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PROPOSED STREET IMPROVEMENT FACT SHEET Ie city of New Brighton has proposed a street reconstruction project for our neighborhood scheduled for this ummer. Our street, 16th Avenue S.W.. is included among other streets in this proposal. As an added benefit. J NO EXTRA ADDITIONAL COST TO 16TH AVE. S.W. RESIDENTS the city is proposing to install sidewalks -along the West side of the street. The cost of sidewalks is paid for from Municipal State Aid Funds and are not assessed to property owners. We will be assessed. along with property owners on other streets included in the project. approximately.$920 per lot for the rest of the project. This amounts to an average of $12 per month over a period of 10 years. beginning with the tax year 2001. If residents are opposed to the project and wish to put off resurfacing until a later date. they should be aware that the cost for this project will only increase in the future because current project costs are lumped together with surrounding streets. If the city were to resurface only 16th Ave. at a later date. it will be more expensive and our assessment will be higher. The street is over 30 years old and it is not cost-effective for the City to keep repairing the street and the street .Yti1l be resurfaced at some point in the future. There has been no opposition for street resurfacing by neighbors on the surrounding streets. Upon approval by the City Council. street reconstruction will go forward as scheduled on the surrounding streets this summer. The addition of a sidewalk on the West side of the street has many benefits: · The driving lanes will be narrowed to 22', with an 8' parking lane on the East side of the street. Narrowing the street is recommended by traffic engineers here, as well as in other cities across the country, as a way of slowing down traffic. A 1995 traffic calming report by the Town of Brookline, MA lists road narrowing as a successful traffic calming technique, stating it "can act as a reminder or encouragement to drive slowly or calm- ly." Since 1974, under a program instituted by Bob Ruhe, head of the Minneapolis parkway system, Minneapolis has regularly narrowed streets when rebuilding parkways under the premise that people will travel more slowly on narrowed streets. I A sidewalk will provide a safe area for children and adults to walk on. Many of us are concerned for the fety of the number of pedestrians currently walking on our busy street. The sidewalk will come in approximately 12" from the existing curb into residents' yards on the West side of e street. (The area 11 feet from the existing curb is an easement. It is city property, and the city has a right to use it for improvements.) · The City will add an 8' boulevard - a grassy area with trees - between the sidewalk and the curb, further removing pedestrians from street traffic. · The City of New Brighton does all the snow shoveling of city sidewalks. · The City will maintain access for postal delivery at all times during construction. · Residents on the West side of the street with driveways will get new concrete driveway aprons along with the sidewalk, making a smooth transition between sidewalk and driveways. · A narrowed street, boulevard and sidewalks will beautify and improve the livability of our neighborhood making it attractive to potential buyers and possibly raising the value of homes for sellers. · Similar street improvements have been done on 7th Street N.W. from Silver Lake Road to 8th Avenue. Residents there are very pleased with the results. We urge you to support the proposed street resurfacing project WITH SIDEWALKS by attending the Public Improvement Hearing Tuesday, March 23rd at 7:30 p.m. The hearing is before the New Brighton City Council and Is held at City Hall in the Council Chambers, 803 Old Highway 8 N.W. The City Council needs to know that the majority Of residents on 16th Ave. S.W. support this project. Please attend if at all possible. I'f you have questions about the project, contact the New Brighton Engineering Department 638-2050. ank you for your support, Dean and Joan Elwell Neighborhood Crime Watch block captains, upper 16th Ave. S.W.