety seriously. In recent years the City has used traffic calming measures to improve safety. In 2014 the City reconstructed a portion of Marie Ave. At the same time Dakota County was constructing a portion of their Regional Trail. This trail has a crossing mid-block on Marie Ave. The City used bump-outs and flashing pedestrian crossing signs to mark the crossing and make it safer.
In 2017 the City partnered with Dakota County to construct a roundabout at Wentworth and Oakdale Ave. This busy intersection had historically seen a higher than normal number of vehicle accidents. The roundabout project also included pedestrian crossings, median refuge, and lowered speed limits to make it much safer for vehicles and pedestrians. Another roundabout project is planned for the Oakdale and Thompson Ave intersection for 2022.
Several recent street redevelopment projects have incorporated traffic calming measures. In 2012, Colby Lake Drive was converted from a 52 foot wide street to a parkway with two 20-foot lanes separated by a 12 foot median. The narrowed roadway has slowed traffic in the area, which had been one of the goals of the project. Other projects include speed bumps on Meadowbrook Drive, and reducing the width of Wimbledon Drive from 44 feet to 28 feet with a sidewalk.
There are currently twelve roundabouts within the City of Woodbury.
Improvements to 63rd Ave N in 2015 will move curb lines inward reducing street width. In addition, there will be installation of several bump outs and medians to reduce travel speed in the corridor. The bump-outs at pedestrian crossing will shorten pedestrian crossing times.
The Connectivity Committee of the Crosslakers completed the Crosslake Beautification Flower Planter Project which included fastening flower baskets onto two County bridges. Solar panels were installed to water the flowers automatically. 5-14-18
Singletree Lane was reconstructed in 2010 into a four-lane divided roadway, with left turn lanes located between Flying Cloud Drive and Eden Road. The project includes a new traffic signal at the Flying Cloud Drive intersection, as well as new pedestrian facilities and streetscape enhancements along Singletree Lane meeting the Town Center Design Guidelines.
Traffic calming in the Trott Brook Parkway redevelopment was completed by narrowing the driving lanes in 2008. The driving lanes were narrowed from 20 feet to 12 feet by striping along the side of the road to clearly mark an 8 foot side lane for parking/biking. The City is currently drafting a traffic calming policy to be adopted by the city council.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The Trott Brook Pkwy redevelopment succeeded in lowering the average speed by 6mph without reducing the speed limit.
The City of Falcon Heights implemented a streetscape project along Larpenteur Avenue which included hundreded of trees, native plantings, and decorative concrete at strategic intersections so that drivers know that this street is not only a major road through the city, but it is also a roadway that is used by cyclists and pedestrians on a daily basis.
The City narrowed streets for traffic calming, built bump outs in the downtown and on streets around the school to make walking to school safer. Other traffic calming includes speed radar signs to get people to slow down coming into town on Highway 61.
Year action initially completed: No record available
Implementation details:
Striped 10 foot lanes on North 4th street and Jonathan Lane. There are traffic calming measures at N 3rd St as well.
The City of La Crescent has implemented a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, which aims to make walking and biking to school a safe and fun option for students. They have created an extensive plan (see link below), and will be reducing school speed zones from 30 mph to 20 mph effective August 6th, 2024.
Traffic Calming: In 2010, we rebuilt and resurfaced one of our longest city street. In this construction was the inclusion of a series of speed humps intended to slow traffic. Plans are being discussed with the county to include a roundabout for traffic calming on the reconstruction of the proposed CSAH roadway. A public meeting to obtain resident input.
Built a temporary roundabout on a city intersection to evaluate the impact of speed reduction before and after the installation in cooperation with Get Fit Itasca and the Wilder Foundation. 1/8/2016
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Residents have reported a noticeable difference in the speed of auto traffic on this street which has resulted in additional pedestrian traffic.
Mankato adopted and utilizes a Neighborhood Traffic-Calming Program, which is a proactive, community-based program designed to enhance the quality of life in Mankato neighborhoods. It is a common goal among City leaders and residents to calm traffic on local residential streets where speeding, accidents, and/or non local traffic are concerns, providing a safer environment for motorists and pedestrians.
City of Maple Grove has implemented a variety of traffic calming approaches along Main Street such as on-street parking, bump outs, decorative crossing features, intersection markings, wide sidewalks, refuge islands and streetscaping.
Traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures are incorporated into Mendota Heights streets projects wherever feasible. An example of that is the Marie Avenue Rehabilitation project in 2019 where curb bump-outs were added to multiple intersections to slow traffic and give pedestrians a better view of oncoming cars. A couple years later, in 2022, speed trailers and cameras were also installed along Marie Avenue to help with speed reduction.
In 2017, the City of Minnetonka began road reconstruction on Crosby Road from McGinty Road to the Wayzata city limits. The reconstruction included narrower lane widths to provide traffic calming. This roadway handles about 2,000 vehicles per day and its geometry is long and straight and provides a short cut for rush hour traffic. The vehicle lanes are being reduced from 12 feet wide to 11 feet wide and concrete curb is being added to provide an additional visual barrier to assist with traffic calming.
At the intersection of 10th St. NW and 4th Ave NW, New Brighton has implemented a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon, a Pedestrian Push Button, and two Static W11-2 signs with supplemental W16-7pL signs. This intersection connects New Brighton’s Eagles Nest Indoor Playground with a shopping mall, Veterans Park, an apartment complex, St. John the Baptist Church, and City Hall.
During the 2013 Maple Street Reclamation project, we incorporated bump-outs, intersection markings, and narrower lane widths on the intersection of Maple Street and Sibley Street.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
We have had positive public feedback regarding the changes to that intersection and will use this model moving forward on similar intersections.
The city received a MNDOT grant of $1.1 million to improve pedestrian intersections on Highway 61 in Downtown Red Wing. The project will begin construction in 2014.
Rochester recently implemented traffic calming measures near two schools, Folwell and GAGE. They implemented speed bumps, extended crosswalks, medians.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
They have dramatically decreased the average speed of the area, and also allows pedestrians to feel more comfortable crossing the streets.
The City of St. Anthony has implemented traffic calming on several of its major arteries as part of its street reconstruction program. These measure include: roadway bump-outs, narrower streets, and trees.
In 2013 the City reconstructed Red Fox Road, a small road with access to Target, existing retail stores, and a new Trader Joes grocery store and additional strip mall. The City's traffic calming improvements included:
Striping of crosswalks to connect retail uses on both sides of Red Fox Road, encouraging walking between stores instead of driving. A shared middle turn lane was also added to keep the roadway narrow (instead of building out to 4 lanes wide).
A new sidewalk was constructed along the North side of Red Fox Road (sidewalks on both sides of road now).
Adding a concrete median at the intersection of Lexington Avenue to guide traffic with signage.
Relocated and upgraded the traffic signal on the SE corner of the Red Fox Road and Lexington Avenue intersection.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
The Shoreview Environmental Quality Committee and the Bike and Trails Committee are both supportive of these upgrades to offer pedestrians and trail/sidewalk users more access to the busiest area of Shoreview.
Certain roads were built as curved roads - the City has repaved all of these roads, to make them straight, and has reclaimed a lot of paved area because of this.