LRT Parking and Traffic Issues-Background Part 1

LRT Parking and Traffic Issues

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Background Information and Resources: Part 1

Input and Recommendations from Met Council's public meeting, Jan 23, 2002
Full Report (all stations plus Northstar)

50th Street / Minnehaha Park Station Recommendations:

See general recommendations for all stations, below.
Revise Park Board provisions for Minnehaha Park parking stalls.
Engage City, Park Board and Metropolitan Council to jointly manage Minnehaha Park parking.
Address existing airport hide-and-fly.

50th Street / Minnehaha Park Station Input:

No alleys and limited off-street parking between 50th and 51st streets and 42nd, 43rd and 44th avenues.
Residents don't want to pay the city's [$25] permit fee for Critical Parking.
Identify problems before taking action. Collect data (e.g., trace license plates of parking violators) around stations. Then, prepare swift response.
Some overflow from park events is OK, residents don't want to restrict that.
43rd Ave. south of 50th St. is a traffic funnel with speeding autos.

Preferred solutions:

Launch a "be a good neighbor" campaign to encourage people to ride the bus to stations and use official park-and-ride lots.
Work with Park Board to prevent hide-and-ride at Minnehaha Park. A limited use in the winter might be okay.
Collect data for a block-by-block review of need for permit parking.

General recommendations for all stations (Short Term, 0-5 years):

Ensure positive pedestrian and bicycle access to each station (facilities, improved and new connections and bike lockers/racks).
Launch a comprehensive marketing and education program prior to and after opening of transit lines (e.g., "be a good neighbor" postcard campaign, transit trip planner, where parking is available, notices before tickets).
Address real and perceived security issues about walking and transit.
Collect data to quantify parking issues and establish active management and monitoring program.
Create an ongoing and responsive Parking Management Action Team with residents, elected officials and government staff.
Explore parking enforcement through privatization or community volunteer program; team with LRT transit fare collection enforcement.
Designate station sites and transit lines as Critical Parking Areas (CPA); add adjacent blocks to each station's CPA as needed; residents request and obtain permits. Excess permits could be sold to generate revenue for neighborhood improvements.
Encourage shared use of private parking lots at new developments; contract with private owners for enforcement.
Establish Transit Overlay Districts around each station (e.g., require Travel Demand Management plans and parking provisions, allow developments to buy and sell parking credits, etc.).