Complete Streets in Minnesota communities
Hwy 61 in Grand Marais
Background
Highway 61 runs northeast-southwest through the city of Grand Marais, bisecting its downtown and connecting residents to Lake Superior. It also connects Grand Marais residents to services outside of the city and represents an important route for visitors who contribute to the city’s tourism-based economy.
Before the project, old pavement, limited bike accessibility, and minimal pedestrian accommodations prevented Grand Marais from ensuring a safe multimodal travel experience for both visitors and local residents.
The goal of the project focused on updating infrastructure, improving pedestrian mobility and safety, promotion of community public health, and supporting tourism-related businesses along the corridor.
Complete Streets elements
Landscaping and lighting
Amenity zones serve as a buffer between pedestrian and vehicle traffic and provide an inviting street environment. Improved lighting, trees, planters, benches, and waste receptacles create a strong street character.
Lane adjustment
Vehicle travel lanes were maintained at 12 feet wide, but shoulder widths were greatly reduced to narrow the overall roadway width. Narrower roadways promote slower driving speeds, contributing to a safer roadway by reducing the severity of crashes and shortening crossing distance.
Shared-use path
A shared-use path is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic. Separation from motor vehicle traffic can increase comfort for people walking and biking.
Curb extensions
Curb extensions, also called bulb outs or bump outs, extend a small section of sidewalk into the roadway at intersections or midblock crossings.
Before and after
Before
After
Complete Streets themes
Collaboration
A community visioning process ahead of project design helped inform a reconstruction project that prioritized benefits identified by Grand Marais residents. Stakeholder meetings, open houses, radio interviews, and other engagement sessions built upon the work of the visioning process throughout the project. MnDOT also collaborated with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the City, and Cook County to accomplish additional goals around stormwater, aging city utilities, contamination clean-up.
Community
Grand Marais boasts a thriving art scene, offers cultural events in music, craft, and theater, and supports many restaurants and locally owned businesses. Special consideration was given to greenspaces and public art spaces to reflect the City’s identity and encourage residents and visitors to enjoy the City’s amenities.
Safety
Curb extensions were installed alongside a new signal, and marked crosswalks along with continuous sidewalks were included on both sides of the road. These elements maximize pedestrian safety and encourage walking along the corridor.
Active Transportation
This project placed a heavy emphasis on improving walking and biking paths, the project area being part of U.S. Bicycle Route 41, the connection to the Gitchi-Gami State Trail, and being a priority for the City of Grand Marais. Curb extensions, a new signal, marked crosswalks, and continuous sidewalks on both sides of the road were key Complete Streets elements. The roadside integrated plantings to create a more human-scale environment and new lighting improves visibility for people biking or walking while preserving the North Shore dark sky environment.