CC MINUTES 07282026 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City Council Regular Meeting Minutes July 28, 2026 Page 6 1 intersection of Silver Lake Road and 29th Avenue. He stated that they are looking for ways to 2 improve this area, and that they acquired a grant through MnDOT to put on a temporary 3 demonstration of the Active Transportation Plan, which could improve flow at this intersection 4 and make it safer by utilizing a mini -roundabout. He noted that this will be a low -commitment 5 opportunity to explore community input on this project. He stated MnDOT felt they had a great 6 location to use this grant funding. City Engineer Messner stated that there may be slowdowns 7 and issues that come up, but that this is a good educational opportunity to develop long-term 8 improvement. He encouraged residents to share their thoughts on the roundabout, and expressed 9 a desire for all feedback, positive and negative. City Engineer provided a quick review of what a 10 Quick -Build Demonstration project is, and why it is beneficial. He emphasized the lack of a 11 capital commitment, the opportunity to build public awareness and gain community feedback, 12 and the opportunity to gather real -world traffic data during use of the temporary project. He 13 reminded the Council and the community that Silver Lake Road is operated and maintained by 14 Hennepin County. He noted that the demonstration will be seven weeks, but long enough to 15 understand how individuals navigate the intersection after becoming more used to it. He 16 commented that the cost is slightly higher than other temporary demonstrations, but reminded 17 that this was a product of grant funding. City Engineer Messner informed the Council that this is 18 a combination of the Active Transportation Plan and Complete Streets. He stated that this 19 intersection was one of the community's highest priorities for safety improvements, which is 20 why this location was selected. He highlighted that roundabouts have been shown to improve 21 safety, including for pedestrians, and that if they move forward with the roundabout 22 permanently, they will include the flashing beacons for pedestrian crossings. City Engineer 23 Messner reiterated that the roundabout will replace the existing four-way stop and confirmed that 24 when setting up the demonstration, this intersection will be closed. He informed the Council that 25 the roundabout will have a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit, which can improve visibility of 26 pedestrians and bikers, and encourage driver awareness. City Engineer Messner recognized the 27 difficulty of larger trucks navigating roundabouts, and stated that they will restrict trucks from 28 taking left or right turns on the roundabout and will recommend alternative routes for these 29 drivers. He informed the Council that there are many complaints about truck traffic on these 30 roads, and he hopes that this change will discourage some truck traffic. City Engineer Messner 31 reviewed the project timeline and stated that the installation will take place on August 8, the 32 demonstration will be in place from mid -August to September, and that removal will take place 33 on September 26. He stated that data will be evaluated by Hennepin County into 2027 to 34 understand what a potential long-term improvement could be. City Engineer Messner reminded 35 all that public comments are necessary for the success of this project, and provided a link to a 36 survey where residents can provide their feedback on the project. He informed the public that 37 traffic cameras will be utilized, but that these are not speed cameras and are only utilized to 38 monitor traffic patterns. He stressed that no decisions about permanent changes will be made 39 during or immediately after the demonstration, and that future funding will need to be sought. 40 City Engineer Messner provided a slide reiterating clarifications for the community, reminding 41 them that this is temporary, that community engagement is hugely important, that this project is 42 being done in collaboration with MnDOT and Hennepin County, and that the intersection will be 43 returned to the original four-way stop after the project is completed. 44 45 Councilmember Doolan appreciated the thoroughness of his presentation, and noted that her only 46 question was surrounding what data would be captured with the cameras. City Engineer Messner