8th Ave South Improvements for LRT8 MOM l 1
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
CC: Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: John R. Bradford, City Engineer
Date: November 13, 2012
Re: 8th Avenue South Improvements for LRT?I&
This memo outlines our upcoming discussion on improvements that need to be made
in the 8th Avenue South right-of-way to help maximize the impact of LRT on
Downtown Hopkins. The presentation is similar to our abbreviated item in July, but
we will have time to more thoroughly explore the benefits and challenges of this
proposal.
Goals
As has been discussed many times, the City's overriding objectives with the
Downtown LRT Station are:
• Increase Customer Traffic Downtown
o Automobile
o Bicycle
o Pedestrian
• Make Downtown Hopkins an LRT Destination
• Maximize TOD Development
o 8th Avenue south of Mainstreet
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June 12, 2012
Opportunities
There are several opportunities for Downtown that we are trying to leverage:
• Huge pool of potential customers
o Trails
• LRT is an easy way to get to Hopkins
o No Need to Drive or Park
• Confluence of Trails makes Biking Easy to LRT Station
Challenges
The primary challenges regarding the right-of-way are:
• Crossing Excelsior Boulevard
o Visually Daunting
o High Volume and Speed of Traffic
o No Immediate Destination
• 8th Avenue South
o Automobile Focused
o Not Pedestrian or Bicycle Friendly
o Limited Right of Way
Tuesday Discussion
Our discussion on Tuesday will focus on possible ways to make 81" Avenue South
the pedestrian seductive corridor that will draw people downtown.
We look forward to discussing these issues with you on Tuesday night.
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