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To: Arden Hills Mayor and Councilmembers From: Ted Schoenecker Ramsey County Public Works Director / County Engineer Date: January 7, 2021 Subject: Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities along Lake Johanna Boulevard I am responding on behalf of Commissioner Frethem regarding the letter that was dated December 11, 2020 regarding the city’s concerns over unsafe pedestrian and bicycle access to Tony Schmidt Regional Park along Lake Johanna Boulevard (County State Aid Highway 149). When it comes to the county road system and working with staff from Arden Hills, we have a good working relationship and have been and will be making investments in the city: • In 2018, the city led the design and construction of a trail along County Road E from State Highway 51 to Old Snelling Avenue and along Old Snelling Avenue from County Road E to County Road E2. The county participated in the costs for this trail construction. During construction, there were some major issues that arose that required additional costs and the county increased our participation to help the city with this, with the county contributing approximately $550,000. • We are working with Arden Hills to reconstruct the County Road E / Old Snelling Avenue intersection to build a roundabout in 2023. This is a $1.5 million project with the county’s portion at about $1.1 million and the city’s at about $400,000. • Arden Hills is leading the installation of pedestrian median refuges at two locations on Hamline Avenue between County Road F and County Road 96. Total cost is approximately $110,00 with the costs split 50/50 between the county and city. • The county is leading the reconstruction of Lexington Avenue from County Road E to I-694 in 2022. This is a $12.5 million project, with the county’s portion at about $10.7 million and the local contribution at $1.8 million (this includes both Arden Hills and Shoreview). We have also been working closely with a developer in Arden Hills to try and accommodate and make improvements that help them. • Lambros Ditch from Lake Johanna to Johanna Marsh is being regraded/improved. Construction cost is approximately $500,000 for the county. • Old Snelling Avenue from County Road E to County Road 96 is identified for a pavement preservation project in 2023. Construction cost is approximately $1 million for the county. As we started to develop the future County 2021-2025 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP), county staff met with all of the cities in the summer of 2020 to discuss current projects and potential future ones in each city. When we met with Arden Hills staff, we did talk about Lake Johanna Boulevard and the concerns that the residents have had in the area. Here are some of items that were considered, that have been completed and that are still yet to be done in the upcoming spring/summer: