2026-0324 PWETC Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Mr. Freihammer suggested that the Commission could consider removing the pedestrian bridge component if it is no longer feasible. He also noted that the segment could be modified or broken into smaller portions, such as focusing on a shorter stretch of County Road C2, rather than maintaining the full original concept, particularly since parts of the corridor do not currently exist. Member Luongo suggested that it may be beneficial to include a sidewalk on the west side of County Road C2 to provide nearby residents with a safe place to walk and improved local connectivity. Chair Ficek suggested starting the discussion with the proposed bridge over Interstate 35 W. He noted that while pedestrian -only facilities can be appealing, the location may limit their usefulness, since they do not connect to a major regional trail and are somewhat out of the way. Chair Ficek summarized that there was consensus to remove the bridge component from the segment. He explained that the remaining portions of the corridor could be considered separately on each side of Interstate 35 W. Mr. Freihammer recommended breaking the west side into two segments, one from Highway 8 to Highway 88 and another from Highway 88 to Long Lake Road, to allow for more targeted evaluation. He noted that this approach would align with prior discussions about potential improvements along Long Lake Road. Chair Ficek and Mr. Freihammer discussed focusing on the west side of County Road C2. They noted that a pathway already exists along much of Long Lake Road, allowing for a potential connection from Long Lake to Old Highway 8, which also has a sidewalk. They discussed whether to formalize improvements as on -street bike lanes or maintain flexibility. Mr. Freihammer recommended keeping the description broad as an on- and off - road pathway to allow for future design decisions, including potential bike lanes or trail development. Chair Ficek supported maintaining flexibility, and the group agreed to use "and or" language to preserve multiple options. Mr. Freihammer suggested defining the segment from Old Highway 8 to Long Lake Road and noted that it could be split into two segments, Old Highway 8 to Highway 88 and Highway 88 to Long Lake Road, to allow for phased implementation. Chair Ficek acknowledged that keeping segments flexible would not prevent phased construction, and the group agreed on the general approach before moving on to discuss the east side. Mr. Freihammer discussed the east side of the County Road C2 corridor, noting that a connection already exists into Langton Park. He indicated that additional Page 20 of 28