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Cannot exit driveway with large vehicle, boat or trailer because of close parking to driveways, including across the street.

Ticketing and towing commenced on Tuesday, Sept 21 for cars within 5’ of edge of driveway radius

Winter snow banks will narrow streets making driveway exit issue worse.

Emergency vehicles won’t be able to get through on Old Hiawatha (north of 50^th) with parking on both sides.

The MFD has determined that at least to the first residence past the commercial bldg, the street must have one-sided parking.

Overnight and longer-term airport parkers (hide-n-fly) are a problem.

Some parkers are completely blocking driveways.

Ticketing and towing commenced on Tuesday, Sept 21

One-sided parking will further limit the amount of resident spaces.

Garbage and recycling collection is more difficult.

Parkers’ lack of respect, re: not understanding that they are guests in someone’s neighborhood.

Public Awareness campaign. See # 69.

Noise issues: car alarms, loud conversations and shouts late at night, car horns, and noisy vehicles.

Parkers’ excessive use of certain driveways to turn around in street

Parkers blocking fire hydrants

Needs better enforcement of existing ordinances

Parkers not staying 30’ from stop signs and parking into street corners & sidewalks.

See # 61. Needs better enforcement of existing ordinances

Enforcement of parking violations is inconsistent

City is forcing residents to make all the concessions.

Critical Parking Area (CPA) will push area of concern out 4-6 blocks away

CPA will eliminate parking for other “neighborhood residents” (outside the 2 or 3 block area) who want or need to park in their own neighborhood.

$25 annual parking fee a hardship to fixed and low income residents

250% increase in permit price is taking unfair advantage of residents during LRT issues; considered an extra tax or usury fee on residents.

CPA would require “floating permits” for guests and repair/maintenance vehicles and other legitimate parkers; process for getting extra permits is expensive and inconvenient.

CPA will require parking posts/signs installed into cement of sidewalks on 42^nd, 43^rd and 44^th Avenues (no boulevards).

CPA - People shouldn’t have to pay to park in front of their own houses, on a public street.

CPA - Purchasing a permit may be misconstrued as having a “reserved parking spot” in front of one’s house.

Time-limited parking (example: No Parking 10 AM - 4PM) could pose a problem for commercial areas

Traffic Issues

Comments

Excessive speeding.

Running stop signs and red lights, especially on 50^th Street.

Traffic is increasing on side streets because people are avoiding LRT crossings (46^th and 50^th Street).

Volume of traffic on 39^th Ave – currently used as gateway to, and from the neighborhood.

Traffic gets backed up northbound on 39^th because people can’t turn onto the Parkway (no stop sign on eastbound Parkway at 39^th).

Volume of traffic on 43rd Ave – has become a feeder street into and exiting the neighborhood.

Stop signs at 42^nd & 50^th are faded or hidden (cars often run stop.)

See # 63

31.

No convenient bus near home: pedestrian safety at night - so must drive and park

32.

Some people need to park and ride because of physical limitations, weather conditions, children.

33.

Event parkers behavior, i.e. tailgating in neighborhoods, loud, drunk, vandalism (steal from inside vehicles, broken glass), damage to cars, domestics, urinating near stations.

34.

No #19 bus on 54^th before 7:15am

Bus #19 will operate from 5am until midnight at a more frequent interval starting in Dec 2004.

35.

East-West bus lines not sufficient; long waits for buses

Met Transit will re-evaluate routes in Oct 2004.  Also, see #34, above.

36.

Snow & ice maintenance on area sidewalks for walkers

Sidewalk and steps maintenance is property owners’ responsibility.

37.

Engineers need to “think outside the box,” re: safety measures over-engineered – need to take reality into consideration

38.

There’s been no effort by City or Met Transit to encourage people to be good neighbors

See # 69

Park Board could allow contract parking in Minnehaha Park – has under-used parking spaces

Minnehaha Falls Park is MP&RB property and would require their cooperation to change traffic flow and allow parking.

“No Parking Between the Hours of X AM – Y PM …” signs, i.e., 2am-6pm.

Have a three-hour parking limit – would be better for businesses.

Parking meters on 50^th St.

Critical Parking Area type “A” (X hour Parking, Except By Permit)

Critical Parking Area type “B” (No Parking X AM – Y PM, Except By Permit)

Require some type of parking permit during night sports games, certain events

Free permits- 2 per households

Create more parking spaces, i.e., Park and Ride lots.

City to build and run contract/pay lots

Grass roots efforts to educate parkers to alternative methods of transportation.

See # 69

Permit parking on one side of street only

Paint yellow no-parking sections on either side of driveway radius (5ft. from edge of radius)

Neighborhood project to paint driveway curbs using a template

Only the City can paint or mark curbs and sidewalks. Other marks will be “promptly removed at the property owner’s expense.”

Consider hardship cases for No Parking, i.e., hills, narrow driveway, ice

“Resident Parking Only” signs

The courts have ruled that “Resident Parking Only” signage has no legal status on a public street. Can only be used on private property, re: apartment building lots.

“No Thoroughfare” signs for 43^rd Ave, and “No Outlet” for 42^nd Ave north of 50^th.

“Dead End” sign is in place on 42^nd Ave at 50^th St facing north.

Make 43^rd Ave “One Way.”

Have Met Transit Police enforce parking restrictions.

Allow parking along east side (next to the wall) of Old Hiawatha south of 50^th.

May be too narrow by 44^th Ave. intersection (by yellow lane lines)

Allow residents to directly charge people from outside the neighborhood to park on their street.

Add no parking restrictions, but do start a public education program.

See # 69

Add “No Parking 30 Feet ” signs to existing stop sign poles.

Traffic Solutions

Comments

62.

Speed bumps as traffic calmers and deterrent for 39^th Ave., 43^rd Ave and 42^nd Ave north of 50^th St.

Speed bumps are noisy, may cause house foundation cracking, cost residents $4500/pair, and cannot be installed on 39^th Ave because of steep grade.

63.

Replace faded/hidden stop signs at 42^nd and 50^th St.

All four signs have been replaced as of Sept 22.

64.

Reduce and post the speed limit.

Post 43^rd Ave as 25 MPH zone.  Post 42^nd Ave north of 50^th St as 15 MPH. Periodically enforce.

65.

Make stop signs more visible i.e., flags, flashing lights, neon

66.

“No Left Turn” on westbound Minnehaha Pkwy at 39^th Ave during posted hours

Minnehaha Pkwy is MP&RB property and would require their cooperation to change traffic flow and signage.

67.

Expand Minnehaha Pkwy bridge by one lane for westbound left turners at 39^th Avenue

Cost Prohibitive and would increase traffic on 39^th Ave.

68.

Cul-de-sac on 39^th just before the Parkway and/or side street added between the wider 38^th Ave and 39th Ave.

See map (opens new window). Map shows cul-de-sac and optional sidestreet along with an added stop sign on the eastbound Pkwy at 38th. Having to cut over from or to 38th Ave. would greatly reduce the incentive to take 39th while still allowing access. Also note the 3-way stop at the corner of 39th Ave and 49th St. at the top of the hill.

Other Solutions

Comments

69.

Education- public relations/ marketing to make people aware of issues for the neighborhoods. Volunteer “Good Neighbor” campaign

Work with communications and outreach specialists at Met Transit to develop flyers for resident distribution and signage campaign. Use signboards at stations.

70.

Deputize citizens to write tickets (revenue generator for City)

71.

Have Met Transit / Met Council pay for resident parking permits

72.

Circulator Bus; early a.m./ late p.m., loop through neighborhood