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Council narrowly approves MnDOT's Broadway/Highway 14 layout despite safety objections
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing dominated by pedestrian, transit and disability advocates urging denial, the Rochester Common Council approved MnDOT's geometric layout for the Broadway and Highway 14 intersection by a 4'to'3 roll-call vote. Critics said added left-turn lanes widen crossings; MnDOT said the design improves pedestrian green time and overall safety.
The Rochester Common Council voted 4 to 3 on May 19 to adopt the geometric layout for MnDOT's Broadway Avenue South/Trunk Highway 14 intersection improvement project (J6073, state project 5502-109), approving a plan MnDOT says will make a longstanding crash-prone intersection safer.
Supporters, led by MnDOT project manager Tom Austin, framed the work as a safety-driven complete-streets redesign. Austin told the council the corridor is being rebuilt on a 30-mph design speed and that recent engineering work found dual left-turn lanes on Highway 14 would not increase through capacity but would allow signal timings that give more pedestrian green time. He also said the total project is about $19.5 million, with a city share of roughly $5.7 million plus engineering costs and a contingent cleanup risk if contaminated materials are found in the southern portions of the corridor.
But speakers from Olmsted County, bicycle and disability advocacy groups, transit unions and neighborhood residents urged the council to deny municipal consent, saying the addition of second left-turn lanes would widen crossings and increase vehicle speeds. "I urge you to deny municipal consent on the proposed intersection redesign and ask MnDOT to remove the additional left turn lanes," Olmsted County Commissioner Laurel Podolke Smith told the council, saying the intersection has seen more than 150 crashes in the past decade and urging a design that prioritizes people walking, rolling and biking.
Council members probed technical trade-offs for more than an hour: proponents argued the dual-left option clears left-turn queues more quickly, which in turn permits longer green phases for pedestrians and prevents drivers from attempting unsafe maneuvers when left turns back up into through lanes. Opponents said widening crossing distances by several feet conflicts with the city's long-term transit-oriented development goals and raises concerns for older and disabled pedestrians.
After debate, Council member Palmer moved to approve the layout; the roll call showed Keane (Aye), Miller (Nay), Wall (Aye), Fredericks (Aye), Palmer (Aye), Dohring (Nay) and Council President Schubert (Nay). The motion passed 4 to 3.
What's next: adopting the geometric layout is a procedural step that allows MnDOT to proceed into final design. Staff and MnDOT noted the city retains options to request changes, to negotiate posting speeds, and to seek design adjustments during final engineering, but state statute means the layout will automatically take effect if the city takes no action within 90 days.
Council members signaled interest in continuing oversight: several asked staff to press for a 30-mph posting at project completion and to press MnDOT on pedestrian crossing distances, transit impacts and opportunities to preserve future transit-priority lanes.
Vote at a glance: Mover: Council Member Palmer; Second: Council Member Keane; Outcome: approved 4'to'3 (Keane, Wall, Fredericks and Palmer in favor).
