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Rushford Village reviews Safe Routes to School options, favors 10-foot shoulder to reduce cost
Summary
Council members reviewed Safe Routes to School options presented on Sept. 30 with MnDOT and consultants and indicated a preference for a 10-foot shoulder separated by painted lines and rumble strips (estimated $625,000) over a curb-and-gutter shared-use path (estimated $725,000). The village will wait for grant award details before committing.
At the Oct. 1 Rushford Village Council meeting, Mayor Dennis Overland reported on a Sept. 30 Zoom meeting with the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) team, MnDOT, school district leadership and consultants to review corridor options near Highway 43 and Highway 16.
Consultants and village representatives discussed several alignments. One option would build a shared-use path separated from the roadway by curb and gutter; that alternative was estimated at about $725,000 and would require retention ponds. A second option -- favored by the council -- would provide a 10-foot-wide shoulder delineated by painted lines and rumble strips, with an estimated cost of about $625,000. Council members said the shoulder option would be easier and less costly to clear in winter and would save roughly $100,000 compared with the curb-and-gutter alternative.
Designers suggested a new crossing near Highway 16 and Meadow Avenue to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists heading west toward the golf course and to avoid the corner of Highway 43. Officials noted that moving a trail to the east side of Highway 43 to reach the Root River bridge would be infeasible without major bridge renovations. The consultants reported a traffic count near the Highway 43/16 intersection of about 3,000 vehicles per day. Advanced-activated pedestrian crossing signs and flashing lights were proposed as part of the project.
Village staff said final design choices will depend on how much grant funding is awarded; the final report and cost estimates were expected at the end of October or beginning of November to support fall grant applications. Clerk Mary Miner said staff will try to schedule an SRTS meeting when the full council can attend for additional input. Officials emphasized that the village is not yet committed to construction and would await grant award decisions before moving forward.
The discussion concluded with direction to update maps to reflect the preferred options and to proceed with grant application planning.
