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Residents press Minnetrista council for crosswalks on Woodland Cove Boulevard; council asks staff for criteria and more public input
Summary
Woodland Cove residents and an HOA representative asked the council to add marked or signalized crosswalks on Woodland Cove Boulevard. City staff and the police chief said engineering standards do not currently warrant a crossing; council asked staff to develop objective criteria and invited residents to testify at the March 17 meeting.
Woodland Cove residents and the neighborhood HOA urged the Minnetrista City Council to install marked crosswalks on Woodland Cove Boulevard to improve pedestrian safety near a park and bus stop.
At the work session, staff said engineering analysis conducted for the request does not meet standard warrants for installing a marked crosswalk or pedestrian-activated flashers. Staff described the engineering factors that are considered—speed, average daily traffic (ADT), accident history and sightlines—and told council the Uniform Traffic Control Device Manual and technical guidance from traffic engineers are used to evaluate requests.
Several residents addressed the council. Aaron Dennehy, who said he lives at 4600 Foxglove Drive, told council the University of Minnesota found one year that "60% of cars did not yield to pedestrians at unmarked crosswalks" and argued that marking crossings reduces incidents. Dennehy said he had captured video of pedestrians crossing and drivers not yielding.
Police and engineering staff cautioned that adding marked crossings where engineering standards are not met can create a false sense of security. Paul Pfaff, chief of police, told council, "Every corner is a crosswalk. That's from the Minnesota Department of Transportation," and warned that simply adding markings without meeting sightline and speed criteria can increase confusion.
Staff provided preliminary cost and maintenance figures: roughly $500 in initial materials and labor to paint a single crosswalk (staff estimated about $500 per crosswalk for installation, roughly $250 per sign, and ongoing repainting/maintenance at about $1,000 per crosswalk per year), and said that adding signed, flashing pedestrian crossings would be more costly than painted markings. Staff also pointed to precedent and equity concerns: if the council approves one crossing outside of engineering warrants, other neighborhoods may request the same.
Council members discussed two practical next steps: ask staff and police to draft objective criteria the city will use for future crosswalk requests, and invite Woodland Cove neighbors to speak at the regular March 17 council meeting so the council can hear broader neighborhood support or opposition. Staff also noted the bus stop near one requested location should be discussed with the school/bus operator about stop placement; staff said the master HOA had opposed the request while the subdivision HOA had made the request.
Council did not take a final vote. The council asked staff to prepare criteria for council review and encouraged residents to bring letters or attend the March 17 meeting to provide broader input.
