Saint Paul -- (March 10, 2020)
WHAT: City of Minneapolis and City of Saint Paul leaders will announce new, lower speed limits on city-owned streets at a community event on Franklin Avenue, which connects Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Both cities have completed the required detailed technical analysis to set appropriate local speed limits.
WHEN: Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Intersection of Franklin Avenue & Emerald Street Southeast (on the border between Saint Paul and Minneapolis)
MORE: The Minnesota Legislature granted cities the authority to set speed limits on streets they own, effective August 1, 2019. Slower speeds on our streets make travel safer for everyone no matter how they get around. Lower traffic speeds reduce the likelihood of a crash and make a crash less likely to lead to death or a life-changing injury.
In 2019, Saint Paul adopted it’s first-ever Pedestrian Plan, which included a city legislative agenda of advocating for a statewide reduction in urban speeds. In addition, the city’s pedestrian plan strives to reduce pedestrians’ exposure to motor vehicles, lower street design speeds, and pursue changes in street designs that lower design speeds and reduce roadway crossing widths. Saint Paul’s Comprehensive Plan also includes a “Vision Zero” program with the long-term goal of achieving zero traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
Reducing speed limits is one of the key strategies in the Minneapolis Vision Zero Action Plan, which outlines key steps for the next three years to advance the City’s goal of ending traffic deaths and injuries on City streets by 2027.
Learn more about the speed limit process at visionzerompls.com and stpaul.gov/speedlimits.
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CONTACT:
Lisa Hiebert, APR
lisa.hiebert@ci.stpaul.mn.us