CC WORKSESSION PACKET 01302018 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

108 FREIGHT Freight transportation in St. Anthony Village is primarily served by two rail lines and arterial roadways. FIGURE 6-17 shows the City’s freight system and potential freight generators. A Canadian Pacific (CP) rail line passes through the northern portion of the City and a Minnesota Commercial (MNNR) rail line passes through the extreme southeast corner of the City. An abandoned rail line also passes diagonally across the southern portion of the City; this rail line was purchased by the Hennepin County Railroad Authority and developed into the Northeast Diagonal Trail. There are no large freight traffic generators within the City. Most truck and rail traffic is passing through St. Anthony Village on trips to, from, and through the Twin Cities. Shoreham Yard, a major CP rail/truck intermodal terminal is located to the west of the City along Central Avenue in Minneapolis. Freight traffic generators within St. Anthony Village are located along portions of the CP rail line and along CSAH 88. Freight generators include concentrations of industrial land uses north of CSAH 93/CSAH 19 and south of CSAH 88. Silver Lake Village and the St. Anthony Shopping Center are also commercial centers that generate some freight traffic along CSAH 44 and CSAH 88 respectively. FIGURE 6-18 shows Heavy Commercial Average Annual Daily Traffic (HCAADT) within St. Anthony Village. New Brighton Boulevard (CSAH 88) carries the greatest number of heavy commercial vehicles (1,234 vehicles per day). 37th Avenue NE (CSAH 19) also carries a substantial amount of heavy commercial traffic within the City. As of January 2015, the CP rail line carries approximately 10 trains per day. The Metropolitan Council 2040 TPP notes that freight rail traffic has increased substantially since 2010. Throughout the region, freight rail traffic is expected to increase, especially as the regional population continues to grow. There are two locations in the City where the CP rail line crosses public roadways: CSAH 27 (Stinson Boulevard Northeast) and CSAH 44 (Silver Lake Road Northeast). The CSAH 27 crossing is at-grade and is controlled by flashing lights and gates. The CSAH 44 crossing is grade-separated. There is also a sidewalk crossing of the rail line between Foss Road and Silver Lane. This crossing includes signing and sections of chain link fence in order to encourage pedestrians and bicyclists to slow and look for trains prior to crossing. The only MNNR railroad crossing within the City is a grade-separated crossing under I- 35W. The Metropolitan Council 2040 TPP acknowledges several freight challenges that impact the City and the region. As mentioned above, freight traffic is expected to increase and place pressure on the region’s highway and rail systems. East-west traffic on the CP lines has increased in recent years in part