Complete Streets in Minnesota communities
Hwy 35 in Duluth
Background
The Lake Ave. Bridge over I-35 (Highway 35) connects the downtown Duluth business district with Canal Park, a tourist and recreational destination on the other side of the freeway.
The bridge is the main access point to Canal Park, but it was perceived as a barrier for people walking and biking.
The City of Duluth was completing a full reconstruction of Superior St., a main downtown business corridor that intersects Lake Ave. MnDOT was able to adjust the timing of the bridge redecking project on the Lake Ave. bridge over Highway 35 to align with the city’s timeline for road closures. The reduced traffic due to COVID-19 also allowed MnDOT to expedite construction, minimizing impacts to local businesses.
Sidewalks, pedestrian ramps and signals were brought into compliance with ADA requirements, and bicyclist needs for crossing Highway 35 were addressed by narrowing traffic lanes and adding a bike lane across the bridge.
Complete Streets elements
Bike lanes
On-street bike lanes designate a preferential space for bicyclists through the use of pavement markings and signs. Bike lanes can help meet the needs of people who are interested in bicycling, but prefer a low-stress environment.
The bike lanes on the bridge provide a designated place for people biking to connect to destinations in downtown Duluth and Canal Park including the Lakewalk trail.
Lane adjustment
Narrower travel lanes promote slower driving speeds, contributing to a safer roadway by reducing the severity of crashes and shortening crossing distance. The additional space can be used to increase access to safe multimodal options, like bicycling facilities and wider sidewalks.
Working within a defined area, MnDOT and the City of Duluth were able to realize improvements for people biking and walking across the Lake Avenue bridge by narrowing the travel lanes from 14’ to 11’ and removing the raised center median. This provided space to add bike lanes and extend ADA-accessible pedestrian ramps
Before and after
Before
After
Complete Streets themes
Community connectedness
Improved pedestrian and bicycle facilities on the bridge allow residents and visitors to travel between destinations on either side of the interstate, which was perceived as a barrier for nonmotorized users.
Collaboration
In addition to coordinating project timelines, MnDOT collaborated with the City of Duluth by conducting a shared public outreach process. MnDOT consulted with the City’s Superior Street stakeholder groups, pedestrian and bicycle advocacy groups, and established outreach connections.
After construction, the City assumed responsibility for maintenance of the bike lane and sidewalk.
Safety
Pushing vehicle traffic farther away from the sidewalk, narrowing traffic lanes and providing a designated space for bicyclists to cross the bridge has increased the perceived feeling of safety for people walking and biking.
Narrowing travel lanes can help reduce vehicle travel speed, which greatly reduces the impact and likelihood of crashes.
Active transportation
As the primary connector for people walking and biking between downtown Duluth and Canal Park, the improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities provide a safer, more comfortable place for people walking and biking to cross the interstate.
Additional example
Highway 1 southeast of Ely, in a rural natural land use context, is a route used by recreational bicyclists. A four- to five-foot paved shoulder was included in the project and a lower design speed was maintained. The accommodations on the shoulder were a low-cost adjustment that improved the safety of the corridor, decreased crashes by 70% and improved perceived safety for people biking along the route.