Request for Committee Action

2024-00616 - Contract with Bolton & Menk, Inc., for layout, engineering and design services for the 35th/36th Street E/W Reconstruction Project

2024-00305 - Metropolitan Council's Regional Solicitation and MnDOT’s Highway Safety Improvement Program for City transportation projects

Scope

The 35th Street and 36th Street Reconstruction project will fully reconstruct approximately 1.6 miles of 35th Street and 36th Street between Chicago Avenue and Blaisdell Avenue due to the age and deteriorated condition of the street. This project will coordinate with Hennepin County’s Park Avenue and Portland Avenue Safety Improvement project to align construction activities and planned improvements.

Key goals of the project include:

• Design safer, calmer, and more resilient streets
• Build streets that reflect the community’s priorities and needs
• Make sure people can walk, roll, bike, and access transit safely and comfortably
• Use green infrastructure to collect and treat stormwater
• Include more green space and support healthy trees
• Replace and upgrade old streets, sidewalks, and other public infrastructure

This project will deliver significant improvements for walking, rolling, biking, and green space. The project is an opportunity to incorporate safety, accessibility, and mobility improvements that align with the policy visions and goals articulated in the Minneapolis 2040 Plan, the City’s Transportation Action Plan, Complete Streets Policy, Climate Equity Plan , and Vision Zero Action Plan.

Concept Layout

The project includes full reconstruction of 35th Street and 36th Street, an All Ages and Abilities bikeway, on 35th Street between Blaisdell and 3rd Avenues, improved pedestrian facilities, green stormwater infrastructure improvements, and improved safety for people walking, rolling, biking, accessing transit, and driving vehicles. The recommended concept layout generally has two travel lanes on 35th Street, two travel lanes on 36th Street, reprioritizes space by reducing on-street parking, expands the boulevard to accommodate trees and green stormwater infrastructure, adds an All Ages and Abilities bikeway, and expands sidewalk space.

The project includes two bridges that are owned by MnDOT and not within the scope of the project. Striping, lane configuration, and the type of separation for the proposed two-bikeway over the bridge will be in coordinated with MnDOT and will be determined during final design. The  \feasibility and exact placement of green stormwater infrastructure will be further refined in the final design. See Attachment 1 for the full recommended concept layout of 35th Street and 36th Street.

Outreach and Engagement

Public Works conducted three phases of community engagement for the project. The initial phase of engagement occurred in December 2024. Engagement focused on existing conditions and uses, opportunities, and issues along the corridors. The second phase of engagement was in April 2025, which focused on collecting community feedback on several alternative concepts under consideration. The third round of engagement took place in September 2025 to solicit feedback on the proposed concept layout.

A detailed summary of project engagement can be found in Attachment 2, Complete Streets Checklist. See Attachments 3 and 4 for project resolutions from the City’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee and Bicycle Advisory Committee. Attachment 5 includes the resolution for the request to seek a variance.

Request for Variance

Minnesota Department of Transportation State Aid Operations Rules 8820.9951 (Minimum Design Standards: On-Road Bicycle Facility for Urban; New or Reconstruction Projects) requires streets with a designated speed of 30 mph and Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) greater than 10,000 to have minimum travel lane dimensions of 11 ft and State Aid Rule 8820.9995 (Minimum Off-road and Shared Use Path Standards) requires off-road bikeways to include a minimum shoulder/clear zone of 2 feet and a minimum design speed of 20 mph.

An All Ages and Abilities bikeway is proposed on 35th Street between Blaisdell and 3rd Avenues however the block between Blaisdell Avenue and Nicollet Avenue is a pinch point. It has been determined that lane widths of 10 feet and a reduced bikeway clear zone are required to maintain the two-way protected bikeway design along the block, which requires a variance from the State Aid rules noted above. If the variance is granted, the shared use path on 35th Street between Blaisdell Avenue and Nicollet Avenue will be changed to a two-way protected bikeway during final design.